FIFTEEN
JULY 1st 1995
Hermione woke again with Sirius wrapped around her.
After staying up all night talking, they came to a conclusion: they were going to blackmail the Ministry of Magic.
Once all the children showed up for the summer break, Sirius and Hermione (who would be disguised by then), would get memories from Harry, Ron, young Hermione, and Remus. They would go to Dumbledore and demand he fight for Sirius to have a trial as the head of the Wizengmont. He would only be that for few months longer, so Hermione had to act fast. If Fudge didn’t want to give Sirius a trial, well, Hermione planned to make it publicly known that Sirius Black was never given a trial. That Cornelius Fudge himself had neglected to give him his due process.
Hermione was sure that if Fudge’s reputation was on the line, he would do anything.
Sirius stirred and he opened his bright grey eyes to look at her. She smiled at him, “Good morning.”
“Did we both sleep through the rest of the night?” Sirius asked, untangling himself from her and stretching.
“Mhm,” Hermione cast a quick tempus. “It’s nearly nine. We’re trying all the Polyjuice today.”
Hermione had separated all the hairs by magic, and then she and Remus had combed through them by hand to make sure all the hairs were with like-kind. Hermione didn’t want a repeat of the last time she had tried polyjuice with an unknown hair.
Hermione pulled herself from the bed and grabbed clothing from the wardrobe while Sirius made the bed with a wave of his hand.
“See you downstairs,” Sirius called as he left the room. As the door shut behind him, Hermione collapsed back on the bed.
Sirius Black.
She’d told him everything that Fenrir had done. Now he’ll never touch me, Hermione thought desperately and then blushed. Not that she wanted him to touch her in any sort of way, of course.
She covered her face and let out a groan. They couldn’t keep sharing a bed and expect nothing to happen. With another groan, she stood up and dressed for the day in frustration. Sirius Black made Hermione Granger very frustrated.
“On three,” Hermione lifted her murky green potion, “One-two-three-” They all drank the tiny bit of liquid in their vials. Sirius, a dark pink, Remus, a light blue. All the consistency of mud.
Hermione felt her body start to bubble and searing pain raced through her joints.
“Oh, fuck,” Sirius swore as he slowly shrank down to a little girl with amber hair. Remus had turned into a middle-aged man with shiny, blonde hair. Hermione looked in the mirror. She was a much older woman with very short salt and pepper hair.
“I think no.” Hermione turned to them. They only had a few moments before the potion wore off. By her and Remus’ calculations, about 2 minutes and 37 seconds.
“Come the fuck on,” the girl said in a high voice. Hermione and Remus burst into laughter. “Shut up!” Sirius yelled. Her red face only made them laugh harder. They painfully shifted back into themselves and Hermione banished the three piles of hair.
“Alight, again.” Remus said. They all nodded.
Hermione became a tall, balding older man, Remus a young teenage boy, and Sirius a twenty-something woman with dark hair and sparkling blue eyes.
“That might work,” Remus said, nodding at Sirius.
“Oh yeah” Sirius put his hands on his breasts and shook them, “Defo.”
“Shove off,” Hermione snapped, “Stop that. She looks perfect. Let me try the next round." Once they turned back, Hermione put a piece of the back hair into a larger vile, about thirty minutes of time and downed it.
Her chestnut curls straightened to long, hip-length black hair. Her chocolate brown eyes lightened. She grew several centimetres. Hermione blinked at them and Sirius grinned at her.
“How does it feel?” Remus asked, moving over to examine her face.
“Weird.” Her voice was deeper and more melodic and she flinched, taken aback. “I’ll just have to get used to it, I suppose.” She ran her longer fingers through her straight, untangled hair. “I wish-” Tears sprang unexpectedly to her eyes and Remus reached out and pulled her into his arms. “I want to be myself.”
“You are, love,” Remus answered her, “We know who you are.”
“I know,” Hermione pulled away and wiped her face. Even that felt foreign.
