Chapter 86 ..mostly is up
This chapter was so huge (15,000+words) that I would have had to do four separate lj cuts to post on live-journal. So…I’m going to post this as two chapters. While this will seem like the most awful cliff hanger, the rest is written, beta by the ever amazing xikum is done and ready to go. I may make you wait a day for it just to be evil. *add evil laughter here*
Chapter 86 Sadness, Triumph and Unexpected Happenings
An eagle owl arrived in the Great Hall during lunch, cruising gracefully toward Severus Snape. Reaching to take the important-looking scroll caused him to shift a tad uncomfortably in his chair. The Potions Master inhaled deeply and hid the smile which wanted to spread across his face whenever the twinge reminded him of his recent activities. It had been three days since Harry had fucked him so hard he had barely kept from limping into the classroom the next morning.
While he had thoroughly enjoyed himself that night, it occurred to Severus that he needed to rethink how he did a few things the next time they switched positions. While Harry had used his body, in more ways than one, Severus had the opportunity to know what it was like to be in a smaller body. Harry had always commented about how much he loved Severus' strong hands, but not once mentioned how painful the bruises on his hips would be the next day. He really hadn’t realized how forceful he was being, while he was himself deep in the throes of passion. It had never been his intent to harm his lover.
"I really do have strong hands," he thought to himself. Severus had healed the bruises, not wanting a constant reminder that he'd probably caused his lover this pain many times. That, and he didn’t want the bruises to take away from the soreness in his bum, which reminded him all day how lucky he was to have Harry in his life for however long that will be. Unlike early in their relationship, Severus wasn't referring to thinking Harry would leave him.
With a Malfoy scroll in his hands he tried to concentrate on the present, but his mind kept going back to the previous day.
***Flashback***
"You've had your Floo open every night?" asked Albus for the second time, aggravating the Potions Master.
"Yes! Lucius looked nervous and wanted to tell me something. I don't know why he's taking so long to get back to me," Severus was furious. Something was going on and he had to sit around to find out what it was. On top of that, he had to stay nearby so that he could be contacted again, which was greatly impinging on his Harry time. Like many things happening with each of them lately, the situation was exciting at the time, but neither would wish for a repeat performance. He'd keep as much distance between Lucius and Harry as possible.
Severus was interrupted by a knock at Albus' door. When Albus gave his usual 'Enter', in walked the bug-eyed Professor Trelawney.
"Good morning, Albus, Oh, hello there, Professor Snape," she blinked several times as if trying to focus before addressing Albus again. "Headmaster, I wanted your approval to order six new crystal balls. It seems there was a mishap where five of them were broken."
Severus knew he should keep his mouth shut, but try as he might he couldn’t help but ask. "Why would you need six if only five were broken?" his sneer only increased tenfold when she pointed to the corner of her eye with a knowing look. Severus wouldn't put it past the bint to break one herself, if only to confirm the validity of her all-seeing eye. Of course, her all-seeing eye wasn't going to tell her that it was Ginny Weasley who had gone into a tirade and broke the crystal balls, along with several teacups.
"The balls we had were sufficient, but I feel if we can order them from…" she trailed off, her face going blank, her eyes staring off as if seeing something the rest of them couldn’t.
"Sibyll?" Albus waved a hand in front of her face, to no avail. In a throaty, raspy voice, she began to speak.
"The darkest of the light will learn to trust and accept the help from where it is least expected. When the weather is no longer bleak, he will gain more than any other when the last Potter is no more," Sibyll blinked her eyes, looking from Severus to Albus, and began again as if there hadn't been a pause. "Harold's Divination tools. They guarantee their balls for 3 millennia," She looked as if she were to continue, but was taken by the odd expressions the two wizards were giving her.
"Yes dear, I'll have Minerva get right on that," Albus shuffled her out of his office with a promise of tea the following day.
"Has Harry altered his will?" asked Albus, neither wasting time nor mincing words. Severus had hoped, in the back of his mind, they would entertain the possibility that she hadn't necessarily made an actual prediction or that she could have meant someone else, but never had he heard of a prediction being so precise. Sure, the beginning was vague, but you couldn't argue that she named Harry specifically - after all, he was the last Potter.
"He didn't say, but he hadn't mentioned he was building us a house for quite a long time, either. It's not like I can ask him that kind of thing, is it?" Severus felt a headache coming on. It would sound as if he were asking to be placed in Harry's will or that he doubted Harry's ability to conquer Voldemort. He would never mention it.
***End of Flashback***
"Son of a bi…" cursed Severus when the eagle owl bit his finger. There was a breakout of laughter amongst the students; Severus ignored them, paying closer attention to the scroll. Opening the parchment, he could see this was no ordinary missive. The letter was written on official Malfoy stationary with the family crest emblazoned on the top. The owl bit him again and Severus realized there was a copy of the letter enclosed with a place for Severus to sign. Albus looked over curiously to know why Lucius Malfoy would send something with such formality as to require Severus' confirmation of receipt.
