#celestial snippets

[oswaldsirius]

  79 and 83 for Celeste/Sirius from the Hundred Ways to say I Love You list. 😗

Oof it took me too long to get to this but such is life sometimes. Thank you again, @becauseitsgreen, for letting me babble about my babs!

79. “I’ll still be here when you’re ready.”

83. “Stay there.  I’m coming to get you.”

-

           Are you awake?

           Yeah. Why?

           ….She found out we’re dating.

           Stay there. I’m coming to get you.

           Tapping on the screen every time it dimmed, Celeste reread the four messages. They were a comfort after the conversation she’d had earlier. Argument was more like it. Yelling match maybe. She’d been dreading it for weeks, ever since they’d started dating. She’d known it was coming, but she’d wanted it to be on her terms. Not because a neighbour had said something about it.

           Her phone buzzed in her hands and the chat scrolled up with the new message. Here.

           She grabbed the bag she’d packed after locking herself in her room. Moving as quietly as she could, she slid the window open and slipped outside. She took her time as she climbed over the porch’s roof, not wanting to be discovered now.

           Before she could pause to figure out where to go, she heard, “Right here, Cherry.”

           Following his voice, she sat on the edge and swung her legs over. “Ready?”

           “Ready.”

           She shoved off the roof and fell for a moment before warm arms caught her. He didn’t hold her for long, setting her on her feet and taking her hand to lead her away. She didn’t bother looking back, focused instead on where he was taking her. She let him toss her bag into the backseat of the car while she climbed into the front of it.

           He joined her quickly but paused before pulling away. “You sure?”

           “Yes, Sirius.”

           He didn’t say anything else as he drove away from the curb. She was thankful for it and more so when he reached across the seat to take her hand. He squeezed gently as she held him with both of hers and sighed. “I was at my parents’ place,” he said quietly. “Do you mind going there?”

           “It’s fine.” She’d known as much since he was in a car and not on the bike.

           They lapsed back into silence as he drove, but she heard the noises he made every time she squeezed his hand. He didn’t ask as he pulled into the drive, nor when they slipped into the large house. He was quiet as he led her up to his room, but he tugged her into his arms as soon as the door was closed.

           A shudder wound through her and she sank into him.

           “It was bad?” he asked softly.

           “It was bad,” she agreed, clutching at his jacket.

           He sighed before scooping her up. Crossing the room, he set her on the bed and laughed quietly as she kicked off her shoes. “I was going to help,” he murmured, stripping out of his clothes even as she pulled off hers.

           “I just want to go to bed,” Celeste said, tugging on the blankets so she could crawl under them. “I want today to be over.”

           His low hum filled the room before he followed her under the covers. He tugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We are going to have to talk about it.”

           “…I know.”

           Sirius sighed and kissed her again. “I’ll always be here for when you’re ready, Celeste,” he said quietly. “That’s not going to change.”

           She kissed the base of his neck, burrowing a little closer to him. “Okay,” she whispered.

[oswaldsirius]

anon asked:  100 ways to say “I love you” #37 “can I kiss you” for Sirius and Celeste? :3

Thank you for being patient! The last while has been rough creative wise! And with the recent news about IkeVam, I thought why not toss this one in my vampire au that will eventually see the light of day. ....bad choice of words XD Enjoy~

-

           Walking with Sirius, Celeste glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t look any different. Shouldn’t he look different? Had he actually done it? He hadn’t said that he had. But he’d been gone for so long, surely he had done it.

           Her thoughts kept circling and before she knew it, they were at her door.

           “I know it’s still strange for you to sleep during the day, little lady,” he said when she didn’t go into her room immediately. “But you need to try.”

           It was but it wasn’t her current dilemma.

           “Celeste?’

           She heard the concern in his voice, knew it was going to edge into dangerous territory soon. Looking up at him, she frowned. “Did you feed?” she asked before she lost her nerve.

           Sirius pulled away from her, his expression tightening before it smoothed into his calm smile. “You don’t have to worry about your safety. I’m sated and pose no threat to you.”

           He never had. She’d never been afraid of him, not even the night they’d met. Before he could step back, she reached up to catch his cheeks. He froze as she touched him and she marvelled at how he was still cold under her palms. If he’d fed, shouldn’t he be warmer somehow?

           She watched him, watched his eyes darken. “Celeste.”

           “Did you feed?” she asked again.

           “Yes,” he rasped.

