Somewhere

*yawn* tired!

severus: then try sleeping
isis: can't
severus: have you even tried?
isis: yes! i just end up making pictures in the crappy artex or whatever it is on my ceiling. did you know there's a rooster and a lion above my bed?
severus: lack of sleep has finally addled her brain
isis: no seriously there is!

tis now 2:39am but i wanted to get this written up for you. the fact that i seem to be suffering from insomnia again helps. my sleeping pattern is so screwed *yawn*

oo wait good song! *head bangs to scooter* yeah man!!

yeah ok enough of that here you go a new chapter
wasn't sure if i should give this to you but what can i say i'm in a giving mood
in the next chapter you get to find out a bit more about that dagger.

in four chapters you get your smut... and boy is there a lot of it!
it's 12 A5's long and took me about a week to write!
bear in mind most of them so far have been 6-10 A5's long so that's a biggy!!

ok on with the show

oh wait if you haven't read 'Happy Birthday' by Vyator go read it!
it's my belated birthday present and i laughed like a drain when i read it
see if you can pick out the thing that it has in common with this story... i'll give you a clue
if the thing in this story saw the thing in that story i'm sure he'd be terrified that it was one of his brethren or that it'd happen to him!

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He flew through the corridors as the large black owl that he’d seen Hedwig with earlier. No one paid him any attention except for one first year that wasn’t quite used to the idea of owls flying around yet. Harry guessed he’d probably come from a muggle family. Finally he reached the training room and Severus’ quarters, all without incident. Hovering in front of the door that led to the man’s chambers, he tried to scratch at the wood with his talons, in an attempt to get the occupant to let him, only to find that it was a lot harder than he’d first thought. Seeing that he was going nowhere fast he let out a loud screech, hoping that would attract some attention instead. It worked. In a way.

“Hey Oberon,” came a tired, quite voice.

Turning his head from where he hovered he looked with large owl eyes into the gloom, only to see Malfoy approaching from further down the corridor. The young man drew level with him and offered his arm, which Harry took warily, landing gently.

“Won’t he let you in?” said Malfoy as he looked at the owl perched on his arm. Slowly, so as not to disturb the Harry owl, the pale wizard turned and knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Severus in a shirt and slacks.

“Yes Mr Malfoy?” he asked.

“Your owl wanted to get in Sir.”

“But Oberon is…” he started to say before he was quickly cut off by Harry, seconds before he blew his cover.

“It’s me!” he shouted down the connection.

“Oh, thank you Mr Malfoy,” he said, holding out his arm so that Harry could hop onto it.

“You’re welcome Sir,” Malfoy said before walking off down the corridor.

No sooner than he’d shut the door than Harry changed back into himself, supported by Severus’ strong arms. He sat there grinning, enjoying the feel of the strength holding him so gently.

“Hello,” he said quietly.

“Hello,” replied Severus, setting him down on his feet, but not letting him go.

“I came to see you.”

“I can see that.”

“I didn’t realise that was your owl,” he said, twinning his arms around the taller man’s neck.

“Mmhm,” he replied, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Harry’s lips.

“Is that all you’ve got for me?” said Harry with a smile.

“Harry, don’t you think that this is all going a bit fast?” he asked.

“No. I’ve had feelings for you for quite a while now and I finally realised that I loved you weeks ago. This feels so right Severus, like it was always meant to be. Tell me you don’t feel it?”

“I do and I think I can say that I love you. This feels right in a way that I’ve never experienced before. Yes, I do, I love you Harry Potter. I suppose it happened at the cottage when you came of age. I was so worried that I’d loose you. Everything changed there, for the better.”

“I love you Severus,” he said, leaning up to kiss the thin lips that he’d come to adore.

It was everything he’d remembered and more. This time there was more passion behind the kiss, tongues battling for dominance, Harry pressed up against the door, a firm leg thrust between his own. This was the Severus of his dreams, dominant yet gentle, taking control of the situation and yet Harry felt no fear. Fingers stroked his neck, releasing his hair from the tie that bound it, only to card through it, pulling him impossibly closer. He moaned, his skin seemingly hypersensitive, tiny shivers running up and down his body every time the other man touched him. He’d never experienced a kiss like this before. Finally, just when he thought he might pass out from lack of oxygen, they broke apart, both breathing heavily.

