Susannah01
Black Heart
Chapter 21 Hangover potions
Dull throbbing, her head felt like a hammer was trying to hit its way out of her skull. That was her first conscious thought, then little flashes of gold bursting behind her eyes, making her unwilling to try and even open them.
I'm dying. I've been hit with a terrible curse and I'm now dying from it.
Gingerly moving so not to increase the hammering in her head her legs brushed up against another pair of strong bare legs, which immediately wrapped themselves around hers.
Fighting down a moment of panic she remembered, jumbled thoughts pushing their way through the hammering in her head.
It's okay, its Sirius, its only Sirius
Slowly, she opened one eye, then the other. The throbbing in her head increased immediately hammering out the message to not move.
"Sirius" her voice felt very rough, coming out in a croak
"Sirius; please am I dying?"
She felt the bed move behind her as Sirius sat up in bed. Leaning over her his hair brushed the side of her face.
"How are you feeling sweetheart"
"Oh gods, I am dying, what happened to me?"
Hearing Sirius chuckling was not the response she was expecting. Was he not the slightest bit bothered that she was gravely ill.
Putting a bit of pressure on her shoulders her turned her so that she was lying on her back. Immediately the throbbing increased again, as if to say I warned you not to move.
"Oh" she threw her arm up across her eyes to try and block out the light from her poor cursed eyes.
She felt Sirius get up and leave the bed, hearing him move over to their bathroom and then moments later hearing him cross the bedroom towards her again.
"Hermione sweetheart open your eyes" he spoke gently to her.
Slowly she blinked her eyes open and watched as his face came into focus above hers.
"Okay, now let's get you sitting up so you can take this potion for me"
He piled cushions behind her head and helped her up the bed so that she was reclining against them.
Hermione lifted her hands to her head once again, she felt as if her head was going to explode any minute. Looking at the vial Sirius held in his hands she reached out for it.
"Is this the potion the healers have left for me to take?"
"What healers?" He looked down at her quizzically
"The healers that are treating me, what curse was I hit with?"
Sirius smirked as he sat down on the bed beside her.
"That would be the curse of the Fruit Punch sweetheart. You haven't been hit with anything, you have what I believe to be your first ever hangover and that's hangover potion" He pointed to the vial that she now held in her trembling hands.
"Hangover" she whispered "Oh gods" it all came back in a rush, Harry's party, drinking the punch she had made, dancing with her friends and Seamus. Merlin Seamus, Sirius had punched him knocking him out, Harry and Ron had taken him away for a while and when they came back he didn't come near her for the rest of the night. She remembered feeling very tired and then sitting on Sirius's knee, then nothing.
"Come on sweetheart, drink the potion I promise you will feel instantly better"
Hermione lifted the vial to her lips and tilting her head back drank the potion down, gagging slightly on the bitter taste. Within seconds a wondrous heat spread up her body, calming her stomach and miraculously vanishing the throbbing in her head.
Leaning back into the pillows behind her she breathed a sigh of relief
"Better?" Sirius quirked an eyebrow at her
"Yes, much better thank you".
---XXXX---
Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table eating some lunch when Hermione eventually arrived downstairs. She had fallen back asleep after taking the hangover potion and Sirius decided to leave her and let her sleep it off. Giving him a hesitant smile she slid into the chair opposite him at the table.
"Hey sleepyhead, decided to join the land of the living. Are you feeling better?" Sirius gently teased her.
Hermione could feel a flush of embarrassment rise up over her cheeks.
"Yes thank you I feel much better now"
"Are you hungry do you want some lunch"
She shook her head at him "No I'm not hungry at all but I would love a cup of tea"
Before either of them could move, Winky appeared beside Hermione with a loud pop.
"I is getting mistress her tea"
"Winky, were you eavesdropping?" Sirius spoke seriously to the little house elf.
"No master I is just looking after mistress, hers is feeling poorly and I is good elf to look after her," Winky answered him as she bustled around getting Hermione her tea, which she set down in front of her a few moments later.
"Thank you Winky" Hermione thanked her in gentle tones, frowning over at Sirius when he dismissed the elf with a curt
"You can leave us alone now Winky".
"Sirius be nice to her" Hermione reprimanded him.
