the_debt_of_time

"What the hell is the good way?" Remus asked.
"Don't answer that!" Harry shouted desperately.
Sirius burst into laughter.
"So, you were going to ask Mia to marry you, and James didn't even know?" Remus
asked, getting back to the subject at hand.
"Prongs knew." Sirius smiled sadly. "He found the ring for me."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"You would have told her, Moony. Like you said, she told you everything and that
went both ways. Besides, at the time I thought it was weird, for obvious reasons."
"What reasons?" Harry inquired.
Sirius cleared his throat and tossed a look at Remus who had gone pale. "I'll tell you
when you're older." Before Harry could object—and he looked like he wanted to—Sirius
went on saying, "Anyway, I was going to propose but then she goes and fucks it all up by
picking a fight with me at the flat, and I left to cool off. By the time I got back, she was
missing. Left everything behind except her wand and my Quidditch jersey. I loved that
jersey."
"You loved her?"
Sirius smiled wryly. "Still do. Love like that doesn't go away. It just sits in your chest
and waits for you to die."
Harry frowned. "Did she love you?"
"More than anything in the whole world," Remus answered for him.
Sirius sighed and swallowed, finally pushing his drink away from him. "Harry, I
know this is hard to hear but―"
"It's more than hard to hear," Harry insisted. "You stole my best friend after kissing
her behind my back, shoved her into the past, and made her my... What if...? What if
this is too much?"
Sirius paled as fear sank into his skin like a sickness. "What do you mean?"
Harry took a moment before speaking. "I mean, I assume you're planning on
continuing your relationship with her?"
"I.. ."
"Is she still even Hermione? Is there any bit of my best friend left in there?" Harry
asked angrily.