See chapter one for warnings/disclaimers/notes, etc.
They landed at a reasonably sized airport and Theo roused Harry as they taxied to the designated slot for disembarking. He stroked his fingers through the messy, tangled mop and pressed a kiss to the side of that famous scar. Harry stirred, faintly, leaning into the caress like a cat.
"We're here." Theo hummed, adding a bit more pressure, digging his fingers into the scalp to hurry along the waking process. The strokes turned to nice, welcome rubs with a hint of a scratch.
Harry gave a soft, appreciative moan, before vivid emerald eyes blinked open and immediately shut. Harry grimaced. "Glasses, Theo?"
"Just a moment," Theo drew them from his pocket and slipped them on that adorable face as Harry drew back, eyes closed, facing him expectantly. "Wanted you awake first."
Harry's green eyes blinked open behind the protective lenses and he gave a wan smile. "It's dangerous." He looked away, pushing the glasses further up his nose.
"You can't hurt me." Theo whispered back. He caught Harry's chin and turned that adorable face back towards him. "You have more control than you think." He kissed Harry on the nose and handed over his puzzle book, drawing his wand to cast the necessary charms to freshen and straighten them behind the privacy of their curtain.
"How many'd you do?" Harry took the book, flipping through the pages, eyebrows arching upwards. He liked to help solve them sometimes, even if his suggestions weren't really suggestions or helpful at all. Theo was sweet that way and he liked that softer side of his very sharp, Slytherin husband.
"Enough." Theo drew a pocketwatch from his lapel pocket and clicked it open. "Kingsley's here."
Theo had finished at least a third of the book. Harry hid a smile. He'd already ordered a new set. It would arrive at their apartment sometime in the next week. He'd have their house elf, Lucky, bring it over if Theo went through the others before then.
"Of course." Harry snorted. The chances of Severus leaving his precious lab were next to none, unless threatened with bodily harm and only if threatened by Kingsley himself. But he'd grown to appreciate the snarky, prickly man and held him in a somewhat grudging respect. Merlin knew he'd saved his life enough times, when he honestly had no reason to. Harry tucked away the puzzle book into his carry-on that he'd stowed beneath the seat in front of him.
Theo rolled his eyes. "And if he came out in this bright weather, you know he'd be perfectly miserable." He drew out his own carry-on and checked through it quickly, whipping out the new ID's for their new location and mission.
"Did you read the-" Harry stopped and rolled his eyes as if scolding himself. He reached up and fingered one of his earrings instead. A moment later, his voice echoed in Theo's head.
Did you read the mission file?
While you were sleeping. Sleep well?
Yeah. Thanks.
Want it?
Yeah. Just a sec…
They stood up and straightened, about to draw the curtains, but Theo turned at the same time Harry reached for him. Their foreheads brushed lightly and the mental exchange leapt between them, silent and quick, as years of practice had made it.
Thank you. Harry grinned. He would be saved from having to read the file on his own, now that he had his own 'mental' copy, complete with Theo's own jibes to entertain him.
"Anything for you." Theo quipped. "Ready?"
Kingsley was indeed waiting for them in the quiet, end corner of the receiving line. He waited until he was sure both of them had seen him and then he turned and made his way towards the parking lots. Theo and Harry took their time following, taking in the new surroundings and making mental notes of important things like, distance, security measures and the current price for parking in the parking garage before the evening hours.
A lovely, navy blue SUV was parked in the corner, with Kingsley waiting in the driver's seat.
The young wizards promptly climbed in the backseat and then swung their respective gear into the open trunk space. They settled in, fiddling with the muggle safety seatbelts as Kingsley began to back out of the parking space.
"Are we driving all the way there?" Harry wrinkled his nose. Travel rarely agreed with him unless it was on foot or a broom.
Theo reached into his jacket pockets and produced a vial of Stomach Soother.
Harry grimaced, but took it, downing the liquid in relief. He brightened a moment later, and then scooted over to snuggle into Theo's available side. "Hi Kingsley." He smiled at the older wizard in the rearview mirror. They could talk freely now, the SUV was well-warded and Unspeakable-assigned, as a personal craft to the Shacklebolt household.
"Hi Harry," came the amused reply. "Good flight?"
"He wouldn't know," Theo answered, his left hand already finding its way into the soft curls at the base of Harry's neck, fingers rubbing gently along the warm patch of skin. "He slept the entire way."
"The entire way?" Kingsley laughed, a warm sound that filled the vehicle. "Lucky lad."
"Indeed." Theo smirked at Harry's near pout and tugged him even closer. He knew if their positions were reversed, Harry would be teasing him just the same. It was simply part of their dynamic. "How's Severus?"
The dark wizard shook his head. "That bloody bat will drive me insane." He muttered.
