Tequila

Chapter 25

After a long week of competition, the final had arrived. It had been a funny old week with Hermione putting Dumbledore out of the competition and Neville knocking out McGonagall. The competition between Neville and Snape had been exciting for all to watch. Neville had worked hard and even Snape had lost some of his cool towards the end. The most exciting moment of the fight was after it was over. After Severus and Neville had bowed, Draco has jumped into the ring and caught Neville in a passionate embrace. Most people had known about their relationship, but few people had seen it so demonstrated. Even Severus had smirked at the jeers and wolf whistles.

Now the day of the final was on them and as soon as Graduation was over, everyone changed and headed back to the great hall for the final.

Harry paced around the dorm for a good five minutes muttering to himself.

// Wand. Check. Wand. Check. Wand. Check. Wand. Check. //

Draco was lying on his and Neville's bed, watching with amusement as the dark haired young man checked for the 6th time that he had his wand. He continued to snicker as Hermione and Neville burst through the door.

Hermione walked slowly to Harry, hand out as if approaching dangerous animal, and touched his shoulder. Harry swung round as if burnt.

“Dumbledore says its time.”

Harry patted his back pocket one more time.

// Wand. Check. //

With that he sighed and made his way to the common room. As he entered, a large cheer went up from the waiting crowd.

“Go on, Harry, kick his ass!!!”

“You can do it Harry, you beat what's-his-face.”

“You’re the best Harry.”

Harry blinked and growled as a flash went off in his face and Ron quickly pulled Colin Creevey out of the way before Harry hexed him into oblivion.

Harry made his way quickly down to the great hall, where all the tables had been removed and a large circle had been left in the middle of the floor for the duelling pair. The benches had been set up around the outside of the room, sort of like a stadium, so that everyone could see action. Harry entered the hall with Ron and Hermione on one side and Neville and Draco on the other. With Seamus and Dean behind him, Harry felt a bit like a boxer entering the ring

// Or a prisoner entering the firing squad. //

A resounding cheer went up from the awaiting throngs as his group went to sit closest to the edge of the circle and Harry went to stand in the middle.

// Wand. Check. //

Harry stood fidgeting nervously as the door on the opposite of the room opened and his opponent entered. Severus ignored the good natured boos and hisses as he made his way to the centre of the hall, opposite Harry. Severus smirked as he saw the paleness of Harry’s face in front of him.

// What’s he worried about? We’ve done this a million times. //

Dumbledore stood and the crowd slowly but surely went silent. “Now ladies and gentlemen. I understand that after graduation this morning, most of the 7th years will be a bit tired, and if you wish to leave, I ask that you do so now as the doors will be locked until this duel is over.” Dumbledore paused for a few brief moments.

// Was that a tumbleweed that just went by? //

Walking down to the two men in front of him, Dumbledore addressed them directly.

“I want a good clean duel, my boys. If you wish to stop, or concede defeat, please send up a shower of red sparks. We will not stop this until you are finished, however if you do require a few moments rest, please send up blue sparks.”

Harry and Severus looked at each other and both knew this would not stop until one of them was down.

Dumbledore sighed. “Very well. The winner will be whoever is left standing at the end. Good luck gentlemen.”

Dumbledore stepped back and waved his hands, covering the circle with a bright white light. It soon cleared to a faint shimmer. “The shield is up my boys, please begin.”

The two wizards walked towards each other and stopped just a foot away. Both raised their wands and held them against their chest, bowing deeply. As Harry raised his head up again, he whispered, “I love you.”

“EXPELLIARMUS”

Severus jumped quickly out of the way realising that he had frozen to the spot with Harry’s admission and quickly threw up a shield, ignoring the yells from around the room. Knowing his voice wouldn’t be heard, Severus whispered back. “And I love you.”

Harry grinned and shouted “STUPEFY!” knowing that it wouldn’t get through Severus’ shield but would begin to break it down. Severus jumped to one side as Harry threw spell after spell at his shield in order to break it, he felt something brush past him and knew that he was no longer protected. Looking down he saw the hem of his robes on fire and smirked before quickly putting them out.

Harry and Severus stopped briefly, standing still and looking at each other. There was silence in the hall. “No shields,” they muttered together and smiled.

There was a collective gasp from the watching students as they realised the implications of the statement from both men. Hermione put her head in her hands, grumbling about men who had a point to prove.

With a delighted laugh, Harry threw an aguamenti charm and watched while Snape was soaked from head to toe. Severus smirked again and hit back with a drought charm, to dry off the floor and stop the water jets from Harry’s wand.

