A/N - Thank you so much for the messages/favorites/reviews and all of the excitement for the story so far! :)
All the love to my fantastic Alphabet, LumosLyra and PotionChemist, and pre-readers/baby alphas LauraArmada and BreathofThePhoenix for all of your help and encouragement! I'd be lost without you ❤️
Hermione awoke one Saturday morning to a message from Sirius on the kitchen table.
Up to wholesome shenanigans with Moony and Prongs — don't worry, I'll be back before our date tonight.
XOXO
Sirius
Date.
Her eyes lingered on the word for just a moment too long.
Despite knowing Sirius was just being his flirtatious self, that single word stuck in her head that entire morning.
Without Sirius at home in their flat, her weekend felt oddly empty. He had slowly become an integral part of her daily routine, their time filled with everything from random explorations around Muggle London to sharing a cuppa and talking about their day.
After sitting around the flat for an hour in utter boredom, she sent Hazel to Ginny with a letter inviting her to lunch at the Leaky Cauldron.
"I haven't seen you without Sirius by your side in weeks," Ginny mused as she ripped off a piece of bread and dipped it in her soup. "Where is your snarky other half today?"
Scoffing, Hermione tossed her a look. "He's not my other half."
"Does he know that?"
Hermione took a long drink from her Butterbeer and wiped the froth away from her lips with the back of her hand. "He's only my flatmate. I don't know where this is coming from; you never called Cormac my other half."
"Because Cormac was a wanker and we all hated him. The way you are with Sirius is completely different, like night and day."
"I'm not with Sirius," she corrected, setting down her drink with a heavy thud. "You've really got to stop saying that."
Shrugging, Ginny gave a sly smirk. "Whatever you say. So, where is your snarky not-other-half today?"
Hermione picked up her knife and sliced her sandwich into quarters before dropping her serviette into her lap. "He's with Remus and James. He didn't mention what they were doing, just said that he was going to see them."
"You didn't ask?"
"He left a note. I slept in today."
"Oh my gods," Ginny snorted before dabbing at her lips with her serviette. "That's the most married thing ever. He left you a note because he knew you'd wonder where he went and he didn't want you to worry. You know who doesn't do that sort of thing?"
Mentally debating if she even wanted to entertain this conversation, Hermione gritted out, "Who?"
"People who are just flatmates." Ginny looked entirely too smug. "He also flirts with you relentlessly."
"He flirts like that with everyone."
"Of course he does, that's why you always see him flirting with me, or Tonks, or Lily—oh wait, you don't."
Shrugging off her implication, Hermione reasoned, "That's only because you're all off limits from being with his best mates and godson."
"Don't tell me you're saying this because you're considering getting back together with my brother. I saw him watching you at your party like a lost puppy."
With a grimace, she tossed her serviette at Ginny, nearly knocking over her drink in the process. "You take that back. I already told you that the last time was the last time."
"I know," Ginny said as Hermione's hands dropped to her lap and she picked at her nails out of habit. "I just want to make sure. As much as I would love for you to be my sister-in-law, you're already my sister without the marriage. And if you absolutely insist on being my legal sister as well, you can marry Charlie, but I have a feeling Sirius would object to that."
Hermione frowned. "You're reading too much into nothing. Sirius said he sees what James and Remus see in me." She nibbled at her sandwich, feeling her appetite dissipate with each bite.
"So?"
"So, they see me as a daughter, ergo he sees me like that."
Rolling her eyes, Ginny ripped another piece of bread from her roll and dipped it in the soup. "Please, I was at your party. I saw the way he looked at you. I'm amazed he didn't kiss you."
"I mean...there was this moment, when we were on the roof just after the party and I thought he might but he didn't," she admitted.
"I knew it!"
"I said thought," she emphasized, remembering the way Sirius had looked at her before kissing her on the head. "He didn't, and you've heard the same stories that I have about him. You think Sirius Black is the shy type? If he wanted to kiss me, he would've."
Brows raising, Ginny shook her head as she carefully spread butter on the remnants of her bread with her knife. "If he thinks of you like a daughter, I'll eat my broom."
"Fiber is good for your digestive health."
"You're impossible."
Hermione finished the last sip of her Butterbeer and the glass magically refilled itself. "And you're about to have a really rough Saturday night after eating your Nimbus but I'm sure they make a potion for that. How's work going?"
"Very smooth, Hermione." Ginny made a face, tracing her finger down the condensation which had formed on her glass of Gillywater. "Too bad I know you hate Qudditch and couldn't care less about how the season is going."
"I don't hate Quidditch," she amended, recalling the dozens of hours she spent sitting in the stands at Hogwarts even when the weather was horrid. "What's important to my friends is important to me. Plus, I went to every one of your games in school!"
