A/N: I can't believe I haven't posted this here before! I wrote this ages ago, and just realised I hadn't shared it anywhere except LJ.
xxx
Sirius was sulking in his kitchen. He slurped messily at a sodden biscuit he had been dunking in his tea and kept his eyes fixed on the view from the large kitchen window. It was already mid afternoon on February 14th and there wasn't so much as a speck in the sky to indicate that an owl might be heading his way with a card or some other token of love from his boyfriend.
Sirius finished his tea and deposited his mug in the sink with an angry clatter. Then stomped outside in his shirtsleeves, disregarding the chilly weather as he stood and glared at the sky. It wasn't fair. Their first Valentine's Day as lovers, not as godfather and godson and Harry was off in China and Sirius was stuck in England.
Sirius shivered and stared at the sky some more. He began wondering again why he hadn't heard from Harry. Maybe Harry had met some gorgeous young bloke in China and forgotten all about him – but no, Harry wouldn't be so unkind. Or Maybe Harry had been injured, or worse – but no, this was Harry, he could look after himself. Or maybe Harry had simply got so tangled up with International Auror business that he simply hadn't had an opportunity to dispatch an owl for Valentines Day.
Sirius nodded emphatically at his third explanation and made his way back inside the house. That had to be it. The thought of Harry's preoccupation didn't make him happier, but it did explain why he didn't yet have a Valentines card in a way that didn't distress him quite so much.
He poured himself another cup of tea before deciding that he needed something stronger, and quickly emptied it down the sink. He ambled across to the drinks cabinet and retrieved a bottle of fire whiskey. "To Harry my love." He toasted with his first glass. Then with the second, "To all the other lonely saddos today." Then he poured a third glass and settled back to glaring out of the window.
He wondered if Harry had liked what he'd sent him. It had been difficult to do, but he'd filled a large card with a long series of carefully thought out rhymes telling Harry how much he loved him and why. He'd also included a special voucher, entitling Harry to treat him as his love slave for one night. He was looking forward to Harry making use of that voucher almost as much as he hoped Harry would enjoy using it.
Sirius was sipping the last of the whiskey in his glass, and was starting to get a pleasant buzz when he spotted a whitish blob in the sky, a whitish blob with a red splash, which soon became more visible as being undoubtedly Hedwig with a red envelope in her beak.
Sirius gleefully threw a window open and fetched owl treats. He hadn't been forgotten after all.
Hedwig landed gracefully on the table and gladly gave over the large envelope into Sirius's eager hands.
Sirius tore into the envelope with unsteady fingers, quickly revealing a plain white card with a large shimmering red heart on the front, and the inscription twinkled in gold: 'Be mine Valentine'
He hastily opened the card and read:
Dear Sirius,
I wish I could be with you now, because whenever we are apart I miss you more than I could ever tell you. As I am not with you, and as I know you are probably feeling bored and neglected just now, I decided to arrange something for you that might make our separation a little easier, and will ensure that you know that I am thinking of you lovingly today.
Are you familiar with the concept of a treasure hunt? I hope so, because that is what I have arranged.
Follow my clues in the right order, to find my gift to you this Valentine's Day.
It should occupy you for a while at least, and then the time when I will be with you again will be closer than before.
Yours,
Harry.
P.S. My first 'clue' is that you should go to the place where I first saw you. Looking at you then, I would never have imagined myself having a love affair with you now!
Sirius couldn't stop a huge smile from spreading across his face, okay, so it wasn't anywhere near as good as good as having Harry himself, but this treasure hunt idea wasn't a bad one. It certainly showed how much Harry thought of him, and how much trouble he was willing to go to in the process of making him happy.
But what was that 'clue' about? Okay, so he hadn't been much to look at right out of Azkaban, but surely that wasn't what Harry meant.
After pondering for a few moments Sirius suddenly stood up with a maniacal grin on his face and disapparated with a loud pop that made Hedwig squawk indignantly.
Sirius re-appeared in leafy suburbia with a grin on his face. No, Harry never had seemed inclined towards bestiality, so it stood to reason that he was referring to the occasion when he had glimpsed Padfoot lurking around Privet Drive.
Feeling slightly silly Sirius wandered towards the bushes he had hidden in all those years ago as he hoped to catch a glimpse of his godson before heading north. He was standing in front of the bushes wondering what to do about finding a second 'clue' when an elderly lady with an armful of fat tortoiseshell cat shuffled into his peripheral vision. "You're Sirius aren't you dear?" She croaked.
"Uh, yes?" He replied eyeing her warily.
"Good," she replied cheerily, "I have something for you. Young Harry left this with me."
