Author's Notes: Thanks to MoonyPadfootJr for your constant support, Assur for your compliments! and Xaverii Jade for the wonderful beta and input!

A Loss and Not Quite a Gain

"Father?" Twenty six year old Corbin Hill walked tentatively to his father's bedside. The lung cancer had weakened him and the doctors had told them not to expect much more time.

"Corbin." His father's blue eyes fluttered open. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"You and that wife of yours still together?" His father liked Janna, but he didn't know she was a witch. Corbin hadn't told them, he couldn't bear for his parents to hate Janna like they hated him.

"Yes. Janna's with Mother right now."

"She's a sweet girl. You shouldn't have married her. You'll ruin her life with your abnormalities. Like you ruin everyone's."

Corbin felt nauseous. He'd thought maybe – with his father dying – that they'd come to a sort of peace. He should have known better – he should have known his father would never forgive him.

"You're damned. You try to pretend you're something you're not. You'll go to Hell." Archie Hill took a wheezy breath. His self-righteousness was giving him strength. "You're unnatural, no matter how you try to deny it. Get out of my house. I don't want a demon here when I die."

"Jack?" Janna Hill sounded worried, her head bobbing in the fireplace of Jack's flat.

"Hi, Janna. What's wrong?" Jack knelt down by the hearth. He'd just changed into pajamas and had been about to go to bed.

"I can't find Corbin. I've looked in all his usual places. Stevens is out of town and you're the only other close friend Corbin has. I thought maybe you'd know where he is? Or is there an auror thing you can do to find him? He was visiting his parents this morning – his father was sick – dead now…and I'm worried. Please. Could you help me?"

"Of course! I'll do a locating spell. I'll bring him home as soon as I find him." Jack liked Janna immensely. She was an outgoing, warm person who made you feel immediately comfortable in her presence. She had always been friendly to Jack, and never failed to ask him about his current boyfriend.

"Thank you." Janna looked very relieved. "Thank you so much."

Jack quickly got dressed in muggle clothing, mulling over the fact he was one of Corbin's two close friends. The thought made him happier than it ought to have. It took several locating spells to find Corbin. Aurors had low level spells on them at all times to make them hard to locate, a safety precaution against dark wizards. He walked into a pub in a small town in Wales. He scanned the dark smoky room and finally saw Corbin at the far end of the bar.

"Corbin." Jack sat down.

"Leave me 'lone." Corbin took a long drink of his beer. Jack had never seen him so drunk. His accent, which he usually tried to hide, was very thick.

"Come on, let's get you home." Jack took hold of Corbin's upper arm.

"No' goin'." Corbin tried to pull from Jack's grasp.

"Yes, you are." Jack didn't let go.

"'M goin' to Hell."

"I don't believe in Hell." Jack answered calmly.

"Does na matter. You'll be there too."

"Then I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time since we'll be together." Jack said lightly. Corbin looked up at him and Jack felt an almost overwhelming desire to kiss him. He was distracted from the idea by the barman wandering over.

The man had the glassy look of a muggle who had a confounding charm on him. Jack figured that must have been the reason he hadn't cut Corbin off. Jack pulled out some muggle money and put it on the bar. He didn't know if Corbin had spelled the muggle to give him drinks for free or not.

"Come on, let's get you home." Jack stood and pulled Corbin with him. Corbin had stopped struggling. His nose bumped against Jack's cheek as he stumbled out of the pub. Jack knew if he let go Corbin would fall. Jack got them around the corner into an alleyway when he realized he didn't know exactly where Corbin lived, he'd always floo-ed there. Apparating made certainty a must. Jack decided to Disapparate to his flat. They could floo to Corbin's house from there.

They Apparated into Jack's living room. Jack stumbled, not used to holding someone when Apparating and they fell onto the couch. Jack was inches away from Corbin's face. His handsome face. Corbin's eyes fluttered shut.

"Oh, don't pass out on me." Jack muttered.

Corbin's eyes flew open. "Sick." He mumbled.

Jack grabbed him and Apparated them into the bathroom. He held Corbin's head as the other man got violently ill.

"All right." Jack let Corbin slump to the floor. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

He fire called Janna, who was relieved Corbin was safe.

"Is there any chance he could stay with you?" Janna lowered her voice so that Jack had to lean very close to the flames to hear her. "Only…his mother is a wreck, she's here, and…it's…better…if he wouldn't have to deal with her." Janna said uncomfortably, glancing off to her left.

Due to a howler Corbin had received their seventh year at Hogwarts, Jack had some knowledge that Corbin's relationship with his parents was strained. Corbin rarely talked about his family.

"Of course." He said quickly. "I'll get him fixed up with some potions. He'll be right as rain tomorrow."

"Jack, you are my hero." Janna said with a quick smile. "Whatever you want, I'll get it for you. I have to go. Thank you again."

