A/N: All HP characters, locales, and objects belong to JK Rowling. I am not making any money for writing this story. I, Queen of Alexandria, am writing this fan fiction for fun only.
I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Mountains of schoolwork, final exams, and several cases of the cold have kept me from my story, but I have no intention of abandoning Unspeakable.
I now have a beta reader. Thanks to Fursee3 for doing such a great job of helping me with my story. My awesome beta reader has already found a small mistake with the fic, and I'll be editing it soon, hopefully. Sirius would now only be six years older than Hermione rather than eleven.
Italics will now represent the thoughts of all characters in general rather than just Hermione's thoughts.
Unspeakable Chapter 8: SpainHermione hurried from the Ministry building, not taking the time to notice anyone or anything as she stormed through the corridors. She was losing her composure with every second that passed as she rushed home. After exiting through the large double doors of the main entrance, she found a secluded spot on the dilapidated street and Apparated home.
Once Hermione had reappeared in her living room, her rampant thoughts managed to catch up with her. There was someone out there who wanted to make her suffer until she couldn't suffer any more before ending her life. She was not sure of the exact reason why, though. It seemed odd that she was the target of such a plot instead of Harry.
She was certain that she should be the one to tell Sirius, as being near her placed him in danger, but a part of her was scared. Hermione had never been in such a precarious situation before, and that was quite a statement considering all that she had done in the line of duty. Although she seemed so sure of herself, Hermione had always had doubts, and if she had not been so stressed, she would have realized that many of the thoughts running through her mind were nothing but white noise.
Yet, Hermione was worried that Sirius would leave her. Her own mind seemed to be tormenting her as it conjured up an image of him saying that he was going to find somewhere to stay before walking out the door. After all, she wasn't really such a close friend to him, was she? He had known Remus since they were children, and Harry was his godson, but what place in Sirius' life did she hold?
Hermione sank down heavily into an armchair and leaned forward to rest her head in her hands. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down; she had to dispel such thoughts if she was to face her problems. Once Hermione had relaxed a bit, she realized that she should not have worried about Sirius leaving her; he was the most fiercely loyal person she knew. If she were going to worry about him, his brash, reckless nature and willingness to do anything to protect those he cared about would be the reasons for concern.
However, there would be no time to talk now because Hermione needed to get to St. Mungo's and see her mother. Resolving to discuss the dilemma with Sirius later, she walked up the stairs to find him restlessly pacing around his room, seemingly lost in thought. "We have to leave for St. Mungo's now," Hermione said almost calmly.
Sirius couldn't help but wonder about the emergency situation at the Department, but he knew that Hermione was anxious to leave and would tell him about it later, so he Apparated just seconds after she disappeared.
Hermione and Sirius arrived in the main entrance hall of St. Mungo's with a clear view of the reception room. Normally, the hospital was somewhat hectic, but today, there couldn't have been more chaos if someone had released a herd of rampaging, wild hippogriffs. Alarms sounded, and bright red sparks gave the many rooms of the hospital a strange glow as the nurse in charge of the shift worked hastily to shut down the alarm system.
When someone placed a hand on her arm, Hermione gasped and quickly turned to find Minerva McGonagall standing behind her. "Ms. Granger, there has been a false alarm, but the Order has already moved your mother to a safer place. I'm pleased to be able to tell you that she is recovering nicely," her former professor announced with a small smile of encouragement to break the tension of the moment. "Follow me," she added as she moved toward a chamber just off the main corridor.
With a heart full of happiness and relief, Hermione obeyed. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she couldn't wait to see her mother again.
The room she and Sirius had been led to was large and currently darkened. In the dim light from dusty windows, Hermione could discern a round table in the middle of the room. McGonagall took them to the end of the room and stopped in front of a fireplace. Using her wand, she lit a fire before taking a small green velvet bag from her pocket.
"The two of you will be flooing to a small village just outside of Barcelona, Spain to a house that Grace's great-uncle left to her. The name of the house is la Solar Luna. The Order will be using the house on occasion, and your mother will be staying there until it is safe for her to return to England. I will not be going with you, though, because my niece had a baby a few days ago, and I have to leave for Norway to spend the week with her," she explained, and with that said, McGonagall handed Hermione the bag containing the floo powder and Disapparated.
Hermione opened the bag and took a small handful of the sparkling green powder. Stepping closer to the fire, she threw the dust into the flames and stepped inside the fireplace with a yell of, "la Solar Luna!"
