Title: And Then There Were Two
Summary: Sirius Black is a self proclaimed bachelor, loving every moment of the single life. So how will he cope when Dumbledore asks him to become a parent? AU
Spoilers: Just to be on the safe side: SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP, and HBP
Pairings: James/Lily, Remus/OC, Sirius/ and various females
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Time to call it a day
Time to turn off my brain
It's already half past eleven
Reach to turn out the light
And close my sleepy eyes
And save up the questions for Heaven
-- Chris Rice "Questions for Heaven"
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Chapter Four
Questions for Heaven
Scotland - Hogwarts - October 1991
"Hermione!" Ron yelled as he entered the common room. She looked up from her Charms book, pursing her lips.
"There's no need to yell." She's a bit annoyed at having her studies interrupted. Ron, too excited to notice, doesn't offer up his usual quick-witted retort.
"Harry's been made seeker."
"What's he seeking?" It was as if Hermione had given Ron a moldy chocolate frog.
"What's he seeking?" He croaked. "He's on the quidditch team. He's bloody seeking the snitch." Ron nearly yelled. Hermione still didn't look as excited as Ron thought she should be. "There hasn't been a first year on the team in more than a century."
"Well, now that's pretty impressive then isn't it." Hermione said before turning back to her book.
"Bloody hell Hermione would a little more enthusiasm kill you?"
"You've enough enthusiasm for the both of us. I'll congratulate Harry when I see him."
"Well, we're never going to see him. He's going to always be practicing and honing his craft. You might bloody well never see Harry Potter again." Ron slumped into a chair next to Hermione.
"Aren't you being just a tad bit dramatic?" Before Ron could answer Seamus and Dean had flung open the portrait and were tripping over each other in their race to get into the common room.
"Oi, haven't you lot heard?" Dean asked.
"Heard what?" Ron looked to Hermione to see if she knew what they were talking about. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"Someone's tried to break into Gringotts. It's all over the Daily Prophet." Seamus said.
"Break into Gringotts? Who'd be daft enough to try that?" Ron asked while Dean handed over the paper in his hands to Hermione. She read the front page of the paper before flipping a few pages in to continue reading the story.
"It says here it happened during the first week of September." Hermione told them. "They must have wanted to keep it quiet. No one's ever attempted to break into Gringotts before."
"What do you think they were after?" Seamus asked.
"It'd have to be pretty important to risk breaking into a bank run by goblins. They'd have to be mental to even think about it." Ron said.
"It's says the vault they were trying to break into was empty." Hermione closed the paper and folded it back up. She made to hand it back to Dean, but he motioned for her to keep it.
"Lucky that, then." Ron said as if that settled it all. Hermione stood and smack Ron on the leg with the paper.
"We need to find Harry."
"What? What for?" Ron asked recoiling from the attack of the newspaper.
"I think the two of you may be right in at least one of your assumptions. The other one I believe is still unfounded."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just come on." She made as if to hit him with the paper again, but he jumped to his feet. The two hurried out of the common room in search of their friend.
"He's on the pitch. At least that's where he was when I left him." Ron told her as they took one of the many staircases down to the main floor. Down a couple of corridors and one right turn and they were at the main doors to the school.
"Where's the pitch?" Hermione asked, not even quite sure what Ron meant when he said a pitch. He pointed to a spot on the northwest side of the castle. As they sprinted to the area Hermione saw four towers with each house represented and they were all connected with a smaller stadium. Three tall hoops stood at opposite ends of the field. She could barely make out Harry flitting about on his broom.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, flinging his arms about to get his friend's attention. "Harry, come on down here mate! Hermione's got something she wants to tell us!" Harry acknowledged he heard with a nod of his head. He landed in between his two friends. Leaning against his broom he waited for whatever it was Hermione had to say.
"Someone tried to break in to Gringotts a few weeks previous." Harry stood up a bit straighter when he heard this. "I think whatever it was the culprit was after must be what that animal was guarding."
"Why would it be here?" Ron asked.
