HARRY POTTER AND HIS MAGICAL UNIVERSE WERE CREATED BY JK ROWLING NOT BY ME. WARNER BRO.S, BLOOMSBURY, SCHOLASTIC ETC. HAVE RIGHTS TO IT ALL AND I DON'T.

Golden Retriever

Bill was used to waking at dawn with another body beside him. This morning, though, he didn't have to sneak back to his own bed; he could stay where he was for a few more hours. They could go into work together. It could be nice. Only this morning, it wasn't the right body.

He propped himself up on one elbow and gazed down at Fleur's sleeping form. She was as fair as Sirius was dark, as small as he was tall, as soft and curved as he was roughened and bony. Bill loved Fleur, she was one of the nicest people he knew. She wasn't moody or sullen, didn't demand his time or expect him to be able to read her mind, she had an even temper and impeccable manners towards every creature she encountered. She was kind, understanding, forgiving, beautiful, funny, clever, brave …

But when he woke up beside Sirius he always had a hard-on. He didn't care how difficult Sirius was to please, Bill was determined to make him happy. After only one night away from him, he missed the other man with a constant ache. He looked down at sweet Fleur, his best friend, at her blonde hair straggling round her head, her pouting mouth, her thick cotton pyjamas, and wished he could love her like a fiancé should.

They had kissed for a while, but had not gone any further. She was an old-fashioned girl who intended to be a virgin on her wedding night and he wasn't about to fight her for her honour. Sirius had asked him once how he knew whether he would be able to do it with a woman. He didn't know. He had grave doubts. He still wasn't quite sure what he was meant to be doing with her breasts - not that she complained about his occasional attempts - but when the pyjama bottoms came off, he wouldn't have a clue what he was looking at. Perhaps he should call Fred in, he thought, wryly, take him up on his offer to 'have a turn' with her. He might know what he was doing.

After work that day, he went to St Mungo's to visit his father. Arthur was sitting up on the bed, fully dressed and with no signs of bandages or blood.

"You look fantastic, Dad!"

"Yes. I think your mother may have to eat her words. It would appear that the Healers here may just know a thing or two!" He swung his legs rhythmically like an excited child.

"I'll tell her you said that!" Bill threatened.

"Oh, no. Please don't. I just have to be examined by one more Healer and, if she passes me fit, then I can go home today."

"Home?" Bill felt icy. He should have been ecstatic. He started again, "How cool is that? All better! Well done. The kids go back to school tomorrow, though, no point going back to The Burrow for one night."

"Oh, no. I meant Grim … erm …" Arthur trailed off, eying his fellow patients warily.

Bill nodded. He should have been more discrete. It was the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, it was top secret. This was a public place.

"I was going to Owl your mother …"

"Well, I'm here now. I'll take you back. It can be a surprise. I can't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces." He could picture them all, the whole family (except for Percy who didn't count any more after sending back his Christmas jumper) crowding round the front door as he returned their father to them, safe and sound.

"Pass us some of those grapes, will you?" Arthur asked happily. "Don't know why it's always grapes. Traditional for some reason when a person is in hospital. I wonder what Muggles do …"

Bill let his father ramble on for a while, relieved to see him in such good spirits. When there was a break in the monologue, though, he cleared his throat. He had decided that this would be the easiest place to start.

"Dad, I need to tell you something. You up to a shock?"

Arthur looked concerned, but answered, "Never been fitter!"

"I've fallen in love with someone."

Arthur relaxed. "I think I can guess what's coming!"

"I don't think you can," Bill muttered.

"You've asked the French girl to marry you?"

"Oh, yeah. That. Well, sort of, but that's not what I was going to say." Bill looked at his father, then down to the floor. "I'm in love with someone else. Actually it's …" He forced his gaze back to Arthur's, he had to judge his immediate reaction. Somehow his throat had just filled itself. He swallowed. "It's a man," he said.

To his surprise, Arthur looked quietly triumphant. "I always told Molly …" He collected himself, "Sorry, go on."

"You're not surprised?"

"Just goes to show that I know my children at least as well as she does. Is it anyone I know?"

Bill nodded. This was too easy. So far.

