A/N (July 2020): I wrote this story a long time ago- DH hadn't even come out when I'd started posting it, and HBP had been out for three months, and I'd only read it once at that point. There were details I'd either chosen to ignore, or hadn't taken in properly at the time, when those books did come out. And with the internet these days, there's so much you can find about the books' details to help a writer remain canon to a point, should a writer want to remain canon (like I'm totally aware Lucius was a few years ahead of the Marauders, which did get pointed out at the time, but by then I was halfway through the story). I recently went through it and have tried to tidy it up without messing with it too much- little discrepancies I'd seen in my own timeline, wording that makes me cringe- excessive use of certain words and actions, and grammar/typo errors. If I've missed anything still, do feel free to let me know. Sometimes you can look at something for too long.

Anyway I promised someone who reviewed it when I finished this story that I would, one day, do an epilogue. I wanted to do it for myself too, because over the years my thoughts kept coming back to how Hermione would've dealt with this new present she was living in, and what the future would hold for her and Sirius. So here it is.

I've also realised that how I wrote this epilogue might not match the story I wrote, even with the tidying up. And if I wrote it again, there's a lot I would do differently now. My writing is so very different now. Maybe I'll write something else like it one day.

I truly hope you enjoy this. If you're a returning reader for this, thank you for all the reviews that I still get from time to time, even 12 years later!

Epilogue

Hermione completed her exams. Again.

It took a little getting used to, this new future she now lived in. Like Mr Waverly said, the old memories floated around like a dream she couldn't quite remember. There would be a moment when Harry would mention James, Lily or Sirius, and she would almost say, 'But they died.' As she opened her mouth, the words would disappear from her brain.

Harry and Ron had noticed this odd behaviour a couple of times. They'd put it down to exam stress, as she did get a bit overwrought around this time. More so now that they were taking their N.E.W.T.'s. There had been no instruction to say she couldn't tell Harry and Ron about those few weeks she'd spent with Harry's parents, but she felt in her gut like she couldn't. So she didn't, and neither did the others.

When they were leaving their Potions exam, having been back in her own time for nearly two weeks at this point, Severus Snape asked to have a word. Harry and Ron gave her sympathetic looks, saying they would wait outside for her.

Hermione had thought it best to leave things alone when it came to her Potions Master. She could see he knew who she was, it was the same look of familiarity she'd gotten all her life from the others, the looks she only understood now. With Snape it had been a little odd as he never spoke to her other than to give instruction or comment on her potion.

Standing before him, her hands tightly clasped together in front of her, she waited for him to finish tidying up his desk. For her, the last time they'd had a proper interaction was when he'd effectively called her a Mudblood after using the slur on Lily.

'Did I do something wrong in my exam?' Hermione finally asked when he'd taken nearly five minutes of shuffling parchments.

'You know very well you didn't,' Snape muttered finally making eye contact with her. Then he sighed impatiently, leaning his fists on his desk. 'I owe you an apology.' Hermione started to protest. 'Yes. I do,' he snapped, every word sounding like it caused him great pain.

Hermione felt the heat of a blush creep up her neck. 'Thank you,' she said quietly, not sure how else to respond.

'I'm told we are living in a very different present than we should have been living in because of you,' Snape commented standing up straight. She nodded, a whisper of a memory that didn't belong flashing through her head before she could latch on to it. She wasn't even surprised that he knew.

Snape stared at her for a moment. He gave her a sharp nod. 'That is all.'

Hermione left quickly, not feeling the need to have a big conversation with him about anything. She knew that Snape had officially closed that chapter of his life. And on her.

XXXXXX

Walking out into King's Cross station, listening to Harry and Ron talk summer plans, Hermione smiled widely at seeing her parents in the distance, stood close to the Weasleys, her father giving a small wave.

'Hermione!'

'Oof!' she gasped as Cassie Malfoy smacked into her, giving her a tight hug around the waist.

'Charming!' Draco said behind her.

'She has to live with you,' Ron sniggered, giving him a small punch to the shoulder.

'Cassie,' Narcissa reprimanded softly.

Hermione looked up from returning Cassie's hug to see the Malfoys walking over. Draco moved around Hermione, receiving a tight hug off his mother. She brushed his hair off his forehead, before squashing his cheeks affectionately.

'Mother,' Draco groaned through lips that were forcibly pursed together. Harry and Ron sniggered at the sight.

'Dad says you're coming to stay for a few days this summer!' Cassie said excitedly, holding on to Hermione's arm.

