A Godfather's Love (aka The Other Side of the Coin)

14 - Sirius Visits Harry/Girl Talk/Eavesdroppers/Newlywed Love

Harry and Ron were somewhat surprised to hear a knock at the door. Usually visitors simply Apparated in. Of course, owing to his fame (or should I say infamy?), Harry couldn't risk unfriendly wizards or witches having access to his personal home, so he had put up anti-Apparition wards to keep unauthorised people out and Deflection Charms to deflect the majority of hexes. Also, he and Ginny hadn't been in residence long enough to be connected to the Floo Network, even though they had a good-sized fireplace in the living room, and he fully intended to have it connected at the earliest opportunity.

"Who could that be, mate? You aren't expecting anyone, are you?" Ron couldn't help asking as their heads turned at the unexpected sound.

"Not really, no," Harry had to reply, although he suspected who it might be--and couldn't blame him for being impatient if it was. He would simply have to explain as best he could that he'd meant to get back with him some time ago, but he had still been too preoccupied with Ginny to do so. It might also be a good idea to have Ron as witness while he talked with Sirius so nothing untoward happened until he wanted it to.

"Come on in. The door's open," Harry called. After Sirius opened the door and entered the living room, he looked around for Harry and found him sitting with Ron at the dining room table with the remnants of breakfast before them.

"Kind of dangerous, isn't it, mate? Anyone could walk in on you, calling out like that," Sirius gently admonished him.

"Don't worry, Padfoot. I put Repelling Charms on the door, not to mention anti-Apparition wards and Deflection Charms on the house, so only people I know may enter unless I say otherwise," Harry assured him.

"May I talk to you?" Sirius entreated, looking pointedly at Harry and then at Ron. "In private, if you don't mind, Ron."

"With all due respect, Padfoot, I would prefer Ron to remain," Harry informed him. His voice was calm and pleasant, but it held a telltale bite that Sirius didn't miss. "He knows what's between us, so you may speak freely in front of him."

The older man sighed with affectionate exasperation. He had half-expected something like this. "As you wish, Harry. May I sit down?" Sirius gestured toward the seat nearest to Harry at the table.

"Be my guest."

Sirius wanted to reach out and hold the younger man's hand upon seating himself, but he didn't dare with Ron present.

"May I ask why you've not contacted me? It's been over two weeks since you got back from your honeymoon, and you promised to contact me as soon as you returned."

"I know, Padfoot. Sorry about that. I've been ... too preoccupied with Ginny up to this point. But we should be able to ... resume our relationship now that we're back and settled in. When and where would you like us to meet?"

"My room at Grimmauld Place, tomorrow night at eight?" Sirius tentatively suggested.

"Fine," said Harry, giving his godfather/lover an almost hungry look, which told Sirius he was looking forward to their reunion as much as he was. "See you then."

"Until then," Sirius replied. "You can even bring me up-to-date on what you did on your honeymoon while we're at it. I've got to get back to the house now." With that, Sirius left and Disapparated once outside.

After he was gone, the two younger men looked pointedly at each other. "I could tell he didn't like my listening in," Ron observed as he charmed the pitcher of pumpkin juice on the table to pour into his nearby glass and then set it down again.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Harry admitted, following suit with the pitcher of juice and taking a long swallow. "But he went along with it."

"Really didn't have a lot of choice," came the reply after Ron took a swallow of juice.

"I didn't want anything to happen unless I was prepared for it--and I knew if I let him get me alone with him, that something likely would. The last thing I need is for Gin to catch him and me in a compromising position, especially in our own house. Frankly, it was enough for you to catch us."

"Which reminds me ... please don't let that happen again if you can avoid it, mate. That's not something I care to come upon very often."

"I know. Sorry about that. Things just got out of hand."

"In more ways than one," Ron threw back, taking another swallow of juice before setting his now-half-full glass down on the table. "I'd better see what the girls are up to. Care to join me?" With that, Ron stood up and turned for the stairs. Harry followed him, and they moved as stealthily as they could, hoping to catch some "girl talk."

* * * * *

Upstairs, Ginny had showered and changed into her favourite warm-weather clothes -- a halter and a pair of shorts. Her feet were bare since it was summer and quite warm, even though the house's Air Conditioning Charms kept the rooms at a constant seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit. After using a charm to dry her hair, then combing it and applying some lip-gloss, Ginny tucked one leg beneath her and sat down on the bed, motioning Hermione to sit next to her.

"Isn't that kind of ... redundant, knowing the way Harry usually is if you two are alone together?" the older young woman inquired.

"Generally, yes, but not so much of late," Ginny revealed. "Oh, don't get me wrong. He still grabs me and sweeps me off my feet, then carries me to the nearest soft surface at the least provocation, but something tells me he's also missing his ... other bed-bunny. After all, it's not every day I hear my husband murmur another man's name even while he's supposedly making love to me."

