A/N: Sev finally does something about his crush on Sirius, hence the title. Thanks for staying with me, I don't mean to make these once-monthly updates but it seems to do that. Hopefully I'll have another one up sooner! I love the last line of this chapter.

Chapter Twenty- Acting Like a Gryffindor

When Severus and Sirius returned to Black Manor, Rial was conspicuous only in his absence. They entered the small family dining room and saw Regulus sitting facing the pair, waving a small piece of parchment in his hand. "Thought you'd be looking for this, brother. It seems your son is at Malfoy Manor, hanging out with Draco."

Sirius smiled faintly. "I wondered what was going to happen between the two of them. I caught them in an interesting position on the Hogwarts Express last summer. They didn't see me though."

"It seems Draco is quite capable of acting like an idiot, however," Severus drawled. At the curious looks he explained about the Ravenclaw and catching Rial and Draco in the hallways.

Sirius snickered, amused. "He actually got into a fight with Draco? I wouldn't have seen that one coming."

"He'd had enough with Draco's attitude and obliviousness," Regulus said with a grin, shooting a pointed look at Severus.

The Potions Master dutifully ignored the look. It was none of Regulus' business about whether or not he decided to make his feelings known to the ex-Gryffindor. He was making his feelings known, in a manner that held to his poised Slytherin heritage.

"What was the meeting about?" Regulus asked.

Sirius launched into a derisive narrative, hiding nothing about his irritation with Albus and James Potter. It was obvious from his tone how much he disliked Zachary Potter; his comments were at the very least unflattering. Not that Severus disagreed. The Potter heir was a long ways from who or what they needed to defeat the Dark Lord. Considering his own difficult position in the war, it was far from reassuring.

Regulus grimaced. "Sounds like that boy has less than half the wits of his mother, unlike Rial. I hate situations like this."

"So do I," Sirius murmured with a sigh. "Make yourself comfortable, Severus. I feel like a long shower after that dismal meeting."

He headed up the stairs, two pairs of eyes watching his disappearance.

-D-N-S-D-

Regulus grinned in predatory satisfaction when his brother disappeared up the stairs. Turning grey eyes on Severus Snape he attacked. "Severus, from the way you act I get the feeling you feel deeply for my brother."

Severus turned black eyes to him and said, "Your point?"

"Of anyone my brother could get into a relationship with, you're about the only one I'd trust him with. So I'm going to tell you something. For all my brother's pureblood upbringing, the classes on etiquette, politics, language, literature, he was still placed in Gryffindor upon arrival at Hogwarts. There is a reason for this."

"There's always a reason for the way people are Sorted, Regulus," Severus drawled.

"Cut with the sarcasm, Severus. In my brother's case, one of the big reasons for his placement is his attitude regarding conversation and feelings. My brother was awful in his classes, the huge reason being he didn't understand subtlety. He is still blunt to the point where it hurts about some things. If you ever want to get it through his thick skull that you like him, you are going to have to show it."

"In other words you want me to act like a Gryffindor," he said stiffly. Black eyes flashing, he continued, "In case you haven't noticed it, Regulus, I am highly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing my emotions for all to see."

"I have noticed," Regulus murmured. Severus was in that particular point the quintessential Slytherin, poised, collected and capable of a mask that could fool even the Dark Lord. Whatever feelings he possessed were buried so deep below his shields that he was more than often a very cold-hearted, sarcastic jerk.

However, for him to feel anything for Sirius something about his silly brother must have cracked that shield. How, Regulus didn't know. It was astonishing, especially considering the awful prank his brother had pulled on Severus, nearly killing the man. What he knew now was that Severus was fighting a losing battle. Between his hyper brother and the poised intelligence of Rial there was no way Severus was going to be able to bury himself deep in his mind again. Like it or not, Severus was facing a major change in personality.

Regulus knew Severus must have realised some of this, he wasn't fighting near as hard as he was known to. There was still a stubborn part of his mind that was resisting, one last desperate attempt to cling to something he was familiar and comfortable with. It just needed a little push, was all.

"Stop fighting this, Severus. This isn't just about you anymore. I don't think it has been since you met Rial last year. It makes you look the idiot, you know, to fight your own happiness."

