The bullpen was fairly quiet for a Saturday morning. The night-shift crew were packing up their things as the day-crew started making their way in to take over.

But the night shift had been uncharacteristically tame – no calls had come in. No tips, no emergencies.

Hermione Granger stood at her desk, eyeing the door and trying to cover up a yawn when she heard a muffled sob behind her. Turning, she saw Susan Henry, the Head Auror's secretary, with red-rimmed eyes. The woman sniffled, wiping her face as she made her way to her desk.

"What happened, Susan," Hermione asked, slowly approaching the upset secretary.

"It's nothing," she replied, sniffling again.

Hermione didn't buy it. She tried again. "Something is obviously wrong, let me help."

"Y-you can't," Susan wailed, losing her composure. "It's S-ss-Sirius! The girls, well, they said, 'ss-sshh-shoot your sh-ssh-shot…"

Hermione grimaced as Susan buried her face in her hands, breaking down.

"So you shot your shot and he turned you down, I take it."

Susan only nodded emphatically, choking sobs slowly quieting.

Hermione patted the woman on the shoulder and gazed around the office seeking the man in question; Sirius Black.

Auror. Marauder. Her best friend's godfather. Notorious Heartbreaker.

Just in time, she saw the swish of his cloak and the tips of his hair round the door frame into the hallway. Hermione adjusted the bag on her shoulder and followed him, knowing she'd find him in the breakroom, preparing a cup of coffee before heading home to sleep the day away.

And that's exactly where she found Auror Black. She closed the door behind her, giving herself the illusion of privacy for the conversation she was about to have with the man.

Almost as though he sensed her, Sirius smirked.

"You'll be coming to Sunday dinner tonight, correct," he asked the girl. "Lily's been asking about you and I think she wants her girl back."

He slowly turned to face her, leaning against the counter and holding the mug of coffee up to his lips. She could see the smirk through his eyes.

"Black, you are aware you're becoming a bit of a workplace hazard? Susan is sitting over CRYING-" She started in on him. As soon as her voice started rising, his eyes widened.

He put the coffee down on the counter and held his hands up in surrender.

"I didn't do anything to her, I swear," he interrupted. Hermione harrumphed.

"She's a blubbering mess, Sirius! She said she spoke to her and you turned her down!"

"I am not obligated to go out with a witch just because she confesses her feelings for me," he yelled over her. "Besides, she doesn't have feelings for me. She has a crush. And, I'm sorry, but that's really not my problem."

Hermione scoffed. "Not your problem? Sirius, you spend half of your shift throwing winks and grins around the ministry!"

"So?"

"If you don't want women to fancy you, stop flirting with them."

Sirius gaped at her. Slowly, he grinned and chuckled darkly, taking another slow sip of his coffee.

"Are you victim blaming me, Auror Granger," he asked, not meeting her eyes.

"What, no! I'm just saying –"

"We all fancy someone or another throughout our lives that doesn't work out. Are you telling me that if Malfoy approached you out of the blue and confessed that he'd been in love with you since you socked him in the face at school– you're telling me you'd actually go on a date with him?"

"What?" Hermione stammered again. "No, that's not what, Sirius, that's not the same and you know it!"

"Isn't it? You're asking me to not be so charming if I don't want witches to crush on me. I can't just stop being myself," he said coolly.

Hermione stopped and stared at him. He had a point, loathe as she was to admit it. He continued to drink his coffee, gulping it down faster than before, now that it had cooled. She'd come in here to get justice for Susan. So far, she hadn't succeeded. And she was tired.

"You can't just go breaking hearts left and right all over the ministry, Sirius," she finally said. He barked a laugh.

"Breaking hearts all over the ministry? I've done no such thing."

Hermione eyed him. "Marlene."

"That was one time. And that was way before you even got out of school," he replied.

"Stephanie. Sophie? PENELOPE?"

"Oh, come off it," he said. "I didn't break their hearts. I rejected them. Like I said before, I'm not obligated to accept anyone's confessions."

The door swung open just then, and in stumbled two jocular faces she'd normally be happy to see. Harry and Ron were exchanging opinions on a recent Quidditch match when they stopped, sensing the tension in the room.

