[Ancient Runes Assignment #7 [ Task #1: Laguz represents water, which is a vital part of life. Write about a character who lacks something vital; prompt: (word) velocity] [Writing Club September: Write about someone being safe.] [50 dif prompts: The Three Broomsticks] [Chapter titles challenge: #93 A Different Kind of Family ]

Warning: immature humour, innuendo, swearing, drunken fighting, arguing and mildly racy scenes ;-) The characters get pretty drunk in this story. Also I initially started off as an Emmeline Vance story but I decided to change it to my otp. This is strictly AU (Alternative Universe) where Sirius and Hermione are the same age and she was born in the Marauders era. Thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated if you read it til the end :)

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~o~

While Your Lips Are Still Red

by siriusbarks/siriusblahblah

~o~

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Hermione hurried along the cobblestone road, as Sirius Black raced ahead of her.

"C'mon Mia," Sirius called back, his breath coming out in cold huffs of air. "It's freezing bollocks out here."

Hermione shot him a condescending look. "I don't have bollocks to freeze, Sirius."

Sirius stopped walking and smirked as she came trotting up towards him in her heels. "You don't say," he said in a sing-song voice. "Now you must have other much more nice bits, do they freeze too?"

She patted him on his shoulder of his thick leather jacket with wool lining. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Black."

"Alright," he whistled but then grabbed her hand swiftly in his own, warming it. "But let's make it into the pub before my own reproductive organs freeze off."

She laughed frostily as they raced into the Three Broomsticks pub.

It was a very chilly late November night in 1979.

~o~

Sirius laughed loudly as James told a joke and Remus and Hermione sat across from them. They were empty bottles of butterbeer and vodka around their little table, while Hermione sipped on a glass of sangria.

"So when are you two getting married?" Remus suddenly asked.

Sirius immediately became cross. "C'mon, not everyone gets married."

"I'm being serious."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Please don't use that pun with him."

Remus shot her an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Hermione."

But, James, who was perhaps drunker and even more boisterous than Sirius, said, "He has a point, Pads, why haven't you asked Hermione yet? Me and Lily didn't wait long after graduation to tie the knot."

Sirius stared defensively at the three of them at the table; his grey eyes especially bored into Hermione's until she glanced down.

"We don't want to rush things," he said finally.

Hermione laughed and James looked confused. Meanwhile, Remus just shook his head sadly.

"Sirius, there is a war going on, you may not have a chance forever to get married."

Sirius's grey eyes were emotionless. "That's just my point, Remus, I don't want to have to worry about my kid dying during the war or having someone extra to protect, it's bad enough as it is."

"Lily is pregnant," James stammered, the black-haired man's expression terribly worried.

"Bloody hell."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hermione said and patted James on the shoulder.

She shared a look across the table at Sirius who seemed shocked by the news.

"I'll help you protect her...and it," Sirius said quietly. Then he put his hands in his hair and swore. "Merlin, I'm going to be a godfather, aren't I?"

James shrugged and a smirk made its way back into his tense face. "Yes, of course, mate." James's hazel eyes lit up at the prospect.

Sirius embraced his best friend in a bear hug and suddenly the atmosphere changed from one of tension to celebration and joy again.

Sirius stood up and held his glass out to James. "A toast to my best friend, James, his wife and their unborn child!"

They spent the rest of the night in celebration, until they dropped off a singing-and-drunk James back at Lily's and Remus escaped into the night to go to his own flat.

Hermione and Sirius walked arm-in-arm out of the pub, before apparating to their own cozy flat near Hogsmeades.

~o~

As Sirius rolled into bed, still wearing his leather jacket and boots, Hermione struggled to try to take them off him.

"C'mon Sirius, you cannot sleep in your shoes and jacket!" she admonished him, while pulling at his left boot to get the laces untied.

Sirius grinned drunkenly. "I'm going to be a godfather!" he repeated for Merlin-knows how many times.

