A/N: And I'm off…..another chapter uploaded. You may ask yourself, "How is it this girl updates so quickly?" The answer is simple: School's out for summer. I've decided NOT to take summer classes to give my brain a mental break, catch up on work that will be overloading me in the Fall, get some fanfiction done, get ready for LUMOS in Las Vegas…and well, more ;)
Thanks again, for your encouraging reviews. I can't tell you how much of a pleasure it is to see that I've got, yet, another new reader, another added comment and another saying "Get on with them already!" ;)
I'm so absolutely THRILLED that I've been able to turn a new lot into Hermione/Sirius shippers. They're a good pairing, if written with taste, and Sirius Black…is…well…so do-able ;) Someone's got to do him, why not Hermione? Enjoy.
This chapter doesn't read that well for me, but I posted it after a good beta, anyway. It's a bit sloppy in places, in my opinion and some of it didn't flow for me. Hopefully, you lot will have a different opinion of it. I hope you enjoy it and with one last thing before you skip this and read on: Patience is a virtue. you horn balls
This chapter is dedicated to: "Betrothed" and "your belladonna" – your reviews crack me up and are helpful.
Chapter 10
"I knew that wicked, vile woman was going to do this." Hermione shouted through the flat.
She had just gotten around to reading the story that Rita Skeeter had written about the couple and it was not very friendly towards her. Again, Sirius was looked upon like the golden child that she so dearly loved, rubbing her flirtations in black, white and parchment.
"It's not that bad, love," Sirius chuckled, walking after Hermione and perusing the story again. He threw himself out of her way as she flew down the hallway in anger and looking for her favorite red t-shirt.
"Not that bad? Sirius, she was just shy of calling me a tart! 'Like many before him, Hermione Granger, now Black, looked at Sirius as a ticket to fame and celebrity status.' Please, as if I want to hang on your coat tails." She mocked, quoting the story and going between her and Sirius's rooms.
Sirius froze for a moment in thought, not sure if he was to be offended by her remark. Regardless, he shook his head and smiled, "Darling, do you want me to send her an owl?"
"No, I don't want you to send her an owl. I wouldn't give her the time of day, let alone have you write her an owl to make her change her story. She's just jealous, that's all."
"That bitch." He mocked, trying to tease her like a girlfriend of hers.
She quickly turned on him, glaring at him with eyes like daggers, not at all amused by his joke. Only, she wasn't able to hold her mean face long enough for it to be effective and quickly cracked and looked away at him, trying to shield herself.
"See, come out and relieve your frustration with us." He suggested, asking Hermione, again, to go out with he, Remus and Harry to the Leaky Cauldron.
She shook her head, "No, you're siding with her. I can't be seen with you, now." She joked, carefully folding her coat into her backpack.
"Come on, just one or two pints? You'll be gone all weekend." Sirius requested not begged, requested.
Hermione threw her bag over her shoulder that contained her things she'd needed for the weekend away at her parents, which was conveniently two blocks from the Leaky Cauldron. There was always an open invite to Sirius, but he knew better than to go into her family's house, considering the situation that their only daughter was forced to marry an older wizard that they did not approve of. Hermione had left a lot of the details out, but they understood that if she was to marry anyone, an ex-con would be the perfect protector.
Hermione just smiled, amused by his pathetic plea to get her to come with him to the pub, that she had no choice but to give in. She joined Remus, Harry and Sirius, feeling quite comfortable as always, as being the odd girl out. As the hour passed, Hermione kept glancing down at her watch to make sure she wasn't too overdue at her parents.
Hermione slammed down her pint glass, licking her lips of the remnants of butterbeer, and quietly giggled, charmed by Harry's joke.
"Well, I've got to get going, boys. As much as I wish I could stay, my parents are expecting me." She said, standing up from her chair and slinging her bag back over her shoulder. She flashed a quick glance over at Sirius as a good-bye, hoping to get one of his flirtatious winks.
"One more round, then you can go." Sirius added, abruptly standing from his own seat to make way to the bar to order another round, before she could protest.
"No, really, I am going. Harry, Remus keep an eye on my husband for me."
Sirius saw Hermione turning to leave, despite his disapproval. He quickly moved to her side and reached out for her hand, "How are you getting there?"
Hermione smiled to the handsome man that grew more and more concerned for her well being, "I'm going to walk, of course. It's only a few blocks. I'll be fine."
"Can't you apparate?"
"No, my parents might have company. It's fine. Now, good night, I'll see you on Sunday." She confirmed, petting his cheek with an open palm. She quickly turned around, letting her brown curls bounce on her back and walked towards the door.
Sirius watched her disappear behind the wooden pub door, trying to suppress the little voice in his head that told him to go after her. She really shouldn't be alone.
Within seconds, Sirius was reaching over past Harry and grabbing his jacket and dashing out the door to catch up with her.
