I'd Rather Not [Sirius]

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon crumbled the paper she'd been reading and nearly screamed in frustration. Who the bloody hell did they think they were?! Looking at the crumbled she held, she swung around and threw it into the fire, but not before she shouted in fright. "What the hell do you want?" Gregory had appeared in the fire and looked far from happy, but she was sure she looked far worse.

"You know exactly what I want, Avalon." He ignored her unladylike snort and continued, "And I expect you to fulfill it. You have your duties and as my future wife, you will see to them. Just as your mother has written you!" His voice softened then and he smiled, "I miss you, pet. Come home for a few days. We will spend some time alone together. Just the two of us..." He let the meaning hang and she nearly gagged at the insinuation behind his words. Yes, she had once liked 'spending time with him' but that had passed.

"No. Gregory, I will not!" She cringed at the look her fiance shot her through the fire, but before he could speak, she cut him off. "I said no and you will tell my dear mother that or I will! And I won't be polite about it, you bloody arrogant git! And that goes for you disgusting invitation!" Grabbing some ash from the corner of the hearth, she threw into his face and watched him disappear with unhidden satisfaction. "Bloody prat." Taking a deep breath, she gave her back to the fire.

She was free until October 25th and not a minute sooner would her family see her. Nor would she succumb to Gregory's wishes. Taking a seat at her desk, she focused on planning her next lesson.

[Sirius Black]

Sirius had meant to come to her sooner. After the fiasco in the dungeons, he got caught up with Helios and then Harry's injury. Knocking on the door, he waited to be welcomed before stepping in. Well... She certainly didn't look happy. Closing the door behind him, he walked up to the back of one of her chairs and tilted his head in inquiry. "Everything all right, professor?" He didn't wait to be invited to sit, he just stepped around and sat anyway. "Sorry for not coming sooner. I generally don't leave new people out to dry like that but I was not expecting the dungeon to explode. I've come to catch up and see if there's anything I can help you with."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon wasn't in the mood to see anyone, but when she saw who it was her initial thoughts dissipated. "I'm fine. Nothing that can't be fixed." It was something that couldn't be fixed, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Smiling, she shook her head and waved his apology off. "No worries, I completely understand. To be honest I don't think anyone could ever expect a dungeon to explode and if they did than I'd be worried for my life." The bad taste of Gregory's invitation was slowly fading as she did the one over for the millionth time on Sirius Black. He was handsome -probably the most handsome man she'd ever seen and she'd seen her fair share.

That's when she began to wonder. She knew she was attracted to him, but could she attract him? Probably. Smiling, she left her seat and came around to the front of the desk. "I am having a little trouble remembering all the names." Gracefully pulling herself up onto her desk, she crossed her legs -letting her skirt ride up just a little- and frowned thoughtfully. A look that she knew made her look innocent, angelic, and tempting.

[Sirius Black]

"That's good to hear," he said, nodding slowly. "I don't know... This wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Same students, too. Luckily that was their last chance and they're on their way home as we speak." For once, he'd been in complete agreement with Severus and expelled the two boys on the spot. Such a shame... They were at their NEWT levels, too. "So, how's your lesson plan coming along. You ready to face the music? That reminds me... I've scheduled your first evaluation to be on Tuesday, so I'll be sitting in. Just pretend I'm not even there."

He could see how that would be difficult. "It just takes some time, but you'll catch on to their names quick enough." She sat on the desk in front of him and immediately his eyes went to her legs. Unprofessional? Yes. Not to mention he was still mourning his wife's death. But it had been so very long... And he was still a man. He looked back up at her, forcing his eyes away, but the look on her face did not help him ignore how extremely alluring she was. Though, he actually began to wonder if she was doing this on purpose.

Standing up, he stepped closer, towering over her. Leaning in, he said, "Well if there's anything I can do to help... Just let me know."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon hid her triumph well as she saw his eyes fall directly where she had intended them to fall. "Second time? You don't say. What did you do with the students that caused the explosion?" She kept the conversation casual, but voice had grown softer indicating that the moment was anything, but casual. Watching intently, she held her breath as he stood and came to stand over her. He was tall, taller than she had first realized and she had to tilt her head back just slightly to look up into his eyes. A slow smile spread at his choice of words. Anything? That was a far too tempting offer to let slip by. Except what if he meant it professionally? Well, she'd soon find out.

Her eyes never wavered from his as she slowly lifted her hand and laid it on his chest. "What falls under anything?" Asking softly, her hand gently moving upward along the leather, she leaned in, her lips a mere breath away from his.

