Chapter 21: One of Us

Mary Lou: Are you a seeker? A seeker after truth?
Newt: I'm more of a chaser, really.
—Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, J.K. Rowling

I never thought I would actually forget my own birthday.

To be fair, it wasn't really my birthday. Time travel can do funny things to magical physiology, right down to the molecular level. My past habitual Time Turner use, combined with my most recent unanticipated, but nonetheless intense time jump, made it impossible to calculate my precise age. I was honestly shocked that my body hadn't already disintegrated into dust.

I awoke on the morning of the nineteenth of September to Lily shaking my arm.

"Hermione?"

I moaned and rolled over, swatting her hand away and yanking my blanket higher over my head.

"Hermione!" she repeated, this time more urgently.

This got my attention. I shot up in bed, scrambling beneath my pillow for my wand. It was in my hand in a flash, my body at full alert and eyes darting around the room.

"Stand down, soldier," said Lily unflinchingly, rolling her eyes.

Apparently I'd become rather predictable. I lowered my wand and slumped against my headboard groggily. Lily was perched on the edge of my bed, staring down at me with her lips pursed. She was wrapped in a fuchsia dressing gown that clashed brilliantly with her dark red hair.

"Good morning to you too, Lils," I said grumpily. I glanced out the window—still dark. The sun hadn't even risen yet. "What time is it?"

"Like, half six or so," she replied dismissively.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Then why in Merlin's name am I awake?"

She ignored the question. "Do you mind explaining this?" she asked as if reprimanding a second year for using magic in the corridors. She gestured to the foot of my bed, and I gaped openly at the small pile of presents there.

Oh.

"Er, what's today's date?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"The nineteenth."

"Well," I said, rising to sit on my heels and reaching for the topmost gift. There seemed to only be three. "I guess it's my birthday."

"And you didn't care to mention it?" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet, hands immediately flying to her hips.

"Didn't think it was all that big of a deal, honestly," I replied as I began to tear the paper wrappings from the parcel in my hands.

Birthdays had always been a rather low-key affair for me. I usually celebrated with my parents before the start of term, and it had taken Ron and Harry four years to even remember the date. My fourteenth birthday was particularly disappointing. The only 'Happy Birthday' greetings I received in my third year were from Ginny and Nearly-Headless Nick, who, despite the fact that he had resided at Hogwarts for over five hundred years, never forgot the birthday of a Gryffindor student.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Lily said incredulously, staring at me as if I were mad. She sank onto the bed beside me and placed a hand on my mine, halting my progress. "You're one of us now, Hermione. We need to know these things."

"Us?" I repeated, blinking at her.

She looked a bit taken aback. "I mean, yeah. Us. All of us. You haven't been here long, but you just sort of…" She shrugged. "Well, you just sort of fit."

It was too early in the morning for all of these feelings. I couldn't find the words to respond to her, so instead I chose to finish opening the gift.

I smiled as I tore away the remainder of the wrappings. It was a leather bound copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I let it fall open in my lap, inhaling the lovely scent of a brand new book, and found a folded bit of parchment tucked behind the front cover.

"But it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."
Happy Birthday, my dear niece.

Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore

P.S. Though against your nature, sometimes it is okay to take a peek at the ending.

"A book? I just knew you were my soulmate," said Lily with a grin. "What is it?" I held it out for her to see. "Oh my goodness, this was one of my favorite books as a child!"

"Mine too," I replied with a smile. "I would beg my mum to read from it every night before bed."

"Who's it from?" she asked.

"Uncle Albus." I read the note aloud to her. "What do you think he means by 'peek at the ending'?"

"Hmm…" She scrunched up her freckled nose as she thought, then suddenly snatched the book from my hands and opened to the back cover. "Ah-ha!" she said triumphantly as another slip of parchment fluttered out.

"Well that was a bit more literal than I would have expected from him," I said as I stretched to retrieve it.

Lily laughed in agreement.

"Woah," I breathed. "I, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School, hereby grant Hermione Granger permission to utilize the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library for the remainder of the school year."

"You lucky cow," said Lily, eyes wide with shock and envy. "Who knew that Dumbledore was such a fantastic gift-giver?"

