Check Mate

Harry roused slowly from his slumber. His pillow was warm and fragrant, smelling of musk, cinnamon and deep forest. He sleepily opened his eyes to see the warm golden brown eyes of his Mate watching him. Slowly the events of the previous night came to him as he woke completely up.

“Good morning my love,” rumbled his pillow.

Harry pinked prettily in the morning air. He’d just realized that he and Remus were still lying on the Stone in the Pack Circle. Looking around, he decided that there wasn’t any reason to hide this morning when everyone had seen it all last night. He snuggled against his Mate and kissed him softly on the chin.

“Good morning to you too,” he mumbled. Stretching, he winced as muscles not normally used in Quidditch pulled and announced their displeasure to his brain. “Ouch,” he said as his stomach rumbled.

Remus snickered and sat up. “Sore? I am sure that Lenore prepared ahead and has something to help us out this morning.” He slid easily off of the Stone and held a hand out to Harry. “Let’s go find some breakfast and a shower.”

Pulling on the damp clothes from the night before, they headed off to Lenore’s.

The front door was standing open in invitation, and Lenore met them in the entryway.

“You two go shower and breakfast will be ready when you return. You were wonderful last night, but I don’t want to relieve it with every breath I take this morning.” She grinned at their chagrinned expression. “Off to the showers with you now!”

Laughter followed them up the stairs to the shower.


Stepping into the shower Harry leaned against his lover and allowed the water to pound his sore muscles. Remus lathered up his hands and began to wash his Mate's body, enjoying the sensation of smooth skin under his palms.

Harry had never felt so loved and cared-for as he did right now under the soothing hands of his lover. He turned around to capture a kiss from Remus then he slid down to his knees and began licking along his belly and half hard cock.

Remus leaned against the wall as his young lover took him into his mouth and begun licking and sucking, pulling him deeper into his mouth.

“Damn Harry… you are a fast learner….” Remus panted as an adept tongue dipped into the slit and then swirled around the head of his cock.

Harry hummed around the firm length in his mouth as he sucked harder on it. His right hand came up to grip the base of the cock and play with the lightly furred ball-sack while his other hand rested on the tense thigh of his Mate, using it to brace himself on the slippery floor of the shower.

Remus growled deep in his throat. “Suck a little harder, lover… yes… that’s it,” he rasped out as Harry followed his directions. “Take me deeper, relax your throat and swallow me.”

Harry found that he liked being told what to do by his Mate, at least in the bedroom. He relaxed his throat, choking a little as the thick length pushed further in to the back of his throat. He swallowed convulsively around it, causing Remus to snarl at the sensation. Hands threaded themselves through his hair, gripping his skull as his lover began to fuck his mouth.

Harry grabbed onto Remus’ hips to keep from falling over as his Mate pushed deeply into his throat and came with a shout.

Broad hands moved from his head to his shoulders, pulling him to his feet as a warm pair of lips descended to nibble over his. “I could get used to that as part of my morning routine,” Remus whispered into Harry’s mouth.

Nothing more was said as they finished showering and headed back to the kitchen to eat a late breakfast.

Lenore gave them a telling look as they wandered into the kitchen still somewhat damp from their shower. Shooing them to the table, she set down the plates of food in front of them and relaxed into a chair across from them. She hid her smile at Harry’s discomfort when he sat, as the past two days had shown her that he wasn’t used to the openness that the Pack had about sex. She handed over a small bottle to him, and at his questioning look she said, “Healing draught,” she said. “Thought you might be a little sore this morning.”

“Thank you,” Harry mumbled as he flushed pink.

“My pleasure, I assure you,” she replied with a laugh. “When do you need to return to the school?” she asked Remus.

“Today. I’m sure that there has already been an alarm raised. We… ahem… didn’t tell anyone that we were leaving. I am sure that Harry was found to missing night before last, and that all are worried.”

“I didn’t even think about how worried they were going to be,” Harry mumbled. “I feel like a prat.” He looked at Remus. “What are we going to tell the Headmaster and Sirius?” His face fell as he thought about how they were going to react.

Remus reached over and clasped his hand “Don’t you worry about anything Harry. You are not a prat. You are one of the most caring people I have ever had the joy to know, and that is just one of the things that I love about you. I will deal with Sirius and Albus.” His eyes looked into Harry’s, trying to convince him of his sincerity.

