Disclaimer: We all know how these work, I acknowledge that J.K. Rowlings, Warner Bros. and Scholastic own Harry Potter and all other characters and settings from cannon, and I get to write whatever I please and even add in characters of my own as long as I don't get any money. The no money sucks but there you go, at least I don't get lawyers knocking on my door.

Sirius' Savior

Chapter 15 Falling in Love part 1

Sirius and Harry looked at each other then at Beth. Awkward didn't begin to cover it. "You know about wizards are you a witch?" Sirius ventured quietly.

"No I'm a squib. What a two wizards doing at a non-magical resort?"

"Remember when I mentioned Harry's condition what I didn't mention was it's a spell and we live as muggles so his condition doesn't kill him."

"Oh."

"Do you not like us anymore Beth?"

Beth looked down into the anxious emerald eyes, and considered the question. They were the same people they had been that morning. They hadn't told her before, but with the International Statute of Secrecy it wasn't something you could just announce. They hadn't known she knew about magic and Harry's question certainly reflected that he knew the attitude that was prevalent among squibs. That, that feeling was usually mutual wasn't part of the question. Beth took a deep breath "I still like you and I understand why you didn't tell me." Beth took a deep breath and smiled as both Harry and Sirius relaxed. "After all you're the same people you were this morning aren't you?"

The vacation continued in the same bent for another week, with a slight change. Beth took Sirius' words about self defense to heart and started to join them for their morning spar. Beth was amused to see Harry taking the lead as her instructor. Her taught her basic stances and how to fall without getting hurt before teaching her some basic punches, kicks, and throws. It fascinated her when he would do katas with his eskrima sticks,or a staff or two sai, because it was such a contrast to the sweet gentle boy he generally seemed.

Harry had lost his surfboard to the shark attack, it had washed into shore in pieces showing a bite that surely would have killed Harry had he stayed on the board. Harry had begged to go into the nearby city to see about getting a new surfboard but Sirius had put it off. His therapy wasn't going as well as he wanted and he had caught a cold; but with the potions he was taking he couldn't take Pepper Up to get rid of it. Beth took pity on Sirius and took Harry for a shopping trip. Harry was so happy to be going with her, he didn't object at all to trailing after her, much to her amusement. He seemed as excited as she was to see what the shops had to offer and he joined her in buying gifts for his friends back home.

They were window shopping while they waited for a photo shop to develop their film when they walked past a dress shop that sold evening gowns and wedding dresses. Harry stopped. He pointed to the dress hanging in the window, "You should try that on."

"What?"

"You should try that on."

Beth looked at the gown it was a gorgeous silk gown with an empire waist and pearl and crystal beading on the bodice. It was a lime green but had an almost gold iridescent quality. She couldn't resist. "Alright." They went in the shop and she put it on. The shop owner had to supply her with a strapless bra and an appropriate petticoat. But aside from being a little loose in the bust the dress looked absolutely amazing on her. She moved out so she could look at it in a mirror and so Harry could see her.

"You look amazing Beth." Harry said with a tone of wonder in his voice.

"I do, don't I." She looked in the mirror. "Harry find the tag. If it's less than $1800 I think I'll get it."

Harry found the tag it read $2500. "It's $2500."

"Pity." Beth longingly stroked the dresses skirt. "Oh well." She headed back to the dressing room.

Harry made up his mind in that instant. Sirius had long ago supplied him with a debit card he seldom brought it out of his wallet but he decided Beth deserved that dress. He went to the counter. "Excuse me, I want to purchase that dress for my friend and all the underclothes to go with it." He noticed in the display case a tiara that looked like a delicate wreath of flowers made of gold, pearls and crystals, there was also a bunch of small claw clasp flower clips that seemed to match. "Also that tiara and twenty of those clips."

