Transition

Hedwig eyed Shadow unblinkingly with her large amber eyes and hissed sharply when the eagle owl tried to steal her treat. The other residents of the four-storeyed house – two Persian cats with bluish-grey fur and one large brown owl – looked at the newcomers with friendly curiosity. Hedwig let out a shriek when Shadow insistently pecked on her savory tidbit.

The four wizards in the house were having their supper in the rectangular-shaped dining room, right after Starkmind had returned to the house after he had driven the carriage and horses back to their owner. The walls of the dining room were painted a light yellow, and pale blue curtains covered a section of the large windows. Before they sat down for their meal, Starkmind had erected a makeshift perch that Hedwig had to share with Shadow right beside the window.

"Draco." Harry turned and gave the Slytherin a pleading look. "Tell Shadow to behave."

"Tell him yourself," Draco answered nonchalantly. Then he smiled shyly at Bluestone who scooped up more pasta for him to eat.

Harry, seeing that his partner was busy with supper, sighed mournfully. His dark and bushy eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on conjuring more owl treats for the raptors. He shook his head at a second helping of spaghetti and rose to his feet. He held a brown bag in one hand. Draco's bird looked expectantly at him with its beak slightly agape.

He went first to the brown owl. He tilted his bag and small, square bits of meat spilled out into the bowl attached on its perch. Harry proceeded to give Shadow and Hedwig more of the snack, and the eagle owl trilled softly in gratitude. Astonishingly, Hedwig responded with a soft hoot and clucked her beak at the other owl. Harry went back to the table and reached for his drink.

"More juice, Harry?" Starkmind asked. His hand moved to lift the jug of fresh orange juice.

"No, thanks … but do you have plain water?"

"It's right inside that cupboard," the half-Veela replied, pointing at an indigo box that reached up to Harry's waist.

When the young wizard opened it, he found cakes, bars of chocolates, and several bottles of carbonated drinks among the many jugs of water. "What are all these for?" he asked.

"The children visit us sometimes," Bluestone answered. He got up and took the dishes back into the kitchen area.

"You have children?" Harry and Draco asked at the same time. The married couple laughed at their shocked expressions, although Bluestone's voice was slightly muffled.

"We mean the children from the school. Sometimes, during the weekends, they are allowed to go out. And where else can they turn up, but their teachers' homes?"

"Oh," Draco said after a moment. "What a shame," the Slytherin observed, chuckling a little.

"What?" Harry asked, piqued.

"Nothing."

"Well." Bluestone returned. "I think it's time to let them choose where they want to sleep."

"Go on then; I'll take care of their belongings."

While Starkmind went into the living room to gather the fresh graduates' belongings, Bluestone led them to the four bedrooms in the house. The silvery-haired wizard was questioning the Veela about his kind when there was a loud bang coming from the upper floors.

"What was that?" Draco asked with a small frown.

"Just an old ghoul that's stuck inside the attic. Usually we set Silencing Charms on the cupboard he's confined to. He's quite harmless," Bluestone said. They reached the landing and immediately saw a workbench strewn with fabrics, ribbons and shiny beads. Harry looked at the Veela for an explanation.

"It's something that I'm working on. I'll tell you two about it some other time," Bluestone replied, flushing slightly in embarrassment. Harry took a quick look about and saw that the bedrooms circled the staircase. Their host turned right, and walked past a gallery of marble carvings.

"Bloody hell!" Draco exclaimed and paused to admire a row of painted glass windows. Behind him was a sculpture of a Hebridean Black dragon. Harry peered against the glass and was delighted to find that it overlooked vast greenery.

"This is beautiful," the Gryffindor commented in an almost absent tone.

"Yes. This convinced us that the house was worth the fourteen thousand Galleons the previous owner charged," Bluestone told them.

