You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

A/N - For those of you who might know these locations, I have taken a few liberties with them to suit this tale. No hexes please! The Squig.

33

Far from it being a rest, it proved to be just the opposite for Harry and Severus. Now that the children were crawling, and Alex seemed to teleport at times, they had to childproof the house in a hurry. The first week was spent doing frantic DIY, putting books behind lockable doors, putting fasteners on all of the kitchen cabinets and special catches on the fridge plus a baby gate at the top and bottom of the stairs and foam bumpers on all the sharp edges, stashing remote controls above child height and shortening all the curtains so they couldn’t be grabbed like ropes to haul a child to it’s feet after Amanda pulled the net curtains down and made herself squeal at the surprise, then Harry fixed covers over the radiators for the coming winter.

Severus was quite used to doing his own bits of house repairs but watched how competently Harry used tools, another thing he hadn’t known about him. Severus had inherited his mother’s old sewing machine and Harry made short work of altering the curtains and used the cut off velvet to make new cushion covers, then built a new set of DVD shelves and put them up in the living room and mounted the speakers onto the wall to keep them out of reach from small fingers. He leaned hard on the top of a speaker and stepped back from the job looking thoroughly satisfied into Severus’ arms circling him from behind.

“You’re pretty handy, aren’t you?” Harry laughed bitterly, “Human house-elves have no magic, love, you can’t imagine how many shelves fell down until I knew how to put them up right, and each one meant a missed meal. You kind of learned fast in a teaching atmosphere like that, either that or you starved to death”. Severus turned him in his arms, “Hey, come on, I was only stating a fact, I didn’t mean any harm by it. If these sorts of jobs make you unhappy doing them then I don’t mind attending to such tasks myself. All I meant was that you are very competent in your use of tools”. Harry buried his head in Severus’ chest, “Sorry, babe. I think it’s now I’ve got kids of my own, I realise just how badly I was treated. I shouldn’t keep hitting you with it”. Severus took the electric screwdriver and the spirit level from his love’s hands and laid them down and held him again, “Harry, tell me what you want, when you want. You know that”.

****

Back at Hogwarts. Back in their room. Monday morning and Ron was deeply reluctant to go back to work and leave his lover asleep. They had discussed this at great length, Draco insistent that he was ready to be left for periods of time, brightly reassuring his lover that he would be all right. Ron dropped a last kiss to that gorgeous fine blond hair and Floo’d to the Ministry.

Draco awoke from dark dreams with his father leering at him, then taking him, then the pain, the agony. He could still hear the screams echoing around the room as he woke in a sweat, alone. He forced himself to get up and move around, have a shower, order tea and breakfast from the house-elves. He tried to read but nothing held his interest, he wandered around the empty castle and kept being spooked by odd noises that had never bothered him before. He decided to miss lunch in the Hall and staggered back to the room, curling into a small sad ball and awaiting his beloved’s return from work, Ron’s pillow held tight against him.

Ron arrived back and saw the sorry state of his beloved. He instantly fire-called his father and requested leave until term started again. It was granted, reluctantly. “But, Dad, he’s still such a mess. He needs me and I need to be with him”. Arthur was a little worried at this, he knew that Ron had developed a great affection for the good-looking Malfoy boy. He sighed and at that moment, decided to let his youngest boy grow up, “All right, Ron, but your compassionate leave is up. I’m afraid the Ministry will drop you to half salary until you come back”. Ron accepted this pragmatically, “I know, dad, and I’m sorry, but I need to be here with him”.

He returned from the comms fire to find his lover awake and looking all small and lost and simply lay behind him and held him and felt the tense ball gradually unravel into a human being and relax against him. “I’ve taken more time off from work, they’ll drop my wages, but I’ll still have something coming in. I can’t leave you like this, baby, I just can’t. Now tell me what happened”. Draco turned to him with large scared eyes, “My father...”, was all he managed to stammer out before he broke down. “It....it was so quiet...I went for a walk....the noises....kept making me jump....another nightmare...in the middle of the day...I’m sorry....so sorry”, and he howled into Ron’s shoulder and felt the gentle pressure of two strong arms around him. Safe again.

****

Ginny was having all kinds of problems with Muggle life and felt all out of her depth in a Muggle household. Light switches: You flicked them up and down. Wrong. Some were on a pull switch, mainly the bathrooms. Hermione’s bedroom had a dimmer switch, a turn and click, the lamps, another kind of switch. Oh my, it was confusing. Then Hermione stopped her from putting a match to the logs in the living room grate and turned a knob somewhere out of sight and the ‘coals’ magically lit. “It’s a gas fire made to look like a real one”. Ginny leapt away.

The next issue was where she slept. She half expected to be led to a guest room not faced with a liberal parent asking her, “Don’t be shy, are you Hermione’s ‘friend-who-is-a-girl’ or actual girlfriend, as in, you’re sleeping together?” Ginny reddened and coughed slightly in her embarrassment until Hermione came to her rescue. “She’s my girlfriend, mum, and, yes, we sleep together”. Her mother’s manner was airy, “Oh, cool, I don’t have to make the guest room up, then. See you at dinner”, and that was that.

