Hi Everyone,

glad so many of you are enjoying this so much. I have to remind you I love angst, I adore it actually, I love that feeling of will they or won't they so I hope you enjoy the angst that's in store for you over the next few chapters :-)

Love Sirius xoxo

Chapter 14

Hermione needed to talk to someone but who? After hearing the conversation Draco had just had she was more confused than ever.

Should she call Harry? Definitely not, even though it would be fair to him to give him a heads up but she hadn't spoken to him for a month. Plus how good would that conversation go, Hey Harry sorry we hate each other and I sort of chose Draco over you but my boyfriend is out to get you and somehow I have been dragged into the middle of it, Yes? NO! Hermione seriously doubted that would work... Luna? Probably not she was sort of team Draco with him being their boss and all. Who, who could she trust? Hermione jumped up and sent an owl off to Sirius, Urgent Sirius, must talk NOW, I need to meet you, not my home somewhere else. Please advise, Hermione Granger.

Hermione waited very nervously for the owl's return. She heard a knock on her door and hoped above all hope it wasn't Draco, she couldn't talk to him without giving herself away. The knock persisted and when she heard his voice, Hermione panicked.

At that moment she saw another owl approaching and she quickly grabbed the letter off his leg. She opened it and felt the familiar tug of a portkey and even though she was being dragged through time and space, she was relieved. She landed roughly and was caught by two strong arms.

"Hermione sweetheart, what's wrong? Has something happened to you, Harry or Charlie?" Sirius sounded slightly frantic and Hermione shook her head no but she couldn't stop the tears flowing. Sirius took her hand and sat her down on the lounge,

"OK Hermione start from the beginning." Sirius conjured her a cup of coffee and she looked at him like, have you got anything stronger? Sirius added some scotch whiskey and she drank it down quickly.

"Whoa take it easy Hermione, what on earth happened?" Hermione stood up and started pacing, then after a while she started rattling off random events and none of it made any sense to Sirius but he didn't want to stop her now she had started.

"Sirius, everything is a mess, Harry has Tammy and I will never have a chance there, and then there's Charlotte, great Charlotte, this will destroy her, Harry wants me out and Draco is plotting against Harry and somehow I got dragged into it..." Sirius stopped her.

"What do you mean Malfoy is plotting against Harry?" Sirius stood up to stop her pacing and he held her shoulders so she could concentrate.

"Hermione think carefully, what happened?"

"I went out on a date with Draco last night..."

"I told you to stay away from him Hermione!" Sirius' tone was annoyed.

"I know Sirius but it's over with me and Harry, he hates me, he even wants me out of his house. I just had no choice."
"Anyway Hermione what happened?" Hermione then proceeded to tell him about the conversation she over heard between Draco and the Minister. Sirius was shocked and surprised. They spoke for hours and hours and finally they settled on a new plan as much as Hermione didn't like it.

"Hermione go back to work like normal, pretend everything is normal OK? Can you do that?" Sirius was very insistent so Hermione nodded.

"OK that meeting with the Board of Directors is in four weeks time and that's when Malfoy will announce your intentions with him. We have to somehow stop that happening but not too early, or he will think of a new plan, it has to be something that day, early that morning before the meeting starts at 9am." Sirius was pacing and Hermione was watching him nervously. She knew what he was saying was right but she wasn't sure that she could act like nothing had happened. She knew that it was all a plot and he didn't really have feelings for her and that hurt. It hurt a lot. Hermione had never had a lot of confidence and this was a huge hit to her ego.

Hermione noticed the time and mentioned it to Sirius, she told him she should go back to work.

"Hermione it will be really obvious if you do, you need to go home and owl in sick. Tell them you took a turn this afternoon after lunch and you need tomorrow off as well. It will give you time to get your head clear and as much as I hate it, be able to stand near Malfoy without freaking out." Hermione nodded and stood up to say bye.

Sirius hugged her tightly and when they finished he kissed her cheek.

"Sirius I will be at Harry's, for God knows how long, if you want to contact me." Sirius nodded and then as she went to walk away he grabbed her hand.

"Hermione don't give up on Harry just yet, he just doesn't know how to handle the feelings he is experiencing. Be patient please." Hermione huffed out a breath and then said, "He knows how to handle things Sirius, he handles them very clearly." Sirius tried to argue but she had already apparated away.

Hermione landed on the door step and slowly opened it to enter. She walked in and the only thing that was on her mind was a nice long hot bath. As she walked past the lounge room entrance she stopped suddenly. Hermione could hear two men talking and even though the last time she overheard talking today, it didn't turn out so well, she knew this had to do with Charlotte. She peaked a look inside and saw the Judge who looked over their case, and Harry sitting around the coffee table. There were papers stretched out in front of them and Harry looked stressed. Hermione leant back and sat on the little hall seat that was just out of sight from the lounge.

