Author's Note - Veil? What Veil? This is my entry for the Twin Exchange June Challenge. I have used Sirius/Hermione as my pairing, 'Oh Happy Days' as my quote and a Bat Bogey Hex as my prompt. It's been a while since I sat down and just wrote a smutty one shot, so enjoy!

Breaking Point

Sirius Black was never known as a patient man, infact he was more known as the man who saw something he wanted and took it. It was a shame, he often mused, that he couldn't apply this same theory to his current housemate.

Hermione was, for all intents and purposes, completely oblivious to the almost doglike attention Sirius payed to her. After all, he was twenty years her senior and she was absorbed in one of the Ministries most important research projects since Toadilus Muscony invented the ice cube that couldn't melt.

Imagine, a spell to reverse the effects of any dark curse. Complex? Yes. Impossible? Well, she had yet to see why not.

Hermione had been assigned the almost comical project when she became a junior Spells Mistress, but after three years of dedication she felt herself getting closer and closer to the answers. Her mentor, a decrepit and senile master of his craft was in just as much shock as she was that a project the Ministry only kept going because it gave the general public a sense of progress was actually going to see some sort of results.

But while the Ministry archives and Hogwarts Library held all manner of restricted and dark books (one of which had eaten her eyebrow and it had taken her a full week to coax it into giving it back) she had exhausted their knowledge and had to turn to the private libraries of the wizarding world's elite.

Sirius Black's childhood home was her first stop, mainly because it was so familiar and she felt more comfortable intruding on him than say Draco Malfoy; who had been too busy planning his birthday party to answer her owls anyway. However she had been secretly dying since she was a student to get her hands on some of the books Sirius owned and knew eventually she would be able to access the Malfoy Library.

The Marauder had more than welcomed her into his home, even going so far as to have a team of house elves clean the floor that held the complete Black Family Library so she didn't die of allergies instead of just the cursed books going for her throat at every opportunity. Hermione had been surprised by his abilities as a host, feeling for sure that he would have been the type to grudgingly point at the appropriate rooms and avoid her at all costs.

Instead, Sirius thoughtfully bought her tea when she hadn't even realized she was parched, he listened through her endless rants when she hit a dead end after days of following a lead and he even managed to help her manage her thoughts by injecting a new and fresh theory to her many often stale ideas. It was refreshing to have someone to debate with rather than just rant at.

It was during one of these debates that Hermione hit breaking point one day. She sat in the middle of the faded and worn carpet, books strewn around her in every which direction, some open, some discarded like unloved toys, others stacked in piles waiting to chew her fingers off.

"It should be here!" she was yelling, her hands running through her crazed hair for the thousandth time that morning as her amber eyes darted from book to book, willing the answers to jump out and attack her.

"Look, you just need to take a deep breath, put all of these book away and start again," Sirius said quietly, sitting back in the ancient armchair that coughed up dust molecules every time someone sat on it no matter how many times it was scorgified.

"Are you insane? It's in here somewhere!" she almost screeched, getting gracefully to her feet and turning in a circle to get a full view of the destruction she had caused around her.

"I'm not saying it isn't. All I am saying is that you are getting yourself worked up over nothing…" but his calm words were cut off.

"Nothing? Nothing! You think this research is nothing? You think I have enjoyed spending the last three years of my life with my nose in every dark book available trying to figure this out so that people have a better quality of life? This is not nothing!" her voice had risen several octaves by the end of her speech.

"No," Sirius said slowly, swallowing hard when he saw her fingers twitch toward her wand in the pocket of her pale pink pyjama pants. "What I am saying is that you have had no sleep in the last two days, you have barely eaten or left this room infact. Chances are what you are looking for is here, but you need to calm down, keep a cool head and relax. Getting yourself worked up like this isn't helping."

Her hands clenched and unclenched, her hot eyes glaring daggers at him as her chest heaved under the thin top she had put on for bed the night before – that was before this latest theory had overtaken her and she had thrown herself back into her research. If the witch threw a bat bogey hex at him at that moment he wouldn't have been surprised.

They continued to stare each other down until finally Hermione visibly sagged and dropped her head to her chest. "You're right," she said quietly, "I just… it's so frustrating being so close," she sighed, "You know what I mean?"

