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sua_layAuthor: Rimau Sua Lay
Rating: overall NC-17, Angst, Drama, Action/Adventure, First Time
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings: Harry/Snape, Ron/Draco, (Sirius/Remus)
Date: December 2002 - ?
Disclaimers: Not mine, borrowed without permission, am not making any money. Please don't sue. Sherbet Lemon?
Summary for Book Four: -Before you can go forward, you must face your past. Sins of the father may bury the son. Harry will find out if a dog really is the man's best friend.
Warning: This part contains deaths, gore, mention of het rape, explicit sex between men, disturbing themes, angst and a partridge in a pear tree.
The earlier parts of the fic can be found here.
"I see you're awake."
Burying his nose into Snape's hair, Harry mumbled his affirmation. He didn't want to fall asleep again, but was definitely not ready to get up yet either. It was just perfect to lie here, spooned against Snape's back.
Snape shifted his position a bit, scretching his leg and then said, "Yes, I can feel that. Apparently my potions worked, considering such indisputable evidence of your virility."
"Yeah. Thanks." Remembering how miserable he'd felt last night, Harry wrapped his arm tighter around Snape. "Don't even feel stiff."
Realizing just how stupid that sounded, considering that there was indeed evidence of his virility poking Snape, Harry snorted with laughter.
"Please spare me!" Aiming at disapproval, Snape scoffed, "It's too early for such bad puns, Potter." Not that Harry's puns would get any better later on the day, he was certain of that.
Agreeing completely, Harry lifted his head to plant a kiss on Snape's neck. "Okay. No joking." He had other things in mind.
Snape turned his head obligingly, probably to glare at him in the darkness, but it was very convenient for a kiss too. Harry could feel a twinge here and there, but it wasn't painful enough to distract him from the fact that he was almost naked and holding Snape in his arms.
He'd have to be half dead to ignore that.
Harry tried to get rid of his boxers and keep kissing Snape at the same time, the very awkward angle making him groan with frustration. Then Snape was squirming around, already pulling his night robes off, and things got a lot better.
It was the best way to wake up; long langurous kisses and soft simple touches. There was some fumbling as Harry reached out for the ever present lubricant potion, then his slick palm gliding against Snape's hardness followed by a moment of uncoordinated bliss as Snape copied his actions.
Snape didn't even waste time wondering about the easy touches, they were pleasant enough, as was the feeling of Harry's ragged breath against his neck as he slowly thrust into his grip.
He liked the muffled gasps and incoherent words escaping Harry as he came; once again showing how fully he immersed himself in physical pleasures. Not ashamed of his release. It pushed Snape closer to the edge as well, the knowledge of Harry's orgasm as enciting as the tightening grip on his prick.
Taking Harry's mouth with a kiss, he let that motion carry him to his completion.
He lay boneless for a moment, trying not to notice the way Harry wiped his hand clean on his sheets or the way he planted a peck of a kiss on his nose. The sticky feeling didn't seem to matter to Harry, considering the way he plastered himself against Snape.
Not that Snape really minded.
"This is so much better than masturbating in your shower," Harry sighed happily.
It made Snape smile in the darkness. A hint of the smile could be heard in his voice as he replied, "I would imagine so. Messier, but at least there's no danger of anyone slipping and hitting their head on the wall."
Harry laughed at that, the comment way too hilarious considering the odd twinge and ache manifesting now that he wasn't busy rubbing against Snape's naked body anymore. "So true."
After a moment of shared mellow silence, Snape reached out for his wand. It was a reluctant move, for once he was completely content to just stay in bed. Such frivolity. With a mutter, he turned on the light and looked down at Harry who blinked owlishly at him. "Did you sleep well?"
Harry nodded, reaching for his glasses. "Yeah." Even with the slightly hazy feeling -- had to be from the potion fumes -- it had been good to sleep through the night and not toss and turn until he finally dozed off completely exhausted. He hated the bouts of insomnia so much he'd rather have the nightmares back. "Thank you."
Pushing the very chilling thoughts of nightmares and the lack of them away, he stretched, careful not to overdo the movement and bring the faint echo of pain back to life.
