"Ah, Sirius, where have you been? I said 6 o'clock and its 10 past" Molly all but shrieked. Laughing, Hermione swiftly released herself from Sirius' grip, not noticing Fred's face contorted in anger.
"Sirius! Its so good to see you. Hows everything at Grimauld?"
"Same as ever really" He replied with a shrug. His face shifted into a smirk. " its very lonely too. Maybe you could keep me company some time soon."
Hermione blushed a rosy shade of pink. The man was a complete and utter charmer, and despite Hermione's constant reprimanding, would continue to be so until his dying days. Not that she was complaining of course. To hide her embarrassment, she hastily picked up a Butterbeer.
"For Merlin's sake Sirius, we've not even been here 5 minutes and your already harassing the girl. Leave her be Padfoot" Chuckled Remus Lupin, ex – Defence Against The Dark Arts professor and prominent Order member. Hermione studied him as he walked past her into the kitchen.
His sandy hair had considerably more grey streaks than ever in, and there were more and more wounds every time she saw him. However, Remus Lupin still managed to be incredibly handsome, much to his confusion. Nymphadora followed closely behind with Teddy, while somehow managing to knock over a vase of tulips. "Wotcher Hermione!"
"Hey Tonks"
As Hermione smiled at Teddy, Mrs Weasley's booming voice could be heard from the kitchen.
"WHAT WERE YOU TWO PUTTING IN THERE? IT BETTER NOT BE SOMETHING YOUR TESTING ON US-"
Twins, Hermione mouthed seeing Tonks' confused glance.
"Mum, its was nothing really-"
"NOTHING? WHAT ABOUT THAT POTION YOU PUT INTO LAST WEEKS CASSEROLE? YOU HAD US ALL GROWING HORNS FOR THE WEEK!"
"That wasn't us, it was-"
"ONE OF YOUR OTHER BROTHERS WHO LOVES TO CAUSE MAYHEM? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FATHER AND PERCY WENT THROUGH AT WORK?"
"Ah yes, didn't someone say Percy could show his horns up his-"
"OUT!"
And with that final cry of anger from Molly, the Twins were hastily ejected from the kitchen.
By then, everyone in the room was chuckling away, with the exception of Hermione.
"Really you two, you should test your barmy products on other people, not your family. What we've all done for you and here you are test-"
"Sorry Hermione, didn't look at it like that"
Hermione was baffled. Did Fredrick Gideon Weasley, a Weasley twin, apologize with a straight face and convincing look of regret? Maybe they had already slipped something into her drink?
"huh?" Real smart Ron, Hermione she thought to herself.
"Jeez Ronniekins, he said he was s-o-r-r-y. You know an apology-"
" righting your wrong"
"making amends-"
"a plea for -"
"OK! Its just its not everyday a Weasley twin apologizes. Didn't know you had it in you"
"Well Granger, there's not much that you don't know," Fred said with a cheeky grin, " But there's a lot you don't know about us"
"Yeah Granger, the things I could tell you. Like, for example, Did you know, Fred has a birthmark right on his left -"
"I get it, it get," Hermione groaned, " men of mystery and all that"
Sirius chuckled heartily from his seat by the window.
"Mya, I bet i could tell you things that make your toes curl" He said huskily.
Hermione blushed. I bet he could, She thought, the stories I've heard from his Hogwarts days – and all the other days too.
Luckily for Hermione, Mrs Weasley shouted them all into the kitchen for tea – vegetable stew and dumplings the size of Hermione's fist.
As everyone was tucking into a second helping of stew, Remus coughed lightly, gaining the attention he had intended too. He blushed under everyone's expectant gaze.
"So,well the Hogwarts letters are arriving soon, and as you know, they needed a DADA teacher and a charms teacher..."
"and as I'm sure many of you have now realized, Moony and I were asked, have taken the job, and intended to restore Hogwarts to its fine form from the Marauder days." Sirius, finished.
