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Natstar
XOXO

SHATTER ME

Chapter 9

Hermione stood in the doorway to the garage at the Terrace House. She was wearing her school uniform, she found herself amused as she watched Him bending over a motorcycle. He was dressed in a white singlet and jeans. He reminded her of James Dean. He hadn't looked over to the door when he grabbed a rag to wipe his hands, nor when he grabbed his butterbeer from the bench looking at his motorcycle like it was his biggest pride and joy.

It was when he turned that she realised it was his second pride and joy. She was his first. Sirius looked her up and down and had her in his arms in four steps. She wanted him. She wanted to touch every part of him she could reach with her hands, lips and tongue. Sirius wanted the same as he ripped her school shirt off her. Hermione wasted no time in pulling his shirt from him running her hands up and down the muscled planes of his chest. He lifted her and stumbled back into the dining table. Hermione straddled him as he lay on top of the table kissing and touching every part of him that she could reach.

Sirius groaned.
The table groaned, and then collapsed around them.

Sirius rolled them over in the wreckage of the table. Her skirt became caught on a nail and tore. Realising potential injury, Sirius stood pulling her with him. She wrapped her legs around him and tried to carry her from the dining table towards the lounge yet her skirt was still stuck on the wreck. He pulled it from her leaving behind its tattered remains. He kicked off his boots as he walked with her in his arms. He unhooked her bra pulling it from her as he threw her onto the lounge. She lay there in just her panties, socks and shoes. He quickly divested himself of his jeans before returning to her kissing his way down her body lavishing attention on every part he could reach. He began kissing her lower and lower…

The alarm in the form of Sirius's loud voice awoke her and sunlight suddenly streamed across the bed making Hermione flinch into her covers. It didn't last long as they disappeared around her.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! GET THE HELL OUT!" She yelled and started throwing pillows at him. Her giant bed had enough pillows that a couple of them actually hit her target. Sirius laughed at the full use of his name as he walked out shutting the door before she thought to use magic. Hermione was still fuming as she got up and began her exercises before getting changed into a leotard with leggings and a wrap-around skirt. She pulled on a loose sweater and found a pair of soft leather dance shoes. Tying her hair up into a loose bun, Hermione splashed her face with water before taking a deep breath walking walking out. She had to stop using the crutches so she left them in her room as she made her way to the stairs. Sirius was waiting at the top of the stairs for her. He raised an eyebrow at her but as she was still fuming at him she snarled and began walking down without waiting for him.

Hermione had to catch her breath for a moment when she reached the bottom which allowed Sirius time to choose some music and put it into the CD player. The room filled with a classical piece. She stepped forwards, taking a deep breath. Sirius stepped slowly towards her, putting out his hand. She took it and his other hand wrapped around her waist.

"We are just going to start with the basic waltz. Nice and slow." He said to her. Hermione nodded and brought her other hand to rest on his shoulder. She took a deep breath and he swept her into a gentle one-two-three step of the waltz. Her proximity to him made her flush, but he kept the movements around the floor professional. When she finally looked up at his face, Hermione saw that he was watching her intensely.

"You dance very well Mr Black." She commented slightly breathless from her exertions, her anger had begun draining from her as she enjoyed the moment of dancing. Sirius smirked and dipped her changing the tempo ever so slightly.

"It is one of my few favourite pastimes. However, I am not usually honoured with such a lovely dance partner." He crooned as they moved. Hermione blushed deeply. Making him chuckle. Hermione looked everywhere but at him.

"You looked just as flushed when I woke you this morning, Hermione. Having a good dream?" His voice whispered to her. Her eyes shot up to him and he grinned devilishly at her, disarming her retort. Her hand tightened in his as she felt her legs begin to go weak. She stumbled a step and Sirius slowed their pace the smile no longer on his face, replaced by concern.

"Breathe Hermione. You are meant to breathe when you dance." He said softly. Hermione's eyes flashed as the anger flared she took a deep breath and she glared at Sirius in challenge. Sirius grinned increasing their tempo again and they swept about the room.

At the doorway to the kitchen Remus stood with Tonks watching and sipping coffee as the two moved near flawlessly around the room. Tonks leaned over to Remus and whispered, "I thought you said this was dancing lessons?"
Remus chuckled. "Hermione used to dance before she was injured at the Ministry. They are just going through the basic steps; reintroducing her to the movement of dance, so to speak." He explained to Tonks.

Tonks let out a low whistle. "If that is how they dance the basics I can't wait to see them do something more exotic. That would be a sight to see."
Remus laughed softly, reminiscing. "Indeed."

