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Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I just like to play with them
Witch Weekly
Hermione let her hair out of the messy bun with a huff. She brushed it out and applied a little more Sleakeasy’s Hair Potion and had another go. She hated doing this sort of thing but she was a little nervous and wanted to look her best, she would be receiving Betty Braithwaite for tea that afternoon. Braithwaite was a freelance reporter, her interviews were usually in the Daily Prophet but she was doing a special piece on Hermione for Witch Weekly. Hermione continued to wrestle with her hair even as little chunks fell disobediently out of her grasp.
“I should just hex it right off my head.”
Hermione heard the sound of stifled laughter from behind her, she looked over her shoulder to see Sirius grinning affectionately at her. He had come in to see how her nerves were and found he couldn’t resist watching the spectacle of Hermione and her hair.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I think you’re adorable.”
Hermione blushed, she chose to ignore his comment, turning her attention back to her hair. She glared mutinously at her reflection. She had been reconsidering this interview ever since she agreed to it. Sirius had suggested she go to the beauty spa but being stubborn and frugal, she declined. Now that she was just a few hours away from the interview she was regretting her decision. She continued to fuss with it getting more and more frustrated. She let her hair out of the proposed bun. It fell around her face as she groaned in irritation.
“I like it down better than up.” Sirius got up from the bed and walked up behind her, kneading his fingers along her neck and across her shoulders in an attempt to help her relax and release a little tension. “You just don’t seem to know how pretty you are.”
Hermione pinked a little as she always did when he complimented her. It pleased her that he did so but she never really saw what he apparently did. She was never quite sure what to say and so always gave a quiet ‘thank you’ without meeting his eyes.
“I’m really not that pr…” Sirius spun her around and stopped her words with his lips on hers. He ran one hand through her hair, with the other he pulled her close to his body. All ability to think or feel stress fled her as he swallowed her quiet moan.
“You’re beautiful.” He gazed adoringly into her soft brown eyes, willing her to believe as he did. “Wear you hair down, baby. I like it that way, it’s more who you are. You’re stressed out because you’re trying to be someone you’re not.”
“But you said…”
He brought his hands up to cradle her face, tilting her gaze to meet his. “I said you should do the interview, not alter who you are. That’s the thing about being in the public eye, you have to be yourself. The minute you change who you are to cater to it you begin to lose yourself.”
“There’s nothing special about me, Sirius.” He started to interrupt but she stilled him with a hand to his mouth, never breaking their eye contact. “I wasn’t born into Wizard aristocracy or cheated death or been hunted as a dangerous killer. I’m just…me, you know what I mean? Whatever this attention I’m getting is about…it’s more to do with you than with me. So, if I want to use it, as has been suggested, don’t I have to play to it a little?” He could tell by looking at her that she wasn’t enjoying this. She was a practical girl who was being shoved into a dress that was far too frivolous for her taste.
“I don’t want you to do that. Whatever you think their expectation is of you, if you give it, you will have to keep giving it. Isn’t it easier to just be yourself?” His tone turned from honest and sincere to flirtatious with a wink of his eye. “Besides…my fame isn’t going anywhere, you can just…” He motioned with his hand, gliding it along an imaginary plane. “…ride on my coattails indefinitely.” He ended with a roguish grin.
Hermione gave him a light, playful slap on the shoulder. “Just be myself, expectations be damned?”
She startled him slightly with her use of coarse language, outside of their playtime she never swore. It made him appreciate how much tension she was feeling from all of this. He raised an eyebrow at her, making her blush.
“Well, if I wasn’t certain before, I surely am now.” He teased her lightly for her language. It wasn’t that he minded, it was out of character for her. “Why don’t you wash all that junk out of your hair,” he wrinkled his nose slightly, “put on a nice dress that you like and relax a little? Your mum will be here shortly, I’m sure she has nerves enough for all of us.” He didn’t wait for a reply, he just threw her a smile from over his shoulder as he left her to her preparations.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sirius had showered and dressed himself for her interview that morning. She had suggested that he might spend the day with Remus but he wanted to be there for moral support. She had never given an interview whereas he had done this many times. Ever since he had returned from the Veil he found himself a rather popular commodity. He had tested his fame’s resiliency with his playful ways and his women. Instead of losing favor his popularity soared, particularly with witches. They hunted him but he was willing prey. It wasn’t that hard to get a piece of Sirius Black. The attention of his pursuers helped him to forget the Veil, the dementors, James, Lily, his family…but it never lasted. He always awoke the next morning, the same man, broken and pathetic.
She changed all that.
When he was called upon to marry her it was a rather significant moment for him. For the first time in years he felt truly needed, the circumstance and situation were awful to be sure, but he had a purpose, finally. He took his duty to this young witch very seriously, he was her protector, her savior, just as she had been his. He willingly altered his whole life, the further she drew him in the more he realized this was what he needed all along. Falling in love with her had been easy, believing he was worthy of her had been harder. Accepting her love was beyond his ability to control, from the moment she asked him to let her love him he was lost in her.
