Disclaimer - I own nothing, I am simply borrowing the world JK Rowling created.
Thank you for all the support, didn't expect the response that I've received at all. I am still unbeta'd so I apologise for the mistakes. xoxo
With shaking hands Hermione looked up as the clock in the corner began to chime as the clock struck midnight. It seemed nothing had happened at first, with each chime Hermione felt a brief hope that nothing would. Brushing her curls back from her face she was startled to see dark curls instead of tamed brown locks, her skin was subtly paler, or maybe the darker hair gave her more of a contrast, she wasn't sure. Her clothes which before had been loose now felt tighter across her chest and hips, uncomfortable enough that she quickly used her wand to transfigure them into a loose sweater and jeans.
She ignored the quiet murmur of paintings around her as she was flooded with memories. Nights of crying for her Papa as her Grand-mama tried to tell her it would all be alright. She remembered playing tag with Kreacher and afternoon tea with ladies of the sacred twenty eight, but most of all she remembered being Hermione Black, a girl who was just like her, but one who knew she was special, that she was a witch. She hiccupped as she was swamped by memories with no idea what to make of them. They were a child's memories, with a hint of lingering sadness because she didn't have her parents with her, the ministry had taken her Papa away.
Hermione didn't even realise she was standing until strong arms wrapped around her, a thumb stroking away her tears as he pulled her tight. He pressed his lips pressed against her temple and Hermione sank into Sirius' arms. "I am so sorry, kitten" he whispers against her temple and Hermione shudders. It is all too much at once and she does not know if she can handle what has been asked of her. She also was in mild dread as to how Malfoy was reacting to the news that she was to be his wife. It was like some awful cosmic joke.
"I…" pulling back Hermione looked at the man before her with new eyes, she had very vague memories of the man before Azkaban, and full of life and humour, who read her fairy tales every night. She also knew the man that he is now, after Azkaban and the war, who teased her for being a little bookworm whilst silently thankful that she kept Harry alive. "I don't know what I should even call you anymore."
Sirius appeared to be struggling as well, his mother erased his own child and wife from his memories, from everyone's memories and he hated her for it. For years she had been just Harry's best friend to him, and it always confused him and Remus how protective they felt over her. Remus mentioned once that Moony would get mad at him for not protecting her as he did Harry and now it all made sense. Hermione was Remus' goddaughter and to Moony that had made her as good as pack. "Call me whatever you want, kitten, we both need some time to adjust to this."
Hermione nodded and stepped back her arms wrapping around her middle and she looked around the Head's office, portraits no longer pretending to slumber, in fact they were gossiping in each-others portraits and Hermione was irritated to see Dumbledore staring down at them with twinkling eyes. She couldn't help her resentment of the man, he used Snape for his own ends, he let her father go to Azkaban without trial and he raised Harry as a lamb to the slaughter. The end did not in her opinion justify the means. Tonks was gone, Snape had died horrifically and Fred had been lost to us all, leaving George a broken soul.
"I'll call you Sirius for now then, I don't think I could handle calling you Papa right now. Honestly what's scaring me more is that I have to marry Malfoy in three months. How can I marry him? He hates me, he stood and watched as Bellatrix tortured me for hours. He has a girlfriend, for Merlin's sake!" Hermione was pacing as she ranted, in a manner eerily similar to the way Sirius had been previously.
"Hermione dear take a seat, I understand that this must be a shock but together we can sort some things out for you at least." Headmistress McGonagall had remained quiet after seeing the goblins from her office, not wanting her two students, both former and current, to be disturbed at this moment in time. "That means you too, Mister Black." She glanced pointedly at the two armchairs in her newly furnished office, before glaring at the portrait of Albus, saving her choice words for him once they were alone.
"Now firstly, we need to discuss the fact that when you are married the ministry will most likely demand that you both be treated like other married students, meaning special accommodations. These circumstances have happened before, and I only hope you and Mister Malfoy will not be setting a trend of weddings. Your Grandmother obviously intended for this to have been enacted after your years at school, and did not foresee that you both would still be in school. I think we can arrange for something appropriate between both of your dorms, perhaps in the east wing."
Hermione sputtered in shock, honestly she hadn't thought of that at all, she was more concerned with peoples' reactions not on where they would stay after being married. Although a small part of her was relieved that she would be able to stay to complete her NEWT's. "Professor I understand that these things must be planned, but honestly I am still reeling from the fact that my life until now has been my Grandmother's work of fiction, and that I have gone from being a muggleborn to one of the sacred twenty-eight in less than one evening.
