A/N: Well...this chapter is mostly relationship-oriented, but stick with me - soon there will be some progress with the Horcruxes! Thank you so much for reading, and please review :)

Chapter 19: A Match and a party

December 17th 1977 (Saturday)

"This is not how I planned spending my Saturday…" Hermione grumbled as she shivered from the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her. The Quidditch game was starting after lunch, and the girls had persuaded Hermione to watch the game and attend the celebration party afterwards. James and Sirius had been just a tad overconfident over how the match would end.

And even though her friends probably knew that Hermione's reluctance to watch the match wasn't really about Quidditch, as much as it was about watching a certain black-haired Gryffindor play while sitting in the same place where she got dumped in, Hermione reckoned that her friends thought that it would do her good to spend some time together.

Mary turned around to look at Hermione. "Come off it, Mione…We're here to support our house team. I mean, Snitches before bitches," Mary said matter-of-factly as she adjusted her Gryffindor scarf and turned her eyes back to the pitch. Hermione and Lily exchanged an incredulous look. They knew Mary was a bit of a Quidditch enthusiast, and that was putting it mildly.

Remus eyed Mary with a slightly terrified look in his eyes. "So, let me get this straight…I'm your…bitch?" He asked carefully. Peter snorted from Remus's other side while Hermione, Lily, Marlene and Alice all sniggered behind them.

Mary gave him an innocent shrug. "Well…You're the one who pointed that out," she said and grinned at him. Remus shook his head in bemusement.

"And besides, it's not like we were going to let you spend your whole Saturday alone in the tower," Mary said, giving Hermione a knowing look, as if she'd guessed what Hermione had been planning on doing before she was dragged outside. "Even your library-buddy is playing today," She said and glanced towards the pitch. The game was about to start.

Hermione frowned slightly, forcing her eyes to stay at her friends. "He's not my library-buddy," she grumbled as Alice turned to look at Hermione and Mary.

"Oh, I totally forgot that Regulus is playing too," Alice said as the Slytherin team flew into the pitch and took their positions. "You're still hoping for Gryffindor to win, right?" She asked pointedly.

Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Why would I be supporting Slytherin?"

Alice shrugged. "Dunno…You seem to be quite close to him, so I thought you might," Alice said absently as she continued to stare at the players.

Hermione pursed her lips, ignoring the way Alice's remark made her take in a sharp breath. "Well, I do study with him sometimes, but Quidditch is something we rarely discuss." Hermione said simply.

Mary shushed them, glancing at Hermione and Alice with a stern look. "The game's beginning!"

Alice smirked at Hermione after Mary had turned her focus back to the pitch.

Seconds later all six Chasers were fighting over the Quaffle, flying back and forth on the pitch. After dodging a well-aimed Bludger with a Sloth Grip Roll – a tactic which Mary, the Quidditch fanatic, explained to everyone – James managed to catch the Quaffle. He was nearing the Slytherin goal hoops with the ball tucked under his arm, and every Gryffindor was holding their breath. The silence turned into wild cheers as James threw the ball through the middle hoop, making his team's first goal.

After James scored three more goals in a short period, the Slytherin team started to look a bit upset. Hermione cringed slightly as she saw the two Slytherin Beaters looking at each other with evil smirks as they sent both Bludgers soaring towards the Gryffindor Captain. Luckily Sirius and the other Gryffindor Beater were quick to ward off the attack, and James was left without a scratch. After the incident, and Lily heaving a great sigh of relief, Hermione's focus shifted to the opposite team's Seeker. Regulus was separated from his teammates, as was the Gryffindor's Seeker. Both Seekers were circling the pitch, their eyes searching for the Snitch. Hermione briefly thought how different Regulus looked while playing a sport, as she was used to seeing him in the library, browsing a book or scribbling on a parchment. And somehow, this look, him soaring through the air with his broom, it suited him.

As the match went on, Hermione tried to focus on the game. She watched Slytherin make five goals, leading the game by ten points. Gryffindor had the chance to try to score when one of the Beaters from the Slytherin team received a penalty for deliberately ramming into one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

"Yeah!" Mary and Lily cheered as James scored the penalty throw. The game was now tied, and the Slytherin players were going nastier by the minute with their questionable tactics.

As the game had been going on for almost an hour, the score was two-hundred to one-hundred and seventy, Gryffindor leading the game. The players were becoming impatient since the Snitch hadn't made its appearance yet. Suddenly the Gryffindor Seeker, Anna Alderton, took a deep drive towards the grounds. Regulus took off after her like a lightning, and together they soared through the pitch, side by side, reaching towards the tiny ball. They dived beneath the grandstands, disappearing from sight, and a couple of minutes later, the Gryffindor Seeker rose triumphantly back to the pitch, clutching the Snitch tightly in her hand.

