Nothing Matters In Love

July 2, 1995

Hermione bit her lip. Her parents had been sent for a month long conference for dentists. Why on Earth would it be so long? She didn't know. All she knew that she had now no place to go. Dan and Helen Granger refused point blank to allow her to stay alone at home. After all, she was just 16, right? The brunette witch eventually realized that it was for the best. This turn of events meant that Hermione could be in the Wizarding world, safe and sound.

This was the reason why she had contacted Ron's parents. After hemming and hawing for hours, she had finally decided that she would write a letter to Ron's parents and ask if she could stay with them. Molly Weasley had written to her and said that unfortunately, Hermione could not live with the Weasleys as unfortunately, Dumbledore had deemed the Burrow as not 'very' safe. Hermione supposed that the headmaster was right, but now, she was more than desperate for a place to be for the summer.

"Mum," Hermione said cautiously as she stirred her milk. She had bumped against the table and thus, her thoughts had been interrupted, "Why do you have to go for the conference?"

Helen sighed. "Sweetheart, this is the most famous conference in England. You see, people get only only one chance to attend this. Some of the world famous dentists are coming. It would be really good for our practice." Helen stopped talking. She turned from the stove and looked at her daughter. "Why are you asking this? Did you friend say you could not stay at his house? I'm not happy by this arrangement but I've met his mother and I'm sure that she will keep everyone in line."

"No mum, he agreed. Mrs. Weasley is just delighted to have me over," Hermione lied hurriedly. Hermione felt bad for lying but she knew the sacrifices her parents had made so she could attend Hogwarts. No, the Grangers were not at all poor, but they weren't rich either. They were completely middle class. But education at Hogwarts meant that they had to pay quite a bit every year. And her father's cousin had gotten cancer when Hermione was just 10. When she had died, her father had gotten the custody of her son as her husband had already died years ago.

So, she knew how important this was for her parents.

Helen smiled brilliantly and turned back to the stove. Hermione drank her milk and hurried to her bedroom. She just remembered Mrs. Weasley's post script.

P.S.: If you want to really come over, we all will live with Sirius at his house. So if you want, you can live there. I don't approve you living with Sirius but Remus is going to be there, so it's going to be alright. Just send a message with Errol, I'm sure that he will stay there for a couple of days. I hope it will be alright for you. Your post owl has gone back to the post office.

She didn't know why Mrs. Weasley wrote that particular statement at the end -probably because Hermione hadn't had any experience using a post owl, she didn't know- but she was glad what Mrs. Weasley wrote. Errol was ready to go, so Hermione wrote a quick note, requesting the Weasley matriarch to write to Sirius and ask if she could stay and sent Errol. She couldn't wait for the reply.

July 5, 1995

The address for the Headquarters of The Order of The Phoenix is Number 12, Grimmauld Place.

"What's the Order of The Phoenix?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Not here," Remus hissed urgently.

"Sorry Professor- I mean, Remus," Hermione corrected herself.

"It's alright," Remus said absently. The pair walked between Number 11 and Number 13. Remus instructed her to think of the address. Hermione complied and to her confusion, Number 12 Grimmauld Place squeezed in between 11 and 13. It suddenly hit her.

The Fidelius Charm!

Remus opened the door and Hermione cautiously stepped in. The house was dark and filthy. She wondered how could someone live here.

Tap Tap Tap Tap

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Hermione blinked and waited for Remus to light the candles. The flames appeared from the end of Remus' wand and lighted the candles. The light shone upon a figure. Sirius Black.

That moment changed everything. Sure, she had seen Sirius in the last 2 years, but what had changed now? Yes, Sirius had finally gained weight, cut of his hair to shoulder length and looked overall more good than the last time she had seen him, but this time, it was something different. She looked in his eyes, hoping for an answer. All she found out were dark grey eyes, and a hint of a soft glint that there wasn't.

"Ahem."

Remus' throat clearing shook Hermione out of her reverie. She shook her head mentally and looked at the Lord of the Black House.

"Welcome to The Most Ancient and Filthy House of Black, Hermione."