"I know this is a guise to avoid talking about your obvious attraction to your flatmate but I don't think I care at the moment."
Hermione smirked.
"It's been an amazing year so far, we are third in the league and if we win the next two games we could be in the trials for the World Cup!"
"Gin! That's amazing!" she exclaimed, latching on to the change of subject with fervor as she settled back into her seat. "Who do you play next?"
Following her late lunch with Ginny, Hermione took the public Floo back to the flat. Once she stepped through the fireplace, she dropped her handbag in surprise at the sight in front of her.
"What… what are you doing?" Her mouth struggled to form each choppy syllable as it left her mouth.
"Draw me like one of your French girls," Sirius replied with a smirk. He was laying out on their sofa, his head propped up suggestively by the heel of his hand, thankfully clothed in his usual trousers and shirt.
Laughter bubbled up in her chest. "Oh my god, I just knew you were going to take away all the wrong parts of the film. Don't be a prat. You know it's my favourite." She picked up a nearby pillow and tossed it at his head. "How long have you been waiting here just to say that line?"
"I don't want to talk about it but my legs are numb if that's any indication." He quickly deflected the pillow with a raised arm. "It could be worse—or better. I could've fully committed and been utterly starkers, Kate Winslet style."
Hermione's mind drifted, the image of him completely nude in the drawing room of the suite on the doomed steamer appearing behind her eyelids. She turned towards the hallway to hide the growing flush on her cheeks, squeezing her eyes shut, and willing the image to leave her mind.
Ever since the night of their drinking game, the night that shall not be named, she felt like her body and mind betrayed her when it came to Sirius. The memory tortured her. She thought of his arms encasing her, his calloused fingers claiming her waist and ribs, his hard chest pressing against hers with each breath.
This feeling would pass. It would definitely pass. It would have to pass or she was going to lose her mind.
"James would've castrated you for that."
Sirius winced at the visual. "I know, probably better than what Remus would do to me."
And what I would do to you, she added mentally, unable to stop herself.
He looked her over, as if noticing her for the first time, and eyes caught on her bare thighs, exposed by the shorter hemline of her dress. During the week, she usually wore longer dresses or trousers to work but she'd broken out an older favourite for her lunch.
Sitting up to face her, he asked, "Where did you come from?"
"Well," she began with a teasing smirk, "When two people really love each other and they want to show it, they—"
He waved her off, sounding oddly serious. "I know that bit, you snarky witch. Where did you Floo in from?"
She frowned, wondering about his sudden change in mood. "I went to lunch with Ginny, why?"
Making a noncommittal sound under his breath, he leaned back in his seat. "Just curious. I was out with Remus and James."
"I know." A smile tugged at her lips. "I saw the note."
"I didn't want you to worry."
As she thought back to Ginny's words, her chest filled with a warm sensation. "Thanks, Sirius."
His eyes flicked down, but back up before she saw where they had landed. "Are you going to change before our film?"
"Yes, and before you complain, you can wait another two minutes. You'll survive."
"You've been gone forever," he practically whined. "I counted every second."
Grinning, she left him sulking on the sofa.
Hermione entered her room and shimmied out of her dress, snagging a set of pyjamas from the bottom drawer and making a mental note to do laundry later.
"Hey, Starling?"
A beat of silence passed as she tugged on her bottoms.
"Heeeeeerrrrmioooooonnneeee," his voice sang from down the hall.
Slipping on the camisole, she tried to ignore his pestering. Sirius was like a spoiled child, demanding attention.
Throwing open her door, she stomped out and exclaimed, "What?!"
He stilled.
"Yes?" she asked again, growing increasingly annoyed.
Grumbling something under his breath, his jaw tensed. "That's not much better."
Wondering what he meant, Hermione looked down at herself. She had slipped on a pair of silk shorts and a camisole, wanting to be comfortable.
"What were you calling my name for?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
It looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek and he sighed before responding. "I wanted to see if you felt like making hot chocolate with the film tonight. It's been ages since I've had a cup."
"Wow," she said in sarcastic awe as she joined him on the sofa. "I can't believe you couldn't wait until I was finished dressing to ask about hot chocolate. The anticipation was thrilling."
He tossed the pillow at her, and she promptly caught it, tucking it behind her back with a satisfied smirk.
"Lucky for you, we have all the supplies we need to make hot chocolate."
Sirius peeked out of the corner of his eye. "I don't understand. Don't we just need chocolate...and the temperature of hotness?"
"You've never made hot chocolate before?"
"We had an incompetent arsehole house-elf for that." He shrugged. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if Kreacher ruined mine on purpose. I only ever had good hot chocolate at Hogwarts."