"Am I playing twenty questions or are you going to tell me?" Arthur asked, but then quickly added, as though he had just remembered, "You shouldn't have asked that girl to marry you!"

"Fleur. Her name's Fleur," Bill was irrationally annoyed that his father couldn't remember her name. "It's fine. She knows, she's cool with it all. You know, Pureblood Heir set-up."

Arthur's brow creased. "You know we don't approve of the old ways. You might as well go Muggle-baiting --" he began grimly.

Bill spoke over him, raising his voice involuntarily, "Well she does and so do I and that's what matters."

They both became aware at the same time that the other occupants of the room were looking over at them.

Arthur asked quietly, "And does he? Whoever he is? Is he happy with this arrangement?"

Bill looked around. It was essential that no-one overheard what he was about to say. Lives depended on it. He moved his face close to his father's ear and whispered, "It's Sirius."

Arthur didn't answer right away and Bill was too close to see his expression. By the time he had pulled back to look, though, his father was smiling.

"Good chap that," he said, nodding. "I know your mother doesn't always approve, but a good chap."

"How do you think she'll react?"

"Told me first, eh?" Arthur asked smugly. "I think she'll shout a lot. She always does. Then she'll calm down. After all, she's always said that what he needs is the love of a good woman. You'll do just as well, I'm sure."

When they got back to Grimmauld Place less than an hour later, the scene of welcoming Weasleys was just as Bill had pictured it. What was unexpected was the sight that met them all when they walked into the kitchen:

Both Sirius and Snape looking towards the door with their wands pointing in each other's faces and Harry immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each, trying to force them apart. (Chapter 24, Occlumency, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.)

The two men lowered their wands. Bill looked at Sirius' face, at the fury there, and he felt his own ire rise. Snape swished out. His shoulder knocked Bill's arm, but he didn't look back, let alone apologise. As the rest of the company settled Arthur, and Harry and Sirius welcomed him, Bill backed quietly out of the door and followed Snape up the basement steps.

The sallow crow of a man was just about to open the front door. Bill crossed the hallway in a couple of bounds and put out an arm to stop him.

The Slytherin's lip curled disdainfully. "Mr Weasley," he hissed dangerously, "control yourself. You should get back downstairs and stroke your dog friend. Going without is obviously shortening his temper."

"Watch yourself, Snape. You just be careful with Sirius." Bill brought his face down to stare into the shorter man's black eyes.

Snape looked away, as though nervous of what he might inadvertently read in Bill's mind. His sneer was undisguised, though, as he threatened, "You should be nicer to me, remember, you don't want me spilling your dirty little secret, do you?"

"Actually," Bill replied, surprising even himself with how calm his voice could sound, "I don't think it is dirty. Nor is it a secret any more. And you're behind the times, because Sirius is 'getting it' as you so maturely put it. He's getting laid every night. When did you last have anybody in your bed?"

"How dare you?" The long, black robes quivered with anger. Snape tried to push Bill away, but he wasn't strong enough.

"You're going to have to find someone else to bully into supporting your little power plays," Bill insisted, with a raised eyebrow, "Because you've got no hold over us any more. Oh, and one more thing: Sirius may be stuck in here but I'm not. And his fights are my fights now. So you be careful or I'll be bringing you to account. Got it?"

Bill backed off and Severus Snape slipped quickly through the front door. Bill took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. He didn't even know what the row in the kitchen had been about. He just knew that he was on Sirius' side.

He stood in the doorway of the kitchen for a long time, trying to attract Sirius' attention. George spotted him at one point and, later, Arthur did. He had to move before someone who didn't know anything worked out what he was doing. He didn't have the strength yet to declare himself to the full, noisy room.

He marched the length of the basement, instead, past everyone, heading into the cool pantry. He leaned against the shelves - which had been filled for Christmas, but were now nearly empty - and waited, hoping hard that his lover had got the hint. The lively voices of his family seeped in from the kitchen. Finally, the tall, dark figure filled the doorway.

Bill smiled and opened his arms, but Sirius stayed where he was. His voice was harsh as he asked quietly, "What's brilliant? What's all worked out?"

