The Journey Cycle pt 1: Europe *pt 1 now complete*

4

He was stuck in a traffic jam headed for Dover but at least the traffic was sluggish rather than completely stationary, though when everything halted for a bit, he dived in the back and booted the computer and selected himself a driving playlist just getting back into the driving seat as the traffic moved again. He was glad he had left a bit earlier than six. Poor Sev would wake and find him already gone.

As music swelled around him, Harry felt the grin on his face grow to epic proportions. He was on his way, wherever the hell that was and right then, he didn’t care. He was truly free to go anywhere and caught himself chuckling like the eighteen year old he felt right now. He didn’t mind the tailbacks of traffic although he knew that Severus or Draco would have moaned like mad at the delays, he took it all in stride enjoying his anonymity and resilience. Nothing would get him down today. He was finally realising a dream and nothing would dent his mood.

He was shunted onto the train and Bessie was locked in place, he climbed out of the cab and sought hot food and drink as the train sped them under the Channel. A bacon sandwich, a cup of coffee and a quick read of the Guardian later, and he was in France and driving off at the far end of the tunnel, showing passport and documents. He had the whole of mainland Europe at his feet.

****

Harry spent the summer in France getting brown and moving from farm to farm picking fruit, enjoying the manual labour and making Severus’ mouth go dry when he transmitted in his half naked state, usually at the end of a working day. Harry did ask how private they were only to be told that the computer was in the corner of the Granger-Longbottom sitting room. “Damn”, said the jerky Harry on the other end of the camera and Severus, once he had become used to the technology, cursed roundly from his end, seeing the uses to which Harry wished to subject this technology after he had instructed Severus to move his screen around so the family couldn’t see the flash of hard cock on screen. Severus groaned and simply purred into the mic, “Put it away. Save it for later”. Hermione turned as she sat in the sofa, “Oi, you two, behave. Use your mobiles for phone sex”. Harry heard over the link and laughed, “Tell her she’s a prudish old Gryffindor”. Severus just laughed and closed the connection after viewing the latest travelogue involving Loire chateaux that were beautiful and fascinating.

Severus hadn’t been idle. He wound down the business, not difficult since the only person who had needed his services on a monthly basis was his dead beloved. As he packed his life away, he often found himself talking to Remus out loud, “Don’t hate me, I know you wait for me. Draco told Harry and he told me and now I am to join him somewhere in Spain. I love him too and when we all finally meet up, we’ll have to be a foursome. I can’t give him up totally on the other side. Sorry, love. Please forgive an old cranky geezer who still lives”, he would find himself muttering as he consigned his life to boxes.

Hermione was indeed a great help in practical Muggle matters and made sure he had his health insurance and wasn’t ripped off changing money. They were walking through London when she suddenly remarked, “You love him, don’t you? Harry, I mean”. He smiled at her and nodded. “You have always loved him, haven’t you?”, she pressed, and he nodded again, “Since before he fell in love with Draco if you must know”, he finally admitted, then told her the story of what happened in the immediate aftermath of Albus Dumbledore’s death and the way the four of them, with everyone’s help, had finally brought Voldemort down.

“I know, you four were already a team and how efficient were you guys?”, she joshed with him. She leaned in to intimacy levels and couldn’t resist asking, “Did you four, erm, share, you know, sexually?” Severus was a mere few days from leaving Britain so he didn’t see the harm in it, “As a matter of fact we did. Many times. We were still two disparate couples and got on with our lives but, yes, we did engage in ‘sharing’ as you so delicately put it. Does that shock you?”

Hermione blushed but shook her head, “Shock, no. Surprise, slightly. The whole endgame makes a lot more sense”, she laughed. “Just a moment, madam, we didn’t indulge until long after Voldemort was gone and Draco was back in our lives again, once we were all friends”, Severus countered acerbically. Hermione gazed at him shrewdly but Severus continued, “It was long after his demise, but don’t forget, since Albus’ death and when I was allowed back to teach, I trained them and they trained themselves. They were already a formidable fighting force between the two of them. Remus trusted me totally with managing his changes by then. He knew he didn’t have the courage to face him in man-form. It was just lucky for us I suppose that Voldemort chose to attack on a full moon when he presumed the wolf would be subdued by my potion but he, like everyone else, knew when the attack was likely. Remus wanted to be a wolf for the battle, he knew he would be most effective that way. It’s a pity that he cast those spells. The ones that would eventually take my Wolf from me and Harry’s Dragon from him, but all of us had a good long time together, even though it left me with this damnable limp and needing a stick. You know that Harry chose the vehicle and configured it in such a way as to make it comfortable to a man with my disabilities?”

