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Chapter 4

'Because I couldn't!" yelled the portrait "This whole house was under His control from the moment my son let him in the front door!"

Staring at the ranting portrait in front of her Hermione let her head drop back to the cushion that she reclined upon, immediately regretting the jar to her aching head. She knew who "He" was, and she understood why the portrait of Walburga Black would have been frothing at the mouth if she had been able to. He just never stopped, never would quit, couldn't leave well enough alone. Because it wasn't his way, and if things did not go his way, well he just needed to correct that.

"What changed Walburga? Why can you now tell me the truth after all of these years?"

"And they called you the brightest witch of the age, why do you think I can tell you the truth? What changed Miss Granger? You said it yourself."

Raising her hand to cover her mouth did not stop the little groan from leaving her lips. She had said it herself. The last Black scion had died without issue. Draco was dead. The thought alone brought tears to her eyes. Her last allies, her friends at arms Draco and Theo were both gone, both dead. The curse on the Black family home had been tied to the blood line and with the ending of that magical blood line, the Noble House of Black had fallen along with any hexes or curses that had been placed by the family or against the family would have fallen too.

"I see that you understand the significance of your previous words. When he followed my son into this manor and placed the Fidelus Charm upon it, it basically gave him say over every sentient object, every portrait, Kreacher and myself. Did you know that while my son was in residence here, every night as my son went to his room to sleep, He would awaken me, so that as Sirius walked past, I would begin to scream at him? He knew that I was trying to communicate with Sirius, but all that came out were screaming insults towards him, Mr. Lupin and yourself."

"He would make sure that the door to Regulus's room was open so that Sirius could see how devoted he was to Slytherin house and to "The Dark Lord". He discouraged Kreacher from keeping this house neat once his master had returned. He ordered him to tell Mr. Potter that he had gone to the Ministry that night. He knew that Sirius would follow you there. That he would do anything to keep Mr. Potter and yourself safe."

"What?" asked Hermione, "Why would you say that? Sirius and I fought all the time. We could barely stand to be in the same room together."

"Oh my dear girl, there is so much that you have forgotten, so much that they took from you If only I were alive to kill them all, but there is nothing to be done for it."

"Lady Black, I don't understand what you think I have forgotten. I remember helping Harry save Sirius, but then afterwards we really didn't have much to say to each other. I felt he drank to much and abused Kreacher unfairly. I thought that he didn't see Harry for his memories of James."

"That bastard and his want to be mistress ruined everything!" Screeched the painting. "Kreacher, we must fix this, she can not go forward believing this fallacy."

Looking between his former mistress and the one that had been left behind by everyone, Kreacher shook his head, his ears flapping before speaking "But Mistress, her head wounds have not been healed completely, the stress of this may damage her more."

Suddenly, there was a large boom outside of the townhome shaking the foundation.

"Kreacher shore up the wards again and then show her. We do not have much time and she need to know this before…"

Staring between the portrait and the house elf, Hermione asked "Before what? Know what, what have they hidden? They are going to kill me or take me hostage if they get through these walls. I would rather die than be taken by the likes of them. What do I need to know and why now?"

"Kreacher, let her see Sirius to begin with, there is much more that she needs to see, but she needs to understand why first."

Climbing upon the settee where she was reclined, still unable to fully access her strength. Kreacher stood and looked regretfully into the pained caramel colored eyes and croaked to the mudblood that had invaded his home all those years ago. "I am sorry Missy Mudblood, this may hurt a bit, but mistress is correct. You must know this; they should not have taken this away from you and my master.

Tapping his long spindly fingers against her temples, he released a pent-up breath and croaked out the word "finite"

Suddenly images and feelings assaulted Hermione's mind. One after another and in snippets she was reintroduced to the reality that was her friendship and the deep abiding love that she had once felt for Sirius Orion Black.

Tears soon fell from her eyes as she felt the sobs welling up in her chest. A scream tore from her lips as the pain attacked her already tortured brain and feeling tore through her heart. They had taken something so precious and left her with anger and derision for a man that had already lost so much. In such a terrible time of a war that he had never been given a reprieve from, her disloyalty must have cut him like a knife.