Remus shot his old friend a displeased glare, to which the other man merely laughed.
"You'll be in the castle? Teaching?"
"That's what usually happens at a school Harry" Remus smirked. "But how much teaching Padfoot will do is debatable."
Hermione was stumped. Remus was the best DADA professor they'd ever had (a title he won easily) but Sirius? The man didn't have an academic bone in his body. His life was all fun,fire whiskey, and 'frolicking' with any available girl.
"Lavender and Parvati are going to love this" Hermione whispered to herself, earning a chuckle from George next to her.
"What about you, eh Granger? You loving it too?" He whispered back ,with the cheeky grin him and his brother were famous for.
Hermione blushed a light crimson. George chuckled again, and carried on as he noticed his brother's envious stare. However, his laughter died out as he noticed another unexpected envious stare, from one Mr Sirius Black.
'Poor Mione', he thought, 'she won't know what's hit her. It'll be a good laugh though watching her trying to cope'
"Now, about the wedding. Its in two weeks, and there's lots of work to be done. So tomorrow, Fred, George,Ron, Harry, I want you to de gnome the garden again. Hermione, Ginny, id like you organize the decorations into piles for each room. Sirius, Remus, if you could go to Diagon Alley and buy Firewhiskey, Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice, I would greatly appreciate it."
"Of course Molly, anything to help" Sirius replied, his eyes sparkling at the thought of all that Firewhiskey.
Everyone sat in silence as they contemplated the upcoming nuptials. Percy had only just come back into favour with his family, so Molly was using his wedding as a chance to reconcile with him.
"So Granger, what are you taking for your NEWTS?"
"Hmm... I'm taking Transfiguration, Herbology, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Potions Charlie. I decided to drop Defence Against the Dark Arts, I think we've mastered all of that."
This received some low, ironic chuckles from the Harry and Ron end of the table.
After their pudding of treacle tart and custard (Hermione's personal favourite) the gathered friends and family retreated into the Weasley's garden.
Ron,Ginny and Fred immediately sought out the broom shed, muttering about 'Quidditch' and 'Kicking Charlie's arse'.
Sirius and Remus sat down on the long grass, batting gnomes out of the way to do so. Hermione, not wanting to really listen to Quidditch talk just yet, decided to join them.
"Mya! Good lass, joining us. Them younger lot just can't compare with our experience, wisdom and charming good looks, can they?"
"They cant compete with you big-headed, egotistical idiots any day. And my name is Her-mi-one Sirius."
Remus chuckled, used to the banter between the two. When Sirius had been bored and holed up in Grimuald Place, he'd had nothing better to do then relentlessly tease one Miss Granger. Unfortunately, this had lead to a very inappropriate crush on the young girl .Not that Padfoot would ever do such a thing as to seduce a 16 year old (Well, any more that is). But it was inappropriate none the less, and Remus was quite thankful she was now of age. Sirius had been coming up with many ways to get rid of his crush, most which sounded extremely painful and hard to do.
Tuning back into the conversation, Remus caught the end of one of Sirius' story's – or as he liked them to be know, 'The Marauder Memoirs of Malarkey and Mischief'. It seemed that dear old Snuffles had been spending too much time with Fred and George)
"And so McGonagall shows up, dressing gown and all, and asks Dumbledore if he'll marry her! Well, we were pissing ourselves laughing, and Prongsy goes and asks her if he can be a page boy! Gave us detention for 4 months, she did. Would have banned us from Quidditch too, but Slytherin was second, and old Minnie's 'wanted to keep the House Cup in her office another year longer'."
Remus snickered at the fond memory, and the fact that Hermione was doubled over in laughter. Sitting back, up and wiping the tears from her eyes, she smiled at them both.
"This isn't true, is it Remus?"
Just as he was about to answer, Sirius cut in. "Every word love. Now how about a drink Mya? You up for some Firewhiskey?