CHAPTER 15

Hermione was standing in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place finishing up the dishes late at night after everyone had already gone up to bed. Nearly all the Order had been over that night to celebrate the anniversary of Voldemort's death. How had it already been a year? Hermione felt like she'd been living in a fog, punctuated only by the occasional flurry of activity. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were forced to testify in court against dozens of Death Eaters as the Aurors tried to round up the last of Voldemort's supporters, and they'd made their fair share of enemies in doing so.

In fact, just the night before, Hermione and Harry had encountered a few of them. A ceremony was planned for the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat, and Hermione had dragged Harry up to the Ministry to rehearse for it. They'd been alone on the lower floors late at night when a final cadre of Death Eaters, the only few that remained at large, had appeared in a last attempt to gain control over the Wizarding world. With or without Voldemort, there were evil wizards who demanded Pureblood supremacy and hated Harry Potter for what he'd done.

The battle was heated. Hermione and Harry had somehow managed to stand their ground against half a dozen Death Eaters, but Harry had a deep gash on one arm to show for it. Thankfully, Ginny was in training to be a healer, and upon their return to Grimmauld Place, she had run her wand along it to ensure it wouldn't leave another permanent scar to match the one on his forehead.

But now, at long last, it was all over. Every last Death Eater dead or behind bars. After the ceremony, nearly the entire Order met up at Grimmauld Place for dinner and drinks. Harry had a smile on his face the entire night like she had never seen; he seemed serene for the first time in his life. He had a casual arm draped around Ginny all night, who seemed elated that they could finally be together. Hermione smiled thinking about it, and then she sighed and mechanically washed and dried a plate. It was all over now. What would she do to pass the time? To keep her going through the fog? She stared at a calendar hanging on the wall. One year since Voldemort's defeat. Two years since she graduated from Hogwarts. Three years since she went back in time…

Sirius.

She shook her head. That line of thinking never went well for her. Even three years later, tears could still show up unbidden at the thought of him. Hermione was just lifting the plate up to the top shelf of the cabinet when she heard the front door creak open. She lowered down from her tip toes, still holding the plate in her hands, glancing at her wand sitting next to the sink. She heard shuffling footsteps walking toward the kitchen, and though she knew Voldemort was gone and his followers defeated, her heart raced. When the footsteps rounded the corner and the surprise guest stood in the kitchen, Hermione dropped the plate, sending porcelain shards scattering across the kitchen floor with a loud clang.

An ashen faced man with tousled black hair was stumbling to the counter. He looked up at her with familiar grey eyes.

"You're dead," whispered Hermione, and then, she grabbed her wand and pointed it at his throat. "WHO ARE YOU?"

"Hermione, it's me," he said in a croaked voice, gripping onto the counter to hold himself up.

Had a Death Eater escaped them the night before? Had they failed to capture them all? What kind of evil, sadistic person would come into this house wearing that face? Her wand arm was shaking as she pointed it at him. She was angry. She was devastated. She was livid.

"You sick bastard! I don't know who you are or why you're playing this disgusting game but I want you OUT OF THIS HOUSE!" bellowed Hermione, her voice trembling as much as her arm.

"It's me!" he said, holding his hands out in front of him. "Please!"

He was stumbling a little, leaning against the counter so he didn't fall over. Hermione's heart was racing, tears pricking the corners of her eyes and blurring her vision. What kind of vicious prank was this?

"You are CRUEL! You are LYING!" she shrieked.

"I'm not lying!" said the man.

"PROVE IT!" she said, her throat swelling and a quavering note in her voice.

Her hands were sweaty and her wand fluttered in her hand, but still she held it pointed straight between his eyes. It couldn't be him. Her face was burning hot, and tears were leaking from her eyes in fury and despair. The man shook his head a bit, as though clearing it, and then, he looked Hermione in the eyes.

"You spent your seventh year at Hogwarts in 1977 with me," he said, his voice gravelly. "We introduced you to our tree. You invented Wolfsbane for Remus. We went to James's house for Christmas and made love for the first time there."

Hermione's face was contorted with grief, panic, and a surge of hope that absolutely terrified her. Her wand hand was shaking in earnest, her breath heaving in her chest.

"You sat next to me in Arithmancy. You got assaulted by Avery at a Valentine's Day party," he said, his eyes shining now. "I'm so sorry about that, by the way."

