A/N - Hey off you lovelies, thank you thank you for your wonderful reviews and favs and follows as always, I'm so sorry I haven't had time really to reply to people the last few times, work is crazy at the moment. Don't want to waffle to much here today for you all, so I shall just say as always I own nothing, Big beta love to the Beta Puff and please do follow my on tumblr if you fancy it - thewrittingferret. It's much easier for me to answer questions and the like on there during work hours then trying to get on here. Any way I hope you enjoy this chapter :D Oh and the spell Hermione uses roughly translates to Pleasure Spill :D

Coming Home - Chapter 26

Childish Excitement

October 15th 1977 - 7 Months 26 Days

Hermione stood in the centre of the small shop located down one of the narrow winding alleyways of Hogsmeade. It was a peculiar building with large ornate windows and a rather underwhelming front. If Lily and Mary hadn't dragged her here she would have never known it to exist. It was bleak and quite dingy and she would say it looked as though it didn't receive many customers, and certainly not ones who were looking for costumes. Though it seemed she was the only one to think so, as since they had been there at least four or five other groups of students had hurried in and out, purchasing the necessary items for their outfits.

Hermione let her eyes drift across the clothing and accessories available as she listened to both Lily and Mary discussing pros and cons about wearing an item with glitter. It seemed Mary was all for it, when Lily was trying to remind her that glitter was a sure thing for showing evidence of getting up close and personal with someone, as it stuck to anything and everything. It was safe to say that Lily had surprised Hermione, she was certainly far more open about well . . . Everything, and it had taken a great deal for Hermione to try and turn off the 'this is Harry's mother' switch when she and Mary had begun to talk about James and his prowess. It would take a great deal to look Harry in the eye otherwise, knowing just exactly what extracurricular activities both his parents enjoyed.

"What is this place?" asked Hermione, when she pulled out a rather muggle looking very mini mini-skirt.

"It's normally the supply and old stock from Gladrags Wizardwear. It's all kept here for occasions like this," said Lily holding up a pair of over the knee boots with a wide smile. "These are perfect! And a Bargain," she exclaimed hugging them close to her chest.

"Lily, they're seven sickles for a reason. They're hideous. Do you often have fancy dress things then?" Hermione continued as she quickly put back a rather ghastly puce dress hiding it in depths of the rails.

"Hideous or misunderstood? No we don't have these type of events that often. This will be the fourth, I think, since we started? Mary, what about this?" said the redhead holding up a full yellow gingham skirt, and ignoring the way Hermione creased her nose at the boots still held firmly in her hands.

"Oh, yes!" squealed Mary, rushing over to the garment and holding it up against herself in excitement. Four... we didn't even have one, thought Hermione, not that she minded at all, it was stressful enough getting ready for the Yule Ball, let alone a fancy dress one where you would have to hope that you don't look like a complete fool.

"Hermione what about this for you?"

"No!" she replied back as quickly as she could, shaking her head vehemently at the site of a suede tasselled jacket. "What's that even meant to be for?"

"Cowgirl?" suggested Mary.

"No."

"You can't say no to everything, Hermione. You have to choose something. You will be leaving here with an outfit of some sort, whether you like it or not, missy! Now, on another note, I've been wanting to ask . . . You and Killian?" said Lily as she continued her search though the vast array of clothing within the shop, stopping for a moment to ask the young cashier if she knew if they had that particular style of jacket she had in her hands, but a little more flamboyant.

Hermione could feel her cheeks flare a little at the question, other than Severus she didn't really talk about her relationship with the wizard, and the two of them definitely didn't talk about the kind of things she could tell Lily wanted to know about. "Yes, me and Killian?"

"Oh, don't play that card with me, give me the gossip I wish to hear and don't leave anything out! Oh and here, go try this on," she finished thrusting a ball of red and white fabric into Hermione's hands and proceeding to push her towards the cramped and dark-looking changing room.

"Come on, I don't hear you talking and I don't hear you changing in there," called Lily through the curtained doorway.

"Are you always this pushy?" asked Hermione as she began to slip off her clothes and folding them neatly into a pile.

"Yes, she is," interrupted Mary before Lily could say otherwise, "But I agree, get talking."

Hermione laughed quietly whilst she shimmied into the items she had been given. "Well, things with Killian are . . . good . . . Very good," if she, herself, noticed the way she had hesitated, then she was more than certain that the girls would also have noticed.