“Why don’t you practice some spells.” Sirius offered, standing behind Remus. “Get used to casting in this new body.”
“Yeah,” Hermione moved away from them and took a deep breath, casting several spells. It took a few to get used to having larger hands. As she conjured a garland of flowers, she felt her hair curling. She sighed with relief when she was herself again.
“You’re Hermione,” Sirius whispered to her as he handed her a roll of parchment. “You’re not her, you’re Hermione.”
“I know,” She smiled at him, “Thank you.”
“I finished your secret identity.” He declared. Sirius had been writing furiously while she was practising. Remus rolled his eyes from where he was spelling the potion into powder form. Hermione took the roll of parchment from him.
“Hestia Jones?”
“Mhm,” Sirius threw himself down into a chair and propped his feet up.
“Wow, you really went for it,” Hermione scanned Hestia Jones’ life story, from birth to now.
“Course I did, love.” Sirius leaned back in his chair.
“I’m serious-”
“No, I’m Sirius.”
Both Remus and Hermione groaned loudly.
Remus muttered, “Merlin’s soggy pants.” and shot small sparks at Sirius’ face.
Sirius yelled, “Ow! Fuck!” Hermione let out a bubble of laughter, “Alright, dicks,” Sirius glared at them both.
“That’s what you get for shit jokes, love,” Hermione sat next to Remus and started putting the powder in small capsules.
Grimmauld Place was about to become the official Headquarters for the Order of the Pheonix and Hermione would need to be disguised most of the time. One pill would last, by Remus’ and Hermione’s calculations, nineteen and a half hours. She would take one every morning when she woke up and make sure she was alone when it was time for it to fade away.
“So, there’s a bit extra,” Remus said, holding up a vial of powder, “I am going to put it in these smaller tablets, maybe about 5 hours worth so you can have them just in case.”
“Oh, you smart, smart wizard,” Hermione kissed his shoulder and smiled up at him. He grinned down at her and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.
Sirius looked on at their interaction and frowned, his brow knitting together. Remus and Hermione continued to mutter to one another, smiles playing at their lips.
Sirius stood and left them to their potions lab.
In the kitchen, Sirius downed another glass of firewhiskey and poured more. He thought that Remus and Hermione’s interactions were easy. Right. And the feelings he was trying to desperately keep hidden couldn’t help but surge at the thought of them together.
He couldn’t deny his feelings for Hermione, at least not to himself. Sleeping next to her every night definitely didn’t make that any easier. But he couldn’t bear to go back to sleeping alone. Not after the twelve years alone on the cold floor.
He shivered, feeling that endless chill still all over his body. He had rarely felt warm since escaping Azkaban. The chill of the Dementors still haunted him every moment. Except when he was with Hermione. She was bright and warm. Warmer than firewhiskey. Warmer than curling up by the roaring fire as Padfoot. Hermione was sunshine to him, especially since he hadn’t been outside in the sunshine as himself in months. Another shiver raged through him and he winced, throwing back the firewhiskey. Hermione’s laugh filtered up the stairs and Sirius sighed.
He would, of course, step aside if Remus wanted to be with Hermione. Though that would be an uncomfortable conversation. The two men’s dynamic had certainly changed since Hermione had entered their lives. They hadn’t been as close since she’d shown up. Emotionally or physically. Maybe that was because they were both leaning so heavily on Hermione since she’d arrived.
“Oi!” Hermione called up the stairs. “Sirius!” There was a thundering of footsteps as the two came up from the cellar. Hermione’s eyes fell on the empty glass in front of him and she frowned.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Sirius nodded, “Wasn’t all me,” he held up the half-empty bottle, “If I recall, I had to help a certain werewolf to the floo last night.” Hermione continued to look at him, cocking her head a bit to the side. “I’m alright, I’m just...cold.” Hermione and Remus locked eyes and grinned.
“No-” Sirius started, but they jumped and enveloped him in their arms. He jokingly tried pushing them off, cursing wildly.
