For Her Safety

A/N- I am so sorry that this chapter took so long. It was quite hard for me to get it to lay out the way I wanted it to, but it happened eventually. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, it really helps me keep writing. Sometimes I wonder if I write only for the reviews. I'm such a review whore. lol

Oh, and a little tid bit that I'm kinda proud of. Earlier this week this story reached 10,000 hits! When I started writing it I was shocked to see 100 hits, but this is like a dirty dream come true. lol. And it's all thanks to you! Please keep reading and reviewing!

much love,
zairaphel
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Sirius sat on the sofa in their bedroom, sipping a glass of wine and watching his wife sleep. He had to admit that if the rest of the marriage went as well as the last two days had, it was something that he could definately get used to. Though he was not looking forward to sharing the news that had been learned at the Order meeting with her. He figured that could definately cause a real wrinkle in things for a while.

Sirius was just about to fall asleep himself when he felt the wards shift, admitting someone to their home. For a brief second he was startled, but then he recalled what Dumbledore had told him about the way the wards had been keyed. He smiled slightly as he quietly slipped from the bedroom and made his way downstairs. Walking into the library, Sirius leaned against the door frame, watching his friend browse a shelf.

"Come all this way just to see the books, Moony?" Sirius asked, his voice laced with amusement.

Remus looked over at Sirius and laughed softly. "You know very well, I'm not just here for the books," he said as he embraced his friend.

"Then to what do we owe this great pleasure?"

"I just popped in to see how you and Hermione were faring. I have to admit I'm a bit concerned with how Hermione was acting today. She looked so very tired... Perhaps you wore her out."

Sirius grinned brightly for a second, "There's no denying my great prowess in the bedroom, as you well know... But, I don't think I'm the cause of this one. I've seen the sexually exhausted before, and she's not it."

They stood in silence for a few moments, both of them lost in their individual thoughts, though each for different reasons.

Sirius was the first to come back to himself. "Anyway... Come on upstairs with me. We can have a drink where I can keep an eye on Hermione." Remus simply nodded and followed his friend upstairs to the bedroom. Once both of them were seated on the sofa Sirius conjured up a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses, deciding that perhaps he needed something a bit stronger than the wine he was enjoying earlier.

He poured both glasses full and passed one over to Remus. "I don't know what's going on with her, Moony. She was so energetic this morning," Sirius said with a grin, recalling their morning's activity. "But then her light just kind of went out..."

"I wouldn't worry too much. It could just be a little muggle bug of some sort. I'd only worry if this goes on for longer than a day or so. If it does, then I'd take her to see a Mediwitch, just to be safe."

"Yeah, I'd forgotten about those odd muggle illnesses. The strangest things can make muggles sick... That does make me feel just a bit better," Sirius sighed and leaned back, taking a large swallow of the firewhisky.

Hermione turned over in bed, waking slowly as it dawned on her as to where she was. Looking towards the window, she blinked the sleep from her eyes. She couldn't help but frown for a moment when she saw Sirius and Remus sitting on the couch under the window, whispering, chuckling, and clearly drinking.

"Didn't feel quite like going to the pub this evening, boys? Felt more like drinking in the bedroom?" Hermione asked them curiously, amusement evident in her voice.

Both men practically jumped off the couch at the sound of Hermione's voice.

"How are you feeling, love? Any better?" Sirius her, almost definately avoiding her query about their drinking habits.

"Yes, I'm feeling quite well rested, thank you. I guess I just needed a bit of a nap," she told him with a small smile.

"A bit of a nap? Love, you've been asleep since the middle of lunch. It's nearly 6:30 now. I'd say that's just a bit bigger than a little nap," Sirius teased.

"Well, a person doesn't sleep if they don't need to, so I must have needed it," Hermione told him, sticking her tongue out at him as if to put an end to the discussion.

Remus couldn't help but laugh a little watching their relatively playful banter. It was nice knowing that Hermione could lighten up a bit and yet still manage to let Sirius know who was boss, at least in her line of thinking.

