Title: Second Chance
Rating: M
Summary: Sirius returns from the veil years later to find everything completely different, including himself and a certain bookworm who was 15 when he left.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, get no financial gain from this and am doing this just for fun!
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! It's always nice to get feedback, and I appreciate critiques as well (especially ones so nicely said as in the reviews for the last chapter) – thank you, thank you!
And thank you to any returning readers – I'm sorry for the long wait…had a bit of writer's block. I've tried to make this chapter a bit longer to make up for the horribly long break in writing.
When Hermione opened the door to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, she felt as though she had mistakenly gone to the Burrow. Christmas had clearly arrived at Sirius and Harry's house. The front hall was festooned every few feet with miniature evergreens decorated with red and green bows, and she saw a Father Christmas statue standing in the corner at the end of the hall.
"Merry Christmas!" she called out to no one in particular, stripping off her scarf, gloves, and hat that had been a gift from Mrs. Weasley the previous year. Putting down the quite enormous sack of gifts she had brought along with her luggage, she made her way into the house, passing the Santa Claus, who had been charmed to greet Hermione with a "Ho, ho, ho" and wink as she passed.
"In the kitchen, dear!" she heard the distant voice of Mrs. Weasley call and headed downstairs to the kitchen. She pushed open the door and breathed in the smell of apple cider and pumpkin pasties. Ginny and her mother both stood at the stove, the younger of them stirring what Hermione assumed was the cider while the elder woman checked the baking pastries.
"It smells delicious, Molly," she said, giving her a quick hug before doing the same to Ginny. "Where should I put my things?" she asked, grabbing a spoon to sample the hot cider. "I also have my presents."
"You can take the gifts up to the library – that's where Harry and Sirius decided to set up the Christmas tree. I think because of how many of us there are, Sirius planned that you and I would room together, but you should double check with him about which room he'd like you in," Ginny replied absently, assessing the progress of the cider while stirring. After sampling a taste herself and apparently finding it to be done, she tapped the pan with her wand, then turned to Hermione smiling in the way Ginny always did when referring to Sirius around Hermione.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione exited the kitchen. Ginny had made it clear that though Hermione and Sirius had established themselves as friends in the few months since his return, she would forever keep the idea that there was something more between Hermione and her boyfriend's godfather.
Casting a wingardium leviosa on the bag of presents from where she had deposited them in the front hall, she climbed the staircase, which was now draped in evergreen garland complete with non-burning lighted candles. After setting the gifts under the Christmas tree, which had been enchanted to grow with the ever-increasing number of presents gathering under it, she exited the room and made her way up to the third floor, entering the room that she and Ginny had shared in their teens. Though she had been visiting Harry, and now Sirius, once or twice a week since leaving Hogwarts, it had been years since she actually had occasion to spend the night. She went past the first bed, where Ginny had obviously set up camp, and set her bags down on the unoccupied bed on the far side of the room, then took a seat herself, gazing around the room she hadn't slept in since attending Hogwarts.
"Is it strange to be staying here?" a soft voice interrupted her reverie, and she looked up to find Sirius standing just outside the doorway.
"A bit. More it's just strange to think of what things were like the last time I stayed here and what they're like now." She shrugged, returning her gaze to the room once more.
Sirius took a few steps into the room. "Yeah, a few months of being back hasn't quite cured me of having moments where I look around me in utter disbelief that I live here and am actually enjoying it this time." He was standing beside the bed upon which she sat and held out one hand as if to ask "May I?". Hermione nodded and scooted over a few inches to allow him room to sit down to her left. She felt the mattress dip as he took a seat, elbows on his knees with his hands folded in front of him and said heavily, "My life has been very different from what I thought it would be."
At these words, Hermione turned to watch him for a few moments. He wasn't looking at her and instead his eyes traveled around the room as hers had done minutes before. It wasn't often that Sirius seemed to ruminate on the tragedies his life so far had held, and she felt he was allowed these moments when he wanted to lament on the life he had expected and hadn't gotten. She reached across her body, putting her right hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."