He pressed through the doors and saw her walking past the pub windows that were invisible to the muggle eye. "Come on, I'll take you." He called, standing on the sidewalk and watching her turn around.
Seeing him follow her out made her heart absolutely melt. He was deeply concerned for her. It wasn't a matter of where she was going; she believed it was the matter of her just leaving him. She shook her head lightly, but he was already walking around the corner to his motorcycle.
Hermione dropped her guard, finally surrendering to his insistence and followed him to his bike. He was already mounting it and putting on his gloves when he looked up to see her rest her hand on his shoulder and swing her leg over the bike behind him.
Only having done this once before, she forgot where the proper places to put her hands were, when he reached back and pulled them to him, wrapping them around his waist.
"Hold tight, because I don't want to lose you." He charmed, tilting his head enough to give her a wink.
Without any objection, she did what she was told and pushed herself tight to him, pressing her cheek against the leather of his jacket. He started the engine, revving it up to give it some gas and as he pushed off to start down the street, she lifted her chin to rest it on his shoulder, next to his cheek.
Like before, she felt the wind whip her hair around her and closed her eyes to avoid a swift snap in the face. She held Sirius tighter, inhaling his aroma, compiled of leather, cigarettes, sage and magic. Her imagination began to carry her into a hypnotic trance, where she started to feel incredibly bold and daring. With a slow gesture, she managed to move her hand flat against Sirius's stomach, feeling the firmness hidden under his t-shirt.
They stopped at a red light, one block from Hermione's parents' street and Sirius ran his leather gloved hand over hers, over his stomach. Her gesture was subtle, as was his when he squeezed her hand. Once the light turned green, his hand returned to the handle, leaving Hermione pining for his gentle touch, again. The vibrations of the bike between her legs were so soothing, that it caused an erotic awareness to begin deep and low within her. She tried to put the sensation out of her mind, but the way he felt under her fingers and arms, his firm strong physique, was enough to stir something in her
Lost in her imagination, she opened her eyes and furrowed her brow when the bike started to slow down and finally stop outside of her childhood house. She waited until the engine was off, before letting go of him, savory every moment she had to be pressed up against him.
As Hermione got off the bike, Sirius stayed on and glanced up at the big house behind her on the quiet street. His eyes lingered on its door and its little front porch, envying it in a way that it knew her every secret growing up. Secrets he discovered he yearned to know, but until he was able to figure what it was he wanted from her, he wasn't going to learn any.
Sirius returned to his normal character and flicked his head back to toss his hair away from his eyes, "So, you'll be back home on Sunday?"
Hermione nodded; saddened that she was going to have to go two whole days without seeing, hearing or touching him. "Yes, probably around dinner time."
Sirius suddenly felt awkward, like the way one does when saying good night after a first date. He felt his fingers beginning to tingle under his leather gloves and his heart began to pick up it's pace. He felt so foolish acting this way over her. She was just his roommate, his partner in the Order and she just happened to start to develop a little crush on him. It couldn't have been him. It was just that she was such an insanely clever witch that she was able to bewitch him into feeling like a fumbling school boy.
Clever witch.
For a fleeting moment, Hermione jumped at the chance to keep him longer and offered for him to come inside and join them for dinner. Sirius smiled, his eyes falling down to the sidewalk as her intent stare was becoming too much for him that moment and he focused on a couple of weeds beginning to break through the cracks.
"No thank you, love. I'm going to go back to the guys and drink the night away. You go in and visit with your family." He sighed, reaching up to grip his handlebars to otherwise occupy him from his rambling thoughts. He really didn't want to leave her.
Her smile faded as she whispered, "But, you're my family, too, Sirius." His eyes lifted back up to hers, listening to hear every syllable. "You're also the first one I see in the morning and the last one before I go to bed. You make me feel safe."
That's what he needed to move forward. She'd said enough for him. His own two ears had heard and from deep within his loins, an exhilarating rush flew to his finger tips, causing a ripple of nerves up his spine. His gloved hands were quick as they reached out for her soft angelic face and pulled her to him.
Before he touched her, he whispered, "If I'm out of line, just tell me."
Sirius finally crushed his lips against hers; pressing against them for what felt like hours. He waited for her to pull away, but instead, felt her relax under his grip and submit to him, completely, breaking down walls.
As if rehearsing for this her entire life, Hermione slowly moved her lips against Sirius's, quietly dancing to a rhythm all of their own. He was cautious and gentle, careful not to try her too hard or too fast, too soon. With the speed of a rushing snail, he caressed her moist lips with his own, mentally committing them to memory, to better perfect this very same kiss when she returned home on Sunday.
He pulled away to breathe, as the woman had sucked the very life from him, giving her the chance to end the kiss right then and there. To his surprise, she went at him again, never opening her eyes; for fear that she might break the method of precise concentration to get this right.