Wild cheering erupted from the stands – Gryffindor had won the game. Sirius and James high-fived in mid-air before speeding down to the ground. Their teammates followed them, as did the rest of the Gryffindors who descended down the stands, celebrating their victory.

"Party in our common room!" Sirius shouted, grinning when he saw McGonagall give him a stern glare. His gaze flickered to Hermione, who was watching the scene from further. They stared at each other for a short moment before he looked away and started to head towards the castle with his teammates and the rest of the students. Hermione stayed behind, not really being in the mood for celebrating the Quidditch victory or being around that many people. She decided to pay Hagrid a visit before returning to the castle.

"Hi there Hermione! Surprised ter see yeh here," Hagrid said, looking at her with his brows lifted in a mild surprise as he opened the door to his hut.

"Hello Hagrid. Are you busy? Can I come in?" She asked a bit hesitantly. She had seen him only a couple of times since the term had started, as she had had so much going on lately. She made a mental note to visit him more frequently from now on.

"Sure, sure. Jus' thought yeh would be celebrating with yer friends. Come in, an' I'll put the kettle on," he said, returning to his hut with Hermione following him in.

"So, Gryffindor won, eh?" He said while making the tea and grabbing two mugs, one giant sized and one normal one, and placing them on the table before pouring tea into them.

"Yes. I'm not really that much into the sport but…It's quite nice our team won though." She said absently, while looking around the place. It looked like she remembered from her old life.

"Yeh all righ'?" Hagrid asked after a short silence as he studied her expression.

Hermione forced a smile on her face. "Sure." She sighed. "Well, not exactly, but I will be…" She said with a determined look.

Hagrid nodded. "Like my ol' dad used ter say; No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does."

Hermione gave him a warm smile and took a sip of her tea. It was actually better than she remembered. Her gaze wandered over his hut again and stopped into a small table next to the armchair. What froze her in place was a colourful egg that was sitting in a small bowl.

"Hagrid?" Hermione asked warily.

"Hmm?"

"W-What is that?" She asked cautiously as she stood up and approached the patterned egg. "Please don't say a dragon's egg…" She whispered.

Hagrid chuckled. "Jus' a Fwooper egg. But now tha yeh mention it, a dragon egg would be somethin', eh?" He said and eyed to the distance thoughtfully.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. Even though she now saw that the egg wasn't as large as she knew dragon eggs were, there still had been a small moment of dread coursing through her.

"Fwooper…Its feathers are used in quills, right?" Hermione asked absently as she admired the beautiful orange and pink patterned egg.

Hagrid came to stand next to her in front of the egg and nodded, "Yeah, they are. Goin' ter drop this little beauty to Magical Menagerie next week. Couldn' exactly keep it, since its singing drives the list'ner insane." He explained with a sorrowful look, and Hermione had to bite back a grin that was threatening to spread her lips, and instead nodded with an understanding look. She was a bit surprised that Hagrid wasn't trying harder to keep the magical bird for himself.

Hermione stayed for a while, talking with Hagrid about her studies and magical beasts. Hagrid offered her food, but she politely declined and eventually headed back to the castle with a promise to visit him soon again.

As Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room a couple of hours after the game, the Gryffindors were already setting up the room for the night's festivities. Hermione stood in place near the portrait hole and watched as Peter hung banners and balloons across the room with a few sixth-year girls, while Sirius and James were setting up the bar. A couple of boys from the Quidditch team were organising the furniture, and conjuring more places to sit with the help of Remus.

This was the third party in the Gryffindor common room that Hermione was attending since the term had started, and it was only mid-December. Hermione briefly wondered if going into that many parties was in fact normal behaviour, as in her time there had barely been any time to celebrate their Quidditch victories.

"There you are!" Lily called as she entered the common room from the girls' dormitories. She was already wearing a white dress and her auburn hair was curled into soft ringlets that fell over her shoulders. "Come on, Mione, the party is starting soon and you haven't even begun to ready yourself!"

Hermione groaned inwardly but followed the redhead back to their dormitory.

Upstairs, Hermione watched her dorm mates for a moment, a small smile tugging her lips. Mary was standing in front of an enlarged mirror, wearing a bathrobe while she applied mascara on her already long and thick lashes. Marlene stood next to her, curling her blonde hair into soft waves. Alice was sitting in her bed, holding a small mirror in front of her as she plucked her eyebrows with the help of her wand, her towel still on after showering and her hair in a wet mess.

"So…you're all almost ready?" Hermione asked, turning to give Lily a wry look.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, you know how it goes…" She said with a grin and sat on her bed. "What are you wearing?"

