Disclaimer: As usual, all that is of the Potter universe belongs to JKR. I merely have this plot to offer and some out of canon ideas.
What They Need
So that he could avoid the situation that had arisen, Sirius proposed watching another Muggle film. Hermione, who it must be admitted, was a bit thrown herself, hastily agreed. Neither was entirely sure which film found its way into the player. For a period of approximately two hours the two sat on entirely different chairs utterly focused on the television. They acted as if each were alone in the room. Neither acknowledged the presence of the other. They both felt it was much safer and easier that way. They both were struggling with the effects and stresses of the day.
When the film ended, Hermione looked over to Sirius. He had fallen asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at the clock and noted it was quite late in the afternoon. Since her sanctuary for reading was filled with the light snores of Sirius, she decided to indulge in her newly acquired second favorite pastime.
Yet again she made her way to the kitchen. Hermione smiled to herself as she thought of all the comments her mother would make about the rather impressive amount of time she had spent in the kitchen thus far on this rather unusual day. As a child she saw cooking as a waste of time. Though her mother would try to persuade her to help her in the kitchen, Hermione would prefer to sit somewhere and read. Now she looked back on those moments with the regret that comes from losing a loved one and knowing there were memories missed. Clearing her thoughts, she took stock of the contents of her pantry, cupboards, and ice box. Knowing she would have a ravenous Sirius on her hands in an hour or so, she contemplated what to make for dinner. She was in the depths of her pantry. It was magically enlarged so as to hold all her items for both cooking and potions. Harry and Ron always teased her about what actually went into her cooking pots. As if Hermione Granger would confuse cumin with powdered eye of newt!
Hermione began to hum, but decided to play some music instead. With a flick of her wand, the radio came on and she went back to rummaging through her kitchen. Over the course of twenty minutes she emptied a considerable number of items on her tabletop. There were tins, packages, fresh vegetables, quite a bit of garlic, and a few items that only she could identify.
For the next hour and a half Hermione dedicated herself to making her special marinara sauce, homemade ravioli, and some vegetables. Completely caught up in her cooking, she lost all track of time. She whirled through her kitchen nearly dancing to the music as she stirred, simmered, and sautéed. Unfortunately, she had not put on her apron and in the midst of her culinary efforts she had covered herself with bits of flour, splatters of tomato, and various other items. Time and her messy state eluded her until Sirius sauntered into the room.
Actually, it took a few moments for her to register the new presence. He casually leaned against the door frame and watched Hermione cook. Sirius was surprised by how peaceful the sight of the slightly bedraggled, totally engrossed Hermione was to him. Hermione whirled around from the stove and jumped nearly to the ceiling.
"Sirius Black don't you ever sneak up on me again!" she scolded once she had caught her breath.
"I would hardly call standing still for five minutes across the room from someone as sneaking up on them, Hermione Granger," he rationally responded.
"Honestly!" she huffed.
Sirius smirked at the trademark Hermione response. "So what's cookin', love?" he drawled.
"Not that you deserve it after that stunt, but I am making my specialty and if you promise to behave I just may let you eat it," she responded with her superior air.
"You would not starve a growing boy, would you?" he beseeched.
"Sirius, you are hardly a boy and you have never grown up," she retorted.
"True," Sirius conceded. "Do you need any assistance, my fair lady?"
"I am actually nearly done here. The sauce just simmers for a few minutes more as the ravioli finishes cooking. Oh!" Hermione happened to finally glance down and see the state of her clothes. "Would you mind keeping an eye on all this while I go change?"
"With pleasure," he made a courtly bow. Apparently those fairy tales went to his head.
"You always have such a flair for the dramatic," she shook her head as she headed to her room.
Sirius had resorted to the exaggerated courtliness to cover the newfound thoughts and feelings. Though always a chaser of skirts, it was not often that he actually wanted to catch and keep a particular skirt. He chuckled as he thought of the hex Hermione would send his way if she knew he had thought of her as a skirt. He continued to mull over his changing feelings for the young woman as he absentmindedly stirred the marinara. His musings quickly ended as he charmed the spoon to continue its rotations and he went about setting a few things up on the table and adjusting a couple of details for dinner.
Hermione, meanwhile, was flying up the stairs mostly concerned about the condition the food would be in when she returned to the kitchen. However, she was quickly brought back to her clothing issues when she opened the wardrobe.
