A/N: After resolving their differences from the last chapter, Lily's charm is submitted to MACUSA so she and Severus find reason to celebrate. Harry and Azalea learn of their mother's new relationship with initial mixed reactions.
Chapter 13 Discovery
Lily was beaming from dawn to dusk on the day she submitted the patent to MACUSA for review. Her charm performed flawlessly, and after a brief test at the MACUSA patents office in D.C., the wizard they'd been liaising with informed her that they'd get back to her in a week's time pending thorough review. Lily graciously accepted the offer and was paid a preliminary sum of 500 galleons for her work. Should the charm prove to be as successful as advertised, she'd be paid ten times that figure which'd increase her Gringotts savings a substantial amount. When she returned to Flagstaff later in the afternoon after a series of cross-country floo-jumps, she was grinning ear to ear when she stepped out of the floo in Severus' living room. Severus, regrettably, hadn't been able to accompany her on her trip to D.C., but he was waiting for her upon her return in the sitting room with a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers to celebrate. As the floo flared green and Lily tumbled out of it, she looked a right state with soot caking her face and her robes, yet to Severus, her smile never looked so radiant. A quick wave of her wand dealt with the soot, giving Severus just enough time to set down the champagne and flowers before she all but leapt into his arms.
"Easy now," Severus chuckled, as Lily jumped into him, wrapping her long legs around his waist.
"'fraid that's not an option Sev," Lily replied, not waiting for his response before crushing her lips against his in a plundering kiss.
Taken aback, Severus steadied Lily by gripping her tightly, feeling the swells of her arse even through the thick fabric of her robes as he braced her securely against his hip. Lily wound her arms tightly around his upper body, holding him just as closely as he was. Severus' lips parted willingly under her ministrations, tongues pressing together urgently as Severus backed the two of them, still joined at the hip, to the couch. One hand leaving her arse, Severus pried Lily's legs off his waist and laid her down gently on the velvet couch. He pulled away from her, drawing a needy whine from Lily, who stared up at him with her wide, doe-like eyes. Severus regarded her from above for a moment, raising his hands to card them through her hair with a smile and undoing any tangles as he went. Lily's eyes fluttered shut and her mouth parted ever so slightly as Severus leant closer and pressed his lips against hers. She opened pliant and willing, tongue sliding out to come play with his and taste him, her hands rising to stroke up and down his back, urging him to ensconce her with his body. Despite the overwhelming pleasure, Severus still hadn't had his fill, deepening the kiss and thrusting his tongue forward into her mouth, drawing a series of delirious moans from Lily.
"Mmm…you like it when I'm on top?" Severus said huskily, drawing back just for a moment before claiming Lily's lips again.
"Either works fine for me, I like to be on top sometimes," Lily returned, when they took their next break for air.
Severus' lips twitched upwards into a grin. "I'd gathered that," he chuckled.
Lily's hands traveled lower down Severus' back until they gripped the globes of his arse. She gave a firm tug, almost causing the man to collapse fully onto her. It was just the distraction she needed to pull his body lower, low enough so that she could kiss him again. She needn't have forced him, for Severus readily obliged and wasted no time reacquainting her mouth with his.
"Mummy?"
They leapt apart in the blink of an eye like they were red-hot to the touch, Severus pouncing off of Lily with surprising speed and athleticism. Lily practically leapt out of her skin as well, jumping upright and away from the heavily-blushing man who now stood a good five meters away, when seconds prior, he'd been right on top of her. Harry was stood in the doorway, rubbing at his bleary, green eyes with the back of his wrists. Clearly, he'd just gotten up from his nap.
"Harry…" Lily whispered. "What're you—"
"You like each other," Harry stated, his voice squeaky but confident.
Both adults' eyes widened, but neither lent voice to deny his assertion.
Harry's fatigue vanished quickly, a little grin taking its place. "You like each other," he repeated, they could hear the grin in his words.
To Lily's surprise, Severus answered her son first. "Yes, Harry. We do," he said, smiling at the five-year-old.
