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

A big huge thanks for reviews, stars and continuing to read.

Just one chapter this week as life is insane at the moment!.

Enjoy! The Squig xx

9

Over the next few days, they drove into the interior, hiked and camped and had lots of uninhibited sex.

The book they were using for their training had, strangely enough, been the more speculative of the two they had been given. The other seemed to presume too much about the sexuality of the soul-bonded couple, intimating that only a child could complete both the union and the bond and the instructions that it gave for such things as the ritual bathing were more attuned to the mother in the union with the male half playing a supporting role as the bond-child grew in her belly. Harry read through this one dreamily but put it to one side as being essentially useless.

The other made much of a dominant and submissive in the relationship but at least made some mention of same-sex couples. This at least gave them somewhere to start talking. They discussed their roles seriously to begin with but as always it devolved into mad passion but the book seemed to take account of this too, exhorting them to take their time to explore their potential bond, even if it were only one of deep love and union.

Harry was starting to suspect that this was the case as was Severus until late one night after a particularly bruising and dirty night. They hadn’t played games for what seemed like months now but had in reality only been a few weeks. As well as giving them the new coolbox, Josh had hidden within it a generous twist of grass that they found once they had polished off all of Jon’s beer. Harry dug out a few old screwed up papers and got busy and they had smoked and drank, getting completely intoxicated.

They had eventually settled in the middle of nowhere, some miles from the road, by a small oasis made up of a lake that seemed to fill from an underground aquifer. There was a succession of animals had come by to drink including a selection of wild birds with colourful plumage that sat chattering in the trees above them. Out there in the hinterlands it was still mighty hot during the day and they were glad of the shade in which they slept the day away.

As there were no humans around for miles, they spent the day completely naked, soaking up the sun again after their sojourn in the half-light of the compound in Adelaide. As Harry promised, his phone remained resolutely switched off and they didn’t even play music relying instead of the sounds of the bush for company and entertainment...and each other of course.

It was as if a flood-gate had opened and they talked and laughed and cried as the intoxicants hit before making rough coarse love, Harry dangling from a tree-branch while he was pounded from behind by his ardent lover. After the high of orgasm, they were gasping and sweaty, Severus plastered to Harry’s back as they came down from the high and they helped each other down onto the blanket they laid out beside their small fire-pit.

They bathed in the small pool and lay twined together more one than two, another light blanket covering them, kissing and loving in the dark. Harry’s heart was full but his throat was choked with tears as he burrowed in Severus’ chest, his mind racing with all that he wanted to say. He felt no intrusion, no familiar sign of Legilimency, none of the tell-tale ‘sifting’ in his head when suddenly Severus said aloud, “Whoa, Harry slow down, I can’t make head nor tail of what you are saying”.

Harry looked up, startled, “I didn’t say anything”. Severus returned the look, {I could hear you, you were racing a mile a minute}. Harry grinned and pressed his lips closed, {I didn’t say a word though and I didn’t feel the push of being read either}. Severus pressed his own lips tight together, {Oh bugger, so this is telepathy, eh?}. Harry nodded, his expression changing to one of wonder, {Wow, so we’re really ‘talking’?}. Severus raised a brow, {Seems that way, doesn’t it. Oh, god, Harry, I love you}.

The best part about it was the fact that they could communicate when breath was short and words themselves were impossible. They attempted it when they made love again, this time less energetically, and each could transmit to the other. Severus could still purr in the voice that Harry loved so much even with a mouth-ful of his lover’s cock making Harry twist and scream in the most intense orgasm he had ever had.

When it was Harry’s turn to torment his beloved, Severus’ mind was tossing out all sorts of words of love and appreciation as Harry ‘talked’ him through his own explosive climax, again with his mouth full. {Oh, I like this}, Harry exclaimed as he licked stray come from around his lips.

Over the next two days they experimented with their new-found skill, making any excuse to ‘talk’ this way which meant keeping their mouths otherwise engaged; much fun all round. Their barriers gradually dropped as Severus realised he was still himself. He could ‘read’ anything that Harry ‘said’ to him and in return, Harry could ‘read’ him but only when they had anything to ‘say’. It wasn’t like Legilimency at all, a reading of memories or private thoughts, more a form of talking without voices.

They tried it at distance from each other and found that the volume needed slight adjustment the further they were from each other. They studied the book more intensely. They were telepaths, cool, but didn’t seem to have the overwhelming desire to be plastered together that the book described, the total dependency that they both secretly feared would happen, although they stayed pretty proximate as there wasn’t anywhere else to go really.

Having absolutely no desire for other human company, they stayed in their little oasis for another week, enjoying the sun, the water and each other, revelling in the romance of the wild. They saw possums and strange-looking squirrely things, kookaburras, parrots and the ever-present chattering budgerigars and the odd flock of wild dingoes that they had to chase off from time to time when they came to their side of the water-hole but, by and large, they left the creatures in peace and the animals left them be in turn. Harry took some footage of them for the next travelogue and Severus sat, propped up by a tree trunk and wrote in his journal. Harry would drag the guitar out and play when the weather cooled at the end of each day.

