How Severus Spends His Summer Hols

A/N: If anyone would care to let me know if they would like to read it, I am considering posting some of the backstories here that are posted at Stirs_of_Echo in the original fic section since I don't know if I could put it in the Harry Potter section. Please let me know. Thanks to everyone still reading, it's been 2 years now and still having fun writing this.

Damon stepped out of the fire and held out his hand to pull Severus through. He sighed, brushed the soot of his son and smiled at him.

When Celia had arrived that morning, he'd been trying to talk his mother out of making them a full breakfast and not succeeding. He'd managed to get her medicines down her, but she still insisted on taking things out of the refrigerator after he had returned them. The nurse had entered the kitchen and Marion had smiled at her and immediately calmed, chatting with her as if nothing had happened.

Damon hadn't understood it, but Celia had taken over and sent the two men out of the kitchen then laid Marion down for a rest.

After Marion was bedded down, Celia explained to Damon that this was normal in the mornings and promised to call him later with a report. She prepared them a light breakfast and sent them home to prepare for the arrival of their husbands.

Damon stoked up the fire for warmth, adding a couple of logs then looked at Severus. "Get some wood and start up the other hearths, then we'll go unbury Greg and Jason."

Severus nodded, shivering slightly in the cold air as he drew his wand and began to cast warming charms to help chase away the chill. Moving to the bedrooms that were downstairs, he quickly started fires in the stone hearths as well as casting more warming charms.

Finishing his task for this house, Severus went back to the living room to stand in front of the roaring fire and wait for Damon.

Damon came out his bedroom with a couple of Grant's quilts and stopped next to the sofa, looking up at Severus. "Everything else we need is out in the barn. Hopefully Da's old tractor will start. I just can't believe my John Deere died up there. I just bought that thing last year."

Severus only raised an eyebrow. "I still find it hard to believe you allowed Gregory to take it," he snorted. "I'm ready if you are."

Damon laughed, "Hell, it ain't that hard to drive and I really thought he'd take Max with him. Maybe Montgomery screwed the damn thing up, who knows." He shouldered the quilts and opened the door for Severus, drawing his wand and clearing a small path in the snow. "I'll fix a better one later, just be careful on the steps. I sure as hell don't want to be going to the emergency room today."

"You do remember that Grant suggested mixing sand with the paint last summer when you repainted the steps so they wouldn't be slick," Severus said as he picked his way carefully down the icy steps and followed Damon out to the barn.

"Yeah, yeah, I know and I put down those damned strips he wanted instead. He found those cause they looked 'prettier', remember." Damon snorted, sliding on a slick spot then catching his balance. He stomped down the snow in front of the barn door and wedged it open, staring into the semi darkness, his jaw open in shock. "Good god, those idiots took Da's tractor."

Severus laughed in disbelief as he stared at the empty space where the old tractor had sat for years. "When was the last time that thing was even run?" he asked as he stepped forward into the bare spot.

Damon set the quilts down on some straw bales and pulled the tarp off his John Deere. Opening the door to the cabin, he started the tractor and turned on the heater. He closed the door, letting the tractor warm while he hooked up the other wagon to it. "Oh, I start it every now and again. Grant uses it sometimes to move his fertilizer out to his gardens."

Severus only shook his head as he moved to help Damon with the hitch. "It's a wonder they made it, isn't it?" he asked as he stood up and stretched his back and then moved to pick up several bales of straw to set in the back of the wagon.

Damon nodded and looked around the barn to see if there was anything else they might need. "It might be old but then again, they don't make them like that any more." He grabbed the quilts and put them inside so they'd be warm when they arrived at Jason's little trailer. "Come on, you can sit up here on the cooler."

Climbing up into the enclosed cab, Severus moved the quilts to fashion a cushion of sorts on top of the small cooler and settled his long frame, trying to keep his feet and legs out of Damon's way. "Let's get them before the next storm arrives," he called as he turned on the radio and caught the last bit of the weather forecast. "We're supposed to get more snow, Damon."

Damon nodded and opened the back doors to the barn. He climbed in beside Severus and settled himself in the padded chair, carefully moving the tractor into gear, guiding it out of the barn and onto the white landscape. "Here we go, hang on Sev."

@@@@@

Jason woke with a pressing need to use the bathroom. Opening his eyes, he could see the steam from his breath as well as the arms that had held him through the night. With a small, sad smile, the young man eased out of the bed and quickly made it to the bathroom. Once finished, he went to the woodstove, opening it to stir the coals about before setting in a few small pieces of wood.

His feet and legs freezing, he quickly made his way back to the small bedroom and lifted the quilts to get back in the bed, smiling at the sleeping man laying there.

Richard blinked his eyes and shivered as he felt the blankets being lifted. He yawned and pulled on Jason’s hand. “Quickly now, you’re letting the heat out.”

He settled the younger man next to him once more and pulled the blankets back over them. “Got cold waiting on you to return,” he whispered softly, wrapping his arms around the smaller man once again.

Jason squirmed around a little, turning over to face the other man. “Had to put some wood in, it’s freezing,” he mumbled as he laid his head once more on Richard’s shoulder, letting the other man warm him up. “It’s early yet, we should sleep.”

“Then go to sleep already,” Gregory muttered. “You love birds make me sick.”

“Awwww… do you want a cuddle too?” Richard asked as he looked back over his shoulder at his friend. “You’ll have to settle for me, cause I’m not sharing.”

Gregory rose up one on hand, looking down at the two men. He met Richard’s amused gaze and shook his head. “Hurt him and I’ll hurt you.” He laid back down and turned his back to the pair. “Just be quiet about it.”

Jason tried hard not to laugh, his face, red in embarrassment. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you trouble,” he murmured as he tipped his head up and looked at Richard.

Richard shook his head. “Not a bit. Greg’s just cranky because it’s been a while since he’s had some. Poor man’s not been laid right this morning.”

Gregory snorted. “At least it hasn’t been quite as long for me as it has been you, dear friend.” He sat up, unable to sleep any longer. “Jason, you might be getting a bum deal. Can’t remember the last time I saw him with a man.”

Jason grinned at Richard and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “So… do you get cranky if you aren’t laid properly in the mornings?” he asked and then lay back down.

Richard rolled his eyes and reached back with his legs, pushing Gregory off the small bed. He scooted over in the other man’s place and brought Jason along with him. “That depends…”

He grinned as Gregory’s cursing filled the air. “On whether or not I’ve been disturbed.”

Jason rose up on his elbow and looked at Gregory getting up off the floor. “Umm… Doc… I stoked the fire, there’s food out there and you can take a couple of these quilts if you like with you."

Gregory was about to reply when someone banged on the trailer door. He looked up at the two men and jerked a quilt off the bed. “Go answer the door, Jason. It’s your place.”

With a sigh of frustration, Jason sat up and clad only in his boxers and sweatshirt, stomped to the door. “Just a minute!” he yelled as the banging began again. Kicking and cursing at the door, he managed to unstick the door and force it open.

Outside stood Damon and Severus, Jason squinted in the sun as he looked at them. “Yeah?”

Damon stared at the little man and shook his head. “Where are your clothes and what the hell did you do to my tractor?” He looked at Severus then back at Jason. “We’ve come to get you out. Did you eat the other two?”

“Not yet, but I was planning to start,” Jason muttered as he turned, leaving the door open so the two could come in. “I didn’t do anything to your tractor.”

He went back to the bedroom and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and stuffed his feet in his slippers, giving Richard an apologetic look. “I’m sorry…”

Severus stood in the warming trailer and looked around, nodding at Gregory and then stopping as he took a look at the man in Jason's bed. He arched an eyebrow at his state of dress. "Doctor Montgomery."

