Harry Potter and The Dimensional Portal

Chapter : 15

Sirius damn near fainted.

Two days after Hermione returned home from Saint Mungo's, the day after the Hogwarts Express returned to Kings Cross from Hogsmeade loaded with students returning home at the end of the 1995/96 school year - and after Hermione had 'sequestered' herself in her room, crying for the first of them - she had finally stopped that and was now reminiscing. She'd been doing that for the past day.

The Grangers had a knock at their front door and Hermione's father, Marcade, answered it. He and his wife, Sandra, had taken the week off to 'be there' for their grieving daughter. As far as they all knew her best friend, Harry, was dead with not even a body left behind to bury.

When Marcade opened the door it was to a man dressed impeccably in a bespoke suit standing outside. The only thing that stood out against his apparent appearance was that his shoulder-blade length dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tied with a black ribbon.

"Mister Granger?" the man politely asked.

"I am he," replied Marcade.

"I am Lord Sirius Black," replied Sirius. "Your daughter is a friend of my godson, Harry Potter. May I... come in?"

Surprised, Marcade stepped out of the doorway while holding the door open and replied, "Of course, my Lord."

As Sirius stepped forward he held out his hand to shake and said, "Please, call me Sirius."

Marcade automatically accepted the hand and said, "Marcade Granger. Please call me Marcade... or Marc, if you've a mind to."

"You prefer Marc?" asked Sirius, releasing hands.

"Yes," replied Marcade.

"Then I thank you for allowing me to address you so informally, Marc."

Marc then indicated further into the house and a door off the hallway in which they stood. "Please," he said. "Our sitting room is right there."

Sirius gave a nod and said, "Thank you." And preceded Marc into the room.

As he entered he saw a woman of similar age rise in surprise; and paused.

Marc smoothly stepped past and said, "Lord Black, this is my wife, Sandra."

Sirius walked over, took the woman's offered hand and, instead of shaking it, turned it palm down and raised it to his lips as he bowed forward. He lightly kissed the back of her knuckles and, as he released her hand and straightened, smiled and said, "A pleasure. And, please, call me Sirius."

"S-Sandra," she hesitantly and softly returned. "Or Sandi."

"Please have a seat," said Marc, indicating an armchair. "Can I get you anything?"

As Sirius sat in the offered chair, he said, "Whatever is available and you care to join me with is fine."

"Tea?" asked Sandra.

Sirius smiled back and said, "That would be lovely."

Sandra muttered, "Yes. Tea." And hustled out of the room.

As she left, Marc said, "We heard about what happened to your godson. We're sorry for your loss."

Sirius sadly smiled back and said, "Thank you."

"And, what can we do for you?" asked Marc.

Getting right to the point, Sirius replied, "I would like the opportunity to speak with your daughter, Hermione. However, if you allow me to speak with her, I must insist that at least one of you... you and your lovely wife, that is... also be present. It would be... ungentlemanly... otherwise."

"As proper," nodded Marc.

Once Sandra returned with the makings for tea on and in a lovely serving set of silver, Marc quietly said to her, "Could you go and inform Hermione that Lord Black―"

"Just let her know 'Sirius', please," said Sirius, cutting in. And explaining, "She would be unlikely to know I've taken up my Lordship and already knows me as 'Sirius'."

Sandra gave a nod and said, "Will do. I shan't be a moment."

Less than a minute later and before she could return from going upstairs, there was the rapid falling of feet coming down the stairs. Sirius stood and was braced, ready, as he already knew and expected Hermione's reaction.

Hermione came barrelling in the door, hesitated only a jot to locate her 'target' and ran across the few feet from the doorway to him before throwing herself into his arms. She was already sobbing piteously.

"They told me he's dead, Sirius!" she wailed. "They told me he fell through the Veil of Death!"

As Sirius, now with his arms wrapped around her back as she had her arms wrapped around his shoulder and neck, held her, he quietly made consoling and 'there there' noises for her.

"Please tell me he's not!" she sob-begged.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he sighed. "I can't do that."

As Hermione wailed even more in his arms, Sirius felt like a real heel. However, he knew he could not tell her what the Lovegood girl had told him.

For a start, he had promised Luna he would not disclose he knew her to be a Seer. That information would be restricted to only three people, not including Luna, and Hermione was not one of them. Secondly, he knew Hermione would very likely go straight to Dumbledore with the information. And thirdly, even if she did promise and was willing to keep the secret, she had no Occlumency to protect her mind from the likes of Dumbledore if the old bastard decided to use Legilimency on her.

For the time being, Hermione would not be made aware Harry was still alive and only so far away no one was able to get to him yet.

However, Sirius was not there to lie to the girl about Harry's 'supposed' fate. He was there to get answers to questions he had and knew the girl was the only one – with the Weasley boy proving himself to be a thief and liar - who could answer them. Secondly, because of her loyalty to Harry - even if tempered with her loyalty to Dumbledore - together with her willingness to go to the Department of Mysteries to 'rescue' him even though she knew it to very likely be a trap by Riddle, he was going to go out of his way to help the girl. He'd promised Luna.

After a minute of the girl sobbing in his arms (and possibly ruining his brand new expensive muggle suit in the process) he firmly, but gently, pushed her away from him and nearly to arms length away. "Sweetie, I need to talk to you about Harry. I need that talk to be open and in-depth," he firmly said. "As such, I need you to set aside your grief... just as I have needed to... and talk with me. Can you do that?"

Wiping her eyes with a sleeve of her long-sleeved blouse and while accepting a small handful of tissues her mother compassionately handed to her from the side, Hermione nodded…

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