It is I, your local Sirmione dealer with another story. As always, alpha/beta credit goes to my bestie, Kay, and also to Tali, the loml.
This story does have Ron bashing, so if Ron is is a character you enjoy, uh—sorry not sorry?
"So, are you ready for your date tonight?" Remus looked at Sirius over his coffee mug.
Leaning over the counter, Sirius stared back at his best friend over his own mug. "Remus, we broke up a long time ago and while I'd love to entertain the idea of a date with you, you're married to my cousin. And you have kids. And I'm scared of your wife."
"I mean you and Hermione, you insufferable arsehole."
"Hermione? I don't have a date with Hermione."
Mimicking Hermione with a higher tone to his voice and a hand to his chest, Remus dramatically clarified. "'Oh, Sirius. Won't you please accompany me tonight to the movies? I'm oh so tired of going alone.'"
Sirius stared back at him with utter fucking confusion in his eyes and his mouth agape. "Of course you were eavesdropping. Aren't you supposed to feel like shit after the full moon? You certainly look it. Why are you here, anyway? Dora already came by to take the kids back to your place."
"Fucking prick." Remus mumbled as he simultaneously drank more coffee and flipped him off.
"And you're being bloody ridiculous. She was just asking to make sure I didn't have plans tonight. It's not a date. We do this sort of thing all the time." He finished nonchalantly.
Remus was about to respond when he and Sirius heard the floo and what sounded like someone running into something —that was then knocked over— to which they muttered "bullocks" under their breath.
Dora.
Where Sirius had a look of indifference, Remus held a look of adoration in his eyes.
Sirius audibly gagged.
Once again, Remus flipped him off.
Dora had finally made her way into the kitchen where she walked directly to the cabinet that held the mugs, over to the Muggle coffee brewer Hermione had gifted Sirius two Christmases ago —he had become obsessed with the one at her apartment— then to Remus where she gave him a kiss.
"Mum is with the kids now, love. I made sure Teddy had some breakfast while I fed Hope." She let her husband know before turning her attention to Sirius as she made her way to take a seat at the dining table. "So, are you ready for your date with Hermione tonight?"
Remus, mid drink, spit out his coffee as he doubled over in laughter at his wife.
"Oh, for fuck's sake." It's not a date, he thought as he downed the rest of his coffee to set the mug in the sink. "Did you two plan this?" He pointed at them both accusingly. "It's not a fucking date!"
"Please. You two have been inseparable since we asked both of you to be Hope's godparents. Has she had to ask you anywhere before?" She paused long enough for Sirius to shake his head in answer before making her point. "Exactly. No. So this is definitely a date."
"She's right, you know." Remus added.
"I don't have time for this. I'm going to shower, I have places to—" Sirius abruptly stopped speaking as he looked up and noticed the ridiculous smiles on both Remus and Dora's faces. "Out. Both of you out. Fuck off. I'm going upstairs and you two better be gone by the time I come back down stairs."
"You're still here? I thought I told you to leave." Sirius expressed when he met Remus' eyes as he made his way downstairs to collect his wand before his shower to shave. "At least your wife listens to me."
"Yes. I'm still here."
"What do you want? I don't want to be late." He refused to look at Remus as he tucked his wand into his hair in a messy bun.
He wasn't upset at him, per se, but he knew why Remus was still there and it was a subject Sirius wasn't particularly eager to get into.
"Pads, look at me. Sit for a moment, please."
Pads. That was what he called him when he was being earnest.
"Moons, I don't have time to sit. I don't—"
"Want to be late. I know. Please. It won't take long."
"Fuck." Sirius sighed, making his way to the lounge chair that was twin to the one Remus currently occupied. "What is it?"
"Dora and I didn't mean to pry into your personal business—"
"Really, I'm not upset. I know you're both just taking the piss. We really don't need to talk about this."
Remus, however, continued as if Sirius hadn't just lo interrupted him. "Ever since we told you about Hope and you moved into this place, Hermione has been here everyday. She's been so good for you. We all see it, this— this thing between you two. What are you doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He was being difficult, he knew it.
But this was a question he'd started asking himself since he'd realized he'd fallen in love with Hermione.
It was a realization that Sirius thought was good enough to take with him to the grave. When Remus and Dora had come to Hermione and Sirius to ask them to be Hope's godparents, Sirius had hesitated at first.
