Truth or Dare ✔️

27

"MERLIN'S BEARD!" Dora exclaimed. "And you didn't invite us to the wedding!"

Hermione shook her head. "It was a simple handfasting," she offered. "That's all."

"Oh, thank god," Remus muttered as he turned back to his soup.

Dora turned to him and threw her arm over the back of the chair and grabbed the back of his shirt. "What?"

"A handfasting...it's not legal," Remus said.

"I know what a handfasting is, Remus. I'm not stupid! And it's enough," Dora said. "The family will recognize it! They've no choice!"

"I didn't mean to imply that you are anything but brilliant Dora and, if you please, I'm not family," Remus grumbled. "And I don't recognize it!" He slammed the wooden spoon against the counter and he spun around and glared at his friend.

"No," Hermione cried. "Don't say that! Please!"

Remus looked into his friend's eyes and saw a mixture of anger and  mostly hurt on his face. He then looked into hers. "Did they tell you that they'll expect a child soon?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Thought not." He pointed toward Sirius. "But YOU knew! Didn't you!"

"And they know that she wants to finish school and then attend University!"

"With a baby in tow, that's going to prove very difficult, Sirius!"

"I was hoping for more us time, actually," Hermione said.

Sirius put his arms around her from behind. "You'll have it," he whispered as he kissed her ear.

"Thank you," she whispered. "And I did know about it, Remus,  of course, it was after the fact. There are loads of books in that old castle!" She turned to Sirius. "And I found out how the tapestry works!"

"Oh yeah," Sirius asked.

"Yes, it works like the Sorting Hat."

"Hmm. Fancy that?"

"Did they prick your finger," Dora asked quickly.

"Yes," Hermione replied, holding up her index finger.

Dora grinned. "Then, we. Are. Family! YAY!" She smiled  brightly and clapped her hands as she rose from her seat and trotted  around the table to embrace her cousin and his bride. "I'm so happy for you! For you both! Did you know this was going to happen, Sirius?"

"No. It was very sudden. But it felt right."

"It was and it is right," Hermione said as she looked into Remus' hazel eyes and he rolled them. "Please be happy for us?"

"Does your mother even know!"

"Not yet. There wasn't time and we went to tell her, but she had already left. I assumed she went home but apparently she went someplace  else, because she's not there either. Neither of them are."

"So we are the only ones who know then," Remus said.

"Yeah," Sirius replied.

"Good. Keep it that way. Far less headaches for the both of you! I can see the headlines now! FUGITIVE TAKES A CHILD BRIDE! The press will have a FIELD DAY!"

"I'm going to go take that bath," Hermione said, nearly in tears.

Sirius nodded. "Alright, Sunshine. I'll see you in a bit."

"You're not coming along?"

"No," Sirius said as he looked to Remus. "I'm sure he has a few more choice words to share with me and only me."

"You've no idea."

Sirius nodded. "Oh, I think I do."

Hermione went upstairs to the bathroom and closed the door and ran the hot water for a bath. Since she'd a regular guest at the headquarters, Sirius made certain that her favorite bubble bath was always available. She disrobed quickly and stepped into the tub, thinking the water too warm for herself, but Sirius would have definitely sank into it and probably dozed off. She listened to the conversation taking place two floors below her...and while The men's voices were muffled, yet she could easily tell that their voices were raised in anger and she understood that one of them had placed a silencing charm around them. She lost track of how many times she heard her name and she winced every time she heard it...she hated when they argued and thought it always sounded like two old lovers bickering bitterly. The yelling ceased abruptly and soon, she heard a hard knock on the door.

"Sirius?"

"No, it's me," Remus said. "Pull the curtain closed, I'm coming in," he warned.