At his chuckle Hermione turned, "Remus. It's nice to see you again. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I just popped in earlier to see if you were well and to have a little chat with my mate here," Remus said with a smile, elbowing Sirius playfully. "However, he managed to coerce me into having a drink or three with him, and you know how hard it is to turn down good company."

"You know, since it's getting to be a bit late, why don't you stay for dinner, Remus? As you said, it's hard to turn down good company.... That is, if you haven't eaten already," Hermione asked as she slipped from the bed and stood to stretch.

"That's sweet of you to offer, Hermione, but I really don't want to be a bother," Remus told her with a smile.

"You're no bother mate, and you know it. Well, at least you're no more a bother than I am," Sirius said with a bright laugh.

"He's right, Remus. Please stay for dinner. We'd really love to have you," Hermione reassured with a pleasant smile.

"Alright. If you two insist, I will join you for dinner."

"We insist!" Sirius and Hermione told him in unison.

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Dinner was an easy process for Hermione to prepare. Once she had decided what they would be having, everything simply appeared on the counter top, only needing to be heated or baked. She couldn't help but smile and think that this was just another reason that she loved the magical world so much and that whoever set up this house must have been an absolute genius.

The three friends were seated for dinner in no time, enjoying the soup starter and laughing together. In fact, everything was going quite splendid up until Sirius decided that it was time he told Hermione what had transpired at the Order meeting earlier.

"Um, Love..." Sirius started hesitantly. "Dumbledore wanted me to fill you in on what went on during the Order meeting earlier being you had fallen asleep."

Hermione set her spoon down and carefully scrutinizing her husband and noting his apprehension. "Alright... What did go on?"

"Well, it was mainly a meeting to inform you, and your friends of just what The Order has in mind for your safety. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were invited to sit in on the meeting that way they would be well informed of the situation and so there could be no misunderstandings of the situation."

"I see," Hermione said carefully. "Do go on."

Sirius looked at Hermione, and then at Remus who gave him a look of encouragement. "Well, love. Harry asked just what was going to happen with the upcoming school year. He wanted to know how that would work out."

Hermione raised a brow and looked at him intently, her nervousness about the idea of school. "And just what will happen, Sirius?"

"Um, well, the Order decided it best that you will not return to school for the fall term."

Sirius barely had time to finish the sentance before a piercing scream rang through the air.

"WHAT?! For Merlin's sake, what on earth posessed them to decide on something so utterly stupid? How am I supposed to have a life after this when I can't even complete my final year of school? I honestly thought that they would have more sence than that! That Dumbledore would have more sence than that!" Hermione shouted viciously.

It was Remus who spoke next. "Hermione, please calm down. Take a few deep breaths. Please. At least give Sirius a chance to fully explain what's going on. Alright?" he said in a soft, pacifying voice.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a few good deep breaths. "Alright... I'm sorry I yelled. Please go on, Sirius."

Nervously, Sirius started again. "It's not like you won't be able to have a life when all of this is through. Even though you can't attend classes, they've worked it out so that you'll be prepared for everything. You'll get to sit for your NEWTS in the spring, just like everyone else, even if it isn't done at Hogwarts. So you'll still be able to have a life and a career.

I guess you should know why you're not going back too. See, as soon as the law was passed, many many people petitioned to marry you. All of them being known or suspected Death Eaters. By that time, Albus had already gotten the paper work we needed and we were already engaged to be married. It was Voldemort's plan that one of his followers would marry you and bring you to him to use you as leverage in the war..." Sirius took a breath and then continued, amazed that Hermione hadn't interrupted him during his slight pause.

"And since the plan didn't work out the Dark Lord has put a bounty on your head. You know how many families at Hogwarts have some sort of tie to the Dark Lord, namely the Slytherins... Just think how many of them would love to try to get their hands on you. Having you go back would have put you in great danger. So, what the Order has decided is that we are to go into hiding until we're told it's safe..."

Hermione was silent, her brow furrowed. It was clear that she was trying to process what she had just been told.
"Alright... I... I suppose I can understand that. I take it we'll be using the Fidelius Charm? Where will we be staying? And who is our secret keeper?" Hermione's mind began to whirl as she tried to work everything out straight away.

