Chapter 3:

Harry sank into James' embrace on their big bed, resting his head against James' shoulder.

"Tired?" James asked quietly.

"A bit," Harry replied. "We'll have an early day tomorrow, too."

The bond between them was quiet, stable. Harry half thought they ought to be ripping each other's clothes off by now, but it seemed the bond was content with their shared closeness.

James' arms tightened around him, and he placed a gentle kiss against the top of Harry's head. "We don't have to get physical tonight, Harry, if you don't want to. I want you, very much, but I'd understand if … you can't."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know what I want, James. This is good for now." He was quiet for a moment, thinking, then added, "I think true intimacy is hard for me, sometimes. I think sex is a quick fix-like getting off with you earlier satisfied the bond because it was an intimate act-but trust...that's a bit harder, honestly."

James hummed in assent. "Trust is necessary to true intimacy," he acknowledged. "I've rarely had that. In the past, I've had to divorce my sense of self from the intimacy of the act. With you, that's never been an issue. I trust you, Harry, with my heart." James swallowed. "I'm sorry that my actions, however excusable and permitted, caused you to lose that trust in me."

Harry turned his face into James' neck. "I just need you to be here with me, now. I need to know you're here. That you're not going anywhere. That … I'm still who you want."

James rolled them both over so that he was above Harry, and carefully lay down on top of him, pressing their bodies together and blanketing Harry completely. Gently, he brushed messy black hair away from Harry's face, and began to press light, fluttery kisses over his forehead. "I love your hair," James began, speaking quietly as lips moved from forehead to ear. "I love these ears. I love this brain-" a lingering kiss right the middle of Harry's forehead - "and I adore these beautiful green eyes." Light kisses dotted eyelids that had quickly closed. "I love your nose" - kiss, followed by small giggle from Harry - "I love your jaw" - he lingered a bit, leaving open-mouthed kisses down the strong jaw line until he reached Harry's chin. "Hmmm, but these lips …" James tasted them, then leaned back to look Harry in the eye. "I can't get enough of these. You taste like the best of all my favorite flavors."

He leaned back in and kissed Harry hard, on the mouth. "I love every beautiful bit of you, and I'd like very much to show you," he said quietly. "May I?"

Harry smiled serenely. "Yes."

James smiled back, and resumed his work, laying kisses down Harry's neck, sucking briefly on his Adam's apple, then unbuttoning his work shirt, laying kisses on each bit of skin that was revealed. He worked slowly, hands working to divest Harry of his clothing while his mouth continued its relentless tasting.

Harry seemed to melt into the mattress as his husband showed him just how very much he was loved, and wanted. Time began to lose all meaning as skin was bared, and his flesh was suckled. The curve of his ribs, just under his pectoral muscles. The crease of his skin just at the juncture of hip and thigh. The back of his knee.

By the time James came back around to Harry's now-naked, hard, leaking cock, Harry was panting with need. "James, please. Please. In me."

"As you wish, love," James murmured, as he raised himself up enough to divest himself of his own clothing, then reached for the lube they kept in the nightstand next to their bed. He also picked up a condom, not wanting to risk anything until he had a clean bill of health from medical. Slicking his fingers, he gently pressed against Harry's entrance, rubbing gently before slipping a finger in. He made quick work of the prep, sheathed himself in a condom, then picked up Harry's hips and slid inside his husband.

They both sighed. James leaned forward enough to catch Harry's lips with his, and began to thrust, slowly. "I'd never made love to anyone before I first made love to you," he confessed. "You, us, this"-he thrust hard and deep to a shocked and pleasurable grunt from Harry- "I've never had this with anyone but you."

Harry surged up under him and flipped James to his back, then began riding his husband with intent, taking him in as deeply as he could go, hissing against the drag of James' cock against his prostate. "James," Harry gasped out. "I love you so much, James."

Light sparked from Harry's body, as magic surged over his skin and reached out for James, who grasped both of Harry's hands and drew them over his own head, lacing their fingers together, ice blue eyes intent on Harry's own, letting himself be ridden, trying to hold back his orgasm long enough for Harry to reach his peak.

And then, Harry shattered, his magic singing around him as the orgasm rolled through him, taking James along for the ride as he, too, reached his peak.

Magic held Harry up for a long moment before the light filtered down, slowly, and Harry collapsed against James' chest.

"Never again," James promised firmly and quietly. "I will never again have sex with another person, as long as you live." Light flashed between them again briefly, as magic accepted his promise.

Harry pressed a kiss against a well-developed pectoral muscle, and hummed. "So mote it be."

IMBM

"It's getting late, folks," George pointed out. "Time for pranksters to head home."

"Aw," Ron and Alec said in unison, then laughed at each other.

"What are we, twelve?" Alec rolled his eyes as he asked.

Ron laughed, too. "Nah, didn't have this much fun at twelve. Too worried about a monster in the halls at school."

"Really?" Alec quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes," George said blithely. "But Harry killed it."

"Our Harry? Q?"

"With a bloody big sword," Ron confirmed.

Alec sat back. "You all have had some adventures together, haven't you?"

"You could say that," George said, "as long as by adventure, you mean, 'war and death defying experiences'."

"Yeah, that," Ron agreed. "The wizarding war was no picnic." Ron hesitated, and looked at George, who gave him an oblique nod. "George lost an ear, and we all lost our brother, George's twin, Fred."

"You lost a twin, George?" Alec asked sympathetically. "That's very rough. I'm sorry for your loss."

George shrugged. "Sometimes I hear him in my head when we're pranking, or inventing new things, offering ideas. It's hard, sometimes." He took a deep breath. "But he would want us to live and prank on, so we do."

Alec acknowledged this with a nod and smile. "To pranking!" He looked around a bit. "Wait, that needed a shot of something."

"Drink?" Ron asked.

"Let's." George agreed.

"We're off," Alec said, firmly, and steered them out of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to the nearby pub.