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"What's with Mr. Charming?" asked Zelda. "Do you really trust him, Minerva?"

The evening was advanced as the left the school. They walked slowly toward the gates, and Minerva gazed at her. "You don't like Kingsley?" she asked with an innocent air. "Most people find him fascinating."

"No doubt," she replied scathingly. "I found all that charm annoying, but if it works for you, Minerva, that's great."

Severus's invisible hand reached for hers and pulled it under the cloak. He was thrilled that when faced with a handsome, beautifully dressed and powerful Auror, she found the man annoying. Shacklebolt was a powerful ally and if Minerva had Legilimenced him they must have had a meeting of minds. But his own sweet lover was immune to the man's vile charm. He clasped her hand in his and watched a small, serene smile appear on her face.

"Zelda! Not a fan of good looks and charm?" Michael asked. "Any guy who looks that hot in Armani's okay by me."

"Hey, some of us have standards," she replied mockingly. "I can see him pouring on that slippery charm and easily sucking information out of unwilling people. Especially since I imagine that's only one weapon in his arsenal."

"God, Zel, stop it! I think I'm falling in love," Michael said with a dreamy chuckle.

"Good. Then leave Severus alone," she said acidly.

He sighed. "But he's my first wizard love."

"Shut up, Michael," she snapped. "Minerva, will you keep him? He's back to his special self already."

The Headmistress just laughed. "Go and relax," she said lightly. "I appreciate your coming so quickly to consult with us, and I'll see you soon."

She opened the gate and Severus took his two charges firmly in hand before Apparating away.

It was bright daylight and extremely hot at their destination. Everything was peaceful and untouched. Michael blinked in slight confusion. "I should rest, I think," he said, "and then, please explain what happened to me, Severus."

The wizard nodded. "Can you manage to find your own bedroom this time?" he asked pointedly.

"Oh yeah, about that," he replied. "How did you make this little dump so huge and fantastic? Can you do more to it?"

Severus nodded. "Take the tour after you rest. Your room is there," he said, pointing. He watched Michael close the door in some relief.

"Come here," Zelda said, dragging him to their bedroom. She made sure the door was closed, threw off her robes and pulled her boots off.

"Keep going," he said, stripping himself efficiently. He watched her, with a pleased smirk, slip her knickers off and throw off the pretty dress. He caught her up in his arms and they fell to the bed. "Much better," he proclaimed smugly. He took her nipple into his mouth, saying, "I believe this is where I was when Michael shattered the mood."

He sucked blissfully, making Zelda warm all over. "Ah, Goddess, I love this," she said softly, stroking his back. She held him as he suckled contentedly, and finally able to relax after the worrisome trip to Hogwarts, she began drowsing.

Severus lay awake, thoughtfully teasing her with his tongue. His longstanding oral fixation was so powerful that in his miserable youth he briefly smoked Muggle cigarettes, a revolting habit that stained his teeth and gave nothing like the satisfaction of Zelda's tits. How delicious to taste and suck and kiss /her/, he mused. He adored every inch of her. So he lay touching and tasting her to his heart's content, letting his mind wander to the various challenges that lay ahead.

When Zelda woke he was latched onto her nipple again. She purred deep in her throat and kissed his hair.

He pulled reluctantly away, tugging as he let go. "Is this all right?" he asked, squeezing and caressing both breasts. "You've no idea, pet. I could be at you constantly, if given the chance."

"Promise?" she asked. "It's deliciously intimate, Sev."

In answer he kissed her chin and smiled.

She giggled as her whole body responded to him. "Hmm, I'll report to Michael that you really don't seem to be gay."

"I went to a bloody boarding school, my girl. In seven wretched years of dormitory life I was not even once attracted to males." He smirked. "I know what I like."

She kissed his hooked nose and said, "We should see how Michael is."

"Presently," he replied. He teased her thighs apart with his clever fingers and she drew him into her arms and began kissing him. His eyes glowed as they made love, and he wondered, as they succumbed to passion, where the ugly, greasy, old git went when they were together. He felt like a different man.

"You delight me," he murmured afterward, and he cradled her close against his chest.

Zelda stirred and stretched in his arms. "I smell food," she said. "We should get up."

"Wear the dress again," he commanded, nuzzling once more at her breasts. "I enjoy the view."

"Goodness," she murmured. "I guess it's important to keep your spirits up, my boy, even if I feel like a tart."

"Indulge me," he said, rather embarrassed.

"Anything for you," she said, "but Michael's going to make rude comments. About the dress, I mean..."

"I hope he'll fixate on Shacklebolt now and leave me alone," he said, chuckling. "Or /Hagrid/, for that matter."

"He'll never stop teasing /me/," she replied. "And you're associated with me, so you're doomed, dear boy." She slipped her dress on and knelt to kiss him again. "Aren't you getting dressed?"

"Will there be more guests?' he asked.

"Michael's it, I think," she said. "Why?"