Lily and Severus had carefully kept most of their open affection from Harry and Azalea since their return. Sure, they exchanged more touches and fond looks in front of Lily's observant children, but anything beyond that was kept for when they had some privacy. Alas, their run of privacy had to eventually come to an end, and it was fitting that it did on the day that Lily submitted the patent for her charm to MACUSA.
"Mummy?" Harry asked, turning his attention to Lily.
Harry's eyes were wide and desperate, his lower lip quivering into what Lily hoped was a smile. Lily smiled at Harry, broad and genuine, and her son's quivering lip curled into a proper grin. "We love each other, Harry," said Lily.
Harry's eyes twinkled brightly, but before he could say anything, Azalea came toddling around the corner to stand at her brother's side, giving the older boy a knowing look. "See? I told you," Azalea said to Harry.
"I believed you! I just wanted to see for myself," Harry said back to Azalea.
Severus and Lily broke out into fits of laughter, soon joined by Lily's children. Harry and Azalea swept into the room to embrace their mother and Uncle Sev. Harry and Azalea both relished in the newfound closeness Severus and Lily were able to share, hugging both of them eagerly in a display of appreciation. After they separated, Lily asked her children to sit down on the couch while she and Severus sat across from them in armchairs. To her utter relief, Harry was grinning broadly, though Azalea looked a little more apprehensive than her brother at the sudden change in relation between them.
"Sweetie, pumpkin, I think it's time Uncle Severus and I tell you something," Lily said softly, her gentle words helping to put both children at ease.
"Tell us what, Mummy?" Azalea asked timidly, though the three-year-old had a good hunch as to what it was.
Lily's eyes darted to Severus, who returned her quick look with a subtle nod. Lily then turned back to her children, relieved to see them looking back at her intently. "Severus and I…we like each other very much, you've known this for some time, haven't you?"
Harry and Azalea both nodded.
"But there are different ways in which people, or friends, can like one another. Uncle Sev and I…we used to see each other as friends—" this wasn't entirely the truth, since Severus liked her as more than a friend for quite some time and she'd only come around more recently, "—but now, we like each other in the way—"
"—you and daddy liked each other," Azalea said succinctly, once again surprising her mother with her observational skills.
Lily noted her daughter's use of 'liked', instead of 'like' and was amazed at her ability to distinguish the two.
"That's correct, Azalea. Exactly how daddy and I liked each other," said Lily, smiling proudly at her younger doppelgänger.
"But what about daddy?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
Lily was relieved to hear there wasn't any disappointment in his tone, only curiosity and genuine confusion, confusion she hoped to put to rest.
"Daddy and I are, as you know, separated. So, what that means is, some time in the future Daddy will move on and marry someone else, and I shall do the same, hopefully with Uncle Sev, who will become your step-father," Lily explained.
Azalea's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but Lily made a quiet shushing noise and she pursed her lips shut. "You'll have…two daddies, Harry, Azalea, and that's how things will be going forwards. It won't change—"
"—But I already have a daddy," Azalea pouted. "Uncle Sev isn't my daddy, he's my Uncle Sev!"
"And do you like Uncle Sev?" Lily asked pointedly.
Azalea didn't hesitate, nodding fervently.
"Then you have nothing to worry about, pumpkin, you'll have your Uncle Sev and your daddy," said Lily. "The only difference being that me and Uncle Sev will be together like how daddy and I used to be."
Realization dawned on Harry and Azalea's features, both children sharing a conspiring grin before turning back to Lily and Severus. Their little grin caused both adults to share a smile as well, and without further delay, Harry and Azalea leapt out of their chairs and hugged Severus and Lily once more.
