Chapter Sixteen: Amends
The next day was Saturday, and Hermione woke up ready to do what she knew needed to be done. She threw on some clothes, briefly ran a brush through her hair, and headed down to the common room. Sirius was sprawled on a couch, looking impatient. Upon seeing her, he smiled and jumped to his feet. "Let's go, I'm starving."
Hermione hesitated, but only for a minute. "Wait, Sirius, we need to talk."
"What is it?" Sirius asked offhandedly as he headed toward the portrait hole.
It was now or never. "This isn't working out." Hermione nervously played with the hem of her skirt, her heart pounding against her chest. She had never broken up with anyone before.
Sirius stopped, and turned around. His expression was unreadable. "What isn't?"
"Us." She braced herself for his reply.
"Oh. Okay." He shrugged and continued walking out into the corridor.
"What?" Hermione wasn't going to let him get off so easily. "You aren't upset?"
Sirius shrugged again. "Not much I can do about it, is there? And being upset won't help a thing. Besides, it's like you've set me free." He stopped, put his hands on his hips, and stuck out his chest like a super hero. "Watch out, women of Hogwarts! None are safe with Sirius Black the bachelor on the loose!"
Hermione paused, not sure if she should be insulted or relieved. She stared intently at Sirius, but the look on his face send her into a fit of laughter. She figured that there was no point in being offended; his reaction was better than she could have ever imagined. At least he wasn't mad. "Sirius, you're the best!" She wrapped him in a big bear hug.
"Hey now, none of that," he said, pushing her away with a grin. "What would James say?"
Hermione froze. "What!?!"
"James Potter-you know, the man you love?" Sirius crossed his arms raised one eyebrow, leaning against the wall.
She was shocked. "You know?"
He rolled his eyes. "It's soooo obvious."
Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at him. "Then why didn't you stop our relationship?"
Sirius grinned. "You're a great kisser, that's why."
With an indignant groan, she slapped him on his arm. "You dog!"
"That's the Hera I know!" he said, shoving her out the door. "Now go get 'em, Tiger. I saw your lover boy heading out with his broom this morning."
Walking through the corridors, Hermione couldn't believe things went so well with Sirius. Unfortunately, the brooding feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that it wouldn't go so smoothly with James.
She stepped outside into the cold, pulling her robes tight around her body. As she headed to the Quidditch field she observed that James was the only one in the sky. He was flying vigorously, as if attempting to blow off some steam.
Hermione stepped into the bleachers and sat there alone, watching him. A pang in her heart reminded her of that day which now seemed so long ago when she watched Harry flying. A part of her longed to just return to those days, when her biggest worries consisted of too much homework and problems with a slimy professor. Hermione sighed and sat in a sad silence for a long time.
James was so caught up in his flying that he didn't notice her. Eventually he came to a rest mid-air, stopping to catch his breath, and saw her.
She was looking at her hands, which lay on her lap. He couldn't make out her expression. After a slight hesitation, James flew down to the bleachers, stepping off his broom and standing before her. With pain he recalled the ball the night before. His pride had been hurt-badly. "What do you want," he asked cruelly, "another dance?"
The comment pierced her thoroughly, but she was determined for him to hear her out. She stood. "James, I love you."
His eyebrow rose and he frowned. "What?"
She shivered- not only because of the bitterly cold air, but also because of the icy look James was giving her. "You heard me: I love you."
James just stood there and stared at her, not knowing what to make of her declaration. Suddenly he noticed her shiver. He let his eyes drift over her body. Her skin was pale, her lips were turning blue, and she was shaking from head to toe. She was only wearing a thin robe over her clothes. "Where's your cloak?" James asked with more annoyance than concern.
Hermione looked exasperated. Here she was pouring out her heart and he was worried about her fashion sense. "It doesn't matter! I'm trying to fix things here!"
James was shocked, wondering what she meant by "fix." That would have to wait, however. Currently his top priority was getting her inside the castle. "C'mon," he said, taking her hand. "Let's get you warm."
Hermione felt that she had no choice but to obey, if she wanted him to hear her out. His hand was as cold as his voice, not warm and comforting as it had once been.
