Hi, guys! I would have had this done earlier, but I went to EAA today and was gone ALL DAY. I'm totally beat. Walking in really hot sun kills. But I got a poster and a t shirt. ^^

Enjoy!

...

Sirius wasn't home when Hermione woke up, but Harry and Ginny were there. She still felt tired, but smiled and warmly welcomed them anyways.

"Did Sirius make you sleep on the couch?" Ginny asked as she handed Hermine one of her pills.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I told him I'd sleep out here. I didn't want him to have to bother with me while he's sleeping."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I hardly doubt he'd mind. Remus told me-"

Harry stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"That you'd be better after a week!" Ginny hurriedly finished, suspiciously awkward. "Yeah, so I'm sure it wouldn't really matter. You're going to be sleeping in his bed as soon as you're better, right?"

Hermione looked away. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione, this has got to stop."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ginny turned to Harry as she picked up Hermione's hair brush and rested Hermione's head just below her feet, her hair spread out on Ginny's lap. "Harry, would you mind getting us some lunch?"

"Of course, Ginny," Harry said, picking up his wand. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

Ginny laughed. "It's nothing personal, Harry." She kissed him and he left.

"Hermione, why do you keep closing Sirius out?" Ginny asked as she began to gently stroke Hermione's hair with the brush. "All guys, for that matter?"

Hermione sighed. "It's not like I try to. I guess it's just something I do without even thinking."

"Well, it's going to get you no where in life," Ginny declared. "You should really open up a little more."

"What if I don't want to?" Hermione said stubbornly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hermione. This is ridiculous."

"I don't think so," Hermione grumbled.

"Why?" Ginny said. "Tell me why, Hermione. Why is this sensible?"

"Because what happens when he leaves me?" Hermione said. As she continued to speak, her voice began growing louder. It used more energy, and it was really making her tired, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she had anywhere to go, and she needed to get her point across. "What happens if I do have his kid and he decides to leave me with it? And then after the war is won! What happens when we don't have to be married? What happens if I do fall in love with him, and suddenly he's free and doesn't have to be married to me, and he just leaves? Then I'll have his kid and I'll be all alone. And it'll hurt, Ginny! I know! It's happened before."

Ginny didn't reply for a moment. She just continued to calmly brush Hermione's hair, not saying anything.

Finally, she spoke. "And what if he doesn't?"

"What?" Hermione snapped. Her eyes had slid closed after the difficult exertion of explaining herself, but now they were wide, wondering at what Ginny had said to her.

"What if he doesn't leave you? What if you two end up staying together after the war?"

"Like that's really going to happen, Ginny," Hermione spat, trying not to think about how happy it might make her if what Ginny was saying was true. "Everyone knows that Sirius isn't the type to settle down. He's the kind who's just going to party as hard as he can until he dies. Like Steven Tyler! It's his favourite singer, you know. Wouldn't that make him his idol? His role model?"

Ginny grinned as she continued pulling the brush through Hermione's very tangled locks. "What if you could change that?"

"Who could?" Hermione exclaimed. "He's been like that since his Hogwarts days if what Harry's told me is true. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. And Sirius is old. Actually, he's also a dog."

Ginny laughed. "I guess you're right. But he's also a human. And even dogs settle down with age. Besides, Sirius isn't that old. I mean, he was still in Hogwarts when my mum had what? Four kids? Five? See that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I still think he's mostly dog. Have you heard him laugh? It sounds like he's barking."

Ginny laughed again. "I guess I've never paid close enough attention to notice. Hermione, really. These excuses are ridiculous. Everyone can tell you like him. And everyone knows you used to fancy him. Why should that change now? Especially when you two are living together? And I happen to know that Sirius really likes you."

Hermione didn't let herself get her hopes up. Ginny had a tendency to exaggerate things.

"And I think you two make just the cutest couple," Ginny continued. "You know. Good girl book worm and bad boy biker? It's so cute! Especially if you can tame him. That'd be like a romance story or something. Like that movie you showed me, the one based on that book..."

Hermione ignored her continuous ramblings. Now she was just repeating herself. Blah blah, you can change him, blah blah he's really a great man, blah blah, it's not that much of an age difference blah, blah, blah.

"Ginny, listen to me," Hermione said, her eyes closed. "I need sleep, and you're preventing it. And you're making me think too much, which is really wearing me out."

"I think you need to think, though!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're not the only one to go through this, you know. Harry broke up with me that one time. I was crushed."

"Ginny, he broke up with you so Voldemort wouldn't kill you," Hermione replied.

"It doesn't matter! I was still completely crushed! We loved each other, and then he was gone. That's exactly what you're describing to me. And look at us now!"

"But what if he doesn't come back?" Hermione demanded. "What then?"

"Then you be a big girl and you bloody deal with it!"

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt...I'll just leave..."

Hermione and Ginny both jumped and turned their attention to the door, where Sirius was standing with a mysterious box in his arms.

"No!" Ginny exclaimed. "No, you don't have to leave. We were just finishing up."

She smiled kindly at Sirius, who winked. "Not talking about me, I hope," he said as he walked past them and into the kitchen, where he set the box onto the table. "Unless it's good things, of course. Then you can go ahead and talk all you want. In fact, I might just join in."

Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione closed hers, deciding to ignore the two.

"So," Ginny said, getting off of the couch and setting down Hermione's hair brush. "What's in the box?"

"A present," Sirius replied, wiping his hands on his pants and peering into the box. "For Hermione."

At least, she thought she'd be able to ignore them. But that was sort of difficult when she was so incredibly curious as to what Sirius had gotten for her.

"It's an early birthday present," Sirius said, peering into the box. "And a get well present. I'm going to be on a mission tomorrow, and I thought he might keep you company."

"He?" Hermione said, sitting up. She was very curious by now.

Sirius grinned at her. He reached inside the box and carried something over to her, wrapped neatly in cloths. Whatever it was shivered madly inside Sirius' embrace.

Hermione could barely contain the cute overload that began when she saw the adorable little bunny.

"Oh my gosh!" She cried. "He's so adorable! Look at him, Ginny!"

Ginny was jumping around, too. For some reason, when you see a small, furry creature, the cuteness is hard to keep inside, and you have to try and find odd ways to let it out.

"Thank you, Sirius!" Hermione breathed.

He grinned and stroked the rabbit perched and twitching on Hermione's lap.

"It's not actually a bunny," Sirius said. "It's a figment. It's basically a two sided bunny. You've got this side, but if someone threatens its owner, it'll attack them."

"How can something so cute be viscious?" Ginny exclaimed, petting its head lightly.

Sirius barked a laugh, causing Ginny and Hermione to glance at each other.

"He does!" Ginny shouted, and they fell over in peals of laughter.

For the next ten minutes, Sirius glanced in between them, demanding an answer, but happy to see Hermione so happy for the first time in days.

...

Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated! ^^