Hermione faltered only for a second before Harry nudged her lightly back down the steps.

Trying to scuff down the discomfort slowly growing inside her, she silently trailed after Sirius as he entered the kitchenette. She watched him levitate a bottle of Firewhiskey from the counter and to the table that stood in the very center.

For a moment he just stood there, quietly contemplating. He plopped down into the chair closest to him, pouring himself a glass. Taking a long drag of the liquor, reveling in the burn that spread through his chest, he looked up to see Hermione still just standing there awkwardly. 'I don't bite,' he grinned almost forcefully.

Hermione snorted instinctively, 'As if I couldn't take you on.' She moved around the counter, fishing around in the cabinets for some chocolate. Finding some freshly baked ones, she upturned the contents of the basket onto a plate, carrying it with her and sitting down beside the young man. She almost squirmed under his gaze, never once flinching away. 'What'd you want to talk about?'

'Take a guess, why don't you?'

'Well,' she drew in a long breath, 'you will have to start somewhere.'

'Which part first? Do we get the confrontation out of the way first or should we skirt around the painful bits and keep ignoring this weird tension we have between each other forever?'

She sighed tiredly, munching on the tiny pieces. 'It's already done with, Sirius. There's no turning back time.'

'Really, now?' He chuckled.

Hermione had to smile at that. 'Let's just decide to start fresh.'

'That's what I was hoping for,' he murmured, his eyes lowered to the liquor he held in his hands. 'But we can't move on without resolving everything from the past. I don't want there to be any resentment between the two of us, Mi'

'Sirius, you did what you had to. I don't blame you. I don't blame any of you. You did the smart thing.'

'Would you have done the same?'

Her brow furrowed.

Sirius spoke slowly and carefully, his face showing visible signs of pain, his brows furrowed and his eyes half shut as his fingers toyed with the glass in his hands. 'Had it been me planting myself undercover, putting my life on the line everyday just so I could save you and everyone else I cared about? Had there been a very good possibility that I'd have come out tortured and wounded would you have chosen to overlook our years of friendship and just stood by? Would you have abandoned me, me who you call kin?'

Hermione felt her throat dry up.

'Would you have abandoned me?'

She looked away sharply, her breath turning ragged.

'Would you have forsaken me? Leave me to my fate however uncertain and dreadfully terrifying?'

'It's different. Sirius, it's in the past, let it go.'

'Could you? Could you just let it go if you'd found me bleeding to death, my body flayed and blistered through and through because I was out there saving your skin while you stayed safe inside your home cursing your fate at ever having met me?'

'Sirius, please,' she whispered, a stinging sensation beginning to form in her eyes.

'How can I let it go, Hermione?' Sirius' voice turned pleading now. 'Tell me how to let go of this guilt. There's no way of ever making it up to you.'

He threw the glass away, banging his head onto the tabletop, his hands wringing in his hair. 'Hermione, you did so much for me – you did so much for everyone! And we just ended up standing idle as you gave and gave and gave.' He looked up, his eyes a glaring red. 'We've sucked you dry.'

Hermione was at a loss of what to say. Hesitantly, she reached out a nimble hand towards him but he snatched away his before she could so much as touch him.

'No. Don't you dare! Don't hurt yourself thinking of ways to make me feel better. This is about you, Hermione. I don't – I don't deserve you comforting me. Look at you! You're not even mad!' He balled his fists, standing up as his chair clambered onto the floor. He went to stand by the counter, turning his back against her, his arms grabbing tightly at the wood as his shoulders trembled. 'I ruined everything. I am so, so sorry, Mi, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am – if only I could, I'd turn back the time, switch places with you, take your pain away – anything. If I could just do anything to make it better I would, Mi, but I keep coming short. There is no – no way to fix this. There is no way to make things go back to how they used to be. There's no way I can even look at you because every time I do I am reminded of the little girl who would stitch me a silly Gryffindor sweater just so I'd feel at home. How can I face that girl, Mi? How can I ever face her now?'

As if on a crazed spree, Sirius turned around abruptly, his hands shaking as he crossed the distance between them in a long stride, falling before her on his knees, grabbing at her hands and forcing them on his cheeks, making her hit him – hit him hard for all the sins he'd committed.