"Really?" Theo perked up. He always enjoyed hearing things from Kingsley's point of view. They were far more entertaining that Severus's clipped, clinical summaries. "What did he blow up this time?"
"This time, he's actually trying." Kingsley groaned. "It's some explosive potion, with a reaction delay or something like that." He shuddered. "I've been skipping off to the grocery store and unnecessary, useless stakeouts for peace, quiet and sanity."
Harry snorted. In spite of the seemingly unorthodox pairing, Kingsley and Severus were fairly well suited for each other. Both had deceptive looks, powerful magic and definite aura that they could turn on and off at will. And while Severus's sharp tongue could cut through anything, Kingsley's endless patience had the same equivalent of torture when he turned that unnerving gaze on an unsuspecting victim.
Both were fairly set in their habits, routines and with no desire to deal with the fairer sex and the drama that came with them and somehow had morphed from friends to spouses, perhaps the same way Harry and Theo had come about. Kingsley had his own annoying cache of habits to unleash, but as they did with most things, they took turns.
Apparently, Severus's exploding potions meant that it was his turn to indulge himself for a little while. Kingsley might complain, but Harry knew the older man was proud of his brilliant husband and his genius mind. He smiled, thinking of the last mission they'd collaborated on. It had been over in a flash, but it'd been fun just the same. Brilliantly executed and wonderfully exhilarating.
"Stakeouts?" Theo inquired, mildly. "And please tell me the wards are soundproofed."
"Habit." Kingsley reminded him. Soundproofed wards were practically a habit for all Slytherins and Severus had instilled that particular snippet of information within the first weeks of their deepening friendship. Like most Unspeakables, they all had their quirks and some of them had become life-saving habits. "And you'll be staying on the second floor, it's perfectly sound. The woods, actually. There's a reserve, an Indian one. I haven't really-" he frowned. "I've been more concerned with other things. "That was supposed to be Severus's job, because he wanted to go tromping and poking around in the woods for ingredients and Merlin knows what else."
Theo nearly smiled. Kingsley hated stakeouts, he was more of a quick strategist and a man of action. There was much he could do that didn't require him to stand or sit still for long periods of time. In this way, he would make the plans and foist them off on a willing Severus who, with all of his years of spy training, could handle it like a pro. "Has anything in the files changed?"
"Well, there is a note on the Cullen family, the one with the animal-preference?"
"Mmm?" Theo let his hand slip from Harry's neck to skim down his side, where he calmly slipped said hand under Harry's shirt to caress the warm skin.
Harry all but fairly purred with delight.
"A new resident—daughter of the town's police chief—seems to be a singer one of the Cullen children—the mind reader, Edward. They've been dancing around each other since she arrived."
"A singer?" Theo's eyebrows arched upwards. "That's rather rare, isn't it?"
"There's a one in a million chance of a singer and their designated vampire being alive in the same century, much less in the same proximity." Kingsley sighed. "And it's so painfully obvious, if it were Severus teaching class, he would have hexed them within the first week."
Theo chuckled. Harry sniggered along with him and then nuzzled his side, appreciatively as the exploring fingers began to stroke a familiar rhythm along his side.
"Which of you is playing my assistant?"
"I am." Theo winked at the reflection in the rear view mirror. "I told Severus, but I wager you haven't been home."
"He exploded his lab and the house elves couldn't help repair it, so he had them moving things into the kitchen so he could work, while he took breaks to clean it up by himself." Magic could render some of the ingredients useless, so it would all have to be done by hand and with patience and an expert eye.
Theo grimaced. If there had been an explosion, he'd likely find himself down there cleaning and-ow! He started, faintly and turned to look down at Harry's mischievous eyes. He didn't really like being pinched, but Harry had long since realized what an effective way it was of arresting his attention. "What?"
"Don't worry, I'll help Severus clean." Harry stuck his tongue out, childishly. "Since I know you won't want to get your hands dirty."
Twin spots of red appeared at the tops of Theo's cheek and he pressed his lips together, not speaking, even as Kingsley chuckled in the front seat, a knowing smile on his broad face. "Much obliged, Harry." Theo pinched him back, enjoying the definite squirm, before Harry poked him in retaliation.
Harry's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. "I'll help him clean and you can watch the potions, if that wouldn't take too much energy? I wouldn't want you to wear yourself out."
Theo made a choked sound in the back of his throat.
This time, Kingsley laughed out loud.
A/N: And this time, Harry had a chance to tease back. They're adorable, aren't they? Anyway, we'll see Severus in the next chapter. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this bit of fluff. Thanks for reading!
NOTE: An Unspeakable is a high-caliber wizard in the HP Universe that works at the Ministry Of Magic inside of the Department of Mysteries. There is very little known about them and they never speak of what they do, hence the term "unspeakable".