Fic: Combinatorics part 4, the end

[shetiger]

Combinatorics, fourth and final part. Cont from here.



Permutation: A linear arrangement of elements for which the order of the elements must be taken into account.

When Harry gave her an odd look on his way to the kitchen, Hermione finally realized she was being ridiculous. She'd been standing in front of the door for a good half hour, occasionally pacing as she sorted through her thoughts. She didn't feel guilty anymore, but she was puzzled by the problem. It was possible that Sirius didn't feel anything for Remus after all this time, but she suspected otherwise.

Hermione squared her shoulders and knocked sharply on the door, once. A vague noise sounded from inside; she took it as an invitation. Sirius was sitting beside the window. He didn't look surprised to see her.

She closed the door behind her, noticing a distinctly nervous look on his face. Perhaps things would be awkward between them despite their earlier ease. She sat in the small desk chair beside the bed, watching as he shifted against the sill.

"Sirius," she started softly, "why don't you ever talk about Remus?"

He looked up in surprise. She thought hurt and anger flitted through his eyes before he looked down with a shrug.

"There's not much to talk about, is there? Don't ever see the bloke."

He was making this difficult deliberately, and it made her want to yell and throw things. Preferably breakable things. But she knew that getting him to open up would take a more subtle touch.

"Don't you miss him?" she tried again.

He turned to face the window.

"I suppose," he said in a thready voice, then cleared his throat. "We grew up together, and he's a good sort to have around."

Better, but she thought he was just saying what she wanted to hear. "I've always admired him terribly. He was the best professor we ever had, and so brave too."

Sirius nodded his head slightly, but he still wasn't engaged in the conversation.

"And really, very handsome. Do you suppose he'd ever be interested in a former student?"

He whipped around, eyes widened in shock. His face started to color and she could tell he was searching for some protest.

It would have been flattering if it was for her benefit.

"Sirius," she said, her tone firm but gentle. "I know."

"Know?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded, feeling like she had started to torture a kitten. His face displayed the most emotion she'd seen since he'd been back, even in their night together. He looked lost, devastated and hopeful at the same time, like he couldn't decide whether he was being crushed by the weight of a mountain or someone had lifted it off of his back.

"That you and Remus," she paused, gathered her courage, "that you were lovers."

He sank down on the edge of the mattress, one hand shakily bracing himself. "Oh," he said. Finally he looked up, eyes crystalline and shimmery. "Oh."

"Sirius, it's okay. I'm not going to freak out or anything. I just want to know why you haven't tried to contact him. Don't you miss him?"

He shook his head slowly, as if trying to defend himself from her words. She scooted over to the bed to sit beside him, wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"More than anything," he said hoarsely.

She hugged him to herself, and waited.

"He doesn't want anything to do with me," he continued, and she could hear how it hurt, tears in the edges of his voice.

She shook her head. "That's not true. He's just having a hard time right now, trying to cope with the idea of you being back." She wished she could say more, but she didn't want to betray Remus' confidence, as well as Severus'.

"Yes, because he feels guilty for not wanting me. Just like Moony, to feel a sense of obligation to this old bag of bones. I'm nothing but a failure, nothing to show for my life than being in the wrong place far too many times."

"Haven't we been over this before? You're not a failure. You've had a hard life, yes, not had a chance to do much with it. But that's not your fault, and I'm sure Remus loves you no matter what."

He was rocking slightly, hunched in on himself, and Hermione moved with him.

"How can you think that? I'm nothing, I have nothing. What can I give him but an old man's body with a teenager's stupid impulses?"

Hermione's arm was starting to get tired, so she let it drop to his waist as she pondered her words. She blushed a little, but she pressed ahead.

"Sirius, I've seen you, inside and out, and I think you're beautiful. You have charm and spirit and love, and that's all that anyone could ask for. If Remus doesn't want that, doesn't still love you, then he's a fool."

Sirius shuddered. A tear splashed on his hands clasped on his lap.

"Have you ever known Remus to be a fool, Sirius?"

There was a long moment, and finally he shook his head sharply. "No," he whispered.