[Sirius Black]

"Oh, they're expelled," he said flippantly. "Ministry came to confiscate their wands today, and they should be en route to King's Cross station where their parents will pick them up." He should have expelled them the first time, but he'd been so intent to stand firmly against Severus, that he'd let his pride get in the way. Well, lesson learned.

His muscles tensed when she laid her hand on his jacket. The question nearly fell on deaf ears, but his eyes remained locked on hers. When she leaned in, he took a silent deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come, but what he expected never happened. And he was... disappointed. "You tell me, professor," he said, coming the rest of the way to meet her, to press his lips to hers.

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon had hoped he wouldn't turn away -something she had half expected him to do- but when he closed the distance between them instead...well, she almost forgot to breathe. She'd been attracted to a half a dozen men and more, but never had one so quickly roused her. She was vaguely aware of the flickering occurring in her stomach as she fell into the kiss. Flicker...fluttering? Butterflies...no. No, she'd never had such adolescent feelings in her life! It scared her how quickly he had affected her, but she'd be damned if she let the best kiss of her life pass her by. Uncrossing her legs, her hand closed around the lapel of his jacket and with a little pressure, she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Her free hand soon found its way to the back of his neck where her fingers buried themselves in his dark hair.

Tearing herself away from him after a short while, she stared breathlessly up at him before breaking into a not so timid smile. "I'd like that to fall under anything and anytime." She said, leaning back on her hands and smiling invitingly. It wasn't until after a few seconds passed that she began to wonder whether he regretted kissing her. She tried to tell herself that he shouldn't since it wasn't a big deal. A 'wasn't a big deal' that she'd love to have repeated.

[Sirius Black]

What was he doing? He shouldn't be doing this! She was a professor! He was her boss! His wife had just died! Oh, she was a good kisser. What was he thinking. It didn't matter. He let her pull him closer, his hands going to her waist, holding her near. He was suddenly too hot. He wanted to take his jacket off. Merlin, it had been so long since a kiss had done this to him. Even at the end, Gabrielle's kisses had just been... routine. He was not ashamed to say the passion had faded from their marriage even though the fondness had remained. But this was different from any of the kisses he'd received from his wife. This kiss made him feel young again. And just as he had the thought that this was quite possibly the best kiss he'd ever had... the guilt hit him like a ton of galleons.

The look she gave him almost made him forget it, but he couldn't completely. Not sure how to respond, he took a step back and drew in a deep breath to steady his electrified nerves. "Professor... I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. I got... caught up... I don't normally just walk in and start snogging my female staff members. My wife did just die... And I have a daughter. I should probably try to stay away from engaging in romantic flings." Not that he was opposed to relationships. He actually felt ready for one at this point, but that's not what this was. This could never be what he was looking for now. Especially since this woman, this magnificently beautiful woman, was getting married in a month. Still, he couldn't help but smile now. "I wish you hadn't done that..." Though, technically he was the one who kissed her. "Now I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about it. I hope... I hope this doesn't make it awkward to work with me."

[Avalon Yuciano]

It was as she had expected. He had become the honorable and righteous Sirius Black. Damn him. Well, she'd just have to teach him that there was nothing wrong with a bit of anything and everything. Nothing wrong at all as long as they could both act as mature adults."So I'm special?" She teased from her position on the desk. The smile that had formed wavered as he mentioned his wife and then his daughter. She should have guessed that would be the main reason. She chose to ignore the first and focus on the latter, "I know and she's a beautiful baby girl." With anyone else those would have been just words, but she was being sincere. "But I'm not asking you to take me and introduce me to your daughter. I'm not asking you for anything except simplicity."

She slid gracefully from her perch and stepped towards him, "This can be simple if you're an adult about it." She reached for his hand, afraid that any other contact would make him skittish. "We can always go our separate ways and it will never have to be awkward." She ran her hand up his arm and gently back down, "Done what?" She asked, knowing full well what he meant.

[Sirius Black]

Well, he hadn't meant to convey that message, but she could take it as she would. It wasn't like she was the first professor he'd kissed... Then again, he was with Persephone before the fact that she was his boss was relevant which actually made the questions of possible favoritism harder to address. He was pretty sure he understood what Miss Yuciano was asking of him though... And a few months ago, that's exactly what he would have been able to give her. Now, he was not so sure. "You don't understand, professor," he said softly. "I'm looking for somebody that I can take to introduce to my daughter. I'm looking for something more meaningful than mere simplicity."

