Chapter Eleven
- April 1983 -
The flat was a mess. Harry's toys were scattered across the dining area. Crayons left a minefield on the floor. The living room had been turned into a blanket fort, held up precariously by a broomstick. The kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off. It was a disaster.
A few hours prior, an exhausted Hermione had been persuaded by the two Marauders to go take a nap. Harry had been over the moon to play 'big boy games' as he called it. Reluctantly, Hermione agreed. Two hours later, all three wizards had destroyed the flat.
And now here they were, attempting to teach Harry muggle baseball - inside. In hindsight, they should have seen how that was a bad idea. Remus had transfigured a broom into a t-ball stand and Sirius had produced an actual bat from his closet. They set a ball on the top of the stand and showed Harry how to swing the bat.
"Alright," Sirius declared. "Let me show you how it's done." He swung the bat at the ball. A loud crash sounded as it hit a mirror. The class shattered and fell to the floor. Harry screamed in fright.
"Padfoot!" Remus shouted.
Sirius winced. He turned to where Harry had been standing but the boy was gone. He heard a whimper and spun towards it. Harry was hiding under the kitchen table. He had his arms over his head. "Harry! Harry, it's okay." He moved a chair aside and Harry screamed.
The bedroom door opened. Hermione dashed out and her eyes widened at the sight before her. "What happened out here?" She had tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were red. She didn't look like she'd slept well at all.
"We were playing a game," Remus explained weakly. He eyed her frazzled state with worry.
Sirius looked over the top of the kitchen table. "Harry got scared," he quickly put in.
Hermione raced around the table and crouched down beside him. "Harry, sweetie?" He had his arms around his knees and his face hidden. His shoulders shook with what she knew were silent tears.
Hermione wiped away the tears from her face. "Harry, please come out. I'm here, darling. I'm right here." She reached a hand out and gently touched his messy black hair. Harry leaned into the soft caress.
"'Mione…" he cried.
"Sh… It's okay, sweetie." He crawled out from under the table and into her waiting arms. She pulled him into her embrace and pressed a kiss to his head. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"Scary," he sobbed, his other words were lost in her jumper.
"I know, darling. I know." She stood with him still in her arms. "Come on, I think we've had enough play time today, yes?" He nodded into her neck.
Remus stepped forward. "Hermione…" He reached a hand out towards her in apology.
Hermione flinched away. "Just… clean this mess up." The bedroom door closed softly behind her.
Remus turned to his best friend. "What just happened?"
Sirius had his eyes narrowed as he stared after where Hermione had disappeared off to. "I'm not sure. Have you ever tried to touch her before?" His mind cast back to all the interactions he remembered seeing between Hermione and Remus since the latter had moved in.
"No, I mean yes. I mean Harry. What happened to Harry?"
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I told you how he was after the Dursleys."
"Yeah, but I thought… He seemed fine the past two weeks."
Sirius scoffed. "Nah, Hermione's just a miracle worker. Haven't you noticed how quiet she likes to keep the place?"
"I thought she was just being respectful to neighbours."
Sirius nodded once like he'd never considered that before. Remus rolled his eyes. The animagus nodded to his friend. "But what about that flinch?" he pressed, his mind still stuck on his distraught wife.
"The attack?" Remus guessed.
Sirius hummed. His eyes were still firmly fixed on the door. "We haven't talked about it beyond what I said."
"She hasn't dealt with it," Remus agreed.
Sirius licked his lips as he thought. "Let's get this place cleaned up. She'll have our bollocks if we don't." Remus made a sound of agreement. The two of them got to work.
When Hermione exited the bedroom an hour later, the flat was clean. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she whispered to them. Remus nodded once. Sirius jumped from the couch to his feet.
"Grab your coat."
"What?"
"We've got to go take care of a few things."
"What things?" she asked defensively. "I can't leave. Harry's napping."
Sirius shrugged on his leather jacket. "Which means he won't even know you're missing." He pulled her jean jacket off the coat wrack and held it out for her.
Hermione looked to Remus for backup. "If he wakes up?"
"I'll be here," the werewolf assured. Hermione made a face. That clearly wasn't the reaction she was hoping for.
"But-"
"-Come on," Sirius urged. He helped her into her jacket. "You need to cut the cord at some point." She glared over her shoulder at him. Sirius rested his hands on her shoulders. His heat spread through her body and tingled with the magic of their bond. "He'll be fine," he whispered.
