Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Chapter 4

"Hey you know I could stay for a while. Hang out here for some moral support?" Martha says as she sips her tea.

"No I - I think that it would be better if it was just us." I say uncertainly. "But thanks anyway."

With a flick of her wand her cup is in the sink washing itself and flying towards the cupboard. "Well I'm always here."

I smile at her just as Lyra comes running in. "Mama mama! What about this one? Do you think he'll like this one?" Her little face is so cute when she's excited.

"Well that one has always been my favourite." I say indicating the fiftieth outfit she has tried on this morning. "Teeth?" I ask.

"Her little hand flies to her mouth. "I'll do them now." she says with a giggle. I smile as I watch her running down the hall in her dress. It's a sleeveless red gingham number that stops around her ankles . The perfect summer dress. Her black curls are springing down her back as she bounces towards her room. That's when I hear the knock at the door. My stomach falters for a second and I immediately shoot Martha a pleading glance.

"So I guess you'll be needing that moral support after all." she mutters quickly going to check on Lyra. I on the other hand make my way towards the door. It shouldn't have to be this hard. Well you brought it upon yourself Granger! I mentally chastise myself.

However, it is Harry who is standing in my doorway. I stare blankly, not knowing what to say. It's Martha's voice that eventually breaks through from behind me. "I'll admit that I was expecting better looking Mi." His eyes snap up to see the woman behind me. He's looking very affronted. He never was one for being shut down... in any form. I quickly take control of the situation.

"Um- um no. This is Harry... not Sirius." Harry holds out his hand but she seems not to notice as she turns to step further back into the flat. "Harry what are you doing here? I wasn't expecti-"

"Sirius asked me to come down for some moral support." he says in answer to my questions. Martha snorts in the background at the absurdity of Sirius needing moral support. Harry does not miss it. "Nice friends you've got here 'Mione." he says loud enough for Martha to hear. Mind you she is not one to back down when her shackles are up.

"And just what is that supposed to mean Mr Potter? I suppose you think that you are in fact a better friend to Hermione than I could ever be?"

"Something like that yes." he replies acidly.

"Well you should know that-" But she is cut off by a hand clapping Harry on the shoulder. Sirius has arrived.

Looking up at Hermione he says his greetings. "Hope you don't mind that I invited Harry along... he said that he'd like to see Lyra again... and I thought..."

He's looking incredibly nervous and I suddenly realise that I'm looking at him slightly stunned... and we're all still standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry." I say shaking my head. "Come in. Come in."

"Sirius Black." He says in that suave voice of his while holding his hand out to Martha. She gives him the once over before taking his hand saying nothing.

"It seems that, Martha is it? is slightly awed by your unseemly good looks Sirius!" Harry makes the quip quickly. Heat rushes to my best friend's cheeks as she pulls her hand from Sirius'.

Sirius on the other hand ignores Harry's annoyance and continues with his charms. "You're not the first Darlin'!" he says with a wink.

It's the wink that does it. It takes me back all these years ago. The tone of his voice... the laughter... and the un-escapable fact that his lewd innuendoes were probably coupled with numerous winks. I am livid. It would appear that I'm not the only one. Martha looks like she'd about to explode. If there is one thing she hates it is arrogance. I really should have warned her about this pair!

"Well I can see now where your godson gets his undeserved arrogance." With a sardonic smile she turns her back on both men and heads towards me where I am standing in front of the door. "Hermione so sorry I can't stay but I've um- well I've got to pick up those um- yeah." she finishes off lamely.

"So much for moral support girl!" I mutter only loud enough for her to hear. I can see that she is battling with herself to stay. The decision is made for her in the next second.

"Aunt Marty! I swear it was an accident!" Lyra comes yelling into the sitting room, oblivious to the rest of us.

Martha is on her knees in front of my little girl in a flash. "What was hun?"

She is looking up at me now. "Mama I only wanted one brownie... really!"

I know what is coming as I look towards the kitchen. "Lyra." I say in a firm voice as she hangs her head. "We talked about this young lady. No meddling with the magic cookbooks!"

At Sirius' loud laugh from behind her she snaps her head up to look back him. In that split second her anxiousness about getting in trouble is all but gone. She looks back up towards me and I see that she is blushing profusely, obviously embarrassed by her mischief. She doesn't know her father at all! Sirius is probably rejoicing!

Sirius bends down on one knee so that he is at her eye level. "Hey there." he says in the most nervous voice I've ever heard him use. I push her gently towards him, giving her a little encouragement.

Our daughter however, needed no such reassurance. In an instant she has thrown herself into his arms, winding her own as far as she can around his back. "I missed you." she says pulling back a little. "Why didn't you come and visit me before?" I have to turn myself away from the image in front of me. The two pained faces of the two people that I've loved most in my life. My breathing picks up and I struggle to gain control of myself. I feel Martha's hand on my back coaxing me back into clarity. I can hear Sirius' voice behind me.

"You're right. I should have come sooner. I'm sorry for that... but I'm here now and I promise not to go anywhere from now on." I can hear the nerves in his voice dissipate, and sure enough when I turn around he is smiling tenderly at our child.

There is an awkward silence as he looks up at me. I realise a few seconds too late that everyone in the room is looking at me. Gaining control of my voice I manage to speak. "Tea Harry?" There is a slight pause before I extend the invitation to Sirius as well, before walking towards the kitchen.

Looking back at Sirius Harry nods in the affirmative.

"Well It looks like that's my cue to leave. A cup of tea with Harry Potter just doesn't cut it for me Mi." Martha says with a smirk. Harry however, is slightly shocked. I for one know that he is not used to not being the centre of every witch's attention.

"Yes goodbye. I'd say it was a pleasure but let's be honest. It wasn't." Harry states rather forcefully.

With a roll of her eyes and a quick goodbye to Lyra she's gone... which leaves me alone with two men that had both yelled at me in the last two days. Leaving Sirius with Lyra in the living room - she was having a wonderful time showing him her collection of Chocolate Frog Cards, all 300 of them - I make my way to the kitchen to tidy up the chocolatey mess that has come out of one of my cookbooks. Once that is cleared up I begin pulling tea cups from the kitchen cupboards. Before I can levitate the tea canister towards me though I felt Harry's hand on my arm.

"Hermione I just wanted to say... I wanted to... I wanted to say that I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did the other day. I was just so shocked and I -"

"- There's no need Harry. You were right." I sighed. "I should have told him. What more can I say?" My voice catches on the end of my sentence.

"You're still my best friend Mi. You always will be." He says pulling me into a hug. I squeeze him just as tightly back. I hate fighting with Harry. We've never argued like we did the other day and until a few seconds ago I had thought that something had drastically changed in our relationship.

"Thank you." I whisper, pulling free from the hug with a smile.

He grins right back. "Any chance of some chocolate biscuits?" All of a sudden we're laughing again like we're at Hogwarts. Now all I have to do is find a way to get through the next few hours with Sirius. I think to myself.

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