A note from Serade Black: The story is probably almost to it's 3/4 mark, if that gives you any indication where we are. We have a lot left to cover in the story, so that's why I'm putting it between it's halfway point and the 3/4 mark. For those old enough, this chapter is edited for mature audiences and the uncut version can be read at my livejournal (link on my bio page here). Please know that I adore writing Sirius. I know I'm not claiming I write him entirely canon, but I do write him the way I believe he would have been portrayed as a 22 year old. Vastly different than the Sirius we know, it's refreshing to discover the shadow of what he once was. As always, thank you for the reviews, and especially the theories of what you think is going to happen or the anticipation of the ending of Hermione returning to her own time. Special thank yous to those that mentioned the small details of Marlene, Emmaline Vance, and other small characters. I have to say that Steve Vander Ark and his Lexicon helped me a lot with this inspiration. For those that went to Azkataraz - it rocked! Finally got a Sirius/Hermione roundtable discussion in there, so I'm eager for the next con (Infinitus) to push forward with it. For now - enjoy! ~SB
Ch. 26
"An Order One Should Obey"
The Three Broomsticks was dustier than ever and darker than usual. The winds were picking up outside. Stronger than the indication that fall was settling in, it was the stir of danger and dark magic together. Two or three people hidden in the shadows mumbled quietly to each other as they paid no attention to the cloaked individual chiming in through the door. Three shrunken heads announced his arrival, but mostly for the sake of their own entertainment.
The busty bar mistress stood behind the counter and gave a curt nod to the new arrival. Madam Rosmerta was always cautious about her bar patrons these days, but she would never say no to a galleon earned. She heard the request of her customer and fixed up a nice frothing butter beer.
Money was left on the counter and the butter beer was carried to a private little nook of the pub where his former Professor sat. Her shawl was pulled tight around her neck, like she had not yet undressed from the windy weather. She kept one hand on the base of her wine glass, while the other protectively clutched around her wand in her lap. She greeted her guest with a stiff smirk and relaxed her shoulders once she was joined in the candle light.
"Mr. Lupin, what did you have to talk to me about that couldn't wait until tomorrow?" she asked, folding her fingers on the small wooden table before them.
Remus pulled back the hood of his traveling cloak, revealing his sandy brown hair and a few scars across his face. He sipped his butter beer and carried an unprepared delivery when requesting McGonagall's meeting.
"Sorry, Professor-"
"Minerva, Remus. You're far beyond Hogwarts. I've told you that several times over."
Remus nodded and feigned a thin smile, "Minerva, right. I won't take up much of your time, but I wanted to talk about...your niece."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow and her lips went thin, "My niece?"
"Hermione?"
"Rose?" she nearly corrected, but caught herself, "Hermione, yes. We used to call her Rose, but..."
McGonagall's voice trailed off, as if frustrated with trying to cover it up. She was normally a woman with stronger patience, but with Hermione changing her name without fair warning was a bit wearing and finally the honesty paled over her face.
"She's not your niece, is she?" Remus tested, his lips just leaving the glass of the butter beer mug.
She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head slightly, "I think you and I both know she's not my niece, Remus." The silence settled a few seconds before she continued, "Why, what's happened?"
At first Remus expected himself to be surprised, but found it intriguing that none of this had caught him off guard and instead just regarded the situation very carefully.
"She's fine. But, it's her situation that I am somewhat worried about, at the present time." Remus looked away to the dusty beam overhead where two mice scurried above them. He was trying to begin his inquiry. "I may have seen something of hers that might raise a few questions. It is mostly my concern for her safety at the present time."
McGonagall's eyes were slits as she tried to read his thoughts before they left his lips, fearful he may say more than what was safe. She rose her glass to her lips very regally, like she were sitting with a King, but really it was to hide her immediate breath of guilt. She would not normally have given up so quickly, but considering the danger that lurked all around them, she felt it fair to hear her former student out.
"Continue, Mr. Lupin."
"It only made sense to me a few days ago, when it dawned on me about a book she was reading. It's called The White Line by-"
"Say no more. I know the book. It's quite controversial at the moment, as I've heard about it from Madam Pince. But, I think I know where you're going with it." With beaten breath, she gently shook her head. "Before you or I jeopardize any pertinent information, perhaps it's best if we just carefully speak about this."
Remus nodded, understanding fully about the fragile situation and how it was very necessary not to draw it out into too much conversation. He glanced down at his scarred hands, trying to think about better wording.
"Prof- Minerva, I think it's best to tell you about what she's been doing or rather-"
"Careful Remus."
"I know," he started quietly. "What I mean is...is that Sirius is growing rather fond of her; attached even. And if she's wearing...that is, if I saw what I'm pretty sure I saw...and you say she is not truly your niece..."
"Sirius fond of any girl does not surprise me."
"No mum, this is different. Like James to Lily...that kind of attached. To put it lightly, it's obvious that they're together."
"Together? As in dating?"
"Yes, Minerva."
"But she can't...she's wearing a...this will seriously corrupt...that's not what it was intended for! Surely, you're just misreading a few things?"
