The Journey Cycle: pt 3: Australia *pt 3 complete*

6

The next few days were busy ones for hosts and guests. Jon and Julia had another extended practice with Josh and Nettie one night whilst during the day, Harry took Bessie down to Josh’s dad’s yard to work on her. Ralph was an affable guy who was quite happy to assist along with his son to get Bessie ready for the long haul again.

They stripped out her axles and Harry repaired the worn sections as he’d intended and the three of them made short work of moving the water tank to the other side of the roof. Ralph spotted a few damaged spots on the chassis that needed his welding gear while Harry replaced one of the door sills that was looking a little rusty. Josh drove him to a scrapyard to hunt up some larger wing mirrors which were soon fitted and the three of them gave Bessie’s stove a sturdier footplate to stand on. “You’ve a fine vehicle here, Harry”, Ralph said as they all shared a beer at day’s end. Harry blushed, “Well, as I told Josh, she’s a work in progress. She always seems to need tweaking”.

Ralph considered the man, “Aren’t you a little past it to be travelling around like a couple of hippie bums?” Harry laughed, “My best friend asked me that before we set off and, yes, I am, I suppose but I’m living a dream that I’ve always had and this is the most cost-effective way to do it. Severus and I couldn’t have afforded to do such a thing if we’d have had to rely on hotels and planes and the like. We came here on a container ship from New Zealand, the cabin was okay and we ate with the crew. That’s probably the way that we’ll end up going back to England one day but not yet, we’ve loads we want to see before that happens”.

Ralph quizzed him about the places they had seen so far and Harry gave him a potted version of their travels in the last two years, “We only broke off to go back to England to marry and then set off again”. Ralph frowned, “You mean you left your new bride back in England?” Harry gulped, plainly Josh had said nothing about two men being married and he grimaced at his faux pas, especially as Josh was signalling to him behind his father’s back, gesturing ‘no’ and slicing a finger across his throat, his eyes wide. Harry dissembled quickly, “Erm, yes, erm, I knocked her up first though, gave her something to keep her occupied while I get this travelling lark out of my system before I settled down. Silly girl wouldn’t wait for me so we made a deal”. The grizzled man guffawed at this, “Bloody good on ya, mate. Don’t let the bloody women hold ya back from ya ambitions, lad, or they’ll have you tied to the bloody apron strings. So what d’ya want a girl or a lad first?, and the crisis passed.

Josh followed Harry back to Jon and Julia’s as they had another practice that night and apologised to Harry, “Sorry, dude, shoulda warned you, m’dad hates queers, thinks they should be castrated, he’s a bit of a fascist about it”. Harry shrugged, “My fault, I should have figured it out the way he talks about women. Fuck! I hate talking about women that way. I like them, just not sexually. Two of my bestest mates in the whole world are women and brighter and better people you couldn’t find anywhere, certainly not the types to be barefoot and pregnant. I’d never treat a woman that way even if I was into them. Still, no harm done eh?”, they shared a conspiratorial laugh.

Josh gave Harry an appraising once-over, “Well, I’ll say this for ya, neither of you are nancy boy screaming queens at any rate an’ me dad always appreciates a man who can do engines and stuff and your knowledge impressed him”. Harry laughed again, “Learned it all from a bunch of hippie traveller types when I was a kid. No doubt your father wouldn’t have approved of them either, my aunt and uncle didn’t, they were the people who raised me and for the record, they’d have hated the fact that I’m queer into the bargain. Usually I don’t give a stuff who knows. I love the man I married and I’m proud to be out, Sev is a wonderful man but I realise that not everyone shares the same enlightened attitude. I’ve been out to my friends since I was fourteen and most times I pay it no heed at all”.

The burly heavy-set man chuckled, “Well, watch your step over here in Aus, there’s a lot of homophobia here, it’s a very masculinist culture, a bit red-necked if you like. I fuckin’ hate the place meself and once I’m either famous or I start earning money off my degree then I’m out of here. I’ve no intention of staying here the rest of my life. I wanna travel like you guys, go everywhere, find out who I am”, he hesitated then mumbled something incomprehensible. Harry leaned in to hear better, “Pardon, I didn’t hear that”. The big man muttered, “Think I may be that way inclined meself, like. The ladies don’t do it for me either but I’ve got to cut the apron strings myself, get out from under. I know mum won’t really be bothered, she just wants me to be happy but me dad’ll kill me if he finds out”.

Harry instantly sympathised with the man, for all his size and bulk, he could be no more than early twenties. He asked him his age. “Believe it or not, ‘m only nineteen, not twenty ‘til October, though what bloke’d ever fancy me is anyone’s guess”, he chuckled ruefully. Harry grinned, “It’s not all buff hairless bodies out there you know, nor yet skinny minnies, there’s a lot of guys like a big man. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. I mean look at me, a skinny speccy short-arse. You should have seen my ex, fuckin’ gorgeous. The girls adored him as well as the guys and now I have my Sev, the most beautiful man on the planet, well, I think so anyway and both of them were totally in love with li’l ol’ me, specs and all. I had eighteen good years with Draco before he died”. Josh’s face fell, “Oh, wow, man, that’s rough, sorry to hear it. Eighteen, you say? I didn’t think you were above thirty five or so, in which case you must have been busy young. I envy you”. Harry’s peal of laughter could be heard in the house. “Oh, flattery will get you everywhere, I’m nearly forty four”. Josh’s face was a picture, “Fuck! That old?! Sorry mate, didn’t mean to insult ya, but you sure don’t look it, D’you mind me askin’ how old ya hubby is?”

