Chapter 12: Illegal Tour of London

"Sirius! What are you talking about?" she tried to stop him from pulling her towards the front door but it was to no avail. His grip on her hand was ironclad though not hurtful.

"We need some fresh air."

"We can't just leave now! It's going to be nighttime soon, it's much too late."

"The 'boys' are still out, I don't see how it's too bloody late. Personally, I'd rather not wait around for Ron to come back with a grovelling apology."

"I don't need him to apologise," she said defensively.

"Good. So what better way to show that than by not being here?"

He grinned and the manic look on his face told her it was no use arguing. They were going out tonight.

She sighed and gave up resisting him.

"Where do you want to go Sirius?"

"Muggle London."

The way his eyes met hers as he said this, as if making a dare, had her smiling in an instant. Even though it was completely irresponsible. And wreckless. But if she said no she'd be proving Ron right, that she was boring.

"Okay, we'll go!" she shouted.

"That's more like it!"

'Nice to see her genuinely smiling again,' thought Sirius.

She made him swear he'd stay as Padfoot unless they were in a large crowd where they could go unnoticed. Sirius assured her that with the crowds in muggle London on a Friday night, and glamours, they didn't really have to worry about standing out.

Still, he had to pinch himself at the turn of events when a few hours later, nearing midnight, he found himself sitting in a chic London club sipping cocktails with Hermione. He had allowed her only to have a few drinks but apparently even that tiny amount was enough to get her almost tipsy. When Sirius said he wanted them to have a night out in London, this was definetely not what he had planned. If he had been alone, a pub was where he would have ended up happily. But not when accompanied by an underage Hermione.

For the first time in his life, Sirius felt somewhat embarassed being in a pub. Their table had gotten a number of looks before they put their glamours. For even though Sirius looked much younger by muggle standards, Hermione looked every bit a sixteen year old.

They began their little adventure by running through the streets of London like it was their last day alive and they just couldn't get enough. It started innocently enough with a few rides on the tube, then the eye of London and a stroll through Picadilly. But things got abit iffy after Hermione suggested they break into the Tower of London to see it afterhours. If anyone else had suggested it, Sirius would have grinned and agreed without blinking twice. But this was Hermione. Straight-laced, conservative Hermione suggesting that they break into the highly guarded Tower of London. Only hours after she had been upset about being called "boring" by Ron. It was most definetely a backlash reaction. But Sirius hadn't the heart to point it out to her. She might think he was agreeing with Ron and secretly thought she was boring as well, too boring to break into the Tower.

As if that were possible.

Sirius and Hermione busted their way through the Tower like two Marauders. Sirius was surprised to note that muggle security systems had advanced a long way since his time as a deliquent youth with a motorcycle and too much time on his hands. Working as a team, they had to outsmart cameras, lasers, infrared heat detectors and an advanced computer security system. In other words, it was reckless and stupid and totally worth it. They felt such a high as they beheld first hand the unprotected crown jewels. Hermione said she felt like Cary Grant in a jewel heist film, even though they weren't taking anything...Sirius didn't get the reference. He didn't need to either. He knew everything she was feeling by the way her eyes sparkled, even brighter than the jewels in front of her. She was on cloud nine and so was he.

As they ran back through the streets of London, he had to check himself several times because it felt like they were flying..and there were muggles around. But they were only flying inside their minds while the adrenaline flooded their running legs with new speed. Hermione screamed beside him as he ran to catch up with her.

Suddenly Hermione stopped outside a bar in the club scene and grinned at Sirius like she had just found the doorway to shangri-la.

They were both so high on life and she looked ready to pull him inside if he protested, that there was no way Sirius could say no in that moment. The pulsing techno music practically begged them to come inside.

Ever up to speed, Hermione immediately conjured up wallets with entire sets of I.D.s and handed one to Sirius. Driver's license, national health card, workplace cards, citizenship cards, you name it. Hermione's cards all said Jane H. Russell, while Sirius' cards said Gary Cooper.

The names both sounded vaguely familiar though Sirius couldn't quite put his finger on where he heard them...though Jane and Gary were pretty commonplace names. But Sirius, a.k.a. Gary Cooper, laughed in shock when he saw she had used his Askaban prison mugshot for all his IDs.

"Oh, very nice choice for my mugshot Hermione," he said a bit grimly, because really he was vain and didn't like that she used his most unflattering photo possible. Which also made him look like a crazy, dangerous person.

"Sorry, Sirius, but it was the first thing that came to mind. You know, it's kind of etched in my memory after seeing so many of your wanted posters."

"You've been seeing me everyday for a month but that's what's etched in your memory?!"

Secretly he worried for a second that she still thought of him unconsiously as that crazy escaped convict.

"Who cares Sirius, no one's even going to look at your I.D. because you look more than old enough."

"True. So how old did put yourself as?"

"Twenty-one."

He bit back a laugh. "Yeah right, no one's going to believe that no matter how many I.D.s you have."

Hermione looked analytical for a moment. "I don't understand why I shouldn't come across as older. I dress and have the mature, level-headed demeanor of an adult. Plus, I'm the height and weight of a fully grown adult."

"Minus a few assets," Sirius snickered.

Hermione's cheeks burned. "What did you say?"

Sirius looked away and whistled a song innocently to himself.

Hermione tried to kill him with her eyes but it was no use when he refused to look at her.

"I'll wear a glamour then," Hermione gritted before subtly waving her wand and turning into a wrinkled, bleach-blonde fifty-year old with an embarassingly fake tan. Sirius felt his eyes water. It would look like he was escorting a pensioner into the club.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Now, Hermione. I said you need to look older, not turn yourself into an old crone."

"But Sirius," she smiled sweetly, "I just thought I should match your age."

"That is not my age group! Besides, I doubt they'll let you in looking like that. Your muggle clubs are very judgmental."

"You sound as if you know a lot about muggle clubs, Sirius."

"I don't. I just know enough that you only get in by looking a certain way, or looking and acting filthy rich."

Hermione smirked dangerously and Sirius should have known what was coming.

She waved her wand again and now a leggy woman with long black hair and insurably large assets on display stood before him. To add to this effect, she wore ridiculous spiked black heels and was clad in a tiny leather dress that had her assets practically spilling out at the top.

"Adult enough for you?" Hermione smirked.

Sirius' felt his throat go dry.

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A/N: Uh oh! I think Hermione is letting this whole being irresponsible rebellion thing go a little too far! Don't worry though Sirius is a responsible adult ;) As a side note, this is the summer after Order of the Pheonix, so Hermione is almost 17.

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Special thanks for everyone who reviewed! And to my beta creativepunk77!

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