NOTES: Written for a LiveJournal ficlet challenge community in 2003.

CHAL: What Remus does to comfort Sirius after he hears about Snape's private Occulmency lessons with Harry.


'Bastard!' Sirius stormed into the room he and Remus shared, slammed the door behind him and sat down tensely on the edge of the bed.

Remus poked his head out of the bathroom, 'who? Severus or Albus?' he asked, before pulling it back again.

'Snivellus . . . Albus . . . BOTH!' Slamming clenched fists down against the mattress, Sirius stood up and stomped over to the window and folded his arms tightly across his chest.

Remus brought a bottle containing thick, amber liquid out of the bathroom and set down on the hearth in front of the fire. Then he returned to fetch a pile of soft, fluffy towels, which he set down by the bed. Sirius continued to fume and didn't notice.

'How could Albus do such a thing?'

'Harry needs to be taught how to defend his mind against intrusion, and Severus is a good occulmens,' said Remus, mildly.

'So is Albus! Doesn't he realize that Sniv--'

Remus cut him off with a pointed, 'hmm?'

'Snape . . . doesn't he realize that Sn-Snape will use it as and opportunity to get his own back for things Harry has nothing to do with—knows nothing about?'

Remus smoothed a large white sheet over their bed. 'We've all grown up since then. Albus trusts Severus and Severus has proven himself many times over to be an invaluable alley in the fight against Voldemort.'

Sirius huffed and set his jaw more tightly, but otherwise made no response. It was out of his control and both Albus and Remus were right, Harry couldn't be left open to suggestion by Voldemort.

He jumped slightly, as Remus came up behind him and gently began to rub his shoulders. 'So tense,' he murmured as he turned Sirius round for a kiss.

Sighing, Sirius relaxed, just a little, and Remus slowly began to undress him.

Looking about the room and taking it in properly for the first time since entering, Sirius noticed the warm candlelight, the bed, the soft towels and the massage oil warming by the fire.

Chuckling softly, he allowed Remus to lead him to the bed and begin to soothe away his tension.