"It is more spectacular in the afternoon," Starkmind's voice reached them and he appeared with the trunks. Three bedroom doors opened when Starkmind uttered an incantation. "I'll wait here with your stuff. When you've chosen the bedroom or bedrooms you want, tell me."

"One is enough, Elaviel," Harry said with a grin.

The first two bedrooms did not impress Draco – one was because of its gaudy color of the walls, and the second had too small a bed to be shared by two people. Harry was the first to step into the third bedroom and felt that it was to his taste.

"What about that one?" Draco pointed his chin at the wall across the third bedroom.

"Sorry lads, but that's ours," Bluestone replied with a laugh.

"What do you think?" Harry called out to his boyfriend, rapping at the door to get Draco's attention.

Draco stepped into the warm-toned room and his eyes immediately glazed over. "I'm in love with that bed," the Slytherin announced as he inspected the large bed.

Starkmind laughed heartily. "The bathroom is right behind that door," he told Harry as he set their trunks and other luggage beside a dark brown cupboard. "Have fun!" Before the two younger wizards could protest, he grabbed his husband's hand and exited. The door closed silently. Harry heard the two adults break up into hoarse laughter and tried not to get too excited over the idea.

"We shouldn't get too attached to this particular bed," Draco said into the embarrassed silence. "We are going to get a house of our own, aren't we, love?"

"Not this year, Draco. I'd rather not spend my parents' fortune at one go. If we are going to get a house and live it in together, I want to buy it with some of my own money," he said, and placed his arms lightly around Draco's waist.

"That will take years, you know." His boyfriend pursed his lips in contemplation.

"I know, but we do want to have a comfortable life, don't we?"

Draco nuzzled his neck softly. "All right. Who's going in to wash up first?"

"You go on ahead – I'll unpack the clothes."

The sound of running water that came from the bathroom lulled him into a peculiar state of contentment, but he reminded himself that he had clothes to unpack. The wizard unlocked both trunks with a wave of his hand. He was glad to see that Draco was a neat and an organized packer – the wizard had placed all his books in an orderly arrangement on top of his robes. Harry looked around the bedroom for a suitable place to keep the books, and his face brightened when he found a petite bookshelf. He inserted both his and Draco's books on the mostly empty shelves.

He was about to return to their trunks when the bed caught his eye again. That bed really looks comfortable…. Then he shook his head violently. I'd better drop the idea. I'll get to sleep on it later anyway.

He went on with his tasks, and magicked a barrier inside the wardrobe so that he had two different compartments to hang their robes. There were plenty of hangers inside and he chose to deal with Draco's expensive robes first. He paused to finger the blue-grey robes that his boyfriend had worn during the Halloween masquerade, and his lips curved into a crooked smile as he reminisced. He let out a chuckle and continued to sort their garments.

I wonder if he had asked his mother to send him the rest of his belongings, Harry mused, placing his jumpers into an empty drawer. He studied the clothes that were already hung up. I don't think he'd be entirely happy to wear them twice in a week.

It felt almost an hour since Draco had entered the bathroom. Harry checked his watch – it was half past ten – and gathered his toiletries. He knocked politely on the door. "Draco – are you done?"

"I'm brushing my teeth. Just come in." Draco's answers were almost garbled unintelligibly.

Harry hesitated but turned the doorknob and entered. He was surprised the moment he did. He knew that he should not have felt shocked – it was not the first time that he had seen Draco naked after all, but…. He swallowed hard and moved stiffly towards the shower stall. However, when he placed his towel on the rack, his eyes were drawn to the Slytherin's fair body. He forgot to breathe as he took in the sight. His eyes raked over the profile of Draco's face, and watched the arm muscles ripple as the wizard brushed his teeth vigorously. Harry also liked the way the wizard stood.

