Chapter 62: Sorry! That Looked Good!

Hermione woke on Tuesday to a hand between her legs. For a few seconds she thought Sirius was waking her up again, but then her mind cottoned on to his breathing. Deep, slow, with a slight dog-like snuffle on the inhale. Moving very slowly, Hermione rolled to see him.

Usually Sirius proved a light sleeper in the morning. He wasn't this time. His face was completely relaxed, his mouth slightly open – looking quite thoroughly knocked out. Obviously unconsciously, Sirius's fingers moved between Hermione's legs, fondling her clumsily.

The room was dim with early light, the soft pattering of rain to be heard from outside. It was that quiet, secret hour of the morning: the hour before the day starts where a person need not be anything or anyone in particular. Where the person was just alive, and awake.

Detaching Sirius's hand gently, Hermione slipped down under the covers. The man wasn't hard, and he wasn't soft. He was somewhere in between – or, at least, that was how he started. It didn't take long for Hermione's ministrations to force the strange organ to pick a direction.

A soft snore caught in Sirius's throat. His leg shifted, Hermione letting up as he rolled onto his back. He grew comfortable once more, his breathing settling, and Hermione returned to her playing, intrigued by the increasing stiffness being drawn into the rod between her lips.

But Sirius didn't go back to his sleepy snuffling. A heavy hand slipped over the back of Hermione's neck. It trailed her skin lazily.

'Morning blowjob?' he asked, voice gravelly with sleep.

Hermione snickered, gave him a parting suck, and crawled back up beside him.

'Good morning,' she whispered, sending her hand back down to continue her work.

Sirius was rubbing his eyes. His hand dropped and he blinked at her, looking like he was trying to focus.

'Morning,' he responded. 'When'd you wake up?'

'Several minutes ago.'

'And you're already horny?'

Hermione smiled.

'I tend to become horny when you grope me,' she told him matter-of-factly.

'I was?'

'Yes, you were.' Hermione gave him a gentle tug and Sirius's eyes slipped back shut.

'Mmf… Mione,' he protested groggily. 'My balls are empty.'

Hermione propped her chin on his shoulder. It gave her a better view of his face.

'Tell that to your erection and roaming hands.'

Sirius cracked a smile. His hand was on her backside.

'Morning wood,' he provided, peeling an eye open, 'and general perv-y-ness.'

Hermione hummed, slipping back down under the covers.

'Well,' she said to the skin of his belly, 'you work out whether there is, indeed, anything in your balls, and I'll just… keep doing this.'

'… Aren't you a little minx…'

Sirius did help Hermione come up with practise essay topics and long answer questions for the students, proving himself an invaluable input, particularly for potions. With Harry on watch that day, it was the second in a row they had to spend enjoying each other's close company – in their own happy bubble, though they did it in the fourth floor makeshift garage where Sirius's attention was rather readily distracted by his bike.

It wasn't to be so the day after. Even with the company of the other Potions students, though, the bubble felt largely un-punctured.

'Bright yellow,' Harry muttered, looking down into his cauldron. He sighed, scratching fingers through his messy hair, before glancing over at Sirius. 'And it smells like burning plastic. Just Vanish it?' he asked ruefully.

Sirius had been guiding Ron through one of the last steps in brewing the Empowering Solution. He took a look at Harry's potion, gave it a sniff, and pulled a face. The Empowering Solution was supposed to be a sapphire blue and smell like a crackling fire.

'Yeah,' Sirius confirmed.

Harry stood up, fetched his wand, and muttered 'Evanesco.' With Sirius giving him an explanation of where he might have gone wrong, Harry picked out ingredients for a second try. Silence settled in for a time, Harry, Ginny, and Ron focusing on their bubbling brews. Hermione had already finished and corked her Empowering Solution. She started humming as she Transcribed four copies of her list of NEWT practise questions, readying them for distribution among the others. Besides a curious look from Ron, and an amused one from Sirius that lingered, no one paid her any mind.

Hermione held Sirius's gaze. She smiled, looked down at the parchments before her, and started singing, 'If you like piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain… If you're not into yoga – if you have half a brain!' She knew the words that came after, but in the split second's pause before them she decided against continuing.

There was a brief silence.

'Yes I like piña coladas!' Sirius sung on, smiling to himself and sparing Hermione only a brief glance. 'Getting caught in the rain! I'm not much into health food – I am into champagne!'

Hermione snickered, Sirius meeting her eyes across the table with crinkled ones. He seemed to get her the moment she opened her mouth again.

'Well, I never knew…' she said quietly, and saw Sirius's eyebrows rise.

'That you like piña coladas!' they sang loudly together, Hermione giggling. 'Getting caught in the rain!' Sirius was patting the beat out exuberantly on the table. 'And the feel of the ocean! And the taste of champagne!'

Hermione broke off, laughing, as three sets of confused eyes looked at the both of them.

'It was too quiet in here!' Hermione chuckled.

The explanation did nothing to make Ron stop staring at her like he had no idea who she was. It was Ginny's look, though, that lasted longest. She was watching Hermione with narrowed eyes even after Harry had returned his bemused attention to his cauldron. Hermione met Ginny's gaze and instantly regretted it. The redhead girl lifted one brow.

Hermione cleared her throat.

'So,' she said soberly, 'have there been any developments with Pratt and Yaxley?'

'Not a one,' Ginny answered promptly. 'Malfoy Manor is silent, though it seems Yaxley never leaves the place at all, and all I heard at Pratt's was her raging at something. Can't say the same for Lenny Blossom, that old mate of dad's from the Floo Network Authority. Seems he was paid an unfortunate visit.'

'By who?' Sirius asked.

'Umbridge's non-Ministry lackey,' Ron said. 'Amycus Carrow – and possibly his sister too. Same thing happened to another Floo bloke…' He glanced to Ginny.

'Shawn,' she provided, 'Dothby, I think. They're okay – well, tortured with the Cruciatus Curse, Brian thinks, but they were left alone after that. But it sounds like bad news for dad. Both Kingsley and Remus sent him warnings. He's still seen as the one inciting the resistance in the Floo office – like he's some centre of Ministry resistance – and he's already disliked enough… you know.'

'Is he still going to work?' Hermione asked.

'Yep,' Ginny answered darkly.

'Yeah, well,' said Ron, 'dad says no one has tried anything on him. He's just getting nasty looks, and reckons they're not about to do anything more than that any time soon.'

