The Grey

Chapter 7: Revelations

A/N: Thank you to the lovely BirdieMing for her beta work! Happy Holidays to everyone! This one is coming a day early, as I'll be traveling tomorrow. Enjoy!

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Time just slips away,

the sky a dismal

ashen grey.

-Christy Ann Martine

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April 2022

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"Don't show yourself until we're inside," Hermione reminded Sirius as they prepared to Apparate to Grimmauld Place.

"I know, kitten." Sirius grinned when she scowled at him.

"And no pet names tonight," Hermione warned.

"Ah, you take the fun out of everything."

Hermione rolled her eyes and grasped his arm, turning to her left to Apparate them from the front walk of her cottage to the front walk of Grimmauld Place.

"Merlin, warn a wizard before you do that, love," Sirius grumbled as he caught himself from falling.

Hermione rolled her eyes again and knocked on the door.

"Hermione!" Ginny pulled the door open, pulling her inside. Hermione laughed at Ginny's exuberance as if having not seen each other for a month was so terribly uncommon.

"And Sirius." Ginny's smile faltered for a moment before brightening. "Harry's going to be so pleased to see you."

"He better be," Sirius groused, "after that horrendous Apparition I've just been made to endure."

Ginny raised her eyebrow at Hermione as Sirius brushed past them both and headed for the kitchen at the back of the house.

"Never mind." Hermione shook her head before she and Ginny followed after him.

Hermione smiled when she saw Harry and Sirius in deep conversation at one end of the table. It almost felt like they were teenagers again, before the worst of the war had happened. Her heart lurched for everything that had been lost during the war. Even these many years later, war was war. She shook her head, erasing her morbid thoughts and followed Ginny to the business side of the kitchen.

"Can I do anything to help?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yeah, here open this." Ginny set a bottle of red wine and a wine opener in front of her before she turned back to the oven.

"Sure," Hermione said and began opening the wine.

Soon, dinner was ready and Hermione found herself seated next to Sirius once more. This time he had his own plate, but it didn't stop him from sneaking bites off of Hermione's. She'd just slapped his hand away for the third time.

"This makes so much more sense." Harry shook his head, laughing.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Ginny and I couldn't figure out how you were eating so much at dinner and not gaining weight. I thought for sure you were just skipping meals again and was making up for it with dinners here."

Hermione snorted. "Had to keep the brute fed, didn't I?"

"Hey!" Sirius said, clearly offended. "I'm not a brute."