Look at the Stars

"So," Sirius said casually, "our Harry is getting married. I've seen this coming for a while now. . ."

"Can't say as I'm surprised, either," Hermione laughed.

"I was thinking. . . this is Saturday, so we don't have any classes. Why don't we walk over to Hogsmeade and apparate to the Burrow? Harry's staying there right now."

"Hey, I'd love to! We can give him our congratulations in person!"

Shortly after breakfast, the pair met outside the castle and began their trek around the lake. The autumn wind faintly moaned around the nearly bare trees, and the surface of the lake was interrupted by a multitude of dry leaves.

Shrouded in the remnants of the morning fog, it was sparsely beautiful.

After the two had walked farther along the path, Hermione started running with girlish abandon into a large pile of dry leaves, kicking it into the air all around her like natural brown confetti.

Sirius was right behind her, scooping up handfuls of leaves and throwing them in the air, in swirls all around, and at Hermione. What am I doing? he thought. I'm flirting with her. Stop, man, stop, before you start acting like a fool. . . if it's not too late.

His thoughts were interrupted by a healthy burst of laughter from Hermione as she tried to extract the leaves from her thick hair. "Here, I'll give you a hand," he said.

Sirius stood next to her and began picking the leaves out of her brown curls. Reaching for one deeply lodged leaf on the back of her head, he unconsciously placed his arm around her.

Still smiling in delight, Hermione didn't seem to notice their close proximity, and laughed again as she began pulling leaves out of Sirius's shoulder-length black hair. As her fingers ran through a lock of hair beside his face, her finger touched his rough cheek.

As if suddenly realizing the intimacy of their position, Hermione became suddenly silent and started staring off into the distance.

Stepping back slightly, she laughed softly, not a girlish giggle, but a deep, rich, womanly laugh. "With behavior like that, I'm sure I seem just like the little thirteen-year-old girl you met nine years ago," she said, looking questioningly at Sirius.

"Hermione, when I look at you, I don't see a little girl," Sirius said. "I don't see a little girl at all. I see a fascinating, intelligent, mature young woman. . . with a healthy streak of fun," he grinned, glancing at the disheveled state of their leaf-covered clothes.

Hermione smiled a little, and they continued walking toward Hogsmeade.