A Dark Time For The Light

Epilogue

Two weeks later.

Bunker 7 was filling up fast. The feeling of celebration was palpable in the air. There were squeals and laughter as Harry and Draco arrived. Harry walked down the steps first, his eyes alight, he had had a t-shirt printed which he now proudly wore, the legend ran, “We’re Wizards, not conjurors”, then he turned around, to gales of merriment, ‘We DON’T do rabbits out of hats!!’, to laughter from all around, but it was Draco’s that caused the squeals. His t-shirt read, “I pack a mean wand”. Hermione was doubled over, “That’s so gay”. Draco caught sight of her own t-shirt, “You can talk”, he smirked. Hermione had blazoned across her chest, “Witches are doin’ it for themselves”. His smile widened, “Very political, dear”, he murmured and they hugged.

The Bunker had been transformed. Clusters of balloons hung from the ceiling along with festive banners reflecting the four Hogwarts house colours. Seamus and Dean, partners in crime of old, had set up a bar along one wall and were busy mixing strangely coloured drinks at their clients’ request. Severus washed up at the bar, Remus in tow. He looked thoughtful for a moment then asked for a ‘slow comfortable screw in the dark’ and felt Remus melt against him. He murmured into the thick bristly grey hair, “It’s a cocktail, Wolfie”. Remus started to laugh, then faced the two barmen, “I’ll have what he’s having”. Seamus started to mix and said, in a low voice, “I’ll bet you will”, as he poured the drinks. Severus growled, “If a cocktail umbrella goes anywhere near this, then your bollocks are history”, as a lurid pink paper confection was held over his glass then retracted at the last moment, “I’ve kind of grown fond of my tackle”, was the only comment as the drinks were handed over. Severus winked at the two of them as they left the bar. Seamus leaned into Dean, “Did you see that?. Dean nodded, “If you had told me four years ago that I would see such a thing, then I would have thought you a complete nutcase. Yet here we all are”, he mixed the two of them something demonic and with a ‘bottoms up’ they both drank.

Various people drifted to the bar then the music changed. Something more danceable played and couples moved into the middle of the room. People were still arriving, but Harry and Draco were lost in each other as they danced, joined from tongue to groin. As Alice and Tony entered, Tony commented, “The floorshow has started”, to a gentle swat from his wife, “Perve”, she muttered as they headed for the makeshift bar and the two inebriated barmen behind it, but they were still capable of mixing perfect Manhattans and they dished up two, complete with umbrellas plus a cold can each with a wink and a grin. Alice fished in her bag, then asked the boys for a dry cloth. Seamus reached behind him and procured same, wiping the bar with exaggerated care until it was quite dry.

In moments she was spreading charlie on the dry bit, chopping lines, the first offer of the twenty was to the two barmen who accepted with alacrity. She grinned at them, watching their antics behind the bar, the wisecracks, the slaps on the arse, the expert mixology, “You two should open a bar somewhere, a straights friendly gay bar or something, you’d be great at it”, when the boys had a lull for a moment. Seamus said, “Great idea, but we’ve no real capital. We’ve both get a bit stashed away, courtesy of Harry and Draco, bless their cotton socks, but we’d need more than set-up funds and bars are notoriously risky enterprises”. Alice nodded, they had obviously thought about it or at least fantasised enough to start looking into the possibilities. She smiled, seeing a genuine way for her to launder funds in a legitimate project. “When life gets back to normal, or whatever passes for normal in the Wizarding world, come and see me. I might be able to help”. The boys glanced at each other then at her and grinned, then were called back to serve by a feisty Ron, demanding, “Oi, bar steward!!”. Dean leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, “Thanks, Alice, we will”, then went back to work.

One by one, folk came over to Alice’s end of the bar, and as usual, one by one, she got to talk to most of the people at the party, greeting those she knew, introducing herself to those she didn’t and gently rifling everyone’s heads. She was getting better at it as now, only one or two looked at her surprised and the others seemed not to have noticed. The first wave finished and she packed her paraphernalia away, scored another beer from the lads and went in search of some conversation.