They exercised and worked out each day, Harry was pleased by his new hard tone. He watched Severus as he swam in their pool, the animals having grown used to them by now, seeing them as no threat, watched Severus doing his own workout, Harry taught him a few yoga moves and other core-strengthening exercises. They used the overhead branches for pull-ups, trying to tell themselves that they weren’t getting ready for war once again, but had to ruefully admit to each other that this was the precise purpose of their exertions as well as honing bodies made softer by peacetime laxity.

After a while, even Severus craved civilisation again and they wended their way back to the main road and made for Alice Springs. They were running low on fresh water and Harry felt the need to check in with his friends back home. Severus didn’t mind, he felt so relaxed after their two-week sojourn amongst the gums at the edge of the pool. He and Harry were more in love than ever and had had a brilliant time.

They stayed on a campsite at the edge of town, glad to be back in amongst people again. The locals were friendly and the food was good. They were in the heart of Aboriginal country here and Severus bought Harry a magnificent opal set into a pendant, the iridescent greens matching his equally magnificent eyes. They spent a couple of days in a hotel and luxuriated in a real bath filled with bubbles even though for propriety’s sake they had booked two rooms. They filled the tanks, one with water, the other with fuel, restocked their fridges and the small freezer. Ate kangaroo steaks and tried emu which they both enjoyed but demurred at crickets and other insect delicacies. Harry bought a boomerang and nearly took his head off experimenting with it realising why it was such a fearsome hunting weapon. They treated themselves to a couple of bushmen’s hats complete with corks and took loads of pictures.

Harry stepped into the local Internet cafe to send and receive e-mails and upload their latest travelogue. Ron and Oliver were back in England again, Ron sending his trenchant comments on the state of his sister’s budding relationship with his best friend, “They are so right together, what took them so long?”, was the gist of it although Molly and Arthur seemed less than pleased with the situation before the next e-mail announced that they were coming out with the girls to meet up in Perth in two weeks time. “This magical district sounds so great that we’ve earned ourselves a break and I don’t want to send the new info on the Germans by e-mail, we’d rather discuss it in person”. Harry shrugged, the more the merrier. Severus agreed, {It’ll be good to see them all again. I miss my regular chats with Ginny} Ron also complained that he was missing the chess games he had shared with Jed now that the New Zealanders were back on their own side of the world again and they had every intention of visiting when they were over once the girls had flown back.

Harry had an idea, “Why don’t we rent a socking great house and get the lads over here? After all, both of them should know where their ‘local’ major magical area is and if Kingsley and Minerva come as well, then they can see how a magical area should look. Who knows? It may start a groundswell back in Blighty to modernise; the more people that see this place from back home, it’s about bloody time”. Severus made a moue of slight surprise, “I actually think that’s a jolly good idea, but not for too long eh? I don’t want Minerva on my case any more than necessary, love her though I do”.

Harry laughed, “Oh, Merlin! No, just for the weekend or something, a couple of days at most, but the lads should know this place. I fancy a house out of town ‘cos I don’t want to live under a glamour for the whole fortnight and, yes, I fancy somewhere by the sea”. Severus smiled his agreement and they were hunting the Web. It took a while to find exactly what they wanted but they hit upon a holiday home belonging to a family from London with full facilities including a pool and booked it, paying by credit card. Feeling deeply satisfied, Harry fired off e-mails to his friends and sisters before calling Jed and Sammy.

Severus spoke to Kingsley and invited him and Minerva too, mighty glad that the accommodation had eight bedrooms in two houses on the property, the smaller one had only two bedrooms and they bagged this for themselves, the others could all squash up in the main house but if the specs were anything to go by then they would all fit in admirably. Perfect. It was all set and they still had nearly three weeks before them to continue with their own training. Before they left the cafe Harry touched his lover’s hand under the table and felt a jolt go through them both. He looked up into the face he loved so much and saw Severus squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He grinned as he retracted the hand. The bond was getting stronger.

****

They left Alice Springs the next morning and within half an hour they were back on the road again. For two days they headed back the way they had come, south, as if returning to Adelaide but on the third day, they branched off making their way south-west to the coast.

Harry loved being back on the open road and they had both of their side windows open feeling the riffle of wind in their hair. Harry glanced at his lover extending his hand for a quick squeeze. Severus took it, kissed it briefly before relinquishing it and Harry grinned at the gesture before resuming his driving. By the time the sun was setting, the salt tang of the ocean was in their nostrils again and they both laughed aloud, singing along to the music that Severus had selected for them to motor along to.

He didn’t stop until he saw it. The sea. He whooped for joy, Severus shook his head at Harry’s exuberance but smiled back anyway. The road ran alongside the beach for awhile and Harry found a suitable spot to park up for the night. Severus cooked them a snack on Bessie’s stove but when he turned to serve Harry with his food, it was to find his lover face-down on their bed, still fully clad and fast asleep. He stood a moment holding the two plates looking down at the love of his life, his head canted to one side. He cast a warming charm on Harry’s but saw no point in wasting good grub so ate his own portion seated on the sofa. He washed up after himself and came over to the bed.

