'We've got to stop meeting like this'

It's late, the common room is empty, or at least it was until I heard that voice.

'You just getting back Sirius?'

'Yep.' He drops down in the chair next to me. 'Watcha reading?'

'Pride and Prejudice.'

He nods but I can tell that that means nothing to him.

'It's a muggle novel, one of my favourites.'

He nods again and gives me a slight smile. I can tell something is wrong.

'What's the matter?'

'Nothing'

I raise my eyebrow at him.

'Regulus'

'You two had another argument?'

'No…yea…. It's just that he's headed down the wrong path'

'Ah'

'Yea, won't be long now and he will be a fully fledged evil minion'

'Sirius…..' I don't know what to say, I mean what can I say, I know that it does happen, he does become a death eater. It is just in the future, when Sirius mentions his brother it is in a kind of throw away remark, seeing it happening first hand it's different.

'I just… he's my brother you know, my kid brother, I should be looking out for him, I should be protecting him.'

'Sirius, sometimes people just don't want saving.'

'So what, you saying I should just give up on him?' he squares his shoulders.

'Nope, he is your brother, I don't think you will ever give up on him, but as hard as this is I think you need to realise that this is one of them times where you can't just show up and make everything ok.'

'But…. Mione… he's my brother, why can't I just show up and save him.'

'Because you can't save him from himself, for whatever reason he has chosen this,'

'You can't be on his side' Sirius states, looking at me incredulously.

'I'm not, that's why I am not joining up'

He looks at me with resignation in his eyes. He looks so tired, so weary that I do the only thing I am capable of at that moment, I wrap my arms around him and rest my head against his.

We sit there like that for a long time before Sirius jokes, 'If I knew that this is all it would have taken to get your arms around me I would have broken down a long time ago.'

'You have hardly broken down Sirius, I don't think I have counted one tear.'

'Hah, I think that I have lost enough of my masculinity in your eyes already without adding blubbering to it.'

'I don't know, I think a man who feels comfortable enough to show his emotions in that way is kinda sexy.'

He lets out a laugh and then pulls out of our embrace. He looks me in the eye 'Actually I think that right now you need a strong guy that makes you feel safe.'

I break eye contact and look down to gather strength. 'I'm not weak'

'I never said you were, but things are coming Hermione, and we all need someone, even you'

'Wow, that's profound, coming from you' I try to lighten the mood, not ready for where this conversation is talking us.

'Well my name is Sirius' He smiles and I lightly slap his arm.

He starts to move away, but I grab for him. He looks at me expectantly.

'Look I can't speculate about the future, but right now I could really do with a strong guy to make me feel safe.'

He smiles at me.

'Can you, um …. Can you just hold me?'

He doesn't say anything, he just wraps his arms around me, and for the first time in a long time I decide to worry about the consequences tomorrow and fall asleep in the arms of the guy that I really like.