Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (challenges & assignments) - Assignment 9
Ghost Hunting with Professor Amber - Task 4: Write about being invited to something
Word Count: 3077
Not Telling Each Other
'Here you go,' Ginny announced, stepping into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
Sirius stood leaning back against the counter by the sink, sipping on his coffee, staring at the envelope that had just been handed to him. He watched as one was placed in front of Hermione, who was sat at the kitchen table, barely awake as she read a book with her own coffee in hand.
'What's this?' Sirius asked, turning the envelope over.
'Your wedding invites,' Ginny said in an obvious tone.
'What? No Owl Post?' he asked, putting his coffee cup down on the counter to open it. 'Or that person the Muggles have…' He started clicking his fingers, the other hand stuck holding onto the invitation with the envelope still attached.
'Postman,' Hermione offered as she sat back with her coffee cradled to her chest with both hands.
'Yes! Thank you,' he said gratefully, pointing at Hermione, then frowned, 'or Postwoman slash person.' He chopped his hand through the air when he said slash.
Ginny raised a fist in salute. 'I live with you both. You are part of the wedding. Be grateful Harry made me give you an actual invite,' she said, leaving the kitchen.
'Have you found someone to take yet?' Hermione asked, putting her cup down to open her invite. She glanced at the parchment with the neat, elegant writing in a teal ink, before tucking it into the book as she closed it.
'No. You?'
Hermione wrinkled her nose, frowning. 'Ron's taking Lavender, Neville's already asked someone else, George is with Angelina now, and Charlie's bringing someone he knows from Romania.' She sighed, standing up with her book and coffee. 'It's not that I mind going without a date, it's the questions from other people I can't bear.'
'Well you know I'll always save you a dance,' Sirius said, raising his cup to her with a smirk.
'Thanks,' she said wryly, starting to leave.
'Can you imagine what life would be like if I wasn't here to liven it up?' he called to her retreating back.
'I can. It'd be so peaceful,' she said over her shoulder.
He laughed at the hint of a smirk she gave him as she disappeared down the hallway. He rested a hand on his chest for a moment. Another opportunity lost at asking her to be his date.
XXXXXX
On the weeks leading up to the wedding, nothing more was said between them about taking dates. In fact, Hermione decided to go alone anyway, deal with the questions if she had to. What would be the point of going with anyone that wasn't Sirius?
Also, she couldn't help but get a little excited at the fact that Sirius didn't seem to be giving any hints of a date on his part either. Which is what Hermione was thinking about as she and Luna stood on a chair each in the library of Grimmauld Place while Mrs Weasley had pins attaching themselves to the hems of their teal dresses.
'Luna, do keep still,' Mrs Weasley begged, holding onto her shoulders to stop her swaying for the third time. 'I've only got this evening to finish these hems.'
'Ah, Molly!' Sirius' voice came from behind Hermione and Luna, causing Hermione's heart rate to speed up a little.
She tried to surreptitiously look at him, but caught Luna staring at her instead. Luna's unpredictable nature for saying whatever popped into her head made Hermione turn sharply back to Mrs Weasley.
'Which bowtie am I wearing?' he asked, finally coming into view so that Hermione could see him properly. He was holding a bowtie in each hand, one black, the other the same colour as their bridesmaid dresses.
Mrs Weasley sighed with irritation. 'Neither, Sirius. You'll wear the cravat. Like the rest of the groomsmen.'
'Really?' Sirius pulled a face. 'Traditional? That's how you want to do this?'
'Talk to Ginny,' Mrs Weasley said, too tired to get into this argument he was trying to stir up.
He grinned at Hermione and Luna. 'Now, look at these two visions! Enough to leave any man breathless! Right, Molly?'
'Oh, I'm sure Rolf will be,' Luna said with a distant smile.
'If you're not here to help me sew these dresses, you can leave now,' Mrs Weasley said with a shove to Sirius. 'And make sure you have a shave between now and the morning!'
When he'd gone Mrs Weasley extracted a reluctant promise out of Hermione to stand over him if she had to, to make sure he shaved. She blushed deeply when Mrs Weasley commented that Sirius only seemed to do as he was told for her.
'You should tell him,' Luna said quietly, staring at Hermione as Mrs Weasley helped Luna out of the dress.