'Mum's furious,' Ginny supplied, picking up her knife and starting to slice up mandrake root. 'Doesn't know how he can think that when that's obviously not been how it's worked with Dothby and Blossom. But dad says he's not actively resisting anything and he's the only one they have doing his job, so it's not the same. Anyway,' she added grimly, 'we need the money.'

Hermione caught Sirius's eye. If it was money that was the problem…

'It's not just the money,' said Ron hurriedly. 'No one wants to go back to the level of hiding we did at the end of the war, and dad's no different. But he thinks he'd have a hard time getting another job. Unemployment's bad.'

As change-of-subjects went, Hermione rather wished she hadn't picked that one. It was effective, though, and Ginny looked in better spirits the next day when Hermione saw her and Harry leave for the Lupins'.

Hermione finished writing her answer to "How might one identify the Chagarins Plant when in a defensive disguise?" It was one of the practise questions Pomona had handed out to them.

'Sirius,' she said, laying the long-answer question down on top of her pile of completed ones. 'Could you check these for me?'

Sirius had traded his bike for working on the third floor corridor today. He wiped paint-spotted hands on jeans Kreacher would have to work to clean and set his paintbrush in the tray. Ducking an enchanted roller, he trod over to where Hermione was sitting on the floor just outside their room and sat down next to her. He picked up two of Hermione's completed questions.

'Instructions for tending an injured Frangible Garooter,' he read off of one. 'Mione,' he said, looking up at her, 'I know only about as much for this as you do.' He looked back at Hermione's small writing. 'Likely less about it than you do,' he amended, flipping the parchment over to see where the writing continued onto the back.

'I'm not sure about that,' Hermione contradicted. 'We only tended the Frangible Garooter once, and it wasn't injured – well, not until it tried to kill us and we got a little rough.'

Despite his protestations, Sirius gave the answered questions a read. He made a thoughtful hum, scratching behind his ear, as he handed the one on the Chagarins Plant back to Hermione.

'And it hates the cold,' he told her. 'Use Chilling Charms. It's easier to use that on them when they're trying to bludgeon you than going in search of their roots anyway.'

Hermione stiffened, then huffed, flattening the question to the textbook in front of her and adding the point with a large star to make it stand out.

'It's not that big of a deal, Mione,' Sirius said, amused, as he watched Hermione underline the point as well.

'It could well be the difference between an "E" and an "O"!' she contradicted brusquely. 'And why you got an "O" on your Herbology NEWT!'

'I don't think we had that question in our exam…'

Hermione glared at him and Sirius suppressed a grin. He lowered his gaze to reading through Hermione's answer to the next question. Hermione watched him intently.

'Perfect,' he said, handing it over when he was done. '"O"-grade worthy.'

'Don't humour me!' Hermione grumbled, peering down at her answer, searching it for any mistakes or omissions.

'I'm not,' Sirius chuckled, shifting himself behind her. 'It's fine, Hermione.'

Hermione sighed as his fingers tightened around the stiff muscles in her shoulders. He pinched them for a second, then started kneading.

'Thanks, Sirius,' Hermione said, more calmly. 'I didn't mean to snap…'

'That's okay.'

'… Are you using a massage to hide the fact that you're laughing at me?'

Hermione could almost feel Sirius shake with chuckles. He cleared his throat.

'By the way,' he said softly, 'your hair is a mess.'

Hermione groaned. She leant back into his hands.

'I look a bit mad, do I?' she asked.

'And very sexy.'

Hermione let her eyes shut. Sirius's fingers were doing a wonderful job working the knots out of her neck.

'You're good at that,' she murmured.

'I,' Sirius said, 'actually have strength in my fingers.'

'How exactly,' Hermione asked, 'am I supposed to strengthen my fingers?'

'Oh I'm sure if you looked you'd find someone who offers finger aerobics classes.'

Hermione snickered.

'Do they provide little finger warmers as part of it?'

'Along with hand leotards,' Sirius confirmed. 'Offered in several different colours so you can coordinate.'

'Pastel colours?' Hermione guessed.

'And pea green and burnt orange.'

Giggling, Hermione prompted, 'Lunch?'

'Yup,' Sirius agreed.

Kreacher was in the kitchen when they reached it, but he left halfway through to attend to windows he'd noticed weren't up to his approved standard of clean. There weren't too many dishes to wash once they'd finished their meal. Knowing she was risking Kreacher's disdain, Hermione piled them next to the sink and started filling it with soapy water.

'Why do you do it the Muggle way?' Sirius asked, leaning against the worktop beside her.

Hermione thought about it as she scrubbed a plate clean.

'I'm used to it,' she said, setting the clean plate on the other side of the sink. 'And… it's more peaceful than having dishes fly about the air. There are too many opportunities for them to fall and smash.'

Sirius caught up a tea towel and started drying the washed plates.

'But you can just repair them if they do,' he said logically.

'I couldn't when I was growing up,' Hermione said. 'That's not something that's easy to let go of: being flustered by a breaking dish.'

Sirius nodded thoughtfully, picking up the next plate to dry it. It didn't take long to finish the washing up. Hermione turned around from putting away the last of the crockery and found a bashful smile. Leant against the sink, Sirius was watching her.

'What?' she asked. But she knew what. She recognised the look in Sirius's eye.

'Come here.'

'Oh?' Hermione said. 'And what are you going to do if I oblige?'

'Take advantage of an empty kitchen,' Sirius answered simply.

'How?'

Sirius's eyes crinkled.

'By snogging you senseless.' He gave her an innocent look. 'If that's all right with you?'

Snickering, Hermione crossed to him, walking straight into his arms. That sounded good to her. And as he held her waist, bending down to reach her lips with his, it felt very good too. The butterflies were back, flooding into Hermione's torso. There was something about doing this outside their private room that reminded her just how exciting it was – how intoxicating, she added, winding her arms around Sirius's neck, he was.

Pulling back a little, Hermione whispered, 'You really like it when my hair's a mess.'

Sirius smiled. He pulled her waist more tightly against him. 'I like a lot of things,' he murmured, and found her mouth again, kissing her wantonly, Hermione holding his head down with tight arms; his tongue sliding inside her mouth warming her much further down.

His hands lowered on her waist, then raised, the strokes inching her top up. The cool air of the kitchen tickled Hermione's belly. It contrasted distractingly with the warmth of Sirius's hands as they slid onto her bare skin, then trailed up.

Hermione cooed as his thumbs found her nipples through the soft fabric of her bra. His erection was hard against her abdomen.

'We can't,' she breathed, pressing herself against it, 'have sex in the kitchen, Sirius…'

Sirius's released lips dropped to her neck. He sucked gently on it.

