Hiding Under the Ninth Earth
Book 03 : Epithalamium

Part III : The Beginning of Forever
Chapter Forty One : Endowments

Edited for FanFiction-net: 1,498 sexy words were sacrificed on the altar of the rating gods. I apologise if this feels choppy in any way, but coitus writus interruptus is never a pretty thing. Remember, if you are of age, the full version is available at my site. Also FF-net is doing wierd things to the formatting, so it may not look right - DARN THEM!

Wednesday 29 October 2003 HST

"Aia, Uncle Albus!" an unfamiliar voice called urgently from the roof, "Hu-i, man, you gonna be shark bait tomorrow, you wake them up!"

The querulous voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was close. They could hear it, and its owner, move towards the front door from the side as he groused, "But... it's after 11:00."

A woman's voice, hissing yet strident, called out, "Albus Dumbledore! Get back here!"

"Eh, you tell him, Auntie!" another voice floated down.

"They were expecting us," the old man grumbled, "and I really want to talk to Severus."

"Al-bus! You're so impatient. It can wait until you get back to Hogwarts. Leave it be for at least a small while. If you wake them up..."

"Too late," Severus rumbled, one open eye glaring out the window.

"...I'll shrink your baggage."

Harry chuckled. "Oooo... that'll keep him quiet for a while."

Severus commented dryly, "Only if she really does it, and where would be the fun in that?" He reached for his wand. "I, on the other hand, have no such..." He never got to finish as he was peremptorily pulled back into the bed.

"Get away from that lanai, old man... they'll come when they're ready."

"Now there's a thought," Harry commented slyly, running tickling hands up Severus' sides. "Are you?"

"Am I what?" Severus replied distractedly, obviously listening to Poppy's harangue and the comments from the roofers, a small smile on his lips.

"Ready to come." When Severus didn't reply, Harry firmly framed his face with both hands and tugged it around to look at him. "Love, there are two witches, four wizards, and three Muggles out there. Surely they can keep the old bugger occupied while we amuse ourselves."

Sleep heavy eyes stared at him. "Harry, I'm not sure I can..."

He ran a finger lightly across the tempting lips. "Hush. I know, I felt it the last time. I was thinking of trying something...different."

"That's frightening," Severus murmured, rolling them over to steal a long, sloppy kiss.

Harry moaned; his lover was doing that... thing... again; his body felt like it was about to explode out of its skin.

Urgently pressing together, he felt some of his ardor cool when it became clearly evident Severus wasn't responding in quite the same manner that he was. And after the last few days, who could blame him? The bond-lust had driven them so far beyond any normal limits, it was a wonder they felt anything at all. However, it did make for some interesting experiments; he had one of his own he wanted to conduct... especially in light of Severus'... condition.

It wasn't easy, but he managed to bank the fire coursing through him andsoon succeeded inchanging burning to languid as the kiss became kisses, Severus' mouth pursuing his as he pulled away.

"Now, none of that," he murmured, evading another one of those drugging kisses. He chuckled as dark eyes opened, dazed and questioning. "You're redirecting my attention... quite nicely, I admit, but I had something a bit more leisurely in mind for your pleasure this morning."

"Harry..."

He loved the way Severus arched his long neck, loved the transition between prickly morning stubble to smoother skin.

"Oh. I..."

The clavicle was also very nice, the skin silky and cool. He nosed his way down, his breath stirring the fine hairs on Severus' chest.

"This is not fair..."

Perhaps not, but, oh! how he liked it when Severus growled.

"Ah! Feels so good, but..."

Working his way down the slender torso, he traced the muscles clenching firmly under the soft skin.

"I can't..."

"Oh, I'm very sure you can," he murmured. Merlin, Severus was so sensitive; he liked the sensations he left on his husband's skin.

Severus grunted. "Hmph. I was not referring to whether or not it could. I was, however, referring to whether or not I should... again. I'm quite... tender."

Harry shook his head. "Well, we'll just have to make it all better with a little 'tender' loving care, won't we?"

"Good gads!" Severus groaned. "Two insufferable pricks in one morning."

Harry grinned, unrepentant, and proceeded, with much success he thought, his experiment on his, soon, all too willing husband.

Much later, Harry asked smugly, "Liked that, did you?" as he crawled back up to join his lover, replete with more than just mere physical satisfaction. Severus rolled over to face him and, taking his mouth in a languid kiss, tugged with arms and legs to pull him close.

