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Hemione Granger was born as the only daughter of Jean and John Granger, a nice muggle couple who had been desperately trying to have a child for years.
Sirius Black was born as the elder son of Orion and Walburga Black and was thus the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, the expected child to continue their bloodline.
Throughout school she never fit in. Even as a child she was bookish, reading earlier than her classmates and preferring the company of books over being bullied on the playground. When she tried to play with the other children, strange things used to happen and the other children got scared of her. She was alone a lot because of that, her parents both working as dentists, and told herself early on that she preferred it that way. She would not admit that she still tried to befriend every new child she met, because in the end it did not make a difference, they never stuck around either way. At least she knew her parents loved and adored her, even if they had to work a lot, but that made her time with them all the more special.
In all his life, he never seemed to fit in with his family. His mother was no nice woman, and he barely even knew his father who was not one for “educating children”. When his brother was born, he thought it would be different, but it wasn’t. Regulus loved his older brother, but he loved his mother’s praise more. So even when he was surrounded by his family, Sirius Black was alone. When he met James Potter at an unbelievably boring garden party, his parents had been disapproving of the boys getting along - the Potters were purebloods but not exactly interested in the same… cultural activities as the Blacks, and friend of the Mudblood sympathiser Dumbledore to boot - but that did not stop Sirius of befriending him. If he only did things his parents disapproved of his life would be very sad after all. By the time he arrived at Hogwarts he was maybe lonely when with his family, but he had found his best friend in James Potter.
When Hermione got to Hogwarts it took a while, and she knew she was never going to be exactly popular, but she found friends in Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. After their adventure in first year, nothing was going to upset this friendship. But still she felt as though she was intruding somehow. Harry and Ron were best friends, and she was their friend. When she was distraught, she still hid from them, knowing it would not give her comfort to tell them what was wrong, and they fell out a lot over the next years. Still, she had friends. She should not be greedy.
Sirius was very popular at Hogwarts, with both male and female students alike. Only the boys in Slytherin tried to show off their dislike for him, but he didn’t really care about that. And yet, he was sometimes lonely. He had plenty of friends, and even the best friends he could imagine in James, Remus and Peter, but something was missing. It had probably something to do with the ache in his chest when he thought about his family. But he had the best of friends, he shouldn’t be greedy.
For her life changed when she had to take her parents’ memory to keep them safe. Her loving, adoring parents. When she had taken their memory, she thought the grief would swallow her whole. It was their love she could always rely on, their understanding that had made her what she was today. Now she was all alone.
For him life changed they day that James and Lily died. Even if he sometimes thought something was wrong with one of his friends, he never really believed it. And he would not have suspected Peter to have anything to do with it, which just made it worse, because did he even know his friends at all? Then came Azkaban. And eventually, years later, he was the last of the Marauders, Remus having died in the battle of Hogwarts. Now he was all alone.
It had begun with a silent tolerance. Neither Hermione nor Sirius knew what to do with the other, they did never really talk much when she was younger, he was always concentrated on Harry, as was she, so he did not really know her, even though he met her in her third year in Hogwarts. It felt like a lifetime ago.
But after the fighting ended, he was lonely. Harry had wanted to move in, but he also wanted his own space for himself and Ginny, so instead Hermione moved in. She was desperate not to move into her parents’ house and was glad she had this other option. They were still both very much alone, but it hurt less.
Silent tolerance grew into a tentative friendship after several months. Hermione realised that she could feel at home when Sirius was around. Sirius recognised that Hermione was his friend. Maybe even his best friend.
It took them two years to realise they were in love with each other. Harry was relieved when they finally admitted it, as were all of their acquaintances.
“Sirius?” Hermione asked one morning when they were still in bed.
“Yes, love?” He answered while his hand drew circles on her back.
“You are my best friend,” she admitted, almost carefully.
“And you are my family.” He pulled her closer.
It was not the most romantic declaration of love, but for them it meant so much more. The girl that had never felt as though she belonged had found family and a friend in this man who had never known family, and he had found not just a friend but all the family he had ever wanted in this woman.
They got so much more than they ever hoped for.