A/N: All HP canon characters belong to JK Rowling. I am not making any money for writing this story. I, Queen of Alexandria, am writing this story for fun only.
Italics represent Hermione's thoughts. Bold represents Sirius' thoughts. Replies to reviewers are located at the end of the chapter.
Unspeakable
Chapter Five: Reunited
After waking from her nap, Hermione began to read the three new books she had bought at Flourish and Blotts about portals. Hermione was a fast reader, so she soon found that the first volume, The Creation and Destruction of Portals, was not very helpful.
After only a couple of hours, she set the book down on the end table. When she had bought it, a few sections of the book had looked promising, but Hermione now knew that the ideas in the book were inapplicable to the veil.
With a sigh of frustration, she reached for the second book, Uses of Portals, and hoped that it would provide more information. Hermione had been at the task of perusing the book for only about ten minutes when Sirius entered the room.
"What are you working on?" he inquired upon seeing the various books and papers spread across the couch and the end table.
Hermione hesitated for a second; she was never supposed to discuss her work with anyone who was not an Unspeakable, but she knew she could trust Sirius. "I have to find a way to destroy the veil before it can fall into the wrong hands. It could be a powerful weapon for Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and I can't let them have it," she answered.
"I don't seem to be having any luck, though," Hermione elaborated ruefully.
"Maybe I can help," Sirius offered as he sat down next to her on the couch.
"That would be great. I haven't looked at this book yet," she said, passing the third volume, Unusual Magical Transportation, to him. Despite his reputation as a troublemaker, Sirius was actually very intelligent, so Hermione was glad that he wanted to help with the research. Sirius was one of the few people she had met that was on her intellectual level.
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione found a bit of information that seemed interesting. The book stated that the spell Aboleo could be used to destroy any type of portal. "Sirius, I might have found something useful. Do you think it could work?"
Sirius stopped reading and set his book down. As he leaned toward her to read the marked passage on page 258, his arm brushed against hers, and Hermione shivered. She was suddenly aware of just how close to Sirius she was sitting.
Sirius, however, didn't seem to notice anything because he was concentrating on the book. Hermione was brought back to the problem at hand abruptly when he said, "No, it won't work. It says here that the portal's transport capabilities must be taken away first, but it doesn't say how that's supposed to be done."
Sirius then resumed his reading, and Hermione turned the page, hoping for better luck with her goal. They continued to read for another twenty minutes before Hermione reached for her cane, stood, and stretched.
"I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I'd better get some rest. Good night, Sirius," she said.
"'Night, Hermione," Sirius replied, still gazing intently at the book that rested on the arm of the couch beside him.
Hermione walked down the hallway to her room and shut the door. She seemed lost in thought as she changed into her pajamas and turned down the bed covers. It's so different, not living alone anymore. Rather nice, actually, and it's great to have Sirius back. Something has changed, though.
Hermione was aware that she and Sirius were not so far apart in age now, and it was a difficult concept to wrap her mind around. He was no longer as old as her parents or her professors, and this fact had brought about a slight change in the way that the two acted when they were around each other. She couldn't quite place the change, though, but something definitely seemed different.
Not long after going to bed, Hermione fell asleep. However, she did not sleep well; she dreamed that she was arguing with Harry again. She woke up shortly after the nightmare version of her estranged friend told her that he never wanted to see her again and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Weak, golden light was filtering through the shades, so Hermione knew that it was time for her to wake up; she was right because according to the clock, it was 7:00 A.M.
Hermione went through her usual morning routine, and stepped into the kitchen at 7:45. She quickly fixed herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, started a pot of coffee, and sat down at the table across from Sirius, who was apparently not a morning person, unlike Hermione, who enjoyed the early part of the day immensely.
"Ugh…light…make it go away," Sirius groaned by way of morning greeting. He looked as though he was trying to take a nap at the breakfast table; his eyes were closed, and he was leaning against one arm.
After finishing her cereal, Hermione replaced the clean bowl in the cabinet and poured a cup of coffee for her lethargic friend. I don't see how he drinks the stuff, especially without sugar or creamer.
Sirius was jolted awake by the sound of the coffee cup being placed on the table in front of him.
"Have some coffee. I think you need it," Hermione said, smirking slightly.
"Thanks," Sirius replied drowsily as he took a few sips. In a few moments, he seemed much more awake and ready for the day.
