The Journey Cycle: pt 3: Australia *pt 3 complete*

Hi all,

Just 1 chapter this week but we are nearing the end of book 3. A nice interlude and the meeting of friends.

Stepmnstr - your comments cheer me mightily, hon. Thank you.

And thanks also to those who left stars. So, without further ado - here we go!

Enjoy!

The Squig xxxx

14

They ended up worrying various folk the next day when they didn’t appear for breakfast but when the ‘girls’ called for them they appeared ready and smiling, ready to face the day...as long as they weren’t too far from each other. Since the tragedy they were once again experiencing proximity problems although the others in the know thought that their closeness was because of the recent events. The only one wise to what was really going on was Hermione, who realised that the lack of a bond-pregnancy would set them back to a previous phase in the process. At least this time, Severus seemed to mind the enforced closeness less and Harry was absolutely lapping it up, the fact that his husband had to touch him all the time.

They decided to take the car. Harry had declared that they all should see the place as they had but to go glamoured if they felt the need to and related Julia’s tale of having her name recognised, “They’re a modern lot here, it isn’t the least bit like Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade but they still know their history. When we took the glamours off for the doc, she recognised us immediately, so take care”. The more well known to the magical world took heed and they were a very different looking bunch that emerged at the parking spot that Hermione fortuitously found. Even Sammy went glamoured, as did everyone else save Minerva, Jed and Oliver. Kingsley, instead of being bald, now had dreadlocks to his knees.

There was a party atmosphere amongst them all as they stepped through the invisi-glass and into the first street. The gasps alone from the others was worth it to Harry and Severus, who grinned at each other as they watched the reactions. He waited a moment, then Harry said, “What did I tell you? Amazing, isn’t it? And not a bit like home”

Jed and Sammy high-fived, “So this is our nearest significant magical zone eh? Fuckin’ bonza. It’s great, loads cleaner and newer than London. Fuckin’ A”, Sammy opined and there was none that would disagree, save maybe Minerva, who always had had a respect for the old days and candle-lit shops. Everyone else was deeply impressed. Severus told them all the tale of Julia and her wand, casting the young witch in the best light, “Can you believe it? She had been practising her wand flicks with drumsticks? The girl is a natural, although not strong, another joy to teach, or will be one day”.

Harry told of her reaction outside the shop, “You know, we need to reach out to the Julias as well as the Sammys and the Jeds, those that the system missed”. Hermione grinned, “Yup, the travelling academy. We could really do this, you know”. Harry took a moment to regard his best friend closely. She was so lonely, and so up-for-it. Ginny and she would not last. She was still a cock-hound, or should that be cock-bitch? He knew how she felt, she needed adventure. Her marriage was definitely over, she wasn’t over the hill yet and she wanted some damn fun; she’d make a fine teacher in the floating academy. He had a feeling that Severus would want to take on the teaching of Jed Copeland, so a return to New Zealand was definitely on the cards. He felt warm inside all of a sudden, there was a future for them; a nomadic future, although he still nurtured a desire for a house somewhere in the dramatic country that was the South Island.

“Yeah”, he replied, lazily, “I think this might work. Julia said she hasn’t got the time to be taught seriously for a couple of years but then she’s got George in the meantime, maybe we can head back there and teach her in the future”. Hermione nodded, licking her lips nervously as she glanced at Harry’s husband. Harry continued, noting the gesture, “You’d love the house”. She snapped her attention back to him, “Oh, the pictures Severus sent back were amazing. A glass box in that gloomy woodland, from some angles, you’re barely aware of a house there, just floating possessions, the instruments against that glass wall in the music zone look great when viewed closer up. I made it into my screen-saver at home. It’s a great picture”.

They started to wander down the street slowly, taking in the number of side streets. The place was the size of a town, much larger than magical London and they boggled at the sight, even Minerva was impressed. The newcomers quickly noticed the variations in dress and the sheer cosmopolitan atmosphere prevailing. They wandered apart, taking it all in.

Harry was pulled two ways. He wanted to check out the Quidditch Emporium with Ron and Oliver but his imperative need to stay in proximity to his husband was making him itchy. Severus mind-murmured, {Keep in touch this way and see if it works}. Harry grinned at him, their little and ring fingers tangled for a brief moment and they parted, keeping their channels open in their minds.

Severus led Jed to the potions shop, the two of them eagerly conversing. Sammy wasn’t so keen, so joined up with Kingsley and the others as they wandered randomly, getting a feel for the whole place before thinking of shopping. Before they knew it, it was time for lunch and the party slowly came back together in the prearranged place, the quaint little inn known as the Snapped Wand which had quite a reputation for good grub.

The bondees collapsed together on a bench, pressing their sides up close for the comfort that the contact brought, however meagre, until they couldn’t stand it, Harry cast a quick charm and they were in each other’s arms, kissing for Britain. The charm was dissipated as the others started to arrive and several small tables were quickly levitated together to accommodate the party.

Jed came in breathless, “Severus, why did you disappear so quickly?” Severus bowed his head, “Sorry, Jed. I’ll try and explain, if Harry will permit me”. Harry nodded before pecking Severus on the cheek. “Harry and I have a bond. A special kind of joining between two magicals that was probably triggered by our marriage. There are certain criteria we have to fulfil before the real bond takes effect which I really don’t want to discuss here, but suffice it to say, as the bond grows between us, then we need to remain close to each other. Separation for too long a time causes us actual pain. As a matter of fact, the bond activated on your lawn the day Sammy’s mother came to visit after we had returned from Auckland. Anyway, that’s why I vanished so precipitately, I simply needed to get back to Harry”.

