A/N: I worked really hard to get all three of my stories updated today. This is three of three. I'm going to bed after this.

The second part of this story might seem a little random, but I needed to put StalkerofStories, aka Kia in so she won't be so confusing when she shows up later. SOS, I hope I did you justice, and I hope you like chess (if you don't, too bad, you do now!) There's also one House Quote in there.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep 'em coming! And enjoy.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Molly's voice rang through the house.

"Shit!" Sirius jumped, knocking over the chess game he and Harry were playing.

"You're in for it, mate," Harry chuckled. He followed Sirius into the hallway.

"Mudbloods! Filth! Blood-Traitor scum dirtying up the house of my ancestors!" Mrs. Blacks portrait finally decided it was time to speak up.

"Shut your bloody mouth!" Mrs. Weasley roared as she wrenched the curtains shut. Surprisingly Mrs. Black fell quiet. George, Ron, and Ginny appeared timidly behind her.

"Molly," Sirius tried to smile at her.

"Don't you 'Molly' me, mister," she growled dangerously, as if talking to a five year old. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs, asleep," Harry said, poking a head out behind his godfather. "If she could have taken a nap through that."

"Don't tell me you're supporting this, Harry James Potter," she hissed.

"I'm staying out of it," he held his hands up and retreated a couple steps.

"You," her finger pointed at Sirius. "How dare you! She's a child, Sirius. You're taking advantage of her!"

"She's much more intelligent and mature than you give her credit for, Molly," Sirius replied, straightening up.

"That doesn't mean she's experienced in things like dating. She's too young to realize what exactly she's getting herself into!"

"What, exactly, do you think she's getting herself into?" he snapped back, looking angry.

"A relationship with someone who has been known for a love 'em and leave 'em attitude! You're not good for her, Sirius! She's only with you because you're a novelty to her!"

"What the bloody hell do you mean by that?" he shouted back.

"I mean you're not the dating type, and you know it! I don't know what you told the poor girl to make her believe that you are..."

"People change, Molly! What makes you think that I'm not looking for something long term?"

She let out a shout of laughter that made George cower. "Do you honestly think you'd marry the girl? That you're doing nothing more than using her because she's young and beautiful?"

"I would never use her!"

"Until the next thing in a short skirt and a tight shirt walks by."

"I wouldn't cheat on Hermione. I care for her too much."

"You care for her, that's it. Do you ever think you could love her?"

He stopped and thought for a minute. He didn't want to lie, he really liked Hermione, but he wasn't sure if he could call it love yet. But the honest answer was that not only could he see himself loving her, he was getting closer to it every day. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Hermione's voice.

"That's bloody enough!" she cried, standing on the landing behind Sirius. She was wearing her pajama bottoms, a t-shirt with no bra underneath, her hair messy from sleeping on it.

"Hermione, dear," Molly's demeanor suddenly changed.

"Don't act so nicely, Mrs. Weasley. I've heard every word since you walked in the door. And let me put this simply. Bugger off, okay? I'm old enough to make my own damn decisions, and you are not my mother. I'm not so stupid as to go into something without thinking about it, so let me put my big girl knickers on now and make my own choices. If what I get is a broken heart, well, that's part of dating, isn't it? How am I ever going to learn if you're sitting there trying to hold my bloody hand and walk me through it or stopping me from having a bad experience, if that's even what this is going to come to?" Her arms were crossed, and she was staring down Molly as if challenging her to continue her tirade.

Everyone was looking in shock at Hermione. Few people had ever spoken to Molly Weasley like she just did, and it was even more rare that she didn't fight back.

No one looked more shocked than Sirius. His doubts had flown out the window as Hermione was speaking. He loved the woman, there was no question about it now.

"If that's what you want," Molly said stiffly.

"Yeah, this is what I want," she said, descending the stairs and placing an arm around Sirius' waist. He placed his arm around her shoulders and beamed.

Molly looked from Sirius, to Hermione, to Harry, to her own children as if hoping someone would come out as an ally. Finding nothing she mentioned having to do shopping for dinner, and she left.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron looked faint.

"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione," George breathed in admiration.

"Thank you, George. It needed saying," she smiled.

"You have to teach me your technique."

"I'm not her daughter. I had that advantage. You're on your own, buddy."

"You got your show," Sirius smiled, wrapping his arms around Hermione. "Now clear off before you get another one."

"Quidditch, mate?" Ron asked Harry quickly.

"Right behind you," Harry ran down the stairs and the crowd left out the front door.

"That was quite awesome," he muttered, running a hand through Hermione's hair appreciatively.

"Stop trying to make it sound like I did something great. I said something that's needed saying for years. She thinks that because she's like a second mother to us she can micromanage our lives and I'm getting bloody sick of it. Her opinion of me changes with the tide. I'm sure that she's going to be cold and distant towards me for a while, and that's okay with me."

"How could she ever think ill of you?" he asked in surprise.

"When she thought I was dating Harry and Viktor Krum at the same time in our fourth year she all but said out loud she thought I opened my legs for anyone with a bit of fame to their name."

He laughed loudly. "Is that what this is? I'm famous for being the only person who ever broke out of Azkaban?"

"Whatever. I'm ten times more famous than you at the moment," she smirked up at him.

"You're deliciously infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Snape called me insufferable more times than I can count. Does that work for you?"

He shuddered. "What did I tell you about mentioning Snivellous?"

"I'll mention the man all I want. He is a hero."

He rolled his eyes. If there was anything he learned in the last five minutes it was you don't argue with Hermione Granger.

"I'm still tired. I'm going back to finish my nap," she announced, turning to leave. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.

