A Dark Time For The Light

71

It was soon evident to Severus’ headmistress that he was overdoing it and she called him in just before half term. At first he maintained his demeanour, then she gave him a stare over the tops of her glasses and Dumbledore flooded into his mind and he felt the tears well up and told her. He was looking after his life-partner who had cancer, that said partner was male, and that he intended to marry him as soon as he was well again.

The woman sat back, “Well, you are a dark horse, Severus, but as of right now, I’m cutting your hours to part time. You need to be with your partner at this time. He needs you and you are no good to him if you collapse with over-work. Go home to him. We’ll thrash out a work schedule for you, just take some time off for now. Oh, and congratulations”. On an impulse he came around the desk and hugged the woman, “Thank you. He means more to me than anything”, he whispered before heading home.

Remus was delighted to see him home so early. From his spot on the sofa, he opened his arms wide and in seconds Severus was in them explaining his morning and his headmistress’ words as he knelt on the floor. Remus shifted back and tugged his lover to join him on the couch, which he did without further ado, kicking off his shoes and spreading out alongside Remus before his delectable Wolf kissed him senseless. He yawned involuntarily as they emerged for air, and Remus wrapped himself around his sweet Slytherin and they slept, the pressure off. Sometime around midnight, they emerged to smell delicious cooking aromas. They ventured into the kitchen to find a pot of bubbling stew and a note on the kitchen table,

Hi, guys,

We snuck in and you were both asleep. We thought you’d like some food. Sev, you have two clean, ironed shirts in the bedroom. Enjoy your dinner.

Love from,

The two House Elves, H & D. xxxx

“When did you give those two the spare key?”, Severus enquired. Remus laughed, “Harry told me all Mundanes kept a spare key with their friends. We have theirs, in case of an emergency and a House key as well”. Severus rose and fetched his dressing gown, then served up two generous bowls full of stew. They both ate every mouthful. Severus noted the two clean shirts and sent a message to the boys,

Good evening, precious friends,

Thank you for being House-Elves for the night. Stew delicious and much appreciated after a long day. I bid you goodnight, sweet friends. See you soon. S xx

Harry showed the message to Draco who was lolling on their couch stark naked after being fed the last of the same stew by his beloved. Harry slid alongside him causing as much friction as possible between them. Draco groaned and tipped his head up for a kiss and Harry gently devoured his mouth, making the blond hair all messy in his lust, his lover’s composure disappear as he made him shout out loud, then proceeded to fuck him hard, Draco’s long legs wrapping around his waist, his arms pulling Harry to him in the eternal dance, then the pure ecstasy of coming together, their rhythms practiced and sure. As Draco slid away from his own climax, it was to hear Harry finishing his. They held each other and loved each other and slept.

The snow and slush cleared, then the freeze descended, Ginny slipped in the street and broke her wrist. She was in a sling for a while, “Oh for Skele-gro”, she murmured through the pain. Harry had a hard time riding to work and through the worst of it, let Cellan pick him up. He’d missed the gossip fests in the van and entered in again with alacrity. They were a mere few weeks from finishing this present job and Joe was excited about the next comission that was apparently paying mega-bucks. One of those jobs that was needed to be completed yesterday even before it started. Joe knew about this kind of pressure. Towards the end of their job, he took Harry, Steffie, Gary and Alan to view the new job.

The detached late-Victorian villa sat well back from the road, tall trees obscuring all view of the house. They walked along the dark path obscured by branches of trees waiting for their spring growth. As they hove into sight of the house, Harry let out a scream of pain, his scar burned suddenly to the point where he keeled over and passed out. His workmates got him out of there fast and into the van. Steffie ordered Cellan to get the hell out of there. Slowly Harry came round and promptly puked up on the floor of the van clutching his head in extreme pain. Steffie had her arm around him in seconds, “What was that, Harry?. Your scar?. Him?”. Harry nodded. Cellan pulled them into a garage and parked over a grid. Harry was helped out of the vehicle while Alan hosed out the back. Steffie thrust a bottle of water at Harry. He drank gratefully. Gary just looked confused and transmitted this to his boss. Joe shook his head in a don’t-interfere way.

That night Cellan dropped Harry at Remus and Sev’s flat along with Seamus and Dean. Seamus called his house-mates and Harry his lover, “We need a meeting. Come over to the guys’ flat right away”. In less than half an hour the crew were there, then Harry dropped his bombshell. “We’ve found Voldemort”, to a collective, “WHAT?”.

Harry explained his day. “That’s why Joe took me to show us the next job. He felt something about it wasn’t right. He hasn’t started classes yet, but he is one of us and he felt the darkness. The bugger didn’t tell me anything before we saw the house, but I just screamed and passed out. They got me out of there quick-sharp, but it’s definitely his place. It already has wards around even though the house is still empty. I advised Joe to accept the job anyway as it’s going to pay well and we can keep an eye on things. Well, Seamus and Dean will be well placed to be spies, if you’re willing, chaps?”.