"Guys," said Harry. "Shouldn't you two be heading home?"

"I was just on my way out, actually," Sirius said, patting Harry on the shoulder. "Until this barmy witch started throwing darts my way."

Harry visibly sagged, "Really Hermione? Again?"

Hermione shoved her nose in the air and crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you see Susan when she walked in?"

Ron chuckled, mentioning something about how the secretary had probably just had a bad date.

"Sirius rejected her!"

Both Ron and Harry winced, comically in sync.

"And I was just telling Hermione that it isn't my responsibility to go out with every witch who's ever fancied me." Wiggling his eyebrows at his godson and the ginger, he added, "I'd run out of time."

The three men sniggered as Hermione continued indignantly.

"Just be nicer, Sirius, ok?"

By the time Hermione got home to her flat, it was 9 a.m. She shrugged off her robe and ran herself a bath with Epsom salts to help stimulate her muscles after the long night of sitting at her desk.

Sitting in the tub, she thought back to Sirius's answer for his behavior. Or, she conceded, he was right. He'd technically not done anything wrong – aside from being the biggest flirt in the Auror department. Anymore, anyway.

After Hogwarts, Hermione, Harry, and Ron had joined the Aurors after hearing about James and Sirius's adventures for practically their entire lives. In fact, the only reason Hermione even knew the Potters was because James Potter had saved her and her family from a dark wizard attack the year before she started Hogwarts.

The Head Auror at the time had been intent on obliviating her, her mother, and her father had Albus Dumbledore not stepped in at the right moment to declare Hermione a Muggleborn Witch, and to save Professor McGonagall the trouble of having to explain everything over to the Grangers again come July.

Upon hearing about the Muggleborn witch, near the age of his own son, James Potter quickly invited the Grangers over for Sunday night dinner. He said it was so the kids could get to know each other. The reality was, he'd always wanted to show magic to muggles, and in this case, he wouldn't really be breaking the Statute of Secrecy.

Hermione remembered that first Sunday night dinner. She and Harry had met, and strangely hit it off rather quickly. She'd also taken to Lily Potter, the fiery red-headed muggleborn witch who used charms to complete most of her kitchen tasks, with the exception of basting her roast, which she swore to Hermione tasted much better when you did it the muggle way.

Harry showed Hermione his broom and introduced the young girl to his Uncle Remus, who would be teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts when they started at Hogwarts the following year.

That night, Hermione and the Grangers learned that Lily was a work-from-home Charms developer for a research firm while James, and his best friend– Harry's Godfather – Sirius Black were Aurors for the Ministry of Magic. Wizard Police, Lily had explained.

James spent the entire night regaling the Grangers with stories of scrapes he and his mate had gotten into while on the job, and both Harry and Hermione listened intently, taking all of it in and swearing to each other that they'd grow up to do the same thing.

Hermione never met Sirius while she was young. She and Ron both were excited to meet the man who had been on a top secret mission in Romania for the last four years during Christmas Hols their third year. However, the night before they were set to board the train, Harry received a letter that changed the outcome of their holiday.

Sirius had been hit with an experimental curse while on the job. He was unconscious at St. Mungo's and no one knew when he would wake, or if he would wake. Harry's beloved godfather was technically dead, Hermione learned from Lily the following day, held to this realm with a stasis charm until the specifics of the dark magic affecting him could be worked out.

The redhead continually wiped at the corners of her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper as she explained the situation to the three teenagers, not believing in hiding the severity of the truth, but in being completely honest with the young adults.

Hermione looked over at Harry a lot that Christmas, the joy from his eyes almost totally absent. He told her, one night before New Years that he now wanted even more to be an Auror and catch the wizard who had done this to Sirius. He made her promise she'd never back out and go through the whole program with him.

James had retired from his position later that summer. He never admitted it, but what had happened to Sirius scared him. Harry and Hermione both suspected his retirement had more to do with wanting to stay safe for the sake of his family than anything else.

Every year, the Potter's would visit Sirius at St. Mungo's.

Easter Holiday after their seventh year, Hermione went with them. That holiday, Sirius woke up.

