THE VEIL

Chapter 2

24th December 1965 - A Christmas wish

Hermione didn't know how long she was floating within the grayness. She knew she faded in and out of consciousness. She also knew she had cried at some point, knowing she was lost to her friends and family. She had no way or understanding on how to get home. The grey around swirled and shifted endlessly.

It was when the whispering became more intense and felt the wind of the veil around her flutter that she opened her eyes. This felt like the first change since she fell to oblivion. And it was. Around her the grey changed to charcoal, silver and green, before she knew it the colours took shape of curtains that parted and she fell through landing on her backside onto a carpeted floor.

The whispering wind fading away as the curtain settled in front of a large darkened window. It was night time. And the room was fairly dark except for a lamp somewhere behind her. Hermione looked around and felt a rush of De-ja-vu. It was a bedroom that felt achingly familiar. She heard a Clock faintly chiming midnight somewhere in the house. As she moved to stand up a small voice from the bed called, "who's there?" making Hermione jump out of her skin.

"Lumos" she whispered and a light brightened from the tip on the wand washing the room in soft light. She moved toward the voice slowly. A little boy was sitting bolt upright in bed. Eyes as wide as saucers watched, he had seen Hermione seemingly appear from nowhere. Hermione smiled comfortingly at the boy.

"Hello, what is your name?" sitting herself at the foot of the bed gently. Her bottom was still a little bruised from the abrupt landing. The little boy looked at her in surprise and awe, taking a little time to find his voice again.

"M-my name is Sirius." He answered earnestly, pushing the blankets off he crawled closer to look at Hermione. Hermione gasped and looked at the room again. It was a little boys room, filled with toys and little boy objects. The furniture, dark wooden wardrobe, desk and bed looked newer but she knew where she was. Twelve Grimmauld Place. She looked back at the little boy, who had his head turned sideways like a puppy, staring at her.

"Are you a magical fairy?" he asked innocently.
"Do you think I am one?" she countered, struggling to calm her fast beating heart. Sirius nodded
"Yes. I made a wish you see." He stated matter-of-factly.
"For Christmas. I wished for a magical fairy to come and rescue me and Reggie. Then suddenly I heard whispers and you flew right out of the curtains!"

Hermione looked back over to the curtains. Replaying the last few moments in her mind, she thought, that a little boy with an imagination would definitely come to that conclusion. Hermione frowned. If this little boy really was Sirius Black, and he seemed to be about five years old she began to mentally count, her face paled as she realised where and when she had come out.

"S-Sirius, did you say it is Christmas?" the boy nodded still looking at her like a puppy, his dark sleep tussled hair flopping around his face.
"And, wh-what year is it?" Hermione asked timidly. The little boy frowned.
"Why don't fairies know the date?" he asked. Hermione tried to smile back at him, but her nerves were starting to make her panic slightly.

"We do, but in fairy land, the date is different to this world, so it can be confusing. Can you tell me?" She explained, feeling bad at the white lie she was telling a small child. However the truth would definitely be a little too much for him to comprehend, Hermione herself was struggling mentally at it, as it was. Sirius grinned at her.
"Oh, of course." believing her explanation as a normal thing, "It's 1965. My brother Reggie turns four next week. 1st January."

1965. She was in 1965 at Christmas with a very small handsome little boy called Sirius. Tears welled in her eyes and a small hysterical giggle escaped. She had gone back just over thirty years into the past, and ended up in one of the most dangerous houses for a witch such as herself. Hermione jumped as a small hand touched her arm.

"Please don't cry." Sirius moved closer and hugged her.
"Fairies are meant to be happy" He said earnestly. Hermione's heart ached as the little boy comforted her. Hermione hugged him back, combing his hair back from his face. Sirius looked up at her with his storm grey eyes and smiled. This little boy was so trusting and loving, Hermione cried as she knew the life he had in this place. Sirius pulled back and wiped her eyes with his pyjama sleeve making her laugh softly.

"Thank you Sirius," she whispered, kissing his cheek. The little boy blinked in surprise, touching the cheek, Hermione just kissed.
"A fairy kissed me!" he said in stunned awe. Hermione laughed again. She had never been called a fairy before. But then she had never met a charming little boy such as Sirius either. Her heart wrenched. She had met a grown up, very troubled man, in hiding for a crime he never committed. Sighing, she stood up.

"I think it is time for you to get to sleep, young man." She softly confirmed.
Sirius's face fell. "Y-you're not here to rescue me. Are you?"

Hermione smiled sadly and shook her head, her heart squeezing from the emotions in his little voice.
"No, Sirius I'm not. But what I can do is watch over you and make sure you are safe."

Sirius's face crumpled and he choked out a sob. "B-but I made a wish!" he cried. Tears began leaking out of his eyes, trailing down his own cheeks.
"Y-y-you w-were m-meant to r-rescue me!"
"Oh Sirius, I know. Come here, sweetheart." She spoke softly; Hermione picked him up and sat back on the bed, arranging him in his lap holding him, and gently began singing a lullaby her mum sang her when she was little, rocking gently and combing a hand through his hair until his sobs settled to deep breaths of slumber.

She knew her face was wet as she remembered her parents. They were somewhere 30 years in the future to where she was stranded; as was the adult Sirius Black that she saved from death. Hermione was stuck 30 years in the past, holding a five year old Sirius Black singing to sleep, and she didn't know if Harry and the others were still alive. She wiped her eyes and took a steadying breath. Perspective, she thought to herself. There was a logical answer to this. And dwelling on the future, her past was not going to help her out of this.

Hermione looked down at Sirius, who was fast asleep in her lap, twitching slightly, uncannily like a puppy would. Gently lifting him, Hermione stood, she moved to place him back into the bed, tucking him back in. Combing his soft hair once more she kissed his forehead, quietly stepping back and watched him roll over in his slumber.

A soft breeze blew in through the window, fluttering the loose hairs on her face. Hermione turned to the breeze as whispering came as softly as the breeze. The breeze strengthening now turned back towards the curtains pushing her towards the flapping curtains. She couldn't fight it, though she tried but the veil wrapped around her once again Hermione was drifting into the greyness of oblivion.