Against His Nature

CHAPTER 42

“Blackpool!” Harry squeaked in shocked as he stood on the pier staring back at the illuminated beach front of Blackpool promenade. Octavia chuckled as he tightened his arm around Harry, who was shivering in the ice-cold winds, and the spray from the sea hitting the pier below them. Harry had never actually seen Blackpool in person, but Dudley had gone there with his aunt for the illuminations one October and Harry had sat under his stairs, listening enviously to Dudley’s descriptions of the place when he’d got back.

“Don’t sound so disgusted Harry, this place is a veritable melting pot of different blood types all in one area.” Harry glanced up at Octavia, his mouth agape. “What?” Octavia snapped, before continuing. “They get their fairy floss, thrill rides and holiday, I get a regular blood supply it’s win, win for everyone.” Octavia nudged Harry forward and the pair of them began down the pier back towards the shoreline. “Besides, we don’t have to hide our identities here. With the muggles being fond of frivolities while on holiday, we blend in perfectly with the eccentric crowds.” Octavia gestured towards a group of teenagers hanging around smoking at the end of the pier. As they approached Harry smiled, as he saw what they were dressed in. Just like Octavia they had Dracula style cloaks on, big black boots, and had painted their faces white, with sets of fake fangs in their mouths. Harry chuckled as they passed the group, the teenagers all simply nodding at Octavia as if he was apart of their group. Octavia returned the nod, and Harry glanced up to catch the elder Vampire’s tongue flicking out to lick his lips. “I’m hungry.” Octavia muttered as he steered Harry towards a pink, terraced house that had a hotel sign hung outside, and a no vacancy sign in the curtained front window. Like many of the family run hotels along the shoreline, the house didn’t look out of place. It was only when the door swung open, after Octavia had nudged it with the tip of his wand that it became apparent the house was of wizarding origins.

Harry allowed Octavia to lead him through the huge hallway, and into the lounge. Harry was clearly shocked by what he saw. The lounge looked like it belonged to a huge grand hotel, complete with velvet couches and chairs, chandeliers, a bar, a huge fireplace and a large reception desk. What caught Harry’s attention more than the actual place however was the inhabitants; the place was alive with Vampire’s coming and going both in muggle form and as themselves. Several bats flew back and forth across the lounge, and some hung upside down on the gold bars that hung over the fireplace.

“Wow.” Harry muttered as he felt Octavia usher him forward towards where Attila was already sitting by the fire waiting for them.

“Indeed, our little hide away has kept us safe for decades undisturbed.” Octavia smiled as they came to a stop beside Attila who stood up to greet them.

“Well we’re all here, let’s get you settled. A council of war has been called, hence the hectic goings and comings, but it will settle down once we’re all here.” Attila wrapped his arm around Harry’s shoulders and began leading him towards the grand staircase back out in the hall. Octavia was close behind as they climbed the staircase. Attila and Octavia, smiled and nodded to the various occupants as they passed in the hallway, and Harry was sure they were sharing mental conversations, despite his inability to be included. Finally after a rounding an unusually twisted hallway, Attila came to door and promptly unlocked it with a casual flick of his hand before allowing them all inside.

“Severus is already settled, and the young blonde wizard is hiding in the bathroom after the bellhop tried to bite him.” Attila hung by the door, as he watched Harry navigate himself around the grand designed hotel room, and over to where Severus was already settled comfortably beneath the blankets and sheets on the four-poster bed. “We did apologize, it’s a habit you understand.” Attila laughed a little guiltily as he watched Harry check on Severus before striding to the bathroom and knocking on the door.

“Fuck off,” Draco’s timid voice shouted back. “I’m not lunch!” Harry rolled his eyes and glanced back at Attila and Octavia. Octavia had sat himself down in the small sitting area in front of the fireplace, his eyes falling closed as he settled. Attila was still standing by the open doorway, looking for a sign to leave.

“Thank-you for the room, when will we know what the plans are?” Harry inquired as he stepped away from the bathroom, leaving Draco to stew for a little while longer.

