A/N: I'm throwing in my entry for the 'Love Song Challenge' on HPFC. My song was Love Hurtsby Incubus. It's my first attempt at a songfic, so don't hate me if I didn't do that great with it. As always, quotes from various challenges in bold.

The bike roared to a stop in a parking spot in front of an interesting looking bar. If she was paying attention to what was going on she would notice that most of the people on the street were walking right by the place as if it didn't exist. The two that did enter while they were locking the bike up waited until there was a break in the foot traffic to scurry inside.

As they entered Hermione was amazed. Clusters of couches and large poufs were scattered throughout, making the place look much larger than it did from the outside. Strands of lights hung haphazardly around, making the walls look as if they were covered in tiny stars. Lanterns hung in the air...

"Wait a minute..." she muttered, eyes darting around. Lanterns hanging of their own accord, drinks mixing themselves behind the bar, music coming from what seemed like the walls themselves, too big for the front. "Sirius!" she jokingly hit his arm. "All the bars in Australia, and you manage to find a Wizarding one?"

Sirius was smiling, amused at the situation. "You can see it was well as I. I didn't know it wasn't there for Muggles."

Hermione rolled her eyes, stepped to the bar, and ordered a drink. "Jell-o shot, Sirius?"

"Somehow I just can't imagine you taking a Jell-o shot," he smirked.

She responded by downing the shot the bartender put in front of her, then paying for her drink and Sirius' beer. They made their way through the bar to an empty couch with three surrounding poufs.

"Forgive me for bringing you to a Wizard bar?" Sirius asked, a fake pathetic look on his face.

Hermione pretended to be thinking. "I guess so. But only because that massage put me in a really good mood."

"Oh, well, thank Merlin," he said sitting back confidently. "It is a nice little place, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded, but still had the feeling of eyes on her. The feeling was explained immediately by the appearance of thee witches and two wizards. They stood just outside of the circle made by the couch and three poufs, looking at them out of the corner of their eyes, making Hermione feel uncomfortable. Beside her Sirius placed an arm around her protectively as he straightened up.

"Do you think we should leave?" he murmured.

Before she could answer one of the witches broke from the group and approached them. "Are you..." she started, looking nervous, "are you Hermione Granger?"

Hermione was shocked. "Yes," she answered slowly.

The girl visibly relaxed. "I've read all about you in the paper," she sat on the pouf next to Sirius. The rest of the group came over, taking seats on the poufs, one on the couch, one standing. "I'm Annemarie. These are Patsy, Jason, Troy, and Cyril," she pointed to each of her friends, who all waved awkwardly as they were announced. "We've heard so much about you, we followed the whole thing with Voldemort..."

She stopped as Sirius visibly shuddered.

Tonight we drink to youth, and holding fast to truth

Don't want to lose what I had as a boy

"What's wrong?" the standing Wizard, now known to be Troy, asked Sirius.

"Would you like to sit while I explain?" Sirius asked, and before Hermione could protest he scooped her up in his arms and placed her on his lap.

Hermione couldn't help but feeling a fire start smoldering in her abdomen, but she didn't protest. Sirius wouldn't do this without a good reason, and it wasn't like she wasn't enjoying it.

"I shuddered," Sirius said, "because we don't speak his name."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Fear of a name..." she started.

"I know," Sirius interrupted. "Only increases fear of the thing itself. But that doesn't mean he didn't kill most of my friends and that I want to be reminded of him."

"You look familiar," Cyril said in a tone that reminded Hermione of Luna.

Neither one of them replied.

"Black," Jason said excitedly. "You're Sirius Black! There were wanted posters of you in every Wizarding establishment a few years ago, but they were taken down a little while ago."

Sirius looked down. He didn't want to talk about it.

"What are you doing on this side of the world?" Annemarie asked.

"Vacation," Hermione replied. "After the final battle and all that we decided that that we needed to get away."

Patsy nodded. "It sounded like you guys were having a rough time of it over in England."

Hermione looked away. She didn't feel like discussing the war or anything she had been up to recently. Sirius, in an instinctual move, grabbed one of her hands with his and started stroking it.