Harry grinned, “Guess”. The man furrowed his brow, “Well, if you’re gone forty then I guess he must be late forties at least, neither of you has much grey yet, have you?” Harry replied, “He’ll be sixty five next birthday, we’re a pair of old geezers, so it matters not how old you are, Josh, just go for it. I reckon Europe would be a good place to start, London, maybe, although the scene can get a bit clone-y at times and I feel old now in the clubs and stuff but I’ve sort of grown past all that these days, I’m a one-man man, always was really, never liked that shagging around stuff, you know, loads of anonymous partners in a single night. I’ve always been a bit of a romantic on the quiet, ‘S probably why I get on well with women, I dunno”, he mused dreamily.

Josh shrugged, “There’s a tiny scene here in Adelaide but it’s a bit too small town for me here. I stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. I’ve had a couple of casual things that didn’t amount to much but I’d love a real partner, someone to travel with like you and Severus, though it must be pretty tricky, the two of you cooped up in that van, even though she’s ace, I’m not maligning her in any way, but she’s a bit small for me”.

Harry smiled his understanding, “To be honest, when I first asked Sev to come away with me, I thought the same, that we’d get on each other’s nerves a bit, but he took to it like a duck to water and we love it, we can go anywhere in her and we don’t have to bother with things like height restrictions, an important consideration if you’re travelling in Europe as a lot of the old bridges are quite low on the country lanes and I hate main roads. Initially, I wanted something bigger like a horse-box, you know, one of the big show ones, or a single-decker coach but Bessie is an ideal size, she’s quite cosy really”.

This gave Josh a lot to think about as they wandered into the house. Severus greeted his husband warmly with a hug but demurred at kissing him, “Whereas it may be incredibly butch to love the smell of metal and oil, please have a shower and then I’ll greet you as I should do: as I want to”. Harry gazed into his lover’s dark sparkling eyes, “Care to assist, lover?” he purred, raising his eyebrows, to receive a pat on the bum and a grin, “Now there’s an idea. I’ll pour us a drink first while you start without me and I’ll join you. I’ll wash your hair if you like”.

It was two flushed and damp men that sat down with the others to an evening meal with their hosts and Josh. Nettie had a previous engagement that night and the band were one short. Jon asked Harry if he’d mind filling in on rhythm guitar for a while. Severus smiled, “Why not, Harry, it’ll give you some practice. It’s up to you though, love”. Harry shrugged and said, “Okay, why not, but don’t jump down my throat if I hit too many bum notes. I think I can pick up on a few of your songs”. He turned to Severus, “And what will you do this evening?” Severus replied, “I need to send a couple of e-mails and I want to see if Oliver has replied to the one I sent him the other night. I can keep myself busy and I could do with making us some more of that sunscreen lotion. I purchased the ingredients in Melbourne the other day”. So that settled it.

Severus asked for the use of the kitchen and was granted it with an airy wave by Julia and he disappeared below to gather up his ingredients. For propriety’s sake, he used the large stewpot that they kept on Bessie which was actually a transfigured pewter cauldron but best not to frighten the non-magicals so it remained in simple pan form.

Harry, meanwhile, was dragged into the rehearsal space and handed a guitar. The instrument wasn’t a patch on his own so, with a word of apology, he ducked downstairs to retrieve his own. Both Josh and Jon gasped when they saw it emerge from it’s battered case, “Wow, dude, so this is the bargain you picked up in N Zee?. A bargain indeed. A Fylde, no less, and this cost how much? Eighty dollars did you say? Bloody hell, you could sell this on Ebay and buy two Ovations with it”, was Josh’s vehement comment as he handed the thing reverently back to it’s owner.

Harry quickly tuned up and the rehearsal started. For all her position as the drummer in the band and Jon’s more exalted one as the main songwriter, she was plainly the leader when it came to their rehearsals and she worked them all hard. They even tried some of the newer stuff that wasn’t yet polished to anyone’s satisfaction, one song in particular that Jon worried over like a dog with a bone. “Dunno what’s wrong with it yet but it just isn’t right”, he frowned mulishly.

Harry had heard them have this discussion before and he thought he knew what the problem was. The song was a fairly rollicking number with a folky middle eight and at the time Harry had first heard it, he thought that this section let the whole piece down, so he communicated it in music rather than words, rocking out in the middle and thereby lifting the whole thing. He played the remainder at a much faster tempo too that made the other three look at each other in that ‘by George, he’s got it’ kind of way.

He found himself in short order with an electric guitar in his hands, his Fylde resting in a stand nearby. “Now try your version again, only this time with the juiced box”, Julia grinned at him encouragingly. Harry took a deep breath and started only to stop a few bars in, “Nah, don’t like this. Anyone got a plick?” Josh furrowed his brow until Harry clarified, “Sorry, a plectrum. It needs a harder sound”. He was handed one and began again.

