It was the first day of the second term and the whole of Hogwarts had their heads turned towards the Gryffindor table. Their eyes fixed on the Head girl who was leaning very comfortably into the Quidditch captain.
Even the teachers were mystified to see Lily and James talking and laughing and actually kissing and not a soul could fathom what had happened during the vacation to change things so drastically because the last they saw this duo, it had been Lily hexing James for proclaiming loudly that he hated holidays because it meant he had to stay away from her.
Marlene and Dorcas along with Sirius were planning exactly what sort of elaborate rumor they could spread to explain the over night changes. Lily though did not care and gave them a free reign to say what they wanted and James was more than excited listening to all the possibilities. Remus and Alice were trying hard to not smack their heads at some of the more absurd ideas presented.
Hermione however was discreetly eyeing one particular person's reaction to the flash news of the day. The thin, greasy haired, hook nosed Slytherin was sitting alone in his house table, his eyes fixed on Lily's as if trying to read the truth right out of her mind.
Many a time she had wondered exactly how to deal with Snape, she knew she owed him a better life than the one he had lived during her time. Sure he had been despicable to her and Harry and downright horrible to Neville but his love for Lily redeemed most of his crimes and she wanted to at least ensure that the two were friends.
Half way through her thoughts, the owls flew in with the morning mails and much to her surprise one came flying directly to her. She wore the same look of utter surprise as all her friends, but the look quickly turned into one of Horror as they realized that it was in reality a smoking Howler.
"RUN!" Marlene urged immediately.
Hermione however calmly reached out to open it herself, having a fair idea who it was from seeing that she could recognize that particular family crest anywhere.
"Everyone is going to be able to hear her anyway" Hermione said with no real emotion. One she had a fair idea what the woman would say, two she had heard the woman scream at all odd times of the day to actually mind it much and three even if she did run, it would explode by the time she reached the entrance and the whole school was still going to hear.
"Who?" Alice asked in a horrified whisper, none of them really noticing the crest as they waited in silence for it to explode on its own, which was any second now. Three. Two. And One…
"NO MUDBLOOD LIKE YOU WILL EVER BE ALLOWED TO WEAR THE PROUD NAME OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACKS, THE DIRECT HEIRS OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN! A FAMILY THAT HAS EIGHTEEN CENTURIES OF PUREBLOODS WILL NOT BE TAINTED! THE DISGRACE TO OUR FAMILY NAME WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!" Walburga Black's screech echoed through the hall.
When she was done and the Howler had burst into flames, the whole hall was deadly silent. Even the teachers did not seem to know what to say and McGonagall was staring tight lipped at Hermione, while the rest of the hall looked towards them in a horrified silence. Most of her friends, Hermione noticed were pale and Sirius was positively ashen.
None of them were really ready to even meet her eye and she sighed, looking instead towards the Slytherin table where Regulus Black sat, his eyes fixed on her but his face other wise emotionless.
"I'd like to see her stop me!" Hermione said looking directly into the younger Black's eye. A look of momentary surprise crossed his face before he reined it in, But Hermione had achieved what she wanted and she turned towards Sirius instead.
"Are you okay?" She asked him softly, taking his hand and squeezing it slightly.
His head snapped towards her and his eyes were burning with unrestrained emotion. He seemed to be searching for something and whatever he found turned his expression more venomous as he stood up and walked away without another word.
Every single person in the great hall watched him walk out, the hushed whispers beginning almost immediately after that. No one around her had the guts to say anything though and they all stared at their plates in absolute silence.
"James? Do you mind checking on him?" Hermione asked after five minutes of silence. He looked up, his eyes pained as he met hers.
"Will you be okay?" He asked in a slightly choked voice.
"Walburga Black doesn't scare me if that is what you are asking" Hermione stated calmly.
"Mione, honesty please. Will you be okay?" James asked seriously.
"I am fine James. I admit it's my first Howler ever but it's not the first time I've heard that kind of screeching. Trust me. I really am fine. Now please go check on him" She said, her voice steady and her eyes sincere as she answered him. He nodded once before slipping out of his seat and following his brother out.
A few more minutes of silence later, they all decided that none of them were hungry and left the great hall. The minute they were out of the general public, Dorcas couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I'm sending her one in return!" She said heatedly.
"You will not" Hermione answered.
"I'll be damned if I listen to you!" Dorcas argued.
"I'll help" Marlene volunteered and even Lily, Remus and Alice had no objections.
"I am with Sirius regardless of what she has to say" Hermione replied with a shrug.
"That's right; you do not have to care about Aunt Walburga. Sirius and her have a habit of differing in their opinions" A soft dreamy voice came from behind them.
The Gryffindors spun around towards the Blonde Ravenclaw, her reference to the woman as an aunt getting under their skin. Hermione however simply gave her friend a warm smile and a hug in greeting.
"How was Christmas?" She asked completely ignoring her frustrated friends.
"Pleasant. Aunt didn't really sound this way then you see" The girl said easily
"I'm glad you had a nice time" Hermione told her, smiling warmly.
"Anyway I came here to ask if he passed your test?" Evanna asked about Regulus.