"Oh, honestly, today of all days to be behind on my laundry!" she muttered when she realized all her casual clothes were in the laundry. She had not even had the time in the past few weeks to magic her laundry clean. Thus Hermione was left with a wardrobe containing a handful of skirts and two dresses. This was not a situation Hermione appreciated.
"He better not make any ridiculous comments or I will hex him into next year," she said as she dressed herself in clean clothing. She then rearranged her braid into a lose bun and started down the stairs. As she huffed her way downstairs a few strands of hair slipped lose and framed her face. With the frustration and former warmth of the kitchen, her cheeks were a healthy rosy hue and her eyes sparkled. It must be admitted she was quite attractive at this particular moment though she was entirely unaware of this fact.
Sirius, however, when Hermione entered found that fact was all he could be aware of and the slack jawed expression on his faced testified to that. Continuing with her obliviousness, Hermione missed Sirius' reaction and merely rushed to the stove to check on the sauce. When she noticed the spoon operating on its own volition, she turned to Sirius.
"I thought I told you to keep an eye on this!" she scolded him for what must have been the hundredth time that day.
"I just wanted to take care of a few other details for dinner which now, given your lovely appearance, are even more necessary," Sirius replied. Hermione was surprised at the low, solemn voice he used.
Finally, Hermione noticed what changes Sirius had made to the kitchen. The small table no longer was ready to eat at; all the dishes had been removed. She also noticed the soft lights from the dining room. Sirius in the meantime had been taking in Hermione's appearance yet again and with growing appreciation. Given her lack of fresh clothing, she had donned a garnet colored dress with a simple silhouette that fitted her perfectly and fell to a graceful hem a few inches below her knees. Small black ballet flats kept her feet warm on the hardwood floors and a soft, black cardigan served to warm her arms. Sirius was struck by the honest beauty of the woman before him and before he could register the thought, he was lost.
"I take it we are going to be having a more formal dinner, then?" she queried.
"Yes, and as such it seems I need to change. Please excuse me a moment," Sirius awkwardly left the room and Hermione could hear a few charms and spells to change his clothes without necessitating him to return home. Sirius did not return immediately to the kitchen so Hermione began to serve the food and float the dishes into the dining room. She decided to carry the last one in with her as it was the plate with the ravioli.
Hermione's breath caught when she entered her dining room. Sirius had lit all the sconces and the center of the table glowed with the light from candles held in her heirloom candlesticks. He had placed her grandmother's lace tablecloth on the table and set out her great-grandmother's wedding china. Sirius was standing, slightly hidden by the shadows, in a corner. He realized he may have been a bit forward by using Hermione's treasured family heirlooms and that this was the first time in his life he did not want to be too forward.
He had no reason to fear for the sight of her dining room and the man standing in it was enough to make Hermione breathe, "Oh, Sirius. It is absolutely lovely."
"I am glad you approve. I hope you don't mind me changing the dishes and such," he said with surprising meekness.
"Of course not," Hermione did not have too many words at her disposal as she was still taking in the sight of Sirius in a well tailored black pants and a burgundy shirt with silver cufflinks that caught the candlelight when he moved his hands. Hermione absently wondered what the unique shape of the cufflinks was. She could not tell from across the room.
The atmosphere of the room was warm and an odd mixture of discomfiture and familiarity filled the air. The glow of the hearth warmed the room and took away all remnants of the chill autumn evening. Hermione and Sirius at some level of thought realized that there was something momentous about this meal, something that had never impinged upon all the other hundreds of meals they had shared. Despite that unknown quantity, the two were such close friends that familiarity could overcome the unease.
Hermione finally placed the dish in her hands on the table. Sirius silently pulled out a chair for her and she took her seat.
"Thank you," she quietly said.
"You're welcome," he murmured as he slid her chair in and caught a hint of her shampoo's scent. Sirius inwardly sighed in contentment.
He took a seat at her left and poured a glass of wine for her.
"Where did that come from?" she asked as she knew it was not from her own small collection of wine.
"My family may have been wrong in all else they did, but they did know how to keep a wine cellar stocked. I thought it would go well with the meal," he stated.
She took a small sip and smiled, "Yes, it is lovely."
Sirius smirked, "You seem to use that word quite a bit tonight, Hermione. For one so eloquent I am surprised. And given your appearance, I would think words like beautiful and ravishing would be far more appropriate."
