TW in end notes

1977

"Remus," Hermione breathed in surprise, not having expected to see her brother until she returned to Potter Manor.

"Hermione," he greeted, nodding in Pandora's direction, not letting her see his surprise she was in their kitchen, "Malfoy."

Pandora nodded at him in return, a silent agreement not to speak, before smiling back at Hermione. "Now's your chance," was all she said before waving goodbye and stepping into their floo, calling out Diagon Alley.

Hermione didn't know what to do. So, she just sat there awkwardly while Remus looked back at her. It wasn't as if he could have known what they were discussing before he appeared through the fireplace, and yet Hermione also knew it was why he had returned home.

With Pandora gone, he took her seat opposite Hermione and took a breath before asking, "Sirius?" with ever so slightly raised eyebrows.

Hermione felt herself flush pink at the implications held in his tone. Knowing they were accurate but not really wanting to discuss as much with her brother, but also suddenly curious as to how he even knew that much.

"He told you?" she replied, a confession and a question all at once.

"James may have figured it out."

"James?" Hermione asked incredulously. She loved the boy as much as her brother but was well aware that Harry's general obliviousness was an inherited trait and didn't believe James had put the pieces together by himself for one minute.

"Okay," Remus admitted, "Lily apparently figured it out and told him as much when they were having lunch."

"They were getting lunch?" Hermione asked excitedly, all thoughts of her own romantic struggles shoved to the side at the idea of James and Lily finally realising the inevitable. Or rather, Lily realising the inevitable and James recognising her change in opinion.

"Yes," Remus said, smiling slightly at the thought of the pair of them before focusing back on Hermione, "But we're talking about you."

"Fine," she grumbled, still not thrilled about the thought of discussing her feelings with her brother. Talking with Pandora was one thing, but it felt rather more final talking to Remus, even outside of the general awkwardness of the conversation.

"You know he was miserable when you left."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed sadly. Still well aware of the turmoil she had placed Sirius in and not wanting to be reminded of it.

"Seemed much happier after the full moon though."

"I guess. I didn't mean to make things awkward."

"I know," Remus reassured, "And I'll say this now. I never want details, but what happened?"

Hermione knew he wasn't asking for physical details. He'd probably heard enough of those from Sirius anyway. Though she did trust him not to give away too many. Perhaps a younger Sirius would have been overzealous with anyone other than her brother, but Sirius now, who had kept her secrets all year and continued to keep the truth of their duelling sessions from his friends, wouldn't betray her for something as simple as Quidditch locker room talk.

But that wasn't what Remus was asking. He was asking what had made her run. Why she had fled the Manor entirely rather than face the fallout.

"What happens if things end badly," she asked pitifully, "I don't want you to lose your friends because of me."

"Hermione," her brother sighed, "You can't know that would happen. And even if it did, we wouldn't let it affect us."

"You don't know that."

Remus looked at her for a few seconds. Suddenly looking much older and wiser than she felt, thought Hermione doubted it was actually the case. Far more likely, she was feeling somewhat out of control, and Remus' carefully measured explanations were feeling far too rational for her current state of mind.

"I know you've spent your whole life trying to protect me from things that may hurt me," he said quietly. The fact it had mainly been their father, she'd protected him from going unspoken. "But this isn't one of those times. I don't need you to protect me anymore. I need you to think about yourself."

"But I'm afraid," she finally confessed.

"I know," he smiled reassuringly, "I think that's normal actually. But do you want something to happen? If nothing else mattered and there were no repercussions, would you even be hesitating?"

She could almost imagine it. How easy it would be to say yes were their lives any different. How safe Sirius made her feel and how much she wanted it, that she unconsciously found herself shaking her head to answer Remus' question.

"Then do it. Don't sacrifice something just because you think it's for the best." Remus was almost begging, and Hermione was reminded of how much she loved her brother and how selfless he was. How many people would have encouraged her to do the same in his position?