****

Albus Dumbledore looked over the pile of mail he had for his refugees and exiles, then sorted it for distribution, calling Dobby and delivering up Harry and Severus’, and summoning owls to deliver the interesting selection that young Mr Malfoy had to breakfast the following day.

****

The second week and the weather turned hot. Harry and Severus found a cheap hotel and took themselves and the children for a few days by the seaside to a place with plentiful entertainment for small kiddies and wore them out on the little rides. They were sat at night and their parents could seek their own entertainments out. They spent long days on the beach and Harry showed his children his favourite beach game called, ‘digging to Australia’, the main premise being, that if you dug a deep enough hole you would end up on the other side of the world, and when you dropped through it, you would be upside down. Amanda looked cynical and Alex joined in with gusto. Severus, meanwhile, was building a sandcastle bigger and more fancy than Hogwarts itself and his daughter joined in. The Astronomy tower was destroyed in a single swipe. A wide arm and the great hall was gone. A well aimed wriggle and there went the dungeons and her daddy’s classrooms, and Severus was laughing as he tried to build as fast as his daughter destroyed, then hugged her and held her tight as the sea started to come in, so they went paddling instead and watched the waves totally destroy Severus’ endeavours. They all got brown and sticky and sandy, and the children fell asleep as soon as head met pillow.

They had found one rather sordid gay club. The clientele kept themselves to themselves and they could dance together every night and have a few drinks. They would walk barefoot back to the hotel along the seafront dangling their shoes from their fingers, even venturing out to paddle as this was about the only time the sea came close to the resort and walking slowly, their arms around each other. They would kiss and cuddle on the edge of the sea and feel all sorts of nameless things wash around their ankles, but so long as you didn’t look down, what you didn’t see didn’t hurt you.

Even the children had caught a little colour, Harry noticed as they all sat on the train home, despite the factor 9 zillion that had been diligently applied along with a constant source of drinks, but Harry was most surprised at how quickly his husband had tanned. He himself had started to turn gold, but Severus turned dusky in days.

****

Draco started to open his mail, then promptly climbed off the bench, took a step backwards and sat in the middle of the floor, cross-legged as he absorbed the contents of the letters he had before him. Ron looked round, puzzled, “Erm, Draco, what’s the problem?” Draco grinned up at him, “I’m just trying to make sense of these letters, and when I do, then I fully expect to faint dead away, and by already removing myself to the floor, I minimise the risk of doing myself any serious injury”. Ron just shook his head and laughed turning back to the table.

Albus did that annoying twinkly thing in Ron’s direction that was like an adolescent tongue shoved out that said, ‘Nyah-nah na nah na.... I know something that you don’t’. Ron scowled and looked down at Draco again. Whose eyes were wide as a distracted hand raked his hair, a tiny smile played with his lips then disappeared to be replaced with a frown. The expressions kept altering. Ron released his breath and slid off the bench to the floor and sat beside his lover placing a cautious hand on his knee, “Everything all right, love?”, he whispered.

Draco looked back at him with a big grin, “Oh, yes. What do you say to a spot of shopping this afternoon?”, he leaned in to urgently hiss. Ron pulled back until he could focus on his lover and frowned. Draco grinned and stood, the sheaf of letters in one hand, the other he held out. Ron grasped it and rose to his feet. “Not here”, Draco whispered, “Have you finished breakfast?”. Ron nodded, then was led off at top speed, out of the Hall and back to their room.

Draco shoved Ron in and slammed the door behind them. The look in his eyes was wild. He sat them both side by side on the bed and looked down at the fistful of correspondence he held. He handed them one at a time to a totally bemused Ron, “Okay, this one was from the Ministry. They totally exonerate me from any involvement in my parents’ deaths”, he gulped slightly around this statement, “Due to my willingness to be questioned under Veritaserum and the fact that they have corroborating evidence, and they have the killers of my mother in custody”. Draco heaved a sigh, “This one is from the family solicitor and is full of legalese that was difficult to decipher but it boils down to: read the letter from the bank”. So Draco separated out the third letter. From Gringotts. “I won’t bore you with the petty details, but it would appear that we are now rather well off. I still cannot delve into the Malfoy monies but as I have been exonerated of any malfeasance regarding my mother then I am a full recipient of the remainder of the Black fortune. There’s a nice surprise in here for Harry as well as he was named as Sirius’ heir, so we have a few, erm what’s Muggle money? Quids? Well anyway, a few Galleons”.

Ron glanced at the letter from the bank and searched down the long list of figures until he reached the total line at the bottom, his eyes widened as he read it, then he suddenly felt an old angst climb onto his shoulders and gathered his knees to his chest and sank his head on them feeling glum. Draco had money again. Rather a lot if this statement was to be believed. Once again, he felt like poor Weasley. Draco would dump him. He could afford to now, even though Ron could remember giving him permission to, and his heart was sore as he numbly put the letters aside and turned away, bereft.

