Disclaimer: JKR's world and characters, my story.

A/N: Hello hello! Well, here we have the next chapter- so sorry it took a bit longer, but a family member was in hospital for a while, so that took a fair chunk out of my writing time. I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Thanks for all those who left reviews, it means a great deal to me! Keep reading and reviewing!


Hermione shifted slightly and plucked at her blankets. "About what?" She asked quietly. She had a horrible feeling she knew all too well what he was going to say.

Laying his head atop hers for a moment, he gathered his thoughts, trying to find the right words. After a few moments, he lifted his head and turned slightly so that he was looking at her.

Hermione continued to stare at the pale blue cotton blankets, a look of dread on her pale face.

"Love," he began. "I want to be honest with you, and hope you will be with me. I...I hope you'll forgive me if I say something wrong. I'm not very good with words, Mione."

She gave a small nod, still looking at her blankets.

"You…you remember everything that happened last night? Everything?"

She nodded again.

"You remember that you gave me permission to…look?"

Hermione closed her eyes in shame. "Yes," she whispered.

"Then you know that I saw. I saw how you see yourself. I saw what happened with that bastard. I saw…everything."

Flinching, she turned her head away, looking instead towards the door to her room, and the corridor outside, her eyes filling with tears of shame.

"Mione?"

"Yes," She whispered again, unable to utter more than that single word. She couldn't bear to look and see the pity that must surely be in his eyes.

Anything but that, she thought.

He sighed, wishing she would look at him, but continued nonetheless.

"Love, what happened yesterday was not your fault. That conniving bastard was sent to spy on you and try to trick you so the coward who hired him could gain a place on your team. You did nothing to deserve this- why do you blame yourself for it?"

Blinking furiously, she shook her head- she did not accept what he was saying.

"Mione, you must believe me! It's true! Even Signore Martinelli does not blame you! He was here last night, and again this morning because he is worried about you. The aurors have been trying to locate information on this Emilio Rossi, and all they've been able to find so far is that he's a hired gun, one of the best 'negotiators' in the business. Please, sweetheart, don't blame yourself."

Hermione just shook her head, unspeaking and continued to stare at the doorway. She could hear Sirius shifting beside her.

"Sweetheart, please don't let him make you blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. You met a seemingly nice and handsome man who offered to take you through a gallery and then to coffee and lunch. It's not your fault that he had an ulterior motive, or that he was willing to do anything to achieve it." Sirius stopped for a moment.

"And if nothing else, then at least he didn't take any more advantage of you than he already did. If he had tried to seduce you, I honestly think that I would have killed him." He growled. "

The room was silent for a moment, before Hermione spoke.

"I think that's one of things I'm most ashamed of," she said softly. "Not the fact that he was willing to use sex to get me to trust him, but because I…I think I would have let him, had he tried."

Sirius was stunned. Of all the things he had expected to hear, that was definitely not one of them. Gently, he took her chin in his right hand and turned her head slowly towards him. His chest tightened when he saw the tears filling her soft brown eyes,

"What do you mean, love?" He asked gently.

She closed her eyes. "I mean I would have slept with a complete stranger knowing perfectly well he was just using me for sex if I had been given the chance!" She cried, trying to turn her head back to the wall so she could avoid the disgust she was sure would be in his eyes.

However, Sirius' gentle grip on her chin was too firm- she could not turn her head. She cast her eyes down in desperation, unable to look.

"Sweetheart, I promise you, I am not and will never judge you. I just want to understand, to help you. Please, explain it to me."

She cringed, knowing that what she was about to say would show him how truly pathetic she was. It's your own fault for letting him see everything in the first place! Didn't you learn from the last time? Letting people in makes them leave! Now you've lost Sirius, he'll never want you now that he knows, she berated herself bitterly.

Seeing that Sirius was determined, she knew there was nothing to be gained in evading the qustion. Just tell him and get it over with, she told herself.

She spoke so softly that he had to lean close to hear her.

"Because I wanted to know what it felt like to….to be wanted by a man. I wanted to know what it felt like to be so close to someone, to be desired, if only for a little while. Had he tried something, I probably would have gone along willingly, knowing that he only wanted to use me for sex, knowing he didn't love me or likely even care about me, b-because I wanted someone to be passionate about me, just once! And…and even he didn't want me! Even he t-told me he didn't bother trying that with me because it wouldn't work! I would have let him because…because I know I probably won't get another chance!"

With that, Hermione buried her face in her hands, overcome by shame and humiliation. She waited for Sirius to drop his arms from around her, to slide across the bed and leave. She waited to hear his horrified gasp, the burning words of censure she knew she deserved. What she didn't expect was for him to draw her more tightly to him, or for him to run his lips over her hair. She certainly didn't expect him to shift her suddenly onto his lap, as he leaned against the headboard, and dislodging the blankets.

She looked up at him in shock, almost afraid at what she would find- and stared. There was no anger or disgust on his handsome, chiselled features, no pity- only kindness, affection…and an emotion she couldn't quite define.

"You're not…going to leave me?" She croaked.

Lifting a hand, he gently stroked her cheek shook his head before whispering in her ear, "Love, I told you last night, I'm not leaving you. I couldn't leave you; how could I live without my Mione?"

She shivered at his closeness, which surprised her slightly, but she had to ask the question that was burning at the forefront of her mind.

"Even th-though I'm cheap? Even though I'm a worthless nobody who couldn't even get a man by flinging herself at him?"

He growled low in his chest, and she jumped in surprise at the sound.

"Never, ever talk about yourself like that Mione! You are not cheap! You are the most dignified, worthwhile woman I have ever met, and anyone who says otherwise will answer to me!"

She looked down at her hands. "I just wanted to know what it felt like…just once."

Sirius rested his head against hers, unable to believe what he was hearing. Why? Why would she feel like she has no choice but to let herself be used by that bastard? She's worth more than ten of him put together! Pulling himself out of that line of thought, he focused his attention back on the woman in his arms.

"Why would you think you would have to do that to be wanted, love? Why would you sell yourself short? You deserve so much better than that! You deserve a man who would give you the moon if you asked for it, a man who loves you more than anything!"

A man like me. Sirius almost gasped in shock at what he had just thought. What the bloody hell is wrong with me? She's my friend, I shouldn't be trying to take advantage of her after all she's been through!

Her soft, bitter laugh shook him out of his reverie. "If I got nowhere when all I was hoping for was sex, then I doubt very much if I would get anywhere wanting romance. Even the mercenary wouldn't touch me!" She scoffed.

"Mione, love, please, trust me when I say that any man would be happy to have you. You're gorgeous, you're intelligent, you're kind and caring….God, I could go on 'til tomorrow! That…that scum didn't try anything because he saw that it wouldn't work with you! He knew that, no matter what he did, you wouldn't be bribed or manipulated into placing some unknown mastermind on your team. He decided to risk being open and direct because he saw he wouldn't be able to manipulate you! If anything, it shows just how strong and honest a person you are!"