My heart still has a beat, but love is now a feat

As common as a cold day in LA

Sparks flew from the tips of each of his fingers through her skin and up her arm. It took all her strength to not show a reaction to the touch. The embers in her abdomen flared up suddenly.

"So what was it like? Trying to destroy the Horcruxes?" Patsy asked, leaning forward excitedly.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Hermione murmured. "Kind of why I came on vacation, you know?"

The group nodded.

"So," Annemarie asked, looking from Sirius to Hermione. "Are you two an item now?"

Sirius' arm snaked around her waist. "We're seeing where it's going," he lied.

Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder

Is there a spell that I am under

Keeping me from seeing the real thing?

He was only protecting her, but she was somewhat hurt by the lie. Why was he being so possessive if he didn't have any intentions of pursuing her? Why was he causing this fire? Why couldn't he let her go find another to quench the flame if he was unwilling to do it himself?

He looked into Hermione's face and could tell she was conflicted, she had been ever since he had hoisted her onto his lap. But he could smell the newcomers, and he did not trust Troy. His senses told him that his sights were set on Hermione, and that he wanted her for no other purpose than to say that he had her. He wouldn't let her go with him. He would do what it took to make it seem like they were together. But having Hermione on his lap was making it hard for him to concentrate. He wanted to reach forward, to kiss her neck, to smell her hair, to taste her. It was driving him nuts.

"What was it like in Azkaban?" someone asked, and since the question was so obviously directed at him it brought him back into the conversation.

"Horrible," he answered truthfully.

"How did you escape?"

Sirius shook his head and answered miserably, "A magician never reveals all his secrets."

Hermione read his expression and placed an arm around him in comfort.

Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt

And it feels like I'm alive

Love sings when it transcends the bad things

Have a heart and try me

'Cuz without love I won't survive

He couldn't help but rest his head in her welcoming arms. The only way to keep the memories of his years surrounded by Dementors was to breathe in her warm and familiar scent. Relief flooded through his body as he took her in, and he found it more difficult to resist her.

"What are you planning on doing here?" Patsy asked in a friendly voice. "We can help you find the best Wizarding attractions..."

"Oh, no," Hermione responded with a smile. "We were kind of traveling as Muggles. Staying in a Muggle hotel, eating at Muggle restaurants, going to Muggle attractions."

Cyril smiled warmly. "On my tour around the world, at graduation, I came across a little pub in London that I had no idea was Wizarding, though I should have known by the name. The Smoking Cauldron or something like that."

"The Leaky Cauldron," Hermione corrected. "It hides the entrance to Diagon Alley."

"Yes, my second cousin told me all about Diagon Alley, and I was dying to see it. But she neglected to tell me how to get in, just which neighborhood it was in, and it was lucky I came across the pub."

"Your second cousin lives in London?"

"Oh, no, no where near it, but she does much of her shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley. Her name is Luna Lovegood, ever heard of her?"

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed, a broad smile crossing her face. "Of course I know Luna! She's a good friend."

"I didn't know. I haven't spoken to her in a couple years."

"Well, she's been through a lot recently. She was held prisoner by Voldemort." Sirius shuddered again, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she'd be better at telling the tale than I would. I didn't even see her there, I was..."

I'm fettered and abused

I stand naked and accused

Should I surface this one man submarine

I only want the truth

So tonight we drink to youth

I'll never lose what I had as a boy

Sirius didn't think about what he was doing. He just wrapped his arms around Hermione. Harry had told him about what had happened between Hermione and Bellatrix, and he couldn't believe how brave she was. He needed to make sure she didn't have to remember that night. He reached up and wiped a tear away from her face and resisted the urge to kiss her. It was getting more and more difficult. He was starting to feel more and more like he was twenty years old again just thinking about her, holding her even more so. He began to wonder what she would do if he acted upon his urges.

She reached forward and finished her drink in one gulp, making sure that she avoided Sirius' eyes. When he had leaned forward she was sure he was going to kiss her, but he hadn't. It was maddening, the teasing he probably didn't know he was doing. She needed to drink, she felt the tension growing back inside her. She needed to feel as carefree as she had walking out of the salon earlier that day. A waitress appeared with another immediately, and before Sirius could move she handed over her money.

