Love Me Gently

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I admit I\'m always anxious to see how my stories are perceived by others. I\'m glad I\'d gotten so many positive responses right off the bat! Coming out of a writer\'s block and still finding my writing style intriguing to others - even if it\'s still fairly rough on what it used to be like. (Yes .. I\'m rather modest/bashful. A flaw or gift, who knows)



To answer BurraddoFuuhaizu specifically, but would be of interest to all who hold interest in Love Me Gently. I hope it to be a lengthy one. It isn\'t entirely planned out and I\'m famous for rushing things (in my own mind anyhow) but I\'ll be trying my hardest to not fall into that habit. I enjoy lengthy tales because they have depth and aren\'t rushed into things too quickly to get everything over and done with to get to the lovey-dovey bits. I don\'t want to fall into the little over oneshots category! (Multi-chaptered to get to happy ending with little to no depth.)



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The dance was over long after the dark haired wizard wanted it to be as he stalked out after the last trailing students, his presence only making the students hurry to bed faster at the sight of the annoyed expression on the Potion Master’s face. His feet took him down into his dungeons to stop in front of a portrait of a large snake and speaking the password before stalking into his private suite. His dark eyes surveyed the room even when his wards told him no one but house elves had been in his residence since he’d last been there.



Walking over to the liquor cabinet he poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey enjoying the burn of it down his throat and ignored the effects that it had on his person. Not many things would lead him to the drink because of the effects that affected him worse than it would humans as unlike food it was only partly poisonous to his body. Harry Bloody Potter being his mate was a damn good reason however to drown himself in the bitter tasting drink and hope that his system would reject the severe effects of the poison.



With a low growl he sat down in a worn armchair that sat a safe distance from the fire, the heat still reached his unnaturally cold skin reminding him of how warm Potter’s body had been against his earlier that night. With another growl and look of disgust he drained the glass of Firewhiskey and returned it to the cabinet with a word before he decided to see if he could throw it there and watch it shatter. The one compatible mate he had in the world for the moment and it had to be the son of the man who’d made his teenage years despicable. Yet the part of him that wanted a mate was fighting with the note that it wasn’t so bad, that at least Potter wasn’t a weak wizard and the boy’s power spoke for itself in it’s right to suit Severus; even if the Potion making skills lacked substantially.



“Of all students..” Severus muttered, uncharacteristically pursing his lips. That was another fact that he had to consider. Teacher - student relations were prohibited for all obvious reasons, but as it was until Potter passed away there still lingered the fact that he would be his one mate for years to come if he lived a long life.



Severus pushed himself out of the seat and paced the room precariously close to the fire enough so that he had to watch that his robes wouldn’t catch aflame from some idle spark. Instinct and common sense battled on in is head outside the worry of the flames. He despised the insolent brat as much as he had despised his father yet after bumping into Potter that night his body yearned for that touch again the thought of the brief moments that the boy held him sent his mind heading in an inappropriate direction. With a swift turn on his heel, his robes brushing the stone mantle as he spun a purposeful distraction to keep his mind from wandering as his dark eyes made certain no smoke was coming from his robes. If the boy was even someone different than the one he despised he was still just that though a boy, who was about to be extremely confused about why he was longing for the detested teacher of the school.



Instincts told him to ignore common sense. That in time the befuddled hatred that was trying to remain in place as he argued that the boy couldn’t possibly his mate, couldn’t possibly be remotely compatible with him would truly be replaced with the bubbly feelings of love that was trying to replace it already thanks to his instinctual drive. Gritting his teeth he denied himself from focusing on it. If he did he might find himself finding the boy in his dormitory and take him away to his home where he could serve as a wife. The only thing he could do was ignore it and avoid Potter at all costs, something that would be very hard when the boy was in his Potions class. He doubted the boy would have any self control, or any that he had would be lost to the instincts that would set him to want to jump Severus the moment he caught his scent once more. “Damn it..” Severus muttered pausing to set his forehead against the cool stone of the mantle his eyes staring into the dangerous flames that for a moment asked him to join them in their dance of strange beauty. He would have to keep up normal appearances, but he didn’t know if he’d be able if the boy acted on instinct and came in contact with him again.



