Summary: Even the best laid pranks of an old Marauder can go awry. Sirius cooks an intentionally bad meal for Hermione, but when she comes home in a bad mood already, he doesn't quite get the argument out of her he wanted.
A/N: I couldn't seem to get this out right. So here it is. I hope it at least makes sense.
What I Was Meant To Do
Harry raced out of the fireplace into the living room of Grimmauld Place, tripping over his robes as he did. He frantically unhooked them, letting them fall to the floor when he ran out of the room.
'Sirius!' he called out into the house, out of breath.
Sirius stepped out of the kitchen into the hallway as Harry was about to run into the room, colliding heavily with him.
'Watch it, son. Where's the fire?' Sirius grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady him. Harry looked around the kitchen frantically. 'Catch your breath,' Sirius said when Harry tried to talk, barely half a word coming out at a time.
Harry clutched his side, nodding, leaning onto the doorframe. Sirius went back to the task at hand, pointing his wand at the various pots currently boiling on the cooker.
'You need to abort the plan, Sirius,' Harry finally said, not quite at normal breathing rate yet. 'Or at least this bit of it.' He waved his hand at the general cooking happening.
Sirius stood up from peering at the sauce currently simmering, turning to look at Harry. 'Abort? I never abort.'
Harry shook his head, clutching at his side as a stitch took hold. 'You have to. She'll absolutely murder you if you go through with it. The hearing got pushed back again. There's rumours they're not even going to let her attempt to change the laws on House-elves- that they're just humouring her for the moment.'
Sirius paused his stirring, a dark look on his features at the news. Then a grin spread across his lips. 'She'll be fine. She'll laugh about it afterwards. She always does. This will cheer her up.'
Harry shook his head. 'I've never seen her so dejected…are you sure you want to do this?'
'Of course. She'll understand afterwards,' Sirius grinned happily at him. 'Are you and Ginny still staying for dinner?'
'I think it's best that I do,' Harry said quietly. He distantly heard the fireplace signal an arrival. 'That'll be Hermione. I literally knocked her over in the Atrium to get here first after I heard the news.'
'It'll be fine, Harry,' Sirius whispered, tilting his head to hear Hermione's approach. 'Hi, darling!' he said loudly as Hermione entered the kitchen. She gave Harry a dirty look as she walked in, ignoring Sirius' greeting.
'You owe me an apology,' Hermione snapped, moving to hang her jacket up by the kitchen door. 'You almost gave me concussion shoving me into that wall!'
'He just wanted to make sure I'd made enough for Ginny,' Sirius cut in, moving to Hermione. 'How was your day?' he asked, kissing her. Harry spotted the frown that flitted across his brow when Hermione wasn't too responsive. There was a shared look between them, like a silent argument still being continued about aborting the plan, as Hermione slumped down in the seat.
'I'd rather not talk about it,' she said quietly, peering under a cloche. She dropped it down quickly, the small frown she was already wearing now deepening.
Harry raised an eyebrow to Sirius at Hermione's reaction to seeing the garlic scampi appetisers. She turned slightly in her chair. Sirius had to admit, her eyes were looking a little dead. No matter, he was sure this would end well. Surely.
'What's wrong with you two?' she asked, her eyes constantly flickering over to the cooking food. Harry could see she was desperately trying not to wrinkle her nose.
'Sorry I'm late!' Ginny called down the hall. She entered the kitchen, giving Harry a kiss. 'Thanks for dinner tonight, Sirius. I'm so hungry! Training is tough this year!'
Having not got her answer from either Sirius or Harry, Hermione got up to look at the food Sirius was preparing. Sirius skipped over to her, standing between her and the cooker. 'Now, sweetheart, why don't you sit back down while I finish this, and I'll get you a glass of wine.'
'Is that…liver?' She pointed to the oven, no longer able to keep a tiny wrinkle from her nose.
'Yes,' Sirius beamed, ignoring the movement from Harry as he gripped at Ginny's wrist. 'You're favourite.'
Hermione nearly gagged. 'No it's not. I hate liver.'
'No,' Sirius said, his smile not faltering, 'I distinctly remember you saying you love liver.'
Hermione opened her mouth, paused, and then shook her head. She silently went to sit back down. Sirius glanced to Harry when he hadn't gotten quite the reaction he'd been expecting from her. Harry pulled Ginny to the table, not sure he was doing the right thing in staying for this anymore. When Sirius had told him his plans, he thought it might be fun to see, to be a part of. He wasn't so sure anymore. At least Ginny knew what the intended prank was meant to lead to, she just didn't know about Hermione's day.
'Well there's always the scampi,' Sirius said, pointing to the cloche.
'No, thank you,' Hermione said through thin lips.
'What about oysters then! I know you definitely like oysters,' Sirius said, lifting the lid on the box set by the sink.
'Oysters? I told you not two days ago I can't stand them.' She looked to Harry and Ginny to see if they could make sense of this. They refused to look at her.
'Fine,' Sirius said, his smile in a fixed position. 'You'll just have to make do with rice pudding then.'
