Sleep is Overrated

By Ange de Socrates

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., et al own Harry Potter. My deluded imagination and babbling are my own. I get no money for writing this, obviously.

WARNING: Rated M for a reason!

Chapter Two – Getting to Know You

It seemed like no one was in the mood to study after last night's massive blowout. Ginny was far too embarrassed about the incident earlier in the morning to want to go shopping, instead making an excuse about forgetting it was laundry day and then rushing off red-faced to collect all the clothes she could find that looked even marginally dirty.

Harry and Ron were feeling a bit of cabin fever on such a lovely mid-spring day, and they had only studied for seventeen minutes before they ditched the schoolwork to Apparate to Kent to play a pick-up game of Quidditch with some old schoolmates. Hermione was left alone to pick through her endless piles of essays and books.

After two hours of productivity, Hermione sighed. Unlike Harry and Ron, she was quite nearly prepared to take the NEWTs in a month, and felt only a tiny bit of remorse at taking a break from her studies. She stood from her chair in the library, stretched, and decided a trip to Diagon Alley would be much deserved.

Hermione left her work on the library table and wandered upstairs to her room to find her purse and a light sweater. Ginny was in the room folding her unnecessarily laundered clothes.

"Hey Hermione," she said, the tips of her ears going slightly pink as she paired her socks.

"Hi," Hermione said, pulling her purse out of the top drawer of her dresser. "Ginny, can I ask you a favor?"

"I promise I won't let Harry in here anymore," Ginny said quickly. "I only let him last night because he was just too pissed to make it to his room…"

"It's not that," Hermione interrupted with a giggle. "That's fine, I don't care if he's in here. Just… just warn me." She thought for a moment, pondering whether to confide in the redhead, and decided she could be trusted.

"I slept with Sirius," she said, turning red.

Ginny let out the highest-pitched squeal Hermione had ever heard. "You didn't!"

"Please don't tell Harry!" Hermione pleaded. "He was drunk, and I just needed to get my mind off school…"

"No worries," Ginny said with a lecherous grin. "Was he good?"

Hermione bit her lip, her heart fluttering. "Amazing."

Another squeal. "Lucky you!" Ginny paused. "So what's this favor? Is it to do with him?"

"A bit." Hermione was overjoyed to have another girl to confide in. "He told me not to make plans for tonight, and I thought maybe it would be nice to have something to wear that he hasn't seen before. And perhaps something for underneath if he's been good," she added with a smirk.

Ginny laughed. "So shall we go shopping after all?"

"If you're done with laundry."

The younger witch smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, done with that business." She stood and found her purse as well. "Marks and Spencer perhaps? I don't think Diagon Alley is going to have what you need."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "See, that's the thing. I don't know what I should wear. I mean, he didn't exactly tell me what he had planned for tonight."

Ginny shrugged. "You can't go wrong with a cute skirt and a killer pair of heels. Come on," she took Hermione's hand, "let's get you something he can't resist."

Hermione was growing rather tired of the misconception everyone seemed to have about her. After recounting in much steamier detail the events of the previous night and this morning, Ginny had confessed that she had no idea Hermione wasn't a virgin. Everybody tended to think she hadn't had the same hormonal development, the same urges as any other growing witch and wizard simply because she liked school.

Sex, just like everything else, was a skill that needed to be honed, a knowledge that required investigation. It held high potential for both success and for failure, and so Hermione had endeavored to learn everything she could about it from the moment she was legally entitled to.

Books could only go so far in this field. Knowledge had to be gained firsthand, much like brewing a complicated potion or transfiguring a doorknob into a raccoon. Hermione had experimented with her sexuality with old friends she hadn't seen since her pre-Hogwarts schooling and then bade them goodbye, careful to defend herself from unwanted consequences of said experimentation using both Muggle and wizarding protection. Until she met someone with whom it really meant something, sex remained just an investigatory experiment.

And Sirius just might be one of those someones.

Trying to mask her irritation as she examined a lacy red bra, Hermione sighed. "I've slept with a couple guys. Just to find out what it was all about, you see."

