A/N: Oh man! You reviewers rock! Mwha! I'm sorry I haven't updated for two days, but you know… I've been tryin' to find information on 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' auditions… Which I have! I also wrote an e-mail to Oliver and James Phelps, the actors who play George and Fred Weasley, and surprisingly, they wrote me back, telling me to go for it! Such kind hearted, loving, pretty cute boys who happen to only be a few months older than myself… Moving on! On with the story!!
Snuffles' Stay
Chapter Seven
"I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. It wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me; but it kept me sane, and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers."' - Sirius, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
*****
"Addilynn Fleur Granger for a girl, and Winguric Dane Granger for a boy!" exclaimed Hermione to Sirius, who was smiling softly at her, hand stroking her floof of brown hair.
"Where did Winguric come from?"
"A Warlock that I met in the Leaky Cauldron on my first visit to Diagon Alley. He was quite nice, really… helped Mum and Dad out with Wizarding Money."
"Oh?" There was a faint hint of jealousy in his voice that Hermione seemed to notice.
"Are we getting jealous, Mr. Black?" Hermione asked, eyebrows rose in mock seriousness.
"A dog is always possessive of his territory."
"Basically, you are saying that you are a dog, for one, and second of all, that I am territory?" Her eyebrows furrowed together. "How nice of you. I feel complimented."
"And why shouldn't you? It's all because of my presence! I knew it!"
Hermione struggled to wiggle free of his grasp. "You're too full of yourself, Sirius. Women aren't about to throw themselves to the hem of your robes and beg you to come to bed with them."
"How can you be so sure?" His eyes twinkled playfully, almost daringly at Hermione.
"Because I haven't, haven't I?" Hermione's chocolate-brown orbs searched into his own deep eyes. "Don't get me worked up like that! I need rest, relaxation! It's my summer holiday, remember? My last free summer holiday, to be exact! Next year, I have to come home to find my little brothers, or sisters, or whatever bustling around the house, screaming, crying… begging! I don't know if I can handle it."
"Well, they're not yours, so you really shouldn't worry too much."
"I can't help but feel a sense of responsibility for them, though! It's… It's as if I am their mother! I worry and fuss over my Mum's well being as well as any pregnant woman would of herself. There's just no denying it, Sirius; I have no life!"
"Of course you have a life!" Sirius gave a thick, heartful laugh. "You go to Hogwarts… the best Magical School in all of Britain… And you're the cleverest Witch of your class… well beyond the majority of the students. After your school years are complete, you're prone to find a fitting job."
Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Prone. That's all I am… Prone." She pressed her cheek against Sirius' chest, moving with the rise and fall of his chest. "Will you come back to Hogwarts with me?"
"Why are you thinking so far ahead of yourself? You're only 17! You should be having a little bit of fun!"
"I am having fun!" she huffed. "This is fun! See!" Hermione glanced up to look within Sirius' deep orbs again, her lips contorted into a wide smile, expelling her fabulous glowing, pearly teeth. "This is my happy, content face! It's what I use when I'm having fun!"
"Too bad it's cheesy lookin' and would frighten little kids off!"
"HEY!" Hermione thumped her fist against Sirius' chest. "That's rude!"
"I only speak the truth! For I am… Sirius!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Guys could be so damned testy. "More like incoherent" she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" Hermione lied, grinning. "Well…" Her fingers laced the fabric of Sirius' shirt, and she noticed that it was starting to soil. "Sirius… These need washed, and I daresay, you need to bathe again."
"Do I?" he asked, looking down at his increasingly dirtying shirt.
"Yes, you do. Go into the bathroom, take them off, and throw them out the door so you can take a shower in there. I'll go and put your clothes in the washer with some of my things… But they won't be done for a while. They have to dry and everything… so you can… Hold on, I'll… Oh! My Father's old shirt that he gave me… Hmm…"
Hermione walked to her dresser, pulled open a drawer, and pulled out a large black t-shirt decorated with "Cheeky Monkey" written all over them. Sirius saw the shirt and gave a protest of laughs.
