Guys! This is the last chapter! It's been fun, really, and I actually want to do three more chapter fics with this story line, I'm going to do the whole thing from Sirius' POV and Remus' POV. Then all their kidlets. Should be fun… but I won't be starting any of that for some time since I have so many other things I'm working on!

Chapter 10

The Snake That Tamed the Lion

I feel tears well up; I don't know what's come over me. I'm not angry, or sad… I don't know what's happening. Sirius can obviously see I'm going to cry though. He quickly sits up, sliding out of me. And that's when the tears fall. He lays down next to me and pulls me against his chest, wrapping the light sheet around us. "Sev, what's wrong. Did I hurt you?" He starts worrying, his fingers running over me, checking me for blood or something.

And that's when I start to laugh. I grab his hands stilling them. "I'm sorry I'm ruining the most perfect night of my life." I brush my fingers over his cheek. "I honestly worried for a moment that you were going to leave me, I would be just like the others. I shouldn't have thought that of you. You were so gentle with me when I needed you to be, you looked at me like I mattered… I'm sorry." I lean over and kiss him sweetly. "The night was perfect, thank you love." Relief floods his face.

But I can see he seems confused… or conflicted? "Usually after I've slept with someone the first thought to leave my head once the adrenalin wears off is how exactly I'm going to get away without hurting them. Usually they know it is a onetime thing, they don't even care… but tonight the thought never even occurred to me until now. I'm always gentle with virgins if they manage to find their way to me, but it was different with you." He kisses me tenderly. "I honestly couldn't tell you what it is about you that I find so mind numbingly well suited for me, but I do. The moment you're lips touched mine that day I never thought about running. I'm sorry if you thought I would leave… but I can honestly say right now that I will stay with you for as long as you'll have me."

I can't help but smile. I kiss him again before curling up against him, my head on his chest, over his heart, fingers lazily drawing patters over his chest and stomach. He ran his fingers through my hair… we lay in comfortable silence just enjoying each other's company… and then he asks, very suddenly.

"What's your favorite color?" He looks down at me. I tilt my head back to return it. We know a bit about each other, years of being rivals can do that, but we don't know little things, things that didn't matter then but make us who we are so are nice to know for a relationship…

I think about his question for a moment and then laugh… "black."

He laughs at my joke, the sound of his booming laughter flowing up through his chest, I could hear it. His whole body shakes with joy, shaking me with it, making me laugh too. "Is that just a really good coincidence or were you just trying to be cheeky?" he finally manages to ask.

"I don't know if you remember my wardrobe before Grace got to me… but it was all black. It was just a very clever coincidence."

"Hmmm, mine's purple." I looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What! I like purple…. And it's going to forever remind me of this room." He tugs playfully at the sheet and smiles.

"Purple is a good color." I smirk running my fingers over the back of his hand. "Favorite book… and no, Quidditch Through the Ages doesn't count."

"Aww, but that's quality literature! Fine, It's a muggle book though, so don't laugh, I read it originally to piss off my parents, then found I actually enjoyed it."

"I like muggle fiction books, some are very clever… so, let's hear it."

"It's actually Dracula (1)."

"Wow, I'm actually very impressed, that's not a particularly easy book to read. I like Frankenstein… the irony is overwhelming." I smile at him; he leans down giving me a kiss.

The questions continue through most of the night until our bodies finally give into exhaustion. ~*#*~

I wake up groggily the next morning, but I feel more content and comfortable then I have for a long time. I realize a few seconds later exactly why that is, my pillow is breathing and there are fingers running lightly through my hair. "Good morning love." Sirius' voice is still rough with sleep. I sit up slowly, the hand that had been across his stomach lingering on his chest. I smile down at him.

"Good morning," I look around the room, still fuzzy brained with sleep. "What time is it?"

"I don't know but it's Saturday so there aren't any classes." My body immediately relaxes and I fall back on the bed next to Sirius.

I turn my head to look at him, his eyes already on me. "I'm glad you're still here."

"Where else would I be?" I shrug slightly.

"I don't know, I'm just insecure I guess, my first time and everything." He leans over and kisses my forehead.

"You were great, it might be the fact that I actually like you, but I wouldn't dream of leaving, and especially not after we talked like that all night. Hey, there was a question I didn't ask last night though that I really want to know…" He looks questionably at me.

"What is it?"

"How did you come up with all that stuff to get me to want you so much, notice you like that?"

