Hermione flew to her right, a spell almost grazing her arm. It was really hard to see anything because of sweat dripping from her forehead and hair. She looked as though she had spent last few hours in heavy rain, as even her clothes were drenched. She really hoped that Hogwarts Express won't arrive sooner than expected, because the vision of Sirius running away after seeing her miserable figure was extremely terrifying.

Moody sent another spell towards her, but this time she blocked it with a Shield Charm and immediately countered his attack. The Auror had no trouble dodging the spell, but Hermione used that moment to attack him once again, forcing him to Shield himself, as there was no time for another evasion.

Bloody hell, that man was fast. She had never doubted his skills before, but seeing him fight for the first time shook her to the core. It might have had something to do with the fact, that he was constantly sending her flying towards different objects, but still... His skills were impressive. So impressive, that Hermione had never managed to get even close to hitting him, except for that one time last week. He was surprised then and that definitely wasn't the case today.

Before she could attack him once again, he regained his balance and dropped to his knee, completely changing the course of his next spell. She cursed out loud realising that it was her turn to Shield herself, as there was no way to dodge a spell flying so low. Immediately after her spell wore off, she ducked to the left, ushering the same tactics the man had used seconds earlier.

Their duel was so heated, that neither of them noticed the Headmaster standing in the corner, until a chuckle erupted from his mouth. Hermione turned around rapidly and pointed her wand at the older man without hesitation, what seemed to amuse Dumbledore even more. Once she realised her mistake, she blushed furiously and sheathed her wand in the thigh holster that Moody forced her to wear.

"I am sorry, professor", she breathed out and wiped the sweat from her face.

"Oh, it's only natural to react that way, Miss Granger. After all, I am interrupting a great duel!", Dumbledore waved his hand and smiled breezily. "Alastor, I see that your student proves herself to be a very decent fighter!"

"She might live", Moody spat and Accioed a bottle of water that was standing at the small cabinet near the door.

Hermione rolled her eyes with amusement. She knew more than well that such words coming out of his mouth were actually a huge compliment, but it became a habit for her to undermine everything he said. It was what he wanted, wasn't it?

"I am convinced that she's going to do much more than that!", Dumbledore said, clearly ignoring her reaction. "Actually, Alastor, I am fairly sure you can finish your session for today. I need to speak with you. Can you join me at my office, as soon as you're done?"

Moody nodded, causing Dumbledore to clasp his hands with satisfaction.

"Splendid. In that case, I'll leave you now. Have a great day, Miss Granger. I am sure it's going to be the most exciting now that Mr Black will return to the castle"

Hermione's mouth flew open as her mind went blank. 'How does he know about Sirius?', she thought to herself and shook her head a moment later. Wondering about sources of Dumbledore's knowledge was as pointless as trying to defeat Moody in a duel.

"Thank you, professor", she answered with a smile, while the Auror stared at her intently.

As soon as Dumbledore has left the room, Moody sat down on a conjured chair and crossed his arms on the chest. Hermione knew that stance more than well, as it usually led to a lecture consisting of throwing incentives towards her.

"So, what did I do wrong?", she asked tiredly, expecting the man to erupt, but to her surprise, Moody stayed quiet.

Her brows furrowed, as Hermione tried to decipher whether his silence was a good thing or quite opposite.

"Nothing", he finally answered, making her even more confused.

"Then why are you looking at me that way?"

"You and Black... Are you sure it's a good choice?"

Hermione's mouth opened in surprise once again, as she stared at the Auror in awe. Did he really just ask her about... Well, about her love life? Was she dreaming, or what?

"Um... Yes?"

"Have you told him anything?", Moody's tone carried an almost unnoticeable threat, but Hermione picked it out instantly.

"I am not stupid. Sirius is not of age and he cannot know about anything until that changes. Even then, he will have to make an Unbreakable Vow and he's fully aware of that. I've actually thought that through, you know?", Hermione stated fiercely and made Moody furrow his brows.

