Step by Step [Sirius]

[Seamus Finnigan]

Seamus cleaned the floor twice, wiped down the bar double that, and polished the glasses until they all seemed to sparkle with the bit of sunlight that came in through the horizontal blinds over the windows. The Hogshead was closed for the afternoon, because he expected a very important guest. A glance to his watch told him that his guest would soon arrive. He stood behind the bar once again, wiping down the counter.

Nervousness was something he seemed to experience a lot these days. Then again, who wouldn't have been nervous in his situation. He was about to have a very important conversation with the precious son of his equally precious girlfriend. Truth be told, this conversation was long overdue. He'd attempted it years ago, but he wasn't ready for the weight of what everything meant. He believed he was ready for it now.

Sirius Black was a mere ten years his junior, which put the two men in a very strange place where they couldn't be called peers, but there wasn't enough of a gap between them to hinder their understanding of each other. However, if this continued on the course they were on currently, Seamus could very well be one Sirius's step-father.

It'd be a big step for them both, so the moment Seamus decided that he wanted to marry Kellie Black, he also decided that he wouldn't make a single move without Sirius's approval. Of course, he'd mentioned nothing of this meeting to Kellie. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. He was surprised he hadn't stripped off a layer of the bar's surface with the amount of times he'd cleaned it.

[Sirius Black]

In the years his mum and that Finnigan chap had been dating Sirius always thought the guy was kind of a nutter. Weird or not the guy made his mum happy and if his mum was cheerful than she usually wasn't on his back prodding for information about a girlfriend or a wife or how his job was or other ridiculous things that he couldn't talk to his MUM about because hell!! That was his mum ya know?

The thing is he gets this owl see. From Finnigan himself. Look 3 years with his mum or not he didn't go out of his way to spend time with the guy. A chat here. A drink there. A clap on a shoulder every other holiday. They were mates but only in the sense that he respected the man and was damn happy that his mum was happy. The end. So this owl takes him surprise and may even worry him. Was he going to have to be on his best terms for mum to visit with Finnigan? And that's just what this was!! Him Finnigan and the good ol' bar in Hogsmeade. He wonders if his mother even knows of this meeting they were about to have.

Sirius enters the pub in some of his best robes having just gotten out of work. He's chewing on gum and popping it obnoxiously blue eyes zeroing in Finnigan himself. He looks to be scrubbing furiously at the bar top and it has Sirius snorting out loud. "Don't know if you know it yet but those are probably gonna be dirty by the end of the night anyway. Might as well wait til then to clean ya? How are ya?"

[Seamus Finnigan]

Seamus looked up at the sound of the door as it opened and Sirius entered. The younger male's attire contrasted greatly with the leisurely atmosphere of the pub, and he smiled through the thought that he felt terribly underdressed in comparison. He stopped his movements, flushing slightly from his embarrassment at being told something so clearly obvious. It was more appropriate to clean after the pub closed. "Bad habits die hard," he said with a bit of a chuckle. "I clean when I'm nervous. Have a seat."

He made a sweeping gesture toward any of the barstools as he tossed the rag over one shoulder. Seamus leaned against the bar, poised behind it as he tried to relax. "Been well. How're you?" He hadn't invited the other for small talk, but it seemed strange to jump right into the thick of things. He clasped his hands together, forcing himself not to fidget or appear as nervous as he felt.

Seamus nodded toward Sirius, referring to the robes he wore. Up close, they looked much like the robe he'd worn when he worked at the Ministry during the war. Ah, he was an Obliviator, wasn't he? Of course, Kellie had told him this before. Her son always came first, which meant that he heard much about him even before they met. He often wondered how Sirius felt about him. After today, he hoped he'd never have to wonder again, because he intended to find out. "Just get in from work? Want a drink?" Yes, a few drinks would make this conversation a whole lot easier.

[Sirius Black]

It wasn't that Sirius was over dressed it was that Finnigan didn't know how to dress and he looked pretty crummy in comparison. Poor guy. Sirius really ought to take the man out shopping for new attire and show him the ways of good looks much like he did to Corbett. Not like Corbett was living up to the expectations Sirius set out for him but that was because Brandon was a lazy wanker if ya didn't get under his skin!! Anyway Finnigan was still just as weird as he remembers. The guy had an accent that he found difficult to make light of some times and like now he was owning up to cleaning in his spare time. What insanity!! Sirius drank when he was nervous -- didn't all men??

Small talk was never his thing. The aristocratic man was blunt short and to the point. When he did talk for hours on end it was usually about himself. Or his girl which he was lacking for the time being. In any case! He would play nice cause this was mum's savvy and whatever made her happy he would try to appease. He may try turning every hair on that woman's head grey but all in all he was a mummy's boy and would do anything to see her happy. His mother was a true gem in the rough so he could sit through this if it would appease her. Not that she knew..... did she??

"Been busy at the ministry --- always a catastrophe when youre workin' with men who have not the faintest idea what the bloody heck they're doin'. But ya just came from there and a drink would be brill. How you doin' mate? Keepin' busy?"

------- SORRY ! went with Jax's family to a wedding this weekend in New York and just got back the other night. didn't mean for this to take so long!!