From that moment forward, Severus and Lily no longer bothered to hide their subdued displays of affection. Hugs and kisses in the morning drew frowns and gagging noises from Lily's children at first, though in time, they quickly gave way to smiles at seeing their mum and Uncle Sev so happy with one another. Obviously, anything beyond chaste kisses on the lips was kept behind closed doors. Lily recalled a young Harry walking in on herself and James four years ago when James' hand was up her shirt, and hers was down the back of his trousers. Harry was quite upset about it and his cries caused her and her ex to immediately jump apart to console their distraught son. While they kept snogging and the light petting they'd indulged in for their private moments, Lily couldn't help but feel a little frustrated that she and Severus hadn't done anything more just yet. She wanted more, and couldn't care less if she was considered greedy for it. As of yet, she'd only just started putting her hands up his shirt, and Severus was only now growing comfortable with palming and kneading her arse and legs, but she wanted more and Severus wanted it too, she could see it in his eyes. So, what was holding them back?
Two weeks after Lily submitted her charm to MACUSA, she received word that her creation passed their rigorous trial process, and that a ten thousand galleon sum, double her five thousand estimation, would be deposited in her personal Gringotts account promptly. Over two weeks, a team of senior MACUSA aurors tested Lily's latest creation in the field in a number of varied conditions. After her charm proved to be effective in all of them, she was awarded with a grant for her patent, and her Gringotts vault grew a whole lot fuller. Lily was over the moon that her charm was accepted and was due to be adopted by MACUSA, but the main source of her happiness was that she finally felt as though she'd avenged Marlene's sacrifice all those years ago. The charm was a tribute to Marlene, and while the money she'd been paid was handsome indeed, what warmed her heart and soul most of all was that she knew her old friend would be proud of her. Beyond all that there was Severus. Of course. The new, but also old, permanent fixture in her life. He'd sung her praises to high heaven for all her work, and without acknowledging any of his own contributions to the spell as well.
Unbeknownst to Severus, Lily transferred four thousand galleons into his account and asked the bank not to notify him, making good on her promise to give him forty percent of her earnings if her latest charm was successful. She couldn't help but secretly ponder just how long Severus would go before realizing that she'd indeed followed through on her seemingly-inconsequential promise over lunch at Bianchi's. Secretly, she hoped that when he did notice it, he'd remember her promise, and he'd thank her for it.
Little did she know that Severus had something special planned for her as well. Something very special indeed, with little to no money involved. A few days after the good news, Severus pulled Lily aside when her children were busy with their afternoon studies. He guided her into the sitting room and they sat down beside one another on the couch. She opened her mouth but she didn't manage to get a word out before Severus spoke.
"As…a congratulations of sorts, I've got a surprise planned for us this evening." Lily raised a brow, so he quickly plastered on; "Well, mainly for you, for your success…so, all I ask is that you trust me, and go along with whatever it is I have planned, all right?"
Lily gave him a soft smile and reached for his palm, twining her fingers with his. "On a Friday night?" Lily asked curiously, her gentle smile giving way to a more speculative one. "Might I be so bold to ask just what your plan is?"
"That'd ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?" Severus replied, smirking through his words. "All I ask is that you trust me, and I guarantee that our evening, and night, will be worth our while."
Lily's brow arched, the corner of her lip twitching upwards into a grin. "Worth our while?" she repeated, earning a grin and nod from Severus. "Well then…if your idea, Sev, of what's worth our while is the same as mine, then I think we'll both enjoy this evening very much."
Severus couldn't resist parroting her words back to her, not when she'd been putting her best foot forward at being a tease to him. "And might I be so bold to ask what your idea of an evening and night worth our while is?"
Lily's grin was immediate and salacious. Infectious levity spreading across her face until he was smiling too in eager anticipation. "Perhaps a night out on the town, maybe we could go to Bianchi's or back to that Thai place…both are good, and then after that, we come back here, I put the kids to bed, you put up your silencing charm, and…" she let her voice peter out into silence.
"And?" he couldn't help but ask.
"And then…well, I think you're a smart enough man to understand my meaning, aren't you?" Lily said teasingly, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"I am," he said haughtily. "And I quite like your line of thinking."
"I'd thought you might."
Severus grinned back at her and kissed her softly, not a ravaging or needy kiss, only seeking to give. Lily sought to return his affection, but the sound of approaching footsteps quickly had the two of them pulling apart. Lily's lower lip jutted out as she pulled away, her face a nigh-perfect blend of satisfaction and want for more. It almost made Severus want to kiss her again, her jutted lip, oh, so telling of her need for more—he'd only be too happy to provide, her twinkling eyes conveying her satisfaction with the affection he had shared with her. Soft footfalls told Lily it was one of her children, and she quickly schooled her expression from one of desire to one of her mama-bear self just as Harry rounded the corner.