Hermione looked down at her jeans and jumper. "Um…" She glanced at Marlene, who too was wearing a dress.

"Um, I think not," Mary called from the other side of the room, eyeing Hermione through the mirror and giving her a wink.

Hermione huffed. "Fine. I'll see what I can find. Although I don't know if I even have anything to wear," she muttered as she went to rummage through her school trunk. Lily and Mary exchanged a knowing look as Hermione grudgingly started to get ready.

A while after the girls were situated in front of the mirror, standing side by side. Lily was wearing her white tassel dress with spaghetti straps and silver earrings for accessory. Mary wore a long, black sleeveless dress and several golden bracelets in both wrists. Marlene was wearing a cute red dress with long sleeves and a very short hem. Her long blonde hair was in perfect sleek curls, framing her face. Alice had opted to wear white smart shorts and a black lacy top. Her short pixie hair was charmed into a lavender colour.

Hermione had put on her red, decently short pleated skirt and a black, short-sleeved silk turtleneck sweater. Her outfit was completed with black set of bracelets, borrowed from Alice. She had put on a light smoky-eye makeup, and spelled her hair into submission. This time her hair was straight, reaching easily all the way down to her bum. As she eyed her outfit from the mirror, she had to admit that the overall look was rather sensual – but nice.

"So…Someone's gonna regret his decisions after he sees you," Mary said with a knowing smile as she eyed Hermione through the mirror. "You look stunning, Hermione." She said and winked at her. Alice and Lily beamed at Hermione and nodded in agreement.

Hermione worried her lip. "Not that I want to make him regret or anything…but, thanks. So do all of you." She said and smiled at her friends.

Marlene frowned. "I still don't get it why he ended it…He was so different with you. Like…really into you…" She said as she put on her earrings.

Hermione gave her a tight smile but said nothing. Everyone was now ready and they started to head towards the door.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to have someone new pining after you, you know…" Marlene continued and gave Hermione a mischievous smile while Lily and Alice giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just to be clear. I don't want anyone to pine after me," She said defiantly.

Marlene shrugged and together they left the dormitory.

In the common room, the party was already going strong. Hermione saw a party game taking place near the staircase to the boys' dormitories, and a group of sixth year boys drinking shots at the bar. The Marauders and the Quidditch team members were sitting near the fireplace, chatting and laughing with each other, while a mix of fourth- and fifth-year girls were giggling in the centre of the room that was transfigured to a dance floor. Alice, Mary and Marlene made their way towards the fireplace, while Lily stayed behind with Hermione and gave her a hesitant look.

"You coming?" Lily asked and nudged her head towards the fireplace.

Hermione eyed the scene in front of them with a small frown creasing her brow. "You go, I'll be there in a moment, okay?" She said and smiled reassuringly to her friend.

Lily looked a bit suspicious but said nothing. Instead she nodded and made her way towards the fireplace where the rest of her friends and her boyfriend were situated.

As Hermione watched Sirius laugh with his teammates and friends, she felt a pang of loneliness wash over her. She heaved a sigh and contemplated what to do. Hermione knew it would be awkward if she was in the same group as he, since everything was still rather tense between them. She also felt a bit resentful towards her friends, as none of them seemed to realise that. Well, Lily obviously had. She thought and tried to clear her mind from all the fuzzy thoughts.

Hermione decided that she needed some fresh air. She knew she was only avoiding the inevitable, but she still snatched a tumbler of Firewhiskey from the table, a drink she generally disliked, and slipped out of the room.

She glanced around her – the balcony was empty. It was so quiet and peaceful there, and quite warm too, because of the several warming charms that had been placed on the balcony. Hermione took a couple of steps towards the railing and stuck her hand over it. She felt a rush of cold, fresh wind biting the tips of her fingers. She moved her hand back inside the balcony and gulped her drink down in one mouthful. It burned, and she coughed afterwards, her eyes watering. How someone could enjoy drinking that vile drink without making a face, was beyond her, Hermione thought and eyed the grounds under her as she leaned against the railing.

She could see a glimpse of the Quidditch pitch further away, the path towards the village passing it. She saw Hagrid's Hut positioned on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and could see a faint light glimmering on its window. Her eyes were drawn to the dark and eerie forest, with its secrets and various creatures.

She thought about how much had happened during the small amount of time she had been there. How different everything had been only a couple of weeks ago. The door to the balcony opened behind her, and Hermione tensed as Sirius came to lean against the railing beside her.

After a short moment, she turned to look at him.

"Hey." He said casually, offering her a glass of amber liquid.

