The Journey Cycle Pt 2: New Zealand (pt 2 complete

5

Somewhere in the dead of the following night, they crossed into Spain over the mountains on a tiny upland road between Pau and Pamplona and kept to the countryside until they were sure of being far enough into Spain so Harry felt safe to stop for what remained of the night. The next day they took a long loop around Bilbao and approached the city from the south. At some point, Hermione had texted them the Apparation co-ordinates and had booked them a room at the same hotel that the delegation were staying in but, in the event, they decided not to apparate as arriving muggle-style would probably render them sufficiently under the radar, so they simply parked in the hotel’s underground car park, packed up enough gear plus their laundry and locked, warded and alarmed Bessie tight.

They shrunk their luggage down to a couple of small suitcases and a suit-bag apiece before summoning the lift in the old fashioned way, by pressing a button. They kissed in the lift before it pulled up on the ground floor, they knew that Hermione was awaiting them in the main bar and they all hugged their hellos.

“The rest of the delegation will be here later, we thought it better to arrive in shifts, defray attention so to speak”, Hermione murmured, sitting between Severus and Harry as they sipped drinks and Harry moved his shoulders needing his massage. Ron and Ollie were there, but the rest were due after dinner that evening. After a late breakfast in the dining room, Harry pled tiredness and wanted to be shown his room. Hermione sniggered as she gave them their key and he laughed at her, “The Honeymoon Suite!!! ‘Mione!!! What are you like???”, he declared.

She glanced at Ron and Ollie as all three collapsed laughing, “Come on, Harry, it wasn’t as if the funds weren’t there in the Ministry’s coffers. It’s time they treated you anyway and we couldn’t resist it”, rejoined Ollie. Harry rolled his eyes, “I should hex you lot for that but in a place as lush as this, I suspect the Honeymoon Suite’s gonna be pretty posh, so.....see you later, chaps”, he dragged on Severus’ arm as they swanned off to the special lift followed by the catcalls and cheeky hoots of their friends. Hermione called after them, “Remember, dinner at seven”, to a spot of vulgarity from her best friend as he pulled his husband into the lift. They saw the hapless man being thrown against the wall of the lift as the door closed, Harry advancing.

“Wow”, was the concensus as they saw the totally overblown suite. The rooms large; the bed, huge and four-postered; the bathroom contained both jacuzzi and massive wet room area shower . There was a grande sized sofa corner unit in the lounge before a state of the art home tv and hi-fi system. There was a bottle of champagne cooling in a bucket with the accompanying glassware, a covered snack buffet for their perusal as well as a huge bouquet of red roses in a vase on the central console table with a card attached from their best friends exhorting them to ‘have fun and enjoy the rooms’. Harry showed the card to his husband. They recognised Hermione’s hand and laughed, heads together until Severus turned Harry to him and kissed him, “How do you suggest we make the best of this excellent accommodation then, my love?”, Severus purred into Harry ear before delicately tonguing the outer rim and making Harry shiver.

“Shower or bath first. Wanna get clean”, he gasped before his head dipped back allowing Severus at his neck and then he was being steered in the general direction of the bathroom, losing clothes along the way, reason following. Harry made straight for the shower but was stayed by Severus’ hand on his arm, “Oh, we can shower when we may, however rudimentary, but I simply cannot waste this opportunity for us to get slippery and wet in a nice hot bath”. Harry swallowed and shivered again, “Swear to god, Sev, that bloody voice of yours....”, and got no further, being kissed into silence, or at least unintelligibility.

“Start the bath, love, I’ll see to some sounds”, Harry pulled away before his brain liquified, breathed hard, still dazed, swaying slightly as his fatigue caught him up then strode into the main room. He unpacked his laptop and easily connected it to the system and turned the volume up enough to hear it in the bathroom, selected a range of sexy tracks and rejoined his love in the bathroom, leaving the door open.

Severus was bent over the tub swishing scented oils into the water. These weren’t the hotel’s. Harry recognised potions of his husband’s. Harry pressed up close to his husband’s luscious arse as he bent and backed away again before shedding the rest of his clothes nonchalantly and stepping up to the bath hard and naked, grinning at Severus, whose breath caught at the sight. He licked his lips as he left Harry to continue filling the bath while he divested himself of clothing, watching Harry bend over the bath, testing the temperature, the sexy slant from the hips, the erotic sight before him. The best thing was, even after all this time, the man was in his forties after all, there was a completely unconscious sexiness to Harry that he truly didn’t realise he projected, that made Severus short of breath to see, but if Harry called him on it, he would demur with a muttered excuse. Severus never wanted Harry to change and he knew that being made aware of this would do just that. He tried to swallow the grin that erupted and didn’t quite as Harry advanced on him again.

Severus sat on the side of the bath, opening his legs to his lover inviting him into the vee, threading his arms around Harry’s waist, smiling up into Harry’s face as he bent and capture Severus’ mouth with his own. Pulling away, both of their faces were flushed, the bath was full and they slipped in together, soaping each other’s hands, washing each other between kisses, rolling over and splashing water over the floor, rolling again, Harry moaned aloud as ‘Lubricus’ was cast gutturally before Severus was in him and Harry’s legs were clamping over Severus’ back, his body lifting out of the water as he was fucked hard and fast. Neither lasted, coming hot and hard over and in each other before both relaxed into the heat of the liquid and let the tension drift away.

Harry was the first to wake, Severus’ body weight on him and the water cold around him. He shifted and Severus moved to one side, still asleep. Harry lazily held his cock and pissed into the cooling water before yanking out the plug with his toe. As the water drained away, Harry concentrated on rousing his husband enough to get them both to bed. Severus was groggy as he let Harry towel him off, lead him to bed and suck him dry before he was fed stiff dick half asleep and still performed masterful fellatio, swallowing Harry’s essence before he was held tight again and they both slept.

