A/N: Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that after all these years I finally came back. I am going to try my best to clean up these chapters. They were horrendous! I am ever grateful to those that actually liked this story, and I hope with what little I could do to better this story, that you like it even more. Cheers!
Chapter 1 - Branded
Hermione was sitting in the study hall finishing up her homework for Arithmancy when a seventh year boy walked in handing out thick, matte, black envelopes. As he dropped one onto her desk, she noticed he only handed them out the students in seventh year. She picked up the thick envelope and turned it over in her hands. Written in blood-red ink was her first name. Putting his arms behind his back, the boy turned to the class and cleared his throat. "All seventh years please remain in your seats. Everyone else, leave." A handful of confused students gathered their book bags and left the room. All that remained were the seventh year students with the black envelopes.
"Now, in your hands is the annual student questionnaire. You will find questions regarding the school, staff, other students and yourself. This questionnaire is for the purpose of Hogwarts Yearbook. It is extremely important. I must warn you, the questionnaire forbids anyone from lying." He smirked. "Begin!"
Hermione recognized the familiar H stamped into the wax seal, it was the same one used to seal the envelope for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. Breaking the seal revealed a long piece of parchment paper. It read:
Congratulations on reaching your seventh year of Hogwarts: A School for Witchcraft and Wizardy! Please answer the following questions truthfully for the yearbook. This questionnaire will be kept anonymous so no one will know your answers but you! Remember, you may only answer any student-related questions with answers about other seventh years! Enjoy!
Hermione enjoyed taking tests and answering questions. She enjoyed them even more when they weren't for educational purposes. Grabbing her quill she started to complete the questionnaire.
1) In your opinion, who do you think has the best laugh? The only people she really hung out with were in her own house, but she did find that Lily Moon happened to have a nice laugh.
After awhile she came upon a question she had to think really hard to answer. 57) Who do you think is the most intelligent? Of course she couldn't put herself, even if she was the most intelligent student in all of the school. Looking back on all the assignments, there was only one student who came close to getting as good of grades as she did. Anthony Goldstein. Satisfied she moved onto the next question.
After a few more minutes of writing down various answers, she came to the end of the questionnaire. There was one more question to answer and just reading it made her cheeks grow rosy.
100) Who do you think is the sexiest witch and wizard in your year? (Please mark two answers, one for a witch, and one for a wizard respectively.)
Hermione was completely dumbfounded by the question. She expected a silly questionnaire but not to this extent. She didn't know whom to put down because she normally didn't think about these things. Her only two romantic encounters were in fourth and fifth year. That was ages ago! She pondered for a moment, thinking of all the witches in her class. Finally she settled on Faye Dunbar and wrote her name down. When it came to the boys in her year she didn't particularly find many of them attractive. She supposed Harry was reasonably attractive, but she couldn't get past her sisterly love for him. She did that once with Ron and lets just say that didn't work out. If she was honest with herself she did find one of the Slytherin boys to be fairly attractive but she didn't want to write anyone from that house down, so she wrote Harry Potter down instead.
Satisfied she went to put her quill away but she noticed the second part of one of her answers disappearing. Frowning she rewrote Harry's name, and it erased as quickly as she wrote it. A sentence appeared in its place reading, "Answer truthfully" and it disappeared. Frowning, she quickly wrote Blaise Zabini.
Thinking it may reject her answer again, she waited for the name to be erased but it stayed. Satisfied she put the parchment back into its envelope and handed it to the boy who gave it to her.
-8 Months Later-
A week from now, Hermione will graduate and move on to a new adventure. Hopefully she will start working at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Mysteries and get her own flat. She was waiting for the result of her N.E.W.T.s scores while sitting in the Gryffindor common room when professor McGonagall came in with a large box hovering in front of her.
"I have your year books, students!" The handful of seventh years living in the dorms of Gryffindor crowded around her as she passed them out. On the front of a very large leather-bound book was the Hogwarts crest. The book was black and the detail was very intricate. Underneath the crest was her name embossed in gold. Flipping the front cover, she discovered the Hogwarts theme song. Underneath the song were a picture of the headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and the Headmistress Minerva McGonnagall.
Skimming a few pages, she found a lot of pictures of her in class, or of her in the great hall laughing and having a great time. There was also a picture of her diving into the lake. Another picture featured her outside in the middle of the night standing by the lake under the moonlight.
On the next page there was a close-up of her smiling face. Under her picture it read: "Gryffindor Princess." Following that page had smaller pictures of seventh year students also voted Prince and Princess of their house. Harry was voted Gryffindor Prince. Draco Malfoy and Daphne Greengrass were most voted for in Slytherin. Ravenclaw's winners were Terry Boot and Lily Moon. And in Hufflepuff, the Prince and Princess were Zacharias Smith and Hannah Abbot.
All the seventh years gossiped about their yearbooks and Hermione took notice of the girls exchanging glances while pointing at her and snickering behind their hands. Lavender Brown was the only one who took offense to Hermione being crowned Princess. That night she went to bed wondering how she was voted Princess of Gryffindor.
-The Day Before Graduation-
At two in the morning Hermione somehow landed on the floor. She groaned and stood up, lighting the tip of her wand. Lily Moon stood over her bed covering her mouth with her hand. She mouthed words "Sorry" and "Get Dressed" then put her finger to her lips to remind her to be quiet. Hermione sullenly pulled on her favorite blue jeans and a purple tank top. She then went downstairs and found Harry, Terry Boot, and Lily waiting for her.