Draco read him in a heartbeat, “Ron. No!!! This is ours. Look!!!”, and threw his arms around his red bear. Ron turned warily, “What?”, his voice uncertain. Draco held out his clenched fist turned uppermost then unfurled his fingers. A tiny key lay on his palm, “It’s to vault 815. It’s your key. It’s our vault. Ours. Not mine. Ours. Look at the names on the key”. Ron had to squint as the key was so small, but there it was as plain as day, the vault number and the names, Mr D Malfoy and Mr R Weasley. Merlin! Draco was really serious about them. Ron was still astounded as he took his beloved into his arms and thanked him with a hug that nearly ended it all for Draco until he drew away, his face red, his breath coming in short gasps. Ron apologised for squeezing so tight but was still so confused and delighted. “Why, Draco?”, he eventually coughed out.

He turned his innocent big blues into knowing blue-greys. “Because, you idiot, you have cared for me and loved me like no-one else has in my life, because I love you in a way I have never done with anyone else before, because....do I really need a reason to spoil you?”. Ron smiled shyly and kissed his lover, slowly with increasing tongue, and his lover pulled away, “Later, baby. I want to buy some spray on jeans for you and us both some stuff for this weekend. Whaddya say? Let’s go shopping!!!” Ron shrugged, “Okay, take me shopping. Mum normally made our clothes, or, if we wanted jeans and Muggle stuff, she generally went to the market in the nearest Muggle village. The reason I’m telling you this is because I know bugger all about shopping”.

Draco smirked and ran his hands up the outside of Ron’s t-shirt dallying with the nipples beneath until they peaked then down that strong back feeling every muscle until he near swooned, “I want us to buy you some clubwear for this weekend. Come on, before I get too much of a hard-on to apparate”. Ron groaned and with his small key in his pocket they walked off the property. They vanished seconds later.

****

“So, Half of the Weasley clan and our young marrieds and Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy are off to a decadent carnival this weekend?”, Minerva enquired of Albus as Friday evening became night. Albus just stared and paced, “At the wedding there were some very racy anecdotes told regarding our buttoned up, or as we have always supposed, Potions Master, dressed in full drag with a ten-foot penis and another man/lady in sparkling leotards on a carnival float at this annual event. I can only presume it’s the same one as it is held at the same time of year. I know that Molly buttonholed our dear Severus as the responsible one, but I suspect that things will complicate before the weekend is over”. Minerva just glowered at him.

****

They were in Diagon Alley, but instantly Draco covered them with a cloak and hurried them through the ‘Cauldron after a quick visit to Gringott’s. They arrived on the Muggle side of London without a clue between them, so they followed the crowds and, having taken note of the name of the street that the Leaky Cauldron was on, they got totally lost and had to buy a street map to get back. They bought many things, mainly clothes, and they had the perfect outfits for the coming weekend, not to mention plenty of converted Muggle money, enough to help Severus and Harry pay for the rest of them.

****

Hurrah!!! For a change, Bank Holiday Saturday was a sunny day instead of a rainy one. Harry and Severus had a delightful wake-up, having dropped the kids off the night before, and spent a decadent morning in bed, then Severus wrapped his gown around him and asked Harry to stay in bed, then served him his breakfast. A proper Saturday breakfast. Harry kissed him soundly before tucking in. Then a sexy licky shower later and somehow they made it to the apparition point for midday to meet the others.

The middle of Hough End fields again. There were two local football teams having a match close by, but the scores must have been so close that everyone’s attention was riveted to the game. They gathered themselves together to see Harry and Severus advancing across the grass, grinning.

Before they moved out of the small wood, Severus had Ron and Harry frisk the twins for any mischief and was most surprised when they came up with none, then Harry felt along the hem of one of the jackets, feeling several small lumps and sighed, taking out his little clasp knife and unpicking the hem of the jacket to hear George exclaim, “Well, you asked for half an ounce didn’t you. You gits. The pair of you”, then seeing a lopsided smile, so typical of the Weasleys. Harry chuckled, “There’s totally no magic done here, okay and I’ll mend your jacket”. For the benefit of the twins and Draco, “that’s why you had to leave your wands. Anyway, we’re out as gay here but not Magical.....”, and began their explanations, ending with, “And I don’t want to have to explain why”, and saw his audience nod . Then they walked out onto the main road and caught a bus into town.

Severus noticed the size of the bags the girls were toting, “Surely this isn’t just your make-up bags?”, he grinned archly. Hermione countered immediately, “Oh, no, sir, it’s a lot naughtier than mere make-up”, and grinned. Ginny went puce, she couldn’t quite get a grip of this idea of Severus Snape being an okay guy, despite the fact that he was married to Harry and put her head down. Hermione and Severus exchanged amused glances. Since their little flies together, they had come to understand each other a lot better and realised they shared a similar dry humour. Severus was still stunned that Hermione could skin up on a broom.