In no time, he had drums at his back, Julia behind her full kit, Jon on rhythm guitar and Josh thrashing out a bass line. As the piece finished it was to high-fives all round. “Whoa, Harry, I thought you said you’d never written music before, you lying ol’ scumbag”, Josh laughed. Harry blushed, “Well, no, I haven’t. What would an old fart like me know about the modern rock idiom, I barely listen to any these days. I’m a bit stuck in the nineties musically”. To receive variations on a theme of, “Bollocks. That was great and you’ve taken this track from zero to hero. I wouldn’t be surprised if our manager doesn’t designate this the next single from series four. You are so going to get a writing credit for this”.

Harry was abashed and pleased all at once. Jon shook his head, “You Brits are so fuckin’ modest. That track stays like that from now on. It’s brilliant now whereas it was so-so before”. Harry shrugged abashedly and the session continued, this time the others asked Harry for input as well as providing it themselves and Harry was secretly delighted to be taken seriously as a musician, by professionals no less.

The session was lively and didn’t drag in the least. It was as dawn coloured the sky that Harry realised how long they had been playing. Time had passed him entirely by and he felt energised, wide awake. During a lull, he let his mind drift to his husband and looked towards the kitchen. ‘Silly me’, thought Harry, ‘I bet Sev finished hours ago’, and sure enough, his husband was nowhere to be seen. He glanced in the other direction, that of the lounge only to see a fall of black hair over the arm of the sofa and a hand resting on the open book splayed across his chest, the regular rise and fall of sleeping breath and knew that Severus was deeply asleep. He cast him a fond look before turning back to his bandmates who were wrapping up for the night.

Josh caught sight of Harry looking at Severus and commented, “Jeeze, how can the guy sleep through the row we’ve been making? The guy could prob’ly sleep through a siege!” Harry shared a grin with the others and was correct as he felt the crackle of a silencing charm as he passed through it to awaken him and get him to bed, closing his book and kissing the relaxed brow. Severus sat up, startled at the intrusion of noise again, “Sorry, must have dozed off”, he mumbled. Harry quieted him with a gentle kiss, “We’ve finished now. D’you fancy a bite to eat before bed”. Severus grabbed his beloved and pulled him across his lap kissing him properly, “I know what I do fancy and you look like you could do with a little relaxation before sleep”.

Harry sat up again, grinning, “Sure, but I need food first, that session has taken it out of me. Come on, I think Jon’s cooking”. He hauled his sleepy lover upright as Severus rubbed at his eyes then looked up at his eager flushed lover, “I heard the changes that you made to that first tune and I have to agree, you made it sound a lot better”, he murmured, out of earshot of the others, “I told you you were good”. Harry snickered, “Yes, well”, was his only comment. Severus shook his head, “I’m serious, Harry, you really are. Don’t do yourself down. False modesty doesn’t become you. You did well so take pride in that. I do. I’m very proud of you, love”. Harry kissed him again with feeling and they wandered into the kitchen.

Around the table the talk drifted to places that Harry and Severus might wish to see while they were here in this part of Australia and Josh suggested Kangaroo Island, just off the coast south of Adelaide. “It’s just a ferry ride away but I’m more than happy to take you in the boat. It’d be a great day out and we can maybe see some whales too at this time of the year. They come further north as the weather cools south of us. If not, then we can do a bit of fishing, whatever you like. I’d love to take you out on her, she’s a little project that I’ve been working on, a bit like your Bessie. George, that works at the yard for my dad, has been helping me with her, and she could do with a test run. So how’s about it, guys? I need a crew of at least three and these two are no use during the day, though you’re welcome to come along of course”.

Severus thought it seemed like a capital idea and said so, “I’m not sure what kind of sailor I will be but I’ve managed on all the seaborne craft that we’ve been on so far”. Josh grinned at him, “I bet you’ll be fine and this might be about the latest the weather will be nice to us before the winter winds set in around the coast”. Harry shrugged and nodded his agreement. They still had a couple of days before they were due to take their trip to Perth and he, too, fancied a day out. A day spent messing about in boats might be just the thing and they set a date for the day after tomorrow/today. Josh would pick them all up early to get the two photosensitives settled belowdecks before the sun became too fierce, “Galley slaves”, he winked at Severus and Harry, “While we do all the butch stuff. You’ll need trainers or something with sticky rubber soles for on deck as it gets a little slippery, and we can loan you some waterproofs should we need them. I’ll introduce you to George. I bet he’ll want to come along and that way, I’ll have all the crew I need just in case one of you two decides to get seasick”

Feeling considerably more awake, Severus dragged Harry off down to the pool for their exercises, this time keeping it chaste. Severus powered through his usual mile while Harry pushed himself from twenty to twenty five lengths before doing his kata and stretches while Severus joined in for the crunches section of the workout. He could now do fifty sit-ups in a row whereas when they had started he could only manage a bare fifteen before collapsing in agony. This workout malarkey was having some effect it would seem.