"Harry, dear," said Lily, smiling in surprise. "You're finished already?"
"Mhmm." He showed Lily his notebook and opened it to the page he'd been working on, the lines filled with equation after equation of simple addition and subtraction. "Can I go play now?"
"Of course you can dear," said Lily. "Make sure you take your coat and hat though, it's rather chilly outside and snow's on the way, you need to be dressed warmly.
"Yes mummy," Harry replied with a nod. "Oh, and—err…Uncle Severus? Can I go with you this evening? When you go on your evening rounds?"
Severus briefly glanced over at Lily who bestowed upon him her seal of approval with a subtle tilt of her head. "Of course, just ensure that you're ready to leave by five o'clock. And as your mum says, dress warmly, it'll be quite cold by evening-time," said Severus.
Harry grinned broadly and hugged Severus. He then left his mother and Uncle Severus in peace, running along to his room with an extra bounce in his step.
Once Harry was gone, Lily turned back to face Severus with a wistful look on her face. "You wouldn't happen to know of any wizarding families around here, would you?" she asked hopefully.
To her relief, Severus nodded swiftly. "There are a few, I take it you're thinking of introducing Harry and Azalea to some playmates?"
Lily nodded. "That's what I'm hoping for," she said earnestly. "Back home—I mean in England, Harry used to have playdates with the Weasleys. Their youngest son is a couple months older than Harry and they got on really well. The Longbottom's kid is also about Harry's age, just a day older, actually. So, we often had them over at our house for playdates, or we'd drop Harry off at their house for a morning, or an afternoon or something. It's…well, he and Azalea both have missed out on that for the last few months…"
"And you think Harry would benefit from having others his age to interact with," said Severus, finishing Lily's thoughts.
Severus' knowing expression caused Lily to smile. "Yes, that's exactly what I think," she said.
"Wayne has a couple of young kids. A daughter who's about a year—no, a year and a half older than Harry and a son who's around about Azalea's age," said Severus. "To be honest, I've never really spoken to him much outside of work-related things…stuff about the birds and the like, but I could ask him if he'd be willing to organize a playdate for them, I guess."
"If you could, Sev, that'd be brilliant. Or I could too, I suppose," Lily said cheerily, drawing a smile from Severus. Earnest curiosity flittered across her face then. "What are their names?"
Severus blinked slowly, then briefly chewed on his upper lip in apparent consternation. "I believe that Wayne's son is Bryce…and if memory serves me well his daughter is Kelly."
"I see, and do you think they'd get on well?"
To that, Severus didn't have an answer. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know to be honest. I haven't talked with Wayne much about his wife and kids…he's a rather private man, at least when it comes to his family and his affairs outside of work."
Lily found that rather odd, since from her time spent conversing with the older man, Wayne was a very outgoing and friendly whenever speaking about his job or his role as the most senior among Severus' staff. The few times Lily had spoken with the senior ranger it was usually about Lily's kids or Wayne's duties as a ranger. To hear that the open and carefree man was guarded about his private life came was quite the surprise to her.
"So you've never spoken about them?"
Severus leaned back into the couch, leaning his head against the back and sighed. "Only in passing. As I said, he's not all that fond of discussing his life outside of work so I haven't had too many opportunities to talk about such things with him."
"I see…" Lily murmured, sounding contemplative. "In any case, I'd like to speak with him soon and ask if he'd be willing to let us introduce Harry and Azalea to his kids."
"You'd have to wait until next Wednesday to do that," said Severus. "He's off work until then, but I can help set that up sometime after he comes back if you wish."
"Sure Sev, that'd be lovely," Lily said gratefully.