With a quick wave of his wand, Severus heated the blob of wax at the bottom of the copy and pressed his ring into the seal. Whatever this letter contained, Lucius wanted it to be verifiable.
Dear Severus,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for helping my son Draco in his time of need. Had you not kept him hidden in the Snape family manor from the Dark Lord, I fear he may not have been strong enough to fend off the types of pressures and dark magic Lord Voldemort had used over myself in the past. While my own weakness to the Imperious curse may in fact be my greatest downfall, I feared more for my son's life than that of my own.
You have, at great risk to yourself and your position as spy for the Light, protected my family from the darkness, and for this I am in your debt. In an effort to repay you for your sacrifices not only on my behalf, but also for the side of Light, I will be contacting you today with vital information that may well end this war in the near future.
Yours truly,
Lucius Malfoy
After reading the letter three times, Severus sealed it with a spell and placed it inside an inner robe pocket with yet another protection spell. 'So, Lucius was already planning for his future'. Severus considered what kind of information Lucius could have. The aristocrat had taken a serious chance, writing a letter like that. Certainly it would help them both when it came time to prove they were on the right side of the war, but Severus knew Lucius would say whatever he had to, simply to be on the winning side, whichever it was.
He wasn't absolutely sure that Lucius was bluffing about his knowledge of Severus being a spy. Lucius probably would have ratted him out already, if he'd had the proof and it worked to his advantage. Perhaps he truly did have convincing evidence, and was waiting to see where the information would be of best use.
~'~'~'~
When Harry arrived at the stable, he was surprised to see Kieran waiting in a white robe, rather than the usual garb he wore for a training session. "What's going on?" he asked, after returning the small bow he’d received from the Healer. “I don’t get to kick your butt today?" Harry had a bounce in his step, as he had already warmed up at home and was ready to fight. Kieran didn't usually give him time to adjust from the Apparition before Harry got a blow to the head or some curse thrown at him.
"I kicked your arse, last I remember," Kieran said with a smirk. He'd done so after Harry finished fighting off a surprise ambush by six other wizards who had been brought in for the session.
"You just keep telling yourself that," Harry chuckled and followed Kieran to where two chairs were set up, waiting for them. He waited patiently for Kieran to explain.
"We can go over drills 'till we’re blue in the face… sometimes literally," he winked at Harry, who blushed at the memory of one of his many training errors. "I ain't gonna kid ya, I know from several contacts that the shit's gonna hit the fan soon. The bastard's got big plans involving the Ministry, that've got a lot of his followers scattered around making moves. Me, Snape and a few other people in the right circles all agree that whatever he has planned, he wants to do you first, to get you out of the way. Personally, I think he's as barmy as ever, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a good plan." Kieran rubbed his hand around the back of his neck with a wince, as if his thoughts pained him.
"So, now what?" Harry still didn't know why Kieran was in Healing robes.
"Accordin'a Snape, the Bastard Who Shall Not Be Named thinks you're still torn up with guilt over the losses of your family and crap like that. We don't know if he's gonna play a mental game with you or not. Yer friends’ve watchers on 'em while they’re out traipsing about the country-side looking at honeymoon cottages," he spoke with a comical tone as if Ron and Hermione were doing the most absurd thing. "Like it matters, just s'long as there's a bed," he muttered under his breath. "Your plant-loving friend has been targeted, too. A Death Eater was sent out to capture him last night, but he's not been seen since."
"Neville!" shouted Harry, fearing for his friend. "He's missing?" Harry looked ready to dart for the door or Apparate out.
"Don't get yer knickers in a twist, I meant the Death Eater hasn't been seen since he was sent," explained Kieran.
"How do you find out all this stuff? I know you have connections with people you heal, but that's pretty specific stuff," Harry asked curiously. He trusted Kieran, but found it odd the Healer would hear so much information.
"What? Do you think I'm working alone here? I healed this one bloke who'd been cursed in a raid. While I'm there, he mentions that he shouldn't need me again too soon, as his next job was gonna be cake, he even told ‘'is wife he'd bring her back some flowers. I didn't think much of it at the time, but then I ran into Shaklebolt, who’d been called to investigate a break-in at the nursery where Longbottle works." He did so enjoy teasing the young wizard.
"Longbottom," corrected Harry.
"Yeah, that's ‘im. Well, there were signs of a struggle and a wand was found, but no body. The wand was tested and confirmed to have been used for Unforgivables, most likely at recent raids. Shaklebolt thinks some kind of deadly plant may have been involved, but I don't buy it. Anyhow, Longbutt's got extra wards on his home, and is under guard, same as the Weasleys.
"And you're wearing a dress, why?" asked Harry in an annoyed tone. He didn't want to think about the danger to his friends. "Sorry," he muttered, but got a scuff to the back of his head anyway.