Later in the afternoon, Severus woke and massaged Harry’s shoulders, while his beloved was still asleep and very malleable. He turned Harry to mush and lay down again, placing kisses along Harry’s spine before resting his head on Harry’s shoulder blade and letting himself fall asleep once again to the soft rhythm of Harry’s breathing.

Both of them woke with three quarters of an hour to spare before they were expected at dinner. Perfect. Well, not so perfect of you wanted a little ‘how’s yer father’ before dinner, but just right if all you wanted was enough time to shower and groom.

Severus straightened Harry’s tie. Harry fussed over the fold in Severus’ jacket lapel. They were perfectly groomed. Harry in a dark charcoal two-piece, Severus in a slightly more formal mid-grey three-piece, both with white shirts, neither wearing ties. Severus had on his snakeskin loafers and Harry was wearing his black leather Oxfords. They both had brushed a little dry mascara through their lashes.

Underneath the formality, Harry wore white stretch lace panties with a shorts-style front that trapped his cock and a thong-style back that nipped at his hole. His lover on the other hand was wearing an outfit that Harry tried very hard not to think about.

Hermione, for a bit of a lark, had bought them some very nice ladies’ undies as a wedding present after hearing the account of Ron and Ollie. She had thought carefully about such issues as colouring and height. Unfortunately, her choices hadn’t been so good vis-a-vis Harry, strangely enough, the clothes being too garish or the wrong size, but when it had come to Severus, her choices had been spot on.

So, underneath the suit, Severus wore a pair of hold-up black stockings over freshly depilated legs, a pair of deep aqua green tap pants with wide legs and a waspie of the same fabric. Harry, in a daft moment, sent Hermione a text of their garb, to receive a shocked text in reply ‘Play with it, you don’t have to tell me”. Harry smirked as he read then answered, ‘Why’d ya give it us if ya di’n’t mean us to use it, bitch?”, to receive the reply, ‘Lickin’ ma lips, c u @ dinner’.

They eventually descended from their eyrie, pink and showered and fucked and loved to meet their friends who cheered spontaneously having caught sight of the state of the two of them as they were all ushered into the dining room before being fed sumptuously, a meal consisting of many courses that they all enjoyed, fuelled by the copious quantities of wine, eventually laying across laps and being somewhat lascivious, certainly flirtatious, until loud Apparation pops warned of the rest of the party arriving.

They all sat up circumspectly. Hermione straightening her robes as Neville popped into view and rushed over to embrace his wife. She smiled slightly at the hug and pushed him away after he had delivered a perfunctory kiss to her cheek. Harry noted all this and cringed inwardly. Hermione had asked him for advice. It had seemed to work, but now there was something else. He observed their body language, Neville just wasn’t enough for Hermione, although she obviously still believed in their marriage. He lowered his head for a moment while he processed this, then swallowed it and sat up again, greeting Kingsley Shacklebolt, standing clumsily, extending his hand, losing his balance, being caught in strong arms and righted on his feet, a quick glance down, his husband holding him tight around the waist and smiling as he held one hand out to Kingsley before being pulled forcefully to his feet and embraced by the tall black man. “Yo, bwai, yi married and yo never asked mi along. I’d ‘a’ stood fi ya”. Severus grinned as he held him, “I know you would’ve, Kings”, he murmured.

Kingsley held him slightly away, “Ye’d ‘a’ never done dis wi’ Remus, would yis?” He held the dark eyes effortlessly. Severus shook his head slowly, “No. Harry knows.....”, to the shake of the tall bald head, “Nah it was always you and he. It was seen, man”, he whispered. Severus’ eyes widened. Kingsley masked their exchange with another hug, whispering, “Mam always saw you wi’ Harry. An’ you know she’s a Seer?” Severus relaxed into the hug of his old friend, “Yes”. He answered, breathlessly. Kingsley straightened and let him go, “Good luck an’ a good marriage my ol’ friend”. He held Severus’ hands for a few moments, gazing into the dark eyes for a minute or two before releasing them and stepping back.

They all sat circumspectly and had menus placed before them. They all ordered food on automatic pilot. Tension thrummed through the whole group. Harry and Severus were wrapped in each other with several observers, some more jealous than others. Their husbands immersed in sporting conversations, Hermione and Ginny were a little less subtle with each other. Hermione openly winked at Harry as she took Ginny briefly into her arms and kissed her shoulder as she watched Harry’s reaction as her tongue slid up and down Ginny’s neck.

Harry shook his head at the sight and dipped his face to select food. He grinned as he looked down at the menu, his husband expanding the smile still further when he reached down to kiss Harry’s neck. Harry could not resist and turned to his beloved kissing him like there was no tomorrow then calmly turning to the waiter and ordering food while his husband gasped and got his breath back.

Harry ordered for the two of them with aplomb. Severus just kissed him as they awaited their food. In truth he was really hungry. They ate, side by side, occasionally catching each other’s eye but desisted as they caught the glances of others. Maybe they were being too obvious and they backed off. Harry letting Severus take him in his arms and kiss behind his ear but no more as they tucked into the spread before them.

They cast shy smiles as they ate until Harry found the succulent centre of his steak and cut it out for his lover, feeding him the morsel on an extended fork. Severus licked his lips before taking the proffered food from Harry’s fork looking straight into his eyes and meeting a similarly lustful expression looking back.

They pulled away again, mindful of the company as they ate, just sending sexy looks each other’s way for now. After the meal, the small group of nine trooped up to recce with the crack squad of young Aurors in Hermione and Neville’s suite that had sneaked in under the radar and had dined in peace and quiet. Harry was introduced to them all and they all seemed suitably awed to be in the august presence of the great Harry Potter and the esteemed Severus Snape.