Sirius took the white envelope offered to him with a murmur of thanks as the elderly lady hobbled back towards a nearby house.
He watched her as she went indoors, followed by another three cats, before opening the envelope.
There were two slips of paper inside:
Well Done Sirius.
I wondered if you'd get that first one right. I half-thought you'd hurry off to the shrieking shack, but perhaps the number of exclamation marks gave things away.
I thought you were handsome even then you know, that night in the shack, or at least, I could see that you would be with a wash and some proper food.
I'm still not sure if I'm sorry or glad that I never got the chance to live with you as you offered that night. On the whole, shockingly, I think I'm glad, as you might never have seen me as a lover had you raised me as a child.
And I love being your lover.
Harry.
P.S. Perhaps you would go back to the place I began loving and trusting you now?
Sirius frowned and opened the second sheet of paper, and then began grinning inanely. Harry had bewitched a delightful drawing showing exactly what he'd like to be doing to Sirius. Sirius grinned as the Harry on paper winked and flicked out his tongue before beginning to suck enthusiastically.
He carefully folded both slips of paper back into the envelope and pocketed them. "The shrieking shack this time I guess." He said to himself as he prepared to apparate again.
The shrieking shack was deserted, but there were a dozen red roses tossed carelessly on the floor, and a small red envelope nestled amongst them.
Sirius pounced eagerly. He was really getting into all this treasure hunt lark. He smiled at the card, it was a muggle photograph of a black puppy with a red rose in its mouth.
Hello Love,
Appropriate card wouldn't you say?
I don't know why I trusted you that night, even now I don't know why. I just did. I just had this feeling about you that has never gone away. I had this feeling that I could love and trust you and you wouldn't ever betray me. And you know I don't feel that way about many people.
I know I don't say it that often, but I do love you. More than I could ever love anyone else. You are the one for me. I know you sometimes have doubts, and wonder why the golden boy of the wizarding world is in love with you, I can't really explain why I love you so.
Just know that I do.
Harry.
P.S. Our first Christmas.
Sirius groaned aloud as he gathered up the roses and tucked the envelope into his pocket, "Grimmauld Place."
He glared at his old home and wondered why Harry had seen fit to bring him back to the place he hated so much. He slowly climbed the front steps and cringed as the door slowly swung inwards. He'd been so miserable in this house that making good memories in it seemed all but impossible, even if it did involve Valentine's cards from Harry.
He looked around the hall and then couldn't quite contain a snort of laughter. The portrait of his mother was liberally festooned with mistletoe and the hall floor was smothered in tiny pink, white and red paper hearts. A pink envelope was laid a metre from his feet, atop a white box pillowed on a heap of the confetti.
With a slight grin he bent and retrieved the envelope, suddenly not hating Grimmauld Place as much as he'd anticipated. He eyed the box for a moment, considering opening it first, but decided he'd rather read what Harry had to say. He opened his fourth envelope of the day and grinned at the limerick the front of the card slowly flashed up line by line in a flurry of sparkly love hearts.
There's something I wanted to tell you
I hope you don't mind if I do
There's no-one who's half as
deliciously gorgeous
or scrumptiously sexy as you.
He shook his head at Harry's delusions. Scrumptiously sexy? If that described anyone he knew, it was Harry, not him. But he wasn't going to argue if a gorgeous young bloke though he was sexy and wanted to send him a ridiculous amount of Valentine's goodies. As the words began top flash up for the third time, he opened the card and read:
Sirius,
I'm sorry I brought you here love, I know you have lots of bad memories of this old place, but I have some good memories of being here with you. But then, any time I'm with you makes for a good memory. Perhaps with help from the contents of this box you and I could make some really good memories here sometime!
Lasciviously and lovingly yours,
Harry.
P.S. Two words – First Kiss.
Sirius grinned and fumbled to tuck the card into his pocket with the others. The contents of the box sounded very promising to him.
He pushed the lid off the box and surveyed the contents with pleasure. Bottles of body paints and lubricants and other intriguing things, a strip of black silk for use as a blindfold, soft leather handcuffs for restraint, a couple of dice… He grabbed the dice and squinted, one of the dice listed body parts, and the other named appropriate actions. Sirius smiled and dropped them back into the box; he could hardly wait to make use of them with Harry.
But for now, he had a problem, he had a boxful of sex toys, an armful of roses, a pocketful of love notes and now he had to go to the house Remus now shared with Snape of all people, to re-visit the scene of his first kiss with Harry.
"Couldn't you have made it our second kiss Harry?" He grumbled to empty air as he gathered together his gifts and prepared to leave Grimmauld Place.