"I— I don't know if I can. Why don't you ask Harry. He's Teddy's godfather. It'd make sense. Just…just ask him." He'd muttered as he walked out to the backyard of Lupin Cottage.
"Let me talk to him, hmm? Give me a day." He heard Hermione tell the couple.
Hermione had walked up to him and disapparated them both back to her apartment where they'd spent the rest of the afternoon, well into the night, talking over every one of Sirius' fears. Fears he knew were irrational, but fears Hermione still attentively listened to —-and rationally diminished.
After Sirius had left Hermione's apartment that night, he was less apprehensive about being Hope's godfather, but the hesitation was still there.
The little witch must have found a way to contact Harry between Sirius leaving Hermione's and arriving back at Grimmauld Place, because Harry was waiting in the sitting room when he'd walked inside.
"You might not have done what most people would have, but you were and are such a fierce friend, Sirius. I reckon my parents would have been heartbroken over the fact that you were wrongly imprisoned for twelve years, but never disappointed by your motives. You're the only father I've known, Sirius. I've never been anything but proud. I didn't know anything about being a godfather, but I do know I love Teddy and you've taught me all I need to know about loving unconditionally."
Sirius couldn't say much, only hug his godson. He had missed watching him grow up, but he was going to make sure he'd be there to see Harry grow into an adult.
"You don't play fair, witch." He'd told Hermione the next day.
She looked back at him with an expression in her eyes he couldn't quite place —or rather, he didn't want to; he wasn't ready for what he might find— and she simply replied, "I know."
That was the day he knew he'd fallen in love with her. He didn't know how he knew, he just did; his love for her was as natural and innate as the air that filled his lungs with every breath.
"Yes, you do. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Sirius was brought back to the present as Remus broke him out of his reviere. "Pads, we've been through so much and I think you're scared. You're scared to let someone else in again after…everything. James, Lily, me and you, and I get it. I fucking get it. But you can't…you shouldn't push someone away that cares about you the way you care about them. Not anymore."
"You don't know that." Sirius responded with a lot more bite than intended. "You don't know that. I'm not scared. Not really, I'm just—"
He stopped to take a look at his friend. His best friend who at one point had been his lover back before their world went to shit, but who still remained his most loyal confidant. He looked at his friend, who had once looked ages older than he was, but now looked younger having found his mate.
Remus had lost so much; Sirius reckoned he'd lost more than him. He knew that at one point it was difficult for Remus to allow a new relationship in his life, even more so when he'd found out Dora was pregnant with Teddy.
But now, seeing how happy Remus was, Sirius knew Remus would never change a moment in his life that would take away Dora, Teddy, and Hope.
Not even the parts that had, at one point, torn them apart and put them against each other. He knew because now, with Hermione, he understood.
Sirius admired Remus. Maybe he was even a little jealous.
"Fuck if I know, Moons. She's not like anyone I've ever met. She has this way of making everything make sense. Every part of my fucked up life. The parts I hated, the parts that never fit, the ones I never even cared to consider, and the ones that…the ones that still haunt me. They all make sense now because of her. And I don't know what to do with that."
Remus didn't say anything. He didn't have to because Sirius did know. He knew why.
"I'm scared that I'll be happy. I'm scared to deserve it. I'm scared that— I'm scared that they'll think that I don't care. I miss them every fucking day but…she's here, Moony, and I'm scared of knowing I wouldn't change that for anything, because it all makes sense now."
Suddenly he was being pulled from his seat and into Remus' arms. Sirius clutched onto him, also not noticing that at some point during his confession he'd started crying. He held onto Remus, letting his embrace say all the words that they had already once exchanged before and making sure Remus knew Sirius meant all of them. I love you. I don't regret you. I miss them so much.
"You love her." It wasn't a question. "You deserve her. You deserve everything, Pads. Let yourself be happy. Don't you think it's about time?"
Remus let go of him and gently patted him on the shoulder before making his exit through the Floo.
Shortly after Sirius had learned that Remus and Dora were expecting another baby, Sirius took it upon himself to look for another place to live. It wasn't that he didn't like living with Harry, but he knew Harry and Ginny were ready to start their own family. Sirius wanted a place where, if he ever needed to take care of both Teddy and Hope, they would be in an environment different from the one Sirius grew up in.
