Chapter 50 - Part B
Remus was still struggling to decide how he felt. In the last ten minutes, from the moment when the little Ravenclaw madam had dropped her bombshell, his emotions had run the gauntlet from a strange sort of fear and shocked pain to a surge of cold fury and jealously. Now, in a room where the air was laced with the odour of sex and lube and sweat - not to mention the heady scent of his own mate - he was consumed with ‘mine’, ‘want’, ‘take’.
Daniel appeared to have forgotten that extracurricular pairings were technically permissible and was staring up at Remus with wide, frightened eyes. And Sirius was looking almost as pale, although he at least wasn’t quite as cowed.
“This is…” he began but then seemed to run out of words and just stood there. After pulling away from Daniel, he was still naked, hadn’t reached for anything to cover himself and appeared to have maybe forgotten such a minor detail.
After a moment of lying prone and horrified, Daniel glanced at the manacles and, as soon as they released his wrists, he slid and scrambled to kneel on the carpeted floor; head bowed almost to Remus’ feet. “Alpha,” he breathed with a strangled sob.
Remus stared at him for a moment and then sighed.
“Daniel,” he responded softly and shook his head, unable to find words for a second. Really, he thought, one of them should find more than two words to string together! And then Sirius broke the thick silence again, stepping forward, around Daniel, until he stood close enough to Remus that he would have been able to smell the cub on him without werewolf senses.
“This is - clearly - everything it looks like,” Sirius said, voice soft and tone gentle. “If you require an apology, you have it, Remus. But I don’t really regret pairing with Daniel.”
At this, Daniel’s head jerked as if he almost looked up from his position on the floor but then recalled that he was being submissive until such time that his Alpha either forgave him or delivered suitable punishment.
Remus continued to watch the cub for a few more moments and then lifted his gaze to calmly consider his mate. Sirius’ expression was entirely calm, passive; waiting for Remus’ reaction. And what was that reaction? All anger had gone now, as had the searing jealousy; no one was saying Remus couldn’t have Sirius ever again, after all.
“You don’t regret it?” he asked finally.
Sirius mutely shook his head.
“Am I to assume that he was truly that good then?” he asked archly, although honestly he couldn’t keep a tendril of warmth and amusement from his voice. Sirius recognised at once that the awkwardness was fast receding and offered a lop-sided grin; looking strangely like Padfoot for a second.
“He was better,” Sirius replied in a low growl and now Daniel did dare to look up.
“Daniel,” Remus let the name roll off his tongue, “you really should get up.” He placed one hand on the cub’s face, stroking his chin and jaw, while he offered his other hand to help him to his feet.
“I…” Daniel stared with wide eyes at the hand and then looked up the length of Remus’ arm until he finally met his gaze.
“Up, Daniel,” Sirius urged gently, “before we find some reason for you to remain on your knees.
At this, Daniel gave Sirius’ cock a hungry glance and then, greatly daring, he turned to eye Remus with a look of even greater hunger. Remus chuckled and took half a step backwards, still offering his hand even as Sirius offered his hand too.
“We’ll get to that soon enough,” he smiled as he and Sirius drew Daniel to his feet. Then, as soon as Daniel was standing, Remus stepped in close, cupped the younger man’s face in one hand again and kissed him.
Daniel remained silent for one stunned moment and then groaned aloud as soon as he regained his senses. He opened under Remus’ persuasive tongue, gasping and clinging and then giving a full body shudder when Sirius stepped in behind and caressed his hips.
“Too many clothes, Remus,” Sirius growled and Remus slowly, reluctantly relinquished Daniel’s mouth, nipping gently at the kiss-swollen lips.
Daniel whined and squirmed, rolling his hips under Sirius’ hands and dropping his head back to rest on Sirius’ shoulder. Remus gave the cub’s exposed throat a long lick before biting gently at the soft underside of his jaw. That morning’s stubble prickled against his lips and snagged under his teeth and when he finally stepped back, he fumbled hurriedly with his clothes.
“You want him?” Sirius asked softly, speaking close to Daniel’s left ear. “You want him to take you? Bend you over this bed? Or that chair? You want me to hold you down while he fucks you?”
Daniel’s head jerked up at that and he glanced from Sirius to Remus before nodding, small but urgent.
“Remus,” Sirius called, drawing his partner’s attention. “I’ll hold him down but where - how - do you want him?”