Her love was healing the years of damage he had taken at the hands of the dementors. She filled the dark places with light and love, making him whole again. He was learning to accept himself once again and remember the confident young man he had been before he was stripped of every good thing and thrown away. He wasn’t even sure if she knew what she had done, it would be difficult for him to talk about. His solution was to lavish her with everything he had to offer.
The doorbell rang, Jean Granger had offered to come and lend moral support to her daughter.
“Hello, Jean. Come on in.” Sirius opened the door and took the small tray of finger sandwiches and home made Victoria sponge.
“Good to see you, Sirius. Thank you.” She insisted that Hermione allow her to prepare everything. Hermione was grateful for the help and was looking forward to the visit with her mother.
“Where’s our girl?”
“Fighting with her hair, last I saw. I think she might be taking another shower.” Sirius had heard the shower come on a few minutes ago, pleased she had taken his advice.
“It’s very exciting that she is going to be interviewed. Molly showed me the periodical that the article will run in.” Jean remembered Hermione crying to her about the last article Witch Weekly had run on her. She had heard the explanation for why she agreed to this interview but was unconvinced that this was a good idea. She was worried that the stress from trying to join an imposing group of women where she might not be wholly welcome would prove problematic for the pregnancy.
“I’m quite proud of her.” Sirius was worried about the pregnancy as well. He hadn’t said anything but was resolved to watch her like a hawk. If she showed signs of stress he was prepared to put his foot down.
There was a noise at the fireplace, both Jean and Sirius looked over to see Molly Weasley step through with a small bag. Hermione stepped out of the bedroom, her hair was dried and she was wearing it down. She had her favorite dress on, it was comfortable but appropriate to the occasion. Sirius flashed her a huge smile as she and Molly made their way over.
Sirius took a hand of hers each in his hands, holding them wide so he could take a good look at her. He released one of her hands to spin her under his arm.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart.” She glanced up at him, smiled and blushed.
“Thank you.”
“How are you feeling, dear?” Jean took a critical look at her daughter.
“She’s just fine, Jeanie. She’s only been pregnant a week. I’ll bet the morning sickness hasn’t even set in yet has it?” Molly chided Hermione’s mother gently for fussing over her so soon. She had been pregnant enough times to know that Hermione would appreciate it more in the later months.
Hermione shook her head in answer to Molly’s question, grateful that someone was willing to be reasonable about all of this.
“Here is a potion I made for you, dear. It will make the morning sickness seem like nothing.” Molly reached into her bag and handed Hermione a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. She took it gratefully with a smile. “Just three drops in the morning is all you need.”
“No morning sickness?” Jean sounded skeptical, she was a doctor and had never heard of such a thing.
“Goodness, no! Why would anyone go through that?” Molly laughed lightly, she knew Jean was always surprised by these little discoveries.
“Oh, goodness! Look at the time!” Hermione glanced at the grandfather clock in the living room. She hurried into the kitchen and began to prepare the tea. “Mum, thanks so much for making all of this.”
“Not at all, well I guess I’d better be off. Your guest will be arriving soon. Molly, shopping tomorrow?” Jean walked into the kitchen and gave her daughter a hug.
“Oh, yes, that’s right, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Molly smiled at her friend and waved good bye.
Jean patted Sirius on the shoulder before leaving the way she came.
“That’s it for me as well. I’ll be looking for that article! Good luck, Hermione.” Hermione and Sirius bade her good bye before Molly returned home by floo.
Hermione made to move the tea service into the living room’s coffee table but was halted by Sirius.
“I know you think I’m being over protective. I know it gets on your nerves but I’m asking you to please humor me.” Sirius gently acknowledged his insecurity and asked her to play along to assuage his fears. She was precious to him and was now, in his opinion, in a somewhat delicate state.
He was asking so nicely and sincerely instead of just doing as he pleased. She appreciated the gesture and nodded her head. He thanked her, easily picked up the silver set and took into the family room. Hermione followed in with the tray of sandwiches, Sirius returned to kitchen and a moment later he entered with the Victoria sponge.
“Your mum makes the best.” He indicated the cake he was bringing in.
“I’m glad she offered to help.” Her mother had given her one less thing to stress about. “I think I’ll go take one more look at myself.”
Sirius smiled as she left the family room for one last fret. She walked through the bedroom straight back to the bathroom. She couldn’t find anything particularly wrong, she wished she was just a little more glamorous but the truth was, that just wasn’t her. She gave a little jump when she heard the door bell ring. She gave herself one last look, brushing away a tendril that had fallen into her face.
“Show time.” She spoke quietly to herself before leaving the bathroom to answer the door.
Hermione walked out of the bedroom and sought out Sirius with her eyes, seeking reassurance. He gave her a supporting smile and watched as she went to the door. She opened it and greeted her guest, her first step into a potential new future.
“Ms. Braithwaite, do come in. Welcome to our home.” Hermione ushered the reporter in.
“Hello, Mrs. Black. Please, call me Betty.” Braithwaite wore crisp, stylish well tailored robes. She was as different from Rita Skeeter as white is from black. She projected an aura that was business like while also soothing and relaxing. In some respects she was even more dangerous than Skeeter, this woman could get behind the guard.
“Welcome Ms. Braithwaite.” Sirius’ melodic baritone startled the reporter. She thought she would have the little girl all to herself. Her professionalism saved her, she didn’t let her surprise or disappointment show through.
