The little group reaches the happy home and as they pass through the doorway last, Snape catches Elsbet up and asks her quietly, "please, promise me you will not go back there without me. That place makes me...uncomfortable. Will you promise me?" She looks at him for just a moment, her brows knitting, then stands up on her tiptoes to kiss him. There is a giggle in her heart, but she will not make light of his feelings; her kiss is like the brush of butterfly's wings on his lips, then she looks deeply into his glinting black eyes. "I promise you." As he hugs her to him, he hears Malfoy say, "oh, I think we need a cloak closet or something." Snape kisses Elsbet softly and chuckles, then says as he releases his lady, "why don't you craft one, Lucius?"

The fair wizard is already heading toward the 'leisure room', followed by Remus, Tonks and Therion. "Later," he says with a laugh, "there are far more important things at hand..." Elsbet turns back to Snape quickly and whispers, "I love you," and his breath catches in his chest. He gathers her up and carries her, telling her, "I know you do, I know, with every fiber of my Being...I trust you more than you can imagine. It's just--" she hugs him suddenly as if she's about to cry, and tells him that she understands, and that she doesn't ever have to go back to the club. That's not what he wanted, but he can not tell her there are things he fears, things he can not protect her from. He has no desire to frighten her...

As they enter the bathroom he sets her back on her feet, and Remus and Tonks are getting the story of the creation of the wonderful place. As soon as her feet touch the floor, she's stripping down, and is in the water before anyone, even Snape, knows she'd begun to undress. Malfoy looks down at her in the water and asks, "my dear Ellie, why are your clothes off first? They were the last time also, as I recall." She smiles up at him impishly and says sweetly that she likes being in the water. Snape places her clothes over the stone bench near the door, then his own beside them, then slides into the deep end of the pool. He glides over to Elsbet and she giggles when he splashes her lightly. The house tree unfurls it's branches and shakes out its loose leaves, which give off such pleasant fragrance when they fizz away in the water.

Malfoy lays his clothes beside Snape's on the bench, then gets into the pool, and Remus notices how faded his Dark Mark is. When Therion strips, he drops his clothes in a pile and pushes them to the side, and the werewolf sees the awful scar on the inside of his left arm. As Therion nears the pool, Remus imagines having the tattoo removed must have been agonizing, for the scar is quite bad, and he wonders why Therion hasn't had the Silhouettes heal it...as Therion sits down on the edge of the pool, preparing to slide into the water, he catches Remus looking at him and blushes. He pushes off from the stones and splashes into the water, then swims the short distance to his lovers in the shallow end. Malfoy grins at him. "Well, that was an entrance," he quips, and Therion chuckles as he settles against the side. "Yeah, I suppose...just being silly I guess."

He glances up at Remus, then back to Malfoy as the fair wizard teases, "I think you have a crush..." Snape covers his face in mock exasperation with a little shake of his head, then dunks himself to keep from laughing. He surfaces to see Remus stripping down slowly, and Tonks is fiddling with her own clothes. Elsbet is about to swim into the deep end, but he holds her close. Remus reflects on the night Loki was hurt; he thought then that Therion's boyish flirtation had been due to the alcohol and stress, but clearly, he was mistaken. As he places his clothes beside Malfoy's, his heart pounds with an excitement he can't believe he's feeling. He would not have thought, not have imagined, ever doing something like this, because he has never thought there would be so many who would want him this close.

He considered himself lucky to have Sirius' attention, even though that relationship never truly blossomed. He couldn't believe his fortune when Tonks actually persued him, though he told her it couldn't work...and now, these people...with them, he knows he's respected, he knows he's needed, but to know that he's wanted...it's more than he has ever imagined possible. Deep, deep down inside, there's a part of him that wishes Sirius could have known this feeling, this acceptance, but he knows somehow that it would not have changed his course, in the end. Pushing the sudden stab of grief away from his heart, he turns to his wife and helps her with the last couple of buttons on her shirt. "Are you OK with this?" He wispers and she nods, not meeting his gaze. She's blushing though, and he can see that funny little smile of hers, and he knows it's alright.

She tosses her clothes to the side near Therion's, then Remus takes her hand and together they slip into the deep end of the pool. When they surface they settle there against the side and steps emerge from it for their comfort. As they sit and get acclimated to the water, Elsbet swims slowly out to them. She smiles brightly and tells them she's very happy that they decided to come, and that she wants them to know that they're more welcome than they can imagine. "You have a place in my Family, both of you, I told you that," she says, as the house tree drops tiny white flowers into the pool, "I remind you," she says softly, "if you want to join us..." she looks at them coyly and turns, and as she swims back to her wizards, the flowers drift to Remus and Tonks, giving off little sparks of light when they fizz away.

Elsbet settles against Snape's warm body and Malfoy kisses her shoulder. She leans her head back against Snape and Therion moves closer to kiss her throat. Snape looks across the pool at his allies, wondering exactly what they're going to do. Malfoy's kisses move up and over to Snape as he reaches across Elsbet to Therion. Snape's head lols back as gentle hands touch him, caress him; the touch, coupled with the warmth of the water, closeness of those he loves, the fragrance from the house tree and the odd thrill from his uncertainty about Remus and Tonks all has an incredible effect on him. If Elsbet's loving hands (they're absolutely hers, he knows her touch instantly) stroke him just a little more, he could very easily come.