"Oh!" Hermione croaked, and she dropped her wand to the floor, her hand gripping her chest as though it could slow her rushing heartbeat.

He sat down in one of the chairs, his head drooping to one side as though he barely had enough energy to lift it. His eyelids were falling shut, and his handsome face was sunken and exhausted. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. What she was hearing.

"What else?" she whispered, not daring to believe.

"You knew about my Animagus form before I told you about it," he said in a low whisper, like the effort of speaking was beginning to be too much for him. "You knew because you'd met me… Snuffles… when you were fourteen…"

For a moment, Hermione thought her heart had stopped completely. She stepped over to him, placing her hands on either side of his face. He looked up at her.

"Hermione," he murmured.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

A strangled cry left her lips. She sank down into his lap, her arms embracing him tightly, her eyes screwed shut. She felt him wrap his arms around her body as she nuzzled her nose into his black hair. He was murmuring soothing words in her ear, and her tears began to flow against his face as a great violent sob left her. Then, she felt his arms go slack. She pulled back suddenly and saw that he had passed out, his head lolling terrifyingly on his shoulders.

"Sirius!" she said, shaking his shoulders. "SIRIUS!"

When he didn't wake, she shouted for help. She heard doors slam open and feet thunder down the stairs. When she turned, she saw Harry, Ron, George, Molly, and Arthur all standing in the kitchen staring at Hermione Granger, wiping tears from her face and sitting in Sirius Black's lap.

"I think I might be sick," said Ron, looking green.

"Where did he . . . how did you . . . what is he . . ." Harry stuttered.

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione said, wiping tears from her face. "He stumbled in the kitchen while I was washing dishes."

"IT'S NOT HIM!" shouted Harry. "IT'S AN IMPOSTOR!"

"It's not!" said Hermione. "Oh, Harry, he knew things only he could know! It's him!"

"Like what?!" asked Harry.

Hermione's mouth dropped open, unsure of what to say.

"Like… like about Snuffles!" she said, and Harry stared at Sirius, seeing on his face the same terrifying hope she'd felt.

Molly rushed up to the still unconscious Sirius, elbowing Hermione out of her way to pat his face gently. Hermione reluctantly pulled herself out of Sirius's lap, but she wouldn't take her hand from his shoulder. She couldn't bear to stop touching him. It was as if he'd leave her again if she stopped, and nothing had been the same since she'd left him, since he'd died. But he hadn't died, Hermione thought to herself, bewildered.

"He feels so cold," Molly said, her expression grave. "Someone wake Ginny. She's better at healing than I am."

George turned and dashed up the stairs to wake his sister. Hermione looked around the room, from face to shocked face, until her eyes settled on Harry. He looked pale and terrified.

"Sirius," Harry said softly, and then he turned on his heel and left the room, passing Ginny as she entered.

Ginny's eyes followed Harry, but when she turned to see what everyone had woken her up for, her jaw dropped. She froze in place and babbled while she tried to comprehend the situation.

"Ginny, he's gone cold. He seems barely alive. Can you heal him?" Molly asked, shaking her daughter's shoulders to bring her to awareness.

Ginny nodded stoically. She had been training at St. Mungo's for the last year. She began barking orders, telling her mother to bring her a Fire Potion to bring his body temperature back to normal and making George and Ron fetch blankets. She reached in her pocket for her wand and muttered a spell that made Sirius's eyes flutter. Hermione held her breath. Ginny held his face and forced him to look at her.

"What is your name?" she demanded.

"Sirius Black," he mumbled, his head lolling to one side as if he were about to lose consciousness again.

"No, no, no. You're staying awake, Mr. Black," Ginny insisted, lifting his face back to the upright position. "Tell me about yourself."

He didn't answer, so she smacked the side of his face gently before murmuring another spell.

"Tell me about yourself," repeated Ginny.

"I'm a convicted murderer," he mumbled, still barely awake.

"Good, good," Ginny said, glancing around waiting for blankets and the potion and trying to think of anything she could ask him to keep his attention up. "Do you know where you are?"

"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," said Sirius, his eyes still shut.

Ginny cast a spell that seemed to bring back some of the color into his drained face. Hermione tightened the grip on his shoulder as George and Ron appeared with blankets. Ginny wrapped them tightly around Sirius's weak form, and then footsteps were heard clomping down the stairs.

