Sirius woke up slowly, grinning proudly when he recognized the dark curls tossed across the pillow beside him. Deep satisfaction warmed his chest. He stretched out his stiff limbs and winced when he felt the burning in muscles all across his body. His witch had tired him out last night with their little tryst. Well, he amended mentally, multiple trysts. He could recall at least three, if not four rounds.
He turned to face her, letting a large hand gently tuck her hair behind her ear. He languidly allowed his palm to caress her cheek and appreciated this moment. He knew that she wouldn't be only his for long, and he wanted to take advantage of their time alone.
Speaking of time alone, he smirked at the thought.
Hermione was wearing one of Sirius' old button-down shirts, but he quickly made it past the fastenings. He deftly slipped the buttons loose and his mouth began to water as the long strip of soft, pale skin was revealed.
Hermione sighed slightly, but showed no sign of waking. Sirius let his fingers lightly lift the edges of shirt, drawing the pads of his fingers closer to her nipples. His eyes darkened when her nipples pebbled and gooseflesh followed his path. He slowly lowered his head to her chest, nuzzling her breasts with his cheek but still careful to not scratch her with his morning scruff.
She moaned quietly when he circled her nipple with his tongue and he felt himself harden in response. He reveled in her sea of soft smooth skin. He kept his affections light in efforts to let her sleep as long as possible.
He let his fingers travel down to her panties, amused that she sought out a fresh pair after their wild night together. She should've known that these would be ruined like the others. He let out a quiet groan when his fingers slid through her hot velvet, his cock aching to be wrapped in her tight embrace once again.
Sirius gently peeled off her panties, moving her legs as slowly as possible. He kissed her ankles softly, then her calves, knees and thighs before letting them fall open. He slid up her body, deciding it was time to wake her.
He let his elbows fall to the side of her head, his hips keeping her thighs spread. He kept his weight on his forearms and gave her a warm, affectionate kiss. Hermione started slightly, but matched his smile when he pulled back.
Hermione blinked tiredly but happily, her head still foggy with sleep.
"Good morning, Sirius." She smiled, letting her hand come up to stroke his shoulder sincerely.
"Good morning, kitten." He grinned, and she tilted her head at his mischievously crooked grin.
"What are you smiling abou-" Her question was halted sharply when he slid deep inside of her, her head flinging back into the lush pillows and she let out a deep moan.
Sirius let out a deep groan to answer hers; tucking his head into her shoulder and letting his hands travel down to grip her bottom securely. He held her wide, pumping deep inside of her and she felt as if she would mold to him permanently if they kept up at this rate for too long. She let out a series of high-pitched whimpers and her hands scrambled for something to ground her in this world when he was so assuredly pounding her into the next.
He held himself deep but kept the pace slow. Unlike the prior night, where he let his lust overtake him and let himself get wild, he wanted to take his time. He had to make sure she craved him, needed him, and dreamt of him.
"How does it feel, love?" His voice was gravel in her ear, and he knew she was past the point of responding but he wanted to drive this point home. She let out a high moan and kissed up his neck as a response. "How does it feel to know that it's me, Sirius fucking Black, that is this deep inside of you?" She moaned feverishly, digging her nails into his back.
"That's it, baby. Get lost." He let his hips swirl hypnotically while driving her further into madness. "Get lost in me while I get lost in you, love. God," he grabbed her hips tighter, "you feel so fucking good. You're so beautiful, Hermione." Her eyes flew open at her given name, and he kissed her deeply.
"Sirius, I-" Hermione felt herself lost in waves of pleasure, struggling to keep her nails from cutting into him too much but unable to focus on her extremities enough to make a difference. "God, Sirius, it's too much. I can't… I can't…" Hermione's head thrashed from side to side and she fought the throbbing inside her core.
Sirius drew a hand up to her face and cupped her cheek gently. He slowed his rhythm to give her an earnest and heartfelt kiss. Hermione's heart seized, feeling too full from the adoration Sirius poured into her. She felt as if it would burst in a mess of blood and affection. Her face flushed bright red when he pulled back to catch her eyes with his.
He let their fingers intertwine and they existed in this moment palm-to-palm, chest-to-chest, eye-to-eye. She felt their hearts beat in synchronicity. The moment slid by like syrup.
Their eyes held strong when he began to speed up, deep growls emitting from his chest while she whimpered and moaned beneath him. He drove them both to ecstasy, letting out at loud whimper himself when she curved her hips just right and tightened herself around him. They felt the pleasure build in deep pulls, stars bursting behind their eyes when they finally came together. The pleasure dug deep into her chest and flooded her veins and arteries. It now lived endless inside of her.
