| Current mood: |  mischievous |
| Current music: | The whistle of a tea pot... |
Tea and Hide and Seek, Part ONE of TWO
Sirius rose late that morning, well, it was early for him, around 10:30 AM. When he wasn't working he stayed up late, and slept late. After sluffing his way to the kitchen, he prepared a pot of tea, a tray of pastries for two, then yawning still, made his way into the lab.
Severus was already knee-deep in his research. It was something he loved doing- and hadbeen one of the few things to keep him going through darker times. The paper he was working on kept getting longer and longer as he found new things he wanted to discuss and investigate so much so that Albus had joked he would never finish until it became a book. In several volumes. Switching the stirring from right to left, he picked up a quill and started jotting down his observations, not looking up to greet his partner when he heard him. "I suppose it is still morning?"
Sirius replied after setting the tray down near Severus with a plunge of his face into his mate's hair and nibbling on the earlobe he found there. A soft growl then followed, then a hand was added, pulling aside the collar of the work robe so he could nibble on warm neck. "Yes.... most assuredly." he purred, then nipped again before retreating to prepare two cups of tea.
Severus half-purred, half-snarled, rubbing his hip against the other even as he chided him, Working... You don't want me to spill this on you now... Nevertheless, he still made a slight, disappointed little sound when Sirius moved off, and he buried his face in the steam of the cauldron, sniffing deep and making his eyes water. Not something he advised his students to do, who were far too likely to end up blinded.
"I can think of other things I wouldn't mind you spilling on me..." he grinned as he prepped Severus' tea first, then handed it to him before seeing to his own. The front of his robe was nearly open, the belt not doing the best job of keeping it fastened closed. He leaned against Severus as he glanced at what he was working with idly, then looked out the window at the grounds beyond. "Plans for today?" he asked, taking a long sip.
"You would knowing you," he replied, narrowing his eyes and peering along the length of his nose. The hint of a grin tugging at his lips. "Why do you even bother asking? This should be finished in another minute or two. And then I can either carry on writing up my notes, go into the village to scare the children, put on an apron and clean the house or..." he shrugged. Sipped at his tea between stirring. "Or something else."
Sirius took his tea and sauntered over to the couch to sprawl out upon it in the warmth of the sun coming in through the window, leaving the cold outside. He sipped at his tea again, then set it on a side table and looked over at Severus. "Well, seeing you move about the house in a fetching little apron and a duster could be quite envigorating..." he said with a low rumbly chuckle in his throat. His eyes sparkling with mischief, he watched Severus.
"What a shame we don't have one, then," Snape said smoothly, continuing with his work, and gliding up and down and around as he added this, now that. "I think the french maid outfit only came in your size too..." A yawn, and he dropped some nettle-leaf into the mixture.
Sirius laughed again, "Ah yes.... but YOU have the legs for it..." he snorted, then sipped at his tea again, and with a stealthy move, pulled out his wand, aimed at Severus and muttered a charm. The fastens on the Potion Master's robes fell away, causing the front to gape open. Sirius managed to hide his wand and grab his tea again, looking angelically innocent in the smoothest, and swiftest of moves.
Snape snorted at the comment, and reached over for the rapeseed oil- when his robes undid and started trailing in the various liquids ont he worktop. He yelped, cursed, and pulled them back, getting a handfull of sticky, wet mess for his efforts. With his other hand he pulled them close at the throat, wiping the other on the cloth. He didn't turn around. "If I didn't know better..." he growled.
"But you don't..." came the lazy reply. "True knowledge comes when you realize you know nothing... Just look at me. I am smart, devilshly handsome, attractive to all living things and happy as a clam by the sea..." he singsonged, then finished off the last of his tea, and sat up, robe fully open now to read the dregs after swirling it around. "Hm.... I see a chair, a water spigot.... and ... Hm... not sure what that could be...."
"An omen of death, doom, despair and destruction," Severus groused, finished what he was doing, dropped the sptaula noisily, and stormed over, holding the soiled part of his robe out. "See, look what you did! Too my favourite bloody robes too. That mixture takes FOREVER to get out." He paused, and peered into the cup. "Oh yes I can see quite clearly what is going to happen to you to make up for this," he grumbled.
