a/n: This is something that I have been writing when I need a break from writing Just One. It will be updated only sporadically as Just One is my priority at the moment.
Time Traveling Marauder
When Sirius goes through the veil during the battle at the ministry, he switches places with his twenty-two-year-old self who had been in Azkaban for the last six months. But time travel isn't as precise as one would think. Things get interesting when a younger Sirius steps out of the veil and into Hermione Granger's arms, three years after Voldemort's fall. Post war. EWE. Fluff.
Chapter One: The River Game
He felt like he was floating. Suspended in a waterless river that felt like silk as it dragged him slowly to the bank. He was relaxed and unconcerned flickering in and out of consciousness as he dozed peacefully, without a care in the world.
He vaguely remembered his life before he fell through the veil. Flashes of a shocked black haired, green eyed boy, tugged on his memories making the calm sleepiness fall away for a moment before the memories faded away with the currents' gentle pull, leaving him once again in its sluggish ebb and flow.
As he was pulled farther down the river, the current became choppy and angrier as he went. He was afraid of going under, of drowning and the overwhelming fear flung him into a memory, the first cognizant memory since he had been floating.
It was nearing midnight and he had cuts and bruises all over his face and arms, his favorite leather jacket shredded from the volley of spells cast at him. He was with James originally, following Yaxley and Travers who were suspected Death Eaters in an effort to find the meeting place of Voldemort's followers. They got separated after they walked into an ambush led by his crazy cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. The two order members fought for their lives as the realization sunk in that the Death Eaters had erected an anti-apparition ward around the building. It was time to get the hell out of dodge as quick as humanly possible. He thought. Tonight was supposed to be quick and easy. Lily was going to kill them.
James' wife Lily was at headquarters; no doubt being held back from joining them by Remus Lupin. She was three months pregnant and had promised her husband that she would sit this one out and every other one until after she gave birth. James not so secretly hoped she would rather stay with their child and out of the line of fire in the future. He knew better than to voice it and instead voiced his conviction that he would die if he lost her. She melted like chocolate in the hot sun when he told her he loved her like that.
As reckless as Sirius was normally, he had promised her that he would make sure James came home to his family. It wasn't a difficult vow to make as they were his family too.
Thinking of family, it still pained the dark haired marauder when he thought about his younger brother who was taken in to the Dark Lord's service even before he graduated from Hogwarts. If he could have protected him, if he got even a whisper that Regulus hadn't wanted to join up with the psycho, Sirius would have moved mountains to hide him. As it was, he had to sit and watch the fall out. Over the last three months he had seen Reg in public four times, and each time he looked more gaunt and sickly then the last.
Shaking his head as if he were in his animagus form, he brought his attention back to the present. He had lost James. When they made their tactical retreat, they each took a different alley not realizing it until it was too late.
Sirius slowly peeked around the corner. A red stunner hit the bricks next to his face, exploding small pieces of shrapnel that embedded into the tender flesh below his left eye. Bloody Hell! He was very lucky he wasn't blinded.
Three buildings down Sirius caught the glint of light that reflected off of James' glasses and sighed in relief. If only they could reach each other, he thought. James had the portkey they were supposed to use in emergencies.
When the spells thrown at the duo began to taper off, the taunting began. Blood traitor this, Disgrace to the pureblood families of the world that. Bella had never been very original. She was one of those people that believed obsessively whatever they were told to believe.
He could hear the Death Eaters getting closer and closer to his position and knowing he was moments away from capture he turned into his animagus form hoping to slip away unnoticed.
Deciding to make a break for it, he crossed the alley heading towards James as spells exploded at his feet. Seeing what Sirius was doing, James grabbed the 'Harpies #1 fan' pin from his sweater, activating it with a silent 'Portus'. As it started to glow blue he reached out his hand with the pin out and as soon as Sirius' snout touched the cool metal, they were pulled into space as James landed on his arse in the garden of headquarters.
Sirius morphed back into his human form and let out a stressed groan. That had been way too close. They walked to the hidden house daubing at their respective wounds.