She basked in the sunny warmth as she and Sirius curled into each other, boneless in their pleasure. They caught their breath; silent in their observance of the profound moment they had both just experienced.
He held her close, and his hand gently stroked her back. She tucked her head further into him and laid a tender kiss on his neck.
Remus breathed in the scent of worn books, closing his eyes to savor the calmness of the storeroom. He felt the quiet ambiance pacifying him, uncoiling the tension in his shoulders and relaxing even the infinitesimal fibers between his knuckles.
Sirius and Draco had been gone for only a few days but it felt like weeks. Without them, Grimmauld Place stood with a certain stillness that inflicted unease upon both Hermione and Remus. They elected to spend the entirety of their week together in the bookstore they owned in Diagon Alley, waiting for their roommates return in unspoken comradery.
Sirius and Draco were not able to explain much of their mission due to its covert nature. Sirius was quick to reassure them that it was not likely to be dangerous, simply diplomatically sensitive and requiring the utmost confidentiality. He hinted that they would be investigating somewhere deep in Eastern Europe, but even his characteristically disobedient nature could not prompt him to issue any more details.
Needing to travel for missions was not uncommon for the two Black heirs, but something about this assignment felt different. Hermione and Remus both felt an unpleasant itch beneath their consciousness, stubbornly tapping at the corners of their awareness.
This worry was not new to Remus, having lived with Draco and Sirius throughout their many years as Aurors and dangerous expeditions, but he felt discontented by Hermione's response. He recognized she had experienced just as much, if not more, risk during the War, but she refused to abide by Remus' approved methods of worry. He would have understood anxiety, stress or irritation, but Hermione existed in tense solitude. She kept her head down and avoided him, putting an end to their affectionate nights in the library due to the absence of their two roommates. He knew that she was calmed by touch, warmth and fondness, but she withdrew from him more and more with each passing day. He could see the stiffness in her stride, the purple haze settling underneath her eyes and pallor spreading across her typically lively cheeks.
Hermione, on the other hand, was wrought with worry. She understood the covert nature of Sirius and Draco's mission, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right. She felt further unsettled due to her and Sirius' informal relationship, unfamiliar with the lack of exclusivity and foggy boundaries. She knew that she was important to him, the two having been close since she rescued him in her Third Year, but they fought often and his unpredictable nature made him a perilous partner. She couldn't help but feel insecure when faced with the astounding gap between their levels of sexual experience.
Her worries were intensified by her troubling attraction to Remus. While Sirius had not demanded exclusivity before leaving, she couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach when Remus looked her way. Her fingers itched to run through his soft ashy hair and his deep blue eyes drew her in like a riptide pulling her under wave after wave. She couldn't resist admiring his large rough hands when they held the spines of old texts, the broadness of his shoulders and the ripples in the lean muscles of his upper back. She yearned to feel him close to her again; unable to forget the feel of his talented tongue on her breasts the last full moon. She hadn't intended on falling into bed with Sirius, but she was firm in her convictions to stay faithful to him while he was away. While Remus may have made her thighs shake and her skin tingle, she couldn't allow herself to succumb to her desires.
She resolved to gain distance between herself and the werewolf. She avoided the Black Family Library and other common areas of the house. She took showers late at night to avoid his morning route. Every minute she could be away from him, she was.
Remus and the wolf, in the meantime, were finally united about something. They needed Hermione's touch, her companionship and her love. Only a few days had gone by since he had last had her in his grasp, but he felt himself going mad with longing. He missed her light, feminine scent, the way she sighed when she fell asleep, her dark eyes that would glaze over with lust. He remembered the taste of her skin and the sounds of her moans. Thoughts of her invaded his mind relentlessly and he felt as if he would explode from the sexual repression.
His heart leapt up to his throat when she entered the store that morning, carrying two cups of hot cocoa and a small bag of pumpkin bread. She smiled at him cautiously, set the food before him on the counter and unwrapped her scarf. Remus' mouth watered when he was assaulted by the sudden burst of her enchanting fragrance and he dug his long fingers into the wood counter between them in an effort to keep himself from digging them into her. He kept his expression nonchalant and nodded to her in greeting.
"Good morning, Hermione. Thanks for breakfast." He smiled, turning back to speak with a few customers that lingered in the nonfiction section in the back.
Hermione realized after he left that she was smiling unknowingly and she forced her mouth to fall back into a neutral position. She shook her head and reprimanded herself.
