Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to JK Rowling. I write for fun and not for pay of any kind.

Author's Note: Here's our next chapter in this saga. I hope you'll enjoy it! Feel free to drop me a review and let me know what you think.

The Second Sixth Year of Sirius Black: Chapter Three

By: Rae

-A "Harry Potter" Fic-

Three hours later, Hermione and Sirius sat waiting alone in the Hospital Wing. They'd had a light lunch approved by Madam Pomfrey and supplemented with some chocolate bars by Remus before the werewolf had to go meet Dumbledore. Tonks had come by and disillusioned Sirius thirty minutes prior, and now they waited.

Hermione, as usual, found her eyes drawn to the man next to her in bed. She'd been resting her weight on that side of the bed most of the time and trying to stay close to him. She could reach over and touch him if she wanted, and she had earlier when they'd been trying to get their stories straight. She was annoyed at how complex everything was, though.

They had two different stories for herself and dear Stubby Boardman. The one less likely included the story of his untimely demise as a young Hogwarts student on holiday with his family. Hermione had known him and his family well, rather fancied Stubby, and had used an incantation she found to resurrect him.

The more likely story involved their young love—a phrase she would always associate with that nasty Rita Skeeter woman—and Hermione's intense desire to study up on portrait incantations. She already hated both stories because they had so many holes they would sink ships, but she had to make it work for Nicole Stubbins's sake.

"So what do you think this Nicole Stubbins is like, baby?" Sirius asked her, winking at her. His voice had been modulated in the disillusionment charm to be two octaves lower, which was a bit disconcerting. Hermione had always had a thing for baritone voices.

"I've met her, actually," she admitted to him, ignoring the pet name he'd called her this time. "We met at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. She was quite nice, very intelligent, and clearly passionate about portrait charms. We talked a while, and she told me a lot about her training in charms that helped her become one of the top portrait charmers of our age."

Sirius raised fair blonde brows at her and rolled his blue eyes. His head was a mop of long, blonde hair that he'd absolutely threatened Tonks with dismemberment over if she shortened it even an inch. He wore the hospital garb provided by Madam Pomfrey, as did all students, and his tattoos had been magicked away. His skin was a touch tanner with golden highlights that made him even more handsome than he already was.

"Well, pumpkin-butt," he mused, barely withholding a smirk, "it sounds as if you have a bit of a crush on Miss Stubbins. I imagine I'll like what I see, too, hmm?"

Hermione clenched her jaw. Sirius had spent all morning speaking to her and giving her different pet names in his attempt to decide on one for her. She'd tried arguing and then ignoring him, but neither tactic seemed to work.

She opened her mouth to rebut him, but her retort was lost as the door opened. They both looked toward the door to see Professor Lupin, Headmaster Dumbledore, Tonks, Professor Snape, Professor Slughorn, and Nicole Stubbins walk in together. Hermione started at the sight. Tonks was supposed to come ahead of them to let Hermione and Sirius know which story they needed to use, but apparently something had changed.

Professor Dumbledore smiled broadly as he walked forward into the room. Beside him, Remus looked relieved as well and winked at Hermione as he got closer. Snape seemed put-out as usual, his robes billowing behind him, while Slughorn had a peculiar look on his face. Hermione studied him a minute, noting that he seemed pale and sweaty, his eyes darted between Dumbledore, her, and Sirius nervously as the group stepped closer.

The calmest one of the group was Nicole Stubbins. Her dark brown gaze was untroubled, and she walked with a confident gait, striding toward the two in beds with a vigor that belied her restrained excitement.

Tonks followed the group at a distance, glancing over her shoulder at the door as it shut behind them. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see what was going on, but when she saw Dumbledore, she shook her head and walked back inside again, closing it firmly.

"Hermione!" Nicole cried, coming over to her bedside and plopping down amiably on the mattress. Hermione blinked at the other woman, surprised by her closeness. "I'm so glad to see you doing so well after the accident!"

Hermione looked to Dumbledore, unsure how to respond. The older wizard intervened.

"Miss Stubbins," he said softly, "I do think Hermione is a bit overwhelmed by your exuberance. Might I offer you a chair?" He flicked his wand and five chairs moved to form a half-circle around the occupied beds. He gestured to the chair closest to Hermione.

The portrait charmer smiled and moved to the proffered chair before saying, "You know, I didn't think you were all that into portrait charming when you talked to me at Horace's party. I assumed you were more interested in the blood potions and incantations, and I guess I was right."

Hermione still felt wrong-footed, unsure of what was going on.

