Aftermaths, Part 153

by Geri ([email protected])

Rating: Mostly PG-13, but NC-17 for overall story

Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise

Warning: AU; events that occurred at the end of Order of the Phoenix were significantly altered from the book.

Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, and Phoenix Rising.

Summary: The various characters deal with the aftermath of the war, and Snape and Lupin try to build a family together with Theodore and Dylan. However, some people are unable to let go of the past...

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Hob, who belongs to William Mayne; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
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Aric followed Takeshi to the bathroom, which contained both a small shower stall and a large tub. "My father had the bathroom remodeled, so that I could have a proper tub," he said with an air of satisfaction. "We had to pay a bribe--excuse me, a 'security deposit'--to the landlord in order to get him to allow the renovations, but it was worth it." He turned on the faucets and began to fill the tub with steaming hot water.

"Are we going to bathe or be boiled?" Aric asked, eyeing the water dubiously.

"A hot soak is good for you," Takeshi said dismissively, as if stepping into near-boiling water (at least, that was how it seemed to Aric) was no big deal. "But we can let it cool off a bit while we shower."

"Shower?" Aric asked in confusion. "Then why are you filling the tub?"

"Sorry, I almost forgot that you do things differently in England," Takeshi said. "You know, that was one of the hardest things about going to Hogwarts for so many years, although I did enjoy my time there for the most part--having to take showers instead of a proper bath. But after I became a prefect in fifth year, I got to use the prefects' bathroom, which is pretty luxurious." Aric just stared at him blankly, and Takeshi patiently explained, "In Japan, the point of a bath is not just to get clean, but to relax at the end of the day. You're supposed to wash off first, then soak in the tub. It's important to keep the water clean, because usually other members of the family will use the same bathwater. Of course, it's just the two of us here, so I suppose that it doesn't really matter, but who wants to sit and soak in dirty water?"

Aric just shrugged. To him, there was little point in sitting in a tub of water after you were already clean. Sure, sometimes it was nice to sit and soak in a hot bath when your muscles were sore, say, after a Quidditch match or fencing practice, but for the most part, he preferred to shower quickly and be done with it. In fact, a cleaning spell would do in a pinch, although it didn't get you as clean as a bath or shower. But this seemed to be important to Takeshi for some reason, so he was willing to humor his lover. After all, there was no harm in taking a bath he didn't really need, if it made Takeshi happy.

So Aric stepped into the shower, which was pretty cramped with both of them in it, but he didn't really mind, because it was a good excuse for them to soap and lather each other's bodies. His wilting erection quickly regained new life as Takeshi stroked him with slippery, soapy hands, and then before he knew what he was doing, he had pushed Takeshi up against the shower wall and was thrusting into him. It took just three quick thrusts before he came. {So much for werewolf stamina!} he thought, feeling somewhat chagrined. Then he pulled out and stared at Takeshi, who remained leaning against the wall, panting a little, the water that was still spraying out of the shower head sluicing away the semen that was running down his thighs.

"I'm sorry," Aric said, in a quiet, subdued voice, suddenly aware that he hadn't bothered to prepare his lover or even ask his consent. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to just shove you up against the wall like that--"

Takeshi smiled and laid a finger across Aric's lips to still his apologies. "It's all right, my wolf. I think you know from experience that I know how to deal with unwanted advances." Aric grinned ruefully, remembering the way he had been violently flung into the wall during his last visit to the clinic. "So you may be sure," Takeshi continued, grinning back at him, "that your advances are most welcome this time."

Aric smiled in relief. "Well, okay, then. But that can't have been, uh, very satisfying for you. Do you want me to...?"

"Although I enjoyed your attentions, I do not have a werewolf's stamina, my love," Takeshi laughed. "But perhaps we can try again later, after I've had a chance to relax. And soak."

So they finished washing each other, their caresses now more playful than seductive, with much laughing and giggling, then rinsed off and stepped out of the shower.