"What are we doing?" Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Honestly, do you guys not pay attention?" Terry rolled his eyes. Our yearbooks told us to go to the seventh floor tonight for a private party. Let's go!" Lily led them to the seventh floor of the castle, directly across from the Room of Requirements where there was a portrait of Venus and Aphrodite, the Goddesses of Beauty. Terry whispered the words "Divine Royalty" and the portrait swung open to reveal a small common room.
Facing a stone fireplace was a long black couch. On either side of the couch were two matching chaise lounges that also matched the couch as well. Black satin curtains lined the scarlet walls. On one side of the room stood two tables adorned with refreshments.
Zacharias Smith and Hannah Abbot were already sitting on one of the chaise lounges. Draco Malfoy and Daphne Greenhouse were sitting next to each other on the far right side of the couch. Terry and Lily hurried to the empty chaise so that left the two spots next Malfoy. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and grimaced. They both thought better of sitting next to him and decided to lean against the back of the other chaise lounge.
The room remained silent for the next several minutes. No one spoke or got up to get refreshments. Hermione was about to leave when the door opened again. The newcomer was none other than Sirius Black. A collective gasp filled the room and all eyes followed him until he was standing in front of the fireplace. He picked up an iron rod and pushed the tip into the coal.
"Do any of you know why you are here?" He asked without turning around. Hermione cleared her throat nervously. "Ms. Granger?" He still kept his back turned toward them.
"We were all voted Prince or Princess of our respective houses." She whispered.
"Very good." He said, finally turning to look directly at her. She noticed a peculiar glint in his silver eyes and shivered under his gaze. "Now what if I told you the real reason you were made Prince or Princess was because in that survey you took, your names came up the most for Most Attractive?" Draco snorted.
"Please. I understand why I was chosen, but the Mudblood?" Daphne snickered.
"Actually my dear cousin, Ms. Granger had more votes for Gryffindor Princess than you did for Slytherin Prince." Both Hermione and Draco turned away, embarrassed by what Sirius said.
"As I was saying, every year the graduating class of Hogwarts votes who their house prince and princess is based on who they are attracted to the most. The winners join a very exclusive and secret club where they will be in a binding contract. The moment you walked through that door, you signed your commitment. You will learn more about the club at a later date. For now, it is time to receive your membership ID." Sirius took the hot iron poker out of the fire.
"You are NOT touching me with that thing!" Draco whined.
"Don't be a pansy, boy! Your fate is sealed, quite literally. The door will not unlock until each of you receive the mark."
"My father will here of this." He threatened.
"Apparently you didn't hear the part where I mentioned this is a secret club? You will not be able to discuss the club with non-members, and no, my dear boy, your daddy-kins didn't make the cut his seventh year. Lucky you." Draco folded his arms across his chest and frowned.
"Who wants to go first?" Harry smirked and stood. "Very good, son." Pleased by his godson, Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Take off your shirt." Harry pulled his shirt over his head in one swift motion and a couple of the girls cat-called. His cheeks grew a little rosy but his ego was obviously inflated. Without warning Sirius pushed the iron rod into Harry's left peck. The skin seared and sizzled and Harry cried out. "Good lad, next?" They boys each took their turn getting branded and returned to their seats when they were finished. Finally it was time for the girls to get their marks.
Hermione walked up to Sirius prepared to take off her shirt but he grabbed her wrist to stop her. "The girls are not branded on their breasts." She looked at him with confusion written on her face. Their eyes locked and he slid their hands down her body, stopping at her right hip just above her pubic area. "Here." She blushed, biting her lip. She unfastened her jeans and slowly slid them half way down her bottom, baring a lacy set of boy shorts. Sirius growled low in his throat so only she could hear and her stomach did a back flip. Malfoy, Terry, and Zacharias, were whistling and the girls rolled their eyes at them. "If you don't keep your mouth shut, I'll shut it for you." Harry threatened and they stopped whistling.
Sirius pressed the hot iron onto her hip causing her to hiss in pain. His free hand grasped her waist just above her bottom to keep her from moving. His silver eyes never left hers. She could see the concern for her pain written on his face. He removed the iron and dropped it on the hearth. The mark it left was a single black rose. He traced it with his fingertips and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He stepped away and beckoned to another girl leaving Hermione to go sit on the couch and wait with her pants still down. It hurt too much to pull her jeans back over the mark.
Sirius finally finished and dismissed everyone but Harry and Hermione.
"It was good to see you guys." He said giving Harry a one-armed hug. She looked anywhere but at him. They talked for a few about the club before Harry mentioned he needed to pack. "The Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow for London."
"If you are planning to return to that awful, muggle family of yours you can forget it. I have an open home and plenty of room that is yours for the taking." Hermione stood silently as they talked. Harry finally left for the Gryffindor common room and now she was alone with Sirius with her pants still down.
"I'm sorry." He said.
"What for?"
"For the pain I caused you." She shrugged.
"I have a salve that you could put on it." He offered.
"That would be lovely." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass vile. He put some on his thumb and then spread it on the mark. The pain instantly went away and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you." Sirius let his hand lingered on her hip for a few seconds, rubbing the mark with his thumb, making her gasp in ecstasy. She squirmed under his touch and he reluctantly let go.
"Well I guess I'll see you later." She nodded, biting her lip. He caught her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Goodbye, kitten." His eyes twinkled. She smiled at him and darted for her dorm.