edited: November 2022
The temperature in the kitchen seemed to be heating up and it had nothing to do with Molly's cooking on the stove. Glancing around the room, Hermione gathered her thoughts who was present at the meeting and what she could quickly catch up on. All eyes were on her as she nervously adjusted her shirt from rushing into the room and pulled her hair wild curls into an even messier bun on her head, locking it in with a stray pencil she kept behind her ear.
"Why is he on the floor?" Hermione asked, pointing to Sirius lying among pieces of wooden chair. A little concerned no one offered to help him, she quickly came around the table, "Sirius, are you alright? Is no one going to help him up?"
When Sirius saw her coming closer, her arms outstretched with manicured nails, he immediately began to stumble up from the floor, avoiding any physical contact with the young woman. As if her mere touch would be like branding him with a hot iron, sealing him to another prison fate. Standing up, balancing on unstable footing, he brushed himself off and shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine! Just," he paused and threw a glance over to Snape, knowing he had something to do with unstable legs of his century old family chair, "…just fell over. Thank you, I'm fine."
Snape's poor acting did not conceal the low chuckle that escaped deep within his throat. He tilted his head and placed a finger over his lip, quietly pleased with himself. He lifted his arms in a sarcastic surrender to prove he had nothing up his sleeve to perform such a magnificent trick.
Sirius couldn't help but bite his lip in anger, wishing he could make a gesture, but wouldn't in present company. He took his wand out of his inside jacket pocket, pointed it at the chair and allowed it to reassemble. He replaced it in front of the table and positioned himself carefully back into it, pouting like a child as he glared at Snape across the way mentally mumbling unforgivable curses in his mind.
Hermione felt a little dismissed by Sirius, but still sweetly said, "Well, sorry for that." She turned around and walked back towards the head of the table, eager to get into the Order meeting and said, "Remus, where are we? What did I miss so far? Where did you just leave off as I came in?"
The young brunette glanced between Kingsley and Remus, eager to hear the business they had gotten into. Everyone had grown quite silent when she first flew into the room, she assumed whatever the discussion was beforehand, it had to have been intense. She stood patiently, waiting for someone to speak, bouncing between them like a tennis match, then to Harry, whose eyes were staring at her intently. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, she widened her scan and she noticed everyone there had their eyes on her.
Looking all around, she gave a slight lean in next to Remus, her eyes still looking out into the room, "Remus, why is everyone staring at me? What did I do?"
Remus gave an audible sigh and glanced over at Kingsley, then back to Hermione with compassionate eyes for his young friend. Unsure how to start, he pulled out his own chair for her to take a seat. Her brow furrowed, looking at the chair pulled, glancing over to Molly for a sign of assurance, but all she got was a sweet concerned motherly grimace. She noticed it was hard for Molly to smile.
Sliding into the chair slowly and folding her hands nervously in her hands, "What has happened? Has someone died? Are my parents- "
"They're fine," Remus quickly answered, trying to give her a small comfort.
Reading he room, Arthur cleared his throat as indicator to the company and several people started to stir about the kitchen, pushing out their chairs to refresh their teas or grab a biscuit during the review. Sirius, however, stayed put, staring at his own folded hands as if something on them was going to save him from this implied incarceration.
Remus took the emptied seat Tonks left open for him, so he could quietly converse with her over the new Marriage Law Act about to pass in the next couple of weeks. When he had reached the end, right at the point when Sirius had fallen out of his chair, he carefully slowed down his words fearing she was going erupt. Her face was emotionless, frozen as she took in his every word, not even cracking a small smirk when the part of Sirius falling came to light. Remus did catch her eyes flick over towards Sirius when he shifted in his seat, but then back to her own hands she placed on the table neatly folded.
Her mind was trying hard to process what Remus was telling her, but I started to fade out to a light hum of silence. Still as a statue, she felt the tension in her neck developing into a headache and her brain was filling with fog. She knew she was sitting in a chair; she felt the solid ground beneath her feet, her skin felt cold and warm at the same time and before she could weigh her realistic options, all she could focus on was that she was going to be forced into a marriage against her choice.
She didn't fly off the handle, she didn't storm around the room screaming making a scene. Instead, she adjusted how she sat in the chair, pushed a stray hair out of her sightline and tried to compose herself for the few seconds she had. As the moment sunk in, she felt her lower lip start to quiver and the simmering emotion beginning to well up. Turning her face away from the room to the privacy of the wall, she allowed a single tear to slide down her cheek she had fought so hard to resist.