Hermione shook her head. "Perhaps he knew it wouldn't change my mind about the placement of this…unknown employer, but he still didn't try to lay so much as a hand on me! What man of his dubious morals wouldn't take advantage of a situation like that? I'll tell you- a man faced with a bucktoothed, bushy haired know-it-all whale!"

Sirius flinched. "Love, why do you say these things? That…that image you have of yourself, it's not real! I know what you look like, and believe me, love, that wasn't you!"

Hermione laughed again, bitterly. The sound was so unlike her, it actually hurt him to hear it.

"Sirius, I appreciate that you are trying to make me feel better about myself. But let's face it- I'm twenty-one years old and have not yet had a single boyfriend. Not one person has ever taken an interest in me that way. The last date I had was when Viktor Krum took me to the Yule Ball in my fourth year! That ended with a kiss on the cheek and a screaming match with…with Ronald Weasley. I won't even call that disaster with McLaggen a date- you saw what happened. I…cared for Ronald for over a year and all he did was fling my feelings back in my face whilst sucking Lavender's face off. He kissed me the night of the Final Battle and then the next day, he went off and got back together with Lavender! And do you know the truly pathetic thing? That was my first and only kiss!"

She took a deep breath as her voice wobbled slightly, and continued. "Here I am, twenty-one and no more popular than I was at five! Even…even after the war, when I was…more well-known….even then, nobody came near me. They were all over Ginny and Luna and the other girls who fought, but they forgot I even existed. "

As she looked into his eyes, he flinched, seeing the tears in her eyes spill over and slowly run down her smooth white cheeks.

"Nobody wanted me then and nobody wants me now. I...I just wanted someone of my own, someone to love and who loves me in return. Remus has Tonks, and you have Lira. I just…I used to want that for myself too, once. Now, well, now I know better."

Sirius sighed. He had been hoping to mention this a little later. "Lira and I broke up, love. We ended it on Sunday."

She blinked, sniffling. "I'm so sorry Sirius, are you alright?"

He nodded impatiently. "Yes, I'm fine actually love. But the point is, I know how you feel. I wanted that too- I still do It's what we all want, isn't it? To love and be loved in return."

Sniffling Hermione turned to look at him. "I'm sure you'll be dating again in no time. Any woman in her right mind would kill to have you."

Sirius grinned crookedly. "Thanks love, are you offering?"

Instead of the blush he had expected, she began to sob.

Cursing himself for his lack of sensitivity, he pulled her to him. "Mione, love, It was just a joke, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!"

She sobbed all the harder.

"Mione, please, talk to me!"

"P-please don't joke like that Sirius," she sniffled. "I know that nobody will ever ch-choose me. Please don't joke about it. Please."

Sirius flinched as if he'd been struck. God, Mione, don't, don't say that! Who could help but love you? He thought.

Knowing his words would be of no comfort, and unable to bear her heart-rending sobs, he held her close and soothed her, running his fingers through her hair, rocking her slowly as he had last night.

Lifting her tear streaked face, he ran his lips over her cheek in comfort, then without thinking, his lips whispered across hers, softly, lightly. He heard her breath catch in surprise, and coming to himself, brought his lips slowly back to her cheek, trying not to act anymore out of the ordinary to as to avoid startling her.

You utter bastard, he berated himself. What the bloody HELL are you doing? Are you trying to hurt her? Hasn't she suffered enough?

Part of him, however, could not help but notice how soft her lips had been, and was urging him to go back and sample their sweetness.

Stop that! He grated in his mind. Mione- focus on Mione and leave your bloody hormones outside, you git!

He shifted his focus to her and noticed that the sobbing seemed to have slowed to soft sniffles. Well, it seems to have calmed her down, anyway, he thought wryly. He deliberately ignored the voice in his head urging him to calm her down a little more, and instead smiled gently at her.

She smiled tremulously back at him and roughly wiped the tears from her face. Thank God, she's not making a big deal out it Perhaps she wants to ignore it. It's probably for the best. He deliberately quashed the feeling of disappointment in his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius. Two days in a row is a bit much, isn't it? I'm sorry you had to see that."

He gently touched her cheek in comfort. "Love, we all have our bad days. Hell, I blubbered like a baby last night!"

She blinked in surprise. "You…you did?"

He smiled wryly at her. "Did you think I could see that, what had happened to you…what she did to you…and remain unmoved? Mione my love, you are so, so very precious to me, to all of us. To think that someone could do that to you…"

She stared at him in shock. "You mean you cried because of what you saw? I thought…" she trailed off, tearing her gaze from his and looking at the wall behind him.

He gently brought her attention back to him. "What did you think, love?"

"I…I thought that, once you saw…things, you would realise I'm not w-worth it and you wouldn't want me in your life anymore." She said softly.

"You are and will always be worth it. Always, Mione."

Hermione merely looked down at her hands, plucking once more at the blanket.

Sirius knew this was a good time to tell her about the potion. She had to know. She would never get better until she knew and accepted in her own mind that her perception of herself was badly flawed.

"Mione," he began cautiously. "I have something to tell you, but it may come as a bit of a shock. " Seeing he had her attention, he ploughed on. "Have you ever heard of the Humilitas potion?"

She stared at him in shock for a moment, before nodding, slightly.

Taking her hand again, he rested his chin on top of her head.

"What do you know about it?"

She frowned for a moment, thinking, causing Sirius to hide a smile. The look was pure Hermione; scrunching her forehead as she searched through the vast tomes of knowledge in her head. She looks so cute when she does that, he smiled to himself, despite the gravity of their conversation.

"Well, not much, really. I vaguely remember that it is a mood modifier, a humility draught, as the name implies, and is most commonly used on particularly pompous individuals, or extremely arrogant teenagers."

He nodded. "Do you know much else about it? Ill-effects, or side-effects, perhaps?"

She frowned again. "Not really, although I suppose too much of it can cause an over-abundance of humility, if there is such a thing?"

"Not exactly, love. It's a little more sinister than that, I'm afraid. Large quantities of the stuff can lead to very low self-esteem, warped perception, and in severe cases, an intense self-hatred. It is usually administered under strict medical supervision, in diluted form and in very small doses for no more than a year."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense….But, Sirius, what has that to do with me?"

He flinched. Here it comes, he thought. "It has everything to do with you, love. Dromeda did some scans this morning, you see. And she found large quantities of residue from the Humilitas potion in your system. Dangerously high quantities."

Hermione gasped, her eyes wide. "What? I've never taken that potion in my life! She must be mistaken."

Sirius shook his head regretfully. "She's not love. She repeated the scan three times, each with the same result."

"But…but I've never touched it! I've never even SEEN that potion before, let alone taken it, there's no way it could be in my system!" She stopped suddenly and paled. "Unless…."