Hermione was surprised until Severus told her of the conversation they had had the night that Bessie was first revealed. Hermione giggled, “He’s in love with you too. Go to him, find him, have a wonderful life together. And tell us if you get a villa before the end of November, otherwise Nev and I will rent one big enough for us all and we’d be delighted if you and Harry will join us for a Mediterranean Christmas”. Severus was astonished until Hermione giggled, “I’ve always wanted to take the kids abroad and now Nev has totally come round to the idea. I dunno”, she mused, “You pure magical types don’t know what you are missing. I know Muggles can be a pain in the arse but they have the lock on most of the beautiful places on this globe. Let’s face it, there are many more of them than there are of us. So let’s integrate and disappear amongst them. Isn’t that the main thrust, ‘scuse the terminology, of Harry’s reasons for wanting to get away? So he can be just Harry. No-one famous, no-one in the limelight. Just him, working and earning a few bob even though he doesn’t need the money. That’s not what this is about”. Severus nodded in understanding and hugged her as he left, his heart swelling. In a few days, he would be re-united with his love if he could only negotiate the pitfalls of Muggle plane travel. He huffed out a long breath and Hermione could see his nervousness. “Come on, Malaga is two hard days by broom and a mere three hours by Muggle flight methods. You’ll love it, the rush as you launch; flying that way is so cool”. Severus wasn’t entirely convinced.

****

He obeyed all the instructions on the plane but still felt nervous as the flight attendant quickly demonstrated the application of life jackets and the emergency landing procedure should they need it. The young woman in the seat beside him helped him with his seatbelt and he smiled nervously at her, “Is this your first flight?”, she tentatively asked. He nodded once. She was at pains to reassure him of the safety of planes. She was probably in her mid-twenties and said she had flown loads of times. “If you get airsick then you can puke into these bags”, she fished the bag from the net fastened to the back of the seat in front of him. Although pale, he was pains to reassure her that he generally didn’t get travel sick and they struck up a conversation as the plane took off.

As the nose lifted, she saw him scrunch back in his seat, his eyes closed tight and she reached for his hand and felt his clutch around it until they were fully airborne and the seatbelt lights went out. He released her hand with plentiful apologies and she shrugged at him, “’S’okay”, as she saw him take several deep breaths as the plane levelled out and they talked of anything and nothing during the flight. He felt himself calm at her blank acceptance of this flying method. Slower than Apparition, less nauseating than long-distance Floo and lots faster than broom flight.

He was doubly delighted when lunch was served. Smoked salmon with a piquant dressing served with a delicate Greek salad and he decided Muggle flight with the right airline could be quite sophisticated after all. He had had many exposures to Muggles and their technology over the last few months and he had to admit, that although they lacked magic, nevertheless a kind of magic could be wrought. He thought of the webcam images that Harry had sent back, full of live moving pictures and was awed. Although not magic, he could not deny the wonder he felt and was impressed.

Landing wasn’t quite so pleasant and he felt distinctly queasy but held on to it, his young companion helping. She was Stacey-from-Leicester as he had found out and he was profoundly grateful for her attentions and her guidance through his first flight. He noticed the holding of breath round the whole cabin between when the wheels went down and the actual impact of landing when it seemed like the whole plane let out a collective breath and she reassured him that this was entirely normal, “The hardest bit for a pilot is take-off and landing”, she commented. He felt a bumping beneath him and grinned knowing that all three sets of wheels were in contact with the ground. He allowed himself to properly smile for the first time the whole trip and she squeezed his hand and let go, “There you go, Severus, we’re all safe and sound now”. He leaned in and kissed her cheek in gratitude and she giggled, “Glad my boyfriend didn’t see that”. Severus smiled back, “Mine either. He’s meeting me here. I haven’t seen him in six months”, and she laughed aloud.

He hugged her as they debarked and they went their separate ways, suffering the shuffle through passport control and waited for their bags. She hugged him one last time, but he was looking past her as they parted and he lugged his bags through the arrivals hall and amongst the waiting folk. He spotted him; tan and fit with longer hair, but still his Harry and they rushed into each other’s arms and held on tight squeezing the breath from each other before Harry led them from the airport to the short-stay car park where Bessie awaited them.

They climbed aboard and stowed Severus’ luggage securely before they held on tight and kissed passionately for the first time in six months. Harry murmured, “You’re here, you’re here. you’re here”, against Severus’ willing mouth and for two pins Severus would have led him to the bed at the rear of the van but they had to vacate fairly quickly. They made do with grasping hands briefly as they strapped themselves into their seats and Harry pulled out of the car park heading into the warm Spanish night.