Hiding Under the Ninth Earth
Book 02 : A Bit Of All Right
by I Got Tired of Waiting
Part IV : Resolution
Chapter Forty Five : Ho'olaulea
06 August 2003
The smells of steaming Kalua Pig coming from the Imu made Harry's mouth water, as did the rich fare piling up on the tables behind him as more Ohana, or family, came bringing their contribution to the feast. The members of the family along with Harry and Severus had come to this spot the day before to dig the Imu pit and set up the preparation and cooking areas for this Ho'olaulea deep in the foothills at an "Aunty's" house, one of Malia's huge extended family.
The squeals of the pig, a young wild boar caught higher up in the mountains a few days before, had disturbed Harry when he'd found out it was going be the main course the next night. However, Severus, with his ever present practicality, waded in with nary a wince and helped slaughter and dress the huge beast while Harry went with Malia, Kalani, and others to gather Ti leaves in which to wrap the meat for the all night steaming.
While they were gone, Ben surreptitiously healed a minor slash on Severus' arm where the boar's tusks had caught him while they were pulling it down. Ben swore he would never tell Harry, saying Kalani would have killed him, too, had he known how many times Ben had been caught the same way, just like he had this evening. He showed Severus a similar, healed nick he'd received and laughingly told Severus they were 'boar brothers' now. Severus didn't get the joke, but did understand the intent. The two of them were forming a fast friendship and Severus had laughed easily, feeling a little less embarrassed over the whole incident--he'd not realised just how strong the damned thing would be.
Harry was sitting to the side, something of a 'guest of honour', although he still didn't know why. Nor did he know what they were celebrating; it was never clear and there was a lot going on. Although, he suspected these easy-going people would find almost any reason to have a party.
Kalani was well. He'd taken a few days to get up and about, but it was understandable. He didn't exactly wake up with the same body he'd had before the accident. In some respects he was physically better. Harry's healing restored not only the injured bits of him but had also fixed a couple of nagging chronic problems as well. However, there was a downside. His magic was diminished, so he was relearning some skills but most importantly, was coming to grips with the part of Ben that was now inside him. This would be the hardest thing to assimilate, Harry knew from experience, but one look at their eyes this afternoon told him they would work it out in the end.
He just wished Kalani would talk to him. Harry had gone to check on him a few times to make sure he was progressing well, and had been met with stoic silence, Ben answering his questions while Kalani's eyes had followed him accusingly. He and Severus had grown fond of the man and his sister over the past weeks. Vibrant, always ready with a flashing smile or a pert joke, Kalani had been more than someone who 'saw to their needs'; he'd become a friend. Harry thought about the adventures they'd had with him from riding the horses up into the mountains to sliding down rock water slides on thick pieces of cardboard to protect their bums. His silence hurt, something Harry knew he could ill afford to feel--not if he were to continue to be a Healer.
Malia had forgiven him and apologised, for which he was grateful, so that was cause for some personal celebration.
Severus had accepted him and his work. And to him, this was the biggest celebration of them all. He didn't remember much after collapsing to the floor of Malia's kitchen, his vague impressions that of Poppy telling Severus, whose calm voice belied the tight grip he'd had on him, that Harry was going to be fine--he just needed some rest (to which Harry had heartily agreed, although for the life of him he couldn't make his mouth form the words) and afterwards there'd been a few groggy recollections of Severus undressing him and making him take the restorative during the night. He'd finally awakened, feeling well and rested, to find himself wrapped carefully in Severus' arms in their cottage late the next morning. He'd been asleep as well, rousing almost as soon as Harry's eyes had opened. The love and understanding and acceptance in those eyes, then and now, were the balm Harry desperately needed to replenish the bits of himself he lost whenever he Sanos-healed.
Now if he could just learn to distance himself from his patients, life would be good.
A shadow across his lap drew his attention upward. Almost as if summoned, Kalani stood over him. "Come. We need to talk."
Harry nodded and, rising from his seat on the ground, followed him to a series of benches farther away set aside for the dancing and music to come after dinner.
Severus, talking quietly to Ben, stopped and watched their progress. Ben turned to watch as well, a small frown on his brow which quickly smoothed. When Severus glanced back, Ben said, "Don't worry. He needed a few days to get to it. It'll be OK." Severus nodded but continued to fix his attention on them.
"You're very protective of him, aren't you?" Ben asked, a small smile gracing his long face.
Severus smiled ruefully, "Old habits die hard. I've been doing it off and on since he was 11. My own ease in his abilities has not come easily and is a recent acquisition. Please forgive me if I don't want to see him hurt."
Ben laughed easily, drawing the attention and smiles of those nearest him. "Seems we're more alike than I thought. I taught Kalani starting from when he was ten, a little brat if there ever was one. Tell me, when did you know?"
The question startled him into answering honestly, "When I almost lost him; he was almost 19 and had just killed Voldemort."