Hermione looked at the clock on her bathroom wall. Seeing it was a quarter after ten, she resigned herself to climbing out of the tub. If she wanted at least seven hours of sleep, she'd need to dry off now and climb into bed.

She wouldn't make it to Sunday night dinner again this week. She'd have to owl Lily and apologize, but she'd picked up an extra shift at the cafe where she worked part-time. No one knew she had a part-time job, though.

It was a muggle establishment in Blackpool and it was her most carefully kept secret. No one knew, not Harry, not Ron and not the Weasley or Potter bunches. Only Luna Lovegood knew, and that was because Luna worked there, too.

She wrote a quick note to Lily and crawled into the covers of her bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Potter Cottage was filled with laughter as everyone began to fill in the seats around the dining room table. Lily was placing her roast on the center of the table, instructing her husband to begin slicing. Harry pulled out a seat for his fiancé Ginny, as Remus and his wife Dora tried to strap their toddler Teddy into the high chair.

"Harry, go get Sirius, we're ready to eat," Lily asked her son. Harry winked at Ginny and made his way to the front stoop, where he knew his godfather would be smoking.

Sirius sat on the top step, looking out into the dark toward the apparition point by the front gate. He took another drag of his cigarette, mentally running through his apology to Hermione for what felt like the tenth time since arriving ten minutes ago.

"Sirius, mum's ready to start," Harry said as he opened the screen door and looked down at the smoking man on the stoop.

"She's not waiting for Hermione," Sirius asked in reply, turning to face the younger man. He squinted against the bright porch light.

"She's not coming tonight," was all Harry said as he made his way back into the house. Grumbling, Sirius pulled himself up and made his own way to the dinner table where the rest of the family gathered, preparing to eat.

The entire affair was the same as it was every week. Harry told the family what the gossip was at the Auror's department, James gave his own two cents and Sirius reminded them both certain protocols had to take place before anyone had the legal right to mess up a former Death Eater's face. Lily would make a snide remark about how "mature" he sounded, causing him to pout and stuff a potato into his mouth.

Ginny would regale Lily and Dora (when she bothered to show up, Hermione would also be regaled) of her latest wedding catalog finds and would ask the other witches their opinion on flowers and dress colors before turning to Sirius and James to ask about their bets on the upcoming Quidditch tournaments.

Dora would commiserate with Harry (and if she were there, Hermione) on what a hard ass their boss was at work - Robbards was not to be trifled with, and then would joke about what a total pushover the second in command was. Sirius would again pout, as he was Deputy Head Auror and knew they were making fun of him.

Sometimes, after having consumed enough firewhiskey, James and Sirius would then sing love ballads to Lily, making her either blush or roll her eyes as the women helped her clear the table.

Except, instead of cracking a single smile all night, Sirius was very serious.

"What god-awful stick went up your ass, today, Sirius," Dora asked, spearing a carrot and holding it up to her son's mouth. Teddy placed a tongue on the vegetable before deciding he wanted none of it and threw it onto the table.

"Nothing, sweet cousin," Sirius replied. "I'm fine."

"She's right, Pads, you've been awfully quiet tonight," James said. Sirius shot a glare over to his best friend. James continued, "Listen here, young man. Either you tell us what's up, or you'll go to bed without dessert."

"He and Hermione had another fight this morning," Harry supplied happily, smugly grinning at Sirius, who shot him a glare identical to the one typically reserved for his father. Lily and Dora caught each other's eyes discreetly.

James sighed. "What did you do this time?"

"Me? That witch came barging in on my quiet time, fuming, hair sparking and yelled at me!"

"Well what did you do to merit being yelled at," Lily asked diplomatically, carefully cutting into the pie she had prepared.

"Susan declared her undying love for me and asked me out," Sirius said. "I told her I was flattered but that I wasn't interested in her like that, and the bint went and cried to Hermione about it."

James winced, shaking his head. He'd heard plenty from Sirius about Susan who had been overly attentive to him ever since he was well enough to rejoin the department four years prior. The woman apparently made Sirius very uncomfortable, the way her eyes always trailed after him. She'd even "accidently" bumped into him on the lift, her hand falling dangerously close to his… area.