The two men stopped and looked at each other again. Harry drew a deep breath and Severus took on a look of intense concentration. The students in the hall somehow realised that the fun was over and the battle was about to begin.

Ron looked on in amazement as Harry and Severus started throwing hex after hex at each other, jumping around and stalking each other quickly. Most of the students had not witnessed the final battle between Voldemort and Harry and were unaware of the lessons that Harry had been getting from Snape. They watched in awe as the men tried their best to kill each other.

Severus dodged a Confundus charm while sending a stinging hex back at the boy. Neither were doing each other much harm at the moment, both trying to hard to avoid the hexes coming their way. There was a sharp intake of breath as an expelliarmus hit its mark and Severus stood quickly clutching Harry’s wand. The students and Severus himself were unprepared for Harry to physically throw himself at the man and tackle him to the ground. Grabbing his wand back, Harry jumped up and ran to the back of the room, sending a furunculous charm back at the man, who only just managed to roll and avoid it.

Severus allowed himself to be hit by locomotor mortis charm, as he was on the ground anyway, and carefully taking aim, shouted “expulso.”

Harry jumped quickly out of the way, as the portrait behind him blew up and the occupant screamed and jumped into the picture beside it.

Ron surged to his feet, shouting. “That’s an illegal hex, bad form!”

Harry quickly looked at Ron and shook his head. Turning back to Severus, he gave a grin as he saw the man was back on his feet.

// Now the fun really begins. //

With that the two men began duelling furiously, hexes flying so fast that no one could see them, or where they went. The deflected charms bounced harmlessly off the shield around the ring, harming no one. Ginny laughed as she saw a bat bogey hex repelled quickly by Harry before a rictumsempra hit the shield in front of her.

The duel went on for the better part of an hour, everyone so entranced that no one noticed dinner time come and go. Hexes they hadn’t even heard of were being used and no one was trying to stop them anymore, just watching as the two men circled around throwing hex after hex. Even the teachers were stunned into silence at the ferocity of the fight in front of them.

Harry made a tactical decision and allowed a slashing hex to hit him before launching himself at the man he loved and knocking him flat on his back. With a quick a quick “accio” Harry was standing over the fallen man pointing 2 wands directly at his throat.

Severus started to jump up and saw the threat in front of him. Smiling warmly, he laid back down and held up his hands in defeat.

“Now what did you always tell me Sev?” Harry whispered, holding the two wands steady. “’Don’t forget the simplest charms, as they can often be the most effective.’”

To the entire crowds’ surprise, Severus barked out a laugh

// He finally learned something //

before turning to the assembled staff. “I believe we have a winner.”

The assembled mass sat in silence, everyone too shocked to move, as Harry handed back Severus’ wand and reached out a hand to help him up. Severus used Harry for support as he limped towards Dumbledore.

“Was the demonstration satisfactory Headmaster?”

Dumbledore smiled and waved his hands in a magnanimous gesture. “Yes, my boys it was endlessly entertaining for all.”

And with that, Harry and Severus made their way to the door.

Finally realising that the fight was over and that Harry had won, the crowd jumped to its feet with a huge cheer and started running to the two men.

Dumbledore quickly threw a repelling charm around the two men and sonoroused his voice.

“I believe Harry and Professor Snape would like some time to clean up and heal any curses that hit them. You can offer your congratulations later. Everyone is free to go. We will meet back here around 8pm for a late dinner.”

Ron, Hermione and the rest of Harry’s friends smirked, knowing full well that the two men were unlikely to surface before the morning. After all, hadn’t Harry finally graduated?

Harry and Severus, arms wrapped around each other, staggered into the dungeons, before collapsing on Severus bed. Harry scrambled up to Severus’ side and quickly examined the sprained ankle.

“Did I do that when I knocked you over?” He asked, gently removing Sev’s shoes and socks.

Severus grimaced. “Yes you did. The first time you knocked me over.”

Harry gasped. “You went through the whole duel with this?”

Severus chuckled, before pulling Harry up to his side. “It is not as bad as it looks, in fact” he quickly cast a healing charm over the offending injury, “it’s all better.”

Harry smirked, before wincing in pain as Severus put his arms around him. Severus quickly de-robed Harry and lifted his jumper. There were several long gashes across Harry’s torso, angry, red looking slashes that were bleeding quite heavily.

“Merlin Harry, I didn’t think that hex hit you.”

