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Chapter Text

Twice Claimed

Chapter 1: Greyback

Easter Holidays, 1998

Malfoy Manor

Hermione screamed again as the blade cut into her flesh. Every molecule in her body ached and she had never felt as exhausted in her life, including the weeks she spent re-learning how to breathe after the Department of Mysteries.

At the time, she'd thought that was the hardest thing she'd ever have to do. If she'd only known that less than two years later she'd be spread out on the floor of Malfoy Manor, pinned under Bellatrix Lestrange and having a cursed blade slice into her arm while she watched Fenrir Greyback circle them, teeth bared and eyes glowing…

Suddenly an explosion sounded somewhere in the Manor and Bellatrix's head snapped up.

"We need to leave, Bella," Lucius said. "You've had your fun."

Bellatrix laughed quietly. "It has been fun, hasn't it, my lovely little Mudblood?" she asked Hermione. "Pity we don't have more time. I could have shown you what real pain is."

She lifted herself off Hermione and stood as the sounds of battle grew closer. Hermione could hear the crackle of magic as hexes were thrown, and the shouts and crashes as targets were hit. Her relief was short-lived, however, when Bellatrix smiled down at her.

"Fenrir," she called. "If you can be quick about it, you can have a treat."

An excited growl reached her ears and Hermione couldn't help her whimper. There would be no fighting him off. She was too drained. Between the pain and nerve damage of the Cruciatus and whatever Dark magic Bellatrix's knife was permeated with, Hermione was completely incapable of putting up even a token resistance against the feral wolf. Her only hope was that the Order fought their way into the room before he had his way with her.

Bellatrix moved away from her and the space was quickly filled with the hulking mass of Fenrir Greyback. Tall and impossibly broad, Fenrir embodied every single stereotype the magical world liked to believe about his kind. Scars littered most of the skin Hermione could see, his hair and beard told her he didn't bother grooming himself, and his teeth and eyes were yellow. He truly was more animal than man, as she was to see close-up when he dropped to all-fours on top of her.

Hermione would have recoiled from the sight and stench of him, but there was nowhere to recoil to. "No," she whispered. "No no no…"

"Oh, yes," Fenrir breathed, his hot breath washing over her and making her stomach turn. "It's been a long time since I've had something so… ," he sniffed at her, "fresh." He grinned. "This really is a treat."

"Nooo," Hermione whined again, bringing her fists up to hit at him and push at his shoulders. He batted her hands away easily. As weak as she was, he might as well have been shooing a fly.

Fenrir laughed, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand as the other moved down her body. "Still got a bit of fight left in you, girl? I like that. But it's not going to be enough… "

A piercing scream from above shook Remus and Sirius out of their stupor. Dobby had apparated them into the Manor's dungeon just in time to watch Peter take his last, gasping breath as the silver hand tightened once more around his throat, and the two men didn't know what to think or feel as they watched justice finally be done.

"Hermione," Ron said, anguished. He pushed past the Marauders, Harry hot on his heels. "Bellatrix has got her!"

"Ron, wait!" Remus called. "Harry!"

The foursome fought their way up staircase after staircase, Sirius leading the way as he was the only one who knew the layout of the house, having spent many unhappy hours there as a boy. Panting, they finally reached the main hall, leaving the stunned or possibly dead bodies where they fell, collecting their wands but not even bothering to try and identify them. There wasn't time.

Hermione screamed again.

Sirius turned to Harry and Ron. "Boys, get out of here," he said, shaking his head at the protests that followed. "You know as well as I do that he's coming. You can't be found here. Dobby!" The elf appeared with a crack! "Take Harry and Ron wherever you took the others, then come back for us."

"No!"

"Sirius - "

"Don't argue!" Sirius snapped. "We'll get her out. I swear it."

"If you think - ," Ron began.

"Ron, he's right!" Harry said, taking Dobby's hand. "You promised, Sirius." He eyed his godfather. "I'm holding you to it."

Sirius nodded solemnly and looked at Ron. The redhead glared, but knew that if he didn't leave, then Harry wouldn't leave. He would just have to trust Sirius and Remus to rescue Hermione. It killed him to do it, but he took hold of Dobby's other hand and allowed the elf to apparate them out.

Remus and Sirius rushed towards the source of the screams, which by now had morphed into wails and sobs. The two men exchanged a worried look. They knew whatever they found beyond the doors at the end of the hall would not be good, they just didn't know how not good.

"Bombarda!" Sirius' spell sent the solid oak doors flying off their hinges and they rushed in only to stop dead in their tracks.

There, in the middle of the floor, recognizable only by her hair, was Hermione. Her clothes were torn and bloody, her skin was torn and bloody, and Fenrir Greyback was kneeling between her legs, undoing his belt.

The werewolf looked up and bared his teeth at the intruders. Remus' wand sliced through the air, sending him flying across the room and hitting the far wall with an audible thump!. Sirius rushed towards Hermione, leaving Remus to deal with Greyback.

The witch's eyes were shut tight and she struck out at Sirius as he dropped to his knees beside her. "Hermione, love, it's me. It's Sirius," he said, shrugging his robe off and covering her up. "Open your eyes, kitten. Come on, look at me. Please," he begged, grabbing a flying fist and pressing a kiss to her bloodied knuckles.

Honey-brown eyes blinked open at the gentle touch, widening when she recognized the wizard above her. The sobs intensified. Sirius tried to smile at her.

"You're alright now, love," he promised. "I've got you. I'm going to get you out of here." Sirius tucked the robe around her and gathered her up, being as careful as possible as she whimpered and cringed. "I know, angel, I know. I'll get you cleaned up. But we've got to get out of here first, okay? We've already got Harry and Ron and the others out. Dobby!" he called, and Hermione blinked as the elf appeared.

Remus stared down at Greyback, lying in a heap on the floor. The level of hatred he held for the creature before him was second only to his hatred of Peter, and now that Peter was no more…

"Lupin." Fenrir snorted derisively at Remus. "You're not going to kill me, pup," he said confidently. "You haven't got the balls."

Remus' lip curled. At one time, he may have been right. But not today. Remus raised his wand. "Sectumsempra," he growled, watching as invisible blades slashed across Greyback's body and blood poured from the wounds. He pointed his wand directly at Greyback's throat and repeated the curse, feeling a sick satisfaction as he watched the monster that ruined so many lives bleed out in front of him.

A wet gurgling reached her ears, and Hermione's gaze was drawn away from the reassuring silver of Sirius' eyes. Looking past him, she saw Remus standing over the body of her would-be rapist as Fenrir's clawed fingers grabbed at his neck in a futile attempt to stem the flow. She gagged.

"Hermione, look at me," Sirius said firmly. He gently cupped her chin, turning her face back to his. "There we are. Now, just keep looking at me. There's nothing over there that we need to pay attention to. Just keep your eyes on me, kitten. Dobby, are you ready?"

"Yes, Sirius Black, sir!" the elf squeaked, trembling from head to toe.

"Good. Remus, let's go!" Sirius called, lifting Hermione into his arms and standing. He glanced at Hermione to make sure she was still looking at him and moved to stand in a position that put her back to the bloody scene by the far wall. "Keep looking at me, kitten. I'm taking you out of here."

Remus came to stand beside them, eyes still glowing a dark amber, and took Dobby's hand. The elf reached up and grabbed Sirius' elbow and made to turn into the apparition when Bellatrix suddenly flew into the room. She screamed in fury and threw something at the group, but Sirius couldn't see what it was before they were sucked into blackness.

Salty sea air was the first thing Sirius was aware of. Hermione's gasp was the second. Her face was screwed up in pain, and she tucked her head into Sirius' neck as shouts rang out around them.

"There she is!"

"There! Over there!"

"Oh, no… Dobby!"

Dobby was hunched over, clutching at his stomach. He fell to his knees and Sirius saw that there was a silver knife sticking out of his abdomen. Harry reached the elf just as he collapsed and cradled his head. Dobby spoke a few words, and Harry answered, then his eyes closed and he went limp.

"I'm sorry, Harry," said a blonde girl Sirius had seen in the dungeon. "Was he a friend of yours?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes. Dobby was my friend." He looked up at Sirius and Remus. "Who did it?" he asked.

"Bellatrix," Remus answered, and Hermione shuddered in Sirius' arms.

"Did you kill her?"

Remus shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Harry. She threw it just as Dobby got us out. I didn't even know he'd been hit."

"Merlin, what did they do to her?" Bill asked, nodding at Hermione as he walked up to them.

"You don't want to know, Bill," Sirius said, eyeing Ron. Not only were his ears red, but his neck was flushed as well, and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he stared at the girl in Sirius' arms. "I don't think she should stay here," he said to Remus.

Remus turned to him, his eyes back to their normal moss green. "Too many people?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. She's going to need quiet and privacy."

"She won't get much of that here," Bill admitted.

"We go where she goes," Ron said, his voice quiet but strong. He meant it.

"Grimmauld?" Remus asked. "We can redo the wards. Nobody's lived there in a while, so I'm sure nobody's watching the place."

"We'll take care of the others," Bill said. "Ollivander and the kids, and Griphook. They can recuperate here."

"That's settled, then," Sirius said.

"I want to bury Dobby first," Harry cut in. "Bill, do you mind if I bury him here?"

"No, of course not."

"I'll come to Grimmauld after I'm done. I can't do anything for her right now, anyway," Harry said, gazing sadly at his best friend.

Remus clasped Harry's shoulder. "We'll take care of her for you, Harry. Come when you're ready. Don't use the floo. Apparate directly onto the front step. Be careful - "

"I got it, Remus."

Sirius smirked half-heartedly. "Thanks, Bill. For everything." He turned to Remus and Ron. "Take it in turns? Remus, you go first. Apparate onto the step and unlock the house. Ron, follow about ten seconds later, and I'll come after you, yeah?"

The two nodded and Remus turned sharply, disappearing.

Number 12, Grimmauld Place

By the time Sirius walked into the old house, Remus was erecting the strongest wards he knew and Ron was making use of all the cleaning charms his mother had taught him over the years. The front hall had been cleared of the cobwebs and most of the dust, and Sirius followed as the ginger made his way up the main staircase, wand out and siphoning the mess.

Ron headed instinctively towards the room Hermione and Ginny had shared the summer they'd all lived there, but Sirius stopped him.

"She'll stay in my room for now," he said.

Ron frowned. "Why?"

"One, because it's got a bathroom attached, and I don't want her having to walk down the hall whenever she needs the loo," Sirius explained, "and two, because I can keep an eye on her better there."

"Harry and I can keep an eye on her," Ron argued defensively.

Sirius didn't answer at first. Opening the door to his bedroom, he walked to the bed and gently laid Hermione down on it, pulling his wand and using a freshening charm on the sheets. He'd ask Remus to change the bedclothes once the werewolf was done with the protections on the house.

Stroking her hair, Sirius smiled down at her. "Give me a second, love, okay? I'm going to talk to Ron and then I'll come right back and we'll get cleaned up and I'll make you more comfortable."

Hermione nodded minutely, and Sirius winked at her. Turning, he put a hand on Ron's shoulder and steered him out into the hall, putting up a Muffliato as he went.

"I'm not trying to keep you out, Ron," he said. "Not at all. My door will stay open unless she asks me to close it. But she's been through some heavy shit today and I have more experience with that than you do. I know you three have had a rough time of it this year, but I know what it's like to be broken."

Ron took several deep breaths, knowing his temper would get the better of him if he wasn't careful. He also knew that his jealousy was on full display, but he couldn't be bothered to care.

"What did they do to her?" he asked. "We could hear her screaming all the way down in the dungeon."

Sirius hesitated. "I don't know all of it yet," he hedged, sighing when Ron glared. "I really think she should be the one to tell you and Harry. If she wants me to, I'll do it, but not before talking to her about it. Right now, she needs to get cleaned up and rest. I'll send Remus out for food and potions when he's done with the wards."

"I can go - "

"No, you can't," Sirius interrupted. "I know you want to help her, but your face is on wanted posters all over the bloody country, Ron. How will it help her to know that you've been caught - again? They won't let you live a second time, not after today."

Ron flushed again, pissed off. "Fine," he spat.

"Just let me get her somewhat comfortable. As soon as she's ready to see people, I'll come and get you. I promise."

Ron looked at the figure on the bed once more, then nodded tersely and headed downstairs. Sirius let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair before walking back into his room and kneeling next to the bed so he could be face-to-face with Hermione.

"Hello, kitten," he said, stroking her cheek. "I'm going to ask you some yes and no questions, okay? Just nod or shake your head."

Hermione nodded to say she understood.

"I've told Ron to give you a bit of space for now so I can get you cleaned up, but would you rather it was him helping you?"

She shook her head.

"Okay. Now, you've got to have a bath. You're not strong enough to take one on your own right now. Would you like me to contact Molly?"

Hermione bit her lip, but shook her head.

"That means I'll be the one helping you. Fleur's busy with the others right now. Are you okay with me being there?"

She didn't look particularly thrilled at the prospect, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Alright. I'll be as careful as possible," he said, gathering her up again. He carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the toilet, wincing at the whimper she let out.

Sirius flicked his wand at the bathtub and the tap began to flow. Then he set to work on the dust and grime everywhere. Nobody had lived in the house since Dumbledore's death nearly a year previous, when the Fidelius had been broken, and certainly no one had cleaned.

Rummaging through the cabinet above the sink, he luckily found both a pain potion and a Pepper-Up. Hoping they were still effective, he set them on the counter and retrieved a fresh towel and flannel from the closet. Hanging those on the rack next to the tub, he handed Hermione one of the vials.

"Pain potions are supposed to have a pretty good shelf life, so hopefully that'll do a bit of good," he said, uncorking it for her and taking it back once she'd downed it. "Good girl. Now, this one's Pepper-Up," He opened it. "Only take a sip of this one. After your bath, you're going straight to bed. I just don't want you passing out in the tub before then."

She nodded and took the one sip, handing it back to him with a grimace as it burned her raw throat.

"I know, love. I'm sorry. I'll get you something for that later," he said, kneeling in front of her. "Now, let's have those pretty feet." He undid her laces and removed her trainers and socks. "Hermione, do you think - if I help you stand - that you can get the rest of your clothes off and get in the tub?"

She thought about it, then nodded, looking a bit unsure.

"You want to try? Okay. I'll turn around, and you get in the tub. Knock on the side of the tub when you're in," he said, helping her into a standing position and flicking his wand at the tub again, charming the water a milky-white. "That way it's not see through," he said when she frowned.

Sirius turned around and stood by the sink to give her more room. He listened to his robe hit the floor, followed slowly by the rest of her clothing, the sound accompanied by the occasional whimper or gasp of pain. He relaxed a bit when he heard her step into the tub, three knocks on the copper side coming a moment later.

Hermione had her knees pulled up to her chest and her right hand was held out to him, cupped as though she was holding something, but there was nothing there. He reached out to cover her fingers with his own only to feel fabric. Waving his wand over it, he revealed a small, beaded bag.

"What's this?" he asked, taking it from her and opening the drawstring. He shook the bag and heard the sound of things much too big to fit clanking together. "Undetectable Extension Charm?" She nodded. "Brilliant girl," he muttered. "You got any shampoo in here?"

Sirius summoned several items from the bag, including a change of clothes for her, and was reaching for the flannel when Remus called him from the bedroom. He handed Hermione the flannel and told her he'd be right back.

"Remus, I need you to go out and get a bunch of stuff. Potions, food… anything you can think of."

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm on my way out. You don't have any money on you, do you?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." He handed over his pouch. "I don't know how much is in there - "

"I'm sure it'll be enough. How is she?" Remus asked.

Sirius sighed. "I don't know yet. Merlin only knows what Bella put her through. Crazy fucking bitch was demented even before Azkaban. Ron says they could hear her screams all the way down in the dungeon."

Remus winced. "Damn. I remember hearing her down there, but I thought it was our heightened senses."

"Apparently not. Hey, before you go, could you do something with the bed? Make it more habitable? Hermione's going to stay here for now," Sirius said. "Oh, and when you're getting potions, get something for a sore throat."

"Yeah," Remus nodded. "Alright, I'll be back in a bit. I'll try to be quick."

"Thanks, mate." Sirius walked back to the bathroom. "Hermione?" he called, knocking lightly on the door. "I'm coming back in, kitten."

He entered the bathroom to find Hermione still sitting in the water that now had a pink tinge to it, scrubbing furiously at her left forearm. She was sniffling and shaking and didn't flinch when he walked in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he said, grabbing her wrists to stop her. "Easy there, angel. Let me see - oh, fuck."

Hermione looked up at him, then, devastation written all over her face and Sirius couldn't help but wrap his arms around her, awkward as it was with her still in the tub. Water sloshed about, soaking through his shirt, but he couldn't care less. All he could do was hold her while he breathed deep, forcing his fury and desperate desire for revenge back down before they could take over. She needed him sane right now.