'Busy summer, eh?' Harry elbowed her with a laugh, starting to walk to his own parents with Ron, waving bye to the Malfoys.

Hermione looked to Lucius Malfoy. 'I said I would ask her,' he said with an eyebrow raised.

'You should come,' Draco agreed, rubbing at his cheeks. 'There's probably books somewhere in our library you haven't read yet.'

'Come on you two,' Narcissa said, a smile playing on her lips. 'Send us an owl, dear.' She brushed a curl back over Hermione's shoulder as she past her, pulling her two children with her, leaving Lucius with Draco's trolley.

'I kept my word,' Lucius said.

'Yes, you did,' she replied with a smile. 'I'm not sure I can answer any questions you have.'

Lucius looked to his family's retreating back. 'No matter.'

Hermione gave him a nod, seeing a grateful look flash through his eyes at what he had. 'I should go,' she said, starting to push her trolley towards her parents.

'You should come next week. Narcissa is holding a party to celebrate Draco finishing Hogwarts. The others are invited too,' Lucius said, 'We'll talk then.'

Hermione agreed to that, finally making it to her parents, who were now huddled with the Potters and the Weasleys. Daisy was busy climbing all over Ron's back while Harry and Ginny held her up there. Hermione felt a deep disappointment that Sirius wasn't there.

'He's giving you some time,' James whispered in her ear when he gave her a hug. She gave a small nod of understanding.

It was still weird to see him older. Lily too. Just last month they had been her age. Now they had laughter lines and grey hairs, and an adult life they'd been living for years, when she was only starting hers now.

XXXXXX

After a well rested week at home with her parents, recovering from the exams, and being left alone to fully understand the role she had played in the past, Hermione felt like she could finally handle talking to everyone again.

The day before the Malfoys' party, Hermione nearly spat out her morning cup of tea when Mrs Granger had called to her that Narcissa Malfoy was at the door. Walking into the hallway with her cup, wiping her chin, Hermione frowned at seeing the tall, elegant woman peering up at the ceiling.

'Ah, Hermione!' she said happily when she looked down again. 'Sorry to drop in like this.'

'I thought I was to come to the Manor tomorrow?'

'Change of plans. We're going shopping!' Narcissa stepped closer to her, fiddling with Hermione's curls. Hermione realised how natural it was for her to do this, the memories of all the times she'd met Mrs Malfoy swimming around her head. 'A little something to thank you for the help you've given Draco over the years.'

'You don't have to do that, Mrs Malfoy,' Hermione said politely. 'Honestly, I didn't help him that much.'

'Nonsense.' She looked at Hermione fondly, almost like she would Cassie. 'Come. Cassie will be climbing the walls if we don't return soon to collect her.'

That was how Hermione found herself stood on a stool in London shop of Gladrags Wizardwear while Narcissa instructed the seamstress, and a tape measure frantically worked its way around her.

XXXXXX

Standing at the edge of the gardens of Malfoy Manor, Hermione watched all her school friends mingling, laughing, talking about their career plans. Harry and Ron were talking excitedly with Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott about being Aurors, exam results permitting.

'As you are now firmly aware of having lived in our past for a little while, I should let you know that I've told Narcissa,' Lucius told her when he reached her with a drink in hand, his voice barely audible. 'It was the only secret I had ever kept from her.'

'Oh,' Hermione said, dragging out the word in understanding, 'that explains this.' Hermione lifted the side of her dark blue, knee-length dress. She glanced up at him. 'Are you happy?'

'I'm rich. Of course I'm happy,' he said with a smirk.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

'Yes. I'm happy,' he finally said, 'should I not have been?'

She opened her mouth, the memory right there, then it wasn't. She closed it giving Lucius a puzzled look. 'Draco was meant for this life. That's all I know.'

'You were right that day. About my not taking the mark to prove a point.' He raised his glass at her. 'Thank you. It is a debt I may never be able to repay.'

'How did you find me, by the way?' Hermione asked, checking no one was too close to hear. 'The birthday presents before Hogwarts.'

'I don't make a habit of telling people what my employment is within the Ministry, but…' Lucius did a little check of his own around their immediate surroundings. 'I'm an Unspeakable.'

'What! How did I not know?' Hermione laughed loudly, causing a few people to look, Harry and Ron included. 'So you know everything then! You must!'

Lucius gave a stiff grin to the nearby guests while saying, 'I can neither confirm nor deny that.'

'What does he know?' Harry asked, both him and Ron wandering over to check on her.

