Oh my God look who's back! I want to give you all a big apology for the long wait! Essentially, when the system crashed in September, my account had a moment and decided that instead of fixing itself after a few days, it was just going to chill in all its broken glory. Anyway, to cut a long story short it is now all fixed and I can resume with my story. And with that, here's the next chapter!

Guest – I'm so sorry but I'm back! Can't promise a more regular updating (except it definitely won't be so long again! – my account broke after the system crash and didn't get fixed until now) but enjoy this new chapter! I hope you find it just as good :)

Pearl2350 – I'm so sorry for the long wait! My account just didn't get fixed after the last system crash in September until now! And thank you for your support, I really didn't understand where that reviewer was coming from!

Mauricio Cuellar – I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure what you mean! I don't speak Spanish so from what I've translated it says 'It's good to authorise soon' and I don't know if that means you think I'm good at writing or need to credit JK Rowling haha

Guest – in the most polite way possible, if you hate this ship then why did you read this when I clearly stated it was a Harmione fanfiction?

DarkRavie – I'm so happy you think that and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

serenity76 – see, I'm completely with you on how the platform scene is just very convenient at best as well as quite suspicious (and don't apologise for your spelling, I'm sure I've probably made a few in this chapter alone haha) and while I agree there's some good Ginny/Harry fanfiction, you may have noticed it's still not a pairing I'm the biggest fan of lol

lady sesshomaru sama 949 – they will indeed, and finally with an adults help! Better late than never :)

An Angel's Mother – I'm so happy you do! I love hearing that people get as much enjoyment out of it as I have writing it :)

Chapter 28

Harry's eyes darted around the room, an awkward silence resting between the three of them. Sirius was reclining on the armchair opposite them but his eyes remained sharp, watchful. Nerves squirmed in Harry's stomach; Sirius knew something was off. Wrong. Knotting his fingers together he focused on his breathing, tried to reduce his anxiety because hadn't this been what he had asked? For Harry to go to him when things go wrong? Only last year would he have gone after the group himself rather than leave it to an adult. So why did he still feel so awful?

At the sound of Hermione drawing a breath he turned to her, shoulders tense as she began to speak. Would Sirius even believe them? Or would dismiss them like so many had done before?

"The people who attacked us at the Quidditch match – they aren't death eaters," she stumbled out, speech halting. Sirius stiffened, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter, eyes narrowed.

"The symbol –"

"They say they've reclaimed it, they're an extremist group of – of muggleborns and half bloods who believe the government hasn't done anything near enough to compensate for the frankly barbaric wizarding practises and outdated hierarchy. In their minds the only way to revamp the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic in general is to attack purebloods and those who hold titles to grab attention under the guise of death eaters to sell the government as corrupt and incompetent, even after all the reforms to imply that a full reform is the only way forward. I tried to explain that all this would only make the divide worse on both sides and that frankly, we haven't had enough time to begin pushing through the pro-muggleborn bills through as we're still shoring everything back up to what it was before Voldemort surfaced the first time. Only then can we start tackling reform bills."

Silence snaked back through the air as Hermione fell silent, gaze remaining resolutely on her hands. Harry pursed his lips, frowning. Even after talking with Ron and Neville she had remained withdrawn, the words that muggleborn had told her sticking to her like slime. Once this was over he resolved to talk to her again. He refused to let her keep on thinking that this was somehow her fault, that she hadn't done enough. If anyone hadn't done enough it was him! After all, for all that had happened this year still some ate up what the prophet had said in fifth year but some of their comments directed at him in the hallways weren't exactly wrong. He was famous and yet what had he done with that fame? Sure he hadn't had the knowledge of the Wizarding World and had mostly been too young but now he was old enough and was being taught by Sirius… what excuse did he have now? Guilt began to choke him as he marched down the spiralling thoughts, thankfully drawn out when Sirius began to speak.

"And you're sure of this?"

"Definitely," Hermione nodded emphatically. "It makes the most sense, after all no one has died and all the attacks have been on purebloods or their associates, like half-bloods who marry into noble or ancient families. Not to mention one of the group at school came to recruit me."

"What." Sirius's voice was sharp, edging on disbelief. "One of them tried to recruit you?"

"I said no," Hermione then frowned, lips downturned as she added, "and he got quite angry, said I was a traitor to muggleborns, a 'blood traitor' I believe is the proper term."

