Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

12 | the sunlight shines a little brighter

Hermione spied some various statues and armour, all speaking of a different place and a different time, and despite the clashing cultures of the diverse statues, they all blended together elegantly. There was also a handsome grandfather clock standing beside the maroon divans, the golden pendulum looking polished and very new. Near the grand, marble staircase hung a painting of a lovely town, with a huge, formidable Manor standing proudly at the epicentre.

"You're gaping," Peter pointed out with a snicker.

The brunette's jaw instantly shut close and she blushed. "It's... huge," she lamely replied, clearly still at a loss of what to say.

"The Potters are old money," Peter said with a casual shrug. "What did you expect?"

"I didn't realise—" She swallowed down her words, her heart clenching unexpectedly at the thought of her raven-haired, emerald-eyed best friend.

Harry Potter could have lived in this huge Manor, with a lovely foyer, and most likely other beautiful rooms she had yet to explore. But of course, of course, Voldemort just had to ruin his whole life.

Hasty footsteps from the marble staircase caught their attention and they watched as three excited boys bounded down.

"I knew I heard your stupid voice, Wormta— oh."

James abruptly skidded into a halt. Sirius almost crashed against his back, and would have, if Remus hadn't latched onto his wrist to keep him from lurching forward. All their eyes were now on Hermione and the brunette unwittingly blushed.

"Err, I'm sorry I should have Owled beforehand," Peter said with a sheepish smile. "But Mum suddenly told us she'd be spending a few days with her new boyfriend's family and insisted I bring Hermione along. I hope you don't mind?"

The Potter heir awkwardly rubbed the nape of his neck. "I guess," he said, followed by a half-hearted shrug. "I'm sure Mum and Dad won't mind either."

"I won't be a bother," Hermione promised, prompting Sirius to snort loudly.

"I highly doubt that, kitten," he cheekily pointed out. She threw him a light glare, but Sirius merely grinned in return. He then stepped forward and gave a flourished bow. "Welcome to Potter Manor, Monsieur and Mademoiselle. I'm Sirius Potter and I will be your tour guide for today."

"What?" Peter sputtered out, a bubble of laughter escaping from his lips.

James shoved Sirius away and laughed. "Wanker," he said. He grinned at the stunned expression on the siblings' faces. "You see, Sirius ran away from home—"

"—best damn thing I've ever done in my whole damn life—"

"—and, he's currently crashing with us," James continued. "Basically, we kind of adopted him, but if you want to be technical, he couldn't really be a Potter."

"Some bureaucratic shite," Sirius flippantly said, waving his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter if I get stuck with this vile last name all my life, just as long as I escaped those fools."

Remus pursed his lips very tightly. "They're still your family," he reminded.

Sirius's eyes dangerously flashed. "They're no family of mine," he harshly shot back. He threw an arm over James' shoulders and pulled him possessively towards himself. "This is my family."

"All right, all right, Merlin," James said with a tired sigh. Judging from their expressions, Hermione hazarded this wasn't the first time they'd fought about this. "Anyway, we've got some tea in the Drawing Room. Fancy some?"