Sirius spent much of his time over the next few weeks finishing up the project that the little yellow house had become. James came over more than once to help with organization, visits that always ended as the two of them sitting on the lonely couch in the living room surrounded by unopened boxes and a copy of the Daily Prophet suspended between them.
Lily joined them more and more until she was finally so invested in Sirius's house that she slipped into the role of director and adopted the ability to override any of Sirius's decisions for the welfare of the project.
"No, no, no. You can't do that, Sirius. James!" she'd shouted at them when they'd tried to hang a set of curtains that clashed dramatically with the couch cushions.
Eventually they agreed to not get in her way and do what she told them. They both knew full well they'd get nothing accomplished without her. She knew this too and made it a point to remind them of it whenever they got off task.
Sirius also started going back to the Leaky Cauldron.
He told both James and himself that it was to keep Tom company, and this was true. The barkeep did express his gratitude to have a friendly face on the slow nights and a sober face on the busy ones.
On the other hand though, Sirius tried not to notice how he seemed to arrive each day just as Melissa was returning from work, little Jenny in tow, or how he could feel himself smiling seemingly without knowledge of just how widely he was when she said hello.
One day, when Lily had left the two of them early to go visit with her mother, James and Sirius went to the pub together, claiming their usual table and chatting with Tom about the most recent Death Eater activity.
Right on cue, the door squeaked open on its rusty hinges and Jenny came racing straight to her new favorite holding a heavy looking book out on the ends of her strong little arms.
"Hi!" she yelled, her raw excitement permeating the very air around her.
"Well hi," he said, laughing and glancing at James who was staring at her in shock and trying not to laugh himself.
"I got a buk!" her little three-year-old voice said, exaggerating the last word fiercely.
"Book, Jenny. You have a book." Melissa shut the door quietly behind her and took the few steps to the table. "Hi," she said with a smile, giving a small wave to James before turning back to Sirius. "She's been wanting to show you all day. Kept asking me to go and get you."
Sirius grinned at the little girl and bent over until he was at eye level with her, grey eyes to hazel. "What do you want to show me?" he asked.
"Buk, buk buk!" she exclaimed, holding the antique copy high over her head and passing it gingerly over to him.
"Wow," he said softly, building the suspense to his response as he'd learned she loved. "This is, the most amazing, thing, I've ever seen." She cracked up, giddiness getting the better of her and she wrapped her arms around his shins in a tiny little bear hug.
He looked up at Melissa and laughed, patting the little girl on the back with one gentle hand.
The clock on the wall struck the hour. Eight-o'clock. "Don't you have to be getting to bed, young lady?" She looked up at him sheepishly and, as if on cue, yawned widely.
"Come on, you," Melissa said, scooping up the tired toddler and starting towards the stairs. "Say goodnight, then."
"Goodnight, Siwoos."
"Goodnight, Jenny."
Sirius's eyes lingered on the spot where they'd disappeared around the corner in the upstairs corridor before James spoke next.
"So when are you going to do it?" he said.
"Huh?"
"Ask her out. When are you going to, Padfoot?" James smirked.
Sirius was dumbfounded. He started playing with the rim of his glass. "Why would I?" he said with a small smile.
"Why? Oh, I don't know. You like her, it's obvious. Or at least it is to me, mate."
"Really? Like, really obvious? Not discreet at all?"
"Not in the slightest." James stretched and pushed back his chair with a sigh. "Well, I'm out. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yeah." Sirius stayed sitting until long after James had left. Tom was whistling to himself behind the counter as he wiped it free of the day's residue. "What?" Sirius said.
"I didn't say anything," the barman said with a shrug and a smirk.
"Wouldn't want to go influencing any of my decisions, eh?"
He chuckled. "Never."
Sirius realized he still had Jenny's book on the table in front of him. "Hey, Tom," he said before he could stop himself. "What's the room number?"
"One-ten."
"Thanks."
He felt his heart stop as he watched his own hand knock on the door, once, twice. Two slow, hollow notes. The door opened.
"Sirius?" Melissa said in surprise. "What's wrong?"
He found he no longer knew how to speak. "Nothing!" he managed. "Nothing, nothing's wrong. Jen forgot this is all." He offered her the book.
She smiled and took it from him, her smooth, fragile looking hands just grazing his. "Was there something else?"
Was there something else? He couldn't remember. "No, no that was it."
"Okay," she said. "Well goodnight then."
"Goodnight."
He turned and was fully aware of Melissa watching him from her doorway as he approached the stairs. Just as he heard her move to go back inside, he spun back around and marched back towards room number one-ten.
"Will you have dinner with me?" he blurted just as the door was about to click shut.
It remained closed for the slightest moment and Sirius was afraid he'd gone too far. But then it slowly began to open back up again, Melissa's bare feet appearing in the crack.
She stood there looking at him before answering. "Yes," she said as if it were obvious.
"Alright," Sirius said having expected no such answer and now unsure what to say next.
"Saturday?"
"At six."
"Sounds like a plan." She smiled at him. "Anything else?"
He chuckled. "No."
"You're sure?"
Totally unaware he was doing it, he took a step forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Positive." And he turned to leave once more. This time, he looked back when he reached the stairs to find her watching after him. She smiled and waved one last time before shutting the door. He waited to hear it click and almost skipped down the staircase and out the door, giving Tom a quick goodnight as he passed.