"No responsibility... Absolutely no responsibility," Mrs. Weasley mumbled.
"A forty-year-old man goes for an eighteen-year-old young girl, who has
just graduated from school and hardly has any idea of real life..."
"I didn't 'go for her'!" Sirius protested.
"Of course he didn't," Hermione supported him. "Mrs. Weasley, this is not Sirius's fault. He didn't convince me into this, I swear. I'm the one who wanted to be with him, I'm the one who talked him into this, and he's the one who refused at first. He said I was too young, he said it was totally wrong, but I insisted, so I'm the only one to blame."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "He's the grown-up here – he has the responsibility. Even if you tried to convince him, he shouldn't have let himself be convinced!"
Everyone fell silent. Tonks and Remus were sitting on the couch in the corner, looking very worried. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Harry were sitting around the table, while Mrs. Weasley had already got to her feet.
"Molly – please," Remus said quietly. "Hermione is very mature for her age, I think we all agree on that."
"Oh, she's MATURE, all right," Mrs. Weasley replied angrily. "But nonetheless, she's still young and innocent. It's totally ridiculous – you can't be supporting this, Remus."
"I am," Remus answered. "And that's because I myself have a relationship with someone who is much younger than me. Not twenty-two years younger, but still much younger. Besides, I trust both Hermione and Sirius's judgement. I think they're both mature enough, clever enough and trustable enough to decide for themselves."
"I think you're right," said Charlie. "They're both not the type of people who might do rash things and regret later. I believe they had been thinking very seriously about this before they decided to do it."
Hermione looked around the table and saw everyone nod.
"Have you told your parents yet, Hermione?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"No, not yet," Hermione replied, "I don't really know how to tell them... I was actually hoping that Mrs. Weasley might want to help me."
"Huh?" Mrs. Weasley's jaw dropped.
"Yeah, you know, they're a little afraid of most wizards," Hermione explained, "but they know you, they've met you a lot of times when Ron and I were going out. So they're not afraid of you, and I thought you might want to give me a hand."
"Oh, but – "Mrs. Weasley began, and then fell silent.
"That's actually a great idea," Remus commented. "Why don't the two of you go first thing tomorrow morning."
"But – but Hermione, I – "Mrs. Weasley looked completely confused. "I won't know what to tell them! I myself would not be happy at all if my daughter were dating a forty-year-old man, so..."
"But you will help me, won't you?" Hermione begged. "Please? I really need your help, Mrs. Weasley, I can never convince my parents without you."
Mrs. Weasley noticed everyone was looking at her. She bit her lip, looking very embarrassed, and then said quietly: "All right."
"Great!" Hermione squealed, getting off the chair and hugging her.
Half an hour later, when Sirius and Hermione were back up in her room, Sirius said: "You know, you were really great with Molly down there..."
"Sure," Hermione responded calmly. "All you have to do is find the sensitive spot in every person. With Mrs. Weasley, it's helping. All you have to do is tell her you just can't do it without her, that she just has to help you, and it works like a charm."
~*~
"Isn't there any goodbye kiss before you leave?" Sirius asked. It was the following morning, and Hermione was just on her way out of the room, to go with Mrs. Weasley to her parents' house.
Hermione clung onto him and kissed him. "Here," she said, smiling. Sirius hugged her close, not letting go.
"I missed you last night," he whispered in her ear.
"I missed you too," Hermione whispered back, grinning.
"Listen," said Sirius, holding her hand as she started for the door, "um... Hermione, every night for the last couple of weeks I've been... thinking – about you – about us. And I had this picture of waking up next to you and... and it seemed right. At least in my head."
Hermione gazed at him.
"And then I thought," Sirius went on, "that in a few weeks you'll be leaving for your Auror Training and I couldn't stand this thought. I mean, I will hardly see you at all. You know, once or twice a week is not what I want..."
"Me neither," Hermione responded, "but there's nothing I can do. I mean, I can't give up Auror Training – I've been waiting for so long to become an Auror."
"I know," Sirius said quickly, "I'm not asking you to. But I thought of something else. How about – er – what if you... stayed here after summer?"
"What?"
"What if you stayed here after the summer holidays are over?" Sirius asked, hoping his voice wouldn't betray him and start shaking. "Wouldn't it be great?"
"You mean... you mean we live together?"
"Yes," Sirius whispered as he moved closer to her. "Hermione, I don't want to live without you."
"I don't want to live without you either," said Hermione, elated, "but don't you think it's too soon? We've only been together for what – three or four weeks?"
"And we've known each other for five years. I don't need more than that," Sirius whispered. "I want you here. Will you stay?"
"Sirius, I – I don't know what to say," said Hermione, "it's so sudden... It seems like something we have to do in the future, when we know each other better and get married and – "
"What?"
Hermione stopped with her mouth open. She just realized what she had said.
"Did you say 'get married'?" Sirius asked.
