Hermione was finishing up the appetizers as Harry and Ginny arrived. She was a bit nervous but not for dinner or even the two older men showing up. She had yet to tell Harry that Sirius was coming. He had contemplated talking to the older man. Her plan might have been scary, but she hoped it would turn out well.
"The new window looks good," Harry murmured leaning over the bar toward the kitchen.
Hermione bobbed her head. "Yes, now if only I could find my cat…" Hermione trailed off with a big breath.
"You never know when he'll show up," Ginny sighed from the living room as she placed Albus in his bouncy chair. James was stacking Legos on the floor next to his brother as Ginny flopped in the armchair. "Fuck it all, I'm so tired," Ginny groaned.
Hermione handed the large platter to Harry and checked the timer before bringing Ginny a glass of water. "It's a lot of work to take care of the next generation," Hermione declared with a smile.
There was a knock at the door, and Ginny gave her a squinted frown. "Tell me you didn't invite my brother. This is supposed to be a quiet dinner."
The curly-haired woman waved her off and went to the door. When it opened, she saw the two older men standing there. Remus held a bottle of wine and Sirius had a small bouquet of flowers. Hermione couldn't help but smile and rocked her head.
"Good evening, gentlemen," Hermione said and moved aside. "Come on in."
Remus handed her the bottle and Sirius followed while doing the ultra-friendly thing by air kissing both of her cheeks. It caused Hermione to smirk and wave Harry over. "Good evening," Remus declared to the other two in the room, approaching the redhead.
"Ginny Potter," Ginny announced shaking his hand.
"Potter?" Remus questioned with an arched eyebrow as he shook her hand.
Sirius shook Harry's hand as the gangly man nodded. "I'm Harry Potter, that's my wife."
The older man frowned and jerked away from him. "Get the fuck out," Sirius snapped as he observed the man. "Fuck it, James? My arse hairs!"
Remus paced over to him and patted Sirius's shoulder. "Potter is common…" He conveyed.
Sirius glared over at his flatmate and snarled. "Not Harry Bloody Potter. What happened? How?" Sirius questioned, and Hermione squeezed over next to her friend.
"Is there something wrong?" Hermione inquired.
Remus huffed and took the flowers from his friend's clenched hands. "We just have a bit going on with this news," The sandy-haired man murmured. "A cig before we get to questions?" He asked his friend.
Sirius nodded slowly, and Remus handed Hermione the flowers. "May we borrow your deck?" Sirius questioned, and Hermione pointed to the glass door.
The two men disappeared outside, and Ginny huffed. "So is it fair to say they knew your da?"
Harry's face contorted as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, why didn't they know about me?"
Hermione went toward the kitchen in contemplation. She wasn't expecting the two men to grow so frazzled at hearing Harry's last name so quickly. Placing the flowers in a vase, she gazed up at her friend and his wife who were having a silent conversation with each other.
"I think I might go have a chat with them," Hermione murmured, causing them to look over to her.
Harry just bobbed his head and padded over to his son. "Alright, kiddo, show me whatcha building," He mumbled as he sat down.
Ginny patted Hermione's shoulder as she passed, and the curly-haired woman opened her porch door to see the two men whispering as Sirius was smoking a cigarette. Remus glanced over at her and exhaled but waved her over. She shut the door and bobbed her head as her feet moved toward them.
"So, can we talk?" Hermione asked them as Sirius took a deep puff.
"Well, we have more shite to shovel than a horse stall," Sirius grumbled, scrubbing his face with his free hand.
"I'm sorry that I led you here under false pretenses," Hermione started and pursed her lips. "Harry was curious about you possibly knowing his parents, which by your reaction is more of a possibility," She confessed.
Remus tilted his head and his lips disappeared under his facial hair. "There's tons of questions in regards to our friend Prongs. James Potter. Him and his wife, Lily, got into a car accident with their son. We were under the impression they all died. Lily's sister pushed us out from then after because James's parents had just passed away a few years prior. We were left without knowing where they were buried, what was in their will and lastly… Harry." When he finished Hermione gasped and covered her face.
"I'm so sorry," she murmured, causing the two men to surround her.
"Oh, Hermione, it's alright. It was just shocking," Remus sighed, rubbing her back.
