Sirius nodded buttoning up his shirt following Remus out of his room.
"You should have contacted me the moment you saw him," Marcus spoke with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Yes, Viktor, Please wait here one second while I contact you brother," Hermione replied mockingly looking over the journals at the Elder vampire. Rolling her eyes, she looked back down at the page she was reading.
"Point taken," Marcus replied, his anger seemingly deflated. "What are you reading?"
"Hunter journals apparently," Hermione murmured turning the page. She paused glancing up at him. "Did you know about him watching me as a small child?"
"No, I didn't know about that," Marcus answered shaking his head. "I see your ancestors kept very detailed records on how to kill us," Marcus noted looking down at the page of the meticulous details on the page.
"That they did," Hermione replied frowning slightly. "Is this really how?"
"Yes." Marcus bent down beside her. He saw a flicker of fear pass in her eyes. "Hermione, you have us on your side. We are here to help you. Viktor doesn't know we are here, you have the advantage."
"I know." Hermione closed the journal looking over into Marcus's eyes. "Marcus, Why are you helping me? He is your brother; I am nothing to you."
"True, you are right," Marcus admitted. "Just know I am helping you."
"I trust you, Marcus. Trust, from me, is hard to get." Hermione stood up from the chair placing the journals down on the table beside her. Hermione walked to the windows of the room looking out watching the stars shine brightly in the sky. Feel Marcus right at her side. "Do you have any idea where he could be hiding his army?"
"No," Marcus answered shaking his head.
"So we just sit here and wait until he makes another appearance?" Hermione questioned.
"Unfortunately so," He replied with a frown marring his features.
"That's very disappointing."
"Although I can promise my brothers main fault is impatience," Marcus advises, though with a sadness to his tone. "It will be his demise."
"You care for your brother; even after everything he has done?"
"Just as you care for yours," He replied. "But after you have lived as long as I, You begin to see past those bonds that hold you. You realise when they need to be ended. Unfortunately, for my brother, I have realised that."
The silence filled the room as Marcus grabbed one of the journals and began filling in the pages. He frowned looking at the corner of the pages. "Hermione do you notices these little random notes in the corners?"
Hermione comes to his side looking over his shoulder, looking to the corner of the page.
"BlackBookXLIV"
"What does that mean?" Hermione whispered to herself.
"I guessing it has something to do with a book?" Marcus answered with a chuckle. Hermione glared for a second as her mind kept racing; not sparing a response to the Elders joke.
"I wonder if the Black family-" Hermione frowned at where her thoughts were going. She scoffed at the thought of it.
"You mean the most ancient and noble house of Black?" Marcus asked with a knowing glance over his shoulder. Hermione froze in her tracks looking at him in awe.
"Marcus, what do you know of the house of Black?" Hermione asked.
"Now," Marcus smiled. "You're asking the right questions. Now, I had known of the Malfoy family being Elder hunters. The Blacks were hunters to, although they were hunting down werewolves. They almost killed me, but that's another story."
"So why, is there footnotes to the Black family."
Marcus sighed, "I thought you were smart."
Hermione's eye flashed a pale red.
"With that family hunting the pure wolves, don't you think they would have kept their venom as a prize? Kept some as needed, for money or torture, or even selling it on a black market? So wouldn't it be possible, there might still be some hidden?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "Marcus, what would pure werewolf venom do to you or Viktor?"
Marcus smiled, "For a lesser vampire, one turned by blood, it would be an agonisingly painful death. Now, for an Elder or one turned from the venom, it acts as a paralyzing agent but one would still be fully aware of everything going on to them."
Hermione felt the grin break across her face.
"But you will need that family's journals, records, or whatever they call them to know; If they still have the venom," Marcus spoke quickly.
"Have you known all of this the whole time?"
"Slipped my mind." Marcus shrugged innocently. "I am very old you know."
Hermione frowned at him, not believing his words for a second. "Marcus as wonderful as this has been, I need to leave for the evening."
"I'll be back in two days time," Marcus said giving he a small bow before leaving the Manor.
Hermione turned to the fireplace grabbing some Floo powder, she took a breath to steady herself before tossing it in the fireplace. The bright oranges flames turned green as she spoke the name of the person she needed.
"Sirius Black."
"Sirius Black," Hermione repeated as Sirius's face appeared in the flames.
"Hermione, are you alright?" Sirius asked quickly.
"I am but, Sirius, I need your help," Hermione replied.
