𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 ❧ sirius black

XXIII - Secrets of the Darkest Art

With Sirius' robes, the robes that had caused such strife in her mind, now in her very arms, Hermione rushed out of the Astronomy tower in a frenzy. She didn't even take note of the two random Ravenclaw prefects locking lips in the corridors on their nightly patrolling shifts. She just had to get out of this area and back to her dorm, where she could at least try to control her thoughts.

Though the night had already fallen hours ago, Hermione's mind was far from falling asleep once her head found her pillow.

I have to go to someone about this, I'm going to explode. It won't be the worst thing in the world if I open up to someone, right? After all, it's just Amortentia. It's just Sirius Black, for crying out loud.

Using her critical thinking skills outside the classroom, Hermione felt it best fit to seek advice from James on this matter. Though she first thought of Lily, during her time here they hadn't gotten as close as she and James had. Plus, she had given him advice regarding Lily since the start of the term. Maybe it was time to return the favor, in a way. A second set of ears could only help her, and hopefully the male perspective could prove useful as well. James certainly knew more about Sirius than Hermione did. Maybe not about Amortentia, but definitely about Sirius.

So it was decided. She would talk to James tomorrow morning about...it. Whatever it was.

After a long night of tossing and turning, (where she may or may not have dreamt of Sirius), Hermione woke up from her very light slumber to the first snowfall of the winter season. December was upon them, and though she knew she wouldn't be spending the holidays with her family, she was still very excited.

The majority of Hogwarts' students could be seen bundling up in their winter jackets, hats, gloves--you name it--that most certainly had remained at the bottom of their trunks until this morning.

This excitement, however, didn't stop Hermione from pulling James aside from the rest of the group on their way to breakfast that morning. The two stayed behind in the now-empty Gryffindor common room, while Hermione anxious waited to make sure not a soul could hear what she was about to tell James.

"What is it, Harper?" James questioned with a yawn. It was clear he hadn't gotten much sleep last night either.

Hermione paused, took a deep breath, and began. "Do you remember, during my little initiation day-thing, when you and I used Amortentia for one of your pranks? And I smelled a sort of wet dog, for some reason?"

James grinned. "Yeah?"

"And remember in Potions class, the same thing happened?"

"Yeah?" By now, James' grin had progressed into a full-blown smile with a laugh. He knew something, Hermione thought.

"Well, I was with Sirius last night--"

"Yeah you were," he smiled excessively.

"I'm not finished," she said nervously, trying to stay focused while he cheeks flared up and he laughed. "Anyway, Sinistra made up clean up after class, and he had to leave right when we were finished, but he left his outer robes laying on the railing, and--"

"And?"

"And his robes, they smelled like the-- the wet dog," she gulped.

"Oh, did they now...?" he chuckled, while Hermione shot him a quick glare.

"Shut it," she mumbled before saying "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do I do, James?"

"Harper, you know the inside of your head better than I do. What are you thinking?"

"He's, well, I dunno. We've become closer friends through Astronomy throughout the past term. That's all we are: friends. But he's made me nervous so many times recently, and, the nervousness, it's different and I don't like it. I don't like the idea of Amortentia telling me who I should and shouldn't fancy, that's not how it—how anything—should happen in my opinion. I feel so out of control, I—"Hermione paused and reminded herself about why she was here: for James and Lily's lives, not for a silly boy. "I don't have time for this," she said.