Through a Glass, Darkly

Lupin hadn\'t asked Potter to keep what he\'d said a secret, but he didn\'t feel it was anyone\'s business. Lupin had talked as if he hadn\'t had anyone to confide in for a long while, and Potter didn\'t feel he could take advantage of that.

Besides, he still had thasleasley Plan to go through with. He felt a bit sick when he thought of the many things which could go horribly wrong with it and land him out on his ear with Snape. For it was that which scared him more than any punishment the man could devise, he was terrified he might lose his protection. Several times he almost backed out - but then he\'d catch sight of Colin Creevey. Quartus and Quintus were right, the boy was a snivelling specimen, but for some reason that made him all the more determined to get him away from Chalfont.

Snape\'s rules about drawing attention to their relationship - if that\'s what it was - meant that seducing him in a room full of other boys was an interesting prospect, but Potter had planned for it.

They were starting potions used for disguise and concealment, and the first of these was camouflage oil. Snape explained the purpose of this - to allow the wearer to take the colour though not the shape of any background he cared to stand against. It wasn\'t a true invisibility draught, that was forbidden knowledge to all except the Dark Lord.

He then caused the recipe to appear on the board - no messy chalk for Professor Snape - and let them start.

Potter considered the various ingredients - alum, pig\'s fat, lye, chameleon blood and bone, parrot entrails...yech...crushed dried neon fish. He sighed. No wonder he hated Potions so much, all these bad smells and blood. He read the recipe again, and started.

Before long he\'d drawn Snape\'s attention to them, and he saw Weasley Sextus trying to catch his eye. He ignored it. They didn\'t dare talk, not in this class.

Snape stood over him, close enough for Potter to smell the slightly sharp citrus scent he had, it came from something he used in the bath. He shivered. He had to do this just right.

Snape said, \"Are you a moron, Potter?\"

He looked up but didn\'t reply. In the other corner of the dungeon he could hear Malfoy sniggering.

Snape went on, \"I said wait before adding the chameleon bone. You will have to add more lye, and try again.\"

\"Yes, sir.\" He saw Snape give him a suspicious stare before moving away to compliment Malfoy on the state of his solution. Oops, he thought, not too fast.

\"What are you doing?\" hissed Weasley as soon as Snape\'s back was turned.

\"Trust me,\" Potter hissed back. \"And shut up.\"

Weasley nodded.

\"And don\'t imagine I\'m deaf, either,\" said Snape, without turning round.

Potter got on with his potion conventionally enough until the last quarter of an hour. Then he added the parrot entrails at least two minutes too late and over ground his neon fish. The result was that when tested on Longbottom - always Snape\'s choice du jour for testing potions - it merely made his robe very wet and smelly. Potter grinned to himself.

\"Potter,\" said Snape. \"Stay behind.\"

Perfect.

As soon as they were alone, Snape said, \"Go and wait for me.\"

Better than perfect.

He went out and closed the door behind him. A quick glance up and down the corridor and he signalled to Quartus and Quintus and opened the door to Snape\'s quarters. \"Now,\" he whispered, \"I\'m going to have to let him lock the door. The charm to get out is \'Defensa decina nox\'. Don\'t forget. Don\'t move until he\'s gone into the bedroom. Hide, quickly, and don\'t make a sound.\"

Quartus and Quintus nodded and disappeared into the workroom.

Potter stripped off his clothes, and folded everything up carefully. He went to the bathroom, took a piss, and then went back into the bedroom. He got into the bed and lay back.

A few moments later, Snape came in and closed the door. He stood by the bed, looking down at Potter. He sighed. \"My most annoying student,\" he said.

\"The bane of my life,\" Potter replied, cheerfully.