By touching him again, she could feel the pent up frustration she had harbored for him, slowly melting away. The frustration had turned into admiration and the admiration was turning into lust. Her skin felt extremely sensitive a she felt his hands leave her face and slowly wrap around her slender waist.
He was gentle for their first kiss, but aggressive enough to show that he really wanted it. It was no longer a matter of being too careful, wondering what others would say; if anyone had witnessed the pair at the moment, they would look completely normal. Completely in tune with one another, completely smitten and, completely falling in love.
Hermione reached a hand up to touch Sirius's face, cherishing the coarse feeling of his stubble over her finger tips. The touch made him real to her, like he was no longer something that she watched from afar. Now, under her very hands, she was intimately stroking the neck of the notorious Sirius Black.
Sirius could feel his heart about to burst from his chest with the heavy anticipation of this kiss. It had been a long time coming, but he had to sit in silence and wait. Hoping that she wouldn't notice his eyes lingering on her longer than what was deemed normal, or the way he'd tilt his head if he thought he might get a glimpse of her thighs when she'd bend over in those skirts, or last, but not least, the rush of excitement he'd get whenever he'd catch her padding around in her bare feet. She had such pretty little feet.
Now, within his clutches he felt her lips part and with all his craft and skill, slipped his tongue into her mouth. She allowed him to deepen the kiss with the rhythm of a romantic movie score, listening to the sounds around them settle.
As he kissed her lips, savoring their sweet taste, Sirius remembered that no matter what they did at that moment, it wasn't going to end on a good note for them physically. She had already promised to spend the weekend with her parents and it would be too irresponsible to ask her to reconsider. She needed this time away, time with her own kind, so that she could come back home to him, thought out and refreshed.
He felt her hands run down the front of his shirt, gripping the fabric in anticipation of what move he might make on her next. He could feel her energy building up with him and knew that he needed to make the diplomatic decision to extinguish it. He reached up and gripped her hands that were clutching onto him as if he were her only bit of salvation left and slowly tore his lips away from hers.
He could hear his own voice panting with quiet whispers, suggesting them to slow down. Knowing that it might not have been what they wanted to do, it was inevitable that they were both going to walk away completely unsatisfied.
Hermione tilted her head down and pressed her forehead against his, listening to his soft whispers. She finally opened her eyes, and looked down at his gloved hands holding hers. She leaned against him, nuzzling her face in his neck, mentally begging for him to hold her. He heard her quiet pleas and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him close and tight, like a true protector.
His hand reached up and he tangled his fingers in her curls, cherishing the silky texture. His mouth laid small kisses around her earlobe, her cheekbone and up to her temple, loving the feeling of holding her in his arms. Never had he felt so connected with a woman, that he felt that by holding her until the rest of his days, would be satisfying enough. It wasn't something he had hoped to do, as his more sinister imagination was already picturing her clothes scattered around his bed.
He turned his face towards hers again, leaving a kiss on the bridge of her nose and whispered, "I'll see you on, Sunday."
Hermione furrowed her brow, not wanting to leave the embrace of his strong arms, now that she had finally found her way into them. She nodded and reluctantly pulled away from him. She managed to take a few steps away from the bike, to see him bow his head with his gorgeous dark eyes peeking from under his soft black hair that fell in his face like a set of curtains.
She pulled her hands away from him, letting him playfully hold onto them for a few more seconds. She slowly turned away to walk up the stairs to her parent's porch. She glanced back once more, watching him start up his bike. She finally made the long walk of the mile to her to the door and gave him a small wave. With another wink, he took off down the street, with the sound of the engine echoing off the houses.
Sirius revved his engine hard and strong, ready to take off down the street to go back to the pub to celebrate this new endeavor. His bike flew down the roads, barely inches from the ground. He howled into the cold brisk air as the wind hit his face; his insides burning, his stomach was nauseous and his loins were on fire. He hadn't words to express the exhilaration he got when he kissed her, he just knew that everything was going to change and his first instincts were good. He and Hermione had some exploring to do, and by god, he was feeling adventurous.
He pulled his bike back into the alleyway of the Leaky Cauldron, parking it in the same spot as he always did and walked back into the pub, barking with laughter. Just where he had left him, Remus sat at the table with his glass only half filled.
He walked up to the table with a new swagger, dropping his coat over the empty chair, "Moony, where's Harry?"
"He's gone home. Said he'd see you tomorrow and to bring your broom."
Sirius clapped his hands together, eager to get his drinking back on and shouted at the bartender for a couple of pints and two fire whisky shots. He plopped his anxious body back into the chair and slumped down, kicking one leg up on the table.
"What's gotten into you? I understand that you're excited to be alone this weekend, but really she just left. Try to hide your enthusiasm at least a little."
Sirius threw his head back and barked with laughter, "No, Moony, my friend, that's not it."
Remus lifted an eyebrow at his long time friend, curious to what he was going on about.
Sirius ran a hand through his hair and proudly said, "Moony, for the first time tonight, I finally kissed my wife!"