Olivia took out in a jog after Sirius, who was headed straight for the front door of Gimmauld after the weekly Order meeting. "Sirius!" she called, fighting through a crowd of her fellow members. "Sirius, hold up!" She caught up to him at the foot of the steps outside the house, panting slightly.
"Yes, love?" he turned around, arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow quirked. It was a rare occasion that Olivia Lupin was the one chasing him.
"Look, the kids go back to school day after tomorrow, and I was just thinking. I'd made reservations for dinner tonight, but I guess Remus forgot because he just volunteered for a recon and left..." Sirius didn't miss the sadness in her voice as she confessed, but he didn't mention it either. "Anyway- I thought maybe you might want to take Hermione?" She looked hopeful that he would accept her proposal, and Sirius considered it for a moment. "I mean if you have somewhere you were headed-" But Sirius shook his head.
"No, that's actually a brilliant idea." He smiled. "Thanks, Liv." She handed him over her reservation slip which contained the address of the restaurant. Olivia turned to make her home when Sirius called after her. "Liv?" She turned around, not moving back toward the house.
"Yeah?" she questioned, waiting patiently. Sirius hesitated for a moment.
"Moony really stood you up just now?" He ask, seeming to be very put off with his friend. Olivia shrugged.
"I told you, he probably just- forgot. He may have wanted one more mission before the moon, it's in two days." She shrugged again, turning away. "It was my stupid idea anyway." she called over her shoulder as she hurried down the street. Sirius sighed and shook his head, feeling sorry for the girl. He turned and made his way back into the house and up the stairs, directly into his bedroom to find something better to wear. He changed from his normal attire of old muggle rock t-shirt and jeans to a button down the color of midnight, and pressed black slacks. He brushed and tied back his hair and gave himself a once over in the mirror. Not too bad. he thought, grabbing a old feather of Buckbeak's he noticed laying on the floor, her transfigured it into a large, blood red rose. With one more look in the mirror and a deep breath, he headed down the stairs in search of Hermione, hoping to himself that where ever she was, she was alone.
As luck would have it, Hermione was held up in the library, the entire summer's worth of homework spread before her as she frantically tried to make sure each and every one of her answers was correct. Sirius had to smile as he watched her, and Hermione seemed to be completely oblivious to his presence for a while. Sirius cleared his throat lightly, and Hermione looked up, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Sirius, how can you be certain of the difference between hedgehogs and a knarl?" She blew upwards to knock the stray hair from her line of vision. Sirius chuckled.
"You tell me what you've got, and I'll double check it?" he offered, knowing full well Hermione was second guessing her correct answer.
"Well, I read milk was best, but in Yonker's Field Guide to Wizarding Garden's it says a bit of bread or fresh cheese..." She scuffled through her notes more and Sirius bent before her, laying his hand atop her own to stop her shuffling about.
"Food, Hermione. Any human food, in a dish. It offends them, because they think it's a trap. Doesn't matter what type." He smiled as her face flushed when her chocolate brown eyes met his own deep grey.
"Are you sure?" she ask, looking back to try and check her work. Sirius nodded.
"You will turn yourself grey early worrying like that. It's what happened to Moony. People think it was the lycanthropy, but really- you should've seen him worry over school." Hermione smiled and sat back, taking in Sirius' appearance.
"You look- Nice." Hermione said, her ears glowing a bit red. Sirius looked down and then back to the young witch before him.
"Going out, I hope." he replied casually. Hermione looked down to avoid eye contact, gathering her papers back into a stack. He noticed she appeared a bit distressed by this, even though she had suggested he continue to see other women. "Hermione?"
"You have a date?" she ask, holding her face stone and emotionless. Sirius smirked.
"Remains to be seen." he pulled the transfigured rose from behind his back and held it just below her nose. Hermione took it and looked back up into Sirius' eyes, obviously baffled. "Do you like Greek food?"
"You're asking me?" she squinted her eyes and looked him over. "To go out with you? To dinner?"
