Don't yell at me, I know this took a long time but I had midterms… so yeah. Hope you enjoy
CHAPTER NOW BETA'D!
This chapter was beta'd by both Noel-Cullen and Satin –Serpent, Big Thanks to you both
Enjoy
Chrys
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Harry and Sirius were currently setting the table, while Hermione and Mrs. Weasley worked on the food. It was Friday night at Grimmuald Place, and their "extended family" was due to arrive in half an hour.
Mrs. Weasley was the one to break the silence that had engulfed them since they had began working on dinner. "Does he treat you well?"
Hermione was shocked. She had always expected Mrs. Weasley to flip out when she realized that Sirius and her were together… not such a simple question.
"Like a queen." She answered truthfully. She understood now what her life had been missing. A simple touch, hand-holding, putting his arm around the back of her chair, warm looks from across the room, smiles for no reason, being held from behind, his arms wrapping around her stomach, his head resting on her shoulder. The simple things, the small things, the spontaneous things… that is what felt the best, what she had always craved, and what she had never received until now.
"I guess that's all I can hope for." Molly's voice was distant, and Hermione wondered if she was still harboring hopes for Ron.
Harry entered the kitchen then, moving behind Hermione and leaning over her shoulder to smell the soup she was currently working on. Hermione didn't hesitate to lift the wooden spoon to her shoulder to give him a taste.
Harry blew on the soup lightly before taking it into his mouth. "Mm, that's great 'Mione."
She smiled, "Anyone else show up yet?"
"George just got here, he's currently discussing new products with Sirius. Arthur and Ron are watching the telly. Ginny's should be here soon, McGonagall is letting her floo over by herself." He paused for a second, and listened to the wards, "And Remus, Tonks and Teddy just arrived."
Hermione grabbed some powder from the cubbord and sprinkled some lightly over the top, "Andromeda told me that she was busy tonight. Did you hear from Kingsley or Neville or Luna?"
"Kingsley's stuck at the Ministry, and Neville and Luna are currently on a weekend getaway in the south of France."
Hermione lifted an eyebrow at this, to which Harry simply shrugged.
"About damn time those two figured it out." Came the not so quite voice of Molly.
Harry and Hermione stared at her in stunned disbelief.
"What? Those two have been beating around the bush for months…" Molly turned back to her salad mixing the last of the chicken in.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look before shrugging and smiling.
"Could you hand me the large white bowl in the far right cupboard, Harry?" Hermione asked him.
"It scares me to know that you know where I keep my bowls…" he said quietly as he grabbed the bowl for her so that she could pour the soup into it.
"Why? I bet you could tell me which closet in my house connects directly with your broom cupboard."
"Second floor, on the right, three doors down from the bathroom." He answered with out even realizing he was proving her point for her.
She just grinned and handed him the bowl with a large ladle inside, "Can you put this on the table for me?"
Harry nodded and took it from her, leaving the kitchen.
"If I already didn't know better I would think it was Harry you were dating." Molly said as soon as she judged Harry was out of earshot.
"Except you do know better, and are fully privy to the knowledge that Harry is head over heels in love with your daughter." Hermione responded, pulling together the rest of the meal, getting it ready for when Harry came back, so that he could put it on the table.
"I know that, but the way you and Harry act around each other is much different than the way he acts with Ginny… and actually while I'm thinking about it, it's very similar to the way you and George act. I'm not insinuating anything, I just making an observation."
"That's because they both only think of me as a sister. I'm safe, they don't have to worry about pleasing me…" she let her voice drop off there. She left the rest of her sentence unsaid, whether it was because she couldn't say any more, or because she didn't want to, she couldn't even tell herself.
"But they do, Hermione. They both work very hard at pleasing you."
Hermione shook her head, "I'm telling you, they only think of me as their bookworm sister… someone to lean on when things get rough, shoulder to cry on and all that… most of the time they probably don't realize I'm a girl…"
Molly stayed silent and gave a half nod, not in agreement, but just in acknowledgement. She then picked up the large salad bowl, and left the room.
Hermione stood there for a second, she was right wasn't she? Harry entered then picking up what she couldn't carry; they left the room together.
As soon as Harry set his bowls and plates down on the table the flames in his fireplace grew a bright green and out stepped Ginny, who quickly ran across the room and threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.
Hermione set the last of the food down and took a seat in between Sirius and George. Her eyes, though, stayed locked on Harry and Ginny. Ginny's arms were wrapped around Harry's neck and his around her waist, holding her against him. They weren't kissing, simply holding each other, but something looked… off. Ginny looked…restless, almost. Hermione shrugged it off and attributed it to the fact that Ginny missed Harry… it was after all the only logical explanation.
