Hiding Under the Ninth Earth
Book 03 : Epithalamium
Part III : The Beginning of Forever
Chapter Forty Two : Diminishing Returns
Edited for FanFiction-net: 220 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.
Thursday 30 October 2003 HST
After hours of almost obsessive observation, Harry decided it was not his imagination; Severus and Albus were avoiding interacting with each other. He'd tried to pinpoint a reason for their stodgy formality but only succeeded in discovering he wasn't the only one who'd noticed the estrangement; Poppy kept a close eye on them as well, her frequent sighs and rolling eyes a sure sign she was as concerned as he was.
It had started yesterday afternoon with Albus' almost brooding silence. At first, he'd thought perhaps the old man was sulking and trying to make them feel guilty because of their delay in greeting him. The swift glances over the top of his spectacles, aimed at Severus when he wasn't looking, reminded Harry of Aunt Marge's bulldog, Ripper, who (when he was mad at her) would follow her from room to room (with the most horrid paint-peeling farts) and sit in a corner (where she could easily see him) just so he could conspicuously ignore her.
But Harry quickly discarded that notion. Albus was absentmindedly jovial to the Hana folk, and affectionately cordial to him, but to Severus? No, whenever Severus happened near, the bland civility (when there were any words at all) lacked its normal - spark; the little digs, the really bad puns, the twinkling just wasn't there.
And Severus' response? He was being stiffly polite and considerate - when he spoke to the old man at all. That was just - wrong - and Harry felt like someone had tilted the spin on his own private world. No sarcasm? No stinging little comments twizzing between the two of them? No insults? No barbs? Not even the occasional 'old bugger'? Harry didn't understand; Severus was his usual wicked self with everyone else - except Albus.
It was like someone had sucked all the joy out of their encounters. Something was - what did Kalani call it? - kapakahi? - and no one was talking. So, his comfort level falling with each strained hour, Harry had made it his personal crusade to discover what the hell was going on.
Was something wrong with Albus? Something he'd missed? The surreptitious check on the beach yesterday, together with a quick word with Poppy later, not to mention Albus' huge appetite last night and again this morning, had gone far to reassure Harry it wasn't the old man's health - in fact, he looked better than he had in months. And the business with the apprentices didn't seem, well, worrisome enough to warrant the almost despondent behaviour Albus displayed. Besides, he'd thought their solution had smoothed all but the smallest details, ones they'd both agreed to address on their return to Hogwarts. So it wasn't that.
Perhaps the problem lay with Severus? Using his obvious advantage, he'd unashamedly trolled their wide open bond but found nary a twinge of discomfort; no negative reactions, no hidden anger, nothing untoward caught his attention - not even when they were touching while Albus was nearby. It was as if that part of Severus was dead to him.
Harry was not overly fond of mysteries and so, with his customary impatience, he'd resorted to dropping little hints and prods throughout the evening, hoping he could pry the reason out of his taciturn husband. When subtlety failed, the eventual bald question had earned him a raised brow and that certain light in Severus' eyes, clearly telling him to back off; Harry hadn't pushed. Other than that one brief glare, the remainder of their evening alone had been peaceful and easy, their loving slow and tender; Severus had slept well and dream-free, something to celebrate had Harry only been able to follow him.
This morning had been far worse. Having tossed and turned most of the night in a restless slumber, he'd succumbed to exhaustion an hour or so before dawn. Later, chased by a strange, unformed dream, he'd awakened abruptly, his heart pounding in alarm as his questing hand found only a cold and empty spot where a warm, sleepy body should have resided. Quickly crawling out of the bed, he'd hastily pulled on a pair of sleep pants before leaving to find Severus.
Harry didn't bother looking through the house; he'd known there were only two places his spouse used in Hana whenever he needed to think. And he'd been right; Severus had glanced at him as he came out the front door to the lanai. "Ah, you're awake already. You seemed - restless - last night - thought I'd let you sleep a while longer."
Harry gazed over the rail at the sullen ocean beyond. "I'm thinking the bed won't let me sleep in it alone for any length of time - regardless of the reason."
"Mmph. Forgot about that. My apologies."
"For what? Letting me sleep in?" What was with the formality? Why was Severus still not looking at him. And where was his morning kiss? Now upset in a personal way, he'd blurted, "Severus, what's going on?"
"Nothing, Harry," he'd replied, his voice curiously flat.
Harry stared and, with determined purpose, sat down next to him on the bench. "Want to talk about 'nothing'?" he'd asked quietly, consciously holding back the hand creeping out to touch his husband quite by habit.
"No, there's 'nothing' to say." His lip curled a little in a mock smile.
Not to be deterred, Harry chuffed, "Ah - so, 'nothing' is wrong?"
"No, nothing."
"But 'nothing' is right, either?" he'd pressed gently.
"Everything is fine!" Severus had exclaimed with exasperation.
That tore it! So much for being the understanding half of this relationship. "Oh, good. That makes me feel ever so much better," Harry had said with heavy sarcasm. "I'm so glad to hear that waking alone (on my honeymoon I might add) bereft of companionship, my 'good morning', or even a small kiss is 'nothing' to worry about." He'd stood abruptly. "Your civility leaves me swooning." With that, he'd stomped back into the house, the screen door slamming behind him.
