AN: Nearly 400 followers. Blown away.

Wow when I said this was a slowburn Sirimione I rlly meant it… Did NOT realize it would take longer than 110k+ words to get to this point.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Amortentia

Hermione had dug her heels so deep into the ground as far as responding to Remus went that there was no responding to him at this point.

The morning of their inevitable return to Hogwarts, she carefully stacked all of his letters in a small wooden box and held onto it tightly. She tried to participate in the high energy of breakfast and trip to the Platform, but she was so nervous about seeing Remus that all she could manage were a few smiles and some nervous laughter.

She was determined to get the inevitable conversation out of the way as soon as possible, so as soon as she'd said her goodbyes to Dorea and Charlus and passed her trunk off to James, she made her way on the train.

She fidgeted with her dragon pendant as she made her way up the train, making sure to check every compartment. She found him somewhere in the middle, sitting in the corner with his nose in the book. She studied him through the small glass window for a moment.

He looked closer to how he'd looked when she first met him. He was pale and skinny and looked like he was about to vomit.

Her eyes watered at the sight. She was here to save everyone, and Remus was a part of that. He'd hurt her, but she couldn't imagine living with the guilt of separating Remus from his friends.

She slowly slid the compartment open and shut it behind her. His head flew up and his eyes widened at the sight of her.

Hermione took a deep breath and sat directly in front of him on the edge of the bench. She looked around the compartment, so she wouldn't have to look at him and her knuckles turned white from her grip on the box.

"Hermione…" Remus breathed out like a sigh of relief.

Her eyes finally met his, and she had to blink rapidly so she wouldn't cry. It'd been over a month since she'd seen him, and that thought alone, hurt more than anything.

She sucked in a breath and held it when he started talking again, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I don't even know why I said those things, I was just so angry, and-"

"Remus." She interrupted. He froze and watched as she let go of the box with one hand to tug on one of her curls nervously. She opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped when he started speaking again.

"I shouldn't have broken up with you."

Hermione's eyes widened.

At the look on her face, he continued, "I regretted it as soon as I left you in that room. And I know there's next to no chance you'll take me back, but I love you, Hermione. I can't imagine I'll ever not love you."

Hermione could feel herself melting, but then she remembered what he'd said. He hated who he became when he was dating her, and her heart suddenly felt like something dark and ugly had taken it in its hand and was squeezing it. She thought it was maybe a compound of guilt and grief.

"You can't take it back, Remus."

She looked away from his green eyes that seemed so resigned and placed both of her hands carefully over the box.

"I can't blame you for what you said Remus." She opened the box and ran her fingertips over the letter on the top. "I should've trusted my instincts in the beginning. It wasn't fair to you to let you think I could have any kind of real relationship until the war is over."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Remus said miserably. She imagined how much he must've tortured himself over the past month. How hard the full moon must've been without the rest of the Marauders there. How much he must've been wallowing in his own self hatred over his temper fueled words. Though, she was angry and hurt over him sharing, she knew that the blame wasn't completely on him. Sirius must've said something. Remus's temper, though intense, was never unprovoked. Hermione sniffled and smiled sadly at him.

"There's nothing to forgive, Remus," she whispered.

He looked like he didn't agree with her one bit, but Hermione decided that she wouldn't spend any longer working to convince him. She carefully shut the box and stood with her hand out.

When he just stared at it she said quietly, "I need you as my friend, Remus." He looked up at her, so grateful that Hermione felt that maybe she was doing her part in saving the sad and lonely werewolf. Although she wasn't the one for him, that didn't mean he had to be alone. "I reckon Sirius, James, and Peter need you as well."

That did it, and Remus took her hand and allowed her to pull him down the aisle and towards the compartment all the way at the back that she knew the other three would be occupying.

When they stepped through the other three gave astonished looks for maybe a second before they all broke into grins. Hermione released his hand and took her place on the bench in between Sirius and James.

Soon the four boys were laughing and snacking on sweets from the trolley and the same comforting thought was running through her mind.

Maybe everything would be alright.

As had become an odd sort of tradition for them, Hermione snuck out after curfew their first night back to meet Regulus in the Astronomy Tower.

