Notes:

Guess who can't wait to update when another chapter's finished?

That's right! ME!

So, I present to you: Chapter 34! :D

Again, apologies for any and all mistakes!

Hope you guys enjoy!

PS: I noticed some of the formatting is a bit screwed up after I uploaded the chapter. It should be fixed now, but apologies to those who read it and went like WTF?"

Chapter 34: Three-headed dog

"Hermione-san? Are you alright?" Hermione blinked a few times before turning towards Gai.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." She said shakily. She felt like she was losing her mind.

It was Itachi who spoke up next, "did you see something?"

As she turned back to where she had seen the black dog, she noticed he was no longer there. "I- No. I thought I did, but-"

Itachi glanced in the same direction. "This is the second time you thought you saw something." He stated. She knew what it must look like. Knew that Itachi wouldn't believe her if she said it was nothing. Honestly, she didn't believe it either, but what was she supposed to do? Hermione ended up shrugging, not knowing what to say to that. "Alright. Let's head back to the inn." He said.

Once there, the men started discussing the town and their plan to find Sirius however Hermione barely heard what was being said. Her mind was still in the streets, looking at the Animagus form of someone who she considered a friend, sort of. He was Harry's Godfather, of course. Yet, the way he behaved most of the time was like he was still a teenager. All in all, she couldn't say they had gotten along that well. That didn't mean she didn't miss him or his presence after he had supposedly died. Shit, this was all so fucked up, wasn't it? She didn't know what to think anymore.

"You still with us, Hermione-san?" Itachi asked, making her snap out of her thoughts. A blush appeared on her face as she noticed all three of them were watching her.

"Sorry, yes. Um, you were saying?"

"We were saying that we'd love for you to tell us what this guy looks like, sweetheart." Genma said with a smirk.

Hermione scowled at the nickname Genma gave her, "do not call me that." She hissed at him in English. Genma held up his hands defensively and shot her a cheeky smile. "And drop that damned smile, Genma-san. I'm still angry at you." Which was enough to make him falter.

"What's going on?" Gai said, confused. "Genma? What-

"It's nothing, Gai-san." Hermione quickly says.

"Sirius is fairly tall, about as tall as Genma-san, I think. Last I saw him he was well-built. He had medium, lustrous black hair, which can appear to be a bit lighter in the sun and he has grey eyes. Oh! And he has tattoos, unless he covered them up. And facial hair, too."

"Thank you. This will help." Itachi said with a nod. "We'll pair up in teams tomorrow. Genma and Gai, you two take the market and the area near the castle. Hermione-san and I will take the other side, near the bars."

"You got it," Gai said with a nod. Genma didn't look too pleased with this decision, but kept his mouth shut. It was actually quite a smart move to pair them up like this. This way both 'teams' had someone who spoke English and someone who was at least somewhat familiar with magic. Genma hadn't seen that much, sure, but it would be enough to recognise it, no doubt.

"Alright. That's settled then." The young shinobi said standing up. "Gai, let's go get some food." He looked at Genma and gave him a look that Hermione couldn't decipher. "We'll be back in about fifteen minutes."

The moment the door closed, the room became awkwardly quiet. Hermione understood Itachi had meant something with that, even a blind person would know the vibe between Hermione and Genma was off. She shifted on the bed she was sitting on, not sure what to do or say to make this silence a bit more bearable. Truly, she hoped she didn't have to, hoped Genma would be the one to break the silence.

He didn't.

Which made all of this all the more awkward, to the point where Hermione couldn't sit still anymore and started pacing. She kept throwing him glances, which she knew he deliberately ignored. "You're not going to say anything at all now?"

"Does it even matter?" He said.

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because no matter what I say, you're still angry with me."

"Of course I'm bloody angry!" She said, whirling around to look at him. "Wouldn't you be? What you said was extremely hurtful. You really hurt him, surely you understand that?"

"Yeah, well, maybe I was hurt too!" Genma raised his voice as he said that, finally standing up too. "Did you ever think about that?"

