Chapter 5

The teachers walked down the path again as they did every year on their way to the 3 Broomsticks for their traditional drink. Methos, remembering last year, watched the ground very closely. Severus noticed and smirked at him.

"Afraid you're going to fall again?" Methos looked up to glare at him. Unerringly his foot found the same rock. Boom, down he went. Severus burst out laughing. Methos glared at him.

"Oh, shut up." He looked at Remus who was trying to stop a smile. Snuffles was looking at him quizzically, as was MacLeod. Methos glared as Severus helped him to his feet.

"Damn Rock." Methos cursed in English, before muttering a few choice words in Phoenician, Sumerian, Egyptian, and Mandarin. A few eyebrows were raised. Not all dead languages were dead in the wizarding world, and cursing in Chinese gets rather vivid.

Severus had just gotten his laughter under control, clutching his side in pain. He wiped his eyes, clearing away tears.

"oh.oh.I haven't laughed that hard in ages!" He paused, "I don't think I've ever laughed that hard." Methos stopped glaring and he patted Severus' arm, smiling gently. He knew Severus' life had turned rather dark after his father had died. Sirius barked and Remus looked.

"The others have almost reached the end of the path. Come on, let's catch up."

***

The inside of the 3 Broomsticks never changed very much from year to year, save for the attire of Madame Rosmerta and her position in the bar when people entered. This time she was behind the bar.

"Greetings, Professors! You'll be taking you usual table, then?"

"Yes, thank you Rosie," McGonagall said.

"Right. Just go on and sit down. I'll be right over to get your orders."

The group, which consisted of Methos, Severus, MacLeod, Remus, Snuffles, Minerva, Flit, Sprout, and Hagrid, sat at the table and an instant later Rosie was there taking their orders. She stopped when she came to Methos.

"And you, you twit, When are you going to pay your tab?" Methos smiled charmingly at her.

"My dearest Rosie, you have my word that my tab will be paid." She gave him a look that was somewhere between reprimand and amusement.

"You're usual, then?" Methos nodded.

"If you please." Orders taken, Rosie disappeared behind the bar. Methos caught sight of the look on MacLeod's face. "What?"

"Did you ever pay Joe back?" Methos raised an eyebrow. "Didn't think so." Rosie brought the drinks back. A bit of magic encourages speedy service.

"So, who do I have to watch, student wise? Any trouble makers?" MacLeod asked, getting into teacher mode.

"Well, if you had asked last year, I would have said to keep an eye on Potter and Malfoy, or they're likely to kill each other, same for Ron Weasley, and Malfoy. Something happened, however, that made them burry that hatchet. They're really close friends now. Ron had a bit of a temper, but it's been curtailed by his training with Cassandra, and his girlfriend, Miss Granger. She'd a serious bookworm."

"Pansy Parkison should be watched. She's one of my Slytherins and her parents are high in the ranks, so she carries some weight with the other Slytherins, even though she's a girl. She was, after Draco, the loudest of the Anti-Gryffindor voices. She'll be problematic." Severus nodded, agreeing with Methos' assessment of Pansy.

"Watch out for Neville Longbottom.

"Oh, don't mention him." Mac looked puzzled.

"What's wrong with Longbottom?"

"What isn't wrong with Longbottom?"

"There is nothing wrong with Longbottom." Sprout said firmly from the other end of the table.

"The child is the clumsiest person on the planet!"

"Well, anybody would be clumsy with you breathing down their neck, scowl on full force. You can look very scary when you put your mind to it."

"Thank you Sprout."

"How you haven't scared away Adam yet is beyond me." Methos smirked.

"He's great in bed. Makes everything else worth it." The rest of the staff stared and Methos smiled benignly at them, Severus next to him with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. Methos finally laughed. "No, that's an added bonus. The real reason is I'm twice as scary as he is. I'll actually carry through with my promises." This was accompanied by a cold look, the look of Death. It lasted only a second before the Mona Lisa smile was back in place and Methos sipped his drink. Everybody was reminded once again why peeves fled in terror from this unassuming man.

***

"Goodnight, my dearest flower. May your inn be always full and your ale never run out." Rosmerta made a face.

"Oh, off with you. I don't' want to see your face again until you come to pay your tab."

"But Rosie."

"Don't 'but Rosie' me. Goodnight, Professors." She called to the others who were levitating an unconscious McGonagall back to the castle. That's what happens when you're in a drinking match with Methos. Methos jumped slightly when he felt strong arms encircling him from behind.

"Are you bothering Rosie again, Methos?" Severus whispered in his ear. Methos shivered when he felt the hot breath and gentle pressure of lips on the delicate shell of his ear.

"Of course," Methos whispered back, "What else would I be doing?"

"Oh, I could think of a few things." Methos' head snapped towards him. Their eyes met.

"Goodbye Rosie!" They called as one as they ran back to the castle.

This time Methos missed the rock.

***

Percy sat alone in the Astronomy Tower. From this vintage he saw the other professors leave. He grinned when he saw Methos trip and blushed when the wind carried his words to him.

What a mouth that one has.

"That's what happens when you get to be as old as him. You accumulate a lot of swears."

You're better half is coming.

"Fine. Change the subject. And what do you mean by 'better half'?" The winds simply laughed and Oliver poked his head up through the trap door.

"Did I miss something?"

"Only the winds being obnoxious." Oliver nodded sagely.

"Ah, yes. Those obnoxious winds." Percy narrowed his eyes.

"Are you mocking me?" Oliver ginned as he sat next to Percy.

"Maybe." He leaned in and kissed Percy's protest away. Percy shot him a look after, but didn't complain. Together they watched the setting sun turn the fall trees aflame with color. Oliver looked at Percy. The sun had set him aflame as well. The light breeze that always surrounded his lover ruffled his hair as the sun turned his crimson to flames. His white skin was a lovely shining gold and his eyes blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. Percy caught his gaze and smiled, turning his head. The sun caught the corner of his silver frames creating a blinding flash of light. Percy raised a hand and brushed a lock of Oliver's golden blond locks off his forehead. He smiled.

"Look at the two of us. Gryffindors to the bone." Oliver laughed and pulled Percy into a long kiss.

"Never any doubt, love. Never any doubt." They kissed again. They stayed there until dawn's first light lit the sky.

***

Remus and Sirius lowered McGonagall to her bed and tucked her in. Sirius shook his head.

"This is something I've never thought I'd be doing. When we were in school I never thought she would be such a drinker." Remus smirked.

"Padfoot.we probably drove her to drink." He held out his hand to Sirius. "Come on. Let's go to bed." Sirius nodded and holding hands they left for their room down the hall.

"So what do you think of MacLeod?" asked Remus once they were inside the room. Sirius paused in his undressing.

"Well.he is handsome." Remus giggled.

"Sirius!"

"What? Can you deny it?" Remus shook his head.

"No I can't. But he's straighter than a board, though."

"So was I, if you remember. I chased skirts like there was no tomorrow. Then I fell for you."

"Of course, I was wearing a skirt at the time." Sirius blinked, then blushed.

"Oh, Merlin, I remember that, but that's not when I fell in love with you. Not to mention that that's off topic. Honestly, I have a feeling MacLeod isn't as straight as he believes himself to be. He's in denial." Remus blinked.

"Why is he in Egypt? Oh, you think he fancies Bill Weasley?" Sirius just stared in disbelief. Remus started to laugh. Sirius mock-growled.

"Why you little." He pounced. Remus landed under him on the bed, still laughing. Sirius loomed over him, smirking.

"You're gonna get it for that."

"Promises, promises."

TBC.