On with the show, this chapter gives Hermione a bit of a background into Harry's past.
Disclaimer: Not J . K. Rowling, she is wonderful and I love to play in her world.
Chapter 4
"Mr Potter I am very sorry about the scene in the office, I was under the impression it was a closed meeting and Miss Weasley is not on my list to grant entrance to your office at any time. Hermione stood waiting to hear the fate of her job.
"No apology necessary Miss Granger, you were doing your job and doing it quite fine I believe" Sirius winked at her and gave her a smile. She was very fond of him and at that moment she wanted to hug him but she couldn't.
"Hermione, you are not to blame for what my 'girlfriend' said and that was not the reason I called you in but thank you for your apology even though it was not necessary." Harry made air quotations when he said the word girlfriend.
"I only wanted you to clear away these files as it is an important case we are on and if you could write up these notes as soon as possible I would appreciate it." Harry had stood up and was collecting the files while he spoke to her.
She realised she had jumped to conclusions and felt a bit silly. She took the files from his hand and was surprised to see his hands were icy cold. She had never noticed how cold his hands were and she was sure she would have noticed if she had touched his hands before. Hermione continued to clear away the meeting desk while Sirius, Ron and Harry talked.
"Harry mate she is my sister, and I think you should dump her sorry arse" Ron was surprisingly frank.
"Harry, son, you know my feelings on the matter, so I won't go into it, but believe me, while you are wasting your time with her you are missing out on meeting that someone special" Sirius glanced over at Hermione and they made eye contact.
She had not told Sirius that she thought Harry was a wonderful person and her feelings for him were growing even after only working with him for such a short time. On a few occasions when he was over for dinner he could sense the excitement that filled her voice and made her eyes glisten when she spoke of him. He was not easily fooled and he knew they were both growing some feelings towards each other.
"Sirius, Ron, I know you are trying to help, but you know how I feel about this. Ginny was there for me when no one else was"
"Yeah, waiting in the winds for her slice of fame you mean" Ron mumbled this but Harry and Hermione heard it quite clearly.
"AND she has stayed by me through thick and thin"
"Harry don't be daft she only has her own interests at heart" Ron's face was going as red as his hair.
"Ron I know what you are saying and I honestly understand what you are both getting at. It's just hard, because at least I know where Ginny stands, with someone new, how can I be sure they aren't only after their piece of the famous Harry Potter" Hermione gasped at this and dropped the food plate she was holding, Sirius saw this and stopped them hitting the floor.
She knew it was COMPLETELY out of place but she couldn't hold back.
"I am sorry to be so bold Mr Potter, but you are a wonderful human being and I think there is someone special out there waiting for you, to love you for you, and not for your so called fame. You don't need to be used and abused by someone who doesn't appreciate the real you. Personally I would rather be alone than have someone tread all over me like that" Hermione was blushing when she finished and walked out to her desk.
Harry stood there looking at the empty spot where Hermione had just been standing, Ron and Sirius exchanged smiles and winks then left Harry to think over the events of the day.
***********
The following morning Harry arrived earlier than Hermione and had her cappuccino on her desk waiting. She walked in whistling a tune and Harry smiled.
"What has you in such a good mood Miss Granger?"
"Oh Mr Potter, you ARE trying to be the death of me, aren't you?" Hermione laughed and walked over to the coat rack. She walked back to her desk and noticed the coffee,
"Thanks for the coffee but its my shout tomorrow"
"Not a problem Hermione," Harry continued to sit on her desk and she wondered if she should just ask if something was wrong instead of waiting for him to spill. Oh this doesn't look good, maybe he thought about my behaviour yesterday and is still upset.
"Her.."
"Mr"
They both laughed and Harry motioned for her to continue.
"Is everything OK, you seem to be preoccupied?" Harry looked deeply into his coffee like he was trying to find an answer in there.
"Can I help Mr Potter?" Harry looked at her and smiled a small smile.
"No Hermione, but thank you, thank you very much. I do want to apologise for Ginny's behaviour yesterday though."
"No apology necessary Mr Potter, you don't need to apologise for her behaviour. I do want to apologise for speaking out of line yesterday, it was very unprofessional of me." Hermione smiled a genuine smile at him and he relaxed.
"Not at all Hermione. Actually I thought about what you said yesterday and I know I have some decisions to make. Well actually the decisions are made, it's just executing them now" Harry laughed a nervous laugh and then turned to look at Hermione, he smiled.
