WARNING: some swearing and quite a bit of angst
Firstly, I just wanted to apologise for the long gap in updates. School work has been horrible with exams coming up so I've had barely anytime to breath, let alone write lol so sorry (I almost died when I saw it had been almost a month). Also, since I've had so little time I haven't checked if Harry has said I love you to Sirius before in my story so if he has, please ignore that mistake haha.
malexandria – thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying it 3
LadyPhoenix68 – I know I was very light on her but I didn't want to kill her as that would rule out a possible return yk? (admittedly I also didn't notice the discrepancy in sentences till you pointed it out so… whoops).
Amory K – admittedly it's not the most exciting plan but I did want to include Tonks and Remus getting together and my brain was having a hard idea of coming up with anything else lol
Chapter 21
All in all, the plan wasn't nearly as bad as Hermione feared. She'd thought it'd be something illegal, not playing matchmaker. The twins had cornered Tonks for her and all she now had to do was – in their words – have a 'girls talk' with her that all books talked about. Deciding not to mention that she'd only ever had male friends so this was very out of her depth, she approached anyway. After all, it was only Tonks. How bad could it be?
"Oh hey," Hermione said awkwardly, taking the seat next to Tonks, already regretting her decision. Maybe the twins would forget that she didn't ask?
The metamorphmagus grinned back, replying "How's the boyfriend?" with a huge smirk.
Right, for that, game time. Hermione leaned back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Good as I'm sure you know. After all, I've heard you and Professor Lupin are quite… close now."
It was Hermione's turn to smirk now at the red blotches that appeared on Tonks cheeks, ignoring her stammered denials and 'we're just friends'.
"I never suggested you weren't?" she pointed out gleefully, Tonks scowling as she realised the hole she was digging herself into.
"Well, with all the innuendo's Fred and George keep saying whenever Remus and I's name come up, it's become an automatic disclaimer now."
Hermione nodded in sympathy. She'd lost count of all the times they'd done it to her about Harry (obviously when he wasn't around, Fred and George would never admit they were a bit afraid of him, knowing he was the reason people never dared to do anything to her in front of him).
"They do it to you too?" Tonks asked, suddenly looking tired.
Hermione frowned, concerned at the sudden exhaustion compared to her usual bubbliness. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, now worried.
"I just – I'm so frustrated with him!" Tonks burst out, the vehemency surprising Hermione. She remained quiet however, a trick her mum had taught her to gain extra information. Everything Tonks had been holding back then rushed out in a jumble of words.
"I really like him and I know he likes me back but he's refusing to even admit the possibility we can get together! It's all 'but I'm a werewolf' – like I give a shit?! It's made even worse by mum who actually agrees with him and says I should marry someone like me –"
Hermione gaped at that, shocked at Andromeda's approach to this. "But isn't that what her own mother would've told her in regards to Ted?"
"Thank you!" Tonks cried. "I've told her that but she says it isn't the same. I've said that she's being bigoted because he's a werewolf and I get she was taught that they're evil but so was Sirius! And she won't admit it! All she says is that I'll be in danger from him and he's probably violent –"
"Hasn't she met him though?" Hermione asked, amazed. You only needed to meet Lupin for one minute before realising how utterly harmless he was.
"She has! Yet she still just goes on about how dangerous he is!" Hermione was horrified to notice Tonks looked close to crying. "I fucked this all up. I thought he might come around if he met my parents but while dad loved him, mum didn't and told me that in his hearing. Ever since then he's withdrawn even further into himself, even Sirius has noticed. He asked me about it but how am I supposed to tell him my mum, his last relative he liked, is a bigoted pureblood just like the rest of them."
Hermione pulled Tonks into a hug then, heart clenching at the utter pain and defeat in her voice. "I think you should talk to Sirius about it," she said, putting a finger over Tonks mouth when she made a move to protest. "No. Listen to me. Sirius is his closest friend – I mean they're practically brothers! – and if anyone can convince him to go for it, he is. And I'm sure this isn't the first time Lupin has got into a bit of a funk about being dangerous, he did after third year after all, and I bet Sirius will know how to drag him out of it."
Tears now under control Tonks nodded, stealing herself. "I'll do it once everyone's going. Don't want to ruin the party after all, boy wonder deserves it," she finished with a watery laugh.
Hermione smiled, glad to see a streak of pink appearing in the mousy brown hair. Glancing around and catching Harry's eye, she flashed him a smile at his worried look before saying her goodbye's to Tonks and heading over to him. "You good?" he asked, "Tonks looked a bit upset."
"It's all fine, don't worry. Just auror stress, you know."
Harry nodded, looking unconvinced but clearly deciding to drop it. Relieved, Hermione directed his attention back to the party, where Sirius was showing the twins some old party tricks he and James used to do with Remus attempting to stop him but was laughing too hard to do so properly. Making eye contact with Tonks, the auror nodded as she got up, heading over to wait by Sirius. Seeing the longing look Remus gave her out of the corner of her eye she sighed, this had better be fixed quickly.
"Apparently your girlfriend's quite the matchmaker now," Katie told Harry gleefully as they oversaw the new beaters target practise.
Harry raised an eyebrow, turning to the smirking seventh year. "How so?" he asked, confused.
"Tonks and Remus. A little birdy told me that was her work."
Harry grinned, humming. "She gave Tonks a nudge to talk to Sirius about it who then talked to Remus so if by that you mean she got them together then yes, I suppose she is."
"Who do you think she'll set Sirius up with then?"