Knowing he needed to make Hermione see that he no longer wanted to be merely friends, Sirius was using all the honest charm and grace he could muster. His efforts were not lost on Hermione.
"I would hardly say that," Hermione quickly brushed the comment off, though she was flattered. "You are quite dashing tonight, too." Hermione was a bit taken with the idea that the famous Sirius Black who for his entire life had women falling at his feet was trying to charm her. Hermione was surprised with the idea that she was full ready to be charmed by Sirius.
The next few minutes were consumed by the serving of food and passing of plates. Once each had their meals before them, they felt the need to converse. Hermione was about to say something, but as Sirius had just tried the ravioli he had a ready comment.
"This is fabulous, Hermione. You really have a gift!"
"Thank you. If my mother knew how much I've grown to love cooking she would think I was possessed or some such nonsense," she responded.
They continued to chat pleasantly about inconsequential things over the course of the meal. Each had enough wine to warm their insides and relax the tension in the room. By the time that Sirius finished his third or fourth serving of the ravioli, Hermione was pleased she thought to make enough to feed six people. The conversation had died down as Sirius focused on the food and Hermione marveled at how much one man could truly eat.
Finally, with his appetite satiated, Sirius looked up to find Hermione smirking at him.
"And what, pray tell is that look for?" he asked.
"At least you manage decent table manners while eating all that food. Honestly, you eat more than the Weasley twins put together!" she tried to sound frustrated but as she really found it endearing, Hermione's tone was much gentler than she would have wished.
"Well, I did try to pay attention to what Mrs. Potter always taught me. Actually both of them," he laughed. "Both Lily and James' mum tried to drill decent manners in me. They were really the only two women who I cared enough about to really listen to…" he trailed off again.
"Oh, really? The only two?" she said raising that pesky eyebrow again.
Quickly realizing what he had said, Sirius replied smoothly, "They are the only ones I really cared enough about in the past. Now I seem to have no choice regarding you. I have to behave if I want to eat your delectable culinary creations."
"Sirius, you do realize that you can't impress me with big words. You shouldn't work your poor mind so hard, you might sprain it," she said with mock sadness.
Hearing strains of soft music from the kitchen where Hermione had forgotten to turn off her music, Sirius abruptly stood up and stood before Hermione.
"May I have this dance?" he asked in all sincerity as he held out his hand.
The look in his eye as Hermione glanced up stilled her. It was unknown but somehow familiar. Unsure of how to read that expression, she silently stood and took his hand. Sirius drew her close and the two began a slow, graceful dance.
Sirius became lost in his thoughts and the sensations. Since his time in Azkaban and behind the veil, he had become more thoughtful and in regards to Hermione he knew each figurative step he took needed to be methodical and meaningful. Now, in this moment when he held a woman who according to birth certificates was half his age but in wisdom and life experiences very much his equal, he finally knew what James had found in Lily. He had never known that sort of emotion and conscious decision to devote oneself to another before in his life. Yet, now, he found himself silently acknowledging and avowing to devote himself to Hermione. With the same determination that James had pursuing Lily, Sirius promised himself he would pursue Hermione. He finally discovered what he truly needed in life.
Hermione was equally lost. During the war and the time of healing and restoration that followed, she had learned to feel and not overanalyze life. She had learned from experience to treasure the beautiful moments in life because darkness often comes and one needs some goodness to hold on to. She realized this could be one of the most beautiful moments of her life. This was the moment she realized she could have what Mrs. and Mr. Weasley had, what Harry and Ginny had. She knew now, that in her past, those were merely infatuations or girlhood crushes. This was real. This was what she never truly knew she needed.
As the candles burned low the two continued dancing in wordless mutual acknowledgement that this was a new beginning for them. This day that had previously held only dark memories and bitter tears now was a day from which would spring their most treasured memories.
Feeling it was necessary to recognize this momentous occasion with some sort of conversation, Sirius began, "Hermione…" He could not find the words though and simply drifted back into silence.
"Shhh. I know," Hermione whispered as she placed her head on his shoulder and he drew her closer. He held her hand to his heart and the two danced.
A.N.: I genuinely am unsure as to whether I want to continue or not. This is a natural closure and is the end I originally intended. An idea for a sort of epilogue is lurking in the back corner of my mind, but I feel it would actually detract from this story. Additional thought and any responses you, the dear reader, may bring might swing things a bit.