Richard nodded at Snape then turned to Jason. “Nothing to be sorry for.” He sat up and wrapped the blanket around him, "Mister Snape, it's nice to see you again. Glad to see you made it through the storm unscathed."

Severus looked at Jason’s appearance and then at Montgomery for a moment and simply nodded. He turned to Jason once more, shaking his head. “You need to go get more warmly dressed and collect a few things. You’ll be staying with us until the weather breaks and I’ll not have any argument,” he said as he gave the small man a gentle push.

Jason just stared at his boss for a moment. “I survived through the night. Who the hell are you to tell me when and where I’ll be going?” He sat down on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Even he didn’t have the balls to tell me what to do.” He nodded at Damon.

Damon continued to eye the man in the bed and looked at Jason. His eyes roamed over Richard once more then looked at Severus. “Knock it off, Sev. Grant will be home soon and I want to get back before that happens.”

Severus let his thin lips curl into a smirk as he looked down at Jason. “Really, it seems to me that the only reason you survived the night was that you had two men here to see to your needs. Now, you work for me and I require your presence Mister Summers, so if you would please,” he said softly as he gestured with one hand.

Richard eyed Damon for a moment then turned to Severus. "That was uncalled for. Jason, you don't have to go anywhere you don't want to go."

Damon nodded curtly and pulled on Severus’ arm, not taking his eyes off Richard. “Jason, we need to get you out. The entire side of the trailer is buried in a drift. There's no power and likely not to be any for a good while. Grant and I would be happy if you would like to stay with us until we can get your place completely dug out.

He looked to the small man. “We’ll take a couple more jars of that jelly in trade if you want.”

Gregory had been watching everything quietly and shook his head. “Richard is staying with Davy and I, Jason. You are welcome there if you wish.” He bent and pulled his boots back on. “It’s entirely up to you.”

Wrapping the quilt around himself once more, he left the men in the bedroom and went outside. He was getting out of there even if he had to walk all the way back to his apartment.

Jason’s face was set in lines of fury at being ordered about like a child, but he couldn't stay here; all of them had made that perfectly clear. He looked over at Damon and nodded. “I’ll get the jelly for you, but that doesn't mean I'm going with you. It's for Doctor Wolffe,” he said as he leaned over to one of the small closets and opened it, revealing his stash of homemade jellies and jams.

He had no idea why his boss was acting like an uber asshole and if he wasn’t desperate for the money, he’d have told him to go hang and get off his property. Instead, he looked up at Severus. “Are you opening today?”

Severus shook his head slightly. “No, the town is shut down for the most part today. As Damon said there's no power and we've better supplies down the mountain.”

Richard got out of the bed, pulled on his jeans and walked past the other men, tapping Damon on the shoulder as he went.

Damon sighed and looked at Severus. “Talking to a brick wall. Remember what I told you yesterday,” he muttered and walked out of the room, following Richard, his face set in hard lines.

Standing up from putting on his boots, Richard looked at Damon. “I’m sorry, but have I done something wrong here?”

Damon eyed the younger man. "That depends. What exactly are you doing here, Doctor Montgomery?” he asked softly.

“Making certain Jason didn’t freeze to death last night,” Richard replied as he tried to figure out the animosity coming from the other man. He'd felt some yesterday but it still wasn't clear. “You mentioned knowing of me yesterday. May I know exactly how you are familiar with my research?”

“You can ask but that don’t mean I’ll answer.” Damon answered vaguely. “We don’t take kindly to strangers coming in and stirring things around. Jason’s family, not an experiment.”

“Mister Wolffe, again, have I done something I am unaware of?” Richard asked as he reached for his sweater and coat. “I apologize for leaving your tractor out in the snow, but it froze up on us before I could get him off the mountain.”

Damon cleared his throat and looked back at the bedroom then turned to the other man once more. “I don’t give a fuck about the tractor, boy, however you have something of a tenacious nature and I’ll not let you hound that young man in there.”

Understanding dawned on Richard. “Oh… you think… No, Mister Wolffe. Jason is definitely not an experiment, project, or even data to me. He’s a bright, good looking young man I find myself attracted to.” He looked back towards the bedroom, a small smile on his lips as he thought about the man he’d held all night. “No, definitely not an experiment. Now, what do we need to do to get him out of here and somewhere warm?”

Damon’s face closed off. “That’s not helping your case, son.” He looked around the trailer then back at the other man. “Gregory I trust, but you are another story. If he decides to leave this trailer, which he should, I’ll let him make the decision on where to go. I’m just here to help him out.”

Richard blew his breath out, trying to think of anything he could do to ease the older man’s conscious. It was obvious he had no fans here. “If Jason decides to stay, what do we need to do to make certain he’ll be safe, then?”

Damon eyed Richard then shook his head. “It’s not safe at all. He’ll have to come down from here. The weather man is calling for another three feet by tomorrow night. The holler’s buried and the only wood he has left is what you all got right there. He’s got to make the decision to leave on his own. I don’t care what you do to get safe.”

“Fuck. How long do we have before the snow starts and we’ll have to walk out of here, right?” Richard asked as he looked out an unblocked window.

Damon looked to the window then back at Richard. “I got another tractor waiting to take us back. The snow’s supposed to start flying before noon, so that gives us about four hours.”

"You should have said so." Richard looked up at the sound of arguing from the small bedroom. Gritting his teeth, he strode past Damon and pushed the curtain to the side to find Jason still sitting on the bed stubbornly and Severus’ face pale in anger, two red spots on his cheeks.

Wasting no time, he began opening drawers and pulling clothing out before he turned to Jason with a pair of socks. Kneeling down at the foot of the bed, he snapped his fingers. “Give me your foot Jason, now.”

Jason jumped at the sound then looked down at Richard. “Why should I?” He stuck his foot out anyway, turning his glare to the man on the floor.

“Because I can’t date a damned ice cube. I’m getting you the hell out of here and you can stay with your boss or the Wolffe’s and hate me from there,” Richard muttered as he put a second pair of socks on the man’s feet. “Now, get dressed warmly. We don’t have a lot of time, there’s more snow coming.”

Jason’s mouth quivered as he tried not to laugh and remain angry at the same time. “I want to go to the Doc’s place.” He stood and reached up into the closet, pulling down an old duffel bag and setting it on the bed. He pulled on his jacket and sat back down. “My feet were swollen anyway and now I really can’t get my shoes on since you put another pair of socks on me.”

He looked up at his boss then grinned as he saw Damon shaking his head.

“Do you bitch this much all the time?” Richard asked as he grabbed Jason’s slippers and stuck them on his feet. “I’ll carry you if I have to. Is there anything else you want before we leave?”

“Yes he does,” Severus answered dryly as he looked on amused.

Jason flushed. "Your belt and Doctor Corrican's phone is on the table and don't forget Davy's basket."

Richard just shook his head with a laugh as he stood and left the room, passing by Severus and Damon on his way out to find the items Jason had mentioned. “By the way Mister Wolffe, he’s leaving.”

Damon shook his head and walked into the bedroom. “I got a wagon waiting on you. Let’s get these city boys out of here.” He scooped up Jason and carted him out of the trailer. “Grab his bag, Sev and put out the fire.”

Damon walked out carefully onto the cleared porch and looked down at Jason as he picked his way to the tractor. “You really want to go with Gregory?”

Jason looked up into the older man’s face and nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I know it’s not the smartest thing and I’ll probably regret it, but I need it right now.”

Damon pursed his lips but nodded. “Just be careful then. You got your little one to think about. Grant’ll be home this afternoon if you’re needing to talk.” He settled Jason in the wagon and pulled out a quilt from the inside of the tractor.

Wrapping it around Jason he looked up and whistled at Gregory standing in the distance. “Get over here Doc, there’s still room in the wagon.”