He kissed her gently. "I love you," he muttered, looking into her eyes.

"You don't need to say that," she looked surprised.

"Not quite the romantic return I was hoping for," he chuckled.

"I just don't want you saying it unless you really mean it."

"And I wouldn't, love. You can trust me."

She smiled, studying his face as if it would betray his true feelings, but feeling confident she nodded and said, "I love you, too, Sirius."

He smiled and scooped her into his arms. "I think I might join you as you're taking your nap," he smirked and he carried her towards her room, her fake shrieks of protest echoing through the hallways.


Ron had no time to bask in the glory of Hermione's victory, because he had a date to get ready for. At first he had tried to dress in a Muggle tuxedo, on George's suggestion, but Harry talked him out of it and into a nice pair of jeans and a button-up shirt. Ginny made sure his hair was as tame as possible, and, feeling like his stomach might betray him, he Apparated to the safe spot by Kia's house. He walked up to her door and rang the bell.

"I'm leaving, Dad!" she called as she opened the front door.

"Have fun. Don't do anything stupid," a voice called from inside the house.

She rolled her eyes and closed the door. "Hello, Ronald," she smiled up at him. She was a tall, solidly built girl wearing a pair of jeans, a plain wrap shirt, her blue rectangular glasses, with a silver necklace and earrings to match. Her curly dark brown hair was held back with a headband, and she had a hint of makeup, though nothing too much as the rosy cheeks worked so well on her pale skin.

"You look nice," he said quickly, trying not to blush.

"So do you," she nodded. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes," he nodded enthusiastically.

"Um, did you bring your car?" she looked behind him.

"Er, no, I don't really drive."

"Don't you live on the outskirts of town?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, but I walk everywhere. It keeps me fit."

"I see," she still looked confused, but shrugged and started towards her car. "Hop in, I'll drive."

He got in the car, and they drove to the nearby Italian restaurant. They got seated and ordered while making small talk about their families.

"I'll admit, I find it completely fascinating that you had no idea what all the little gizmos and gadgets in the store were," she finally said, spearing a pesto bowtie.

He smiled awkwardly. "We don't really have things like that at home," he shrugged.

"Do you do all of your stuff by candlelight or something?" she chuckled.

"That and oil lamps."

"That must be tough," she looked impressed.

"There's certain perks to it. I don't have to go out and spend all kinds of money I don't really have to have the biggest or the best whatever."

"Is your family one of those that are completely against using electricity at all?"

"Good Merlin, no!" he laughed.

She started laughing. "That's a funny thing to say. Merlin."

"Er," he bit his lip, hoping he wasn't going to do something that would require the Obliviator Squad to show up. "My dad is fascinated by electricity, we just don't use it," he tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"I don't think I could do it. If I had to live without my internet for more than a couple weeks I'd probably go mad."

He chuckled. "It's hard to miss what you've never experienced."

"I see. So what do you do for fun?"

"I play, um, futbol, I read when my friend Hermione can talk me into it, and I play chess..."

"Chess? I love chess. We'll have to play sometime."

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled, and relaxed slightly. The date must be going pretty well if she was willing to schedule a chess game.

"So, where do you go to school? I would have thought I'd remember someone with as red hair as yours."

"I go to boarding school, the same one my brothers and sister go to, or went to I should say."

"I can't believe that you have... how many siblings was it?"

"Five now. My brother, Fred, died recently."

"Was he one of the two twins I saw walking around a couple times?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you miss him."

"Like crazy. So, we've talked a lot about me. How about you?"

"I'm starting my final year of school in a couple months, I'm an only child, and I think my dad would go nutters if we didn't have electricity," she smiled.

"It must be nice to be an only child."

"It has it's perks. No competing for my parents' attention. Though there is the downside of there's no one to point out' hey, can we get off my screw-ups and focus on theirs? Theirs are bigger'."

Ron laughed. "I guess that's the nice thing about Fred and George. I can at least point at them and not look so bad in comparison."

She laughed.

"What are you planning on doing when you're done in school?" he asked.

"No clue. That's a little ridiculous, isn't it? Asking a teenager to make a decision on what they're going to do with the rest of their lives. How about you?"

"I'm going to work with my brother in his joke shop. He needs the extra hands, my older brothers all have jobs, my sister's still in school, so I thought it wouldn't be too much to help him get things running smoothly again."

"That sounds like fun," she nodded. "All I know is I don't want to work in an electronic shop for the rest of my life, but a joke shop sounds more interesting."

"You have to meet George to know how interesting it could be," he gave a look of fake horror.

They finished dinner, and she drove back to her house.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" she asked as they got out of the car.

"I'm fine," he nodded. He didn't want her to take him home because it would be awkward when he asked her to drop him off in front of what looked to be a wide open field.

"Well, I had fun tonight, Ron," she smiled, standing in front of her door.

"Yeah, it was really cool," he smiled awkwardly.

"I'm off work Wednesday. Want to get together for that chess game?"

"Sounds good," he nodded.

She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you then."

"Yeah," he blushed. "See you."

She walked inside and closed the door. He nearly ran back to the safe point, and Apparated back to the Burrow.

"How was it?" Ginny and Harry looked up from their game of Exploding Snap.

"We're playing chess on Wednesday," he responded.

"Way to go!" she smiled broadly.

"Good job, mate," Harry beamed again.

Ron, who suddenly felt extremely exhausted, retired to bed. He had done well on his date, Kia seemed interested in him, and he was playing chess with her in a few days. All he had to be worried about now was making sure he moved the pieces instead of ordering them around.