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay." She spun around. "For how long?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
"Sirius…" she groaned.
He smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Come on. We're running late as it is."
"For what?"
He didn't respond. He guided her out the door and down to the ground floor. They stepped out onto Diagon Alley together. Sirius led her around the side of the building. Her eyes widened when she saw what was waiting for them. His motorcycle.
"You got it back?"
Sirius grinned at her comment. "You've seen it? Gone for a ride?"
Hermione snorted. "As if."
"Well, we're going to today." He grabbed the handle bars and kicked up the stand. He walked the bike out from the alley. When he reached the street, he looked over his shoulder to his wife. "Coming?"
Hermione jogged to catch up. "I'm not riding that thing."
"Why not? You've ridden far more dangerous things."
She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he knew about her fly from Scotland to London on the back of a thestral. "Have I?" She hadn't told him about that, had she?
He threw her a wink. "Of course. You rode me, didn't you?"
Hermione let out a startled laugh. "Sirius!" Before she could think up a comeback, they'd reached the entrance to the Leaky. "Can we bring this in here?"
"Yeah, Tom doesn't mind. Just gotta disillusion it before I take it through to muggle London. Come on." She opened the door and followed Sirius through the crowded bar. He disillusioned the bike while she held the door open for him. When Sirius had the bike on the street, he dropped the spell. Not a single muggle seemed to notice it's sudden appearance.
Sirius swung a leg over the bike and nodded at her to hop on.
Hermione made a face. "Do I have to?"
"She broke into the Department of Mysteries and this she balks at," he deadpanned, as if speaking to a third person.
"I don't like flying," she protested.
Sirius gave her a look. "We're in muggle London, baby. What makes you think I'm going to make it fly?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Don't call me that."
"Get on the bike, baby." His tone brokered no alternative. She sighed and got on the bike behind him.
"Helmets?" she asked. Sirius' laugh was her only answer as he gunned the engine. He took off down the street. Hermione squealed and wrapped her arms around his waist. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself against his back. She heard Sirius whoop with glee. Merlin, she was married to a madman.
Sirius weaved between cars and through traffic without a care in the world. Not a single cop car caught them. Hermione suspected that Sirius had charmed his bike so the police wouldn't notice them. By the time they reached their destination, Hermione felt like she'd been on the longest roller coaster of her life. "Is it over?" she whimpered.
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Yeah, you can let go now. Or not, I don't mind." She groaned and immediately let go. Sirius couldn't contain his chuckle at her reaction. He followed her off the bike.
"Where are we?" She looked over her shoulder at the long stretch of driveway they'd come down. There was neatly mowed green grass surrounding the property and tall trees along the edges. Big bushes and evergreen trees dotted the land along the driveway.
There was a massive house before them made of cream coloured stucco and a brown roof. She could see another, separate building around the back made of brown brick. It was a manor.
"Not that far outside London. Five bedrooms, three baths. What do you think?" He hopped up the steps and opened the front door.
A feeling of dread filled Hermione. "Please tell me you didn't buy this place." She followed him into the house. It was bright and airy. It had a homey feel to it.
"Not yet, thinking 'bout it." He turned to her. "Why? You don't like it?"
"It's a monster of a house, Sirius." She crossed her arms. "Just because the flat is too small doesn't mean we need to buy a mansion."
"It's not a mansion," he argued. He took her hand and led her through to the kitchen. He pointed out the window over the sink. "See that? The house? It's a single with a kitchen and a bath. I figured Remus could live there if he wants more space."
Hermione turned and shot him a look. "Remus would immediately assume that meant you didn't actually want him around." Sirius opened his mouth but no words came out. "I refuse to live on this much square footage. It's useless. It's what rich people do when they can't think of a better use for their money."
"Oi."
Hermione crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side. "Harry will need to be enrolled in school in the fall. If he's downtown then he'll be closer to the school, which is good for extracurriculars. And then there are parks and after-school activities." She wanted Harry involved in all the things he'd missed the first time around.
"Muggle school?" Sirius asked, sounding confused but not all that surprised.
"Lily was a muggle-born. So am I." She shrugged. "I know that I'd want my son to know about my heritage. It's his as well."
Sirius smiled. "Lily would agree. Alright, something smaller?" Hermione shrugged. "Brilliant, next one then."
