Chapter Three: Proficiency
"Open up your gates, because I can't wait to see the light. Right here is where I want to stay."
Bruno Mars; Locked out of Heaven
"I accept your offer Heiress Zabini," Orion Black said before Walburga was finished floundering. It was the word of a wizard, and his wife couldn't refute it, no matter her status as Lady Black.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Lord Black," Hermione said, shaking the man's hand, effectively sealing the contract. "Now, where can I find Sirius? I'm bored, and I'd like some intellectually stimulating conversation," Hermione said.
"I like you," He said smiling and shaking his head as he chuckled. "Up the stairs, third door on the left."
"Thank you," Hermione said, taking the stair two at a time. Instead of knocking she just barged in.
"Get out, you crazy old barmy bat!" Sirius yelled from his bed, not even bothering to look up.
"Is that any way to speak you your savior, Sirius Orion Black II?" Hermione chuckled, leaning against the doorframe.
Sirius shot bolt upright, and stared in amazement at the witch standing in his doorway. Hair up in an intricate up do and silver ornaments which alighted her head in a halo like glow from the lights in the hallway. Her black witch's robes fluttering. "Why are you here?" He asked, gaping slightly.
"Saving your ass. Get up! We're leaving. You're so lucky your father likes me," Hermione snapped at Sirius.
"Okay," He said, pulling a shirt over his head, and grabbing his wand, and a pair of shoes. "Where're we going?" He asked.
"You don't know, do ya?" She responded vaguely, leading him out the door and five houses over. "This is my house, my mom is going to love you," She turned around and combed through his hair with her fingers, making him look more presentable. "She's really laid back, not into all that blood supremacy shit your parents are into. I just formally asked your father's permission to court you. Act cool, I'll tell her," She finished as she opened the door.
"Tinky!" She called, summoning their sweet house elf. "Can you get Heir Black some of your pie, please? I need to go change out of these dreadful robes," She finished. Tinky just nodded her head, and led Sirius into the kitchen.
Hermione ran up the stairs, into her room, and put her clothes from earlier back on. They were much more comfortable anyway. She let her hair down and braided it carefully down her back, making sure it was proper. Her braid was long and thick and it bumped the backs of her legs when she walked, but she loved her hair more than anything.
She made her way back downstairs, and into the kitchen. Tinky was busy trying to force Sirius to eat something "Young Master be's too thin, you's need to eat pie, it'll put meat on your bones," Tinky said, pushing a plate of apple pie across the counter.
"I'll have a piece of that Tinky, with whipped cream, please." Hermione smiled at her sweet elf. She was unlike any elf Hermione had ever met, and she loved her so.
She took a seat on the stool across from Sirius, and he watched her carefully, as though he'd never seen a witch in muggle jeans before. "So, what'd you do that for?" He asked.
"I met your charming little brother earlier today, when he attacked Heir Zabini and I on our way out our front door. He thought he were muggles," Hermione paused.
"No wonder. Have you looked at yourself?" Sirius asked.
"Yes I have, thank you very much," Hermione snipped. "So I took the liberty to inform your dear mother that Regulus' behavior was unacceptable. By the time i got done chewing Walburga out, and reducing her dumbstruck, your father was so ridiculously entertained. And of course, as soon as I asked to court you, he agreed, quite readily in fact," Hermione smiled fondly at the memory.
Her voice lowered in pitch slightly. "I heard-" She cut off, her eyes squeezing shut, "that foul woman yelling at you, and it unnerved me. I don't like bullies," Hermione finished, breathing through her nose, so as not to alight her quick temper.
"Mistress asks Tinky for pie?" Tinky said, popping up with a plate of apple pie smothered in whipped cream.
"Thank you Tinky," She smiled warmly at the house else. "Sirius?" Hermione's eyebrows rose as she addressed him, "Just eat the damned pie, she's not doing to give up. She's a persistent one,"
"Sure, uh, thanks Tinky, I'm sure it's good pie," He said.
The two of them ate in silence, while Tinky the house elf stirred a large pot of pasta, whistling The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
As Tinky whistle began to weave through the intricate violin notes, Hermione began to hum it as well. Sirius watched, enraptured at the two of them. A witch and a house elf, wove through the difficult sounding piece. Finally as the song boiled to an end, three heads snapped to the left, to see Eileen Zabini in the doorway clapping.
"Beautiful job girls," She commended. "Who's our guest?" She asked, eyeing Sirius unexpectedly.
