A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! Huge thanks to lanamarymack for alpha/beta reading this chapter. You can find me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour).
Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty-four and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-five soon!
In the blink of an eye, Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts was completed. Exams were done and while she wouldn't get the results for a few weeks, she was confident that she'd done well in all of them. She hadn't done much more than revise on her own for the rest of the term, committed to staying as far away from Rabastan Lestrange as she could, even though she knew that Regulus was concerned that she was frequently giving him the slip as well.
By the time that she had her trunk packed and ready to go, Hermione was longing to return to the sanctuary that Grimmauld Place had become. She didn't think that Orion or Walburga would mind one lick if she decided to be a hermit over the summer, avoiding anyone but Regulus. A bit of space from Rabastan would be good for her. She could rid herself of the little crush in her own time and return to Hogwarts in the fall as the unaffected witch she hoped to be for her final year.
After the Leaving Feast, Regulus helped to get her trunk down to the train station in Hogsmeade, despite her protests that she was capable on her own. She should have known that he had an ulterior motive, because as soon as they got onboard the train, he tried to put her trunk in the compartment he planned to share with Rabastan and some of the others.
"You can put my trunk in with you and I will collect it at the end of the journey," she said tartly, knowing what he was up to. "But I am going to find another compartment to sit in."
"Hermione, please tell me what's going on," Regulus implored, his grey eyes trying to read any emotion on her face that he could. "Is it Bernie? Has he still been bothering you? Because he won't be sitting with us, I swear it."
"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. Bernard Rosier had not tried to talk to her or hex her, though she could sometimes feel his hateful gaze boring into the back of her head during Defense Against the Dark Arts. He likely didn't try anything as he probably didn't want to be embarrassed by a witch again, with more witnesses.
Regulus sighed, leaning against the door to his compartment, looking up and down the aisle to make sure that no one would over hear them. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at her concerned.
"Nothing, I've just been really focused on exams," Hermione lied. "And, I want to spend my last bit of Hogwarts with the girls. I'm not going to see them for a few months. Honestly, Regulus, you'll be so sick of me after a week at home, promise. I just want to spend a little time with my friends."
He stared at her hard, before his resolve crumbled. "Alright, if you say so," he conceded, before reaching out to grab her hand. "You know you could tell me anything, right?"
Hermione bit her tongue to keep from shouting about Sirius and nodded. Maybe she would test that theory at a later time. "Of course, brother," she said, with a smirk on her lips. "I will see you when we reach Kings Cross."
She walked down the hallway then, peering into the compartments until she found the one that the rest of the Slytherin girls were piled in. Hermione found her spot between Mallory and Priscilla and giggled along with the rest of them while they talked about their plans for the summer months. Everyone was quite scandalized that Elvira was planning on hitting up the muggle village near her home to try to find a muggle to pass the time with until she was reunited with Angus in the fall.
"It's wedding season for me," Hermione said with a sigh. "First Bellatrix is getting married and then Narcissa has roped me into being a bridesmaid."
That news had the rest of the girls squealing, thinking that it was sure to be the wedding of the century and Hermione would probably have her picture printed in the Daily Prophet. Then, Priscilla led the chorus of coos about how gorgeous Lucius Malfoy was. Hermione had other adjectives that she'd use to describe her future cousin-in-law (how odd was that, she wondered).
Nella wrapped her pin-straight black hair around her fingers while she explained the whirlwind travels that her family was going to be going on and her disappointment that she wouldn't see her boyfriend over the summer. Hermione wasn't sure how someone could complain about visiting fabulous beaches all summer long, but she didn't say anything.
Instead, her attention was caught by someone walking in front of the compartment door. Looking up, she saw that it was Sirius, his eyes locking on hers. She made some excuse about checking in with Regulus, before she left her giggling cadre of friends behind and followed Sirius down to one of the empty carriages towards the front of the train.
When she slipped inside, she put up a variety of charms to ensure that they would not be overheard or interrupted. Sirius raised his eyebrow at the casual way she cast the spells, like it was the most common thing in the world.
"I wasn't sure if I'd get to see you again now that you are graduated," Hermione said, warmly. "How did your NEWTs go?"
Sirius made a noise. "As well as I expected. It's not like I was going to be failing them," he said, sounding smug.
"So you're sure that you passed them all?" she goaded him.
"With Outstandings, surely," he added with a smirk that rather reminded her of Regulus.
"I don't know how you found time to study with all the time that you spent pranking Rosier," Hermione said, thinking of the series of unfortunate mishaps that had befallen her housemate since she had told Sirius what he'd been up to — including his golden blond hair being charmed green, getting trapped in a broom closet without pants when the amorous witch who pulled him in had slipped out unnoticed, and a painful set of boils that had sent him to the infirmary for two days.
"Yeah, well, maybe with all the miserable luck he's been having lately, he'll rethink messing with the Black family," he said, proudly. "And if not, you have my permission to use a little of that fancy blood magic on him when you return in the autumn."
