Parallel Catastrophes:
Beer In Amsterdam

It had been Hermione's idea. "He might be able to help. He knows how to disappear into the Muggle world."

Sirius looked dubious. "Just because Voldemort and the Ministry are both looking for me? They haven't caught me yet."

"But last time, they came close."

He was silent for a moment. "How did you meet this guy, anyway?"

"In Bulgaria, with Viktor."

"The Quidditch star."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I should only have dated Ron or Harry at school. Viktor was very sweet, you know. It's not like I was dating Malfoy or something."

"Fine," Sirius said. "I'll meet this guy Krycek." Anything to get her to change the subject. He listened half-heartedly to her explanations until something caught his attention. "Russia? A bit too close to Durmstrang. There are a lot of dark wizards in Russia right now."

"It's the last place anyone would look for you. And we could use someone on the ground keeping an eye out for those dark wizards."

"I don't speak Russian."

"You'll learn," she told him.

Which was how he found himself in a bar in Amsterdam, waiting for this friend of Viktor Krum's. Good looking, I guess, Hermione had said. Small features, green eyes, dark hair. She hadn't said, he walks like a killer, but maybe she hadn't known what that meant. She hadn't said wary, or beautiful, or wounded, maybe past repair.

They sat encased in the dark wood of a booth, drinking their beers, keeping one eye on each other and the other on the door. Krycek put down his bottle. "She says you need to disappear."

"This is a crazy idea. I can't hide in Russia."

"Oh, it's easy to hide in Russia. The hard thing is finding your way back out." The twist in Krycek's smile told Sirius that this wasn't a joke.

"What's in it for you?"

The same twist of a smile, which never reached Krycek's eyes. "I could use someone with your talents. You want to stay away from other wizards, right?"

"Maybe. What kind of business are you in, anyway?" Hermione had been vague on the subject.

That was when the smile turned real, giving Sirius a glimpse of the flesh-and-blood man under the beautiful killer's face. "The usual thing: outclassed, outnumbered, losing a war that never seems to end. Resist or serve, fight or die. You know, that business."

"Not the war I'm fighting, though."

Krycek lifted the bottle to his lips, stretched out his throat as he swallowed. "No," he said when he was done. "But it might be." There was a little liquid shining at the corner of his mouth.

"Not while..." Sirius paused.

"While Voldemort is still out there making trouble?"

"You know a lot about my business."

Krycek shrugged one shoulder. "I hear rumors."

"Hermione has a high opinion of you."

For a second, he thought Krycek might give him an honest answer. Then his mouth twisted again. "I guess witches like me."

Sirius reached across the table to take the beer from Krycek's hand. He drained it and placed it back in front of the other man with an audible clink. "What about wizards?"

Krycek's lips were parted. "Wizards... I don't have the same luck with wizards."

"Want another?" Sirius tried to sound casual.

"Another beer? No."

Just outside the door, when they were alone on the street, Sirius caught a fistful of Krycek's jacket. "One thing. No Unforgivables."

"No killing, no torture, no mind control. Anything else you don't do?"

"Try me and see. I'll let you know if something seems wrong."

Krycek looked like he was trying not to laugh. Watching humor chase caution and temptation across his eyes, Sirius was revising his first opinion-- wounded, but not past repair--when Krycek leaned forward and kissed him. He tasted of beer, their teeth knocked together before their tongues met, and just for the duration, Sirius forgot to worry about who might be sneaking up on him. Then he broke away, needing air, and Krycek asked, "Did that seem wrong?"

"Very much so." He was still clutching Krycek's jacket. "Still willing to help me hide?"

"Anything to keep Hermione happy." Krycek answered.

Author's note: I've always thought Krycek and Black would make a good pair. This one's for Medie and the Random Hundreds.