The first thing he said after they'd cast privacy spells, had her chilled to her very core.

"He knows there's a spy."

Hermione paled and latched onto the sleeve of his uniform. "Does he-"

"He doesn't suspect me," Regulus said immediately.

Hermione sagged in relief and dropped her forehead against his upper arm. "Oh, thank Merlin."

Regulus laughed humorlessly and patted the top of her head as affectionately as he could manage before Hermione stepped back to relieve his discomfort.

He sighed and stepped up to the rail. "After that raid on the Bones he had his suspicions. Luckily, I wasn't supposed to know about it, so he doesn't even know that I am to be suspected. I overheard my parents talking over it in my father's study."

Hermione glanced out at the grounds before looking up at Regulus seriously. "Be careful, Regulus. Your life is just as important as the ones we are trying to save."

Regulus scoffed and gave her a look like she'd just said the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "I should say the same about you, pet." He adopted a highly concerned expression and said gravely, "You've caught Dolohov's eye. At the meeting following the raid, he mentioned a young witch who fought like a trained soldier." He raised an impressed brow, but she could see in his eyes that just the mention of Dolohov had him sick to his stomach.

"I'll just say that Dolohov's… interest… isn't new to me."

Regulus sighed and straightened. "I do have good news."

Hermione smiled hopefully up at him.

"Cissa and Lucius are getting married. They've just started negotiating contracts."

Hermione frowned in confusion and opened her mouth to ask him to expand, but then she got it.

Her eyes widened and she gasped, "The diary!"

Regulus smirked. "I imagine the Malfoy's will host some kind of stuffy and overly-elegant engagement party at the Manor in the coming months. That Malfoys have a tradition of Spring weddings, so my guess is it will be sometime in December. Especially considering nothing is official yet."

Hermione paled at the mere mention of going back to Malfoy Manor. It had been an abstract thought, but this was very concrete. There were no questions about whether or not she would be going with him. She would have to steal James's invisibility cloak.

"Well this is definitely good news," Hermione tried to reassure herself, and she knew Regulus could sense her reluctance, but as usual, he didn't comment. Hermione cleared her throat. "I'm worried about Peter."

He cringed, and Hermione's concern multiplied.

"What do they have on him?" She asked dangerously.

Regulus turned to her and sighed. "It's not that. They are promising him… things."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and asked, "What things, Regulus?"

He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest before turning back out towards the opening. "Oh, you know, the usual. Glory. Riches. Power."

"And it's working?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I would say he's sixty-forty right now."

"Towards?"

He gave her one look and she understood. They were losing Peter.

Her fingers went to her temples, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know what to do," she said helplessly.

When she opened her eyes the corner of Regulus's mouth twitched up, "I can't believe the great Hermione Granger just admitted one of her own weaknesses."

She lashed out and punched him in the arm. "Hush, you!" She watched in amusement as he feigned pain before adding, "I'm human too you know."

She watched as a rare smile took over his expression and he said, "Could've fooled me." The smile dropped in an instant. "I don't know if there's anything you can do, Granger."

She scowled at him and said, "Don't say that!"

He shrugged. "I'm sure if there's a way, you'll find it, pet." He stepped towards the stairwell then and dropped the charms. "I'll leave you to head to your lion's den. You'll take care of yourself?"

Hermione said with a touch of humor, "Don't I always?"

He gave her a withering look and she laughed.

"Same to you then, Regulus."

Classes starting had Hermione in a relatively good mood. Things weren't exactly the same with the Marauders, but they were back to pranking the innocent and scheming in the common room much to Lily's annoyance. She took great pleasure in debunking their plans before they could act on them, and Hermione took great pleasure in being a third party observer.

The first few weeks passed with little to no happenings and before she knew it, the first Quidditch Match for Gryffindor was upon them. Hermione came down to breakfast with her radish earrings and Potter jumper, and was surprised to find herself excited. She'd avoided all the Quidditch matches like the plague last year, but this year she promised herself she'd make it to at least one.

