SIXTEEN
JULY 1st 1995
Hermione stayed awake reading for a few hours with Remus, waiting for Sirius to come downstairs. The two of them curled up on two ends of the couch in the library, feet intertwined. They were both reading books on wizard law. Hermione was sure that Sirius would be let off. Of course, the last leg of the trial would mean that Sirius himself might have to go to the ministry. If he was convicted, he would be sent back to Azkaban immediately. Hopefully, the testimonies of everyone else would free him before that ever happened.
“I’m going to take one of the spare rooms,” Remus said, sitting up and set his book facedown. “I think I should stay here while the trial is going on.” Hermione nodded at him. He helped her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “Goodnight, Hermione. Sleep well.”
“‘Night Remus.”
Hermione walked up the stairs to her room, Sirius’ door closed across the hall. Hermione knocked lightly on it, pressing her ear to the door, but only silence greeted her. She sighed, opening hers. When the lights switched on, she gasped and gripped her wand tightly, startled by the person in the room. But it was just Sirius, curled in up in her bed, shivering. Hermione set her book down on the bedside table and pulled the bottle of firewhiskey from his grasp. He groaned, shivering violently. Tossing the bottle into the chair, Hermione went to the wardrobe and changed into pyjamas. With a flick of her wand, the lights went off and she climbed in beside Sirius. She touched his face and he pulled her closer until he was wrapped around her. Though his body was warm, he still shivered from that unbearable cold. Hermione held him close and slowly the shivers slowed and stopped altogether as they slept tangled up in one another.
JULY 2nd 1995
Hermione woke before him, curled in the same position as they had fallen asleep in. His breath was warm on her neck and Hermione couldn’t help the drop in her stomach at their closeness. His hot, hard length was pressed against her leg and she felt a flush creep up her body at the thought. No. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Sirius didn’t want her in that way, she knew. Or else he would have made some sort of move already. She moved her legs away from his and tried to fall back asleep. Twenty minutes of being too hot and uncomfortable, she just couldn’t make herself relax again. With a sigh, she pulled herself away from him and climbed out of bed. Hermione walked to the bathroom and climbed into the shower, turning the water on cold.
Bang. Hermione rushed from the bathroom, hastily wrapping a towel around herself. Sirius was sitting against the wall, scorch marks around his head. The door flew open and Remus stood, wand at the ready.
“Ow,” Sirius mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. His wand was next to him on the ground, smoking.
“What did you do?” Remus asked. He cast a look at Hermione and flushed at her nearly naked body. She wrapped the towel tighter around her and stepped towards Sirius.
“Are you alright?” She looked him over, seeing no obvious wounds.
“Ugh, I tried to cast with the wrong end of my wand,” Sirius grumbled. Hermione and Remus shared a short glance and burst into laughter. “Yeah, yeah, so funny.” Sirius pulled himself up and leaned against the wall, shaking his head back and forth. Hermione grabbed the post of the bed as she laughed, wet hair tangling around her face.
“You should take a look at your eyebrows, Pads,” Remus cackled and walked from the room, his laughter echoing as he made his way downstairs. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked Hermione over, leaning against the bed, almost nude. Sirius flushed, and then looked away. He’d never been embarrassed around a woman before in his life, but Hermione was a different thing altogether. Her laughs fell away as he moved closer to her. Their eyes met, and Hermione cast her eyes down, feeling more naked than she already was. Sirius reached up and tucked a wet curl away from her face. She looked up through her lashes and smiled lightly.
“I’m going to finish getting ready,” Hermione moved away from him and went back to the bathroom, contemplating another cold shower.
Sirius watched Hermione walk away and then made his way out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen. Remus was sitting, reading a book and eating breakfast. He broke into a grin when Sirius entered the room.
“Shove off, Moony.” Sirius dodged the grape Remus threw at his face. “I’m hungover and tired an-”
“Horny for a certain witch?” Remus smirked at him.
Sirius mouth fell open in shock for a few moments before he recovered, “No!” Remus stared. “Okay, maybe. But did you see her in that towel, Moony? Ridiculous”
Remus sighed, “Yes, I did.”
“You like her.”
“You like her too,”
They stared at each other for a few moments before swearing. Sirius put his face on the table and groaned. “Damn it, Remus. This is just cruel.”
Remus set his book down and covered his face, “You’ll have to be more specific.”
“You’re perfect for each other. Truly-” Sirius continued before Remus could cut him off, “I mean, you both like all the same things, you even talk the same.”
“You’re you, Padfoot.” Remus frowned, “I mean, your track record speaks for itself. Every woman loves you.”
“Alright, alright. Doesn’t matter. We can’t do anything unless she makes the first move.” Sirius closed his eyes, remembering the story of her torture, “She... she went through a lot and we can’t take the lead on this one.” He sat up and locked eyes with the werewolf.
“I wasn’t planning on taking any lead.”
“Neither was I.”
“Alright.”
“Alright.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Hermione entered the kitchen and both men jumped to their feet. She paused, looking between them. “Good… morning…?” She asked cautiously.
“Morning, love,” they both said, wincing as their words came out in unison.
“Right. Okay,” Hermione went to light the stove to boil the kettle, “You can sit down now.”
“Right,” they said together as they sat.
Hermione stared at them while she waited for the kettle. They both stared at the table, not making eye contact.
While pouring water Hermione cleared her throat, “So, the Weasleys get here today. And young me. That will be weird.” She paused but they didn’t say anything. “Okay, so I am going to take this pill now and be Hestia and you both should call me that. Remus and I met while he was abroad and now we’re all best friends and-”
“We know, Hermione,” Sirius finally spoke, “I did write it, you know.” He smiled at her and she stuck her tongue out.