"I know, right?"

"Go on then, open another!" she said, eyes shining with anticipation as if it were her own birthday.

Lily passed me the larger of the two remaining gifts. "This has got to be another book," she said knowingly.

It was. I tore away the wrappings to find a copy of Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimency. The card only held the two words: Constant vigilance!

"It's got to be from Moody," I mused aloud with a chuckle.

"Moody?" Lily repeated, eyebrows raised. "As in the Auror?"

"Yeah, he's good friends with Uncle Albus," I replied. "He must have told Moody about my birthday. Must have known I wouldn't expect many gifts."

"Sounds like something he'd do," said Lily.

I was touched by Dumbledore's forethought. I'd only mentioned my birthday to him once in passing, after all.

"Last one," said Lily, handing me the final parcel. It was small, no larger than a deck of cards.

As I tore away the brown-paper wrappings, a necklace slid out onto my lap. I stared down at it, dumbstruck.

"Bloody hell," Lily breathed.

I looped my finger around the long golden chain, holding it up for us both to examine. It was an oval locket of delicate gold filigree. A single ruby sparkled between the petals of the rose set in the center. I ran my thumbnail along the seam to unclasp it. A folded scrap of yellowed parchment was tucked inside.

Hermione,

My father had this made for my sister right after she was born. It was meant to be a gift for her eleventh birthday. He was never able to give it to her.
Happy birthday.

Your father,
Aberforth

"Well?" Lily asked.

"It's from my father," I replied softly, tears welling in the corners of my eyes. "Aberforth," I clarified, remembering that Lily knew of my 'adoption'.

"It's absolutely stunning," Lily said, staring at it in awe.

"It's a family heirloom. I have no idea why he'd give it to me…"

"I think he's trying to tell you something," said Lily after a moment of thought. "The same thing I've been trying to tell you. That you belong here."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I gathered my hair and Lily fastened the chain around my neck.

"Don't you dare tell anyone," I whispered to Lily as we crossed the Entrance Hall on our way to breakfast.

Lily turned to me with wide eyes. "Whatever do you mean, Hermione?" she said with sickly-sweet innocence.

I sighed. In moments like these she reminded me painfully of Ginny.

"You know, that today is…" I glanced around as we entered the Great Hall. All of our friends were already seated at the Gryffindor table. I lowered my voice to a whisper anyway. "My birthday."

Remus froze with his cup of tea halfway from his mouth and jerked his head in our direction. If I wasn't mistaken, he'd also snorted a bit of tea from his nose.

I groaned, smacking my forehead with the heel of my hand in exasperation.

Bloody werewolf hearing.

Maybe I could trust him to keep it to himself?

Doubtful. He was a Marauder for a reason.

"But why?" Lily whined as we slid onto the open bench next to Remus. He was grinning broadly at me.

"Because I don't want to make a big deal of it," I replied with a shrug as I poured myself a cup of coffee. Remus's smile faltered.

"A big deal of what?" interjected James. He was sitting opposite of me, eyeing both Lily and me with curiosity.

Lily opened her mouth to respond, so I did the only thing I could think of to stop her: I kicked her beneath the table—or, at least, attempted to. Lily's words were drowned out by a loud yelp from the person sitting across from Lily.

"Whoops! Sorry, Sirius," I said with an apologetic smile as Sirius scowled and reached down to rub his smarting shin. "I was aiming for Lily."

"Thanks for the save, Black!" said Lily brightly. "Might want to keep your legs on your side of the table, though."

The entire section of seventh year Gryffindors dissolved into laughter as Sirius rolled his eyes and retorted, "I can't help it if I have long legs, Tiger Lily!"

"Tiger Lily?" Lily snorted. "That's a new one."

"I like it!" I added, grateful for the change in conversation. "I always did love Peter Pan."

"Peter who, now?" piped up Peter from the other side of Remus.

"The boy who wouldn't grow up," I replied without looking up, focused on buttering my scone.

"It's a Muggle play," Remus explained kindly to the group.

"And children's film," Mary added. "One of my favorite Disney classics."