The house slept for the greater part of the daylight hours again, Severus awoke a time or two but read himself back to sleep with his husband in his arms and if sleep eluded him, he simply lay there and held his Harry, idly stroking his hair and staring at the ceiling. He was looking forward to their two days out, idly contemplating the pace of their travels. Had it really only been less than a fortnight since they had left New Zealand? They hadn’t seen or done a lot but it seemed like weeks ago. Their wedding day had only been a couple of months ago and it felt like another aeon. He planted kisses in Harry’s hair deciding that he liked this mode of travel very much indeed, thank you, and was prepared to follow his beloved anywhere. He smiled as he let his eyes close again.

They stopped in at a chandlery to pick Severus and Harry up a new pair of deck shoes apiece on the way to Ralph’s boatyard very early the next day and into a twenty-four hour supermarket for food and drink for their expedition. Ralph himself wasn’t there yet but there was a shortish man already hard at work when they pulled onto the dock, a welding mask over his face holding a bright blue flame spitting from a metal wand in one hand mending the chassis on a boat-trailer. Josh had to hail the man loudly over the noise of the welding gear.

The man made all safe and turned off the tall gas cylinder before raising the helmet and nearly fainting dead away at the sight of his employer’s son’s two sailing guests for the day. Severus also looked quite astonished, “Well, I’ll be buggered”, he swore softly as the man beamed at him and advanced, his arms held open, “Well, fuck me, Severus bloody Snape. What the devil are you doing this far from your dungeons, you old reprobate?” Severus smiled widely and moved into the hug. “George Foster, well I’ll be damned. How are you, you old twat?” Harry shrugged at the others and exchanged looks with them.

Severus moved out of the smaller man’s arms and indicated to Harry to approach, “George, don’t faint, but this is my husband, Harry”. They shook hands, Severus carefully monitoring Harry’s face for any ‘signs’. There were none and he grinned between them. Harry hadn’t ‘read’ anything. Good.

George looked into Harry’s eyes and knew, “Merlin’s arse. You’re that Harry? Fuck me, Sev, how did you end up with the Saviour of the world?” This was too much for Harry who glowered at his husband, who said in low tones, “George here was one of ‘us’, erm, on his side originally but I got him away before the war, along with the Parkinsons and others who wanted to defect. Did you ‘feel’ anything? In your scar?” Harry shook his head no. George looked Harry over, “You haven’t changed much, Mr Potter. You’re looking well. Married to this old sod, too, well, there’s a story in all of this, and before you take on, I owe Severus a life-debt as do those that were his followers that he helped to escape”.

Harry was stunned. He’d been told while still with Draco of the wizards who had defected from Voldemort. Not those who wanted to just save their own hides but of those who had genuinely disagreed with him and had wanted out. Severus had insisted on Veritaserum questioning and debriefing plus removing their wands before he would even countenance helping them. He ripped open the sleeve of George’s overalls and showed Harry the faded Mark, much the same colour as his own. “This man was one of the genuine ones along with the Parkinsons who as Pansy told you, ended up in South Africa. I lifted as much of the curse in the Mark as I could, given my limited powers, snapped their wands and Legilimensed them to within an inch of their lives. I had to be certain that they were genuine before I would help, particularly after I left off spying and went over wholly to Dumbledore. I couldn’t let the genuine ones be caught up in the inevitable sweep-up that would have taken anyone with a Mark whether or not they still fought for him or even agreed with him. I just never envisaged actually meeting up with any of them again. Once George here was on that plane, he was on his own. I gave him a few quid and that was the last I saw of him”.

George looked into Harry’s eyes, “It was after ‘he’ raped and murdered my first wife, Vera. She was pregnant with our first child at the time. The snake-bastard cut our baby from her womb and fed it to that damned snake familiar of his. It was time to go although my allegiance to him had been fading. I would have been next but Severus saved me. I wasn’t one of the inner circle and I hear tell that there are a few of those still about”.

Severus nodded, “Aye, we saw Nott in Athens and there’s a new one on the loose. A Spaniard this time recruiting under a different Mark. It’s complicated because this time they are hiding behind the freemasons who, although muggles, are a secretive lot at the best of times”. All through this exchange, they kept their voices low. George rejoined, “Ralph and Josh have no idea that I’m an ex-wizard. I say ex because I haven’t used magic since that time and I’m happy as a pig in shit over here. I’m married to a nice muggle girl who knows nothing also and I have three kids in high school. I want no part of magic any more”.

Harry found his voice, “Well, Sev and I are travelling under the magical radar for the most part. Jon and Julia know about our magic as we’ve found out that Julia is a vestigial but her brother is a mundane. Josh doesn’t know of our magical status either but he knows we’re queer and married. Ralph knows nothing of either and I’d like it to remain that way. Sev told me about the underground years ago and how he’d helped folk escape. I’m pleased to meet you. I know you have no malice left in your Mark ‘cos I can read it like a canary senses gas down a mine. That was my job for fifteen years after the war until I had to leave”.