Hermione crossed her arms and stared down at him with knit brows. "I thought you were worried before about having children during the war? Now is it all fun and games because James is having one?"

Sirius winked and tried to drag her in bed. "Don't be like that. I'll protect them. You and me already have several Death Eaters after us, but James and Lily, they'll be fine. We'll help protect them, me and Remus and Peter..."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "So it's fine for James and Lily to have kids, but you and me can't even contemplate getting married let alone having kids?"

Sirius groaned. "Not now Hermione. I want to shag, not fight!"

She threw his boot, which she managed to pull off his left foot, at his leg.

Sirius sat up as the boot collided lightly with his leg and his eyes flashed.

"What the bloody hell was that for?!" he asked incredulously.

"You're so unfair," she shouted at him. "You'd think it was only Lily who wanted those things, don't you think I want a few scraps of happiness in between this war too?"

She dashed out of their bedroom before he could catch up with her. She slammed the door of the bathroom and used her wand to lock it so that he couldn't get in.

Truth be told, she was worried as anyone else about losing everything they had now. But, was it fair, to stop living or wanting things like a family, just because there were risks involved?

Why could James and Lily take those risks, but Sirius was terrified of losing a family again? Was it because he knew his family had abandoned him for betraying them? Did he unconsciously think that she was going to abandon him too?

Hermione rubbed again at her tired, bleary eyes and regretted drinking so much sangria, it had really let out her suppressed feelings. Though it was ridiculous that they were dating six years now and they couldn't even move forward at all.

~o~

Sirius knocked at the bathroom door, and she felt a first tear drop down her face. She loved him so much, damn it. But he didn't want to commit or give her anything, in fear that it would be taken away. He was so afraid, he didn't even want to give her a ring in case he ended up losing them both.

"C'mon Hermione, I'm sorry. Open the door."

"No."

I hate you Sirius, she thought. In this moment, I really truly hate you. It's been six years. She gave Sirius everything including her virginity which she'd previously hoped to save for marriage. She'd stuck out with him when his family threw him out. James proposed to Lily right out of Hogwarts, he serenaded her with chocolates and flowers, he gave Lily the biggest, most beautiful Potter heirloom ring that could be found, they were already having their first child. Sirius and her had been dating longer than Lily and James, but so far he hadn't even asked once what she thought about their future. And the only piece of jewelry he'd given her, was some joke shop Black jewel ring, that was supposed to mock his illustrious family. It was like he didn't take their relationship seriously at all and wanted to treat her like she was still just his Hogwarts girlfriend, with no responsibilities or formal ties to bind them.

"Hermione," he barked madly through the door while rapping even louder. "What did I do?"

"What didn't you do?!" she snapped. Merlin, she really wanted to pummel him right now but if she opened the door she'd have to see his sloppy face and grin and she'd stop being mad. Because Sirius Black was ridiculously cute—even while being an arse—when he was drunk. Or sober. Or at any time. He got away with everything because of his charm.

"I don't know! Why don't you tell me? I'm not very good at guessing games!" He rapped more forcefully again at the door, nearly breaking the door off it's hinges.

"Stop rapping at the door, Sirius, you're going to break it!"

There was a slumping sound and Hermione could tell that Sirius had leaned his weight against the door in defeat. "Please just tell me what I did wrong. I don't understand. I thought we were having a good time celebrating with James, but now it's like you couldn't be unhappier. Are you really so unhappy that James is having a child?"

Hermione sniffed out a heavy breath and tried not to cringe at how clueless he could be at times. "You really don't understand women at all, Sirius!"

Sirius laughed at that. "Sorry. I'm not a guru! I don't have a magical map that says what women think."

"You idiot." She threw one of the shampoo bottles sitting in their washroom at the shower. "Idiot. Misogynistic pig. Git. Stupid jerk. Moron. Selfish...argh!" she swore under her breath.

"Stop destroying our bathroom," Sirius whispered through the door. "I can hear you throwing things. You better not touch my special Manly Wizard shampoo!"