*~*~*
Curiously - and frustratingly - there was no Dementor to be found outside the wards. Caramon could offer no further insight and whatever had caused such a dramatic impact appeared to have gone.
Therefore, at Severus’ urging, they turned their attentions to the preparations for the party and their projection.
“So, this is where we’re going to project from?” Harry looked dubiously at the space that had been cleared in the library. “Why not the training suite?”
“Because this room is surrounded on all sides by at least one more room.” Severus replied with a just a shade of impatience. “You know this, Harry.”
‘Ssh!’ Draco nudged Severus’ shoulder, ‘Don’t snarl at him - you’re so stressed still that we can’t get passed your ‘this is such a bad idea’ and ‘Albus is a moron’ thoughts.’
Harry flashed his blond lover a little smile and then looked a little startled when Severus moved to cup the side of Draco’s face in one hand.
‘Well, this is a bad idea and Albus can be a moron.’ Severus responded silently, his tone considerably gentler. He then gestured towards the space as he spoke aloud, “In here, we have rooms on all sides, the second floor above us and the ground floor below. The entire library will be encapsulated within a sphere-shaped ward and Caramon,” he looked back at Harry, “will guard it and our lines of projection while we’re…” he shrugged, “otherwise engaged.”
Draco looked from Severus and Harry to the space where a set of three bedrolls were waiting to be placed in a row for the three men to lie in comfort. He shook his head in mild disdain and silently conjured a large bed, complete with pillows and bedding and easily big enough for all of them.
Feeling Harry’s sense of mild amusement, he then turned around and offered a flirtatious smirk, ‘Want to try it out? Make sure it’ll hold up to… anything?’
Harry shook his head a little and kissed Draco. He smiled into the kiss, felt Draco return the smile and then slid both hands into the other man’s silky blond hair until it tangled around his fingers. Draco groaned silently and tightened his hold as Harry licked into his mouth and deepened the kiss even more.
However, when Severus stepped in behind Harry with a view to peeling him out of his clothes, Harry pulled back from the kiss, met Draco’s confused eyes for a second and then stepped sideways.
“I think I’d like to watch,” he murmured, damning the blush that was warming his cheeks. When Severus smiled, though, and stepped promptly forward to pull Draco to him he knew for certain that this was what he wanted right now.
Draco gave him a slow, heated smile and then blinked languorously at Severus. He pressed close, slipped his hands beneath Severus’ shirt and offered his mouth for the taking.
There was an answering smile on Severus’ lips before he bent his head a little and took Draco’s mouth.
And five minutes later, when they were moving to the conjured bed, Harry settled himself in a library chair and undid his trousers. The shared sense; the shared passion; all of it crowded in on him and he let the sensations guide his hand to his own cock.
*~*~*
Lucius had banished the demon, tidied away the spell paraphernalia, had been summarily chastised by Remus bloody Lupin and now he’d lost all patience with the world in general. Even as he thought the words, though, some small part of him cringed at the disrespect towards his Alpha.
Things had changed, that small part reminded him, even as another voice - the sneering voice of self-doubt, self-loathing that reminded him of Severus - remarked that perhaps he’d simply swapped one master for another.
But that wasn’t right. Remus wasn’t a raving megalomaniac with a desire to rule the world. Remus was good and fair. Remus listened and cared; he loved his pack, Lucius included, and that sensation was at once alien and precious to Lucius.
It did not, however, keep him from pacing to and from the door. And ultimately, it didn’t keep him from ignoring his Alpha’s last words to him (‘sit’ and ‘stay’ the sneering voice interjected) and leaving his quarters in search of Daniel.
Daniel was no doubt upset and confused. The news concerning his sister would sink in at some point and then they would need to discuss and plan and…
As he strode past the end of the corridor which led to the hospital wing, Lucius’ thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“ - and I don’t know what you all thought you were doing but when Professor McGonagall hears about it -” Poppy Pomfrey’s voice carried towards him and Lucius drew to a halt, intrigued.
“Hear about what, Madam Pomfrey?” Minerva McGonagall then interrupted and Lucius impulsively turned to investigate. At the very least, perhaps the ladies had seen Daniel or Remus?