George smiled, “Sure. I heard tell that you had shacked up with Malfoy junior over the grapevine. There are a couple of us still in touch and we’re always on the lookout for the faithful to turn them in. Why, it was less than three years ago when we found old Avery in Papua New Guinea and now he’s far away from paradise and snug as you like in Azkaban where he and his ilk belong. It’s good to meet you, Mr Potter”, he held out his hand. Harry was wary but shook it cautiously, looking deep into the hazel eyes of the man as he did so, riffling through his mind like so much cobweb. There was nothing of note there but the search did reveal the identities of the others with whom the man was still in touch. Harry had no idea who these two were at all and was determined to pass the information on to Ron and Hermione at the earliest.

Severus gazed beseechingly into Harry’s eyes feeling his distrust and some ire from his husband but Harry was doing an admirable job of hiding it. George was also concerned at the vague crackles of magic that radiated off the man before him. “If it bothers you so much, Mr Potter then I will happily do a blood-bond with either you or your husband to show my trustworthiness. I am just a boat builder and handyman now and I will swear to you that I will never reveal to my contacts that I have seen either of you. You can obliviate me if you wish and we can then be strangers to each other if you prefer”.

Harry shook his head slowly, “No, obliviation of all knowledge of myself would make you forget a goodly portion of your years and that wouldn’t be fair, but to be on the safe side, I will ask you for a blood-bond as I hardly know you and have trust issues as I’m sure you appreciate, not to mention that I need to know you won’t tattle about us to your other contacts the moment we leave here. Wizards, ex or not, cannot resist a good gossip especially after a few beers”. He dived into his knapsack and dug out his wand and his pen-knife and the deed was done in seconds. Only then could Harry start to relax in the man’s presence.

He led them out of the shed to where ‘Miranda’ was moored, the others were already on board and had missed the drama in the shed. Josh was stowing the food in the small fridge while Jon was busy bending sails to the mast securing them to the boom ready for hauling up once they were under way. Julia was busy sweeping the main deck and drying the wet footprints left around, no point in anyone going arse over elbow before they had a chance to leave port.

As they upped anchor and set off they had a swift following wind, “This’ll make it a bugger getting back unless the wind changes direction”, Josh said with a grin, “That’s why she needs at least three crew”. They steered out of the bay and out into the sunshine, Jon and Julia protected behind their glasses and covered from neck to toes in clothing for now. As they progressed they would need to stay below from the main glare once the sun was at it’s zenith but for now they could function normally if they stayed wrapped up. George evidently knew of their condition for he made no comments about it.

Harry smiled finally as he felt the wind ruffle his hair and he pulled a band from his pocket and secured it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Severus noting this did the same to his own, happy that the straggly bits around his face now could be pulled back with the rest. They both applied sunscreen liberally and Harry donned his own shades to protect his eyes from the glare coming off the water, his lenses the same prescription as his glasses.

They hauled the mainsail up as Josh cut the outboard before George scuttled along for’ard to bend on the jib, raising it. “D’ya think we’ll need the genoa, Josh?”, he called out. Josh answered in the negative, “We’ll make good enough time with these for now, save that and the mizzen for if we need them but the forecast’s good for today, squally tonight but we’ll be home in plenty of time. Our crew aren’t experienced enough for the more advanced tacks and I don’t want this to be a labour but a laugh. If things get hairy then we’ll use the outboard much as I hate to”.

George grinned at this, “Spoken like a true sailor, mate. No-one wants to use the engine when we can use the wind”, he added as an aside to Severus and Harry. Severus glanced at the weather-worn face of his ex-Death Eater colleague and saw the joy that he felt in the open sea as he steadied the sails until the wind started to belly them out and they felt the craft speed up. George called Harry over, “Here, Mr Potter, can you grab the tiller, that’s the steering to you land-lubbers and direct her nose towards that buoy if you would. Try and keep to the left of it or we’ll end up in deep water and wandering out into shipping lanes and we definitely don’t want that. It’s a bit counterintuitive but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough”.

Harry did as asked, standing to see over the door to the cabin below, feeling the boat tip and sway under his feet. He tried to pull the long horizontal pole towards him only to see the nose head in the wrong direction. A simple push and they veered back on track again. “George, you can call me Harry if you like, there’s no need for formality here”, he said awkwardly. George beamed at him, “Thanks, Harry. Merlin’s sweaty nuts, I never thought in a million years that I would ever end up sailing with Harry Potter of all people”, he shook his head incredulously.

Harry smiled back and quipped, “Nor I with an ex Death-Eater but, hey, I married one. Strange things happen all the time, mate”. This time they high-fived, the tension between them relaxing finally to the relief of a certain Severus. Harry continued, “By the way, it’s Potter-Snape now. We hyphenated on marriage, you know”. George laughed, “I’ve heard it all now. So, how long have you two been married, may I ask?” Severus joined in the banter, “You may. A mere couple of months now. Strictly speaking, we’re on our honeymoon still, though I suspect that the rest of my life will be one of those”. Impulsively, he pulled Harry to him and kissed his temple.

