Written for Love Fest 2021, as a gift for the best fandom friend and beta a girl could ask for, iwasbotwp.

Many thanks to #TeamCass for their encouragement with this, and especially to 00Q_Magnus for taking the time to discuss and help me figure out where I was going with this no-longer-a-drabble.

Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this creation.

Sirius Black had never expected to survive the war. In fact, after nearly going through the veil in the Department of Mysteries, he had been absolutely reckless with his own life, choosing instead to throw himself in the way of danger to save others. He considered it a miracle that he was alive, not that it was a welcome turn of events as far as he was concerned.

When he thought back on it, most of his life had been spent grieving something or someone, he thought it was high time someone else suffered his loss instead.

At the age of 11, he had bitterly mourned the loss of his mother's love. He hadn't really known how deep her bigotry went until he'd been sorted into Gryffindor and been branded the family traitor, but as understanding had dawned over the course of that year, everything had changed.

His friends, his chosen family, had healed a part of his heart until his first love had chosen a woman with red hair and a fiery temper over him. Sirius couldn't say he had blamed James, not really. He wouldn't have saddled himself with his baggage for a lifetime either. But he had buried his grief to salvage the friendship born of the ashes of their romance.

Remus had come as a surprise. Alone together in the middle of a war, their relationship had started as nothing more than a physical reprieve in a world that was slowly being destroyed. Over time, they had found some genuine beauty in each other. It had been easier to cling to it than turn away, until they both found it had become everything to them. And then it was torn from him.

Through the long years he spent decaying in the darkness of his cell, Sirius had grieved. He had wept bitter tears for James, whose happiness he hadn't been able to protect despite his sacrifices. He had cried for the love he had never named until he had been buried alive in Azkaban for a crime he could never have committed. He had sobbed for the loss of every happiness he had ever found as he had clawed his way through a lifetime of despair. And he had held on to his sanity with every last bit of his strength, if only for the chance to set things right somehow.

Having Remus returned to him had been one of the sweetest moments of his life. Slowly, the man had taught him to love again. Even as another had entered the picture, Sirius came to the conclusion that he didn't mind sharing. Remus was purity and light, and though he had enough love to give to both of them, he had none to spare for himself. He deserved to be showered with all the care Sirius and Dora could both give him.

His heart ached at the thought of their odd little family as his brief memories of joy were overtaken by a vision of two lifeless bodies on the floor of the Great Hall. He couldn't even bear to think of poor Teddy, knowing he had failed him too, by disappearing.

Unsurprisingly, Harry had chosen Teddy over him. He'd had a chance to step-up, but the weight of his loses was still too heavy and he had chosen to hide away in a house that sometimes felt like it sucked his soul faster than the dementors had.

Alone.

He was always alone now.

The Floo across from him roared to life and he flinched.

Almost always alone, he corrected himself, as he looked up at his visitor.

As George stepped out of the Floo into the sitting room of Grimmauld Place, he came face to face with what was left of Sirius Black, sitting on a settee, staring at him with something approximating his usual resigned expression.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the man was dressed today, and that was something new. Compared to the way he usually found him, he seemed downright eager for company. There were little tells that most people would never have noticed, but seeing as he had been visiting two times a week for several months now, George probably knew him better than any other living person.

He had grown accustomed to the routine they had formed, finding him in his bed and barely clothed every time. The first step was always to prod the older man into a shower before he dressed in something clean and they could share a meal together and talk. It was why he had come the first time, to bring food when his mother had asked him to. Whether she had done it out of pity for Sirius, genuine concern or the potentially misguided belief that having someone to be responsible for would pull George out of his own torment, he would likely never know.

What he did know, as he approached, was that Sirius had willingly showered and dressed without being prompted to for the first time since their visits had started. It was jarring, and George was surprised to find he was both pleased at being considered worth the effort and disappointed that he was not needed.

"Sirius, I didn't expect to see you up and about," George quipped with false enthusiasm. The rest, he left unsaid.

As difficult as it was to admit, he had begun to enjoy feeling needed. Though many people had come away from the war scarred in some way, very few had been broken as badly as he was. The man in front of him was one of them, a kindred spirit of sorts. George could sense the sorrow that emanated from him, but also the lonely man still buried beneath it.

It certainly did not hurt that Sirius was beautiful to look at. Some might have said it was in spite of his scars, but George thought it might be because of them. He was only slightly ashamed to admit he might have indulged in a few fantasies of his own, when he was safely hidden away in his bed at night. He was only human.

"I knew you were coming," Sirius paused, looking away. "I...wanted you to know I was looking forward to your visit."

He seemed almost embarrassed by his admission, but something warm bloomed in George's chest at the thought that instead of being needed, he was wanted .

Making his way over to where Sirius sat, George placed the bag of food on the coffee table and sat down next to him. He was struck by the realisation that he really wanted to flirt with the man at his side, but had no idea how to approach the situation.

Tentatively, he placed his hand on the sofa between them, letting his pinky graze the skin of Sirius' fingers. As he turned to look at him, he found Sirius' eyes already fixed on him, clearly surprised but not repulsed, and a small smile gracing his weathered face.

"I don't know how to do this anymore," Sirius shrugged awkwardly "I'm out of practice.

"I've never known how to do this at all. But I'm pretty sure we can figure it out," George quipped in return.

Sirius' quiet laughter bolstered his courage and he slid his fingers into Sirius's hand, giving it a squeeze. Several tense moments passed as nobody moved. George could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest and he swallowed nervously.

Then Sirius tugged his arm, pulling him closer and delicate fingers slid across George's jaw before settling around the back of his neck. George felt the heat of the blush on his cheeks as he found himself staring into sparkling grey eyes. They were so close their noses nearly touched. It would take nothing to close the distance between them if only George weren't frozen to the spot.

"Are you sure?" Sirius questioned him. The sadness that overtook his face nearly took George's breath away. "I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good friendship, the only one I've got, to be honest. I come with a fair bit of baggage."

"So do I, in case you hadn't noticed," George raised his free hand and skimmed his fingers through Sirius' hair. "Please…"

Painstakingly slowly, Sirius closed the gap and pressed his lips to George's mouth. The tension broke as the kiss was deepened and they grasped at each others' bodies, colliding in a heated heap of exploring hands.

When George meandered curiously to the fastening of his trousers, Sirius stilled his hand, pulling away slightly.

"George, I can't一" He faltered, breathing deeply through his nose. "I want you, but not yet…"

"Hey, It's okay! We have time. I got a little carried away." George rambled, attempting to reassure him. He stared longingly at Sirius's swollen lips. "Do you still want to, well, you know一"

"Snog like teenagers?"

George nodded and blushed, making Sirius laugh. Taking his time, Sirius slowly ran his fingertips up both of George's arms, leaving goosebumps in his wake and causing him to shiver. As they finally slid up the column of his neck and into his hair, Sirius pulled him close again, dotting open-mouthed kisses along the other man's jaw.

With a seductive tone that George was sure would haunt his dreams, Sirius murmured into his ear. "Nothing would please me more."

George groaned. So much for Sirius being out of practice.