Hermione shook her head. "I shouldn't. But thanks," she replied, forcing a small smile. She already felt the effects of her first drink, and feared that if she was too drunk, she would say or do something that she might regret later.

She gave him a quick once over, wondering what was on his mind. He was wearing skin-tight and ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt, paired with his worn leather jacket and dragonhide boots. When he saw her looking at him, Hermione averted her eyes quickly and scolded herself for checking him out.

Sirius eyed her questioningly, his mouth curving up a bit before he spoke. "Come on." He said softly, taking her hand and leading her towards a bench in the far corner of the balcony.

Hermione followed her obediently, capable to focus only to his touch, that brought chills on her skin, making her shiver.

As they reached the bench, she raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.

Sirius sat down and watched her through a small frown. "I'm not gonna bite you," he said quietly, supposedly meaning to joke, but it all came out too flat.

Hermione stood stiffly in place for a beat before she eventually sat down next to him, too curious not to.

Sirius sipped his drink in a moment of silence. "How're you doing?" He asked and gave her a searching look.

"I'm okay." She said and eyed him warily. Why the sudden interest on her feelings?

Sirius frowned, as if guessing her line of thought. "Why're you here alone?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "It's just…A bit difficult to be in the same group of friends, I guess..." Hermione muttered and shrugged.

His jaw twitched, and he glanced at his drink. "I know. And I don't want it to be like that…" He said quietly.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Me neither…"

"So…We're going to be in the same group and not be bothered by it, right?" He said with a hopeful smile.

Hermione laughed. "Sure…"

His expression became wistful as he studied her features. Hermione cleared her throat and began to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze.

"You look beautiful, Hermione." He said and gave her a smouldering look.

"Thank you…" She replied awkwardly, willing herself not to blush and not to avert her eyes.

"Hermione…" He said softly, his gaze burning into her, "I miss you."

She felt breathless and dizzy. "Sirius…"

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and stared deeply into her eyes as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. His gaze dropped onto her lips and he leaned slowly forward. Hermione could feel her heart pounding, and she swallowed hard. Sirius finally closed the distance between them and his lips found hers. Every thought fled from her mind as his lips caressed hers with such warmth and restrained need that she almost let herself get lost in the moment.

But as wonderful as it felt, Hermione knew they'd have to have a talk before engaging into anything. Did this mean something? Or was this just a small moment to satisfy their longing for each other, before returning back to being friends, or whatever they had been during the past weeks?

She shook her head to clear her mind and broke their kiss, backing away from him. She saw regret cross his eyes as he dropped his hand and cleared his throat, an apologetic expression taking over his features. That was all it took to answer to the question. Nothing had apparently changed. Hermione started to feel suffocated, and she needed to go somewhere else, to let herself breathe for a moment, to let her compile her thoughts for a while.

"I can't. I have to go," she whispered to him and with one final look to his beautiful stormy eyes that now were swirling with emotion, she left him to the balcony and went back to the common room and exited the tower. She had to think things through.

Hermione ended up in an unused classroom on the fourth floor – the same one she and Sirius had used when they had met Regulus a couple of months ago.

"So, this is what you Gryffindors do when you're having a party. Sitting in an empty classroom, alone, sulking," drawled a familiar and amused voice. Hermione turned to see Regulus standing at the door, a small smile tugging his lips. He came in and closed the door behind him.

"Reg," Hermione breathed in relief. She stood up from the floor where she was sitting and walked up to him. Without hesitation, she circled her arms around him and buried her face into his neck.

"W-What?" Regulus stammered with a stunned expression. He seemed to be quite taken aback for a long moment, but then his arms circled her back lightly.

"Has something happened?" He murmured against her hair, and when Hermione didn't reply to him, Regulus pulled back slightly and cradled her cheek with his other hand, while the other stayed at her waist.

His eyes moved between hers, taking in her supposedly frustrated and sorrowful expression before he spoke. "Has my brother done something?" He asked calmly.

Hermione stared into his questioning eyes, eyes that were exactly the same beautiful stormy grey colour than his brother's. Hermione frowned and tried not to think about him.

"Nothing…" Hermione mumbled, but as Regulus gave her a pointed look, she swallowed hard before she spoke again, "He…sort of kissed me at the party…"

"And?" He asked mutedly, his gaze unwavering.

Hermione chewed the corner of her mouth. "I said I couldn't…I mean, I don't think he even wanted anything more than…I mean, he hasn't even spoken to me after our break-up..." She muttered incoherently and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his eyes moving somewhere over her shoulder. "I don't mean to make any excuses for him but…I think he's just a bit messed up right now. I think… even he doesn't know what to do." He said quietly, glancing back at her before dropping his hands away from her cheek and her waist.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "I don't want to talk about him… How did you know I was here?" She asked, eyeing him in confusion.

