Awake And Alive
Chapter 3
After a fourth day of staying shut inside Scáthach's bed chambers, both lovers were getting a bit restless. Which was why Harry didn't try anything when she decided to get up once she recovered from her latest climax. She was stretching, entirely uncaring about her nudity. He had already seen and sampled everything she had to offer anyway and the nudity taboo wasn't much of a thing before the rise of Christianity. He was trying to find out what would come next when her soft voice snapped him out of his mental fugue.
«That was great, but I really need a bath...»
Indeed she did need one, what with the fresh trail that his seed was currently making down her thighs, slowly oozing out from her womanhood and the visible sheen of sweat on her skin. Such a sight made him remember a very important detail. They hadn't used any sort of protection beforehand ever since they became intimate. Before he could address that particular problem, Scáthach continued
«And so do you. My entire chambers reek of sex. A job for the servants I suppose. I was wondering Harry, when do you plan to go back to the World of the Living? You don't intend to stay forever in this desolate place, no?»
When Harry found his voice again, and boy was it weird to have a serious discussion with your stark naked lover a few minutes after the latest round of sex, he answered her
«I'm all for a bath, a good meal and going outside to do something else. Don't get me wrong Dear, making love with you is fantastic, but even my newly enhanced stamina can only take so much. Or In other words, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.»
He finished with a little laugh that was his lover
Harry sat down on the edge of the bed also uncaring of his own nudity. He made his neck and a few of his muscles crick then said what was on his mind. Scáthach didn't like to beat around the bush, so it was better be direct when speaking to her
«I don't have any definite plans for now. My whole «plan» was to come here and ask you to train me in hope of becoming a god once more. And now my goal is accomplished, thanks to you Scáthach. But I would really like it if you were to accompany me when I leave the Land of Shadows behind.»
Scáthach's head turned toward him rather quickly when she heard exactly what he said. And if he hadn't gotten to really know the powerful woman in these last five years, the intensity of her gaze and her silence would have most likely made him squirm by now. Quietly, she padded toward him and once in front of her lover she asked
«Harry, be frank with me. Have you been intentionally courting me with the goal to eventually gain access to my bed for some meaningless sex or are you looking instead for a serious relationship?»
Seeing the affronted look on his face, she raised her hands in a placating manner and continued
«Peace, my friend. I have gotten to know you well enough by now to be reasonably certain that you aren't a womanizer. But you have to remember, I come from a much different time period than yours. A time where many men were often nothing more than feral beasts and took what they wanted from women without a care about consent. Like I said a tad bit earlier, I know you aren't like that. But I still need to know what you wish to gain from our current arrangement.»
Once he was assured that she wasn't intentionally comparing him to some deadbeat skirt-chaser who only saw women as prizes to be won, it took all of his mental faculties to stare at her face and not her now very enticing naked breasts since she had just crossed her arms under them while waiting for his answer. And said answer was quick to come once he got his head out of the gutter
«I'm not exactly certain if I am actually in love with you just yet, but I do know that I truly care for you a great deal. I really want something serious between us. I hadn't originally intended to court you, but now that I somehow did it, I don't regret it at all. I really want you to come with me when I leave, because I would truly miss your presence in my life. However, the decision is ultimately yours and I will respect it no matter what your choice will be.»
Once his peace was said, he waited for her answer. After that, he would then broach the rather thorny subject of birth control. He really should have taken adequate precautions from the beginning, he should have known that it would be hard to think clearly during the heat of the moment. There was silence for a minute or two even if they felt like they were stretching forever. Then she answered him with a small loving smile
«This is really an interesting coincidence. I was about to mention that my price for training you was to be twofold. One, you would bring me back to the Living World with you when you leave.»
Scáthach then entered Harry's personal space and took his chin between her deceptively strong fingers to make sure she had his full attention with a very serious tone of voice
«And for the second part of my price. I know for fact that most if not all of the gods have a tendency of philandering around. But so long as we are together, Harry Potter, you. Are. Mine. I can and will confiscate your manhood if I find you in bed with another woman that I did not approve of beforehand.»
Seeing his look of utter incomprehension, she released his chin and let out a little amused laugh before telling him with a little secretive smile which keep baffling men everywhere, the very one that women worldwide always had the secret
«Harry, true power like yours, the hard earned kind, is like an aphrodisiac for most supernatural women. It's why I'm making my claim known right now. I'll likely be quite busy in the near future beating back possible suitresses with the help of my spears even without you straying occasionally.»