They staggered off to drop their bags in their hotel rooms and rejoined the boys in Steve’s pub. He fed them all, “There’s no point in starting the day with an empty stomach”, and a sumptuous meal was placed before everyone. They had to move up as Matt and Jon joined the table, recalling Ron, Ginny and Hermione, but not the gorgeous redheaded boys and the luscious blond. Jonathan regaled the table with tales from the day, and as they ate, he dug into his bag and fished out a few wallets of photos. “Here you go, Severus, your wedding piccies. Sorry it took so long to get them developed”. Harry squealed and leapt on them.

The kiss after he and Severus had spent the night apart. Him holding Severus’ hands to steady his nerves. Them both repeating their vows. Whoa, what the fuck? A Muggle camera captured this? Harry and Severus stared at the photo. They could not be seen as the lights had blown, but the swirling bondlight was as clear as day.

Harry was aghast, “Can all Muggle photography see such things?” Jonathan smiled, “Muggle? You give yourself away, Mr Magical”. All froze for a moment and the man clarified, “I’m so not magical but there is a strain runs through my family. I am linked to a family called Creevey, who I believe are second cousins thrice removed or something. He stared at Severus, “You should have told me”. Severus shook his head, “The fewer that know, the better, let’s keep it that way”.

They continued to look through the packets of pictures, there were several good ones of Minerva, “Wow, she looks good in Muggle clothes”, said George. Hermione smiled, “She looked really lovely that day”, then on to the set taken in the pub at the reception. Harry quickly riffled through them first and hid a couple in his lap without anyone but Severus noticing, then passed them round. When the attention of the table was diverted, Harry showed his lover the secreted pictures, then stashed them in the pockets of his baggy board shorts. They were of an assembled group at the table, but in the background, Ron was plainly visible enjoying a bout of tonsil tennis with Joel over near the bar.

Hermione was busy with her own camera snapping pictures of the group around the table, then Jon relieved her of it, “Go on, you should be in these as well”, she snuggled back into Ginny’s arms but just as the shutter clicked, Ginny grabbed her boobs and the O of her mouth told of her shock. Jon showed the image in it’s small screen around the table to great hilarity and a redfaced Hermione who mumbled, “I’m going to delete that one”, until Fred threatened to confiscate the machine if she did. Ginny nibbled at her girlfriends bare shoulder, “I want a print of that one on my bedside table”, and Hermione relented, tipping her head to one side and gave her more access.

The sound of music and cheering in the distance alerted them and Steve came over, “Come on, you lot, upstairs quickly, you get the best view of the parade from my living room windows”. He led them all upstairs to his own flat. The twins loved the large tall rooms and the balconied French windows, “Very nice”, they murmured. “We need a much bigger space than we have now”.

Steve had to go back down into the pub but he left them all hanging over the balconies as the front of the parade turned into Canal Street. The twins and Ron and Draco shared one and Harry, Severus and the girls shared the other. Severus grabbed a chair and sat, pulling Harry into his lap as they watched.

The ‘Dykes on Bykes’, the roller-skating nuns, the parade of cute sailor-boys in very tight shorts, the brightly decorated floats with loud music pouring from them on different themes. Ginny loved the Village People float and was doing the movements and dance steps. They all sang along to the Abba float. Severus pointed out the float he had been on in previous years, prepared by an AIDS charity and this year full of writhing oiled young men all pole-dancing wearing very little, a few men handing out free condoms to the throngs lining the route.

There were the formation line-dancers, some excellent drag queens, a ‘J-Lo’ impersonator in her limo, a selection of ‘Paris Hiltons’ screaming, “That’s hot!!” at appropriate members of the audience. A busty ‘Pam Anderson’ or two and the star, Lily Savage in full regalia waving in the regal manner of the Queen. Severus reached between the bars of the balcony and snagged a few blooms from one of the hanging baskets. He rained them into the car and ‘she’ looked up at the flowers from heaven and grinned and waved. Severus blew her a kiss as the car passed on and looked round to see the girls looking at him and giggling. He shrugged, “I’m a huge fan of hers and Harry and I have tickets to her show later. Those tickets were rarer than phoenix teeth to get hold of, but Stevie-boy can get anything for this event. Oh, yes, if there’s a particular thing that you want to go to and it’s sold out, just let Steve know and he’ll get you in”.

Hermione blushed again, “Actually there’s a girls-only night that I’ve provisionally booked Ginny and I into later tonight. We’ve got to pick the tickets up before six and we don’t know where the club is”. Severus quizzed her further, “Bloody hell, that girls’ only night. You know that’s a full-on fetish night don’t you?” Both girls looked down then at each other, “Okay, that explains the large bags, perhaps?” Ginny looked up again and started to laugh at the expression on her ex-teacher’s face. She tipped her head aside and fuelled by alcoholic courage enquired, “Why were you never this cool in school, Severus? I mean, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but you’re totally different outside of Hogwarts, not just more relaxed or something, but completely different”.

