The Light

Chapter 33- The Talk

"You took your time," Sirius noted when she walked through the Portrait Hole. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, startled.

"Oh," she said, realising what he was referring to. "Yeah. I wanted to be thorough."

She smiled tightly at him. Sirius didn't seem to notice however for he laughed and said, "It's you. I doubt you'd be anything but."

She almost sighed in relief, but didn't think she could afford it so she just made her way over to him and slumped down on the settee. Remus was looking at her carefully.

James' head shot to her and he said with wide eyes and a large grin that transformed his whole face, "Guess what, Mione? You'll never guess. Guess!"

Hermione's eyebrows pulled together in incredulous bewilderment and she looked questioningly at Remus, but he just rolled his eyes.

She opened her mouth to reply, when James cut her off, "McGonagall's moved the match to tomorrow so we can still play before the ball!"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from smiling. Of course, excitement of this level could only stem from Quidditch. She pouted and said, "I was going to guess that."

James just stuck his tongue out at her.

She laughed. "I thought it was cancelled because of the Halloween Ball?"

James nodded. "It was, but McGonagall rescheduled it so we could still play!"

"And I see you're happy about that!"

She couldn't just see it. Hermione could feel his happiness in the air, and it was infectious.

"Who are you playing?"

"Ravenclaw," James answered. He was sat on the far side of the settee, with his legs stretched over Sirius and he was bouncing slightly. "We'll beat them though. We're bound to. Their Chasers are shocking. It's their Seeker they rely on. But honestly, even he's-"

Hermione zoned out then, feigning interest. James didn't even notice and he continued babbling on to no one in particular. She glanced around; Remus seemed distracted too, and he was frowning at his hand which was stretched out on the arm of the chair, Peter was rapt, hanging onto James' every word. Sirius noticed though.

He turned to her (he looked so much like his brother) and asked quietly, "So how are you?"

"I'm good, what about you?" She replied, smiling but not looking at him. She couldn't.

"Splendid now that you're here," he replied, flashing her a cheeky grin, and he cheeks grew hot, then his face turned stony. "No more Slytherins bothered you, did they?"

"No," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And even if they did, I wouldn't need your help or protection. I could handle them all by myself."

Sirius smoothly brushed this off by tucking a stray curl behind her ear and saying, "I know you could, Kitten. I highly doubt anyone would try to mess with you now. I think the whole school heard about Moody, and I don't reckon any of them want to follow in his footsteps. World knows you got claws, sweetheart"

Hermione groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "The whole school?" She repeated, horrified at the mere prospect. Apparently, her voice had been loud for it gained the attention of all three of the boys who had previously been engaged in the conversation of Quidditch.

Peter nodded and chirped, "As soon as you left, they all started talking about you."

Hermione's eyes widened. Remus' closed in exasperation and he fixed Peter with a steady gaze as he said, "I thought we agreed not to mention that?"