'Miss Granger is trying to extract exam results out of me,' Lucius said swiftly, 'I keep telling you, I'm on the governor's board, I help set the exam guidelines, I'm not privy to the results.' He gave her what she thought was the worst stern look she'd ever seen.

'Hermione, you need to give it a rest,' Ron said in exasperation. 'Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't curse the results out of the teachers when she'd finished.'

Blushing, Hermione muttered something about getting a drink and left them with Lucius to discuss the Quidditch World Cup.

XXXXXX

As promised to Cassie, Hermione stayed with the Malfoys for a couple of days before her stay with the Potters. Lucius kept bringing her books from the library she should read and Narcissa tried desperately to tame her hair at every spare moment, while doing her best to make sure Hermione was alone with Draco. Rolling their eyes at each other with a smile at Narcissa's blatant actions, Hermione and Draco would then seek out Cassie to give her more advice and tips for her upcoming start at Hogwarts.

Then it was time to say her goodbyes for the summer. Narcissa and Cassie gave her tight hugs, Draco gave her shoulder a light shove as he wished her luck for her results, not that she would need it, and Lucius walked her down to the gates so that she could Apparate.

'It's been a freeing experience to talk openly with you these last few days,' Lucius said opening the gates for her.

Hermione stepped through them, turning to face him. 'Is it weird that I've essentially not aged with you?'

'Not for me.' Lucius gave her a pointed look. 'It's been a privilege to watch you grow up, Hermione. To be a part of that in a small way. A little frustrating at times, as we all had a fine line to tread with our knowledge of what you would go on to do. We had to make sure that nothing we did would change that particular path of yours.'

Hermione held her hand out to him. He took hold of it firmly, giving it one shake. 'Thank you for trusting me,' she told him.

XXXXXX

It was on her third day at the Potters when the N.E.W.T. results came. Hermione was stood in the kitchen with Harry and Ron, all of them staring at their envelopes. James and Lily were stood against the counter, cups of tea in their hands, waiting patiently for them to open the results.

'We should open them,' Harry said, not moving.

'Yeah,' Ron said, not moving either.

'Okay,' Hermione said, taking in a long, deep breath, before letting it out in a big sigh.

'Not to rush you or anything, but we've been stood here for twenty minutes now,' James said standing up straight.

'Sod it, I'll go try out for the Quidditch teams if I can't be an Auror,' Ron said quickly, ripping open the envelope hastily. 'I make a decent Keeper- right?'

'That's the spirit, Ron!' James cheered raising his mug at him.

Hermione shared a look with Harry before they gave each other an encouraging nod.

With shaking hands, Hermione pulled out the letter with her results, fumbling to open it up.

NASTILY EXHAUSTING WIZARDING TEST RESULTS

Pass Grades: Outstanding (O) Fail Grades: Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER HAS ACHIEVED:

Ancient Runes: O

Arithmancy: O

Charms: O

Defence Against the Dark Arts: E

Herbology: O

Potions: O

Transfiguration: O

'Passed them all,' Ron said proudly.

'Me too,' Harry said. 'Hermione?'

She looked up to find them all looking at her with expectant faces. 'Same,' she said in relief, stuffing the letter back into the envelope.

'I reckon a bit more than same,' Ron said with a smirk.

XXXXXX

Hermione had gone for a walk in Godric's Hollow after breakfast. She was still having moments where she felt like she didn't quite fit in this time, nor the time she had left. She hadn't really spoken to anyone properly, other than Lucius, and Sirius was clearly avoiding her at this point. Then there was the fact that nothing could be said with Harry and Ron around, which was all the time. It was easier for Lily and James to avoid saying the wrong things, they'd had years of practice.

Sitting down on a bench by the churchyard, Hermione spotted James coming over. She watched as he quietly sat down and gave her a small smile, his laughter lines deepening as he did. She realised she was waiting for him to say something ridiculous or inappropriate.

He nudged her gently with his elbow. 'Want to talk about it?'

'I'm struggling a bit,' she admitted, 'You all grew up without me. Then watched me grow up.'

James nodded. 'There was so much we didn't get to share with you. You left as quickly as you arrived, but you changed our group dynamics for the better.'

'I have these memories with you all from the past seven years, but…' Hermione sighed, shrugging.

'Are you able to say much about why you were there?' he asked when she couldn't seem to find the words.

'Not really. I have…' she waved a hand in the air, frowning in frustration, 'not memories, but dreams- shadows of memories- that come and go.' She looked to him, feeling a prickling of tears happening to go with the frustration. 'I can tell you what I was told the day I came back to this time, but who would that help? It's all changed now- and for the better,' she added quickly.