Turning away from the flames he went and poured himself another glass of Firewhiskey ignoring the fact it might cause him to lose his own self control over the night. Instead he strengthened the wards around his rooms, warding it against himself from leaving until the alcoholic poison was out of his system in case his state decided to act on instinct anyhow. He walked into his chilled bedroom of black and red decorations a mute opposite of the black and green in his living room. Undressing he smiled as he felt the cold begin to sink into his pale skin as his body temperature slowly began to return to normal as he sipped his quickly chilling drink. When he lay down for the night finally he fell unconscious as his body reacted violently to the poison but he didn’t know anything of it until he awoke when the alarms told him to wake.



*~*



Harry had gotten little sleep after returning from the party earlier than most. He found it disturbing to always constantly wanting to be watching Snape and even getting the nerve to leave had been difficult. What was wrong with him? It was like bumping into the man and breathing in his scent had put a spell of infatuation over him and every spare thought was on the teacher he should and did detest up until that point. Turning to Hermione on the way to Potions his body seemed to hum as he got closer to the teacher that claimed his thoughts.



“Hermione, is there a spell that would cause a person to.. become infatuated with the person they bump into? Or say a scent of something?” Harry asked hesitantly. He wasn’t going to say anything about it being Professor Snape who he had found unexplainable feelings for so much that he was restraining himself from running ahead.



“I can’t say I’ve come across such a spell Harry,” Hermione replied her voice thoughtful as Harry continued walking even when she stopped. It took him a moment to get himself to pause for her to keep pace with him again. “There are perfumes and colognes that are embedded with pheromones that cause the person who scents them to gain an unruly attraction for a short period of time so long as they smell the scent, but it would affect everyone who would be within range to smell them. Why Harry? Is there something wrong? I can’t imagine you’d be wanting to cast that sort of spell over a girl, it’s not right.”



“No.. nothing’s wrong.” Harry said shaking his head with a sigh. If there wasn’t a spell to it and the cologne wasn’t long lasting and had affected only him what could it be? Biting his lip for a moment he gave a smile to Hermione who continued to look at him worriedly. “Don’t worry ‘Mione, spelling a person to fall in love with me isn’t my intention at all.. I was just curious.”



Harry knew that Hermione was still watching him but he walked into the Potions classroom and took a seat. He didn’t understand the calling his body had to Snape’s, he felt the man approaching and bit his lip. There was no explanation of liking the man that tortured him so much over the past five years, going on sixth. He couldn’t ask anything more of Hermione he knew she would guess the problem was him he’d need to go to the library alone and try to find something on his own. His eye turned to the door even before it opened and he struggled to remain in his seat, he never had the best sense of smell but yet he could catch a whiff of the man’s scent that was so intoxicating as he walked to the front without a glance his way.



Throughout class he fidgeted and even with all the mistakes he made, so far as his cauldron bubbling over and beginning to melt the wood table the Professor paid him no attention. Harry looked at Hermione rather confused at that point and though she had no answer to it Harry wondered if the man would know something of what was going on if it affected him. He could at least question at the risk of sounding stupid if there was a potion that would cause a person to become irrationally infatuated to a person just by the person’s scent. He wondered idly if that was just giving himself away though, if Snape was just ignoring the constant faults in hope Harry would give up trying to keep up in Potions he would be laughed out of the man’s classroom if the Professor was one to laugh.



After class he managed to knock over his bag and make it seem like an accident. Hermione paused as he stooped down to gather everything that fell out but Harry could see she wanted to get to class in time, something he had been expecting. “Go on. I’ll catch up.” He told her, his voice raspy with nerves but there was nothing he could do. With a last glance at him though she nodded and left the classroom.



“Hurry up Potter, if your work in this class is any evidence to the rest of your schoolwork tardiness wouldn’t be wise,” Snape said as Harry managed to stuff the last text book in his bag finally. Biting his lip he stared up at the Professor suddenly nervous and excited they were alone in the room together.