Hermione scowled, "Be nice to Kreacher."
"Fine. We had a semi-competent arsehole house-elf for that."
She narrowed her eyes until they were barely slits. "Be. Nice."
"That's as far as I'm going to go with that," he informed her without a hint of remorse. "And that was me being nice. I could have said much worse."
"Well, now you can be the semi-competent arsehole making the cocoa, no magic required."
Sirius' shaggy hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it away before muttering, "Hope you like burnt hot chocolate."
"If you burn it, then it'll taste just like autumn nights with my mum. Lucky for you, I have inherited my dad's hot chocolate making abilities. You'll see, it's just like potions." She tilted her head to the kitchen. "You ready?"
Slapping his knees, he stood up and followed her into the kitchen. "I was born ready." He paused before correcting, "Okay, that's not true. I was basically a sentient potato just after birth, but I'm ready now!"
"You're still a sentient potato," she grinned, opening and closing nearby cupboards as she searched for ingredients.
"Good thing you like potatoes."
She paused on her tiptoes, her hand on the container of cocoa powder on the third shelf. "I thought we agreed not to talk about that night."
"You agreed," he corrected smugly. "I did no such thing."
"Oh?" Raising her brows skeptically, Hermione set the container down and turned, leaning against the countertop. "So you won't have any problem if I tell everyone at Sunday brunch tomorrow about your secret school crush on McGonagall?"
A devilish grin crossed his lips. "Who said it was a secret?"
As she thought of Sirius proclaiming his love for Professor McGonagall through the echoing corridors of Hogwarts, she rolled her eyes. "Why do I have a feeling you were extremely vocal about this?"
"I'm the reason why she never married." He let out a heavy sigh, a pitying look on his face. "I knew she would never be able to find another man like me, poor woman."
She snorted, imagining an exasperated McGonagall being trailed by a young Sirius through the school. "I don't believe you. It sounds ridiculous."
"What can I say? I have a thing for women with authority." Lowering his voice, he continued, "Not sure I could've handled you wearing that Head Girl badge of yours, Starling."
Reflexively, Hermione's thighs squeezed together at the rumbled sound of his voice. She had just dressed, but at this rate, she would need new knickers by the end of the night.
Laughing off his comment, she retrieved various jars from the cupboards and set them on the counter. "You're saying that I can bring it up and you wouldn't care in the slightest?"
"Did James get sloshed in fifth year, steal a random cat, think it was McGonagall, and sob on the dormitory floor begging the stray cat not to expel him?"
Hermione blinked in surprise, cocking her head slightly. "Is that a yes?"
His lips pulled to the side in a half-grin. "My brain is still waiting to be filled with the inner workings of hot chocolate."
"Get the saucepan, that's step one."
Sirius opened the storage cabinet. Slowly reaching towards the roasting pan, he stared at her and she shook her head, prompting him to change course. His hand headed towards the handle at the back.
"That's a wok. You don't know what a saucepan is? How old are you?"
"Forty-one," he quipped, snagging the sauce pan at random and placing it on the stovetop.
He lit the flame with a flick of his wand.
"Now we are going to combine cocoa powder, sugar, water, and salt." She listed the ingredients as she measured them out into the pan.
As they stirred, the mixture began to boil.
"I'm going to add the milk," she explained softly, handing the whisk to Sirius while she carefully poured.
His hand brushed hers as he took the whisk and continued her stirring pattern of three clockwise, one counter clockwise.
She peered into the pan, checking the progress. "Perfect! Now we remove it from the heat, add vanilla, and we have hot chocolate. No house-elves necessary."
"You laughed at me but that was basically just deconstructed chocolate. And what was the temperature?"
She reluctantly mumbled, "Hot."
His eyes sparkled as he laughed.
Navigating through the kitchen, Hermione gathered the rest of the supplies. "Time for the best part. The toppings. You can put anything you like on hot chocolate."
"Surprise me." He waved a hand and bowed to her. "As a hot chocolate novice, I find myself woefully unprepared for this step in the process."
"Well, we have the classics, marshmallows, whipped cream"—she ignored Sirius' snigger—"chocolate sauce—"
"I want all the toppings," he announced, extending his arms out and tilting his head back. "Ravage my body."
Hermione wanted to groan; she knew he was doing this on purpose.
She began fixing his drink, carefully pouring a portion into a mug. "This is how I make mine. I do have to warn you that my dad says it's 'an obscene amount of toppings'."
"What are those?" he asked, gesturing to the packets she dumped on the top of his whipped cream.
"You don't know what these are? They're only the most popular Muggle candy for hot chocolate," she bluffed, trying to keep a straight face.