"What? Do you suggest I go to my Father and exclaim, 'Well, Dad, there's an escaped fugitive living in my bedroom… and he's quite dirty now, so I decided to wash his clothing, when I discovered that he had nothing else to wear. Might he be able to borrow a pair of slacks?" Hermione added testily.
"Fine!" Sirius said, laughing still. "I'll wear the Cheeky Monkey shirt, but… Don't you at least have a pair of boxers?"
"I was getting to that" Hermione snapped. She pulled open another drawer and dug through its contents. Finally, she fished out a pair of gray boxers, seemingly bigger than what her attire suggested, and hung them out in her hand. "These are mine but I am allowing you to wear them. They're men's so don't look at me like that!"''
"Alright, then. I'll… lounge around, in your room, dressed in a Cheeky Monkey shirt and a pair of gray boxers that belong to a seventeen year old woman, shall I?"
"Yes."
"How dignified!" Sirius clapped his hands to his mouth and gave a mock gasp. "The excitement that is flowing through my veins at this precise moment! You have no idea!"
Hermione gave him an apprehensive look. "Like I stated before… you should be grateful that I'm doing this for you! If Ron had come over, asking for undergarments, I would…"
"That reminds me, dear Hermione… How was the garment shopping with your mother?" His eyes flashed maliciously at Hermione. "Get anything gooooood?"'
The flush on her cheeks couldn't be any more crimson. "That's none of your business, Sirius!"
"Are we hiding something from the rest of the students, hmm? Share with the rest of the class! TEN POINTS FROM -"
"Shhhhh!" Hermione hissed. "Why do you want to know so badly?"
"It's my duty to know these things."
"These things? And what would that be, exactly?"
Sirius brushed his lips against Hermione's temple, pressing feathery kisses along her soft flesh. "Everything about you."
Hermione melted in his grasp. Why did he have to say those words? Why did he have to know the touches that would set her soul on fire? That would make her heart race and contort her thinking? "…Is that… so?" she asked, her voice soft and hinting something she never knew she'd feel around him.
Lust? Passion?
Perhaps what she felt proved to be a mixture of both.
"Hermione?" Sirius asked, his voice audibly a whisper deeply filled with honest intentions.
"Hmm?" was the most she could manage, leaning into his chest and embrace, nuzzling her head closer to his feathery lips.
"I really should get in the shower now." His lips placed a soft kiss on the top of her fluffy head and lessened the force of his tender embrace. With another kiss on the top of her head, he let go of the girl between his arms, and walked into her bathroom, closing the door behind him.
A few moments later, his clothing flew out the door. Hermione gathered up his things with a quick and hopeful glance at the door, where Sirius' head was protruding from. "Have fun." With a wink, he closed the door, and entered the shower.
She hid his clothing in the center of her laundry bin, took hold of it, and walked down the stairs. Her parents were upstairs in their bedroom; already asleep from the silence except the running shower. Ahead of her stood the washing machine and dryer; she stuck the soiled clothing in its depth.
Perhaps it was fate that something like this would happen? All her life, she had pressed herself into her studies; trying to be the best for her parents, to make them proud, and to make something of herself… something other than Hermione Granger. But now… now Sirius was here, and he was changing her. Ever since Third Year at Hogwarts… He had been there, and he knew. He could watch from a distance, while her parents were stuck at home, running their own life.
Hermione slumped against the back of a large oak kitchen chair, staring at the table with no facial expression contorting her facial features. She gave a small sigh, taking a glance at the open space that would soon be cluttered with access food, bottles, and other equipment that would make the house "Baby Safe."