'Tell who what?' Hermione asked, stepping down from the chair.
'Sirius. That you like him.'
'I do not!' Hermione said a little too quickly.
'You do?' Mrs Weasley asked in surprise, pausing her movements of hanging Luna's dress onto a nearby shelf. 'Since when?'
'No, honestly,' Hermione said, feeling her cheeks burn, 'I don't.'
'For a while now,' Luna answered Mrs Weasley question, pulling on the black dress she'd been originally wearing. 'Neither one of them are very good at talking to each other about it though.'
'Sirius likes Hermione?' Mrs Weasley asked Luna, now ignoring Hermione for any information.
Luna nodded, moving to help Hermione out of her dress. She'd given up saying anything at this point, her bright red face doing the talking for her.
'What's stopping you, Hermione?' Mrs Weasley asked, taking the dress off Luna.
'Because Luna's got it wrong. Sirius doesn't like me.' She shoved a leg into her jeans. 'Besides, it's just a silly crush. We're around each other all the time. That's all.' She fell over trying to get her other leg into her jeans.
'I see,' Mrs Weasley said with a small smile as she helped Hermione up.
XXXXXX
The next morning, the day of the wedding, Sirius found Hermione in the living room checking on the bouquets and dresses, her dressing gown loose and revealing the shorts and vest she'd worn for bed, the remnants of her summer tan still giving her skin a healthy glow. He watched for a moment, clenching his hands to his sides, as she placed charms on the flowers to keep them fresh. Even having just woken up she looked divine with her hair up in a loose bun.
'What is it, Sirius?' she asked, finally turning to face him. She looked at him expectantly, tucking her wand into one of the dressing gown pockets. A hint of disappointment went through him that she didn't even react to the fact he was only dressed in black jeans and nothing else. Not even a glance to his tattooed chest.
'Think Molly was serious about me getting a shave?' He rubbed at his cheeks with both hands. 'Or do you think she'll be too busy to notice?'
Hermione gave him a smirk. 'You've come to the wrong person. I promised Mrs Weasley that I would make sure you were cleanshaven.' She came at him with a devious grin that she usually held for payback on a prank he'd pulled. 'Come on, to the bathroom with you.'
Sirius wasn't expecting the force behind her shove, laughing loudly as he just about kept his footing, his bare feet slapping loudly on the floorboards. 'Alright, witch! I'm going.' She kept shoving him down the hallway to the stairs. 'I should've gone to Harry and Ginny. They'd have let me keep my beard.'
'No they wouldn't,' Harry called from his bedroom as Hermione shoved him past it. The door opened and he stuck his head out. 'We're not prepared to deal with Mrs Weasley's anger after everything she's done.' Then he shut the door.
With one final shove, Hermione got him in the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He smirked as she stood in front of the door with her arms folded and a raised eyebrow.
'If you wanted to get me alone, darling, you only had to ask,' he said, sitting down on the edge of the bath.
'Just get it done, Sirius, or I will get Mrs Weasley to deal with you,' she said firmly, pointing to the mirrored cabinet.
Sirius held her stare with a grin, enjoying the fact she was blushing slightly at his comment. He found himself gripping the edge of the bath for a moment, to stop himself from reaching out to her. Finally he gave in and got up with a heavy sigh, pulling out all the items needed from the cabinet.
'It's for one day, then you can go back to being the scruffy rogue we all know,' Hermione said, leaning sideways against the door to watch him.
He glanced at her through the mirror as he put shaving cream on his face. 'What you don't like about me, I hate about myself,' he said with a twisted smile.
She stood up straight, her arms dropping down to her sides as she frowned. It took her a moment before she quietly said, 'I never said I didn't like it.'
'If you say so, kitten,' Sirius said, pulling the razor down his cheek in one fluid movement. He laughed at her scowl, loving the look she gave him when he used that endearment on her.
It took him less than ten minutes to finish shaving, glancing at Hermione every so often when he cleaned the razor for the next stroke. Every time he did, she held his gaze, almost challenging him to rebel against the situation. He wasn't sure he wanted this time to end. Unfortunately he only had so much hair on his face to shave off.
Rubbing his cheeks roughly with a towel, he turned to her, pointing at his face proudly. 'Am I presentable now?'