She couldn't help. She snorted at Sirius' statement.

July 18, 1995

She opened her diary and with a self inking quill in her hand, began writing.

Dearest Diary,

I feel so confused. Why am I feeling these strange flips in my stomach when I see Sirius or his name is mentioned? It's like when I had a crush on Ron. But that cannot be possible. First, he is Harry's godfather and second, he is too old.

But you know what's the most scary part? My brain has shut off. It won't give me a single command when I am in Sirius' presence. No doubts are appearing. It's so alarming, how can my trusted logic, my beloved brain desert me suddenly?

Upon mother's insistence, I have began reading story books. It's not like I don't enjoy them, I just prefer learning something. After all, what can be learnt from a romance novel? Maybe, just maybe, I'm wrong. In the books, lots of authors have mentioned that their character's heart says that you have to go for their love interest. Be with them, because it's going to be worth it.

But can it be possible? My heart says that I like Sirius. Romantically. But no, he's too old! The thought ought to disgust me, but all it has managed is to make me feel sad. My stupid heart says that I love him, but that's impossible.

What happened? I used to feel attraction towards Ron. Someone I knew. Someone who I could date. All of a sudden, it has done a total 180 degrees and now, it's Sirius.

Amazing Sirius. The man who would die for his friend. The man who went to Azkaban because he was grief stricken and angry at a man he considered his friend. A man who would kill to protect his godson. A man who is not afraid to stand. A man who would do anything to defeat Voldemort. A man who will do whatever his brain says.

We are polar opposites. That's what everyone says. But there is these facts: he is intelligent, and of course, all that is written above.

Are we really polar opposites? No. But, whatever happens, I can't love him. It's a wrong thing to do. Even if it happens, we have to be secret. Because would the world accept us? There is no need to be morbid. This won't happen.

Why do I feel it's too late for that?

Love,
Hermione

July 19, 1995

It was wrong. Diaries are very personal. No man should ever read someone's diary. Yet, here was Sirius, reading the most recent entry. He gulped. Hermione liked him. It wouldn't do good to him to keep repeating all those points she had made, but she was correct. And the worse thing?

Sirius liked her too.

He closed the diary and walked back to the kitchen. It times like this, only Moony could help him. He walked down the stairs steadily, his boots echoing in the house. Walburga Black hadn't woken up yet, and Sirius was very thankful for that.

Too old...

Ought to feel disgusted...

Polar opposite...

Wrong thing to do...

He tried his best to quiet those voices in his head, he really tried, but it proved to be impossible. Walking just a bit faster, he saw Moony at the kitchen table, drinking tea.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" Remus questioned in slight alarm as he noticed Sirius run a hand through his hair. Sirius never messed up his hair on purpose.

"I'm a fool," Sirius muttered hollowly.

"A fool?" Remus questioned, "How in the name of Merlin are you a fool?"

"There's this girl I like... but there are two problems: she likes me too," Sirius answered.

Remus blinked. "Alright, so what's the second problem?"

"She's too young."

"How young?"

"Around... 19 or 18 years younger?"

Remus spat his mouthful of tea. "19 or 18?!"

"Yeah..." Sirius trailed off. Remus looked at his best friend shrewdly. 19 or 18 years young? That mean that the girl has to be around Harry's age and would need to visit Grimmauld Place at least once. That meant-

"Hermione." Remus stated flatly. Sirius looked at him in surprise and after a moment of hesitation, nodded. He could be as bland as he wanted with his best friend.

"Padfoot-"

"No," Sirius cut in, "I know it's wrong. I may be a prankster but I have morals, and I know that lusting after Hermione is wrong. Is it even lust? I don't think so. I've lusted after plenty of women, but this girl is someone different, Moony. I actually care for her."

Remus sighed and covered his eyes. Sirius had gone through too much, and the only person for whom he cared romantically was too young. His friend deserved all the happiness that he could get, but this was something he could never get. But, was there even the smallest hope that he could achieve the unattainable? After all, Hermione liked him too. But the age difference... no. The werewolf had heard about many people who married people who were more than twice their own age. And if the rumors were correct, Hermione was 17.