"And how could marriage be what's best for me? I survived a war, I lived in a god awful tent with Harry and Ron and their questionable hygiene habits to suddenly be being thrust into a marriage with one of the most self-righteous evil little ferrets to ever escape the Malfoy gene pool is just a little much to take." Hermione had stood mid rant and gone back to pacing, her magic sparking in the air around her. Her hand twitched as she reached for her wand, briefly considering going back into hiding, even if it did mean her life.
"Kitten if he was that bad Harry would have let him rot in Azkaban instead of helping him and his mother redeem their name. Lucius might have also escaped a second term there, and as much of an arse that he is, he loves his family dearly. He would never have harmed you if he had known who you were. However should be step a toe out of line now, feel free to remind him as Narcissa's Paterfamilias I can dissolve their marriage as I please, that should keep him in line, after all he fought so hard to get her to begin with.
"Whilst my mother is many things, she spoke honestly when she spoke of Narcissa. She and Andromeda are the only family I ever really cared about, and Narcissa never believed in the pure blood elitism, that was Lucius poisoning his sons mind not her. Narcissa has always put blood first, she will do her duty to her family which will now include insuring your happiness." Turning to face her Sirius cupped her cheek, a wave of love swarming him, mixing with the guilt and regret that he has not been there for her when she needed him most.
"Kitten if I could get you out of this I would in a heartbeat, but not even marrying you to someone else before December 21st will save you from the blood bond that was sealed. If you are not joined on that date, you both will be consumed by your own magic. Trust me when I tell you spontaneous combustion is not the way you wish to die, and having just gotten you back I am in no hurry to lose you again. I…"
A loud and angry knocking at the door froze Sirius midsentence and he bit back a growl as his nostrils flared in anger. "Mr Black will you take your seat again, this is my office and you will behave like a gentlemen or sit out on the lawn like the mutt you turn into." He murmured "Sorry Minnie" as she walked to the door, her sniff of disdain barely audible as she reached the door.
"Ah Mister Malfoy, I trust you and your parents have been brought up to speed, so take a seat and we will try and sort this out." She conjured two extra seats as the three Malfoy's entered her office, Sirius, rising to greet Narcissa as Hermione and Draco shared an awkward moment. Lucius was still murmuring quietly to the headmistress and was too far away for Hermione to hear what they were saying. Yet the scowl forming on McGonagall's face made it clear what she heard was displeasing her.
"Sirius, cousin it has been too long." Narcissa kissed Sirius' cheek before elegantly taking her seat, her hair swept back into a chignon and she was perfectly attired in her pale blue dress robes. Hermione felt her discomfort growing as she looked around the room, and if it wasn't for Sirius squeezing her hand she would have run already.
"Black I was unaware that you had escaped the grave, must be quite the tale, returning to the land of the living when the war is won, how convenient." Lucius settled in his seat with a smirk gracing his features, clearly intent on baiting Sirius as much as possible.
"Quite the miracle old man, seems the fates blessed me with the brightest witch of the age for a daughter, who found a way to release me from the veil. It's quite the tale as you said, but best told at a later time, right now her future being secured is more pressing than your passing curiosity." Sirius' sneer was a finality, his eyes telling all present that he will not be swayed from the topic at hand.
"I must admit to being surprised though, you, engaging your son to my daughter, especially after I promised to end your marriage to Narcissa at the first moment you gave me cause. One hair on her head gets harmed, or one tear falls and Narcissa will be removed from your home and you will owe me the 30 million galleons that were paid in her dowry. Don't think for a second that I won't. A smart man would hope your son has better control than you, because I don't care who harms her, I will obliterate the Malfoy line for it."
Gasps filled the room in shock at the threat laid bare, Narcissa looking at Sirius in shock, before clutching Draco's hand in warning. "Sirius cousin, see reason. You know I would never harm you're ..."
"What I know Narcissa is that you allowed your psychotic sister to live in your house and torture my only child, branding her with a racist slur and my godson kept you free from Azkaban for saving him when you didn't raise a finger to save Hermione. So what boon you think to beg of me or plea you're about to make will fall on deaf ears. Hermione will not be living in Malfoy Manor and will never have to set foot in that cursed place for as long as she lives. You have no standing in the Wizengamot for your actions in the war, whilst I hold the Minister as a dear friend. I would go back to Azkaban and rot for that girl if I need to so think very carefully as to how you will speak." Sirius' voice had dropped to a deep rumbling growl, silver eyes glowing with barely suppressed rage.
"Stop". The word was barely a whisper as it left Hermione, her hands were shaking. "If there is no breaking this, then bickering will not solve anything at all. It's late, can we just drop the testosterone and agree to work this out civilly, or I'll drag Draco to Gretna Green and you can all miss your children's marriage because you couldn't get over some old petty rivalry. In fact…" Hermione stood and offered an apologetic smile to her headmistress. "Would you mind if Draco and I borrowed your reading parlour, we need to talk away from our parents."
