A/N: Oooo… I finally reached my 30th chapter! Woot! Anyway, I'll like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who reviewed my 3 other fanfictions last time. I just wanted to take a break from this fic. Also, just to clear things up, I am not continuing 'Stained Throes'. You guys can come up with your own continuation for it.
The Future Awaits
Chapter 30: Free At Last
Pieces of shattered glasses and vases scattered around his once-cleaned bedroom. Molly would be furious when she learns the state of the place.
Yes. He's in Grimmauld's Place, now. He'd arrived here by the Knight Bus, just moments ago, disguising himself under a hat. Now, sitting on his bed, he wondered why he didn't just apparate.
He snorted as the reason came to him. Hermione. He had so much in mind, that he didn't trust himself for it. He would probably splinched!
'I can't believe you could stoop this LOW!!'
Her shrill voice rang again in his clouded mind. Grabbing the knitted placemat on his bedside table, he pulled it away angrily, causing the vase of flowers and glass of Firewhisky shattering down the floor, adding to the 'deco'.
He finally dropped himself onto the ground, ignoring the blood that oozed out of his feet as he'd accidentally stepped on the pieces of glass. His whole body shook as he sobbed his heart out.
Love for you it was that brought my heart to life
Yet, love for you it is that has brought my heart to destruction
Was he born to this world just to lead a desolated life? Was he, Sirius Black, a jinx?
He had honestly come back to life, in hopes Hermione Granger was waiting for him with opened arms. He had himself, waited for her for years to go back to the past to get her to love him. But… fate has it, she didn't. He was beginning to believe his whole life was a lie. And now, she hates him. Hated him to the extend that she can't even look at him. And that really hurts. His worst nightmare has finally turned to reality.
Heaving a heavy sigh, he rested his head on the hard board of his bed. The Order members will be meeting him here, next morning. He just hoped Molly won't be up enough to check out his room.
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It was Saturday. She had read in the papers that today will be the day for Sirius' trial. She just hoped the best for him. She trusts the court will free him since he had many evidence on his hands now, what with the entire Order by his side.
As her clock past one, she packed up her bag, and proceeded to walk out of her den, wishing her co-workers goodbyes.
"Hermione, may I escort you home?" Terence Calleghan, a colleague of hers asked in a hopeful voice.
Hermione politely declined the offer as she hurriedly strode towards the secured apparating point. She wondered when that guy would ever give up.
With a swish of her wand, she appeared in a middle of short green bushes of her parents' garden. Struggling herself out, she was only met with a wide-eyed Mr Jimore, her watchman.
"Oops! Sorry, Jimore. Didn't think you'd be here."
"You know, child, I've yet to believe in magic. So just leave this old man in peace assuming these old eyes did some absurd trick."
Hermione chortled at the old man antics, who are both a watchman and a gardener at the Grangers' Manor. They both shared a very close relationship ever since she was a toddler. It was an almost grandfather-grandchild relationship, which replaced her lack of, very much.
"Come, I'll escort you. Your father's at work and your Mom's trying to bake cookies."
"Oh no! Not cookies!"
The old man laughed. Her mother may be a moderately good cook, but when it comes to cookies, they always end up burnt.
"Hermione?" came a familiar voice, "Hermione!! Oh, my baby!"
Hermione immediately backed away from her mother before getting enveloped in a hug. Her mother's apron was messed with flour and pieces of batter. "Oh, sorry about that."
"Nah! Just came for little visit. I wanted to take one of those jeeps with me."
Wylona Granger gave her daughter a questioning glance before turning back to the electric beater which was whisking her batter away.
"Last I know, my daughter's a witch?"
Hermione sighed and seated herself on one of the wooden chairs in the kitchen. "You know, Mom, I was brought up with you guys. There're times where I just missed having a lovely, long drive."
"You have your license with you?" Hermione took out her wallet, opened it, and showed it to her mother. "Fine. Just don't choose your father's favourite. You know how he gets."
"Fine."
"Are you staying back for dinner, dear?"
Hermione kept quiet for a while. She really did missed Sirius' meals. And realising there was no way she'll let her weak bones cook her own meals, she agreed to stay. "You know, I think I'll even stay for the night."
"Great! You can come shopping with me at 'The Blue Water Mall'! How's Ron, anyway?"