"Hermione?" a small voice asked. Molly walked up slowly behind her, approaching her as if she were a small, frightened animal. "Hermione, my dear, are you alright?" With no response, Molly reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder to offer some solace.
Hermione sniffed and wiped the tears off her cheeks, offering a small smile to Molly, showing her appreciated efforts. Personal emotions aside, she knew the Order had her best interests at heart and their obligation was to protect her with the notion to marry her within the secret society. This was just another mission set forth for the good of the wizarding world.
"You do, of course," started a low somber voice from the end of the table, "have choices."
With another sniff, she turned towards her former potions professor and fellow Order member, with a dull glimmer of hope there was another way out of this matter. Swallowing deeply, doubting he could have found a solution already, she replied, "Such as?"
"You could marry a Death Eater."
"OH piss off, Snivellus! I don't think that's a fair choice for her," Sirius barked, finally break away from his silent prayers that his bachelor life wasn't over just yet. His prowling wouldn't come to an end by the laws of the Ministry, but he did pledge himself to the Order and would be willing to do the noble thing, regardless. What irritated him the most, was that no one had asked him yet, whether it seemed like a good idea – they just nominated him.
Snape rolled his eyes and laid them on the ally he loathed the most, "It would be if you are the alternative."
"I'm so sorry you're not in the running, Half-blood," Sirius gloated like a stubborn child. All his teenage angst started to rise in the body of a 42-year-old wizard.
"Boys, please!" Tonks snapped at the two grown men. "This is not the time!" her eyes fell on Hermione and with a softer tone, "I know it's happening fast, but you really… have no choice if you want to be protected."
Hermione looked down the table to Sirius, who was still glaring at Snape across from him. Taking a second to read him, she started to empathize with him that they probably hadn't discussed this with him either. That was indicated by the way he snapped at Snape. She only then noticed how straight his back was, obviously tense from the current situation and appearing more agitated than usual.
Sirius had resisted reaching into his jacket pocket for his wand, so that he might knock Snape out of hischair, when he sensed someone looking at him. When he turned his head, he was met with a pair of apprehensive brown eyes from down the table. Sharing a silent exchange, unsure what to say to one another, but managing to convey an unspoken understanding.
She blinked a few times and turned away, realizing she had held his gaze for longer than what was deemed appropriate. Still feeling his eyes on her, she was a little overwhelmed by the uncontrollable tingle she felt over her skin. Giving herself a slight shiver, it was hard to comprehend the magnitude of what was going to transpire across the wizarding world.
"How long do I have to get married?" she whispered, hopeful there might be an alternative, but knowing the truth that Sirius was her only honest hope in the Order. She could leave herself to gamble with the chance to be petitioned by another Pure-blood, one she otherwise might fancy, but there was no guarantee she wouldn't be paired with a member of the Cult of Voldemort. However, being spoken for by someone she already knew, did have its advantages and assurances she would be safe.
"Two weeks until they announce it," Molly offered, squeezing her shoulder for support, but still sounding like she was sentencing her to death.
Fighting back the dam of tears that were threatening to break through, she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked over to Harry, who sat stiff next to his Godfather. He appeared to be calm, not saying much of anything, but concerned for his best friend. Looking at him validated her wish for there to be anyone else in the active Order that she could pair with, because the idea of potentially seeing the Marriage Law through with all that it entailed, specifically sleeping with Sirius, made her friendship with Harry complicated.
"How do you feel about it?" she asked, looking to her best friend for support. The idea of binding herself to his former guardian felt intrusive to their relationship.
Harry gave her a half smile and glanced over at his shaken Godfather, whose best interests he also had in mind. He watched as Sirius was fidgeting with his hands, cracking his knuckles and otherwise trying to sit still as they discussed it.
"At least we'd be able to keep you close," Harry replied, offering some assurance.
"Harry," Sirius whispered, knowing the situation would be odd for him to handle. He couldn't help but mentally reach out to Harry for some alternative, knowing this arrangement will cause some discomfort. If they had to follow through with it, he wasn't so sure Harry would settle well knowing he would have to sleep with his best friend.
"It's for the Order, Sirius. You must do it. You must save and protect, Hermione," the James look-a-like replied, laying a gentle hand on Sirius's arm, silently begging him to agree.