Richard joined Gregory as they walked towards the wagon. “Jason said he’d like to stay with you and Davy, so I’ll get me a room, alright?” he said as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.

Gregory licked his lips and looked at his friend. “I meant what I said, Rich. Jason's become a good friend. You can still stay if you want as well. There’s room for both of you but I don’t want to hear a damned thing.”

Richard grinned at his friend and shook his head. “No… I like him, at least I think I do and I don’t want to screw it up, you know?” he said as they neared the wagon. “I think he’s been alone so long, he’d go for damn near anyone and I don’t want him to regret anything.”

Gregory nodded and climbed into the wagon. He sat across from Jason and smiled at him. “If you are coming with me, then you have to share your quilt. Get over here and help keep warm.”

Jason snorted from his warm little nest in the hay. “Not a chance, move over here. I’ve already got this warmed up.”

Gregory rolled his eyes and moved, wrapping the quilt he had around the both of them. “Thank gods, Damon showed up. I can’t wait to get back to civilization.” He snuggled next to Jason and shook his head. “Coffee, Evian and Davy’s breakfast here I come.”

“Pussy,” Richard laughed as he dropped down into the hay and watched them both. “We stayed warm and ate well last night.” He reached out with one foot and nudged Jason’s foot. “Are you warm enough?”

Jason nodded and scooted over some. “Yeah but there’s always room for another warm body,” he said softly.

Richard was mindful of the looks from Severus and Damon as he moved over and sat next to Jason. Opting to stay out from under the other man's quilt, he wrapped an arm around the younger man’s shoulders. He ran his fingers along Jason's arm and smiled. “We’ll all be warm soon, until then I suppose this will do.”

“Eww,” Gregory murmured as he looked at his friend. “You people make me sick.”

Jason only laughed as Damon started up the tractor and Severus dropped down into the wagon bed as well for the cold trip back to the Wolffe farm.

@@@@@@@@

Once the group entered the warm farmhouse, Richard got his first look at a picture of Mister Wolffe and a small man he assumed was Grant. He immediately understood exactly how Damon knew of his work. He also knew that this was the case Max had mentioned. Wandering back outside to where Damon was putting the tractor away, Richard leaned against the door of the barn for a moment.

“I might be able to help him, you know,” he said softly at the other man’s back.

Damon froze for a moment then looked back over his shoulder at the other man. “If that’s some kind of compensation for me to back off of you so you can get at Jason, then you got another think coming, boy.”

Richard shook his head as he pushed himself off the doorframe. “No, it’s not,” he said as he walked toward the man. “Look, I realize that to you, I’m nothing but a monster as far as Jason is concerned. I don’t know how to change how you feel or if that’s even possible, but I can help them both.”

Damon turned and stared at Richard. “I don’t think you are a monster. I think you are a bright individual with too much time on your hands. I think you get carried away trying to find the answers to some things better left alone without regards to anyone else’s needs but your own.”

He eyed Richard like a bug under glass. “I don’t want either of them wrote up in some paper and treated to a media circus. Or anyone else you might come across in this town.”

Richard nodded. “No sir, they won’t be. You have my word,” he said sincerely and then looked around the barn. “Try having him add more soy to his diet before each equinox and solstice for about a week. He should do it until the mark on his back is no longer getting darker during those times. If I find anything else that would be useful, I’ll let you know.”

Damon made a face. “He eats enough of that shit to kill a horse and it ain’t made a damn bit of difference in thirty years.” He shook his head. He had tracked the sensitive spot on Grant’s back though the years, although it hadn't helped him much. He walked towards the other man and the barn doors. “Nothing hasn't helped,” he said softly and looked at Richard, giving him a subtle hint, hoping the younger man would catch on and it would peak his interest.

He cleared his throat and sighed. “You all need to decide where you are going and get there. I’ve already plowed out the drive and they’ll have begun scraping the roads into town but be careful leaving, I got more work to do.” Damon walked out of the barn and headed for the house.

Richard closed his eyes and banged his head on the barn door for a moment. “You stupid fool, you really need to learn when to shut the hell up,” he muttered before he followed Damon in and went to find Gregory so they could go.

@@@@@@@@@@

As Grant exited the plane at the airport in Pittsburgh, he could feel the urges he had been feeling grow stronger. He needed to be near Damon soon. He smiled over to where Harry was standing, waiting on him, a bar of chocolate in one hand.

"Alright Harry, we need to collect our bags and then pick up the rental Damon arranged for. Do you need to go find a place to sit and I'll come and get you after I have our things loaded up?" Grant asked with a smile, looking around the busy airport. "I'm so glad we don't need to declare a bunch of things." They'd both filled out the paperwork on the plane and had smiled as they'd realized they'd eaten most of the evidence.

"Is there anything left to declare?" Harry looked at the diminished carry-on bag as he emptied the trash into a bin. He zipped the bag shut and scratched at his stomach. "I need to stretch my legs and get something to drink so I'll walk with you. We can get a skycap then I'll sit when we get to the rental booth." He grabbed the handle to his rolling carry-on and looked at Grant, one hand still resting on his stomach. Now that they were back on the ground, it was almost as if he could feel Severus and the man's magic was calling to him.

Grant thought for a moment and looked down at the shirt he was wearing. "Actually, I think we're good. We've shipped back almost everything and from what the flight attendant said, we don't have enough of anything to go through Customs with anything more than a scan," he said, bending down to shoulder both of their carry on bags. "Let's get this done then, they'll have our luggage at Customs."

The small man led the way through the busy airport, looking up to find the magic signs that were visible only to Wizards and following the directions there. Grant smiled as he looked at the very short line. "We'll be through in no time. I can't wait to get home."

Harry grinned. "Me too." He turned and looked at the news station that was on the television and frowned. "Grant look! That's about home." The reporter flashed away to show a field of white and barely visible cars on the road.

Road crews from all over the state are working overtime to clear the interstate roads before the next front begins. Officials are asking people to stay where they are if they do not have to leave. Accidents have been plentiful but not severe. Again affected counties include Randolph, Tucker, Barber, and Pocahontas and the storm is moving south to southeast. Power is out in those counties as well and the utility companies are trying to restore the lines as soon as possible, so be aware of down wires. Please call emergency services and note the location of the downed lines when calling. Once again the counties affected include...

Harry looked at Grant, eyes wide. "Do you think we'll be able to get home today?"

Grant watched the television, a frown pulling his mouth down at the corners. "I'm going home. Damon said he was reserving a four wheel drive for us. It might take us a little longer, but we're going home," he said, a note of finality in his voice. "Don't worry Harry, despite what Damon likes to say, I can drive."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. He understood the steel and need in Grant's voice. He felt those urges as well and trusted the older man. He reached out for Grant's hand, needing the bit of contact. "All right. I'm ready. Let's go home." He squeezed Grant's fingers and smiled at him.

Squeezing Harry's hand in return, they stepped up to the Wizarding Customs agent, Grant setting their carry-ons and the declaration forms out for the agent.

Several minutes later, Grant was pushing a luggage cart through the concourse, looking for the rental agency Damon had contracted, one hand on Harry's as he hurried them along. Glancing back, he smiled as he thought of how he'd done the concealment charm on his son-in-law with no problem; he was proud of the fact he could do things now.

"Alright Harry, you sit here with our bags, okay?" Grant instructed, stopping at a bench in front of the rental kiosks and eyeing the long lines. Fishing for his identification and everything else he would need for the rental clerk, he looked at his son-in-law to see how he was doing.

Harry wrapped one hand around a pole on the luggage cart and waved at Grant. He scratched at his stomach, Grant's magic a comfort and a little strange on him at the same time. He had been very careful not to flinch when Grant had turned his wand on him to cast his spells and was glad for Grant when the charm had worked. He couldn't wait to be home, his body almost itched with the nearness of being so close yet so far and he wondered if Grant was the same way.