He grit his teeth and pulled back. "Okay. Alright. Uh… I've got some murtlap here somewhere, hang on… "

Sirius let go of her briefly to tear through his cabinet again, grabbing the small bottle of murtlap essence, then rushed into the bedroom to find a collection of silk handkerchiefs from years and years before that really should have been thrown out during the Summer of Cleaning.

He knelt back down beside the tub and ripped the handkerchiefs into strips, carefully drying her arm before soaking the strips in the murtlap and then wrapping the cloth around the slur, and covering it all with an Impervious Charm. Sirius kissed the back of her hand, then picked up the flannel. Seeing the blood on it, he charmed it cleaned, turned the water opaque again and began washing her back.

When he was done, he handed the flannel back to her and told her to give the rest of herself a scrub while he worked on her hair. He lathered the tangled mess and tenderly massaged her scalp, trying to soothe her in any way he could before using his wand to rinse out the shampoo and then working the conditioner into her curls. He was so engrossed in his task, he almost missed the way her skin was beginning to pink.

"Hermione," he said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Go easy, kitten." She looked away from him. "I know, love. I understand what you're trying to do," he told her gently, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Hermione hung her head, but stopped her washing. Sirius finished her hair, and helped her stand, wrapping her in a towel and being careful to keep his eyes averted as much as possible. He reached for the change of clothes he'd summoned from her bag, but thought twice. In his haste, he'd pulled out jeans and a t-shirt. That wouldn't do.

"Hang on, love," he said, digging into his wardrobe once more. He pulled out an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt of his and enlarged it slightly, just to make sure. He handed it to her along with the knickers he'd pulled out earlier. "Do you think you can get these on yourself?"

She nodded and Sirius turned his back once again. Hermione touched his arm when she was finished.

"Okay, kitten, now - do you want to try to walk to the bed or shall I carry you?" he asked. She looked conflicted, so he decided for her. "Why don't I carry you this time, hmm? Come on," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and hooking the other under her knees.

Sirius walked over to the bed, making a mental note to thank Remus for changing the sheets and turning them down for him, and carefully set her down, pulling the sheets up and tucking her in.

"I want you to try and get some sleep, okay? I'm going to go talk to the boys and wait for Remus, but I'll be checking on you to see if you need anything." He hesitated. "Love, Harry and Ron will need to know about what happened to you. If you want, I can tell them now, or that can wait until you're ready to talk to them - "

Hermione shook her head violently. She didn't want to talk about it. Ever. She didn't even want to think about it.

"Okay, okay," Sirius placated. "Do you want me to tell them?" She nodded. "What about this?" he asked, running a finger down her left arm. "Bella did this, didn't she?" She nodded again, her lower lip trembling. "Alright," Sirius sighed, and kissed her forehead. "Sleep, kitten. You're safe here."

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Scarred

Easter Holidays, 1998

Number 12, Grimmauld Place

By the next afternoon, Hermione was on her third round of potions and thoroughly bored with Sirius' bedroom. Her body was still sore and achy, but her mind was racing as she attempted to do what she always did - compartmentalize.

They were close, so close, to ending the war for good, and Hermione couldn't find it in her to justify spending the time and mental energy to dealing with what had happened to her. She'd turned her head away when Sirius changed the bandages on her arm, and she hadn't told him about the strange, almost runic mark on her lower abdomen that Greyback had scratched into her skin. Something about it unnerved her, and she wanted to research it on her own before talking to anyone else.

She'd tried practicing simple spells with the wand Harry had given her, and the distraction had helped, but after accidentally setting the canopy of Sirius' bed on fire, she decided that trying to form an alliance with the wand would have to wait until she was more stable emotionally. Also, she wanted to see Remus.

The werewolf was avoiding her. Sirius confirmed it when she'd asked him why she hadn't even seen him pass the bedroom door. Had he snuck by when I was asleep? No, Sirius had told her, Remus was scared that she'd be afraid of him, now that she'd watched him kill. Sirius had also insinuated that Remus wouldn't believe otherwise until she'd told him herself.

Which was why she was currently making her way to the library.

Hearing both men's voices, she walked into the room. Sirius was sitting at the writing desk, parchments spread about, and Remus was leaning against it, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Hermione walked straight up to him, stood in between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It took a moment, but he soon reciprocated the hug. Hermione thought she felt him stiffen slightly when she pressed a little closer, but she dismissed that thought. She knew how reticent he could be about physical touch. She didn't know that Sirius had caught it as well.

Finally, she pulled back and smiled at him. He smiled back. "I haven't seen this t-shirt in years," he said, glancing at Sirius, then back at Hermione. "I'm not sure Led Zeppelin suits you."

"'Course it does," Sirius scoffed. "I thought you were going to change?" he asked her.

"Well, I was, but to do that I need to summon fresh clothes out of my bag and the wand Harry gave me doesn't like me," she explained quietly. Her voice was still quite rough, but her throat didn't hurt anymore, thanks to one of the many potions Sirius had dosed her with.

"Are you alright? The wand didn't turn on you, did it?" Remus asked.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "But I might have set your bed on fire," she told Sirius, grimacing, "just a little."

He grinned. "Just a little fire?"

"Yeah. Just a bit of the canopy. Sorry."

"Hermione, you know how I feel about everything in here apart from you three and Remus. I'm a little disappointed you didn't manage to burn the house to the ground. Back to the drawing board, kitten," he teased.

"You sure?" she shot back. "If I burned the house down, those slags on your wall would go up in flames as well, and wouldn't that be a shame?"

Sirius winked at her. "Oh, there's more where they came from, love."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Remus chuckled. It still amazed her how providential life had been for Sirius since that night in the Department of Mysteries. Neville had told her all about it when she'd regained consciousness. Bellatrix had been there, wand held high, curse on her lips, when Harry had suddenly turned towards his godfather and, defying any sort of logic, summoned him.

If anyone had asked Hermione before that night whether Accio'ing a person would work, she would have proceeded to lecture them on their stupidity, but it had worked. According to Neville, the force of Harry's summon had Sirius flying towards him while Bellatrix's curse sailed past and disappeared into some old veil thing in the middle of the room.

After that, Dumbledore and Kingsley had worked quickly to get Sirius pardoned while Minister Fudge was still reeling from seeing Voldemort first-hand and being forced to admit that he'd essentially spent the better part of a year acting like an ass. There'd been an ungodly amount of paperwork, but during the DoM fiasco, the Aurors had captured a Death Eater named Jugson, who had sold out Peter Pettigrew.

Peter had not been caught then, but Jugson provided detailed memories of recent meetings with him, and Sirius' pardon had been Fudge's last bit of official business before being forced to resign. Once it went through, Sirius no longer felt obligated to stay at Grimmauld Place, and instead stayed with Remus while the Order switched to the Burrow for official meetings after Dumbledore's death, although they'd kept the Black residence as an emergency safe-house.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked the men.

"Right here," Harry answered, walking into the room, Ron following. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. Instead, his eyes widened slightly at Hermione's bare legs and the tips of his ears turned red. Despite the hem of the t-shirt falling almost to her knees, she tugged on it anyway, shifting uncomfortably.

Sirius and Remus both caught the movement.

"You - um - you know you need to talk to Griphook?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're - ah," Ron cleared his throat, "we're on our way there now. Unless you want us to wait until you can come with us?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, that's fine. Just remember what Bill's always said about goblins."

"Yeah, never trust them when there's gold involved," Harry replied, smirking. "And there's always gold involved."

"And what do you need with a Gringotts goblin?" Sirius asked quietly. Harry and Ron both looked away from him and Hermione ducked her head. He sighed. "Alright," he said, "but I had to try. Be careful, son." He looked directly at Harry. "Please."

Harry met his godfather's eye and tried to smile, but failed, so he nodded instead.

Be careful.

Those were the two most used words in Sirius' vocabulary over the following month or so. He said it to Harry more times than he could count. He said it to Ron, both from himself and when he delivered messages from the ginger's mother. He said it to Hermione when she decided she was well enough to leave his care and join the boys on their next… whatever the hell it was they were doing but couldn't tell him about.

He said it to Remus, to Kingsley, to Arthur, to Bill, to everyone in the Order. He said it to his cousin, whose hair had returned to a vibrant pink once she'd gotten over her infatuation with Remus and rekindled her relationship with Charlie.

He said it to everyone he saw in the Room of Requirement, and he and Minerva said it to each other at the same time as they prepared the castle for the final battle, causing them both to smile just a little. He even said it to Hagrid, despite knowing that the giant blood that ran in his veins would protect him against many of the most common curses and hexes.

It became his mantra and he tried, for the first time in his life, to actually adhere to it.

Be careful.

By the end they were all covered in blood, sweat and tears, their clothes stinking of battle and scorched by spellfire. It was a miracle any of them had lived.

September 1st, 1998

The Haven, Gloucestershire

"Right," Sirius said, grabbing two potions vials, "take these."

"Yeah, yeah," Ron drawled, downing the thick, green liquid.

Harry made a face, but Sirius made one back at him, so he obeyed the animagus as well. "Never knew you were such a mother hen."

"Actually, those were my idea," Remus said, straightening his tie as he appeared in the kitchen. "And all three of you will be taking them until I'm satisfied you're back at a decent weight."

"How are you going to know if we don't?" Harry queried.

"I have my ways."

"Never doubt a Marauder, boys," Sirius warned.

"I want you taking those every day," Remus insisted. "At the very least, every other day."

"Yes, Remus," the young men chorused dutifully, causing Sirius to snort in amusement and Remus to cock his most professor-ly eyebrow.

When the war ended - for good this time - and Harry had been forcibly pried out of Sirius' grasp, the first thing the animagus did was find a new house. He'd spent far more time in Grimmauld Place than he'd ever wanted to and now that there was no reason to live there, he decided he wouldn't.

Property listings in hand, Sirius headed straight for Gloucestershire and, after a bit of searching, found a five-bedroom, red brick Victorian called The Haven from whose study window he could actually see the old Potter Manor. He bought it on the spot and moved in within the week, bringing Remus along with him.

The other three bedrooms were for Harry, Ron and Hermione, even though Harry had petitioned the Ministry to release the Manor to him, and he and Ron would technically be living in London in housing provided for Auror trainees. However, for the purposes of propriety, both young men had told Molly they'd be living with Sirius as well so she wouldn't feel the need to lecture Hermione on the dangers of living with two single, older men. Which would become one single, older man when Remus left for Hogwarts to retake his old teaching position.

Upon moving in, Sirius had decorated his bedroom walls with muggle girls and motorbikes 'for old time's sake' he'd said, while Remus and Hermione had organized the library. Once done, Remus had proceeded to organize the kitchen, stocking it full of both chocolate and vitamin potions.

"Sorry. I mean 'yes, Professor'," Harry corrected himself.

"Pro-fes-sor Mo-ony," Sirius sang, grinning.

"Yes, alright," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, are you off, then?" Hermione asked from the doorway.

She'd left her hair down and it stuck out in all directions, the honey brown of her curls contrasting prettily with the crisp white of her sweater. Her jeans, despite being new, were just a little tight, and that was a good thing, because it meant she was regaining some of the weight she'd lost over the previous year. Small, bare feet padded across the floor and Remus shot a pointed look at Harry and Ron as she took the vitamin potion Sirius handed her without question.

"Isn't it a bit early?" she asked. "The students aren't even on the train yet."

"Yes, but Minerva wants all the teachers there early," Remus answered her. "She wants to have everything ready when the students get there."

The war had only been over for a few months and with the usual chaos of a September first, Minerva had owled all the professors, requesting their presence earlier than usual to make double sure things flowed as smoothly as possible.

"I'm so glad you're teaching again, Remus," Hermione smiled at him. "Makes me wish I was going back just so I could be in your class."

Remus blushed a bit. "That's high praise indeed, Hermione."

She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to hug him. "Good luck," she said.

He pulled away and Sirius handed him his briefcase. "You'll be back for the moon, right?" the animagus asked.

Remus nodded, smiled once more at Hermione and shook hands with the men, then was gone in a flash of green flames.

"I think I know why me and Hermione didn't work out," Ron said suddenly, breaking the silence that followed Remus' departure. "It's because I'm not a professor, isn't it?" he asked, smirking at her.

Hermione's eyes widened, then narrowed as Harry and Sirius laughed. "I've always been fond of Remus."

"Yeah, well I remember you being fond of Lockhart, too," Harry piped up. Sirius made a gagging noise and Hermione flushed.

"I was twelve!"

"Thirteen."

"I didn't know any better!"

"But you did a year later when we met Remus?"

Hermione's hair sparked. "Yes!" she hissed.

Ron laughed and ignored her scowl, pecking her on the cheek on his way to the fireplace. Riling her up would never get old.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Sirius asked when Harry moved to leave as well.

"We've got training, Sirius," Harry said. "We just came by to see Remus off."

"Oh, thanks!"

"And to see you," he added, shaking his head at Sirius' pout.

Sirius huffed. "Liar," he said. "And I was indignant on Hermione's behalf. Don't you hurt my kitten's feelings like that." He shook his finger at them. "Be careful!" he shouted at them as they disappeared.

Turning around, Sirius' pout morphed into a grin which made Hermione wary. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Get some shoes, kitten," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders and steering her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. "We're going out."

"Why do I get the feeling you know exactly where we're going and you just refuse to tell me?" Hermione asked as Sirius guided them expertly through the town.

"Because you're a naturally suspicious person?" he suggested, shooting her a sideways glance. "Ah! This looks like a nice place. Let's go in here!"

Hermione looked up and her jaw dropped. They were standing in front of a shop with a sign that read Sam's Mechanic Shop: Foreign and Domestic Motorcycle Repair. She was so wrapped up in her outrage she barely noticed Sirius pulling her into the shop.

"Oh, you are going to hear about this when we get home, Sirius Black!" she hissed, spinning around in surprise when she heard a chuckle behind her.

"I reckon she means it, mate," said a short, middle-aged man wearing overalls covered in what Hermione assumed was engine grease.

Sirius barked a laugh. "She does, Sam. You got my lady ready?"

"Oh, aye," Sam grinned. "Right pleasure she was, too. I haven't worked on a Vincent in years." he led them to the back of the shop where a motorcycle sat under a cover. "Still don't know how you came out of that crash alive, Sirius."

"I was lucky," Sirius replied breathlessly. He was eyeing the covered machine like a dog staring at a ball about to be thrown. "Go on, then," he said. "Let's see her."

Sam loosened the cover, then pulled it off with a flourish and Hermione heard Sirius' breath catch. She couldn't blame him. Even Hermione could appreciate the beauty before her. The frame was all sleek lines and sensuous curves, and the black and chrome paint job gleamed so brilliantly, she could almost hear the ding! of a cheesy dishwasher detergent commercial.

Even the leather shone like new and she shared a smile with Sam as they watched Sirius stare at it. Eventually, he couldn't help himself, and he stepped forward, gently trailing his fingers from the front fender, over the handlebars, along the leather seat and all the way to the taillight.

"She's beautiful," he breathed, caressing every inch he could reach. The thing radiated power and sin.

Much like the owner, Hermione thought, smirking to herself.

Suddenly, he grinned. "Take you for a ride, kitten?" he purred, looking at Hermione. Her eyes went wide and she started to shake her head. "No? How else are you going to get home? It's an awful long walk," he said, putting emphasis on 'walk' because he knew she couldn't talk about apparition in front of the very clearly muggle Sam.

"Ah, the birds are always chicken," said a customer who had walked in while Sirius was admiring his bike. "Shame, too. Your pretty little arse would look real good riding bitch." He gave Hermione a leer.

Hermione had to move fast to get in front of Sirius. Quick as lightning, the animagus had come around the bike and was headed for the other man, eyes flashing. "Sirius!" she said, putting a hand on his chest.

"Oi!" Sam called. "You can take your business elsewhere if you're gonna be like that."

The man put his hands up. "Al'right! 'S meant as a compliment, that was!"

"You'll keep your compliments to yourself if you know what's good for you," Sirius growled.

"Are you threat'ning me?!"

"He'd have every right to if he was, you running your mouth that way," Sam said. "You go wait in the front of the shop. I'll be with you when I'm finished here. Sorry about that, Sirius, miss," he apologized.

Sirius ignored him, his attention on Hermione. "Why don't you let me take you home? I'll come back for the bike later, by myself," he said quietly.

He was standing close enough that she had to crane her neck a bit to look up at him. "Absolutely not," she said, swallowing her anger and momentary panic. "I thought you wanted to go for a ride?"

"I do, but - "

"Then we'll go for a ride," she said, raising her chin defiantly as though daring him to argue. "But I want one of those helmet things," she stated. "If we do crash, I don't want them to have to scrape my brain off the pavement."

The corner of his mouth turned up. "Are you sure?" he asked, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

"Positive."

Sirius smiled. "Sam, d'you think you've got a helmet that'll fit this hair? Ow!"

Sam chuckled. "Reckon so. Shall I get your bill ready?"

"Please."