“So your closeness is just some magical process playing itself out?”, Sammy was curious. Harry shrugged, “The dependency thing is a bit, but the closeness isn’t. That’s us. If that makes any sense”. Sammy laughed, “Get lost! We saw what you were like at the rally, all over each other, if that isn’t the real thing then I’d love to see what is. Anyway, I hope this works out, whatever it entails. Good luck with it, both of you. What will happen anyhow?”

Severus smiled as their drinks arrived and Jed sat back down, “Well, our magical abilities should increase and the ways that we perform magic may change, not to mention that we will be able to perform joined magic, combined spells and so on and....”, {Shall we tell them?}. Harry grinned, {Why not}.

They looked up to see Jed regarding them with a frown, “What just went on there?”. Harry smiled at them both, “We are also telepaths. We can’t ‘read’ each other’s minds, that’s a whole other order of magic, but we can converse that way. A bond of this nature is granted to very few and there are conditions attached”.

Jed was fascinated, “Is it like the labours of Hercules? That kind of thing? Are you set certain tests?” Severus laughed, delighted at such an eager student until Harry had to remind him gently that they still weren’t sure of his allegiances. He sobered and nodded once, “In a way, but there are certain things we have to do to elevate our magic to these levels. I do not wish to divulge them at this time, but it is enough to say that we tried once and failed, so if we seem a little glum and out of things, then that is why. Forgive me for being a tad cagey with details”, he shut up and slipped his arm around Harry’s shoulders.

The others drifted in, delighted with various finds and carrying bulging bagsful of booty, even shrunk. The party was merry over the dinner table with them all agreeing to stay a night in the locale and sample some of the after-dark activity. Even Minerva saw a poster for a trad jazz wizarding band playing that night whom she hadn’t seen for years, presuming them to have broken up years before. She was all in favour of them staying over, “Just make sure someone pours me into bed later and I’ll be fine. A wee bottle of your potion mightn’t be a bad idea either, Severus, if ye have some about ye”.

Severus chuckled, “For you, Minnie, anything. Well, almost anything. Yes, I have secreted a supply with me. I rather suspected that this would happen, it did last time we were here, but that time was because our pilot had flown his maximum mileage for the day, so we all had to stay the night. We had a delightful time. I had plentiful supplies with me that time too. It even worked on young Jonathon”.

“Our pilot? You mean you have flown in a private plane?” Severus grinned at the interest she showed. “Indeed, yes. You remember the young Australians who turned up rather late to the reception? Well, Harry and I made friends with them in Crete, while the gang of us were out there that Christmas. Well, it turns out that they are somewhat famous people living in virtual seclusion and being ferried about in helicopters and private planes. By the way, helicopters are great fun once they are in the air but the take-off and landing are not much fun, the view is superb, however, as you are much closer to the ground than in a plane”.

Minerva raised her brows, “Mercy, Severus, you have been having adventures, haven’t you?” Severus smiled, “Indeed I have, Minnie. Adventures I never thought I would ever have in my wildest dreams. From two respectable ancient American ladies feeding us strong spirits and discussing Roman and Greek history to Austrian students sharing their gloppy disgusting stew that tasted great because we were outside and hungry; discovering that my husband is an accomplished guitarist, holding Harry while he slept, watching the dawn come up as we arrived in Crete from the bow of the ferry, our home in the bowels of the boat”, his voice went soft as he finished.

Her tone was gentle but she had to ask, “Will you and Harry complete the bond?” Severus gave her his best death glare, “Of course. I told you that we will, and if my age is not against me here, then I fully intend to do my share in this”. His voice had risen as he had spoken and Harry was attentive immediately, {Calm down, love of my life, she always likes to bait you}, but Severus’ outburst had caught the others’ ears.

They all watched the interplay between the two ex-colleagues for a moment but when nothing happened they went back to their meal and their conversations, although Jed was curious. He had a feeling that this bond thing was being discussed and he was fascinated, as his curious mind was about most things. There was no more discussion for now so he watched the bondees instead, saw how they tried to maintain decorum in the face of a mounting need to just connect in some way. He wasn’t quite sure how he knew this but he did, and grinned at them as he saw through the charm Severus cast behind which he kissed Harry deeply. It was when Harry waved his own hand that the pair disappeared from view for a moment and Jed smiled at the disparity in the couples’ magic, not unlike him and Sammy in a way, although it was doubtful that either of them would come close to Harry and Severus’ magic levels. He lowered his eyes to his own lap as the charm was lifted and the two joined in the conversation as if they hadn’t been away.

Jed found his arm surreptitiously sneaking around Sammy’s waist, he may have a bit of a crush on the dark man, but he was taken, and he was rather loving this exciting new wrinkle in his life with his soon-to-be husband. As he continued to look down, he brought to mind the thoughts that had been plaguing him for quite a while since he and Ron had had that conversation, about going to the Lodge here in Perth to find out about a man that they, as the equivalent of a magical police force, sought, for crimes against humanity.

He was torn. He had climbed through the ranks to his current position, not by being an arse-licker as many such branches of the Masons were, he believed, but by being good at what he did. He believed in the laws and the ritual and, most of all, the secrecy, the reasons that the secrets weren’t passed down to all and sundry. There was a reason why only the purified in mind and thought could be the recipient of such, and now where was he? A wizard. A lowly one, but a wizard all the same and supposedly antithetical to his own Lodge.