They sat in silence like that for a few minutes before Sirius covered her hand with his left and patted it before standing and holding his hand out to her, "Let's go see what Molly needs help with." At this, Hermione stood, putting her hand in Sirius's. She thought felt a quick squeeze before he led her out the door and down the stairs. Just before the kitchen, Sirius let go of her hand and pushed open the kitchen door while simultaneously stepping back to allow her through first. As she entered, she felt his hand on the small of her back, guiding her gently in.
Though these small touches had become customary for them – and Ginny was quick to point out to Hermione on numerous occasions that they weren't habitual between Sirius and anyone else – Hermione couldn't help the slightly giddy feeling she got whenever they happened. Her two closest friends for years had been male, but they had never shared that kind of contact. Even when she and Ron had been a couple, he had always seemed very aware of people around them and felt public displays of affection were uncomfortable, a result she suspected was due to everyone's reactions to his and Lavendar's lack of modesty.
Coming into the kitchen, Hermione caught Ginny's glance at Sirius's hand trailing Hermione's back and her subsequent smirk at Hermione before Sirius made his way over to the table, where Harry was now sitting, and Hermione started toward the stove where the two Weasley women worked on supper.
Over the next few days, the house continued to fill as the remaining Weasleys and their families took refuge at Grimmauld Place for Neville and Luna's Christmas Eve wedding at Hogwarts and the following Christmas holiday, and when Sirius awoke the morning of the wedding, it was to the sounds of chaos. Above the clattering of shoes on the stairs and calls to and fro about ties and jewelry, he heard Molly's voice announcing that breakfast was ready. Rubbing a hang over his face, he got out of bed, pulled on a pair of pants and a t-shirt, and started down the stairs.
"You know, mate, I appreciate you letting us crash at your house and all, but you give one hell of a wake-up call." George Weasley appeared in the hallway, still in rumpled pajamas.
Sirius paused on the steps and shrugged in apology, "I hope it gives some satisfaction to know that I woke up to the same wake-up call as you."
"As a matter of fact, it does," George replied with a grin and followed Sirius down to the kitchen to join the rest of the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry for breakfast. While everyone ate, Molly doled out instructions and last-minute reminders, strongly reminding Sirius of McGonagall handing out yearly schedules to the students. Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley would leave after breakfast to assist with day-of wedding setup, with everyone else following later by Portkey into Hogsmeade for the ceremony at 4:00.
Hours later, having taken his short turn to have a shower and get ready, Sirius caught the Portkey surrounded by Weasleys. Upon their arrival in Hogsmeade, they were greeted by the same "horseless" carriages that had carried the students for decades up to the school. Sirius couldn't help the pang of sadness that accompanied his eyes landing upon the thestrals at the helm of each carriage. The first time he had seen them was when he had escaped Azkaban and come to watch over Harry. He vaguely remembered learning about them while in school, but it was entirely different to see them and feel the weight of knowing why he could see them. He mentally shook himself and climbed into the nearest carriage, which to Sirius's disappointment also held Ron and Holly. The carriages stopped in front of the heavy entrance doors and they and other guests made their way into the school.
It wasn't the first time Sirius had been to a wedding at Hogwarts and as he entered the Great Hall, the scene before him seemed to blur, replaced by the vision of the last wedding he had attended at the school. In his mind's eye he watched as James kissed his new bride, then turned with her to the group gathered. Lilac flower petals showered them as they strode down the aisle, Lily's red hair flowing behind her, beaming smiles on both their faces.
The moment quickly passed as a different redhead crossed his sights, apparently looking for her own dark-haired partner. He watched Ginny and Harry for a moment, his mind lingering on the past, before the slightly harassed voice of Molly pulled him out of his reverie. Sirius continued through the Great Hall, taking a seat on the outside aisle in the rows of chairs set up facing the large stained glass window at the front of the hall. He looked around, impressed with the charm work done by McGonagall and Neville's grandmother, probably with a hand from Molly.
