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Easter Holiday, 1996

Hermione promised her mother that she would visit with her during her Spring Medical Consortium in Paris. She walked the length of the Champs d'Elysees, and allowed the sun to shine on her face and shoulders and get some sun as Sirius had suggested the weekend prior. The white sundress and strappy sandals garnered her many appreciative glances and even a few stares. She actually relished the sun on her neck and shoulders as she thought to put her hair in a loosely wound updo, secured with only her wand. She continued on until she found her mother seated alone at a riverside café enjoying an espresso as she poured over the conference materials laid out before her. She stood off in the distance and watched her as she sipped on her espresso and smoked her clove cigarette. She'd never seen her mother smoke before and thought it oddly provocative. The waiter approached her and she shook her head and pointed. "Ma mere," she said as she smiled.

"Ah tres bon," he said as he returned her smile and walked off to check on his tables.

Doctor Granger looked up from her reading materials uncomfortably as she looked around, causing Hermione to giggle, and finally she approached her mother.

"Mione!" she exclaimed as she stood and placed her hands on her hips. "You scared the daylights out of me!"

Hermione embraced her mother and sat down at the little table as her mother gathered the papers and placed them in a neat pile off to the side. "I'm sor--I apologize, Mum," she replied warmly. She ordered a Pernod from the waiter and he asked if she wanted water with it as he raised his brow. "Please," she asked as her eyes met with his and he smiled finally.

"Pernod, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded. "Sirius suggested that I try it."

"Ah yes. How is he, Sirius?"

She nodded. "He's alright," she said. "As alright as he can be at any rate; he asked me to say hello."

Her mother nodded and smiled. "You know, I've had the feeling that I've been being watched all morning since I've been out here. It's the oddest thing really."

Hermione glanced around covertly and saw that everyone around them was indeed minding their own business...except one man who had been facing them. He was on the outskirts of the café, sitting in the sun as he leaned back in this chair with his glass of wine in his fingers, swirling it around, watching the sun light glisten in the dark red liquid.

"Merlin's beard! That man looks exactly like Sirius!"

Her mother turned her head to get a look at him. "Well, he's certainly handsome enough."

Hermione stared hard at him and squinted her eyes as her mouth tightened into the little bow that Sirius was so found of. Smiling, he raised his glass in salute and winked his eye.

She stood and placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Mum, I'll be right back," she said. As irate as she tried to make herself appear, all of it melted away when he stood and took her hands in his, then he leaned in to kiss her cheek tenderly. "What are you doing here!"

"I'm on holiday," he said. "I've earned it, don't you think?"

"Well certainly," she replied. "Where are you staying?"

"Nowhere. Everywhere,"

"Sirius, are you telling me that you're out of doors?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," he said smiling. "Feels like...freedom!"

"You simply can't stay out of doors!"

"Why not," he asked holding out his arms.

"Well, well, because."

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