An unexpected question

A/N: Well, here it is... The last chapter I'll post until 2007. As usual, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: No... Don't own a thing... Save for the plot. Which I dearly hope it's good.

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His eyes widened and his throat suddenly felt very dry. "What?" he croaked. Hermione closed her eyes and didn't say anything more; her hand was still on the spot next to her. She had already done that two times now... Was it on purpose or did the medicine really wore her down? "You were his godson?" Harry repeated in a whisper. What was that about? It involved Sirius, obviously, but... Had he really meant so much to Hermione?

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and sighed with frustration. Maybe she was just delirious. He racked his brains as he remembered their fifth year; trying to remember if anything relevant had happened, but nothing came to his mind. Neither Sirius nor Hermione had acted out of normal... Heck, Hermione often bashed Sirius because she thought he confused Harry with James. "C'mon, Harry, think..." he willed himself, staring at Hermione's sleeping form.

Certain questions started popping into his mind. How did she know which room was Sirius's? Why had she been so keen on sleeping there, or taking his pillow? And what about wanting to find out how he had died? Harry's brow furrowed as a small, weak and far fetched answer started forming in his head. Harry's cheeks turned red with the mere thought of it.

"Merlin's beard, no. She was fifteen. Sirius wasn't a pervert. Jesus, Harry. You're demented."

Harry shook his head and screwed his face up in disgust. This was Hermione he was thinking about. But what if Sirius had forced her to do... do... something? Harry's hands turned into fists and again he shook his head. He knew his godfather. He wouldn't have done that. Never. And this new found attraction Harry felt towards Hermione wasn't helping, either. Just the thought of someone touching Hermione or making her suffer was enough to set him on a killing spree.

As Hermione rolled around to her side and faced the wall, Harry vowed to find out what was wrong with her, even if it killed him; even if she wanted to be helped or not.

And he was going to make damn sure that she wouldn't enter Sirius's bedroom anymore.

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Hermione again looked and acted like a different person. As she and Harry silently went up towards the second floor of the Ministry, Harry kept stealing glances at her. The rings under her eyes could be seen, even though she had applied make up on them; and she had this defeated air around her. Harry hadn't dared to bring the subject of her medicine that morning, as she prepared to go to work. It was as if she had forgotten what had happened last night... When Hermione woke up, startled, she asked if she had caused too much trouble for Harry, who immediately told her that it was alright.

She had not spoken another word; and it didn't look as if she was going to say something soon. As they rattled upwards in silence, Harry saw Hermione staring at the button numbered nine. She wasn't blinking, and her lips were tense. What could she be thinking about right now?

Ah, well. If Harry had known about all the reasons, and all the memories that answered the "why's" in his head, then even wondering what she was thinking about would have been considered stupid. Hermione, though, wasn't thinking. Her mind was actually blank. She only had eyes for that number nine; the number that represented Sirius and his premature death. What could have been? What could have been of them, had he survived? Maybe Sirius would've waited until she was of age. Harry would still have a godfather...

After Harry had told her that Sirius had passed away, she had never cried again. Until yesterday, that was. Hermione had forgotten what it was like to cry... She hated it; she hated the fact that Harry had seen such a vulnerable side of her; she hated how her precious structures had become nothing but faint whispers in the dark, torturing her with promises that she no longer needed.

The elevator finally stopped and the doors opened, breaking her depressing line of thought. She breathed in deeply and stepped out of it; she nodded Harry goodbye and walked towards what was her new office- she didn't even pay attention to Ron as she walked by. Hermione sighed and sat down on the chair in the empty cubicle, proceeding to cover her face with her hands.

She had had such a strange dream last night... She could only recall a part of it, though...

Hermione found herself in the Forbidden Forest, narrowing her eyes, as if looking for something. There was no moon or any kind of light whatsoever... Something silvery ran through some nearby trees and her eyes widened. Quickly she went over to the source of light and saw how it escaped her reach. "Wait!" Hermione exclaimed, starting to run after the silvery shape. Was it a Patronus? A unicorn? The shape started gaining speed and so did she. The branches and the tree trunks made it difficult for her to follow the light, but she managed to jump and dodge everything that came in her way.