“Thank you, Mr. Black and please, it’s Betty.” Braithwaite sized Sirius up without seeming to do so. She put on her warmest smile knowing it was the best way to break through walls.
“Alright, then please call me Sirius.” He gestured to the family room.
Braithwaite would have considered it a victory that she was now on a first name basis with him except that he was experienced at this game. He knew what to say and how to say it. He was constantly in the public eye and understood what sort of animal a reporter was. She was disappointed that her quarry hadn’t taken the invitation. It was still Mrs. Black for her. The reporter settled herself on a couch and let Hermione serve her tea. The three of them chatted idly for a few minutes, enjoying Jean Granger’s efforts.
“Well, Mrs. Black, shall we get started?” Braithwaite gave Hermione a comforting smile. She had been easing the girl into her confidence through light conversation. Hermione was clearly tense and Braithwaite could tell it would be difficult to break through that.
“Sure, you can call me Hermione.” She gave her a nervous smile.
Braithwaite smiled inwardly that the formalities were breaking down. “I’d like to skip past the obvious, we all know that you are close friends with Harry Potter. I’d like to ask you about a different school mate of yours; tell me about Draco Malfoy.” Braithwaite suppressed a gloating smile at the looks of surprise from both Sirius and Hermione.
“He attacked my wife on multiple occasions, he got himself kicked out. Hermione had very little to do with that.” Sirius ended with a low growl in his voice. He wondered what this woman was playing at. He knew he had given her more of a reaction than he would have liked but he wasn’t going to allow Hermione to take another kick from that poncy pureblood.
Braithwaite silently congratulated herself for getting under his skin. So, this was a sensitive issue…but why? There was something about the dynamic of these two that she felt she needed to better understand. She closely observed Hermione’s reaction, which was to pat Sirius reassuringly on the knee. The beast that flickered behind Sirius’ countenance may as well have licked her hand and curled up to sleep.
“Draco was rather ugly to me, he basically stalked me on my way to class. My confrontations with him led to us fleeing the country.” Hermione was a little less nervous now that she knew this woman was an adversary. Understanding the relationship helped to calm her nerves.
“You had to flee the country? I hadn’t heard about that.” Now it was Braithwaite’s turn to be off balance. She expected to hear a story about petty muggleborn versus pureblood rivalry. She didn’t realize she was about to stumble upon a story with teeth. The current political climate had the wizarding world kissing arse to muggleborns. She had hoped to play on that angle.
Together Hermione and Sirius told the story of her confrontation with Draco and then eventually Lucius Malfoy and even Bellatrix Lestrange. What was even more interesting to Braithwaite than the story itself was the way these two talked about it. Hermione glowed when she told how Sirius had forced a proper apology out of Draco. When Sirius was speaking about their escape he unconsciously pulled her a little closer to him. Braithwaite had come looking for an angle with a bite but found herself smitten with this unlikely couple. She had suspected that they were playing up her muggleborn status to her advantage. Braithwaite was no longer convinced of that.
There was a deep bond between these two, deep enough to withstand high levels of stress and danger and come out closer on the other side. As she listened to them speak, her story changed. She had originally wanted to take a different tack from Rita Skeeter who practically kissed Sirius’ arse in her interviews. Instead of petty childhood rivalry, she had a story about a rather romantic couple. It would seem that the press still loved one Sirius Black.
“I guess the only thing left to ask you Hermione is where did you run to?” Braithwaite considered this a simple question, her quill was poised for the quick answer.
“We’ve never told anyone…” began Sirius, with a glance at Hermione.
“You know, in case we ever had to return.” Hermione caught his glance and smiled softly at him, remembering how they fell in love.
“Secret hideaway, then?” Braithwaite just couldn’t help herself, she loved these two.
“Something like that, Betty.” Sirius wore a lazy smirk to hide the seriousness of keeping the location a secret.
“Well, let’s move on then. I’m rather interested in hearing how you ended up in St. Mungo’s, Hermione. I understand you were there for a week and that it was pretty serious.” Braithwaite had done quite a bit of research for this interview.
Hermione flicked her eyes at Sirius, there was a complicated answer to that question. He smiled at her and nodded.
“Well, as you know, I’m muggleborn.” Braithwaite nodded that she did indeed know that.
“Well, Sirius and I eloped…” Hermione paused when Braithwaite scribbled a few notes down. She hoped there weren’t going to be too many questions about how they got married. She and Sirius had agreed to go public with that information when they sat down with Rita Skeeter. Rita had helped them with the Office for the Control of Unmarried Muggleborns. Hermione wasn’t thrilled to be doing the interview but put her trust in Sirius.
“How romantic.” Braithwaite purred her words. The slight flinch Hermione gave wasn’t lost on her, Sirius draped his arm around Hermione in comfort. He knew that being forced to marry was a hard memory for Hermione and that it hadn’t been that romantic for either of them. “Where did you honeymoon?”
“Austria, it was beautiful there wasn’t it, baby?” Sirius steered the interview where they had agreed to take it. Hermione nodded and smiled at him.