He nodded tensely. "Unless you were fed the potion without your knowledge."

Hermione gasped, her face white. "B-but who would do such a thing? And WHY? Was I that insufferable that someone felt there was nothing to be done except dose me with potions without my consent?"

Sirius growled. "No. The person who fed you those potions did it out of their own insecurity and desperation, because they were jealous of you. There is no excuse for what they did."

"You know who it was? Tell me!"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, love, I know who it was. Tonks, Remus and I, confirmed it this morning after we were told the result of the scans. Are you sure you want to know now, though? There's nothing wrong with waiting until you've recovered a bit."

Hermione shook her head impatiently, her face pale and the dark circles under her eyes painfully obvious. "No, Sirius, I'll never be able to rest now until I know who it was. Please, tell me. I-I need to know."

"You aren't going to like it," he said bluntly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Who?"

Exhaling slowly, he looked her in the eye and told her softly, "It was Ginny Weasley."

If possible, Hermione's face grew even paler and her fists clenched on the blanket. Forcing herself to speak, she managed to whisper two words. "How much?"

He didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Four to five drops of undiluted draught per week, for approximately two years."

"W-what?"

Sirius nodded grimly. "An almost unprecedented dose, and the side-effects are beyond severe."

Taking a deep breath Hermione attempted to calm herself. "How was the potion administered?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Sirius scowled at the memory of what Ginny had told him. "Laced sugar quills. The sweetness masked the slightly bitter taste of the potion and did not dilute it, as a drink would have."

Hermione flinched. "She hated me that much?" She asked quietly, her tone full of hurt.

"She was delusional, Mione. She only had one goal, and that was snagging Harry. She saw you as a threat and sought to remove you."

Hermione shook her head. "I….I can't believe it…Ginny…." She began to tremble, unable to believe that this was happening.

Seeing that Hermione was shaking and likely going into shock, Sirius began running his hands up and down her back and arms, whispering soothingly to her, but to his increasing worry, she did not seem to be responding. He had to do something- her body should not be subject to such stresses so soon!

Kiss her again, a small voice whispered in his mind. He vehemently pushed the voice aside. I'm trying to get her out of shock, not put her into it! He snarled at himself.

What could he do? What would Dromeda do? Administer a calming draught, he thought immediately. But surely she shouldn't take one so soon after a dreamless sleep potion, he fretted.

Suddenly, he remembered Lily's favourite muggle remedy for shock. In desperation, he conjured a small tumbler of brandy and carefully guided it to Hermione's lips.

After a few small sips, she began coughing and spluttering. Deciding that she had had enough, Sirius levitated the drink to the nightstand and continued to rub warmth into her. As the coughing subsided, he felt her breathing slowly returning to normal, and the trembling seemed to have stopped.

Thank you, Lily, he thought sombrely as he continued to rub Hermione's back. He could almost see Lily's sunny smile and sparkling green eyes as she teased him. "It's my pleasure, Siri. It's not your fault you're not as clever as I am!"

He smiled sadly as he thought of the sister he had had for all too short a time- she was so like Hermione it was scary. Both women were frighteningly brilliant, stunningly beautiful and had hearts of gold. He had loved Lily with all his heart, and could not have loved her more if she were of his own blood. The night she and his brother of the heart had died, he felt as if his heart had been killed along with them. But it hadn't been. He had Harry, the boy he loved as his own. Then Hermione had entered the picture. He had his brother, Moony, and his cousin Tonks who was becoming more like a sister every day. Despite being bruised and battered, his heart seemed to be expanding more and more, but this girl, this woman, he corrected himself seemed to occupy a large part of it. Her selflessness and beautiful nature had simply refused to allow him to wallow in the horrors he had seen in his lifetime. After his return from the Veil, she had so quickly wormed her way into his heart that, in the end, her presence had been all that was needed to dispel his nightmares. She had simply walked into his heart and never left. He knew he loved her, and had never pretended otherwise, either to himself or others.

He frowned. But HOW did he love her? She was not a sister, as Lily had been. Nor was she merely a friend- that epithet did not even begin to describe their relationship. What exactly WAS she to him?

A warm touch on his hand pulled Sirius out of his puzzling thoughts. He looked down and smiled at the pale-faced woman looking tentatively up at him.

"Sirius?"

He couldn't help but smile warmly at her; the very sight of her, tired and strained as she was, gave him more pleasure than any magazine beauty ever could. It wasn't only how she looked, although Merlin knew she was beautiful. It was just- HER- the very essence that was Hermione.

"Sorry, love, I just got lost in thought there. You alright?"

Giving him a tremulous smile, Hermione rested against him. "Yes, thank you. That was very quick thinking on your part, I must say. I'm surprised you thought of brandy, though. Most magical folk have no idea about those old muggle remedies."

He winked. "I'm a veritable fountain of knowledge, love." Seeing her disbelieving look, he relented. "It was something Lily taught us. She always said wizarding folk were too reliant on draughts and potions and spells, and that when we didn't have them, small injuries and ailments became deadly."

Hermione nodded approvingly.

He couldn't help but smile at her. "You're very alike, you know. She and Prongs would have loved you. In fact, I know they do love you, and are probably pulling faces at me as they watch us from the next life for even implying they mightn't."

Blushing, Hermione looked down. "That's very sweet of you to say, Sirius."

Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her face upwards and looked deep into her eyes.

"And it's true. Every word of it is true, love. If anything, it doesn't do you justice."

She blushed again.

"You are magnificent! I know you didn't believe me before, and I don't care! I'll say it again and again until you believe me, until you know in your very soul that I am telling the truth. You are beautiful, you are brilliant, you are loving and caring and so bloody generous it shames the rest of us. You are a woman without equal, Hermione Granger."

Shaking her head, she tried to object, but he cut her off.

"LISTEN to me! It's the truth, Hermione. You are all of that, and more! I know what you see when you see yourself, but isn't you! It's the result of dangerously high doses of a hazardous potion. The Humilitas potion has warped your mind so much it has caused you to hate yourself! What you see is not real! It's the product of a delusional young woman's obsession with a young man.

You are far more intelligent than I could ever hope to be- you heard what I told you about the side effects and logically, you know what that means about your self-perception. If you don't believe me, I'll have textbooks brought here and you can see for yourself. You MUST see that your self-image is completely flawed."

She said nothing.

Sirius swallowed. "Mione, my love, I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but please, you must listen to me! Do you want me to take an oath that I'm telling the truth?"

Hermione shook her head silently.

"If it will help you to believe me, I'll do it. I don't care what it takes, but I need for you to see that that potion is poisoning your mind! Ginevra Weasley is a sick, spoiled young woman with the compassion of a rock! She did this so that you would not feel confident enough to take Harry from her- her words, not mine. She was so threatened by your close friendship with him that she took criminal measures to try to separate you from him. She set out to make you doubt your very self, to break you enough to prevent you from becoming to the beautiful, vibrant, confident young woman you can be! I beg of you, don't let her succeed!"