After about a minute of the familiar but disorienting sensation of traveling through the Floo Network, she fell through the correct fireplace. Because her departure from the fireplace lacked any sort of grace or coordination, Hermione lost her balance, but fortunately, she fell onto a large and rather comfortable sofa. She had landed in a sitting room furnished in a deep shade of green and expensive-looking mahogany. The room had once been grand, but now it seemed a mere shadow of its formerly exquisite self. It was evident that the house had not been lived in for years.
As Sirius came hurtling through the fireplace, Grace rushed over to Hermione and helped her up. "I'm so happy you're finally here," she cheerfully said to her friend while Hermione took out her wand and busied herself with removing the soot from her clothes and the sofa that she had crashed into.
"Where's my mother?" Hermione asked, as she took her coat off and hung it on a coat stand she had noticed in the hallway just outside the living room.
"She's in the upstairs bedroom, the one on the east wing. She's been asleep since we brought her here," Grace answered, pointing toward the aforementioned part of the large house. Without further ado, Hermione set off for the east wing to find her mother.
Walking through the upstairs corridor, she noticed a door that was opened a bit and peered inside as she passed. There she saw her mother sleeping peacefully in a four-poster bed, looking healthier, as her bruises and cuts were nearly mended, and a bit of color was chasing the pallor from her face. Such a hopeful sight restored Hermione's spirits slightly.
After Grace walked off to the kitchen to get a drink, Hermione turned to Sirius. "I have to talk to you about what I found out today at the Department," she said quietly, taking him by the arm and walking into the hall in search of a more private place to talk. She didn't want anyone, even Grace, to overhear.
She hastily tried several doors before deciding that third room in the adjoining hallway would suffice. "Lumos," Hermione whispered, lighting her wand in order to see in the pitch-black chamber.
After casting the thin beam of light throughout her unfamiliar surroundings, she discovered that she was in the library. I really must come back here later when I have the time to spare. There are so many old books. Grace's great-uncle must have been a collector.
Sirius sat in one of the old, brown leather chairs, and Hermione took the seat nearest him. "This morning, Harris told me that there's a spy in the Department. The spy broke into the Unspeakable records archive two nights ago and took my file. Harris believes that this is how my mother was found and that I'm the one the traitor's after. There are no leads as to who the spy is, though," she whispered.
Sirius was silent for a moment, as a worried but pensive look crossed his face. "I'm almost certain the Death Eaters are behind this, but something does seem off about the entire thing. I'm not sure what they're playing at, but you should be careful. They're damn cowards, the lot of them, but they can be dangerous. Keep as many secrets as you can, and don't let anyone see that they've hit a nerve with you." After a few seconds of silence elapsed, Sirius added cynically, "That's the first thing I learned about surviving the most ancient and not so noble House of Black."
Hermione was about to speak when she heard Grace walking through the hallway. "Hermione, where are you? It's time for lunch, and there's paella!" Hermione extinguished the light from her wand, and she and Sirius walked quickly and quietly to the door.
The two crept from the library, hoping to go unnoticed, but they were taken by surprise immediately after leaving the darkened room. "There you are! I see you've found the library, but I just can't imagine what you'd want to go there for. It' s so dark and…ohhh…" Grace rambled on, a look of realization dawning on her as she continued to misconstrue the entire scenario.
"It's really not what it looks like," an embarrassed Hermione tried to explain, but she grew quiet upon recalling that she shouldn't tell the real reason she and Sirius were locked in a dark, abandoned room.
"Twenty galleons says that you two were snogging already," Grace teased in an amused whisper as she proceeded to drag a speechless Hermione toward the kitchen. Yet again, Hermione was taken aback at how much things had changed. Not that I would mind the snogging, but if someone had brought this up years ago, I'd have just looked at them like they had gone round the twist. Besides, in the past, I was never one to be suspected of going off in search of an abandoned room or a broom closet.
During her school years and time as an Auror, Hermionehad always been a workaholic. She hadn't partied much at all, and on the few occasions that she had, someone else, usually Ron or Harry, had dragged her into it. Her work was so consuming that she had never had a thriving social life, and she had lost several boyfriends over the years when they had insisted that she spent so much time slaving away at some project or another that they rarely saw her. Spending time around people who appreciated humor and excitement, such as Sirius and Grace, was definitely a refreshing change at times.