"That day I met you both in Diagon Alley I heard the adults talking about something that needed protecting. Headmaster Dumbledore said that whatever it was Hagrid was picking it up and that it would soon be safe. Hogwarts is the safest place in both the wizarding and non-wizarding world. Whatever it is I'm sure that it is here at Hogwarts."
"Well, if that's the case we should go see Hagrid." Harry suggested.
"Hagrid's here?" Hermione asked.
"Of course he's here." Ron said, "He's the groundskeeper."
"He led us to the boats when we first got here." Harry explained further.
"Oh. Well, then yes, let's go see him."
Ron and Hermione waited while Harry put the school broom back in the Gryffindor locker room. Harry and Ron led the way to Hagrid's hut at the far end of the school's grounds near the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was out in the school garden looking over some of the various plants with Fang in tow.
"Hagrid!" Harry called, waving.
"Hello you three." He said. "You must be Hermione." She smiled up at him and nodded.
"Pleasure to meet you."
"How about some tea you lot?" Hagrid offered. They accepted and Hagrid lead the way into the hut. Once they were all seated, their feet swinging far above the floor, Harry began the questioning.
"Did you hear about Gringotts?" he asked.
"What about it?" Hagrid filled the large kettle with water before placing it over the flame on the stove.
"Someone tried to break in." Hermione said laying theDaily Propheton the table.
"Break in? Who in the world would try and do somethin' like that?"
"Someone that was desperate to get their hands on something is my guess." Hermione said off-handedly.
"Must've been something important." Harry added.
"Gringotts is the safest place in the wizarding world, next to Hogwarts that is. Don't know why they'd try and do that." The teakettle let out a high-pitched squeal. Using a tattered potholder that had seen better days Hagrid removed it from the flames. The three cups he poured the water into took two hands for each of them to hold.
"Well, we think whatever was in there was gone by the time they tried to break in." Hermione said.
"That's a bit of luck then for whoever it was that might've had something stolen." Hagrid joined the three of them at the table.
"You don't know anything about it do you Hagrid?" Ron asked before taking a tentative sip of his tea. He did is best not to make a face at it's bitter taste as he reached for the sugar.
"Why would I know anything about someone breaking into Gringotts?"
"Not about the break-in Hagrid." Harry assured him. "We're asking about whatever it was that was at Gringotts that's now at Hogwarts."
"How'd you know it got moved to Hogwarts?" Hagrid asked. Harry shrugged as Hermione bit back a smile.
"It's why the third floor is forbidden isn't it?" Hermione asked. "It's what that three-headed dog is guarding."
"Now, what have you three been up to?" His tone was serious and his eyes darkened just a bit. "How'd you find out about Fluffy?"
"Fluffy?" Ron asked, shocked. "It's name is Fluffy."
"You named him?" Harry said.
"Of course I named him. He had to have a name."
"Where'd you find something like that?" Hermione questioned.
"Well, I won it at the pub off of some Greek wizard just passing through. He told me all about caring for him and what he needed after I won him. And can you believe the bloke never named him. But Fluffy's a right good animal if you know how to handle him."
"Handle him? How do you handle a thing like that?" Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Now, look you three you make sure and stay away from that corridor. Whatever Dumbledore has down there is between him and Nicolas Flamel."
"Nicolas Flamel? I've heard that name before. Who is he?" Hagrid realized his mistake at Hermione's question.
"Never you mind. You three stay out of it. There's no need to be going after trouble when it seems to find you jus' fine on it's own." Hagrid warned.
The three finished their tea with Hagrid and chatted about less important subjects, at least to Harry and Ron. Hagrid wanted to hear all about their classes and first month of school. Hermione was only too happy to fill him in on every little detail. Ron had begun to drift off by the time Hermione had finished.
"It's getting dark." Harry interjected before Hermione could go off on another tangent. "We should get back to the castle." Hermione turned to look out the window having not realized how late it had gotten.
"Oh my goodness." She glanced down at her watch. "We have to hurry or we'll miss curfew." Hermione jumped to her feet looking at the boys expectantly.
"Thanks Hagrid." Ron shouted back to him as the three of them took of for the castle. Hagrid stood at the door of his hut waving goodbye with a smile on his face.
