Pieces of a chess game [Sherlock x Harry Potter Crossover] [COMPLETE]

Chapter 7: Past Present

"He seems like a good guy. Short-tempered, if anything. Albeit I didn't find him in his best moment when you were in the hospital," commented Sirius. "All good with him?"

"He doesn't ask and I don't tell. Not like there's much to tell anyway," added Hermione bitterly.

Sirius put down his cup and folded his hands on the armchair. Though she didn't know how much Mycroft had said to him, she knew she could always count on Sirius's support.

"My birthday is coming soon," Sirius told her. "I was thinking we could spend it together."

"Does Harry have any assignments that weekend?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, I thought now they both know about our... close relationship, we could all be together."

Hermione frowned, not quite understanding what he meant; usually, he celebrated his birthday with Harry, and then she was the one responsible for taking care of Sirius while he recovered from a hangover.

"What do you mean by 'all be together'?" she asked hesitantly.

"Just me, my two kids and their families—in a cabin near Winchester big enough for all of us for the entire weekend..."

Hermione sighed and set her cup on the table. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea," she said slowly.

Kneeling in front of her, Sirius took her right hand, pressing a soft kiss onto it. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, I have two kids," he explained softly. "Even if they don't talk to each other. My birthday won't be complete without both of them present—and now that everyone's in the know, I just want to spend my special occasion with my two children without leaving anyone out."

She could see the depth of his longing and thought about how he had spent so much time alone, how much he had lost over the years. Despite his custom-made suit and Italian leather shoes, Sirius was still deep down prisoner PZ390, the man who had seen friends died and had been incarcerated for 13 years.

She could only imagine how hard it must have been for him—living a double life to protect her from pain. At that moment, she knew it was her turn to make some sacrifices.

Hermione smiled at it and bent down to kiss his cheek, and she felt Sirius hug deep in her bones.

On Saturday, 3rd of November, Hermione set off in her mom's old Benz and drove down the M3, with a large coffee cup in the holder. She had spent most of the night worrying about how she would cope spending 48 hours with people she hadn't spoken to in 18 years, except for the recriminations they had exchanged at the dinner. The signs on the motorway warned of a U-turn up ahead, and for just a split second, she thought about taking it and heading back to London. She passed the exit and continued driving. She couldn't do that to Sirius.

What would they talk about?

What were they going to talk about anyway? Hermione guessed everyone would have decided to do their own thing and leave her alone, apart from the occasional meals they'd all share together. She loved Sirius to pieces, but she didn't think she would be able to spend more than an hour being civilised to her former friends - and if there was someone both Ron and Harry had, was a short temper. Suddenly, the GPS attached to her dashboard beeped and started sputtering as if it were malfunctioning. She was almost there.

Ten minutes later, she pulled over in front of a large country home next to Sirius' car. Climbing the steps to the main door, Hermione could hear noises coming from within, like clanging pots, conversing voices, and creaking floorboards. Following the sounds into the kitchen, she encountered a room full of people wearing Wizard casual attire that made her feel out of place in her leggings and oversized jumper. Harry and Sirius stood near the stovetop with a young redheaded girl tugging at Sirius' pants while Ginny sat nearby Lavender looking at magazines. Ron, Neville, and George were levitating decorations for a birthday party while Mrs Weasley waved her wand around creating several dishes at once. Nobody seemed to take notice of Hermione until a small child ran into her legs.