The shopkeeper gave him a disbelieving look; so he whipped out his wallet and his platinum debit card. The shopkeeper's eyebrows rose to her hairline but she quickly tallied the requested items and ran the card. Harry input his pin, keeping one eye peeled for Beth. The shop owner was even more shocked when the transaction went through. Harry said "I want you to deliver everything to Palau Pacific Resort Room 215." He gave the shop keeper $30 to comply with his wishes.

Harry had a plan. He was certain that Sirius was more interested in Beth than any woman he had ever met. If Sirius saw her in that dress he would never let Beth go; Harry was sure of that. The Resort had a special romantic dinner on the beach he'd seen it advertised in the lobby. He would book that dinner for the two of them and claim to be fighting a cold that would make the two of them be alone together and then...

Beth came out of the dressing room once again in her shorts and camp shirt. They left and headed back to the photo shop. The last stop of the day was the surf shop. Harry picked out a new board. It was bigger than his old one but he figured he'd grow into it. The surf shops owner was a little surprised as was Beth, when Harry once again pulled out his debit card to pay for the new surfboard.

Sirius was sleeping and his fever had broken when they returned to the resort. Harry told Beth,"Thanks for taking me shopping Beth. Sirius and I are going to watch a movie tonight and keep it low key and have room service deliver want to join us?"

"Not tonight Harry. I think Sirius would prefer to be miserable in private."

Later after dinner when Sirius fell asleep Harry called the concierge desk.

"Hello, this is Harry Potter in 215, I wanted to inquire about the King and Queen Dinner."

"Yes Mr. Potter."

"How far in advance do you need to make a reservation?"

"Two days. Would you like to make a reservation?"

"Yes please. In two days."

"Alright a reservation in the name of Potter.."

"Black."

"Alright. A reservation in the name of Black in two days. You're in luck no one else has made a reservation for that evening."

"Thank you I'll be by to pay for it in advance tomorrow."

The next day Harry decided to go all out. He used the computers to print invitations to both Sirius and Beth that would make them think the other sent them he left them unsigned so as to avoid an actual lie. He also printed a sheet so Beth would think she won an additional spa day so she would be at her most relaxed and beautiful tomorrow evening. When the box from the dress shop came he took the tiara and clips out. Then he arranged for the box containing the dress to be delivered to Beth's room the following day while she would be busy at the spa. He arranged for her to have their Milky Way Escape package, a facial, a manicure and a pedicure he then made arrangements for a hair styling appointment at the hair salon he showed the hairstylist a picture of Beth then the tiara and clips and asked her to come up with something, leaving the accessories with her. He paid for all the appointments in advance and gave generous tips. He arranged for Sirius' tux to be pressed and delivered back to the room that afternoon. Sirius had packed it on principle but hadn't used it the entire trip. He arranged for the invites to dinner to be delivered around eight forty five that evening, and Beth's spa day at lunch today. He hustled back to get to the room before Sirius made it back from his therapeutic workout in the fitness room. He would use the time tomorrow night to do the work he was supposed to do today, while he was plotting instead.

At lunch Beth was delighted by her "free" spa package. Sirius teased her about being vain and she paid him back by pushing him out of the boat on their fishing excursion that day.

That night Harry asked Sirius, "Sirius what do you think of Beth?"while Sirius tucked him into bed.

"I think she's....wonderful. She's witty, intelligent, caring, sensitive, beautiful. She has a great sense of humor but knows when to be no nonsense. I think she's special, Harry."

"Do you think you might ever want to marry her?"

Sirius was startled by the question. "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. How would you feel about it?"

"I think I'd like that. Goodnight."

A few minutes later a knock came the bellboy handed Sirius the message, and gratefully took the two dollars Sirius gave him as a tip. Sirius read the invite to a private dinner on the beach for the following night at sunset and smiled. He decided he and Harry would dress up. He glanced at the white dinner jacket tux he had packed for the trip and smiled. Here he had thought he wasn't going to use it this trip.