"Fine. I figured you'd do that. What about... What about other consequences of your choice?"

"What other consequences?", she ask dumbfounded and Moody averted his gaze, clearly abashed.

"He's a boy and you're a girl! Figure it out on your own, would you?!", he growled after a minute and Hermione blinked a couple of times, before starting to laugh out loud.

"Merlin, you're actually worried that he's going to hurt me, aren't you? You're worried about me?", she laughed so hard that her belly began to ache. "Oh, that's sweet, Alastor. I'd never take you for the caring type"

"Oi, respect the elders, girl!", he roared, but she knew he wasn't serious. "From what I hear about that lad, he means trouble. And you...", he pointed his finger at her. "You should stay away from trouble, that's all I'm saying"

Hermione stopped laughing openly and smiled gently. It really was quite touching that he decided to step out of his comfort zone and make sure she really was alright. She even felt a bit sorry for laughing at him so uncontrollably.

"He is trouble, but not that bad kind of trouble. I actually was determined to stay away from him, but it just made me think about him even more. I know that it's going to be complicated, but... At some point I'll have to let him in on everything. All of my friends, actually. We're going to be fighting the same fight and their future is also my future. I cannot do everything alone, just as I can't pretend that I don't want to start living again. Properly living", she admitted and smiled bitterly.

Moody stayed quiet for a minute, but then he nodded.

"I was wondering, whether you'd finally realise that you're not just a spectator to all of this, that in order to change everything, you need to connect to your current life and people in it. But Black? You have to know about his family", he said, making Hermione look down to her forearm.

"Of course I know... They judge people based on their blood purity. Which is exactly why I refuse to think less of Sirius, only because of his heritage. It's just as demeaning as his family's views. He's a good person, trust me. He wouldn't be sorted into Gryffindor if he shared their ideology and he wouldn't run away from his house to live with James. For what it's worth, I believe his background only makes him more determined to put a stop to everything, so that he wouldn't have to be ashamed to be a Black", she smiled tenderly and looked up to face Moody once again.

"Be careful, though. You may be right about him, but that doesn't change the fact, that many people will frown upon your relationship. It will put you in the centre of attention, once again. You have to stay focused and remember..."

"Constant vigilance!", they both yelled at the same time.

Hermione chuckled lightly at Moody's furious expression. He absolutely hated it when she mocked him like that, since he wanted her to be serious about their training. This time, though, his initial anger dissipated quickly, as a smile appeared on the Auror's face.

"Granger... The whole world is counting on you, even though no one's aware of it. Don't forget about it. I support your decision to try and make life yours again, but..."

"I know", she interrupted him, her smile completely gone. "I'll figure it out, Alastor. If anyone can do it, it's probably me. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping for", she muttered and sighed tiredly.

"You've got this, kid", Moody assured her and then walked up to her and patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Seconds later, he was gone and Hermione had been left alone with her sweat drenched clothes and damp hair.

Her eyes were fixed at the entrance to the Great Hall, as students kept rolling into the room, filling it with sounds of laughter and joy. She couldn't help but to fidget nervously, waiting for that one particular male to walk through the door and take her into his arms. She almost sighed at her own thoughts. Since when was she so pathetic?

Nonetheless, waiting for Sirius turned out to be much more nerve wracking than many exams. Maybe it had something to do with the fact, that knowledge came easy to her, whereas relationships weren't exactly her area of expertise. She was scared shitless, now that they were supposed to be a real couple. Her excitement was even bigger though, which was probably the only reason why she was sitting on her usual spot in the Great Hall, instead of hiding out in the library.

Finally, a familiar laughter sounded in the air, nearly making her heart jump out of her chest. James Potter stormed into the room, clutching his stomach, while tears rolled down his face. Hermione had no doubt that they had been tears of laughter and a mere second later she understood his joy more than well.