The thought of facing them in his current position had actually given him sleepless nights. He just wanted to run away and carry on being a wizard, but then there was this new problem. Apparently his very own Brotherhood was being infiltrated by evil wizards in the Dark side, obviously preferring the more esoteric branch of the Craft to hide behind. This thought frightened Jed no end, but he knew that to uproot this evil, he had to get back there and help his Lodge root it out and depose de Santos from the top position. He was the head of one of the most advanced chapters of his Lodge in the world. Did the others but know it. His voice wasn’t law, exactly, but it was bloody listened to. With a regretful sigh, Jed knew he would eventually give up the Brotherhood to which he had devoted a goodly portion of his life. The affect on his professional life and Sammy’s would probably be dire, not to mention the persecution for being long-hairs and queer. The Masons had protected them from so much, the choice would be hard.

Sammy sensed the distress in his lover and turned to him, slipping his arm around Jed’s shoulders, “You all right, darlin’?” he whispered. Jed shook his head, “I’m freakin’ out a bit about that talk with Ron. He told me that at first Severus was supposed to go in and torture the guy, then I have to go and be reasonable to him. It’s too weird” Sammy shrugged, “It’s probably a better way to extract info than straight out torture when you think about it. Let’s face it, you’re an insider here and are much better positioned to get that type of info without even arousing suspicion, we could say we’re here because of the suspicions that Rick and Malcolm are having, talk to other members of the Lodge, see what they think. This way no-one gets hurt and none of our real secrets is given away. I doubt very much that the magicals are after the lost secrets of freemasonry, they just want to root out the baddies hiding in our ranks. Truth to tell, so do I, they don’t sound like nice guys at all, and the suspicion is, that they’ve been hiding this way for some time. Did you make any progress yet on identifying this guy’s tie-pin as Harry described it to you?”

Jed pulled Sammy closer, “Actually, no. Either Harry was mistaken in identifying the thing or”, he paused significantly, “Or, this guy is the head of the Lodge, or it’s a total fake and he isn’t a Brother after all, and the pin is a vanity piece, though from the talk going around, I rather suspect not”, the whisper finished on a sigh.

Sammy smiled and tightened his arm for the briefest moment around Jed, “No worries, matey, you’re no fuckin’ slouch exactly. If this guy is the head of the Lodge, then you’ve never heard him use this name before, yeah?” Jed nodded, keeping his eyes on Sammy’s, “So, hang on, this guy is using his real name for his job in Outbacksville, so it would follow that he isn’t going to use an alias in the Lodge either, so, ergo, he can’t be the head here, d’you get me?”

Jed’s face broke into a smile, “Nice one, lover, so what’s the deal with the badge? From what Harry said, the colours are wrong for any of the levels, certainly the ones I know, but maybe the different Lodges have different insignia, though I was never aware of it, even at the conferences”. Sammy chewed his lip, “Maybe not for the regular members, but the other functionaries, the sergeant-at-arms for example, a good role, yes, for a copper, especially not too high up the ranks”.

The darker man grinned then, “I knew I loved you for more than your gorgeous body. If he is the sergeant then he’d know a lot about the comings and goings. In many ways, he’s best placed in the whole Lodge as he makes all the arrangements for visitors and the like, a very trusted member of the Lodge and much relied upon for the smooth running of the place. Not a very esoteric role but perfect politically. If I do try and drill him, if all this is the case, then I’ll have to take care here, but my possibly superior rank should carry some weight, though I’ll have to think carefully how I approach him, it wouldn’t do to be all buddy-buddy with him, would it?”.

Sammy shrugged, “I dunno, making friends with the backroom staff was always a ploy of mine, whether in the school dining hall, to get the extra pie, or the janitors at work who would trust you with keys, it never hurts to befriend the lowlier folk”. Jed smiled at Sammy’s canniness. The blond paused a moment then continued, a faraway look in his eye, “You know, I wouldn’t pull rank on him at all, just come at this as two highly placed visitors away from home, give him the ‘shake, let him help us out, give us advice, but we may have to stay over here a bit longer than the weekend for this to work”.

“Nah, you go back, love, otherwise what’ll we do with our tutors? Remember the meter is still ticking for them”, Jed replied, soberly. Sammy rolled his eyes, “Behave, you daft sod, Kingsley and Minerva want to see an end to this as well, I’m sure they can entertain themselves either here or at home for a few days on half pay. Think of it as holiday or something. We may need to involve the others anyway, even before they take over the interrogating or arrest or whatever”.

Despite the seriousness of this, Jed felt his heart lighten at Sammy’s words. In truth he had been terrified of approaching such a powerful magical, but to do this as a mason, well, that he could handle, certainly for now.

Over lunch, Sammy felt out their teachers cautiously as to staying on a few more days, “We couldn’t pay you full salary but....”, he was silenced by a hand on his arm, Kingsley’s. “Don’t worry, my friend, we know what it is that the others are asking of you and we appreciate your efforts. This will be a fine place to stay in, in fact, I intend to take a room here in the middle of it all for the duration. The all-staying-together thing wears thin after a while, forgive me, but a few days doing my own thing here would be great fun, if you need me, I have my cell”.