He wanted a place where new and better memories were made and built with the people he loved — because even if they weren't blood, they were his family.
As he made his way upstairs to his bedroom, he walked past the rooms Teddy and Hope usually stayed in when the full moon came around every month. Although they had been occupied as recently as last night, they didn't look it as Dora had cast a few cleaning spells before she'd taken them back to Lupin Cottage.
Closing the doors, he turned his attention to the bedroom next to his.
Her bedroom.
Hermione's.
When Sirius had mentioned to her that he had gotten his own place, they'd decided together on Hermione staying with Teddy and Hope on the nights that Remus needed to transform so Sirius could be with him.
And every month, without fail, she'd knock on his door the morning after. After he'd come back home and mustered every ounce of energy he could to climb up the stairs into his room and flop onto his bed. Exhausted.
She'd come in with potions and water and whatever else was needed to help him. She'd make sure he was okay before she went down to the kitchen to brew his coffee. Then she'd head home until they saw each other again later that day.
Their routine never failed.
Although, he had to admit he was tired of it. He wanted more than anything to wake up next to her those mornings. Every morning.
Hermione had managed to somehow invade his every thought. She'd managed to take up permanent residence where his heart once resided, every beat of it pumping more love for her into his system than the second before.
Everynight on the night's she'd stay over, he felt a pull from somewhere deep within him. A pull that he knew if he followed would lead him straight to her. And when she wasn't there, he felt restless until the next time he'd see her again.
He thought he'd had it well under control, but it was hell. It was hell going to sleep and waking up without her next to him.
A part of him hoped that this was a date, but oddly enough the other part hoped more that it wasn't. Sirius was afraid of making any sort of move because he knew that the moment that he did and she didn't reciprocate, he couldn't take it back.
Yeah, he was tired and he wanted more, but he'd been doing well this far living off of any breadcrumbs she gave him.
Even so, he wanted confirmation. He needed to be sure.
The best Sirius could come up with was to send her an owl.
He took out some parchment and wrote one word.
Hermione.
Just her name; he rolled up the paper, tied it to his owl, Zeppelin, and sent it her way.
Given that she didn't live too far from him, Zeppelin returned in less than five minutes with a note tied to her foot.
Right there under his own writing was hers.
Sirius?
Tonight? Is it a date? He stared at at the words for what felt like hours before he said "fuck it" and tied the note back to his owl's feet then watched her fly away.
Zeppelin took longer this time to return, or maybe it felt that way because Sirius was actually nervous. He couldn't take it back. She would either say yes or she wouldn't respond and block him out of her floo and never speak to him again.
But that didn't happen. Zeppelin was back with a note. She stuck her little foot out with a huff —as if annoyed that she was being sent back and forth for such minuscule correspondence. Sirius made note to give her a few extra treats once they were done.
He took a deep breath before he unrolled the parchment to read it.
I was hoping it would be, yes.
He was dumbfounded. He, Sirius Black, had been asked out on a date by Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of Her Age, and he didn't even realize it.
Quicker than he would have liked to admit —because he didn't want to keep her waiting—he wrote back.
Thank fuck. I can't wait.
Such a way with words… Me either.
Me either, she'd said. Sirius read that line over and over until he felt a sharp sting on his finger.
"Ah! Fuck!" He looked up only to see Zeppelin giving him a stern look. "What the fuck was that for?"
Zeppelin simply bobbed her head slightly to the left where she knew Sirius kept her treats.
"Yeah yeah alright, you fucking bird."
The last time Sirius had been to the cinema was back during his sixth year at Hogwarts. He, Remus, James, and Peter had snuck out to watch some space movie called Star Wars. Much like it was then, it was an entirely new experience given that twenty-six years had passed since his first time.
As they entered the cinema, he noticed Hermione's eyes light up. "Sirius, look. They have a photobooth in the lobby!"
"A photobooth?" He questioned, but she was already dragging him by the hand towards a booth where a red curtain hung from its only entrance.
Her hand was as soft as satin but he made sure not to bring attention to the fact that holding her hand made him much happier than riding his motorbike ever could.
She pushed aside the curtain and pulled him down onto the bench inside the booth.
Then she sat on his lap.
You're the luckiest fucking sod in the world, he thought.