Sirius Black entered the Great Hall wearing his usual robes, white, buttoned up shirt, grey sweater, Gryffindor tie and... A kilt. Hermione couldn't help but stare at his bare legs with pure shock, what probably made her look incredibly stupid. Well, it wasn't every day that one could see their boyfriend wearing a skirt. Because no matter how manly he might have looked, it still was a skirt.

"Dear Merlin", she muttered under her breath, as Sirius spotted her and his eyes twinkled with joy.

He looked utterly ridiculous, but she still couldn't help but grin like an idiot. His smile was simply brilliant and Hermione wasn't immune to his charm - not now and not ever, even if that's what she had wanted to believe for a long time. And right in this second his smile was meant purely for her, which made things even better.

"Hermione! Greetings, love!", Sirius yelled and waved at her.

Blush crept up her face, as she realised that he was calling her with a heavy Scottish accent, which made everyone in the room laugh. James, for instance, looked like he was having some kind of seizure, as he couldn't decide whether he wanted to stand straight or bend in half, so he was rocking back and forth like a lunatic.

"My love! How are you doing? Beautiful day, wasn't it? Truly great weather we had today! My balls nearly froze off!", he kept talking, while Hermione decided to simply hide her head in her own palms, as she tried not to explode with laughter at the sound of his accent.

Honestly, how was he able to pull that off so effortlessly? Not only was the kilt kind of suiting him, but the accent made him actually feel like a Scottish person. She truly hoped that no one from Scotland was going to be offended by his act, or worse, his outfit.

"Shut up, Sirius!", Remus moaned and rushed towards Hermione with guilt painted all over his face.

He slumped down next to her and gave her a quick hug, still looking terribly miserable.

"Stupid bet. How could I actually have thought that him wearing a skirt will be a humiliation for him, rather than agony for me? He's been talking like that for the entire day, Hermione. I swear, I almost forgot what British accent sounds like! Not that I have anything against Scottish, but coming from him, it's simply terrible", Remus moaned and laid his head on top of a golden platter.

Hermione felt truly sorry for him and wanted to express her feelings, but Sirius clearly decided that greeting her properly was far more important than keeping up his act. He rushed towards the Ravenclaw table and picked her up from her spot effortlessly, as she squealed with panic.

Before she could say anything, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a passionate kiss, making her forget about her anxiousness in a heartbeat. The feeling of his lips on her own could never grow boring or even common, she was sure of that. It wasn't even as this kiss was the best one they've shared. It was all about how right it felt – her heart fluttered, as happiness flooded her entire body in a gigantic wave. That kiss meant that he truly was hers, just as she was his.

"I've missed you so much", he whispered, looking deep into her eyes, while his thumb caressed her cheek with tenderness.

She couldn't help but grin at him in response. He kissed her again briefly and then stepped back, looking around. Most of the students have been staring at them with shock, although some were smiling knowingly.

"Care to tell me about that bet of yours?", Hermione asked, deciding that it would be best to just ignore the stares and carry on with their conversation.

"No", Sirius answered, getting back to his Scottish accent and making Remus growl in frustration. "Don't howl, Moony. It was you who had put me up to being Scottish"

"No, I had put you up to wearing a skirt. Woman's skirt. Not a kilt. And I definitely hadn't said anything about impersonating a Scot"

"Yes, you had. I bet you wanted it, Remus"

Hermione started to laugh, as Moony paled slightly at the sound of his name said in Scottish accent with a very suggestive smile to match it.

"You bet? In that case, you've lost again", Remus answered and squeezed his eyes shut. "My eyes are about to burn, I swear"

"That's because I'm too hot to handle", Sirius chuckled and winked at Hermione.

"Not in that dress, you aren't", James joined them before the Ravenclaw could say something.

Sirius smacked his friend's arm, but a smile was still playing on his face. Smile, that made Hermione bite her lip, as a wave of heat struck her face.