As he drew around the corner, though, it was to find Poppy, Minerva and five students. Two of the students were Potter - no, Harry’s - friends, he recalled, automatically correcting himself. One was Hermione Granger and the other was the youngest Weasley boy. He surmised that they must have remained at school for the party but two of the remaining three were unfamiliar to him and seemed too young to be Harry’s friends. The last girl was staring at him with wide, sad eyes and a strangely hopeful expression.
“Mr Malfoy,” Minerva turned on him in surprise, “can I help you?”
“I…” Lucius began but was caught again by the young girl’s expression. She was familiar but he couldn’t place how he knew her. Her uniform wasn’t of the Slytherin house so he was unlikely to have seen her with Draco…
He shook his head and began again. “I was looking for Daniel,” he said and heard the girl gasp. He spared her a brief glance and then looked back at Minerva. “Have you seen him today? Or Remus perhaps?”
Before Minerva could respond, however, the girl took a step forward. “You weren’t looking for me then?”
Lucius blinked. “No.” He frowned, honestly perplexed, “Should I have been?” At once, the girl’s face crumpled into tears and her companions gathered close around her. Not for the first time, Lucius congratulated himself on being gay, on no longer having a wife and never having a daughter. Women, he decided, were simply too insane for words.
“I’m afraid I haven’t seen either Mr Litworth or Mr Lupin,” Minerva replied with a measure of impatient sharpness. “To be honest, Mr Malfoy, I have quite enough on my plate with students who should be well on their way to London by now!” she shot a stern look at the three girls.
“I haven’t seen them either,” Poppy said apologetically, “but if Professor McGonagall doesn’t need me here, I’ll help you look.”
Lucius nodded with a distracted sense of gratitude; he was caught by the torn expression on Hermione Granger’s face. She was biting her lip and looking from the crying girl to Lucius and back again. From nowhere, came a vague suspicion and Lucius caught and held Hermione’s gaze. Before he could ask, however, the crying girl struggled free of her comforting friends and pushed forward to stand belligerently before Lucius.
“I saw him!” she all but spat. “I saw him - your boyfriend, your… lover!” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks unchecked.
Minerva and Poppy were staring at the girl in open-mouthed astonishment but the Weasley boy was looking pale and horrified while Hermione was trying to silence the girl.
“You saw Daniel?” Lucius addressed the girl directly, “Where was he?” And just what in blue blazes was going on? Frankly, he wasn’t inclined to pay much attention to an idiotic Weasley but the boy’s expression was quite alarming.
“Mr Malfoy,” Hermione began before the girl could respond. “Arabella told us earlier that she’d seen D-Daniel with… um… with Sirius.”
Well that explained a lot, Lucius supposed. Ignoring the familiar curl of jealous suspicion that always cropped up whenever Daniel was with Sirius, he supposed that it was quite likely that Sirius had intercepted Daniel and was probably talking with him somewhere quiet.
“We told Remus when he was l-looking for Sirius,” Hermione continued and her nervous stammer snagged something in Lucius. The little curl of jealousy twisted again and then ignited when the girl - Arabella - gave Hermione an angry shove and declared:
“Your precious Daniel is fucking Sirius Black in the Room of bloody Requirement!”
“Miss Montgomery-Nott!” Minerva exclaimed, deeply shocked. Poppy gasped and the other students fell into mortified silence.
The air seemed to ring with a shrill whine around Lucius’ head. His jealousy was justified, it seemed, and with that realisation came an odd sense of calm. He drew a breath and wondered when the rage would come.
“I see.” He said quietly and inclined his head towards Arabella. “Thank you for the information.”
There was something within his polite tone that appeared to startle the girl for some reason: she and her friends drew back a step, their faces pale and eyes wide. Even Minerva looked a little frightened and she unconsciously stepped to shield the students with her body.
“I assume you passed this information to Remus as well?” He asked then and when Arabella nodded tremulously behind Minerva’s shoulder, he turned as if to leave.
“You’re not going to hurt Sirius,” the Weasley boy stated, although it sounded rather like a plea.
Lucius ignored him but looked back at Arabella with a little curiosity as recognition finally came. “You’re Irwin Montgomery’s daughter? You have his temperament, child: be careful.” He concluded without waiting for any response.
And then, not wishing to be in cursing range when the rage finally struck, he walked away from the School Nurse, the Deputy Headmistress and the five students. His feet led him unerringly towards the Room of Requirement and he had a brief moment to wonder what the room would equip him with when he arrived before the rage finally rose and swamped all thought and all other feelings.
