Training Twelve: Morning Secrets

"Come on Harry, wake up, training starts in 30 minutes..."

"Don' wanna...g'way..."

"Don't make me port you there..."

"Sh'voff, 'm tired."

"Harrison James Elias Black-Potter, I will see you in the training ring!"

No answer except a light snore. Lasten huffed and threw his hands up in frustration, then stalked off to wake the others. They, at least, would listen to him.


30 minutes later eleven people stood around the training ring set up in the Room of Requirement. Everyone had made it on time, except for their esteemed leader and saviour, who had decided the morning was too cold and his bed too warm to get up. Lastien huffed again, then smiled wickedly and clicked his fingers.

Harry appeared in a flurry of limbs and pyjamas at his feet.

"Now Harry..."

Lastien got no further as a large bolt of lightning appeared from nowhere and hit him, frying him to a decidedly dead crisp. Harry raised his head, blinked, then had the grace to blush as he saw the corpse in front of him.

"Oops..." he muttered, getting up and dusting himself off. When he looked up again Ron, Hermione, Dracon, Remus and Ginny were staring at him open-mouthed.

"What?" he appealed defensively. "He knows better than to catch me by surprise. Though, I think he's beginning to like it, that's the third time this week..."

If he was trying to explain the situation to them he failed miserably, and the five's jaws dropped even more. Lastien had died more than once? Then Lastien stirred and groaned, and the shock was too much for Hermione, Ron and Draco, who fainted. Remus and Ginny looked a bit green but stayed upright, aided by Neville, Luna, Sirius, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, who were all smiling in amusement. Lastien opened his eyes and glared up at Harry.

"That's the third time this week!" he snapped.

"I know," Harry replied easily. "You'd think you'd have learned by now not to port me without permission. Or when I'm half-asleep."

"Half-asleep? You were asleep!"

"How'd I shock you then?"

Lasten merely muttered and Harry smirked, turning back to the other trainees.

"Let this be a lesson," he declared. "Don't try to sneak up on me unless you happen to be immortal like our esteemed trainer."

The others all nodded and turned to revive their stricken comrades, while Harry turned back to hold his hand out to Lastien.

"Sorry," he muttered, pulling Lastien upright. "You took me by surprise."

"Could you keep it from being lethal next time? I'm getting tired of dying."

"You could just stop pranking me, lover," Harry pointed out with a smirk as he waved his hand, cleaning the demonic vampire's skin and clothes from their fried state. Lasten merely smirked in return, transfiguring Harry's pyjamas into training clothes. They turned to face the circle and faced shocked stares again, this time from everyone.

"What?" Harry asked. "Have I got something on my face?"

Kingsley shook his head, a half-smile twisting his lips. "You two are lovers?"

"Oh! Ah..."

"Yes," Lastien cut across Harry's stuttering. "I trust no one has a problem with that." It wasn't a question.

"Of course not," Hermione spoke up stoutly. "After all, we put up with Remus and Sirius."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' antics and smiled at Harry, who smiled back.

"Good, now we can snog each other in the open," Lastien stated gleefully, pulling Harry close to him and proceeding to do so. For several minutes. When they broke apart again, Remus looked slightly envious, while Draco and Sirius stared at him in awe. Wait, Draco in awe? Now that was interesting. And the reactions from the others answered the question about who was dominant in the two remaining Marauders' relationship. Harry grinned at Lastien and held out his hand.

"Pay up, Death," he demanded gleefully. "I told you Padfoot would be the seme."

Lastien groaned and half-glared at Remus as though it was his fault he had lost the bet.

"Werewolves are meant to be dominant," Lastien muttered before calling up and dumping a bag of coins into Harry's hand. Harry winked at him and banished the bag again, once more finding the others staring at them.

"What is it this time?" Harry snapped. He wasn't that unusual...really!

"You bet on Padfoot and Moony's positions?" Hermione squeaked.

"You call him Death?" Kingsley put in.

"Yes and yes," Harry bit out.

"Why?" Kingsley continued.

"First, because it's part of the meaning of his name. Second, because he can't die and that's just plain funny. Oh, and third, he's very good at dealing in it. Those demons really know how to pick their child's name."

"Was there any doubt?" Lastien muttered, still sore over losing the bet.

