Disclaimer: She owns them, I play with them.

A/N: Ok, this is pretty lame, but I wanted to do *something* during the Dog Days (which is the annual 'get Sirius laid-challenge' in the Hogwarts Boudoir):

Song fic (little bit adapted) with OotP-spoilers !!

Pairing: SB/HG, hint of SS/HP

Rating: R for insinuations

BLACK IS BLACK

By Geena, song by Los Bravos

Hermione Granger sat down with a sigh on her parent's sofa. She reached over to the stereo and turned on the radio, wondering if anything could distract her from the numbness she felt inside after the tragic events in the Ministry of Magic. She really should owl Vikor and tell him about it, but she couldn't bring herself to pick up the quill and start writing. What would she say ? That the side of Light had lost the man she had a passionate crush on ? That all Viktor had been was just a replacement for the one she could not have ? She wasn't that cruel ! Her head shot up when she recognized the song on the radio. Tears fell when she mouthed the words silently:

*/ Black is black
I want my baby back
It's grey, it's grey
Since he went away, Ooh-Ooh
What can I do
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue */

She cursed the merry tune of the song. What was there to be happy about ? He was gone. Gone. GONE !
And there was nobody who could relate to the extent of her feeling of loss.
Except maybe ...

/* If I had my way
He'd be back today
But he don't intend
To see me again, Ooh-Ooh
What can I do
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue */

She jumped up from her seat and headed towards the telephone. Checking her watch she concluded Harry was probably alone right now at the Dursleys, it being a Saturday afternoon, a time for shopping.
And sure enough. She let the phone ring three times, hung up again, let it ring twice, hung up and then let it ring in earnest. It was her signal with Harry and she was quite relieved to hear his voice.

"'Mione ?" A depressed voice at that, but she knew how to fix that.

"Harry. Do you want to meet ? Diagon Alley if you can get away next Saturday ? I have something to discuss with you. It's about Sirius."

"Uh ... oh. Er, OK. I'll meet you at Fortescue's, alright ?"

"Fine. Bye."


/* I can't choose
It's too much to lose
My love's too strong
Wow! Maybe if he
would come back to me
Then it can't go wrong */


The next Saturday found a nervous Harry Potter sitting outside Florean Fortescue's ice parlour. He didn't have to wait long.
Hermione arrived in her usual brisk manner and for the first time in weeks he felt like smiling.

"So, what's up ?"

"Well. I guess I should just get right to it, shall I ?"
She didn't wait for his answer and pulled some notes from her pocket.

"You know Sirius wasn't dead when he fell behind that veil. Normally people who pass beyond the veil aren't dead anyway. They are after they have passed it."

Harry interrupted her. "I don't understand. How can somebody die by simply falling behind a curtain ?"

Hermione sighed. "You know that room ? It is called the Death Chamber. Doesn't that ring a bell ?"

Harry seemed deep in thought and Hermione decided not to wait for the other shoe to drop.

"It's what muggles call an executioners room. You know, to carry out a death sentence."

"You mean there's other ways to execute than Dementors ?"

"Of course. Dementors weren't always on our side, well, they aren't now either. And in case you hadn't noticed: it's awfully close to the great courtroom. Comes in handy, don't you think ?"

"So he's real dead, isn't he ?"

/* Bad is bad
That I feel so sad
It's time, it's time
That I found peace of mind, Ooh-Ooh
What can I do
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue */

"Ah, well, I do not believe it is the case."

Harry almost jumped from his seat.

"How can that be ?! Do you really think so ? Where is he then ?"

Hermione smiled, glad she received the reaction she had expected.

"Calm down Harry. Just listen to me and I will explain. The entire Death Chamber thing got me thinking. I know that when wizards are convicted after a trial, we're fairly sure they're guilty." She raised her hand to stop his comments.

"Yes I know that mistakes were made in recent history, but I'm talking about the 'good old days' when the veil was still in use. Back then Veritaserum or other truth potions were much more commonly used and when the execution order was given, there rarely was any doubt. However, the wizards who created the veil, and many believe Godric Gryffindor was one of them, built in a safeguard just in case something went wrong. It is rumoured that if a person was made to step beyond the veil while innocent, he would not die."

"You mean Sirius is still out there somewhere ?"

"Exactly."