'What? Why are you- it doesn't matter. I'll just make something myself,' she snapped.
Sirius rubbed a hand at his unshaven cheek. Not quite the argument he'd been trying to wheedle out of her. Maybe if he just… 'So have I made this meal for nothing then?'
Ginny flinched when Harry's hand gripped her knee suddenly, a slight shake of his head when Ginny looked to him.
Hermione scowled at him. 'I never asked you to cook it,' she said sharply.
'Well what exactly is it you want then?' Sirius snapped back, flicking his wand at the hobs so all the heat was switched off.
'Nothing,' she said calmly, a strange look on her face. She stood up. 'I want absolutely nothing, from anyone.'
'Hermione-'
'Shut up, Harry! You haven't apologised yet!' Hermione said loudly. 'Was it you who put him up to this?'
'Put me up to what?' Sirius asked, a dangerous note in his voice that Harry sincerely hoped wasn't real.
'Maybe we should…' Ginny trailed off at Hermione's murderous look.
'I know what your playing at, Sirius. You know I hate liver. And scampi. And I know I can smell ginger in something. So knock it off!' Her voice got louder with each word.
'You know what, next time I won't bother cooking you a meal if this is what happens when I try!' Sirius matched her loudness.
'Just stop it!' she shouted. 'Stop whatever prank this is meant to be. I don't need it. Not today.' A glass vase sitting on the mantelpiece of the fireplace behind her exploded as Hermione's anger built. She turned quickly to look at it, the silence in the room suddenly very heavy.
'Hermione,' Sirius said quietly, realising Harry had been right.
Hermione ignored him, leaving the room quickly. No one moved until they heard a distant door slamming somewhere upstairs.
'Don't, Harry,' Sirius said, refusing to meet his eyes as he repaired the vase with a sharp flick of his wand.
'Well that was a bit dramatic,' Ginny said, pulling Harry's hand off her knee. 'I mean, I thought she'd be a bit miffed for a bit, maybe even pretend she didn't hate the meal, but-'
'She's heard they're going to stop her changing the law she's been working on, Gin,' Harry explained, getting up to help Sirius clean the kitchen of the meal they'd never intended to eat.
'Oooh,' Ginny said, getting up as well to help him. 'And you knew?' she asked of Sirius. He nodded miserably. She punched Sirius in the arm as she walked by him. 'You're an idiot then!'
'I know,' Sirius said, a hand in his jeans pocket, his fingertips brushing against the ring sitting inside it.
XXXXXX
Hermione sat in her bedroom, staring out the window from her chair, letting herself wallow for the evening. It had been months, at least six, since she'd slept in her own room. In fact, it wasn't really her room anymore, it'd become more of an office for her, that happened to have a bed. She felt like nothing she did was making a difference. Over a year she'd been working on these laws, and for the large part, she enjoyed her job, enjoyed the challenge it brought her, but every now and then, she'd hit these brick walls. It would knock the stuffing out of her for a moment. And she thought Sirius had come to understand those days.
All the other times he'd sit her down, not asking about her day, bringing her a cup of tea, or wine, and then listen as she let out all her concerns to him. He wouldn't interrupt, or add in his thoughts, he would just listen, and it was through this process that she'd work something out for herself. Then they would make dinner together as she started to feel better about the situation. She could've really done with that today, more than all the other times.
She choked on a sob when a wave of guilt hit her. Sirius had been trying to do something nice for her, like he did all the time, and she'd been awful. Ungrateful.
Moving to the bed, she flopped on it, hugging at the pillow as she let the tears fall.
There was a pitiful scratching and whining at the door. Hermione wiped at her cheeks, sitting up, and said, 'Leave me alone, Sirius.'
The scratching was more persistent. Sighing Hermione got up and opened the door. There was Sirius, as Padfoot, his go to when Hermione was annoyed with him. On the floor in front of him was a tray with a cup of tea and her favourite sandwich. She could see the apology in his eyes. Kneeling down, Hermione gently kissed his snout, letting her hands sink into the black fur on his body.
'I love you,' she said, giving him another kiss. Even on the times they argued, as promised, they made sure to tell each other this. Sirius bumped his head gently against hers before walking away. Hermione took the tea and sandwich into the room, closed the door, and remained there for the rest of the night.
XXXXXX
Having had a fitful sleep, Hermione barely stirred when Sirius knocked on her door the next morning. She only woke up properly when he sat on the edge of the bed, gently pushing her hair back off her face.
'Morning,' he said gently.
She blinked hard against the dryness of her eyes, slowly sitting up. 'Morning,' she croaked, her throat a little hoarse. Her brain remained foggy from sleep but already very aware of how last night was left. Hermione shuffled forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head heavily on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry I was so emotional yesterday,' she said sleepily, 'it was such a stupid thing to lose my temper over.'
Sirius hugged her tightly. 'Nothing to apologise for,' he said, trailing a hand slowly down her spine. 'Already forgotten.'
