"For heaven's sake, you knew that we wouldn't do that before we got married," she huffed. "And just because your godfather can't control himself, you don't have to be angry with me."

She pushed herself up from the couch and, rather angrily and annoyedly, she walked into the kitchen. Gran was everywhere but she couldn't leave — and wouldn't know where to go to anyway and if Draco got over his fit of...jealousy, well, it was maybe nice to continue living there with him. But only if he got over that jealousy.

She found a pad and pen and sat in front of it, unsure what to write about and where to send it to anyway, but Draco wasn't coming and...she put her face in her hands and felt the tears welling up in her eyes again.

She got dressed and he watched her. He had to watch her really. She was far from graceful while picking up her clothes and putting them on but it was fun to watch her. Curious, that. She wore a lovely blush and while he knew that the next few days would probably be a little uncomfortable, and a little awkward (wasn't that what everyone always said? New re-re-relationships were awkward, right?), he also knew that if they managed the next few days, it would, possibly, probably, last for a while. He hoped.

Some things had been rather...enlightening. Her snuggling. Her hunger. Her lust. Her passion and the way she had mumbled his name over and over again and had...well, screamed it.

He got up as well and immediately put on his t-shirt again — yes, she had seen his ugly and scarred body but there was no need to parade it around in front of her as well. She hadn't made any kind of comment about him or the way he looked, but he didn't want to rub her nose in — or have her rub his nose in if he overdid it. Didn't want to provoke her with her perfect body to make fun of his. Not at all.

The moment he stood there in only his t-shirt, she beamed at him and bounced towards him, almost into his arms.

"You know," she whispered, pushing her chin against his chest. "I, erm...I should get some breakfast and then get home for a while. If that's okay?"

He had the weird, strange feeling that she had wanted to say something else but had backed out at the last moment. He knew it made no sense in pressing her and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say in any case. But her going home...he didn't want it but he had no other chance but to let her. Let her go and get some of the much needed...

Oh dear, he hadn't been alone for almost a week. She hadn't left him alone and he, the proverbial lone wolf, hadn't even minded her being there. Not at all. He wanted her to stay and he didn't want to be alone without Hermione to hold onto or without Eleanor to talk to.

He felt absolutely pathetic but nevertheless he felt himself clinging very tightly to her, wrapping her arms as tight as it would go around her, held her as close as she could get.

And she...responded. She held him just as tightly and held him back and he suddenly knew that he could let her go — and she would come back to him.

95. The Vocal Auditory Channel

The use of the vocal-auditory channel, for example, is certainly a feature of human speech. Human linguistic communication is typically generated via the vocal organs and perceived via the ears. Linguistic communication, however, can also be transmitted without sound, via writing or via the sign languages of the deaf. Moreover, many other species (e.g. dolphins) use the vocal-auditory channel. Thus, this is not a defining feature of human language.

(Yule, 1985)

Aideen stared at the empty sheet of paper. This was ridiculous. She didn't know how to address wizards, she didn't know how to write and she didn't know what to write. Those were her fiancé's parents, or his father at least (since she had no idea where the mother was) and she couldn't even begin. Dear Mr Malfoy? Dear future-father-in-law? No, too many hyphens. Dear...what was his first name anyway?

She huffed softly to herself and, since it had been quiet for a while next door, she packed up her pen and her paper and opened the kitchen door. Draco was probably still sulking in the living room and she couldn't help him with that. It was annoying. He was annoying with his jealousy. He could get all the sex he wanted — after the were married. She was merely observing her gran's wishes and if he couldn't respect them — well, bugger off.

Still...she shoved the pen and paper in the back pocket of her jeans and climbed over the tiny wall that separated her gran's garden (erm, or her garden? Her father's garden? She knew the house belonged to her father now but she was...living there) from Severus's garden and landing on her feet on the other side, she wanted to knock on the kitchen door but he already sat inside, over a cup of tea or something and smiled. He bloody smiled. She could see it through the glass and he looked so happy. Even in his grief (which had been massive), he had found something to smile about. Well, she had heard that sex did that to men. Not that this weakened her resolve. Draco smiled more often than Severus anyway.

He saw her, his smile faltered and he opened the door for her.