Hermione blinked. "Sirius, how are you going to pay?!" she whispered. "This is a muggle shop!"

"With this," he said, whipping out what looked like a muggle credit card. On closer inspection, however, Hermione saw the Ministry of Magic emblem etched in gold on the top left corner.

Her eyes widened. "What is that?"

Sirius laughed. "They're new," he said as Sam walked back up to them, helmet in hand. "I'll tell you about them later."

Their business concluded, Sirius helped Hermione put on her new helmet, then showed her where she was going to put her feet. Throat tight with emotion, Sirius swung a leg over and mounted the bike. He bit his lip as he put up the kickstand and his breathing quickened when he fired the engine. The bike roared to life and he closed his eyes to savour the moment.

Finally, he looked at Hermione. "Come on, kitten."

Hermione settled herself on the back, wrapping her arms around Sirius' torso. "Sirius?" He turned his head towards her. "Go slowly?" She felt him laugh as he nodded.

He had gone slowly. In fact, he'd driven very carefully and Hermione knew that was only because she was on the back, but she gave him credit for it anyway.

"You sure you don't want to go out and raise some hell with me?" he asked her, when he dropped her off back at the house. The question was teasing as he already knew she would decline, and the kind of fun he had in mind was not the sort he wanted her witnessing.

She smiled at him. "I'm sure. Go on, have a good time. I won't wait up for you." She turned to walk away, but he caught her hand.

Sirius pulled her back towards him. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For going with me. It's been… well, too damn long since I've taken a pretty girl for a ride on my bike," he told her. "I've missed it."

"I know you have," Hermione said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Don't kill yourself on it, okay?"

Sirius feigned offence. "I'm the epitome of caution, kitten."

Hermione snorted. His facade crumbled and he grinned wickedly at her as he fired the bike back up. She walked up the steps to the house and turned to wave at him as he steered the bike out of the driveway.

Nudging the door to her bedroom open with her foot, Hermione entered carefully, setting her steaming cup of tea down on the nightstand before reverently placing the four books she'd been balancing with her other arm down on the bed, cover up.

Lessons in Lycanthropy, Moon Bonds, The Inner Workings of Werewolves and Bound By Claim stared back at her. They were the last four books in the house on lycanthropy and Hermione made a mental note to replace them on the shelf before Remus came back for the full moon in just a few days.

Pulling out her ink and parchment, she set to work, phrases like 'a werewolf may bind a human to them by Claiming them…', and 'the Claim is made by blood and bite…', and 'the blood of the virgin creates a more powerful bond…' making her frown as she dutifully wrote them down for future reference.

The first three books held much the same information as the ones she'd already read, but Bound By Claim was different. While still prejudiced and derogatory, it had at least made an effort to be factual, albeit a bit clinical. She flipped to the last chapter, Claiming.

'To seal the bond between werewolf and human, the werewolf - while in human form - must bite the Claimant at the juncture between neck and shoulder hard enough to draw blood. This must be performed during sexual intercourse, specifically at the moment of climax. Therefore, the trading of essence will be complete.'

Hermione hadn't realized she'd stopped writing notes until a large blob of ink landed on her parchment and broke her stupor. Flicking her fingers and wandlessly vanishing the mess, she put her quill down and ran her hands over her face.

That was new. And problematic.

She dropped her head, lifted her shirt and stared at the mark on her stomach. The mark Greyback had scratched into her skin. The mark that wouldn't heal and stayed as pink and raw as the slur carved into her arm. It was a cursed wound, she now knew, just like the scars Remus had that never healed. Like the ones Bill sported.

A footnote on the page in front of her caught her eye.

'Once a mark is given and a bond is initiated, it must be Claimant will feel a pull towards the werewolf and, conversely, the werewolf to the Claimant. This is the bond. In the event that the werewolf does not or can not seal the bond, the Claimant will seek out another werewolf and request the bond be sealed.

This is particularly the case when the werewolf dies before sealing the bond. The Claimant's mark will lay dormant briefly, but not for long. As soon as the Claimant is in the presence of another lycanthrope, the pull will return. The new werewolf will also sense the bond and will desire to seal it, but not before being granted permission.

It seems to be part of the werewolf's territorial instinct, but the werewolf will not pursue or attempt to seal a bond made by another werewolf without receiving either the first werewolf's blessing or, if the first werewolf has died, the permission of the Claimant. To do so without permission would cause a fractured bond and, in some cases, physical pain for the usurper.'

Hermione put the book down as the passage sunk in. Her tea lay cold and forgotten as she stared at a spot on the far wall while her fingers idly rubbed at her lower stomach. It wasn't until she felt the tingle of the wards and heard Sirius stumble to his room that she shook herself.

Looking at the clock, she saw it was nearly three in the morning. She sighed. This was a problem that needed daylight. She changed her clothes and crawled under the covers, hoping that she was tired enough to force her brain to let her sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Proposition

September 7, 1998

The Haven

Hermione played it cool the rest of the week, flirting harmlessly with Sirius as usual and ignoring the strange flutterings Remus' presence brought when he came back to spend the moon in the cellar with Padfoot. She thought she'd caught Remus staring at her a second or two longer than strictly necessary, but she let it go.

Once Remus had returned to the castle, Hermione gathered up her notes and headed for the library, intending to call Sirius down when she was ready. Instead, she found him sprawled on one of the sofas, flipping through a motorbike magazine. She paused, but decided that this was what she came here for, so she gathered her Gryffindor courage.

"Is that all you ever read?" Hermione teased.

"Unless you've got a nice bodice-ripper hidden somewhere," Sirius replied, turning to wink at her.

Hermione shook her head when he waggled his eyebrows. Sirius went back to his magazine and Hermione began setting things up. She pulled out all the books she'd found that dealt with lycanthropic bonds and arranged her pages of notes on the table so she'd be able to reference them if she needed to.

Sirius looked up and frowned. "You're not going back to court, are you?" he asked. She'd taken stacks of parchment like that with her when she'd gone before the Wizengamot to give evidence after the war at Death Eater trials. He still didn't understand why she'd been so fierce in her defense of Narcissa's son. Perhaps she has a thing for blonds…

"No, no," she answered, moving one stack to the side and sliding another next to it. "I just need my reference materials with me. Sirius, I - " she glanced at him, "I need to talk to you."

Sirius blinked. He closed his magazine and set it aside. "Alright," he said, resettling on the sofa. "What's up, Hermione?" he asked, looking over the books she'd set out. "Lessons in Lycanthropy… Moon Bonds… The Inner Workings of Werewolves…" he read out loud. "Hermione, what is all of this?"

Hermione began worrying her bottom lip. "I have a problem, Sirius."

"What sort of problem?" He sat forward, alert.

"A 'furry little problem' sort of problem," she answered. "I… something happened when… when Greyback had me."

Sirius growled involuntarily. It didn't matter that the werewolf had been dead for months, the very mention of his name was enough to put Sirius in a murderous mood. Hermione shifted from foot to foot in front of him.

"Hermione," he said quietly. "Talk to me, kitten."

"Well, um…" Hermione began, reaching behind her to pull out a small, tattered book called Bound by Claim. "Here, read this," she opened the book and handed it to Sirius.

Sirius' eyes went wide as he read down the page. "Wha-?" he choked, then cleared his throat. "What are we talking about here? You think Fenrir Claimed you? What does that mean?"

Hermione shook her head. "I think Greyback wanted to Claim me. I think he was in the middle of Claiming me when you and Remus interrupted." She ran a hand through her hair, scowling when her fingers got caught in the curls. "As for what it means… I'm not sure," she hedged. "I can only go by… by what the books and the bond is telling me."

Sirius looked at her. "And that is…?"

She took a deep breath. "That I am walking around with an unsealed werewolf bond. That the bond will have to be sealed."

"Is there a way to break it?"

"Not that I've been able to find. A lycanthropic bond is like lycanthropy itself - it doesn't go away, you don't grow out of it, and there is no cure."

"Is this why you two have been acting weird around each other?"

Honey-brown eyes widened. "Oh, Godric. Has he said something?"

"No, kitten," Sirius assured her. "I just know you, that's all. Hermione, do you think you're in danger?" he asked.

"I… I'm not entirely sure."

Sirius searched her face. "Tell me everything, kitten."

"Well," Hermione started, "look - " she sat next to him and pointed at the footnote that had deprived her of sleep the first time she'd read it. "This talks about a 'pull'. I can feel it. Whenever… whenever Remus is around," she admitted, her cheeks pinking.

Sirius looked at her before going back to the book. "This says 'mark'. I never saw a mark on you. Except the one Bella left."

Biting her lip, Hermione leaned back a little and lifted her shirt to show him the symbol beneath her navel. Sirius' eyes flashed and he reached out to touch her.

"May I?" he asked. She nodded and he gently traced the mark on her skin. It was pink, and resembled the scars Remus had given himself over the years, except that it had a runic shape. "What's the rune?"

"Lunae vincio. I found it in Moon Bonds."

"Lunar bound," Sirius murmured. "Hermione, er… this is a bit inappropriate, but I have a rather highly developed sense of smell. Would you mind if I…?" he nodded to her stomach.

"Marks can carry a scent?" Hermione asked, head cocking to the side inquisitively as her natural desire to learn something new overrode the strangeness of the request.

The corner of Sirius' mouth twitched at the familiar look. "Some can. I have a feeling Remus has been smelling this - or sensing it - and I wonder if Padfoot can raise it."

"Oh. Okay," she said, awkwardly laying back against the arm of the sofa. Sirius shifted down a bit and sent her an apologetic smile as he lowered his head to her bared midriff.

There was a scent, but it was faint. He pulled away and Hermione went to lower her shirt, but Sirius stopped her. She paused at his raised finger and her brow furrowed when he scooted off the couch. Sirius knelt and transformed, shaking his fur out. He moved in again but jumped back when Hermione yelped.

"Sorry," she said, giggling. "You've got a cold nose."

Padfoot's tail wagged once, and he pressed his nose to her stomach again. This time the scent was clearly present. And clearly lupine. The mark smelled like Remus when the change was near and Moony fought for control. It was wild and intoxicating, and he tried not to focus on the underlying scents that lingered beneath the mark.

It took a physical effort on his part to pull away. Sirius was bad enough when he'd gotten a whiff of female, but Padfoot was even worse, and that mark was far too close to Hermione's forbidden areas. As if her usual scents of cinnamon and nutmeg weren't enough, now she also smelled of earth and animal and a sort of 'readiness' he'd once caught from a pretty French poodle. Mouthwatering.

He backed off and transformed back into a wizard, clearing his throat as he sat on the couch again. "Yeah, I've no doubt Remus - or, rather, Moony - can smell that," he said, not quite looking at Hermione. He didn't want her to see the heat he was sure was in his eyes.

"I need to talk to him, don't I?" she asked.

Sirius nodded. "Yes. Sooner rather than later, most likely. He'll be home in a few weeks for the next moon, but you could always owl him - "

"No no! Not yet! Not… yet." Hermione said, leaping up. "I… uh… this wasn't the, um, only thing I wanted to talk to you about," she stammered, pacing the room agitatedly. "There are, er… well, problems with this." She gestured vaguely to the books and parchments.

"Well, yes. I mean, if your research is correct and thorough - which I have no doubt it is - then of course there are problems. We just came out of a war, you're fresh out of a relationship, I have to assume that this bond is rather final and you may not be ready for that sort of commitment… Do you even fancy Remus?" Sirius asked curiously.

Hermione blinked as though she hadn't been expecting the question. "Yes," she said quietly. "I do."

"I don't mean because of the bond," Sirius said.

"I don't mean that, either."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "Oh."

Hermione flushed. "I, um, I think Ron knew," she said, turning away from him. "I mean, I don't know if he knew who, exactly, but I think he knew there was someone who… wasn't him."

The way she bowed her head and the tension in her shoulders told Sirius this had been weighing on her a lot. He wondered what he'd been so preoccupied with that he'd missed it. He wondered if Remus had noticed. I need to talk to him, too, he thought.

"Hermione, love, I'm more than willing to listen to you," Sirius said, "but I'm not really the best with relationship issues."

"I don't have a relationship issue. Not really."

"Okay. Then, what kind of issue do you have?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "It's… sexual."

Sirius froze. This was deep into uncharted territory. Sure, he flirted with her and she flirted back, but they'd never talked openly about an actual sexual situation before. "Alright. Um… you wouldn't rather talk to Ginny?"

"I tried," Hermione admitted. "She couldn't help."

"Ah."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Sirius frowned. "For what?"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Silver eyes rolled and Sirius forced himself to relax. "Hermione, come here." He gestured to the seat next to him. "Come on, sit back down. Let's talk." He waited until she sat down - not looking at him - before continuing. "Kitten, it is virtually impossible to make me uncomfortable when the subject is sex. You just surprised me. Now, what sort of problem do you have that you need a male friend's advice?"

Hermione chewed on her lip and picked at her fingers for a bit before answering. "I… I don't enjoy it," she muttered finally.

"Any of it?"

"No, um… I don't mind f-foreplay, but the, er… act itself," she stuttered. "I just don't enjoy it."

Sirius hummed. "Is it painful for you? Because you'd want to see a healer about that. Could be a medical issue."

"No," she shook her head, "not painful. It's been uncomfortable a couple of times, but I think that was just because I wasn't really into it at the moment."

"Are we talking mentally or physically?"

"Physically."

"Right," he said. "And nobody thought to use any lube, did you?"

Apparently not, as Hermione raised her head from her hands and stared at Sirius. He shrugged.

"You can't always count on natural lubrication," he explained. "Some women just don't produce much, even when aroused. There's nothing wrong with keeping some oil or whatever you prefer handy, just in case. Oil's fun for massages, too," he said with a small smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked and Hermione smiled. "I always thought lube was only for… other activities," she said, blushing again.

This time Sirius did laugh. "Ah, kitten, I love you," he said, chuckling. "How is it you can live through all the shit of the last few years and come out the other side still too innocent to say the words 'anal sex'?" He sighed. "Actually, no," Sirius amended. "No, I'm glad of that. I wouldn't have taken it well if someone had… gotten to you like that."

Hermione hung her head. "Fenrir came close."

"Yes, he did. Too fucking close. And Remus killed him for it. I'd have done the same."

"I know." She didn't have to look at him to know that his eyes had gone hard. "I love you, too."

Sirius warmed at her words, but wanted to stay on topic. "You know, it could have been because a part of you knew that you and Ron were better off as friends."

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "I thought of that as well."

"So, are you worried you won't enjoy it with Remus, either?"

"Yes," she admitted, wringing her hands nervously. "But, more than that, I'm worried that we'll make a complete hash of it because of that."

Sirius frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You know how Remus is, Sirius. Even better than I do," she said. "I know he's going to be reticent about this whole bond thing, and if I tell him I don't enjoy sex, it's going to be even worse. The literature is clear - the bond must be sealed, and it must be sealed during sex, specifically during orgasm, but imagine how badly Remus will take it if he thinks I won't be able to orgasm. I'm afraid we'll end up fumbling about forever and neither of us will enjoy it. I'm afraid it'll be a disaster and Remus will end up feeling guilty about it."

"Yes, I see your point," Sirius said. "But what do you propose to do about it? There's only so much that reading can teach you about your own body, and being comfortable with yourself when you're in a sexual situation with another person is something that's learned by experience."

"I know," Hermione agreed. "It's the same problem I always have, Sirius," she sighed. "Lots of book knowledge, but very little practical application. I can't very well go to Remus and say 'well, I read a book that says I should respond well if you touch me here…'."

Sirius barked a laugh. "No, I wouldn't recommend that."

"What I need," she continued, "is a temporary partner. Someone who can help me explore and learn…"

"Hmm. That's an idea, certainly. But it'd have to be someone you knew very well and trusted implicitly. You can't just pick someone at random for something like that. Did you have someone in mind?"

Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything. Instead, she cast Sirius a side-long glance.

"Oh, no," he shook his head, "no no no…"

"But why not?"

"Why not?!"

"You said yourself it would have to be someone I knew and trusted! I know you, I trust you, you're experienced… you could help me!"

"Hermione, love… no," he repeated.

Hermione stared, mistaking the look of fear on his face for disgust. She felt her skin get hot as she flushed with humiliation. "Oh," she said, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Okay," she whispered, and fled, speeding out of the library and up to her bedroom.

"Shit," Sirius swore, running a hand through his hair. Any other girl in the world he could let walk away, but not Hermione. He had to fix this.

He walked up to her room and heard the water running in her bathroom. Without knocking, he entered the room and leant against the wall next to the bathroom door. Moments later, she stormed past him, wiping at her eyes.

"Hermione."

She gasped and spun around, drawing her wand, but immediately relaxing. "Don't do that!"

Sirius looked at her for a moment. "I'm sorry I made you cry."

"I wasn't crying!"

"Don't lie to me, kitten," he said.

Hermione huffed. "It doesn't matter, Sirius," she said, turning away. "Don't worry about it."