*~*~*
Alison peered through the glass door of the vending machine and eyed the wide assortment of muggle treats and snacks. Toby was undoubtedly exhausted and the Apparation lowered one’s blood sugar at the best of times; it would be even worse for one so young.
Deciding to take one of everything, she focused on the large, shiny steel turn-screws holding the products, checked that her wand was still secure within her sleeve and then placed that hand over the coin slot and buttons.
“Alohomora,” she murmured and then smiled when all of the screws turned and the crisps, sweets and chocolate bars cascaded into the collection well.
“Wow!” a child’s voice breathed in awe. Alison shot him a startled, slightly guilty smile and then bent to collect her trophies…
…and then swore when she felt the unmistakable sensation of a wand poking into her back.
“Miss Litworth,” a smooth male voice chided, “you really should know better.”
For a few precious seconds, Alison’s mind raced with possibilities for escape. She discarded some for fear of involving muggles in a magical battle and was just considering causing a big disturbance - something big enough to alert Jenna and Toby - when the man behind her chuckled. She knew that laugh!
“Don’t tell me,” Kingsley-sodding-Shacklebolt smirked, “you were going to explode the vending machine and hope that Jenna and the boy got away in time.”
“It might have worked,” Alison sniffed irritably, turning around and swotting Kingsley’s wand aside. “You here on your own?”
The auror shook his head, “Vera has Jenna and the boy. Come on, my house isn’t far from here. We’ll get you to safety, let you all recuperate a bit and then you can tell me what happened.”
*~*~*
They were currently on the bed with the sheets messy and dishevelled beneath them. Daniel was sprawled on his back with Remus between his legs. Sirius was kneeling on all fours above Daniel’s head and Daniel didn’t know what to think or what to feel. He was strung out on sensation; pleasure rippling from his feet, which were placed on Remus’ thrusting hips, to his hands, which were clasped around Sirius’ restraining forearms.
Sirius made the best form of shackles, he decided. Not only did he hold him firm without hurting, but he also leaned over to give Daniel, heated, sloppy, upside-down kisses. And when Remus stroked over his prostrate and Daniel reacted, arching, hissing and crying out, Sirius leaned over further to bite and lick at Daniel’s nipples.
“So good, Daniel,” Sirius breathed into his throat before mouthing at his pulse point. “Wish you could see yourself! Look at you - beautiful!”
Sirius twisted and glanced up then, in time to see the room respond to his only half-thought request for a mirror above the bed. Daniel caught a glimpse of himself; stretched out between his Alpha and his pack brother, partially obscured by Sirius’ dark head of hair. They looked so good together, so sexy, so…
His thoughts were shattered then when Remus rotated his hips, pushing in hard and deep.
“Oh fuck!” Daniel groaned and arched again as Remus straightened to look up too, changing his angle again in the process.
Grinning, Remus noted the pleasing new angle and gave several long, deep thrusts that stroked deliberately over Daniel’s prostate.
“Keep your eyes on the reflection.” Remus growled, “I want you to watch yourself come around my cock. Just like that - nothing else!”
And it took just a few minutes but Daniel was coming again - arching once more, yelling at his own reflection before dropping back to the bed, boneless and shuddering.
Sirius gave a chuckle, low and filthy, and then he was kissing and sucking a new bruise onto Daniel’s throat again even as Remus gave a stifled shout, gripped Daniel’s hips tighter, hard enough to bruise and then followed him over the brink as he pulsed deep inside him. Their Alpha froze, caught on sensation and floating on pleasure for one long, drawn out moment before pulling free and crawling up the bed to push Sirius aside so he could kiss Daniel on the mouth.
“Good boy,” he whispered, panting hard. He kissed Sirius too and settled on Daniel’s right, pulling the cub closer to him while they came down.
*~*~*
Lucius heard Daniel’s shout, knew it for what it was, what it signified and then heard another yell shortly afterwards. Was that Black? It sounded more like Remus but the sound was difficult to make out and the wretched doors to the Room of Requirement still refused to open.
No amount of hexing, cursing, shouting or swearing had persuaded the room to let him in. He’d even tried physical violence but that had resulted in nothing but scraped knuckles and a bruised toe.
