Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 25
(Beyond Pain is Nothing)

Disappointment was hardly the feeling that settled in Harry’s stomach as upon reaching the great hall he found Snape’s chair at the head table unoccupied. Everyone was chattering away about the fun they’d had over the Holiday’s, Ron’s new broom a source of conversation for everyone the red head had told. Dumbledore had made some relatively uninteresting start of semester notices but nothing Harry didn’t already know about.

Harry wasn’t prepared to give up on Snape though and so eating his meal quickly left the great hall before anyone else. His exit had not gone unnoticed, Harry having caught the scowl that McGonagall threw his way on the way out. Harry ignored it though and made his way swiftly down towards the dungeons. Harry had briefly wondered whether Snape would be in his office or private rooms, but then Harry realised Snape would hardly be working having spent a whole week in the company of the Dark Lord. Taking the corner sharply Harry hesitated as he stared at the portrait of the Snake that hung over the secret entrance into the Slytherin common room. Snape had said if Harry had ever needed him to tell the snake who would come and alert him but then Harry realised he didn’t have any excuse to see the man other than he desperately ached to be in the man’s presence, and Harry was sure that that excuse wouldn’t go down too well. Wracking his brain to find a suitably ‘Slytherin’ lie Harry finally rested on his training as the excuse. Harry didn’t no if he was to recommence his training with Snape this week or next. It was a poor excuse though, Harry could easily ask the professor tomorrow but it was the best excuse he could think. Steeling himself Harry walked up to the Snake in the portrait. Harry watched the curls of the Snake tighten on the blade it was coiled around, its head just poking out from beneath its last coil so that its beady eyes flickered in the dimly lit corridor.

“I need to see Professor Snape about my extra lessons.” Harry didn’t realise he slipped into parseltongue midway through his sentence. Almost immediately the snake lifted his head completely from its coils, its tongue flickering out in Harry’s direction.

“No onesss ssspoken to me like that in ssssso long.” Harry smiled as the snake stretched itself its coils unravelling, so that it lay length ways along the bottom of the picture frame, its tail flickering occasionally. “You are the first to ask me for ssseverusss. The bearded one ignoresss all wardsss and passess through without hindrance. The othersss use the flame.” Harry listened as the snake spoke calmly to him, its eyes never leaving Harry’s. “But yousss isss different. You tastesss like…” The snakes tongue flickered out quickly tasting the air but the snake didn’t finish its sentence as the hidden door into Snape’s quarters slide open. “He hasss company but you are far greater than he isss.” Harry turned back from the open door to glance at the snake that had coiled itself back around the sword. Harry couldn’t be sure but he thought the snake had winked at him before its head had disappeared back into the safety of its coils. Turning from the portrait Harry walked steadily to the open door of Snapes rooms. Glancing inside the warm candle lit room Harry hesitated at the threshold. Snape was nowhere to be seen and Harry felt somewhat concerned that the professor hadn’t greeted him at the door. Surely the snake wouldn’t have let him without informing Snape first? Tentatively Harry entered the room, half expecting to be hexed into oblivion by Snape’s wards or worse still by Snape himself. When no green flash met his eyes though Harry stepped further into the room almost jumping out of his skin as the door slide instantly closed behind him.

Taking a deep calming breath Harry looked cautiously about the room. While there was no sign of Snape there was signs of life. The fire burned low in the hearth and two unfinished glasses of fire whisky sat on the table. Harry shifted cautiously over to the table his fingers reaching out to touch the bottom of the glass. The remaining fire whisky was warm as if it had been standing there sometime. Harry looked up from the table wondering if Snape was in his bedroom but that’s when he spotted the two matching robes and masks draped haphazardly over the back of the couch. It seemed almost surreal to see the black mask staring back at him without someone who wanted to kill him beneath them. It was also somewhat confronting to consider that one of the robes belonged to the potions professor Harry had come to see.

It took a moment for that thought to register before Harry realised what he’d done. The snake outside had clearly said that Snape had company but up until now Harry hadn’t thought the professors company would be anyone other than a teacher or student. Harry was too eager to see Snape again that it hadn’t occurred to the boy that Snape’s company could possibly by a fellow death eater. Realising the danger he’d put himself and Snape in Harry began to back up quickly towards the door, hoping the wards that had let him in would let him out as well. Reaching the door Harry spun around sharply and began to whisper different charms at the door but nothing worked, the door remained firmly shut. Swearing to himself Harry tried again his hands uselessly running along the edges of the door in an entirely muggle attempt at finding a physical door handle to exit the room. As he ran his hand along the sides of the door for a second time he heard a familiar voice coming from behind the closed door of Snape’s bedroom.

“Severus after all these years you’d think you would learn to bring the bottle with you.” Harry froze almost instantly as he recognised the mellow toned voice.

