Within the Wings of a Storm

Honey, I Just Want You to Feel Fine

Adapted Excerpts from "Order of the Phoenix" in this chapter. Credits to J.K. Rowling. And this is the scene I wish more than ANYTHING had been filmed by Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman. To watch them fight on screen would have been magic. Sigh.

Explicit scene toward the end...but no kink this time. Just some romance. ❤️🔥

Chapter title from "I Don't Want to Know" by Fleetwood Mac. I added the song above also for a listen. It's just too perfect for Rhiannon and Sirius as they reach their end.
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The teenagers declared that Sirius's mood the next few days was the happiest they'd ever seen, a blessing since it seemed to determine the overall
mood of the whole house. Rhiannon could only attribute it to a lifting of pressure— like a balloon filled too tight that was finally permitted to burst — to be messy, and broken, and no longer forced to hold its shape. Now that they were both finished forcing their relationship to work or to be something more than it was, Sirius and Rhiannon found that they made excellent friends— with benefits of course, due to the bed shortage.

Everyone in the house worked together to decorate nearly every inch of it, draping it with enchanted snow, flying decorations; garland, bells and mistletoe teaming from every light fixture, shelf and beam. It was a chance to use purely fanciful magic, each witch and wizard trying to outdo the other with creative charm casting. Grimmauld Place was filled with laughter; even Harry had started being cordial to Rhiannon again, though things were still a bit awkward. Sirius had explained to the boy the need to guard her against Voldemort learning her true identity, and the easiest way to do that being to legitimize her relationship with Snape and allow him to manipulate the Dark Lord in order to protect her.

"But you two love each other," Harry had argued, perplexed. "You can't just give that up for the benefit of Order business."

"We can give anything up for the benefit of Order business," Sirius corrected him quickly. "Your Mum and Dad were proof of that."

Rhiannon gave Sirius a sharp look. "Harry, he didn't mean that the way it sounded. They didn't choose to give you up, like Sirius and I are making the decision to move on without each other. But they took a risk to be in the Order, for the greater good, and it ended in tragedy. Sirius's point is that we can't be so laser focused on our desires that we neglect the larger goals. That's what makes the vows we take for the Order so sacred."

"And when were you inducted?" Sirius asked, amused.

"Dumbledore said any day now," she replied defensively.

"Ah, so I won't be ridding myself of you after all," Sirius winked.

"Nope. I get to tantalize you forever."

"Ok, ok," Harry blushed. "You two are confusing and weird."

"Love is confusing and weird, son. Get used to it." Sirius patted him on the back.

"But...Snape?" Harry asked, trying not to laugh.

"My thoughts exactly," Sirius agreed.

"Harry, he's not that bad. Give him a chance. You could learn a lot from him," Rhiannon had encouraged. Sirius made a face.

The warm happiness from Christmas had slowly begun to fade though as winter break was nearing its end. Sirius had begun spending more time with Buckbeak during the day, closing the door for hours to dwell on the impending loneliness he would feel once the house was empty again. At night Rhiannon would reach out to him gently, only to be brushed away as he turned his back to her to sleep. She understood she shouldn't expect anything of him now that their engagement was officially off, but she worried about him withdrawing so much into himself. She had dared to hope after his Christmas mood that he was turning a corner.