"Good night." Jack said as Janna's head disappeared. "Could I have your husband?" He asked as he walked back into the bathroom. Corbin was exactly where Jack had left him. "Did you listen to me? Or did you pass out?" Corbin's eyes were shut. "You need a shower…or something – because you reek. Then potion, then bed." Jack crouched down next to Corbin and moved one dark curl back from his damp forehead before stroking down the side of his face. "How can you still look handsome after retching your guts out? There ought to be a law." He put his hands underneath Corbin's arms, pulling him up.

"He's dead." Corbin said quietly, as his head came to rest on Jack's shoulders. "Bastard. Hated." He mumbled a few more words Jack couldn't understand.

"I know." Jack said soothingly, more to say something than to really agree, as he reached for his wand. Deciding that a wet, naked Corbin was more than his self-control could handle, he did some cleansing spells. He poured a potion down the other man's throat and then he half-carried Corbin into his bedroom, thanking Merlin that Corbin was thinner than he was. He thought about transfiguring the couch for Corbin to sleep on, but he wanted to be sure Corbin didn't get sick again during the night. He wasn't exactly sure how much alcohol Corbin had had and the potion would only absorb so much. And…he couldn't resist having Corbin in his bed.

"I'm an idiot, you know that, don't you?" Jack said conversationally as he lowered Corbin on to the bed.

"You're nice." Corbin replied, as he flopped onto his back.

"Thanks." Jack took Corbin's boots off, then stood. He debated the merits of undressing Corbin, then decided to do a clothes switching spell. A moment later, Corbin was in a pair of Jack's pajamas. The ones with the little sheep all over them – a joke gift from Liam when Jack had been battling insomnia – were an inspired choice. They brought out the blue in his eyes…and made him look about nine years old.

"Jack, room's spinning." Corbin said as Jack pushed him under the covers.

"Damn rude of it." Jack answered, quickly changing into pajamas himself.

"It's still spinning." Corbin said plaintively.

"The potion should start helping soon."

"I think…could I've some water?"

"Course." Jack accio'ed a glass and a pitcher of water from the kitchen. He poured some water into the glass and helped Corbin to sit up and drink. The auror took a few gulps and then handed it back to Jack. Corbin laid down, curling up under the covers.

"This isn't my bed." Corbin sounded a little more sober. Jack could tell the potion was starting to work.

"I know. It's mine. You're just staying over tonight." Jack climbed under the covers on the other side of the bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Better."

"Good." Jack jumped out of the bed and got a basin from the kitchen. "Here." He placed it on the floor. "In case you get sick again during the night."

"Janna asked you to find me?"

"Yes. She was worried about you."

"Doesn't matter." Corbin said softly.

"What doesn't?" Jack asked curiously.

Corbin buried his face into the pillow and didn't answer.

Jack woke and the first thing he saw was Corbin's face a few inches away. The other man was still sleeping. What a thing to have happen every morning, Jack thought. He reached out before he could stop himself and lightly smoothed Corbin's hair away from his forehead. Corbin seemed to push into the gentle caress. Jack wished, as he had so many times before, that Corbin wasn't married…they were good friends, they could have been good together as lovers. Except it wouldn't happen, and Jack knew it. Corbin was married. As long as he was married, there was no chance of being with him.

He rolled out of bed in a practiced move – he'd had lots of experience getting out of bed and not waking up his bed partner. He went into the kitchen and made some tea and toast. He was just thinking about attempting to make something more when he heard footsteps.

"Morning, sunshine, " he said cheerily.

"What am I doing here?" Corbin asked, his arms crossed over his chest. Jack was struck again by how adorable the sight of Corbin in pajamas was, especially when his dark curls were all a mess.

"Well, you went on a bender and your wife asked me to find you, so I did, and you stayed over." Jack answered truthfully. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"The thing I was trying to forget." Corbin answered cryptically. "That tea?"

"Yeah. There's toast too." Jack gestured to the plate. Corbin reached out and took a piece. He'd eaten a couple bites when he spoke again.

"Where're my clothes?"

"Oh, I did a switching spell. Then I put them…" Jack trailed off as he walked out of the room, it was only a few steps to his bedroom. He turned around and ran into Corbin who had been following him. Corbin's hand gripped his waist as Jack stumbled back a step. The heat from his hand made Jack forget what he'd been going to say. "Oh."

Corbin's brows drew together as he quickly removed his hand, stepping back. "Where are my clothes?"

Jack turned around feeling foolish, "Here." He grabbed the clothes from the top drawer of his dresser and shoved them against Corbin's chest. "I told Janna you'd be home this morning. I better get ready for work. You can just go home when you're dressed. I'll see you at the office." Jack escaped into the bathroom and locked the door. He took a shaky breath, battling to get himself under control. Corbin's closeness had sent shocks of arousal rocketing through Jack's system. He waited a few more minutes then he heard Corbin Disapparate.