Frustrated, she sat in the library again, frustrated that she wouldn’t have much time left to use that hall. The mere thought – that everything he had told her at Christmas and insisted so hard on ever since – that he would have to be the one to kill Dumbledore just in order to protect – at least she had a vague impression now what Severus’ life was like. She was part of that life full of lies – she was hiding things so essential for Harry to succeed – so essential that he wasn’t to know because the knowledge of it might make him fail. After all those months still a gruesome logic, but she had given Severus her word. She had sworn not to tell, just like he had sworn not to tell. At least Dumbledore had finally given up wishing to interrogate her, apparently knowing, that he had more important things to concentrate on now. Just like her. For the first time, she didn’t give a damn about exams – and didn’t even feel regret.
Eyes almost fallen shut, she skipped pages over pages for Potions awards. Eileen Prince. She was nowhere to be found. Was that girl really just false hope? Was it in fact – mere coincidence? Robbing her eyes, she picked up the old photograph taken from the Prophet for what felt like the thousandth time. With a chuckle, she stared at the round glasses. Her shallow face; she looked almost like Myrtle. Obviously very pale and not too pretty. Well, she was. But only at – the thousandth and first look. Hermione sighed, got up and put everything back in order.
Up in the common room she was greeted by Ron who didn’t look too awake either. Harry had left for Dumbledore again. Just in the moment she had asked whether he had returned already, he was storming in through the portrait hole.
“I haven’t got much time.”, he burst, completely out of breath. “Dumbledore thinks I’m getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen to me. Listen closely.”
By the look on his face she knew she wouldn’t see the library ever again. The story he spat out, confirmed the awful truth with waterfalls of calamity crashing down on her. This was it. Malfoy had succeeded at whatever his preparations had been. And she had a vague idea, what it might be.
“Don’t look like that, Hermione. I’ll see you later.”
She only stared after Harry and Ron at the sock in his own hand, keeping the rest of the Felix Felicis. Luck. As if it would help anyone. She knew it meant that Harry expected a battle, and this meant that her gruesome idea could just be right. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given it to them. Otherwise he would have kept it for himself, for obtaining the Horcrux. And that, hadn’t occurred to her until then. That there could be any way to smuggle in Death Eaters. Would Severus really let it come down to something like that? Would he accept the blood of innocent students defending the school, be spilled, just for then killing an already dying old man to prevent one boy from becoming a killer? And then victim? Just for the possibility of keeping a stupid wand from Voldemort’s grasp?
“He’s gone mad now finally, hasn’t he?”, Ron chuckled.
“No. I don’t think so.”, she swallowed, the photo of Eileen Prince still in her hand.
“Now hang on.”, he noticed it, “You’re carrying this around like it’s a relic.”, and snatched it out of her hand.
“Hey!”
“Honestly – you think she could be that Half-Blood Prince? The greatest Potions Master of all time? I mean, yeah – she looks like Snape, but that doesn’t make her good at Potions, does it?”
“What?”, Hermione aspirated, snatching it back from him.
“Apart from her glasses – which she could have stolen from Harry, you can’t deny she does look a bit like Snape. Only the nose isn’t that awful.”
“The nose – ”
While I came exactly after Mother, he was Father’s mirror, if not so well-built in the end. I inherited a tiny bit more of Father’s size – and his nose, unfortunately. How – how could she have been looking at that photo for so many times and not having recognised this face? His face? After she had studied it so many times? Even after she had seen how she had looked like years after school?
“Hermione?”
“He left them – she looked after him alone – the – after all that had happened, it was the mother – married a Muggle – end of story – ”
“Hermione? Are you alright?”
“I – what?”, she glanced at him, then stared back at the photo. “I – that – ”, `bastard´ remained unsaid. “Give me that map.”, she seized the Marauder’s Map and searched hastily – there – in – Slughorn’s office – “I’ll be right back, Ron. Right back.”, she snorted and handed him back the map.
“What?”
“Wait here! Please! Try not to lose that flask! If Ginny comes, make her stay as well! Just – do as Harry said! I’ll be back in some minutes!”, she moaned, rushing through the portrait hole.
“What the hell – ”
Running like her life depended on it, she sped downstairs and through corridors, past an outraged Filch who didn’t even see who had just hurried by. There was a slight tremor, causing her to stumble. Something ringing in her ears for a moment. Then it was gone. Though she wasn’t in the mood for worrying about that. Not even if it meant that the shields around the school had broken and Death Eaters were about to flood the grounds. Sliding around a last corner, she came to halt in front of Slughorn’s door right when it was opened and Severus stepped out, looking rather annoyed. But there was no time for caring about his expression.