At Minerva's nod she walked away from them all, hearing Draco sigh in annoyance as he followed her. She held the door open for him and shut it after him, briefly noticing how much taller he was than her now, Hermione deeply hoped she hadn't gotten any shorter, as George teased her mercilessly for being a pipsqueak as it is.
"So Granger, couldn't wait to get me all alone huh?" Draco's smirk lit his features, his grey eyes as he looked her over. "I must say, the new look suits you, you've finally tamed that bird's nest of yours."
"It's Black you arrogant little ferret. Can we just do this already, it's been a long night. We don't like each other, you're a racist bigot and my Grandmother screwed us both by tying our proposed marriage in blood. So how about you stop being a jerk so we can figure out what we are going to do." Hermione glared at him as she smirked at her from the sofa, getting more annoyed when he tapped the only space to sit next to him.
Malfoy waited until she was seated, not giving any pretence to acknowledging her personal space he leant into her and sniffed her hair. "Mmm Vanilla. Who knew, Granger smelt so good. It's obvious what we do. We get tied together in wedded bliss, produce the obligatory heir and a spare, thus insuring the preservation of the Malfoy line. If your father does not remarry and have more children our second son will inherit the Black house titles and position thus continuing that line. Of course you'll have to end it with Weaslebee, I'll have to break dear Daphne's heart, pity, she so wanted to be the next lady Malfoy."
Hermione had stiffened as he spoke, her nerves already frayed from the stress of the night were grating already. "Trust me, if I could I would gladly hand you over to her, but personally I didn't survive the war just to die because of your love life. And just so you know, Ron and I aren't dating we never…" Shaking her head she sighed. "We never were like that, well maybe for a moment but nothing ever happened. Which is a good thing seeing as he and Harry ran off to Auror training the moment Kingsley gave them the opportunity."
"Weaslebee an Auror. Surely you're joking, that raging buffoon? Oh how standards are slipping, Potter sure, he's the boy who just won't die, but that, that just beggars belief. Look, I hate this, you hate this, I'm going to be dealing with a crying witch in the morning, so let's just try and make this painless. I agree to not living in the manor, the place still smells of reptile left over from the monster and his pet. You're now sacred twenty-eight without a clue what that means, and not just that you're a Black, which pretty much makes you wizarding royalty. Add being Potter's golden girl into that mix and the world is going to be watching you, and because I'm marrying you, me.
"But, there's something you should know. When I didn't kill Dumbledore like I was ordered, I was punished." Draco held up his hand when Hermione went to interrupt him. He reached for the buttons in his school shirt, peeling it open revealing ragged scars over his chest and abs. On his left side was signs of a bite mark and Hermione gasped in shock. "He gave me to Greyback to punish, and unfortunately for me, he did it on a full moon. I've had to learn to control my anger, maybe that's why I am so calm right now, but as this was sealed in blood and the wolf will become aware of it in a weeks' time on the full moon he's going to want you marked as his mate. Daphne doesn't know, only Blaise and Theo know so do me a favour and don't shout it out, the Malfoy name has been trashed enough."
Hermione starred at him frozen in shock. She knew theoretically what happened when a wolf found its mate, Tonks had brazenly displayed her mating mark to her after wedding Remus in secret. She was overwhelmed, dropping her head into her hands she didn't look at Malfoy as she spoke. "I, I need to think about all of this. I, well whilst I am concerned that I am marrying a werewolf in three months' time, I am having a harder time accepting everything else right now. I need to go. I" Her head snapped around to face him a look of panic and fear on her face. "You need to talk to Daphne. Tell her everything, I don't care, the whole world will know soon anyways. I need to go and figure out what to tell Harry and Ron so they don't skin you alive."
With that Hermione left the room, not pausing as she rushed passed everyone who still lingered in the office ignoring them as they called after, her feet carrying her as fast as they can through the dark halls and staircases, down through the courtyard and down the path to the black lake. It was there she fell to her knees and brokenly sobbed, she felt as though her whole future had been taken from her. She didn't know how long it took, but it seemed only minutes until Sirius was pulling her into his side, holding her close as she cried in his arms.
It took her minutes before she realised he was singing, his voice surprised her, it was a comforting tone but she could tell he had a great talent for it. "Mama, put my wand in the ground, I can't shoot it anymore. That long black cloud is comin' down, I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door."
"Those aren't the words, you're butchering a classic." Sirius laughed and held her closer. "Now you sound like Moony, just listen and stop interrupting kitten, it's been too long since I could hold you and sing to you. "Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door. Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door."
AN. The song is Bob Dylan's Knockin' on heavens door, the song always reminds me of Sirius, so I couldn't think of anything better for him to sing.