The Future Awaits
Chapter 29: Learning an Un-walked Past
"Whoa. We're back," said Hermione Granger, looking around her room with relief evident in her voice.
"Yeah," Sirius smiled, as his hands worked its way to take the necklace off his neck.
"I can't believe I actually cried," Hermione admitted, her hands copying Sirius'. "How silly of me."
Sirius smiled again, seeing that she was blushing. "You have every reason to feel afraid. That really shouldn't have happened."
For a moment, there was silence.
"What actually happened, then, Sirius?"
"We went back to a memory," came the simple reply.
Hermione clucked her tongue loudly at his lucid answer.
"The book 'Magical Ornaments' stated that Epoch functioned somewhat similar to the pensieves. Though the major difference is that they don't store memories. The persons using it cannot choose the memory. It's the pendant that does the job…"
Sirius took hold of the hand mirror on the bedside table as she continued with her profound facts.
"…hence, I find it impracticable that-" she halted when she realised she wasn't given her undivided attention.
Sirius was looking at his reflection, apparently checking for any overgrown stubble.
"Stop being so VAIN!" she scolded, seizing the mirror from his hand. "You're already handsome!"
He immediately fought the urge to blush, at the same time loving her demanding attitude. It makes her all so sexy!
"Are you even listening to me?! Here I am, telling you-"
"Actually, you're telling yourself."
"Sirius! I'm-"
"Hermione… shut up."
There was a pin-drop silence at this. His voice echoing down the dim-light room.
Hermione stared at him, speechless. Sirius had never used that tone to her before. His stern command had really mortified her.
"If you want to know the real reason behind this… this mishap, you will have to listen to me… Can you do that?"
Hermione nodded timidly.
Sirius sighed and sagged into the stool, contemplating how to start the whole explanation. He knew this 'explanation' would change everything. For the best, or the worst, he doesn't know. All he knew was that he had to tell her.
He finally looked up to find her still timid face with a slight glint of impatience staring back at him.
Taking a deep breathe, he began, "Well… do you remember the story I'd told you before?"
Hermione in turn gave him a confused look.
Sirius sighed again, He seriously didn't know where this conversation was getting at. Shaking his head at himself, he stood up from his stool and said, "Wait here."
As he reached his room, he swiftly took out his bag and started ruffling through it. He let out a silent triumph as his hand got hold of its goal.
It was a picture. The same picture Harry had stolen from him… well, Remus, actually.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he stared at the moving picture. Once again, his mind started reeling.
There was no turning back now. He knew Hermione had got the hint of the 'actual truth'. She's not 'Hermione Granger' for nothing! But his mind kept debating. It was as if there were an angel and a devil in his head doing the thinking for him. And weird enough, a Merlin too, keeping him in mind that 'Hermione needs to know'.
He will tell her. Yes… he will tell her. He had waited long enough. He had to agree with his devil-sides' opinion to 'act first, regret later'. He wanted to end this 'inner-turmoil' once and for all. He had been treated very unfairly. Hermione needs to bear the grunt too. After all, all these wouldn't have happened if she had been careful with that timeturner of hers.
Just then, Remus' voice echoed in his head, 'Everything happened for a reason.'
Oh great! First a devil and an angel. Then a Merlin. Now a werewolf! What's next? A giant loch ness monster?!
Taking a deep breathe, he braced himself up for the second time that night, and headed towards Hermione's room.
As he reached her doorway, he felt all his confidence and hopes drained away.
Hermione was lying on her bed, with her eyes closed, looking peacefully asleep.
With a heavy heart, he turned back to head to his room.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He spun around instantly, shocked to know she was actually awake.
"Why are you here, anyway? …To push Ron away from me?!"
Sirius who was still recovering from his shock, took his time to register her words.
"Well let me tell you something, Mr Black… You will never get me… NEVER!! Damn it, Sirius! Ron has always admired you. He'd give his life for your godson. How could you DO this to him?! Most of all, how could you do this to ME?! Taking advantage of their absence? …I can't believe you could stoop this LOW!!"
Hermione was standing now, her fiery brown eyes flashing angrily at the tongue-tied figure.
"I had always reassured Ron that he was just imagining things. I even told him 'Sirius is a good man. Why would Sirius ever hate Ronald Weasley?' …Now look!! I am actually being proven WRONG! Best, by the man himself! I just can't believe you, Sirius! Just… ARGH!!"
She threw her hands up in frustration.