“YOU!”, she barked, pushing the surprised man back in. “YOU!”, they both landed on the thick carpet, Hermione sitting on his groin then, boiling with indignation.
“Miss Granger!”, Slughorn moaned. “Could you please discuss your relationship problems somewhere else than in my – ”
“SHUT UP!”, she panted heavily, making Slughorn back away. “YOU!”, Hermione yelled again, slamming the photograph on Severus’ chest. “HOW CAN YOU? IT WAS YOU! IT WAS YOUR BOOK! YOUR SPELL! YOUR! MOTHER!”
“Leave us alone.”, he said calmly to Slughorn, who didn’t need being told twice. “Close the door.”, he waited for him to be gone. “Hermione – ”
“You lied to me!”, she cried.
“I didn’t.”
“You did! You said that Harry’s mind is and open book for you, but you knew about the book because that is the only thing the spell has ever been written into!”
“But Harry’s mind is indeed an open book for me,”, he noticed.
“That’s not the point! You also said you have never heard anyone saying that incantation!”
“Because the only times I used the spell, I did it without speaking and Harry had said it before I entered the bathroom because the Vow made me feel that Draco had gotten hurt.”
“That is not the p- what?”, she broke off, perceiving the meaning of his correction. “You – ”
“Exactly. So stop yelling at me.”, he tenderly took her hands. “I didn’t lie at all. And where did you find that photo anyway?”, he nodded to the paper, still lying on his chest.
“It was in the library.”, Hermione sighed.
“Naturally.”, he murmured. “I thought I had forgotten at least one.”
“What? You’ve – you’ve raided the articles?”, she didn’t need waiting for his answer. “And now you tell me that you actually placed that book in Slughorn’s cabinet, or what?”, she moaned.
“Yes.”, he answered calm.
“No!”
“I missed half a lesson, spending it in the Potions Classroom invisible, waiting for him to finally turn up and then confunded Horace so Harry would actually get his hands on my old book.”
“Oh, my, god!”
“I had to undo one day that I ruined a talent which had ever been present in my family tree, hadn’t I?”
“You – but you know what you did by that?”
“Yes, I know, and I feel absolutely sorry for that. But listen, Hermione. We don’t have much time. Horace had kept moaning at me for hours, crying his soul out, until I got a phoenix-delivered letter from Albus. That is why I was about to leave, right when you knocked me over. He has discovered the hiding place of a Horcrux and will try to retrieve it with Harry tonight.”
“I know. They just went off. Harry told us everything. Also that Trelawney had been caught by Malfoy who had been `celebrating´ in the Room of Requirement.”
“That was in the letter as well. Hermione – the task Draco has to fulfil – he finally got aware that he will not be able to do it alone. There is a Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes.”
“A Vanishing Cabinet? We have spotted him in the shop in summer, walking around a huge – but what use would it be?”
“Do you know how a cabinet like this works?
“I – no.”, she said honest.
“You would need two of them, both working, and form a passage in between. Then you could use it to travel from one to the other, even across magical barriers like those around Hogwarts. There is in fact a second one, here in Hogwarts. Maybe you can remember, a former student of mine, Graham Montague, had been thrown into it last year.”, and how she could recall Ron wishing that guy the worst. “Though due to the fact that Peeves had damaged the cabinet before, Montague nearly died from it. It was like he had splinched, cut off around the waist. Now it seems, Draco has managed to repair it and rebuild the passage.”
“What?”, at least that was proof that her guess had been right, but –
“Hermione – I have gotten to know whom he wants to bring here. Any of them is almost as dangerous as Voldemort himself! They will wait for Albus to return and circle him. That is when I have to be there, kill him and lead them all off the grounds again. By that letter, Albus has officially made me the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is on me to protect the school tonight, but also on me to act as a true Death Eater so I can – ”
“Cary out the full plan – ”, Hermione nodded faintly. “So Ron and I will do exactly what Harry told us? Protect Hogwarts with the other teachers?”
“Yes.”
“But the cabinet – it would be a weak point of the school then, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“So the passage must be destroyed once more.”, there was a pause. “You say, Peeves just dropped it?”
“As childish as Peeves might be, he is a very powerful Poltergeist. Though not a fully living being, he is capable of magic, as you know. I think he did a little more to it than just – ”
“What would destroy it? Fire?”