"Wait - what? Next one? How many of these do you have lined up?"
He shrugged. "As many as it takes."
Hermione didn't like the sound of that. Three houses later and she hated it.
Sirius pulled up to the next place. It was only about twenty minutes from Grimmauld Place. Hermione had expected to hate it the second she realized they were basically right around the corner from Buckingham Palace. As nice as it would be to live a short walk away from the palace gardens and St. James' Park, it would be weird living near so many professionals.
She really did expect to hate it, but it was beautiful. It was four floors, not including the basement and styled in that classic tall, lean way downtown London homes often were. The basement and first levels were white and the upper three floors were made of brown brick. White paneled windows were placed symmetrically across the row of homes all attached to one another.
Sirius opened the door and led her inside. The living room was big and spacious. The kitchen was long and clean and filled with state of the art appliances. "There are two ovens," Hermione gasped with awe. She'd never seen a home with two ovens before. There was a long counter that stretched through the kitchen and towards the glass kitchen table. On the other side were glass doors that led out to the deck. Lining the backyard were planters filled with flowers. Hermione could already imagine the magical herbs she could grow there.
Down the wooden steps there was another set of doors that led to the basement apartment. It was built with large bookcases that were built into the walls. The bathroom had a tall glass standing shower.
"We'd have to renovate that," she told him, nodding to the shower. He peeked over her head, his hands on her shoulders. "Remus needs a bath after the full moon."
"That's an easy fix."
She hummed in agreement.
The second floor had a big study filled with bookcases. The windows looked out over the front porch. There was also a bedroom and a bath on that floor. On the third floor was the master bedroom, a walk in closet, and an ensuite bathroom. Right next to it was a smaller bedroom and a hall bath. The fourth floor had the last bedroom and bath as well as a rec room.
"I like it," Hermione claimed as she looked through the books in the library.
Sirius nodded in agreement. "Not a lot of space in the backyard, but we're right by the park and real close to the Leaky. And we're right downtown."
"And it's not a million years old," she added, referring to the third house they'd looked at.
"And Remus won't feel like he's being kicked out by living in the basement."
"He even has the option to live in a different room. He could take the top floor." She picked up one of the books and flipped through it.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. "Not the one on this floor?" he asked, curious for her response after she flinched away from Remus earlier.
Hermione shook her head. "I thought your dad might like it. He used to be a lawyer in the Wizengamot, right? I'm sure he'd like to be close to the study."
Sirius smiled at her logic. She was selflessly considerate. It startled him everytime she instantly thought of someone else first. Not just because he rarely did, but because they were often people that mattered more to him. "So… it's not the werewolf thing?"
Hermione put the book back. She turned to him. "What're you talking about? You know I have no issues with Remus' condition."
He nodded. He did know that. At times, he thought she might take better care of Remus than she did of him. She was constantly making sure Remus was eating enough calories and getting enough sleep. New articles of clothing randomly popped up in his bag when he wasn't looking. It was a lot like the way James had always been with Remus. Both remaining Marauders took comfort in it.
"I know you have nightmares," Sirius explained slowly. Hermione immediately tensed. "And I've seen you get antsy with strangers and I figured that had more to do with the time travel stuff… Moony is family and I know you think so too, but he's also the only man you've really been around besides me."
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "What're you trying to say, Sirius?"
"Did he touch you?"
"Who?"
"The one who attacked you. I know he hurt you," Sirius added quickly when she looked like she was going to fib about it. Hermione shut her mouth, "I read Kingsley's report. You said… he was obsessed with you? Hermione did he…?"
"No," she immediately assured. "But he tried." Her brows drew together. "It happened months ago now."
"Just because he didn't… it doesn't mean it's not still traumatizing." Hermione looked away. "You can tell me anything, Hermione. I won't hurt you. I won't judge you." Sirius brought his hands up to her arms and squeezed them in a comforting manner. The magic thrummed through their contact. "You need to talk about it."
Her gaze hardened. "Have you talked about James and Lily?" she snapped.
Sirius' fingers tightened. "Yes, actually. With Remus. It sort of occured to me that you can't do the same. This isn't exactly a topic Harry can handle at his age."
Her anger slowly ebbed away at his response. She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Please, at my age, he'd probably go ballistic and kill the bloke."
"Well, good to know he got something from his godfather."
