Hermione was sitting in the library of Grimmauld Place reminiscing over the past few months; they were surprising and beautiful in all the right ways.

She'd gotten drunk and finally kissed Sirius after months, nay years, of pining after him, and surprisingly, it hadn't ruined everything. She'd woken up his bed to find he was quite pleased with her initiative.

It started with them taking rides on his motorbike, which took some serious convincing from Sirius, and then it evolved into nights spent in the library watching muggle films. Sirius had an affinity for anything with action and adventure, and she couldn't deny him the innocent pleasure of watching movies. It made her nights so much better, no longer sitting in her room alone reading a book wondering what he was doing somewhere in the house. After the kiss she no longer saw living in Grimmauld Place with only Sirius as a difficulty, but as a blessing. Harry and Ginny had moved out when they'd gotten married, and Hermione had thought of getting a place of her own. But she wasn't particularly inclined, as least at Grimmauld Place, she felt safe. Now they had all the privacy and space to explore whatever was growing between the two of them. She more often than not slept in his room, and they were falling into a domestic routine that warmed her heart. Sirius had been very gallant and proper after a few weeks and asked her to be "his witch." She had to keep herself from laughing at the formality of it because she could see how nervous he was, though she didn't understand why. She already felt like his witch and hadn't given him any indication that she didn't want to be.

After that they'd spent two days wrapped up in the sheets of his bed, a tangle of sweet words and limbs. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. It was more than Hermione had even dreamed of; the way he looked at her threatened to stop her heart.

After those two days, Harry came around looking for them, and they'd both pretended that nothing had happened. It felt wrong; she hated lying to Harry. But neither knew how to admit to him what had been happening; they cared so much about him they couldn't bear the thought of pushing him away. After he left, they discussed what they were going to do and decided they need to tell him. As soon as possible because neither could face lying to him for long and if they genuinely were together, they couldn't keep it a secret from everyone. How could they? It felt like a betrayal, and neither liked how the false words felt on their lips.

Sirius asked Harry and Ginny over for dinner the next night, and they happily obliged. Both Sirius and Hermione had been scarce the past few weeks, and they were excited to see their friends.

OoOoO

"Excuse me, what?" Harry asked, the shock evident on his face.

"Harry-" Hermione started to explain but was cut off by a shrill screech coming from Ginny. Everyone's head snapped to attention, looking at the red-faced witch before them.

"You finally did it!" Ginny screeched, toppling over her chair as she rounded the table to pull Hermione into a big hug.

"Gin-" Harry started his tone stern and out of place coming from him.

"Don't you dare Harry. They are happy, can't you see?" Ginny snapped, her arms not loosening their grip on Hermione one bit.

Sirius stared on in shock; Ginny reminded him so much of Lily in that moment, it was startling.

"But Gin-" Harry tried again but was once again interrupted by his wife.

"What? What problem could you possibly have?" She snapped once again.

"Just, well, he's so much older than her," Harry said sheepishly.

"And did you ever think Hermione was going to be happy with someone our age? None of them can even keep up with her. Should I remind you of the McLaggen debacle, or the Ronald debacle, or the Krum debacle?" Ginny replied, finally returning to her seat beside her husband.

"A parade, huh?" Sirius asked Hermione in a hoarse whisper, desperately trying not to incur the wrath of the red-headed witch across from him. Hermione couldn't do more than chuckle at everything happening in front of her. Of course, Ginny would be their biggest supporter; she hadn't been worried about that. But she hadn't expected to have Ginny do the arguing for them.

"Does he make you happy?" Harry asked Hermione, rousing her from her thoughts.

"Very happy," Hermione told him with a smile, Sirius squeezed her knee under the table in response.

"I know you're my god-father and all, but if you hurt her-" Harry began, the threatening tone of his voice seeming to amuse everyone, even him.

"Harry-" Sirius started to reply.

