20. BREAKFAST IN BED
Sirius slowly blinked his eyes open, trying to remember where he was. He lay on a soft, clean surface; he was warm and a few rays of sunlight tickled his nose, compelling him to sneeze; a delicious scent of ham and eggs wafted into his nose and then there were delicate hands, timidly running through his short hair, caressing his scalp.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Harry whispered, his hands stilling.
"The best wake-up call I ever had." Sirius grinned up at him before swiftly pulling Harry down on the bed next to him, possessively enclosing him in his arms. "Good morning, my beautiful Harry."
Harry giggled as Sirius nuzzled his neck, taking several deep breaths of Harry's unique scent, and wrapped his arms around the veela's neck. "Are you okay, Sirius?"
"Now, I am." Sirius assured him, drawing back slightly to touch Harry's pale face, mesmerised. "Thank you."
"I made you breakfast," Harry stated, motioning to a tray he had put on the night table. "Well, Mrs. Weasley made you breakfast, to be honest." He blushed. "I only brought it up."
"Breakfast and you both in bed?" Sirius chuckled. "I don't think my life can get any better."
"Are you angry at me?" Harry asked nervously after a while in which Sirius had continued tracing every line of Harry's face to refresh his memory of his small submissive.
"Why would I be angry?" Sirius's fingers stopped and rested lightly against his cheekbone.
"Because you got thrown into Azkaban, because I ruined your life, because I lied to you, because..." Harry answered, nearly hysterical.
"Shh." Sirius gently put his finger to Harry's lips, silencing him. "That I was imprisoned had nothing to do with you and everything to do with Pettigrew. You aren't at fault. I assume that they ordered you not to tell us anything about the future so I'm not angry because you didn't, either. You never lied to me or anyone else; you told us as much as you were allowed to and told us when you couldn't answer. That's not considered lying, Harry." He tenderly brushed a strand of inky black hair out of the smaller creature's face. "And you certainly didn't ruin my life. If you think that, I must have done something seriously wrong."
"You didn't do anything wrong," Harry protested at once and the veela chuckled lightly.
"I must have when instead of enjoying this delicious smelling breakfast and your company I have to convince you that I'm not angry."
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "I'll be quiet now."
"No." Sirius groaned. "I don't want you to bottle up your feelings. Tell me when something is bothering you, please?"
"I don't want to annoy you," Harry murmured, turning his head away.
"You won't, Prongslet, I'm here to protect you, and love you, and not to abuse you," Sirius said softly. "I promise, you won't annoy me."
"Prongslet?" Harry looked up in confusion, noting that Sirius was blushing lightly, which could only be seen because he had become so pale.
"I used to call you that when you were a baby," Sirius mumbled barely intelligible. "You know because of James. I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"It's hardly appropriate." Sirius looked almost as bewildered as Harry himself. "This here." He waved elaborately. "It's already not, to lie in bed with my godson like this and kiss him and then to also call him by his baby nickname. It just makes it worse."
"You don't want me anymore," Harry concluded softly, already feeling the first tears prick his eyes.
"No, it's not that." Sirius sighed, trying to take Harry back into his arms, but the slight boy shied away from his touch. "I just... I'm confused, Harry, okay? When I last saw you, you were a baby. A really cute and beautiful baby at that, but I felt exactly like a father or in my case the proud godfather should feel like.
"And now you are all grown up and you are so f... fabulously beautiful and attractive that I can't help but love you and lust after you and want to make you mine again. I love you, Harry. I never stopped loving you, but now I think that it would be taking advantage of you to insist on this relationship and that you would be better off with someone younger and someone who didn't spend such a long time in Azkaban."
"But I don't want someone else," Harry growled, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest and sending Sirius his most impressive glare. "I made my decision and I stand by it. I don't want just anyone young; I want you. And I don't need a godfather. I didn't have one for the better part of my life and now I don't need one, either. I have Remus. He's a great uncle. And I have Ron and Hermione and Severus, too, who are great friends and I have Lucius, who's about ready to drop everything when I'm in danger. I don't need you to replace one of them. They're doing a fine job, really. But I need you to be my dom, please?"
"And it's okay for you that I'm older than you?" Sirius asked uncertainly and Harry rolled his eyes.
"I knew that you were older when I fell in love with you. I didn't change and neither has my love for you. It all depends on you, Sirius. I don't want you to stay with me just because you feel obligated to do so or because you pity me." He lowered his eyes.
"You could never be an obligation to me," Sirius assured him, taking Harry in his arms once more, kissing his nose teasingly. "I love you and nothing will ever change that. I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's okay." Harry sighed, happily snuggling into the older man. "I don't want you to bottle anything up, either."
