Written for QLFC Round 10

Team: Falmouth Falcons

Position: Keeper

Prompt: Your OTP always seems to be going through a rough patch.

Word Count: 1,489


We don't even argue anymore

Hermione rubbed at her dry eyes, the words in the book blurring. She leant back in the hard chair she'd been sitting in and looked at the clock hanging in the library. It was gone two in the morning and Sirius was still not home. Sighing, Hermione closed the book and took herself to bed.

It was another two hours before Hermione felt the bed dip with Sirius' weight. She made sure to keep her breathing even and her eyes closed, with her back to him, as he whispered to her, asking if she was awake.

Unlike the other times he'd stayed out late, no smell of alcohol had followed Sirius that evening.

X

Sirius sat at the kitchen table of Grimmauld place. Alone. Looking at the food that had long gone cold and he'd spent most of the day preparing. He leant his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his clasped hands and sighed heavily.

The clock in the hallway chimed nine times.

In the end, Sirius picked up his wand from beside his plate and waved it at the table. The food disappeared and the plates took themselves to the sinks, the water already running over them. He left the kitchen, checking that nothing was left on the table as he went through the door.

The front door opened as Sirius reached the bottom of the stairs to reveal a pale Hermione with a cut lip and a pile of folders barely staying together in her grasp.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius. There was a thing with Cornish Pixies" –she tried to point at her lip, causing the folders to slip out of her arms, papers flying everywhere– "and I suppose it doesn't matter now," she finished quietly staring at the mess across the hallway floor.

Sirius slowly stepped over the papers and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek. "It's fine."

And with those two words, he knew that Hermione understood it wasn't fine. She tried to grab his hand, but he stepped away quickly, silently going upstairs.

X

Hermione walked quickly through the Ministry. She kept her head firmly down, her hair covering her face, and made no eye contact with anyone. Today she would make it all the way through the building without being stopped. If anyone so much as whispered her name, Hermione picked up her pace, ready to run if she had to.

Sirius and herself had been like ships passing in the night for the last few months and she was determined to be home early. For once. She could feel him pulling away, not talking to her; something he did when he felt like he was being a burden to others. She'd seen him try to do it to Harry when he was busy with Auror training.

With the fastest visit she'd ever made to Diagon Alley, to pick up a good bottle of whisky for Sirius, Hermione made it home by five o'clock. The earliest she'd been home on a workday in nearly a year. And they had the whole weekend too.

Except they didn't.

The house was oddly quiet when she stepped through the front door. Hermione called to Sirius, and then Harry; neither answered. Shrugging off her robes and hanging them on the hook by the door, Hermione took the bottle of whisky and her bag to the kitchen, where a note was waiting for her.

Harry's gone away with Ginny. Gone to see Remus for the weekend.

There wasn't even a kiss.

Hermione felt a pinch in her chest, like something was clutching at her heart. She didn't know where it had come from, or why it had happened, but something about Sirius' note hurt.

X

Sirius felt unsettled while he stayed with Remus and Tonks. He'd half-expected Hermione to turn up, or even send a note – no, he'd hoped.

She never came. Nor did she send a note.

He'd thought maybe time away was what they'd needed. To stop this pulling away from her he felt himself doing. He couldn't even be sure why he was doing.

"Don't shut her out, Padfoot," Remus had warned gently at dinner. "And don't pin her in either. If you're not sure you can handle how much work she needs to do for her career, then let her go."

Sirius frowned, half-smiling as he did. "It's just a rough patch. Everyone has them. I'm sure we'll get through it."

A look was shared between Remus and Tonks, but nothing else was said.

In the end, Sirius went home on the Saturday evening, rather than the Sunday.

He returned to an empty house and Hermione's overnight bag gone.

X

Hermione came home from her parents' on the Sunday evening. Again, the house was silent. She called out for Sirius and Harry, but neither answered.

Putting her overnight bag down by the door, Hermione kept hold of the small box and card in her hand, slowly walking to the kitchen, glancing in the living room and the drawing room as she went.

Nothing.

Her eyes started to water, her vision blurry as she reached the kitchen, and the tears slipped down her cheeks when she entered an empty kitchen.

Still nothing. Not even Harry.

Putting the small box down with the card, Hermione started to make herself a cup of tea. She was waiting for the kettle to boil on the stove when the back door opened.

"Hey, you're home," Harry said. "How was your birthday? I left your card and gift in your room."

Hermione wiped at her cheeks quickly. Harry moved to give her a hug, no questions asked. When she finally stopped crying and the kettle was whistling, he sat her down and made the tea for her.

Sitting down with the two cups, pushing one to Hermione, Harry sighed. "He forgot again?"

Hermione nodded. "It's not that. I don't care that he's forgotten. But something's off."

"Have you spoken to him?"

Hermione shook her head. "I was going to, but he went to Remus' this weekend."

Harry sighed once more. "Do you want me to speak to him?"

The front door could be heard opening and Sirius' loud whistling travelled down the hallway. Harry nodded at nothing in particular, giving Hermione a squeeze of her hand before leaving with his tea.

Hermione heard him say his greetings to Sirius. "Hermione is in the kitchen."

She rolled her eyes at Harry's obvious tone. A few seconds later, Sirius appeared with a smile that faded quickly when he saw her red eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said automatically, slowly walking to her. She didn't say anything as he sat down. "I thought you'd want some space from me."

Hermione let out a long breath, feeling her hands shaking in her lap. "I think we've had plenty of space from each other, don't you?"

Sirius blinked hard, rubbing the heel of his palms on his black denim covered thighs. She watched his juddering movements as he watched her. Neither said anything for a long time. Their silence doing the talking for them.

"We don't even argue anymore," Hermione finally said in a whisper.

Sirius nodded, his own eyes starting to look watery. "You deserve better."

"I've not exactly been around much for you, either," Hermione said honestly, wiping a stray tear with the back of her hand. "I don't know what we are anymore."

Sirius blew out a heavy, shaky breath, his cheeks puffing out as he did. His tears slipped quickly down his face to his short beard. "I still love you… just…"

"Not enough," Hermione finished for him.

Sirius let out an odd noise, rubbing his hands roughly up and down his face. He turned slightly towards the table and froze when he saw the small box on the table with the card, Hermione's name written across the front.

"What's the date?" he asked quietly, staring at the box.

"It doesn't matter now." Hermione stood up, leaving her gift and tea as she stepped away.

Sirius quickly grabbed her hand, trying to pull her back. She remained firm in where she was stood. "I'm really sorry."

Hermione shifted her hand in his so that she was gripping it. "Don't be. It's not anyone's fault."

Sirius stared at their hands, looking tired and numb. "We'll still be friends, right?"

It wasn't a question. It was a plea.

Hermione leant down to kiss him chastely on the lips before leaning her forehead against his. "I'm here for you. Even when you think I'm not. Promise me you'll remember that."

Sirius nodded against her head before returning the kiss. "I still love you."

"I know."

Hermione stood up straight, gently removing her hand from his. "We're just not good for each other anymore."

She left the kitchen, grinding her teeth together to stop a sob escaping her, hoping the pain she was feeling now would one day be an old memory.