.ii.

Hermione tried not to scowl her entire walk down to Hogsmeade. She had forgone the carriage in hopes that it would take up a little bit more of her day. She also liked the fact that her longer trek down meant Sirius was simply standing there looking like an idiot.

But of course, Sirius didn't look like an idiot. He stood leaning against the tall stone kissing gates just outside the Hogwarts boundary line. He had a leather jacket on with his tight jeans and button up silk shirt.

His smirk when he saw her step through the gates was all the warning she got before he was on her. His arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her flush against his chest. Hermione's startled squeak was instantly muffled by Sirius' mouth on hers. Hermione's nails curled into his sides viciously.

He pulled back a fraction and threw Hermione a wink. "Smile, kitten," he whispered, his nose nudged her own. "People are watching."

Hermione forced a false smile to her lips.

"Good girl." His lips brushed hers. He leaned in for another hard kiss that Hermione reluctantly allowed. There was no point in fighting it and really, he was quite good at it. Hermione's eyes fluttered shut as Sirius' tongue tasted her lips. She almost considered returning the favour until Sirius' hand dipped to grab her arse.

Hermione bit his lip. He pulled his head back with a sharp hiss. "Keep your hands to yourself, mutt," she hissed in warning as she smiled tightly, "and keep your tongue in your mouth or I'll bite it off."

Sirius smirked and slowly slid his hand up from her rear to her lower back. "Where did you want to go first?" He ran his hands up and down her back but kept them in respectable places.

Hermione swallowed and tried to keep herself from blushing horribly. She'd never had a boy so much as look twice in her direction - not that she'd ever notice, at least. She certainly hadn't ever had one be so familiar with her. It felt a little overwhelming to have his hands on her, even if she knew it was all fake.

"Bookstore," Hermione responded quickly with a sharp nod.

Sirius grinned. "Why am I not surprised?" He pulled back, only to slip an arm around her waist again. His hand snuck under her open jean jacket and she could feel the heat of his body through the fabric of her sundress. He guided her towards the bookstore as his fingers smoothed down her dress. "I like this." He pulled her close. "Did you wear it for me?"

Hermione sighed and looked heavenward. Sirius laughed at her reaction. She glanced at him sidelong. "Could you please tone it down? You're looking more like a scoundrel than anything."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Leave the romance to me, kitten. Just follow my lead."

"Please, I heard your conversation with James. You've never had a girlfriend before."

"Oh, and you've had a boyfriend?"

They glared at each other briefly before Sirius opened the door to the bookstore. It was empty save the friendly old owner reading a book at the front cash. Hermione gave Mr. Van Thort a smile in greeting before dashing through the shelves, hoping to lose her escort for a brief second.

She turned the corner and nearly shouted when she came face to face with Sirius. She glared at him and turned to the nearest bookshelf, pretending like it was where she was heading in the first place.

"Look, we can't play this totally innocent and you know that. I don't do sweet and innocent and even if we tried it, no one would believe us." Hermione wrinkled her nose as she pulled a book down and opened it up. She knew he was telling the truth, they'd talked about it in Dumbledore's office a week prior when they'd been alone.

"Fine," she snapped. "Are you done torturing me now? Can we please take this seriously?"

"I was just getting payback for your little comments last week."

"Oh, I'm well aware. I'm not an idiot, Sirius - the opposite, actually. So, if you've finished with your schoolboy pettiness, I'd like to try and move forward."

The bell sounded from the front of the shop as more people entered the store. Sirius easily moved around Hermione. He checked over his shoulder in a look of casual disinterest at the new customers while he pressed his front against her back. His left arm slipped around her waist and his wand hand stood available and ready.

Hermione tensed, not because of Sirius' touch but because of the newcomers. It was her first outing to Hogsmeade since the attack in December several months ago and despite her annoyance with Sirius' behaviour, he had successfully distracted her from remembering that fact so far.

Sirius felt Hermione tense in his arms. He turned back to her and ducked his head to whisper in her ear, "You okay?" Hermione swallowed. Her throat suddenly felt tight as she nodded wordlessly. He ran his hand up and down her side in comfort. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her. And despite how much she still disliked him, how horrible she knew he could and definitely would be, Hermione felt relieved.

Hermione eventually managed to gather herself together again. She placed the book back on the shelf and turned to continue browsing. Sirius caught her hand and followed her through the shop, quietly searching the shelves himself. She kept forgetting he was there until he touched her arm, her waist, or her hair. Hermione lost herself in the scent of the books and the feel of the cracked spines against the pads of her fingers.

She found herself sitting on a small stool at the end of one of the rows of shelves with a massive text in her hand. There was an essay written by one of the leading charms specialists and creators in the late 19th Century. He had made a number of crucial advances and within this massive, beautiful text, sat one of his most famous essays.

"Hermione," Sirius interrupted quietly. The curly haired witch startled and looked up at the wizard crouched before her. He raised his eyebrows. "I'm hungry."

Hermione blinked. She'd completely forgotten about lunch - and Sirius. "Oh… we can go to lunch at noon."

"It's well past noon."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly three."

Hermione's eyes widened. She suddenly realized that feeling in her stomach was emptiness. She was hungry too. "But I'm almost done!" she pleaded.

Sirius sighed. "How many more pages?"

She glanced at the book and flipped through. She winced. "A little under 100?"

"Hermione…" She pouted up at him, her brown eyes wider than should be possible. "Just buy the book."

Hermione choked on a laugh. "Buy it? Sirius, this book is brand new. It's an anthology for Merlin's sake. It's not exactly cheap."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll buy it." He took the book from her hands and stood.

"What?" Hermione jumped to her feet. "You can't just buy me a book."

"Of course I can. I'm your boyfriend."

"You're not-" she cut herself off and looked around before stepping closer and whispering "-you're not actually my boyfriend."

Sirius also leaned close and whispered back, "Yes, but no one else needs to know that. Now, I told you I'm bloody well hungry. So, either I buy you this book or I press you up against this bookshelf and get us both banned from ever coming back in here."

Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits. Sirius smiled, taking great pleasure in seeing how similar she looked in her human form as she did in her animagus one when she was angry. She spun around abruptly and stomped towards the cash. Sirius chuckled under his breath as he followed after her.

I forgot to post the second chapter like I usually do for a new story :/ On the bright side, you guys get three chapters today

Enjoy!

xx