Are We There Yet?

Part The Fourth

Wonderful. Just amazing.

Who didn't love a good bus stop? Because Hermione sure did.

It was pouring down the rain, it had been for hours. The precipitation had been pounding relentlessly upon the black plastic roof of the small bus shelter. Droplets trickled down the glass walls and made puddles on the sidewalk below. Thunder rolled in the background and lightning cracked through the black-clouded sky. The weather was a perfect reflection of her extremely crappy mood. Hermione sat, on one end of the rickety bench, Sirius on the other. Her arms were folded angrily across her chest, her mouth set in a firm line. She fixed her gaze on a lamp post across the street, not wanting to spark up a conversation with a certain aristocrat.

Moody had paired the Order members off, placing them at different locations. Of course, it was just her luck that she was partnered with Sirius, at a Muggle bus stop, none the less. Apparently, Moody was going all out on this whole 'let's do things the Muggle way' tirade. Between him and Arthur, she couldn't decide who was more obsessed with Muggle culture.

Anyways, they had been paired off and placed, and she was stuck. She was stuck with the bastard who constantly embarrassed her, teased her, and pushed all of her buttons. She was stuck with the man who had only just pleasures her immensely with a night full of mind blowing, front-door-shutting, butt-smacking good sex. All she wanted now, was to be left alone.

Sure, she had feelings for him. Well, not really feelings. No, 'feelings' is too deep a word. What she felt for him was complicated. On one hand, she couldn't stand him. The other hand, she could barely keep off him. It was messed up: no matter how many times he made her angry, she just couldn't stay mad at him. It was like he unknowingly used his chiseled good looks as a sort of 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. It was infuriating. He was infuriating.

Why did he have to be so...so...so attractive? He was always always charming. He knew how to make her feel beautiful and sexy and wonderful. He knew how to shoot her a knee-quivering smile whenever he knew he was in trouble. He always looked so dashing and suave, just with the way his hair fell and the way he left stubble on his chin and the way he always kept his teeth all perfectly white and minty fresh.

She snuck a glance over at Sirius and gulped. Yes, even now he looked positively delicious. Damn Moody for partnering them together. What was their mission, anyway?

She was interrupted from her thoughts when Sirius cleared his throat.

"We could at least make pleasant conversation." he said, looking at her pointedly. "Because this is unbearably boring."

"I'm sorry for not being able to entertain you, Mr. Black." she said coldly. He grinned.

"Oh, please do entertain me." he said, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his knees. She huffed and jerked her chin up in the air.

"For Merlin's sake, grow up, Sirius." she spat. He chuckled.

"Fine. If I promise to behave myself, can we play a game?" he asked, pouting at her. "This bloody bus is late, and there's nothing to do."

"No." Hermione said forcefully. "What's your obsession with playing games, anyways?"

"Please?"

"NO." she said again, rolling her eyes. He frowned.

"Why not? It doesn't even have to be a sexual game! I spy or something. Please, before I shrivel up and die of utter lack of nothing to do." he begged, his voice dripping with melodrama. She looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"I'll you what, Black. There's a bar across the street with a really big window. If we go in, we can still watch to see when the bus get's here. Doesn't that sound better than a childish game?" she compromised. Sirius nodded, and stood up, stretching dramatically. She took off across the street, not bothering to wait for him until she got under the overhang above the door of the pub. He jogged over to her.

"Have you been here before?" he asked, rubbing his rain-soaked arms to keep warm. Hermione shook here head.

"Of course not." she scoffed. The moment she opened the door to the bar, a loud cheer erupted. The young bartender laughed loudly.

"Hermione, love! Long time no see, eh?" he joked, gesturing to the two empty bar stools in front of the counter. Hermione blushed furiously and Sirius bit back a smile. He leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"Never been here before." he said sarcastically, doing his best imitation of her. She elbowed him angrily in the side, and plopped down on one of the seats, with Sirius following suit. She smiled at the bartender, and leaned up on the counter.

"It's been a long time, Daniel, no doubt." she said, with a mischievous chuckle. Daniel waggled his brows at her.

"I know. Last time I saw you, 'Mione, you were in that little leather combo grinding up against one of our customers." he said with a wink. "Strobe lights look good on you, love." Hermione glanced at Sirius and blushed.

"Do you remember my usual as well?" she asked, nodding towards the bottles on the back wall.

"Oh, I could never forget, my dearest." the handsome Daniel said, pulling a tall glass from underneath the counter, filling it with a bright pink, bubbly liquid. Sirius cocked his head.

"What is it?" he asked, nodding at the glass in her hand. Hermione smirked.

"I have no idea. It tastes good though." she said, sipping her drink. Daniel nodded.

"It's my secret." he said with a wink. He turned to Sirius.

"What will you be having?" he asked. Sirius glanced at Hermione uncertainly, not familiar with Muggle liquor. Hermione shrugged.

"Uh, let's start him out with a beer." she said. Daniel filled a mug with the frothy amber liquid. Sirius frowned at the mug in his hand, but drank it anyway. Hermione laughed.

"You don't like?"

"It's terrible. Why don't they have any good hard fire whiskey?" he asked.

"Because, stupid, this is a Muggle bar." she said, finishing off her drink. Sirius wrinkled up his nose at his own drink. Hermione huffed.