"Hey I'm always nice, but you have to realise house elves are nosy little so and so's and feel its their right to lurk in corners listening to all that's going on. Its a trait I can't stand in house elves actually".
"Hmmm", Hermione sighed into her cup as she sipped her tea. Lifting her head she looked around the kitchen and out through the windows into the garden.
"Where is everyone, don't tell me Harry is back over at Ginny's already"
Sirius smirked at her
"Actually he never made it back home, most of the party goers crashed out at the Weasley's last night. Molly and Arthur had to make some quick floo calls to a few parents to ask them if it was alright for the kids to spend the night, Molly was too mortified to send them home drunk".
"Oh, so em how did we get back, I don't really remember" Hermione dropped her head and whispered the last part.
"We flood home love, you crashed out when you where sitting on my knee and I took pity on you and brought you home, I thought I would spare you the lecture Molly is bound to be giving to everyone this morning".
"So it was you that put me to bed and put my nightclothes on?"
"Yes who else did you think it might be"
Hermione smiled at him.
"No one, I was just checking that's all. Thank you for looking after me, I don't know what happened, how did I end up in such a state?"
"Well that's what husbands are for and your Fruit Punch got spiked, that's how you all ended up drunk".
"Spiked, it was those bloody twins wasn't it" Hermione was outraged.
Sirius chucked.
"The twins yes but also your friend Finnegan decided to introduce some home brew Poteen to the mix as well, Fire Whisky and Poteen make for a very potent mix".
Hermione shook her head, those stupid gits she could kill them. Suddenly Sirius punching Seamus came flooding back, looking down at her hands she closed her eyes as she pictured herself dancing with Seamus and him going back and forward getting her drinks, then both of them starting to make their way towards the house when Sirius stopped them.
Her head snapped back up and pointing her finger across at Sirius she accused.
"You punched Seamus, why would you do such a thing? Poor Seamus he wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone okay he shouldn't have spiked the punch that was stupid but the twins spiked it too and I don't remember you punching them".
Sirius raised his eyebrows at her
"The twins weren't trying to sweet talk my wife into going upstairs with them to have some one on one time, your bloody pal Seamus is lucky all I did was punch him".
Colour flooded Hermione's cheeks this time with indignation rather than embarrassment.
"Sirius it wasn't like that, I promise you I would never do anything with Seamus, he wanted to show me something upstairs. He said we should be alone for a little while......oh"
Hermione looked down at the cup in her hands thinking hard about everything that had transpired between her and Seamus last night. Oh gods that bloody git, he had been quite touchy feely which wasn't like him at all but Hermione hadn't thought anything of it, she was enjoying herself up dancing too much and Seamus had been so nice going back and forth refilling her glass. Refilling her bloody glass, oh Hermione you idiot.
Lifting her head back up she met Sirius's gaze
"That little git, I will hex his bloody bits off when I get back to school"
Sirius's snorted in reply as he got up from the table to fetch a drink of cold water from the fridge.
At that moment the floo burned brightly and Harry stepped out into the kitchen looking decidedly worse for wear, coming over to the table he threw himself down beside Hermione putting his arms up on the table top and lay his head down in them groaning.
"Merlin and Morgana will someone please stop the pain in my head, please I'm begging you"
He looked up without raising his head off his arms when Sirius plopped a vial down on the table in front of him.
"Hangover potion, I take it Molly didn't provide any of you with some then"
Harry lifted the vial and downed it in one great gulp
"Gods no, she didn't she said we all deserved to suffer. The twins tried to sneak some to us but she caught them and screeched the place down for about 20 minutes before they were able to make their escape back to the shop. Bloody pests the two of them, this is all their fault, them and bloody Seamus, who by the way Molly flood his mum in Ireland and told her all about it. She came through and got him, dragged him back into the floo by his ear, it was really funny actually".
Hermione bit her lip to stop herself laughing. "Serves him right"
Harry straightened himself up and sat back in his seat looking over at Sirius
"Thanks mate I feel much better now, that stuff always does the trick"
Sirius started a loud coughing fit when Hermione immediately caught on and exclaimed.
"Harry Potter what do you mean always does the trick, how many time have you had to take hangover potion and you" she turned her attention back to Sirius again "How could you, I bet you've even sat drinking with him haven't you?"