Sirius stared at her, lost for words. One would see his heart bleeding if he ripped open his chest. His whole body felt numb, quivering under her wrathful glare. Breathing became suddenly difficult that he had to use his mouth as an alternative.
It was when he felt something dropped from his eyes did he realised he was actually crying. He? Sirius Black? Crying? He quickly lowered his eyes, ashamed to show her she could affect him this way. The last time he cried was years ago, when he found out about his friends' fate… and of course when she left him at Hogwarts. How is it that the one you love, is always the one who would hurt you most?
A sudden tapping sound broke the tensed air. It was a brown, flat-faced owl Hermione had never seen before. It obediently stretched out its leg after Hermione let him in. Once it got free of its 'burden', the bird instantly flew away.
Hermione frowned at the envelope which she recognized as one from the Order.
"Here. It's for you."
Sirius finally looked up, though not making any effort at meeting her eyes.
Mumbling a quiet 'thanks' as he took the mail from her, he soundlessly walked back to his room.
Hermione sighed heavily as she watched his retreating back, before slamming her door shut. Grumpily, she went back to her bed, but not before her bare foot stepped on an offending piece of… picture?
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Hermione slammed the quill in her hand, sending it and some parchments flying off her desk. She made no effort to pick them up. Instead, she turned her chair away to face the glass window on her right. Her mind finally cooled off a bit at the breathtaking scenery.
She hadn't been able to concentrate at all today. She wouldn't be surprise if her Head of Department wanted to talk to her, later. Luckily though, she has her own den. Her own privacy.
As she stared at the glass, she could see her faint reflection. Big dark circles had formed under her eyes. Well- this wasn't a strange sight of Hermione Granger; seeing as she is a thorough workaholic. But this time, the cause for it was of a different reason.
It was all because of one sick, perverted, and old man!
Yeah, that's what she has been trying to tell herself all day. Though she couldn't help noticing a part of her denying a certain… something. Something that she couldn't really place a finger on. A 'something' that seemed to be the main reason for her restlessness. But what?
She had found his room empty, that morning before she left for work. His bag, his stuff… all missing. He was gone. She wasn't surprise, though… she had expected it.
She angered herself for feeling guilty. Why am I feeling guilty? He deserve it, doesn't her?
Hermione exhaled loudly to the empty room.
"He must be in that stupid meeting, right now. Don't know what he'd do with all that freedom…"
Hermione then began to reflect on everything. Everything that she thought was the cause or the outcome of this… whole… situation. She couldn't do it last night since she just felt like venting out all of her anger. Now she worried if what she did was too rash. She didn't even give Sirius a chance to explain.
But her brain decided to defend herself, 'Well, he deserve it. He has no right to take advantage of you.'
His face still flashed in her mind. She had never seen anyone looking so broken before. It was a look of total utter despair. Even through her ranting last night, she didn't have the heart to look straight into his eyes, for fear of… what did she fear of?
Flipping back to her memory, she could still remember the look Remus gave her in her third year on the Hogwarts Express. Shock and disbelief were written all over his scarred face. It was Ron who eventually snapped him out, telling him that Harry had passed out.
Why didn't they tell me?
She couldn't believe how resentful she felt towards the whole lot of them. How could they keep such a big important thing like that from her?
And just why couldn't I remember a thing about this? Was I being put under a memory charm or something?
But what seemed to be bothering her most, was the story Sirius had relate to her a few weeks ago. She figured she was the angel of the story.
She snorted at this. Angel.
They were in love? How could she actually fall in love with him? Taking the old and yellowing picture off her desk, she began to scrutinize it once again.
It was really her. She still couldn't believe it. How did she even get that far back, she has no idea.
She did look happy with his arms around her, like that. Kissing and pecking all over her neck…
She could tell she was 17 years old in the photo. She only did begin styling her bushy hair in that age. And it was always in that particular style. Curly, and yet elegant.
She watched as Sirius in the picture pointed his finger at the ground, making Hermione follow its direction. Sirius then took the opportunity to flick her nose up with his finger, earning him a smack from her self.
Hermione chuckled softly at it.
Suddenly, as if her brain had a brain of its own, a certain dream flashed into her mind. It was the type of dream that get stuck onto your memory for a long time. Sure, she had been staring at the picture all night, but she only got reminded of the dream just then.
The same eyes, the same voice, the same arms… the same warmth…
She could also remember the times where Sirius would flick her nose occasionally; at Grimmauld's or at her apartment itself.