"Neither have I. That settles it, doesn't it. We'll work it out, you'll see."

He leaned into her shoulder, and she pulled him down against her neck, letting him cry silent tears against her as she held him. It wasn't the solution, but she thought the fever might have been finally lanced. She hoped that Severus was making progress on his end.

An equation is said to be a closed-form solution if it solves a given problem in terms of functions and mathematical operations from a given generally accepted set.

Severus entered the shop a few minutes after she did, looking a bit harried. Wisps of hair stuck out in a few places, giving lie to his greasy image. She waved the waiter over.

"Hello Severus."

"Hermione," he said with a tight smile, then ordered a cup of coffee. "I'm afraid I don't have much time. The Headmaster has decided that he most imperatively needs my assistance in a project involving the reorganization of the castle's larder. Why he can't get the House Elves to do it, I'll never know."

She laughed at the disgust in his tone, though she suspected the Headmaster's whim was inspired by some research she had shown him during her seventh year, regarding the welfare of the Elves. Severus smiled back at her, his face softened immensely by the expression.

"Merlin forbid I inconvenience the Headmaster," she teased. "I won't take too long."

"If you'd rather have a most horrible emergency that only a highly skilled potions master can attend to, I promise I won't complain," he returned, then muttered, "much."

She was filled with lightness, realizing through the course of this she had made a very unlikely friend. More importantly, she thought they were on the right path to helping two other friends. Hermione launched into her news with eagerness.

"Sirius and I had quite the discussion the other night. He misses Remus very much, and would like nothing more than to see him again. He's convinced that Remus feels otherwise, though."

Severus nodded. "Very well. I spoke with Remus earlier in the week. He would be interested in hosting you at his home for tea, and would not be opposed to you bringing a guest."

The wording was positively Slytherin, and she had no doubt that Severus was the one who had suggested it to Remus. She wouldn't protest though, if that was what it took to get the two of them together.

"All right. Will Saturday afternoon do?"

"That's what he suggested," Severus said. "Don't invite Potter," he added darkly.

"Of course not. I do have some sense of delicacy, you know," she replied. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt a need to keep this project to herself. Harry already had enough of a claim on Sirius.

Severus nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me?"

He made a slight bow after he rose, then stalked to the door. Of course he'd left her to deal with the check. She supposed he'd only had coffee, and only a few sips at that.

Hermione hoped Dumbledore had him dusting every jar in the larder by hand.

Involving two variables, as opposed to many (multivariate), or one (univariate).

Sirius fidgeted beside her, tugging at the maroon tie that he had insisted on wearing despite the fact it didn't really match the style of his shirt. Still, he looked good, if more nervous than she had ever seen him. He gave her a small smile when he finally looked up, and she nodded back. Hermione rang the door bell before he had a chance to start the anxious ritual again.

The door opened almost immediately, making her think that Remus was standing just inside. He smiled politely, but didn't say anything.

"Hello, Remus," she greeted in his stead. She fought the urge to turn and make sure Sirius hadn't bolted.

He nodded and stepped aside so they could enter. It looked like a fairly normal Muggle home on the inside, except there was that sense of wrongness about the geometry that told her it had been expanded magically. The coat rack stirred sluggishly as they walked past, but Remus gave it a sharp whap with his wand and it settled back down.

They walked through the short entryway into a sitting room. A worn Persian rug covered most of the floor. Polished oak planks peeked out on the edges. A typical arrangement abutted the fireplace; a sagging couch and two wingback chairs surrounding a low coffee table. She deliberately chose one of the chairs, hoping Remus and Sirius would sit next to each other. Sirius chose the couch, but Remus sat in the other chair. Stubborn, stubborn men.

"Tea?" Remus asked.

They both nodded, and Remus left them again. She could hear him banging around in the kitchen, sounding more clumsy than she remembered him being. Sirius was entranced by the edges of his cuffs, worrying at them until she was sure they'd fray apart in a wild explosion of string.

It was one of the most unpleasant events she'd experienced since Voldemort's last stand.

