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Forever then some
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The Boy Who Cried Wolf 1
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, and I'm just borrowing them for fun.
Warnings: This will be MM SLASH, lots of smut, some darkness, some cursing, minor amounts of violence, and maybe even some fluff. Consider yourself warned, the story will earn its rating.
Later, when the stories were told of Harry’s bravery and his heroism in the face of He-Who-Was-Defeated, nothing would ever be mentioned of these few minutes as he ran away from the fight, leaving others to struggle in the battle that was destined to be his own.
As Harry crossed the final five stairs into the dungeons with one jump, landing jarringly on the floor, the building foundations began to shatter, large cracks snaking down the walls, chasing him as he ran deeper into the dark passageways. The school building that had been his safe haven these past years was fast becoming a death trap.
Instead of causing him turn back, that knowledge drove him to race faster into the heart of the building.
Single-minded in his intent, Harry did not notice two of Voldemort’s minions trailing him, running on padded paws, foam dripping from their muzzles.
Harry burst into one of the rooms, jerking the door on it frame, his entrance into the room was accompanied by the sound of a loud explosion and tremors - the east tower collapsing. Or was it the south? All the chaos had him disoriented.
“HARRY!” The voice was hoarse with alarm and anger and disbelief.
“Professor…” Harry panted heavily, one hand held to his side, his muscles were cramping from the exertion. “You have to – ”
“What are you doing here? Get out! Now, Harry!” Severus screamed this, crossing the room to bodily throw Harry back into the hallway.
“The castle… It can’t hold up much longer… You have to get out!” The second Snape was close enough Harry grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the door.
“You idiot! You stupid, little idiot! You came back for me!” Severus wrenched his arm free. “I am needed here. I have to stay and finish casting the protection spells ---”
Harry could see the professor’s mouth continue to move, but he couldn’t hear anything beyond the sound of stone falling onto to stone, large chunks of the hallway ceiling falling into itself.
“There’s no time!” Harry cried, trying to be heard over the earsplitting thunder. “You have to come now!”
Snape, despite his cruelness, his darkness, had been the most important man in Harry’s life. He had first taught Harry the art of intimidation, and over the years had taught him of potions and Occlumency, and then in Sixth year Snape had taught him of betrayal and death, and later about forgiveness and the grey area between good and evil. As a spy for the Order, Severus had given up everything for the Light, and in doing so he had indirectly given up everything for Harry.
Harry knew he couldn’t let Severus die here. He knew it with a conviction he couldn’t explain and wasn’t ready to examine too closely. That feeling was what drove him back into Hogwarts when he had seen the building start to give way.
His life was too complicated right now to contemplate he may feel something for the unsociable man, beyond an uneasy respect and maturing admiration.
“Get out of here, NOW!” Snape grimaced, shoving Harry back towards the hallway.
“Come with me!”
Severus shook his head wildly, gesturing to the cauldrons of bubbling, overflowing, and spilling potions. “My place is here, Harry, fortifying the spells on the school grounds, so as many lives as possible will be saved”
Harry shook his head, unwilling to accept that. “We need you up there! I need…”
There was a deafening explosion and the building heaved on its foundation. Severus grabbed Harry by both shoulders and pulled them face to face. “If you die here, the War will be lost, Harry. You have to go. Do you hear me! GET OUT!”
“I’m not leaving without you!”
Severus looked back and forth between the potions and Harry, then made up his mind. He leaned over and screamed in Harry’s ear to be heard over the roaring mayhem. “Go, Harry! I’ll be right behind you!”
Harry hesitated, the boulders lurching under his feet.
“Right behind you.” Severus repeated. “I promise!”
So Harry raced back into the halls. The strangled canine cries that sounded behind him did not penetrate the sounds of the building falling to pieces.
When it was all over, Harry would often wonder if Snape had meant to keep his promise and had been physically unable to do so, or whether he had never meant to keep it at all and had lied to get Harry to exit the building without him.
Either way, Snape had not come out of the Hogwarts’ dungeons right behind Harry; in fact, no one ever saw him come out.
