Hey, Diary!

Chapter 15

"Sirius?" Hermione called out into the room of the Shrieking Shack. It looked less…broken up than it had in her third and she supposed that that had something to do with Sirius, who had just transformed.

"Hermione, thanks for coming." He sounded so clinical and uncaring, nothing like the teenager she had just left up at Hogwarts. It didn't feel right for Sirius to be like this, and Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty for this change.

Sirius stepped out of the shadows, looking straight into Hermione's eyes, and said, "He shouldn't be here."

"Why not? It was meant to be, therefore it happened, Sirius. You know how it works, surely," Hermione told him, meeting his gaze, trying to look as calm as Sirius appeared. Her hand running through her hair gave her away, though.

"Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean that everything you do is the right thing. People make mistakes, destiny makes mistakes."

"You cannot be saying that bringing you here, now, was wrong." Hermione paused, searching Sirius' face for any sign that she was right. Finding none, her eyes dropped to the floor. "You are, aren't you?"

Sirius moved forward in one swift movement and lifted her chin with a finger. "You're not going to like the outcome Hermione, I promise you."

"Why on Earth not? I've accepted that you've got to go back to when you should be now so what is there not to like?" She pulled her face away from Sirius' hand. "Unless…"

"Unless what? I make this too difficult for you, you start crying and nothing useful happens except for the slight point that I go back to be set up for murder and betrayal? Because, you know what? That is EXACTLY what happens." Sirius' voice trembled with emotion, his eyes avoiding Hermione's at all cost. He started to walk out, but while passing Hermione she grabbed his arm, halting him.

"Do you…?"

"Do I what, Hermione?" Sirius asked his voice no more than a whisper.

"Do you… do you love me?"

Sirius' breath hitched. His eyes traced the outline of the young face looking up hopefully at him, wishing that his answer was positive. Unable to say a word, Sirius nodded slightly, pulled his arm from Hermione's grasp and disapparated.

"'Mione, where have you been? Have you been crying?" Sirius jumped up when Hermione entered Gryffindor common room.

"I'm fine, Si', really I am. I just went for a walk."

Unconvinced, Sirius pulled her down onto the sofa with him. "Tell me about it. Was it Malfoy?"

Hermione had to smile at this and relaxed slightly. "No, not Malfoy. I just had a rather emotional conversation with someone and I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Emotional?" Sirius asked, sceptically.

"Yes, emotional."

"Who was he? Was he better than me?"

"You and I'm unable to answer that question without getting a severe headache," Hermione answered, smiling at Sirius' obvious relief. "Were you jealous, Si'?"

"No, of course not, just… protective."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to bed. I love you."

"I love you too." After leaning in for a kiss, Hermione left the room and went to bed, but sleep did not come easily that night. She kept tossing and turning, the image of Sirius nodding replaying over and over again.

A/N I'M SOOOOOOO SORRY! Ok, so every time I leave this more than a month, am I going to apologise in block capitals? It's going to get annoying sometime soon. Oh well excuses:

I had astronomy and IT coursework that had to be done and …

After having typed up the beginning of this chapter, I waited a couple of days before finishing and by then, my computer had deleted EVERYTHING. I don't like typing up something and not having a record of it on a computer so I can edit it at a later date if necessary and so now was the only time I could get to a computer when it wasn't homework related.

By the way, I do love reviews and do want to make it to three hundred soon! Also I may not update again soon because I am busy ALL next weekend. Oh well lul, J xXx