Tony pitched up in the corner with Severus and Remus, “Mind if I sit with you guys? I don’t know many folk here”. Remus patted the floor, “Take a pew”, he invited. Tony sat with them, “Ow, this floor is bloody hard. You’d think with all you Magicals, you’d be able to conjure a chair for my old bones”. Severus laughed and stood, nicking two paper napkins from on top of the bar and laying them on the floor. With a flick of his wand there stood a cosy corner group of two-seater settee and armchair. Severus arched a black brow, “Will that do?”, to an astonished Tony. “Bloody brilliant. Al hasn’t done any real Magic at home yet, so I haven’t seen much. She says she wants to wait until the Embargo is officially lifted, you know, with all the other , erm, activities”.

“She’s the cat’s mother. My ears are burning”. Alice sat on the arm of her husband’s chair and dropped a kiss on his head. Tony turned to his wife, “We were talking about you, not to you, dear”, to the others’ chuckles. She mock-growled at him and asked him to stand up, she whipped out her wand and made the armchair into another settee, then plunked herself down. Tony sat cautiously, “Chairs out of serviettes. Whatever next?”. Alice turned to her two friends, “What are you two doing next summer?. Do you fancy coming rallying with me and Tony?. The season’s pretty much over for this year, now. Well, think about it”. Severus and Remus looked at each other and shrugged, grinning, “It sounds great. What actually happens?, said Remus. “Oh, we ride around on fancy bikes, look at every one else’s fancy bike, drool over the custom jobs, have races and contests, scream encouragements at the wet t-shirt contests, which in the name of equal opportunities, are both guys and women, and stay pissed for a week in the sunshine”. They glanced at each other again, then both nodded, “You’re on”, said Severus.

Alice stood and held a hand out for Remus, “I’m going to borrow your hubby for a dance, Sev, and you two can get all boring about bikes and hi-fi. See you later”, Remus followed her, laughing, hearing Severus’ enthusiastic voice, “So when do we start building this hi-fi, Tony?”, and the rest was swallowed up in the noise. They grabbed another beer apiece, “Thanks for rescuing me”, Remus leaned in. Alice smiled, “My husband is a geek and yours has all the makings of one, he’s already a scientist after all, but sometimes it bores the arse off us spouses, sometimes we just have to leave them to it, I mean, look at them”, she nodded her head in their direction and Remus followed her eyes. Severus and Tony were having an animated conversation, arms waving about, lots of laughter and Sev’s eyes intent, absorbing everything the man said. Remus looked at his beloved, his gaze soft, “God, I love that man”. Alice smiled at him, “He fuckin’ adores you, Remus”. Remus felt his cheeks colour and he looked down for a moment, suddenly bashful, “I know. He’s been an angel while I’ve been ill, and if I ever told him that, he’d hex me into the middle of next year”.

Alice laughed a throaty laugh, “He can be a scratchy bugger, that’s for sure. Come on, let’s mingle and find some suitable victims for the next line of charlie”. They lit upon a large group of the younger Magicals all sweaty and resting from the dancing, lolling against the wall or half laid on the floor or in each other’s laps. Alice glanced at Remus and in a voice she knew could be heard by them, said, “Well, here are some people who look like they’re in need of a little pick-me-up”. Draco tipped his head back, “Hi, Alice. Hi, Remus. Come and join us”, he slurred. The rest of the group noticed and the circle widened to admit them. Alice fished a small mirror from her bag and tapped it with her wand to make it larger, started to lay out lines, then stopped and handed the whole kit and kaboodle to Harry, “There you go”, she counted heads, “Fifteen and make ‘em tram-lines”. Harry grinned and murmured, “That means thirty and at least two over, so thirty-two”, and settled to the task.