James put a hand on Hermione's wrist. 'You don't have to tell me anything.'

She gave him a wobbly smile.

He frowned, the expression so like Harry's when he was trying to work out if he should say something. 'We apologised to Severus- both of us.' Hermione started shaking her head. 'No, you were right. Nothing excused our behaviour that day. There aren't enough apologies in the world for him. Or you. Even Lily has days where she'll remind us when we're being a bit much.'

Hermione laughed, a memory of James and Sirius explaining how Daisy came to have pink hair that couldn't be fixed for at least a week lingered at the forefront of her mind for a moment. 'I imagine she does.'

'Think we caught Severus off-guard though. It was like a line had been drawn under our whole time in school, and we were moving on…Lily still talks to him though. They have a standing lunch once a week now.' James smiled sadly at her. 'I wish we could've gotten past that moment then, not now. Fixed what was broken.'

Hermione put her hand over his, still sitting on her wrist. 'What was it like all these years knowing me?'

'I don't think there are enough adjectives,' James laughed, taking his hand back. 'It took some time to get used to the idea that you were gone. Especially for Sirius. Then when he spotted you that day at King's Cross, we thought he'd lost it.'

'You know, looking back, you were all a bit obvious around me,' she said affectionately.

'I'm not sure any of us understand how to be subtle,' he agreed.

Hermione folded her arms tightly, peering around behind her at the church. When she looked back to him, she felt like she was losing someone important in her life. 'I don't know how to be around you all anymore. It feels like I've crossed this strange line where you're no longer the adults who cared about me growing up, nor are you the friends I knew only last month.'

'It's the same for us too, Hermione,' he said sympathetically. 'Lily wants to say so much to you- I want to say a lot of things too- but we've had years of you being Harry's best friend…it's been a fine line that we don't know how to cross now that we're allowed to.'

'Maybe…maybe I should have the memories taken away,' Hermione suggested.

'That is not an option,' James said firmly. He went to put an arm around her shoulders, but stopped, quickly settling his arm back at his side. 'We'll find our way through this. All of us, okay?' She nodded. 'We waited a long time to be able to talk to our old friend, we're not having you taken away again.'

James suddenly laughed, the sound echoing in the empty village square. 'I realised recently, especially this last year, that it was my Harry you spoke about. That last time I saw you.' He smiled like the memory was so long ago. And it was for him. 'Honestly, it was the best thing whenever we saw you giving Harry and Ron an earful.'

Then his face lost the humour a little. 'He's really struggled with the guilt over the years, Hermione.'

'Is that why he won't speak to me?' James frowned. 'I've sent him owls, but he doesn't reply. And I've not seen him since you all came to Dumbledore's office.'

He didn't get chance to answer. Hermione spotted Daisy coming out of the house, racing across to them. 'Mum said we're going to Diagon Alley to get ice cream!' She launched herself on to James' lap.

XXXXXX

A few days later, Hermione was in the back garden of the Potters', helping to set up a large marquee that took up most of the grass space. In true British fashion, dark clouds had been lingering for the last few days of July, so they were fairly certain it would rain at Harry's party.

Anna, Freya, Rajni, and Jazz were all there to help, with their partners and children, some of them only two or three years younger than Hermione. It was organised chaos with things whizzing here and there between the bodies.

'Let me get this straight,' Anna said, flicking her wand at a rogue plate, sending it back to the large table at one end of the garden, 'Lucius Malfoy knew this entire time.'

'Sirius is going to be insufferable once he knows he was right all these years,' Jazz sighed heavily.

'I didn't mean for him to know and not anyone else. I'd helped him get a date with Narcissa, and I had just fallen down some stairs. I wasn't in my right mind,' Hermione argued.

'Wait, wait, wait!' Jazz laughed loudly. Quickly dropping her voice down she said, 'You got the Malfoys together?'

'Well, I wouldn't-'

Anna groaned. 'Damn. Sirius is going to be really insufferable.'

'Drinks?' Peter asked, bringing forward a hovering tray ladened with wine.

'You're here! Remus shown his face yet?' Jazz demanded, gratefully taking a glass of wine off the tray.

'Lily's got him baking with her as we speak,' Peter said with a grin. Then he looked at Hermione, the first time she'd seen him since the day she came back. He gave her a tight hug. 'We'll still do our chats while this lot play Quidditch, won't we?'