"Yes?" he ask in the same doubtful tone she was using. "I just thought, I mean in two days the next time I will see you will be a week until we're married. I just-"
"That sound's lovely, Sirius. Thank you." she stood and brushed herself off. "I'll go change and tell Mrs. Weasley." she ran from the room, rose in hand. Sirius let out a deep breath, glad she at least accepted his offer.
Hermione re-emerged in a dark blue dress, her hair twisted delicately back. She had on a pair of matching heels, that Sirius recognized as being borrowed from Olivia. Sirius was standing at the bottom of the stairs, and he had to hide the fact that the sight of her made his breath hitch. Hermione was very much not a little girl anymore, and he noticed. She smiled shyly as Sirius offered an arm. "You are breathtaking this evening." he shot her a wink and Hermione blushed deeper. He walked her down the front steps, and left her at the foot of the porch as he hailed a cab. He opened the door for her.
"You're quite the gentlemen when you want to be, you know." Hermione said, tugging at her dress to straighten it.
"Thank you. I would return such a statement, but I'm afraid you're always a brilliant lady." Hermione smiled and looked away, out the window. "Hermione, I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner, or more often. I should've-" But Hermione cut him off, shaking her head.
"No, Sirius. You didn't." she kept looking out the window. Sirius sighed.
"You deserve to be taken out, showed off." he felt a bit foolish, and she wouldn't glance his way. It was baffling. "Hermione? Please talk to me."
"I just- I never saw my life like this, four years ago when I ask two boys in a train compartment if they'd seen a toad." she smiled. "I wouldn't trade Harry for anything, don't get me wrong. But I'm just..."
"It's alright to be stressed, and I understand the sentiment. Fourteen years ago, my mate was having a baby with his wife. He wasn't the chosen savior of the wizarding world, he was just Harry, tiny little Harry. We weren't anyone special." he sighed. Hermione nodded.
"Just seems odd." she admitted. "Sirius, are you really okay with marrying me?" Sirius looked Hermione over, seeing all her conflicting emotions swimming in her eyes. He reached across the car and took her hand, squeezing it tightly in his own.
"Yes, Hermione. I know it's not ideal, and you and I, we couldn't be more different. But I care about you, and I want you safe." he smiled gently and nodded behind Hermione, causing her to turn and look. "We're here." Hermione's jaw dropped. The restaurant, one of the fanciest she'd ever seen, was in an old building, with garden seating and fairy lights hanging in the trees. "I'll confess, Olivia set up the reservation." he admitted, leaving out why he and Hermione were dining rather than Olivia and Remus.
"It's lovely." she breathed, looking around as Sirius guided her inside and gave the hostess the reservation ticket. She guided the couple out into the garden seating, in a more private section. Sirius ordered a bottle of wine and watched Hermione look around.
"Do you like wine, Hermione?" Sirius ask after the waiter that had popped up walked away. Hermione nodded slightly.
"What I've tried of it, yes." she admitted. Sirius felt relieved, as he hadn't thought to ask before the waiter left.
Olivia knocked lightly on her mother's door, feeling overly tired. She didn't feel like going home, and she knew her mother would be working night shift on this particular night, so she decided to take up company with her younger sister, who she hadn't seen since her marriage nearly two weeks prior. Susan threw open the door, pulling her sister into a bone crushing hug. "I've been wondering when you'd be 'round." she squeaked, pulling Olivia through the door.
"It's been a long couple of weeks, Sue. I'm sorry." Susan stepped back, observing her older sibling. Olivia had the bandage on her arm still, and dark circles under her eyes.
"How's... Remus?" Susan ask, struggling to remember his name. Olivia flopped down heavily into their mother's overstuffed armchair.
"He's good. Working." she sighed, hating the lie she had to live to her family's face. "His best friend sent us to Egypt as a wedding present, which is part of why I hadn't been by. I bet mum is..."
"Furious? No, but I thought she would be too. She reckons you're your own woman now, married and moved out." Susan shrugged. "Egypt?" Olivia nodded.