"I'm sure he doesn't realise he's doing it," Hermione assured her friend.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't make it any easier to hear. Oh, did Ron tell you what happened when he went back to check on Harry just before we left on our honeymoon?"

"No. What happened?"

"Something tells me he came upon Sirius and Harry in a ... most compromising position, if you know what I mean. You know how sensitive Ron is about things like that," Ginny reminded her companion. "Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't be too upset. Especially if Sirius ends up hearing Harry murmur my name while they're ... together. Poetic justice, you know?"

Hermione had heard the distinctive knock on the door roughly half an hour before, but she was pretty sure that Ginny hadn't, since she had been in the shower at the time. It wouldn't surprise her if it had been Sirius who had come by and confronted Harry about not contacting him as promised. But she chose to keep this information to herself unless Harry had agreed to see Sirius again and chose not to tell Ginny he was doing so.

Of course, neither of the girls was aware that their men had come upon the half-open master bedroom door and stood just out of sight listening. When Harry heard what Ginny said he did on occasion during intimate moments, he whispered, "Did you hear that? I've got to be more careful."

Ron nodded in response, and they continued listening to the girls' discussion.

* * * * *

"Have you told Harry that you heard him say that to you without realising it?" came Hermione's voice.

"Not yet. I didn't want to get into an argument. Usually if I mention something like that, he gets all defensive and swears he didn't mean to do it."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't make it any easier for you to hear. After all, we women generally prefer to believe that we're the only things on our men's minds while we're ... making love."

"Did Ron ... ever do anything like that?" Ginny returned carefully, quietly, as if she were aware of the eavesdroppers outside the door.

Outside the door, Ron was unable to keep from blushing because he knew what Hermione was going to say; Harry grinned understandingly at his embarrassment. "No, I'm happy to say," came the reply. "And I don't expect him to any time soon."

"Well, it's good to hear he's doing one thing right," Ginny laughed. Harry's grin grew wider upon seeing his friend's blush deepen and hearing Ginny's musical laughter. He almost wished he hadn't made the date with Sirius the following night. He sighed then, telling himself to simply make the most of the night coming up later, especially looking forward to smelling--not to mention kissing, caressing, and nuzzling--her fresh, clean skin and burying his face in her fragrant hair ... among other things.

"Well, it's almost time for me to leave. I'd better see if Ron and Harry are through eating yet," Hermione said. The guys knew they'd better move if they didn't want to get caught eavesdropping, so they moved as quickly and quietly as they could down the hall and the stairs, just reaching the bottom as Hermione reached the top. "Harry!" she called upon spotting him. "Are you and Ron finished eating?"

"Finished a little while ago. We were going to see about you and Gin, especially since Ron just said you two need to get back to the Burrow," he explained.

"In that case, I'll be right down. I just need to tell Ginny I'm leaving."

"No, you don't," came a voice just behind her. "See you later, 'Mione."

"Later, girlfriend," Hermione replied, making her way downstairs to where Ron was waiting near the door, Ginny following her down. After giving Harry and Ginny a hug, the pair left. Once alone, the newlywed pair looked at each other and smiled.

"We're alone," he commented.

"Sure looks like it," Ginny agreed even as Harry moved to put his arms around her, warm lips nuzzling her throat. She shivered deliciously despite recalling Harry's having called Sirius's name the last time they'd made love, at the height of his climax. Really, she wished she wasn't so god-awful weak where he was concerned--but the moment Harry touched her, she was lost. Damn, damn, damn! How could she ever teach him a lesson when one touch and kiss from him could turn her to mush?

"Mmmm. You smell delicious."

"That happens after one takes a shower," she pointed out, covering his hands with hers as he moved behind her and pulled her against him, snaking his arms around her and pressing close, making sure she felt how aroused he was. "May I assume you have ... fun and games in mind?"

"You need to ask?" he purred. "Too bad I couldn't have joined you in the shower."

"Maybe next time," she crooned back. "We'll just have to make sure we don't have guests then." Harry again pressed close to her upon turning her around, and Ginny could feel his arousal grow even as his hands moved to cup her shapely bum.

"I want you, Gin," he murmured huskily, nibbling her nearest ear and pressing even closer.

"Well, then, let's get on with it." With that, he found her lips with his, gently working hers open to find her sweet tongue. He held the kiss as he literally swept her off her feet, and they made their way upstairs. Once behind the door, he made short work of what little clothes they both wore and with little preamble, lay her on the bed and parted her legs with one hand, thrusting and then moving passionately inside her upon settling himself atop her, resting most of his weight on knees and elbows.

Even as Ginny wrapped her arms and legs around her husband and hugged his pumping hips, however, their kisses never stopping the whole time, she couldn't help visualising the scene that was likely to transpire the next time he was with Sirius. In which case, she could only hope that she would be able to keep herself busy enough to pass the time without thinking too much about it. With any luck, Harry would even call out her name at the height of his climax. Maybe then, Sirius would know how it felt to have the one he loved call out someone else's name as she had for virtually the entire time of their honeymoon.