'Of course we will,' Hermione said, stepping back, the first feeling of a bit of normality over the situation settling on her.

'Oscar! You put that- for goodness sake! Where's your father?' Anna went striding off, shoving her wine glass into Hermione's hand. They watched as Oscar, Anna's six year old son, raced off with garden gnome over his shoulder, Anna chasing after him.

'Peter! Let me help you hand out these drinks to the helpers,' Jazz said loudly, snatching Anna's wine from Hermione's hand. She put them down on the tray with a loud clank and shoved Peter in the direction Anna had gone.

Hermione frowned, her brows burrowing deeply, at Jazz's behaviour, and Peter agreeing so quickly.

'I think that was their not-so-subtle way of leaving us alone,' Sirius said behind her.

'Finally,' Hermione said, turning quickly to face him, 'where have you been? You've never stayed away from Godric's Hollow this long!'

He gave her a bemused smile. 'Shall we escape the madness for a moment?' He held his hand out to her.

'I don't think Lily would be impressed,' Hermione said, glancing back to the house.

'Don't worry. I have her permission.'

Laughing, Hermione put her hand in his, her heart rate picked up at the contact, but she didn't have time to think about it as he Apparated them both out of the party. Hermione took a breath at the unexpected side-along Apparation, looking around. They were in the living room of Grimmauld Place. It was bright and clean. The walls were the palest of blues and it was filled with a few pieces of neat dark furniture.

'What is it?' he asked seeing her frown at the room. He was still holding her hand.

'It's…' she turned slightly, the windows tall, letting in a lot of light. 'Sorry,' she sighed, 'I get this a lot at the minute where my other past overlaps this one a little bit. Just for a second. Then I can't remember it.' She turned back to him. 'I feel like I have a different version of this room in my mind.'

'Hermione.' Sirius gave her hand a gentle squeeze when she started looking around again.

There was a long silence between them. Hermione could hear floorboards upstairs creak as a wind blew itself through the house from an open window somewhere.

'There's something you should know,' Hermione started to tell him, gripping his hand hard so he couldn't pull away, 'those school memories I have with you- I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty,' she said quickly when pain flashed across his eyes. 'They're still really fresh for me. I keep having moments where I remember how you looked at me, especially as you've been avoiding me.'

Sirius swallowed, nodding.

'I thought you hated me,' she said when he didn't seem to have anything to say. 'You were so angry with me, and-'

'I know…I know. I should never have grabbed you the way I did.'

'No, you shouldn't have.' She gave him a small smile. 'But these last few weeks have made me realise that without that moment we wouldn't have this present. All of it was meant to happen. Exactly as it did. I wouldn't change any of it.'

'Do you have any idea how many times I've nearly apologised to you over the years?' Sirius said wryly, pulling her to sit on the couch by the window. They sat on the edge, half-facing each other, knees touching. 'The guilt, Hermione, has nearly eaten me alive some days. Worst since last Christmas.'

'Why last Christmas?'

He laughed wryly. 'You suddenly looked like you,' he said simply. 'You were the Hermione I remembered, right in front of me, and-'

'Is that why you didn't visit on Christmas day?' Hermione asked suddenly.

He nodded slowly, tilting his head. 'It had been easy to keep you as part of Harry's group. You were a child, finding your way in the world, running around with Harry and Ron. You didn't look like you. I could keep that time of your life separate to the time I'd spent with you at Hogwarts.

'That wasn't to say on those days we talked over the years I couldn't keep the guilt at bay. I kept thinking of what I'd done- would do, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. One day I would have to let you go, and you'd see the angry young man I could be.'

Sirius took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. 'Then you got off the train for the last Christmas holidays, and overnight you had become my Hermione.'

'Your Hermione?' she asked, grinning.

'Well…' he laughed, a small hint of red appearing on his neck.

Hermione looked at him, really looked at him as the older man he'd become, but she could still see the young Sirius in his eyes. She shifted, putting her arms over his shoulders to pull him into a hug. He went willingly, leaning his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

'I will always wish I'd spoken to you before I left,' she whispered, 'I'm sorry you had to live with that kind of guilt.'

Sirius didn't say anything. He turned his head slightly into her neck, increasing the tightness of his hold. A whisper of a kiss on her skin caused her to shiver. 'Maybe that is my burden to bear if it gave us this.'

She started to turn her head to face him when a crack reverberated through the room, causing them to jump apart in shock. Hermione flopped back, a hand on her chest, while Sirius had stood up quickly with his wand pointed at James' face.