She drug herself to her feet and walked to the refrigerator. Opening the door, she found various sorts of alcoholic beverages that Mr. Granger had bought when he learned that Mrs. Granger was bearing children. Of course, he monitored whatever Mrs. Granger was drinking, and would not allow her any wine. Hermione picked up a flask of champaign, opened it, and sniffed, noticing its sweet intoxication. I've had wine before. Dad won't have minded that I took one flask…if he even noticed in the first place. Just as long as I remembered to brush my teeth afterward! She gave a small chuckle, opened a cupboard, and removed two glasses. With the objects, she walked back into her room, to find a partially naked Sirius exiting the bathroom.
Her breath was caught in short gasps. He wasn't wearing the Cheeky Monkey shirt; instead, he was clad in only the gray boxers that seemed just right on his form. They weren't tight - no cutting into his flesh. She remembered, suddenly, that she was staring, and looked away, flushing. Sirius, though, hadn't noticed.
"What's that?" he asked, glancing pointedly at the wineskin and the glasses.
"What? This? Champaign. Dad had a few extra flasks, so I decided that it wouldn't hurt if we had some."
Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly. "Really?" He noticed the flush of her cheeks and the corners of his lips curved into a smile. "What?" He glanced down at himself and noticed what she was so pointedly trying to avoid staring at. "You act as though you've never seen a chest before."
"And why is that of your concern?"
"You're a little touchy on that subject, aren't you?"
"You really have no right on questioning me on things such as that!" She huffed, chest rising and falling; Sirius caught site of that. "Honestly! All men think about is sex! With Ron and Harry, it's 'Would you look at her chest! Jeez!' or 'She has a nice bum, don't you think?' I'm going to loose my mind!"
"If you haven't already," he pointed out.
"If I hadn't had a mind, I might have jumped on top of you already!" She stopped suddenly, realizing that she had actually said what she had meant to skirt around. …Stupid… very… very… stupid…
Sirius was shocked by her words; Haha, I am a sex god! I knew it… But this isn't… It's not like that anymore. He shifted his thoughts slightly, grabbing at the wineskin to break the uneasy silence. "Lets have some, then, shall we?"
*****
It hadn't taken more than three glasses of champaign to make Hermione's speech slur slightly. Sirius laughed silently; Hermione was standing up, looking around her room with wide, gleaming eyes. "Yoo… know…" Hermione took a gulp, "that… I… have been waytin all my life to find some… somebody to let myself… love?"
Sirius, intrigued, arched an eyebrow. "Really?" He took another sip of the champaign; it was suggestively strong… And the glasses that they drank from were large.
"Yes!" She grinned, placing a hand to her bushy head. "And… I thhhink… that I might have found… the someone… I wuz… lookin' for."
"And who would that be?" he asked. He felt bad in the pit of his stomach, knowing that he was taking advantage of her vulnerability… but she was hinting at something, and he felt he needed to know more of.
"Yoo," she said, looking at him with her glassy eyes.
Sirius' heart lept into his throat. She loved him? She, Hermione Granger, loved him, Sirius Black, escaped convict wrongly accused of murdering twelve innocent lives? (Technically 13, but Peter didn't count.) He glanced at her with awe in his eyes, leaning against the back of the headboard.
Hermione threw herself onto Sirius' lap, grinning cheekily. "Yoo… want to know… what I feel right now?" she asked, lowering her eyes and fluttering her lashes. Sirius' stomach twisted, turning in knots.
"What do you feel?" he asked, still leaning against the headboard.
"Tired."
"Then go to sleep?" Sirius offered, gently rubbing Hermione's arms with his thumbs.
"If yoo promise… to stay with me."
"What do you mean by that, Hermione?" Sirius glanced into her eyes, which will filling with a pleading sense that he couldn't ignore. What did she mean, stay with her? He wasn't going to sleep with her in this state.
"Don't leave me…" Her eyes begun to water, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Why do you think I would leave you?"
"'Cuz everything… else… I've loved… has faded away frum me." Her body was wracked with silent sobs. Instinctively, he pulled her to his chest.
"I won't… I'll stay with you tonight, and I'll be here when you wake up, okay?" His chest soon became wet with tears.
"Promise?"