"I said don't lie to me," he repeated. She whirled back around, eyes narrowed, but he cut her off. "Hermione… a man would have to be blind, deaf, and lose his sense of smell to not have noticed you," he said, making her frown. "But I… put that aside… because you're…," he struggled to find the right words, then sighed and tried again. "You mean so much more to me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So I'd mean less to you if you saw me in a sexual light?"

"I didn't say that - "

"I know!" she snapped, stomping away from him. "I'm sorry, I just - I didn't ask to be put on a pedestal!"

"Since when is respecting someone enough to not go panting after them putting them on a pedestal?" he shot back. "Don't you understand? Your friendship means the world to me. I can't - I won't - do anything that jeopardizes that."

"I'm not asking you to!"

"Oh, yes you are. I know you and Ron are still friends, best friends maybe, but lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice. I - " he paused, unsure how to explain without sounding insecure, then decided that he didn't care. "Hermione, I can't lose you. You are so precious to me. Just the fact that you exist and allow me to co-exist with you is everything. Do you really not know how I feel about you?"

Hermione's lip trembled again as she walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge. "I'm not going to leave you, Sirius. I've seen you at your worst and I'm still here. I don't want to lose you, either. I just need your help. You're the only man in the world I trust enough to do this with."

Sirius clicked his tongue at her. "That right there is an excellent reason why we shouldn't do this."

Hermione looked up, alarmed. "What?! You'd rather I picked someone at random? Five minutes ago you said not to!"

"Of course you shouldn't pick someone at random," he scoffed. "What I meant is that you know me too well. You know exactly what I'd want to hear; you know how touchy I am about trust."

Hermione frowned. "I'm not playing you, Sirius," she said, sounding hurt.

Sirius sighed heavily and crossed the room to sit next to her on the bed. "I know that, love. I didn't mean to say that you were. You're too good for games like that, and I trust you, too," he said. "But I have a soft spot when it comes to you."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she drew into herself. Hermione hadn't moved, but he could tell she was taking this as a rejection. Waves of hurt and uncertainty were rolling off her and he mentally berated himself for being the cause.

"How do you know it would even work?" he asked, steering them in an academic direction in the hopes that it would put her on more stable footing.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, because of the bond. How do you know you would even be able to respond… positively to me? Or, anyone other than Remus, for that matter? Are you sure that wasn't your problem with Ron?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. The books here aren't the only ones I've been reading. The Ministry's library has been helpful as well. I can't find anything that says either party can't have a relationship with others before the bond is sealed. Afterwards, however, things are less clear."

"What about Remus?" Sirius asked.

"What about him?"

"Well, I'd rather not be ripped to shreds by an angry werewolf," he said.

Hermione shrugged. "He hasn't tried to kill Ron, has he?" she reasoned. "I wouldn't have said anything if I thought it would put you in danger. I don't want you ripped to shreds, either. Until the bond is sealed, I think we're all safe - you, me, and Remus."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "And you're not worried about how awkward it could make things between us? We do live in the same house, after all, and I certainly don't want you moving out. I like having you here."

"Sirius, I am prepared for any imaginable possibility," Hermione huffed, "and fully capable of dealing with any unimaginable possibility. We're all adults here. I've been thinking about this all week! I made lists!"

"Of course you did," he replied without thinking. "Wait, what?"

"Nevermind - "

"What sort of lists - "

"I didn't mean to say that," she admitted as Sirius started laughing. "Don't you laugh at me, Sirius Black!" she cried, smacking him on the arm.

He laughed harder as he fended off her attack, the relief of finally being on familiar territory with her again making him a little giddy. However, he wasn't Sirius Black for nothing and he soon made the decision to return to wobbly ground.

Deftly grabbing her wrists, he twisted, catching her off guard and making her lose balance. Hermione fell back on the bed with a squeak and Sirius swiftly straddled her, pinning her hands on either side of her head, but keeping the majority of his weight off her. He was going for playful, not scary.

Even so, she froze. Looking up at him with wide eyes, her breathing increased. Sirius noticed and allowed himself to glance at her heaving chest. Hermione flushed.

"Do you still want this, kitten?" he asked her. "Do you still want me? To touch you, hold you, taste you? On top of you, underneath you, inside you?" Sirius watched as her flush traveled down to her collarbone. "Do you want to come undone for me, want to find all the places on you - and in you - that make it happen?"

Hermione drew in a stilted breath. "Yes," she breathed.

"Louder, Hermione. I need to be sure."

She swallowed. "Yes," she said clearly, taken aback by how husky her voice was. "I want all of that."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Is this position uncomfortable for you?" he asked.

Hermione blinked, confused, before it dawned on her what he was really asking. She flexed her wrists to check how much wiggle room she had, and he decreased the pressure so she could move. "No," she said, "but I think that's because it's you. If it were anyone else… " she shrugged slightly.

Leaning in, he kissed her forehead. "Thank you for being honest with me."

Sirius rolled off her and sat up. Taking his boots off, he situated himself on her bed, sitting against the headboard. He crooked a finger at her and she did the same, sitting next to him. He shook his head and patted his lap.

"Come on, kitten," he said when she bit her lip. "How do you expect to do this with no contact?" She moved to sit sideways on his lap. "No," he drawled, giving her a look. Hermione averted her eyes shyly, but straddled his thighs nonetheless.

Hermione awkwardly laid her hands on his shoulders, but kept her eyes down. Sirius gently grasped her chin and encouraged her to lift her head.

"Not afraid of me now, are you?" he asked.

"No!" she said. "Just… shy and nervous. I don't want to do the wrong thing."

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to sexual preference," he told her. "As long as it's consensual. Do you genuinely not want to be on my lap?" Her face took on that stubborn look he knew so well and she shifted a bit to sit more firmly on him. He chuckled and drew her close, wrapping his arms around her and just holding her.

"Does this mean you've agreed to my proposition?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Not sure how much I like the term 'proposition', but yes," he said. "Let's go slowly, though, okay? I'm nervous, too."

"You are?"

"Mmm-hmm," he murmured, trailing his fingers up and down her spine, taking note of the way her back muscles quivered. "That's what happens when you're with someone that means something to you. You mean a great deal to me." Hermione snuggled deeper into his embrace, nuzzling his neck, and Sirius kissed her hair. "Tell me about your times with Ron," he requested. "He was your first, right?"

"No."

"Really?" Sirius pulled back a bit, surprised.

Hermione lifted her head and frowned at him. "Why is everyone surprised about that?" she asked testily. "It's not like I was his first. Why does everyone seem to think I was waiting for him?"

Clearly she had a bit of a chip on her shoulder about this, which Sirius thought was probably the result of having two oblivious teenage boys as best friends, so he attempted to tread carefully.

"I didn't think you were waiting for him, kitten," he explained, "I've just never heard you talk about a boyfriend or summer affair or anything. I remember you having a bit of a thing with that Bulgarian, but that's pretty much it."

Hermione huffed. "Fair point, I suppose," she conceded, "but I never talk about it because I get mocked mercilessly any time I do. I mean, you heard Ron just last week - he still hasn't gotten over my relatively short-lived crush on that idiot Lockhart!"

"Okay, okay," he murmured soothingly, running his hands up and down her arms. "Lesson number one - sometimes a question is only a question."

She smiled sheepishly at him and he grinned at her.

"Honestly, though," he continued, "I'm not entirely sure where to start here. Any ideas?"

"I was sort of hoping to leave those details to you."

There was a soft thunk! as the back of Sirius' skull hit Hermione's headboard. "Kitten," he groaned through his grin. He felt her silent laughter as she dropped her head to his shoulder. "Alright, how about this," he said. "I've usually found that the hardest part of any… encounter… is the first kiss. What if we were to start there?"

It was a moment before she answered. "Okay," she whispered.

Sirius took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay," he whispered back.

Hermione lifted her head, eyes wide and teeth once again worrying her bottom lip. She watched Sirius' Adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly, then watched his hand come up. Strong fingers threaded through her hair and gently tugged her closer until they could feel each other's breaths on their faces…

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Exploration

September 7, 1998

The Haven

This is exactly the opposite of every romance novel I've ever read, Hermione thought as her chapped lips met Sirius' soft ones. Aren't I supposed to be the soft one?

She was so wrapped up with that thought, she failed to notice that Sirius had paused.

"I can hear you thinking," he murmured against her mouth.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." He pulled away. "You have trouble disconnecting, don't you?"

Hermione nodded ruefully. "The only time I seem to be able to turn my brain off is when I'm exhausted, and if I'm exhausted, the last thing I want to do is have sex."

Sirius thought about that for a bit, staring blankly at a spot on the wall and instinctively stroking her back as she settled against him again. He had to figure out how to get her involved enough to feel and not think. There was, of course, always the option of coming on like a freight train and simply overwhelming her until she had no other option but to disconnect, but he didn't want to do that. Not yet, anyway. He feared if they went that route this early in the game, she wouldn't be able to respond to soft and slow, and Remus would most likely start out soft and slow…

"Sirius?" Hermione's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Yes, love?"

"My legs are getting a bit stiff."

Sirius blinked. "Of course they are," he said. "Sorry, kitten."

She climbed off him and he shuffled down to lay fully on the bed. Raising his arm, he invited her to snuggle close. She did, resting her head on his chest and picking at the buttons of his shirt.

"You busy tonight?" he asked.

"No. Why?"

"Take you to dinner? There's a new tandoori in town I've been wanting to try."

Hermione nodded, her curls tickling his chin. "Okay."

"Wear jeans; we'll take the bike."

"No flying," she demanded, prodding his chest for emphasis.

"Chick-en," he accused, prodding her shoulder in retaliation. "I'm going to get you airborne if it's the last thing I ever do," he declared.

"You try it and it will be the last thing you ever do," she warned, sitting up. She reached for her wand and cast a tempus. "I need to get ready. Got a meeting at the Ministry."

"Who with?"

"Kingsley," she said, walking over to her wardrobe. "Lunchtime's the only time he's got right now, and he's trying to convince me to take an apprenticeship in the Department of Mysteries."

Hermione stopped, arms laden with a change of clothes, and turned to Sirius. The handsome animagus was still lying on her bed, hands behind his head, watching her with interest. The corner of his mouth turned up.

"Want me to go?" he asked.

She lifted her chin defiantly. "No," she said, trying to sound casual, but the word came out as more of a squeak anyway. Sirius' smirk deepened. Hermione huffed, but laid her clothes on the bed and stripped off her shirt before she could talk herself out of it. Instead, she talked to Sirius.

"Of course, I don't want an apprenticeship at the DoM - I don't think I ever want to go there again at all, much less work there - but it's the only time I get to talk to Kingsley and he's got some very interesting ideas about eliminating anti-muggleborn prejudice…"

Sirius lay there, transfixed, as Hermione stripped off in front of him. He'd expected her to ask him to leave, or perhaps retreat to the bathroom to change or, at the very least, stutter and stall until he took pity on her and left. But no. His lovely little lioness had taken the challenge and, despite the blush creeping down her chest, had undressed down to her bra and knickers, and he found himself suppressing a groan as she bent over to pull on her trousers.

"... I was thinking, though, about the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. You know how sensitive I am about that sort of thing, and if we're going to bring the magical community out of the Stone Age about muggleborns, we should do the same thing with magical creatures, don't you think? Sirius?"

Hermione finished the last button on her blouse and looked over at Sirius when he didn't answer. He was glaring at her fingers as though they'd personally offended him, but the heat in his eyes was not from anger. A thrill went through her as he registered that she'd asked him a question and met her eyes.

"I think the magical creatures of the world are lucky to have you in their corner, kitten," he rumbled, congratulating himself when her eyebrows lifted in surprise. Clearly, she assumed he hadn't been listening to her. "Better get moving. You don't want to be late. You said yourself, Kings doesn't have much time."

However, Hermione didn't head for the door. Slowly and deliberately, she knelt on the bed and crawled back up to him. Sirius watched her with the sort of single-minded stare Padfoot would be proud of. Leaning down, she brought her lips to his while bracing her arms on either side of his torso. Taking the kiss further than earlier, Hermione requested entry with her tongue, sweeping in when it was granted and tasting him for the first time, imbibing the spice and leather than was uniquely him.

Sirius' hands itched to be on her, running up her sides, sliding under her blouse, threading through the mass of riotous curls she called hair… but he refrained. He'd made the move earlier for their first kiss, now it was her turn, and he gladly surrendered to her.

Finally, she pulled away. "See you later," she said, stepping into some comfortable shoes and grabbing her wand and beaded bag. She threw him one last look as she walked out the door, and then was gone.

Sirius let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Fuck me, he thought. Why did I agree to this? I'll never survive her. His brain screamed at him danger danger danger, but his body cried out for more. It had been a long time since he'd been so affected by a kiss, and he knew he'd have to see this through. He'd never get a full night's rest until he he'd had her.

He was doomed.

Dinner was nice, but something had changed. They both felt it even if neither was willing to talk about it. They talked about other things - Hermione's meeting with Kingsley, Sirius' plans for setting up a foundation for war victims and anyone else who needed a bit of help, the tenuous situation with the goblins who were attempting to use the current Ministry overhaul to their advantage - but not a word was said about them.

Instead, they acted as they always did, throwing snarky comments at one another and stealing food from each other's plates, but rather than feeling like a dinner between friends, this time it felt remarkably like a date, and they both wondered, not for the first time, what they were getting themselves into.

When they arrived back at the house, Sirius shut off the bike and took his helmet off, shaking his head Padfoot-like, before reaching up to undo Hermione's. She'd already climbed off and was standing next him, waiting with a look of intense dislike on her face.

Sirius almost laughed. The helmet he'd bought her had a fairly simple clasp, but for some reason, she could never undo it. Invariably, she would wait for him to release it and then wrench it off her head and shove it at him, glaring the whole time. Sirius found it immensely entertaining.

"I don't understand why you don't just use your wand," he said, dismounting.

"Don't trust myself," she answered, hooking her arm through his as they walked up to the door. "I might set the thing on fire out of hatred, and set my hair on fire in the process. Just seems safer to wait for you to do it."

Sirius threw his head back and laughed loudly, scaring a few birds out of a nearby tree. "The great Hermione Granger, stymied by a piece of plastic!"

"If you don't quit laughing at me," she threatened, wandlessly unlocking the door, "I'm going to hex you until you're stymied by solid food."

"Yeah, promises, promises," he said, casually maneuvering himself in front of her and backing her into the door once they were inside. Bracing his hands on either side of her head, he boxed her in and dropped his forehead to hers. "Now, how about a little dessert?"

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes, but none of the nervousness of before. In fact, he watched her breath hitch and a mild flush appear on her neck.

"What - um, what did you have in mind?" she asked. "We have ice cream."

A wicked grin stretched across his face. Lowering his head further, he ran his lips around the shell of her ear. "Let's leave the food play for another time; that can get messy. Actually, I was thinking I could take you upstairs and eat your pussy until you scream," he said, his voice husky.

Hermione unconsciously tilted her head to the side to give him better access and gasped when he took advantage of it, flicking his tongue against her pulse point, then leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses along the length of her neck.

"Do you like that?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't. Have you ever come that way?"

"No."

Sirius growled against her flesh. "Then it's bloody well time you did," he said, moving his mouth back up to hover over hers.

Hermione chased his lips, but Sirius pulled back, staying teasingly out of reach until she pouted at him. Only then did he kiss her, a slow, sensual kiss that promised her she was going to enjoy whatever he had in mind. He removed his hands from the door and ran them down her back, pausing to knead her arse, until he got to her thighs. Ducking suddenly, he grasped them tightly and hauled her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his hips.

Sirius pressed her into the door, moaning as her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers tugged at his long hair. Their bodies rocked together a few times before Sirius turned and started up the stairs. Hermione kept herself busy by nibbling Sirius' neck and slipping a hand between them to undo as many buttons on his shirt as she could.

Once inside her bedroom, Sirius set her down and pulled out his wand. He cast several locking and silencing charms on the room, and a contraceptive spell on Hermione. He thought for a moment, then cast a warming charm as well. Being chilly would not help Hermione relax and enjoy herself.

He set his wand down on the nightstand and turned back to Hermione. She was standing in the same spot, not having moved and inch. Her hair was more disheveled than usual and her lips were swollen and shiny. She looked excited, but hesitant, and seemed more than willing to let him take the lead, so he did.

Walking up to her, he steered her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed and she sat down. Sirius toed off his boots and knelt in front of her, smoothing his hands up and down her legs before removing her shoes as well, and as he went for her socks, she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

Smirking at her hungry appraisal of his bare torso, he went for her sweater. "Turnabout is fair play," he murmured, divesting her of the cashmere and, before she could think about it, reaching around and unhooking her bra.

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath as her breasts were revealed to him. He chose not to dwell on the long, purple scar that cut diagonally across her skin, but instead leaned forward to nuzzle the soft flesh before taking a dusky nipple in his mouth.

