Disclaimer: Sadly, still not my sandbox; this is just my sand castle in J. K. Rowling's sandbox.

Chapter Fourteen: Easter Break Break Out(s)

April

Hermione

Hermione Granger had never minded being alone. At first it had hurt, because she'd wanted her parents…her peers…people in general to like her. But she'd never been enough. So she'd decided to take up as little space as possible and follow every rule to a T to have as little impact as she could on those around her.

When she was alone though, Hermione could finally breathe easily. At the house she'd grown up in, being alone meant she didn't have to be afraid to explore the nooks and crannies of the refurbished house. It meant she could find places to hide the things she wanted to keep safe, and eventually the things that would keep her safe. At Hogwarts, being alone meant she could throw herself into the magic that she found interesting without anyone's teasing. It meant she could absorb anything and everything to help her better fit into the world that had gave her freedom for the first time in her life.

Hermione Granger had never minded being alone…until she found a family to fit into and a home to go back to.

"Where's your head, Mione?" Hermione's eyes snap up from the ancient tome lying open but unread on her lap, as her fingers traced over the edges of this morning's letter that she'd tucked in between the tome's title pages, at the sound of her best friend's voice.

"I'm excited to see Snuffles," Hermione responds, impatience dancing through her usually warm gaze.

Harry's lips turn up in the soft smile sort of smile that always makes Hermione's belly flip as he slides in beside her, "I'm excited to see the little furball too, Mione. But we had to make sure he was safe for your parents' summer plans"

"I know, doesn't make me anymore patient for Easter Break though," Hermione replies, wondering when her boyfriend had gotten so good at speaking like some sort of Slytherin. Maybe he'd been spending time with Draco when she wasn't paying attention.

Sirius

"You sure know how to make a splash, Lord Black," Griphook drawls, the title slipping through his lips so sarcastically it's almost insulting, as he spreads out a variety of papers from the past few days.

Sirius glances down at the titles, a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips as the teenage Marauder in him puffed out his chest in pride. The titles ranged from the truthful "Ancient and Noble Heir Finally Free After Being Falsely Imprisoned for Thirteen Years" and "Malfoy Marriage Disolved By Ancient Blood Rites, Malfoy Boy to Be the Next Lord Black" to "Our Imperioused Savior to Be Housed by The Man Who Murdered His Family" and "Draco Malfoy: Son of Lucius Malfoy or Sirius Black?". Once the press got wind that Remus Lupin, a well known Hogwarts professor, and Hermione Granger were also going to be living with Cissa, Draco, Harry, and himself; Sirius knew shit would really hit the fan headlines-wise but Sirius couldn't find it in himself to care because they would all be safe.

Cissa and Draco were finally out of Lucius's hands and settling in well in Grimmauld Place with Kreacher happily happily organizing everything they had collected from Malfoy Manor on Draco's first day of break (the only day he'd had to go to that dreadful place this break–and the last time he'd ever have to go there thanks to Sirius). Cissa had decided to refurbish and redecorate the attic, turning it into a large bedroom with a walk-in closet and spa-like bathroom with Kreacher's help, while Draco had decided to take a room near the library. The bathroom he, Harry, and Hermione would share separated his room from Harry's while Harry's room was wedged between the bathroom and Hermione's room. Remus and Sirius were still on the third floor in the master bedroom though their room, like the house in general, was looking more homey by the day.

"The press and the people will think what they want to, what matters is that we are all in a better place now," Sirius states in the cooly collected manner he had grounded into his brain from the moment he had been able to speak. After all, future lords didn't have the room for any sort of childish speech.

"Indeed," Griphook nods to the older man then turns his attention to Sirius's godson, the goblin's face softening in a way the Sirius still wasn't used to. "Are you ready for your Horcrux extraction, Harry?"

When the goblins had confirmed that Harry was a Horcrux after Sirius had brought Hermion's theories to the table, Sirius's heart had rammed so hard into his ribcage that he was sure he would never breathe again. When they had confirmed that not only was Hermione likely correct about the damned diary from their second year but that there trackers had determined there was also another Horcrux in Hogwarts, Sirius had been furious. When the goblins had determined that Voldemort's snake was a Horcrux, Sirius hadn't been surprised in the slightest (after all Harry and Hermione had shared everything they thought could have been important from their pasts–including the fact that Harry had dreamed from the snake's point of view early in the summertime). When the goblins had found yet another Horcrux in Sirius's own house and Kreacher had shared Regulus's story, Sirius's heart had shattered.

But it wasn't until the goblins had shared the damned prophecy Dumbledore had been hoarding that Sirius began doubting that his family would ever find peace. Because that damned thing predicted that Harry needed to be the one to end Voldemort. Luckily, the goblins had put Sirius's mind at ease. They predicted, and their predictions were historically more likely to be correct than those of the wizarding world, that as long as Harry officially delegated the task to his godfather and those in the Goblin Nation, the prophecy would still be satisfied.

Harry lets out a deep sigh before meeting Griphook's eyes and asking, "It's safe?"

"It is," Griphook confirms though his lips pull down into a frown. "However, it will hurt. Likely just as much as it hurt Voldemort to create it."

"Let's do it."

Hermione

"Harry?" Hermione's boyfriend jumps at the sound of her voice. "Are you alright, love?" She steps in between his legs where he was sitting on Grimmauld Place's newly installed porch swing.

Her chest warms in sync with Lily's wand at her ankle when Harry meets her gaze with the easiest smile she has ever seen on his face.

"I really am. I'm finally free, Mione. We're both free."

Hermione's eyes widen and a grin stretches across her own lips. "We are, aren't we?"

"We are," he laughs, his smile widening even further.

"WE'RE FREE!" Harry yells at the top of his lungs as he jumps to his feet and pulls her into his arms, spinning them both around.

"I love you," he says, pressing a kiss to her lips as he sets her back on her feet.

"More than anything," she replies when she finally pulls away.