As that last bit was right on the mark Sirius tried to steer her away from the lecture he felt she was just building up to.
"Alright, alright it's only been once or twice and what would you have me do let him suffer"
"He deserves to suffer if he drinks himself into a drunken stupor its his own fault"
"Hey" Harry turned to her.
"You can't talk, you were in a worse state than anyone last night, I bet you needed a potion this morning"
"That's different Harry Potter and you know it, I did not know what I was drinking last night, none of that was of my choosing"
"Well excuse me Hermione Black" Harry copied her form of address "None of us knew what we were drinking last night, so don't come all high and mighty"
"Hmmmh" Hermione folded her arms and huffily turned away from him.
Sirius raised his eyebrows at Harry who just shrugged back at him.
"So then Harry, Molly and the others have managed to get the Burrow back into some semblance of order then this morning and everyone has managed to return home okay".
Harry nodded at him
"Yeah, yeah everyone is gone and we all did our bit to tidy up, Ron is suffering a bit though, he was going to try and plead with his mother's better nature and see if she would at least give him a potion for his headache cause he wants to feel better before he takes Luna home, I think he is going to ask her out officially. Surprisingly Ginny and Luna are both fine, mind you they didn't drink as much of Hermione's punch as the rest of us".
Hermione turned back round to face him forgetting she had decided not to talk to the two of them.
"Oh is Ron really going to ask her out, how wonderful, they are so perfect together. What is Ginny doing? I'm going to floo her"
Hermione went to get up from the table a big smile on her face now.
Sirius held up his hand to stop her.
"Hermione sweetheart, before your head disappears into the floo for the next two hours I have something I need to talk to you about".
She turned back towards him.
"Sure fire away"
Harry stood up to leave the kitchen
"Guys I'm gonna lie down for a little while so I will just leave you to get on okay"
Sirius held up his hand to stop him.
"Actually Harry do you mind staying for five minutes"
Hermione looked over at Sirius a frown on her face now as Harry sat back down"
"Alright what's the problem?"
Sirius reached across the table and took Hermione's hands in both of his.
"Sweetheart the department has finished their investigation in your parents home. They have returned the keys of the house to me to pass on to you".
Harry sat up straighter.
"So what's happening now do they know who they are going to go after?"
Not taking his eyes off Hermione Sirius answered him
"Unfortunately they found nothing to help them, Moody said it was almost as if they had never been there"
Hermione spoke up.
"So that's it case closed, just another muggle murder that goes unsolved"
"No sweetheart the case will remain open, though I have to be honest with you Moody has reduced the manpower investigating your parents murders but he has promised me the case will remain open with the evidence constantly being re-evaluated until he arrests the murdering scum that are responsible, he wants them caught as much as we do"
Harry scooted over beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder giving her a little squeeze.
"They will be caught Hermione, at some point they will make a mistake and you know Mad Eye he will be on them in a flash"
Hermione smiled gently at him.
"Yeah, I suppose thanks Harry"
Looking back over at Sirius she asked.
"Do you think the department would let us look over the evidence? Maybe we could spot something they have missed"
Sirius was horrified at the thought of her reading the evidence on her parent's cruel and heartless murders
"Sorry sweetheart I can't see that happening not when the investigation is still active"
"Oh is was just a thought, I mean I know the house so well there may just be something I would see that they dismissed as unimportant, I don't think it would do any harm would it?"
"Hermione, sweetheart I really don't think it would be possible in the near future and anyway I wouldn't advice it either, it's too soon after everything that has happened I think you would just find it all too upsetting"
Hermione stared into his concerned eyes and slowly nodded her head in agreement.
"Okay, I suppose you are right so what happens now with the house?"
Sirius smiled at her
"Well as I said the keys have been handed back so the house and all the contents are yours to do with what you will but there is no hurry we can make sure everything stays secured and you can even wait until school finishes next year before you even think about making any decisions"
"No, I don't want to wait I would like to go back. Maybe once I'm there I will be able to decide what to do with the house. I don't think I could ever live there again but there are things in the house that I would like to have, not just stuff belonging to me but to Mum and Dad also".