Ginny shrugged. "All right then." She pulled Hermione deeper into the lingerie. "Let's find something for the sex goddess you are!"

Hermione vetoed the first couple of garter sets Ginny held up, finding them far too promiscuous for, she realized with an ironic snort, a first date. If one could call it that.

The redhead shuffled through the racks, pulling out a black- and red-striped teddy. "More like this?"

Hermione regarded it thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's a bit more like what I was thinking. Something softer."

A glint of white lace caught her eye, and Hermione moved toward it. Pushing aside a violently pink bit of cloth, she found a white lace bustier and matching hip-riding panties.

Ginny appeared at her side and nodded approvingly. "Sexy yet soft. Perfect!"

Hermione regarded the underwear set with a practical eye. The part of the bustier that would be covering her breasts looked supportive enough to keep her back from aching, while the material that would be covering from rib to belly button was light and sheer.

"It's so odd, buying underwear with a particular person in mind." Hermione giggled. "I don't think I've ever done anything so… so…"

"Girly?" Ginny supplied. "You'll get used to it. Even enjoy it, I expect." She guided Hermione away from the lingerie section, the older witch still eyeing the lacy undergarments she held in her hands. "Off to the ladies' clothes!"

By the time they had finished at the store, Ginny had picked out a red pencil skirt that hit mid-thigh and a white satin short-sleeved blouse with a few ruffles down the front. Hermione happily surveyed her purchases once they had returned to Grimmauld Place and spread the purchases across her bed linens.

"Ginny, these look amazing," Hermione breathed, running a hand over the soft, smooth blouse. "You have quite an eye for fashion."

Ginny shrugged, looking pleased with herself. "I'm actually considering going into fashion once I'm done at Hogwarts," she admitted, smoothing out the skirt. "I mean, wizarding robes aren't terribly fashionable; I'm sure a few witches would appreciate a change of style."

Hermione groaned suddenly. "Shoes!" she exclaimed. "We forgot shoes!"

"No worries," Ginny said, remaining calm. "I brought about a hundred pairs of shoes here, just pick a pair and we can make them a bit smaller to fit you."

Ginny wasn't exaggerating. As Hermione surveyed the endless rows of shoes in her friend's closet, a strappy pair of four-inch red heels caught her eye. She plucked them out of the lineup and placed them on the bed next to her outfit.

"Do you think these will work?" she asked nervously. "And more importantly, do you think I'll be able to walk in these without breaking my neck?"

"Yes on both counts," Ginny said confidently, pulling out her wand to shrink the shoes to fit Hermione's slightly smaller feet. "It's really not as difficult as people like to think. It just takes a minute of walking in them to get your balance."

Indeed, after a couple minutes of staggering around the room in the adjusted heels, Hermione was nearly an expert at it.

"Thanks so much for everything," Hermione said affectionately, embracing the younger witch. "There's no way I could have done this on my own."

Ginny grinned. "It's all right. I owed you for the whole Harry fiasco." She giggled. "Do you need any help with makeup or hair?"

Hermione winced. "Gods yes. I completely forgot about the untamable mess on my head."

"Five o'clock?" Ginny suggested.

"Perfect."

Hermione bade her friend goodbye and went back down to the library to resume her schoolwork. She had just settled into her chair and stretched out her writing hand when a voice behind her scared her half-witless.

"Afternoon, Hermione."

The witch squeaked and turned around to see Remus stretched out on the sofa with a book.

"Oh, hello Remus," she said, putting a hand to her heart. "I'm sorry, I didn't even see you there."

Remus grinned and lay his book down on his chest. "Well, I do usually blend in, aside from the occasional fur-sprouting incidents." He eyed Hermione thoughtfully. "Still hard at work?"

Hermione nodded, gesturing toward the mounds of books and parchment that were spread before her. "Seems like seventh year was the worst one to have skipped."

The werewolf chuckled. "I'm sure you'll get through it. You always manage, you're absolutely brilliant."

Hermione blushed, trying to stay modest. "I do what I can."

Remus nodded, and something in the way he was watching her made her nervous. She gave him a friendly smile before turning to her work, and the crinkle of aged paper informed her that Remus had returned to his reading.