Sirius took a deep breath for composure, glancing towards Hermione who still appeared afraid and nervous. "Perhaps, Hermione and I should talk?" he suggested.
In succession, the room murmured in agreement and Sirius stood from his well-crafted chair, gently pushing it back and replacing it in its space. Molly agreed and started to bustle around in front of the stove, calling for her sons to start setting the table for dinner as the potentially betrothed got up to vacate the room for some privacy.
Hermione stood and rung her hands nervously, trying to steady her breathing and not about to walk into the lion's den. She picked up her notebook and quill, knowing she probably didn't need to take notes, but it brought a comfort to her just the same. Holding her head high and proud, as if she was about to enter a firing squad, she quickly walked out of the kitchen in the same swift fashion she had entered, letting the door swing behind her.
As she passed him, Sirius got a whiff of the perfume she wore, rendering him a little dazed at how pleasant it was and never noticing it before. He supposed that since all of his senses were more than hyper aware, he would take a keener notice, seeing as he might be around it more. It was rather pleasant to follow as he tugged on the lapels of his own jacket and vacated the kitchen, following her out.
His slow stroll took him down the long, still dark, hallway that once displayed the heads of previous house-elves employed by his family. Now, the walls were adorned with pictures of Order members that looked happy and joyful in their frames. He wouldn't think the narrow hallway he would run up and down as a boy with his brother would be the same long hallway he would walk towards his future bride. Giving a slight shiver, he couldn't even fathom calling her that, for she wasn't a bride… she was to be a arrangement. A mission.
He rounded the corner into the quiet sitting room that still housed the elegant furniture of his past with Victorian sofas, century-old tables, leather chairs and curious portraits. As he entered the room and glanced to the portrait of his Uncle Alphard, the one that had gifted him his fortune. He groaned under his breath as his uncle appeared a bit too elated his nephew was to be married, issuing a proper "thumbs up".
Hermione paced in front of the fireplace, hugging her notebook like a crutch for strength. Books, notebooks and the smell of pencils always had a calming effect on her and as she clung to them tightly, she was trying to process what Remus had explained to her. Her heart broke for her parents that would have to comprehend the sincerity behind being forced to marry against her choice; they were only still coming around to the world of wizards and witches walking among them.
As she nibbled her lower lip, nearly wearing a pattern in the rug, she dallied with the possibility of marrying another Pure-blood. She would be taking a very big gamble they wouldn't be a member of the Cult of Voldemort, perhaps they would be nice to her, maybe she would find true love…
Hermione had a slight start when Sirius slowly came around the corner. She expected him to not be far behind her, but the seeing him enter the room with her made the situation even more surreal. He came into the room with his hands in his pockets, not wanting to be noticed, but still presenting himself for them to talk. Her eyes scanned his entire physique, feeling like she was seeing him or the first time. He generally carried himself with a swagger and air of confidence, but tonight his stroll was of one facing another sentence.
"Are you okay?" he asked in a near whisper. The room felt crowded, even with only the two of them alone in the sitting room.
She met his grey eyes, but nothing came out. She stared at him, afraid to even move, but knowing he deserved some response, she merely nodded. Attempting to compose herself a bit more, attempting to gain some bravery, she relinquished her notebook and quill to the coffee table between them.
Sirius shook out his hands nervously, running his fingers through his unruly shoulder-length hair and then over his face whining a sigh. His eyes glanced to little notebook on the coffee table and prayed there was an alternative the two could come up with.
She's so wordy!
With another sigh of defeat, he sat down on one of the sofas with his hand absently stroking his light beard at a loss for words. Would his life be condemned to countless books and discussions of wizard history? Though she was indeed the smartest witch he still knew, he wasn't prepared to listen to her drone on about the history of Hogwarts, ancient runes, questions about the first war… she followed the rules and full of ethics and morals.
…maybe Snape was on to something?
Hermione huffed and sat down on the sofa opposite him, her head in her hands and her hair falling out of its bun in a tumbled mess. She felt her stomach starting to churn as she envisioned her life as Mrs. Sirius Black, a man with a colorful background.
Since Sirius's release from Azkaban and his rehabilitation into the wizarding world, he had spent the end of his 30's making up for the freedom he didn't have. He had stepped up gallantly to the "father-figure" role for Harry, sharing stories of James and Lily with him when he was home on school holidays, but reverting to his independent free way of living once his godson was away at school. He loved to move nearly anonymously through the streets of London on his motorbike, frequenting muggle pubs where no one could place his fame. He was never lonely for company, often dating both muggle women and witches playing the part of quiet and mysterious or wrongfully accused ex-con of Azkaban with a bleeding heart. Whichever angle he played, none of the women were able to tie him down long, for he always put Harry first before everyone.