"You've been training to get ready for battle, now it's time to get ready to battle," Kieran began and went to smack Harry again when the younger wizard rolled his eyes with a 'Come again?' "I'm talking about getting ready to go into battle you prat, a little respect wouldn't go amiss ya’ know," Kieran smoothed out the white robe. He was having problems wearing it while talking about battles, since he'd usually kept his healing persona separate from his training self. Once the robe came on, he stepped into Healer mode, but now the two were getting intertwined and it was hard to act his usual self and not attack Harry continuously. He was pleased to see Harry take a deep breath and settle down.
"What are we doing today?" he asked calmly.
"We're going to meditate, practice keeping focused while you're in a whirlwind of shit, and then have a nice lunch before I give you a once-over with my wand. Mind out of the gutter!" he added when Harry made a rude gesture when Kieran mentioned his wand. "Damned pouf," he added with a smirk, before settling down again. Harry winked because he knew it annoyed his trainer and friend.
After a long session of meditation, Kieran gave Harry a menial task, on which he needed to stay focused despite outside distractions. "There's times when you have to concentrate on the job at hand and trust the others fighting with you are doing what they need to do, without your assistance or interference."
Harry did fairly well working on a puzzle, staying focused while Kieran did his best to distract him. The Scot had even managed to sound like Hermione calling for help. Harry was curious to know if Kieran had been in contact with Hermione or if he had some other way of imitating the voice so well. He also wondered if he could truly have ignored his friend’s call, if he'd not known he was alone with his trainer and that it couldn't possibly have been Hermione.
Some time later, when Harry had finished eating an incredible lunch, he appreciated that he would be resting while Kieran checked him over. "Too full," groaned Harry, climbing onto the white cloth-covered table. Harry transfigured a pillow for himself, and Kieran asked if the princess was comfortable now.
"Hmm," Harry gave a happy sigh. The sensation of Kieran's wand hovering over his skin made him shiver. As the wand moved slowly, he could feel each muscle relax and any knots or tightness release. "It's like the benefit of the very best massage, but without getting touched."
"I ain't gonna touch you," teased Kieran. As the session progressed, Harry thought he heard the sounds of the ocean in the distance. It helped him relax, though it was odd that the sound stopped during the few times Kieran spoke.
"I could just sleep here all day," his words were muffled by the pillow, but he didn't look up to see if Kieran had heard him. The tingle of the magic continued to work through his muscles, lulling him off to sleep. When the tingling did stop, Harry drowsily opened his eyes, if only for a moment. The last vestiges of the magical sensation could be felt in his toes so he figured the Healer was finished. "Done?"
"Just about, I need you to relax at least another fifteen minutes, so close your eyes and sleep as long as you like," Kieran directed him to rest, casting a warming charm over Harry to help him settle back into sleep. He was content with the day’s work with his trainee, but had promised Snape to keep Harry until his last morning Potions class ended.
Severus had to give an important test first thing in the morning and had a seventh year class working on a dangerous potion. He'd been so concerned about Harry, he'd asked Kieran to keep the younger wizard at the training building so that he could keep his head and concentrate on his students. He'd not heard from Lucius yet; he wanted to know Harry was at least safe until that point. In the back of his mind, he realized that whatever Lucius had to say, may very well have nothing to do with The Boy Who Lived.
~'~'~
In a well-tended nursery, Neville Longbottom pled his case. "Sir, please reconsider. This plant is very dangerous. I know how you feel about something you nurtured, but it's too dangerous," the plant in question slowly swayed as if caught on a summer breeze, but the experienced botanist knew better than to let his guard down near the huge green plant, which may very well have recently consumed a Death Eater.
Neville gave up, for today, at least, quitting his efforts to convince his boss to rid the place of the dangerous plant. "Who in their right mind cross-pollinates Venomous Tentacula with Devil's Snare?" he muttered before reinforcing the spell containing the odd plant, which seemed to not only to grow, but to grow faster each day. Neville's mind went back to Ginny, who, the other night, had been hurt and frightened out of her mind when the plant had attacked her. The problem was that he couldn't tell his boss about that, since he'd snuck his girlfriend out of school and had taken her into the greenhouses after-hours to show her some of his work… even if it was too dark to see most plants. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey had taken good care of Ginny; they had technically told the truth, but only left out the part about the greenhouse not being the one where Ginny attended Herbology class.
Back in Godric's Hollow, Harry contemplated, built-in bookcase or shelves? With a book full of building designs and many illusion charms, Harry sat in a comfortable chair, trying to decide what he wanted. He considered shelves for the nice crystal items he'd found in his parents' vault. He couldn't wait to have the house done and be able to display a few things that had once adorned his parent's home on that very land.
The thought of land reminded him that Neville had mentioned possibly dropping by later in the evening. They were going to discus a few landscaping possibilities for the grounds. Harry appreciated all the trouble Neville had gone through to help him out. He'd asked Harry for any pictures they had of the land from back when the original house was still intact. Harry had been disappointed to find so few pictures of the grounds amongst Sirius' things,; he’d hoped for more, since the Potters had taken him in. It was Remus who had come through with a photograph of the backyard.