"What is Luna now, a seventh year?" Cyril asked nervously, noting Hermione's reaction to her last statement.

"Yes. She's at Hogwarts," Hermione replied.

"Oh, I'd love to go to Hogwarts," Troy smiled, leaning back. "I've heard such wonderful things, and the building must be beautiful."

"Where's the Wizarding School in Australia?" Hermione asked with curiosity.

"Oh, Merlin!" Sirius smirked. "You found something that Hermione doesn't know! Mark the date, this is never going to happen again."

"You're horrible, Sirius Black," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms and turning away from him. She moved to stand up and find somewhere else to sit.

He reached up, grabbed her, and held her on his lap. "You know you love me," he smiled at her.

"No, I hate you."

"There's a fine line between love and hate," he smirked.

"No, there is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries every twenty feet between love and hate. And right now, you're well into Mongolia."

Jason was laughing, Troy was looking Hermione up and down as if he were ready to pounce.

"I'll do my penance," Sirius murmured. "Please stay, Hermione."

Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder

Is there a spell that I am under

Keeping me from seeing the real thing?

A shiver went down her spine as he said her name quietly. What is he playing at? she thought angrily. What is this all about?

"Are the staff nice at Hogwarts?" Annemarie asked.

"Yes, very much so," Hermione said with enthusiasm. "And they're all so smart. We have some of the best teachers in the world."

"I would have loved to be in a school under Albus Dumbledore. We studied him in our History of Magic class, he must have been fascinating."

"He was," Hermione smiled. She knew Dumbledore wouldn't want her upset over his death. "But you never answered my question. Where's the Wizarding School in Australia?"

"It's actually in New Zealand," Annemarie replied. "It's built into the side of a mountain, so it's hard to come across."

"The thinner air helps us fly better in Quidditch," Jason threw in.

"And since it's so high up we can play above much of the weather," Troy added.

"And the cold keeps us on our toes."

"Incredible," Hermione smiled.

"What is?"

"That even in Australia all boys want to do is talk about Quidditch!"

Patsy and Annemarie started laughing.

"But Quidditch is awesome," Sirius protested.

"We like Quidditch as much as the next person, but it's not something we need to talk about every moment of every day," Patsy explained.

"Thank Merlin!" Hermione said excitedly. "I'm not the only one who thinks that way!"

"Of course you're not, it's part of this condition called being female," Jason rolled his eyes.

"It's a dangerous condition," Sirius smirked.

"Being anywhere near you is a dangerous condition," Hermione snapped.

"I take chances all the time. It's one of my worst qualities. And you know you love it, 'Mione," he leaned towards her.

Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt

And it feels like I'm alive

Love sings when it transcends the bad things

Have a heart and try me

'Cuz without love I won't survive

Oh, my God, is he going to do it? she thought, her body stiffening. He was getting closer. There was nothing she could do, she was unable to move.

She looked so beautiful when she was angry. He couldn't help himself. He leaned forward and caught her lips with his.

The warmth of his kiss spread all throughout her body, and she was able to move again. She leaned into him and her shaking hand came to rest on his shoulder. She forgot anyone else was sitting in the room, it was just her and Sirius. She wanted to hold him to her, to deepen the kiss, to make it last all night.

Instead he pulled away from her, his face difficult to read. He checked his watch. "'Mione, that show I wanted to watch is on soon. Do you mind if I leave?"

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Sirius looked conflicted as he looked from Hermione to Troy. "If you want to," he muttered.

Hermione got up, bade the group good-bye, and rushed after Sirius, who was already at the door. When she made it outside he was leaning in the front window of a taxi.

"I paid him to get you back," he muttered, sitting astride his bike. "I'll see you back at the hotel."

"But Sirius..." she said, but she was cut off as the bike roared to life. She watched as he sped down the street before she climbed into the taxi, trying not to cry.

'Cuz without love I won't survive

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