As usual, Snape brushed off the thanks. "Go and wash yourself." He was already getting up, pulling his nightrobe back on. "I'll get more ointments for your back."
Harry muttered to himself, not even bothering to wrap a sheet around his waist as he padded into the bathroom. Moving kind of hurt, and the mirror in the bathroom revealed a very weird coloration on his skin. Sex really didn't heal all aches, but even as Harry groaned as the hot water hit his battered skin, he couldn't regret it.
The knock on the door didn't really surprise him, and he simply called out for Snape to come in. He was finished with the shower anyway, having washed the remains of yesterday's potions and other sticky stuff off his skin already.
"Turn around." With a no nonsense tone, Snape waited for Harry to finish drying himself off before opening the bottle he'd carried with him.
Harry practically leered over his shoulder as he turned to face the wall, bracing himself against the tiles. The warm touches of Snape's strong hands took the leer away, and the moan he let out had very little to do with sexual innuendo. "Oh that feels good..."
Nodding, Snape continued rubbing the potion into Harry's skin, knowing that no matter how his hormones had pushed him to early morning gymnastics, he had to be sore all over. "Better?"
"Oh yeah..." Harry practically purred. He shifted his weight from one leg to another, turning according to Snape's instructions, and very soon he was feeling almost as good as new.
Capping the bottle, Snape went to wash his hands. "Good. Now go and get dressed. And get us some breakfast while you're at it."
"Sure." Right now, Harry would agree to anything Snape wanted.
Smiling goofily, he walked back to the living room with just a towel wrapped around him, listening to the shower being turned on.
It took him a moment to spot his clothes; they were a sorry looking pile next to the couch. Poking at the torn cloth, he grimaced, not wondering why they weren't neatly folded; they weren't even fit for a house elf.
Staring sadly at his clothes, he wondered if he would have to borrow something from Snape again. He didn't really mind, but was certain Snape wouldn't want him walking around the school wearing his clothes.
Not to mention the fact that Sirius would take one sniff at him and throw a tantrum.
The large parcels near the doorway caught his attention. Those hadn't been there last night, or he would have stumbled onto them. Walking closer to inspect them, he realized they were from Malkin's.
For a moment he was boggled by their presence. Someone had sent them down here, and he was certain it wasn't Snape. The man had been right here with him all night. It had to be either Dumbledore or McGonagall, and the thought of them being so casual about him staying with Snape was definitely... not strange, really. More warming than anything.
He tore into the parcels, grabbing socks and underwear happily. All Malkin's products were ready to wear, the print at the side of the package declared, and Harry didn't waste any time selecting something decent to wear.
It had been weird to select his skivvies and other stuff with Draco Malfoy standing by, but right now he was glad he had bought everything he might need.
He didn't really think it was his color, but he put the green shirt on anyway, leaving his robes unbuttoned on top of it. Malfoy had been right about one thing; he would have to look his part as their great hero. It didn't matter he didn't really believe in this whole thing; there were lots of people who did.
At least the robes made him look kind of forbidding, which was actually a good thing. People were always touching him, and he resented the notion that everyone could just walk to him and wrap their arms around him. It was an invasion that always took a part of him away, most importantly all the calm he could muster and his privacy.
He ran his fingers through his hair, not even needing to see his reflection to know it was a total mess again. Maybe he should practice an angry expression as well. After all, due to the company he kept, he was already an expert in scowls and glares.
Smiling, he walked to call the house elves about breakfast.
The scent of tea made his stomach growl, but instead of attacking the food, he waited until Snape joined him. He knew he should probably get moving and fetch Draco from the infirmary, but there was no way he was going to skip the chance of sitting down and having a leisurly breakfast with Snape.
"I see you have some self control after all," Snape commented as he stepped out of the bathroom fully clothed, and then simply stood and stared at Harry.
The intensity of his gaze made Harry squirm with something very close to embarrassment. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "So, what do you think?" Spreading his arms a little, he managed to actually grin. "Am I... Aesthetically pleasing?" As if that really mattered.
"Yes." Snape nodded. He looked at the attire for a moment longer before adding, "I assume you allowed Mr. Malfoy to help you choose your new clothes."
Harry's grin turned evil. "Yeah, I did." He was definitely going to comment Draco's fashion sense sooner rather than later.
