From the Past

Hermione woke slowly, floating on a warm comfortable cloud. The first thing she became aware of was that she wasn't alone. At length she opened her eyes and drew in a quick, shocked breath and with it her companion stirred and smiled, his expression barely awake and all too sexy.

For a moment she thought that she might still be asleep and without thinking, Hermione reached out to run her finger over the grey streak and down his face. His stormy grey eyes stared back at her. He licked his lips quickly and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, resting her hand on his bare arm.

"Where else would I be?" he replied with a lopsided grin.

She frowned at him a moment then pulled away. Climbing out of the bed she adjusted her blouse and pants that had gotten all askew during sleep then turned back to frown at Sirius again.

"Where else would you be?" she snapped. "Well I would say anywhere that was away from me seeing as I'm so out of your league!"

He lunged out of the bed after her. "Damn it, Hermione, I didn't mean it."

Her eyes flashed angrily. She had hoped to just let the episode go - put some distance between them and try to salvage their friendship. But now that he was here…

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened with Black." She took a deep calming breath in an attempt to stop her hands shaking. "But now you have both made it very clear to me that I won't be welcome in any future of yours or his."

"Ah, shit! Hermione…"

But she wasn't listening. "I'm so sorry, Sirius - I'm sorry for everything. But it's not like I woke up one morning and decided to fall in love with you, it just happened. I know I should have moved out years ago - put some space between us, so I could…" She scrubbed at the tears running down her cheeks with impatience. "I don't know - get over it I guess. But then every time you'd look at me and smile, or tell one of your stupid jokes, or just sit with me in the library - it was like I was falling in love all over again.

"But you! You had two years to tell me - to find a way to let me down gently. I'm not some silly child you should have just told me that I was making a bloody fool of myself and…" His hand covered her mouth tightly enough to muffle her words and yet still let her breathe.

"I'm sorry but this seems to be the only way to shut you up," he said the corner of his mouth ticking upwards at her muffled protest. "Now you need to listen to what I have to say and you're right I've waited way too long to say this."

All at once her temper became resignation. She knew that this day would come, always knew that this conversation was going to happen where Sirius told her honestly how much he cared about her but could never return her feeling. She blinked quickly to halt the prickling of tears and nodded.

"I'm going to take my hand off your mouth and we're going to sit down."

She nodded.

"And you are going to behave and listen to me."

She nodded again.

"Without interrupting?"

She smiled a little against his hand and nodded. He took his hand off her mouth and they sat on the edge of the bed.

"First of all," Sirius said taking her hand between two of his. "I need to tell you how sorry I am. I so did not mean what I said in the bar - It just came out because I was angry and… And jealous."

"Jealous?" She gave him an incredulous look. "Of what?"

"Of Black obviously!" He ran a hand through his hair and took a long breath. "I mean he's me, but… Me before I turned into… Me."

"Sirius, you're not making sense."

"Yeah I know." He took his hand back and laid them in his lap.

For a long time Hermione watched him staring at his hands. They were worked and scarred from a long life lived - So unlike Blacks and yet the same. And he was hurting - true he might not share her feelings but he was still her friend. Hermione sighed.

"Do you know what Black is?" Hermione said and continued at his shrug. "Black is cookie dough."

"What!"

She stifled a laugh and explained. "Back in the muggle world I used to help my mum make cookies. She had the yummiest recipe in the world for double-choc with a raspberry swirl that was to die for." Hermione closed her eyes remembering the smells and the sounds of her mother in the kitchen. "And of course you always have to taste the dough before putting it in to cook - That was always my favorite part - Dipping my fingers into the warm, gooey, chocolatey goodness and licking it off slowly. Mmm… My mum was always getting mad at me for eating too much of it - sometimes I would get through half of the dough before she could cut it into cookies and cook them.

"I knew I would get in trouble if I ate too much or, Merlin forbid, ate it all, but it was just so sweet and sticky - sometimes it felt like licking that chocolate dough of my fingers filled cravings soul deep." She sucked the pad of her thumb into her mouth and moaned.

"Yeah, I'm not sure this is helping," Sirius said gruffly.

Opening her eyes she noticed Sirius' gaze glued to her thumb and lips. Her cheeks flushed and she quickly folded her hands in her lap. "Sorry I got a bit off track - But that's my point! That's what cookie dough does, it's almost like it tastes so good to keep you from putting it in the oven, to stop you from getting to the end and doing what you set out to do." She chuckled again and pulled herself back on track. "Ok so the problem is that if I ate too much of the dough there would only be enough left to make half the amount of cookies and I always regretted it because the cookies were really the best part."

"So the cookies were really your favorite part, not the dough?" he asked then at her nod, "Look, why don't I make you some breakfast?"

"No, you're not getting my point."

"There is a point?"

"Yes!" Hermione said. "And I know that it's taking a while to get to it, but this isn't easy to explain."

He nodded. "I'll give you that." Sirius made a move with his hand that signaled for her to continue.

