[Dialogue prompt: "This is absolutely ridiculous. Can you speak to him?"] AU.
~O~
Double Friendzoned
~o~
"This is absolutely ridiculous. Can you speak to him?"
"No!"
"Why not?" Sirius raised a heavy eyebrow.
"Sirius, I can't just tell Ron I like him!"
Sirius began to chuckle, his wide grin beaming. "Why on earth not, Hermione?"
"We're best friends," Hermione stammered. "He would kill me if he knew."
Sirius sighed and pulled the brunette's hand to sit down beside him on the park bench.
"I can only say this quickly before I have to pretend to be a dog again and Padfoot—"
"—yeah, I'll have to put your leash back on—"
"Hermione," Sirius pleaded with silver eyes. "Just tell him, what's the worst thing that can happen?"
The brunette chewed on her bottom lip. "Oh, plenty of terrible things could happen. Starting with Ron flat rejects me and laughs in my face for being so pathetic as to develop feelings for him. When he doesn't even feel remotely the same, or anything, for me at all."
The older wizard shook his head, his eyes staring upwards. "Hermione, you're perfect. It doesn't matter if Ron sees that or not, you still are perfect and beautiful."
"Really?" Hermione's widened. "Wait, you think I'm beautiful? Did you just say that?" The brunette couldn't seem to believe her ears, despite how obviously lovely she was.
Sirius groaned at how insecure Hermione was. Of course, she was no model, but she was lovely in her own way; and if he was younger, he might do something about Ron's indifference and lethargy towards her. "Yes and yes. Don't make me sing your praises."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine." Sirius grimaced. "Though we really should be going back on the walk and to the house—"
"Sorry."
"Hermione, stop saying 'sorry."
"S—," Hermione stopped herself from saying sorry again and chuckled.
Sirius shared her smile. "Now I'm going to change back, before someone sees me, the infamous Sirius Black. But," he said and stared right into her eyes. "Be patient, and kind to him, eventually he'll see what's before him. If he's really not a complete daft idiot—"
"Sirius!"
"Sorry," the black haired Marauder apologised this time before he winked at her. "Now let's go for that walk. I see some pigeons around that corner there.."
"Sirius, you can be immature sometimes. Chasing pigeons? Really? I don't see how the human side of you can enjoy something so infantile."
"More my dog side that enjoys it," Sirius said with a shrug of his wide shoulders.
"Well, I hope you don't go sniffing around things either."
"Don't be daft!"
Sirius turned back into a dog and soon a solemn, large black dog sat before Hermione, patiently wagging his tail. He barked at her.
C'mon, take me for a walk, his pleading silver eyes seemed to still be saying in his animal form.
Hermione cheered up slightly and reached out to pat his head. "Sorry, Sirius, I mean Padfoot. Let's go. Sorry to rant at you."
Padfoot licked at her tears.
"Thanks for listening." She smiled and put the leash around him, clipping it to his collar.
"There, you make quite a handsome dog, much better than your human form," Hermione teased.
Padfoot barked unhappily.
"Cheer up, maybe some female dog might like you on our walk."
Padfoot barked twice more and Hermione wasn't sure if they were angry or happy barks. But then he made his displeasure quite clear by shaking his head side to side while growling slightly.
"Okay, fine, sorry. Padfoot, just act like a normal dog."
They couldn't risk any muggles seeing them together. So Hermione pretended he was a regular dog as they continued their walk along the park.
Yet Hermione sincerely hoped, when they came back to Grimmauld Place, that she'd work up the courage to say something to Ron. Without embarrassing herself.
~o~
