Sirius slammed the door open to number twelve Grimald Place. He had just returned from the Lupin's and was not happy to say the least.
"Hermione!" He yelled into the house, hearing his voice echo through its halls. Hermione had avoided the subject of Harry with her daughter for three days now and with this new information this was the last straw.
He took the steps two at a time. "Hermione Granger!" He yelled in anger. She stepped out of her room with a tooth brush in her mouth.
"Can I help you?" She asked sounding innocent.
"Help me?" His tightened his fists. "You're sending her away for two weeks?" He growled. Hermione sighed and walked back into her room and into her bathroom.
"If you are referring to Liz, she is spending a week with Remus and Tonks and a week with Arthur and Molly."
"You're avoiding her!" He yelled. "You're avoiding your own five year old child."
"I am not." She stuck her head out of the bathroom.
"You are too. I can't believe the great Hermione Granger is afraid of her own child." Hermione stormed out of the bathroom at this. Placing her hands on her hips she glared at him.
"Who are you to judge what I do with my daughter? You, who have been dead for ten years, come back thinking you have control over every ones life? Or is it simply mine you think you can control? If it's simply the fact we live in the same house, then I will kindly move out and leave you to live in the most ancient house of Black!" With that she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
He left the room quickly and hurried down the stairs. He was in need of a good drink and he was sure Hermione held no alcohol in this house. Slamming the door on the way out, he almost missed his mother's portrait. It would have, at least, helped him to make a more dramatic exit.
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The nerve of the man. She was a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions and choices about her daughter. She simply needed time to think and she couldn't do it if she was always worried about her daughter.
She pulled on her nice black jumper with her jeans and proceeded to walk down to the kitchen where the meal was being prepared.
"Mum, did you and uncle Sirius have 'nother fight?"
"Uncle Sirius is being a bit unreasonable at the moment." She said laying a hand on her daughter's shoulder while she checked the spaghetti sauce.
"Hello? Anybody home?"
"Grandpa!" Liz squealed and ran from the kitchen. Hermione wiped her hands on a dish towel and made her way to go and greet Arthur and Molly.
As soon as she left the doorway she was brought up into a bone crushing hug. "Hermione dear, you are incredibly thin. Are you sure you both are doing alright?"
"Yes, just fine. You got my letter?"
"Yes, is everything alright?" Asked Arthur picking up Liz and throwing her over his shoulder.
"Now dear, if your back goes out do not blame me." Scolded Mrs. Weasley.
"She only four dear." He said kissing his wife's cheek.
"I'm five." Came the squeal of Liz's voice.
"Five? Did I miss that birthday?" He asked tickling her. She wiggled and writhed in laughter as he brought her back down to the floor and knelt down in front of her. "Hmmm, well if I did then this is for you." He pulled out a bag of Honeyduke's finest chocolate from his robes.
"Arthur really, she doesn't need anymore sweets." Hermione spoke.
"Yes, she's already sweet already." Molly doted. Hermione shook her had at the spoiling grandparents.
"Here allow me to take your cloaks, dinner's not quite ready yet and we're still waiting on the Lupins." Hermione spoke taking their cloaks from them and hanging them by the doorway. Hermione then swooped down and grabbed the chocolates away from Liz before she could open them. "Not until after dinner." She spoke taking them into the kitchen with her and hearing Liz's whining until the door closed.
She stirred the sauce, checked on the meatballs and turned down the heat on the simmering noodles. "Dear?" Hermione turned around to see the worried face of Arthur and Molly.
"Yes?"
"Well, there is a couple things we'd like to discuss with you." Molly sat at the table while Hermione leaned on the counter.
"First things first where is Sirius?" Asked Arthur.
"Oh yes, we got in a bit of a row and he left. He'll be back soon I presume." They both nodded at this.
"It came as quite a shock when we received a letter from Bill, and then to see the picture in the prophet. Well, it was enough to cause a heart attack." Said Molly touching a hand to her chest. Hermione nodded before turning to stir the sauce once again.
"Hermione, there is the thing of taking Liz for a week."
"Can you not do it?"
"No we can, it just…is there something you aren't telling us?" Arthur asked as though treading on thin water.
"I…I…" She looked down at her hands. Taking a breath she looked up at them.
"Of course not." She said turning her back to them and stirring the sauce once more. She turned the heat down and began to get out plates and a serving dish. She placed the pasta in the serving dish and the proceeded to drizzle the sauce on top.
"Hermione, you would tell us if you truly needed help?"
"Of course, but I don't. Liz has been wanting to spend time with you and I thought spending a week at your cottage would be good for her." Hermione proceeded to set the table.
"Alright, if you're sure dear." Hermione only nodded as she then placed the silverware next to the plates. She then placed the salad and spaghetti in the middle of the table before going to get the wine bottle and some milk for the kids.
As she pulled out the wine glasses Liz bounded into the room. "Mum, Uncle Remus and Aunt Tonks is here."
"Alright then." She said pouring the wine into the glasses.
Remus and Tonks entered the kitchen along with James and Anna who immediately began running around the table chasing Liz.
"Come now sit down." Molly ordered the children who immediately proceeded to their seats as Hermione poured their milk.
"Sorry I haven't finished the dining room. I haven't had the time lately." She said sitting and beginning to chop up Liz's noodles a bit so they were easier for her to eat.