He wants to, just not yet...mercifully, she stops, and right in time, too...she knows what she's doing to him, the wicked little imp; she giggles evilly and bends over into the water before him, her ass pressed against him. His head snaps up and he looks down at her form, Gods, he could fuck her right now! He fights the overwealming urge and she straightens up, laughing, splashing them, and Malfoy moves to trap her between himself and Snape. "Oh, you are such a naughty girl," Malfoy whispers, and Snape thinks suddenly that they're going to drive him mad. He could just work himself into her tightness, and Malfoy would slide himself into her snatch...he wants this, and he wants it now...

But he resists, he forces himself to be patient, even as Malfoy kisses Elsbet deeply and presses her against him again. Therion smiles approvingly at them, then looks over at Remus and Tonks. "You're going to sit this out?" Remus chuckles and glances at Tonks, who gives him a knowing look. "I think he likes you," she whispers ironically, and his chuckle turns to a laugh. "Does that bother you?" He asks her as he swims toward the curly-maned wizard and she hops off of the step/seat. "No," she says, after some thought, "not at all. I can handle friendly competition." This isn't a competition, Malfoy thinks to himself, but when he turns to see Tonks gliding up toward them, he thinks he knows what the competition will be.

Who comes first, no doubt.

This could be very interesting, Snape thinks and Malfoy nods just slightly, smiling softly as Remus finally relaxes into Therion's arms. The werewolf sighs as though a terrible weight has been taken from him, and when he rests his head on Therion's shoulder, eyes closed, Malfoy ventures a gentle touch; he brushes the unrully hair from Remus' face, and is relieved that there is no rejection, no flinch from his former enemy. There is space enough for Tonks to fit between Elsbet, Malfoy and Snape, and Therion and her husband, and gently Elsbet pulls her in. Snape looks down at her, and she looks up at him. "Well," says he, this is certainly unexpected."

His eyebrow rises and Remus says, "I'm glad to hear that...I might have been worried if it were otherwise." The slightest smile touches Snape's lips and Elsbet nudges Tonks. "Are you nervous, Tonks? Your hair...it's turning green..." Tonks laughs and Elsbet slips out from between Snape and Malfoy, then touches Tonks' arm. "Remember when we were dancing?" Tonks nods as Elsbet turns in front of her and lays her head against Tonks' chest. "Close your eyes and pretend we're dancing again." Tonks places her hands on Elsbet's hips and the smaller woman sways in the water; the resulting waves are gentle as they lap against the watching wizards, but it's not long before watching is not enough.

Elsbet brings her arms up above her head, as she had done in the club, but then she arches her back and brings her hands down to Tonks' shoulders. This brings her lovely breasts above the water, and as Therion bends to kiss Elsbet's lips, Malfoy moves around in front of her. Her little nipples, hard for his attention, need teasing but first, he reaches down and touches Tonks' hands. Carefully, gently, he urges her hands up just a bit, until Tonks hits the happy patch. Elsbet groans and Remus moves behind his wife. He leans forward and kisses the back of her neck as Malfoy caresses Elsbet's breasts, rubbing her nipples with his thumbs. She parts her legs just slightly and Malfoy resists the urge to accept her invitiation.

That's all the hint Snape needs. He moves away from the side of the pool and disengages Elsbet from the others. "Aw, now Severus that's not fair," Malfoy protests, and Therion pats his back. "It's alright Lucius," he says comfortingly, a slightly twisted grin rising on his lips, "I've got something for you." Malfoy turns slightly and looks at him, grinning himself. "But I thought you were saving that for them..." Therion glances back at Remus and Tonks and laughs, "well, yes, but not all of it!" Snape leads Elsbet out to the middle of the shallow end and kisses her deeply, hungrily, then turns her around to face them. "I thought we were sharing," he says evenly, "but if none of you want any, I'll have it all myself."

Their expressions range from amused to determined, and Elsbet's little laugh spurs them to action. They leave the safety of their spot by the side of the pool and move out to Snape and Oddbit. Tonks reaches them first. "You're a wicked man, Severus," she says and Elsbet tells her she has no idea..."and you," Snape say to her, "are a naughty little minx. Aren't you?" She looks up at her most-loved, pretending not to know what he means, and he fixes her with his gaze. "You wanted us all together, didn't you? You knew what that little performance would do to us..." She blushes deeply, but before anyone else can say a word Tonks pulls her teasingly away from Snape.

"Since I was the one dancing with her, maybe I should get to keep her...?" Snape looks at them as a hungry dragon might at two tender morsels, which makes Elsbet giggle, which in turn makes Snape take a step toward them. Malfoy moves around behind Snape, then puts an arm around his waist. "You take her, Tonks, I'll distract him," the fair wizard says, eliciting laughs from Remus and Therion. "You'll distract me?" Snape asks as he turns around to face Malfoy, then realizes Malfoy just succeeded. "Tonks," Elsbet says quietly, "you wanted a friendly competition?" She looks at Snape's lightly scarred back and grins, "here's one. Whoever makes him come first, wins."

He looks back at her and snorts a bit but doesn't laugh; he knows she's not joking, but he can't imagine..."Is this open to all of us, or just the two of you," Therion asks, and Elsbet dunks herself, then shakes out her hair when she pops back up. "The four of you," she says, "because if I play, I'll win." Remus shakes his head and tells her, "oh, no, Ellie, it's not fair if it's not all of us." She laughs as they all converge on Snape, but he takes her wrist and pulls her into his arms. "No competition, little minx, only pleasure," he says, and it all begins with their kiss...