"I have to work until 4:30 today. I'll see you later," Hermione said as she put on a coat and apparated to the street in front of the Ministry building.
"Bye," Sirius said as she disappeared.
For a few hours, Sirius amused himself with a device that Muggles referred to as a television, but he eventually became bored. The humorous sitcom he had been watching went off, and there was nothing else that interested him.
Sirius walked up the stairs to the guest room that he was currently staying in and sat down in the armchair. Upon noticing the copy of 1,001 Unforgettable Pranks that he had purchased the day before, Sirius began to skim through the book. He stopped on page 49; a brilliant idea had come to Sirius. It's payback time. Malfoy should have learned by now not to mess with a Marauder. He grinned deviously and apparated.
When Sirius reappeared, he was standing in Hogsmeade outside of Zonko's joke shop. With a jovial look, he opened the door and entered his favorite place to shop.
The small store was filled to the point of overflowing with various items designed for causing mayhem. Sirius began to browse, walking down the narrow aisles one by one.
"Aha!" he whispered to himself as he reached for a can of invisible super glue that sat on the shelf in front of him. After finding the necessary item, Sirius made his way to the counter and paid for the glue along with a deck of Exploding Snap cards. He proceeded to walk back onto the street and apparate to Hermione's house.
Sirius stored his purchases in the middle drawer of the dresser in his room and went to the living room to continue researching a method to destroy the veil.
When Hermione arrived home from work at approximately 4:30, she found Sirius scribbling furiously on a scrap of parchment and muttering to himself. He looked up at her when she sat down wearily on the couch. "If we combine the Abduco spell with some other incantation, the veil won't be a portal anymore, and we can destroy the actual structure with Aboleo. The only problem is that I haven't found a spell to combine Abduco with," Sirius said in a tone of voice that was partially triumphant.
"Thanks, Sirius," Hermione said gratefully. "I used the Department archives all day at work, but I didn't find anything. I'll take this to work and do more research tomorrow," she added, gesturing to the piece of parchment covered in Sirius' untidy scrawl.
The rest of the evening was uneventful. Hermione and Sirius played several games of chess, somehow managed to cook dinner without making too awful a mess, and watched half of a movie.
Because she was a Muggleborn, Hermione knew about television and movies, and she enjoyed them at times. After buying a house, she had gotten a TV and a DVD player to alleviate the occasional fit of boredom.
Sirius, on the other hand, had never before seen a television or DVD player because of his strictly pureblood upbringing and time spent in Azkaban. He was fascinated by the devices and soon understood why Muggles liked them so much.
Halfway through the movie, Hermione departed from the living room to go to bed; she had had an exhausting and unpleasant day at the Department and felt as though she could sleep for a week.
Hermione plans were ruined yet again by the same nightmare. Her recurring dream about the fight with Harry woke her at 3:00 A.M. While sitting in bed, unable to go back to sleep, Hermione mused about the upcoming visit that she and Sirius were obligated to pay to Harry.
Tomorrow's the day. I doubt he'll want to speak to me, but now that Sirius is back and living with me, I really don't have a choice. Why does everything have to be so complicated?
Hermione grasped her cane and walked toward the kitchen to make tea. It seemed to calm her nerves at times, and she most certainly needed to be calmed now. Once the warm drink was ready, Hermione sat in her usual chair at the table and took a few sips, musing about the tangled catastrophe that was her life.
Things hadn't always been like this. Sure, life had never been simple for Hermione, but she had never lost control in such a way before. She just couldn't manage to be happy now, coping with all that had happened in the past few years. She felt useless in the war, and so many people that she knew had been killed or hurt. Her injury had changed her own life drastically. Hermione had also lost friends in other ways; the fight had caused tension with Harry and Ron, and she felt that it might be too late to repair the damage that her harsh words had done. Never before had Hermione felt so alone.
"They'll never forgive me," she whispered despondently to herself.
"I'm not so sure of that. No one could ever stay mad at you for too long," Sirius' voice said from the shadows near the doorway of the kitchen. Hermione was startled; she hadn't been aware of his presence.
"This time is different, though, Sirius," Hermione replied dejectedly. "I haven't ever ruined things so badly until now."
"Who is it that you want forgiveness from?" Sirius inquired.