“So. What are you lot going to do now?”, Alice asked into the centre of the circle to no-one in particular. Harry was concentrating hard at his task, “Well, I for one, am back at work on Monday”. Draco piped up, “Me too”. Remus spoke up, “I start back at school part time at the beginning of next term. I’ve missed it”. Hermione shrugged, “I don’t want to let my clients down, so I’m staying this side of the Magical wall, so to speak”. Neville smiled shyly, “Well, if I can get one of these units, I want to move some of my, er, operations down here. I’ve already got my name down with the agents and the cadre are a bit worried at how, erm, big, the operation has become”, he cast a glance at Alice, who grinned. Ginny giggled, “The snooker season kicks off again in the autumn, and I want to play again”. “So, in effect, what you are all saying, is that you don’t want to be exclusively Magical again, to use your Magic, but not be part of some cloistered closed-off community?”. Hermione laughed, “That about sums it up”.

Harry presented Alice with the mirror, but she pushed it back to him gently, “Oh no, the cutter always gets the first”, as she rolled a twenty into a tight tube and wrapped a cigarette paper around it, passing it to him. The mirror was passed around and all snorted up the messy lines. Alice took the powder-strewn mirror back, then expertly made two more lines from the detritus and snuffed them up then cleaned the mirror with a fingertip, transferring the residue to her top gum.

The conversation picked up somewhat but turned a little sombre. Hermione sighed, “I killed five people that night. I don’t even know who they were, except one”. She felt Ginny’s arms go about her, “I killed three and body-bound at least four others”, the redhead sighed. Ron ventured. “I know I killed at least one, but the hexes were flying around so fast.... To be honest, I’ve really no idea. I’ve gone over that night in my mind a few times and I’m still not sure what I did. All I can remember for sure was helping your mum’s girlfriend get your mum to Poppy, Draco”. The blond shot a hand out and briefly grasped Ron’s arm and released it, “I know, she told me, and thanks. Thanks a lot”.

Alice bowed her head, “I had eighty-odd people killed on my orders, but I watched during the whole fight. It was why I never just blew up the place, I really wanted those people to rip off their masks and join us. Come over to our side. Redeem themselves. Renounce their alliegance and come back. It was hopeless. They all had to die”. Hermione was now in tears, “Sorry I killed your dad, Draco”. In an instant, he had her in his arms, rocking her, “Ssshhh, he was a worthless scumbag and deserved his fate, he would have killed you if you hadn’t killed him first”. She felt Harry’s arms go around her from her other side.

Alice assessed the situation which was going downhill rapidly, she dug into her shoulder bag and tipped another pile of glistening powder on the mirror, placing the blade and handing it to Hermione with a nudge, “Your turn, burglar”, and Hermione started to laugh. She wiped her eyes then took the sheet of glass. “I get it, there’s a time and place to weep, but this isn’t it”. Alice grinned, “No. The time and place to weep is whenever it happens, but the time for more coke is right about now. I think we’ll need a few more”, she looked up to see Josie and Steve above her and the circle widened again to admit the two new arrivals.

“Miney, ‘ave you been cryin’?”, her friend asked as she was enveloped in a big hug from both of them. Hermione sniffed then applied herself to her task, “Yeah. It gets a bit like that sometimes, you know, killing people”, she silently cursed the bitterness in her voice but she felt the non-judgemental arms of her friend slide around her, “You’re a fuckin’ star, Miney. All of you are, particularly you”, she pointed at Remus, “What’s it like to rip a throat out with your bare teeth?. A bit primal or I’m very much mistaken”, the girl’s eyes glittered.