Sirius looked up from under his long bangs at the fuming expression on Severus' face and leaned forward to look at the spot on the robe. "Hmmm... yes. That will take some work to get out...." he surmised, rubbing his chin in thought, then he seemed to notice something else. "Oh my...." he said in a dread tone. "Looks like you got a spot of it on yourself here..." he said slipping a hand into the folds of Severus' robe, and finding his thigh. He then leaned forward, nose following hand.
A loud, drawn-out snort that managed to convey far more than some people could get by words alone- and Snape looked lazily down, rolling his eyes heavenwards in an appeal to whichever deity patronised him to give him strength. "You always manage to get me dirty," he complained, and his eyes fell on the back of Sirius' head. He idly brushed his fingertips across the nape, parting the hair in the middle to either side. That done, he started rubbing at the base of his skull slightly. Has someone just had a shower? he asked, tickling behind one ear.
No, not yet. he replied with a mental smirk. He nosed against silk boxers, inhaling the musky scent of Severus' groin. His hand stroked slowly over the bulge he found growing there. It seems like you could do with a thorough washing as well... he sent, You smell like.... dog... he teased, then parted the flap of the boxers, and slipped his hand inside.
A slow, steady hiss now, and with a little difficulty Severus got a little closer- with as much dignity as he could manage, which wasn't all that much. His toes bumped against Sirius', and he wriggled his slightly behind the leather. "You think that's going to help?" he asked, a little huskily. "The whole house smells of wet dog." With finger and thumb he rubbed just above and behind his jaw, other hand resting on one shoulder slightly. He squeezed slightly.
Sirius made a grunt, indicating nothing specific. He retreated a bit, then using both hands, pulled down the boxers off of Severus' hips, and leaned in again into the darkness of the robes. One nosing stroke along the underside, another made with a tongue, long and slow, then he slowly slipped his mouth over the tensed shaft. He slowly covered Severus until his nose pressed into the black curls at the base. "Hmmmm......" he hummed, the rested his hands on Severus' slender hips for grip.
Slender, but deceptively strong fingers tightened, feeling the muscles working underneath, sliding over bones. The other fingers tangled themselves in dark locks, gripping firmly. Leaning forwards and putting some of his weight against Sirius, Severus used his other, cold hand to slide the robes from the shoulders beneath him, pushing them down till they fell over the arms still lost inside, exposing his back the the slight chill of the room, only just heated by the potion he'd been making. Fingernails raked up and down a moment, and he made a rumble of appreciation somehwere deep in his belly, starting from his diaphragm. I never knew I liked that smell, he admitted, silently.
Sirius grumbled a reply to the compliment, and began a familiar motion of up and down Severus' length, slowly, methodically. Does this help, Master? he thought with a smile wrapped around flesh. He continued at his task, until he felt Severus fall into his rhythm, counter thrusting his hips slowly with his motions, then he slowly pulled back, and leaned back on the couch, grinning wide. He wiped at the corner of his mouth, and wiggled his eyebrows at Severus.
......Slightly... was the delayed response. When Sirius pulled back, he made a low, rough, growling noise, and followed without a beat. He moved to the couch, and kneeled, straddling, and pinning Sirius. He used one hand to lean against a shoulder, keeping it down, and tilted the Gryffindor's chin up with the other, brushing lips together briefly, before biting the tip of his nose, and licking his upper lip. Severus sat back, and grinned, toothily. You asked for that.
Sirius gave a soft yelp at the bite delivered to him then laughed as Severus pulled back from him. He gave him a lazy grin and reached out to flick at a piece of hair draped over the Potion Master's face, tucking it behind an ear. "So, Master of the House. What now?" he asked in a soft drawl, then glanced down at the lumpiness in Snape's robes. "You look like you need attending too...."
Snape turned to snap his teeth at the fingers near his face, but only succeeded in missing and catching air. Head still turned, he slanted his eyes to the side, to watch from the corner of his eyes. They looked positively wicked. He drummed his fingers on Sirius' forearm, and did his best to look bored. He spoke as if it didn't matter one way or another if the house fell down right about now, but shifted himself a little, rubbing down into Sirius lap. "I don't know," he lied. "I am getting rather bored. Such is high society, I suppose. And the trappings thereof..." He shook his head, haughtily, and messed up his hair again on purpose.