Settling, he wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her up -as if it belonged there, as if it was the most natural thing for him to do.
"Okay, so, when I put the money in here it's going to show us on this screen and then count down to take our picture. It'll do it three times so we have a chance to pose differently."
He tightened his grip on her, causing her to turn her attention to him. The way she looked at him —he wanted her to look at him like that for the rest of his life. She broke their gaze as she bent down slightly to feed the machine money.
No. This is hell. This is actually hell, he thought, as he begged his body not to react.
"Oh! Okay! It's going, it's going!" She exclaimed as she bounced subtly on his thigh.
Please, Merlin, kill me. He closed his eyes and slowly took a deep breath.
The first three slides showed them laughing, Sirius holding her, and even Hermione licking the side of his mouth. At this point, Sirius thought no one ever in the history of the world had gotten this lucky when it came to first dates.
He was waiting for someone to yank that curtain open and reveal it was all just a prank.
Instead, she suggested they do another now that they both knew what to do.
"Ready?"
Sirius stared at her. He traced the outline of the side of her face as he memorized the way her eyes wrinkled at the corners and how her nose scrunched up a tiny bit when she was genuinely smiling. When he didn't respond, she turned to look at him where he refocused his eyes on her lips. He traced from her Cupid's bow, to her plump bottom lip, back to her eyes.
They were brown but when she turned into the light, they melted into soft, rich honey. There was a depth to her eyes, so much so that he'd happily let himself drown in them, if he was less responsible with his life. And he'd seen those eyes when they were angry; no longer soft as honey but hard as the earth's crust. In that anger, her wrath took the shape of cliffs that battered ships in storms and cut men's lives short. Sirius wouldn't mind being one of those men, facing death, if she let him.
His trance was broken by the beeping of the countdown on the screen. He took that as a cue and kissed her. For a fraction of a second he felt her tense up, but then just as quickly he felt her arms around his neck bring him in closer.
Sirius couldn't help but notice how their movements all felt natural. Familiar. As if they'd done this a hundred times before. They were both where they belonged; Hermione fitting perfectly against his body like the puzzle piece he'd been missing.
He had no idea how long they were kissing before he felt her smile against his lips and she pulled away. "Sirius, we have to go or else we'll miss the movie."
"Fuck the movie. This is so much better than some movie about a big fish." He whispered, pulling her in for another kiss. Before completely pulling away from her, he lifted his hand to her chin to keep her from looking away from him. "I'm going to count all these freckles on your beautiful face. I don't care how many times I lose count and how long it takes me. I'm going to take my time and I'm going to count them. With my lips."
"Anything. Anything you want. I promise we'll pick this right back up as soon as we're home, but we're not missing this movie." She insisted.
You are my home, he thought.
Hermione grabbed his hand as she pulled away from his lap. She pulled the curtain aside to step out and in front of the booth to a little slot that held two strips of three photos.
He plucked them from her hand. "I'll take these, sweetheart. Come on, let's get some snacks before we head in."
Just as they were getting comfortable in their seats, Sirius thought back to earlier that morning when Hermione had asked him to the movies. She'd mentioned wanting company.
"Sweetheart?" Sirius asked, turning his head from the adverts to look at her.
"Hmm?" She hummed in response, not breaking her concentration from ripping open her concession stand candy.
"How often do you come to the cinema?"
Redirecting her attention to Sirius, she looked into his eyes, where in seconds she'd figured out exactly what he was asking.
"I don't." She'd replied matter of factly as she popped a bit of candy into her mouth then focused her attention back on the screen. He could see her trying to hide the smile forming on her face.
For the third time that day, Hermione had completely taken him by surprise.
Merlin, he thought, I fucking love you.
He let out a laugh as he shook his head. Sitting beside her, he looked into her eyes and gulped down his shot.
After the movie, Sirius and Hermione had decided to head over to The Leaky Cauldron, where they tucked themselves in in a little corner booth, away from everyone else. The place wasn't necessarily packed and Sirius had silently thanked Merlin that they would have some sort of privacy.
After ordering a big meal to share between the two of them, somehow it was decided that they were going to play a truth and a lie —their own version of two truths and a lie— to make things a bit more interesting…and dangerous.
"Alright. Your turn." He noted as he softly slammed his shot glass down with one hand, his other arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"We've just started and you're already losing?" Hermione teased as she grabbed the shot glass to refill it for the next round.