He shrugged. "I didn't. I guess we're drawn in together or something," He said jokingly through a feeble smile, as if trying to make the situation lighter, to make her laugh.

But it did the exact opposite. It made her stomach jolt and her head spin slightly. "I guess." Hermione whispered and looked at him carefully, only then realising how intimately they were positioned. Only moments ago she was pressed against him, for Circe's sake! Even now she was so close to him she could count the lashes in his eyes.

He stared back with a piercing look. Something fluttered again in her belly and she averted her eyes from his and swallowed hard. She knew what it was. She knew the feeling. The urge to be closer to him, to touch him, to kiss him. Hermione took a deep breath as she realised that she was feeling something more than a platonic friendship towards him.

The attraction was now rather obvious, and she wondered if it had been there the entire time, and she merely hadn't realised it before. And he was still there, unmoving. Hermione slowly moved her eyes back to his face, trying to see what he was thinking, and if the feeling was in fact mutual. She licked her lips unsurely, and as his eyes dropped slightly to follow her tongue's movements, she knew there was something.

Slowly, hesitantly, she brought her hands to rest against his chest, trying to gauge his reaction. Hermione could feel his muscles tensing under her touch as he eyed her closely, his breath slightly quickened. As her eyes moved down towards his lips, she saw him swallow deeply, his throat bobbing.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, gathered her courage and raised herself onto the tips of her toes. She brought her lips against his and kissed him softly. He didn't move. He didn't even blink. He only breathed heavily against her lips and held himself very still, as if trying to decide whether to stay or to leave.

"Reg…?" Hermione asked hesitantly as she pulled back a bit, starting to feel alarmed.

Oh no…Oh, Merlin…What had she done? She screamed to herself inwardly, and before she could think of anything else, he was reaching for her.

One hand slid beneath the fall of her hair. His other hand caught her around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her with a hunger and wild desire that made a great shudder rack her body. Needing to feel him, to touch him, she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, her fingertips skimming his neck as she studied the curves and hollows of his muscular frame.

Hermione trailed kisses down his jaw while his hand slid from her waist to her hips, his breath hot and unsteady against her cheek. She brushed her lips along his neck, and felt his muscles flex against her breasts as he let out a soft groan, his fingers pressing against her skin through her clothing. Regulus pulled her back up to meet his lips, and groaned again as he took possession of her mouth, devouring her as she writhed in need against him, giving him the sweetest of sighs as their lips glided against each other.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, opening her lips to his tongue. Regulus let out a huff of breath as their tongues met, before he proceeded to taste her slowly, sensually, humming approvingly as he felt her tongue start stroking his in the same pace.

His touch and his taste awakened an urgent and restless yearning inside her, and sent heat pooling low and deep in her belly. She revelled in the taste of him, the feel of him, and the sounds he let out as she slid her fingers into his black hair and lightly yanked it, receiving a soft nip on her lips afterwards.

Without breaking their kiss, Regulus's both hands slid under her shirt, his knuckles skimming the skin on her waist. Hermione shivered and panted against his lips as she felt the hot rush of desire fill her again.

"You're so soft," he whispered against her mouth, breathing heavily as his fingers continued to trace slow, teasing patterns. His hands were ascending slowly towards her breasts. Hermione almost forgot to breathe.

"You're so perfect." Regulus murmured and Hermione gasped as his fingers traced the undersides of her breasts. She pressed her pelvis against his, feeling him hot and hard inside his slacks, before she pulled him to meet her lips again.

With a groan of defeat, he took her hands from his neck and brought them in front of him. "Hermione…we need to stop." He said panting heavily, his eyes widened with arousal and horror. "I know I don't want to, trust me, but…" He said and swallowed hard. "You've just broken up with my brother…" He continued and frowned at her, looking disappointed and apologising at the same time.

Hermione was taken aback, embarrassed by her behaviour and hastily took a step back, pulling her hands away from his grasp.

"I-I'm sorry," She stammered, looking away from him, feeling nothing but shame and confusion. What had she done?

Hermione couldn't even grasp what had just happened, and how she could've acted like she had. She had kissed Regulus, kissed him, for Merlin's sake! And, no…she hadn't just kissed him, she had thoroughly snogged him. Sirius's brother.

Hermione bit her lip hard, tasting blood in her mouth, starting to feel nauseated. She glanced at Regulus, and then…at the same time, she couldn't help but think how good he had felt, so perfect, and so right for her that she was left with a longing to be in his arms again. What the hell was happening to her?