Hermione called the meeting to order. “Tomorrow we honour another erstwhile defender of the Light. Although none of us knew the girl personally, we are all familiar with the fight, some more so than others”, she paused as many of the twenty strong squad of Aurors murmured amongst themselves, casting wary looks at the older members of the assembled company.

“We will appear at the funeral and present the wreath which at present is in the basement of the building here keeping cool and fresh. I would like you two, Harry and Severus, to actually make the presentation to the family and this lot”, she waved her hand to encompass the younger crowd, “Are to be on hand to suss out any potential trouble and to watch their backs as you have been briefed”. There were serious nods and ‘aye’s around the room. Harry and Severus were mainly here as a presence but the others were here to work.

The Aurors were all taken away by their minders and trainers, Ron and Ollie, for further briefing and to be billetted in a smaller and cheaper establishment around the corner from their present location. Ron hugged Harry and said that they would all see each other on the morrow.

That left the more senior members of the gathering. Neville rang reception and ordered refreshments for everybody and they settled in to discuss some of the findings that the Dept of Mysteries had made vis-a-vis Graciela’s wand. “She or someone using her wand, cast some mighty odd spells with this, spells that should be well beyond an eighteen year old witch”, Hermione commented, producing a piece of parchment which she handed to Harry who pushed his glasses up his nose before reading.

“Bloody hell, ‘Mione. This is a nasty set of incantations. If Graciela cast all these, then her magic is a lot darker than I ever was”, he handed the list to his husband, who whistled softly under his breath, “Indeed”, was his only comment as he perused the list. His black brow rose, “If these are indeed spells that she cast, then she was taught a lot darker system of Magic than I would imagine features in the Beauxbatons curriculum. These things I would expect from a Durmstrang student, the sort of things that Draco may have known, given his lineage, but perhaps, given her own, I should not be too surprised. However, for all her Dark spellcraft, she could not defend herself. Does anyone actually know what happened at the Endgame of the encounter that finished with the poor child raped and killed?”

Hermione shook her head, “I had a chat with the Spanish Minister and a couple of her teachers. She was due to matriculate in less than three months time after the French equivalent of the NEWTs. According to what I was told, she was found on that hillside, just outside a cave with three dead Death-Eaters, for want of a better term, around her. At the post-mortem, it was found that she had been raped by at least five different males and the DNA matched none of the ‘Death-Eaters’ that she was found with. We do know, however, that she had received a note purporting to be from her lover requesting that she meet with him at the spot. Under Veritaserum the man was questioned and knew nothing at all of the summons and he has since been exonerated from any suspicion in all of this. We did the usual Priori Incantatem on her wand and therein lies the rub: there is a ‘missing’ section to her casting. This has been verified by friends and staff at the school. It is as if two days castings were somehow ‘wiped’ from her wand, including several charms and spells she cast during her normal school activities”.

This caused consternation amongst all those there. No-one had ever heard of such a thing. Harry voiced it for them all when he said, “I never knew that such a thing was possible. I thought all wands carried their entire casting history within. I never heard before of a wand being selectively ‘erased’ in this manner before. This is all most odd”.

Hermione heaved a sigh, “Me either, and I have seen some strange things in my line of work before but nothing quite like this”. They all discussed this for a while longer before getting around to the arrangements for the morrow. The funeral was for two in the afternoon starting at the small Catholic church before the procession to the gravesite where Harry and Severus were to lay the wreath under the watchful eye of the attendant Aurors who were also instructed with maintaining a vigilant eye over the two as well as keeping a sharp eye out for anyone who was a possible infiltrator to the proceedings. “Will de Santos himself be there? After all, the girl is his niece and he would have a valid reason for attendance”, Severus enquired.

“We’re not sure if he’ll be there although all the intelligence we currently have suggests that he will at least put in an appearance and we’re on the lookout for trouble. We’ll be liaising with the Spanish on this at all times and I’d like the two of you to go in wired if at all possible”, Hermione replied. Severus was dubious at this but Harry seemed keen enough and they huddled together as Hermione showed him the gear he would be required to wear. “Looks a bit dodgy, ‘Mione. This battery pack will show beneath my suit. Can’t I just go in with an open phone line? That way, no-one need be any the wiser”. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek in a manner wholly familiar to Harry, he had seen her do this when presented with a problem since their first year at school. She considered this seriously, “Okay”, she finally said, “But my line will also stay open and I’ll call Ron later and get him to do the same. Remember to charge your phone tonight”. Harry nodded sagely, “Will do”, and thus was the arrangement finalised.

The meeting broke up and Hermione asked the newly-marrieds to remain behind with her and Neville. As the door closed on Kingsley, the last to leave, Neville locked the door carefully and came back to join his wife who was digging out and re-sizing her pensieve from her luggage. Severus looked with some trepidation at the bowl as it was unwrapped, he hated to do pensieve memories at the best of times but realised the necessity of their actions and submitted himself to it with a sigh and as much good grace as he could summon.

She cleared a space on the large desk in their suite and laid the bowl down flat. “In your own time, chaps”, she murmured gently, “If this is too much, then we can try again later, but the sooner I can take this back to Blighty and get the memory examined, the quicker we can decipher what was used to kill your exes”.

Severus elected to go first. Taking a deep breath and with an encouraging squeeze on his arm from Harry, he closed his eyes and rewound his inner memory ‘tape’ to the awful night of the last battle, placing the tip of his wand at his temple as the memories assailed him and spun out a skein of silver smoke. He could hear the screams once again as fresh as yesterday, smell the carnage, the fresh tang of blood as he once again met Voldemort in his mind’s eye. He could see Harry and Draco before him, watched as the snake-man’s lips moved, saw the sickly yellow of the curse at it hit his godson, sealing his fate. For good measure, he carried the memory on until he saw the same yellow light envelop Remus in full wolf mode as he leapt into the fray. Tearfully, he opened his eyes and carefully placed the memory in the bowl.