Sirius held Hermione's head with the tenderist of touches, wrapping his other hand around her waist, holding her body close to his. He slunk down into the depths of the bed, holding her still, and whispered into her sleeping ear… "I promise."
A/N: I apologize for this chapter being fluffy and silly, but it was fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it.
Chapter Seven
"I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. It wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me; but it kept me sane, and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers."' - Sirius, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
"Addilynn Fleur Granger for a girl, and Winguric Dane Granger for a boy!" exclaimed Hermione to Sirius, who was smiling softly at her, hand stroking her floof of brown hair.
"Where did Winguric come from?"
"A Warlock that I met in the Leaky Cauldron on my first visit to Diagon Alley. He was quite nice, really… helped Mum and Dad out with Wizarding Money."
"Oh?" There was a faint hint of jealousy in his voice that Hermione seemed to notice.
"Are we getting jealous, Mr. Black?" Hermione asked, eyebrows rose in mock seriousness.
"A dog is always possessive of his territory."
"Basically, you are saying that you are a dog, for one, and second of all, that I am territory?" Her eyebrows furrowed together. "How nice of you. I feel complimented."
"And why shouldn't you? It's all because of my presence! I knew it!"
Hermione struggled to wiggle free of his grasp. "You're too full of yourself, Sirius. Women aren't about to throw themselves to the hem of your robes and beg you to come to bed with them."
"How can you be so sure?" His eyes twinkled playfully, almost daringly at Hermione.
"Because I haven't, haven't I?" Hermione's chocolate-brown orbs searched into his own deep eyes. "Don't get me worked up like that! I need rest, relaxation! It's my summer holiday, remember? My last free summer holiday, to be exact! Next year, I have to come home to find my little brothers, or sisters, or whatever bustling around the house, screaming, crying… begging! I don't know if I can handle it."
"Well, they're not yours, so you really shouldn't worry too much."
"I can't help but feel a sense of responsibility for them, though! It's… It's as if I am their mother! I worry and fuss over my Mum's well being as well as any pregnant woman would of herself. There's just no denying it, Sirius; I have no life!"
"Of course you have a life!" Sirius gave a thick, heartful laugh. "You go to Hogwarts… the best Magical School in all of Britain… And you're the cleverest Witch of your class… well beyond the majority of the students. After your school years are complete, you're prone to find a fitting job."
Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Prone. That's all I am… Prone." She pressed her cheek against Sirius' chest, moving with the rise and fall of his chest. "Will you come back to Hogwarts with me?"
"Why are you thinking so far ahead of yourself? You're only 17! You should be having a little bit of fun!"
"I am having fun!" she huffed. "This is fun! See!" Hermione glanced up to look within Sirius' deep orbs again, her lips contorted into a wide smile, expelling her fabulous glowing, pearly teeth. "This is my happy, content face! It's what I use when I'm having fun!"
"Too bad it's cheesy lookin' and would frighten little kids off!"
"HEY!" Hermione thumped her fist against Sirius' chest. "That's rude!"
"I only speak the truth! For I am… Sirius!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Guys could be so damned testy. "More like incoherent" she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" Hermione lied, grinning. "Well…" Her fingers laced the fabric of Sirius' shirt, and she noticed that it was starting to soil. "Sirius… These need washed, and I daresay, you need to bathe again."
"Do I?" he asked, looking down at his increasingly dirtying shirt.
"Yes, you do. Go into the bathroom, take them off, and throw them out the door so you can take a shower in there. I'll go and put your clothes in the washer with some of my things… But they won't be done for a while. They have to dry and everything… so you can… Hold on, I'll… Oh! My Father's old shirt that he gave me… Hmm…"
Hermione walked to her dresser, pulled open a drawer, and pulled out a large black t-shirt decorated with "Cheeky Monkey" written all over them. Sirius saw the shirt and gave a protest of laughs.
"What? Do you suggest I go to my Father and exclaim, 'Well, Dad, there's an escaped fugitive living in my bedroom… and he's quite dirty now, so I decided to wash his clothing, when I discovered that he had nothing else to wear. Might he be able to borrow a pair of slacks?" Hermione added testily.
