Black Hearts Run Free

Sirius paced the parlour, back and forth, back and forth, seven sets of eyes following his every move waiting for him to make up his mind.

"But why me? Why can't one of the girls kiss them?" he practically whined, running his fingers through his hair for what must have been the hundredth time since he had entered the oppressing room. The feeling in the air was almost tangible, a mixture of anticipation, excitement and underlining it all dread.

"We've been over this man; the one who cast the spell must be the one to reverse it," George responded for what must have been the two hundredth time since they had revealed their 'plan'.

Hermione sat by his side on the couch and Fred had wedged himself next to her so that she was dwarfed between the two. Fred had been rubbing his hands together in anticipation for quite some time now, his eyes never leaving Harry and Draco. She managed to look studiously curious, as if she wouldn't allow herself to become too hopeful that the project would work and she could avoid the disappointment that was sure to follow.

Sirius turned pleading eyes toward Remus, who sat with his hand propping up his chin from the arm chair on the opposite side of the room, he was either brooding that he hadn't come up with this idea first or just bored – it was hard to tell. Ginny sat cross legged at his feet, practically bouncing in excitement. No help would come from either of them he realized with mounting dread.

"So I just smear on some of this stuff and then BAM their back to normal," he re-affirmed, twirling the tube of magical lip gloss between his fingers.

"That's the theory, so let's get this show on the road Sirius," Remus sighed waving toward the waiting rodents.

Sirius applied the lip gloss liberally and smacked his lips together for good measure before approaching his godson who was waiting for him on the table that had been moved to the centre of the room. Although trembling, the little black bunny didn't try to run and seemed to draw all of its courage as it was picked up from beside its white companion.

Both squeezed their eyes shut as lips met in the most anti-climatic kiss to be exchanged within the house of Black in weeks. Everyone stood watching as nothing happened, the tall grandfather clock in the corner loudly ticking by the seconds as each of them in turn let out a long breath of defeat.

"You said this would work!" gritted out Sirius, who had gone red from embarrassment and fury, turning all of his anger to the twins on the couch with his lover wedged between them.

"Perhaps it just needs a little … tweaking," offered Fred, who jumped to his feet and snatched the tube from the table before Sirius could throw it into the fire.

"Oh by all means, tweak away," he hissed, and slumped down against the wall, folded his arms across his chest and watched murderously as the twins and Hermione converged around the table to brainstorm. Unable to help himself Remus quickly joined the hushed conversation. Ginny got gracefully to her feet and approached Sirius looking down at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Do you mind?" she asked, indicating the spot on the floor beside him, Sirius waved a hand which could have been interpreted as anything and Ginny plopped down beside him, following his gaze to the other occupants of the room as she spoke.

"I'm sorry about your shoes," her apology sounded sincere enough but Sirius only grunted in acknowledgment. They watched in silence as Remus and Hermione bent over a heavy text book and Fred and George scribbled notes on a scrap piece of parchment.

"I've been wanting to speak to alone but things have been kind of hectic these last few days," she whispered, leaning close to his ear. Sirius glanced at her wanting to retort that she had had plenty of opportunity but his words seemed to die on their way to his tongue when he saw her that her expression had turned quite serious.

"What about Witchling?" he asked turning his gaze back to the others again.

"Well us. I um, I wanted to save you the trouble of having to choose," she admitted, her voice barely audible. Sirius's head swivelled back to look at her.

"What?" he barked.

"Shhh!" her hand flew to cover his mouth but the others had taken no notice of his outburst.

"What do you mean?" he asked, lowering his voice to her level and searching her blue eyes for answers.

"I mean, well I was going to tell you earlier but well I knew you would react badly and everything has just happened so fast. Mum always said I should settle down and I'm not getting any younger – the boys will be happier I suppose, but you know commitment and me …" she trailed off and looked away; Sirius followed her gaze when it dawned on him.

"Remus" he said, feeling no anger just wondering how he could have missed it.

"Yes," she answered simply, "I guess you can be with Hermione now, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"But … how, when?" Sirius asked, watching his best friend pull another book out from behind an armchair and opening to precisely the right page.

"As I said it was kind of sudden, but one minute I was crying over you, the next he was there comforting me and I realised that he had been there all along I had just been blind," Remus had chosen that moment to glance over at them and he notice them exchange a small smile – now that he knew it was so bleeding obvious.

"But earlier in my bedroom …"

"Oh that, I suppose you could call that a break up shag, it just wasn't meant to be Sirius," she explained before patting him on the knee and getting up to see if she could help her brothers brain storm. Sirius dropped his head into his hands and tried to block it all out. He was sad that she was no longer his but he wasn't one to become possessive. All good things must come to an end.

It was some time later when he was woken from his uncomfortable nap on the floor by a bushy haired witch shaking his arm. Everyone had changed into traditional robes of multi-hued fabrics and were setting up the room for some kind of ritual.

"What's going on?" he asked, watching Remus levitate an army of candles around the room and the twins pushing furniture against the walls.

"We think we have come up with a way to change the boys back, its not what Fred & George were going for but if this works then with a bit of modifying the 'Lippy Lifter' will be better than we thought" Hermione explained, excitement making her eyes shine.

"Does this mean I won't have to kiss them?" He asked hopefully, allowing her to help him off the hard floor.

