DISCLAIMER: I do not own HP or anything affiliated with it and the only reason that this chapter is getting written is because Amaya is holding a brownie to my head…..

Chapter 8:

"So, how did it go last night, Sirius?" Harry asked, a smirk playing at his mouth.

Sirius just blushed and continued to make the breakfast he had been attempting ever since early that morning. Cooking was never his strong point…

"Come on! You have to tell me! I am your favorite godson, aren't I?" Harry asked, innocently.

Sirius chuckled at his godson's feeble attempts. He reminded him so much of James sometimes. "You are my only godson, so what's your point?" He flipped the egg that was beginning to stick in to the bottom of the frying pan.

Harry grabbed a can of cooking spray and handed it to Sirius. "Here, try this." He said before getting back on topic. " My point is that you know you want to tell someone anyway, so there is really no reason to put me through this torture. Besides, if you tell me of your date, I might consider telling you of mine." Harry said. He hated reverting to blackmail, but some things must be done when dealing with a stubborn wizard like Sirius Black.

Sirius slowly sprayed the frying pan with a thin layer of spray like the can directed him to, then turned his head to his godson and looked at him expectantly. "Ok, then. You tell me first. Who was this date with?" Pausing, he added, "And why didn't you inform me of this before?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh no you don't. You first or there is no deal." He said firmly.

Sirius sighed. "Fine. As you know, yesterday started with a trip to the castle and to the library. Then after we weren't successful there, I offered to take her to dinner. That's all." He said.

Harry smiled. "A dinner that you had planned down to the tee, I hear."

Sirius removed the last of the eggs from the fire and began to put the bacon in the pan. "Oh, and who is your little informant?" He asked.

Harry smiled. "Oh, just a very reliable source. So, what did you two talk about?" He asked.

Sirius turned the bacon. "That, Harry, is none of your business. Besides, you are too young. You'll just have to wait and I might tell you one day when you're older." He fought hard to suppress a laugh at the look of anger that appeared on his godson's face.

"You have to be kidding me! You are only 5 years older than me now, so you can't use that excuse." Harry said.

Sirius laughed. "Oh yes I can, too. I am older than you, Harry. Just because the veil took off a few years, doesn't mean it took my memories. Those make me far older than you."

Harry looked down, ashamedly. "Sorry. But please tell me. She is my best friend, after all. I deserve to know what's going on in her love life just as much as the next bloke." He said.

Sirius took the bacon off the stove and grabbed both the plate of eggs and the bacon and sat them on the table. " You sound just like Ron. Besides, I expect that she will tell you herself if you two are that close." He said, sitting down and beginning to eat.

Just then, Ginny came down the stairs wearing a smile and walked right over to Harry, not hesitating, and planted a huge kiss squarely on his lips before sitting herself down to enjoy breakfast.

Sirius smiled at his godson. "I guess there's no need to ask who you were on that date with, eh?"

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Tyler paced the study of his large, and very empty mansion. Somehow, he had the feeling that something was not going to go right with this next victim. She was too…guarded…for his liking. After all, the name of McDonald was considerably well known throughout the wizarding world. He didn't want to cause that much of a stir just yet. He couldn't risk exposing himself before he got to his main task…destroying that hypocritical little disgrace of a witch, Hermione Granger. No, he would chose a new, less known witch to target. At least this time.

Making up his mind, he yelled for Wyatt, who came running at once. "Y-yes, Master?" He asked in that annoying stuttering voice of his.

Tyler sat down. "Yes, I need you to get me the list of the mud-bloods that you were looking at earlier. I have made a change of plans concerning our next target." Wyatt looked at him, clearly trying to understand why his master would be changing his plans.

Growing annoyed ,Tyler reached for his wand, which sent Wyatt scurrying out of the room.

Spencer walked into the room just as Wyatt left, receiving a look of hatred from the presumably lower life form. Walking over to Tyler, he bowed before saying, "Um, if you don't mind me asking, sir, why are you changing your plans? I thought you had a system going that would lead you right to Granger?"

He took a step back, giving Tyler room to stand.

"Well, Spencer, I have noticed a snag that wasn't there before. You need not worry, however, as things will continue to go as planned. I will have my revenge over Granger, don't you dare doubt that." He drawled.

Spencer's stomach lurched in revulsion. He couldn't stand this man or what he thought of other people. How he could continue serving him, well, some days he did not know. The only thing that kept him strong was the love of that little old woman and the prospect of having a family for once in his life. A family who loved him.

"Yes, sir. I understand." He managed as Wyatt came hurrying back into the room, a parchment in his grimy little hands.

"H-here, master. As you wished…" He said, handing the paper over to Tyler, who jerked out of his hands ungratefully.

"It's about time, now, get out of my sight before I decide to feed you to the Serpantitheus." Wyatt's eye's grew wide with fear, and he scuttled out of the room as fast as he could.

