CHAPTER 2 - WELCOME HOME

Through the foyer of Grimmauld Place a sound of laughing, happy voices played a harmonic melody. As one entered the kitchen, they were met with a grand welcome of happy faces and bright smiles - the family had been reunited.

Sirius was returning to the kitchen as he heard the latest dramatic tale of Ron going face to face with a Hungarian Horntail with his brother, Charlie. He made his way around the group, who were all listening quite intently and hanging on Ron's every word, that he just went to the fridge and got a beer. He took a seat, the farthest on the end, and leaned back on it's two legs to take a swig.

He looked around the room, scanning each and every face there, taking a mental picture and highly looking forward to this holiday with the company. It had been so long since the entire Order was together, that it was a much needed check in from everyone, to see how everyone was dealing with this dramatic new change. Sirius, on the other hand, was still a little bit skeptical about how others viewed him, but he knew everyone in that room, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur, Ginny, Bill, Remus and Charlie, cared for him and wouldn't second guess him.

Sirius laid his eyes on the twenty year old James Potter look-a-like. It was just amazing that even the way he folded his hands he looked like his late best friend. But, considering the situation, Sirius ended up with the next best thing - to be a father figure to the one and only kin to James. That way he gained a sense of responsibility, an important role and a friend that will last as long as he did - as long as they kept him safe from Voldemort, in which they did. A small smile crept over Sirius's mouth, feeling a warm sensation casually rush through his forty-one year old blood and veins, knowing that the Order had served a strong purpose and all was going to be well in the future.

Later that evening, everyone had retired early for their long travels, whether it be from America or London, had drained them. Molly had planned on staying up later that night for the arrival of Tonks. At the very name of Tonks, Sirius couldn't help but give Molly a look and then a slight wink that she had been secretly trying to play cupid for a few people in the house.

Molly caught his wink and went right on over behind him, as it looked like he was going to get comfortable and carry on all night with a few of Harry's friends, Harry included.

"And you, Mr. Black, do not even for a second think you're going to keep Harry and the lot up any longer than they already have. Hermione has come all the way from New York and the boys are sure to want to turn in." Molly said, patting her dear cousin on the back, as she had gotten to know his little way of thinking quite well.

"Molly….Molly, I was only going to offer them one beer and then I was going to put my foot down that they all go to bed, like good little children." Sirius grinned, sarcasm dripping from his tone of voice like it was slow soothing honey. He looked up at her, from leaning back on the two legs of his old chair, with amazing big brown puppy dog eyes that no one, not even Molly could resist. But, she was stubborn.

"Sirius, I'm serious." Molly said, and then cracked a smile at her words.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny couldn't help but bite their tongues as well, as the scene that began to unfold before them started to turn into prime entertainment. It was evident that with these two being cooped up in that house for long periods of time had started to create a bond that no husband was going to get near, because that was a bloodline all of it's own. In the strange lineage of purebloods, Molly turned out to be a third or fourth cousin to Molly and therefore, proved the right that the two of them could mock, tease, and overall annoy one another without any regard. Arthur watched on, his mouth displaying a slight smirk as he picked up a few papers that lie on the kitchen counter.

He passed by his wife, giving her a kind kiss on the cheek and adding, "Molly, let him do what he wants. He hasn't seen the kids in a very long time. So, why don't we retire so Sirius can go about doing what he was going to do, even after he lied and said he was going to do what you asked."

Sirius shot him a look of surprise, as if he'd just been found out, when Mr. Weasley added, "Sirius, you're not the only one that is silent and watches everything." and he gave good old Sirius a pat on the back as he waved a good night to the rest of the table.

Sirius smiled back at Molly as he played up the dumbfounded look at Arthur as he exited the kitchen, "You heard him, Molly. Good night."

She sighed and shook her head, whispering something under breath about being so ungrateful, but still in a sweet Molly Weasley kind of way. She went around the table and kissed all the children good night and then, stubbornly, went over to Sirius for a kiss on the cheek, mocking him that he, too, was one of the children.

Sirius let her leave with one final dramatic pout and when the coast was clear, he stood up and went to the fridge, offering everyone a beer so they could stay up and chat. The boys and Ginny all took one, but Hermione admitted that she didn't really like the beer, since the Americans had spoiled her with their fruity coolers and wine chillers, so she, instead, fixed herself a cup of hot tea and settled back down to listen to everyone talk like sailors.