"Which is nonsense," Harry finally interjected. "You've no more betrayed the muggleborn population than I have –"

"Enough." Sirius's voice silenced him and the beginning of Hermione's protest to his statement. He then turned to Harry, a hint of a smile on his face. "I'm very proud of you for coming to me about this, both of you. You've done well."

Harry just gave him an awkward nod and smile, pride welling in his chest. He'd made Sirius proud. After years of being beaten down by the Dursleys, of being starved of any affection, he'd made someone proud. Him. Not Dudley earning glowing endorsements from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia for the slightest thing, whether negative or positive, but him. He wasn't a burden on Sirius for coming to him about this, he'd made him happy. And that was all Harry wished to do, after the life Sirius had led. He deserved to be happy, and Harry couldn't live with himself if he failed to ensure that, worse if it was himself that upset Sirius. Maybe the Wizarding World didn't see his godfather's worth, but Harry did. And he was worth more than Harry ever would be.

"I assume you're going to go to the Wizengamot now, or the Minister for Magic," Hermione asked Sirius, drawing Harry back out of his thoughts.

Brow furrowed, Sirius paused before giving a slow nod. "As soon as possible, and going to Amelia first is the better bet since we don't have any hard evidence as unfortunately your word doesn't count for that. Do you know the name of the student who tried to recruit you?"

Harry glanced over at Hermione, a flare of interest rising since she'd never mentioned the name to him, Ron or Neville either, only to be disappointed by the regretful shake of her head. "If it helps he was a guy, probably around our age, maybe a bit younger? I don't recognise him from our year, so I think he must be in fifth year. He was a Ravenclaw as well," she added as an afterthought.

Sirius let out a hum, nodding his head but eyes unfocused, deep in thought. "I'll go to Amelia, talk to her about this and hopefully we can at least direct the investigation that way and see if we can find an answer. Meanwhile, you two and your friends are going to stay out of it as much as you can –"

"But –"

"What –"

"However if you do happen to find out anything more, by accident," Harry looked away awkwardly at the eye contact Sirius made with him when he stressed that part; that was pointed, "then use the mirror to contact me as quickly as possible. I want this – this business gone. Finished."

Once receiving the required murmurs of agreement that he wanted they got up, about to head back into the fire to Hogwarts when Hermione paused, turning back to Sirius. "Sirius, w – would it be okay if I took my seat back now. You've been a great proxy," she added on hurriedly, face creasing with worry at offending him, "but I feel we've had enough lessons now for me to understand what I'd need as a standing member of the Wizengamot, though with your advice if you're still willing to help me and –"

"Of course I'll help you," Sirius interrupted Hermione's monologue warmly, a small smile finally gracing his face. "And I think you'll be just fine, as will Harry if he wants to take his seat back now," he finished, turning to Harry and raising an eyebrow.

Harry blinked at him, panic swelling and overtaking the uncertainty his godfather's unspoken question raised. Did he want to take his seat yet? He certainly didn't feel ready, but surely he should start doing some good in the world. He might not be able to become an auror yet – and wouldn't that be a fun conversation to talk to Sirius about – but by doing this he could actually help people. And if Hermione was to take her seat as well, it would look a bit odd if he didn't.

Harry gave a hurried nod to Sirius, but his slight frown in return let him know the pause had been to long. Giving Sirius an awkward smile he turned back to the fire, ignoring the question in his godfather's eyes. Grabbing a pinch of floo powder and with a shout he swiftly joined Hermione back in McGonagall's study, greeting McGonagall quietly as the two exited the room.

Slipping his hand into Hermione's, he began to direct her up to the seventh floor instead of to the Gryffindor common room, ignoring her questioning face and relieved she went along with it. While most people were in class, he didn't want to say anything in the long corridors of Hogwarts where anyone could be around the corner. Was he paranoid? Maybe. Could anyone really blame him though? No.

They eventually wound up in the room of requirement, the only place private enough for this conversation, and one long overdue at that. Sure, they had had brief mentions of this before, but really Harry should have put a stop to this long ago, honestly as soon as the first whispers came in the way of the newspapers in fourth year.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione immediately demanded as soon as the door closed behind them. Dropping down onto a sofa, Harry sighed as he briefly considered the speeches he had rehearsed on the way there before blurting out "What people say, you know it's not true right?"