It would be pointless to wake Harry in such deep sleep. He contemplated spelling his clothes from him but decided against it preferring to undress him manually. Gods, how he loved this somnolent man. He kissed the skin revealing itself as he carefully stripped him before levitating the blankets and settling Harry under them. His love had driven many miles that day and a missed meal wouldn’t do any harm. He Banished the food away not wishing to encourage any night foragers, washed and undressed himself before slipping under the covers beside his sleeping lover. Taking Harry in his arms, he was rewarded by a mumbled grunt as his man pressed up against him and within moments, both slept, lulled by the ever-familiar sound of the crashing surf.

Deep in the night Harry shot up in bed unsure of what had awakened him, Severus still asleep at his side. He could not remember getting himself to bed and realised that Severus must have put him there. He gazed fondly at the sheet of black hair obscuring his lover’s face, bending towards him and kissing the head beneath it.

There, that was the sound. He started again, Severus shifting at his side. The sound was nearer now and louder.

Gunshots and squealing brakes.

Harry had his wand out in seconds and was shaking his lover who sat up instantly shaking the torpor from his limbs. “Merlin! Harry, was that a gun I heard?” Harry placed a finger over his lips, “Ssshh, let me listen”, he whispered, an ear cocked to hear over the sounds of the sea. The loud report sounded again this time accompanied by ribald laughter. “I don’t like this, Sev”, Harry’s eyes were round with shock as he fumbled his glasses on and slipped out of bed quickly clambering into his jeans and trainers. He cautiously peered out through the side window over the sink to see the wild veering of headlights up ahead of them somewhere to their left, the gun sounded again, “Hunting rifle, bigger than an air rifle. Bugger, something or someone is being shot out there”. Harry shoved his arms into his denim jacket and made for the door, wand at the ready.

“Harry! Wait!”, called Severus in a low croak as he dressed as quickly as he could in the dark. Harry was opening the door to Bessie to see what the problem was, his eyes wide with fear. He peeped out afraid of running afoul of the bullets flying around. At a glance he took in the scene, his fear changing to disgust as he realised what was going on. There were two 4x4 vehicles scrambling over the scrubland adjacent to the beach. Harry could make out wild kangaroos being forced towards the beach caught in the glare of the powerful headlights with what appeared to be a posse of noisy young men chasing them in the vehicles taking pot-shots at them. He heard the eldritch shriek of an animal as it was hit and watched it fall.

“This is disgusting Sev, we have to do something, they’re not even stopping to see if they’re dead, this isn’t hunting, this is barbarity”. Severus laid a restraining hand on Harry’s shoulder but the younger man shrugged it off, “No, Sev, this is awful, I’m gonna....”, he stepped out of Bessie at the same time as the men in the vehicle spotted Bessie, “Hey, let’s check out Mr and Mrs Straight”, someone yelled and the lights of the vehicles were turned on them full-bore and the jeeps barrelled towards them. Harry watched them come, levelling his wand at them. With a single muttered spell, all the glass shattered out of the lead vehicle.

This served to anger the posse bearing down on them. Severus leapt out to stand beside his mate, “Fackin’ ‘ell, two guys. Let’s waste the poufs and trash the.....”, he got no further as the tyres blew out as they crested a hump in the rolling dune and the jeep rolled onto it’s roof before setting on fire. There was a panicked scramble as bodies fought for air and freedom. The other didn’t even slow down, cannoning into the one in front, bouncing off and coming at them with renewed venom. Harry and Severus pointed their wands and simultaneously fired off a burning hex causing a massive explosion, the roof of the second jeep launched into the air and the sides blew out spilling it’s passengers into the dirt before it, too, burst into flames and what remained of the chassis rolled over and over before coming to rest.

There was serious screaming then as eight inebriated men ran around like headless chickens before vanishing back the way they had come, trailing the stench of blood and fear in their wake. There were further small explosions as their ammunition caught fire and then relative silence but for the crackle of burning overlaid by the crash of the implacable sea.

Harry and Severus ventured slowly from the van, keeping away from the vehicles, Harry keeping his husband from any stray cartridges that were still to fire. From a safe distance, Harry spelled the fires out then Summoned his torch flicking it on. There was no sign of the men but he knew it was only a matter of time before the law showed up. They saw four seriously injured kangaroos, one too hurt to heal. Harry took a deep breath and put it out of it’s misery. The other three were hurt but not irreparably so. Severus tended to their wounds as Harry inspected the rest of the site. He found two wallets lying in the dirt, plucking from them the driving licences and pocketing them. These would be sent to the authorities.

Leaving the now healing animals and the mess behind, they decided to hot-foot it out of there as quickly as they could, Harry energised again by sheer adrenalin. He didn’t stop driving until the shakes threatened to take over and he pulled to the side killing the engine. In a moment, Severus pulled him out of the driver’s seat and into his arms. They both trembled until their teeth chattered, holding each other tight.

“Oh, shit, that was terrible”, Harry’s shakes turned to sobs, “We could have been killed, love”. Severus let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding and nodded numbly, his face buried in Harry’s hair and held on tight to his lover weeping in his arms, slow tears sliding down his own face. It wasn’t the fauna that was the most dangerous thing about this or any other land, it was always the damned humans. Harry cast a notice-me-not over Bessie with a shaking hand and they locked themselves in for the remainder of the night.

