ceredwensirius

Title: Breath
Chapter: Challenge (5)
Chapter Rating: PG
Warnings: Suggestive Language
Pairings: Sirius/Hermione
Summary: Sirius is propelled forward through time by a magical accident. He has to adjust to all the changes and maybe find love in the process. A romance between Hermione/Sirius.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Author’s Note: Sorry for the slow update.

After showering Sirius picked through the clothes on offer which had been boxed up sometime following his other self’s demise but never given away. The choices were all about extremes, either clothes from his teenage years or those befitting an older gentleman than he. Unable to imagine picking these things out to wear, he remembered that he probably hadn’t, he’d been a fugitive from the law. It wasn’t as though he could stroll down Diagon Alley and pick up some new threads, now could he?

Everything was too tight, too uncomfortable, even by his standards. The clothes that seemed fitting for a man in his late thirties were long enough to fit him but just as tight as the pieces he remembered wearing in his youth. How had he managed to lose so much muscle tone? Admiring his physique in the floor length mirror he shrugged his shoulders and set about magically altering that which suited his current taste in clothing.

Taking another look in the mirror he gave his image an approving smirk, now dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans that hugged him close, a snug fitting cloud grey corded sweater that almost perfectly matched his eyes, showing off his toned chest and torso and the black dragon hide boots he’d been wearing the night of his arrest. Over this he threw a set of heavy, woolen winter robes and exited his bedroom. Ginny was passing by at that moment and gave him a once over, unable to keep the appreciation out of her eyes. Grinning, he winked at her and made for the stairs with an ego that was bursting at the seams from her easy blush.

Poking his head into the drawing room he found Remus bidding Harry farewell as he made to leave for work by the floo network. Despite his resolution to let go of the fact that Remus hadn’t visited him in Azkaban to hear his side of things, he felt a stab of resentment. Harry looked up which caught Remus’ attention and turned to him before leaving, smiling in a way that was so familiar and yet so strange on the much older face. Harry’s resemblance to James seemed even stronger when juxtaposed against Remus and if he pushed reality aside, which wasn’t that difficult, given the quality reality had taken on, he could almost imagine that things hadn’t really changed so much.

As if taking cues from his subconscious Ginny bounded into the room and began to boss people around.

“You’ll be late if you don’t leave now, Remus,” said Ginny in a tone that would have made her mother proud.

“Bye, all,” said Remus before leaving, pausing to gaze at Sirius once more, looking nearly as disbelieving as Sirius felt.

“If you’re going to fit in all your stops you two had better get going,” commanded Ginny in a brisk business like tone.

“Stops?” asked Sirius curiously.

“There are a couple of matters of business I’d like to attend to after Godric’s Hollow,” answered Harry as he stood up and gave his wife’s cheek a kiss. “Say hello to Molly for me.”

“Will do,” she replied sweetly, pleased they were under way. “You boys be good.”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Landing on the outskirts of Godric’s Hollow, Sirius replayed the events from just a few nights ago, now twenty years later. Too strange, too bizarre to feel anything close to real, the events of the last two days seeming so impossible to him that there were instances in which he questioned his sanity. Perhaps seeing his closest friend, no, brother, dead and lifeless had driven him over a line from which his mind couldn’t, or wouldn’t, recover.

Actually, he knew better but it was less painful to attempt to convince himself of insanity than to accept his life as it was now. There was no choice but to adjust. In order to survive he would have to figure out what his place was, what he wanted it to be.

The leaf littered pavement was as familiar to Sirius as his own bedroom in number twelve, Grimmauld Place or the secret corridors in the castle he had once called home. How many times had he indulged Lily with a stroll around the town’s square, loping a foot or two in front of the carriage on all fours, tongue lolling out the side of his head because his Animagus form delighted little Harry to no end?

Countless.

The fresh air always seemed to calm Lily’s nerves in those trying times, before they had been marked for death and a fear became a certainty.

This tiny hamlet had changed little over the centuries so the giant obelisk in the center of town was something new and a genuine surprise. As they drew near the list of names carved in black stone changed into a statue that was as recognizable to him as his own face in the mirror.

