The Last Dance

by Shamenka

They had shared a room for almost the entire school year.

At first things were as rocky as anyone would expect; Sirius Black forced into deep hiding in the last place anyone would look for him, Severus Snape’s room. It took them almost an entire month to talk in anything other than snide, aggressive tones. It took Voldemort to give them mutual ground. It took Dumbledore to shove them unwittingly on that path when he sent Severus out yet again to spy on their enemies.

Dealing with Severus’ injuries took a lot of the wind out of Sirius’ sails. It was hard to denigrate the actions of a man who was bleeding, lying unconscious at your feet, breathing like each breath was a hard won fight.

And then to see him have to do it all again a scant three nights later; with no one else bothering to ensure he made it home all right.

Things began to change faster after Severus changed Sirius’ body hair colour, from head to toe Sirius was now a golden blond. Much the same shade as the Golden Retriever - Labrador cross he now resembled, thanks to hours and hours of careful grooming.

Halloween had been his great debut as a whole new dog. So many children and staff members now recognised Snuffles on sight that that means of camouflage was no longer available to him. Now he was Severus’ dog. Not a grim, but a beautiful retriever styled dog. The pupils had stared aghast at Severus as he introduced his dog, called Dog, or occasionally White Dwarf. It had been fun watching Harry have to turn to Hermione to have her explain what was so funny in a dog being called Dog, the White Dwarf. As she talked about astronomy and how Muggles new so much more than the wizard world did nowadays. Things like - Sirius B was a White Dwarf star?

When the penny finally dropped the smile on Harry’s face was well worth the worry that he wasn’t going to understand.

"Sir, could I please take your dog for a walk?" Harry grinned at Professor Snape and waited for his treat of extra duties.

"Here’s his collar and leash, once to the lake and back should be enough. Should be quiet enough for Dog’s business." Snape had handed over a woven leash and a heavy duty fabric collar in a bright blue with a flourish that showed he was truly enjoying the task.

He regularly went to classes with Severus after that night. It took two days and six potions explosions to realise just why Severus was so cynical about the classes he taught. It took a day or two longer to discover that the grease he thought was natural was a fire retardant potion that prevented his room mate from catching fire from all the various potion combinations and the over excited use of naked flames.

Christmas had been the best either of them had ever had. They bought lots of gifts to hand out, some even for each other. They had someone warm to cling to in the coldest days of winter. Someone to ease the pain of the meetings, and beating, Severus was repeatedly summonsed to. Someone to comfort him through the inevitable nightmares. Someone to be important too. Someone who needed him there.

New Year was spent in the privacy of Severus’ room. Just a select few there to see in the brand new year in their lives. Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Severus and ‘Dog’ sat around talking and drinking and simply being together. They toasted the absent Hermione and Ron who had both headed home for the holiday, and toasted the fates that let them all be together.

And Harry didn’t run away screaming when he later, privatley, discovered that Sirius really loved Severus. He just envied him having someone to hold during the rough patches.

Valentine’s night was very quiet - the lock-out wards, and silencing spells and obfuscate charms saw to their absolute privacy.

Easter involved lots and lots of chocolate. Severus and Sirius bought so much Muggle chocolate that they ran he risk of making the entire school population sick - if they had shared it with everyone. Those few who got chocolate gifts from ‘Severus and Dog’ were noted for being a tad unwell over the following few weeks. But, not a drop of chocolate was wasted.

Exams came, were sat, and went. Several students seemed intent on seeking Severus’ advice on this aspect of their study, or that theory of magic. Some few even came to ask his Dog for his sage advice - and, of course, to go walkies with them.

The end of term dance was upon them. Severus, and his pet, were to chaperone the event, along with several others of course. Unusually, Severus volunteered for the close down sweep - when he would be the very last member of staff out the great hall and through the hallways. A duty he normally hated.

Dog skipped between the shuffling dancing feet of Harry and his friends as they tried their very best to dance with him in their way. His tail wagged, their faces beamed with bright happy smiles, even Severus smiled at his pet’s strange behaviour.

Then, finally, the last person had been ushered out the door. The musicians were tucked up in guest quarters, the house elves were all enjoying the remnants of the feast in the kitchens, except for the little that Professor Snape had asked to be left for him. The door was locked, from the inside, and the windows turned darkly opaque, the room was silence spelled and charmed to warn them of anyone approaching from outside.

