Another Tale of Two Men

TITLE: Another Tale of Two Men

Author: Lady Sirius

Pairing: SB/SS

RATING: NC17

FEEDBACK: darklove_zorg@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: Of course all rights belong to JK Rowling - I would claim Sirius if I could (but alas this is not meant to be!)

OOTP SPOILERS: This story is the sequel to A Tale of Two Men and is entirely AU, so yes there are a few references - don\'t read if you don\'t want to know.

DEDICATION: To my glorious, talented and wondrous inspiration - Gary Oldman


Chapter Three

The Calm Little Moments Before the Storm

Sirius was no longer teaching at Hogwarts, except on an as-needed basis, which didn\'t seem to be very often, but this did not perturb him in the slightest. Since tying the knot with Severus the previous year, Sirius had discovered a latent talent which he had not known he possessed. It had been during the course of one summer evening at Grimmauld Place. Hermione and Draco had come to stay for a fortnight\'s visit, and Hermione was curled up in one of the chairs in the library, thoroughly engrossed in a paperback novel, while the men passed the time in idle conversation nearby.

Feeling more than a little mischievous, Sirius had come up behind Hermione unawares, wondering what had caught the young woman\'s attention so thoroughly - was it a new potions manual (merlin forbid!), or perhaps a newly published wizard book..... Reading curiously over her shoulder, he soon found himself beginning to laugh, which quickly grew into chuckles, then loud guffaws, and escalated he phe point at which he found himself doubled over with laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.

Hermione glanced back at him, shaking her head at his uncouth actions. She was put out at his implied criticism of her reading material, closing her book with an indignant thump. Severus and Draco looked up suddenly to see what all the fuss was about.

Sirius managed to bring himself under control at last, gasping for air. \"I\'m sorry, Hermione,\" he managed to get out, \"but that is the biggest load of drivel I ... have....ever....read.....\" He began to quote a passage of the book from memory, in a high-pitched falsetto voice, ‘His arms were thick and strong, like mighty trees they were, and she ran her eager hands over his mighty muscles, admiring the bulge of them beneath her fingertips....\'\" Sirius wiped his eyes, placing one hand on Hermione\'s shoulder in apology, but she was not interested, her stiff demeanour showing that she was highly insulted at his words.

\"And do you think you can do better, Mr. Black?\" she asked him snappily.

Sirius\' dark eyes began to shine, and he stopped dead in the middle of whatever he was about to reply. Severus\' own eyes narrowed as he watched him closely - he had a feeling that he knew what was coming - his husband wore that look he got when he had just gotten the most scathingly brilliant idea - or at least what he thought passed as one - and he waited to hear what this latest brainstorm might just be. He didn\'t have long to wait.

\"Yes, that I can, Hermione,\" he replied, \"and why not? I\'ll do just that - I\'ll write my own novel, a romance novel like the ones that you seem to be so fond of, and I\'ll do it far better than that poor sod.\"

\"That poor sod happens to be a woman,\" Hermione pointed out unemotionally, \"and what makes you think you can do something like that? I\'ve never known that you were especially talented in the writing department. And how will you prove that your....book.... is better than this one? This one is considered to be a bestseller in the muggle world, after all. - it\'s on the list of the top ten muggle books, in fact.\" She glared at him defiantly, while Draco silently cheered her on, and Severus watched the duel between the two with bemusement. He knew that Sirius would have the last word - he was never one to give up so easily as that.

\"Then I shall write a book that is a better bestseller!\" he declared - and thus it began. Within two weeks, he had written his novel, and with Lupin\'s help, within two more he had anonymously submitted his manuscript to a muggle publisher and been eagerly accepted - and by the beginning of the new school year, he was a published author, rapidly climbing to the fourth position on the bestseller lists - several positions higher than Hermione\'s chosen author - and was hard at work on a second novel - all under the assumed name of Lucy L\'Amour. (He had realized that women writers seemed to fare better in this genre than did their male counterparts).

So, as Severus spent his days teaching the fine art of potions and potion making to students who were less than interested and generally inept, Sirius sat in their rooms, writing another potential best seller. He sat at his desk, reading over a message from his publisher (he had been forced to take a muggle post office box for that very purpose and Harry often helped to retrieve his mail, as did Hagrid when he was ondoondon on Dumbledore\'s bidding.) Sirius\' publisher was pleading with him to come out and make himself available for book signings - the public was clamouring to see Miss Lucy L\'Amour - and he gloriously predicted that book sales would soar even higher should the young authoress show herself to her public.

