Love is the difficult realization...
It was rather late when she dragged herself into the cottage. She had been told that Kings owled Malfoy, but she would tell Sirius in person. Hestia felt drained. What she really wanted was a hot bath. Hestia collapsed on the couch and just sat, staring into space.
Sirius smiled slightly as he watched her try to relax. As he'd hoped, his and Draco's impromptu curse session had worked to blunt the edge of his anger. For the moment, at any rate. It wasn't much, but it left him clearheaded enough to be able to focus on Hestia. He'd known her for long enough to realize that Tonks' kidnapping would hit her hard.
"Your girl Natalie is entirely too much like you." He sat on the couch and, tugging off her shoes, began massaging Hestia's feet. "The sneaky little bint managed to con me into going with her to Draco's today... to serve as a human shield."
"She's clever and far more innocent looking than I, so the con comes a bit more easily for her. We didn't find much. We know who has her, but... at least everyone knows what's happening and she's not walking around caged in her own body."
"Which will never happen again, because you now have a devoted and observant live-in lover who will gleefully eviscerate anyone who tries." Sirius added in a playful tone, though the look in his eye made it plain that he wasn't joking.
"So, did you want the foot rub, the massage, or the bubble bath," Sirius asked, "or some combination thereof?"
Hestia just looked at him. She was very lucky to have him around. She did not know how she would have handled tonight has she been here alone.
"Bubble bath? There's bubble bath?"
Sirius grinned. "Yes, there's bubble bath. It's already drawn, and the heating charm should hold for another couple of hours."
"Bath," she said distractedly as she tried to get up.
Sirius sighed in mock exasperation. "Quit that." Gathering her in his arms, he stood. "This is a full service bath."
She clung a bit more than she probably should. Hestia was not one for weakness on most days, but today she needed to be a bit weak in private.
Toeing the door open, Sirius made his way into the bathroom. He sat Hestia on the edge of the tub, and began unbuttoning her blouse.
"Do you want to just have a quiet soak, or would you like some company?"
"I don't want to be alone," she replied softly.
Smiling, Sirius leaned in and kissed her. "Then you needn't be." Returning to his task, Sirius tugged her blouse off, then started working on her bra. "I can't promise that I'll keep my hands completely to myself, though."
"Story of your life there." She leaned in and kissed him in return. "No one here has told you to keep your hands to yourself, however."
"Ah..." He replied with a chuckle. "So I really will be giving you the full service bath, then?"
Hestia chuckled. "That sounds really lovely after such a horrible day."
{SUMMARY} Hestia's feeling weary and clingy. Thanks goodness she has Sirius to come home to.
Sirius smiled slightly as he watched her try to relax. As he'd hoped, his and Draco's impromptu curse session had worked to blunt the edge of his anger. For the moment, at any rate. It wasn't much, but it left him clearheaded enough to be able to focus on Hestia. He'd known her for long enough to realize that Tonks' kidnapping would hit her hard.
"Your girl Natalie is entirely too much like you." He sat on the couch and, tugging off her shoes, began massaging Hestia's feet. "The sneaky little bint managed to con me into going with her to Draco's today... to serve as a human shield."
"She's clever and far more innocent looking than I, so the con comes a bit more easily for her. We didn't find much. We know who has her, but... at least everyone knows what's happening and she's not walking around caged in her own body."
"Which will never happen again, because you now have a devoted and observant live-in lover who will gleefully eviscerate anyone who tries." Sirius added in a playful tone, though the look in his eye made it plain that he wasn't joking.
"So, did you want the foot rub, the massage, or the bubble bath," Sirius asked, "or some combination thereof?"
Hestia just looked at him. She was very lucky to have him around. She did not know how she would have handled tonight has she been here alone.
"Bubble bath? There's bubble bath?"
Sirius grinned. "Yes, there's bubble bath. It's already drawn, and the heating charm should hold for another couple of hours."
"Bath," she said distractedly as she tried to get up.
Sirius sighed in mock exasperation. "Quit that." Gathering her in his arms, he stood. "This is a full service bath."
She clung a bit more than she probably should. Hestia was not one for weakness on most days, but today she needed to be a bit weak in private.
Toeing the door open, Sirius made his way into the bathroom. He sat Hestia on the edge of the tub, and began unbuttoning her blouse.
"Do you want to just have a quiet soak, or would you like some company?"
"I don't want to be alone," she replied softly.
Smiling, Sirius leaned in and kissed her. "Then you needn't be." Returning to his task, Sirius tugged her blouse off, then started working on her bra. "I can't promise that I'll keep my hands completely to myself, though."
"Story of your life there." She leaned in and kissed him in return. "No one here has told you to keep your hands to yourself, however."
"Ah..." He replied with a chuckle. "So I really will be giving you the full service bath, then?"
Hestia chuckled. "That sounds really lovely after such a horrible day."
{SUMMARY} Hestia's feeling weary and clingy. Thanks goodness she has Sirius to come home to.