Severus stoked the fire in the stove and sat Harry in front of it with a mug of hot sweet tea laced with a drop of Old Ogden’s and joined him on the floor of their home sipping at his own scalding mugful, both lost in thought. It was nearly dawn before both of them could face the thought of sleep, both troubled by bad dreams and memories.

In the next small township, they picked up a copy of the local paper to read of the incident that had baffled the local law enforcement officers, three kangaroos had been severely injured but were in a sanctuary on the mend again, their cuts and wounds mainly healed, “As if by magic. Those injuries should have killed them”, the local vet was quoted as saying. They were equally baffled by the arrival of two driving licences that had shown up posted anonymously with a short note attached, “Here are your perpetrators plus six more”, nothing more although the jeeps’ ownership had also been traced to the fathers of two more of the miscreants, part of a regular gang of troublemakers who had been terrorising the locale for years with no-one wanting to come forward to name them. They had all been rounded up and were languishing at the government’s pleasure in the local lock-up until charges could be brought.

By then the mystery vanquishers were long gone far up the coast and into the next territory. There had been no mention of the two strangers and the blue van with the English licence plates.

The incident seemed to affect Harry far more than it did his husband, but Severus was there for him, holding him when needed. The dam burst later that afternoon. Harry was scrunched up in a heap of utter misery on the beach. Severus had had enough and went over to him, dropping to his knees and holding on for dear life. Harry turned and buried his face in his husband’s chest, howling, “I had to kill it! There was nothing I could do!”, he wailed. “I haven’t had to kill since....”, and Severus finally understood, and with an “Oh, Harry. I’m sorry, love”, was rocking him gently in his arms.

Of course. Harry had always hated this, the killing, the senseless loss of life. Never mind that in some quarters these creatures were considered little better than vermin. That wasn’t the point. Harry had killed again and it was ripping him apart. Severus heartily wished that it had been he that had disposed of the beast but it hadn’t and now his gentle Harry would have to live with the screams of the animal in his dreams, just one more that had to die.

He stood lifting Harry with him and enfolded him in his arms, “What’s done is done, Harry. You wouldn’t have left it there to die in even more agony would you?” He felt the shake of the head against his shoulder, “I know, Sev, I know. Shit, I’m such a wuss, you think I’d be stronger than this by now”. Severus lifted Harry’s face to his, “Not liking killing does not make you weak, Harry. You are a good soul and you have a conscience. You no more have a ‘killer instinct’, and I mean that quite literally, than I do a ‘spying instinct’. We do and did what we did out of expediency, love, and no more. That kangaroo was beyond help and you did what you had to. You cannot compare yourself to the evil bastards that were shooting at them, they made their choices, you merely picked up and cleaned up after them to the best of your abilities. You are a good man, Harry, a gentle man, and I love you so much for it. You spread love all around you. Don’t let this blight your life, love, it isn’t worth it”.

His husband’s words got through to him and Harry calmed himself. Severus was never one for useless platitudes and for this he was glad. He nodded and pulled away, smiling weakly at the taller man, “Thanks, Sev, I needed that”. He let himself be led back to their home. He was suddenly bone weary of the whole mess. He let his bond-mate look after him, cooking a meal that he inhaled, realising that he hadn’t eaten properly for two days. Strengthened somewhat, he crawled back into their bed, curling up into a tight ball. Severus was having none of it and got in beside him, clutching Harry to him, murmuring words of love, massaging the tense body until he felt his mate uncurl beneath his patient ministrations, his breathing regularise and simply held him as he slept, joining him eventually.

****

When Harry was fit to drive again, they set off once more, taking it slowly, winding along the coast, dipping into small towns along the way. During this, they spent time exploring their telepathic abilities, not always at the most appropriate times as Severus found out when he sent to Harry his thoughts as he sat in the passenger seat nearly causing his lover to crash. “Sev, my love, you really mustn’t do that while I’m driving”, Harry smirked. His husband apologised sheepishly but looked far from it. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled up on a deserted bit of coastline, diving over to Severus and flinging himself in the man’s lap.

“Not nearly enough of you”, the black-haired man purred as they drew apart after a leg-weakening kiss. Harry narrowed his eyes and smiled lustfully, “Oh, yes, then how much? Tell me. No. Show me”. Severus was only too happy to oblige, growling softly as he pulled Harry’s head back down for another kiss that stole the breath from both of them, {Want you. Want you so badly}, his mind purred through their link. Harry moaned out loud as their tongues met and slid together, {Tell me more. What do you want to do with me?}

The kiss came to a wet end. Harry had stilled his gyrations in his man’s lap and simply looked down at the beautiful face looking back at him. He tenderly held Severus’ face between his palms, smoothing his thumbs over the black brows. The eyes below him closed and Harry dipped to kiss them lightly. Kiss, kiss: one each side then pulled back slightly, running his hands slowly into the long hair, leaning his forearms on Severus’ shoulders before standing and resettling himself astride his lover’s thighs.

