A/N: So I know I didn't have an author's note in the last chapter. Things have been super crazy, so much so, I don't want to bore you with all the details. I finally got past my writers block and have actually been writing. Hopefully I will be back to updating like normal. Thank you all so much for the reviews!
Sirius still knew he would never fully understand what she had gone through, but he knew now that If and when she was every ready for anything with him. She would have to make that choice of coming to him. He wouldn't push her or try to win her back. Sirius decided to go to Diagon Ally to get something to eat wanting to avoid the Weasley family that was probably visiting in Grimmauld place. Sirius set down in the leaky cauldron waiting for his food when a hooded figure sat down in his booth.
"Dangerous choice," Sirius warned, his fingers wrapped around his wand.
"Take your hand off you wand boy."
The hood dropped revealing Abraxas Malfoy sitting in front of him. The word baffled didn't cover what Sirius was feeling as seeing Hermione's father sitting in front of him.
"Mr. Malfoy, What do I owe the pleasure?" Sirius questioned, honestly shocked to see the patriarch outside of the manor.
"No pleasure in seeing you Black," Abraxas replied gruffly his eye carefully looked to the door. "You're being followed. You were too busy wallowing in self-pity to notice it."
"Who?" Sirius said not letting his hand move from his wand.
"Me of course."
Sirius glanced to his left seeing a man staring at him.
"How rude of me. The name is Viktor; I'm sure it should ring a bell in a minute for you." Viktor said with a smirk as Sirius fought to control the rage burning inside of him.
"Oh, I see recognition in your face."
"We should kill you," Abraxas spoke glaring at the vampire.
"See now that's not a very smart idea," Viktor replied waving a finger. "See if you kill me; your precious Hermione dies with me. I made her she is in my blood line, meaning if I die, she dies."
Sirius felt his world shatter around him.
"Oh, I see she left that little detail out. Now if she will just let everything go and come to me willingly there will be no problems."
"Like hell," Abraxas yelled as flames poured from his wand setting the Vampire ablaze. Viktor screamed in pain shifting and forming into the true form of the elder vampire. His skin turned dark gray as wings come from his back and his hands elongated into claws. A roar filled the tavern scaring away all patrons. He swiped his claws across Abraxas's chest, causing him to fall back into the chairs. Sirius jumped in front of the Malfoy patriarch protecting him from the creature. Sirius sent a spell hitting the Elder vampire in the chest knocking him back, followed quickly by flames again. Viktor hit a chair slinging it across the tavern; slamming it into Sirius's chest. Sirius formed a barrier around the two of them protecting them from the Elder vampires wrath.
"I'll kill you all," Viktor yelled as Sirius grabbed Abraxas apparating away.
Landing in the entry hall of Malfoy Manor. Sirius saw the blood oozing through Abraxas' clothes.
"Malfoy!" Sirius yelled pressing his hand down on the wounds stopping as much blood as he could as Lucius come in the room.
"What the hell happened, Black," Lucius demanded coming in the room to his father's side. "What did you do?"
"I did not do this. This was Viktor." Sirius replied. "He needs to go to St. Mungos"
"Tippy, Healer now," Lucius spoke out. Lucius waved his wand over his father as Hermione come into the room with Severus.
"Father!'' Hermione exclaimed running over to the man but Severus grabbed her stopping her in her tracks. "Severus!"
"The blood." Severus replied.
"I'm fine." Hermione growled. "That's my father."
"Hermione, don't. We're moving him upstairs." Lucius commanded just as the fireplace flare to life and two healers step in seeing everything. The instantly to the man upstairs Lucius following up behind them.
"Severus." Hermione looked at him in worry. He said nothing letting her go he went to see what was happening to her father.
Hermione turned her attention to Sirius; who was on his knees on the floor covered in blood, a mixture of Abraxas' and his own. Hermione stopped breathing going over to check on him. Well she knew she was okay she didn't want to take the risk.
"Sirius, you're hurt," Hermione said bending down in front of him looking over his shoulder.
Sirius glanced over at his should noticing the pieces of splintered wood sticking out of his shoulder.
"I didn't even notice," Sirius replied.
Hermione helped him to his feet taking him to her room since her father was in the medical room of the manor. "Tipsy, please bring me the large healer kit."
"Of course mistress."
"Sit down." Hermione commanded placing a sheet over the table.
"Hermione, I can wait. Check on your father." Sirius told her wincing as he set down jarring his shoulder. His adrenaline was leaving his body as he started feeling the pain.
"I will but he has too much blood pour from him. Even after I have fed." Hermione frowned as the elf reappeared sitting both kits down on the table. "Take off your shirt," Hermione commanded opening the kids removing what she needed.
"Um, Hermione," Sirius spoke causing her to glance at him. "I can't move this arm to do that."
Hermione reached forward unbuttoning his shirt, she tried ignoring the heat rolling off of his body. She caught his eyes undoing the finale button he leaned forward letting the easy side slide off his arm. She gently removed the other side around his wound.
"Sirius, what the hell happened tonight?" Hermione said grabbing her wand waving it numbing the area of his shoulder.
"I was at the leaky cauldron when your father set down in my booth telling me I had been being followed. I didn't even notice." Sirius sighed as Hermione began pulling the pieces of wood from his shoulder. "Viktor had been following me. He taunted us. You father lit him up in flames, but Viktor turned into the elder that was shown at the first meeting we had and clawed him across the chest. I protected him the best I could before I got us out. I'm sorry I didn't notice or react faster."