"Sirius seems to have taken a shine to you," Remus said suddenly after several minutes of silence.

Hermione froze, uncertain of what to say. "What kind of shine?" she finally managed to say, attempting to slow her heart rate.

"You don't have to hide it Hermione," Remus continued, still scanning his novel. "You're both adults."

The witch wasn't sure what to make of his implied acceptance. Ginny's unquestioning faith in the affair had been strange enough, and now Sirius' best friend was essentially giving her the green light.

"But Harry…"

"Has dealt with situations much direr that his godfather's social agenda," Remus finished, reminding Hermione of how Sirius had responded. "It's your life, so live and let live, I say."

Hermione frowned. "It's all just going so fast. I mean, two people have now given their blessing to a relationship that doesn't really exist yet. We haven't even had a date!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

Remus pursed his lips, seemingly amused. "If the whole Voldemort debacle taught me anything, Hermione, it's that you should enjoy what you have while you have it. So," he added, "enjoy it."

She considered his sage words. "It does make sense, I suppose. But it's not really a big deal yet…"

"Yet," Remus repeated. "But with Sirius, things get intense rather quickly. He's a passionate man, but I believe you're equally passionate, am I wrong?"

Hermione nodded, smiling. "So I've been told." She chuckled. "The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."

"Byron?"

"Tennyson."

"Ah, right."

The two fell into a comfortable silence again until Remus spoke once more.

"Oh, Hermione? I forgot that I'm supposed to inconspicuously find out what you're wearing tonight." He smiled roguishly. "Don't tell him I asked, will you?"

Hermione laughed. "I won't tell him." She pictured the outfit lying so crisp and new on her bed, deciding to leave a bit of mystery on her end, as Sirius hadn't even told her where they were going. "He'll just have to wait and see. But I can assure you," she continued, "that it's very chic."

Remus nodded. "Fair enough."

At five o'clock, Hermione and Ginny met in their room at Grimmauld Place to begin the task of preparing Hermione for her date. Hermione sat in a chair in front of the vanity, watching skeptically as Ginny began pulling mascara and lipstick out of her bag.

"You know, I don't think I want to wear too much makeup," Hermione said thoughtfully, examining her complexion in the mirror. "My skin's not spotted or splotchy, so..."

"Oh, don't worry," Ginny interjected as she decided between two cases of eye shadow. "I'm definitely not putting much on. You're already gorgeous, and hey, you've already shagged, so it's nothing he hasn't seen."

Hermione blushed a bright shade of crimson. "Oh gods, he thinks I'm loose."

Ginny snorted. "Hermione Granger? Loose? That's the absolute last word I'd pick to describe you." The redhead began dabbing rouge on the apples of Hermione's cheeks. "Bookworm, yes, overachiever, certainly, but definitely not loose."

Hermione watched as her face slowly transformed from plain and natural to, dare she say it, glam and sexy.

"Wow, Ginny, you really should do this kind of thing for a living," she remarked as she admired Ginny's finishing touches. "This looks so much better than what I did for the Yule Ball in fourth year."

It wasn't a lot of makeup, but it was enough to subtly make a difference. The light rouge and smoky eyes screamed sexy, and yet the simply glossed lips made the look seem very natural and low-maintenance.

"That ought to do it," Ginny agreed, swiping at a smudge in the eyeliner. "And now," she ran her hands through Hermione's hair, "this."

Ginny went into the bathroom for a minute and emerged with a bundle of hair care products, from gels and hairsprays to round brushes and metal clips. "This is going to be heavy duty."

She spritzed a conditioning spray liberally into Hermione's unruly curls. "You know, my hair is nearly as bad as yours when I wake up in the morning."

Hermione regarded her skeptically. "There's no way. Your hair's perfect!"

Ginny shrugged, tugging a paddle brush through Hermione's locks. "It's horrible -- it's all tangled and matted and smashed on one side of my head where it's been on the pillow. And that's why I have all this nonsense," she said, gesturing to her extensive hair product collection. "It doesn't take long to fix once you've got a routine."

"I tried keeping it tame once," Hermione remembered. "It really just took too much time, though. And I had so many other things to do besides bother with my hair."

