Bound in Leather

~looks at the parchment, nodding and mm-hmmming to herself~ psst. ~continues reading~ psst!
~glances up and blushes~ sorry. i was lost in a.... ~clears throat and quickly stuffs the parchment under her seat~ i was reading an article. anyway... i\'m here to tell you that some of what you find in here is not strictly mine. i\'d say about half of it belongs to j.k. rowling... whose feet i will gladly get down and kiss. the other half is mine. and we know she won\'t be kissing any part of me any time soon. and i\'m not making money off this. i\'m only doing it because i\'m sick and twisted.

i will let you know that smut is coming up. the end of the chapter, to be exact. so get out the fans and air conditioners. grab the toys and batteries. settle down with a cold drink loaded with ice cubes and have your man close by.

finally, if you read this and find you like it... please let me know. i would appreciate it so much. be kind, as no one wants a few ton dragon beating on their door at two in the morning. damned thing is an eternal night owl. and don\'t buy the land shark or girl scout cookie routine....

Chapter Twenty: The First Date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

\'How do I look?\'

\'You look stunning.\'

\'Are you sure?\'

\' I said so, didn\'t I?\'

\' I can put on that black dress. You know the one. With the scooped neck and the long, lace sleeves.\'

\'You\'re going to knock his socks off! Just as you are. Don\'t change. The blue suits you.\'

\'What about you? You\'ll be okay here alone? Maybe I should stay here.\'

\' If you stay here, I\'ll never forgive you!\'

\'But...\'

\'No buts. You\'re going.\'

\' I shouldn\'t have agreed. Its too soon after....\'

\'Will you stop? You\'re going! That\'s all there is to it. Now stop arguing and finish getting ready. He\'ll be here soon.\'

\'Are you sure I should go?\'

\'Of course I\'m sure. You like him. He likes you. I don\'t see...\'

\' I don\'t know if he likes me or not. I don\'t think...\'

\'Are you kidding? I\'ve seen the way he looks at you. Of course he likes you!\'

\'No. I don\'t think I should go. I\'ll just stay here with you. A nice, quiet evening...\'

\"If you don\'t go, I\'ll never forgive you. I swear it!\'

\'But...\'

\'No. You like him. He likes you. You\'re going! That\'s all there is to it.\'

\' I\'m scared.\'

\' I know. Things will be fine. Now. Finish putting on your make-up. He\'ll be here soon.\'

Aletha stared at her daughter with a faint frown. Alasdair could see the fear in her mother\'s eyes and she hastened to smile to reassure her. She was happy for her mother. Al liked Remus so much and she thought that he was perfect for her mother. Aletha turned back to the mirror and carefully applied some eye shadow in a soft shade of golden brown. Al thought the color brought out the natural highlights in her mom\'s hair, mixing gold and silver together with the deep honey brown.

The dress she wore was a midnight blue, with a flared skirt that stopped at her knees. The bodice was fitted and hugged her figure tightly, showing off the fact that she still had a girlish figure. It had a scooped neck that hinted at the promise of cleavage but didn\'t go so far as to blatantly scream slut. She had a pair of authentic silk stockings rolled up her legs, the kind that had a seam up the back and a Cuban heel on them. Her feet were tucked into a pair of patent heels of two inches and, combined with the stockings, made her legs look long and well formed.

Al watched her mother, noting that she went for subtle make-up. Just enough shadow and blush, lipstick and eyeliner, to accentuate her face but not make her look as if she\'d applied the color with a paint brush. She thought her mother looked beautiful. \'Wow,\' she whispered.

\'Dare?\' Aletha turned her head and looked at her daughter\'s awe struck face. \'Honey? What is it?\'

\'You look so beautiful,\' Al told her, her voice barely loud enough to carry across the room. Aletha smiled and got up, moving over to lay her hand on her child\'s cheek.

\'Oh, honey. Thank you. But I don\'t think that it matters anymore,\' she told her. \'Besides, you\'re the real beauty now. I\'m past my prime.\'

\'Remus obviously doesn\'t think so. He\'s the one who asked you out on a date, isn\'t he?\' Al returned, feeling a slight pang at the thought that Remus cared more for her mother than Severus apparently did for her. She shoved it aside so she could ignore it. This wasn\'t about any kind of race to see who could snag their man first. This was all about her mother and Aletha deserved the night out. She deserved to be loved by someone that Al knew wouldn\'t do anything to hurt her mother.