Harry saw the wet on his cheeks and held him close in silent and tacit support. Relieved of the memory, Severus slumped down on the side of the mattress and sunk his face into his hands. “Harry?”, Hermione gently reminded him. Harry looked up from his husband, whom he was holding close, “Give me a minute, ‘Mione, he’s a bit upset”. She nodded and desisted.

Huffing out a long breath, Harry stood and stepped up to the desk seating himself in the straight-backed chair before it, closing his eyes and letting himself sink into the memories as they played themselves out on the back of his eyelids as they had many times before. He touched his wand to his temple and started the memory spooling out, once again seeing the bastard’s lipless mouth move, the yellow light, Draco taking the full force of the curse, watched him hesitate, shaking out his hands as he discerned no ill effects, shrug, and continue with the fight, eventually moving out of the way to give Harry his clear shot.....

With a sob that he couldn’t prevent from escaping, Harry dropped the memory carefully into the wide dish before collapsing over the desk, his head in his hands, tears coursing freely down his face. He felt familiar arms go around him and knew that his love held him tight. He clung to that touch and allowed himself to be lifted from the chair before burying his face in Severus’ shoulder and crying freely. Hermione embraced them both, “That was very brave of you both and I thank you. We’ll use this new technique as soon as we get home and I’ll report back to you as soon as we know anything”. Harry turned from his lover and hugged her back, “The more we can find out the better. I want to know how that bastard killed my Drae”. Hermione could do no more than nod, choked as she was, flicking a look between them both and pulling Severus back into the embrace. “I love you both, you know that, don’t you?”, she sniffled. “We’ll figure this out”. Severus held her, “Of course you will and if not, then it’s not for want of trying. I know how much effort you have put into this, Hermione. I hope that this works”, he murmured into her thick bushy hair. He felt her nod against his chest, “Merlin! Me too. We’ve tried everything, chaps, I hope that this will finally yield some concrete results”.

Secretly, Severus wasn’t so sure, but he still applauded her efforts. He managed a smile for her as they pulled apart and he held his Harry once more drying his mate’s face with a hanky before kissing him gently. Hermione extracted Harry’s memory carefully and decanted it into a similar bottle that held Severus’, labelled them both neatly then carefully shrank and wrapped the pensieve stowing it back in her luggage. “I need a drink after that”, she sniffled as Neville held her before calling room service and ordering fresh drinks for the four of them. After a while, the two excused themselves and made their way back to the honeymoon suite. Neither were in any mood for fun and games that night, a sense of gloom had settled over them both, and after stripping and showering again, they simply made ready for bed. Severus gathered Harry to him and held him tight murmuring a ‘nox’ as the lights were extinguished. He felt Harry go to sleep fairly soon, but he lay awake for a long time, Harry in his arms. He was quite worried about the impending funeral before them and the trouble that may surface. The dawn was starting to make her presence felt before Severus finally dropped off.

Harry slipped out of bed in the early hours and put his phone on charge before using the loo and climbing back into the huge bed beside his love who grabbed onto him in sleep and held fast murmuring and muttering in dreams. He, too, had had the nearest thing to nightmares in ages and welcomed the warm sleepy arms around him as he drifted off again.

They picked at breakfast in the main restaurant. The others didn’t seem any more inclined to eat and the overall atmosphere was one of unmitigated gloom, highly apposite considering that they were all there for a funeral. Hermione gave Severus a piece of parchment with the Apparation co-ordinates written on it and the instruction to Apparate in at about 2:15 pm in time for the main committal.

This left them with time on their hands. They tried to make love but Harry was distracted by his thoughts and kept losing the plot. He sighed as he apologised to his husband. Severus smiled wanly as he gathered him up, “Ssshh, don’t worry, love. There’s too much happening today. Last night, I had nightmares of the Final Battle, so I understand how you feel, love. It haunts me too”. They bathed and dressed in a companionable enough silence. Severus was fussing with his hair at the mirror in the bathroom when Hermione knocked politely at the door. Harry admitted her, his shirt collar unbuttoned and his hair in a mess.

She was sitting on the bed when Severus came in from the bathroom, his hair tied back in a rather smart silver filigree clip, loose strands around his face before ripping the thing off and flinging it across the room in irritation, “M’hair’s not quite long enough for this to look neat”, he growled, annoyed. Hermione patted the bed beside her, “Come here, I can make it neat”, and Severus sat, glowering and subjected himself to her sisterly ministrations.

She asked for his comb and he Summoned it from the bathroom shelf, muttering all the while, “Dunno what you can do with this mess. Might have to wear it loose but that doesn’t seem appropriate somehow”. She batted his shoulder with a hand, “Give over, that’s what girlies are for, Severus”, her laugh was light and infectious. “We’ll sort you out first, then Harry. He always has this bed-hair problem at formal ‘do’s that I usually sort out for him”, she grinned. Severus rolled his eyes at her and turned his back, “Go on, then”, he murmured, clasping one knee with his hands and turning his back to her, “Do your best. Just make it look neat and tidy”, he adjured her as she knelt behind him with the comb and set to work. Severus had the idea that she was doing this as much to relax herself as to make him look presentable.