Sirius rose from his dog form to take his lover in his arms.

"What is all this, Sev?" He smiled as he closed in for a kiss, the first they had shared that night.

"I made myself a promise." Severus’ seductive, soft voice seemed to entwine him in its warmth, and teased his nerve endings in a delightful fashion.

"What did you promise yourself?" Sirius’ voice trembled in delight and need as Sev’s breath tickled his ear.

"That we would have at least the last dance - together." Severus flicked his wand at a little crystal he had set down on the stage, music swelled into the room, a beautiful piece of Muggle music in the classical style. All guitars and oboes. Utter seduction for woodwind and strings.

Severus took his lover in his arms and swirled them both around the room, grand sweeping gestures of love and trust. Their robes echoed their movement that split second behind them, like the aftershock of a lover’s caress.

A sudden cessation of movement let Severus delicately remove Sirius’ robe, and let Sirius do the same for him. For once, Severus wasn’t wearing a tight fitting jacket under his robe, but a rather plain, white shirt with ever so slightly puffed sleeves and open at the neck, tucked neatly into supple trousers that fit like a second skin. Contouring his body to Sirius’ confident touch. Sirius was wearing a comfortable tee shirt over snug fitting jeans, worn to suppleness.

Both men wore bright smiles.

Their dance was a symphony in seduction, like passion it ebbed and flowed, bursts of desperate, near frantic energy followed by long, languid passages of delicate touch and kissing. Sirius held Severus aloft, a levitation spell and the innate strength of his arms protected his lover from harm. Slowly, he slid Severus’ supple form down his own body, melding movement and music in a show of his love and delight at having Severus in his arms.

As their lips passed, they stopped to enjoy the moment, Sirius holding Severus close and swaying them both in the gentle rhythm of the music. When the kiss broke they were both on the ground, hands dancing graceful over skin and clothing; touching all that needed the benediction of their love.

A sweep of music took them apart and swirling around each other, hand in hand. Eyes never parting, only to have that ethereal contact draw them back into yet another embrace. With the final whisper of eyes closing, lips danced against each other and arms held tight with an almost violent intent of remaining there... always.

Yet, the light touch of the music changed once more and the guitar rhythms took them to a frenzied peak of need. No room for actual violence in their embraces, just the need to feel each other as close as they possibly could.

And the music took them over the threshold of passion into a lassitude of hope and comfort. As the music picked its way to an almost solo ending, it, like they, was caressed with a last, lingering chord from the orchestra.

Severus and Sirius finally knew they were one being.

"I love you." Severus spoke softly, holding tight to his only promise of a future.

"I love you to." Sirius ran his hands over the suddenly trembling body in his arms. "Shh, it’s all going to be all right. We’ve got each other, hey, it’s taken us long enough to find our way here, do you think either of us is going to give it up any time soon?" Sirius’ ready smile brought out an answering grin on his lover’s face. A look only he got to see.

"No, you’re right. Coming to bed now? Leave the ghosts to their nightly frolics?"

"Yeah, it’s late enough for us to risk it. I want to walk home, hand in hand."

"Well, if you don’t trip down the bloody stairs this time, then you won’t have to change into dog form in such a blind rush." Severus picked up their treats from the feast and their cloaks as they headed to the door, he forgot the little crystal as it sat on the otherwise empty stage, abandoned.

"Hey, it was the best anyone could hope for!" Sirius grinned and pouted in mock protest at Severus’ admonishment.

"I’ve yet to see any dog with the word ‘Levis’ printed across its bum!"

Their laughter faded as the door swung closed and two invisible wizards re-entered the realm of the visible.

"Now, are you satisfied that they’re happy?" Remus turned to the man at his side, the man he had longed to be with for what seemed an eternity.

"Yes, totally satisfied. It’s so good to see them both so content. Passion and love in perfect balance." Albus looked at his younger companion. "So, are you finally going to take your ageing lover to bed and love him till he whimpers for mercy?"

"Damn right I am!"

Remus never saw the crystal that Severus had stored his music on following them, wasn’t aware of anything until he lay with Albus and that soft, musical seduction played out for them too!