\'But, honey. What about you?\' Aletha asked, frowning at her daughter. She knew that it had been some time since Severus had come to see her. She also knew, despite Alasdair\'s having tried to put on a happy face, that her daughter felt completely left out. Aletha didn\'t want to leave her alone, but she didn\'t want to disappoint Remus, either. Something told her he\'d put much time and thought into this date and she would spoil it if she asked him if they could stay home and keep Alasdair company.

\' I\'m fine,\' Al waved a hand at her mother. Aletha gave her a look that plainly said she didn\'t believe her. Al smiled. \'Honestly, mom. I\'m fine. I want you to go. I want you and Remus to have a good time and to not worry about me.\'

\'Dare, sweetie,\' Aletha started, but there was a knock on the door. Al got up and headed to the panel that opened out into the hall. When it swung open, Remus stood there with a look on his face that said he was very unsure of himself. She smiled at him and motioned to her mother. His eyes moved to Aletha and the smile that lit his face made Al feel that this was the right thing to do.

Remus stepped into the room and moved toward Aletha, his eyes looking over every inch of her slowly. He started with her hair, noting with a soft smile the simple style that left it long and hanging around her shoulders like a honey kissed halo of brown. There was some body to the long locks that made it bounce when she moved her head. He let his gaze take in the subtle coloring to her face, smiling when he saw that the shadow bought out the highlights in her hair and the mascara brightened her eyes.

He looked over her dress, admiring the way it hugged her form. The simple gown was styled in such a manner that it gave her the look of blooming youth that he had known was hidden under the sickly exterior she\'d worn when he first saw her. She had shapely legs and tiny feet tucked into smart looking heels. When he raised his gaze back to hers, the smile he wore was soft and genuine. Her own smile came slowly, with much apprehension. It gave her a shy look that he found far too appealing to ignore.

Al studied them both for a time, still standing by the door. There was a soft smile on her mother\'s face that loudly spoke of Aletha\'s feelings for the man she was currently staring at. Remus wore much the same look, as if he were bemused over what he was feeling. She knew she wasn\'t needed here, so she slipped out of the room and silently tip-toed down the hall. Neither of them saw her go.

\'You look amazing,\' Remus breathed in such a soft tone that it made one think he might be afraid to disturb the very air. He watched the color suffuse Aletha\'s cheeks, heightening the light blush she\'d already applied.

\'No, I don\'t,\' she shook her head. \' I\'m a tired old woman hiding beneath a layer of make-up in an attempt to make myself look amazing.\'

\'Woman, don\'t argue with me. You look amazing. I think it, so it must be true,\' he smiled at her, the warmth in his tone enough to curl her toes. There was promise there and, judging by the look she gave him, she\'d heard it. He watched as her eyes looked him up and down. He\'d taken care with his appearance this evening. He hoped she wasn\'t disappointed with what she saw.

He\'d brushed his hair back and tried six or seven different styles. None of them had looked right so he\'d simply left it to hang in its normal fashion, the slightly over-long locks at the back brushing across his shoulders to spill down his back. He wore a faintly masculine scent that he\'d found Muggle women seemed to like, a mix of musk and something spicy that was neither too overpowering nor too subtle. He\'d shaved and then shaved again, making sure that there wasn\'t even the smallest bit of stubble on his chin or cheeks. He thought that, were she to put her hand on his face, she wouldn\'t need to worry about scraping her delicate hands on his coarse beard.

He\'d chosen a pair of black, dressy slacks and a charcoal gray, long-sleeved oxford with thin blue stripes decorating it. He\'d not bothered with a tie, leaving the top two buttons open to look less staunch and starched. His feet had been tucked into shiny loafers. He felt he was dressed up enough to be considered dressy without being over-dressed. Aletha smiled at him. \'You look... so,\" she stammered for the right word. \'You look great.\'

\'Thank you, my lady,\' he grinned and offered her an arm. She looped hers through his and allowed him to escort her to the door. At the entrance, he helped her into her coat and slipped his on, then escorted her outside. Aletha was surprised to find that there was a chauffered car awaiting them. Aletha stared at the car in wonder. It was simply gorgeous.

