THIRTY-ONE
13th September 1995
They were slacking. With the constant order meetings and kids occupying Grimauld place, Hermione hadn’t had the time to think about Horcruxes and how to solve Harry’s problem. Harry can't die. But killing the Horcrux inside him required the use of the killing curse, so how does one kill someone while making sure the victim doesn’t die? Remus had said conquering death was impossible. Hermione on the other hand, disagreed with the view.
When you are a little girl and your fantasy life of mythics and magic is handed to you on a silver plater when your biggest issues go from ‘how to avoid chores and orthodontist appointments’ to ‘how to avoid basilisks and dragons’, a belief of nothing is impossible gets lodged in your mind.
And that’s how Hermione found herself skimming through the pages in Grimauld place library, to prove that the impossible can be achieved. If the boy survived death once, how hard could it be a second time?. Hopefully not worse than what Hermione was forced into enduring that particular evening.
‘’Will you stop whining Sirius? If you want to help then read quietly and stop disturbing me’’ Hermione finally snapped at him after he whined for the zillionth time.
Sirius black was not a patient person to say the least. Very good reason why he was not sorted into Hufflepuff, and with Remus out on a ‘job hunt’ at the ministry Sirius was supposed to help Hermione read through the texts to find a solution. The man would move mountains for his godson, but could keep his concentration for so long, so when the first yawn of boredom slipped from his lips he did the one thing he was best at, whined like a child for Hermione to take a break and do something fun.
‘’cant we go out for just an hour?’’. The animagus pouted.
‘’No’’.
‘’But I’m bored?.
‘’Is there not a single book that you even a mild interest in?’’. Hermione asked.
Sirius’s eyes perked up at the question as he sat up straight on the couch , interest as clear as daylight on his face. Hermione’s eyebrows perked up with interest, her focus completely on him.
Sirius black has a favorite book? Now that was new.
‘’Don’t laugh.’’ Sirius started with a fond smile, at which Hermione solemnly nodded. ‘’when I was little I used read to Reggie, and it was the only book I was interested in. It seems weird for a grown man to find the Tales of Beedle the Bard interesting, but it is my favorite book. Reminds me of the good time me and Reggie had’’
‘’Oh Sirius, I wouldn’t laugh at that, I find that book intriguing too. Why don’t you tell me about your favorite tale?’’
Engaging Sirius in something he was interested in may get his rust of, and then maybe he’d be willing to help. Though Hermione herself was tired of hitting dead ends, and their research pace was slower with Remus AWOL.
‘’The tale of three brothers’’ Sirius said with a nostalgic grin.
‘’The tale of-‘’ Hermione stopped mid sentence. A low gasp ripped from her throat, the tale of three brother, the deathly hallows. The elder wand, the invisibility cloak and the resurrection stone. The one who yields them will be the master of death. A chance to cheat death, she realized.
‘’What is it?’’ the marauder asked , an expression of worry clear across his face.
‘’The deathly hallows. I just found us a failsafe for Harry’’
‘’The what?’’ Sirius asked, confused.
Hermione quickly summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and drew the picture she remembered that Xenophelius lovegood had drawn while explaining the same concept to the golden trio, and so she went on to the detailed description of the Peverells’ relation to the Potters, the elder wand, resurrection stone and cloak of invisibility. She told him about Dumbledore being the master of the elder wand. It was good that they had the future cloak, so they wouldn’t have to take Harry’s, though she had never found out the location of the stone.
But naturally Sirius had his concerns, they still didn’t have a way to remove the horcrux from harry and he also voiced that they shouldn’t need a way t cheat death because there would be no death involved. Of course Hermione knew that, the deathly hallows were just a desperate last resort. But the elder wand in their position was absolutely crucial, because why wouldn’t Hermione have plans for the death stick, though she didn’t indulge Sirius, and she had no motive of doing so till later in the future when he and Remus couldn’t stop her.
‘’It’s a half baked idea with no final motive or execution plan or…….anything at all, but its better than what we were doing yesterday’’ the witched reasoned with the animagus.
‘’We need solid leads and a safe and calculated plan to save harry, no death cheating trinkets and fairy tales.’’ Sirius sternly told her. He had no intentions of messing around when it came to harry. One look at his solemn expression and hermione knew that he was very serious about this (pun intended) and was not willing to take any risks.
‘’Well then, I’m going to have to break into Dumbledore’s office when we go to visit harry’’ she smiled innocently.
‘’Dumbledore’s…..why?’’
‘’There are some books in his personal collection that might help’’ she sighed. ‘’I know its still not a solid lead but I’m out of ideas’’
‘’Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. I’m just on the edge because of harry, the horcruxes and nightmares, and everything is just shit’’ he said, clearly realizing that he was being hard on her when she was the one with the weight of the wizarding world on her shoulder.
Hermione looked at him with intense eyes, her brows furrowed as she spoke. “ Yea, I just don’t know what to do, Sirius. If I don’t find a solution soon, everything will fall apart. Im….im actually sacred, I have to end this before it gets too bad, like it did last time”
Sirius’s gaze was unwavering, his hand resting close to hers on the armrest. “You’re overthinking it. Sometimes the solution is right in front of you, but you’re too close to see it.”
She turned to face him more fully, their shoulders brushing. The proximity was electric, their breaths mingling in the small space. Sirius’s heart raced, and he could feel the tension between them tightening like a coiled spring. He had rejected her in the past, not because he wanted to but because it was for the best and now, as she sat so near, the old feelings surged back, feelings that her had done so hard to burry the past couple of months, feelings complicated by the knowledge that she moony’s until he got his wand out of his arse and did something about his cousin.
To break the mounting pressure, Sirius tried to lighten the mood. “You know, if all else fails, we could always run away to France with harry and moony, make fake identities and open a library-themed coffee shop. I bet it’d be a hit—‘Books and Brews’.”
Hermione’s lips twitched, a smile threatening to break free. She met his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, they were so close that Sirius could see every nuance of her expression. Her breath was warm against his skin, and the unspoken words hung between them.
The space was charged, and Sirius could feel himself leaning in, his pulse quickening. Hermione’s gaze dropped to his lips, and it seemed as if they might bridge the gap between them. Their faces were inches apart, the tension so palpable it was almost unbearable.
But then, the moment was shattered by a sudden, sharp tapping on the window. Both of them jerked apart, their breaths coming in quick, uneven bursts. They looked towards the sound to see an owl perched on the window ledge, its large, curious eyes blinking at them through the glass.
Sirius and Hermione exchanged a glance, the weight of what almost happened still hanging in the air. The owl hooted softly, as if to remind them of the world outside their tangled emotions. The tension remained, but it was now laced with an awkward, lingering silence.