Severus was thoughtful for a moment, “I’m not sure I want to answer that right now because I don’t want to be reminded of work on such a lovely day, but I will answer it for you one day and a lot of it is down to this man here”, he gave Harry’s thigh a squeeze. She smiled, happy for now, and carried on watching the carnival pass by. Hermione was covertly watching her ex-teacher and her best friend together, the constant touches and little squeezes, the strokes and holds, the kisses, to hair, face, shoulders, hands, neck. The secret smiles and the forehead touches, the gazes into each others eyes, the low murmurs and the long passionate kisses that made them both squirm. She had seen them be affectionate and loving, she had seen them be caring and cuddly as parents and spouses, but this was the sexy side. She totally understood her lover for asking the question she had earlier and Hermione was pretty sure she could answer it herself.

Ginny caught her watching and threaded her arms around Hermione’s middle, “Sexy as hell, aren’t they? Both of them. If he’d been like this as a teacher, I’d have had a crush on him a mile wide”, she whispered. Hermione just nodded and turned to Ginny and kissed the daylights out of her. Hermione shot a look at the other balcony over Ginny’s shoulder, the twins were avidly watching and shouting down to a cute couple of guys while Draco and Ron were just as distracted as they were. There was a sound in the room behind them that brought them all round. Joel with a large tray full of drinks.

Severus stepped back into the room and greeted the man. “I’ve just come on shift. Steve told me you lot were up here, whoa, hello, who are you folk then?. Ron, I remember you from the wedding”. He looked Ron up and down. Draco held out his hand, “I’m Draco, Ron’s boyfriend”. Joel didn’t miss the territoriality in the boy’s tone and just smirked, “Nice to meet you, I’m sure”, he drawled. Ron then introduced his brothers and Joel’s eyes widened, “Well, what a pretty family”, as he shook their hands. The two girls he remembered and gave them both a peck on the cheek, “Ginny, any more like those brothers at home?”. She laughed, “Three actually, I’m the only girl, but the older ones are all married or straight”. The lad arched a brow worthy of a Malfoy, “That’s what they all say, dear”. Draco decided that he loathed this lad, particularly the looks he was giving Ron and hissed questions at him once he’d left to go back down to the bar.

“How did he know your favourite cocktail. I didn’t even know you drank them, and I don’t like the way he looks at you”, he knew he was being petulant, but he didn’t want anyone stealing his lover away. Ron loved Draco when he was being jealous and possessive and took him in his arms, “Draco, lover of mine, this is a cocktail bar and Joel is a top mixologist, he got the lot of us totally plastered at the wedding, even Albus and Minerva needed pepper-up potion so that none of us would splinch on the way home, and okay, he probably fancies me, but hey, you can’t keep me locked away or anything. Are you jealous, just because he’s drooling over me and not you?” Draco harrumphed his disapproval and buried his face in Ron’s shoulder. Severus had witnessed the whole exchange and chuckled turning back to the balcony with his and Harry’s fresh drinks.

After the last of the parade had passed, they all trooped downstairs again with the trays and the dirty glasses and placed them on one of the bars. They all thanked Steve for letting them watch from his window and headed outside into the sun. They tried to wander about, but the street was so crowded, so Severus took them into a tiny park with a stage and they sat and watched the acts for a while. The girls took off alone to check out the little marketplace and the twins spotted the funfair and decided to have a go. Ron and Draco followed them a while later.

Severus sat with his back to a tree and pulled Harry down so his beloved sat with his back against his chest between Severus’ parted legs and they laughed at the extremely camp young comic on the stage. The next band were a bit boring but neither of them noticed being wrapped up in each other, Harry now straddled his lover’s lap with his tongue in his mouth and Severus’ hands up the back of his vest top. They were being idly watched by their neighbours or completely ignored. Harry loved it all, the spectacle, the laughs, even the crowds, but especially being able to snog his husband senseless surrounded by loads of people who didn’t give a monkey’s.

His phone rang and they broke another steamy kiss and Harry answered, “Put your phone on speaker, I’m sending you pictures”. Hermione. She had found some highly amusing t-shirts and showed Harry the designs. He laughed as she asked him to come off speaker and he pressed the phone to his ear. “What’s Severus’s size and which design did you like best?” He grinned, “Large and either the second or third one”. They shared a dirty chuckle and rang off.

The girls bounced up moments later bearing carrier bags and dropped one each into Severus and Harry’s laps, “That’s a little thank you for a great day”, as Severus withdrew his shirt. On the front there was a wizard in a crooked pointy hat covered in stars straddling a broomstick with the end poking suggestively through the front of ‘pride’-coloured robes and being firmly grasped by said wizard. The legend on the back ran., ‘Wizards ride brooms too’. Severus guffawed and thanked them. Harry’s was a lot hornier and was a comic strip of two of the standard figures on men’s room doors getting together and buggering each other. Harry howled, “This one I shall wear the next time we are stuck at Hogwarts over the holidays. I want to see Grumbledrawers’ face when he figures it out”. They all chuckled.