The car was all black, polished to a high, glossy shine, with miles of gleaming chrome. The headlights looked like large eyes, staring out into the darkness with a wide, unblinking gaze. The fenders were curved up over the front wheels, framing the narrow nose and sloping down to become running boards under the doors. The handles were at the front of the door, the windows reflecting the lights from the house. The back end of the car looked like a gracefully sculpted hill, rolling down to the bumper. The car was stylish and sleek, an automobile of class and style.

A liveried driver stood near the back door, his hand on the handle. He wore a black suit. The pants were pressed with a crisp crease down the exact center. The jacket had two rows of buttons down the middle. The collar was a mildly high one and was buttoned shut tightly. He wore a black hat on his head, a pair of stark white gloves on his hands. When he saw them, a quick flick of the wrist saw the car door open. The panel swung open from the front to the back and it exposed a lush interior of leather seats. \'Sir. Mum.\'

Remus helped Aletha into the back seat, then settled in next to her. She was looking around her in wonder, her eyes wide. The interior of the car was no less ostentatious, with seats covered in the softest black leather that cradled her body. The ceiling of the vehicle was covered with a soft, dove gray fabric that helped lighten the inside of the car. She turned wide eyes to Remus, her face registering her shock. \'Do you like it? I hired it for the evening. I don\'t drive anything worth taking you anyplace in. So I thought that you might like something.... sophisticated,\' he trailed off.

\'This is positively the most fantastic car I have ever seen in my life,\' Aletha smiled up at him. The faint look of worry that had crossed his face was gone and replaced with a deep smile that showed his relief.

\' I had hoped you\'d like it,\' Remus admitted softly. \'This is a 1948 Jaguar Mark IV. Disgustingly upper crust British and terribly conceited. I wanted the method of conveyance to be something completely posh. This is what I decided on.\'

\' It\'s lovely, Remus,\' Aletha inched closer to him, her hip pressing his. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and nodded to the driver, who put the car in gear and slowly rolled down the long drive.

~*~*~*~*~

The restaurant was not what Aletha had expected. She thought that Remus would take her someplace posh and stiff. So she\'d found herself mildly shocked that he\'d led her into a well lit building that smelled strongly of spices and incense. Filigree metal laterns that burned oil hung from the ceiling while each table had a pair of thick, beeswax tapers on them, the wicks set aflame to cast subtle light across the smoky room.

The room was done in shades of turquoise and azure, orange and red. The tables were low to the ground, covered with richly colored fabrics. They were layered and turned at angles to one another so that every one was visible in some manner. Pillows in matching hues were scattered around the table as seats. Each table was given a semblance of privacy by walls built of something similar to lattice.You could peer around at the rest of the room, but you couldn\'t see everything unless you peaked around the walls.

The floors were covered with brightly dyed Berber rugs. There was a small stage at one end of the room and large, open windows ran the lengths of both walls. They were covered from ceiling to floor with a sheer, loosely woven cotton to allow better circulation of the outside air and to also let some of the heavy incense escape so that patrons didn\'t choke on the thick smoke. Scattered about the room were green, leafy plants such as palm and banana trees.

Aletha thought it was a very intimate setting.

The two of them were escorted to one of the tables by a man in a flowing djellaba with dark hair and dark eyes. He left them menus, then made a discreet exit. Remus opened his menu and glanced at it, his eyes looking over the edge at Aletha. She was staring around her in awe, her gaze every once in a while flicking back to the menu to look it over. The absolute absorption she had in her surroundings gave him the opportunity to study her at his leisure. He liked that very much.

Aletha Wyndham Marks was still a very lovely woman. That much was obvious by the time spent away from her abusive soon-to-be ex-husband. She had regained not only her health, but her beauty. He found himself captivated by her in so many ways, on so many levels.

When the waiter stepped up to their table, he looked to Remus expectantly. Remus looked to Aletha, who nodded to his silent question. He gave his attention back to the waiter and smiled. \'We\'ll start with the Spinach Salad with Moroccan Lemons. Follow that up with the Chicken Tagine with Seven Vegetables. For my main course, I would like the Lamb and Sausage Couscous. Please bring the lady the Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons. For dessert, please bring some Moroccan Charosets. And, to drink, we\'ll both have the Marrahech Private Reserve.\'

\'Very good, sir,\' the waiter bowed, then took the menus and hurried off. He noted that Aletha was looking at him with a curious expression on her face. Remus grinned.

