Chapter Three: You're the best Black for me
"You're so hypnotizing, could you be the devil, could you be an angel?"
-Katy Perry: ET
He came in the night. All the sudden a hand covered the mouth of the sleeping Hermione. "Mmmph!" Hermione mumbled as she woke up in a terror.
"Shh," It was Sirius.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione whisper-yelled.
"I'm here to speak with you," Sirius said, running his fingers through his shaggy hair, a nervous habit he'd picked up from James Potter.
"Is this about the contract?" Hermione asked.
"You knew about the bloody contract?" Sirius said louder than he had intended.
"Yes, your mother told me about it yesterday while you and your father went to Diagon Alley," Hermione told an outraged Sirius.
"Well?" Sirius said sharply.
"We don't have a choice Sirius. Just give me the damned ring tomorrow and we'll make the best of it. I spoke with Aunt Walburga about the terms of the contract and it doesn't have an infidelity clause. We can be with whomever we want to, just be careful where you stick your "wand". She wants her pureblooded grandbabies to be heirs of Slytherin," Hermione told him a bit harshly.
Sirius was quiet for a few moments, Hermione didn't know if he was trying to back out, or... "Is this what you want Hermione?" Sirius asked, for once living up to his name. He seemed genuinely worried about her.
"No, it isn't" Hermione told a suddenly alarmed Sirius. "But, to be honest, you're much better than Malfoy, the Lestranges, Zabini, or Avery. Those were my father's top choices for my Husband before you,"
Sirius nodded, understanding her path of thought. To be honest, he felt the same way. Hermione was she was a helluva lot better than any of the slytherin skanks his mother could have hooked him up with.
"Okay, I'll give you the ring tomorrow. Just be sure this is what you want," He looked her deep in the eyes.
"It is. I don't mind at all Sirius, you're not as bad as I once thought you were." Hermione said, tucking her legs beneath herself. Sirius was perched on her bed less than a foot away from her. It was quite absurd, this man-child that she'd known for so long, was going to be her husband. He was going to be the person she spent all of her life with. But she supposed it could be worse.
"Hermione," Sirius whispered. She looked back up, and he was quite closer to her than he'd ever been before. He wrapped his arms around her. "Shh. It's okay," Sirius said patting her hair. "Don't cry," He soothed. And for the first time since she'd been a child, Hermione could feel the tears, hot and wet trailing down her face.
Hermione woke a few hours later cradled in Sirius' arms. It was Christmas. She nudged Sirius awake. His eyelashes fluttered for a few seconds before they parted to reveal his smokey orbs. "Good morning, Princess," He smiled sleepily.
"Morning Sirius," Hermione said as she arose from her bed. "You're going to need to sneak out and go get dressed, unless you want me to call Kreature to bring you some clothes.
"Don't call Kreature, the barmy little elf will rat me out to Mother first chance he gets," Sirius said running his fingers through his hair again. "Well, Mother usually expects Reg and I to wear our pajamas downstairs to open our presents. Just get dressed, and wait here for a few minutes, I'm sure Mother will send Kreature to come get you," He said.
"Okay," She smiled slightly at the disheveled Sirius.
"Are you sure this is still what you want?" Sirius said pausing at the door.
"Yes," She paused. "You're the best Black for me," She smiled.
All at once Sirius crossed the floor in two strides and pecked Hermione on the lips. "Good," He said smirking that maddening smirk of his as he disappeared out her door.
Still shellshocked Hermione dressed in a daze. No sooner had she pulled her pale blue dress robes with silver fastenings over he head Kreature apparated into her room.
"Mistress asks Kreature to bring Little Mistress Black down to the sitting room, Mistress be's wanting to open presents with young master's."
"I'll be right down Kreature, I have to apply some hair potion to my hair," Hermione waved the little elf away.
Hermione grabbed her wand and her hair pulled up into an intricate up do and a hair piece from the Black Family vault that Aunt Walburga had given her flew from across the room into her hair. Her already flawless face needed no make up, but Hermione used two beauty spells every day, one was to whiten her teeth, and the other to redden her lips. She used both spells, and then swiped on a bit of that muggle mascara that Lily had given her last summer.
Hermione Black descended the stairs to be accosted by Sirius "I thought we generally wore pajamas on Christmas," Hermione said accusingly.
"I was just yanking your chain, love," Sirius through his head back and barked out a laugh.
"Siriusly?" Hermione said with a wide grin on her face, which Sirius returned.
"Siriusly, Love," The man-child in question said as he led her into the drawing room where an enormous tree with petrified pixies lighting it, and an assortment of decorations adorning it, the most important thing however was the giant pile of presents beneath it.
"This pile is Sirius'," Aunt Walbura pointed to a pile of packages wrapped in a golden paper.
"This is Regulus'," Hermione's Aunt said pointing to another pile of presents, this time wrapped in Gold.
"And these, Darling girl, are yours," Aunt Walburga said motioning to the largest pile presents, all wrapped in shiny black paper with gold and red ribbons.
"Oh thank you Aunt Walburga!" Hermione said as she flew to her own pile.
The three Black children (a/n: not to be weird, but all three of them are of the most Ancient and Noble house of Black, and still technically children...). sat down and made quick work of their gifts.
Sirius had gotten an assortment of items, including a new broom, as he'd made keeper on the Griffyndor quiddich team in second year. He also got a new potions kit, with a new brass cauldron, and many, many books. He also got a small black box with a red bow on it. Hermione of course, knew exactly what it was, Sirius looked surprised to see it, but he hid it well.