"That's no problem sweetheart you can go whenever you are ready"
"Will you come with me Sirius, I don't want to do it on my own"
"Just try and stop me, what if we do it this weekend and as I've said you don't have to make any decisions any time soon so if after we have visited you don't feel ready then that's absolutely fine"
"Thank you Sirius and Harry do you think you Ginny and Ron would come along also, I've got a feeling I going to need all the support I can get"
"Course we will Mione you don't have to ask"
She turned smiling at him and kissed him on the cheek "Thank you big brother" getting up from her seat she moved over to the other side of the table and climbed on to Sirius's lap wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his chest.
Sirius felt a knot of emotion and swallowed dryly as he wrapped his arms protectively around his little wife dropping his head he lightly rested his chin on her head as he tightened his hold on her
---XXXX---
After a quiet dinner that night with just the three of them, Harry flooed back over to the Weasley's to visit with Ginny for a couple of hours. Sirius and Hermione retired to their quarters. Sitting on one of the long couches Sirius pulled Hermione's legs up on to his lap and started to stroke her bare feet.
"Mmm Sirius that feels so good, you could make a living out of doing that you know. I bet there are a few witches out there who would pay good money to have you do that"
Sirius chuckled at her
"Oh yeah well maybe once my days of international playboy and sex god are over I will consider it".
"Hey" Hermione sat up straight pulling her feet away from him "Those days are over, you're a married man now, or did you forget"
Her eyes sparkled at him as he leaned towards her and resting his hand on the back of her head pulled her towards him for a kiss.
When they broke apart Sirius rested his forehead on hers
"No sweetheart I didn't forget, I promise I will only be a playboy and sex god for you"
Hermione smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back
Sitting back Sirius kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder his hand gently playing with her hair.
"Hermione we have been married for one week today"
"Mmm I know" she sighed her answer "Yeah it's been quite a week hasn't it, in a way it feels longer somehow don't you think"
Sirius pulled her closer to him and lifted her slightly so she was sitting on his lap again. Hermione squirmed as she settled into a comfortable position earning a little growl from Sirius.
"Keep doing that witch and you won't be sitting there long you will be lying pinned underneath me"
Hermione's eyes sparkled with devilment as she asked in all innocence whilst squirming on his lap
"What am I doing?"
With a squeal she found herself lying on her back on the couch Sirius sprawled on top of her attacking her neck with this mouth.
"Oh gods Sirius" Hermione moaned as he hit a pulse point in her neck causing tiny shivers to course through her.
"Hermione, baby your so fucking beautiful, you drive me crazy, I want you all the time"
Sirius mumbled into her skin as he kissed and sucked his way down her neck towards her breasts.
With urgency neither of them had felt before they ripped at each other's clothes, before Sirius plunged inside of her causing Hermione to cry out in ecstasy as he brought her over the edge almost immediately. Pulling away from her slightly he grasped both her legs and threw them over his shoulders allowing him to penetrate even deeper hitting spots so deep inside her she thought she would die from the pleasure of it. Moments later they both cried out as their orgasm hit at the exact same moment both of them shuddering together as each spasm rocked through them both.
---XXXX---
Hermione trembled slightly as she turned the key in the door, lifting her head she looked up at Sirius who was standing with his arm wrapped comfortingly around her shoulder.
"Alright sweetheart you sure you want to do this?"
Breathing deeply to gulp down the knot of nausea building within her she nodded her head and pushed the front door to her parents house open wide. As well as her three friends, Mr Weasley, Bill, Percy and Remus were with them also. They were going to stand guard as well as casting some wards around the house to give it some added protection while it was standing empty.
Hermione, Sirius, Harry, Ginny and Ron walked along the long hallway towards the family sitting room. Hermione could feel sharp tears sting her eyes as she took in this beloved room. Her Dad's chair, the novel her mum had been probably been reading lying shut on the arm of the settee, a bookmark sticking out the top of it. Underneath the book Hermione could see the corner of a parchment. Lifting the book up she took the parchment and unfolded it her eyes glancing quickly over the contents. It was the last ever letter she had written her Mum and Dad from Hogwarts, full of her excitement for the upcoming holidays and telling them all her news from school. Tears started flowing freely from her eyes now, little shudders shaking her as she tried desperately not to lose control.