Sirius snorted and with a quick motion, got up from the couch, leaving Severus in a black heap upon the leather. He stretched out, and then wandered across the room to a shelf containing a dozen or so small corked bottle of potions. He shook his long fringe out of his eyes, and peered at the labels. "Hm.... maybe we should drink one of these and then slip into a hot shower or bath...." he mused, picking up one, examining it closer, then setting it back down to peruse another. This one he pulled the cork out of, gave a sniff, a wince, pulled a face, then quickly restoppered it and put it back. "Merlin what awful smelling stuff..."
Severus kicked his feet up onto the couch, and lay on his belly, propping his head up on one hand. "For a start I wouldn't recommend that one, unless you like having gills, and scales," he said, disaffectedly. He rolled to face the back of the couch, legs crossing at the ankles. "You know I don't keep anything down here." He messed about to get comfortable, the leather squeaking noisily. "You can find the egg whisk no matter where you put it last and you atill aren't house-trained in here?"
A few moments passed, then came the taunt mentally, Hide and seek, you're it... Come find me if you can.... Sirus was in fact, no longer in the room, only his robe remained pooled on the floor near the cabinet of potions.
A heavy, world-weary sigh. He broadcast his mild irritation noisily. You better tell me the rules, then, he thought, getting up slowly, and finding his wand. So I can break them.
No wands... No Magic.... Winner gets to be on top... came the amused reply, and then, silence. He hadn't shut the connection down, but had cleared his mind.
If Snape really wanted to, he could have concentrated hard enough to give him a sense of direction. But Sirius might have moved by then. His sense of smell- whilst good for a normal human, and trained to be, was definately not up to the task. The whole house smelt of the two of them to him. Less of himself- because that was a smell he was very long accustomed to. He placed down his wand, carefully on the table, and with a grin shrugged out of his robes. It was half-magic, but then he didn't care all that much, and Slytherins were reknowned for breaking any rules they saw fit. Or just felt like. Within a second or two, he had changed, and was flying through the doorway.
Sirius had quite the headstart, and his tactics has improved over the years, not to high of a spot, and not too low either. He padded along the hallways for a moment or two before sending out his invitation to play. Thought, then got a grand idea. He turned and headed for the greenhouses on the second level patio. Hiding in there would cover his scent, and there was a plethora of spots he could crawl into.
Where would Severus go if he were an annoying Gryffindor playing hide and bloody seek in a mansion, he wondered. The double-second-guessing would usually lead him into circles that could take forever- but the slow, systematic approach took far too bloody long. Powerful strokes of strong, trim black wings took him quickly to the main hall, where he did his best to hover (not something ravens as a species were that good at) and swivelled beady black eyes this way and that, looking for some clue in the doors, and thinking. Eventually, he decided to cover his loses as best as possible and work from the top level downwards, flying up over the stairs and startling the House Elf who was actually using the main staircase. They were allowed to, these days, but seeing Snape in either form doing something the previous Masters of the house had disallowed made them anxious.
Sirius had run a quick circuit of the greenhouse, taking care to avoid loose soil or water that would leave prints, and at last spotted the potting shed. Perfect. He nosed his way inside of the door left ajar, then slipped inside. The pungent smell of fertilizer made him sneeze, then when he had managed to stop that, he used his jaws to pull the door shut with a soft "click". He grinned to himself, and after shoving a few smaller tools aside, laid down and prepared to wait.
The rooms covered, Snape paused at the doorway. He didn't often fly outside. Didn't often fly. He was fairly sure that Sirius was nowhere in the building proper, but somewhere else. Frsutrated, he eventually flew out one of the open windows- avoiding the door, and made his way to the top of one of the middling trees, looking about. He pulled his wings up tight about him, and moaned, Cold...
The rooms covered, Snape paused at the doorway. He didn't often fly outside. Didn't often fly. He was fairly sure that Sirius was nowhere in the building proper, but somewhere else. Frsutrated, he eventually flew out one of the open windows- avoiding the door, and made his way to the top of one of the middling trees, looking about. He pulled his wings up tight about him, and moaned, Cold...
