Belong to Nowhere
AN: Hi, I have some things to say… first, my comp. had a *heart-attack * so, my fic's files are *lost* in the HD land…. This chapter was saved in my email (you know, the sent file)
Chapter 10: Mates
Sirius read that same line about five times and still seemed not quite believing. I mean, come on, forever bounded?
"Er, dear cousin," he said, "I'm almost afraid... er...is Hermione the friendly blood?"
Tonks gave him a small smile and nodded.
"Yes, she is the friend and I am the family. Sirius-"
Sirius ran a hand through his long black hair in despair and looked at the fainted girl on the floor.
"Tonks, I can't be bound to her! She is sixteen years old, for Merlin's sake!"
"Eighteen," Tonks muttered.
"Whatever! I am still too old! She is not supposed to be bound to me! It's…it's…immoral!"
"I don't know either, Sirius, but we have to get out of here. Let me enervate her-" Tonks was about to perform the spell when Sirius stopped her.
"No!" Tonks looked at him in surprise. "I don't know, but I have a feeling that we shouldn't use magic on her. I don't know, I think this isn't a simple faint."
"Okay. But we still need to get out. I don't think we should Apparate. We don't know how your magic is-" Then, with a flick of her wand, Tonks had gathered the objects used in the ritual, and took a napkin from her robes' pocket.
"Portus!" she said. "Come on, Sirius! Please, grab Hermione's hand and-" The young auror didn't even need to finish her sentence. Sirius knew what to do.
Moments later, they were gone.
***
Three strange people appeared from out of nowhere in front of Grimmauld Place. There was a young woman, and a man carrying a limp girl in his arms.
The young woman seemed a little lost, as if she was thinking about something.
"Tonks! I know you couldn't make a portkey to go inside Number Twelve but, er, could we enter now, you know…Hermione isn't all that heavy but, er, I was dead…"
Tonks looked at him like he had two heads.
"Y-You can see? You can see Number Twelve?"
"Of course I can see it!"
Tonks shook her head. "Maybe it has something to do with the bond," she thought.
"So, er, lets enter. Hum, er, Remus is inside so, I think, maybe, you should cover your face. Er, your hood…"
Sirius laughed when Tonks put the hood on him, covering his head and face.
"Poor Moony," he said. "He will have a heart attack!"
***
Remus Lupin was sitting in the armchair drinking a Butterbeer and wondering where the hell Tonks could be when he heard the front door opening.
He was very surprised when he saw a pale Tonks coming inside the living room with a hooded person by her side. And worse, the person had a fainted Hermione in their arms!
"Oh, Merlin! What's happened, Tonks?" asked Remus.
"Later, Remus," Tonks said and nodded to the hooded person who nodded back and went straight upstairs.
Remus looked a little confused at their, er, silence exchange. That person…he knew that smell but…no! It's not possible. Shaking his head he followed the stranger. Tonks had gone to the kitchen. She needed to use the fireplace. She needed to call McGonagall.
The stranger had laid Hermione on Harry's bed.
"Er, you," Remus said, feeling and sounding awkward, "This not Hermione's room. This is Harry's."
"No," the person said. Remus knew that voice! Oh, no! It's not possible! "This room is mine, Moony." And the person took off their hood.
"Sirius?" Remus Lupin asked quietly, almost whispering. "Is that really you?"
"Yes, Moony," he said, smiling at Remus' shocked face. "So, I won't be receiving a hug from my old friend?"
The werewolf came towards Sirius and hugged him tightly.
"Oh, Sirius! We missed you so much! But how?" he asked after breaking the hug.
"Our little Hermione here."
Remus smiled and looked at the girl on the bed, but then his smile transformed into a frown.
"But, what happened to her?"
Sirius was about to answer when Tonks entered the room followed by Minerva McGonagall. The poor Headmistress almost fainted when she saw Sirius Black alive and smiling in front of her.
"Oh my Merlin! So, it's true! You told me the truth, Nymphadora!"
"Of course I told you the truth! And it's Tonks not Nymphadora," Tonks said indignantly.
