His Past, Her Future {Book One}

Chapter 11. Let's Be Sirius About This

"I don't know why I even bother? You obviously don't listen to reason!"

Sirius' voice called out across the Gryffindor Common Room, startling it's occupants and drawing attention to the girl climbing the stairs that would take her to the girls dormitories.

He had followed her back to the tower calling out to her the whole way along after finding her for the third time that week squeezed into a corner of the library with the greasy Slytherin.

"Well don't ask me," she shouted back equal with temper, her foot on the first step of the stairwell. "I didn't ask you to filter my friends for me and I don't appreciate it either."

"FRIENDS?!" he practically screamed, incredulous. "You're FRIENDS with him now?"

She turned around just in time to see James, Remus and Peter scramble through the round portrait.

Sirius oblivious and uncaring of the new additions to the Common Room, shook his head at Hermione. "He's a Slytherin My!" he said as if she had forgotten it and now everything would e resolved.

When she responded with only one angry raised eyebrow he continued "You cant be friends with one of them. You - you just can't. Heck - it's probably not even possible."

"Oh thank you Sirius!" she exclaimed with sickly, sweet sarcasm. "I mean - I had no idea. But know that you've told me I'll be sure to stay away from the big bad Slytherins. You don't think you can walk me to my classes tomorrow just in case one of them might you know- look at me?"

Sirius scowled darkly.

Hermione returned it equally.

Sirius opened his mouth to start again, determined to open her eyes to her obvious misdemeanour. 

However before he could even point out that tomorrow was the weekend and they didn't even have any classes he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

It was Peter.

Sirius looked at him puzzled, not that he had stopped him, even though that in itself didn't happen often (if ever), but by the look of pure sadness etched in his normally happy boyish face. 

Peter nodded towards Hermione as if in expiation and Sirius looked back at the fuming witch only to this time really see her.

She was angry yes; he had seen her that the first time - but he noticed now that although her stance and face was only out of pure rage her eyes were filled with tears.

It looked so misfitting he was surprised that it had taken another to point out to him.

Her eyes were so sad.

Aware of the fast-becoming awkward moment and scared of Sirius' slowly wilting face, Hermione turned and scrambled up the stairs as fast as her legs would take her with her eyes shutting tight, finally allowing her mutinous tears to escape.

She fell onto her bed and curled up into a ball hugging her pillow to her stomach, letting the tears wet her pillow case.

This wasn't the first time she had fought with Sirius in the past two weeks since her first potions lesson - no definitely not the first - but it was the first she had let her emotions get away from her. Usually she lasted until when she was safely wrapped in the bed hanging in the girl's dormitories or at least until the nearest girl's bathroom.

She couldn't do it anymore.

She didn't want to interfere with the future but the more time she spent in the library, searching her most trusted tomes that have never seemed to fail her before, the most she realised the dire situation she was in and the unlikelihood of ever returning.