"So good, not great?" suggested Lily as she thrust another item through a small gap in the curtain. "Put this on, too. So is that the relationship you're talking about or just the sexy time?"

"Sexy time?" Hermione couldn't help it when a burst of laughter left her mouth. "The relationship is brilliant, truly, but yeah I guess you could say it was the sexy time, as you so eloquently put it. Why am I telling you this?"

"Because that's what girls do. What on earth are you doing in there that's taking so long?! Get the damn clothes on, and get your arse out here for us to have a look," demanded Lily.

"Give me a moment, will you, woman? There's all sorts of zips and buttons on these god-forsaken things!"

"Well then what's not rocking your boat? Is he not finishing the job? I wouldn't have thought him a selfish lover, he looks like the kind of wizard who would give give -"

"Stop it, will you? Bloody hell, please…. No. It's not that. The sex and everything else is good, really good, but there's just something that I can't quite put my finger on, something that doesn't quite fit. And no, before you your mind goes completely in the gutter, I do NOT mean that!" Hermione stated firmly before rolling her eyes when she could hear them giggling like the school girls they were.

She finished adjusting the items she had on before pulling back the curtain and scowling at the two witches. "I look ridiculous," said Hermione crossing her arms firmly over her chest, not amused in the slightest.

"Oh, no, you don't! You look amazing! Truly," Lily insisted.

"I look like a cross between a fairy-tale character and a Bavarian bar girl, this-" she continued waving her hand at the outfit, "this is not happening."

"Yes, yes it is. You look fab, honest," said Mary.

"You look like a wolf's wet dream," muttered Lily under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing, nothing at all, just agreeing with Mary. Get it. It's either this or the cowgirl idea,"

Hermione frowned and pouted, there was no way she was going to wear that jacket Lily had picked up earlier. "Fine, you win."

October 17th 1977 - 7 Months and 24 Days.

Severus and Hermione had been working dutifully in their little classroom for the past five days, closer to completing the Wolfsbane Potion than they had been last time they attempted it. The sound of the rolling boil was rather comforting and Hermione took great pride in what they had managed to achieve so far with very few hiccups, there was a brief moment where the two of them had been distracted with arguing, but a loud popping sound from a rather angry looking potion was enough to gain their attention back before it was too late.

Hermione carefully stood stirring the potion whilst Severus continued preparing the ingredients for the next stage eager to ask him about whether or not he was planning to ask anyone to the upcoming dance. Sensing he was being watched, Severus lifted his head and glanced at Hermione though his hair.

"Yes?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"Nothing," Hermione answered quickly, returning her own gaze back down to the potion.

Severus gave out a frustrated huff and scowled at her. "Spit it out!"

"So . . .so you asking anyone to the ball?" she asked as flippantly as she could manage, though her ridiculous little hand wave and one shoulder shrug made her look as if she had had a rather unfortunate accident, making her limbs different lengths.

He curled his lip at her and shook his head, turning his attention back to his task at hand and ignoring her.

"I said, are you asking anyone to the ball?" she asked again, casting a stasis charm on their potion and walking over to his end of the table to lean on the opposite side.

He ignored her, not daring to look up or acknowledge that he knew she was there opposite him and shifted uncomfortably.

"Severus . . . What are you not telling me . . . Is there someone you've got your eyes on?" she asked as calmly as she could, though he could hear the excitement there in the back of her throat.

"No." He said firmly.

"Oh come on, there clearly is, just tell me."

"No there isn't."

"Yes there is, otherwise you wouldn't be getting this worked up about it. Just tell me." Hermione pestered, ignoring Severus's frustration.

"Granger. Will. You. Stop! There isn't anyone! I'm not going to ask anyone! So just stop it!" said Severus through gritted teeth, his hand clasped so tightly around the knife he was holding she was worried that it might bend under his grip.

"Fine, geez. Calm down, will you? No need to get your knickers in a twist."

Severus sighed and placed the knife down, bringing his hands up and running them tiredly over his face, ignoring the way Hermione watched him intently. "So why aren't you going to ask anyone?" Severus groaned loudly and slammed his hands down on the table in frustration.

"Because."

"Because why? I mean, you know, just out of curiosity, who would you ask if you were going to ask someone? Not that you are," Hermione persisted.

"It doesn't matter, Granger."

"Oh come on, why won't you just tell me what girl you would ask?" she insisted as she walked back to the potion and resumed her stirs, unaware of the temper bubbling under the surface of her best friend.