Safely back in the common room Hermione took a seat on the rather large window ledge. Harry and Ron dragged over chairs from a near by table and slumped into them. They sat in silence for quite a while, Hermione thinking on the new information they had gotten from Hagrid.
"We need to figure out who this Nicolas Flamel is." Ron said trying to be helpful. Hermione nodded.
"Sirius knows all about it, right?" Harry asked knowing that Hermione had been writing to him quite frequently. She nodded again.
"Are you mad?"
"No," Harry assured her, "if anyone's going to be alright with us sneaking about it's Uncle Sirius." Ron snorted in agreement.
"He'd probably hand us a map if he could."
"Anyway, I was thinking you could write and ask him about Nicolas Flamel." Hermione shook her head at Harry's suggestion.
"His last letter said he was going to be away for a bit. Somewhere where he can't respond to my letters." She sighed, resting her chin on her knees.
"Alright there?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," she paused for a minute, "we should get to bed. It's been a long day." She hopped down from the window ledge.
"Are you sure you're alright Hermione?" Harry asked as they walked up the stairs to their dorms. She shrugged.
"I think I miss Sirius. Is that okay?" Harry looked a bit shocked at the question. He shared a look with Ron before answering.
"Of course it's okay." Harry told her. "We both miss home too." Harry pointed at Ron and himself.
"I suppose so." Hermione said. She gave them both a small smile and turned to head up the staircase that led to her dorm room.
"Hey Hermione," Ron called after her, "try sleeping in your bed tonight."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, "give your roommates a chance to get to know you. They might be more helpful than you give them credit for." Hermione thought for a moment before agreeing.
"Alright, I will. Goodnight." She said before disappearing into her room.
"Night." The boys chorused after her, turning to head for their own beds.
The next day dragged on for Hermione. She wanted nothing more than to be able to write Sirius and tell him about everything that was going on. She found it funny how when he had been at home she had barely found time to write him, and now that he was away she could find nothing but time to write him. With little to keep her occupied but homework Hermione opted to go to the library instead of the common room. Being around Harry and Ron only reminded her of Sirius's absence.
She picked a far corner of the library and nearly threw her bag onto the top of the table. There wasn't anyone near by to have bothered with the noise the bag made. Hermione tapped her lip with her finger as she looked at the shelves around her trying to decide what homework to do first. Sirius's last letter popped into her mind then. She wondered where books on the founders would be. She was still getting used to the layout of the library and thought maybe one day she should spend sometime just studying the library itself. She wondered what Harry and Ron would think of her if they ever found that out. Hermione spent a good half hour wandering the library before she decided it was the librarian's job to help her find what she needed.
"Excuse me," Hermione said softly.
"Yes, dear?"
"I was wondering where I could find books on the founders and the origins of the Gryffindor house. Oh," she said as an after thought, "and any books on Nicolas Flamel." The librarian nodded and with a smile set to work. She pulled a slip of enchanted parchment from a shelf and quickly scribbled three things on it. After that she tapped it three times with her wand and the parchment began to levitate.
"Just follow the parchment dear. It'll take you where you need to go."
Hermione was completely fascinated as she followed the parchment from one end of the library to the other collecting the books she wanted. She had them stacked all the way up to her chin when she finally decided she had enough to read. While she knew the boys would want her to find out as much about Nicolas Flamel as she possibly could she wanted to read up on Gryffindor house first. In a way it made her feel closer to Sirius. He had been in the same house after all.
Hours passed as she pored over book after book. She never knew Gryffindor, the man or the house, could be so interesting. Hermione even began to feel as if she might belong there after all. When she had finished the last book she had gotten on Gryffindor she turned to the two books that she had picked up about Nicolas Flamel. There had been a surprising amount of books on him despite the fact she'd never even heard of him. At least she didn't think so. She opened the first book and began reading. The more she read the more she began to understand. Question upon question filled her head. By the end of the book she didn't want to pick up the second, she wanted to find Dumbledore.