"I'm sorry guys I promised myself that I wouldn't do this today"
"Don't be silly Hermione, you have nothing to apologize for" Ginny moved over beside her, her own eyes filled with large tears, desperately sad for her friend. Taking the hanky Ginny held out to her Hermione wiped at the tears off her face before blowing her nose.
"Okay, Sirius the door facing this one in the hall leads down to the cellar, there should be some packing boxes down there would you and the boys bring them upstairs for me?"
"Right come on lads"
Once the half dozen of so packing boxes were lining the hallway Hermione directed them to pack up every book in her fathers study, quite a task as the book shelves lined the whole of two full walls. Calling over to Mr Weasley she offered him every appliance that was in the house if he wished it.
"There are also three TV and DVD sets Mr Weasley, perhaps you and the boys could charm them to play movies at the Burrow".
"Oh well my dear girl I don't fancy my chances much trying to persuade Molly on that one but I know the boys would not say no to the offer, especially the twins who had been talking about going into muggle London to purchase a TV for their flat recently".
Hermione and Sirius moved upstairs and entered Hermione's childhood bedroom. Sunlight was pouring in through the window and the whole bedroom was bright and not surprisingly very girly. The furniture was white the carpet pink and the curtains at the window matched the pink and white patchwork quilt on her bed. There were quite a few books lying in a pile up here also and Sirius packed them into the large box he had brought upstairs with him. ermion
ermio Hermione did not go into her wardrobe of any of her drawers instead she starting collecting up tiny glass figures of woodland animals, ballerinas and fairies carefully placing them to lie on her bed before wrapping them and putting them in the packing box.
"That's quite a collection you have there sweetheart they are very pretty".
"Thank you I have collected them since I was a little girl" she held up a little fairy for his inspection. "This was the first one I got, I saw it in a shop window when we were on holiday in Devon I think I was about three or four and my Mum says I would not stop going on about it, I kept taking them back to the shop window to stare at it. I guess my fascination must have started then because I adore them, my Mum and Dad bought me one for just about every holiday and celebration every since then, hence the collection".
Sirius smiled at her as he pointed his wand at some old newspapers he had brought upstairs with him, transforming the paper into pink tissue paper for her to wrap her little glass figures in.
"You should display them round the sitting room back home it would be a shame to leave them packed away".
"That's very kind of you Sirius, you sure you wouldn't mind such girly stuff cluttering up your space?"
"Hey it's your space as well you know and I like them I think they are very pretty, very you" He dropped a little kiss on her forehead.
They spent the next hour continuing to go from room to room, Hermione picking out the things she wanted to take with her, including all the photo albums and pictures frames of her and her family scattered throughout the house. A lot of the stuff that was up in the loft had belonged to Hermione when she was a little girl. A large dolls house, various teddies and dolls, boxed games and a large selection of young children's books. In one box they found her paintings and drawings from her muggle primary school and her school reports from that era. Sirius felt a fist tighten around his heart when he read her teachers reports of a very bright intelligent little girl, who just did not fit in with any of her peers, her teachers writing of the lonely girl who spent playtimes and lunchtimes on her own, sitting reading her books as the rest of the children ran screaming and shouting boisterously around her.
The last room Hermione ventured into was her parent's bedroom. Hermione walked slowly round trailing her fingers along the cream and lilac bed spread, lifting her dads reading glasses which he always kept at the side of his bed, she could hear her dad shouting.
"Have you seen my reading glasses love?" and her Mum answering on a sigh "They are at the side of the bed, where they always are"
Moving over to her Mum's dressing table she lifted one of her bottles of perfume and sprayed it into the air. Immediately the musky smell of Vanilla& Jasmine wafted around her, it was the scent of her Mother and Hermione turned her head to the direction of the aroma breathing in deeply as if she could inhale the very essence of her mother. She did not even realise that she was crying until Sirius stepped into the room looking for her and coming to stand in front of her he lifted his hand to wipe her tears away.
"Its not fair Sirius, they didn't deserve to die, I didn't deserve to lose them I just wish I could see them one more time, just to tell them how much I love them".