"See the cookie was so different. The chocolate and sweetness was muted a bit more but that just made the tart taste of the raspberry swirl come out when before it was kind of overpowered - same with the spices." She closed her eyes again and licked her lips. "Some would be crunchy and some would just melt in my mouth and some would be just a little bit burnt at the edges… Mmm."

"Sounds yummy," he said, his voice still gruff. "I'm still not getting what this has to do with me and Black."

"Black is cookie dough - All the ingredients have been tossed into a bowl and mixed. But that's not the finished stage, that's just the first part. That dough needs to be mixed more, have a bit more of something added, then it needs to be rolled out and kneaded and cut out into shapes then slapped in an ultra hot oven for sometimes up to twenty minutes!"

"It does sound like a hard journey when you say it that way." Sirius turned more towards her. "So clue me in if I'm wrong, but I think what you're saying is that the cookie tastes better then the dough because of all that hardship - the kneading and the flattening and the cutting and the baking."

"Exactly!" she breathed with a smile that almost hurt.

Sirius grinned right back at her. He reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You always put everything into perspective in the most wonderful way." He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I love you."

"You do?" Her heartbeat suddenly spiked then dipped just as quickly. "As a friend." She looked away only to feel his hand on her chin, pulling her face back towards his so he was looking into her eyes again.

"As the most amazing woman I have ever met." He looked at her as though claiming every inch to memory. "Hermione, I'm in love with you."

"That's impossible - You never even look at me." She tried to pull away. This had to be some kind of trick.

"I look at you all the time."

"You've never done any of those things men do when they like a woman!"

"Well you've never done any of those things women do when they like a man!"

"Well - Well of course not!" Hermione blustered. "You're Sirius Black, I was fourteen when we met and most of the time I seemed to just get on your nerves - then you fell into the veil and…"

"Then I came back and you we no longer a little girl. But you were still my Godson's best friend and a woman that I started to really enjoy spending time with and respected for so many reasons." He shifted closer and caressed his fingers across her jaw. "And then one day I came down the steps and you smiled at me like I was the only man in the world, and right then I wished that I were."

She smiled at him then. She couldn't stop smiling. "I feel like I'm dreaming."

And just like that he leaned in, closer, closer till his lips were so close she could feel his breath against her mouth. "Hermione." His voice was a whisper.

She watched, hypnotized, entranced by the stormy grey of his eyes. "Kiss me, Sirius."

His lips brushed hers so gently she thought that she might cry with it. His hands cupped her face and he flicked his tongue out to dampen his lips.

She was breathing through his mouth and her through his. The heat of his body and his lips radiated into her own and Hermione ached for more. But he was holding back, teasing both her and himself with something that now they both knew they both wanted so much.

WACK!

The door flung open and hit the wall - hard. Fred and George rushed in looking flustered.

"Hermione, you've got to come fast!" Fred gushed.

"He's in trouble - Sirius-" George shoved past his brother.

"-The other Sirius."

"You mean Black." Hermione replied. It wasn't a question.

"Where is he?" Sirius was up and pulling his jacket on.

They arrived at Diagon Alley in record time and quickly moved through the crowd till they heard the commotion and forced their way through the circle of onlookers. Sirius held Hermione's hand tightly in his own and they swore as one when they saw just what kind of trouble Black was in.

At the corner of Knockturn and Keets, Black stood; wand drawn and alone against Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

Hermione looked from Black to the Malfoys. Lucius looked pretty much the same as he had when they last met; immaculate dark green, almost black robes clashing with his long white hair. His lips curled with contempt when his gaze shifted to her and Hermione shuddered but again didn't avert her eyes until he turned his attention back to Black.

Draco looked older. In the last few years he had gone from petulant child to a rather cold and distant looking man. He looked at her only briefly, his expression blank before turning back to Black.

Lucius grinned, amused by the appearance of the older Sirius. "Why Mr. Black, am I to assume that you have made a double of yourself?" He looked from Black to Sirius and grinned even wider. "You sent a younger, more virile version of yourself to fight your battles. I don't know whether to be shocked or pitying."

Hermione marched up to take Black's side and glared at the two ex-deatheaters. "He's not a double - It's complicated. And Sirius does not need a double to fight for him."

"Damn straight," Sirius added coming to stand at Hermione's other side. "And might be younger but if anything I would be the more virile."

Black glared at Sirius over Hermione's head. "Like hell you are!"

"Like hell I'm not!" Sirius flung back at his younger self. "You might be the cookie dough all tempting and sticky and chocolaty but I am the finished, kneaded and cooked cookie and - and… Shit." He looked at Hermione. "How does it go again?"

Hermione looked from one Sirius to the other and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me!" She looked pointedly at the two wizards watching them with amused expressions, wands still drawn. "I think we have bigger problems right now."

"Oh no," Lucius drawled. "Please continue, this is all just too fascinating to miss."