'Sorry, sorry,' James said quickly with a devious expression, hands up. 'Lily's sent me. She said you've had your moment and you're to get back before the guests start arriving.'

Hermione took Sirius' proffered hand to stand up as her heart rate slowed down. She looked between the two men and suddenly felt a moment of normalcy again. The two portions of time she'd lived in coming together a little.

A stray idea, a thought really, popped into her head. Years of James and Sirius teaching her pranks, teasing, and jokes coming forward.

With a wicked grin at Sirius, Hermione pulled her wand out from her dress pocket and said, 'By the way. Lucius Malfoy knew everything.' With a pop she was gone.

'Did she…' James started staring at the empty space.

'She did!' Sirius laughed, slapping his thigh. The laughter died quickly and his face dropped. 'I knew it!'

XXXXXX

Harry's birthday celebrations seemed to double up for everyone who'd done well at their exams too. And even if they hadn't, a lot of career redirections happened through the sympathies of friends.

It was loud, busy, and full of laughter, with a glorious day of sun, meaning they needed the marquee for shade, not shelter. Hermione briefly saw Draco Malfoy, who had achieved one less O than her (Transfigurations), they shared a hug of congratulations, and moved on.

Finally, feeling almost breathless at the whirlwind of activities within the party, people started to go home, the crowd dwindling quickly. Like every other year they'd celebrated Harry's birthday, the people left went to a nearby field to play Quidditch. Except Hermione and Peter.

They grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer each, took a seat on the grass by the food brought with them, and watched various adults and children fly around them, laughing at the arguments that broke out in the skies.

'Your headaches…that was our futures- wait…your past…' Peter stopped talking, looking off to the distance while he thought. 'Both,' he said loudly, 'our futures, your past- those memories. They were changing, weren't they?'

Hermione gave him a wide smile. 'Yeah,' she said, the memory of that pain not forgotten just yet.

'I tried to tell him- Sirius,' he nodded up to the figure currently batting a Bludger at Remus, 'that you fell down the stairs because of that.' Peter looked at her with kind eyes. 'You always looked so drained after you had one of those headaches.' He looked back up to the figures. 'I told him what you said- the last time I saw you- about him not needing to apologise. I don't think he was ever ready to let himself be forgiven for that day, but I tried.'

'That's all you can do,' Hermione said. 'You're a good friend, Peter.'

'I had someone to remind me.' She clinked bottles with him. 'Have you decided what you'll do now that you have your results?'

'Lucius said that I should consider something in the Department of Mysteries,' Hermione said, leaning back to see where the two Seekers, Harry and Daisy, were in the game when a fast movement caught her eye. 'I feel like that might be a fit. Something to keep me learning. And Lily seems to enjoy it there.'

Lily had taken the job not long after Hermione had started at Hogwarts. For obvious reasons. She'd ended up enjoying all of it so much that she'd refused the last two promotions.

The game suddenly came to end as Daisy held a Snitch in the air. Hermione jumped up cheering.

'Hermione, that wasn't our team!' Harry called as he landed with a light thud.

'I'm not getting your point, Harry,' Hermione said giving Daisy a high five.

As the players started picking at the few snacks they'd brought with them, James gave her a nudge with his elbow. 'Want to try one more time? For old time's sake?' he whispered, holding his broom to her.

'Absolutely not,' she said firmly, folding her arms.

'Maybe you didn't have the right flyer,' Sirius said behind her.

'You two still trying to get her on a broom?' Ron laughed walking past them. 'She'll curse you before she touches one.'

Daisy quickly shoved herself past her father, grabbing Hermione's hand. 'Aunt Jazz sent me to save you from the enemy,' Daisy said, pulling her away.

'Perfect timing,' she said, grinning back at James and Sirius.

XXXXXX

Lily and James persuaded Hermione to stay for the entire summer, and Ron, on the pretence that they would help Harry, Ron and Hermione get started on their careers within the Ministry. In reality, there was still a lot that hadn't been said between Hermione and them. And she could always Apparate to her parents on a moments notice.

Sitting in the garden one evening, the heat of the day finally easing up, Hermione and Lily were on the bench at the very end of the garden, cup of tea in hands. James was currently trying to wrestle Daisy into bed, with the help of Harry and Ron, but by the sound of the shrieks coming out of the house, they were making it worse.

'There's something I need to tell you,' Lily started, 'and if I'm interfering, please tell me to shut up.'

Hermione shifted to look at Lily properly, giving her a small nod to go on.