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Harry apparated to the end of the long driveway that led to his new residence. It was dark, not only because it was dusk and the sun was setting, but also because it was raining and the sky was blanketed in thick black clouds.
Harry didn’t mind the rain one bit, fall was coming, but the air was still quite warm.
He had bought a rather small cabin for the Order to use. It was isolated and generally unimpressive so as to draw little notice from the outside world. He had also purchased all the land around the main cabin, several square miles of forest. The only connection to the real world was the rarely used chimney and the long driveway that worked its way to a single lane, neglected, dirt access road.
The Order had been disbanded several years ago and the cabin long forgotten. Harry felt confident he could escape here and avoid society. He was very much looking forward to that.
Ever since the end of the War he had found himself inexplicably drawn to the forests. It was a place that allowed Harry to evade the relentless hounding the media and the public – and the relentless hounding of his own subconscious.
He had changed since the War. And although he had not confided in anyone, he was fairly confident he was losing his mind.
There was something strange and welcoming about the woods at night now. Peaceful and still, but at the same time so alive with creatures and nature. It had become a drug that Harry couldn’t get enough of; it drew him out into the forest during all seasons and at all hours of the day. In the years since the War he had travel extensively through North America, staying at different campgrounds and nature reserves, never staying for more than a week or two in the same place. But now he was back in England. Home. Just the thought of the English countryside made his heart race.
With the royal blue sky turning slightly blacker as night approached. He was completely alone, but never felt that way out here. As if the woods keep him company.
The second symptom of his insanity was more troubling than his new infinity with the forest. He was having sex with men.
That it was men, was not the problem. Harry had figured out in fifth year that he was attracted to males. However, it wasn’t until after the war he had been tempted to act on that attraction. He had been a virgin at the end of the War, and shortly there after he hadn’t been.
He couldn’t even remember the first man’s name. In fact, in the last five years there had been more than few nameless, faceless lovers. And it made Harry sick. He didn’t want to sleep around, but ever few weeks, like clockwork, something would come over him. It was like an alcoholic going on binge and sobering up later to wonder what the hell had happened. He would have no control over his actions, and if he tried to fight the compulsions his skin would crawl and he would get ghastly migraines that would leave him incapacitated.
Which was what drove him out here. Maybe out here, in the middle of nowhere, he could hid from everything, even himself.
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Harry climbed the stairs to the front door of the cabin. He was expecting the house to be closed up tight but Harry noticed at once that something was wrong. It should have been sealed up, abandoned. But it wasn’t. The door wasn’t even locked. Harry entered and closed the door behind him without knocking. This house was his, after all; whoever else was in there was the one trespassing. And Harry wanted them out as soon as possible.
He gripped his wand under his robes and called into the quiet house, “Who’s there? Whoever is in this house, show yourself now.”
Not a sound. Harry ventured farther into the house, clearly it was being inhabited, there was no dust on the surfaces and the heat was on. Harry cautiously looked into the other rooms on the bottom floor of the cabin. The kitchen had limited food in it. Steaks were in the fridge and there was multigrain bread in the cupboard. Whoever was staying here obviously didn’t eat much. He snuck upstairs next; there was only a bathroom, two bedrooms and a small study there, all the doors were flung open. One bedroom looked lived in – the bed was unmade and there were blackout curtains covering the window. There were also short, coarse, black hairs on the sheets and carpet. A dog perhaps? But Harry had seen no signs of a pet; no water dish or chew-toys were in the house.
He went to the tiny study next. The room was just large enough to fit a desk and several cramped bookshelves. It was here that the pieces fell into place for Harry.
Several books lay open on the desk. Potions texts. Dark ones, which Harry had only heard of in passing. Harry recognized them as dangerous and only one name sprang to mind when he tried to think of who would own first edition copies of these books. Severus Snape. A quick look at the papers strewn over the desk confirmed it; Snape’s distinctive scratches lined the margins of the books and the scrolls beside them.