"Because."

"Oh come on, why won't you tell me which girls you like?!" She whined.

"Because I DON'T like ANY girls!" he bellowed, his shouting startling Hermione so much she knocked their potion flying off the stand and all over the floor. "For Merlin's sake Granger! Look what you've done!"

"Sorry, sorry. You made me jump with your shouting." She fumbled, running around to the other side and waving her wand to clean up the mess as quickly as possible, before any real damage could be done. "What do you mean you don't like ANY girls, there must be one?"

Severus groaned again and threw his hands helplessly into the air. "I mean I don't like ANY girls."

She looked up at him for a moment studying his tone and expression, before her eyes widened in realisation. "Oh, OH!"

"Yes. Oh."

There was silence for a moment or two between them, Hermione crouched down towards the floor from where she had positioned herself whilst cleaning, and Severus now leaning on his elbows against the table they had been working on - neither one of them talking. Hermione stood slowly and made her way over to join Severus, taking the same position as his and resting her head on his shoulder.

"What about Lily, I thought . . .?" She began.

"Yes, I loved her, still love her, but not in the way everyone thought or thinks that I do. She was my first real friend, we spent all our time together, we grew up together, but I never loved her like that," he answered quietly, silently enjoying the warmth and comfort Hermione provided.

"Did she know?"

"No."

"Does anyone know?"

"Apart from you. No."

"I won't-"

"I know." He said leaning his head atop of hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she snaked her own around his waist in a moment that was far more to the both of them than either realised.

Hermione was sat lounged out on the large sofa before the fireplace, enjoying the quiet that the late night provided in the common room. Her book in hand and lit by the warm glow, she tried her best to stay awake. With Severus unable to make it over that night, she was afraid to allow sleep to overcome her, the risk of causing a disruption like she had before was far too great a risk in her mind.

She cast a quick look at the clock hanging on the far side of the room; 1.32am. Only six more hours to make it through. Her eyes, however, were already beginning to struggle and stung with the combination of being tired and the warmth of the fireplace. She stretched out her body and relished in the wonderful feeling of muscles been pulled in all the right ways after having been immobile for such a long while, before snuggling back down amongst the cushions and resuming her reading. It wasn't until she realised that she had read the same sentence three times, that perhaps she should rest her eyes for a moment. No sooner had her eyes closed, than did the door to the common room swing open, making her jump in the process.

"Gosh, make a girl jump, why don't you?! What on earth are you doing out at this hour and on a school night?" Hermione scolded when she laid eyes on James and Remus, both of whom simply looked at her with expressions of amusement as she perched on the edge of the sofa, hands on hips.

"Rounds, that's what. And what about you? Awful late to be sitting down here on a school night," said James narrowing his eyes at her mimicking her own words.

Hermione cleared her throat and ignored his question, unwilling to share her reasons for still being up at such an hour. "Rounds finished ages ago."

"Nice save there," teased James. "Yes, they did, however the mess that was created by a couple of fourth years remained and we had to supervise the clean-up. I still don't know what they were trying to achieve." He said shrugging off his outer robes and making his way to the staircase. "You coming up Moony?" he asked over his shoulder, fully knowing that his friend would choose to stay behind with the witch.

"I'll be up in a bit," James smiled and, after a nod goodnight to both, ascended the stairs.

Remus walked over towards Hermione's spot and took the seat opposite her, resting his long legs up on the table between them and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. He allowed his eyes to roam over Hermione sensing that something wasn't quite right. She looked worried and tired, her poor lip would be ruined if she kept chewing at it as she was, and the circulation in her fingers was sure to be cut off with the amount she was ringing them. He had never seen her so troubled.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

He waited patiently as Hermione hesitated for a moment toying with her thoughts, before sighing deeply and looking him in the eyes. "Severus can't make it tonight," she whispered.

Remus was by her side in moments, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulling her closely into his chest. "That's why you're still up?" she didn't say anything but he felt her nod against him. Unable to help himself Remus placed a kiss into her hair, inhaling her scent as he did so, the smell of parchment, ink and books warming him instantly. He didn't think about his actions as he released Hermione and positioned himself down on the sofa, pulling her down into his arms once he was comfortable and tucking her underneath his chin, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She was a perfect fit.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione, tilting her head to look up into his eye as she lay next to him on the chair.