While Sirius was a flirt, and had a reputation with the Hogwarts ladies in his youth, James knew Sirius wasn't really the Ladies Man he pretended to be.

However, the idiot did nothing to dispel the rumors.

"Were you really that courteous," Dora asked skeptically, also knowing how much the secretary creeped her cousin out.

"I may have… embellished," Sirius huffed, sulking.

"What did you say to her," Harry asked, looking up to his parents. "She was crying about it all day!"

"Wait, Hermione was crying about it all day," Sirius asked.

"No, not Hermione, Susan! We couldn't get her to stop blubbering," Harry exclaimed.

"What did you say to Susan, Sirius," Remus joined in.

"I told her that maybe I'd think about it if she hadn't been so brazen with me in the past!"

The table went silent. Dora dropped her fork.

"Bravo," Dora said. "That crazy witch is a nightmare and she's been harassing you for years."

"Well someone should have told Hermione that," Sirius grumbled. "She barged in like it was all my fault, making me out to be the bad guy."

"Hermione has a skewed sense of justice," Remus stated plainly. "We love her, but she'll grow out of it eventually."

The snort from Harry was dully disguised, as the boy received an elbow to the ribs from Ginny, who hadn't looked up from her plate for the entire conversation.

"Did you try maybe explaining this to her," Ginny softly asked, still not looking up from her dinner. Sirius barely heard her.

"I don't owe her an explanation," he sighed. "I'm entitled to my own reasoning. And, it's not like I hurt her."

Ginny looked up. Her face was red - not with anger or embarrassment. Sirius couldn't place the young witch's expression.

"You don't owe her an explanation, true. But honestly, if you really want her to stop yelling at you - or fighting with you, it would be helpful for her to know about Susan."

The table grew quiet, but for the slight snicker from James who took a hefty drink from his goblet.

"But does Padfoot really want to stop fighting with Hermione," he asked no one in particular.

Sirius stood, placing his fork down on his half-eaten slice of pie, and left the room.

"I'll check on him," said Remus, who stood and followed his friend out of the house.

Lily, Dora, and Ginny all looked at each other, trying and failing to hold back their grins. The three women continued to dig into their dessert, lips tight to ensure no smirks escaped into the somber atmosphere.

Finally James broke the silence, throwing down his fork and sighing.

"Oh, come off it," he said, staring down at his wife. "It's not a secret. We all know he likes her."

Harry coughed, choking on his own dessert, staring at his father with wide eyes.

"What?"

Ginny hit his back with all of her might, feigning aid to his assaulted esophagus.

"Oh really, Harry! Catch up," she deadpanned.

Everyone left at the table laughed, calming only as Remus returned to the dining room. All eyes were on him.

"He's gone for a ride," he informed them all. "Needs to talk his pride down, I guess."

"Mia, we need more tea over here, if you could," a short and pudgy middle-aged man practically yelled across the café. He stared at Hermione, Mia as he knew her, with the same look of rapture he'd previously given his chocolate dessert.

Quickly Hermione reached their table, ceramic teapot in hand, and plastered a sweet smile across her face.

"Of course, Masters," she said as she refilled the three teacups. The two others at the table paid no mind to the woman as they continued to stare down at the paperwork across their table.

The first man was leering, however. His eyes roamed from the top of her perfectly coiffed brown and wavy hair, on which sat a white headband with a black lace bow, down her exposed shoulders and bare décolletage. Her black dress fell to her mid thigh, as a white lacy apron brought in her tiny waist and accentuated her bosom.

She had long lacy stockings up her legs, stopping at garters which fell just beneath the hem of her dress.

Like all of the other waitresses in the café, Hermione Granger was a Maid.

The café itself was out of the usual standard, all four walls covered in baby blue wallpaper, partially hidden by several glass windowed hutches all displaying several different china tea sets and small stuffed animals with big, round, and glittery eyes.

Each table was covered by a dusty light pink table cloth and was stacked high with various pastries and biscuits. The patrons, mostly middle aged business men or mothers with young girls, sat around each table carefully selecting their next treat and fixing their tea or coffees to their preference, others calling over their favorite maids to ogle them as they refill drinks or take food orders.