Keeping the one book on Flamel she had read she placed the others in one of the bins for books to be put back in their proper place. She left the library, heading toward Dumbledore's office. She vaguely remembered where the office was due to the tour of the castle Percy had taken the first year Gryffindor's on. At the time she had found it a bit annoying, but at the moment she was grateful. It took her a few tries with different corridors but she finally found the statue that she knew guarded the headmaster's office.
"Um," she said to the statue, "I don't know the password, but I'd like to speak to the headmaster please. If that's at all possible." She waited for a bit wondering if the gargoyle was at all capable of taking messages to the Headmaster. Just when she was about to give up the gargoyle slowly began to turn and she hurriedly jumped on the steps in order to be taken up to see Dumbledore.
"Miss Granger it's pleasure to see you." Dumbledore she said as she stepped into his office. She tried to keep the look of awe off her face. She was here to ask Dumbledore questions not to admire all the trinkets he had in his office. "How has the first month treated you?" He asked ushering for her to take a seat in one of the chairs across from him. Hermione sat. She had come to his office determined and now she was a bit nervous. She kicked her feet on the stone floor.
"Yes, Headmaster." She told him. There was a pause.
"Is there something you'd like to ask me Hermione?" Dumbledore offered her a reassuring smile, his blue eyes twinkling.
"You asked Sirius to do something." He didn't say anything to her statement. "And you asked Hagrid to move the philosopher's stone from Gringotts to Hogwarts." Still Dumbledore remain silent. "That's why there's a three headed dog in the castle, to guard the stone."
"Your intelligence astounds even me. But I'm afraid Hermione you've failed to ask me a question."
"Why?" she asked. "And what did you send Sirius after? The stone is here. It should be safe."
"It should be, yes," Dumbledore began, "but it is wise to never be overconfident. Confidence is where weakness lies hidden."
"I don't understand Headmaster."
"You are young yet Hermione. Far too young to hear the troubles of an old man."
"I'm not as young as you believe me to be." Dumbledore smiled.
"It's just like a young person to believe they're older than they are, but then again perhaps you're right."
Hermione chatted with Dumbledore for a few minutes more before he suggested she might want to run to the Great Hall for a bit to eat before it was too late. She agreed and headed off to find Harry and Ron. They were sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall with their dorm mates. Most of the hall was empty.
"Hermione," Ron exclaimed, "where've you been all day."
"Library." She took a seat between the two boys.
"We saved you a plate." Harry said sliding it in front of her when he saw her looking around for a bit of food only to find it had been cleared away by then. She smiled at him. She quickly dug in not caring.
"All day you've been in the library? What could you possibly have been doing?" Ron asked throwing his hands in the air.
"Reading." Hermione shoveled another bite into her mouth. If her mother could see her now she knew the glare she'd be getting. For once Hermione didn't really care. She had too much else on her mind at the moment. Ron rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Harry." The three looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing behind them. "Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. Follow me." Harry stood and began following her out of the Great Hall. He turned back to Ron and Hermione and shrugged before turning to catch back up with Professor McGonagall.
Scotland - Hogwarts - Letter Home - October 1991
Sirius,
I miss you.
Hermione
Place Unknown - Letter to Hermione - October 1991
'Mione,
Miss you too. Back soon.
Sirius
Scotland - Hogwarts - October 1991
Harry had been unusually quiet for almost three days after his talk with Professor Dumbledore. Ron pretended not to notice. He figured if Harry wanted to talk to him he would. Sooner or later that's what usually happened anyway. Hermione was different. She fretted all day. Ron was sure sooner or later her lip would either start bleeding or disappear for good from the way she kept biting it. He decided he should tell Harry just to talk to them just for the sake of Hermione still having lips. He thought it was a good plan and Harry would appreciate where he was coming from. Besides what would Sirius think if Hermione came home for the holidays without a bottom lip simply because Harry was going through one of his quiet phases? Which Ron found to be quite more pleasant than Harry's yelling phases.
"Harry mate," Ron said that night as they were readying for bed. Harry was pulling on his pajamas while Ron was pulling back the covers of his bed. Harry looked up at Ron, not saying anything. "You gotta start talking again soon. Hermione's not used to seeing you like this. It's hard to believe she hasn't tackled you yet with the amount she's been worrying." Harry smiled a bit.