Remus and Hermione continued through their day calmly, but separately. He tolerated her continual evasion of him but felt increasingly drawn to her as the day went on. While the full moon was weeks away, his alter ego lurked close to the surface. Since the death of his girlfriend, Nymphadora Tonks, during the War and his subsequent acceptance of his lupine side, the wolf and the man shared consciousness. He was able to keep the wolf under control most of the time, but periods of extreme emotion caused the wolf to get restless. He was quickly realizing that arousal fell into the category of extreme emotion, where he had only experienced the struggle during periods of extreme anger and grief.
He ducked behind the counter to assist a customer, too focused on his task to notice the witch already occupying the space. She looked up from her book sharply, startled by his sudden presence and she attempted to duck out of his way, but he took advantage of their proximity.
"So sorry, love. I'll be out of your way in a moment." He impressively kept the smile off of his face, but his wolf puffed up with pride at having herded her into touching him. He set his hands on the countertop in front of her, tucking her into his broad chest and smirking slightly when he heard her soft intake of air. He hoped she liked how he smelt.
"So, are you all ready to check out?" He asked the older woman in front of him. She smiled and nodded, handing over her purchase and retrieving her wallet from her large floral purse. He pretended not to notice Hermione's embarrassment and let his free hand rest gently on the small of her back. Her face reddened slightly and she kept quiet.
"You two are a lovely couple." The old woman smiled, taking her receipt and leaving before Hermione could contradict her. Remus preened at the compliment and remained firmly in place, keeping Hermione flush against the adjacent wall.
"Remus," Hermione kept her eyes down, "can you let me out? I have more work I need to do in the back." Remus stood tall above her, his hand still resting on her lower back and he leaned closer. He lightly pinned her to the wall behind her, seemingly oblivious to the few customers in the store and her discomfort.
Hermione felt her body heat up in response to Remus' being so close to her. She fought the desire, repeating Sirius' name over and over in her head to try and shake the sensual fog Remus triggered in her. She looked up to meet his blue eyes, and shot him a desperate look.
"Please, Remus." She pleaded, unsure of what she was asking for. He hovered, remaining close to her but unwilling to push her past her set boundaries. He curled his strong arms around her waist, pulling her close to him and leaning down to let his lips brush against her ear.
"Sorry, love." He whispered lowly, and he turned with her in his grip to be against the wall himself. His arms hung loosely around her hips and he leaned against the wall. He wanted to give her a choice in what happened, but he relished her soft curves and needed to keep her close for at least a moment longer.
Her eyes lingered on his lips, her fingers longing to feel the rough stubble on his cheeks and the strength of his hands holding her tight. Her cheeks reddened and her core throbbed when the scent of him reminded her of their time together in his bed. Remus fought a low groan when he sensed her arousal and he fought the urge to grind himself into her center. She lingered for a moment longer before fleeing to the back of the shop.
Remus shook his head to clear his mind and grabbed a book from the counter.
Remus stood with his fists clenched, his hair falling messily into his view and his eyes flashed from blue to gold continually. He cursed whichever cruel soul it was that invented short skirts. His eyes flicked to the dark haired woman in the back.
Hermione stood high on a ladder, up on her toes to reach a book on the top shelf. She kept a cart beside her, stacked with texts she needed for her next research assignment. Her skirt, while perfectly modest on the ground, was ill prepared to cover her pale skin from below, and Remus fought the urge to thoroughly examine her exposed thighs.
"Remus?" She called, unaware of her vulnerable position. "Could you read that list for me?" She pointed to the parchment on the cart. "I need to know which edition of this text to grab."
Remus nodded jerkily and came to her aid. He kept his eyes fixed on the cracked floorboards, focusing on the paint chips as opposed to his friend's long legs. He listed off the next three books she needed and she searched for them.
She stretched horizontally to reach a book that was just outside of her grasp but yelped when her foot slipped off the rung. Remus instinctively reached up to steady her, his long arm shooting up to support her.
His blood froze when he realized where his hand had landed.
His hand was firmly cupping her bottom. He felt the soft warmth of her panties, the generous swell of her cheeks and the smoothness of her most intimate skin. He felt a dizzyingly strong pulse of arousal course through him and settle low in his groin.
They stood frozen for a few minutes, completely clueless as to what to do in this situation. Both of their faces were flushed and their mouths gaped open like a pair of quite cute fish.
Hermione felt herself get wet at the feeling of Remus' strong hand supporting her, her arousal warmed his palm and he groaned quietly. He waved his hand towards the door, locking it with a loud snap. He should have realized earlier that his efforts to keep his distance were futile.