\' I\'m always open to trying new things,\' he shrugged, as if it was no big deal. She smiled at him and shook her head. The two of them fell into a companionable silence for a time, only speaking occasionally. The wine arrived first, followed by the salad. She tasted both, liking the wine for its slightly fruity, smooth flavor. The salad was good, with an intriguing combination of tastes she\'d not experienced together before.

The Chicken Tagine was like a soup that was served over a bowl of couscous. The seasoning was a fusion of sweet and spicy and Aletha found she liked it very much. The different vegetables complimented one another without being overpowering. The Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons was a delight to her palate with olives, peppers, onions and lemon quarters mixed with a few spices and cilantro. Everything was vibrant in color and full of taste.

The charosets were small balls of chopped nuts, dates and raisins, both dark and golden, rolled together and seasoned with a sweet wine. It was as they were happily munching on these that the lights on the stage came up, along with music that was heavy on the drums and very rhythmic. The curtains parted and revealed a woman dressed in belly dance clothes.

Her hair was long and dark, a shiny black that hung in thick waves to her hips. Her eyes were dark, with black kohl around them to bring attention to the sultry look in them and their almond shape. She wore an emerald green bra with silver piping, sequins and coins that glinted in the light. A belt of the same green was slung low on her hips, scarves and more of the coins dangling from it. There were several layers of sheer skirting under the scarves, all in shades of green. She wore silver arm bands high on her upper arms and zills on her fingers and thumbs. She had a slight belly, her navel pierced with a silver ring that had green dangles hanging from it.

She began dancing to the beat, her hips rolling and gyrating in an ages old dance that was considered to be seductive and sensual. The zills chimed and the coins tinkled as she moved. Aletha was captivated by how graceful the woman moved, her arms as sinuous as the rest of her body. Every so often, one of the scarves fluttered to the floor. Remus leaned toward his date and motioned to the dancing woman with one hand. \'You should do that,\' he teased gently.

\'You wish!\' she snapped at him, hitting him playfully on the arm. \'They\'d take one look at me and run screaming in absolute fear.\'

\' I meant you should do that for me,\' Remus told her and snared her gaze with his own. The blush that stole into her cheeks told him she knew precisely what he was talking about. He signaled the waiter for the bill. \'Come along, my dear. There is more planned to this evening.\'

~*~*~*~*~

The walk in the park was a refreshing turn of events after the close, smoky confines of the noisy little jazz club. They had gone to the club immediately upon leaving the restaurant, where they had spent the better part of three hours drinking and dancing to bluesy jazz music that had lots of horns. Though tired, Aletha relished the idea of the walk. She didn\'t want to stop spending time with Remus. Granted, the two of them hadn\'t really known one another for a very long time, but she was more relaxed with him than she\'d been the entire time she\'d been married to Kevin.

Over dinner, they had talked about her life and she\'d told Remus alot about her childhood and her two marriages. They\'d talked of Alasdair and how Remus thought that she was a special girl. Aletha had asked him about his childhood and Severus and had gotten partial answers. She thought he might have been holding something back, but she wasn\'t going to pry. She knew he\'d tell her when, and if, he wanted to. It had been a comfortable conversation and she\'d enjoyed it.

The club, on the other hand, had been too loud to allow them to talk without having to shout to be heard. Most of the time, they\'d actually danced or drank in silence. She\'d felt like a young girl as she\'d danced along with Remus and he\'d seemed to really enjoy the music. The club had been full of people of all ages. Many of them sat and listened, while some danced on the floor. There had been a thick cloud of smoke hanging over the place, the air stale with it, old sweat and spilt beer. While the time spent there had been fun, Aletha had been more than happy when Remus had announced one last stop before their night was done.

The park was mostly dark and silent, empty at this late hour. They walked the path hand in hand, not speaking. They simply enjoyed the peace and quiet the night provided and the comfort of one another\'s company. They strolled for some time until they came to a bench that was set back from the path and mildly secluded. Remus settled Aletha onto it, then sat next to her and took her hand. She turned to give him a smile and noticed the entirely far too serious look on his face. \'Remus?\' she asked hesitantly.

