HARRY POTTER AND EVERYTHING RELATING TO THAT MAGICAL UNIVERSE BELONG TO JK ROWLING, WARNER BROS, BLOOMSBURY BOOKS ETC. AND I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ALLOWED TO PLAY WITH IT ALL.

Let the Dog See the Rabbit

"Warm weather for September," said Bill. He sat down.

Sirius wasn't sure how to respond. The weather? He was completely thrown by having the attractive Weasley boy in the kitchen with him at all. He was trying hard to act normal, to control his behaviour. But the lad didn't make it easy. His responses were so unpredictable. It had been too long.

Sirius tried laughing. He made himself wince, it sounded like a bark. "Indian Summer," he replied.

Well, if Bill was sitting, maybe he was staying. "There's something a bit tastier than water in the fridge if you're interested." It's only beer. Why was he trying to make it sound like nectar? Sirius waved his wand to open a small door, revealing cans of Muggle lager shining enticingly with condensation droplets. "I say fridge," he added, "but we both know it's just a charmed cupboard. Mother would never have had anything as Muggle as electrical equipment in the house. I'm thinking of asking Dung to get me a television. Partly to relieve the boredom, but mostly just to annoy her portrait."

Bill grinned. "I guess I can stay for one drink," he conceded. No eye contact, though, and he stopped the smile too quickly.

Sirius poured the drinks by hand, concentrating on the angle and the speed at which the liquid hit the glasses.

Looking fixedly at the cans on the table, Bill asked, "Who did you get the Stella from then?"

Sirius responded, trying to think things through quickly, "Best not say." That might be a complication. When he glanced up at Bill's face, he could tell he was working things out. His brain looked to be moving pretty quickly.

As he accepted his drink, Bill asked, "And how did the twins get hold of it?"

Underage, of course, Sirius shouldn't have been encouraging them to buy alcohol. He just barked a laugh, not confirming or denying anything.

Instead he remarked, "That's a strange costume you've got on. You wore that to work? Where do you work again?"

"Gringotts," Bill answered, "but I've been liasing with the equivalent Muggle bank this afternoon. Exchange rates, that sort of thing. It's called a suit. It's what they expect a banker to wear." He sighed and added, "Even in this heat."

"Do they expect the pony-tail and the earring as well?" Sirius asked, grinning. He liked the pirate look.

"You sound like my mother!" Bill replied.

Not that! Surely! Sirius didn't want to have anything in common with Molly Weasley, especially not where her son was concerned. He pulled a face. Then his eyes flicked down the young man's body.

"Those trousers look uncomfortable," he said.

Quickly - too quickly - Bill answered, "No, I'm fine!"

Without thinking, Sirius said, "Yes, very fine …" then he stopped himself, worried that he might be scaring him off again. To change the subject he asked hastily, "How's it going with the goblins?"

Bill just shook his head, saying, "They're a funny lot, goblins."

"Difficult to work with?"

"You get used to it. I was out in Egypt, code breaking in the tombs. That was cool. Came back 'cos of the situation. Stuck behind a desk now," he shrugged one shoulder, but he looked disgruntled. He wanted to be active and Dumbledore had him somewhere where he had to sit still, Sirius knew how that felt. A thousand-fold.

"Another beer?" he offered, seeing Bill's glass nearly empty.

"Why not?" The red-head asked. He was more relaxed now, leaning back in the chair. He kept talking as Sirius summoned a new can. "It's not all goblins at Gringotts. Some of the other people are OK." Bill looked up pointedly as he added, "My girlfriend works there, too."

Things started to make sense. "Oh, a girlfriend. I see." Sirius responded. He tried to sound serious, but allowed a glint of mischief round his mouth and eyes.

"She's French. Very young. Very sexy. Part Veela," Bill continued, a little too enthusiastically.

Sirius tried to hide his amusement, saying, "Not surprised, good-looking boy like you," and leaning over Bill to pick up the empty glass. He stood too close to the younger wizard to slowly, slowly fill it.

Bill looked up, straight into Black's chest, revealed by a barely buttoned shirt. His eyes moved downwards of their own accord until, with visible effort, he closed them.

"And is your girlfriend …" Black emphasised the word with a dismissive, nasal sneer "… going to be joining The Order?"