As Sirius came back to consciousness from his memory he started to remember some of the important details of his life. His best friends, their lives and deaths, and more importantly, Harry. It was like a punch to the stomach. He had left Harry alone, again. Another promise he couldn't keep.
He finally bumped into the bank of the waterless river and pulled himself onto the silky knoll. It looked like it was covered in grass but it felt like satin sheets, smooth and sleek. He crawled his way up the slope collapsing heavily onto his stomach. Where was he anyway?
He heard the sound of fabric rustling near his face and looked up to see a black tattered robe on a skeletal human. He, well he supposed it was a he, looked emaciated, as if he had been starving for a really long time.
"Sirius Black."
"That's me."
"I have the power to grant you one wish. Do you wish to play the game?"
"What game?"
"The game of chance."
"If you win, I will grant you any wish. If you lose, you will be my slave for an eternity."
"How do I play?"
"All you have to do is cross this river without touching it."
"I have already touched it."
"Yes, but you haven't crossed it. Cross it without coming into contact with it and I will reward you greatly. Will you play?"
"Yes."
"So be it. You have three days."
"You didn't mention a time limit!"
"You never asked." Death disappeared, leaving Sirius there laying on his stomach.
Sirius sat up pulling his knees to his chin staring at the river that looked wider than it had moments ago, in fact it was getting wider and wider the longer he waited. He decided he had better start to complete his task and looked around searching for something that would get him across. Wood, Plastic, anything. But the landscape was a barren wasteland covered in a light mist. He would get no use out of his surroundings. His breathing hitched as he realized this task was neigh on impossible. He had to figure something out though, he was too good looking to be a slave to that scary looking guy named Death. Now if Death were a hot bird, that would be different.
He sat on the shore for a whole day before he remembered something important from his memory. He was a wizard. He took out his wand that miraculously was still in his back pocket and summoned thousands of great blocks of stone from beneath the river, stacking them and binding them together forming a massive stone path. He crossed the crude bridge at a dead run fearing Death would sabotage him and perhaps he would have, if he had not been staring at the scene unfolding in front of him with horror.
Death seethed in a deep rage as he saw the man pull a thin stick from his back pocket and upon recognizing what it was, he released a brutal screech that would have damaged any normal person's vocal cords. For Hundreds of years he watched the newcomers, studied them, waited for them to betray their magical heritage to him before he approached any of the lost souls that entered his domain. He had avoiding wizards down to a science and was so assured in his ability to smell magic, that none could cloak the taint of magic from his practiced nose.
He had lost this game only once in the thousand years he had offered it but it only took that one time to solidify his hatred of all things magical. The first set of wizards he had propositioned, easily crossed and had quickly asked for their prize. Creating an unbeatable wand, a resurrection stone, and giving his very own cloak had left him in a horrible mood and it had taken hundreds of years to recuperate a modicum of magic that was drained from his body. Every minion he had, before and after, suffered for the luck of the three Wizarding brothers. Ever since then, he ensured that only muggles were offered the chance to play. It didn't matter that his legions of slaves grew unmanageably. What else would be nearly as entertaining as watching strong men fail at his one simple task.
With a murderous glint in his skeletal eyes, he approached the wizard as he stepped onto the shore.
"What is your wish?" Death asked Sirius.
"I want to be alive again."
"Very well." Death laughed a full evil laugh as the world swirled around Sirius fading as his new world materialized around him. If Death was forced to give a prize, it would be on his terms.
Sirius recognized where he was immediately, having suffered through surviving there for twelve long years. He could hear Death as he laughed appearing next to Sirius in his old cell.
"So I am to live in prison?"
"You are alive, are you not?"
"Yes, but is this really living?"
"Technically."
"You bloody bastard! I played your little game and I won fair and square!"
"Someone had to take your place in prison since your Twenty-two-year-old self was gifted a chance at a future. You should be thanking me."
"What do you mean? When I was twenty-two my future was here."
"And I sent him into the future where he does not have to be in prison."
"Why not just send me into the future?"
