Sirius was braiding the witch's hair as they sat on his bed. Hermione had given him little detail of what occurred with Severus but seemed uneven. The animagus was comforted to know she needed to talk it out. If she didn't, well, then they were all bloody buggered.

"Did you enjoy it?" Sirius asked.

Hermione chewed her lower lip and groaned. "Well, yes."

"Then, good. At least he knows how to do one thing right," Sirius snickered.

"This doesn't bother you?"

Sirius poked his face around her cheek and smirked. "I'm not a jealous person, Hermione. If you want to shag the stiff Slytherin because you have a BDSM fantasy, I won't judge you. I've had my fair share of those," He laughed.

"I mean it, Sirius," Hermione huffed.

"Me too, love."

"How is this all going to work? How am I going to juggle everyone's needs and still retain my own?" She questioned as he continued his work.

Sirius snatched up another rubber band and hummed. "Well, would it be surprising if everyone's needs were your own as well? I mean, this is what I enjoy doing with witches when we aren't shagging. I like women, I always have, but I don't need to fuck in order to enjoy my time with them. That's just the proverbial cherry on the sundae."

Hermione tilted her head as he worked on the other side. "Do you want to shag me?"

"Oh, yes," Sirius sighed. "I would love to, but in your time. I'm not as decent with intimacy as you would think. I have difficulty with it, and this is as close as I've ever been. At least outside my marauders."

"What's it like?"

"To shag me? I've heard five-star reviews," Sirius chuckled.

Hermione groaned. "No, I meant to be with more than one person at once. What's it like to juggle that type of affair?" She asked.

Sirius thought about that a moment as he braided her hair. "Do you know Bertie Botts?"

"Yes," Hermione huffed.

"You get such remarkable flavors, but not all one. It's a little like that. You're not devoting all your enjoyment to only one favorite, but quite a few."

Hermione arched an eyebrow as she contemplated. "That actually was a decent comparison, Sirius."

"The kicker," Sirius snickered as he tugged the finished plaits. "If you want, you can try every flavor in one night!"

"Don't be crude," she retorted with a stifled smile.

"We're not going anywhere, love. You name the date and time, and I'm sure all of us will be there."

Hermione exhaled and turned to face him on the bed. "What if it gets too overwhelming?"

"That's the beauty of this whole situation. If you want, you can ask for a bit of space, and we will respect it. None of us have a secret agenda. We don't want to participate in blending time together on that level unless needed. It's all about what you desire and in what quantity."

"And Remus is alright?"

Sirius nodded as he cupped her cheek. "He might need a little help from me at first. He's not as put together as you remember. He's concerned with how much he desires you, which is fair. He's never felt this way before."

Hermione pursed her lips. "I don't mean to make things so hard on him."

"He wants them hard, love," Sirius teased with a wink.

She smacked his chest and rolled her eyes. "Don't."

"Can I ask you something?" Sirius asked while running his hand down her neck.

Hermione bobbed her head and breathed. "Of course."

"Will you let me ease your mind? Let me solve this question of how it starts?" Sirius asked with a tilt to his head.

"Do you really want to chance that?"

The animagus pulled her to the bed and rested next to her. "Well, if you're asking if I want to father a child, then yes. I'll admit it was never a drive of mine when I was younger. I didn't want to pass on my curse of horrible parents and be one as well. However, you're the other half, so it can't be that bad."

Hermione thinned her lips as she glanced over at him. "Why?"

"Why am I offering that risk?" Sirius questioned.

Hermione nodded.

Sirius took his thumb across her forehead and smiled. "Because Snape and Moony are scared to death of it. They won't admit it, but they both are afraid to ruin your loyalty by being horrible fathers."

Hermione scowled as he continued to rub his thumb over her creased brow. "I don't understand. Remus is a great father. As for Severus, I think he could do the job fine with a bit of hands-on experience."

"And me?"

"You, I never second guess Sirius. You were an excellent godfather to Harry. James and Lily knew that, and so do I."

Sirius moved closer and touched his lips to her forehead. "We didn't deserve a second chance, but here you are," he whispered against her skin.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Sirius hummed in agreement.