"Yeah, yeah…but you see, misters Potter and Weasley and Miss Granger are always in some kind of trouble that-" Sírius smiled with pride. "But tell me what really happened."
And Tonks told everything that happened.
"Oh my!"
"Bound?!"
McGonagall and Remus cried at the same time. The headmistress scanned the book rapidly. Her eyes filled with concern.
"And she fainted?" asked McGonagall.
"Yes," answered Sirius. "First, we thought it was because of emotion, you know…but then…I don't know, I have this feeling that it's something else. And somehow I knew we couldn't use magic on her."
"It's the bond," Minerva muttered.
"What?"
"It's the bond. You and Miss Granger are bound and you can now...feel about her-"
'...and you can now...feel about her-...'
"Er, well," interrupted Sirius. "I really love Hermione but, er, I don't think, er, maybe Dumbledore- what? Why are you exchanging glances?"
"Hum, Sírius…er, how can I say..."
"Out with it, Remus!"
"Sirius, Dumbledore is dead."
"W-What? How? When?"
"Snape killed him," said Remus.
"WHAT!"
"You heard me, Sírius," confirmed Remus. "Snape killed Dumbledore but, er, it wasn't like that. In fact, Dumbledore asked to be killed. Dumbledore left a letter and some memories in a Pensieve…but can we talk about this later?"
"Okay. But I want to know everything! Man, I am, er, how much time have I missed?"
"One year and a half," said McGonagall in a serious tone. "Now, we must take care of Miss Granger. I don't think I can do anything. To tell the truth, I've never heard of this book but…hmm…I think I know who could help us. Now, if you excuse me…" And she left the room without saying another word.
Tonks, Remus, and Sirius exchanged glances but didn't say a thing.
About fifteen minutes later …
Remus and Tonks were telling Sirius that they were a couple when McGonagall returned to the bedroom. However, this time she was not alone. Right beside her was the tiny Professor Flitwick.
When Flitwick looked at Sirius, he let out a little squeal but didn't say a thing in the matter.
"May I see the book, Miss Tonks?" asked the Charms professor.
"Oh, yes, of course!" Tonks said and gave the book to Flitwick who began to read it very quickly.
After reading the book, Flitwick closed it, and walked towards Hermione. He pointed his wand at her and began to talk very low and fast. He was talking in a language that no one else present could understand.
"What is he saying?" whispered Sirius to no one in particular.
"He is speaking in Goblin language," responded McGonagall.
Sirius was about to say something else when Flitwick began to speak aloud and in English.
"Miss Granger is out of danger. She is sleeping. Tell me, Mister Black , do you have any special magic ability?"
"Ha? I don't know…"
"You see, Miss Tonks here is a Metamorphmagus…" explained Flitwick.
"Oh! Yes, I am an Animagus."
"Oh my. Poor girl!"
"What?!" they asked loudly.
"What's the matter, Filius?" asked McGonagall.
"You see, Minerva, Miss Granger isn't exactly sleeping in that bed. She is- how can I say?- working the bond between her and Mister Black. In normal circumstances this isn't too painful but…"
"But what?" demanded Sirius.
"You and she mixed your magical abilities."
"But why didn't I faint like her?"
"You are the re-birthed. Your part of the ritual finished when you drank the potion. You already have a part of her. Her blood and…soul."
"Oh my god! But Tonks also…"
"Mister Black, Miss Tonks already has your blood and she wasn't the prime person who performed the spell. Now, about the Animagus…Minerva, this girl can't go back to class, at least not in the next few days."
"Professor Flitwick, you didn't tell me what the matter is with my Animagus ability."
"She will become a Animagus like you. However, her transformation will be a little more painful than yours was when you become an Animagus for the first time."
"Painful how?" asked Remus.
Flitwick took a deep breath and said,
"She will become an Animagus in one night."
"One night!?" cried the headmistress. "She won't handle the pain!"
"Yes! McGonagall is right! It took several months for me, James, and that rat!"
"I know. The only thing I can do is cast some painless charms during her process. It's some tricks that my goblin ancestry taught me. Now, tell me, what's your Animagus form?"
"Oh, I am a dog."
Flitwick smiled.