"And you!" Hermione held her wand to her side but ready. "What exactly do you think you're doing? You and the boy are still on probation you can't just come flouncing in and taking old vengeances. Is it really worth going back to Azkaban over a so called Blood-traitor?"

Both the Malfoy men took an outraged breath and Lucius lowered his wand but like Hermione, held it ready.

"Miss. Granger, we do not flounce anywhere." Lucius spoke, his tone clipped as he looked down his nose. "And it was not us who sort to vent a grievance."

"Father and I were merely doing some shopping and were about to partake in tea when your boy-toy attacked us."

"We are far from stupid and I assure you that should we wish to take down an enemy we could find a way less - public." Lucius let that word simmer for pregnant moment. "But probation or no both my son and I are entitled to defend ourselves as are any wizards."

"Whoa!" Hermione slipped in between Black and Lucius and held her hands up. "Lord Malfoy, please don't do anything hasty." She sincerely hoped that the pureblood had enough intelligence not to attack while she was in the way. It would get the Malfoys in a huge amount of trouble and probably wouldn't be much good for her either.

She turned to Black and slugged him in the arm. "You started a duel with the Malfoys!"

"Ow!" Black glared down at her, rubbing his sore arm. "Yeah, what about it?"

"You mean besides the fact that they are two of the most powerful wizards in London and you are outnumbered two to one?" Hermione took another breath and counted to ten before turning around to face the father and son again. "Please forgive my friend, he's having some problems and has trouble with his temper. I swear that we are working on the problem and this will never happen again."

Lucius looked as though he was going to say something but Draco quickly leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He seemed to be silently forcing down his own temper then gave her an awkward little tilt of his head and said, "See that it doesn't Mu… Miss Granger." And with that the two elegant looking wizards turned on their heel and strode away through the gawping crown.

Black opened his mouth to yell after them. Without looking Hermione slapped a hand over his mouth. "Don't even…"

"What were you thinking!" Hermione paced in front of a properly chastened Black. "You know better then that or you should. Do you know where you'd be if Sirius and I hadn't come to save your arse? Dead that's where, then where would you be?"

"I said I was sorry," he mumbled.

"Yeah you'd better be sorry."

"I am."

"Well you better be!"

"Look I couldn't just let them walk out - Not after what they did to you."

Hermione gasped and her heart gave an almost painful flip. "You did it for me?"

"Why the hell else?" Black was looking at her with an intensity that made her want to move into his arms and kiss him again and again. "No-one messes with my Butterfly."

"Well… Well it was still dangerous and stupid to face them on your own."

"I know."

This was going nowhere and to be honest it was hard to be angry with Black when he looked so forlorn. His shoulders were hunched in his black shirt, even his leather-clad legs looked apologetic and those puppy-dog eyes weren't helping.

Sirius came up behind her and seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. He shook a chastising finger as Black then leaned down to kiss Hermione's cheek, his expression turning smug and his gaze never leaving his younger self.

"Here you go, sweetheart." Sirius handed Hermione a coffee and placed two others on the table in front of Black and himself.

Black looked between them and sniggered. "So you two made nice then?"

"Well we'd be making nice right now if you hadn't… Oh!" Hermione blushed as she heard her words. "Yes, we made up," she managed to croak and took a long sip of her coffee.

Black gave her a grin that was full of way too much knowledge about her and her nack for blurting her mind without thinking. The look was full of humor and affection that ordinarily would only come with years of friendship or one extraordinary moment of togetherness. One incredible night…

"She's so cute when she does that," Black said to Sirius.

Sirius laughed. "You should see when she's trying to lie."

"Alright!" Hermione held up her hands to halt the discussion of her downfalls. "Black I need the memory of those last minutes before you Apparated."

"Oh yeah!" Black clicked his fingers. "I would have thought you'd ask for that first thing when I arrived." Then under her darkening gaze he jumped up. "I'll just go grab a bottle."

Sirius made a whip-cracking sound to Black's departing back and received a rude hand sign in return.

Later Hermione was cleaning up her research space in the library when Black came in with the bottle holding his memory.

"Here you go; one memory from yours truly." He placed the bottle on the table and sat on the edge. "But you have to promise not to laugh at the part where that Irish git steals my bird."

Hermione laughed and boosted herself up onto the table next to him. "I promise nothing." She nudged his shoulder with her own. "I will say though that she was a fool. That girl missed out on something pretty damn special."

Black jumped down and turned to face her. He was standing between her thighs and his hands rested on her hips as he looked down into her face and gave her his trademarked cocky smile. "You bet she did, Special is my middle name."

"That and Danger." Hermione smiled up at him and closed her eyes when he placed a hand on her cheek, loving the feel of those hands.

"Look at me, Butterfly," he said his voice gruff. She opened her eyes and he said, "I would have missed out on something pretty damn special if she'd stayed. I'm going to miss you."

"You're going to forget me."

"Yeah." He leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear. "But I never for one second stopped loving you."