"So, because your feelings were hurt, you thought it was a good idea to hurt other people?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking, okay?" Genma yelled. "Is that what you wanted to hear? I wasn't thinking. I was hurt and I lashed out."

Hermione faltered at that, she heard how Genma's voice slightly cracked as he said that. He had been hurt, she realised. Really hurt. To the point where he would have no control on his emotions and lashed out instead. Then, she realised that she was partially to blame for that as well, wasn't she? She had been saying this over and over in her head but she wasn't stupid. Deep down, she knew exactly what had caused this.

Before she could go down the route of feeling guilty for causing at least a bit of this, she looked at Genma. Really looked at him and still saw the hurt in his eyes. Hurt she was to blame for, if only she had been more clear with him. Could she have prevented this? "I'm sorry."

"Wha- why?"

"I don't know. I feel like-" She shrugged, "I feel like if we'd just talked about this, maybe it wouldn't have exploded like it has."

"But there's nothing to talk about, sweetheart. You don't feel the same way. That's that." Genma sounded so defeated when he said that.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said again.

"Stop apologising. It's not your fault, is it? You can't help who you fall in love with. Right?"

"L-love? I didn't say anything about love, Genma-san," she argued.

"True, but you didn't have to. You've got a very expressive face, Hermione-san. It does all the speaking for you."

Hermione felt herself frown at that, what was he getting at? "I- I don't-"

"You'd have to be blind to not see the way you look at him. I imagine it's kind of how I look at you, heh." He said with a shrug. Hermione was horrified though, was it really that clear that she somewhat fancied Kakashi? "I mean, it's obvious if you look at your eyes," he clarified. "Your eyes- they- I wish someone would look at me like that, some day."

Hermione couldn't help the blush appearing on her cheeks. That was… She hadn't expected him to say that. Was it really that obvious? The way she looked at Kakashi? Did it even matter though? It's not like he felt the same way, surely. Just because they shared a bond, didn't automatically mean he would fall in love with her.

"He looks at you the same way, when you're not looking." Genma said. She looked up at him, shocked. She hadn't said anything out loud, had she? But he wasn't looking at her, surprisingly. He was staring out of the window. "He's a bit harder to read, I'll give you that. But it's definitely there." Another shrug, but this one seemed not as carefree. "It felt unfair, y'know? It was like he stole you, right from under my nose. I guess I never stood a chance."

What was she supposed to say to that? That he was right? That he actually never stood a chance? That, for better or worse, Hermione and Kakashi would no doubt end up together, at some point? They'd have to have some sort of relationship, even if it wasn't a romantic one. The bond wouldn't allow for them to have no relationship at all. Kakashi would always be a part of her life, as a friend. Or more. Maybe. That part wasn't up to them, frustratingly enough.

"That doesn't mean we can't hang out," she said. "I- if you want. I mean- I totally get it if you don't want to. It'll be complicated, surely." Hermione didn't want to force anything on him. It would be hard for him, being friends with her. Being reminded of his one-sided affection. But it didn't mean they couldn't be friends. If he was able to live with that. She would try her hardest to make it work. She'd like another friend here. "What I'm trying to say is- we can be friends. If you'd like."

She waited for Genma to look at her, which took him a moment. Once he did, she noticed a small smile on his lips. It was the most genuine smile she'd seen on his face since she met him. "I'd very much like that, sweetheart."

"And you're going to have to stop calling me that," she pointed out to him.

"Why? It's fun!" He said, his smile forming into a cocky grin.

"Because it'll get you in trouble." Hermione pointed out.

"Eh, live a little Hermione-san." She rolled her eyes at that. Men.

"And, as your friend," she started. "I feel like I should point out that you really should talk to Kakashi once you have the chance." Genma looked at her, face serious.

"I know. I will."

"Good. I'd hate to have to hex you if you don't."

"Hex me?"

"Oh, yes. I know quite a few, too."

"Yeah," he said the word slowly. "I'll pass. Thanks." She gave him a playful push in response, making Genma laugh just as Itachi and Gai returned.

"I see you got your issues resolved?" Itachi asked.

Genma hummed at that and gave his captain a nod, "we're good."

"Good. Let's eat."