Snape looked mildly amused, \"Me or Potions?\"

\"Both.\"

Snape sat down on the edge of the bed; he pulled Potter\'s glasses off and put them on the bedside table. Then he unfastened his own robes and pulled them over his head. Potter sat up and started to kiss his back and shoulders. He continued as Snape stripped off his underwear and the socks and boots he wore. Finally, Snape turned round to face Potter who fastened to his lips. \"Impatient,\" said Snape, when he could pull away. \"Any normal boy would recognise this as a punishment.\"

\"Would they?\" said Potter. \"I want you. I want you now.\"

\"Demanding, too.\"

Potter kissed him again, sliding his tongue into Snape\'s mouth, luxuriously. He\'d been very nervous the first time he\'d done that, but Snape seemed oddly pleased. He leaned gently on Snape who lay back obediently enough, but once they were lying down he rolled Potter over until he was on top. Potter moaned softly, feeling that weight and heat on him, and opened his legs a little, hoping Snape would take the hint. He did. Potter felt a warm hand take his cock and moaned louder. \"Oh! Now!\"

\"What?\" asked Snape. \"What do you want?\"

\"Fuck me! Please!\"

Snape ignored him and continued with his slow exploration of Potter\'s mouth and cock. Potter moved back and slid down Snape\'s body until he reached his nipples. He sucked on the one he could reach, feeling Snape above him take a sudden deep breath. At the same time he slid his other hand down to Snape\'s cock, now satisfactorily hard and needy. Snape rolled back to allow him to suck the other nipple, then Potter kissed down his chest and belly to take the hard cock in his mouth.

Snape yelled; if there were any words Potter couldn\'t hear them, not that he much cared. He concentrated on taking the thick cock in as deeply as he could, he gloried in the feeling of power it gave him to have that part of Snape in his mouth, knowing what he could do to him if he chose to.

Too soon Snape pulled on his
shoulder, indicating that he should stop. He slid his mouth up with a last sucking lick and kissed his way back up Snape\'s body returning briefly to his nipples, then to his mouth. \"How?\" Potter asked.

\"On your knees.\" Snape kissed him again, taking his time over it, then reached over to the table. \"Ready?\"

Potter nodded and moved to his hands and knees. He felt Snape slide what felt like two fingers into him, and reach for that place, deep inside. \"Oh! More!\" he said, as Snape found it. \"Want you. Oh! Need you! Oh, please!\"

Snape made him wait a little more, then Harry felt the fingers pull out and the much more satisfying bulk of Snape\'s cock take their place. With...that...inside him he felt as though he were lit up inside. He cried out with pleasure and pushed back to take more of it.

Snape thrust experimentally a few times, then abruptly started a driving rhythm which made Potter moan, then angled himself to pass over that...place...at each stroke. Potter felt his cock was weeping, he could feel it pressing against his belly he was so hard. He wanted to touch it, but knew Snape\'s tastes too well.

Just when he thought he\'d pass out if he didn\'t rub his hands over himself, just once, Snape reached beneath him and started to stroke him in time with his thrusts. The feeling was so perfect that Potter gave a cry - almost a shriek - and came. He felt as if his orgasm came from somewhere in his brain or spine.

Numbed, Potter felt Snape take hold of his hips and hold him in place until he emptied inside him. Then he was allowed to collapse to the bed.

After a very long time Snape said, \"Don\'t you have Quidditch practice?\"

Potter glanced at the clock and groaned. \"Yes. Two hours on a broom after a rogering like that.\"

\"Why do you annoy me in class if you know it will lead to that?\"

Potter looked at him, \"Because I know it\'ll lead to that.\" It was nothing more than the truth.

\"I shall have to learn to control my irritation when my instructions are ignored.\"

\"I\'d find another way.\"

\"You could just ask.\"

\"Where would the fun be in that?\"

\"Where indeed,\" Snape leaned over and kissed him. \"You have just enough time to get something to eat and get to Quidditch. Go.\"

\"What are you going to do?\"

\"Read. It\'s not as if I have the strength to do anything else.\"

**

He didn\'t get chance to speak to Quintus or Quartus during the practice, but he saw them making for him afterwards and slowed down.