“I don’t think I could ever tire of that,” he said breathlessly.

“Good,” growled Severus, swooping in to claim another kiss, only to be interrupted by a chiming noise.

“What was that?” Harry asked.

“An alarm that I installed in the training room. It would appear that your friends are here,” he said, silently cursing them for their bad timing.

“Oh, right. I suppose we should go and see them before they think that you’re doing horrible things to me,” he said, going to open the door.

“I could have done a lot of things to you if they hadn’t turned up. Maybe I should tell them to go away. Perhaps I could threaten them with bodily harm,” muttered Severus through the link, making Harry laugh as they walked into the training room.

“Did we miss something?” said Ron.

“No,” said Harry, turning to look at the man that followed him into the room, still laughing at the mental picture he given him.

“Ok then. So what are we going to be doing anyway?”

“Well for starters you’re going to need to warm up or you won’t be able to move tomorrow. After that we’ll get you started on some basic hand-to-hand and weapon work. Later on when you’ve had more training I want you to help me learn how to fight blind.

“Fight blind?” asked Hermione.

“Yeah. If anything were to ever compromise my sight during a fight I need to be able to carry on. That’s why I need your help.”

“Oh, that sounds interesting.”

“I should think it will be. For now though it’s warm up time,” he grinned.

Ten minutes later and with everyone limbered up, Harry was teaching Ron a few simple moves with a short sword, while Severus corrected Hermione’s stance as she drew back on the bow that she’d chosen. Finally loosing, she watched as the arrow flew straight and true, embedding itself in the outer ring. Meanwhile Harry had knocked Ron’s sword out of his hand and had his own at the redhead’s throat.

“This could take some time,” Ron muttered.

“Don’t worry, you’ll soon get the hang of it,” grinned Harry as he dropped his arm to his side, the point of the sword lightly scraping the floor.

“Alight then Mr Fantastic, why don’t you show us how it’s done.”

“Fine, what do you want to see?” he said, going to put his sword back.

“We’ve got at least two hours. Give us everything you’ve got and at least then we’ll know what we’ve got to live up to.”

“Ok, archery first then. You joining me?” he said, looking at Severus, “I’ll even let you have the twin blades if you win,” he said, flashing him a grin.

“You’re on potter,” Severus growled, going to fetch his own hefty black bow and Harry’s cherry wood one, throwing it across the room where the shorted wizard plucked it deftly from out of the air.

“Rules?”

“Ten arrow quick draw. Closest to the centre wins,” he replied, strapping a quiver to his back and handing another to Harry. Pulling an arrow out he nocked it on the string, took up a firing stance and aimed at the target.

“Ready?” asked Harry, an arrow ready and waiting.

“Yes. If you would do the honours Miss Granger.”

“Ermmm… go?” she said, not quite sure what to say.

Almost as soon as she’d said it though two arrows flew across the room, embedding themselves in the compacted straw of the targets. Ron and Hermione watched as the two men reached back in almost perfect synchronisation and plucked arrows from their quivers, so fast it was almost a blur, then aimed at the targets once more before repeating the process all over again. In less than a minute two separate targets had taken on the appearance of pincushions, both peppered with arrows clustered in the bullseye.

“Woah,” said Ron, letting out a low whistle.

“How can you do that? It was all so fast. I could hardly even draw that little bow and yours is twice the size,” Hermione said in awe.

“Practice. We both started out on the small bows, building up our strength and moving up the bows until we could pull the longbows. You just get better and faster the more you practice. It’s the same with hand-to-hand and the swords. I couldn’t even lift the claymore when I first started training and now I can go a good half an hour with it. I’ve been doing this all summer so I can fight with everything in here now. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. In the mean time do you want to check who won Hermione? I want those twin blades,” he said with a grin at Severus.