Sirius apparated to outside Remus' small cosy home and then skulked towards the back door. He was hoping that the greasy old bat would be out or lurking in his potions lab. But it seemed that luck was not on his side. Remus and Snape were sitting at the table having tea. Snape caught sight of him first, and his face creased into an expression of mild disgust, Sirius sighed and knocked lightly on the door to attract the attention of Remus too before pushing the door open and entering.
"Do just barge right in." Snape commented.
Sirius decided to ignore the mild sarcasm and nodded, "I will thanks. How are you both?"
"Good thanks," Remus said as he stood up with a smile, "I think you're here under the directions of Harry, is that right?"
Sirius grinned and shifted his armload of roses to get a better grip on the box, "Yep, do you mind if I just wander through into your study and get whatever he left for me?"
Remus wandered in front of him, and blocked his path, "Not at all. But wouldn't you like to have a cup of tea with us first?"
Sirius smiled and tried to edge around his friend, "Nah, I'm good thanks, I'll just go get my card or whatever."
"Severus baked cookies for me this morning, they really are very nice." Remus coaxed as he wafted a plateful of chocolate-topped heart-shaped cookies at Sirius.
Sirius froze for a moment as the strange image of Snape baking heart-shaped cookies while dressed in a small frilly apron and nothing else filtered into his mind, before he shook away the disturbing thought. "Uhh, thanks all the same, but perhaps if they were made for you it should be you that eats them, so I think I'll just get my card." Sirius finally succeeded in slipping past Remus and ambled down the hall to the small study, shaking his head at the weirdness of the duo in the kitchen.
He walked into the study and spotted a red envelope immediately, on the exact spot of their first kiss. He smiled as he remembered the silly argument that had led to Harry backing him against the wall and kissing him until they were both at a loss for words, and how Harry had blushed so incongruously after so boldly kissing him.
He was still vaguely surprised there was no scorch mark on the wall, that kiss had been so hot.
The front of this card proclaimed quite simply, 'I Love You' in big red letters.
Sirius,
I remember how we argued that night; I think poor Remus nearly had to leave his own home to take cover from the shouting. I was so angry with you for endangering yourself to save me, and it was then that I knew for sure that I loved you far more than I should. Did I ever feed you that clichéd line, 'you're beautiful when you're angry?' It is true you know. It was when you were just inches away from me, your chest heaving as you simply stared at me, the passion in your eyes daring me to argue further, so that I couldn't do anything but kiss you. It wasn't the most elegant or romantic kiss I know, but I'll remember the passion in it forever. I think it helped us both understand how much we felt for each other that night.
Harry.
P.S. Now what about our second kiss?
Sirius drew a shuddering breath and carefully tucked the card into his pocket; these Valentines were things he would keep for the rest of his days.
He shuffled back to the kitchen, and managed to avoid offers of tea and Snape's cookies as he made a quick exit. Next stop, The Burrow.
Hermione waved enthusiastically at him from the doorstep as he approached. "Hi Sirius!"
He smiled and managed a small wave that almost led to his box of goodies tumbling to the floor. That wouldn't do at all. Hermione might well be dating Ron, and probably wasn't as innocent as she looked, but he didn't think she particularly wanted to see a bottle of 'tingling toffee flavoured penis paint' land at her feet.
"This whole thing is so sweet of Harry!" Hermione chirped happily as he approached. "It is all just so romantic."
Sirius blushed slightly, "It is really good of him to do all this." He agreed. "Can I leave these flowers here while I just nip down to the end of the garden to see if Harry left something else there for me?"
Hermione nodded and took the flowers, "You can leave the box too if you like."
Sirius vigorously shook his head, "No, the box is fine really, not heavy or anything."
"Well there isn't that much in it really, so it wouldn't be would it? Those dice are probably the heaviest thing in there."
"Dice?"
"Yes, I thought about getting a set for me and Ron, but they weren't cheap, so he'll have to settle for a game of naked twister tonight."
Sirius slowly worked his mouth, but no sound emerged. It wasn't often that he was at a loss for words, but this was one of those occasions.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione said sounding contrite, "Did you not look in the box yet?"
Sirius found his voice, "Oh yes I did, the dice look like… fun, I'll just go get my card now." He thrust the box into Hermione's arms and hurried down the garden.
A plain piece of parchment lay in the grass under the rose arbour and Sirius snatched it up eagerly.
Sirius,
Our second kiss. I will remember that one forever too. It was one of those moments in time that really stood out.
