A/N: I'm so sorry, people. I know it has been almost 2 months since I last updated. Reason being I was facing a serious phase of a writer's block, more so with me getting caught up with my school assignments. Though, I still think this chapter is crap. Haha!

The Future Awaits
Chapter 36: Estranged Lovers' First Kiss

She watched entranced as the fire crackled madly in the hollow of the fireplace, slouching a bit on the comfortable velvet armchair. Outside, the half moon and the twinkling stars gave the dim room a lovely glow. Nobody was in sight, hence making her feel peaceful at the quiet but yet eerie atmosphere.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she straightened up and glanced around the familiar room filled with scarlet armchairs and carpets, only to realise she was sitting in the GryffindorTower. What was she doing in here? Last she remembered she had graduated from the place three years ago?

Just then, something caught her attention. It was a soft, ghastly sound, something like a strong breeze.

"Hermione…" said a tender feminine young voice.

With an instant, Hermione whipped around, eyes searching every corner of the room for the source of sound.

"Who's there? Who are you?" she asked in an alarmed voice.

In a flash, a hazy, ghost-liked figure in the form of her 11-year-old step sister appeared in front of her.

"M-Megha? Is that really y-you?"

The girl smiled. "Yes, it's me, sweetheart. And I brought along someone with me too," she winked.

As soon as she said that, a familiar freckled translucent figure appeared beside her. It was Ron. Her Ron.

"Hi, love."

But Hermione could only gape. There floating in front of her, were the two people whom she had loved with all her heart. Then she realised. This was a dream. Nothing but a dream… though not just any dream. This was something else. She could feel it.

"Hermione, we're here to show you something," said Megha, "come with us."

The ghost-Ron held out his hand which Hermione tentatively reached out to. But just as their hands were about to touch, Hermione's solid one cut through his smoky offer. Instantly, a disappointed frown formed on his translucent face.

"Well," he shrugged, "you'll just have to follow our lead then."

Out they went through the Portrait Hole. And as they descended the stairs, Hermione asked the question which had been dominating her mind. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," chirped the cheery voice of her step-sister.

They went from corridor to corridor and soon, appeared in front of a large brick door which throughout all her Hogwarts' years, Hermione had never seen before.

"Well, we're here," said the ghost of Ron, gazing at the top of the magnificent door.

Moments later, the two ghosts went forward and struggled to push the door open, and when it was almost fully opened, Megha turned to Hermione and said, "Just think of us, and you'll get back to us."

But before Hermione could digest what she had meant, a strong blinding light burst out from the inside of the mystery room. She felt herself being pushed into the brightness.

It was a great feeling, like being swept with a lovely strong breeze. The light… the room… whatever it was inside this room had definitely done something to her. She couldn't really put her finger on it, but she certainly felt it.

"It's about time, Hermione!" exclaimed a familiar voice, whirling Hermione around to face the speaker.

"James!" she smiled. Immediately she stiffened. She was shocked at her demeanour. Since when did she become this friendly with someone she had never even met in her entire life? Not only that, she's calling her best friends' dead father by his first name …but it had felt right.

Seated in the small room, which Hermione figured to be the boys' dormitory, were who seems to be all the Marauders and Harry's mother whom she had saw in one of Harry's personal photo albums. But there was someone missing. Sirius. Her Sirius wasn't there.

Wait a second! My Sirius? Since when? Sure she'd accepted him, but… she can't really say she is already deeply in love with him. Can she?

Just as the thought past her, a strong pair of arms snaked around her small waist. In an instant, she felt her heart fluttered madly, her lips spreading into a wide smile. The feeling of his skin and hard body on her back was immense. When had she ever felt this way with anyone? She felt him nuzzled into her neck as he whispered huskily, "Hey, love."

"Hey, Sirius," she smiled serenely up to him, as one of his hands went up to flick her nose lightly, making her giggle; something which was hard to pull out from Hermione Granger.

She was floored at the obvious rush of feelings for him that made their way into her heart. It was like she had always been in love with him. Him and only him. No one else. What was happening to her?

She snuggled closer into the comforting warmth of her lover, only to be embraced back tighter by those possessive arms.

She took the time to glance around the whole room, catching Remus rolling his eyes at herself and Sirius in the process, smiling and shaking his head. Sure she knew she had fallen into the Marauders' era at one point of time, but she just took it as a mere fact. She never had the chance to feel. And God help her, now that she did, she didn't want to leave. This was where she was supposed to be. This was her world. This felt so right. She couldn't believe how strong her feelings for Sirius were, right at the moment. It was indefinite!

But a sudden thought went right past her. What happened to Ron and Megha?

In an instant, she felt herself being sucked out of the room with random flashes zooming on her sides. And soon enough, she felt her back hit onto something hard and soft. She was back in the common room, sitting on an armchair!

"Wha-what happened?" she asked frantically, not sure if anybody was there to hear her out.