"Remus has the potion," Molly said, followed by Remus, whose face was as ashen as Sirius's was.

"Give it to me," Ginny said.

Remus was frozen to the spot.

"Give it to me!" Ginny repeated impatiently.

He handed her the potion, staring vacantly at Sirius, who was wrapped in three woolen blankets and muttering softly. Ginny very slowly poured the vial into his mouth, and he drank gratefully. They all sat in silence, waiting for the potion to take effect. Ginny placed a gently hand on his forehead and sighed.

"He's getting warmer," she said. "He was as cold as ice. I didn't think he'd make it."

Ginny kept whispering spells and feeding him more of the Fire Potion, trying to bring him back to full consciousness, but his skin was still cool.

"Hermione, what happened?" Remus asked incredulously, looking at her with an open mouth.

Hermione still could not let go of Sirius's shoulder. She felt the heat beginning to emanate from him as the potion took its effect.

"I heard the front door open," she relayed softly. "I was frightened, but then . . . he walked in. I didn't know what to do. At first, I thought he was a Death Eater in disguise, but he knew… he knew things no one else could."

She paused, her eyes looking at Remus pleadingly. He stared back at her, mouth agape.

"Then, he just sort of fell into the chair. I . . . I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry," said Hermione.

"Don't be sorry!" Ginny insisted as she continued healing him, her wand moving slowly against Sirius's chest. "Don't! If you hadn't been down here when he walked in . . ."

"He would have died," came a quiet voice from the staircase. It was Harry.

Hermione nodded solemnly.

"I couldn't have handled him dying," Harry said. "Not again. Hermione . . . thank you."

Hermione smiled, tears sparkling in her eyes. Sirius began to stir in his chair. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and every muscle in his body tensed. He leapt from the chair. Sirius had a maddened look in his eye as his gaze searched the room around him. He looked from the Weasleys to Remus to Harry.

"Sirius," Remus said, stepping forward. "Do you know who I am?"

Sirius relaxed slightly and nodded.

"Moony," he answered.

"What form does my Patronus take?" pressed Remus.

"A wolf. A werewolf," said Sirius gruffly.

"And what about James? What was his?"

"A stag," he answered.

"And what did you leave in Snape's bag after that first Order meeting at Grimmauld Place?"

Sirius grinned tiredly.

"Dungbombs."

Remus let out a disbelieving laugh and took three long strides to his old friend, clasping his arms around him tightly. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This was Sirius, and it appeared as though he might survive whatever ordeal he had come through. Sirius collapsed back into the chair as Ginny lay a warm rag across his forehead.

"Where's Hermione?" Sirius asked quietly.

"I'm here," said Hermione, kneeling in front of him and taking his hands.

"I just want to lay down," he said in an exhausted voice.

Everyone nodded, murmuring amongst themselves, and Remus and George came to either side of him to help him up. Sirius stumbled to his feet, and they led him down the hall to the spare bedroom, the one that had once belonged to him. Ginny and Hermione followed. Once he was in bed, Ginny placed the tip of her wand against his head and softly cast a spell.

"It will let him rest without falling too deep into sleep," Ginny said. "We want to make sure he wakes up. You go on, I'm going to clean him up a bit."

Hermione nodded and sat on the bed. She couldn't believe what had happened. She wanted more than anything for Sirius to come through this. She wanted him to look at her, to remember. She wanted to have him back. She stroked his long black hair lightly, took a deep breath, and reluctantly left the room.

"I still think I might be sick," said Ron.

"It's quite a shock," Arthur added.

"I can't believe it," Molly said.

"Neither can I," said Remus said, eyeing Hermione.

There was a long pause. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. It was finally Harry who broke into a huge grin.

"I'm so glad to have him back," Harry said with a smile and a laugh.

Hermione laughed too and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, and soon she felt Ginny join them as well. Hermione pulled back. She was elated, like everyone, but it was overwhelming. It was too much. She felt tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"Hermione?" Remus asked.

Hermione's body shuddered, and she almost fell to her knees. Remus appeared at her side, wrapping his arms around her to hold her up as she cried onto his chest.

"I never thought I'd see him again," she said through tears, as Remus held her close. "When I came back from . . . from . . . then, I thought it was over. I thought he was . . ."

"Oh, Hermione," Remus said, his chin resting on top of her head. "I know."