'Why not?' he said, voice seductively deep, his lips tracing the skin just over her pulse point. 'No one's around.' He sucked a little just under her ear. 'We've shagged in the sitting room… and…' The words 'other rooms…' were the last he spoke, coaxing, before he met her lips again.

Hermione moaned. Her hand moved down, without being directed to, and massaged him through his jeans. Sirius took the fondle, standing still, for only a moment. Grabbing her sides again he spun them around and pressed Hermione against the worktop. Abruptly, his hands strong on her skin, Hermione was hoisted up and deposited on top of it.

It put a distance between them – a distance that felt too much, despite the lips that had reclaimed hers. Hermione put her hands to the work surface, pushing against it to wriggle forwards. Her fingers felt lukewarm dishwater. She broke away, looking for the plug chain; snagged it and tossed the released plug behind the taps. That done, she returned to Sirius, catching his shoulders and scooting her backside towards him.

He was watching her with amusement.

'I'm insulted,' he said, just loudly enough to be heard over the gurgle of draining water. 'I thought I'd distracted you more than that.'

Giggling, Hermione tugged his mouth back to hers. Sirius wasn't that insulted. He pulled her hips flush against him, Hermione's legs splayed around him and a hard bulge an almost satisfying pressure between them. Her head tilted, his tongue re-entering her mouth – swirling with hers, Hermione's fingers threading through his hair as Sirius's hand returned to her breast, rolling a nipple… Stroking the bare skin of her side… tickling fingers over her belly under her bunched up top.

Hermione's hands dropped from his head. Pressed flat to his skin, she shoved them past his belt, down the back of his jeans and pulled against his trunks-covered buttocks, trying to press him harder against the needy heat between her legs; her hips starting to move against the hard package he had there. Sirius groaned quietly. His hands grew more insistent, one shoving the cup of her bra down; Hermione moaning as his fingers took her bared nipple and twiddled it –

'WHOA!'

Hermione hadn't even opened her eyes before she felt cool air take the place of where Sirius had been, his hand yanking her top back down as he jumped away. Stunned, Hermione stared toward the doorway. There were four figures there – five if she counted the baby – Remus and Tonks with Teddy, and, in front of them…

Hermione sprang off the kitchen worktop, hasty hands doing the best they could to pull the cup of her bra back over her breast as she hunched away from the unwelcome intruders. Ginny may have been grinning widely, but Harry looked like he'd been hit in the head with an albatross. This was not how they'd wanted him to find out.

'That – what?' Harry spluttered then, a second later, added a hasty and very bamboozled, 'I'm… sorry.'

It felt like Hermione's skin was boiling – like the kitchen had reached a hundred degrees in the space of a second. She stumbled for a response, but her thoughts were broken off by Ginny's peal of laughter.

'How polite!' Ginny cackled. 'You know you're supposed to just leave the room, right? Without saying anything!'

It was a bit rich, coming from someone who was just standing there in the room as well. It took Hermione a moment longer to be able to look over at the four insurgents. Ginny was trying to quash her laughter. Tonks was doing a decent job of keeping her snickers quiet. And Remus looked mild as ever, his attention on Teddy. For an immensely painful second, no one said anything.

'Er…' Harry uttered, eyes focused on something behind Hermione. 'Sirius?'

That was a good point. Hermione looked around for where Sirius had gone. She saw him at the far end of the kitchen, facing away from them, his hands resting on the worktop as he leant over it.

'Ahm…' Sirius breathed. 'Just… give me a second.'

And that was that for Hermione. Feeling rather hysterical, she slumped against the pantry door and chortled into her hands. She wasn't the only one. Harry uttered a small 'Oh…' as Tonks and Ginny started snickering all over again. The poor man did display a rather prominent bulge even when wearing jeans.

'Think unsexy thoughts Padfoot,' Remus suggested pleasantly.

'Fuck you Remus,' Sirius muttered back.

'My aim,' Remus said, 'was merely to aid.'

'You could have aided,' Sirius retorted, 'by not letting everyone waltz unannounced into this room!'

'And how was I to know this room was being used as anything other than a kitchen?' Remus countered.

'You know bloody well how!' Sirius grumbled, gripping the worktop in front of him more tightly.

'I do apologise,' said Remus lightly. 'It seems my wolf senses were upwind today.'

'Fuck you Remus,' Sirius repeated, with more ire.

'Ah,' said Remus, 'perhaps not. I feel that may make our friendship awkward, going forward.'

Sirius was silent for a second, his body very still. He squared his shoulders and pushed off from the worktop. He took another second to turn around.

'You knew?' Harry said.

Hermione glanced over to see him looking at Remus.

'Yeah, he did,' Tonks said for Remus, wiping tears of mirth out of her eyes. 'Course he did. He knows everything.' She appraised Harry's stare and went on, 'And don't look at us like that. We decided to stay out of it – let them tell you themselves.'

Sirius had stepped up beside Hermione. Rather than reach for her, he'd stuffed his hands in his pockets.

'This wasn't,' he said quietly, 'how… we wanted you to find out.'

Harry met his eyes. He hadn't even glanced to Hermione.

'Do I want to know what I'm going to find out?' Harry asked flatly.

Sirius swallowed.

'Maybe not,' he answered.

'Oh – come on!' Ginny complained. 'What's the big deal? It's not like anyone's announcing they're dying.'

Breaking his long stare with Sirius, Harry looked to her.

'Did you know?' he asked, rather vehemently.

'No I didn't,' Ginny told him, unaffected. 'But – I mean really. If it was a secret it was pretty poorly kept. You only had to look at them to see how gooey-eyed they were.'

'I just…' Harry shook his head. He glanced back to Sirius, a frown pinching his features. 'Thought you were getting along.'

'Not just getting along,' Hermione admitted quietly. For the first time, Harry acknowledged her presence. It didn't last long. His eyes were back on Sirius when Hermione added, 'We… couldn't work out how to tell you.'

'If you have any idea how to tell your godson you've fallen for his school friend,' Sirius said quietly – defeatedly, 'let me know, because I haven't got a clue.' Chewing her lip, Hermione looked up at him. His cheeks were slack. It made his beautiful grey eyes look sunken, as though he was suddenly much older. 'Except,' Sirius added, his voice rough, 'to have never done it in the first place.'

Harry's frown had lessened. It just made him look more stunned.

'Fallen for?' he repeated.

Sirius nodded, his expression completely serious. Not just sex, Hermione supplied silently, her fingers fidgeting around her wedding band.