“Shh, shh, accept it,” Hermione shushed him and he finally relented, letting himself relax and be warmed by their embrace.
“Better?” Remus asked. Sirius nodded against his chest. “You know you can ask us for help, Pads.” Hermione nodded vigorously.
“I know.”
“We’re here for you, love,” Hermione told him.
“I know.”
“The three of us, well, we’ve got to stick together, I think.” Hermione’s voice caught, “You two are my best friends.”
“Me too,” Remus and Sirius whispered. Hermione smiled against Sirius’ shoulder. They stood together like that for a long time, holding one another. Sirius relished being surrounded on all sides by the two people he loved most. Hermione’s shampoo wafted over him and he inhaled deeply. Her scent mingled with Remus’ scent. The wolf’s scent was bound to Sirius’ animagus form deeply. In the presence of his alpha, Sirius felt safe, magic coursing through him and between them all. In their arms, Sirius could relax for the first time in a long time. The Dementors couldn’t get him here, in the arms of people that made him so happy he could create the worlds strongest Patronus if he really tried.
After what felt like hours (or minutes, none of them really knew), Hermione untangled herself from the two men. “In the vain of sticking together…” Hermione took a shaky breath, “I think it’s time to talk to Dumbledore.”
“Fuck that’ll suck,” Sirius muttered and Remus slowly pulled away from him.
“You’re telling me.” Hermione groaned. Silently, they gathered everything they'd prepared for the meeting that day. They tumbled through the floo, Hermione holding everything they needed.
“Hello Miss Granger,” Dumbledore smiled from behind his desk, “Sirius, Remus.” The younger wizard’s nodded their heads.
“Hello, Albus,” Hermione put her things on the desk unceremoniously. She was pale, and Remus could smell the nervous sweat coming from her. She put on a great front in front of the old wizard though. “We’re here to talk business, so please forgive me if I skip the pleasantries. As you know, Sirius is offering Grimmauld Place to be the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Since I refuse to leave Number 12, we have come up with a solution.” Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at this and Hermione ploughed on. “I have Polyjuice potion for a full year. Remus and I have made it into pill form. My name is Hestia Jones, I have a full backstory. I am going to need you to call in a favour to the Ministry to get all of my papers back-filed.” Hermione handed Dumbledore a copy of the life Sirius had written for her, and official-looking papers that she had made in the kitchen right before they left.
“Miss Granger-”
“Dumbledore, I hate to do this, but I know where every Horcrux is. If you want my help, if you want to be involved at all, we need to get this done.”
“Hermione-” Remus murmured warningly.
“I mean it, Dumbledore.”
Silence filled the room and Fawkes cooed from the corner. Hermione continued to stare at the old wizard until he leant back in his chair.
“I don’t appreciate being blackmailed, Miss Granger.”
“I don’t appreciate a lot of things,” Hermione snapped, “But this isn't blackmailing. If I wanted to actually blackmail you, I could.” Hermione smiled humorlessly, “You do things for me, and I will do things for you.” Dumbledore stared at her before nodding once and Hermione grinned brightly, her rocky exterior breaking slightly.
“Wonderful!” Hermione tapped the papers. “This is everything a full-grown witch would need. Even a wand description, though it’s from a wandmaker in America that I think you know, Kaneonuskatew. We’ve taken the liberty of inviting the Weasleys, young Miss Granger, and Harry to Grimmauld Place.”
“Harry has to-”
“No.” Hermione cut him off sharply, “No. The Weasley family and young Hermione will be arriving tomorrow. Harry will be here in 3 days. An advance guard is going to go get him. I have already chosen who it will be, and I assume you have already contacted these people to join the Order. Please inform them of the new headquarters. They can come and go as they please once they are made privy to its location.”
“I was planning to cast a Fidelius Charm,” Dumbledore told the three of them.
“We already did,” Hermione smiled again, “Remus is secret keeper. Here are several pieces of paper Remus made so you can hand them out to those you would like to join.” Hermione handed him a stack. “Here are the people that will be going to retrieve Harry.”