She followed her two friends down a spiraling staircase to the kitchen, trailing contemplatively behind them. Hermione had entered a state of focus; the latest developments in the war were teasing her mind, and she was determined to figure out the nagging mystery that sparked her curiosity so very much.
Hermione accepted a plate of paella from Grace when they reached the kitchen, a large, rectangular room filled with dark, wooden cabinets that looked as antique as the rest of the house. Hermione had never before tried the spicy Spanish meal, but she soon found that it was wonderful.
After resolving to go into town for a while with the intent to explore her new surroundings, Hermione ate quickly. Once she had finished, she announced her plan. "While I wait for Mother to wake up, I think I'll go to into the village for a bit. I'm curious about it, and I think it would be a good idea to have a feel for the place." Hermione had learned as an Auror that it was always prudent to familiarize oneself with one's surroundings, as a need for such knowledge could arise suddenly and unexpectedly.
"Sounds fun. I used to love visiting the town when I was younger. My family would stay here sometimes, and it was so different from anywhere I'd been before. I'd go with you, but I'm really tired. Maybe tomorrow," Grace said. Hermione couldn't blame her for taking a rain check, as she had been the one to receive an assignment from the Order the night before and probably hadn't gotten home until sometime near the break of dawn. Grace's frequent yawns and the circles under her dark eyes made her weariness evident.
"I'd go, but I have to go to the fireplace and talk to Kingsley. He said it was something important," Sirius said, looking vaguely disappointed at being deprived of an opportunity to go to the village with Hermione.
"Should I stay, then?" Hermione inquired.
"No, he only said he needed to speak to me. Go have fun, and I'll tell you how things went later," Sirius answered.
Hermione made her way down the hall to the main entrance, a tall, ornate door constructed of dark mahogany, stopping only once to retrieve her coat from the stand she had placed it on earlier. However, once she had set foot outside the house, she was aware that such a heavy coat would not be necessary. Despite the fact that it was mid-November, there was only a slight chill in the air, so after going back inside la Solar Luna to borrow a sweater from Grace, Hermione left for the village.
To her left, she could see sloping green hills that leveled out in the distance to reveal what appeared to be a crowded city. In front of her, there were more of the beautiful hills, sloping down to the sea. Hermione could hear the sounds of the ocean, and she could see the birds as they circled above the waves, sometimes swooping down to skim the water's surface.
La Solar Luna was positioned in a mountainous area near the coast. It sat high upon a knoll, overlooking the picturesque scene. There were few neighbors and none very close, which gave the grand, old house a solitary air.
To Hermione's right, there began a small earthen path that wound through the hills. It led through both the valleys that lay between the slopes and the steep inclines that were so numerous in the vicinity. In one of the larger valleys, the trail ended abruptly at the edge of the small village that was Hermione's destination.
As the village wasn't too far, Hermione decided that even for someone encumbered with the necessity of a cane, the walk was feasible. She spent the next half hour traversing the path and found, much to her delight, that the exquisite scenery did a fine job of distracting her from her troubles.
Upon arriving in the village, the first thing Hermione saw was a colorful wooden sign that bore the name of the town: Mar Azul. The second thing that was noticeable was the age of the town. All of the buildings were very old, but they had remained well kept through the years, and the architecture reminded Hermione of a picture of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter that she had once seen in a book.
Many different two-story buildings lined the narrow streets of Mar Azul. A mixture of houses and shops faced the town center, and to the east Hermione could see the bright blue sea that sparkled in the sunlight. The village was strikingly beautiful.
Hermione decided to browse through a few of the stores. Obviously, she would not have time to explore the entire town, but before the time to depart came, she hoped to return. Hermione figured that Sirius would like Mar Azul because tropical birds had carried most of the letters he had sent to Harry during his time as a wanted man on the run from the Ministry, and she had always assumed that he spent as much time as possible in the Caribbean and places of the like, with a view of the sky and warm weather year round.
The first store on the left looked like a nice enough place to start. Hermione could tell that "la Ropería" apparently meant clothing store and decided to go inside. Her Spanish was nowhere near perfect, but she did know a few words and was confident that she could say something rational should the need arise.
"Hola!" A middle-aged woman behind the counter greeted Hermione as soon as she walked in, and after returning the greeting, Hermione began to look at the clothing in the store. The clothes were of the Muggle world, colorful, and stylish. She amused herself for a while by looking at the various garments until she came to a corner of the shop and saw a dress.