'He'll probably tell you himself one day. He's been worried about putting too much on you too soon though.' Lily tapped her cup for a moment and took a heavy breath. 'It took Sirius a long time to realise you were truly gone.' She glanced at Hermione before carrying on. 'He spent nearly a year looking for you.'

'Oh,' Hermione said. She felt a weird flushing sensation race through her, like when you've forgotten something really important but can't remember what, and then it hits you very quickly what it was.

Lily gave her a sad smile. 'He kept telling us he wanted to apologise, make things right with you. He truly did believe that he was the reason you were gone, but I just knew it was more…There were some dark moments, especially when the war took its toll.'

Lily sighed heavily, staring down at her tea. 'We thought Voldemort had killed you for a while. Sirius wouldn't listen though, so you can imagine what happened when we saw you for the first time in thirteen years, and you were eleven years old.'

Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. She felt like something had her heart in a death grip.

'It nearly unhinged him,' Lily said so quietly, Hermione wasn't sure she'd heard her.

'He doesn't know how to love anyone that isn't you, Hermione.' Lily looked up to meet her gaze, the inner turmoil clear in her eyes and telling her all this. 'I worry that it might be too much for you.'

Again, Hermione tried to say something, to assure Lily she would never knowingly hurt Sirius. That she had never known how he felt, and had hidden her own feelings under everything she'd been doing in the past. That she would always be honest with him about how she was feeling. Even on the days where Lily might be right, and it was too much.

A calmness settled on her unexpectedly as she thought about the day she came back to this time.

'Harry sent me.'

'My Harry?'

'Your Harry.' Hermione nodded, watching the upstairs windows, shadows moving around. 'A Harry from a future that no longer exists because of what I did in your past. He trusted me to make it right.' She turned to Lily, giving her a small smile. 'He said the situation with Sirius was unexpected, but saw it as a good thing. So if he can trust me with this future, then I can trust him with my future.'

Lily looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She grabbed Hermione's free hand, giving it a tight squeeze. 'We have twenty years of memories to share with you- just don't let any of us put that on you too quickly. It might make you go crazy.'

'I'm sure we'll work out it together,' Hermione said, smiling at James' sentiments she'd used.

A ball of light flew across the garden. Turning to look, they saw a spectre of stag slowing to a trot. 'Daisy would like Hermione to read her a story,' James' voice echoed.

'Honestly, takes a village to get that girl to bed,' Lily sighed.

XXXXXX

Hermione ran into the living room of Grimmauld Place, out of breath, her heart thudding as adrenaline pumped through her body. She glanced around the empty room as she heard footsteps racing around the various rooms in the large house, a voice counting loudly.

She moved quickly around the furniture, eyes trying to find the best hiding place. As she walked to the side of the couch, looking up at the curtains, she shrieked when a hand grabbed her, swiftly pulling her down to the floor behind the couch. A hand quickly went over her mouth.

'Shhh! They'll find us,' Sirius whispered into her ear, taking his hand away.

Hermione laughed nervously, as she always did when they played this game after lunch on a Saturday afternoon. It was getting harder to find good hiding places without using magic, the only rule they had in place.

Shifting to her knees, tucking her feet underneath herself, Hermione listened for a moment. Ginny, the current seeker in the game, didn't sound like she was done counting. 'How did you get here so quickly?' she whispered, settling back against the wall, while he sat facing her, leaning against the back of the couch.

Sirius' eyes flashed with mischief.

She gasped in humorous outrage. 'You cheat!' She quickly clapped her hands over her mouth at how loud she'd spoken. Now she knew why he wasn't easy to find.

Sirius held up a finger. 'The rules are we can't use magic to conceal ourselves. Nothing about moving around quickly.'

She grabbed his finger, pulling it back gently, trying not to laugh. 'Trust you to find a loophole, Sirius Black.' Sirius winked at her with a smirk, moving his hand so his fingers were now intwined with hers.

His face became very serious, except for the hint of a smile in his eyes. 'I was thinking, if it's okay with you, that we should go on a date?' he whispered.

Hermione smiled. 'A date?'

'A date.' He nodded. 'Lunch, dinner…something not around this lot for an hour.'

Hermione dipped her head, giggling quietly into chest. They'd not really had a moment alone since Harry's birthday, and she'd gotten the distinct impression he was being very careful about giving her time and space. This was the closest they'd been too.