"You protected my father." Hermione met his eyes. "I- Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Sirius replied watching her work on his shoulder. She removed the last piece of wood from his shoulder; lightly pressing her fingers over the wound make sure all of the wood was gone. "How are you doing this?"
The corner of her mouth pulled up slightly. "I have already fed but not breathing helps. Move your shoulder a little and see if there any more wood I might have missed." Hermione said waving her wand.
Sirius slightly moved his shoulder around feeling nothing there he shook his head. "I think you got it all."
"Good." Hermione removed the essence of dittany from the box dropping it over the open wound watching his skin close up. Unfortunately leaving a scar on his shoulder. "You have a scar here now."
"It's not the first, probably won't be the last," Sirius replied standing off the table. Hermione nodded handing him a pain potion. Hermione banished the sheet from the room magically removing the blood from the room before packing the kits back up. The elf came back removing the kit.
Hermione grabbed a large black shirt from her closet bring it to Sirius for him to put on. He turned his back to her as Hermione noticed a different tattoo on his shoulder blade, a black rose with petals falling away from it.
"Nice tattoo," Hermione noted handing him the shirt.
"For the good things you have, you let it fall apart. It's why I got it." Sirius said pulling the shirt on. Sirius looked at her choosing his next words he spoke. "Why didn't you tell me that you would die? When Viktor falls I mean."
Hermione looked down at the ground not saying anything.
"You should have told me." Sirius whispered.
"I- didn't know how to say that."
"I don't have much time left with you because you won't stop till he is dead." Sirius replied.
"I won't stop." Hermione nodded.
Sirius walked over to her placing his hand on the side of her face. "Then I'll have to enjoy the time I have with you, because this small time will never be enough."
"Giving me up so easily, Mr. Black?" Hermione whispered.
"Never again," Sirius replied just looking in her eyes. "I won't stop looking for a way to save you."
"Nothing can change that now." Hermione smiled sadly. "I have plans laid in place; hopefully they work as they should."
"Always a step ahead." Sirius chuckled.
"I try." Hermione smiled.
A knock sounded on the door of her room door before it opened as Narcissa stuck her head in the door.
"Hermione, your father would like to see you," Narcissa informed her.
"Is he alright?" Hermione asked sliding away from Sirius.
"Yes. The healers have him stable." Narcissa smiled "He will be recovering for a while but he is alright."
"I'm coming," Hermione replied quickly.
"I'll go. You'll want to be with your father." Sirius spoke.
"Actually he wants to see you as well, Sirius," Narcissa informed in, she turned leaving the pair.
Sirius and Hermione walked quickly down the hallway, coming to the room Abraxas was now resting in. Hermione went straight to her father's side sitting gently down on the bed. She took his hand in hers rubbing her fingers across the top of his.
"My precious girl," Abraxas whispered, giving his daughter a very rare smile.
Hermione chuckled returning his smile, "You know how to scare us."
"Runs in the family." Abraxas mocked her before his eyes turned searching for someone, as his eyes landed on the form of Sirius standing by the door. "You. Come closer."
Abraxas cleared his throat staring the wizard down as he moved to the other side of the bed. "You're a fool-"
"Father!" Hermione scolded. Abraxas held up a hand silencing Hermione.
Sirius gave no reaction to his words. How could this man say that after he saved his life? He remained silent waiting to see if the man said anything more. He did but shocked the room as well as he held his hand to the Black Heir before him.
"And I owe you my life," Abraxas said.
"You owe me nothing," Sirius replied grasping the man's hand shaking it firmly.
Abraxas' face darkened tightening his grip around Sirius' hand, "I still don't like you, though."
Sirius smirked slightly, "Wouldn't have any other way."
Hermione watched the two speak with one another. Hermione honestly thought Sirius would lose his temper when her father called him a fool but he surprised her by not reacting to the words. She had no idea what had caused the change in the man before her but she felt her heart thaw to him a little bit more.
The family stayed with Abraxas until the man feel asleep and everyone retired from the night. Hermione walked Sirius to the fireplace so he could floo straight home.
"I'll come back soon." Sirius stated; not asking if he could return. Hermione would make it clear if she didn't want him here. "Thank you for taking care of me tonight."
"You protected my father." Hermione said gratefully. "I love that man very much."
"I can tell." Sirius said yawning, running his hands over his face. "I'm going to head Home Hermione. I can barely keep my eyes open."
"You wouldn't want Harry worry about you." Hermione chuckled.
Sirius' chuckled, "Yes wouldn't want to keep him waiting. Goodnight, Hermione." Sirius said leaning forward placing a kiss on her fore head he turned for the fireplace.
Sirius passed through the fireplace leaving her standing in the entry hall of Malfoy Manor. Hermione shifted back and forth on her feet. She sighed grabbing the floo powder throwing it into the fire place.
"Grimmuald place." Hermione said as the green flames engulfed her. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness of the house she carefully stepped over the raised brick of the fireplace. She quietly as possible made her way up the stairs. The heel of her boots clicked softly on the hardwood floors. Hermione stopped off a moment before she raised her hand softly knocking on the door.
The door opened and the light filled the hallway from the fire in Sirius' room. "Hermione, what are doing here?" Sirius asked the confusion was clear on his face.
Hermione said nothing stepping forward sealing her lips with his.
"Hermione?" Sirius whispered pulling back ever so slightly.
"I didn't want you to go." Hermione replied.
Sirius slid his arm around her back pulling her against him; letting his other hand close his bedroom door.