"Hélène, love, you look so beautiful this afternoon," drawled the striking Lucious Malfoy.

"I vould say ze same to you… but I vould 'ave to be blind," Hélène's eyes glazed with an icy chill.

"I quite agree. I would say I am more roguishly handsome than beautiful per say, don't you think?" Lucious paused and brushed a strand of Hélène's hair out of the way. A wistful pitying look crossed his face. "Black doesn't love you any more, Hélène." The harsh words resounded on every corner of her mind. "But you don't need him; I'm so much more… intimate than he. Give me but a chance."

"No! You don't know any-sing about moi or Sear-he-us! And for your eenformation, eet vas not Black who keeled ze relation-sheep!" Hélène whispered violently.

"En contraire, mademoiselle," Malfoy lifted a delicate brow. "I believe he made the first folly."

"A Slee-there-een knows sooo much about fall-ly!" Hélène retaliated.

"Precisely why I am correct." Lucious' lips curled at the corner in satisfaction.

"Precees-elly vy I cannot trust a snake like you!" Hélène's eyes blazed with fiery venom.

"But you are willing to trust the person who cheated on you?—oops I've said too much," Malfoy feigned disappointment in himself. Hermione's curiosity was taken.

"Cheated on moi?" she repeated dumbstruck. She dared it wouldn't, couldn't be true.

"I'm afraid so…" he trailed airily. She tried to keep her skepticism with her. It was her life savor in a sea of emotion.

"Vy should I be-leave you?"

"Why not? I've taken a liking to you, Helen," he said butchering her name, "I certainly would not want to start our potential relationship out with lies and deceit!"

"Vat 'appened zen?" Hermione asked unhappily.

"Well, I'm sure you know my dear friend, Narcissa. She's quite the gem—though her beauty hardly compares to your own. She is pureblooded, a quality irresistible these days, to that I can attest."

"I know ze gurl," Hélène said with an inner smile. Her skepticism was bailing her out of this potential flood of drama. She knew perfectly well that Narcissa and Malfoy wed and created a monster of a son: The point being, Narcissa and Malfoy hit it off, not Narcissa and Sirius.

"So what can I say? I was out one evening admiring the romantic full moon, when to my surprise, I find my favorite place occupied by a smooching couple. Now naturally, I was curious as to who was taking my perfect little niche from me and my… escort."

"So you must 'ave played a derty leetle treek to get zem to leave, right?"

"Actually, no. I went up to the two with my… escort, and we asked them if they liked such a beautiful full moon. I was surprised to see Black there with his arms entangled about my dear friend, Narcissa. Once he saw us, he excused himself from the whole party. Said he had urgent business to attend—I assume this urgent business was with you—and the next day, you two had broken up.

"Coincidence? I think not."

Hermione shook her head fiercely. He had to be lying. She knew Sirius would not lie to her… And yet, he had been late in meeting her- too late. He hadn't been on time, like he had said… like he had promised.

Sirius lied to me and left me when I needed him the most, she thought. How can I think he would be truthful in anything else?

"Vy arre you tell-eeng me zis?" Hélène sputtered.

"To open your eyes, love," Lucious drawled.

"Do not kall me zat! I am not your lov-air!" Hélène seethed. Lucious grinned a slow grin, twirled, and left the girl with two final words:

"Not yet…"

999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

"Hélène! Please talk to me! I promise; you'll feel loads better!" Lily cajoled. Hélène could not talk. All the pent up emotion beat through her brain, pounding her soul and clouding her thought with a fog of pain. Talking meant ignoring the atrocious throbbing she was trying to control. Without her concentration, Hélène knew the pain would intensify rapidly.

"I veally cannot talk at zis moe-mant, Leelie," Hélène whispered softly through her ferocious inner turmoil. "Leave-moi to vork, pleeaze?"

"No! Hélène, you must face this some time! It's better to do it with a friend, than not at all!" Lily said earnestly, "That is… if you think me a friend…"

Hélène groaned mentally. Such conflict! Her attentions were shifting from controlling the pain, to the conversation at hand. With a shudder of pain, Hermione focused on Lily.

"Leelie, ov course I con-seedaire you a friend! Per'aps ze only true von I 'ave at zees school…" a nauseous wave of anguish rocked through her mind. "I-I eet's just zat I cannot talk atall for ze moment. Pleaze you must und-air-stand!"

"Hélène you don't look like someone who should remain quiet about a topic like this for so long!" persisted Lily.

Hélène almost hurled. Why was this girl still talking?! A loud clamorous bell sounded harshly to her sensitive ears. A massive pounding force constricted like a snake around her tender brain. Hélène got up shakily, walking towards the door to the Great Hall with the others. She lagged on the journey to dinner. By the time she arrived, everyone was in the Hall, congregated for food. Hélène used all her might to thrust open a heavy door. She was hit with an overwhelming noise that threatened to beat her mind to a bloody pulp. Hermione recoiled a moment before she realized the door was returning with its massive weight. She sidestepped that particular pounding blow and slowly walked past the three House tables preceding the Gryffindor table. It felt like an agonizing eternity. Her gaze swept the painfully loud crowd of people and her ears focused in on one word: her name. Hermione Granger abruptly turned to her right. The sudden movement sent her in a whirl of dizzying pain. Her eyes locked to Sirius's as her world turned violently beneath her. She took one step before collapsing into a black abyss.

6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666

"Hélène?!" a male voice echoed. It spiraled down into her essence, trying to pull her up from the nothingness. Hermione liked it here. There was no drama, no emotion; no pain. Only Hermione existed with this voice that had the power to stir something within her. It was calling her.

"It's me, please wake up!" an earnest Sirius pleaded. It was the fourth day since Hélène passed out. No one could stir her. Not even with magic. Not even Dumbledore.

"If you can hear me," he said, his voice quavering, "I forgive you- for every single thing! Just please wake up! Hélène, please!" a choked back sob accompanied his sad tones.

Hermione pitied the voice. She wanted to comfort the poor soul looking for a girl named Hélène, but she was Hermione, not Hélène. Hermione searched about her black numbness for the girl. She was not where to be seen.

"Hélène," the voice kept calling. Something within Hermione stirred again.

"Hélène or Hermione I don't care who you are! Just come back to me!" he whispered.

She heard her name. At last! Hermione grabbed onto the word and let it float herself up to consciousness. Slowly, her world swirled beneath her as she swiveled into the conscious world.

Her body was a dead weight. Her eyelids were iron, crusted shut. She could barely move, but she was back. Hermione tried moving her arms, but only her fingers wiggled beneath the blanket. The motion was lost to the glazed look haunting Sirius's face. Hermione felt her lips part, but not of her own will. Someone had partially opened her mouth.

"Perhaps a kiss will wake my sleeping beauty…" the sad charming voice sang to her ears.

He leaned forward, letting his lips graze her skin. Then they found their target and Sirius kissed her with passionate fervor. Hermione leaped at the warmth of the embrace. She focused all her power into returning his kiss. At her moving tongue, Sirius's eyes opened surprised, and he pulled back.

"Hermione!"

A rusty voice croaked a reply, "It seems that I have fallen and I can't get up."

Finally, after four whole days, a smile touched the lips of a Sirius Black.

4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444

Wow a year. You all must hate me. Hmmm Maybe if I didn't get so many reviews saying "update soon"… lol. No I'm sorry. A year is too long. I'm sooo negligent. I'll try to do better. You reviewers made me guilty! Good job. I needed that boost to get back in the game. Hopefully I haven't lost my touch…

much love

Cararox