CHAPTER 13

There was beginning to be a doubt in Hermione's mind that she ever wanted to return to her own time. After the night of the Ravenclaw party, Hermione had found herself glued to Sirius's side. The entirety of the Gryffindor sixth and seventh years had heard what happened and made it their mission to keep Avery away from Hermione and the rest of the girls. Hermione wanted to feel embarrassed, but Remus had reminded her more than two dozen times that she had absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about, that the only person at fault was Avery. When James said he was going to tell the Headmaster what happened, Hermione had begged Lily to stop him.

"I don't want to have to relive it," said Hermione, her voice wavering. "If I have to tell Dumbledore the story…"

Lily immediately understood and spread the word. No one would tell if Hermione didn't want them to.

Sirius was protective and hardly let her out of his sight, and though the first few days after the party were tense and strained, it wasn't long before she and Sirius were laughing with each other again. Memories of Harry and Ron and of Mrs. Weasley's cooking were beginning to fade from her mind as the first of the warm spring rain fell on her head. Sirius tried to keep her dry, holding a textbook over her head as they trotted through the courtyard to Arithmancy, but it wasn't doing much good. The stepped into the classroom, losing five points for Gryffindor for being late as usual, but Hermione won them back in the first ten minutes of class, also as usual.

"Meet me in my room after class?" he purred into her ear.

She tapped him lightly on the nose with her quill, smiling mischievously, and returned to her notes. She loved him. She told him so every day. She had found her prince, the knight in shining armor that she had always read about as a child. The dark grey eyes, jet-black hair, and handsome smile still made her melt, and she wouldn't even allow herself to think about what was coming in his future anymore. If I stayed, I could stop it from happening, she thought, but quickly shook her head angrily. She knew she couldn't think like that. She couldn't be so selfish as to alter the future of the world just because she wanted to stay with him. She let her mind drift, however, allowing herself to imagine life with him, marrying him, having children, even watching her best friend grow up in the home of James and Lily Potter. She let herself think it, reminding herself every few minutes that it was just a fantasy, that it would never be real.

"Hermione, come on. Class is over," she heard Sirius's husky voice say, a sly grin on his face. "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Oh!" she said, looking around as the other students packed their things to leave.

"I've never seen you that carried away during a class," he said as they walked to the Great Hall.

"Well, I'm just a bit tired," she lied. "That's all."

"Still want to meet me upstairs?" he said, an eyebrow raised, and Hermione nodded.

They laughed together as they ran through the corridors to Gryffindor Tower, careless peals of laughter like only a couple in love has. They passed James and Peter on the way, who gave them quizzical looks, but Sirius put them off with a call over his shoulder.

"Be down to lunch in twenty minutes!" he said, barking a laugh and slipping a hand around Hermione's waist.

"More like two!" teased Peter in return.

Soon, they were running up the staircase and jumping into Sirius's bed. She lay back and he climbed on top of her. She held his long hair back so that it wouldn't tickle her face as they kissed. She could feel his hands roaming her body and tugging at the fastenings of her school skirt. Hermione pulled his shirt over his head and ran her fingers along his muscular chest. Soon, they were both nearly undressed: Sirius only in his boxers, his erection standing tall within them, and Hermione only in her lacy underwear.

Sirius knew she didn't like him to put his hand inside her panties, not anymore, after what had happened with Avery. The first time he'd done it after the Valentine's Day party, Hermione had panicked and scrambled out of the bed. Sirius had stared at her wide-eyed and mortified, and Hermione had felt ashamed and embarrassed. After that moment, he had held her hand and pulled her back to bed, kissing her tenderly and moving slowly, asking her at every moment if she was okay, what he should do differently, and what she liked. His gentleness had made her fall in love with him all over again.

So, instead of slipping his hands inside her panties, he waited for her to take them off herself, watching her with reverence as she exposed herself. He let out a throaty groan when she spread her legs and beckoned him between them. Hermione thought he would position himself at her entrance and kiss her, but instead, he put his mouth to her center, using his tongue to coax her to arousal. She felt him wrap his lips around her clitoris, gently licking and sucking it until she was fisting her hands in the sheets and crying out. His hands on her hips held her still against his mouth, but when the wave crashed over her, even his strong grip couldn't keep her from bucking off the bed. Sirius grinned at her and wiped his mouth with his hand before he met her lips in a kiss.