Hermione stared blankly at his barely coherent sentence, before politely asking what on earth he was talking about. Harry sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Why could he never express what he wanted too? "I just – what I meant was how – how are you feeling about the student essentially calling you a blood traitor and no doubt a load of other horrible, untrue things while also dealing with the nonsense the newspapers like to churn out? Because I know it does upset you and while we've talked about it before we haven't really talked about it, if you know what I mean?" Harry then fell silent, staring hopefully at her that she could spare some of her intelligence outside of class to decode what on earth he just stumbled out.

"Well, I," Hermione paused, pressing her lips together and taking a shaky breath that led to Harry swiftly grasping and squeezing her hand, letting her figure out what to say. "It hurts. No matter how hard I try, I'm never going to be accepted by purebloods. Not – not ones like Ron, I mean more the… traditionalists, if we're to be polite. And then now it turns out I'm not even accepted by the few people I thought who would, others like me, muggleborns. I – I just don't know what to do," her voice broke into a whisper as she hunched into herself. A heavy feeling sinking on top of Harry, he tugged her into him, arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder.

"I feel so unwanted," she sobbed, leaning into him. "My parents don't understand – they try, oh they try so hard, especially after Professor McGonagall's intervention but they never will understand the Wizarding World, how I'm such an outsider. They think just because I'm magical I fit in perfectly, that I finally have a place to belong and am no longer an outsider. But I'm not! I'm too muggle in this world and not enough in the muggle world. I just want to belong to someplace. But I don't. Not even with those like me, as now I'm too 'pureblood' with my titles. I just feel so alone."

Awkwardly tightening his arms around her in an attempt of a hug to comfort her, Harry kissed the top of her head as her words broke back down into heart wrenching sobs, thinking over what he could do. Or rather, the lack of what he could do. How could he make her feel better? He couldn't force her to be accepted by either purebloods or muggleborns and, the worst aspect was, it was really his fault. He had taken her to Gringotts, after all. Had he not, she may never had discovered her title, or not till she was more settled and accepted into a post Voldemort world, where hopefully a muggleborn claiming a title was a cause for celebration and not ostracization.

"Well," he said slowly, finally taking the breath to speak after her cries had quietened into the occasional hiccup or sniffle. "I think that your plan to stand in the Wizengamot should appease any muggleborn with enough to intelligence to pass first year," he rejoiced at the small laugh and rebuking elbow he received for the comment, "and as for any bigoted pureblood, well I'm not holding my breath but hopefully they'll at least shut up about it."

"Not with the newspapers still pushing me being a gold digger," Hermione said quietly, voice still subdued.

Harry snorted, "Honestly, it's absolute nonsense how they do that and then simultaneously complain about you getting titles and money, like they should at least stick to one story. Still," he concluded, frowning as he said something he'd rarely ever suggested, not since first year when he thought McGonagall would believe him, "I could talk to Sirius, see if he knows anyway to make the papers lay off you for a bit."

"You can't do that!" Hermione sat up, scandalised. At least she seemed a bit better now, Harry couldn't help think with a wince as he prepared for his lecture. "That's just what papers do, report on what's going on –"

"I wouldn't call gossiping about my girlfriend's motives for dating me 'reporting events' exactly."

"Yes, well, a lot of them have gossip columns, and anyway you having a girlfriend is an event. They're reporting on it while giving their – however unsavoury – opinion."

"Still, there must be some sort of regulation about it," he began to say, only to drift off when Hermione shook her head. If she said there wasn't, then there definitely wasn't. Thoughts flickering back to their last conversation before leaving Sirius, his mind was suddenly made up. If there wasn't anything currently in the Wizarding law that could protect Hermione, then he would make a law that would. Thinking back to the ways the newspapers, especially The Daily Prophet had treated him, only solidified his resolve. While they should have the freedom to comment on things, there was also a line, a line they had crossed long ago. Nodding to himself, that was it. Once all the necessary bills had passed surrounding the aftermath of the war and the equality of muggleborns, he would bring up imposing regulations around how far the newspapers could go from the facts to write an article.

Glancing at his girlfriend he didn't voice the thought as they left, knowing she would disagree with it and instead theorising on where Ron was as they began to hunt him down, only abandoning that when Neville gave them a heads up he last saw him with Lavender. Upon that information they made the choice to instead make their way back to the common room with Neville to give him an update on what Sirius had said, putting any thoughts of regulating newspapers further to the back of his mind. Only after he talked to Sirius again, see what he said, would he bring it up to Hermione.