“Sir, I have a question..” Harry began slowly his feet taking him closer to the man’s desk. He could feel those dark eyes on him and for a moment it seemed as if the older man was undressing him with his eyes. The man said nothing though and made no motion for him to go on. Licking his lips he was ready to just give up fighting and allow his body to do as he wanted.



Severus watched Potter nervously, the boy waiting until after class to act hadn’t been something he’d expected but if something were to happen at least there’d be no witnesses. He kept his face in the emotionless expression waiting for the boy to continue, to question why he had all of a sudden began liking him the moment he bumped into him. The boy never spoke though and after a few minutes even his uncharacteristically patient self was slipping away quickly as the boy’s scent continued to lure him nearer and his self control was slowly failing. “What is it Potter?” He demanded finally, frustration making him at least sound like his normal self.



Harry blinked, he’d spent the time staring at Snape wondering why it was so bad that he had begun to like him. He jumped a bit startled the man’s voice reminding him as to why it was so bad. “Is.. there a potion that makes it possible to fall in love with the person after merely breathing in their scent?” He was fighting himself from going closer knowing he might just jump the man if he allowed himself too close and he didn’t want that.. and yet he liked being alone in the room with the man anyhow.



Severus’ lips twitched at the idea the boy had gotten. Probably thinking he’d gotten the one dosed butterbeer in the party as just his luck. At least the boy was muggle raised, he might have come to a different conclusion far too soon. A part of him remained impressed, he always assumed the boy lacked self control but he knew the feelings would be stronger for Potter than it was for him, annoying as they were. “No Potter there is not. You would know that love potions rely on the person’s essence being present in the potion, not a mere scent on idle passing would influence it. You’d know this if you read the section of love potions in your text. Now go before I decide to remove twenty points for stupidity.”



Harry felt his spirits fall when Snape had given proof his idea had indeed been stupid. He paused for a moment involuntarily as he tried to fight with whatever control he had but he managed to flee before Snape came true on his threat. He ignored grumbles from Gryffindors as points were subtracted for being tardy to the class he had been missing while staring at the dark hair wizard in the dungeons. Hermione looked at him as if questioning where he had been but he shrugged and pretended to pay attention to the lesson but made plans of heading to the library after hours.



When everyone was abed and Ron’s snoring told him his friend was asleep Harry carefully crawled out of bed and pulled a robe on over his pajamas. Grabbing invisibility cloak and map he left the common room. It was slow progress as he hunched beneath the cloak to keep his feet from showing and avoiding teachers and moving around obstacles. Biting his lip he let himself into the library and with a cautious look around and another glance at the map to ensure no one was around slid the cloak from his shoulders and sighed realizing he had no idea what to actually look for in a book.



“Locator spell it is then..” Harry said in a small voice casting a spell looking for anything that would explain inexplicable infatuation. He moved through the shelving units of books picking up the ones his spell had pointed him to and took the small pile of books to a far table no where near the door. Setting the map in clear view he began to look through the book titles marking titles down for later if he didn’t get through the ten books that sate before him. He bit his lip when three of the four of the books was a book of some form on magical creatures, his curiosity peeked he began flipping through one of the four to find the entry that had brought this book and perhaps the others if there was a common creature in the four. He didn’t think it would make sense though, would it mean that Snape is a magical creature of some sort that has a spell over him? If that were the case why wasn’t Snape acting on it if he wanted him so.. His body was willing enough and when he was near the man even his mind couldn’t think up a protest.



Severus wandered the corridors for students out of bed, unlike most teachers he didn’t mind the shifts of staying up. He didn’t need too much sleep and walking around the halls was far less constricting than pacing his rooms when sleep would not come. As he began to pass the library door however he paused his brow furrowing. He looked into the dark room his nose in the air, he couldn’t see any light but he knew Potter was in the library. Feeling a small sense of dread it was about what was affecting him, he walked into the library following the scent of his mate to a back corner where he was stooped over some book with his back to him.