"Good gods, what was that?" Severus finally gasped, his questing lips kissing the corner of Harry's mouth.

Harry chuckled, pulling back enough to bring the sated face into focus. "Well, I'm not quite sure. I was curious to see if I could... you know... without... aggravating your... tender... sensibilities." Hesitating, he asked, "It was all right, wasn't it?" suddenly unsure.

Severus kissed him softly and whispered, "It was extraordinary."

"Good, I'd hate to have..."

"Albus! Damn it, man! Get. Back. Here."

Harry chuckled. "Guess we'd better 'come' out to see him..."

Severus pulled him closer so he could lazily nuzzle his throat and shoulder with small nips.

"...or not," he murmured, arching his neck, offering a larger canvas on which Severus could ply his agile talents.

After all, who was he to disturb such 'tender' ministrations?

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They were out on the beach waiting for them. Or at least he assumed the old man, sitting pensively in a squat chair in the sand, was Albus. Had to be... no one else would be caught dead in those... well, he supposed they qualified as clothes as they covered the embarrassing bits... a lurid aloha shirt (complete with pink flamingos and swaying palm trees) flapped loosely in the soft breeze while knobby knees, topping the palest, skinniest legs Severus had ever seen, poked out of red Madras plaid Bermuda shorts. A mound of sand marked where the long feet were buried up to the bony ankles. Next to him, Poppy was similarly dressed, albeit a little more tastefully, their brown leather sandals set neatly on the other side of the Lauhala mat she sat on.

"Well, you old reprobate, I'd 'heard' you'd arrived in one piece," Severus remarked as Harry knelt to kiss Poppy's proffered cheek. He casually laid a large blanket out on the sand near the headmaster, placing a flat beach chair precisely in the middle back leaving ample room for his long legs to stretch out without touching the black sand. He glanced at the silent man, confounded that Albus had not replied. Probably sulking, if he had to guess.

While Severus prepared their spot, Harry knee-walked over to Albus, ostensibly to give him a hug from behind, but everyone knew he was really checking to see if his patient was all right. Obviously satisfied, he reached around and gently tugged on the long beard. "Hey, what's this?" he asked, holding its neatly plaited length up for inspection.

Albus pursed his lips, sliding a mock glare at Poppy as he mumbled, "Made me braid it to keep it from blowing in my face."

Severus nodded with approval. "More than likely, she needed a leash," he chortled.

No one really heard what Albus muttered under his breath, but it was generally understood what he said.

The early afternoon was quite pleasant, not too warm, the azure sky dotted with tiny clouds far out over the ocean. While Harry found out from Ben that Kalani was at his shop for the day, Severus grunted as the familiar hands, cool with sunscreen, rubbed his nape and throat, then slid over his exposed arms, working the slick coconut scented stuff all the way down to his fingers. His hand was turned over and a dollop poured into it. Bending over, he rubbed the potion quickly onto his legs and feet while Ben explained that 'the boys' who had been roofing that morning had already gone home for the day.

"I see Joseph found some more potion," Severus commented to Ben as he returned the favour to the back of the bare-chested body settling comfortably in front of him between his legs. If he spent a bit more time than was strictly necessary to work the sun block into the satiny skin, he suspected he would be forgiven.

"Made some more yesterday," Ben remarked quietly, settling back on his elbows, half-reclining on another mat to the side. "He and Malia went home to finish up some potions for the clinic."

Ben tipped his head back, his face blissful in the sun and, admiring the long, muscled length of him stretched out so gracefully, Severus couldn't help but think him a beautiful man. When he turned his head forward to stare at the water, he caught Harry's small smile on his face as he twisted around to look at him and, with the benign image he received, knew his husband didn't mind his thoughts. "Remind me to thank him. Even if the Muggle lotion he sent yesterday worked, this is much more pleasant."

"He'll be glad to hear you say so," Ben murmured distractedly. "They'll be by later this afternoon with dinner. Oh, and before I forget, is it OK if my touring group comes over here tomorrow night for their practice...thought you guys might like to watch since you enjoyed it so much the last time you were here. The kids'll enjoy it, too. It's a lot more fun dancing at night on the beach, especially since they won't the night after... they'll be too busy trick or treating."