"I believe that was one of the best decisions you've ever made." There was a slight frown of disapproval on Snape's face. "Unlike some I could mention."
Harry didn't know if he was referring to the mission or some other decision, but wisely kept his mouth shut. There were probably lots of things Snape would mention, all of them easily interpreted as 'I told you so'.
He simply poured them both tea and then sat down to eat.
Surrounded by the familiar scent of tea and potions, Harry munched his way through an enormous amount of food, feeling better than in ages. He swallowed the last of his sandwich and then just sat back, breathing deeply.
Snape cast a questioning look at him.
"I've missed the smells." He knew it was silly, but he even missed the stench of Bubotuber pus at times. "Somehow they always calm me down and make me sleep better." Or actually made him sleep, not that he'd say anything about his frequent insomnia to Snape now.
"Are you having trouble sleeping again?"
Harry wondered why he even deluded himself that Snape wouldn't catch the true meaning behind things he said. "Yeah. Sometimes. Especially when I've been reading stuff late." He was pretty sure he didn't have to say what kinds of things he was reading these days.
"Mission reports?" The raised eyebrow made the flatly stated words even seem like a real question.
"No. I mean, yeah, those too, but mostly books." Old mission reports from the first Voldemort war were a nightmare on their own, but Harry didn't really find the reports about training and small operations taxing. It was the history that bothered him.
"So you're still studying war?" Not surprising, really. In the wizarding world, people usually went with the one with the most power, and that was what destroyed them. Power was nothing without knowledge.
Harry nodded. "Yes. It's easy to get the big picture, but all these damn details..." He had hoped it would be easier now that he didn't have to study for the N.E.W.T.s. It was actually worse now that he'd actually have to use the things he'd studied in reality.
"Of course. You need to think about the Order, the other people in Hogsmeade, the Ministry, the teachers. The Dark Lord and his people. Training our forces, feeding them, collecting information and how to use it..."
"And it's just as annoying as planning the potion, preparing the ingredients and then doing the actual brewing." Grinning suddenly at the amusement he could see in the dark eyes, Harry added, "Or like planning a strategy for a Quidditch game and then training your people so that they're ready for the game."
It did make more sense thinking about it that way. After all, he'd been the Captain of their Quidditch team for two years, and Gryffindor had managed to win all their games except for that one against Slytherin. This wasn't much different from that.
Snape let his hand brush over the teapot before pouring more tea, refusing to acknowledge the baiting. "Indeed."
"Maybe when this is all over, I might want to write a book myself. 'Warfare for idiots'. You could probably help me." Harry felt somehow light headed when he said that. As if the mere thought of actually surviving and having some kind of a future of which Snape was a part was making him dizzy.
Ignoring Harry's words, Snape said, "You do realize that you don't have to do everything alone. Choose people you trust and then delegate. No one has to try to deal with everything, not even you."
"Yeah." Harry knew it was true, even though some people might think he was omniscient. He already had the inner circle of the Order he could trust, and now there were others he could rely on. "I know."
Snape took a sip from his cup. "But it's not the details that keep you awake at night."
"No, it's not." There was no need for Harry to embellish. They both knew what he was talking about.
He was glad Snape didn't push the issue but simply sat there drinking his tea while Harry kept breathing slowly. There was the scent of tea in the air, the ointment on his skin and behind it even a hint of the soap he'd used. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on this moment only, not lingering on nightmares.
"What are your plans for the day? Are you in a hurry?" Snape's question came out as if they hadn't just touched the worst topic ever and were simply enjoying their breakfast.
For that, Harry was grateful. "Not really. I mean, I have to get Draco out of the infirmary and go home before Sirius comes looking for me, but otherwise..."
Snape's expression turned questioning at the use of Malfoy's first name, but he didn't comment on it otherwise. "Yes, I believe he might be ready to leave Poppy's tender care already." Not everyone had the patience to just lie there and be coddled. "But before you go..."
Planting his cup back on the saucer, Snape stood up and walked to the potions cabinet. Grabbing a jar or two, he went to fill a small pouch with a few different herbs, sliced roots and crushed two dried flowers on top of everything before tying it shut with a bit of string.
