It's been a long time since I've updated this story. Thank you for sticking with me. This chapter begins almost directly from the previous chapter so you might want to refresh your memory by reading chapter 6 again. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

"What's the matter with Harry," asked Remus while entering the kitchen looking as if he'd recently been shagged within an inch of his life.

Grinning, Sirius inquired with a quirk of one dark brow, "Have a good time with Nymphadora, did you?"

Blushing, Remus admonished his best mate, "That's private, Sirius."

Unabashed, Sirius continued with relish, "Am I just supposed to ignore it when you come home looking all frightfully ravished? I can only assume that you and your voracious woman took her lunch break as an opportunity for some afternoon delight?"

Shaking his shaggy head, Remus laughingly admitted, "In point of fact, yes we did. That, you awful git, is all you're getting out of me."

Pouting, Sirius replied, "I always give you a very detailed version of events when it comes to all my lady-loves and our shenanigans without you even having to ask."

"I don't ask, because I don't want to know," Remus explained with rather a pained expression, no doubt remembering Sirius' latest conquest and how his friend had rhapsodized on and on about her thighs of steel. "Besides, don't you think it'd be a tad inappropriate of me to divulge intimate details between me and your cousin."

Sirius' handsome face twisted in disgust. "Never thought of it like that, mate. You're right though, that would be disagreeable since she's family and all."

Determined to get the conversation away from his love life, Remus asked again, "What's wrong with Harry? I poked my head into the library on my way through and there he was, face down on the couch looking for all the world as if he were still sporting a killer hang-over."

Sirius' expression sobered slightly, then he said, "You remember how Harry totally stuffed it up with me last evening?" Remus nodded. "Today, he totally stuffed it up with Hermione."

Curious, Remus asked, "How in the world did that happen?"

Shrugging, Sirius continued, "We'd finished shopping for school supplies and Harry wanted to go see Hermione in her new Head Girl quarters. While there, Cedric Diggory showed up and according to Harry, Hermione was expecting the other boy, which disturbed him because they looked quite comfortable and familiar with each other."

"Oh, Merlin," Remus murmured. "What did Harry do?"

"Well, for awhile nothing," Sirius said. "Just sat there and listened to them go on and on about assorted teas and Cedric's new business venture. Amos' outrageously good-looking son, in Harry words, kept saying that his Hermione – Harry's Hermione – had been invaluable in various ways and that he would be forever grateful for her assistance and other such rot as that."

Brow furrowed, Remus commented, "His Hermione? That doesn't sound like Harry. Since when did he get so possessive?"

"I know," Sirius agreed with a slight grin. "I think our lad is growing up and finally seeing the possibilities."

"With Hermione, you mean?"

"Don't sound so shocked, Moony," Sirius quipped while adding a substantial amount of sugar to his coffee. After taking several sips of the strong brew, he casually threw out, "It's not as if you haven't thought about it a time or two."

"I… I have not," Remus stuttered, face heated red with embarrassment.

"Aw, come on Moony," Sirius teased his friend, "I know when you're itching to get into a birds britches."

"You do both Hermione and me a grave disservice when you make such inappropriate and inaccurate insinuations," Remus shot back with a frown. "Not to mention the fact that she's a child."

"Now who's doing who a disservice," Sirius wondered, expression thoughtful. "She isn't, you know. A child, I mean. Hermione's years ahead of her classmates in both maturity and wisdom. She's practically a mini-Molly Weasley only better looking, kinder and less judgmental. She hovers around Harry and Ron like a mother hen clucking nervously around her little baby chicks."

"She's like that with all the people she cares about," Remus commented with a fond smile. "She's even taken you to task."

Nodding his dark head, Sirius agreed with a grin, "That she has, although I'm afraid she's doomed to be perpetually disappointed in me. I don't take well to mothering, and I don't plan on growing up anytime too soon."

"Lost boy," Remus whispered reflectively.

Rearing back, Sirius rapped out, "What?!"

"It's what Hermione called you once," Remus quietly informed his friend. "You were sleeping on the sofa in the library. Hermione came in, to get a book, I would assume and saw you there. I was reading in that ratty wing-back chair I like so much, so she didn't see me. She looked down at you with this serene, yet sad expression. As she reached down to brush a strand of hair from your face, she whispered in the gentlest tone, 'Poor, lovely lost boy.'" Remus paused, "I've never forgotten it. There was such tenderness in her words and actions."

Sirius stared into the depths of his lukewarm coffee, fighting the burning building behind his eyes before rasping out bitterly, "I don't need Hermione Granger's pity."

"Don't be a damned dolt," Remus exclaimed, shocked at his friends' reaction. "It wasn't pity. It was caring and kindness. You mean a lot to her even though you rub each other up the wrong way most of the time. Merlin, the bickering you to do at each other is both hilarious and tiresome."