"I'll think about it," Hermione finally agreed, not quite ready to admit defeat but unable to deny Remus and Pandora had made a convincing argument.

"But Hermione," her brother replied, drawing her attention back to him. His gaze was heavy on her and absolutely serious. "Be gentle with him. We both know he's not half the prat he likes to pretend he is."

She lasted three more days home alone in the cottage. Her mother only returned in the evening as Lyall was away for work the whole summer. Hope preferred to work as much as possible while her husband was away. Not liking being alone in the cottage, regardless of the fact Hermione was technically still there.

Two days were spent moping.

Thinking over Pandora and Remus' words knowing they were right. But it was one thing to know something was right and another to accept it and work up the courage to do something about it, so Hermione spent the third day pacing the cottage.

Edging ever closer to the fireplace but still not quite working up the courage to pass through it because stepping through the floo was final. It meant she had accepted they were right and that she was throwing caution in the wind.

That she was accepting the possibility things could go badly but was deciding the promise of exploring something with Sirius was worth more than protecting herself from the potential hurt.

She still couldn't quite believe she was considering it. That she was about to make the same mistake, she had ten months ago. That she had learned nothing from the disaster that was her relationship with Kingsley and was ready and willing to make the same mistake again.

But then she would think about the secrets she and Sirius already shared. That look of concern on his face when they had last spoken and the memory of that night at the temple and Hermione knew it was never really a question.

Stupid decision or not, she knew what she wanted the outcome to be and had only been delaying the inevitable.

Heart pounding, she stepped through the floo before she could talk herself out of it. Determined to confront the problem, or rather Sirius, head-on. She was almost marching through the Manor when James found her. A bemused look on his face at her expression.

"Hermione?" he asked hesitantly.

"Where's Sirius?" she blurted out, forgoing the greeting she usually would have included she was so focused on her goal.

James smirked slightly at her flustered appearance, "Sirius, huh?"

He laughed, and Hermione slapped him lightly on the chest for mocking her state as he clearly suspected why she had returned to the Manor. Not even having the courtesy to rock back at her assault, he chuckled again before continuing,

"He's in the parlour with Remus. Want me to get him for you?"

"Please," she asked. Relieved he had offered, unsure if seeing Remus right before she confessed what an idiot she had been to one of his best friends would have killed her motivation. Seeing James was bad enough, but she wasn't sure how much longer she'd have this burst of determination.

"Ask him to meet me in the library," she requested quietly. Wanting the safety of the room that was her home from home. Somewhere she had passed many hours and was considered her space in Potter Manor, regardless of the fact she had her own room.

"Alright then," James was smiling at her in reassurance, but Hermione was so racked with nerves she barely noticed.

She didn't have to wait long among the books. Sirius rounding the doorway to join her in the candlelit room, the flames throwing shadows across both their faces, making the whole thing feel so startlingly intimate she almost fled back to the safety of the cottage.

Sirius interrupted her thoughts before she could, though, whispering, "Hermione?" to draw her attention back towards him.

There was a cautiously optimistic expression in his face, but there was still a small hint of fear hidden in his eyes. Not at her but at the idea she wasn't there for the reason he had hoped. The sight of him simultaneously soothed her worries and racked her nerves up to a hundred.

Without thinking, she blurted out, "What something happens, and you end up hating me."

Approaching the desk she was leant against slowly, Sirius kept his hands up like he was trying to reassure a spooked thestral, "That could never happen."

"You don't know that," she echoed her words to Remus. Both of them having tried to reassure her with empty promises. They all knew they couldn't promise that. Not even Pandora could know whether Hermione would doom her own relationship through secrets she couldn't even begin to explain to him and whether those secrets would make him resent her.

"Yes, I do. Because no matter what happens, I could never hate you. Do you want me to hate you?" He asked, both confused and worried about the idea.

"Of course not! I just can't stop thinking about it."

"Why?" he asked gently.

