Touched Your Lips
by Ydream08
Chapter 20
It was a good thing that Hermione was a good planner. She loved being organised and especially to plan ahead. That's why, even though she didn't hear from Orion for the entire week about the Italy trip he had mentioned, Hermione was ready, when she finally received an owl on friday morning, stating that he would pick her up in an hour.
It wasn't like she had packed everything in the mansion. She had never truly settled here, anyway. Funny thing was, that even though she wouldn't be going anywhere any moment (especially back to her own time), she didn't wish to reside here in the Dagworth-Granger mansion permanently. Hermione knew she should not think like that, because she believed that thoughts attracted real events, but she couldn't help but think that someone would come and expose her for the fraud she was. Not necessarily the time-traveller bit, but being outed as an imposter to the pureblood Dagworth-Granger family would be a disaster.
A high-profile Muggleborn at the height of the first wizarding war! One that had made society believe she was a Pureblood as well. An imposter. Need they more reason to point wands at her?
Thankfully, that wouldn't happen anytime soon. Still, it didn't change the fact that Hermione was simply a passerby. She would always be Hermione Granger.
If she needed any proof, her charmed clutch bag that hung at her hip was one. All her belongings were packed inside like the good old days. Of course, this bag was a new one. A gift from dear Lucius for his improper behaviour when she was occupied in their dungeons. But it served the purpose very much like the one she'd had on the hunt. This one only looked more classy and exponentially more expensive. Nevermind that, she had packed clothes, books, healing potions, even a tent just in case, and the rest of the necessities.
It was more than enough for a weekend trip to Italy.
Thinking about their trip, Hermione sensed the welcome shift in the wards that alerted to the arrival of one Orion Black.
Footsteps chased away the dormant silence of her mansion. As if on cue, the singing of a singular bird drifted from the window; an oddity in late autumn regardless of the unusually sunny day.
The door of the library opened, and just like that, it no longer felt dreary and lonely.
Book open in front of her, Hermione lifted her head to meet Orion's eyes. The grin seemed to be permanent on his handsome face as he made his way to her and his tall steps accentuated the perfect fit of his dashing robes. Godric, he was a treat to sore eyes!
"Miss Dagworth-Granger."
Hermione swore that his voice echoed in the library; how could a voice be so clear and resonating, she did not know. She shivered, a smile of her own appearing out of nowhere.
Orion stopped next to her, placing one hand on the table and the other on the back of her chair. He looked over her shoulder at the open book. Quirking his brows at the recipe book, "Cook without a Book, A GUIDE " (Hermione had come by that one and been merely curious), he smirked further.
"I find you with a new interest every time I see you," he commented.
"Oh, you do? Did you think I was a witch only interested in academics, teaching your son and wanting to open a school?" she egged on. Her amusement was reflected in the sparkle of his eyes.
"Interested in academics and in a respectable wizard who is tall, handsome and…" He stared at her lips, drawing nearer. "...bewitched by your surreal allure."
"Not wrong, Lord Black," she whispered to his lips. Honestly, it took all her willpower to play along and not kiss him this very moment. "But I am always set to surprise you."
Whatever he wanted to say next, he did not get a chance to, as Hermione decided waiting was for the fool. She was weak to his attention.
His tongue tasted sweet and his movements were languid, and the more it ignited the fire in her belly, the fiercer she responded to the kiss. Her moan when he dipped to her neck was amplified in the vast library as was his sigh, and she could not think it to be anything else but arousing. Merlin, she felt so wanton when it came to this man!
"Orion," she whispered his name.
"Yes, my witch, do you want me?" Then he was kissing her again, and yes, she wanted him. Wanted him desperately.
Hermione snaked her arms over his shoulders, trying to have him closer, and next, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to her feet. She was already pressed to his frame, the heat of their closeness burning her from head to toe, but she knew this was not enough by any chance.