Minerva, on the other hand, expressed a desire to return to New Zealand after the weekend was over, “I can take care of the dog for you. I like it here, but the pace is a bit brisk and modern for my tastes. To be fair, I also feel a bit of a liability out here, I’m too damned old to help in this situation and I’d rather be out of it if no-one minds. I shall have a peaceful few days to myself with my books and the hound and the swimming pool, perhaps do a little work in your garden. Do not concern yourselves with paying a salary over this period, you just get done what needs to be, safe in the knowledge that your house is being cared for in your absence, it’s the least I can do”.

Sammy impulsively threw his arms around her after tearing himself from his lover and hugged her tight, he really liked this irascible old lady and her many tales of the school he should have attended. He sighed when he realised she would have more than likely been his House Mistress and could imagine her cheering him on the Quidditch pitch. He was already proving himself to be a more than adequate flyer. In fact, that very afternoon, Ron, Oliver, himself and Jed, Harry, too, if he wanted to, were heading to the quidditch field that the shopkeeper had told them was on the edge of the area, not far from the wizarding bus and flight fields.

Harry had to cry off for now, though he itched to go, having not flown for ages, but he had to shrug, “Maybe later, guys. Sev and I have to see the doc this afternoon, that’s why we’re not indulging”, he pointed at his and his husband’s soft drinks amidst the butterbeers an other beverages scattering the table amidst the now empty plates. The others all murmured their rejoinders of regret and finished their drinks, the bill was sorted out and they all stood to split up.

The three women were touring the place again, taking in some shopping before dropping Minerva in to a hotel to book a room for a nap and the night. There were four for flying and Kingsley sloped off on his own, a smile quirking one side of his face as he bid his companions adieu, “Call me if you need me, okay?”, he held Severus tight before releasing his old friend. Severus grinned at him and nodded, “Go get ‘em, Kings. Have some fun, and we’ll call you if we need to, otherwise enjoy the break”. Kingsley pulled away and grabbed Harry for a hug, “You two are truly awesome, are you bonded perhaps?, I sense an atmosphere all around you that others know of and I am not privy to. I am an ex-Auror myself, and hardly stupid, I can ‘read’ after all”, he murmured to laughter from Severus, who had heard the comments.

Severus stepped up and took Harry back gently from his friend’s embrace, {So, love?} was his mental comment to Harry. Who shrugged lightly, {Why not, he’s been on our side forever, tell him}, Harry replied, and Severus smiled slightly, gazing into Harry’s eyes, threatening to become lost, until Harry nudged him slightly, {Er, you were gonna tell Kingy, love}. Severus had to shake himself slightly, “Sorry, got a bit lost there”, and turned to Kingsley, “Yes, in answer to your question. Harry and I are bonded soul-mates. The first attempt to complete it failed on both sides and we will complete it, both of us, when the time is right. More than that, I don’t feel right talking about at this stage. I hope you will understand”. The speech came out in a bit of a rush and Kingsley chuckled as he heard it, “Whoa, still very fresh then? How did you manage to keep your hands off each other all those years when you were all four of you friends?”

The two exchanged glances and Harry swallowed, “Erm, we didn’t entirely”, and left it at that. Kingsley’s eyes widened, “Um, wow”, he coughed, “Perhaps I don’t need to know any more except that you four seemed exceptionally strong....as couples....I never sensed that any of you were betraying each other and my ‘reading’ skills can usually pick that up, in fact, you all seemed like really good friends”.

Harry glanced at Severus again, who was smirking for Britain, {Tell him, I dare you}, he purred into Harry’s head. Harry’s eyes widened then he turned back to Kingsley, “Actually, you’re right, we weren’t unfaithful in the strictest sense of the word, but all four of us were boffing each other like there was no tomorrow. You know? All together? So, if Remus was fucking Draco, then Sev and I got to watch”.

The normally unflappable Auror nearly choked on his drink. Harry could feel Severus’ laughter in his mind, {You’re an evil git}, he murmured back. He felt Severus’ reply, {Evil? Moi? You could have delivered that a bit less....graphically}. Harry just snorted inwardly, {Ah, behave, Kingsley can take it}, but the black man was sporting a deep rose tint beneath his dark skin, “I dunno that I needed to know that much”, he muttered, to the others’ evident amusement.

Harry laughed, ebullient, “We behaved ourselves the rest of the time though. When we ‘shared’, it was either all of us or none of us”. Kingsley was....impressed, though he couldn’t have quite said why. He had been a faithful man himself all through his marriage, his Jessamyn being all he either needed or wanted. He missed her still but these two had moved on after the death of their loved ones. So the arrangement between them had been a little unorthodox.

He sighed as he regarded them from depthless dark eyes. He wanted that again, if he could. A love that was all-consuming. And four who shared.....another straight couple....friends....how liberated even though the four had all been men.....he thought long and hard on this. What a lovely arrangement, and they still remained in their couples afterwards and between. Lucky bastards, no complications, no secret trysts, just a bit of spice and variety when required to stop everything becoming dull; sounded good to him, though he wondered lazily how they would manage without the extra spice now they were committed to each other. He watched idly as their arms went around each other as discreetly as they could, Severus leaning in to Harry to kiss his neck, the reaction from the younger man, and knew. The signs of love and sexual satiation were so similar and he grinned inwardly to see his old friend and sparring partner, Severus Snape, so happy.

The party broke up shortly afterwards and everyone split up to go their separate ways and Harry and Severus, glancing at each other nervously, made their way to the hospital for their check-up.