"Oy… you two gonna sit down and eat or are we going to have to watch you snog in front of us." George yelled out attracting Harry and Ginny's attention.
"George!" came an exasperated tone from Arthur.
"What?" George asked, genuinely confused as to what he had said wrong… the rest of the table had been thinking it, he was just the only one with balls enough to say it out loud.
Ginny rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at George before pulling Harry to two available seats on the across the table from Hermione.
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Hermione had spent most of dinner with one hand on her boyfriend's leg, drawing lazy circles on his thigh with her nail. He hadn't complained, although she did notice that he had to re-arrange himself a few times. She chatted politely with Remus, flirted slightly with George, knowing that nothing would come of it, and even held Teddy, rocking him back and forth slightly, playing one handed peak-a-boo. When she handed Teddy back to Tonks, her hand resumed its place on Sirius' thigh, slightly higher this time.
Due to the fact that Sirius was done with his dinner by now, and the brunette next to him was driving him crazy, he slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer, and whispering in her ear when no one was watching. "You are in so much trouble when we get home." A gentle tug on her ear with his teeth, and he was sitting straight up again, with his arm remaining firmly around Hermione.
The look Hermione gave him was devious, it was vicious, it was… hot. She looked as if she were going to pounce him right then and there, confirming his belief that she knew exactly what reaction her hand on his thigh ignited in him.
In order to take his mind off of the witch next to him, Sirius turned back to the table. "So Ginny, how's Hogwarts going…"
Ginny paused for a moment… what did he know? She thought, hoping it was an innocent question. "Fine… N.E.W.T.S coming up soon and all."
"Any blokes trying to give Harry here a run for his money? You being the only Weasley left in that big castle, no older brothers or boyfriend to protect you…" Lupin asked, meaning it entirely in a joking form.
Ginny choked on her butterbeer, and the table paused for a few seconds for her to breath again, "No… why…why would you ask that?" she asked trying to sound as if it was stupid for him to ask such a question.
Harry didn't looked disturbed at all, "As if anyone at Hogwarts would tempt trying to pick up the girlfriend of the 'Boy-who-lived.' No one wants their balls hexed off and permanently stuck to front of the Hogwarts Express."
Everyone at the table laughed… except for Ginny, who made it look as if she might be laughing, but was actually extremely uncomfortable with the way this conversation was currently going… she wanted the subject changed… Yesterday.
Luckily Hermione came to the rescue, "Did any of you hear about Flourish and Botts closing?" she asked.
"My word… they've been open forever. I do believe that is where we got our school books when we went to Hogwarts." Molly said.
"Well… they've decided to close down, and the other day I was in there talking to Flourish himself, and he actually offered to sell me the store. He said that it would be better to just sell the store to someone else, than to send all the books back to the publishers, and let the lease go…"
"That's great 'Mione, sounds like a perfect job for you." Ron said, grinning.
"Yeah… then I can come over and bother you all the time…" George said, giving her an impish sneer.
Hermione grinned, "Just as long as you realize that gives me permission to bother you back." She poked him in the side with her free hand just to demonstrate, which of course caused the table to break out into laughter again.
"Careful there, Love. You wouldn't want to find any of my candies in your tip jar now would you?"
"Like I would be stupid enough to eat candy out of my tip jar." She responded.
Luckily George didn't have to think of a response as the flames coming from Harry's fireplace turned green and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped out.
"Hello everyone. My apologies for missing dinner but I was working on something rather important, and now that I have finished I thought I would drop by and not only see you all but give you some good news."
"There is still some food, you're welcome to help your self." Molly told him.
Kingsley waved it off yet took a seat near the end of the table next to Ron. "I have a gift for you Sirius. It is quite a bit late coming, but it's the best that I can get the Ministry to do."
Kingsley pulled a large envelope from his robes and passed it across the table.
Sirius eyed him oddly for a few seconds, taking the envelope in his hands and turning it over a few times looking at it. He caught Hermione's eye, who gave him an encouraging smile, before he looked down once more and began opening the envelope.