"Harry and Ron. We got into a fight the day before you came back. I lost control of my temper and my pride, and I said horrible things that I wish I could take back. I'm really not such a good friend after all."
She paused for a moment for continuing, "After you…left…Harry put himself in danger so many times, but he wouldn't allow anyone else to do the same, no matter the reason. He was so afraid of losing someone else. After my injury, he and Ron were overprotective; they didn't realize that in treating me as though I would die at any moment, they were refusing to allow me to live. They criticized me for becoming an Unspeakable, and I couldn't stand it anymore, so I lashed out at them. I doubt they can forgive me because I crossed the line."
Sirius was silent for a while, pondering the situation, before he said earnestly, "You'd be surprised at what people can forgive, especially when it's someone they love that needs forgiveness."
An indefinable expression crossed his face as he said, almost as though speaking to himself, "I saw Lily and James. When I fell through the veil, I saw them again, and they forgave me for everything I did, for inadvertently causing their deaths."
Hermione was speechless as she listened to Sirius. "I'm glad that I got the chance to talk to them. Life seems different now, now that there is some closure to be found," he finished.
"I'll talk to Harry and Ron. I'll apologize tomorrow," Hermione promised. " I'm just so afraid that it won't work out," she confessed.
"Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it," Sirius reassured her confidently. Hermione was encouraged by such faith and vowed to attempt to make things right again.
Sirius rose from his chair, said good night to Hermione, and headed back up the stairs toward his room. Hermione remained in the kitchen for a few more minutes before deciding that she also needed to get some rest and going back to her room.
The next day at the Department passed very slowly for Hermione; each minute seemed to last an hour. Work was very uninteresting for Hermione because she was stalled on the same problem. For the first time ever, research had failed her; there seemed to be no clue as to how one would go about destroying the veil. Hermione was relieved when the clock read 4:30 because she could leave.
As she distractedly crossed the Atrium on her way to the exit, she noticed Harry, who was standing on the other side of the room making sure he had taken all of the appropriate files with him before exiting the Division headquarters. She gathered her Gryffindor courage about her and took a deep breath before walking over to him.
"Harry, I need to talk to you," Hermione announced nervously.
When Harry looked up from the files, his countenance gave away his bewilderment. He tried to look angry, but his happiness at seeing her belied his expression. He stood speechlessly for a few seconds before speaking. "Sure," Harry replied as he led Hermione to a small, empty corridor that branched off from the main hallway.
"I'm sorry for what I said the other day. There is no excuse for it, and I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore. Can you forgive me?" she said to her former friend once they were alone in the corridor.
For a moment, Hermione thought that Harry wasn't going to say anything, that he was still too furious to be near her, and she started to walk away.
Then, he spoke. "Yes, I can forgive you. You only said what you said because of the way I treated you. I never made your life any easier after the attack three years ago, and I'm sorry."
"So we're still friends?" Hermione asked.
"We always will be," Harry responded with a smile.
"A few days ago, I came across an important breakthrough in an assignment for the Department while you were away, and I think there's something you should know. Can you come over this evening?" Hermione wanted to tell Harry everything about Sirius' return, but she knew that it would have to wait until later because someone in the Ministry building might overhear, and she wasn't taking any chances.
"Yeah, I'll be there around eight," Harry agreed.
"Do you know where Ron is?" Hermione inquired. She wanted to find him because she felt that she owed him an apology, also.
"He's away on Order business, but he's coming back tomorrow night," Harry answered.
"I have to go home now, but I'll see you later," Hermione said as she turned and walked toward the main exit of the Ministry building, her cane producing the usual staccato tapping rhythm on the polished floors of the high-cielinged corridors.
When Hermione entered her house, she immediately began to search for Sirius and promptly found him in the living room. "I talked to Harry, and everything's fine again. He's coming over tonight at eight," she announced happily.
Sirius grinned; he was eager to see his godson after being away for thirteen years, presumed dead.
The two talked for a few moments before Hermione began to read. She was still researching the veil; there had been no lucky break so far, but it was not in Hermione's nature to give up.
At 8:00, the doorbell rang, and Hermione hurried to answer it. When she opened the door, she saw Harry standing on the porch outside. "Hi, Harry. Come on in; there's someone you need to see."