Hermione woke up early. Too early. A quick glance at the clock told her it was only five in the morning. It really was too early, she thought with a quiet groan. She had barely slept, too. She was too excited. She really wanted to go look for Sirius. A small part of her felt bad for not telling the guys about Sirius' Animagus form. But she wasn't sure how this would be received. She also figured that would be something for him to tell them. As long as it didn't form any problems for them, she didn't see why she should.

"You're up early." Itachi whispered as she walked towards him.

"Couldn't sleep," she responded as she sat down across from him. The suite they had gotten in the inn was surprisingly big. It had a room for the beds, a bathroom and also a small room with a table and some chairs. It wasn't much, but it was more than she had expected when they had first arrived here.

"Tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

As Itachi prepared a cup, she got the chance to study him. He looked tired, she noted. Too tired. With how he acted and the responsibility he had on this mission, she had almost forgotten how young he was. Hermione still couldn't believe that someone this young had to deal with so much. He really did look like a first year Hogwarts Student.

"Here," he said as he placed a freshly brewed cup of tea in front of her. She nodded her thanks in response. "You've got questions."

Hermione looked up in surprise, not expecting him to say that. "Yes. Well, sort of."

"Ask. I'll answer what I can."

"I don't think- I don't wish to be rude." She only got a raised eyebrow in return. Was that a shinobi thing? All of them had been raising their eyebrows at her left and right, she was half tempted to make it stick there. "I just- I can't help but think how young you are."

"That's not a question, Hermione-san." He pointed out.

"Aren't you too young to be a shinobi? Is this even something that you want to be?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment, touching the rim of his teacup. "It's what is expected of me."

"That's not what I asked, though. I asked if this is something you want to be."

He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes on his hands. He also didn't answer her, which told her everything she needed to know. When he did finally look at her, his expression was closed off. "That's really not any of your concern, Hermione-san." He finally said.

Hermione had to bite her tongue to stop her from objecting, instead nodding at him. She was the one to look away this time, feeling guilty. She should've kept her mouth shut. She had said she didn't want to be rude, so hopefully he understood that she didn't mean to be. Then again, who was she to have an opinion about this? She was about his age when she started getting in trouble at Hogwarts. Or, well, when trouble always seemed to find Harry.

"Good morning my friends! It is going to be a wonderful day today, I can already tell. Are you all ready to find this interesting mysterious man?" Gai loudly proclaimed as he entered the room Hermione and Itachi were sitting. Hermione could barely hide her wince at the volume but had to stifle a laugh as she heard Genma shouting from the other room, telling Gai to shut up. "It would seem Genma isn't as youthful as the rest of us." Gai said with a grin. Something told Hermione he knew exactly what he was doing, hitting just the right buttons.

"Damn it, Gai. It's five in the fucking morning. What the hell, dude?"

"Actually, dear friend, it's five thirty."

"It's still too fucking early!""He's not much of a morning person, is he?" Hermione whispered at Itachi. He responded with a small smile and a shake of his head. Then, to Genma she said, "would you like a cup of tea, Genma-san?"With a groan the man sat down, as she got up to get him a cup of tea, like Itachi had done for her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him with his head on the table, making her giggle at his dramatics. Once the tea was done, she placed it in front of him. "Here you go, drama-queen.""I am not a drama-queen!""Sure, sure." She laughed with a wave.

Itachi cleared his throat, "since all of us are awake, we might as well get an early start."

"Wouldn't this be too early to do so? I don't think anything will be open yet at this time."

"Actually, sweetheart, this town doesn't really close down at night. With all the gambling and all that, it's pretty much open twenty-four seven."Well, that certainly made everything easier. Hermione hummed as she thought about where Sirius would and could be hiding out. She came to terms with the fact that it had, in fact, been him. Now she just had to think like him. What would he do? Where would he go? Now that she thought about it, she didn't know Sirius that well. Not enough to know what kind of place he would go. Finishing her tea, she got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Today would be a long one.

