A/N: Almost to the end guys! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter…so many of you! It was awesome!

"Do you want another drink Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Another one of those yummy concoctions that taste vaguely like rosemary?" Luna's sleepy voice wafted over to Hermione. Her eyes were closed, even under her sunglasses and she had nearly been asleep. They had only been in Greece for a grand total of 6 hours and they were lying on the upper deck of a large boat in their bathing suits sunning and drinking. Ginny really did know how to plan a girls' trip alright.

"Yeah, I'll have another…" Hermione replied absently and she felt a presence besides her—probably one of the good-looking deckhands that Fleur had wrapped around her married fingers—set down a drink on the table next to her. She reached for it, wrapping her hand around the cold glass and tasting the spiked, fruity, slightly herby cocktail. It was her fourth or fifth, she couldn't remember. All she knew was that after what had happened back at Hogwarts and in London, her friends had suggested getting as drunk as possible. And that was precisely what she was doing.

The hot sun was kissing her pale skin in the dark blue bikini she was wearing. Her hair was pulled back and she sighed deeply as she sipped her drink and looked out at the crystal clear ocean off the coast. Luna was reading a book upside down to her left, Fleur was tanning on her stomach in the prettiest pale blue one piece, and Ginny was giggling tipsily with one of the ship-hands. She really was such a big flirt, even if everyone knew she would never cheat on Harry.

But apparently people cheated on Hermione. First Ron, then Remus, then Sirius…she listed off mentally…what am I cursed? She asked herself and then had to immediately remind herself to relax, that she was hundreds of miles away from anyone that could upset her, and she was supposed to be enjoying a relaxing getaway with her girlfriends, who she honestly hadn't spent much time with in months.

Before Hermione knew it, she was sucking on nothing but ice and Ginny was quick to place another in her hands. Her head was swimming happily in free-thought from the alcohol but as she laid her head back down on the comfortable lounge, she was once again plagued with thoughts of her now ex-lovers, one of which didn't exactly know he was an ex yet, while the other should have gotten the memo loud and clear.

"What in the world Hermione?! You can't just break up with my Godfather and go off to Greece!" Harry shouted at her when she had come over that morning to leave at the same time as everyone else.

"She can if she wants to, it's a free world—thanks mostly to her…" Ginny shot her husband a scathing look.

"I don't want to talk about Sirius, I just want to get away and clear my head," Hermione told her best friend who was running his hands through his messy black hair in an almost panicked way.

"He was freaking the fuck out last night. He didn't cheat on you, I know he wouldn't!" Harry told her and Ginny was thankful that Luna and Fleur were running late.

"Well the evidence begs to differ. And even if he didn't…hypothetically…," Hermione raised an eyebrow at the hopeful look passing over Harry's face, "There shouldn't have been a girl in his bed regardless."

"I agree," Ginny shrugged.

"You two are so bloody stubborn…you saw him last night Gin…come on…." Harry begged his wife for back up. She knew it to be true—Sirius had spent most of the night before at the Potter's being miserable and on the verge of tears.

"I have to side with my girl on this one. I'd be hacked off if I found a tacky earring in our bed!" Ginny said.

"You are just siding with her on this because you want her to be with Remus!"

"I would appreciate it very much if you two would please stop talking about the two men I LEAST want to talk about in the entire world alright? I'm just as mad at Remus. He can have Tonks and Sirius can have his flavor of the day. But I am done with them!" Hermione yelled over both of them.

And that had been that. But the more Hermione drank and looked around at the three beautiful friends surrounding her all in happy and positive relationships-Hermione couldn't help but be frustrated. She knew she was self-sabotaging because she was scared, because somehow she didn't picture herself like the perfect housewife Fleur was, or the challenging partner to Harry that Ginny was, or the doting lover Luna was. No—Hermione had always valued her independence, even with Ron. But somehow by a twisted design of fate Sirius and Remus has turned her world upside, mixed up her heart, made her feel like she wanted to be devoted and attached to someone, and then broken both sides of her heart that had previously belonged to each of them separately.

Even being on a beautiful boat on a cloudless day on the waters off the coast of Greece was hell for Hermione.

000

"So, you went behind my back and made the biggest fucking decision of your life without even considering telling your best friend? I guess I know where I stand with you now Black…" Remus barged into the penthouse, looking like he had been stewing over whatever he was angry about for hours. Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table nursing his broken heart over some liberally spiked coffee. He was unshaven and looked up at the pissed-off werewolf with a sad sense of amusement.