\'There\'s something I wish to ask you, Aletha. But, before I can do so, I feel there are things about me that you simply must know,\' Remus said softly, shifting closer to her on the intricately wrought bench of scrolling metal. He let go of her hand and brought his back to sit in his lap, where it and its mate fluttered about nervously. He had never wanted more in his life to be able to speak his mind without fearing that what he said would be so poorly received as he did now. He had more courage to face down a very snarky Potions Master than he did to tell a sweet lady such as the one next to him what it was he had to tell her.

\'Go on, Remus. I\'m listening,\' she reached over and squeezed his hand.

He floundered for a few moments, trying to come up with the best way to tell her. Finally, he simply blurted it out. \'Aletha, I\'m a werewolf. And a Wizard.\'

She stared at him.

\' I know that it sounds so far-fatched, but its the truth. I swear it on Merlin\'s beard. I was born a Wizard and infected with lycanthropy when I was a small child. Its part of the reason I spend so much time with Snape. He\'s also a Wizard and a Potions Master and he makes potion for me that helps when I transform.\'

\'That\'s why you\'re always gone once a month for a few days?\' she asked him, her tone slightly skeptical. He nodded.

\' I have to leave. In my wolf form, I don\'t know who anyone is. I would kill anyone who got in my way,\' he replied. \'The potion helps me to keep my head just a bit.\'

\'And your being a Wizard can\'t change that?\'

\'No, love. I wish it could. My magic can do just about anything. But it can\'t make me normal,\' he informed her sadly. She was giving him a look that said she wanted to believe him but didn\'t. He drew his wand, hidden disceetly in his shirt sleeve, and held it out. \'Lumos.\'

The tip of his wand glowed with light, casting a bright halo around the area before them. Aletha stared at it for several long moments until Remus gave his wand a flick and said, \'Nox.\' The light went out, leaving the two of them in the semi-darkness of the park. She blinked and turned to him.

\' I knew there was something different about you. I just couldn\'t put my finger on it,\' she told him softly. He couldn\'t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. They stared at one another a good long time before either of them broke the silence that had fallen between them.

\' I\'m sorry,\' he turned from her and looked out into the darkness. \' I know I should have told you sooner. I should have come clean straight away, but I was afraid of what would happen were you to find out. I was afraid you\'d tell me to bugger off and never want to have anything to do with me ever again.\'

Aletha watched him a few moments, remaining silent. She could see that same sadness on him that she\'d noticed the very first time she\'d met him. And now she understood why such a deep sense of melancholy shrouded him. He was so terribly alone. Even with people he knew, he was never truly part of them. Her heart ached for him and she did the only thing she knew would help. She inched closer to him and slipped one arm around his shoulder. She covered his hands with her free one and laid her head on his upper arm.

\'Please, Aletha. Don\'t pity me,\' he whispered, still not looking at her. \' I don\'t think I could live with the idea that you pitied me.\'

\' I don\'t pity you,\' she replied. \' Its everyone else I pity. All of those people that must have gone out of their way to make you feel like someone or something less than a real man. Those people who didn\'t want to get to know you. The ones who shunned you. Everyone who chose to walk past you and look the other way instead of looking you in the eye and smiling. I pity all of them, because they lost out on meeting a wonderful man who is funny and smart and so very gentle.\'

Remus turned to look at her and she could see the hesitation in his eyes. He wanted to believe her. She knew it. But it was the same for him as it had been for her when he confessed his secrets to her. He needed to see it to believe it. She brought the hand that rested in his lap up to curl around the back of his head and pull him down so that she could lay her lips along his.

She found his hands suddenly on her head, his fingers speared into the thickness of her hair. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply, pouring all of his emotions out into the kiss so she could taste how he felt about her on her tongue. He pressed himself closer to her, groaning when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into him until it felt as if they were part of one another. When they broke apart, she didn\'t know how much time had passed since she\'d initiated the kiss. There were only two things she knew for certain. The first was that she was panting like a school girl on her first date.

The second thing was that she was suddenly very much in need of Remus. All of him

\' I believe we should go back to the house,\' he told her, his voice low and husky. Aletha felt her cheeks heat up and she knew she was blushing. She only nodded her head and let him take her hand in his.

