THIRTY-FOUR
The kitchen was cloaked in an uneasy silence, save for the occasional clink of the firewhiskey bottle against the rim of one of the three glasses on the table. Sirius leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as a closed book. Remus sat with his hands clasped together, his thumbs pressing nervously against each other. Hermione was the first to break the stillness, her face calm but her gaze fixed on Remus with a weight that was impossible to ignore.
The firewhiskey had done little to dull the tension in the air. Sirius’s empty glass sat next to the bottle, his fingers drumming an irregular beat on the wooden tabletop. Hermione’s own glass was mostly untouched. Her emotions weren’t anger, sadness, or even disappointment. If anything, she felt a faint ache of understanding tinged with frustration. She wished he’d just told her.
“Remus,” Hermione began, her tone steady but soft, “you know communication is important in relationships, don’t you?”
Remus flinched slightly, as though the words had landed with physical force. He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“I… I know,” he murmured, his voice thick with guilt. “I just… it’s complicated, Hermione. I didn’t know how to explain it without sounding…”
“Without sounding what?” Hermione prompted, her voice free of judgment.
He shook his head, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips. “Like an old fool, probably.”
Hermione sighed, standing up and walking around the table to where he sat. She knelt down beside him, her hands finding his. “Remus, you don’t have to carry everything on your own. You’re not a fool, and even if you were, you’re my fool.”
She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips—a gesture of reassurance more than passion. When she pulled back, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. “I love you,” she said, her voice steady and certain. “And more than that, you’re my best friend. But please, don’t shut me out again. Promise me that.”
Remus’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, emotion threatening to overtake him. “I promise,” he whispered, his arms tightening around her.
Sirius cleared his throat loudly, breaking the tender moment. Both Hermione and Remus turned to him, and he was fixing Remus with a look that could have cut through stone.
“Now that’s all very touching,” Sirius began, his tone deceptively light. “But let me make one thing clear, Moony. If you hurt my baby cousin, I will hunt you down. Werewolf or not, I’ll find a way to make you regret it. Are we clear?”
Hermione rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “Sirius, stop being dramatic.”
“I’m not being dramatic,” Sirius replied, though the faintest glimmer of a smirk betrayed him. “I’m being responsible. Someone has to be, after all.”
Remus gave a faint, nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. “Crystal clear, Sirius. No need for hexes or dueling wands.”
Satisfied, Sirius leaned back in his chair, a smug grin firmly in place.
Hermione stood and returned to her seat, though now her mood had lightened considerably. She took a small sip of her firewhiskey, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I’ve just had the most brilliant idea,” she announced.
Remus groaned softly. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
“I think we should invite Tonks over,” Hermione said brightly, ignoring his protest. “Wouldn’t that be nice? She’s been such a good friend, and she deserves to feel welcome here.”
Remus’s expression turned into a mask of quiet dread. “Hermione…”
“What?” she asked innocently, her smile growing wider. “You just told me everything, and I’m so proud of you for finally getting your head out of your arse. It’s progress, Remus.”
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, this is going to be fun. I’ll fetch the good firewhiskey for that visit.”
Remus sighed, his head falling into his hands. “I am less thrilled about this than you think,” he muttered.
Hermione only laughed, her mood entirely unshaken. “Trust me, Remus. It’ll be a blast.”
Remus wasn’t so sure, but the warmth of her smile and the way she reached for his hand made him want to believe it could be. For now, that would have to be enough.