"Here." He handed it to Harry.
Poking at the scented bundle, Harry frowned. "What is it?" He could clearly recognize some things in the pouch just from the smell, but had no idea what it was for.
"It's something to help you sleep better. Keep it near your bed." Not turning from the cupboard where he was busy putting everything back in their places, Snape added, "I know you don't like to drink the sleeping potion, so I thought you might prefer that. Not every potion is in a liquid form."
Harry knew that, the details from his Potions books hadn't all fled his mind yet. He could probably name a few powdery concoctions like the Floo powder and various poultices, but he'd never heard of a potpourri used to help people sleep.
Shrugging, he pushed the pouch under his robes. If nothing else, the thing would make his room smell more like home.
When he was done, Snape turned back to Harry. "We should get going."
His abrupt way of slamming the cupboard shut was a clear indication that he wasn't going to return to the previous subject any time soon.
"Yeah, we should go. I want to see if everything's all right at home." Knowing all too well how the day's Prophet would have made Sirius froth at the mouth, Harry shuffled his feet. He really wasn't looking forward to the yelling. "You know, the full moon and all..."
"Everything should be perfectly well." Of course Snape's Wolfsbane was excellent, but it only worked when ingested, and he still didn't trust Lupin to actually take it every single full moon. If he'd slipped once, he could slip twice, and at least this way Harry had been safe in his bed while the werewolf had been turned into his monstrous self.
"Huh?" Harry had no idea what Snape was talking about. Then it hit him. "Oh. Yeah. The transformation. Sure, I gave Remus the potion."
The all too Gryffindor trust never ceased to amaze Snape. "Not that I have any right to tell you what to do..."
"Yes, you do."
Snape glared, already letting go of the sermon about werewolf curses and dreading why would Harry say anything as stupid as that. "What?"
"Not that I'll actually do what you tell me to do if I don't like it, but you do have the right to worry and stuff." Offering a genuine smile, Harry touched Snape's arm. "That goes together with the things."
The soft words were so predictably foolish that Snape decided against conjuring up a response. The truth was, he couldn't fathom anything to say. These nuances of shared 'things' amongst people were incomprehensible like all the rest of the things in the teenage world. He'd expected anger and accusations of being controlling, and now Harry was grinning like an idiot again.
He simply snorted at Harry's expression and gestured to the door.
Snape escorted Harry to the infirmary but chose not to enter there himself. He didn't want to risk Poppy's undoubtedly tedious sermoning and didn't want to say goodbye to Harry with others watching. With a glare and a nod, he turned and walked away, not glancing over his shoulder even though he could feel Harry's gaze on his back until he rounded a corner.
"Okay," Harry muttered to himself before pushing open the door to the infirmary.
He could spot Draco immediately, watching quietly as the Slytherin argued with Madam Pomfrey about getting up and dressed. He really didn't want to interfere -- didn't want to draw the mediwitch's attention to him -- but it was too late to back away now.
Stepping fully into the room, he said cheerily, "Hello, Draco. Madam Pomfrey."
He gained two glares at his cheer, one obscured by dark cloth a moment later as Draco finished with his dressing.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter." Looking suspiciously at the very relaxed Harry, Madam Pomfrey was for a moment distracted from her patient. Then she turned her attention back to Malfoy.
Draco smoothed down his hair. "Harry." It still felt weird to say that, but he was getting better at making it sound normal.
"How do you feel?" Harry didn't think Draco looked all that well.
"Like..." Casting a brief glance at Madam Pomfrey who was glaring at him, Draco sighed, "I feel lousy, thanks for asking."
"As you should! You're black and blue and should really stay here for at least another day, Mr. Malfoy!"
Both men cringed at Pomfrey's comment.
"Er... Thank you, madam, but I feel perfectly fine," Draco contradicted himself. Moving slowly, he got to his feet. "I can rest at home."
With that, he slowly stepped away from the bed and made his way to the doorway. Harry could see he managed to cross the room mostly on pure will power, but a look at Madam Pomfrey revealed only irritation and not real worry.
That meant Draco would be just fine.