Getting up she walked to the targets and used a simple measuring spell to check who was closest to the centre. Turning she looked at the tow men that were stood at the other end of the room. They both stood with a grace that she guessed came from all the training. They stood with one hand resting on their bows, the other arm hanging loosely at their sides, ready to put another arrow on the string in a heartbeat. There was something else as well though, an ease in the way they stood together that she’d never noticed before. It was in the way they spoke to one another as well. Something had happened during the summer, she just didn’t know what.

“Well, who won?” asked Harry.

“Ummm… Professor Snape did.”

“What?!” yelped Harry.

“Professor Snape is just marginally closer,” she said.

“Now you’re in for it Potter,” muttered Severus as he moved to put his bow back and pick up the twin blades.

“Oh bugger.”

“Try the katana this time. It’s lighter so I expect you to move faster.”

“I am so screwed,” he sighed.

“Not yet,” Severus purred down the link, making Harry shiver and gulp.

“Ok I’m ready,” he said, plucking the katana from its holder. He hadn’t used it all that much before and the sheer lightness of it threw him off balance. He was much more used to the bulkier, heavier western style swords. He found the whole thing slightly disconcerting when he turned to face Severus.

“Then guard yourself,” the taller man said, a split second before he rushed him, twin blades slashing the air.

Again Ron and Hermione watched in fascination as they moved around each other, so fluid in their movements that it was like watching two dancers. For the first few minutes Severus had the upper hand as Harry adjusted his technique to work in sync with the unfamiliar, lighter sword. When he’d done that though, he stopped guarding and went on the offensive. Blades connected time and time again, flashing through the air, singing as metal kissed metal. Finally it came to a climax when Severus slid one of the blades down the katana, twisting his wrist to flick it out of Harry’s grasp, sending it skittering across the floor. Seconds later he found himself pinned between a lean, firm body and the cold stone wall, a leg thrust between his own and two sharp blades at his throat.

“You loose Potter,” Severus purred in his ear.

“Fine, but I’d get off me or people will talk and you’ll have to explain my hard on,” he purred back, so quietly only Severus could hear him, giving a subtle thrust of his hips as though he was trying to get away.

With an almost audible swallow Severus quickly stepped away, going to replace the twin blades on the rack. Meanwhile Harry went to talk to Ron and Hermione sat and tried to digest what she’d just seen. Something had defiantly changed. For the next hour and a half Harry and Severus showed them everything that they would be learning over the next year. They fought with staffs and daggers, Harry showing them knife throwing and even the graceful yet demanding form of Tai-Chi come yoga that he’d developed, full of balancing positions to help strengthen his leg and arm muscles and clear his mind. They ended with hand-to-hand combat, again amazing their audience with the speed at which they moved. It ended though when Harry caught Severus off guard and unbalanced him, sending them both crashing to the ground, Harry half knelt, half sprawled across his chest.

“I win,” he proclaimed happily with a dazzling smile at the scowling man beneath him.

“Congratulations, now please remove yourself.”

With a grin Harry changed into the wolf in the blink of an eye. Looking down his snout at the other man he inhaled deeply, smelling the unique scent that was all Severus, before giving a wolfish grin and swiping his tongue up the side of the man’s face.

“Urgh! Potter!!”

Leaping off him he ran to hide behind Ron and Hermione, peaking out from behind them. Taking another deep breath he fixed their scents into his mind. Hermione laughed as he snuffled in her hair, the strong scent of her perfume making him sneeze.

“Don’t think you can hide behind them Potter. Get out here,” growled Severus, getting up and wiping his face.

With a whimper Harry crawled out from behind Ron and Hermione on his belly towards Severus. Looking up at the man he hid his eyes with his paws and whined.

“Get a grip and don’t do that again. Next time you do you won’t get away with it. I shall shave your hair off instead and a bald wolf is anything but attractive,” he said, making Harry whimper and whine even louder.

Finally he changed back and sat cross legged on the floor at Severus’ feet, his bottom lip quivering, emerald eyes impossibly large.

“But I don’t want to be bald.”

“Then don’t do it again.”

“You’re just no fun, you know that?”

“Ummm… not wanting to interrupt or anything but we should be getting back,” said Ron.