Alone finally in the lift. Harry flourished his wand and paused it between floors before launching himself at Severus who welcomed him in as if they had been apart for a long time. They held on and kissed, long, slow, and deep. The kiss became erotic in no time but Severus held back, “No, I think we need to tell her about the....severity of our symptoms, the difficulty we have staying apart etcetera”. Harry had his own ideas about the reasons for their enforced closeness and knew there probably wasn’t a whole lot either of them could do about it.

Eventually they started the lift again and carried on to Doctor Mbolekwa’s floor, tipping out red-faced into the reception area a full five minutes before their appointment time. They were glamoured and sat, picking idly through magazines until their aliases were called and they made their way once again through the magical partition that demarcated Dr Mbolekwa’s suite. Harry undid their glamours and they kissed again as they paused before the door to the medical suite.

The doctor greeted them with a wide smile at the look of trepidation that they both wore, “Don’t worry, I just need to dowse you again for possible infection, today’s visit should not be traumatic”.

Harry blurted, “Just how much do you know about bonds? For example, why can’t Sev and I bear to be apart? And why has it become worse since the ‘tragedy’?” Severus glanced at Harry; saw the expression on his face and threw his arms around him, to hear a quiet mental sigh of satisfaction across the bond.

She paced about before them, stopping every now and again as if she was about to speak, but stopped herself, turning on a heel instead and continuing with her restless pacing.

Eventually she stopped and faced them. “I have never seen magic such as yours before and your test results were nothing short of amazing. If you are amenable to blood bonds, then I will be happy to do one before I tell you the next bit...”.

Their eyes widened and their stares were intent on her. Harry disentangled an arm from Severus and held his hand out, {I have done so many of these. If they go wrong on me in the future then I am truly buggered}. Severus drily remarked, {Well, you do rather toss them out like sweeties to a horde of children. Luckily, none of those that you make these bonds with have a chance of besting you}. Harry’s mind rolled it’s eyes, {Actually I think this one could, but I still have to do it anyway. It ensures my safety}. Severus sighed at the inevitability of it all. Not to mention that he wanted to know the information she held. He sighed and held out his hand. She took a sterile scalpel from the tray in the room and they quickly did the necessaries.

She took a deep breath and stilled her pacing, turning to her patients/clients. “You are the two most powerful wizards I have ever examined and I am deeply sorry that your pregnancies did not work out. This does not mean, however, that this will not be possible in the future. You can both carry again, if all the signs are right. As to your not being able to be apart, why, this is a normal part of the bonding process, expressing itself a little more strongly, perhaps, in wizards of your calibre, but entirely normal. Do you have jobs that you must return to? If so, then there’s a potion I can give you”.

Severus’ eyes shot skywards. She continued, “There’s a chap in Melbourne that I work closely with. A master of his art, much as I believe you are, Severus?”, her tone was light and bantering. He grumped at her, “Aye, we were there, but having to glamour ourselves every time we visit the magical area of any city or town, we can never reveal ourselves to anyone magical save those willing to eventually blood-bond with us. You must know that our fame, or perhaps, notoriety, always precedes us. I really wanted to get to know the man, I had heard of his brilliance....and I could not....I could not”, he ended, his words soft. Harry had known what it had cost his husband to do this for his sake really and he flung his arms round him. {Sorry, babe}. Severus wrapped his arms around Harry, {Nothing to be sorry for, idiot. I will write to him eventually. I hate the fact that the three masters in the world are virtually unknown to each other due to the factionalisation of the wizarding world}.

She noted the wordless conversation and sighed. Most bondees only got this ability just after their first child was born, never this soon. She was pretty sure that what she had seen was the two of them conversing telepathically. Merlin! These two were strong. She gently asked Harry to straighten his limbs so she could dowse him. Watching as he relaxed into his husband’s arms, she charged her hands again and Harry laughed nervously as the wand passed over him several times. “This has always tickled. Sorry”.

She was genuinely sorry for them trying to stay stoic in the face of their recent disaster, but their closeness was genuine. They constantly touched and shared the glances of the newly bonded and obviously had high enough sex drives to complete the bond which Severus seemed keen to do also. She grinned at the thought of a pregnant Severus Snape. No, Potter-Snape, he was a married man now and she had to bat away any mental images that she had built up over the years of the man and behave professionally towards him and his husband.

She left them sprawled on the large bed together, “You’ll be able to resume penetrative sex straight away, not when I originally stated, as your magic is so much stronger and you have healed well”, she smiled as she completed her dowse and went to turn away. She raised her hand and caught something wordlessly as it flew to her. She handed it to Severus. “Suppositories, especially designed to heal you quicker, but can only be administered one way”, she winked as she left for the day. “You’ll be right in an hour or so, just laze about and enjoy the time together with no distractions, I’ll leave instructions at the front desk, also a prescription for your first two months’ contraceptives. No doubt, Severus, you will be more than capable of brewing this yourself, in future times. You are both well and healing fast”. What she didn’t tell them was the recipe for another preparation that she had left: one that required hair and bodily fluids from both of them in the making and would help with their proximity problems. She just teased them, “There’s something that will help you be able to be further apart for longer, but you need to make it yourselves. It shouldn’t take above a couple of hours. Farewell for now, and I hope we meet again under more favourable circumstances”, she gave them a cheeky backwards wave as she exited.