"Do you need me to come through?"
"No, but I may need to come there?" Hermione said not like to hear those words. The thought of going to Grimmauld place terrified her. She knew going there would make all the memories come rushing back but if it meant kill Viktor she could handle them.
"Of course," Sirius replied instantly. "Whatever you need. Do you want to come through now?"
"If that's alright with you?" Hermione questioned.
"It's fine with me. You know that" Sirius paused as a look of uncertainty passed across his face. "but so you know, the Weasleys and some order members are here," Sirius informed her.
"I am not worried about it. This is very much, more important."
"Come through," Sirius instructed as his head disappeared from the flames.
Hermione hesitated for a small moment until someone spoke from behind her. "Go."
Hermione looked seeing Draco watching her with a knowing smirk holding out her coat for her. "I'll tell them you went out."
"Thank you, Draco," Hermione whispered as she stepped into the flames "Twelve Grimmauld place." Hermione watched Malfoy manor disappear from her eyes and the living room of Grimmauld place appear. Stepping out of the fireplace Hermione's boot caught a stone sitting high, she tripped falling into Sirius's arms.
"Here I thought Vampires were graceful." Sirius's deep voice vibrated his chest, causing Hermione to look up at his meeting his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, That brick always use to trip me up. I forgot about it." Hermione replied pulling her wand from her sleeve, vanishing the dust from her clothing. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"
"Come with me. I am sure you remember my mother. So we need to be-"
"Silent as the grave." Hermione finished for him with a grimace at the thought of the painted banshee that hung on the wall. Sirius simply nodded leading her up the stairs to his private study. Hermione could clearly hear the laughter traveling up from the kitchen, sneering at the memories trying to come forward, she followed Sirius up the stairs.
Opening the large oak door, Sirius let her in the room closing the door behind them so no one disturbed them.
"What can I do for you, Hermione?" Sirius asked seriously. "For you to be here again. I know its important."
"It is. Do you have access to your family records?" Hermione asked
Sirius's brows furrowed at her request. "Yes, I do. "
"Are they here in the house?" Hermione sighed.
"They are, Hermione, what's this about?" Sirius asked sitting down on the edge of his desk.
"Please don't think I am crazy but you family records may have the information to where pure werewolf venom may be. I need this if I am to end Viktor." Hermione spoke evenly trying not to run over herself as she spoke.
Sirius held up his hand silencing her words, he removed his wand from his sleeve. He walked over to a cabinet taking down the wards from it. Opening the cabinet revealed very large black leather books. Hermione knew where the beginning was, not from the numbers on the sides but the appearances of the books they got more elegant from book to book.
"Take whatever you need." Sirius spoke looking at her. "but you know they are-"
"Bound to the house." Hermione nodded running her fingers over the books.
"Do you know which one of them you will need?" Sirius asked glaring at the books. Hermione could see he still hated his family even how he looked at the books.
"I think so," Hermione whispered looking over the spines of the books shift through them until her eye caught the familiar numerals. Grabbing the book she pulled it from the back of the shelf. "This is it."
"Use the desk," Sirius said.
Uniting the leather binding to the book Hermione opened it flipping through the pages until an another footnote pulled her attention.
"Study fires."
Hermione's confusion grew slightly. "Do you know what that means?"
"No, Every generation is to be taught the books and well I wasn't exactly the favorite child," Sirius said looking down closer to the book. "Or it could mean exactly what it says."
"The study fireplace."
"That was simple," Hermione replied closing the book, looking around the room. Hermione realised she had never been in this room before. "I don't remember this."
"You wouldn't; It wasn't cleaned out until- After everything," He answered censoring his words. "This was my father's study."
"Why didn't you ever clean it out?" Hermione asked slightly confused. "Before, I mean."
"I had no reason too. I need somewhere to go that didn't-" Sirius paused clearing his throat. "Somewhere I couldn't drown myself in memories."
"Why didn't you come after me, Sirius?" Hermione asked before she could stop the words tumbling from her mouth.
"Nothing I could ever say would be enough reason as to why I didn't come after you," Sirius answered.
Hermione looked down at her hands turning the ring resting on her finger around. Hermione felt one lone traitorous tear roll down her cheek. Feeling fingers under her chin, she looked up into Sirius grey eyes staring at her; as if he was staring into her soul.
"Stop," Sirius ordered gently. His eyes roamed over her before he stops again. "You have the looks of the Malfoy family and some of the attitude now, but I still know when you are thinking too much into something."