Harry felt a chill go down his back. Snape? Here? Harry had not heard of anything about the older man since the War. The potions master had been glaringly absent from all the Orders’ debriefing meetings and there had been rumours that the man had either been killed in the battle or had retreated to the other side.
Harry felt a leap of relief he couldn’t account for. Snape was alive! He heart thumped irregularly as a mix of emotions rushed in to replace the relief. The clearest was anger. If Severus wasn’t dead, then he had abandoned Harry. He had left without a word, hidden away, and let everyone think he had died or betrayed them.
He didn’t have any obligation to you, Harry reminded himself, Snape was free to go as he pleased.
So why was he here? And why now?
Harry’s little vacation had just gotten a lot more interesting.
Harry waited up several hours to confront Snape when the older man came back to the cabin, but a little before three in the morning exhaustion won out and Harry stumbled in the unused bedroom and crawled under the covers, falling quickly asleep.
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Severus stumbled into his den (house, he reminded himself bitterly, it’s called a house) in the early hours of the morning, just after the moon gave way to the dawn and he was able to take his human form once more. The first thing he noticed was the most enthralling scent. It filled his nostrils and heated his blood before it even registered in his head what it meant – stranger. He felt his cock harden under the robe he had thrown over his naked body. It smelled human. Someone had trespassed into his domain.
He prowled into the house, finding he could effortlessly move without making a noise, yet another one of his unwanted new talents. His teeth lengthened in his mouth as he stalked his prey, following the scent up the stairs. He had no control over it, and was disgusted by his own behavior as he pawed at his erection through the cloak and then licked the cool wood of the stair railing where the scent was slightly stronger. The human had touched there; he could taste the salty sweat from his palms.
He crouched low as he approached the room where the scent was coming from, moving as a wolf but completely in his human form, muscles tense and ready to spring.
There was a soft fire in the room, and Severus peeked around the door eyeing the human lying on the bed, covered in a thick quilted blanket.
Severus stalked closer, sniffing the air. His eyes glowed a deep orange in the shadows.
The figure was face down on the bed, but Severus could tell the smaller form was male. Merlin, his scent was intoxicating. No only the smell of his skin and the shampoo in his hair, but Severus could also smell the blood running through the human’s veins.
Before he could stop himself Severus was at the edge of the bed hovering over the body, the blanket shielded the human’s form and the mop of black hair covered his head. He buried his nose in the hair and inhaled deeply, drawing the scent into his body.. He was practically slobbering with need. The wolf instincts beat at him, demanding he taste this man-child. But it went even deeper than that; the wolf wouldn’t be satisfied with merely a quick bite… The wolf wanted to consume the human, claim it, dominant the younger male, to challenge this human who had entered his territory.
Merlin, the wolf wanted to make this boy part of his pack.
With a shuttered breath Severus bent and licked the back of the human’s ear. His body twitched as he tried to fight the cravings. He didn’t even know who this person was.
The man-child stirred then, batting his hand against his hair, shooing away the tickling feeling of the older man’s tongue.
And as he moved Severus caught his first glance of the person’s profile.
No…I couldn’t be…Anyone but him…
His instincts pushed at him, demanding he taste more, touch more. Severus was horrified as the wolf’s desires crystallized in his mind. The wolf wanted this man-child for its mate.
Severus struggled silently, his sanity demanding he flee. Finally he torn himself away, running out of the house and back into the woods, he huddled there until the sun had risen completely and he was completely released from the power the moonlight held over him.
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Harry was curled up in the front room, a book open on his lap when the front door banged open shortly after noon.
But men looked at each across the room, tension filling the space between them.
“So, you are here,” Snape’s voice was low and dangerous. “I had almost convinced myself your presence here was some sort of nightmare.”
“Snape.” Harry wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. It felt like it had been five hours since they last spoke, not five years. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
Harry stood from the chair to take away Snape’s height advantage. Somehow having the older man hovering over him made him feel eleven years old again. Standing at his full height Harry was only two or three inches shorter than Snape, although a great deal slighter.
