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.

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews! I love the reviewers who have been with this fic for a long time and it's very exciting to have so many new reviewers too. I love you all.

Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

Company! Finally! And (wouldn't you know?) he smelled like a brewer's armpit.

As soon as his guests left for the hospital, Sirius ran himself a bath. He needed to be clean and presentable and sane. That was the minimum required for a happy house party. Which this wasn't, of course, and he really was as concerned as everyone else about Arthur. Poor Arthur who'd been attacked by a serpent while on the guard duty that everyone had kept insisting was safe and boring and nothing to worry about.

The night had been tense and he had hated falling out with Fred and George, but some part of Sirius had experienced a reawakening. He had other people around him again. During the long wait he had become aware of the degree to which he had let himself and the house go again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd changed his sheets. Not that anyone was going to be going anywhere near his bed. Probably ever again in his life.

Sirius stepped into the bubbly water. On a little table beside the black enamel bath, were shampoo, soap, and his wand. Under it, his clean towel awaited him. All organised. He set about lathering soap onto his feet and was struck by his toe-nails. Good thing he'd remembered the wand. He summoned his nail-clippers and snipped away the claws, using his wand to set the clippings ablaze. He didn't want them in the water when he washed his hair.

Tonight he would not suffer a solitary supper. He would have Harry and a table-ful of Weasleys, including maybe … but not definitely …. But he would come here some time surely, and then they could talk and then … But best not to hope. Nothing stung like disappointment.

Sirius rinsed out the shampoo by sliding his head back under the water. He opened his eyes on the way back up and saw the silver shower head hanging over him.

Bill had stood under cold water streaming out of that, gasping, his grey pants clinging wetly to his skin, tenting tellingly. They had tangled together on the bottom of this very bath. Sirius had cast "Finite!" to stop the water from pouring into Bill's eyes.

Sirius soaped up his two hands. More cock to clean after those memories than there had been before. He rubbed both hands up his shaft, his skin singing back to him. He pulled up the foreskin, lifted his hips to push onto his palm, then pulled it right back. He stroked one foamy hand over the end, round the head. He worked slowly, still trying to half kid himself that he was washing.

He dunked a cupped hand, filling it with bath water, then clasped it round the hot, smooth end to rinse off. He'd end up stickier than when he'd started.

He was filled with visions of Bill as usual: naked, golden, freckle-backed Bill, ginger hair released from its band, hazel eyes misted by lust, the slightly paler skin of his upper arms, the dark, curling redness of his pubic hair. He always ended up at the same vision, as he clenched and stroked himself, that of Bill laid out, bum in the air, with Sirius' length thrusting into him.

How had it felt to be Bill there? With Remus and with James, Sirius had never wondered that. They had liked what they had liked and he had been happy to be of service. Moony had never suggested swapping places. James had insisted that he could top with Lily, he came to their secret assignations for something different. That had suited Sirius. He had never desired a thing inside him. A dick in his mouth was OK - was great - but he stayed in control. It wouldn't have crossed his mind to trust someone with the soft delicacy of his inner parts.

But Bill had been the same as him. And then, when Sirius had breached him, it had been no sacrifice, really. Bill had loved it. Sirius was sure he had. Nobody could fake that well. What had it felt like to be Bill?

One hand stayed to squeeze and tug his engorged shaft and his mind was still fixed on Bill's body but, for the first time in his life, Sirius slipped a finger between his scrawny buttocks, through the coarse hair, to the slightly raised, puckered skin protecting his hole. He rubbed at it lightly and snagged himself with his fingernail.

He tried to forget about it, to finish himself off, but it was all wrong now. He sat up, swearing, and sat on his hands to still their instinctive movements. He swallowed, concentrated on breathing steadily, tried to calm. He wasn't helped by the sight of his prick bobbing half out of the water.

He wanted to know how it felt. He couldn't fuck himself but he could finger himself. He could make the decision, in advance, just in case. He needed to know now whether it might be what he wanted.

He slid his hands out of the water and picked up the clippers. It wasn't like he expected sex any time soon, but he was going to give himself hands that would be ready, even if he was only going to have sex with himself. He trimmed the nails of fore and index fingers short, shaped the others into smooth talons for scratching hard-clutched, sweaty skin.

He should use some sort of lubrication. He wanted to stay in the bath. It was warm, relaxing, soothing. Lube would wash off. Soap? Was that a good idea? Would that be a healthy thing to have swilling round inside him? Maybe the water itself would do the trick?

He had managed to turn himself right off. His prick hung flaccid between his legs again. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, topped up the hot water. He was too nervous, this wasn't going to work.

Trying to imagine that it was Bill's, he ran a hand through his hair and then across the hollow of his cheek. The fingers of his other hand slid over his rib to a nipple. He recalled the urgent scramble on the landing outside this door. As he thought about kissing Bill, he circled his tongue in his own mouth. The hand on his face slid caresses lower over his body.

It was working, he was hardening. Briefly, his triumph at this broke the mood, but he focussed his thoughts on the settee in the sitting room across the hall. Ignoring his cock for the time being, he fingered the space behind his knee. He wasn't sensitive there, but Bill was. He recreated Bill's low moan.

Then he let his hand drift higher, into the dip between hip and pubic bones. He made a noise almost like a growl. His other hand slipped distractedly from one nipple to the other. He pinched it hard, scratched with the long nail of his ring finger.

Remembered the shower, Bill's hand holding off, fluttering over his own cock and then his nails digging into his thigh, Sirius repeated the movement as exactly as he could manage. Then, as Bill had done, he let himself grab hold of his now straining dick and pump rhythmically.

While he distracted himself with his right hand, he slipped the fingers of his left into his mouth. He knew it was coming. He was too old to try something new. A jolt of fear shot through him, shivered, and faded away. He pulled his fingers from his mouth and reached round behind himself.

The angle was wrong. He had to come in the front way, pushing past his wanking fist, which was becoming erratic and ineffective. He focused. Bill's pale arse, its golden glow of hair, the tight hole. He massaged his own. He was in!

It didn't feel like much at all. It would probably be different with someone else's fingers. So that's what he imagined. Bill's finger. He moved in and out in time with his right hand. He wouldn't last much longer. His thumb moved over his weeping slit at the top of each stroke. He pushed in another finger. The friction inside shot unexpected sensations through him. He ground down involuntarily. Visualised Bill's prick in him. Came.

Panting, he opened his eyes. The shower head still stared down at him.

Not bad. Nowhere near the prostate and still not bad.

He was going to need a shower now.

Author's note: Yes? No? Too much? Not enough? I can't view it objectively. Please tell me - even if it's negative. I need to know!