Thank you again for all the reviews! This is the end of the story. It's possible that I might do a sequel in the future, but right now, I have no definite plans.

Chapter Thirty-Seven—Bright As a Mirror

"I could flay them."

"What?" Harry jerked his head up from where he was reading the Prophet and shaking his head in amusement over the Potters' latest claim, which was that they didn't know where he had come from but he had probably only used glamours to make himself look like a Potter. "What are you talking about?"

"Fleamont and Euphemia." Orion leaned forwards, smiling a little at Harry. His smile was dreamy and his eyes distant. "I could flay them for you, if you liked. Or cast other curses that would cause them pain and regret the likes of which they deserve to experience for doubting you."

"I don't like," Harry said sharply. "Why would you think I would?"

"You deserve to be treasured, and they have cast you aside—"

"They're still my grandparents. Or were my grandparents, in the other universe. And you know how I feel about pain and torture, Orion."

Orion stared at him for a long moment, then sighed gustily. "I simply wish there is more that I could do for you to show you that you are treasured."

Harry raised an eyebrow and pushed the paper aside. It was summer term again, and Mariana had taken Severus, Sirius, and Regulus out on an expedition to a Muggle park that Orion had given permission for his sons to go on with a slightly constipated expression. They were alone in the house. "I can think of things."

"What things?"

Orion's face was bright, both his eyes and his cheeks. Harry smiled and leaned forwards, reaching out to pick up one of Orion's hands and turn it over. He didn't think Orion was breathing as Harry's fingers slowly traced up the lines in his palms.

"Let's go to your bedroom, and I'll show you."

Orion walked up the stairs in a daze. He could hardly believe that—

Well, no, he told himself sternly, he didn't know for sure what Harry was going to ask him to do in the bedroom. He knew what it sounded like, but they had come this close before on the weekends when Harry Flooed to Grimmauld Place. Then Harry had bolted like a startled deer.

From what he'd told Orion about his previous timeline, Orion supposed that only made sense. The man had never even kissed people for more than a decade until Orion came into his life, for Merlin's sake. It made sense that he would want to go slowly, and that he wasn't used to being touched or held or worshipped.

It did mean that Orion had to attribute blindness to most of the people in Harry's original world, too, but if Snape and the original Grindelwald were any examples, no one had displayed much real intelligence there.

Now, though…now…

They came to the door of Orion's bedroom, and Harry reached up, planted his hands on Orion's shoulders, and kissed him firmly. Orion shivered, and let himself be maneuvered in and pressed down on the bed. Harry was gasping now as he kissed Orion, grinding against him, and Orion reached up and let his hands settle more firmly, convinced that yes, now it was happening, now they were here.

"Harry," he whispered when Harry finally broke the kiss. "What exactly do you need from me?"

Harry leaned back on his heels, eyes brilliant in the way Orion had been waiting for for so long, and grinned at him. "Taking off your shirt would be a good start."

Orion's magic flexed without his thinking about it. His shirt swished off over his head, blinding him momentarily, and settled in the corner.

Harry stared. "I thought you said you weren't capable of wandless magic," he whispered, while his eyes traveled all over Orion's chest.

Orion shrugged, watching what the movement did to Harry, and reached up to gently tug at the collar of Harry's shirt. "Most of the time, I'm not. Unless there's something I really, truly want."

Harry blinked at Orion for a moment, and then smiled, the smile of someone trying consciously to be seductive. Orion watched as he took off his own shirt, and then leaned forwards, his hands braced on the bed on either side of Orion. Orion was aware that Harry's arms were shaking a little. He seemed—

Ah, Orion thought, and raised a hand to trace the silvery scars on Harry's chest. No wonder he's nervous.

Orion didn't know where all the scars had come from. Some of them from Harry's adventures in the original timeline, he supposed, and some of them perhaps from this one. Some from Muggles. It didn't matter. Harry was trusting himself enough to be half-naked before Orion, and Orion was breathing out hot wonder at the sight of him.

Of course, half-naked wasn't enough, before long, and Orion squirmed beneath Harry and lifted his hips pleadingly.

Harry's eyes went wide, but he shivered and nodded. He reached down and tugged Orion's trousers off, rolling a little at the same time so that he somehow caught and dragged his own down as well. Orion looked down, anticipating, only to have the sight he expected blocked by Harry's pants. He sighed.

Harry, on the other hand, was staring at Orion's erection with wide eyes. Orion lifted his hips again, this time shifting around and spreading his legs, deliberately attracting Harry's attention as much as possible.

"I," Harry said, and nothing else. He licked his lips for a long moment. Then he glanced at Orion and said, "I never dreamed you were so big."

Orion smiled at him. "I am waiting to return the compliment."