He'd almost made it to the bedroom when he'd been abruptly swung around by a hand snagging his shoulder. The arms of the hard body he'd slammed into wrapped firmly around him, holding him close. As Harry wriggled his arms free to hold the slender waist, Severus nosed his hair, murmuring, "I'm sorry. I'm not exactly pleasant company this morning, am I?"
Harry tipped his head back. "Severus, I've seen you 'unpleasant' in the morning and this is not it." Curling his head on Severus' chest, he'd let their bond wash over him, surprised he felt nothing but affection and contrition from his mate. Where was it - the other thing bothering him - whatever it was? "This - this is something entirely different..." He'd lifted his head, begging with his eyes to just tell him.
Looking back on it with a small smile, he supposed he should have anticipated his husband's redirecting nature when, with a whispered, "Good morning, love," that mouth descended on his softly, slowly, as Severus locked them together in one of those kisses, one that effortlessly made Harry's blood molten and his body boneless.
Helpless to do more than submit to his mate's sure touch, Harry could only mewl, his body quivering as he rode the passion building within him, between them as the greedy mouth possessed him, consumed him until the only thing that existed, had ever been, was their mouth, their body, their pleasure flowing freely through them. Afterwards, sweet and slow, the lingering sensations left behind a heavy satisfaction.
Harry didn't know how long they stood like this, together, savouring the soft familiarity of their loving; it was always better this way, somehow more binding than all the earth-shattering pinnacles they'd reached in the last few days, although those had been splendid as well. He could feel Severus' mutual relief as he murmured, "I hope you found that..." his lips languidly caressed Harry's swollen ones in short, soothing nips "...a tad more satisfactory." He loosened his hold enough to lightly scratch Harry's back while mumbling their cleaning spell.
Harry shivered at the tender touch and almost purring, said, "It was more than a bit of all right." With a grin, he added, "Apology accepted."
With a small smile and a whispered, "Cheeky brat," hot in Harry's ear, Severus moved lower to nuzzle his neck before pulling away. Taking his hand, they'd turned to go back into the bedroom but stopped when the door to the guest rooms (added under the cover of dark by Severus and Joseph the night before) unexpectedly opened and Poppy came sauntering into the room. With a startled squawk, she patently ignored their partial state of undress, muttering something about breakfast as she beat a hasty retreat into the pantry.
Harry had shook his head in amusement, saying with a chuckle, "I suppose we should be getting cleaned up and dressed?"
"Indeed," was Severus' only regretful reply.
After another small kiss, Harry took the shower first; while Severus had bathed, Harry quickly got dressed and joined Poppy in the kitchen.
A cheery Albus had soon joined them. It didn't take long for him to get scolded, his hands lightly smacked by Poppy with a spatula as he'd tried to steal bits of pepper and cheese off the counter when she supposedly wasn't looking. Not that this stopped him; Harry had to look away, grinning, when Albus started trying to steal more than food as Poppy had danced around his more amorous attentions with a half-scandalized, "Albus! Stop that!"
Harry mixed the eggs in the bowl for her; setting it aside, he'd just placed the milk back in the icebox when he heard an almost jaunty, "Smells good in here," coming from their bedroom door. Unfortunately, that was about all he'd heard other than a subdued, "Good morning," aimed at the old man standing frozen in surprise at the counter. Good lord, what had Albus expected? That Severus had left during the night?
It had gone downhill from there, the only remaining conversation being between Poppy and Harry as they'd finished making breakfast, which had turned out to be a silent, awkward affair. If it weren't so serious, Harry could have almost found some humour as the two men rose from the table simultaneously, both intent on reading the paper on the lanai. They'd silently split the paper, Severus going to the side door with the front sections, while Albus went out the front door with the sports and comics.
As she'd gathered the dishes, Poppy watched them depart in stony silence, her tongue clicking against her teeth.
Enough was enough; supremely tired of the whole sordid mess, Harry had wanted answers. "Poppy, what's up with those two? And please, don't tell me everything is fine, all right?"
Spelling the dishes to wash in sink, she'd turned back to him with a calm shrug. "It's nothing to do with us, my dear. It's strictly between them, something old they need to work out eventually."
Oh, that had made everything so much clearer. "Not to push or anything," he began, "but why now? Why here? Why not earlier or later or elsewhere?"
Poppy sighed and, sitting at the table, had motioned Harry to do the same. She stared at nothing for quite a while before asking, "Harry, how long have Severus and Albus known each other?"
All right, they were going to take the long way around it - as usual. Harry remembered rolling his eyes as he'd done the math. "Assuming his time as a student? Thirty-two or so years."
"A little longer, but that's unimportant. And how long did Severus serve the Order?"
"Um, twenty five years?"
"Close enough." She played with the salt shaker, spilling some on the table. Running her finger through the pile, she'd mused, "Do you realise that in all that time, they've never been out of Hogwarts together except - professionally?"
Well, no - it had never occurred to him and as he was about to say so, she'd continued. "I'm quite certain that if you think on the events of the first twenty years, the four that followed it, and more recent events, you'll figure out why they can't really talk to each other right now."
Well, that had gone a small way to explaining the 'why' of it. But still... "I'm afraid I don't understand. If Severus didn't want to talk to Albus, why did he suggest we invite him out here?"