Quintus said, \"Have you always made those noises? Perce never mentioned it.\"

\"Your brother wasn\'t much good. I don\'t mean to be rude.\"

\"I mean, all that \'fuck me, fuck me harder\' business?\"

\"Take the piss out of me - or him - and you\'ll wish you\'d never been born.\" Potter stopped, and stared Quintus straight in the eye.

Quintus paled. \"Oh. Right,\" he said. \"Sorry.\"

\"Did you get what you were after?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"And left no hint that you\'d been there?\"

\"No.\"

\"Then I\'ll sort out Chalfont and Barnes.\" Potter strode off. He couldn\'t have said why he was so angry, it wasn\'t as if he didn\'t know what was said about Snape - or himself. Then he stopped and looked back. The twins were still standing there, and Quintus had a strange expression. As if he\'d bitten into an apple and found half a maggot.

**

Creevey was pathetically grateful, which both pleased and irritated Potter. He took the earliest opportunity to slip off with Weasley Sextus.

\"The plan worked?\" asked Weasley.

\"Yes, fine so far. Obviously I don\'t know yet if Snape knows if anything\'s missing.\"

\"Fred and George said you enjoyed it.\"

\"Did they? I hope they only told you, or I\'ll...\"

\"You wouldn\'t hurt my brothers?\"

Potter scuffed his feet against the wall of the courtyard. \"Probably not. Though if Snape finds out and gets rid of me I can\'t promise anything.\"

\"You don\'t think he will, do you?\"

\"I don\'t think so. Besides if he does, I

don\'t think he\'ll choose you.\" Weasley\'s expression was such an interesting blend of relief and offence that Potter laughed.

**

Potter had just started to relax a bit when he arrived at Snape\'s rooms one evening to find him carefully counting out jars of ingredients. Potter chose his usual corner and got on with his prep. He\'d seen Snape in this kind of mood before.

He was deep in Professor McGonagall\'s prep on transfiguring water when Snape asked, \"Have you taken anything from this cupboard?\"

\"No,\" said Potter. He\'d answered without thinking about it, but it was the literal truth.

\"Oh.\"

\"Why?\"

\"I had a length of Merlin\'s Beard. It\'s gone.\"

\"Is it important?\" Potter didn\'t waste time asking if Snape were sure. He knew that Snape knew exactly what he had in his cupboards both in the classroom and here in his private workroom.

\"Yes,\" said Snape. \"Merlin\'s Beard is a plant, powerfully magical and used by healers. If a person is near death even a tiny sliver can restart the heart. But equally, if taken by someone who is well, it will stop the heart. It is very light and will travel on the air if the jar is opened. It kills in seconds.\"

\"I see,\" said Potter. He returned to his work, feeling Snape\'s eyes on him.

**

As soon as he could, he went up to the Weasley\'s hideout in the old Divination classroom. They were there with Creevey and Weasley Sextus. He pulled himself up and closed the trapdoor.

\"Evening, Potter,\" said Quintus.

\"Where is it?\" asked Potter. \"The extra ingredient you stole.\"

\"What do you mean?\"

\"You don\'t want me to make you throw yourself off the astronomy tower, do you?\" Potter pulled out his wand. They looked at each other.

\"He found out, then?\"

\"Yes. How could you be so stupid as to take the whole jar?\"

\"Couldn\'t get the lid off. Still can\'t.\"

\"Let\'s thank our lucky stars for that.\"

\"What is that stuff?\" put in Weasley Sextus.

\"Enough poison to kill the whole school, that\'s all. Starting with youu mou morons. No way am I letting anyone into Snape\'s rooms ever again. What else could you have taken? The reason that stuff\'s in there is because it\'s bloody dangerous. I thought you realised that. And whatever you\'re planning, don\'t.\"

\"Potter!\" said Sextus. \"You sound like someone\'s father. Snape\'s sending you mental.\"

\"Give it to me. I\'ll make sure it gets back safely.\"

\"Very well.\" Quintus handed it over. \"But I think Ron\'s right. Snape\'s doing something to your mind.\"

Potter stuffed the jar into his pocket.