Remus finally returned with a tray bearing a teapot and three cups, milk pitcher and sugar bowl. He poured the cups and turned to fixing one with several sugars and a splash of milk, which he handed to Sirius. He seemed to suddenly notice what he was doing, almost dropping the saucer before Sirius got it in his grip.

"Forgot the biscuits," Remus blurted, and then he was off to the kitchen once again.

Hermione sighed. The meeting could definitely be going better, but she wasn't sure how to ease the way. She stirred her tea to dissolve the sugar, then took a soothing sip. It was stronger than she usually took it, so she surreptitiously slipped some more milk into the cup.

Remus returned, balancing a plate with various biscuits and a basket of scones, enough to feed both Harry and Ron as well. He slid them onto the table, Sirius rescuing one of the stacks of books so that there was enough room. She chose a scone, pleased to discover they were cinnamon, her favorite. Neither Remus or Sirius took anything.

"So," she said, after it had become obvious the men in the room had left their Gryffindor courage cowering under the sofa, "how are you doing, Remus?"

He looked startled at the question, then cleared his throat. "Very well, thank you. And you?"

"I've been fine. The assistantship keeps me busy, but I enjoy it."

"Ah yes," he replied. "What are you studying again?"

She smiled. Even feigned interest was better than what she got from most of the people she knew. "Graph and number theory, with an interest in its application to Arithmancy. I've always been interested in how Muggle advances could intersect with Wizarding theory."

"Of course," Remus agreed, though she was sure he had no idea what she was talking about. "You are uniquely suited to make such a correlation. And you teach, as well?"

She nodded over her cup. "Two courses, introductory algebra. I don't understand how you did it, honestly. They drive me daft on a regular basis."

Remus smiled tightly. Perhaps it was a topic she should have let be, but she still thought Remus was the best teacher they had ever had, even better than Professor McGonagall. She glanced to her right; Sirius was studying Remus intently, oblivious to everything else around him.

"Yes. Well." Remus looked at Sirius, and they seemed to get caught in each other's eyes. Hermione held her breath, not sure what she was waiting for, but then Remus looked back at her.

"Every now and then a truly exceptional student makes it worth the hassle of dealing with the dullards and mischief makers."

Hermione beamed at the unspoken compliment. She was searching for a way to repay it when a snort of laughter startled her. She and Remus both looked at Sirius, who was chuckling quietly to himself.

"Sorry," he said when he noticed their questioning stares. "I just remembered something."

They waited expectantly, and finally he picked up the hint. "James and Lily's honeymoon suite. Do you remember, Moony?"

Remus smiled, the expression slowly spreading to his eyes. The lines of age at the corners slowly lifted, making him look younger and more relaxed.

"I remember."

"We charmed the tap of their fancy tub to spit out goldfish. Lily must have been right pissed."

"James said we spoiled a highly romantic moment," Remus agreed.

Hermione felt herself fade from notice, and she had never been so glad to be a third wheel in her whole life. She held still, trying not to break the moment.

"I don't remember that," Sirius said after a moment, ducking his head.

Remus sighed, then sets his full cup of tea on the coffee table. He crossed to sit next to Sirius on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Pads. I'm so very sorry for everything."

Sirius shrugged. "Not your fault, is it now?"

Remus reached out, awkwardly laying a hand across Sirius's shoulder. It was a frozen moment, like a frame from a silent movie. Then Sirius shifted a fraction, and the reel sprang to life as they clung to each other. She hurriedly stood, tiptoeing towards the kitchen. Breathy sobs followed her through the swinging door.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a dark, imposing form in front of her.

"Hello, Hermione," Severus said.

She should have known he would be here, acting as second to Remus as she was for Sirius. He was leaning against the counter, and it took her a moment to realize why he looked different. He was in full robes. She'd got used to seeing him in casual Mugglewear.

"Hello, Severus," she said happily. She was amazingly glad to see him.

"I take it they have not hexed each other into oblivion. Unless you were looking for the disposal?" he asked with sneering curiosity.

She laughed, feeling the tension that had hovered about her all day break like a crusting of ice, leaving her shaking in its wake. Severus must have noticed; he steered her towards a kitchen chair with a light hand on her shoulder.