“Perhaps, yes. But it would need to be powerful, magical fire.”
“You don’t happen to have the hair of a Death Eater who is involved in the plan?”
“Hermione – ”
“Well?”
“Get off me, please.”
Hermione was still sitting on him. Taking the photo, she stood up and helped him to his feet. She watched him rummaging for his pouch and summoning something from it that looked like a –
“Now that is a little macabre.”, Hermione frowned when he laid the bone down on the carpet and pointed his wand on it. “What?”, it had turned into an obviously dead body of a woman, wearing a black cloak over her dark magenta robe with tufted sleeves and an ornamental decorated, dusky pink Death Eater mask – if it hadn’t been for the size, it could have been Umbridge.
“That is Isabel Mullbridge.”
“Rather was.”, smirked Hermione.
“She was a very mysterious woman. Rarely speaking; being there when he called for her, but never to be found by anyone else. It was not easy to track her down after her name slipped out of Draco’s mouth. When I had finally found her, I intended to use Veritaserum to get information, but she unfortunately seemed to have found a flask of the antidote which she then carried with her and was able to drink it all before I could force the serum down her throat.”
“But you have found out what you needed nevertheless, right? You – you tortured her!”, Hermione interpreted his look right.
“How does this come as such a shock? But yes. And it wasn’t until her last breath when she coughed out the information about the Vanishing Cabinets and the people probably coming and that she would be the one on guard if he should actually manage to form the passage. You see, rather than Harry, Draco has done his Occlumency homework. Though flurry might still give him away. Nevertheless he has been persistent enough to not grant me any access.”
“Does anyone know she’s dead?”
“No.”
“But they would be curious, wouldn’t they? If she’s supposed to be on the watch, I mean.”
“Yes. That is why I didn’t want her to die, you see?”, Severus moaned.
“And Polyjuice Potion only works with the living. You know that even better than I do.”, she snorted.
“Oh yes. And unfortunately she completely shaved her hair and cut her nails to prevent such beforehand. She was a very prepared beast. I can go far in torture, but actually ripping off nails or cutting off fingers even, is beyond pleasures. Yes, for me as well. And you also know that blood doesn’t work. But well, I already managed to get someone to take in her place. Since she never said much, I only needed to find a woman in her size, eager to break some rules. After all, we have those Marks. They come in handy sometimes, if you know how to trick them so he doesn’t get aware of the use. But it is dangerous. You won’t know whether he knows or not. So on that matter, I decided for – ”
“How tall is she? I can’t tell – ”
“Hermione!”, he caught her intention immediately. “No! I already have someone for the job!”, but she countered with a stern face.
“We don’t have much time, don’t we?”, she pointed out. “And I’m here already”
“And I said, no.”
“Severus, I’m not dumb.”
“I never said you were. But once in a while we all happen to have such a moment of incredible naivety, where we develop this one absolutely brilliant idea which we fall in love with instantly and nearly fall victim to it as well, but fortunately a second later someone comes crashing into our world like a Dragon escaping from Gringotts, smashing it completely by telling us that our idea is the biggest rubbish anyone, dead or alive, has ever managed to come up with, by presenting us with this simple, necessary two-letter refusal.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Severus. No Dragon can escape from Gringotts.”
“If someone set it free,”, he noted.
“Right, I agree with you, but only because you have given me proof of the possibility of such a situation right away. However, setting one of these free, is probably one of the dumbest things to even consider.”
“I never said that I would want to free one of Gringotts’ Dragons, and that is actually not the point here.”
“Se– ”
“I said, no.”
“And I said yes.”, she hissed, glaring at him.
“It is dangerous, Hermione. One toe out of line, one split-second of their doubt – are you sure, you really want to do that?”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely sure?”
“Positive.”
“Very well, but you must be utterly careful.”, he warned, cautiously taking another thing from his pouch: a walnut sized orange crystal, very similar to the Instant Darkness Powder Fred and George imported. “When they are gone, wait at least half a minute before you open the cabinet. Place this inside. Don’t, and that is important, don’t close the cabinet. That would make the crystal move to Hogwarts. Set it on fire. It is powerful enough that you only need a small spark to lit it. Then you have ten seconds to leave the shop and Disapparate back to Hogsmeade, before the whole area shows its guts to London. Can you do that?”, Hermione nodded. “All right, change your clothes.