They both called out, “How? Tell us?” Harry slumped down, “Perhaps we already know, you know”. Severus tightened his hold enough to hear Harry moan beneath him. {Never mind, she has left us here in this big-enough bed with these things that will ease the way until we can do it ourselves again, so long as we swallow the contraceptive as well?” Severus shrugged and tipped a couple of drops under his tongue. Harry snatched the bottle, “Me too”, he muttered as the drops mixed with his saliva and dripped down, leaving a burning in their wake.

He raised his head and looked into the face of his lover and saw an echo of his own mood there. {We both need a fuck, don’t we?} Harry cast out into mindspace. Severus answered by clutching him close and mining his mouth with his tongue whilst undressing him layer by layer with his wand. Harry arched high under his questing tongue and hands. Three days without a fuck had driven them mad even while they had been able to suck and tug each other to orgasm.

Now they were given permission to fuck again. And, in the large bed in which they found themselves, they gave in to the feeling. Harry pointed his hand at the door and murmured the strongest locking charms he knew, along with blanketing the room in complete silence. Severus pressed them together feeling Harry’s awesome magic just beyond his reach..

He licked his lips as the last item of clothing dissolved from Harry’s body, leaving him naked but for his sandals. Harry was arching towards him and Severus pushed in one of the suppositories into Harry’s arse spreading before the assault of fingers, gel and tongue. In seconds, Harry was ready. Lying on his back, wearing nothing but a smile and a cock ring. {Want to fuck you, too}, he purred barely before Severus entered his spelled-wide arse and wasn’t kind or delicate, fucking Harry into the mattress. Harry managed a climax of sorts but couldn’t come when Severus did, pressing him into the bed’s pillows as he did so.

As Severus collapsed over him, Harry adroitly reversed their positions and was soon plumbing the depths of his beloved, slowly, gently, waiting until he was hard again before truly having him, snapping his hips as he thrust in and out, reaching around to the thickness he knew he would find, wanking Severus’ heavy cock as he fucked him. Severus, his cock still delicate, moaned and Harry let up a little, wanking his beloved gently, then used the softest touches to take him over the edge before he barrelled over the precipice himself, shouting out loud.

{That’s the first time I’ve felt really...complete...in days}, Harry’s mind murmured as he burrowed into his husband’s arms. Severus laughed softly, {Me too} and tightened his hold around the sweat-sticky man in his arms, kissing any part of Harry he could reach before they both lay still, letting the sweat dry on them and drifting off for a short nap.

They emerged, glowing, after a shower. Re-glamoured, they picked up their various prescriptions from the front desk and headed back out to meet up with the others at the quidditch grounds. Emboldened by the sight of two younger men wandering before them with their arms around each other, Harry snuck an arm around Severus’ waist as they strolled. Severus looked down and Harry smirked and shrugged, {Well, those two are doing it, so why not, I say?} The older man smiled and threw his own arm around Harry’s shoulders. {You’re right, we can’t let them have it all their own way, can we? We can be as much of ourselves as possible. We can be queer but we can’t be us. The world is a strange place indeed}, he planted a light kiss in Harry’s hair as they walked.

Thus it was that Ron and his sister spotted them and came zooming down to them, “Whoah, being very ‘out’ aren’t we?”, Ginny remarked archly. Harry smirked again, “Well, why not? This place seems pretty tolerant, by and large. I just wish we could all be or real selves here, not have to wear glamours all the time”, he sighed forlornly, “I’m realer to muggles than I can be with my own kind. It’s damned depressing actually”. The two landed for a moment.

“Come on, Harry, come up in the air with us all, that should cheer you up a bit. Did your appointment with the doc go okay?” Harry nodded, “Yep, she says we’re okay and she’s given us a potion that should help with the dependency thing a bit”. Severus leaned in, “So why don’t you test it? Have a fly with the others for a while and see if it works. I’ll stay here and watch. I have a paper with me if I get tired of watching”. Ron grinned at this exchange, “Come on over to where we’ve established base camp then, and, Severus. Would you mind watching our stuff for us?” The man rolled his eyes but smiled, “No, of course not. Lead on”.

They wandered around the stands with the others hovering before them until they saw the rest of the party. Hermione and Minerva were still off shopping but the rest were there, well, Sammy was guarding their property while his lover and Oliver were in the air, Sammy watching every move Jed made on his broom. Harry’s eyes followed Sammy’s and he could quite understand Sammy’s concern. This was one of the areas where Jed was obviously weak, he was wobbling around quite a lot on his broom and everyone could see the whiteness of his knuckles as he hung on for dear life trying to keep up with Ollie, but he was game all the same and the grim set of his jaw gave away his determination.

Ginny hopped off her broom and handed it to Harry, “I’ll stay here and natter to your hubby for a while, you go on and take this crate up. It’s one of the hired brooms and it’s a bit wonky but it works okay, just be careful on deep right-handers as it has a tendency to tip a bit and you can’t do those steeply banked turns that you usually do, so be warned”. He kissed Severus deeply then hopped on, kicking off and following Ron and Sammy into the sky.

Ginny slumped down onto the bench fishing out a couple of cans of juice that she had spelled cold and handed one to Severus who accepted with a smile, “You really don’t have to keep me company, you know, I can manage quite adequately alone, I have a newspaper here to entertain me”. She smirked, “Idiot. I wanted to talk to you. I want to know how you two are really faring, only neither of you has looked happy since we’ve been here”.