As the rest of the world around them, outside of their kitchen, began to wake up, the crew had to admit that if Molly were to come down that very second to see them still up, she'd probably lay and egg she'd be so upset. So, around the golden hour of four-thirty, the youngest members of the Order and Sirius cleaned up after themselves and made their way up the stairs, retiring to their rooms.

They walked up the stairs quietly as they could, afraid that Mrs. Black's portrait would awaken and stir the rest of the house up. The idea came to mind that if Molly had heard Mrs. Black and her rant about people being up as late as they were, she'd probably, for the first time, side with the Slytherin portrait…and that was a mix no one wanted to witness.

They came upon the first landing, the one with the two bookshelves on either side of the walls, and the very landing that Mrs. Weasley had hung that atrocious mistletoe weed high above.

Harry and Ron's room was the first and only door on that landing, so Ron went to open it, as Harry shook his head at the very size of it.

"Sirius, that has got to be the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Harry added, hoping that he was going to be able to get a rise out of his godfather, since it was his house, and that never, in all the years he'd been there, seen something as gaudy as that festive thing hanging from the ceiling.

Sirius sighed in defeat, the girls behind him had started to giggle, and he hung his head low, "I know," his voice lowly whispered, a few dark locks falling into his eyes as his neck fell with an over dramatic gesture, "SHE did it." He raised his head a little and caught Ginny smiling, "Her mother did this to the Black family household," he shook his head, again, clearly feigning his internal pain.

"I can see the spirit in it, it's not all that bad," Hermione whispered, trying to lighten him up. But, as she saw him glance over at her, under the little whips of hair, she had to smile when she saw he was faking it.

It was then that she caught a bit of that childish side she had always fought against. The side of him that was normally hard for her to understand that a full grown adult would think the way he did. But, it over time, it all became quite clear what his problem was…he was still the man he was, before he went to Azkaban. He wasn't even twenty-four when they threw him in there and when he came out, his very soul was drained and had not been able to mature with others his age around him. So now, with the years in him refreshed and living in Grimmauld, he was slowly catching up. Though he looked into the mirror and saw a man entering his forties, he felt like he was twenty, but met in the middle as a man reflecting his thirties. And there, that moment, surrounded by his loving godson, friends and equals, was when Hermione saw Sirius Black's true light. He was content.

Sirius cracked that smile as he watched the young blond think and couldn't help but give another Sirius Black flirting wink, that he never had been able to control whenever a pretty woman walked around him…well, there was the occasional teasing wink he gave to Molly, but she was family, so there was nothing there. He did it for Molly, to tease, to show her that deep within the house, deep within the stories and mysteries of the one time believed as a convicted murderer Sirius Black, that good looking friend of James and Remus still lurked. And with the lurking came a lot of Sirius Black's seriously dangerous ways.

Thoughts returned to Sirius as he winked at Hermione, "Oh no, hon, it's awful. But, she got smart and put a fastening spell on it that keeps it to the wall. Even if I tried hanging on it, it still wouldn't budge." He looked back at Ginny and added, "Your mother is smart."

"My mother knows you." she added, turning around to finish up the stairs and go to her room.

In the middle of a yawn, Harry waved good night to Hermione who had started her slow ascend up the stairs behind Ginny. "Good night, Hermione. Good night, Sirius." and he went in for a hug with his godfather.

Rustling up Harry's hair, Sirius squeezed him in a tight hold, "Glad you're home, Harry."

After saying another good night, Sirius couldn't help but just love that kid. Though he hadn't been there for most of this life, he was there for almost half of it, and had truly grown to love Harry. Harry was his own, he'd do anything for him, he'd even sacrifice himself for him, like his parents…had he been given the chance. The power of love was a very strong thing.

Sirius saw that Hermione had just reached the top of the stairs, as she had been moving at a very slow pace. There hadn't really been much time for the two of them to talk, but then again, what could someone like her really have to say to someone like him, if she wasn't belittling or mocking him in some way? Regardless, the time had passed between them and he had caught a few glances from her, as if seeing that he, too, had grown up a bit.

"Hermione?" he said, a quiet library voice creeping out of his throat.