As Harry buzzed around the room, Hermione took the heavy hair in her hands and combed it out, “You have beautiful hair, Severus”, she murmured as she combed and sleeked his hair with her hands. He rolled his eyes, “I seem to remember earning the appellation, ‘greasy git’ while I still taught you bloody miscreants”, to Hermione’s laughter. “Yes, well”, she replied, “I reckon that was only because you had your head hung over steaming cauldrons for much of your time at Hogwarts. It would make even the cleanest hair greasy after a long day. So, shut up and let me get on with it”, she exhorted, giving the heavy hair in her hands a slight tug. With a grin, Severus did just that.

She started a plait at his crown, gradually drawing in more hair as she worked, giving him a woven-in plait from crown to nape before clipping his hair back. “There”, she announced with satisfaction as all the stray hair was now held back tidily in the clip, “You look a million dollars”, she declared. He went to check in the bathroom mirror and saw all the hair lifted away from his face, no stragglers. “Very nice, Hermione, what did you do?” he called through into the bedroom. She stepped into the bathroom with her hand mirror, passing it to him, “Stand with your back to the main mirror and position this one so you can see the back of your head”, she instructed. He did so and saw the tightly plaited hair curving over his skull to the nape of his neck. “Very nice”, he re-iterated drily to her obvious amusement.

Harry’s comment was a simple, “Wow”, as he inspected his best friend’s work, “You’ll have to teach me how to do that for the future”, and smoothed his hands over his husband’s head, “This is really fab, you know. You look great”, he muttered to Severus who smiled smugly. “Come on, ‘Mione, help me out here, my hair looks like Buckbeak has been nesting in it”. She pulled out her full arsenal of hair grooming tools and rendered Harry’s hair at least passable using her fingers to create waves, calming the natural wildness and beating his mad curls into some sort of submission before stepping back to admire her handiwork, “You’ll do”, was her considered opinion and kissed his forehead. He hugged her spontaneously, “You’re a bloody marvel, ‘Mione. Thanks. I look a little less like I was dragged through a hedge backwards”. Severus grinned at him, “Now you look like my very own ‘David’, love”. Harry snickered, “Um, yeah, if Michelangelo’s David ever wore a suit, maybe”. They all laughed and Hermione left them to it to begin her own preparations for the society funeral that was in front of them.

Severus admired his new hairdo from several angles, “I really like what she has done”, he remarked. Harry grinned, “That’s what sisters are for. She even made mine less of a nightmare, if you notice”. Severus grabbed Harry from behind as they consulted the mirror, “She is a wonderful woman, Harry, and we both look the part now”. They had transfigured their suits to a more sombre colour as befit the situation, thrown their best cloaks over the ensemble, and they were ready.

The small group met in Hermione and Neville’s suite. Ron had already called to say that the Auror squad were already in place around the cemetery and the rest of the party sat around awaiting the proper time to Apparate, the wreath in the room with them now. A gaudy thing, some three feet high in the shape of a phoenix resplendent, wings spread. A sign of the Brits’ support to the Spanish and a coded message to the enemies that may be present, that the Order of the Phoenix was still very much alive and functional, the same group that had defeated the last Dark Lord.

A sign that said, “We are on to you”, and to the beleaguered Spanish, “You are not alone”.

The appointed time was here at last. A series of soft ‘pop’s was the only sound they made as they left the hotel and Apparated to their destination. A wide and desolate green space in a corner of the de Santos summer estate grounds, the family mausoleum forming the backdrop to the proceedings. They were at the family’s summer house. As Harry turned through 360 degrees as he landed, he saw a large house in the distance and a procession making their slow and sombre way to where the British delegation were. His Auror instincts were on the fullest alert they had been for many years. He felt old and tired as he called these skills into play again. Hermione was right, he was too old for all this shite. He watched as the party toiled up the hill towards Graciela’s final resting place, the catafalque bearing the coffin levitated between the bearers in full state.

Severus could feel the stiffness in his beloved’s bearing as he stood beside him him. They both watched as the procession made it’s way towards them, the mourners from the church trailing along behind the coffin. The weeping woman in funereal black immediately following the bier was obviously the girl’s mother, supported by two strong men that were her brothers. Harry could feel his eyes tear at the sight. “Another one lost to the Dark”, Harry muttered as he leaned briefly into the comfort offered by his husband’s side

The funeral oration began, in Spanish, as the group were finally assembled at the gravesite. Harry could feel his eyes cast about. The young Aurors that Ron and Ollie had assembled mingled easily with the crowd, all wearing ‘notice-me-not’ charms the easier to pass unobtrusively among the mourners and Harry was suddenly glad of the support. He shivered slightly and received a reassuring look before he and Severus took a step apart and the service began, the pastor intoning his oration in suitably doleful Spanish.

Those who had cast the Redditus spell were able to follow the service easily and Harry could feel the tears on his cheeks at the sincere man’s words as he read the offices. Harry murmured along with it, as the coffin was lowered into the earth as the eulogies were read out by the various members of the family. The mother was too distraught to speak and her brothers’ eulogies were short and angry. Of the girl’s father or his brother there was no sign.

At the appointed moment, Severus and Harry stepped forward with the Order’s wreath and laid it with the appropriate ceremony at the grave side as the pastor thanked them in halting English. There were several surprised gasps as they came forward and said a short piece each, Harry on the waste of young life, Severus on a bright schoolgirl who was at the start of life, before melting back into the crowd once more, their job done.

Harry was weeping freely being held tight by Hermione and his husband. This was too reminiscent of other funerals after the War. They waited until before the final committal and made their way to the distraught woman in her weeds and trailing black mantilla, and expressed their condolences bowing over her hands. She embraced them warmly, weeping onto Harry’s shoulder, “Thank you for coming today. I know she valued your support in what she had to do. It is a great shame that she died before the prophecy could be fulfilled”, the weeping woman intimated. “She admired you so much, Senor Potter. She placed great faith in your words and carried your letter to her even unto death”.