Regulus, much like Sirius, got books, a new potions set, a broom, and surprisingly Regulus got a black box too.
Hermione got a potions set, a book on beauty charms, even though she'd probably never need them. A certificate from Madame Malkin's for a new wardrobe of custom robes, including, a her wedding dress.
She also got a black box much bigger than either Sirius' or Regulus'. Upon inspection she realized they were inheritance jewels. They were jewels that had been in the Black family for centuries. Things that were from Walburga's vault.
'Why would she give these to me? Hermione thought to herself as she pulled out the faded silver necklace with the Black Family crest, and Toujours Pur engraved in the front.
"Thank you Aunt Walburga!" Hermione exclaimed. The necklace had come with a matching choker, bracelet, watch, and three rings. One ring engraved with the crest and motto, one plain metal with a serpent carved in it, it circled around the ring before meeting in the front where the serpent swallowed it's tail. Hermione guessed that was to be her wedding ring for all eternity, as the third ring in the set was clearly an engagement ring. It was black metal intricately wrought with a snake's scales carved into the metal, it ended in a snake's open maw, within which sat the largest diamond Hermione had ever seen.
"Hermione," Sirius said, she looked up, and his charcoal eyes burned in a way she'd never seen. He took the snake ring from her. "Hermione Cassiopeia Black,
Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
"Yes," Hermione said in a breathless whisper.
"Then it's settled," Sirius smirked in a very unsirius way. He swept her up in his arms and twirled her around once.
"I'm happy Sirius," She whispered into his ear as she spun him around. "I'm really happy."
Sirius barked a laugh as he set me back on my feet, "Me too, love."
The rest of the winter holiday's passed by in a blur. We attended a gala held by Abraxus Malfoy and his Wife. Hermione saw very little of his son, who had graduated a few years before, as he was attached at the hip to her cousin Narcissa, whom also wore an impressive rock on the fourth finger of her left hand.
Bella was there too, in the grasp of one of the Lestrange Brother's, she'd been engaged to him for quite some time, but this was the first time Hermione had actually seen Bella in the same room as the Lestrange brother in question.
Andromeda, surprisingly was absent. Andy had formed a tenuous friendship with Hermione as a study partner. Andy was a Ravenclaw, so she had quite the mind, her absence was unsettling, but not unusual. Andy wasn't the social butterfly her older sister's were.
Marlene was attached to Leo Zabini, a seventh year Slytherin, however Marlene did not have a ring on her finger.
But, perhaps the most shocking of the couples at the gala included James Potter with a timid Lily Evens halfway hidden behind James. Her white-blonde hair (a/n: if Lily had red hair, that would make all of Harry's children red headed, because Ginny was a redhead. Simple genetics people. It's not likely at all for two out of three children to have black hair, I don't care how strong Potter genes are...) cascading down her back, and a dress of icy blue. She was quite the sight to see, and unsurprisingly, she too had an engagement ring settled on her finger.
It seemed, that sixth year was the year for engagements. Hermione danced the night away in Sirius' arms, and the next day it was not Bella's nor Narcissa's, or Marlene's nor Lily's picture that was plastered across the Daily Prophet, it was Sirius and Hermione.
The title emblazoned in ink read: "Black heir and heiress to Marry." The enclosed dribble detailed the highlights of their "Young love", as confirmed by an 'anonymous friend'. Hermione nearly spit out her toast.
"Love," Sirius said taking the paper from her and taking her into his arms. "What they say doesn't matter, don't even read that garbage."
"Too late Sirius, I read the whole damned article," Aunt Walburga's eyes bulged from her head at the other end of the table. "I just can't believe it. Bella's engaged, so's Narcissa, and Lily, but they write an entire PROPHET about me? Everything from investment predictions about our family companies joining, to the gossip columns supposing I'm pregnant with our illegitimate heir, or that my family's gone broke. It's just not fair."
Hermione sniffed once and ran her own fingers through her hair, "Shh," Sirius said, "please, don't cry, not here."
"Okay," Hermione said. "I'm not feeling well, Aunt Walburga. I'll be spending my day in bed. Don't bother to send Kreature up with meals, it will just make me more ill."
Hermione saw neither hide nor hair of her good for nothing father. He was probably bowed down at Lord Voldemort's feet at that very moment. As far as she was concerned he was a traitor to his family name, and unworthy of the title of Lord Black.
Alphard Black was a cruel man, he often delighted in beating his lessons into his only child. Which of course, Hermione did not take too kindly. However, the last two times Hermione had came back to her Manor, her father was gone, and the house elves had no clue where the bastard had gone.
Not that Hermione cared much. She came home to her Manor for what was probably the last time, she collected her things that she desired to keep. Mostly jewelry, clothes, or other personal effects. The thing she was most hoping to find, however, was her mother's wand. Her mother, Eileen Black née Prince, was a pureblooded witch, one of immense heritage.
Eileen Prince was descended from Salazar Slytherin himself, and when her father had caught wind of that, he proposed marriage. And of course, Alphard Black gets, that Alphard Black wants. Her mother, rejecting the proposal, tried to run away, but was caught, and bonded to Alphard Black that very same night.
After Hermione was born, the enraged Alphard Black took his disappointment out on his wife. Alphard had wanted a son, but Eileen had not given him one.
After four years of failed attempts, and many misscaraiges later, Alphard Black realized that he would never get the son he desired, so he had no more use for his wife.
Alphard Black killed Eileen Black on the night of May 7th, the same night Hermione Black turned five.
A/N: So how was that? Good? Lemme know. I've got much more to come! ^_^
~Elena