His cock was standing to attention, and Hermione was hungry for it. He began to stroke it slowly, staring at her naked body. She shifted, bringing his erection in front of her face. This she had never done, and when she experimentally took the head into her mouth, she looked up at him. His expression was awestruck.

"Oh, fuck, Hermione," he said in a gravelly whisper.

She wasn't entirely sure of what she was doing, but she listened to his moans and tried to replicate them, swirling her tongue around him and trying to get down as far as she could on his shaft, though it felt like she was hardly halfway before she began to gag. She wasn't sure how long she'd been between his legs before he pulled her head off him.

"I want to fuck you," said Sirius.

Hermione nodded and smiled at him. She began to lay down on her back, but he shook his head, a devious grin on his face.

"On all fours," he whispered. "Please."

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she felt her face split into a nervous grin. She flipped over and felt his strong hands positioning her, lifting her hips a bit and creating an arch in her back that made her feel wanton and sexy. He cast a contraceptive charm, and then, she felt the head of his cock at her entrance. He pushed into her slowly, earning an involuntary whimper from her. He groaned when he was finally sheathed inside of her.

"Oh my god, Sirius," she cried.

Her words elicited a gruff moan from him as he began slamming into her. It hurt, it felt good, it created a deep, building ache inside her that she'd never felt before. His fingers were digging into her skin, his hands grabbed her hair roughly, pulling her head back.

"Does that feel good?" he asked coarsely.

"Yes!" she breathed.

His thrusting was becoming more erratic as he approached climax, but she was feeling an unusual new buildup of pleasure inside her, a slow burn. Hermione was overwhelmed by the pleasurable sensations coursing through her, and simultaneously wanted it to stop and to never end.

"Don't stop," she whined.

Sirius gave a strangled groan and gripped her tighter, fighting against his body's eagerness. She was crying out wantonly, and then, her world exploded. She felt her inner walls clamp down on him as she shuddered from head to foot, endless waves of pleasure slamming into her and wetness pouring from her. Sirius roared in pleasure and finished himself inside her after two more powerful thrusts.

Sirius collapsed next to her, panting heavily. She could feel his heartbeat in his skin. His fingers grazed her body reverently as he caught his breath, but suddenly, they heard the door slam open and footsteps thunder in the room. Hermione shrieked.

"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry!" said Remus, covering his eyes. "I'm so sorry!"

Sirius was barking laughter as he pulled at the blankets to cover them. Remus was flushed scarlet, still covering his eyes. Hermione was giggling embarrassedly.

"Sorry!" repeated Remus.

"It's alright, Remus! This is your room! I'm so sorry!" said Hermione apologetically.

Once she and Sirius were both safely under the sheets and Sirius had barked, "it's safe!" Remus cautiously peeked his eyes open.

"Next time put a sock on the door handle or something," said Remus, his lips quirking into a smile as he made his way over to his trunk to pull out some school supplies.

"Eh, where's the fun in that?" said Sirius, grinning.

Sirius awoke early on Saturday morning to find James pacing the room nervously. It was the last Quidditch match of the year, and they'd be playing Ravenclaw. James was frantic, his broom in his hand as he muttered to himself. Sirius laughed and clapped him on the shoulder before they all headed downstairs. Lily and Hermione were waiting for them wearing bright Gryffindor colors. Lily spun around, showing that her shirt was emblazoned with "POTTER" across the back. James raced to her, picked her up, and spun her around once before kissing her solidly on the lips.

"You'll do great," Lily said, trying to give him a reassuring kiss on the cheek, but James was absently buttering his toast for about ten minutes before Lily took it from him.

"You've put together a wonderful team," Hermione said.

"Ravenclaw's Keeper is incredible," James muttered. "And we have to win this match if there's any hope to win the Quidditch cup."

