AN: Sorry I haven't been around much this week. My cat got sick suddenly and died yesterday. Between that and work I've had little time to update. I can't promise an update tomorrow, but I'm alive and still writing!

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

"I think you're being too suspicious."

"No, I am not," Severus scowled as his glow turned red. "Potter is up to something, and I need to know what it is."

"It sounds like he's reconciling with a friend he yelled at." Sirius sat up straighter on the couch.

"He believed her story within the span of a few short days?" Severus paced from one end of the couch to another.

"Believe it or not, some people rethink their positions and admit when they're wrong."

"I have yet to see it."

"Of course you haven't," Sirius muttered.

"Even if he did rethink his position, it's doubtful he's forgiven her. Surely he still holds a grudge."

"Not everyone holds a grudge when they're angry, and he may not be angry at all."

"I don't believe for a moment Potter is holding a grudge or is infuriated." Severus stopped. "But he is up to something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know." Severus scratched his chin. "But I intend for you to find out."

"Excuse me?"

"You are going to find out what he's up to for me."

Sirius continued to stare at him.

"You are meant to spy on Hermione, thereby relaying information to me. This could be the one time you prove useful, only this time I want you to spy on Potter."

"First of all, I've proven myself useful more than one time." Sirius sat up straighter. "Second of all, I'm not going to spy on my godson in order to dispel your paranoid fantasies."

"These aren't paranoid fantasies. Potter is up to something and we need to know what it is."

"No, you need to accept Harry's role in Hermione's life."

"I do. They are friends. There, I've accepted it."

"You've accepted the facts, but you don't want to believe them," Sirius argued.

"He is the one disbelieving facts. He refuses to entertain the idea that I am with him in the room."

"Because you would do everything in your power to stay hidden."

"How can I stay hidden if he cannot see me?" Severus looked up Sirius as if he was a first year confusing a lily with a petunia.

"I don't know how it works, but it seems under the right circumstances people can sense us when we're near."

"How?"

"I don't know," Sirius admitted. "But it seems that if we want to make our presence known, we can."

"I whacked him with a pillow. That should've been enough."

"Did you try to send any affection his way, or did you spend the entire visit counting the minutes until he left?"

"I will admit that I was rather eager to resume what Hermione and I had been doing before he entered."

"In other words, you closed yourself off to him."

"In a matter of speaking, I suppose so."

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows and frowned.

"Do not look at me like that. My issues with Potter are well known…"

"Are you ever going to forgive him for caring about you?"

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Are you ever going to forgive him for wanting what was best for you? Are you ever going to forgive him for trying to give you the credit you were due? Hell, are you going to forgive him for existing?"

"How can I forgive him for splattering all my life all over the Wizarding World?"

"You could try saying, 'thank you for defending me.'" Sirius suggested.

"I didn't want him to defend me."

"Well he did, because he cares about you."

"How does caring about me equate to splashing my personal information all over the Wizarding World?"

"It means he's defending you."

"You don't know what it's like to have your most personal memories made public for all to read."

"No, but I know what it's like to watch your life ad nauseam in a room even barer than this one."

Severus shut his mouth.

"What is your problem anyway? I mean look at us." Sirius raised his hands. "We're dead. After death we had all of our triumphs, tribulation, mistakes, and heroic deeds laid bare before us during a grueling trail. Everyone already knows who we are. Why do you care about what some mortal thinks?"

"Because I never intended to become a hero!" Severus snapped.

"Then why did you give him the memories?"

"So he would win the war."

"In other words, you wanted to be a hero?"

"No, I wanted peace!"

Sirius folded his hands.

"I just wanted to rest in peace without any fan adoration or smear campaigns. I just wanted to fade into obscurity so I could spend my afterlife alone."

"You must hate Hermione then."

"Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well you wanted to be alone and sulk, but now you're with Hermione and happy. You must hate her for the change in perspective."

"Of course I don't hate her." Severus' voice was tender. "I could never hate the woman I love beyond all reason."

"Which is exactly why you should be thanking Harry." Sirius stood.

Severus kept his gaze on him.

"If Harry hadn't shown Hermione the memories she may never have given you a chance since she wouldn't have known who you really were. He helped you win her love just by letting her know what you'd truly done. Shouldn't he get some credit for that?"

Severus bowed his head.

"I know you're scared for Hermione, and I'll admit it's odd that Harry seems to have forgotten that he accused her of being insane so quickly," Sirius continued. "Still, you have to make your peace with Harry."

"If I do, does that mean I will go to heaven and leave Hermione?" Severus' voice was quieter.

"I don't know."

Severus' expression hardened, as if he was willing to hold the grudge for eternity if it meant he could be with his love.

"But if you continue to be spiteful they could consider the mission to be a failure and end the program. You may very well still be in Purgatory when Hermione walks through the pearly gates. Are you going to delay your reunion because you were too busy being bitter towards Potter?"

Severus' glow turned blue.

"Do you want her to wait for you because you couldn't stop being bitter?"

"I don't want to wait for her at all," Severus argued. "I want to spend every moment of my existence with her."

"I know," Sirius replied. "Which is why we must be careful in this mission. If it fails then you could very well be separated from Hermione much longer than if you'd succeeded."

"Isn't there any way I could be with her without complications?" His voice cracked.

"I don't know." Sirius' glow lessened.

"This is too complicated." Severus buried his face in his hands.

Sirius nodded.

"All I want is to be happy and find peace. Everyone else seems to find some sort of peace and joy, but it has eluded me until now. Why can I not have uncomplicated joy?" Severus' glow was a dark blue.

"Because you and Hermione are complicated people who never do anything simply."

Severus' eyes hardened.

"Still, if this place runs on love, if the law of love governs everything, then somehow things will work out."

"For who?" Severus snapped. "You? Dismas? Metatron? Who?"

"Everyone," Sirius answered.

"How?"

"I don't know."

Severus would have huffed if he could.

"But I do know that holding a grudge could incur more Purgatory time, which is the last thing you want," Sirius answered.

"I suppose the point of the program was to release anger, not cling to it." Severus' glow became yellow.

"Exactly."

Severus kept his eyes cast downwards.

"I promise that I'll watch over Hermione and let you know whatever happens to her," Sirius continued. "But you need to help yourself by forgiving Harry and letting Hermione reconcile with him."

"I will try…"

"No, you'll either do it, or you may very well lose her!"

Severus glared at Sirius. If he took that tone with him again…

"Part of loving Hermione is accepting Harry," Sirius was unaffected by his companion's expression. "Loving her means truly accepting and not merely tolerating him."

Severus' glow was yellow.

"If you want to be with Hermione when she crosses from death to life, you need to try and make it to heaven, not delay things until the Trinity's patience runs out."

"I thought they were supposed to have infinite patience."

"If Metatron is to be believed, it is much more limited than advertised."

Severus' glow dimmed.

"You'll be with her." Sirius put his hand on the other spirit's shoulder. "I don't know how, but I know you'll be together somehow."

"I pray you are correct," Severus whispered.

"Despite what you may think, I am capable of being right every once in awhile." Sirius gave him a triumphant smirk.

Severus cracked a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll protect Hermione. If I don't, I know I'll never hear the end of it from you. Given how little I care for your voice…"

Severus chuckled.

"Hermione will be fine." Sirius squeezed his shoulder. "I'll see to it."

"I hope so anyway." Severus did not know if he was answering Sirius, saying a prayer, or a combination of both.