A/N: Sorry for the delay, this chapter had been written for some time, I was just feeling apathetic about typing it up. Here you go, hope everyone enjoys it.
Chapter 3
by ataraxis
The vacationers appeared a few steps away from the hotel in a secluded area of trees. They noticed the time change almost immediately, for they had left late afternoon and it was now early morning.
Severus and Harry each took one of Alicia's hands and started off towards the hotel they had made reservations at. None of them had any worries about the addition of Albus to the party, as they could transfigure an extra bed or modify a room to enlarge it if need be.
They checked in at the guest reservations desk and were shown to the guest suite on the top floor.
As they were ushered in, they took in the wall of windows that looked out over the lagoon and bay. It was gorgeous, crystal clear and blue.
The bellhop went on to showcase the suite -- the mini kitchen that was fully stocked with beverages and fruit, and the two bedrooms off at opposite sides to the living area. One bedroom had a single, large king sized bed and the other had two queens. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and was luxuriously appointed with imported italian marble.
The bellhop left and the wizards were officially allowed to start their vacation.
"Okay, everyone unpack and meet back here in ten minutes. Then we'll head down to the lobby and see about getting something to eat." Harry waved the other three family members into the second bedroom suite, while he grabbed onto Severus' hand and pulled him into their room for the next two weeks.
As Harry closed the door, Severus latched onto his husband and kissed him passionately.
Harry sighed against the slightly parted lips and wrapped his arms around Severus' neck. "It's beautiful here, Severus. The perfect honeymoon spot. Thank you for suggesting it."
"Weren't you here only a little while ago looking for a snake?" Severus reached up a hand and carded it through the short, disarrayed locks of his love's hair.
"I was, but in the valley interior of the island. I was only here for all of twenty minutes. The snake was easy to come by." Harry laid his head on Severus' shoulder and relaxed.
"Well, now we're here for two lovely, sun-drenched weeks," Severus continued to caress his husband, from head, to neck, to shoulders and slowly down the back.
"Mmm, this is heaven. So what do you think we should do after breakfast?" Harry asked contentedly.
"Maybe explore the hotel a bit, then take an early nap to rest up. The time change will definitely affect Alicia."
Harry raised up his head from the comfortable resting place against Severus' shoulder. "Just a nap?" he leered suggestively.
Severus smirked as he once again captured his husband's lips in a passionate kiss, then whispered against them, "We shall see."
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Much of the first day went smoothly for the Snape family and their adopted relations. Alicia adjusted well to the time change, the others were not so fortunate.
Albus sat tiredly on the couch facing the windows, watching the birds swooping towards the water in the hopes of capturing dinner and from the corner of his eye, carefully watching over little Alicia as she magically made some seashells she had found earlier, dance.
"What I wouldn't give for a Pepper-Up potion right about now, Severus," Harry spoke as he walked out from the couple's bedroom.
"I agree with Harry. It's not even 8 o'clock and already I'm feeling worn down. Of course, those heavenly french-polynesian meals have certainly played a role. Such wonderful cuisine and so different from our standard English fare," Albus said to Harry and Severus, turning his attention away from his granddaughter in all ways but blood.
The men heard Alicia squeal with delight, and they turned their attention to her and watched, stunned, as the shells she had been playing with transfigured into rabbits, all ten of them.
Molly came out of the other bedroom at the sound of commotion and watched with amusement as Harry and Severus scurried about the living room trying to round up fluffy grey and white bunny rabbits no bigger than the size of her hand, while Alicia cuddled one to her cheek as if holding a precious loved one. Molly bent down and picked one up as it went by her feet.
Albus was still sitting on the couch watching the activities occurring on the inside of the suite by looking at the reflections in the glass window; on his lap sat a contented bunny eating a carrot.
Harry chuckled when he overheard Severus mutter, "Damn rabbits, must catch them before they naturally start multiplying."
Once Harry and Severus had herded the bunnies into a corner of the hotel room, they joined Albus on the couch exhausted.
"What are we going to do with ten rabbits?" Harry asked to the room in general.