Hermione arched her back, feeling a twinge in her lower regions corresponding to every pull of his lips. Her chest heaved with her laboured breathing, but Sirius' head rose and fell with the rhythm, only disengaging to switch sides. His fingers plucked the nipple his mouth wasn't attending to and Hermione distantly recognized the deep moan of pleasure as her own.

When he finally released her with a wet pop, Hermione fell back on the bed as though the only thing that had been keeping her upright was Sirius' mouth. Her head popped up, however, when she felt fingers undoing her jeans.

Sensing her slight nervousness, Sirius rose to his feet and bent over her, kissing her mouth before tonguing a trail down her body. He dipped inside her navel briefly, then resumed his position on the floor and again went for her jeans. This time she lifted her hips to assist, and the material was quickly discarded, leaving Hermione in nothing but light blue knickers with a wet spot at the gusset.

Sirius placed his hands on her knees to prevent her closing her legs and kissed up her thighs. When he reached fabric, he latched his mouth onto her covered center and sucked hard, a growl rumbling in his chest as she keened and bucked in surprise. That wasn't good enough though, so he retreated, stripped her of her last barrier and dove back in, lifting her legs and draping them over his shoulders.

The first touch of his tongue brought a squeak, and the second had her tensing. Sirius persevered, though, lapping at her gently and trying to convince her to relax, but it didn't work. If anything, her body stiffened further, and he realized he would have to change tactics.

"Hermione?"

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him as though afraid she was disappointing him. "Yes?"

"Talk to me, love. What's wrong?"

Hermione chewed her lip. "I'm not sure," she mumbled.

"Are you in any pain?"

"No."

"Is this something that grosses you out?"

"No. Not unless it grosses you out," she added hastily, and Sirius thought he'd found the problem.

He hummed, resting his cheek against her inner thigh, deliberately placing his face within inches of her core. "I told you downstairs, kitten, that I wouldn't have suggested this if it wasn't something I enjoyed," he reminded her gently. "So, tell me, what's the problem? You were all fired up a minute ago, but the second I got your knickers off and went in for a taste, you started shutting down."

He was fairly convinced he knew what her issue was, but he wanted her to say it, to acknowledge it, out loud. She'd never get past it if she never confronted it. So he waited, patiently, running his hands up and down her thighs, occasionally pressing a chaste kiss to her creamy skin while she avoided his eyes and his question.

"Is it my technique?" he pressed. "You can tell me, you know. I'm not a teenage boy who gets his nose bent out of shape. Tell me how to please you," he said, nipping lightly at her.

Hermione groaned and fell back on the bed. "I don't know, Sirius! I've heard women talk about enjoying this, but…"

"But…?"

Frustrated hands slammed down on the comforter. "But how do I know I don't taste funny?" she blurted. "How do I know I don't smell weird? Do I look okay down there? Should I have shaved more? Or less? How do I know I'm normal?!"

Sirius was lucky she wasn't looking at him because, while he was able to suppress his laugh, he'd not been able to stop his smile. He thought that was what was bothering her, but he needed to hear it. Switching thighs, he quickly took a bite, working a hickey into her skin as a reward. Hermione whimpered.

"Oh, Hermione," he sighed. "You are so much more than 'normal'. But I know what you're saying," he added quickly when her head shot back up to glare at him. "I understand. This is the most private area of your body - an area you've always been told to conceal and protect, and not talk about. You never had many girlfriends, so you never had much to compare yourself to and, even though I know you don't set much store by appearances, it's only natural to be a little self-conscious."

Hermione pouted. "I feel like I'm being stupid."

"No, love. You're not being stupid at all. You're being human," he told her. "Would it help if I were to tell you how much I'm enjoying myself?"

"How much you're enjoying psycho-analyzing me with your face in my cunt?" Hermione snorted derisively.

"Ooh, ho-ho," Sirius laughed. "What a filthy mouth my kitten has," he teased. "I wonder, should I praise you or punish you for it?"

Her head snapped up once again, her eyes aflame. "Punish me?!" she repeated. "You wouldn't dare."

Sirius laughed again, a dark, foreboding sound. "Hermione, my love, I am not above putting you over my knee. With your lovely peaches and cream skin, I imagine I could turn your pretty little arse an utterly fantastic shade of red with very little effort."

Hermione flushed a deep, infuriated red and bared her teeth. She went to say something, but Sirius interrupted.

"However," he said, leaning up to place a few wet kisses to her lower stomach, "I think we'll revisit that another time - "

"We won't revisit that at all," Hermione insisted.

Sirius grinned, but ignored her. "How about we get back to the business at hand, hmm?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes menacingly, but nodded.

"Excellent," Sirius purred. He cleared his throat. "Now, what I have before me is a lovely, luscious young woman that I am just dying to taste. What I see… is a woman allowing me to give her pleasure." He wrapped an arm around her hips. "What I smell… is you. Musky, aroused, mouthwatering." His voice lowered to a growl. "And what I taste…," he took a quick lick. "Gods, Hermione. Words don't do you justice. Smoother than the finest wine and more intoxicating than firewhisky."

Having noticed how she seemed to enjoy it when he added a bit of teeth, he alternated licking her center with leaving little bites and nibbles on her inner thighs and hips. Gradually, he felt her muscles relax, and when he heard her sigh, he focused on her nub for a bit until he felt her getting wet again.

"Trust me, kitten, I've never been harder," he said in between feasting. "I want you so fucking bad… mmm… I could eat you all night and not regret a single minute…"

So this is how she likes it, he thought to himself as she finally began responding. She needed to know that he was getting something out of it as well.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder still if he really was as into this as he said, but she knew he'd never lie to her. That was why she'd come to him. She trusted him, and if he said he was enjoying himself, then she believed him. All she had to do was relax and let him give her the pleasure he'd promised.

She took deep breaths and tried to clear her mind, focusing only on Sirius. His words, his movements, the obscene sounds he was making… It was all for her, and who was she to refuse? She had asked him to help her let go and enjoy it, and that's what he was doing. The least she could do was make an effort to participate and not just lay there like a lump. Hermione still wasn't convinced she could actually orgasm from this, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

And it got easier by the second. The more she let go, the more she felt what he was doing. It felt good. Before that moment, she'd had no idea just how far a tongue could reach, but she knew now. She hadn't realized that if she tilted her hips just slightly to the left, Sirius' whiskers would scratch against her thigh and Merlin, did that feel great! And she hadn't known, before Sirius reached a hand up, that her nipples appeared to be directly connected to her clit.

"Ah! Sirius!" escaped her as her hips danced. Ron had done this to her before, as had the Muggle boy she'd lost her virginity to the summer before going on the run, but she'd never enjoyed it. She hadn't hated it, but she'd never gotten off on it.

This time, though…

As Sirius licked and probed and nibbled and growled his way around her entire sex, leaving absolutely no spot unexplored, untasted, or unstimulated, Hermione felt a warmth flowing through her and a tingling in her belly that she'd only experienced by herself, late at night with the lights off and her teeth in her lower lip keeping her quiet.

She couldn't quite understand what the difference was this time, but as she felt a long finger slide inside her, followed quickly by another, and then curl to find something she had been convinced was a myth of romance novels, she decided she could figure it out later. Now was the time for enjoying it, and when Sirius sealed his lips around her tiny bundle of nerves and sucked hard, the pressure broke.

The warmth became a fire and the tingling became an tsunami, washing over her and causing her muscles to convulse in waves. Hermione cried out - pleas and oaths and Sirius' name fell from her tongue over and over again. One hand clenched around her comforter while the other found it's way back into Sirius' hair, grabbing a fistful of ebony locks and holding on for dear life.

Sirius helped her down, licking soothingly and massaging her from the inside. Once her fingers finally released their death grip on his hair, he pulled away and stood. Heavy-lidded brown eyes looked up at him and he raised his hand to his lips and cleaned his fingers, maintaining eye contact with her. She reached out to him and he took her hand, helping her sit up.

"I enjoyed that," she said, her voice deep and husky.

A grin stretched across Sirius' face. "I noticed." He caressed her face tenderly. "I'm glad," he added.

With a speed belying her dazed expression, she went for his trousers, undoing the button and zip before he even realized she'd moved. Hermione shoved them down, freeing his erection, and lunged at it, taking nearly half before gagging.

"Oh, shit, fuck!" Sirius shouted as he hit the back of her throat. "No no no no no!" Grabbing her hair, he stopped her. Hermione looked up at him, confused. "Next time, kitten, okay? Next time. I'm too close," he explained, "and I've just got to be inside you."

Hermione nodded and scooted back on the bed. Sirius kicked his jeans off and followed, crawling over her as though stalking his prey.

"Hermione. Look at me." Her eyes snapped up to his and he raised his hand. Rubbing his fingers together, he looked at her pointedly. "Lubricus," he said clearly, showing her the slickness the charm produced. Hermione's eyes followed his hand as he reached down, coating himself liberally before lining up and pushing smoothly inside.

She was hot and tight, and Sirius felt himself go a bit cross-eyed as he bottomed out. But then she shifted, her body pulling him impossibly deeper, and all thought left his brain. They moved together, groaning and whining, sweat gathering and making their skin slippery as they grabbed at each other. Sirius' hands alternated between her hips and her breasts, while Hermione's roamed his chest and arms, tracing lines of ink before traveling around to his back where her nails dug in.

Mercifully, he soon felt her flutter around him and he slid a hand between them to rub at her clit. Hermione's eyes closed and her neck arched back. A sob tore from her throat as she clenched around him. Sirius grunted and lost his rhythm, bucking into her once, twice, thrice more before coming with a shout.

Spots danced in front of his eyes.

He trembled.

She trembled.

With his last bit of strength, Sirius rolled to the side, collapsing next to her. Hermione dragged herself over to him, draping an arm over his chest and a leg over his hip.

"Stay," she whispered, pleading. "Stay."

"'Course," he rasped, and pressed a kiss to her curls. "Not going anywhere, love."

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Acceptance

September 18, 1998

Remus Lupin's living quarters, Hogwarts

"Comfortable?"

"Very, thanks."

Remus smirked. He'd walked into his private rooms to find Sirius lounging casually on his sofa, boots propped up on the coffee table and glass of Remus' firewhisky in his hand. Hanging up his teaching robes, Remus poured himself a drink and sat in the armchair next to the sofa.

"I wasn't expecting to see you for another couple of weeks."

Sirius shrugged. "Fancied a chat."

"About anything in particular?" Remus asked, taking a sip of his whisky.

"Hermione."

Remus choked. Sirius cocked a knowing eyebrow.

"Shit," Remus swore. "Has she said something to you?"

"I'm afraid, my dear Moony, that the lovely witch has said many things to me," Sirius answered, watching his oldest friend carefully.

"Fuck." Remus groaned, set his drink down and rubbed his face. "Does she know about the bond? Does she know what it means?"

Sirius shot him a look. "Remus, when was the last time Hermione didn't know something? Especially when it concerned her? I reckon she knows as much, or more, than you do."

"How long has she known?"

"Few weeks, I think," Sirius said. "Just before the last moon. How long have you known?"

Remus sighed wearily and leaned back in the chair. "Since the attack. I smelled it when she hugged me in the library the day after." He looked at Sirius who nodded knowingly. "I was hoping to find a way to break it before she found out."

"There is no way to break it and you know it," Sirius said. "It's just a matter of how long it's going to take before you accept it and do what you have to do."

"'What I have to do'," Remus repeated. "Force my friend, who I've known since she was thirteen, to have sex with me, then bite her and bind her to me all because the monster that sired me couldn't keep his claws to himself."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well, when you say it like that," he mocked.

"What other way is there to look at it? Honestly, Sirius. Tell me," Remus retorted snarkily. "What possible positive slant could be put on this situation? It's practically rape!"

"Oh, fuck's sake, Remus. How did I know you'd come to that conclusion?"

Remus raised one finger. "First, Hermione and I are not in a relationship." He raised a second. "Next, she doesn't even fancy me - "

"Yes, she does."

This was ignored and a third finger was put up. "Third, the Claim must be sealed during sex, which she would never agree to have with me - "

"Yes, she would."

Remus stopped and looked at Sirius. "What do you mean? How could you possibly know that? Just how much talking have you two done about this?" he demanded.

Sirius inclined his head. "Lots," he admitted, putting his hands up when Remus opened his mouth again, outraged. "Just - just listen a minute, okay?" He waited until Remus nodded tersely. "Hermione came to me when you left after the last moon. She knew you were going to take this badly and wanted my help to bring you 'round."

"'Bring me 'round'?! You can't tell me that she's on board with this!"

"She absolutely is on board with this and she's going to make it happen," Sirius stated firmly. "Best do whatever you have to do to accept it."

Remus launched out his chair and began pacing the room. "Accept it. That's the second time you've used the word 'accept'. Hermione's accepted this, I take it?"

Sirius hummed an affirmative.

"How?!"

The animagus heaved a sigh, but looked as though he'd expected nothing less. "Because, Remus, she does fancy you. Has for a while according to what she told me. She knows about the bond, the Claim, and the process of sealing it and, quite frankly, she's much happier with the choice of werewolf being you rather than having to have to go out and find someone she doesn't know or trust or fancy."

"But - "

"No." Sirius interrupted. "No buts. I'm not here to try to convince you to do it - that would be a waste of my time seeing as you're the most knuckle-headed bugger the world has ever seen - I'm only here to give you the facts."

"Which are?" Remus snarled.

Sirius held up a finger like Remus had done earlier and the werewolf bared his teeth at the movement. "One, Hermione knows about the Claim. Two, she's chosen you to seal it. Three, however much you like to think she's still the girl you taught, she's not. She's a grown woman who is fully capable of knowing her own mind and making her own choices - "

"But it's not her choice," Remus cut in. "She wouldn't look twice at me if it weren't for the Claim."

"I have reason to believe that's not entirely true."

"Padfoot, I don't know what she told you, but - "

"She told me she fancied you," Sirius said. "I asked her point blank if she fancied you and she said yes. I said that I didn't mean because of the bond and she told me it wasn't because of the bond. Hermione Granger is attracted to you, Remus. It's a fact."

Remus stared. On the one hand, what Sirius was saying was entirely outside of the realm of possibility but, on the other, Remus knew Sirius wasn't lying to him. On top of that, he highly doubted that Hermione had lied to Sirius. Which could mean only one thing…

Sirius watched his friend with interest. He'd known the man nearly thirty years and he could almost follow the thoughts in Remus' head just by watching the werewolf's minute actions. He followed the twitching fingers, the nose wrinkling, and the darting eyes, and by the time Sirius witnessed the tell-tale slumping of the shoulders signifying resignation, it was nearing dinner time.

"She smells good to you, doesn't she?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," Remus admitted. "I… Moony wants to seal the bond," he said. "I thought I was developing a crush on her at first."

"Who doesn't have a crush on Hermione?" Sirius smirked. "Beautiful, talented, brilliant…"

"Twenty years younger than us," Remus added dryly.

"So what?" Sirius countered. "Hermione's twenty years older than herself, so it works out just fine, if you ask me."

"You never were good at figures, Sirius."

"Oh, don't act like I'm being a lech. Hermione's younger than us, sure, but she's not a child," he said. "I'm not a pervert because I've got eyes and ears."

"Alright, alright." Remus raised his hands in surrender. He had eyes and ears as well, and couldn't deny Sirius' point. Hermione had grown into a lovely young woman. He'd be a liar if he said he hadn't noticed.

Sirius exhaled slowly, relieved. He was expecting Remus to put up much more of a fight. "Okay… so when are you going to seal it?"

"I… I don't know," Remus said shakily, carding a hand through his hair. "I need some time, Sirius. I still need… to get used to the idea."

"Okay. I understand," Sirius said, rolling his eyes when Remus looked shocked. "Honestly, how long have I known you? You need time to get used to new boxer shorts." Remus' eyes narrowed. "Just don't wait too long."

"Why?"

Sirius hesitated. "I… I don't think sealing the bond is urgent, necessarily, but I'm not sure time is entirely on our side, either."

Remus sat up straight, concerned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm a little worried that Hermione's going to cross paths with another werewolf and he'll try to seal the bond," Sirius said. "Fenrir infected a lot of people before you killed him and there are a lot of new weres out there. Ones who don't know how to control their instincts."

Remus' upper lip curled menacingly. He nodded. "Yes," he said slowly, "I see what you mean."

"Try not to dwell on that too much, though, mate," Sirius said, getting up. "First things first, yeah? Get your head 'round the bond and then we'll worry about the 'maybe's."

"Yeah," Remus nodded, deep in thought. "First things first."

Sirius lightly punched Remus' shoulder. "See you in a couple weeks, okay?"

"Okay."

November 5, 1998

The Haven

Not being ready to talk to Hermione by the next moon, Remus was careful to avoid the brunette, however he was not as lucky as November's lunar cycle came around. The night of the moon came and went without incident, but Remus had slept in the morning after and by the time he headed downstairs to floo back to Hogwarts, Hermione was in the kitchen making sandwiches.