Scoffing, Madam Pomfrey went to grab a few vials and then after a short glance at her patient, she handed the medicine to Harry. Considering the shape Draco was in, Harry thought it was probably for the best that he took care of the important stuff.
"Thank you." Harry smiled at the mediwitch and then rushed after Draco. They'd both be in trouble if the Slytherin fell down yet another flight of steps and ended up all broken at the bottom.
He didn't wait to hear any answer.
Since it was obvious Draco was using all his strength to keep going, Harry didn't bother with small talk. He simply kept his pace slow, careful not to seem like he was hovering but ready to grab a hold of Draco's arm if it looked like he was about to fall.
The silence was very comfortable, even when they stepped off Hogwarts grounds and were surrounded by the ever present reporters who were constantly circling at the edge of Hogsmeade proper like vultures.
Almost feeling the exhaustion radiate from Draco, Harry stepped closer to him, ignoring the flashes going off and people yelling questions at him. If they wanted to take pictures of them and then spin a web of lies, they were welcome to do so.
He didn't really care, he just wanted to get away from here as fast as possible.
Feeling the familiar wards tingle on his skin as an announcement that they were now entering Hogsmeade, Harry sighed with relief. The reporters stayed behind as if blocked by an invisible barrier and the illusion of privacy was almost enough.
Draco however kept his head up until at least one house blocked the reporters' view. Then he slumped suddenly, almost falling down.
Only Harry's firm grip on him kept him standing.
"Come on, Draco, it's only a few blocks." Waiting for Draco to gather his strength, Harry added, "Or I could always carry you."
The glare he earned with that comment was definitely poisonous.
"I do not need that much help, Harry," Draco ground out. He swallowed until the nausea passed and then waited until the black spots cleared from his vision. He was fine!
Harry chose not to say anything about stubborn Slytherins and how he'd seen this before and still didn't buy it as they went on, keeping his hold on Draco as firm as before.
They got some curious looks as they crawled their way to their house as well as some offerings to help. Even though Harry knew they'd get to their destination a lot quicker if he actually accepted assistance, he simply thanked everyone and told them they were fine.
His status as the great leader would survive accepting help. He wasn't sure Draco's ego would.
Sirius and Ron rushed to greet them as soon as Harry opened the door, Sirius freezing as soon as he saw the crowd that had followed Harry at a distance and sneaking into the shadows until the door was closed between them and the rest of the world.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Ron asked even before they were fully inside.
Managing with a small grin, Harry nodded. "Yeah, we're fine."
Draco chose that moment to finally lose his grip on his stubborn determination and started to sway.
"Ron!" Glad to see that his friend was already moving to help him, Harry struggled to keep the Slytherin standing while he kicked the door shut behind him. Then Sirius was there too, and the three of them had no problem getting Draco to his room.
"I'm fine," Draco insisted, not at all comfortable with all the fussing, especially since it was Black who was tugging the covers off his bed and staring at him with those scary eyes.
Harry rolled his eyes. "You dragged me to safety yesterday; now it's my turn. Okay? Now stuff your silly pride and lie down." He could see that Draco was actually relieved to be lying down, he was just too stubborn to show it.
Like another Slytherin he might mention.
Ron and Sirius withdrew to the door while Harry forced Draco to take his medicine. After threatening him with Madam Pomfrey and the indignity of being carried unconscious through the streets of Hogsmeade, Harry finally got him to settle down.
Draco was fast asleep before the Gryffindors even got out of his room.
"Damn it was so much easier when he was just a whining idiot..." Harry grumbled to himself, remembering how Draco had squealed after Buckbeak had taught him a lesson in manners.
He cast a wistful look at his own room, wondering if he could just excuse himself and rest for the day, but after Snape's potions he really felt good and it was best to get through all the yelling and ranting as soon as possible.
The upcoming storm was already gathering in Sirius' demeanor.
Sighing, Harry motioned at the stairs. "Let's go downstairs and give Draco some peace and quiet." He didn't miss the way Ron stared at him when he said the Slytherin's name.
The living room couch was as soft as he'd remembered, and he sank down with a sigh. Ron took his time fussing with tea while Sirius simply sat on the chair opposite to Harry and stared.
It was definitely easy to see why so many people dreaded the famed Sirius Black.
