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Girl lying alone I feel out of place

It's all that I can do to get up and turn the page

Every spin of the hands is a thousand days- Without you by Blake Lewis

Sirius walked into the library and scanned the shelves. He looked for any books that would help him in his current situation. Can I obliviate myself, he thought. That would solve his problems. He wouldn't remember Peter's betrayal, or Remus being alone for a decade. He wouldn't remember Lily dying, or Hermione trying to stop it all from happening. Hermione, he recalled, I'd forget Hermione. He lost himself in concentration. There was a false hope in his heart that the ancient tomes of his family would hold some secret. He didn't hear the door open. He didn't feel someone touch his shoulder. He didn't hear his name called. No, he was lost in his own world until he smelt her. Parchment, smoke, and something distinctly feminine, he thought. A scent I'd never been able to figure out. That smell could only mean one person was behind him. "Hello, Kitten," he smiled as he turned around.

Hermione gave him a look of confused recognition, "Hi Sirius. James just came through the floo for you." She looked around the room, "I wish so many of these books didn't have dark curses on them. I'd love to research grey and dark magic. It'd certainly help defeat You-Know-Who," she said mused circling the room.

Sirius looked at Hermione in confusion, "I didn't know you had an interest in grey and dark magic, Hermione."

Hermione shook her head, "I don't. As I said, it would help defeat You-Know-Who. We know he's made Horcrux's, but we don't know how to defeat them. What good will it be? What will we do? We'll have them all, but not be able to destroy them?" She scoffed and grabbed a book from her beaded bag. "I still can't figure out why Dumbledore left this book to me," she held up Tales of Beedle the Bard. "It's a children's book, Sirius. But there's this symbol that I can't place. It looks familiar, but I don't know. And all the runes in it? I've seen them before. I don't know where. Why would those be in a children's book? They are advanced runes. I doubt even Professor Snape or McGonagall could decode them with ease."

Sirus opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

...***...***...***

Hermione sat on her bed, books spread around her. "Sirius," she called, "Could you please bring me Beedle the Bard when you come back in? I think there's something in there."

Sirius leaned against the door, eyes fixed on her. She had a wand tucked into her hair and a quill behind her ear. Pages of reference material were strewn on her bed and the floor. He chuckled and entered the room, "Already have it, Kitten." He handed her the book. "Now, what's so important in here?"

She looked up from her book and grinned, "Hallows."

Sirius blinked at her, "Hallows?" He flipped through the pages next to Hermione. "As in, the Deathly Hallows? Love, those are just a fairytale. A story told to children so they don't wander to parts unknown. They're not real," he paused, "Are they?"

Hermione nodded, "I think they are. Look here," she opened to The Story of the Three Brothers, "A wand, a cloak, and a stone. What if," she took a breath, "What if they are real? I mean, James happens to have a rare invisibility cloak? What are the odds? His family traces back to the Peverells. The last time we were in Godric's Hollow, I slipped to the cemetery. Ignatius' grave is there. I had Regulus look through the books at Grimmauld. He also had a very rare coak of invisibility. This is it, Sirius! Don't you see? This is the solution!" She began marking her book in ancient runes, hiding her findings in code for her future self.

He smiled at her, "You brilliant, brilliant witch."

...***...***...***

Sirius watched Hermione run her hands absentmindedly along the spines of the books. It was so hard. He wanted to tell her that she had removed the curses on the books in 1980. He wanted to tell her that she had placed the runes in the book, not Albus. He wanted to explain that she had figured it all out seventeen years ago.

Sirius had never managed to figure out how she removed the curses, or how she got into Grimmauld Place at all. He remembered her telling him that she had a secret mission, and she would be very careful. He remembered her sweet kiss on his cheek before she slipped through the Floo to headquarters. She had never told him what happened, or how she managed it.

…***...***...***

Sirius was pacing the floor of his flat. Hermione had given him strict instructions. He was to wait for two hours before calling in the cavalry. He didn't quite know what the brilliant witch was planning, but he knew she was up to something. He wasn't an idiot. Contrary to popular belief, he was more than a pretty face. He knew from the moment he saw the lists in her bag that this would be more than a dark wizard on a rampage. He would switch to Padfoot when she wasn't looking and lounge in front of the closed kitchen door at Godric's Hollow. He heard the words she whispered to Lily and James. Words like "prophecy", "hallows", and the one that frightened him the most, "Horcrux". She hadn't told him much about the mission she was on, only that she and Regulus would need to search for something.