As if he had read her thoughts, Orion pushed her back on the table and continued his assault of her mouth, with Hermione leaning over an inch closer to the wooden surface every moment. The rustling of the pages of her book as she nearly sat on it did not even make her cringe, so lost was she to Orion.
They parted for air, but Orion did not rest as his seeking lips found a trail from her neck to her chest. He kissed till the bared dip of her shirt, then slowly descended to kneel and reach for the buttons of her jeans.
Her breath hitched at his feather like touch over her open midriff, and she could swear that her heart was pounding in her ears when he looked up and smirked at her right before kissing the exposed skin there. The obvious release of the button and zipper of her jeans happened purposefully at the same time he nipped at her flesh.
Hermione gasped, her hands instinctively reaching for his hair, and the motion apparently made him merry as she felt his lips stretch into a smile over her skin.
He didn't look up again as he delicately pulled down her jeans and kissed his way down her legs before kissing right back up again.
"Oh, Orion…" Hermione moaned as his hands traveled up her thighs and parted them for him.
Half-sitting on the table, Hermione secured herself better by clutching at the edges when Orion positioned her left leg over his shoulder.
"Yes, Hermione?" He looked at her now. Would she come because of his darkened gaze or his hot breath on her cunt, Hermione didn't know.
"Let me tell you, as you seem to fall short of words, that I missed you." Orion spoke, his voice deep and husky.
"I missed your smell," He breathed her in deep, momentarily closing his eyes. "I missed your touch," His hands on her thighs tightened. "And I missed your taste."
His sudden latch on her clit (a wet catch over her knickers) was unexpected and Hermione shrieked. That made him chuckle.
She had thrown her head back so she didn't see his smoking glance, but she subsequently felt him slide her small knickers aside. Why he hadn't removed the black garments along with her jeans, she didn't know.
Hermione stopped to reason when his tongue swept over the folds of her wet pussy, and for the next minutes all she could do was to feel.
"Mmm, yes...Orion...that...oh, wow...Godric...that feels...ahh…oh!"
She miraculously registered that he switched his tongue with his fingers, and Orion now stood up, toying with the flesh above her breast. He squeezed that globe over her shirt, but didn't seem inclined to shed her top. Hermione hardly cared as he pumped his fingers into her in a delicious rhythm. She wanted to kiss him, show him how much she liked him playing with her cunt.
Orion welcomed her tongue in his mouth, and he slowed his attention down at her sex to reciprocate Hermione's enthusiastic assault of his mouth. Hermione whined. Yes, of course kissing was nice, but slowing down altogether was the last thing she wanted!
The noise of the release of a belt buckle escaped Hermione's notice, but she bloody well felt the intrusion when Orion pressed into her in one swift thrust. She gasped at being filled all of a sudden, but it didn't last long as Orion set a fast pace.
Hermione was short of breath as Orion's grunts came to her ears. He grasped her hips to move better, and leaned over to capture her lips. All were quick kisses, varying down to her chest, but Hermione hardly focused on those as she was deliciously lost in their coupling.
Her near-climax from his tongue and fingers picked up its climb again. His guttural voice every time he entered her, the smack of their bodies and the crinkling of the book underneath her combined with all the noises they made, were amplifiers to the sensation of his cock filling her up and forcing her walls to send the familiar electrifying stimuli to her brain.
This was what Hermione needed, and she was gobsmacked she had been without it for so long.
The young witch looked one last time at Orion, his eyes closed, expression pinched, sweat trailing his brows as his greyish-black hair hung to his face, and her own eyes rolled back in pleasure upon resetting of her body altogether.
It was like a dream as she felt Orion last a few more thrusts and release his own pleasure into her. With that the perfection of warmth and euphoria persisted; him still inside her and his head resting by her neck, her own arms around his wide shoulders and hands playing with his hair.
"I missed you, too," Hermione whispered into his ear. His stirring made her shudder, but he only slightly moved to rest his forehead against hers.