"Why did you think he was teaching us?" Harry continued, ignoring Lastien's interjection.

"I've heard of Death," Tonks said slowly.

"Most people have," Lastien put in, trying to derail this line of questions. "It's a natural process after all."

"That you don't have a problem with," Harry muttered in turn.

"NOt the process," Tonks said sharply. "The person. The assassin no government will touch because they're too afraid."

"See what you do, lover?" Lastien glared at Harry, who looked slightly guilty. "Now there are people with the governmentwho know me and what I look like. And are still alive, of course."

"Sorry. I just think it's a funny nickname."

"You would. I swear, were you not you, I'd have killed you by now."

"Yes, I'm exasperating, and have a tendency to dump you - and me - in trouble. Now can we get on with the training?"

"Fine," Lastien said, then narrowed his eyes. "But you, lover, are having personal training with me for the rest of the day."

Harry froze. "...Shit."

It was Lastien's turn to smirk, and then he got the training session under way. He put Harry against Draco for the moment, and Draco took the opportunity of a warmup round of sparring to question the raven-haired icon.

"Why is personal training such a punishment?" Draco inquired as he ducked a punch and aimed a low kick at Harry's knee.

"One, he's pissed and he'll take it out on me. Two, he'll work me so hard I'll be sore in muscles I never knew I had. And last but definitely not least, it means I don't get any tonight." Harry pouted at the injustice of it all, flipping over Draco's head to slam a foot into the centre of his back. Draco tucked into a roll as he fell, coming up to dart forward and aim a punch for Harry's abdomen. It connected, but felt like it nearly broke against the firm muscles tensed against such a move. Briefly Draco wondered how Harry's 'extra-curricular activities' may have contributed to his fitness.

"So who's on top, you or Lassie?" Draco queried, leaning around an elbow strike and coming back for a double jab to the throat and groin. Harry choked, skipping away from the strike and staring at Draco.

"What, you're allowed to bet on others' positions but no one's allowed to ask yours?"

"No, it's just... Lassie?"

"Oh, right... Well, he needed a nickname. You're Potty, so he's Lassie."

"I'll have to remember that for next time..."

"So, positions?" Draco prodded Harry back onto the topic that interested him.

"Depends," Harry answered easily. "But I tend to prefer the bottom. If I want I can take top, though. So who was your last lover? After Blaise, I mean."

It was Draco's turn to choke in surprise. "You know about Blaise?"

"Heh, I was right..."

"Wait, you guessed?"

"From your reaction earlier, and the fact that he was the only other eligible Slytherin in our year. Crabbe and Goyle were definitely out of the picture, and Nott was just plain slimy. Was he any good as a bottom?"

"Fairly...wait, you even guessed position?"

"I'm good at that, as you can tell by the fact that I won the bet. Oh, and Hermione's definitely the one in charge in thatrelationship. Regular little dom, that one."

Draco choked again, and found himself flat on his back from a sweeping kick. "Now that I did not need to know. Oh God, what horrible images..."

"Would it make you feel better to know that Ginny is a voyeur, and Shacklebolt and Tonks have very kinky bedroom games?"

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"Observation. Ginny was very avidly watching 'Lassie' and I snog, and does every time Sirius and Remus do too. Kingsley and Tonks make strange references every now and then to try and make the other blush. And Ron and Hermione...let's just say I've learned to never stay at their place, and to always knock, even if it's the kitchen door."

"I am never eating at their house again."

"Good man. Ah, looks like we're finishing up. Have a nice day, and find a man, you're way too tense!"

Draco waved him off and left, Lastien coming up behind Harry and wrapping his arms around the smaller man. He nibbled Harry's ear, causing him to shiver.

"Giving advice on people's sex life now?"

"Of course. He's way too uptight, needs to chill out and get rid of some of that tension."

"Is that a challenge, lover?"

"You're willing to share?"

"For a while. We'll see."

"It's a long time since I last participated in a threesome...your challenge is to get him in, though."

"Why me?"

"I told him I was the bottom, and he knows better than to mess with Death's property. Even if I am utterly delicious and practically irresistible."

"Ready for some 'training' then?"

"More than. I didn't even get a wakeup kiss this morning."