He flushed when he realized that Draco had finished his task, and was staring at him with a puzzled look. While the Slytherin looked at him fully in the face, Harry found himself gawking at Draco's chest and the rest of him. His boyfriend's grey eyes twinkled in amusement and gave Harry a naughty look as he exited. The raven-haired wizard shivered as he stepped into the shower. Dear gods … but if he continues to do that every night…. He shuddered and tried to ignore the stirring in his groin. His brain would not cooperate however, and images of Draco's enticing body continued to bombard his mind.

Draco Malfoy collapsed against the wall, and clutched at his stomach as he laughed silently. When his mirth finally died down, he strained his ears to catch the sounds coming from the bathroom. Then he was delighted to hear the showering wizard let out an anguished moan. Draco smirked in satisfaction and pushed himself off the wall. A quick check in his trunk showed that Harry had taken care of most of his things, but the bag that contained his accessories was untouched.

He opened the wardrobe and pondered on what he should wear for the night. He grinned widely and reached out for his cerulean-colored sleeping robe. He decided not to wear anything else and give Harry another shock later. There was an oval mirror hanging beside the wardrobe and he was sure that it was one of those that could talk. He pursed his lips as he considered the position of the mirror. Why didn't they place it above the chest of drawers? he wondered, glancing at the beautiful cupboard.

"No, no, no! Don't put me on that wall!" the mirror objected loudly when Draco placed it at the wall opposite the bed.

The wizard looked at it with narrowed eyes. "Why the hell not?"

"Not good, not good, gorgeous boy! It brings ill luck to the couple sleeping on the bed," the mirror explained.

"Oh. Then I guess I ought to move the cupboard then," he said thoughtfully and removed his wand from the trousers he had worn earlier. Satisfied with the arrangement of the furniture, he dumped his brush, gel and other things inside the first drawer. He combed his hair and listened to the advice of the mirror with great tolerance.

With nothing else to do, he sat down on the bed and examined the room. The first thing that attracted his attention was the patterned carpet that was laid out on the floor. And I must have treaded on it several times before noticing it. It was orange but thankfully not bright enough to hurt his eyes if he stared at it for a prolonged period. His eyes moved on to the miniature library beside the bed and he rose to his feet.

He checked out the V-shaped couch beside the bookshelf, flopped on it, and tested it for comfort. His eyes wandered about the room again. That wall looks too bare without the cupboard now, Draco fretted. Ah … I know what's missing now. The room needs a picture or two, and a bit of green as well. He browsed through his memories and wondered if his mother would allow him to take some paintings away from the mansion. The painting of The Trees will be great. I don't think it's cursed.

The heavy, cream-colored curtains that screened the windows moved slightly as the wind blew against it. I wonder if this room has a great view. He grinned and contemplated the prospect of getting intimate with Harry with wide, open windows, in bright daylight. I can hope that it overlooks the woods and there aren't any houses within sight. He drew back the curtains and tied them up with a dark brown tassel.

Quite absently, Draco muttered a spell he learned from his father to keep the insects out of the room if he wanted to sleep with the windows open. This is marvelous. The rays of moonshine penetrated through the spaces that were not blocked by tree branches or leaves, and it gave the area a misty look. However, it also resembled the forest that screened the mansion during the night he had the confrontation with the Dementors a year ago. He gave a long sigh and adjusted the tassel; he knew that Harry would probably want to sleep without the sun waking him up prematurely in the morning.

He took a quick look at the bathroom door and felt that Harry was about to come out. He quickly jumped on the bed, summoned a book, and a few other things. The book he held on, but he placed the other objects on the bedside table. He magicked those things invisible. After all, he did not want to look as though he was a desperate man. He concentrated on his book, looked for his bookmark, and began to read. He felt slightly ashamed that he enjoyed the Muggle novels Harry had recommended, but they were infinitely better than the romances or novels his parents kept in the library. It did not take long for Draco to be completely absorbed into the story.