Embarrassed, Remus explained the photo and how he'd been trying to photograph Sirius running through the woods in the back of the property, but only a blur of black fur could be seen sticking out from behind a large, old tree. Harry wasn't sure why he'd even saved the picture over the years, but was glad of it, since it showed nearly the whole back yard. Neville was going to look at the photos and show Harry several plans of landscaping with options of the best designs for the lay of the land, using the species that had been planted years ago.
When asked his opinion, Severus simply pointed out that all the plants he found important would be in the greenhouse, and he didn't particularly care what grew out in the yard.
The weather was still wet, but not as cold, reminding him that they had an anniversary coming up. Easter break was right around the corner, marking their first year. Severus liked to argue that they hadn't truly become a couple on the break, but Harry thought it just bothered the professor, knowing that at that time, Harry had still been a student.
Settling into his chair, Harry put down the book on interior decorating. He'd no idea what to get Severus to celebrate their first year, even if his lover wouldn't celebrate until after the school year ended. There was a chance that if he really worked hard, he could finish the house. Maybe a lab full of supplies would excite Severus. His lover teased about not caring for the mushy romantic gobbledygook, but had recently admitted to using the excuse of collecting lake water samples to sit by their spot and enjoy the sunset.
***Yet another flashback***
Hermione wiped a tear from her eye as the credits rolled at the end of a tearjerker she and Harry had just watched. With a sniff, she turned off the telly and began picking up the empty boxes of Chinese take-out.
"I'll get it," Harry said groggily, since he'd slept through the last twenty minutes of the film. With a flick of his wand, the mess was cleared, even the cartons from Hermione's hands. "I guess he died in the end?" he asked, noting the tears in his friend's eyes while he rubbed the sleep out of his own.
"Yes," she sniffed. "His injuries were too serious. They couldn't save him," She sniffed again and pulled Harry in for a goodbye hug. Date night had run late and she had classes in the morning.
"Who?!" asked Severus impatiently. He'd Apparated in to find Harry's eyes red and Hermione upset about someone dying. Said friend yelped and jumped in fright about a foot in the air.
"You scared the Hell out of me!" she shrieked. Hermione's cheeks reddened when she realized that she'd yelled at Severus just as if he were Ron or Harry. "Sorry," she added timidly.
"No, it is I who should apologize," he said comfortingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Someone has died and I barged in here with all the grace and diplomacy of a hippogriff. Please accept my apology," he gave her a polite bow and softly asked who had passed.
Hermione's cheeks heated as she blushed twice as red as before. "Um…" she trailed off.
"No one we actually know," Harry came to her aid. "Is everything all right?" he changed the subject. He hadn't expected Severus to come by.
"I had an errand to run and thought I'd stop by and discuss a few things with you," Severus didn't like to come right out and say that he’d been to a Death Eater meeting, even if they both did understand exactly where he was. Where else does one run errands at 12:50 am?
"I'll leave you two to it," Hermione said quickly and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder.
"You know how to Apparate, remember?" teased Harry as she hastily snapped the ornate Floo powder box closed. To her surprise, Severus' hand was once again on her shoulder.
"It is wise not to Apparate while distraught, especially when another mode of travel is so readily available," his concern only made Harry smile and Hermione blush all the more and dive for the Floo. She didn't know if Harry would tell Severus she was crying over a movie, and didn't want to be anywhere near there if he did. No sooner did she leave, the Floo was closed off.
"You said you had something you wanted to discuss?" asked Harry, finding himself wrapped in Severus' arms.
"I'd say anything, if it would make Hermione give us privacy faster," he said before crushing their lips together. "I only have a short time, but I wanted to see you."
"Gods," moaned Harry as Severus sucked on his neck. "See me, or eat me?" he added and then groaned at the sensation of Sev's cock grinding against his.
"Is that what you'd like?"
"Yessss," he hissed in response. "You're amazing," he praised as Severus wasted no time engulfing his cock down to the root. He didn't know or care when his pants had come off, only that the sensations were so glorious, nothing else mattered. When Sev said he had only a short time, he wasn't kidding - the man had wasted no time.
Harry didn't know what kind of magic had been done, but the fingers caressing his balls appeared to be vibrating and sending a tingling sensation through him, driving him mad with pleasure.
"Please… yesss," he begged when a single digit slid across his entrance. The suction increased while the tip of Sev's tongue did things to make him whimper for more.
"I…Oh, fu.." complete words, much less sentences, were no longer an option as Harry drew closer to the edge of his impending orgasm. In the past, he'd have been embarrassed by coming too soon, but at this particular moment, he couldn't care in the least.
"OH!" Harry shouted and simultaneously thrust his hips forward as a long finger entered him forcefully, aiming for his prostate with incredible accuracy. The thrust of his hips only managed to force his cock further down Severus' throat. Thankfully, there were no complaints coming from Severus, as Harry didn't think he could have stopped the involuntary thrusting, fucking his lover's mouth until he screamed and shuddered while Severus swallowed around his cock, taking every drop Harry offered up. Harry fell back onto the sofa with a contented sigh.