'Yes,' Sirius confirmed.

Harry nodded a little. He cleared his throat.

'How long?' he asked.

'About,' Hermione said, 'a month and a half… or… a few days… I guess… it depends on what you want to count from…'

The silence stretched. Tentatively, Hermione slipped her hand around Sirius's wrist. He looked down at it. It wasn't immediate, but, as Hermione waited with bated breath, he did withdraw his hand from his pocket and clasped hers. He wasn't backing out. Hermione gave his hand a tight squeeze.

Ginny clicked her tongue.

'Oh – it's sweet, Harry!' she groaned. 'Well,' she said when Harry, stood still and silent, didn't respond, 'I'm happy for them, at least. You don't have a problem with these two,' she added, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. Tonks's eyebrows lifted.

The answer there was obvious, though. Remus wasn't Harry's godfather.

'Yeah, well,' said Tonks, 'we never did intend to have a monopoly on age differences.'

'Not,' Harry said suddenly, those bright green eyes seeming to bore into Hermione, 'studying Arithmancy, then?'

Hermione's heart picked up its pace. It seemed to be fluttering in her chest. And then – she couldn't help it: she started laughing again.

'Not Arithmancy, no,' she admitted, feeling crazed, 'but anatom–'

Sirius reacted faster than Hermione could ever deflect. He'd thrown a hand over her mouth and was holding her against him, shutting her up as thoroughly as he could. He was staring down at her, as uneasy as Hermione had ever seen him. But she was happy. She was very happy, and she clung to him as she snorted with laughter.

'Oh… my god,' Harry uttered. It was the first time Hermione had heard him use that expression. She laughed harder, hanging off Sirius, watching Harry cross to a chair, pull it out, and drop into it.

Only warily did Sirius release Hermione's mouth. She took a steadying breath.

'Oh, for heaven's sake!' she said, suddenly quite irritated, treating Harry to a solid look. 'If you must know, I've hardly been innocent in this whole thing – so there's no point you staring at Sirius like he's committed some cardinal sin – while I've been standing here, right next to him, hoping your judgement isn't going to make him turn his back on me again out of sheer unease at the inappropriateness of it – which we are aware of, we are, and I'm sorry you found out this way, but I'm happy – Sirius is happy, or, at least he was until a few minutes ago –'

'Hermione,' Sirius muttered warningly.

'And I'm tired of having that jeopardised!' Hermione finished. 'It's exhausting!' Pinching her lips together she breathed heavily out of her nose.

Harry gazed back at her, the look more listless than anything else. He'd rested his arm on the table. He glanced down at his elbow now. Cautiously, lifted his arm back off it.

'Do tell me,' he said, 'that you haven't done anything on the table – or, rather yet, just tell me which rooms in this house I should never enter again.'

There was a beat of silence, then Sirius said, 'Word of advice: never ask that question of anyone at all, or you'll avoid every room in every house you ever enter.'

Ginny's eyes widened.

'I'm never going home,' she breathed.

'That…' Harry said slowly, 'was not the answer I wanted.'

'Okay,' condescended Sirius, 'then: just our bedroom.'

Harry took that with an absent-minded nod. He didn't put his elbow back on the table. He watched Sirius for a second.

'You're happy,' he said. It didn't sound like a question.

Sirius had left a loose arm around Hermione's back.

'I am,' he answered softly and Harry nodded again.

Remus flinched a little as Tonks elbowed him.

'Told you!' she hissed.

Sirius cleared his throat.

'So what are you two doing here?' he asked conversationally.

Tonks shrugged.

'Bored of sitting at home,' she answered. 'Decided we'd show off Ted's ability to just push himself up onto all fours. And Remus wanted to retrieve the robes he leant you.'

'Sure you want them back?' Sirius asked Remus. 'I could barely stand them – they were itchier than my beard.'

'You never said they were itchy,' Tonks said, frowning at the werewolf as Ginny, likewise frowning, looked to Harry. 'Are beards itchy?' she asked him.

'I would,' Remus confirmed, speaking to Sirius, and Harry answered, sounding a lot like his life had been turned upside down and it was very trying, 'I'm eighteen! I barely grow a beard at all!'

'Enjoy that while it lasts.'

Curiously, it was neither of the older men who had said this. Everyone turned to look at Tonks. She smiled genteelly, scrunched up her face, and, within seconds, had become a perfect replica – her bright purple robes looking very small and bizarre on her – of Remus. Or, an exact replica but for the wiry greying beard she was sporting. She gave her chin a scratch.

'Itchy,' she confirmed, her voice not Remus's, but her own.

Looking disconcerted, Remus took a step away from her.

'How perfect an imitation is that?' Ginny asked curiously.

Tonks grinned.

'Down to the last hair!' she said proudly. She snickered at Remus. 'Give me a kiss?' she prompted him.

Remus did not look so inclined.

'No, thank you, Dora,' he declined politely as even Sirius cracked a smile. 'I am happy to not have that experience.'

Tonks put her hands on her hips.

'Wasn't it you,' she said pointedly, 'that said you liked me however I looked?'

'I believe the purpose of me saying that,' said Remus, 'was that I liked you looking like you.'

'And now I look like you!' Tonks said buoyantly. 'Aw – come on!' She shimmied her shoulders. 'How many people can say they've kissed themselves?'

'Preferably not me,' Remus told her. But Tonks pouted (which was about as strange a thing to see Remus do as a shimmy) and he sighed. 'Don't look,' he muttered to his son, shielding the boy's eyes. With the room sniggering around him, Remus stepped forward to peck Tonks on the cheek. She turned her head at the last second, grabbed the sides of his face, and planted a full – hairy – kiss on his lips.

When she released him Remus stumbled back, looking highly disturbed.

'And that is something,' he uttered, 'I never want to do again.'

Tonks laughed heartily.

'Oh, no,' she said teasingly. 'Now I've seen how you react I'm doing this all the time! When you wake up in the morning, when you're sipping tea, when you're coming out of the shower… when I'm breastfeeding…'

Remus looked pained. He turned and strode over to the table.

'Mind if I join you, Harry?' he asked, drawing out a chair and taking a seat, hiding Teddy against the front of his robes. 'I find the other side of the room a distressing place to remain.'

Hermione had to hand it to Tonks: it had been the most effective distraction she had ever seen. Harry was chuckling faintly. He shook his head.

'Feel free,' he invited Remus. 'Just probably don't touch the table.'

'We didn't do anything on the table,' Hermione assured him as Tonks reverted to her normal state. 'Honestly, Harry. It's fine.'