“Don’t you worry about it cubling," Lenore added. "You are now a member of MY family, and they will accept, even if I have to come to the school and explain the facts of life to them. Now, finish your food, I know you have to be starved after last night,” she added with an evil grin as both choked in response. “You were wonderful, we haven’t seen anything like that in far too long.”

Remus laughed as Harry blushed a deep red in response. “Finish up your food, we need to head back.”

Leaving was harder than Harry thought it would be. They’d only been there two days, but it felt like more had passed. He knew that he would miss Lenore and her blunt humor, and he couldn’t wait until they could visit again so that he could have the opportunity to meet others in his new family. “Goodbye Lenore, thank you for everything,” he said as he hugged her in farewell.

“Take care of Remus for me, cubling, and we will see one another again. Probably sooner than you think.”

She turned to Remus and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. “Take care of him, Remy. He is very special, I can tell. Don’t wait so long in between visits next time either,” she said as she cuffed him lightly on the shoulder.

“Thank you for everything,” he replied as he hugged her back. “I promise, we will be back soon for a longer visit. Farewell Lenore.”

The two of them headed back to the school to face their friends and family.


It was late afternoon by the time they arrived back at the edge of the Forest that ran along the back side of the school. Approaching Hagrid’s Hut, they could hear voices. From the sounds of it Sirius was arguing with Snape about something.

“Damn it Snape, what makes you think that Voldemort didn’t have anything to do with them being missing? How the hell do you know?” Sirius was in rare form, from the sounds of it.

Harry immediately felt guilty about causing worry to his Godfather. He was about to run around to the front when Snape began talking.

“While I am no longer a member of the inner circle, I still think that he would have called me if he’d managed to gather his ‘bane’ out from under the Headmaster’s own nose. There hasn’t been a meeting called in weeks. I think that it’s more likely that he is off with Lupin.” Harry could hear the sneer in his voice as Snape spoke.

“I know.” Exhaustion colored Sirius’ voice. “I’m just worried about them both. Why didn’t they leave me a message or note if they were going somewhere? It’s not like them to worry us like this. Ron and Draco are nearly crazy with worry. Apparently Harry’s been acting strange for months now, and he’s not been confiding in them.”

“Potter is less incompetent that I normally accuse him of being, Black. I am sure that if anything were to be wrong with him, Lupin would have said something… at least to you.”

Remus and he exchanged looks before they intertwined hands and stepped around the hut to face the music.

“Um… hi Professor Snape… Sirius.” Harry’s hesitant voice carried over to the two men facing off in front of the hut.

Both whirled around. Harry and Remus stood at the corner of the hut.

“Where the hell have you been?” Sirius yelled as he stomped over to them.

Snape followed, his robes billowing behind him. “Mr. Potter, there will be points lost and detention served for this stunt.” He took in the appearance of the two. Harry looked… ravished. Lupin looked sated. Acid began to build in his stomach. This couldn’t be what he was thinking it was…. surely Lupin wouldn't have taken the Boy Who Lived and mated with him…

“Do you have any idea of the worry that we have going through!” Sirius raked his hands through his hair in frustration then reached out, grabbing Harry and tried shaking some sense into him.

Remus growled deep in his chest and grabbed Sirius by the arms and shoved him away from Harry.

“What the…. Moony?” Sirius said as he got a look at his friends face. Murderous… that was the expression on his face. It was something he normally only saw during the full moon.

The acid in Snape’s stomach hit the high-water mark. “I think we need to see the Headmaster… now!” Snape snarled. He turned and headed to the school, not waiting to see if the other three were following.

The three followed after, arriving only moments behind the Potion Master at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster’s office.

“Ring Dings,” Snape spat out. The entrance opened and all four went into the office.

Albus Dumbledore looked up from his desk at the four young men entering into his office. He motioned for them to sit down in the chairs in front of his desk. He viewed them over his half-moon spectacles.

“Remus, can you explain where you and Harry have been for the past two days?”