He brought her to the kitchen and the house elves prepared some hot chocolate. They sat next to each other, on the same bench where they had kissed, at least two feet separating their bodies. Hermione reflected on how this was sure to go down as one of the most awkward moments in history. Finally she spoke up.
"What are you thinking about?" Her brown eyes demanded honesty.
He sighed, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and said, "You confuse me so much. First you acted like you fancied me, then just as friends, then you virtually ignore me...and now you say that you love me." He watched her, emotion filling his eyes. She stared into her mug, refusing to look at him. "What about Sirius?" he asked.
"Sirius," she smiled, "has probably moved on to the next victim. I never had any real feelings for him."
"But why?" James asked, "why were you with him for so long?"
At last Hermione brought her eyes to meet his. She wanted to be totally honest, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth about the future. It would just make things so much more convoluted, if that was possible. But she still loved him, and wanted to be with him more than anything. She sighed, searching for an answer. "I don't know. I was scared I guess."
"Of what?" he asked softly. She noticed that he was sitting right next to her now, but didn't remember either of them moving.
"Of this," she quietly said, leaning in and covering his lips with her own.
James was astonished, yet he kissed back. All of their feelings that had been bottled up for so long were released in this one perfect kiss. It was brief, however, as James pulled away after a few seconds. She searched his eyes with her own, fearing that he would reject her. He simply smiled softly, gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek and whispered, "I love you too, Hera."
For so long she had wanted to hear those words out of his mouth, to know that he truly felt the same, not like Harry who never saw her as more than a buddy. Smiling, Hermione noticed something forming in his eyes: tears. With a teasing tone, she asked, "You're not going to cry, James, are you?"
"No!" he unconvincingly asserted with a timid smile. "Are you?"
"Oh, never," she said.
They just smiled at each other for a minute or two before they fell into each others' arms and were engulfed with sobs of complete and utter happiness.
(A/N: Ah, I could just end it here and everything could be all nice and happy. Fortunately (or unfortunately, perhaps?) I'm not a warm-and-fuzzy type of girl, and I'm mad at Hermione for making a dumb decision, so let's throw in some antagonists, shall we?)
The next day was Saturday, and Hermione woke up ready to do what she knew needed to be done. She threw on some clothes, briefly ran a brush through her hair, and headed down to the common room. Sirius was sprawled on a couch, looking impatient. Upon seeing her, he smiled and jumped to his feet. "Let's go, I'm starving."
Hermione hesitated, but only for a minute. "Wait, Sirius, we need to talk."
"What is it?" Sirius asked offhandedly as he headed toward the portrait hole.
It was now or never. "This isn't working out." Hermione nervously played with the hem of her skirt, her heart pounding against her chest. She had never broken up with anyone before.
Sirius stopped, and turned around. His expression was unreadable. "What isn't?"
"Us." She braced herself for his reply.
"Oh. Okay." He shrugged and continued walking out into the corridor.
"What?" Hermione wasn't going to let him get off so easily. "You aren't upset?"
Sirius shrugged again. "Not much I can do about it, is there? And being upset won't help a thing. Besides, it's like you've set me free." He stopped, put his hands on his hips, and stuck out his chest like a super hero. "Watch out, women of Hogwarts! None are safe with Sirius Black the bachelor on the loose!"
Hermione paused, not sure if she should be insulted or relieved. She stared intently at Sirius, but the look on his face send her into a fit of laughter. She figured that there was no point in being offended; his reaction was better than she could have ever imagined. At least he wasn't mad. "Sirius, you're the best!" She wrapped him in a big bear hug.
"Hey now, none of that," he said, pushing her away with a grin. "What would James say?"
Hermione froze. "What!?!"
"James Potter-you know, the man you love?" Sirius crossed his arms raised one eyebrow, leaning against the wall.
She was shocked. "You know?"
He rolled his eyes. "It's soooo obvious."
Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at him. "Then why didn't you stop our relationship?"
Sirius grinned. "You're a great kisser, that's why."
With an indignant groan, she slapped him on his arm. "You dog!"
"That's the Hera I know!" he said, shoving her out the door. "Now go get 'em, Tiger. I saw your lover boy heading out with his broom this morning."