So, he'd got the Patronus, then. "Siz, I missed you. Come here?" Bill knew how pathetic he sounded. But that just was how weak he was when it came to this man. He needed him.

Sirius didn't move.

So Bill took a couple of steps forward and told him anyway, "I talked to Fleur. About you. And it's all cool. She's been brilliant about everything."

"You were with her last night?" Sirius asked, clearly through gritted teeth.

"Oh." Bill reassured him, "Nothing happened. We didn't, she doesn't." Sirius failed to look suitably pleased. "She's still a virgin."

"How perfectly brilliant!" Sirius' words dripped irony.

Sudden laughter from the kitchen rippled over them.

"It's all OK," Bill insisted, trying to convey his joy, to transmit it across the few feet of stone floor, to infect the lean man still snarling at him. "She's Pureblood, you know, old-fashioned. She doesn't mind. We don't have to keep secrets any more. I've told my Dad. I'm going to tell everybody. How much I love you."

Sirius ran his hand through his hair. After an exasperated sigh, he crossed the space between them and grabbed Bill's arms. He sank his face into Bill's neck.

"Godric's sake, Bill!" he muttered, lightly shaking his head.

Bill watched the sway of the long, black locks. "Are you happy? I thought you'd be happy. I'm happy." Bill wrapped his arms round the slim back.

"Of course I'm not happy, you idiot," Sirius grunted, still not meeting Bill's gaze. "But I'll settle. It's better than it was. If it's the best I'm going to get then I'll settle for this."

Bill had had enough of talking. He could feel the twist of muscle in his grip. The body pressed against him was everything Fleur's wasn't, was everything that every part of him had been craving since the last time he had held it. They could talk later. Sirius was being moody again, that was all. Bill knew how to make him happy.

With his wand, Bill closed and locked the door, damping down the sounds of his family on the other side of the whitewashed wall. Their voices drifted quietly into the cool, narrow space, mixed together into meaninglessness, the way spilled paint colours merge into brown. Bill turned them both to push Sirius against the wall, the narrow strip of wall where the door had been, the only unshelved space. Plaster pattered onto Sirius' shoulders.

"Look, Bill I …"

Bill closed Sirius' mouth with his own. He pressed his lips down, hard and urgent, gripping the back of his lover's head, holding the firm body still against the wall with his own. When he broke for air, Sirius swore and Bill quickly whispered, "I love you," before renewing the kiss, deeper than before, slower, softer.

He could feel the erection pushing into his hip, knew his partner wanted this as much as he did. There was the echo of the clatter of a falling pot from the next room as he unbuttoned Sirius' jeans. He took hold of the engorged shaft and pulled his hand up and down, at the same time sinking his teeth into the white flesh over Sirius' collarbone. Sirius grunted and swore again. His chest rose and fell jaggedly beneath Bill's flexing upper arm.

Bill shoved his torso against the wiry form that fulfilled him, he tasted the rough skin and salty sweat, felt Sirius' excitement in his sticky palm and heard it in his shallow panting. The smell of sex was joined by the smell of onions frying.

His mouth dry and mind empty, Bill struggled Sirius round until his forehead was against the ancient wall, pulling his hips back, forcing his jeans down. The soft scrape of the hair on Sirius' arse against his wrist made Bill moan. This was what he needed. Now he knew what he was doing!

He grabbed blindly at the shelf beside him. Sirius stilled his hand, calmly handed him the olive oil bottle.

"Careful. Quiet." Sirius growled.

Bill breathed in the silky black hair at Sirius' neck. He wrapped his arm tight round Sirius' chest, grasping at the old satin of his shirt. He tipped the open bottle over his hand and then pushed his trembling fingers into the tight warmth of his favourite hole.

A familiar Christmas tune in several inexpert voices drifted towards them, but Bill didn't notice. Nor did he notice the smell and sound of chicken browning with onions. He wasn't even aware of Sirius' groans any more as he released his erection from his pants and thrust it into Sirius. He fumbled until he had hold of Sirius' cock and stroked it in time with his hip movements.

"I love you," he gasped again, before climaxing hard and dropping onto his knees on the stone floor.

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Author's note: thanks to Julie, remuslives23 for the smut position idea - she is Mrs Smutgasm!

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