"Well, Gryffindor's Seeker can't be beat," said Sirius, eyeing Amanda Jones, who had appeared next to the girls wearing her Quidditch robes. She beamed.

James just nodded silently as they headed down to breakfast, though it didn't appear that he had much appetite. Finally, he stood and looked around.

"Alright, team, let's go do it," said James, and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team stood, climbing over their benches, and followed him out of the Great Hall.

Privately, based on the dark, nervous looks on the team's faces, Sirius was quite glad he had not tried out for the team after all. Sirius escorted Hermione to the Quidditch pitch and they took their places in the stands with Remus, Peter, and Lily. The game was fast and exciting; Ravenclaw's Keeper, true to James's word, allowed very few goals. James and the other Gryffindor Chasers sent the Quaffle soaring at the goal hoops over and over again, but they were only able to score three goals. Meanwhile, Ravenclaw's Beaters kept launching the Bludgers at Gryffindor's Keeper, a new player in his Third year, and Ravenclaw was slowly pulling ahead. The score was for Ravenclaw, 90 to 30, but then, as expected, Amanda Jones came through. Hermione gasped next to him when Amanda sped toward the Snitch, which was hovering directly next over James's head, and won the game for Gryffindor.

The party afterward was uproarious. Hermione had a feeling that McGonagall knew it was going on but didn't have the heart to come and stop them, probably as excited about the win as they were. The Marauders were lacking their usual supply of Firewhiskey. Sirius was trying to avoid it after the Ravenclaw party, but he had made sure there was plenty of Butterbeer to go around. When things were beginning to die down and the First and Second years had retired to their dormitories, Sirius took Hermione over to the chair next to the fireplace.

"I love you," he whispered, placing his lips softly on hers.

"I love you," she replied, blushing slightly.

He lifted her chin and let his lips meet hers. He felt her relax and close her eyes as the kiss deepened. He let his hand graze her arms, her ribcage, down her leg. He loved it when she ran her small hands through his hair. He made a mental note never to cut it, if only because he wanted her to do that to him for the rest of his life. The rest of my life? he thought to himself, surprised. Bloody Professor Lightfoot was probably right.

At that thought, Sirius chuckled, making Hermione narrow her eyes at him quizzically. He shook his head and pulled her into his lap, running his fingers over her face, down the side of her neck, nuzzling his nose into her hair and drinking in her smell. It was intoxicating, and it made his mind spin. He held her close to him until it was late and they both were too tired to stay awake any longer.

"Come up with me?" he whispered.

Tiredly, Hermione and Sirius climbed the staircase to his dormitory and sneaked into his bed, closing the curtains around them. Hermione closed her eyes, feeling his fingers stroking her back as she fell asleep.

The next day was Sunday, which tended to mean a relaxing morning and a hectic afternoon. Hermione ate her breakfast next to Sirius, prepared to enjoy the morning before she was bombarded with requests for homework help later in the day. Lily plopped down across from her, grinning madly, and when James slipped in beside her a moment later, Hermione had a feeling she knew what they had been up to. She'd passed Lily going up the stairs to the dormitory just as she was coming down.

She and Sirius finished breakfast first and went back upstairs to the Common Room. It was nearly deserted, most of the students outside enjoying the first warm day of the year. Hermione pictured James and Lily sitting under their favourite tree, with Remus and Peter laughing beside them. She lay her head on Sirius's shoulder, enjoying just being with him. She was giving him feathery kisses all over his scruffy face, watching his eyes sparkle with laughter. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and chuckled, and she snuggled into his arms, kissing every inch of him happily. Hermione breathed in deeply, smelling the sage and leather scent that was so very Sirius.

"Guess what?" Sirius said, kissing her bushy hair.

"What?"

"I got that tattoo yesterday," he said mischievously.

"Sirius! When?" Hermione said with mock reproach.

"I sneaked away last night after you fell asleep. Did you know those parlors are open all night?" he said with a sexy grin.

Hermione laughed and kissed him, about to ask him what on earth he had decided to tattoo himself with. She was interrupted, however, when the portrait hole swung open and Professor McGonagall stepped into the Common Room.