“Ok. You two go ahead and I’ll be there soon.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Don’t forget the cloak.”

“Bye Harry, Professor,” said Hermione as she ducked under the cloak with Ron and left the room.

“Now, you come with me,” said Severus, offering his hand to Harry.


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reviews make me happy! (they make me type faster as well!)

To the luberly reviewers

ladyroo88 -- ORANGE! *pounces on fruit* nomnomnom..... *burp* excuse me *blush* anyway thanks and yes remus is the best bless him and of course sev is hot!

kunitsu -- *dies cus she just came across the tangoing alan rickman song* oh the dangers of listening to music while you work! right back to you... hell yes i like making people curious! i LOVE IT! a lot of my chapters are started in a way that makes you curious or things are added that don't quite make sense or make you think... hehehe yeah the image in my head with siri was just priceless! i really wish there was a way to capture my daydreams on this story and show them to you all.... actually that might be a bad idea.... yeah might put you in a padded cell!

Dragonsnurse -- *walks like an egyptian* pp comfy cell! gotta be better than the wardrobe they're all crammed in at the min *ignores the muffled protests and bangs* be quiet you'll wake the neighbours! yeah harry had to cinfide in remus remus is a sweety... kinda like.... i dunno.... remus i suppose....

Slytherdor -- yeah don't worry sev will get his stone but not for a while i'm saving it for something special. glad you're still with me and HAPPY HOUSEWARMING! i'd send you a cactus but you know... oo i know virtual mind beam cactus *rubs temples and beams image of a cactus into your head* did it work?

Carmeleyes -- it's burned into mine along with a load of other things from this story... some not so good as others but hey never mind the good out weights the bad!

Tina109 -- thankies and i will be doing a degree in Archaeology and Landscape History... i get to do phorensics after christmas! *dances happily* yay dead things!

Leentje -- thankies and there you go my dear one more chapter. hopefully you'll get another one or two before i start back at college as well.

Werewolf Mistress -- hehe he went and washed them with bleach after! lol

KuraiKitteh!! *glomps shale almost squishing him* aww sorry hunny
Shale: it's ok. play with me!
Isis: i can't hun i'm talking to the loverly readers
Shale: will they play with me?
Isis: i don't know why don't you go find harry?
Shale: ok. bye everyone
Isis: crazy kitten but i loves him

Fyrefly -- glad you like it that much *hugs you and hands you a numair plushie* here i have the real thing in the wardrobe! at the min i'm focusing on this story (i've got about 8 others in various states of completion and the plots for about 5 more) but i'll stick it in my possiblesfor the future cus the idea of sev and numair kinda amuses me... maybe a oneshot.... hmmmm....

Amanda Rose -- ahahaha never say it could be worse to me because i usually come up with some bizarre scenerio where it could be a lot lot worse! other than that yeah having that image burned into your brain ain't that bad *strokes the mental image* but poor harry!

iGlow -- you're back!! *throws herself at you* yay! aww shucks! the fact that you don't like nice sevs but you like mine is the greatest compliment EVER!! lolz i'm glad you like him. i tried to give him a reason to be nice rather than just making him sappy as shit and all that

Vyator -- punishment? eh? *goes to check previous reply to comment* OOOOHHH! hell yes i'd bring a whip! only thing is i don't have one... but lozee did promise me a bullwhip for christmas... are you prepared my loverly?

bumblebee -- *chases after you with a broom* WADDAYA MEAN!! sweeney is great! don't we just kick out some weirdos from jolly old england?! the story is great in my eyes but then i love thinsg like that :D

greenwizard -- yes there is still a mailing list if you give me your address. as for starting a lot of my chapters with 'he'.... i do it on purpose. i purposely write like that so that at the beginnin you don't know who exactly i'm talking about so it adds a bit of tension and you have to read on. it's jusy my style i suppose

Christine -- you have been added to my ever growing list my dear and i'm glad you are enjoying it


*listens to alan singing on the sweeney soundtrack*
i have such a weird eclectic taste in music!

ok R&R please people *gives you all the puppy dog eyes*