"Perhaps it's unresolved sexual tension," Sirius suggested, grey eyes gleaming with mischief.

Remus let out a laugh, before saying, "Doubtful. I've never seen her look at you with anything other than indulgent affection or raging wrath."

"It's not my fault that my masculine magic doesn't work on stubborn, cerebral witches," Sirius proclaimed, sounding morose.

"It sure doesn't," Remus agreed, knowing full well that Sirius had no interest in a witch's brain and any witch with a working one, would stay well away from this leering Lothario. "Now that that's decided, what are we going to do about Harry?"

Negligently shrugging his shoulders, Sirius remarked with unusual aplomb, "Nothing we can do. It's on Harry to make this right."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Remus inquired slowly, "Aren't you being a bit rough on him? Maybe he needs some sound advice."

Standing swiftly, Sirius crossed to the sink, calling over his shoulder, "I did give him some sound advice. Very sound, if I do say so myself."

Remus quirked a brow, then asked, "What was your advice, oh wise one?"

Turning while wiping his hands on a dishrag, Sirius grinned widely and said, "I told him to stop acting like an unmitigated, impulsive, moronic, idiotic arse."

Remus' lips twitched. "What sort of reception did that advice get?"

Cocking his head to the side, Sirius responded, eyes gleaming with barely suppressed mirth, "Not a good one. At first. Then, Harry mumbled something about 'arse' being his middle name lately. After that, he retreated to the couch where you happened upon him on your return."

Remus thought for a moment and then said, "I can't help feeling sorry for the lad."

"Well, if he'd just hurry up and admit he has feelings for Hermione that go beyond the platonic, maybe he'd get himself out of this slump," Sirius retorted, exasperated.

"Thought he was gone on Ginny Weasley," Remus mused.

Sirius snorted loudly. "So did he until Hufflepuffs' former Head-Boy Heartthrob made his interest in Hermione known. Harry went clear off his head at me last night when I agreed that she was pretty, and when he discovered that the Diggory boy has his eye on her, he went mental. The way he tells it now, Hermione would be completely within her rights to hex his ears off and other more dangling, delicate bits of his anatomy. Clearly, Harry has feelings for our favorite lioness, even if he's not ready to admit to, or explore those feelings just yet. He's at least smart enough to see he was in the wrong."

"He sounds remorseful."

"He does now," Sirius agreed amiably. "He wasn't all that remorseful when he first came into the house hell-bent on telling me his sordid story. He was in a right tear, that one."

"What in the world brought his roll to hold, then," Remus wondered, staring at his best mate with trepidation.

Sirius barked a brief laugh. "Now don't going worrying yourself. I didn't have to beat it into him. He got there all on his own. Honestly, not long after he went on his tirade, Harry came to the realization on the truth of things. His anger dissipated right before my eyes. Poor kid looked as if he'd been tramped by a herd of untamed dragons. He started beating himself up about how he'd mismanaged the whole situation much better and more thoroughly than any physical beating I could have given him would have."

"He's working on a suitably contrite apology while there on the sofa, I presume," Remus hazarded a guess.

"Moony," Sirius began, clapping him firmly on the shoulder. "My guess is that it'll have to be the greatest apology in history while he grovels on the ground like a frantic flobberworm in order to appease that little fire-brand. On top of that, Harry might have to agree to be Hermione's target for her weekly dueling practices."

Shaking his head, Remus chuckled before saying with affection, "Then he better wear armor because Hermione doesn't believe in holding back. I can't help but admire her resolve to keep those skills honed despite no real need now that the War is over."

"Hermione believes in staying prepared," said a small voice form the doorway. Harry, looking more disheveled than normal continued, "She's not crazy about it like Moody, but she said that evil and injustice are still running rampant in the Wizarding World even though Voldemort isn't."

"Brightest witch of her age, indeed," Remus remarked, a glimmer of pride for the young woman in his voice. "She still might be a target for those Voldemort supporters still out there. You and Ron too."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, green eyes dull and uninterested. "I'm not too worried, though. I'm okay with a wand, but Ron could still use some work."

Amused by his god-son's use of the word 'okay' to describe the dueling skills that helped end a powerful Dark Wizard, Sirius, quipped, "So, how are you going to handle this thing with Hermione?"

Harry winced. "Your idea of groveling like a flobberworm sounds good, although I don't think I'll still be low enough to the ground for the proper amount of groveling that Hermione deserves from me. I mean, I all but called her a slag."

"Harry!" Remus rapped out angrily, astonished at this young wizards' ugliness toward someone who had given him nothing but wholehearted support when others had failed him. "You really do deserve a good thrashing for that!"