"So... where's Remus and Hermione?" Somehow their absence was alarming, even though Harry knew all too well that Remus was probably too weak to leave his bed yet.
Sirius growled and then managed to say, "They were summoned to St. Mungo's. Apparently they want to do more tests on Remus and Zabini has been asking for Hermione." His voice calmed a bit towards the end, but then he was back to the growling. "And you have been hurt!"
No need to deny it; Sirius could probably smell it on him, and even if he couldn't, it was not hard to see from the exhaustion clear on Harry's face.
"Yeah. There were... complications and some of our old schoolmates tried to kill Draco and me." Harry could see Ron flinch again. "But I'm fine. Draco's the one who's actually..."
"You were hurt!" Barely able to sit still, Sirius stared at Harry, the intensity of his gaze alarming. "And I found out about that in the Daily Prophet."
Harry groaned. For some reason he hadn't thought about the fact that Sirius would be hurt by this. He'd just concentrated on the anger. "Fuck." That was a very appropriate word to describe the situation.
"I get an owl from McGonagall saying you're staying at Hogwarts overnight and then this morning there are headlines screaming you almost died." Sirius leaned forward. "I had to read it in a bloody newspaper, Harry!"
No matter what his motives were last night, Harry knew there was only one thing he could say. "I'm sorry, Sirius." He said it calmly. Showing panic he didn't really feel would be playing with his godfather's emotions and he never wanted to do that.
Sirius bristled, but when Harry didn't say anything more, he leaned back again. "I don't like being lied to." Realizing that Harry was about to argue, he held up a hand. "I know, you didn't actually lie. But I don't like being kept in the dark either!"
He'd spent the night feeling slightly disgusted about Harry's whereabouts whenever any thought could pierce through Snuffles' worry for Remus the wolf.
"You're right, you should have heard it from me." For that, Harry really was sorry. "But I'm all right now."
"Did Madam Pomfrey take care of your injuries?" Desperate to distract the conversation from the track it seemed to be going, Ron grasped for straws, hoping he could avert a disaster.
Harry shook his head, smiling a little. "Er... My injuries were taken care of. Yeah."
He could have just as easily said Snape's name out loud. Everybody knew about his stay in the dungeons; even Ron wasn't foolish enough to believe otherwise.
Sirius rubbed a hand over his face, unable to really keep a hold of his anger. He'd been busy last night, doing his part, but somehow he wished he could have been taking care of Harry. It was his duty to take care of him, not Snape's! And he was not going to be grateful to that man for looking after his godson!
"What about Malfoy? Did he really..." Ron didn't know what words to ask. He also didn't really care, not about Malfoy.
This was definitely a better subject than Snape. Harry nodded. "Yeah. If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it." Not even an exaggeration. "Draco definitely saved my arse."
Sirius looked annoyed and relieved at the same time, with a hint of 'I told you so' lurking behind everything else.
This would definitely change a few things.
Ron on the other hand had a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. "Draco?" Just when exactly had that happened?
"Yeah, he got me to the Leaky Cauldron and caught one of Pansy's curses doing so." Harry nodded. He was just glad he'd offered Draco his friendship before it had happened, so that whatever came next wouldn't be forever overshadowed with gratitude. "He spent the night at the infirmary and he really should be fine."
"I... Merlin, I need a drink!" Ron shook his head. Malfoy was upstairs sleeping under the influence of whatever potion he'd taken, and Harry was here telling him he was actually worried about the git. It really was too much.
Sirius perked up. He didn't want to argue and rant and hurt Harry and the mood in here was already getting weird.
So Harry had kept a secret from him. Stubborn as all Potters, so it shouldn't really surprise him. He could live with it --no choice here -- and Ron's idea was definitely better than moping around. "You do? How about some Firewhiskey? I know where Eppy hid most of the liquor." He also knew where Remus had stashed his bottles -- just for medicinal purposes of course -- and was pretty sure they could all get sloshed.
"Really?" Staring, Ron couldn't help but to wonder if it was a joke. No adult had ever offered him liquor before; except for George and... He swallowed at the thought. Yes. Getting really drunk sounded like a very good idea right now.