Hermione had never been one to try overly hard with her appearance unless the occasion was special, but the dress caught her eye, and she wanted to buy it. It was wine colored and stopped just above the knee with thin straps across the shoulders. Black beads formed designs at the hemlines of the dress, and it ruffled slightly at the bottom. Hermione knew that sooner or later, there would be an occasion to dress up, but she couldn't think of one at the moment. However, wanting to bring back a few things from Spain, she bought the dress.
Feeling as if she had indulged in shopping a bit too much, Hermione exited the store and stopped outside to purchase only a few pictures of the town from a nearby shop before slipping behind a building to shrink the items with a spell, so they would fit neatly into her pocket. She had just begun walking in the direction of the path that led back to la Solar Luna when someone stopped beside her and said, "Hermione, they never told me that you would be arriving so soon. Great to see you."
Hermione turned to see Bill Weasley. "It's great to see you, too. How long are you staying for this time?" she said as she hugged her friend.
"I should be here in Mar Azul for another week or so before I go back to London. I don't know how long they'll keep me there. I was working in Greece on one of Gringotts' new operations when Dumbledore owled to tell me that the Order had a mission for me."
Bill had become one of her close friends after the accident. He was unconventional and adventurous enough to be one of the few, along with Remus, who supported her in her decision to remain as involved in the war effort as she possibly could, and she appreciated it. However, in the last year and a half, Bill had been so busy traveling around the world on business for either the Order or Gringotts that she rarely saw him anymore. He had only returned to Order headquarters a week ago, and the two friends hadn't yet had the opportunity to talk.
Remembering the last letter she had received from Bill, Hermione asked, "So, have you asked Fleur yet?
Bill remained silent, and an odd look crossed his face, so she thought that maybe his nerves had gotten the better of him, and he hadn't proposed after all. "You did ask her, right?"
"I never got the chance. She left me for some bloke in Cairo," he said wearily.
Hermione felt guilty to be the one to bring such a painful subject to light. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
"You don't have to apologize to me, Hermione. I mean, I never exactly told you about it, did I?" Bill said with a wry smile.
"That's enough about me. I want to hear about you," he added.
"I guess you've heard about my new job by now. Being an Unspeakable has completely changed everything for me."
"I'm happy for you. You're probably one of the best already. How did Ron take the news?"
"Worse than I thought. He, Harry, and I had a row. I talked to Harry, and we worked things out. I was going to talk to Ron, but with Darnayshire and the attack on mother, I didn't get much of a chance. I suppose saving each others' lives is a good sign, though."
"Ron's almost completely healed already. The healers are having a real time putting up with him now."
Hermione laughed. If Ron was well enough to cause trouble for the healers, then it was certain that he would be okay.
"What's that?" she asked pointing toward the town square. She and Bill had been walking for a few minutes, and now Hermione could see a small platform being set up in the plaza; the myriad of decorations that were being put up also attracted her attention.
Bill smiled. "The platform is for the musicians. Every now and then, the village has fiestas in the plaza. I've heard they're fun, so I'm going to be there tomorrow night. Everyone here loves to celebrate; I don't think there's even a holiday that the fiesta is being thrown for. They all just love to dress up and enjoy the music, the food, and the dancing. I think Britain could really learn something from them."
"I might come, too if I have time, but I really have to be getting back to the Manor."
Hermione had just turned to walk away when Bill called out to her. "Fred says to tell Sirius that the lacewing flies only caused half the explosion he was hoping for."
She could only imagine what that meant. She had no doubt that Sirius was helping them with ideas for their joke shop, as he found pranks just as amusing as they did. Hermione had eventually given up on trying to reform the twins and even admitted that some of their pranks were funny.
Hermione was smiling as she began the journey back to la Solar Luna. She had found an occasion to wear her new dress.
The sound of shattering glass startled Sirius as he walked through the upstairs corridor. The noise seemed to come from Hermione's mother's room, so without delay, he rushed to see what had happened.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to break it, but…" Mrs. Granger stammered nervously upon seeing Sirius. A glass of water had fallen from the bedside table, and now shards of glass drifted through a puddle of water that was quickly spreading across the hardwood floor.
"It's no big deal," Sirius replied nonchalantly as he used a spell to clean the water from the floor. "Reparo," he commanded, pointing his wand at the broken glass.