He looked intensely at the young woman on his lap, leaning against him with exhaustion, maintaining eye contact nonetheless.

"She…she really said that?" She asked quietly.

He nodded emphatically. "She did, and a lot more besides."

The brown-haired woman looked down, despite his fingers on her chin. "I don't doubt you Sirius. I…I'm sorry if I implied you were being untruthful. It's just…my logic is telling me one thing, but it contradicts the evidence of my own senses. I don't know what to think! I…I want to believe you, I really do. I want to believe that I'm not as hideous and worthless as I think I am, but I just don't know how. I look at myself and all I see is what I showed you. I see a monster. No matter how I try, I seem to gain more and more weight. I don't want to see that, I hate what I see! But I don't know how to see anything else!"

Hermione felt Sirius gently pull her chin up once more. She looked into his eyes and gasped- they were molten steel; hot, burning, intense, sincere. Had she really inspired such a reaction in him? She was transfixed.

"Then look through my eyes, Mione. Let me show you yourself as you truly are, let me show you the woman we all love. If you could see what I see…" He trailed off, swallowing heavily, seemingly unable to continue.

She stared at him, her soft, hurt brown eyes meeting his heated gaze.

Hermione was torn. Did she truly mean so very much to him? Was she worth that much to him? How could she be? She knew what she was….but if Sirius was to be believed, then her a large part of her self-image was the result of a potion. And if there was one thing Hermione knew, it was that Sirius could always be believed; Sirius Black did not lie. Ever. Could she trust him entirely, make herself vulnerable to him? Yes, she thought. He hid nothing from me, I saw it all when he returned from the veil. He…he TRUSTED me with his most vulnerable moments, his innermost secrets. Now it's my turn. I trust him more than anyone else.

Gathering all of her strength, she looked pleadingly at him. "Help me," she whispered. "I don't have the strength to do this alone."

A fierce joy and determination lit his gaze. "I'll be here the whole way, Mione. You are not alone, do you hear me? I will be with you every step of the way."

She exhaled nervously. "Thank you, Sirius, you don't know what it means to me."

Sirius gently brushed his lips across her forehead. "You don't need to thank me, love. Anything you need- anytime, anywhere. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." His gaze grew stern. "And that includes telling you when you are on a dangerous path. Mione, the way you've been eating…it can't go on."

She flinched. "I'm on a diet. It just, well, no matter what I did, it never seemed to work. I still ate enough…"

He shook his head. "Mione, you forget I SAW. I saw how much you've been eating, I saw that you skipped breakfast yesterday, I saw how small your portions have become, and it's got to stop. It's not healthy. Love, you could have killed yourself!"

She looked shocked. "What? No, I was just ill…"

"No, Mione, it was much more serious than that. Your body has had so little nourishment that it was draining your magical core in order to function. Even a week or two longer on that 'diet' of yours could have been fatal- you could have burned out your core and then died from sheer exhaustion. Or, worse still, you could have survived somehow with your magic intact, and slowly wasted away to nothing. You….you know about eating disorders, don't you?"

Hermione shook her head vehemently. "No Sirius, I admit, I took it a bit far, but I don't have anorexia! Honestly, I don't!"

He smiled grimly. "Most people with anorexia say the same thing. Calm down, love, I know you don't have the disease per se yet, but you've already taken the first few faltering steps down that path. You've been shrinking your food portions to an unhealthy size due to a negative body image, with no medical input or advice. Your perception is becoming less and less grounded in reality. No matter how little you eat, you imagine yourself to be getting bigger. I have it on good authority that that is how it starts. Mione, we need to stop it now, before it goes any further. I can't lose you to that, not you."

Hermione was silent for a moment. "Who?" She asked.

He knew what she meant. "A girl I went to school with, a friend. Her name was Audrey King. She was a lovely girl, muggleborn. None of us knew she was doing it, until one day she collapsed in the Great Hall. That was the first time I had seen her without glamours. I…I couldn't believe it. She was so thin, so emaciated… she looked like a skeleton wearing skin. She didn't even look like Audrey anymore. Apparently she had been doing it for a few years, and hiding the damage with glamours, until one day her body couldn't take it anymore. They took her away, and it was the last time I saw her. She died not long after."

"Oh. I'm…I'm sorry." She whispered.

Sirius turned his heated gaze to her once more. "Don't be sorry, love. Just don't go down that same path; there's no coming back from it. Please don't do that to yourself. If you won't do it for your own sake, do it for mine! Please, Hermione, I beg of you, don't do this. I can't lose you. You're…you're everything to me. I don't know how I would be able to go on if you weren't there."

Hermione gave him a tear-filled smile, secretly shocked that she had come to mean so much to him. He meant the world to her, of course, but he was, well, Sirius. She was just plain old Hermione Granger. I really mean that much to him? Part of her brain immediately shot the idea down in flames. Of course not, he's just being kind. Another part of her though, questioned the idea. This is Sirius, he would never lie to me. Oh I don't know what to think. Why does nothing make sense?

"I…I want to believe you; truly, I do. I want to believe you and start eating normally again. I'm so hungry and so tired. It's just….every time I look at anything remotely edible, I can't help but feel like I don't deserve to eat it, that fat lumps like me shouldn't be allowed to be seen in public, let alone eat good food. I don't know what to do, I don't know how to make it stop."

Cupping her face gently in his hands, Sirius spoke softly. "Let me help you, love. If it will make you feel better, we can get a Healer to examine you and tell you whether your weight is healthy, and what you need to eat in order to be healthy. It doesn't have to be Dromeda, I'll take you to anyone you like. Let me prove to you that you are not overweight and you need to eat healthily. You've lost a bit of weight the past couple of weeks, sweetheart-I want those luscious Mione curves back in full force!"

She shook her head sadly. "Only you could say that, Sirius."

"No love, I'm not the only one who says that. But even so, does it really matter what everybody else thinks? Just look at yourself through my eyes, and you'll see the truth."

Hermione sighed. "Part of my mind says that a lot of my ideas are because of the potion and I'm not entirely objective about myself right now. But the rest just insists I'm fat and I don't deserve to eat, that I'm worthless, that I'm nothing but an embarrassment."

Sirius dropped his hands from her face and pulled his arms around her. "Love, you are not am embarrassment, you are not fat. Just trust me and I'll help you; we'll get through this together, step by step." He paused. "Do you trust me?"

He felt her tense in his arms and was suddenly afraid of her reply.

"Yes."

That whispered word caused him to sigh in relief.