Sirius had only been to a few weddings in his life, and this one did not disappoint. The love between Neville and Luna was palpable and after hearing everything the couple had done for and with Harry, his wish for their happiness was heartfelt.
Everyone burst into applause as Luna and Neville kissed for the first time as husband and wife and made their way down the aisle, elated grins lighting both their faces. Harry and Ginny followed them, and all four were swept out of the Great Hall by their photographer to do photos out on the grounds.
Those gathered milled around the Great Hall mingling while waiters came by with hors d'oeuvres and Neville's grandmother waved her wand, clearing the ceremony chairs and transfiguring round tables in their place. Molly appeared to be corralling her family and ushered Sirius over to their table, forcibly sitting him down in a chair before dashing off to gather the rest of her family. Once most of the chairs were filled, she stood behind Sirius, looking over the table. "Where is Hermione? I saw her just after the ceremony but she's disappeared…" Molly trailed off, looking around the hall once more.
"I'm sorry!" Hermione said breathlessly as she came up behind Molly. "Ginny came to get me – apparently some of the fairies got a little excited with all the festivities and they needed help wrangling them." She took the only open seat to the left of Sirius as Molly took her own place at the table.
Sirius watched as Hermione took her seat, smoothing her dress robes and lightly touching the loose braid the trailed from the back of her head, across her neck, and down the front of her right shoulder. She turned slightly to Sirius and asked, "Do I look okay? I'm not too mussed, am I?"
Sirius took in her faintly flushed cheeks that offset her brown eyes and her hair that had come slightly undone but looked as though it had been done purposely. "You look beautiful," he said with a smile. She looked down at the place setting in front of her, a flush rising in her cheeks. Smiling, she looked back at up at him. "It's nice to see your reputation as a shameless flirt hasn't completely left you," and laughed at his answering rakish grin.
At that moment, the bride and groom and their wedding party returned, entering to applause before seating themselves at a smaller rectangular table at the head of the Great Hall. Within minutes, in each place setting had appeared a delicious looking meal, and pitchers of pumpkin juice, cider, butterbeer, and gillywater zoomed around the hall atop the heads of numerous happy but harried-looking house elves.
Dinner went by leisurely with Sirius and Hermione keeping up a steady stream of conversation, and by the time Harry stood up to give his toast, guests were sighing deeply in their seats, completely satiated. Harry and Ginny gave heartfelt speeches that spoke to the years of friendship, daring adventures, and the years of happiness to come before Neville spoke, thanking everyone in attendance.
With a final drink out of his champagne glass, Neville nodded to the side of the Great Hall, where a band had set up, held his arm out to Luna, and led his new bride onto the newly transfigured red glitter dance floor. The lights dimmed and everyone watched as the couple promenaded before being joined by Xenophilius Lovegood leading Neville's grandmother onto the dance floor. Not long after, the band opened the floor up to all of the guests and it filled with various couples.
Sirius turned to Hermione, who was gazing at the dance floor. "Your glass is empty. Can I get you something else from the bar?"
She turned to him, "That would be wonderful – how about a red current rum?"
"As you wish," he replied before standing from his chair and heading to the bar set up in the back corner of the hall. Hermione watched him stride across the room. His black dress robes made him appear more forbidding than she had ever seen him. In her fifth year, he had looked well and unobtrusively normal. Tonight, however, he was quite obtrusive, catching the eye of more than one woman as he made his way to the bar. Before she realized, he was taking his seat and setting her drink before her. The band was now playing a faster song and the dance floor was writhing with people.
"I didn't realize you drank hard liquor, Ms. Granger," Sirius teased in his best impression of a professor.
She adopted her own mature tone, "Mr. Black, it's time you realize that there are a number of things you don't know about me, despite having had a few months to learn." She took a sip, grinning. "Really though," she said, dropping her forced tone. "There can't be many things that still surprise you." She looked at him, doubtful that there were any more mysteries about her.