When Harry returned to the bedroom, Draco was reading a novel that he borrowed from Harry right after the NEWTs. He closed the door quietly and walked silently across the carpet to the wardrobe. He chose a comfortable loose trouser and decided not to wear a shirt, but a sleeping robe. While he dried his hair with his towel, he studied his quiescent boyfriend. It appeared that Draco was bare-chested beneath his garment.

The hint of white flesh exhilarated him and Harry smiled to himself. Draco seemed unaware of his presence. Slowly, he walked towards the bed in an almost predator-like fashion. When his knees touched the foot of the bed, he concentrated. A few seconds later, the magical lamps on either side of the bed dimmed gradually. Draco looked up, and blinked his eyes owlishly. The dreamy gaze that had filled his grey eyes earlier quickly transformed into alertness. Draco reached for his wand and skillfully placed his book back on the shelf. He placed his wand back on the stand and gazed calmly at Harry.

The lights went out completely, and left the room to be illuminated only by the natural luminescence of the moon. Harry waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Even in the dark room, he was struck with the way Draco's eyes gleamed, very much like a cat. He crawled idly on the bed and then in between the Slytherin's legs. He dreamily pulled off the covers, sat back on his knees, and was stunned to find that his boyfriend was totally naked beneath the sole garment. It appeared that Draco was eager for some intimacy.

"Why is it that you always manage to outdo me?" Harry said plaintively.

Draco gave a small smile, and gently tugged at the sash that held his cerulean robe together. Harry breathed in sharply with his eyes still fixated on the Slytherin's supple body. The silver-haired wizard sat up and his robe slipped off his shoulders. Harry could only watch as his boyfriend inched closer towards him. Quite calmly, Draco sat astride his lap and licked his lips.

"There's plenty of opportunity to get even tonight, love," Draco said softly, and brushed his lips on Harry's face, ear and neck. Harry let out a whimper as he felt Draco's arousal pressed against his own and then he was under the Slytherin, lying rather helplessly on the bed as Draco ravished him at a slow, unhurried pace.

Bluestone struggled not to moan and tried to keep his breathing even. Teenagers, he thought to himself. Beside him, Starkmind writhed about in his sleep. Bluestone wished that his mate was awake and perhaps, help him deal with the discomfort that was partially caused by the amorous activity that was taking place one bedroom away. He turned over and wrapped an arm about his husband's thin waist. Starkmind's hair smelled faintly of menthol and he kissed the thick mane softly.

His skin tingled and his eyes glazed over the moment his Second Sight came upon him. It held him for only an instant but he clearly saw Draco pleasuring Harry with his mouth languidly. Bluestone groaned and buried his face in Starkmind's hair. He was unable to keep his hips still and humped against his husband.

It took him several minutes for him to realize that his husband was moving in tandem with him. "Dearheart? Are you awake?" Bluestone whispered.

"Are the children giving you a hard time?" Starkmind asked, his tone playful.

"Oh yes, they are," Bluestone confessed, pressing himself more firmly on his husband's bottom. "Are you going to keep teasing me about how hard I am, or are you going to help me feel better?"

Starkmind chuckled and wriggled around so that he could face Bluestone.

The half-Veela propped his elbow up and regarded Bluestone with a pleased expression. Gentle fingers reached up to stroke Bluestone's cheek and Starkmind pulled him closer for a deep kiss.

"I'm going to make the both of us feel incredibly well," Starkmind whispered and started to remove their clothes.

"Please," Bluestone whispered back. His hand curled around his husband's waist and grounded their hips together. "Please."

Starkmind removed himself and Bluestone saw him reach out for his wand and heard his husband mutter an incantation. His stomach tensed and his erection throbbed. He moaned as his lover straddled him and whimpered when his erection started to penetrate Starkmind's entrance.

"Choose the pace, dear one." Starkmind sounded almost breathless. "Do you want me to ride you fast or slow?"

Bluestone closed his eyes, breathing raggedly. "Slow."

"I don't think so, dear one."

Bluestone could only groan as Starkmind started to move. Fast.