"Yes, we're using the Fidelius Charm. We're staying here, and Remus is our secret keeper. I didn't think that you'd mind," Sirius told her.

"No, no I don't mind at all. Remus was a wonderful choice, naturally... And what do you mean we're staying here?

"It's our house, Hermione. Dumbledore helped me find this house when I found out that I was going to be married. He went through all of the work to make it unplottable, and to get it to function the way it does," Sirius said with a bit of a smile.

"You picked it out? You picked out the house?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I kinda knew it was perfect when I saw the library," Sirius said quietly, if not a bit sheepishly.

Hermione smiled softly, looked down at the table, and whispered softly, "That was really sweet, Sirius..."

Remus observed the couple silently. He couldn't help but smile a bit. Dumbledore had certainly been on the mark when he told Sirius that he should marry Hermione. They seem so well suited to each other. Who would have thought anyone could manage Sirius Black enough to get a sweet gesture out of him that doesn't seem sexually motivated. Gods how the times have changed." Remus thought.

After a moment of moderately awkward silent between the couple, Hermione spoke. "So what else was discussed. And how did Harry, Ron, and Ginny take the news?"

"Yeah, love. That was all we talked about," Sirius lied. He had no want to fill her in on the 'manditory procreation' clause. After all, Dumbledore said that the law would be repealed soon enough that they wouldn't have to worry about it.

"And as for how they took the news, Harry and Ginny took it really well. I guess I expected more of a fight out of Harry, but he agrees that if this is what has to be done to keep you safe, then that's what's right. Boy's got a suprisingly level head. Had to have gotten it from his mother. No way did he get patience from James Potter...," Sirius said with a slightly wistful smile as Remus chuckled quietly by his side.

"And how did Ron take the news?" Hermione asked, noticing that his name had been absent from Sirius' previous statement.

"Um, Ron didn't seem to take it so well... In fact, he seemed quite displeased about the whole situation," Sirius told her slowly.

"Oh."

"Ron hasn't taken any of this well, I think," Remus said thoughtfully. "He's been rather upset about this from the beginning. Whenever you two are mentioned he bristles. I can smell the anger that radiates from him..."

"He's jealous. He's had a school boy crush on me for some time, but he never acted on it. He just acted like a royal prat instead... But, I am married now. I have a life of my own, and if he wants to be a part of it, he will just have to grow up and accept that this is the way things are. I will not support his childish behaviour when it comes to this," Hermione said resolutely.

Both Sirius and Remus couldn't help but smile. "Well put, Hermione," Remus told her.

"Now that all of that is settled, what am I going to do with myself as we're virtually cut off from the outside world? I suppose I can spend my time studying for the NEWTS..." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Sure, you could study for your NEWTS," Remus told her. "But I know that if you were to take them right now, you'd pass with flying colours... Anyhow, I don't think that you'll be spending all your time on your NEWTS. Dumbledore told me to ask you if you would concider working on research for The Order. He says that he knows you are more than proficient in both spells and potions. He said it would be a great help if you were to find some ways to aid our cause in those areas."

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! Of course I'll help! How could I not? Tell him I'll start right away! Gods! All the ideas I have!" Hermione's face was alight as she began to ramble off the ideas that she had been developing already.

Sirius turned and looked at Remus with a smile. "Well, that didn't go nearly as bad as I had imagined. It didn't end with me being hexed into a bloody nub."

"True mate, but say goodbye to your wife. Now that she's got this project I doubt you'll be seeing her anytime soon. As soon as she finds that potions lab in the basement she'll probably move a cot down there."

Remus couldn't help but laugh when Sirius's face paled to an ashen shade.

"Relax. It won't be that bad, mate. Just be glad she's happy about all of this."

"Oh I'm glad... More than you know... More than you know..." Sirius sat back in his chair with a smile as he turned his attention back to his young wife who was still going on about some strange potion he had never heard of. He really was happy as he watched Hermione go on enthusiastically.

Remus watched them with a smile, hoping and praying that they would continue to be happy as their new life together unfolded.