"Hiya," she said softly and pulled the pen and the wrinkled paper from her pocket. "Mind if I sit?"

He shook his head. "Tea?"

"Lovely," she sighed. "Erm, Severus...is Hermione gone?"

"How did you know she was...oh dear," realisation seemed to dawn on him and she smirked.

"Yep," she nodded. "You might want to consider being a bit, erm, quieter next time or maybe there is something you can do with that wand of yours." She blushed. "Shite. Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound so...yeah. Magic. Something. Or more...sound-proof stuff around...forget it," she stuttered. "Just forget I said something."

Severus, in turn, blushed violently as well and that was a bigger miracle than him smiling, actually. Severus seemed too old to be prone to blushing. He seemed too sensible for it but there he was. Glowing bright red. His ears, his cheeks, even his nose and chin and forehead. She didn't even know that chins and foreheads and noses could blush. Well. His throat as well.

She grinned. "Just forget it," she laughed. "Anyway, I've come for a more, erm, serious matter."

"Oh," his blush slowly, very slowly subsided and he seemed rather happy when the kettle boiled and he could pour her some tea. "What is it?" he asked, turning back to her and putting a tea cup in front of her, his skin the normal, regular tone again. Sallow and pale.

"Erm, Draco's...parents. We will go through with the wedding and all and I thought they ought to know. I mean it's only fair. They can still decide that they want nothing to do with him because I'm...just a lowly Irish...person..."

Severus shook his head, interrupting. "This has nothing to do with any kind of social standing you have in the Muggle world. Even if you were...Princess Margaret, or, what are they called these days? Erm, Eugenie? Beatrice? It wouldn't matter."

"Didn't you say that he had a sort of aristocrat-girlfriend?" Aideen asked, frowning.

"Had being the operative word. I had a letter from him a few days ago. He was, apparently, dumped, by that Viscountess person and, well, let's just say that right now, it wouldn't matter if you were the Queen herself."

"Are you saying that I shouldn't write to him?"

Severus shrugged one shoulder. "I suppose there is no money left for him to inherit so it doesn't matter if he gets disowned but..." he paused and looked at her thoroughly. "Aideen, not all wizards are nice. And not all families-in-law are nice, you should know that. But a normal family-in-law will not hurt you the way that Draco's family could..."

"They have already," she whispered. "But it's family and shouldn't they at least..."

"You cannot protect yourself against wizards and witches. You have your grandmother's bravery and her courage, I know that but bare hands and a kitchen spoon cannot protect you against magic. You know this. Marry Draco, by all means, but if he says his family stays out of it, his family stays out of it."

Aideen shook her head. "But they have a right to know and Draco...I know he seems far away from his family but he will regret that one day."

He sighed, looking questioningly at her. "I will talk to him. You don't write, I will see what the atmosphere is like and...we'll go from there," he said and she knew that there was something else he had wanted to say but didn't dare. She nodded her consent slowly and put her elbows on the table, her face in her hands.

"I miss her council," she whispered quietly, knowing that, of all the people she knew, he was the one understanding this best.

"I miss it too," he whispered back and she looked up in his face, watched how it slowly faded into sadness and back to neutrality.

"She always what to do. She had her standards and she was easy to disappoint but only for a few minutes. She went back to hugging you after that and told you to think about what you're doing better the next time. I don't know what to do without her now. I don't know how to turn to," she tried hard to hold back any kind of tears.

"You can always turn to me. I might not be as good as she was but I still have a few years to practice," he smiled gently and pulled her hands away from her face.

"I don't know you like this," she blinked. "Always helpful but not this...kind."

He nodded slowly. "I miss her," he said as a way of an explanation and she understood.

"Well. It's certainly nice to have you back," Ron tried to hide his grin. "And no love bites," he added, staring at her neck and grabbing her chin, pushing her head to one side and then the other. "Nope. None. Merlin's balls."

"Ron!" she shrieked. "You can't be more obvious and...ack." She tried to step away when both Harry and Ted began to stare at her neck as well.

"I would have thought there would be at least one," Ron muttered and let go off her chin to rummage in his pocket. He pulled out a few coins and handed them to Harry with a grumble.

"Are you still betting on my...love life?" she cried out. "How old are you? Fifteen?"

