Chapter 15:

Unbelievable

"They want us to believe that we are part of an ancient destiny which will unite wizards and Muggles? I've boiled that down properly, yes?" Junie asked, sounding even more sceptical than her words.

"That's the crux of it, Luv," Sirius replied. "So, somewhere in our family trees, we have co-mingled."

"Well, then, perfect fit for your family tree," she said under her breath.

"Cheeky," Sirius replied before kissing her. They were still tangled together on the leather couch in the extensive library on the first floor of Grimmauld Place. They'd been there since Sirius arrived back from his day with the High Mages at half four. He was elated she'd already settled in.

"So, there really isn't an answer as to why we were matched now rather than when we were younger?" Junie asked.

"Hypotheses, but no definitive answer," Sirius said softly. "In the end, it doesn't matter. You're here with me now, and I love you very much." He kissed her deeply, and the pair were lost in each other until Minsey's charm went off, alerting them to dinner. They ate quietly for a few minutes before Junie broached a new subject.

"Sirius, we need to talk with Minsey about letting me cook every now and then," Junie said. "I enjoy cooking, and I would really like to have the opportunity to do so."

"On nights you want to cook, we can just go to your house," Sirius said, even as he put another forkful of food into his mouth.

"Sirius, that's not really a plan," Junie said, irritated. "What about when everyone is coming here for dinner next month?"

"You can prepare the food at your house, and then we can bring it over. With charms on it, everything will stay the right temperature." He put his fork down to pat her hand and then picked it up to keep eating.

"That's a ridiculous idea," Junie said. "There is a wonderful kitchen in this house, and I like to cook. I think if we talk with Minsey, she will understand and accept me there from time to time."

"Junie, one of my agreements with my elf was that I wouldn't enter her kitchen." Sirius didn't look up as he was rather involved with buttering another roll. Junie felt liked she'd been slapped. Even his tone was dismissive.

"But it's not just your kitchen anymore," she said quietly. "I think I've eaten as much as I can; I'm going to finish grading those essays." Sirius stopped eating, put his fork and knife down, and looked at her.

"Junie, you knew the kitchen was Minsey's domain."

"Yes, and it was easy enough to respect when it was your house alone, but you asked me to live with you, so isn't it my home too?" She pushed her chair out, got up, and then pushed her chair back beneath the table before leaving. Sirius looked at where she had been sitting, then at the door, and was confused about the issue. He finished his meal and then called Minsey.

"Master Sirius, was there something wrong with Mistress's dinner? She barely ate any." Minsey asked, looking at the plate where only a few bites had been cut away from her meat, veg, and potatoes.

"She wanted to cook, and I told her that the kitchen was yours alone, per our agreement."

"Of course, the mistress wants to cook," Minsey said.

"You said you wanted the kitchen to yourself, and I intend to hold to our understanding."

"You not knowing, Master. Minsey wanted you to stay out of her kitchen because you burn things. Mistress Junie is a good cook, and Minsey would enjoy sharing her kitchen with her."

"I don't quite…but our agreement?"

"Our agreement was for whens it was just you, but now there is the Mistress too," Minsey said. "Lots of changes will happen for the Mistress, and Minsey's fine with it." Sirius finally began to understand what was being said to him.

"Oh, Minsey, I've been so idiotic, and now Junie is angry with me."

"Go say yous sorry, and I'll bring you coffee and pudding in the library," Minsey said gently before she popped away with the dirty dishes. Sirius rose from the table and walked downstairs to the library and found Junie studying a parchment scroll and leaving markings with a red Muggle Biro.

"No quill for Professor Meadows?" he asked from the doorway.

"No, I can't stand the smell of red ink," Junie answered without looking up. "I think it's the dragon's blood in it. It turns my stomach. Anyway, no big blotches of ink when I use a Biro."

"I'm sorry I was so thick. I had a chat with Minsey, and you're free to cook in the kitchen whenever you want. Apparently, it's just me who isn't welcome in the kitchen."

"You're dangerous to the cookware. Three fry pans, a saucepan, and four bits of crockery, really?" Junie asked, lifting her head and cocking an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't taught to cook."

"Sirius, dear, Minsey said those fatalities happened in her first week. It's no wonder she banned you from the kitchen." Sirius walked into the room and knelt next to her chair.

"I'm sorry," he said. Junie wanted to hear more, like about how he'd dismissed her and he wouldn't do it again or even that it was going to take a while to get used to having someone living with him, but he didn't say more. Junie didn't want to prolong their first fight, so she let it go.

"You're forgiven," she said quietly. "There are going to be bumps along the way as we learn about living together. In the future, can we discuss them before you make a unilateral decision?"

"Of course, Luv," he said before leaning in to kiss her. Minsey chose that moment to pop in with the baked apples she'd made for dessert and their pot of coffee. Sirius took the seat next to Junie, and she pushed the essay she was reading aside so they could eat; she was quite hungry still.

"Are these essays any better than the book reports last month?" Sirius asked.