Hungry. Hurry up. came the petulant reply. He was getting tired, and hungry, and ... stiff from laying still for so long. He shifted slightly and nearly send a hand rake plummeting down onto his head. He sighed again.
I need a smaller bloody house, Severus complained. God knows why they made it this big. No, wait, I do. Bloody arrogant pride. He launched from the tree-top, unsettling a few pigeons who had actually dared to come into the grounds, and sending them scattering. Wings tucked in tight, he headed for the only marginally covered place he could think of, and let himself into the hothouse. The irises by the door turned to look at him, but he ignored them, and started circling up by the glass roof.
Sirius snort laughed at that last complaint, then yawned again. Times almost up. Pity you can't smell anything with that nose of yours.... he teased, then closed his eyes. It was begining to warm up in the shed from his body heat, and this was making him sleepy. If he wasn't careful, he would drift off to sleep.
He was all to hapy to leave the hot house- which was far too hot, and held the most- lively- plants, except for the sudden change into chill winter weather. This wasn't too nice. He speeded up at that, and entered the next of the greenhouses with a loud squawk of displeasure. Am not playing this game again. Why can't we play chess instead? he asked, and started swooping along the length of the rectangular hothouse.
Crybaby Slytherin... he sent back with a snicker. Ready to concede defeat, again? he asked then went silent again. He yawned wide, and then stiffly sat up to scratch at an itch behind his left ear. Ahhh.... that' feels good...
Just because I always win at chess, he shot back, and landed on the top of the shed. He wouldn't give in, even if it took him all day. Not after he'd gone to this much effort. He started preening his primary feathers, as if he was merely stopping for that reason, when he heard a noise. Slight, but there. He hopped to the end of the roof, from there to the spade handle which left him able to peer in through the keyhole. "CAW!"
Sirius froze, in mid scratch, and gulped. He slowly let his leg return to the ground, and waited. He wasn't going to just walk out and get found. Oh no. He carefully laid himself back down, a black dog in a black shed and waited. The calling of the Raven meant nothing, he might not know he was in there, just calling out. So, he waited.
Opening the door was difficult. Not only was it heavy- he had to reach. Stretching out as far as he could, craning his neck, using his wings for balance, he managed to flip the catch, but fell off in the process in a whirry of feathers. On the floor, he started trying to dig his beak in around the edge, unwilling to change back. If ti was a dead end he would not be best pleased. But he had been searching too long now.
Sirius heard the fluttering and scratching on the door catch from outside, and he frowned. He was going to be found, unless... But that would be cheating. Not like Severus wouldn't do the same thing if HE was going to get found out. He considered apparating to another part of the grounds, but that would produce an audible sound if he did. They Sev would KNOW he had cheated. So, he laid there, crouched low and waited, he had a plan.
Finally, using a lot of claw, and beak, and shoulder, and cursing, a certain Potions Master managed to open the door to the potting shed. He hopped over thr threshold and even managed to snort in this form- be it slightly higher pitched and quieter. He walked as stately as he could- which wasn't very considering the amount of things- most bigger than him- lying about and waiting to fall on him, trip, or impale him. He usually felt nervous on the floor in this form.
Sirius watched with large eyes as the Raven entered the shed. He was under the potting bench, just a void of black space to the unadjusted eye. He glanced around, then spotted a stack of large pots just beyond where he was laying, to the right of the exploring bird. He smiled a doggy smile, and with a gracefully sweep of his large tail, sent them tumbling over sideways, and *PLOP* one fell perfectly over ontop of the Raven, trapping him like a spider under a drinking glass. Sirius quickly crawled out from under the bench and ran helter skelter out of the shed and back for the exit of the green house.
BLOODY COWARD! Snape yelled, cawing furiously. I'M NOT EVEN A TENTH YOUR SIZE AND YOU'RE STILL RUNNING! YOUR'E...YOU'RE SO LOW YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK UP TO SEE THE BELLY OF A SNAKE!" The terracotta pot jumped about a bit, left and right, but seemed to stay stubbornly upturned. Severus started pecking angrily at the sides- giving himself a bit of a headache in the process, before white rage cooled into calculating reflection. He still fumed, and thought.
