Ultimatums

Chapter 17

Hermione and Regulus were walking arm in arm down the Hogwarts corridors, coming back from the kitchens. While they had their own house elves, they liked to visit the Hogwarts ones and sometimes give them a galleon or a new outfit seeing as they couldn't free them.

"I'm trying out for Seeker in a few weeks. They probably won't pick a fourth year, but I'll go anyway. Avs is coming to watch..." Regulus said, ending his sentence with a hopeful tone.

"I despise Quidditch" Hermione answered in a bored drawl. She watched her friend's expression droop, before adding reluctantly "but for you, Reg, I'd watch paint dry"

The boy's mouth turned up into an excited smile once he processed what she'd said. "So you'll come? You're the best Nita"

He swung an arm around her shoulder and took a bite of the treacle tart he'd brought with him.

As they turned the corner, they heard a scuffle, and a few muffled curse words.

Hermione grinned mischievously, and Regulus groaned "Nita. Leave the couple alone! Do you really want to see what's going on in there? Do you want to be scarred for life because-"

"Oh hush Reggie. It's just a bit of fun"

She left him where he was and marched over to the broom cupboard, opening the door with a flourish.

What she saw however, surprised her completely.

Remus Lupin was standing there, shirt off and lean upper body on display. His back was covered in freckles and scars, like an artist had stroked and flicked it with paint.

"Well this is out of character, isn't it Lupin? I'd assume Black would be occupying the broom closet with his track record. Where's your lucky girl?" Hermione grinned a Cheshire Cat's grin and threw the boy his sweater.

"Right here Nita, love."

Sirius stepped out from behind the taller and extremely red boy, and grinned right back at his friend.

"I always knew you two had something. Whenever I heard you talk about your mystery person, I wondered, is it the tall, mysterious, wolfish Marauder?"

"What can I say, the scars turn me on" Sirius winked, and if it was possible, Remus went even redder.

"Wolfish?" he gulped, looking at Hermione cautiously.

"Oh she knows Remus, has done since her first year." Sirius said proudly, before quickly adding. "And I never told her, and she hasn't told anyone else. She's just that smart"

"And you're cool with it?" asked Remus. "You're not exactly friendly with me"

"Of course. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean it's because of something you can't control. I couldn't give a shit. I don't like you because of what you can control and refuse to change. No offence, Sirius" Hermione said matter of factly.

"None taken, love. I've accepted how you feel about my mates. I do wish you'd change your mind though" he sighed.

"Can I tell Reg about this? He'll ask why I took so long, he's round the corner you see" Hermione changed the subject swiftly.

"No" Sirius simply replied and Hermione nodded.

Remus often wondered about Sirius and Hermione's friendship. How it worked, for one. They seemed very different characters, personalities that would clash all the time. But she was one of Sirius's closest girl friends, second only to Marlene McKinnon.

"Hermione, I.... I apologise for not stopping my friends. But do know I nagged them continuously, to the point where it nearly drove them to edge. It's just, you know my condition and..."

Hermione interrupted him "and you'd like to keep the friends you had never thought you'd make? Well I suppose it's much easier to forgive you Lupin, Black over here didn't give nearly as good a speech"

She put a hand out to Sirius, who had a look of mock offence, and they performed their handshake.

"Say hello to Padfoot for me" Hermione smiled, and when Sirius replied "Will do, Nita" she left.

Remus broke his silence. "Padfoot?"

"My pup" Sirius pointed to the dog sleeping in his collarbone and scratching its ear with his pinky.

"So who was it?" Regulus asked when Hermione returned.

"Your brother. With some Ravenclaw girl."

"She can't have been a Ravenclaw if she was in a broom closet with my brother" Regulus quipped.

"Extremely true, my companion"

☏

Walking down to the Quidditch stadium,  Hermione grumbled under her breath. It was a cold October evening, the sun was about to set, and it had been raining the previous morning so the wooden stands would still be wet.

When she arrived, she walked over to Avery, who was snuggled up in his Slytherin scarf and woolly hat, covering his ginger curls.

"I see you're wearing Regulus's jumper?"

Hermione looked down at the navy sweater she had on which went down to her mid thigh. She honestly hadn't even noticed, seeing as she'd stolen it and charmed the arms to fit. She'd had it for so long, their scents had mingled, concocting a new, sweet smelling one. But instead of telling him all this, she said, "to bring him luck"

Avery made an amused noise and patted the spot next to him. He'd laid a blanket on the bench, and he passed her a flask.

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon and vanilla, and pink marshmallows because the pink ones are more fluffy" he recited to Hermione's raised brow.

"When's it starting?" she asked, tucking her feet beneath her and tying her curls back away from her face, not caring how messy it looked.

Before he could reply, the Slytherins appeared from the changing rooms. The pair watched the captain Troy Higgs walk the tryouters through drills and what the Quidditch season would look like for the team. When Regulus mounted his broom, Hermione's heart beat a little faster, but then he smirked and waved, and it calmed down a tad.

She watched him zoom around for a bit, oohing and aahing when she thought she was supposed to, and hid her boredness for his sake. Avery kept her entertained however, with his exaggerated stories about his escapades with Evan Rosier.

"and I told him I wasn't sure about my sexuality"

Hermione tore her eyes from Regulus's broom and looked at him sharply "what did he say?" She asked in a clipped tone.

"He didn't say anything, Mione. He kissed me" Avery smiled softly at how his friend's stern expression turned to one of excitement.

"And how so?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Well I told him, and he put a hand at the back of my neck, tilting my head up. Then he watched me for what felt like forever, examining my face it seemed. Then he reached down and kissed me softly. Honestly Mione you don't know how amazing it felt. Like a click" Avery gushed, blushing slightly.

"And then?"

"Then he asked 'how about know? Do you know?' And I kissed him again because I didn't know how to answer. But this kiss was more... fiery. Hands were in hair and everything . We stayed up on the roof for hours..."

Hermione sighed happily, tuning her eyes back to the pitch. "So lucky A. And honestly Rosier sounds lovely, just right for you"

After a few more minutes, the group flew back down, and Higgs amplified his voice so all onwatchers could hear.

"Our Chasers: Arabella Finch, myself and Gordon Crabbe

Our Beaters: Elladora and Clarius Rowle

Our Keeper: Bernie Travers

Our Seeker: Regulus Black"

Avery and Hermione let out cheers and whoops as their friend turned to them with a massive grin spread across his face. What Regulus didn't know however, was that being on the Quidditch team would bring nothing but disaster.