"Don't know," Bill managed, hardly opening his mouth, looking like he regretted accepting that second drink.

The drink was ready, but Weasley still had his eyes shut, so Sirius quietly bent down until his face was just in front of Bill's. He gazed at the clear young skin, the tan, the spray of freckles round the long nose.

When Bill opened his eyes, he started with shock, his head snapping back.

"Drink's on the table," Sirius said simply.

Bill swallowed, nodded and Sirius sat in the seat next to him.

Glaring into the glass, Bill asked, "Why d'you do that?"

Instead of answering, the older man asked, "Couldn't bear to look at my ugly face?"

"Not exactly. I'd better go."

"Finish your drink first."

They drank in silence for a while, Sirius watching Bill, who kept his face turned firmly away.

"I expect you had lots of girlfriends when you were at school, too?" Sirius eventually asked, in a low purr.

Bill ran his hands through his hair and stood up to admit, "No, she's my first." He strode to the other side of the table, trying to look casual, keeping his back to the other wizard.

"Frustrating teenage years?"

Bill shook his head.

"Thought not," Sirius chuckled.

"Plenty of action. No girls."

"Thought so."

"Trying to go straight," Bill confessed, before finally turning to look Sirius in the eye and adding, "but I'm a bit crap at it.

Sirius grinned broadly in reply. "Why?" he asked.

"Can't stop noticing men, just need more practice …" Bill started.

"No, why go straight?"

Bill sat on the other side of the table. He answered, "Just easier, isn't it? Easier for the family, too. And she is a lovely girl. I can actually see myself marrying her and having babies and the full works."

"So what's it like, doing it with a woman?" Sirius asked.

"You don't know?"

Black shook his head.

"Nor do I. She's old-fashioned. 'Saving herself'. Which doesn't help. I mean, we do stuff, but … not much ..." Bill trailed off.

"Then how can you know?"

Bill looked confused.

"That you'll be able to? With a woman?"

"It's all going to be fine. I've got to get home. Thanks for the drinks. I feel better, not as warm …" Bill was pushing his chair back, ready to leave.

Shouldn't have pushed it, Sirius thought, gone too far, out of practice. Don't want to be on my own. Don't want to blow this! Suddenly he found himself blurting out, "You know what would really cool you down?"

Bill stopped moving, asked suspiciously, "What?"

"A shower. There's one here. In the bathroom. Your HQ, remember."

"We have got a shower at The Burrow. It's not a complete hovel."

"You'd be more comfortable Apparating!" Sirius tried, desperately.

There was a silence. Bill was completely still, eyes narrowed warily.

Sirius exhaled, threw his head back, "You wouldn't believe how cool I used to be, how smooth, how good at this. Suave, they used to call me. Does anyone say 'suave' any more?"

"No," Bill grunted. He didn't ask 'good at what?'

"And I was good-looking then. Like you. I keep forgetting what I look like now. Cool and good-looking I was. Like you. Hard to believe, I expect, but you ask anyone, ask Remus or …" his eyes flicked around as though he were searching for something, he tried to think of another name, but then he sank his face into his hands. After an agitated moment he snarled, "No, there's nobody else left. And Remus …" Stop now. No point getting into that. It probably was best if the boy left now. Sirius was about to sink into one of his melancholies. And there was no point in his being here anyway, nothing was going to happen.

But Bill stayed. Silently.

To fill the silence, Sirius said, "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how old I am. I'm ridiculous. You see, I lost a decade. More than that." He lifted his head to look down into his hands, splayed them as though he could see the lost time trickle between the fingers. He was aware that he was being odd, probably frightening the Weasley lad. He tried to pull his thoughts together, to remember how to behave normally.

He wasn't sure if he was being normal, but at least he was being honest when he said, "I was going to ask - but it's ridiculous, you'll think I'm just a … I was going to ask if I could watch. All those years in Azkaban, then on the run and now in hiding … it's been a long time since I saw anyone … a handsome naked young man … it just … but I forgot how old I am. I'm a dirty old pervert."

The chair legs squeaked on the floor-tiles as Bill stood up. Leaving, of course. Running away. Who wouldn't? Sirius kept his gaze on the table top.

At the door, Bill said, "I'm going up for a shower. I won't lock the door."