"Do you think this will all work out if I do it this way? Will Remus be happy? Will Severus find his way?" Hermione asked as she touched his chest.

"Of course, we have you, love. That's all we need," Sirius murmured as his lips traced to her cheek.

There was an intrusive knocking that caused Sirius to growl. "What Moony?" He called back over his shoulder.

"Teddy is here," Remus huffed. "Breakfast is also ready."

Sirius groaned as he flopped over on his back. "We'll be down shortly."

Hermione sat up and raised her eyebrows. "Are you two fighting again?"

"No, he's just flustered. You've been racing around the house with your come-hither scent, and he's getting restless."

"Come-hither scent? We're not in a Jane Austen novel, Sirius. What do you mean?"

Sirius smirked over at her and ran a hand over his hip. "Love, you're randier than a kneazle in heat. Our ole werewolf is chomping at the bit."

Hermione's cheeks glowed in the morning light peeking through the window. "I can't help that."

"No, you can't, but he's being a good boy. He'll keep. Would you like me to cure a bit of your tension?"

Hermione stared at the animagus, drinking in his form. It was safe to say that the man had aged incredibly well. Even as ragged as Sirius was in her memories, he was far more vibrant and playful now. Lounging in a confident ease that expressed just how decent he knew he appeared.

"We don't have to," she paused when he shook his head.

"No, we don't. I'm just dying for another taste," he hummed while tugging her to the bed. "Do you mind?"

"Another?" She asked.

Sirius sighed as he scrubbed his face. "Our lovely night out when you were knackered beyond reason we have a bit of fun in the kitchen. Unfortunately, Snape interrupted."

"Oh."

"So, can I be granted a bit of indulgence?" Sirius questioned as his fingers crawled along her shirt hem.

Hermione squirmed a bit before bobbing her head. "I think I need a bit of relief. If I'm to live with all of you clawing at me, I might have to get used to it."

Sirius grinned like a wolf about to eat dinner. "I'm glad we're on the same page. I promise I won't keep you long. We'll be down for breakfast."

She watched his form peel her protective clothing off with anticipation. Hermione quickly learned, soberly, what it was to have the king of indulgence show her a bit of his world. Five Star reviews? Well, time would only tell.


"Then we got to go play in the field," Teddy declared.

Remus smiled and reached over to caress Teddy's shoulder. "That sounds like so much fun."

Severus set another plate down at the table for the boy. "Well, did you at least attempt to see about those herbs I told you about?" He questioned.

Teddy grinned and dug through his bag. "Here you go, Uncle Severus. Aunt Angelina said she had them growing in the garden," he announced while placing small jars on the table.

"Thank you," Severus replied as he awkwardly patted Teddy's head.

Teddy grimaced. "Uncle Severus, I'm not a little kid."

Snape moved and huffed. "My apologies."

Remus covered his grin by running his fingers over his facial hair. "Did your uncle tell you his stories about Hogwarts?"

"Mhm, and he gave me all the chocolate I could eat!" Teddy exclaimed.

The werewolf glanced up at the Potion Master. "Why don't you sit with him a minute while I go see," he paused when Severus grinned.

"You've already done that, Lupin. Just sit and be patient."

Sirius skipped into view and breathed. "Good morning! Kid, it's wonderful to see you home."

Teddy laughed as the animagus collapsed in the chair next to him. "You seem pretty happy this morning, Uncle Sirius."

Remus sneered and puffed. "Well, he needs a bath, that's for certain."

"I might just get one after breakfast. Your Aunt Hermione offered to scrub my back," Sirius chuckled as he dressed his tea.

"Don't be an arse," Severus grumbled.

"Language," Remus hummed.

There was a shrill scream, and the wizards startled. Just as everyone was going to pour into the main hall, Fred walked in with Hermione over his shoulder. "Put me down, Fredrick!"

"Good morning, everyone," Fred snickered. "I found this one sneaking in the hallway."

"Aunt Hermione, were you spying? I thought you said that wasn't a good thing?" Teddy questioned before cutting off more of his hotcakes.

Fred set her down, and Hermione huffed. "I was not spying."

"She was waiting until I was settled so we could come in at different times," Sirius snickered.

