Truth or Dare ✔️

19

Sirius picked up his razor and inspected the blade as the water grew hot and he reached for the thick leather strap to sharpen it as his butler Leo knocked on the door with a parcel. "Sir, this arrived for you just now."

Sirius looked over his shoulder, smiled and nodded. He turned off the water and accepted the small innocuous package then stared at the plain brown wrapping, then toward the older wizard standing next to him.

"It's from Gringotts Sir...it was hand-delivered. They allowed only me to sign for it since you were preoccupied," he said. "Was it your mother's?"

Sirius shook his head. "No. I had it made last year. It started out being a pendant, was going to be a Christmas present. I haven't even seen it yet."

Sirius unwrapped the plain wrapping and opened the box to reveal a small black box of velvet. Withdrawing the smaller box, he held it in his hands and stared at it for a moment. Finally, he opened it. The facets of the blue sapphire twinkled in the bright lamplight as did the many tiny diamonds surrounding the larger stone. He smiled. Then he frowned as he held it up. "It's too busy. She won't like it."

"It's  a stunning ring Sir. Truly."

Sirius closed his eyes. "Yes it is, but it's too much. I should have opted for something far simpler. A solitaire perhaps? She's a complex young woman with simple tastes."

"She'll love it, Sir."

"Oh, I know she'll love it Leo, but she won't wear it." In his head, he could hear all kinds of reasons why she wouldn't, all said in her voice.

"Why not?"

He looked into the other man's eyes, his own filled with pain and anguish. "People will ask questions. I don't believe she is prepared to answer them."

"I understand, Sir."

Sirius nodded and placed the ring back into it's box and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans. "Well, I promised her that I'd shave, so I'd best get to it."

"Sir, allow me?" The older wizard transformed a small chair into one where Sirius could lay back and relax. The steel razor was sharpened and warm lather was made. "This is what I used to do for your father. He always found it quite relaxing. You could use a haircut, Sir. A good one," he chuckled.

"Don't let Hermione hear you say that," Sirius joked.  "She cut it last."

Leo looked off to the side and chuckled. "I remember when you were a little boy Sir. I actually gave you your first haircut. Do you remember?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I don't."

"You weren't very happy about it."

"No?"

"Absolutely not! It was your hair and you grieved so when it hit the floor. It grew overnight and it ended up being twice as long!"

Sirius laughed as he nodded his head. "I can picture that!"

"How about I just thin out your beard and mustache and shorten the length and straighten it out a bit?"

Sirius looked into the mirror at his reflection and stared into his eyes. "What the hell am I doing, Leo? She should be with someone her own age!"

"If you please Sir, she seems to know her own mind and she seems to be happy to be in your company."

Sirius rolled his eyes as he heard the scissor snip at his hair. He watched the lock of hair as it floated to the floor and land unceremoniously and he sighed.

"Why don't you wait to give it to her then?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah."

After his shave and hair cut, Sirius checked on Hermione to find her resting comfortably. He didn't have the heart to wake her and he decided to take a walk outside to clear his head. He had thought that she'd understand that he had only wanted to take her to tour the property...not necessarily a romantic sojourn into the countryside...although if it were to happen, he certainly wasn't going to complain.