"No, Darling, this is how you threaten," Ginny said with a smile that was decidedly too sweet before she was standing right next to Sirius. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear. His face paled, and he nodded in agreement of whatever words had passed between them, and Ginny looked pleased with herself.

OoOoO

Sirius had told Remus and Tonks on his own, Hermione didn't want the awkwardness of telling her former professor that she was now exclusively sleeping with his best friend. Instead, she curled up in the library with a book and a glass of wine while Sirius took them out for a drink. When he returned, he was sloshed and informed her that he had been pleasantly threatened and congratulated by the couple.

OoOoO

"I don't want to go," Hermione said, poking her head into their bedroom from the hallway.

"Not an option, love, we promised Harry," Sirius replied without looking up, this was the fifth time she'd told him in an hour, and he was too busy looking for an unwrinkled shirt to pay it any mind.

"But it's going to go badly. I can feel it." She replied as she summoned a shirt from the downstairs laundry room for him.

"Thanks, Kitten," He told her before throwing it on, "It's not gonna go bad, we both know Ginevra Potter would never allow it."

"Molly is going to call you a lech," Hermione stated, "Ron is either going to want to fight you or insult me, and George is going to be entirely too pleased with the situation."

"First of all, Molly has always thought I'm a lech," He replied with a cheeky grin, "And secondly, I can handle Ronald Weasley."

"I just- I'm scared." She admitted the worry plain on her face.

"I know love," Sirius told her, pulling her into a hug "If you're having second thoughts-"

"Sirius, no." Hermione tried to explain, "It's not us that has me scared. They're the only family I have left, and I know they can be a tad judgmental. It's scary."

"I know, Molly Weasley will never be my biggest fan. It's pointless to try and make her. Ron will probably hate me even more after tonight than he did when I almost bit his leg off. But it doesn't matter, because I have you." Sirius told her, holding her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes as he spoke.

It felt like a wave of relief was crashing over her. Without her parents around the Weasley's were the closest thing she had to family, but Sirius was right. She couldn't control their opinions of their relationship, but she'd have him no matter what they said, and that was more than enough comfort. Hermione couldn't; no, she wouldn't let them influence her to ruin the first time she'd felt truly herself since the war. Whenever she was with him, he melted away the tension she hadn't realized she'd been carrying around. It felt like coming home and going on an adventure at the same time. She could relax, be herself without worry that he would think she was an annoying know-it-all, or bossy. He liked that she knew so much, how she couldn't mistreat a book, and how she always wanted to help. She loved how he made her relax, how easily he could wind her up or down. He was like playfulness in a bottle, just speaking to him put her in a good mood. There were nights spent in front of the fire reading to each other, and afternoons chasing each other around the house, giggling like a pair of teenagers. Sometimes they'd go out for walks or to a muggle cafe and blend in seamlessly with those around them. They weren't a war hero and an exonerated convict when they were together; they were just them. It was peace neither knew they'd been looking for, but once they found it couldn't deny how right it felt.

"I love you." Hermione breathed, mostly to herself, but she knew he'd heard her. She tensed a bit because they hadn't said it yet. Hermione knew that it was complicated for him; he wasn't free with his emotions like she was. He wasn't emotionless, just guarded, and she respected that.

She looked up at him, panic tingeing her eyes, and he gave her a smile that would've turned any witches' legs to jelly.

"I love you too, Kitten," He told her, pulling her into a kiss. He kissed her with a tenderness that had her melting into his arms. His hands were gently, yet firmly, grasping her waist and behind her neck. Holding her to him as if their kiss was oxygen, their lips worked against each other in a quiet harmony that only proved how perfect they were together. He knew every curve of her lips after the months they'd spent together, but he still kissed her like it was the first and last time he'd be able. It left her breathless, curling into his chest, just trying to touch as much of his as she could.

"Just think Kitten, after tonight, I can kiss you like that all over wizarding London." He informed her with a cheeky grin, "And I plan too."