"I can always take it off, you know", he said looking deep into her eyes.

She had to fight the sudden weakness of her knees, as Sirius kept staring at her intensely, until James forced him to avert his gaze.

"Oi! Find yourself a room! No one wants to see you without your clothes on!", he exclaimed and shook his head, completely oblivious to the tension between the two of his friends.

Hermione looked down, slightly ashamed as she realised that James' words were not entirely true. She wanted to see him without his clothes. 'Girls would be proud, Herms. They've turned your mind dirty', she thought to herself and shyly met Sirius' gaze. The boy kept looking at her with a knowing smile, forcing her to shift nervously. Merlin help her...

"Even seeing you in that skirt made me sick to my stomach, especially with you constantly sitting with your legs spread apart. Mate, you have no idea how happy I am that you decided to at least wear your underwear!", James kept rattling, making Sirius roll his eyes and Hermione blush even more.

"Can we please stop talking about this?", Remus asked in a tormented voice and Sirius shrugged.

"Anything for you, Moony"

There was this accent yet again... Hermione chuckled lightly and shook her head with disbelief. He could be so childish sometimes, that it irritated her, but today it felt simply right. She was way too happy to care, anyway.

"Sirius, I don't think that professor McGonagall is going to appreciate your outfit very much", Hermione said and looked towards the professors' table, that started to fill up.

"Well, nothing like the smell of detention right after the break, yeah?", the boy waved his hand dismissively and smiled proudly. "A bet is a bet, love. I swore to make an idiot out of myself and I shall keep my word"

"You're excelling at that, to be honest", Remus nodded his head and sighed tiredly, getting up from the Ravenclaw table. "We should probably get to our own seats. The feast is about to begin"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea", James said and then hugged Hermione out of the blue. "I forgot to say 'hi' properly!"

Second later, he was gone and so was Remus, leaving her alone with Sirius. 'I wonder where Peter is?', she thought to herself quite stupidly, after her anxiousness kicked in again.

"We should probably talk later, yeah?", Sirius asked, stepping closer to her figure.

"Probably", she answered and frowned. "But we can't exactly go for a walk after the curfew, can we?"

Sirius chuckled and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Still so innocent", he whispered, as his breath ghosted over her lips, making her body shiver with excitement. "Wait for me in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower at 10 o'clock sharp"

With that statement, he was gone, just as Remus and James. Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. How was it possible that he had managed to evoke such a reaction from her, even after she agreed to be with him? Shouldn't that excitement go away now?

She sat down, her mind fuzzy with all the thoughts and feelings. A stupid smile was plastered on her face, but she simply couldn't help it. Even her roommates' arrival did nothing to spoil her mood, as they started to squeal in excitement.

"On Merlin's panties! Did he just kiss you? I'm going to cry!", Grace chirped, fanning her face.

"Yes, he did. Why does it surprise you? I've told you that I've decided to give it a shot", Hermione shrugged, making Leslie laugh out loud.

"We all thought it was a joke! I personally couldn't believe that you're able to stop being such an uptight prude", she said and Hermione glared at her.

"Shut your dirty mouth, Les!", Amy growled and then smiled sweetly. "What that bitch was trying to say, is that we are really happy for you!"

"No I wasn't...", Leslie protested quietly, but Grace smacked her arm.

"Can you just pretend for a second, that you possess a teeniest bit of empathy in your body?!", the blonde yelled and when several gazes turned towards her, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, people, we have a crisis here"

At that exact point, McGonagall stood up and clinked her glass, announcing the Headmaster's speech. The girls weren't all that concerned, though, as they started to whisper amongst each other, trying to pry information out of Hermione. Information about Sirius, of course. She tried to answer their questions patiently, even though her mind wandered off to the Room of Requirement, where she was probably going to have her chat with Sirius. All she had to do, was patiently wait for the 10 o'clock to come, but, boy, how hard it was...