Takeshi motioned for Aric to step into the tub first, which he did very gingerly, as there were still a few wisps of steam rising from the water. The water was still hot enough to make him wince slightly as he eased himself down, but it was tolerable.

Takeshi watched him with great amusement. "You have no fear of flying Bludgers, and you and Lukas seem to take great pleasure in beating on each other with big wooden sticks in Defense class, but a little hot water is enough to make you cringe?"

"I'm a werewolf, not a lobster," Aric grumbled. "Quit yapping and get in here; it was your idea to take a bath, after all."

"You might be rather tasty with a little lemon and butter," Takeshi teased, but he climbed into the tub, sitting in front of Aric. The tub was just big enough for one person to stretch their legs out in front of them comfortably, but like the shower, it was a bit cramped for two. But again, he didn't really mind the close quarters when it was Takeshi who was sharing them with him. Aric leaned back against the tub, spreading his legs apart so that Takeshi could nestle between them and lean back against Aric's chest, and then Aric loosely folded his arms around his lover.

Takeshi let out a sigh of contentment, snuggling a little closer to Aric, long tendrils of his hair floating on the surface of the water like some kind of exotic seaweed. Aric sighed as well, as his body began adjusting to the temperature of the water. The heat really did feel good as it slowly seeped into his body, all the way to the bone it seemed, relaxing muscles he hadn't realized were tense. They sat there in the tub, in a daze of blissful contentment, for how long Aric wasn't exactly sure, but long enough for his fingertips to begin to wrinkle slightly. And then he gradually became aware of how good it felt to have Takeshi's body resting against his, his back flush against Aric's chest, his rump (and a very nice, shapely rump it was, too) resting against Aric's crotch. And that realization returned a little tension to his body--concentrated in the latter area, of course.

Takeshi lay back against Aric's chest, eyes closed, the heat of the water and the closeness of his mate having lulled him into a near-stupor. And then he abruptly woke from his daze when he felt something hard nudging at him, sliding between his buttocks.

"A-Aric?" he stammered, then moaned as he felt Aric's hands sliding up and down his chest, lightly brushing and teasing his nipples. Maybe Remus was right about the wolf's desire being contagious. He felt an almost uncontrollable urge to push backwards and impale himself on the hardness he felt pressing against him, although he knew that it would hurt without any lubrication.

Aric moaned as he felt Takeshi squirming against him, and quickly pushed him away before the wolf could take over again. "Not here," he gasped. "Not yet. I don't want to hurt you." He still had enough control to joke, "Besides, I thought you didn't want to get the water dirty."

"Ha ha, very funny," Takeshi said, quickly clambering out of the tub; Aric admired the way that droplets of water were running down his body. Meanwhile, Takeshi threw down a couple of thick, fluffy towels onto the floor.

"Don't you want to go back to bed?" Aric asked as he climbed out of the tub.

"No," Takeshi replied, reaching into the medicine cabinet. "I can't wait."

Aric chuckled and slipped his arms around Takeshi, embracing him from behind and nuzzling his neck. "Which of us is the werewolf?"

"I told you that my crane blood is ruled by instinct, too," Takeshi said impatiently.

"And how is a crane's stamina compared to a werewolf's?" Aric asked.

"I don't know," Takeshi replied. "The crane folk don't discuss such things, or at least I haven't met one as open as Remus. As for myself, I thought my stamina was more or less normal, until I met you. Here." He shoved a jar into Aric's hands.

"What is this?" Aric asked, twisting the lid open, and the scent of lavender wafted out, answering his question, although Takeshi still replied, "Healing salve." The scent was diluted by the other ingredients, though, and was not too strong for the wolf's sensitive nose.

Aric dipped his hand in the salve, and it tingled slightly against his skin. "Isn't this supposed to numb the area it's applied to?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's very mild," Takeshi replied, then looked down pointedly at Aric's conspicuous erection. Besides, I doubt that it will hinder you very much or for very long, considering that this is our third time in one night. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"Did you want to try and break Snape and Lupin's record?" Aric laughed; the idea no longer seemed quite so impossible.