"This is Sirius, I met him at the Gala the other day. Leo and I were quite literally assaulted by his younger brother Regulus on our way to Wixey's to get ice cream. So I invited Regulus out for ice cream. When I took him home, I met his charming mother,"
Hermione's nose crinkled with distaste, "and I informed her the error of her ways, after she'd just finished acting quite atrociously. In blatant disrespect for House Zabini, by the way. And by the time I'd finished verbally sparring with the woman, she was so thoroughly dumbstruck that her husband had to accept my offer, on behalf of House Zabini to court Heir Black," Hermione finished breathless.
"I see," Her mother said, raising one aristocratic eyebrow. "And what say you, Heir Black?" She asked, baiting the boy. Hermione bit her tongue, trying her hardest not to laugh.
"It is an honor, of the utmost," Sirius' eyes darkened, as he stood to his full height. "To be in the presence of what surely is the two very finest examples of all of Wizardkind. The Noble and Most Ancient House Black is honored to be entertained by House Zabini," He finished smoothly.
Eileen's face broke into a triumphant smile, "I like you," She said informally, sitting down to snag a bite of apple pie off Hermione's plate. "So what did Walburga do that incited your rage, Hermione?" She asked, curious.
"Well, first of all, she had her son Muggle baiting, which he could've been thrown in Askaban for. Secondly; the things that she screamed, upon my entrance into her home, though not at me. They made my heart clench. I spoke to the woman, pointing our where she had erred from her path as a good mother, and one thing led to another, and now I'm practically engaged," Hermione chuckled darkly.
"Tinky!" Her brother called from the kitchen door. "When's dinner going to be done, I'm starving!" Leo took a seat at the stool to the left of his mother.
"Young Master must wait. Tinky knows that young master has sneaked chocolate from Tinky's kitchen," The young elf said, tapping the boy on the rump gently with a wooden spoon, "Dinner's not being done just yet," she finished looking at her Mistress for approval.
"You handled that well Tinky," Eileen said, surveying Tinky's progress with dinner.
"Tinky thanks Mistress for her praises," The young elf said, basking in the praises her mistress gave her.
"So, Sirius, What year are you at Hogwarts?" Hermione's mother asked.
"I'm going into sixth year," Sirius said, smiling fondly as though remembering something happy.
"What house are you in?" She asked him. "Hermione's not familiar with the House system, you might want to explain it to her," Her mother said, smiling broadly.
"Well, uh," He paused, before launching into his exclamation. "There's four houses, you see. And at the beginning of our first year we're sorted by the sorting hat. It's this enchanted hat that looks into your head, it takes into account all your best attributes and sorts you into a house according to that. The four houses each have different traits attached to them. They're named after the four founders of Hogwarts; Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor," He stopped talking.
"Well, go on. Tell her about the houses," Her mother urged.
"Well, uh, Ravenclaw, she wanted those sharpest of wit, and she took the only the smartest witches and wizard's. Godric Gryffindor, he took those who were courageous and brave. Salazar Slytherin, he took those who were cunning, and above all they had to be purebloods, and Helga Hufflepuff, she took all the rest. She particularly attracts those who are nice and kind though," He finished, looking to Hermione's mother for her approval. She nodded.
"So what house were you in, Mama?" Hermione asked her mother.
"Slytherin," her mother answered, "Where do you think you got your sneakiness from, Missy?" She smirked. "Your father was a Ravenclaw, so I imagine you could end up anywhere. Though if I were a betting woman, I'd have to wager Gryffindor for you, Hermione. You're practically the poster child for Gryffindor," Her mother smiled.
"What house are you in, Sirius?" Hermione asked him.
"I'm in Gryffindor, which is where nearly all the problems with my family arise, I come from a family that has historically been sorted into Slytherin," Sirius said.
"Oh, I see. Is that, like, a thing? Just because your family was sorted into a house, that means you have to as well? That's stupid. If you're supposed to be sorted according to your personal traits, that makes absolutely no sense," Hermione said, puzzled.
"That's very astute of you, my little flower," Her mother said smiling down at her confused daughter. "That's just it, no one takes that into account when their children are sorted, they just remember their rivalries with other houses, and they can't see past their own prejudices to see that their children are happy where they've been placed," Eileen said sadly.
"So what is Hogwart's like? I'm going to be finishing out my last two years there," Hermione leaned forward to rest her chin on the palm of her hand.
"It's the very best place in the world, we learn all sorts of subjects, which are all interesting enough on their own. But there's so much more than that. I have three best friends. Pr-, Uh, James, Remus, and Peter. We get into so much mischief. We call ourselves the marauder's. We're kind of, a band of friends. The Gryffindor common room is amazing," He said, his eyes alighting with excitement as he explained to her all things Hogwarts. And for once, Hermione was content to listen. Sirius wasn't boring, or stuck up. He was just a normal guy, and that was how Hermione liked it.
Thoughts? I like it so far.