Swallowing a thick knot of emotion he drew nearer still to rest his hands on the metal bars that surrounded the happy family captured in stone, gripping so hard his knuckles turned white with the strain.

Harry stood beside him wordlessly, allowing Sirius the quiet to grieve in peace while maintaining a supportive presence.

Sirius was grateful for the recognition his friends had been given, their sacrifice never to be forgotten. He struggled with the idea that their deaths were a necessity, inevitable if the safety of their world was to be secured.

The blissful notion that there would always be time for the important things in life, the adult things, was difficult to maintain while gazing up at the unseeing face of James Potter. James had been only too ready to lay his childhood aside and take on the mantle of a man; husband, father, protector.

Sirius fancied himself a warrior, a soldier, a fighter and in between a lover. He rather enjoyed playing the hero and until this moment he hadn’t realized that that is what it had been; playing. Lily’s only real complaint of Sirius, once she had overcome her aversion to he and James, had been that he never took the danger seriously enough, that he took too many risks.

Daredevil he was through and through but looking up at the faces of his friends he realized their quiet persistence at normalcy, family, life, love and home were worth more than all his wildly successful stunts combined. For the briefest of moments Sirius was both humbled and awed.

Sirius turned to look at Harry and smiled. “They were really special, your parents. The two finest people I’ve ever known.”

Harry returned the smile and then turned away from the statue to cross the road to a little church and the graveyard just beyond. The evidence of fall crunched beneath their feet as the road gave way to a path that continued on under a kissing gate at the mouth of the graveyard. Sirius took a deep breath and followed Harry through who walked directly to where he knew his parents lay, had lain, side by side, for the last twenty two years.

Halting his steps, Sirius gulped in a breath of air, unsure if he was ready for this. Harry heard the harsh gasp and paused under the half naked branches of a silver birch, turning, to wait for his godfather, a man his own age, to steady himself.

Squeezing his eyes tight to fight back the onslaught of grief that threatened to suck him down, he succeeded after a moment and a slight shake of his head. Looking up at Harry he saw concern and understanding etched on his face and offered him a smile.

Sirius took a step forward, turning Harry back on his path, and glanced around at the ancient headstones, the history of wizard kind all around them. Pausing at several graves along the way to take note of those he had known and fought alongside, who had died in a war that cut so many good people down.

He looked up to see Harry gazing down at a pair of gravestones, his back turned to Sirius. As he approached, Sirius could feel his strength slip and then quite suddenly, decided he didn’t care. Coming up alongside Harry, he read the name of his closest companion and his beloved wife, wrapped his arms tight around his own chest and wept.

The silence between Harry and Sirius was not uncomfortable and after several minutes of solitude, of silent tears and unimaginable grief, Sirius finally spoke.

“If only…” he began and then paused. “I think those two words will follow me around for the rest of my life. If only I hadn’t talked James into Peter, if only I had insisted that they take Dumbledore up on his offer, if only I had hung around that afternoon, if only I had checked on Peter earlier, if only I had listened to my gut feeling…”

“You can’t do that Sirius,” said Harry, still gazing at the headstones, a look of such intense longing on his face. “It’s not a fault of yours that they’re dead. The fault is Voldemort’s.”

“That night, when I came and pulled you out of the house and Hagrid met me there to take you to your Aunt’s,” began Sirius. “The thing is, your parents never wanted you to go to Petunia’s, so I was wondering how that went, you know, growing up?”

“My Aunt and Uncle are truly horrid people,” said Harry. “My childhood was a bit of a nightmare, but then I got my letter, went to Hogwarts and…I don’t know…it’s in the past, you know? I’m happy now, really, really happy.”

“So, when do I get to hear the whole story of my life?” asked Sirius. “I know that I went to Azkaban and that I eventually got out, but I know nothing about my life after that, except that I died, of course.”