~*~*~*~*~

The house was silent around them as Remus worked slowly at removing her stockings. The entire car ride back to the house had been spent wrapped in each other\'s arms, kissing. Long and slow caresses of the lips and tongue that sent skitters of heated desire up and down both spines. They saved the exploring for the moment they were in private, simply enjoying the feel of one another\'s lips pressed together. It had been the longest ride of Aletha\'s life. And now, they were in her room and she was sitting on the bed, watching his bent head as he slowly, carefully, peeled her stockings from her legs.

Her shoes were sitting at the end of the bed, where she\'d stepped out of them. He took his time, rolling one stocking down and setting it aside before starting on the second one. When her legs were bared, he let his hands run up them on the outsides. When he encountered the hem of her skirt, his fingers pushed it up until she was forced to lift her bottom. The skirt ended up bunched at her waist. She started when his fingers began pulling on the edge of her panties down. Her eyes flew to his, apprehension shining from them. Remus only smiled and pulled more insistently on her underwear.

The urge to cover herself with her hands was strong when the skimpy piece of satin was dropped carelessly to the floor. He must have sensed her unease for he smiled at her. The entire time, his hands were skimming up the insides of her thighs, silently urging them open wider for him. His gaze held hers until her legs were spread wide and her bottom sat on the very edge of the bed. Then he looked down and groaned.

She was already wet for him, drops of moisture beading up along her swelling fold and glistening in the dim light behind him. Lightly, he brushed the pads of his thumbs along the seam of her nether lips. She jumped, a low groan rolling up her throat at the touch. \'Merlin, Aletha. You\'re simply stunning,\' he whispered in awe.

Slowly, he slid a finger into her body, between the swelling lips that were opening for him even now. Her hips jerked at the contact, then she relaxed and a long sigh filled the air. He pumped his finger back and forth, slowly using the motion he intended to use later. With other, larger parts of him. Her muscles tensed and then loosened around his questing finger, prompting him to add a second one. More moisture flooded her channel and dripped out to cover his hand. \'You\'re so wet,\' he whispered.

She groaned loudly when he joined a third finger to the first two, her hips now rocking up to meet his hand each time he drove deep. Aletha fell back on the bed with the flood of emotions and feelings that rocketed through her veins like a freight train. He leaned in close and she could hear him sniffing. \'You smell hot and exciting.\'

His tongue flicked out and grazed over her lips, bringing her hips up off the bed as she cried out in need. \'You taste of passion and beauty. I want to make love to you for the rest of my life,\' he whispered before pulling his fingers free and replacing them with his tongue.

\'Oh my God,\' Aletha whimpered, her body squirming against his mouth. His hands moved up to wrap around her hips, keeping her in one spot while his teeth and tongue assaulted the tender flesh of her swollen lips. With slow, measured strokes, he thrust his tongue in and out of her flexing channel, occasionally stopping to nip at the folds of flesh surrounding her entrance. He would, when she was just calming down and wasn\'t moving as much, stop so he could suck her clit between his lips. He would grate his teeth over the skin wrapped bundle of nerves so that she would start moving again, grinding herself against his mouth.

On and on he went, teasing her with lips and teeth and tongue until she could stand it no more. Her body went rigid beneath him and a keening cry passed over her lips to fill the room with the sounds of her exploding passion. He eased away from her and stood, his body strung tight with need. His cock was so hard in his trousers that he thought it would explode with the first touch of flesh upon it. She slowly sat up, her hands reaching for him. He stepped back and shook his head. \'None of that, now.\'

\'But, Remus. I want to touch you and give you the same feelings of pleasure you\'ve just given me,\' Aletha insisted.

\'No, love. Not this time. I simply want to take this night to love you like you deserve to be loved,\' he replied, already working the buttons on his shirt from their holes. Without waiting to be told, Aletha did the same. She reached for the zipper and pulled it down far enough that she could pull the dress over her head and toss it to the floor. Her bra and the garter belt went next, leaving her naked and flushed with both embarrassment and desire. Her eyes locked onto his chest and she frowned at the sight of several scars marring the skin there.