Braithwaite wondered what was being held back, she made a note of Hermione’s odd reaction, not really sure how to bring it out. Braithwaite was going to ask how they fell in love, something she had neglected to ask while hearing about their adventures with Draco Malfoy. Sirius sensed a question like that was forthcoming so he jumped to the point.
“It was all rather sudden, I never even got her an engagement ring…” Sirius proceeded with the tale about the ring. Hermione had gone very quiet as he explained the curse and how it worked. All was forgiven but his recklessness still hurt a bit. She was glad they had moved forward, she was truly happy with him but that time in her life was a difficult one.
“Is that the ring in question?” Braithwaite indicated Hermione’s new engagement ring.
“Oh, no…” Hermione glanced at Sirius with a smile. “He just gave this to me last week.”
“We’re going to have that ceremony after all.” Sirius kissed her sweetly on the temple.
“That’s really wonderful news, you two.” Braithwaite wrote herself a reminder about the upcoming ceremony. “How long were you in St. Mungo’s?” Braithwaite made a note to research the Toujours Pur curse. That was definitely going in her article. It would play nicely to the public who were sympathetic to the plight of muggleborns these days.
“I was there a week before Severus Snape was able to contain the curse.” Hermione’s voice was quiet, she hadn’t realized how hard talking about this would be.
“The Hogwart’s professor?”
“The same.”
“So, you were fine after that?” Braithwaite didn’t know anything about the memory loss, seizures, migraines or difficulties with motor control. She only knew that Hermione had been in St. Mungo’s and that it was under mysterious circumstances.
“Oh, no. He kept the curse from killing me but…” Hermione ran though the list of ailments left in the wake of the curse. Braithwaite gaped at her in open shock at how much this young woman had to suffer. The look of pain and guilt etched into Sirius’ face was stark and startling. It completely changed the way he looked. These two had faced more than most and it all seemed to surround his and her positions in life at birth.
“How much of your memory did you lose?” Braithwaite recovered from her shock, she was a professional after all.
“It was about six months.” Hermione leaned her head against Sirius chest for strength, this conversation was hard on her.
“So, you don’t remember getting married, do you?” Braithwaite looked at the couple with some astonishment, how did they pull it back together if she couldn’t remember anything? “You seem to recall the events in your life with clarity, how is that possible?”
“Oh, I’ve got my memory back now. It took about…” She looked at Sirius to help her with the time frame.
“Seems like it was around a month or so. A very, very long month.” The look of guilt had yet to ease off of his face.
“Wow.” Braithwaite took a moment to recover. Their life certainly wasn’t boring. “How did you get your memory back? What about the other symptoms?”
Sirius and Hermione shared a smile. Braithwaite looked between them, there was something rather significant to how she got her memory back.
“You see, the curse was all about keeping the Black line pure, meaning only pureblood children.” Hermione and Sirius had agreed to give Braithwaite the scoop about her pregnancy. “If that objective failed then so did the curse.”
“Meaning?”
“We’re expecting.”
“Wow.” Braithwaite sat up a little straighter to collect her thoughts. “So, you’re a muggleborn cursed by purebloods and the way to break the curse was to get pregnant by a pureblood? I’m sorry, I know that sounds a little crass but is that the gist of it?” Braithwaite was stunned. She was giddy with the thought of the ripple effect this piece would have. The tension between muggleborns and the rest of wizard society was slowly ramping up since the end of the war. This article might just uncork it.
“We’re not sure if it’s specific to purebloods or the Black line itself, but yes, that’s it in a nutshell.” Sirius felt it a victory that their love had cured her. In essence, he had cured her. It made room for him to forgive himself, eventually.
“I must say, you two don’t have boring lives. A little too exciting to be honest.” Braithwaite had come to gently shred them but found she just couldn’t. They were a remarkable couple who had faced staggering odds. “I just have one more question and then I’ll be on my way. It has been rumored that you attracted the attention of the Daughter’s of the International Warlock Convention. Does that rumor have any merit?”
“Well, I’ve been invited to attend one of their meetings, so I suppose the answer is yes. I’m not at all sure what they want to talk to me about.” Hermione realized the day after reading the letter that an invitation to join was perhaps a bit presumptuous. She had only been invited to one meeting and had not been told why.
“Hazard a guess?”
“I’d love to but I’m just as in the dark as you.”
Braithwaite smiled at the pair, she stood to leave and was escorted to the front door by Hermione and Sirius.
“You’ll receive a free copy of Witch Weekly when the article runs. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. It’s been a pleasure getting to know both of you.” She shook both of their hands before leaving.
Sirius quietly closed the front door and followed Hermione back into the living room. She sat down looking a little shell shocked. It had been a hard afternoon for her. He was about to sit down when she suddenly stood up.
“You know, with all of this excitement I haven’t been keeping up with my studies. I’ve really got to be more disciplined.” She gently brushed past Sirius in the direction of the library.
He let her go without a fight. He wanted to comfort her but sensed that what she needed right now was a little time alone.
Witch Weekly
Hermione let her hair out of the messy bun with a huff. She brushed it out and applied a little more Sleakeasy’s Hair Potion and had another go. She hated doing this sort of thing but she was a little nervous and wanted to look her best, she would be receiving Betty Braithwaite for tea that afternoon. Braithwaite was a freelance reporter, her interviews were usually in the Daily Prophet but she was doing a special piece on Hermione for Witch Weekly. Hermione continued to wrestle with her hair even as little chunks fell disobediently out of her grasp.