Hermione would lie if she had said she wasn't worried about spending the day looking for Sirius with Itachi, especially after that dreadful start she had with him this morning. He never mentioned anything about it. It didn't mean she didn't feel bad though. She knew she was opinionated and could sometimes, okay, most of the time go overboard with sharing her opinion. Honestly, she felt like she should apologise to him. What did she know about this culture? About the expectations. About the rules. She didn't know anything at all, did she? It was the same when Kakashi had spoken about his past. Damn it.

"Itachi-san?"

"Yes?"

"I- I'm sorry for this morning."

"For what?""For what? For being rude, of course!""You weren't rude, Hermione-san. I don't expect you to understand the way it works here. You've only been here for a short while, right?""Well- Yes, but-""It's fine, really. I didn't mind."If there was anything she had learned about Itachi in the short time that she had known him, is that he didn't act like his age. At all. She started to understand why he was given this mission to lead. He was extremely responsible. Acted a lot older than people even older than him. Gai and Genma were a good reference point for that. Or, maybe not. But even thinking about the people she's met so far… Kakashi, his team, Inoichi and his wife. Even they let loose. But not him, not Itachi. She couldn't imagine the burdens on his shoulders, for having to act like that. It wasn't healthy. He had to grow up too fast. She found that a lot of people in Konoha had to do that.

"We should check out the bars over there. Maybe we'll find someone who knows about your friend." Itachi guided her down a street where there were more bars than she had seen in a very long while.

Hermione didn't know where to look. There were so many people, so many different kinds of people. So many different kinds of bars, too. She tried to take everything in, tried to look for something that would point her to Sirius. Was it really that hard to give her some sort of sign?

A sign.

A sign. There was a sign, right in front of her, that stood out to her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was too damn easy. As she walked towards the bar that somehow drew her in, Hermione kept her eyes on that sign. It definitely stood out to her, hell, it probably stood out to everyone who paid attention. It was not every day you saw a three-headed dog on a pub sign.

"Itachi-san? What does that say?" She asked, pointing at the symbols below the sign. While she had learned quite a bit of their language to be able to talk with people, she had yet to learn their written language.

"It says 'Keruberosu'."

"What does that mean?"

"It's a three-headed dog.""Of course it is." She said under her breath, because of course it was. This was so typically Sirius Black. He probably had laughed at his own joke when he named this. "This is the place."

"It is?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?" As he asked this, a crow appeared out of nowhere. It didn't even surprise her, as the crow cawed and flew away after a few quick words from Itachi.

"Because only that idiot would name a bar after a damned three-headed dog." She said. She moved to enter the bar, but was stopped by Itachi, his hand grabbing his arm.

"Gai and Genma are coming. They'll be here in a few. We don't move until they get here."

"O-oh, right." This part of missions, she didn't know. She wasn't used to waiting for backup. Normally she just barged right in, that was probably the Gryffindor part of her, she thought with a grin. Hermione knew that if Itachi hadn't been standing here, she would've been inside and demanding answers already.

"You guys work fast, eh?" Genma said as he and Gai arrived. "So, is this it?"

"Hermione-san says it is." Itachi confirmed, as he let go of Hermione. "So, before we go in, we- Hermione-san!"

The second Itachi had let go of her, she stormed in. Wand drawn.

"Good morning! I'll be right out" A male voice said from the back of the bar. She recognised that voice. She would always recognise the easy way he spoke, demanding attention as he went. Hermione held her breath, waiting for him to appear from the back. And when he did… He looked just like he had back then, when he passed through the veil.

"Sorry about that, what can I get you this fine-"

"Merlin's beard," Hermione breathed. "It is you." From behind her she could hear the three shinobi walk in and stop, taking in what happened in front of them.

"Hermione?!" Sirius looked at her in complete disbelief. Suddenly his wand was drawn, pointing straight at her, making her do the same to him. She hadn't expected him to have his wand. Thinking about it, though, it made sense. No wand was found near the veil, after all. "It can't be you."

"You've got to be kidding me. The Three-headed dog? Really?"

"Actually, I was pretty serious when I thought of that name." He retorted. "I still am. Sirius, I mean."

Hermione lowered her wand at that. Sirius' wand was still pointed at her.

