AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

It made sense that St. Pete would send him to a Quidditch pitch. Granted, he hadn't expected it to be on the outskirts of Paris. Why would Ron be here? Perhaps he was preparing to play in the Quidditch World Cup, or the French wanted to beat up on an English team.

Men on blindingly orange uniforms whirled by Sirius in the sky. They shouted as kludgers flew dangerously close to their heads and the golden snitch fluttered about.

If the French wanted to beat up on a team, they could not have picked a better one. There was no direction to anyone's flight pattern, and the seeker couldn't have caught the snitch if his life depended upon it. Even when it was a few centimeters in front of him, he found a way to allow it to slip from his hands.

The only player worse than the seeker was the keeper, who happened to be Ron. Every time the blunger approached him, he found a way to let it slip through his hands. At times he went so far as to dodge it, allowing it to go through the hoops. The spectacle would have made Sirius laugh had he not been so focused on his mission.

A man in a bright orange polo shirt and khaki pants ran to the middle of the field and blew a shrill whistle. The flyers stopped.

"Great practice everyone!" From the tone of his voice, Sirius could not tell if the coach was ignorant of how a competent Quidditch team appeared, or if he was so used to lying it was now second nature. "I think we have half a chance of beating Bayonne tomorrow."

Sirius shook his head. They'd be lucky if they could defeat Beauxbatons.

"I suggest we rest up. Tomorrow we have another long day of practice before our big game on Saturday."

The players descended, congratulating themselves on not being knocked off their brooms this practice. A few laughed while others collected the equipment.

Sirius thanked the Trinity that his mission did not involve helping the Cannons become a championship team. Even they would struggle to do that.

"Do you really think we have a chance against Bayonne?" A beater asked.

"Sure," the coach replied. "All we need to do is remember the basics and we should have no problem with them."

"I agree." Ron stepped beside them. "They may be a decent collegiate team, but they don't stand a chance against professionals."

"Yeah." The beater gave him a high five.

Sirius' glow dimmed. Ron wasn't the brightest student to grace the halls of Hogwarts, but he hadn't been the most delusional. The years had not been kind to him.

"Come on, let's go to L'Enfer, my treat," Ron replied.

His teammates cheered as they marched off the field.

Sirius followed them into the locker room. The dingy, gray tinted floors and the glisten of sweat on the men's foreheads made him happy he could no longer smell. The smudged lockers were dented, and a few of them could be pulled open with no effort despite the locks.

The seeker pulled out his grey duffle bag, "So have you made up with Poopsiekins yet?"

A few of the players snickered. Even Sirius rolled his eyes. Even in life, it was difficult enough to wrap his mind around Hermione consenting to 'Mione. How did he come up with the nickname Poopsiekins?

"Not yet," Ron took off his shirt. "And I honestly see no reason to."

"Why not?"

"Because she's being unreasonable, and she knows it."

"I agree she's overreacting, but you could cut her some slack given everything that's happened," a beater cut in.

"I've tried, but she keeps coming up with more unreasonable demands." Ron took off his shoes. "First she wants me helping around the house more, and then I'm supposed to help her mow the lawn. All I want to do is go home and listen to a good Quidditch game on the radio. I swear the woman is just as big a whiner as she was at Hogwarts."

"You do love her though, don't you?" Another beater asked.

"Of course I do," Ron took off his pants and pulled out an orange duffle bag from the locker. "Still, she knows who I am. If she cannot accept me, then perhaps this isn't going to work out."

"That would be sad," the seeker cut in. "You were so close to getting engaged to her as well."

Ron bowed his head and took a deep breath. "I would love to get engaged to her, but if all we're going to do is fight…"

The seeker put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "You don't want a repeat of four years ago."

"No," Ron's voice was softer. "I don't."

Sirius' eyes grew. Four years ago?

"Perhaps you can avoid another argument by apologizing," a beater replied.

"Why would I apologize when I am in the right?" Ron put on his shirt and scowled.

"Because 'I'm sorry' is one of the most important phrases in a relationship."

"I don't want to say something I don't mean."

"I know, but perhaps it is time to look at things from her perspective."

Ron put on his pants. "What do you mean?"

"You're gone quite a bit, and when you come home she wants to spend time with you. Sure, she expects too much help around the house, but perhaps pitching in every once in a while will put her mind at ease. At the very least it will show her you care."

"Maybe," Ron muttered.

Sirius' glow brightened. Of course! Ron is capable of great love, but he can be clueless as well. He may not understand how inept Hermione was at keeping a house organized and cooking! Still, Ron was capable of growth. If Hermione could understand that, they could be in wedded bliss before the end of the year!

"I'm just sick of the nagging, that's all," Ron continued.

Sirius couldn't argue that point. Hermione could be a nag. When she became tunnel visioned she sometimes ignored how others felt. If she could learn to accept Ron as he was, both of them would be much happier.

Sirius twisted his lower lip. While he could not change Ron's behavior, he could persuade Severus to help Hermione be a better communicator.

His glow lessened. The day Severus taught anyone to communicate was the day Sirius took up sewing. Still, the saints had said they needed to help cover each other's weaknesses and to stretch themselves to make up for the deficiencies they had in life. Perhaps this is what they meant. Sirius needed to learn to be kinder to Severus, and Severus needed to learn to communicate with someone without being condescending.

"I love her, but I just don't know if I can be with her." Ron sighed.

Don't worry Ron. Sirius was a bright yellow. You will be reunited with your true love soon enough.

With that, Sirius disappeared.

"I got most of the ingredients we'll need." Ms. Granger cut a piece of her teriyaki steak. "Though I couldn't find the toad's tongue. I suspect it's at one of the apothecaries which closes around the time my bookstore does."

"We will have to wait for the weekend then," Severus replied.

"Exactly." She took a bite.

"Very well," Severus folded his hands and put them on the table. "In the meantime, I cannot help but notice you ordered this meal from a restaurant."

She swallowed. "I was hungry and I didn't want to wait for you."

"Indeed, but if the goal is to teach you how to cook I cannot have you eating before our lessons."

"What do you propose we do then?"

"I propose coming here at six so we can cook together."

"Are you sure you want to spend another hour with me?" She cut another piece of steak.

"If the choice is between spending time with you or Black, I will choose you every time."

She smirked. "I'd be more flattered if I didn't understand the situation."

"Actually you should be somewhat flattered. There are few people I would rather spend time with than you."

She glanced up. Instead of sarcasm or boredom, she noted sincerity in his eyes. The fact that his glow was a soft yellow only added to her comfort level.

"The feeling is mutual," she whispered.

"You do not need to lie to me."

"No, I mean it," her voice was stronger. "I haven't had many people grace my house every evening. It's been nice to have the company."

"Just nice?"

"No, it's more than nice." She set down her fork.

"Pleasant?"

"It's more than pleasant. I just don't know how to define it."

"We don't need to define what we have." He leaned closer to her. "We can be content with each other's companionship for as long as it lasts."

She gave him a soft smile. "I like that."

He put a hand over hers. Although it went through it, he could feel a warmth radiate up his body. Ms. Granger blushed.

"That being said, we are still professor in student, at least in regards to cooking."

"Agreed."

He removed his hand from hers. "Do not eat dinner tomorrow. You are to cook it."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're expecting me to cook an entire meal?"

"Don't tell me you aren't up for the challenge."

"Of course I am." She held up her head. "I'll prove to be one of the most outstanding students you've ever had."

"I have no doubt you will," Severus purred. "I don't have a single doubt in my mind that you will make me very proud indeed."