Regulus observed her rush of panic silently before he spoke. "Hermione…love…don't be. I'm not sorry I kissed you..." He said softly, giving her arm a squeeze. "But I don't want to be used to get back at my brother..." he said grimly, studying her reaction.

Hermione took in a sharp breath. "You're not. I'm not trying get back at him," Hermione said sincerely and swallowed. "I just…I don't know what to do now…" She said slowly and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus gave her a small smile. "You have to figure that out…And perhaps talk things through with Sirius…" he muttered, giving her a hesitant look.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

They parted their ways and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor tower, her mind in a haze. She barely noticed that the party was still going on, and her friends were all having fun as she walked across the common room and climbed up to the seventh-year girls' dormitory.

She quickly put her nightgown on and washed her face and teeth before slipping under her warm comforter. She couldn't sleep. All her thoughts were at her recent encounter with Regulus. She felt stricken and embarrassed of kissing him. She didn't even know how she felt about Sirius…What did he want? What did she want?

Hermione felt guilty as she realised that the year was soon ending, and that she had been in this time for almost five months and not succeeding in doing almost anything that mattered.

She still hadn't found a way back to her old life. She still hadn't managed to destroy a single Horcrux. She still hadn't learned to master the Fiendfyre curse. All she had done was letting herself get caught in a romance drama. She wanted to scream at her stupidity. Well, sure, she had studied. She had changed the fates of Gideon and Fabian. Maybe. And she had made an ally of Regulus – they needed him to obtain at least one of the Horcruxes. Although…She had now managed to make even that more complicated than it had to be. Sighing, she decided to focus on what she was meant to do from now on.

December 18th 1977 (Sunday)

Hermione was determined to avoid everyone on Sunday, the day after the party. She needed to think things through, to sort out her priorities. As the girls were leaving for lunch, Hermione had informed them that she was feeling a bit under the weather and opting to stay in bed.

As the hours went by and her friends hadn't come back to the dorm, she decided to pay a quick visit to the kitchen, since she was starting to feel a bit hungry. Unfortunately, Sirius ran into her as she entered the common room on her way back from the kitchen.

"Oh…Hey." He muttered a bit awkwardly. "Where were you?"

Hermione shrugged. "I had a late lunch in the kitchen…Just wanted to be by myself for a bit…" She said tightly.

Sirius looked regretful. "Yeah, sure…I'm sorry…I um…" he said and let out a sigh, threading a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed you. Please forgive me?" He said quietly, giving her an apologetic look.

She felt a mix of hurt and shame as she thought about the previous night. She was still slightly bothered by his behaviour, since it had obviously been only a drunken mistake, but that wasn't even close to the guilt she was feeling. She knew he wouldn't take it well if she told him about kissing Regulus.

"Sirius…what's going on? What was that…yesterday?" She asked hesitantly, even though she assumed she knew what it had been.

He watched her guiltily. "I made a real hash of things…" He muttered.

Hermione sighed with disappointment. "So…nothing's changed?" She asked quietly, feeling a mix of relief and discontent settle into her as he nodded in agreement.

"Nothing's changed…" He said remorsefully, staring at the floor.

He groaned and shoved both his hands through his hair. "Can't we just be friends?" He asked after a moment of silence, looking dejected.

Hermione frowned at him, her emotions in disorder. A small part of her wished that everything had changed. That they could continue from where they left off. But nothing had, and even if it would have changed, she couldn't be with him anymore. She had to focus on the Horcruxes, and if she were to be with him, she knew he would expect her to tell him the truth. She knew he wouldn't approve her endeavours regarding the cursed objects.

Then there was Regulus, and the fact that she had kissed him, and how she had realised that she had more than friendly feelings for him.

She knew she should've told Sirius then and there, but she couldn't. Perhaps she could just forget about it. Perhaps it didn't mean anything. But somehow, she knew she was lying to herself.

"I think that will take time…But…I'd like that." She said kindly.

Sirius gave her a nod and eyed her carefully. "You…um…You know how we talked about catching up on the holidays? To see a couple of flats?" He asked and grimaced. "I mean…It'd be nice if you still wanted to come, but I understand if don't want to…" He muttered, eyeing her with an unsure look.

She had already forgotten about that. When Sirius's uncle had left him his early inheritance, the raven-haired boy had asked Hermione to go to apartment hunting with him during the holidays. It felt like a lifetime ago when they'd discussed it.

"Oh, well, sure…I'll…I'll come. Just…Owl me?" She said aloofly, taking a few cautious steps towards the girls' dormitory.

Sirius seemed a bit surprised but merely nodded in agreement. She gave him a one last glance before she exited the common room and headed back to her dormitory to spend the rest of the day in bed.