To Mr. Sirius Orion Black-We at the Wizengamot offer our sincerest apologies for your unjust incarceration, and lack of a fair trial. We feel we are to blame as is the previous Minister of Magic Fudge. The actions by the ministry, the Wizengamot, and other departments were deplorable, and unfair. We understand that we cannot give you back those twelve years of your life, and no amount of apologies will forgive the corrupt departments that held you accountable for actions that were not yours. Due to our inability to turn back time( Due to the loss of our supply of Time Turners a few years ago) we would like to offer you the following awards, both monetary and in title, in hopes that you will forgive the Wizengamot for its previous actions:
Order of Merlin, First Class
Order of Phoenix, First Class
Senior Auror, with a salary of 1,000 galleons per week
2,500,000 Galleons for the twelve years spent in Prison
The job of Senior Auror is yours to accept or decline. We would welcome your training and your experience back in the office of Magical Law Enforcement. If you choose to accept this job at any time, please send an owl to Head of Magical Law Enforcement Ken McGaven, so that he may find you a partner and a place in his department. We hope that you accept our deepest apologies, and that you feel welcome to rejoin our society as the only remaining Heir of the Noble House of Black.
Thank you for your help and your understanding
The Wizengamot
Sirius finished reading the letter and looked into the envelope to find to pins, one signifying his Order of Merlin, and the other to signify his Order of Phoenix.
"Order of Phoenix?" he asked Kingsley.
"It signifies that you were a pivotal part of the second war, we thought it only be right to name it after the Order of the Phoenix."
Sirius nodded and held the pins in his hand, looking each of them over. Hermione's hand slipped into his and covered the pins, pulling them out of his hand. He looked up at her and she smiled, pulling the back off of them and fastening them to his shirt without saying a word.
"The plaques will be sent to your house in the morning by owl," added Kingsley.
Sirius nodded, "They pay a lot more these days then when I was a junior Auror working for the Ministry."
Kingsley laughed, "They had to, the job became more and more dangerous with the war, people wouldn't risk their lives for only 400 galleons a week."
"The Wizengamot finally got something right." Hermione said, smiling up at her boyfriend.
"Took them long enough," Ron and Lupin mumbled.
Sirius stood up and reached out to Kingsley, who stood and took his hand, "Thank you Kingsley,"
"Anything for a friend," Kingsley answered as he shook Sirius' hand.
Harry stood up, "Firewhisky for everyone!" he shouted waving his wand and conjuring a glass in front of everyone.
Everyone lifted his or her glass in Sirius' direction before taking a drink of the alcohol.
A sudden idea struck Harry, "Wait a minute, now that my training is complete I'm supposed to be assigned to a partner… Sirius we could be partners! Of course… that is if you take the job."
Harry's eyes were bright green in excitement at the possibility of being partners with Sirius.
Sirius couldn't possibly turn down the job now… the opportunity to work next to Harry every day. "I'll owl Ken in the morning, I'm sure with both of our influence we can get him to make us partners."
Harry was practically jumping for joy. In the past month or so, Sirius had gone from Harry's Godfather, to Harry's best friend, and Harry loved it. He loved the thought of working with Sirius every day, allowing them to make up for lost time.
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An hour later, everyone had left Harry's house with the exception of Harry and Ginny. They were currently lying in Harry's bed after a very hot bout of sex, which drained both completely of energy.
"What time does McGonogal expect you back at the castle?" Harry asked the girl lying across his chest.
"She said I had to be back by Midnight." She murmured snuggling her body tighter against Harry's, a million thoughts running through her head a mile a minute. She loved him… right? Connor couldn't possibly be right. She wasn't so mean as to date him for the title… was she? The title did have its perks. She can't remember the last time she had to pay for a butterbeer, and very few people dared to insult her, for fear of what Harry would do to them. She really did love Harry right?
"We have about an hour then, love." Harry said stroking her hair, completely missing the look of deep thought on Ginny's face.
Ginny pushed all thoughts from her head and climbed on top of him, taking his cock into her hand and stroking him in a way that she knew would get him up almost instantly, "I want you as many times as possible between now and then…"
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"No more long days spent around the house…" Hermione said, as she was slipping out of her clothing, while getting ready for bed.
"Huh?" Sirius asked as he slipped out of his pants.
"We are both going to have jobs… both of which are extremely time consuming, at least at first. We won't get to spend as much time together." Hermione's voice wasn't sad, she was simply stating a fact, but Sirius could hear the traces of disappointment.
Sirius pulled his shirt off over his head and walked to her, pulling her panty clad body against his, "Don't worry love, we'll have plenty of time together. We'll just have to mess with our schedules so that we can get the same days off."
Hermione nodded and lifted herself up on her toes, her hand pulling Sirius' head down to hers, so that she could kiss him.
Sirius grinned against her mouth as he kissed her. His hands slid around to her behind and lifted her up, so that she could wrap her legs around Sirius' waist. "Not to mention, make up for lost time when ever we can," she responded, kissing him again.
Sirius nodded, "By the way, you are totally going to pay for the torture you put me through at dinner."
"As long as my payment involves you, I think I can handle it."
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