"You noticed! Looks like it, I was positive I saw surprise and nothing else but what did you think?" Hermione asked, amazed that the girl hadn't missed the brief exchange - if it could be called that - with the younger Black.
"I saw surprise too. I'm glad he passed, has been failing miserably every other time" Evanna told her, in her own way letting Hermione know that she had been watching the boy through the holidays.
Before Hermione could bring herself to reply she heard the head of her house call out to her. Evanna waved before turning away and leaving while Hermione walked towards McGonagall instead.
"Miss Granger are you-?" the woman began to ask.
"I'm fine professor" She said, sighing when she noticed that the woman wasn't really buying it. "I swear professor; it isn't really new if you know what I'm saying"
McGonagall looked surprised before she nodded, understanding exactly what Hermione meant and turning towards her friends instead.
"Well then I see no reason why you lot are still not in your classes?" The woman said. Instantly all the teenagers scrambled back to their classes, a grim looking James following them in. They watched as he had a quick word with the professor before slipping into his seat silently.
SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHG SBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSBHGSB
"Not a word" Remus sighed as he returned to the common room where all his friends were seated.
None of them had really seen Sirius after the morning's fiasco. He had locked himself into their dorm, effectively preventing even James and Remus from entering and had missed all his lessons, Quidditch practice and even food. They had all tried to get a word in, but there never was any reply except when he snapped at a very persistent James to leave him alone.
"That is it. I'm going" Hermione said finally standing up. They all looked rather nervous as they tried to find a valid reason to stop her.
"He need time alone Mione" Alice said softly.
"To brood and wallow in self pity? He has had enough of that" Hermione replied easily as she made to move towards the staircase that led to the boy's dorm.
"Hermione No…just no…" James warned, quickly coming to stand in her way.
"Oh just come along if you do not trust me" She snapped and with that she dragged the marauder along and went upstairs.
Drawing her wand and quickly casting a silencing charm and a few other wards to keep the others out, Hermione knocked at the door. When she had no real reply, she continued to keep knocking.
"Sirius?" She called softly but there was still no reply and James began motioning for them to leave.
"You at least owe me an apology. Open the damn door" Hermione called, directing her annoyance at James towards Sirius. The messy haired marauder's jaw dropped but before he could say a word, the door opened and Sirius was standing there, his eyes bloodshot and his hair dishelved.
Hermione instantly flung herself at him, pulling him down into a soft kiss. Sirius however did not respond and even his hands stayed fisted by his hand.
"Okay now that was offending" She told him playfully, breaking the kiss but having her arms around his neck. He simply turned away from her, though he couldn't really begin to try and push her away.
"Love I really do not-" Hermione began to say but Sirius was glaring at her.
"If you value my sanity you will not finish that sentence" He growled quietly.
"It is not your fault Sirius" Hermione said instead, even as she pushed him gently into the room and motioned for James to enter and close the door. He simply ground his teeth and sunk into his bed. She glared meaningfully at James who quickly continued.
"She's right mate. You can't blame yourself for this" He said nodding vigorously.
"Oh really? Who kissed her in the station specifically to taunt Walburga?" Sirius bit back, his eyes furious as he glared between the two of them.
"You've kissed me at every given chance and she was bound to see us sometime" Hermione pointed out
"And even if she didn't, the rumors would have reached eventually" James added.
"DID ANY OF YOU EVEN LISTEN TO HER? DID YOU NOT HEAR HER WARNING? BLACKS DO NOT SEND THREATS UNLESS THEY ABSOLUTELY INTEND TO CARRY IT OUT!" Sirius yelled, finally letting it all out of his system.
"So what? You want me to stay away from you? Help you find a pureblood worthy of carrying the Black name?" Hermione asked coolly from her perch opposite him.
"If you have any dreams of a future then yes, you'll stay away" Sirius snapped.
"I can tell you my whole damned future if you want me to" Hermione snapped back before calming down.
"Sirius, hear me out love. They cannot even dream of touching me. No, don't look at me like that, I'm not being over confident– just listen. I'm too valuable to the order, to Dumbledore for me to ever be in danger. They cannot reach me. Merlin knows they'll try. Not because I'm a threat to destroying the purity of the Slytherin line, but because of who I am. They are going to come after me anyway so to me it is just another empty threat" Hermione told him softly, by now kneeling by his bed and holding his hand.
The handsome marauder looked away, his eyes refusing to meet hers. Hermione took his hand in hers and kissed it softly. When he still made no move to look at her, she reached forward and cupped his face, forcing him to turn towards her.
"Look at me Sirius" She told him quietly and moments later he opened his eyes.
"This isn't the last we are hearing from your mother and People are going to keep insulting me. I can stand up against them, I can fight. But I need you by my side. I need you to stay with me Sirius. I can't have you walking out like this. I need you because I cannot fight alone. Not against your mother. Not against Bellatrix or Voldemort or anyone. I cannot fight the world without you by my side. Do not walk out on me Sirius" She told him, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
Sirius was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on hers and when he saw the tears well up in the soft brown eyes, he couldn't hold out anymore. In one sweeping motion, he pulled her up and into his lap, kissing her softly. James watched for a second before realizing that the storm had passed. Noiselessly he walked out and shut the door behind him, leaving anything else there was to say, to be said through the single kiss.