Stepping up to the counter, Grant faced a hard eyed, harassed looking woman working behind the computer. "My name is Grant Wolffe and there should be a vehicle reserved in my name," he said politely. "A four wheel drive," he added helpfully.

The clerk sighed but didn't bother looking up. "I'm sorry we are out of four wheel drives, sir." She continued to type into the computer. "When was the reservation made?"

Grant raised a brow and took a breath. "The reservation was made two days ago by a Damon Wolffe. For a four wheel drive vehicle."

The woman looked up the name. "I'm sorry, there's no reservation for Damon Wolffe."

"No. The reservation would be in my name. Grant Wolffe. Doctor Grant Wolffe," Grant said, feeling the tension start to build up in the back of his neck and his jaw. "Please look once more."

Sighing heavily, she typed in the other name once more then nodded. "Here it is. 2004 Dodge Durango, fully loaded." Looking up, she arched an eyebrow as she took in the small man. "Are you certain?"

Grant's eyes widened a little in surprise. That was an awful large vehicle for him to drive. "Certain about what?" he asked looking back at her.

"That you can drive this vehicle, sir. We have a number of smaller cars available that are of comparable value. I can get you into a new Viper or a Mustang." She offered, fingers poised over the keyboard prepared to make the change. She really didn't think the man could drive something like the truck.

Grant closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. Surely Damon wouldn't have reserved something he couldn't drive. "Ma'am, we have to get down into West Virginia and I'm afraid a car simply won't handle the roads as well. The Durango will suit us," he said, confidence in his voice and posture as he drew himself up to his full five feet three inches and looked at her. "I'll be fine."

The woman rolled her eyes and nodded. It wasn't any skin off her nose. She pressed the enter button on the keyboard and set the papers to printing out. "All right then, I'll need you driver's license and for you to begin signing these papers."

Fighting back the urge to say something, Grant simply handed her the items she'd requested as well as his insurance card before he took the pen and signed his name with a flourish.

She passed him his paperwork back after making copies. "The skycap will bring the car around for you in a few moments, exit the yellow door to the left. Have a safe trip and thank you for your reservation." She signaled the next person in line and dismissed him. "Next please!"

Grant tucked the paper work into the pocket of his jacket, turning to get Harry. "Come on Harry, they are bringing the car around. We'll stop for something to eat on the road, okay?" Grant said as he took hold of the push cart once more and began to lead the way to the yellow door. "Do you need anything out of the bags before I load them into the back?"

Harry shook his head then stopped. "Should we stop at the duty-free store and see if they've any chocolate before we get on the road just in case? I mean we can get real food later but I think we ate most of the supplies on the plane remember."

Grant thought for a moment and then the frugality that was in his nature won out. "Why don't we stop at a market once we get out of here and pick some up?" he asked, stepping forward as the attendant drove up with the Durango, getting out to check his paperwork. Grant handed the man everything and went around to open the back to put their luggage in.

Harry followed Grant out, not wanting to seem like he was lagging but needed to know before they got too far out. He cut his eyes over at the attendant then back at Grant. "But Grant, they might have the chocolate here. Don't you think that might last us a bit longer." He handed Grant one of the lighter bags from the cart.

"Don't pick that up Harry, I have it," Grant said taking the bag and then looking over to where Harry was pointing. Sighing, he weighed out his options, although he really wanted to get on the road, Harry was right, they did need the chocolate.

He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed it to Harry. "Go and get us as much as you can, okay? Do you need me to carry it?"

Harry took the wallet and shoved it in his pocket. He picked up another bag and threw it into the back of the truck. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," he hissed and turned to go. Looking back, he smiled to soften his statement. "I'll meet you around the front at the drop off place, all right? Be careful."

Grant rolled his eyes. "I do know how to drive Harry," he muttered as the boy began to walk off. "Hey, look to see if they have anything with peanut butter in it!"

Getting behind the wheel after the attendant nodded all was in order; he buckled his seat belt and looked the interior over with a smile. This was nice and he'd have to thank Damon for the pampering. Putting the truck in gear, he pressed the gas, moving around to go wait on his son-in-law.

@@@@@@@@@@

Harry opened a peanut butter filled chocolate cauldron and passed it to Grant then looked at the GPS machine. "Okay, I programmed in the address to the house and to find alternate routes once we get closer to West Virginia. You need anything else?" He leaned back in his seat and ran a hand over his stomach adjusting his seat belt across his belly as he stretched.

Stuffing the chocolate into his mouth, Grant grunted as he peered out into the white landscape. "I need my freaking sunglasses," he muttered squinting at the glare off of the snow. "We are going to need to stop somewhere for food, so what do you want?"

Harry shrugged and opened a bar of Honeydukes's dark chocolate. "A chilidog with mayonnaise, cheese, dill relish and sauerkraut. Some crisps and a large glass of milk." He popped a chunk of the chocolate into his mouth and let it melt on his tongue. "What do you want?"

Grant shuddered, making a face. "I don't know, don't really care as long as there is a lot of it," he said as he looked for someplace that might have what Harry was craving. "What if we can't find what you want? How about a chili cheeseburger?"

"Maybe, a chilidog just sounded really good. Shall we pull into the first place you find and I'll pick something there? Let's get the sunglasses first though because I think even I might need a pair. That glare is horrible and I'm not even driving." Harry shifted in his seat and pulled at the bag from the airport. He'd managed to buy all the Wizarding chocolate they had in stock and hoped it would last them the entire trip. "Do you need another piece?"

"No, I'm good, thank you though," Grant said as he pulled into a service station. "I need my glasses to drive, so I'm just going to charm these, would you like me to charm yours as well?" he asked drawing his wand from its holster.

Harry hesitated for a moment. "Do you think you should? I'm not saying that you can't but if you need your glasses for driving, darkening them might change the prescription. Severus always takes my glasses in to the optometrist when something happens to them."

Grant thought for a moment and then sighed. "You're probably right. I'll just get clip-ons for us, okay?" he said as he opened his door. "Do you want anything else?"

"Clip-ons are fine." Harry groaned. "I'm coming with. I need to use the loo again. I swear we should be able to grow another bladder with these other extra parts or something because this one isn't enough."

Grant only chuckled as he waited on Harry, he could remember all the extra trips he'd made to the bathroom and how crazy it drove Damon at times. "Make sure you get some juice or milk and a bottle of water," he said as the walked into the building.

Harry nodded as he made his way to the tiny restroom. Once finished, he stopped and grabbed him a bottle of water and perused the ready to eat items in the cooler before sidling up to Grant. "Can we go on to the next place? Some of this stuff looks like it was here when Damon was a child. I'm just not that hungry either," he whispered softly.

Laughing, Grant nodded. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning to eat anything from here either," he said softly as he took the water from Harry and made his way to the cashier. "Go on and get in the truck."

Harry handed Grant some money then patted his arm, waddling out to the truck carefully and climbing inside. He sighed and buckled his seat belt then dug out his chocolate bar, popping another square into his mouth as he closed his eyes, letting the chocolate and magic work on him.

@@@@@@

Several hours into their drive, Grant once again tried to call Damon with his cell phone, this time however the signal seemed to go through and he heard the other man's cell ring. Crossing his fingers that Damon would pick up, Grant focused his eyes on the road ahead of him and the cars that were crawling at a snail's pace along the highway.

Damon sighed and stood up from where he had been clearing snow away from the house. He pulled his cell phone out and grinned as he recognized Grant's number. "Hey, Pet. Can you hear me?" The static wasn't too awful bad and he hoped Grant was doing well.