"Hey," Sirius interrupted with a frown at Remus. "You didn't say that when I told you what he said about me. Am I not your best mate?"

Remus turned on Sirius and snapped out, "That's different. You have a wizard-whore reputation and well-deserved it is too." Sirius preened. "Hermione is as innocent as they come and as far from being a slag as I am from being the Minister of Magic!"

"I thought you said I was being too hard on him, "Sirius instigated with a slight smile.

"That was before I knew how horribly he stuffed it up," Remus growled. "Something like that could tarnish her reputation and I just thank Merlin that this happened at Hogwarts and not somewhere more public!" Turning his wrathful gaze back on Harry, he continued, sharply, "Do you have any idea how many people, journalists in particular, would love to drag Hermione's name through the mud?! Never mind that she helped save this world; they don't give a shite about that little fact. All they're after is juicy tid-bits to print and having you – the so-called Boy Who Vanquished Voldemort – help that trash along goes beyond the pale!"

Nodding sadly, Harry yelled, "I know! I screwed up royally! I never meant to imply that she was anything of the sort! I was just so angry and… and… so hurt! Then, there's Diggory making all these crass comments about her and Hermione, brilliant as she is, didn't seem to be catching on to them otherwise she'd would have been hexing him into next week! She looked so pretty, and so happy to see him and she touched his knee and he was grinning at her and… and… it was all too much." Fisting his hands in that nest of messy black hair, he went on wildly, "I couldn't stand it anymore, and nothing I was saying was coming out right and I broke her platter and Diggory fixed it – the arse – with wandless magic no less, and it made me look like a dunce and a juvenile school boy and… and …. I'm so confused!"

Remus' gaze softened at the young wizards' distress. "Oh Harry," he began solicitously. "You might want to make things right with Hermione before delving too deeply into why you over-reacted."

"How?!" Harry wailed, tears gathering in his shattered eyes. "How do I do that? I can't lose her. 'She's been everything to me!"

"All right, all right," Sirius intervened, placing a hand on both of Harry's shoulders. "Calm down. Why don't you go to your room for a spell. Relax a bit and try not to think on things. After you've got yourself in hand, you'll be in a more productive frame of mind to deal with this properly. You've got to set your mind to the task and try to keep your over-active emotions out of it. Otherwise, you'll work yourself up into another unhelpful dither. 'Kay?"

Pulling himself together, Harry let out a shaky sigh before saying, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks."

Sirius tugged his god-son into a tight embrace. Remus looked on with indulgent fondness, relieved that these two lost souls had found one another and formed such a close bond in the process. This was also of Hermione's doing and Remus would be forever grateful to the little witch. Without her quick thinking, startlingly fast reflexes and impeccable aim, Sirius would have fallen through the veil. Harry had just been getting to know his god-father before the fight at the Ministry, and at that point the older man had only seen Harry as a pale reflection of James and not for Harry himself. Thankfully, they'd had the chance to see the other for who they really were and to grow closer based on their own merits.

"He's a good lad,"Sirius commented quietly, watching his young ward leave the room.

"Yes," Remus muttered thoughtfully. "But that temper of his could be his undoing one of these days."

Cocking his raven head to the side, he gave Remus a speculative glance before saying seriously, "It will if he doesn't manage to control it, that's true. Still, it's not as if he can help it sometimes what with having Lily and James' DNA. Passionate, impulsive, and uncontrollable at times, those two. Poor boy didn't stand a chance, not really."

"That may be part of it, but that excuse won't carry Harry throughout his life," Remus insisted with a frown. "People won't understand that and as he grows older it's up to us and Harry to tame that impulsive nature because it will only bring him grief. This incident with Hermione is a perfect example of that."

Running an agitated hand through his hair, Sirius mused, "I get that, Moony, but he's still so young. I realize that he'll be of age this year, but emotionally he's still just a little boy in so many ways which is something that I do understand." Grinning, Sirius exclaimed, "I'm counting on your steadying influence, my friend since I'd rather join Harry in his escapades rather than prevent them from happening."

"You don't have to tell me," Remus retorted, rolling his eyes. "Still, you don't give yourself enough credit. Just now you calmed Harry and offered him true parental support and advice. You might not take life in general seriously but clearly you take Harry's upbringing as such."

"He means the world to me, Moony."

"Anyone with eyes can see that, Sirius." Remus crossed over to his friend. "All-in-all, you're doing a fine job of it."

Meeting his friend's affectionate and honest gaze, Sirius replied slowly, "Thanks, Moony. I am giving it my best go. But this thing with Hermione. I feel as if I'm out of my depth here. I'm thinking that won't get resolved until Harry admits his true feelings for the witch which isn't going to happen if he continues to insist that he's in love with Ginny Weasley."