Could he really have a fling with her while she looked for somebody? Would that be fair to the man she was going to marry who expected fidelity. He remembered what it had been like for him coming back to find out that the 'love of his life' had married Severus Snape. It felt like a sucker punch to the stomach though it had mostly been about pride. "I... suppose if we..." No, he couldn't agree to this. He involuntarily shuddered at her caress. "I'm not sure I can be the simple that you're looking for."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Outfit: click

Avalon shrugged, "No, I don't think you can be. Shame really." Reaching past him, a movement that caused her to brush against him, she reached for the bag she'd set down earlier in the desk behind him. "I don't believe there's anything else I need of you, Mr. Black, but thank you for stopping by." She turned to fetch her coat and watched as the letter she'd received from Gregory tumbled out. That letter was what had caused her mother to become involved when Gregory hadn't received word back from her. She left it lying there, knowing that where it had fallen Black couldn't see.

She turned back around to face Sirius and smiled, "Well, if that's all you stopped by to say, I think I'll be going." Her smile now was nothing like the one she'd given to him earlier. It was sad. You could have been the distraction I needed, She sighed inwardly, For heaven knows I need one. Gregory's words were unwelcome as they surfaced, 'I miss you, pet. Come home for a few days. We will spend some time alone together. Just the two of us...' The revulsion she felt at remembering his implication showed in her eyes as she waited for Sirius to excuse himself and leave.

[Sirius Black]

Wow. Just... wow.

"Well, I do apologize for not being your personal go-to guy for your sexual frustrations," he said, a little teasingly but with some bitterness in his tone. And now she was trying to be so casual and unemotional about it. Like she hadn't just offered to degrade herself by being his object. "It was my pleasure. I do normally try my best to see to the comforts of my staff, though sometimes it pains me when they ask for too much."

It was going to be awkward. Hopefully he would not have to deal with her too much. More importantly, he hoped McGonagall never found out about this. Avalon did seem the type to keep her mouth shut. When she turned her back on him, he felt a touch of rage and he just had to know what she was thinking. So... against his better judgement, he cast Legilimency.

He sighed deeply. This was going to be more trouble than it was worth. "Have you ever considered just not marrying him?" he said, bracing himself for her to yell at him about minding his own business.

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon stiffened, "That was uncalled for." And it shocked her how much his words stung, but she'd been stung before... "You should have told me I was asking too much before you kissed me and you did kiss me." Without another word, she began to slip by when he spoke up. Closing her eyes, she smiled in bitter amusement. She should have known that someone like him would know how to use Legilimency. "Nice trick." She said beneath her breath before continuing past him. After all it was none of his business, but just as she reached the door, she stopped. "I have a duty to my family that I cannot ignore." Her hand was on the knob, "This marriage...joining...would benefit my family and his own." She sighed, looking over shoulder. "Not everyone has the privilege of running away from home at sixteen and living with their best friend's family." She hoped she surprised him with that bit of knowledge she had of him.

[Sirius Black]

"I apologize," he said sincerely. "We were both out of line and it would be pointless to point fingers as both of us made some mistakes here. I promise you, professor, I don't make the same mistake twice." But he wanted to. Merlin, did he want to. When she passed him, he closed his eyes and tried to recompose himself. He didn't like being so... caught off guard. What she was doing to him was not unfamiliar, but it was unexpected and the intensity that he felt as a result from it was surprising.

"Yeah... it comes in handy," he said, turning around to face her. Okay. The jacket had to go. Slipping out of it, he hung it over his elbow and gave her a 'you can't be serious' look.

"That is just about the worst reason I've ever heard to get married. How does it benefit you? Do you even care about the guy?" He was struck dumb for a few seconds when she brought that up. "You call that a privilege?" he asked, not even asking how she knew that about him. "That I had to grow up in a veritable hell for the first sixteen years of my life with verbally and physically abusive parents whose main issue with me was that I wasn't willing to go on a murder spree to kill muggles and blood-traitors? Yeah, my life was a cake-walk. I'd say up until my daughter was born, the only thing that ever did work out for me was that the Potters took me in. Don't talk to me about being afforded opportunities that other people don't have. I lost twelve years of my life in Azkaban for a crime I didn't commit, two more in hiding, and two more being dead..."

He took a few steps towards her. "Professor... Take it from somebody who knows... You should never get married for the wrong reasons. At the very best, you can hope for contentment and fondness... But never true happiness."

[Avalon Yuciano]

"It's time for me to be fine with contentment." If she were lucky enough to have even that. It was unlikely knowing Gregory's character and choice ways. Smiling, she shrugged -trying for casual. "It's not the worst reason. Trust me, I've probably heard of worse reasons for getting married." Not exactly knowing why she did what she did next since she'd been fine with its location earlier, she went back and picked up the letter. She looked down at the white envelope she held in her hand and sighed, "Plus, I have my reasons for calling it what I did." And the reason behind it would remain a secret for as long she kept her promise. "And don't do that again. It's rude." She said, referring to his little 'trick'.