Severus turned to the woman who had become a real friend to him over the years, more so than her girlfriend. He considered a moment, “Actually, I think that we will do better now that we have this potion to take that will help with the dependency thing. Apparently it’s stronger in us because our magic is strong and the bond is frantically trying to complete itself, despite the fact that our physical bodies are just not ready. If you want the truth then I am glad I have a little time to adjust to the idea although I initially felt bereft when I miscarried. I know Harry was devastated at the choice he had to make but he would have miscarried eventually anyway”.

She glanced at him, “Aye, we could see that. How’s he holding up?” Severus sighed and sat back, letting his head drop back and his eyes close, “He seems to be getting over it, but you know Harry, the carrier of the world’s burdens on those shoulders of his. He really wants this too, the whole thing of having children. We discussed it around the time we got married. I told him I wasn’t keen then, and I think that still bothers him. In truth, I don’t know what I feel about fatherhood yet. I never imagined it would happen to me so it’s taking a little getting used to. I want to now, though, be a father that is, and that I didn’t see coming. When I was still carrying I knew a joy so deep.....Oh, I’m not sure if it’s even real now or if I’m just imagining things”.

He heard the chuckle at his side, “Oh, that sounds very real to me. I had no intention of having kids as fast as I did when I got married to Justin but it happened quite out of the blue. He had already started to behave violently towards me and I was devastated to find myself pregnant, but once I was, I felt like a she-wolf, I felt I could and would move mountains to protect the child within me. It has to be said that the times I was pregnant were the only ones when Justin left me alone. I knew there were other women, he even gave me a dose of the clap while I was pregnant with Charlie, my second one I miscarried, but, by and large, he was good to me then, looking after me and spoiling me, I kept thinking that our marriage stood a chance then but it wasn’t to be. He loved me pregnant but wasn’t keen on the aftermath, the sound of a child’s crying drove him mad and we all lived in fear of him”.

Severus raised his head and regarded her surreptitiously, “How are things with Hermione? Is she the one this time?” He watched as she shook her head, “For me, yes. I’d be quite happy with her for the rest of my days but ‘Mione wants more, she’s never satisfied with what she has, although, bless her, she does try to be, but a mind like that should never be tied down, now she’s free, her divorce came through just before we left England, she won’t want me tying her down and I’m not awfully sure I want to just gad about the world after her. I love my job and Hogwarts, even trying to instil knowledge in the numbskulls gives me pleasure. I love the peace of the dungeons and I don’t have the brass to go gallivanting about”.

He chuckled at this, “I know exactly what you mean, about Hogwarts, that is, but I don’t miss it in the slightest. I, too, loved my domain in the dungeons but now I am a creature of the light these days, literally. I love the sun and wind and the rain in my face. I know I will follow Harry wherever he chooses to go. My home is with that man for good or ill and I doubt I would know another day’s happiness without him at my side, I love him so much, but if you repeat this then I’ll have to hex you”.

She laughed aloud at this, “Aaawww, at least someone is happy in love these days. It seems that the rest of us are all fucked up one way or another”. Severus turned to face her, “Oh, I don’t know, your brother and Oliver seem pretty solid together”. She grinned then, “Yeah, I suppose so, though last year I had a feeling that they were just going through the motions. Perhaps their trip to Germany strengthened it again although they haven’t been able to talk much about what went on there. Top secret, I was told”.

He smiled at her, “I do know that they were engaged in trying to infiltrate the magical groups and factions over there and weren’t getting very far but that was about the same time as Harry was figuring out the masonic angle, that much I do know from the e-mails we received from them. I cannot believe that Oliver was actually using Draco as an alias until I told him of Narcissa’s contacts in Germany and instructed him to be a Prince instead, that’s my mother’s maiden name, not a royal position, by the way, and saved him from all sorts of unpleasantness. As a Malfoy, he could have brought danger down on himself and Draco’s children”.

Her eyes widened at this, “They never told me any of this but then, why would they? I may have been a member of the Order of the Phoenix in my day but what am I now? A mere schoolteacher? They never tell me anything about their work these days”. Severus snorted, “And I? A mere retired schoolteacher and ex-apothecary, hardly an undercover government agent, am I?”

She grinned, “Ah, yes, and husband to the one and only Harry Potter. Ron and Ollie will always consult him no matter what, even though Harry hasn’t been an Auror for some years now, they still defer to him, and to you; after all, it was you, Harry, Remus and Draco who brought down Voldemort”, she sighed deeply, “The wizarding world needs it’s heroes, why is it that you cannot go as yourselves in this world and remain anonymous? Even now, after all these years? The Press still does nostalgia pieces on you all, despite the fact that two of the original Fearsome Foursome are now dead but they still keep flogging the same old stories, usually as part of the ‘where-are-they-now’ speculations that accompany anytime yours or Harry’s names are mentioned. You two have been allegedly sighted all over the place, why, only the week before we flew out here, the Prophet had you up a Himalaya somewhere in Nepal at an ashram, the speculation never stops and probably won’t even after the two of you have dropped dead”.

They were both silent a moment as Severus watched the action in the sky. The potion certainly seemed to be working as although his eyes searched his husband out, the same desperate need was totally absent. He idly watched the other groups zooming about, families and groups of friends zipping about hither and yon, all ages, shapes and colours up there on brooms enjoying the winter sunshine or what passed for winter in this corner of the globe.