Harry took a moment to digest that nugget of information before simply shrugging his shoulders. He then said firmly, but with a smile on his face
«Well Scáthach, your price will be met. Taking you with me when I leave is hardly a chore and you will find out that I'm not like the other gods out there. I have absolutely zero intention of becoming a womanizer. I'm far from being an expert in romantic relationships, but I firmly believe in being faithful to my partner. Of course I also expect said partner to be faithful in return, it's only fair I think.»
That answer got him a pleased hum and a smile of approval from his lover then a loving kiss on the lips. Wanting to have some clothing on for the next part of the conversation, Harry fished out his underwear from the floor and put them on after she released him from the kiss.
She was about to call for the servants to prepare them a bath, to change her bed and to air her chambers when he spoke again
«Scáthach, please wait a second, there's something else we need to speak about.»
Still naked, the warrior woman turned around once more and looked at her lover with an inquisitive glance and a slight tilt of the head. She was clearly waiting for him to speak his mind
«It's a bit awkward, but well... we didn't use protection when we had sex. We need to, I don't know? Talk... about it?»
Harry was clearly out of his element. His previous sexual encounters had all been safe ones. When the first girl to show an interest in him in that way had told him of her plans, Harry had rushed to the closest store that sold condoms to buy himself a box. Of course, he had lacked the needed muggle money, but after hearing his plight, Dudley had spotted him easily. That reminded him, he would need to make a detour by Privet Drive to repay the money owed to his cousin...
Scáthach looked at Harry with clear incomprehension in her ruby red eyes. Then seeing as she wasn't understanding what he was talking about, Harry tried a few other words
«You know, birth control? To prevent unwanted pregnancies?»
Scáthach's incomprehensive look first turned into a pensive frown, then into a slightly guarded look before answering her lover
«Harry, that particular subject is one that is considered as women's affairs only. It's not something we womenfolk usually discuss with men. I'll answer you just this once since we don't come from the same time period and you seem to be genuinely worried about it. But you must first give me your word of honour that you won't bring up the subject again until you wish to ask me to either be your wife and/or to bear your children.»
Harry willingly gave his word to his sexy lady friend, thus Scáthach gave him a quick summary
«I brewed a special elixir for myself with the help of very specific herbs that I grow in my private garden. Once drunk, this elixir makes it so that conception is impossible for a certain amount of time. You can trust me, I took my precautions before seducing you. We won't accidentally create a new life. Once back in the Living World, I will either buy the elixirs needed from an apothecary or brew them myself if I find the right ingredients when my current dose wears off. I do not intend to stay celibate now that we are together.»
And that was the end of it. If she said that she had things in hand, Harry was quite ready to trust her. God, that conversation had been awkward...
Finally, Scáthach and Harry stayed two more days in the Land of Shadows to prepare themselves for their reemergence. Harry had to retrieve quite a few of his personal effects that had somehow gotten all over the castle and Scáthach had to make sure her servants would keep her castle in good order and pack what she wanted to bring along. She wasn't certain when or if she would ever return to the Land of Shadows, but it was better to be prepared just in case. Once everything they both needed was loaded in Harry's coracle, the young man turned it around on the dead river, coming back the way he first got here..
Harry let Sguaba Tuinne sail for about ten to fifteen minutes before calling on his powers as the Ferryman of the Dead. Just like when he first came in five years ago, there was a brief moment of primordial darkness, before they reappeared in the Land of the Living. Sadly for them, today it was dark and stormy out there. Gruinard Bay was quite agitated, but with a thought, a dome of divine magic covered the top of the godly embarcation, protecting its occupants from the nasty weather. While Harry could have calmed the water of the bay, he decided not too. His coracle could sail any waters and the sea was his Domain. So a little bit of stormy weather would just be a refreshing change from a calm sea.
Harry then decided to head south after hoisting all the sails and while he did that, he opened himself to the world, looking for everything he had missed during his absence. Ron and the rest of the Weasleys were fine. Fred could now walk by himself with the help of a cane, and he and his twin's business was booming. Strangely, Ron and Hermione didn't make it as a couple. He had been certain they had been made for each other. Shows what he knew. Talking about his best female friend, he couldn't find her anywhere in Ireland or the British Islands. He knew she was alive and well, but she was most likely abroad. It was the same for Luna. She simply wasn't in his perception range. He had difficulty pinpointing Neville's exact location. It was like something was trying to evade his divine sight, but was only partially successful.
«Hum, it might be something worth investigating later on.»