"Fine!" Sirius said, laughing still. "I'll wear the Cheeky Monkey shirt, but… Don't you at least have a pair of boxers?"
"I was getting to that" Hermione snapped. She pulled open another drawer and dug through its contents. Finally, she fished out a pair of gray boxers, seemingly bigger than what her attire suggested, and hung them out in her hand. "These are mine but I am allowing you to wear them. They're men's so don't look at me like that!"''
"Alright, then. I'll… lounge around, in your room, dressed in a Cheeky Monkey shirt and a pair of gray boxers that belong to a seventeen year old woman, shall I?"
"Yes."
"How dignified!" Sirius clapped his hands to his mouth and gave a mock gasp. "The excitement that is flowing through my veins at this precise moment! You have no idea!"
Hermione gave him an apprehensive look. "Like I stated before… you should be grateful that I'm doing this for you! If Ron had come over, asking for undergarments, I would…"
"That reminds me, dear Hermione… How was the garment shopping with your mother?" His eyes flashed maliciously at Hermione. "Get anything gooooood?"'
The flush on her cheeks couldn't be any more crimson. "That's none of your business, Sirius!"
"Are we hiding something from the rest of the students, hmm? Share with the rest of the class! TEN POINTS FROM -"
"Shhhhh!" Hermione hissed. "Why do you want to know so badly?"
"It's my duty to know these things."
"These things? And what would that be, exactly?"
Sirius brushed his lips against Hermione's temple, pressing feathery kisses along her soft flesh. "Everything about you."
Hermione melted in his grasp. Why did he have to say those words? Why did he have to know the touches that would set her soul on fire? That would make her heart race and contort her thinking? "…Is that… so?" she asked, her voice soft and hinting something she never knew she'd feel around him.
Lust? Passion?
Perhaps what she felt proved to be a mixture of both.
"Hermione?" Sirius asked, his voice audibly a whisper deeply filled with honest intentions.
"Hmm?" was the most she could manage, leaning into his chest and embrace, nuzzling her head closer to his feathery lips.
"I really should get in the shower now." His lips placed a soft kiss on the top of her fluffy head and lessened the force of his tender embrace. With another kiss on the top of her head, he let go of the girl between his arms, and walked into her bathroom, closing the door behind him.
A few moments later, his clothing flew out the door. Hermione gathered up his things with a quick and hopeful glance at the door, where Sirius' head was protruding from. "Have fun." With a wink, he closed the door, and entered the shower.
She hid his clothing in the center of her laundry bin, took hold of it, and walked down the stairs. Her parents were upstairs in their bedroom; already asleep from the silence except the running shower. Ahead of her stood the washing machine and dryer; she stuck the soiled clothing in its depth.
Perhaps it was fate that something like this would happen? All her life, she had pressed herself into her studies; trying to be the best for her parents, to make them proud, and to make something of herself… something other than Hermione Granger. But now… now Sirius was here, and he was changing her. Ever since Third Year at Hogwarts… He had been there, and he knew. He could watch from a distance, while her parents were stuck at home, running their own life.
Hermione slumped against the back of a large oak kitchen chair, staring at the table with no facial expression contorting her facial features. She gave a small sigh, taking a glance at the open space that would soon be cluttered with access food, bottles, and other equipment that would make the house "Baby Safe."
She drug herself to her feet and walked to the refrigerator. Opening the door, she found various sorts of alcoholic beverages that Mr. Granger had bought when he learned that Mrs. Granger was bearing children. Of course, he monitored whatever Mrs. Granger was drinking, and would not allow her any wine. Hermione picked up a flask of champaign, opened it, and sniffed, noticing its sweet intoxication. I've had wine before. Dad won't have minded that I took one flask…if he even noticed in the first place. Just as long as I remembered to brush my teeth afterward! She gave a small chuckle, opened a cupboard, and removed two glasses. With the objects, she walked back into her room, to find a partially naked Sirius exiting the bathroom.