He considered her for a moment. "You would think that after so much time spent in each other's company I would know more about you, but it would also be foolish of me to assume that there is so little to you that I might know you completely after just a few months."
She smirked at his obvious line and was about to respond before he smoothly went on. "It's true, I know where you work, I know your relationship with the Weasleys, and I am not at all uncertain on how you feel about Holly – which incidentally are feelings I share completely," he murmured conspiratorially. "But there's still a lot that I don't know. For example, I've found myself wondering if you still feel that house elves are a species that clearly need rescuing – the answer to which I think should wait until a more appropriate time," he said upon seeing her mouth open in response. He tapped his fingers on his chin and looked off into space as if in deep thought. "I also wonder how you feel about dancing. Is that something you enjoy doing? If a certain handsome Marauder were to ask you for a turn on the floor, would he find himself rejected?" he finished, finally looking at her with raised eyebrows and a smile. He watched her for a moment before holding out his hand in invitation.
She gave him an answering grin and without saying anything, put her hand in his. He gently pulled her up and, keeping his hand around hers, led her onto the dance floor. Changing the mood, the band had begun a waltz and Sirius smoothly twirled Hermione before pulling her into his arms, one hand clasped around hers and the other around her waist. After a few moments, he felt Hermione pull back slightly in his arms and look up at him, asking. "Where did you learn to dance?"
"Lily took it upon herself to teach me after their wedding when she saw my dance moves, which she deemed atrocious."
With a chuckle, Hermione leaned back in to Sirius, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and breathe in her scent, a sweet yet musky combination. He became increasingly aware of the feel of her slim waist beneath his hand and, as if they had a mind of their own, his fingers splayed slightly, enveloping more of her body. He felt her lean closer in response, their bodies now touching, no longer just connected by hands. He bowed his head slightly, his lips and nose hovering just above the side of her neck. He felt her entire body tense and her head tilted slightly to the side, allowing him better access to the spot just behind her ear. An internal battle waged and he was caught between the almost desperate need to taste the delicate spot and the knowledge buried deeply behind that inappropriate thought that they were surrounded by their closest friends and family and this was neither the time nor the place to engage in this. If they were to, and he very much wanted to, this was not the setting. Sirius was fighting this internal struggle when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Neville stood slightly behind Sirius with a small smile and though he wanted to say no, Sirius couldn't deny the groom a dance with Hermione.
"Be my guest," he replied with a smile.
Before he could return to his seat, Luna appeared as the next number started and asked, "Since my husband has stolen your partner, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Upon Sirius's answering smile, they took each other's hands and began to dance. Partway through the number, Sirius watched as several feet from them, Draco Malfoy approached Neville and Hermione. He couldn't hear what was said but shortly after, Hermione transitioned from Neville's hold into Draco's arms. He realized he was staring when Luna's voice pulled him out of his reverie. As the dance came to a close, he thanked Luna and made his way back to his seat at the table, where the house elves had laid out petit fours, cake, and other desserts.
Sirius couldn't stop watching as Hermione and Malfoy whirled around the dance floor to the next song. It was clear by their easy familiarity that they had become well-acquainted in the time Sirius had been gone. He wanted to look away from them but couldn't as he watched Malfoy spin Hermione and then lean her back into a graceful dip. Malfoy held her in his arm a few moments while she looked up at him, her eyes twinkling and a laughing smile lighting her face. He finally looked away when Malfoy straightened her and they resumed their frolicking around the dance floor. He turned away, wanting at that moment to be doing anything than watching the obvious closeness between Hermione and her fair-haired dance partner. He absently made his way over to the bar, where Ginny was already ordering a Felix Fount. Sirius requested a firewhiskey, then turned beside Ginny to watch the dance floor once more, where the redhead's attention was already fixed. They both watched for a few moments in silence before Ginny spoke.
"It looks like everybody is having a good time out there. I even saw you take a spin." She turned to take her proffered drink from the bartender before resuming her scrutiny of those dancing.