"I'm glad the message came across." His smirk was utterly devilish. "And here I was worried that you just wanted me for my fortune."
Hermione snorted. Whatever the hell they had between them, money had never been a contributor. It must be an ego thing, for men to mention income with woman.
"Let's cancel the Italy trip you insisted we go on, and I will show you how much I missed you here in my modest mansion. Honestly, even just in the bedroom and kitchen." Hermione captured his lips to wipe off that self-satisfied smirk. It had only seemed to get wider. "And maybe the living room, or the garden, if you want a change of scenery. But really, I can make do with everything, and everywhere."
Orion barked a laughter. She cracked a smile, too.
"Well said." He kissed the top of her head. "And regardless of how tempting that sounds, I want to show off my hotel back in Italy. It is a special one, with it being the first foreign investment of mine. I was twenty-five. So, yes, I would like to take you there, ravish you in my suite that looks at the Mediterranean Sea, and impress you beyond measure so you will never leave me."
She was kissed again, a chaste one, and she couldn't help but giggle at Orion's obvious ardour.
"A Slytherin plan, but very-uncharacteristic for you to be confessing it to me...this master plan of yours," Hermione teased. Orion was indeed free with his thoughts. Always had been. He was also quite adamant to know her thoughts and share their minds equally. That was a trait she liked about him.
"I wouldn't insult your intelligence," he started to say which immediately made her blush. He smiled and brushed a strand of her hair away. "By saying that you didn't know my plan from the start."
Well, call her stupid, Hermione had not known that. Recalling the 'never leave' him bit, Merlin was witness to her shock.
She tried not to show it, but before she could gather whether Orion had bought it, he was removing his person from her and tidying up his clothes.
Following his cue, she reached for her pants when he spoke. "Oh, look at the time! Two minutes left for our portkey."
"What?" she shrieked. Damn lucky that she now pulled up her pants and was buttoning them.
"Are you ready?" he asked and was met with a scowl from her. "One minute left."
"Great, so we could have missed it," she sighed, but focused on a few spells that would tidy up the library.
"Leave the planning to me, Hermione, and you'll see we won't be missing anything."
Hermione only had enough time to roll her eyes, mutter an audible, "One minute means poor planning to me," while she grabbed her clutch, then they were gone.
Their arrival at Melania Hotel, Genoa, was swift and surprisingly welcome in an ordinary level. Hermione slightly expected an uproar, or at least a more attentive welcome with a few more hotel administrative employees, but it was quiet. Might have been because Orion had not visited the front desk to register in. Not that anybody asked their business as they were walking up to the lifts.
"This is a Muggle establishment," Orion explained once they were in the lift, though she had not asked anything. "Portkeys and Apparitions are accepted in a special lounge, and its security is kept by a wizard. One of the personnel in the front desk is a Squib, a requirement of the hotel rules so that one person could survey that lounge. The registers of all visitors are done conjointly."
As their lift stopped, and they walked out of it to head for their room, Hermione chose her words carefully for her next question. "Why isn't there a separate register? Wouldn't visitors, some of them at least, request to have nothing to do with the common entrance?"
"Not a conflict I have yet faced. You see, this is not the only hotel I own in Italy. I have two more, one in Rome and other in Naples. This one, as I said," Orion closed the suite door behind them. "is a Muggle establishment. The lounge accepting magical people was set up just in case, but we never have any wizard or witches here."
Hermione looked around the room, the colour scheme and interior design were nearly identical to the one in London. "You said this was your first foreign investment, didn't you?"
Orion Black was a man of surprises if that were the case. Investing in a Muggle establishment? All those years back even. And, he had brought her here and not to the other two hotels, which meant a big deal. On the other hand, this must have been the most convenient option as he might have wanted discretion for their arrangement.
"How? There is the Statue of Secrecy, and aren't the pureblood families opposed to fraternizing with Muggles?" Hermione asked, focusing on what was important.