"I didn't say he didn't want to, I said he can't. There is a difference you know, and as to why Severus invited him?" Rising from the table, she'd replied with quiet dignity, "He did it for you." Without another word she'd left Harry alone, the front door closing softly behind her.
Astonishment might be the closest word to describe what he'd felt at her declaration. Then he'd thought that perhaps he finally had a starting point with Severus, so he'd gone to join his husband out on the side lanai.
That had been several hours ago. Having at last received a straight answer to his straight question, he now knew (with heartfelt gratitude) why Severus had insisted they invite Albus out to Hana, but he still wasn't any closer to figuring out how he could help with the other issues.
Poppy's words meandered through his mind and he thought he understood; if Severus' dreams and the little bits he'd talked about were any indication, his stint as a spy and servant to two masters had been horrible, and Harry knew from personal experience that Albus had always been at the heart of the effort. Given his own lingering resentment towards the old man as to how he had been used, both then and now, he couldn't begin to imagine how outraged Severus still felt - and he wasn't certain it was his place to even try and find out. Perhaps, as Poppy had intimated, the best course for him to pursue was no course - let Albus and Severus worry about it. It was, after all, their history and their problem and wasn't affecting him all that much other than little things like this morning. But - no, it was best he leave it alone - even if he didn't want to.
Uneasy, he sat next to Severus on a beach chair under the dubious shade of a half-grown Hau tree, its tall tangled broomstick-like roots protecting them from the rather stiff breeze this afternoon coming in from the mountains. Not too far away, Ben and Kalani were teasingly arguing over which bats they should use this year for their Halloween house decorations. On the other side, under her cheery red and white umbrella, Poppy was still reading that awful Muggle book; Albus lounged next to her, cracking and eating roasted pistachio nuts, the sand near him littered with the pale spent shells. Looking out, Harry squinted at the clouds hanging ominously over the ocean - someone was getting a hell of a storm. Here on their parcel of black-sand beach, the surf was rough and riptide warnings lined the high tide line like bright orange blobs at regular intervals as far as the eye could see.
Not that this stopped the surfers, the tiny bobbing dots far away from the shore marking the locations of the braver wave riders as they patiently waited for the 'right one'. He idly thought he'd like to try it some day, but Kalani had laughingly told him that if he couldn't even keep his footing on the prickly rocks the two times they'd gone out net fishing with Ben, then he didn't stand a prayer of staying upright on a board. Well, he reckoned he had a long time to learn and briefly wondered if he could devise a spell to make it easier.
He drew breath to ask Severus about the possibilities, when, out of the blue, Albus cleared his throat and said conversationally, "Severus, I meant to mention - I've noticed that Harry changed the curse marks on your chest. I must say, the new ones are definitely an improvement."
Harry sat bolt upright with the white-hot fury he could feel rolling off his mate. What the hell was Albus doing? Didn't he know the subject was so sensitive even he knew better than to bring it up? Well, maybe not, but what an odd thing to... "Ah, Albus..."
"What business is it of yours, old man?" Severus spat out quietly, his voice low and dangerous. Harry could hear their friends' bickering suddenly trail off.
Dumbledore looked a little taken aback by the venom in Severus' question. "My dear boy, I was only making an innocent observation. I meant nothing untoward by it."
No, it wasn't and, yes, he had. Harry was certain of that now. Was Albus deliberately provoking Severus?
Severus stood and walked the few steps to tower over the headmaster. "How convenient it must be. Say whatever takes your fancy, no matter the consequences, then hide and couch your pointed barbs behind a façade of humour and your advanced age."
Dumbledore may have taken longer to get to his feet, but he was no less imposing as he pulled Severus away from the Lauhala mat, away from Poppy and the others, before facing his friend. "Severus, you're overreacting. Truly, I meant nothing by it."
"Nothing? Just like everything else? You do 'nothing', you say 'nothing' without a reason. The gods only know..."
Albus raised his voice to drown him out. "And what possible reason, other than a casual remark, could I have possibly had?"
Severus sneered, his normally dulcet tones raspy with his heated emotion. "I haven't a clue, Albus. You do the things you do only on your own counsel. Certainly never consulting with any of your pawns beforehand, but always, ALWAYS with a purpose - usually an unpleasant one, at least for us."
Harry could feel the energy starting to crackle around them as Dumbledore moved farther away, replying loudly, "Aren't we a bit paranoid, my friend?"
Severus followed. Placing his face inches from the old man, he shouted, "Paranoid? With all we've been through? I think I have earned that right ten times over. You have the audacity to call me paranoid when every action, every decision you made, and rarely with my consent, I might add, was more than likely going to get me killed?" He changed his voice to a whiny tenor. "Oh Severus, I am so sorry, but it's for the good of mankind. I know it won't be easy, but we'll remember you fondly when they bring your body back - assuming they find one."
Having moved further on until they stood almost ten paces away, Albus yelled back, "Oh, now you go too far! You had choices, just like everyone else."
Harry sat forward, incredulous. No, they hadn't! He opened his mouth to protest when Poppy called out, "No, Harry. This is their argument, not ours." Well, maybe, but he didn't have to like it. Despite his discomfort in letting it pass, he bowed to her supposed greater wisdom and kept his own counsel, his initial reaction vindicated with his mate's heated response.
