Shooting Star

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I may have kind of fallen asleep in the shower, but then I woke up in the bed, so I figured it was okay.
Why would Sirius have done that? That insensitive asshole.
If I opened my eyes to see Sirius, I was going to scream. I had better be alone.
How did I get in the bed?
I guess one of them might have come back to check on me.
I cautiously opened my eyes. Sirius wasn't here, but this wasn't my house. I sat up straight.
Remus' house. Okay. I can handle that.
I rolled over to see Remus. "Remus?" I whispered to see if he was asleep.
He was asleep, so I got up as quietly as I could. The bed creaked, and I paused, but he didn't stir, so I continued. The door creaked, but he still didn't move, so I shut it quietly.
I followed the sound of voices to the backyard.
"Tell them about the time you and James and Moony and Peter tried to get off the train." Harry was saying.
The boys had tried to get off the train?
"I dunno. It might be too scary." Sirius said patronizingly. The kids chorused complaints, and he laughed. "We got up on the roof of it, and the Trolley Witch followed us, apparently." Sirius began.
I looked over the railing of the porch to where the four of them sat in the grass.  Sirius had his arm around Harry, who was leaning against him. Ron was sitting crosslegged across from them, eating Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans and Neville was to his left, wrapped in a Sirius' leather jacket. As if that would provide him warmth. Not that I hadn't done the same with it so many times.
"Not interrupting, am I?" I purposely interrupted. They really didn't need to hear this story. Molly wouldn't be happy with it, if she knew.
"Mum!" Harry smiled, sitting up straight.
"Eliza." Sirius said quickly, standing. "Hi. Uh. Hey."
I wanted to be angry, but I couldn't be. That was the most adorable scene. "Hey." I came up and wrapped my arm around his waist, looking down at the kids. "How are we tonight?"
"Good." They chorused.
"That's good. I'm sorry to ruin your little chat, but I need to borrow Sirius for a moment."
"Are you coming back?" Harry asked.
"No, I'm gonna go home. I don't want to intrude."
"You can stay." He offered.
"Thank you." I smiled. "I still need to borrow Sirius. We'll be back." I pulled him a little ways away.
"Look, I'm sorry I was an arse, I--"
"Sh. I'm sorry, Sirius. I overreacted--"
"No, you reacted very reasonably. I was overstepping."
"No. It was fine for you to be there. You just should have been a bit nicer."
"I know. I'm sorry. I just get so messed up and I'm so scared and--" He started talking faster.
I kissed him, hard.
"Yeah, that messes me up too. Just in a different, better way." He said, clearing his throat, putting his hands in his pockets, thumbs out. He glanced away.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you angry with me?" He looked up with his eyes, not moving his head.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Kind of.
"I can't stand when you're mad at me. I--"
"I'm not mad." I said as the kids laughed at something.
"I love you. I'm sorry I screw up all the time. I don't mean to--"
"Sirius, it's all right. I'll talk to Severus later. It's fine."
"I made you cry. I did hurt you. He was right. I hurt everybody."
"That isn't true." I touched his cheek.
"I've never had anybody love me like you. I've never loved anybody like I do you. I still don't know what to do."
"Yeah, neither do I. It's okay."
"But you're just awkward about it and it's cute. I just mess stuff up."
"You haven't messed anything up."
"This is my second major screw up, among other minor screw ups. I'm lucky you stuck around after the first thing. Isn't this kind of pushing it?"
"No. Love is composed of pushing buttons. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
"It isn't?"
"No."
"Oh. What then?"
I dropped my hand back to my side and he took his hands from his pockets. "I was wondering how exactly I got here."
"I sent Remus to check on you. He said you were in the bathroom with the shower running and you wouldn't answer so he came in and you were asleep. He brought you here."
Remus took me out of the shower and dressed me and he's okay with that, but not with me talking to Severus? "So you're fine with Remus seeing me naked but not with me being near Severus?"
How did I not wake up to that? Could I have possibly been that tired?
"Yep. Pretty much."
I laughed. "All right. Whatever." I hugged him. "I love you."
We went back over to the boys. "Nobody's started a fire?" I asked.
"Yeah. I guess we could."
While Sirius got a fire going, Neville came and sat in my lap, like he had so many times at St. Mungo's. "How's it going, Neville?" I asked, raking my fingers through his hair.
"Good." He said quietly, watching Sirius.
"That jacket's comfortable, huh?"
He nodded.
"Are you gonna finish your story, Dad?" Harry asked.
"I think I'd better not." Sirius cast me a smile.
"Good call, love." I patted his arm.
Soon, the kids were all asleep, Neville still in my lap, Harry with his head on Sirius' lap, and Ron sprawled out on the grass just in the light of the fire.
Sirius and I carried them inside and proceeded to remain by the fire for a while.
"I am sorry I interrupted your night." Sirius said quietly, staring at the fire.
"It's fine, Sirius. Don't worry about it."