I'd gone completely and utterly insane.

I'd invited a man into my bath with the promise of more than just washing.

I'd invited a man who was a half-giant to . . . to what?

Make love to me? Was I ready to make love to him?

Hagrid was a man of simple pleasures but not a simpleton by any means.

I'd never been anyone's pleasure before.

And I wanted to be that for him more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life.

His body was warm and solid behind me. His arms wrapped loosely around me, loaning me his strength and kindness, which I needed so desperately. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed against the hairy chest that had made me so breathless before. The sweat gleaming among the dark curls had taken my breath away.

There is a gentle power in him that children and animals recognize instinctively. And I guess you could include Potion Masters, too.

Safe. He made me feel safe. It had been a very long time since I'd felt that way. With sudden clarity, I realized that I'd reached a crossroads in my life. Voldemort thought me dead. Dumbledore couldn't use me anymore since my cover was blown. Until the last battle when I would fight with whatever means I had at my disposal, I was free.

Free to do what I wanted. Slowly, I turned in Hagrid's warm arms until we were lying face to face. "Hagrid, I am unsure about one thing."

He chuckled. "Only one, Sev? I've got at least ten things I'm worried about. Tell me what yours is."

I couldn't help but smile. "I know the mechanics of making love and I know why it's supposed to feel good but it is all book knowledge. I'm afraid that you will be disappointed in my performance."

"Never, Sev? It's never felt good?" His gaze was so warm and yet sad.

I shook my head. "I was given to the others several times when Voldemort was angry with me or just feeling particularly nasty. I endured them and healed myself afterwards. That is the sum total of my experience."

"Oh, Sev," he pulled me up a little so we were eye to eye. "I love you so much. What they did was rape you and that's not something I would ever do."

I glared at him. "I know that, Hagrid. I was just explaining."

He smiled and stroked my shoulders with his big hands. "I understand, Sev. All too well, I'm afraid. When I was just a lad, I fell in with a bad crowd of giants for a couple of months. They seemed all right to me but Mum had a fit when she knew who I was going around with. And I found out the hard way what they really thought of me."

"What? What did they do to you?" I raised my head from where I'd pillowed it on my arms.

"Gang-bang," he said matter-of-factly. "Hurt me real bad while they taunted me about being a half-breed."

I was going to find out who they were and kill them slowly. "I'm sorry, Hagrid. No one should have to go through something like that." His mother could help me track them down. "They were nothing more than ignorant savages." I bet that the hippogriffs and the hellbenders would help, too. "I wish you'd never had to know such evil." His brothers and sisters might want to participate as well.

"Oh, Sev," he was chuckling while his warm fingers stroked the back of my neck. "You are not going to track them down and hurt them." I tried to look innocent. "They already paid for that and a 'undred other things. The family took care of them real nice and legal like, although the twins had the fun of beating up a couple of them."

"Oh," I had the sudden feeling that I was pouting, "good for them."

"Sev, I'd like to kiss you now. Would that be all right?" He was smiling through his beard and I nodded shakily.

Soft and bristly at the same time, that was what his kiss was like - soft lips and wiry hair from his chin to mine. He was moving slowly from one side of my mouth to the other, ghosting up my cheeks to my eyes, nipping at my nose, nuzzling little kisses to my lips. I'd never felt anything like it in my life and my heart was beating so fast that I thought I might pass out.

"So good, you smell so good." He murmured in my ear and I shivered at his gentle nip of my ear lobe. "I knew you would, Sev. Even when you came to visit after mixing up some smelly potion, there was still a touch of musk that was just you."

"Smelly . . . oh . . ." my thoughts fragmented while my whole body reacted to his. He still smelled of sweat and hippogriff but underneath was the earthy scent that I realized was his alone. "Hagrid . . . I could . . . oh there . . . say the same."

Finally the tip of his tongue tickled my thin lips and I parted them so I could breathe. In another moment, I'd be panting to get air into my lungs. When he slid inside, I was startled but the rich taste of him filled my senses while the rough surface of his tongue rasped against mine. He was everywhere and I felt surrounded by his strength and gentle self.

My brain couldn't manage a single thought. Between our groins, his shaft and mine were rubbing together and the friction was going to drive me right out of my tiny little mind. But when his hands slid down my back to cup my buttocks, it was too much and I spent myself against his stomach. Collapsing against his chest, I felt his shaft surge up between my legs.

He must have grasped it with one of his hands because it wasn't very long before I felt his hot seed splash over my lower back. I closed my eyes and smiled into his throat. I was boneless, covered in cum and I'd never been so happy in my life. The sound of his heartbeat beneath my ear was a lullaby sweeter than any my mother had ever sung to me.

Perhaps a brief nap would help, I thought sleepily. Just a minute . . .

*********
Hagrid
*********

I knew the moment he went to sleep. I was still trying to catch my breath. It had never been that good for me, not ever in my life. All he had to do was wiggle just a little and let me kiss him and I'd gone off like a cheap firecracker. Gently, I cupped up some water to wash his bum and back. It had been a few months since I'd done more than take myself in hand for a wank so I'd sprayed him good.

Knowing that Severus was willing to let me touch him had made it better than anything. The feel of him coming against me and the smile he couldn't hide had gotten me so excited that all it took was a single pull of my cock before I erupted. Poor Sev was going to need some rest before we tried that again. I washed him as best I could without moving too much.

Trailing soapy fingers up and down his back, I felt the ridges that could only be left from beatings, beatings that had taken place when he was very young. I'd seen and felt them often enough on some of the magical creatures who'd fallen into the hands of muggles. Once I had him back in bed, I was going to kiss every single one. I still wanted to go back in time and take a whip to his father though.