Both men eyed each other without reserve. Harry looked older, he must be what? Twenty-three or twenty-four now, Snape thought, his gaze sliding over the lithe body and well-known face. His hair was cut slightly longer, hanging to his chin. Despite being a tangled mess, the hair looked soft as silk. You mean soft as fur, a voice mocked softly in Snape’s head. His face had filled out too, his jaw was straight and stubborn, his cheekbones defined, drawing attention to his clear green eyes.
Harry was too caught up in his own inspection of Snape to notice how the older man’s eyes scrutinized his own appearance. Severus had not changed all that much in five years, his face was still drawn and forbidding, sallow skin with heavy frown lines. There was also a shadow of a beard over his usually clean jaw. His body looked firmer, healthier too. It was hard to tell through the loose fitting cloak, but Harry sensed a new strength there.
Harry felt a shiver slip down his body and he blurted out. “I own this cabin, Snape.”
Severus dragged his eyes away from the smooth cords of muscles working in Harry’s throat. “Impossible, I checked out the deed before I came up. It belongs to the Order itself and is currently listed as abandoned.”
Harry shrugged smugly. “The Order did not get its money out of thin air, Snape, I am the one who purchased this land. For a great deal more than it was worth, I might add.”
“And yet, you are not using it. I, however, am, and I am willing to pay you a reasonable amount for rent of the cabin. I am confident we can come up with a mutually satisfactory arrangement.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“What brings you out here now?” Snape questioned rudely.
Harry bristled, narrowing his eyes, “What have you been doing these last five years?”
“Touché.”
“I’m not unreasonable, Snape. You’ll find I have become quite sensible with age. You were here first; therefore you are welcome to stay. For no charge, even.”
“My, my Potter. It appears you are growing up. I certainly find the change refreshing.”
“Naturally,” Harry continued as if Snape had no spoken. “I will not be going anywhere either. It is my cabin and do not intend to be displaced by what, for all intents and purposes, is a squatter.”
“Why you little prat!”
“No need to get all worked up, Snape. We each will have our own room, and we will be able to steer clear of each other.”
“Absolutely not! Ridiculous.”
Harry’s expression was the picture of indifference. “Looks like you’re going to have to find a new place to stay then.”
Severus was trapped. He could not look for a new place to stay. This cabin was perfect. Besides, if he ventured out into public to find a new home he ran the very real risk of someone recognizing him or figuring our his secret.
He couldn’t allow that. Even if it meant putting up with Potter.
“I wouldn’t have to see you or talk to you?” He interrogated.
Harry’s smile was startlingly wicked as he nodded and confirmed, “It’ll be like I’m not even here.”
“One could only hope.” Severus muttered, heading up stairs to wash up and change. He didn’t see the speculative gaze that followed him.
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Everything remained calm for the next few weeks. Both men avoided each other entirely, which wasn’t an easy task in the small cabin. But as the days ticked but the next full moon approached, Harry’s hormones began working in overdrive and the wolf stirred restlessly inside Snape’s mind.
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When Harry stumbled into the small dinning room late one morning, Severus’ head rose suspiciously from the morning post he was engrossed in. It was a full moon in three nights and something was out of place. Something smelled wrong. Harry had another human’s scent on him. A sickeningly musky combination of artificially produced citrus and pine scents, and sweat – not the boy’s own.
Harry poured himself some tea and sank into the seat across the table from Snape. Dark circles were visable under his eyes.
Severus felt a low grumble rise, unsought, into his throat, the only other scent he’d ever gotten off the boy’s usual fresh smelling body was his own. His stomach rolled, nauseous at this new scent. He told himself it was in fact the cheap muggle perfume that was making him ill, not the thought of Potter rubbing against another person and picking up their scent.
“Where exactly did you go last night, Potter?”
Harry stuffed slice of toast into his mouth, and chewed before answering. “I don’t think that is any of your business.”
“It is when you come in here reeking of a truly repulsive cologne.”
Harry’s brows drew together with suspicion, nose twitching almost unnoticeably, sniffing the air around him. “How can you smell that? I don’t even notice it, I’ve changed my clothes from last night.”