Harry looked at her as if his eyes were going to pop out. After a few seconds however he seemed to regain his composure.

"So, what are we going to do about it ?"

Hermione grinned. "Now you're talking !"


/* I can't choose
It's too much to lose
My love's too strong
Wow! Maybe if he
Would come back to me
Then it can't go wrong */

The very next week they met again, but now there was someone else present. A certain tall, dark and obviously intrigued Potions Master listened to what the Brain of Gryffindor had to tell him.

"So you see, if we could make the Solidity Potion and chant the incantation, then we might bring him back." She looked at him expectantly and her heart jumped when he nodded.

"I will make the potion. I knew of it's existence, but never encountered the formula. I would very much like to know how *you* managed to come across it. However, the rest of your little theory is utter nonsense and I will have no part in it."

Hermione's heart sank. She could see Harry was still ready to try, but she knew they needed at least one powerful wizard and she was reluctant to include others in their secret. After all, the Solidity Potion was considered to be Dark Magic.

When Snape stood up and said he would inform her when he had the potion ready she and Harry thanked him and bid him goodbye.

Then she turned to Harry.

"It is absolutely imperative we have him there with us, Harry."

"Why ? I mean, we've got what we want from him, don't we ? Whatever would we need the git for if it weren't potions ?"

"Maybe to help us with the reciting ?" She looked at him sternly.

"Oh. Right."

"Well, we can try again when he gives us the potion. You never know, wonders never seize."

"Yeah right you are." Harry said with a contemplative look on his face.


/* Black is black
I want my baby back
It's grey, it's grey
Since he went away, Ooh-Ooh
What can I do
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue
'Cause I-I-I-I-I'm feelin' blue */

The three of them met outside the Leaky Cauldron on a Friday night. Snape led them to a fire place and they flooed right into the Ministry of Magic. The place was entirely deserted and they had no trouble to reach the floor of the department of Mysteries.
Once they found the Death Chamber, Snape took out a vial containing the potion and positioned himself in front of the veil. He sprayed the potion towards the veil and took a step back. All three were looking expectantly at the archway.

"Maybe we should hold hands, to channel our magic ?" Hermione suggested and she took Harry's hand, who in turn reached for their Professor's.

It was over in less than a minute. There was a loud crack when the power of the chanting and the potion was combined. The veil fluttered as if there was a giant wind and a smokescreen started to appear, shielding the archway from their eyes.

"D-do you think something went wrong ?" Harry whispered.

Then a figure could be made out and when the form approached them they could see it was a man.
Hermione's heart sang with joy when she recognised the beloved features and she ran towards him, unable to wait.

"Sirius !" She exclaimed and knocked the wind out of him with her embrace.

"Hermione ? Are you alright ? Is the fight over ?" He looked a bit confused when he couldn't see his brothers in arms where he just left them.
Hermione hugged him again, taking full advantage of his confused state to feel him up all over.

"The battle has been over for almost two months now Sirius." She said softly.

Then something dawned at him.

"Yes, I remember Bella hitting me and falling backwards. I was so stunned she outwitted me. I guess I ..." He turned around and saw the veil and his eyes grew big.

"I - I went beyond the veil ? But ..." Then he saw Harry and the boy could no longer withhold and threw himself in his arms, sobbing.

"We all thought you were dead !!" He kept on crying.

After a while, Harry had calmed down again. It seemed Sirius had taken the time to think about the situation.

"I take it you brought me back ?" He asked.

"Hermione came up with it." Harry said.

Sirius beamed at a blushing Hermione and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her fondly on both cheeks. She looked even more flushed after that.

"I don't know how to tell you how much this ... how much I ..."

"Oh, cut it out Black. It seems you haven't gained any wit by the experience." Snape cut in.

"Snape ? What's *he* doing here ?" Sirius only now saw his former nemesis.

"Well, he helped." Harry stated.

"*Him ?*" Sirius obviously had a hard time believing it.

Hermione snuggled closer to Sirius and tucked her arm under his, as if she would never let him go.

"Yeah Harry, you still haven't told me how you got him to help with the spell ?"

And then Sirius and Hermione were stunned by two identical blushes spreading on both Harry and Snape's cheeks ...


THE END

A/N: if you're interested to find out exactly why Harry and Snape blushed, there's an accompanying piece by Achilles, called: Persuasion.