He let his fingers slip under the edge of her panties and growled when he felt her slick softness. She moaned quietly, leaning her head against the bookcase and reminding herself to stay firm in her convictions.
If only she could remember what those convictions were…
Remus yanked Hermione into the back room of their store and bent her over her desk. He took his time once he had her alone, letting his cheek rub against the soft flesh of her ass and he slipped his tongue out to tickle her lightly. He chuckled when she flinched and he bit gently into her cheek.
"Oh my god," She moaned, her head swimming when he slipped a finger into her tight heat, "Remus, what are we doing?" Remus chuckled lowly and pumped a little more insistently. "I'm – oh god – I'm seeing Sirius, I can't do this!" She whimpered when he sucked a dark mark on her inner thigh, but her objections fell on deaf ears. Remus kept his rhythm constant yet slow, drawing the pleasure from her like a note from a fine violin.
"Relax, love. It's inevitable." Remus drawled out, letting his tongue join his fingers and feeling a surge of masculine pride at the quiet whimpers she couldn't contain.
"What do you mean inevitable?" She moaned, trying to keep her mind clear but failing miserably.
"We'll explain when they get back." Remus muttered, before ripping her panties off and surging home with a single thrust. "Holy fuck, love." He growled, his hands bruising her hips and his thick member splitting her open. Hermione's head flew back and she let out a strangled moan, her dark hair falling down her back in a chocolate cascade.
He had always loved chocolate.
Hermione didn't think that the heat could grow any more, but she discovered how wrong she was when Remus began releasing a string of filthy curses. Remus' well-behaved exterior clearly disguised the animal within, and the thought made her as wet as Sirius' passion had made her a few nights earlier. She moaned loudly when Remus gripped her shoulder to pull her upright. He held her back to his chest, thrusting wildly while holding his head close to her ear.
"God damn, love. You're so beautiful, I've wanted you for so long." He kissed her neck tenderly, a sharp contrast to his rough thrusting below. "So glad you're finally ours, darling." Hermione's eyes shot open at this, but she couldn't focus long enough to ask him what he meant.
Remus drove her to an orgasm while bent over the desk, and then brought her to the floor with him. He kept his pace fast and deep, but was careful to not pound her too harshly into the floor. His head stayed by her ear, whispering encouragements and words of comfort to make sure she knew exactly how much this meant to him.
Hermione was overwhelmed by the pleasure, unable to form words but continually moaning. Her fingers dug deep into his shirt, realizing belatedly that they were still both completely clothed.
She screamed when she hit her second orgasm, overwhelmed by the sensations of Remus driving deep into her and she felt her heart warm when he spilled inside of her. They lay together on the floor of the storeroom for a few minutes, gathering themselves.
Hermione turned to him, unsure as to where they stood when the haze of sex cleared.
"I don't understand." She frowned deeply. Her guilt settled deep like a rock in her gut, unable to believe that she had been unfaithful to Sirius. Although nothing had been formalized, she knew that the intimacy that she and Sirius shared was not simply casual sex, and she felt appalled that she could betray him the way she did.
Remus opened his mouth to explain, but Hermione swiftly stood and apparated. He hurriedly stood and followed.
Remus appeared in front of Grimmauld Place just in time to see the front door slam shut. He leapt up the stoop and flung the door open, suddenly colliding with Hermione's back.
"Hermione, you need to listen to me!" Remus grabbed her shoulders and tried to seize her attention, but her focus was fixed on the stairs. "Hermione? What are you looking at?" He followed her line of sight, paling when he understood her panic.
A long, thick trail of dark liquid stained the staircase ahead of them.
Remus tucked her behind him and drew his wand cautiously. "Hello?" He called, "Is anyone there?" The only sound they heard was the soft dripping of blood.
Remus climbed the staircase warily, careful to keep Hermione out of sight. He followed the trail to the first floor bathroom. He stepped inside slowly and peered inside. Hermione saw him rush into the room and heard his distressed yell.
She quickly followed him into the room, shocked to see the blonde head of hair hanging out of the claw foot tub. The black and white tiled floor was barely visible under the pools of dark viscous liquid and Hermione nearly slipped in her shock. Draco's hair was spattered with crimson.
His hand hung limply from the rim of the tub and his head lolled to the side. Remus pulled him to the floor, peeling off his shirt to reveal several deep slashes. He vanished the blood that was in his way, sewing together skin with his wand.
Many questions needed answering, but one hung especially heavy in the air.
Where was Sirius?