Remembering the look on his face after I'd told him about the gang bang, I chuckled silently. He'd been having the same urge and that made me feel real good. My family had been there for me while I was healing but he'd never had anyone to hold him and tell him that he was still worthy of love.

But I would. I'd cuddle him and show him how good making love could be. By the time he was healed inside and out, we'd see what we could make of us. If I was real lucky, there would be an 'us' for a very long time. My fingers kept coming back to his cheeks, stroking the downy softness and trailing slowly down his cleft. His legs straddled my hips and he was open to every touch.

I had the urge to lick him, right over that little hole and down to his balls. My fingers felt really big there and when he shivered, I realized that he was awake again. "All right, Sev? If you don't like a touch, you need to tell me. I won't hurt you, not ever."

"It feels," he was biting his lip and I brought my hands up to rest on his lower back. "No, don't stop."

I tried to see his face but he was buried in my beard. "Does it feel good, Sev? My fingers are kind of rough, maybe I shouldn't touch your skin there."

"Calluses are a part of both our lives, Hagrid." His voice was dry like always but the hint of humor wasn't something I was used to from him. "And your gentle touch feels . . . wonderful. I think we need to finish our bath so we can go to bed. I can't feel my feet anymore."

"Damn, I forgot about your legs." I didn't panic but it was a close thing. "I'm not taking very good care of you."

"Nonsense!" He rose up and glared at me. "You are doing exactly what I want you to do. But unfortunately I will need a few days to gain more strength. Perhaps some of my exercises can be reconfigured to include this?"

'This' was him wiggling over my cock while his hands stroked my chest. And I was instantly hard and aching again. "Maybe, Sev, we'll take it slow and figure out what feels good. A good come tenses a lot of different muscles so we'll definitely be working on that."

"Oh good, I was hoping you'd see it my way." He smiled down at me and wiggled again. "Are you always this quick to get hard again?"

"Only when it's you, Sev," I told him truthfully and watched him blush.

I could really get used to this, I decided. But for now, I had to get us both washed and safely out of the tub before he hurt himself. His face was all scratched from my beard and I decided right then and there to shave it off. I did that in the summers usually because of the heat so doing it now would seem natural. I didn't want anything marring that beautiful skin of his.

He was like fine porcelain while I was rough pottery. My thoughts were interrupted by the most amazing feeling. I'd helped him sit up between my legs so I could wash his front but somehow he'd gotten hold of the soap and was washing my arms. Those long elegant fingers of his looked real odd against my tanned skin. A good 'odd', of course and I was getting harder and harder with every touch.

But I still wasn't prepared for him to hesitantly touch my cock. I gasped and his eyes flew up to mine while he froze. "No, Sev, it feels good, almost too good. I'll go off like a rocket if you keep on doing that."

A pleased smile crossed his face while I watched him think about that. When he wrapped both hands around me and gently slid them up and down, I lost it. I squirted up at him like a fountain while he rubbed me again and again. I was so relaxed at that point that I almost slid completely under the water. But when he leaned down and cat-licked his way around my crown, tasting my seed I had the urge to get hard again.

But he'd drained me for the moment and he was shivering a bit so I roused and sat up straight. "Thanks, Sev, that felt real good. But it's time to get out of the tub and into a nice warm bed."

He nodded and slid back a little, loosing hold of my cock kind of reluctantly. Leaning forward, I kissed him again and tasted myself on his tongue. The moment I got him into bed, I was going to be tasting something else and I could hardly wait. The rest of me got a hasty cleanup while he watched with sleepy eyes and an occasional touch. Maybe I could wait until after his nap.

Severus was shaking by the time I lifted him out of the tub and I wrapped one of my big towels around him while holding him close. Taking him into the front room, I sat him down in my chair before going to strip the bed of the dirty linen. Snapping out fresh sheets, I said a little tucking spell to get everything all nice and tidy for him. It was a spell that my mum had taught me when I was a little boy and I always thought of her when I used it.

When I turned back to him, I found him sound asleep, one cheek pillowed on his hand. He looked so young right then that I wanted to hold him close and keep every single bad thing that had ever happened to him far, far away. That wasn't possible but I could try to keep anything or anyone else from hurting him. Gently picking him up, I carried him to our bed.

"Hagrid," the sleepy voice made my heart clench. "Oh, that feels good."

I dropped a kiss on his head, unwinding him from the towel and tucking him in. "Sleep for a bit, Sev."

Those dark eyes opened just enough to smile up at me. "You too, Hagrid. Hold me while I sleep."

So I did, sliding in beside him and tucking him against my chest. "Good idea, Sev. A little nap is just what the doctor ordered."

"Um-um," he murmured and I felt a tongue dart out to taste my nipple. "You're so warm, Hagrid. Don't let go."

"Never, Sev, I'll never let go." I let my voice drop while I stroked his dark hair and tried to not get hard again. "Sleep and grow strong, love."

He yawned against me. "Love . . ."

Maybe he'd remember he'd said that when he woke up. I sure hoped so because I wanted to say it back to him over and over until he believed me. Closing my eyes, I mapped every inch of his skin where he touched me. His cool flesh was warming the way that I hoped his heart was. More than anything, I wanted to free the bright spirit that had been caged for so long.

But I was patient, kind of like a hunter who could scent his prey. I was willing to take it slowly and show him all the good parts of loving. We had the time for now to go step by step while we worked our way up to sharing with each other. Before he knew it, Severus was going to be smiling and laughing with me.

Soon.

**********************
The end of part four

Chapter Five