"Miss Granger will be a dog too. A female dog. You know, your mate."
Sirius eyes opened wide.
"Mate? No, she can't be my mate. She's a teenager!"
Flitwick shook his head.
"Mister Black-"
"Please, call me Sirius."
"Right, Sirius, you are misunderstanding the meaning of mate and... bond. You and she are bound now that's right, but this has nothing to do with soul mates or love bonds."
Sirius sighed in relief.
"You're bonded in a sense that has nothing to do with romantic feelings. She already has a love bond. It's just not, er, visible. At least, not for now."
Sirius nodded.
"Well, I think we must go-"
"No!" Flitwick interrupted McGonagall. "Sirius can't leave Miss Granger. He must be by her side during the whole process. Um, the blue phoenix hasn't returned…"
"Oh, yeah!" exclaimed Tonks. "I almost forgot about it."
"Tell me, Miss Tonks, you were the family blood right? In name of whom did you speak?"
"In name of Remus."
"I supposed that Miss Granger spoke in name of Mister Potter?"
"Yes."
"He can't know what happened until the blue phoenix returns."
"But…why?"
"He was the reason. Miss Granger's reason for the ritual. Miss Granger brought Sirius back not for her, but for Mister Potter. Young Mister Potter can't know anything. It's primordial while the bond between Miss Granger and Sirius is incomplete."
"And we know when this happens…?"
"When the blue phoenix returns."
"But what if Harry discovers me?"
"Then, the blue phoenix will return, but only to take Miss Granger's…life."
********************************************
The next morning
Hogwarts
Great Hall
"Ron, I think we should have waited for Hermione," said Harry for the hundredth time. He had some weird dreams about Hermione, Sirius and a blue bird.
"Harry, mate," said Ron, "Hermione told us yesterday that she would have to do something before breakfast, that we didn't need to wait for her."
"I know, but she is too late. All the Gryffindors are already here," Harry replied slightly happier seeing that Dean was there too, so that meant that Hermione wasn't with him.
Ron was about to say something when Anthony Goldstein approached them.
"Harry, Ron, did Hermione sleep last night in Gryffindor Tower?"
Harry looked at the head boy in alarm.
"N-No…why?"
"She didn't sleep in our common room last night. In fact, she said that she needed to talk with Ron and…"
"And what?"
"And never came back."
"But she never spoke to Ron last night, right Ron?"
Ron didn't answer Harry. He was pale.
"Ron?"
"Harry, I need to talk to you. Alone."
"Harry, Ron…Hermione probably slept in the Room of Requirement…" Ginny said maliciously.
"No, I was in the Room of Requirement last night. I was training. And, when I returned to the Common Room, Ron was doing his potions essay with Seamus and Dean."
That made Ginny shut up.
"Harry." It was Ron. "I need talk to you."
Harry, Ron and Goldstein bid their goodbyes and left the Gryffindor table. Anthony went to Ravenclaw table and Ron and Harry went outside the Great Hall. Ginny wanted to go with them but Ron said it was private.
*******************************************************
Outside the Great hall
"Now, tell me, Ron, what did you need to talk to me about?"
"You see, Harry…Er, Hermione did see me last night."
"But you said-"
"She asked me not to tell you. She asked me for a favor."
"W-What favor?" Harry asked a little afraid of the answer.
"She wanted your invisibility cloak."
"What! But-" Harry stopped when he heard some footsteps approaching the Great Hall doors. He didn't know why, but very quickly he and Ron hid behind a large column.
It was Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. The tiny Professor seemed very tired.
"How is she, Filius?"
"The same, Minerva. At least she isn't in pain. Miss Granger is a strong young woman."
"Yes, I know that."
McGonagall was about to open the Great Hall doors when Flitwick spoke one more time.
"Just remember, Minerva, Mister Potter can't know what happened."
Minerva McGonagall only nodded and they entered the Great Hall.
Behind the column, Ron and Harry exchanged worried glances.
"I will find out what happened to Hermione, Ron. Mark my words. I will know what happened."
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That's it… chapter 10! I hope you liked it!!!
Thanks to Brooke and acoustics1220!