Harry felt the devastation at these words and could do little to comfort the woman who had lost her eldest daughter to the latest incarnation of megalomaniac madness, “Her fucking uncle, my husband’s own damn brother”, she struggled with her English as she folded against Harry’s chest.

He held the diminutive woman against him as she sobbed seeming to draw some comfort from the last vanquisher of a Dark Lord. Vaguely, off to his left, he was aware of the whir of a motor-winder, the Press were obviously here but the photographer stayed out of the way and didn’t push in intrusively. Severus caught sight of the man and glared at him. Sighing, he realised that if the man sold any pictures of this funeral to the British wizarding press, this one with Mrs de Santos in Harry’s arms was the picture that the Prophet would as like as not choose.

There was a commotion from somewhere just behind them. Harry relinquished Mrs de Santos and turned in the sound’s direction to hear a muttered curse from the woman in his arms, “Mierda”, she disentangled herself and tried to back off but had been spotted. Harry looked perplexed, “Abuela!!”, she groaned as the tiniest woman Harry had ever seen hove into view, “She’s a squib and the one who insisted on the church service. Most of us in this family have no use for God, but she has no magic and as the matriarch she holds the reins. She always favoured Guillermo over Guido, my husband, and will hear no wrong regarding the favourite son. Damn her”, Harry glanced down at her as she scurried away to head off the formidable old lady whose hair was as white as snow and her eyes beetle-black flashing ire at the assembled company as she descended from the sedan chair in which she was being transported to the gravesite.

In a flurry of ancient black point d’esprit lace, the old lady went about issuing orders to lackeys and generally spreading fear and loathing around her. What had been a dignified ceremony to this point now had an injection of terror and harsh words as she threw insults and sharp words punctuated by prods from her ancient black furled parasol. Severus and Harry ducked out sideways from this as the tiny ball of anger marched straight up to Kingsley and demanded none too subtly just exactly what was a BLACK man doing at the wake until, finally, Graciela’s two maternal uncles stepped in and hauled her off with sharp words of their own.

Harry wandered to the pile of tributes to one side of the grave. Amongst the flowers and the cards there was a photograph, still and muggle of the girl in her school uniform, staring straight out of the photo with a challenging mien and a bitter set to her lips. She had her mother’s eyes, dark and haunted. The picture had been taken relatively recently. Judging by the acid look on the poor girl’s face, she knew of her fate by this point. Harry felt someone at his shoulder, “She was beautiful, was she not?” Harry turned to see his husband gazing over his shoulder, “Yes”, he stated simply with a slight smile, flicking his glance between Severus and her, “Bloody hell, you two could be related, she has your nose and her eyes are very similar. Is there something I should know, Sev?”, he enquired lightly.

Severus dug him in the ribs, “Oi, enough of that. I believe I have some Mediterranean blood in me somewhere but as far as I’m aware, the de Santos line does not impinge on the Snape line anywhere”. Harry snickered, “I thought all you pureblood types were all related under the skin somewhere”. Severus glanced around, ascertaining that they were being ignored and leaned in, biting his beloved on the neck, “If you recall, I am no pureblood Harry. She’s more likely to have been related to Draco than me, although it’s more likely that someone like Blaise Zabini has a de Santos ancestor somewhere. The southern Europeans were as close knit in their marriages and alliances as the British wizarding families, not quite as incestuous as the Brits, but just as protective of their bloodlines”.

Harry grinned at him, massaging the bitten spot, “Just a thought, especially now you’re all tanned and gorgeous”. Severus rolled his eyes, “Dark hair and eyes is just generic Spanish, love. How many folk have addressed me in Spanish taking me to be a native?” Harry turned back to the flowers replacing the picture, “Good point”, before straightening up again, catching Severus’ eye and they gazed at each other for a long moment, “God, I want to kiss you right now”, Harry murmured to receive a smile in return but the moment was broken by the arrival of the Spanish Minister of Magic and his entourage. From a distance, he watched as the man made straight for the aged matriarch taking her hands in his and addressing her by her correct honorific of Madre as befit her position as the head of the clan.

The company was called back to order by the priest and they all assembled again around the grave for the final committal. Harry found himself beside Ron, “Everything okay?”, he murmured. Ron nodded, “So far. We haven’t spotted Guillermo yet but we think that there are a couple of his sympathisers here, other members of the family, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the old dear was one, too”. Harry shrugged, “Thought the old bird was a squib, so the mother says. She clings to the old ways, the ways of the church. If she thought there were a bunch of English queers here, she’d probably throw a fit”, to feel the silent shaking of Ron’s laughter beside him.

“We’re gonna get you two back to the hotel soon, I think, but then the young ‘uns are going to pump the guests for info at the buffet on our instructions, particularly when everyone’s a bit pissed and weepy later on. I’m not looking forward to it but it’s the best time for intelligence gathering”, he sighed. Sometimes the life of an Auror wasn’t great as Harry well knew. He didn’t envy Ron in the slightest. “Well, Sev and I have done our bit, so whenever you want us out of here, just give the word. I don’t want to make your job any more complicated”. They shut up then as the committal begun and the wailing grew louder as the coffin was hoisted onto eight sets of strong shoulders and the bearers made for the family mausoleum.