"They are," Junie confirmed. "My OWL's -level students have a better handle on what's expected of them. You might be interested in reading them; the topic is ways in which the wizarding world could help the Muggle world with a specific problem."

"Really? What are some of the topics?" Sirius asked as he sipped his coffee. He was nearly finished with his apple, while Junie had only taken three bites. She needed to talk with him about slowing down and enjoying the food he was eating. If she ate as fast as he did, she'd have a permanent case of indigestion.

"Well, some of the students went big; global sized problems like reproducing food so that food insecurities could be eradicated or mass production of vaccines so illnesses can no longer be such a threat. Other's were smaller, though, like one student who wanted to use magic to help rehabilitate some of the council housing in the area of London he came from. There's another who wants to use magic to reproduce books, so there are enough for every student in rural areas where books are generally old and poor. I've left the one about a student who wants to treat cancer with magic to read last, so if I get upset, it's okay."

"Your mum's death?"

"Yes," she said, and Sirius watched as a tear formed near her lashes and then slid down her cheek. "She's been gone for almost ten years, but I still miss her, and then I get so angry at her. She could have gone to St. Mungo's and had the tumour removed and then had a quick spell and potion, and any lingering cells would be eradicated. They allow that to happen to the spouses and parents of magical folks, but Mum needed to make a statement. No one even heard it, and she still died."

"I heard her, Junie," Sirius said quietly. "I'm working with the head healer at St. Mungo's to find a way we can share our medicine with the wider world. The problem is the secrecy statute. We'd need to restructure it, which has some serious ramifications."

Junie nodded; it wasn't like anything was going to save her mother now, but others could be helped, and for that, she was thankful Sirius had the foresight to research the issue.

For his part, Sirius struggled with broaching the topic with Junie regarding the donations he'd made toward the Muggle cancer hospital. She'd have no way of knowing what he'd done unless James or Remus had tittle-tattled to their wives, who had then told her. He didn't think that was the case. He was about to say something when she turned to look at him, and he couldn't mention it now. She looked broken and so vulnerable. He instead pulled her body towards his and held her while she sobbed. He wished he felt a quarter of the grief toward his mother and brother that Junie had for her mum.

The next day, Marlene met Junie at the Hogwarts gates, gentle snow falling around the pair of friends.

"I can't believe you moved into Grimmauld Place," Marlene said. "Not that it isn't a great thing, that means that you're really settling into the idea of being with Sirius and being his, well, I guess eventually he'll be your husband, and you'll be his wife."

"He told me he would have married me today if I'd have agreed," Junie said, which caused Marlene to sigh. "I'm only doing this once, Marley; I want to do it right."

"Of course, you do, and you know I will be there to help you like you helped me."

"I never doubted it, Marley," Junie said honestly while side-hugging her friend. "I need to ask you something rather delicate."

"Go ahead, I'm prepared for almost anything from you now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're finally acting like a woman, and yes, you've always been one, but with Sirius, something in you has been freed. Your question?"

Junie shook her head at her friend, even as Marlene laughed at the response. "So, when you and Remus started sleeping together – not as in sex – how did you handle changing out of your day clothes and into your sleepwear, and what did you sleep in?"

"Ah, the nudity in the daylight issue," Marlene replied. "Well, for Remus and me, we were horny teenagers, and it all happened pretty naturally. He was more skittish about taking his clothes off than I was, but it was due to his scars, not any genuine modesty on his part. How did things go last night?"

"Well, Sirius just started taking his clothes off in the bathroom, then he walked around in his pants and got into bed. I was mortified—the night before, he'd at least put pyjama bottoms on. I went into my closet, closed the door, and changed in there before going to the loo to do the rest of my ablutions. He was displeased when I came to bed in my matched pyjama set." Marlene stopped and put her arm on her friends' shoulder.

"Junie, I don't mean to pry, and you don't have to answer if you find it too intrusive of a question, but Junie, what have you and Sirius done sexually?"

"That is definitely intrusive, Marley. Since it's, you are asking, though, not much. I literally had to yell at him to get him to touch my breasts. He's touched me without my bra on, but I still had a shirt on. I know he's getting aroused, but he hasn't had me feel it for the most part. Essentially, we're nowhere. This would have been fine if we were sixth years fumbling around with each other, but we're grown, adults."

"Are you ready to take the plunge?" Marlene directed them to a bench outside Honeydukes Chocolates.

"I'm ready to find out what happens between snogging and sex. You know I've never gone far with any other man. I just wanted to have a lasting connection with the man I shared myself with. I'm not a prude though, I'm getting horribly horny when we're together, and I don't think I'd feel comfortable relieving my tension in private like I had been in my quarters."

"Oh, you might need to prod Sirius along, honey. Remus was telling me he's convinced he needs to treat you like you're porcelain or something."

"Why does he believe such a thing? Just because I haven't engaged in intercourse doesn't mean I don't long to."

"I know, but men sometimes need to be reminded that we are hot-blooded and needy too. Did you pick up any lingerie when we were shopping in London?" Junie laughed.

"I have drawers of knickers and bras I've yet to wear."