Sirius kept them moving until he noticed a sheen of sweat on her brow and began slowing the pace once more. Her grip on his hand was now tight and despite her fierceness to continue he knew that Hermione did not have much strength left to keep her standing without assistance. He let the song end and walked her around the room to cool down before walking her out to the kitchen where Remus and Tonks had retreated to.

"You dance superbly Hermione." Tonks grinned at the young witch who settled gratefully into a stool at the counter.

"I missed so many steps. And I trod on Sirius's toes a couple of times." Hermione grouched, accepting the coffee put before her.

"Though a couple of times it was intentional." She growled before taking a sip of her coffee. Sirius coughed, choking on his own coffee. Remus chuckled and patted Sirius's back. Before they could say anything Dobby appeared carrying four breakfast trays.

"Good morning Miss Granger!" the house elf squeaked, As he quickly moved around the kitchen placing the dishes onto the counter while pulling clean cutlery from thin air.

"Good morning Dobby." She smiled at the House Elf.

"Good morning Mister Black, Mr Lupin, Miss Tonks. I have your newspaper sir." Dobby squeaked handing Sirius the paper. Dobby moved to Hermione's chair.

"Does Miss Granger have letters for Mr Harry Potter and his friends?" He asked her.

"Oh! Yes. I forgot to bring them down!" Hermione made to move but the House Elf popped out of existence and popped back with the four addressed letters.

"Thanks Dobby." Hermione smiled at the elf. Sirius pulled out a letter also addressed to Harry and handed it to the elf.

"Goodbye Miss Granger!" He said before disappearing in a pop back to Hogwarts to wake Harry and Ron.

Hermione looked down at her breakfast. It was a small stack of pancakes, coated in maple syrup blueberries and ice-cream. Hermione stared at them tears welling in her eyes. She pushed the plate away and moved to stand. Her legs still weak from dancing fell out from under her as she took a step. Tonks, who was sitting next to her dropped down beside her.

"Hermione?" She rubbed Hermione's back as Hermione began crying. Tonks pulled Hermione into a sitting position holding her as Hermione cried. The two men watched a little confused. Remus moved and crouched beside them.

"You need to eat, Hermione." He said gently. Hermione shook her head.

"Not that." She gasped when she found her voice. Remus frowned, quickly considering.

"How about we get you up and I will see if Dobby can bring you something else for breakfast."

Hermione nodded and between them Tonks and Remus got her up and lead her upstairs. Remus gave Sirius a look over his shoulder as they left the kitchen. Sirius looked at the pancakes and frowned, he had thought that she loved pancakes.

"Dobby!" He called. The elf reappeared in a crack. He quickly explained that Hermione requested something that was not pancakes and the House Elf disappeared.

/\/\/\/\

Hermione sat at her desk staring out of the window not seeing anything. For their part they let her be, as they did each time her emotions overwhelmed her. They knew better than anyone that Hermione was still grieving her parents. She told Tonks that their breakfast that morning reminded her when she was little helping her mum make breakfast for her father for his birthday. Pancakes were something Hermione and her mother did together frequently. The stack of pancakes reminded her that her mother never had a chance to bridge the void between her and her daughter before she was killed.

She had barely touched the plate of fruits that Dobby brought back with drooping ears apologising for upsetting his friend Miss Hermione Granger. Hermione knew she would make it up to the House Elf, who did everything to make sure that everyone at the Terrace House was looked after. He took the duties as seriously as he did with keeping Gryffindor tower clean, so he could still see Harry from time to time.

Wiping her eyes she looked out the window. Her bedroom overlooked the small courtyard that was part of the Terrace House. Crookshanks was lying asleep in the afternoon sun. Sometimes she wished she could enjoy the simplicity of being a cat. Behind her she heard a light knock on her door. She turned and saw that Sirius stood leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. Hermione suspected that he had been standing there for quite a while before he announced himself.

Hermione swivelled the chair to face him. Each time she looked at him she felt a strange pull like there was something about his presence that drew her to him. Her heart would beat faster every time she looked at him. She had accepted that the wizard was definitely a very good looking man. His body had also regained more muscle and weight, she had to admit that he definitely filled his clothing well.

The paper's seem to have regularly put a reporter just to follow him every time he was in public, so between the dire news of the Dark Lord, there was always a small column or article that kept reporting what the most eligible bachelor did, wore, spoke to, flirted with. They had even done a full three page article on the charity work he was doing with St Mungo's to cover when he frequented the magic hospital when Hermione was in there.