It was no secret that women loved the devil-may-care character he portrayed, even Ginny commented once or twice that if it weren't for Harry, she might have had a go with him, there was far more to him than he let on. Aside from being extremely good-looking youthful man that just passed 40, he was fiercely loyal to his friends and passionate about changing the Pure-blood mania his family name represented. Once it got out that the pretty boy of the Daily Prophet was to be married, she knew Rita Skeeter, who was very smitten with Sirius, would ruin Hermione's good name, again.
The twisting coil of nausea returned as headlines began to fill her imagination:
Granger and Black: Forbidden Romance
Granger cheats on Potter with own (God)father
…and the worst one: Granger: keeping it in the family
If this arrangement went through, it would be like Christmas for Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet. Ever since Rita proposed her nonexistent romance to the readers her fourth year at Hogwarts, people still scoffed at her now and then, even after what she did in the second war. The exposure of how Rita always got the juiciest stories was the only thing that gave Hermione the confidence to walk into the Ministry when she applied for a job with the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes: Muggle Liaison office.
Sirius shifted forward on his sofa, balancing his forearms on his knees as he folded and unfolded his hands. His company was consoling, but the two of them were out of sorts with the magnitude of the proposition. They both silently agreed that Sirius was the best candidate for this purpose, the only thing left was that they had to agree to it.
Hermione took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest, in lieu of an adrenaline shiver that seemed to keep brushing over her skin. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For being a muggle-born."
He smirked and shook his head, his eyes going from her and back to his hands. "Hermione, that's one of my favorite qualities, about you."
His sentiment took a bit of the edge off the situation for her. She wasn't sure how to exactly put into words how she sincerely felt about married to him. Their lives were going to change quite dramatically, with many questions unanswered. Could they still date? Would they be able to have relationships with other people? Would they have to consummate their marriage?
"REMUS!" Sirius called through the house. His voice reverberated off every pot and bottle in the kitchen like a lion's roar.
Down the hallway seconds a heavy-footed Remus burst through the kitchen doors, hauling it down the narrow hallway and to the sitting room. He stopped abruptly, slightly out of breath and staring oddly at the two sitting calmly on their sofas. He looked for the nearest wall and sought to lean against it, clutching his chest. "Merlin, I thought you two were already trying to kill each other!"
"No," Hermione smiled lazily, "we just need you."
"As a mediator?" Remus teased, joining Hermione on her sofa, facing Sirius.
She softly bumped his shoulder when he sat close to her, grateful for the humor at this dismal time. "We need your help to answer some questions."
Sirius slapped his hands on his knees trying to refocus his nerves and stood up to remove his blazer and toss it along the arm of the sofa. As he stood, Hermione couldn't help but to take notice the way he moved out of his jacket with such a suave flair, it was almost like it was rehearsed. He'd stopped wearing button down shirts casually a few years ago, adopting to wear plain or vintage rock shirts under a fitted sport coat that looked well-worn with frayed edges. His arms were bare as he walked over to the cabinet with the decanter of firewhiskey and she took notice to the new tattoo on his forearm. His hair fell just passed his shoulders, always looking windswept, due to the fact he rode his motorcycle everywhere. Hermione wondered if he even owned a comb. She realized her eyes were beginning to follow down his denim backside when she immediately cleared her throat and looked away from her assessment.
Sirius came back to his sofa with two glasses of firewhisky. He set down a glass in front of Hermione and said, "I thought you could use one, too." He dropped himself down onto his sofa and raised his glass to her in cheers. "Slanté!"
She raised the glass to share his toast and allowed the liquid to smoothly burn her throat and calm the nerves. "Thanks," she breathed, shivering her shoulders at the rush.
He smirked to himself when he noticed the shudder after the burn, admiring how pretty her face looked when more wisps of hair fell out of her erratic bun loosely kept together by a pencil. Looking away when he started to think the way she scrunched her nose up was rather adorable, he mused, "You get used to it."
"No, I won't," she whispered gravely. Setting her glass down, she rested her hands back on her lap, trying to keep a level head with the aftershocks of the hard amber liquid Sirius had provided her. "I honestly see no other way for me. I fear that if I took my chance to be properly petitioned, my luck it would be someone like Dolohov. I know he would like to see his revenge."