"Mr Potter, Miss Granger is Charlotte's legal guardian..."

"So am I..."

"Yes that may be so Mr Potter but I can't take her name off the papers because she is seeing someone else anymore than I could take your name off." There was silence for a minute.

"What do I do Judge, she is seeing my enemy, she might even marry him and I seriously can't have my daughter near that man, he is evil and he would stop at nothing to get to me."

"Harry, can I ask you a personal question?" Hermione presumed Harry nodded as the Judge continued.

"Harry is this really about Charlotte or is it about getting back at this man, the one you hate so much? Is Hermione just a pawn in all of this?" Hermione's eyes widened and she felt as if it took Harry ten years to answer.

"No its not about revenge Judge, not about revenge at all. I am in love with her and she loves someone else. All I wanted was to have Charlotte and Hermione with me, to live here in my parents house and to live happily ever after but as usual nothing ever works out for me. How could I be so stupid to think that just for once something would go my way. I must be the biggest idiot in the world."

Harry and the Judge were quiet for a while and Hermione was shocked, for the first time in ages she thought clearly. Harry had never shown her any disrespect, he had opened his home to her and Charlotte and had been a wonderful father to Charlotte and what did she do, she threw it all away by seeing someone who she knew absolutely nothing about. As she thought about it, Draco had never introduced her to anyone in his family, he used her as a show piece at the Ball but now thinking back that was probably a plot to get at Harry, of course it was. Hermione felt like a complete idiot but she had to do something to fix this mess. It was only a few minutes before the Judge spoke again.

"Harry there is one way?" The Judge paused and then as Harry and Hermione were waiting on his baited breath he finally continued,

"Umm I'm not sure what you think about this and undoubtedly Hermione wouldn't agree but if you and Hermione were to be married then the custody over Charlotte wouldn't be an issue." Harry was surprised but Hermione was completely shocked and she couldn't speak or formulate a sentence. It was Harry's voice she heard next.

"I couldn't ask that of her Judge, not Hermione, I couldn't make her choose me just to keep Charlotte, it's just not fair to her or my daughter." Harry sat down heavily on the lounge after pacing.

"I'll do it."

.

..

…

The Judge was shocked, but probably not as much as Harry was. He stood there looking at her like she was an alien.

"Miss Granger, what is it you'll do?" The Judge asked just to be sure.

"I'll marry Harry, that's what you said wasn't it Judge, to keep Charlotte, I have to marry Harry, well I'll do it." Harry still couldn't formulate a sentence, he was totally confused and shocked.

"Miss Granger, this is a very serious decision, do you understand that magical weddings are bound for ever, there is no such thing as divorce in our world?" Hermione would not make eye contact with Harry but as far as the Judge could see, she was calm, level headed and seemed to be in control of her senses so the Judge couldn't really say she was being coerced.

"I am very aware of that Judge, but I need to ask a question, is there a time frame we have to meet?" the Judge wrinkled up his forehead and wondered whether this was her way out of it.

"Umm well what amount of time did you need Miss Granger?" Hermione walked over to the papers on the table and started flicking through them while the Judge and Harry waited.

"I just wanted some time to plan a nice wedding, not just a quickie in here with you. Charlotte deserves to be a part of a real wedding. Is that ok?" Hermione looked at the Judge and he smiled and nodded. Hermione turned to look at Harry and he looked as if he was about to completely lose it.

"Harry, do you have something to say?" Hermione folded her arms across her chest and Harry's eyes darted across from the Judge to Hermione and then he exploded.

"What the hell is going on here? This morning you were engaged to fu..you were with Malfoy and now, now, now I don't know what the fuck is going on?" Harry let his bad manners slip in front of the Judge as he was totally freaking out.

"Harry that's not really necessary, do you object to this union?"

"Well, no but I have a million questions that need to be answered. Hermione is this what you want?"

"Yes, yes it is." she paused but she still answered truthfully.

Hermione turned around to face the Judge and held out her hand to shake it and he smiled and returned the gesture.

"Good day Miss Granger or should I say soon to be Mrs Potter." The Judge turned to look at Harry and shook his hand, he pulled him in closer to him and then he whispered in his ear, "Harry this is exactly what you wanted. DON'T blow it." Harry nodded but the confusion was still etched in his face. He walked the Judge out and as he was about to apparate away he turned to Harry yet again.

"Harry sort this out with her, even if it is only so she can keep Charlotte she is giving up a lot, a hell of a lot. You two need to be convincing or people will see straight through it." Harry nodded and thanked him for coming and even after he apparated out Harry still stood there, shocked, perplexed and utterly confused.

How could she agree to this, this was so far away from what he ever thought would eventuate that he thought it had to be some trick, some weird prank on him. There was only one way to get any answers and standing outside on the landing wasn't going to help.

Hermione watched the Judge walk out with Harry and she hurried upstairs to her room and closed the door.