Grant smiled, adjusting the phone against his ear. "Hey yourself. I can hear you. We're almost to the Pennsylvania border. The roads are shit. How are things there?" he asked, carefully easing off the gas and slowing the vehicle back down to a crawl.

Damon smiled. "It's shit all over and more is already starting to fall, baby, so be careful. I'm shoveling snow and trying to clear a path, hoping I'll have it done by the time you all get here. Sev's gone to take Greg back to town. How's Harry doing?"

Grant glanced over at Harry who was napping in the passenger seat. "He's fine, taking a nap now. Do we have power at home?"

"We will when I get the generator hooked up. They just got it back on to the hospital district and are slowly working their way through town and the elderly folks who need it the most." Damon looked around at the slowly falling snow and shook his head. "We're going to have a rough one this winter. I've not had a chance to get down to the practice nor the bar today to check out the damages there yet."

Grant sighed, one hand griping the phone and the other the wheel. "How long do you think before there's power out where we are?" he asked thinking of Jason, Severus and Harry. "How is Jason?"

"I don't know. They are working on it as fast as they can." Damon looked at the generator and sat on top of it. "Jason's fine. I offered him a room with us but he opted to stay with Greg in town. They got power already because Greg's a doctor and of Davy's medical condition." That sounded like a good lie to him and it kept Montgomery's presence from Grant a bit longer.

Grant nodded as he looked out over the darkening landscape. "Have you heard from Max?"

"Max was all right last night. Sev talked to him last. He's on the medical personal list so he should be getting power back soon as well." Damon sighed then cheered as the outside lights came on. "Looks like we won't need the generators, Pet. They must still have you on the roster because our lights just came on. I may load this thing up on Sev's truck when he returns from town though."

Grant was quiet for a moment, glancing over at Harry to make sure the younger man was still asleep before he spoke. "I need you," he said softly, biting his lower lip.

Damon frowned. "I know, Pet. How are you doing? I made you some frosting and bought you some chocolates."

"It's bad," Grant whispered, a whimper slipping out before he could stop it. "I... had to touch last night."

Damon grimaced. "That's all right, Grant. You didn't hurt yourself, did you? I'll take care of you when you get home, I promise."

"I transfigured my hair brush," Grant said embarrassed by what he'd done. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, Pet. Don't be sorry. I told you to do what you needed to see to it until you could come home so long as you didn't injure yourself." Damon sighed softly then chuckled. "I'm proud of you that you were able to make something that helped. I can't wait to see what you can do when you get back here, baby." He praised his little husband trying to distract him.

Grant grunted softly as he smiled a little. "You just like to watch me play, admit it," he teased.

Damon laughed. "I do, but that's neither here nor there. It'll be good to see you using magic like I'd hoped you could. Well, when the mountains don't interfere. I'm glad Harry took you to get a new wand, Grant and I apologize for misunderstanding what happened and that I didn't catch it sooner."

"Damon... don't apologize," Grant said softly. "We both thought that I was... damaged. It was just a fluke." He sighed as the snow began to fall once more.

"No, I owe both you and Harry one, Pet. I should have checked on it more closely over the years." Damon said firmly. "You listen to me, now. Pay attention to the road and be careful. They'll be clearing the main interstates first I'd think so stick to those before trying the back roads. They'll be safer too."

"Yes Sir. Would you like me to call each hour and let you know where we are?" Grant asked, carefully steering around a large clod of snow that had fallen from the roof of someone's vehicle.

"You can if you want to, but I might not be able to answer it if we go on up to Sev's to hook up the generators." Damon stood and walked up towards the house. "If you have to, stop and get a room somewhere. They are saying it's supposed to snow a few more feet here tonight."

Grant paused for a moment, a lump forming in his throat. "I don't think I can stop," he said softly. "I'll be alright."

Damon nodded even though Grant couldn't see him. "All right, baby. I'll be ready for you. As soon as I find out what Sev wants to do, I'll call you back and let you know what's going on. Just be careful."

"I will be, I promise," Grant replied, frowning as the snow began to fall faster. "We just passed the state line and a sign says we are twelve miles from Morgantown. I'm going to stay on the Interstate until I get down past Clarksburg and then see how the state roads are."

Damon nodded, trying to remember the highways and byways through the upper part of the state. Grant usually navigated their trips, he just drove. "That sounds good to me." He looked up as Severus's truck came up the drive. "Sev's back, Pet. I love you, missed you a hell of a lot and can't wait to see you tonight."

"I love you too and say hello to Sev for me. We'll be home in a couple of hours, I hope," Grant said before ending the call and slipping his cell back into his pocket and returning his attention to the road.

@@@@

Severus shut the truck off, going to the back porch and stamping as much of the snow from his feet as possible before entering the kitchen. "They made it back to Greg's alright," he said as he pulled his gloves off and stuck them in his coat pocket. "It's bloody freezing out there."

Damon nodded and turned on the faucet, making certain none of the pipes froze. He sighed as the water sputtered then began to run out of the taps. "Want some coffee?" he grabbed the carafe and filled it then pulled the grounds from the freezer. "That's good. Grant called; Harry's doing fine, he was sleeping. They are near Morgantown and hope to be home tonight." He looked over at Severus as he flipped the switch on the coffee pot. "How was Jason when you left?"

"Coffee would be wonderful, thank you," Severus said, hanging up his jacket and moving to sit down at the small kitchen table. He picked up one of Grant's potion bottles and turned it around, looking at it for a moment.

"He seemed to be settling in well. That Montgomery bloke is bending over backwards to please him, so Jason should be happy," Severus snorted, setting the bottle back down and reaching for the container of cookies that was ever present on the table.

Damon arched an eyebrow and shook his head. He turned to get their coffee mugs down and set them on the counter. "You might want to keep an eye on him and what he does, you might learn something useful." Setting the creamer and sugar down on the table next, Damon poured their coffee. "He offered to help Grant too."

Severus nodded, he'd been thinking along the same lines. "Did you tell Grant he was here?" he asked, picking up the cup of scalding hot coffee and sipping at it gingerly, wincing as he did.

Damon stared at Severus like he'd lost his mind. "Are you insane? Hell no, I didn't tell him. I didn't take Montgomery up on his offer either. Boy, I thought you had more brains than that. The cold freeze them or something while you was out in it?" He sipped his coffee and shook his head. "Tell Grant, I can't believe you asked that question," he muttered and snorted.

"He is going to find out, you know," Severus observed as he looked at Damon over his coffee cup. "Perhaps it won't be as bad as you fear."

Damon closed his eyes and sighed. "No, it's going to be bad. He's already told me he's in a way. I'll need some potions as soon as you can get them made up. Some stamina ones for me as well."

Severus raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Stamina?"

Damon opened his eyes and glared at him. "Yes, stamina, energy or extra strength Pepper-up." He smirked at his son. "If you think you can handle that. I ain't got no problems with the other."

Severus chuckled to himself. "I have both the sedative and Pepper-up at the house. Certain you don't want some numbing salve as well?" he asked, half serious.

Damon shook his head. "It doesn't work. We tried it and all he did was injure himself trying to sate the problem. This is the only and best solution we've found that works, Sev. I hate him having to drug himself like this which is why I am telling you everything now so maybe you and Harry will learn from us now. Hopefully, you won't have this problem."

Severus stared at Damon for a moment, setting his cup back down. "Injure himself?" he asked softly. "What are you talking about?"

Damon took a deep breath. "Through sex, Severus. The Fleymann's is trying to sate a need and the area is overly sensitized and tender. In trying to satisfy that need sometimes an injury is caused even when we aren't even trying to be rough."

Severus shook his head, still not exactly certain how someone could harm themselves through sex, but he wouldn't press the man for more information. "I'll take measures to make sure Harry will be alright," he said picking up his coffee once more. He was reasonably certain Harry could handle a bit of chafing and tenderness in the event they had marathon sex.

