DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harry Potter, Sirius Black would most definitely be alive and Wormtail would be tortured unmercifully.
Chapter 25:
It had been a week since the Order meeting when Dumbledore informed them that Snape was missing and Sirius had yet to see any move towards finding Hermione. Needless to say, he was getting a little aggravated and impatient with it all.
He sat with Remus in the library one evening, baby monitor clutched in his right hand, talking of the werewolf's new relationship with a certain witch.
"I don't know Sirius," Remus started doubtfully.
"Oh Moony, live in the moment for once in your life!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning happily at his best friend, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Remus shook his head. "No, Sirius, I'm far too old for her…"
"Why don't you let her decide that?"
"She won't listen to my reasoning…"
"Good for her," Sirius interrupted.
"No, Sirius. We will never work together."
"And why is that?"
"Like I said, I'm too old for her. I'm too poor…"
"Material objects shouldn't matter," Sirius said drearily with a wave of his hand.
"I'm a werewolf," Remus pointed out.
"And she doesn't care. You being a werewolf does not matter to anyone but you, Remus. We accept you for who you are, not what you are."
"I could hurt her."
"You would never intentionally hurt her," Sirius argued.
"That's not the point."
"Look, Tonks, for some insane reason, likes you. You are only denying yourself happiness in denying a relationship between the two of you. Don't give up on it before you even give it a chance to grow."
Remus smiled teasingly, "And when did you become so smart in the relationship department Padfoot?"
Sirius smiled sadly. "When I met Hermione and lost her."
Remus studied his friend. "Did you ever give up on finding her again?"
"No," Sirius replied without hesitation, "I knew I would see her again. She told me so."
Remus smiled. "When I first saw Hermione on the train during her and Harry's third year, I couldn't believe it. I just kept thinking back to what she told me during our 7th year and after I had her in class, I knew it was the same girl. She always was very intelligent."
Sirius laughed. "Thank Merlin too or I wouldn't have passed Potions."
Remus' face grew somber as he stared at his friend, thinking back to the day when she told him the truth about her.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"She knew," Remus said quietly. "She knew what would happen to each of us and she also knew that she couldn't do anything to change it. I guess I never realized before now how hard that must have been on her, to carry that heavy of a burden."
Sirius nodded sadly, looking down at the floor. "She's strong."
"That she is," Remus agreed.
They both sat in silence, Remus studying his hand and Sirius staring at the baby monitor. Each were thinking back to when they first met Hermione in their time and then in her time.
"I loved her," Sirius said in a quiet voice, "when I first saw her again in the Shrieking Shack with Harry, I knew I loved her. I remembered every little detail about her…and she… she didn't even know about what we had once shared."
Sirius' voice broke off as his eyes filled with wet hot tears. He didn't try to conceal the tears from his friend, not caring if his pain and hurt showed.
"She told me that I wouldn't remember her but I did. It was she who didn't remember me. It was agony being that close to her and not being able to tell her how I felt."
"I'm sorry," Remus said gently.
Sirius waved off his apology. "Don't be, I knew I couldn't be with her. She grew up in front of my very eyes. I think, during her 5th year, that I started fights with her just to see that familiar fire in her eyes. I loved to get her riled up, still do actually."
"Her and Lily both," Remus chuckled softly. "You and James would pick fights with them all the time just to watch them get mad. I remember that time when you guys went too far and ended up suspended by your ankles in the Great Hall and had to watch everyone eat."
Sirius smiled. "I remember that. I don't think we did anything else for a while after that."
"No, I don't think you did."
"If it wasn't for her, I don't think I could have stayed locked up like I did, in the Black House I mean. Her and Harry gave me a reason to live and then they both left for Hogwarts. I couldn't just stay here when I heard they were both in trouble at the end of the year."
Remus nodded. "I can understand that."
"Really?" Sirius asked, his eyes hopeful.
"You, Harry, Tonks and Hermione have became my family. I don't know what I would do without you three and I would do anything to protect you guys from harm."
Sirius smiled and stood from his seat. "Now let yourself be happy and go find Tonks."
Remus let out a soft sigh, "Maybe I will."
He paused and looked at his friend. "Where are you going?"
Sirius sighed disconsolately and ran a hand through his long black hair. "I think it's time that Sirina and I returned to our home."
"You know you don't have too," Remus reminded him lightly.
"I know I don't have to," Sirius said, "but I need to."
Remus nodded. "I understand."
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The figure crouched behind the thick shrubbery along the side of a cottage, concealed by the shadows of the night. The pale moonlight glimmered off the bleach blond hair as the figure studied the surroundings and watched for anyone who might pass by.