"How'd you know that, Remus?" I asked in surprise.

"My mum's a Muggle," he answered with a shrug.

How did I not already know that?

I frowned. Maybe I didn't know Remus as well as I thought I did.

"The boy who wouldn't grow up, eh?" said James as he nudged Sirius with his elbow. "Sounds like Padfoot to me."

Sirius shot James a rude hand gesture. Everyone laughed.

Well, everyone except me.

I blinked rapidly, James's words repeating over and over inside my head, taking on an entirely new meaning.

The boy who wouldn't grow up.

The bottom seemed to drop out of my stomach and my mouth went dry. My hands balled into fists in my lap, my fingernails digging painfully into the skin of my palms.

He had no idea how accurate that statement was, for both Sirius and himself.

Only moments ago I had been worried about them knowing about my birthday. How silly that seemed now. What did insignificant things like birthdays matter when we were at war?

When I had friends to save?

I downed the last of my still warm coffee in one gulp and leapt to my feet.

"Where's the fire?" asked Sirius, one eyebrow cocked as I hoisted my school bag onto my shoulder and turned to leave.

Fire.

...Fiendfyre.

It was time for something I should have done weeks ago.

I sprinted out of the Great Hall without replying. As I reached the door of the Great Hall, I heard Sirius say, "More mood swings than a Hippogriff, that one, I swear."

"Where the hell is the damned thing?" I shouted in exasperation. My words rebounded upon me as my voice echoed throughout the vast room. I'd been searching the Room of Hidden Things for hours and yet the diadem was still nowhere to be found. Losing my patience completely, I ran forward and kicked a busted trunk in frustration.

"Stupid, stupid," I groaned as I hopped on one foot, almost certain I'd broken a toe. I was useless when it came to healing bones. How was I going to explain such a ridiculous injury to Pomfrey? I slumped to the ground, swearing under my breath as I slipped off my shoe and sock.

I sucked in a sharp breath as I gingerly bent the toes of my right foot.

Okay, not broken, likely just bruised.

Lovely.

I sighed and sprawled out on my back, feeling utterly defeated. I gazed up at the vaulted ceiling, tapping my fingers against the stone floor as I thought.

How was anyone supposed to find anything is this labyrinth of a room?

'Oh, Hermione, you're meant to be the clever one,' the voice of Tom Riddle whispered inside my head. 'That's the whole idea.'

I couldn't deny that Tom had a point. Maybe I should just give today up as a bad job and try again tomorrow? I checked my watch. It was already twenty minutes into the lunch hour.

Great, I'd skived off both Ancient Runes and Potions.

I sat up slowly and began to pull on my sock, wincing as my toe throbbed angrily.

Yep, try again tomorrow.

"What happened at breakfast?" James asked conversationally as we walked across the grounds to Herbology after lunch.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I forgot to finish my Herbology essay."

He raised his eyebrows. "Which made you miss all of your morning classes?"

"It was a tough one," I replied. We had fallen behind from everyone else. I needed to end this conversation and catch up with the group.

James snorted skeptically. "Right, because an essay on the healing properties of Dittany is a real head-scratcher."

I grimaced. James was proving to be quite the stubborn bloke.

Before I could register what was happening, James was pulling me by the arm.

"Hey!" I yelped as he dragged me along behind him until we were alone behind greenhouse one.

"What the fuck, James?" I asked angrily as I un-snagged the hem of my robes from a bramble. We were facing one another, both of us tense.

"Where'd you run off to on Saturday night?" asked James, hazel eyes hard and determined.

I exhaled sharply through my nose and groaned internally.

"To help Dad out around the pub," I replied with a shrug.

"Rubbish," he shot back. "Because if you had, you would have told us like you did on Sunday."

Damn him and his logic.

"And why exactly is it any of your business how I spend my time?" I asked, taking a step back from him, hands on my hips defiantly.

"Don't give me the runaround, Granger," James sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not in the mood for bullshit."

It was odd to see someone who looked so much like Harry glowering down at me with such malice. This, more than anything, had my blood absolutely boiling by this point.

Who did he think he was?

Why had he deemed me so untrustworthy?