Mrs. Granger watched in amazement as the fragments rose from the floor and while hovering in midair, fitted themselves neatly back together again. No matter how many times Hermione had shown her simple magic spells over the years, she was still amazed at the sight of something so extraordinary. She also took the repair of the glass as a sign that she was among friends. The people who had attacked her would hardly be so polite.
"Who are you?" Mrs. Granger asked suddenly.
Thinking she had sounded abrupt and rude, Hermione's mother continued, "Well, what I meant to say is thank you for your help, but I'm a bit confused. I don't think Hermione's ever introduced us before. I also have no idea where I am right now." Her voice still sounded hoarse from a day's worth of disuse.
"I'm Sirius Black, an old friend of Hermione's. I work for the Order of the Phoenix. After the incident the other night, the Order brought you here to la Solar Luna in Spain. It's just outside of Barcelona. Hermione and I arrived this morning, and we'll be staying for a few days. Hermione is in town now, but she'll be home soon."
Mrs. Granger deemed his answer acceptable. She remembered Sirius Black, but Hermione hadn't mentioned him in years. How could she forget him? The first time she saw him had been on the evening news when the anchorwoman had shown his picture and announced that he was armed and highly dangerous and had just broken out of prison. Then, later that year, her daughter had explained to her that he was a wizard and had told her the true story of Sirius Black. Until the end of Hermione's fifth year, Mrs. Granger had heard stories about Sirius along with all the other people Hermione had met, but after that point, he was never mentioned again. It was all very strange in her opinion.
"I thought you would be a bit older, closer to my age than to Hermione's," she confessed.
"I once was," Sirius answered, pausing for a moment before continuing as Mrs. Granger gave him a confused look.
"Thirteen years ago, I was in an accident that left me trapped in a very unusual place. Everyone thought I had died. Not long ago, Hermione found the truth, and because of her, I could return. Because of the magic of the accident, I didn't age for thirteen years." Sirius gave the simplified version of the story because he did not want Hermione's mother any more involved in the violent melee of war than she already was, and any further connection to the Department of Mysteries certainly wouldn't help matters.
"Would you do something for me?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Yeah, I'll try my best," Sirius responded.
"Watch after Hermione. She's always been so determined to look after everyone she cares about and to right all the wrongs, and during this war, that's what I'm afraid of. Since her injury, I've been even more worried. I wouldn't stand the way of her decisions, but sometimes she doesn't realize that she had more to deal with than she can handle alone. I can't help her the way I used to when she was a child. In this magical world she belongs to, all I can do is stand by and look on at every disaster. Please just watch after her."
Mrs. Granger had a feeling that of all the witches and wizards she had met, Sirius Black was the one she could trust to look after her daughter. It was a vague feeling that she couldn't quite place, but something about the situation seemed right.
"I'd do anything for Hermione," Sirius said as Mrs. Granger settled back in her blankets and pillows for another nap, her mind more at ease.
Something about this talk with Hermione's mother had left Sirius more determined to take action on a point that had been bothering him lately. He hadn't voiced his suspicions, but he didn't think that the Order, including Hermione, knew Grace well enough to trust her so much as of yet. It wasn't that he didn't like Grace. She was nice enough, but at one time, Peter had also been nice enough to evade suspicion, and precious lives were the cost of that mistake.
There's one way to find out. Sirius focused for a moment and Disapparated.
When Sirius reappeared, he marveled at how begrimed the small alley had become in the years since his last visit. Not that it could have gotten too much worse.
The shadier magical side of Barcelona had never been a pretty sight by any means, but now it was absolutely horrid. The buildings of the area had fallen past disrepair; Sirius was wary of entering any of them for fear the floors and walls would collapse at a slight touch. Trash overran the bins that sat in the alleyway, and several people could be seen lying on the pavement sleeping off the effects of too much firewhiskey and who knew what else.
The first and only other time Sirius had seen the area was during his two years on the run. He had been in need of some weapons of the magical variety and decided to make a very hasty stop, as he was leery of who or what could be lurking in every dark corner of the place. He hadn't thought that any city could possibly contain such an eyesore, but tucked far away from the prying eyes of Muggles and most respectable wizarding folk lay the magical underground.
Sirius quickly strode toward the small building at the end of the street and pushed open the rickety door. He began to cough almost immediately as several decades' worth of dust started to fill his lungs.