She turned around, hand still on the banister as she was just taking a left to go towards the room she was sharing with Ginny. "Yes?"

"I've been holding it in, until now. I have to ask," he dipped his chin, as if to see her better with invisible spectacles, giving off a serious vibe for a few seconds.

The pretty young girl was onto his little tease and she narrowed her eyes and lowered her chin in the same fashion - to mock him. "Yes, Sirius?"

She was playing his game. He saw that now. "What's with the blonde hair?"

She cracked a smile, averting her eyes towards the wall that displayed a rather dark and devious painting. She gave a light chuckle as if she'd been found out and then met those deep brown eyes, again. His face also reflected that of a tinge of humor. She watched as he folded his arms over his chest, displayed nicely under that form fitted sweater he wore, and leaned against the railing of the stairs. He posed as if he had found her out and was waiting for a good answer.

"Ashamed to admit something, are we?" he baited.

"No. It's just….it's just that it's something the American girls seem to thrive on. Everything is bleached blonde over there…and…" she started, but then her voice began to fade out as if ashamed to admit something.

"And? There is more, I can see it in your face. Why, Miss Granger…are you doing something devious? Is blonde hair in America a dangerous thing?"

He was too much, now. Those dark eyes began to burn into her, as if he was peering into her very soul, trying so subtly to pull something secret out. When in truth, it was just in vain that she wore her hair blonde.

She sighed, as if he had found out a weakness, there was something in her that was unable to ignore his charm…even for a few moments. The old Sirius had, indeed, started to creep back since his freedom and it only made her wonder if his skills were still rusty and he was working them on her by habit, or he was just normally that good. She could look in the mirror right that minute and admit that she wasn't terribly bad to look at, she was, infact, a very pretty girl in her own right. But, whether she was something that would have been Sirius's type in his time was another question. Regardless, it was not a question as of this moment. He wasn't hinting anything, he was just Sirius, not Mr. Black. He may deserve the same respect as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had received, but when it came to Sirius, he was different. He was, first and foremost, a friend to her circle. He always had been that way. Though he might reflect the age of most of the Potter's generation in the first movement of the Order, he had always been "one of them". And that is why, at that very moment, that Hermione forgot he was anyone else, but Sirius.

"No, it's not anything like that at all." she whispered, watching his eyebrows raise with interest underneath those locks of black hair that fell around his face, "It's a guy thing. Men prefer blondes…it's been proven. I was just…trying to get the attention of one of them….before I left."

Sirius lowered his head in comprehension, "Ah, and did you succeed?"

She held her stare on part of the carpet below them, past Sirius. She was slightly embarrassed when she actually said it, thinking how insanely shallow it had been. This was not the girl she once was. This was a girl she thought she was, when she was away from home. She gave herself a subtle grin, and shook her head, "No."

Sirius watched as the expression on her face changed, as if he had caused a stir within her. He watched how her pretty blonde locks framed her face, like a soft lighted portrait and wanted to tell her that whomever the man was, he wasn't worth it, if he couldn't appreciate the work of art that she had grown to be. She was a pretty girl when he first met her godson's friend seven years ago, before she blossomed, but now she was a woman. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman that men, unlike him, would be lining up to marry. Unlike him. Men not like Sirius Black. Men more her age, more her level, more her league.

Sirius bowed his head as he dropped his arms to his sides, ready to end their somewhat awkward moment and retire to his room, "Well, if it means anything, I always preferred you as a brunette. You stand out more, that way."

Hermione let his words sink in slowly and raised her eyes to meet his, as he began to walk to his bedroom. "But, they say gentlemen prefer blondes."

He stood at his door and added, "Perhaps. But, I'm not a gentleman." and he bid her good night and gave her a wink before turning in.

Hermione watched his door close quietly and thought about his encouraging words. She couldn't help but smile to herself and turned towards the long hallway that lead to her own bedroom. She listened to the rest of the house creak around her, settling in for the night. It was peaceful and it added to her thoughts as she walked alone in the house. The house that had many secrets, told many stories and helped people discover themselves from within.

Before reaching her own door, she put her hands at her forehead and carefully brushed her fingers through her hair, all the way reaching the fine ends. As she felt nearly each and every lock, she shook her head and walked into her bedroom a brunette, once again.