In Perpetuum

Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Possemus videre incedens

Sirius was staring at Hermione with a facial expression that would have been otherwise present if someone had clubbed him over the head.

“Really? Remus and Estrella? Well, I’ll be...”

“Yes,” said Hermione impatiently, “so that is why we have to somehow plant the idea in Remus’ head that he needs to ask her out.”

“OK, how are we going to do that?”

Hermione twisted her mouth in thought before speaking.

“No idea, but we will have to make ourselves scarce for the evening. We could probably spend most of the time in the library and use tonight to catch up on some study.”

“Really? I had something completely different in mind...” Sirius whispered into her ear, kissing her on the cheek.

Hermione giggled as she felt him move away to look at her.

“Hmmm...I guess my homework can wait, for a little while.”

“Excellent work Miss Potter,” said Sirius against her lips as he went in for a proper kiss this time.

Barely had their lips touched when James’ voice invaded their private sanctuary.

“Oi! When I told you guys to get a room the other day; I didn’t mean it as an invitation to come into the boys dormitory for a snogging session.”

The couple looked down at their position on the latter’s bed. They were sitting on their knees with their legs tucked in beneath them, inches apart, and completely innocent.

Hermione reached out and pulled the curtains shut around them.

She heard James grab some textbooks from the underside of his bed and go to leave the room.

He shouted back to them, “Don’t forget a silencing charm!”

“GET OUT JAMES!” Sirius and Hermione shouted back in unison.

Barely a moment after they had shouted at him they heard him drop the books. The stream of dull thuds that gently pervaded the room indicated that James had dropped his books down the stairs leading down the common room.

Hermione’s heart skipped a beat as she wondered if James was alright, and the couple whipped back the curtains and hurtled out of the room, Sirius equally frightened of the potential state of his best friend. They ran partway down the stairs to where James was standing, completely dumbstruck, to the sight of Remus and Estrella.

“Looks like they didn’t need our help after all,” smirked Sirius.

Hermione, batted him across the arm, but she was smiling at the scene of Remus wrapping his arms around Estrella in order to pull her closer, while she rested her head on his shoulder. Apparently both were oblivious to the others in the room.

“Come on, let’s leave them to it,” said Hermione pulling her brother and her boyfriend, by their collars, towards the portrait door with one hand, while stooping to pick up the rejected textbooks with the other.