“Plans are already in motion Harry, we just need Severus’ recovery and we’ll be all set.” Harry watched as Attila smiled warmly his sea blue eyes flashing in amusement as he watched Draco stick his nose out from behind the bathroom door. “If you’ll excuse me then, I have some things to attend to.” With an understanding nod, Harry watched as Attila left carefully closing the door behind him. Harry relaxed for the first time since leaving the castle, and collapsed on the padded blanket box at the end of the four-poster bed. It had been the middle of the night when Octavia had taken them from Hogwarts, and only now as the sun was beginning to set again did Harry begin to feel the weight of his fatigue.

“Are they gone?” Draco crept out of the bathroom and glanced around, his gaze falling on Octavia who already collapsed on the chair by the fire and was sleeping.

“They don’t mean you any harm, you’re under Severus’ protection.” Harry shucked off his cloak and wandered over to the wardrobe. He needed to change out of his pajamas and he needed a warm shower to relax his tense muscles.

“Fat lot of good it does me, when he’s out like a light. I nearly became someone’s meal.” Draco joined Harry by the wardrobe and smiled when he found a beautiful array of clothes hanging neatly in rows. “Do you think they’d mind if we borrowed them?” Draco dragged out two gray nightgowns, both of them far too large for either Harry or Draco but they’d do for the evening. Harry shrugged his shoulders and took them anyway, as he headed for the bathroom.

“I’m going for a bath, just have a look around see if there’s some other stuff.” Harry called over his shoulder as he stepped into the white marbled bathroom, it’s glittering gold fittings adding a touch of class.

“Stuff that, you’re not leaving me alone out here with him. We’ll share the bath, it’s big enough.” Draco pushed past Harry to get into the bathroom as well, and Harry took the opportunity to glance at the sunken marble bath in the corner of the room. It was huge, with big luxurious taps, smoothed marbled sides, and mermaid shaped faucets on all three sides. Harry sighed as he watched Draco begin stripping off; obviously Harry wasn’t going to be allowed a little time to himself. Reluctantly Harry stripped and slid into the huge bathtub opposite Draco. As Draco had surmised there was plenty of room in it for both of them, and Harry reclined beneath the bubbles to relax while Draco pottered around with the soap at the other end.

Harry was sure he was beginning to fall asleep when he felt Draco’s hand shake his shoulder, waking him from his relaxing silence.

“Do you think they’re okay?” Draco muttered when Harry opened his eyes, and with a stretch began soaping his body to wash away the day’s grime. Harry shrugged in silence, he didn’t really want to think about them not being okay, so instead he tried to forget about it by distracting himself. Draco got the hint that Harry didn’t want to discuss what they’d left behind so changed the subject as he rinsed his hair. “Are you and Snape happy together?” Despite the change in subject Draco was obviously sticking to the tough questions and Harry sighed as he tried to come up with an answer to something he hadn’t yet worked out himself.

“I don’t know.” Harry shrugged, “It’s still really new to me, how I feel about him. It’s strange.” Taking the shampoo from Draco’s side of the bath, Harry soaped his own hair carefully.

“Do you feel special when you,” Draco paused, awkwardly as he stared down at the rapidly depleting bubbles in the bath. “when you do it?” Draco finished as he reached out of the bath and grabbed one of the white fluffy towels from the warming rack. Harry averted his gaze unconsciously as Draco climbed out of the tub and stood carefully to begin drying himself.

“Do you and Hermione?” Harry threw the question back at Draco, unsure how to answer it himself. Draco sighed and sat himself down on the padded powder bench beside the sink, the towel wrapped tightly around him for warmth.

“Yeah, I feel comfortable with her, like she’s not judging me. I like it when she stares at me, with that cute satisfied little smile as if I’m the only person in the world. She’s warm to cuddle up to, and I feel sort of full when we, you know.” Harry stared wistfully at his hands beneath the water that were beginning to get wrinkly. Harry wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced with Severus, what Draco was describing with Hermione. Sure they’d had sex, but the feelings hadn’t been quite what Draco had explained his own to be like.

“I don’t think we’ve actually made love.” Harry mumbled as he climbed out of the bath, and accepted the other towel that Draco handed to him. Draco raised his eyebrows in suspicious scowl, but Harry continued before the blonde could interrupt. “I mean we’ve had sex, but it’s all been kind of quick, needy, lust filled mating more than actual love.” Harry evaluated quickly, feeling suddenly very empty inside as if agreeing to be Snape’s mate had doomed him to a life without love. Draco slipped his overly large nightgown over his head, as Harry did the same both of the using the provided hotel toothbrushes to clean their teeth at the sink.