"We're playing five rounds, little witch. I still have time to catch up." He retorted with a smirk.
"Sure."
"Smart arse."
Unable to suppress a smile, Hermione leaned close to Sirius and scrunched her nose at him. He kissed her nose in response. Sirius regarded her for a moment, still not believing that Hermione even gave him the time of day.
"What?" She questioned as she looked back at him.
"Nothing." He responded, placing a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead. "C'mon. You're next."
"Okay, okay. My turn. Let's see." She tapped her index finger against her chin as if in deep thought.
She seemed so relaxed around him, free to be the silly witch he came to know she was.
"A-ha, alright. I got it. In second year, I was hit with a charm to vomit slugs. In first year, I set Snape's robes on fire during a quidditch match."
Sirius snorted. He actually snorted. Out of all the things he thought she would say he most certainly hadn't expected that.
"What? What's so funny?"
"Sweetheart, you're a little swot who was always going on about 'respecting professors and elders.'" He mimicked her.
"I do not sound like that!" She gasped, grabbing his arm and shoving him away from her. Clearly, she wasn't so insulted because she was wiping away tears from laughter. "Choose! You have to tell me which is the lie, love!"
Love. Sirius saw when Hermione's eyes briefly flashed with worry at the endearment that had accidentally slipped through her lips. He certainly didn't mind but he made sure not to tease her about it or point it out because he knew that was the reason for her brief worry. If only you knew, he thought. So, instead of bringing attention to it, he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss inside her wrist.
Before he went on with the game, he took note of the blush that appeared on her cheeks and traveled down to her neck. Fuck.
"This one is easy. You'd never set a professor's robes on fire, even if it was Sniv…uh, Severus." He answered confidently as he slowly pushed the shot glass towards Hermione.
She stopped his hand midway, shaking her head. "Wrong. You're so wrong. Drink."
"You're joking."
"No, I absolutely set Snape's robes on fire during Harry's first Quidditch match in first year."
Sirius was feeling many things at once. The most of which was shock, of course, as well as admiration and maybe a little bit of pride. The little witch was definitely not lying. He proudly took the shot because even if he'd technically lost this round he still felt like he'd won.
He rearranged himself in the booth —still not letting go of her hand— making sure he was fully facing her to show she had his full attention. "Please, tell me every detail. Don't leave anything out."
Hermione threw her head back as she laughed. Sirius tenderly watched her; following her movements with his eyes.
He'd mentioned previously to Remus that Hermione was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. He supposed that after going through a war and her experiences during that war, that Hermione didn't have any reason to hold back anymore. She had done a lot for everyone during that time; taking care of those around her. Now was her time to completely and freely be herself, no longer holding herself up to anyone's expectations. And what a fucking privilege it was to watch her be herself in front of him.
"Harry's broom had gone all barmy in the middle of the match, and through my binoculars I noticed Snape was focused on Harry. So, I went over to the professors' stands and I cast a simple 'Lacarnum Inflamari'. Of course he wasn't the one actually cursing Harry, but I still ended up helping Harry."
Even though she'd won the round. Hermione still refilled the glass Sirius had just drained and took a shot herself.
"You're fucking incredible, you know that?"
"I was just helping my friend. You're also just saying that because it was Snape's robes I set on fire. You and your childhood rivalries ." She whispered, looking down at their hands and bumping her shoulder against his slightly.
He dipped his head down to make eye contact with her. "It's true. You are. And yes, maybe I am proud that you set his robes on fire. We've got ourselves a little Marauder. "
The instant the moniker left his lips, the image of a toddler with gray eyes and bushy black hair invaded his mind. He quickly shook off the thought.
Once again, she blushed. His ability to make her blush with his honesty was intoxicating. He was like a man dying of thirst, chasing after fresh river water to get his fill.
Still, he decided to change the subject so as to not overwhelm her. "Alright, so who ate slugs in second year?"
"Huh? Oh, it was Ron, actually."
Ron hadn't been a topic of conversation for some time. About a year ago, she'd shared with Sirius that Ron had come to her, asking her for another chance at their relationship. Sirius had held his breath long enough for her to tell him that she'd turned Ron down. Although, why she had was something they didn't necessarily talk about.
