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Chapter 15: Taking Risks

The whole point of this evening was to make Hermione feel happy and now she was upset again. Well dammit, if he was going to let things end this way. He didn't care anymore that it was well past 2AM in the morning, he had to speak to Hermione again.

He knocked at her door, impatiently drumming his fingers against the heel of his palm until he heard her voice.

"Come in."

She was siting on her bed and had obviously been crying.

Sirius stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before moving to sit beside her.

"I'm sorry Hermione."

He didn't actually know what he was apologizing for, but he learned a long time ago that it was best to just say sorry as many times as possible to women, especially when they were crying or upset. But Hermione seemed to know instantly why he was apologizing for as she nodded her head.

"I just wish you'd stop provoking Snape," she sniffed.

"Well it's kind of hard not to. You saw what he's like..." he hesitated to smirk, "even you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Please don't remind me. He's going to make my life hell when I go back..."

"Hey, you don't have to worry about Snape, if he tries to give you any trouble-"

Hermione shook her head and he was taken aback as her brown eyes came up to meet his. They sparkled with the startling clarity of sobriety in them. and concern.

"Actually I'm worried about you. You almost died in the Department of Mysteries."

"But I didn't."

"You came close enough..." her voice trailed off and she turned away from him and Sirius saw a single tear fall down from her eye. "I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you."

"Oh god."

Sirius never felt more guilty. Perhaps he'd never realized how much he hurtothers by putting himself at risk, he'd never stopped to think that people might be concerned for him.

He grabbed her hand.

"Hermione stop worrying about me."

She smiled sadly. "Well if I don't who will?"

"That's a good point." he tried to make her laugh, "Though there is Remus. And Molly in her way is fond of me..."

"She hates you Sirius. And Remus has got enough problems of his own to watch after you."

"You say that if I'm some overgrown child that needs to be watched. Do you really think of me that way?" He felt mildly insulted.

Hermione shook her head unphased. "Tonight shouldn't have happened, we were taking too many risks. I don't know what I was thinking! You already have the Ministry and Voldemort after you," she pulled at her hair, "I'm beginning to wonder if we should even go about this Selena Ryder visit."

"Don't say that Hermione. You know how important this is to me. We can't just not go," he warned.

"Yes, well I'm beginning to doubt the wisdom of it when you keep making everything more difficult and dangerous by drawing trouble to yourself!"

Sirius suddenly felt angry and rose up, letting go of her hand. For some reason he felt mildy betrayed by her words. He thought they'd had a good time tonight and now, it was like, she was taking everything back. Like she was taking back her one moment of spontaneity. And just because he'd fought with that slimy git.

"I know I'm a fugitive, Hermione, but please don't act like you'd rather see me locked up here."

"I want to see you alive Sirius!"

"You can't live life without risks!" he said, a bit too loudly.

"Yes except there's a difference between risks and just being plain stupid!"

"HERMIONE I'M NOT SOME CAGED ANIMAL, NOT NOW OR EVER!"

He thought he was about to win this argument. But Hermione also stood up and now there were more tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

"If anything happens to you Sirius, you don't know how much it would hurt me." Her voice was shaking and dammit now actual tears were pouring out of her again.

Oh god, women and their crying! Sirius covered his face in his hands. It was an unfair weapon, like kryptonite. He just wanted it to stop.

Without really thinking what he was doing, he got down on his knees and prepared to grovel. "I promise I'll behave. We can't not go Hermione." his grey eyes were completely serious. "It's too important." He had to find out what happened to Regulus. And meet his nephew.

"You promise?" Hermione wiped her eyes and shook her head, "I'd believe you more if you took an unbreakable vow."

Sirius laughed. "An unbreakable vow to behave myself?" he grinned "Now you're just trying to kill me."

She punched his arm again. "I mean it. I refuse to go anywhere with you again unless you behave yourself and make sure you take every precaution to be on the safe side and not provoke people." She crossed her arms.

"Deal."

He smirked and shook her hand.

The next day...

Sirius as a poodle.

Was it really necessary to glamour him as a poodle? With a pink leash around his neck?

He couldn't stand Harry and Ron's laughing.

He transformed out of his animagus and back into a man with a pink collar around his neck.

"Is this really necessary?" he growled.

Hermione contained her smirk.

"Sirius you promised to behave yourself. Now switch back so I can glamour you again..." she paused to laugh, "Or do I have to send you in for more dog training?"

"Bark," Sirius said dryly, but he complied and turned back into Padfoot.

The shaggy black dog whined as Hermione waved her wand and he became a thin, waif-like poodle with grey fur and a parisian haircut.

"Perfect."

Hermione grinned. "Now no one will ever guess you're actually Sirius Black."

No because they'll think I'm a bloody poofter! Sirius thought dryly.

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Feel free to leave reviews/thoughts/criticisms, I read each review and take them very seriously! ThANKS!

Oh and I might change this story to M. But that will be for a much later chapter.

Have a happy new year!

-Bianca