Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and anything original you may see. There is no profit gained or involved here.

Much love to my beta, redheadfaerie. This one's just a quickie. ;)

Soulmates
by
TinkWolfe

The crimson train pulled away, and Hugo and Lily were practically hanging out of the windows while they waved goodbye, both overcome with excitement about finally going to Hogwarts. Ron was standing with Ginny, and she could see both of them laughing at some joke he must have made. Harry was off to the left of her, waving enthusiasically to his daughter, distracted by his youngest child's departure.

A movement of black in her peripheral caught her attention, and Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw a cloaked figure coming towards them. Her first thought was that it was a Dementor, but she realized it was walking, not gliding. Even though she had him clearly in view, she could not make out his face.

A jolt of panic shook her to the core when she saw the figure raise their wand and point it directly at the back of the Man Who Conquered.

"Harry!" she cried, and the father of three turned around curiously.

All she could see was the cloaked man's lips from beneath his hood. They moved, but she couldn't quite make out the spell he called over the noise of the crowded train station. Her only instinct was to protect Harry, her brother by all but blood, an instinct that had never dwindled despite the two decades that had passed since the war. She flung herself in front of her childhood friend without a second thought.

There was a moment of awe as an incandescent jet of emerald escaped the tip of the faceless man's wand. It was the most brilliant shade of green she had ever witnessed. Even more magnificent than the colour of Harry's eyes, which were watching the scene unfold with utter horror.

And then, the eerily hypnotising light hit her.

The last thing she heard over the shouts of disbelief were Harry and Ron crying out her name, both voices holding such emotion that it broke her heart.

But as soon as it struck her, it was over. Everything faded to nothing.

~*~

Her hazel eyes opened, and she tried to blink away the harsh, bright white light around her. The screams and shouts around her a moment ago were gone. Nothing but silence now.

She sat up, looking around the empty space of nothing but nothingness for miles.

Was she dead?

A wolf-whistle broke the quiet, making her jump and spin around.

"Sirius?" she gasped.

"The one and only," he confirmed, running a hand through his silky obsidian hair, but it still fell right back over his stormy grey eyes.

Well, she was definitely dead, then.

For some reason she wasn't too upset. She actually felt... peaceful.

"You look different," she told him, and he did. She couldn't describe it... Younger, maybe...

No, she decided. Not younger. He looked like a man who hadn't suffered twelve years in Azkaban with self-inflicted guilt over the death of the two people in the world he had considered his real family.

"And you look good enough to eat," he replied, leering at her in a way that made her blush. But when she looked down, finally noticing that she was starkers, she yelped and tried to cover herself with her hands.

But the moment she wished she had clothes, they were there. It was like magic. She ignored Sirius' dissappointed tutting when she looked back up at him, fully clothed.

"I'm dead, huh?" she inquired, and he nodded his head ever so slightly. "And where exactly am I?"

He gave her a one-armed shrug, looking around. "Dunno. You tell me."

When she glanced around again, she saw that her surroundings had changed. There was a battered bed and unsteady-looking floorboards.

"The Shrieking Shack," she informed, glancing back at him with perplexity.

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, but he said nothing, instead nodding for her to continue.

She looked around once again, noticing that the windows that had once been boarded up were now open, allowing the sunlight to stream in. Her feet carried her over to one, and she saw the familiar vast expansion of land surrounding the Shack. But, curiously, there was a shiny black motorcycle leaning on its kickstand in the distance.

"What do you see?" he asked, and Hermione startled. She hadn't realized he had come up behind her, but now she could feel his toned chest pressed against her back, and his hands resting on her hips. It amazed her that in death she could still feel his body heat, and it was even more surprising that her body was reacting (shamefully) to his proximity.

"I see... I see a motorcycle," she said, and she heard him give a low laugh. Heat spread up her neck to her cheeks when she felt Sirius moved her hair to the side, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her composure when he brushed his lips against the sensitive skin. "What are you doing?" she asked, slightly embarrassed by her breathless tone.

"Enjoying what's mine," he answered, quietly, and she felt a rush of heat in her abdomen. Oddly enough, she didn't even try to challenge his claim of ownership. She knew he was right, she could feel it with every beat of her heart. And, somehow, she knew he was hers, too.

"I cried for you," she admitted, and her breath hitched with emotion as she remembered her unexplained heartache. "I cried myself to sleep for weeks... I never got over it."

"I know," he murmured, and she felt him wrap his arms around her waist.

"I married Ron," she explained, though she wasn't sure why she was telling him. "We had two children... Rose and Hugo."

"I know," said Sirius, and she could feel his smile against her shoulder. "They're perfect. Just like their Mummy."

Hermione felt hot tears slide down her cheeks, which confused her. She wasn't sure why his acceptance meant so much to her. "What will they do without me?" she asked, resting her arms on top of his, encouraging him to hold her tighter.

"They're as tough as you are," he told her. "They'll know you wouldn't want them to dwell on it. They'll miss you always, but they'll learn to let you go. Rose will become Head Auror, and Hugo will play for the Cannons and bring them to their first victory in decades, as well as several others to follow. They'll both have four children."

There was a small smile on Hermione's face, and her tears had ceased. "And Ron?"

"Ron will find his soulmate," he assured, and Hermione felt her worry ease. She had loved Ron, and she would love him always, and there was no regrets, even though their love wasn't true.

"Lavender?" asked Hermione, intrigued.

"Luna," corrected Sirius, and Hermione raised her brows with astonishment. "They'll have a daughter, and they'll name her after you."

Hermione sighed with contentment, and she knew that everything would be okay. She wriggled to loosen his grip on her waist so she could turn around and face him, wrapping her arms about his neck. "And what happens next?" she inquired.

His fathomless eyes were alight with mischief, and the youthful smile on his face flooded her stomach with excited butterflies. "Well, you can choose to go back, but you'll only be a shadow of what you were... Or you can hitch a ride on my motorcycle with me."

"Where will we go?" she asked, furrowing her brows with interest.

"On," he answered, simply, but somehow she understood his meaning.

Her eyes moved to his lips and lingered there just a little too long, and judging by the arrogant smirk that crossed his face, he had noticed. "Will we be together?"

"For all eternity," he confirmed, and Hermione gave him a pleased smile. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the lips she had been staring at moments ago, and she giggled as he tugged her closer, taking her breath away when he deepened it.

When they finally broke the kiss, he kept his arms tight around her, looking down with a smug grin. "So, what's your answer?" he asked.

Her hands roamed over his chest adoringly while she thought, and she could see his face soften with appreciation. The way she felt in his arms was unlike anything she had ever known. It was just.. right. And she wanted this feeling to last forever.

Her mind was made up.

"Lets go for a ride."

A note for my faithful reviewers (you all know who you are):

The new chapter to Thief of Time is almost done (halfway), as is the first chapter to the sequel to Concupiscence (three-quarters). I'm also very close to finishing an angsty SBHG one-shot and a humorous SBHG one-shot- both about the length of Concupiscence. I was a little overwhelmed by all of the Sirius Black stories I was writing, so I took a small break and wrote a Neville/Hermione and a Rabastan/Hermione story. Posting should be soon depending on the time it takes me to add the last bit and redheadfaerie's schedule. It felt really good to switch the pairing up and now my head feels clear enough to continue my SBHG babies with confidence. Thanks for all the support you guys show me!! It means the world.