Truth or Dare ✔️

35

The evening prior to Exam Day, Hermione sat in the library and found that for once in her life, she was unable to study...Her husband was on her mind. She hadn't seen him since May Day weekend and he had sent her many letters which she had not opened...She was still stinging from their parting. The one that she did open however, he had asked her to meet him in the Common Room. He had floo'd her and she found his behavior to be very odd and she became more and more concerned..she could tell that he'd been drinking heavily, probably from boredom or perhaps his depression was getting the better of him, for having to be alone for days at a time. But he had mentioned headaches...lots of them and that was what sprang her into action...she didn't know what his medication was, but if it was a prescription, he didn't need to be washing it down with alcohol. She ended the communication on a good note though, saying that she would see him after exams were done and over with. She also promised to talk to her mother about her spending her summer holiday in France with him.

She slammed closed the reference book that she was not reading and returned it to the shelving, retrieved her study materials and pushed her chair in, making a little more noise than she had meant to. She apologized to the student-clerk on her way out.

Once in her room, she sifted through her clothes in the dresser drawer and found his flannel shirt and took it to the girls' shower. From there, she disapparated for Grimmauld Place.

___

Sirius was lounging on the settee in the living room pretending to read the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet when he felt a disturbance in the house's energy. Someone had apparated in. He rolled off the settee, his wand brandished and leaped to his feet. Stealthily, he crept into the corridor and while he could hear someone descending the stairs, he couldn't see anyone. He pointed his wand and cast a revealing charm, and the staircase glowed for him; whoever it was, was not at the bottom and he raised his eyebrow...whoever the intruder was, wasn't trying to be covert at all. He plastered himself to the wall and awaited the intruder...Finally...something to break up the monotony!

He followed the sound of light footsteps into the kitchen, sniffing quietly at the air and he grinned, tiptoeing behind her.

"Damn! Where the hell can he be," the female voice said quietly and Sirius, completely relieved, lowered his wand and smiled...he was deliriously happy that it was her. He stole up behind her and wrapped his arms around where he had audibly triangulated her to be and she yelped and turned around in his arms.

"Hello Misses Black. You know, you almost got yourself killed Sunshine," he said in a low voice.

She lowered the hood of the make-shift cloak. "Well then, I'm very happy that you've some semblance of self-control, Mister Black! What gave me away?"

"Your perfume," Sirius replied lying through his teeth. "I must admit that I am very happy to see you!" He embraced her tightly to him and she made a sound, signaling to him that she couldn't breathe. "Sorry love," he said sheepishly.

"It's alright," she said pulling away from him and she removed the cloak, laying it on the back of the chair, she looked up at him.

"Why are you here though? Shouldn't you be studying?"

"Would you believe that I wasn't able to?"

"Not you!"

She nodded. "Yes. I was too bothered by unanswered questions."

He took her hands in his and looked at the ink stains on the fingers of her right hand. "Oh?" He fingered the digits of her left hand and while he didn't see his ring, he did feel it and smiled warmly...in his dreams, she had promised that she would wear it at school...and she did.