George was agog, “Fuckin’ ell”, he exclaimed, “Now I can die a happy man. Put out the bunting. Severus Potter-Snape smiling. I never thought I’d see the day”. Harry squealed, “Sev! Watch it! I’m driving here”. Severus purred low, “I know but you’re not about to crash into anything are you? And what’s the harm in a quick kiss?”. To emphasise his point, he did it again but this time Harry turned his head a moment and it landed on his lips instead before he turned his attentions back to the sea before him.

George rolled eyes that crinkled merrily, “Jeeze, Josh, are these two like this all the time?” It was Jon coming up from below who answered, “Yup, disgustin’ innit?” before grinning, “Not to mention when they have a quick shag in my office on my chair but they did have the decency to clean up after themselves”. Harry went a fetching shade of pink at this volley, feeling like a ten-year old with his hand caught in the biscuit tin. He hid his face in Severus’ shirt front, “Aaaagh”, was his only comment. The other four laughed aloud and George said, “Don’t worry, Harry, I knew Severus here was queer for years but you are a bit of a surprise. So you obviously have a penchant for dangerous men do you not? First a Malfoy then this old bugger”.

Severus huffed, “Less of the old, git, you’re only a couple of years shy of me, three at most”, before swatting the man in the arm. George pretended injury Ow-ing and Oo-ing as he rubbed the spot. “I have no quarrel with gays, boys, just so long as it’s not my arse they’re after”. Severus looked haughtily down the length of his not inconsiderable nose, “I don’t think so”, he intoned in his darkest juiciest voice that made Harry chuckle as Julia appeared then with a tray of hot drinks. “Brews up”, she declared as she saw all the grinning faces, “Did I miss something?” Harry giggled, “Nothing important”, he replied.

As they sipped at hot coffee, George and Josh got technical assessing the running and the repairs they had made, after all this was the main purpose of the jaunt after all. It didn’t take long running before the fresh breeze for the island to come into view. George and Josh managed the first two tacks between them but they needed assistance for the next few as the wind was picking up. Josh used a small tubular device for measuring the wind speed, “We’re in a five and rising, George. I’m gonna winch the jib in a bit”, and he headed for’ard sloping along the deck with easy grace.

The roll was making Severus a tad queasy. Harry whispered to him, “Keep your eye on the horizon, love, stay standing for a bit. It’s just taking you a while to get your sea-legs”. Severus saw the sense in this and did as told. Harry murmured, “Don’t drink the coffee, it’ll make your stomach more acidic. If you want, I’ll ask Julia to heat up some of the soup I brought. You shouldn’t be without a hot drink inside you otherwise you’ll get chilled awfully quickly from the inside out”. He smiled weakly at his beloved and, staggering slightly, did it himself. By now, the two blondes were sequestered below away from the glare of the sun. Severus popped his head in and made his request but had to stand quickly as the feeling was worse once he lost sight of the horizon.

Harry handed him the tiller to give him something to focus on besides his roiling stomach and went to attend to it himself. He knew Julia would be willing but he wanted to sneak in a dose of potion that he had in his bag without drawing attention to his dosing so as not to embarrass his husband. He clambered through the hatchway and down the three steps into a small cabin with enough room for four to sleep. This was a mighty fine craft.

He talked to Jon and Julia as he stirred but catching sight of the slight shade of green that his lover had gone, he glanced around to see if Josh was watching before he heated the thing more swiftly by the judicious application of magic. He discreetly dropped in the potion and went back on deck, handing the steaming mug to Severus who took it gratefully. Truth be told, he was feeling decidedly ‘crook’ as the locals would have it and felt his symptoms ease considerably once he had taken a few sips. Harry smiled at him as he watched the colour return to normal in the stoic’s face.

Now he was beginning to enjoy the trip, the frequent requests to ‘duck’ as they came about for the next tack, the boom flying over their heads, heading in zig-zag fashion towards their goal. Before them the island grew on the horizon until they could make out individual trees and shrubs along the shoreline. Josh brought them in as close as he dared after a quick consultation of the charts that he kept aboard. “We’ll have to drop anchor here, guys, as her draught is too deep to take her any further in and there’s a sandbank closer to shore designed to trip up the unwary”, he spread out the chart on deck so the two neophytes could take a look, “You see. Here’s the sandbank, here. The depth rises remarkably as at the edge of most landmasses. There’s nearly always some sort of shelf before the drop-off into deeper waters”, he pointed out the salient details with the end of a stubby pencil.

This deeply interested Severus who had developed quite an interest in maps since he had become Bessie’s chief navigator and Josh explained a few of the basics to him, “See, it’s a map of the terrain we can’t see but invaluable to a sailor. If we had a centre-board instead of a full-on keel, then we could raise it and go further in but we have an inflatable dinghy on board that’ll take us ashore. No worries there”. Severus smiled at the man finding himself rather liking the big bluff youngster who wasn’t averse to speaking his mind and having seen the way he moved around the delicate craft like one born to it decided to trust such an obviously able seaman.

He sat the other side of the tiller from Harry, closing his hand over Harry’s who promptly lifted both the hands and kissed Severus’ briefly before resting them both back on the wooden spar. “Are you feeling better? You don’t look as green”, he whispered. Severus thanked him for slipping him the potion, “I’d probably be hanging over the side by now if it hadn’t been for you. I feel a whole order of magnitude better”.