She yelped in surprise, 'Sirius, what are you doing?' She folded her fingers to avoid hurting him, squirming to get out of his hold but to no avail. He was just too strong compared to her tiny frame. 'Sirius, stop it!'

'No, hit me, hit me! Hit me! Hit me, I deserve it, Hermione!'

'It doesn't fix things, Sirius!'

He came to an abrupt halt, his hold on her becoming loose. 'No, no it doesn't fix anything.' He had tears streaming down his face by then, 'What does? What do I do to take it all back, prevent all of it from ever happening?'

Hermione felt her heart break in two. She couldn't see him like this. Her hands still enveloped in hers, she trailed her fingers along his cheek, the slight stubble grazing against her skin. 'Just stay.'

'That doesn't change anything.'

'Nothing will, Sirius,' she said, tiredly, slowly brushing away his long locks from his forehead. 'We can't change the past but we can shape a better future for ourselves.'

'I don't deserve a second chance,' he mumbled, leaning into her touch.

'Everyone deserves a second chance, you most of all.' She smile. 'Sirius, I think you paid for the sins for a whole lot of your lives back where I come from. Don't hurt yourself with all this guilt, please. You're already forgiven. It's not about whether you deserve it or not. You already have my forgiveness. You're already tormenting yourself as it is. But truly – if you truly want to fix things then for the love of Merlin please, please find happiness. Don't let – don't let this journey we've made be in vain.' She held his face close to hers. 'Live a happy life, Sirius, no matter what happens today or tomorrow. Live a happy life, that's all I ask of you.

I don't want you to keep beating yourself over things you had no control over. Trust me, things will be alright in the end. Once this war is over there'll be a lot of opportunities to make everything right. For now what we have is enough. I feel for you only love and respect. There is no malice, no resentment, not bitterness. You need to accept things for what they are and move on with your life.'

Sirius stared at her, transfixed.

'I can't see you hurting anymore, Sirius. The version of you I met with in my past life haunts me to this day. You can only imagine, then, the guilt Harry has lived with his entire life over losing you. He still believes it's his fault, you know? Coming back here, it hurts to see you in so much pain still so please, Sirius, please just live a happy life and you'll have fixed everything.'

He was silent for a moment, breathing deeply through his nose to calm himself down. He rubbed furiously at his eyes, tiredness seeping through every pore of his body. He saw Hermione looking at him, a hopeful smile playing at her lips, compassion all over her face, and it broke his heart just a little bit more.

She helped him up to his feet and back in his chair. Shaking her head at the Firewhiskey, she vanished it, levitating the things she'd need for some tea instead. She got to work then, slowly stirring the water as she added herbs that'd help soothe her nerves and Sirius'. She let silence envelop them, understanding very well he needed his time.

Sirius merely watched her move gracefully in the kitchen, her movements precise and lush, marveling how easily she had let go of everything, choosing to see the good in him when he'd never once done it for her.

There was an odd sense of comfort he found in watching her. Could life ever really be this simple for him when he could hopefully share a life with this woman he had hurt over and over again, see her as she made them tea? It was a thought that warmed his heart. He'd do anything for her, he realized in that moment.

He gently took the pot from her before she could begin pouring its contents out. 'Go sit,' he said softly, taking over and bringing two cups to the table. He Accioed some biscuits and some scones from one of the containers, serving them equally for the both of them.

She squeezed his hand before he sat down and sipped his tea. 'It's good,' he commented lightly, his voice still a little hoarse. 'Makes me realize that we hardly know each other.'

Hermione laughed, soft and nimble, making his heart melt. 'I think you know me quite intimately after the events from the evening.'

'No,' he shook his head. 'I know what you've been through. I know you've been to hell and back. I know you're probably the strongest, bravest person I have ever met but I don't know you.'

Hermione frowned, 'What else could you possibly want to know?'

He smiled, looking at her tenderly as he leaned across, resting his head on his folded hands. 'Well, then, Granger,' he tested her name on his tongue, pleasantly surprised it rolled off quite easily and comfortably. 'Granger – Hermione Granger, hullo, I'm Sirius Black, your best friend's deviously handsome Godfather. It's a pleasure to meet you.'