'Because you are, little Ottie,' Tom Riddle purred inside my head. I suppressed my delusion with a hasty 'Fuck you, Tom,' which made him chuckle with satisfaction.

James opened his mouth to continue, but I interrupted him. "Just leave it, James. It's none of your business where I go or what I do."

"It's my business when it involves my mates!" he roared, nostrils flaring as his temper got the best of him. I shrank back slightly, but was determined to stand my ground.

"Just say what you actually mean," I retorted sourly. "Because you already know who the note was from. You know that I went to Gideon's office first." His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh come off it, I've been here less than a month and even I know that you have your ways. You want to know where I went after I disappeared from your precious little map."

"How in Merlin's saggy—" James began, but I held up my hand.

"Sirius didn't tell me, if that's what you're thinking," I clarified, cursing myself for letting my own temper take control. "You lot aren't as secretive as you think you are," I lied. He began to interrupt again, but I actually stamped my foot in frustration this time. "Damn it, James! Have you even stopped to consider why I didn't tell you?"

"Why you didn't?" he repeated, his hand actually twitching toward his wand. "It's obvious, innit? You're hiding something, Granger, and I know it's nothing good."

Hiding something.

I groaned.

"Fucking hell, are you going to make me tell you? Right here behind the greenhouses? Where anyone could hear?" His jaw dropped. "Because I'll tell you all about where I went that night." I drew myself up to my fullest height. "But just so you know, it would be a massive breach of security. For our side."

He grew rigid at this statement. "Our side?" he repeated in a whisper. "Do you mean you're a member of the Or–"

I leapt forward, whipping my wand smoothly from the pocket of my robes. Before he could react, my hand was covering his mouth and the tip of my wand was pressing hard against his throat.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" I hissed into his ear as James's eyes widened in shock. "Are you bloody mental? You can't just say things like that!"

He mumbled something against my hand. I cocked an eyebrow. "Can I trust you to not say stupid shit if I remove my hand?"

He nodded. He hadn't drawn his own wand, after all, so he must have realized how serious the situation was.

"Smart man," I said, patting his cheek before withdrawing my hand. I brought my wand arm back to my side, but I didn't step back. I was doing my best to channel Harry, to be as authoritative and intimidating as possible.

"So," he whispered, ducking his head slightly, "are you?"

"What makes you think I'll even answer that question?" I scoffed.

"Because, I think you know why I'm asking," he answered, his eyes once again narrowed with determination. "I want to join. We all do."

"First of all, I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement." He rolled his eyes again. "Secondly, I can't help you," I continued flatly, but I leaned forward to add in little more than a breath, "at least not until you've finished school."

His eyes lit up. "Once we've finished school?" he repeated.

I nodded mutely.

"But why are you allowed?" he added in something of a huff.

His petulant attitude reminded me that he was still a child.

He wasn't ready.

"Because—" I wrinkled my nose, thinking. "Well, you've seen me duel," I answered with a shrug. "Besides, I'm quite a bit older than you."

"What? You're not seventeen?"

"Nope. I started Ilvermorny a bit late," I lied breezily. "My mum wasn't too keen on magic at first." I chewed at my bottom lip, debating my next statement. "And James?" He inclined his head slightly. "I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt you or your mates. Ever."

James looked startled at my sincerity. He pushed his glasses up his nose and stared down at me as if deciding whether to believe me or not.

"Fine, you're off the hook," he said finally.

I sighed with relief.

As we turned to walk together toward greenhouse four for class, I heard him mutter, "For now."

"Occamy egg shells? Yeh can' be serious, Hermione."

Hagrid appraised me with his beetle black eyes as I brought the bucket-sized mug to my lips and took a slow sip of overly-strong tea. I cleared my throat as I lowered it.

"They're very rare, I know," I replied steadily, "but I'm working on an experimental potion for Professor Slughorn, and I can't see any way to complete the assignment without them." I gave him my most brilliant smile. "Hagrid, if there's anyone who can get them, it's you. Uncle Al has told me all about your passion for magical creatures."

Hagrid frowned, but I could tell that I'd flattered him. He tapped his massive fingers against the scrubbed wooden table. He was considering it.

