Saving Brothers

Chapter 9: The Highway Man

"Lily!" Hermione cried, a Hogwarts a History book falling from her bed.

"What are you on about? What did you mean about that stuff? And about piecing stuff together and Dumbledore's lessons?" Lily asked, her face starting to turn Weasley red.

"Well you see, my sister and I are taking lessons with Dumbledore for confidential reasons and well, Ginny's got a crush on Regulus and we think he may know." Hermione thought up, it was accurate and couldn't be questioned.

"Oh My God! GINNY!" Lily squealed and she practically rugby tackled Ginny onto the bed.

"How long have you had the crush? Do you think he has a crush back? Do you think you could get Sirius to set you to up? Do you think he knows and is planning to ask you to the Halloween Ball or Hogsmeade!" Lily gushed her face shining with excitement.

"WAIT; what Halloween Ball?" Ginny asked

"The Halloween Ball, it a tradition! Just like it's usually a tradition for the Hogwarts cutlery to be silver, although they changed it for a while." Lily rambled.

"But...but.. WE HAVEN'T GOT ANYTHING TO WEAR!" Hermione told Lily hysterically.

"We'll ask McGonagall if we can go one day before the Ball but right now we're running late for Potions!" Lily said as she swooped down on her books in a Madam Prince way.

Today had been tiring, first Potions where Slughorn made them make Amnortea and Ginny was sure she smelt a spicy scent ,which she associated with an old Slytherin Quidditch Jersey she used to wear to bed when they were staying at 'The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black,' Cinnamon and a dusty smell. Hermione's had been Wet Dog, freshly cut grass and a smell she thought smelt like Sirius. The bad part had been Lucius trying to sneak some into Hermione hip flask.

It happened when James brought a dozen fiery red lilies to Lily in the middle of Ancient Runes, the only class which Hermione and Lily shared with Sheila. Sheila thought they were hers until the note began to sing, it sang in a voice that sounded just like Ginny and it sang:

To missus Lily Evans

A rose by any other name,

would step straight into loves cruel game,

but not you, you'd wait for the prince to save you,

And from the moment I saw you I knew,

That I wanted to be the prince.

Love from a not-so-secert admirer.

Lily was shell shocked and at the end of the lesson took the bouquet and unfortunately bumped into a rather jealous Sheila.

"I don't know why you'd think James would want to marry YOU, I was in an arranged marriage until he found the ginger bint!" She told Lily maliciously.

Lily didn't know quite what to say, after all she had always thought James' marriage proposals and Hogsmeade invites were simply because he was a player, but she didn't realise how much he'd given up. He had given a marriage proposal to one of the richest witches in England for her. She pulled out one of the flowers and tied a simple note back to him on it. It was time she told James how much he meant to her.

Ginny strolled absent minded to the Great Hall for dinner when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her into a broom cupboard. Lighting her wand she searched for the culprit and found him; it was Regulus.

"What the hell did you shove me in here for?" She hissed at him.

"Sorry but we need to talk." Regulus said, also lighting his wand.

"Well hurry up, before someone catches us."

He responded with a smirk and leaned closer. "So you're not lying then?"

"Unlike most of the Slytherins I have better things to do than lie to people constantly." She said mischievously.

"Ouch that hurt."

"Here let me help you." Ginny replied sweetly and she began rubbing his forehead. "Has your ego been healed?"

"Nice, usually girls huff or slap me."

"Well that's because I'm special!"

"You got that right."

Regulus chuckled and slid out of the cupboard. "Meet me at the tree at 10."

Ginny ambled down quietly to the tree. It was the end of curfew in about 10 minutes and she hoped Regulus would be quick. He was sitting in the tree again but this time he was eating a green apple, rather like the ones Draco Malfoy would eat. "What is it with Purebloods and apples?" Ginny asked herself.

"So what happens in the future." Regulus asked as she approached the tree and sat down.

"Wait and find out." She retorted.

He sighed quietly to himself and climbed down the tree. "Listen I know something's wrong in the future, I can see sadness and loss in someone's eyes." He told her softly, lying down next to her.

"Let's just say death, destruction and loss." Ginny replied as Regulus fiddled with one of the Rue flowers growing by the tree.

While Ginny and Regulus was by the lake under the tree, there was more drama going on in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was coming down from her dorm room. She was hoping that she would not see Sirius since the kiss in the Great Hall. But to her luck there was Sirius by the fireplace waiting for her. Hermione tried to sneak past him but she couldn't. Sirius got up and walked to her.

"Are you trying to avoid me Reeves?" Sirius asked with a grin on his face.

"No of course not Black." Hermione said in return.

"Then how about you answer my question then?" Sirius said straight forward.

Hermione sighed and asked, "Which question would that be?" She was trying to play dumb but Sirius knew better. He knew that Hermione was smarter than that. Sirius raised an eyebrow and said,

"You know what question. Please give me an answer. Don't say that you don't know."

Hermione could see that he was nerves and was scared. Sirius had never felt like this toward another girl before. Hermione was different and Sirius knew that.

Hermione sighed in defeat. She could not get out of this. Hermione only heard a voice in her head saying, "Do it. Say yes. You know you want to."

"Sirius I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you."

Sirius grin grew; it was from ear to ear. He gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and ran up to his common room.

Regulus looked over and saw that Ginny was asleep. They have been talking for a while now and did not know that she had fallen asleep on him.

"So much for talking, more like sleeping." He muttered before he to fell asleep.