"Then let me help you. We'll go to another Healer, when you're more fully recovered, and get their opinion on the matter. Perhaps, when you're ready for it, we could visit a mind Healer, to begin to counter the work of that potion. Speaking of which, there's a neutraliser potion for you to take, to get rid of the effects of the Humilitas. Dromeda wants to wait until you're a bit stronger before she gives it to you, perhaps tomorrow."

Hermione trembled, then nodded, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Next week, we can think about going to see another Healer. However, this week Dromeda said you're to stay home and rest- and EAT. She's left a meal plan for you."

Hermione gasped and looked up. "I can't stay home, I have work to do, people to answer to! Whatever will Enrico think?"

Sirius soothed her. "Enrico has already asked me to tell you that you have permission to take any time you need in order to recover. In fact, I suspect he'll look in on you this evening. He was here this morning and last night."

Hermione flushed with mortification. "He…he was?"

Laying his head on hers, Sirius told her, "Don't worry, love. He was very worried about you. He was the one who organised Dromeda's papers, you know."

Hermione nodded, still embarrassed. "I can work from home while I'm here, then."

Sirius gently tightened his arms about her. "When you're more recovered, then we'll see. Right now, you are supposed to be resting and allowing your body and your magical core to recharge. Speaking of which, you also need to eat, or you will continue to deteriorate. Will you follow Dromeda's plan until you're well enough to go out and see another Healer?"

Hermione flinched. "Sirius…."

He tightened his arms further. "Please. Just until we can see another Healer. Then I promise you, I will abide by whatever they say, if you'll do the same! Please?"

She could hear the raw emotion in his voice, the worry. He had been worried about her. He had stayed to take care of her, he had brought medical help. No matter how hard this was for her, she owed him that much. Do it, she told herself.

"I….alright, Sirius. Until we can see another Healer."

The man in question sighed in relief. "Thank God. Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time, you won't have to face it alone."

A sudden thought struck Hermione. "Sirius? Won't that be rather difficult seeing that you live and work in England?"

He blushed. He really did look endearing with his skin flushed like that. "Er, well, you see Mione, I took the week off, and, er, for the other, I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind if I used one of your spare rooms? I can commute to work easily from here by portkey, after all…."

He trailed off, unsure of her reaction. However, it seemed that he need not have worried, if the way her face lit up was any indication.

"Oh, Sirius, would you? You would do that for me? Oh, thank you! I get so lonely here sometimes, it would be wonderful to have company!"

Sirius beamed. "Mione, I'll stay here as long as you'll let me!"

Hermione smiled, closed her eyes contentedly and snuggled into Sirius, as if the conversation had drained the last of her energy from her.

"You're too good to me, she murmured.

Sirius smiled against her hair. "Mione, if anything, you're too good to me. You've stuck by me through thick and thin. I would do anything for you, I'd die for you if I had to."

"Don't want you to die, want you to live, Siri, " she mumbled. "You're so very precious to me. So happy you came back. Need you."

Her mumbled words caused his heart to surge in his chest. "Did you just call me Siri?"

"Mmmmmmm," she sighed. "Hope you don't mind."

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest under her ear. "You can call me whatever you like, love. I just haven't heard it for a very long time. Lily used to call me that. "

"Lovely Lily," she whispered. "I'm glad she let me have you back. She has James, but I needed you here."

Sirius blinked away the tears that suddenly blurred his vision, holding this precious woman tightly to him. "And you'll always have me love, until the day we go to meet Prongs and Lily together."

"Together," she murmured. Suddenly, she tensed slightly and seemed to focus a little more.

"Siri? You'll tell me how you found out it was Ginny? You'll tell me what happened later?"

He stroked her cheek with one hand, refusing to relinquish his claim on her. "Of course, love. I could never keep anything from you. I'll tell you everything after you get some more rest."

Hermione relaxed in his arms, then shifted slightly, closing her eyes again. "Good. Time to sleep now, Siri."

He began to carefully disentangle himself from her, when she spoke.

"No."

He paused. "You want me to stay?"

Barely coherent, she mumbled. "Yes."

Unable to explain the feeling of elation that coursed through him at this request, he placed his wand on the nightstand and shifted her off his lap, laying her carefully next to him. He then slid down onto the bed and under the covers. Pulling her to him, he snuggled into her, his chest pressing against her back, and pulled the covers more securely over them and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair.

His lack of sleep the night before and the exhausting morning had caught up with him, and he found himself drifting into sleep.

Love you my Mione, he thought tiredly as he drifted off into unconsciousness. My Mione….


Meanwhile, at Sirius' Flat in London…

Remus sighed and sat down opposite George.

"What's going on? Far too much to tell you now, George. And there are things I cannot tell you without either Sirius' or Hermione's permission."

George raised an eyebrow.

Remus looked him straight in the eye. "One thing I can tell you which you will no doubt find out soon enough is that Hermione is now under the protection of the House of Black, and that consequently, some of the things that happened here today are now considered to be Black Family business. Sirius even invoked Familia Seceretum over your two youngest siblings, something I never thought I would see him do. "

George gaped. "Familia secretum? It was that serious?"

Tonks snorted, muttering, "You could say that".

Remus nodded sternly, his face drawn and tired. "Yes, it was exceedingly serious, but as I say, I have no right to speak of it until Sirius gives permission."

George nodded slowly. "I see. That does restrict things a bit…Tell you what, there's only one thing I really want to know at the moment; Where is Hermione?"

Remus sighed again, and put his head in his hands. His earlier struggle with the wolf, and the confrontation with Harry and the other two had drained almost all of the energy he had, and he was exhausted- and hungry.

Tonks, seeing her husband was teetering on the brink of collapse, summoned a bar of chocolate from the kitchen and handed it to him. With a look of relief, he tore into it, demolishing the sweet in almost no time at all. Hiding a smile, she turned back to George.

"We cannot tell you where she is."

George frowned. "You mean you don't know?"

Tonks shook her head. "No, I mean we can't tell you. Mione forbade us from telling anyone where she is."

The red-headed man sat back in quiet shock. "But why? What did we do to make her cut us off without a word?"

Tonks laughed bitterly. "What didn't you do?"

"No need to be nasty, Tonks," he frowned. "Just tell me what we're supposed to have done."

Tonks glared at him. "Care to remind me of the date of your departure for your little overseas trip?"

George stared at the seemingly odd question. "Er…eighteenth of September."

"That's right. Now, I don't suppose you happen to remember any specific events that usually occur around that time of year?"

George looked down. "Not really…I mean, it was two days after our… my birthday, but you know I don't celebrate that anymore. I was having a bit of trouble so they took me away for a break, you see."

Tonks' expression softened slightly, but she did not relent. "And you don't remember anything else around that time of year, any special occasions?"

George shook his head slowly. "No….not really…."

Tonks sighed. Seeing that she was becoming agitated, Remus interrupted.

"Do you know the date of Hermione's birthday?"