"Well," Hagrid began slowly. I smiled brightly, urging him on. "I migh' know someone who has 'em. Or at least can get 'em."

"Who?" I asked eagerly.

"Dead lucky he's still in the village," Hagrid replied. "He and Tina rarely stay anywhere long. I can talk ter 'im for yeh. Tell 'im yer int'rested."

"But who, Hagrid?"

From the name, one might think that the most vital ingredient of the Wolfsbane Potion would be, well, Wolfsbane.

But acquiring a bundle of aconite was nothing compared to procuring Occamy shells.

Which were composed of pure silver.

"Scamander. Newt Scamander."

I choked on my tea.

I stayed at Hagrid's until nearly curfew, chatting about my start of term and helping him care after an orphaned newborn unicorn.

"Poor thing got caught' during the birthin'," Hagrid had explained sadly. "I found 'em in time to save the foal, but not the mum."

I smiled as I walked up the path leading back to the castle. The foal had been a tiny little thing, pure gold and timid as hell. Foals tend to be more accepting of males than mature unicorns, but Hagrid had been having difficulties with this particular one. With a little encouragement from Hagrid, I'd approached the colt slowly, slices of crisp green apple held in my outstretched palm. I'd knelt in the middle of the paddock, and after a few minutes, the little guy had finally approached me apprehensively and nibbled at the edges of the apple slices. Before I knew it, the little unicorn had thrown himself into my arms and was nuzzling into my neck.

"I knew it!" Hagrid had said over my giggles as I stroked the colt's soft golden mane. "Little fella jus' needed a cuddle!" He'd then smiled down warmly at me. "Thought this'd be a nice birthday treat for yeh."

I'd beamed at him so broadly my cheeks hurt.

As I rounded the corner, I noticed that the Quidditch pitch was still fully lit. Strange, I thought as I checked my watch. Practices usually ended at least an hour before curfew. Curiosity getting the better of me, I cut across the grass to the gate leading to the pitch.

It was nearly silent except for a faint whizzing sound. I closed the gate behind me and leaned back against it as I looked up in search of the mystery Quidditch player. For a moment, I thought it was Sirius, but it didn't take long to spot the differences. For one, there were no Bludgers, just a sole wizard on a broomstick racing across the pitch in pursuit of a Snitch, though from this distance the small golden ball was lost in the night. Though the wizard's raven hair was long, it was shorter than Sirius's and not quite long enough to be tied back. He was also of a slighter build, ideal for a Seeker.

It was fascinating to watch Regulus fly. He was near the same skill level as Harry and possibly even Victor. I slowly made my way to the line of benches on the sidelines, eyes never leaving Regulus. I took a seat, watching as he angled the handle of his broom almost perpendicular to the ground and began to plummet rapidly.

A Wronski Feint.

I smiled, imagining how proud Ron and Harry would be of my ability to identify Seeker diversions. Regulus was mere feet from the ground when he pulled out of his dive and spiraled off. I didn't know how long I sat there watching him practice like a weird stalker until he spotted me. The Snitch flew in my direction, and when he slowed and dropped in altitude, staring at me in confusion, I leapt to my feet.

Stop. Being. So. Effing. Creepy.

I then did the most awkward thing possible.

I fucking waved.

Even from a distance, I saw his dark eyebrows furrow.

I took a deep breath, smoothed my robes, and calmly walked to the gate, feeling utterly mortified. As soon as it clanked shut behind me, I scarpered—or, tried to.

Only a few paces in, I slammed headlong into someone, bouncing off the person's chest and falling backward, flat onto my arse.

Painfully.

"Bloody fucking hell, Hermione," a very familiar voice said as I spat hair from my mouth and groaned. I opened my eyes and blinked up at Sirius as he loomed over me, holding out out his hand. "Where are you sprinting off to this time?"

"Er…" I mumbled as he helped me to my feet.

"Hang on," he cut in, eyes widening. "You were watching my brother practice."

"Well that wasn't my intention," I retorted defiantly, brushing dirt from the back of my robes. "I was on my way from Hagrid's when I saw that the pitch was still lit."