He could feel Tonks just fine with a young man that he guessed was her son Teddy and also a woman who was probably her mother. He would have to make a visit sooner rather than later. He had been named as Teddy's godfather, but he hadn't taken responsibility for it. But better late than never he guessed. Fleur and Bill were still going strong. They also had a little girl. Harry could feel her young lifeforce. Charlie was likely back in Roumania since he couldn't find him anywhere in his Domain. He would likely have to ask the Weasley family if he could take time out of work for a visit from a family friend. Hogwarts was still standing and was stronger than ever! He could feel the castle's powerful magic radiating all the way from here! Headmistress McGonagall must have reworked the Castle's wards. Maybe he should go visit incognito and give them another boost? It was food for thought.
He would make his rounds in the coming days, to catch up with his friends and to see what else he had to do. That was one of his flaws, he never stopped to truly plan ahead. He had survived for so long that he never learned how to simply live. A large part of him had expected to never escape from Voldemort's life threatening shadow. He would have to work on that. And he would also have to get Scáthach up to speed with the modern era. Ancient Gaelic was no longer the common language among these parts. Could he bless her with the needed knowledge instead?
Something was telling him that it wouldn't work and that he was worrying for nothing. With but a thought, his coracle took them from Gruinard Bay all the way to the Thames' mouth. From there they would make landfall in London in due time. Harry was wondering if number twelve Grimmauld Place was habitable, if not he would just rent them a suite in a hotel. He wasn't in the mood to turn around and go to either Avalon or Tír na nÓg. Merlin was always a pain to deal with even on a good day and he wasn't prepared in the least to deal with whatever he would find in his Kingdom. The memories of his past life were strangely lacking about that subject. Maybe a last prank from the trickster side of Mac Lir… The dick… For all he knew, Fand was still alive and was waiting for her husband to come back home to her. Now that would be really awkward…
XxX
Once they made it to land, Harry discretely conjured an umbrella large enough for the both of them and let Feth Fiada's mist form to cover them. During their evening walk hand in hand, he answered each and every question his lover had about everything with patience. It was a bit amusing and surreal to be the teacher for once after being the student for half a decade. Soon enough they were in front of #12 Grimmauld Place. Once inside, Harry had a nice surprise in seeing that the house was spotless. It seems that someone had taken good care of the house in his prolonged absence. And the portrait of Walburga Black had been removed. Now that was one hell of a blessing. From there, it was child's play to get themselves settled. There was some confusion since Scáthach seemingly expected them to have separate bedrooms and only sharing a bed when either of them wished to be intimate, but Harry told her frankly with a soft loving voice
«I enjoy sleeping with you in my arms. We don't need to have sex all the time, cuddling is good too. Stay with me, please.»
She favoured him with a beautiful smile and shook her head with a bit of incredulity. Will wonders never cease? A man not afraid to show his emotions and his vulnerability in front of a woman. He really was a keeper. She settled with him in the master bedroom with no further protest. Once done and back in the kitchen, the new Lord of Capes decided to just bite the bullet and called out loud
«Kreacher?»
With a whip crack-like noise, an old House Elf suddenly appeared in the room.
Still bowed with age and with his croaking voice, he answered
«Master Harry is back! Master Harry called Kreacher?»
Their relationship had been better than it was in the beginning ever since the truth about Regulus Black's demise had come out, but Harry wasn't certain about which kind of reception he would have gotten after five long years of absence. It looks like he simply got worried for nothing. The Black's family House Elf was seemingly looking only to serve. So Harry decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth and simply said
«I am back from a long training trip, Kreacher. For the time being, I intend to live here with my lady friend, Scáthach. »
From there it didn't take long for Kreacher to be made aware of the basics. Needless to say, the old elf didn't care all that much. He was just happy to have people to serve and more work to keep him busy. He did confirm that Master Harry gave him permission to answer his lady friend's calls and after that, he vanished with another whip-crack sound but not before telling them that there would be breakfast, tea and coffee served to them the next morning.
The next morning once he was fed and watered, Harry decided to be a man about it and went to see the Tonks family. Scáthach offered to accompany him, but he declined politely, citing that he needed to take responsibility for his actions. He was the one who ditched everyone counting on him with little to no warning to go on another hairbrained quest. He now had to pay the piper so to speak. That was why he found himself, a certain amount of time later, in front of a lovely two story house near Islington. After taking a fortifying breath, the new god of the sea rang the doorbell. Soon enough a near carbon copy of Bellatrix Lestrange cracked open the door. But having been the one to execute said woman and also having been the one to sail her to her ultimate reward, he knew that she wasn't that woman.
