Severus and Lucius

Elsbet crawls on her hands and knees through the bushes, with absolutely no idea where she's going. Well, her heart knows. Her heart tells her to keep going, no matter how prickly the ground is, no matter how thirsty or hungry she is, or how tired she is. There is time for drinking and eating and sleeping and healing after she has done what she has to do. As she crawls through the leaf-litter and sharp rocks, she puts her right hand down hard on something sharp, and it cuts her, cuts her deep. She cries out and jerks back, knocking her stick out from behind her ear where she'd put it for safekeeping....

It is a small house, much smaller than the one Snape created, but it was ready for her at the right moment. There is a single bedroom, and for now it will suffice, but as the two wizards claim it and size up the bed, neither is sure how three lovers are going to fit on it later, let alone the two of them right now.

They'll make due.

There is no talking; mouths are put to better use the moment Snape's bag is on the dresser. Kissing each other passionately, it is difficult to tell which of the two is the more dominant, or rather, the hungrier. Kissing eyes open adds to the intensity and the need,...

As soon as they leave the Hall of Chronicles, the birds take wing toward the white-stone home of Brother Perdurabo. Except, that is, for Alphion. Snape watches him peel away from the flock and head north. You are not accompanying us to Ironwood? he asks Cambion's brother, and the raven replies, I tell my kin you know now. He feels Elsbet and Malfoy behind him, feels their gentle touches, and watches until the raven disappears from sight.

Severus? Malfoy thinks, resting his hand on Snape's shoulder, and the ebon-haired wizard turns slowly to his partners. There is much more to that bird than...