"Um no, you will still have to do that part – but we are almost certain it will work this time, Ginny came up with a great idea and well … you'll see," she led him over the edge of a half complete chalk drawn circle. The table had been removed and either Hermione or Remus had drawn runes within the circle, Harry and Draco sat obediently within a much smaller inner circle.

Ginny was almost finished laying down the circle and motioned him to enter it before joining the lines behind him.

"Now whatever you do, do not break the circle," she warned, drawing her wand from within her emerald robes and levitating a basket full of cuttings from the back garden to her side before taking her place directly opposite him outside of the circle, scattering the herbs in a rough circle around herself.

"If everyone has what they need I think we should get a start," Remus announced, having finished lighting the candles, he moved to stand in a small circle of red candles, which matched his robes, directly behind Sirius. He saw George extract another piece of parchment and a self inking quill to take notes on the whole things.

Fred stood in yellow robes to his left, surrounded by a circle of oddly shimmering objects. Hermione stood opposite Fred with small copper bowls filled with water almost brushing her sapphire robes. Sirius began to feel a little apprehensive as to what was going to happen – Invoking the elements was not something one would use in their everyday spells.

"Now Sirius, we are going to link our individual energies to each circle so we don't have to hit the love bunnies directly, I don't think their poor hearts could take it – then I want you to draw the energy into your wand before touching it to your lips and charging the lip gloss, does that make sense?" Ginny asked, shaking her hair out of her face and avoiding looking at him, whether out of guilt for leaving him for his best friend or because she was trying to focus on the task at hand Sirius didn't know.

"And then I just … kiss them?" he confirmed, and they all nodded their heads. Taking a deep breath he reapplied the 'Lippy Lifter' then took out his wand and leant down to touch the chalk line.

"Ok, go," he said when he was ready. Ginny touched her circle, and the herb cuttings rose around her in a green spiral, taking her lead Fred did the same and the small glittering objects turned out to be a collection of wings from various species that came to life and fluttered around him on an invisible wind.

Hermione and Remus were next, flame and water spiralling high around them. All four colourful displays rose high in the air before sinking to the ground and following the chalk line. The display only lasted seconds before all 4 combined energies surged up Sirius's wand.

"Now!" someone, he wasn't sure who, shouted from the side line and he brought his wand tip to his lips, feeling it tingle all the way down his spine. It was now or never and he knew that he would be in trouble for the rest of his life if he left his godson the way he was. Approaching the inner circle he picked up Harry first, who trembled slightly in his hand as Sirius gave him an apologetic look.

He leaned in close, puckered his lips, prayed to the gods and went in for the kill. The occupants of the room drew a collective breath as lips met and it was a long second before the object in hand shimmered and Sirius went from holding a furry body to holding his only godson, the closest thing he had to a relative's smooth bare arse cheeks.

Dropping his hands as if they had been burned he took a surprised step back and wiped the back of his hand across his lips, "Don't break the circle!" Ginny cried as his foot brushed the shimmering lines. Sirius came to his senses and saw Harry hastily cover himself with his hands before turning back to look at his lover.

Sirius made to go and pick up Draco so he could get the deed over and done with when he was stopped by Harry restraining hand.

"I have an idea," he announced and took Sirius's wand from his hand to charge the remaining lip gloss on his lips. The boy who lived then shoved Sirius aside and kissed Draco himself. The effect was just the same and they were joined by an equally naked and thoroughly pissed off pureblood.

Ginny was the first to break her circle, squealing loudly and jumping into the main circle to embrace first Harry then Draco, the others followed suit and in all the excitement and jumping around Sirius turned to find what he would later convince himself was a figment of his imagination, and Hermione would convince him that it wasn't.

There, just outside the circle most of them now occupied stood his lover in the arms of not one red head but two and then arms became lips as she kissed one with more passion than he had seen in her in a good while before turning to the other and returning the favour.

He was mortified, he was infuriated, he was humiliated and worse of all he was it seemed the only one in the dark about this sordid little relationship as every else saw their public display of sick affection and turned away in understanding. But not before giving Sirius looks of pity.

Sirius didn't hang around to celebrate.

It would be some months later when the two women who had once occupied so much of Sirius' time and affection would seek him out on a late summer's afternoon. Both looked fresh and happy as they came across him relaxing in his hot tub, alone.

"Hello ladies," he greeted, over his anger, his begging and finally his cold shoulder treatment that had become unbearable.

"What can I do for you on this fine day?" he asked when neither of them returned the greeting, only sharing a look between them.

"Actually we came to ask a favour," Hermione began, twisting her wand nervously in her hands and sharing a look with Ginny.

"Ask away."

"Well you see, ever since Remus took on the role with Fred and George to develop all these new products Hermione and I have been feeling kind of …" Ginny began

"Neglected" Hermione finished for her, expelling a deep breath she must have been holding.

Sirius just looked from one to the other hoping against hope they were asking him what he hoped they were asking him. Ginny seemed to confirm this when she shed her pale pink robe to reveal not much underneath.

"We just wanted a little bit of attention," she whispered as she joined him in the heated water, Sirius smiled and could have sworn his dreams had come true when Hermione slipped out of her robes and joined them too.

Life was good.

The End

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