Disclaimer: Sadly, still not my sandbox; this is just my sand castle in J. K. Rowling's sandbox.

Chapter Ten: Letting Love Settle In

February

Hermione

"Knock, knock." The voice coming from the doorway makes Hermione jump and accidentally drop the book she had just pulled off the shelf in Remus's quarters (the ones they had brought over from Grimmauld Place and glamored so no one else would know what they were) before turning to see who was in the doorway as she picked the book up from the ground.

"Pulling a page from D-Professor Lupin's book I see." She avoids eye contact with Sirius when she stutters by moving to the coffee table which she'd commandeered for the moment.

"You can call him Dad you know, it is official and I know he already loves you as his own. He would really enjoy it if you called him that."

Hermione nods and bites her lips but still avoids eye contact. "There was something you wanted to talk about."

"I just wanted to apologize for what I said last Hogsmeade weekend, it was uncalled for."

"It's ok, I understand where you were coming from. You were just trying to protect me. I know that you didn't mean to hurt me."

If Hermione were being completely honest, which she had been trying to do more of lately, she had forgiven Sirius the moment he'd said it. Maybe that was foolish on her part and maybe it made her too soft but that's what had happened. She could count the number of people who unconditionally cared for her and who wanted what was best for her on one hand and she wasn't about to let go of one of those people because he hadn't thought before speaking.

"But I never should have hurt you to begin with. I have never wanted to hurt you and I never want to again. I'm the adult, I'm supposed to be the mature one. I just… I love you so much and—"

Sirius stumbles as Hermione throws herself at him, hugging him as tightly as she possibly can. "I love you too and I forgive you, Dad."

Sirius

Sirius had always done what he could to avoid anything and everything to do with Valentine's Day. He hated the seemingly endless array of reds and pinks. He hated the mass amounts of superficial valentines flying his way from people who didn't know him past what he showed the general public. And he especially hated the way so many people seemed to find it acceptable to slip people love potions on this random day in February.

His pup seemed to be on the same page as him in this aspect if her glare at yet another owl sweeping past her curly head was anything to go by.

It was probably the only thing he and his pup had in common with Snivellus, who was eyeing the current chaos of the Great Hall with the same disdainful gleam both Sirius and Hermione had in their eyes.

But he and his pup were different from Snivellus in that they both had people in their lives that loved this god forsaken holiday.

Sure, Sirius had seen both Harry and Remus try to hide that fact but the two of them were shit liars.

Remus had brightly shared all of his students' plans for the holiday with Sirius as soon as he'd returned to his quarters each night with a happy gleam in his eyes before spending the remainder of each night, carefully transfiguring pieces of chocolate into individual hearts for each of his students (with the flimsy excuse that he wanted to make sure all of his students got at least gift for Valentine's Day).

Harry was slightly less conspicuous with his love for the awful holiday but the boy had walked with a distinct pep in his step the entire week leading up to the holiday, bursting at the seams with excitement of the surprise he had set up for Hermione for the day.

So as much as both Sirius and Hermione hated the holiday, they had both gone out of their way to create their own surprises for their significant others and the other Valentine's Day lovers (plus a snarky gift for the other Valentine's Day hater) in their tiny family.

Hermione

"I love you," Harry murmurs, running his fingers through Hermione's hair as they laid in her bed and tried to fall asleep.

Hermione chuckles tiredly and looks up at her best friend. "And I love you but if you keep talking we're never going to get to sleep."

Harry grins, his emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. "And what if I don't want to sleep?"

"Well then it sucks for you because I'm going to sleep, it's been a long day and I'm tired," Hermione replies and lays her head back on her boyfriend's chest.

"I could always keep you up by force." He raises one hand and wiggles his fingers like he's going to tickle her.

"And I could always tell my Dad on you," Hermione mumbles, half asleep.

"Fair point. Goodnight, love."

"Night."