Disclaimer: These are not my characters, they belong to JK Rowling. I just like putting them in these situations for my own amusement.

Rating: PG-13. Might rise to R for future chapters for swearing mostly, maybe some sexual refernces, depends how far I get.

Out On Their Own

This story takes place after Harry, Hermione and Harry have finished Hogwarts. Freed form education, they have decided to look for a flat to share in London. Ron and Hermione are together and Sirius isn't dead, he is living in domestic bliss with Remus in Grimmauld Place. As for Harry....well, I'll come to that later.

Chapter 1: Return to Grimmauld Place

It was the summer after Harry, Ron and Hermione's graduation from Hogwarts. Although there had been no final showdown with Voldemort at the end of seventh year, Harry and his friends were still heavily involved with the Order and the fight against You Know Who. Because of this, and the fact that Harry and Ron had successfully been accepted on the Auror Training Course at the Ministry of Magic, the three of them had decided to look for a place to live in London. It was handy for work, but more importantly they were close to the Order and Grimmauld Place.

They had accepted Sirius' offer to stay there while they looked for a flat, Harry however had refused his offer of living there permanently because it was frankly too depressing and he needed a break form the Order now and then. He didn't fancy tripping over Snape as he left for work every morning, or bumping into Tonks wearing just a towel on the landing.

Besides, he wanted a bit of freedom for himself, away from Sirius who still remained a parental figure in some ways. He couldn't imagine his Godfather and Remus scrutinising very girl he brought home. And he was looking forward to living with Ron and Hermione, they had been enthusiastically planning their brilliant flat and exciting life in London partying and fighting the Dark Arts.

Harry was still into the idea, but their plans had gone slightly awry in the last term of school, when Ron and Hermione had finally stopped bickering long enough to see what everyone else had been able to see for seven years and get together. They weren't planning to shack up in a love nest straight away, though, they reassured Harry. Hermione sensibly felt she wasn't quite ready to move in with her boyfriend as a couple after only a few months of dating, but still wanted to live with her friends in their own apartment. Ron seemed okay with the idea; they saved money by splitting the rent with Harry and he still got to see Hermione in her nightie.

After that last tearful train journey home from Hogwarts (Harry had felt his eyes moisten in the steam at Hogsmeade station), the trio had briefly gone their separate ways, Hermione to her parents to decide what to bring to London, and Ron to the Burrow to do the same. Harry hadn't needed to do this, he simply went back to Grimmauld Place with Sirius.

That first night back, Harry, Sirius and Remus sat in the kitchen reminiscing and plotting Harry's future. Sirius had ordered a Chinese takeaway to celebrate, Remus had contributed a bottle of fire whiskey.

"We saw this one place, Harry," Lupin was saying, "Christ it was bloody awful, mice everywhere and holes in the walls. The door wouldn't lock properly either, our first week there we got burgled and my gramophone got stolen, remember? And you bought me a new one with your first week's wages and couldn't afford to eat for a week!"

Sirius laughed, "I remember." He smiled handsomely, "and that land lady witch in Kings Cross, tried to rent us that hellhole for ten galleons a week. There wasn't even a bathroom, just a bucket under the stairs!" Sirius chuckled and swiped the last spring roll from Remus' plate.

Harry's eyes widened, "surely not everywhere's like that, I mean, standards have improved since you were my age, haven't they?" The trendy party flat him and Ron had been planning was looking less and less likely with every dodgy dive Sirius and Remus told him about. And there had been a few.

"Don't be so sure Harry, there's still plenty of dodgy landlords out there trying to rip you off," Remus took another swig of Whiskey. "Of course, it's not impossible to find somewhere, but in London....." he trailed off.

"Yeah, but we could magic it up a bit, couldn't we? I'm sure Hermione'll know a few handy spells."

"'Spose so," Sirius got up and walked over to the counter to get the Chow Main and a newspaper. He tossed it at Harry. "Here, latest Daily Prophet. I've been saving it for you for the to - let section. I circled one or two I thought might be okay."

Harry looked down at the paper, several adverts were ringed in dark purple ink.

"Hmmm." Harry put the paper to one side. "I'll look at it later, can't face it tonight." He drained his glass, his mouth burning form the taste of the drink. It wasn't his first encounter with the whiskey, there had been that incident at Ron's eighteenth birthday after all, but he still hadn't got used to the taste, he couldn't stomach it like Sirius and Remus who swallowed it like water. Must be the years of practice, he told himself.

"Here, Harry, what's all this about Ron and Hermione getting together?" Remus leaned over the table like a gossiping schoolgirl.

"Yeah, Harry, tell us all the details. It's about time those two got it together."

Harry laughed at two grown men fascinated over the love lives of two teenagers, but happily filled them in on the details, grateful for a break in the grotty flat talk.

"I knew it," cried Sirius, lighting another cigarette as Harry finished the tale. "I always knew Ron was desperate to get it on with her."

"Of course Padfoot," Remus rolled his eyes. "It was always obvious that Head Girl Miss Granger was going to fall for Ron's charms."

"He must have charms we don't know about then," retorted Sirius with a grin.

Harry looked appalled. "Please, don't talk about my friends that way. Or your former students," he glanced at Remus, who was looking pretty pissed by now. "You're putting me right off my spare ribs."

"Sorry Harry, you're quite right, it's quite inappropriate."

"But Harry, you lot were inseparable for years, wasn't there ever, a certain tension between the three of you? I mean, is it such a good idea now living together?"

Harry grimaced at Sirius' words. "Euww, no! A love triangle! Bloody hell you make it sound like something out of those dreadful muggle soap operas Aunt Petunia used to watch! God no! Hermione has only ever been a friend in my eyes, it's Ron who's always liked her. Shit, I wish you two wouldn't sit around thinking about our love lives, it's gross. And quite disturbing."

The others grinned. They were both quite drunk by now. Harry hoped Dumbledore hadn't any serious Order business planned for tomorrow morning. He was quite sure they wouldn't be up to it. Besides, he was telling the truth, he'd only ever seen Hermione as a friend, and maybe a sister. Other girls though, well they were a very different matter.