"Oh!" Harry leaned back so far he almost fell off the bed, and ended up standing with a blush curdling down his neck. Orion didn't think he had anything to be embarrassed about, but he was fascinated by the way Harry's pale skin was turning red. He propped himself up on one elbow and watched.

Harry yanked his pants down quickly, although he caught his breath as they snagged for a moment on the head of his shaft. Then he kicked them off and glanced over at Orion as if hoping for some kind of praise or criticism.

Orion had no words to give. His eyes were locked on Harry's cock, upright and as pink as the rest of his skin right now. Orion wanted—he wanted to touch, and he held out a hand that he wasn't surprised to see was shaking as he beckoned to Harry.

Harry smiled at him, a slow expression. Then he swaggered back over to the bed and lay down next to Orion, drawing down Orion's head with a hand on the back of his neck to kiss him again.

Orion was trembling, thoughts of what he would like to do, different things he wanted to do, spinning through his head. He didn't know how to speak them or what to say first. Maybe, then, it was for the best that Harry apparently lost his patience and decided to do something first.

Anticipation and passion rushed hot through Harry. He looked at Orion and thought about the man who had listened to his tales of his original timeline, who had encouraged him to talk about it. He thought about Orion offering to flay the Potter family for him, and Harry's cock jumped a little.

Maybe it shouldn't. But right now, thoughts of shouldn't and couldn't seemed very far away.

Harry went with what sounded good to him, and rolled Orion onto his back. Orion went over with a mild, startled grunt. Harry got up, shuffled around on his knees for a second, and then lay down on top of him.

Orion's eyes widened. Harry had a chance to admire the brightness in his flushed cheeks, his pale skin turning red, his hands spreading out, and then—

Then their cocks aligned, and Harry's eyes lost their focus.

All that mattered was the building heat between their bodies, the sensation of someone else's erection touching his for the first time. Harry moaned, very softly. He reached down and grabbed Orion's shoulders and held him in place the way he had for the kiss earlier. He didn't want to move and lose this intense, flickering sensation in the back of his mind.

At least, he didn't want to move until Orion encouragingly rolled his hips.

And then Harry didn't want to do anything else. He seized Orion and rocked against him, and the flickering sensation in the back of his mind grew intense and gold-laden. The friction and the heat between their bodies built and built, and Harry heard himself panting, sharp, hot, hoarse. Orion's eyes beneath him were wide and his mouth open, but he made no sound at all.

Harry pressed closer. Their bellies touched, slick with sweat and parting reluctantly. Then their cocks touched again, and Harry thought for a second what it would be like to come all over Orion, and—

He did. He did, and it was more pleasure than he'd felt in his life so far.

Orion followed him, if not right away, at least close enough behind that Harry didn't think he had to feel embarrassed about it. He found himself falling limply on the bed next to Orion, staring at the ceiling with huge, wide eyes.

"Harry."

Harry lifted his head slowly. It felt like an enormous effort. But he managed to turn to the side and glance at Orion.

"Was it—it wasn't—"

Any possible nervousness—not that he really felt any—eased away when Harry realized Orion might also be nervous because it had been so quick, or because Harry hadn't said anything. Harry smiled and hooked his arm around Orion's chest. "No," he said softly. "It was great."

"That wasn't what I dreamed of."

"Let me guess. A romantic meal somewhere expensive, candles, gifts, music, you half-seducing me with words before you did it with your body?"

Orion flushed and glared at him for a second. Harry let his hand rest gently on Orion's shoulder. "I love you," he said. "That would have been nice, but I don't need that. And you don't need to worry that just because we didn't do it this time, that doesn't mean we'll never do it. We have the rest of our lives, don't we?"

Orion's expression shifted so fast that it startled Harry. Orion seemed to realize that, and rolled over and pounced on him. Harry laughed and ran his fingers through Orion's hair, then sighed as Orion settled half on top of him.

"I could sleep like this."

Harry nodded slowly. He felt pinned and hot, but also happy and wanted. "So could I."

And that was what they did, after Harry had persuaded Orion to roll over a little so that he could cast a Cleaning Charm, and Harry drifted off to sleep with happy dreams of all the things they were going to do in the future. Which was their own, no matter what the past said.

"All right, Mr. Black. What do I have to do?"

Orion smiled a little as he sat down on the couch across from Severus. The boy was watching him with the kind of calm, focused attention that made Orion sure he would be a good Occlumens no matter how long it would take. "Did you read those books on Occlumency your grandmother gave you?"

"Yes. They said I should clear my mind, but not how that would work."

Orion nodded. "Occlumency is a discipline that depends on contact with another mind at least as much as it does on contact with books. Do you think you could make your best effort at clearing your mind for me right now? And then I'll glance into your mind and tell you what I see."

"You don't have to talk to me like I'm a baby," Severus said with a scowl. "Just ask me to clear my mind, Mr. Black."

"All right," Orion said. "Clear your mind and take a few minutes. Then I'll look at it with Legilimency."