Sirius laughed softly, wrapping his arms tightly around the thin body snuggled up to him. Harry purred appreciatively, somehow managing to bring Sirius closer so that he was wrapped in a tight cocoon of the veela's arms, and enjoyed the light kisses Sirius placed on his face and his neck.
Suddenly the door burst open. Sirius looked up startled while Harry craned his neck to look over the older wizard's shoulder.
"Man, Harry." Ron stood in the door, his face flaming. "You can't do this in here. No one in this house has sex."
"And how did you manage to get six siblings?" Hermione scowled at him. "You should have knocked, then you wouldn't look like a tomato right now."
"But, Mione," Ron whined. "Look, they... Look what they are doing!"
"Not having sex that much is clear." Hermione raised her eyebrows. "For the one who was boasting in the common room about his sexual escapades with Lavender you are either awfully inexperienced or prude. Should I lend you one of my books, perhaps, so that you can catch up?"
Ron blushed furiously. "Is this still about that? I apologised to her, no need for you to bitch around."
"I'm not bitching around, as you so amply put it," Hermione snapped at him. "You're the one who's once again criticising Harry, even though he's done nothing."
"Are they always like this?" Sirius asked Harry under his breath, making sure to shield Harry from their looks.
"Yes." Harry smiled. "They have been in love for, I don't know four years or so, but they won't listen to me and just get together."
"You're only jealous," Ron shouted.
"That's what you keep telling yourself." Hermione rolled her chocolate brown eyes.
"Yeah, you're only criticising and meddling in my sex life because you never had one of your own," Ron argued fiercely.
"I just don't feel the need to inform everyone about it," Hermione retorted.
"Would she have something that she could inform others about?" Sirius leaned down, feeling very much like he was watching some kind of soap opera.
"Yes." Harry nodded softly. "Anthony Goldstein, he's a Ravenclaw and Head Boy. Mione said it was very theoretical."
Sirius snickered and belatedly realised that this was a wrong move as it drew the attention of the two Gryffindors towards them.
"Ron is right, though." Hermione glared at him, whereupon Ron punched the air triumphantly and Hermione sent him an evil glare. "You should eat your breakfast, Mr. Black, and not try to devour Harry."
"Oh, Merlin," Harry gasped. "I'm so sorry. You must be hungry and I kept distracting you. Here," he scrambled out from under him and placed the plate in his lap. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not about to starve." Sirius rolled his eyes. "And, believe it or not, I quite liked your distractions. Come back here."
"Severus said that you should eat so that you can take another potion to help you recover." Harry mumbled, but obediently moved back into the veela's arms, who grimaced at the news.
"I'd rather not let him poison me and if I never have to see him again that's just fine with me."
Ron thought that maybe this Black guy wasn't so bad.
"But I want to see him and I want you to get better," Harry argued, looking pleadingly at him. "You look like a ghost, Sirius, like a really pale and unhealthy ghost."
"Fine," Sirius grumbled, demonstratively putting a forkful of eggs in his mouth, chewing and swallowing before he continued, "There, I'm eating. Happy now?"
"Yes, thank you." Harry smiled a bit uncertainly at him and then pecked his cheek. "What would you like to do today?"
"I doubt you would agree with me," Sirius whispered seductively before he sighed. "I guess, I should take care of a few formalities and replace my things."
"Can I come with you?" Harry asked hopefully, but Hermione interrupted them, "Dumbledore flooed earlier, Harry, you are supposed to return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. They don't want you to stay alone with Mr. Black."
A scowl appeared on Harry's face and Ron tried to appease him, smiling brightly. "We'll come with you. We can play Quidditch on the Quidditch pitch and try out all the brooms and then we can go and raid the kitchens..."
"Or we could go to the library and study," Hermione had the same excited look on her face as Ron when he had talked about Quidditch though Ron's expression now quickly changed into a look of shocked disbelief. "And we can work on S.P.E.W."
"Not in the holidays, Hermione." Ron groaned pitifully.
"House-elves don't have holidays. It would do you well to remember that before you say something so stupid again," Hermione snapped at him.
"But, Harry." Ron looked pleadingly at him. "Help me, mate, she has been constantly at my throat for the last twenty-four hours. I can't anymore."
"Harry, you think that the house-elves and studying is important, don't you?" Hermione challenged.
"No, he doesn't," Sirius interrupted fiercely. "And don't you dare pull Harry into this. Can't you see your incessant bickering is hurting him? Just get it over with and fuck so that I can enjoy my breakfast in quiet."
Ron openly gaped at him and Hermione blushed a bright red, seeming at a loss for words. Harry's quiet chuckle interrupted the shocked silence.
"That wasn't funny," Ron whined, sending Harry a glare.
"But your faces surely were," Harry snickered. "And he's right. Just get together. This tension between you two is killing me."
"Actually, Harry." Hermione paused uncertainly, exchanging a look with Ron. "We are together."