Hearing the lust driven cries of his pack brothers didn’t so much refuel his rage, however, as stir something else; something darker, something needier. Suddenly, Lucius didn’t want to go in so that he could rip hell out of Black or Remus for touching Daniel; he wanted to go in so that he could touch Daniel. Or, a dark little knot of desire suggested, he wanted Black and Remus to touch him…
Daniel appeared to have forgotten that extracurricular pairings were technically permissible and was staring up at Remus with wide, frightened eyes. And Sirius was looking almost as pale, although he at least wasn’t quite as cowed.
“This is…” he began but then seemed to run out of words and just stood there. After pulling away from Daniel, he was still naked, hadn’t reached for anything to cover himself and appeared to have maybe forgotten such a minor detail.
After a moment of lying prone and horrified, Daniel glanced at the manacles and, as soon as they released his wrists, he slid and scrambled to kneel on the carpeted floor; head bowed almost to Remus’ feet. “Alpha,” he breathed with a strangled sob.
Remus stared at him for a moment and then sighed.
“Daniel,” he responded softly and shook his head, unable to find words for a second. Really, he thought, one of them should find more than two words to string together! And then Sirius broke the thick silence again, stepping forward, around Daniel, until he stood close enough to Remus that he would have been able to smell the cub on him without werewolf senses.
“This is - clearly - everything it looks like,” Sirius said, voice soft and tone gentle. “If you require an apology, you have it, Remus. But I don’t really regret pairing with Daniel.”
At this, Daniel’s head jerked as if he almost looked up from his position on the floor but then recalled that he was being submissive until such time that his Alpha either forgave him or delivered suitable punishment.
Remus continued to watch the cub for a few more moments and then lifted his gaze to calmly consider his mate. Sirius’ expression was entirely calm, passive; waiting for Remus’ reaction. And what was that reaction? All anger had gone now, as had the searing jealousy; no one was saying Remus couldn’t have Sirius ever again, after all.
“You don’t regret it?” he asked finally.
Sirius mutely shook his head.
“Am I to assume that he was truly that good then?” he asked archly, although honestly he couldn’t keep a tendril of warmth and amusement from his voice. Sirius recognised at once that the awkwardness was fast receding and offered a lop-sided grin; looking strangely like Padfoot for a second.
“He was better,” Sirius replied in a low growl and now Daniel did dare to look up.
“Daniel,” Remus let the name roll off his tongue, “you really should get up.” He placed one hand on the cub’s face, stroking his chin and jaw, while he offered his other hand to help him to his feet.
“I…” Daniel stared with wide eyes at the hand and then looked up the length of Remus’ arm until he finally met his gaze.
“Up, Daniel,” Sirius urged gently, “before we find some reason for you to remain on your knees.
At this, Daniel gave Sirius’ cock a hungry glance and then, greatly daring, he turned to eye Remus with a look of even greater hunger. Remus chuckled and took half a step backwards, still offering his hand even as Sirius offered his hand too.
“We’ll get to that soon enough,” he smiled as he and Sirius drew Daniel to his feet. Then, as soon as Daniel was standing, Remus stepped in close, cupped the younger man’s face in one hand again and kissed him.
Daniel remained silent for one stunned moment and then groaned aloud as soon as he regained his senses. He opened under Remus’ persuasive tongue, gasping and clinging and then giving a full body shudder when Sirius stepped in behind and caressed his hips.
“Too many clothes, Remus,” Sirius growled and Remus slowly, reluctantly relinquished Daniel’s mouth, nipping gently at the kiss-swollen lips.
Daniel whined and squirmed, rolling his hips under Sirius’ hands and dropping his head back to rest on Sirius’ shoulder. Remus gave the cub’s exposed throat a long lick before biting gently at the soft underside of his jaw. That morning’s stubble prickled against his lips and snagged under his teeth and when he finally stepped back, he fumbled hurriedly with his clothes.
“You want him?” Sirius asked softly, speaking close to Daniel’s left ear. “You want him to take you? Bend you over this bed? Or that chair? You want me to hold you down while he fucks you?”
Daniel’s head jerked up at that and he glanced from Sirius to Remus before nodding, small but urgent.
“Remus,” Sirius called, drawing his partner’s attention. “I’ll hold him down but where - how - do you want him?”
*~*~*
Curiously - and frustratingly - there was no Dementor to be found outside the wards. Caramon could offer no further insight and whatever had caused such a dramatic impact appeared to have gone.