Severus didn't even stay long enough for Harry to return the favor; he simply kissed his young lover passionately and left as quickly as he'd arrived.
***End of Flashback and blatant excuse to sneak a little smut into this chapter***
2nd half of Chapter 86
Chapter 86 Sadness, Triumph and Unexpected Happenings
An eagle owl arrived in the Great Hall during lunch, cruising gracefully toward Severus Snape. Reaching to take the important-looking scroll caused him to shift a tad uncomfortably in his chair. The Potions Master inhaled deeply and hid the smile which wanted to spread across his face whenever the twinge reminded him of his recent activities. It had been three days since Harry had fucked him so hard he had barely kept from limping into the classroom the next morning.
While he had thoroughly enjoyed himself that night, it occurred to Severus that he needed to rethink how he did a few things the next time they switched positions. While Harry had used his body, in more ways than one, Severus had the opportunity to know what it was like to be in a smaller body. Harry had always commented about how much he loved Severus' strong hands, but not once mentioned how painful the bruises on his hips would be the next day. He really hadn’t realized how forceful he was being, while he was himself deep in the throes of passion. It had never been his intent to harm his lover.
"I really do have strong hands," he thought to himself. Severus had healed the bruises, not wanting a constant reminder that he'd probably caused his lover this pain many times. That, and he didn’t want the bruises to take away from the soreness in his bum, which reminded him all day how lucky he was to have Harry in his life for however long that will be. Unlike early in their relationship, Severus wasn't referring to thinking Harry would leave him.
With a Malfoy scroll in his hands he tried to concentrate on the present, but his mind kept going back to the previous day.
***Flashback***
"You've had your Floo open every night?" asked Albus for the second time, aggravating the Potions Master.
"Yes! Lucius looked nervous and wanted to tell me something. I don't know why he's taking so long to get back to me," Severus was furious. Something was going on and he had to sit around to find out what it was. On top of that, he had to stay nearby so that he could be contacted again, which was greatly impinging on his Harry time. Like many things happening with each of them lately, the situation was exciting at the time, but neither would wish for a repeat performance. He'd keep as much distance between Lucius and Harry as possible.
Severus was interrupted by a knock at Albus' door. When Albus gave his usual 'Enter', in walked the bug-eyed Professor Trelawney.
"Good morning, Albus, Oh, hello there, Professor Snape," she blinked several times as if trying to focus before addressing Albus again. "Headmaster, I wanted your approval to order six new crystal balls. It seems there was a mishap where five of them were broken."
Severus knew he should keep his mouth shut, but try as he might he couldn’t help but ask. "Why would you need six if only five were broken?" his sneer only increased tenfold when she pointed to the corner of her eye with a knowing look. Severus wouldn't put it past the bint to break one herself, if only to confirm the validity of her all-seeing eye. Of course, her all-seeing eye wasn't going to tell her that it was Ginny Weasley who had gone into a tirade and broke the crystal balls, along with several teacups.
"The balls we had were sufficient, but I feel if we can order them from…" she trailed off, her face going blank, her eyes staring off as if seeing something the rest of them couldn’t.
"Sibyll?" Albus waved a hand in front of her face, to no avail. In a throaty, raspy voice, she began to speak.
"The darkest of the light will learn to trust and accept the help from where it is least expected. When the weather is no longer bleak, he will gain more than any other when the last Potter is no more," Sibyll blinked her eyes, looking from Severus to Albus, and began again as if there hadn't been a pause. "Harold's Divination tools. They guarantee their balls for 3 millennia," She looked as if she were to continue, but was taken by the odd expressions the two wizards were giving her.
"Yes dear, I'll have Minerva get right on that," Albus shuffled her out of his office with a promise of tea the following day.
"Has Harry altered his will?" asked Albus, neither wasting time nor mincing words. Severus had hoped, in the back of his mind, they would entertain the possibility that she hadn't necessarily made an actual prediction or that she could have meant someone else, but never had he heard of a prediction being so precise. Sure, the beginning was vague, but you couldn't argue that she named Harry specifically - after all, he was the last Potter.
"He didn't say, but he hadn't mentioned he was building us a house for quite a long time, either. It's not like I can ask him that kind of thing, is it?" Severus felt a headache coming on. It would sound as if he were asking to be placed in Harry's will or that he doubted Harry's ability to conquer Voldemort. He would never mention it.
***End of Flashback***
"Son of a bi…" cursed Severus when the eagle owl bit his finger. There was a breakout of laughter amongst the students; Severus ignored them, paying closer attention to the scroll. Opening the parchment, he could see this was no ordinary missive. The letter was written on official Malfoy stationary with the family crest emblazoned on the top. The owl bit him again and Severus realized there was a copy of the letter enclosed with a place for Severus to sign. Albus looked over curiously to know why Lucius Malfoy would send something with such formality as to require Severus' confirmation of receipt.
With a quick wave of his wand, Severus heated the blob of wax at the bottom of the copy and pressed his ring into the seal. Whatever this letter contained, Lucius wanted it to be verifiable.