"So you decided to stick around?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. He didn't look angry, but instead rather curious.

"He's a really talented Seeker," I answered with a shrug.

"Can't deny that," he said with short, barking laugh. "Don't tell James I said that, though. Reckon he could play for England if he hadn't already—"

He broke off, frowning over my shoulder toward the pitch.

"Not that my parents would've allowed it, anyway," he finished after a beat. "Professional athlete is apparently an unsuitable career for someone of his station."

I frowned too. I hated the bitter tone in his voice whenever he spoke of his parents.

"So what are you doing down here, anyway?" I asked.

"What do you think?" he snorted and gestured toward the Quidditch pitch. "Wanted to have a word with Reggie. It's bloody impossible to catch him without his mates. He stays after practice sometimes to run drills. Clear his head."

"And what are you going to say to him?" I asked slowly, a feeling of dread in my stomach.

Sirius's frown deepened. "Not quite sure yet, honestly. I was just planning to wing it."

"Wing it?" I repeated.

He shrugged.

"Do you really think a conversation like that is something you can wing?" I asked quietly, taking a step closer to him. "You can't exactly wave him down from his broom and say 'Hey little bro, nice weather tonight. By the way, spied on you at a creepy Death Eater rally. What's that all about?'"

He furrowed his eyebrows, considering my words. I was momentarily distracted by the healthy stubble on his cheeks. Apparently he hadn't shaved in several days.

"I think you might need to think this one through a bit," I said softly, reaching out to touch his arm briefly.

"Damn it," he breathed after a moment of silence. "You aren't Remus under Polyjuice, are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Remus isn't the only wise one around here, you know," I replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, but he's usually the only one to call me on my shit," Sirius said with a snort. "James is too loyal and Peter is too bloody sycophantic."

I bit my lip. Peter's relationship with his friend's was something else I should probably pay more attention to.

Sirius sighed in defeat.

"Back to the castle, I reckon?" he said, offering me the crook of his elbow.

I nodded and accepted his arm. The warmth radiating from him was beyond pleasant compared to the chilly autumn evening.

"What brought you down to Hagrid's?" he asked after a brief silence. "James and I have been meaning to visit since the start of term. One of Da—er, Mr. Potter's cousin's works on a dragon reserve in Wales. James dragged me up there for a weekend at the start of summer hols."

"Oh, Hagrid would love to hear all about that," I replied, grinning as I thought of the joy a story like that would bring Hagrid. "His lifelong dream is to own a dragon, you know."

"Yep, I know," said Sirius. If he was curious as to how I knew that fact, he didn't let it show. "So?" he questioned, drawing out the one syllable word into two. "Why were you down there?"

"Er," I said, once again unsure of how to respond. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Well, first of all, I wanted to tell him about my first few weeks at Hogwarts. He accompanied me to Diagon Alley for my school things, so he's been keeping an eye on me as I acclimate and such."

Sirius looked over at me and nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"And secondly…" I broke off and bit my lip. I slid my hand up Sirius's bicep, grasping it to halt our progress up the lane. He stopped and turned to face me, a puzzled look on his face. I glanced around into the dark night and impulsively decided to share a little more of the truth with him.

"Can you keep a secret?" I whispered, stepping closer to him.

"You know I can," he breathed.

"Even from James," I clarified.

He raised his eyebrows. "But—" he began.

I raised a hand to cut him off. "No, I mean you can't tell anyone. Not even James."

It took him a bit longer than I thought it would to decide. "Fine," he conceded. "Not even James. But just so you know, I'm breaking Marauder code."

I brought a hand to my heart. "Marauder code?" I gasped. "You should have said so! That's sacred! Obviously I can't tell you now."

I turned on my heel to continue toward the castle, but just as I knew he would, he reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Wait!" he whispered frantically as he pulled me back. When I was standing in front of him again, I raised my eyebrows and smirked up at him. "I think we can make an exception," he said, his sparkling eyes betraying his fervor. Flecks of blue were prominent against silver. "Just this one time."