Yes, Sirius knew exactly what she meant. He was so close to striding across the room and drawing the almost defeated witch to his chest, making her forget all about books and spells and getting her to focus on him even for just an hour. Hell, even two minutes of her time would be enough.

Shaking his head he tried to rid himself of the image of ripping her clothes from her body and bending her over the armchair and tried to focus on her situation. "You need a break," he said instead, silently cursing himself for not being able to turn on the old Black charm with her.

If it had been any other woman standing in his library in nothing more than a pair of thin cotton pants and a shirt that accentuated more than hid her ample attributes he would have had her on the floor by now. But Hermione was different somehow, more than the common floosies he bought home because no decent witch would have an ex-convict, no matter how innocent said convict was. And that's what she was, a decent intelligent witch that deserved more than what he had to offer.

"I suppose your right," she sighed, and it took him a moment to remember just what he had been right about. She stood looking around her for a moment, as if finally seeing the mess she made and he watched as she turned a pretty shade of pink in embarrassment. She reached down to pick up a stack of books, but before she came anywhere near the littered floor she let out a hissing breath and grimaced.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked, watching as she bought one hand to her back and tried to straighten up unsuccessfully.

"Years of carrying heavy books and bags around. Don't worry, it's just a twinge. It will be fine if I just rest it for a bit," she ground out, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

"Sitting on that hard floor with your back hunched for hours everyday probably hasn't helped either. Here, let me," he said, stepping through the piles of books to stand directly behind her. He had to take a few deep breaths of his own before reaching out to grip her small waist. His thumbs met across her lower back and he pressed in slowly, watching her pinched expression for any sign that he was hurting her.

"Harder," she groaned, surprising him into pressing into her supple flesh a little harder. He began to rub his thumbs in circles, pressing deep into the protesting muscles; Hermione groaned again, a sound that shot straight to his loins. Spurred on by this reaction he proceeded to give her the best back rub she had ever received in her life.

"Gods Sirius, where have you been all my life?" she moaned in ecstasy, rolling her head from side to side as he continued to work his magic. He smirked and suddenly felt all the more confident now he had his hands on her.

"Oh you know, here and there, sharing backrubs with the poor and achy wizarding world," he joked, moving his fingers a little higher up her waist.

"Mmmm, not anymore. I think I will keep you all to myself," she sighed, taking a miniscule step back into his touch. Sirius took the opportunity to grip her waist harder, pulling her backwards until his knees hit the armchair and he was able to sit down in a cloud of dust.

He had to swallow hard when confronted with the perfect view of her perfect derriere and it was another moment before he realized his fingers had stopped moving and he was just staring.

"Sirius?" she question when she noticed he had stopped.

"Sorry," he grunted, continuing to focus on her lower back for several long moments, revelling in each sound she made, imagining all the other ways he could make the vocal witch moan.

So lost in his devilish thoughts he hadn't noticed his hands had begun creeping downward and he was now massaging the object of his current fantasies. His grey eyes flicked up to see if the witch was about to hex him, but instead found her head rolling around as she enjoyed the attention.

A wicked grin transformed his features as his touch turned from pain relief to one intended to arouse. Hermione's breath hitched as he used his palms to smooth up and down her sides, cupping and shaping her pyjama clad globes.

"Sirius," she sighed, turning to face him after a few moments of fondling. Her eyes were hooded as she looked at him hotly, licking her lips before pushing him into the ancient chair. Her hands remained flat against his chest as she bent her knees so that she was straddling him comfortably. He reflexively returned his hands to her lower back and gently kneaded the willing flesh as he waited for her next move.

"Are you going to have your wicked way with me?" he grinned, pulling her torso closer to his own, her breasts swinging tantalizingly close to his face, teasing him.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said, returning the grin and throwing all inhibition aside.

"Oh happy days!" he crowed as she lowered her head to his and brushed her lips gently across his own. She repeated the movement a few times, tormenting him with just the ghost of a touch until he growled deeply in his throat and took over.

Sucking her bottom lip between his own he bought his hands up to frame her face and proceeded to snog the living daylights out of her. Every pent up emotion, every unspent bit of passion was poured into that kiss and Hermione was left panting and feeling more than a little bit dizzy. She was anything but oblivious to his attraction at that very moment.

