a/n: a very, very short chapter this time, but I felt that adding on after this scene would lessen its impact. Enjoy! Next chapter up later today (if I can finish writing it) or tomorrow :D

This time, Hermione doesn't wait for an opportunity to present itself to speak to Sirius. The very next day, when Sirius leaves the table first, trailed by Peter as always, Hermione waits a few minutes before excusing herself to go to the loo.

She catches up with the two boys quickly enough, though she hangs back until she sees the perfect moment to strike. Hermione runs up behind him and all but tackles Sirius into the closest classroom. She slams the door shut and casts a locking spell which she hopes is strong enough to keep Peter baffled for long enough. Then, she thinks about it and casts a soundproof spell as well.

"What the bloody hell?" Sirius snarls, but Hermione rounds on him with her wand pointed at his face. Sirius hesitates. He could call Hermione's bluff or fight her, but Sirius backs down. Either he thinks of how she took on those Slytherins or he figures fighting her would be more of a pain than its worth. Either way, he sits on top of the nearest desk and glares at her.

"Are you a bloody moron?" Hermione snaps. "What kind of person are you attacking Remus like that? Yes, James told me what happened," Hermione says when Sirius opens his mouth, no doubt to protest or deny. "Not that it's not obvious what happened, the way you're limping around the school, thinking no one's noticed. I'd say you deserve it for having the intelligence and observational skills of a gnat."

"Who the blood-" Sirius starts, indignant now at having been insulted, but Hermione doesn't let him go on.

"I have no intentions of dating Remus, you moron," Hermione says. Finally being able to state things clearly feels very satisfying. Hermione realizes that insulting Sirius may not constitute her best argument but she doesn't care. Sirius can be so infuriating. She wonders how Remus can even put up with him.

Sirius splutters at that. "What? I wouldn't care that – Go ahead if you – That's none of my business!"

"Oh, come off it, Black. Don't insult me assuming I have the observational skills of a gnat like you and your friends."

Sirius doesn't have a reply to that. He stares off resolutely at the wall and it takes a moment for Hermione to notice the dark coloring on his cheeks. He's blushing, she realizes suddenly, and has to bite down a sudden laugh that bubbles up at the thrill of being right on the money.

Hermione sits on the desk beside Sirius. She considers maybe patting his knee to reassure him, but then thinks better of it. "For what it's worth, I think you two are really cute together."

Sirius still won't look at her or say anything and Hermione feels the need to fill the silence and starts babbling. "If it's any consolation, I doubt anyone else knows what's going on. And I'm definitely not interested in Lupin that way. Other than as a friend, of course. I like him as a friend."

To her surprise, Sirius laughs. It's a bitter laugh, like he's laughing at himself rather at something funny Hermione said. The sound makes Hermione feel horrible. "I was so furiously jealous of you," he admits, like it pains him to say the words out loud, and he still won't look at her. "His study buddy… That's all Remus has ever wanted, you know. I think it just made me realize how wrong we are for each other."

Wrong for each other?! Hermione panics. She never meant to alter the past and now here she is breaking these two up. Then, she hesitates. What if they weren't even together yet? What if they would break up with or without her anyway? Hermione wants to cry. She doesn't know what to do at all.

"Lupin is a smart guy," Hermione says carefully, trying to remain neutral. "Don't you think he deserves a say in this?"

Sirius finally turns to face Hermione and Hermione can see the regret and the sorrow on his face. "I attacked him last night. Hardly makes me boyfriend of the year, does it?"

So they are together. At that moment, Hermione realizes she doesn't care. She's too far into this group of friends to keep deluding herself that she's not having an impact on the past. She punched Snape in the eye, for crying out loud. She's not exactly winning any awards for subtlety.

From now on, Hermione decides, she's going to stop obsessing about her every decision and just follow her gut instinct.

"Get over yourself!" she blurts out and Sirius' eyes widen immediately, not expecting such a reaction at all. "Do you really think your impulsive nature and tendencies to throw temper tantrums caught Lupin by surprise after entering a relationship? You've been friends for how long again?

Besides, that's maybe just what he needs! Someone to challenge him and stimulate him, not to keep him down with books and studying. I mean those things are great, but similar qualities and interests are usually what we look for in friends. In lovers, we look for that plus something else, someone who'll challenge us and push us out of our comfort zone." Hermione realizes she's going off on a rant, but she only realizes how loudly she's speaking when she stops and the volume echoes in her ears as silence crashes down on them.

Sirius looks dumbstruck, but slowly his expression changes into one of thought. "Just like James would be good for you, then?"

Now Hermione is the one caught off-guard. "Oh, well, that's … not quite the same," she stutters, unable to find the words quickly enough, and she turns red.

Sirius grins and laughs. "I can see why James likes you. You're clever, and the way you took out those Slytherins? You're not half-bad after all, Granger."

Hermione grins. Coming from Sirius, that's quite a compliment. "You're not half-bad either yourself, Black."

They sit there grinning stupidly at each other until the moment passes and then Sirius seems to remember what they were talking about.

He groans loudly. "How in the world am I going to make things right? I've been such an arse. Remus won't even look at me now, much less speak to me."

Hermione stares at Sirius, mouth agape. "You really are daft," she whispers.

"Hey!"

"All Remus does is look at you! And all you have to do is apologize to him."

"Yeah," Sirius mutters. "That's easier said than done."

At that moment, the door bangs open and Peter stumbles through the doorway. He catches himself before he falls, and when he stands up he looks surprised, like he hadn't expected to be able to undo the spell.

"What was that all about?" he squeaks when he composes himself.

Sirius is laughing hard at Peter's comical entrance, but the very sight of him immediately kills Hermione's good mood.

"I should get back," she says. "I've been in the loo for half an hour now… It's going to be quite embarrassing."

Sirius laughs but calls her back when Hermione's almost out of the door.

"Hey, Granger!"

Hermione turns around.

"Thanks."

Hermione gives him a small smile and nods in return. As she walks away, she can hear Peter loudly asking what that had been all about.

"We were madly snogging," she hears Sirius tell him. "Thanks a lot of interrupting us."

"You were not snogging," Peter replies, but by then Hermione has walked out of earshot.

She gets back to the Great Hall feeling pleased with herself. Remus still looks miserable but Hermione hopes that soon he'll be back to his old self. She can't help grinning as she sits back down.

"That must have been one heck of a satisfying visit to the loo," James jokes.

Lily groans. "Potter, please, we're still eating."

But Hermione just laughs, suddenly starving even though she's already had two eggs and a piece of toast.

"You have no idea," she says.

She's fixed things between Sirius and Remus, and she and Sirius are friends again. Irrationally, Hermione can't help but feel that all is right with the world.