Seeing Harry's nod, Severus replied, "Certainly, Ben. Er, what's 'trick or treating'?"

Sitting up, chuckling, he brushed sand off his legs. "Halloween. It's a big deal here. Joseph said he wanted to talk to you about it... he's got some great ideas about decorating this place if you're interested in adding it to the 'Obake Tour'." He glanced at Poppy, who shrugged. "Are you staying for Halloween, Uncle?"

Albus, who had been unusually quiet throughout the exchange, looked startled at being addressed. He glanced at Poppy again before replying, "Yes, my boy, we decided we'll Portkey back to Hogwarts that morning for the feast and then return afterwards to enjoy the evening's festivities here."

Ben smiled warmly, obviously pleased. "Good! You going to haunt here or at Malia's?"

"We'll stay here... that is if Harry and Severus want to join in. It is a bit strange from what I've heard," Poppy replied for them both, her eyes straying to her husband sitting next to her; the shade from the umbrella propped up behind her almost hid her concern.

Albus? Quiet? The silence strained. This was ridiculous. "Is something wrong, Albus?" he asked a bit more harshly than he'd intended.

The almost guilty glance to him and away was warning enough for the quietly spoken, "The Board of Governors turned down our request for the Apprenticeship Program. They claim there's just not the funding."

Twice damned... short-sighted... addlepated... "Idiots!" he exclaimed. "First they deny us more masters and now? For the same reason? Damn it! The school has twice the students it did four years ago; do they honestly expect us..." Harry's quiet hand squeezing his knee got his attention. "And why the hell am I yelling at you? I am sorry; I know you tried."

"So am I, my dear boy, so am I. The problem, I think, is that we are not the only ones hoping to get a few much-needed assistants with such a program. I suspect the private sector's demands for qualified NEWT-level students is more responsible for the denial than the 'funding'. And as the increases in pupils are almost all in the lower levels..." he sighed "...and you already know this."

Ben spoke up, clearly perplexed. "I always thought Hogwarts was a very small school. What's happened?"

Severus sighed. "It used to be. When Harry was a student, we had, at most, 300 or so. That number has almost doubled in the last four years... and it's growing, I might add." He exchanged a guarded glance with Albus. "And some of them, even in the lower levels, are much... older."

"That's not as small as I thought, but still... not so large. The local school has at least that many and, on O'ahu, some of the private schools number in the thousands."

Bristling a bit, even though he knew Ben meant no insult, Severus explained further. "Ah, perhaps it would put it into the proper perspective if you knew there are six primary subjects, each with only one master... one of whom is a ghost, eight elective instructors, and, including Albus, four support staff. Of the six of us, four are also heads of house, which entails other duties as well."

Ben pulled his head back, trying hard not to smile. "A ghost? Aia! I think maybe you're beyond desperate." He turned to Harry with a broad grin. "Sounds cool, ya?"

Harry chuckled as if recalling fond memories. "The only thing Professor Binns was good for was a nap after a night of mischief, half of which was usually spent dodging the sneaky 'I-get-my-jollies-taking-points-from-Gryffindor' Potions master..." he rolled his eyes back to look at his husband "...or 'It's-a-shame-they-banned-torture' Filch and his mangy cat, Mrs. 'I-took-my-last-bath-when-Filch-did' Norris. Oh, and Binns taught a mean Goblin Rebellion of sixteen-whatever-it-was; that was so fascinating." As the others laughed, Severus took some judicious liberties with Harry's sides... sneaky, indeed.

Ben winked at Harry before turning laughing eyes to Severus. "I see what you meant about troublemakers." When Severus snickered, Ben asked, "So what does all this mean?"

"It means that in any given week I have to teach twelve classes, seven of them doubles... over six levels... to 443, for the most part, uninterested students who couldn't write a coherent essay if their lives depended on it."

"Good grief!" Ben exclaimed, shaking his head. "Here I thought I had it bad. Our Halau is one of the largest on this side of the island with 142 students on four levels of hula kahiko and two of hula 'auana, but Kalani, and a couple of volunteer parents, help share with the teaching and equipment preparation... especially when we travel."

Somewhat mollified by the shock in Ben's voice, Severus continued, "Ah, but it gets worse. Assuming three quarters are 'average' (and I use that term loosely) there still remains a full quarter who are either above or below average. The tendency of the other staff, although I do not subscribe to it, is to leave the above-average children alone assuming they are a 'teaching' resource for half the below-average students, which still leaves, more or less, fifty-five remaining who are having difficulty in their studies. On average, I have two dozen students a week come to me with questions or for extra tutoring, which, I admit, I discourage."