Her breath was caught in short gasps. He wasn't wearing the Cheeky Monkey shirt; instead, he was clad in only the gray boxers that seemed just right on his form. They weren't tight - no cutting into his flesh. She remembered, suddenly, that she was staring, and looked away, flushing. Sirius, though, hadn't noticed.
"What's that?" he asked, glancing pointedly at the wineskin and the glasses.
"What? This? Champaign. Dad had a few extra flasks, so I decided that it wouldn't hurt if we had some."
Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly. "Really?" He noticed the flush of her cheeks and the corners of his lips curved into a smile. "What?" He glanced down at himself and noticed what she was so pointedly trying to avoid staring at. "You act as though you've never seen a chest before."
"And why is that of your concern?"
"You're a little touchy on that subject, aren't you?"
"You really have no right on questioning me on things such as that!" She huffed, chest rising and falling; Sirius caught site of that. "Honestly! All men think about is sex! With Ron and Harry, it's 'Would you look at her chest! Jeez!' or 'She has a nice bum, don't you think?' I'm going to loose my mind!"
"If you haven't already," he pointed out.
"If I hadn't had a mind, I might have jumped on top of you already!" She stopped suddenly, realizing that she had actually said what she had meant to skirt around. …Stupid… very… very… stupid…
Sirius was shocked by her words; Haha, I am a sex god! I knew it… But this isn't… It's not like that anymore. He shifted his thoughts slightly, grabbing at the wineskin to break the uneasy silence. "Lets have some, then, shall we?"
It hadn't taken more than three glasses of champaign to make Hermione's speech slur slightly. Sirius laughed silently; Hermione was standing up, looking around her room with wide, gleaming eyes. "Yoo… know…" Hermione took a gulp, "that… I… have been waytin all my life to find some… somebody to let myself… love?"
Sirius, intrigued, arched an eyebrow. "Really?" He took another sip of the champaign; it was suggestively strong… And the glasses that they drank from were large.
"Yes!" She grinned, placing a hand to her bushy head. "And… I thhhink… that I might have found… the someone… I wuz… lookin' for."
"And who would that be?" he asked. He felt bad in the pit of his stomach, knowing that he was taking advantage of her vulnerability… but she was hinting at something, and he felt he needed to know more of.
"Yoo," she said, looking at him with her glassy eyes.
Sirius' heart lept into his throat. She loved him? She, Hermione Granger, loved him, Sirius Black, escaped convict wrongly accused of murdering twelve innocent lives? (Technically 13, but Peter didn't count.) He glanced at her with awe in his eyes, leaning against the back of the headboard.
Hermione threw herself onto Sirius' lap, grinning cheekily. "Yoo… want to know… what I feel right now?" she asked, lowering her eyes and fluttering her lashes. Sirius' stomach twisted, turning in knots.
"What do you feel?" he asked, still leaning against the headboard.
"Tired."
"Then go to sleep?" Sirius offered, gently rubbing Hermione's arms with his thumbs.
"If yoo promise… to stay with me."
"What do you mean by that, Hermione?" Sirius glanced into her eyes, which will filling with a pleading sense that he couldn't ignore. What did she mean, stay with her? He wasn't going to sleep with her in this state.
"Don't leave me…" Her eyes begun to water, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Why do you think I would leave you?"
"'Cuz everything… else… I've loved… has faded away frum me." Her body was wracked with silent sobs. Instinctively, he pulled her to his chest.
"I won't… I'll stay with you tonight, and I'll be here when you wake up, okay?" His chest soon became wet with tears.
"Promise?"
Sirius held Hermione's head with the tenderist of touches, wrapping his other hand around her waist, holding her body close to his. He slunk down into the depths of the bed, holding her still, and whispered into her sleeping ear… "I promise."
A/N: I apologize for this chapter being fluffy and silly, but it was fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it.