Regulus stood, stamping feeling back into his feet after sitting for so long. "Give my regrets to Siri, please. I really do have to get back to work; we've been having trouble recently."

As he walked out the front door and headed for the Apparition barrier he whistled softly. All he could hope was that Severus would take his words the right way and stop dancing around his own feelings. There was no way he'd know what happened, not until the next meeting. What is it with ex-Slytherins falling for ex-Gryffindors? First Lucius and now Severus… and you!

-D-N-S-D-

Sirius headed back down the stairs, feeling much better after a long shower. He'd changed into a pale blue silk shirt and black suede trousers, forgoing his usual combat boots for a pair of flat leather dress shoes. He was fussing with the last cufflink when he stepped into the small dining room.

The first thing he noticed was the absence of his brother Regulus. Severus was still there, long-fingered hands wrapped around a cup of tea which was steaming faintly. The teapot was sitting on the table as well as another cup and a small bowl of sugar cubes. Sirius poured the amber liquid and added two cubes. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Severus grimace faintly at the sugar.

"Do you not use sugar in your tea?" he asked, curious.

"No. It changes the taste too much in my opinion. I have become rather attached to coffee over the years as well. Draco tried some once, it was far too bitter for him," Severus paused. "Regulus wanted me to convey his regrets. Apparently they are having some troubles in the Unspeakables Department."

"I'm not surprised," Sirius said with a sigh, taking a sip of the hot liquid and humming happily. "There's been trouble in almost every Department at the Ministry recently. People are becoming restless at the Dark Lord's silence."

"I have to admit, his conviction about the success of the Azkaban breakout worries me. He seems all but sure that it will go flawlessly. The only conclusion I can come to is he's convinced the Dementors to side with him again, but I didn't mention it to Albus."

"Without sufficient proof it would be like trying to catch one of Lovegood's creatures," Sirius agreed.

Severus snorted at the analogy. It was fitting; Xenophilius Lovegood was always going after one made-up creature or another, convinced that they actually existed.

"Speaking of the meeting, why did James look as though he'd had one of his famous bubbles popped?" Sirius asked.

Severus smirked. "Dumbledore took him aside toward the end of the meeting and advised him that even though he has the position of High Inquisitor removing myself from the Hogwarts Staff would be a regrettable move. No doubt he had plans about throwing me out and letting the Dark Lord finish me off."

"So you are safe for a while in any case," Sirius said with a sigh of relief. He had a feeling there would be more than a few happy Slytherins when this news made its way around the school.

Severus was looking at him with an odd, unreadable expression on his face. After a long moment he said, "You actually sound concerned, Black."

"It's Sirius and of course I sound concerned, Severus. Or am I not allowed to worry about people that I care deeply about?"

Black eyes seemed to soften a bit and Severus replied. "Of course you are, Sirius. Forgive me, I am simply not used to people caring about my well-being. I have always felt somewhat of an outcast aside from around Lucius and Draco."

"Well you're not," he said, stiffly. "Rial cares about and looks up to you a great deal. I have come to appreciate your presence more than you could possibly understand."

Severus' eyes gleamed. "That, Sirius, sounds like a challenge."

Sirius looked up in surprise, grey eyes directly catching onyx. Sirius stared into those dark eyes, trying to read the emotions concealed there. After a long moment he felt long, sensitive fingers cup the side of his face. Eyes slightly wider, Sirius froze when Severus' mouth met his. It lasted for a moment longer until he got over the shock and kissed the dark-haired ex-Slytherin back.

There was a slight noise and they broke apart reluctantly. Sirius turned his head and gulped in surprise. Rial was standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face. After letting the pair squirm a bit he half-smirked and said, "Finally. I've been waiting for you to do something about that since summer, Severus."

The teen spun around and walked away. Sirius looked into dark eyes and whispered, "That long?"

"Longer, possibly," Severus replied, eyes full of a strange, burning warmth.

For the first time in a long time, Sirius was content to let a comfortable silence hang between them. Of course, they found a way to occupy that silence, but he wasn't complaining. Nope, he'd never complain about this type of silence.