She knew Sirius hated the spotlight. He said it reminded him of the spotlight he had been forced to endure when he lived with his mother. He still hadn't been able to remove the painting, though he had tried. Even Hermione had started researching to find if there was a way to remove it.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Sirius asked drawing her thoughts back to the present as he stepped into the room. He looked down at her lap. Hermione looked down too. She had been lacing her fingers together painfully. She wondered when she had started doing that. Drawing a shaky breath she shook her head and looked back up at him, considering something in her mind.

Sirius watched her, yet all he wanted to do was gather her into his arms and kiss the tears away, kiss the pain away. Tonks had told them what she had said about breakfast. Hermione was tormented by guilt of not having another chance to speak with her mother one last time. But like everything else in this world it was too late to do anything more. He hadn't yet told Hermione that he had handled the arrangements for her parents' funeral ensuring that they were buried with as much dignity as befitting what they represented to him – the parents of the woman he loved.

"Sirius?" Hermione's voice was a little gravelly from crying pulled him back to the present. He realised she was holding a CD.

"Would you?" Hermione took a breath. Her emotions stirring within her.

"Would you mind if we danced again?" She asked. Sirius stepped forward to look at the CD. The music was from one of the enormous stacks of music the twins had given her. He raised his brow as he read the tracks on the back of the cover.

"Track four. It. It was the first song my dad used to teach me to dance." Hermione looked down at her hands laced tightly in her lap.

"If you wish." He said to her gently. "But I am not your father Hermione."

Hermione snorted and looked up at him with amusement. The first sign of it he had seen all day.

"No, you are definitely not my father." The amusement left her eyes. "But you are the only one in this world right now that I know who knows dancing the way he did."

Sirius stared in surprise at what she was offering. He knew that she wanted to do this as a way to cleanse her grief. That wasn't what decided him. He understood if he said 'no' now, she would refuse to dance ever again. Putting the CD in the back pocket of his pants he turned and strode to Hermione's wardrobe. Hermione had looked up in surprise when he suddenly walked away but, when he entered the wardrobe and stepped out holding a turquoise ball gown, he draped it on the bed and set shoes next to it on the floor. He returned and knelt before her.

"If we do this I think you should look the part. I will wait downstairs if you truly want to do this." He said looking up at her. Hermione's heart thundered hard in her chest. She nodded silently. Sirius stood and leaned in kissing her chastely on her temple quickly and glided out the door. As he disappeared her gaze fell on the bed and the gown he pulled from the wardrobe. He was right, if she was to do this then at least she should dress for it. Hermione stood up and went to reach for her crutches. No. She would do this on her own two feet or not at all.

Sirius was now extremely glad that Remus was out for the night. He had finally plucked up the courage to ask Tonks out on an actual date; both were out enjoying dinner and a movie and would be back late in the evening, or most likely return to twelve Grimmauld place to find a free room. The ballroom was lit only by some fairy lights that were strung across the ceiling. There was just enough light to see the shape of the room, and the floor was still in shadow. Sirius himself had changed as well befitting in an outfit appropriate for a dance partner. He was putting the CD she requested into the huge player and making sure it was ready to go, when Hermione stepped onto the dance floor.

She had done her hair and dressed in the gown. The heels clicked slowly on the floor. Sirius pressed play and moved slowly towards her bowing formally taking her hand. He knew the dance. It was a foxtrot. Something she had shown him after he discovered her talents at James and Lily's wedding. Most dances required choreography, especially for ballroom. Yet every time Sirius and Hermione came together, they moved like they had been partnered for years. In some way this was definitely true.

She was determined to get through the dance, even though part way through tears had begun streaming from her eyes. One of her legs slipped from under her; however, she turned it smoothly into a slow paused as Sirius held her tightly pulling her up again. At the end of the song he drew her into a hug allowing her to let the rest of her grief out. He felt as she lost the strength in her legs and swept her into his arms as she cried. Slowly he ascended the staircase to her room.

Resettling her on his lap he held her close whispering softly that she wasn't alone and she was still loved. He held her long after her sobs stopped. He held her long after the tears had dried and Hermione had fallen asleep. Her head was resting on his shoulder her breathing puffing warm air against his neck. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to move her.

Reluctantly he did. And she whimpered in her sleep as she found herself on her own. Sirius groaned wanting nothing more than to crawl into the bed with her. Instead he transfigured her ball gown into a long turquoise satin nightgown and her heels into slippers. He tucked her into her bed and kissed her on her cheek.

"Goodnight, my Princess." He whispered against her cheek and quietly made his way out of her room to his.