The sun was quite high as they weighed anchor and they realised on ascertaining the time that they had been sailing just over three hours. Harry was hungry as a horse and said so. Josh chuckled, “Never mind, we’ll get to shore and light a cook-fire. We’ll have to keep it small ‘cos otherwise we’ll get run off by the authorities, this place is a nature reserve after all. Remember, keep your shoes on at all times as there are some quite nasty insects that like to burrow under your skin in your feet if you’re not careful”.

Harry made a face. Australia was a lovely place, what he’d seen of it so far, but he realised it was totally unlike Britain as far as the fauna went and there were snakes and spiders and all manner of other beasties that could inflict quite a lot of damage if one wasn’t aware at all times. He heeded the warnings as did his lover.

All too soon, Josh and George dropped the fore and aft anchors and the boat rocked gently between them as Harry helped the others furl in the sails, rolling them about the booms and tying them off. George murmured, “You are a natural sailor, Harry, though I don’t think the same can be said of the man you married”. Harry smiled, “Perhaps not, but he’s a crack navigator once he knows what he’s about”. The older man leaned in further, “Harry, if I can just say, you seem to have done that man all manner of good. I don’t think I ever saw Severus Snape look so damned happy before. Being in love suits him more than I thought it would. After all the crap we went through with Voldemort, I’m right glad to see him happy at last, he deserves it, he really does. He had no reason to help us defectors get away, at great cost to himself, not to mention risking his neck. He’s a good man despite the snark and bad temper”. Harry just grinned at the compliments. George evidently bore his beloved a great deal of respect.

Josh dug out the dinghy, dropping it over the side as he released the catch and the thing blew up automatically, bobbing about aft in the water. Wrapped securely, the others emerged from the cabin and had to be helped aboard as, in this strong light, even with the sunspecs on, the light was really too bright for them. Josh handed them a large parasol that they erected at the bow of the small craft and huddled beneath it, Julia in charge of the coolbox and other food paraphernalia. The others navigated the steep little ladder that was fixed to the stern of Miranda and they all pushed off for shore, Severus and Harry taking the oars and pulling hard. Severus wasn’t much for leaping around the decks of Miranda but rowing he could do and soon, he and Harry had a rhythm going.

In no time the bottom scraped on the shingles and Josh hopped out, pulling the dinghy further up the shore so her passengers avoided wet feet. “Right, guys”, he announced, “We can spend about four hours here but then we need to be getting a move on or else we’ll find the tide against us and it’ll be a bugger to take her in against the drag when we get back and I’d like to sail her in rather than have to use the engine if it can be avoided”.

Harry headed straight for the scrubby woods and was collecting firewood and stones almost as soon as they debarked and with Severus’ help had soon constructed a rudimentary firepit in the shingles. He had brought along one of Bessie’s round grates to rest atop the burning wood and they soon had a merry fire crackling away. George was impressed, “Well you boys sure know your fires at any rate”. Severus smirked, “Blame Harry, he taught me all I know about camping”. Harry piped up, “Yup, and I learned it all from the same hippies that taught me about vehicular travelling in the style we do it. I made a better pit when we were at the bike rally in New Zealand but we were there for five days and it had a proper clay liner and everything including a damper hole and an earth oven to one side. I even made flapjacks on the thing”, although he forbore to mention the type of flapjacks he had produced.

They cooked sausages and pitta bread which they had with salad. The sausages were burnt and the salad was a trifle soggy but it all tasted great anyway washed down with beer and wine but not too much. Julia, mindful of their upcoming trip stayed teetotal again sipping away on lemonade. Harry and Severus made them a small shelter from fronds and leaves found in the woods attached to the parasol to give the two a little more shade. Harry laid his black denim jacket on the sand at the front of them to minimise the glare, a gesture that both Jon and his sister thought extremely cute.

Eventually Harry went off to try and have a dip in the sea but was a little nervous, “Is there anything in the sea here that bites?” Josh guffawed, “You mean, like, sharks or anything? Sure, but they don’t come all this way in to the shore. Well, not all the time, anyway”. He took in the horrified look at Harry’s face, “Hey, man, only jokin’”. Harry rolled his eyes then told them of the jellyfish. “I tell you, twenty feet long if they were an inch”, he shuddered, “They were creepy, I can tell you. Ugh”. George ribbed him, “Now, Harry, don’t be such a nellie. There’s usually warning flags up all over the place if we’re expecting any weird fauna to make landfall. You’re probably more in danger from the bites of the sandflies than anything of that nature. It’s pretty safe here. It’s a thing all you Poms get riled up about”.

It was Severus’ turn to snort, “Oh, and you know so much about that seeing as though you hail from, where was it? Bradford?”. It was George’s turn to look affronted, “That’s Halifax actually, but as you well know, I’ve been here years and sailed around most of these waters and they really aren’t dangerous for the most part”. Severus lay back in the sun wearing a smirk and not much else having stripped down to his shorts to catch the sun. George thought he had never seen the dour man so relaxed, nor, come to think of it, quite so much of the man. Harry really was good for him and he made a decision then and there to introduce them to his wife before they set off for places unknown.