Dear Severus,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for helping my son Draco in his time of need. Had you not kept him hidden in the Snape family manor from the Dark Lord, I fear he may not have been strong enough to fend off the types of pressures and dark magic Lord Voldemort had used over myself in the past. While my own weakness to the Imperious curse may in fact be my greatest downfall, I feared more for my son's life than that of my own.
You have, at great risk to yourself and your position as spy for the Light, protected my family from the darkness, and for this I am in your debt. In an effort to repay you for your sacrifices not only on my behalf, but also for the side of Light, I will be contacting you today with vital information that may well end this war in the near future.
Yours truly,
Lucius Malfoy
After reading the letter three times, Severus sealed it with a spell and placed it inside an inner robe pocket with yet another protection spell. 'So, Lucius was already planning for his future'. Severus considered what kind of information Lucius could have. The aristocrat had taken a serious chance, writing a letter like that. Certainly it would help them both when it came time to prove they were on the right side of the war, but Severus knew Lucius would say whatever he had to, simply to be on the winning side, whichever it was.
He wasn't absolutely sure that Lucius was bluffing about his knowledge of Severus being a spy. Lucius probably would have ratted him out already, if he'd had the proof and it worked to his advantage. Perhaps he truly did have convincing evidence, and was waiting to see where the information would be of best use.
~'~'~'~
When Harry arrived at the stable, he was surprised to see Kieran waiting in a white robe, rather than the usual garb he wore for a training session. "What's going on?" he asked, after returning the small bow he’d received from the Healer. “I don’t get to kick your butt today?" Harry had a bounce in his step, as he had already warmed up at home and was ready to fight. Kieran didn't usually give him time to adjust from the Apparition before Harry got a blow to the head or some curse thrown at him.
"I kicked your arse, last I remember," Kieran said with a smirk. He'd done so after Harry finished fighting off a surprise ambush by six other wizards who had been brought in for the session.
"You just keep telling yourself that," Harry chuckled and followed Kieran to where two chairs were set up, waiting for them. He waited patiently for Kieran to explain.
"We can go over drills 'till we’re blue in the face… sometimes literally," he winked at Harry, who blushed at the memory of one of his many training errors. "I ain't gonna kid ya, I know from several contacts that the shit's gonna hit the fan soon. The bastard's got big plans involving the Ministry, that've got a lot of his followers scattered around making moves. Me, Snape and a few other people in the right circles all agree that whatever he has planned, he wants to do you first, to get you out of the way. Personally, I think he's as barmy as ever, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a good plan." Kieran rubbed his hand around the back of his neck with a wince, as if his thoughts pained him.
"So, now what?" Harry still didn't know why Kieran was in Healing robes.
"Accordin'a Snape, the Bastard Who Shall Not Be Named thinks you're still torn up with guilt over the losses of your family and crap like that. We don't know if he's gonna play a mental game with you or not. Yer friends’ve watchers on 'em while they’re out traipsing about the country-side looking at honeymoon cottages," he spoke with a comical tone as if Ron and Hermione were doing the most absurd thing. "Like it matters, just s'long as there's a bed," he muttered under his breath. "Your plant-loving friend has been targeted, too. A Death Eater was sent out to capture him last night, but he's not been seen since."
"Neville!" shouted Harry, fearing for his friend. "He's missing?" Harry looked ready to dart for the door or Apparate out.
"Don't get yer knickers in a twist, I meant the Death Eater hasn't been seen since he was sent," explained Kieran.
"How do you find out all this stuff? I know you have connections with people you heal, but that's pretty specific stuff," Harry asked curiously. He trusted Kieran, but found it odd the Healer would hear so much information.
"What? Do you think I'm working alone here? I healed this one bloke who'd been cursed in a raid. While I'm there, he mentions that he shouldn't need me again too soon, as his next job was gonna be cake, he even told ‘'is wife he'd bring her back some flowers. I didn't think much of it at the time, but then I ran into Shaklebolt, who’d been called to investigate a break-in at the nursery where Longbottle works." He did so enjoy teasing the young wizard.
"Longbottom," corrected Harry.
"Yeah, that's ‘im. Well, there were signs of a struggle and a wand was found, but no body. The wand was tested and confirmed to have been used for Unforgivables, most likely at recent raids. Shaklebolt thinks some kind of deadly plant may have been involved, but I don't buy it. Anyhow, Longbutt's got extra wards on his home, and is under guard, same as the Weasleys.
"And you're wearing a dress, why?" asked Harry in an annoyed tone. He didn't want to think about the danger to his friends. "Sorry," he muttered, but got a scuff to the back of his head anyway.
"You've been training to get ready for battle, now it's time to get ready to battle," Kieran began and went to smack Harry again when the younger wizard rolled his eyes with a 'Come again?' "I'm talking about getting ready to go into battle you prat, a little respect wouldn't go amiss ya’ know," Kieran smoothed out the white robe. He was having problems wearing it while talking about battles, since he'd usually kept his healing persona separate from his training self. Once the robe came on, he stepped into Healer mode, but now the two were getting intertwined and it was hard to act his usual self and not attack Harry continuously. He was pleased to see Harry take a deep breath and settle down.
