Good For Everything

Chapter Seven: Circumstantial Complements

It was the second Friday in January, which also happened to be Severus's thirty-ninth birthday, when he was finishing up the paperwork pertaining to Bill and Fleur's adoption of young Victoire, who they had decided to adopt over Christmas, when there was a resounding knock upon his office door. Severus shuffled the paperwork, thinking that it could've been Albus wanting to check over the progress, and looked up.

"Enter," he said.

The door came open then, and an irate-looking Sirius Black stepped over the threshold and stomped into the office, slamming the door behind him. His dark eyes raked over Severus with pure revulsion and anger, and he was practically shaking as he stood before him. Sirius had taken some time off in the wake of the office Christmas celebrations, spending the holidays with Harry and that dog of his at Grimmauld Place, while Remus was the one bringing home the bread and barely taking any time off for the holidays.

"Sirius," Severus said, giving him a nod. "Good holiday?"

Sirius approached Severus's desk and stood before the visitor's chair, wrapping his fingers around it to control his shaking. "I don't suppose you know all that happened over the course of the holidays, do you?"

Severus shook his head. "Hermione mentioned that you and Remus bought Harry a computer, and that he's enjoying it, but that's all I know..."

"Harry has agreed to be adopted by me," Sirius said, cutting across Severus, who was shocked that he hadn't yet heard this information.

"Just you?"

"Yes, of course just me, for, as you know, our country has not yet caught up completely to the times, and Remus and I would be unable to adopt Harry together, no matter how much we may want to," Sirius spat at him.

Severus folded his hands atop his desk and nodded sagely. "Well, I wish you and Harry all the best," he told him. "I take it you want me to sign my approval for the adoption? If that's what you're worried about, Sirius, you needn't be. Harry has made great strides while under your care, not just academically, but physically and emotionally as well, and I think it would do him well to be adopted into such a wonderful family."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at him. "I know about Halloween."

Severus cocked an eyebrow. "What? That Harry and Blaise spent the night together? I know that it was the talk of the school for a while there..."

"I know he didn't spend the night with Blaise that night," Sirius said, the rage radiating from him as he attempted to hold his temper. "I know that the only one that Harry spent the night with that night was you."

Severus did his best not to scream at Sirius, although he himself knew full well that he was clearly the one in the wrong here. "What of it?"

"What...? What of it?" Sirius scoffed, shaking his head. "I could easily go to Albus with this, Severus, and you know it. One word from me, and it'll be your job."

"But you haven't yet, otherwise you wouldn't be standing there," Severus intoned, getting slowly to his feet and regarding Sirius coldly. "What brought you here?"

"Firstly, that I want you to stay the hell away from my son!" Sirius yelled, the aura of protection clear as he gritted his teeth at the man.

"And second?"

"And secondly, I want all the details from that night, you charlatan!" he demanded.

Severus inclined his head slowly. "There were kisses exchanged, followed by the two of us sleeping in the same bed, nothing more, nothing less," he informed him, and was relieved when Sirius visibly relaxed some. "I don't take men to my bed, no matter how much they claim to want it, when they are drunk, Sirius. You know me better than that. Harry and I, although there is an attraction there, cannot legally act upon it until he is eighteen-years-old. I explained to him as much, and I fear that I hurt him, but, regardless, I won't do anything to put my position here at Magical Kinship in jeopardy. I won't."