"Perhaps we should explain," Dumbledore now said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Miss Stubbins and Professor Slughorn have graciously decided to give us their solemn oaths of secrecy regarding this matter, and Miss Stubbins is highly interested in joining us in future endeavors as well. I regret to say my dear friend Horace has no such interest as of yet, but he, too, has agreed to keep total secrecy in this matter."

Hermione took that to mean they were on with the story about the Stubby Boardman resurrection. She opened her mouth but was cut off by Nicole's eager voice.

"May I ask what it was like to be resurrected?" She directed her question to Sirius, her dark eyes wide with anticipation as she awaited his response. "Did it hurt? How do you feel now? Do you mind if I do a few diagnostics spells on you, Mr. Boardman?"

She leaned toward Sirius, who seemed equally discomforted at her excitement, surprising Hermione. She expected him to be taken in by the charming and beautiful witch, but instead, he looked slightly anxious by all of her questions.

He glanced to Dumbledore and Remus, who both seemed to be unconcerned with the witch's questions and then said, "Yes, that's fine. You can do the spells."

Nicole stood up immediately and skirted the others to stand between Hermione and Sirius. The moment she did so, Hermione felt a shocking disconnection between herself and Sirius. Unable to reach around the witch to touch him, she held back a gasp of pain and shifted in her bed towards him. Glancing around, it seemed only Snape and Dumbledore noticed her movement, and she wondered if they knew why she reacted the way she did.

Nicole, on the other hand, focused all her attention on Sirius and said, "Now this first spell will tell me if you're actually still connected to your portrait in any way. Headmaster, did you bring the portrait along as I requested?" She glanced to Dumbledore who nodded but did not produce the portrait. "Excellent. As long as it's in this room, we'll be able to see if there's a connection there."

Waving her wand, Nicole said, "Aufero Effigies," with a flick of her wrist directed at Sirius. The group all watched eagerly, but nothing happened. "Hmm," said Nicole, "that didn't seem to work. Let me try something else." She flicked her wrist again and said, "Effigies Incantatem!"

Instantly the disillusionment charm fell away and Sirius lay in his full glory before the dumbfounded witch.

"Oh my!" Nicole cried out in surprise.

Meanwhile, Horace leapt from his seat, reaching blindly into his robes for his wand. "Sirius Black!" He cried, his hand tangling in his robes.

Snape stood, too, but only to steady the other man and stop him from reaching his wand. The potions master's wand held lightly in his hands, he said, "Horace, sit down now, and don't meddle. There are things you don't understand."

Looking around at the mostly calm group before him, Horace zeroed in on Dumbledore, who sat with an expression of calm but held his fingers steepled together in thought. "Albus, I knew something strange was going on here," he nearly shouted. "But I had no idea it involved mass murderers! Why I—you—he—" he spluttered to a stop, unable to put words to his thoughts.

"I see a disillusionment charm was hindering my original spell," Nicole now chimed in, wagging a finger at Dumbledore chidingly. "I did mention any magical interference would be a problem, didn't I?" Looking back at the man known as a mass murderer, she said, "Well, I'd best get to it then. Let me try again. Aufero Effigies!"

This time Sirius glowed a warm gold that dissipated after a few seconds. He looked at himself but seemed unharmed, and Hermione sighed in relief.

"Albus, I must insist you tell me what is going on here before I turn you in to the Ministry!" Horace finally got his voice back and stood glaring at the headmaster. "You're harboring a known criminal in Hogwarts. Are you insane?"

Dumbledore put a hand in the air to calm his old friend and said, "Horace, please sit. I will tell you all you need to know that does not concern that which we do not speak of. Unless you have decided to join us?" His eyes gleamed with mischief as the other man frowned, deep lines creasing his forehead.

"I have no desire to join your little club, Albus," Horace replied, and now Nicole had turned to watch the interaction. "But I need to know what you know about this man before I decide whether you've all really gone off your rockers or not."

Albus sighed and replied, "I'm afraid it's a rather long story, Horace, but I'll give you the highlights and tell you more of it after this meeting. This will be helpful for you and Nicole, as she decides whether to trust us or not."

With that, Dumbledore gave a very brief explanation of Sirius's imprisonment, escape, and the reason his imprisonment was unjust. He included the story of how Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncovered the very-much-alive Peter Pettigrew in third year (as Snape huffed in the background) and learned the truth of those Muggle deaths so many years before.

Horace and Nicole listened, enthralled as Dumbledore, with help from Remus and Hermione, shared the most important parts of the story that would explain why he felt comfortable with Sirius's appearance at Hogwarts.

"So you managed to clear his name at least for your little club," Horace said derisively, "but I'm still not certain why he would need to be resurrected. The Daily Prophet claims he's been on the loose, killing Muggles and leading Death Eaters on raids around the country."