"Remus!" she exclaimed, turning to face him. "I thought you'd gone already."

He couldn't help but notice, tired as he was, the pretty flush that pinked her cheeks. "No, I - uh," he cleared his throat, "I slept in."

"Oh. Do you want some lunch?" She bit her lip.

Remus could tell by the way she held herself stiffly that she wasn't ready for their conversation, either. "Ah, no thank you, Hermione. Winky the house-elf has become rather fond of me and she'll be cross if I don't let her feed me chicken soup, so I'd best get back to the school." He moved towards the fireplace, but as he passed Hermione, his feet stopped.

He could feel it. The pull. His heart sped up and his vision narrowed. Despite telling it not to, his head turned towards her and suddenly all he was aware of was her.

Remus was sure he looked a sight, hunched over in exhaustion, eyes likely either gold or bloodshot, mouth open in a pant as he drew in short, shallow breaths… but that didn't seem to phase her as she moved to stand in front of him, searching his face for something, he didn't know what. He blinked owlishly at her.

"Remus," she murmured, reaching up to touch his cheek. His skin was burning; a mixture of post-moon fever and their proximity to each other, she figured. Curiosity killed the cat, you know, the bit of rational mind she had left warned her as her fingers explored his face.

He'd showered, but hadn't bothered to shave, and Hermione knew that was because his hands simply weren't steady enough, so her fingers traveled over wonderfully rough stubble. She'd become quite fond of stubble recently. Gently, she traced the scar that ran down his cheek and across his lips, feeling his breath on her fingertips as she boldly stroked his mouth.

When she reached up to smooth the frown line on his forehead, he leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. The wolf relaxed and a deep sense of right enveloped him. Sirius had been correct - Hermione wanted this. There was nothing about her that suggested rejection. Hesitation, yes, but that was to be expected given all that they were to each other, but she had accepted this. More than accepted, judging by the enticing scent she was giving out. He wondered if she was aware of it.

"Hermione," he breathed, but was shushed when her fingers moved back to his mouth. His eyes opened just in time to watch her lean up towards him, and then two things happened simultaneously.

Hermione's lips met his and immediately a searing pain in his right shoulder made him hiss and jerk his head up to break the kiss, pulling him violently from his stupor.

"Remus! I'm sorry! What happened?!"

Remus braced himself with one hand on the kitchen table, his other clutching at his shoulder. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, but failed. "It's alright, Hermione," he said. "It's part of the Claim. I don't have permission to kiss you."

"Permission - oh, damn! I'm sorry, I'd forgotten about that!" Hermione reached out to him, but thought twice and retracted her hand.

"It's alright," Remus repeated. "The pain's already gone. I didn't think of it, either. Of course, I wasn't expecting you kiss me," he said, watching her blush return. "Hermione, this… er, situation," he gestured between them, "is… acceptable… to you?"

"You mean, have I come to terms with the Claim, and have I made peace with the idea of us?" she asked, her no-nonsense tone reminding him disturbingly of Minerva.

"Er, yes. That's what I meant," he muttered, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting.

"Yes, Remus. I have accepted this," she said. "Have you?"

A bubble of humourless laughter escaped him. "Gods, no," he choked out. "No. Absolutely not. I'm afraid… I'm afraid I'm having a very hard time of it," he admitted.

Hermione stared at him expressionlessly. "Is that because you're trying to be noble, or because you object to… to me?"

All his concerns, all his questions, all his fears flew through his brain and he wanted to tell her about all of them but, in a flash of rare intuition, he suddenly remembered just who he was dealing with. This was Hermione Granger, the brightest witch he'd ever known - and he'd been friends with Lily Evans. In that moment, Remus knew that whatever objections he could give her, she'd already thought of them, and dismissed them one by one.

She'd already accepted him.

"I certainly don't object to you, Hermione," he told her softly, watching as her shoulders relaxed. "Moreover, I trust you. If you've accepted this, then… then I can, too."

Hermione blinked up at him. "Really?"

Remus searched her face, finding nothing but honesty and relief. "Really." He brought a hand up to touch her face the way she'd done to him before, and she moved towards him, but he stopped her. "Hermione, may I have permission to kiss you?" he asked, knowing that was what she wanted.

Her eyes widened and her blush deepened. "Yes," she breathed.

Remus was prepared for her accepting his kiss, but he wasn't prepared for just how enthusiastic she was about it. He'd barely made contact with her mouth before her arms were around his neck, pulling him in deeper, and her tongue was at his lips, begging him to open up to her.

He did, and she rewarded him with a moan. HIs hands went to her waist and yanked her flush against him, and she offered no protest, moulding her front to his as though there was nothing she'd rather be doing than snogging him in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, her hitching a leg around his was more than he had permission for, and his right shoulder quickly punished him.

"Does it only hurt in your shoulder?" she asked when he grimaced and pushed her leg off him. He nodded. "Why there?"

"I suspect it's because that's where my original bite is," he said. "Werewolf bites are complicated. There's an element of intent and… it's really too complex to get into right now," he said, heading off the academic glint in her eye. "Just as well, though. We needed to stop."

The pout that resulted from that statement had Remus seriously reconsidering, and his hands briefly tightened around her waist, but he stood firm.

"I'm sorry, love, but I just don't have the energy right now. Godric, it's terrible to have to admit that." He made a face at his own confession and Hermione laughed.

"It's alright, Remus. I understand," Hermione said, but was unable to keep the note of disappointment out of her voice. "You need to get back to Winky and fresh chicken soup."

Remus nodded wearily. His eyelids were suddenly very heavy and he knew if he didn't floo back now, he'd have to have Hermione help him through the fire, and his pride wouldn't allow that. Not so soon after admitting he lacked the stamina to shag her.

Forcing the thoughts of his own inadequacies from his mind, he looked down at her. "Do one thing for me?"

"Of course."

"I'll let you decide when and where we seal the bond. I trust your judgement. But when you come to me - when you decide you're ready - just be sure," he said. "I know," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face, "I know you've given this a lot of thought, but just… be sure. Please?"

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but she refrained, settling for nodding and pecking him on the lips one more time. Remus caressed her cheek, then stepped into the fireplace and was gone.

"Ah, now there's a vision of perfection," Sirius rumbled groggily as Hermione entered his bedroom carrying a tray of sandwiches and two butterbeers. "Is the kitchen still in one piece?"

Instead of rising to the taunt about her appalling food skills, however, Hermione set the tray down on his nightstand and whipped off her top. She then made quick work of her jeans and socks and, before Sirius knew what was happening, he had a lapful of brunette.

"Sirius, I need you," Hermione moaned, attacking his mouth. "How are your energy levels?"

"My… uh, my what?"

"Are you too tired for a quickie?" she re-phrased, rubbing her soft cheek against his rough one and grinding down on his crotch which was rapidly rising to the occasion.

"With you? Mmm… never," he answered, reaching around her to unlatch her bra. Not bothering to question what had gotten her all hot and bothered, as he could smell Remus all over her, Sirius laid back and let her take what she needed.

Apparently, climbing off him to take off her knickers was too much to ask, and he watched as she lifted herself up, pulled them to the side and sank down on him. Merlin, I'll never get tired of watching this, he thought as she bounced up and down.

He reached up and cupped her breasts, squeezing and pulling on her nipples the way he knew she liked and smirking at the way she contracted around him. When she braced her hands on his chest for support, he moved one of his hands down to rub at her little bundle of nerves. She whimpered.

"Come on, kitten… come for me… that's a girl…" Sirius murmured encouragement at her as she moaned and whined, losing her rhythm and tightening around him so hard he could barely breathe. She collapsed on him and he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes… yes… Hermione," he moaned, releasing inside her.

Sirius held her as their breathing calmed, stroking her back and pushing her hair out of her face. Her eyes closed as he petted her and she was beginning to think of taking a nap when his stomach growled.

"Can I have a sandwich now?" he asked her as she giggled.

After they'd eaten and Hermione had surprised him with a second round in the shower, they got dressed and went downstairs. Sirius wrapped his arms around Hermione from behind as she dumped the dirty plates in the sink, moved her hair to the side and was about to leave a wet kiss on the side of her neck when the floo activated.

The two sprang apart just in time for Harry to come through. The young junior Auror angrily brushed soot from his robes before looking up. "Stupid fucking Ministry!" he exclaimed, catching Sirius and Hermione off guard before stomping past them, presumably on his way to the liquor cabinet in the sitting room.

"Are you going to sort him or shall I?" Hermione asked.

Sirius smiled and winked at her. "I'll go."

Moments later, Hermione heard Harry ranting loudly about training problems and the amount of paperwork it was taking to get his ancestral home returned to him. Sirius agreed just as loudly - wisely, in Hermione's opinion - and was even able to interject a few choice insults of his own in the moments Harry paused to take a breath.

It was coming on evening by the time Sirius found her in the library. He set down a fresh cup of tea on the table for her and sat down next to her, waiting patiently for her to mark her place and set her book aside before speaking.

"Hermione, there is something we haven't talked about," he said.

Taking a sip of the tea, she wondered how it was that he always made it better than she did. "What's that?"

"Harry." He paused. "We've been careful with this little arrangement of yours, and we'll continue to be, but if Harry catches wind of something… you should know that I will never lie to him. Just like I will never lie to you."

Hermione frowned. "Did - did he say something?"

"No." Sirius shook his head. "No, he didn't. I'm just saying that if, despite our best efforts, he were to suspect something… well, I won't start the conversation, but I'm not going to lie if he asks."

She nodded. "I know that, Sirius," she said earnestly. "I would never ask you to lie to Harry. He's been lied to before by people he trusted, and I would never put you in that position."

His shoulders relaxed and he smiled at her. Hermione returned it and laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," he said, kissing the top of her head.

Hermione undid the top two buttons on his shirt and slipped her hand in to trace his tattoos. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Not really. I'm rather comfortable here, actually."

"Mmm, so am I," Hermione agreed, snuggling closer. "Let's just stay here for a bit."

"As you wish."

Hermione grinned to herself. She knew it had been a mistake to let Sirius catch her re-reading The Princess Bride.

Hermione and Sirius were very careful around each other over the Christmas holidays, and Hermione was even more careful around Remus. Being the first Christmas after the end of the war, things were more emotional than usual, and even though the Weasley clan had mercifully been spared, Molly was keeping a hawk-like eye on every single member of her brood, natural born or not.

Harry and Ginny eventually had to escape to Sirius' house to get any kind of privacy and give each other their own special Christmas presents, and when Hermione went home, she went straight to her room with a book and a cup of cocoa she'd stolen from Remus' 'secret' stash, and threw up the strongest silencing charm she knew.

December's moon had come and gone without incident, but Hermione had avoided the werewolf anyway, just for good measure. Her time with Sirius had been cut down significantly, too, as Harry and Ron had leave from training for the holidays, so Hermione ended up doing a lot of reading while crossing her fingers that Kingsley hadn't found out that she'd 'borrowed' a few books from the Ministry library.

Remus had asked her to be ready when she came to him, and she wanted to make sure she was...

January 2, 1999

The Haven

On the morning of January's full moon, Remus floo'd home, nearly colliding with Harry and Ron in the fireplace on their way back to the Ministry. Not really in the mood to deal with anyone, he nodded a greeting to Sirius in the sitting room and headed up to his bedroom. He had brought with him a stack of first year's essays to grade, thinking that would occupy his mind for a bit, and he spread them out on his desk and began marking.

He hadn't been there very long when there was a knock on the door. It was Hermione. He knew it; he could smell her.

"Come in," he called.

Hermione entered his bedroom, closing the door behind her. She walked up to him slowly. A simple robe of cream satin was draped over her body, tied with a sash at the waist. Her hair was down and she wore no makeup or perfume. Her feet were bare.

Remus stood. "Hermione."

"Remus."

She studied his face. Moss-green eyes rimmed with lupine gold, shaggy sandy-brown hair liberally streaked with grey, laugh lines around his mouth, and pale skin - a result of the time of month. Three scars cut diagonally across his face, but they'd never bothered Hermione. If anything, they made him more handsome to her.

Brown eyes met green. "I'm sure," she said.

Remus sucked in a sharp breath. "Positive? Absolutely? No doubts whatsoever?"

"None."

He closed his eyes and willed his heart-rate to calm down. "How do you want to do this?"

She didn't answer, and Remus opened his eyes to see her undoing the sash on her robe. Hermione opened the garment and let it slide off her shoulders, pooling at her feet. She wore nothing underneath and Remus suddenly found himself staring at bare flesh. His jaw dropped and he nearly missed what she said.

"Naturally."

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Claimed

January 2, 1999

The Haven

'Naturally.'

An animal-like whine left Remus as his eyes traveled up and down her naked body. Standing in front of him like that, offering herself to him, Hermione was perfection. Not flawless - she had been through a war, after all, and bore the battle scars to prove it - but perfection all the same.

And she was his.

By the time his gaze made it back up to her face, she was smirking slightly and looking quite pleased with herself. He narrowed his eyes.

"That's unfair, you know," he said, gesturing to her nudity.

She nodded. "I know."

"Was this Sirius' idea?"

"No, actually," Hermione replied, looking a bit irritated that he seemed to think she needed Sirius' help to seduce him. "Sirius' idea was lingerie in Gryffindor colours - "

Remus snorted. Of course it was.

" - but I thought you'd appreciate a more direct, unobstructed approach," she finished, her voice going low.

"Did you now?"

Hermione nodded, and when he still didn't move, she spoke again. "Of course, if I'm wrong and you'd prefer the lingerie, I'll go put it on. I bought it anyway, just in case."

She turned to leave, but Remus was faster. Snatching her wrist, he pulled her to him, gripping her waist when she fell against his chest. Her head tipped up, her expression a mix of desire and daring.

"I didn't say that," he told her.

"You've barely said anything," she retorted.

"Apologies," Remus snarked. "I have a tendency to find myself a bit tongue-tied when presented with a naked woman."

She considered it a minor victory that he hadn't referred to her as a girl. "What are you going to do about it?" Hermione murmured, her fingers undoing the buttons of his cardigan.

Remus leaned down until their lips were almost touching. "Do I have permission to kiss you?" he whispered.

"Yes," she breathed.

The world tilted on it's axis as Remus' lips met hers. It was so incredibly right and Moony howled in his head, but there was something he needed to know.

"Hermione?" he murmured against her lips.

"Hmm?"

"What about Sirius?"

Hermione froze in his arms. Remus pulled back a bit to look at her and she reluctantly met his eyes. He could read guilt and apprehension.

"You weren't going to tell me about that, were you?"

"Yes, I was," she replied. "I was! Just…"

"Just what?"

"Just… not now," she admitted with a sigh. "Did Sirius tell you?"

Remus shook his head. "He didn't have to. I could smell it from the hallway as I passed your bedroom. You should have washed your sheets." He moved away from her and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Hermione's eyes flashed. "Why? I'm not ashamed of what I've done with Sirius," she said, a bit coldly. "You and I have not been consummated yet."

"If you're not ashamed of it, then why would you not tell me?" Remus countered, the full moon starting to get to him and making him argumentative. "You're right, we haven't sealed our bond, but the commitment to do so had already been made. By you, I might add."

"Remus, this is a werewolf bond, not an engagement," Hermione snapped.

"Oh, really? So, you wouldn't mind if I've been having an affair? With Tonks, perhaps? She used to be quite keen on me."

Hermione let out a growl, then blushed furiously when she realized what just happened. She looked away from him and pursed her lips. "It wasn't an affair."

"Then what was it?" Remus watched her shuffle from foot to foot, her irritation morphing into discomfort. "Hermione?"

"It was… practice," she mumbled.

Remus' eyebrows went up. "It was what?!" he asked, aghast. "What do you mean, practice? Hermione, surely you and Ron…?"

"Yes!" she hissed, stomping over to his bed and sitting down on it with a huff. "Yes, I have slept with Ron, no he wasn't my first, and I mean just that… Sirius was practice."

"But…" Remus started, scratching the back of his neck, "what does that mean, Hermione? Practice for what? What the bloody hell do you think I'm going to do to you?!" he shouted, insulted.

"It wasn't about you!" she shouted back. "Well, it was a bit, but it was mostly about me! I asked Sirius to teach me how to like it and he did! Turns out he's a surprisingly good teacher - especially when the subject is pleasure."

Remus' mind reeled. None of it made sense. "But - "

"Remus, please," Hermione begged, desperately trying to get the evening back on track. "Look, I'll tell you all about it, I promise, just not now. I'm here. I'm ready." She got up and stood in front of him. "It's time we sealed this bond," she said, reaching up and running a hand down his chest, earning an rumble of pleasure from him. She looked directly into his eyes. "Remus, you have my complete permission to do whatever you want to me, including Claiming me. Will that satisfy the permission clause?"

"I - uh - I think so," Remus stammered, staring back unblinkingly. He took his hands from his pockets and reached up to cup her face. Hermione nuzzled his palms for a moment, then knelt suddenly, bringing her face to face with his zipper.