"I'm not bedding a Muggle, Hermione. This is business, and money is money. No matter how some might say it is filthy money, I do not share that sentiment. This is an honorable establishment, targeted to those Muggles who can afford it. So, Goblins are happy with fresh gold entering their bank and I am happy with my vaults.
"Indeed, stepping into the Muggle territory was the wisest decision of my life, regardless of the risk. Nobody knew my endeavours, so no competition from any wizards and no one to trip me, so to speak. With a few tricks to renovate the place and a good advertisement campaign, this hotel tripled my investment. I just had to be discreet about it reaching me in magical London; nothing I was unable to handle. Then, of course, I proceeded to expand the business, bought new hotels and also focused on the wizarding aspect," Orion took her hands and ended her lost gaze over the view. "I owe my wealth, aside from what I inherited, and my sanity to that first decision."
She understood his love for his work, but the last bit she wasn't sure what he meant.
"Your sanity?"
"I love the work I do, and with starting my hotel business, I can say I never needed to worry over anything else. I had a goal in life and I worked for that. It made me happy. Still does."
"Oh," Hermione mumbled, thinking over what she knew of the man currently holding her hands affectionately.
He was the Head of the House of Black, the most prominent wizarding family (aside from the Malfoys possibly), and a man who had built up a business from scratch, nevermind that he could have lived off his family's vaults. Hard-working was an understatement for this man who has found achievement and contentment in his work. And only his work; if what Hermione knew of his married family life was anything to go by.
Hermione wasn't entirely sure Orion valued that he was a father to two incredible sons who had both played -would have played, if she had any say in it- an important role in the last fall of the most vile and heinous dark wizard in their history.
There was a disconnection between those two facts, Orion Black's persona as a successful businessman and his fatherhood. He seemed not inclined to acknowledge the fact that he was a father at all. His business seemed the only thing that defined him.
As much as she felt drawn to him, his negligence of the role as a father made her hackles rise.
Hermione wanted to know more about Orion, but not just the life he showed her. Even if he might have issues with his wife, he must be affectionate towards his sons! Their birth, at least, must have made him happy.
Hermione was indeed curious about Orion's relationships with his sons, his understanding of bringing them up and his sense of child discipline in general. Sirius, during his stay with her in the summer, had only mentioned his father in passing and she could tell the young Gryffindor begrudgingly respected him. That she was sure of, after the day Hermione had delivered Sirius to his father on the train platform.
Although she knew Sirius prefered Orion over his mother, it didn't give away much with how awful a person Hermione knew Walburga Black to be.
In the end, Orion did ask about Sirius and his school life from time to time and shared a few things about Regulus too, but now that Hermione thought about it, she had rarely seen either child interact with their father.
Did Orion exchange letters with Sirius and Regulus? Would the children come over to Grimmauld place for Christmas and New Year holidays? Would Orion even be there for that, or would he be celebrating the holidays in one of his business establishments? What about Regulus' birthday? Hermione knew Sirius has had his own in June 18th (had they celebrated it?), but surely Regulus' birthday was about to come.
A touch over her cheek woke her from her wondering, and Hermione focused on the equally thoughtful face of her companion.
"I want to talk with you," Orion confessed but he failed to find the right words as quickly, so fell silent. His thumb travelled over her lips as he pondered over what to say. "I want to talk with you about a few things, important things, that you might help me with."
There was another silence as Orion's demeanor dropped, as if a dark cloud hovered above him.
"Hey," Hermione whispered. Then she tried with a surer voice, "Of course, we can talk. You know I'll do my best to help in whatever way I can. I wouldn't stand by, if anything happened to you."
That last sentence was reminiscent of her time in the war. It was a fact. Hermione Granger never fell short for those she cared about. It was in her nature to go above and beyond.
"That's not…" Orion started to say but his eyes sparked with understanding. He sighed and kissed her forehead. "Let's keep the topic lighter for our first day, but know that I want your input."