Trembling with rage, Severus retorted with biting sarcasm, "Oh, yes. So many choices, Albus. 'Kill in cold blood, my boy, so we can save others! Don't worry, we'll rescue you from Azkaban!' or how about 'Abase yourself and grovel at your master's feet, take your stripes like a good little boy so we can run in and be the heroes, once again, and save the day!'" His chest heaving, he cried out, "And who was going to save me? Who cared about my soul, my life, my day? The Order? Hardly! You? Fah! You no more cared..."
The silencing spell off the wand of the headmaster hit him full in the chest. His eyes blazing, Severus drew his wand. His brow furrowing in intense concentration, his eyes glazed and with a great crack! the words, "Now you go too far, sir," burst from his mouth.
Jaw hanging open, Albus didn't have time to react to Severus breaking the spell before he cast a wide duelling ward, saying viciously, "You want to silence ME?" Before it fully closed, they heard him add, "Now, we finish it..." before the sound was muffled by the magical dome encasing them.
Harry stood up in alarm when Severus cast the ward. He was about to try to stop them when Poppy again called his name in warning, shaking her head. What on earth? Surely she didn't expect him to let this continue? Or did she?
Ben, in a practical panic, cast a series of spells to blank the area from the Muggles nearby as Severus and Albus circled each other warily.
Harry took a step towards them but stopped when Albus threw a tentative stinging hex at Severus who retaliated in full; soon it escalated until they were fighting in earnest, the sparks flying, the air within the ward choked with smoke and ominous flashes of light. No longer content with the more common spells, the two continued circling each other in the sand, casting hexes at each other in a multitude of languages.
Fearful of the damage the two seemed to be inflicting on one another as spells connected, wringing grunts of effort and cries of pain from both combatants, Harry looked over at Poppy, suddenly incensed at her calm acceptance. When he moved over to confront her, she pulled his hand sharply, forcing him to sit down next to her on the hard mat. She flinched briefly as Albus barely dodged something that made the walls of the ward light up furiously in a series of small explosions.
Leaning over, she said quietly, "It's been a long time coming, Harry - ever since the end of the war. He's a deep one, our Severus; it's understandable that he bears a lingering resentment over some of the horrible things he was asked to do. I suspect the episode right before your wedding, no matter its purpose, pushed him over the edge of tolerance."
Feeling no triumph that his speculation had been on the mark, his eyes never left the combatting wizards. "Then why did Albus deliberately provoke him?" Harry asked. "He did, didn't he?"
"Why do you lance a festering boil?" she asked, wincing as Albus' socks started smoking. Severus stood to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, a pleased sneer on his face, which quickly turned to a snarl when, with a barked incantation, Albus bound him in a shimmering light that started to contract, cutting off Severus' air.
Harry couldn't stand this anymore. One of them was going to get killed - or worse. He pulled his wand, intent on entering the fray. Someone had to stop them.
A hand like a vise on his arm stopped him. "No, don't. They're not going to kill each other."
"But Albus just - Severus can't - he'll hurt him. And Albus shouldn't be..."
Her voice choked, Poppy replied, "I know and I brought his medicines. But he needs this. They both need this. And no, Harry, he can't really hurt Severus any more; this illness has taken so much away from him. While Severus has always been powerful in his own right, he can now best him if he puts a mind to it; Albus needs to see that although his magic IS diminished, he is still effective, still has value."
"Since when..." Feeling almost the same rush of anger he'd felt from Severus earlier, Harry exclaimed, defending his mate, "I don't believe this! Why is it Severus' responsibility to do this for Albus? Wouldn't you say Severus has been used quite enough already?"
Wordlessly, she turned her regard back to the duel; Severus had managed to free himself from the binding and, chests heaving with the exertion, the two men resumed their circling, flinging curses and hexes at each other, the words and spells muffled by the speed of their expression.
Her eyes fixed on her mate, her voice defeated, she explained, "Severus is the only one who can..."
"Can what? Get hurt again for Albus?" he asked hotly, jumping up in agitation. "Help him? Help him what? Prove that he's still a wizard?" When Poppy remained silent, her eyes widening in dismay, he added, "And this requires the further diminishment of Albus' health and Severus' possible injury to prove what? A point? Damn it, Poppy! I will not stand by and let either one of them continue this... this... stupid pigheadedness!" Drawing his wand, he strode off, determined to end the battle.
Panicked, Poppy cried to his retreating back, "No! You mustn't get involved, Harry!"
He turned quickly, the heated retort on his lips fading as his gaze took in the raw, sincere entreaty on her face. "Please, Harry. Please, come back here."
His arm dropped, wand by his side as he impatiently trudged back to join her. "I'm listening. Make it swift."
"You're ever so much stronger than Albus now." Her regard strayed to the duel as if reassuring herself that the two men were still all right. "If you were to fight him, you would hurt him badly - in more ways than one. Leave them be, Harry." She turned worried eyes to him. "You have no - personal - stake in this; they do. There are other reasons they are in conflict - deep and fundamental - known only to themselves. I'm no more happy with this childish display than you are; however, I do understand its inevitable necessity. Before you were born, hard choices were made and terrible prices were paid - by both of them. As I said before, this has been years in the making." She turned her gaze once again to the struggle, murmuring, "And we both know how - kindly - Severus would take it were you to interfere in what he sees as his fight."
