Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I just like to play with them
Innocent
As usual his first guess was best and Sirius found Hermione quietly reading in the library. She heard the door open and looked up, breathing a small sigh of relief. She had been worried he might avoid her completely, she desperately wanted to talk to him.
"Hello Hermione, Remus said you wanted a word with me." Sirius chose a seat opposite hers and gave her his full attention.
"I, um, I just, well….I thought we should talk before….well, you know when." Hermione stuttered through her words, she wasn't at all sure how to begin this conversation. She took a deep clearing breath, "Thank you for this. If it weren't for you I'd be facing some really awful options."
Sirius nodded, he felt he knew what was on her mind and didn't know any better than she how to broach the topic. They were in unfamiliar territory with each other, territory neither had ever envisioned themselves to ever be in. "I'm happy to help Hermione. I wish you weren't put in this situation. By the way, Dumbledore thinks the licenses will be ready shortly after the first. When they're ready I'll come and take you out of school."
"Sirius," Hermione stopped to collect her thoughts. "I want you to know I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm still weighing my options. If we go through with this…" she started off strong but her voice began to falter as she came closer to her target. "Well, I have some questions about…."
Sirius ran a hand through his hair, "About what?"
Hermione faltered, she was red faced and uneasy, her voice was quiet and unsure. "Mum says you'll be feeling guilty about all this. Do you feel guilty?" Now that she was looking at him she decided Ginny was right, Sirius wasn't bad to look at.
Sirius ran through the myriad of emotions he'd been experiencing lately, he supposed guilt was on the list. "I guess so. I'm more nervous than anything."
"Nervous? I thought you had done…that."
Sirius ran a nervous had across his jaw, this innocent creature wasn't even comfortable naming it. What right did he have to touch her in such an intimate way?
"Sirius, you have done that, right? Mrs. Weasley said…"
Sirius interrupted not caring to hear what Molly had said about him. "Yes, I have. Look, sex changes the nature of relationships. We're going to see each other in a whole new way and I'm not terribly comfortable with that."
Hermione's brow furrowed slightly, her mother had not mentioned that part although the thought had already occurred to her. She blushed when someone mentioned Viktor Krum, this was on another level altogether. "Neither am I." Hermione took a deep breath and ploughed on, "So after the ceremony…"
"Hermione, do you really want a ceremony? I mean if you want the whole day I'm happy to oblige but do you even want that?"
"There doesn't have to be one? We could do this sans ceremony?"
Sirius gave a bark of mirthless laughter, "You don't even have to be there in person to get the license, only the pureblood or his agent does."
"You mean I could be married to someone without my consent?" Hermione's voice had fallen to a whisper, the blood had drained from her face, she was trembling all over.
Sirius moved to sit beside her, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Not exactly, you still have to sign the license and put on the ring. Please don't worry. Dumbledore himself will be there the morning of the first. No one but me is going to marry you, ok?"
"So, you get the license and the rings, then what?"
"Well, my family has a cottage in the Austrian alps. Its very pretty. Would you like that?"
"I've never been to Austria." Hermione hadn't even thought about location, it was thoughtful of him to take her away some place private. "I sort of thought we'd stay here. Your way is much better."
Sirius laughed a little, "Stay here? This is awkward enough without running into Order members every other step."
Hermione thought about that and giggled, she laughed at herself for thinking he would bring her back here. Of course they needed to go someplace else. "I'm fairly anxious about this, it helps me to talk about it."
"I know," he said. "So you've not made up your mind yet?."
Hermione shook her head in negation, "I've had the talk with my mum. I know how the bits are supposed to fit together. I gathered from her that there's more to it than that. Ginny said her mum sounded like she enjoyed it but the way its been described, it sounds rather uncomfortable, physically I mean."
Sirius fought the mental image of Molly Weasley in the throes of passion. "I suppose it will be at first," he began reasonably. "But as you said, there is more to it than just the bits fitting together."
"That's the part she had trouble talking with me about," Hermione searched his face for understanding. "If it were a marriage in name only, that one little clause…." Hermione sounded lost and forlorn, she felt so unprepared for all of this.
"Still thinking of making a run for it?"