When she took her seat beside Sirius, he wrapped an arm around her neck and rubbed the top of her head with his knuckles. She shrieked and started pushing on his arms, but he didn't budge.

"And why exactly aren't you wearing the shirt I made you, kitten?"

Once Hermione freed herself from his arms, she scowled at him and sniffed indignantly. "If you must know, Sirius, I am, in fact, wearing it." She pulled up her Potter jumper to reveal the Black's number one fan shirt below it and Sirius's smirk turned into a genuine smile.

"We can't lose now, Prongs! Hermione has tossed her lot in with us!"

James pressed a hand to his chest and stated dramatically, "I will leave my heart and soul on the pitch to win in your honor, dear sister!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, shove it!"

She started filling her plate and watched on in amusement as James about fainted when Lily, for the first time in over five years of knowing him, took the seat beside him at the table.

Lily pretended like nothing was out of the ordinary, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks that had Hermione smiling like a fool.

"Lily-flower! You are looking absolutely stunning this fine morning. Will you be supporting me at the Quidditch match?" James said all of this with a commendable amount of calm in his voice. Hermione turned and gave Sirius a surprised look and he smiled like the two of them were sharing a secret.

That look alone had shivers running up her spine that she fought valiantly to suppress. She failed, and Sirius gave her a wolfish grin.

Her eyes quickly turned back to James and Lily.

Lily scowled at James and said loftily, "I will be going to the Quidditch match to support Gryffindor. Not you."

James smiled dreamily at his toast and said, "Close enough."

There was a distinct air of excitement in the Great Hall that morning, and Hermione found herself happily walking down to the pitch with Lily on one elbow and Marlene on the other an hour later. Peter and Remus trailed a few paces behind them.

Hermione looked up at the sky and took a deep breath of the crisp fall air. It was relaxing, if a little cold, to be outdoors.

Marlene, who was quite a bit taller than Hermione, leaned down and whispered, "What happened with Remus, Hermione?"

Hermione turned her head to the side and watch out of the corner of her eye as Remus's eyes darted towards them. There was no way Marlene would've known that he would be able to hear her.

Hermione spun her head back around and kicked at a spare pebble as they continued their walk. "It was just bad timing, I suppose." Hermione turned to try and smile up at the girl, but Marlene just gave her a knowing look. Hermione could feel Remus's eyes burning into the side of her face, so she quickly looked forward again.

"Rubbish." Marlene said.

Hermione looked up at her in shock and sputtered out, "Marlene!"

Lily snorted next to her, and Hermione glared at the red-head.

"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Marlene said with a sigh. She tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder and leaned down again to say, "I personally believe there are other reasons. I see the way you look at Sirius."

Hermione became painfully aware that Remus was listening to every word of the conversation. Hermione was confused about her feelings towards Sirius, and although she was started to figure out that they were anything but friendly feelings, that had nothing to do with her parting from Remus. Hermione had a pained expression on her face as they started to make their way up the stairs, and Marlene seemed to have misinterpreted it.

"Don't worry about me in that regard. Sirius was just a bit of fun," Marlene waved her hand dismissively, and Hermione thanked Merlin when the two girls sandwiched Hermione in between them once they got to their seats and changed the subject to some gossip to do with someone Hermione had never heard before.

Hermione allowed them to talk over her and watched as the Gryffindor Quidditch team took to the pitch. She ignored the announcer and Lily and Marlene's excited shouts and watched as Sirius appeared in front of them on his broom looking much like the arrogant, womanizing, prick that everyone suspected him to be. He waved and smirked at the swooning girls but stopped and hovered right in front of Hermione. She could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest and every girl (and some boys) were on the edge of their seat holding their breath for whatever the great Sirius Black would do.

Hermione was staring into his eyes thinking they were all rather silly when Sirius gave her a cheeky smile and wandlessly vanished her Potter sweater.

She could almost feel everyone in the stands that could see her shirt drawing conclusions. She blushed heavily and scowled up at Sirius.

"Sirius!" She screeched indignantly and shivered when a gust of air ruffled her curls. Goosebumps covered her arms and Hermione scowled up at him. He looked much too pleased with himself.

