Sorry for the wait everyone. I had a far too busy semester one. It was challenging to say the least. This one is more memorizing and less learning so I have more time to write again. Which doesn't garentee the lack of me being rusty but I'm working on it. Enjoy this fluffy chappy XD.
Chapter 3 Flurries:
"Hermione oh Hermione…. God, oh God…" Sirius woke up panting, the dream concluding with a wonderful orgasm. He opened his eyes confused for a second, his mind still back in the dream. He glanced around for his beautiful woman, felt around the bed, but found nothing. His hand grasped only air, the ghost of a woman, the ghost of the dream.
After the initial shock came the shame, pure and genuine. There was never much he could do about that part. He felt a certain obligation to be there, to protect her. Was it really that primal? He pondered to himself. It wouldn't be the first time he had done this for someone, but it was definitely the most meaningful. Loneliness weighted down his chest for a moment. He didn't have anyone but her left.
Sighing, he sat up, the sheets wet. He wasn't embarrassed, he was sorry about it though, and now had to do the laundry. Checking the digital alarm clock beside his bed, he noted the time to be 9:30 in the morning and sighed. Wincing with the thought of spending another isolated day in the mountains, he opened the curtains.
Snow. White flurries plummeted down to the ground in a torrent of madness. His heart lighted in less then 3 seconds flat. There was about 4 inches on the forest floor already. A grin spread across his lips, memories of his long gone friends came flooding back. His snowball hand twitched ever so slightly.
The view from his window was memorizing, the deep coating of the snow made everything look more peaceful, innocent even. A single set of footsteps lead away from the house and further into the forest, like those of an unseen ghost. Sirius didn't need to solve that mystery however. Marine left the house every morning without fail. No matter how sick she looked, or how much Hermione, err, Maddie, complained. With a more contented sigh then before, he turned from the window and began to bunch up the sheets on his bed. He then took them up all in one go and surprised himself by clearing the doorway with the lot.
He walked into the tiny laundry room, and dumped the heap of sheets and blankets onto the floor while he fiddled with the controls on the damned muggle machine. He had been living the muggle way since he had arrived at the cabin, and he was getting quite tired of it to be perfectly honest. Finally something seemed to be happening as the small bin began to fill with water. He dumped the heap inside, grabbed the detergent, filled it up to the required level, poured it in and slammed the lid shut with an exasperated sigh.
With the laundry going, suddenly he had freed up his morning. For most people this would have been a relief, but this put a bit of panic in his chest. Something about the way she walked, the way she spoke, the way her eyes sparkled when she looked up at the sky, made shivers go down his spine. Hermione, just being Maddie, or whatever, was just…
He shook his head and glanced out the window again, regretting ever sending the letter, what if she remembered? He found a pair of his jeans and a shirt on the floor and pulled them on before he pulled himself up to sit on the old washing machine. Isn't that what she wanted? Isn't that what he wanted? For her to remember, to look at him and know who he was, and know what they've both gone through.
… And then run out on him.
He blinked away the memories that had formed in the back of his mind. Some things were more important then having someone to relate to. He just wished it could have been easier then this. Sirius put his head in his hands and breathed in the smell of the salt. His eyes drooping with sleep.
"Hermione! Oh Merlin is it good to see you." Sirius walked over and gave his Godson's best friend a hug. Then he noticed something was wrong. She wasn't hugging back. She was thin as a board.
He pulled back and searched her eyes, tears had begun pooling in those brown orbs. A small smile grew on his lips. "It's really me love, I promise." He stated softly.
Her eyes flashed and she backed up a couple steps, roughly pulling off her black leather jacket and tossing it on the side of a raggedy couch. That was the first time he had noted the scars on her arms, and her skin that pale. It looked like she had been surviving off of the smallest amount of food and sunlight her body could handle. A ball of grief had found a home in his chest. She looked worse than some of the inmates living in Askaban had.
"That's what I was afraid of." She murmured, her eyes going from his wand hand, to the surprised look that must have been plastered on his face. She pulled out her own wand and pointed it at him. "I will kill you if I ever see you again, I'm only doing this for Harry. You meant a lot to him." Her eyes murderous, she continued to point the wand in his direction, her eyes reflecting off of the small amount of light in the room.
"Hermione… I…" Sirius stammered. He took a step back, not wanting to think about what she was going to do next. "I know what you did Sirius, and frankly, I would have thought you would have found some better excuse. I'd go back to your 'master' while you still have life in you, if I was you." Hermione spat. Her arm shaking with rage.
Sirius paled. "I would NEVER join HIM Hermione! I don't know how but…" Hermione cut him off.
"I don't believe you. In fact, say another word and I'll kill you, you bastard! How dare you even speak to me, I've had enough ass-holes coming in here begging for a spot on the 'good' side only to betray us. If you want to fight the good fight then you sure as hell aren't doing it with me, or Harry. He's been through too much shit to hear this now, I'm not falling for your shit, I'm not falling for anyone's shit ever again." She turned around, as if dismissing him. Reaching over she grabbed a dagger from one of her high top boots and pushed it into the wood grain of a grubby table, twisting it until it bit into the wood. A dark tattoo between her shoulder blades moved with her arm. A dark tree, its roots going deep down her back and down deep, names were etched though the design.
"I…" Sirius was at a loss for words. With that sound she spun around and threw the blade. It sunk in deep in the wall behind her. Her face was incredulous. "Get the fuck out. I won't miss next time."