\'Oh, Remus,\' she reached out a hand to touch one. He caught her wrist between his fingers and lifted it so he could kiss her palm. His smile was that pained one that told her he was reliving horrible memories. \'How did that happen?\'

\'They aren\'t important, love. Don\'t feel sorry for me,\' he urged, then dropped her hand to her lap and reached for his trousers. The zipper came down slowly. The button slipped from the hole almost without notice. He hooked his thumbs under the waist band and pushed his trousers and boxers down over his hips. They puddled on the floor as he straightened and stood there, allowing Aletha time to look him over.

Her eyes moved over him slowly, lingering on the width of his shoulders, his flat nipples, the faint ripple of muscles in his abdomen. When she stared point blank at his erection, the turgid length of his shaft jerked in response. She failed to notice that he was giving her the same treatment. His gaze raked over her face and the obvious signs of pleasure there to the graceful lines of her neck. He enjoyed the delicate turn of her shoulders and the full weight of her breasts, her nipples flushed a dark brown and perked for him. He followed the gentle swell of her belly and over the curve of her hip to the juncture of her thighs.

\'Remus?\' she held a hand out to him. He took it wordlessly, climbing up on the bed with her. As she lay back, she shifted her legs open. He lay down on top of her, his hips settling between her thighs so that the hardened length of him pressed into her thigh, across her belly and on to her hip. She squirmed as he made himself comfortable, then wrapped her legs around his waist. \'Please. Don\'t make me wait.\'

\' I won\'t. I simply want to do this right. I want to make love to you. I want to go slow and give you so much pleasure. But its been so long,\' he groaned in her ear. She could feel his muscles shaking with his need. It attested to his desire. She pulled him down to her and kissed the corner of his mouth.

\'There will be time for that,\' she whispered in his ear. \'Later. For now, I need you.\'

\'Then you\'ll have me,\' he replied, leaning down to drop a kiss on her lips. Then he lifted himself, propping his body up with one hand while the other slid between them. She felt him as he grasped himself and positioned himself at her opening. He brought his gaze to hers and let them lock together, then slowly pushed forward.

Aletha moaned as he filled her. He was long and thick and her body had to stretch to accomodate his girth. It was a pleasant feeling of being just past full that she had very much missed. It had been so long since a man had wanted her in such a way. Remus took his time filling her. He drove in so slowly that she thought she would go mad with the exquisiteness of it all. When he was finally fully sheathed in her hot body, she shifted her hips up and wrapped her legs about his waist tighter. It was the only invitation he needed.

Remus pulled back, drawing his length from her body almost all the way before plunging back in. She felt so good wrapped around him, so tight and wet. It was like being lost in heaven. With careful, precise movements, he began a rhythm that sent her senses into overload. He moved slowly, driving himself deep with each thrust.

Her nails found purchase in the skin on his shoulders. She raked them across his back until he could feel the blood welling up on his flesh. It was warm and thick and it rolled slowly down over his shoulders and his sides. He didn\'t care. It felt good to know she was enjoying his attentions. He took her mouth again, kissing her hard. His tongue shoved inside, moved about to explore the darkened corners and vast recesses of it.

Her hips rocked up to meet his as he thrust himself back into her body. She\'d lost all track of time. She was tuned simply to the way he filled her over and over again, how he stroked into and out of her as if he never intended to leave her body. She reveled in the way he payed homage to her body with his questing hands, his talented mouth, his gentle teeth, his attentive tongue. His luscious cock. He made her feel as if she were a goddess, all wanton and wicked and desirable. He had her body and mind so turned on, she was nearly mindless with her need.

\'You\'re so beautiful,\' he panted in her ear, the speed of his hips increasing as he worked his way toward his climax. His eyes were full of emotion, clearly showing how he felt for her. She was shocked by the depth of what she saw there. \' I can\'t hold back much longer. Its been so long and you feel so good wrapped around me as you are,\' he told her, arching his back up at her continued to stroke in and out of her. His mouth took hers once again, his tongue dipping into her own with the same measured strokes as he was making into her body.

Aletha tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer to her. She could tell he would soon reach his climax by the feel of him inside of her. He was growing larger, stretching her even further as he lengthened and swelled. Sweat had broken out on his forehead, across his chest, along his shoulders and down his back. His hips pistoned rapidly against hers, his strokes now shallow and fast.