"You should have come after me," Hermione said bitterly before clenching her jaw to stop herself. "I had believed I was only a game to you; something-."
She felt Sirius's fingers leave her face when she felt silencing wards cover the room. His hands come back to each side of her face as he spoke. "Stop and stop now. Stop trying to hold back what you want to say to me, Hermione. I don't know whether you are trying to spare my feeling and do not deserve it if you are. Say what you want to say to me. If you want to make me see the memories, and live with the consequences of those actions."
Hermione fully had tears flowing down her face by the end of his words. "I can't."
"Why not?" Sirius growled.
"I can't show you everything because Severus took the most painful memories from me," Hermione admitted. "I couldn't handle everything and he took them. He has them."
"But you remember-" Sirius spoke not care Severus had been brought up.
"I remember yes but he removed the worst parts. I began losing my humanity, I didn't care about anything. I still fight against that now."
Sirius didn't say anything as his arms wrapped around her pulling into his chest, holding he tight against him. He had felt her stiffen slightly before relaxing against him. "But you fight it you don't let it rule over you, Hermione."
"I need to go to the library," Hermione whispered pulling back from Sirius.
"I'll walk you back down there." Sirius offered. Hermione nodded turning from him to walk out of the room when Sirius gently grabbed her arm. "You never were a game, Hermione. I just want you to know that."
"Thank you," Hermione replied. Sirius cleared his throat letting her go. walking down stairs, they could still hear the party going on downstairs. Hermione had truly believed at one time that she would miss being in there with everyone but now it all meant nothing to her. Turning into the library Hermione walked directly over to the fireplace trying to fight the memories that poured out of this room. They were mainly of Sirius and her. Finding the button on the inside of the fireplace covered in soot.
"It seems you need a better cleaner," Hermione noted the spot now on her finger.
"Kreacher died last year," Sirius informed her. "Molly Weasley was a horrible replacement."
Hermione bit the inside of her mouth to stop the smirk creeping across her face. Pressing the button the bookcase beside the fireplace moved revealing a passageway. "More bloody passageways." Hermione mutter walking over to the opening lighting the way in with her wand. She found stairs going up to a loft above.
Climbing the stairs Hermione was met with almost the same scene as Malfoy Manor. Looking around She found a large cabinet filled with vials, the labels read venom.
"I think this is it," Hermione spoke uncorking the vial.
"Be careful," Sirius spoke nervously watching her holding the vial.
"I'm not going to drink it, Sirius. I am not that miserable." Hermione replied cocking a brow. Looking down at the liquid she could see the yellowish liquid and smell the vile smell coming from it. "This is definitely it.
"What are you planning?" Sirius asked as she closed the vial.
"Hopefully, find a way to poison Viktor with this and watch him die a painful death. I want to be the one to give it to him." Hermione replied grabbing two more vials from the cabinet.
They walked back down closing the bookshelf back. "Thank you, Sirius. I need to go home, though."
"You don't have too," Sirius replied moving closer until he was right in front of her. Hermione said nothing just watched him leaning kissing her on the lips before she placed a hand on his chest. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have." She desperately tried to ignore the feelings rising up in her.
"No, you shouldn't have," Hermione replied, frowning. "It takes more than a few months."
"I know. I am sorry." Sirius sighed holding his head down. "I just-
His words were cut off as the door slid open. "Sirius are you hiding again. I-" Remus asked popping his head in the door. "Hermione? What are you doing here?"
"Information," Hermione replied smoothly, moving away from Sirius.
"Oh well."Remus paused not sure really what to say. "It's good to see you again Hermione."
"You as well, Remus." Hermione smiled.
"something you needed, Remus?" Sirius asked.
"I just noticed you had left. I got worried about you." Remus replied. Nothing more was said a loud crash sounded in the staircase setting of Sirius mother.
"Fuck," Sirius growled walking out of the room. Hermione and Remus grimaced they both knew the true hatred Sirius held for his mother. They both quickly followed after him. Even from the landing below, they could hear her screaming.
"Stains of dishonor, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth!"
Coming up on the landing, Hermione could see Sirius fighting with the curtains trying to get them to shut back. His mother still looked as wild as ever, until Walburga Black's eyes locked on Hermione's form.
"What is a Malfoy doing in here?" Walburga asked loudly.
Sirius stilled turning, looking back to Hermione. Hermione simply crossed her arms raising a brow at the portrait.