Hermione grinned, taking his offered hand and shaking it with enthusiasm. 'I'm glad I could suit your taste, Mr Black.'

'Now, now no naughty ideas. I'm certain there'll be quite a lot of people who'll want my head if I so much as even got close to you.'

She smirked. 'You think they could hurt you with me on your side?'

Sirius barked out laughing, getting up and rocking his chair on its feet. 'Favorite color?'

'Red, of course,' she shrugged.

'Oh, come on, every Gryffindor loves red, I know. But what was your favorite color before you came to Hogwarts?'

'I've always been partial to blue, I think,' she said, rubbing her palms together. 'I remember my mum would grow exasperated, really, when every outfit I bought was either red or blue.'

'Favorite candy?'

'Sugar quills!' She exclaimed, grinning wide. 'You can suck on them while studying and it won't even be considered rude or a bad habit'

Sirius winked at her conspiratorially, 'I'll keep it a secret that you, Granger, aren't exactly the prim and proper student we thought you were.' He paused, as if to think. 'Where in the Muggle world would you like to go right now?'

'Paris,' she answered, reminiscent of her holiday prior to the fourth year.

'Are you religious?'

'Not quite,' she said.

'Were your parents?'

'A little, I think. But they never really forced me into anything. I always had a choice.'

'What was the best thing about them?'

A wistful smile graced her face as she answered. 'They were simple people really. So full of life. They were dentists, Muggle healers for teeth. It's usually considered to be a regular, boring job but my parents were still so full of life. I remember they had this bucket list of sorts and it had all these adventures they wanted to go on once I was settled in life and they didn't particularly have any more responsibilities. I miss them.'

He squeezed her hand. 'Would you like to go back to the future if you could?'

The air around them grew somber as she sighed heavily. 'It's home, that place and if there was a way of sorting everything out here, winning the war and being able to go back there while being sure that they'd still know us just the same I don't think I'd hesitate to go. But really there wouldn't be a point. Ron, Draco, Ginny will have grown up not knowing Harry or I. Our friends wouldn't know us the way they did back then. Nothing would ever be the same.'

He smiled sadly. 'Can you see yourself leading a happy life here with us, Hermione, once the war is over?'

'I'd love to,' she said, looking down at her hands, wincing a little as her sides felt strained. Her voice grew a little muted, disheartened. 'But I've never really been able to picture much after the war. It's almost as if I don't know what kind of a person I would be without the danger hanging over my head all day long.'

'We'll change that,' Sirius promised resolutely.

'It's not that simple,' she shook her head.

'Most things in life aren't. But it's not like people never find their way back ever again. You win this war and then you heal.'

Hermione smiled, looking up at him with affection. 'Harry has the same idea.'

An excited twinkle came glittered in his eyes as he clapped his hands together, rocking on his chair. 'That's a smart lad, Harry is.'

'The best.'

'Thank you, Mi, for always looking out for him.'

'It isn't as if I did it for you, Sirius,' she shrugged.

'All the same.'

James watched on as Peter refused to budge, lying still under the covers, not moving an inch.

'Pete, mate, come out for a minute, won't you?'

Lily placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder.

James sighed, his voice turning into a plea, 'Pete, please just come out. Let me talk to you. I can't have you spending the night going over what never has to happen again!'

Silence stretched on. James and Lily made themselves comfortable by the edge of his bed, looking intently at each other, seeking solace. Shutting his eyes to the world, James leaned back, his head nuzzling by Peter's legs. He was at his wit's end. There was so much that had happened within the course of a day and he no longer had the energy to go on but his worry for his friends overrode whatever survival instinct he may have had and so he rambled on.

'We were eleven when I first understood friendship. Until then my mother would invite plenty of her friends over. Those pureblood ladies would bring their friends along and whatnot. I'd play with them too but it was all meaningless. As a child I had always been quite lonely, you see. We weren't blood traitors per se but there were only so many families my parents could reach out to. Coming to Hogwarts was a reprieve. For the first time in my life I knew friends. I knew brothers. Only eleven and I saw this boy so fearlessly stalk down to Minnie and tell her the fire in her office was his fault and not mine. A lie. And I thought to myself why in the world he would ever do that but you only just told me that's what friends do. I was dumbstruck, Peter. It sounds stupid, I know but you were the first person to do that; bear the blame with me. Not Sirius, as people would have it. He went on to shoulder a lot more than just a detention but you were the first, mate. You, Peter, you.

