When Hermione reached Remus, she found out that Harry would be joining them because it was that Friday that had been mentioned earlier. That also meant that they would have to go and fetch him. In simpler terms, another encounter with Ron was sure to take place. There was no way that she and Remus would just be able to pick up Harry and leave because he had a little problem called he talked too much. They'd be at the Burrow for at least a half an hour because Remus would just have to see how Mrs. Weasley was doing, and then she'd get into a whole discussion of her day even though it had just started. Oh yeah, and she'd probably invite him to have a late breakfast. Let's just say it was going to take a while.
"Remus, can you not take too long at the Weasley's house?" Hermione asked him, knowing that she was going to sound desperate with her next few sentences. "I really can't be near Ron and-"
"-And I talk a lot?" He finished for her. Hermione was surprised that he understood and even knew what Hermione was going to say.
"Yeah." She answered and looked at the man.
"I already figured everything out." He told her. "Harry's meeting us out front. That way, you won't have to see Ron and I won't be talking to Molly." Hermione nodded and looked towards the ground. She could feel some sort of regret towards the way she and Ron had become but quickly ignored it after a few brief seconds.
"Come on, let's go." She whispered and they did side-along apparation to the Burrow.
"Harry dear just let me fix your hair!" Hermione heard Molly moan as she was running across the front yard with her wand in her hand. The chickens were stampeded toward the ground when Mrs. Weasley ran over them; they, however, just acted as though nothing had happened. Hermione stole a glance at Remus and saw a smile creeping on his lips, he found it funny as well.
"Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine… Really, it's no big deal." Harry shouted from over his shoulder as he did a mighty leap over the chicken coop. Finally, he saw that Remus and Hermione were there and he began to relax. "Look, they're already here." He added to Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh, hello Remus. Would you like some pancakes?" She asked him. Without even thinking Remus nodded and followed her into the house.
"Hi, Harry." Hermione said when it was just the two of them out there.
"Good Morning." He answered and got off the chicken coop. "Just taking a mid morning run." He continued with a small chuckle.
"Don't lie." Hermione giggled. "Me and Lupin saw everything."
"Oi, who's here?" Ron's voice came from the lake in the back of the house. Hermione cast a terrified look towards Harry who just shook his shoulders.
"No one." He said out loud to Ron. It didn't seem to work though because Ron came around the house.
"Yeah, no one is here." Ron said grumpily after casting one look at Hermione. It didn't look as though Ron had slept much the night before.
"Ron, can you leave her the fuck alone?" Harry bellowed. "Just because she didn't want to go out with you doesn't mean you have be a fuckin' arse about every little time you see her!"
The front door to the Burrow slammed and Remus walked outside, his face a ghostly white.
"Thanks to you," He said to Harry, "Molly knows everything and she wants Ron and Hermione inside right now."
"No, I'm not going." Hermione whispered. "I don't even want to be here anymore, can you drop me off where I'm staying?" Lupin nodded and then they heard Molly start to yell from her place in the sitting room.
"GET IN HERE." Even Ron who had had no intention of going in walked in when he heard how angry his mother sounded.
"It would be better to get this all over with now." Harry whispered to Hermione.
"Well, you come too because you're the reason why she knows everything." Harry nodded.
"Well, I'll wait out here for you." Lupin tried.
"No." Hermione began angrily. "You weren't even supposed to go inside so you had a big part in this situation too… come on, let's go." They followed her reluctantly into the Burrow and eventually into the sitting room.
"From what I understand." Mrs. Weasley said to her. "You and Ron are having a hard time with your friendship right now."
"I'm not having a problem with Ron, Mrs. Weasley. He's having the problem with me." Hermione said earnestly to the woman directly in front of her.
"I don't care who started it and I don't care who finishes it. I just want you guys to be on speaking terms again so it doesn't go into the goddamn school year!" And at that she walked out of the sitting room and left Lupin, Harry, Ron and Hermione alone.
"Harry and Remus, get in here!" Came Molly's angry voice after a mere few seconds and then they left. Now it was just Ron and Hermione.