"Not yet," Takeshi said, smiling. "But perhaps we can work up to it."

They lay down together on the towels, and Aric began working his fingers inside Takeshi, with much more skill and confidence this time around. Takeshi moaned and sighed with pleasure. Takeshi had not slept with anyone in months, aside from that one night with Ash, and even that had been three months ago, and Aric had been a most enthusiastic and vigorous lover. Takeshi had been feeling just a little sore after their lovemaking, although also satiated and pleased, and he had not wanted to say anything to Aric, fearing that he might overreact. But now he felt Aric's fingers working the cool salve into his flesh, soothing any lingering soreness. The salve was very effective--as Takeshi knew; he had brewed it himself, after all--and more than capable of healing a bit of chafing. Aric would have forgone another round of lovemaking if he had asked, of course, but Takeshi didn't want to wait. He wanted his mate, and he wanted him now. He wondered just how much of this seemingly unquenchable desire came from his crane blood and how much came from Aric's wolf blood, but he decided that it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they loved each other. Anything else was icing on the cake.

Aric smiled, licking his lips at the sight of Takeshi writhing on the bathroom floor. He found that it was easier to control the wolf this time, perhaps because it was somewhat sated from their two previous encounters. Takeshi's body seemed relaxed from their earlier lovemaking, or perhaps it was the long soak in the bath, but in any case, he was soon moaning, "Please, Aric, I want you now," and Aric was more than happy to oblige.

Takeshi started to roll over onto his hands and knees, but Aric stopped him. "No," he said quietly. "I want to see your face this time." And maybe this time there would be time for tenderness. Takeshi smiled at him, rolled onto his back, and spread his legs wide, causing Aric to groan and think to himself, {Well, then again, maybe not!}

Remembering the illustrations from Theo's book, Aric pulled Takeshi's legs up over his shoulders and slowly pushed into him. Merlin, it felt so good! He felt a brief urge to slam into his mate hard and fast as he had done before, but he forced himself to continue moving slowly, and his inner wolf acquiesced with a slightly grudging growl.

Firmly in control now, Aric was determined to savor the moment, and it was Takeshi who moaned impatiently this time. Grinning wickedly, he teased his lover with slow, shallow thrusts, deliberately stopping short of where Takeshi obviously wanted them to go. Takeshi moaned in frustration and tried to push his hips up and shove Aric into him deeper, but Aric firmly grasped him by the hips and held him in place, so that he couldn't move no matter how much he squirmed or struggled. Aric continued moving in those teasing, shallow strokes until Takeshi began cursing at him in Japanese--well, at least he assumed it was Japanese, since he didn't speak the language. And he assumed that Takeshi was merely swearing and not hexing him, since he didn't go flying across the room or turn into a toad.

"Tsk, tsk, such language," Aric chided. "Well, actually I don't speak Japanese, but I assume from the tone of your voice that you're saying something rather rude." Takeshi cursed again and clawed at Aric's back, causing Aric to hiss sharply, and he nearly lost control for a moment, but managed to reign himself back in. "You'll have to do better than that, my dear," he whispered, leaning forward to brush his lips against Takeshi's. "Your nails are so short that they barely tickle."

"You're an evil Slytherin, Aric," Takeshi groaned.

"Why, thank you," Aric replied with a grin. Takeshi struggled wildly, trying to buck his hips upwards, but Aric maintained a firm grip on them. As Takeshi resumed cursing at him, Aric reminded him, "You were the one who wanted me to accept the wolf. And I've found that werewolf strength does come in very handy, after all."

Takeshi was almost ready to scream at Aric, and in fact, was about to do so when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh shit."

"Such language," Aric scolded mildly, raising his eyebrows, not so much for the swear word, although it was unusual to hear it coming out of Takeshi's mouth, but because it didn't seem to be directed at him.

"I didn't put a silence spell on the bathroom," Takeshi said.