She remembered the flight on the back of Buckbeak to escape the minister and the dementor that were coming to suck out his soul. She remembered his smile for her before he flew away to parts unknown, until he contacted her that summer.

He had thanked her profusely for saving him, for giving him a chance to be in Harry's life, to reconnect with Remus. He spoke of his time in Azkaban and how the only way he had survived was by living most days as Padfoot. He did not remember a trial but remembered saying that it was all his fault that Jamie and Lily were gone. He had honestly believed that by being the obvious choice as secret keeper that he was protecting them better. He had no idea that he had already given them up, that he had forfeited his friends and loved ones.

She had written back with all the empathy that she had, she realized that he had spent the years of his youth surrounded by the worst possible people, Death Eaters that had believed in the words of the one that they followed. Surrounded by soul sucking monsters that sucked out every happy memory that might have come to mind during the twelve years that he had been held captive for crimes that he had not committed.

She had questioned this, spending any extra time she had in her fourth year between trying to find a way to clear his name as well as keep Harry alive throughout the Triwizard tournament. On top of her other responsibilities, she strove to understand the complexities that bound the house elves to Hogwarts, once realized, she requested food for him that she would deliver whenever she could escape from the castle without being missed.

When Harry had been taken from the school and used in the ritual to bring back that evil dark lord and then tortured before fighting his way back, she had blamed herself for not protecting hm better. He was her brother and she would have done anything for him. Sirius would not let her blame herself; he did not blame her. He blamed Dumbledore as well as all the other teachers that should have been protecting the children at Hogwarts. The argument that he had with Snape after Harry returned came to mind. She had forgotten all of this. She knew that the animosity had ceased that night in their wish to end this war before it could begin or resume again.

She remembered being taken to Number 12 after being gathered from her house. She had tried to contact Harry by post mail and the letter had been intercepted by Molly Weasley whom was on guard duty for Harry that morning. Not trusting her not to try again, her confinement at headquarters began.

She remembered the hug that she had received from Sirius as well as the one from Remus for taking care of his best friend and honorary nephew when she arrived. She also remembered the shared angst over when Harry would arrive and how angry he would be over their lack of communication that summer.

She remembered the late night discussions over hot chocolate in the dark and dank basement kitchen of the townhouse, the afternoons hiding in the library searching for spells, charms and hexes to protect Harry from those that would harm him, from the dreams that plagued his mind all the while sitting side by side on this settee that she reclined upon now.

The year had begun, and they could no longer write as mail was being monitored in and out of Hogwarts. He had given Harry a communication mirror but had never been able to tell either one about it. By the time that Christmas had arrived, along with the scared Weasley family and distraught Harry who became a hermit cooped up in his bedroom, the mirrors had been forgotten.

She remembered before they were to return to school that he had drawn her aside for a quick hug and a soft kiss to her forehead before whispering that he would probably go to hell for this, he then placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. Pressing her fingertips to her lips she looked up into his eyes before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her while she rested her forehead against his.

"I thought it was just me." She had whispered against his lips.

"No kitten, it was me too. It will always be you; we just have to wait for you to grow up a little more."

With those words he kissed her softly once again and stepped away from her, his hands sliding down her arms to grip her delicate hands tightly. "Stay safe and keep our boy safe."

"Always", she whispered squeezing his fingers before letting them go and reaching down to grab her bag.

With one last lingering look at him, she turned to see Mrs. Weasley standing in the doorway with her wand aloft and pointing at her, beside her stood Mad Eye with his wand pointed at Sirius, a quick stupefy had him passed out on the floor and an Obliviate from Molly Weasley had darkness falling over her.

She returned to school not remembering the letters or the closeness that had developed between the two of them. She followed Harry to the ministry after being unable to reach Sirius by floo and she was struck down by Dolohov. She never knew that Sirius had shown up to save her and Harry. She was not there when he disappeared through the veil driven by Bellatrix's wand and she never understood the coldness that had settled over her heart at the news of his death.

As these memories returned and settled upon her, she cried for all that they had both lost and what they could never have. She was only slightly relieved that he had been joined by Harry and Remus in death. The marauders and son were reunited for their next great adventure. She now longed for the ability to join them.