"You can't turn down a bride on her wedding day," Sirius replied offhandedly, getting his own drink and gesturing over toward one of the windows to be out of the way of the bar and closer to the dance floor.
"You apparently couldn't turn down Hermione either." Ginny said, taking a sip of her drink while watching Sirius. At Sirius's silence, she continued, "I'm glad you aren't the only one who made sure Hermione got out there."
Sirius merely inclined his head in acknowledgement, not taking his eyes off the pair they were discussing. Ginny's words had stimulated his curiosity to a point that he was seriously contemplating what question would be most fruitful to get more information about Hermione's history with Malfoy. Ginny however, apparently needed no encouragement.
"Who would have thought that Draco and Hermione would ever be on speaking terms, let alone such good chums?" she mused aloud.
Sirius cleared his throat and took another swallow of his drink before asking, "Yeah, how did that happen? She seemed pretty fired up about him when we saw him at the Harvest Festival."
"Oh, so you do remember when she almost hexed you into oblivion," Ginny chuckled.
Sirius grinned. "As I recall, it's happened more than once." He glanced back at the dance floor, where the song had changed to an upbeat song, and his eyes immediately found Hermione still dancing with Malfoy, both of them moving to the now thumping beat. "But I definitely didn't expect to be on the receiving end of that when talking about Malfoy poorly – if anything, I thought he'd be the one at the end of her wand." He asked, trying to steer the conversation back to Malfoy and Hermione's history.
"Well, Harry already had the idea after Dumbledore's death that Draco wasn't as bad as his father. Malfoy had his wand on Dumbledore to kill him but was already lowering it when Professor Snape came in. There were other things later too – like Draco not identifying Harry when they were captured by Snatchers. I think it was actually rather like your brother – he had the ideals he had learned from his parents but once he saw firsthand what he was getting into and what his master required of him, he didn't know that he wanted to be in it."
"Then when they came back for their final year of school after the battle at Hogwarts, Draco was changed - oh, he was still an arrogant, sarcastic toerag," she said at Sirius's unbelieving snort. "But he had definitely seen things he knew he didn't want to be a part of - watched Fenrir Grayback rip apart schoolmates. That had an impact." Ginny spoke the last bit quietly, her eyes on the dance floor but clearly not seeing the scene in front of her. After a moment, she blinked down at her drink and took another sip before continuing.
"Anyway, with him not being a bullying snotrag anymore, we ended up having a mutual indifference to each other. Harry and Draco eventually ended up talking a bit when they all came back for their last year at school, but it wasn't until after graduation that Hermione and Draco got better acquainted." Ginny broke off at this, and Sirius got the impression that the redhead had done so deliberately.
He struggled for a moment, not sure whether he wanted to ask the one question that would not stop repeating in his mind. His eyes wandered to the dance floor once more, immediately landing on Hermione, who chose that moment to throw her arms around Malfoy's neck while dancing, incensing his desire to find out exactly what had transpired between them to lead to that kind of close embrace.
"What do you mean 'better acquainted''? Immediately after asking, part of him wanted to give himself a good smack around the head for asking so plainly but another larger part of him still had an eye on Hermione dancing with Malfoy. Out of the corner of his eye, he didn't miss the smirk that Ginny gave him before answering.
"I mean that they both were at a New Year's Eve party Harry and I threw and they ended up having a good time together, " she finished most unhelpfully with a smile. "They made plans from there to have lunch and eventually that became a pretty regular occurrence. They've never been a couple per se, but I know that there was lunch that turned into dinner that turned into Hermione staying the night."
There was a lull in conversation as Sirius took in this news. He knew that Hermione was 22 and that she had undoubtedly had more boyfriends than he knew about – so far he was just aware of that Krum kid and Ron – but there was something about hearing so plainly of her intimate relationship with Malfoy that gave him a jolt.