Sirius tossed his cig in a cup of water sitting on the lawn table. "You know, love, you're sneaky," He said with a small curl to his lips.
"Do you think we can get go in and get a proper introduction to sort this out?" Remus asked with a tilt of his head.
"I'm sure he would be more than thrilled to see if you know about his parents," Hermione declared, taking Sirius's hand, running her thumb on his rough palm.
Sirius bobbed his head slowly. "Alright, let's go."
It was a long conversation. A rough one at that. Hermione had taken care of the children and kept them busy while the Potters and the two older men were in the living room. They were drinking wine and eating her appetizers. The talking was bumpy; Sirius nearly broke down at the revelation that Harry was alive and now a wonderful, successful man. It was lovely and raw, but brilliant.
Hermione was finishing a sauce on the stove and had the baby slung on her hip as she hummed. James was sitting in his chair in the kitchen, eating his cheesy pasta. "James, you need to eat the green beans too, lovely." The woman said as she smiled down at him.
"Yep!" He shouted back at her.
The two older men finished catching the young man up and vice versa. Finally, Sirius turned from Harry and watched the woman in the kitchen. "What's her story, kid? I've met her twice, and she seems…" he trailed off and grimaced.
Ginny snorted and waved at him. "She's always been intense. In school, she was bullied regularly. It only got worse outside of it when she was cornered at uni by a bunch of her former classmates and beaten to bits. It was pretty bad by the sound of it," Ginny declared with a nod.
Remus was glowering as he sipped his glass. "That is horrible," He spat.
"That's part of the reason I got into law enforcement," Harry mumbled.
Hermione walked into the sitting room with the baby and handed him to Ginny. "Here, mummy, I have to pull the food from the oven."
Ginny handed her a wine glass, and Harry stood up. "Let me go help you with James, Hermione," Harry said and wrapped his arm over her shoulders.
Remus watched them move around the wall. "They are quite close."
Ginny rocked her head as she held her sleepy infant. "Yes, they are. They both were only children, so they relied on each other. Well, Harry had his awful cousin, but he felt more alone than anything before getting to Hogwarts. She's a fantastic sister-in-law and the best mate."
Sirius poured another glass for himself. "I like that. He needed a best mate like her. Mine is sittin' right next to me," He told her and nudged Remus.
"You and Harry's dad were close. My question is why didn't you go looking for him? Did she really tell you he was dead?" Ginny asked, and the men nodded.
"She told us that our riffraff was the reason. Us marauders killed her sister and their son along with his careless driving. We knew James loved Lily and Harry more than anything. We bared witness to it all including his birth. Unfortunately, she told us nothing." Remus said with a grim expression.
"Life would have been much different for Harry had we known about him," Sirius sighed and scrubbed his face.
Ginny shifted lightly and shrugged her shoulders. "You're here now. He is desperate to find out more about his parents. You are just the ticket I think."
Remus watched the two younger adults in the kitchen and was suddenly well aware of things. Hermione had known long before bringing them here that she knew Harry might have a connection with them. What was the point in letting them wait to meet now? Two weeks of working together and he was confident he mentioned James's name… or had he been so wrapped up in other things? Now the bookish man wasn't entirely sure he could trust himself around the beguiling young woman. Drop and run; that was just the answer.
Hermione was positive Remus was angry with her. He avoided talking about anything but work this week. He nearly made up every excuse in the book to not have lunch with her. Remus even went as far as finding ridiculous tasks to do before she was leaving so he didn't walk her out to the carpark. It was driving her absolutely batty.
"Number Twenty-One Grimmauld Place," She murmured to herself.
Well, Ginny said it could have been twenty-one. However, her best friend's attention span these days were The Wiggles, dietary needs for her and her children, and Harry. Hermione hadn't the courage to tell Harry how much Remus's chilled attitude had hurt her. He was spending so much time with 'The Marauders,' as they have coined, that she didn't want him to know one of them was ignoring her.
Hermione was walking with a basket of clichés on Saturday morning. Yes, she had made them muffins on Friday night instead of going out like ordinary women her age. She was so buggered over Remus ignoring her that the curvy woman thought maybe if she apologized for dropping Harry on them, Hermione just might get in his good graces again. Not that she needed his approval. Nor did she need his friendship. It, well, she just was trying to be nice.
