The only time Sirius had seen Hermione all day was her brief appearance towards the end of dinner- she had sat on the mostly empty Ravenclaw table with that Alexander.

Then she had disappeared again.

So, he was a little surprised to see her cradling a cushion in the common room, staring into the flames of the dying fire- she looked a million miles away. Wrapped up in her own world as she took in slow, steady breaths; unaware of Sirius on the staircase, debating whether to sneak back up and let her have some time alone despite his intense urge to join her- when he heard a small sniffle.

It crushed any debate he was having.

"Mione?" He whispered, edging into the room.

"Sirius?" Hermione asked, staring at the fire for another moment, before shaking her head and looking towards the stairs. Briefly, he wondered why she thought it was coming from the fire, before discarding the thought when he saw her promptly rubbing at her cheeks.

Without another exchange of words, the eldest Black was sat beside Hermione, their knees pressed together as he fiddled with the hem of his pyjama top, wondering how to begin.

"Can I tell you something?" Hermione asked, voice void of much emotion. Sirius nodded, noticing her gaze was still captured by the fire. "I saw someone die." She took in a sharp breath, as if the words had torn at her insides on their way out. Sirius was speechless. How did someone respond to something like that? "How can someone just not be there anymore?"

Sirius' tongue dashed across his lips, "What happened 'Mione? Moony said you were studying all night..." the sentence trailed off. "That, that wasn't true. Was it?" Hermione scoffed and sniffed, wiping her nose as she shrugged humourlessly.

"I wish it was." She sighed, staring down at her hands. It was as though she wasn't seeing them.

"Tell me the truth. Everything." Sirius pleaded, examining her face intently.

He knew, there was more to the girl sitting beside him. Secrets that she hadn't shared with the rest of them- even after the months she had been at Hogwarts. Curiosity and concern pulsed through him as he anxiously waited for a response.

But after a few moments of silence, Sirius worried he wouldn't get an answer- when she spoke.

"It wasn't the first time that I saw someone... I just thought it would be different this time around. That I could fix all of the death- but how foolish was that?" Hermione spat, glaring into the sputtering flames as if they had personally offended her. "It kills me every day not being able to hear their voices or see their faces because I'm trapped in a time zone that isn't even mine."

Sirius froze. His stomach dropped.

"And I mess it up!" Hermione rambled on, ignorant of Sirius' rigid position beside her, "Honestly? I wish I didn't care anymore, but I care too much, and it hurts, because I keep failing everyone around me and what if I make it worse?" She gasped, breathing becoming irregular as her mind spiralled into what ifs that made her skin crawl and faces flash in her mind's eyes that she longed to see, to save- it snapped Sirius out of his shocked reverie.

"We were just kids thrusted into a war, we aren't supposed to be heroes or, or saviours or-"

"Breathe." Sirius ordered sternly, cupping Hermione's face in his hands, forcing her to look at him instead of the dying embers. "Look at me and breathe."

"You die." She whispered fearfully, hands gripping his almost desperately, feverishly. She blinked at him, forcing back her tears. "A stunner spell and that stupid veil- don't die again. Please." She begged, brain bouncing all over the place too much to register her words. But Sirius took in a shaky breath at the new information and nodded his head, "I, I promise love."

"Good. Good." Hermione mumbled, finally composing herself as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping free down her cheeks- Sirius wiped them away with his thumbs.

Silence settled over the pair of Gryffindors.

Information whirled in Sirius' head as he murmured assurances to Hermione who sniffled and took in trembling breaths to put a stop to her crying.

After a moment, Sirius' mind thought through the information that was thrown at him in breathless and jumbled words. Parts were puzzling, but other bits? A war? Time zone? Sirius would be reluctant to admit they made some sense. Fit into the 'oddness' that was Hermione Granger. And now he couldn't help but look at her slightly differently.

Admire her a little more than he already did.

Knowing the future and doing everything in your power to change it. It terrified him.

"I'm afraid." Hermione mumbled, having finally gained some composure again.

"Of what?" Sirius queried quietly, tugging the shaken girl into his arms, placing his chin on the top of her head as she curled into him, "I know I can't fight forever."

"You won't have to." Sirius argued fiercely, though his voice stayed quiet, "One day, we'll all live together, and your biggest worry will be having to eat James' abysmal cooking." Hermione let out a small laugh and Sirius eased at the watery sound.

"I'm sorry, for blurting everything out-"

"Hey." Sirius cut her off, tucking back a strand of her hair before she had chance to ramble again, "When you're protecting everyone and being badass," another small laugh, "I'll be protecting you."

"Thank you." She mumbled, clearly falling asleep. Sirius smiled groggily himself and held her a little tighter as he sunk down into the couch, "I'm always here love."