That night, Harry slept over at Sirius's flat again—although, as Sirius pointed out, it wasn't really a sleepover anymore. The next morning, Thursday, they headed to #4 Privet Drive to pack up Harry's belongings.

"I'm going to try and rent out the flat we found in the newspaper last weekend," said Sirius.

"All right," said Harry as he threw clothes randomly into the suitcase Sirius bought him.

"There's a packing strategy Remus showed us back in our first year, when we all got a dorm together," said Sirius. "We laughed at him then, but now I wonder if it'll come in handy…"

"Have you all brushed your teeth yet?" Remus demanded, poking his head out of the bathroom. "Just because your mothers aren't here doesn't mean you don't have to brush your teeth."

"Don't you start acting like my mother, Remus," said James, rummaging in his trunk. "Hmm…where did I pack that stuff again?"

"Well, it's in your toiletries bag, right?" Remus said casually.

"In my what?"

"You have a separate bag for your toiletries, a separate bag for your underwear, a separate bag for—oh, come on, am I the only one who actually packed properly?" Remus looked frustrated. "You do know you're going to be here for the better part of a year, right? You need to be organized!"

"Honestly? I just tossed everything I owned into a trunk," James admitted.

"Me too," said Sirius. "You sure you're a boy, Remus?"

"Yes, I am, just not a slob." Remus didn't look angry, just a little exasperated as he took out a collapsible clothes hamper and set it up in the corner of the room.

Using Remus's packing strategy, Harry and Sirius were able to pack Harry's things so that they fit comfortably in the suitcase. Harry filled his schoolbag with his new school supplies and textbooks, and they walked down the stairs.

Harry could not believe it. This part of his life was finally drawing to a close. No more Dudley, no more going hungry, no more horrible punishments, no more being locked in a cupboard, no more wearing hand-me-downs or being bullied on the playground…It was wonderful! Finally, he would be living with his godfather, who loved him. Sirius placed an arm around Harry's shoulders as they walked outside.

"Thank you so much, Sirius," said Harry in a small voice.

"My pleasure," Sirius said warmly.

And the two of them headed off to London.

…

Since Barbara would be coming for dinner that evening, Sirius cleaned the whole flat using magic, and Harry loved to watch. The dishes in the sink were busily scrubbing themselves clean; Sirius also had to mop the sticky kitchen floor, clean the bathroom, and pick up his clothes off the floor. He did this while Harry unpacked. Since he had used magic, the cleaning was finished in a relatively short amount of time.

Barbara was ostensibly coming over to cook dinner for the three of them, but what she didn't know was that Sirius was planning on having the Relationship Talk with her. Sirius was clearly agonized about this, although Harry could tell he was trying not to show it.

Finally, around six, there was a knock at the door. Any color that remained in Sirius's face now left it.

"Please get the door, Harry," he croaked. Harry walked to the door and watched as Sirius flicked his wand and a bouquet of red, pink and white roses bloomed out of the tip. He then pocketed his wand, and Barbara walked into the room. She was wearing a black skirtsuit, and her dark hair was straightened instead of wavy today; it was shiny and went halfway down her back, as usual. She was wearing Sirius's pearl necklace and some pearl earrings to match (although those were probably faux pearls, but one was hardly distinguishable from the other). She was carrying two loaded shopping bags.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to change out of my work clothes," she said breathlessly. "But I had to work late, and I wanted to get here on time."

"Don't worry," Sirius reassured her, then presented her with the flowers. "I got these for you."

"Oh, they're beautiful!" said Barbara. "Thank you, Sirius!"

"Not a problem at all," he replied, watching as Barbara took a whiff of the roses, then carefully set them on the ground so she could take off her black high heels.

"It's so hot out," she commented. "I'm so glad I can finally get this heavy jacket off."

Barbara unbuttoned her suit-jacket and hung it on Sirius's coat rack. Underneath she was wearing a plain white women's button-down and a black pencil skirt. Barbara then started digging in her purse, but made a noise of frustration.

"What is it?" said Sirius.

"Well, it's just that if I'm going to be cooking, I want to put my hair up, but I don't have a clip or an elastic or anything on me…" Barbara frowned. "You don't have one, do you?"

"Hmm…let me look in the bathroom," said Sirius. Harry knew he was only going in there so he could conjure one, because he came right back out a couple of seconds later holding a black butterfly clip encrusted with pink jewels.

"Where did you get this?" Barbara raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It was a gift from a friend," Sirius told her. "I've never worn it, though. You can keep it if you like."

"Sure," Barbara said, beaming at him, and pinned up her long hair using the clip. Perhaps Harry was imagining it, but he suspected she was taking a bit more time than was necessary. Was she putting her hair up, or was she showing off the hourglass-figure look the pencil skirt gave her? Sirius sat down on his bed and grabbed his pillow; Harry saw that he was watching her the way a dog watches the ball during a game of fetch. Once she was finally finished, she rolled up her sleeves in preparation for dinner.

"Do you need any help cooking?" Sirius asked her, supposedly calmly, although Harry noticed he was biting his lip.

"Oh, no, thank you," she replied smilingly. "I love cooking. It's my favorite hobby. Well…one of my favorite hobbies."

Barbara winked at Sirius and strode into the kitchen.