"That is alright dear, we've gotten plenty used to this kitchen I dare say." Molly encouraged.
"Hermione, where's Sirius?" Tonks asked after getting James to not eat meat balls off of his sister's plate.
"Oh we got in another row and he's left. I suspect he'll be back soon though." She said motioning to the empty seat. "He knows about the dinner."
A steady flow of chatter continued throughout the dinner until they went to take coffee and tea in the sitting room. James and Anna were also given bags of chocolate as Liz was allowed to eat hers.
After the sugar high was ran off the three drooped on the couch as the adults spoke in whispers. Molly and Arthur had left a few minutes before, promising to write and to see Liz in a week.
"I'm a little worried about Sirius." Remus said looking at the three kids half asleep on the couch.
"He'll be fine. Probably getting himself wasted again." Tonks assured him.
"Hermione, Sirius told us what happen." Tonks spoke coming to stand next her as she stared into the fire.
"You know he didn't mean for her to find out this way." Remus said. Hermione could only nod. A minute went by before she could speak.
"So you always knew?" She asked looking at a picture of her and Liz on the mantle.
"Yes, since she was born." Tonks's voice was quiet and unsure. Hermione could only nod once more.
"Well, I had better get her things. She is very excited about this. She spends far too much time cooped up in here with me." Hermione said going to her daughter's room to grab her bags. She made sure she grabbed her daughters favorite stuffed wolf before hurrying down stairs. She set them by the door. And turned to Remus and Tonks. She felt the want to run away from the looks of pity they gave her.
"Yes, well, all her things are in there. If she needs anything you know where to find me." Hermione rambled on.
"Hermione…please, just…" Tonks tried, but couldn't seem to find the right words.
"Are you going to tell her?" Remus asked stepping in.
"Tell her?"
"Hermione please." Tonks spoke with worry.
Hermione looked down at the floor avoiding their gaze. "She's only five…she won't understand."
"She would, she's smart." Remus argued. Hermione only hook her head and moved past them to the sitting room. She stared at her sleeping daughter who was leaned up against Anna.
"You'll make sure she gets to Molly and Arthur's by the end of the week?"
"Of course." Spoke Tonks picking up a sleeping James. Remus woke Anna and then picked up Liz.
"She'll be fine." Remus spoke as they left with her daughter.
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He stumbled a bit as he came through the door. He had enough alcohol to make him loose his balance, but not enough to loose his memory.
He stumbled into the sitting room and sat down on the couch.
"Sooo…you finally decided to come home?" The sound of Hermione startled him. He lit the candle on the coffee table and turned to see Hermione on the floor leaning against the chair. A bottle of fire whiskey was half empty in front of her.
"Hermione? Have you…have you been drinking."
"You're not the only one." She said raising the bottle to him as if toasting him before taking a swig.
"Is Lizzie? Is she still here?" Hermione scowled in the candle light.
"Do you think I would get drunk in front of my daughter? I'm not like you." She spat, venom in her words. "I actually think things through." She took a long drink of the liquid and made a bitter face before letting out a breath.
"Wow when it sits for six years it sure gets pungent." She said before taking another swig. Sirius knew the rate of body mass and alcohol and right now Hermione was way above her limit.
"Alright, how about we go to bed." He said reaching for the bottle.
"Don't you make me slap you again." She slurred pulling the bottle from his reach.
"Hermione, I am not going to allow you to drink an entire bottle of fire whiskey yourself."
"Fine, have a drink." She said holding the bottle out to him. "It's not like I don't have more. Fred and George have been sending me a bottle every year on my birthday for six years." She stood at this almost pitching forward had it not been for Sirius. Unfortunately he was not at his best and underestimated his weight as it push them backward into the chair.
"Sorry." He whispered trying to get off her, he was failing miserably. He finally pulled himself off her to sit on the floor next to her. He held his head in his hands. "Sorry." He said again.
"No, problem." She said standing and steadying herself a bit before walking into the kitchen. Sirius watched her stumble away. At this he picked up the bottle of fire whiskey and took a large swig.
An hour must have gone by and two bottles sat before them. One was completely empty while the other still had half left.
"You know Harry had gotten so depressed after your death and then Dumbledore." They had been talking about Harry for a good while now. Swapping drunken stories and such. "He became so determine, wouldn't allow himself happiness with Ginny. It was in fact quite sad." She finished. She placed a hand on his. "You were good for him. He was so excited he had found you. Something else to bring hims closer to his parents."
He looked down at her hand on his. "I didn't mean to die." He said. She nodded.
"Of course not. No one means to, it's a part of life." But tears were forming in her eyes. "But you can kill, cause a death." She said as the tears came down.
"Hey, no drunk crying." He slurred. She nodded wiping at the tears.
"Of course." She said leaning over to place her head on his shoulder. "I miss them." She whispered.
"I know." Was his only reply.
"You brought back their memories." He felt the tears soaking his shoulder and carefully brought his hand up to wipe them away.
"I'm sorry."
"Stop saying that." She sniffed. He slowly wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't know what else to say."
"Well, that's got to be a first." She murmured. Her tears had stopped. "Sirius…I really want to know why you were sent back." She slurred. He then heard her chuckle softly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was for me."