The fire burned down a bit and Harry stood up, “’M going wooding, back in a bit”, he announced as he dusted himself off and donned his t-shirt again thrusting his feet into his deck shoes and shuffling off. Severus watched him go for a moment and got up to follow him, “I’d better make sure the snakes don’t get him”, he smirked, winking and followed his lover. Josh called after them, “Don’t be late, you’ve got two hours ‘til we have to be getting back”. He snorted once they were out of earshot, “Wooding, indeed”, and turned over onto his front to toast his back.

George enquired generally, “So how come you lot met those two?” Julia sniggered and told him about Crete, “They were staying with some friends in the villa belonging to those Greek friends of mum and dad’s and we crashed their barbecue one night, then we spent New Year’s Eve with them. It was fun for such old folk, they were nice people, well, you know, still are. It’s been a laugh to have them around and Harry is a musician too, he’s a good guitarist”.

George lay back looking thoughtful, “Well, I’d kinda heard of Harry, on the grapevine if you understand me. That boy carried so much on his shoulders in England and he was still a kid, he’s a bit famous in England, don’t you know, then I heard he was working for the government then he left though I don’t know why and now he turns up here married to Severus for God’s sake. Life is jolly strange sometimes”. Josh grinned, “You can say that again. Like Ju says, they’re pretty cool for older guys, they still know how to have fun”. George sighed, “I don’t think either of them had much of a youth, much time to be carefree and irresponsible. Harry was old before his time. It’s nice in a way to see him being just Harry not buckling under all the shit he had to put up with back home, apparently, so I heard, it nearly broke him”.

Josh stared out at the sea, “I envy them that freedom you know and.....I envy them their relationship, if you really must know. Call me stupid but I want something like that. A love so big that it fills up all the dark corners, to have someone that cares for me like they do for each other but that ain’t gonna happen until I get the hell out of Aus”, he sighed resignedly.

George came over all paternal, “You just keep on young Joshua until you have your degree, son, then you can do what the hell you like, go anywhere. You’re young yet, I understand your impatience but you have to finish uni first if only to placate your mum. They gave up a lot to let you go there. Your dad wanted you to come straight into the business after school but your mam fought for you to go on and complete your education. I know you think your dad’s an arsehole but if you do it for no other reason, then do it for your mam. It’s only another couple of years, mate, then the world is your oyster. Take Miranda and sail around the goddamn planet, find yourself by losing yourself. Just two measly years, that’s all”. Josh grinned ruefully at the man who he’d confided in more than anyone, his substitute dad, the one who had patched him up from the beatings that his father had meted out until one day, Josh was bigger than the bully and could hold his own. He nodded and subsided.

Severus and Harry walked along the empty beach hand in hand, Harry kicking through the surf, his shoes getting wet and full of sand. He didn’t care. They found some dunes and retired into them for a little private time, rolling around in the sand like a couple of kids but doing most un-childlike things, making slow love under the sun and slathering each other again in sunblock after a dip in the sea to clean the stuck-on sand from their sated bodies. They lay a little longer toasting before making their way back collecting random bits of driftwood on the way.

The party sailed back to Adelaide without incident but as the wind was a bit fresh they had to come back into port using the engine as Josh had suspected. The honeymooners didn’t mind, sitting for’ard with their arms wrapped around each other and their legs stretched out in front of them, Harry’s head on Severus’ shoulder, kissing and cuddling and taking in the view from the bow, watching as the city grew closer and sighing with satisfaction for a day well spent.

Julia sat beside Josh, “I see what you mean about a love that swallows you whole. I want that too”, she mused. Josh grinned down at her, “So, what about Neil?” She rolled her eyes, “You’re kidding, right? He’s an actor for God’s sake, there’s no future in this, not until we can escape the cage. Then I think I’m gonna dye my hair brown and just disappear like those two up front did and live my life my way, even though I’ve no idea what ‘my way’ is. Find myself a like-minded guy and fuck off into the wild blue yonder”. They shared a quiet chuckle then it was all hands on deck as they docked and tied up. Harry thanked both George and Josh for a fab day out. Severus hugged his old partner in crime and shook hands with Josh then the four took a taxi back to the ‘cage’ as Julia had dubbed it.

The guests pleaded tiredness and the sea air and retired early that night. Jon almost believed Harry who was yawning fit to burst and he, too, smiled when Severus said he would accompany his husband to bed, snagging his book as he went. “Awww”, said his sister, “They can’t bear to be apart. I bet they sleep in a big heap in the middle of the bed. They’re so romantic for two guys”. Jon rolled his eyes and threw cushions at his sister, “You know what, sis? You’re just an old fag-hag. You’re as bad as Net, you are”. Julia shrugged and pulled a face, “I really like them, both of them. I’ve never seen a gay relationship so close up before and it’s sweet”. Jon hid his blushes as to what he had seen of the relationship the previous night and thought that sweet came nowhere near. ‘Hot, more like. I think I’m damaged for life here’, but said nothing and they watched mindless TV until they could sleep; their guests’ body clocks weren’t the only ones a bit out of whack.

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The Squig xx