"I suppose. I've just been thinking."
"I know mate. It's Hermione that doesn't." Harry shook his head and smiled.
"Ron don't let anyone ever tell you you're not smart." Ron shrugged and got into bed.
"I'm not smart I've just been around you for ten years. Your mood swings don't bother me all that much." He fluffed his pillow a bit. "I guess they're only going to get worse when you hit your teens." Harry let out a laugh.
"Yeah, but at least you'll be prepared for when Hermione starts having mood swings."
"Ugh, I'm sure your mood swings've got nothing on the ones Hermione's bound to have."
"You're probably right."
"Probably. Let's have this conversation in another few years. I'm tired."
"Night Ron." Harry turned and blew out the candle on his nightstand.
Saturday dawned and harry found himself unable to sleep in after the previous night's conversation with Ron. He was eleven years old. He shouldn't be worrying about the things he was. Then again Harry knew that if Dumbledore and his father had continued to keep this from him it would have only made things worse in the long run. He was glad he knew now, but he didn't want to burden Ron and Hermione with his new found knowledge.
Deciding he couldn't stay in bed any long her pulled back the curtains of his bed and slipped his feet into his slippers.
"It's too early." He heard Ron grumble from the other bed.
"No one said you had to get up."
"Well, I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping." Ron admitted pulling back the curtains on his own bed.
"No time like the present to grab Hermione then and have a good talk."
"Ugh we had to go and make friends with a girl didn't we? I was perfectly happy never discussing a single thing." Harry laughed as Ron pulled on his robe. Together the two made their way down to the common room where Hermione was reading a book by the fire. "What a surprise, you're reading."
Hermione jumped at the sound of Ron's voice and quickly shoved the book between herself and the arm of the couch.
"Nothing important." She told them. Ron took a seat next to her on the couch while Harry opted for the spot on the floor in front of the fire.
"Dumbledore told me some things the other day." Harry stated figuring there was nothing like jumping in feet first. Although he'd have to admit it was more of a belly flop.
"About?" Hermione asked.
"My mum and the reason why the killing curse didn't work on me." Harry was thankful Sirius had been the one to explain everything to Hermione. He didn't want to have to be the one to explain how his mother had died saving him while his father was out trying to find Voldemort in the first place. He and his mother were supposed to have been safe at the house.
Harry took a deep breath before launching into an explanation of what Dumbledore had said when he had summoned Harry to his office. He started by explaining about the apparently ancient magic his mother had induced by protecting him. He told them about a prophecy that had been given about him that was somewhere in the Ministry of Magic. He didn't know what the prophecy said exactly just that he was supposed to defeat Voldemort or something along those lines. He also told them about how Dumbledore had said there were magical objects Voldemort was seeking to help bring him back to power and that there were objects that while they remained intact Voldemort would never truly die. Harry explained all of this and as he thought about it he realized he knew more than he had a couple of days ago, but not by much. Dumbledore had been vague in his explanations really only discussing with him the ancient magic and nothing more than that.
When he was finished Ron and Hermione were silent for a few moments.
"Since you shared with me I suppose I should share as well." With that Hermione pulled out the book she had hidden. "Nicolas Flamel is famous for discovering the philosopher's stone. It makes the drinker of it's elixir immortal." Hermione sighed. "That's what Fluffy is guarding. It must be one of the objects Voldemort wants."
"Well, he's not going to get it then is he." Ron said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not while it's at Hogwarts. Not while Uncles James, Sirius, and Remus, and my dad are working on keeping him from it. And certainly not now that we know."
"Oh really Ron what are a bunch of eleven year old going to do to stop a dark lord?" Hermione asked exasperated.
"Former dark lord." Ron corrected.
"Like that makes a difference." She rolled her eyes.
"Of course it does." Harry chimed in. She shook her head, but couldn't help smiling.
"Since we're up this early can we at least get breakfast?" Ron asked.
"Yes, Ron." Hermione shook her head again. What was she going to do with two boys as best friends?