When the coast was clear, the figure inched its' way along the side of the house, making sure to stay against the house and in the shadows. It would be bad if they were caught.
With a bobby pin in one hand and a flashlight in the other, the figure made its' way to the back door bathed in the darkness. With great skill and patience, the figure popped open the door and walked inside, pausing to listen for any sound.
The flashlight came alive with a soft 'click' and the light pointed at a small roll top desk in the hallway. The figure made its' way toward the desk and picked up a stack of papers.
"Bill, bill, bill," the figure whispered as they shifted through the stack.
The figure replaced the stack and started shifting through the drawers. A piece of old looking parchment stuck out of an old book and the figure pulled it out. (I hate this 'figure' stuff but I don't want to give it away so bear with me…)
"What's this?" the figure muttered, staring down quizzically at the weird writing definitely not written in pen or ordinary paper.
Dear Hermione,
We miss you back here. Nothing is the same without you. I have to admit that nothing has turned out the way I thought it would…well, almost nothing. I always imagined that once we all graduated and the war was won…
The figure paused. War? What war?
…that we would all live close to one another and be aurors or healers. Harry and I are still together and nothing could be more perfect on that front and Ron is still with Luna. But you are not here. Come back Hermione.
More strange words, the figure thought, what ever were aurors or healers? Still, the figure shined the flashlight closer and read on.
We are staying at the Black House now after what happened to the Burrow. Mum and Dad, I think, like it here though it isn't home.
Harry told us that there was no rush to find a place of our own since he is the owner of the Black House now and wants us to stay. He wants you to come back to Hermione and stay with us. Won't you?
Black House? Wasn't Sirius' last name Black? Is Harry is brother? The figure bit its' lip, a habit for when they were deep in thought, as they pondered over what this could mean. They read on…
It's been five months and still we have no word from you. We care about you, Hermione, and worried about you.
Ever since you came back you have not been the same. Harry knows something, I know he does, though he won't tell. What happened Hermione? What happened when you went back in time that made you leave?
The flashlight fell to the wooden floor with a large 'thunk' as the figure grasped the parchment tight in one hand. So that was dear Hermione's secret…but how?
The figure had a faraway look in their eye as they pondered over the newfound information until hushed voices and footsteps brought them out of their reverie.
"Quick, he could come back any minute," the first voice said.
"I doubt it, he's been spending all his time at his old home," a second voice said.
The figure squatted behind the couch, listening to the voices outside and hiding from their view incase they decided to enter this house.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," a third voice whispered.
"The Dark Lord will punish us if we are seen," a fourth voice added.
The figure stopped, Dark Lord? This was just getting weirder and weirder by the second.
"I don't even know why he wanted us to poke around anyway," the first voice huffed. "He's already got the mudblood bitch and the traitor."
Mudblood? What the hell….? the figure thought to themselves.
"Why did he even want her?" the second voice asked.
"He said he had an old score to settle whatever the hell that means," the fourth voice answered in a calm yet irritated voice.
"Well, we have our orders and they are to look around before Black and that little brat of his gets home to catch us," the third voice told them.
"Alohomora."
The figure was straining hard to figure out what that strange word meant when all of a sudden, the back door sprang open and four hooded men entered, each holding a piece of wood in their right hands that looked as if they were glowing on the tip.
"You there," the first voice cried, pointing his wand at the crouching figure, "what are you doing in here and who are you?"
The figure did the first thing that popped into its' mind….
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A/N: AHHHH! Too many 'figure' this and 'figure' that in this chapter but I didn't want to give it away. Anyways, I did my best to finish this chapter especially since I've been at our county's wonderful (do you hear the sarcasm in my voice yet?) fair. The rides consist of oh…about 4 that adults and teenagers can ride. Seriously, there are more food vendors than rides all together.
Congrats to my good buddy Candace that got Grand Champion in cow and calf pair the other night. I don't know how she did on the sheep so I can't congratulate her on that score.
Band practice has started and man is it a KILLER! 95 degree weather and me does not mix, especially since the construction people that are tearing apart my school decided to turn off the freakin water! I was not a happy camper. I've already been stung 3 times, and the flags were the first section of the year to march the hill because we are too stupid to comprehend that 10 yards was 2 of those little white lines. We LOVE the hill!
Okay, now I'm done and sorry I didn't put more onto the chapter….had to have a cliffie. Might be another DREADED CHAPTER OF CLIFFIES coming up soon too. I'm feeling the urge to do another one cause I know how much you guys liked the last one. Gotta go, gonna go swimmin and I'll try to update before the 11th if at all possible.
PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you to all my reviewers out there. It makes my day every time I go to check my email and I see the review alerts. I'm so glad that you guys like my story and are taking time to review. Thank you!
!Amaya!