December 21st 1977 (Wednesday)

It was the last day of school for the year, and the train was leaving the next day, taking the students to their homes for the holidays. Everyone was in high spirits at the breakfast table, sharing their holiday plans to one another.

"We're staying home, probably having some family over. Although there's this New Year's party my folks throw every year, to which you're all invited." James announced happily to the seventh year Gryffindors, who all promised to come. The invitation caused an excited discussion, mainly on the girls' behalf - about the nature of the party and the apparently massive guest list. Hermione tuned out from the conversation after a while and let her gaze wander through the Great Hall.

Her eyes landed at the Slytherin table, and she spotted Regulus easily. He was sitting next to Snape, and they were in the middle of a discussion. Suddenly, Regulus turned slightly and glanced at her, as if sensing that she was looking at him. He stared at her with a blank expression at first, but then his mouth curved up a bit. She gave him a hesitant smile and noticed then that Snape was looking at her as well, with an annoyed glare plastered on his face. Hermione averted her eyes and turned to pay attention to her friends again.

"What about you, Hermione?" Lily asked from the other side of the table, where she was sitting with James, Sirius, Remus and Mary, their backs to the Slytherin table.

Hermione shrugged. "Just staying with dad," She said vaguely.

Although that was not exactly the case. On Monday, they had had another encounter of 'Taming of the Fiendfyre' – something that she had started to call their practices in her head. After a long and exhausting night, during which everyone had made progress – some more than others, Hermione had thought bitterly, as she had watched both Prewetts extinguish the cursed flames successfully – Gideon and Fabian had walked her back to the Gryffindor tower.

"So Hermione. Do you have any holiday plans?" Fabian asked as they walked along the dark and empty corridors.

She shrugged. "Nothing much. Just staying with Ab and having a Christmas dinner in the castle."

The twins glanced at each other, exchanging a meaningful look.

"Would you like to come to the Burrow with us some day during your holidays?" Gideon asked, while Fabian eyed her expectantly.

"Oh…I don't know…" She said hesitantly. The truth was, she wanted to go. Badly. She just didn't want to intrude.

"You're not intruding." Fabian clarified after reading her expression. Gideon gave her a smirk.

Hermione tensed and then grinned at how good they had become knowing what she was thinking.

Fabian gave her a nudge as they neared the Gryffindor tower. "So? Will you come?"

Hermione frowned. "I'd love to, if that's okay with everyone…But won't Molly and Arthur suspect something if you bring a student to dinner?" She asked, eyeing the brothers.

"Nah, we'll just tell them you're Gideon's girlfriend." Fabian said with a teasing smirk.

Hermione's eyes widened. "W-What? You can't do that! And…He's a teacher, Fabian." She scolded him.

Both twins sniggered.

"Okay, Okay," Fabian said with lifting his hands in surrender. "I already told them you're with me," he said with a wink. Hermione sent him a glare and huffed in annoyance.

In the end, they had agreed that she would meet Gideon and Fabian in the village next Wednesday, the 28th of December, and from there, they would head towards the Burrow together.

She would be meeting Sirius as well during the holidays, but she didn't really want to talk about that with the others either. She didn't even know how she felt about it, or why in the name of Merlin she had agreed to meet him. When everyone had shared their plans, the Gryffindors started to get ready for their first class, which was Arithmancy for Hermione, Lily and Alice, and Care of Magical Creatures for the boys and Mary.

"Are you prepared for the Christmas Eve gathering?" Snape murmured quietly next to Regulus.

"Of course." Regulus replied absently. He glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione eyeing him with a thoughtful expression. Snape voiced something next to him but Regulus's focus was entirely on her. His mouth unintentionally curved a bit and she replied to him with a sweet little smile.

"Your inability to feign close attention doesn't really astonish me," Snape hissed, watching his friend with an irritated look.

Regulus turned to look at his friend and saw the fuming Slytherin send a dirty look towards Hermione.

"Watch it." He said quietly, his eyes holding a warning.

Snape rolled his eyes and glared at him. "You think I liked watching your little tryst on Saturday?" he asked with a disgusted face.

They had been practicing Legilimency against each other, trying to block the other intruding their mind by putting up their Occlumency shields. Snape had managed to break through Regulus's shields, catching a glimpse of the memory of Regulus snogging Hermione. His friend had also, unfortunately, caught up on the feelings that had coursed through him at that moment – how Regulus had felt a surge of yearning and bliss as Hermione's lips had touched his, and how the feelings had quickly turned into craving and lust.

Regulus merely shrugged. "Well, you never know…" He said wryly.

"You know you have to do better than that. My skills are nothing compared to his, and you know it." Severus hissed.