“Well, I thought we’d come here this morning and then run by Hermione’s office and see what she has learned, maybe take her to lunch. There are a couple of changes I need to make at Gringott’s and then we’ll need to explain you to the Ministry.” Every time Harry looked at Sirius the difference between this man and the man he knew as godfather were just staggering, tearing deeply at him to know just how wounded Sirius had truly been. Despite the understandable sadness, this Sirius’ eyes were free of the shadows that haunted the older, more wearied version. Life burned brightly in the turbulent grey orbs, something he saw only once before, just moments prior to his death. “I thought maybe tonight we could delve into all of that. A lot happened in the few years that I knew you, it’ll take more than just me to tell the story.”

“Oh,” said Sirius, nodding in acknowledgement. “Ok.” Taking another look down at the head stones, he conjured a vase full of white lilies and placed it between the graves. The breath he let out was more of a low rattle, pregnant with the knowledge that he would never again hear James call him ‘Padfoot.’

“Bye, Prongs,” he whispered. “Lils.”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After a very brief viewing of the Potter’s ruined, wreck of a home, Harry took Sirius to visit Hermione at her office to see if she had dug up any new information on the magical accident. Sirius had only given the house the briefest of glances and then stated quite bluntly that he couldn’t take anymore that day.

The lift to take them up to her office was posh with marble flooring and wood paneled walls. As soon as the floor was selected and the door had closed a banner appeared before their eyes that boasted of industry awards, upcoming releases and top clients. It didn’t escape Sirius’ attention that the name Hermione Granger was associated with several of these awards and quite a few high profile projects.

The lift deposited them to the care of a friendly receptionist who disappeared to let Hermione know they were there after making a brief mention of the bookworm’s busy morning. They had barely settled into their seats when the receptionist returned and led the way to Hermione’s office.

Hermione was standing in front of her desk in a discussion with a tall well dressed wizard when the receptionist announced her guests before turning on her heel to return to her station.

“Mr. Shecklemeyer I’d like to introduce you to Sirius Black,” said Hermione as she stepped toward Harry and Sirius with her arm gestured toward Sirius.

Shecklemeyer turned to her gentlemen callers with a politely apologetic look on his face. “Mr. Black, we are terribly sorry for what has happened to you. I want you to feel that the company is at your disposal, whatever you need, please call on us first. Our legal department will be in touch with you about settlement terms but please believe that we intend to bend over backwards to accommodate you anyway we can.”

Sirius was in all honesty completely gob smacked. The legal ramifications of his situation had never occurred to him. He took the man’s hand and shook it, pleased by Shecklemeyer’s firm grip.

“I…wow, that hadn’t occurred to me,” he said with stunned honesty.

“I believe that the Department for Magical Accidents and Unnatural Occurrences are awaiting your arrival and they will facilitate reinstituting you to full legal status,” Shecklemeyer looked to Hermione for confirmation who nodded. “There will be a full press release tomorrow which you may choose to participate in, or not, totally up to you and I think that covers it for now but as I said, whatever you need.”

“Thanks,” said Sirius, still at a loss.

“Harry,” said Shecklemeyer, shaking his hand. “Always good to see you.”

Hermione closed the door behind Shecklemeyer as he left, smiled at her visitors and conjured a couple of chairs for them to sit in.

“How much trouble is the Potions Master in?” asked Sirius.

“Suspension with pay,” replied Hermione. “He’s too valuable to let go of but they have to do something.”

“Are you in any trouble?” asked Harry.

“Merlin, no!” assured Hermione. “There was no excuse for that potion to be out of his laboratory. I’m good enough to qualify as a Master if I wanted to but it’s really not my area of interest. He just can’t seem to keep himself away from my office. Frightfully annoying actually.”

“I didn’t consider how seriously the company would take it,” commented Harry. “Sirius and I were going to stop by the Ministry today but I wasn’t sure where to start, it seems you’ve got all the details worked out.”

“When were you thinking about going and I’ll join you?” asked Hermione. “I have to give a full report of what happened. The Ministry will want to look like they are taking this seriously but since the calendar was commissioned by them its unlikely there will be much of an inquiry.”

“It’s a little early yet for lunch,” said Harry. “Do you have time now?”