Just then James went zooming by and tossed a calla lily at his beloved and the attention was finally off her and Sirius. She watched with disdain as he flew off and the match begun.

She hugged herself to block the chill and was festering in her outrage until Lily leaned over and whispered, "Sirius Black just claimed you in front of nearly the entire school."

Hermione paled and looked over at her friend. "What are you on about, Lily?" She hissed.

Lily smirked, and Hermione decided she really didn't like the way the smug expression looked on her. "He made sure he had everyone's attention, and then he made sure everyone knew that you were his fan. His witch."

"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione's voice sounded small even to herself, and she cringed when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Remus was standing behind her holding out his own worn tan jumper. Underneath he was wearing a simple long sleeve shirt. Hermione frowned.

"Won't you be cold, Remus?"

He smiled that same watery and sad smile that she was getting from him at every turn lately and promptly started to pull the sweater over her head. When her curls fought there way out and her face was revealed to him, she had tears in her eyes.

She suspected Lily was listening, but no one else was paying attention to the two bookish Gryffindors' conversation. He tucked one of her curls behind her ear affectionately.

"I didn't not take you back because of Sirius," she rushed out. Her voice was so low, even she could barely hear it, but of course he had. She shuddered and avoided his eyes. "You need to know that, Remus."

Remus nodded, and she knew from the relieved look in his eye that he had needed to hear it.

"I promise you," she whispered.

He pulled away then and tucked his hands back into the pockets. She finally looked up into his green eyes and could see the warmth that had been present all of their friendship. Ever since she'd held onto his elbow walking to Flourish and Blott's on that warm day in June.

As they stared at each other the crowd erupted into excited cheers, and she was pulled from her revery.

She turned back and pulled her arms through the sleeves right as Marlene grabbed her arm and started to jump up and down with the crowd.

"Ravenclaw can stuff it!"

Gryffindor finally caught the snitch a couple hours later, and Hermione found herself walking with Marlene to meet the boys down at the Pitch.

Sirius came bounding towards them and wrapped his arms around both their shoulders. He was sweating and breathing heavily, but when he laughed excitedly and pressed a smacking kiss to the top of Hermione's curls, she found herself wholly enamored.

Enamored.

Perhaps, that was how she would define her confused feelings.

She may be unable to squash them, but she refused to act on them.

Gryffindor had a party that night in the Common Room, but Sirius found himself not in the mood to party.

Instead, he sat on the sofa against the wall and watched Hermione read one of her novels at the small table in the opposite corner.

She had told him he'd played well in a way that had little to no depth that had left him so thoroughly confused that he couldn't look away from her all night.

No one bothered her at that table. The noise of the party didn't seem to bother her either as she continued to focus on whatever it is she was reading.

Sirius sat and watched and patiently waited for everyone to leave the room before he called out to her.

"Kitten." His voice was as quiet as it could be to have her still hear him, and he studied her as her head snapped up and she looked around in surprised at the fact that they were the only ones remaining. He waited until she looked back at him to say, "Come here."

He grew even more confused over her behavior when she adopted a weary expression before slowly standing and shuffling her way across the Common Room until she was standing right in front of him. He watched her shift nervously on her feet. When he couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed her hand and roughly pulled her so that she collapsed on the sofa next to him.

She fought him off weakly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged until she was curled up into his side. His hand found her curls, and as he started to gently run his fingers through them, he felt her begin to relax against him.

They didn't say anything for a while. There was so much that should be said, but they were both too comfortable in their cloud of silence.

Their relationship now consisted of unfinished conversations and expectations. He didn't know how long they sat there with each other before she finally said something.

"You should talk to Regulus."

He didn't know what he'd been expecting from her, but that hadn't been it. He shifted to sit up, but her arms that had previously been tucked into her lap wrapped around his waist and trapped him there.

"Don't," she whispered.

Don't what? Don't sit up? Don't leave her there? Don't pull away from her?

He suspected she meant not to shut himself away from her.

Something Hermione was keen on was someone expressing their vulnerabilities.

He relaxed back into the couch and pressed his nose into her hair.