Therefore, at Severus’ urging, they turned their attentions to the preparations for the party and their projection.
“So, this is where we’re going to project from?” Harry looked dubiously at the space that had been cleared in the library. “Why not the training suite?”
“Because this room is surrounded on all sides by at least one more room.” Severus replied with a just a shade of impatience. “You know this, Harry.”
‘Ssh!’ Draco nudged Severus’ shoulder, ‘Don’t snarl at him - you’re so stressed still that we can’t get passed your ‘this is such a bad idea’ and ‘Albus is a moron’ thoughts.’
Harry flashed his blond lover a little smile and then looked a little startled when Severus moved to cup the side of Draco’s face in one hand.
‘Well, this is a bad idea and Albus can be a moron.’ Severus responded silently, his tone considerably gentler. He then gestured towards the space as he spoke aloud, “In here, we have rooms on all sides, the second floor above us and the ground floor below. The entire library will be encapsulated within a sphere-shaped ward and Caramon,” he looked back at Harry, “will guard it and our lines of projection while we’re…” he shrugged, “otherwise engaged.”
Draco looked from Severus and Harry to the space where a set of three bedrolls were waiting to be placed in a row for the three men to lie in comfort. He shook his head in mild disdain and silently conjured a large bed, complete with pillows and bedding and easily big enough for all of them.
Feeling Harry’s sense of mild amusement, he then turned around and offered a flirtatious smirk, ‘Want to try it out? Make sure it’ll hold up to… anything?’
Harry shook his head a little and kissed Draco. He smiled into the kiss, felt Draco return the smile and then slid both hands into the other man’s silky blond hair until it tangled around his fingers. Draco groaned silently and tightened his hold as Harry licked into his mouth and deepened the kiss even more.
However, when Severus stepped in behind Harry with a view to peeling him out of his clothes, Harry pulled back from the kiss, met Draco’s confused eyes for a second and then stepped sideways.
“I think I’d like to watch,” he murmured, damning the blush that was warming his cheeks. When Severus smiled, though, and stepped promptly forward to pull Draco to him he knew for certain that this was what he wanted right now.
Draco gave him a slow, heated smile and then blinked languorously at Severus. He pressed close, slipped his hands beneath Severus’ shirt and offered his mouth for the taking.
There was an answering smile on Severus’ lips before he bent his head a little and took Draco’s mouth.
And five minutes later, when they were moving to the conjured bed, Harry settled himself in a library chair and undid his trousers. The shared sense; the shared passion; all of it crowded in on him and he let the sensations guide his hand to his own cock.
*~*~*
Lucius had banished the demon, tidied away the spell paraphernalia, had been summarily chastised by Remus bloody Lupin and now he’d lost all patience with the world in general. Even as he thought the words, though, some small part of him cringed at the disrespect towards his Alpha.
Things had changed, that small part reminded him, even as another voice - the sneering voice of self-doubt, self-loathing that reminded him of Severus - remarked that perhaps he’d simply swapped one master for another.
But that wasn’t right. Remus wasn’t a raving megalomaniac with a desire to rule the world. Remus was good and fair. Remus listened and cared; he loved his pack, Lucius included, and that sensation was at once alien and precious to Lucius.
It did not, however, keep him from pacing to and from the door. And ultimately, it didn’t keep him from ignoring his Alpha’s last words to him (‘sit’ and ‘stay’ the sneering voice interjected) and leaving his quarters in search of Daniel.
Daniel was no doubt upset and confused. The news concerning his sister would sink in at some point and then they would need to discuss and plan and…
As he strode past the end of the corridor which led to the hospital wing, Lucius’ thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“ - and I don’t know what you all thought you were doing but when Professor McGonagall hears about it -” Poppy Pomfrey’s voice carried towards him and Lucius drew to a halt, intrigued.
“Hear about what, Madam Pomfrey?” Minerva McGonagall then interrupted and Lucius impulsively turned to investigate. At the very least, perhaps the ladies had seen Daniel or Remus?
As he drew around the corner, though, it was to find Poppy, Minerva and five students. Two of the students were Potter - no, Harry’s - friends, he recalled, automatically correcting himself. One was Hermione Granger and the other was the youngest Weasley boy. He surmised that they must have remained at school for the party but two of the remaining three were unfamiliar to him and seemed too young to be Harry’s friends. The last girl was staring at him with wide, sad eyes and a strangely hopeful expression.