Spencer watched as Tyler's eye's scanned the parchment he held. A smirk played at his lips as he chose his next victim.

"Ah, I don't know why it wasn't clear to me before. A double murder seems so much more…frightful. Let's go for tow inconspicuous people. People no one will miss. Here," He said, circling the names on the parchment, "Take this down and give the orders to the pet's. Tell them to make this one…more special."

Spencer took the parchment and headed out of the room. He was disgusted at the sheer non-chalantness with which Tyler could behave. Ordering peoples deaths as if it were nothing. He was exactly like his father. A model son in every respect.

As he approached the quarters where the Serpantitheus were held, he heard the eerie hissing as they were speaking in their language, parseltongue. Shaking off the shivers that crept up his spine at the sound, he entered the room. They looked up as he approached, eyes as cold and sickening as their master's. Stopping about ten feet in front of them, he spoke to them.

"Your master would like you go after a…"He looked at the paper, " Mandy Brokelhurst, and a Rose Zellar. They are friends and should be traveling together, so he says. He also says to make these murders…more special." He finished. Both of the creatures eye's were still fixedly looking at him. At first, he thought that they didn't comprehend him, but just as he was about to repeat himself, they nodded their heads and took off out of the open balcony window. Eager to escape the sheer smell of the creatures, Spencer walked with a ever quickening pace out of the room and back down to the main floor.

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Hermione rushed downstairs after her shower, her hunger, and her desire to see Sirius, driving her to hurry. She walked into the kitchen find Ginny laughing hysterically at something Harry had just said. Sirius was at the sink cleaning up the dishes. He had a faint smile on his face and was so enraptured in his task that he didn't see her approaching. She snuck up behind him and out her hand on her hip.

"You know, for such a smart wizard, I would have thought that you would realize that you could do this with magic a lot easier." She said in a mock- reprimanding tone.

He jumped a little at her voice and then turned around to face her. "Yes, but I also realized that I can do a more efficient job if I apply a little bit of elbow grease to the task. Besides," He said, inclining his head in the direction of Harry and Ginny, "If I take up my time doing this, I don't have to engage in any of their intelligent conversation."

Hermione looked over at her two friends, who were currently snogging over their morning coffee's, and laughed. "I see your point. Need help drying?" She offered.

He shook his head. "No. You need to eat. You can help me when you get done, however, so don't eat too much." He said.

She saluted him, then went over to the table and grabbed a piece of toast off of a plate. Harry seemed to notice her, in spite of his current position, and pulled away from Ginny at once.

"Hey, Mione! I didn't hear you come down." He said, blushing.

Hermione laughed. Ginny gave her a look that said 'Ok, you can go now'. Obliging her friend, she turned and walked away.

"No, you wouldn't have, would you?" She teased as she grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and poured herself a cup of coffee.

Sirius smiled at her. He had no idea that she was in such a playful mood when she woke up in the mornings. 'Well,' he told himself, 'These are just things that I am going to have to learn, now aren't they?' He watched her as she slowly and carefully picked the crust off of her toast. Then, he watched as she tore the remaining bread into small pieces before eating them. Taking a sip of her coffee, she stood up and dusted off her hands.

"Well, hand me a towel, then." She said, before catching the look in his eyes. Their gaze locked for a minute as she shared the heat and the passion that he conveyed to her in that one look. Ginny laughing loudly seemed to pull them out of it, however, for he handed her a dish towel and she went over beside him and began drying dishes.

A few minutes later, all of the dishes were done and were put away accordingly. Drying off his hands, Sirius turned to Hermione. "Let's say you and I go for a walk and let those two have their alone time."

She nodded and he took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. As soon as they rounded the corner of the house, he pinned her up against the house and kissed her very heatedly. She returned his kiss, welcoming his protruding tongue into her mouth willingly, allowing her own to explore every warm crevice of his mouth. A few minutes later, they broke apart somewhat unwillingly. Unfortunately, they both had to breath.

Pulling her into a tight embrace, Sirius moaned softly. "Wow, Mione. I've been dying to do that all morning."

She smiled up at him, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Me too. That's all I've thought about since I walked into the kitchen and saw you doing dishes."

He smiled. "Well, I'm glad to see that you care about your privacy, as my godson does not." He laughed.

She smiled wickedly. "Nonsense. It's not the privacy I care about. I would have kissed you right there on the table too, if you had wanted to. I just wanted you to make the first move, is all."

He laughed that bark like laugh. "Miss. Granger. I am shocked to see that there is a naughty side to you after all."

She looked at her feet embarrassed. He grabbed her chin in his fingers and tilted her head up to where her eyes were level to his. "I like it." He said, kissing her again with the same amount of passion as the one minutes ago.

This time, however, their kiss was broken by the sound of someone apparating into the house.

"Must be Dumbledore." She said, breathing heavy. Her eyes were full of fear.

Understanding her problem, Sirius gripped her hand tightly. "Let's go hear the news together, then."