"Helping you. You can't stay up all night, you'll be exhausted. And I doubt Wilkes would be quite so understanding if he hears I have been in your room with you. So this? This is the best I can offer." His heart skipped when he felt her arms snake around his own waist and hold him tightly, nuzzling into his chest and inhaling deeply, before relaxing into him even more.

"Thank you." He heard her mumble sleepily.

"My pleasure," Remus replied as he stroked her hair gently until her breathing evened out and she had fallen into a deep sleep. If he could stay like this always, then he would do so in a heartbeat, he still couldn't believe just how at peace he felt when she was cradled in his arms, or how at ease Moony was. He had never known the wolf to be so content before.

His own eyes began to feel heavy and the next thing Remus remembered was waking up as the light warm morning sun began to shine through the window of the common room. As carefully as he could, he maneuvered the two of them so that he could position her in his arms, and carried her up towards her room. Whispering the password he had heard her mumble far too many times, he pushed open her door and walked slowly over towards her bed, laying her down on to her pillow and pulling up the blanket that rested at the end of the bed.

Unable to help himself he pushed back her hair from her face and leant forward, placing a feather light kiss upon her forehead. His heart swelled when a sleepy murmur came from her lips, "Mine."

October 21st 1977 - 7 Months and 20 Days.

It seemed that October had made its mind up to be an utterly foul month indeed as the near gale force winds and icy rain pelted down for the fifth day consecutively, the severity of the weather even seemed to have put a halt to all quidditch training, putting many of the lads in a rather miserable mood. Especially the Gryffindor's - they certainly did not do well being cooped up day after day. They were like a bunch of crup pups, in need of constant stimulation and simply searching for something new to play with and destroy. Being restricted to confined spaces seemed to be bringing out the disruptive side of them more so than was normal. If they had been the small magical canine, they would be chewing shoes and piddling on the carpet for attention.

Hermione patiently stood against the wall outside of their Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, watching disapprovingly as the Gryffindor wizards called out crass joke after crass joke, most of which were far more disgusting than funny. Sirius and James forever the ringleaders, were becoming even more ridiculous until the topic of conversation turned to that of the upcoming ball. Somehow this seemed like an even worse topic of conversation for Hermione, who was dreading the whole affair so much. Holding back a groan the witch rummaged around in her bag for a book to keep her distracted from the unappealing chatter going on around her.

"Oi! Kitten!" Hermione huffed in frustration as she halted her search and looked up towards Sirius with a scowl.

"Sirius, what can I help you with?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Now don't give me a look like that, I am simply trying to make you an offer you can't refuse."

"Is that so?" Hermione said a slight smile forming on her lips when she felt Killian slide beside her and wrap his arm around her waist.

"Should I ask?" Killian whispered into her ear.

"Possibly not, though I'm not sure yet. Come on then, Sirius, what is this offer?"

"I doubt it's that great an offer, considering who's making it," came the low baritone voice of Severus from a little way down the corridor. Sirius's face distorted with a look of aggravation and disgust, yet he simply sneered at the Slytherin and held his tongue.

"My offer," Sirius began, once he had control over his anger, "Is that you can escort our dear Moony over here to the ball." Hermione looked at Sirius blankly, thoroughly confused as to where he was taking this conversation, especially since her boyfriend was standing right beside her. The hand wrapped around her waist tightened slightly, and she cast a glance to Killian, his face, like most Snakes, was void of emotion, but if the way he clung on to her was any indicator, he wasn't happy with Sirius's offer.

Then she caught sight of Remus, who in his own right looked mortified at what his friend was saying, eyes wide and his eyebrows disappearing into this hairline. "Sirius, what the hell? Shut it, will you?!" said Remus, quickly sending Hermione and Killian a very apologetic look at the same time.

"Oh, hush Moony. They know I'm only joking," said Sirius with a wave of his hand.

"Quite the rib tickler wasn't it?" came that signature drawl once more.

Sirius pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and took a step forward. "Nobody asked you, Snivellus," Hermione closed her eyes slowly in hopes to calm herself down, she had warned him about using that name again. Severus simply just looked at Sirius as though he was a ridiculous child (which in some ways he was) and said nothing, just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"And who are you taking to the ball, Snivellus?" Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"Sirius," warned James, Remus and Hermione all at once.

"No, go on, Snivellus. Who is the lucky one going with you?" Hermione could feel her anger building the more and more Sirius continued to goad Severus. She didn't care if being cooped up was starting to agitate him; it was no excuse to act like a complete arse. Severus, however didn't do or say anything to encourage the frustrated Gryffindor, he simply stood there: eyebrow raised, a slight curl to his lip, as he listened to Sirius ramble on.