She wanted to reach the light; to touch it- She didn't know why, but she had to, or all would be lost in the darkness of that forest. She gained on the shape, panting and breathing heavily, but just as her fingertips were about to touch it, she tripped and hit the ground.

The scenery changed. The dark corridor... The dark corridor that lead to the room with the doors. Inside of one of those doors was the courtroom with the veil in it. Hermione had to get to that room, somehow. It wasn't about saving Sirius, no... He was already dead. It was something else. Hermione started crying as she ran through the corridor. She heard voices behind her... Ron and Ginny telling her to stop... Harry was telling her that she shouldn't do it...

Ah, but Hermione didn't care. She kicked the black door open and it shut behind her, engulfing the voices. Everything was blurry... As if she was looking at the room with the doors underwater... A door in front of her opened and she went through it; tears ran down her throat. The veil swung excitedly when she came in. She was going down the stairs...

"Hermione," a voice said. Hermione sharply looked up and saw Luna gazing at her with that dreamy smile of hers.

"Oh, hi, Luna," Hermione said before cleaning her throat. "What brings you here?" Luna sat down in front of her.

"Ronald told me you were here," she answered lazily. "Are you alright?" She wanted to know. Hermione raised her eyebrows and tried to smile.

"Yes, great, thanks. And you?"

"Oh, fantastic... Ronald told me that you got quite upset yesterday, when you saw Remus..." Luna began. Hermione gulped, preparing herself to answer whatever questions Luna had in her mind. Honestly, she preferred when Luna talked about nargles. "Harry looked quite upset..." Luna trailed off.

"Did he really?" Hermione nervously asked. Luna nodded, smiling.

"I just wanted you to know, Hermione... That if you ever feel like talking..." Luna spoke calmly, "Feel free to ask me," she finished. Hermione swallowed and looked down; how did Luna manage to tell her what everybody told her, and still sound more sincere than any of them? Well, except for Harry, maybe.

"Thank you, Luna. I'll keep it in mind," Hermione said. Luna smiled placidly at her and stood up, apparently about to leave. As she stood in the door of Hermione's office, she turned around.

"Harry likes you, you know," Luna said. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, I like to think that I'm still one of his best friends," she replied. Luna shook her head.

"For someone as intelligent as you, Hermione, that was an answer Ronald would smirk at." She said, turning around and going out of the office. Hermione was left staring at the now closed door, mulling over what Luna had said. But- But Harry couldn't like her! Not in that way. Hermione didn't want to break his heart... He had offered a home; he had offered her friendship... But she couldn't like him back. Hermione simply couldn't offer him that kind of love.

Oh, sure, she could try to live with him as a couple, but how much time would they last? For how long would Hermione be able to keep up with the pretence? Hell, why was she even considering it? She would never pretend to have feelings for Harry- That would hurt him a thousand times more than anything else she might do. And Hermione reckoned that the man had gone through enough pain in his life.

She wouldn't be considered to be another burden upon his back.

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"You're quiet today, Harry. Is something wrong?" Hermione asked her friend as he made dinner, for Lupin would be coming over. Harry didn't look at her.

"Yes, there's something wrong," he finally answered. Hermione breathed in deeply at this; Luna's words still ringing in her ears.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked tentatively. If something was really going to happen between them, then it was better to bite the sour pill and get it over with. Harry sighed and turned around.

"I'm willing if you're willing." Hermione looked down for a couple of seconds.

"Spill it out, then," she said, bracing herself. Harry went over to the table and sat in front of her, boring his eyes into hers.

"What went on between you and Sirius, Hermione?"

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A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNN... What will Hermione answer? Again, I have no idea. Though I already have the ending planned, I don't really know when I'll get there. I mean: the story does not have a definite road... Maybe there are three chapters till the end; maybe I'll end up coughing ten more. Who knows? Anyway- Short chapter, I know. Hope you like it. I don't think I'll be updating until January, and by then I hope to have written a few good chapters for this. I hope you've had a great Christmas and that you'll have a happy New Year.

Don't forget to review! Bye!