The cogs and gears of Lily's mind whirred as she thought of ways she could broach the subject with Wayne, hoping that sooner or later, her children would be able to start interacting with others their age again. They were at crucial stages of their childhood development, and depriving them of the chance to have fun and play with other children could have lasting effects going forward. She remembered how Severus was terrified of her at first, and it'd taken him weeks to work up the courage to approach her and tell her that she was a witch. He'd never interacted with other kids his age, not in a friendly manner, at least. Oh, the other kids in Spinner's End bullied Severus plenty when they were both growing up, so until she'd come along into his life he lacked any positive interactions with just about any other child his age. Memories of Sev's skittishness and timidness played before her mind's eye, and she most certainly didn't want Harry and Azalea to come anywhere close to that by depriving them of human interaction. They didn't deserve it, Sev didn't deserve it, but his parents didn't care that he lacked any positive relationships with anyone else, and the last people she wanted to emulate as a mother were Severus' parents.
"I suppose you won't tell me what's on your mind for this evening, will you?" Lily asked eventually, having surfaced from her contemplative thoughts.
Severus shook his head. "Just meet me down here at six-thirty, and all will be explained then."
Lily knew she wasn't going to get anything more out of him now, so she didn't attempt to pry. And she soon came to cherish the fact that she didn't. Severus' plan began with a night out in Flagstaff at a local bistro he used to frequent with Michael. To Lily's surprise, Severus didn't seem averse to bringing Harry and Azalea along for the ride, she'd been certain that he'd want the night to belong to just the two of them and no one else. She was quite wrong about that, but she couldn't have been happier to be wrong. When she asked him why, he firstly indulged her with a smile and then said that when he wanted to be with her, he meant all of her in every aspect. Harry and Azalea were an inseparable part of Lily, and Severus didn't want them to miss out on celebrating their mother's success. Severus' thoughtfulness and love of her children nearly caused her to snog him right then and there in plain view of her children, but she just about managed to hold back on that. Their dinner at the bistro was pleasant and delicious, both Harry and Azalea were on their best behavior and the meal passed without incident.
By the time they were finishing up their desserts though, the anticipation for what the rest of the night might hold for them only began to build. They wrapped up their meal at a quarter to six and after paying their tab—Lily insisted on splitting, they headed back to the truck and drove back to the reserve. The drive back to the reserve was rather quiet and subdued, Harry and Azalea falling asleep in the back seats to the tune of soft Sinatra songs chosen by Lily. The sense of anticipation built between Lily and Severus, but neither said a word allowing the tension to build between them. After supervising Harry and Azalea's nightly rituals and tucking them in beneath their quilts, Severus and Lily once again exited the house, though this time they were alone with only the trees and stars for company. Severus stepped out of the house first bringing Lily along with him by the hand. He led her down the porch onto the gravel and then whirled around to face her. Even in the gloom, Lily could see his dark eyes glittering intensely, her heart thudding and soaring at the fire in his gaze. His eyes briefly darted to his wristwatch, then rose again to hold hers with that same, glittering intensity.
"Do you trust me?" Severus asked softly.
Lily bobbed her head up and down in swift agreement. "I do."
"Then close your eyes for me."
Lily did as she was asked, letting her eyes drift shut. She heard the beating of wings, powerful wings. Dust kicked up into the air as the beating of said wings grew stronger, nearer, she could almost feel the wind and dust being kicked up into her face. Before her was a thunderbird, there was no question about it. The touch of cool fingers on hers told her that was now was the time to open her eyes. Sure enough, Frank stood before her in all his majestic glory. Proud, tall, his grey-white coat all glossy and bright, Frank looked every bit the part of a powerful Thunderbird. A wave of her wand cleared the dust from her dress, and she felt herself be drawn closer to Severus with a swift tug of his hand.
She pre-empted his question before he even knew to ask it. "I trust you, Severus."
Severus blinked his eyes shut and allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. He leaned forward and pressed a swift kiss to Lily's crown, she reciprocated by doing the same against the hollow of his throat. Without a word, he guided Lily by the hand to Frank's side. The bird now knelt in the dirt, his head resting on the gravel. Green eyes widened in realization, a gasp as quiet as a gentle gust whistling past her lips. Did Severus really want to do that? With her?
