Look at the Stars

Hermione sat on a sofa in the corner of the Gryffindor common room grading some test papers and trying to convince herself that she was outraged, simply boiling mad, about Sirius's dinnertime conduct. In truth, she was rather flattered, rather pleased. But at the same time, she tried to guard herself against believing he had any real romantic affection for her. The last thing she wanted was to have her heart broken.

It was with mixed feelings that she looked up from her work and saw Sirius making his way across the room toward her sofa. Hermione pretended to ignore him as he weaved around the crowds of students who packed the center of the room. She didn't look up from her papers even when he sat down beside her. "Hello, friend," he said a few seconds later.

Hermione continued to ignore him. Sirius gently placed the index finger of his right hand under her chin and tilted her face up. "Hermione?" She turned her eyes toward him and moved his hand from under her chin to the back of the sofa. "I'm sorry. I can see you're angry. . ."

"I'm not angry," Hermione said.

"Aren't you?" Sirius leaned a little closer. "I sometimes get carried away with my kidding. . ."

"You would think that after reaching the age of 43, you'd have grown up."

Sirius was a little taken aback until he saw that she was smiling. "So, dearest, I really do want to escort you to the ball."

"Okay."

"Is that all you have to say? I thought all of this was your idea?"

"Well, I just don't want to see a poor little Ravenclaw girl get hurt," Hermione said, noticing that a few Gryffindor students seemed to be eyeing her and Sirius.

"Ah. . . so she's not a 'silly floozy' anymore?"

"Sirius. . . you know I was kidding. . ."

"Were you?" he smirked.

"Stop smirking! It makes you look. . ."

Sirius immediately assumed a falsely dignified, expressionless countenance. "What? Charming? Lovable?"

"Devious."

Sirius considered this for a moment. "But still, despite my deviousness, you will go to the ball with me?"

"Yes. Sure, why not?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. So, about this Ravenclaw, I guess she needs to know that I'm not available, eh? Before she falls madly in love with me and I break her heart?"

"I suppose so."

Sirius looked around at the crowds of students in the room, who, after Sirius's earlier antics, were curiously watching the pair. "Well, there is one way to send the message. . . subtly, you know. . ."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "How so?"

Sirius smirked deviously, then suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Hermione inadvertently closed her eyes and clutched the front of his shirt desperately as she felt one hand slide behind her waist and the other rest softly behind her head. Sirius deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his own as he caressed her mouth rather more passionately than gently.

Hermione cast her guard aside and, without any rationality or thought, abandoned herself to his embrace, returning his energy with the hunger of lips that had remained untouched for years.

The whistles and applause of their captive audience jerked her back to reality, and she pushed him away, overcome with emotion and this time, truly outraged. Before she could say anything, Sirius smiled and said, "Well, that's one way. . ."

Hermione looked as if she might slap him. Instead, she ran out of the commons to her room, but not before Sirius saw the tear that had begun plunging down her cheek.