I smile secretly to myself, I'm not sure he's going to like the truth. "Try to not be angry okay?" He shrugs. "Grace got out of me that I liked you and for helping her and being her friend she decided to take it upon herself to help me get you. She fixed me up, made me potions to help with my skin and hair. She transfigured my clothes into outfits that would show off my body. She told me everything I would need to do to guarantee you noticed me, guaranteed you would want me."

His eyes narrow. "That brat! She's been playing with me since that night she brought you out to 'meet' us. She's been doing all this Yoda stuff, telling me I'll find love when its right… and all this time she's planning to make love happen!" He rolls his eyes, sinking further into the bed.

"Are you disappointed she did it with me?" I can feel a thump form in my throat I never thought about how she could have done this with anyone, but she did it with me because I'm her friend, what if he thinks he only likes me because Grace made it happen?

His head snaps around so his eyes meet mine. He pulls me against his chest. "No, stop thinking like that! Maybe if you had told me after that first kiss I would have thought I just liked you because you looked better and Grace was planning it, but after last night, after talking to you, knowing more about you? I honestly just really like you. In fact I'm pretty sure it'll be love before long. I honestly wish I had bothered to know you before. We've spent so many years hating each other."

"Now we hopefully have years to make up for it." I move above him straddling his hips, the sheet slipping down my waist to pool around my bum. His gaze travels over me, his hands cupping my thin hips.

"Gods you're sexy…"

~*#*~

It's now well into the afternoon. Although I can't be positive since there aren't any windows and neither Sirius nor I have bothered casting a tempus at any point during the day. Why bother? It wouldn't matter we'd still be lying in bed together coming down from another high.

Sirius and I are like a well oiled machine, we've gone three rounds since we woke up. We have hot passionate sex, then we talk, about anything and everything really and when the conversation comes back to anything even remotely involving sex… well, that's what generally follows.

And neither of us is complaining. "I wonder if Grace is curious as to where we are." Sirius chuckles out.

"No, she knows. She set up the time line, knew last night I would go to collect you and have my wicked way with you and your heart. She's the one that suggested I use the Room of Requirements, if she really wanted to find us she would have already. Plus I think it's pretty obvious since the both of us are gone at the exact same time…."

"Do you think she told the others?" Sirius' eyes meet mine asking me honestly.

"Grace! No, Merlin no, not unless she was absolutely positive it was going to work out and we wouldn't be angry with her for it. I know Lily has been trying to figure out who I like, but I can't imagine she would ever figure out it was you, we would know if she had anyways because the whole school would have been whispering about it…. The hopeless gossip." I say the last part fondly. She's a terrible gossip… but she is my terrible gossip.

"Well, I must admit that although Grace's sass grades on my nerves sometimes I do love her advice and admire things about her… like her badass-ness and ability to keep her mouth shut unlike most girls in this school."

"Yep, that Grace is a keeper. I'm glad you apologized to her. I'm not sure I would have gone through with this if you hadn't"

He's looking at me surprised, "you really care about her that much huh?"

"She needed a friend and I was there, but it turns out I needed one just as bad and she was more then I could ever have hoped for in a friend, she helped me get with you… she can't be bad right?"

"You make a very good point there love." Sirius leans down kissing me tenderly.

~*#*~

We finally cast a tempus and sees it's almost time for dinner, and we are both starving because we've been having marathon sex and haven't eaten since dinner last night. I move slowly as I stumble out of bed, my legs are like jelly and I'm sore from all the sex.

But it is so worth it.

We walk down to the great hall. The first three floors down are deserted since there isn't any dorm on this side of the castle this high up so Sirius hand is folded in mine. I love the comfort the small gesture gives me. But once we make it to the fifth floor I stop him.

"Are we going to hide our relationship for the school?"

He looks at me, considering it before answering. "I don't know. I like you and I'm not ashamed to be with you, but you're in Slytherin and I'm in Gryffindor, and just because our friends might be okay with this doesn't mean that the rest of our houses will be. So we might have problem there. I don't want to see you get hurt just because you're dating me."

I nod, it's sad that house rivalries make it so we have to keep our relationship under wraps… but who knows maybe this is a good thing, it will be better later on. "You're right, and I wouldn't want to see anyone try and get to you either, so we will stick with telling our friends, but we have to make sure and tell Lily that it's a secret and explain it to her because otherwise she'll go blabbing and gossiping and then it will have been a waste of time."