"Are we?"
"Yes," said Severus. "We'll be safe, and you'll love it. Of that I am sure."
"B-but you hate flying," Lily whispered, sounding fretful.
"I hate broomsticks," Severus amended with a hint of a smirk. "I have no issues with flying. As long as you do as I say, I'm sure you'll love it too."
The grasp of her fingers tightened exponentially, her apprehension blown away to be replaced by resolve and determination. "Let's do it," she said firmly.
Severus kissed her then. "That's the Lily I know and love."
He guided her to mount Frank's back, the bird crooning in greeting and Lily smiling back at him. Lily petted Frank along his flanks, the bird crooning happily and Lily giggling in childish delight at his reaction. Severus then mounted Frank himself, sitting just in front of Lily and instructing her to wrap her arms around his waist.
"Not too tight?" Lily whispered into his ear, her arms wrapped securely around Severus' midsection.
"Just fine, even a little tighter would be more secure," Severus replied.
Lily shifted closer, the thin fabric of her dress not doing much to act as a buffer between herself and Severus. Severus quite nearly groaned as Lily pressed herself into his back, but didn't.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Alright then," and she swore she could hear the smirk in his voice.
Severus leaned lower and tapped Frank gently on the side of the head. The thunderbird cocked his head to the side to gaze at the human on his back. "Go slowly Frank. Nothing too serious, all right?"
Frank crooned in approval and slowly rose up off his haunches to stand. He fluffed his wings out and started beating them against the air, Lily's grip on Severus' waist tightened. With his powerful wings roaring to life, Frank achieved lift and slowly ascended off the ground in a hover, Lily yelping with surprise. Her arms tightened some more and now Severus felt as though he were choking, a tap on her wrist prompting her to loosen up a bit.
"Sorry about that," Lily mumbled, her lips ghosting over his neck. "We're…wow, this is incredible."
"Yeah," Severus agreed, smiling though Lily couldn't see it. "Frank, let's go a bit higher and level off above your hill, alright?"
Frank crooned in approval and beat his wings harder, ascending to several hundred feet above the ground, before commencing forward flight and soaring towards Scamander Hill. As Frank came to an idle hover just a few hundred feet above his hill, Severus glanced down at his watch and then up to the sky. He glanced over his shoulder for just long enough to tell Lily to look up. She did, and moments later, was greeted with perhaps one of the most beautiful flashes of light to ever grace her sight. A streaking bolt of white-yellow light shot across the sky, then another, and another, several more following after that. The dark, but dimly starlit sky soon lit up with an array of meteors. Hues of bright yellow, orange and white illuminating the night sky as meteor after meteor burned up in the atmosphere. Lily gasped audibly and Severus risked a glance over his shoulder. Lily's eyes were blown wide-open, her lips parted in a silent 'o' as she drew shallow breaths. Severus found himself transfixed on her beautiful features for a moment before turning away from to gaze upon the meteor shower once more. All of a sudden, he felt Lily shift up against him once more, the swells of her breasts pressing into his back and her chin coming to rest on his shoulder.
"It's so beautiful…" she whispered, child-like amazement lacing every word.
"It is, isn't it?" Severus replied breathlessly. "I've only seen it once before…and I found the experience utterly magical. I thought it'd be nice to share it with you. Hence, why I planned out our evening to celebrate on tonight of all nights."
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Lily smile. His gaze resting on the brief twitch of her lips for a moment before redirecting skywards to the falling meteors, the falling hunks of rock reflected in her glassy eyes with a greenish hue. "The next time there's a meteor shower, I think it'd be wonderful if Harry and Azalea saw it," she said wistfully.
"I'll keep an ear out for one then."
A kiss on the cheek conveyed her gratitude, her lips cold and chapped. Her arms once again wound around his waist, her lithe frame giving a momentary shudder as a gust of wind ripped past them.
"I'm cold," she muttered, now laying her head against his back.
"Then cast a warming charm," Severus replied.
Her body shook with her stuttering laughter. "What if I don't want to? What if I want you to warm me? This dress is awfully thin after all…and I could do with some natural warmth."