Then he pulled back, holding her by the shoulders. She slowly felt some of the sleep fog lift. 'I've brought you some breakfast…food you actually like,' he said with a wry grin.
'Join me?' she asked, moving over to make room for him. They'd not slept apart in the longest time. It was like a limb had been missing.
'Thought you'd never ask,' Sirius said, kicking his boots off. Once he'd gotten comfy, with Hermione holding onto his arm, half-falling asleep again on his shoulder, he used his wand to bring the tray over to them. It settled gently on his lap and the coffee pot started pouring into the cup. 'Drink your coffee,' he said, dropping a sugar cube into it.
Reluctantly Hermione sat up and took the cup off him. While she sipped, Sirius picked at one of the pastries, waiting patiently for her to start talking. When it didn't come, he said, 'Not up for talking today?'
She shook her head with a heavy sigh. 'Maybe I'm just too demanding,' she said quietly, the only thought she'd had stuck in her head since leaving work. She put the cup down on the tray, and in doing so, she moved the plate containing the pastries. A sparkle of something caught her eye. Frowning, she picked up the item. A platinum ring with a large diamond and small rubies running down the band on either side. 'What's this?' she asked, her heart in her throat and her breath gone from her lungs.
Sirius put the tray on the floor, shifting to face her. He gently took the ring from her. 'This is what I was meant to do last night,' he said, staring at it. 'I made a bit of a mess of it though.'
'You were trying to wind me up and then catch me off guard?' she asked, her heart racing.
'Something like that,' he said wryly with a heavy sigh. 'Not exactly the proposal I had in mind. So if you have a better idea, let me know. I'd like to not make a mess of it again.' Then he finally looked at Hermione, a hint of fear in his eyes. 'I'm not sure I will ever deserve you, or the happiness you bring me, but know that I would die a thousand deaths for you. Anything to make you happy.'
Hermione couldn't help it when a giggle escaped her. 'You're so dramatic sometimes.'
'I'm trying to be romantic here,' Sirius said poking at her ribs. 'And you're the one who smashed a vase.'
She laughed loudly, grabbing at his hand trying to stop him. Instead, he grabbed her hand to pull her in for a kiss. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He slowly pushed her down so he was lay over her before finally pulling away from the kiss, both of them slightly breathless. He moved to his side, leaning his head on his hand, his free hand holding the ring before them both, the diamond glinting in the morning light coming into the room.
Hermione waited for Sirius to say something as he contemplated the ring.
Finally she plucked up the courage to speak. 'Are you going to ask or do we keep admiring it?' She gave Sirius a grin when he side-eyed her. 'It's a very beautiful ring but-'
'Hermione, will you marry me?' he said quickly, breathlessly.
'Yes,' she said just as quickly, not wanting to torture the poor man.
'Yes?' he asked.
'Yes!' she said, laughing at the pure look of joy on his face, feeling like her own heart might burst.
'Harry!' Sirius was up and off the bed. Hermione sat up in a daze, staring at the back of Sirius as he stood in the doorway and yelled out to the house, 'She said yes!'
Autumn Seasonal Prompts
- Days of the Year & Religious Events - 5th November: Men Make Dinner Day - Write about a man making dinner for their significant other.
- Chemistry Week (traits) - 80. Mercury - Miffed
- United Nations Day - 119. Nauru - (setting) Grimmauld Place
Hogwarts Autumn Funfair Prompts
- Pumpkin Patch Stomp - E1 - (emotion) Breathless
- Monster Petting Zoo - Seek human flesh with Wyatt the Wendigo - (scenario) arguing over what to eat for dinner.
- Pumpkin Carving - Pumpkin 13. (word) Approach
- Horror Hunt - 4. (food) Liver
- Trick or treating - House 4 The Lovegoods - 4. Lollipop - (word) Emotional
- Apple Bobbing - Apple 2. (action) arguing
- Costume Party - Red Riding Hood - 2. Big Bad Wolf - (dialogue) 'I'm so hungry!'
- Leaf Picking - Yellow/Dialogues - 4. 'If you have a better idea, let me know.'
- Corn Maze - I turn right - (plot point) Breakfast in bed
- Spooky Playlist - 20. Hell's Bells - AC/DC - (word) spine
October Writing Club
- Era - 15. (dialogue) 'Maybe I'm just too demanding.'
- Time Machine - 10. (plot point) Sharing a meal
- Book Club - Parker - (emotion) Devotion, (plot point) Taking something too far, (dialogue) 'I would die a thousand deaths for you.'
- Elizabeth's Empire - 26. (plot point) An argument
- Scamander's Case - 13. (colour) Black
- Film Festival - 11. (action) Breaking something
- Marvel Appreciation - 6. Falcon - (dialogue) 'Are you sure you want to do this?'
- TV Spree - 4. (plot point) Cooking meals
- The Forecast Says... 17th Rain - Cooking
Dragon Stickers
- Swedish Short-Snout - (creature) Dog
Pops
- Harry Potter - 37. Minerva McGonagall - (ability) animals
Word Count: 2548