Swooping back in she kissed him again, initiating a battle for dominance as her fingers deftly tore down the buttons of his shirt, exposing faded tattoos and a musculature any twenty year old man would kill for. She sighed against his mouth as his tongue began to explore and her fingers continued to draw maddening patterns across his chest and stomach.

Sirius shifted lower on the chair, his mouth making a wet path straight to the valley of her breasts, using his nose and then his hands to nudge her strappy shirt to hang loosely around her waist. The direct skin contact had Hermione's breath coming in great shudders and when he wrapped his tongue around one pert nipple she had to bite her lip at the sensations, which sent her stomach muscles into spasms and her thighs to shift restlessly on either side of his.

His hands continued to drive her crazy along with his tongue and before she knew it he was tugging his hair from her tightly gripped fingers and pushing her off him. Her lust clouded mind didn't know what to make of it until she saw him remove the remains of his shirt and start on the bold belt buckle that practically invited women to stare at his crotch.

Following his lead she pushed the remains of her shirt to her hips and took her pants and knickers with it as the last of her clothing fell to her ankles. He gave her a disarming smile and held out his hand, helping her from the tangled mess and sitting back on the chair, letting her once again straddle him amidst a cloud of dust.

Sensations increased ten fold as their naked bodies touched and this time their kisses turned from fiery to desperate, Hermione's hips gyrated wildly, stimulating both of them. Sirius groaned loudly as she suckled on his neck, her hands moving between them to grip his aching member.

Hissing, he dropped his head back as her small hands began to work their own brand of magic until he could take no more. Lifting her hips, he positioned himself beneath her, letting her hands flutter to his shoulders for leverage. In one quick breath she sank down onto his rigid length and let out a low keen of satisfaction.

Sirius buried his head in her chest as she held perfectly still, both of them revelling in the sensation of being united. It was another long moment before she started to slowly rock against him, bringing her hips crashing into his as his mouth once again began to worship her breasts.

The rocking became thrusts as she used her all her strength to lift herself on and off him, arching her torso back to gain a better angle, trusting his hands around her waist would keep her steady. He watched her closely, drinking in her varied expressions of pleasure, judging by the little sounds she made just when he had done something right.

Her chest heaved and sweat began to make their skin slick against as she road them both closer to their desired destination. She pulled herself forward to grip his shoulders again, hunching over him as her sleeve began to tighten and her whole body began to shake with release.

Sirius held her close as their climax washed over them, their voices echoing throughout the library until Hermione melted into him, her whole body like a puddle of bones. He stroked her hair and murmured his pleasure in her ear as they both slowly floated back down to earth.

He was quite content to sit with her in his lap all day and was about to tell her so when Hermione sat up with an odd look on her face. His heart sank when he realized she was already having regrets. Her words however surprised him.

"I've got it!" she almost breathed, crawling from his body. She scrambled on her hands and knees to a pile of books by the roaring fireplace, throwing the unwanted ones behind her as she burrowed to bottom in search of her answers.

"Hermione?" he asked, as her fingers raced through pages and she began muttering to herself.

"This is it – it was right in front of me the whole time!" she cried joyously, turning to stare at him, her eyes bright with excitement and a brilliant smile overtaking her features. "Thank you so much Sirius."

"For what? You did all the work," he said, smiling despite not knowing exactly how he could have helped.

"I knew the answers all along, my brain just needed a break for them to make sense," she said, her attention already going back to the book in her hands.

"So I was right then, all you needed was a break," he grinned.

"Yes, for once in your life Sirius Black you were right and I was wrong. Remind me to thank you later," she said, smiling even though she was no longer looking at him. She didn't see Sirius get up from the dusty chair, nor did she notice him cross the room to stand over her, blocking her light.

"Oh, I think now would be a good time to thank me," he said silkily. Hermione looked up to find him ready for her again. She looked from the book to him and back again a few times before slowly placing the object back on the floor.

"I suppose there is no time like the present," she grinned wickedly, sliding to her knees to kneel in front of him.

"I couldn't agree with you more." He replied and it was the last coherent sentence he was able to get out for the rest of the day.

Thanks for Reading!