Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Okay, here's the reunion between Remus and Sirius, I hope you all enjoy. Sirius isn't quite back to his old self yet but I hope you enjoy it anyway.


Chapter 9: Changes


Hermione sat in the waiting room at St Mungo's rolling her shoulders to ease the tension that had knotted there. With Kingsley's help she had managed to transport Sirius to the hospital to ensure the Veil had not damaged him in any significant way. Sirius had been unconscious for the majority of the journey, only rousing once they'd levitated him onto a stretcher. Kingsley had immediately repealed Sirius' death certificate and handed all the relevant documents over to Hermione, trusting her to take him back to Grimmauld Place after they were done at the hospital.

The whole situation felt slightly surreal. Not only was it odd looking and speaking to someone you had believed dead for years, she also felt an awkwardness with Sirius that she hadn't been anticipating. Hermione hadn't considered the possibility that Sirius would be in the same mindset as he was when he entered the Veil. Whereas the world had moved on around him and was recovering from the long and bitter war, Sirius still seemed to be coming to terms with the idea that Voldemort had even returned.

With a sigh Hermione shifted in the uncomfortable plastic seat and fiddled with the documents in her hands. It was bound to be strange, she attempted to reassure herself, and after all she was now looking at Sirius through an adult's eyes rather than the eyes of a precocious teenager. They had all been so much younger when Sirius had fallen through the Veil and as a result her relationship with him had never changed to a friendship rather than a guardianship, as it had with Remus and other adult Order members. This was going to be much harder for everyone to adjust to than she had ever anticipated.

A scream from Sirius' cubicle caused Hermione to leap to her feet and crash into a man who had managed to transfigure his head into a teapot. Apologising, she stumbled tore the curtains that divided the cubicle open and frantically sought the source of distress.

A terrified mediwitch stumbled into Hermione and pointed at Sirius, who sat sulkily on the bed. "It's him – Sirius Black!" The witch stammered in horror.

"Oh, for goodness sakes, have you never read a newspaper?"Hermione asked irritably as she handed over the documents that proclaimed Sirius' innocence. The mediwitch scanned the paper, the look of fear slowly fading from her face.

"Oh," She said. "I apologise sir, a healer will be with you shortly to discuss your results," she muttered as she handed back the papers and ducked out the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled the curtain back across the cubicle. "Are you okay?" She asked Sirius who was frowning and staring off at nothing.

"I suppose I am," he replied giving her a small smile. "I just assumed that after the battle in the Department of Mysteries it would have been reported that I was innocent," he said with a shrug.

"It was," Hermione replied. "But the news was a bit overshadowed by Voldemort storming into the ministry and parading about in front of Fudge and half the ministry's employees," she said wryly.

"Huh, makes sense," he said before falling silent again.

Hermione shuffled the paper in her hands and tried to ignore the uncomfortable silence. "I know this is a bit weird, Sirius," She said with a sigh.

"A bit weird?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "The last time I saw you, Hermione, you looked like a mop in a school uniform!"

"My hair isn't that bad," she muttered, self-consciously patting the unruly curls.

"The point is, one minute you were all kids and now you've..." he gestured towards her. "Now you've turned into an adult – now Harry will be an adult – and I've missed it all," he said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," she replied.

Before he could respond, the Healer marched in and told Sirius that he was free to go and seemed to be in perfect health.

"So where to now?" Sirius asked as he shrugged on his jacket.

"Grimmauld Place, of course," Hermione said and urged him towards the floo.

"People still live there?" He asked. Hermione could almost see the images of a grim and decrepit Grimmauld Place going through his mind.

"Trust me, you'll be surprised," She replied and threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace before stepping in.

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and glanced around the main sitting room at Grimmauld Place. Judging by the quiet, Remus was out with Teddy; perhaps that was a good thing. Sirius stepped out and stood next to her. "Welcome home," she said smiling at Sirius.

Sirius stepped forward tentatively and peered around the room with his mouth slightly open. "What happened to this place?" he asked as he took in the plush chairs, mahogany furniture, and repapered walls that were peppered with photographs.

"Remus and I did the place up when we moved in," she replied and gestured around.

"It's so..." Sirius trailed off as he wandered over to a string of photographs.

"Clean?" Hermione said.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "What are all these?" Sirius asked looking at a sequence of photographs.

Hermione stepped up beside Sirius and looked at the photographs with a small smile on her face. "I thought the first one was kind of obvious," she said softly, pointing at the photo of Sirius, Remus and James at the Potters' wedding.

"Well, yeah," Sirius replied with a roll of his eyes. "I meant all these – hang on one minute... is that my cousin?" he exclaimed pointing at the photograph of Remus and Tonks' wedding.

"Yep," Hermione replied. "They got married in the summer after our sixth year," she said with a smile.

"Moony, you old dog," Sirius laughed with a shake of his head.

"This one is everyone at Bill Weasley's wedding to Fleur Delacour – just before Harry, Ron and I went on the run."

"Whoa – you went on the run?" Sirius asked looking at Hermione with both surprise and appraisal.

"Mhmm, it's a long story," Hermione replied wryly.

"What the hell happened to Bill's face? And where's Dumbledore – I would have thought he'd have attended?" Sirius asked peering at the group photo.

"Bill was attacked by Fenrir Greyback a few months before the wedding –"

"Morganna's flaming panties..." Sirius muttered running a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry though, he's not contracted full lycanthropy as Greyback wasn't transformed," Hermione finished quickly trying to skirt around the Dumbledore question.

