Harry poured them a second drink, and then gave himself up wholeheartedly to laughter. Sirius was being entertaining tonight in a way Harry hadn't really realised he could be. He'd always realised that Sirius could be deemed something of a comedian, but he hadn't ever known how intrinsic his humour had been before his time in Azkaban had crushed so much life out of him.
At long last he felt as if he was getting to know the real man, and that he had learnt more in less than an hour and over three drinks than he had in the entire time Sirius had served as his godfather.
The thought sobered him a little, he wondered for a moment if he wasn't setting them both up for more hurt in the morning. But he couldn't back down now.
As Sirius paused in his barrage of flirtation to take a gulp of his drink Harry let his eyes roam past him briefly and started a little as he saw his parents drifting towards them hand in hand.
"Uh, I think your friend from earlier is heading this way." He told Sirius quickly, amazed that he'd been able to force the words out so casually.
Sirius promptly spun around in his seat and made frantic and unsubtle shooing motions at a grinning James and Lily.
Harry hid a twisted smile of wistful amusement behind his glass as the two teens ignored Sirius's very obvious signals and came and stood beside their table. "What do you two want?" Sirius whined.
Harry found himself subjected to a thorough inspection by both Lily and James and managed to relax enough to give them both a lazy smile, though his heart was beating in a wildly out of control fashion.
His parents. Living. Breathing the same air as him and Sirius. He was suddenly conscious of the feeling of walking with ghosts that were somehow more real than him.
He had to forcibly shake off his mental meanderings to pay enough attention to realise that apparently he had passed muster, because James smiled and briefly introduced himself and Lily before announcing with a wink at Sirius that he was taking Lily home with him, and Sirius could have their room to himself until tomorrow evening when he would be coming back.
Harry's heart leapt. James and Lily were leaving, so they would be out of danger even if Bellatrix's probably fictional death eater friend put in an appearance.
It was strange. He'd been certain that if he'd ever had the unlikely chance to see his parents again he would cling helplessly to them. Now he was almost glad they were going - and not just for their safety.
He watched his parents walk away with a longing that was surprisingly faint. Now he was free to concentrate on Sirius.
"So, do you maybe want to go up to the room me and James had?" Sirius asked uncertainly after Lily and James had exited the pub. "It's single beds but I can transfigure one or something."
Harry grinned at him, "Having a drink and a chat with me doesn't obligate anything more, I didn't exactly go looking for company tonight you know. Also, just because your friend cleared out of here with a literal wink and nudge doesn't mean you have to invite me up there unless you really want to."
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Harry held up a hand to stop him.
"I should also let you know that I'm leaving tomorrow morning early, and I won't be coming back, so if you do decide to invite me upstairs, then do know that this is genuinely a one-time only thing."
Sirius pushed back his chair with a determined look on his face and extended a hand, "Join me in my room?"
Harry got to his feet with a grin and linked his fingers through Sirius's, "Nope, but I'll invite you into mine, which already has a double bed."
xxx
Harry barely had the door open before Sirius kissed him for the first time.
They stood there in the open doorway tangling fingers in each other's hair, kissing until their lips felt almost too bruised to kiss any longer.
Then the sound of voices echoed further down the corridor and Harry somehow found the presence of mind to break the kiss and push Sirius further into the room, so he could close the door behind them.
Sirius moved awkwardly, apparently as dazed by the kiss as Harry himself. "What? Why'd we stop?" he asked confusedly.
Harry closed the door with a smirk and moved towards the bed, throwing off his cloak as he went, he stopped by the bed, his hands teasingly planted on his belt buckle, "Well, where I'm from, this isn't a spectator sport."
Sirius grinned and followed, his hands gliding over the top of Harry's own, the caress of his hands mimicked by the caress of his eyes over Harry's still-clothed form. "I can't believe one kiss got me hot enough to almost not care about other guests walking past. That was a once-in-a-lifetime sort of moment for sure."
"Only once?"
"Try me."
Their second kiss was as hot as the first; mouths firm but tender this time, tongues sharing intimacies and promises for the night to come.
Their lips eventually parted and Harry moaned Sirius's name, and began pulling at his clothing as he rubbed up against him desperately. He yanked the shirt free of his jeans, pushing it up slightly and running his fingers over Sirius's bared stomach and then round his waist, following the line of the denim on his flesh. His body was firm and warm, strong young muscles gliding smoothly under his feverishly seeking hands.
He managed to unbutton the shirt and pull it off completely, tossing it to the floor, and leaned in close for another kiss as he revelled in feeling gloriously bared skin under his fingertips.
Sirius had been busy with Harry's own black shirt, and presently managed to drag it off his shoulders and push it down his arms. It dropped to the floor unnoticed as skin met skin and they curled around their arms around each other, close and intimate as they kissed, their smoothly muscled chests rubbing against each other.
Then they were kicking off their shoes, dragging off their socks, and Sirius was gently pressing Harry down on to the expanse of bed beside them and moving to kneel over him, still gasping for breath from the passionate kisses they had shared.
Harry smiled up at him, and slid his fingers through Sirius's belt loops and slowly pulled him closer. Sirius hissed between his teeth at the almost painfully pleasurable friction they were creating, it sent long, white arrows of pleasure directly into his brain and he gasped as Harry lifted his hips slightly and rubbed gently against him again.
Sirius propped himself up on his elbows and ducked his head for another kiss before rocking gently against Harry who moaned appreciatively against Sirius's mouth.
Then Harry had his hands spread over Sirius's shoulders, and was trailing his fingers up and down, lighting up every nerve in his body. He could feel the muscles in Sirius's back tense and release slightly as he thrust shallowly against him and then he was rolling them over and was up on his knees, fingers working swiftly but clumsily at the fastening of Sirius's jeans.