Damon sighed. "Maybe I'm not explaining myself right, Severus but you'll see. Expect a certain amount of clinginess, an increased sexual appetite, increased desire for chocolate and moodiness. Try to be understanding and take the things he says with a grain of salt because he's pregnant and the influx of hormones are tripled for Harry this time of year, plus with Grant possibly going through the change there's no telling what could happen, all right?

Nodding, Severus regarded his cup for a moment before speaking. "I'm not trying to pry into your business Damon, but I have some new lubricant I brewed a few weeks ago that is simply brilliant. Would you like some of it? If it would help, I mean."

Damon nodded. "I understand and thank you. I'm willing to try anything to help him." He drank the last bit in his cup and stood to get them a refill. "Since the lights are on here, you and Harry are welcome but I also understand you wanting to be in your own place. You want to go up and see if you got power yet? We can load up the generators and take them with if not."

Finishing his coffee as well, Severus put his hand over the top of his cup, he'd had enough. "Alright. I doubt the electricity is back on yet, there were no utility trucks on this side of town when I came through. You're right, I'd rather be at home with Harry if he's going to be temperamental."

Damon nodded and pulled down a thermos, pouring the coffee into it to take with him. "Sounds good to me. I'll drive the tractor, clearing the way for you and we'll get you set up for the night." He turned and smiled at Severus. "I'm sorry we didn't get you any chocolate but you can have one of them bowls of frosting I made. I know Grant loves it and it seems to help."

Severus yawned, hiding the action behind one hand. He'd not slept well the night before while staying at Mother Wolffe's house in Wheeling, he missed his bed and he missed Harry. "I'm not overly fussed about the chocolate. If I know Harry, he's carrying more chocolate home than he is anything else," he said with a smirk. "Did you manage to put by enough for Grant?"

"I got the frosting and a few bars of some Honeydukes chocolate that came into Clangman's. That will last for a bit and you are most likely right about Harry. Grant will have some as well." Damon sighed. "All right, let's get the show on the road. We got to get your place in order for Harry."

Severus chuckled. "I've been staying here Damon, my house is fine," he said with a smirk and it was true. Since Harry had been gone, he'd stayed with Damon, returning home only to check the mail each day. "Let me get the dogs."

Damon nodded, whistling for Baby and putting her in the laundry room for the day. He bundled back up in his jacket to go outside to warm up his John Deere, tucking the thermos under his arm as he walked out the door.

Dialing Grant's number on his cell phone, he whistled while he waited for his husband to pick up.

Grant pulled the ringing cell phone from his pocket, smiling as he glanced down to see who the caller was. "Hey you," he said softly, not wanting to wake up Harry.

Damon grinned. "Hello Pet. How's the driving?" he climbed up into the cabin of Severus's truck and turned on the engine, aiming the heat his way. "I got a bit of news for you."

"It isn't bad; the road crews seem to be going as fast as they can. What's the news?" Grant asked, shifting his weight in the seat and readjusting his glasses. "It's snowing harder though."

"All right then. You be careful and keep on truckin'. Sev and I are taking the generators to the Overlook. We'll be there getting things set up there if you need us. They are staying at their place tonight." Damon sighed. "It'll be just us tonight at the house and Sev's brewed up some new stuff for us to try."

"What is it?" Grant asked curiously, not sure of what Severus could brew that would be new for them. They'd tried nearly everything they could find on the market.

"He says it's a new lube. You know he's a genius when it comes to the cauldron, Pet. I figure why not. What could it hurt?" Damon played with the keys hanging from the ignition. "You doing all right?"

Grant chuckled ruefully and sighed. "Honestly? No, I'm not alright. I don't remember it ever being this bad this early."

Damon frowned and debated on telling him about Montgomery. "All right, Grant. I've talked to Severus and he's got some sedatives already brewed. But he also says they you can't keep taking them, they're harmful. We need to go talk to Max and tell him what's going on. I want to go with you this time. I need to, so I can help, Grant."

Uncharacteristically, Grant simply nodded. "Alright, Damon. I'll make an appointment tomorrow to see him if we can get out and the clinic is open." He'd known for some time that he wouldn't be able to continue taking the strong sedatives in the amounts he had been, that it was going to damage his health irrevocably if he didn't stop.

"Thank you. I'll try not to ask too many questions, but I can't help you if I don't understand what's going on, Pet." Damon tried to soothe his little husband, knowing he'd just mowed right over his privacy. But he hadn't mentioned Montgomery yet and knew Grant was in no shape for that kind of revelation right now. "All right baby, try to stay focused, be careful and get home. I'll be here when you get here."

"I'll be careful. Love you," Grant said as he hung the phone up, squaring his shoulders and sitting up straighter so he could see better.

@@@@@@

As the city limits sign for Echo came into view several hours later, Grant smiled, reaching over and nudging his sleeping companion on the leg. "Harry, wake up, we're in Echo," he said, the smile on his face coming through in his voice as well.

"Brill!" Harry blinked and raised his glasses up to his forehead, rubbing his eyes. He smiled and looked over at Grant. "I'm sorry. I slept the entire way when I should have been keeping you company."

He stretched and looked around the truck. "Do you need anything?"

"It's alright Harry, you would've been bored. Do you mind if I drop you at your house and head home?" Grant asked as he opened his cell phone and pressed Damon's number to let him know where he was.

Harry nodded. "If you say so, Grant." He sat up straighter in the seat, the more familiar sights coming into view and he sighed. He was home, finally, and couldn't wait to see his husband.

Quickly calling Damon and relaying the news that they were home, Grant navigated through the snow covered streets, his headlamps on to cut through the darkness. Heading east on the highway out of town, he soon came upon the drive for the Overlook and stopped to stare at the ruts left by the tractor and Damon's truck. "Shit. Call Severus and have him meet us here, I'm not going to drive up to the house," he said, handing his phone to Harry and shifting the Durango into park.

Harry stared at the large piles of snow and quickly dialed Severus's cell phone number. He could almost feel the other man's magic crawling over his skin at just being in this close of proximity. He didn't even bother to wait for Severus to say hello before he began talking. "Severus, we are at the end of the drive come get me, now."

"You're home?" Severus asked, stunned as he looked out of the window of their front door in astonishment. "Why are you at the end of the drive?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Grant and I are in the rental. I don't think we can make it up the drive. Please, Severus, come get me," he dropped his voice to a near whisper. "Severus, please. I miss you and I need you."

Grabbing his keys, Severus was out the door while still talking with his husband, unmindful of the cold. "I'm in the truck now Harry... I miss you too," he said as he started the big truck, cutting a circle in the pristine, snow covered yard as he turned the vehicle around.

"All right. I'm hanging up now." Harry drew in a breath and closed the phone. It seemed as Severus drove down the drive, he could feel him coming closer and he wriggled in the seat. He turned to Grant and looked at him. "Do you feel that? Is it like that when you are near Damon?"

Grant looked at Harry and smiled grimly. "You mean like you're aching to be near him? Yeah, I'm like that now."

Harry reached over and squeezed Grant's hand. "He'll be here in a mo, then you can get to Damon." he smiled. "Thanks again for going with me and talking with me about all this."

Grant smiled again, this time warmly as he squeezed Harry's hand in return. "Anytime you need to talk Harry, just let me know." He looked up and nodded as he spotted lights coming towards them. "Looks like he's almost here. I'll get your bags out of the back."

Harry nodded and turned to look out the window, his heart thumping in his chest as the big truck pulled to a stop. He was out of the rental, feet sliding on the snow and he slammed into Severus as soon as the tall man got out of his truck.