Harry wanted to disagree, wanted desperately to shed the turmoil roiling through him. However, at least insofar as her comment about Severus was concerned, there was more truth in that than Harry really wanted to admit, but there it was. "Old wounds or not, I still think there has to be a better way for them to resolve their differences."
"What? You think Albus and Severus are capable of calmly and rationally discussing their feelings about this?" She snorted. "I can't speak for your Severus, except what I've observed over the last thirty some-odd years, but I can tell you that Albus is incapable of expressing his emotions to others in mere words. He's more of a 'show-it' kind of person. Is Severus any different? Hmm?"
What could he say? He felt some of his anger drain away; she was right, but the knowledge brought no comfort as he silently begged whoever might be listening to keep his mate safe.
He made room when Kalani and Ben joined them and they all watched, holding their breaths as the two stubborn wizards continued the duel. After a few more minutes of it, both of them scorched and limping, Harry realised they were yelling more than engaging; he dared hope the ordeal was almost over.
"Stop mollycoddling me!" they could hear a tired Albus demanding, a simple jelly-legs hex leaving his wand.
Slow to dodge it, Severus retorted, "What, can't take your own medicine?" His wand raised, an asp appeared in front of Albus. "Not until you stop trying to run my life."
Banishing it with a casual flip of his wand, Albus cried, "I do not try to run your life." A jinx flashed off Dumbledore's wand.
Holding his sliding shorts up with one hand, Severus mumbled the counterspell while Albus chuckled. "Got a problem there, my boy?"
"You doddering old fool!" Severus spat, a fire hex flying away from him.
"Maybe, but I'll have you know, I still have all my teeth!" Albus howled, dousing the smoking ruins of his aloha shirt. "Damn it! That was my favourite shirt!"
Quicker than thought, another spell blew off the end of his wand, catching Severus unawares. Flying through the air, he connected solidly with the side of the ward, bouncing off to land in the sand, skidding several feet flat on his arse, legs akimbo. His face flush with either anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell at this distance, Severus growled, saying with asperity, "Well, I wasn't particularly fond of these shorts, but, no thanks to you, I was rather attached to the layers of skin I'm now missing."
They stared at each other for several moments, then blinking, began to laugh. Deep, breath-stealing belly laughs rolled out of them until Albus was sitting on the ground next to Severus, the two of them leaning on each other, helpless in their mirth.
"I certainly hope they don't think I'm going to patch them up," Poppy muttered, staring hard at the rollicking pair.
"Given how we're taken so much for granted, I'm sure they'll assume we will," Harry replied, breathing a heavy sigh of relief, unsure whether he should laugh or rage. With a wry chuckle, laughter won - for now.
"We'll see about that," Poppy said as she tried to stand, the mat slipping in the sand. Harry had no such problem and, holding out his hands, helped her up. Brushing her shorts off, she whispered conspiratorially, "Now, my dear, watch and learn."
Determined, Poppy marched over to the duelling ward and, with a flick of her wand, it dissolved, revealing the two battered combatants still chuckling almost hysterically as they gave each other a hand up. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Pomfrey Dumbledore!"
Wincing, Albus gave them a pleading glance before turning sheepishly to his righteously angry wife. "What in the name of the seven hells did you think you were doing out there?" Grabbing Albus' braided beard, she tugged and led him, hobbling ungainly, off to their rooms, her non-stop harangue carrying clearly to the four remaining on the beach.
"Knew she needed a leash," Severus muttered, grimacing as he brushed the sand off his bum.
Harry rounded on him, his hands firmly on his hips, feet and legs poised as if he were going to attack. Ssseverusss Sssnape-Potter! Do you have a death wisssh?
"I think that's our cue to go get dinner," Ben told Kalani quietly when Harry's irate eyes flickered over to them.
Becaussse if you do, I can help you along. He folded his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I'd have to agree," Kalani answered. Moving off, he asked, "Think Severus knows what Harry's saying?"
"Harry James Snape-Potter, don't you dare speak to me in that tone of hiss."
Ben put his arm around Kalani's shoulder. "Think it needs a translation?"
If you ever do that again...
"Nah - pissed is pissed, whatever the language." Laughing, they mounted Kalani's scooter and rode off.
... I'll... I'll...
"He started it, I just finished it!" Severus exclaimed defensively, his mouth working to contain a smile.
"On your arse, I might add." Cooling a bit, he dropped his arms, watching their friends depart hastily. "Don't scare me like that, again. All right? I do not enjoy swallowing my heart."
Severus sniffed. "I was not the one on the offensive, if you'll recall."
"Oh? A fire hex is considered defensive?"
"Well," Severus poked a hole in the sand with his toe, "he did try to jinx my shorts off."
"Uh huh. Although I do admit, you did a good job pulling your hexes. It was quite considerate of you to let him win, given how he provoked you in the first place." He reached around and rubbed Severus' arse. "I can kiss it and make it better, you know."
Severus glared at him, one brow raised. "Provoked me? Albus? You must be joking." He looked to the side. "And I didn't throw it," he mumbled, a touch of pink colouring his cheeks.
Harry stared back, stunned; Severus really believed he'd started it?