"It's him." She said to the men behind her.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because no one I know makes terrible puns like that."

"Come on, now, Hermione." Sirius said, easily switching to their language as well. "It may have been a bad joke, but it's not a terrible pun."

"Pot, kettle.""Black!" He replied with a shit-eating grin as he pointed at himself, making her roll her eyes.

"You're still a manchild, Sirius! Grow up!"

"Maybe so." He said with a carefree shrug. "But you still got to prove you're you, Hermione. You know the deal." He kept his wand carefully trained on her, while also keeping the shinobi in his eyesight. "Before your fifth year," He started. "I gave you something. What was it?" It surprised her he hadn't switched back to English yet. Maybe he knew this would be better for him in the long run? Genma knew what he was saying either way, but he was being surprisingly open.

Hermione immediately knew what he was talking about, though. It was something she had kept to herself. She hadn't told anyone that he had given that to her. She hadn't dared to use any of it, either. To this day, she wasn't sure if she wanted that. It was a very permanent thing after all. During these past few years it was because of the fear to be found out. Because if she chose to do it, she would have to register and she wasn't sure if she wanted that as well. After everything, she didn't want the Ministry to know everything about her. Everyone already did after the war, she just wanted at least one thing for herself.

"Well? What did I give you?"

"The tools to become an Animagus." She breathed. Because he had. He had given her everything she would need to become one. All the ingredients, the tools, the guide, everything. It was illegal, she knew. But a part of her was still intrigued by it. Which was why Hermione still had it on her. It was buried all the way at the bottom of her bag. Would she even be able to still do it? She wondered. It would be very handy here, no doubt. She'd have to ask Sirius about this.

It appeared Sirius trusted her enough to not have told anyone about it, because he lowered his wand. After everything, he still was a pretty good judge of character. He was right, of course. She wouldn't, not unless she had no other choice. And she always had had a choice, hadn't she?

"I'll be damned." He said, making his way towards her. Right before he reached her, fear surged through her. Was it really him? Yes, it was. He was the only one that knew he had given her something, after all. Standing this close to him, she could feel his magic coming from him. He was a strong wizard, after all. She blinked as she looked up to him. Tears sprang into her eyes.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hi," he said in return, flashing her a gentle smile, before he enveloped her into a big hug, holding her tight. She started sobbing against his chest. "Shh, love, you're alright. I got you."

"You were dead." She said, her voice muffled as her face was buried in his chest. "We watched you die. I thought you were dead."

"I know, love. I know, but I'm not. I'm here, alive and well." Sirius said soothingly as he rubbed her back. Hearing what he said made her sob even harder. Even holding onto him, she still could barely believe that he was actually alive. She could feel him guiding her with him, to the back of the bar, where she'd seen some chairs.

"You mind?" She heard Sirius say, most likely to the shinobi still waiting there.

"We can't let you take her." She heard Genma say. He sounded quite serious, not at all how he had sounded before when he was joking with her.

"I'm taking her to that chair so she can bloody sit. You got a problem with that?" Sirius responded. He turned from her, arm wrapped around her shoulder as he shielded her face from the shinobi and guided her to the seating area.

He ignored any objections the other men made as he sat her down in a chair. Whispering to her, "I assume they know about magic?" With a quick nod from her, he pulled out his wand and muttered a quick incantation. A pitcher filled with water came their way, followed by a glass. "Here, drink. I'll go have a quick chat with them, alright?"

"Wha- No! You can't! I mean-"

"Calm down, love. It's just a chat, I promise. We'll be right over there, alright? Drink some water." She watched as he stood up, giving her a soft smile, before turning towards the men who looked like they were ready to attack him at any given moment.

Hermione wanted to say something, anything, but her mind drew a blank. She was overwhelmed with everything and knew she wouldn't be able to make sense even if she did try to speak. Instead, she grabbed the glass that had been filled with water and took a small sip. She'd have to trust Sirius in this case and hope he wouldn't say or do something that would agitate the shinobi even more.