In her usual shrewd manner, Ginny kept her eyes on him for a moment, then said softly, "While you were gone, Hermione turned into an adult, beyond just turning 17." With those parting words, she turned to find Harry, leaving Sirius gazing out at the dance floor. Watching Hermione and Malfoy a few moments longer, he turned to the bar, set down his drink, and made his way once more onto the dance floor.
Hermione and Draco swayed gently to the music, a peaceful silence settling over them. She closed her eyes, her cheek resting against Draco's, but opened them again when she felt him pause in his movements. Before them stood Sirius.
"May I?"
Draco bowed slightly, relinquishing his grasp on Hermione. "Of course. It's Sirius, isn't it? Hermione has talked about you, but I don't believe we've been introduced yet." Hermione watched Sirius's gaze move from Draco to her, a questioning look in his eyes. Turning back to Draco, he took his offered hand and shook it.
"No, I don't believe we have. It's a pleasure," Sirius responded cordially, and Hermione could tell that he was on his best behavior, though whether for her sake or Harry's, she wasn't sure. Before she had time to think more on it, Draco bent slightly to lay a kiss on Hermione's cheek. He pulled back and met her gaze, saying, "Thank you for the dances." With a wink in her direction and a nod at Sirius, he left the dance floor, and Hermione raised her eyes to meet Sirius's.
He said nothing but, keeping his gaze locked on her, pulled her into his arms. His hold was not close enough to chide him for impropriety, but it felt more intimate than with any of her other dance partners this evening. For the first time in weeks, Hermione let herself be overcome with the feelings she had tamped down since Sirius's return. She wanted him, and being held by him like this was causing her to lose all resolve to maintain platonic feelings for her friend's godfather. She felt very aware of his rough hand holding her smaller one, his grip firm but not tight. His other hand held her around her back and she felt the heat of it through her dress robes. Her own arm had come up around his shoulder, and she resisted the urge to stroke her hand down his back. She shook her head slightly at her wayward thoughts, but upon feeling her movement, she felt Sirius's hand caress her waist and pull her even closer. It made her breath come faster and her hand involuntarily held his tighter. It had clearly been a mistake to dance with him, knowing how she felt and where they were. She gasped silently, suddenly becoming aware that all their friends and family were currently in the room, probably watching them. She pushed her shoulders back slightly but met resistance with Sirius's hand moving quickly up her back.
"Shh…it's okay. Nobody cares," he murmured, answering her unspoken concern. He pulled back only marginally, looking down into her eyes. "Half of the Weasleys are completely snockered, Harry and Ginny have already escaped to Merlin knows where, and Luna and Neville are in their own bubble of bliss right now." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Unless you're worried about Malfoy?" he asked, watching her.
She felt the color rise in her cheeks at his implication, but shook her head. His answering smile and the look in his eyes before he pulled her close once again made her feel warm all over. He bent his head slightly and she felt his breath on her neck. As before, she couldn't stop her head from lolling to the side. For a brief few moments, nothing happened but the continued swaying of their bodies, but then she felt his lips trace a line down from behind her ear to the juncture of her shoulder. She let out a silent sigh. He kissed up to her jaw line before pulling away once again and looking down at her. Under his heated gaze, her entire body flushed and she looked down. They had stopped moving and Sirius now raised his hand to her chin, lifting it slightly. She took a deep breath, meeting his eyes briefly but unable to hold his gaze.
"Hermione-" he said slowly, watching her as if knowing the direction of her thoughts.
"I'm – I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let this happen." She took a step back, but he stepped forward, following her. Shaking her head slightly, she looked out at the other couples shrouded in the darkness of the dance floor. "I'm just going to go I think," she continued, trying her best to sound like she hadn't just been thinking of snogging the man before her.
"Hermione-" this time Sirius's tone was more urgent, and he reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said again, side stepping his reach and making her way to Luna and Neville to say her congratulations once more and bid them goodbye. She felt Sirius's eyes on her as she retrieved her cloak and made her way to entrance of the Great Hall.