Staring at another seemingly irrelevant question, he frowned for a moment before his eyes grew wide.

"It…it was September the nineteenth, wasn't it? We were supposed to have dinner at the Three Broomsticks. Oh shit, we all missed it and no one even remembered!"

Remus nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so. And it gets worse- it was her twenty-first birthday."

George looked as though he had been hit in the face with a cricket bat. "Oh, shit."

Tonks smirked. "Exactly. Not one of you remembered, and you all took off on a lovely little holiday to the French Riviera without even asking her if she wanted to come along. What was she supposed to think?"

"Bloody hell," he cursed, looking at the floor. "I dunno why no one asked her to come, would've thought Ginny or Harry would have remembered. I was…out of it. Hell, I spent the first week in the Hotel bar pissed off my rocker." He looked up suddenly. "That's a pretty weak reason to pack up and move without telling anyone, though. What aren't you telling me?"

Tonks scowled at him.

"Don't look at me like that, Tonks! Look, I know it was a bloody rotten thing we did, alright? But you know as well I do that people don't just pack up and leave because their friends are idiots, yeah? So what else is going on here?"

Remus interjected. "Yes, there were a number of reasons behind her decision to leave, some of which we can disclose now, others which we can't. The crux of the matter is that she felt she had nothing to stay for, she was offered a job abroad, a very good job I might add, and she decided to take it."

"Nothing to stay for? She had everything to stay for!"

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Name five reasons she should have stayed."

"What? You've got to be bloody kidding me!"

Tonks levelled a hard stare at him. "Humour me."

Shaking his head in disbelief, the red-head complied. "Alright. Number one, friends and family. Number two, her job. Number three, this is her home. Number four, she owns a flat in London. Number five, she bloody fought to rid this country of prejudice, she gave up a lot for it. She deserves to stay and enjoy the benefits of what she fought for."

Tonks nodded. "Alright, let's go through your list in reverse order. First; the war. Yes, Hermione fought more than most to rid this country of prejudice. She sacrificed most of her childhood and teenage years to make sure that the next generation of muggleborns would be able to attend school and live as magical citizens in peace, to try and obtain equal rights for all magical beings, witches, wizards and creatures alike. And how has this country repaid her? Granted, she can now walk down the street without the majority of the population calling her mudblood. She has the right to live in peace and safety. But what else? Whilst she can work in the Ministry, there is little to no chance of her gaining a place on the Wizenagamot, since the seats are hereditary and she's a muggleborn. There is no chance she will ever be able to run for political office because even now the old pureblood faction is too strong. Hell, we were reminded very clearly this morning that should she or any other muggleborn press charges against a pureblood, the pureblood faction will more than likely sweep it under the rug as a matter of principle. New developments and technology are hidden and banned in Britain because none of them come from British purebloods- they're either made by foreigners or muggleborns. In short, the purebloods, despite the very recent war and all it cost us, are doing their level best to ensure that Britain remains as frozen in time as she ever was. To be honest, they're setting the stage for another Dark lord or lady to try and take over because the old prejudices are still there and still encouraged. After all she went through, despite being the best of the best, she is and will always be treated as a second-class citizen by those in power. Why would she want to stay around for that?"

George looked flabbergasted. "I….didn't think of it like that."

Tonks shook her head wearily. "Of course you wouldn't- you're a pureblood. You've never had to live without that protection."

"True enough, I s'pose," he said slowly.

"Right. Next point: Her apartment. Yes, she owns a flat in London, but her new employer has offered her a luxurious apartment in one of the top suburbs in the country, all expenses paid with the option of purchasing it outright at the end of the lease."

The look of surprise on George's face looked as though it might have taken up permanent residence. At any rate, he did not reply.

"As to this country being her home- what makes it so? Why is it home?"

George thought for a moment. "Well…she was born here, she's lived here her whole life. Her friends and family are here, her work…." He trailed off, a look of comprehension coming into his eyes.

"You're beginning to see, aren't you? As the saying goes, home is where the heart is, and to be honest, Hermione's heart hasn't been here for a very long time. Now that she has a chance for a fresh start in a new place, I think it very likely that that will become her new home. She's been getting job offers for the past year, and each one better than the last. The fact that she accepted this one speaks very loudly about where she considers her home to be.

Reason number two is obviously not an issue- she has a very good job with an extremely reputable employer, and she has excellent prospects."

At this point, Remus seamlessly took over from his wife.

"That leaves us with the most important issue- friends and family. Tell me, George, what friends and family does Hermione have here in London?"

George looked at him as though he had grown two heads. "You having me on, Remus? You know as well as I do."

The tired werewolf looked at him. "Just humour me."

"You two are bloody barmy, you know that?" Shaking his head, George began to recite a list of Hermione's friends and family. "Right, well there's her parents, Harry, Ron and Ginny, me, you Remus, Tonks, Sirius, Teddy of course. Oh, and the rest of the Weasleys. Er, Luna Lovegood, Nev Longbottom, old McGonagall was always find of her too…..that enough to be getting on with, you reckon?"

Remus nodded. "Fine. Now, how often do those people contact or visit Hermione? How many of them make the effort?"

Tousling his red hair, George frowned. "Well, I reckon Harry, Ron and Gin would see her often enough. They've always been the best of friends….although, makes me wonder how they could make such a gaff about her birthday then?" Shaking his head, George gave in. "Look, Remus mate, honestly, I dunno. You know I hardly know what's going on outside WWW these days."

Tonks butted in immediately. "Exactly! You have no bloody clue what's been going on. For your information, Luna and Neville live overseas and the three so-called best friends you mentioned haven't even seen Hermione in the last six months. They barely call her, have had little to no time for her and, putting it bluntly, have phased her out like last year's bloody shoes. After everything she's done for them, for you, for every bloody one, she's been tossed aside like so much rubbish. Do yourself a favour and read the newspapers for the past year- you'll notice a certain two redheads and one black haired auror in just about every issue. You might also notice who's missing- coincidentally, it happens to be the same person who was left out of your little holiday!"

George stared at her disbelievingly. "You're bloody crazy! Those three, especially Ron and Harry, have always been close to Mione. There's no way this could have happened without my noticing."

Tonks snorted. "Right. And when exactly were you supposed to notice anything? You only ever spoke to her via Floo, or when she dropped by the shop. You rarely even stop by the Burrow anymore- when were you hoping to see this falling out in action?"

George scowled. "Look, alright, maybe I have been a bit slack in my social duties of late, but I reckon I have a good enough reason, yeah?"

Tonks scowled right back. "It's pretty bloody obvious that you think you do, George, and to hell with everybody else! Apparently that includes the one woman who stood by you and looked after you when your life fell apart!"