"Sirius is like ridiculously rich. Like you wouldn't believe. So it was like getting a card for someone to him, I suppose. He bought us all new clothes for the trip and everything." she smiled slightly, thinking of how generous Sirius had been. Susan raised an eyebrow.
"Is this Sirius, is he single?" she giggled slightly. Olivia smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"He's getting married in December to my friend, I'm sorry." she mocked sympathy for her sister's loss. Susan caught sight of Olivia's bandage and snatched her hand, pulling her arm out straight so that she could look it over.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Susan burst, her eyes wide. Olivia sighed and thought.
"You know those stories you hear of junkies attacking doctors in emergency care when they are withdrawing and needing pain pills?" She ask, trying to think of a muggle equivalent to her incident. Susan nodded. "It was a bit like that. Except not." Susan nodded again. The door opened behind the girls before Susan could respond, and they both turned around to find their mother had come home early. Olivia immediately stood and made her way over, embracing her mother tightly.
"How have you been, sweet girl?" she ask, pulling back and looking her daughter over.
"Alright." she said with a tight nod.
"She got hurt at work!" Susan tattled loudly. Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Where's my son in law?" Her mother ask, looking Olivia over. Olivia forced a smile.
"Working, always working. I thought I'd come tell you what you've missed." she filled her mother in on the injury and trip to Egypt. After a few minutes of light chit chat her mother sent Susan from the room.
"Tell me what's bothering you." she said, her face stern. Olivia let out a deep breath.
"Just stressed. Got laid off for a week due to my arm, and then there's just a lot going on." she sighed heavily. "We um, we're trying for a baby." she admitted to her mother, whose eye's grew to the size of saucers.
"You just got married, Liv. I've meet the man once." she sounded her disapproval loud and clear. Olivia looked down and rose from her seat.
"I knew you wouldn't understand." she moved for the door. "I'll see you both later." she disappeared out the door before her mother could argue, disapperating for home before she changed her mind.
Sirius had to laugh as he watched Hermione's face when she took her first bite into her dessert. "Good?" he ask, as she chewed slowly with her eyes closed. They had laughed quite a bit over dinner, talking about everything and nothing. Sirius was thankful that they were finding it easy to talk to one another.
"Delicious." Hermione concluded. She slid the plate over and Sirius tried a bit, agreeing whole-heartedly with Hermione's conclusion.
"I'm very glad you agreed to come with me, 'Mione." Sirius said, taking another bite from their shared treat. Hermione nodded.
"I am too." she smiled. "You're not so bad, you know." she giggled. Sirius almost felt a bit bad about how giggly the wine had made her, but she only had one glass, she was just a bit not used to it.
"I'm glad you think so." he slid the plate back over and let her finish whatever the confection she had ordered was, then stood and slid her chair out for her, taking her arm. "Shall we get home?" he ask. Hermione nodded. He walked them back to the front, pausing only long enough to pay the attendant before hailing them another cab. The ride home was much quicker than the one to the restaurant, and Sirius found himself a bit confused about how to end the night. He led her up the steps to the house, but held her back when she went to open the doors. "Hermione, wait." he held her hands in his own, facing her. Hermione looked up into his eyes, smiling lightly. Sirius hesitated for only a second, before leaning down and kissing Hermione's lips lightly. He lingered a moment, then pulled away, finding Hermione's eyes shut tight, her face flushed. "I had a wonderful time, Hermione." he whispered, opening the door and holding it wide for her to pass through. Hermione looked back toward him as she walked up the steps.
"Me too, Sirius." she smiled again. "Thank you." she ran the rest of the way up the steps and Sirius sighed as he watcher her go, realizing just how badly he'd miss her when she went back to school.
Made a special Sirius/Hermione Chapter just as a detour, hope you all enjoy it! Sorry about the wait, but I hope this chapter was worth waiting on! Thank you all SOOOOO much for reading and following! Be sure to review! Reviews really help the story move faster, and updates come sooner!