"Professor?" Hermione spoke up now, glancing at the headmaster for encouragement. "I don't know if you remember what happened last year at the Ministry, do you?"

"Of course, I do. All over the papers, wasn't it?"

"They did report quite a bit of what happened there, yes," Hermione said and then explained, "but they didn't tell the most important part to me and Harry. They didn't tell that Sirius Black arrived with the group led by Dumbledore and was killed when struck by a spell that threw him through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries."

She looked down at her clenched hands in her lap as she finished, trying not to remember the horror of that moment when she learned Harry's beloved godfather had died.

"Y—you went to the rescue of those children?" Horace asked, directing his first comment to Sirius since he'd been revealed. "And you died to save them?" He sounded stunned.

Sirius nodded his head and said, "Yes, and I'd do it again. Harry is my godson. I want to keep him safe if I can."

Slughorn finally seemed appeased enough to allow Nicole to continue her examination of the man who came back from the dead.

"If you're all ready for me to complete my examination, then let me start by saying my initial charm showed that there is no residual connection to Sirius and his portrait," she informed them. "That means he will suffer no ill effects from being disconnected from the portrait, and it means that whatever incantation you used, Hermione, it was incredibly effective and completely successful. You should be very proud of yourself!" Nicole smiled at the girl in the bed, a tinge of envy coloring her words.

"I'm going to perform a few more charms to check your health and well-being," Nicole now said. "I know your Mediwitch has performed similar spells, but you don't get through Devlin Hamish's school without learning a few essentials that can help keep you and your subject safe and healthy."

With that, she performed a series of charms and spells on Sirius as he lay in the bed. A few made him glow various colors, and one had some sort of uncomfortable effect as he grimaced faintly. When she finished, she pulled out a notebook from her purse and made a few notes, humming to herself.

"Well?" Snape finally asked. "Is he going to recover fully? Don't leave us in suspense." He scowled deeply at her, but Nicole took it in stride, seemingly unruffled.

"It looks like he'll recover with perfect health in time," she replied happily. "I am concerned with his lack of musculature and his clear atrophy, but I imagine that has to do with the vessel he came back in. It seems there's already been improvement in those, though, so I think with time and some therapy, he should be good as new. I imagine you won't be able to provide the kind of rehabilitative therapy he would need from trained Mediwitches at St. Mungos, though," she added, almost as an afterthought.

Before anyone could reply, she said, "No matter. If you need assistance, I can help, and I know Hermione will be helping him."

Hermione blinked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

"I just mean that it's obvious you're connected to him, even without examining you," Nicole said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It might not be obvious to you, but you're both so closely tied I'm surprised you aren't in pain right now."

Remus now interjected, "I'm sure that it isn't as bad as all that."

"Let's see, shall we?" Nicole replied. Gesturing to Hermione, she said, "Go ahead and get up, please. We'll have to use you since Sirius won't have the strength to stand up yet." She moved out of the way, stepping to the opposite side of Sirius's bed.

Hermione pushed herself up off the bed and gingerly stood up, afraid of any dizziness she might experience from being in bed so long. Finding she felt all right, she straightened to her full—short—height and looked at the other witch.

"This will just be a test, so don't push yourself too hard," Nicole said to her. "I want you to walk as far away from Sirius as is comfortable for you. Don't worry about direction, just walk away from him."

Hermione cocked her head, not sure how to interpret this request but shrugged and decided to play along. Standing between their beds there was no way to go but straight out, so she started to walk. Hermione didn't notice that she gravitated closer to Sirius's bed than hers or that she walked with her hands at her side, the one closest to his bed palm out as though to reach out and touch him. She got to the edge of his bed, standing opposite Remus and Dumbledore, and paused, glancing back at him.

A sense of anxiety was creeping up on her, and as she looked at Sirius, his dark eyes showed an equal amount of unease. Taking a breath as she turned away, she took a step and then two steps forward. She released her breath when nothing happened.

As she lifted her foot to take a third step forward, she felt an instant panic attack build up. Her palms became sweaty, her vision swam, and her chest felt like it was in a vise grip as her heart thundered in her ears. She swallowed hard and tried to keep pressing forward through the pain when she was suddenly shoved backwards onto Sirius's bed, something large and warm on top of her.

Hermione blinked, her vision slowly returning to normal and her breath evening out as the something large shifted and rose off her, revealing a concerned looking Remus. The werewolf must have leapt at her, but she wasn't sure why. She felt out of her element, yes, but she was just fine, right?