It took a moment, but after Sirius had regained his composure, he walked toward a battered wooden counter at the front of the store. All around the small, dimly lit chamber, glass bottles with potions, some ordinary and some of the uncommon variety, sat on shelves.
An older man with long, unkempt gray hair and a scar running the length of his face approached the counter. "What can I get for you?" he asked in a rough, rasping voice.
"The smallest bottle of Veritiserum you have," Sirius answered brusquely.
The man promptly took a small bottle of the clear substance from the shelf behind him and placed it on the counter. "Fifty-four galleons," he said with a nasty smirk.
Sirius winced at the extravagant price, but placed the coins on the counter and took the bottle. It was the only place that he could find Veritiserum. The Ministry strictly controlled both the potion and the ingredients so that no one could purchase either without the proper authorization, and the only criminals with the knowledge to surpass the rules in such a manner could be found here. The only person Sirius knew who was able to brew the stuff was Snape, and he wouldn't do so at Sirius' request. If it was for the good of the Order, he could be forced, but Sirius was aware that in order for his plan to succeed, Grace, who was now a member of the Order, could not know of the scheme.
After making his way outside, Sirius stopped in a secluded corner and drew his wand. He had once learned a spell that allowed one to test a drink or potion for poison. Sirius said the incantation, and a sphere of golden sparks erupted from the bottle to hover in the air for a mere second before disappearing. Sirius was relieved to find that even if the Veritiserum didn't cause the drinker to tell the truth, no one would be poisoned on his accord.
Because there were wards to prevent Apparition in the part of the underground that Sirius was now in, he turned to walk back to the spot that he had Apparated to earlier. He had taken only a few steps when he was slammed against a wall by a jet of purple light.
Sirius was disoriented, and he felt extremely sore. Somewhere deep within his subconscious, his mind knew that he had to stand, defend himself, and leave as soon as he could possibly manage. However, it took him a moment to realize this fact in his current dazed state, and by the time he had once again drawn his wand, an enormous fist had delivered a punch to the side of his face.
He waited for a second, allowing the attackers to think that he was another one of the drunks that frequented the area, too incapacitated to retaliate or to simply stand from the filthy concrete.
In the time it took for the man who had hit Sirius to turn and say something to his accomplice, Sirius had used a stunning spell on the nearest of the two. Fortunately, as soon as his friend fell to the ground with a sickening noise upon impact, the second of the attackers turned and fled.
Sirius stood, leaning against the crumbling walls of the neighboring buildings for support. The walk back to the end of the street took more time than was prudent, but Sirius could move no faster. With every step he took, his sore body screamed in protest, and his vision swam. Small spots of color seemed to float in front of his eyes, and Sirius was certain that he could not retain consciousness for much longer. He just hoped that he could make it back to la Solar Luna before passing out.
Thanks for reading. Please review!
JTBJAB: I just couldn't resist writing that scene. It was so much fun. There will be plenty more twists in the plot, so keep reading. Thanks for reviewing.
EnchantingFreak: Yeah, have to love Sirius' logic. Lol. Thanks for the review.
moonyNZ: Sirius really is great. Definitely one of my main reasons for writing the story. It was good to hear from you again.
Autumn92685039: Thanks for continuing to read and review.
Raven 176: Thanks for another review. This was the first time I had tried to write such an emotional, dramatic chapter, so I'm glad that you thought it was good. I'm not promising to reveal who the traitor is anytime soon, but there will definitely be more mystery and suspense just because it's so much fun for me. It's always great to hear from you, so let me know what you think of the new chapter.
Rane2920072: It's awesome that I've managed to get people guessing at who the traitor is. In the next few chapters, there will be more regarding the traitor, but there's no way I'm ready to spill the secret yet. I'm really sorry about the wait, but I've had a lot of school work and final exams, but now I'm out of school for the summer, which means that I'll have more time to write. I don't ever plan to abandon the story, though. Thanks so much for your reviews. They really made me want to write more and get the latest chapter posted. Hope you like it.
BiggerstaffStalker: Thanks for reviewing. I hope to hear from you again.
Elbereth Gilthoniel: I'm glad that you like the story. Let me know what you think of the new chapter. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Helkardowen: Thank you for reviewing. HG/SB is great. It's just so interesting to read and to write because they work so well together. I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing.
future movie maker: I was just finishing this chapter when I got your review. I'm happy to hear that you like the fanfic. Thanks for reviewing.