Approaching soundlessly Severus looked over the boy’s shoulder, or began to do so as Potter’s scent overwhelmed him. Biting back a sound as he closed his eyes he got control of himself once more to look at the page Harry was just flipping to the ornate writing above a blue eyed humanoid creature with sallow skin and sunken cheeks was the word ‘Vampire’ wondering how far the boy had read into it already part of him wanted to say this would be easier than explaining so it’d be simpler to claim him. Forcing himself to step a respectable distance to the side still giving him a good view of the title he narrowed his eyes trying to play the ass of a teacher he didn’t want to be with his mate, rather irrationally when he thought of it. “Late night reading on the creatures seen mostly at night Potter?”



Harry jumped suddenly looking up from reading the beginning of the chapter on vampires. He stood up awkwardly as Snape waved his wand an the books shut and went flying to their places on the shelves. His body’s reactions seemed to have stilled in his concentration on trying to find the answer he hadn’t noticed the man’s presence. Now though as he stood staring up at Snape admiring how handsome the man was rather than worrying about being caught out of bed. Those eyes narrowed at him further as he began to step forward and Snape stepped back as if purposely keeping a distance from him.



“What has you so interested in vampires Potter that you cannot wait until daytime to look them up?” Severus snarled all too aware the boy was losing self control, he could smell the scent of arousal off the boy and it was harder to ignore instinct then. So whenever Harry approached he backed away acting far out of character but keeping himself from jumping the boy.



“I was looking something else up I hadn’t wanted anyone to know about... I was trying to see why three magical creature books had come up in my spell..” Harry said feeling as if someone had slipped him veritaserum when he couldn’t keep himself saying more than he needed which was all of that. What happened to the simple lies he could make up around Snape.



“Find anything interesting Potter?” Snape sneered at him and he shook his head biting back a comment that had to do until he had gotten there. “Then I suggest you return to your dormitory.”



“Y-yessir,” Harry muttered grabbing up his things quickly glancing over to Snape longingly and he knew the older man had seen it for he had turned away. Harry again had to force himself to turn away from the man and get walking pausing when Snape called his name.



“Potter, report to my office after supper tomorrow for detention,” Snape said and made an uncharacteristic shooing motion. Rather confused Harry nodded and left the library sliding beneath the invisibility cloak to avoid being seen by others. Never had he been so happy about getting a detention.. it was strange. But he’d get to be alone with Snape even if the excuse wasn’t the reason he wanted.



Severus watched Potter walk away wondering what he was getting himself into by letting himself be alone with his mate. He sighed he’d simply have to make certain it was something that he didn’t need to be looming over his shoulder to supervise, if they didn’t get too close Potter might still hold onto self control and he could at least watch the object of his heart’s reluctant desire.



“What do you know about vampires?” Harry asked Hermione over lunch. There was something that had bothered him about the night before about how Snape had been acting giving a vague form of interest if he found anything out. He hadn’t the chance to get to the library yet and probably wouldn’t that day unless he snuck out at night again.



“They’re creatures that feed off of humans,” Ron said between mouthfuls of food and Harry shook his head. Leave it to Ron to give him the answer he already knew about.



“There’s more to them than that Ronald.” Hermione said tersely turning away from the tall redhead to look at Harry once more. Her look once again was questioning, it wasn’t often Harry asked of things that would be considered extra work to both him and Ron and two days in a row was peculiar. “What is it you want to know?”



“Well.. all I know about them is from Muggle depictions,” Harry said slowly, the paragraph he managed to read before being interrupted the night before a vague reminder of that because it was stating Muggle thinking was clearly wrong as it was with all things magical. Hermione just shook her head knowing too well he had yet to pick up even one of the magical creatures textbooks that they had assigned to them at the beginning of the year, nor even the Defense Against the Dark Arts books.