Eager fingers helped him, and then promptly went to work on his own trousers.
Between them they managed to peel off what was left of their clothing and at last lay naked with legs and arms tangled in passion as they kissed and caressed every inch of skin they could put hand or mouth to.
Teeth softly nipped at earlobes, and fingertips gently teased, palms smoothed over curves of muscle, lips brushed shoulders, and tongues lapped at sensitive nipples.
Learning, tasting, remembering.
Sirius allowed Harry to crawl partially on top of him, and sighed with pleasure as Harry kissed him deeply before his hands crept lower. Sirius let his legs drop apart, wordlessly giving Harry the access he sought, and he sighed as he heard Harry whisper a lubricating charm.
Sirius's body ached for Harry; he could not wait any longer to feel him, between his thighs, pushing into him. But Harry would not be hurried.
Then Harry moved fluidly, the barest of smiles tracing along his lips as he flexed his body, sinew and muscle flowing smoothly beneath the skin. He came to rest fully between Sirius's parted thighs, his eyes searched Sirius's for some sign of rejection, but Sirius merely sank his fingertips into Harry's hips and tried to pull him into his body.
Harry eased forwards with supreme gentleness, allowing Sirius more than ample time to adjust, despite the preparation he had lavished on him.
But Sirius would have none of it, and his hips squirmed up to meet Harry's tentative thrusts. Harry remained still for a moment, valiantly recovering his self-control, but then Sirius was urging him on with eager hands.
Harry whimpered breathlessly. He was finding that making love to Sirius was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and the dizzy spiralling in his head was almost lifting him from reality. He went with it helplessly, squeezing his eyes shut at the intensity of sensation.
Sirius moaned beneath him, hands balled into tight fists. His breath was heaving in his lungs, and he knew he was whimpering and moaning pathetically.
It was far better than anything either had experienced before.
They both came down slowly, panting raggedly as Harry sagged over Sirius.
"Oh Merlin..." he muttered, burying his head in the crook of Sirius's neck as the aftershocks still fluttered around their sweat drenched bodies.
Sirius nodded mutely, as he lay satiated, hands tracing slowly over Harry's sweat-slicked back.
xxx
Harry's fingers worked softly to memorize the features of the man lying beside him, knowing there would be no later times. This was now, the only now they would ever have. The feel of his skin, the faintest rasp of stubble on his jaw, the sound of him breathing - all of it to be soaked up and stored away in memory
Sirius was smiling as he slept, beautiful and sinful, like an angel fallen from grace.
A sight never to be forgotten.
Harry's eyes devoured him until sleep overcame him too.
xxx
The hours of full darkness were soon passed, and the faint sunshine of the coming day poured in the window, the light wrapping its tendrils around Harry and Sirius as they slept on.
Finally, as the sun soared higher in the heavens Sirius stirred and looked at the man sleeping beside him, a strange painful smile on his face.
"Just one night." He reminded himself softly, tracing a finger down the side of Harry's face.
Harry woke with a start, he had grown used to waking at the slightest sound or movement during the war, so a gentle touch and a wistful murmur from a man he loved was more than enough to wake him.
"Morning." Sirius mumbled sheepishly.
Harry smiled in sad recognition of the morning after syndrome. "Morning Sirius."
Then before they could say more they moved as one, lips clinging, hands clasping, and Harry found himself blanketed by Sirius this time.
"Can I?" Sirius asked, his fingers already trailing down Harry's body.
Harry spread his legs to accommodate Sirius in the cradle of his hips and gave himself up to sensation one last time. "Yes. Please."
xxx
"Am I ever going to see you again?" Sirius couldn't help asking a little desperately as Harry dressed and gathered his few belongings together.
Harry opened his mouth to say no, and changed his mind, opting for total honesty. "Yes, someday, though you probably won't recognise me." To himself he murmured, "It might be better if you don't."
But Sirius's sharp ears caught the comment and he frowned to himself in mild puzzlement as he moved closer and pulled his lover into his arms. "Well, I'm sorry it was just for one night, but I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world. It was great to meet you Harry and I'm sorry I won't get to know you better."
Harry smiled and kissed Sirius lingeringly, trying to pour all his years of pent up feelings of love into that one kiss, "I'm so very glad I met you Sirius, and I'm so sorry that there couldn't be more than this." He said with more feeling than Sirius could guess at.
His heart was breaking all over again, but at the same time he was grateful for this chance, grateful that they had finally got their moment of peace. They had enjoyed a stolen night and he'd finally got to know Sirius the way he'd needed to. It was finally time to let go, time to say goodbye.
It was almost like an exorcism such was the relief. This chance to truly hold and then let go of the man he had loved so deeply and with such futility.
He left Sirius with one last needy kiss and strode off down Diagon Alley, resolutely not looking back.
He saw now that he had been languishing in the ashes of his own despair, giving himself to a man he didn't truly love, allowing some of the best years of his life to slide past him, unlived. What kind of tribute was that to a man who had loved life so much? A man who had been willing to give his own life for Harry's?
He reached the building in Knockturn Alley with a few minutes to spare and he un-warded the door to find a disgruntled Bellatrix sitting exactly where he had left her, tied to a chair. He hastily stunned her for good measure as she began hurling abuse at him, and walked into the room to stand beside her to wait for the spell to kick in.
"I know you're out there somewhere." Harry whispered as the world rippled around him and the past faded away and the future drew closer, "I want you to know that I love you, that I will always love you, but I think now that I can let you go at last."