Harry looked as though he had been caught unaware. Hermione hadn't mentioned that anyone else would be at her house. With mild curiosity, he followed his friend down the hallway to the living room.
Harry stopped in the doorway, absolutely confounded, upon seeing the man sitting on the couch. After he regained the ability to speak somewhat coherently, he stammered in amazement, "Sirius…it can't be…Hermione, he's dead…how did you…?"
"I found a way to bring him back from the veil. He wasn't really dead; he was just trapped amongst the dead," Hermione clarified, knowing that Harry had a right to be incredulous. She would, too if she was in such a situation because her explanation did seem ludicrous when voiced aloud.
Harry was now looking at Sirius, still confused. He seemed to be trying to suppress his hope that the man sitting in front of him truly was his godfather, who had supposedly returned from the dead.
"Harry, it's me. I'm back," Sirius said, standing and walking toward him.
Harry contemplated the situation before coming to the conclusion that Hermione wouldn't lie to him about something as significant as this. Sirius must really have returned. He then walked forward and embraced his long lost godfather.
Hermione watched happily. She believed that so much good could come from Sirius' return. There were many people who had missed him, including her, and Sirius would be of great help to the Order. For one of few times in her life, Hermione did not regret a chance she had taken; bringing Sirius back from the veil had been, without a doubt, worth the risk.
Harry stayed for a few hours longer to catch up with his godfather. Sirius had been gone for quite a while after all, and there was so much to talk about. Hermione explained to Harry in detail the story of how she had brought about the miraculous return. The three of them seemed happier than they had been many years.
Soon after Harry left, Hermione's fatigue from the day caught up to her, and she went to her room to get some well-deserved rest. For a change, nightmares did not plague her; she slept soundly and felt refreshed in the morning.
When she apparated to the Department, Sirius was still asleep in the guest room, and she was quiet, so as not to wake him. I'll talk to him later when I get home. I have to call a meeting of the Order to let them know that he's alive, and I should tell him about it soon.
Hermione only had part of the day to research her assignment; most of her time at the Ministry was spent making sure that all members of the Order knew about the emergency meeting now scheduled for the following night. Hermione succeeded in planning the meeting, and soon it was 4:30. As she apparated home, she realized that it had felt nice to give her exhausted mind a reprieve from the strenuous problem that was the veil.
Hermione's evening also went well. She and Sirius played several games of chess, and she was disappointed to find that he still won every game, just as he had years ago.
"Checkmate," Sirius declared victoriously as their last game came to a close.
"Are you sure you're not cheating? Not even Ron wins that much," Hermione said suspiciously.
"With skill like this, who needs to cheat," Sirius bragged jokingly.
A few seconds later, Hermione heard the doorbell ring. She used her cane to stand and had taken a few steps when her leg started to hurt. Sirius noticed her slight stagger and helped her to the couch. "I'll get the door," he volunteered.
Hermione was a bit worried because only a few people knew that Sirius was alive at the present moment, but she surmised that no harm could come from allowing him to answer the door, seeing as how a Death Eater wouldn't exactly bother to ring the bell.
Sirius quickly made his way to the front door and opened it. When the door swung open, he found himself face to face with Remus Lupin for the first time in thirteen years.
Thanks for reading another chapter. Please review!
Raven176: Thanks for your encouragement. I would like to know what you think of the scene where Harry finds out Sirius is alive, so please review again. I thought that the ending with Remus at the door would create suspense, so I decided to end the chapter there. I definitely plan to write more Sirius and Hermione interaction, so it will progress throughout the story. Thank you for the reviews.
gamergal20: Thank you for continuing to read and review.
Rane2920072: Sorry I took so long to update, but honors classes have been keeping me really busy. In one of the upcoming chapters, there will be a little bit more romance between Sirius and Hermione, so keep reading. Thanks again for reviewing.
sexy-jess: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad that you like my story, and I hope you'll read the upcoming chapters, too.
JTBJAB: I agree. Sirius is awesome, and he's a very fun character to write a fan fiction about. Thanks for reviewing.
Autumn92685039: Thanks for reading and reviewing.
vixen519: No, we definitely can't let such a great opportunity go to waste. I didn't originally plan to write about a prank, but you gave me the idea in your review, and I thought it would be a fun scene to write. It's coming up in the next chapter. I hope you like Sirius' prank. Thank you for the idea and also for reviewing.