Here is another one shot. This one is a Sirius/Hermione shot.

As always I do not own Harry Potter.

Word count 836 prompt was "A Letter..."

One letter. That was all he had left of her. It was a simple letter, yet over the years the creases in the paper became more pronounced.

He had met her his first day on the job. It was just supposed to be a routine patrol around Diagon Alley. As the shoppers went about their business, he was checking down the dark side alleys next to buildings. He was checking out the alley next to Ollivanders when the crashing of boxes caught his attention. He raised his wand and peered down the alley. That was when he saw her.

Her hair was matted with blood and mud. Her clothes were torn, and he could see her arm was bleeding. He rushed her to St. Mungos and from that moment on he never left her side.

For the first few months, she was skiddish, never fully relaxing. He could tell from her reactions, she had been through something terrible. She told him her name was Hermione.

Hermione. Just the sound of it could turn his blood to fire, even to this day.

She was with him for two whole years, until the night of October 31, 1981. The only thing he had left of her was the letter she placed next to him on the bed, after she stunned him and locked him in his house.

He knew the words by heart, after the first year he stopped taking it out to read. Things for him had gotten busy after he was given his godson.

It was not until Harry returned for Christmas his first year at Hogwarts that he pulled it out once more.

He gently unfolded the yellowing paper and laid it flat on his desk.

The words remained the same, yet now they had a different meaning for the him.

My dearest Sirius,

I am so sorry for what I did to you. You see something terrible has happened and the only way I knew to keep you safe was to make sure you could not move. By the time you read this, James and Lily will be gone. Peter betrayed you all. He is a Death Eater.

I know this comes to a shock to you. I also know right now you want to do nothing more then to track him down and make him pay.

But you can't my love. You have to take care of Harry. You know the Ministry is never going to let Remus take him if you get sent to Azkaban. I would not be surprised if they would not try to send him to Lily's sister.

In fact, I know that is what would happen. I can not tell you how I know these things. All I know is that I have never been as happy as I have been these past two years.

I know you are wondering where I am right now. Well, I am nowhere and everywhere. If things go the way they should then you will see me again , however it will not be for a few years. I however, will not know you.

It all comes down to love in the end, doesn't it? My love for you, your love for me. Lily's love for Harry. And most of all my love for my best friend.

I know doing this will not change the most important thing, that has to happen. Yet I can change somethings.

Please do not be mad at me darling. In time you will understand. In fact, I say give it 10 years and things will become clear.

Please forgive me. I will always love you.

Your Hermione.

Sirius sat back in his chair. This is what she meant. He had seen the bushy haired little witch when he picked Harry up from the platform. In all of his letters, Harry spoke of a girl named Hermione, that she was the smartest witch in their class.

Harry knew a little about Hermione. After all he had seen the pictures growing up of his Godfathers lost love.

Time. Time. Time. She must have traveled back in time. She knew what would happen to James and Lily. But she also knew Harry needed him. She was correct. The moment Sirius found out about the attack he wanted to go after the little rat. Yet, it was that letter that stopped him.

As he sat there thinking about the past and what his Hermione had known, one thing was clear. He would never find her again. Even if he knew her, she would never know him in that way. It was time to let go. It was time to move forward and put the letter back where it came from. He did not know what she went through to make her seek out safety in the past, but he would do everything in his power to make sure history did not repeat itself. Harry would be safe. She would be safe. Even if it was the last thing he did.