           Her stomach twisted as images filled her mind, of him feeding on someone else.

           “It’s upsetting to you. Please. Go to bed and-”

           “Can I kiss you?” she interrupted.

           He stiffened again before he leaned into her, desire chasing away the tension from earlier. “Yes, Celeste. Yes.”

           She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his. She arched into him as his arms wound around her to haul her against his chest. Sighing as his tongue slid against her lips, she responded, following his lead. His shudder surprised her when she slipped into his mouth as much as it surprised her to not even taste the faintest bit of blood on him. Curious, she flicked the tip of her tongue over one of his fangs.

           A gasp pulled from her when he suddenly tugged them apart. “What was that for?” he demanded.

           Celeste bit her lip, suddenly feeling silly. “I’m sorry.”

           “I wanted an explanation, not an apology, Celeste.”

           “I was jealous,” she muttered.

           “What?”

           She looked away but his firm grip drew her back. “Your mouth was on someone else,” she blurted.

           Sirius blinked at her, but when he didn’t say anything, the words kept coming.

           “I’m your Chosen, but you’re feeding on others. It’s supposed to be my blood sustaining you. I know why you want to wait, I agreed to it. But I get jealous thinking about it. About you-” Celeste pressed her lips together, trying to stem both the words and her jealousy.

           He was still staring at her and it only made her feel sillier.

           “You’re right. I should go to bed,” she said and tried to get away from him.

           But he held fast. He studied her before a small smile found his face. “I know why we agreed to wait,” he echoed, “but I wished it was you.”

           “You did?” Had she ever sounded so surprised, so hopeful before?

           His grip shifted, stroking her cheek. “Of course, I did. You’re my fated Chosen,” he breathed. “I’ll always want it to be you.”

           Celeste melted against him. “Maybe tonight-” She stopped when he covered her mouth with a finger.

           “Not with jealousy, Celeste,” Sirius murmured. “Offer me your blood when it’s truly right.”

           She knew he was right, but she still wanted it tonight.

           He smiled again and rubbed her lip. “How about you spend the day with me?”

           Her heart leapt and she nodded quickly. Sleeping with him through the day sounded like a wonderful answer to the jealousy that had crept in through the night.

[oswaldsirius]

....so we’re starting it off this way are we? XD below a cut for some obvious damn reasons. And I’m stealing from Avril and using ‘ikerev mature’ for all the naughty business from now on! You should have seen my face when I got this though. Serves me right for checking while I was at work....

             Letting her head fall back, Celeste fisted her hands in her skirt and tried to quiet her moans. It was hard but she needed to. It was the middle of the afternoon and the army was going about their business as normal. Anyone could pass by the closed-and thankfully locked-door and hear her if she wasn’t careful. Of all the things she’d expected when Sirius had suggested a break, this wasn’t it. At all.

           She shifted on her knees before freezing when he made a low noise. Her belly clenched as it rumbled over her wet folds and only made her arousal soar. She didn’t move as his hands flexed around her thighs, an unspoken demand to stay where she was.

           When he seemed satisfied she wasn’t going anywhere, his tongue slid through her sex, the tip flicking over her clit. Her grip on her skirt tightened as she trembled above him. There wasn’t much else she could do. His strength far outmatched hers and he wanted her where he had her.

           The slick sounds of his tongue on her flesh filled her bedroom as he greedily lapped at her. He’d been insistent as he’d stretched out on the bed, urging her on top of him and ignoring her shriek as he’d hauled her into this position. He’d nuzzled his way past her undergarments and lavished her in lingering kisses until she’d been slick with arousal. Then he’d switched; tongue caressing every part of her he could reach.

           Rocking against his face, Celeste paused as his fingers flexed. But when he didn’t stop her, she continued. They were small and tentative, slowly growing steadier as pleased sounds slipped from him. She reached out to grip the headboard and used it to help her move. “Ah,” she gasped as he purred against her, her hips jerking at the sound.

           It only seemed to spur him on. His lips parted to close around her, sucking noisily. Heat flooded her at how loud and lewd the sounds were. But she didn’t stop and neither did he.

           Her head fell forward as her back bowed over him. He was relentless in pleasuring her, using lips, tongue and teeth now. He wasn’t bothering to be quiet, humming and growling against her. Each one sent a bolt of desire through her, making her desperate for more than just his mouth. She was aching for him to fill her, to take her. She was past the point of gentle and wanted him to fuck her.

           But he showed no signs of wanting to move.