Sirius jumped up and clawed at the door latch with his paws, trying to get out of the green house before Snape freed himself, or worse, changed back. He found that harder than anticipated, and had to sit back down, he was unable to work the doorknob with his paws. He panted, growling in frustration.
Severus didn't have his wand. There wasn't room for it under the plantpot anyway. And he'd never really tried to cast much of anything in this form. For one, it was incredibly hard to form anything approaching sound. Possible, but hard. He looked up through the drainage hole, thought, and changed back. He picked the plantpot from off his head, feeling very silly, very much naked, and very much annoyed. "Sirius?" he said, voice low. He considered changing back for a moment.
Sirius looked over his shoulder at the annoyed voice from beyond, and gave as soft whine in reply. He watched the potting shed to see if Severus would emerge or not. When he didn't, curiousity got the best of him, and he slinked back over. Was he hurt? If he was, it would be his fault. Sev? he called out cautiously, then nosed into the partially open door and peered into the darkness.
Snape changed back in a flash, letting go of the plantpot part-way through, which fell to the floor with a loud SMASH, and sent a few large shards flying- but not high enough to catch the airborne bird. He tucked his wings in tight, bringing his claws forwards at the last minute- and with considerable aerial skill grabbed tight hold of canine snout- not tight enough to cause damage or hurt- and used that as a perch. He pecked angrily behind Sirius' ears, grasping tufts of fur in his beak. Damn fool could have killed me, he grumbled. That's it. Even that bloody Twister thing was more fun than this. I am never playing this ludicrous game again.
Sirius yelped, and cried out as he was pecked and his hair pulled out. He reflexively shook his head and ran from the shed, trying to shake the murderous bird loose from his snout. Give! I give! he cried out stopping in the main part of the greenhouse and flopping down onto his belly, then brushing his nose with his front paws to knock him loose.
The bird gave the avian equivalent of a cry of distress when it saw several rather large paws headed in its direction, and hopped first onto brow, and then onto shoulder. A rather unstable position to sit, whilst Sirius was in this form, but better than being swatted at. He shuffled to get his weight right, and started rubbing his beak just behind Sirius' ear- this time not biting. I win. I knew I would, he crowed, and started preening Sirius' fur triumphantly.
Sirius sighed, and laid there still, letting the bird perch on him, cold feet and claws and everything. He made low rumbly growl sounds in this throat as he was groomed. Somewhere between complaining and purring, if a dog could purr. Yes, you won, Master. Where should you like to have your reward, in the shower or the tub?" he said with a calm resolve. Once the bottom, always the bottom. He had deluded himself it would ever change, even for a day.
I think I should like to be carried to the bath, he decided, settled down, and placed his head between Sirius' ears, occasionally scratching gently, but otherwise still. All that flying has quite tired me, he smirked. Onwards and upwards if you would?
Sirius moaned and slowly got to his feet with the bird riding astride his shoulders. He walked over to the door leading out of the greenhouse, and stopped. Can't do doorknobs like this, he sighed, and waited for a response from Severus.
I'm certainly not moving. Change already, he yawned, sitting a little more upright, and getting his wings braced in case he did need to move.
Aye.... he said in a sigh, then shifted back to human form. "Ouch! Shit! Watch the bloody claws!" he groused as Severus dug into his bare shoulder. He moved a hand over to tansfer the Raven to his forearm where thicker skin and hair provided more protection to his hide. "Here, have a sit on my arm." he said as he opened the door to the greenhouse, and made his way back into the house proper.
A quick hop and he leaped over, claws braced apart, sitting regally and swaying slightly as they moved. He had to admit he had a certain fodness for this form. Well, he had to admit to himself. But he had had quite enough for one day, and was looking forwards to getting back inside. Where he would make sure Sirius didn't hare off on another wild goose chase. He warbled, slightly, and clasped the claws of one foot about the base of Sirius' thumb when he felt stable enough,
Sirius looked over at his Master, Lover, Friend. Who would have thought the last? Who would have though of any of it so long ago when they first met? He smiled at the fine specimen riding on his arm, then carried him up the stairs, shivering slightly now from the chill of the house on his naked form and up into the Master Bedroom Suite. He went directly into the bathroom, and set Severus to perch on a towel rack while he went to prepare the bath.
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