"Why indeed." He said as he vanished leaving only the remnants of a ghostly chuckle behind him. Death hoped a second imprisonment for twelve more years, broke the wizard, enabling Death to claim him once more.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Hermione had been working as an unspeakable apprentice for nearly two years. After attending her final year at Hogwarts gaining the highest N.E.W.T. scores in over one hundred years, she had taken the offer of Minister Shaklebolt to choose any position within the Ministry that she desired. And what she desired turned out to be was an Unspeakable. It became obvious over the course of those years to everyone that she was the most powerful and skilled of the bunch, surpassing even her aged mentor who had become an Unspeakable at the tender age of seventeen all those years ago. Hermione was revered as a war heroine and yet was quietly despised as she surpassed her coworkers in recognition and bonuses. There was not a task that she had not yet completed, that is until now.
The previous head of the unspeakable department retired six months prior, leaving Alexander Flint to take his place. There was an unspoken pact among the remaining free purebloods that Hermione Granger must be taken out. Accidents and mishaps usually weren't very hard to orchestrate in the nearly unregulated Unspeakable's department. However, she masterfully extracted herself from any and all danger leaving behind a frustrated foe. This time was different. The very first thing he did as a head was assign Hermione to a new project.
So in the hopes of killing her massive ego and completion streak, he assigned her to the Veil of Death in the Death chamber with the far flung hope that she would perhaps fall into it via a gentle push. But that wasn't meant to be, as he had not yet had the opportunity to sabotage her without suspicion falling on himself. He could feel the frustration rolling off of her in waves as she got nowhere in her assignment month after month. It really wasn't her fault; the Veil was just one of those unsolvable mysteries and yet it pleased him greatly to see her brought so low. Had she been a pureblooded witch he would have been impressed.
So it was an especially difficult blow to swallow the day she levitated an unconscious man out of the chamber and flooed to St. Mungo's with little more than a smile. The others would not be thrilled to hear of his latest failure.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHG
Hermione had sat in front of the veil for five months trying anything and everything that she could think of to make the thing do something. It wasn't until she drew runes in her own blood on the stone archway that the stupid thing reacted at all.
It had glowed red and blue alternatively for an hour before she was knocked to the floor and pinned under a thin but firm body. Black hair fell onto her face as the body collapsed on her, unconscious. She moved the hair out of both of their faces hoping to know who it was she was now holding.
Her gasp of shock resonated throughout the chamber in a never ending echo as she whispered his name.
He was without a doubt Sirius Black, only a much younger version. She pushed him off of her the best she could so that she could reach her wand and levitate him and check him for life and wounds, hoping for Harry's sake she wasn't holding a dead body. It was with great relief when his pulse raced fast and strong under her finger tips, and no longer restraining herself laughed and smiled into the empty room. She was elated! Finally, something to make Harry deliriously happy, and to think Harry's twentieth birthday was on Saturday, three days from now.
"Mobilicorpus." She kept the spell at hip height not letting him drift any further than an inch away from her as she escorted his prone body out of the room. She passed Flint's desk with only a smug smile as a greeting, heading to the nearest floo. The Unspeakable's had several floo's connected for the sole use of their department. It wouldn't do to have the Ministry actually privy to the research they worked on.
The moment she stepped out of the fireplace with her charge she began the harassment.
"Nurse Letterbomb, message Healer Clearwater. This man needs medical attention." She calmly stated.
There was a split second pause before a flurry of activity surrounded her. The nurse took over the mobilicorpus spell and moved him into a private room.
"Expecto Patronum." Hermione's silver otter burst out of her wand tip gamboling around her legs in an ethereal dance.
"Harry, come to St. Mungo's. I pulled Sirius from the veil." She sent the patronus with a flick of her wand.
Hermione walked into the room and sat next to the bed taking his warm hand in between both of hers as the medical staff bustled around the unconscious wizard.
"Sirius, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." She begged hoping for a response but not receiving any. She was talking to him in a continuous stream hoping that the soothing sound of her voice would bring him back to them.
Harry burst through the door minutes later, out of breath flinging himself into the chair opposite of Hermione on Sirius' other side.
"Merlin, Sirius! Wow he looks so young!" He said looking at Hermione.