Remus would never have asked that of her, but he couldn't help the pleading groan that escaped him. He staggered back until he hit the wall and braced himself against it as the smirk returned to her lips and she shuffled forward a bit to compensate.

"Hermione, you don't have to - oh…" His sentence was lost as she boldly cupped him through his trousers.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

Hermione beamed in triumph. "Really?" she couldn't resist asking.

Remus shrugged. "It's usually a bad idea to argue with a woman when she's that close to your bits," he said, making her giggle. Hermione leaned forward and rubbed her face against the front of his trousers and Remus' hands immediately grabbed her hair. "Oh, love, don't tease," he pleaded. "Not today. Any other time of the month we can play, but not today, alright?"

She smiled up at him. "Okay," she said.

He expected her to stand up and move to the bed, but she didn't. Instead, her fingers made short work of his belt and undid his trousers. She slipped her hand inside and he moaned as she pulled out his now painful erection which had not gone down during their spat.

"Remus?"

"Yes! What!" he gasped, looking down at her.

She met his eyes again. "I love you," she said, and took him into her mouth.

Remus shouted as he felt himself hit the back of her throat. "Oh, gods, Hermione," he whined, one hand fisting in her curls and the other braced against the wall as his knees threatened to buckle.

She pulled off him. "Well, you said not to tease."

He shook his head rapidly, but Hermione ignored him and resumed her task. "I'm not sure this is the best idea right now - ahh, ahh… I'm too… mmm… too close… Hermione… close…"

The fingers in her hair tugged almost painfully in his effort to pull her off him, but Hermione gripped his hip with one hand, and with the other covered his own so he couldn't remove her. Finally, he gave up and the tugging became a gentle pressure forward as he pulsed in her mouth with a ragged cry.

Spent, Remus slumped against the wall. "Fuck," he muttered, looking down when Hermione chuckled. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear before," she said, finally standing.

"Sorry," he apologized automatically.

"Don't be. I didn't say I minded." Hermione grinned at him.

Remus stroked her hair, feeling the softness in the curls. "Where'd you learn how to give head like that?"

Her grin widened. "Do you really want to know?"

He grinned back. "No," he shook his head. Sliding his hand around to the back of her neck, he pulled her to him and kissed her. Hard. Hermione sighed and began tugging at his sweater. Remus helped and by the time he'd backed her up to the bed, the cardigan was on the floor along with his shirt.

Remus stopped then and stood before her in his undershirt, head bowed slightly as though waiting for her to pass judgement on him. Which, in a way, he was. The scars that covered most of him were now a reality rather than an abstract and he still couldn't quite believe that they didn't matter to her.

That last worry melted away, though, when Hermione slid her hands under his singlet and rested them on his bare skin. Remus sucked in a sharp breath as she raised her hands, bringing the shirt with them, encouraging him to remove it.

He did and when he brought his arms back down, he wound them around her back as she placed gentle kisses over his sternum and shoved his trousers and underwear down while he toed off his shoes and socks. Kicking away the last barriers between them, he gestured for Hermione to lay down on the bed.

Remus followed quickly, crawling up her body, pausing to kiss and lick as he went. He found a place just above her hip bone that made her body twitch, so he nibbled there and let out a growl when her fingers tugged his hair.

"Growl again, Remus," she begged. "Please. I love growling. Don't hold it back."

"Don't hold back," he repeated, looking up at her. "Do you have any idea what you're asking for, love?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. "Show me."

"I will," he promised. "You like growling, huh? Something else you learned from Sirius?"

"Yes." She saw no point in denying it.

Remus merely hummed. The time for teasing was over. Lowering his head once more, he mouthed a trail up to her breasts, suckling each equally while situating himself between her legs. Hermione reached down and wrapped a hand around his renewed erection, pumping him slowly. His hips moved of their own accord and Remus panted into her shoulder.

"Enough, enough," he ground out, covering her hand with his to make her stop. His own hand shook as he lined himself up, and he met her eyes in silent question. Ready? She nodded and Remus entered her slowly, feeling the wet heat of her welcome him.

Hermione gasped, wide-eyed, and Remus blinked rapidly as his vision swam. The magic at work was so thick it was almost tangible; he could feel it swirling around them, brushing over his skin, the touch nearly a caress. He'd never felt anything like it and, apparently, neither had Hermione, judging by the look of shock on her face.

Remus pulled back, then sank into her again, and Hermione breathed his name. His head dropped to her shoulder and she stiffened a little as he nibbled the soft skin without thinking.

"Not yet, love," he panted in her ear. "Not until we come. Together, remember?"

She nodded and relaxed, wrapping her arms around his back and letting her hands wander. Hermione had been dreaming about exploring Remus for months now, had put together a rather detailed picture of what she imagined he would look and feel like, and was now happily comparing fact to fiction, pleasantly surprised with herself at her accuracy.

Hermione let her mind relax, using Remus' body and movements to anchor her. She allowed her world to narrow to just the two of them, quelling her lingering insecurities with the knowledge that Remus was clearly enjoying her as much as she was enjoying him.

Gods, he's so strong, she thought, running her hands over the flexing muscles of his back. Hogwarts food was clearly good for him, as he'd filled out in the few months he'd been teaching again. While nowhere near 'bulky', he was also nowhere as lean as he'd been at the end of the war. An increase in food and a decrease in stress had done him good...

Remus would have laughed at her wandering hands if he'd had any breath left. As it was, he had to settle for groaning in pleasure as he hitched her thigh a little higher around his hip and she tightened around him as he hit that spot. She squeaked, he growled, she bucked, he swore. Again.

"Fuck!" slipped out involuntarily, which in turn made her squeak and started the cycle all over again. "Merlin, Hermione," he moaned.

"Remus," she cried out brokenly. "Oh, there…"

"Yesss…" Yes, right there. Beautiful girl. Yes, squeeze me. Just like that… yes…

His internal monologue was abruptly cut off when Hermione bucked up hard, a cracked moan escaping her lips. It was time. Speeding up his thrusts, Remus nuzzled at her neck, his inner wolf purring in approval as she instinctively tilted her head to the side, baring her shoulder to him.

Remus wrapped an arm around her lower back, crushing her body even closer to his. Sharp, short nails bit into his back as Hermione's moans of encouragement became a continual plea for him to never stop. He was really growling now, a low rumble that started in his chest and reverberated between them and around them, and he bared his teeth…

The moment Hermione felt his teeth rest on her skin, she broke. Her back bowed, her thighs tightened around his hips and her body went rigid as her orgasm tore through her. She felt him bite down, breaking the skin, and he was pounding into her hard enough to hurt, but the pain only prolonged her pleasure. Waves of magic flowed over her as she actually felt the bond seal as though a missing piece had suddenly, seamlessly, clicked into place.

Remus had never come so hard in his life. He felt as though all of his nerve endings were exploding at once, shattering what little control he had left. The second he tasted blood, his body released inside her, the sensation in his groin nearly painful in intensity. Any discomfort was short-lived, though, as the magic of the Claim pulsed through him. It raced through his body like adrenaline, bewitching his mind and ensnaring his senses.

When he came down from his high, he was vaguely aware of Hermione weakly pushing at his shoulder and realized he'd collapsed on top of her. Hoping he hadn't been crushing her for long, he heaved himself to the side, hissing as the movement pulled him out of her. She also made a sound of disappointment when they disconnected, but immediately tucked herself into his side, resting her head on his chest.

They didn't talk as they caught their breath, which was just as well seeing as Remus wasn't sure he was capable of articulation. Instead, he stroked Hermione's hair, pulling damp strands away from her forehead while she ran curious fingers over his sweaty chest and stomach.

"Hermione," he said after a while, getting her attention, "let me see?"

He felt her nod and she pushed herself up into a sitting position, moved her hair to the side, and displayed his handiwork. Remus reached a hand up and gently traced the mark, watching her shiver.

"Does it hurt?"

She shook her head. "Stings a bit, but it doesn't hurt."

Remus hummed and allowed his hand to drag down over her breast. Her nipple pebbled prettily and he couldn't resist giving it a flick. Hermione snorted in amusement and Remus shot her his best innocent look. Smirking, he crooked his finger at her and she settled on his chest again, leaning up to kiss him once, twice, three times.

"Let's have a bath," she said.

"A bath?"

Hermione nodded and clambered off the bed.

"What - is this next on the list of 'How To Care For Your Aging Werewolf'?" Remus asked sarcastically. "Wear him out in bed, then draw him a bath?"

Looking at him over her shoulder, Hermione adopted an innocent expression. "How did you know what that list was called? Have you been snooping in my papers?"

Remus growled, but didn't argue further. He didn't have the energy. After two explosive orgasms in a relatively short amount of time, he was fairly knackered… At least, he thought he was until Hermione sashayed into his bathroom and bent over to open the taps on the tub.

When the scent of eucalyptus reached him, he caved. Making a mental note to growl at Sirius later for giving away his secrets, Remus got up and followed his witch into the bathroom. He watched as she tipped precisely the right amount of bath salts into the steaming water and smiled at the care with which she replaced the fragile bottle on the shelf.

Stepping up behind her, he pulled her to him and simply hugged her for a moment. Hermione sighed and melted into the embrace, running her hands over his arms and tilting her head to the side, exposing her bitten shoulder. Remus nuzzled the mark he'd left and kissed it gently, and Moony purred happily when she shuddered.

"Come on, get in," she said, grabbing his hand as it traveled south. "Into the tub," she clarified, matching his smirk.

Remus sniffed, but let her go long enough to sink into the deliciously hot water. He couldn't help letting out a satisfied moan as the heat began warming his very bones, and his chest rumbled contentedly when Hermione stepped in and settled herself on top of him, the waterline just barely lapping at her breasts.

They lay there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the soak, before Hermione spoke. "You're awful calm."

Remus hummed. "As opposed to…?"

"Well, normally before a moon you're a bit restless and… you know."

"Short-tempered," he finished for her. She nodded. "Part of that may be the Claim, but sex has always been a good way to even myself out a bit. Not that I take any of this lightly, Hermione," he added hastily. "It's just that - it's hard to be irritable and pacing around the room when you're exhausted. That's what I meant."

Hermione kissed his jawline. "I know you don't take this lightly." Then she remembered something. "How do you know Sirius growls during sex?"

Remus groaned. "Sirius is notoriously forgetful when it comes to silencing charms. Or, at least he used to be. Either that, or he just has no shame," he said, making her laugh. It wasn't the whole truth, but it would do.

"Bit of both, I think," she said with a grin. "But he never forgot with me."

"Well, you're special, aren't you?"

Hermione shrugged. "Perhaps, but I rather think it was more a fear that Harry might come over unexpectedly and hear something and decide to investigate."

"Yes, that would get awkward, wouldn't it?" Grinning, Remus lay his head back, resting it on the edge of the tub, and closed his eyes.

"This does bring up something we need to talk about, though," Hermione said, sounding a bit nervous.

"I know," he sighed, not seeing the way her eyes widened, "but could we discuss how to break this to Harry tomorrow? I'm not sure I'm capable of that conversation right now."

"Um… yes. Yes, of course," Hermione replied. "That… ah… wasn't what I meant, though," she said haltingly.

Remus opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly.

"Remus, I love you," she said.

He smiled softly at her and ran the back of his knuckles along her cheek. "I love you, too," he said. "Why do I feel there's a 'but' coming?"

Hermione shifted nervously. "I… I love Sirius, too."

"Ah." He knew there was more to that conversation than she'd let on earlier and cursed himself for not insisting they finish it then, but she'd been naked and he'd been horny... "You… you do understand there's no going back, don't you?"

"I know that."

"Alright. Then how do you propose to handle this?" he asked her quietly.

Biting her lip, Hermione ducked her head and looked at him through her lashes. "Lycanthropy isn't all I've been researching lately," she began. "I've also been looking into triads."

Remus' fingers, which had been busy tracing invisible paths across her skin, stilled. Of all the things she could have told him, he hadn't been prepared for that. "I… er," he cleared his throat. "I'm not sure that would work in our situation," he said gently.

"Well, I found a case," she said, fingers idly playing with the hair on his chest, "of a triad made up of a werewolf, a witch, and a wizard. It didn't say anything about a Claim, but they lived as a triad for many years. It worked for them."

Moss-green eyes narrowed. There was something she wasn't telling him. "Did the records happen to say when this triad was formed?"

"1728," Hermione mumbled.

"Hermione!"

"I know! But it was the only case I could find! And you know as well as I do that more probably existed, but nobody bothered to record it, or the people involved didn't tell anyone because of anti-werewolf prejudice!" she argued, flushing.

"I do not know that more existed," Remus retorted petulantly.

"Oh, yes you do," Hermione shot back. "And I said 'probably', not 'definitely'. Although, in my opinion, it's probably definite." She stuck out her chin.

Remus snorted despite himself. "Probably definite," he muttered, shaking his head.

"But that's a moot point," Hermione continued. "It's really a question of you being willing and Moony accepting a third."

"It's also a question of Sirius being willing," Remus reminded her.

Hermione thought back to the week before when Sirius had made love to her. They'd decided it would be their last time, and it had been lovemaking. They hadn't had sex. They hadn't fucked. Sirius had made love to her slowly, carefully, passionately…

"I'm pretty sure I can convince him," she said.

"Are you now?"

"Mm-hmm."

Remus huffed a bit, but didn't argue further. Instead, he laid his head back down on the edge of the tub and tried to decide if a triad was something he could do. Sharing wasn't really in his nature - so little in life had truly been his that he was especially protective of the few things that fell in that category. However, he wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea, and it was clearly something that Hermione wanted.

The real question was whether Moony could tolerate it.

Breathing deeply, Remus let his mind relax. This was the best way to get in touch with his alter-ego. Tapping into his lupine nature, he latched onto the feelings he associated with Hermione: protection, devotion, lust, love. His feelings for Sirius were different. Sirius was Pack. Sirius was accepted and acceptable.

Acceptable.

Remus slowly opened his eyes. "I think," he murmured, "I think we could try."

Hermione's face lit up. "Really?"

"Really. But not right now. Right now, I want to want to finish our bath," he said, reaching for the soap, "and then I want to take you back to bed. After that, you can go talk to Sirius."

"Me?"

"Didn't you say you could convince him?"

"Yes, but why not now? Oh." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You want me to smell like you, don't you? You don't want me to go down there when I'm clean; you want to dirty me up a little."

Remus shrugged unapologetically. "Blame Moony."

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Whole

January 2, 1999

The Haven

Sirius heard the soft patter of approaching feet, but kept his eyes closed, almost hoping she would think he was asleep and go back upstairs. His nose twitched as she came closer, the scents of sex, Remus, and her own musky ambrosia - a smell he was all too familiar with now - making him more lightheaded than the firewhisky in his hand.

He opened his eyes, then slammed them shut again. "Hermione," he whined. "Why are you naked?"

"Because I thought it'd be the easiest way to seduce you."

"To seduce me?!" Sirius yelped. "Kitten, you've got a pre-moon werewolf upstairs. You don't need me!"

"But I want you."

Sirius couldn't help but look at her then, eyes roving her body hungrily. From those pretty feet whose toes he liked to suck, up her lean legs to the juncture in between that looked a little damp, and then up a little higher to the mark Greyback had left. He could almost taste the skin of her stomach and hear her giggle when he ran his tongue over a ticklish spot just below her left breast. And those breasts… full and beautiful… perfect handfuls with dusky peaks, like a cherry on a cupcake. He remembered nibbling her collarbone, and the whine she made when he did.

But then his eyes caught the mark on her shoulder. Remus' mark. The mark that said she wasn't his anymore. It wasn't the only mark on her body either; she looked well-fucked, and he struggled to tamp down his jealousy.

He swallowed hard. "I don't know what game you're playing, Hermione - "

"I believe it's called a 'triad'," she interrupted.

His eyes snapped to hers. "How do you know about triads?" he asked, incredulous. Triads were old magic, known only by the oldest pureblood families, and knowledge about them was imparted more through oral history than in books.

She shrugged. "I have my ways," she said simply, and Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"Hermione, this isn't fair, and it isn't fun."

"The Ministry has a library," she said, taking Sirius' firewhisky from his hand and sipping it. "And it's got all sorts of interesting books, on all sorts of interesting subjects."

"Like triads?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I've been looking into them."

"Since when?"

"Since you made love to me last week."

Sirius looked away from her. He'd known then that his emotions had been too close to the surface, but he hadn't been able to help himself. He should have known it would come back to bite him in the arse. All good things in his life did eventually.

"That wasn't just sex, Sirius. For either of us. Even I know that."

"You're Remus' now, kitten," he said gently. "That mark on your shoulder says so. Remus loves you. And I think you may love him, too."

"I do," Hermione admitted. "But not more than I love you."

His breath caught. "Hermione," he began, looking at her sadly, "if you've been looking into triads, then you know they very rarely work. And when they're broken, the magic of all three involved is fractured."