"Have you spoken to him?" Sirius asked.
"He won't— He won't talk to me." She sighed. "I tried to owl him thrice after that last time we spoke, but all my owls were returned and I stopped trying. I won't beg him to be my friend."
"We don't have to talk about this, sweetheart."
"No, it's okay. I'm fine. I want to talk about it."
He squeezed her hand as a reminder that he was here to listen. She squeezed it back as if in thanks.
"I'm just so mad at him. I never once complained about anything that we were going through. I wasn't keeping score of who sacrificed more than who to throw it back in anyone's face, but he was."
"When he left us in that tent in the forest, it was like— it was like a slap in the face. I kept him alive after he got splinched. I found food wherever I could, I read everything I could get my hands on to finish our mission quicker… And I know, Sirius, I know the horcrux made him act differently. Think whatever thoughts he was thinking, but it affected me too."
He remembered that night. Sirius had received an owl from Harry and Hermione both, and because he knew they were in hiding he knew that the letters were important enough for them to have risked sending him an owl at all. He still had them. Hermione's were still stained from her tears.
"I remember his words. I remember how deep they cut even if they were directed at Harry. 'You have no parents' he said. I'd just—I'd just erased myself from my parents' memories, and that horcrux never let me forget it. D'you know that he's never once asked how I felt or how I was doing after I did that?"
Sirius could feel his body vibrating with anger. When Harry had told him how Ron had spoken of his parents— of James and Lily, the people Sirius missed most in the world—with disregard, Sirius had lost it. The events of that night hit him like a fist in the gut and he took the nearest heavy object and threw it straight into a mirror.
He remembered the night Hermione had told him about her parents. Sirius offered every resource he could think of to help her with her parents' memories. He'd told her no amount of money was too much, and he'd made himself available to accompany her wherever she needed to go to speak to whomever she needed to. Sirius might not have had the best idea of what loving parents were but something in him hurt down to his bones. He could feel her pain and all he could think of doing was helping her fix it. He didn't care he was hurting, he would have done anything to stop her pain.
"He wanted to be with his family, yes, but he wasn't the only one. It's been seven years and you'd think he'd learned a thing or two from his mistakes. All he knows how to do is run away."
Something in her words made him flinch and she instantly knew why even if he didn't.
"No, Sirius, listen to me." She let go of his hand to bring both of hers up to gently hold his face leveled to hers. "You had to run away. You had to survive. You and Ron are nothing alike. You're a brave, good man. You made your mistakes, yes, but you've come so far. Your actions have shown everyone around you that you've learned from them. But most of all, you're what Ron has never been able to prove, you're a devoted and faithful friend. Your love is unconditional. You'd go to the ends of the world for the people you love."
"If anyone is brave here, it's you. You did the impossible and you carried a weight with you for years and you all— you were just fucking kids. It wasn't your job to fight a war, but you did it with courage, and every single day I'm in awe of you. Of everything you have accomplished and the determination you still have to fight for what you believe in. It's what I love most about you." Sirius professed.
Something deep within his chest felt… different. He felt like he was being encased with the warmth of the sun on a summer day. And suddenly, he didn't feel like fighting it or hiding it anymore.
And then she was speaking.
"Do you feel that too?" She placed a hand to the middle of his chest and as if to answer he brought his hand up to place against her chest at the exact same spot.
He held her gaze before taking a deep breath and said, "I love you."
Hermione simply smiled, her eyes sparkling and her lips trembling subtly. "How long?"
"Well, I knew the day that Remus and Dora asked us to be godparents. I probably fell in love with you a bit before that. You brought me back to your place and you listened to me. You didn't talk at me and you said you needed me, and that's when I realized I needed you just as much, if not more."
She didn't say anything, but looked into his eyes. Slowly, she closed the gap between them and kissed him. After a few moments, she pulled back and looked at him like the world began and ended with him. She looked at him with so much love, it made Sirius want to drop to his knees.
Hermione slipped her hand into his and tugged gently, bringing his attention back to her. "I love you. I don't know how long I've loved you, but I do. And I know that everything I've ever done in my life I had to do to be right here right now with you."
He slowly began making his way out of the booth, still holding her hand and directing them both towards the exit. "Let's go home. I believe I have some freckles to count."
Hermione's warm laughter was the most pleasant confirmation he could ever ask for.