Remus was taken aback. He had been reviled in his own world for all of his life, then here was this girl, this Mundane, admiring him. He shot her a shy smile, then laughed, “Do you really want to know?”. She nodded as she bent to the mirror, “Damn right I do”. Remus was cracking up, “It was fucking incredible actually, he was still warm. I don’t eat carrion. I hunt, but this was such a fresh kill, I couldn’t resist. He tasted foul, but I loved the, erm, act itself. I knew as his flesh parted with flesh that he wasn’t coming back, ever, and when I saw the explosion of the house, well. I knew our job was done. I was in the middle of transforming back as I recall”. Another voice joined from above them, “Aye. I watched you go both ways. Man to Wolf and back again. Fucking incredible. Is there any of that left?” an inclined head towards the mirror as the gang made a space for Cellan and Rosie to sit. It was at that moment that Remus made his somewhat intoxicated decision, “I stay this side of the Magical divide, and I hope I didn’t scare you too much, Cellan”. The Irishman shook his head, “I will admit to being a bit freaked when I saw Severus put on your collar and chain, and the howl, oh fuck, but we’re both still here. Nice one, dude”, then stuck his hand out for Remus to shake, “You were impressive, guy”, and Remus took the hand and shook.

He was definitely staying on this side. He slipped away from the gathering a bit in his mind until he felt warm familiar arms slip around him and a purred, “Missed you, gorgeous”, in his ear that turned him to putty, he relaxed back into the embrace, murmuring, “And you have the temerity to tell me you’re not romantic, then you blaze in and call me gorgeous”, Remus was nuzzling his husband’s neck with lips and an ever more eager tongue. Severus allowed it to continue for a moment, then kissed his husband soundly. “It’s everyone else who hasn’t seen this side of me, but you have”. Remus grinned, then bit his lower lip in that way that seemed to drive Severus wild. They had dipped out of the circle a bit and formed their own circle of two. They kissed again, thoroughly exploring each other’s mouths in a leisurely fashion when Severus suggested they take it outside, up onto the roof and his beloved agreed. They excused themselves and Remus allowed himself to be hauled away by his insistent husband for whom he ached.

He was pressed into the asphalt roof and fucked comprehensively by his beloved, his hair forming a curtain around them, affording them no real privacy but they were beyond caring as Remus accepted every thrust, every moan, then came a storm between them, feeling Sev follow him in seconds. As they fell together, Severus was murmuring his everlasting love and Remus revelled in it, kissing Severus with main force. They were dimly aware of others up on the roof, in the cool night time air.

A female voice crying out, “Fuck, yes, like that. Oh god, You’ll drive me insane, you bitch. Oh god, more, harder. Oh fuck, GINNY”, then loud moans and audible breaths, then stillness. Then a sound at ground level. Someone trying to hold back sound, until a murmured, “Come for me, baby”, sent Harry right over the edge, screaming and crying out Draco’s name, then a muffled, grunted, “Harry”, as the blond climaxed in turn.

Remus chuckled, then kissed his husband senseless, “Admit it, they’re hot. All of them”. Severus growled, “Damn right”, and Remus turned the tables on them and ended up fucking his husband, who lay compliant and eager beneath him, welcoming his beloved in, cock-first. Severus was the first over the precipice this time, shouting Remus’ name to the stars, then Remus tipped over repeating Sev’s name like a mantra as he came deep inside him.

The girls were listening and let the sounds guide or corrupt them, who cared, then Ginny cried out loud, “Hermione. I fuckin’ love you. Aaahhh”, and came a storm in her lover’s mouth, no, her fiancee’s mouth, which spurred on two boys below them into another climax, Draco being the shouter this time. As their breath cooled, they both snuck up onto the roof to see two couples entwined under light blankets. Harry stepped onto the roof and held a hand out to Draco who joined him. They conjured a soft bed and collapsed onto it in each other’s arms, then as the blankets covered them, they shed clothes until they were naked in each other’s arms and finally slept, Draco nuzzling an “I love you” against Harry’s neck before they both passed out.

Severus lay on Remus’ chest, listening to his heartbeat and gentle breaths, “You know, we keep making a habit of sneaking out of parties to shag like a couple of horny adolescents”. Remus gently tipped Severus’ face to his and kissed the tip of his nose, “Well neither of us had much of an adolescence, did we?. We’re just making up for lost time. I don’t think anyone minds”, they chuckled and kissed and fell asleep in each other’s arms

The party continued below them, even as six elected to sleep under the stars.