Hermione took the few steps towards him, putting her fingertips on his chin, tilting his head this way and that. Finally she stepped closer, standing on her toes, he automatically put a hand to her waist, and she gave his cheek the hint of a kiss.
'Barely tolerable,' she whispered in his ear, her smile evident in her voice.
Sirius pinched her waist, causing her to laugh loudly as she stepped away from him, leaving the bathroom before he could do more.
XXXXXX
An hour later and the house was in complete chaos with people in various states of dress, all should've been at the church five minutes ago. Hermione was tearing her room apart for her wand to no avail. Luna definitely had it. Letting out a small growl of frustration, having already tried to reach around to fasten the back of her dress, Hermione shoved her feet into her shoes and went in search of help. Of course it was Sirius she found first, whom she had silently declared to avoid all day after being so forward with him. He stood in his bedroom, door flung open, fiddling with the teal cravat he wasn't tying very well. Ginny had clearly said no to the bowtie. She'd never seen him so well-presented and…tidy. His black suit made him stand taller, prouder.
Pulling her shoulders back, holding the front of her dress close to her body, she strode into his room like she belonged. 'Will you zip me up?' Hermione asked when he caught sight of her in the mirror.
Sirius turned slowly, a smug grin on his face. 'Are you sure that's what you want me to do?'
'Can you just shut up and help?' she muttered, mentally cursing her ability to blush at everything Sirius said. She quickly turned, the dress swinging around her legs as she did.
She bit down on her bottom lip when she felt Sirius' rough fingertips graze her skin as he pulled the material together and zipped it up. When done he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze which sent a thrill through her.
'Return the favour?' he asked, pointing to his loose cravat as she turned to face him.
She made quick work of tying the cravat, taking in small breaths, trying not to lose herself in her favourite aftershave he wore on special occasions. 'There,' she said, tucking it into his waistcoat, 'now you look like a gentleman.'
'I've moved up in your estimations?' he said with a laugh, turning slightly to look in the mirror. 'What would I do without you?'
'You'd probably be dead,' she said with mischief in her eyes.
Sirius half-nodded, a distant memory of her pulling him away from the Veil at the right time. 'Fair point.'
'When you two have finished not telling each other how you feel, can you get to the bloody church!' Ginny said, striding past in her floor-length, white wedding dress. A timeless gown of simple silk with a lace overlay on the bodice. Even with her scowl, she still looked like a radiant bride, her red hair in soft waves down her back.
Hermione stepped back quickly, staring at Sirius with wide eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the compliment she'd just given him and Hermione's discomfort at Ginny's words. He held an arm out, giving her a wink. 'After you.'
'I can still un-invite you both,' Ginny called from down the hallway. 'Move it.'
'She has my full support,' Harry's voice added from somewhere else on the floor.
XXXXXX
Sirius almost went to give Ginny a kiss when he saw where he'd been seated. He shifted slightly so he could look to the little witch who had married his godson and found her watching him from the entrance to the marquee the reception was being held in. She gave him a smirk and a nod before turning to the next guest coming in.
Hermione was already sat at the table, fiddling with the small bouquet of flowers she'd held during the ceremony. She hadn't noticed him arrive, and not for the first time in as many days, he itched to reach out to her. The few seconds he'd had when he fastened her dress seemed to awaken an addict within him today.
'Could this day get any better?' he asked loudly, sitting down next to her before she could fully register him being there.
'So much for us getting dates, eh?' she said with a small laugh.
Sirius nudged her with his elbow. 'Who needs dates when we've got each other, right?' He tugged gently on one of her curls hanging over her shoulder. 'You keep me on the straight and narrow and I draw out your dark side. A perfect balance.'
She opened her mouth, stopped, and closed it. Then opened it once more before closing it again. She never did say what she meant to as the other table occupants started arriving.
Sirius could've murdered Harry for being so traditional with the sit down meal and speeches that went on forever. Especially when he had to give his own, which meant leaving Hermione for more than a minute. He nearly faltered over his words when Dean Thomas had taken his seat to whisper something in her ear. It took all his strength not to stride over and kick him out of the chair when he saw Hermione give him a wide smile. However Dean was long gone before Sirius' speech was over, and he vowed to himself not to enquire about what he wanted. Instead, he would monopolise her time so Dean couldn't get near again.
