"You should listen to Bill tell the story…They were aurors, Bloody good ones too, Mad eye's favorites… Took twelve death eaters to finish them off….five died with them…Their loss hit mom hard though…only family she had left…She was a wreck but the twins being born two days after that was what made her pick herself up he reckons…George says they are her favorites because they remind her of them, Fred says it's the sad time he was born in that makes them natural pranksters…born to cheer people up they claim… that's nonsense though…they'll be a pair of clowns either way…"
It was far too early on a Sunday morning for anyone to be awake yet, But Hermione found she couldn't sleep. Lying awake on the bed with Sirius's hand draped over her stomach, she thought time and again of Ron's words.
It had been the only time he had ever mentioned the Prewett brothers and she desperately wished that hadn't been the case. She needed more information and it didn't suit her to be in the dark.
She had talked to McGonagall and even Dumbledore but both of them had told her that there was nothing to worry about and that the house elves trailing the twins would save them regardless of whether it was this week or the next.
But Hermione, true to herself couldn't stop worrying. This was going to be the first major change she would inflict upon the time line and the consequences of her actions would be unpredictable.
Seven lives - if the elves got to them before they brought the five death eaters down -could change quite a lot. But she also hoped it would indirectly save Cassie who she now realized had been affected by Fabians death and had probably done something to make Voldemort himself come after her.
With another sigh she carefully sat up in bed and leaned against the head rest. Deciding that she needed something to calm her down, she focused on Sirius. Peacefully asleep, his even breaths helped her mind clear and his tousled hair along with those slightly parted lips quite effectively distracted her.
While her eyes strayed the length of his sleeping form, she noticed that on the bed side table was a completed cube with all colors properly aligned.
In the dim light of the dawn she saw her own neat script on the white side of the cube and wondered how he would react when he finally realized what her real gift had been.
"You should make a law about legal timings to wake up on a Sunday morning" Sirius teased, his voice drawing her back out of her reverie.
The handsome Marauder had shifted and opened his bleary eyes to see his girlfriend sitting up. Her eyes caught his and she smiled softly at him and ran her fingers lazily through his hair. Grabbing the hand, he pulled it lower and to his lips.
Her smile widened as his lips pressed against each finger tip and she quickly moved to straddle him. His eyebrows rose and he smirked as he pulled her down to a passionate kiss, his hands slipping around her waist and neck.
"Still complaining about the early hour?" Hermione asked playfully
"Not that much…" Sirius answered before pressing his lips to hers again. The kiss lasted longer and both of them finally broke off, panting hard.
"And now?" She asked stealing a trail of kisses down his neck and his chest.
"Maybe mornings aren't bad" he mused before flipping over in one smooth move, so that she was lying on the bed and he was hovering on top. She laughed and let him kiss her all over again.
Time passed by much faster now and the two were quietly snuggled into each other again, Hermione feeling much happier and Sirius positively awake by now.
"Any reason you were up love?" Sirius asked, resting himself on his elbow and looking at her with a slight frown.
"I might have been worried" Hermione answered, opening her eyes to look at him again.
"About?" Sirius asked, the frown deepening.
"Things…I need more information…" she mumbled and Sirius made to sit up straighter and offer help but Hermione was already shaking her head in a negative.
"There's nothing you can do…" Sirius sunk back into the bed, his lips pulling down a little disappointed. He was extremely partial towards the bothered look on her face.
She saw his disgruntled expression and couldn't help but laugh. He tried in vain to look affronted but ended up grinning, happy to see that she seemed alright.
"Sirius Orion Black, have I ever mentioned how amazing you are?" Hermione whispered softly, her hands caressing his cheek. He looked surprised at the sudden compliment and she could swear there was a slight tinge of pink on his face, not that she would ever call him on it.
Before he could react though, the door flung open and Lily entered the room, dragging James behind her. Hermione looked up to see the couple before she sunk into him again and Sirius groaned, his new found love for the mornings already gone.
"I have known three red head women in my life and I tell you, no one scares me more" she mock whispered as she saw Lily still glaring at her. The said redhead rolled her eyes and simply pulled the covers off the couple.
"Out of bed! Both of you" James called happily and Hermione threw a pillow at him refusing to let go of Sirius.
"We have a wedding to plan, my parents will be here soon" Lily said firmly as she tried to yank Hermione out.
"When we get married, I want to run away and do it" Hermione told Sirius before letting Lily pull her out.
"Fat chance of that happening, Mum will bury both of you" James said grinning widely.
Whatever Hermione was going to retort, she never managed to for Lily had quite bodily pushed the brunette into the shower and shut the door. The red head then turned to the shirtless marauder.
"Ten minutes" she said, making Sirius roll his eyes. She gave him a winning smile and walked out, evidently pleased. James stayed back, trying to see if anything about the address on the cube was familiar.
SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHG SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSB
One hour later Hermione found her thoughts drifting from the wedding planning, already tired of the various floral patterns they were considering for the invitations. Instead she thought of the Prewetts again.
Twelve death eaters…two days before the twins…was Ron accurate? Why hadn't she asked Bill to tell her? What other way could she save them than get the house elves to forcefully apparate them out the instant they were surrounded? How much would the survival of those five death eaters change? How soon would they take before going after the twins? Will they try to take down the Weasley's in revenge? What price would they pay? What option did she have?
"Mione? Are you listening?" Lily asked snapping her fingers in front of Hermione's face.
"Wha – yes sorry I uh – what were you saying?" Hermione asked distracted.
"We are finalizing this" Lily said a bit coldly as she picked up an orange paper.
"Right, it's nice" Hermione mumbled quietly. Lily glared daggers at her.
"No its not! You haven't been listening at all. This was the first thing we didn't want. THIS is the final one" She said picking up a pretty red and gold one.
"I'm sorry I-" Hermione began when something else caught her eye. It was a rich scarlet paper with embossed designs of the same color and she had seen it before in Harry's vault. Which meant that was what Lily and James had chosen before.
"Isn't this the one you liked better?" Hermione asked carefully. Lily's eyes widened in surprise.
"So you did listen" She said in a satisfied voice before nodding.
"It's beautiful" Hermione mumbled just like she had done the first time she had seen it and the former head girl beamed proudly.
"So moving on, Sirius is the best man of course" Lily stated.
In reality it had not been discussed, or even mentioned before. It was simply assumed and assumed right too. Sirius shrugged casually and James looked almost bored.
"The maid of honor-" Lily began but Mrs. Evans cut across.
"I'm sorry dear I did ask Tuney but she refused and I didn't know how to tell you before hand" The woman said in a burst of despair. There was a sudden moment of tensed silence, not sure how to react to that. Lily however glared furiously at her mother.
"You asked her? You asked her without asking me who I wanted first?" She asked, her voice an octave higher.
"I – I assumed you would – Tuney is your sister and I thought-" Her mother stuttered, looking evidently surprised.
"Well I wasn't planning on asking her but thank you for the humiliation." Lily said coldly, her hands fisting in her lap. James was instantly at her side, soothing the bruised ego and the Evans's looked slightly abashed.
"For the record, the only one I even wanted to ask was Mione" Lily said once she calmer.
Hermione looked startled. It had never stuck her that she would even be considered. They had seen the album before and Sirius had told them that Lily did not want a maid of honor for her wedding and she simply assumed it to be that way again.
"Mione I think you are supposed to say something" Sirius whispered in her ear.
"I – Lils I don't know what to say! I'd be honored!" Hermione said jumping out of her seat and hugging the redhead. Lily smiled, touched by Hermione's genuine happiness. James and Sirius exchanged a smile, even though the latter seemed to put some effort into his.
SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHG SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSB
Though it never seemed that way, it was in Sirius's nature to watch his surroundings shrewdly. With Hermione, the nature was even more enhanced and he never missed anything about her, so the fidgeting and the nervousness she exhibited the entire day had him worried.
His attention was diverted the entire evening for even though she looked happy about Lily's choice, he could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. Each passing hour made her sit a bit more rigidly and her hands clench harder.
All through dinner, he covered her share of the conversation even as he desperately tried to figure out what was wrong. He shot another sideway glance, she had barely touched her food, constantly playing with the fork and seemingly lost in thought.
He was quite sure the others were going to notice her distraction soon but before he could get her to snap out of it, the fireplace flashed green and all their attention was turned towards the tall man walking out of it.
The headmaster of Hogwarts stepped out with somber expression and instantly everyone at the table rose, the magical folk more worried by the grave look than the two muggles in the room. Hermione's heart picked up speed; she knew what he was here about and could only pray her plans had worked.
"I am sorry to disrupt the family dinner Charlus but I am afraid I come bearing some grave news." Albus said to the co-head of the auror department and the brunette's heart sank.
"Who is it Albus?" Dorea Potter asked without even waiting to give her husband a chance to talk.
"The Prewetts were ambushed at their own home-" The old headmaster began and the room at large gasped.
"Nothing to fear they are alive and at Hogwarts right now. Poppy is tending to their injuries but I thought it appropriate for you to join us Charlus." Dumbledore said and Hermione found it hard to contain the sigh of relief, grateful that he had been thoughtful enough to let her know indirectly at least.
Charlus Potter nodded and quickly excused himself from his guests even as Dorea summoned his cloak with a wave of her wand. The Potter patriarch was the first through the fire and Sirius watched as Dumbledore spared half a second to discreetly nod at Hermione before taking his own leave.
A/N : Did anyone notice the slight level of increase in the fluff? More importantly did anyone mind it? Please let me know :)