“Thank you, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore smiled serenely at her, clearly trying to be calm and unsurprised by her.
“You might want to get used to calling me, Miss Jones.”
“Oh, yes, I apologize, Miss Jones.” His eyes twinkled behind the spectacles and Hermione could feel him trying to probe into her thoughts. Her Occlumency shields went up immediately and she pushed him out, shaking her head with a smile.
“So the last thing we need to talk about Albus,” At this Hermione put her hands on the desk and leaned in close to him, “We are going to make Sirius Black a free man.”
Dumbledore blinked at her.
“I am going to send an anonymous tip to Cornelius Fudge that we know Sirius Black is innocent. And more than that, that he was never given a trial. There is a certain cunt-faced witch-” Hermione ignored Dumbledore’s quiet comment of ‘language’, “that owes me -well, younger me- a big old favour if she doesn’t want the world to know she’s an unregistered Animagus. She will print the story if Fudge doesn’t launch a trial with Amelia Bones as the lead investigator. She’s fair, and the Ministry is pretty fucking biased right now.”
“Amelia hasn’t been on the Investigation Department in a long time,” Dumbledore stated.
Hermione scowled, “So convince her . We have to go around Dolores Umbridge in order to get things moving, and Amelia can do that. We need to make sure it happens soon, or it won’t be able to happen.”
“I will do my best,” Dumbledore relented, holding his hands up. “Aside from what you might believe, I want Sirius free as much as you do.” Sirius snorted and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
“I am sorry, Albus, but I have a really hard time believing that. You didn’t even make the effort. You suspected he was innocent and you didn’t give a shit,” Hermione snarled. Remus put a hand on her shoulder warningly. Hermione shook him off and glared at Dumbledore, “If the odds are not in his favour by the end of the trail, you will testify on Sirius’ behalf. With a Pensive or Veritersirum if you have to. You owe him. He spent twelve years being tortured in Azkaban because a certain Chief Warlock didn’t think to make sure he received a proper, legal trial.”
“I-” Dumbledore looked at Sirius, who’s fists were clenched and shaking.
“I am positive you know, Dumbledore, that the Chief Warlock has the power to call any criminal to trial from Azkaban, no matter how long he has been there,” Hermione growled, her voice low.
“What?” Both Sirius and Remus asked, incredulously, staring at the old Headmaster.
Remus stepped forward, eyes flashing, “You could have pulled him from Azkaban at any time?!”
“Remus, you must understand, that there wasn’t enough evidence for-”
“But you didn’t even try!” Remus snarled, eyes bright and silver.
Dumbledore’s face was more lined than Hermione had ever seen it, “I know. I apologize, Sirius.”
“Stop!” Hermione snapped, “Make it up to him now.” She glanced back at Sirius, who was facing away from them, shaking. “Thankfully, I think Fudge will be... inclined to keep you as Cheif Warlock until this trial ends, but this still needs to happen as soon as possible.” Hermione stopped talking and stared at Dumbledore for several moments.
“It will be taken care of,” Albus dipped his head, “Miss Jones.”
Hermione turned her back and walked up to Floo, lighting the fire with her wand. She handed Remus the powder and he vanished. She turned to Sirius. He was white as a sheet, eyes screwed shut. Her gut clenched, pain for him coursing through her. Wand twitching, she glared over Sirius’ shoulder at Dumbledore. His bright ocean coloured eyes looked sad and Hermione found that it only made her angrier.
“Come along, love,” Hermione whispered and lead Sirius into the fire and they spun back to Grimmauld Place. Without a word, Sirius stepped from the floo and went up the stairs to the bedrooms. Hermione sighed and sat at the kitchen table, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. Remus came behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“I can’t believe Dumbledore did that to Sirius,” Remus whispered, thumbs rubbing circles on her shoulders. “I can’t believe I didn’t know.”
“No one knew,” Hermione leant back against him, “It’s not like Sirius could tell anyone.”
“Do you think this will work?”
“It has to.”