Harry groaned ruefully, putting his arms over his head at Severus pushed him back onto the bed, removing the jumper entirely and quickly retrieved some potion from the bathroom. Harry shivered as cold lotion was smeared over each cut and a healing spell quickly muttered.

“I apologize, I know the potion is very cold, it has to be to work properly.”

Harry growled low in his throat. “That wasn’t the reason I was shivering Severus.”

Severus saw the lust in Harry’s eyes and quickly lay back on the bed beside him, pulling him close and closing his mouth over the messy haired young man beside him. Harry didn’t even wait for Severus’ tongue before he opened his mouth. With a feral growl, Severus plundered his mouth. Panting, Harry leaned his head back as Severus nuzzled kisses over his throat and neck, moving round to pull an earlobe between his lips, worrying it between his teeth. Harry groaned throatily as Severus stroked one hand over his body, ghosting his fingertips over his nipple.

Severus pulled back, taking Harry in both arms and pulling him into a warm cuddle. Harry snuggled his head under Sev’s chin and allowed his breathing to slow. Severus warmed Harry’s back with slow regular strokes of his hand. Harry finally caught his breath and looked up to Severus from beneath thick eyelashes. Severus smiled.

// God, he’s so beautiful. What did I do to deserve this? //

Harry blushed and looked away. Severus realised he’d said it out loud.

“You are you know, you’re the most beautiful creature I ever beheld.”

Harry smiled shyly, looking up again from beneath his messy hair.

//He looks so innocent. //

Severus smirked. “You know, you’re not as innocent as you look Harry. I finally remember what happened that first night.”

Harry’s blush deepened. “Yeah, so do I. I remembered a few weeks ago. I was going to talk to you about it, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to without getting hard.” He gestured towards his groin, where there was a distinct tightening of his trousers. “I can’t even think about it without getting hard.”

Severus laughed and rolled on top of Harry. “You said it that first night we were together Harry. You told me you loved me.”

Harry smiled. “So did you. I think I’ve been in love with you since that first night. It just seemed like a culmination of the weeks and months we spent together getting me ready for the battle.”

Severus kissed Harry gently. “I understand what you mean. I felt it that night too. It seemed so right that we were together.”

// We fit so closely. //

Harry wrapped his arms around Sev’s neck and pulled him back down for another kiss.

Harry snorted against Sev's lips. “We needn’t have waited all year after all.”

Severus laughed and then growled. “I don’t know why we’re waiting now.”

Harry blushed and moved from underneath Severus and rolled off the bed.

“Before we do this Severus, I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. We made up from our last fight and I’m glad, but knowing us there are going to be many more. I want us to be together forever and if that’s what you want then great, but I it isn’t then you have to tell me now so that I don’t get any further involved.”

Severus looked at Harry carefully. He could see the fear in his eyes.

// He’s afraid I’m going to reject him. //

Severus stood quickly and took both of Harry’s hands in his own. Never taking his eyes from Harry’s he explained.

“When we had our argument, I didn’t abandon you because of you; I stayed away from you because of me. I realised that now that my life was my own again I wanted love. Desperately. And I want it to last forever. You are only 17 years old. You have so many years ahead of you in which you may get bored and decide I’m no longer what you want. I don’t mean to sound patronising, I’m just trying to be honest. I had put you up on a pedestal and was looking at you as everything opposite from myself. I saw you as the light that could help drag me from the dark. And that was unfair on both of us. When we did fight, it stripped my illusions and put me in a unique position to look hard at myself and our relationship and decide if I wanted you or if I was just so desperate for love that I was projecting it onto the first person to show an interest in me. I know I hurt you by ignoring you so completely and I’m aware of how selfish this all makes me sound but I didn’t want to lead you on if, in the future, you would be hurt by me. I had to decide if it was you I really wanted.”

Harry looked own. “And…? Did you make a decision?”

Severus pulled Harry into a warm embrace, tucking the top of the young mans head under his chin. “You know I did, otherwise we wouldn’t be here now. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in this life of mine. And if you decide a few years down the line that you are bored of me and no longer want me, then I will be happy for the time we have together and will cherish it for ever. I will take you any way you will have me.”

Harry pulled back from Severus and looked deep in his eyes. “Does this mean I get to top?”

Severus laughed and pulled Harry into his arms. Harry smirked. “Well you said any way.”

Harry and Severus sat back on the bed. The serious talks were over for now, though both were sure there would be many in the future. For the rest of the evening Harry had other plans.






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