Sirius was in a quandry - obviously he couldn\'t present himself as Miss Lucy L\'Amour - even if he were a woman, which he quite obviously wasn\'t, he didn\'t care to actually intrude himself in such a way into the muggle world (he didn\'t need the royalty checks, of course, and gave them away as fast as they came in - usually to Harry and Ron, or Draco and Hermione). But how could he do this? He needed the cooperation of a woman, obviously, someone who would be willing to pose as the author, allow her picture to be taken - in other words, to be a beard for the wily wizard. But who could that be? He was fairly confident that Hermione would have none of it, for she was still angry that he had turned out to be so successful, even more so than the author Sirius had originally derided. McGonagall and Hooch were out - far too old, and he was reasonably sure that they would tell him where he could place his odd request. Molly was far too busy with her brood. Who then? And as he sat in deep thought, the most marvelous idea came to him. He snapped his fingers at the thought, and decided to act upon it immediately.


Severus Snape scowled irritably as he reached his apartments, his intense frown deeper than usual, marring his darkly handsome looks. He had been unfortunately waylaid by the headmaster just outside of his classroom, where Dumbledore had informed him that he needed to meet with Tonks as soon as possible, and that he should be prepared for anything as the need arose. And he also advised him to never call her Nymphadora, if he knew what was good for him. And on top of that, Snape had still been unable to discover which student had pilfered his cabinet, and stolen the missing herb, and he wasn\'t very happy about it.

He couldn\'t help thinking that none of this rigamarole would be necessary if it weren\'t for that malicious Lucius Malfoy and his overweanambiambition! Snape thought of the platinum blonde wizard with the perpetual smirk - how long ago it was that he had become involved with the cooly handsome man, allowed himself to be used as some sort of sex-toy? He wondered what plans Malfoy had in store for him now, but more importantly, what did have in mind for Sirius? It was vital that Lucius never learn of their marriage - that would give him double reason to turn his sick twisted mind toward Severus\' husband, as if he wasn\'t leaning in the direction already because of his connection with Harry.

Opening the door to his rooms, he entered quickly, his only desire being to find Sirius and melt into his arms, to forget about everything for a little while - but he was startled to find a strange looking girl with shocking pink hair ensconced in his living room, looking as if she were dressed to go to a costume party. His eyes widened in amazement - how dare she?

\"Tonks!\" he hissed at her angrily, his black eyes snapping as he moved toward her, looking very much like he wanted to throttlee her with his bare hands. \"What in the name of all that is holy are you doing here, you shouldn\'t be seen....\" But he pulled himself up quickly as a cheery voice was heard, and Sirius emerged from the next room, three cups of hot tea resting on a tray in his hands.

\"Severus!\" he greeted him with a smile, \"look who\'s here to see us!\"

Snape looked back and forth between the two, wondering just what was up, and realizing that it probably had nothing to do with the reason that he was supposed to see Tonks, thank merlin. He looked quizzically at the three cups of tea.

\"I was hoping you were on your way,\" Sirius explained.

\"Wotcher!\" Tonks exclaimed, taking the proferred tea and slurping some of it quickly down. She eyed Snape with amusement, but made no sign that she had noticed anything out of the ordinary in his previous demeanour.

Sirius set the tray down, putting his arms around his husband for a proper greeting. Snape noticed that Tonks, entirely at her ease, watched them with a big grin on her face. \"Awwww, that\'s so cute!\" she remarked. Severus scowled at her over Sirius\' shoulder.

Regaining his composure, the potions master looked up at her, his usual calm controlled self. \"Why thank you, Nymphadora,\" he sweetly replied, enjoying the look of baffled fury which suffused her face as she began to rise angrily from her chair.

\"Severus!\" Sirius laid a warning hand on the other\'s arm, his eyes signaling him to stop, \"you know Tonks doesn\'t like to be called that, don\'t tease her!\" Turning to his cousin, he quickly interceded, \"Forgive him, Tonks, he\'s always cranky first thing after he finishes teaching for the day!\"

The irritated auror bit her lip, but held her tongue, for Sirius\' sake..... and the Order. But she shot dark looks Severus\' way whenever her cousin wasn\'t looking, and he returned her looks just as blackly.

Sirius led Severus to the comfortable sofa, insisted he sit and relax, handing him his tea and fussing over him like a mother hen. Severus almost forgot that Tonks was still there, until Sirius began to explain, \"Tonks is here, Severus, because I got the most scathingly brilliant idea, and I needed her help with it!\"

\"And what would that be, praytell?\"

\"Well,\" he looked from Severus to Tonks and back again, \"you know how my publisher has been bothering me to make a few public appearances to promote sales of my book?\"

Severus nodded without replying.

\"I was just thinking if I could get Tonks here to play the part of Lucy L\'Amour, I could make him happy, and perhaps increase book sales at the same time. What do you think?\" He looked disingenuously from one to the other.