Remus sighed, shaking his head. His fringe fell into his eyes. "I'm afraid I'm not. In her defense, I believe it is a street that runs both ways. She is quite taken with him."
"Well," she said, rather calmly, "I will have to speak to Sirius when I see him. I think it's time that she goes home. The way things are moving out there, no one is safe from anything and I certainly don't want someone who shouldn't even be here be taken up in the midst of it."
Remus felt like a small balloon was slowly deflating from within. He rather liked Hermione, but he liked her more for his best friend that seemed to quietly envy James for what he had. A brief moment of guilt swept over him, wondering if what he had done was the right thing. Upon hearing the last words of his former Professor he merely nodded, not wishing to think of the aftermath should Sirius lose his own version of a Lily.
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Hermione crossed the line she knew she should never have crossed. She had devoured the forbidden fruit and the snake was rearing its ugly head against her. The rippling effects of the future for Sirius had been set. He remembered this time, the emotions...all with her. It was no wonder he was how he was with her in the future: always arguing, putting up a decent jovial front, and the mood swings. Granted, Harry was a more important factor in his time than she was, but certainly from the moments between them that she could recall, she played an important role in his character.
Sirius was now a man that had been abandoned, scorned even, only to be betrayed and disappointed upon his return. How lonely he must have truly felt while alone in the house of Grimmauld Place; thinking back on her, his relationship with Harry, his future and what it held. All of it was just too much to imagine for sanity. What did Sirius believe once Hermione returned? Was he waiting for her? Was he waiting to talk to her about what had transpired between them when he was younger? How were they going to interact, how were they going to fight together in the Order, how were they going to explain it?
Whatever it was, it made Hermione uneasy for the rest of the day. She wondered what Sirius was thinking, but more about where he was. She had paced for a good amount of time thinking about his safety and any rash decisions made at this time of war. She'd already put him in a new mental state than he had been, for he was growing more and more attached to her for obvious reasons.
She lied awake staring at the shadows on the ceiling taking shapes of horrible beings to elegant flowers, from the confines of her bed. The house was settling around her. Ticking clocks rang their first morning hour and still no owl to inform her that her wizard in thought was all right.
Somewhat restless, she pushed herself out of bed and decided to take a shower to relieve her mind of its bothering concern. She stood under the showerhead for a long period of time, hoping the warm water would wash away some of the mental weight that wore heavy on her shoulders. Pictures of him in the future flashed through her mind, almost believing that it was a different person entirely, but it was still all the same soul. The younger jovial Sirius that she'd spent so much time with was just a shadow of what he'd become, but nevertheless he was still there in the Sirius that she had first met. The sparkle in his eye still held a presence and whether she chose to believe it or not, he did seem to have some sort of minute effect on her that had made her breathless on one or more occasion during her teen years.
Her hair was still damp after vigorous towel drying. She slipped on her thin robe that she had borrowed from McGonagall and without looking at the hour for the umpteenth time went down to the kitchen for a hot cup of tea to help her sleep.
"Lumos," she said, extending her wand before she stepped onto the landing.
Quiet treaded steps took her down the stairs and she illuminated a candle whenever she'd pass by one. She passed through the hallway, through the sitting room and into the kitchen where she waved her wand again, "Nox."
She had only one light illuminated to help her see, for she was afraid that any light she gave off out the windows might disrupt the neighbors whose house did sit rather close. She filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to heat up.
While she gathered up her preparations for when the kettle was ready, she glanced towards the outside window towards the front of the house, believing that her peripheral may have caught something in the shadows. Realizing that her mind alone in the house was merely playing tricks on her, she paid little attention as she believed it may have been a prowling cat. But, when her ears failed to deceive her from the bang of the front gate, her heart jumped into her throat with a start. Her immediate reaction was to blow out the candles of her lantern. She did not wish to draw attention to herself up late in the wee hours of morning.
She heard the definite sound of crunching leaves just outside the kitchen door, indicating that whatever it was stood right on her doorstep. Hermione slowly began to aim her wand at the door, wary of who, or what, it may be that might try and force their way into the house. Then, without a second though, she watched the doggy door begin to move and soon opened its covering flap to allow a familiar looking dog to pass through. It only took a second to recognize the well groomed handsome head with the shiny midnight coat as her wizard in disguise.
The doggy door flapped back and forth in place as Sirius transformed from his Animagus form into that of the man. Sirius hadn't seen her when he first stuck his canine head through the door, but when he was a man again and looked over, he froze. A moment passed between them as their eyes met, unsure of what to say. Only known to a select few, Sirius was stunned when his illegal act was witnessed, remembering that she somehow had figured it out.
"Sirius," she whispered absolutely in awe. She had seen him transform before, a few times, but it was the way he looked at her just then when he just came out of his Animagus form that took her breath away. As if it were the first time she honestly felt the talent radiating from him with such ease, made her mind blank and her heart flutter lightly.
His secret was out and at first he didn't know how to handle it, but soon it was clear that she was meant to know. He saw her dressed in her night robe, her hair damp and her face illuminated by the moonlight shining in from the kitchen window. Like a rose in a bed of thorns, she never looked so appealing.