It was disgusting. Taking the robes off a dead Death Eater for wearing them – she wondered for how long the woman had been dead. The transfiguration had obviously stopped the decay. She was happy she could keep her own clothes on beneath the robe and cloak. Holding the mask in one hand and the photo of Severus’ mother in the other, she looked down on the dead body. He hadn’t even bothered to close her eyes. Between shock and relief, Hermione saw that they were of the same colour as hers.
“I should take her with me, put the clothes back on her and then burn everything. It would look like she had died in the explosion, so nobody would know the reason, right? Just in case they might search for parts of her body.”
“That – is a great idea. The spell – ”
“Os Humanum.”, Hermione said, pointing her wand at the corpse in underwear.
“Wonderful. Finite will lift it.”
“I know. I did some research after Barty Crouch’s death.”, she picked up the bone and stowed it into one of the large pockets of the robe. “Would you – like to have it?”, she held the photo towards him.
“Thank you.”, he sighed, sadness drifting out of the depths of his eyes as he let it fall into the pouch. “Come.”, the moment she took his hand, they became invisible.
He had been outside all the time, walking up and down in front of the door, humming a random melody. When the door swung open, he startled, peering into – they had already reached the Entrance Hall when he noticed that there was no one in his office anymore.
Rushing through the gathering dark of late twilight, Hermione saw the houses of Hogsmeade getting bigger. They landed behind the Hog’s Head, safely away from anyone who might see them – if anybody should dare to be outside at that time. Solid ground under their feet and visible again, they sadly looked at each other, Hermione hanging around his neck seconds later. She was happy she was going to wear a mask. It was a nice excuse for crying unbridled. His arms wrapped around her back, gently stroking her with his free hand. Some tears trickled down his cheeks as well as he inhaled the smell of her hair.
There was not much time, but enough for a last kiss. Seeming like years later, they parted, gazing into one another’s eyes. With a sad smile, Hermione wiped the tears off his face.
“Did I ever mention that eyeliner looks good on you?”, a slight amused chuckle, suppressed by sorrow.
“Take care, Hermione.”, he gently laid the orange crystal into her right palm after she had put on Mullbridge’s pink leather gloves.
“You too, Severus.”, a last stroke over her cheek and he flew off, disappearing behind the roof of the bar.
This was it. This was the beginning of the end. A small orange crystal. Plain, but powerful. Like love that didn’t show to anyone. If you truly love, you will have to abandon. Ready, she replaced her own wand with Isabel Mullbridge’s in the pocket and let the crystal slide into the other, hoping the bone wouldn’t set it on fire. Then she bound her hair together, put on the mask, pulled the hood over her head, turned on the spot and was gone.
~~#~~
How long? For how long would – flipping the coin in his hand, he leaned against the tapestry, staring at the blank wall which he would be entering. A little tired, he yawned. Hopefully Trelawney wouldn’t remember a thing. At least he felt that he had discovered her early enough. There was no way she could have seen him. Now, all he had to do was waiting. Every now an then, he rolled up his left sleeve and eyed the lines, only to push the fabric back down. No. He just couldn’t call them yet. People from the Order and Aurors were patrolling and starting a battle too early, could mean that he would have to face Dumbledore alone. But actually, that was what he was hoping for, somehow. Face to face, only the two of them. He had to be quick, had to – but he just couldn’t take him in his office. Hadn’t the dream told him – though was – such a rapid change of plan wise? But he had no option, had he?
Considering it another time, he spun and hurried off, to the Astronomy Tower. Being the highest of the castle, there was no chance Dumbledore would miss it. And in case, he had Rosmerta as a spare. Reaching the topmost platform a little exhausted, he looked around, into the dark night. Only a few lights were on in Hogsmeade. Though it was ice cold, he checked the coin another time. It still carried the same small line: D gone. Now he just had to wait for it to change, cast the Mark and hurry back down without being seen. And he had to be fast then. Very fast, that much he knew.
~~#~~
Gentle and silent, black fog sank down in front of the open doors to the Transfiguration classroom. He had no idea why he had landed there instead of flying on through the open arches and into the corridor leading fastest to the Dungeons – or even to the front courtyard immediately, but it must have been some deeper need of his. Maybe it was the need for some company, though the sleeping animals in the cages inside the opened classroom weren’t the company he had hoped for. He studied a crow for a while, then walked over to it and carefully opened the cage door. The bird raised its head at the quiet sound and looked back, blinking its tired eyes. Then it screeched once.
“Sh. I will not harm you.”, he whispered softly, but the crow seemed to know.