"Want me to go get my wand?" Aric offered.

"No!" Takeshi said, bending his knees and tightening his grip on Aric's shoulders, trying to hold him in place. "We can be quiet; just try not to howl." Then he said, leering a little, "Show me just how well you can use your wand, Aric Dietrich."

"Ooh, I think I like it when you talk dirty, 'Keshi," Aric said, grinning.

"How about doing something more than talk?" Takeshi retorted.

Aric pushed partway into Takeshi and then stopped, holding himself very still. In truth, he was on the verge of breaking down, but he did so enjoy the increasingly desperate noises that his lover was making, more whimpering than moaning, as he was biting his lip, obviously trying to keep his voice down so that the neighbors wouldn't hear them. It was almost as delicious as those mewling kitten noises he had made earlier. And he loved the pleading look in Takeshi's eyes, and the almost palpable aura of need that was emanating from him. That was what he savored most, that his mate needed and desired him so much.

"Damn you, Aric!" Takeshi whispered fiercely, glaring at him. "Just fuck me already!"

Aric raised his eyebrows again, pretending to be shocked. Actually, he didn't really need to pretend very much. He'd never heard the always polite, mild-mannered mediwizard swear like that before, not even when he had rightfully been furious with Aric, that night he had come to the clinic drunk. And finally, Aric relented. "I won't fuck you," he whispered tenderly. "But I will make love to you." And he pushed into Takeshi, slowly but deeply, until he was sheathed to the hilt in his mate's body.

Takeshi had willingly played along with Aric at first, enjoying the anticipation that was building. But his frustration and need quickly built to the point where he was seriously considering hexing Aric right through the wall. The only things that stopped him were that first of all, he'd have to pay for the repairs to the wall, and more importantly, Aric would hardly be in any shape to make love to him if he were knocked unconscious. Although werewolves did heal very quickly...

But then Aric finally did move into him, with a slow, deep thrust that made Takeshi sob with pleasure, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be quiet. "Shhh," Aric whispered, laying a finger across Takeshi's lips, his eyes glinting mischievously. And then Aric continued moving in slow, deep thrusts, with such profound tenderness that it dramatically emphasized the difference between "making love" and mere sex. It was amazing how something could be so gentle and so intense at the same time. He looked up to see his mate smiling down at him, with such sheer, unadulterated love in his eyes that it brought tears to Takeshi's own eyes.

"I told you that I wanted our first time to be special," Aric whispered. "But I'll settle for our third."

"A time for urgency," Takeshi whispered, remembering what he'd told Aric earlier. "And a time for tenderness and romance."

"Well, I was picturing a more romantic setting than the bathroom," Aric said with an affectionate grin. "But this will do. Maybe next time we'll add some flowers and candles."

"Are you sure those romance books were Remus's and not yours?" Takeshi teased, then gasped as Aric thrust into him a little harder. And soon neither of them were capable of speech; Aric was panting and growling as he thrust into his mate, and Takeshi was biting down hard on his own fist in an attempt to stifle his moans and cries of pleasure.

Aric suddenly paused as Takeshi moaned in protest. Aric pulled Takeshi's hand out of his mouth, gently caressing the deep tooth-marks he'd left embedded in the skin. "Don't," he said gruffly. "You'll hurt yourself. Here." And he offered his own hand instead.

"But--" Takeshi started to protest.

Aric gave him a wolfish grin. "I heal quickly, remember?"

"But..."

"Merlin's Beard," Aric said impatiently. "Do you want to get on with this, or would you rather argue all night?"

Takeshi laughed and gave in. "All right, since you put it so romantically, my love." They resumed their lovemaking, which rapidly grew more urgent and frenzied, yet somehow still retained that quality of tenderness. And then with one especially hard, deep thrust, Takeshi felt his mate come inside him, and then he was coming too, biting down hard on Aric's hand to muffle his cry of ecstasy. Aric was crouched over him, mouth wide open, panting desperately. Takeshi idly observed that he was definitely beginning to develop wolflike fangs, and he was impressed that Aric had been able to keep himself from howling. He released Aric's hand from his mouth, then smiled and tilted his head back, offering up his throat to his mate. "Take me, my wolf," he murmured, and felt an exhilarating rush of pleasure-pain as Aric sank his teeth into Takeshi's throat, which did not quite stifle the werewolf's joyous howl.

