One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

56. Right Where You Left Me

6th December 1979

"You've got to get over yourself, mate."

"Why is it up to me?"

"Because Moony did nothing wrong. You blew up at him about not being able to tell you what he was doing, but we've all had Order missions we can't tell each other about."

"But–"

"Padfoot." James interrupted his best friend, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. He was so over the bullshit the other man had been pulling, and the long and sad looks the two kept sending at each other between angry glares. "You love him. He loves you. We could all fucking die tomorrow. Get over yourself. We've been friends for eight years for fuck sake."

"It's not that simple, Prongs." Sirius scowled, his dark hair falling into his eyes when he cast a glance out of the room to the hall where Hermione and Remus were stood. The two had barely exchanged more than a few words since Remus' recovery, and Sirius knew it was mostly his fault.

"It is. You just need to realise that." James walked away to join the rest of their friends in the front hall before Sirius could respond, leaving Sirius with thoughts he didn't know how to sort through.

Sirius wasn't able to do any further thinking on that reconciliation before another was thrown at him. The floo chimed in the front hall, and Hermione hurried to open the floo to whoever was trying to get in. Sirius frowned heavily when Regulus stepped out of the floo, brushing his robes off, and greeting Hermione with a familiar smile.

"Regulus." Sirius heard James greet stiffly once Hermione had pulled back from hugging the younger man. James was clearly not that happy with Hermione's friendship with the Slytherin, but willingly (and wisely) being a gracious host.

Remus' own greeting was warmer, and had Sirius' scowl deepening as he watched from the shadows, content to not interact. He hadn't known Hermione was going to invite Regulus and Remus to this meal, and would've stayed far away had he known. Which, he reasoned, was most likely why Hermione hadn't told him. His skulking was rather ruined when Hermione called for him to join them.

"Sirius! Stop being so immature!" Hermione stomped her way over – though if she'd heard such a thought she would've scolded Sirius immediately and insisted she wasn't stomping. "You and Regulus work for the same side. You need to get over this animosity you've both got for each other."

When Sirius scowled and resisted her pulling hand she sent him an identical look. "Kitten–"

"No. Look, I know you both had shitty childhoods." She lowered her voice and stepped in close so the others wouldn't hear them even as they moved to the drawing room. It was an exercise in futility when Remus would be able to hear clearly anyway, but at least it gave the illusion of privacy – and James and Regulus wouldn't be able to hear. "But you shouldn't let that push you apart any more. Let it draw you together."

"You're starting to sound like Dumbledore." Sirius snarked, covering his fears with sarcasm as he was wont to do.

"Sirius. Don't be a twat." Hermione sighed, "You're going to come and sit at that table, and we're going to have dinner together as a family, all of us – including your bloody brother – and you're going to find a way to forgive him for being your parents' favourite. You're going to find a way to understand the weight he had to carry when you left. You are both going to bloody just talk to each other without throwing around accusations, without slurs against each other's houses, without any of the bullshit that always comes out when you two are in the room together."

"Hermione–"

"I don't care. Be serious."

"I'm always–"