“Let’s do it!” replied Hermione.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sitting between Harry and Sirius in the office of the Head of the Department for Magical Accidents and Unnatural Occurrences, Hermione explained the details complete with official reports on both projects and the potion. The Department Head took careful notes of her explanation, glancing up occasionally to scrutinize the ruined conglomeration of magical inventions.

Sirius found himself becoming more and more impressed with the witch as he listened carefully to the explanation for the calendar. She possessed a genius he usually only associated with himself or James.

When the Department Head excused himself for a moment, Sirius leaned toward her and whispered into her hair, “Have I ever told you intellect is a turn on for me?”

If he was honest he would admit to hoping for an opportunity to get under her skin again.

Harry couldn’t help the chuckle over Sirius’ boldness and scooted his chair slightly to the right, just in case.

Turning slightly in her chair so that he would not miss the look of loathing in her eyes before she hexed him. “Silencio!”

“Protego!” The spell bounced easily off the shield he erected without bothering him to look the slightest bit ruffled. “Surely you can to do better than that,” he taunted.

“Not in public I can’t,” she threatened, her wand twitching in her fingers.

“If we’re going to start hexing each other you should be warned I’m an excellent dueler. You really don’t want to start something you can’t finish.” Smug and over confident Sirius looked away from her as if to demonstrate that he was so unconcerned that he didn’t even need to keep his eyes on her. The legs of Harry’s chair muttered quietly against the carpet as he moved his chair a little further to the right.

“I don’t have to be some undisciplined prankster to take you down, Sirius Black. I just have to wait for you to catch your reflection in the mirror to hex you.” Red, faced and furious, her words hissed from between her clenched teeth.

Sirius let out a bark of delighted laughter. “Well, if you’ll be waiting around to hex me won’t I see you standing behind me in the reflection? Probably all a ruse to get a better look at my arse anyway.”

Before she could retort the Department Head had returned, forcing Hermione to collect herself as she was acting in an official capacity for Shecklemeyer and Sons. It took every ounce of self control she possessed not to make a spectacle of herself.

“Mr. Black we have an usual set of circumstances as you well know. We can’t revoke your Death Certificate because you did indeed die and we can’t issue you a new Birth Certificate because you weren’t born twice. What we have decided to do is issue you a Life Certificate which officially reinstates you to full legal status in the eyes of the Ministry. You can use this in any capacity that you would have used your Birth Certificate.” The Head handed Sirius an official looking piece of parchment. “This is the official record and of course we have a copy on file.”

“Naturally.” Sirius took the certificate in his hands and looked at it carefully and then handed it to Harry to view.

“Thank you very much for your help,” said Hermione politely, extending her hand, only too ready to go.

When they were in the hallway Harry glanced at his watch. “Care to join us for lunch?”

“I should get back to my office,” she replied stiffly.

“Doesn’t trust herself in my presence,” said Sirius as an aside to Harry.

Harry tried to bite back the laugh but failed earning a deep scowl from Hermione. “The only thing I am worried about is doing something to you that might reflect badly on the company.”

“Yes, I imagine overt public displays of affection are frowned upon when representing your employer,” said Sirius nodding sagely, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

“C’mon, Hermione,” said Harry. “When was the last time I got to take you to lunch?”

Hermione was determined to decline but as they turned a corner, headed to the main atrium, they were greeted by a crowd of familiar faces. Groaning deeply with the realization that she wouldn’t be able to make her escape just yet, she breathed in while closing her eyes before planting as convincing a smile on her face as she could muster.

“Sirius Black!” boomed the deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic.

“I told you!” hissed an elated Tonks.

“Merlin! It’s really true!” breathed a disbelieving Arthur Weasley.

Ron walked beside his father without comment but kept darting his eyes between Harry and Sirius.

Kingsley and Arthur approached Sirius and his two companions with excited disbelief. Sirius braced himself for another surreal experience as they rushed up to welcome him back. Their faces weren’t quite right because they were so much older but his naturally gregarious nature and love of attention won over the uneasiness.

“Did you get back some of your youthfulness in that damn Veil?” asked Kingsley.

Hermione opened her mouth to answer but Tonks beat her to it. “I told you Kings, he’s from another dimension.”