Remus looked at the Headmaster coolly and then turned and looked at Snape and Sirius. “There is so little the Wizarding world actually knows about Weres, and so much that we don’t want you to know. However, I will give you this information… because you care for Harry and Harry is my life now. It is rare that Werewolves find a Mate -- what you would call a Soul Mate -- but when they do, they must consummate the bond. Otherwise they will go insane and die. Not only the Were, but their Mate as well.” He waited to see what the reaction would be before he continued.

He could see that the Headmaster was thinking about what had been said, and more importantly was not. Severus was silent, waiting for more information. And Sirius, his old friend, looked hurt at the secrets kept from him.

When it appeared that no one was going to say anything, Remus continued speaking.

“I discovered that Harry was my Mate a month ago, when I followed his scent into a disused corridor on the third floor. There I overheard a conversation between him, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Circumstances allowed us to consummate, as required by Pack Lore and Law, last night.”

“What!” Sirius yelled as he jumped to his feet. “What were you thinking of? He’s a boy, half your age. He’s my godson damn it! Moony…. argh!” he yelled in frustration.

“Sirius, sit down now.” Dumbledore looked at him sternly. He turned to look at Remus sitting next to Harry. “Remus… don’t you think that it would have been better had you came to me with this rather than disappearing for two days and worrying everyone?” Albus asked quietly.

“Perhaps. But tell me honestly Albus, if I had come to you, would you have given us your blessing?” He glanced down at Harry and realized that his Mate had fallen asleep yet again.

“I don’t know. It looks like you should put Harry to bed though.” He said with a small smile.

Sirius started to say something, but was shushed by Remus. “Speak quietly, I don’t want Harry disturbed. If you want to yell at me, allow me to put him in my room so that he can nap, then you and I can take it outside and let it all out. If, however, you just want to talk to me about what has happened and what I can do to help you understand, then feel free to speak.

Padfoot, you are my oldest and dearest friend, but you are only that, a friend. We will never be lovers again. Harry is my Mate. Nothing can change that no spell, no potion, nothing. If you try, you will condemn Harry and me to insanity and death, nothing less.” Remus’ voice was passionate as he spoke to Sirius. “Please just say that you will try to accept it… eventually. I don’t want Harry to cut you out of his life, but I can guarantee that if you try to push this, he will.”

Sirius looked at them closely. He’d always feared that he’d lose his friend to a lover, but he never expected that the lover would be his Godson. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Remus and Harry. “I’ll need to think about this. I love the both of you, you know that… but I need to think about it.” He stood suddenly and walked to the door. Pulling it open, he turned and looked at them again. “Tell Harry that I’ll be back… soon.” With that he walked out the door and shut it behind him quietly.

Remus stared at the door, as if by his will Sirius would walk back in smiling. He smiled sadly as he turned to face the Headmaster and Severus once again.

“You’ve not said anything Severus.”

“I do not see what I can say that would change anything. As Harry is your Mate, and the two of you are Bonded, then that is the end of it.” He smirked at the thought. “However, I have come to care for the brat in the time he has been here. Do not hurt him; otherwise I will need to poison your brew in retaliation.”

“That is fair enough.”

“Ahem…. gentleman, if you are finished there are some details that we will need to work out. I assume that you would prefer that Harry stay with you and not in the dorms?” Albus looked at Remus waiting for his answer. At his nod, he continued, “Then we will have to make arrangements for your rooms to be enlarged until the end of the school year. After Harry has graduated, then we can discuss long-term plans together.” He looked at the sleeping young man. “Remus, take Harry to bed. You both look tired. We can talk more at dinner. I will talk with Minerva about this. I will also deal with the students when they return from Spring Break.” He looked at the three sitting in front of him and smiled tiredly. “Go now, I will see you three later.”


It was later that evening when Harry turned to his Mate and said, “Well, that went well, didn’t it?”

“As well as could be expected,” came the reply. Remus looked at his Mate and smiled contentedly.

“I wish Siri had stayed long enough to tell me good bye though.” Harry's voice turned sad at the thought of his Godfather.

“Don’t worry love, he’ll come around and then he will come back. He loves you too much to leave you forever.”

Pulling the younger man into his arms, he began kissing him along the arch of his neck. “I cannot get enough of your taste, Harry. Let me taste you again…”

“Oh yes… Remy….” was all that was said as they worked their way to the bedroom, and the bed waiting there for the two of them.

~fin? ~