"Don't talk about what you don't understand, Tonks! You know what it's like to lose…him? Like I've lost half of myself! I don't want to be here without him, but apparently fate has a sick sense of humour since he's gone and I'm still here! Every day, he fades a little further into the past, every day I live without my best friend by my side, and every day all I can do is remember him! His memory is all I have left, and if that means that I fall behind every now and then, then so be it!"

The room was silent for a moment before Remus spoke.

"That," he said quietly, "is utter bullshit."

George jerked as though he had been slapped, his face pale, and stared at the werewolf.

Remus fixed his blue-eyed gaze on the redhead and George was shocked; the ordinarily mild-mannered man was blazing with fury.

"Do you really think you're the only one who's lost someone? This war almost cost me everything! My parents were killed when I was in my third year of Hogwarts- punishment for their refusal to disown the half-breed and join the Death Eaters.

James and Lily, " here his voice broke, but he pushed on, "my brother and sister in every way that mattered, were betrayed to their deaths by another man I had considered a brother! Do you understand what that meant for me? You know what I am! James, Lily, Sirius and…the rat were the only people to accept me as I was! They loved me in spite of my being a monster! They were my family! Far from rejecting me, they did everything they could to make my transformations easier. I loved them, still love them, and when James and Lily died, part of me died with them! I spent my time drinking and wishing that I had died in their place. I thought Sirius was the traitor and that the rat was dead. I was alone! I had no one to ease my nightmares, no one to take the bottle out of my hand. I had no one to give a damn whether I lived or died. My stupidity cost me the first thirteen years of Harry's life! And it might very well have cost Sirius thirteen years of his! Had I tried to learn why, had I even been bloody sober, I might even have uncovered the truth! Sirius might at least been given a trial! Instead, I focused so much on the dead it nearly cost me the living! Even…even after I got Sirius back, I lost him again! He died in front of my eyes!

I almost Harry to the veil that night. Harry, all that remained of either of my brothers. I almost lost Hermione that same night- Dolohov almost killed her! That girl…she's something else. She learned what I was long ago and didn't care in the slightest. She has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known! She was a ray of hope for me to warm my battered heart over, and I almost lost her.

I lost Albus, the only one who was willing to give me a chance! He was the one who allowed me to attend Hogwarts, the only one who saw me as a human, who gave me employment, treated me with dignity and he was GONE, killed by a man we thought was on our side!

I nearly lost Dora during the final battle! Dora…Dora taught me to live again. She taught me to look at what I had, not what I had lost. She looked at me and saw a man to love, not a beast to fear. She is EVERYTHING to me. Can you even possibly begin to understand what it did to me to face losing her? And yet, I didn't have the option of falling apart this time- I had a son, a child who needed, who deserved, his father's devotion and love, not a man so preoccupied with the shades of the past that he ignored the future!"

Remus was panting heavily, his face white with weariness and fury, his blue eyes blazing, his eyes full of tears. This was no wolf-induced fit of anger- Remus; shy, reserved Remus was baring his very soul to them. Tonks, seeing her husband's pain and with tears in her own eyes, walked up to him and slipped her arms about his waist. He buried his face in her hair, holding her tightly to him, taking comfort from her soothing presence.

George was utterly speechless. He had never seen Remus speak so vehemently. He had never known what loneliness and pain the man had suffered in his life; how could he be so full of life, so kind and happy after everything that had happened to him?

Having calmed himself slightly, Remus raised his head and looked at George, his face full of sympathy, anger and understanding.

"Believe me when I tell you that I understand entirely, George. I know what it is to lose someone. Yes, I was so blessed as to get Sirius back, but James and Lily…they will not return. They have passed on to the next great adventure, as Albus would say. I miss them still; there are two wounds in my heart that will never fully heal until I see them again.

But I am alive, George, as are you. We both of us have too much to live for. Like James, Fred was full of life and fun, full of excitement and mischief. Do you think he would like what you have become? Do you think he would thank you for being blind to the many blessings in your life, the wonderful family you have, your friends, your business, only dwell on his memory?"

George could not speak, and hung his head, tears running down his face. He knew that Remus was right- if Fred had seen him like this, he would have hexed him, charmed his hair to be twelve different colours, and turned him into a canary. Hell, he probably would have punched him in the face. For the first time since his twin's death, George allowed himself to feel shame. He had been using his grief to drown out the rest of the world for three years; he had been using Fred, and his memories of Fred, as an excuse to stop living. If anything, he had dishonoured the memory of his brother. Pulling himself out of his reverie, he noticed that Remus was speaking again.

"Do not," he stated emphatically, "dwell memories of the dead only to forsake the living. You cannot avoid living, George, and it is a lonely road indeed when you have only shadows and thoughts for company."

Burying his head in his hands, George nodded, unable to speak.

Seeing his distress, Tonks released her husband and tentatively approached the distressed young man, touching him on the shoulder. Seeing that he did not flinch from her touch, she sat down next to him and slipped an arm around his shoulder. Surprisingly, didn't push her away.

"I lost my dad during the last year of the war," she told him quietly. "He was on the run with a couple of other muggleborns, and he was captured and killed- hunted and slaughtered as if he were an animal, just because his parents were muggles. I know he would never have gone down without a fight, though. And that's the important thing- at least Fred died fighting. Fred…he died a good death, George. He went in that night knowing he might never come out, he stayed and he fought and died bravely. He died so you and the rest of your family could live a good, peaceful life, and I reckon he would have counted it a fair trade. If it had been you that was killed, would you have thought it a fair exchange for Fred and the rest to be able to live in peace?"

George nodded, his eyes red. 'Without a second thought."

"Then don't begrudge your brother his sacrifice- it was the price we were all willing to pay, George. He paid it and I'd bet good money he's pranking the hell out of everyone up there he meets until you get there to wreak twice as much havoc. Hell, Albus and James have probably joined him by now."

"Reckon they would have, at that, " the young man choked, laughing a little.

Giving Tonks a small smile, he wiped his face. Looking at both her and Remus in turn, he nodded to them.

"Reckon I've been right arse the past few years, and no one's had the heart to say anything about it, everyone's been to worried about upsetting me. Thanks for…..you know, setting me straight. I dunno where I'm gonna go from here, but for the first time in three years, I feel….different. Can't explain it exactly- it still hurts like hell, but I know it's time to do something now. I…I can't keep hiding anymore, can I?"

Remus shook his head. "No, you can't, but I think you'll find the rewards of living are far beyond your greatest expectations. Honour his memory and a good life- have something to brag about when you see him, eh?"

George smiled. "Yeah, reckon I should at that. Tosser's already had a head start on the next life, gotta have something to make up for that. Probably already nicked all the good girls, too." His expression sobered, as he remembered the reason for his self-introspection.

"Did Mione…say anything about me? Did she leave because I've been so self-absorbed that I didn't see what was happening to her?"

Tonks sighed. "Not exactly. She said she was willing to hear you out before she made any decisions about your friendship. She knows what you've been suffering, George."