Obviously mistaking Harry's incredulity, Severus wryly asked, "Does this mean I won't get my arse kissed anytime soon?"
A hard swat on that perfect bum seemed the best reply, all things considered.
.:0:. .:0:. .:0:. .:0:.
The slow sensuality of youthful skin kissed by torchlight did not move him as much as the soft lips gently feathering his brow. The graceful glide of bare feet sliding across dark sands did not leave him as breathless as the hand ghosting across his face and neck in aimless patterns. The light tattoo of long elegant fingers beating lightly on his hip in time to the ancient chanting, measured the calm beat of the pulse under his cheek. The soft sighs of mesmerised pleasure as his mate enjoyed the dance echoed his own sighs of contentment as he nestled snugly against the strong chest.
He didn't really care about the skillful display on the beach - he wasn't watching in any event; instead he concentrated on those brief flashes of unity as Severus touched him and the temperate, easy feeling flowing between them. Harry didn't much like conflict, didn't like feeling euphoria slide into despair, railed against cheer melting into anger. The constant highs and lows of Severus' volatile temperament sometimes exhausted him, which made this rare inner peace all the more special, something to linger over and savour, like the rich fare Malia had brought earlier for their supper.
Unnoticed, at least by Harry, Ben's Halau continued practicing their Hula by the light of a small bonfire and bright torches, their tall staves driven deep into the sand just past the high tide line. Instead, Harry's outward attention was drawn more by Albus sitting near them in a beach chair, his beard wagging in tempo to the dancers sinuously telling their stories. He'd been concerned at first when Poppy had placed their seats so close, but the two wizards seemed to have purged the anger out of their systems and their subsequent banter appeared to be back to normal, so he ceased his vigilance. Resting his cheek on Severus' shoulder, he sighed contentedly as he relaxed, completely comfortable and at ease.
Harry's attention sharpened with the gradual halt of both chanting and movement as Ben stopped his group, his harshly clapping hands beating a correction to an errant rhythm only he could hear. Harry felt Severus move his head away from where it had been resting against his, the heavy sigh and tender fluttering of the bond alerting him that something unusual was happening. Looking over, he glimpsed Albus, his face almost shining with his love, hesitantly stroking Severus' ebony hair. With a small pat, he rested his hand gently on the younger man's shoulder while Severus stared straight ahead, seemingly indifferent.
Harry looked away, a tightness forming in his chest as he thought about what the future held and struggled to control the haziness filling his eyes. A few minutes later, he'd almost managed to put the wayward thoughts behind him when he felt a small movement from his husband and, unable to resist, he looked over again only to see Severus rubbing his cheek across the back of the old man's hand, his eyes clenched closed in silent anguish.
Turning away, Harry tightened his hold on his husband's waist and settled in to watch the resumed dance, leaving Albus and Severus their final reconciliation in private.
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Friday 31 October 2003 HST
"An Obake house? On the Obake tour?" Severus asked sceptically, ignoring the cheeky grin from his husband sitting across from him at the table on the lanai.
Joseph, sitting between them, fiddled with his cup of tea, the remains of his breakfast pushed off to the side. "Yes. If you want to, that is. While Albus is at Hogwarts, we would have plenty of time to prepare."
Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Severus asked, "Prepare what?"
"The house, the yard, the drive. We'd put a special marker out at the road to let people know the house is on the tour; it's a lot of fun."
"And what would we do with them?" His bum still hurt from yesterday even with the healing Harry had done last night. He dismissed the uncharitable thought that his husband had not completely fixed it as some sort of lesson. Harry wouldn't do that.
"Oh, decorate them, of course. The scarier, the better. Everyone does it. Costumes, creepy things, we all try to scare the living daylights out of the kids who come trick or treating."
Severus sniffed, still sceptical. "Ben mentioned this trick-or-treating thing. What is it?"
Joseph smiled. "The kids dress up in costumes and go door to door begging for candy or treats. Supposedly, if you don't give it to them, they can then do 'tricks' or nasty pranks on you or your house in retaliation."
Wonderful. "Sounds more like open hooligan night to me."
Chuckling, Joseph replied, "Well, I suppose it could be, at least with the older ones, but the little ones are so cute."
Harry laughed, his eyes full of mischief. "Cute is not a word Severus has in his vast vocabulary."
Joseph winked and said drolly, "Somehow that does not surprise me."
Severus shook his head; Harry was up to something, but what? He couldn't even begin to guess; his husband was entirely too quiet on his end of the table. Placing his hands flat on the worn wooden surface, and with a long-suffering sigh, he asked, "All right, say we were to agree to this, what would we have to do?"
"Not much more than a little magic. Halloween is a huge celebration around here; it's the one night out of the year we witches and wizards here in Hana let our true natures out. Everyone else thinks we're just really good at the decorations, but in reality, every bat, cat, spell, potion, spider, cobweb, and character is real. Ben and Kalani are famous around here for their bats."
Bats? What the hell were they getting themselves into here? And would it come to visit them later? "Doesn't that make the residents the least bit curious the rest of the year?"
"Nah. Our wards are designed to keep people out when we're not around and there is the issue that everyone thinks our houses are 'Obake' or full of spirits. And even if some were courageous enough to brave a dare to go exploring outside of the holiday, the wards take care of the rest. We've been residents for years and never had a problem either before after the revelry."