           One hand left the headboard, unsure what she planned, but her fingers found themselves fisting in his hair as his mouth closed over her clit. “Mn,” she panted, clutching him to her.

           It didn’t slow him at all. If she’d thought him greedy before, it was nothing compared to now. His head lifted from the mattress, getting him as close as he could to her. His tongue made long passes on her and teased whatever he could touch. He lightly tugged on wet folds, pulling them between his lips to suck on before he fit his mouth around her clit.

           Her thighs squeezed him as a low moan spilled from her with the first suck. The second had her bucking against him, pushing into him. She ground against his face, her orgasm pushing aside all else but the continuation of her pleasure. He held her there, not seeming to care as she pressed to him and not slowing. He pulled every bit of her climax from her, leaving her limp and quivering above him.

           Her hand slid from the headboard to press against the pillows, bracing herself as she gasped for air. “S-Stop,” she whispered, trying to push away from him.

           He finally let her go, his grip loosening for only half of a breath before he was lifting her and setting her back down on his chest. The light in his eyes was feverish as they met hers and she felt another surge of desire at the wetness coating his lower face. She watched as his tongue slowly slid across his lips, barely cleaning any of her arousal off him. “Ready?” he rasped.

           “For?” she whispered, her thoughts already tumbling toward what else they might do.

           The slow stretch of his mouth into the seductive smile she loved had her cunt clenching and she knew she was more than ready for whatever he had planned.

[oswaldsirius]

You gorgeous person you! You spoil me asking for the babs, @myotomespace. Bless you for indulging me!

-

           “Oh!”

           Looking up quickly at the gasp, Sirius found Celeste easily and frowned. “Are you alright?”

           She squirmed for a moment before slumping. “I’m stuck,” she said in a small voice.

           Stuck? He fought a grin as he realised she was caught on a rose bush.

           “Don’t laugh at me!”

           “I’m not,” he protested.

           “You are! No, I’m fine!” she said when he started toward her.

           “You’re not. Celeste, wait,” he said quickly as she tugged at her clothes. “Let me-” He stopped when they both heard fabric teasing.

           A beat of silence fell over the garden before she made a face. “Damn it.”

           Sirius bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. How did she look so cute when she swore? “Come here,” he said, pulling off his gardening gloves. “Let me fix it.”

           She was sulking with every step she took. But she didn’t resist as he turned her around to get a look at the rip. “Is it bad?”

           The tear wasn’t that long but that wasn’t what he cared about and he parted it to look at her. She shivered as he brushed aside her lace camisole to check her shoulder blade and rubbed against her. “It doesn’t look like it but we should fix it.”

           “Right now?”

           “Yes.” He took her hand and led her out of the garden. The house was empty, his family all busy in town today, and he took her into a small sitting room. “Take it off.”

           “What?’ she squeaked, pulling back from him.

           He gave her a funny look. “I can’t fix it while you’re wearing it.”

           “If I’m taking it off, I can fix it.”

           “I said I would.”

           “No, Sirius, I-” She stopped talking and looked away from him.

           What was she embarrassed about? Stepping closer to her, he caught the front of the borrowed shirt she was wearing and tugged her back to him. “Celeste,” he said patiently, “there’s only us here and I’m just trying to help.”

           “I can fix it,” she said. “I’m the one that ripped it.”

           He studied her for a moment. He knew what battles to stand his ground on with her; this wasn’t one of them. “Alright,” he said, letting her go.

           Her gaze was on him as he moved across the room to where he knew his mother’s sewing supplies were. Confusion and wariness were splashed across her face as he came back to her.

           “You’re still going to need to take it off,” he teased.

           Celeste huffed before undoing the buttons.

           He set the box on a small table, watching her from the corner of his eye. She stripped out of the shirt quickly, leaving her in her camisole and corset. She joined him at the table and quickly plucked thread and a needle from the box. “Wait,” he said, catching her hips before she could move to a chair.

           “Sirius, what are you-oh,” she breathed softly.

           He gently moved the lace aside again, baring her shoulder for him to get a proper look at her. He knew she hadn’t been scratched, the camisole hadn’t been torn at all, but he still ran his fingers over her. Her shivers made him smile and he didn’t bother to hide it when she peeked over her shoulder at him.

           “You’re hopeless,” Celeste whispered.

           Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her bare skin. “I had to be sure,” he murmured against her.

