DISCLAIMER: Deep in the jungle there lies a mountainous tree with millions upon millions of leaves. Every year, one leaf falls off. By the time the last leaf falls, I will still not own Harry Potter.

Summary: Through the barrier and into…a different time? Hermione finds herself in the Marauder's time. In a story of hate, lies, and hurt, Hermione finds something else….love.

A/N: Aw me, love….that's all I'm going to say folks…Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS or whatever you celebrate. This is my gift to you.

Chapter 13:

Hermione felt herself being lifted gingerly off the ground by those arms and hung her head shamefully. She knew who it was, she would know him anywhere. She tried to hid her face in her hands but felt them ripped away.

"Look at me Hermione," Sirius commanded. She looked at the ground desperately, clinging to that last ounce of willpower she had in her for she did not wish to see the accusation in his black orbs. "Look at me!"

She raised her eyes slowly to meet his dark gaze. He was glaring angrily at her but she noticed that there was still hurt shining in his eyes. Another wave of guilt washed over her.

"What the bloody hell was that about back there?" Sirius bellowed, making angry with his one free hand that was not grasping her arm.

"What do you mean?" She knew she was stalling but she couldn't help it.

"Oh don't give me that Hermione. You know damn well what I'm talking about," Sirius barked.

"Well…uh, it wasn't about anything," Hermione muttered lamely.

"Bullshit," Sirius said simply.

"What do you want me to say!" Hermione cried suddenly, trying to step back from him but not succeeding. "That James and I were left together when the two people we car…," she stopped herself there, clapping a hand to her mouth, before she gave herself away.

"So you two just decided to snog!" Then he realized what she was about to say and shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Two people you what?"

"Nothing," Hermione said quickly, avoiding his eye. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"I don't believe you," Sirius growled, taking another threatening step towards her and closing the space between them till it was virtually nothing. "Why the hell were you in Hogsmeade with James, snogging your pretty little heart out?"

"Well you're one to talk!" Hermione retorted angrily. "You, Mr. Sirius Black and self-proclaimed sex god of Gryffindor, were with Lily and do you not remember what I walked in on?"

"That's not the point," Sirius dismissed with a flick of his hand.

"It is the point!" Hermione screamed at him. "You are implying that you are allowed to do stuff but I'm not. You, Sirius Black, are a hypocrite."

"I am not!" he said quickly, his voice rising. "And for your information, Lily and I were at the Three Broomsticks looking for you and James."

Hermione paused and looked at him uneasily. She almost had it in her favor but he had just turned it around and she knew that there was no way she could get the ball back into her court.

"You see, Lily realized that all this time that she really cared for James." Then his voice grew quiet and harsh as his eyes narrowed. "Do you know how hurt she looked at seeing you two like that?"

The guilt she was feeling over the entire situation finally overpowered her and the tears fell steadily again over her cheeks. "None of this was supposed to happen," she sobbed.

She didn't think that Sirius had heard her but he had. "Well you can't take it back now. You kissed him and you know it," he said harshly.

Hermione sadly shook her head. "That isn't what I meant."

"So you wouldn't take back the kiss?" Sirius asked angrily.

"No. Yes. UH! I don't know!" Hermione ran her hands through her hair and looked pointedly at Sirius through the tears. "I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to develop feelings for you guys."

Then, wiping the tears from her eyes, she made her last admission. "And I most definitely was not supposed to feel the way I do whenever you walk into the room..."

OxOxOxOxO

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Sirius stared, dumb-struck, at her. His reaction unnerved her, but she forced herself to stay and not run.

Sirius slowly shook his head as if shaking himself out of a dream. Then he did something unexpected….he laughed! Hermione could just stare at him as she continued laughing.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. Each moment that she stood there watching him laugh was like a knife stabbing her heart. She spun quickly on her heel and attempted to escape to the confines of the castle.

"Hermione," Sirius shouted. She could hear him running after him. "Hermione, stop," he ordered but she did not slow her pace though she could hear him gaining on her.

He caught a hold of her elbow and spun her around to face him. He looked thoroughly confused. "Why did you run off after making an announcement like that?"

Hermione's eyes scanned his. "Did you honestly think that I was going to stand there and let you laugh at me?"

"I wasn't laughing at you…."

"Here I was, pouring my heart and soul out and you laughed!"

"Hermione…"

"I understand that you must find this...absurd," Hermione said hotly, her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, "but you could have at least had the decency to not laugh!"

"Hermione..."

"I mean, do you know..."

But the words that were about to leave her lips were stopped as he silenced her by pulling her up against him and crushing his lips to hers. She let her hands drift up to his neck and held on to him as their tongues entered into the sweet dance of lovers.

A moan slipped past her lips as she leaned into him, letting his warmth seep over her like the heat from a raging fire. Come to think of it, her body felt like it was on fire.

With a soft sigh, Sirius pulled back slightly and stared down at her. Her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted. "Hermione…," he said gently and waited until she opened her eyes before going on, "I was not laughing at you."

"Then what were you laughing at?" she asked insecurely for she was afraid of what him answer might be.

"I was laughing," Sirius smiled down at her, "at the fact that all this time that we've been fighting, we could have been dating."

Hermione joined him in chuckling and sighed in content when he rested his forehead against hers, lightly pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Do you know why I was so upset with James?" he mumbled softly, his breath whispering against her skin as his eyes bored into hers.

She thought for a moment and shook her head slowly. "No, I couldn't figure that out."

He brushed a wild curl out of her face and began to press butterfly kisses up along her jaw line. "I was jealous," he stated simply as his lips found hers once again.

She waited until he pulled back before asking, "Jealous?" She truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Yeah, jealous," he assured her. "I saw you on the platform and was immediately captivated with you. I wanted you to like me, but you seemed more at ease with James. I didn't like that…," he smiled ruefully, "my pride didn't like that."

Hermione felt herself blush with guilt. "Well…it's just that James reminded me so much of one of my old school friends, Harry. Harry was like a brother to me."

"Did you kiss Harry like you just kissed James?" Sirius asked teasingly but deep down, he seriously wanted to know. He had to know if this Harry guy would be competition.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him. "No, and James caught me by surprise…I swear. I didn't know he was going to kiss me or I would have prevented it."

"I think he saw Lily," Sirius said thoughtfully.

Hermione stared at him hard for a moment, gathering up her courage. Her mouth opened, and the words flowed out before she could stop them.

"Why did you kiss Lily? Really?"

Sirius stared down into her eyes in deep thought. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to strike out at James for being so close to you." He paused and kissed her softly on the forehead, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Jealousy will make a mad do stupid things."

He sent to kiss her again but Hermione pulled back, her mind suddenly screaming at her to stop. "Sirius….there's something that we have to talk about."

He smiled. "We can talk later. Right now I can think of other things I'd rather be doing."

"No Sirius," she pushed him away gently. "We have to talk."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want either of us to get hurt," she stated truthfully, fighting back the urge to ignore her feelings and to just leap into his arms.

"What's there to get hurt over? We forgive each other, I ask you out, you say yes, and we live happily ever after," Sirius said with a bemused look on his face.

Hermione shook her head sadly and gave a rueful laugh. "I'm afraid it isn't going to be as simple as that, Sirius."

"Why not?" Sirius couldn't understand why she was so determined for them to not get together.

Hermione looked into his dark eyes and knew she couldn't lie, not to him. "Because I don't know how long I'll be here."

A/N: Okay, a little love…but they will get together. You guys know I can't resist Sirius being happy. Anyways Merry Christmas again and remember to leave your Christmas present for me by clicking that little button down there.

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!AMAYA!