"So where's Dum-"

Hermione and Sirius fell silent as the front door opened and the sound of Teddy chatting happily away filled the house. "Remus is back," Hermione said quietly. "Uh, just sit there Sirius – I'll bring him through in a minute."

"Remus!" She said, plastering a broad smile on her face as she walked into the hallway. Remus looked up from taking Teddy's wellington boots off.

"Hermione? Where the hell have you been?" He asked, standing suddenly and dropping the boot he was holding.

"Well, it's a long story but –"

"Long story? You disappear for nearly a week with no explanation, no note, no nothing, and long story is all you can say to explain it?" The agitation was clear in Remus' voice. Teddy sat quietly on the floor playing with his socks.

"Well no but –"

"Kingsley told us where you went," Remus said, interrupting her again. "How could you have been so stupid? It was completely unlike you. Harry and I have been frantic, Kingsley nearly had a fit, McGonagall nearly took my head off when he forced me to tell her in case she 'knew anything', and I accidentally dyed all of Teddy's pants pink because I can't use that muggle contraption in there –"

"Pink pants," Teddy concurred with a solemn nod.

"Remus – please let me explain –"

"No need, Hermione, I know why you did it," Remus said with a weary sigh, his agitation fading from his face. "But he's dead, you must know that, what did you hope to achieve?"

"This!" Sirius exclaimed as he exploded into the hallway with his arms wide.

"Argggh!" Remus cried and recoiled, shoving Teddy behind him and grabbing his wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Remus!" Hermione scolded as Sirius' legs and arms snapped together and he fell to the floor with a crash. "Was that really necessary?" She asked, kneeling down beside Sirius and checking his head for any injuries.

"That is not Sirius – Sirius is dead," Remus said breathlessly before stepping away and sliding down the door to sit on the floor.

Hermione looked at Remus, who was sat on the floor with a confused looking Teddy. "Remus, Kingsley and I questioned him and they even examined him at St Mungo's," she said softly.

"I just... I can't..." he replied, shaking his head.

"Just talk to him," Hermione implored.

"Fine," Remus said as he took a breath. "Let's do this in the sitting room, shall we?" He said as he stood up and took his son into the other room.

"Finite Incantatem," Hermione said as she waved her wand over Sirius.

"What the fuck did he do that for?" Sirius asked as he sat up and scowled in Remus' direction.

"Well what would you do if someone you believed dead just turned up out of the blue?" Hermione asked.

Sirius waved his hands. "The first thing I'd do is ask them what was going on – not hex them into oblivion," he said with a peevish sniff.

"Oh honestly, don't be such a drama queen, it was only a body bind," Hermione said as she helped him to his feet. "Come on, then."

Remus eyed Sirius suspiciously as he sat down in an armchair. "How do I know it's really you?" Remus asked.

"Like there could ever be another one of me," Sirius scoffed as he lazily leant back.

"What's my name?" Remus demanded.

"Merlin," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"For god's sake Sirius, answer his questions," Hermione said irritably.

"Fine, fine," Sirius replied as he looked at Remus. "Remus John Lupin, we went to school together at Hogwarts, you're a werewolf, you like chocolate –"

"Anyone could find out that information," Remus replied stiffly.

"Bloody hell..." Sirius muttered. "Once in fifth year we James and I convinced everyone you had the hots for McGonagall,"

Remus winced.

"When we were in third year you got so drunk on firewhiskey that you pissed yourself. And there was this other time when we stole your clothes and wand from the prefects' bathroom and you had to run –"

"Stop, stop!" Remus pleaded, with the ghost of a smile on his lips. "It's really you," he breathed.

"It's really me, Moony," Sirius said as he stood up.

Remus shot out of his seat and embraced Sirius in a bear hug. "I missed you Padfoot," he said with emotion cracking his voice.

"I'd say the same but I didn't even realise I was missing," Sirius replied as he thumped Remus on the back.

Hermione picked up Teddy and sniffled into his shoulder as she watched the emotional moment unfold between the two friends. Going into the Veil had been worth it just for this moment, she thought as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Okay, Moony, this hug is lovely but I'm going to have to step away so that I can breathe," Sirius said croakily. "And recover my some of my masculinity," he muttered with a grin as he sat down.

"I just can't believe it," Remus replied, his eyes shining with emotion.

"Daddy," Teddy said and wriggled out of Hermione's arms to comfort his father.

"Hey, Teddy," Remus said as he pulled the boy up onto his lap.

Sirius blinked as if seeing the boy for the first time. "Is that your son?" He asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," Remus replied. "Mine and Dora's son. Say hi to your Uncle Sirius, Teddy," Remus said. The toddler looked shyly at Sirius and then changed his hair black.

"He's a metamorphmagus," Sirius said.

"And a great little wizard in the making," Hermione said happily.

"Wow," Sirius said quietly. "Where's my cousin then?" He asked cheerily.

Remus and Hermione froze at his question. "What?" Sirius asked.

"She, uh, she died during the last battle against Voldemort," Remus explained softly.

"Oh, Merlin... Remus... I'm sorry..." Sirius seemed to be fighting a host of emotions.

"I'm going to go and contact Harry," Remus said, standing up and leaving the room.

"A lot has changed," Sirius said after a time.

"Yeah, it has," Hermione replied. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Sirius replied shakily.

"Harry should be here soon," Remus said as he came back into the room. "He's apparating now."

Hermione drew in a deep breath and waited nervously. All three of them looked up sharply at the knock at the front door.

"I'll get the door," Hermione said and left the two men in the sitting room.

This was it, she thought as her hand turned the door handle.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm going away for a week, as of tomorrow, so I won't be updating until after the 20th – sorry about that!

Don't forget to leave a review ;)