           She shifted in his grip before he let her go. She didn’t step away immediately, rocking back toward him a little. “Should we take a break?” she asked, not looking at him.

           Sirius’ smile widened and he dropped another kiss on the top of her shoulder. “Fix the shirt, I’ll make us a snack, and we’ll take whatever kind of break you want to.”

           Blue eyes peeked at him again before she was hurrying to a chair to work on the shirt.

           He watched her for a moment, loving the sight of her before he left the room. The quicker he made a snack, the quicker he could do more than just look at her.

[oswaldsirius]

Fifty Kisses (50/50)

Summary: A kiss, followed by more that trail down the jaw and neck.

Pairing: Sirius/Celeste

Word Count: 688

A/N: Oh dear. Even though I knew it was coming, have known from the moment I started, it’s still sad to me. I’m still happy that I saw this through and managed to not only get all fifty done, but without missing a day between any of them. I’m proud of myself for that. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who read, liked, commented, reblogged with them. You all made my day with your kind words and it means the world to me that you enjoyed them! And to all of you sending me lists and telling me to do more....I will. Most likely. After a break. They may be short but it’s hard coming up with 50 different situations. I have a long au fic I’m currently in the middle of plotting out but hopefully there will be time soonish to try this again! So. Thank you again and here’s the last kiss!

-

           Opening her eyes, Celeste looked around before closing them again. She was back in Sirius’ room, which wasn’t a surprise. Her body was warm and achy, an after effect of the night she had had. Nights.

           Her toes dug into the blankets and her breath caught. Maybe she shouldn’t have waited for this after coming back to Cradle with him, but how could she have known the sort of passion lurking just behind that calm smile of his? Passion he’d shown her over the last few nights without fail and that burned away any and every doubt she’d had.

           The bed moved as he sleepily shifted beside her.

           Lifting her head, she looked at him. He was flat on his back, one arm around her to keep her close as he sprawled on the bed. His face was peaceful as he slept, no placid smile or hungry desire clouding it.

           She bit her lip as her own desire sparked to life. She shouldn’t want him again, not with how thoroughly he’d loved her, but she did. Was she supposed to want him this much? Was this normal?

           The blankets shifted lower as she pushed herself up on one arm, the other bracing on his chest. A kiss or two couldn’t hurt. It would be a nice way to wake him up. She’d liked it when he’d done it to her. She hoped it would be the same for him. But his grip on her kept her from getting close enough to kiss him properly.

           Celeste huffed softly and frowned at him. Well that wouldn’t do. But her frown melted into a smile and she shook her head. Even in sleep he was being possessive. Leaning down, she pressed a gentle kiss to the underside of his jaw. She paused when he shifted before giving him another.

           “Mm,” he sighed, his head falling back against the pillow away from her.

           She eyed his exposed neck and gave in. One more kiss to his jaw before she started a trail down his neck. Taking her time, she breathed him in and nuzzled against him. How many times had she thought about doing this over the long months apart? Of being able to kiss and touch him like she had longed to. She paused as she reached the crook of his neck, her breathing shaky as her thoughts and worries tried to overwhelm her.

           “Don’t stop.”

           His voice was low and thick with sleep and it did wonders at chasing her thoughts away. When his words registered, Celeste kissed him again, a series of small kisses across the top of his shoulder. “I love you,” she whispered.

           He tensed under her, no doubt hearing the waver in her voice before his large palm was cupping her cheek. He turned her face to his, concern coating his expression. “Celeste?”

           “I’m sorry I made you wait,” she whispered.

           The concern vanished and he laughed weakly. “You made me wait what? A handful of days? A week? How does that compare to how long I made you wait?”

           She turned into his touch, nuzzling against his palm and kissing the centre of it. “That’s different.”

           “You’re right. Mine’s worse.”

           “Sirius….”

           “I separated us for months without telling you how I felt, nearly a year. Even when I had you back, I couldn’t put it into words for you. You only wanted those words, waited for me to tell them to you, before you gave yourself to me. If anything, I’m to blame for that as well.”

           Before she could say anything, his hand shifted and one finger covered her lips.

           “But,” he continued, “I have a lifetime to make it up to you and I plan on doing just that.”

           Kissing his finger, she playfully teased, “Do you already have a strategy worked out?”

           The smile that curled his lips made her heart skip a beat and she gasped as he pulled her fully on top of him. “You’ll have to do better than that if you want to get my master plan from me, Celeste,” he breathed. “But you’re welcome to try again.”