"My mum has an aunt in the United States and a sister in Australia, I could go to either one of them."
"Both good options."
"What if it takes years to repeal, Sirius? I hate the thought of giving up my home and friends. I don't like handing over my dignity much, either though."
"I'm here to support you no matter what your choice is, you know that Hermione."
"My mum wants me to stay in England if I can. She said to ask you to get it over with quickly." Hermione had to laugh at the expression he was pulling.
Sirius was struggling with himself, he could just imagine how the meeting with her parents was going to go. "Surely those weren't her words."
Hermione giggled and nodded, "I mean is that a choice?"
Sirius had to laugh, "Are you asking me for options?"
"I really don't want to give up my home."
"You know what? We both need to lighten up, its just sex, Hermione."
"Well that is easy for you to say, you've done it before."
Sirius shook his head, "First time is the worst, I won't lie to you. After that, well, it gets a whole lot better."
"I thought you said sex changes the nature of relationships, Sirius."
"I did, its something we'll just have to accept. Look, if you leave England you don't know when you can come back and you don't know what sort of life you'll have in America or Australia. Could be wonderful and radiant but it also could not. At least here you know you have friends who will help you through."
Hermione sighed, "I guess there never really was a choice. I am glad we talked though, I'm not quite as anxious."
"Me too, the air needed a bit of clearing."
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Hermione woke the next morning and began preparing to leave for King's Cross. It seemed to her that everything was sped up, that she was rushing headlong for a destination she would like to avoid. Before she knew it she was on the train and headed back to Hogwarts. As usual Draco Malfoy popped his head into their carriage only this time his words were for Hermione alone.
"So, Granger, you up for a little trip to Azkaban? No pureblood worth his pedigree would touch a mudblood like yourself."
There was no warning as the Jelly Legs Jinx flew from Ron's wand, he slammed the door on Draco's fingers before pushing the older boy out of the carriage. "Prat had that coming." Ron sat back down, still sullen and continued to stare out the window.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look, Ron was taking the upcoming marriages very hard. The rest of the trip went by uneventfully, before she knew it she was back in the castle. She wondered if everything would speed by until the day itself only to have it all slow painfully down?
She was gratified to know she wasn't the only muggleborn girl worried about the new law. She was shocked to learn that some of her friends were facing a year in Azkaban. It wasn't as if all muggleborns were equipped with a pureblood willing to step up, in fact it seemed just the opposite were true. Hermione began feeling a little less sorry for herself and a whole lot more grateful to Sirius.
Hermione looked up from her thoughts, she was surprised to note the sorting was over and everyone had started to eat. Things were going by much, much too fast.
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Sirius relayed his conversation with Hermione to Remus who seemed rather amused by the tale.
"You actually said 'its just sex?' You've been whining about this for days, Sirius."
"Do you know what her mother told her to tell me?"
"No but I bet you're about to tell me."
"She said to tell me to get it over with quickly."
Remus tried so hard not to laugh, his face was red and there were tears at the corners of his eyes.
"Oh, stuff it Mooney."
Remus roared in laughter, pointing at Sirius. He was laughing so hard he couldn't breath.
"It's really not that funny," said a petulant looking Sirius.
Remus finally caught his breath, "Well, at least you know she's going into it with her eyes open."
"She is just trying to make the best of a bad situation," said Sirius.
"So her mum had the talk with her?"
"Apparently," said Sirius. "I'm not sure how much good it did."
"When are the licenses supposed to be ready?" asked Remus.
"By Friday," replied Sirius.
"So, you'll have the weekend to sort things out." Remus flicked his wand, two glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey appeared. He poured a glass for himself and a glass for Sirius.
"It'll be fine, it really is just sex." Sirius downed his firewhiskey and poured another.
Remus sipped his whiskey slowly, regarding his friend thoughtfully. "So, you're taking her to Salzburg?"
"I thought, yeah. Its pretty and out of the way. I haven't been there in years. I'm going there tomorrow to get it ready. You want to come with?" Sirius was now on his third whiskey and was finally beginning to feel the desired effect.
"Sure, why not."
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A/N: Thank you for the reviews! You are so lovely to me! Please review, it makes the writing so much easier!