Sirius wrapped his arms around her tightly wishing with all his heart he could take her pain away as she buried her head into his chest
"I know sweetheart, I know" he murmured as he started to gently rock her from side to side.
Hermione pulled away from him and taking his hand led him over to sit on the bed beside her.
"My parents had so much to live for, they were still so young and had still had a lifetime to live with each other. One thing they taught me was to always be honest with yourself and your loved ones. My parents said I love you to each other every day, did you know that?"
Sirius just smiled gently at her as she continued.
"It was them that taught me all my values, my so called Gryffindor bravery, that came from them you know".
Sirius spoke in quite gentle tones.
"Your parents were very proud of you Hermione, you are lucky, you know how much they loved you and I am sure where ever they are they are looking down thinking they did a good job. You are an absolute credit to their memory in every way"
Hermione reached up and kissed his cheek
"Thank you Sirius, that was a lovely thing to say"
"I meant it every word"
"There is something I want to say to you Sirius and I want you to know this is how I truly feel. Life is too short and we need to be honest about our feelings, we never know what is going to happen around the corner and I do not want to live with any more regrets"
Sirius raised his eyebrows at her quizzically
"I will be forever grateful to you Sirius for marrying me and protecting me and for being just you I suppose and I want you to know I think I am falling in love with you Sirius Black, in fact I don't think I know, I love you".
Sirius's heart swelled as a tight knot formed in his throat. Pulling Hermione towards him he kissed her with all the love in his heart for her. Lifting his head from the kiss he looked down at his wife still wrapped tightly in his arms.
"Thank you sweetheart"
Hermione smiled sweetly up at him a soft blush spreading up her cheeks as he scrutinised her face.
Suddenly he let her go abruptly and turned towards the door.
"Okay we should finish up now I'm thinking, are you happy you have everything you wish to take with you".
Stamping down the overwhelming feeling of disappointment, bewilderment and heartbreak Hermione nodded her head as she forced a bright smile on her face
"Yes thank you I'm sure.
They made their way downstairs to join the others. Approaching the kitchen they could hear Ron's voice as he was trying to persuade his father to talking Molly into allowing him to have one of the TV sets in his room
"Alright son, we will see lets just let the dust settle a little bit from the party fallout shall we before we embark on the next battle"
Mr Weasley was cleaning his glasses wearily on the bottom of his shirt as he answered Ron. Looking over at them as they entered he enquired"
All finished you two, you have everything you need Hermione my dear"
Hermione smiled and answered as brightly as she could
"Yes thank you, all finished. Thank you so much everybody for helping out today, I really can't tell you how appreciative I am"
Remus came towards her
"Our pleasure Hermione, always happy to help you know that, anyway the boys and I have shrunk all your boxes and will bring them with us to Grimmauld Place and I have placed a charm on the inside of the house so it will keep clean whilst it is lying empty, no dust or cobwebs will be able to settle at all".
"Thank you Remus that's a brilliant idea. I think I will leave the house empty for now, and think about selling it after I have finished school next year"
Sirius nodded his head in agreement
"I think that's a good idea sweetheart. There is no rush to make any decisions and this way you will have plenty of time to make up your mind what you want".
Before they left Bill and Percy taught her the wards they had put up around the place and how to dismantle them if she ever wanted access.
One by one they apparated away back to Grimmauld place where Sirius had promised them all lunch in thanks for their help this morning.
Standing in the middle of the driveway invisible to the eyes of any passing muggles Sirius watched her as she locked the front door securely again and moved away stopping to look up at her childhood home once more.
She had told him she loved him. He didn't quite know how he was supposed to feel, he knew his immediately reaction was joy, but of course it was, every man wants his wife to bloody love him right? In his heart he knew she wanted to hear the words back from him. Sirius had never said I love you to anyone his whole life. Of course he loved her, she was Hermione, he loved her before he had married her everybody loves her. She doesn't want that kind of love from you, you prat he berated himself.
Pulling himself out of his musings as Hermione approached him he asked
"You ready to leave sweetheart"
"Yes, take me home Sirius please"
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her in tight against his body, turning on the spot they disappeared with a pop.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the trees lining the driveway a pleasant aroma being left in its wake. The musky aroma of Vanilla and Jasmine.