Hermione smiled and looked at him insistently, trying to reassure him that everything was fine. Coming here meant a break from their world: Forget about Voldemort and his horcruxes, the odd silence of both Abraxas and Lucius, and especially the two russian wizards after their secret mission. All were left behind in England. Including whatever that Orion was worried about.
Orion leaned over to kiss her, and Hermione was proven right to think that Orion had pushed past any subject that could have hindered their holiday. Their lazy kiss gradually turned into one much more heated, their conjoint sighs morphing into moans that left them hot and yearning.
"Orion, wait, I forgot to tell you," Hermione managed to momentarily halt them. Orion kept kissing wherever he found available, unwilling to give chance for blue thoughts to seep in between them. Hermione continued, "I started on contraceptive potions, but just in case, it is better for you to use the cover spell before…"
The cover spell basically worked like a condom, but was magically enhanced. Hermione had checked if it was around in 70s, and thankfully, it was. And Hermione prayed Orion knew about it, or this conversation could go downhill very quickly.
Orion rose his head to look her in the eye. It looked as if understanding dawned on him a bit later. "You mean… yes, that makes sense. Of course."
There was a pause. Hermione noticed the slight pink to Orion's cheeks as he spoke, "So you say… before… ahem... well… just in case, as you said, would you show the spell before we… I'm out of practice, as you know."
Hermione bit down her lip to prevent a smile and nodded. He gave a curt nod and chose to hide his face in her curly hair to avoid eye contact as Hermione suspected.
She coaxed Orion out of his hiding by kissing him, and those chaste kisses easily turned into an open-mouthed make-out, just as she'd desired.
The moment Hermione's back was pressed against the cold glass door of the balcony, her shiver brought Orion back to the world.
"I would love to continue this," Orion started to say but had to clear his throat to not sound so… affected. "But I promised that we would attend dinner with the manager, and till then I would like to show you around the city first."
"So no distractions?" Hermione asked innocently while her firm grasp over the sides of his waist drew him nearer. "Not even a quick one?"
When Hermione didn't hear a direct opposition, she worked on his cravat, opened his shirt and kissed her way down.
Only the sound of his buckle opening earned a proper answer from Orion: "A quick one would be acceptable."
The last thing Orion wished was to open the topic of his son Sirius, however the days had passed too quickly, stealing every possibility until now. This was Sunday, and evening no less, and his love contently sipped her wine without a clue as to what he would have no choice but to disclose.
Of course, Orion could have chosen to remain silent and take Hermione back to their suite to spend their last night together in Genoa, favourably in the vast tub attached to their suite. Forget about their portkey after dinner; he had a back-up for tomorrow noon. And he could happily sacrifice one or two meetings.
Alas, Orion was in a burning need to obtain an idea of what had transpired between his son and wife, and his son's general discontentment towards him, so he had to man up and talk.
"Do you remember when I said I wanted to talk with you?"
Her amber eyes found his. There was vibrant life behind her sparkling orbs. "Oh, I can't seem to remember. When was it, months ago?"
A slight smile curled his lips, but in fact, he didn't enjoy this teasing. "Pay attention, dear, I wouldn't wish to explain myself if there was no absolute need."
At that, the young witch sat up straight and collected her hands on the table. "Yes?"
He nodded, content at her attention. "Sirius and I never had the easiest bond. You see, I was frequently away when he was a toddler. He was cared for by his mother, a governess and a House-elf, so I never second-guessed whether he had received thorough care."
Hermione's eyes opened a fraction when he finished that bit, and it didn't escape his notice that she bit down her lips to prevent herself from speaking.
That, of course, wouldn't do. "Would you like to intervene?"
"No," she quickly said, shaking her head. Seeing his displeasure at being told a lie, Hermione corrected herself. "I don't want to cut in, because we might get sidetracked. So, yes, I want to say something, but it can wait. You should finish first."