When he stuck his left hand in, it slowly walked onto it from its bar. It climbed further until it sat on his lower arm, where it clawed to his sleeve for a secure stand and Severus pulled back the arm, carrying the bird outside. It still just eyed him when he stopped in the arched corridor around the yard, looking into the night. The crow turned and tilted its head, as if it wondered what would happen next. Severus however stroked it, placed a soft kiss on its head and pushed it off, into the yard. He couldn’t even smile at the grateful call it threw back when it lifted into the sky and was gone into freedom.
Far in the distance, there was a familiar melody. A song he knew. It echoed through the corridors and the air around him, but from his distance probably only audible due to his sharp ears and because he knew it. Its mournful tone resembled his face and he knew that the lyric mirrored his current emotions – his life, even. He couldn’t help but quietly sing along. That woke the other animals which protested and he stopped as he felt he had done them wrong by bothering them with his woe.
It took them a while to calm down. Minutes in which he only stood there, staring into the yard and sky, listening to the song, parts of it repeating over and over after some pauses in between.
“Maybe, one day.”, he whispered again. “Though no’ ternigh’.”
The song getting louder with the dwindling distance, he rushed invisible through the corridors towards the source, until he reached the bottom of the marble staircase. A group of students was hurrying through the front gate and he halted in mid-air, flying around the handrail to let them pass. After them with angry feet, the not anymore Deputy Headmistress, possibly still unaware of the change. She just shook her head, huffing after them as they fled upstairs.
“Unbelievable!”, she called. “That is fifty points off each of your Houses!”, the choir broke off and Flitwick turned to see what was going on. “You are lucky that I haven’t seen your faces!”, Severus knew immediately that it was a lie and stepped from his hiding place, visible once more.
“Being attentive tonight, Minerva?”, she jumped and clapped her hand on her chest; the two Aurors flanking the open doors to the Great Hall drew their wands.
“Goodness, Severus!”, the woman panted. “You gave me a shock! Mooching about corners does not bring you any friends, have you not realised that by now?”
“It did in fact bring me the best friends I could have ever had.”, he was slightly amused by her heavy, confused blinking, but he didn’t show. “You should go to bed, Minerva. It is not a pleasant night to walk the castle.”
“Not pleasant? Not even for you? That must mean something,”, she chuckled with a soft smile. “Then, sleep well, Severus.”
“So may you.”, he gave her the faintest smile in return and walked down to the Dungeons when the Aurors finally lowered their wands.
~~#~~
Eyes as blind as the ancient walls around; probably even more blind than those. There seemed to be something lurking from the cracks between the bricks, but he couldn’t bother less as he hurried past. Flatly greeting one of the Aurors, he rushed around another sinister corner, his wand ready in hand. He needed no light. Other than the portraits, he was neither asleep nor blind in the dark. Nevertheless concentrated on any other noise apart from his quiet shoes or calm breath, he passed the sheer endless walls and staircases, knowing each of them by heart. Another pair in the Entrance Hall greeted him more vividly than he waved at them. Inside the Great Hall, where the Houseelves seemed to already have prepared the dishes for breakfast, the choir was still practising a song in Latin. It sounded mournful and he understood that it was about life and regrets, but didn’t pay further attention to it.
Like in meditation, the stairs appeared to rather move past under his feet than he crossed them and the spiral drilled more into his mind than the underground. Flashing as his left foot reached the lower floor first, torch after torch flared up on its own in cold blue light. Momentarily hit by the change, he stopped and squinted. But only a couple of seconds later, his eyes got used to the blood chilling hue and he set further into the Dungeons. The next thing that halted him was already the door he had been heading for.
Composing himself with a deep breath, he raised his fist and knocked. A last-second-attempt to straighten his hair and clothes and the door was opened. In the blink of an eye he saw something like concern in the face he was presented with, but the expression became annoyance at an instant.
“May I come in?”, Remus whispered nervous at the sight of the blue lit pale face that was framed by slightly messed black curtains which shimmered softly in the shine of the chandelier behind.
“Good evening as well, Remus.”
“Oh yes. Good evening.”
“And no, it wouldn’t be wise if you entered now.”
“You are fully dressed. Is there someone who isn’t?”, smirked Remus.
“No. Still you come at an inconvenient moment. You should return to your post.”, Severus said seriously and attempted to close the door, but it was stopped by Remus’ flat hand.
“No, as well.”, he snarled. “You said I’m always welcome here – and it’s really urgent.”