\"We-ell, I don\'t know Sirius,\" Tonks began slowly, but quickly relented at the woebegone expression on Sirius\' handsome face. \"Wotcher!\" she laughed, \"how can I say no to you, cousin? Maybe we can work something out - but not too oftengot got things to do meself!\"

Sirius beamed at them both. \"That\'s splendid! And just think - I can accompany you as your assistant or something, so I can enjoy the experience vicariously....\"

\"NO!\" Severus didn\'t realize at first that the vehement explosion had come from his lips until he saw the incredulous stares facing him. Tonks held her tongue, but Sirius was astonished.

\"WHAT did you say?\" Sirius\' face had taken on an odd pallor, and he seemed to be trembling with emotion.

Severus swallowed hard, knowing that he was treading on dangerous waters here - he couldn\'t explain that he dare not let Sirius leave the sanctity of Hogwarts at this time - not wit a t a great deal of explanation, and this he could not do. Recovering his aplomb, he quickly explained, \"I didn\'t mean to raise my voice, Sirius, it\'s just that your suggestion took me by surprise..\" He managed a wan smile, watched Sirius with concern. \"You should sit down, you don\'t look well.\"

\"I\'m fine,\" Sirius brushed the suggestion off, turning testily aside. Severus let him fume - better to have him be pissed off than in danger. Suddenly Sirius leapt up as if shot from a rocket, headed for the door.

\"Where are you going?\" Severus wanted to know.

\"Out,\" Sirius muttered, slamming the door noisily behind him. Severus shot a dirty look at Tonks.

\"Wotcher!\" was her only comment.

\"I knew nothing good could come out of our association,\" he muttered under his breath. \"All right, Tonks, since Sirius is not likely to be back for a little while, you may as well tell me what you have to tell me, and then you can go....\" He looked at her expectantly.

\"I don\'t know what Sirius sees in you,\" she muttered to herself, but saw the wisdom in his words, and was not anxious to spend any more time with the crabby potions professor than was necessary. \"Okay, okay, I\'ve managed to get into Lucius\' inner circle - it really wasn\'t easy, you know? - he uses me for small errands, nothing serious. But he has let me know that I could go far with him if I were to bring YOU back into the fold - he feels that your presence would be very helpful to his cause.\"

\"And just what cause would that be - the resurrection of that dusty old group of wizards who dream of taking the power that Lord Voldemort couldn\'t? Make me laugh!\"

\"Actually they want to bring Lord V back from the dead!\" Tonks exclaimed flippantly. \"I\'m to bring you there as soon as possible for a meeting - seein\' as Lucius don\'t have the power to summon you like your old master did.\" She grinned at him, sensing his discomfort at her mention of the abhorred Dark Mark. He refused to let her see him flinch.

\"When?\" he snapped.

\"In two nights.\"

\"I\'ll be there.\" Swift and succinct.

\"Meet me outside the Three Broomsticks about 6 pm, I\'ll have the port key. Where did Sirius go?\" She looked about her as if expecing him to suddenly appear.

\"He\'ll have gone to see Lupin - he invariably does whenever he doesn\'t get his own way. He\'ll be back.\"

Tonks nodded, looked at Snape closely. \"You know that Bellatrix is there? With Lucius?\"

\"So I\'ve heard.\"

\"If she ever found out that you and Sirius were married, she\'d kill you too.\" It was a flat statement, presented without emotion.

\"Then I suppose I shan\'t tell her, shall I?\" Snape snapped irritably. \"Was there anything else you needed to tell me?\"

Tonks shook her head. \"No, I guess not.\"

Snape rose smoothly, his glance at the door less than subtle. Tonks took the hint without rancor. Pausing on her way out, she turned to him. \"Try and remember that I am not the enemy, Severus,\" she pointed out before waltzing out the door.

Severus slumped back onto the couch, frowning. He would have to lie to Sirius about his whereabouts that night - it wouldn\'t be easy - but it was necessary. He couldn\'t be sure how long his presence would be required - he had to be prepared to stay as long as need be. He wouldn\'t have minded sending him to Grimmauld Place, to visit with Harry and Ron, but that wasn\'t safe either. No, he had to stay here at Hogwarts, until the situation was under control.

Goddamn, he hated Lucius Malfoy more than he had ever hated anyone before - and now he was being forced to walk into a veritable lion\'s den in order to help protect the life of man man he loved, not to mention all the other people whose lives were being threatened by the obnoxiously evil bastard.

He looked up suddenly at the sound of the door rattling. So help him, if that blasted auror was coming back, he wouldn\'t be responsible for his actions! But no, it was Sirius, standing in the doorway, smiling at him like a recalcitrant little boy. His heart swelled within him, and he realized that he would go through hell if he had to, to keep him safe.

Sirius strode swiftly across the room, making the distance in just a a few paces, flinging himself into Snape\'s arms, covering his lips with his own, claiming them, owning them, devouring them hungrily..... His previous bad mood seemed to have dissipated entirely, as he wound his arms about Snape tightly, and Severus relaxed into his caress. Oh well, they could always continue their argument tomorrow!