“Mr Malfoy,” Minerva turned on him in surprise, “can I help you?”
“I…” Lucius began but was caught again by the young girl’s expression. She was familiar but he couldn’t place how he knew her. Her uniform wasn’t of the Slytherin house so he was unlikely to have seen her with Draco…
He shook his head and began again. “I was looking for Daniel,” he said and heard the girl gasp. He spared her a brief glance and then looked back at Minerva. “Have you seen him today? Or Remus perhaps?”
Before Minerva could respond, however, the girl took a step forward. “You weren’t looking for me then?”
Lucius blinked. “No.” He frowned, honestly perplexed, “Should I have been?” At once, the girl’s face crumpled into tears and her companions gathered close around her. Not for the first time, Lucius congratulated himself on being gay, on no longer having a wife and never having a daughter. Women, he decided, were simply too insane for words.
“I’m afraid I haven’t seen either Mr Litworth or Mr Lupin,” Minerva replied with a measure of impatient sharpness. “To be honest, Mr Malfoy, I have quite enough on my plate with students who should be well on their way to London by now!” she shot a stern look at the three girls.
“I haven’t seen them either,” Poppy said apologetically, “but if Professor McGonagall doesn’t need me here, I’ll help you look.”
Lucius nodded with a distracted sense of gratitude; he was caught by the torn expression on Hermione Granger’s face. She was biting her lip and looking from the crying girl to Lucius and back again. From nowhere, came a vague suspicion and Lucius caught and held Hermione’s gaze. Before he could ask, however, the crying girl struggled free of her comforting friends and pushed forward to stand belligerently before Lucius.
“I saw him!” she all but spat. “I saw him - your boyfriend, your… lover!” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks unchecked.
Minerva and Poppy were staring at the girl in open-mouthed astonishment but the Weasley boy was looking pale and horrified while Hermione was trying to silence the girl.
“You saw Daniel?” Lucius addressed the girl directly, “Where was he?” And just what in blue blazes was going on? Frankly, he wasn’t inclined to pay much attention to an idiotic Weasley but the boy’s expression was quite alarming.
“Mr Malfoy,” Hermione began before the girl could respond. “Arabella told us earlier that she’d seen D-Daniel with… um… with Sirius.”
Well that explained a lot, Lucius supposed. Ignoring the familiar curl of jealous suspicion that always cropped up whenever Daniel was with Sirius, he supposed that it was quite likely that Sirius had intercepted Daniel and was probably talking with him somewhere quiet.
“We told Remus when he was l-looking for Sirius,” Hermione continued and her nervous stammer snagged something in Lucius. The little curl of jealousy twisted again and then ignited when the girl - Arabella - gave Hermione an angry shove and declared:
“Your precious Daniel is fucking Sirius Black in the Room of bloody Requirement!”
“Miss Montgomery-Nott!” Minerva exclaimed, deeply shocked. Poppy gasped and the other students fell into mortified silence.
The air seemed to ring with a shrill whine around Lucius’ head. His jealousy was justified, it seemed, and with that realisation came an odd sense of calm. He drew a breath and wondered when the rage would come.
“I see.” He said quietly and inclined his head towards Arabella. “Thank you for the information.”
There was something within his polite tone that appeared to startle the girl for some reason: she and her friends drew back a step, their faces pale and eyes wide. Even Minerva looked a little frightened and she unconsciously stepped to shield the students with her body.
“I assume you passed this information to Remus as well?” He asked then and when Arabella nodded tremulously behind Minerva’s shoulder, he turned as if to leave.
“You’re not going to hurt Sirius,” the Weasley boy stated, although it sounded rather like a plea.
Lucius ignored him but looked back at Arabella with a little curiosity as recognition finally came. “You’re Irwin Montgomery’s daughter? You have his temperament, child: be careful.” He concluded without waiting for any response.
And then, not wishing to be in cursing range when the rage finally struck, he walked away from the School Nurse, the Deputy Headmistress and the five students. His feet led him unerringly towards the Room of Requirement and he had a brief moment to wonder what the room would equip him with when he arrived before the rage finally rose and swamped all thought and all other feelings.
*~*~*
Alison peered through the glass door of the vending machine and eyed the wide assortment of muggle treats and snacks. Toby was undoubtedly exhausted and the Apparation lowered one’s blood sugar at the best of times; it would be even worse for one so young.
