Sirius sighed as he finished his report, closing the file. For the first time in his life, he was actually working hard. Throwing himself into his job to distract himself from his miserable home life.

That night Harry had told him Crosby was allergic to dogs, something Sirius still refused to believe, an argument had broken out between them. Sirius didn't remember much of it, but it must have been bad by the way Harry was acting.

Now it seemed that argued about everything, from Crosby, to their financial situation even to why it hadn't been cleaned up when one of the kneazles had taken a piddle in the passageway. The same thing seemed to happen all the time, Sirius didn't remember much except trading a few insults with Harry, and yet Harry would avoid him completely the next day like he'd done something drastic.

Sirius put it down to the babies getting bigger and making him cranky, but he knew inside that couldn't be the real reason…

"Black, boss wants to see you." A secretary said and he stood up from his desk, walking out of his tiny cubicle with a sigh. This was all he needed now. To be fired on top of everything else.


"Yes? Can I help you?" Sirius signalled to the piece of paper on top of the box in his arms and the woman took it, reading it carefully. "So you're Black, then?"

Sirius nodded nervously and the woman gave him a wide smile.

"Welcome, to sales and representative Mr Black. You're sharing an office with another employee, right through that door." She pointed to his right and he thanked her before going into the office. He looked around it in awe. It was at least four times bigger than his little cubicle he's worked in less than two hours ago. He guessed the empty desk was his and put his box down. A toilet flushed and someone came through the door on his left.

"Who are you?" He said in a strong Irish accent. He looked only a few years older than he was and Sirius guessed this was his new business partner.

"I'm Sirius. Sirius Black." Sirius said confidently, holding out his hand to shake.

"You're the one from T.F?" Sirius nodded the man's face lit up into a grin before he took Sirius's hand and shook it eagerly.

"Congratulations on the promotion. You're going to love it here!" He clapped Sirius on the back. "I'm Felix, by the way. Felix Kirton."

"Felix? You're Irish, right?" Felix gave another big grin.

"Born and raised. Just like me wife. Came over to England a year ago with him and our son. Anyone special in your life?"

"Yeah, my wife, well, technically wife, depends who you ask." He got out a frame with a picture of Harry in the hospital bed, holding two-day-old Crosby. "That's Harry."

"Nice." Felix said, sounding genuinely impressed. "Whose the kid?"

"That's our son. Our oldest. He's almost two now. "

"Cute, very cute." Felix said as picture Harry stared lovingly down at his son. "But still not a mark on my own."

He got a picture off his own desk and gave it to Sirius. Personally, Sirius thought that if Felix thought the person in the picture was better than Harry, he needed glasses, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Lou, only nineteen, yet already having our second, due sometime later this month." Felix said proudly.

"Really? Harry too, well, only eighteen. Our second and third, twins due in March." He almost laughed. The look on Felix's face was as good as if Sirius had slapped that smile off his face.

"Wow, we must organize for them to meet somehow."

"Yeah, I think I know how.." Sirius said, hoping that giving someone to relate to might put him back in Harry's good books…


Sirius watched curiously from bed that night as Harry sat in front of his vanity mirror getting ready for bed. Harry didn't seem that angry tonight and Sirius decided to bring up the subject of Felix and his wife. He moved a piece of hair behind his ear.

"What happened there?" Sirius asked and Harry's hand covered the bruise on his cheek.

"Oh, I tripped, today, over one of Crosby's toys."

"You need to be more careful of where you're walking." Harry visibly tensed and turned his face away from Sirius.

"Right."

"I got a promotion today."

"That's Great, Sirius."

"Listen, there's this co-worker of mine. And I invited him and his wife to come for dinner tomorrow." Harry slammed the tweezers that were in his hand on the table. He turned to Sirius angrily.

"Without even asking if it was alright first?"

"No, I thought that you wouldn't mind… but if it's a problem, I'll tell him never mind." Harry turned away again, picked up the tweezers and carried on. He didn't say another word until he got up and climbed into bed next to Sirius.

"Tell them to be here at seven." Sirius tried to hug him.

"Thank you…" Harry pushed him off.

"Don't!" Sirius let go. "Just, don't touch me!" He turned away from him and Sirius sighed before doing the same and, like every other night, fell asleep wishing he'd thought his decision in December through…


Long wait, I know. I am finally re-writing the last of the stuff I lost for this story... so the updates should go quicker. Merry Christmas and Happy New year to everyone.

This chapter is for Boblin, who is angry at me for my Necro suggestion. I've got a NevilleGinny story with your name on that I don't know what to do with...