'At twelve, my fish died. I cried that night. Nobody found out but you were somehow still there holding me up. I remember you called Pads and Moony out downstairs but you were the one to find me. At fifteen I was heartbroken when Lily slapped me, for my own stupidity, of course,' he snorted, seeing his wife glare at him, 'and yet you heard me for the thousandth time that Lilyflower hadn't done it with spite. You heard me spout my crap all these years.'

He tilted his head to get a better look at his face, still hidden.

'Peter, I will never believe that you could ever be capable of betraying Lily and I out of your own volition. I'd never let anybody believe that. You're my brother, Pete.'

'How do I stop seeing Harry's face before my eyes, then, James? I close my eyes and he's right there, sobbing as his mother is taken away from him. I can't get him out of my mind.'

'Oh, Peter,' Lily whispered. 'These aren't your demons to live with, love. You must bring it in yourself to view that man as an abomination – an aberration in reality's fabric. That man was not you; will never be you.'

His voice was a hoarse whisper, dejected and broken. 'Easier said than done, Lily.'

'Yes, but won't you at least try?'

There was a shuffling of things as Peter hugged his knees to his chest, sitting lifeless like a rag doll, still bundled up in a warm blanket. His eyes met those of James.

'I wish to make an Unbreakable Vow.'

James rubbed his eyes tiredly, shaking his head, his mouth set in a firm line. 'There's no bloody need for that.'

'There is,' He mumbled. 'I don't trust myself.'

'No,' James stressed, getting up in a fit of rage. 'Absolutely not. Why would you want to do something so extreme?'

'Because how else will I live with myself?' he yelled.

All the fight in James left him as he fell to his knees, weariness in his very bones.

'It is what it is, love,' Lily mumbled almost mechanically.

James took a deep breath, kneeling before Peter and extending his arm forward. Peter took it with resolute determination in his eyes.

Lily glanced wearily between the two, proceeding to bind the two in a Vow once peter nodded his head at her. James merely looked on, barely registering the light tickling sensation that spread through his arm and though his entire body, feeling his heart break into a million little pieces. This isn't how their lives were supposed to turn out. They should have been out in a pub bemoaning their terrible bosses right this moment instead of fighting a stupid war they wanted no part in!

'I don't think he should be alone tonight,' Lily whispered, staring worriedly at Peter who had once again huddled into his blankets, vanishing out of their sight. 'I think I'll stay with him. Will you be alright by yourself?'

He nodded mutely.

'You should go check up on Harry,' she said, squeezing her husband's hand.

He smiled at her, trying to ease the tension away. 'Reckon I should. See if he needs something. Have become a parent after all.'

Grinning, she stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips gently onto his.

Sparing one last glance towards his friend, James turned around and left, the heaviness from the day weighing down on him. He crept quietly through the corridor, coming to stand beside an open window. Feeling the cold from the wind lap tightly against his skin, he was reminded of every little thing that had gone wrong the last time around. He nearly quivered at the possibility of him having been in Harry's place. He doubted he had enough guts or the bravery needed for something as tragic as had been his life. It was true. His son was a hero.

Leaning against the windowsill, he closed his eyes. Was there any justice in the world? Any semblance of balance? How could one person be expected to put his life at risk over and over again to defeat some maniac of a dark lord?

His shoulders trembled as he felt a shiver run down his spine, his mind replaying the fateful night he had died, with Lily and Harry just moments away from their demise. His heart felt heavy in his chest. He sighed into the quiet, inching away from the cold, winding his way through the cottage and to the room he knew Harry shared with Hermione.

Rapping gently against the door, he peeped inside to find Harry sitting idly by himself, looking listlessly at the liquor in his hands as it swirled around, the ghost of a faint smile on his lips.

'Mate?' he called out, breaking Harry out of his reverie. 'Let's go grab a proper drink?'

'Sure, lets,' he mumbled distractedly, transfixed once again by the simple fact that he was with his family at long last.