Black eyes opened to the green gazing deep into them. He reached up with a tentative hand and removed Harry’s glasses, folding them and putting them into his own shirt pocket before sliding his hands around Harry’s waist and running them downwards to cup his arse cheeks. “What do you want, my Harry”, Severus whispered, never letting his gaze wander. Harry raised his eyes, looked down the van to their bed over his lover’s head, “I want you to take me to bed, but....”.

The hands left off his arse and moved up beneath Harry’s t-shirt, gently kneading the muscles in his lower back then up and up over the delicate points of his shoulder blades, massaging feather-soft and light over the warm skin. Harry arched into the touch, his chest meeting his lover’s. Severus pushed up the flimsy fabric covering Harry’s chest and planted soft closed-mouth kisses below the prominent collar-bone. Harry disengaged them a moment to reach over for his wand on the dash, spelling the blinds closed, then lifted his arms so that Severus could ease his t-shirt off over his head before nuzzling the sparse spread of hair on Harry’s pectorals with the tip of his nose and tongue, “So beautiful”, he murmured.

Harry tipped his head back, a small smile playing with his lips, letting a sigh of pleasure escape as the head before him dipped a little further worrying and nibbling at a rapidly hardening nipple before blowing gently on it, stiffening the nub still further. Harry shivered deliciously and leaned away, propping himself up with his elbows on the dash behind him. Severus ran warm hands over Harry’s chest and belly, his right hand travelling lower to the outline of cock hardening behind denim confines and stroked it with the flat of his hand. Harry pushed slightly into the touch, his eyelids at half mast, the tip of his tongue licking his top lip.

“Take me to bed”, he murmured, standing and holding his hand out. Severus grasped it and rose stiffly from his seat, “With pleasure”. They exchanged smiles as Harry backed along the van’s interior and fell across the bed dragging his lover after him, they landed awkwardly, the breath knocked from both of them and laughed as they impacted the soft surface. They kissed and held each other, Severus rising on one elbow to examine the flushed face beneath him, “How do you want me, Harry?”

Harry looked down for a moment before raising his gaze again, looking deep into the onyx eyes before him, “Sev, there was a day, erm, while we were still at Jon and Julia’s, the day we got that phone call from Neville, erm, I was sort of pretending to be asleep, and, er, you were being so...... loving and gentle...you were....smelling me, enjoying me so much, and I want that again, yeah, like that, you weren’t trying to turn me on...just...oh, I dunno, it was just so arousing, and then that dratted call came and sort of ruined the rest of that day, and I was loving that so much...and...”.

Severus leaned away slightly, “You were awake?” Harry nodded, “Yeah, ‘fraid so. I often pretend to be asleep, so I don’t disturb you or anything. It was just....so sensual...and wonderful”. Harry held the black gaze but blushed furiously and nodded once, “It was like you were taking your time to, er, love and enjoy me in your own way, it was so beautiful and sexy as hell”. It was Severus’ turn to look sheepish, “I adore your scent, like woodsmoke and fine clean linen, fresh line-dried washing, like sun-warmed rock”.

Harry smiled, “Don’t be embarrassed, love, you have used your nose in your job for what, forty odd years, your sense of smell is so highly developed and I loved you savouring me like that”. As he stood, he ran light touches over his lover’s chest and hip, “You have altogether too many clothes on, sweetheart. I want to lick your delicious little buttons and I don’t mean the ones on this wretched shirt. Come on, up with you. I want you gloriously naked, and soon”.

Severus smiled wickedly and rose, keeping his eyes fixed to Harry’s as they moved aft. He slowly started to strip, taking Harry’s glasses from his shirt pocket first and laying them on the tiny bit of wood that acted as a night table before slipping each button from it’s hole, shrugging the garment off, letting it fall to the floor. He sat down on the bed to remove his socks. Harry passed a warm hand over his back as he did so. He lay down, “I think I’ll let you unwrap the rest of me. I love it when you undress me”.

Harry shivered at this and did just that, slowly undoing the jeans zip and pulling them along those long toned legs and hauling them off along with the underpinnings, throwing them pell-mell to the floor and sat back on his heels to admire the view, chewing his lower lip as he did so, “Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous”, he murmured, running a light hand over the lightly furred thighs, the prominent knees, the shapely narrow calves, finishing at the exquisite feet with their long toes and the light scattering of dark hair over the instep, “You are so beautiful”, he breathed. Severus sat back up and pulled Harry to him, “So are you. I want to see the rest of you”.

“Hold on, first I have to taste...”. Harry swiped his tongue over the small brown nipples below him, “Mmmm, delicious. I love your buttons, so brown”, he wrinkled his nose delicately as he nuzzled through the black chest hair, as he tongued one after the other making them stand hard and proud then backed away. Severus growled low in his throat in a way that made all Harry’s hair stand on end, gripped his lover’s upper arms and pressed him into the mattress, “My turn, you beautiful elfin thing, you”. He slowly undid Harry’s jeans. Harry wriggled sinuously, his hands curled lightly either side of his head on the pillow, lifting his hips to have his garments removed.

