Final part, especially uploaded for those who have been following this for a while now. Sorry for taking so long with this piece. I was planning this to be the last chapter, but it feels like it needs an epilogue. Well, you'll see. And since my tastes have changed since I started this, I don't feel a desire to finish it much. But anyways: read.

Part Five

They hurry down the cobblestone road, hooded and cloaked, taking care not to touch anyone.

Remus' palm felt sweaty in Severus' hand.

His breathing was harsh, his chest was tight, and he was almost terrified that he was going to cough and ruin it all. Forcing that thought out of his head, he just focused on the ground moving in front of him. He wasn't sure where he was going, and he wasn't sure how he got to where he was, but he was trying his hardest to trust Remus.

Trust. What a foreign concept. He almost laughed.

---

"What do you think is taking Remus so long? He was going to take me out to visit my gringotts account..."

The door opened and shut again and they heard footsteps come down the stairs into the kitchen.

At first when Draco looked up from his newspaper spread across his half of the table, he thought for a moment that Remus must have picked up a rather large shadow. And then there was depth and motion and a flicker of light picked up a few features of a face and he froze. No, no, it can't be. It must just be an auror or someone, no one I've met before...

And then a hood was swept off and dark forest-green eyes set onto him, tired and hopeful.

"Severus!"

The tears stung his eyes and throat as his chair banged back against the floor, but he ignored it with an unusual wantonness, wrapping his arms around his oldest professor, most trusted friend, almost an uncle, but more of a father. He bathed in the glow for a few moments before he pulled away and saw the lines, paleness, gaunt frame...

"What are you doing here?" he asked accusingly, still unable to let go of thin arms.

A familiar smirk creased those thin lips.

"I'll tell you later."

He noticed that Severus was looking, not at him, but over his shoulder.

Draco turned, still one hand on Severus' arm, reassuring himself that he was there. Harry had a twisting look on his face, and his lips were set in that way that told Draco that he had made a decicion and wasn't going to change it for anyone.

"So you and the brat have made up, then?" Severus said quietly, a hand sliding off his shoulder.

Draco only nodded, looking between them, seeing the strange rite of passage going on, but not understanding it. Fortunately, someone did.

"Let's go find you a room, Severus," Remus said in his gentle way and caught the dark man's elbow. The connection was broken as he turned to look at Remus and Draco saw something flicker between them, something similar to how he felt about Harry. But he kept his mouth shut and let go of Severus' arm, letting them go up the stairs. Once he had heard a echoing, belligerant "I'm not an invalid", "Yes you are", he turned back to Harry, who had come up behind him.

It was a forced, weak smile, but it was a smile nevertheless. Their hands caught and held.

---

Remus was forced back against the wall by Severus' weight, his throat open for lips to suck on. He shouldn't... he was a fully grown adult... this was Severus...

But he couldn't stop the movements his hips were making, and he couldn't stop the whimpers and gasps coming out of his lips. It had been so long since he had been loved like this. Since Sirius...

Severus' mouth closed on his in a crushing embrace and Remus stroked Severus' hair, pressing their bodies together, wanting it like a passionnate teenager. His heart had never been given a chance to grow old.

"Severus," he sighed, eyes shut, catching his breath. "We're not young."

A soft chuckle ruffled the skin of his neck.

"Don't you think I know that?"

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