She took this chance to glance around the bar. It reminded her of the Leaky Cauldron, in a way, which was something Sirius must've had in mind when decorating it. It looked nothing like anything she had seen her before, which made her believe this was all Sirius' doing.

Watching the men, she couldn't see Sirius' face as his back was turned towards her. His posture was incredibly laid back, though. Too laid back if she considered the situation he was in. Itachi's face was carefully blank, while Gai and Genma both had serious looks in theirs. They were speaking too softly for her to hear what they were saying, but they weren't fighting or anything, so she counted that as a plus.

A light scratching noise made her look towards the back room, where Sirius had been before. It strangely enough sounded like an animal, making her frown. Glancing back at the men, she noticed they were still speaking, not paying attention to her as far as she could tell. She stood up slowly, making her way to the backroom.

"Hermione-san," Genma said, making her wince. She should've known they wouldn't just forget about her.

"I just-"

"Meow" Hermione quickly turned around at that noise. A cat? Sirius had a-

"Merlin's beard." She said again. "Crookshanks?!"

"Meow," he said again, walking up to her and rubbing his cheek against her leg. As she bent down to pet him, he started purring, rubbing his cheek against her hand as she reached out for him.

"How?" She asked in disbelief. "How is he here?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest." Sirius responded as he walked back towards her. "He found me. Smart cat, he is. But we already knew that, didn't we?" He bent down too, petting Crookshanks as the cat now went to him. "I spoke with the lads, and they're ordering me to come with you guys, to Konoha."

"We didn't order you, Black-San." Genma objected, making Sirius switch back to their language, which was most likely for Itachi's and Gai's sake.

"No, you politely told me that I have to come to Konoha with you and if I didn't listen, I'd regret it. Don't know about you but that sure as hell sounded like an order, mate." Sirius retorted. "Anyway, I have to make a few arrangements for the pub and then I'll be all set."

He stood back up and turned away from Hermione to address the others. "Feel free to stay here until I'm done. It won't take too long."

"We have to go back to the inn to collect the rest of our stuff."

"That's fine too, I'll meet up with you later, then."

"Please don't insult my intelligence by assuming I believe you." Itachi stated. "Genma, you stay with Sirius. The rest of us will go to the inn." He ordered. Turning to Sirius he asked, "how long do you need?"

"About an hour."

"Fine. We'll meet back at the inn. If you're not there in two hours, I will hunt you down."

"Sure, mate. Whatever you say." Sirius said with a wave of his hand. He gave Genma a look, silently ordering him to step away so he could speak with Hermione, by the looks of it. The shinobi begrudgingly stepped to the side. He gave her a tight hug as soon as he could.

"I won't long, love. Be a gem and take Crookshanks with you?"

"But-"

"Please Hermione? It'd be easier to arrange everything if he's not here." The man nearly begged her, which seemed incredibly odd to her. Looking at him a moment longer, she let out a sigh.

"Oh, alright." Hermione huffed as she picked the half-Kneazle up in her arms. "Don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

With a nod she walked towards Gai and Itachi. "I'm ready."

"Okay, let's go. Genma," he called out to get his attention. She watched them share a look and Genma nodded.

At the inn, the innkeeper vehemently refused to let them bring Crookshanks inside. Itachi then offered to take him and Hermione was stunned to see that Crookshanks was surprisingly okay with Itachi holding him. "I'm good with cats," he said with a shrug, answering her questioning gaze. "Go upstairs, I'll be there in a bit."

Gai then ushered her inside and up the stairs when she didn't move. It shouldn't have surprised her to see Itachi standing in the room when they entered, yet it did. Crookshanks was still in his arms, perfectly content.

"Please, sit, Hermione-san. I have a couple of questions regarding your friend, if that's alright." Itachi said as he moved to one of the chairs. He used his foot to carefully move the chair back so that he could sit, while still holding on to the cat. It seemed he didn't mind at all that the cat made no move to leave. Sitting down, he placed him in his lap, earning a half-hearted glare from the feline before laying his head back down.

Hermione followed his example, pulling out one of the chairs, and sat down. Gai sat down as well, still wearing a serious look on his face.