"I think I might have some ideas to help with that," Severus murmured.
Though she couldn't see his face by virtue of the fact that he was still facing forwards, Lily was entirely certain that Severus was grinning. He then tapped Frank on the side of the head. Frank crooned lowly in understanding and slowly descended from his hover towards the tree-tops. Frank then soared over the firs back towards the house, landing just on the roof outside of Severus' bedroom window. Frank sat down on his haunches and allowed Severus to slide off his dorsal fur onto the roof, he then extended his hand to Lily and helped her down from an increasingly-impatient Frank. Once Lily was down, Frank cocked his head to Severus and gave his friend a deep glare, quickly followed by an impatient chirp.
"All right, all right, keep your feathers on you great muppet," Severus chuckled.
He withdrew his wand from his shirt-sleeve and waved it through the air. A single slab of beef appeared in the air before him and he snatched it out of the sky, Frank's eyes widening and glittering with undisguised hunger. Severus then fed his friend his piece of meat, and was rewarded with a satisfied grumble of Frank's stomach as he wolfed down the slab of beef. Having eaten his peace, Frank trilled in happiness and then took off back into the night sky, no doubt heading back to his nest atop Scamander Hill.
"Oh, he's quite something," Lily said fondly, staring at the retreating, but still-massive form of Frank as he soared away into the night.
"That he is," Severus agreed. "Come on in, let's head inside."
He reached for the latch on the window and pulled it up. The fact that the latch was unlocked to begin with told Lily that Severus had this all planned out, she couldn't help but grin and shake her head at the thought. Severus guided Lily through the open window frame first, then with cat-like reflexes, followed her through. Lily idly took in the pristine state of Severus' master bedroom. To her surprise, it was only a little bigger than her own, but was far more neat and tidy with all his books, belongings, clothes and everything else arranged just so. She'd only gone into his bedroom five or six times over the course of her stay there, not wanting to intrude on Sev's privacy unless he gave his explicit approval for her to enter. She couldn't say she was surprised at all at how neat and tidy his room was, he'd always been a bit of a neat freak.
"So, we'll be spending the night here then, eh?"
"That's…what I'd had in mind. Although I must divulge I had a few more things in mind as well," he said huskily, chords of desire sprinkled across his words.
"Oh, you did, did you?" Lily asked rhetorically. She whirled around to look him in the eye, her own twinkling like emeralds. "I must also confess, Sev…that I'd been having much the same thoughts. And I say we take our thoughts to bed—" she held out a hand for him and he took no time at all to grasp it, his fingers hot against hers. "—wouldn't you agree?"
"I'd be perfectly amenable to your request."
There was no disguising the wicked gleam in her eyes now. "Good." Nor was there any effort on her part to mask the desire in her voice.
Severus guided her by hand to his bed, Lily toeing off her shoes as she went and setting them neatly at the foot of the four-poster. Severus did the same and lined up his loafers alongside her heels. Before she could shed any more clothing, Severus drew Lily against his chest and kissed the nape of her neck. Lily moaned blissfully and tilted her head to the side in hopes of giving Sev better access.
"Allow me," Severus husked, his breath hot and lustful against her neck.
Severus disrobed Lily first, and once she was starkers, Lily returned the favor rendering them both bare before the other for the very first time. They allowed themselves a brief period of silence to commit the moment to memory, storing it in the most sacred sanctuary of their minds, before taking each others hands and making their way to the bed. They laid down on their sides facing one another, kissed, laved, and explored one another with curiosity and purpose. And then, with their curiosity and wonder of one another sated, they came together and made sweet love to each other. After riding Severus to their mutual pleasure, Lily kept him inside her and within a few minutes he was rearing to go and hard again. Severus then turned them about so they were on their sides and facing each other, staring deeply into one another's went at it again for the second time. In the aftermath of their coming together, they both decided that a warm, cleansing shower was in order and the two opted to share the water, which inevitably lead to their third coming together within an hour. They agreed to call it quits after, though, for Lily'd nearly slipped in the shower-stall and was just saved from banging her head on the wall by Severus' quick reflexes. Lily quickly decreed that they'd never have sex in the shower again to the tune of Severus' laughter.
