Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 4
Hermione appeared on the sidewalk in front of Grimmauld Place and the resounding Crack did nothing to calm down the already unhappy feline she was carrying. The street was becoming increasingly dark and the streetlamp next to her was flashing on and off. She walked up to building and looked for where the door of the Order headquarters should have been. 'Number 12, Grimmauld Place' she thought to herself and stepped back a fraction as the houses divided to reveal the front door.
She climbed up the stoop and opened the creaky door as silently as she could manage. Despite her efforts Crookshanks was still in a bad mood so when she closed it behind her he started to yowl and hiss in protest of being locked in a cage.
Mrs. Black portrait burst out screaming from behind her curtain, "Filthy mudbloods bring their repulsive lives into my home!" she bellowed. Hermione could hear someone running down the stairs as she tried to pull the curtain closed to no avail. Sirius turned the corner and helped her pull the fabric shut; effectively stopping the rant that Mrs. Black had started about pure blood supremacy.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks Sirius, I didn't mean to wake her but Crooks here had other plans," she said as she bent down to let Crookshanks out of the carrier. He darted into the kitchen as soon as the door was open and didn't give a backwards glance to Hermione. She just looked after her familiar and shook her head.
Sirius looked down at Hermione with a frown, "It's no problem kitten, but I thought you were coming back tomorrow. Is everything alright?" he asked.
She gave him a reassuring smile, "Yea everything is fine…I wanted to come back tonight because I need to speak with the Headmaster, is he here?" she asked him trying to get a view of the kitchen from where she was standing in the hall.
"No he left about an hour ago, but he said he'd be back in the morning, is there anything I can do to help?" he prodded.
Hermione thought for a moment before responding, "Actually the books that you allowed me to take with me gave me a few clues as to what the last ingredient for my potion might be." She had told nobody of the type of potion she was making. She knew in this world that the walls literally had ears, and that if she didn't want to have her potion getting out into the open, the best policy was to never let it out in the first place.
Sirius smiled, "I'm glad I could do something to help you, but what is the potion anyway?" he asked while they walked into the kitchen. Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea next to her and a book propped up so she could read it.
"I didn't tell you the first sixteen times you asked Sirius, is seventeen your lucky number?" she inquired playfully as she walked over to the stove to pour herself a cup of tea. "Tea?" she asked Sirius as he looked at her inquiringly.
"No thank you kitten, I just finished a cup a few minutes ago. I was in the library looking for a book, but for the life of me I can't seem to find it," he explained with a touch of frustration creeping into his voice.
Hermione looked guilty for a moment, but it left as quickly as it had come, "What's the title?"
"The Power of Wards something I believe."
"Hmmm," she said thinking for a moment, "Well I haven't seen it, but if I do I'll let you know," she said sitting down next to Ginny and adding sugar and milk to her tea. She really didn't fancy the idea of having to explain that she had taken a book on Dark Wards out of the library for personal use.
"Okay kitten, see you later" Sirius said before departing from the kitchen and heading back upstairs to the library.
"You know that I can tell when you lying, your body becomes slightly more rigid," Ginny said as she closed her book and turned towards Hermione to look at her with a interrogative expression on her face.
Hermione smiled sheepishly at her friend, "Nothing gets by you Gin, does it?" she asked lightheartedly. "What were you reading, anything I would like?" she asked reaching for her book to read the cover.
"I can also tell when you're trying to change the subject, remember I am the youngest and have six brothers. I tend to pick up very swiftly on who is hiding things."
"Fine, but don't tell anyone, okay?" she asked looking around. "Where are Ron and Harry?"
"They're upstairs past out like rocks; they had a huge Quidditch game earlier this afternoon, and I thought you knew you could trust my Hermione?"
"I do know, but it's the house I don't trust." Ginny nodded in understanding looking around behind her. "I warded my family's home last night and I didn't use the most approved methods, but I needed the book that Sirius was looking for in order to do it."
"Hermione, I don't think anyone will blame you for wanting to protect your family, least of all me. I get so frustrated that I'm not allowed in the Order. Why is it they are all allowed to protect me, but I'm not allowed to protect them? Do they think that if I lose my entire family to this war it will be okay with me? Do they think that because I was safe it would make it okay?" she ranted. It seemed that Ginny had been holding back a lot of feelings when it came to this, and Hermione could relate.