"What are we doing today?" he asked calmly.
"We're going to meditate, practice keeping focused while you're in a whirlwind of shit, and then have a nice lunch before I give you a once-over with my wand. Mind out of the gutter!" he added when Harry made a rude gesture when Kieran mentioned his wand. "Damned pouf," he added with a smirk, before settling down again. Harry winked because he knew it annoyed his trainer and friend.
After a long session of meditation, Kieran gave Harry a menial task, on which he needed to stay focused despite outside distractions. "There's times when you have to concentrate on the job at hand and trust the others fighting with you are doing what they need to do, without your assistance or interference."
Harry did fairly well working on a puzzle, staying focused while Kieran did his best to distract him. The Scot had even managed to sound like Hermione calling for help. Harry was curious to know if Kieran had been in contact with Hermione or if he had some other way of imitating the voice so well. He also wondered if he could truly have ignored his friend’s call, if he'd not known he was alone with his trainer and that it couldn't possibly have been Hermione.
Some time later, when Harry had finished eating an incredible lunch, he appreciated that he would be resting while Kieran checked him over. "Too full," groaned Harry, climbing onto the white cloth-covered table. Harry transfigured a pillow for himself, and Kieran asked if the princess was comfortable now.
"Hmm," Harry gave a happy sigh. The sensation of Kieran's wand hovering over his skin made him shiver. As the wand moved slowly, he could feel each muscle relax and any knots or tightness release. "It's like the benefit of the very best massage, but without getting touched."
"I ain't gonna touch you," teased Kieran. As the session progressed, Harry thought he heard the sounds of the ocean in the distance. It helped him relax, though it was odd that the sound stopped during the few times Kieran spoke.
"I could just sleep here all day," his words were muffled by the pillow, but he didn't look up to see if Kieran had heard him. The tingle of the magic continued to work through his muscles, lulling him off to sleep. When the tingling did stop, Harry drowsily opened his eyes, if only for a moment. The last vestiges of the magical sensation could be felt in his toes so he figured the Healer was finished. "Done?"
"Just about, I need you to relax at least another fifteen minutes, so close your eyes and sleep as long as you like," Kieran directed him to rest, casting a warming charm over Harry to help him settle back into sleep. He was content with the day’s work with his trainee, but had promised Snape to keep Harry until his last morning Potions class ended.
Severus had to give an important test first thing in the morning and had a seventh year class working on a dangerous potion. He'd been so concerned about Harry, he'd asked Kieran to keep the younger wizard at the training building so that he could keep his head and concentrate on his students. He'd not heard from Lucius yet; he wanted to know Harry was at least safe until that point. In the back of his mind, he realized that whatever Lucius had to say, may very well have nothing to do with The Boy Who Lived.
~'~'~
In a well-tended nursery, Neville Longbottom pled his case. "Sir, please reconsider. This plant is very dangerous. I know how you feel about something you nurtured, but it's too dangerous," the plant in question slowly swayed as if caught on a summer breeze, but the experienced botanist knew better than to let his guard down near the huge green plant, which may very well have recently consumed a Death Eater.
Neville gave up, for today, at least, quitting his efforts to convince his boss to rid the place of the dangerous plant. "Who in their right mind cross-pollinates Venomous Tentacula with Devil's Snare?" he muttered before reinforcing the spell containing the odd plant, which seemed to not only to grow, but to grow faster each day. Neville's mind went back to Ginny, who, the other night, had been hurt and frightened out of her mind when the plant had attacked her. The problem was that he couldn't tell his boss about that, since he'd snuck his girlfriend out of school and had taken her into the greenhouses after-hours to show her some of his work… even if it was too dark to see most plants. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey had taken good care of Ginny; they had technically told the truth, but only left out the part about the greenhouse not being the one where Ginny attended Herbology class.
Back in Godric's Hollow, Harry contemplated, built-in bookcase or shelves? With a book full of building designs and many illusion charms, Harry sat in a comfortable chair, trying to decide what he wanted. He considered shelves for the nice crystal items he'd found in his parents' vault. He couldn't wait to have the house done and be able to display a few things that had once adorned his parent's home on that very land.
The thought of land reminded him that Neville had mentioned possibly dropping by later in the evening. They were going to discus a few landscaping possibilities for the grounds. Harry appreciated all the trouble Neville had gone through to help him out. He'd asked Harry for any pictures they had of the land from back when the original house was still intact. Harry had been disappointed to find so few pictures of the grounds amongst Sirius' things,; he’d hoped for more, since the Potters had taken him in. It was Remus who had come through with a photograph of the backyard.
Embarrassed, Remus explained the photo and how he'd been trying to photograph Sirius running through the woods in the back of the property, but only a blur of black fur could be seen sticking out from behind a large, old tree. Harry wasn't sure why he'd even saved the picture over the years, but was glad of it, since it showed nearly the whole back yard. Neville was going to look at the photos and show Harry several plans of landscaping with options of the best designs for the lay of the land, using the species that had been planted years ago.