Hermione grinned vindictively as she found the bottle of his precious vanity potion product, which was the secret of how Sirius Black's beautiful hair was so long and shiny despite never being combed by the lazy git.

"Oh, your M.W. shampoo?" She laughed as she began to empty out the expensive bottle into the toilet. "I can't recall even seeing it!" She smiled as she emptied out the last of his shampoo. It was really immature to do, but just now she was enjoying being a bit drunk and mischievous, especially when Sirius played so many pranks on her.

Sirius hit at the door again and swore. "You damn evil witch, you just destroyed my bottle didn't you?" he demanded through the door.

Hermione grinned to herself as she checked out their medicine cabinet for more of his vanity products. She laughed throatily as she examined a bottle of hangover potion, wizard hair gel, shaving lotion and Fresh-Face eyebags-be-gone serum. "You know you're awfully vain for a wizard, Sirius. You have many, perhaps even more, beauty products than I do."

Sirius made a groaning sound. "Hermione if you destroy anymore of my stuff, I will go into your underwear drawer and start snipping your favourite red lace panties into shreds."

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

Sirius chuckled. "Oh, so now you care?"

Hermione bit at her lip, angrily throwing close the medicine cabinet before she got out her wand again, ready to do battle, and swung open the washroom door.

She blinked unsteadily when she saw him, standing there in the doorway.

Sirius was half-dressed and looked absolutely ridiculous (and adorable) with his leather jacket still on but his pants gone and only his tight white shirt and leopard print briefs on.

She tried not to eye the rage hard-on there among the leopard print.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat imperiously, and met his shiny grey eyes. "Hand me over your wand," she ordered, with her palm outstretched.

Sirius's smug face quirked into a smirk. "You must be out of your mind, witch. There is NO way I'm handing you over my wand."

"SIRIUS." She stomped her foot. "You will hand over your wand to me."

Sirius narrowed his eyes and his smirk grew. "Why so you can take advantage of me in my drunken state?" He leered at her while licking temptingly at his lips.

"Arrrrggh." She gritted her teeth together before reaching back into her pocket to grab the joke ring, which she had pathetically kept with her all this time as if it meant something. She proceeded to whip the cheap stone ring at him. She should have done this the day he gave her it.

It hit his forehead with perfect aim and a loud clunk of tin.

"Ow!" Sirius dropped his wand as both his hands went to his forehead which had been severely hit by the pointy fake black stone of the ring. "That hurt like hell!" he swore. "You could've got my eye."

"Sorry. I hate that ring." Or rather she hated everything that ring represented that she couldn't have. Merlin, Hermione suddenly felt rather bad, she really had hit him hard, even if it was a tin ring. She eased his hand away from his forehead so that she could see the mark and heal it with her wand.

"Well, you did disarm me," Sirius said as he leaned back over to grab his wand from the floor. "I'm surprised you kept that ring all this time.

"Yeah, I did. Even though it was a joke. I'm sorry, Sirius." She bit at her lip guiltily. She really should never drink again because she became an emotionally unstable person. She ran into the kitchen to get them both a sobering-up potion and give them each a hearty dosage.

"What were you angry about?" he asked again, once they'd settled down a little and they were both sober again and calm.

Hermione took in a deep breath and tapped her fingers nervously against her crossed arms, before glancing back up at him. "Would it surprise you if I said I were a little jealous of Lily?"

Sirius's expression was frozen for a second before he frowned. "Jealous of Lily?" Resentment started to build in his eyes. "PLEASE don't tell me it's because you fancy James too now?"

"YOU GREAT OAF!" She reached out her hand and swatted him again on the forehead.

"Ow! What gives?!" he nursed his injured forehead again, where there was now red from the slapping motion.

"Oh god." Hermione buried her face in her hands. "Merlin. Sorry. I need to control myself."

She got out her wand again and aimed it at his forehead to heal him once more. Sirius winced but then forgivingly shrugged it off and grabbed her small hand in his own hands.

"Hermione please don't tell me you want James's child now?"