"Well, since I'm buying, you aren't getting anything else. So buck up and down it." she said. Sirius scowled and tried to finish the beer. After a bit, Daniel walked back over to them, cleaning his hands off on a towel hanging from his belt.

"So, 'Mione, is this your boyfriend?" he asked good-naturedly.

"No." she said quickly. "Just a friend. We're actually waiting on the bus."

"Ah. That damn bus is never on time." Daniel commented excusing himself to help another customer. Sirius looked at her.

"A friend of yours?" he half-commented half-asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Ex-boyfriend actually. He's super sweet. We broke up, but stayed close friends." she explained, fiddling with the rim of her glass. Sirius cleared his throat.

"So, Hermione, about the entire hotel thing..."

"I don't want to talk about it." she said firmly. Sirius sighed.

"We have to talk about it eventually." he said. She glared at him.

"No." she said, closing the subject. He wrung his hands awkwardly. Hermione sat stiffly, looking at the counter as if the cracks in the wood were the most interesting things in the world. Daniel whistled loudly.

"'Mione, your bus is here." he called. Hermione looked out the window, and jumped up.

"Thanks. Hey, I'll stop by and visit sometime. Maybe we can do lunch." she said, giving her ex-man a warm peck on the cheek. He teasingly kissed her nose.

"Don't be such a stranger, yeah?"

"Promise." she said, heading out the door. Sirius followed her. They ran through the rain up to the bus. Hermione paid the driver, and the two made their way to the back of the bus.

"Where are we going exactly?" Hermione asked, forgetting about being angry with him and letting her curiosity get the better of her. Sirius shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't know. An auror is supposed to meet us when we get off."

"Merlin, Moody has been crazy secretive about this entire assignment." Hermione mumbled. Sirius chuckled.

"Well I think we have quite a ride ahead of us." he said, making himself as comfortable as possible in the plastic bus seat. Hermione sighed lazily.

"Then I'm going to sleep." she announced. Sirius paused for a moment before speaking.

"You can put your head on my shoulder if you want." he offered. Hermione stared at him.

"Sirius, I don't think that is such a good idea." she said.

"Don't worry. I won't turn it into anything more than a gesture of kindness." he assured her. Hermione frowned, but placed her head in the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes, trying only to concentrate on the masculine smell of his skin and the softness of his hair tickling her nose, and not the awkward position she was in. Right when she was on the verge of sleep, she felt a strong arm slip around her, and she sighed, snuggling into him. Sirius rested his head atop hers. She smiled and fell asleep.

And then...

''I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it, sex in the air I don't care I love the smell of it..."

Hermione's eyes shot open. She scrambled to dig in her purse, trying desperately to silence her phone. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it. Of course she couldn't. Because this always happened to her. Sirius gave a snort of laughter.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me."

There. She pressed the right button, and the ringtone stopped it's continuous playing. Sirius was looking at her, amused beyond belief. Hermione scowled.

"Oh shut up." she snapped. She looked at her missed calls. "It was my sister."

"You have a sister? How did I not know that?"

"Everyone thinks I'm an only child, but Mum and Dad adopted Claire when she was seven. So, yeah. Technically, she is my sister." Hermione explained, dialing Claire's number. Sirius reached for the phone.

"I want to talk to her." he said. Hermione glared at him, smacking his hand away.

"No, Sirius, you don't get to- Hi, Claire!... Uh huh...Yeah, I'm busy...Now's really not a good time...no. I'm not with a guy... Can I just call you back? ...Yeah, I told you, I'm busy at the moment... Well, I'm on a bus...long story...Okay, I'll talk to you later...what?..." Hermione looked around and put her hand up to the phone, whispering into it, so that no one else could hear. "Uh...yeah. I'll bring the wigs...NO. Absolutely not. A topless moon-bounce is a very lame idea for a bachelorette party. No. Okay. I love you, bye." she finished, hanging up. She casually slipped the cellular device into her bag again, and looked at Sirius with a stern glare.

"Not one word." she mumbled. Sirius cleared his throat.

"Do whips and chains excite you, Hermione?" he asked, quietly, receiving a smack on the arm.

"Shut up. I'm going back to sleep." she mumbled, resting her head on the bus window, her breath leaving puffs of fog on the rain-covered glass. Sirius stole one last glance at her before pulling out a book from inside his coat.

They rode along in bumpy silence; the bus was practically empty, aside for a few others. Sirius closed his book with a sigh. To say he was bored would be an understatement. He turned to look at Hermione when she shifted suddenly. She was still asleep, but she was...mumbling something.

"Oooooooh."

"Uh, Hermione?" he asked awkwardly. She smiled in her slumber.

"Oh, God, Sirius." she groaned. Sirius gasped. Was she dreaming about him? She must be. He leaned in closer so that he could make out her exact words when she said...

"Damn, Sirius, right there. Yeah. Mmm."

Sirius nudged her a little bit, waking her up, but closing his own eyes, feigning sleep. Hermione sat up, rubbing her temples. What a great dream she had just had.

Argh. I'm extremely sorry about the outrageously long wait for this chapter. I know I promised it last week, but I found out that my 96 year-old great grandmother was in the hospital (out of state), so, I've been gone, with no computer. There's my excuse. Haha(:

Well, This chapter isn't my personal favorite. But, I have an idea for the next chapter, and I am super excited about it!

I hope you love.

KAY(: