The Journey Cycle pt 1: Europe *pt 1 now complete*

Hi all, I'm going to add a few chapters tonight as I'm in imminent danger of losing my Internet connection for a while, due to poverty, and I may not be able to post next week, nor yet for a few more weeks after that, but do not give up. I will get my browser back up and running just as soon as I get paid next, I promise.

So, without further ado, here are the next few chappies.

As always, read, and please please, pretty please review and leave stars etc. I'm having a pretty grotty time at the moment and my writing is truly the only thing keeping me sane right now, so knowing that I have appreciative readers means a lot to me.

Thanks and enjoy. The Squig.

from chap 13

“Sev, take a careful look at this lot, is there anyone you recognise?” Severus looked puzzled, “No, although there’s one woman that reminded me of someone I may have known slightly once”. Harry asked him to point her out. Severus’ frown deepened as he discreetly indicated a small mousy woman of a similar vintage to himself on the edge of the group. Harry pulled them further away from the group on a pretext of examining more closely some of the ruins, “She’s a Death-Eater”, he hissed.


14

“Are you sure?” Severus’ eyes were wide with horror, Harry nodded briefly and took his hand away from his head, his scar was pinkish in the light, “It was my job when I was a Ministry Auror after the War. I was like the canary down a mine. Once Voldemort was killed, I quickly realised that my scar was so tuned to his magic that I could detect Death-Eaters too. It’s how we rounded so many up but as you know, many escaped as ‘Mione explained to us, just like the Nazis after the Second World War. My scar doesn’t hurt like it did in his presence but there’s still some residual magic left over from the true believers and I was used to detect them. Let’s move nearer to the group again”, but before they did so, they undid the daybag they carried and stashed their wands about their persons.

They sidled up to the group when the tour guide called them all together again for the next part of his lecture. Harry dug out the video camera and made idle bits of film like so many of the others and managed a shot of the woman’s face. Severus got a good look at her too, but his memory was still vague as to her identity although he was sure he recognised her. As Harry stepped close to her and her male companion, their rings identifying them as husband and wife, he felt the twinge again. It was the faint look of horror on Severus’ face that gave him pause, “It’s him, not her”, he whispered, “Nott. I’d know him anywhere, though he doesn’t seem to recognise us unless he’s bluffing. Catch a shot of him if you can”, and Harry did, as casually as he could before they lagged behind again although the man caught Severus’ eyes and his own widened slightly at the sight before he shook his head and concentrated on the lecture once more.

“D’you think he recognised you?” Harry asked in an urgent whisper. Severus wasn’t sure. “I’ve got my hair tied back now and I’m tanned so I look a bit different. Let’s speak in Italian or something, throw him off a bit”, and so they did, letting the couple hear them. The man shot them another look and seemed to relax hearing the foreign language spoken as if by two natives. He ignored them for the rest of the tour but they kept a wary eye on him at all times. As they descended the hill, Harry dragged out his mobile and was speed-dialling Ron who still worked as an Auror.

“We’ve located an important one. Sev recognised Nott”, to hear Ron’s surprised gasp at the other end, “Bloody hell, mate, keep away from him. We’ve been looking for that bastard for years. Where are you?” Harry muttered, “We’re in Athens and he’s doing the tourist thing with his missus. We’ll try and follow him when we leave here, see where they’re staying. I’ll ring you again when I have more info, we can’t do the ‘Net thing here at the moment, we have no connection but I have film of them both”, to hear the replied, “Good work, Harry”. They chatted for a bit longer then Harry rang off. He used his phone to shoot more footage of the pair of them ostensibly filming the ruins and sent it with a text message to Ron and Hermione. “The phone isn’t as good a camera as the videcam but we convinced the Spanish with phone footage and the images should be clear enough”, he muttered to his lover and Severus nodded, “Just as well your scar still reacts to them. How do you tell the difference between the true believers and folk like me for example?” Harry grinned, “Some of them are still practicing, casting their dark shit about and for some reason I can still pick up on it, we never really figured out why, but I think I’ve just picked up on one who still considers himself one of the chosen”.

Severus smiled grimly, “Oh, yes, Nott was one of the trusted inner circle in a way I never really was although I was fairly high up in the hierarchy in my day, but after Dumbledore’s death, it became common knowledge that I was a spy as you know and after his demise then my mark faded”. It was only as the day inevitably heated and sleeves were rolled back that the two received a further shock, causing Harry to exclaim beneath his breath, “Shit, he carries two Marks. Voldemort’s and de Santos’. Check out the crossed bones above the Morsmordre on his arm”. Once more he made to film their surroundings but caught a doozie of the man’s left forearm, “He’s quite possibly a link between the two. Bugger, this complicates things a bit”. They decided not to follow for fear of Severus being recognised, so they discreetly left the tour party and headed off down the hill again. Harry was back on his mobile in an instant and raised Hermione, “I’m sending you more film of Nott, he’s affiliated to de Santos’ lot as well as Voldemort’s, he carries both marks”, to a shocked silence from the other end, “Shit, so the groups are related?” from his best mate. “Looks that way”, Harry muttered. He could here her deep sigh, “I can probably hack the local hotels’ databases, see if he’s booked in under his own name. Don’t go anywhere near him, leave this to us, but if you sight him again, let us know, yeah?”. Harry promised to do so and they rang off.

They checked that they weren’t being followed and made their way back to Bessie by a circuitous route taking in a small taverna along the way tucked into a side street at which they enjoyed a wonderful meal but Harry was tense all through it and picked at his food. Once back at the campsite, their neighbours invited them over again but Severus made their excuses for them and they secured the doors and windows before turning in early.

Harry was a tense bundle in Severus’ arms as they settled into their bed until the older man sighed, “you’ll never sleep in this state. Come on, let me relax you”, and he turned Harry to him in his arms and kissed him. Harry was slow to respond, a tight knot of nerves, “Shit, Sev, it never leaves us alone, does it?” Severus lavished more kisses until Harry’s mouth opened to his questing tongue and he made slow and patient love to the love of his life until Harry opened to him fully and let him in, needy and wanting. Severus cast a quick silencing ward around Bessie’s insides and concentrated on making Harry howl aloud with his touches then fucked him long and hard until Harry was a boneless mess beneath him and they both came together, collapsing in a sweaty heap wrapped up in each other and he watched the sexy languid smile spread on his Harry’s face before they both slept whispering their ‘I love you’s into the dark.

It was a tad unfortunate, but this ended their Greek odyssey for now although Harry swore that they would return some day and do it again properly, but the next day, they packed up quickly, said their goodbyes to their neighbours and pulled out of the campsite several days early and made for Piraeus and the ferry to Crete.

Harry was keen to put distance between them and the Death-Eater who had ruined this portion of their travels for them and although this saddened Severus somewhat, he understood and endorsed Harry’s decision, “I can’t relax knowing there’s a friggin’ Death-Eater about”, and Severus assured him that he was making the right decision, “Hush, I understand, love. We’ll come back one day”, and they shared a kiss in the stern of the ferry as it pulled away from the mainland, watching the lights of the city as they disappeared over the horizon.

They stayed that way until the lights of the city had twinkled out of sight. Harry shuddered and Severus placed his arm around his shivering lover’s shoulders, “What is it, Harry? Are you cold?”. Harry nodded and burrowed into Severus’ side. “We booked this so late that I wasn’t able to get us a cabin and we can’t get down on to the car decks or we could take refuge in Bessie but they’re locked for the duration of the journey”. Severus looked thoughtful for a moment, “Let’s at least go inside and get some food or something”.

They moved down a deck and all there was on offer were sandwiches as there was a crisis of some sort in the galleys but they managed a lousy cup of coffee from a vending machine which warmed Harry a bit but not enough to stop his teeth from chattering. “This isn’t just the cold, is it, Harry?” He hung his head, “I think I’m still in shock from the encounter with Nott. It was bloody scary feeling my scar tingle that badly after all these years”. They found their way to one of the bars on board and Severus ordered them both a brandy which Harry walloped back in one. It burned it’s way down and he pulled a face. He pushed his glass back to the barman, “Another, if you please”. The second went down as fast as the first. He sipped the third slowly, his head in one hand. The barman left them after pushing Severus’ change across the bar. He cupped Harry’s face in his hand and lifted his lover’s head. Harry couldn’t meet his eyes and Severus watched Harry’s throat work.

“Harry?”, he whispered, a questioning tone in his voice to see his lover bite his lower lip and breathe in hard trying for control. He stood and pulled Harry up with him, “Come on, let’s get some air”. Harry still wouldn’t meet his eyes, just nodded and allowed himself to be led from the bar and out on deck. It was now fully dark and the air was still but cold. Their breath steamed around them as Severus led them away from the rest of the people towards the bow end. Being discreet, he removed a sweater from their daybag and transfigured it into a warm blanket, sat Harry down on a bench on the observation deck, wrapping it around the man and cast a warming charm beneath it, Harry huddled under it gratefully as Severus put his arms around the shivering form beneath. He could feel the shudders turn to shakes and held on tight as Harry dissolved into tears against his chest and sobbed quietly, Severus stroking his hair and back with long calming sweeps of his hands.

The night wore on and people started to drift indoors as the night cooled still further until they were left alone on the foredeck. A steward approached them, “Is everything all right, sirs?” Severus nodded, “He lost someone back home today. We’ll be fine, he just needs a little privacy. Thank you”. The steward looked uncertain but moved off wishing them goodnight, leaving them to it.

Harry’s sobs quieted to sniffles eventually and he lifted his head onto Severus’ shoulder relishing the calm strength of his lover’s arms around him. “Sorry, Sev. I’m just a bit freaked out. How can his Mark still affect me when yours faded and died with him? I don’t understand”. Severus planted a kiss in Harry’s hair, “I think it may have something to do with intent or something. Nott was one of his inner circle whereas I wasn’t really, or it could be that taking the new Mark reactivated some of the magic in his old Mark. I don’t know, but I didn’t feel a thing”. Harry raised wet eyes then and looked Severus in the face, his eyes questing and wet, “Will I ever be free of that bastard?”, he whispered, and Severus could not but be honest with him, “I don’t know, Harry, I don’t know”.

As the deck was now empty but for themselves, Severus pulled a portion of the blanket aside and wrapped it around himself as well as Harry, coccooning them both in it’s warmth and they sat in silence looking at the stars overhead as Harry got control over his scattered emotions. Severus fished his hanky out of his pocket and tenderly wiped the tears from Harry’s face and Harry smiled up at him waterily, then took it from him blowing his nose before stuffing it in his jeans pocket, “Thanks, love”, and they lapsed back into silence, Harry’s head resting on a broad shoulder as his breathing normalised.

Severus looked down again as Harry’s head shifted to feel a hand snake behind his neck and the slight tug as Harry pulled him down and kissed him, his lips parting and his tongue seeking and finding his lover’s and they kissed with such slow passion and gradual abandon fitted together so naturally and Severus mentally thanked every deity in existence for this beautiful man in his arms and returned the kisses with equal fervour that left them both gasping for air. The older man lifted Harry’s face to his again and resumed their kisses. One of them moaned and both felt it and he felt Harry smile then around the tongue exploring the inner depths of his mouth before he felt himself gently pressed down onto the bench and eleven and a half stone of horny Harry rolled half on top of him as the kiss became more urgent and a wanting hardness was pressing into his belly.

“Not here, Harry. I want to show you something”, he murmured. They unwound from each other and Severus stood and held a hand down to Harry who took it and rose. Severus led them down off the observation deck and down to the main deck and led them for’ard, right into the point of the bow, Harry still under his blanket. Harry followed meekly.

“I know I detested that film, but I want you to feel something bigger than us”, he said softly. “Climb up onto the rail, don’t worry, I’ve got you”, as he placed an arm around Harry’s waist. Harry laughed aloud as he discerned Severus’ intention and did as he was bid. They were as far forward as it was possible to go and there was only the rail between them and the sea below them. On three sides there was nothing but the water, black and dull as far as the eye could see as they were now well out of sight of land in all directions and Harry laughed as he climbed onto the lower rung of the rail and spread out his arms slowly dropping the blanket to the deck with just Severus’ hands on his hips holding him to terra firma and Harry could feel the rush of wind in his hair and the slow throb of the engines beneath his feet and found himself whooping for joy.

“You old romantic, Sev, and I love you for it. It doesn’t matter, does it?”, he exclaimed, “Evil may come and go but the real stuff will always be here. The sea is bigger than all of us and could swallow us in a single gulp and not notice a thing”. He noticed as the hands left their purchase and he glanced to the side to see Severus climb up beside him and he grinned widely as Severus threw an arm around his shoulders with nothing separating them from the sea except a single bar of the rail pressing just above the knees of them both and both shouted into the onrush of the sea beneath them.

Harry eventually climbed down and helped Severus to the deck then flung his arms around his lover’s neck and kissed him joyfully and thoroughly, twisting one hand into the thick black fall of Severus’ hair, the other in the small of Severus’ back pulling them closer, his lover holding him as close as he could as the kisses intensified.

They pulled slightly apart until Harry could gaze into those night-sea black eyes with the reflected lights of the lower decks dancing in them, “I love you so much, Sev, and I needed that, thanks”. Severus purred, “Pick up the blanket and hold it round us, love”. Harry bent and plucked it from the deck with both hands and wrapped it around them as they pressed close together, his arms over Severus’ shoulders joined behind his lover’s head, then Severus kissed him again, his arms around Harry’s waist, pulling him hard against him as their bodies responded to the intimacy and they ground discreetly together, “Want you, Sev”, Harry murmured as he felt his lover’s want against his own. Severus growled as their mouths locked together again, then insinuated a hand between them and undid them both and slid cloth down over both of their hips until their naked cocks touched and he felt Harry’s gasp in his mouth as the grind grew more urgent then wrapped them both with one hand and started to pull on them both, twisting and tugging up and down, their hips twitching into each other’s as their lips stayed locked together, both thrusting into Severus’ warm hand as the kisses became urgent, moans escaping them both until with a single hard move, Severus felt Harry erupt over his hand and cock and with a stifled cry his own emission covered them both and he brought them down with gentling strokes, the huffed breaths of Harry’s soft laughter against his neck, his own against Harry’s ear which he licked before they found each other’s mouths again in a soft languid kiss devoid of all urgency now. Severus whipped out his wand and silently cleaned them off then restored decorum fastening them both up before they hugged each other tight, leaning, to support wobbly legs, into the railing.

“I don’t think I’ve come that quickly since I was eighteen”, Harry giggled as they collapsed onto the deck leaning on one of the bollards, “Me either”, the dark soft chuckle in his ear. They shared a grin as Severus wrapped them both in the soft warmth of the blanket and laid a strong warming charm beneath it and felt Harry’s head droop onto his shoulder, his breath even out and knew that his love slept in his arms and felt nothing but pure joy as he watched the night fade and the dawn rise in all of her splendour before them, his love in his arms and the land coming nearer and nearer. This was travelling. This was truly living. And Severus had never felt so alive in his life and he owed all of this to the man in his arms.