In Perpetuum

Chapter 33

“Hello there,” she said, patting the head of the dog.

She was glad that it was a friendly dog, but was nonetheless curious about how a strange dog could have gotten into the grounds of Potter Manor. Wherever it came from, she would have to keep it away from Boo.

Pops had made sure that the grounds were very secure in order to protect his family. Hermione was certain that not even a wild bird would be able to navigate itself through the incredibly powerful charms. Although she was not certain, she was fairly sure that they could not be seen my muggles, although that was of little consequence since the manor was so isolated from any kind of civilisation, magic or otherwise.

“I wonder where you came from?” she cooed to the dog.

It’s shaggy, black fur seemed familiar. Hermione was sure that she had seen those silver eyes before.

Suddenly realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks.

“Sirius!?!” she gasped.

The dog barked and yelped several times in obvious agreement.

Hermione began peppering his head with kisses.

“You’ve done it! I can’t believe it! You’re an animagus!!”

A torrent of praise escaped Hermione’s mouth until Hermione realised something else.

“Where’s James?” she questioned while Sirius went behind a bush to transform back into his usual self.

As Hermione said that, a handsome stag came out from behind the nearby Groundskeeper’s cottage.

“James,” Hermione said, gasping for a second time.

James also moved behind the bush to transform back.

“Wow,” was all that Hermione was able to utter, eyes wide open with a mixture of shock and immense pride.

Whilst she had seen a few people transform in her lifetime, there was nothing like watching those she loved see the fruit of all their hard work.

A scuffling at their feet had them all looking down. It was a scrawny, brown rat.

“Peter?” questioned Hermione, one eyebrow raised in the direction of James.

James nodded his head at her before rolling his eyes at the aforementioned Peter.

“Stop showing off Peter,” said Sirius, giving the rat a gentle nudge with his foot.

“Hey!” said Peter a second later, when he had transformed, “that kinda stuff hurts when you’re that small.”

Hermione had to suppress a smirk as Peter rubbed the pain from his shoulder.

‘The git deserved that, and even more,’ she thought somewhat maliciously.

The need to show off had now dissipated, and the boys went into the groundskeeper’s cottage to get properly changed.

They had stashed clothes in there earlier, but each had carried a pair of shorts in their mouth so that they would not have to wander around in the nude after they had established themselves as humans once more. Sirius had been kind enough to carry an extra pair for the tiny Peter, who was too small to carry anything remotely useful.

“It just occurred to me,” said Sirius once the trio had emerged, “How did you know that the dog was actually me?”

Hermione stiffened and not for the first time in her life she was scrambling for an excuse to explain her extra knowledge of the group.

“Errr....the dog kinda looked like you...I mean, reminded me of you...ummm.”

Sirius took full advantage of Hermione’s stuttering and nervous rambling.

“Are you saying that I, Sirius Orion Black, look like some mangy mutt? Hermione, my love, I am deeply hurt.”

Hermione quickly got over any nervousness she was feeling and smirked at him.

“Oh ‘darling’,” she said with a hint of mocking in her voice, “of course that mangy mutt had to be you. I saw the stag out of the corner of my eye and knew that you could never be that handsome.”

Sirius pretended to look hurt, but behind that facade, he was deeply impressed, Hermione had managed to insult one person and praise another, all in the one sentence without showing the slightest hint of guilt. They had taught her well.

James chuckled to one side. He and Peter had moved to sit at one edge of the water of the lagoon, legs cooling off from the heat of the sun, under the water.

Sirius whipped his head around to his friends.

“Oi, Peter, James, tell her that I can be handsome.”

“Whatever you say, mate,” said James, grinning as he dropped his whole body, fully clothed, into the cool water. It was too hot to do anything otherwise.

“Remus is flooing over this afternoon,” James continued, “we’ll see if you can persuade him.”

“Hrmph,” said Sirius, “Well, I suppose I’ll be spending the rest of the holidays alone if I am not going to be appreciated.”

“Stop ‘hrmphing’ like an old man,” said Hermione, “and come and sit next to me.”

Sirius obliged and Hermione put her arm around his broad shoulders, ruffling his usually well-kept hair in the process.

“You know that I love you,” she told him, smiling, “even if you aren’t the best looking chap.”

Sirius playfully hit his girlfriend across the arm, effectively freeing himself so that he could swim with the others.

Hermione remained in the sun, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

‘At least some things are turning out alright,’ she thought as she continued to sun herself.