Finally, finally, the band started playing music. Sirius leant into Hermione, holding his hand in front of her. 'If you can find one barely tolerable, care to dance?'
Laughing, she gave him a body shove to look at him. 'I knew you'd read Pride and Prejudice.'
Sirius gave her a nonchalant shrug as he stood up, still holding his hand to her, which she took with a smile. Leading her onto the dance floor, he twirled her once before pulling her close, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist, the other holding her hand. She looked up at him, watching him, and it made him feel stripped bare.
'Can I ask you something?'
'I'm not great at advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?' he said, turning quickly to avoid a twirling Luna, her partner nowhere in sight.
'Sarcasm? Really?' she asked with an exasperated look.
'It's my speciality,' he said proudly.
The hand she had resting on his bicep squeezed painful. Sirius responded by spinning her away from him, keeping a firm hold on her hand, her dress lightly floating out. She laughed when he spun her back, his arm back around her waist once more, their bodies close together. He ignored the stares they were getting as they moved around the dance floor. Hermione didn't even seem to notice.
Once she got her bearings again, Hermione leant back a little to look up at him. 'Why didn't you bring a date? You're always out with someone at the weekends.'
Sirius leant his head down so his lips were by her ear. 'Why would I bring someone else when the one person I want to be with is already going?'
There. He'd told her. He kept his head where it was, resting his cheek against her's for a moment, not quite ready to see her response.
'Sirius,' she whispered, not fighting his hold, 'I think you know deep down how I feel.'
He nodded, catching Harry's eye for a moment as they turned. He signalled for Sirius to get on with it. 'There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.' Feeling ready to see her eyes, Sirius brought his head up. 'I didn't want to lose that if you didn't feel the same.'
Hermione brought her hand up to his face, her fingertips trailing along his cheekbone down to his neck, sending waves of shivers down his back. 'Just so you know, I prefer you as a scruffy rogue.'
Sirius had barely let her finish the words when he brought his head down quickly, kissing her deeply. There was clapping and cheering close to them, which they both ignored as Sirius wrapped his other arm around her waist, lifting her off her feet.
'Alright you two, this is a family wedding,' Ron said loudly as he waltzed past with Lavender.
November Writing Club
- Character Appreciation - 12. (item) Bowtie
- Record Collection - 13. (word) Breathless
- Romance Awareness - 6. You had an assigned seat next to them at a wedding for a mutual friend
- Time Machine - 3. (quote) 'There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.'
- Book Club - Clarissa Dalloway: (object) Flowers, (setting) a party, (word) timeless, (genre) romance
- Showtime - 5. (event) a wedding
- Amber's Attic - 15. (colour) White
- Elizabeth's Empire - 17. (dialogue) 'Could this day get any better?'
- Bex's Basement - 14. (object) Mirror
- Angel's Archives - 10. (character) Luna Lovegood
- Scamander's Case - 10. (word) Unpredictable
- Film Festival - 18. (word) Invitation
- Marvel Appreciation - X. Write about a first kiss
- Lyric Alley - 3. 'What you don't like about me, I hate about myself.'
- The Forecast Says... 15th Rain: Kissing someone's cheek
- EnTitled - 4. Write about someone being smug or arrogant after a compliment
Founder Says
Rowena Ravenclaw - 4. 'Can you imagine what life would be like if I wasn't here to liven it up?' / 'I can. It'd be so peaceful.'
All Aboard
Yellow Train - 9. 'What would I do without you?' / 'You'd probably be dead.'
Gobstones
Pink Stone - Communication
Accuracy - 15. (dialogue) 'Sarcasm? Really?' / 'It's my speciality.'
Power - 8. (colour) Teal
Technique - 9. (word) tolerable
Honeyduke's Hoarder
Liquorice - 1. 'Can you just shut up and help?'
Fortnightlies
Folding Fun - Fold 2. (colour) Black
Autumn Seasonal Prompts
- Days of the Year & Religious Events - 18th October - No Beard Day - Write about a male character tending to facial hair
- National Pizza Month - 19. Mutual Pining
- Sarcasm Month - 15. 'I'm not great at advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?'
- Organised Week - 8. (word) Neat
- Chemistry Week (traits - 17. Chlorine - Cocky
- United Nations Day - 118. Namibia - (plot point) First Kiss