"It's hot here," he muttered fretfully. He pointed his wand at the closet and his clothing flew to him. He got out of bed, and he put on the white undershirt with the old blue jeans and prepared to leave the room.

"Oooo, Severus," she murmured, blue eyes gleaming. "You look gorgeously comfortable, but don't you need more coverage?"

"Muggles should not be the only ones who dress comfortably in this oppressive heat," he replied stiffly. "Is it a problem?"

She eyed his thin, muscular shoulders appreciatively. "Not at all," she said. "Let's go see what Michael brought for dinner."

They found Michael lounging on the couch, drinking a beer. He grinned when he saw them, but only said, "There's beer in the fridge."

Zelda went to him and knelt to look in his eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied. "I feel different now, though."

Severus had gone to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of beer and a glass. He poured the glass, handed it to Zelda and nudged Michael to make room for them on the couch. He sat down next to Michael.

"Tell me what feels different to you," he said.

Michael's eyes narrowed. "I can feel magic in things," he said. "I never felt it before, but when I got close to Hogwarts I thought my head would explode. But after you did whatever you did, instead of pressure I could sense the magic coming from things in Minerva's office. I can sense it in your wand and in the Portkey hanging in the kitchen."

"How fascinating," replied Severus. "Wizards are often sensitive to magical objects, to some degree. I wonder if your ability is shared by other Muggles."

"I can't speak for other Muggles, but thank you for helping me," said Michael purposefully. "If you hadn't known what to do..." He held out his hand to Severus, who clasped it strongly.

"I am glad it worked," he said. "This ability of yours to sense magic may be useful, and if you return to Hogwarts you will have no more distress."

"I was a little dazed back there, so tell me, can the giants really be convinced to go away?" asked Michael. "That would really shift in the balance."

Severus thought carefully. "I must not speculate. It must be left to Minerva and Hagrid."

"Sev," Zelda said, "Tell us about Kingsley Shacklebolt." She sipped daintily at her beer.

"He is one of the Ministry's most effective Aurors," Severus replied grudgingly. "He keeps himself out of politics to a remarkable degree, and is highly valued for his intellect and competence."

"Is he a threat to you?" she asked anxiously. "Will he turn you in?"

"I must trust Minerva's judgment," he said. "Her ability to do Legilimency has improved vastly, thanks to Michael. Most Aurors are also trained in Legilimency, so they must have tested each other intensively. He is a valuable ally for us."

"Is he, er... married?" asked Michael.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "He /means/, is he /gay/?" she said cynically.

"I have no idea," replied Severus. "However, if it makes you stop harassing me, Michael, I shall try to discover a potion to make him gay!"

"It should be so easy," Michael said with a chuckle. "Hey, are you two hungry? It seems like two days ago, but today I brought I brought Greek salad, cold chicken and fresh bread. Also a bottle of white wine for you, Zel."

She hastily stood up and held a hand out to him. "Delicious! C'mon, babe. You're my hero, now let's eat!" She pulled Michael, and then Severus upright and hustled them to the kitchen.

"Wine, Severus?" Michael asked cheerfully. "You don't strike me as much of a drinker."

Severus took the glass and replied, "I did not dare to drink when the Dark Mark was on me. When I was summoned the Dark Lord, I needed complete control of my mind. A glass of wine is indeed a luxury to me." He swirled the contents of the glass and sniffed appreciatively before tasting it.

Dinner was relaxed and quiet, the most comfortable meal Severus had known in a long time. Only weeks earlier he had been immersed in life at Hogwarts, living with unrelenting pressure as a spy and watching Dumbledore's body gradually wither under the Horcrux curse. He had wished to die with Dumbledore; instead Zelda and Michael freely offered him love and friendship. He wondered if he could ever take such things for granted.

"You two are very quiet," he murmured. "Where is the childish bickering I expect from you?"

"We don't always have to do it," Zelda said with a soft smile. "Sometimes even Michael gets tired of playing games. I'm just happy to be here with both of you."

"Life's strange, isn't it?" Michael asked with a grin. "I never imagined my life turning out the way it has, touching magic..."

"Same here," Zelda said, "But in my case, finding Severus is the icing on the cake and the whole point of my life. I can't wish my kids out of existence, but, Sev, I wish that horrid woman had dropped you in front of me years earlier."

"We were destined to meet at the precise moment that we did," he mused. "Michael, when you were young, what did you imagine your life would be?"

"I always wanted to do the right thing," said Michael, grimacing. "I didn't know what that was, or how to do it. All my life I was... different, and I stupidly tried not to understand. But without ever admitting to myself I was gay, I knew my dad would hate me for it. I went to war in Viet Nam because that was something he'd approve of, and that's where I learned about myself, in a place where I realized too late I'd given up control of my life."

Severus listened intently, captivated by the man's honesty and self-awareness.