"No silly, sexy lingerie, not practical. Something you wear long enough to get his motor revved up, and then you take it off. Remus particularly likes when I wear a garter belt and thigh-high stockings -" Junie put her hands over her ears.

"I do not want to know about that," Junie shouted, drowning out whatever followed. "I'm not opposed to engine revving, but could we make it a smidge demurer. Maybe when we've been together for thirty-plus years, I'll be more adventurous."

"Come on, let's hit the shops," Marlene said before standing and yanking Junie up by the hand and pulling her into the chocolatier.

"Marley, I need dress robes, not chocolate," Junie whispered.

"Think of it as an emergency fuel stop," Marlene said, and the pair started laughing. What they didn't expect was to run smack into Lily Potter.

"Lils, what are you doing in Hogsmeade?" Marlene said when she'd recovered her senses. She went to hug the third member of their lifelong trio.

"Charlie had another broom accident, and I was at Hogwarts to check on him," she said.

"Is he okay?" Junie asked, hugging her friend.

"If you'd been in the castle, you would have known," Lily replied coolly. "The answer is yes, only a broken leg bone. What are you two up to?"

"I need some new dress robes, so Marlene said she'd come to help me pick. We're headed to Gladrags. Would you like to come?" Junie asked in a hopeful voice.

"Are you just asking because I'm here?" Lily asked.

"Come on, Lily, don't be like that," Marlene said. "If we don't help her, Junie will end up with black robes and white blouses. You've seen her wardrobe." Junie wasn't sure she was happy about her being bad-mouthed by her friend, but considering the situation, she was letting it slide.

"This is true," Lily said. "I'd like to, but I left Eddie with Harry, and he has a match tomorrow, so he's at the pitch practicing. I'm sure he'll do better without his little brother bothering him. I picked up his favourite chocolates as a thank you for the last-minute babysitting duty."

"You know you can always call me if it's after two," Marlene reminded her.

"I know, but it was just easier to leave him with Harry or Ginny. I'll be glad when he goes to Hogwarts, but we have years yet."

"I'll have neither of my boys home come fall," Marlene said. "I don't know if I'm excited about that or not?"

"I would think it'll be a bit of both," Junie said, and Lily glared at her.

"What would you know about it? You don't have children." Lily was in a snippy mood, Junie thought.

"I'll fire-call you tomorrow, okay?" Marlene said.

"Sure, bye." Lily left the shop, making the others wonder what was really going on with Lily Potter.

That night Junie and Sirius talked in their private sitting room, while Sirius downed the better part of a Honeydukes Best bar. Junie wasn't sure how it was that he ate the way he did and yet looked so wonderfully muscled and toned.

"Lily actually said that to you?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I think she was worried about Charlie; he's a bit accident-prone on his broom," Junie said, putting down her china cup as she finished the last of her chamomile tea. "Charlie wants to do things Harry can, but he lacks the natural finesse his brother has."

"I think you're selling Charlie a bit short."

"I'm not saying Charlie isn't a talented player, but Harry had excellent balance from the time he was little more than a toddler. I remember him zipping about on that little broom you gave him for his first birthday. Most children would need to be held upright, not Harry. Are you just about finished there; I'd like to get ready for bed?"

"Junie, it's only half eight."

"Sirius, I didn't say I wanted to go to sleep."

"Oh, yes, I understand." Sirius' eyes were wide, and he had a wide, knowing smile.

"I'm going to go change," Junie said with a light laugh added. "See you in a few." She walked to her closet and locked the door. With Marlene's help, she'd selected several nightgowns made of silk with lace inserts. Sexier than her flannel jams, but generally modest. The one she pulled out for tonight had matching lacy panties, and when she pulled the dark blue confection over her, she couldn't deny she felt sexier and more confident than she had the previous night. Grabbing the lacy wrap, which went with the short gown, she took three deep breaths, opened the door, and slipped into the bedroom.

Sirius sat in the bed, shirtless, the sheet and blanket draped over his bottom half, although seeing his waistband, Junie knew he was in the same type of boxer briefs he wore the night before. When he heard her, he lifted his head and gasped. The cut didn't show much of her breasts, but it deliciously clung to her form. He was also treated to the long columns of her legs. She came and sat next to him on top of the bedsheets.

"Merlin, Juniper, you are breath-taking," Sirius whispered as he moved to kiss her. "Do I get to unwrap you?"

"You do, but I want to say one thing before we start," she said, and she took his hands. "I know my lack of experience makes you worry for me, but I'm asking you to stop. I'm not a girl; I'm a woman. I have made my choices, and I'm not ashamed of them. You are my choice now, and I want a full life with you. I want us to explore, and when the time is right, I want to claim you fully as my lover. Do you understand?"

"Junie, I understand all too well. You keep surprising me; it's unbelievable." Junie leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I lost you once because I didn't know how to get you off," she said. "I plan on rectifying that issue."

Sirius looked at her wide-eyed for just a moment before he took the ties in his hands, opened the lace jacket, and dropped it on the floor. He then pulled her to him, slid her into their bed, and kissed her senseless.