Ben looked over at Harry, deep in conversation with Kalani. He had some difficulty reconciling the powerful but humble Wizard he'd seen bring his lover back, with the hero who had brought down the Dark Lord. The only thing the two sides had in common was power--and purpose. He decided it was the purpose that set Harry apart. Set them both apart. Severus' reputation in the whole affair was no less known than Harry's, but it was easier to see where Severus was quite capable of the things Joseph had said he'd done. He smiled to himself--hot and cold, the two of them. He was willing to wager it was never boring around them. "So much violence from such a gentle man. Is that why he heals?"
"Expiation is one of his many reasons, I suppose," Severus said thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Harry. "I suppose he does feel some lingering guilt over those who died or were injured because of the battles we fought; however, it would be more accurate to say his role against the Dark Lord was thrust upon him, the culmination of a prophecy, and against his nature in the first place. Harry's a builder, not a destroyer." Ben started at the naked thoughts flitting across Severus' normally closed face and began to get an inkling of the horrors he and Harry had faced together. "We both are in our own manner. We were dragged into the conflict against our wishes and did what we had to do. His heroics are now done in small ways, day to day." He shrugged, "What we do is who we are; it satisfies."
"Ah, that's never easy, is it? You two are good for each other." Not expecting a reply he continued, changing the subject. "Now about that--"
****
Kalani sat down next to Harry on the bench, his eyes to the ground, obviously uncomfortable.
Harry noted his unease and said, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I understand."
Kalani laughed low. "No, I don't think you do. You're not living in my skin, so how can you?"
Harry looked over at Severus, deep in conversation with Ben. "I do, actually. It happened to me when I first healed Severus. I was only 16 and didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I didn't know anything then; it wasn't until later, when I started my training, that I discovered how much of myself I put in Severus and how much I took. He knows, but other than one quick mention, it's one of those things we'll never talk about."
Kalani nodded and sighed. "Is that what you did to me and Ben? Gave us each a part of the other?" Kalani was still struggling with it.
Harry sympathised. "Yes, it's the only way. I'm sorry if it upset you."
"Upset might be too strong a word. Startled and unexpected might be better." Kalani tilted his head, asking, "Tell me, can you sense Severus' thoughts?"
"No, only his feelings, sometimes, if they're very strong, but I've never been sure if that's because of the Sanos among other things or if it's the intuition really close lovers experience. Can you? Sense Ben's thoughts?" Harry was not surprised. It was what had made Ron so angry with him; he could hear Hermione and he'd hated it at first.
"Sometimes. When we're quiet. I can feel him though, inside me. I know if he's well or not, can tell when he's near. Like yesterday, the boar nicked him. I could feel it when it happened, but he said nothing to me about it, not that he ever will."
"Does it bother you? This feeling? I admit to some curiosity from a clinical standpoint as well as personally."
"It did--doesn't now. Never bothered Ben, though. Actually, I think he enjoys it." The discomfort returned. "I wanted to thank you. An Aunty took some pictures of my injuries when they brought me in. I'm grateful I survived. I was angry when I found out how much of my magic I had lost, mad at you--and Ben. Mom told me you made her leave. I was mad at that, too. But then Poppy got a hold of me; you know how she is." Harry chuckled softly--he certainly did. "She told me a little about you, about how long you worked on me and the list of hard decisions Ben and Mom had to make. That helped, but when Ben told me about the risk you took as well--I--I didn't know what to say--I still don't except to say thank you. Do you do that every time?"
Harry considered it. "You are most welcome. And no, not every time. It depends on the people involved. I have had a couple of cases where I could have tried it but chose not to because the commitment wasn't there. Nor was the love and affection. Without those, the particular Sanos Schema I use will not work and the hardest thing I do is walk away. I do not risk my life foolishly; Severus would kill me if I did," he smiled wryly. "Ben showed no hesitation, he knew you, and I could see his belief in you by his choices, by the pain each one caused. You were a good risk."
At a loss, Kalani stood. Harry followed suit. They stared at each other for a few seconds, eyes unbroken. Kalani embraced him hard and walked away, leaving Harry to gaze after him in satisfaction thinking that maybe distance was not all it's cracked up to be.
****
Severus sat with one foot up on the bench, knee bent, the other leg on the ground. Harry was seated in the space in between them, his one hand on Severus' thigh the other wrapped around his leg, hand on his knee. Severus' arm was around his shoulders, his other hand braced against the bench behind him, Harry's side tucked in. It was nighttime, the area around them lit by a huge fire and torches surrounding the field where they sat. Every now and again, Severus would touch the side of his face with the hand from his shoulder and draw him in for a light kiss. It was so spontaneous, it made Harry's heart leap every time he did it. And he offered a few caresses of his own.
To be so at ease, allowed and encouraged to be affectionate among all these people who accepted them as family was a blessing Harry knew shouldn't be hoarded. To see the indulgent glances the older folk gave them at their open devotion made him feel warm inside. That Severus felt the same way was the true miracle Hana had given them; this was the last night they would share it. Tomorrow would take them back to chilly Scotland and the life they chose to live. School would be starting in a few short weeks; there were preparations to make and students to tutor in the meantime.