Eyes darting anxiously around the room, she hesitantly tried to explain, "There are things I can't tell you. Not because I don't want to, but because they're not mine to tell."

It wasn't technically true. Everything she knew was a secret of hers in one form or another, but Hermione also knew she couldn't tell Sirius for all the same reasons she hadn't told Kingsley, or anyone else for that matter.

She wouldn't risk him getting hurt because she'd chosen to share secrets with him she shouldn't have. Not when she could protect him through his own ignorance. Besides, if anyone were going to act rashly based on what she knew of the future, it would be Sirius Black. Confident that if he were assured of his own survival, he'd be even more reckless than most.

Sirius contemplated her words for a few seconds before replying, "Everyone has secrets, Mini."

Hermione knew he was referring to his own past. Something he didn't even discuss with his friends, and that she was privy to almost no details of, not that she wanted to be. Content in the knowledge she could care about him without needing to know intimate detail of his life.

She supposed he was offering the same assurance, that he didn't need to know everything about her to want more. That there were things that weren't important in the grand scheme of a relationship, but it still made her nervous.

"I know. I just can't face the idea you'd hate me for keeping things from you."

"Would you be keeping secrets about us?" He questioned, with a maturity that surprised Hermione. Though she figured he had grown up a lot over the past year.

"No," she whispered, "Not about us."

"Then they don't matter. If you want to tell me someday, then I'll listen. But I know some things are private."

She found herself nodding without even thinking about it. Reassured by his words, even if she wasn't totally convinced — she wanted to be. Wanted to believe that they could exist beyond any secrets that Hermione had to keep for the good of everyone else.

"Okay," she nodded, still scarcely able to believe she was being so reckless. That she was giving in to this probably terrible idea that she just couldn't convince herself she didn't want. Looking up into his swirling grey eyes and smiling hesitantly to show her defeat, "I'm sorry I ran."

"I know," he smirked slightly, a victorious expression at the fact she'd decided she cared more about him than her other anxieties, "Had I just snogged Sirius Black, I'd be overwhelmed too."

Scoffing at how cocky he was, Hermione started giggling. Amused that no matter how much Sirius grew in maturity, nothing would be able to undo his overconfidence but also relieved he had managed to break the tension between them.

She gave into the touch as he brushed a hand up her arm, letting him pull her towards him, so there was only the slightest bit of space between them.

Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "I need you to promise me something, though."

She nodded helplessly, unable to deny him anything when he was standing so close. The feel of his warm breath ghosting over her skin prevented her from thinking any of the panicked thoughts that had consumed her over the past month.

Instead, she was only focused on the heat she could feel coming from his skin and the path his hand had traced up her bicep and neck to brush his fingers over her cheekbone.

"When I kiss you again, you won't go running. You'll stay right here and let me act out months' worth of fantasies."

"Months?" She asked shakily, "That sounds like it might take a while."

"Oh, I'm counting on it. But I may be persuaded to spread them out a bit, wouldn't want you to get overwhelmed again, would we Kitten?"

"No," she agreed, almost hypnotised by his closeness. His low gravelly voice in her ear, entrancing her.

"Hmmm, then maybe we'll leave it to the tamer ones at least until we've had the chance to explore Hogsmeade without the others."

"Maybe Diagon could work?" She almost begged, not sure she could last long enough to make it to Hogsmeade. Not when she knew how it felt to be wrapped around him, to have his lips on her skin and have his fingers trailing far more intimate paths along her body.

"I suppose it could. I do have a lot of plans for you."

"Then we should start on them anyway. We don't really need Diagon or Hogsmeade do we?"

"No, I don't suppose we do," the smirk had returned, tinting his voice, part amusement, part anticipation, "In fact, I think you might be right. I think we should start right now."

With that proclamation, he finally pressed his lips to hers. Not necessarily gently, but with a certain caution that hadn't been there last time.

Instead, it was exploratory, as if he was trying to memorise the feel of his lips against hers. None of the wildness she usually associated with Sirius Black, he kissed her as if she were something precious. His lips firm and confident against her own, like he was claiming her and cherishing her all at once.