"Oh, he's fine. Harry and him are still off at work, in Florida."
Hermione woke up on her aqua-green bed to a loud but hushed voice saying, "Shoo! Shoo!"
It was one of her housemaids, Janice Barcena. And out at the window was a brown owl, carrying what seemed to be a rolled up Daily Prophet.
"Janice, let him in. He's delivering my mail." Hermione said lazily.
"Oh, I'm sorry, M'am."
"It's okay. Have you had your breakfast?"
"Yes, M'am."
As usual as it had always been in this house, Hermione gets her breakfast in bed.
Patting the owl as she took the mail off, she sipped some of her orange juice down her throat.
Front page: 'SIRIUS BLACK PROVED INNOCENT: FREE AT LAST'
"Hmph! Seen that coming," she muttered to herself.
There was a picture of him accompanying the article, looking somewhat sullen, with Alastor Moody on his side, probably shooing the media folks. She continued reading the passage as she ate her breakfast. Barty Crouch, who had imprisoned him without trial was mentioned. Dumbledore, Peter and some other people she didn't recognised, were also being mentioned. And of course, Hermione Granger, the person who had brought Sirius Black 'back from the dead'.
She washed her hands onto the washing dish her maid had served her with, before placing the tray onto her end table. Just then, she spotted the owl which had delivered her mail earlier, perched on top of her cupboard, snoozing away. Poor owl. Might have thought I was at my apartment.
Deciding to send a letter with that owl, she quickly snatched a pure white A4 sized paper from her desk and a ball point pen. It's been long since she felt that smooth recycled paper. 'Wizards would be impressed with Muggles' parchments, rather than their rough and browny ones,' she thought with a smug smile.
Setting the paper flat on her desk, she pondered what to write to a man, who had just been allowed freedom, who she had quarrelled with and 20 years older than she is. She sighed. She honestly didn't want to be in 'not-in-talking-terms' with him. He is after all, a nice friend, and her best friend's godfather.
Finally, she got her pen to writing:
I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I guess, I just couldn't believe and didn't expect
that coming… you know, our 'past' relationship… So, I ended up blowing at you.
I'm really sorry. I realised I didn't even give you a chance to explain. I really would
like to hear your part of story, if you will. I'm sure you have a good explanation. I
would really like to meet you. Please? Anyway, congratulations on your newfound
freedom. Told you I've seen it coming!
Hermione
She carefully rolled up the paper with a little piece of fancy sticker from her sticker book she used to have when she was a child, and wrote 'To Sirius'. She then walked over the sleeping owl and tapped it softly, with a dish of leftover orange juice in one hand. The owl gratefully took sips from it before getting told to deliver another letter. The owl hooted and nipped her finger affectionately before flying off.
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Owls and owls flew in non-stop, dropping mails onto the dining table, where Sirius Black and most of the Order members were seated.
Each of them was reading Sirius' mails, since he had given them the permission to. Most were from women congratulating and praising him on how 'hot' he looked in the papers.
Sirius smiled as he read a letter from one of his old schoolmates, but soon felt himself being watched. It was Professor Dumbledore.
"Sirius, I think it's best you read this," he offered the clean and white parchment to the confused but curious Black, before proceeding to open another new letter.
Sirius flattened out the curled paper before scanning through its contents. His smile immediately faded into a frown.
As he looked up, he caught Professor Dumbledore watching him again.
A/N: Hmmm… sorry for the lack of 'Sirius/Hermione' interaction in this one. I honestly didn't think this fic will past the 30-chapter limit. But now, I think the most it will hit will be 40 chapters… well, hopefully! I don't like it to be too long. Anyways, wanna thank those of you who mentioned about my SB/Hr website in the reviews. Thank you! And since we're on that topic, again, I'll do my little shameless SB/Hr website plugging here. Heheh! I've expanded it (for some of you who still have no idea), to a full-fledge fansite. So, check out the URL by clicking my name above!
And of course, I'll like to thank all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. Thank you so much!
Draco's Slytherin Vampiress, Captain Oblivious, valentines-hater, FairyWings101, Anja-69, Flaignhan, Zaralya, Nausicaa-mione, Charm12, Moony's Angel, SnapesMistress005, DarkRaven-04, Lunetta, dejah, meenyrocks, Bharathnatyam & Roxxie-Hart.