“I read it over too,” Remus added. “We’re good to go if you are.” Hermione nodded and took the pill. It took a few moments before her body started to transform. Her hair grew down past her hips, her eyes darkened and she grew those few inches. Hermione shook out her hair and smiled at the men sitting at the table.
“Well?”
“You look great, Hestia,” Sirius said and they both grinned at her.
“Thank you,” Her voice was deeper, silkier. She didn’t like it. In fact, she was genuinely uncomfortable with it, but it would have to do. Hermione wanted to be involved with everything, and could only do that if she was Hestia.
Sirius walked up close to her, “It’s going to be okay. Promise.”
“I know,” she sighed and grabbed her tea with slightly larger hands. “I just don’t like it.” She sat down and pulled Remus’ book from him and opened it to the beginning to start reading. Remus only smiled and grabbed a different one from his bag.
“Oh, Remus! How good to see you!” Molly ran over to the werewolf and wrapped him in her arms. She patted him on the cheek, “Looking a bit peaky though, dear.”
“This is Hestia Jones,” Sirius said loudly to the Weasleys crowded around the kitchen. All the redheads waved at her and introduced themselves.
“I can show you all to your rooms,” Remus called from the kitchen door, “Just remember to be quiet in the hallways.” Remus led them all away and Hermione sighed with relief once they were gone. Hermione couldn’t remember ever feeling more overwhelmed by people she loved so much. It was hard seeing so many dead faces in one room. It didn’t help that they were loud and joyful and so full of life.
Remus reentered the kitchen and closed the door behind him, “They’re all settling in. How are you?” He asked Hermione softly.
“I’m alright?” She smiled shakily. “I actually think I might sequester myself to the library for a little while. I am feeling a little overwhelmed.”
“Sure, love,” Remus touched her arm gently, smiling as she passed. “Mind if I join you?” She shook her head and turned to look at Sirius.
“Want to sit with us?”
“That’s alright,” Sirius gave them a lacklustre smile and turned back to the cupboard with the alcohol in it. “Got other things to do besides read all day.”
“Whatever you say,” Hermione teased, turning to walk with Remus to the library. Immediately, out of the noise of the Weasleys and the tension she knew she alone felt with Sirius, Hermione finally relaxed. With Remus things were easy. They could sit for hours in comfortable silence, reading. They could also talk for those hours, rousing conversations about Magical Laws and ways to make new spells. Taking breaths felt safe, existing felt safe, even though war was brewing slowly but surely.
Hermione and Remus sat on opposite ends of the sofa, curling up, legs extended on either side of each other. Remus was reading a horrifying book about the dangers of werewolves while Hermione was reading about how to become an Animagus. She had been thinking about going through the process in order to spend full moons with Remus and Sirius.
The meditation and mandrake leaf could be lethal though if the magic wasn’t in the right state. Remus had been fast to tell her that she was, and always had been, the brightest witch of her age. Her magic, even after years of little to no use, was still powerful, just as powerful as Remus’. That didn’t change her anxiety surrounding the process. Or the anxiety of finding out the animal she would turn into. She hadn’t cast a Patronus in years and hadn’t even an inkling what her Animagus form would be.
“Hestia, is it?” Ginny Weasley sat down in front of the sofa on the ground. Hermione jumped and turned to look at her.
“Uh, yes, sorry,” Hermione sat her book down and turned to face her. Remus smiled over the top of his reading.
“So, what is your deal? Did you go to Hogwarts with Professor Lupin?”
“Please call me Remus, Ginny. I’ve not been your professor for over a year,” Remus said, not looking up from his book. Ginny flushed and nodded.
“Uh, no, I didn’t. I was homeschooled. My parents travelled quite a lot.” Hermione recited.
“Cool!” Ginny grinned at her, “So how did you all meet?”
“I was travelling and so was Remus. We met in France. I was doing some research on werewolves and well, you know.” Hermione smiled over and Remus and placed her hand on his leg. “So he and I started talking and we-”
Ginny squealed, “Are you guys together?”
“No!” Hermione and Remus said rather loudly, moving away from one another.
“Oh,” Ginny said, crestfallen. She looked between them slowly.
“No, we are just very good friends.” Hermione glanced at Remus and he was frowning now, trying to go back to reading his book. Hermione unconsciously laid her hand on his knee while she continued to speak to Ginny. Molly and Arthur made their way into the library to sit with them, joining their daughter in quizzing Hermione incessantly about her life.
“So you just moved in with them?” Ginny asked as Sirius sauntered over to the couch. He nudged Hermione over to the middle and squeezed in, Remus’ legs over both their laps.
“How could you not want to move in with this?” Sirius teased. Hermione rolled her eyes and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. The hair slapped him in the face and he nabbed it with his teeth. She pulled on it and he grinned around her hair, eyes sparkling.
“Let go you arse!” Hermione groaned, pushing his face.
“Language!” Molly called as she was walking from the room, shaking her head. Hermione figured she'd had enough of the quizzing and wanted to start dinner, “And here I thought there was another adult in this house.” Arthur smiled at them and followed after his wife.
Sirius grabbed the wet hair from his mouth and shoved it in Hermione’s face. Remus snaked his arm around Hermione and poked Sirius in the ribs. He let out a shriek and jumped away from them, clutching his hands to his sides. Ginny and Hermione burst into laughter, Hermione falling back against Remus’ chest in a fit of giggles.
“Not funny,” Sirius said in a lower voice than normal. Hermione snickered into her hands as Ginny fell over sideways, cackling.
“Sirius Black is ticklish,” Hermione gasped.
Remus coughed, “Very ticklish,” He grinned at the glare Sirius was shooting at him.