"Well I am positive you will do the right thing by you, Mr Potter. That's all that really matters. You have to stay true to you, that way, you will allow yourself to be happy." Hermione accidentally reached forward and touched his hand that was leaning on the table closest to her. She immediately pulled back but not before noticing how much warmer they were today.
"Well I am sure you can afford to sit around all day Mr Potter, but I have work to do so off my desk if you please" Harry laughed and stood up.
"Hermione"
"Yes"
"Thanks again, you don't know what it is like to have someone who doesn't get on my case all the time" He seems so sad, I hope he will do the right thing.
"You are very welcome Sir" Harry walked over to his office and then turned,
"Hermione can you make a booking for two in Australia for this weekend please"
"Sure Sir" He must be going to tell her in Australia.
"We have a function with the Australian Ministry of Magic so can you be packed to leave on Friday after work please? We leave via portkey at 5pm" Oops didn't see that one.
"Yes Sir, where is the meeting?"
"The Blue Mountains" Harry walked away and left Hermione to her work.
*******
The week flew by and after work on Thursday she went shopping as Sirius was coming over for dinner. She got home and saw a note from her mum that said she would be home from the dental surgery around 6. It was only 5.00pm and Sirius wasn't coming till 8 so she put her roast and vegetables in the oven and still had time to have a hot bath. Hermione was actually looking forward to her trip to Australia tomorrow night. She had booked two rooms at the Lilian Fells Resort. It was one of the nicest places to stay in the Blue Mountains area and luckily the resort has the floo network connected. She heard her mum come in and called out to her that she was in the bath. After getting dressed, cooking a few more vegies and setting the table, Sirius arrived. They spent the evening eating and enjoying each others company. They talked for hours about Harry. Sirius told them about his childhood, the parts that Hermione had not read about. Hermione asked lots of questions and did not see the grin on her mothers face numerous times.
"So Sirius, what is it with his girlfriend?"
"Hermione, where do I start?" he looked into his glass of fire whiskey and cleared his throat. This would be a long conversation.
"As you already know the three of them went to school together and at the time Harry was still living with the Dursleys, so any type of family unit was wonderful. Ron used to organise for him to spend the summer break with them as well as Christmas. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere and then I came into the picture. Its funny actually at first he thought I killed Lilly and James. Like I could kill my best friends." Sirius shook his head, obviously trying to forget some painful memories.
"Anyway one night in the shrieking shack, he pulled his wand on me and demanded I go back to Azkaban. It was only because of Peter Pedigrew exposing himself that Harry believed I was innocent. After a long court case I was cleared and I offered Harry to come and live with me. To say he was ecstatic was an understatement. He moved in immediately and it wasn't until 6 months later that I found out what the Dursley's really did to him." Hermione gasped, she hadn't known any of this.
"Harry kept having these horrible nightmares, and I just put it down to all the pressure of Voldemort until one night he started saying 'Uncle Vernon' over and over again. I woke him up and he finally confided in me. The Dursley's treated him worse than you would treat a leper." Sirius stopped again deep in thought and Ellen poured him another drink.
"Thank you love, anyway that story is for another time. Getting back to the little red haired bitch. I am not completely sure but I think she is telling Harry the same things Vernon told him. She knew about his mistreatment at that house, hell, her and Ron rescued him one night when they had locked him in his room and threatened to keep him there through the next term of Hogwarts."
"Hold on Sirius, do you mean she is emotionally blackmailing him?"
"Exactly Mione, she plays on the treatment he got from those people and she knows what buttons to push, Oh Harry no one will want you, I am doing you a favour, they are only after your money darrrlllling, etc etc." Sirius did his imitation of her voice and Ellen and Sirius laughed.
Hermione didn't find anything funny about it at all.
"Mum tomorrow night I will be leaving for a weekend in Australia with work"
"OK Love not a problem" Sirius looked at her strangely and she was going to ask him about it but decided not to. She had a lot on her mind and decided to call it a night. She gave Sirius a hug and a kiss on the cheek as well as her Mum and left the two love birds to have some time alone.
She went to her room and packed her bag and then shrunk it down to fit in her work bag. She didn't want to have to apparate home as she probably wouldn't have that much time.
Hermione settled into bed but what she didn't know was that she would have a very restless night indeed. Her dreams were haunted with a beautiful man whose green eyes were filled with pain and an evil dragon with red hair, dragging him on a chain. Hermione woke up in a sweat but it was only 3am so she tried to go back to sleep, not that her dreams were pleasant the second time around.
No, not at all.
OK so next chapter is in Australia.
Hope you like it, sorry I was going to fit Ginny in here but I wanted Hermione to have a background of Harry first.
Review if you like !!
Sirius xox