"Revelry? This is a party?" Just how many people were they taking about?
Shaking his head, Joseph explained, "Severus, let me put this in perspective. There are some 4,000 people in the Hana region; fully half will be out tonight, the rest will be handing out candy. It's a full community activity. Being so far out, we won't see but a fraction of them, maybe 200 or 300 - more than enough to entertain."
Calm, he would remain calm. "Indeed. You said costumes?"
"Sort of - what we do is spell ourselves into a character - warts and all - that's half the fun! Malia, for example, always 'dresses' as a hag, Kahea' likes being a ghoul, and I'm always a mummy."
"We can be anything we want?" Severus mused, his thoughts turning to likely 'characters' he could become. Perhaps a scarecrow?
"Sure."
With enthusiasm, Harry said, "I've always wanted to be Quasimodo. You know, the whole grotesque, hunchback thing." His eyes widened. "Severus, you could be a..."
Not this again. "Don't say it."
"But, you would be perfect as a..."
"Say it and we'll have a real coffin with a real dead body in it."
"But..."
The picture floating through his head was just too painful to contemplate. Stubborn prat.
"Har-ry..." he sputtered in warning.
Harry almost hid his grin. "Sev-er-us..." Persistent whelp, waggling brows and all.
A new image passed before his mind's eye. Sexy. It did have a tempting appeal. "I'll think on it," he temporized, staring at his fully grinning spouse. Definitely up to something.
Joseph looked between them and their half-silent exchange. "So, you're going to do it?"
Did he have a choice? With a heavy sigh of resignation, Severus replied, "I suppose so, as long as it's only for one night."
"Promise."
Might as well be gracious about it. "Very well."
"I'll stay and help and when Poppy and Albus get back, they can pitch in, too."
Oh, good gads! Like Albus needed any more encouragement to be totally outrageous. "Why am I not reassured?"
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"Trick or Treat! Twick o' tweat."
"Wow, a pirate, and a... whatever-you-are..."
"I'm an alien," a young boy of about ten stated proudly as he tugged on an obviously uncomfortable silver costume.
"Ah, I see. Love the eyes. And you are a - Metamorph?" he queried the older girl dripping black make-up and sprouting a pink Mohawk.
Her hip thrust out in a body pout, she rolled her eyes. "Oh man, get a life. Punk star."
The confused hunchback mouthed 'punk star' and then, stooping low to the littlest one, remarked, "Oh, and what a cute... ?"
"Princess, Quasi. The little one is a princess. See, she has her crown, and her ballgown..." King Tut explained as he handed out the candy from a glowing pumpkin to the four 'brave' urchins standing warily on the lanai.
The trip down the walkway from the road, where their mother waited indulgently for them, had been fraught with peril. First they'd dodged the ghosts swooping and diving around the front of the house, ghosts that flew through them - and the old man with his long wild beard and tattered robes choked with living vines and leaves that were slowly turning him into a tree. As they quickly sidestepped his groping arms, they ignored his piteous pleas for them to help save him from a hideous, cackling old woman with a patched shawl who held an exceptionally long ax to his side ready to chop him down. Once past, they cautiously approached the lanai, sneaking up the half-rotten boards while tendrils of cobwebs, bristling with plump spiders, skittered across their shivering skin. Creep. Creak. Creep. Crack! Slap! - they jumped in synch as silent bats flew in and out around them and up to the ceiling, while wickedly grinning pumpkins started singing a bewitching song. Around them, a skeleton, playing a half-tuned fiddle, danced a merry jig.
Eyes wide and staring, the children said their Halloween greetings to a filthy hunchback with a misshapen eye and flying black hair. With a jolting gait and ape-like swinging arms, he held the menacing, glowing pumpkin, its toothy grin widening each time a hand went in to draw out its sweet bounty. A mummy, wrapped in greying decayed bandages, handed out chunks of whistling hard candy and chocolate frogs that hopped into their hands. The children were so enthralled by a stand of cauldrons spewing forth mists of bubbling fog and a herd of skanky black cats slinking out of the dark corners to wend and wind their way around their ankles, they were unaware of the tall vampire who stepped out of the shadows behind them.
Patiently waiting, the black-clad creature of the night surreptitiously waved his wand behind his back with a whispered, "Lumos." The children had no more turned to leave, their bounty secured in white pillowcases almost dragging the ground, when the alien froze, grabbed his punk sister and pushed her in front of him as the vampire, his sinister face lit from underneath by his glowing wand floating in front him, stood looming with his arms extended, cape spread as he hissed at them. Baring terrifying fangs dripping with blood, he lunged for the oldest one, crying "Lunch!" and cackled evilly.
His claw-like hands grasped at thin air a few inches away from the terrified boy already dashing off the deck. He laughed with gusto as two more terrified youngsters scampered past him, screaming "Mo-o-o-om!" The littlest one, a regal princess to her core, bravely tapped him on the stomach with her paper scepter, giggling as she cooed, "Cool costume!" With a skip and a wave, she was gone to join her siblings.
The vampire's shoulders hunched dejectedly as he muttered, "I mutht be loothing my touch." Quasimodo laughed so hard he held up the door frame.
Even the tree was chuckling when the ax woman commented, "Don't worry, Vlad, that's what? One out of a hundred? I'd say your reputation as the terror of the night is still intact."