"Merlin's beard," he muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"One of her favorite hobbies?" Harry repeated suspiciously. "What was her other favorite hobby? Snogging you, I expect?"

"Yes," said Sirius.

"Well, remember what Remus said," Harry told him firmly. "Barbara isn't just for snogging."

"I know," Sirius replied. "I know."

…

Just like Harry knew it would be, the dinner was delicious. Barbara cooked corn on the cob, meatloaf, and mashed potatoes. For dessert, she cooked Harry's favorite—treacle tart—and it was the best treacle tart Harry had ever eaten. He had three helpings.

"In the Raffelovich family, we don't eat until we're full," said Barbara, taking another bite of treacle tart herself. "We eat until we're stuffed."

"It tastes wonderful, Barbara," Sirius told her. "I think Harry approves."

"I do!" Harry told her. "You're an amazing cook!"

"Mr. Glacier said you and Harry finally get to live with each other," she said, grinning. "Is that true?"

"It is," Sirius replied. He looked happy, too.

"That's good," Barbara said. "It seems like your aunt and uncle didn't treat you too well, huh?"

"No," said Harry.

"Well, now that everyone's done, I'll get to cleaning up," said Barbara after a pause. She made to stand up, but Sirius gently touched her shoulder to sit her down again.

"Um, Barbara," he said. "I think…I think we need to talk."

All happiness seemed to drain from her face. Harry had witnessed enough of Aunt Petunia's sitcoms to know what "we need to talk" usually meant, so he could understand why she might feel that way. He ran out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him; he wanted to let Sirius and Barbara have their chat in privacy, but the truth was, there wasn't really anywhere to go. There was no kitchen door, just a doorway, and as it was a studio, the kitchen and the bedroom were the only two rooms in the flat. The two adults' voices were low, but audible.

"What is it?" Barbara asked, her voice full of nerves.

"It's just…" Sirius took a deep breath. "I was wondering if…if you'd like to…"

"To what?" she breathed.

"Take our relationship to the next level?" Sirius blurted out.

Silence. Total silence.

"What do you mean?" said Barbara, sounding a little confused.

"I mean, I-I don't know where you stand right now," said Sirius; he still sounded nervous, but his voice was becoming a little steadier. "Where we stand. This is starting to feel like more than just hooking up to me. More than just a fling. I've met your parents, and you've met Harry and Remus, who are like family to me…I-I really like you, Barbara. It's a bit scary, sure, but I'm ready for things to become more serious between us—no pun intended. I just need to know if you feel the same way. We might not be completely sure if we're each other's soul mates. But I think it's worth finding out."

Harry couldn't help it. He knew it was wrong, but still…he crept slowly, slowly around to the doorway so he could see Barbara's face. To his shock, her hazel eyes were now filling with tears. And then…

"Oh, Sirius!" she shrieked, and it was Sirius's turn to look shocked then as Barbara ran over and flung her arms around his neck.

"W-What…what…"

"That was beautiful!" Barbara cried. "I-I wanted to say something too, you know, I really did, but I was so scared, too scared…I really like you too, Sirius! I mean…you're handsome…and intelligent…and you ride a cool motorcycle…but at the same time, under that tough-guy exterior, you're so sweet and kind and loving. What you did for Harry was amazing. I don't know what's bigger, your heart or—"

"Now, now, Barbara," said Sirius. "That's all very nice. But remember, the glue that holds our relationship together is love."

"Yes." Barbara sighed happily. "Love."

With that, she gave Sirius a long, slow kiss on the lips; he grabbed her and they started snogging again. Harry definitely didn't want to listen to this, so he finally decided to shut himself in the bathroom until they were finished with their relationship talk. When it had been thirty minutes, he finally dared to exit the bathroom and enter the kitchen. Barbara and Sirius weren't making out anymore, thankfully, and they waved as Harry entered the kitchen.

"Guess what, Harry?" said Sirius.

"We're official!" Barbara chirped, and Sirius put his arm around her waist.

"I'm happy for you two," Harry told them, sitting down at the table and giving the new couple a small smile. "I really am."

…

That evening, Harry slept on the bed and Sirius slept on the floor in his sleeping bag, like they were going to do until they got the new flat and both of them could have their own room. Of course, Harry insisted on letting Sirius take the bed every once in a while, but Sirius would hear none of it. But that night, apparently Sirius didn't go to sleep right away.

"Harry? You still awake?"

"Mm-hmm…what is it?"

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for being so supportive of my new relationship," said Sirius. "I was afraid you'd, you know, resent Barbara or something."

It was easier to talk in the dark, easier to say what you felt.

"I-I did a little, at first," Harry confessed. "But then I saw how happy you were with her…I mean, I'm sure my dad would have been supportive too, especially because you were so supportive of him and my mother."

"They were perfect for each other, though," said Sirius quietly. "Mr. Prongs and Mrs. Flower."

"Mr. Padfoot and Miss Brownie," said Harry. "Who knows? Maybe someday you'll just be Mr. and Mrs. Black."

"Don't forget Mr. Prongslet," said Sirius. "No matter what happens with Miss Brownie, my first priority will always be Mr. Prongslet."

Harry smiled, and so did Sirius. They both slept peacefully that night.

TO BE CONTINUED!