The two grinned, “’Course we will, mate. This is our chance to finish the bastard, but we’ll probably be out of there before he moves in, it’s rather in the nature of the job, but we can find out what we can. I just hope he can’t read our Magic or anything, but we’ve never had the training you got, Harry, in Occlumency, he may try to read us and we haven’t your defences”.

This made them all think. Hermione spoke up, “As far as he’s concerned, you are a bunch of Muggles and therefore probably beneath his notice. I doubt if he will try to read you at all. In fact, if he’s having the whole house refurbished, then it’s possible he will have engaged someone to act as project manager, so he doesn’t have to do anything, but you two could get us diagrams of the house, room layouts, maybe even take a peek at the plans, anything to give us an advantage, not that we don’t have one already”, she grinned.

She took in all the stunned faces, “Come on, fuckwits. We know where he is, and he doesn’t know that. Yet”. This made everyone laugh. There were no concrete plans laid that night other than that Joe’s team should accept the contract in total Muggle terms, just another job for the gang.

Harry, Dean and Seamus pulled Joe, Alan, Cellan and Steffie into a huddle in the site office the following day. “Is there any way that this can be just you six?”, Harry enquired. It was pretty obvious that Harry could not take part. The contract stipulated the job be complete in three weeks and there would be a finished-to-satisfaction bonus, if the job took less time. Joe shook his head, “I’ll need at least two more to get the job done in so short a time”. Harry sighed, “This is a dangerous job for those totally in the dark on the Magic issue, Joe, and I don’t want Gary’s team involved on this one, if we can help it”. They were all quiet a moment, then Seamus spoke out, “Harry, I know Ron is expected at the end of the month, but couldn’t we get him back a bit sooner?”. Harry beamed at him, than at Joe. “Genius idea!. That’s do-able, if you’ll let us, Joe. Look, if it means you have to lay off the other half of the team for a few weeks, we’ll cover the wages, but we need folk sympathetic to us on this one and, erm, we can afford it if we have to”. The man thought deeply then slowly nodded, “Okay, but we need another. One who is pretty fearless up a ladder”.

It was Dean’s turn to chuckle, “Remember when we moved into the House, Seamus. It was only Hermione who could tackle that bit of the ceiling on the landing above the stairwell, not to mention the ‘incident’ over the phone-line, and she’s in a bit of a slack time right now, she could a) do with the money, and b) relish the challenge, if I know our ‘Mione, and she can wield a paintbrush, maybe not the delicate stuff, but the rest of us can do that. She’s a damn powerful Witch, too, the best in our year, no, scratch that, the best in our fuckin’ generation”. Joe pondered some more, then murmured, “Call her”.

In short order, Harry had both of his best friends on board. Ron would arrive a week on Friday in time to start the following Monday. He was to stay in Harry and Draco’s spare room. Harry felt a thrill run through him as he arrived home that night. He sat in the dark, thinking over everything, then slumped on the sofa and quietly dozed until he heard Draco’s key in the lock. The flat was in complete darkness. Draco switched lights on as he came upstairs, then Harry groggily called out to him, “I’m home, babe”, as Draco entered the living room turning on lights. Harry winced and sat up. Draco turned the light down immediately and came to sit beside his lover who filled him in on his amazing day. Neither of them could face classes tonight, even though it was Magicals only night.

It had been decreed that Sundays and Tuesday evenings were to be trained Magicals only, where they could go and practice and relearn and revive rusty skills. Hermione was there as always. There was a small contingent currently visiting from Kilmarnock and they were having great fun practicing again, deeply envious of the London and Manchester cadres for having space to practice in. They handed in their new wands at the end of the session and headed back to the cadre house.

Later that evening, they received a desperate call from Minerva who was due to take the Wednesday class, couldn’t the boys do anything to calm the house as the noise levels were doing her poor old head in. Harry called Neville and asked them to lower the noise levels and to remember they had an older lady in the house, not to mention their previous Head of House, who had a teaching assignment the next day, and to show a little respect. Neville muttered a “Sorry, Harry”, and Minerva could find her much-needed rest.

She apologised the next day for dampening their high spirits by cooking a splendid breakfast for all who wished to partake, then had a spirited conversation between her and several of her ex-charges, cooing over baby photos and showing pictures of her own great-grandchildren. Neville shyly asked what she was doing now once he had her on her own, so, grinning, she told him. “I have finally found ny true love, Neville, after all these years, and she and I live in a small house in Brighton. I come up to London twice a week and teach. We have many promising students amongst the demi-magiques, plus one who isn’t in the slightest a demi. According to Severus and Harry, she’s the most talented Legilimens they have ever seen. A lady by the name of Alice. Mid to late forties, I’d guess. I had tea with her the other week. A truly formidable woman”.

She noticed Neville pale beside her. “What is it, dear?”, she casually enquired. Neville described Alice, “The same?”. Minerva nodded, “Sounds like it, dear. Why?”. Neville said nothing, just looked down and smiled, “If it’s the same woman, then she’s helping out in more ways than one”. He left it at that.