His vision may be blurred but there was no mistaking the look of love and awe in his lover’s face as he was gazed at. “Merlin! You undo me, Harry. Look at you. A feast for my eyes and mine alone”. Severus dropped Harry’s clothing to join his own, stroking Harry’s legs as he did so, tracing the denser muscles with his fingertips, the more bunched calves, the rise and fall of the thigh muscles, the prominent ankle bones, the broader, shorter feet, carding the curlier hair on his thighs where his own was sparse and straight. “Perfect, just bloody perfect”, he whispered as he lay alongside his beloved, pulling him into his arms.

Harry wrapped his arms around his lover’s neck and they kissed, long and sweet, tongueless at first. Severus nibbled at Harry’s full lower lip then licked it. Harry moaned and opened his mouth wider, his own tongue coming out to play, meeting it’s mate to soft groans from them both. Severus insinuated an arm under Harry’s neck pulling him closer as the kiss turned passionate and hot. His other hand ran lightly down over Harry’s chest and he pinched a pinky-tan nipple between the tips of his fore and middle fingers rolling it gently. {Gods, I want you}, he murmured in mind-speak, his mouth otherwise occupied.

Harry mapped the strong broad shoulders above him with his own hands, hooking a leg around Severus’, {I want to feel your weight on top of me}, he gently pulled until Severus shifted between his, their now hard cocks touching. Harry, as if by instinct, wrapped both of his legs around Severus’ thighs, their kiss losing all finesse as they devoured each other’s mouths. Harry moved his arms to tuck under Severus’ in order that he may run his hands along the smooth back. His hands came to rest on each cheek of Severus’ arse and he squeezed gently, {Want you deep inside me. Make love to me}. Severus nodded once pressing his weight into his love, {Want to climb inside your skin and love you ‘til you can’t move}.

Pulling their lips apart, Harry grinned, such a lustful smile, licking his lips as their gazes met again, {Mmm, you feel so good on top}, he arched as much as he could given the weight atop him and Severus returned the smile, rocking from side to side slightly to rub them together, making them both groan aloud, {Beautiful, my Harry, my own. I want to come so far inside you, claim you, you’re mine}. Harry parted his swollen lips for another kiss, {Yours, all yours. Take it all. I’m yours for ever, sweetheart}. Severus growled low in his chest, {Oh, yes, mine, all mine. I love you so much. Yours, all yours, do what you will with me}.

Harry moaned, the sound high and needy. Breaking the kiss, he tipped his head back and to the side, {Feast on me. Lick me. Taste me all over} and Severus did, sinking his mouth and nose into Harry’s sensitive neck, {Gods. You smell so good, taste delicious}, his tongue and teeth nibbling and licking Harry’s neck and collarbone. Their sendings were becoming less coherent by the moment as the passion mounted. Harry sank his short nails into Severus’ back, lightly scratching paths into the soft skin, clutching wantonly at his arse pressing them both together, {Want you, want you, want you}.

He heard his lover in his mind, {I know. Want you too. Need to find the lube}. Heard the giggle of Harry in his head, {Think it’s on the night table, gimme a sec}, Harry’s hand reached over his head and fumbled about, his glasses dropping to the bed beside his head to be ignored. Ah, there it was, the familiar phial under his questing fingers, he handed it to Severus after biting off the lid and spitting it out randomly in his haste to be joined. Their hands shook slightly as the small jar was passed. Severus leaned up while Harry poured a generous measure over his fingers. He descended again to that lush wanting mouth devouring it again as he prepared Harry carefully, {No time, just....in me now}. Severus grinned around Harry’s invading tongue, {Patience, Harry}, to the shake of Harry’s head, {No}. Harry grabbed the phial again, tipping it again over his own fingers this time, tossing it aside to slick his beloved’s weeping cock before grabbing his arse again with slick greasy fingers, {Fill me up}, he commanded through their bond and Severus was putty in his hands. {C’m’ere, then, you impatient thing}.

He barely had time to position himself before Harry thrust up suddenly and engulfed his cock head in his tight passage. Severus grunted aloud as he felt the clutching needy hole take him all in and pushed hard, sinking all the way in, {Gods, you’re so hot, tight, beautiful. Want you...must have...}. Harry let out a high chuckle, {Ssshhh, fuck me, take me, make me yours. Hard, so hot. Need you} and Severus came undone above him, driving himself home, balls-deep, soul deep. Harry licking and sucking hard on his neck, {Nice and hard, don’t spare me, need this, need you, babe}. What was a man to do? With the love of his life writhing beneath him, he obeyed, pulling nearly all the way out, he plunged back in, {Yesss, gods, harder, fuck me, make me come all over you}. He paused for a moment to savour the look on Harry’s face, then raised himself onto his elbows and complied, {Yes, my lover, mine, all mine} and the dance began, the thrusting and pulling out, Harry’s feet digging into the back of his thighs, urging him to increase the depth, the pressure, the speed.