"I didn't realise there were so many children living around here," Quasimodo remarked to the mummy.
"There aren't. They're driving over here, just like they do at our place and Ben and Kalani's and all the other Wizarding homes. The Muggles enjoy our particular brand of humour and know it's harmless; more than a few know it's real, but the kids don't. They think we're the 'coolest' houses at Halloween."
"Hush!" the old man hissed. "Here comes the next bunch!"
They all prepared themselves for the next round, the vampire hastily extinguishing his wand with a cursed, "Nox, damn it!"
Quasi looked over to see him running his finger over his bottom lip. "Bite yourself again, Drackie?" he asked, chortling.
"Hmph," was his only comment before their guests were upon them.
Five youths, all lean older teens dressed as gang members strutted onto the lanai with false bravado. Sporting t-shirts with identical skulls, chains draped all over their bodies, their shorts hung low, showing the tops of their patterned boxers. The vampire, smiling wickedly to himself, wondered how many of them he could... well, maybe not... This called for a different tactic and he cast a cold spell on himself as the cockaroos, derisively making fun of Quasimodo and Tut, took their candy with hooting catcalls to the skeleton. Then one of them kicked a cat out of the way.
It was too easy. He knew just what to do with bully boys.
Gliding soundlessly across the lanai right behind them, he extended his arms and gently placed them around the shoulders of the tallest two in the back, which still put him over a foot taller. Frozen, two sets of terrified eyes tracked back and up; he grinned evilly, showing his fangs. He pulled them unresisting into his cape and touched icy hands to the necks of the boys in front. Satisfied he had their undivided attention, he glanced up at Quasi, who had pulled his wand. Dracula wrapped them all in his cape, the frigid cold seeping from his body into theirs. The shivers of fright as he murmured, "Now which one of you strapping young men will make a tasty snack for tonight?" were quite wonderful and with a nod, Quasimodo cast the spell. With a loud crack! and a puff of smoke, followed by a blinding light, the vampire was gone and in his place was a huge black bat who hovered over them, hissing and showing long sharp fangs.
Five bodies, screaming bloody murder, leapt off the lanai almost as one and hightailed it up the drive, the huge revenge-bent bat hot in pursuit all the way to the road. His dizzy flight around and amongst them, made more than one trip and, stumbling to regain their balance, he beat their backsides with heavy leathery wings, his claws and sharp teeth shredding cotton shirts whenever he clung to their backs.
Minutes later when he returned, he hovered over the hunchback, clearly waiting to be turned back. Unfortunately, Quasi was laughing so hard, he couldn't get a word out, and as he slid down the door frame onto the wooden deck, the bat landed heavily on his head, smacking the side of his face with his wings. He hopped down and minced across the deck, an awkward progression until with a screech, he hovered once again. Wheezing, Quasi managed to choke out the counterspell and a very irate, yet smug, vampire stood on the lanai, wrapping his dignity up in his cloak. He sniffed and slunk back into the shadows as the old man called out another warning.
Pity - only three wet themselves.
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The tricksters and the children long gone and in their beds, Albus and Poppy sat out past the high tide mark on a blanket spread over the still-warm black sand.
"You must be exhausted," she said quietly, placing her hand on his knee.
"A bit," he hedged, "but I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I have eternity to sleep, Popples, but only once to really see our Severus have fun."
"Aye, the vampire spell was perfect. I suspect he managed to play out every misplaced rumour there's ever been about him."
"And maybe a few we didn't know about." Albus chuckled. "When he followed those boys..."
"They'll do well, both our boys."
"I daresay you're right. I almost wish..."
"I know - and I also know you wouldn't, even though you can, nor will you let Harry, either."
"True, love," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "But it is tempting."
"So is eating too much chocolate and drinking too much wine."
"Ah, yes, speaking of which," he said as he reached to the side and pulled out a stoppered carafe of Merlot, and two wine goblets out of a hamper. "Our last bottle," he said as he poured them both a glass, but neither one took an immediate sip, contemplating instead with fond eyes the ruby red liquid of the wine bought when they'd first come to the islands. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, his hand idly stroking her arm as she sighed and nestled into his side.
"It's been the best life, Wully. I wouldn't trade it for anything."
He sighed, pulling her closer to him, the arm still strong and warm despite his age. "We'll never come back here, will we?"
"Well, there is still Christmas, but after that? Probably not - we've little need for it anymore. It's their place now - we should leave them to it."
"I know - hard though - I love this place," he replied reflectively. "I like what they did with our house."
"Shush. Their home, their refuge, their place to play and find sanctuary. Just as it was ours."
"They'll need it."
"So did we."
"True." They stared off at the surf, lulled by the pulsing waves, the sound as soothing as it has ever been since the first wave struck the first beach. He turned to her, his glass raised in front of him. She touched the lip of hers to his as he quoted:
"Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye:
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh."
Crystal rang softly as the fluted edges touched one last time and, after draining the contents, lips the flavour of old wine joined in a silent farewell to the place that had always brought them respite.
It was theirs no more.
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TBC
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Albus' quote is from a drinking song by William Butler Yeats
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Many thanks to Aseneth for her 'dog story' I 'stole' and adapted in the beginning of the chapter.