He might have been put out how the last part came out as an order, but he knew Hermione did not mean it that way. He knew his lover enough.
"As I was saying, Sirius had a comfortable childhood. Better, when his letter of acceptance came. Not that we suspected he could ever be a… Squib," Orion had a hard time saying that while talking about his son. It would have been a deep shame if the child was born magicless. Merlin forgive him, Orion might have had to resort to options entirely unsavory. His own father would have expected such a problem to be dealt with in the proper way. Even having a daughter was better than that.
"My life was about my work, those ten years my hotel chain spread worldwide. I had many establishments in various countries, a feat not any Black to this date has achieved but me. Only me. That being said, I was extremely busy. There was my hotel business and my responsibility to my House. It wasn't just about providing an heir. With Sirius, I solved that nuisance for the whole family. But you must understand, my father, Arcturus Black's illness - he has lost his mind, you see, barely remembers any of us in a good day - and my subsequent succession as the Head of family rose a conflict among relatives that took years to settle. And, of course, there was also the threat of Grindelwald rumored to be moving across seas to come to England."
Orion took a large sip of his wine before continuing. This much of the past should be enough. He didn't glance at Hermione to see what her reaction was.
"All that being said, everything was fine. Sirius was accepted to Hogwarts and I had an heir to spare as Regulus had already showed many instances of accidental magic."
After this, Orion couldn't seem to proceed. Had everything gone downhill just because his son had been chosen to Gryffindor by a silly old maggoty hat?
"Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor," Hermione read his thoughts. "That changed everything."
"Didn't change what mattered," Orion shrugged. Nobody had been on the same page with him. "Although I had been angry at the time, now when I look back, I understand how silly it all is. Sirius is magical, he is my son, and that is all that matters."
"What did you do?" Hermione whispered. She didn't sound horrified per se, but she sounded doubtful. She was a smart young woman. Orion had not been so lenient three years ago.
"Back then, I demanded resorting. Hell, I directly demanded they change his house at that very instance. Dumbledore wouldn't budge a muscle, not even for the content of my vaults. Till the last knut, no less. And my threats altogether were...useless."
The woman sighed in defeat, but when Orion looked up at her, there was a defeated smile gracing her lips.
"My…" Orion halted, unsure whether he should mention his wife to the woman he currently fucked. His mistress. That was what Hermione Dagworth-Granger was as long as Orion remained a married man, as he had been reminded of by one nasty Malfoy. "My wife was devastated and in fury. This circumstance truly brought shame to our family. And I think my wife might have been harsh with Sirius."
Hermione's breath hitched and Orion noticed how pale she had gone even in candle light. He proceeded, wanting this to finish as much as she did.
"I don't understand why Sirius never loved his mother. I doubt Walburga is any worse than my own late mother, and I loved her in my own way. Sirius can do the same, but for some reason he will not. There is nothing I can do about that, I'm aware, but all I ask of the boy is to be respectful and act as the etiquette dictates. He is a stubborn little monster, and whenever I see him and his mother in the same room they are like a potion gone wrong. In the house, I close my eyes to it - believe me I don't desire to be in same place as them, even, and thankfully my work is a busy one, so it provides the acceptable excuse - but in public, I could never allow that..."
Orion paused, now came what he wanted Hermione to know: "A few weeks back, Sirius owled me the most resentful and disrespectful letter I've ever read from him! He accused me of failing to put the family first, which is painstakingly false. My life is about upholding the Black name. When I confronted him back at home about it–" Orion saw the confusion over Hermione's face. "–Sirius was at home this Tuesday. I'll come to that.
"When I confronted him, all he said was how much he hates his mother. Apparently he hates me for upholding the family, which includes her. So I… I didn't do anything, but I feel like I should. Of course, I told Sirius off for treating his mother like that, but that's what I've been doing for years, and grounding him occasionally, but that doesn't seem to work… so maybe I should do something else… Merlin I don't even know what..."