"I think the neighbors still might have heard that," Aric said afterwards, as they lay together on the bathroom floor in each other's arms.

"It's all right," Takeshi said, too contented to care at the moment. "Let them gossip. Besides, they know I'm a mediwizard." He grinned and trailed his fingers down Aric's arm. "I'll tell them I'm treating a werewolf, which is true enough."

"So what do you prescribe for a werewolf's insatiable lust?" Aric asked, nibbling on Takeshi's earlobe.

"Lots and lots of sex with his mate," Takeshi sighed, snuggling against Aric's chest.

"Sounds good to me," Aric said, and they just held each other for a couple of minutes. Then he grinned mischievously and said, "Want to take a bath?"

Takeshi groaned good-naturedly. "I'm not sure that I can handle another bath, considering what the last one led to."

"But you're all sticky and sweaty," Aric teased. "You know, I really like this bath thing. I think it's a very good idea."

"I can see a vicious cycle emerging," Takeshi laughed. "Sex leads to a bath, which leads to more sex, which leads to another bath..."

"And this is a bad thing?" Aric asked, still grinning.

"I love you dearly, my wolf," Takeshi said, kissing him. "But my body doesn't recover as quickly as yours, and I would like to be able to walk tomorrow morning."

"Ah well," Aric sighed in mock-regret. "Then how about we skip the bath, just this once, and go straight to bed? To sleep, that is."

"Sounds good," Takeshi said, then yelped in surprise and laughed as Aric scooped him up into his arms.

"No walking required," Aric said playfully, and carried his mate to bed. He made a point of casting a cleaning spell on the sheets, which made Takeshi laugh again, then they turned out the lights and slipped under the covers together. Aric pulled his mate into his arms, breathing in his scent. He could still smell their recent lovemaking on his skin, as well as a hint of lavender and a clean, soapy scent. Yes, Aric decided, despite his earlier objections, a bath was a very good thing indeed.

A low growl of contentment escaped his lips, and he smiled to himself. Who would ever have thought that being bitten by a werewolf would turn out to be a blessing instead of a curse? It had hurt to lose the affection of his parents and grandparents, but it had strengthened his relationship with Erika and Theo, and it had brought him a new family and new friends, in the form of Lukas and his pack, and Lupin and the Slytherins and even the irritable, sour-faced Potions Master. And most of all, it had brought him his mate, the person he treasured most in the world.

"I love you, Takeshi," he whispered drowsily.

"I love you, too, Aric," Takeshi murmured. Then he asked, a little wistfully, "Will you let me stay with you during the next full moon?"

"Of course," Aric replied without hesitation, and Takeshi smiled at him warmly.

"Good," he said, tenderly stroking Aric's face. "I can't wait to see you. I'm sure you'll be a beautiful wolf."

"Will you let me watch you transform again sometime?" Aric asked. "I would love to watch you fly." Then it was his turn to smile wistfully. "That must be an amazing feeling."

"It is," Takeshi said. "I can't do it where people might see, of course; people would think it odd to see a crane flying over London. But when we go to visit my brother, when we are safe in the haven of the crane folk, I will show you." He yawned widely. "But for now, let us sleep, my wolf."

"Okay. Goodnight, 'Keshi."

"Goodnight, Aric."

And that night Aric dreamed that he was a wolf running beneath the open sky, howling joyously at the full moon while a beautiful white crane flew above him.

THE END.

(Well, not quite the end, but since this story seems to have grown longer than "Order of the Phoenix," it seemed like a good place to end it, and take up later events, including the summer vacation, in a series of sequels.)
 

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