"No, I doubt anyone wanted to go with you -"

"Sirius, Stop it. Now," warned James, concern lacing his voice and a worried glint in his eye.

"No one, would want to go with a greasy, scrawny bat like you," Sirius continued ignoring his friends protest or the way the students in the corridor had fallen silent trying to listen to what was going on.

"I recall you didn't seem to mind my scrawny form when you so openly gawped in Potions," said Severus, that curl in his lip twitching into a smirk as Sirius' eyes widened and his nostrils flared in anger at the statement.

"It sounds as though you wished I had been looking. Is our little Snivellus that way inclined?" Sirius dropped his voice to almost a whisper. "Is Snivellus a faggot?" with one swift movement Hermione's wand took a position against Sirius' neck, in a way it hadn't been for some time. Her breath was heaving, her hair cackling with anger and her eyes were filled with a fierce rage. The moment her eyes meet Sirius', his own widened in horror at what he had said, at what had come over him.

"I-I..." was all he managed to get out before Hermione interrupted.

"There is no excuse for your disgusting behaviour-"

"What on earth is going on here?! Miss Granger drop your wand this instant. If there is an issue here, we shall sort it out in class. All of you, inside. Now." McMarkus' voice boomed from down the corridor and with a slight flick of his wrist the door to the classroom flung open and in they scurried. "Mister Black, Miss Granger, to the front of the class, please."

Hermione scowled fiercely at Sirius as the class was ushered in quickly and smiled inwardly when he held his head low clearly embarrassed by his own behaviour. Too right, you should be. Professor McMarkus simply gave the two of them a look which read 'behave like idiots, you'll get treated like idiots' as he pointed to the front of the class, indicating where they were to go and followed them closely behind. He flung off his long teaching robe on to his desk, and leaned against it. Crossing his arms, the professor was clearly thinking about an appropriate punishment for the two of them.

There was a silence that felt as though it lasted a lifetime whilst Hermione and Sirius stood waiting for their Professor to speak, both fidgeting slightly under the stare of the class as they waited for him to finally inform them of their fate.

Finally satisfied, he pushed himself away from the rich mahogany and took three purposeful strides towards them, finger pointed in their direction. "I do not care to know what that display was about -"

"Si-"

"No, Mister Black," snapped Professor McMarkus. "I don't want to hear it. Whatever it was must have been worthy of Miss Granger's reaction. However I will not tolerate such behaviour from either of you, and certainly not the fact that you still raised your wand with clear intent to threaten, Miss Granger, against another student, which is strictly prohibited. Ten points from Gryffindor for both of you," neither one of them protested the fact at all, both quite surprised just how lightly they were getting off. "And -" well maybe not, "The two of you are going to duel one another. Now."

"Quiet!" bellowed Professor McMarkus as the classroom naturally filled with excited chatter. He turned slowly to face Hermione and Sirius once more, and a rather sly cocky smile crept on to his lips. "However," he began, "This will not be an ordinary duel," both Hermione and Sirius' brows creased in confusion.

"There will be no defensive spells allowed, so no blocking or shields of any sort -"

"But Sir that's -" interrupted Hermione, yet Professor McMarkus simply ignored her and continued.

"There will also be no traditional duelling spells cast please, no Stupify, no Confundus charms, nothing like that." The whole class now was looking at him as though he had lost his mind.

"But, Sir, how can they duel, then?" asked a Slytherin girl Hermione didn't recognise, from the back of the class. She felt her eyes widen when that smile only increased on her Professor's face.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, Miss Farley. These two seem to believe that it is acceptable to behave like children, so they shall fight like children. Mister Black, Miss Granger. The two of you are only permitted to use childish jinxes and hexes on one another; anything above a third year level will win the other an instant victory. I do hope that you two are creative, there are only so many Jelly-Leg Jinxes one can cast." Hermione cast a quick glance out in the direction of the class, all of whom looked thoroughly excited by the prospect of this duel. She couldn't help but smile at the look both James and Remus were giving Sirius, one that simply read 'You only have yourself to blame'.

"So are the two of you ready?"

"Yes, Sir," chimed Hermione and Sirius. Their Professor signalled for the two of them to take their positions before clearly shouting out, "Begin!"