He left closing the door with a slight slam behind him. He had been grasping his wand through his pocket the whole time. Sorrow bit at his chest, and a wave of loss ran through him. All those names… All those names were silent elegies on their own. So much had changed. Without even thinking he found himself speaking, low and hollow, like words from the dead. "Dumbledore would have believed me."
He heard a hissing from the other side of the door. "Dumbledore is dead because he believed too much. He believed everyone had some good in them, he fought because of it, and it's that alone that killed him; something to fight for. Get the hell out."
He had left that night, his tail between his legs, and his heart in his shoes. She had been so different. So strikingly different then he remembered. Fierce, almost feral, not even a shadow of the old Hermione had been left. A sigh left him as the machine beeped.
Getting up he opened the door, grabbed his sopping sheets, and shoved them into the dryer. He closed the door with his leg and left the laundry room. Remus had believed…
Entering the kitchen he found the subject of his recent thoughts sitting in the kitchen slicing a green pear. "Good morning." Maddie greeted brightly, a smile gracing her lips, and then spreading to her eyes. Sirius smiled slightly. "Good morning." He greeted, looking down.
"Lovely weather isn't it?" Maddie asked glancing out the window.
Sirius grinned, "Most definitely." He agreed, grabbing himself a pear also.
"Something bothering you?" Maddie asked breaking the silence once again. Sirius grimaced, she still had the ability to recognize what someone was feeling on the inside.
"Nope, I'm fine thanks. Has umm, anything come in the mail?" He asked changing the subject.
Maddie frowned, "No, are you expecting something?" She asked glancing over at the small pile of letters beside the door.
"Kind of" Sirius stated noncommittally. He waved his hand and bit into the soft pear, attempting to stave off the look of guilt on his face. "Soo… Up to facing the master of snowballs in a duel?" He asked, licking the sweet pear juice off of his lips and glancing at Maddie.
Her brown hair hung in soft curls around her face. Her brown eyes were so vastly different then what they had been that night. It was truly like he was talking to a different person. Maddie grinned at him. "Master of Snowballs, meet the Queen of Cold." She exclaimed getting up and rushing to the door.
Sirius followed her out a grin sliding its way on his sullen face, she was still in her pajamas. "You, my great Queen, are going to freeze." He husked from the door.
"I am the Queen of Cold, and therefore must be so." Maddie shouted, running towards the cover of the trees. Sirius grinned and shook his head, his heart suddenly lighter. Stepping out into the white perfection, he headed, at a run towards the young woman. He grabbed a handful of snow as he went, balling it in his hands.
Memories of his childhood came flooding back, and suddenly, he was at Hogwarts once more. The snow sparkled down, like sugar on a gingerbread house. Gingerly he squeezed the ball of frozen rain in his hand and glanced around. He bounded into the cover of the trees, and suddenly he was hearing the 007 theme song in his head. Ducking behind a tree he spotted movement in front of him.
Ducking lower, he glanced around and saw another flash of brown hair through the trees. Sizing up his chances he threw and heard the satisfying splat of snow on flesh and the tiny squeak of surprise that usually came with it.
"Sirius Black!" Came a resounding shout from the woods, "I am going to find you and get you for that!" Sirius chuckled, now THAT sounded more like Hermione.
"I'm waiting…" Sirius called back, waggling his eyebrows. He then darted from his tree and jumped over a stump before realizing that the only place he would be safe from this woman's wrath was up. Glancing around quickly for a strong enough tree, he found his subject and grabbed the closest branch.
He pulled himself up and started the mechanical motion of climbing the tree. The he felt something hit a leg. Glancing down he noted the white ball attached to his calf. The incentive to climb faster now a lot higher, he did just that, noting the blur of pink and brown coming towards him at a high rate of speed; a grin crossed his face and he grabbed the nearest snow weighted branch.
A shriek disturbed the quiet woods as Maddie, covered in snow glared up at him. He did the only thing that felt natural; he winked and stated, "Oops." She growled, and tore up the tree, with nails like talons she pulled herself up his leg, a handful of snow in each hand. He tried in vain to push her off, but not before she had snow down his shirt and, though some stroke of pure luck, in his pants.
She was laughing gleefully now, and that laugh made him laugh. Soon they had collapsed in each others arms. She was freezing, and it was at this point he lured her down the tree. "C'mon Miss Queen of Cold, I think it's time for us to go inside." He mumbled.
She chuckled and allowed him to lead her back to the house, she was shaking with cold. Halfway there Sirius noted a black dot in all of the white. It was an owl. Sirius's heart sunk into his stomach. Just when he was starting to feel more at ease another reminder of the past threatened to tear him apart again. He glanced down at Maddie who had noticed too. "What is that?" She asked.
Sirius tried to look unimpressed, "An owl. It's got my mail." He stated. Maddie just stared. The Great Horned owl landed with a swish of wings on his shoulder. As he expected there was a box attached to its legs with a small letter attached. Storing the letter for safe keeping, he took up the box and pulled off the top. His heart pumping nervously.
"What the heck is that?" Maddie asked staring at him, and an eyebrow slowly raised.
"This," Sirius began. "Is your wand." He stated picking it up and handing it to her.
Sorry the ending was somewhat abrupt, I needed some filler before we get into the nitty gritty of the mystery. Reviews and watches appreciated as always. Oh, and if you want me to start writing in Hermione/Maddie's POV lemme know. I've been debating it recently and I'm not sure. A new chapter should come faster then this one, I finally have some writing time.
