...

[canismajor]

So you think you're up to it. That's truly charming, girl. Reading the series again would do you more good than bothering with these... tiny still pictures. What do they matter? ...although you could have kept it more consistent...

Well. As long as I get to do something, I'm not complaining.

...something not utterly useless would be great.

Comments

[heardmermaids]

I wish I could say that it's never easy to just sit back and let the world roll by without you, but it can be, disarmingly so.

[canismajor]

...

[He snorts.]

Too easy. Is a little bit of action too much to ask?

[heardmermaids]

I'd say so. In my experience, 'action' tends towards feast or famine.

[canismajor]

[Well, that wipes the amusement off his face. For a while, at least.]

That's quite a shitty experience. You do leave your house sometimes, right?

[It sounds like he doubts it, but obviously it's not serious.]

[heardmermaids]

It's been known to happen. [/drawls.]

[canismajor]

[He'll just take that at face value.]

That explains a lot.

[bibliophile_annex]

...Sirius? [This is still awkward.] It's great to see you.

[canismajor]

At this point, I'm thrilled to see anyone, Hermione.

[But he's smiling perfectly genuinely, of course it's great seeing one of his godson's best friends. He's just still bitter he seems to be spending most time either dead or cooped up somewhere, from Azkaban to pretentious kids' heads. Such an ungrateful pattern.]

Have you and Harry been well?

[bibliophile_annex]

I can only imagine.

[She tries to smile back, but it's hard. Everything became so hard after Sirius died.]

If you can count being on the run as "being well".

[canismajor]

...whoa. You guys sure don't waste time --

[As much as he'd love to make a joke of this, his smile dies in midsentence, his amusement now gone completely. He frowns as he looks at the girl, she indeed doesn't look much like a careless teenager. Just what did he miss this time?]

What happened?

[bibliophile_annex]

We didn't have a chance. H-Headmaster Dumbledore... He was killed. By Snape. And Harry decided it was time he took matters into his own hands. We refused to leave him alone, so -

We've been traveling through Britain and avoiding Death Eaters and Ministry members alike. If it helps, we are making progress.

[canismajor]

[If there's a definite way to make Sirius angry, it's talking about Snape, but this... Well, this is an entirely different matter.]

[He growls, his teeth baring like that of an enraged dog.]

That good for nothing, stinking, snivelling coward! How could anyone believe he had changed, let alone Dumbledore...

[He hisses something that is likely more profanity aimed at Snape, however manages to calm down just enough to take the rest of the information in.]

[Well, of course. Things can't be all sweet and dandy with Dumbledore dead. In fact, in this case, 'being on the run' does count as 'being well', because it means they're not dead.]

[At the same time, it sounds like a pretty damn good adventure.]

[He keeps frowning.]

...be careful, yeah? I wish I could be there to help, but. Apparently I'm dead at that point.

[There's a short, dry laugh. He runs a hand through his hair and manages a bit of a smile. There's one good thing in all this, that Hermione and, he assumes, Ron, refused to let Harry off by himself.]

But it's great Harry's got friends like you.

[bibliophile_annex]

[The pain and confusion that surrounded Dumbledore's death has numbed somewhat for Hermione. Time has a way of doing that. However, his reaction brings some of those feelings back. She reaches out and lays a hand on his arm.]

It was...a year after... [Your death.] We don't know what Snape is up to, but he's now Headmaster. The Death Eaters have infiltrated Hogwarts and - [Students are being tortured.] I think we will eventually head back to the castle, so it's only a matter of time before we see him again.

[And when they do, she won't hold Harry back.]

I wish we could do more for him. Ron and I, I mean. [She blushes at the compliment.] He has been through too much. Where I can, I try to...share his burden. [Especially where it concerns the Horcruxes.] I believe he can kill Voldemort.

[canismajor]

[It's not even like Sirius was particularly close to the man or anything, but he can admit Dumbledore was an amazing wizard. It's a huge loss for their side. That and knowing that his old enemy was responsible for it really makes him mad. He sneers, hatred and contempt reflecting rather clearly in his grimace.]

...of course. Bet little Snivellus always dreamed of the day he could consider himself as big and important.

[He spits angrily to the side. It's not like he regrets having died like he did, but there's really some long overdue killing he'd love to do if he was still around. ...well, maybe he'll have the luck of meeting the bastard here eventually.]

[Still, Hermione's next words make him ease up just a little bit.]

Just being there is sometimes the best thing you can do. And believing is important, too.

[He's got to smile at that, and pat the her shoulder in a friendly manner.]

Good girl.

[...yup, since this is coming from him of all people, you should probably be worried about being too brave, Hermione. Then again, what else is there to do right now? Fate can shape choices funnily.]