How could she be so blind? She had always wondered why Sirius had always acted so affectionate towards her. And now, several events and incidents came rushing towards her.
Like for once in Grimmauld's Place during her fifth year, where all of them were sitting in a group, when suddenly Mrs Black's voice came booming in, "DIRTY MUDBLOOD IN MY FORE-FATHERS' MANSION!! SCUMS TRES- AAAH!!!"
Sirius had thrown an egg on her portrait, though unfortunately not destroying her painting since it was an oiled-art. His face showed nothing but total pure hatred, and when he turned to look at her, his expression immediately morphed to one of shame and apologetic.
Hermione continued to ponder again. She tried revising whatever she had recollected, and came to a final conclusion…
We were in love. Yes… I went back to the past somehow or rather… But now? Sure I fancy him, but love? Love… All I know I had bequeathed that word just for Ron, and only Ron. Sirius will have to learn to live with the reality.
Now all she could do was to shake her head. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for Sirius.
I'll talk to him… But not now.
Hermione decided that she still wanted to think things through before doing anything.
Just then, a small owl which she recognized as Pigwidgeon fluttered through her window.
"Ugh! PIG!! Get down her, you crazy little bird!"
The tiny owl was still flying happily around the room. It was not until Hermione threw an every-flavour-bean at it, did it swoop down back to her.
She smiled at the envelope. Leave it to Ron with his scrawled handwriting. Never did learn to write neatly. Hastily, she tore open the envelope and began to read its content:
My dear Hermione (to-be-Weasley),
How are you, love? Hope everything's fine. How's Sirius? Hopefully he's not giving
you any trouble? Me and Harry are both fine. Not to worry.
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that both me and Harry are still not sure if we can
make it for Christmas. There's still so much work here. The Lestranges were caught
and killed by some other Aurors. We even found Goyle's father dead? Not sure how
though… Anyway, all of us are fine, only 2 were injured.
I'll try to call you on the tellifone often. But the place we are in now has not many of
them. And I don't know why Harry's isn't working lately. He said there was no
'networld concoction'. Anyway, I miss you so much, love. Can't wait to go home and
marry you. I love you!
Love you loads,
Ronald Weasley
Hermione shook her head, smiling.
"Me and Harry… Honestly! How many times have I told him it's 'Harry and I'!"
She even surprised herself that she actually forgot everything about Christmas. And it was only a few weeks away.
Just then, her assistant came in saying, "Miss Granger, Mr Dighed wants to speak to you."
"Alright. Thanks, Cindy. I'll be there."
Once the door closed, Hermione groaned aloud. Cussing her boss as she snatched a quill and a notebook, "That bloody dick-head!"
A/N: Muahahaha! I am the Lord of Disappointment… now am I? Most of you were expecting this chapter to be Sirius explaining everything to Hermione, and POOF!! they're together… Evil me! Now, poor Sirius didn't even have the chance to explain. No worries. You can quote me on that. I promised they'll be together in the end. (Readers saying: "yeah… yeah…")
Anyway, if some of you are confused to what 'story' Sirius had told her about, you can find it in chapter 18. And as for the 'dream', you can find it in chapter 21.
A few messages:-
Prongsette, valentines-hater & meenyrocks: Seems that the 3 of you got the same confusion. I'll try to explain. Actually, chapter 5 already kinda explain why Hermione can't remember a thing about her time-travel. It's because time had been faltered, by McGonagall. She didn't allow Hermione a time-turner in her 7th year, which was the opposite of what 'initially' happened… To put it this way, there are 2 different situations here. One is the 'initial' one in which she got a timeturner in her 7th year which led her to the past. And 2nd one being in the same 7th year where she 'didn't' get a timeturner, which changed everything; resulting her to stay put in her own timeline, and totally clueless about her 'once-upon-a-time travelling-through-time'. Ahh! Too confusing, no?
ihatebooboos39: Thanks so much for the long review. Glad you got hooked with Sirius/Hermione. Congrats! Welcome to the world of Sirius and Hermione! Heheh! Anyway, I don't really know where I got the idea of the Epoch. I happened to stumble upon the word in my dictionary which relates with 'time' and I just kept writing and suddenly the idea just came in flowing. That's how terrible author I am. I don't have initial plans, I just write whatever flows while I'm writing.
Lizzy87: Oh! When Sirius said 'MOW-nee, mow-nee' in the previous chapter… he was actually saying 'Money, money, money!' in a… well, playful manner. Hope you get it.
And thank you all the rest of you for reviewing. I love you lots!
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