A Dark Time For The Light

15

Severus woke in the early dawn and staggered to the bathroom, vaguely wondering why he was still mainly dressed. He relieved himself then staggered back to bed, undressing fully, then collapsed again, pulling the blankets over him.

The action pulled cold bits of bedding over Harry and he woke up, enough to realise he needed a pee and made his bleary way to the bathroom, glad he could see better now in the mornings without his glasses. In a soft blur, he made his way back to bed, noting Severus’ slightly open mouth, his relaxed face, pretension and cynicism gone. The naked shoulders poking out above the bedding. Harry tucked the sheet about the man’s neck before climbing back into bed.

As he did so, Severus turned over, and Harry stole a look into a face unshuttered by sleep. He gazed and gazed, then leaned over and pressed a kiss to the man’s brow, then snuggled among the covers and slept again.

He awoke to a heavy arm across his middle, soft breaths in his neck. He didn’t move as consciousness returned. He took stock. He was in a room at the Three Broomsticks. Check. He was alive. Check. The morning sun was streaming through the badly drawn curtains. Check. And Severus Snape had an arm round him, not to mention his face buried in his neck. Oh! Er. Check.

Then the older man moved, turning from his front to his side, he pressed against him. In sleep, gathering Harry’s sleepy legs across his lap. The arm tightened. A couple of sleepy kisses to Harry’s collarbone, then even breaths, all the signs of deep sleep. Harry lay, mesmerised and grinning. Obviously Sev thought he was with Remus. This was probably how they lay asleep. In a small part of his brain, he thought this cute, the rest of his brain, however, was designing ways to extricate himself without embarrassment, to himself or his former teacher.

He was just gently lifting the heavy arm making to move away when it tightened around him, pulling forward. At the same time deep umber eyes opened to Harry’s startling green. The brown questioning gently. The green slowly closing, capitulating. A soft mouth reaching, opening, capturing. Harry moaned as Severus’ mouth opened over his and he allowed that wicked tongue in, and knew he was lost.

Somehow, during the kiss, they manoeuvred themselves so Severus lay between Harry’s legs, that twined around his waist. Harry pushed upwards once, his hardness meeting Sev’s. They both groaned. In short order, Severus stripped Harry of his boxers then lay atop him, grinding them both together. “Want you, Harry. Want you so much”. A low throaty purr.

Harry’s voice failed him as he pulled Severus down on top of him, “Want you too, Sev”, he whispered, his throat constricting as Severus leaned in and kissed him again, all soft tongue and gently sucking lips. In a small corner of his mind, Harry allowed guilt in, then banished it. Draco had asked him to do this. He grinned inside and mentally intoned, ‘This one’s for you, my perverted Dragon’, as he accepted that tongue once more into his mouth, answering, pushing in, devouring.

He felt the weight of the heavier man over him and he wriggled beneath in sensual delight, skating his nails down Sev’s back, playing in the peachy fuzz at the base of the spine, feeling the scratchy chest hair rubbing over his sensitised nipples, then winced and let out a yelp, pushing Severus away and sitting up, sharply. Instantly there was concern in the man’s brown eyes, “Gods, Harry. I forgot. I’m sorry”. Harry was bent over, clutching at his rib cage. He managed a weak laugh, “So had I. Fuck!, that hurts”. Severus was out of bed in a shot and clambering into clothes, “I left some of my old salves and potions with Ros, I’ll go and see if there’s anything of use left. Hold on, Harry, I’ll only be a moment”, he kissed the side of Harry’s head and shot off.

He re-emerged a minute later, holding a dusty pot and a small glass phial. “We’re in luck. Some of my bruise salve and bone-set potion”. Harry’s pain had dulled to a low throbbing ache. He felt gingerly along his ribs, wincing, “I don’t think I’ve popped the rib, but I may have set back the healing of the fracture a bit”. Severus popped the cap on the phial and handed it over wordlessly. Harry took it and drank, grimacing at it’s bitterness. Severus poured a glass of water from the carafe at the bedside, pressing it into Harry’s hand, taking the empty phial from him. Harry swilled the liquid in his mouth before swallowing.
Severus uncapped the pot of salve removing a thick dollop on his fingers then applied it gently to Harry’s side. Between salve and medicine, Harry felt the pain recede to the edges of his consciousness and let his breathing deepen again. Severus pulled a length of clean white cloth from his pocket and bound Harry’s ribs snugly. “There, does that feel a bit better?”. Harry smiled shyly and nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Sev”.