When she pulled back from Remus's embrace, everyone in the room was staring at her confusedly. Remus gave a shake of his head to Molly, who'd been about to ask, and Harry gave a sort of shrug before gazing at the door to Sirius's room with patent longing.

"Let him rest," Remus said to Harry. "He's not going anywhere. I promise."

Everyone started filing upstairs one at a time, heading back to bed, but Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to sleep without seeing him. The man she loved was back. She had to go to him, just to make sure it had been real. She crept across the floor noiselessly. Hermione creaked the door open and shut it quietly behind her. He was lying on his side, facing away from her, his ragged shirt clinging to the sharp bones of his shoulder blades. He looked thin and weary. The last time she had seen him, he was eighteen and handsome and vivacious. She slowly sank down next to him, lightly tracing his arm through the blanket. He stirred slightly and she pulled away, but when he appeared to sink back to sleep, she let out a heavy sigh. Hermione crawled under the blankets behind him and wrapped an arm around him, snaking it between his arm and his waist. She rested there, letting herself drink in his smell and feel his hair against her face. She was home.

She knew she'd fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, her eyes were fluttering open and sunlight was streaming in through the curtains. The door to the bedroom creaked, and Hermione's eyes shot open. She froze in place and heard a gasp from the doorway. Hermione winced. She wasn't sure she wanted to know who had seen her holding onto Sirius as he slept. She slowly, painfully rolled over and saw Ginny with her hand clamped on her mouth.

"For Merlin's sake, Ginny, close the door!" Hermione hissed, and Ginny obeyed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, shocked.

"Forget that for now and check on him. Is he coming along alright?" asked Hermione.

Ginny came over to the bed next to Hermione and felt Sirius's face. She nodded as he began to mutter something softly.

"He's looking okay," she said. "Now tell me what you're doing wrapped around him!"

Hermione sighed and fell back on the bed next to Sirius. She looked over at him and then at Ginny. How could she explain?

"It's a very long story," said Hermione.

"Give me the short version," Ginny replied, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Oh, Ginny," said Hermione. "Do you remember in my seventh year, when there were a few months at the end that I wasn't myself? You and Ron and Harry all kept bothering me about it. You said I wasn't the same, that something must have happened."

"Yes," said Ginny, her eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Something had happened. A Time Turner had gone quite wrong, and I ended up at Hogwarts with Harry's parents," Hermione began.

"Harry's parents?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell him? He would have been thrilled to know what they were like!"

"Ginny, think about it. Who else was at Hogwarts then?" said Hermione.

Ginny stared at her in confusion. Then, her eyes widened and darted to the man sleeping on the bed next to them.

"Sirius?! You and… you and Sirius?!" exclaimed Ginny, her hand over the heart dramatically. "How could you? After knowing him as an adult?! After knowing what would happen to him?"

"I didn't mean to," said Hermione desperately. "I really didn't. But I stayed there for six months. And while I was there . . . I . . ."

"Fell in love," Ginny finished for her, a look of understanding flitting across her face. "Merlin's Beard!"

"I know," said Hermione miserably.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry."

Ginny sat silently in thought for a while, as if she were trying to make heads or tails of the information she'd just received. Hermione watched her knit her brows together resolutely and take a deep breath.

"Well, listen, I know what it's like to be in love with someone and not be able to have them," Ginny said wistfully, and Hermione smiled at her. "You stay here with him. He'll come 'round fairly quickly. I'll keep everyone else away for a bit."

"Ginny, you're the best," Hermione whispered. "Thank you."

Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand as she disappeared quietly out the door.

Hermione heard her tell everyone outside that Sirius was fine, but that no one was to disturb him until after lunch. Hermione smiled to herself and looked down at him. He was sleeping but beginning to slowly stir. She crawled into the bed again, nestling herself next to him so she could gaze at his handsome face, which already had more color and life than it had the night before. She ran a finger down his nose and then rolled over so that her back was pressed against his chest. She pulled his arm around her waist and relaxed, feeling his breath tickle her softly on her neck.

"I love you, Sirius," she whispered, squeezing his hand.

"I love you, too, Hermione," he mumbled softly.

(())

Author's Note: You didn't think I'd leave him dead, did you? Reviewers get a Sirius Black, age of your choice, stumbling into your kitchen late at night :)