Slowly pulling away, Hermione looked up to Sirius's face, finding his big, deep-brown eyes, staring at her ever so softly. She tried to speak, but couldn't. Eventually, taking a long breath, she found her voice.

"Sirius, I – I – "

"Shh," Sirius said quietly, holding his finger against her lips. She stared up at him, feeling his finger caressing her lip... It was tempting, but it was Hermione, and Hermione had always had to speak her mind... "Why?" she asked.

"Just let it... last for a moment," Sirius whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. Hermione closed her eyes, too, and clung onto him.

A few minutes passed and he pulled away. "Hermione," he said softly.

"Yes?"

"I have no idea what to do now."

Hermione let out a short laugh. "What do you mean?"

"I've wanted to do that for a while now... and now I've done it... and I really don't know what to do next."

"That's clever," Hermione commented.

"I know," Sirius replied.

They stared at each other silently. Hermione tried to be sarcastic again and say something like "This is awkward", but somehow, it seemed irrelevant.

"Hermione, I just wanted to tell you..." Sirius started softly, "I don't know if telling you is the right thing to do, but I won't be able to live with myself unless I do it."

Hermione said nothing. Her breath quickened...

"I love you, Hermione," Sirius whispered.

Hermione raised her eyes quickly – she was shocked, out of breath – but then small sparks of happiness and excitement started to spread from her fingertips up to all her body. When they reached her face, she felt herself reddenning. She pulled Sirius's face close to hers and swallowed hard.

"I love you too, Sirius," she whispered back, before kissing him passionately on the lips.

~*~

Several minutes later, Sirius pulled away.

"We mustn't," he said softly.

Hermione stared at him, confused, almost hurt.

"I'm sorry," he added quickly. "I want this more than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life... but this is wrong. You are so young, I can't do this..."

"Sirius," Hermione said quietly, "I'm not a child. I'm eighteen. I can make a decision like that for myself... You shouldn't feel guilty."

"No, Hermione, no," said Sirius, shaking his head. The look on his face showed Hermione clearly that his words were hurting him just as much as they were hurting her. "We can't do that. I'm twenty years older than you. You still have so much time for this."

"But I don't want to wait," Hermione protested, "I've made up my mind. I know what I want!"

"You're still a teenager, though. You may be a very mature teenager – but you still are a teenager... I've been thinking about it a lot," Sirius sighed. "You'll still be a young woman when I'm an old man. And then you'll regret, and start to resent this – and then me."

"How can you say that?!" Hermione almost shouted. "I will never resent you! Why do you care so much about the age difference? If I don't care about it, you shouldn't either!"

"It's not that simple," Sirius replied. "I'm the grown-up... I have the responsibility."

"So do I," said Hermione stubbornly.

"Hermione, it's not going to work out between us. What we feel about each other – it will pass. You'll forget me, you're still very young and you have other things on your mind."

"One might think you're seventy years old, not thirty, according to the way you talk about this!" Hermione cried loudly. "But you know what? Even if you were seventy, I wouldn't care. I would still love you."

"No, you wouldn't," said Sirius. "I can't let this happen – it's wrong. There are so many other guys your age, or even a little older. Harry, Ron, Fred, George, maybe even Charlie..."

"But it's you I want!" Hermione cried. "I don't want any of them. I don't want anyone else. I want you. Why can't you understand that?"

Sirius gazed at her. She was the most amazing girl he had ever met. He knew this was wrong, he knew it had been a mistake telling her about this, but right now, he didn't really care... She was just so beautiful...

However, he had to try, one last time. "Hermione, are you sure you want to go through this? It's not going to be easy..."

"I don't care," Hermione whispered, leaning closer to him, "not as long as you and I go through this together."

"Okay then," Sirius said firmly, swallowing hard and holding her hands in his. "I want you to know that you are the most incredible woman I have ever met. If you want to break up at any time, I won't be angry or anything, I promise. Never be afraid to do what your heart tells you to – okay?"

"Can I do what my heart tells me to right now?" Hermione asked shyly.

"Sure," Sirius replied, "but I have to do it, too..." And they kissed again.

~*~

"So what is he going to do about this?" Tonks asked.

"What is he going to do about what?" Remus said innocently.

"You know what I mean," she grumbled.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Remus!" she punched him painfully on the shoulder. "What is Sirius going to do about his feelings for Hermione, now that he's admitted them?"

"Who said he's admitted them?"

"I know, I know, you're not supposed to tell me. Well, you didn't. Bravo, you. You're a good friend. I guessed it myself. Now tell me what he's going to do!"

"What can he do?" said Remus, shrugging.

"He can tell her how he feels."

"Will it help?"

"Sure it will. She feels the same way."

"How do you know?" Remus lifted his eyebrows. "Has she told you?"

"Remus, Remus, Remus," said Tonks, patting his knee, "don't you know me at all? I don't have to be told in order to know what other people feel. I have this gift. I know exactly what people feel, always. For example, I can tell when you're dying to kiss me."

"Excuse me?" Remus almost fell off his chair.

"You're excused," she replied. "So anyway, is he going to tell her what he feels or not?"

"I don't know."

"But what do you think?"

"Tonks, I have no idea. I guess he will some day. I just don't know when, and I hope it won't be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"Too late for Hermione," Remus explained. "She's really young, she might give up on him much sooner than he gives up on her, you know. Then she might start dating someone else. I'm not saying she'll stop loving him, but she definitely might give up on him."

"Talk to him, Remus," Tonks urged. "They're too perfect for each other. He can't miss the chance! He has to tell her. They have to be together!"

"And say they will," said Remus, "what will everyone say? Hermione's parents? Their friends? I mean, he IS a little bit older than her."

"Just a tiny little bit," Tonks grinned. "Twenty years, almost nothing."

"I think he'll feel very guilty, he'll feel as if he's using her or something. I know he won't be using her," he added, "but everyone will think he is, because she's so young."

"You're right," Tonks replied. "They will have to go through a very hard time."

"On the other hand, most of us know Sirius. They know he would never use a young girl," said Remus. "So maybe it'll make things easier for the two of them. And you and I could help, too. By the way, speaking of you and me," he added, his eyes twinkling, "what did you mean before when you said you always know when I'm dying to kiss you?"

"Oh, as I said, it's a gift," Tonks replied. "I can sense it. Right now, for example."

"Right now what?" Remus asked, leaning closer.

"You're dying to kiss me," she answered, "so I don't understand, why the hell don't you just DO it? Do you think I can wait that long?"

~*~

A/N: I'm having a blast writing this, and your reviews are GREAT! They really are! Thank you, everyone who reviewed, and thank you again! Please keep them up! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't worry, there's more to come.