\"Won\'t it be dangerous for you to take it back?\" Creevey asked.

\"He\'s already worked out that I had something to do with its disappearance. When it gets back he\'ll know I did, but I can\'t leave it.\"

\"What are you going to do?\"

\"I\'d best not say. Ron?\" He looked at his friend.

Weasley Sextookeooked uncomfortable. \"I\'ll stay here.\"

Potter nodded, opened the trapdoor and slid down the rope.

As soon as he was out of earshot, he kicked the wall to relieve his feelings. A lump of stone fell out and hit him on the foot. \"Bugger!\" he said, hopping.

\"Something wrong?\" It was Mr Lupin. He looked merely curious.

\"No.\"

\"Has the wall offended you in some way?\"

\"No.\" Potter sighed.

\"Come and have some tea.\" Lupin waited. \"You don\'t have to confide in me. I just thought a hot drink might help.\"

\"Thanks.\" Potter followed him down the corridor, round a couple of twists and turns, to another corridor Potter was sure he\'d never seen before.

\"I don\'t think Sirius is in, but I can never be quite sure. No, he\'s not. Come in.\"

The rooms were large and very comfortably furnished. Potter was quite taken aback as he\'d never seen anything quite like it; Snape\'s rooms were ascetic in comparison. Lupin must have seen him looking because he said, \"Sirius is independently wealthy.\"

\"Why does he work?\"

\"The Dark Lord expects everyone

to work,\" said Lupin. \"Mind you, he seems to stop short at Lucius Malfoy. I\'m not quite sure why, and I don\'t think I want to know.\"

\"Is that Draco\'s father?\"

\"Yes. Please, sit down.\"

Lupin went out, and Potter looked around the room again. It was beautiful, elegant tapestries and thick carpets, the furniture was very dark, highly polished, and comfortably cushioned. There were books around in piles, books of every size, shape and description. It was warm, but not uncomfortably so. Potter sat back and closed his eyes, feeling the grief of Weasley\'s rejection recede somewhat.

Lupin came back carrying a tray, tea and little cakes. Potter sat up again. \"English Breakfast, I hope that\'s all right.\"

\"Yes,\" said Potter, though he wasn\'t quite sure what Lupin meant.

\"Milk, no sugar? Right?\"

\"Yes.\"

Potter sipped tea.tea. Curiously, he did feel better, and he wondered what was in the cakes. \"Why does everyone hate me?\" he asked.

\"Not everyone hates you. I don\'t. Sirius doesn\'t - though it\'s hard to tell what he thinks about anyone. And...Snape doesn\'t. Whatever I think of him.\"

\"He doesn\'t love me, though.\" Sighing, Potter thought, why am I telling Lupin this? Too late to take it back.

\"I think you\'re going to wait a very long time - if not forever - before he says so, but I rather think he does.\"

\"What makes you think that?\"

\"Everything. The way he looks at you, the way he treats you. And the way he dresses you. He\'s had boys before, but not like you.\"

Potter considered this. \"Why is everyone so scared of me?\" He expected a reply like the last one, a comforting \'they\'re not.\'

What Lupin said was, \"That\'s a difficult one.\"

\"They are frightened, then?\"

\"And with reason. It isn\'t every fourth year wizard who can use the Imperius Curse. Careful, you\'ll spill your tea.\"

Potter straightened his cup, and automatically took a sip. \"I couldn\'t do it in class.\"

\"I would have been very surprised if you could. But it came when you needed it.\" Lupin sat back. \"That was a brave thing you did, rescuing Creevey like that.\"

\"He keeps telling me how grateful he is. It makes me sick.\"

\"He\'ll get over it.\"

\"And now he\'s afraid of me, too. I think there are only two people left who aren\'t - you and Voldemort.\"

Lupin choked.