Hermione leant against the desk, and he followed her instinctively. Pressing her lower back into the wood with his body, she gave into the feel of his lips on hers. The sting of his teeth nipping at her bottom lip before he soothed it with his tongue. One of his hands kept a gentle pressure on her neck, directing her chin to give him better access to her mouth while the other traced familiar paths down her spine, her skin tingling even through the cotton of her shirt.

His tongue brushed against the seam of her lips, and Hermione sighed at the intrusion. Welcoming it and feeling it stroke into her, tickling ever so slightly before she tentatively met it with her own.

The soft touches made her let out a high pitched whine from somewhere deep in her throat, and Sirius chuckled in response. The sound rumbling through his chest making it vibrate where it was pressed against her own.

Gradually they grew more heated. Sirius gripping her hips to hold her against him, his fingers slowly crept downwards while his lips grew more dominant against her own, claiming the shuddery little exhales Hermione was barely aware she was making.

His hands slid down to her denim-clad thighs and helped guide her while Hermione lifted herself up onto the desk, barely breaking their kiss. Placing himself between her legs, he used his hold to pull her back towards him, moulding their bodies together.

Wide palms kept their grip on her legs, each finger pressing into her thighs a tantalising pressure as they crept back towards her body. Wrapping her arms around him, Hermione mimicked the paths he'd explored on her own body. Feeling muscles moving under his shirt and longing to feel the cool brush of his skin against her fingers.

Abandoning her lips, Sirius pressed gentle kisses against her cheek before trailing them down her neck. Tilting her head to expose more of herself to him, she bit on her lip to avoid making the whimpering sound she was sure would escape her if he continued his actions. The soft brushes of his lips along her pulse point made her mind hazy, almost unable to focus between them and his hands cupping her arse.

Scratching her fingers into his hair, Hermione felt the silky locks between them and used the leverage to pull him away from her neck. Desperately wanting to taste more of him, not willing to have their lips parted for so long, she welcomed the warm heat of his mouth against hers, his tongue resuming its explorations.

Eventually, they grew breathless. Foreheads leaning against each other, noses brushing as their eyes remained locked. His breath ghosting over her lips as they breathed in sync before Sirius whispered, "Are we really doing this?"

"Yes," she replied softly, pressing his lips back against hers.

James wasn't sure what possessed him to invite Lily to the Manor, but something about how overly anxious she was for something the rest of them assumed was a foregone conclusion had convinced him. She was still trying desperately to hide how anxious she was about getting Head Girl after all, and Petunia had no patience for anything to do with the magical world and based on the letters they'd exchanged, it was causing a not inconsiderable amount of tension in the Evans household.

So, in a moment of possible madness, he'd replied, offering that she come stay with the rest of them at the Manor at least until their letters arrived. Aware that the week after that, the full moon appeared again, so she'd need to be safely back home so the rest of them could roam the woods carefreely.

It was strange having her in his home, though. Suddenly aware she was there as his guest. That Lily Evans had agreed to come and visit him, James Potter, over the summer holidays. That they were close enough friends that she had accepted rather than sending a howler in response to his invitation.

That had been another startling realisation for him. That at some point, between covering Prefect rounds, being Potions partners, and the Hogsmeade Attack, Lily Evans had become his closest friend outside of the Marauders.

Logically, he knew they'd been getting closer throughout the year, but to have that moment of realisation that their relationship had changed so drastically over the past twelve months had momentarily thrown him in a loop. At least until he had realised how well she had fit in among them.

Effortlessly, filling the occasional gap when Hermione and Sirius disappeared off to Diagon Alley or Muggle London to explore their new relationship. Not that they disappeared that frequently, their little group had remained largely unchanged even if Hermione's usually smoky vanilla—cinnamon scent had gradually been muted by hints of the leather he usually smelt off Sirius.