He nods agreement and kisses the back of my hand on the knuckles. We should probably go down separately then too, we aren't supposed to be exactly friends yet, I think we will at least be able to manage that, with Grace as the tie, but we aren't really supposed to be seen alone together…" He looks sadly at me. I can tell it's hurting him to have to pretend to not care about me as much as he does. "You keep going on down this way. I know some secret passageways that will get me there faster."

He leans forward kissing me lightly, "if you're not there a few minutes after me I'm going to come looking for you so be sure not to dawdle." He smirks at me before turning and going down a different hall, I stop to stare after him, not moving until he's out of sight. Once he is I begin to make my way down to the great hall.

Sure enough when I get there Sirius is already sitting down eating his dinner. "I'm not surprised that he's talking to Grace. I'm sure she asked him first if everything had worked out well. She's smart enough not so say more than that though until there is more privacy, I have a feeling we will all be visiting the room of requirements soon.

Sure enough Grace looks over at me and nods at me with a smile, mouthing to meet her after dinner. I nod once and scoop potato onto my plate and begin eating. Rolling my eyes to myself when no one from my own house bothers to ask where I've been… although I'm not positive they even noticed…

~*#*~

As I thought after dinner finds me rushing to keep up with Grace who didn't stay still long enough to chat while we were in the library before jumping up, grabbing my hand and dragging me through the halls and up the 7th floor where the door is waiting patiently for us.

She doesn't hesitate as she pushes the door open, flinging me inside. I stumble slightly be regain myself and look around. James, Remus, Lily, and Sirius are already here and sitting around on overstuffed beanbag chairs in front of a cozy fireplace.

"I'm going to assume Grace has worked her magic again." James quips and smiles up at Grace who's beaming like an overzealous child.

"Indeed I did James… although I really only planned, Severus here did all the work!" She looks at me, ridiculous, but cute smile still in place. I watch as she bounces over towards Remus taking her place in his lap. I remain standing staring down at everyone as the look expectantly at me… even Sirius who I assume wishes for me to explain.

With a sigh I explain everything. Lily and Remus laughing at Grace's scheming… James looking truly baffled as I tell them I'm doing this all for Sirius… and then exhausted form all the talking and emotion drain of explaining to a bunch of Gryffindor's I walk over to Sirius and fall down into his lap. He doesn't hesitate as he wraps his strong arms around my waist and kisses my cheek.

It's mostly silent… Grace and Remus are –I'm assuming- having one of their mind conversations, lily just watches as James soaks it in.

"So, let me get this straight… Padfoot… you like Severus… maybe even love him?"

"Yes, that is correct Prongs…"

"And Severus? You like Siri back… might actually love him back?"

I can only nod, James is Sirius' best friend and if he doesn't approve it could seriously injure the still new relationship we have forming.

"Well, if I learned anything from Sirius' little argument with Grace it's that you can't judge to harshly when you barely know someone. And if Sirius likes you Severus then I'm hoping I will too. But I must admit that this is very strange for me, you'll have to give me some time to get used to all of this." He gestures to the whole group, but smiles. "This has been a crazy few months…" his eyes wander to Grace. He shakes his head with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Grace whines.

"This is all your fault you know, we were perfectly fine being trouble makers and nuisances, and then you come along and up stage us… for us…."

"Grace has been meddling longer then you're even giving her credit for!" Lily giggles. "She's the one that finally told me if I didn't go out with you she would regretfully have to hex my face off… without her you wouldn't even have me James.!" Lily looks proudly at Grace and I can't help but share the thought. Grace on the other hand is blushing, her face buried in Remus' shoulder. She looks up a second later though, deciding on courage…

"Damn straight! I'm the love doctor of this little group… I suggest you all remember that next time you want to start irritating me." She laughs and we all can't help but laugh with her. And seeing her laugh, sitting here with Sirius… I know things might get hard, but this is truly where I want to be.

I've tamed and Lion, earned a friend, and made a family. Life's full of surprises… but this year has been full of some good ones.

The End!

(1)Gary Oldman, who plays Sirius in the movies actually plays Dracula in one of the many movie adaptations. Yes I know Sirius is younger in this, I mostly just wanted to share my amusement.

There is no epilogue since Hestia's Kindness works for this one too since Grace covers all of their lives. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did and keep looking out for the next installment of Hestia's Kindness!

Love and hugs to you all

~Tadpole