He sighed with relief. "Thank God, although it probably more than I deserve if I've missed as much as you say. Did Harry and the rest forget her that much?"

Snorting, Tonks shook her head. "You have no idea, George. They did more than forget her. The way they treated her, despite everything she did for them. Heck, you probably saw a lot of it in school. Harry always chose Ron over her, despite the fact that your brother deserted him more than once. Ron treated her like bloody rubbish, not to mention your sister. They wore her confidence to the bloody ground- in the end she was a walking homework dispenser to them. To be honest, they all treated her like shit, never mind how many times she saved their arses. Same thing happened during the Horcrux hunt, apparently; your brother took off halfway through and abandoned the two of them out there in the middle of bloody nowhere. They almost died a few times and Hermione got them out of it, of course. She got them through that hunt piece by piece- they never would have found or destroyed a single horcrux if it weren't for her. She…she endured things I can't even think about without wanting to scream. She never speaks about it, you know. She suffered so much and never complained. Even after the war, she was there for the lot of you- you remember how she nursed you through your nightmares? Not to mention coaxing you back into the shop….She was there for every bloody one and they forgot her. Well, after the birthday fiasco, she had had enough and decided that if you lot weren't going to be bothered with her then she wouldn't bother with you! She took the offer and that was that."

George flushed, ashamed of having ignored the very person who had gotten him through the worst period in his life.

"She still keep in contact with you two and Sirius, then?"

Tonks nodded. "She gave us international portkeys, so we can visit her whenever we want. Spent the night there yesterday, actually."

The young man suddenly frowned. "What about her parents though? Don't they mind her living so far away?"

Remus sighed in what sounded like relief as Tonks muttered, "Finally, he asks!" Turning to the red-haired man on the couch who was looking at them with curiosity, she shook her head.

"Her parents are no longer here."

George frowned. "What, you mean they moved too?"

Remus shook his head. "No. Her parents died during the war."

Inhaling sharply, George shook his head in confusion. "No! How could they? She sent them away! How did the Death Eaters find them?"

"They weren't killed by Death Eaters. They died in Australia, in a muggle car accident whilst they were still under the effects of the memory charm."

George sucked in a breath. "But that means…"

Remus nodded sombrely. "Yes, they died not knowing who they were, or that they even had a daughter."

"But why didn't she tell us? That was over three years ago! Why didn't she say anything?" George gasped, shaking his head in disbelief.

Tonks smiled sadly at him. "In the beginning, everyone was preoccupied with keeping you from killing yourself or going mad. She didn't want to burden you when you had just lost your brother. Later, well, she began to feel hurt that it was months after the fact and no one had thought to ask after her parents. You all knew she had sent them away after all- why didn't one of you ever think to ask her if she had found them again?"

Hanging his head in shame, George said nothing. So bloody preoccupied with my own loss, didn't even see Hermione had suffered her own. Bloody hell, I'm a royal git, he berated himself.

"We-we really pushed her away, didn't we? We were all so focused on Fred and then ourselves that nobody bothered to notice she'd lost her parents. Did….did you know?"

Remus nodded. "We found her looking over some old photographs one day and asked her what had happened. Eventually she told us, but she made us promise that we wouldn't tell anyone else about it unless they asked first. Hermione was determined that if you didn't care enough to ask, you didn't deserve to know."

"Much as I hate it, s'pose I can't fault that, can I?" George sighed, rubbing his face wearily. Looking up, he turned his hopeful blue eyes to Tonks and Remus. "You said she'd be willing to hear me out; do you think she'd see me today? I…I really want to talk to her, apologise….She's a one in a million, I don't want her thinking she means nothing to me. Please? Will you take me?"

The Lupins glanced at one another for a moment, and seemed to communicate silently before turning back to the anxious young man before them.

"We can't take you right now," Tonks said finally.

George's face fell.

"She's not feeling well today, you see. We can ask her this afternoon, and she can decide when to see you."

He nodded resignedly. "Fair enough." Suddenly, his eyes sharpened. "What do you mean she's not feeling well? Does this have something to do with what you can't talk about?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, it does. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Hermione decides to tell you what has been happening before you can learn the full story."

"Right, family secrets and all…..God this is surreal, doing my bloody head in. Just tell me, is she OK? Is she in any danger?"

Tonks shook her head. "She's alright. She's safe and someone's with her until she recovers. They reckon she'll be alright in a week or two."

George sighed. "Glad to hear it. After everything you've told me today….well, I'm just glad she's OK."

Standing up, he thought for a moment, then turned to the two of them. "Given me a lot to think about today, you two. I'll wait for word from the two of you on seeing Mione, yeah? Meantime… I reckon I have a bit more thinking to do and family to see. Thanks….thanks for the kick up the arse. Bloody hurt, but reckon I needed a wakeup call."

He turned and walked back to the Floo, taking a handful of the green powder and was about to toss it into the fireplace when he stopped and looked back at Remus. "Oh, and Moony, mate," he said quietly. "Thanks for telling me about…everything, reckon it can't have been easy to talk about. Means a lot to me."

Remus smiled tiredly at him. "If it got you to wake up, then it was worth it. Go and live, George. We'll contact you via Floo later about meeting Mione."

Nodding at the two of them, he took a deep breath, tossed the powder into the fire and called "The Burrow!" With a swirl of green flames, he was gone.

The two Lupins stood staring at the fireplace for a few moments, deep in thought, until Tonks decided enough was enough.

"Right! We've had a bloody long morning and I'm bloody tired and what's worse, I'm hungry! We're going back to Mione's and Sirius had bloody well better have made us some lunch!"

Smiling, Remus pulled his wife close for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her.

Pulling the portkey from her pocket, Tonks offered it to Remus before winking at him and activating it. Without a sound, they had gone.


Hermione's Flat, Roma: 3: 45pm, Local Time

As soon as they had arrived in the Atrium, Tonks and Remus had gone straight to Hermione's room, expecting that Sirius would be in there also. However, they could not believe the sight that greeted them as they peaked into the room from the Hallway.

Hermione was fast asleep, her face more relaxed than it had been for the past two weeks. Sirius was curled into her back, one arm holding her firmly to him, his face partially buried in her hair. However, this did not prevent them from seeing the peaceful smile on his face.

After staring for what seemed like forever, Tonks silently motioned Remus to follow her. Turning, she walked quietly to the kitchen, where she mercifully saw two plates of pasta under a warming charm.

Turning to her husband, she giggled. "I think that was just about the sweetest thing I've ever seen!"

Remus smirked. "Padfoot's got it bad."

Tonks cocked her head. "Think he's told her how he feels?"

"Merlin no, " the sandy-haired man laughed. "If I know Padfoot, he's probably only starting to admit to himself how he feels, and fighting it every step of the way!"

Tonks smirked evilly. "I can't wait until he wakes up- this is going to be fun!"