Taken aback, Ben asked, "Why is that?"

Severus sighed and held up an elegant hand, ticking off the points. "I have to budget thirty hours teaching, fifteen for remedial tutoring, twenty-five are required for the Head Table and Slytherin House matters, and thirty are spent grading papers and tests... that makes one-hundred hours or more for work. As there are only 168 in the entire week, that leaves me, on average, nine hours per day for the odd extra tutoring, my own education, making potions for the school, research, and upon rare occasion, sleeping..."

"Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Harry asked, shifting sideways and turning his head to waggle his brows at him.

Severus raised a brow, supremely amused.

Harry chuckled. "Your teaching schedule makes me look like a man of leisure."

Snorting, Severus replied, "Right. Harry Potter, Sugar-baby."

Harry sniggered. "And that makes you, what?"

"Over-worked, grossly underpaid, and severely underappreciated. In short, a teacher," Severus replied drolly.

Ben laughed with the rest of them, the tension easing as was, no doubt, Harry's intent; he wasn't the only 'sneaky' one in this relationship. "And as head of house, you have to see to your student's personal needs?" When Severus nodded, he continued, "It must be difficult having all those young people with no parents on hand to guide them."

Actually, it was more like having to herd a pride of randy cats taking gross advantage of parental absence, but with a great effort, Severus managed to leave his personal opinions unvoiced. Instead, he stated, "My purpose as head of house is primarily that of ensuring the safety of the students under my charge. I do not have the time, nor the inclination, to 'mother' them." He pinched Harry's side for the snort he made at this last comment.

Surprise etched on his long, mobile face, Ben asked, "Surely you and the staff feel some responsibility towards the children's day-to-day emotional needs?"

Time to set the record straight; Severus stiffened and declared firmly, "Hogwarts is not a primary school, our First Years are not infants to be coddled. They come to us laden with whatever baggage their families and heritage have given them. As teachers, our primary purpose is to educate diverse young persons in the proper adult usage of their magical powers. Nothing more, nothing less."

Warming to the subject, he continued, "As to their 'emotional needs', as you say, there are rules established to this end... rules that, if obeyed, teach self-control and build positive character. Hogwarts is about peers, about learning to live in harmony with others of a like mind and to learn the means to peacefully coexist with those with whom one cannot agree in a setting that is both safe and fair. On rare occasions, students will approach their head of house with a problem and we earnestly endeavour to give them the tools to solve it themselves."

"Hmmm. I see your point, to a degree, but it seems a little cold to me," Ben remarked quietly. "However, given how little time you have and how many students there are, I can also see where the attitude and policy are necessary. Pity, though. Children do so much better with even just a little affection from those who guide their lives."

Silencing his husband's heated retort with soft strokes to his leg, Harry asked, "Albus?" When the headmaster turned his attention to him, Harry continued, "Did they deny the program or did they just deny the necessary funding?"

Albus gazed at him thoughtfully. "An interesting way to phrase the question, Harry." He tapped his lip with his finger, his eyes glazed. A few minutes later he refocused, saying, "Hmmm. They did not say we couldn't have the program itself, they only denied us the money to support it."

"How many apprentices were the various masters looking to take on?" he asked. Severus could feel his excitement and wondered what the hell his devious Gryffindor husband was up to.

Without hesitation, Albus replied, "Ten. Minerva wanted two, Filius one. Binns requested one, Remus two, and Pomona one." He nodded at Severus. "Our crusty friend here applied for three."

"That's less than I thought, overall," Harry murmured, glancing at Ben who was watching the proceedings with unconcealed interest. He turned his regard quickly back to Dumbledore, but not before Severus saw the calculation in his eyes. "Arthur?" he asked.

Dumbledore answered, "He said 'the continued well-being of the school is not a Ministry affair', and therefore, is out of his sphere of influence."

"Really?" Harry asked. When Albus nodded, Harry shook his head. "Bit stupid that, considering you're educating all of his future voters." He leaned forward, his eyes intent on the headmaster. "Look, you figure out a way to get around the Board of Governors, and I'll endow it."