"Well, now you're out of school, and you've got plenty of time to make it work," Ginny said, leaving no room for argument.

"But I still have NEWTs to..."

"Plenty of time," she repeated firmly. "And you've got me to help."

Hermione smiled, defeated. "All right, fine. I'll make it work."

It took much longer than the makeup, but after several different creams, waxes, mousses, and sprays, Ginny had worked Hermione's hair into a masterpiece of shining waves.

Hermione gawked at her reflection. "Merlin. I've just witnessed a miracle." She ran a hand through her unrecognizable hair. "It's so soft and light! It's like there's nothing in it!"

Ginny grinned triumphantly. "You want to know the secret?"

"Absolutely!"

"They're Muggle products," Ginny told her. "Wizarding ones are just too heavy. The Muggles have hair care figured out better than wizards. Same with fashion," she added with a grimace. "Which is why I see it as my duty to help witches and wizards who have only ever experienced the chuff you get at the dodgy kiosks in Diagon Alley."

Hermione stood and twirled around, admiring how her hair fanned out elegantly before falling immediately back into place. "And once you've set up shop, I promise I'll be your very first customer." She smiled into the mirror. "You've done it, Ginny. I'll never be able to go back to that rat's nest again."

Ginny whooped and laughed. "All right you, let's get your clothes on."

A knock at the door made both the girls squeak. Hermione glanced at the clock and gasped.

"Oh no, it's a quarter till seven! It must be him!" Hermione wasn't certain why she was so anxious, but she wanted to have her whole look together before Sirius saw her. After all, he had only seen her either tired or post-shag, never clean and put together.

Ginny walked to the door. "You just go behind the wall and start getting dressed. I'll handle this."

The younger witch waited until Hermione had disappeared into the nook in which the beds were placed before opening the door. "Oh, hey Sirius."

"Hey Ginny." Sirius looked over Ginny's shoulder into the room. "Is Hermione here?"

"Yep."

There was a pause.

Sirius laughed. "Can I borrow her?"

Another pause.

"Nope."

The wizard looked befuddled. "Well why not?"

Ginny looked him up and down appreciatively. "She's getting ready."

"Ah." Sirius shifted uncomfortably under Ginny's increasingly predatory gaze. "Well then, I'll just wait for her by the stairs if…"

"I'm ready!" Hermione called, slipping on her shoes and walking as steadily as she could to the door. "Thanks Gin, I'll see you later."

"Wouldn't count on it," Ginny mumbled as Hermione walked past. She giggled and shut the door.

Sirius gave an admiring grunt. "You look fantastic, Hermione," he told her, kissing her hand.

Hermione tried not to blush. She was just glad she was dressed accordingly, as Sirius had on dark jeans, a light blue tee shirt, and a black blazer.

"So where are we going?"

Sirius grinned mysteriously. "You'll see."

They walked downstairs and down the corridor without seeing a soul, as most everyone was in the basement kitchen for dinner.

It was a pleasant spring evening that greeted Hermione and Sirius as they stepped out of Grimmauld Place and into the street. Sirius had still given no indication of where they would be going, and the witch had feelings of both excitement and apprehension mingling unpleasantly in her stomach.

"Well?" Hermione asked as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk.

Sirius smirked. "Well what?"

Hermione wrinkled her nose at him. "Where are you taking me?"

The wizard shrugged, still grinning. "You'll see. I promise you'll love it."

They continued down the sidewalk, which was surprisingly busy for a Thursday evening. It seemed all of London was out in full force to enjoy the warmth of the day in case the coming weeks brought a regression into chilly temperatures. They dodged several cyclists and joggers as well as a large baby carriage, the mother barely able to see over it as she had laden it not only with a child, but also with numerous shopping bags.

After a ten-minute walk, Sirius gestured at a gray stone building adjacent to an alley, whose rickety wooden door looked as though it had seen better days, and those days were probably several decades past.

"In you go."

A/N: Ah, part two! Just one more to go… Please feed the author – leave a review!

Remember to check this story out (if you're of age) at AFF. It's much better uncensored…