She thought about what she would do if she was unable to take part in protecting her family. She would definitely be feeling helpless and angry at whoever was stopping her, that's for sure.
She gave her friend a sympathetic smile and a brief hug when she had taken a breath, "I completely understand Ginny, but the only way that I could do it myself was to not tell anyone. I'm not saying to go completely insane and start going after Deatheaters yourself, but maybe read up on some medical charms and spells. You never know when they will come in handy. Just because you can't be there in the middle doesn't mean that you have to sit and do nothing on the sidelines."
Ginny seemed to visibly brighten at this and grinned at her friend, "Do you think you could help my Hermione?"
Hermione stood up from the table and banished her tea cup to the sink, "C'mon let's go up to the library and we can see if there are any books that will help us."
They both headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor. When they reached the double doors they noticed that a silencing charm had been cast on it. Hermione looked at Ginny in question, and in turn Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of extendable ears. They cast a concealment charm on the device and themselves, slipped it under the door, and stood in the shadowy corner next to the oak doors.
"Dammit Remus, without that book how the hell are we supposed to go about using wards to protect her home," Sirius argued his voice sounding exasperated. "You know that it's only a matter of time, and I'll be damned if you think I'm just gonna sit here and do nothing about it."
"I know Sirius, I know...do you not think that I'm just as worried as you are, but without that damn book there is hardly anything we can do. Besides do you really think it's wise to use blood wards?"
"Do you think Voldemort cares what types of bloody wards were using? I think that if he is willing to go around casting Avada Kedavra on every person he deems not fit to live, then we can use a little blood to erect a ward!" Sirius barked.
"Please stop shouting Sirius someone is going to hear you," Remus sighed and started walking towards the door. "Don't worry Sirius, we'll figure something out."
"I just hope it's not too late when we do," Sirius said as he sighed sounding defeated.
Hermione cast a stronger concealment charm on herself and Ginny before the door swung open. They could see Remus stop in front of them and sniff the air. 'Shit, he can smell us, damn werewolf senses,' Hermione thought to herself while trying not to breathe. After about five seconds Remus moved to the stairs and walked to the third floor. When they could no longer hear him Hermione removed the concealment charms and Ginny put the extendable ears back in her pocket.
"Listen Gin, can we do this tomorrow, I need to talk to Sirius alone?" she asked looking towards the library.
Ginny nodded, "Yea that's fine, I'll be outside on my broom if you need me," she said as she headed downstairs to the garden. Hermione gave her an odd look and looked out the window next to her, "Ginny its dark outside."
Ginny looked out the window as well and sighed, "I guess I'll just go to bed then," she said sounding defeated and trudging her way up the stairs.
Hermione stepped in to entranceway and knocked on the door alerting Sirius to her arrival, "Mind if I come in?"
Sirius smiled and waved her inside to join him on the couch, "How are you kitten?"
"I'm fine, but you don't look fine, what's wrong?" she prompted as she sat down on the couch.
"I still can't find that wards book I was looking for and it's really important that I do," he said before resting he elbows on his knees and his putting his face in his hands. Hermione took out the shrunken book from her pocket placed it on the table in front of them and cast an enlargement spell on it, "You mean that book?" she said while point to it as if it had been there the entire time.
Sirius just looked at her in confusion, "Why didn't you tell me you had it when I asked?"
Hermione took a deep breath and opened her mouth to explain, but instead said, "Tell me who the 'her' in your conversation with Remus is, and I'll tell you."
Sirius chuckled, "I knew that I shouldn't trust the walls in this house like I do."
"You were shouting," Hermione pointed out smiling at him.
"You were using extendable ears," he said mimicking her tone making her laugh.
"If you must know, we were talking about you kitten," he explained while reaching for the book on the table and bringing it to rest on his lap. He noticed the small piece of paper sticking out of one of the pages and opened the book to see what it was. The scrap piece of paper was holding the page titled Protection of Homes and Family Members. He frowned and held up the book for Hermione to see. "I believe you have some explaining to do kitten…what haven't you told us?"
Hermione sighed and got up from the couch. She was at the oak doors when Sirius' voice stopped her, "Kitten, I'm serious, what's going on?" his voice rising a little. She turned around and put up one finger to indicate she needed a minute. She opened the double doors, "Remus!" she called up the stairs to where she knew he was.