"If I heard myself correctly, I did," said Hermione, "but oh, Sirius, I didn't mean it, I'm taking it back. This is crazy."
"No," said Sirius softly, "it's not."
"It is," Hermione insisted. "I'm only eighteen, and we've been together for such a short time and – "
"So what?" Sirius said heatedly, grabbing her other hand and holding both together. "Does it mean we can't do it? Let's do it, Hermione. Let's get married. It's you and me forever, and that's what I want."
"You're mad," Hermione whispered.
"No! Listen to me, Hermione, it may sound crazy for a stranger, for someone outside this relationship. But think about us," said Sirius, holding her hands close to his chest, "think about it as someone who is part of this relationship. Come on! Don't you want that?"
Hermione let her eyes travel from his feet to the top of his head. His looks had changed so much. He was wearing much more stylish clothes; his hair was stunning – dark, long and soft. And his eyes had the same twinkling they had had in the picture, the picture that had started it all... She looked deeply into those lovely eyes, and knew what she wanted.
"Yes," she whispered back, moving closer to him, "that's what I want."
Sirius cupped her face and kissed her lips feverishly; Hermione let herself drown in this sea of happiness... "My parents will kill me," she said.
"Hermione," said Sirius softly, getting down on one knee...
"They'll freak out," she insisted, "they really will..."
"Hermione Granger..." Sirius insisted, clearing his throat.
"I don't care if they will!" said Hermione excitedly. "Oh my God... sorry. Go ahead..."
"Hermione," said Sirius solemnly, still holding her hand, "only a few weeks ago, I could still easily be recognized as Sirius Black, the prisoner of Azkaban. But thanks to you, I've become what I am now. And I'm not talking about looks, I don't care about my hair or my clothes. I'm talking about the way I feel about myself, which thanks to you, is completely different. I like myself so much better now. I'm so much happier, happier than I've ever thought I could be. Hermione, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the one who makes me happy, and even if I will never make it, I want to try to make you feel the same way."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"Hermione," Sirius said softly, "will you marry me?"
"Yes," Hermione whispered and fell into his arms. She kissed him lovingly and smiled as she struggled with her tears. "I love you, Sirius."
"I love you too, Hermione," said Sirius, and he really looked happier than ever.
~*~
A/N: Thank you for all the birthday wishes! You know, I'm telling everyone what cute reviewers I have. I can't mention names, of course, because almost all of you use nicknames and I don't know your real names, but it's okay. :-) By the way, I believe you all know that my real name is Roni? I didn't make it up or something...
"I didn't 'go for her'!" Sirius protested.
"Of course he didn't," Hermione supported him. "Mrs. Weasley, this is not Sirius's fault. He didn't convince me into this, I swear. I'm the one who wanted to be with him, I'm the one who talked him into this, and he's the one who refused at first. He said I was too young, he said it was totally wrong, but I insisted, so I'm the only one to blame."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "He's the grown-up here – he has the responsibility. Even if you tried to convince him, he shouldn't have let himself be convinced!"
Everyone fell silent. Tonks and Remus were sitting on the couch in the corner, looking very worried. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Harry were sitting around the table, while Mrs. Weasley had already got to her feet.
"Molly – please," Remus said quietly. "Hermione is very mature for her age, I think we all agree on that."
"Oh, she's MATURE, all right," Mrs. Weasley replied angrily. "But nonetheless, she's still young and innocent. It's totally ridiculous – you can't be supporting this, Remus."
"I am," Remus answered. "And that's because I myself have a relationship with someone who is much younger than me. Not twenty-two years younger, but still much younger. Besides, I trust both Hermione and Sirius's judgement. I think they're both mature enough, clever enough and trustable enough to decide for themselves."
"I think you're right," said Charlie. "They're both not the type of people who might do rash things and regret later. I believe they had been thinking very seriously about this before they decided to do it."
Hermione looked around the table and saw everyone nod.
"Have you told your parents yet, Hermione?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"No, not yet," Hermione replied, "I don't really know how to tell them... I was actually hoping that Mrs. Weasley might want to help me."
"Huh?" Mrs. Weasley's jaw dropped.
"Yeah, you know, they're a little afraid of most wizards," Hermione explained, "but they know you, they've met you a lot of times when Ron and I were going out. So they're not afraid of you, and I thought you might want to give me a hand."
"Oh, but – "Mrs. Weasley began, and then fell silent.
"That's actually a great idea," Remus commented. "Why don't the two of you go first thing tomorrow morning."
"But – but Hermione, I – "Mrs. Weasley looked completely confused. "I won't know what to tell them! I myself would not be happy at all if my daughter were dating a forty-year-old man, so..."
"But you will help me, won't you?" Hermione begged. "Please? I really need your help, Mrs. Weasley, I can never convince my parents without you."