Hermione laughed despite herself. Her eyes teared up as she thought about what this time's Sirius would do if he found out the whole truth. If he knew it was Snape who'd hurt her, he'd go crazy. If she didn't tell him anything, he'd keep searching for answers and she didn't want that. Her bottom lip wobbled. "I… he was always mean," she whispered. "He picked on me relentlessly ever since I was a first year."
A wave of rage crashed through his body. "He was your professor?"
She nodded. "When I became fifteen… he started to make me uncomfortable. Just with the way he looked at me. I… didn't like it. You and Remus told me to stay away from him." She looked up at him. "You specifically told me to never be alone with him, not if I can help it."
"That's why I offered to marry you," he breathed out in realization.
"It was horrible," she explained in a watery whisper. "He was too strong to fight off and I didn't have my wand." Her tears fell. "He's been teaching for years." She didn't have to explain that thought any further. If he'd become obsessed with her, how many other girls had it happened to as well?
"Sh…" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "It's okay. He's not here. It's just me. I've got you."
Hermione's body shook as she broke down into sobs. "You - you were there. Just before I disappeared. You were there." He rubbed his hand up and down her back. "It's all gone. Everything's gone."
"Sh…" He held her until her tears dried. Hermione sniffled. Her fingers gripped his now sodden shirt and Sirius pressed a kiss to the top of her head. A wave of warmth spread through her body. The magic of their bond worked to heal her emotional wounds. After a long silence, Sirius said, "Will you tell me who it was?"
That startled a laugh out of her. Sirius jerked back, surprised by her response. "After all the effort I went through to get you out of Azkaban?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Alright, fair point." He pulled her back into his embrace and rested his chin on her head. "Let's get this place, baby."
Hermione nodded against his chest even as she rolled her eyes at his silly pet name. The only pet name she'd ever accept was 'kitten,' but she wasn't about to tell him that. She sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Yeah, okay."
When they got back to the flat, Harry was in the middle of a massive meltdown.
"I want cookie!" he screamed.
"No more cookies," Remus stated firmly.
"What's going on?"
Harry turned to Hermione. There were tears streaming down his face as he sobbed. His words were nearly incoherent except for a stray "Moony" and "no cookie." Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You know the rules on cookies, Harry."
"Please," he cried, sounding like he thought he'd die if he didn't get another cookie right away.
Hermione shook her head. "It's too late for more sugar. I think it's time for bed." She reached down and picked him up even as he turned away.
"No…"
Hermione shushed soothingly as she rubbed his back. "It's been a long day. I think I need a cuddle. Will you cuddle me, darling?" Harry turned and pressed his wet face into her neck. He pouted and didn't say anything at all. "It's alright." She continued to rub his back as she entered the bedroom. "I've got you, sweetie." The door closed behind them.
Remus turned to Sirius. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Please tell me you had an easier time than I did."
Sirius nodded and headed towards the fridge. "We talked it out a bit. I think she's okay now. She'll be alright, at least. Nothing happened," he assured. He tossed his friend a butterbeer and opened the other for himself.
Remus nodded and let out a breath of relief. "Thank Merlin for small mercies." He twisted open his drink and took a long gulp. He needed it after dealing with Harry for the past four hours. He didn't know how Hermione did it every day.
"He was her professor. Not just for one year but since she was a first year."
"What?" They sat down on the couch. "I thought he was an Order member? Dumbledore allowed this?"
"Apparently."
Remus made a face. "What sort of men is Dumbledore hiring that the professor is not only a pedophile but a rapist?"
Sirius turned to Remus. "I don't appreciate the fact that you call him a pedophile considering I married her myself, thank you."
His friend rolled his eyes, a small grin on his face. "Yes, but you'd never have the hots for a child. You're not a pedophile. You're just a manwhore."
"No doubt about it," Sirius immediately agreed. They were quiet for a moment. "I think she'll be okay. She hadn't talked about it at all. She hasn't got anyone to talk to about it. I… I can't even imagine being in her position."
Remus nodded slowly. "She's got us now. And it might not be in the same capacity, but she's got Harry. And by that I mean he will never desert her. He asked about her every five minutes." Remus took another chug of his beer.
Sirius rubbed his face. "Yeah, she didn't like leaving him alone. We need to work on that." Remus made a noise of assent. Sirius slouched in his seat. He clapped his hand on Remus' thigh. "By the way, we bought a house."
His friend raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"
Hello friends! Still alive. ;P
xx