She nodded. "Yes, I did read that. I also read that when they're created from genuine love, they make the magic of all three stronger. I love you, Sirius. I'm willing to take that chance."

"What about Remus?"

"If there was anyone in the world I could share with," the man in question said from the doorway, making Sirius jump, "it would be you, Padfoot." Remus moved into the room and took Sirius' glass of firewhisky from Hermione, draining the rest.

"You're on board with this, Moony?" Sirius asked.

Remus hummed. "I'm willing to try. Hermione's quite persuasive when she puts her mind to it. It's a bit unnerving, if I'm honest."

"It is unnerving," Sirius agreed. "Who knew she had Slytherin tendencies?"

Hermione scowled as the two wizards discussed her as though she wasn't in the room standing naked between them. "Ahem," she cleared her throat pointedly.

"Yes, love?" Remus asked mildly.

She looked at him, then at Sirius. "You two are going to be a lot of trouble, aren't you?"

"Oh, yes."

"Most probably."

"Lots."

"You really haven't thought this through, have you, Hermione?" Remus teased.

"We may have a few years behind us, kitten," Sirius cut in, "but we're still Marauders."

Hermione huffed and stuck her chin out. "I wouldn't have you any other way," she declared, straddling Sirius. His hands came to rest naturally on her hips and she relaxed at the familiar contact. "I love you, Sirius. I want you," she told him, winding her arms around his neck. "Will you make us three?"

Sirius' eyes darkened and his breathing quickened. "This is dangerous, Hermione," he said.

"What's life without a little risk?" she argued.

He snorted. "Don't use my own words against me! What do I know about anything?"

"That is a good point, actually - "

"Shut up, Remus."

"Both of you shut up!" Hermione ordered. "And kiss me," she told Sirius, leaning in.

Groaning, he closed the distance and took her mouth. He was only flesh and blood, after all, and his blood was heading south. Rapidly.

Hermione responded immediately, moulding her body to his. Sirius kissed her as though his life depended on it, and she reciprocated, latching on to his neck when he pulled away to take a breath. He growled low when she nibbled at his pulse point the way she knew he liked.

"Oh, gods, kitten," he breathed, one hand tangling in her curls while the other grabbed a handful of arse. Looking up, he caught Remus licking his lips and rubbing the front of his trousers, which were hanging low on his hips. The werewolf hadn't bothered with a shirt. "Didn't take you for a voyeur, Moony."

Remus' eyes glowed as he shrugged. "Would you be able to resist watching her?" he asked.

"No," Sirius sighed as Hermione made her way down his chest, undoing the buttons of his shirt and tracing tattoos with her tongue as she went. "No, I wouldn't." Tugging on her hair, he brought her head back up. "You sure about this, love? We do this… and that's it. You're ours. Completely."

"And you're mine. Both of you. Completely," she responded, that defiant spark in her eyes that Sirius loved.

"And you're both mine," came a low rumble from Remus.

Hermione looked around at him and saw his eyes were gold again, although he wasn't looking at her. His gaze was locked on Sirius and from the heat of his stare, she was surprised Sirius hadn't spontaneously combusted yet.

"Get up a minute, kitten," Sirius instructed quietly, nudging her up and off him. He stood as well and took a step towards Remus.

The two men squared off for a long moment before reaching for each other at the same time, and Hermione thought briefly of the nature documentaries her father liked to watch. There was aggression in the kiss, a clash of dominants in the way they bit at each other's mouths and clawed at each other's bodies, but there was something deeper as well, and it suddenly came to her that this was not the first time it had happened.

Knees suddenly unable to support her, she sunk down into Sirius' vacated chair and watched the spectacle in front of her. Remus would win - that she knew - the only question was how much fight Sirius would put up. That was answered less than a minute later when Remus disengaged his mouth from Sirius' and, snarling, went for his neck instead, sinking his teeth in directly over the spot Hermione had nibbled earlier.

"Ahh… fuck, Moony," Sirius groaned, submitting finally. Remus let up, pulling back a bit and licking the mark he'd made. It hadn't been hard enough to break the skin, but there would be a nice, purple bruise there later. "Is that the way it's gotta be?" Sirius asked him.

Remus nodded shakily. "Yeah, I think so, Pads."

The corner of Sirius' mouth lifted in a smirk. "Well, alright, then," he said.

"Really?" Remus asked, his eyes searching the other man's face.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Remus shook his head. "No, no 'think so'. This is permanent, Sirius. Exclusive. You need to know."

Sirius stared at him for a long moment. "In that case, I know so," he said finally. He turned to Hermione. "Enjoying yourself, kitten?" he asked, but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was frowning at Remus.

"You got pissy with me earlier for not telling you about my time with Sirius," she accused, and Remus' stance became sheepish. "Am I right in thinking this - " she gestured at them " - has happened before?"

Remus let go of Sirius. "I would have told you about it. Just - "

"Just what?"

"Just not now," he admitted, sighing as he repeated her words to him hours earlier.

Sirius started laughing. "Mate! You two haven't been together officially a full day yet and you're already in the dog house?!"

"Shut up, Sirius."

"Unbelievable," Sirius said, shaking his head, then looking at Hermione. "It's only happened twice, Hermione. Once in school, and once during the summer after we reunited in the Shrieking Shack."

"We were curious as teenagers," Remus elaborated, "and after I resigned my teaching post - being together again after so long…"

"It just happened," Sirius finished. "We didn't go all deep and meaningful on each other, it just happened," he explained, but Hermione continued to scowl.

"It's alright, Hermione," Remus said. "I felt the same way when you were kissing Sirius."

Hermione blinked and flushed, and Sirius realized her sudden mood was due to jealousy from the bond. However much she wanted to make them a triad, Sirius wasn't officially a part of them yet and, as such, the new magic flowing through her saw him as an interloper rather than a participant.

"So… how do we do this?" he asked.

Remus let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I… I'm not entirely sure," he said, glancing at the clock on the mantle which showed it was already early afternoon, "but we should probably do it soon."

"The bond… would be stronger to… to do it… the way we did it. Wouldn't it?" Hermione stuttered, looking to Remus for guidance.

The man shrugged. "You're the one who's been reading up on triads, love. You tell us."

"Careful, there," Sirius advised Remus. "She likes being bossy in bed."

"Yeah, I noticed that earlier."

"Did you?"

"Mmm."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she decided to take back control of the situation. Standing, she walked up to Remus, grabbed the back of his head and yanked his mouth down to hers. When his chest rumbled a warning at her dominance, she softened, leaning into him. They broke apart and she tilted her head to the side, offering her bitten shoulder to let him know she had no intention of taking the power away from him. While he nuzzled her mark, she undid his trousers and shoved them down, taking his length in hand.

"Sit on the sofa," she told him between strokes.

Remus cocked a questioning eyebrow, but did as she instructed. Hermione followed, kneeling on the cushion next to him and reaching again for his cock. When he was hard, she bent down, arching her back. Making eye contact with Sirius, she jerked her head, wordlessly offering him her backside.

The two men shared a look of understanding before Remus' eyes fluttered shut as Hermione's tongue went to work on him. Sirius shed his unbuttoned shirt and kicked off his jeans, then moved in behind her. He cocked his head and smirked, enjoying the view. He'd never get tired of seeing her on display for him.

Knowing she was probably expecting his cock, Sirius knelt instead, bringing him face-to-face with her wetness and smoothed his hands over her raised bum. She'd told him before that she enjoyed giving head, but seeing how excited it made her was a whole different thing. She was positively dripping.

Hermione gave a muffled yelp when she felt a tongue lap at her and Remus groaned in response. Sirius took a minute to enjoy himself before Remus grunted impatiently.

"Get on with it, Sirius!" he snapped, his voice rough.

Hermione felt Sirius chuckle against her and give one more smacking kiss to her core before disappearing. There was a terrible moment where she felt bereft, then strong hands were once again on her hips and Sirius was pressing into her.

"Shit!" Remus bit out as Hermione whined around him. He was close. Reaching a hand under her, his fingers found her swollen nub. The three of them moaned together at the erotic feeling of Remus rubbing just above where she and Sirius were joined. He could feel the raven-haired wizard moving in her and Sirius got a little extra stimulation as his cock ghosted over Remus' digits.

Sirius bent over Hermione, getting as close to Remus as he could when the other man's head dropped back in pleasure. "Don't. Forget. About. Me. Moony," he grunted in time with his thrusts.

"Just say when," Remus groaned.

Sirius sped up, his fingers digging into Hermione's waist, and when he felt her movements stuttering he began to let go. "Now! Now! Now!" he shouted, and Remus' hand shot out to grip his hair and yank him to his mouth. Sharp teeth pierced his neck and Sirius cried out as his magical core swelled and hummed with the new bond.

He didn't even realize, until Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, that it was all over and he'd collapsed on top of her.

"Sorry, love," Sirius breathed, untangling himself from her and falling onto the far end of the sofa. Hermione flopped onto her back, laying her head in Remus' lap and her feet in Sirius'. "You okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and smiled at him. "I'm great. You?"

"I'm fantastic, kitten," he smirked. "Just been inside you, haven't I?"

Hermione snorted and kicked his thigh playfully. "Remus, what about you? Are you okay?"

The werewolf didn't answer, and Hermione looked up to see him slumped, boneless, his head resting on the back of the sofa, mouth wide open, and the only sign of life was the slow rise and fall of his chest. Alarmed momentarily, she relaxed when he gave a loud snore, causing her and Sirius to burst out laughing and wake him.

Remus snarled at being disturbed, but he sighed when Hermione ran her hand up his chest. "Sorry," he apologized hoarsely. "Didn't mean to nod off."

"I think you should go back to bed," she said. "You've still got a couple of hours before you take your last dose of Wolfsbane. I'll wake you for it."

He nodded tiredly. "Alright. Come with me? We'll set our wand alarms to make sure we're up in time."

"Okay," Hermione replied, giving him a smile. "You coming, Sirius?"

The animagus yawned and stretched before answering. "In a bit. I'm starved. Gonna go get a curry first."

"Aw, not curry," Remus whined.

Sirius frowned. "What's wrong with curry?"

"You mean other than the fact that Padfoot's stomach can't handle it and if you eat it now, you'll spend the entire night farting at me? Other than that, nothing!"

Hermione started laughing and Sirius scowled before standing, dislodging Hermione's legs, and reached for his jeans.

"Just for that, I'm getting extra spicy," he threatened, doing up his zip and grabbing his shirt as he stomped out of the room.

"Is that true?" Hermione asked Remus, still laughing.

"Unfortunately, yes," Remus said. "Filthy mutt. Come on, I want to lay down."

"Not yet," Sirius said, walking back in with a plate. "You need to eat, too, Mr. I-puke-up-my-socks-in-the-morning-if-I-take-my-potion-on-an-empty-stomach." He set the plate of extremely rare steak down on the coffee table and looked at Hermione. "Make sure he finishes that, will you, kitten?"

"Of course," she said. Sirius winked at her and a few moments later, they heard the front door open and close.

Remus' nose wrinkled at the smell of food, but he knew Sirius was right, so he allowed Hermione to fuss over him until he'd eaten the whole thing. By the time he was done, Sirius had returned with a curry and he and Hermione shared it while Remus yawned, waiting patiently for them to finish. Once it was cleared away, he stood, intending to go back upstairs, but he swayed and had to grab onto the arm of the sofa for balance.

"Remus?" Hermione asked, worried.

"It's alright, love. I'm just a bit dizzy, is all. Pads, could you help?"

"'Course, mate," Sirius said, moving to Remus' side and throwing the werewolf's arm around his shoulders.

"Should we apparate you?" Hermione asked.

"No," Sirius answered while Remus shook his head. "That'll just make him nauseous. He's really drained right now, so we'll just take it slow and steady up the stairs and get him into bed."

Slow and steady is right, Hermione thought as she picked up Remus' trousers from the floor and followed behind the two men. They had to pause several times to let Remus catch his breath before going up another couple of stairs and stopping again. She'd never been allowed near him this close to the moon, so her mind went into overdrive as she catalogued each and every movement; from the way his skin turned ashen to the gold steadily creeping into his eyes, from the exhaustion that seemed to come from nowhere to the way he began limping - a result of the broken leg he'd suffered during the final battle.

It all went into her mental filing cabinet, and she began taking notes on care and prevention. She may not be able to cure lycanthropy - although she was damn sure going to give it a go, not that Remus needed to know anything about that yet - but she could make his transformations a tiny bit more bearable.

Finally, they reached the bedroom and Sirius carefully helped Remus lay down. Hermione crawled in next and allowed Remus to pull her to him, tucking her into his body and curling protectively around her. Sirius set his wand to alert them when it was time for Remus' potion, then climbed in behind Hermione and the three settled down for a nap.

They were awoken a short time later when Sirius' wand buzzed. The animagus fetched the smoking potion and Remus drank it down, grumbling the whole time, then laid his head down on Hermione's stomach. She carded her fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp, and squawked when he suddenly shifted south, intent on replacing the taste of Wolfsbane on his tongue for something infinitely more palatable…

January 3, 1999

The Haven

The next morning found Sirius once again helping Remus up the stairs but, this time, there was a naked, brunette witch asleep in the bed waiting for them. Hermione hadn't yet bathed, and Remus breathed deep as he laid down beside her, the scent of her skin acting as a soothing balm for his sore muscles and aching joints.

Sirius threw the covers over them and turned to leave. Remus shot him a questioning look. "You two rest. I'm going to take a shower and start some food. It's Sunday, remember? You don't have to be back at Hogwarts until this evening."

Remus nodded tiredly and mouthed 'okay'. Sirius grabbed his wand and left the room, closing the door quietly. He turned to go across the hall to his room, but found himself face-to-face with his godson.

"Harry!" he exclaimed, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

The young man gave him an easy smile. "Morning. Remus alright?" he asked, nodding towards the closed door. "How was the moon?"

"Good! The moon was… uh, it was good. Remus is… he's good."

Harry chuckled at Sirius' stammering. "Are you alright?"

Sirius grinned ruefully. "Yeah. Just wasn't expecting you, is all."

"Clearly," Harry replied, amused, but his grin faltered when his eyes fell on Sirius' neck. "Sirius?"

Fuck, Sirius swore internally. He'd been hoping that his hair would have hid the bite mark. He sighed. "Look, Harry, there have been some… er, some things have happened - not like that!" he rushed to reassure his godson who was suddenly looking worried. "Good things, I mean!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Why don't you go start some tea, and I'll get cleaned up and meet you downstairs, huh? Please?"

Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded and turned to go back downstairs.

Well, that could have gone a lot worse, Sirius thought to himself as he sipped a cup of very strong tea and tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his jaw. He smiled when Hermione padded into the kitchen, yawning and wearing nothing but the shirt he'd left in Remus' room. He gave her a crooked grin, but winced when she kissed his bruised cheek.

She pulled back immediately and ran gentle fingers over his face. "Did that happen last night?"

"No," Sirius shook his head. "Happened a few minutes ago." Hermione frowned, confused. "Harry was here," he told her.

Hermione gasped and her hands flew over her mouth as she sat hard on the chair next to his. "And?" she whispered.

"And… and he knows," Sirius confirmed, "but this is all the damage he did," he said, gesturing to his face, "so I think it's safe to say he'll be okay with it."

"Do… do you really think so?" she asked shakily.

Sirius rubbed her knee soothingly. "Yeah, I think so."

January 4, 1998

Hogwarts' Great Hall

Remus placed his napkin next to his empty place and pushed away from the Head Table. Nodding to Minerva, he made his way through the House tables, pausing to speak to a couple of students before exiting the Great Hall. As he approached the large double doors, however, Harry suddenly appeared. Remus barely had time to register the younger man's presence before a solid right hook to the jaw sent him staggering back and falling heavily on the marble floor.

"Mr. Potter!" Minerva screeched, leaping to her feet.

Harry raised his hands. "It's alright, Headmistress! I've said my piece. Everything's cool," he assured her before offering a hand to the Marauder leaning up on his elbows and shaking his head.

Remus looked suspiciously at Harry's hand, but Harry smiled at him, so he accepted it.

"Morning, Remus," Harry said cheerfully.

"Harry," Remus greeted. "Are we good now?"

"Yep."

"Good. Er… what about Ron?" Remus asked.

For some reason, this made Harry grin even wider. "Nah, you don't have to worry about Ron," he said. "He hasn't stopped laughing yet!"

Remus, who was dusting himself off, paused and stared. "Laughing?" he repeated.

Harry nodded. "Laughing."

"Ah - "

"Mister Potter! Professor Lupin!" Minerva interrupted, using the tone of voice that instantly made both Harry and Remus shove their hands in their pockets and duck their heads as though they'd just discovered how fascinating their shoes were. "My office. Now. I expect a full explanation of this."

She swept out of the Hall without even checking to see if they were following and Harry and Remus looked at each other as the students snickered. Harry shrugged and Remus nodded.

"Yes, Professor," they chorused.

The End