“Right,” said Kingsley with heavy skepticism.

“We’ve explained the whole matter to the Head of the Department for Magical Accidents and Unnatural Occurrences,” interjected Hermione, resuming her role of spokesperson for Shecklemeyer and Sons. She held out her hand to Sirius, clearly requesting his official document. He regarded her proffered hand with a raised eyebrow and half grin. “The Life Certificate, Sirius,” she said irritably.

“Oh,” said Harry quickly, who still had it in his possession. “Here you go.” Hermione took it from Harry and handed it to Kingsley.

“Ah,” said Kingsley as he read the official record. “I imagine quite a tale goes along with this.”

“Ginny is speaking to Molly today about having a welcoming party of sorts for Sirius at the Burrow in a few days,” said Harry, throwing a guilty grin at Sirius for not warning him. “We thought it best to let you get settled in first.”

“Oh, of course,” said Kingsley, now thoroughly intrigued. “Well, I’ve got to run. I look forward to hearing the whole story in a few days.” Kingsley hurried away as he was enveloped in a cloud of official looking witches and wizards leaving Ron, Tonks and Arthur behind.

“It’s nearly lunch,” said Tonks. “Fancy a visit to Diagon Alley?”

“To eat or to see Remus?” teased Hermione.

“No reason we can’t do both,” she said with an impish grin.

“Could be the last time you’re able to visit London without getting mobbed as a celebrity,” snarked Harry.

“Celebrity,” said Hermione dryly. “Just what he needs.”

Ron looked at her sharply, surprised by the bite in her words.

“Jealous you might have to share me, beautiful?” purred Sirius. Tonks and Arthur watched the exchange with reactions that were a mix between curiosity, disbelief and humor. Ron’s mouth hung unattractively open, shocked by the suggestion that there was something going on between them.

“Yes, that’s it exactly, Sirius. Whatever will I do without your undivided attention?” Hermione’s irritation began to mount once again.

Ron cast a worried glance at Sirius.

“You’ve never experienced my undivided attention, Hermione,” he said smoothly, catching her eyes in the full power of his seductively hypnotic gaze. “Not that you haven’t thought about it.”

Arousal and fiery aggravation warred within her for a moment, mesmerized briefly in the sway of his charm, furious for letting him make this point once again. The filter in her brain that prevented her from saying things she ought not was temporarily disengaged at the very point her aggravation swelled into fury.

“Fine, Sirius. Do you want to hear me say that you’re attractive? You are, more so than the few photos we had of you ever hinted at.” Hermione took a menacing step towards Sirius, ignoring the victoriously smug grin splashed across his face. “You are also annoying, arrogant and unpleasant for me to be around. If you think for one minute that I am some silly girl who’s head can be turned by a pretty face you are sadly mistaken. I care more about what’s inside the wizard,” she seethed, jabbing him harshly in the chest. “From what I’ve seen you don’t have much in your head or your heart. You act like you think you can have any woman you want, well, Sirius Black, you can’t have me!” Hermione turned on her heel and marched away to the main atrium, leaving Harry, Arthur and Tonks with stunned expressions, but none more so than Ron.

“Well, that was…interesting,” commented Arthur.

Sirius’ grin was still firmly in place only now a strange mischievous light twinkled in his eyes. “I don’t know about you but that sounded like a challenge to me.”

“She’s going to end up killing you and it will be your own fault,” said Harry with complete faith in the truth of his words.

“I seem to remember saying something similar to James about Lily,” said Sirius cheerfully.

“I’ve never seen her so unhinged,” observed Tonks.

“Did you actually tell her that you could have her if you wanted?” asked Ron, finally moved to speak.

“I didn’t, no. I did suggest she wanted me,” replied Sirius before shifting his stance to face Ron. “Who are you?”

“Sirius, this is Ron Weasley,” said Harry. “Ron, this is Sirius but…”

“No, I heard,” interrupted Ron. “Accident at Hermione’s work.” Sirius gave Ron a closer look, putting it together that this was Hermione’s last man.

“Let’s have lunch,” announced Sirius lightly, deciding that Ron was probably a good place to start.