“I should just hex it right off my head.”
Hermione heard the sound of stifled laughter from behind her, she looked over her shoulder to see Sirius grinning affectionately at her. He had come in to see how her nerves were and found he couldn’t resist watching the spectacle of Hermione and her hair.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I think you’re adorable.”
Hermione blushed, she chose to ignore his comment, turning her attention back to her hair. She glared mutinously at her reflection. She had been reconsidering this interview ever since she agreed to it. Sirius had suggested she go to the beauty spa but being stubborn and frugal, she declined. Now that she was just a few hours away from the interview she was regretting her decision. She continued to fuss with it getting more and more frustrated. She let her hair out of the proposed bun. It fell around her face as she groaned in irritation.
“I like it down better than up.” Sirius got up from the bed and walked up behind her, kneading his fingers along her neck and across her shoulders in an attempt to help her relax and release a little tension. “You just don’t seem to know how pretty you are.”
Hermione pinked a little as she always did when he complimented her. It pleased her that he did so but she never really saw what he apparently did. She was never quite sure what to say and so always gave a quiet ‘thank you’ without meeting his eyes.
“I’m really not that pr…” Sirius spun her around and stopped her words with his lips on hers. He ran one hand through her hair, with the other he pulled her close to his body. All ability to think or feel stress fled her as he swallowed her quiet moan.
“You’re beautiful.” He gazed adoringly into her soft brown eyes, willing her to believe as he did. “Wear you hair down, baby. I like it that way, it’s more who you are. You’re stressed out because you’re trying to be someone you’re not.”
“But you said…”
He brought his hands up to cradle her face, tilting her gaze to meet his. “I said you should do the interview, not alter who you are. That’s the thing about being in the public eye, you have to be yourself. The minute you change who you are to cater to it you begin to lose yourself.”
“There’s nothing special about me, Sirius.” He started to interrupt but she stilled him with a hand to his mouth, never breaking their eye contact. “I wasn’t born into Wizard aristocracy or cheated death or been hunted as a dangerous killer. I’m just…me, you know what I mean? Whatever this attention I’m getting is about…it’s more to do with you than with me. So, if I want to use it, as has been suggested, don’t I have to play to it a little?” He could tell by looking at her that she wasn’t enjoying this. She was a practical girl who was being shoved into a dress that was far too frivolous for her taste.
“I don’t want you to do that. Whatever you think their expectation is of you, if you give it, you will have to keep giving it. Isn’t it easier to just be yourself?” His tone turned from honest and sincere to flirtatious with a wink of his eye. “Besides…my fame isn’t going anywhere, you can just…” He motioned with his hand, gliding it along an imaginary plane. “…ride on my coattails indefinitely.” He ended with a roguish grin.
Hermione gave him a light, playful slap on the shoulder. “Just be myself, expectations be damned?”
She startled him slightly with her use of coarse language, outside of their playtime she never swore. It made him appreciate how much tension she was feeling from all of this. He raised an eyebrow at her, making her blush.
“Well, if I wasn’t certain before, I surely am now.” He teased her lightly for her language. It wasn’t that he minded, it was out of character for her. “Why don’t you wash all that junk out of your hair,” he wrinkled his nose slightly, “put on a nice dress that you like and relax a little? Your mum will be here shortly, I’m sure she has nerves enough for all of us.” He didn’t wait for a reply, he just threw her a smile from over his shoulder as he left her to her preparations.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sirius had showered and dressed himself for her interview that morning. She had suggested that he might spend the day with Remus but he wanted to be there for moral support. She had never given an interview whereas he had done this many times. Ever since he had returned from the Veil he found himself a rather popular commodity. He had tested his fame’s resiliency with his playful ways and his women. Instead of losing favor his popularity soared, particularly with witches. They hunted him but he was willing prey. It wasn’t that hard to get a piece of Sirius Black. The attention of his pursuers helped him to forget the Veil, the dementors, James, Lily, his family…but it never lasted. He always awoke the next morning, the same man, broken and pathetic.
She changed all that.
When he was called upon to marry her it was a rather significant moment for him. For the first time in years he felt truly needed, the circumstance and situation were awful to be sure, but he had a purpose, finally. He took his duty to this young witch very seriously, he was her protector, her savior, just as she had been his. He willingly altered his whole life, the further she drew him in the more he realized this was what he needed all along. Falling in love with her had been easy, believing he was worthy of her had been harder. Accepting her love was beyond his ability to control, from the moment she asked him to let her love him he was lost in her.
Her love was healing the years of damage he had taken at the hands of the dementors. She filled the dark places with light and love, making him whole again. He was learning to accept himself once again and remember the confident young man he had been before he was stripped of every good thing and thrown away. He wasn’t even sure if she knew what she had done, it would be difficult for him to talk about. His solution was to lavish her with everything he had to offer.
The doorbell rang, Jean Granger had offered to come and lend moral support to her daughter.