Instead, she fit perfectly in with Mini and Moony, matching them for intellect and their passion for all thing's literature. Lily and Sirius even got along, bonding over Muggle music, even if their tastes were drastically different. Not disrupting the dynamic once since he'd apparated to her little house in Cokeworth to bring him back with her.

They were all having breakfast when the owl arrived. Familiar envelopes attached to its leg; the whole table felt Lily stop breathing. Passing them out, nobody spoke. Not even Sirius took the opportunity to tease Lily, who was so anxious she was eyeing the letters like they may explode. Instead, they all started opening their letters in silence, apart from James, who watched Lily from the seat next to her.

He could tell the exact moment she saw the badge, as she froze again before poking at it like it was some kind of joke before a wide grin broke across her face.

"I'm Head Girl!" She cried, almost disbelieving as she spun to face him, awkwardly throwing her arms around him while they were both still sitting.

Chuckling, he patted her on the back while replying, "Of course you are. No one else stood a chance."

He felt her shake her head slightly against his chest before she suddenly drew away, "Remus! Where's your badge?"

This time Moony was the one to shake his head, "No badge for me. Told McGonagall I wanted to focus on NEWTs."

James knew that wasn't true. Remus would have loved to be Head Boy, no matter how much he may have tried to tell the rest of the Marauders it wasn't so. But it was yet another thing that being a werewolf had stolen from him, as James knew his friend's frequent absences meant it was never a real possibility, so he'd withdrawn himself from the running before he could be disappointed.

"Oh," Lily said sadly, "I wonder who it'll be then? Maybe someone from Ravenclaw, Hermione?"

"Doubt it," Hermione replied, a small amused smile playing about her lips, but James barely heard her, in a state of shock as he'd finally opened his own letter to see a small badge glinting back up at him.

"What the fuck," Everyone's head spun towards him, "Dumbledore's lost it."

"What?" Lily asked, alarmed, and James held up the Head Boy badge enclosed in his own envelope. His expression stuck somewhere between shock and horror.

Breakfast hadn't lasted long after the surprise appointment of James as Head Boy. Sirius had fallen into almost uncontrollable laughter, while Lily had looked shocked for a few moments before excitedly congratulating him.

Remus had been silent for a while before grinning at him, apparently accepting the outcome, before wishing him luck controlling Sirius since that was his responsibility now. Only, Hermione had seemed unsurprised, giving him a knowing smile while congratulating both of them on their appointments.

Lily had announced she would head home at the end of the meal. Apparently, no longer liable to drive her sister crazy with her worries, she wanted to tell her mother as soon as possible. Ivy Evans having been almost as invested in Lily becoming Head Girl as her daughter.

James had offered to apparate her straight home since she wasn't keyed into the Manor's wards, but she'd claimed the desire to go to Diagon Alley, leaving him stunned in the entry after she'd flooed away. Still shocked by the kiss she'd pressed against his cheek while saying goodbye and that she'd meet him in the prefect's cabin on September 1st.

It was how Hermione found him. Stuck frozen staring at the floo Lily had long since vanished from. He was relieved it was her, sure there would have been endless mocking from Sirius or Remus, regardless of the fact Sirius had been a properly miserable git for the couple weeks Hermione had avoided him.

"Remember what I said last summer?" her voice broke through his thoughts.

"You mean where you reamed me out for every interaction I'd ever had with Lily," He grinned back at her to show he wasn't serious, "Pretty difficult to forget Mini."

"Hey!" She protested, "It's worked for you, hasn't it."

"Yes," he begrudgingly accepted.

"Well, just because you're friends now doesn't mean she may not be interested in more than that."

"What?" he whispered, barely letting himself hope that Lily might be interested in what Hermione was implying.

"Maybe," Hermione replied, a small smirking showing she was surer of it than she was suggesting.

"You really think…" James trailed off.

"All I'm saying is a single sincere offer may not be entirely amiss."

TW: Mild Sexual Content