It was clear to Harry that Sirius was serious. He didn't have to think for long before nodding. "I think that's an excellent idea!"
He didn't want to be the reliable and responsible one now.
Not a heavy party animal, he could deal with staying with his family and getting sloshed. They needed to relax and he wanted to celebrate being alive.
Of course he'd already done some celebrating today, but he was sure as hell not going to tell that to either Sirius or Ron. But he was definitely up for some bubbly right now. And maybe chocolate! Not that they went too well together, but he could deal with that.
As it turned out, Eppy was rather obsessive about stocking the kitchen and the cupboards properly. They stumbled across bottles of Firewhiskey, real beer and some unlabled liquor that tasted like crap but burned like dragon fire going down.
It was probably a coincidence that there were parcels from Honeydukes in the same cupboard. Harry didn't care, he simply carried most of them to the living room with the bottles, and then all three of them settled into killing time and brain cells.
Sometime after they'd finished the first bottle of Firewhiskey, Harry was sitting on the floor, not really remembering how he'd ended up there and not caring one bit.
He was laughing at the joke Sirius was telling, his chuckling drowning under Ron's hysterical snorts.
They were staying on lighter topics, not discussing anything related to things Slytherin, including snakes, potions and the color green. It had made the mood tense during the first sips of whisky, but sometime along the way the tension had evaporated.
Of course the tension wasn't the only thing that had evaporated. With it, both good sense and reason had also disappeared, leaving behind three very drunk and extremely brainless Gryffindors.
Harry was trying not to snort anything out of his nose, listening as Sirius told some of his more outrageous tales that made even Ron's ears turn red, feeling his body go completely liquid. This was so much better than an evening at the Three Broomsticks or reading reports. He couldn't feel any twinges of pain from his back anymore, and nothing could kill the mellow feeling.
Not even the door opening somewhere.
Years of training made it impossible for him to just sprawl there on the floor. After a few fumbles, he managed to grab his wand, pointing it at the door as he heard footsteps approaching. What was left of his brain suggested that maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all, but every other part of his body was still too drunk and mellow and happy to really care.
He relaxed when he saw Hermione standing at the doorway, trying to push his wand back into its place under his robe and missing, sticking it under the waistband of his trousers instead. "Hermione!"
His crooning alerted the others as well, both Sirius and Ron turning to look at the door, Ron waving a little at her.
Blinking, Hermione looked at the empty bottles and the chocolate wrappings that were all around the living room floor. "This is new."
It was quite impossible to tell by the charming smile that Sirius was absolutely drunk. "My dear Hermione. How nice to see you this evening!"
Hermione laughed out loud, the sound a bit rusty and weird, but a genuine laughter anyway. "Hello, Sirius." She glanced at Ron and Harry who were both grinning at her as well. "Are you boys drunk?" Sounded like her 'boys' was aimed at all three of them.
"Yes, we are!" Ron declared. "We're sloshed!" He looked around, as if trying to find something and then grabbed a half empty box of chocolates. "Choccies?"
Rolling her eyes, Hermione declined. "No thank you, Ron."
She sounded awfully like professor McGonagall with the slight exasperation so clear in her tone.
There was a slow sound of dragging footsteps coming from the hallway, and then Remus stepped into the room, freezing next to Hermione as he took in the sight in front of him.
Sirius' whole face lit up with the smile. "Remus!" He scrambled up to his feet and staggered closer to the other man. "How'ya been?"
"I've been just fine." Exasperated, Remus held onto his friend, who was swaying on his feet. "I don't think I have to ask you how you've been." His gaze swept over the room, pausing for a moment at the empty bottles and the two very drunk teenagers.
"We've been drinking!"
Now there was a slight smile on Remus' face. "I can see that." He didn't mention that he could also smell it. Even someone without extra abilities would have smelled the overpowering scent of alcohol in the room.
"You're so smart, my Remus!" Beaming at him, Sirius swayed a few times more before throwing his arms around Remus. "Mr. Brainiac!" It was accented by a very sloppy kiss.
Ron didn't even try to fight the very unmanly giggling fit as Harry let out a very heartfelt "Aww, that's just so sweet!"