I grinned at him, adoring the excitement on his face. It reminded me of the week leading up to Christmas at Grimmauld Place. I half expected him to break out into "God Rest Ye Merry, Hippogriffs."

I took a deep breath, my smirk sliding away as my face grew solemn.

"I'm making a potion," I whispered. "It's terribly experimental—dangerously so. Like, disastrous-to-get wrong sort of potion. But if I manage to get it right…" I trailed away and smiled hopefully. "It could do something amazing for a dear friend of mine."

"Something amazing," he repeated, blinking at me as he digested what I'd just revealed.

I nodded.

"You're pretty good at Potions, aren't you?" he asked.

I frowned. "I mean, not as good as Lily, I guess. But I can hold my own."

"And it's for a friend of yours?"

"It would be life-changing for him," I clarified.

"Well, that's all I need to hear," he said, squeezing my hand which I hadn't realized was still in his. "Do you need help?"

"Help?" I repeated, flabbergasted.

"Of course," he shrugged. "I'm pretty decent at brewing. James likes to take credit for our Hangover Elixir, but he forgets who came up with the entire first phase of it."

I frowned. This was more than I expected.

That meant I would have to share more than expected if I took him up on his offer.

I wasn't sure how I could possibly do that.

"You don't have to answer yet," he said, a corner of his mouth quirking upward, "but the offer stands."

I nodded at him. He looked down at our still grasped hands and loosened his grip momentarily, only long enough to slide his long fingers between mine.

"Come on, I'm sure it's past curfew and James has the cloak tonight," he said quietly, pulling me along behind him as he began to walk again. I did an awkward little skip to catch up.

"I do have one question though," he said as we neared the steps leading to the doors of the castle. I sucked in a sharp breath. "What did any of that have to do with Hagrid?"

"Oh," I said with a puff of laughter. "I need his help tracking down an important ingredient."

"Which is?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Occamy egg shells," I replied without giving myself time to second think my answer.

He froze with one foot in the air. His boot crunched against the ground as he set it down slowly and turned to me, blinking.

"Say what, now?" he asked incredulously.

"You heard me. Don't think too much into it. If I accept your offer..." A brief, hopeful smile crossed his face. "I'll tell you exactly why I need them."

"Deal," he said, squeezing my hand once again.

We were only meters away from the stone steps leading to the castle. I wasn't sure what it was—his kindness or maybe just the comforting warmth of his palm—but I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to tell him—

"Sirius?" I murmured as we climbed the steps leading to the oaken double doors. "Can I tell you something else?"

"Anything."

"Today's—" I swallowed thickly. "Well, today is my birthday," I whispered as we reached landing leading to the entrance.

He whirled me around to face him so quickly that his hands flew to my waist to steady me lest I tumble sideways down the steps.

"You're fucking with me," he said, eyes searching my face for any hint of jest. I bit my bottom lip, and he knew immediately that I wasn't joking. "Fuck me, Hermione. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not that big of a deal. I just wanted you to know, because, well…" I sniffed and blinked up at him. "You know, we're friends now."

"Damn right we are," he said softly. His hands were still at my waist. His fingertips shifted slightly, bunching the fabric of my maroon jumper.

My tongue darted out subconsciously to wet my chapped lips.

"We're friends," he repeated, his left hand moving to cup my cheek. "And I don't want that to change. But," he paused, his thumb briefly swiping across my cheek, "if I kiss you, just once, you know, for your birthday—will you hold it against me?"

My heart simultaneously seemed to leap into my throat and skip multiple beats at the same time.

"For my birthday?" I repeated as he ducked his head. He nodded, and I could feel his breath hot against my face.

Spearmint.

"Well, just the once," I breathed.

It was all I managed to get out before his lips crashed down onto mine.

(A/N): Please let me know what you think in a review! A very special thank you to my two wonderful betas Mahawna and Zabethou!

Also, I am so honored that GTTN was nominated for the Shrieking Shack Society's 2017 Marauder Medals in two categories: Best WIP and Best Pairing for SiriMione. You guys are the best!

savior, reign me in
don't mind my mad behavior
savior, reign me in
one day I will save you
Mad Behaviour — Izzy Bizu