\'Oh my God, Remus,\' she moaned. Her own climax was starting to swirl and build, her muscles already tightening in preparation. It wouldn\'t take long. Just a few more strokes of his wonderful cock and she would explode with release. He looked down at her, a soft smile on his face. And he stopped. She groaned in frustration.

\'Turn over,\' he instructed in a low voice, already pulling back from her so she could do as he\'d instructed. She rolled onto her stomach. \'Now up on your hands and knees, love,\' he ran his hands across the twin mounds of her asscheeks, caressing them gently. Slowly, she lifted herself up onto her hands and knees, her arms and legs shaking as she did so. When she was positioned, Remus moved back into her.

She felt his hands on her hips, holding her in place while the head of his cock prodded at her swollen lips. How he managed it, she couldn\'t say, but it seemed as if his shaft knew where it was supposed to go on its own. Easily, the blunt head slipped past her opening and up into her pulsing channel. He began his rhythm once more, thrusting in and out of her wet and willing body. His hands left her hips, one traveling up to grasp a breast and fondle it while the other crawled over her belly to find the slight nubbin of her clit.

The moment his fingers brushed over it, her body tensed. The rough pads of his finger tips drew the tension to the surface, her orgasm only a few touches away. The three sensations worked together to overthrow her mind. All she could do was feel. Feel his hand as it pulled at her nipple, pinched and twisted the tight bud. Feel his rough finger tips rake back and forth over her aroused clit. Feel him drive in and out of her body. \' I want you to come for me. With me,\' he whispered in her ear.

Aletha nodded and rocked back into him. His strokes were increasing in speed once more. He was swelling still further and she knew it wouldn\'t be long. For either of them.

She knew their orgasms were about to burst a moment before it happened. There was a curious sense of tightness in her abdomen like she\'d never before known, then everything was washed with blinding color. Her body went rigid and shattered, dragging a high cry from her throat. She saw a rainbow of intense colors and a dark sky twinkling with the diamonds of a million stars all at the same time. She could feel it as he climaxed, could feel his seed pouring out into her body and filling her. They came together in a storm of feelings, their mutual cries of completion mingling in the air as Remus continued to thrust shallowly to milk himself dry with the fluttering muscles that held him so securely deep within Aletha\'s body.

When they were both sated, they fell to the bed in a heap, panting and sweating. Remus held Aletha securely in his embrace, his chest pressed to her back. She was warm and fuzzy, the need to sleep creeping up on her. But she recalled that Remus had said he\'d wanted to ask her a question when they\'d been sitting on that park bench. He was busy pressing kisses to the back of her neck and along her shoulder.

She patted his hand and inched back into him. \'Remus, you never asked me your question. Ask it now.\'

\'Are you sure?\' he sounded hesitant.

\' I\'m sure,\' her smile was audible in her voice.

\' I know we\'ve not really known one another for a long time, but I feel as if I\'ve known you all my life. I have discovered that I love you deeply and would like for nothing more than you to agree to become my wife. Aletha, would you marry me?\' he asked and she heard the fear and hope in his voice.

She turned in his arms and smiled at him, then pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose.\' I don\'t care who you are. I don\'t care what you are. I love you. Just as you are,\' she told him gently.

\'Yes, Remus. I\'ll marry you.\'

end chapter twenty.
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my many thanks go to all of those who constantly offer me support and encouragement. i get so easily discouraged and often talk about quitting. they won\'t let me and they know who they are. i love them all very much and they help make my world go round!

please forgive any errors in spelling or grammar. i am my own beta and, much as i hate to admit it, i am only human. damn my luck.....

finally, if you find you\'ve enjoyed my little offering, please feel free to let me know what you thought. how i\'m doing. that sort of thing.

and....

to tamargrl: i\'m sorry. i\'m trying to be quicker. i really am. RL has been such a bitch for me lately. i\'ll try to do better promise. hope you like this chapter.

to Cathy N: Dumbledore just connives everyone, doesn\'t he? hopefully, it\'ll all come right in the end. just keep reading to find out.

to dragon34: he will probably tell her he loves her. in a manner that is entirely both fitting of Severus Snape and a Slytherin.

to Echo: aw .:blushes:. you always make me feel silly when you compliment me. ~huggles~

to star: glad to see you back, hon and glad you liked the chapter. you don\'t think i went overboard with the Elvi impersonators, do you? .:grins:.