"Just courtesy," She grumbled to herself.
Glancing at the numbers on the houses, she paused at the flash of orange. The woman's pallor grew as she saw the fluffy tail of her long-lost companion. Nearly forgetting the task at hand, she ran up toward the stairs, and his smooshed face appeared. He meowed at the woman, and she knocked rapidly at the front door.
"Hello!" She called out through her knocking. "It appears you have my cat!" Hermione cried in anxiety.
On the other side of the door, she had no clue that two men were having a quiet argument. "Hermione's here for Toby!" Sirius hissed and tried to wave the cat down.
Remus huffed and waved his hand. "If it's her cat we should return him, Pads," The sandy-haired man breathed through a sleepy expression.
"I just want my cat. I know it's him by his coloring. Please answer?" She implored through the barrier.
"Does she know it's us?" Sirius hissed while glaring at his friend.
Remus shrugged his shoulders and moved to answer. "Regardless, it's her cat. We knew this might happen."
"Where did your ballocks go, Moony? Toby is ours. We have had him nearly a month now," Sirius retorted, still keeping his voice low.
"He really isn't, Sirius," Remus sighed and shook his head. "She deserves her cat back. What if Harry comes over one of these days and sees him? She would be devastated to know we have her cat."
Sirius waved a finger at him with a glare. "You like her."
"I do not," Remus spat with a fiery glare.
"You do, and I'm not giving up Toby. She's going to have to prove he's hers," Sirius snapped and shoved the other man out of the way.
Sirius answered the door just as Hermione was walking down the staircase. She jerked when she heard the door and stumbled in shock. "Sirius?" She asked.
The dark-haired man was giving her an award-winning smile while Remus retreated; the last thing he wanted her to see was him in his undershorts. However, Sirius was not as bashful and waved her inside.
"Come on in, sweetheart," He ordered with a wave.
Hermione glanced at the number on the house, the cat meowing in the window and then back at the man. "You live at number twelve? Ginny told me it was twenty-one."
She still looked quite a bit confused as Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "She must have gotten the numbers crossed. I've been at number twelve since I was a child. It was quite funny. Actually, the number was missing from the house for the longest time, so most didn't realize twelve was even here," He finished as the woman timidly entered.
Crookshanks ran into the room and started to meow loudly. "Crooks! Oh, baby, I looked for you everywhere!" She shouted as she took the giant creature in her arms, nearly dropping the basket.
The cat purred and rubbed his face against hers. "His name is Toby Jones," Sirius said with an arch to his eyebrow.
Hermione glared over at him. "No, his name is Crookshanks, and I've had him since I was little. Well, aside from when he disappeared. A tree hit my flat, and he must have panicked and darted."
Sirius shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. "No, I don't buy it. Toby's quite happy here. If he missed you so much, why didn't he leave to go find you?"
Hermione was exasperated as she set the animal down. "Sirius, cats aren't like dogs. A bit of food and water can buy any cat's loyalty enough to keep him. This is my cat, and he's going with me," She announced with a nod.
"No," Sirius said, picking up the cat.
"Sirius, give her the cat," Remus ordered as he came into view from the stairwell. He was now tidier as he donned a jumper and slacks.
"No, he's my cat now. Possession is nine-tenths of the law of ownership, sweetheart."
"Padfoot, give her the cat," Remus sighed, rubbing his face.
"No, if she wants him so badly, she's just going to have to come to visit. I'm attached now," Sirius smirked and that only caused Hermione to turn scarlet.
"He's my bloody cat!" Hermione shouted, stomping her foot.
Toby or Crookshanks, depending on who's side, had enough of the argument and ran up the staircase. Hermione growled as she glared at the dark-haired man and began to chase the feline.
"Crooks, I'm so sorry, please come back to mummy," Hermione called out as she ascended, setting the basket on the first step.
"You're a bloody arsehat, Pads," Remus groaned.
Sirius scratched his chest and just smiled wickedly. "Moony, he isn't going to leave. You best get used to her coming around because I plan on it," He responded with a smug pose.
Remus pointed at his friend with his index finger. "Sirius, go get her cat so she can go home. She shouldn't be here. I don't want her here."
