InsaneJournal

Who: Bilius Weasley & Sirius Black
When: Sunday, 19 January 1998
Where: Hog's Head, Hogsmeade
What: An escape from Hogwarts by means of drinks in Hogsmeade. And a sheepdog sniffing your crotch.
Status: Complete
Rating: PG13? Language? The boys drink and let off some steam


Sirius would like to spend more time at the Hog's Head but he had responsibilities at the castle. Responsibilities that, he had come to realize, he liked. Teaching gave him a purpose. If he hadn't had this opportunity after Azkaban, and if he hadn't had Remus, he didn't know what he would have done. However, that didn't mean he liked being cooped up in Hogwarts castle every day, every weekend even, with all that responsibility. At least he wasn't Head of House!

So when he could, he took a break, made the trek down the hill into Hogsmeade village by foot, and ducked into the Hog's Head Pub. He could count on Bilius to always have a glass of whiskey waiting for him alongside a nice spot of conversation. And this particular Sunday night, Sirius needed that. He'd had a particularly difficult week with some of his fourth year Slytherins, and he needed the break.

He found his usually seat at the end of the bar, facing the door, and slid onto it.

Bilius didn't always tend bar in the pub. There were others to do that and usually he spent his time sitting at a table in the back corner, drinking and writing or chatting with patrons. It was, all in all, a pretty good existence, provided one took appropriate precautions for a pub of the Hog's Head reputation. Spotting the familiar head of black hair, however, he thrust the journal into a pocket and headed to the bar. Grabbing a bottle of the good stuff from under the bar, he poured one for Sirius and one for himself.

"To your health, Professor," he teased.

The corner of Sirius's mouth quirked up and he lifted his head to grin at Bilius. "More like my sanity," he said, but he took the glass anyway, clinked it against the other, and threw it back. "Ah, you always save the good stuff for me, don't you?" He winked.

"Kids getting to you?" Bilius asked, sipping his drink and chuckling. "You know me, pining over you and trying to get in your good graces through liquor."

At that, Sirius barked in laughter. "Some days I still wonder how Minerva possibly convinced me that teaching was a good idea." He held his glass out for a second pour, which he'll spend more time on. "Well, I'm sure you'll have to get in line for that."

"Because no one beats Minerva in a battle of wills?" Bilius offered as he refilled Sirius' glass. "He rolled his eyes. Oh don't worry. I know you're off the market. Not going to be barking up that tree."

That was true. Minerva could probably convince him to leap off a mountain precipice and make it seem like it was Sirius's idea all at the same time, if she wanted to. "It's still nice to know there's interest," he said, because it wasn't as though Sirius had done a complete one-eighty. He might be in a committed relationship but that didn't mean he couldn't be flattered outside of it.

Bilius laughed hard and finished off his drink before pouring another. "As if you've ever lacked for interest from either side. I'm sure you've still admirers of both sexes and you can't tell me there's not half a dozen students swooning over Professor Black." Perhaps he was laying it on a bit thick, but Sirius was attractive and outgoing.

"How are things up at the castle?"

Sirius shrugged and sat back nonchalantly. "I do get the best Christmas and birthday presents," he said with a smirk. "I'm sure all of those admirers would be devastated to know I'm off the market." It was one of those things that he thought would be interesting to let slip out. Especially with Professor Lupin's name mentioned. But he wouldn't do that any time soon. Too messy, he suspected.

"As good as they can be, I suppose. I think the holidays did everyone good, gave them a chance to calm down after being shaken up with the Macnair bit."

"Leather trousers and poetry?" Bilius teased, leaning against the bar and toying with his glass.
"Has it calmed down up there, then? Things returning to normal?"

"Now that would be the best birthday ever," Sirius mused. He grinned and sipped his drink. "As normal as Hogwarts ever gets, really," he said. "Just the normal school drama."

"Cheating scandals, pranks, and a desperate battle for the house cup?" he quipped.

He tipped his glass back to Bilius. "Oh if only it were that simple." But he supposed it was, most of the time.

Bilius raised an eyebrow as he sipped, letting Sirius elaborate if he wanted. Bartenders were, after all, known to be therapist, confessor, and friend, all in one.

"We're dealing with a group of kids who don't know anything about war, which under normal circumstances, would be wonderful, right? Except that in this case, it just means they're scared of anything that threatens them." He didn't say exactly what he was thinking, and that was that he thought a lot of the kids were pansies. Or something. He didn't know. He was tired of it though.

Bilius thought of Hannah and how he'd felt when he'd seen her name on that list. "There's a part of me that says I wish they didn't have to know," he said with a shrug. "But Hogwarts is a lovely little bubble. Don't tell me they're still scared of Peeves."

Though much could be said at the Hog's Head, where privacy charms were plentiful and shady dealings were the norm, there were some things Bilius didn't always discuss in public, while he was "working". "Or is this some spare the rod, spoil the child feelings? Can't you just turn them over your knee or dock house points for idiocy?"

"Oh how I wish it were that easy," Sirius joked with a chuckle. Because it would be easier if he could just do that. "I don't know. I don't want them to know anything like it either, but I think we're forgetting a bit that this isn't like last time. Not yet. And if anything can be done about it, it won't get that way again."

"Well, some of us see ghosts and danger everywhere, despite our best efforts to the contrary," Bilius said with a chuckle before tipping his glass back. It was an opportunity to refill both their glasses. No.. it wasn't the same, but it there were enough similarities that red flags were going up amongst those who had survived the last year. "I suppose it depends on what can be done about it," he said, raising an eyebrow at Sirius. "I still vote for spanking."

"I don't want to deal with parental complaints," Sirius said. He took the refilled glass and rubbed the side of his neck. He knew as well as anyone else about ghosts and demons hiding around the corners. "Thank you for this," he said, smiling lopsidedly at Bilius. "I needed it tonight."

The lopsized grin on the young man earned one in response from Bilius. "Anytime. There's always a seat at the bar for you. And if there's not. I can just boot someone."

"I don't mind sitting at a table either," Sirius said, meeting his eyes. "So's long as the company's good."

"Have you glanced around?" Bilius said. "The best company here is on four legs."

As if on cue, Wendy came in from the back, making a beeline for Sirius. The sheepdog put her paws on Sirius' legs and snuffled at his crotch. "Perhaps I spoke in error."

Sirius chuckled and gave the big girl a pat on the head and a rub behind the ears. "She knows what she wants and goes for it. I respect that." He sipped his drink and glanced at Bilius. "But you give yourself too little credit. You and I both know I come down here to see you." Most of the time. He winked.

Wendy nosed and him and then snuffled his pocket and tried to work her wet nose under Sirius' shirt. Bilius tossed a balled up serviette at Sirius. "Oy. Easy there or Remus might get jealous."

Sirius smirked. "Yeah, probably," he said. "But he doesn't really have anything to worry about. He knows that."
"And the world is the poorer for it," Bilius teased, snapping a bar towel at Sirius, which had the added benefit of stopping Wendy from licking Sirius' crotch.

Sirius laughed at both the towel snap and the dog, and then he tossed back the rest of his drink. "Thank you, again, Bilius."