When asked his opinion, Severus simply pointed out that all the plants he found important would be in the greenhouse, and he didn't particularly care what grew out in the yard.
The weather was still wet, but not as cold, reminding him that they had an anniversary coming up. Easter break was right around the corner, marking their first year. Severus liked to argue that they hadn't truly become a couple on the break, but Harry thought it just bothered the professor, knowing that at that time, Harry had still been a student.
Settling into his chair, Harry put down the book on interior decorating. He'd no idea what to get Severus to celebrate their first year, even if his lover wouldn't celebrate until after the school year ended. There was a chance that if he really worked hard, he could finish the house. Maybe a lab full of supplies would excite Severus. His lover teased about not caring for the mushy romantic gobbledygook, but had recently admitted to using the excuse of collecting lake water samples to sit by their spot and enjoy the sunset.
***Yet another flashback***
Hermione wiped a tear from her eye as the credits rolled at the end of a tearjerker she and Harry had just watched. With a sniff, she turned off the telly and began picking up the empty boxes of Chinese take-out.
"I'll get it," Harry said groggily, since he'd slept through the last twenty minutes of the film. With a flick of his wand, the mess was cleared, even the cartons from Hermione's hands. "I guess he died in the end?" he asked, noting the tears in his friend's eyes while he rubbed the sleep out of his own.
"Yes," she sniffed. "His injuries were too serious. They couldn't save him," She sniffed again and pulled Harry in for a goodbye hug. Date night had run late and she had classes in the morning.
"Who?!" asked Severus impatiently. He'd Apparated in to find Harry's eyes red and Hermione upset about someone dying. Said friend yelped and jumped in fright about a foot in the air.
"You scared the Hell out of me!" she shrieked. Hermione's cheeks reddened when she realized that she'd yelled at Severus just as if he were Ron or Harry. "Sorry," she added timidly.
"No, it is I who should apologize," he said comfortingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Someone has died and I barged in here with all the grace and diplomacy of a hippogriff. Please accept my apology," he gave her a polite bow and softly asked who had passed.
Hermione's cheeks heated as she blushed twice as red as before. "Um…" she trailed off.
"No one we actually know," Harry came to her aid. "Is everything all right?" he changed the subject. He hadn't expected Severus to come by.
"I had an errand to run and thought I'd stop by and discuss a few things with you," Severus didn't like to come right out and say that he’d been to a Death Eater meeting, even if they both did understand exactly where he was. Where else does one run errands at 12:50 am?
"I'll leave you two to it," Hermione said quickly and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder.
"You know how to Apparate, remember?" teased Harry as she hastily snapped the ornate Floo powder box closed. To her surprise, Severus' hand was once again on her shoulder.
"It is wise not to Apparate while distraught, especially when another mode of travel is so readily available," his concern only made Harry smile and Hermione blush all the more and dive for the Floo. She didn't know if Harry would tell Severus she was crying over a movie, and didn't want to be anywhere near there if he did. No sooner did she leave, the Floo was closed off.
"You said you had something you wanted to discuss?" asked Harry, finding himself wrapped in Severus' arms.
"I'd say anything, if it would make Hermione give us privacy faster," he said before crushing their lips together. "I only have a short time, but I wanted to see you."
"Gods," moaned Harry as Severus sucked on his neck. "See me, or eat me?" he added and then groaned at the sensation of Sev's cock grinding against his.
"Is that what you'd like?"
"Yessss," he hissed in response. "You're amazing," he praised as Severus wasted no time engulfing his cock down to the root. He didn't know or care when his pants had come off, only that the sensations were so glorious, nothing else mattered. When Sev said he had only a short time, he wasn't kidding - the man had wasted no time.
Harry didn't know what kind of magic had been done, but the fingers caressing his balls appeared to be vibrating and sending a tingling sensation through him, driving him mad with pleasure.
"Please… yesss," he begged when a single digit slid across his entrance. The suction increased while the tip of Sev's tongue did things to make him whimper for more.
"I…Oh, fu.." complete words, much less sentences, were no longer an option as Harry drew closer to the edge of his impending orgasm. In the past, he'd have been embarrassed by coming too soon, but at this particular moment, he couldn't care in the least.
"OH!" Harry shouted and simultaneously thrust his hips forward as a long finger entered him forcefully, aiming for his prostate with incredible accuracy. The thrust of his hips only managed to force his cock further down Severus' throat. Thankfully, there were no complaints coming from Severus, as Harry didn't think he could have stopped the involuntary thrusting, fucking his lover's mouth until he screamed and shuddered while Severus swallowed around his cock, taking every drop Harry offered up. Harry fell back onto the sofa with a contented sigh.
Severus didn't even stay long enough for Harry to return the favor; he simply kissed his young lover passionately and left as quickly as he'd arrived.
***End of Flashback and blatant excuse to sneak a little smut into this chapter***
2nd half of Chapter 86