“The only things that are correct about Muggle depictions is that they drink blood and the two solutions to kill them from a Muggle standpoint is fire or the chopping off their head, stake to the heart merely paralyzes them.” Hermione said falling into lecture mode to the dissatisfaction of Ron by the sigh the redhead given, yet Harry spotted some interest but perhaps it was because he was learning how Muggles seen the a Magical Creature that bothered both wizards and Muggles alike. “Sunlight has no effect on them other than an annoyance and too long in it speeds up the need to feed. In a human lifetime they only have one truly compatible mate, when that mate is turned or dies if the vampire is unable to find him or her at the time and moves on to another compatible mate. Of course it’s possible for them to fall for another but they don’t have the ease of their pheromones to dispel any negative feelings and ensures that they would be willing when in different circumstances they wouldn’t unless the vampire worked on it.”



“In other words a vampires mate is a slave to lust over them and let them do what they like and they can still call it consensual because the human or wizard is begging for it.” Ron stated in a simpler way than Hermione’s explanation. Harry frowned, hadn’t Hermione mentioned pheromones the day before that would make a person irrationally infatuated with a person and is caused by scent? He looked up at the head table but Snape wasn’t in the hall for lunch, he never was. Why had the man been concerned about him learning any of that? Was it the Professor was a vampire and he Harry was his.. Harry shook his head. The idea was preposterous, whatever was going on with what he felt for Snape was just some annoying prank someone had pulled on him.. yet he couldn’t wait to be alone with Snape that night alone, even for detention. He really needed a better explanation.



*~*



Severus knew Potter was there but he waited for the nock before calling to the boy to enter. He looked up from his papers at set them down his nose flaring as his small office was filled with that enticing scent. He motioned to the pile of dirty cauldrons and returned his focus to grading papers doing his best to ignore the boy that was in the privacy of his office all to aware that if something did happen they were now in a lot more private place than the library.



Harry glanced at Snape, any thought of self control was slowly slipping away as he tried to focus on the task set before him. The scent was overbearing in the small space and even without contact his body was reacting way too readily for Harry’s liking. Gritting his teeth he scrubbed at the cauldrons harder getting the greasy and oily substances off in hard scrubs purposely to stop anything he didn’t truly want from happening even if his body seemed to beg for him to climb onto Snape’s lap.



Severus fidgeted as Potter’s scent became steadily more aroused the longer he was in his presence, the work made a sheen of sweat coat Harry’s skin as Severus watch his body beginning to react as he did wishing scrubbing cauldrons wasn’t what was making the boy sweat. Severus gouged his hand with his quill before he did something stupid realizing giving Potter detention was already a stupid thing, making it a reason to be alone in a private room. He wished the boy would stop cleaning those pots with such vigor, the sweat was only making the scent so much stronger for him.



“Okay. That’s enough!” Severus said when he couldn’t take much more as he looked at Potter when the boy turned. His eyes lingered on the aroused and sweaty body for a moment again needing to remind himself with pain that Potter was off limits. When Potter only stared at him confused though he looked at the boy with an annoyed look. “Go. Your detention is complete.”



Harry blinked realizing that Snape was letting him off early, he wasn’t nearly half way finished with the cauldrons but the man was letting him go. Shaking his head he wanted to stay longer but the man was annoyed about something and Harry did think he wanted to stick around and take the brunt of the man’s anger. Turning Harry hurried out of the office and made his way up to the Room of Requirement not surprised very much that when the room opened for him so he could deal with his arousal in complete privacy a portrait of Snape hung on the wall robes hanging open to reveal a pale chest.



Staring at the dark haired wizard his imagination got away from him and he was making small sounds as he was enveloped by strong arms and was kissed so passionately. The longing was horrible though, the dream dripping away back to reality as his eyes focused the still portrait once more. Even as an imagining it felt as though it could become the reality he wanted, to be cared for unconditionally and never be alone again.



Down in the dungeons Severus Snape growled as the spell broke, cursing Potter fluidly he flung the glass of red liquid against the mantle watching it shatter and it’s contents drip down almost beautifully. Somehow their minds had begun to bond with nothing more than being in another’s presence going against what he knew, of what his mentor had taught him. Severus had been locked in place living through Potter’s imaginings just as vividly as if they were his own, and perhaps in a way they were.



Pursing his lips he waved his wand at the mess and stalked to the bathroom, he needed a cold shower before bed in hopes of ridding himself of another scene of his own.