Severus cursed himself for saying anything. The scent would be too faint for a human to pick up, but his new senses were much stronger than a human’s was. It allowed him to detect the remnants of last night’s activities wafting from Harry’s warm skin. “You have probably become immune to the scent, having spend several hours with it.”
The tips of Harry’s ears turned red, but he shrugged without concern. “I am planning to take a shower after breakfast. It was just too late to take one last night when I came in, I was too tired.”
“You had a date.”
Severus didn’t make it a question.
When Harry neither confirmed nor denied it, Severus found himself pressing further. Needing to know. “No offensive, Potter, but your lady-love seems to have a very masculine taste in scents.”
Harry put down his food and stared over the table at Severus, gaze strong and defiant, reminding Snape once more that Harry was no longer a school-boy but a full grown man. His reckless stubbornness had matured into a solid confidence.
“That’s because my date last night was a male.”
At once Severus felt his blood begin to race, the wolf inside him snarled so viscously a shiver shot down his spine. Not because Harry was interested in men, but because he had been out last night with another man.
Why did he care with whom Potter went out with? As the pup said, it was none of your business. Oddly enough, the wolf inside him had a very different, very possessive idea about it. He felt his nails lengthen into claws. He quickly hid his hands under the tabletop.
“Do you have a problem with it?”
“With what?” Severus snapped.
“The fact I like men. Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“Honestly Potter, I could not care less as to what you do with your private life.” And then in the same breath, “Is this person you are seeing your boyfriend?”
Harry tossed his head back. “No, just a guy. I probably won’t see him again.”
“Why not?”
“Why so curious, Snape?”
“No reason. I find it hard to believe. After all, if you did not get back until early this morning you must have had a pleasant evening. So, why not see him again?”
“If you must know, I was only interested in one thing.” Harry took a long sip of tea, pausing before continuing, “I got that last night. Now, I have no reason to see him again.”
“My, my, how mercenary Potter. I wouldn’t have guessed you were the type. You always seemed to me like the flowers and candles sort.”
Severus watched Harry hesitate a moment before shrugging. Hmm, there was something more to the story than what the young man wast sharing.
Severus executed a feather-light mental push. He was immediately immersed in a series of images of different men, hunched over them, panting, and insatiable.
“What the hell!” Harry cried, slamming up thick walls around his mind. “What the fuck do you think you are doing?”
Severus was stunned at how quickly and effectively Harry was able to block him out. “It looks like you did learn a thing or two, Potter. Impressive.”
“Stay the hell out of my mind, Snape.”
“A little cranky, Potter. Could it be you didn’t get everything you needed last night? Left slightly restless still?”
Harry pushed out from the table, standing. “Screw you, Snape. Screw you.”
Harry then turned, and squarely stalked out of the room.
Severus’ teeth snapped in a feral grin, and called after him, “Don’t forget that shower, Potter. You stink!”
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The next morning, after spending a restless night trying to sleep, the blackout curtains on his windows blocking the moonlight, Severus was more than aware of the fact the full moon was fast approaching. The pull at him was growing stronger ever night. But instead of the thrill of the hunt rising, Severus felt an all-new urgency.
The wolf caged inside him stirred impatiently, demanding Harry.
Whenever he caught sight of the young man, or scent of him for that matter, he was immersed in the most disturbing cravings. Licking, pawing, biting, pouncing.
One thing was for certain; he would have to be far away from Harry on the nights the moon was fullest. Which included tonight. Far, far away.
As he left the cabin he ran into Harry who was coming in. He hadn’t been home all night and he stank of a different man this time. Severus took several steps back to quell the nauseous feeling the scent induced in him.
His body quivered with anger, and his hands itched to grab Harry and do Merlin-knows-what to him.
Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair, sweeping past Severus into the cabin. Misinterpreting the troubled look on his face, “Yeah, I know, I know, shower. Merlin, you have a sensitive nose.”
Harry paused on the bottom of the stairs, looking back at Severus who stood frozen near the door. “Listen if you’re going to the store, can you pick up so – ”
“I’m not going to the store.” Severus cut in, tone much harsher than he expected it to be.