The both of them bounded down the stairs, their gait entirely one and the same, as if they'd been twins.

'You finished all that by yourself?' James asked as he rummaged through the kitchen, looking disapprovingly at the bottle in Sirius' hands.

'It's been a night of firsts,' Sirius said, raising his glass in mock salute.

Hermione chuckled, moving her chair off to the side so Harry could drag one for himself. She smiled timidly at him as he lowered himself beside her. 'Couldn't sleep?'

'Too much on my mind,' Harry said.

'Good or bad?'

'Make a guess,' he winked at her.

'How's Pete holding up?' Sirius asked, his posture suddenly rigid.

James quietly slipped onto Hermione's other side, 'Not good. Lily's with him.'

He nodded, his brows creased with worry. 'He'll pull through. He's made of tough stuff.'

'Is he?' Hermione mumbled tiredly. 'It's not going to be easy.'

Nobody said anything about it.

'Enough with the gloomy stuff,' Sirius exclaimed, trying to force some cheer into his voice. Conjuring another set of glasses, he poured them all a drink. 'Let's call Moony and make this a family affair, what do you say?'

'He's with Rab,' Harry replied, chugging his drink down in a single gulp. 'Wizard's Chess.'

'Looks like nobody's getting any sleep tonight,' James sighed.

'Can't exactly blame them,' he chuckled ruefully.

'And there you go again,' Sirius shook his head. 'Nope. It's our first drink together, Harry. This needs to be fun. Come on, tell us about Hogwarts. What was your first kiss like, then?'

Hermione snorted, covering her smile with her hand as she looked away.

'Hey, it wasn't that bad.' Harry cried out in protest.

'Cho cried through the whole deal!'

'Not because of me,' Harry defended himself, carefully avoiding thinking about Cedric.

'It barely even lasted a minute.'

'Yeah? How would you know?'

'Because you couldn't stop whining about it!'

'What's that, Harry, no? Sirius bemoaned. 'You take everything after your dad, boy?'

'Hey!' James sent him a glare.

'This needs some fixing. I'll teach you all about picking up birds, Harry. Then you won't be whining about having the girl cry once you're done with her. No. You'll be gloating about it.'

Hermione laughed as James sent a stinging hex at his best mate. 'Don't spoil my son, Sirius.' She shook her fondly as the two grown men indulged in a drawn out brawl, her gaze pinned onto her best friend who did nothing but egg them on. Maybe this was what it was always supposed to be like.

Too bad life always had its own ideas just like it did this time, Harry thought, sobering up. 'You know ..,' he cleared his throat, attracting the attention of the brawling men. 'You know, back then I'd often wonder what things would have been like. Would it have been like with the Weasleys?'

James frowned.

'But then I met Remus. I met Sirius. I found out about you lot, the friendship you had. And I'd find myself dreaming about simple family events. Thinking about Christmas with everyone. Thinking if, perhaps, it'd be the other way around in that Ron and Hermione – they'd come over to out place. Mum would make us all a proper English breakfast, a mix of Wizard and Muggle. Dad would come, take us for Quidditch. Hermione would probably find her way to Remus and they'd pour over some obscure magical texts while Sirius would spoil Ron and I rotten. There was so much I'd think of. And then I found out we even had a cat and it was the silliest thing, really because then that stupid cat started being a part of the dream. Christmas Eve we'd all have a hearty dinner, sing carols around the fireplace, maybe go to the Church or to a pub. Just once I wanted to know what it would have been like. What it would feel like to have my ear pulled at by Mum? Would Dad ever end up scolding me for messing up, would the Marauder in him ever break? Would there have been a brother or a sister? Would there have been fights and arguments? Would there have been Sirius' kids? I just really, really wanted to be with you. All of you.'

James felt himself tear up, quietly tucking his son under his chin as Sirius sighed heavily.

Hermione was struck with a cold bout of shiver, her eyes suddenly drawn to the corner where she saw, once again, the blond man who plagued her vision, his wraith like apparition smiling to himself, the small fancies of the human world in a rarity striking a cord inside him. This brief reprieve the two time travelers coddled up in this warmth would soon be a distant memory again.

AN: Hello, it's been a while.

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