"Orion?"
He paused. At her voice, all the wayward thoughts in his mind ceased and scurried away. This was the first time she had intervened. There was the calmness Orion more frequently experienced just before starting a meeting. Lowkey thrill, but mainly anticipation. What was Hermione going to say? That Sirius was just a kid, and that Orion should not overthink such nuisances?
"You said Sirius was at home and since you said this whole thing transpired within a few weeks I will assume this happened after he went to Hogwarts. There has yet to be any holiday breaks, so I want to ask…Why was Sirius at home?"
A couple of heartbeats later, Orion answered. "I don't know. He and his mother told me it was because…" Orion was reminded once again how ridiculous the reason sounded. "One of Walburga's friends, a witch who is a well-known painter, has arrived in London, and Walburga told me she has commissioned her for a family portrait. Sirius was called over to Grimmauld Place to have it done."
Hermione's face contorted with an outrageous scowl, but somehow she remained silent. Orion filled the emptiness with his own thoughts.
"It was a blatant lie. Regulus was back at Hogwarts and I was not notified. I should have been, not just that there was a commision for a family portrait but also for removing Sirius from school. Granting leave to students is not an act Hogwarts takes lightly."
There was another silence in which Hermione stared blankly at the candle flame. Orion was growing uneasy. He had not expected Hermione to turn mute.
SLAM.
Orion's eyes popped open at the ringing of glasses and plates from the force of Hermione's hand, which had come down on the table.
"I will fucking murder that bitch. If she ever touches even a strand of Sirius' hair again, I swear - let this be a fucking magical oath - I swear I will murder her!"
Now her frenzied eyes turned to Orion. "Where is Sirius? Tell me where he is!"
Orion blinked, forcing his thoughts in order, then replied daftly. "School, of course."
What had gotten into Hermione?
With how she was shouting, he was amazed that nobody had heard them. Glancing at the other tables, Orion indeed confirmed not even the closest table was disturbed by their noise. Although, the waiter responsible for them watched them with uneasy eyes.
"Fucking hell! This can't be real! Really, that bitch couldn't have done it…could she? Merlin help me, this can't be the first time! How have the teachers not yet realized...? The woman is taking him from school... And, Orion, how come you..." Hermione suddenly grew silent again.
Her gaze locked with his and there was a sudden shock stricken on her face.
"No, yes… I…" There was the sound of her chair scraping the ground, and next Hermione was standing. "I'm sorry, I have to leave. I lost my appetite."
Orion shot up, and grabbed her wrist as she turned away. "Hermione, wait– what's the matter?"
Hermione looked away, but Orion followed her motion to search for her eyes. She was near tears. A delicate hand rose to close her mouth, but Orion saw how Hermione's eyes fluttered closed. She took deep breaths in.
Reflexively, Orion glanced around to see that at the moment not only the waiter's eyes were on them but the whole room stared, unashamed.
"Let's talk somewhere else," Orion said underneath his breath and led her out.
In August while Sirius was in the Dagworth-Granger Mansion with her, Hermione had suspected that he had been abused. The young marauder was agitable as a teen, more glaringly than the average adolescent wizard. Simple touches like patting him on the back or head, grasping his upper-arm, often elicited an unproportionate response from him. He would startle so easily then, instinctively struggle to put distance between them, especially the first few days he had arrived at her house. And living with him, Hermione had noticed how little Sirius slept and ate.
Of course, Hermione had no chance to bring up such a topic with the young wizard. She had wanted him to be happy during his stay, and a naive part of her desperately wanted her to be wrong.
Sirius Black, the adult she knew from the future, had never openly admitted to the severity of his mother's ill-treatment. Hermione might not be remembering if he ever did, anyway.
This whole thing was a different matter as it unfolded in front of her eyes, a small child of thirteen being mistreated by his caregivers.