"What does Reg have to do with anything?" He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he was never very good at hiding his feelings.

"He's your family, Sirius."

She sounded miserable. He opened his mouth to quip back something about how he had no desire to be a part of a family of bigoted arseholes. Or maybe something about how his brother was shoved so far up Voldemort's arse that he had no plans of ever talking to him again.

There were more things than that that he wanted to say, but her voice. It was so miserable.

He rested his cheek against her head and sighed. "James is my family. Dorea and Charlus are my family. You're my family."

He felt something cold against his shirt and realized she must be crying, so he pulled her impossibly closer.

"Did your mother… Did she really…"

Sirius knew what she was trying to ask. His hate filled words from all those months ago hissed in his mind.

How's mummy dearest, Reg? Has she started beating the living shit out of you yet?

He didn't want to talk about it. Not like this. Jokes and insults he could do, but tender moments with this witch in a silent common room? That was another story.

"That and worse," he settled on.

It was just vague enough that she could understand the implications, but not the specifics.

"Remember that night before the Coup de Grace?"

Hermione sighed at the change in subject and the silly title they'd given her falling out with Remus. When she thought about what he was asking, she had to put conscious effort into not running to her own room.

She'd had a panic attack.

Then she'd essentially told Sirius she was working for the Order.

Then he'd said the conversation wasn't over.

Hermione couldn't decide if talking about this was better or worse than talking about her apparent feelings for him.

"Yes," she responded slowly.

"I want to join this group."

"What group?" She tried. But her voice shook, and she had always been told she was a shite liar.

"The one you, Dorea, and Charlus sneak off to. I'm not playing games, Hermione."

Hermione tried to pull away, but this time it was Sirius that held her in place.

She could feel her nerves standing on end, so she grabbed a hold of her dragon pendant to have something to hold onto that wasn't the boy who had her wrapped so tightly in his arms that she couldn't move.

"You can't," she said finally.

He gritted his teeth and said carefully, "Why not?"

It wouldn't do well to piss her off on this matter, he was sure.

"You can when you learn occlumency."

Hermione didn't know what possessed her to say it. She should've known her audience. Sirius simply pressed his nose to her hair again. She could feel his smile in his next words.

"Then teach me, kitten."

This time when she pulled away they mutually let go of each other, and Hermione found herself trapped by his gaze. His silvery grey eyes were looking at her like this was a simple dare in a childish game. Do it. I dare you.

She confused herself even more when she lay back against his side and whispered, "Okay."

The following Monday in Potions, Slughorn had the whole class line up to individually inspect the potion they were supposed to brew in class. Sirius went ahead of her, and he stood up there longer than anyone before him. When he straightened, his gaze immediately landed on Hermione. He looked like he wasn't surprised by whatever he'd inspected and slowly an utterly pleased smile spread over his face. He stood there frozen in front of her, and for the second time since she re-met him in 1975, a blush spread across his cheeks. When he finally moved, she took one look at the pearly sheen of the potion, and her eyes widened.

"Amortentia," she whispered.

"Very good, Miss Granger," Slughorn praised before waving her forward.

Hermione stepped up to the potion like it was some kind of execution block. What if she smelled Remus? Or what if she smelled Sirius? Or worse… what if it was neither of them?

Her teenaged mind betrayed her when it whispered to her.

Did Sirius smell her?

She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned forward to smell it before she could lose her nerve.

Bergamot.

The woods after a rainstorm.

Both of those she associated with Remus and Sirius.

She squeezed her eyes tighter and took a deeper breath, and that's when it washed over her. That last distinctive smell.

Leather and the faint smell of tobacco.

She pulled away like the scent burned her and pressed a hand over her mouth. Everyone in the class watched in interest as she slowly turned and looked directly at Sirius Black. Lily giggled from somewhere in the room, and Hermione shook herself out of her trance.

She couldn't look at Sirius for the rest of the class, and her cheeks felt permanently stained.

She knew that it only mimicked the smell of what you were most attracted to, but it felt much bigger than that.

AN: Thanks as always for the follows, favorites, and reviews!

I am a big fan of this chapter:')