The next morning while working out on the beach Sirius and Beth shared many lingering looks. Harry barely avoided teasing them, Beth suggested an alternate ending to their workout and taught them a few of the yoga poses she used to stay in shape. Sirius failed miserably much to the amusement of Beth and Harry. She then headed off for her spa day. At midday Harry decided it was time for the next step.

"Sirius, I don't want to have dinner on the beach tonight. I don't feel to good. Besides this will be a chance for you and Beth to be alone."

Sirius had been thinking how he would like to have time alone with Beth ever since Harry had asked him if he might ever consider marrying Beth. His gut reaction to that question was yes, but he wasn't sure he was ready to say that out loud to anyone. "Okay kiddo, if you're sure. So you think I should make it a romantic dinner, huh?" At Harry's nod he continued. "I suppose I should dress up then. My tux you think? Should I use the red cummerbund or a different color do you think? Should a get some flowers for her?"

"Yeah definitely the tux, but not red. When we were shopping we saw this pretty green dress that Beth liked the color of. And definitely yes on flowers she likes roses best. When we passed a flower shop she said her favorites were the Change of Heart tea roses which the florist had on display, but she also smelled some white ones that had a strong scent."

"Don't suppose you found out her favorite candy?"

"I live to serve, peppermint." Harry said with a grin.

"Great I'll go get the flowers and the peppermint and when I'm back and mostly dressed you can help me change the tie, cummerbund and hankie."

"Okay. Only as long as you have the waiter take a couple of pictures."

"Deal."

Beth felt like a princes as she practically floated back to her garden view room. The hairstylist had put her hair into an up do using a gift Harry had sent. Harry's note said she deserved something pretty for being so sweet as to take him shopping and he though she deserved a crown like a princess but the tiara was the closest he could find that he could afford. When she got to her room she almost fainted from shock. The dress from the shop lay on the bed, along with the required undergarments. Harry must have told Sirius about it. She shouldn't accept it, but it was so beautiful. Finally she gave into temptation and dressed in the gown.

Sirius found the florists where Harry told him to and bought nine of each of the roses Harry mentioned. He made sure the florist used stay fresh water vials on them as they wouldn't be immediately put into a vase. He then asked the florist if the was a shop where he could get an expensive vase nearby. The florist looked at him like he was crazy but directed him anyway. Sirius found a simple Wedgewood lead crystal vase that he thought Beth might like and bought it. He then made his way to a candy shop and bought a small box of peppermint straws. Going back to the resort he realized he only had an hour till he was supposed to be on the beach.

He gave the vase and all but one of the roses to the concierge to deliver to Beth's room while they were at dinner but took the last rose and the candy with him. He hurried back to the suite and as soon as he got there he quickly cleaned up then dressed. Harry told Sirius about the dress he and Beth had seen, and Sirius with help from Harry changed the red accessories for his tuxedo to a matching green using magic.

With the gold studs in his tuxedo shirt and gold cuff links, Harry knew Sirius would be a match to Beth. He resolved to slip out and take some pictures of his own.

Sirius left for the beach feeling strangely nervous but at the same time calm as if this night was meant to be. He got to the beach just as Beth did and froze.

Beth couldn't believe how handsome Sirius was. She had always been shy in school and had not dated much. Yet now here she was on a romantic beach with a man that put the best looking males in back in school to shame; Sirius was so much more than a handsome face though. He was smart, caring and brave and in her mind the epitome of what she wanted.

Sirius meanwhile was struggling to remember how to breathe. Beth was so beautiful in that gown she looked like a goddess. Eventually he remembered his manners and he offered her the rose and his arm and they walked the rest of the way together. They were so intent on each other, they completely missed the boy carrying a camera that followed them.

Harry laughed inwardly as he took pictures of Sirius' and Beth's shellshocked faces when they first saw each other and the blushes that followed. After they had sat down and had eaten two courses of the seven course dinner, Harry abandoned his photography. But by that time, he had already seen three kisses. He suspected there would be more to come.