“Hello, Jean. Come on in.” Sirius opened the door and took the small tray of finger sandwiches and home made Victoria sponge.
“Good to see you, Sirius. Thank you.” She insisted that Hermione allow her to prepare everything. Hermione was grateful for the help and was looking forward to the visit with her mother.
“Where’s our girl?”
“Fighting with her hair, last I saw. I think she might be taking another shower.” Sirius had heard the shower come on a few minutes ago, pleased she had taken his advice.
“It’s very exciting that she is going to be interviewed. Molly showed me the periodical that the article will run in.” Jean remembered Hermione crying to her about the last article Witch Weekly had run on her. She had heard the explanation for why she agreed to this interview but was unconvinced that this was a good idea. She was worried that the stress from trying to join an imposing group of women where she might not be wholly welcome would prove problematic for the pregnancy.
“I’m quite proud of her.” Sirius was worried about the pregnancy as well. He hadn’t said anything but was resolved to watch her like a hawk. If she showed signs of stress he was prepared to put his foot down.
There was a noise at the fireplace, both Jean and Sirius looked over to see Molly Weasley step through with a small bag. Hermione stepped out of the bedroom, her hair was dried and she was wearing it down. She had her favorite dress on, it was comfortable but appropriate to the occasion. Sirius flashed her a huge smile as she and Molly made their way over.
Sirius took a hand of hers each in his hands, holding them wide so he could take a good look at her. He released one of her hands to spin her under his arm.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart.” She glanced up at him, smiled and blushed.
“Thank you.”
“How are you feeling, dear?” Jean took a critical look at her daughter.
“She’s just fine, Jeanie. She’s only been pregnant a week. I’ll bet the morning sickness hasn’t even set in yet has it?” Molly chided Hermione’s mother gently for fussing over her so soon. She had been pregnant enough times to know that Hermione would appreciate it more in the later months.
Hermione shook her head in answer to Molly’s question, grateful that someone was willing to be reasonable about all of this.
“Here is a potion I made for you, dear. It will make the morning sickness seem like nothing.” Molly reached into her bag and handed Hermione a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. She took it gratefully with a smile. “Just three drops in the morning is all you need.”
“No morning sickness?” Jean sounded skeptical, she was a doctor and had never heard of such a thing.
“Goodness, no! Why would anyone go through that?” Molly laughed lightly, she knew Jean was always surprised by these little discoveries.
“Oh, goodness! Look at the time!” Hermione glanced at the grandfather clock in the living room. She hurried into the kitchen and began to prepare the tea. “Mum, thanks so much for making all of this.”
“Not at all, well I guess I’d better be off. Your guest will be arriving soon. Molly, shopping tomorrow?” Jean walked into the kitchen and gave her daughter a hug.
“Oh, yes, that’s right, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Molly smiled at her friend and waved good bye.
Jean patted Sirius on the shoulder before leaving the way she came.
“That’s it for me as well. I’ll be looking for that article! Good luck, Hermione.” Hermione and Sirius bade her good bye before Molly returned home by floo.
Hermione made to move the tea service into the living room’s coffee table but was halted by Sirius.
“I know you think I’m being over protective. I know it gets on your nerves but I’m asking you to please humor me.” Sirius gently acknowledged his insecurity and asked her to play along to assuage his fears. She was precious to him and was now, in his opinion, in a somewhat delicate state.
He was asking so nicely and sincerely instead of just doing as he pleased. She appreciated the gesture and nodded her head. He thanked her, easily picked up the silver set and took into the family room. Hermione followed in with the tray of sandwiches, Sirius returned to kitchen and a moment later he entered with the Victoria sponge.
“Your mum makes the best.” He indicated the cake he was bringing in.
“I’m glad she offered to help.” Her mother had given her one less thing to stress about. “I think I’ll go take one more look at myself.”
Sirius smiled as she left the family room for one last fret. She walked through the bedroom straight back to the bathroom. She couldn’t find anything particularly wrong, she wished she was just a little more glamorous but the truth was, that just wasn’t her. She gave a little jump when she heard the door bell ring. She gave herself one last look, brushing away a tendril that had fallen into her face.
“Show time.” She spoke quietly to herself before leaving the bathroom to answer the door.
Hermione walked out of the bedroom and sought out Sirius with her eyes, seeking reassurance. He gave her a supporting smile and watched as she went to the door. She opened it and greeted her guest, her first step into a potential new future.
“Ms. Braithwaite, do come in. Welcome to our home.” Hermione ushered the reporter in.
“Hello, Mrs. Black. Please, call me Betty.” Braithwaite wore crisp, stylish well tailored robes. She was as different from Rita Skeeter as white is from black. She projected an aura that was business like while also soothing and relaxing. In some respects she was even more dangerous than Skeeter, this woman could get behind the guard.
“Welcome Ms. Braithwaite.” Sirius’ melodic baritone startled the reporter. She thought she would have the little girl all to herself. Her professionalism saved her, she didn’t let her surprise or disappointment show through.
“Thank you, Mr. Black and please, it’s Betty.” Braithwaite sized Sirius up without seeming to do so. She put on her warmest smile knowing it was the best way to break through walls.
“Alright, then please call me Sirius.” He gestured to the family room.