Within seconds the two of them flung the first spell they could think of at each other that came under Professor McMarkus' criteria, which didn't bode well for either of them. Though it was merely seconds, both Sirius and Hermione took longer than they should have to think of their first incantation, resulting in the two of them being hit with a rather unimaginative Jelly-Legs Jinx.

"Oh, come off it, you two. I know you can do better than that," goaded their Professor. Cancelling the spells quickly they were both back on their feet within moments, Hermione flinging a quick Pimple Jinx at Sirius grinning broadly when it skimmed his chin causing it to break out in rather hideous boils.

His eyes went wide when his hand came up to feel the damage and one of the heinous pustules popped in his hand. "Oh, this is on, witch!" he cried out shooting a Tickling hex her way, laughing loudly when she darted to avoid it, only to have it graze her bottom and make her wiggle in a rather unattractive way.

The class was in fits as spell after spell was flung between the two Gryffindor's, even Severus couldn't hold back his own laughter when Hermione hit Sirius with a Hair Loss Curse around the front of his head, making both his eyebrows quite literally fall from his face and his hair line to join them there on the floor.

Sirius flicked his wand, his eyes narrowing in revenge. "Aguamenti," Hermione coughed and spluttered as she was doused in water head to toe and boiled with anger as she wiped her eyes, then she clocked what he was doing when she heard him mumble a quick drying spell.

"No don't you dare," she cried out, her eye pleading with him as he finished with a simple flick. The room howled, like a pack of wild dogs, when Hermione's hair fluffed up so much it surrounded her head as though it were truly a lion's mane. She stood there burning with rage; she could take a lot, a hell of a lot. But people laughing at her unruly curls was something she had always had in her life and was one thing she still struggled with now. It was hard enough to control the curly frizz to the state it was in most days without having Sirius tamper with it in such a way.

The Black heir suddenly knew he had pushed her slightly too far by the look of murder that seemed to be glinting in her eyes, and the way her nostrils were flared as her chest heaved. The two of them were quite the sight it was safe to say, Sirius standing there now in panic, eyes wider than was humanly possible, boils all over his chin, both eyebrows and the front of his hairline missing making him look utterly ridiculous. Then there was Hermione who was soaked from the neck down with her hair so large and fluffy you could just about make out the clear angry features of her face and her hips still twitching every once in a while from the remnants of the Tickling Hex.

"Come on Kitten, it's all in jest. Just like earlier, just like what I said outside about Snivellus." He shouldn't have said that, he really shouldn't have said that. What an idiot, he thought to himself, by the way her hair was now fizzing with magic, he could tell that not only had he managed to remind her of why they were in this predicament in the first place, but once more he had clearly insulted the boy who, it seemed, was her best friend. Shit.

"What a bloody idiot," mumbled James to Remus, who agreed shaking his head in disbelief.

Hermione didn't break eye contact as she lifted her wand towards Sirius and with a intricate wave of her wrist she let two words fall from her mouth that no one could have predicted, even Professor McMarkus let out a cough of surprise with the rest of the class.

"Voluptatus vertuntur," the way Sirius eyes all but bulged out of his was quite the sight indeed, not to mention the gasp from the students as the wizard doubled over, falling to his knees, hands kneading his crotch as though it would help him in some way overcome what was happening.

James, Remus and Peter couldn't help the girlish giggles from escaping as they tried their hardest to control themselves, but all to no avail as a wanton moan left Sirius' mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, before he slumped forward further trying to get a firm grasp on his wand and aim it towards himself as another cry of pleasure left his lips. Hermione stood there as calmly as ever, though inside her mind she was completely justifying what she had just done. She had just cast a constant pleasure jinx on the wizard. Sirius right now was on his knees crying out as he quite literally came over and over again whilst he tried his best to cast a finite.

"Fin-Fin. . . Oh gods . . . Finite In-incantatem," he finally managed as he gasped for breath and sunk to the floor, he didn't move as Hermione walked up to him and bent low enough to whisper in his ear.

"Don't you ever call him that again, either of those words in fact. His name is Severus, remember it." He nodded furiously.

"Mister Black, I think it might be best that you go see Madam Pomfrey for those boils and your hair, plus I think . . . perhaps you might like a moment to go and clean yourself up?"

"Yes, Sir," Sirius managed shakily as he got to his feet and slowly smirking to the class. "I sound good, don't I?" he asked so casually that once more the class filled with raucous laughter.