He looked down then. Severus sat on the bed beside him and lifted his chin with a finger, “Come on, Harry, what’s bothering you?. Harry sighed, “We shouldn’t be, er, doing this. Any of it. Well the naughty bits at least. I’m as bad as ‘Mione, can’t be trusted out on my own, but at least she’s honest enough to own up to it. I’m a bit sorry for leaving Draco so soon, too”, he ended in a whisper.

The potion made him sleepy and he soon laid down again on his good side and was soon deeply asleep. Severus said nothing. He realised the pass he’d made at Harry was as much revenge at his lover for wanting to settle and leave the road as wanting Harry, although, Merlin knew, the boy was damned attractive. He groaned softly as he stood, he was still tired, then reached into his bag for another small bottle placing three drops of the treacly liquid under his tongue. He rummaged in the chest of drawers and withdrew pyjama trousers, changing quietly, then crept into the other side of the bed, he thought about curling Harry to him, but decided against it. The boy was right. (Bloody Gryffindors!!). In a few minutes, he, too, was asleep.

They awoke more or less at the same time. It was dark and quite late, according to Severus’ calculations, after 10 o’clock. They dressed. Severus quickly, Harry less so. Severus helped him, zipping him into his waxies. They shared a long look that spoke of many things, then left the room. They ate in the warm kitchen, a hot, fortifying meal. Severus snagged a couple more potions from Rosmerta’s stash, and within an hour were walking back to the bike. Severus’ bag was full of mail, he carried Harry’s as well, despite the boy’s protests.

They walked in silence until Harry whispered, “Sorry, Sev. About earlier”. The man turned to him, “Hush, Harry, it’s all right, really it is. You are right. Although I’ll admit you are a bloody temptation”, this last on a laugh. Harry joined in. “You’re a bit of a temptation yourself”. They left it at that.

It was a moonlit night and they bowled along A-roads and B-roads through the night, picking their way across country to Glasgow, arriving as the false dawn was showing itself, the horizon starting to grey. Harry was ecstatic, he loved the late-night riding. His hands were in his own pockets and he leaned slightly against the backbox, watching the orange glow over Glasgow approach.

They dipped below Glasgow and passed under the Motorway brightly lit above them, heading for Kilmarnock, when Severus eased the bike down a maze of small lanes, steeply banked in early misted hedgerows, then in the middle of nowhere, Severus eased the bike along a rutted track and pulled up before a barred gate, killing the engine.

Slightly stiffly, they both climbed off, fetched post and bags, locked up the bike and, unlatching the gate, they stepped through. They walked a little way down a wooded track, until the dense trees opened out either side of them and Harry gasped at the sight.

There was a low, squat farmhouse, spread out beneath the rising sun, a curl of smoke from one chimney spiralling into the still air. In the field in front of the house were approximately eighty ramshackle vehicles of various sizes, all with curtains at the windows, all closed, the smell of woodsmoke was heavy in the air.

As they progressed, three people suddenly emerged from the shadows brandishing stout sticks. All wore hooded sweatshirts. “Who goes there?”. Severus smiled, “Severus Snape and Harry Potter, we have your mail. We’re a bit late getting here”.

Suddenly hoods were ripped off and the Patil twins and Lee Jordan revealed themselves, all barreling towards Harry at top speed. “Fuck, Harry. You found the Underground”. “You’re lookin’ well”. “My word, Harry”, and other assorted comments as his old schoolmates grabbed him in a four-way hug. Harry winced a bit and drew away, clutching his side. “Shit, sorry, Harry”. Lee. “Severus told us of your crash. You’re okay now, though?”. Harry smiled, “Mostly, but it still hurts a bit sometimes”. The three then greeted Severus and they were all on their way to the house.

Harry looked around him at the vehicles. Lee saw him look, “We’ve rented this place quite legitimately from a friendly Muggle, the rent isn’t high, but the fact that it’s legit means the law can’t sweep in with an eviction order. We’re relatively safe here. We got planning permission for a garden centre on the land and most of the purebloods here work there. Neville started it. There’s a few mixed-bloods that work in Glasgow at real jobs. When the farmhouse got too crowded the first vehicle appeared, then everyone got the idea. Affords the families some privacy. There’s a lot of folk with small kids here. Lavender’s here with her boyfriend and their baby”.

They entered the house. Padma ran on ahead. They could hear her call, then voices, as people rushed into the corridor. Severus let Harry go first, smiling. Then Neville rushed out, to stand stock still. “Harry”, in a whisper, then they moved toward each other and embraced, then pulled away, hands on each other’s shoulders, at arm’s length. “Bloody hell, Harry, it’s so good to see you. We heard you had an accident. Are you okay now?”