Sirius' brow creased. "Of course I know what they are, I just didn't recognise that brand. I love those. They're my favourite. Can't have cocoa without them."
Hermione dipped her head to hide her grin and handed him the cup.
He took a long drink and immediately spit it out, cleaning up the mess with a wave of his wand. "What the bloody hell is that?"
Forcing her face to remain neutral, she sipped at her cocoa. "Whatever do you mean?" As her tongue darted across her lips, sweeping the cream away, he cleared his throat. "You know what you did. The things...exploded! In my mouth!"
Finally, she allowed herself to smirk. "I thought you said 'surprise me'? And then you said, 'I love those, they're my favourite.'"
"Obviously, I lied," he griped. "What did I just put in my mouth?"
"They're called Fizz Wiz. It's a sweet that's designed to pop in your mouth, kind of like a licorice snap."
Eyes widening in recognition, he chuckled, "You naughty minx, you're trying to prank me! Well, the joke is on you, I love it." He began to chug the hot chocolate, wincing at the crackling sound coming from his mouth.
Hermione stifled a laugh behind her hand. "I appreciate your commitment to stubbornness but you don't have to drink the rest. We have plenty of hot chocolate if you want a non-fizzy glass."
"This is how I take my drink, thank you very much. The discomfort makes the chocolate that much sweeter." Wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he winced as a stray Fizz Wiz popped. "What film did you select for us tonight?"
"It's another Muggle classic. It's about a park."
"We're not about to watch a film about trees and plants for two hours, are we?" he groaned, tilting his head back in disappointment.
"I wasn't finished. The park has dinosaurs."
At that, he perked up. "Dinosaurs?"
Holding up her rented copy of Jurassic Park, she confirmed, "Dinosaurs." Her lips twitched up playfully. "They eat people."
He grinned. "Wicked."
They made their way over to the sofa and took their usual seats as she turned on the telly with a click of the remote. Turning to him, her voice lowered and she said, "Before we go further, we need to talk."
Sirius sat up quickly in place. "I promise I can change. It's me, not you. Don't throw away our love."
"Sirius. Be serious."
"I've never not been Sirius," he replied with a bat of his eyelashes.
"An egregious mistake has been made and needs immediate rectification." She informed him as she made her way back into the kitchen, the tile cool against her toes.
He followed her into the kitchen, watching as she retrieved an empty bowl from storage and a few ingredients from the pantry. Exhaling deeply, he shook his head with faux despair. "I know what this is about, and I should tell you before you go any further that I'm not allowed to sleep with you."
For just a moment, she froze, her wand poised over the bowl. Even with the knowledge that he was just teasing, she was surprised at how his words gnawed at her insides.
With an inelegant snort, she replied, "You wish." I wish, she added on silently. "I introduced you to Muggle film night and we didn't have any popcorn! It's a crime against humanity! Unforgivable. Despicable. I don't know why you didn't leave that first night."
"I almost did." He gave her a flirtatious wink as she tapped the bowl and the popcorn kernels expanded. "The only thing that kept me around was double-O-seven. I was seduced by his hair and smooth words."
"Aren't we all?"
Hermione made her way back to the sofa with a large bowl of popcorn, Sirius following close behind. She did a double take at the table. "Where is my cocoa?"
"Hmm?" He feigned confusion. "I don't know. Must've disappeared under the explosion of Fizz Wiz. Also, should we talk about the insensitivity of putting exploding food in the mouth of a man who was thrown into the future by a magical explosion? I feel like I'll be bringing this up in therapy in a decade."
After carefully selecting a piece of popcorn, she tossed it at his head.
Sirius opened his mouth and tilted his head, catching the piece in his mouth. He threw his fists in the air in triumph. "Your offering of apology has been accepted," he informed her as he retrieved her cup from behind the book on the end table. Accepting the bowl of popcorn in trade, he handed her the hot chocolate.
"Wasn't an apology," she quipped, taking a large sip and feeling the cool whipped cream stick to her lip.
Before she could lick it away, he raised his hand, gently cupping her cheek. His lips curved softly at the corners, his thumb gently brushing her top lip. "The negative to obscene amounts of toppings is apparently foam mustaches."
Her toes curled as she suppressed the shiver that threatened to surface from his touch. "They're all the rage in France," she joked, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You're behind the times, old man."
His hand, still on her cheek, radiated heat. She was sure if she had a mirror that the blush on her neck would match the size and shape his fingertips.
Sirius grinned, apparently oblivious to his effect on her. He dropped his hand and tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Ready to watch a park full of dinosaurs?"
Matching his smile, Hermione sunk back into the sofa with a breathy sigh. "Did Harry get his arm stuck in a man-sized venus fly trap during Herbology in third year?"