Hermione shrugged. There was no telling what the repercussions were for being in the veil for years. She willed for him to wake up wanting his eyes to open more than she had wanted anything since Voldemort's defeat. Harry deserved to catch a break and get some of his family back.
Healer Clearwater opened the door and stepped through followed closely by Ron Weasley the last of the golden trio to make it. Ron began working with George at the joke shop after a year and a half as an Auror. He had felt that it was his duty to chase down the remaining Voldemort supporters alongside his best mate, Harry Potter. After the inner circle had been named by an accommodating Lucius Malfoy, they were swiftly caught and tracked down. Receiving trials and sentences, filling up the cells of the newly reformed Azkaban sans Dementors.
He hurried in the room shedding the magenta robes of Weasley Wizard Wheezes and walked behind Harry's chair gripping his shoulder in silent comradery.
"Well he seems to be healthy, if a little undernourished. I think he is resting at the moment and he will wake up any time. The nurse will bring in a tray for him when he wakes." Penelope Clearwater the head Healer informed them.
"Thank you Healer Clearwater." Hermione said never taking her eyes off of Sirius' face.
Harry looked at Hermione as he always did when he was unsure of what to do. She gave him a small smile filled with hope.
"Isn't it amazing?" Hermione said while patting Sirius' hand. "I can't believe he is back!"
"You are absolutely brilliant! I have no idea how I am going to repay you for this!" His smile was infectious, happiness radiating from his every pore.
"I've been talking to him, hoping he will wake up faster to a friendly voice. Maybe you should try it. Go on." She was blushing at Harry's praise. Harry and Ron thought the world about her and every time they voiced it, it made her feel amazing. Her two best friends in the world and she wouldn't change anything.
Harry started talking about Ginny and how they were waiting to get married until they were a bit older because Harry wanted major changes to take effect in the Ministry before he had any children, hoping that things would settle down after the re-takeover by the Order after the war. He went on to talk about the quidditch league that Ron had helped him start last year to blow off some of the stress that he wore as a mantle. His most happy and expansive topic was his Godson, Teddy Lupin. Who spent Saturdays with him at Grimmauld Place at least until Potter Manor was restored. After all, Grimmauld Place was a sad reminder of what they had lost. Now it was a bright beacon of light as Sirius would be able to take back the Black properties. He couldn't wait for Christmas at Grimmauld's!
After several thrilling tales of how they tracked down Death Eaters, Harry grew quiet, letting Ron pick up where he left off.
Ron talked about his surprising relationship with Pansy Parkinson. After the war was over Ron and Hermione more or less ignored the kiss they shared on the battle field, Hermione perhaps would have been receptive to starting a relationship had Ron made a move. But he didn't and neither did she. As it was Pansy nearly had to hex him in public before he noticed her and a year before they became friends. One day several months ago Pansy walked up to him and told him they were together and she expected exclusivity. He said okay. They have been together ever since.
Ron also talked about the joke shop and all of the crazy customers he had seen in the last year. reciting anecdotes of the time a cauldron exploded on him, Neville style, when he tried to create a new line of products.
Hermione sat listening to them caressing the hand she was holding with an indulgent smile on her face.
Sirius' eyes flickered open as the three people surrounding his bed reminisced to him but were not watching him closely. At first he thought it was James in the chair to his left but the eyes weren't right, although they did remind him of someone. He assumed the red head was a Weasley but he had no Idea who the beautiful angel was who sat caressing his hand was. Her fingers felt like webs fire spreading up his arm, leaving trails of molten lava through his veins.
He quickly closed his eyes as she turned her head to look at him and reach up one of her hands to smooth his hair back from his face. He tried really hard to remain seemingly unmoved but her fingers were setting a fire in him that he couldn't quench. His quick indrawn breath punched into his lungs with the force of a well-placed spell and his eyes opened. He was lost in her eyes. Held spellbound in his gaze, Hermione paused before smiling in relief.
"Sirius, we are glad you are awake!"
"Excuse me if I have the disadvantage of not knowing who you are Kitten." He murmured.
"Do you remember any of us?" Asked Harry, brows pulled down in concern.