Deciding to take one of everything, she focused on the large, shiny steel turn-screws holding the products, checked that her wand was still secure within her sleeve and then placed that hand over the coin slot and buttons.
“Alohomora,” she murmured and then smiled when all of the screws turned and the crisps, sweets and chocolate bars cascaded into the collection well.
“Wow!” a child’s voice breathed in awe. Alison shot him a startled, slightly guilty smile and then bent to collect her trophies…
…and then swore when she felt the unmistakable sensation of a wand poking into her back.
“Miss Litworth,” a smooth male voice chided, “you really should know better.”
For a few precious seconds, Alison’s mind raced with possibilities for escape. She discarded some for fear of involving muggles in a magical battle and was just considering causing a big disturbance - something big enough to alert Jenna and Toby - when the man behind her chuckled. She knew that laugh!
“Don’t tell me,” Kingsley-sodding-Shacklebolt smirked, “you were going to explode the vending machine and hope that Jenna and the boy got away in time.”
“It might have worked,” Alison sniffed irritably, turning around and swotting Kingsley’s wand aside. “You here on your own?”
The auror shook his head, “Vera has Jenna and the boy. Come on, my house isn’t far from here. We’ll get you to safety, let you all recuperate a bit and then you can tell me what happened.”
*~*~*
They were currently on the bed with the sheets messy and dishevelled beneath them. Daniel was sprawled on his back with Remus between his legs. Sirius was kneeling on all fours above Daniel’s head and Daniel didn’t know what to think or what to feel. He was strung out on sensation; pleasure rippling from his feet, which were placed on Remus’ thrusting hips, to his hands, which were clasped around Sirius’ restraining forearms.
Sirius made the best form of shackles, he decided. Not only did he hold him firm without hurting, but he also leaned over to give Daniel, heated, sloppy, upside-down kisses. And when Remus stroked over his prostrate and Daniel reacted, arching, hissing and crying out, Sirius leaned over further to bite and lick at Daniel’s nipples.
“So good, Daniel,” Sirius breathed into his throat before mouthing at his pulse point. “Wish you could see yourself! Look at you - beautiful!”
Sirius twisted and glanced up then, in time to see the room respond to his only half-thought request for a mirror above the bed. Daniel caught a glimpse of himself; stretched out between his Alpha and his pack brother, partially obscured by Sirius’ dark head of hair. They looked so good together, so sexy, so…
His thoughts were shattered then when Remus rotated his hips, pushing in hard and deep.
“Oh fuck!” Daniel groaned and arched again as Remus straightened to look up too, changing his angle again in the process.
Grinning, Remus noted the pleasing new angle and gave several long, deep thrusts that stroked deliberately over Daniel’s prostate.
“Keep your eyes on the reflection.” Remus growled, “I want you to watch yourself come around my cock. Just like that - nothing else!”
And it took just a few minutes but Daniel was coming again - arching once more, yelling at his own reflection before dropping back to the bed, boneless and shuddering.
Sirius gave a chuckle, low and filthy, and then he was kissing and sucking a new bruise onto Daniel’s throat again even as Remus gave a stifled shout, gripped Daniel’s hips tighter, hard enough to bruise and then followed him over the brink as he pulsed deep inside him. Their Alpha froze, caught on sensation and floating on pleasure for one long, drawn out moment before pulling free and crawling up the bed to push Sirius aside so he could kiss Daniel on the mouth.
“Good boy,” he whispered, panting hard. He kissed Sirius too and settled on Daniel’s right, pulling the cub closer to him while they came down.
*~*~*
Lucius heard Daniel’s shout, knew it for what it was, what it signified and then heard another yell shortly afterwards. Was that Black? It sounded more like Remus but the sound was difficult to make out and the wretched doors to the Room of Requirement still refused to open.
No amount of hexing, cursing, shouting or swearing had persuaded the room to let him in. He’d even tried physical violence but that had resulted in nothing but scraped knuckles and a bruised toe.
Hearing the lust driven cries of his pack brothers didn’t so much refuel his rage, however, as stir something else; something darker, something needier. Suddenly, Lucius didn’t want to go in so that he could rip hell out of Black or Remus for touching Daniel; he wanted to go in so that he could touch Daniel. Or, a dark little knot of desire suggested, he wanted Black and Remus to touch him…