"Black-san has agreed to come back with us, as he has told you. But from what I understand he's been here for a while. It was to my understanding, however, that you told the Hokage that you didn't know how you got here."

"I don't." Hermione said, "I'm just as surprised as you are that he's here. I truly believed that I was the only one here, save for the men that brought me here, of course."

"Which would mean that there are several ways for you to come here. If that is true, it means your people will be able to come whenever they want."

"What do you want from me?" Hermione asked. It sounded a lot like they were accusing her of something she had no knowledge of.

"I want to know if you spoke the truth. If you've been hiding that you know how to leave-" Itachi said, voice flat.

"I haven't been lying." She said affronted, interrupting him. "Do you think I want this? Do you think I want to be here? I don't! I want to go home, Itachi-san. I want to go back to England." She stood up quickly, her chair falling back, causing Crookshanks to jump up as well. "I don't want this- this nightmare. I never asked for this! So do not, for one second, think that I wouldn't go home if the opportunity didn't present itself. I'd be gone before you could utter the word Quidditch!"

With that she stormed away, locking herself in the bathroom. She heard some light scratching at the door, followed by a soft meow. With a sigh she slightly opened the door to let the cat in, before slamming it shut and locking the door again. She cast a quick Silencing charm to stop them from hearing her cry, she wasn't giving them the pleasure of that.

She felt her heart ache as she sat there. How could they think that? How could they think that she would still be here, enduring all the horrors that she had, if she could've simply gone home. Hermione felt another pull, from inside of her. Oh no, the bond. She wasn't thinking- shit. She hoped Kakashi wasn't able to feel everything she had just felt, hoped that if he had, he had no idea what it was about. She hadn't even thought about their situation when she had yelled at Itachi. Had her views actually changed?

The time she had spent with the Yamanaka's had been pleasant enough, right? And she even sorted some of her issues with Kakashi too. Would she be able to just leave, if the opportunity presented itself? What would that mean for their bond? She never even considered that. Would it simply break, as soon as she was back home? She doubted that, surely it wasn't that simple. But then, how would they go about that? Would she give up her life, her chance to go back home, for Kakashi? She wasn't sure if she could.

When the knock came, Hermione didn't know how long she'd been sitting here. Her bum hurt, which was at least an indication that she'd been here for quite some time.

"Hermione, love, open the door." She heard Sirius from the other side of the door after a soft knock.

She slowly stood up, wincing at the ache in her back. Next time use a cushioning charm, she berated herself silently. After a quick glance in the mirror, she deemed herself presentable enough to open the door. As soon as she unlocked it, the door opened, revealing a worried looking Sirius.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine. It's fine." She said, giving him a small reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about."

"You sure? I don't mind firing a hex or two," he said jokingly as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I have no doubt, but it's alright." She put her hand on his arm. "Ready for some adventure?" She said with a smile.

"Darling, I'm a Gryffindor and a Marauder. I was born ready. Are you?"

"Did you forget with your old age, Padfoot?" She said with a grin as he scowled at her. "I'm a Gryffindor too, remember?"

"I'm not that old." He said with a whine.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," she said with a laugh, patting his chest.

Sirius held out his arm in response, waiting for her to take it. She slid her hand through the opening and smiled in thanks. Sirius may always act like a goofball, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew something had happened when she had returned to the inn. Bad enough to have her hide in the bathroom. But, surprisingly, with him by her side she felt a lot more calm. She wasn't alone in this, anymore. So with a deep breath she calmed herself even more.

Hermione may have felt a bit ashamed at her reaction, but she acted out of emotion, as she often did. She kept forgetting there was a lot on her plate and that it really wasn't that odd for her to respond like this, even if the people here, the shinobi didn't act the same way. She was going to be better, though. Stronger. She needed to be stronger. And with Sirius Black at her side, she was sure she would succeed.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready."

"Let's go on an adventure." Sirius said as he pulled her along.

End of chapter notes:

So much has happened in this chapter, oh my! No Kakashi though, sorry! He'll be back in the next one, promise! :D

Please let me know what you guys think :D

Comments make me happy~!

Until next time!