Hermione's gasp announced that she heard him as they turned to see the woman in view, completely mortified by the looks of it. "I'm sorry. I'll just get Crookshanks and go," She murmured and nearly stumbled up the stairs she was running so quickly.
Remus huffed and smacked his forehead. "This is just going arse up," He said while swaying his head.
Sirius gave a gesture of dismissal to his friend. "Why do you have to be such a wanker? She evidently likes your company. Now, I'm going to go see what she's doing, and you take the bloody basket of baked goods in the kitchen before you spoil them too," Sirius grumbled as he moved up the staircase.
Hermione was crumpled on the floor outside of Remus's bedroom. The door was cracked, and it looked as though she was asking permission to go retrieve her long-lost cat, but Remus's terse attitude through her. When Sirius approached, the woman wiped her face and huffed. "He won't come out," She grumbled.
"Why are you crying?" Sirius asked as he bent down to her.
"Sirius, will you please just go get my cat for me?" Hermione murmured and avoided glancing over at him.
"Toby is hiding, he won't be out for some time now that he's upset," He told her as he sat on the ground.
Hermione glared over at him and her nose scrunched. "His name is Crookshanks, not Toby."
"His name is Toby, and he likes to sleep in Remus's room," Sirius explained, pointing to the cracked door.
"Sirius, have you ever loved anything in your life? Do you understand why I want my cat back?" She voiced with a severe tone and a glower to match it.
"I love Remus an awful lot, and he loves Toby. It's the first time I've seen him excited for companionship since we lost Lily and James. I may be his friend, but he is quite detached if you haven't noticed. I can't give you Toby."
Hermione rose to her knees and poked his bare chest. "You are going to go get my cat for me. That is my cat and if Remus wants nothing to do with me after what I did then fine!" She shouted and sneered.
"Nope," Sirius repeated, and Hermione shoved him.
"Fine, I'll go get him myself."
She moved to get up, and Sirius was quick as he yanked her down, kissing her lips. Nothing he wasn't particularly scandalous about, but enough to curve his lips when she squeaked in surprise. Now, Sirius was sly and quite possibly a dunderhead about things, but he knew the wound-up woman just need incentive. Well, he thought so until she pulled away and slapped him viciously.
Hermione jumped up with aggression and tossed her hair. "Tosser! I'm calling Harry!" She snapped and stomped down the staircase.
Moments later the front door slammed and Sirius cringed. Maybe that wasn't one of his best ideas. Maybe it was just greed? Eh, he would decide later. She would mellow down and come back.
"Sirius, what did you do?" Remus asked as he came up the steps.
The dark-haired man shifted his position and shrugged his shoulders. "I told her she couldn't have him and kissed her."
Remus smacked his forehead again and rumbled an expression of pure frustration. "What were you even thinking?"
"Seems smart. She might have liked it enough to stay for Saturday high tea, supper and quite possibly Sunday brunch," Sirius snickered but winced at the heat from his cheek.
"Well, I hope you're happy. Harry is going to be spitting bullets when he finds out you attempted to molest his friend. She is young enough to be your daughter!" Remus yelled with narrow eyes and flared nostrils.
"Talk is cheap, Moony. She may be young, but she's certainly not my daughter."
"You're a depraved animal," Remus retorted and ran his fingers through his unmanaged mane.
Sirius noted the crumbs on the studious man's chest. "Were the muffins good?" Sirius questioned, climbing from the floor.
Remus brushed the crumbs off and sighed. "She made double chocolate chip. You know how I am," he confessed with a small pout. "We can't have her over here anymore. This is someone potentially going to work in my field perimeter. Someone with prestige and wit. I can't mix business with whatever you are trying to do. Go get Toby, let's go take him home."
Sirius walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "You trust me?"
"Sometimes to my detriment, but this is different, Pads," Remus said.
"No, Moony, it's not. She's going to have to come to get him herself, and he's going to have to want to leave. If you try to be the nice guy with this, I'll go get my damn air gun and shoot both your feet blue."
Sirius moved to go down the staircase and Remus groaned. "Sirius, please?"
"Nope, Moony. We're keeping Toby. We've had him a month; he's now ours."