Braithwaite would have considered it a victory that she was now on a first name basis with him except that he was experienced at this game. He knew what to say and how to say it. He was constantly in the public eye and understood what sort of animal a reporter was. She was disappointed that her quarry hadn’t taken the invitation. It was still Mrs. Black for her. The reporter settled herself on a couch and let Hermione serve her tea. The three of them chatted idly for a few minutes, enjoying Jean Granger’s efforts.
“Well, Mrs. Black, shall we get started?” Braithwaite gave Hermione a comforting smile. She had been easing the girl into her confidence through light conversation. Hermione was clearly tense and Braithwaite could tell it would be difficult to break through that.
“Sure, you can call me Hermione.” She gave her a nervous smile.
Braithwaite smiled inwardly that the formalities were breaking down. “I’d like to skip past the obvious, we all know that you are close friends with Harry Potter. I’d like to ask you about a different school mate of yours; tell me about Draco Malfoy.” Braithwaite suppressed a gloating smile at the looks of surprise from both Sirius and Hermione.
“He attacked my wife on multiple occasions, he got himself kicked out. Hermione had very little to do with that.” Sirius ended with a low growl in his voice. He wondered what this woman was playing at. He knew he had given her more of a reaction than he would have liked but he wasn’t going to allow Hermione to take another kick from that poncy pureblood.
Braithwaite silently congratulated herself for getting under his skin. So, this was a sensitive issue…but why? There was something about the dynamic of these two that she felt she needed to better understand. She closely observed Hermione’s reaction, which was to pat Sirius reassuringly on the knee. The beast that flickered behind Sirius’ countenance may as well have licked her hand and curled up to sleep.
“Draco was rather ugly to me, he basically stalked me on my way to class. My confrontations with him led to us fleeing the country.” Hermione was a little less nervous now that she knew this woman was an adversary. Understanding the relationship helped to calm her nerves.
“You had to flee the country? I hadn’t heard about that.” Now it was Braithwaite’s turn to be off balance. She expected to hear a story about petty muggleborn versus pureblood rivalry. She didn’t realize she was about to stumble upon a story with teeth. The current political climate had the wizarding world kissing arse to muggleborns. She had hoped to play on that angle.
Together Hermione and Sirius told the story of her confrontation with Draco and then eventually Lucius Malfoy and even Bellatrix Lestrange. What was even more interesting to Braithwaite than the story itself was the way these two talked about it. Hermione glowed when she told how Sirius had forced a proper apology out of Draco. When Sirius was speaking about their escape he unconsciously pulled her a little closer to him. Braithwaite had come looking for an angle with a bite but found herself smitten with this unlikely couple. She had suspected that they were playing up her muggleborn status to her advantage. Braithwaite was no longer convinced of that.
There was a deep bond between these two, deep enough to withstand high levels of stress and danger and come out closer on the other side. As she listened to them speak, her story changed. She had originally wanted to take a different tack from Rita Skeeter who practically kissed Sirius’ arse in her interviews. Instead of petty childhood rivalry, she had a story about a rather romantic couple. It would seem that the press still loved one Sirius Black.
“I guess the only thing left to ask you Hermione is where did you run to?” Braithwaite considered this a simple question, her quill was poised for the quick answer.
“We’ve never told anyone…” began Sirius, with a glance at Hermione.
“You know, in case we ever had to return.” Hermione caught his glance and smiled softly at him, remembering how they fell in love.
“Secret hideaway, then?” Braithwaite just couldn’t help herself, she loved these two.
“Something like that, Betty.” Sirius wore a lazy smirk to hide the seriousness of keeping the location a secret.
“Well, let’s move on then. I’m rather interested in hearing how you ended up in St. Mungo’s, Hermione. I understand you were there for a week and that it was pretty serious.” Braithwaite had done quite a bit of research for this interview.
Hermione flicked her eyes at Sirius, there was a complicated answer to that question. He smiled at her and nodded.
“Well, as you know, I’m muggleborn.” Braithwaite nodded that she did indeed know that.
“Well, Sirius and I eloped…” Hermione paused when Braithwaite scribbled a few notes down. She hoped there weren’t going to be too many questions about how they got married. She and Sirius had agreed to go public with that information when they sat down with Rita Skeeter. Rita had helped them with the Office for the Control of Unmarried Muggleborns. Hermione wasn’t thrilled to be doing the interview but put her trust in Sirius.
“How romantic.” Braithwaite purred her words. The slight flinch Hermione gave wasn’t lost on her, Sirius draped his arm around Hermione in comfort. He knew that being forced to marry was a hard memory for Hermione and that it hadn’t been that romantic for either of them. “Where did you honeymoon?”
“Austria, it was beautiful there wasn’t it, baby?” Sirius steered the interview where they had agreed to take it. Hermione nodded and smiled at him.
Braithwaite wondered what was being held back, she made a note of Hermione’s odd reaction, not really sure how to bring it out. Braithwaite was going to ask how they fell in love, something she had neglected to ask while hearing about their adventures with Draco Malfoy. Sirius sensed a question like that was forthcoming so he jumped to the point.
