Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter. Story inspired by a post, source: gryffindormischief

It starts with an Order meeting, notable only for the fact that everyone was being professional and taking things seriously. Truly, looking back, that should have been Minerva's clue to get the fuck out ASAP.

As soon as it's over, the kids walk in, eager to try and wriggle any shred of information they can out of those that were present.

"I'm just saying, fire spells can be hard to control, I wouldn't count on a second year being able to do it," Ginny's saying to the twins as they enter.

"Hermione used it pretty well in first year," Ron comments.

Harry immediately starts laughing, Hermione hitting him because, "I was trying to save your life, you ungrateful toerag!"

"…what did you set on fire?" Remus asks her, confusion and concern on the face of every adult in the room save for the twins who look amused.

Hermione stops hitting Harry and looks at the ground, flushing deeply. "I…I thought he was trying to kill Harry, but Harry was flying and we couldn't warn him and he'd have fallen to his death, Professor!" She babbles nervously, Harry trying to stop snickering and failing.

Snape looks up very slowly, stopping Harry's laughter in its tracks as he realises they've been sprung. "You are the one who set my robe on fire?" He demands, voice low and cold.

"…yes."

"I was saving that Dunderhead's life not trying to end it!" Snape sneers at her before stalking from the room in a dramatic flounce of robes.

"We worked that out eventually!" Hermione calls after him, wincing at the sound of the door slamming behind him. She turns back to find continuing concern on Lupin's face, but before he can speak, Sirius' laughter busts out.

"Y…You s-et Sna-ape on fire?"

"I thought he was trying to kill Harry!" Hermione defends again.

"Why on Earth would you think that?" Remus asks incredulously.

"Harry's broom had been jinxed and Snape was staring at him unblinking and muttering under his breath, and he'd made his dislike of Harry well known even by that point. It seemed like a fair assumption," She explains, "turns out we had the wrong Professor, it was Quirrell that was trying to kill him."

"Your professor tried to kill you?" Sirius squawks, no longer laughing after hearing that.

Harry shrugs, "Every DADA teacher I've had has attacked me and, of all the ways it's happened, that one is really not a big deal." Remus winces at that and curls in on himself slightly. Harry sees this and grimaces, "Well, if it helps, you're the only who didn't mean to hurt me, and it means a lot to me that you don't want me dead," Harry tells him, then cringes. Ron facepalms as Hermione sighs and Ginny snickers slightly.

"Your life is fucked," Ginny tells him.

Harry rolls his eyes, "I'm aware."

"Wrong or not," Ron begins, "That fire was still bloody brilliant."

Sirius chuckles again, earning an elbow from Remus. "Oh, lighten up Moony, even I never set him on fire, and I wouldn't get away with it anymore. Let me enjoy this."

"You're already wanted for arrest, what more could they do?" Harry asks him. Sirius' eyes light up with mischief.

"No, Sirius!" Remus tells him sternly.

"Fine, fine. But for the record, Hermione, I don't think I've ever had more respect for anyone except maybe Minerva, as I hold for you in this moment," Sirius tells her, looking happier than the kids have ever seen him. Hermione smiles happily.

Ron snorts, "That's mild compared to what she did to Rita Skeeter."

Sirius laughs again, moving to sit beside Hermione, "Please, regale us with your stories."

Hermione snickers slightly, "Oh this one I'll enjoy telling."

McGonagall looks around the table, "I'm not going to want to hear this," She decides before making her exit, she hears Sirius' raucous laughter as she reaches the door and thinks maybe worse things have happened than Sirius Black and Hermione Granger bonding.

Then she frowns as other, more mischievous, possibilities that Sirius could suggest enter her head.

Oh dear.