"As would I," Remus whispered as he absently scratched his old scars along his neck in remembrance of the attack he received at the Battle of Hogwarts.
"So, right after we are married," she sighed and looked Remus straight in the eye to continue, "will we have to…" Hermione glanced over at Sirius, slightly embarrassed.
Sirius watched and listened as she practically stumbled over her words, when the subject came second nature to him. He knocked back the rest of the contents in his glass, breaking the tension she was building up and said, "Do we have to fuck?"
Hermione jolted at his crude translation, glaring up at him in surprise. Remus was unnerved by his quip. She quickly amended, schooling his manners, "Consummate, was what I was thinking."
"No…" Remus answered mildly confident. Hermione physically relaxed and sat a little more comfortably in her seat, looking otherwise greatly relieved.
"Don't be too obvious, it wouldn't have been that bad," Sirius quickly added, standing up to refill his drink and trying not to look too offended by her relief.
Remus quietly chuckled under his breath at his best friend's slighted ego. "The intention for the law is to produce offspring, so the intent is there. Failure to comply is harsh enough, they're not going after anyone directly after they're married. So, there is time before anyone needs to confirm whether or not you've- "
"Fucked!" Sirius barked again, louder to upset the portraits this time.
He filled his glass a little higher from the decanter in the cabinet, rolling his shoulders as the firewhiskey started to loosen him up. He spun on his boot heel and plopped himself a little more casually on the sofa throwing an arm around the back of it. As he raised his glass to his lips, he caught Hermione rolling her eyes at him and couldn't resist teasing her with a wink.
"As long as you two live together as a married couple the Ministry will not know. You will be subjected to home visits, where they will inspect your residence, making sure you're living the true life as intended, but they won't be standing outside your bedroom," Remus explained.
"Bedrooms," Hermione corrected. Sirius laid his head back against the back of the couch, already exhausted by her mention of the technicality.
"What are we going to do when they realize she's not pregnant?" Sirius said more to the ceiling, rather than the room.
"As of now, the timelines are solid. What Kingsley did not disclose was that there is already a team in place at the Ministry working on the process to overturn the law," Remus shared, watching Hermione's face turn hopeful and Sirius lift his head up. "While this will not be a swift process, our better friends at the Ministry are building a solid case that these practices are inhumane and the science cannot support their claim. If their numbers are dying out, it's because of them killing each other in wars."
"Or from stupidity," Sirius chuckled. "Some of them, mainly my cousins, are so mentally broken, they can't focus on performing spells with any sort of right mind."
"We are well aware this is nothing but a way to recruit followers and build their numbers, even if they're grooming an army that won't make movement for another generation," Remus explained to the two. "We are still in the first stages of overturning it, but we feel that by the time the deadlines have expired, we should have you good and annulled without any concern for..."
"Fucking!" Sirius sighed, "Remus, stop being such a prude."
"He's not, you're just being crude!" Hermione announced, fidgeting with the neckline of her blouse, putting herself together as his word kept unsettling her.
"Get used to it," Sirius teased, sipping his drink again with a flirty flick of his head to move his hair from his eyes. He turned his attention back to Remus who was tapping his knee nervously. "So, we can still date other people, shag till our hearts content?"
"No."
"WHAT?!" Hermione and Sirius shouted in unison, for once in agreement.
Remus raised his hands in defense of the two, a little frightened by the intensity of Sirius's glare. "That, however, is something you cannot do," he hushed them to calm down. "Look, you two have to masquerade as a married couple trying to conceive for the good of the Pure-bloods. You cannot go sleeping around London, Sirius. If the Ministry discovers your indiscretions, they will never believe your marriage is honest and there will be repercussions."
"Oi! What makes you think it would just be me? She's not that innocent, either!" Sirius defended, pointing a finger to his betrothed.
"I would never risk my life over something so trivial!" Hermione barked back, her fury loosening what tendrils were still held up, coming completely undone.
"Then you haven't had a good shag- "
"I beg your pardon! I've never lacked for any- "
"If you're calling it trivial, then clearly it's not been that- "
"That's none of your business and you have no idea- "
Remus stood up and moved to the front of the room between them, "ENOUGH!" They hadn't even said vows yet, and already divorce was imminent. "You two need to start learning to tolerate one another!"
"So, what is the first deadline on the timeline?" Hermione asked, trying to work out the puzzle ahead of them.