“It was all rather sudden, I never even got her an engagement ring…” Sirius proceeded with the tale about the ring. Hermione had gone very quiet as he explained the curse and how it worked. All was forgiven but his recklessness still hurt a bit. She was glad they had moved forward, she was truly happy with him but that time in her life was a difficult one.
“Is that the ring in question?” Braithwaite indicated Hermione’s new engagement ring.
“Oh, no…” Hermione glanced at Sirius with a smile. “He just gave this to me last week.”
“We’re going to have that ceremony after all.” Sirius kissed her sweetly on the temple.
“That’s really wonderful news, you two.” Braithwaite wrote herself a reminder about the upcoming ceremony. “How long were you in St. Mungo’s?” Braithwaite made a note to research the Toujours Pur curse. That was definitely going in her article. It would play nicely to the public who were sympathetic to the plight of muggleborns these days.
“I was there a week before Severus Snape was able to contain the curse.” Hermione’s voice was quiet, she hadn’t realized how hard talking about this would be.
“The Hogwart’s professor?”
“The same.”
“So, you were fine after that?” Braithwaite didn’t know anything about the memory loss, seizures, migraines or difficulties with motor control. She only knew that Hermione had been in St. Mungo’s and that it was under mysterious circumstances.
“Oh, no. He kept the curse from killing me but…” Hermione ran though the list of ailments left in the wake of the curse. Braithwaite gaped at her in open shock at how much this young woman had to suffer. The look of pain and guilt etched into Sirius’ face was stark and startling. It completely changed the way he looked. These two had faced more than most and it all seemed to surround his and her positions in life at birth.
“How much of your memory did you lose?” Braithwaite recovered from her shock, she was a professional after all.
“It was about six months.” Hermione leaned her head against Sirius chest for strength, this conversation was hard on her.
“So, you don’t remember getting married, do you?” Braithwaite looked at the couple with some astonishment, how did they pull it back together if she couldn’t remember anything? “You seem to recall the events in your life with clarity, how is that possible?”
“Oh, I’ve got my memory back now. It took about…” She looked at Sirius to help her with the time frame.
“Seems like it was around a month or so. A very, very long month.” The look of guilt had yet to ease off of his face.
“Wow.” Braithwaite took a moment to recover. Their life certainly wasn’t boring. “How did you get your memory back? What about the other symptoms?”
Sirius and Hermione shared a smile. Braithwaite looked between them, there was something rather significant to how she got her memory back.
“You see, the curse was all about keeping the Black line pure, meaning only pureblood children.” Hermione and Sirius had agreed to give Braithwaite the scoop about her pregnancy. “If that objective failed then so did the curse.”
“Meaning?”
“We’re expecting.”
“Wow.” Braithwaite sat up a little straighter to collect her thoughts. “So, you’re a muggleborn cursed by purebloods and the way to break the curse was to get pregnant by a pureblood? I’m sorry, I know that sounds a little crass but is that the gist of it?” Braithwaite was stunned. She was giddy with the thought of the ripple effect this piece would have. The tension between muggleborns and the rest of wizard society was slowly ramping up since the end of the war. This article might just uncork it.
“We’re not sure if it’s specific to purebloods or the Black line itself, but yes, that’s it in a nutshell.” Sirius felt it a victory that their love had cured her. In essence, he had cured her. It made room for him to forgive himself, eventually.
“I must say, you two don’t have boring lives. A little too exciting to be honest.” Braithwaite had come to gently shred them but found she just couldn’t. They were a remarkable couple who had faced staggering odds. “I just have one more question and then I’ll be on my way. It has been rumored that you attracted the attention of the Daughter’s of the International Warlock Convention. Does that rumor have any merit?”
“Well, I’ve been invited to attend one of their meetings, so I suppose the answer is yes. I’m not at all sure what they want to talk to me about.” Hermione realized the day after reading the letter that an invitation to join was perhaps a bit presumptuous. She had only been invited to one meeting and had not been told why.
“Hazard a guess?”
“I’d love to but I’m just as in the dark as you.”
Braithwaite smiled at the pair, she stood to leave and was escorted to the front door by Hermione and Sirius.
“You’ll receive a free copy of Witch Weekly when the article runs. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. It’s been a pleasure getting to know both of you.” She shook both of their hands before leaving.
Sirius quietly closed the front door and followed Hermione back into the living room. She sat down looking a little shell shocked. It had been a hard afternoon for her. He was about to sit down when she suddenly stood up.
“You know, with all of this excitement I haven’t been keeping up with my studies. I’ve really got to be more disciplined.” She gently brushed past Sirius in the direction of the library.
He let her go without a fight. He wanted to comfort her but sensed that what she needed right now was a little time alone.
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Wonderful update, and I hope the article doesn't say anything bad about them. :)
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Sirius is so cute.
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I haven't really said much about Draco since his expulsion however he is coming around in an upcoming chapter. The Malfoy to watch in coming chapters will be Narcissa...
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Thanks for the update...keep it going!
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Anyway...correct me if I am wrong but din't you have another story in your ff.net account??
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I am glad to know that you want to re-work on it and hey I am not complaining in the mean time....I am very much into Innocence, have been since the first chapter; Thank God for the day I decided to open your link!!!
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