"We were too immature to bet when we were fifteen. And if you had got it on with Snape when you were fifteen...that's just yuck."

She rolled her eyes. "You know that I stayed there because I needed help with his mourning, grieving, he needed someone to support him and as his..." she paused, blushing slightly.

"Girlfriend?" Ron helped.

"I don't know but as his something..."

"Bit of stuff?" Harry helped.

"Lover?"

"Her-My-Oh-Kneeee!" Ted crowed.

"Yes, as his something," she continued, frowning, "I thought I should stay. I explained this before. I slept on his couch. End of story," and it wasn't even a lie. She hadn't set foot in his bedroom. The shower, yes, but alone. While he made breakfast. But not even a peek into the bedroom of her...something, someone.

Harry arched an eyebrow and Ron shook his head insistently. "Seriously."

"Seriously. What have you been up to?"

"I watched Ted the last two nights. In a row," Ron tried to wriggle his eyebrows suggestively and it was Harry's turn to blush. "And someone, and you know who, didn't come in until the morning. When Teddy and I already had breakfast."

"Oh," Hermione grinned and poor Harry blushed even more. Not a chance she would tell those boys what she and Severus had done on the couch. Not a chance in hell. Never. Ever. They would have to figure it out by themselves.

"I like him," Harry stuttered. "And...I like him."

"Fair enough," Hermione tried to stifle her wholly inappropriate giggle. "That leaves Ron, doesn't it? Any ideas whom we could fix him up with?" she winked at Harry.

"Lavender," he shrugged, probably glad that his own life was off the table — and she was glad that hers was off the table for now as well.

Ron grimaced.

"Parvati," Hermione suggested.

"Susan Bones?"

"Maybe not Susan. I mean she's nice enough but they'd kill each other. Or bore each other to death," she giggled quite openly now.

And now, at least, it was Ron's turn to look thunderous and blush at the same time. Quite a cute look on him.

"Hannah Abbott?"

"Ha! She's with Neville now," Ron interrupted. "And stop doing that."

"Oh, are you seeing someone already?" asked Harry. "I never knew."

"I don't and even if I were, it doesn't matter. I'm quite happy being single and I can honestly see himself being happy for the rest of my life, even if I'm a bachelor. No, I can see myself perfectly as a bachelor. So much simpler. You should see George around Luna these days. 'Yes, dear, this', 'Yes, love, that'. It's annoying. Eurgh," she mimicked vomiting.

"Snape doesn't do it, does he? This fawning stuff?" asked Harry.

"Of course he doesn't," Hermione blushed. "And weren't we doing Ron now? Besides, I need to get some washing done, or tell Kreacher to get some washing done and I'm awfully behind on my work for Uni, so if you two want to continue bickering or speculating about my relationship with Severus, feel free," she smirked and turned on her heel.

"Bossy witch," grumbled Harry loud enough for her to hear and she grinned, skipping up the stairs, happily smiling to herself.

It was better not to dwell on those things for too long and with great determination, he closed his eyes and apparated away. He knew Lucius. If that horsey-woman had broken up with him, or whatever it was that she had done, he would be mad at all the women in the world and all the Muggles. He was that kind of person and by the letter Severus had received, it had not been a nice break-up either. Woman seemed to have dumped him quite hard and quite idiotic, having him spied out. Ah well, of course that would happen if suddenly he introduced himself as a neighbour — when before there had always been a ruin. He would get to the bottom of it. And he would try to find out what the air was like, so to speak, about Draco and his upcoming nuptials to Aideen. Not that he cared, to be honest. Draco was making his own family and it was a better one than the one he had grown up in. Sometimes, he thought, it was healthier to cut an infected limb off than to keep it and let the entire body rot to death. And that was what Draco should do but he knew that Aideen believed in family and as such, he should at least test the waters for her.

He wasn't sure why he had offered to give Aideen advice and he honestly didn't think that she would call him up on it all too often. Maybe it was the loss of Eleanor he felt strongest when her granddaughter was around. Aideen, the vivacious girl, had grown up after the abduction and the death of Eleanor. She was so earnest most of the time and he hoped, truly, honestly, desperately hoped, that she could build a new family with Draco. Someone she could rely on, that was what he needed and not some older wreck who had too many bad experiences in life to give decent advice on the good ones.