Harry turned all the way around then, expression suspicious. “Where are you going then?”
“I have not had the benefit of a mother for quite some years now and I do not have need of one now, Potter.”
“Just tell me where you’re going.” Harry snapped, annoyed.
“Out of town for a few days.”
“Where’s your stuff?” Harry rebutted quickly.
“My what?”
“Clothes and things. If you’re going to be gone a few days…”
“Not that is it any business of yours, pup, but I shrunk my case, it’s in my pocket.”
“That’s a new one.” Harry commented, continuing up the stairs.
“A new what?”
“You’ve called me a lot of things. Pup has never been one of them.”
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When Severus was safely outside he paused to take a calming breath. The wolf was gaining strength, starting to influence his thoughts. It was a chilling realization.
He must get as far away as possible tonight. It would be hard because the wolf needed the forest, but he would travel a few townships over, at least. And in case he managed to find his way back, he would ward the property to keep himself out. He cast his strongest protection spell over the property and then fled the area. The scent to sex and Harry still fresh in his nostrils.
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The black wolf raced through the woods. He was too far from his lair and he didn’t know how he had gotten there. But he did know getting back was crucial. There was something different about this night.
And as he neared his den he caught scent of it. His mate. Here.
He let out a sharp howl to signal his arrival. The air reeked of his mate and the hair on his back bristled with excitement.
At the edge of the clearing that surrounded his lair, he ran into an invisible barrier. The wolf snarled, knocked off his feet. He attacked the barrier, crawling and throwing his weight against it. When it held strong he raced around the perimeter, trying to find a weak spot, there wasn’t one. Next, the desperate animal tried to dig under the obstacle. That failed too, it ran too deep. The wolf was worked up to a lather now, and attacked the barrier, howling. Surely, his mate would hear and come out to him if he couldn’t get in.
He howled into the clear night air and waited.
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The sounds awoke Harry from his sleep. A loud, insistent howl. He climbed out of bed and walked over to his window, moonlight streamed in. At first he thought it must be a stray dog making the racket, after all there were no wolves in the wild in this part of the world.
Harry admitted he was wrong as he looked out. He could make out the outline of the animal in the white and silver moonlight, and it was definitely a wolf. A large one. Instead of the usual salt and pepper coat this beast was a pure black, eyes glowing in the night. It was pacing at the edge of the yard and Harry couldn’t take his eyes off it. A soft, instinctive, moan left his lips as he stared at the prowling animal.
He fumbled with the latch, opening the window wide to let the cool night air rush in. The window cracking open attracted the wolf’s attention and its gaze fixed on Harry. It resumed its howling, even more determined now. Harry sensed magic outside too. Severus must have placed a wall around the property to keep the wild life out… or, knowing Snape, to keep people out. Harry felt his fingers curl over his wand, and was shocked by his own behavior. Had he been about to just open the gate for this animal? Was he crazy? Just open it, a small voice urged, you would be safe in the house, go on lift the spell! He dropped his wand to the floor as if it burned, flexing his fingers. Giving this strange wolf access to the house was not an option; Harry quickly pulled the window closed and then the curtains. The animal howled angrily. Harry dropped the floor in front of the window; his back to the wall as the wolf continued to call out. He covered his ears with his hands and hummed to himself to block out the noises. He prayed reverently that Severus would return soon, because he didn’t know how long he could resist the call of this predator.
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The wolf snarled as the human pup closed the window and then the glass covering, hiding out of sight.
He didn’t know what game his mate was playing at, but he was not amused. And as soon as he figured out how to breach this unseen enclosure, his mate would pay for his actions.
Okay, aside from the fact I knowI should be finishing my other stories before I start a new one, what do you think? Please review. I love hearing what people think about my new story lines. Sometimes they make more sense in my head than they do on paper, because so much is left out whenI type it up, that's just my style. So tell me if anything needs to be clarified.
I will address what happened to Severus that night in the dungeons at some pointin the future although I bet many of you can figure it out, and hopefully a little more about his feelings about becoming a werewolf.
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