Regulus sighed and looked down. His friend was right. The Dark Lord wouldn't have any hindrances delving through his mind, if he didn't try harder to empty his mind. The problem was that the kiss with Hermione was constantly on the forefront of his mind. He would have to try to bury it somewhere deep, in case the Dark Lord would search his mind.

"You talked with her?" James asked as he was walking along the path on the grounds with Sirius, towards where their class took place, while Remus, Mary and Peter were strolling ahead of them.

"Yeah." Sirius grunted, not looking at his mate.

"And?" James pressed on.

"What?"

James sighed. "Are you two okay now?" He asked a bit impatiently.

Sirius glanced at his friend and shrugged. "Guess so."

"Just friends?"

"Yeah."

"Shite." James said with a frown, threading his hand through his hair, making it stick up even more than before.

Sirius sighed. "Yeah."

After lunch, Hermione slumped into her seat in the Potions class and glanced at her partner, Snape.

"How graceful of you." He taunted, not even looking at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What's your problem, Snape?" She hissed at him. The class hadn't yet started, as the students were still moving onto their seats.

"I beg your pardon?" He drawled, turning to look at her with an arched brow, his face otherwise void of emotion.

"You heard me. Have I done something to offend you?" Hermione said and stared at him defiantly.

He looked back with a stony expression for a moment. "You Gryffindors always think the world evolves around you." He jeered, rolling his eyes and turning to look at the front of the class where Slughorn had started to hand the assignments.

Hermione let out an annoyed huff, and Snape gritted his teeth.

"What? My breathing is annoying you?" Hermione said sharply.

He merely glanced at her direction before he stood up and spoke with a demanding voice. "Start the cauldron," he said before heading towards the cupboard to get the ingredients.

Hermione sighed and counted to ten inwardly, before getting to work. He didn't talk to her for the rest of their lesson, as they prepared a Potion for Dreamless Sleep. When their class was over, Hermione turned to Snape.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked after Snape had given samples of their brew to Slughorn and returned to pack away his belongings.

Snape regarded her coolly and then nodded stiffly. Hermione lifted her brows in surprise and followed him out from their potions classroom, glancing back to her friends, who hadn't noticed her leaving with Snape.

He led them to an empty classroom in the dungeons and stood near to the door, with a stony expression edged on his face, waiting for her to talk. She frowned for a moment before she spoke.

"Why do I have a feeling that you don't accept Regulus's friendship with me?" She asked slowly, staring at him with and expectant look.

Snape watched her, a faint sneer outlining his face. "Friendship?" he drawled with an arched brow.

Oh, great. He knows.

Hermione sighed. "Well, whatever it is. For some reason you've become more hostile towards me than you were in the beginning of our term. Why is that?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Perhaps I just don't like you." Snape said with an emotionless voice.

Hermione scoffed. "That doesn't mean you have to be rude to me, does it?"

He stared at her for a while with a blank look. "Do you enjoy having the both Blacks worshipping at your shrine?" He asked darkly.

Hermione's brows shot up at his words. "What are you, jealous that I'm spending time with your friend?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Snape rolled his eyes. "You really are as unintelligent as you look." he said coldly.

"What does that mean? You are protecting him? From me?" Hermione continued. "I hardly think that's necessary. I mean him no harm." She said, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"Your mere presence around him gives him harm. I trust you know what is expected of him?" He hissed, looking at her with an arched brow.

Hermione blanched. "You…you mean to tell me that I should…What? Back off? Not be his friend?" She asked faintly.

Snape merely looked at her.

She cleared her throat, feeling a bit taken aback. "Is that why you and Lily are no longer friends?" She asked and gave him a pointed look.

His eyes widened only slightly, but she saw it nevertheless. "That is none of your business." He snapped.

Hermione hummed in response. "There you have it." She said and gave him an annoying smirk.

Snape sneered at her.

"So…You're really over it? Her. You don't wish to be her friend anymore?" She asked with a small hesitation. Snape looked away. Hermione saw his jaw clenching.

"Even if I wanted to, I'm quite sure she will never forgive me." He grumbled quietly, still looking away.

Hermione tried not to look surprised. Perhaps all he needed was a kick on his arse? Not that she really was a fan of him. Even if there was more to Dumbledore's death than what seemed to be obvious, and even if Snape had had an agreement with the Headmaster, he still had been horrible to her during her school years. Nevertheless, she knew that if Lily and Snape were to be friends, it would change certain events. She could prevent bad things from happening to her friends.

She was quiet for a while before she spoke. "You know…She might forgive you, if you tried apologising. But you'd have to really try then. You'd have to make an effort. Because if you continue on the path on which you are now, you will lose her forever." She said and when he didn't reply, she left the room.