Harry and Severus hung back a bit now, not wishing to intrude on this most traumatic of moments. They were joined by Hermione and Neville. “Time for us to disappear”, Neville murmured. “Hang on a sec”, said Harry, who had spotted a tall dark man of around his own age hanging back too. The man looked totally destroyed. Pink edged his dark eyes and he twisted a piece of cloth in his hands. He seemed to know no-one else at the funeral. Harry nudged Hermione, “Who’s he?”, he enquired. Hermione leaned in, “It would seem as if the Prophet got something right after all”, she intoned, “We think that he’s the guy she was involved with prior to her death”. “Shit, he looks our age or thereabouts”. Hermione smiled, “So, you aren’t the only one to fall in love with someone more than twenty years your senior”. Harry rounded on her, “Well, yeah, but I’m forty plus. She was a mere girl. What the hell was she doing with an old geezer like him?” Hermione smirked, “Dunno, but Ollie is going to give him the third degree if he sticks around for the bun-fight afterwards”.

Once the attention was off them, the four of them started to discreetly wander towards the trees in order to apparate away. They saw the reporter and photographer spot them and begin to advance and that spurred Harry on, “Let’s go now, otherwise I may get tangled up in the machinations of the Press”. With a ‘pop’, they all vanished.

“That was close”, Harry fanned himself as they landed in an untidy heap back in Hermione and Neville’s rooms once more except for Severus who had to be the tidiest Apparator on record. He laughed at the other three as they sorted out whose limbs were whose. Harry stood and swatted him on the arm. They had learned their Apparation skills and had passed their licences at more or less the usual time in a wizard’s or witch’s life but in the immediate aftermath of the war the standards had been lax and passes had been awarded on the basis of not splinching yourself instead of style and grace. Severus had been examined when such things as finesse counted for more and he laughed again as he helped the others to their feet.

Harry patted down his cloak, “Well, I’m going to get changed back into jeans, then I fully intend to get totally smashed”, he declared. “Who’ll join me?”, to receive a three-fold ‘aye’ from the others. “Ron and the Aurors will be there ‘til the end, so they could be ages yet. A drinkie or two is definitely in order, methinks”, Neville supplied. Harry grinned at his husband, “Shall we?”, he held out an arm to him and Severus linked him, “Give us a few minutes then come on up”, Harry tossed over his shoulder as they swept from the room.

Harry stripped off as soon as they reached their rooms and headed for the shower, “Need to wash out all the cack ‘Mione put in my hair”, he raced off. He was joined moments later by a very aroused Severus who joined him under the hot water. They managed a lovely quickie that relaxed them both before Severus hopped out and went to play host while Harry washed his hair. As he joined his friends in the lounge he saw that Severus had already obtained beer and wine for them all from room service and he had an icy bottle of lager thrust into his hand as he towelled his mad mop. All were in jeans with the exception of Severus who sported a smart pair of chinos, teaming them with a cream linen shirt that Harry loved, his bare feet up on the low table as he sipped wine. Harry cast an appreciative look over his beloved before diving onto the sofa beside him and having a long arm looped around his waist and being pulled back to a linen-clad chest. He closed his eyes and grinned as he was kissed behind his ear while he settled himself.

They did indeed spend the remainder of the afternoon getting convivially pissed together. At one point, Hermione dug out two packs of playing cards and they had a fast and furious game of Kaluke that had them all laughing. Neville won. At some point during the proceedings, Severus ordered them all food from the kitchens as none of them could face dressing in the formal style that dining in the restaurant would have entailed and they slobbed about, munching and drinking and laughing at some inane game show on the TV that seemed to involve a lot of half-naked hostesses with enhanced breasts, and totally befuddled contestants.

As the night wore on, Neville fell asleep on the sofa, Harry put on some music and the three of them danced. Harry needed to get his best friend on her own again and discuss with her the seeming death of her relationship with her husband but for now he let it go and just enjoyed her company and her somewhat drunken gyrations against them both. He figured that they were safe for her to flirt shamelessly with although he had the idea that, if they had offered, right then and there, and had they been inclined to do so, then she would have been more than willing to take the pair of them to bed. He winked at Severus who sat out the next dance while Harry slow-danced his favourite girlie. They definitely needed to have a chat, but her virtue was safe with them.

Eventually, she tired and took herself and her husband to their own rooms, Neville grousing at being woken up. Harry was a teeny bit concerned that Ron and Ollie hadn’t returned yet along with the other members of the Order so gave him a quick call on his cell to hear the party in the background, raucous now, as Ron shouted into his mobile, “We’re getting loads of good family gossip now, everyone’s pissed and the old granny woman loves my red hair, so I’ve made a pal there, irascible old bitch that she is, and the mum’s a mine of information. It’s a bugger staying straight though, you sound pissed”. Harry relayed his own afternoon to his friend to be told, “Lucky bugger. We’ll be back, but not for a while yet, the pickings are simply too good. The food’s not bad either. Well, must go, Kingsley thinks he just spotted ol’ Guillermo and I’m needed. Take care and we’ll see ya in the a.m.”. He rang off and Harry closed his phone. “Looks like old ‘Billy’ just turned up”, he relayed to his husband as he tucked his phone away.

Severus grabbed Harry into a long, deep, passionate kiss, “Enough ‘shop’ talk. I want you to fuck me in that jacuzzi in the bathroom”, he growled as Harry melted against him. Harry flushed, “Lead on McDuff”, and he was led into the bathroom……

The light was too bright and his husband was altogether too chirpy as Harry surfaced the next day, feeling the cool glass ampoule that was pressed into his hand. “Drink”, the silky voice of his beloved exhorted. Harry bleared an eye open to see the phial of hangover potion in his hand and downed it in one, re-burying his head under the pillow as he let the little glass bottle roll off the bed. Severus sat beside him for a while before lifting the sheet away and slapping Harry soundly on the arse.

“Owyafuckin’pervert. ‘Mstill asleep”, to hear the low tone of Severus’ laughter, “Never could hold your liquor, could you, Mrs S?”, to receive a heartfelt, “Bugger off” by way of reply. Severus laughed louder, “Not a chance, my Harry. I seem to recall that we have a date with a ferry this evening and we have yet to get to Santander, so I suggest that you move that gorgeous arse of yours out of bed pronto if you wish to see your friends before we depart”. Harry just groaned and rolled onto his back, his face covered by the pillow.