Albus looked as stunned as Severus felt. Even Poppy's mouth hung open. Ben just grinned as Severus, almost sputtering, said, "Harry! You can't..."

A hand covered his mouth, cutting him off. Resisting the urge to bite it, he calmly returned the gaze of the devilish green eyes with their passable imitation of his own sceptical, raised brow. "I can, and you know it. There's got to be a reason for the pile rotting in my vault. The cost of ten apprentices won't even dent the obscene amounts of Galleons people feel it necessary to pay me for my services." Then he grinned. "However, if you feel that strongly about it, you can always 'pay' me back." He waggled his brows and said in a low voice. "Unless, of course, you'd rather freeze your arse off in your study, alone, grading all those thought-provoking, well-written essays of which you are so fond, while I rest comfortably in our nice snuggly warm bed?"

As far as extortion went, it wasn't bad. "Why you..."

Harry murmured, "What can I say? I'm a selfish prick. Speaking of which..." Louder, he added, "I think I will call it the DSP Foundation."

They all looked puzzled until Ben ventured, "Dumbledore's Scholarship Program?"

Chuckling, Harry answered, "Close enough." Leaning over with that devilish gleam, he whispered in Severus' ear, "Actually, I was thinking more on the lines of 'Dead Sexy Prick', but if it keeps them happy..."

Stunned, Severus could only stare. He opened, then closed his mouth, a quirk forming at the corners. "Wicked boy," he whispered.

Poppy interrupted Harry's reply. "Severus, you're thinking of apprenticing Artemis Young?"

Ignoring the chortle coming from next to him, he replied, "He's first on my list. Quite gifted at potions."

Disappointed, she said, "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. I'd wanted to apprentice him myself... he has quite the knack. However, anyone you praise..."

"Well, why don't you just share him," Harry suggested, "like you did me?" With Poppy's sparkling glance at Severus and the answering snort, Harry blushed and smacked Severus on the knee, exclaiming, "You know what I meant! Share, not 'share'."

Harry huffed at Severus', "He's not my type," and the other's laughter.

If Severus was surprised at the wave of possessiveness emanating from his mate, he forbore to mention it, although that didn't stop him from wallowing in it. Listening with only half an ear to Harry and Albus discuss some of the details, he could feel a hidden tension Harry had been harbouring loosen as the two of them negotiated a solution. He stayed well away from it, knowing they both needed such simple intercourse to start mending their strained relationship. Eventually, paying more attention, he felt a keen sense of pride that Harry was holding his own against the wily headmaster and, as they concluded their discourse, his eyes met Poppy's; he suspected his own reflected the satisfaction shining out of hers.

In better spirits, they settled back in their respective spots, their silence comfortable as they soaked up the sun-warmth in skins more accustomed to winter's chill. After Ben left to go to his afternoon classes, Albus' head drooped, his body relaxing into a sound sleep. Sighing with what he took to be relief, Poppy quietly adjusted the umbrella so they both had some shade and then picked up a Muggle paperback with a picture on the front of a couple entwined in what looked like a truly uncomfortable position for what they were supposedly doing. Squinting, he could just make out the title... "Sweet Savage Passion" ...and chuckled at the strange sight of the old woman reading what was obviously a tawdry romance novel.

Sighing in contentment, Harry settled back against his chest, his messy hair tickling his chin. It took no effort at all to wrap long arms around the relaxed body in front of him, even less to rub his cheek across the soft strands. He shifted to set Harry snug against him. Lulled by the ebb of the surf and the even breathing of his napping husband, Severus' eyes drifted shut, but not to sleep. No, he had a lifetime to sleep, but maybe only once to savour this particular sweet feeling inside him right now, one of those 'forever moments' Harry was always going on about, but he'd never really understood. Until now. And with the recognition came the realisation that his life with Harry had been full of such moments, only now seen.

"'S'nice, isn't it?" Harry murmured turning slightly so he was curled into Severus' chest.

"Hush, love, go back to sleep," he whispered, kissing his forehead.

"Nah, don' wanna waste it," he replied sleepily, his words slurred. He snuggled closer. "Wanna keep it."

He felt his hand lifted, the soft lips pressing a kiss to the back of it and wished for an instant they were back in the house so he could pull his Harry closer and tangle their bodies as tightly together as this moment.

But only for an instant... the moment was perfect just as it was.

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TBC