Midnight blue sky and the faintest scent of wet grass and roses in the air will always make me think of that night in the garden with your mouth hot against mine, and your arms tight around me. I felt loved. It was one of those moments where I found myself certain in the knowledge that I was with the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.
I hope that is something you want too, because I can't imagine my life without you in it. Which reminds me, I want an answer to a very important question next time I see you. Can you guess what that question might be?
Love Harry
P.S. Home is where the heart is.
Sirius inhaled shakily and sat down heavily on the bench in the arbour and re-read the letter. The words didn't change. It couldn't really mean what he was hoping - could it? "Marriage?" He whispered a little wistfully as he ran his finger over his lover's bold scrawl. "I wonder if he really would?" Unbidden, a stupid smile slid on to his face. "I wonder if he really would," he repeated more cheerfully, "he might," he told himself happily as he bounced back down the path to where Hermione waited. "He just might."
After he recovered his box and roses, and made good his escape from a rather nosy Hermione he apparated back to his home, with an incurable smirk on his face. Even when Harry wasn't around, it seemed that he was successful at making Sirius feel incredibly well loved.
Then when he entered his own home he couldn't resist a smile. Harry had been rather literal this time. Because there was a large padded red velvet heart on his kitchen table. There was something embroidered on it in gold he saw as he moved closer and put down his box and roses and emptied his pockets.
He gasped a little, and stared at the inscription.
"Will you then?" A voice said from behind him.
Sirius jumped violently and knocked the box off the table. The handcuffs flopped to the floor, bottles bounced and rolled and the dice spun away across the room.
"Guh." He said, as he looked around wildly for the source of the voice.
Suddenly one of the dice rose in the air apparently of it's own accord, and with a swish of his invisibility cloak Harry stood in front of him smirking and rubbing the dice between his fingers. "What sort of answer is guh?" He asked mischievously.
"Harry!" Sirius flung himself across the room and grabbed his lover into a passionate kiss.
"A guy could get used to that sort of greeting." Harry said with a grin as he reluctantly pulled back, "Did you like my treasure hunt?"
"Very much. But could you just clarify what it is that I'm being asked? I'd hate to say yes to something, and then find out that I've committed myself to something else entirely like a couples holiday to Blackpool with Remus and Snape."
Harry grinned. "Well, I can reassure you that even if Snape makes good cookies and keeps Remus happy, there is no way I'm going on holiday with him."
Sirius stared at Harry for a moment. "Hey! You were there!"
Harry dimpled, "Guilty. Why do you think Remus was blocking your way, I was rewriting the card to send you to the location of our second kiss. That wasn't part of the original plan, but I decided that your idea had merit."
"Oh." Sirius said, "You were at every place all along then? But why are you here though?"
"Yes, and a Happy Valentine's Day to you too Sirius." Harry said with a lopsided grin.
"That's not what I meant," Sirius amended hastily, "I just thought you were in China until the day after tomorrow."
"Nope, I planned this all along. I got back just this morning." Harry said as he arranged his face comfortably against Sirius's shoulder and trailed a teasing kiss or two across his jaw line.
"Thank You."
"My pleasure, or do I get my pleasure when I make use of this charming voucher you so kindly included in my card? Which by the way was really great, you went to as much trouble as I did writing all those rhymes."
Sirius blushed slightly and hugged Harry tightly, " I meant it all, and you can use the voucher any time, in fact, feel free to duplicate it a couple of times."
"Hmm, I like that idea too. Definitely something to think about later."
"Later?" Sirius queried, "Why wait? When you picked up that dice did you happen to notice what it landed on?"
"Umm, 'lick' I think." Harry replied.
"So maybe we should find out what exactly I need to be licking."
Sirius promptly released a slightly stunned Harry and began crawling about on the floor hunting for the other elusive dice. He soon found it against the chair leg and read the upper surface with a grin.
"Well?"
Sirius knelt up slightly and plonked the dice on the table, but ignored the hand Harry extended to help him up, "I think I need to stay down here for this one." He told Harry with a sly smile as he encouraged him to lean back against the kitchen table.
Harry sagged back against the table with a sigh and let Sirius unbuckle his belt and pop the button open. His breath caught as Sirius tugged the zipper of his trousers down with his teeth and promptly wriggled his tongue through the gap he had created. He tugged Harry's trousers down over his hips as his tongue delved further, flickering over more and more gradually exposed skin.
True to the command of the dice he licked and licked, enjoying the buck of Harry's hips and his harsh breathing as his knuckles whitened on the edge of the tabletop.
"You're a bloody tease." Harry ground out at last, as Sirius gave another flirty flicker of his tongue over a particularly sensitive spot.