"Here, have a scone."

She nibbled at a corner-after all, she hadn't really eaten much of her first. A mostly empty take out box was on the table in front of her, from the same café they visited on a regular basis. She gave Severus a questioning look.

"Lupin was in a bit of a panic. He implored me to bring something you liked. Why he wasn't content with a bushel of biscuits, I'll never know."

Her stomach skipped strangely at the thought that Severus had remembered what she liked. She took another bite of scone, hoping to settle her nerves.

"It was going well, I think," she told him.

Severus nodded. "I should hope so, after all the trouble we went through."

"You act like you don't care."

"Should I?" he shot back acidly.

"Honestly, Severus. You can drop the act with me. I for one hope that all the effort we put into this has a successful outcome."

Severus didn't reply, but he did walk to the kitchen door, peering through the slats in a manner that looked suspiciously like eavesdropping.

"Ugh," he said, disgust plain.

Hermione laughed. Things must have been going very well, indeed.

Undefined: An expression in mathematics which does not have meaning and so which is not assigned an interpretation.

As she approached the glass front of the café she saw Severus walking briskly from the other direction. Neither of them would be waiting today. She greeted him with a smile, and he held the door for her. There really wasn't a need for them to be meeting again; she'd seen enough of Remus recently to know his spirits were on the rise. Yet she was looking forward to their discussions, to getting Severus' perspective on things.

They seated themselves, Severus not going so far out of character to actually pull out her chair, and placed orders with the usual waiter. She chose a salad, struck with the sudden urge to get healthy. Severus raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"How are you today, Hermione?" he asked instead.

"I'm doing remarkably well. And you?"

"Tolerable."

They paused as the waiter returned with their drinks. She watched Severus go through his usual routine of unfolding his napkin and straightening the silver. Something looked different about him today; she thought he might have a new shirt. It flattered him, even though it was still the same unrelieved black.

"Do you have any news?"

She shook her head. "Nothing terribly important. Sirius seems much happier these days, certainly. The occasional sulk, but I think that's just part of his personality."

Severus snorted. "Indeed."

She smiled at his inability to resist a gentle jab at Sirius. "I don't think he'll be living with us much longer."

"Potter must be crushed."

"Well, he enjoys having Sirius close by, of course," she said. "But Harry prefers to see people happy."

Severus nodded, conceding her point. "It's my observation that Lupin is mentally competent once again. I suppose we no longer need to have these meetings."

The conversation ground to an awkward halt. Strangely, she found that prospect saddening. She picked at her napkin, wondering what to say. Severus studied his silverware. She looked towards the kitchen, wondering how long it could possibly take to put lettuce in a bowl.

"I don't suppose I'll be spending much time around Remus from here on out," he said softly. "I would appreciate any news of his well-being that you could pass on."

Her heart lifted at that overture. Still, she couldn't resist teasing him. "Severus! You're nothing but an old gossip!"

He looked completely startled, and she knew he was ready to come back with a scathing defense. She stopped him with a touch to his hand.

"Of course I'll pass on anything I hear. Though I wish you felt you could continue to spend time with Remus. Sirius really isn't the devil incarnate."

Severus shrugged, looking over her shoulder. "In time, perhaps."

It was a large admission, and she was oddly proud of him. She squeezed his hand before letting go.

"You know, someone owes me a fair amount of money. A matter of being left with the bill several times in a row. Quite a rude thing to do, honestly."

Severus' mouth quirked into a small smile before he controlled it. "Unconscionable. Why do you put up with such behavior?"

She struggled to keep her own face straight. "I don't really know. I ignored it initially in favour of the goal, but later I found I came to value the person's company enough that it didn't matter."

His eyes widened, and she knew she had surprised him.

"Well, then," he said after a moment. "As the wronged party, you would be within your rights to ask for recompense from this heinous individual."

She nodded vigorously. "I agree. Do you think dinner would be a fair request?"

Severus slowly smiled, the warmth actually entering his eyes and making them a melting brown. She couldn't help but smile back.

"I think that could be arranged," he said.

"I'll look forward to it," she said, and brushed his hand again.

THE END