«Good morning, and excuse me, Mrs. Tonks, but is your daughter home? I'm not sure if you remember me...»
The mature woman opened the door and waved him in before telling him with a soft voice
«You did change a bit over the last few years, but you still are rather recognisable, Mr. Potter. Please, come in. I'll fetch Dora. Teddy is currently playing upstairs.»
Harry did as he was asked and felt the hair on his arms rise once the door closed ominously behind him. He was so screwed, he just knew it. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn and all that. Godly powers weren't going to save him this time. Well, he could likely teleport away but it was better to take his lumps now rather than later.
Nymphadora Tonks effectively had a load of things to say to him and not many of them were pretty to hear. It was only her mother's many timely interventions that saved him from being hexed to oblivion by the irate single mother. Andromeda stayed silent until her daughter accused him in tears of being the one responsible for Remus' death. Harry felt responsible for many things, both good and bad, but the casualties suffered at the Battle of Hogwarts weren't among them. He still felt guilty for a lot of things that had been out of his ability to control, but he was starting to heal and to learn how to let go. Harry had willingly walked to his death once for the sins of the British Magical World. No more. Andromeda came to his rescue just as his temper was starting to get the better of him and a rather visible glow was starting to fill his emerald green eyes.
«Now Dora, you are letting your anger speak for you. Calm down a bit, will you? Mister Potter is not responsible for the death toll of the Battle of Hogwarts. He isn't responsible for the atrocities committed by the Death Eaters in You-Know-Who's name. And no, he also wasn't responsible for Remus' death. That was Fenrir Greyback and that rabid beast has now been cut down by Misters Longbottom and Weasley, thank Merlin for small blessings.»
Once Harry had gotten his fraying temper back under his control and Dora had mastered her own emotions for the time being, she launched herself into another tirade
«Where were you for all these years? Remus named you Teddy's godfather! You were supposed to be here! You were supposed to help us raise him! But no, you buggered off somewhere else like a coward for half a decade instead of facing your responsibilities like a man should! You were supposed to be our paragon! The one the Wizarding world would look to for guidance now that Professor Dumbledore is gone. We needed you to root out the remaining Death Eaters, the Blood Purist movement and the corruption in the Ministry. You should have been here to put things to right. That was your duty as the Boy-Who-Lived!»
Once again, Andromeda tried to intervene but Harry stopped her with a raised hand. He released a bit of his aura if only to make sure to get his point across; and told the now rather shocked women with a calm tone of voice
«I admit that I should have been present in Teddy's life. I should have taken the time to come here to explain exactly why I was leaving beforehand. That I didn't do so is on me and I will take full responsibility for that. But for my so-called «duty» to the Magical World, I'm telling you right now to forget it. I have zero intention of pandering to the whims of a society that simply refuses to grow up and to learn from their mistakes. I already gave this society too much of my blood already and I refuse to give up my hard earned freedom. I killed Voldemort, the prophecy is fulfilled. The future of this society is now up to the rest of you. If you want further help, then you should just offer your prayers to the old pagan gods. Who knows, one of them might answer your pleas.»
Both women couldn't have more different reactions. While Andromeda was calm if a bit surprised about the Muggle-raised young man mentioning the old gods, her only daughter was now becoming even redder with anger. So taken by her strong emotions, Nymphadora drew her wand and put the sparkling tip right under Harry's nose and told him in a deceptively calm voice
«I think I heard you just say to me that you won't do your duty to your community, kid. Please, tell me I heard you wrong. Because if I'm right, I'll hex you to oblivion and then drag your sorry arse to Hogwarts for a little chat with Professor McGonagall. She's simply dyingto see you again. She was in a right state of mind when she found out you had vanished on her without asking for permission.»
She finished in an ominous tone of voice.
Again Andromeda wanted to intervene to try to calm things down, but Harry's reaction simply baffled them both. The young man openly chuckled and said with a clear amused smile on his lips
«Tonks, I'm no longer afraid of Professor McGonagall and I'm not a kid anymore. I've fought day after day with little rest in between against someone much scarier and much more powerful than the Hogwarts Headmistress and I lived to tell the tale. Put your wand away before you get hurt will you? I didn't waste my time during the five years I was away. My so-called «duty» to the Magical world is over. And since I was already over the age of seventeen by then, I was legally an adult. I didn't need to ask anyone for permission to do anything.»