"And what decision would that be mate? The biggest decision I made today was whether or not to put on clothes. As you can see, my lazy side clearly won out…" Sirius smirked, gesturing to his pyjama bottoms.

"Oh stuff it…you're engaged," Remus seethed and the gulp of coffee that had been currently residing in Sirius' mouth found its way out all over the table. The animagus sputtered in shock.

"I am?"

"Aren't you?"

"Merlin no…Hermione broke up with me last night. I was going to ask her to marry me…and I was going to tell you about it the next time I saw you…because I figured you were probably going to ask her the same thing and…well…I have the bloody ring so if you need proof…it sure as hell isn't on her finger…" Sirius explained. Remus looked greatly relieved.

"So you aren't engaged to her?"

"No…fuck Moony, who told you I was?"

"Take a wild guess," Remus' eyes suddenly went dark. He was putting it all together and wanted to kick himself for being so blinded by jealousy that he had actually believed Tonks when she had shown up at Hogwarts and told him she had witnessed Sirius proposing to Hermione and her saying yes.

Remus also hated that for a half a second, he had reconsidered a life with Dora because he felt that she was his only option. She had manipulated him once again by pitting him against his best friend.

"Fucking bitch," Sirius growled, getting up from the table, "She almost destroyed our friendship and lured you back in. She just won't give up!"

"Wait…Hermione broke up with you? Why?" Remus softened, and suddenly it was no longer jealousy at play between them, but genuine sadness for his friend. Over the course of their relationships with her, they had almost lost each other a few times.

"I fucked up, and I have to own up to it," Sirius nodded stiffly, bravely even—the look of a Gryffindor all over his face. Remus still couldn't believe it, "I got drunk with the Twins, and apparently Angie saw me at the bar, took me home, and expected us to shag in the morning when I had sobered up. I kicked her out and nothing happened, but yesterday Hermione came over crying about how she saw you and Tonks together and we were in my bed and…"

"You can stop there…" Remus held up his hand, that jealousy coming back in full force with an unpleasant twinge in his stomach.

"Oh stop…we were in my bed and she rolled over Angie's bloody earring that the slag probably left in there on purpose and started freaking out—and I can't blame her. She thought I cheated, and I tried to explain but she was just too upset. She dumped me and left and I bugged the Potter's all night but she went to Greece this morning I guess…" Sirius sighed.

"That explains the note I got. It was rather…terse…" Remus frowned. He had no idea Hermione had seen him and Tonks but should have figured as much since she had avoided him so well. And everything was all just one big misunderstanding.

"Yeah. So I'm currently single. And you are probably about to be as well…" Sirius tried to make the sad moment lighthearted. He picked up his drink from the table, "Cheers!"

"'Mione can be bloody stubborn. I can't imagine this has been easy on her, but it hasn't been easy on us either! I was literally this close to walking in here and punching your face in and not regretting it for a second," Remus tried to joke along with his best friend, but there was an undeniable edge of sadness in his tone.

"Remember at the very beginning of all of this-when we promised that no matter what, we wouldn't let this ruin our friendship Moony?" Sirius asked and Remus nodded, "Well, do you think we should stop this before it goes any further?"

They both stood in pensive silence. They had been best mates since their first day of Hogwarts, and in the last few months they had drifted apart to the point things just weren't the same anymore. But they also both knew it wasn't all to do with Hermione.

"I don't know yet Pads, but there is something I have to say. And it's about Marlene…" Remus said softly, almost apologetically and Sirius sat back down in his chair, taking a long gulp of his spiked coffee to brace himself. After 27 years, they were finally having this conversation.

"How do you know I loved her?" Sirius whispered.

"James was bloody oblivious, but Lily and I weren't, and we talked about it often before…well, we could see it in your eyes mate. And I wanted to be honest with you about the night she died, but you looked so devastated that I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. I always promised I would…but something always stopped me. And now I need to be a man," Remus' eyes were wide and sad.

"Did you…?"

"We didn't sleep together, no. She came to me that night because I think she knew she was in danger. She was asking me about you, and if I knew if you wanted to get married or have children. I think she wanted to run away from the war with you, and start a life. She clearly loved you so much, and I really don't blame her for wanting that," the werewolf continued. Sirius watched Remus contemplatively, with an impassive look on his face.

