Sirius was unable to sleep. He had been with Dumbledore when the Headmaster had found Slytherin's ring in the ruin of the Gaunts' house, and had seen the old wizard wrapped in flames. Dumbledore had smiled and told him not to worry. Claiming only Snape could help him now, he had Apparated from there, leaving Sirius alone with his concerns.

Sirius had returned home and waited for Remus. Remus had arrived a few hours later and tried to calm him. Finally, Remus had contacted McGonagall by Floo, and she had told him that Albus was well, but his hand would never be the same.

Sirius couldn't forget the image of the flames surrounding the old wizard and then concentrating around his hand. While Remus tried to sleep, Sirius paced the house nervously.

He thought of Harry and opened the bedside drawer to find the only object he had taken with himself to Remus's, besides the clothes he was wearing when he had pretended to fall through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries: the mirror that was the twin of the one he had given Harry to communicate with him.

Almost every day, Sirius would spend a long time looking at the mirror, as if waiting for any sign from Harry. It was an insane hope. The only time Harry had called him, he hadn't been able to answer, and if Harry called him now, he wouldn't be able to answer either. He should be happy at not seeing any sign from Harry; Harry shouldn't know he was alive. And still Sirius kept looking at the mirror.

A strange mist started to gather on the mirror surface. Sirius narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, the mist began to dissipate and the image of a sombre hall appeared. Sirius thought he was going insane, and shook Remus's arm. "Remus!"

"What?"

"The mirror!" Sirius had turned his face to Remus, and when he looked at the mirror again, he saw an adult and a young man kissing. Snape and... Harry? It wasn't possible. Sirius's heart hammered painfully in his chest. "Remus, look at this... The bastard... What's he doing? What's happening, Remus?"

Remus leant over Sirius's shoulders to peer at the mirror. "I don't know, Sirius. I haven't the faintest idea."

"Can you see it? Snape kissing Harry?"

"And Harry kissing Snape back, yes, enthusiastically."

Sirius couldn't deny the boy certainly didn't look like he was being coerced. "He must have put Harry under Imperius!"

"No doubt, Sirius, but what is it that we're seeing? Is it the reality or some illusion projected to lure us into a trap? We need to be careful."

"Careful, Remus? What do you mean? I'm going to smash his humongous nose!"

~* ~* ~

Severus made Harry lie face down on the bed and took his time licking every inch of his backside, nibbling the inner part of his thighs, and love-biting his arse. Harry knelt, raising his hips, and Severus slowly flicked his tongue over Harry's balls. Nudging Harry's legs apart, Severus traced a wet spiral around Harry's tiny entrance. Severus was driving him insane, circling his hole with the tip of his tongue, moistening the skin around it. Harry had never felt so aroused in all his life. Finally, the tip of Severus's tongue brushed his entrance, pressed swiftly inside and started to move in ans out and from side to side. Harry relaxed and let himself be filled in his most profound intimacy.

More and more, Severus's tongue pressed against the sensitive veins of the walls of Harry's hole, eliciting wild moans and whimpers from Harry. Severus was also groaning and shuddering, because, due to the magical empathy, he was feeling the same pleasure he was giving Harry.

Severus's right hand cupped Harry's balls, squeezing them, and then closed around Harry's cock. Harry thrust towards it. Feeling an orgasm building inside him, he kept thrusting until they both came together, in a long spasm of pleasure.

In the morning, Severus woke Harry up early, so that he could be in his own dormitory before his friends awoke. Harry went to Ceci's enclosure. He couldn't see her; she must have been sleeping in her cave. Severus pulled Harry against his body and kissed him passionately.

It wasn't easy to leave, after a night like that, after a kiss like that. But when Harry's lips parted from Severus's, an image shifting in the scrying mirror called his attention. "Severus, what's that in the mirror?"

Severus turned to the mirror right when the enraged face of Sirius Black was brought into focus. " I'm going to smash his humongous nose!"

Harry's heart raced wildly, and he had to lean on Severus not to collapse. Sirius's image was now very clear. But Severus started towards the mirror, wand in hand. "Black. What kind of joke is this? You are dead."

"And you will be too, when I get my hands on you."

"Shut up. You have always been a bragger. When your friends are not with you, you bottle out."

Remus appeared in the mirror. "Sirius, please stop it."

Remus's hand became bigger, covering the surface of the mirror, and the image of Sirius and Remus disappeared from it.

Severus kept pointing his wand at the mirror, trembling.

Harry approached him from behind and held his arm. "He's gone. What's happening, Severus? How could he appear there, if he's dead? What is it that this mirror shows?"

"Theoretically, the future. But I sincerely hope that was not my future."

"It can't be. And we talked to him! Or rather, you argued with him. This can't be the future. He's dead!"

"We must have a little chat with Dumbledore. Now."