"Better give the dice another roll then, see if you can improve your situation."
There was a tormented grunt of agreement from Harry and then the clatter of the dice, "Um, Penis, suck?"
Sirius looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, Nipple, Nibble."
Sirius grinned and got to his feet, careful not to touch Harry any more. "Then I have to undo your shirt." He said, enjoying the look of slightly pained pleasure on Harry's flushed face.
He undid the buttons with aching slowness, until Harry's hands came up beneath his and yanked the remaining two buttons free to clatter to the floor.
"Eager?" Sirius teased, letting warm moist breath tickle Harry's hardened nipple before lowering his mouth and softly tugging at it with his teeth.
The hissing intake of breath from Harry made him smile as he moved to the other side of Harry's chest to repeat the procedure.
"Sirius." Harry whined.
"Yes?"
Abruptly his head was gently tugged up, "I need to kiss you."
Sirius let Harry pull him close and gently returned the needy press of his lips, but desire swept through him like a flood and he helplessly tangled his fingers in Harry's messy hair and tilted his head back slightly to gain a better angle to kiss him, thrusting his tongue into Harry's mouth to kiss him with a deep insistence that made Harry squirm against him and tug at the buttons of his shirt.
"Sod the dice." Harry muttered faintly as he hastily began to shove aside any item of clothing he could get his hands on, his hands caressing and stroking every exposed patch of skin as he did so.
"Mmm," Sirius agreed as he pressed his bared chest against Harry's, "I think the dice will be more fun when I'm not quite as desperate for the feel of your skin against mine."
Harry groaned in agreement as he finally managed to yank Sirius' trousers open, and gratefully rubbed against Sirius, "I've missed you this week." He groaned as he kissed Sirius again, his hands clutching Sirius' hips as he ground against him, all thoughts of finesse or control completely gone.
Sirius managed a grunt of agreement before covering Harry's mouth with his own, and sucking on his lushly swollen lower lip.
They bucked against each other with wild abandon, hands clutching, hips grinding, lips clinging, their hardness cradled together between their bellies.
With a groan Harry stiffened, and a moment later Sirius gave one final thrust of his pelvis and was still. They stood clutching each other, suddenly weak at the knees. Harry nuzzled his face against Sirius' neck and sighed contentedly and Sirius hugged him tightly.
"Yeah, I really missed you." He confirmed dryly as he peeled himself stickily away from Sirius.
Sirius chuckled. "I could tell."
"You know this is your fault don't you?" Harry said with a smile.
"My fault?" Sirius said in innocent puzzlement.
"Yep, there is the perfect seduction scene set upstairs, fresh satin sheets, candles just begging to be lit, instead I end up helplessly writhing against the kitchen table!" Harry pressed a soft kiss to Sirius' lips and dragged the red velvet heart towards them, "And you distracted me from my line of questioning too, with naughty comments. What do you have to say for yourself?" Harry teased.
"Um, I'm a bad boy, spank me?" Sirius suggested cheekily.
Harry shook his head and flipped the heart to one side.
When Sirius saw what the plush velvet heart had covered, his own heart leapt and he struggled to breathe normally.
Harry looked at him with an agonized expression on his face, "I hope I'm right to do this," he said as he scooped up the small black velvet jewellery box and scrutinised Sirius' stunned expression nervously.
"This isn't exactly the ideal romantic situation for this I know, and this isn't precisely what I planned, but since when were we an average couple? I'm not much good at saying all this sort of stuff, but I love you, and that isn't going to change, so, uh, will you marry me?"
Sirius grinned gleefully and threw his arms around Harry, before capturing his mouth in a loving kiss.
"Can I take that as a yes?" Harry asked long minutes later when they pulled apart.
"Yes."
With a grin Harry flipped the box open and produced two rings. "From the Potter family vault," he said softly, "I don't think they had been used for about a century or two,but I thought that they would suit us."
Sirius let Harry slide one of the rings on to his finger, it was a simple gold band with four small rubies set equal distances apart around the band, and Sirius nodded approvingly as Harry guided the ring into place, "You're stuck with me now you know." He commented.
"Good, now give me the other one so I can make sure you get stuck with me."
"Well I'm sort of stuck to you already," Harry teased as he dropped the other ring into Sirius' outstretched hand.
"No off colour jokes thank you," Sirius told him with a smirk as he pushed the ring on to Harry's finger. "I get to make those."
"Well, we're engaged, and half undressed already, so whatever do you suggest we do with the rest of Valentines Day?" Harry flirted as he snuggled against Sirius.
Sirius grinned as he rolled a dice between his fingers, "Oh, I have a few ideas."