Hermione finished up at her table and disappeared around the back into the kitchen and dropped onto a stool. Another maid with long straight black hair followed her in, looking apologetic.

"I know you're tired, Hermione, but thank you so so much for coming in," she began. "I know you asked for Sundays off from now on, but I just didn't know who to call when Stacy told me she was sick!"

Standing and straightening her dress, Hermione smiled. "Violet, it's ok. I could never leave you in the lurch like that, you know."

Violet was on the verge of tears.

"I just don't want to burn you out and make you quit. You're the best girl I have!"

"I'd be offended if I didn't completely agree," said another voice from behind Hermione. Hermione smiled, glad to see her friend had finally made it to her shift, two hours late.

The girl, tall with wispy blonde hair, smiled brightly at both Hermione and her boss.

"I'm sorry I'm late Violet. I was having the most exciting conversation with a dog I found sitting at the pier. He was ever so upset and wanted nothing but ear scratches to make him feel better. I couldn't leave him there. There was a squirrel, you see."

Violet grinned.

"I love you so much, Luna," she said, giving the ethereal girl a quick squeeze. "You take such good care of our Blackpool strays! How could I ever be angry with you for that?"

When Violet went back out to the floor, Luna turned her focus to Hermione.

"I thought you were going to have dinner with Lily and James tonight."

Hermione sighed, "I'm just too dependable, I guess."

Nodding, Luna hung up her jacket and ducked into the changing room.

"I hope it wasn't too busy last night at the Ministry. You look awful," she said from behind the door. Hermione didn't answer, and instead waited for the other witch to emerge. When she did, she was dressed identically to Hermione.

"No. It's been calm lately."

"Calm can be good. But it makes me uncomfortable," Luna said, wide blue eyes trained on her friend. "Do you think something's brewing?"

Hermione smirked. "Something's always brewing." She looked around and whispered, "Come on, before the muggles hear us."

With her shift finally over and the last of the customers filing out the front door, Hermione was exhausted once again.

As part of the deal she struck with Violet to come in on her day off, Hermione was eating her one free meal at the kitchen counter.

Violet and Luna were the only two maids left in the building as Violet sent the other girls home when it was time to close up shop.

Luna was watching vigilantly over her shoulder as she used a wandless silent charm to scrub down the back counter. Violet was bent over collecting the trash that had fallen behind the bin. When she stood, Luna quickly held the sponge in her hand. Hermione smirked into her rice omelet.

"Don't worry about the trash, Vi. I'll get it when I leave tonight. I just have to finish eating," Hermione said. Violet gave her an expression of true gratitude.

The older maid disappeared into the changing room, then, leaving Luna and Hermione alone. Luna's charm automatically resumed the cleaning.

"So what was your dog so upset about tonight," Hermione asked the blonde. Luna smiled dreamily.

"His pride was wounded. Apparently he didn't want to admit an embarrassing truth to a friend."

"Very interesting," Hermione responded in amusement. "What would a dog have to be embarrassed about?"

"Oh, many things," Luna informed her, matter-of-factly taking Hermione's empty plate and rinsing it in the sink.

The girls bid each other farewell as Luna and Violet left the café. Hermione chose then to take out the trash, thinking she'd come back in to change, start the dishwasher and then lock up.

She looked down the alleyway behind the café building, and seeing no one, she cast a quick Featherlight charm on the bags before throwing them over into the dumpsters.

The loud clang from the dumpster seemed to have frightened a stray dog, who jumped out from behind it and slid to stop in front of the maid.

He was large, black, and shaggy and Hermione felt awful for frightening him. Instinctively, she held out her hand and muttered a heartfelt apology, beckoning the dog closer.

When his eyes flashed silver, however, she was hit with a wave of instant familiarity. She dropped her hand to her side, feeling the usually soft lace of her apron as it uncomfortably scratched at her forearm.

The dog turned his head, as though hiding a snicker. Slowly, it hunched over, raising its back and moved to stand on two hind legs. Upon reaching full height, Sirius Black suddenly stood before Hermione.

"Oh shit," she whispered.