"That's childish," Severus said as he moved to the counter. "Sit down and eat. You'll need it."

Hermione's cheeks were rosy as she sat down in the empty seat next to Teddy. "They're going to drive me crazy."

Teddy bobbed his head while chewing. "That's okay, Aunt Hermione. You need someone to make you crazy."

Sirius laughed and reached for a piece of bacon. "You're completely right, Teddy boy."

Severus set the plate down in front of her and waved at Fred. "Sit. I'm not going to repeat it. We have a long day planned."

"Planned? I did not make any plans, Severus," Hermione responded. "Oh, thank you," she added with a simpered expression.

Remus scratched his chest through his long sleeve shirt. "Well, we made plans."

"You did?" Hermione asked.

Sirius murmured agreement as he doused his pancakes in syrup. "We're going to reorganize the house. You see, we need separate floors. Remus is going to move out of the room across from you… finally, and take the same floor as Teddy. I'm going to remain on the top floor because obviously I'm amazing, and Severus is kindly going to take the third floor. Leaving Freddy with a temporary room on the second," Sirius finished before cutting up his hotcakes.

"Oh," Hermione mumbled.

"You sound disappointed," Remus remarked.

"No, of course not, I'm just surprised, that's all," Hermione responded with a polite smile.

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one," Severus hissed as he sat down next to Remus.

The werewolf, to his dismay, was further away from Hermione at this point. He leaned over to glance at her beyond Severus. "Is something wrong?"

"I just, well, it's," she sputtered and groaned before setting down her silverware. "I don't want everything to change. I'm just now getting used to it being like this."

That was a hidden message if the wizards didn't know any better. It was clear the witch was struggling in catching up on what she just was handed. It was a tall order for anyone to take on, and even the powerful witch was shaken by it.

Severus exhaled and ran his fingers over her arm. "I'm sorry that you feel out of sorts."

"So," Teddy seemed to ignore the tension in the room. "Aunt Hermione, if you end up having Uncle Sirius's baby, does that mean I can still call him brother?"

Her face paled. "What?"

Fred smacked his forehead. "Bugger, I probably shouldn't have told George."

"You did what?" Severus hissed.

Teddy smirked and tilted his head. "Aunt Angie and Uncle George were talking about it last night. They thought I was in the bath."

"Merlin, Fred, of all the irresponsible things. Teddy, we aren't going to pressure your aunt into anything, alright?" Remus said with a tight expression.

"And now it makes sense why we should have waited," Sirius agreed with an eased smile.

Teddy sat up with his arms folded. "I'm not a baby, dad. I know Aunt Hermione wants one."

Hermione burst into laughter as she wrapped her arms around the boy. "Oh, my Teddy Bear. You're right. You deserve to know too. I'm sorry we felt it should be a secret. I know how much you despise them."

Teddy beamed and hugged her tight. "I just want you to be happy too, Aunt Hermione. I love you."

She kissed his forehead and nuzzled his hair. "I love you too, and no one will ever replace that love," she paused and pulled away from him. "Does it bother you that I'm going to have a baby?"

Teddy scowled, but by the twitching of his lips, you could see the boy was pretending. He soon laughed and shook his head. "No, I just want you to be happy too."

"Okay," Hermione said while bobbing her head. "And you understand that this baby isn't going to change things for you? You still need to do your school work and listen to your father, and," she couldn't finish because Severus's hand touched her shoulder.

"Hermione, I'm certain the boy knows," he chuckled.

Teddy tilted his head with a genuine frown. "Does that mean I still have to call you Aunt Hermione?"

What a bloody substantial question. It hung in the air like crickets after a bad joke. "How about you just call me Hermione for now? Let's take things a bit slow and let everyone catch their breath. You're a bit too smart for all of us."

"So, if that's the case," Teddy continued and turned to Sirius. "Does that mean you'll still tell me all the secrets at Hogwarts, Uncle Sirius?"

Sirius grinned but put a finger to his lips. "That's supposed to be our secret, Moony Jr."

"Alright," Teddy said with a nod before continuing to eat his breakfast.

Hermione rubbed her face before reaching for her tea. "Anyone else have some large news to throw on the fire?"