Harry blinked, the wind knocked out of him at the question. He hadn't even considered the possibility of Sirius getting a girlfriend. "Oh, um, I don't know," he replied, uncertain. If Sirius got a girlfriend, would she be okay with Harry living with them? Would she want him to move out? Would she be okay with his and Sirius's relationship?
So many questions buzzed around his head he didn't notice Katie stop talking, clearly waiting for him to say something.
"Yeah, uh huh," Harry replied aimlessly, unsure what she had said before heading over to the beaters who had finished their practise. He barely remembered dismissing the team, not even seeing their concerned faces.
So focused on the problem of Sirius getting a girlfriend, he didn't even see Hermione trying to get his attention as he arrived back in the common room, instead heading to the shower and wallowing in silence. Ron, who'd overheard his conversation with Katie summarised it to Hermione who looked just as worried as he felt. That just left the two of them to brainstorm how to contact him, a letter far too long to reduce the damage of Harry's spiralling thoughts.
"The mirror!" Hermione cried, suddenly struck by the thought. "He can talk to Sirius through that!"
"Hermione, you're a genius!" Ron declared as they headed for Harry's trunk. Hermione grabbed the mirror which was tucked under a load of robes, letting Ron deal with stacking them back up.
"Sirius Black."
It took a minute before his face appeared, calming Hermione's worried nerves that he wouldn't come. "Hey Hermione, what's up?"
"It's Harry. He and Katie were talking about Tonks and Remus getting together and she asked him if you'd get a girlfriend. I haven't spoken to him yet but he's been acting all off since then. Ron and I are really worried," Hermione said, voice finishing in a whisper.
Sirius's face had gotten graver the longer she spoke and he gave a short nod when she'd finished. "Where is he?"
"Shower," Ron spoke up. "He's been in there for ages, most likely stewing knowing him."
"Tell him to get his ass out of the shower and that I want to speak to him," Sirius said, voice eerily flat. There was almost no emotion on the man's face, creeping Hermione out slightly as Ron went to fetch Harry. Sirius would be able to fix this, he had to.
Handing him the mirror when he emerged, thankfully dressed (she was amazed Ron hadn't let him walk out in a towel to give her a heart attack), Hermione gave him a chaste kiss before fleeing the dorm, dragging Ron out with her.
"Hey Prongslet," Sirius said gently, using the nickname he'd given Harry as a kid. He used it rarely, preferring it for emotional conversations such as this one most likely would be. "Hermione said you've been a bit upset. You want to tell me why?"
Harry blinked, heart strings tugging at the nickname. But would that disappear too if he got a girlfriend? Would –
"Harry?" Sirius prompted softly. "Hermione told me what she thought it was but I want to hear it from you."
"I – you – I just – will I still live with you if you get a girlfriend?"
"What?!" Sirius gaped at the question, thankfully recovering his wits enough to reply at seeing his godson draw even further into himself at his reply. "Harry, of course you will. If I had my way you'd be living with me till you're forty, but I don't think Hermione would approve."
He relaxed slightly at his godson's wet laugh at his exaggerated wink along with his words. However, Sirius meant to get to the bottom of this issue. While he had known that even with the talks they had already had his worry he'd be abandoned wouldn't have gone away yet, he was still slightly upset that he thought he'd throw him out.
"Anyway," Sirius continued, waiting until Harry was focused on him again before starting. "I want to reiterate that you are the most important thing in my life. I have no interest in dating right now and will happily die a bachelor but if a woman does come along, then the first thing I will do as soon as it seems it will get serious is get your opinion. If you don't like her she goes, no hesitation okay?"
Harry nodded, eyes downcast but shoulders less tense which Sirius took as a small win. Maybe it was finally getting through to him? "Anything else you're worried about if I get a future partner?"
Harry fiddled with the Potter ring on his finger before quietly saying "What if she's another aunt Petunia?"
Sirius stiffened at that, barely concealing the rage that flared up in him at that ghastly woman's name. "I promise she won't be. If she even dares say anything slightly rude about you or anyone we know, she's out the door. I will not stand for anything less than common decency and respect to all our friends, even if she doesn't like them. Except you, if she can't do more than tolerate you it won't work. All that will do is build up resentment on her side because I'll always choose you."
"Even if I mess up?"
"Especially then, after all you are my godson," Sirius said warmly, glad to see Harry's smile at that sentence.
"I love you," Harry whispered, voice so quiet Sirius thought he misheard at first. After all, he'd been dreaming of the day Harry finally had the courage to say them to him he was worried he'd hallucinated them.
"Love you too Prongslet. Now, go get that scary girlfriend of yours and cuddle up and read a book or whatever disgusting things couples do nowadays."
Harry full on laughed at that, rolling his eyes. "With that attitude you'll never get a girlfriend!" he exclaimed, his fears of Sirius moving on from him abated for now.
They had a few more jokes before Harry ended the call, explaining apologetically Hermione was at the door asking if he was okay. Sirius waved off his apologies, saying "Don't worry about me, go make out with your girlfriend!" and enjoying the mortified look on his face. However, as soon as Harry's face left the mirror his face dropped.
Sighing, he shifted the papers on his desk to reveal his latest letter from some Lady in who knows what house. A letter that proposed marriage. Specifically the fourth one this week and it only being Tuesday. Trying to formulate a polite rejection he sighed, the task growing more and more difficult as he ran out of excuses. But he'd made a promise to Harry and he wouldn't break it and anyway, he was no longer the man he was back at school who enjoyed all the girls attention. All he wanted now was some peace and quiet with Harry. Smiling at the thought of his godson he starting writing the letter. The possible offence would be worth it if it kept Harry smiling. Anything would be.
