1. Chapter 1 (2/2)

john sighed and slumped, giving up and sitting back down. "sherlock, do you have to-"

"pirate," hermione interrupted.

"what?" sherlock and john chorused, the latter in confusion and the former in manically pleased surprise.

hermione frowned. "i was trying to decide what it was you wanted to be when you grew up, and i suppose i've settled on pirate. it's in the way you stand."

sherlock entered the room more and over to the sofa where he sat on the back of it. "you wanted to be a princess," he countered.

"your,

other," she said. "yes, you and your

other never got along did you? probably because no matter how good you were, no matter how many mysteries you could solve or how quick, he always had to be better. perhaps at first it was just because he was, but then saw how much it irritated you and tried harder to punctuate it. you've never known war with anyone but yourself. addiction. you tell people you're addicted to something mundane- tobacco, perhaps- but it only serves to distract you from what you're really addicted to."

"you'd know all about addiction, wouldn't you?"

hermione only smiled at that. "indeed. though, if i were to ask anyone about loss it would be you. you've lost people close to you. mother? yes. no matter how much she favored your

other, you adored her. that's probably why you stay so close to 221b baker st, isn't it? mrs. hudson reminds you of her. but you've built new defenses around that. 'i have no friends', you said. it's something you always say, particularly when you consider someone to be one. having no friends means you can ignore it when they abandon you and your difficulties. not even to scratch your defenses against romance."

"defenses against romance," sherlock asked. "yes. war cost you yours, likely one of the two male friends mentioned previously. you were romantic, yet platonic. you'd have admitted feelings for each other that you never mentioned in public as the third, likely the one you were expected to be with, fancied you and the two of you didn't want to hurt him. he's dead now, and you and the other friend will have split ways since he was the only reason you were close."

"ah, yes. having feelings that you don't talk about. is that how your previous relationship went? i apologize, you don't have relationships, do you?"

john's gaze passed back and forth between them, but hermione didn't look away from sherlock. somewhere, a clock ticked.

"i play the violin," sherlock reminded, "sometimes for days without stopping."

"i prefer the cello."

he tilted his head curiously at her. "i'll find one."

hermione smiled. "it's a pleasure to meet you, mr. holmes."

"sherlock," he said just as absently as denying friends, "please. and likewise. alright, john. she can stay."

"what?" john asked, startled out of his awed observing. "how did you know-"

"because you've never mentioned a cousin before," hermione said. "certainly not one that would pop out of nowhere like this. and, you mentioned it to mrs. hudson and she was in the cafe when he got here."

sherlock gave her an appreciating look. "do you know how to shoot a gun?" he asked, likely thinking of the possibility he'd take her with him on mysteries.

hermione leaned forward with an enigmatic smile. "i don't need one."