After a proper shower in which they kept their hands to themselves and swiftly washed away any evidence of their couplings with loving but lust-less touches, they headed back into the bedroom and redressed in their nightclothes. Lily knew full well it'd be foolish to wear their birthday suits to bed, she'd made that mistake once before and wasn't keen to repeat it. Severus helped Lily dress, an oddly intimate moment for them, before Lily returned the favor and helped Severus into his pyjamas. Severus then took Lily by the hand and led her to the bed for the second time that night. The lust from earlier had abated but there was no less love in his eyes as he gazed upon the woman he loved. Lily smiled back at him, her smile was sweeter than honey as she leaned up on her toes to brush her lips against his. Their passion was sealed for tonight, three times was plenty for Severus and he was utterly spent, but in their kiss laid the promise for many more nights like that to come. When Lily drew away, she looked far more bashful than at any point prior in their evening, and for the life of him, Severus couldn't figure out why. They slid in under the duvet and Lily turned so Severus could press into her back. He laid a soft kiss at the nape of her neck and felt her relax into him.
"Here's to many more nights like this," Lily said with a breathy sigh, sinking further into Severus' arms.
"Amen to that," Severus agreed, his breath hot, but calm on her neck.
Lily shuffled away from Severus, but before he could pull a face, she was turning about so she could face him. "Y'know…I think I might just have the motivation I need to get to work on my next project, and pronto, at that," she said teasingly.
"And why is that?" Severus asked, his words cooling on her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
"Will a night like this lay in wait for me every time I finish a charm or spell?"
"I think we can make it a more frequent occurrence than that. Shall we settle on twice a week? Would Tuesdays and Fridays suffice?" Severus jested in turn.
Lily chortled a laugh and made to whack him on the arm, but her fingers lingered as she felt the muscle there. "Oh, you're incorrigible is what you are," she murmured, though her eyes remained fixed on his arm.
"And you, dear Lily, are no different," he teased.
"The shag was that good, was it?" Lily asked lightly, her gaze darting down to his boxer-covered hips then back up to his face.
Severus took a moment to compose his answer, giving Lily a wan smile in the meantime as he thought. "To be honest…this is the first time I'd done something like this…so I don't really have anything to compare it—"
"—Wait," Lily interjected, a mix of shock and disbelief on her features. "You mean…you were a virgin? Sev, I thought you'd said—"
"—No," Severus said poignantly. "What I mean…is that I'd never…never made love before, you know? All the times I'd had sex previously…well it was just a quick shag is what it was."
"You'd never taken your time…indulged yourself, and made love, is that it, Sev?" Lily asked knowingly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Yeah, that," said Severus, sounding a little bit embarrassed.
"Well, that's nothing to be ashamed about, Sev," Lily said softly. "From my my side of things, I definitely enjoyed myself plenty. I'd go so far as to say I loved it."
"Oh, I certainly feel the same way," Severus said swiftly, smiling mutedly.
"So, did I," Lily assured, smiling gently. "And I'm not just talking about the sex, but all of it, the entire evening was…it was magical."
"Considering that we are magical beings, Of course it would be," said Severus, earning a small grin from Lily.
She then shuffled closer to him still wearing that grin, and kissed him on the lips. Severus wasted no time reciprocating and eagerly showed his affection in turn.
Though, their lips eventually came apart, Lily quickly shuffled closer to Severus and turned over so her back laid against his chest. The feeling of Lily in his arms was so, very real to Severus, and despite having shared a bed fairly frequently these last few nights, this was the first time she'd fallen asleep in his arms, ever. He sighed happily and pushed his nose closer into her hair, drawing a muffled sigh from Lily in turn. Her warmth in his arms served as a stark reminder of all he'd once lost, and all he'd gained since, it served as all the fuel he needed to never push her away or give her reason to leave again. He loved her, and their newfound closeness made the strength of his feelings even more apparent to him.
A/N2: Thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!