{Do you want me to touch you, too?}. Harry shook his head, {No. Just like this. Want this so much. Kiss me, make me come} and Severus picked up the pace, {Gods, you adorable thing. Can’t last, you fucking undo me, Harry, love fucking you}, all in the baritone purr that was unravelling Harry with every thrust, {Yess, close, so close, fuck, you turn me on. Want you to come so far inside me. Need you}. Severus could feel his orgasm starting to build from his toes and curled them unconsciously. Harry knew he was close and increased the pushes upwards, impaling himself on the rapidly thickening cock inside him, {Let me feel you fill me with your come, babe, come for me}. And that did it. Severus felt the clutch in his gut and let out a low howl as he exploded inside his lover, jabbing him in short hard thrusts as he released long spasms of his essence into his beloved, the short gasps in his ear unhinging him totally. Harry pushed back hard enough to lift them both from the bed, crying out wordlessly, holding him solid against him as he let go between their sweaty bellies and came a storm between them.

They both gasped and panted, their cheeks pink, their eyes glazed. Severus made to withdraw but Harry held him there, {Love your weight on top of me, stay here a bit longer}, so Severus let himself collapse fully on top of his mate and was held tight and kissed wherever Harry could reach with his lips. He burrowed his face in Harry’s neck and shoulder, chuckling softly, {Bloody hell, that was so good, you sweet trollop}. Harry answered with a soft laugh of his own, {Trollop yourself, lover of mine. Mmmm, sometimes, sweet vanilla is so damned good}, and Severus couldn’t help but agree, planting kisses wherever he could as he came down off the high, {I love this ‘talking’ while we’re doing. I can still hear it in your voice you know}. Harry nuzzled his cheek with his nose, {Me too, I can still hear that voice of yours that turns me on beyond sense}, he ran lazy hands along Severus’ back, scratching lightly.

Eventually they parted and Severus rolled off to the side. Harry turned onto his side and gathered Severus to him, {Need a cuddle}, his mind gasped out sheepishly. Severus obliged, {Never be afraid to need holding, love. I was never a cuddler, or thought I wasn’t until you corrupted me, but now.... just hold me tight, please. I love you holding me}. Harry turned Severus’ face to his and they locked gazes again, {We’re a right pair of softies aren’t we?}. Severus shrugged and fitted Harry’s head under his chin, holding him against him, {Does this bother you?}. Harry chuckled, {No, not even a little bit. I love it. I love you. you loony}, his mind murmured softly. Severus whacked his backside gently, {Well, there you go then. Gods, I love you, my Harry. Mmmmm, think I may have a little nap, d’you mind?} In reply, Harry just held a little tighter, {No problem, think I’ll join ya} and Severus could have sworn he heard Harry’s mind yawn. They fitted together as perfectly as they always did and let the euphoria take over and their eyes closed. They both dozed off.

Severus awoke to find himself the only one so. Harry was still asleep. Severus grinned ferally and began to feast on the sleeping body in his arms. Harry moaned as he was turned, the better to have nipples bitten so gently and his chest feasted on so avidly. They exchanged moans and Severus stepped up his actions, determined to keep his lover under the surface, below the realisation of what was actually happening to him. Severus’ cock twitched slightly, he wanted to fuck a half-asleep Harry, the very idea making him hard as steel.

He ghosted his lips over Harry’s belly before homing in on his reticent hard-on, still making up it’s mind to be so or not. Severus smiled at Harry’s moodiness even while asleep, then fastened his lips over the head and sucked him all the way hard, [You love that my Harry, I know you do}. Harry groaned as consciousness came crashing in to find him on his back with an iron-hard cock, {Don’t stop, you bastard}, Harry mind-muttered to receive a dirty chuckle in reply, {Oh, no, my sweet little Gryffindor, as if I would}, before some major teasing had Harry begging, {Sev, I hate you, you are the biggest....oh, yes, oh fuck....there.....moreyagit}, as Severus opened him up wide, tilting him onto his back for a proper seeing to.

It was as the movements deepened and the thrusts intensified that Harry saw the lights. Above him. Reflected on the ceiling. Blue and red. Revolving. Police car lights. And they had pulled up behind Bessie, quite ruining the little scene that had been playing out within.

Harry lay back on the pillows, {Oh, sweetie, go and see to it, they just prob’ly need to see our papers. You know where they are}. Severus looked down on the debauched face of his lover and reluctantly rose, dressing his lower half, leaning down for a wet kiss then disengaging, “I know where all the papers are”, he muttered, drawing away reluctantly, then making his way to the front of the van dropping into his own seat pulling the glove compartment open as the vehicle behind them stopped, the lights still reflecting on their ceiling.

Harry leaned up and peered through the rear window. He watched the single rider on the motorcycle as he pulled up behind them, feeling no threat. Watched as he dismounted and walked up to the rear of the van, knocked casually upon the back doors, “Police. I need to see your documents. Please open up”, before making his way forward.