Harry gave the table a suspect look.

'We didn't,' Sirius confirmed, leaving Hermione's side to see Teddy. He leant down to be nearer eye level with the little boy. 'Getting ready to crawl?' he asked Teddy. 'Let's see?'

Remus did nothing to stop Sirius taking Teddy's hand, but he did recoil slightly, looking uneasily up at Sirius.

'What are you planning to do?' he asked Sirius.

Sirius quirked an eyebrow at him.

'Take Teddy,' he answered, lifting the boy under the arms. Quick as a flash, Sirius ducked in and smacked a sneaky peck against Remus's cheek.

'Oo-argh!' Remus almost squealed, twisting away from Sirius and leaping to his feet. He rubbed his cheek, glowering at Sirius. 'I do not see why,' he grumbled, 'you'd be possessed to aid Dora's attempts.'

Entirely unconcerned, Sirius settled Teddy against him. He leant against the table.

'It's like you invite being freaked out,' he told Remus, breaking into a grin. 'You've got to let loose a bit more, Moony-pie. You're too uptight. And that,' he added, turning around and lowering Teddy belly-first onto the table, 'was payback.'

He watched Teddy for a bit. Hermione had followed him over. The baby glanced up at her, head lifted, his small body propped up on his elbows. He didn't seem interested in getting up onto all fours.

'I've got your robes,' Sirius told Remus. 'And your trousers. They're upstairs. Actually,' he glanced to Hermione and shifted sideways, as though prompting her to take over making sure the baby didn't fall off the table, 'I can go get them now.'

Teddy didn't look like he was about to cry… but even so. And Hermione was starting to feel strange standing between Sirius and Harry.

'I'll get them,' she offered. 'They're in your wardrobe?'

'I'll come too,' said Tonks. 'Make sure we get the right ones.'

It sounded like an excuse. Sirius shifted momentarily nearer Hermione.

'Bedside drawer,' he breathed, very quietly, to her. 'Slip in robes pocket.'

Unsure what he was indicating, Hermione nodded all the same. She'd check his bedside drawer and possibly slip something in a robes pocket.

It wasn't just Tonks who followed Hermione out of the kitchen. Ginny came too. Hermione was halfway along the ground floor when she noticed she was alone. She looked around and was met by a pointed look from Tonks. The colourful witch waved Hermione back and turned to tiptoe a bit nearer the kitchen stairs, Ginny, likewise on tiptoes, moving to crouch down by the wall.

Quietly, Hermione joined them and squatted down.

'I want to see,' Tonks whispered, 'what men talk about alone.'

Out of her pocket, Tonks had pulled three Extendable Ears. Hermione eyed the one she was being passed dubiously, unsure this was a good idea. But Ginny was already sticking the end of one in her ear and Hermione couldn't deny she was curious.

They were the Undetectable Extendable Ears, the one Hermione was using disappearing the moment she'd pressed the end in place. She sent it to snake down to the kitchen and listened hard.

She heard nothing. Ginny wasn't catching anything either, the girl frowning after the Ears. But they were working, because, after a moment, there was the sound of a chair being pulled out and someone moving around. Humour was growing in Tonks's face. She shared a look with Hermione: maybe men really didn't talk about anything at all.

But the silence didn't last.

'So…' Harry said.

'Mm…' responded Sirius.

The two fell back into silence. Tonks's lips were pinched together, holding back a laugh. Hermione could sympathise: it was a tremendous start to a conversation. Hermione's amusement died the moment Sirius spoke up again.

'If you want to hit me, feel free.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. It seemed Harry shared her sentiment.

'I'm not going to hit you,' Harry said, exasperated. 'Don't be an idiot.'

Sirius grunted.

'My aim was more,' he said wryly, 'to be able to tell her dad you've already done it.'

Harry snorted.

'Her dad's not going to hit you either.'

'I wouldn't be so sure,' said Remus airily. 'Were she my daughter, I'd hit him.'

'Thanks Remus,' Sirius said flatly. 'Always knew I could count on your support.'

Remus chuckled.

'No, I'm just…' Harry hesitated. 'Surprised,' he finished.

Sirius sighed. Halfway through it sounded more like a groan.

'I have no idea what I'm doing,' he muttered.

Hermione's breath caught.

'What?' Harry said. 'You'd better!' he went on irritably. 'You can't just use her and–'

'That's not what I meant,' Sirius said, cutting Harry off. 'And I'm not – I meant I haven't a clue how to be a husband.'

Tonks and Ginny looked over at Hermione. Hermione kept her eyes down, a flush in her cheeks. Sirius admitting it to her was one thing…

'A…' Harry uttered, surprised. He didn't finish, and Sirius didn't need him to.

'I am,' he said significantly. 'We are married.'

'Yeah, but…'

'And I don't plan on pretending we're not.'

'Bit… fast, isn't it?'

'Probably. Not interested in changing it, though.'

Harry made a little grunt of a noise.

'Look,' he said, 'so long as…'

'I'm good to her?'

'And she's…' Harry paused. 'Well, I guess it takes two to…'

'Have wild sex?'

'Yes,' Harry deadpanned. 'Have wild sex – thank you Sirius,' he said facetiously, 'that was exactly what I wanted to be thinking about.'

Sirius chuckled. What was left in the wake of that was silence. Teddy tried to break it, and Sirius congratulated him for something.

'At what point,' Harry said finally, 'do you think they'll have to cap the maximum speed of racing brooms for official matches?'

'Well,' said Sirius, 'functional issues will keep speed capped for a while – there's only so fast they can currently make a Flying Charm.'

'Beyond that,' said Remus, 'the forces the players would experience would be exorbitant if speeds faster than the Firebolt were achieved. Players would start losing consciousness on dives and turns.'

Now Hermione was snickering: Quidditch.

'No way,' countered Sirius. 'A good player can deal with that. The bigger issue is that the spectators wouldn't be able to see what was going on.'

Shaking her head, Hermione tugged her Extendable Ear back in and plucked it out of her ear. She returned it to Tonks who was doing the same. They turned to Ginny. Ginny was still listening hard. She held up a stalling hand when Tonks prodded her on the shoulder. It took her a minute longer to pull her Ear back in. Nodding, she stood up and handed her Ear back to Tonks.

'Yeah,' she breathed, 'Faster speeds would quickly become less of a selling point if no one got any excitement out of watching a match.'

They waited until they'd snuck silently up the ground floor corridor and reached the first floor before speaking again.