The next band on were an all-girl band that Hermione wanted to see live, so the girls moved closer to the stage and Severus and Harry went in search of more refreshment. There was a guy on the street corner selling cold cans out of a barrel of ice and they bought a couple than passed on to look at the marketplace for themselves. Severus murmured, “It was very sweet of the girls to buy us those shirts”. Harry grinned, “That’s ‘Mione’s way. She’s very generous and has a huge heart. She can be a bit over-protective at times, but I love her to bits. She’s like the bossy older sister that every man should have not to mention the best girlfriend that every gay guy needs. There’s nothing I can’t tell her”.

Severus tightened his hold around Harry’s shoulders, “When you lot were in seventh year, I would watch the three of you at dinner and I envied your closeness, the way you mesh together, complete each other somehow. I’m sorry I was an insufferable bully towards you all, I actually like Hermione very much and I’m rapidly warming to Ron, particularly the way he handles Draco, he’s so patient with his snits and so gentle with him. That spoiled godson of mine needs just that and he’s recovered remarkably from his parent’s deaths”, he mused.

They ran into the objects of their conversation a moment or two later browsing just as they were doing. Ron giggled as he related his last sight of the twins, dragging some cute young thing back to their hotel, “The poor boy won’t know what’s hit him”, sniggered Draco, “He seemed pretty amazed at the thought that they come in pairs”. Severus rolled his eyes, “I don’t want to think about that right now. How’s about another pint?” and they all sauntered off in search of the ice barrel and some fresh cans.

As the day waned they re-convened in the bar of the hotel where all eight were booked in for a meal. The twins appeared looking very shagged and shower damp. They were having the time of their lives, “Well”, George commented, “They keep handing out all these free johnnies, it would be criminal not to take them up on their generosity”. Ginny smirked, “So you two have been having a sandwich buffet all afternoon?” Fred sniggered, “Oh, yes, all different flavours. The last one was the fourth so far. Yummy. And we’ve both got dates for later. Fuck, this is brilliant, Severus, and you come here every year?”

Severus grinned, “Well, not last year, as Harry was nearly ready to give birth and I was learning all about how to care for a teeny baby, but, yes, I’ve been many times before. I have been on one of the floats a few times too, I am involved with one of the charities and being included like that is great fun, more so than just being a spectator”. Harry leaned into him, “We’ll have to be involved again. I’d like to do something for charity too, and I’d love to meet more of your friends”. Severus kissed the top of Harry’s head and whispered just for his love’s ear, “My sweet big-hearted Gryffindor”.

They had a hearty meal to set them up for the evening then Severus and Harry slipped home to change. They were all meeting up to watch heats of the Mr Gay UK contest later, including the girls who were totally fascinated by the idea. They split up.

Severus made it as far as the sofa at home before he was jumped by a horny Harry and they had a hot fast fuck to ease the build-up of the day’s delicious tensions then took their time in the shower letting the pressure build again with no release. They were very close in the taxi but as ‘Disco Dave’ was their driver, they knew he didn’t mind their canoodling in the back seat. He played his usual selection of old Motown tunes, his mini disco ball swinging from the rear view mirror putting them in the right mood for the evening ahead.

There was just six that made it to the contest, the twins were meeting their dates. The contest was fun but got a bit boring so they were all making sarcastic comments among themselves. Draco remarked that all the bodies looked the same. Severus grinned, “This is standard issue generic ‘gay’, all buffed, fake-tanned, under twenty and no sign of body hair. It makes me feel old”.

Harry laughed and swatted him, “Shut up, some of us love our hairy, flabby, pale old men”, and made them all laugh and Severus had the grace to blush as Harry nuzzled his face into his beloved’s chest and hugged him tight. Draco had also been watching the two on and off all day, remembering the crush he had had on Severus, the brief affair with Harry and smiled. Ron caught the look and leaned over to his lover, “They’re hot aren’t they?”. Draco hummed, “Mmmm, I wonder if they ever ‘share’. Would you fancy it if they do?” Ron’s eyes widened, “Bloody hell, Draco. I, er, dunno, love. I’m not sure I want to share you these days. Does that bother you?” Draco smiled widely and drew Ron into his arms for a bone-melting kiss, “No not really”, he gasped out as they came up for air, “I bet Severus’s not a ‘sharer’ either, he’s very possessive of Harry”. Ron grinned, “I feel quite possessive of you too”, and narrowed his eyes lustfully as his lover moved in for another kiss.

Matt and Jon joined them all halfway through the show and Jon had them all in stitches with his own sarky comments. Ginny chuckled, “I wanna take him home and put him on the mantelpiece”, to which Severus rejoined, quick as a flash, in a stage whisper, “Aye, but I’d want a large cloth to throw over his cage at night to shut him up”, and both girls giggled. They continued to make catty comments all through the show.