"What?" Harry's head snapped up. "And when did you plan to tell me?"
"We were waiting for the right time," Ron mumbled.
"Ron was waiting for the right time," Hermione corrected. "I thought you'd want to know as soon as possible."
"That's not something you tell a guy when he's busy trying to free his mate," Ron snapped at her.
"Whoa, I'm not angry, just a bit confused. Why are you still arguing?" The elf cocked his head slightly.
Ron shrugged. "I guess that's just how it works for us, mate. Old habits die hard, right? We didn't see eye to eye on when or how to tell you, but now that that's resolved..." He waggled his eyebrows at Hermione, who blushed.
"Are you okay with this?" Hermione looked at him, her eyes demanding honesty.
"As long as you don't completely forget about me," Harry returned. "I mean, I have Sirius and I'm glad you've got each other, but we're still friends, right?"
"Of course we're still friends." Ron rolled his eyes, opening his arms expectantly. "You're our little brother or have you forgotten?"
As Harry was enveloped in a group hug, Sirius gave a warning growl, which caused Harry to run back to him, appeasing him with a gentle kiss to his nose. "Have you finished your breakfast?"
Sirius nodded, swaying as he stood up a bit too eagerly and closing his eyes briefly to fight of the dizziness. Harry, who noticed this, slung an arm around his waist, trying to stabilise him.
"I'm okay, Harry," Sirius assured him, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Just a bit out of shape."
"Scratch the 'bit' out of that statement and it might come closer to the truth." Remus suddenly appeared in the door, grinning at Sirius, who grinned back. "Ready to go to Hogwarts?"
Everyone nodded obediently.
"Have you seen my wand, Remus?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"I think you left it in the bathroom. Why don't you get changed and I'll fetch it for you?"
After a hesitant glance at Harry, Sirius nodded, gently pushing the elf towards the door. "Wait downstairs for me, okay? I'll be fine."
Harry nodded obediently, dragging Ron and Hermione with him.
"So what do you think of him?" Harry asked nervously, plopping down on one of the kitchen chairs and looking up at his friends.
"He seems nice enough and he really cares about you." Hermione smiled. "Did you know that he came to see you yesterday?"
"I think I felt it." Harry nodded softly. "What about you, Ron?"
"Same here, Harry, as long as he treats you right and you're happy, I don't have a problem with him." Ron shrugged. "I guess we just need a bit of time to get used to him and to make sure that he's good for you."
"He is," Harry said at once.
"How good to know." Sirius entered the room, smirking. "But I'll prove it to your friends as well, if it makes you happy."
"You will have to prove it to the Order as well, Sirius," offered Remus, who had followed Sirius down the stairs, "so you better not make such messes as in the past."
"How good of you to remind me." Sirius scowled at him. "I'm not a hormonal teenager anymore, Moony."
"No, you're..."
"Don't even say it," Sirius growled and Remus grinned at him. "Merlin, Snape corrupted you."
"Maybe I corrupted him," Remus offered, stepping to the fireplace. "We should go before they send a searching party."
Sirius grumbled in displeasure, waiting with Harry till the others had stepped through the fire before he also took some Floo powder.
"Are you angry?" Harry asked nervously and Sirius swivelled around. "I can't change that they're worried about me."
"I'm not angry, Harry, and it's good that they are worried. I don't want to think of you not being cared for. You're the boy-who-lived, they're bound to be a bit more paranoid about your safety."
"Is that all you see in me?" Harry asked, his throat aching strangely. "The boy-who-lived?"
"Of course not," Sirius protested, enclosing the slight boy in his arms. "You're my mate, my one and only, my love, my everything. That's what I see in you. I wouldn't care if you were Voldemort himself, though I can't deny that the thought alone is highly disturbing and will give me nightmares. I'm not interested in your title. I care about you, not about what others see in you. All I wanted to say was that you're in more danger from Death Eaters and that so they would take certain safety precautions, like for example questioning me under Veritaserum."
Harry pressed closer to the tall, thin man, burying his small hands in the soft jumper, warmed by Sirius' body heat and relieved by the soft pressure of hands on the small of his back. "Your thoughts and feelings are all in a jumble. I don't know what you expect of me," Harry whispered. "If I made you angry somehow."
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"No! I mean, it's not your fault," the submissive protested immediately. "You've been in Azkaban all this time and Merlin knows how horrible that must have been. It's not your fault."
"But difficult for you, isn't it?" Sirius asked softly, sighing when Harry nodded hesitantly. "It'll get better, I promise, we're going to be happy."
"I know." Harry smiled. "I know."
"Thank you." A soft, caressing kiss was placed to his forehead and Sirius expertly manoeuvred them both into the fireplace, stating Hogwarts as their destination.