She snapped her head up; Ginny was no longer counting. Footsteps- maybe Ginny's, but she was scarily quick at finding someone, who then had to help with the search- thundered down the stairs and raced past the living room door. Instinctively, they both held their breaths, laughter building up in them as they looked at each other.

Hermione was starting to laugh harder than Sirius. She bit hard on her bottom lip, scrunching her eyes shut. Sirius kept trying to shush her, but his own laughter was starting to shake his body.

It was beginning to be a losing battle for Hermione when they heard the footsteps come back and pause at the living room door. Sirius leant forward, gently putting a hand over her mouth, putting his forehead against hers as he did, his other hand resting on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, the laughter dissipating immediately, to be replaced by a feeling of electricity running through her veins. She'd never noticed how much that happened when Sirius had touched her before.

The footsteps came into the room, getting closer, but a loud bang in another part of the house had them leaving before they could really search the room.

Sirius' hand slipped down, his fingertips tracing her jaw, slowly moving down the side of her neck. Hermione let out a small sigh, her hands now gripping Sirius' shoulders. She felt his head shift, his lips brushed hers causing her to take a sharp breath.

He pulled back gently, bringing his hands back to take hers from his shoulders, and held them. She opened her eyes slightly dazed to him giving her an amused smile. 'So that date…I reckon we could leave now and they wouldn't miss us,' Sirius suggested.

Hermione found herself nodding, grinning. 'We didn't have dessert. We should definitely go have ice cream.' Sirius didn't need telling twice as he took out his wand, pulling her to her feet quickly to Apparate them to Diagon Alley.

XXXXXX

A Year Later

Hermione sat in the kitchen table of Grimmauld Place with her paperwork all over it. She stood up to look at from a different vantage point, her hands on her hips. With the help of Lucius and Lily putting in a few good words to the relevant ministers, Hermione had been training for the last year within the time sector of the Department of Mysteries. She loved every bit of it. And sometimes, she'd find something that almost looked like it might be the same thing that had happened to her. Almost.

A pair of arms snaked around her waist from behind, pulling her to them tightly.

'You know it's Saturday, don't you?' Sirius whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. She tilted her head at the sensation, leaning back into him.

'I wanted it organised for Monday, then I can get on with it.' She turned in his arms to give him a kiss before trying to move away.

Sirius tightened his grip. 'No. Sorry. It's Saturday. It would be a crime against days off if I let you continue down this path.' She laughed, struggling to fight him as she did.

Going limp in his arms, Hermione turned back, wrapping her arms around his neck. 'Give me five minutes, then I'm all yours,' she promised.

'Five minutes,' Sirius said firmly, giving her a kiss before leaving the room.

Hermione moved quickly. When Sirius gave her a time deadline, he meant it, or his boredom set off all kinds of hijinks. A few months ago Hermione had said five more minutes one too many times when he was trying to get her to eat her lunch, so for weeks afterwards when she tried to say it, I love Sirius more than life itself would come out instead. She quickly learnt to say three minutes- ten minutes if she was annoyed with him.

She had a few more pieces of parchment to sort when she heard his footsteps coming back in. She started to giggle nervously, moving around the table to keep finishing what she was doing.

'Hermione Granger! Are you running away from me?' She didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling.

'Nope,' she said, continuing to walk away as she shuffled the last piece of parchment into its place in the pile in her hands. She avoided eye contact, that would only encourage him to see this as a game.

'You promised me five minutes.'

She cried with dismayed laughter. 'Sirius!' Her pile of parchments were gone. Dropping her hands to her sides, she turned to give Sirius a reprimanding looking, but her heart was suddenly in her throat. 'Sirius,' she whispered.

Sirius was down on one knee before her, a closed box held out. 'Before I ask,' Sirius started, not even a hint of humour in his eyes, his face very serious looking, almost terrified, 'I want you to know that I love you and this is where I see our future, but it's okay if you're not there yet, or if you-'

He stopped his quick chatter when Hermione slowly knelt down in front of him, her heart racing. 'Ask me the question, Sirius,' she said quietly.

He nodded, swallowing hard. 'Will you marry me?'

Hermione wasn't expecting the burst of unadulterated love and happiness that shot through her. She sank back on her heels, words failing her, and gave him a nod.

'Yes?' he asked, the uncertainty clear in his eyes.

'Yes,' she nodded again.

A strange bark of a laughter came out of Sirius as he moved forward, dropping the box on the floor, pulling Hermione to him to kiss her deeply.

'She said yes?' James' voice asked from the door.

Hermione pulled back quickly to look at him. 'She said yes!' she laughed.