Harry, Severus, Matt and Jon had tickets to the Lily Savage show, so they bid their friends adieu outside the contest venue and separated. Ron and Draco watched them go. “That Matt is pretty fucking gorgeous and his boyfriend’s a scream”, Ron remarked. Draco turned to him, “Oi, keep your tongue from hanging out”, and Ron kissed him messily, “Jealous, M’sieur Malfoy?” Draco swatted him, “You wish, Weasel”. Ron grinned his lopsided grin that made a puddle of Draco, though he’d never admitted it, and said, “Okay, Ferret, girlies, where next?” They had no idea.

They wandered about until some music they all liked came streaming out of a club then paid their tenners and went in, they were all in the mood to dance and this place had a roof terrace that would be cooler than indoors. They gravitated to the roof and Ron and his sister went to the bar. It was still only mid-evening so Draco managed to snag a table while Hermione rounded up seating. She flopped into a chair, “God, this is great. I’m loving it here”. Draco smirked, “The name’s ‘Draco’, and I’m having a great time”. Hermione giggled and swatted out at him but he flinched and she missed. She settled for pulling her tongue out at him instead and they both laughed.

“To think all of this was to lure the twins out and get them to meet new people so they wouldn’t be as involved, erm, in each other”. Draco made a face, “Involved as in....? Oh, eewww, you don’t mean...?”. Hermione, a bit pissed, grinned and nodded, “Severus and Ginny walked in on them last month when we were all at the Burrow, but we didn’t dare tell Ron”.

“Didn’t dare tell Ron what?”, came Ron’s voice from behind them. Hermione flinched and turned, her eyes wide, “Erm, sorry, hon, it was something pretty nasty about the twins”. Ron put the tray he was carrying down and started to dole out drinks, “Ooohhh, you mean about them shagging each other? I know about that, they’ve been at it for years, pervy bastards. I bet by now they’ve shagged a dozen guys between them, maybe a couple of girls and given a ‘twin’ show in some random hotel room ‘cos they’ve run out of beer money. Is that what this is all about? Trying to separate those two? Great idea, but no chance. Those two are a law unto themselves, and there isn’t a law in the land that they won’t willingly break. I wouldn’t get all steamed up about that if I was you, just enjoy this excellent day and have fun”.

That shut everyone up and they concentrated on the selection of drinks before them. Ron had decided to order cold champagne and a cocktail each as well as their regular tipples to wash it all down with. Ginny was thoughtful as she imbibed her ‘slow comfortable screw in the dark’, “So you knew? About the twins?” Ron shrugged, “Yeah, I think I was in third year the first time I saw ‘em at it. Come on, why did the Patil girls never get a date at school except for me and Harry at the Yule Ball in fourth year? It’s a twin thing, I tell you. C’mon, ‘Mione, you always did have your suspicions about those two, after all you were in the same classes with them for seven years”. Hermione and Ginny had gone quite pale. Draco, always a pale boy was positively ashen.

Hermione was the first to speak. She simply lifted her glass and said, “I think I need to get spectacularly drunk. Bottoms up, chaps”, and downed her cocktail in a single swallow. Draco and Ginny caught on, “I think I need to join you”, said Draco in a small voice and downed his with Ginny following suit. Ron shrugged again and downed his and grinned as the rush left the pit of his stomach and joined the effects of the weed they had imbibed earlier in his nerve endings. “I need to dance”, he declared, and, as if at his personal request, the music beneath them grew louder and they could feel the heat and the beat in their feet.

Hermione rolled a blunt as she watched her best friend and his lover dance together. She lit it, blowing the smoke over the parapet of the terrace, Ginny snuggled in her arms and they kissed, Hermione blowing smoke into her lover’s lungs after each toke. Ginny running a hand along her girlfriend’s thigh and up under the tiny mini she wore squeezing her bum cheek unencumbered by cloth. As they danced, Ron glanced at the girls and pointed out their sexiness to his boyfriend.

“Mmmm, for girlies, they are hot together”, and consumed his lover’s mouth again. Ron murmured, “I guess that makes you a hundred per cent pouf then?” Draco grinned around Ron’s tongue, “I’ve never led you to believe otherwise, have I?”, and was caught up in those big strong arms he loved so much and snogged to oblivion, sighing as he relaxed his weight into the arms that held him.

The girls were making their own comments from their vantage point and both agreed that best friend/brother was a good match for the hot blond he danced with and kissed with and was devouring as the blond visibly capitulated to strong arms and a kiss that could melt glaciers faster than global warming.

After another blunt and a glass of champagne, the girls stood for a dance, the taller Ginny threading her arms around Hermione’s neck and Hermione clutching her bum as they moved, then as the movements grew as they warmed up, each had her hands on the other’s shoulders as they shimmied and dipped to the floor shaking their barely covered derrieres, then turned back to back and sank again their bodies undulating against each other with each beat, drawing the attentions of the clientele up on the terrace with them. At the end of the track the crowd on the roof applauded and the two staggered slightly, giggled and curtsied. Draco murmured to his lover, “Now, they’re hot”, and Ron laughed.