"Miss Granger," she said, with a very serious expression on her stern face. "You'll need to come with me."

Hermione's breath suddenly caught in her chest. She knew just by the Professor's voice that this would be it. Dumbledore had found a way. He wouldn't be calling for her again if he hadn't. She was going to leave him. The kisses, the laughter, the love, it was all going to end. She stared at the Professor, mouth agape, unable to move. Finally, Sirius nudged her slightly.

"Go on," he said.

She turned to him, looking into his grey eyes that were still twinkling in happiness. He smiled at her broadly and winked, and Hermione nearly burst into tears. She bit her lip and, without any regard for the Professor standing just a few feet away, she kissed Sirius passionately on the mouth. He seemed surprised, almost unwilling to return the kiss with McGonagall watching, but when the Professor said nothing, he wrapped his arms gently around her back and returned the kiss. She pulled away from him, and his eyebrow furrowed when he saw the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he said as she stood, reaching for her hand.

"Sirius," she interrupted. "I love you."

She bent down and kissed him once more, holding his face in her hands. She broke away and he looked at her imploringly, the concern and worry apparent on his face.

"Hermione, what-"

"Don't. Please, I can't explain anything," she insisted, silencing him with a hand on his mouth. "Just know how much I love you."

She gave him one last kiss, her tears falling onto his cheeks, and turned quickly to leave the room. McGonagall wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulled her out of the room. She felt Sirius's eyes boring into her back, but she couldn't turn. She couldn't bear to look at him again. Hermione felt as though she were about to collapse. She was never going to see him again. She was returning to her time, and in her time, Sirius Black, the young, vibrant, handsome man who laughed like a bark and knew exactly how to touch her, was dead. Hermione felt a sob escape her, and McGonagall squeezed her tighter as they walked.

"I'm so sorry," said the professor quietly.

Professor McGonagall led her through the winding corridors, the very same hallway where Hermione had raced, panicked, to Dumbledore's office the day she arrived. She hiccupped softly and felt McGonagall's hand on her shoulder grip a bit tighter. When they arrived at the entrance to Dumbledore's office, she turned.

"I know this has been a difficult situation, Miss Granger," the Professor said, very seriously. "But it's time for you to return."

Hermione nodded, unable to open her mouth for fear of crying.

"I look forward to seeing you in the future," McGonagall said finally, patting her back and sending her up the winding stairs.

Hermione stepped into Dumbledore's office. She gazed around, seeing the many portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses looking down at her. She saw Fawkes the Phoenix perched in the corner, dozing where he stood. She saw the cabinet that held Dumbledore's Pensieve, and then, she saw something next to his desk. It looked like a mix between a pane of glass and a waterfall. Hermione sighed, trying to hold in her tears, and waited for the Headmaster to turn and greet her.

"Hello, Miss Granger," he said softly.

"Hello, Headmaster," she replied, her gaze downcast.

"An interesting thing, time," he commented. "Just when we think we understand it, it reveals a new facet of itself."

Hermione just nodded, her bottom lip still quivering slightly.

"This device is quite amazing," he said. "I believe I will be able to send you to the precise day you came back."

Hermione was about to cry again. She was clawing desperately at any hope she could. Her mind was screaming at her to stay, to help them, to keep them all safe.

"Sir, I really don't want to go back-"

"Miss Granger," said Dumbledore in a patient voice.

"If I stayed, I could save them, save you!" she said with a sob, throwing all caution to the wind.

"Miss Granger," he said insistently this time.

She buried her face in her hands, willing herself not to cry. Dumbledore led her to the shimmering, translucent surface beside his desk. It was a beautiful device, but somehow it looked ominous as she approached it.

"Goodbye, Hermione Granger," he said, his eyes twinkling with happiness or sadness, she couldn't tell which.

With a final gaze a Dumbledore, she took a deep breath and pressed her hand to the surface of the shining pane. It felt cool to the touch and not like water at all, more like a soft gel on her hand. She felt her hand extend beyond the shimmering surface, and she stepped through, leaving all that she had known for the past six months behind.

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Author's Note: Sorry!