"I'm looking for an apartment," Fred announced.

Hermione inhaled and bobbed her head. "That's probably best for everyone. The last thing I need is your brother accusing me of having your child."

"My thoughts precisely," Severus grumbled. "If he ever thinks he's going to lay a finger on you," he paused while rolling his shoulders. "I might have to go to extreme measures."

"You're not the only one," Remus whispered with a breathy growl.

"Clearly, Ron was not the subject to bring up this morning," Fred huffed. "There's so much tension in this room I think I'm gonna dip out. Little Lupin, want to join me at Harry's today?"

Teddy gasped and was about to answer before looking to his father. "Is that alright, Dad?"

Remus cleared his throat after swallowing. "If you want to, Teddy. I know you miss your cousins. You just have to follow the same rules as your party. If you start to feel sick, go find your Uncle Fred."

Teddy jumped from his chair. "I'm done! I'll be down real quick, Uncle Fred!" He exclaimed and sprinted from the room.

"He's going to get his broom and kit, guaranteed," Hermione laughed. "He always was fond of Harry and Ginny's stories growing up."

"Are you going to be alright if I leave you with them today?" Fred asked and paused to see all three shoot him glares. "I mean, the sexual tension in this room is completely mental."

Hermione's cheeks were crimson as she sipped her tea. "I think we'll be just fine, Fred. We have tons of work to do in the house to get it livable. I also have to prepare for the week ahead. Kingsley wants a report on my findings, and I suppose I'll have to tell him I'm close to ending the crisis."

"Well, as long as you're not worried," Fred snickered.

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "I'm not."

"That makes one of us," Severus snorted.

Fred covered his smile with his hand and stood up. "I'll be back around dinner. Do try not to have an orgy in the drawing-room, yeah?"

Sirius chuckled and pressed his elbows to the table. "Oh, Freddy boy, we just might."

"Not likely," Severus bristled.

"Oh, it might happen," Remus joined in with a grin.

The tension lightened, and Hermione laughed while shrugging. "Merlin, I suppose you'll find out when you get home."

The marauders laughed, and Fred pressed a hand to his chest as he sneered. "The look on your face, Squirmy Snape, is fantastic."

"Imbeciles," He grumbled.

Hermione nudged him with her elbow. "Relax, it's all in good fun, Severus. I'm too afraid of the arguments that would ensue over me if that were the case."

Severus stifled a smile. "I'd likely win, and they would be quite put out."

Sirius snorted and waved a hand. "Yeah, sure, Snivellus. I'd believe that if I were dead."

"I'm not too sure he wouldn't like it, Padfoot," Remus murmured somewhat dismissively as he reached for more bacon.

Teddy raced back into the dining room with his broom and a bag. "Okay, Uncle Fred! I'm ready."

"Right, good show, Teddy. Let's go see what the wee Potters are up to," Fred turned and touched the boy. "Try not to have too much fun!" He called back before marching from the room with the child.

When the front door sounded, three of the four were sitting straighter. Sirius, however, was grinning like a child with a secret. "Are we all talk? Guess what I did this morning?"

Hermione bent over and covered his mouth. "Don't be a prat and keep your mouth shut, Sirius," she huffed.

"I'm sure we could deduct from your tardiness and his foolery, it was something conducive to your good humor," Severus grumbled as he stabbed his eggs.

"Let's shelf the bragging until later, please?" Remus asked.

Hermione groaned as she pulled from the animagus. "How am I going to live with all of you?"

"Easy, love. You let us do the hard stuff while you enjoy living a bit, alright? Don't think about moral incompatibility or whatever argument you've been having. Let's just take care of you," Sirius declared with a nod.

"Agreed," Severus said.

Remus nodded. "Agreed."

Hermione gazed at each of them before exhaling. "Alright, agreed."

"Wonderful, then let's eat and fix this bloody run-down house you call home," Severus grumbled with a twitch of his lips.

The morning had just started to crest to the afternoon, but alright Hermione could see a weight was lifted. There was more to this than dusting a few cobwebs. This was a new start. Hopefully, when the writing was dry on the parchment, they all were still in agreement.