"Even if it's dark magic?" Hermione teased, far too pleased that he'd mentioned the Black family and inferred being a part of it to scold him for all the bad things he'd done for her.
"Sometimes a little dark magic can be warranted," he said, nudging his shoulder into hers.
Impulsively, Hermione sought to take advantage of his good mood and broached a topic that had been on her mind for weeks. "Stay with me once we get to the platform?" she suggested. "We can go and speak to Mother and Father together. I know that they'd be pleased to see you and hear about your exams."
"Hermione," Sirius said, with a warning in his tone.
"They won't argue with you out in public, I promise. You know that Mother detests causing a scene," she said, wanting him to take the first step at reconciliation. While she had no illusions that they would welcome Sirius with open arms, she knew that they would be relieved to hear how well their son was doing.
"It's never going to happen. I'm disowned and they haven't even bothered to reach out to me in over two years," he said, obviously hurt despite the false bravado that he wore usually. "I don't fancy getting screamed at — in public or otherwise."
"I just know that they would love to see you," Hermione said, unwilling to let it go, even though she could tell that he was pushing him past his limits.
Sirius gave her a sad smile and shook his head. "No, Hermione, they won't," he insisted. "I've been invited to join the Auror academy, provisionally of course, but there is no way I don't pass all my NEWTs. I'm going to be fighting against You-Know-Who and all of his followers."
"But that might not be a deal breaker anymore," she said, knowing that she'd already begun steering the family away from Voldemort, though she knew that it would take time. "You'll see, if you speak to Father."
"It's not just that," he continued, his eyebrows furrowed together. "James and I have also been asked to join the Order of the Phoenix — Dumbledore's group. I know Father and that is just a betrayal too far. I don't just want to be neutral in his war, Hermione. I'm going to be fighting for what's right. And I can't do that within our family."
"Oh," she said, feeling completely defeated. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes and for the first time since she came into the past, this felt like a real failure, though she wasn't sure why. It wasn't like she wanted to stop Sirius from joining the Order, of course. Maybe it was the implication that what she was doing wasn't good enough — that keeping the Black family from throwing their weight behind Voldemort wasn't enough. Maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe she hadn't dreamed big enough.
"But, listen, it's not like that means I'll stop talking to you," he said, in a rush, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her a loving squeeze. "It's pointless to write over the summer when Mother could intercept an owl, but once you get back to Hogwarts, I'll owl you all the time. And, if any other wizard tries something with my baby sister, I'm always available to kick his ass."
Hermione laughed, even as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm going to miss you, Sirius," she said, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face into his chest. "I feel like I've only just gotten you back and I'm already having to give you up."
"Hey," he said, pulling back so that he could look at her, so much emotion in his mercurial eyes. "I told you, I'm not going to stop speaking to you. I am going to help you however I can."
"I know you will," she said, even though she couldn't deny that it wasn't the same.
"I've been thinking a lot about what you told me and how you have to live with all these memories," he said, his face suddenly very serious. "And, I've decided I'm going to find you a way to get you back to your time, no matter what."
She laughed and nodded, thinking that it was a very sweet sentiment.
"Listen, I'm not joking," he said, even though he couldn't stop his familiar barking laugh. "I promise you, Hermione. I'm going to get you back to your time."
"Thank you, Sirius," she said, feeling that familiar spark of hope reigniting inside her, gnawing away at her insides. She knew that he was being earnest about the promise and she thought that he might have the skill to fulfill it if it was possible. But so many powerful wizards had already deemed it an impossibility. So, she tried to smother that hope before it could become a blaze once again.
"I better get going," he said, pulling her in for one last hug. "Remus and I are getting a flat in London. My door is always open to you, if you should need it."
Hermione nodded and then let him leave the compartment first. Wiping away the tears from her cheeks, she exited the compartment next, only to walk directly into Regulus. He looked down at her hard and then at the retreating back of his older brother. When he saw the state of her, his jaw hung open a bit.
"Hermione — Sirius... did he —"
She cut him off. "It's nothing, Regulus," she insisted. "I was just coming to get my trunk from you anyway. Let's go."
"But, Hermione. Was he bothering you again? I can help you," he said, unwilling to let it go so easily. "Is he why you've been so mopey these last few weeks?"
Hermione reached down to grab her brother's hand so she could pull him back towards his compartment. "Sirius hasn't done anything to me," she said, truthfully, willing Regulus to drop the topic for now. "But, let's not talk about it here. You know how Mother would detest discussing the family's dirty laundry in public."
And that seemed to be enough to satisfy him for now. But, when they were reunited with Orion and Walburga on the platform, she caught him staring at her with an odd sort of look on his face and she wondered at Rabastan's insistence in the library. Would Regulus see what she'd done as a betrayal, if he knew the truth about Sirius?