'You have a husband!' Ginny, grinning broadly, hissed at Hermione.

Grabbing the handrail and flushing all over again, Hermione ran on ahead of her.

'And you like it!' Ginny laughed after her. 'And you were the one sitting there going no, no, I don't find him attractive at all…'

'Sorry we interrupted!' Tonks chimed in, her and Ginny hurrying after Hermione. 'That looked good!'

'So,' Ginny prompted, catching up with Hermione on the second floor, 'you know the rumours about him, right?'

'No!' Hermione said defiantly. 'And I don't want to know them!'

'Aw – pity!' Tonks sniggered. 'I was wanting to hear if they were true!' She shared a look with Ginny. 'From what I saw, damn good lover does seem to fit.'

Hermione turned her back to their teasing, climbing the next flight of stairs. The subject of sex with Sirius was an enormous one, and one she didn't think she could ever explain fully to another person. From the early days of an unwanted tryst, feeling dirty and small, to feeling anything but overpowered – feeling powerful and adored, even when Sirius was very much in control of her body. That was something for Sirius and her to know alone.

'And from the way he needed to hide…' Ginny added significantly.

'He,' Hermione deflected, looking to Tonks, 'is your uncle! And your,' Hermione went on, pointing at Ginny, 'boyfriend's godfather!'

Ginny grinned back at her.

'And your best friend's godfather,' she pointed out. 'Who's twenty years older than you. If you want us to forget that, then you can't hold it against us!'

'So how'd it go?' Tonks asked. 'I saw that hug when he got back from the mission. Did he say it, or you?'

More slowly, Hermione led the climb to the third floor.

'I did,' she admitted.

'And?' Tonks prompted, stopping and waiting for an answer.

Hermione turned around.

'It was… awful,' she said quietly, 'and then… he relented, and it was wonderful.'

'Relented?' Ginny asked.

'Too old,' Tonks provided helpfully.

Hermione sucked the inside of her lip.

'He feels it's wrong,' she explained.

Ginny nodded. She shared a look with Tonks.

'It's like some stupid nobility thing,' she commented, and Tonks snorted, rolling her eyes.

'Misplaced nobility,' Tonks named. 'That leaves you sobbing your heart out.'

Ginny hummed irritably.

'You know,' she said conversationally, 'I always thought the man would make the first move. But they don't, do they?'

'Well,' said Tonks, leaning against the balustrade, 'at least they come back.' They stewed on that thought for a second. If Hermione had once spent many years feeling lonely, she didn't now. Far from it. 'Will your dad mind?' Tonks asked, looking up at Hermione.

'I don't think so,' she said. 'He'll be angry that I… took away their memories and sent them to Australia, but… I think they'll trust my judgement – he and my mum.'

'Harry's right,' said Ginny. 'It's stupid – the whole her father's going to punch me thing is stupid.'

'It isn't,' said Tonks, giving Ginny a significant look. 'My dad was kind as could be – gentle. But the moment me and Remus turned up on their doorstep he grilled Remus to within an inch of his life. Which, of course, Remus took as him disapproving of me marrying a werewolf, rather than what dad was actually angry about: that Remus had broken my heart about twenty times.'

'Yeah,' said Ginny, 'but Sirius hasn't broken Hermione's heart. And,' she added, 'he's pretty much the reason she's not facing a worse fate. If my parents are anything to go by, saving their kid does a lot to endear them to the chap.'

Tonks tilted her head one way and then the other.

'I donno,' she said. 'Remus has pulled me out of a number of sticky situations, and dad knew that.'

'But Remus was a bit of an arse,' pointed out Ginny.

Tonks gave a single laugh. She sat down on a step.

'You know what I find amusing?' she said, leaning against a bannister. 'How men do their whole I hate drama bull, and then, the moment they actually love a girl, they're the ones who are dramatic! They act like an arse, and then, once you blow up at them for it, they burst into tears – but that's not the end of it. Rather than have a cry and feel better, they just stay feeling like the world's biggest prick – and then,' she finished emphatically, 'you're the one who has to comfort them!'

Hermione didn't feel like she had enough experience to relate. She'd sat down too, Ginny following suit a little further down the staircase. The redhead seemed to be considering Tonks's words. She cracked a smile and looked up at Hermione.

'McLaggen?' she prompted.

It stirred the memory. Hermione nodded. Cormac McLaggen had made her listen to his "girl drama is stupid" monologue. And Sirius had… if not burst into tears, he had cried.

'Tosser?' Tonks guessed.

'Not really,' Hermione answered. Other than making her feel very uncomfortable when he'd taken things a bit too far at Slughorn's Christmas party, McLaggen hadn't actually hurt her. She hadn't cared about him enough for him to. 'Just… immature, I think.'

Tonks nodded.

'You know we were worried about you two,' she told Hermione. 'After Sirius came back. I kept asking Remus to go and check on you – or, mostly Sirius. He did, finally,' she grinned, 'and Kreacher told him you two were locked up in your room and he shouldn't bother you, but that Sirius was all smiles. So Remus came home.'

Ginny gave Hermione a look Hermione didn't meet. Hermione buried her head in her hands.

'Anatomy, eh?' Ginny chuckled. When Hermione sent her fingers into her hair Ginny laughed. 'You said it!'

Hermione didn't lift her head. She felt Ginny grab her arm and give it a tug.

'You do love him,' Ginny said when Hermione met her eyes, 'don't you?'

Sirius… Sirius was a big ball of hot, drowning feeling in Hermione's chest. A perpetual energy machine of it – though always needing to be with him for it to be powered. Eager for it, in a way Hermione could barely stand; unless she was in his arms – and then everything was perfect. Pinching her lips, she nodded.

'Aww!' Ginny laughed. 'That's so cute!' She gave Hermione's arm a pointed shake. 'So when did you admit he was sexy as hell?'

Tonks laughed and Hermione ducked her head back into her hands.

'You were the last one!' Ginny cackled at her. 'Even Harry admits it!'

'Harry thinks Sirius is sexy as hell?' Hermione asked, voice flat.

'Well, not in those words.'

'Women fall at his feet,' Tonks sniggered. 'You've seen it! Oh – hang on, were you two already coupled up when we went to that Muggle shop?'

Hermione groaned, crossing her arms over her head. She heard the other two laughing at her.

'She was staring at his butt,' Tonks informed Ginny.

'It is,' Hermione said primly, 'a very nice backside.'

She emerged as the other two cried with laugher.

'And he loves you too,' Ginny stated, giving Hermione a solid look.