Planting yet another sloppy kiss on Remus' lips, Sirius turned back to Harry. "You did know that I so totally love this man, right? He's the bestest friend I've ever had and I love him! He's like a brother to me!"
All along his left hand was kneading Remus' bum.
"Sirius... We kind of figured that out a long ago!" Harry whispered so loud it could have even woken Draco up upstairs.
Ron blurted out between giggles, "Like an old married couple!" He raised the bottle to his lips, looking forlorn as it proved to be empty.
The words froze Sirius and even through the drunken haze he cast a shocked look around the room. He seemed to realize that his actions weren't exactly brotherly, and he let go of Remus' bum as if it burned him. "I..."
"You love Remus! Yeah, that's so cool!" Harry nodded empathically. "You know, if you ever really wanna get married... Is that even legal in the wizarding world? Anyway, I would be honored to be your best man or something." His thoughts were kind of fuzzy, but he knew what he was saying.
He didn't know why it was so damn difficult to Sirius to talk about his obvious relationship with Remus, and right now he didn't care. He was gloriously drunk, and he was going to say what he thought.
It was Ron's turn to say, "Awww! That's just so sweet!"
Sirius blinked. He looked at Harry and then at Remus. Turning his attention back to Harry he muttered, "Damn, my head is spinning." Maybe he wasn't as used to the hard liquor as he'd thought. But this couldn't just be a booze induced hallucination. He prayed it wasn't. "You mean that?"
Seeing the way Harry nodded made him smile. Without a conscious thought, he raised his hand back to where it belonged, ignoring the way Remus yelped.
"I do believe this may have been the worst kept secret in the wizarding world." Remus looked at the two young men who were once again repeating the very soppy sentiment of approval. He hoped Sirius wouldn't panic tomorrow morning when he was suffering from a hangover and remembered all this. "And yes, we do love each other."
Hermione sniffed. "It's not as if we didn't already know that." Her eyes were twinkling merrily. "I have no problem living with five gay men. But I do hope I'm not forced to live with drunken people every night."
"I am not gay!" Drawing himself up straight, Ron looked insulted. His declaration was greeted by disbelieving stares. "I just liked fucking Malfoy."
That made Sirius curl on the floor, laughing so hard tears were running down his face. Both Remus and Harry cast a very fond glance at him, enjoying the sight.
Ron blinked owlishly a few times before adding, "Not that I'm going to fuck him again. He's... No good. Yeah. A no good Slytherin." He didn't sound very convincing.
Howling, Sirius slammed his palm against the floor.
A dreamy look appeared on Ron's face. "But he's not bad looking, you know. Blond all over." That was accompanied by a leer. "And he has muscles! Like... Have you ever seen his thighs? Quidditch player's thighs!"
Hermione cleared her throat. "I'd say that's way too much information for me."
Next to her, Harry was suddenly reminded by his night in Hogwarts not long ago. It brought a silly grin on his face. Whatever could be said about Quidditch player's thighs could also be said about Potions masters' arms.
"I mean it! Strong and hard and he has a good arse too!" Ron was warming up to his topic, gaze turning distant. "Has to be because he's a top Seeker, I say. Those thighs can squeeze like..."
"Ron!" Hermione squealed, covering her ears with her hands. She didn't want to hear this.
Harry was having trouble keeping the grin from turning into laughter. He looked around the room, taking in the smiles on Sirius and Remus and wondered what they'd say if he made a comment about him being a Seeker as well. Snape would never say things like Ron just had, but he might think about it.
That thought made the laughter bubble out.
"You're insane!" Ron declared. "Quite barmy! All you Quidditch players are the same! Total lunatics. But I still say that Malfoy's thighs... Oh fuck!" The indignant expression turned into disgust. "Ew! Oh ew! Too much information! I have to wash my brains. That's disgusting, Harry!"
Harry just laughed harder.
Casting an amused look of perfect understanding at each other, Hermione and Remus sprang into action. She grabbed Ron's arm and started to lead him upstairs even as Remus stepped closer to Sirius and turned him towards their room.
It was best to act before the comment got through the haze currently surrounding Sirius' brains and this turned into a shouting match.
That left Harry alone in the living room, chuckling to himself until a yawn chased the laughter away.