Mrs. Weasley noticed everyone was looking at her. She bit her lip, looking very embarrassed, and then said quietly: "All right."
"Great!" Hermione squealed, getting off the chair and hugging her.
Half an hour later, when Sirius and Hermione were back up in her room, Sirius said: "You know, you were really great with Molly down there..."
"Sure," Hermione responded calmly. "All you have to do is find the sensitive spot in every person. With Mrs. Weasley, it's helping. All you have to do is tell her you just can't do it without her, that she just has to help you, and it works like a charm."
~*~
"Isn't there any goodbye kiss before you leave?" Sirius asked. It was the following morning, and Hermione was just on her way out of the room, to go with Mrs. Weasley to her parents' house.
Hermione clung onto him and kissed him. "Here," she said, smiling. Sirius hugged her close, not letting go.
"I missed you last night," he whispered in her ear.
"I missed you too," Hermione whispered back, grinning.
"Listen," said Sirius, holding her hand as she started for the door, "um... Hermione, every night for the last couple of weeks I've been... thinking – about you – about us. And I had this picture of waking up next to you and... and it seemed right. At least in my head."
Hermione gazed at him.
"And then I thought," Sirius went on, "that in a few weeks you'll be leaving for your Auror Training and I couldn't stand this thought. I mean, I will hardly see you at all. You know, once or twice a week is not what I want..."
"Me neither," Hermione responded, "but there's nothing I can do. I mean, I can't give up Auror Training – I've been waiting for so long to become an Auror."
"I know," Sirius said quickly, "I'm not asking you to. But I thought of something else. How about – er – what if you... stayed here after summer?"
"What?"
"What if you stayed here after the summer holidays are over?" Sirius asked, hoping his voice wouldn't betray him and start shaking. "Wouldn't it be great?"
"You mean... you mean we live together?"
"Yes," Sirius whispered as he moved closer to her. "Hermione, I don't want to live without you."
"I don't want to live without you either," said Hermione, elated, "but don't you think it's too soon? We've only been together for what – three or four weeks?"
"And we've known each other for five years. I don't need more than that," Sirius whispered. "I want you here. Will you stay?"
"Sirius, I – I don't know what to say," said Hermione, "it's so sudden... It seems like something we have to do in the future, when we know each other better and get married and – "
"What?"
Hermione stopped with her mouth open. She just realized what she had said.
"Did you say 'get married'?" Sirius asked.
"If I heard myself correctly, I did," said Hermione, "but oh, Sirius, I didn't mean it, I'm taking it back. This is crazy."
"No," said Sirius softly, "it's not."
"It is," Hermione insisted. "I'm only eighteen, and we've been together for such a short time and – "
"So what?" Sirius said heatedly, grabbing her other hand and holding both together. "Does it mean we can't do it? Let's do it, Hermione. Let's get married. It's you and me forever, and that's what I want."
"You're mad," Hermione whispered.
"No! Listen to me, Hermione, it may sound crazy for a stranger, for someone outside this relationship. But think about us," said Sirius, holding her hands close to his chest, "think about it as someone who is part of this relationship. Come on! Don't you want that?"
Hermione let her eyes travel from his feet to the top of his head. His looks had changed so much. He was wearing much more stylish clothes; his hair was stunning – dark, long and soft. And his eyes had the same twinkling they had had in the picture, the picture that had started it all... She looked deeply into those lovely eyes, and knew what she wanted.
"Yes," she whispered back, moving closer to him, "that's what I want."
Sirius cupped her face and kissed her lips feverishly; Hermione let herself drown in this sea of happiness... "My parents will kill me," she said.
"Hermione," said Sirius softly, getting down on one knee...
"They'll freak out," she insisted, "they really will..."
"Hermione Granger..." Sirius insisted, clearing his throat.
"I don't care if they will!" said Hermione excitedly. "Oh my God... sorry. Go ahead..."
"Hermione," said Sirius solemnly, still holding her hand, "only a few weeks ago, I could still easily be recognized as Sirius Black, the prisoner of Azkaban. But thanks to you, I've become what I am now. And I'm not talking about looks, I don't care about my hair or my clothes. I'm talking about the way I feel about myself, which thanks to you, is completely different. I like myself so much better now. I'm so much happier, happier than I've ever thought I could be. Hermione, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the one who makes me happy, and even if I will never make it, I want to try to make you feel the same way."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"Hermione," Sirius said softly, "will you marry me?"
"Yes," Hermione whispered and fell into his arms. She kissed him lovingly and smiled as she struggled with her tears. "I love you, Sirius."
"I love you too, Hermione," said Sirius, and he really looked happier than ever.
~*~
A/N: Thank you for all the birthday wishes! You know, I'm telling everyone what cute reviewers I have. I can't mention names, of course, because almost all of you use nicknames and I don't know your real names, but it's okay. :-) By the way, I believe you all know that my real name is Roni? I didn't make it up or something...