Severus had nearly finished fishing out all the relevant papers when he heard it. A loud groan from behind him as he closed the glove compartment door. A single sound from his Harry, {NO}, straight into his mind. Severus spun round to see Harry clutching at his head in a way that Severus hadn’t seen since Athens. {Harry! Your scar?} Harry nodded urgently, {The policeman. He’s a Death Eater. We need glamours before we open that door}. Severus didn’t question Harry, just stepped up close and cast them, giving them both temporary appearances. Severus was about to reach for the door again when Harry stopped him, {Give me the papers}, and Severus did so. Harry charmed them to appear as their glamours, even changing their names where necessary. He was delighted to see the nondescript man on the photo and know it was his husband: named Horatio Smithers, Botanist. His own name, he kept. After all, most of the wizarding world, when they hadn’t been calling him insults simply knew him as Harry, not Henry, Potter, not Porter. Even his best friends and lovers had been surprised when they knew that ‘Harry’ was the affectionate form and the other was a mere clerical error

He was up and dressed in an instant. Seconds later, the knock came on the front passenger door. Harry called out, “Hold on, please”, and the knocking, a little persistent, ceased, for now. Glancing at each other, Harry transformed the interior of the van. The bed became two bench seats with a table raised between, the bedding Banished for now.

One of the pilot bunks shot outwards, one of the bumper mattresses shooting into it followed by bedding and a pillow. More bedding disposed itself messily over the sofa and for all the world they now looked like a fellow scientists, a common enough sight in Australia after all, enjoying the open road.

Harry opened the front door, “Good evening, officer”, he said, politely. The man just glared at him and Harry got his measure. He slowly cast the man an up-and-down glance, Harry recognised the man all right. His face may have fallen somewhat, the hair receded, the belly more advanced, the arches dropped and the nasal hair more apparent but he knew when he was in the presence of dark magic incarnate, Rodolphus Lestrange himself.

Severus schooled his features carefully as he greeted the policeman in icily polite tones with the air of a distracted scientist whilst sending to Harry, {Fuck! Lestrange himself! How much do I want to capture him and question him right here and now?}. Harry shot back, {Not ‘arf. Check out the tie pin. He’s a Mason as well. Another piece of the puzzle comes together}. They exchanged desultory chat about tourist sites that the ‘Poms’ had visited as Harry laconically handed over the papers.

{What d’you want to do Harry? You’re the expert in these things. Can you afford to let him get away. I imagine Law Enforcement has wanted to get their hands on this one for years} Harry just smiled politely at the man, “Oh, dear, I could have sworn my insurance documents were in here somewhere. I must be getting forgetful in my old age, forgive me, I’ll be but a moment. Horatio, do you recall seeing the main insurance papers about?” Harry dived into a pile of papers that had appeared on the desk and started to riffle them about. The policeman yawned, “No worries, just bring it to the police station in”.....he named the next town on their route....”within five days, sirs. Ask for myself, sergeant Lestrange, or my deputy constable Rawlings, okay?” Harry nodded, “Awfully sorry, old chap, could’ve sworn they....” and let his voice tail off distractedly as he accepted the ‘producer’ the man handed him and tucked it prominently behind the sun visor over the windscreen.

The man went back to his bike calling in something on the radio he carried. Severus quizzed Harry, “He’s just telling his base to expect us in the next couple of days. Don’t worry about it, I imagine the very last thing he’d expect in the middle of nowhere like this, is Harry Potter and Severus Snape. He didn’t even try to discern if we were magical or not. I imagine this van’s been spotted all along this road and our progress is being monitored as we’re carrying foreign plates but as my initial registration documents list me as a botanist then that’s our cover and I’m just Henry Porter. Good, eh?”

Severus just smiled and leaned in to kiss his husband on the temple, “The very best. I have grown slack over the years but you constantly prove to me that you haven’t lost your touch at all. I particularly enjoyed your seeming muddle over the insurance papers”. Harry laughed, “Glad to entertain, love, but we have the others here in a matter of days and I don’t want to scare him off beforehand do I? It would behoove us to also know where this snake has his lair, would it not?”

This made Severus laugh too, “Merlin’s beard, Harry, you still have it, all your cunning”. Harry kissed him, “Ah, yes but I was taught well: by a certain pair of devious Slytherins, if I recall correctly”. Severus grinned and nuzzled Harry’s ear, “So, you have to go into the lion’s den, so to speak, maybe we can follow him and get his address or something, not have to lift him at his place of work”.

Harry shrugged, “If he’s been a copper for so long and hasn’t risen above the ranks of sergeant then he’s either crap or he’s hated. I bet his colleagues won’t mind if we take him at work but, yes, I’d prefer to get a home address for the bastard if we can. Fuck!! What a feather in Ron and Ollie’s caps that’ll be. I’d better ring them, get them out here on the Ministry’s ticket, save them a bundle in air fare too”.

This was one of the many things that Severus loved Harry for. Harry would get none of the accolades for this and nor did he want them and if, by being so, he could save his friends a bob or two in the process then, even better. Severus smiled inside and hugged Harry to him as the bike roared off.

In the next instant, Harry had his phone at his ear. His friends should just be waking up on their side of the planet and would be very pleased at the turn of events. Harry was too, but even more worried for two of his newer friends now back on their own side of the world. More worried once he had seen the little silver pin winking on the policeman’s/Death Eater’s tie.

A tiny Maltese Cross.


A/N 'Dun-Dun-Durrrr' - the plot thickens.....

See you next week. Please read and review/leave stars. Much love, S2