Just to prove his point after realizing that the auror wasn't about to stand down, Harry moved at astounding speed, grabbing Tonks' wand and taking it away from her. He then had the sheer gall to twirl it around his fingers like the magical focus was a simple drumstick before handing it by the handle to Andromeda. Taking advantage of the dumbfounded look on both women's faces, Harry adjusted his jacket on his shoulders and said
«Now, can we talk this out like reasonable adults or will you keep being difficult and having unreasonable expectations of me?»
In the end,Tonks listened to the voice of reason even if she grumbled a lot under her breath. Things would likely still be frosty between them for a long while, but the young mother had learned to pick her battles. As much as she wished otherwise, she no longer had legal authority over Harry. Last time she checked, there wasn't a warrant for his arrest and he had just proved that she couldn't force him to do anything at wand point. She might not be on active duty as much as she had been before she became a mother, but Tonks was no slouch in magical and nonmagical combat. She had kept in shape and restarted her physical training as soon as it was safe to do so. Her level of physical fitness and her good health had been two factors leading to surviving her quasi-fatal wounds at the Battle of Hogwarts. But now Harry was seemingly on a whole other level than her. It truly was unfair. If only she knew the entire truth… But Harry wasn't about to spill the beans to everyone and their mother.
After putting the ordeal behind them, Harry finally got to meet his godson. The young god was rather surprised to see that the tyke had inherited his mother's metamorphic gift. He made this stunning discovery when the young boy changed his appearance to mimic Harry's. While it wasn't love at first sight, Harry knew he would quickly grow attached to the little boy. The young god stayed for two more hours before he felt he had overstayed his welcome. After telling the two widows that he would still be staying at twelve Grimmauld place for the time being, he took his jacket back, since he had eventually taken it off later on during his visit and left. During his walk back, Harry felt better. It felt liberating, for a lack of a better word, to take responsibility for his own acts. He had made the mistake of cutting contact without warning and he had assumed the consequences were his own. Was this what it meant to become an adult? He really wondered.
XxX
The next few days Harry and Scáthach fell into a new routine of sorts. They would wake up a bit after dawn and go to the other side of the street and exercise in the deserted park. Of course, Harry was using the mists of Feth Fiada to cover anything unusual going on. After a nice workout, they would go back inside the house to shower and eat breakfast. Sometimes they would make love in the shower, a novelty for a woman coming from a very different century than her lover, but it wasn't an everyday activity. After a good breakfast, Harry would explore London and its suburbs with his lady love until lunch time. Each day they would eat in a different restaurant, sampling the cuisine from other countries.
For dinner, either Harry or Kreacher would cook something, depending who managed to get in the kitchen first. The first few days, the god and house elf almost came to blows for ownership of the culinary domain, until Scáthach cleared her throat and solved the situation
«Why don't you rotate with each other regarding who will be cooking on a particular night? That way Kreacher still feels useful and you can keep amazing me with your talents outside of the battlefield.»
After seeing their sheepish faces, she hid her face behind her hand and murmured after a deep sigh
«Ugh, men...Gods, give me patience, for if you give me strength...»
Scáthach soon found out that she greatly enjoyed sleeping her entire nights cuddled in Harry's arms. But for some reason, tonight she couldn't fall asleep, despite them having a good work-out beforehand. Harry had propositioned her for sex early in the evening, and since she was in the mood, she had said yes. Her lover could only get better with more practice; and she had truly enjoyed being with him since he had made a habit of satisfying her first before letting himself go. Now she was ruminating a bit on every thought that passed through her head.
She had never realized how much she missed a humanoid presence around her until she had the real thing at hand's reach. Now, she was dreading the possibility of this warm feeling vanishing and never coming back. The Witch of Dun Scaith didn't wish to be alone any longer. But it seems that Harry had somehow felt her inner anguish since his arm around her waist slightly tightened its grip and he deposited a few butterfly kisses in the nape of her neck which had the effect of making her shiver with renewed desire. In a voice heavy with sleep, he told her
«You think too much, Luv. I can hear the gears turning in your head. If you can't sleep, I can think of something else to do to pass the time...»
She could easily detect the implication in his voice and even if she hadn't recognized it, his wandering hands straying to erogenous places would have been a clue she wouldn't have been able to miss. They had gone to bed naked after all. Scáthach thought about it for a moment, before letting her actions speak for her. She rolled around and claimed Harry's lips with her own before straddling him. Of course, such actions made the drapes covering them fall down, exposing her in all her naked glory to his hungry gaze since he was now entirely awake. Harry would never get tired of seeing his lover in the buff.
It didn't take very long for both of their bodies to be ready for their intimate dance. Reason took a hike and only Pleasure stayed. The Queen of the Land of Shadows would be very distracted from her worries for the time being.