Severus nodded and shut his eyes, bowing his head. Orion eyed the scar on his forehead and withheld a sigh. No matter how good the boy was at Occlumency, they would have to work harder than normal to keep out a connection like the one that he seemed to have with Voldemort.

But then again, Severus was more stubborn and intelligent than the average child. And a good thing, too. Orion suspected he wouldn't be good at teaching a "normal" child any art so complicated; he would get impatient and restrict their progress instead of supporting it.

"Ready."

Orion glanced quickly back at Severus. His eyes were open and looked a little dazed, as if he were under the influence of a powerful Confundus Charm. Orion nodded and raised his wand, making the motions of the incantation slow and obvious.

"Legilimens!"

Orion found himself pushing against a soft resistance inside Severus's mind, as if he was leaning on a huge cushion, big enough to block a door. Then he broke through, and saw a glimpse of Severus's last lesson with Harry before he pulled back and nodded. "That was good for a first try, Severus."

"But you broke right in!" Severus grimaced and raised a hand to lay it on his forehead.

Orion reached for one of the Headache Draughts he had thought it possible he would need, pouring a small measure into a cup standing ready and handing it over. "It was still good for a first try. There are many wizards and witches who wouldn't have achieved even that much after a week of practice."

"They're stupid, then," Severus muttered, swallowing the potion and catching his breath.

"Perhaps they are," Orion agreed, unexpectedly delighted. "Would you like to rest for a little while, or are you prepared to begin again?"

"I'm prepared," Severus said, and set his hands in his lap, and frowned so mightily at Orion that he didn't dare to disagree, but picked up his wand again.

"Are you doing well at Occlumency?"

"I think I'm getting better."

Mr. Harry smiled down at Severus, and Severus smiled back up at him. They were in the garden outside Grimmauld Place, and Sirius and Regulus had been playing a card game with them, but then Regulus had fallen asleep in the sun and Sirius had gone off to climb a tree. Mr. Harry knelt down and ruffled Severus's hair now. Severus leaned into his hand and wished for a minute that Mr. Harry was the one teaching him Occlumency.

But he understood why it had to be Mr. Black. Mr. Harry wasn't good at it and didn't want to hurt him. And Severus wanted to prove that he was going to be the best student ever even with Mr. Black for a teacher. Mr. Harry already knew that he was the best student ever, though.

"That's good to hear." Mr. Harry sat down on a stone bench and looked up at Sirius in the tree for a quick second, then turned back to Severus. "And you know that if you don't want to do it anymore, we'll try something else, right? We'll find some way to keep Voldemort out of your head."

I want to be like him.

Mr. Harry was powerful, but that wasn't really what Severus admired in him. He liked the way that Mr. Harry just had a thought and went out and did it. He liked the way that he was kind. He liked the way that Mr. Harry kept trying and protected Severus and liked children and wanted to be a good teacher.

It was just nice, being his student.

"I know," Severus said, and leaned against Mr. Harry, and snickered a little when Sirius almost fell of the tree. Mr. Harry drew his wand and cast a Cushioning Charm on the grass beneath the branches.

But he didn't get up and move away from Severus.

Severus snuggled closer.

Mariana peered around the door into the garden and relaxed when she saw Severus sitting next to Harry. Harry was patting his back and having a discussion with him, occasionally pausing to yell at Sirius, who was swinging around in the elm as if he had suddenly discovered a past life as a monkey.

Mariana breathed out slowly. It was true that she and Severus had been desultorily looking for a home of their own, but seeing the way Severus sat beside Harry, she was no longer sure that they needed to.

Harry didn't want to leave Severus, and he didn't want to leave Orion, and he didn't want to leave Orion's children. Mariana did not, in fact, look forward to living on her own with Severus; she had spent a night at the Prince home without Severus there when she went to remove some of their belongings, and had woken sweating from nightmares several times, imagining that Seneca was creeping up on her.

Orion had already invited her and Severus to stay as long as they wanted. Why not? Why not put her grandson and Harry's desires first and gratify everyone else, including herself, at the same time?

Harry glanced up then, and half-turned to look at her. Mariana smiled at him, waited until he smiled back, and stepped into the house.

It had been a long enough road that Mariana was no longer eager to walk down another one where she didn't have friends and family beside her. She turned around and regarded Number Twelve for a moment, then caught Orion's eye as he came down the stairs.

"Harry's in the garden with the children," she said.

Orion nodded and stepped over to the glass door, opening it and calling out Harry's name. Harry's face went brilliant and softened as he caught sight of him, although he didn't stand up from his position next to Severus. Orion went out to join them, to sit on the other side of Severus and bracket him.

Yes, Mariana thought as she watched her grandson and saw the contentment in his face even with Orion sitting there. I think we'll stay here for a time.

Maybe a while.

Maybe forever.

The End.