'Oh, he does,' Tonks whispered conspiratorially. 'His Patronus is hers!'

'You're kidding?'

Tonks shook her head.

Ginny pulled a considering face. She glanced at Hermione.

'Be glad,' she said, 'for that ring you have on his finger. It might deter a few sex-crazed ladies.'

Hermione looked down at her ring. She twisted it around her finger. She was glad for her own.

'Has he said it?' Tonks asked.

Hermione nodded.

'Said it,' Tonks clarified, 'or shouted it?'

'Said it,' Hermione confirmed. Sirius had only sort-of shouted that he loved her.

'You got the shout?' Ginny guessed, looking at Tonks.

'Yeah, I did,' Tonks said, rubbing the side of her face. 'It was an interesting night. What about you?' she asked Ginny.

'Said,' Ginny answered. 'In a confounded sort of way…'

Hermione glanced inquisitively at her.

'He just sat up,' Ginny explained, 'looked confused, and said it.' She shrugged. 'It was sweet. Like he could only half believe it – it actually sounded like he'd asked me if he loved me. It was right after…' Now Ginny was the one blushing. 'I'd finally lost my virginity to him.'

That was interesting. Hermione frowned at her. She'd thought that moment had been a lot earlier for Ginny. She'd actually thought it had been with someone else. But Ginny met her eye and nodded.

'I thought,' Ginny said, 'he'd come right back to me after Voldemort. But he didn't. It was only after he visited the Veil and brought… you lot back.'

'I was of the impression,' Hermione said, 'he would have talked to you… right after. He hid from me for about a week, but…'

Ginny shook her head.

'About a week,' she confirmed. 'He finally let me in… He was pretty broken. And I just held him until… well, you can guess.' She shrugged. 'It was good, just… emotional.'

'It sounds nice,' said Tonks. 'You'll think fondly on that. Better than how I lost my virginity.'

They both looked at her. Rather like Sirius, Tonks did have a way of becoming the centre of attention – often when a distraction was wanted. Tonks gave them an admitting smile.

'How?' Ginny prompted shortly.

'In a kid's playground,' Tonks said, 'at midnight. On the slide. Which was wet. And it was freezing – drizzling. I was fifteen.'

'Oooh,' Ginny cringed. 'Oh no…'

'Oh yeah,' Tonks said. 'It was bad.'

'Who was the guy?' Ginny asked.

Tonks laughed.

'I don't remember his name,' she admitted. 'But I'll be happy to never see him again. It was pretty quick.'

'A good thing?' Ginny guessed. Tonks shrugged. 'Maybe,' Ginny went on, 'he was worried about being caught in a park with an underage girl.'

Tonks bit her lip. She lifted one shoulder.

'I didn't look fifteen at the time.'

'You…' Hermione trailed off. She nodded. 'Morphed?'

Tonks pressed her lips together.

'It was my modus operandi,' she said. 'Before… Remus.'

'Wait,' Ginny shifted on her seat. 'What? You were always morphed before him?'

'Maybe not entirely,' Tonks said. 'My flaws, though… Unless… I wanted to look like someone who wasn't me. Or… the guy wanted me to look like someone else…'

Hermione moved down a step. Frowning, she took in Tonks's lowered gaze.

'Remus,' Hermione spoke quietly, 'wanted to see you as you…'

'Yeah,' Tonks breathed.

'Hang on,' Ginny said heatedly. 'There were blokes who wanted you just because you could look like anyone?'

Tonks picked at a bit of fluff on her robes.

'Who wouldn't?' she asked.

'Someone who's worth it!' Ginny said vehemently.

Tonks smiled a little.

'That'd be my Remus.'

Ginny stared to Hermione. Hermione returned the look. Turning away, she slipped an arm around Tonks's shoulders. The pink-haired witch swiped away a single tear.

'He even got annoyed,' Tonks murmured, 'when I did morph away the ugly bits. Wanted to see me, not how I could make myself look…' Ginny shifted closer and patted her back. 'I'd never experienced that before,' Tonks went on, speaking to her lap. 'And he… never wanted me to be anything different.'

'So my first time,' Ginny said lightly, 'was pretty damn good!'

Tonks laughed.

'And your first time with Remus…' Ginny prompted.

'Mind-blowing!' Tonks chuckled.

They looked to Hermione.

'I think,' Hermione said, voice low, skirting the subject, 'he is rather well-endowed…'

It would have been an interesting scene for any of the kitchen-contained men to have walked in on: all three of them laughing stupidly on the stairs.

'Well,' chortled Tonks, 'he is cocky!'

And they laughed harder.

'Aw, bloody hell,' Ginny sniggered, once they'd gotten up and followed Hermione into her and Sirius's bedroom. She wiped her eyes clear. 'I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him the same!'

'Yeah,' Hermione returned, 'well I've been Harry! How do you think I feel?'

Hermione opened Sirius's wardrobe. Ginny was just behind her. She peered over Hermione's shoulder.

'Well I can tell that's Sirius's,' she remarked.

It wasn't just the male clothes. On the other side of the bedroom was Hermione's stuff: books stacked neatly on her trunk, her wardrobe organised the way any normal person would organise it. Sirius's was… Well, he had his own system – which no one else (particularly Hermione) understood. But at least his clustered kerfuffle was contained within the wardrobe and not scattered across the room. Ginny had known Hermione for a long time, though.

'Doesn't it bug you?' she asked knowingly.

'It is not,' Hermione said, rather gratefully, 'as bad as Harry's room.'

'You think Harry's is bad,' Ginny laughed. 'You should have seen Charlie's!'

Hermione had seen Fred and George's bedroom when they'd still lived at the Burrow. If Charlie's had been worse than that, she was glad she hadn't seen it. She found Remus's clothes quickly and shut the wardrobe doors. Curiously, she looked down at the two drawers below the main part of the wardrobe. She'd never actually gone looking through Sirius's things. The top one, she knew, contained pyjama bottoms she hadn't seen Sirius wear and his pants and socks.

Giving in, Hermione opened the lower drawer just a little. It was an interesting assortment of items that was strewn within it. What looked like two thick ledgers were stacked to the side with Sirius's copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and its sequel piled beside them. In addition to that there was an old Quality Street chocolates tin, a pocket knife, another, larger knife in a leather sheath, one bottle of cologne (something Sirius didn't wear), a stack of papers and several magazines with motorbikes on them, what looked like army dog tags on a chain, a Ministry name card with "Sirius Black – Trainee Auror" written on it, a teddy bear with the words "World's Greatest Godfather" on its belly, a watch, and, interestingly, a copy of Wuthering Heights.