Hermione grit her teeth again and used all her self-restraint to not swat him again for making such a ridiculous and inaccurate statement.

"No, Sirius, I do not want James's child. Though I would hope that would be bloody obvious." She brushed back her frizzy, brown hair with her free hand before her eyes met his melting grey ones. "I actually want yours."

"What?" Sirius's mouth opened and closed like a fish as the realization dawned on him. Before he finally said, almost aggressively. "Mia, you know now's not the right time for that..."

She got up and snatched her hand back from him. "So Lily and James can take the risk, but we can't? I'm sorry, but why is it that James and Lily can marry and have kids and do all these wonderful things together and we can't even begin to discuss it?"

Sirius looked downwards at their carpeted floor. "Oh, so that's what this is all about!"

"You think? Honestly, I don't know why you can never guess why I'm angry or why it might be."

"I'm still learning to understand you and all your mood swings!"

Hermione hissed at the use of the word "mood swings" to describe her personality, but decided to let it go so they didn't fight anymore.

"Fine," she said with a conceding nod of her head. "As long as you try..." She meant, of course, that 'he try' to understand her, so that they could both get along and understand each other on an emotional basis, but suddenly Sirius seemed to get another idea.

Sirius smirked tiredly and sat back down at their coffee table. "You know, I wouldn't mind trying...for a child, I mean."

"Sirius we're not even married."

"Would you really want our child to carry the Black name?" he asked, raising his heavy brows. Obviously, he was still rebelling against his family and didn't want to give them the Black family heir his parents wanted.

Hermione's eyes lit up with fresh hope and optimism. "So you just want to try but keep our child hidden in case we do get pregnant, for its own protection from both the Death Eaters and your family?"

"Hermione." He brushed his lips across her neck and laid wet, amorous nips across her flesh. "You read my mind perfectly." He lowered his hands under the hem of her shirt and ran his hand up over her flat abdomen. "You know it would be safer if nobody knew...They might try to take you or our child away from me..."

He pushed her gently back on the duvet and her hands twisted possessively in his long black hair as he lifted her hips up to meet his throbbing desire for her...

~o~

9 months later...

The world felt like it was ending. Sirius was out there somewhere chasing after Peter Pettigrew and she was terrified that he might not make it back in time to see his child's birth. The stupid idiot always drove his flying motorcycle at ungodly speeds and who knows what may have happened to him flying at that velocity. She hadn't heard from Lily or James either so she was doubly worried.

Oh damn him, she thought, he always does things out of order and spontaneously. He was supposed to bring Lily so she could join me in the hospital while I go in labour. Sirius probably forgot to tell her! I hate him, she thought and screamed again as she felt the first painful contractions. And I love him too, damn the stupid bastard.

He always does this, she was nearly about to give birth, he still wasn't here and yet she had no way to contact Lily when she and James were still in hiding at Godric's Hallow. Sirius was their only secret keeper!

Hermione Granger was alone in St. Mungo's hospital when she finally gave birth to their child.

A beautiful child with her brown hair and his father's grey eyes and mischievous smile.

Sirius Black's first and only child. A son that looked just like him, but with her hair.

His father's name was already in the papers accusing him of being Peter Pettigrew's murderer when she found out what really happened and why he couldn't be there.

She barely had time to think, before the Healer asked her what the child's name was, (and she wondered if this had been Sirius's plan all along or whether it was one of his mistakes to get caught right before his child's birth.)

"Orion Granger," she whispered in shock, tears streaming down her face. "His father couldn't be here."

~0~

author's note: Well I hope you liked it and it's complete but if somebody wants a sequel where we meet his son I can write that too ;-) thanks for reading...I do think that she'd would want to give her child a recognizable traditional Black name, named after the stars, while keeping her last name to protect his identity and paternity somewhat - though considering the war is over, she wouldn't really have to worry as much anymore. Anyways thanks and I hope Sirius gets to meet Orion once he escapes out of Azkaban, it would be a very sweet family reunion