Areas of Expertise

-- Hey ho! i wasn't planning on writing another chapter, but I watched "Westworld" and couldn't go to bed straight after, as it always freaks me out!



-- Extraho: I hope by "they" you mean Ron and Hermione. I hope I'm not the clueless one. Glad you're still finding some fun in this. SP



Chapter Sixteen –



“You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.” J Jacques.





“Harry!” Hermione glowered at him as he sat in Herbology and doodled on a scrap piece of parchment. He glanced up at her, eyes a little unfocused.



“What ‘Mione?” he asked, looking around to make sure Professor Sprout wasn’t awaiting an answer from him.



The girl looked around too. Sprout was on the other side of the greenhouse, talking enthusiastically to Neville about a plant she was holding. “You’ve got to pay attention.” She insisted.



“Sorry,” he said, smiling apologetically, “but I’ve had a lot on my mind.”



A muscle twitched in Ron’s jaw, as if he was severely holding himself in check. “Like what?” he asked, with the minimum of belligerence.



“Well, the first month of the pregnancy I really needed to be with Sev – I mean professor Snape; plus there was the whole coming to terms with being gay and up the duff. Then I had to live on my own, away from you guys; as well as the usual worries about Voldemort.”



Hermione was cross and looked it. “You could have mentioned all this, Harry. You shouldn’t have to try and cope on your own. You’re – what – six weeks gone? You shouldn’t fret about all this stuff. That’s what we’re here for.”



“Yeah, mate.” Ron butted in, “you gotta talk to us about this stuff.”



Harry felt resentment rising. Didn’t they understand how difficult this all was for him? And instead of just quietly listening and being supportive they got on his case about not talking to them! Sometimes he longed for the quiet of Severus’ rooms more than anything. In them he could get on with his work without having to listen to his two friends bicker. He could focus properly on his tasks, and he felt calmer there than anywhere else. They just didn’t get how much Harry relied upon Snape.



“Some of it I couldn’t talk to you about.” Harry said, bitterness welling in him.



“You can tell me anything,” Ron protested.



“Oh, really?” Harry was sceptical. “How about: I’ve been sleeping with Snape for over five weeks now? How about: I don’t sleep in my quarters anymore, I share his bed? How about: when I get back tonight he’ll fuck me senseless, and I’ll love every second of it? How about: I think about him so fucking much it’s driving me crazy? Huh, Ron, did you want to know all that?!” Harry’s voice had risen (luckily, only on the last sentence) and now the whole class was staring at him. He blushed and slunk down on his stool, hand rubbing soothing circles over his belly.



Draco saw the gesture and began to wonder.



Ron looked revolted. “Bloody hell, Harry! This pregnancy must be making you go mad; this is Snape we’re talking about.”



Harry growled, unable to stand anymore. “Fuck you.” He said tightly, before roughly grabbing his stuff and walking out, not caring that Professor Sprout was staring after him in amazement, as was most of the group.



Harry walked angrily back to the castle, glad of the biting cold on his flushed cheeks.



He pushed the front door open, ignoring Filch’s annoyed remark and headed down to the dungeons; heading for Snape’s rooms.



Once inside, he paced in front of the fire, unable to settle. He felt so ashamed of himself, and his friends. He knew that things had changed, but he had never imagined things had altered so much that he would no longer want to be around them.



The bell for the end of the lesson rang. Harry had Transfiguration next, but couldn’t face going back out there and being pointed at and whispered about by his peers. He definitely couldn’t stand sitting with Ron and Hermione and pretending nothing was wrong.



Instead he plumped himself on the floor, gazing into the flames of the fire, and pondered the future. He was going to be a father. He felt himself begin to hyperventilate. It would be ok, Snape would be with him. They could raise the child together. Hopefully, by the time it was born, the war would be over; Voldemort would be a rotting corpse – as he should have been years ago – and Harry could have as normal a life as a gay wizard with a child, and a partner who was a spy, could have.



Distantly, he was aware of the bell ringing again. He ignored it. He heard the sounds of feet thumping down staircases, heading to the Great Hall for lunch, but he wasn’t hungry. The noises receded and he was left alone with his confusing thoughts.



“Harry,” Snape stood at the door, looking down at the Gryffindor, annoyance clear on his face. “please explain why you walked out of Herbology and failed to attend Transfiguration.”



“I was pissed off.”



“Indeed.” Snape quirked an eyebrow. “If I walked out of every lesson that pissed me off, I would never complete one!” He moved across the room and sat in his chair. “What happened?”



Harry explained; a little shame faced as he admitted to the teacher how unpleasant he had been to his friends. He judiciously left out his rant to Ron.



“Mmm hmm.” Snape commented when he’d finished. “Much of which clarifies why I was accosted by Miss Granger on my way to lunch, and asked to find you.”



“Hermione asked you that?” Harry could only gape at his friend’s bravery.



“Indeed. It was rather Gryffindor of her.” Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Harry, as irritating as I find Weasley and Granger, they are your friends, and do care about you. The next few months are going to be difficult, for us both, and it would be best if you had the support of that pair.”



Harry took a deep breath. “You’re right. I don’t know why I got so mad with them.”



“As usual, Miss Granger was an irritating Know-It-All. She suggested you read ‘Wizarding Births: A Complete Guide for New Fathers’. It will enlighten you.” He looked at the set of Harry’s shoulders. “Surely you could be making better use of this time than in mithering about your friends.”



“You weren’t here to distract me.” Harry whined, eyes very big and innocent, although there was a decided twinkle in them.



“I am now.”



Harry felt his dick suddenly harden. He grinned and began crawling over to the older man.



Harry manoeuvred himself alongside Snape’s chair and let his lips be captured in a punishing kiss. He grabbed at the black hair and clung on as he was ravaged, loving the feeling of being so thoroughly claimed.



The bell rang.



Both men groaned in frustration.



“I have to go,” Harry said, “I’ve got Potions, and my teacher is a real bastard if I’m late.”



Snape growled, “You’ll pay for that later!”



“Promises, promises.”



-- All stiffened up and no one to do! SP