\"Oh, sorry. I forgot we\'re not supposed to name the Dark Lord.\"

\"I didn\'t know you knew his name.\"

Potter frowned. \"I didn\'t think I did. I must have read it somewhere.\"

\"Possibly.\"

\"If everyone is so frightened, why aren\'t you?\" Potter put his cup down.

\"I\'m a werewolf with a death wish. Not much scares me any more. Which reminds me...do you have the jar?\"

Potter looked surprised and pulled it out of his pocket.

\"Make sure Snape gets it back safely. He\'s bound to guess, but I don\'t expect he\'ll punish you.\"

\"Why not?\" Potter put the jar away again.

\"I\'d think twice about punishing a wizard with your kind of raw power. You never know what might happen. He certainly will.\"

Potter thought about it. Then he said, \"I think I\'d rather be punished than not.\"

\"Why?\"

\"At least then I know where the lines are.\"

Lupin considered this. \"I see your logic,\" he said. \"But I\'m not sure I agree with it.\"

\"Why not?\"

\"If you\'ll forgive me for saying so...\" Lupin stopped.

Potter looked up from his contemplation of the low table and the teapot. \"Go on.\"

\"It is the logic of a child. You are not a child.\"

\"But I\'m only--\"

\"I know how old you are, Harry. But you stopped being a child the moment you put the Imperius Curse on Barnes. You can\'t take childhood back now. I\'m sorry.\" There was a tense pause. \"And your relationship with Severus. That\'s his first name, by the way. I shouldn\'t imagine he\'s ever got around to telling you. He probably thinks it would seem a bit silly.\"

\"No, he hadn\'t. Strange name.\"

\"Roman Emperor.\"

\"Oh. Go on.\"

\"Your...what you are to each other,\" said Lupin. \"It\'s hardly like a man taking a boy for his bed, is it?\"

\"How did you know?\"

\"Am I wrong?\"

\"No. Damn it, you\'re not wrong.\"

\"There you are. He wouldn\'t give a child\'s punishment to a man. The man\'s punishment for misuse of the Imperius Curse, by the way, is a long stretch in Azkaban, so be careful about using it again. Besides you don\'t want to draw the Dark Lord\'s attention.\"

\"I don\'t?\" Harry grinned at him.

Lupin answered as if it was a serious comment, \"The Dark Lord has killed every wizard able to challenge him for the last fifty years at least. You don\'t want to be one of them.\"

\"As my father was.\"

\"Exactly.\"

Potter stood. \"Thanks for the tea.\"

\"Any time, Harry.\"

**

\"Yours, I believe,\" said Potter. He put the jar on Snape\'s desk.

\"Thank you.\"

\"Are you going to punish me?\"

\"No.\" Snape picked up the jar and put it away.

\"Lupin said you\'d say that.\" Potter followed him into the workroom.

\"Did he? What else did he say?\"

\"He told me your first name. Severus.\"

\"I don\'t use it much.\"

\"I can\'t imagine why, there\'s nothing wrong with it. And anyway, when someone says, \'I saw Severus Snape today\' they\'re not going to get the reply \'which one\' are they?\"

Snape looked at him. He could have beeusedused. \"And I knew your first names, Harold James, aren\'t they?\"

\"Harry. Harold is a silly name.\"

\"It\'s considerably less silly than Severus. But if you prefer Harry then I\'ll use that. If you are going to use mine, that is.\"

\"How about I call you Sev?\"

\"How about I feed you Longbottom\'s latest concoction and we see what you turn into?\"

Potter grinned. Suddenly hugging Snape around the middle. \"I love you, Severus. Everyone else hates me, but you\'re just the same.\" He let go, picked up his bag, and strolled out of the workroom.

***

End part 1

***