“Maybe there just hasn’t been time, Snape’s not exactly been free to do what he wanted these last couple of weeks. It’s all been kind of hectic.” Draco mumbled around a mouthful of toothpaste before spitting it out and drying his mouth on the towel. Harry knew Draco was trying to make him feel better but it wasn’t working, so Harry just nodded a sad smile on his face.

The pair made their way out back into the main room, and paused as they sat Octavia standing beside Severus’ bed, the potion master himself sitting up against a pile of pillows.

“Severus!” Harry beamed as he launched himself across the room and up onto the bed.

“Be careful Potter, he’s only just woken up.” Octavia cautioned as Harry threw his arms around Snape’s waist and laid his head against the man’s lap. Severus smiled warmly down at his charge, still to weak to hug Harry back and so simply settling for gently running his fingers through Harry’s damp hair. Draco sat down cross-legged on the end of the bed, as Octavia pulled over a small trolley full of food.

“Harry, make sure you and Draco eat something. Severus can have some of the fruits, but I’ll be back later with a more substantial meal for him.” Harry looked up from Snape’s lap and nodded in understanding at Octavia’s smile. “My mates have just arrived, and I have some shopping to do…” Octavia grinned evilly again, the points of his incisors showing between his lips. “I’ll be back at dawn,” With that Octavia was gone in a swirl of robes, and creak of the door. Draco was already helping himself to a plate of food from the trolley and Harry after one last squeeze of Snape’s waist ducked over to fill both a plate for himself and Snape.

“Have some berries.” Harry shoved a fork full of ham into his mouth as he reached across and popped one of the tiny round blueberries into Snape’s mouth. Snape’s eyes were still a sickly pale blue, but some of the color had returned to his face and his bruises and burns were beginning to heal. Snape sucked the berry till it was gone, his eyes never leaving Harry as the boy busily fed both himself and Snape.

Draco and Harry quietly informed Snape, over the next half an hour what had happened at the castle, watching carefully for the silent nods Snape made as he listened. Finally as their story and their meal came to a close, Snape opened his mouth to speak for the first time since waking up.

“Tired.” The one word was scratchy, and barely audible but Harry got the message. Pushing the finished trolley of food away from the bed, Harry helped Snape lay back down again in the bed and climbed up in beside his mate.

“I’m going to sleep over there.” Draco gestured to the huge chaise lounge that sat in front of the bay window; it was already set up with a pillow and blankets. Harry silently thanked the blonde who nodded understandingly and disappeared under the covers of his own bed. With a flick of his wand, Harry blew out the candles and settled in beside Snape. Snape lay on his side, staring at Harry.

“I’m glad you’re not dead.” Harry whispered as he reached up and brushed some stray strands of hair away from Snape’s bruised face. Snape allowed himself a smile at Harry’s comment, before he leant in and pressed a warm, chaste kiss against Harry’s lips. Harry melted the instant the man’s lips met his own, so soft and light. It was a kiss Harry had missed in the brief time they’d been apart. Closing his eyes Harry rolled over, and wriggled back into Snape’s front so that the entire length of his body pressed back against Snape’s. Harry smiled as he felt Snape nuzzling his neck, the gentle scrape of his incisors creating a familiar tingling sensation down Harry’s spine. Submission was easy and Harry relaxed back into the warmth and comfort of Snape, as the vampire chose his position and sank his teeth into the soft flesh. As Harry felt the gentle laps of Snape’s tongue, he surrendered himself to the feeling and fell happily into slumber.

TBC>>>>>>

A/N Okay, just another quick update to keep you hanging in there. I believe the next chapter we're in for some Vamp arse kicking, mainly on the Ministry but we'll see won't we. Hope you're enjoying it all, and thankies for the lovely reviews keep em coming because my muse loves you all....Hey, and didn't I mention in the story that Hermione kept calling Harry, Potter because and I quote. "Has been spending too much time with Draco."???? Anyway I'll go back and read it just to make sure I'm not imagining things, but back to it.

Cheers
RIFFRAFF