the_debt_of_time

Half of him wished that the moment would not end so that he would never have to face
the consequences of his actions. The other half of him was desperate for light, so he could
see the dishevelled state he knew she was in. He wanted to witness for himself her wild
curls, her flushed cheeks, and her swollen lips.
But darkness and silence continued, broken only by the sound of their breathing.
"Hermione.. ." he finally spoke, but his voice was immediately silenced by
another. A high, cold voice that permeated the air around them. There was no telling from
where it came.
"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want
to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me
Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched.
Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
The silence once again swallowed them, and this time both were holding their
breath.
Hermione was first to break away, both vocally and physically as she climbed out
of Sirius's lap. "We have to go. We have to help Harry."
Without another word about what had just transpired, Sirius nodded and stood.
Searching in the dark, he whispered, "Lumos," when he found his wand. He looked
down on the ground at the destroyed Horcrux and handed it to Hermione, who swiftly
tucked it into her beaded bag. Then, he reached for Gryffindor's sword and made his way
to the exit.
As the two made their way out of the corridor, a flurry of activity was taking place
both above and below them. Something was attacking the castle, and the damage to the
wards was causing the very ground to shake beneath them. Students and faculty appeared
to move as one below, and they spotted Neville, who was following Professor Sprout with
a half dozen other students, carrying what looked like silenced mandrakes.
Sirius gave a throaty chuckle and rubbed the pad of his thumb over his wand,
adjusting his grip in preparation. "Looks like we almost missed out on all the fun."
"Room of Requirement," she blurted out, ducking her head down as she moved as
though she were trying to hide the blush that he could so clearly see.
"We have to see if the Order arrived." She spoke quickly and moved faster, darting
up the staircase and making her way to the seventh floor.