"Transfigure them back, of course," Severus said stonily as he looked at the twitching, furry faces.
"No, Papa, don't! Please, let me keep them," Alicia cried as she climbed up on Severus' lap.
"Alicia, sweetheart, you are a witch who has the ability to change any inanimate object into any living creature; today it was seashells into rabbits, tomorrow it could be a hundred tree leaves into snakes. You must learn to control your magic and your impulses to do so, otherwise our home will be overflowing with animals that you and you alone will be responsible for taking care of. You must be responsible for your magic," Severus spoke quietly and with infinite patience and love to his daughter. He looked down into her upturned face and saw great intelligence, capacity for love and understanding located there. Severus gave a small smile of acceptance of his puckish daughter and rolled his eyes as he sighed. "You may keep one bunny rabbit, however the others will be transfigured back into shells. This isn't open for debate."
Alicia huffed and twisted around to look at the rabbits she had made, she looked back over her shoulder to her papa and nodded. She got off his lap and went to pick one bunny to keep. She choose the one she had held earlier when the fiasco first started.
She climbed back up to the couch and sat between Harry and Severus and leaned against her Daddy, who placed his arm around her in comfort as they watched Albus transfigure the remaining rabbits back into shells and the shells into a cage and several carrots.
"Now you have a place to put your rabbit for the remainder of our vacation, and a little something for it to eat in the interim," Albus smiled congenially at the others present.
Alicia smiled and then yawned deeply and longly, signaling to the adults that it had indeed been a long day and perhaps it was time for everyone to turn in.
Harry and Severus both hugged their daughter and wished her a goodnight, then watched as the others retired to their bedroom before turning in themselves.
"How about a nice long soak in that wonderful marble tub, just you, me and some bubbles?" Harry asked his husband as the door to their bedroom closed.
"Mmm, I have a better idea. How about you and I just crawl into bed and sleep?" Severus dropped wearily onto the bed.
"Poor love, it's only the first day of our vacation and you're exhausted." Harry sat down next to his husband.
"With a goodnights sleep, I'll be better tomorrow. It's just the time change getting to me," Severus sighed and leaned back on the bed, positioning one of his arms behind his head for a pillow. "Did you enjoy your day, Harry?"
"As Ron would say, it was wicked," Harry turned and moved to snuggle at Severus' side. He would always love the close, intimate contact. He grinned crookedly at his husband, who chuckled in response.
"It would be even more 'wicked' if you and I could start this so-called honeymoon with a... bang, as you would crassly say." Harry laughed outright at Severus' teasing.
"Perhaps we can start the honeymoon tomorrow evening. Everyone should be well rested by then and Molly and Albus can look after Alicia."
"Yes." Severus lifted his other hand and started carding his fingers through Harry's hair. "What would you like to do?"
"You mean besides having unending sex?" Harry chuckled again as Severus playfully slapped him on the arse. "I don't know. Maybe a nice, quiet dinner and then a walk along the lagoon, hand-in-hand before retiring to our chambers and having a long soak in the bath and a massage afterwards, followed by a round of slow lovemaking," Harry said as fingers danced over Severus' chest.
Severus smirked and teased Harry claiming at the beginning that he didn't know, and yet his description of what he wanted to do tomorrow night sounded like paradise, and he said as much to his lover.
"Well, we are in paradise and I can't wait for tomorrow," Harry muttered as he slowly drifted off to sleep, as he had been lulled by the relaxing sensation of Severus caressing his hair.
Severus whispered, "Neither can I." Severus pulled out his wand with the hand and arm he had been using as a pillow and changed their day clothes into sleepwear, called for a light blanket from the small settee nearby and pulled Harry closer to him as he too drifted off to sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of warm summer breezes, water lapping at the shore, and the sun shining down.
I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story and to acacia59601 and magdelena1969 for spurring me on to get this chapter out.
A/N #2: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story and to acacia59601 and magdelena1969 for spurring me on to get this chapter out. More will be coming sometime soon. I just have to tackle Nanowrimo for November :).