“I would not forget if you allowed me some thinking time before jumping me.” Snape’s voice followed and Harry backed himself up against the door as the door into Snape’s bedroom slid open and a familiar dark haired man strolled out of it. Harry held his breath and bit the inside of his cheeks as he watched Snape wander barefooted out of his bedroom, a crimson sleep robe draped casually around him barely concealing the man’s nakedness beneath. Harry’s gaze was literally glued to the sight. Snape’s skin looked almost marble, his chest was lightly smattered with hair but it did not detract from the clearly defined muscles Harry could seen beneath the silk robe. Toned legs stuck out from the bottom of the robe and although Harry’s gaze followed them upwards he found the belt of the robe hiding what modesty Snape had left. Snape moved around the couch unaware of Harry’s presence and picked up the bottle of fire whisky and the two glasses. Sniffing at the liquid in one of the glasses Harry watched as Snape then chose the other glass in his hand and drained it dry. A pink tongue flickered out to lick Snape’s lips and Harry barely concealed the shudder that sizzled along the length of his body at the sight. Snape seemed not to have noticed his uninvited company as he turned to go back to his room the bottle in one hand and the two glasses balanced in the other. Harry began to thank whatever wizard was watching over him that Snape had not seen him but his prayer was halted midway through. As if in slow motion Snape stopped at the entrance back into his bedroom and Harry watched as the potions professor’s back straightened and his grip on the bottle and glasses tightened.

The wards. Harry had to have known that Snape, even if unconsciously would have checked to see if the wards on his room were still in tact or disturbed. Obviously Harry had tripped them and as Snape spun around Harry felt every inch of his body going like jelly in fear, as Snape’s dark gaze locked on his. The bottle and glasses fell like rocks from Snape’s grasp and Harry braced himself against the door as the sound of breaking glasses rang piercing through the room.

“Severus? What’s going on?” Harry didn’t know what to do as he stared into Snape’s eyes but at the sound of the other voice Snape sprang into action. Within the blink of an eye Snape picked up one of the death eater robes and flung it over Harry a strange incantation leaving his lips as the fabric settled over the boy’s head like a blanket. “Sev? What did you do?” At that very moment Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the bedroom naked in all his glory. Harry braced himself to be seen as Lucius looked up from the broken glass but the Malfoy just looked straight through him at where Snape was now standing between them.

“Oh I just got the shakes, it happens occasionally after he’s…” Snape hesitated and Harry didn’t miss the flickering glance at Harry’s invisible self before turning back to Malfoy. “Well you know how it is.” Snape finished hastily to which end Malfoy just snorted and folded his arms across his chest. Harry tried desperately to keep his eyes to the floor knowing that Snape surely would be able to see him ogling at the blonde man’s body. Malfoy senior was certainly well built, his lean muscular body and shoulders tapering down to a defined waist and what Harry could only describe as one massive cock.

“I’ve got no sympathy Sev. You should have told him about the boy sooner, we could have killed the boy by now with this weakness but instead he’s had six months of practice to get over what ever effects he’s been experiencing in Transition.” Harry barely moved as he glanced at Snape, this time noticing the dark bruises marking the marble skin of his chest, face and legs. Snape didn’t reply to Lucius who sighed audibly and flicked his long blonde hair from his face as he stared at the professor. “Come now Severus, don’t get all silent on me. I haven’t had a good fuck in months and I hate it when you go all moody in bed.” Lucius stalked up to Snape his arms coming up to wrap around the professors waist as he pressed his body up against the other man. Harry watched as Lucius brought his lips to Snape’s the professor allowing the deep kiss. Snape looked to be participating enthusiastically in the kiss and seemed to be focused entirely on the other man but Harry knew otherwise as Snape’s gaze flickered sideways to stare at Harry beneath the cloak as Malfoy’s kiss continued. In that instant Harry wanted to rip Malfoy’s head off and tear the man limb for limb. A small part of Harry flared up in anger while another part of him died with each second the kiss continued. Finally Lucius pulled away from Snape’s lips, the professor’s gaze snapping back to his partner who smiled devilishly unaware of Snape’s diverted attention. “Come back to bed Severus.” Harry watched as Lucius took hold of Snape’s hand their fingers entwining together as Lucius began pulling Snape back towards the bedroom with insistent tugs of his hand. Harry watched them go, both of them pausing in the bedroom doorway as Lucius flicked his hand in the direction of the glassy mess on the floor which instantly repaired itself, back into the bottle and two glasses. Snape seemed to take Lucius momentary lack of attention to flick his hand in the direction of the door into his private chambers. Harry watched as the doorway opened back out into the cold corridor. Taking the hint Harry moved swiftly over to the doorway barely making a sound as he went. Harry paused at the door and glanced back at Snape and for a moment his gaze met that of the professors and Harry was sure he saw a flicker of relief engulf the black orbs but it was gone in an instant as the door to the room shut itself leaving Harry alone in the corridor still draped in the charmed death eater robe.

Harry wasn’t sure where they came from but as he stared at the sealed doorway tears began to slip down his cheeks, the ache in his chest so unbelievably painful….

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A/N *Laughs evily* I am the suspence queen! Sometimes I really do surprise myself. Well hope you liked my update and I know you\'re all dying to know what stupid thing harry\'s going to do but you\'ll just have to wait and see. Remeber the more reviews the quicker I\'ll update the next chapter and less time you\'ll have to wait in suspence.....

Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter, it\'s nice to see some familar names popping in for a chat, after my last epic \'The Jewel of Mirkwood\', god I love you guys.

Thanks for staying with me.

RIFFRAFF