Severus lifted it off despite Harry’s best efforts to retain it, “Oh, no, you don’t. Come on, lazybones, up you get. We have a long road ahead of us and I for one could do with a proper breakfast inside of me before we hit the road”. Harry just wasn’t going to win this one and struggled upright as his head cleared. He looked around the room to see their cases more or less packed, “We’ve got loads o’ time, Sev”, he whined, but Severus was having none of it, “No excuses, Harry. I want us away from here as quickly as possible”. Harry rose, mumbling and swearing under his breath as he staggered into the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~WS~~(mention)~~~

Under the shower he recalled snatches of the previous night and had to grin as he remembered his husband begging to be fucked kneeling up on the wee shelf that ran around the jacuzzi and Harry obliging, pounding into him, the bubbly water washing around their legs. Swallowing hard, he could vaguely recall asking Severus to piss in his mouth before being thoroughly fucked in turn, being called all the dirty sluts under the sun. His hand touched his bruised shoulder and he winced at the vehemence with which he was royally buggered, his arse still tender. He had to have a quick wank as the recollections washed over him before he emerged, flushed and grinning, towelling his hair to an embrace from his man. He was nearly caught up again but pushed his randy hubby away before climbing into his clothes.

~~~~~~~~WS(end)~~~~~~~~

“Oh, no, you don’t, you wicked man. I’m already going to have problems sitting in the driver’s seat all day as it is”, to receive a pout from his lover. They straggled down to the restaurant for breakfast to see their friends already arrayed around a large table on the hotel’s terrace. Despite their late night, the heads of the Auror squad looked reasonably fresh. The same could not be said for Hermione and her husband who looked distinctly the worse for wear. Severus placed a small glass bottle in front of each of them which they accepted with grateful thanks.

Hermione shivered as she downed her potion, “Bloody hell, Severus Potter-Snape, this is still as foul as it was the time I had to take this after the Yule ball in bloody fourth year. Ugh”. Severus laughed at her reaction, “No gain without pain, sweetie”. She just glowered at him but was able to eat a hearty breakfast all the same and winked her forgiveness at him as her mood improved. The talk around the table was lively, mainly led by Ron, Ollie and Kingsley who had been in the thick of the party the previous night. Harry attacked his salchicha and eggs with gusto as he listened in. Apparently Guillermo had indeed turned up to be fawned over by his mother and reviled by the rest of the funeral party including his own brother with whom Ollie had had a very illuminating chat along with the MoM. Altogether the excursion had been a success, the Brits pledging their assistance and the MoM delighted with the fact that Harry and Severus had made an appearance for the side of the light.

Ollie had an early edition of the day’s Prophet that he threw down on the table. Sure enough, the picture of Harry embracing Graciela’s mother had made the front page and Harry groaned to see it. Severus leaned in and murmured, “Now you see why we have to scarper, love”, and Harry nodded, “We’ll be on the road soon, love. Santander is only 60-odd kilometres away and it’s motorway all the way”. Severus concurred and got seriously stuck into his breakfast. They would need fuel for the day ahead and he was glad to see Harry taking on plenty of calories.

The little party was breaking up that morning, the Aurors and his friends all having to go back to England and Harry and Severus were finally going to be able to continue their journey. After some discussion, they decided to forego the three weeks at sea for a much shorter trip that travelled into the Med right around Spain and Portugal on the ferry, before feeding Bessie into a container for the long journey to New Zealand while they took the plane. They were now eager to continue their odyssey abroad.

They smiled between themselves as they discussed their next few days in low voices while their companions complained of having to rejoin the rat-race again for work and how much they had enjoyed the ‘skive’ to Spain and a few days away at the expense of the British MoM. Harry said to thank whoever was responsible for treating them to the Honeymoon Suite but Hermione reddened, “That wasn’t strictly kosher you know, so the less said, the better”, and the others all agreed, “We’ll keep schtum then”, laughed Harry, “No e-mails to old Scrimgeour. Your secret is safe with us. We’ll be the other side of the world soon and I can’t wait”, he exclaimed. Severus threaded an arm around him, “Me either. I want to be off soon”. Harry grinned at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

They all waved and shouted as Harry pulled Bessie out of the underground car park. There was a suspicious clanking behind the vehicle as she drew away and Harry stopped in a service station along the motorway to investigate to find a crudely worded poster saying ‘Just Married’ pasted across the back doors and a variety of empty lager cans tied to the bumper at the rear. Harry took pictures before he untangled the string and cut the decorations loose before they pulled out into the traffic once again. They were in Santander in a couple of hours and made their way to the port with no problems.

The ferry was a bit of a tub although the cabin was clean if a little cramped, not the luxury that Harry had originally booked. Although once more wondering what their changes in arrangements had cost in fees, nevertheless Severus breathed a sigh of relief when the bay doors were closed and the ship pulled away in a stately manner and headed west, the setting sun before them. Severus pulled Harry into an embrace as they sat as far forward as it was possible to go, a blanket around them, and watched the sun set over the water, land to their left, the lights in the coastal towns winking on as they passed and the dusk deepened. They were on their way again. Harry turned to Severus in whose arms he lay, propped up by a bollard, “We’re off again, love. Away from it all, away from everybody”, and was silenced by a deep passion-filled kiss. Severus rubbed his cheek in Harry’s hair, his grin off the scale, “Aaahh, just me and you again and I have you all to myself”, he purred as Harry relaxed into the arms that held him. The next leg of the journey had begun.