Maybe, there was a small chance that his friend could get the girl he cared about deeply.

"Sirius, I'm going to be frank. Morally, it is wrong, I know that. But I also know that love is something that surpasses the boundary of everything, be it proprietary or morality. I think if you're both ready for it, go for it," Remus murmured. He felt as if it was wrong, but the emotion in his friend's eyes were enough to kill those doubts.

His friend deserved it.

July 22, 1995

"Why? I'm so old, twice your age, but still-"

"Don't. Don't you dare finish this sentence. I don't care how old are you, all that I care is that what I feel for you, is true."

"I thought you never made decisions with your heart."

"I did not. The day Harry came with Cedric's dead body, I realized something. Making decisions with the mind is a great advantage in every situation. But sometimes, you have to let your heart take your mind's job. If I kept listening to my mind, I would never live my life. My brain will command me to run in a dangerous situation, but my heart will tell me to stay and fight. That decision may be between the life and death of me, or someone close to me."

Sirius and Hermione sat in a love seat in the sitting room. It was past midnight, and the two had finally decided to show themselves. It had been 3 days, 3 fateful days since Sirius had that conversation with Remus, and Hermione overhearing the said conversation.

Sirius had finally confessed his feelings to Hermione. The brunette had, in a fit of pure happiness and no abandon, blurted out the truth. She liked him a lot, too. Now the two sat in the room, discussing if they should go with the flow or not.

"You have changed," Sirius smiled, a genuine smile. Butterflies erupted in Hermione's stomach at that sight.

"Is it a bad thing?" Hermione asked coyly. Sirius' eyes darkened.

"Not at all," he said lowly, "In fact, it's a very good thing."

Hermione blushed, glad for the darkness so the ex-convict could not see her cheeks.

"But we have to be quiet if we go with it," the man's abrupt change in topic startled her. But the brightest witch of her age understood what he meant.

"It's something I'm willing to risk."

And those 6 words changed everything. The feeling of love they felt towards each other washed over them. Admittance was finally achieved.

They loved each other.

August 25, 1995

The thing is, I always felt a little attraction towards him. When I saw his old personality shining through, the lock had been broken. And that's why, I-

"Earth to, Hermione."

Hermione blinked and focused on a pale waving hand. The hand retracted when it noticed the haze in Hermione's eye clearing. Ginny looked at the girl opposite her in mild amusement.

"You're alright?" The redhead questioned. Hermione nodded. She tried her best not to, but she couldn't help it. Her eyes found Sirius' dark grey ones and his lips curled in a smirk.

"Yes Hermione, are you alright?" Sirius asked, amusement showing on his face.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Of course."

"That's a beautiful bow!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed, "I never knew you had one like that, who gave it to you?"

Hermione let a smile grace her lips. That morning, she had found a package on her bed. The note had said that it would rather give her a necklace the war was over, for now, it would be a bow. The note had also said that the sender just couldn't not give her something. And that package contained a beautiful bow, red and gold and miraculously, it tamed her hair.

"It's a gift, a gift which I love a lot," Hermione said pointedly. Sirius nodded discreetly, a small smile replacing the smirk.

"It's really beautiful," Ginny said honestly.

"I know," Hermione murmured.

And just like that day, each hour passed with Hermione and Sirius stealing glances at each other. Hiding was just a small price to pay if they could love each other freely. An emotion so strong that not even death could harm it.

They loved each other, and nothing matters in love.

A/N: Bloody hell. I'm just so damn happy. Never have I ever written a oneshot, hell, a chapter that was as long as this one, 2,501 words. YAY! I think, the epilogue for 'Let The World Say and Think Whatever it Wants' was longer... but I don't give a damn. YAYYYYY!

Alright.

This is written for Fairytales. Fairytale this weak: Rapunzel.

Task #3: Write about a love that has to be kept a secret.

Prompts chosen:

(Object) Bow- for hair

(Word) Fool

Reviews are much appreciated ;)

Lots of love,
Alice