Hermione frowned into it. There was a lot she wanted to know about this drawer.

'What are you looking for?' Tonks asked. Ginny had sat down on the floor by her legs and was leaning back against the side of the bed.

'Something…' Hermione lied, 'Sirius wanted me to find…'

She picked up the watch. Sirius had said he didn't have one… Hermione had certainly never seen him wear it. It was golden and looked finely made, though the glass covering the face was cracked. Hermione peered into it, tilting the watch to catch the light, but hard as she looked for them, there were no hands to show the time. Going to put it back in the drawer, something on the underside caught Hermione's attention. She flipped the watch over and spotted an engraving. Every fine young man deserves a watch, Hermione read. Under that were the words Love, the Potters.

Hermione put the watch back and shut the drawer. It was Sirius's fragmented past, and, like it always did, it made her sad. She stood up and moved over to his bedside table. She found what Sirius had asked her to in the top drawer.

It was filled, so well it shone gold glints on the wall, with galleons; only a few sickles and knuts interspersed. Half-buried in the pond of gold was a purse, the top drawn tight with a drawstring. Unless Hermione had read Sirius incorrectly, he wanted her to stick the purse in Remus's robes pocket.

'Lord,' Tonks muttered, seeing what Hermione was over her shoulder. 'I don't think I've ever had that much gold in my life…'

'He keeps that in his bedside drawer?' Ginny said, astonished.

Sticking the purse in the pocket seemed inappropriate now. Hermione hesitated, feeling uncomfortable. It couldn't be called conspicuous – Sirius had put it in a drawer, after all, not in piles around the house. But it did scream ostentatious wealth all the same. Something Hermione didn't feel entitled to handle for him.

'You are one wealthy woman,' Tonks told her quietly.

Hermione shut her eyes. By Sirius's own admission… she was. Sighing, she plucked out the purse – which was heavier than she thought it would be – and nudged the drawer shut with her knee.

'Here,' she said, holding it out to Tonks. 'Sirius wanted me to hide this in Remus's robes, but I might as well hand it to you.'

Tonks didn't reach out for it. She looked up at Hermione, all laughter gone from her face.

'Consider it,' Hermione suggested softly, 'part of your Black inheritance?'

Tonks let out a long breath. She rubbed her face with both hands.

'We need it,' she admitted dolefully. 'But Remus will kill me if I take that.'

'Are you going back to the Ministry?' Ginny asked.

Tonks gave her head a single shake.

'Not any time soon,' she whispered. 'Remus goes silent every time I mention it. We're running on empty, but he hates the idea of me going back more.'

'Here.' Hermione caught her hand and slipped the purse into it. 'It's no hardship for Sirius – it really isn't. He scratches his head over gold he has no use for. Just… hide it from Remus, maybe? Until… a good time?'

Tonks looked down at the purse in her hands.

'Get him a new pair of robes,' Hermione suggested. 'Ones that aren't itchy. Sirius would be happy if you did.'

'But Remus wouldn't,' Tonks mumbled. 'He went silent for a full two days when he found the one Sirius left in the pantry.'

'But,' Hermione said gently, 'he took the potions from Poppy.'

Tonks nodded. Sighing, she slipped the purse in her pocket. There was an entire drawer full…

'Ginny,' Hermione said, looking to her, 'if you – '

'Don't you dare,' said Ginny. She took a breath, then added, 'At least, not until we really need it. We're okay, right now. Anyway,' she added, looking sad, 'I have Harry. He's doing okay.'

Hermione agreed. She wouldn't push it. It was a more subdued group that returned to the kitchen.

'How,' Harry asked, looking over at them, 'did fetching robes take that long? Where were they? New Zealand?'

Teddy had fallen asleep against his father. It wasn't long before Remus and Tonks headed home, Tonks suggesting it with her fingers twirling gently in the hairs at the nape of Remus's neck. Ginny was quick to offer for her and Harry to walk them out, and, looking confused once more, Harry followed her, leaving Hermione and Sirius alone in the kitchen.

Sirius turned a raised eyebrow on Hermione.

'What in the world,' he said, 'did you three talk about?'

Hermione smiled.

'Things,' she said, getting up from her chair, 'that make us go "aww" and giggle.'

She approached Sirius. Watching her, he let his chair fall back onto all four feet. His hands raised to hold her as Hermione manoeuvred to sit on his lap.

'About Harry, Remus, and me?' Sirius guessed.

'Mmhum.'

His eyes squinted thoughtfully.

'And that puts all three of you in the mood?' he asked.

Hermione pressed a kiss to his cheek. Sirius lifted his head away.

'Hermione…' he protested softly.

'We have the all clear,' Hermione told him. 'What you were dreading is over.'

Grasping her shoulder, Sirius moved back far enough to look into her eyes.

'What do you think?' he asked her seriously. 'You know Harry better than I do.'

'I think,' Hermione answered, resting against his arm, 'that Harry would never stop people he loves from being happy. I think he's glad you're smiling. And I think he's a little… unsettled. But he will get over that. And, anyway, Ginny is with him. He's not thinking about us right now.'

Sirius's eyes crinkled momentarily.

'You know what I've been thinking of?' he said.

'What?'

Sirius smiled amusedly.

'The summer before seventh year,' he said. 'When I was staying with the Potters, James walked in on his parents in… their own time. They were getting up there in years, you know, but I doubt their age mattered to James at all. He ran into my room, slammed the door behind him, and just stood there. Harry looked exactly like James did then. Only James didn't say anything at all for a full half an hour, and then told me, eyes huge, that he needed to get high or drunk, either was acceptable.'

Sirius's grin dispersed. He took a slow breath.

'I've never,' he said softly, 'felt more like his guardian.'

And there was the problem. But Sirius's arms were around Hermione, his face only a few inches away.

'And then,' Sirius went on, 'I felt nothing like that. I felt like no more than his friend.'

Hermione nodded.

'And you are both to him,' she whispered.

Sirius cleared his throat.

'The gold?' he prompted.

'I gave the purse to Tonks,' Hermione answered. 'I couldn't be discrete after I'd opened that drawer. There are hundreds of galleons in there, Sirius. It was obvious. Tonks took it.'

Sirius nodded. He was fine with that. And he did get up, following Hermione upstairs. And whatever mood she was in, he could match it. With the vigour of a secret given up and, mercifully, accepted.

Author's Note

The song they sing together is Escape by Rupert Holmes (or just "The Pina Colada Song").