"But I had a crush on her," Remus continued, "I was naïve and stupid and I lost my puppy love of Lily to James and you were always getting the girls you wanted and Marlene was wonderful. I kissed her. It only lasted a moment and she pushed me away and cried, and she left in a hurry and the next thing I knew I was hearing that she was dead."

Sirius didn't say anything for a moment and then he slowly got up from his seat, walked over to Remus and hugged him hard.

"Thank you Moony."

"I'm sorry I betrayed you Pads, I really am," Remus said, a bit choked up. They both were, but it renewed their friendship. Sirius felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Marlene had really been in love with him until the end and Remus had finally owned up to his jealousy and that guilt was off his shoulders. Both men released each other, grinning.

"Marauder's for life," Sirius smiled at Remus.

"And now that that is taken care of, I think we both have a little brunette witch to apologize to!"

"To Greece?" Sirius asked.

"To Harry's, I'm sure he has the apparition coordinates. Then to Greece," Remus grinned, pulling his friend out the door with him.

000

"Hermione, you look gorgeous!" Fleur complimented her as the blonde swished around the large bathroom of their suite overlooking the shoreline. All four girls were getting ready for a fancy dinner out.

"Thanks," she blushed in reply. Luna was curling her hair with a few charms and Ginny was finishing painting her toenails a pretty shell pink.

Hermione turned to look at herself in the floor length mirror and found that she did look quite good. She had magicked her hair long and straight, put on a little mascara and pink lipgloss, and slipped into the midnight blue dress that Sirius had bought for her so long ago, the dress she had intended to wear out with Remus, but instead she was here in Greece with her best girlfriends, and seriously contemplating breaking up with Remus when she got home since she had already dumped Sirius.

And the very thought of dumping Remus and the fact that Sirius was now out of her life made her eyes well up with tears. She quickly blinked them back and focused on the night ahead of her.

"Are you all ready?" Luna asked airily. She was wearing a pale yellow chiffon dress and looked so grown up and downright heart-stopping. In fact, all of them were sure to break hearts tonight.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hermione whispered under her breath as Ginny cheered a little too enthusiastically as they all grabbed their small purses and began to walk downstairs. The four girls made their way down the moonlit street, laughing and talking and for a few minutes Hermione put all of her worries out of her mind. They walked to a small but fancy restaurant on the corner and the girls shuffled in, Hermione bringing up the rear, but she paused when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was a slightly familiar touch, and she turned around—completely forgetting about the girls—to face Ron Weasley.

"Ron…what are you doing here?" Hermione stammered. He was dressed up fancier than she had ever seen him look. He was wearing a black suit and tie and his hair was tamed and his eyes were bright.

"I needed to see you. We need to talk. And I got the apparition coordinates from the Burrow—Ginny left a copy there in case of an emergency. And this is one, for me anyway," he blushed. He reached out to take her hands but she pulled them slightly away.

"I know you are furious with me. The things I said to you and about you were horrific and I am a stupid prick. Cheating on you and leaving you were the worst decisions of my life. I have always loved, you…but it is true that you never fully realize what you have until it is gone. I miss you Hermione and I am so beyond sorry," Ron apologized, nearly crying. He looked to pathetically sad that she couldn't help but place a hand on his shoulder.

"Why her?" she whispered into the night. A few people walked past them on the sidewalk but the other three girls inside hadn't realized her absence yet. Or they did and were watching, Hermione couldn't tell.

"Honestly 'Mione, it's no excuse but she came onto me. I realize now that I was played like a bloody fool. All she wanted was Remus back, to make him jealous, and I was scared that I didn't know any better about girls cuz I've been in love with you my whole life. Like I said, I was stupid…" Ron blushed and she nodded, it made sense to her, but it still cut like a knife.

"…And the moment I knew you were with Sirius and Remus, I went crazy. I've been so bloody jealous, mostly because I know I'm immature and you need a smart man and I just can't compete with them, I know it, but I'm here to try…" Ron finished, lowering himself to one knee and hastily pulling out a little black ring box and popping it open. Inside was a thin gold band with a large sapphire in the middle exactly the color of her dress surrounded by two diamonds.

"Hermione Granger will you forgive me and do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

A/N: Oh my goodness, what do you all think? I was floored to see how many reviews I got for the last chapter, so I can't wait to see what you guys think of this one! Love you all.