Ginny started slightly at the touch of a hand covering hers and looked up to see the strange amber eyes regarding her with all the force of the normally coal-black ones, “You seem to be so hurt these days, young Ginny. If you don’t mind a nosy old sod from asking, just exactly what did happen at the end of your marriage, you and Ernie seemed so close though I’ll reiterate, he was not good enough for you”.

She grinned and gently extracted her hand, “I know you thought that way and you weren’t the only one. In the end, I think he couldn’t keep up with the Chosen One and his buddies even though I am a mere teacher. Also he started to knock around with some of his old school chums from way back and he fell into bed with Hannah Wakefield, or Abbott as she was at school, they rekindled the romance that had happened at school and I didn’t stand a chance. I really loved him though, whatever you lot thought of him. Yes, he was a bit weak but I know that the Spanish stuff freaked him out even though he and I weren’t involved, he just saw he was too near to Harry or something and was afraid that I’d get caught up in it all again and that wasn’t what he wanted”.

“And you do? Want to be involved again?”, he purred. She shrugged abashedly, “I suppose I must if I want to be involved with Hermione. It sort of goes with the territory. I suspect she’ll want even more involvement now she’s free of Neville. Did she tell you that Neville was successful in his application for custody of the boys?”

Her companion shook his head, “She did mention that this was likely to be his course of action. I take it, then, that Esme expressed a preference for living with her mother?” Ginny giggled, “Just you try separating them. Esme’s a chip off the old block. At least Ernie and I don’t have that problem. Did I tell you that I’m about to become a grandma? My eldest, my little Artemis is expecting her first child, due sometime around Christmas. There’s no visible means of support on the horizon and she flatly refuses to name the father but she’s happy in her job and they are being very reasonable vis-a-vis maternity leave and letting her go part-time before the birth and afterwards if she needs to. To be honest, it makes me feel old”.

Severus leaned in, “I’ll tell you a little secret that you must never divulge to my husband, but sometimes I feel old around him, too, and you lot on occasion. After all, I am older than you all by at least twenty years”. She rolled her eyes, “Get lost. You’re less than twenty years older than both Ollie and Jed, not by much, I’ll grant you, but you are not old, Severus, although the arrival of grandchildren makes you feel old by default, believe me. So, Are you gonna do it? Carry one for you and Harry?”

He gave her a stern look for a moment to see her face twitch into a smile, damnit, he had definitely lost the death-glare thing somewhere along the way then he relaxed, “Yes, I shall, does that surprise you?” She nodded, “A bit, but then again, you have been pregnant now and you know how quickly a bundle of cells can embed itself into your very soul. You know that you can always call on me for help and advice should you need it, for instance, I know of a great foot-soak potion for those yucky swollen ankles and a good glamour charm for hiding the lump under your clothes that does no harm to the infant, things like that to ease the everyday hassles of pregnancy. Mum has a great nipple cream for afterwards, if you are feeding your baby yourself, that sort of thing”. The man rolled his eyes, “I suspect that carrying him or her and raising them will be quite enough for me, he or she will be bottle-fed from birth if I have any say in it, although, knowing Harry, he’ll want to go the whole hog with breast-feeding and the like. I believe that such will be possible, though I really don’t want to think about it at the moment”. She took the hint and shut up.

They were saved from any residual awkwardness by the appearance of the flyers coming in to land around them, all red-cheeked and breathless from their fly. Harry plunked himself in Severus’ lap and kissed him as if his life depended on it, {Missed you}, he mind-murmured. Severus responded whole-heartedly to the kiss, {Me too, but it didn’t feel too bad at all, not that whiny neediness that I found rather tiresome, how about you?} Harry grinned as they pulled apart, {This potion is brilliant, it really works. Hats off to the chap in Melbourne, I say}.

Hermione joined them next, toiling up the many steps to the stand in which they all sat, “Whew, we found Minerva somewhere to stay and I took the liberty of booking us all rooms there for tonight. Is that agreeable to everyone?” They all hugged her or thanked her, it seemed perfect. The boys spelled themselves clean and dry again and they left the stands to wander to their new lodging, a quaint little guest house on the edge of the magical zone with a friendly enough proprietress who didn’t seem to mind that most of the party were same-sex couples.

The rooms were small but spotlessly clean and the beds were comfy. Harry dragged Severus to their room, “Wake us when you’re all ready to go to dinner, yeah?” he called to Ron as he shoved them unceremoniously through the door and leapt on his beloved as soon as the door closed behind them. Severus sank into the kiss for a moment but pushed Harry away when they came up for air, {Cleaning charms can only go so far, Mrs S, you need a shower}. Harry arched a brow and grinned flirtatiously, “Wash my back?” he enquired rakishly to receive a smack on his rear for his cheek, then a kiss, {All right, start the water and I will join you}.

Their lovemaking was unhurried and truly passionate that afternoon, the tearing neediness gone for now and the true love surfacing once again. They napped awhile then rose for the evening feeling thoroughly refreshed and very close but knew it was just them and not the bond and were both the happier for it.

That night, Minerva and Kingsley went to the jazz recital and the others went to the small gay club that Harry and Severus had visited previously after having sampled the delights of an Italian restaurant beforehand. They drank and danced all night, Hermione flirting outrageously with the boys to Ginny’s amusement but they all ended up in their couples as they trailed out into the early dawn to seek their temporary beds.

They would all be heading back to the villa tonight before the whole party split up to attend to the matter of one Rodolphus Lestrange.


That's all 'til next week.

Remember, please read and review/leave stars.

Love you all

S2 xxx