The girls laughed aloud all the way back to their seats and gulped liquid, whatever it was, after their strenuous dance. Hermione pulled out her phone and picked up a couple of messages, “Harry says the Savage show was brilliant and the twins are having a great time in somewhere called ‘Essential’. Me and you need to go and change, sweetie”, she faced her girlfriend, who perked up at this. “Then let’s go”, Ginny growled as they stood again and pulled Hermione to her for a heated kiss. They bent and kissed their escorts and left swiftly.

“What do you suppose that was all about?”, Draco enquired of his lover. Ron shrugged, “They’ve been secretive about it all day. Let’s dance. D’you want to brave the sweatiness of downstairs or another one up here?” Draco moved into Ron’s arms and let himself melt, “Right here will be fine”, and he loved it as his lover’s mouth opened over his and he let the night and the love and the music overtake him.

****

After the show, the two couples had split up, Matt and Jon heading for a club. Harry and Severus heading for one of the blue ticket events that Severus had booked them into. They should have been forewarned by the event name, ‘The Dungeon’ but after they were seated in a dark booth, a torture scenario began to be played out before them and Severus grabbed Harry and left in a hurry.

Severus slumped against a wall, his skin pale, “I asked Steve not to book us into torture shows”, there was a line of sweat on his upper lip. Harry took him into his arms and warmed the chills he could feel emanating from his husband’s body. His shivers eventually stilled in Harry’s arms then they kissed, long and slow, “Let’s go on to the next show”, Harry murmured then paused, his eyes spying something over Severus’ shoulder.

They both turned. Towards them walked Ginny and Hermione in full fetish gear. Hermione was wearing a teeny rubber mini and bra with mile-high boots. Ginny was more covered but in a way that left nothing to the imagination, in a leather all-in-one catsuit with cut-outs at waist and thigh. Hermione wore a studded leather collar at her throat with a short leash attached that Ginny held the other end of.

Harry stepped in front of them causing them to halt. “Whoa, ladies”, he exclaimed. Ginny twitched and twisted the leash and Hermione sank to her knees, “Yes?!!”, she spat, taller by far than Harry, who cast a worried glance at his best friend on the floor who merely shook her head, ‘No’. Harry gulped, “I was just, er, admiring the clobber. It’s very, er, different. I mean, I didn’t realise, er, oh shit, I’m jabbering aren’t I?”.

Ginny regarded them coolly and twisted the collar so Hermione stood again, “IF you will excuse us”, her voice was dark and sepulchral, her tones clipped, well worthy of a Malfoy and they passed by. Hermione shot a stunned Harry a grin and a wink only to have her face pulled front by her Domme. She obeyed at once.

Severus carefully regarded Harry’s face as a myriad of emotions flitted across it and behind those green eyes as the girls walked away. Harry was speechless. He scrubbed his face with his hands. “Did I really see that?”, he whispered. Severus’ eyes were alight. He shrugged in merriment, “Yes. We really did. The two we have always believed as Dominants are really subs. It’s fucking hilarious”. He started to laugh but Harry was still stunned then glanced at his lover in stitches and felt the mirth bubble up and spill over, “Oh. Shit!! My best mate, a secret sub. Oh, this is priceless. Wait ‘til I tell Ron!!” Severus brought him up sharply, “What do you mean, tell Ron?” Harry laughed some more, “We tell each other everything. Ron knew I fancied you before you did. I remember you telling me I would be a lousy Slytherin and this is why. Oh, I wish I had ‘Mione’s camera”.

Severus pressed Harry against the wall and kissed him again, “So, you find that your natural ‘bottom’ friend is a Dom top, and your ‘Domme top’ girlie is actually a sub bottom. How does that feel? And all in a day, too”. Severus was smirking fit to burst and Harry silenced the mirth with a kiss that stole breath and composure and the legs from under the kissers, they had to seek seating and found it, Severus landing across Harry’s knees and feeling long fingers tugging off the elastic around his hair and giving a small shake as it was released, the blue-black strands half way down his back, Harry’s fingers buried themselves and the kiss deepened. They emerged, panting for breath, touching foreheads. “Okay, it’s officially weird, but Hermione’s a law unto herself, and whatever is okay in her universe is okay in mine. We have always trusted each other. We are both brave souls. We go where folk haven’t gone before. That’s what bravery/foolhardiness is about. Both of them are Gryffindors. It’s entirely consensual, it’ll probably have safe words and it’s hot as fuck!!!!” Harry finished with a grin on his face and his knuckles stuffed into his mouth.

They went to the next show. A sweet vanilla fucking on the stage, the boys performing at least looked like they fancied each other. In their dark booth, Severus fucked his husband with his eyes closed but Harry’s were wide open, taking in the scene before him. He liked to watch. It helped that the pair before him were a redhead and a platinum blond.