Walking through the corridors, Hermione couldn't believe things went so well with Sirius. Unfortunately, the brooding feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that it wouldn't go so smoothly with James.
She stepped outside into the cold, pulling her robes tight around her body. As she headed to the Quidditch field she observed that James was the only one in the sky. He was flying vigorously, as if attempting to blow off some steam.
Hermione stepped into the bleachers and sat there alone, watching him. A pang in her heart reminded her of that day which now seemed so long ago when she watched Harry flying. A part of her longed to just return to those days, when her biggest worries consisted of too much homework and problems with a slimy professor. Hermione sighed and sat in a sad silence for a long time.
James was so caught up in his flying that he didn't notice her. Eventually he came to a rest mid-air, stopping to catch his breath, and saw her.
She was looking at her hands, which lay on her lap. He couldn't make out her expression. After a slight hesitation, James flew down to the bleachers, stepping off his broom and standing before her. With pain he recalled the ball the night before. His pride had been hurt-badly. "What do you want," he asked cruelly, "another dance?"
The comment pierced her thoroughly, but she was determined for him to hear her out. She stood. "James, I love you."
His eyebrow rose and he frowned. "What?"
She shivered- not only because of the bitterly cold air, but also because of the icy look James was giving her. "You heard me: I love you."
James just stood there and stared at her, not knowing what to make of her declaration. Suddenly he noticed her shiver. He let his eyes drift over her body. Her skin was pale, her lips were turning blue, and she was shaking from head to toe. She was only wearing a thin robe over her clothes. "Where's your cloak?" James asked with more annoyance than concern.
Hermione looked exasperated. Here she was pouring out her heart and he was worried about her fashion sense. "It doesn't matter! I'm trying to fix things here!"
James was shocked, wondering what she meant by "fix." That would have to wait, however. Currently his top priority was getting her inside the castle. "C'mon," he said, taking her hand. "Let's get you warm."
Hermione felt that she had no choice but to obey, if she wanted him to hear her out. His hand was as cold as his voice, not warm and comforting as it had once been.
He brought her to the kitchen and the house elves prepared some hot chocolate. They sat next to each other, on the same bench where they had kissed, at least two feet separating their bodies. Hermione reflected on how this was sure to go down as one of the most awkward moments in history. Finally she spoke up.
"What are you thinking about?" Her brown eyes demanded honesty.
He sighed, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and said, "You confuse me so much. First you acted like you fancied me, then just as friends, then you virtually ignore me...and now you say that you love me." He watched her, emotion filling his eyes. She stared into her mug, refusing to look at him. "What about Sirius?" he asked.
"Sirius," she smiled, "has probably moved on to the next victim. I never had any real feelings for him."
"But why?" James asked, "why were you with him for so long?"
At last Hermione brought her eyes to meet his. She wanted to be totally honest, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth about the future. It would just make things so much more convoluted, if that was possible. But she still loved him, and wanted to be with him more than anything. She sighed, searching for an answer. "I don't know. I was scared I guess."
"Of what?" he asked softly. She noticed that he was sitting right next to her now, but didn't remember either of them moving.
"Of this," she quietly said, leaning in and covering his lips with her own.
James was astonished, yet he kissed back. All of their feelings that had been bottled up for so long were released in this one perfect kiss. It was brief, however, as James pulled away after a few seconds. She searched his eyes with her own, fearing that he would reject her. He simply smiled softly, gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek and whispered, "I love you too, Hera."
For so long she had wanted to hear those words out of his mouth, to know that he truly felt the same, not like Harry who never saw her as more than a buddy. Smiling, Hermione noticed something forming in his eyes: tears. With a teasing tone, she asked, "You're not going to cry, James, are you?"
"No!" he unconvincingly asserted with a timid smile. "Are you?"
"Oh, never," she said.
They just smiled at each other for a minute or two before they fell into each others' arms and were engulfed with sobs of complete and utter happiness.
(A/N: Ah, I could just end it here and everything could be all nice and happy. Fortunately (or unfortunately, perhaps?) I'm not a warm-and-fuzzy type of girl, and I'm mad at Hermione for making a dumb decision, so let's throw in some antagonists, shall we?)