He couldn't stand to not touch her and so he slowly stepped towards her, approaching as if she were a timid animal before him. She had barely whispered his name, giving him no indication yet of where she stood. However, one thing was certain; she mesmerized him with her captivated eyes.
"You knew I was an Animagus," he said coming closer, sliding his jacket off his shoulders and onto the floor.
He came into her personal space and calmly lowered her wand away from him, like talking down a jumper from a high ledge. She could only nod for him at first, absolutely mystified by his entire being. He exuded sexiness like cologne. Just the tone of his voice, careful and cautious, made her weaker than she'd ever care to admit, making her believe that if she wasn't already falling in love with him, she certainly was now.
He stepped closer to her; his belt buckle practically rubbing up against her. "You're not afraid of me?" There was insecurity in his voice, like he couldn't believe she was still standing there with him.
Still with nothing to say, she slowly shook her head and he was already reaching out to hold her face in his palms to pull her into a much needed kiss. A kiss that he couldn't stop thinking about his entire run there. Still wearing the clothes he left her in, he never wanted to be more naked with her. The fire within him started to blaze with the secret that she was the only other woman, except for Lily, that knew what he could do. Above all else, she didn't run and was desperately falling against him in eager response.
Hermione dropped her wand and ran her hands around his back like he had lit her fuse enough and the dynamite was about to set off. She made small sounds against his mouth as his hands pulled her against him tightly, making them one and feeling the closeness and her lack of clothing underneath.
They wanted this, they had worked themselves up over it and finally she felt his hands beginning to untie her bathrobe with such haste pace that she knew no time was going to be left to make any second decisions about what they were about to do. No more fighting with her conscience, no more testing the rules, no more worrying and no longer could she deny herself the desire and need of his bare hands on her skin.
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The Order of the Phoenix had just disbanded their meeting. Chairs were returned to their various spots about the hidden house of Emmeline Vance. The circular table that sat in the wide dining room shrunk down to its normal size as people removed themselves from alongside of it.
Just throwing on his coat, Sirius was carefully pulling his collar out. He fixed the sleeves at the wrists of the coat and waited until Remus and Peter were ready to leave with him. He waited by the door, eager to get along as his brain was filled with buzzing plans of the meeting and future plans of the night ahead.
"Come on, Moony! Wormtail?" he called out over his fellow Order members, as his friend lingered behind while speaking to Caradoc Dearborn, who was wearing a rather furry coat for this season.
"Good night, Sirius." Emmeline Vance had just walked over to bid him good night and it appeared that she had added a certain grace in her step so that she might otherwise attract him.
"Good night, Emmie. Be careful out there, all right?" He took her hand to his lips, but it was offered in only the most platonic way. He had no further interest in her beyond being a fellow Order member, and that alone served as too great a risk to get involved. It hadn't occurred to him yet, that it was the subconscious reasoning for his lack of recruitment of Hermione, to their cause.
"Mr. Black, a word?" McGonagall had just noticed Sirius getting ready to leave. He was one of the first to leave the circular table in the dining room. Her voice carried through the house, enough so that Remus had heard her.
"Excuse me, Emmie," he ended, releasing her hand. He was careful not to flirt with his eyes, since he had a terrible tendency for being misunderstood. He left her company with dignity and went to join his former professor alone along the shaded windows of the sitting room.
"Yes, Professor?"
"Sirius, really, it's Minerva. Remus and James can get it right, so why do you insist on being so stubborn?" She already appeared to be anxious about her intended vague conversation.
"When you leave Hogwarts, I'll drop the Professor. Or, until I become one."
For a moment there was an obvious flicker of worry, not ready for Sirius to return to Hogwarts any time soon and with a teaching title, no less. She feigned a smile and nodded, "Right, I look forward to that." Somehow Sirius only half believed her, but waited for her to continue. "Sorry, I'll make this quick as we don't have a lot of time and I've got a surprise test in the morning. Can you relay a message to my niece?"
"To Hermione?" he asked with a half smirk and raised eyebrow as he thought fondly on what they'd done in his former professor's kitchen.
"Yes, please," she smoothed down the brim of her hat as she fastened it on for her journey back to Hogwarts castle. "Tell her it's time to go home."
"To go home, Professor?" Sirius was unclear and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes, home. She needs to return home. I don't think it's wise that she lingers so far away and her parents will be very glad to keep her close. Surely, you understand the risks?"
"I hate to disagree-"
"Then don't."
She was quick to end the conversation about Hermione. She tied the chin strap over her neck so that her hat wouldn't fall off when traveling and she ended the conversation on the matter right then and there. She brushed past him, but turned as she reached the door just when Sirius was sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
"Mister Black, please don't linger over my request. Hermione will be safer at home and not locked away unable to contact anyone. She's far from where she belongs," she paused, wondering how much Sirius knew, if anything at all. "Make sure she goes home by tomorrow."
With a finalizing slam, McGonagall was out the door and probably halfway through the Apparation to the front gates of Hogwarts. As he imagined Filch standing there looking irritated and intimidated behind iron gates, Sirius continued to stare at the door, trying to rationalize what just happened.