[oswaldsirius]

Fifty Kisses (44/50)

Summary:  Tentative kisses given in the dark.

Pairing: Sirius/Celeste

Word Count: 625

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           The bed moving pulled him from the light sleep he’d fallen into. But the shallow breathing woke him up.

           Darkness hung heavily in the room, barely any light from the full moon passing through the curtains. It didn’t bother Sirius and he lay there for a moment, listening to Celeste. Something was wrong. Even though they had shared a bed for only a handful of weeks, he knew how even and deep her breathing was when she slept. The quiet cadence of it when she would wake from a dream, still caught on the edge of slumber, he had learned as well. Or the deep inhale followed by the sleepy sigh as she woke completely in the morning.

           This was none of those.

           He waited, every hitch in her breathing telling him she was upset. As much as he wanted to gather her in his arms, to soothe whatever was troubling her, he waited for her to come to him, to see if she wanted his comfort from this.

           Trembling fingers finally touched his arm. “Sirius?” she whispered. “Are you awake?”

           He reached under the blankets and pulled them together. “Yes,” he said softly.

           “O-Oh. Did I…wake you?”

           It was too dark to see her, but he didn’t have to. Her brow would be creased in worry, eyes filled with it. She would chew her lower lip before stopping when he noticed. She wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions and he loved her even more for it. “No,” he lied. “What is it?”

           Her exhale rushed over his chest and his heart lurched as he heard the fear in it. “I had a nightmare,” she admitted in a barely there voice. “Maybe it’s childish but….”

           Stroking her back, Sirius waited again. He hated the thought of her being scared but he wouldn’t pull it from her if she didn’t wish to speak of it.

           “I was still in London, waiting for you, but…you never came. I went looking but I couldn’t find the hole, I couldn’t get back to you. I l-lost you.”

           Dammit. He knew how much the months apart had eaten at her, how much she had worried about him, how much it had hurt her. It wasn’t surprising that it was spilling over to her dreams tonight of all nights with the full moon hanging in the sky. When she hadn’t mentioned it, he hadn’t thought it a problem, but it was her first full moon since returning to Cradle. Of course it would bother her in some way. “I’m right here, Celeste,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “I came for you and we’re together now. Nothing is going to change that. I won’t let it.”

           “I-I know.”

           Did she? Catching her hand, he pressed it flat to his chest, over his heart, “I’m right here, Celeste,” he repeated. “I’ll always be here for you.”

           She made a noise and shifted closer. But she remained silent.

           Sirius looped his arm around her. If she wanted to be held, he would do that. He would more than do that for her. Listening as her breathing slowly evened out, he let himself relax into the mattress. He wasn’t sure he’d get back to sleep but-

           He blinked when Celeste kissed him. It was soft and shy, barely a press of her mouth to his. He didn’t move as she did it again, a hint of hesitation in the touch. In the month since he’d brought her back, every time she had initiated anything between them it had been soft, sweet, shy…exactly like this. “Celeste?”

           “I love you, Sirius,” she whispered, giving him another petal soft kiss.

           “I love you, too,” he rasped, rolling into her and abandoning the thought of sleep.

[oswaldsirius]

Fifty Kisses (28/50)

Summary:  One person tracing the other’s lips with a fingertip until they can’t resist any longer, tilting their chin towards them for a kiss.

Pairing: Sirius/Celeste

Word Count: 541

-

           Keeping his eyes closed, Sirius sank a little lower in the tub. He was warm and content, the water soothing what aches and tension remained in his muscles. It had been a long day and this was the perfect end to it. A long soak to ease him before bed. Well, after he’d used those muscles for one more thing.

           His arms tightened around her, drawing a soft, questioning sound from her. When he didn’t say anything, merely kissing the top of her head, she sighed. It danced over his skin, reminding him of the feel of her panting as he-

           Stopping himself there, he took a slow breath himself. She was happy in his arms right now and he didn’t want to ruin that for anything. A cuddle was more than enough for him for now.

           Feeling Celeste shift, Sirius glanced at her. She was resting along him, tucked against his shoulder and looking up at him with a soft, dreamy smile on her face. He smiled in response to it, feeling the same gentle satisfaction rolling through him like it was her. It had been a while since they’d shared a bath, but it had been well needed tonight and he loved her for suggesting it. “Little lady?” he murmured.

           She said something quietly back to him and he frowned gently, puzzling his way through the words. He recognized the first half of it, she said it to him often enough that it wasn’t hard to understand, but the second half?