"Should I?"
"I am Harry Potter. Your Godson."
"Harry, Give Sirius space!" Hermione pushed her best friend back and leaned over the marauder. "What is the last thing you remember?"
"Azkaban. The Dementors liked to pace in front of my door, they liked the way we screamed."
"How long were you in Azkaban?"
"I'm not sure. Less than a year."
"Merlin, less than a year? Perhaps the veil was trying to answer my call for you and sent you from your original timeline. Amazing!" Gasped Hermione.
"I know, It's a talent of mine."
"What is?" Asked Hermione in confusion.
"Being amazing." Sirius said through his lop sided smirk as Harry snorted in amusement.
"There is the Sirius I know!" chortled Ron. Hermione shook her head in fond indulgence.
"Since I am living at Potter Manor while it is being refurbished, it will only be you and Hermione at Grimmauld, Sirius. I am only a floo call away if you need me though."
"Why in bloody hell would I go to Grimmauld?"
"Because it is yours and you willed it to me after you fell through the veil." Harry said patiently.
"I was disowned. Why didn't it go to my Death Eater brother?"
"He died fighting against Voldemort."
"He did?"
"But I suspect Walburga left you everything because you were in Azkaban for helping Voldemort kill my parents."
"I didn't!"
"We know. It was Peter Pettigrew. He died being the filthy betraying rat he was."
"And Remus?"
"He died at the battle of Hogwarts where we defeated Voldemort, years ago. He has a son. Teddy."
"It's just me left alive out of the four of us then."
"It is but you have us!" Said Hermione.
And that was a damn good reason to rejoice. Thought Sirius. A whole house for just the two of them. It was perfect. Let the seduction begin.
After several more hours of observation Sirius was sent home in the care of the three war heroes. With all of the buzz that was generated by their arrival, the news that Sirius returned from the veil would make the evening Prophet.
As it was Gringotts had sent over so many documents for him to sign, reinstating his wealth and properties. Hermione set out all of the correspondence that he would have to do the next day when he was up to it.
He awoke the next morning to the smell of eggs, bacon, and coffee. It smelled just like heaven. Rising out of the bed naked, he walked across the hall. He considered running into Hermione in his current state as a bonus and craned his neck to see if that was a possibility. Apparently it was not as he pouted while slipping on a pair of pajama bottoms.
Once he got to the kitchen, he found out why Hermione wasn't available to catch him in the nude. She was the one cooking breakfast. He leaned against the doorway arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. It was obvious that Hermione had not noticed his presence yet as she was singing and dancing, hips swaying to the music from the wizarding wireless.
She was wearing a blue tank top, and light pink shorts that were so short they ought to be illegal. She had legs that went on for miles. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun at the top of her head, curls sticking out haphazardly. But the most noticeable thing about her was that she radiated happiness like she had never seen anything that was dark and depressing. Her happiness drew him like a drug. He was helpless to stop what came out of his mouth next.
"Hey, Kitten. Nice outfit." He gave her body a though one over concentrating on her curves.
Hermione jumped a mile-high blushing as she realized he must have been standing there for a while watching her. It was very flattering to see him appreciating what he saw but she didn't take it too seriously. After all, Sirius what a terrible flirt and in his youth was known as a man slag.
"Good Morning Sirius! I didn't think you would be up yet. Would like some breakfast?"
"Sure! This is the first time in six months I've been offered something that looks and smells so good!" He never took his eyes off her. Was he insinuating what she thought he was? Her eyes seemed to ask him. Yes, yes he was. He had no qualms about spreading her out on the table. Right there. Let the bloody eggs burn. He thought.
"Take a seat then." She pushed the full plate she had in her hands across the table. "Coffee?"
"mmmm." He mumbled in the affirmative trying not to embarrass himself by having a food orgasm at the table.
"You know," He said as he accepted the mug of coffee from her. "I definitely need help getting through all of those documents. You don't plan on abandoning me do you?"
"Of course not! I took the next two weeks off to be at your disposal." She said
"Is that a promise?" he smirked at her with a mischievous glint in his eye.