"I was trained as a sniper," Michael continued. "I turned out to be one of the best, and I killed... many men, without thinking about what it means to kill. When you're nineteen, you think you know it all. I was defending my country and honing my skills. And there were other gay guys there. It's funny, now, when our society's more tolerant, we're stupid about gay men in the military. But then, when we all pretended nobody was gay, there were lots of us and if we didn't go public, nobody cared."

"What happened then?" asked Severus.

"I finished out the war," he said. "Snug in my isolation, respected for my ability to kill people, partying with the guys. Long before the end, we all were wondering why we were there. Nobody back home gave a damn that we were there. But I managed to ignore the waste of it until I got back home. When we found out people here hated the war, /and hated us because we did our duty/, well, I wasn't the only bitter, screwed up guy."

Zelda stood up and kissed Michael's cheek. "Let's go sit outside, okay?"

No one spoke until they were seated outside. It was growing dark and Zelda glanced at the fire pit. "Anybody want a fire?"

Severus smiled and pointed his wand at the logs piled there, and the fire blazed merrily.

"Nice," said Michael appreciatively.

"Well?" Severus asked.

"You really want to hear this?" Michael asked doubtfully.

"If you don't object to talking about it."

Michael smiled wearily. "Zel says I never get tired of hearing my own voice."

"Too true," she murmured.

"Well, I don't know how much detail you'd need about being gay after the war. People began to admit we existed. Lots of them hated us, but I didn't care. I had all kinds of baggage in my head and I despised myself, but ignored it and partied with the best of 'em." He paused. "Do you know about AIDS?" he asked slowly.

Severus had indeed heard of it as a plague among Muggles, horrible, but completely distant from his life. He nodded slowly.

"I was living in Manhattan when it hit, and I watched my close friends and former lovers begin to die horribly. They were a family to me and then they were gone." His voice faltered. "I watched a generation of brilliant, amazing men disappear, and after a couple of years it seemed as if my whole life was about death. I felt lost and eventually came back home, where I never thought I'd be."

Zelda smiled and held out her hand. "I'd never have known you if you'd stayed there."

Michael took her hand and kissed it in a graceful gesture. "Yeah, it's all good, in a strange way. I met Phil two years after I moved back here. We met in a support group for Viet Nam vets, after I finally decided to get my shit together." He looked up at Severus. "Phil was the one guy for me. I swear he was my soul mate. He's also the guy who introduced me to Zelda."

"Really?" Severus looked from one to the other.

"Phil was a teacher at my school. He was my mentor and taught me the most brilliant stuff I know about teaching," she said, her eyes lighting up at the memory. Her face glowed in the firelight. "He was the smartest, most generous, happiest guy."

"What happened?" Severus asked warily.

"He got AIDS," Michael said. "He got sick really fast, and the treatment they had then was worse than the disease. To this day I don't know why he got it and I didn't. For a long time I wished I had it, so I could die with him."

'He hated that you wanted to die," Zelda said. "Besides, what would I have done without you?"

Michael chuckled reminiscently. "He bequeathed you to me, you know. There you were, freshly divorced and with young kids, stubborn as hell and grieving over him as much as I was."

"He knew you needed someone to boss around," she murmured. "He asked me to pester you, so you wouldn't miss him so much." She felt tears coming to her eyes and said, "Hey, you brought ice cream and I didn't have any yet. D' you want some?"

Michael laughed. "If you haven't noticed, Severus, in times of distress she needs ice cream. No thanks, Zel."

Severus smiled and shook his head. Both men watched her walk back to the cabin.

"She's a great girl," Michael told him. "She didn't have any gay friends before Phil, but they were crazy about each other. They were a trip together and I never laughed more in my life than with the two of them. He volunteered with the high school drama department, he used to make costumes and he'd force her to be his model. When I saw the robes she got with Molly, it took me back, I tell you."

The cabin door slammed and Zelda returned with a heaping bowl of ice cream. "Are you finished talking about Phil? I'll cry if you don't stop it."

"You can't, he'd hate it," Michael said at once.

"I know," she said longingly. "In a way he's always with me. I know what he'd think about things. About you, and about the kids grown up, the things I do in my class... and I wish I could tell him about Legilimency and magic. I could imagine what he'd say about Diagon Alley, when I was there." Her chin quivered.

"Well, I'd hate it, so don't you dare cry," he said firmly. "Eat your ice cream like a good girl."

She grinned weakly at him. "Okay, if you insist."

Severus now understood the relationship between the two and liked Michael more than ever, but could think of nothing to say in response to their openness. Michael did not wear his heart on his sleeve, but had learned to know his own heart. He could never match this Muggle man's wisdom and healthy honesty, he thought bitterly, loathing his own stunted soul.

He looked at Zelda, who was obediently nibbling at her ice cream and gazing fondly at him. She smiled and he felt better.

"Thank you," he managed to say, and was rewarded by a smile from Michael too. There was nothing more to say, but they sat companionably around the fire late into the night, allowing the moonlight, the soothing darkness and the crackling fire to work elemental magic among them.