That was when she realized she was lying flat on her back on top of Sirius, her head in the awkward vicinity of his crotch. As she struggled to right herself, she felt his hands come down around her shoulders, holding her still. Those same hands trembled, and Hermione stilled as she heard the ragged intake of breath coming from Sirius behind her.

She might have been fine—though she was lying to herself about that—but he clearly was not. Hermione reached up and put a hand on his, and as she did, she felt a zing of warmth and energy course through her. It seemed her body was responding just as eagerly to contact with him as his was to her. In fact, it felt so good she allowed herself to relax against him, not paying attention to the audience around them.

"I was afraid of that," Nicole said, but she sounded anything but. "Your Mediwitch has told you about the blood bond you now share, but I doubt she's up to date on how that works when we refer to portrait blood bonds. I guess an explanation is in order before someone murders me."

Hermione glanced up to see that both Dumbledore and Snape were now scowling, and both men looked rather fierce. Remus, too, looked concerned, but as she caught his eye, he smirked, and she realized her rather compromising position. She adjusted so that she could sit up, and Sirius obligingly parted his legs so she could sit between them and rest against his chest. Even though it was awkward, Hermione couldn't deny the calm that was spreading through her as she allowed him to rest his hands on hers. Deciding to ignore the knowing look in Remus's and Tonks's eyes, she focused on Nicole.

"When you apply to join the Hamish program," she was saying, "one of the things you agree to is forging a blood bond with a portrait subject, who is usually one of your classmates. So I'm speaking from experience when I say that blood bonds forged over portraits are extremely potent. Very few people would want one for any length of time because the bond becomes like an invisible string between you. That invisible string has a very specific length, and as soon as you try to step beyond it, the string snaps you back to each other."

She nodded to Hermione and said, "It feels like a panic attack, but essentially it means that your body will not be 100% full of your blood until the blood bond is matured."

"But Madam Pomfrey said I had enough doses of the healing draught to recover all my blood count," Hermione countered, confused.

Nicole shook her head. "No, this and that are two different things," she explained. "What Madam Pomfrey measures is simply the volume of blood in your body but not the ownership of the blood. In a blood bond, you share blood with Sirius, which means a greater portion of your blood is actually his and vice versa. So until the bond matures fully and dissipates, you'll have some degree of his blood coursing through your veins and keeping you in constant contact with him."

She cocked her head thoughtfully and said, "You know, I'm surprised you haven't had to stay in constant contact with him anyway. With all the damage you both took from the incantation, I assumed you'd have to be touching in some way."

When none of her audience offered an explanation, Nicole shrugged and continued, "Anyway, all this means is that you're going to find it much more comfortable to be touching Sirius, and if you get further apart than that foot or so distance, you'll immediately have the same results from before. So you'll want to stay close to each other for the time being."

"And how long will this be an issue for them, do you think?" Dumbledore now asked, tugging thoughtfully at his beard. His brows creased as he considered the implications.

"It could be a very long time or a very short time," Nicole replied. "It affects everyone differently, and unfortunately there's no way to predict these things. What I can tell you is that proximity is the key to a maturing blood bond. Staying in close proximity or—better yet—constant contact will help mature the bond so that they can increase their distance from one another. I would expect with a bond this strong that it will take several months before they can even be in separate rooms from one another."

"Several months?!" Sirius nearly shouted. Hermione jolted away from him, but his arms came around her almost as soon as she moved, and she knew it must be a knee-jerk reaction because she craved his touch instantly. She turned to look over her shoulder at him and caught him looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'm afraid so," Nicole said. She opened her mouth to say more when the doors to the Hospital Wing opened and Professor McGonagal came marching into the room. She looked rather harried, and her hat was lopsided.

"I'm sorry, Albus," she said as she got closer, "but the Minister won't wait any longer. He's been here half an hour and demands to know where you are and why you aren't available for your meeting."

Dumbledore stood and smiled at his close companion and coworker. "It's perfectly fine, Minerva. I'll go see him now, and I suggest that perhaps Horace and Severus might find a few minutes to take Nicole to the Great Hall for a bite to eat and help her get settled a bit."

Nicole seemed to bounce up and down at the suggestion of food. "Oh yes, please," she replied eagerly. "I haven't eaten since breakfast, and I'm afraid the Hog's Head doesn't offer many options. I'm starved."

The others began to stand and move their chairs back to their places, and Hermione stayed still with Sirius as they dispersed. Dumbledore took his leave first, followed by Tonks, Snape, Slughorn, and Nicole. That left Remus alone with the two in the bed.

"Well, Padfoot, old friend," the werewolf said, "what have you gotten yourself into this time?"