"I'm sick of this shit, Ron." Hermione said out loud. "I don't want to talk to you and you don't want to talk to me, okay? I know it and you know it. So let's pretend to make up so your mom doesn't strangle us in our sleep and then we can go on with our lives." Ron nodded.
"Fine." They walked out.
"So, did you guys forgive each other?"
"Yeah."
"Good, now you guys can leave."
Finally Harry, Remus, and Hermione could leave the Burrow.
"Next time, don't go in!" Harry said loudly to Remus, they were clearly finishing up a conversation.
"Yeah well, you're stuck at the Burrow for the rest of the summer. You'll be the person that has to deal with Ron." They went through the whole day with no more mention of Ron. Walking around Muggle London was all they did and Hermione picked up the towels and the fixings that she had promised Fred.
"I'll see you guys later." She said after they walked back into Diagon Alley.
"Wait!" Lupin said and Hermione turned around. "Sirius wanted me to give you this." He finished as soon as Hermione had turned around to see what he wanted.
"Thanks, Remus. I'll talk to you later in the week." Lupin nodded with a smile and then he and Harry disapparated into the sunset. Hermione glanced down at the note that Lupin had handed her. She opened it and felt her heart break into a million pieces.
My dearest Hermione,
Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do because it needs to be done. After we began dating, you lost the friendship of Ron. You lost your freedom to the summer just because I was greedy enough to want you as my own. Yes, I love you, Hermione but it's better for you if we stop seeing each other. I'm too old for you and you deserve someone who will be there with you while you get old, I don't want you to be there for me when I get old because after I'm gone, you'll have many more years to yourself. I don't find it worth it. As I write this, I can feel my heart breaking into a million pieces and I'm crying again, the first time I've cried since I found out about the death of the Potter family. Please, don't be mad at me and I'm sure you'll understand my intentions later on.
My regrets,
Sirius Black
Hermione read the note a few more times. Her world felt as though it was crumbling at her feet. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. For what seemed like the millionth time in the past few weeks, she broke down and tears were coming freely out of her eyes and down her face.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Came someone's voice.
"Does it look like I'm okay?" She said out loud to whomever was speaking.
"I'm just trying to help you." He replied. Hermione dried her eyes and looked up.
"Fred, I don't need your help." Hermione screamed.
His good-natured face took in her tear stained.
"Okay, you've known us long enough to know the difference between the two of us. You should know that I'm not Fred, I'm George."
"I'm sorry!" Hermione answered.
"Only joking, I am Fred." He laughed.
"Get the fuck away from me you walking personality identity disorder. Jesus Freakin' Christ, can't you fuckin' see I don't want to talk to anyone right now?!" She looked up at the man above her and could tell there was no way in hell he was going to listen to her. She was going to have to put up with him for quite a while.
Fred's P.O.V.
Fred looked at Hermione and could only imagine what had happened to make her like this. He knew she had spent the day with Harry and Remus and he also knew that there had been a confrontation between Hermione and Ron. He only knew this because he had gone over to his mother's house to visit earlier in the day and he had overheard Ron crying as he had told Ginny about what had happened between him and Hermione. That's probably what had happened, he suddenly realized. Hermione was most likely having a late reaction to what had happened.
"Come on, let's go back to the apartment." He suggested, picking her up from off the ground and swept her into his strong arms.
"Put me down!" Hermione shrieked, but obviously, however much to her surprise, Fred ignored her. He carried her right upstairs into the apartment (which really wasn't a big deal because she had been a shop down from the twins' joke shop when Fred had found her). When they got to the living room, he put her down on the couch and threw another glance at her. Damn, she sure looked depressed.
"Do you want to talk about whatever's bothering you?" He asked her and wasn't surprised in the least when she shook her head.
"No." She replied. Fine, he wasn't going to make her say anything she didn't want to say.
"Okay, but remember, I'm here for you if you need anything." He said to Hermione before he left the room. He was soon behind her and he stood in the doorframe for a few seconds until she finally spoke.
"Me and Sirius broke up." She answered, he voice clearly cracking. He froze, what had Hermione just said?