           “Say it again?” he asked, rolling the words over in his mind.

           “Je t’aime pour toujours.” Her voice was soft, sweet, and slower this time to let him hear.

           What was that last part? She rarely said things to him that she hadn’t explained unless she was teaching him. He kept thinking, mouthing the words himself before he paused. “Say it again,” he breathed, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. Droplets of water slid against her skin, but she didn’t seem to care as she turned into he touch.

           She did, the words warming him all the way through this time.

           “Again.” His hand moved, his thumb rubbing slowly over her lower lip. He wanted to feel her say them against him.

           Celeste’s smile was wider now as she said the words, her lips moving under him.

           His touch moved, sliding over her lips in slow strokes. He traced her smile and loved the feel of her under him. “One more time?”

           She laughed sweetly but said them for him. She only got half way through them before he leaned down to catch the rest of them. She sighed against him, her hand moving from his chest up to cup the back of his head. She returned his kiss slowly, still content and following his lead.

           Sirius kept the kiss languid, his thumb back to stroking against her cheek. Her gentle whisper of his name washed over his lips as they hovered over hers. “Je t’aime pour toujours,” he said slowly, his mouth moving against hers.

           She smiled up at him, running her fingers through his hair. “I love you,” she said again.

           Rubbing his lips against hers in slow strokes, he murmured, “I love you, too.”

[oswaldsirius]

Fifty Kisses (27/50)

Summary:  Kisses exchanged while one person sits on the other’s lap.

Pairing: Sirius/Celeste

Word Count: 593

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           Absently twisting the ends of Sirius’ hair around her fingers, Celeste murmured, “Are you sure this is alright?”

           “It’s fine.”

           She sighed and didn’t move. Not that she wanted to, but she still felt a little self-conscious about where she was sitting. She knew he had a big family, he’d warned her that his siblings weren’t even the half of it, but having all of them in one house was overwhelming. In the time it had taken her to dart into the kitchen to catch her breath and come back, all the chairs had been claimed in the sitting room. She had been content to stand behind Sirius, cuddling up to him and using him not so subtly as a barrier between him and his family. But he had had other ideas.

           She turned her face a little, staring over his shoulder as her cheeks heated. Her squeak as he had caught hold of her wrist to haul her into his lap had been louder than she’d intended and gotten the attention of the entire room.

           At least the teasing had died down as everyone had gone back to whatever conversations she had interrupted. But the embarrassment was still there. It wasn’t the first time he’d held her like this-it happened at headquarters sometimes-but this was his family and the first time she’d met so many of them.

           “Celeste, stop,” Sirius said quietly, turning to kiss her warm cheek. “It’s really fine.”

           She huffed, shifting enough to look at him. It was easy for him to say. They were his family. She’d never met someone’s family like this before and wasn’t sure what was proper. But she was sure that sitting in her lover’s lap wasn’t.

           He shook his head at her, a wry smile on his lips. “You can have the chair if you want and I can stand,” he offered.

           “No, you were here first,” she insisted.

           “And I want you to be comfortable, Celeste. That always comes first.”

           Damn him. “I am comfortable,” she admitted after a moment.

           One of his brows went up in doubt. “You don’t seem like it.”

           “Your lap is incredibly comfortable,” she said quietly, her voice prim despite what she was saying. “The most comfortable I’ve ever sat in.”

           The other brow lifted, amusement colouring his expression now. “Just how many laps have you been sitting in?”

           “Only yours. That’s why it’s the most comfortable.”

           Laughter spilled from him; the light, delighted kind he rarely did that told her she’d really gotten him this time.

           Happiness bubbled up inside her at the sound, warming her all the way through. She leaned forward, kissing his smiling lips, attempting to catch some of that laughter for herself. Her fingers tightened on him when he kissed her back without restraint, stealing her breath away. His joy had undercurrents of the passion she knew lurked just under his surface, the love that threatened to overwhelm her every time he showed it to her.

           She started to turn into him, but loud whistles and cheers filled the room and she was immediately reminded of where they were.

           Sirius’ sigh rang in her ears, frustrated but amused as she buried her face in his neck, unwilling to look at the rest of the room. “Really?” he asked dryly. “You’re acting like you’ve never seen people kiss before.”

           Her cheeks burned even hotter at that and if he wasn’t holding onto her, she would have fled into the kitchen again. And she knew that was exactly why he hadn’t let her go.