But not tonight. Tonight was magic. The slack string guitars and ukulele playing in the soft warm air after a repleting dinner was sometimes soothing, sometimes funny. The homespun hula that went with it, either amusing or so stirring it brought tears to their eyes. They weren't odd for being so moved; they would have been odd were they not. Lovers were taken and lost, flowers picked and made into leis, Pele honoured, and mock battles fought all in the form of music and the lithe movements of bodies carried away in exultation.
While he'd known Ben and Severus had been 'up to something' over the past week, he'd been astonished to see Severus and Ben do a dance together, a mock battle with short staffs. Severus was an expert at this type of combat, as obviously was Ben. The ever faster staccato beat set by their staves joined in 'battle' and the sinuous grace of their elegant bodies to the steady chanting was powerful. His eyes met Kalani's glinting in the dark and knew they both were aroused by the virility exhibited by their lovers. When done, the approval of the gathering was loud and protracted. Severus had returned to his side a bit sweaty, a little embarrassed, but oh so possessive. He'd folded himself on the bench as they were now and Harry eagerly absorbed him.
The revelry went on well into the new morning and a couple of hours before dawn saw them regretfully saying goodbye to their new friends and family. They made their way a distance apart and Apparated back to their cottage, where they expended all the energy they'd stoked throughout the evening until it was time to greet the sun.
****
They woke at noon together and christened the bed one last time. Their bags were packed and they left them to be picked up by the bellman while they took one last walk back to the main building.
"This is so different than when we arrived, isn't it?" Harry asked quietly, holding Severus' hand.
"We're different; perhaps we grew up just a little," Severus replied.
They looked at each other. "Nah," they said together, laughing.
Malia was waiting for them at the lobby as was Ben, Kalani, and Kahealani. They each bore leis in their hands, which they looped around their necks, with soft kisses or touches on their cheeks and Aloha's in their ears.
"We'll send your bags and packages separately. You can Portkey from here, no one is around," Malia said with a smile. "Which reminds me. Here you are, Severus." She handed him a sheaf of papers. "All you need to do is sign where I marked and it's all yours. I'll file it with the county for you this afternoon, so I'll need two copies back."
Harry was mystified. "What's all yours?"
Malia covered her mouth with her hand, truly horrified. "Oh Merlin, Severus. I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a surprise."
"Not anymore," he said, chuckling. He turned to Harry. "I had intended on giving this to you for your birthday, which passed unnoticed in all the excitement, but the transaction didn't clear in time, anyway." He opened the papers and signed his name thrice in the places indicated, capped his new pen (which he was growing to like more than a quill), and handed two copies to Malia and one to Harry. "Happy Birthday," he said simply, kissing his cheek.
Harry opened the papers which were titled "Deed of Ownership". He skimmed down the pages, let out a whoop, and threw his arms around Severus, giving him a big wet kiss in the process. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Where is it? Did we see it? When can we come back?" he asked excitedly.
"It's that little ramshackle cottage up off of the beach we passed every time we rode the horses that way. As to when we can come back, might I suggest as often as possible. The poor thing is liable to fall apart without constant work." He looked pleased.
"Oh, that would be good. Wouldn't want the shack falling down, now would we? Needs a lot of maintenance, it does. Got it." Harry laughed, delighted.
"You'll let us know when you're coming out next time?" Malia asked, then slyly added, "You know the owners of this hotel, not to mention the staff, are going to kill me when they find out I helped one of our best customers find another place to stay."
"Why do you think I bought the place?" Severus asked wryly. "I can't afford your establishment, as often as I'd like to return."
"Pish. Someone give me a shovel--the sand is getting deep here." They all laughed.
They said their goodbyes and with heavy hearts lightened by a promise of return, they took the Portkey to the outskirts of the castle. It was dark out; their way lit only by a half-moon.
"Brrr!" Harry exclaimed. "Damn, it's cold after Maui."
"I was just thinking the same thing. Well, there's no helping it now. Onwards and downwards. Perhaps, a brisk walk will warm us up."
They walked back to the castle apart but only in body for the first time in three weeks. "Feels odd, ya?"
Severus raised a brow at Harry's use of Pidgin. "Indeed."
****
"Harry! Severus! Welcome back. You look well, all relaxed and sunburnt," Dumbledore enthused as he greeted them at the front door. He eyed them closely and laughed, delighted. "And together. Finally. Maybe now I can get some sleep without worrying about you two."
"Oh, I wouldn't get too cosy, Albus," Severus said sweetly. Dumbledore's brows raised.
"Because we've been talking," Harry said with a snort.
"Together. Comparing notes," Severus continued.
They smiled evilly at him. "Should I tell him?" Severus asked Harry with mock seriousness.
"Well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," Harry replied, just as serious.
Severus turned to him, his wicked eyes gleaming. "I think we'll just let you anticipate--"
"Good idea, keep him guessing."
Albus shook his head. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all--"
Severus chuckled. "Probably not, old man; however, you made our bed--"
"--And now you're just going to have to lie in it," Harry finished.
Dumbledore walked off muttering to himself.
Severus turned to Harry, unable to contain his laughter anymore. "Well, that was a bit of all right."
****
Ho'olaulea
Celebration--Often a family picnic, gathering.
****
End Of Part IV : To be continued in Part V : Together