"It was the kiss you gave Sirius this afternoon," said a little girl's voice, startling Hermione greatly. It was the ghost of Megha. Seven feet across her, sat the ghost of Ron, who was playing with his hand, probably testing if he could burn his smoky hand in the fire.

Hermione gave Megha a confused look. Yes she remembered giving Sirius her first kiss on the hill. But what did Megha mean?

The little girl only smiled. "You seriously don't know the power of estranged lovers' first kiss, do you?"

Hermione frowned and shook her head as Ron floated in front of her.

"Hermione, you and Sirius are considered as… err… 'estranged lovers'… in a way or rather. You gave him t-the k-kiss at that hill today."

As much as he struggled to explain to her, Hermione could still sense the hurt in his voice which sadden her. She watched as he continued his explanation, "Yours and Sirius was such a special case that we lot had trouble planning it out." He gave a nervous laugh.

"'We lot'?" asked Hermione, confused.

"Never you mind, Mione," said little Megha, glaring at Ron.

"Yeah… well, it was said that the night of the first kiss, you will face 'the truth'," finished Ron, smiling a rather forced smile.

"Meaning, in this dream, all your said feelings and memories with Sirius will be passed back to you. Which explains how your heart feels for him right at this very moment," Megha explained further.

The room immediately fell silent. It figured. That explained the sudden wave of Tsunami of feelings that washed over her moments ago. She understood now. That room, that light… was nothing but heaven sent. Sirius got her back. Sirius had finally gotten his Hermione back for real. Her heart was truly Sirius' now.

All these while, she wasn't aware of the broad smile she had plastered on her face that it took Megha to take her back to the 'reality'. "Hermione, your love for Sirius and his for you is so eternal. That was what propelled us up there to do something about it," she gestured her hand upwards.

The ghost looked back at her sister, but something was changing to her translucent figure. Glittering, almost-transparent wings appeared out both of her sides, and soon emerged as a full-fledge large ones. Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. Shocked at the sight in front of her. Her step-sister was an angel. She glanced at Ron… and so was Ron!

Megha looked at her back, noticing her pair of newly-grown wings. "Well," she sighed, "it's time. We'll have to get back, Hermione."

But then, she smiled. "You both are made in heaven."

Hermione blushed slightly and smiled.

"I'm glad you've moved on, Hermione," said a deep solemn voice, belonging of Ron's.

"Ron…"

But the freckled angel just smiled, placing his still translucent, smoky hands on her cheek before saying, "Live your life."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A pair of brown eyes fluttered open as the wonderful aroma of scrambled eggs hit her sensitive nose.

"Morning, lazy bones. Have a breakfast in bed. I was wondering when you'll eat up what I made you."

Her eyes immediately snapped up at the sound of the loving voice. It was Sirius. Her Sirius. In a second, she felt the familiar rush of feelings as her heartbeat raced, and her cheeks reddened. A feeling she had just encountered minutes ago in her dream.

"Morning, love," she smiled, as she took a finger and flicked his nose gently before giggling. "We used to do that to each other, didn't we?"

Sirius stared perplexed by her bedside, making Hermione smiled wider if possible.

"How did you-"

"Long story. First, I'd like to eat my breakfast. I'm dead hungry. Shall I?"

Sirius could only nod.

"You know, I always gets breakfast in bed at my parents'." Hermione said as she started munching her food.

"I know. You told me," Sirius smiled, making the woman grinned.

"Anyway, what brings you here, early in the morning?"

Sirius smiled again. "What? I'm not allowed to see my sleeping angel?"

Hermione blushed and smiled remembering her dream, almost disallowing her to swallow her chewed bread. Looking up, she saw Sirius cheeks tinged which she could not help but find adorable.

"Well, I just came here to tell both you and Harry that I just bought over my old apartment. Did Harry tell you I once had one when I was seventeen?"

"Mmhmm," Hermione shook her head. "You told me you bought an apartment using old Uncle Alphard's gold he left for you."

Again, Sirius stared at Hermione as she continued,"You even brought me over for Christmas with you alone there, don't you remember?" she smiled cheekily.

A now opened-mouth Sirius Black who apparently could no longer stand the suspense asked his question, "Were you finally sent back to the past or something…?"

Hermione looked out at her opened window to the open sky, before looking back at the long-haired man. "Well, you can say that."

A/N: I don't know if any of you remember the fact that Sirius indeed bought a 'place of his own' using his 'Uncle Alphard's gold. You can find this evidence in OOTP chapter 6 where Sirius explained to Harry about his family tree. I happened to re-read the book (out of anticipation for HBP) and past by this fact which I happened to realise that I haven't come across any Sirius fanfictions that include this fact. So I decided to include this little fact into mine. Haha! Anyway, please do review. And of course, I would like to thank all of my reviewers who reviewed for my previous chapter.

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