She heard his footsteps heading towards the sound of her voice. They sounded quick and slightly panicked, "What's the matter Hermione, is someone hurt? Has there been an attack?" he asked concern lacing his voice.
Hermione shook her head, "No, but I need to talk to you and Sirius about the wards for muggleborn households." She walked back into the library with Remus close on her tail. She closed the double oak door and cast various protection and privacy charms on them. After about eight protective spells she turned around to join the men who were staring curiously at her.
"Trust me, that amount of spells in needed if we don't want prying ears," she said as she sat down in the armchair closest to the fire and turned to face them, a knowing smirk on her face.
Remus looked confused and turned to Sirius, "What's going on?"
"You know as much as I do, tell us Hermione," Sirius said his voice stern.
Hermione gestured for Sirius to hand her the book, and when it was in her lap she spoke, "This cannot leave this room. You must promise me to tell nobody, not Dumbledore, and especially not Moody."
They both looked at each other as if silently talking to themselves. After a moment they turned back to her, "Kitten, if you're in danger we can't promise we won't tell anyone."
Remus nodded in agreement, "If it's something that you feel is important enough to keep secret from everyone then don't tell us," he said with a trusting voice. Sirius looked at him and glared daggers, "No Remus, she needs to tell us. What if she's hurt herself in some way?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I haven't hurt myself, nor do I plan to. Actually, quite the opposite, I needed this book to erect a series of wards on my home. I know that I am top of the list muggleborn, and it won't be much longer before that affects me and my family. I needed the incantation from the book in order to make a safe house out of my parents' bedroom."
Remus looked confused for a moment, "Why didn't you tell us that you needed it to erect wards for your family? We would have helped you."
"Because she used blood magic to make them," Sirius said darkly. Remus turned to look at him surprised by his friend's tone of voice, "C'mon now Sirius, you would have done the same thing she did to protect the people you love."
"I know that Remus, why do you think I needed that damn book!" Sirius shouted as he stood up from the couch and started pacing in front of the fire.
"Why are you getting so upset Sirius? Calm down," Remus said sternly.
"Why am I so upset? I'm upset because in order to erect those wards Hermione needed to use blood, and not just any blood," he said looking at her knowingly.
Hermione rose from her chair, "You know that it was necessary, you can't blame me for this! The wards wouldn't be half as strong if any other person cast them, and you know that! You read the damn book. It is my family, and my house!" she shouted at Sirius who was now looking at her with disappointment in his eyes.
Remus rose from his spot on the couch as well, "Hermione we completely understand your need to do this by yourself," he said turning towards Sirius, "Right Sirius?"
"I let this happen," Sirius whispered turning away from the group and staring into the fire.
"I did this Sirius not you," Hermione said softly, his disappointment deflating her temper immediately.
"No, you don't understand," Sirius started softly, "When a person uses blood magic…dark magic…their soul becomes tainted with it. The human soul craves darkness, and once it gets a taste of it…it's hard to get rid of the…discoloration."
"It's two wards Sirius, do you think I didn't read into it before I erected them?" she asked sounding annoyed.
"Two?" he asked with an eyebrow raised in question.
"Yea, one on my parents' bedroom as a sort of safe room, and the other on the house itself to alert me and them if anyone comes in that isn't approved."
"That's it? That was all of them?"
"Yes Sirius, I promise," she said sitting back down on the couch and rubbing her eyes tiredly.
The day's events were catching up to her quickly and she was beginning to notice just how tired she was. Remus noticed to, "Why don't you go to bed Hermione? You look exhausted."
Hermione stood up once again, "Your right Remus," she said as she headed towards the door. She was just closing the door behind her when she turned around, "I'm sorry I lied to you Sirius, but it was necessary," she closed the double doors and headed upstairs to her bedroom.
Ginny was still up with a light on reading one of her books when Hermione entered. She gave a brief smile when she saw Hermione and went back to reading.
"Sorry about that Gin, I needed to give him his book back and explain why I had it in the first place," she explained while taking out her trunk from her pocket and restoring it to its normal size. She took off her clothing and searched in her trunk for night clothes. She slipped them on and quietly got under the soft blankets of her bed.
She was not as quick to fall asleep this night as she had been at her parent's home, but after about an hour of lying on her side thinking about her conversation with Remus and Sirius her eyelids finally closed and she fell asleep.
Sorry about the short chapter, but this seemed like a good place to end it.
Reviews are appreciated.