Frowning, Remus suggested wisely, "Perhaps it's her slight resemblance to his mum that's the main attraction for him. I mean, the red hair alone would be enough of a draw. Although, Lily wasn't a fan of Quiddich, Harry and the Weasley's youngest also have that in common."

"He did admire her skills on a broom," Sirius informed his friend. "I see your point, Moony but in other ways, the girl is nothing like Lily. Granted, she has a deft hand with a wand, and she'd not unintelligent, though she's no Lily Potter when it comes to her studies. That's more Hermione, for sure. Merlin, Hermione reminds of Lily." Chuckling, he added with a faraway gleam in his grey eyes, "The way she takes me to task, and how easily I can rile her into hexing me. How she was always insisting that we engage in doing more research to find a way to get rid of Voldemort; it's like Lily urging us to study instead of pulling pranks and harassing Slytherins."

Adding his own memories, Remus reflected fondly, "For me it's Hermione's studious nature, her genuine love of learning that make me think of Lily. How even her magical capabilities are so much more advanced and powerful than the majority of witches and wizards born into this world and taught magic from childhood. It's in the way Hermione will sit in the library with me and there's no immediate need to fill the silence with words unless we choose to discuss what we're reading. I can be quiet – even solitary – with Hermione like I was with Lily. They both bring me a sense of peace that I can't find with most people."

"I get it, mate," Sirius replied with a soft smile. "There's a frenetic energy about the Weasley girl that definitely won't do for Harry. He needs someone like Hermione who will push him to be his possible best without being a nag about it. He needs her quiet calm to keep him centered and grounded. If there's anything I've learned from their search for the Horcruxes is that Hermione is loyal and devoted to Harry and he depends on her strength – of character and magic – like he doesn't in anyone else. Hell, to certain extent we all do."

"So, what you're saying is that you would wholeheartedly support a romance between the two," Remus surmised correctly.

"I won't sabotage his pursuit of the Weasley witch, if that's what you're wondering, "Sirius assured his best mate. "But I think we'd be remiss in our duties to Harry if we didn't at least point out – discreetly of course – the many fine attributes and qualities of Hermione Granger."

Quirking a brow, Remus remarked wryly, "I don't know if it'll be necessary since Harry seems to be hot on that trail. Finally. Besides, aren't you forgetting that the Diggory boy has more or less already staked a claim to our most favorite Queen of Swots?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," Sirius assured him a with a troubling glitter of mischief in those fabulous eyes of his. "I'm thinking that Harry might be zeroing in on the possibilities in that area as well. Course, it'll probably take him longer to get there, and maybe he won't get there at all, but there was an awareness of Amos' son that Harry exhibited while he was pissed." Remus' eyes widened to comic proportions of shock. "He might not recognize it for what it is, and more than likely doesn't remember it all, but it was there Moony. Just like it was with you, James and Lily."

"Don't even go there, Sirius," Remus rapped out defensively. "It wasn't meant to be. The magic might accept a triad, even encourage it, but the people involved have to accept it too."

Eying Remus with a great deal of derision, Sirius remarked stridently, "It wasn't them that was the problem. It was you who refused the magic calling out to the three of you. They would have welcomed you with open arms, but you wouldn't because of some daft notion of your lyncanthropy negatively affecting and poisoning their magic."

Slicing his hand through the air in a violent gesture, Remus growled with fearsome intensity, "Enough!"

Sighing, Sirius reluctantly relented, "Fine. I'm done, but you're an arse for having thrown away a rare opportunity that will never come your way again in this lifetime."

Remus stormed over to the side-board and dug through the cabinets until he found Sirius' secret stash of Ogden's finest. Foregoing the adjacent tumbler, Remus grabbed the bottle by the neck and through tightly clenched teeth announced, "I'll be in the library. You're not invited to join me." Waving the bottle around, he added with sincere hostility, "If you step one foot in that room, you'll regret it." Sirius believed him.

After his best mate exited in the room in an untypically dramatic fashion, Sirius let out a deep sigh before making his way slowly back to the sink. Squatting down, he rooted by all the cleaning supplies until his hand lighted on a glass decanter. Pulling it out from its hiding place, Sirius stood and walked tiredly to the table. Shoulders slumped, he ripped off the stopper and began drinking it from the fluted top. It burned a satisfying trail down his throat warming his innards but not his thoughts or emotions. He shouldn't have broached such a sensitive and painful topic, but when he'd seen the same signs in Harry, he felt he had no choice. Taking another deep swig, Sirius could only hope that if there really was the possibility of a triad of magic between Harry, Hermione and Cedric, that they would all handle it better than Remus had.