Summary: Anyone can be taken by surprise. Sirius never has enough surprises or pranks. But he's well worth the trouble.

Pairing: Sirius/Hermione

Timeline: Deathly Hallows AU

Song: Pull Me Down by Mikky Ekko

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Well Worth the Trouble

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He wanted to keep her forever.

Sirius walked along the docks of a marina, with Hermione's hand in his. She hummed a muggle song under her breath as they walked.

It was a late July night, lit by stars, and they were on a little known town on the Atlantic coast.

They'd arrived by portkey two days earlier to escape a bombardment in London, and while exhausted by the perils of being followed by Death Eaters, hot on their trail...there was also an element of excitement...and more than a helping of passion. Oddly, sleeping nights in a small ship cabin seemed to stir a lot of passion between them.

Old gas lights buzzed overhead the docks as they passed by derelict boats and listened to the sounds of seabirds. The night air was sultry and heavy with heat and humidity. Sirius could feel sweat dripping down the small of his back and taste the salt of the ocean water through each breath.

Hermione wore a tight summer dress, in a floral print that well suited her figure. With each step, the brunette hips swayed in a manner that Sirius could not stop staring at.

He caught her eye and half-smirked at her.

"This was an accident, you know," he cooed.

"Us becoming a couple? Of course, I know that," Hermione said, ever the know-it-all.

Sirius adored her. Even when being an annoying, know-it-all swot like that.

"Yes, they really should never have partnered us up in the Order."

Hermione grinned. "Yes, but everyone thought we hated each other at that point."

"We did hate each other," Sirius corrected her. "I thought you were intolerable and completely ignorant on house-elves and trying to get me killed."

Hermione gulped guility. "To be fair, it was hardly reasonable for me to expect that Kreacher was trying to kill you."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Really? You couldn't guess at all from the way he swore and cursed my name?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "So I might've missed a few subtle clues."

"Subtle?!" The pureblood laughed in her face. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Shut up."

He nodded and his grip tightened on her hand affectionately.

"It's alright. Never in a million years would I have expected this to happen," Sirius concluded and flipped back his long hair from his face, flashing her a grin. "Anyone can be taken by surprise."

She smiled up at him and he could tell the curious girl was racking her brains wondering what he was thinking and where his trail of thought was deliberately leading her.

Sirius tried not to give her too many hints. The damn Gryffindor was too smart. He needed to move swiftly to keep the upperhand.

"Well, it did happen and now that it did, I want to make it right, Hermione."

She immediately stopped walking and a few gears seemed to click swiftly in her head. "What do you mean?" She raised her brows anxiously and searched his face for clues.

Sirius stopped walking too and stood in front of her, with his hand still holding hers. He tightened his grip. He had better hurry and do this subtly before she figured it all out and started panicking.

He pulled her closer to him and smirked brazenly.

Then he bent on his knee.

"Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?"

Hermione's mouth fell open and then she begin to cover her mouth as she stared at him in complete shock.

"Oh my god. Merlin."

He smiled. He felt proud that he truly had taken Hermione by surprise. He couldn't have her feeling anything with him was predictable or stale. He loved to be spontaneous, especially with pranks and actual nice moments.

Though this was certainly not a prank.

"Are you serious?!" Hermione stammered.

He nodded.

"I am. Well done. It helps if you know my name if you're about to marry me," he said glibly.

"No, you can't be making pun jokes at this time, it just isn't ugh," Hermione stammered and said some incoherent gibberish before gaping at him. "I didn't even say yes, how can you be so arrogant as to assume I will marry you?! Oh my god. I haven't said yes. How is this even a good idea?"

Hermione was raving. She had clearly gone into shock mode. Sirius was delighted and proud of himself. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Sirius stood to his full height and smiled absolutely calmly at her before beginning to lecture her. He'd done his kneeling bit now it was in her ballpark to say yes and do the rest.

He loomed over her as he spoke with complete confidence.

"Hermione, can you honestly see yourself with anyone else at this point?"

"No."

"Hermione, do you agree you're absolutely in love with me and I with you?"

"Yes."

"Hermione, do you realize I would do anything for you?"

"Yes. I do."

Sirius nodded proudly. He'd already saved her life twice in the past two weeks.

"Hermione, can you deny that I am the best lover you'll ever have?"

"You're the only lover I've ever had!" Hermione protested. Though her eyes were wide, still shocked.

"Well, then, Hermione, do you think anyone else will ever make you come as much as I can?"

Hermione turned scarlet. "Uhm, I don't even know, what kind of question that is..." but she knew perfectly well what he was talking about and could sense her hot under the collar. They both knew. They had a chemistry that put rabbits to shame.

Sirius brushed aside her doubts and held her by her left hand as he traced his fingers over her ring finger, where he intended to claim her as his own and to start a union with.

"Hermione, do you want to spend life with me, chasing Death Eaters, having margaritas, making love madly, laughing, pranking and also having very serious discussions about house-elf rights occasionally?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows skeptically. "I'm not sure I believe the authenticity of that last bit, it seems you probably added that on as an afterthought."

"I did say 'occasionally'," Sirius said.

"How often is that?"

Sirius thought quickly. He really hated the subject, but he absolutely adored this woman.

"About once a year," he concluded. "No more, no less. Take it or leave it."

Hermione hummed to herself as her prodigious mind went over choices. She seemed to be recovering from her shock and Sirius was loving every second of it. He loved to tease her when she was being sassy.

"This is a hard decision to make," Hermione finally pouted.

"So what will it be?" Sirius said, pretending to check his watch mockingly. "I don't have all night here."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm never going to forgive you for stumbling this upon me in the most unlikely manner ever." She gritted her teeth. "But absolutely YES."

She kissed him and everything was absolutely perfect. Right as rain.

...Well, except the Death Eaters that would likely arrive shortly after on the scene. And not to congratulate them.

"We had better get going. We are still on the run," Sirius breathed in between steamy kisses. "No dilly-dallying." Yet his hand lowered to gently grip her bottom. She had the perfect bottom. Just one of her many inestimable qualities and why he wanted her to be his forever.

Hermione sighed. "I wish you had chosen a less dangerous time to propose. How did it even occur to you that this was a good time?"

Sirius chuckled and pulled her towards the next portkey location, a rusty post topped with a pelican statue. "Darling, expect the unexpected. I thought that was the first thing I taught you. Do catch up!"

"No, the first thing you taught me was something else." Hermione's face blushed.

Sirius reddened slightly too. "Well, yes, that too. You see I teach you many things. How good of me!"

Hermioned shook her head at his rascally ways. "Are we even going to have a honeymoon if we survive long enough to actually get married?"

Sirius laughed louder. "What could be a better honeymoon than travelling the world being chased by Death Eaters? It's going to be glorious. After all, what's life without a little risk?"

Hermione groaned. "Sirius, you're impossible!"

"Do you regret agreeing to marry me so soon?"

Hermione leaned in and played with the stubble around his beard before pressing her lips to his. Sirius felt a tug in his groin. "Absolutely not," Hermione insisted. "You're well worth the trouble."

Sirius's grin broadened.

The couple disappeared with a pop, leaving behind the empty marina and the ocean still swaying with starlit night.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, would love to hear your thoughts or what you enjoyed or made you laugh. Have a great summer :)