For FemmeLoki for being the world's best reviewer!! And thank you very much for the hint on the ""! I'll try to remember them…
Chapter Six - Caldus and SiriusIn the weeks that followed Harry noticed a definite increase of Sirius' visits to Hogwarts. At first he thought nothing about it. He only enjoyed himself immensely when Sirius unexpectedly turned out to be a member of the party that was thrown on Halloween.
And it was an unprecedented but truly appreciated surprise when Sirius was present at Thanksgiving that year. The reason for the visit was obvious, of course. He probably didn't want to be in his own house all alone, Harry thought, and sympathized.
Sirius' animagus form came in really handy during the staff's exploratory trips to the Forbidden Forest, which explained why he had to stay at Hogwarts for almost two weeks. Harry hadn't known that the situation in the forest had deteriorated that badly since the end of the war, but then he hadn't exactly paid attention to it either. And he felt slightly proud because of his godfather's wide range of talents.
It was also the first time that he had ever joined Sirius in going shopping for Christmas presents for all their friends. It just felt good to buy a present for everybody they could think of. Sirius even bought presents for the Headmaster and professor Caldus. He always made friends so easily, Harry thought, slightly jealous.
He vaguely started to wonder what might be going on when Sirius turned up for Hermione's birthday. Not that she had a party, or anything, as it was a day in the middle of the week, but it sure was nice. The fact that he hadn't done anything like that ever before was of course no reason at all not to start with it now. He even brought Hermione a present. A book. Well, of course it was a book. But she seemed to be happy with it regardless.
When he saw Sirius turn up one very early Saturday morning he rubbed his eyes and sleepily asked, "Sirius? Did you just come along? Why did you arrive here so early?"
Sirius seemed to be slightly startled when he saw Harry, but speedily recovered himself and airily replied, "Harry, good to see you. No, I err, I… I kinda arrived yesterday evening. Late in the evening."
Harry looked at him slightly confused. "Why didn't you come along? It was a Friday night, you know. Everybody stays up late. You might have come along and have had some fun!"
Sirius looked slightly guilty. "Well, err, as I said, I was late. Really late, you know. But hey, why don't we go to Hogsmeade together this afternoon? Or do you have quidditch training?"
Harry slowly nodded. There was still something that he was not getting. "Yeah," he replied absently. I've got quidditch training all afternoon. It's a pity, though. Would have been fun to go to Hogsmeade with you."
"It sure is," Sirius said airily. "Well, better luck next week. I'll see you around." And he was gone.
Harry looked after him, slightly dazed and vaguely irritated as he had the definite impression that something was off. Oh, well, perhaps he just suffered from sleep deprivation. It had been rather late, after all.
Harry was enjoying the feeling of air along his cheeks, circling high above the quidditch field that afternoon, when he suddenly saw two dark figures nearing the stands for the audience.
Must be Sirius, he thought and dived to greet his godfather quickly. He neared the stands with high speed, when he saw that he had been mistaken. It wasn't Sirius at all. Snape and Caldus were apparently deeply engaged in conversation. They had their heads bent towards each other and appeared to be oblivious of everything around them.
It must be an intimate conversation, Harry thought. Strange, actually, to see Snape like that. The potions master normally avoided everybody like the plague and he always acted as if physical distance was sacred to him.
He was on the point of turning around, when Caldus noticed him and waved. Harry waved back. Snape's eyes shot in Harry's direction and narrowed. He refrained from saying anything, however, and Harry flew away quickly, not feeling like another detention spent in Snape's presence.
Before they were out of side, however, he noticed the strange expression on Snape's face. A strange kind of bitter smirk. Odd. Very odd.
When the training was over, Harry hurriedly showered and went in the direction of the guestroom that Sirius usually occupied.
Impatiently he knocked at the door. "Sirius? Are you there?"
There was no answer. Strange. He hadn't been in the Gryffindor tower, and Harry had thought that he would have a reasonable chance of finding Sirius here.
He knocked once more, waited some more and there turned around, slightly disappointed.
When he had almost reached the corner in that hallway, he heard that the door opened. He quickly turned around. Sirius was standing in the doorway. He looked very tousled and his hair was messier than ever before. The look in his eyes was slightly bewildered and his cheeks were flushed. He just wore boxers and a shirt and he scratched his skull, yawning behind the palm of his hand.
Harry hesitantly put a step back. "Sirius? I'm sorry. I didn't think you might be asleep. I'll come back later."
Sirius gave him a slightly confused look and then smiled dazedly. "You do that, Harry," he said, slightly hoarsely. "I'm sorry. I'll see you tonight. Or perhaps tomorrow."
Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower feeling increasingly bewildered.
It went without saying that Sirius would spend Christmas at Hogwarts that year.
Harry was one of the first to enter the great hall through one of the side doors and was a moment spellbound by the beautiful way in which it was decorated. He was abruptly shaken out of his reverie, however, by the shouts and the laughter of his fellow Gryffindors. He immediately saw the reason for it.
Apparently Professor Dumbledore had seen fit to charm the mistletoe. Again. To be caught under it meant kissing your way out of it. At least, that was how Seamus was at present trying to help himself, with apparent success.
Harry grinned and leaned against the wall to enjoy the show. Not that Seamus minded. He took his time thoroughly kissing Ginny and pretending not to hear Dean's – Ginny's boyfriend's – shouts of laughter and indignation. Ginny's sqeaks of laughing protest didn't help her either, but when she finally got free, he pushed both Seamus and Millicent, who unhappily just passed by, back under the mistletoe. All the Gryffindors laughed uproariously.
Harry's grin deepened when he saw the tall figure of professor Caldus appear from out of the hallway. He whistled very softly and the Gryffindors noticed him as well. They effaced themselves in order to allow the professor free entrance to the hall – and strait into the mistletoe.
Caldus stiffened when he felt that the magic of the spell took hold of him, and he grabbed his wand, but it didn't help him much, as he apparently didn't know the counterspell for the charm.
The collected students again laughed out loud. For all his popularity they enjoyed the sight of the damsel in distress.
Caldus himself saw the mistletoe and laughed, understanding the reason for his problems. He looked around him, apparently trying to figure a way out of his situation. The students stood around him and shouted all kind of unhelpful suggestions.
"You might try to kiss yourself, professor," said Dean. "Perhaps the spell will be fooled."
"I'll go and fetch Filch for you, professor," called Seamus. "I'm sure he'll be delighted to help you out."
"That's very kind of you, Mr. Finnegan," Caldus said dryly. "Perhaps Mr Filch might indeed be of help." But he obviously looked around for a more attractive solution.
The students grinned. They understood that Caldus wouldn't kiss one of them, and there weren't any other professors around.
Then a voice from behind them sounded, asking what the hell they were all thinking, blocking the hallway like that.
Harry turned his head quickly, recognizing the voice of his godfather. "Sirius. I'm sorry, we were trying to help professor Caldus," he said with just a little bit too much glee.
Sirius' eye fell on the unfortunate professor and he grinned mischievously.
"You appear to be in dire circumstances, my dear sir," he said with a slight glint in his eye.
Caldus immediately caught his tune. "Indeed I am, my dear sir," he sighed, shaking his head dolefully. "I foresee no immediate end of my troubles. Honour forbids me to to burden one of these innocents with the task of freeing me, so I foresee death by dust overload. Or by being hit by with a door. You may never know, you know. One must be prepared for everything."
"A very wise course of action," Sirius grinned. "Is there no way in which you might be freed?"
"Alas," sighed Caldus with mock sadness, shaking his head and covering his eyes with his hands. "I'm afraid there is only one way out. Only somebody brave enough to kiss me may free me, or so I'm told."
"Ay," said Sirius, who enjoyed himself thoroughly. "Now, that is going to be a problem indeed. Whoever might be brave enough to do that?"
The students who were standing around now laughed themselves to tears. "Impossible, sir" gasped Ron. "You'll have to stand here until your true love kisses you."
Professor Caldus face fell comically. "Ay, I knew I should never have given my cat to the lady next door when I was eleven…"
Sirius laughed so loud that he had to support himself against the wall and was unable to speak for a moment. When he had composed himself he wiped the tears from his face. "Of course I could never match the grace of your cat, Caldus, but if you will allow me, I'll scrape all my courage and try to kiss your way out of this."
Caldus looked at him with slightly mocking eyes and said "Indeed, Mr. Black, I'm afraid you could never match my cat in any respect. But I admire your courage and I would truly appreciate the attempt."
Under the loud support of the students, who had gathered around them Sirius stepped towards Caldus and took his face in his hands. For a moment they looked in each other's eyes and grinned. Then Sirius kissed him roundly on his lips. Caldus was freed.
The students clapped in their hands and laughed. Caldus stepped back and made a mock bow to Sirius, with a gesture as if he were drawing his hat. Sirius returned the gesture with an equal mocking grace, and they both laughed and walked towards the high table.
No one saw professor Snape, who walked behind the students in the same direction, and who had apparently been standing in the shadows, observing the whole scene. He seemed to be looking at professor Caldus, smiling a bit melancholically.