Chapter 30

Sirius was insufferable. There was no other word to describe him. Hermione quietly thanked her lucky stars (and those were ones that were not part of his constellation) that she'd be able to test out of this Gods forsaken class without waiting until June. Being able to pour more time and energy into her dual masteries instead of wasting time being taught by someone who only showed up to class half the time. It was really an easy decision.

"What do we say, lads and lasses?" He asked, shouting over his shoulder as he sparred with Harry, something they often did at any family gathering. "Shall we move onto the next level in dueling?"

A resounding 'yes!' was cheered, but Hermione already knew what was coming. Though, this was the bit when Dudley would jump in because Sirius typically either hurt himself or others. Usually himself though.

A grin split across Harry's face, making his green eyes glint with mischief. His plan of attack was going to be straight forward, going for the knees. Sirius had horrible knees.

"What are they–" Theo began to ask, but Hermione held up a hand cutting him off. No use in ruining the surprise.

Without any warning, Sirius and Harry were in such close proximity that when Harry disarmed Sirius, instead of going for his wand, the older wizard tackled Harry to the ground. A round of gasps filled the air and Hermione simply covered her face in secondhand embarrassment for her uncle. Whimpering from Padfoot filled the room before she finally bothered to look up to see that Harry had successfully (and unsurprisingly) pinned his Godfather. There was a slight stunned silence before only the muggleborns and some half-blood students cheered in understanding.

"Is Potter trying to fuck Black? I'm not sure if that's incest or bestiality since he's in his animagus form." Draco commented, a look of pure disgust on his face making Hermione snort out a laugh that had a smirk upturning one corner of his mouth.

"Well, they aren't blood related, though we know how you Blacks like– oof," Theo grunted as Luc came up next to Theo, ribbing him. "Well, it's true…" Theo muttered, rubbing his side and pushing his hair out of his eyes as he pouted over being assaulted.

"I'll have it be known that we aren't from any interbreeding." Luc stated, as if this were some great revelations and not something that shouldn't be questioned to begin with. "But, Granger, what are they doing? It's barbaric."

"They're wrestling," Hermione answered, glancing at the elder Malfoy twin. "It's a muggle sport," she added when she saw the confusion on his face.

"It's one thing," Sirius said, back in his human form, pushing his graying black hair out of his face with a slight limp as he moseyed about the room. He cleared his throat, wincing through his movements before popping his knee back into place and shaking the leg to make sure there was no permanent damage. Hermione made a note to herself to write Remus and tell him what his husband had been up to knowing he'd find it as amusing as she had.

"Yes, so anyway, it's one thing to be able to use magic to fight. However, if you're left defenseless and without a wand, you'll still need to be able to protect yourselves." He was circling the room, eyeing everyone as if sizing them up. "Everyone is to partner up, once you've been disarmed using magic, you're to practice some hand-to-hand combat."

Theo instantly was gripping Draco as if they were magnetically connected. He even whispered a few things in the blonde's ear that had Draco's face flushed pink, clearing his throat, and pulling at the collar of his shirt. Hermione looked around the room and groaned when she saw that Ronald was the one of the only people left without a partner.

"You've gotta be fucking joking," she muttered to herself as she looked around for anyone else, but pairs were coming together quickly.

It wasn't that she doubted her abilities to be able to take him hand to hand. No, actually she was confident that she'd have very little trouble with the red buffoon seeing as when she'd been in elementary school the afternoon and summer programs she'd been enrolled in had included her learning karate. She'd kept up with it after she'd gone to boarding school as the way to keep physically active, Ilvermorny had a wide variety in their curriculum allowing their students to continue their no maj activities .

There was a reason why dueling had come so easy to her.

"Oh no, I don't need to see what the two of them will get into if they're doing this wrestling thing," she heard Luc nearly shout as he grabbed Theo and pulled the sexually fueled brunette wizard to his side.

"Awe, Luc," Theo sighed, leaning into his boyfriend's twin. "I love you too."

"No, no, this is for…well, let's just say I'm going to enjoy inflicting bodily harm to you." Luc stated, his nostrils flaring.

"Is this for the," Theo looked around dramatically as if checking to see who was listening, "making your pen–"

"That's enough of that!" Sirius clapped Theo on the shoulder, making the brunette stop talking, but Luc's face was bright red nonetheless. "Little cousin, what do you say to a rematch, possibly restoring your honor?"

Hermione looked over to where Draco was now standing alone, his eyes roaming over her body and causing her to shiver. When a smile lit up his face, Hermione felt her stomach flutter with anticipation, but no matter how good he looked she wasn't going to back down from the challenge that her uncle was imposing on her.

"Scared, Granger?"

"You wish."

Notes: Big news, I have outlined the remainder of this story and have an end chapter count (41). That might change, but it is unlikely.

Next chapter is a rematch between the two junior dueling champions.