And Hermione was not going to sugarcoat the fact that Sirius was not only abused by his mother, but by his father too as Orion's neglect became glaringly obvious and his inappropriate expectations put Sirius in danger.
She couldn't help it. She cried. Cried for the Sirius Black she knew, who had wasted twelve years in Azkaban, who never had a decent childhood, and lived with a family, the people who everyone innately thought should care for you, that never did. Thinking about it, Hermione could understand what being a Marauder meant to him, being James Potter's brother…What being a Gryffindor meant to him.
There had been the Potters who had rescued him from that despicable environment, Hermione knew. But she cried harder at the thought that that rescue would not happen for another three years still.
What Orion had said at the table was a red flag for Hermione. She had sensed something like this coming, had even silenced their conversation magically beforehand, but it hadn't prepared her, however mild or unseen the situation appeared.
In her education as a Healer, Hermione had always been reminded to think of abuse in a case where the family brought a wounded child with a story that never explained the injury. Parents lied. Sometimes they didn't even say a common lie. There were instances like how they say the child fell from the bed on its own for a baby that wouldn't be able to move and turn around yet.
Sure, this was not the emergency department of St. Mungos, nor was there any injured child brought to Hermione's care, but with what she knew of Sirius, Walburga Black's incomprehensible scenario had been enough proof for her. Alarm bells had begun ringing in her head.
Now, as she hiccupped on the sidewalk a hundred meters away from the fancy restaurant they had exited, Hermione willed her mind to calm down.
She wiped her eyes and looked at Orion Black. Hermione was confident that this man, while not cut from the 'perfect father' cloth, would not have allowed such treatment of his child, his heir no less. She didn't know why he hadn't done anything in the original timeline, maybe it had been easier to remain blind to the signs, but this time would be different. Orion cared, Hermione knew as much, he was genuinely concerned for his son. He would not let anyone hurt him.
That did not mean Orion would believe her if Hermione revealed what she knew now.
She had no proof. None whatsoever. The only chance that this could be reported to Aurors would be if the occurrence of Sirius untimely visiting his home was abnormally frequent (with a corresponding odd behaviour, or Merin keep her sane, if, by chance, they found unexplainable injuries in the Hospital Wing upon his return to school), and the teachers at Hogwarts had to be taking initiative with this information.
Deep down, Hermione knew Walburga Black to be smarter than that.
"Hermione, you've been crying for minutes now. You haven't talked at all. I can't disapparate you back to the hotel like this."
Hermione didn't answer. Her nose was clogged. Her brain buzzed. And she wanted to cry more. Maybe kill Walburga first, then cry. She could cry and laugh at the same time.
"The time for our portkey is coming as well," Orion sighed.
Realizing that his voice resonated within her, Hermione's brain provided that she was currently in his arms, head resting on his chest, and hands clutching the front of his Muggle suit.
"I'm sorry that I…"
Orion hushed her, caressing her upper arms as she regrettably distanced herself from him. She must look like a mess.
"I won't press you to talk now," Orion started, gently wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "But I will think about what you said back at the table. I heard you word for word, even if it was not a proper explanation."
He searched her eyes for confirmation. She nodded. He knew. Or at least, he suspected what she had been getting at.
"Now, the portkey." Hermione took his offered hand. "It should take us to my hotel in London. From there, I'll apparate you home."
Orion procured a button. It was simple and wooden. Bigger than those sewn on garments. It looked more like a wheel of a small toy now that Hermione thought about it.
She held the portkey in her wand-hand, and regretted the decision at that very same moment. Constant Vigilance, echoed Moody's words.
When the portkey activated, Hermione knew something was unmistakably very wrong, and she was unable to detach her hand to take out her wand fast enough.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
First, I'd like to thank my amazing beta, AntshaLora. Lots of love for that amazing woman!
And next, I will confess that I'm unable to depart from this story and hopefully you will forgive my on-and-off status here. Don't want to write more on it, so shortly, it's good to be back.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Take care
Ydream08