"OH MY GOD what have I done? What have I done, OH MY GOD?" Hermione sat down on her bed and decided she needed a hot shower so she walked into her bathroom and stripped down. She stepped into the hot shower and let the water caress her body. As confused as she felt, for some reason she knew it was the right thing to do. Draco was using her and obviously never had any feelings for her. She was a means to an end all along. The funny thing was she realised she didn't feel that sad just hurt. She had never had a boyfriend before but she thought she should of at least felt something akin to betrayal, but nothing.

"Would you care to explain to me what the hell all of that was about?" Hermione panicked for a second knowing she was stark naked but she gathered her thoughts and calmly reached over and took her towel and wrapped her self up in it. She slid the glass door open and looked at him.

"Harry do you mind?" Hermione stepped past him and walked over to her sink and started to clean her teeth.

"Hermione, this morning you were with Malfoy and this afternoon you are agreeing to marry me, in front of a Judge no less, what happened?" Harry's tone showed his anger even though he was trying to reign it in.

Harry watched her clean her teeth and for some reason another scenario popped into his head.

She was home early on a work day.

She was willing to marry him.

She didn't seem worried about leaving Malfoy.

It dawned on Harry that something must have happened, he started to panic and as she was washing her mouth out and then patting it dry with the towel, he turned her around sharply.

"Hermione don't lie to me, DID MALFOY HURT YOU?" Hermione looked at him and was surprised at the intense anger in his face, she was stunned silent for a minute.

Obviously the silence indicated to Harry that something had happened. He looked at his hands and saw he was leaving a mark on her upper arms and he quickly let go but he did not step away. He left one hand on her shoulder while he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to control his anger.

"Hermione tell me what he did to you." Harry swallowed deeply and Hermione snapped out of her trance.

"Nothing Harry, Draco didn't hurt me..."

"Don't lie to me Hermione, and for heaven's sake don't cover up for him. I swear I WILL tear him apart limb from limb if he laid a hand on you." Harry's eyes travelled over her arms and her chest and her back obviously looking for bruising. Hermione placed her two hands on his chest calmly and spoke to him as gently as she could, "Harry, Draco did not touch me at all, I just realised that I wasn't in love with him and when I heard what you were saying I knew what I had to do for Charlotte. That's all Harry, nothing happened between Draco and I." Hermione wasn't sure if he believed her but it was the best she could come up with on the spot. She knew she had to speak to Sirius before she told Harry what was going on. Sirius specifically told her not to let Harry know any details and that was exactly what she had to do.

Harry looked at her and let go of his hold on her and when she asked if she could get dressed he nodded and leant back on the vanity while she left the bathroom. Hermione dressed quickly knowing he was still standing in there.

"Hermione we need to talk about this ok? Its not ok to be one way this morning and another way this afternoon. I take marriage very seriously and to be brutally honest you could destroy me so very easily with this." Hermione stepped into the door way and watched him as he spoke to her, his face showed the truth of his words and Hermione's stomach was almost up in her throat but she slowly took the short steps towards him and stood in front of him. She gently laid a hand on his heart and was surprised by how fast it was beating and she was sure hers was matching his. She looked up slowly into his eyes.

"It's for Charlotte Harry. She is my daughter too and she deserves a real home with two parents that love her." Hermione turned around and walked out of her bathroom and went to the dresser to brush her hair. Harry watched her walk away and then walked up behind her. He watched her in the mirror and then sighed.

"What Harry, I thought this was what you wanted? I heard you talking to the Judge." Hermione turned in her place to look at him.

"Hermione I can't force you to marry me, if I do that I'm just as bad as Malfoy." Hermione turned away at that name and in her reflection Harry could see she was hurting and it drove him insane. She obviously loved him and it pained Harry more than he cared to admit.

"You're not forcing me Harry, I chose this OK, this is my life and I will do with it as I please." Not the answer Harry was expecting. He turned her back and looked her in the eye and spoke again, "Hermione if we do this I want more children, I want a happy life. I do not want to sit here wondering everyday whether my wife regrets an impulse decision she made that now she has to live with forever. If that is going to be the case then forget it, I won't do it."

Hermione listened to his words and even though she didn't think she would be unhappy with Harry, she certainly needed to try a bit harder than she had been. She knew very well that this would be her only opportunity to live a life with Charlotte and maybe have more children. Did it matter to her whether her husband loved her, probably, but she couldn't dwell on that now. This was for the greater good, it wasn't fair to Harry that she had been used as a pawn in Draco's mean plot and if he could resort to that she could only imagine how bad it could get when Draco found out about Charlotte.

"Harry I am sure I can make you and Charlotte happy." Hermione looked at him and saw him shake his head, obviously he was annoyed she hadn't answered his question. He sighed again and left her room.

Oh boy what has Hermione gotten herself into?

Hope your enjoying it,

Sirius xoxo