"Oh gods," Harry buried his face in Severus's chest, inhaling the scent of him and clinching his fists in Severus's shirt. He rubbed up against Severus, sighing as his body made contact with his husband's.

Catching Harry in his long arms, Severus held him close; stroking his hands down the smaller man's back. "My husband, you're back," he said softly, bending down to press his lips to Harry's. "Let's get you in the truck; you don't have your cloak on." He opened the door of the truck, quickly settling the small man in the passenger seat.

Harry moaned softly, returning Severus's kiss, then clinging to his hand as Severus made to move away. "Wait, where are you going?"

Stopping, Severus looked at Harry and smiled in amusement. "I'm going to get your things. Is that alright?"

Grant had gotten Harry's bags from the back of the truck and was now half carrying and half dragging them to the truck, a look of grim determination on his face, wanting only to go home to his own husband.

Harry looked sheepish for a moment then nodded. "Oh yes, hurry and help Grant. He needs Damon." He picked up Severus's hand, rubbed it against his cheek then pressed a kiss to the long fingers. He reluctantly let go and took a deep breath. "Hurry, Severus. Please." He twined his fingers in his lap over his stomach.

Severus turned to where Grant was hauling the bags, quickly taking them from the smaller man and tossing them carelessly into the bed of the truck. "Go home Grant, now. Damon is there and waiting for you," he said softly as he put a hand on the man's shoulder and turned him back to the rental. "Be careful driving."

Grant simply nodded, climbing back up into the SUV and putting it into reverse. He had to get home.

Severus watched Grant's progress for a moment, satisfied the small man was alright driving before returning to his husband and putting their truck into gear. "Are you alright Harry?" he asked softly, pulling Harry across the bench seat to his side, wrapping an arm around him for a moment.

Harry snuggled into Severus's side, pulling his arm tighter around him. "I am now." He rubbed his face against Severus, sighing deeply then looking up and offering the man his mouth. "I need you, Severus."

Dark eyes regarded Harry's green ones a moment before Severus claimed his young husband's mouth, thrusting his tongue between Harry's lips greedily. After a long kiss, he pulled back and looked down at Harry. "Are you able to wait until we get home?" he asked softly, the lust in Harry's eyes only made him feel more in tune with the smaller man's needs.

Harry moaned and turned in the seat, trying to get closer to Severus. He whimpered softly when Severus pulled away but nodded and shuddered. "I think so. Just get us back to the house please." He flushed and looked down at his lap. "I'm... I apologize Sir. I don't mean to be this way."

"Don't apologize Harry, you can't help this," Severus said softly as he pulled Harry closer, letting his hand stroke over Harry's throat and cheek. He could feel a pull of some sort himself, not certain if it was the result of the hormones or simply because he'd not seen Harry in a week's time.

Harry closed his eyes, leaning into the caress and sighing. "Yes Sir." Licking his lips, he drew in a breath, inhaling Severus's scent. "Feels so good, need you, want you so much."

He opened his eyes, looking up at Severus. "Please can we go home now?"

Severus nodded, moving his hand to rest on Harry's thigh, caressing the muscle beneath the man's robe. "How are you feeling? You've not been sick have you?" he asked as he carefully turned the big truck around all the while keeping his hand on Harry's leg.

Harry shook his head, pressing his leg into Severus's hand. "No, I'm fine. I just need you." He laid his hand on Severus's arm, running his fingers over the skin and hairs just touching and caressing his husband's body.

Trying to concentrate on his driving, Severus groaned low in his throat as Harry's touches felt like fire dancing over his skin. "Put that hand to use Harry," he said hoarsely.

"Yes Sir!" Harry grinned, sliding his hand down Severus's arm to his chest. His fingers glided across Severus's stomach and fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, finally allowing him entrance to his prize.

Harry reached into Severus's jeans and eased out Severus's prick, licking his lips as the apple head filled in his fist.

Breathing heavily through his mouth, Severus crossed the low water bridge and pulled up to the house, all while trying not to thrust up into Harry's grasp. "Do you have anything in those bags that must be inside immediately?" he asked, reluctantly pulling Harry's hand away and shutting the truck off.

Groaning, Harry shook his head. He looked up at Severus, eyes wild and dilated. He raised his arms up to Severus. "No Sir. Take me inside, please."

Severus carefully pulled Harry from the cab of the truck, reluctant to set him on the ground. Carrying him up the front steps, he nudged the door open and kicked it shut behind him. Not willing to go as far as the bedroom, Severus sank down onto the sofa, Harry still in his arms. "Let me get my jacket off," he mumbled, trying to shrug out of the garment as quickly as he could. "Strip Harry, let me see you."

Harry quickly pulled his robes off over his head, tossing them and Severus's jacket to the floor. He pulled at Severus's shirt next, trying to get at his husband's pale skin. "Severus...please," he wriggled on Severus's lap, rubbing his stomach up against Severus.

Severus managed to get his shirt unbuttoned as well as his jeans before pulling Harry to him. "Spread your legs Harry," he said softly, lying back on the sofa and rubbing his hands over the pale skin of his husband's back and arse. "Want to feel how wet you are."

Harry whined, and spread his legs, pulling up on his prick and balls, showing Severus the new parts. "Please, Husband," he begged softly. "I need you. It aches. Fill my cozy, my bottom, please."

Severus gently thrust a finger between the folds behind Harry's sac, biting his lips as his finger was drenched by the man's fluids. Although he wanted to take his time with Harry, gently reacquainting himself with the other man's body, there was a sense of urgency about the small man that bordered on pain. Moving his hand, Severus encircled his own shaft and nudged the head of his prick against the wet hole. "Now Harry," he commanded softly, locking gazes with his husband.

Harry rocked against the head of Severus's prick then thrust his hips forward, impaling himself on the thick shaft.

Throwing his head back, Harry cried out sharply but not in pain. The sound was oddly one of relief and he immediately set a punishing rhythm, driving himself against his husband's cock, eyes coming back to lock on to Severus's. "Oh gods, yes."

"Careful Harry, don't hurt yourself," Severus managed as he wrapped his hands around Harry's hips and thrust up into him. "Merlin, you are so hot!" Harry's body felt like molten fire wrapped around his cock and Severus knew he wasn't going to last long.

"So beautiful," Severus panted, looking up into Harry's eyes as the sounds of their bodies slapping together mixed with harsh cries. Moving one hand from his husband's hip, Severus began to stroke and rub the smaller man's swollen clit, pressing and gently mashing the small bud as he heard Harry gasp and then moan loudly.

The knot of magic that had began to twist out in the drive tightened even further in his abdomen and Harry gasped again and panted. He drew in a breath as a low sound came from him. He closed his eyes, the sound spiraling higher into a wail as his body stiffened and his hips canted forward. Fluid spilled from him, soaking Severus and Harry continued to writhe on top of his husband. "Severus, please!"

Growling, Severus bucked up hard under Harry, bouncing the smaller man along the length of his cock, the sofa beneath him becoming sodden as Harry drenched them both. "Harry..." he began and then shuddered as his own orgasm ripped through him, filling Harry's spasming cozy with come, his thumb still pressed firmly to the other man's clit.

Harry gasped and sighed suddenly, his body relaxing immediately. He collapsed forward and panted as he lay on Severus's chest. "Thank you, thank you." he murmured softly, pressing gently kisses over Severus's heart.

Severus held Harry tightly, not caring that they may well be stuck together once their emissions dried. "Dearest Harry, you never have to thank me for having the pleasure of making love to you," he murmured softly, pressing his lips to Harry's hair. "Did it help?"

Harry sighed and nodded. "I know, but I didn't know how else to tell you." He rose up slightly and looked down at Severus, reaching up to caress the sharp plains of his face. "I love you, Husband. That helped immensely, but I'd still like to be close to you, if you don't mind." His hands trailed down Severus's face to his chest, just touching and feeling his husband's skin.

"I don't mind at all my beloved," Severus said softly. "Why don't you let me clean us up and bring your things in? Are you hungry?" He stroked a long fingered hand through Harry's unruly hair, gently tugging it.

Harry sighed and his eyes closed as Severus pulled his hair. "Yes Sir, a bath sounds nice. I've gifts for you in my luggage as well." Humming softly, he continued to stroke Severus's chest, running his hands down to play with the few strands of damp hair on his stomach. "Might I have some of the chocolate that's in my bag too?"

"Why would you think you'd need to ask me such a question, Harry?" Severus asked while sitting up with his young husband on his lap. "I have never denied you anything you needed and I shouldn't think I'd begin now." He shifted Harry's weight on his lap and looked into his husband's face.

"Am I that much of an ogre?"

Harry blinked and shook his head, resting his hands in his lap. "No Sir. But I thought I would ask just to be certain. Grant says Damon gets upset with him sometimes because that's all he wants to eat is chocolate." He grinned somewhat sheepishly. "We have been eating a lot of it lately but it just tastes right, right now, if that makes any sense." He shook his head and sighed. "It's stupid, isn't it?"

Severus shook his head, holding Harry away from his body a little as he looked down at him. "Harry, it is not stupid. If your body is craving something, it is craving it for a reason. As long as you are eating other nutritious foods, I do not object to you eating more chocolate than you normally would," he said with a frown. He didn't like the thought that Grant was being deprived of something he was in physical need of.

"There was something I did want to discuss with you though," Severus said slowly, deciding that now was as good of a time as any to broach the subject of Richard Montgomery with Harry. "There is someone in town that is a specialist in Fleymann's. If I could arrange it, would you be interested in speaking to him?"

Harry scratched his stomach and nodded. "All right. Grant said he had some articles that I could read as well. Do you think he could go with me?" he squirmed on Severus's lap, the aftermath of their activities now becoming sticky and uncomfortable. "Can we shower too?"

"I don't think Grant would like to accompany you, but I would be happy to," Severus said as he carefully stood Harry up and then stood up himself. "Let's take a quick shower and then I'll make us something to eat, alright?" On impulse, he reached out and gently stroked Harry's face, sighing softly as he did so.

Harry frowned but leaned into Severus's hand. "All right." he twined his fingers with Severus's and let his husband lead him to the loo. "I had a good time with Grant after we finally got things straightened out. Do you think, now that he's retired, Damon will let him spend time with Davy and I, when I'm not at the shop working?"

Once in the bedroom, he reluctantly let go of Severus's hand and began to rummage through the dresser, laying out some clean clothes for his husband and himself.

"I'm glad you had a good trip with Grant and have worked things out with him," Severus said as he stripped out of his clothing and turned the water on in the shower. "I don't mind if you spend time with Grant, but I don't know what Damon will say, surely he won't object."

He held his hand out to Harry and helped him step over the side of the bathtub before gently guiding him under the spray of hot water, thankful that the water was heated by gas and that was still in working order. "Do you enjoy spending time with David?"

Harry sighed as the water washed over him. He ran his hands over his body then did the same to Severus. "Oh, yes. Davy's nice. I like cooking with him and he told me once they had gotten everything unpacked he'd show me how to play his game system. He said there's a game where we can play Quidditch on the telly."

"You like this game system?" Severus asked, curious about it. He'd played several video games before with both Max and Damon, finding them an easy way to kill time. "Would you like one for here?" He soaped up a flannel and began to gently wash Harry's body matter-of-factly, turning him this way and that under the water.

Harry sighed as Severus's hands ran over his body, nearly purring at the constant attention and touching. "I don't know. I've never played one before. Dudley had one but I wasn't allowed to touch it. I thought I would just try Davy's out to see if I liked it or not. He said he has several different kinds of games besides the Quidditch one." He turned around and tipped his face up offering his mouth to Severus. "Can I have a chilidog?"

Severus smiled before he bent down and claimed Harry's mouth in a long, sweet kiss. "A chilidog? Tonight?" he asked as he broke the kiss and picked up the shampoo to wash his husband's hair. "I'm not sure if we have everything we need to create one, but if we do, you may certainly have what you desire."

Harry grinned and nodded. "All right, if we do I want mayonnaise, dill relish, cheese and sauerkraut on it too. I wanted it earlier but we couldn't find it so I had a Reuben sandwich with grape jelly instead."

A look of horror crossed over Severus' face as he shuddered. "And to think, I actually kissed that mouth," he teased as he guided Harry from under the spray and stepped beneath it himself to shower quickly before shutting the water off.

Harry laughed as he ran a hand over Severus's back. "You should have heard some of the things Grant ate while he was pregnant." Smiling, he watched as Severus stepped from the stall, admiring his husband's form then held out his arms to Severus.
"I don't think I wish to know," Severus said as he took a towel from the shelf above the toilet and wrapped it around Harry and then did so for himself with another. "Let's get dressed before we get a chill and I'll bring your bags in whilst you search the kitchen."

Going into the bedroom, Severus paused a moment and looked back at Harry. "You did a very good thing for Grant, thank you."

Harry dried his hair and looked at Severus for a moment as he tried to figure out what his husband was talking about. "Oh, his wand. Severus, it was horrible. He had to have a new one. I hope Damon doesn't stay too angry with him, he really is improving with it."

Shaking his head, Severus sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair of sleep pants. "I think he's more upset at the thought that he'd cheated Grant out of his birthright, whether he knew it or not. Do you understand?" he asked as he handed Harry a warm night shirt. "He feels as though he's failed Grant."

Harry padded back into the loo and hung up their towels then returned, shrugging into the night shirt Severus held out for him. "Yes Sir, I understand. Do you think he'll let Grant keep his wand now that we are home?"

Severus frowned and pulled Harry down to sit on his knee. "Tell me the truth Harry. Do you think he will take it away from Grant?" he asked, needing to know if Harry was in some way afraid or felt threatened by Damon.

Harry shrugged, playing with the hem of his night shirt. "He didn't seem too happy with me and I know what happened was partially my fault. But Grant rarely uses magic here and he seemed so happy using it while we were there even when the spell backfired. I just don't want to see him losing that. I remember what it was like going back to the Dursleys each summer after Hogwarts and I don't want Grant to feel like that."

"You didn't answer my question Harry. Do you think he will take it away?" Severus asked softly as he stroked the younger man's back. "I don't want Grant to feel like an outcast any longer either."

Harry shrugged again. "I don't know. He gave it to him to use while we were in England but Grant never uses his wand while we're here and it's Damon's right to take it away from him now that we are home." He looked up at Severus. "I don't want him to take it away from him. It's not right. Grant should be able to use his magic now that he knows he can."

"Would it make you feel better to know that Damon is looking for a tutor to teach Grant how to use his wand properly?" Severus asked, watching Harry's face closely. "The man isn't an ogre Harry, he's strict, but he only wants the best for Grant. Just as I want only the best for you."

Chastised, Harry nodded. "Yes Sir. It does make me feel better that someone is going to help Grant. I'm sorry I was such a prat about him, Severus. I'd like to spend more time with him and Davy. Jason as well. Can we do that? Will you talk to Gregory and Damon to see if we can have a certain night where we can all have time together?"

Severus pondered the question briefly; he thought it was a good idea for Harry to have friends he could talk to. "I think that is a brilliant idea, Harry, and I shall speak to both of them about it, but you must promise me that you won't over tire yourself," he said gently, hugging Harry to his chest gently.

Harry melted against Severus's chest, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his ear over the steadily beating heart. He inhaled Severus's scent, mingled with their soap and shampoo and sighed. "Can I have a chilidog now and some chocolate?"