Harry nodded, “Mostly, except when my ribs still twinge. That’s what held us up at Hogsmeade. Sorry we’re late”. They were ushered into the kitchen and placed in comfortable, if rather battered chairs. Hot drinks and food were pressed upon them and both partook heartily. Harry swapping stories with his friends.

Neville had run to his grandmother’s, tried to get her to go into hiding with him. She’d refused. The Death-Eaters came for her. Annihilated her. There were clouds in Neville’s eyes as he told his tale. He’d run and run. Met up with Ron in a record shop, of all places. They’d camped out at a Muggle friend of Neville’s as they hatched their plan to start the Underground. Then went their separate ways, in opposite directions, to help found different strands of the web that tied them all together.

“The main thing was getting Mad-eye and Tonks on board as a kind of filtering layer. Then newly-found members are channeled to the location that will suit them best. We have mainly families with young kids here. Fresh air and open spaces. I mean, you can’t imagine young kiddies running about your underground station, now, can you?”

Harry shook his head, “No. It’s strange, you never seem to know what hour of the day it is. I imagine that would play havoc with family type routines”.

Lee spoke up, “When the ordure hit the A/C, my family went back to Jamaica, but I chose to go into hiding. I spent a while in London, but I need the fresh air, so I found here via the Leeds site. I was in a band down there for a while, but I missed my Wizarding roots, you know, and now I’m here”, he shrugged. His voice dropped and a faint smile crossed his face. “I’m a daddy to a son, and I have another child on the way, with Angelina Johnson, only she became Jordan last year”, he beamed then. Harry leaned forward and grasped Lee’s shoulder, grinning. “Bloody good luck to you both”.

Parvati walked over and crouched before the fire. “My family are split across the globe. My grandparents came here in 1959, registered themselves and their children. Worked hard. The family never claimed a penny in benefits or dole. Then we came along. The first Magicals who were detected. There was no doubt that the family had had others within it, but they just passed into the weird history of the Patil clan, and we’ve brought trouble on all of our family living here”, her voice caught and she sank her head in her hands.

Padma was beside her in a heartbeat, her arms around her sister, “The Ministry found fault with my grandfather’s Immigration papers. There was something about measuring Magical ability or something”, she paused, tightening her hold on her sobbing sister, “They were all rounded up and deported”, she whispered. “Two generations, that had been born here, educated here. We only know a little Hindi. I can remember Mum and dad’s faces as they were herded onto that plane......we were up on the observation deck........the plane took off....that was the last we saw of them....”, her heartrending sobs mingled with that of her bereft sister.

Severus watched as Harry’s eyes filled, as he sank to his knees and threw arms around them both, “This thing has broken so many people, but some find each other again”. Padma turned a tear-stained face to his and smiled wanly, “Yes, you and Draco found each other again. You know Trelawney was bollocks at Divination, really, don’t you?”. Harry’s brow creased, but he nodded. “Well, me an’ Parvati always saw a great love for you, in your near future, then a long separation, then a getting back together”, she smiled again, “You’ll never part again. The only thing that will part you is death, and, no, we neither of us See that in your near future, not like Trelawney who saw death at your every remove. In fact....”, she let her voice trail, and Harry moved away, a question in enlarged green eyes, “What do you See?”, he whispered. Parvati glanced at her twin, who nodded once. She leaned close and whispered so only Harry could hear. He reeled back in shock, his eyes round, his mouth hanging open. “Are you sure?”. As one they nodded and grinned, “We’ve both Seen it, Harry”, both voices in unison.

Neville, Lee and Severus watched, thoroughly confused. Harry rose and flopped back into his chair, his head thrown back, his eyes closed. “Girls, can I tell him?”. Padma’s high laugh brought him back and he opened his eyes again, “Of course you can Harry, but he should be the first to know”. Their eyes travelled around the rest of the assembled company, “So don’t press him for info, okay?”.

Three sets of shoulders shrugged, three heads nodded, thoroughly confused.

After much talk and exchanges of news, the visitors drooped and were led to their quarters. Instead of the small room that Severus and Remus usually stayed in, they were allocated two beds in the bunk room. After all he had heard tonight, Harry was profoundly grateful. Severus was pissed off a bit, but tried not to show it.

After hearing the bunk below him cautiously creaking, then a pause, then a soft groan, then soft snores, Harry finally allowed his own muffled climax, aware of all the other sleepers around him, wishing he was curled in the bunk below, even though his every thought was of a softer mouth, blue-grey eyes and silky platinum locks.