Guilty as Sin

CHAPTER 25

Harry stepped easily up onto the top step of the Slytherin Quidditch stands. The wind was howling and the snow was swirling about him in a gray cloud he could hardly see through. Snape stepped up behind him the man surprisingly in his own set of riding leathers, and an old broom clasped tightly in a gloved hand. It had been a shock for Harry to find the professor dressed for flight, when he’d clearly told everyone he’d had no intention of doing so. Obviously the Professor had changed his mind in the fifteen minutes it had taken Harry to get ready and meet him back in the entrance hall. No doubt the headmasters taunts had spurred Snape on too.

“Having second thoughts Potter?” Snape shouted loudly at Harry just to be heard above the wild wind. Harry was squinting out at where he could just see the Gryfindor stand on the opposite side of the pitch. Perhaps it had been a little adventurous to want to go flying in a snowstorm. Harry bit his lip and looked back at Snape who was straining against the wind trying to push them both off the top of the stand.

“Um…” Harry stumbled, his decision not entirely concrete anymore. If he said he didn’t want to do it Snape would have won but if he did agree to continue he would have to try hard to stay atop his broom let alone see where he was going.

“Come on Potter! Not afraid of a little wind are you?” Snape taunted him over the howling gail force wind the man already pulling down his flying goggles to protect his eyes. “But hey if you’re afraid to take the first jump allow me!” Harry watched in shock as Snape ran down the steps head on into the wind. With a cry of laughter Snape launched himself off the front of the Slytherin stands and into the abyss of swirling snow and wind. Harry couldn’t believe it and hurried down to the front of the stands to see if he could see where Snape had gone. Pulling his own flying goggles down Harry squinted in the snow as he watched the swirling black robes of a figure disappearing downward. Then like lightening the figure shot up again causing Harry to strain his neck as the figure on the broom shot upwards towards the sky.

“Jesus.” Harry whispered as he watched Snape’s dark figure riding the updrafts created by the swirling snow. Going back up the steps to the top Harry took a deep breath before running back down the stand and launching himself off the end. If Snape wanted to play it like that then Harry was going to have to accept the challenge. The suction of the wind pulling him down the side of the tower was strong but a meter or so before the ground the updraft caught him and with a yell of excitement Harry shot upwards, flattening himself to the broom handle and heading towards where Snape was doing a circuit waiting for him. “That was unbelievable!” Harry screamed at Snape as he drew up along side the other wizard who was being buffeted about by the snow.

“When I was at school we didn’t need fancy brooms to get some speed, we just used the physics of weather!” Snape screamed back as he looped around Harry who was struggling to keep facing forwards in the strong wind.

“Race you to the train station!” Harry challenged deviously as he caught the flash of indigo in Snape’s eyes beneath the hood of his cloak. Snape’s gaze locked on to the dim lights of the station where the Hogwart’s Express would be pulling back into on Monday.

“What’s the prize if I win!” Snape shouted as they both began circling around to try and keep moving in the freezing wind.

“ME!” Harry laughed defiantly as he took off without warning towards the train station. Snape not a second behind him as he realized the race had begun. Flattening himself to the icy handle of the broom Harry forced his sight on the lights of his goal and egged his broom on. This had been the first time Harry had ever seen Snape enjoying himself and the thrill that came with seeing the man accept a challenge was all the motivation Harry need to try and win. The glass in Harry’s goggles was icing over making things difficult to see but Harry concentrated hard, gripping the boom as tight as his cold fingers could manage. Harry hadn’t caught sight of Severus yet and so he assumed he was in front. There was no possible way Snape would win with his old dusty broom. As the train station drew closer Harry smiled to himself. There had been no agreement for if Harry won, but he was determined there would be a prize anyhow. Harry would ask for something deviously annoying, that would rub Snape up the wrong way if he’d ask for it normally. Every possibility he could ask for ran through Harry’s mind as he drew nearer the train station with no sign of Snape in the driving snow.

However lost in his thoughts of winning Harry made a fatal mistake and unconsciously slowed down to land on the platform of the train station. It was like having the thrust ripped out from under his broom as a familiar black robbed figure flew past him. Without air beneath his broom, Harry plummeted the last meter to the concrete platform.

“Ow!” Harry yelped as he landed hard on his backside his gaze fixed on the sight of Severus landing perfectly a second before him on the train station. Harry rolled over in pain as he watched Snape lift his goggles and turn back to look at Harry with a smile of smug satisfaction.

“Lesson two in the Slytherin Quidditch Players manual. In bad weather simply ride your opponents wake. There’s less drag behind someone, and when the opportune moment appears you’ve got more speed to take advantage of it.” Snape shook the snow off his cloak and stepped over to where Harry was still lying on the platform, his bottom and his pride severely bruised. Snape rolled Harry over and offered a hand down to him, to help him up. “Oh come now Potter, you’re not a sore loser are you?” When Harry glared up at him and refused to take his offered hand Snape raised a challenging eyebrow in Harry’s direction.

“No.” Harry muttered as he finally accepted Snape’s hand and picked himself up from the ground.

“Good.” Snape smiled as a loud cracking sound echoed around the deserted platform of the train station. Harry jumped as two of the lanterns lighting the station blew off their hooks and smashed loudly on the ground. The weather was turning worse the entire track for the train now piled high with snowdrifts. Harry looked cautiously to Snape who was looking out at the weather that had come in quickly over the station.

“Shouldn’t we be getting back this looks nasty.” Harry called over the sound of the wind as Snape turned his attention from the weather closing in on them to the empty train station.

“No, the wind gusts are too strong now we’ll never make it back and I’m not risking apparition in this weather. Come on.” Another of the lanterns smashed on the ground as the wind whipped along the platform violently. Harry nodded and followed Snape blindly into the darkened station hall. Snape flicked his wand at the locked door of the station and pushed his way inside. Harry scooted quickly inside out of the wind letting Snape ward and lock the door again behind them.

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