Ron looked disgruntled and said, "Sorry, mate." 
                              
Hermione mumbled an apology, too. Harry let out a breath of exhaustion. Crookshanks had crawled up into his lap when Ron and Hermione had started their row. He sat perched up and watched them bicker back and forth as if it was a show, but he was now curled up sleeping in Harry's lap. Ron sat down on the couch next to him and then Hermione pulled up a seat in front of Harry. They had trapped him and he knew what was coming. 
                              
"Harry, please don't storm off," Hermione said, tentatively.
                              
"Yeah, I think we should talk," Ron said, forcefully.
                              
"You haven't let anyone talk to you about it," Hermione said.
                              
"Mate, it isn't good to keep it all bottled up. We're worried about you," Ron said, overly confident.
                              
"You were going off alone and not talking to anyone..." Hermione asserted.
                              
"...not showing up for Quidditch..." Ron said, quickly.
                              
"...and not doing your homework," Hermione cut in, eyeing Ron irritably. "Harry, don't you think you should talk about it?" 
                              
He smirked slightly. This was not the first time he thought they had rehearsed a conversation, but the reality of talking about Sirius sunk in. His eyes rested on the attractive fire and his heart was thumping in his ear. He could not get out, now, if he wanted to. But did he? Hermione saw his hesitation and knew she had been in this position twice now. She choose her words carefully and decided to say his name. 
                              
"Sirius loved you and was willing to risk death for you. He made that decision. He wanted to fight them. It was a tragedy that he died, but he chose it," she paused, waiting to see if Harry would say anything. 
                              
He looked at the floor and put his hand on his forehead. He was on the verge of tears. The moment she said Sirius's name, his back tensed up and his throat was so tight that he felt like someone was choking him.
                              
"Harry, it's not your fault..." Hermione began.
                              
"Yes it is," Harry said roughly, still staring at the floor.
                              
Hermione, though relieved that she actually got him to talk, now faced the difficult task of trying to make him understand.
                              
"Harry, don't..." Hermione said compassionately.
                              
"Hermione," Harry looked up into her eyes, his voice as even as he could make it, "you tried to tell me, didn't you! You said it was a trap! I didn't want to listen. I led you all down there! I got Sirius killed. I-I almost got both of you killed!" 
                              
He glanced up at Ron, who turned white and was shaking with emotion, but Harry could not look at him anymore. He buried his face in his hands. He could feel tears coming on. Hermione was trembling, too, and her eyes were full of sympathy.
                              
"H-Harry y-you left out an important part. You tried to check for him.... Y-You did. You couldn't tell Kreacher was lying. You can't blame yourself for that. And as far as we go, Harry, we knew what we were getting into. We were expecting a fight, after all V-Voldemort is a very powerful wizard. You didn't want everyone to come. We made you take us..." Hermione said, quietly.
                              
Harry never looked at it that way. He put his hands down, but still watched the floor. His eyes were full of tears. He was shaking.
                              
"Yeah, but I had to go play the hero," he managed to articulate, because his voice was hoarse from his extremely dry throat.
                              
"Harry, 'playing the hero' as you put it, isn't a bad thing. It's what makes you a good person. It makes you who you are. It makes people like the Neville, Ron, me, Ginny, Hagrid, Colin, Luna, Fred, George, Sirius and all your other friends want to be with you and would gladly fight with you, even at the risk of our lives. Harry, you saved me. You saved Dobby. You saved Neville. You saved Ginny. You saved Sirius. You kept the school from closing. You taught the DA. You won't let danger come to even strangers. Fleur didn't think you were thick. She thanked you for rescuing her sister.