Looking down and licking his lips, Remus braced himself for the next push of the conversation. "Three months."
"We have three months… to…" She immediately pointed a warning finger to Sirius. "Don't you dare say it!" Sirius raised his free hand in surrender, holding back a partial lift of a grin. "So, your friends at the Ministry have three months to overturn this law, before we are expected to show proof, we consummated the marriage. What happens after the three months are up and they suspect us?" Hermione always respected Remus, he had become a good and loyal friend as she grew into adulthood. Now, when she needed him to answer, he couldn't meet her in the eye.
"No, I won't do it!" Sirius barked, breaking the tension. He shook his head and stood to get another drink from the cabinet, enraged with the leaders trying to overthrow Kingsley, the standing Minister, and it wasn't fair for either of them. "This is preposterous! They'll just have tofuck themselves. We won't let Hermione get taken by anyone. We can hide her, I'll hide her. I won't marry her for that. If they're going to control every aspect of our lives, then no. I won't do it."
Hermione quieted down, tucking her hands back into her lap and sitting to the edge of her seat, again. She understood that everyone was upset, but to run his mouth about the Ministry, saying he wasn't going to marry her made her nervous.
"You must, Sirius! Think of Harry!" Remus argued, raising his voice to his stubborn friend.
"I am thinking of Harry," he spun around from the cabinet, finally releasing his frustration and bottled temper. "I'm thinking about how this might, by chance, screw him up! I'm his dad's best friend, I'm theoretically his father these past years and I'm the one he turns to for direction! I can't go off and shack up with his childhood best friend!"
"It's more than that," Remus argued back to him. "Hermione matters a great deal to Harry, as do you. There is no one else to keep her safe for this mission, but you, Sirius. She needs you; Harry needs you and it's just going to have to be fine."
Sirius ran his hands frustrated through his wild hair and looked about the room to compose himself. The idea of marrying did honestly frighten him. Good-bye bachelorhood, good-bye shagging who he pleased and welcome back to self-incarceration, ala 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Could we get divorced, later?" Hermione whispered, grasping for any sense of hope.
"If the law is overturned, it may turn out the marriage wasn't necessary in the first place. It would be annulled. Regardless, at least for you two, it's a marriage of consent and not forced. We are lucky to have the choice to use Sirius, for this mission." Remus was trying to spin a better outcome, as the two were both loose cannons.
"Keyword: use," Sirius grumbled.
"It's a mission, Sirius, for the Order. Let's think optimistically that we are going to win this when we get the right people at the top of the Ministry supporting Kingsley, again. We are aiming to break the law and think of this inconvenience as only temporary," Remus said, with a calm teacher-like voice.
After a rather lengthy pause, Sirius lowered his head, realizing how difficult he was being. "When I joined this group, I told myself I would die for anyone in the Order. I would be willing to make any sacrifice. You are right."
Hermione had been silent until he mentioned sacrifice. "You think marrying me is a sacrifice you're going to make? Do you really think I am going to enjoy being married to a man with the maturity level of a sixteen-year-old?"
"That's not what I meant, now calm down!" Sirius barked back.
"Both of you calm down!" Remus interrupted. "Contrary to what you want to believe, we've concluded that Sirius is the best with the limited solutions. Sirius, consider it a mission. Hermione, consider this a salvation. You two will have to try and pull it off convincingly. Especially, when you present yourself for her in an already established relationship, willing to be married. They plan on announcing this on September 28, so you need to have applied for a marriage license before that date. People are going to balk, people will write stories, but you're just going to have to deal with it. We need to protect you, Hermione." Remus spoke to them equally but felt like he was trying to argue with a crowd. "Sirius, Harry will deal with it. You both mean a lot to him and if anything, he seems to be taking it better than you two. You don't have to sleep together, we're hoping to get this overturned, before your three months are up. You don't even have to be friendly, just be convincing enough for the Ministry to believe it, because quite frankly, everyone knows that Hermione Granger would never marry anyone like Sirius Black!"
"Good on ya, Moony! Been bottling that up, have ya, mate?" Sirius said, falling back into the sofa, quite annoyed.
"Sirius, you're being a stubborn son of a-" Remus started, before Hermione held up her hands.
"All right!" Hermione shouted, getting involved. Their excessive arguing wasn't helping the situation and she felt they all needed to just calm down. She shook her head in disbelief, "What's our next move, Remus?"