“If you must,”, Severus huffed and let him in. “Well? What is so urgent?”, Remus though only gazed around. “Hello!”, he sang, making the stunned man jump.
“What? Oh yes – er – is there something going on, I should know about?”
“I merely felt the need for a little change. I got tired of the sorting.”, murmured Severus boredly.
“Save it. What’s going on here? What will happen that the DA knows about, but not the Order?”
“No idea.”, Severus shrugged and walked over to a shelf, taking books from it and piling them up on the desk manually, just to make himself look more busy.
“Stop acting like a teenager!”, raged Remus, tore another pile from his hands and ferociously put them atop the others. “Not even as such, you were that childishly ignorant!”
“Then why say?”, noted Severus.
“Say what?”
“That I act like a teenager.”
“Oh come on.” Remus moaned. “You have a bad breath, by the way.”
“That is probably because I haven’t eaten a thing since breakfast.”, huffed Severus and crossed his arms.
“Here.”, Remus pulled a little metal box from one of his pockets and opened it. “I haven’t tried them yet, but they’re said to be good against a horrible breath.”
“Thank you.”, grunted Severus and took one of the yellow drops, distorting his face a little at the taste of sugary lemon.
Rounded up by their eyes drilling into one another’s, the following silence lasted what seemed to be hours. During it, Remus’ anger faded and both their looks became close to sadness as they listened to the song coming from upstairs, waiting for either to restart the unpleasant questioning or blocking. It was as if memories were travelling between their eyes, yet it was only Severus who knew exactly what was going on in their minds. Remus just wasn’t good enough at Legilimency, although Severus wasn’t shielding his mind at the moment. The sugar collapsed and he swallowed some sweet liquid which tasted like fresh spearmint. He ignored the fact, much to his own discomfort and by the second he realised he would soon be losing control of his actions at least, he already found his very own emotions clashing with ones he knew he would have never had under normal circumstances.
Remus put down his wand next to the books and lifted his hand up to Severus cheek, placing it there, hesitant but softly. Though Severus avoided his look. He gave the impression of not being moved by the occurrence at all, but in fact his insides were burning when Remus started brushing his cheek and ear. Not burning with disgust, which he craved for now, but a madly boiling creature swamped and dragged the disgust away from his grasp, drowning in the inability to fight against the effect.
He trailed his fingers through the silky strands of hair, visibly dazed by the sensation. Severus shivered every time his skin was touched, but still had enough control left to prevent his body from showing it to Remus. When his eyes were on him again, Remus had stepped closer. Far too close now to be legal by any means, their breaths met, then their lips. Four eyes closed as Remus pulled his head closer and Severus failed to refuse at last. Hating himself, he lost and gave in involuntarily, returning Remus’ kisses that became more passionate with every move.
Soon they found their tongues in a fierce battle and buttons being opened. Severus felt a pair of rather rough hands gliding over his chest, where they met with the pouch, the rings and the locket and his senses struggling from a tiny cell, locked in far away. Panting heavily, they parted. Remus only stared on the objects, but he couldn’t let him ask. Glad to have an excuse, but nearly in tears by the horror, he pushed down Remus’ shirt and jacket in one go, revealing more scars. Remus did the same and a black mass, topped by a white shirt, landed on the floor as well before he moved his hands to Severus’ pants, back at kissing, a little more endearing now.
Only their socks and shoes left, they ended up in the closest embrace they had ever shared. Remus hands wandered up Severus back and he startled again. Giving him another questioning look, his surprise grew as Severus pulled him down onto their clothes that seemed to have spread evenly on their own. Studying a grieving gaze, Remus received another kiss, now half lying on him.
“Who did – ”, he started quietly but was hushed.
“Dun’ – ”, Severus whispered, lightly shaking his head – he knew he couldn’t stop it, but at least avoid the worst and hopefully fetch up a quick end. “Dun’ say a word.”, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small wooden casket. “Jus’ take me.”
“Take you?”, Remus frowned at the condom he picked and then put the casket aside. “I actually hoped for the opposite – ”
“I said, dun’ say – ”
“Did you ever do it this way?”
“Are ye deaf?”, a gentle wave of his hand and the door finally shut, locking out the choir’s sad song; he didn’t need music to tell him about the miserable state he had been tricked into.
“No, but there’s obviously something terribly wrong with my ears. Did you really just say you want me to – ”
“Shu’ up an’ do it or ye’ll never see me again.”
~~#~~
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