He was ready to say damn it to the two-hour rule when Hermione's body pushed through his fireplace. She was covered in soot, and she had some scrapes on her face. Sirius ran to the hearth and grabbed her. "Kitten?" He lifted Hermione to the couch, "Hermione, are you okay?"

Hermione coughed and opened her eyes, "Promise me."

He looked at her confused, "Promise me," she continued, " If I leave. That you won't tell my future self about us. That you'll let me figure everything out on my own."

He nodded, unable to speak. He didn't know what happened, but it scared her into reinforcing the Vow he took.

...***...***...***

Sirius looked at the little witch, "I'll set Moony on it for you, Hermione. It'll be good for him to have a project to work on."

Hermione beamed at him, "Thank you, Sirius. That means a lot. I think James said he'd be in your room." She glanced at the shelves, "Do you know if there are any on the top shelves I need to stay away from?"

Sirius swallowed, and shook his head. "No, Hermione." His throat constricted. "They're all safe up there." He brushed past her and steeled himself against her scent. "Have fun, Kitten."

Sirius ran from the room, ignoring Hermione's confused look and questions. He ran down the stairs, past his room. He ignored James calling his name. He ignored Harry asking if he was okay. He ran until he was out of the house, and could no longer smell her.

He sat on the front stoop and hung his head. I can't do this anymore, he decided. Vow be damned. He needed a workaround. He was losing his mind not being able to hold her. Sirius heard the door open and glanced at James and Remus on either side of him. "I need help," he whispered. "I can't live like this anymore."

James sat and pulled Sirius into his side. "I know Pads. I know. We can figure it out." He rubbed his friend's back as sobs wracked his body. "What vow did you make?"

Sirus sniffled, "What are you on about, Prongs? We never married, you know that."

James chuckled without humor and smacked the back of Sirius' head. "No shite. What vow did you make? How was it worded?"

Sirius bit his lip. "That I wouldn't make her remember. I wouldn't show her my memories, or send her anywhere to remember."

Remus grinned, "She really is the brightest witch."

Sirius stood and turned on his friend, "What do you mean," he seethed. "She made it so I couldn't do anything to make her remember."

Remus nodded, "Yes, Sirius." He grinned and turned to James, "She never said that James or I were part of the vow, did she?"

Sirius whooped with glee and hugged his best mates, "You two! You are simply brilliant. But how? What will you do?"

James smiled, "You leave that to us, okay?"

Sirius nodded at James. "Thank you, James. Thank you. I'll make this up to you. I promise."

James shook his head. "You have nothing to make up for. You would've done the same for me. You're family. Hermione is family. She saved my life. She's saving the world. This is as much for her as it is for you." When James saw Sirius' look of confusion, he explained, "She looks at you sometimes. Like she remembers, but not quite. I've caught her in your study. Mumbling in her sleep. Her subconscious remembers, or it's ready to remember. Remus and I are helping it along."

Sirius grinned wider, "Okay. Okay. Should we tell Harry before? I imagine it's going to be odd for him. I mean, I've hedged that there was a witch who stole my heart before."

Remus opened the door and ushered his friends in ahead of him. "That's up to you Pads. It would be a good idea, I think. Harry is hotheaded in regards to his loved ones. Hermione is going to need his support through this. He may fair better with her if he's already processed it."

The three men walked down the hall to the kitchen. "Yes," James began, "can Harry keep it a secret though?" He laughed, "I love my son, but he's not the most secretive. And Hermione can read him like a book. Wonder if that's why she could read me so easy?" He chuckled.

...***...***...***

"James Fleamont Potter," Hermione yelled. She raced up the stairs, following James. "You best tell me what you're planning!" Hermione looked down the corridor and saw one open door. She tiptoed down the hall and pushed the door open with her knee. She gasped and then sobbed. "Please don't ask this of me, James. I can't do it. It would be too painful. You two are going to live. You won't need me as godmother."

James rushed over to the witch and hugged her, "It's okay, Hermione. Think of it as an open-ended question. You can say no now, or yes now. You can say yes in 17 years. There's no one else Lily or I would want to be his godmother.

Hermione nodded, "Okay. Yes. I'll do it." She gave the nursery a small smile, "How could I not? My love for your son sent me back in time."

A/N: Gosh! Sirius is wordy, haha! I only planned for a portion of this chapter to be present day, and then have that segue to 1979 to finish the past storyline…that didn't happen. Next chapter, unless you all want it to unfold organically as the story goes! Please tell me what you think!