A Christmas Gift

Early the next morning found Harry in front of the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmasters office. He wasn’t certain if the man he sought was even awake yet, given the fact that breakfast had yet to begin. He had just about given up guessing at the password, when Remus Lupin appeared around the corner. He gave Harry a bright smile before speaking in his quiet, gentle way.

“Going to see the Headmaster, Harry?”

“Well, I’d like to Professor, but I don’t know the password.”

“Well now, that can be easily fixed.” Remus stepped past Harry to whisper something into the gargoyle’s ear and it jumped smartly aside, revealing the stone staircase leading up to Dumbledore’s office.

Harry smiled. “Thanks Professor. Perhaps I could speak to you a bit later?”

Remus smiled. “I’d like that Harry. Just come to my office.” He waved and continued down the hall as Harry stepped unto the staircase and was whisked to the door outside the headmaster’s office.

Harry was just about to knock on the door when he heard the headmaster’s voice invite him inside. Cautiously, he opened the door and stepped in. The headmaster was attired in a red and black robe which wasn’t quite as horrid as some that he had been seen in, but which still left a bit to be desired.

“Tea Harry?” asked the headmaster, eyes twinkling.

“Yes please,” he replied, advancing into the room and taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore’s desk.

“Now, I believe you had something you wished to discuss with me,” the headmaster said as he poured and handed a cup to Harry. The rich scent of peppermint filled the air.

Harry nodded. “I’d like to visit my parents vault. There’s um, some stuff I need to get. You know, as gifts for the hols.”

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling even more. “I suppose that is possible, but you cannot go alone. I could ask Professor Snape or Lupin to go with you I suppose.”

“Um, sir, if it’s all the same to you, could you go with me? I mean Professor Lupin is sort of one of the people I wanted to get something for.”

Dumbledore just looked at him for a few minutes, until Harry was certain he was going to say no. Then he said, “All right Harry. We’ll go after Breakfast shall we? Meet me here, the password is Candy Corn.”

Harry smiled gratefully. “I’ll see you then sir,” he said, getting up to leave and handling back the half empty cup of tea. Dumbledore nodded and Harry quickly stepped away from the desk towards the door. He never saw the smile that crossed the headmaster’s face or the twinkle in his eyes that had gone suddenly much brighter.

***

Severus sat in his favorite chair in front of the fireplace. He was attired solely in his dressing gown, having just awoken, late in the day even for him. However, as he had spent the entire night brewing enough Skele-Gro to restock the hospital wing, he felt thoroughly justified in rising from bed at 10am in the morning rather than his customary time of 5am. Normally, he would have showered, dressed and made it to hall in time for breakfast with time to spare, but it was the holidays after all, and he refused to subject himself to more teenaged revelry than was absolutely necessary.

He would be 37 thxt dxt day and he was desperately and irrevocably in lovth ath a man 20 years his junior and wished for nothing more than to spend his birthday with him. His birthdays hadn’t had much meaning for a very long time. Granted, the only person in the castle who even knew his birthday was Albus, and while he held him in high esteem and affection, he had no desire whatever to spend the entire day of his birth in the company of his employer. However, he was having extreme difficulty accepting that he wished to spend the day, no the entire bloody weekend, with Harry Potte
Ha
Harry Potter. The boy with the beautiful eyes and entrancing body. The one who if ever Severus believed in the concept of soul mates would be the one made for him. He whom Severus wanted more than anything else he had ever imagined he could want. He of the perfect tight arse and beguiling smile. He found his hand slipping beneath his gown to capture his thickening cock and flung himself out of the chair, disgusted with himself.

What the bloody hell is wrong with me? I refuse to believe that I have become so enamored of this sodding boy that I have been reduced to wanking off every time I think about him. Boy. That’s right old man; he’s a boy, he thought, completely refusing to acknowledge that he hadn’t seen Harry as a boy for the better part of two years, ever since his ‘dog’ father died. A very pretty, very attractive, very fuckable boy who was probably still a virgin and oh wasn’t the very idea of that, of taking that beautiful innocence, of shoving his cock up that gorgeous ass so very arousing?

And suddenly he realized that his hands had again strayed; one to his alarmingly weeping cock and the other to the little pucker that was the entrance to his body.

God-damn-it all to Merlin! Why couldn’t I get the irritating brat off my mind?

A snarky voice in the back of his head reminded him that it wasn’t his mind he wanted the boy on it was his cock. Or laying across his back as he plunged into Severus’ ass. Blindly following the thoughts flowing through his mind, his hand worked his cock under the dressing gown, the light friction caused as the head of his cock brushed the material enough to make him less concerned that he was fantasizing about a seventeen year old that the pleasure rippling through his body as he did so.

Past caring, he flung the offending material to the side and the air caressing his cock put him in mind of what he imagined it would feel like to have Harry breathing on his cock before he swallowed it. Immersing himself in the image, he jerked himself, roughly, tightening his fist before deciding that no, that wasn’t enough, licking the palm of his hand until it was glistening and wet, then wrapping his hand around himself once again.

Yes, that’s it. Harry…that’s right, lick the tip of my cock, suck me down your throat. Oh yes!

He could see it, feel it and oh god, it was heaven, blissful, sublime. He stroked himself faster, the wet friction arousing and in his mind’s eye he saw Harry, on his knees. Clutching at his hips as his head bobbed up and down on his cock. The intense feeling of his cock sliding down Harry’s relaxed throat as the boy swallowed and moaned and hummed. And his hand moved faster on his prick, harder, more erratic and oh he needed more and his roughly stabbed two finger inside his ass and saw Harry doing it, fucking him with his slim fingers, those same fingers that gripped his broom when he flew and he was so close, so close and Harry, oh god, Harry was fucking him with three fingers, preparing him, getting him ready and damn, oh fuck it felt so good and suddenly he was coming, fingers buried deep inside himself, stroking his prostate and it was Harry, slamming into him, fucking him over the edge and his mind shattered and his breath stopped and oh it was sooooooo good.

Spent, he slipped down the wall he had been leaning against as he pleasured himself and cradled his head in his hands. Again he had failed to get himself under control. Again he had allowed himself to wish for something that could never, would never be, his. And for the first time since he was raped as his initiation, his test to prove his dedication to Voldemort, raped by the man he had thought himself in love with, Severus cried, mourning the loss of something he never had, but so desperately wanted.

***

Harry smiled at ProfesDumbDumbledore as he rode with his headmaster and the Gringotts goblin towards his family vault. He was grateful he man hadn’t offered to go in with him as he wasn’t sure he cared to have him see exactly what it was he was retrieving. He entered the vault, for the most part ignoring the gold stacked to the ceiling and made straight for the chest that held what he sought. Grabbing the knife that would be his gift to Severus, he quickly ruffled through the deeds of the seven properties he owned and pulled out the one he was searching for. Smiling, he shrank both items and placed them in a small velvet bag that he then attached to the belt loop of his oversized jeans under his robe. He decided that it might be a good idea to grab some money as he was dreadfully low, and walked out of the vault, closing the door behind him and beaming at the headmaster.

“All done then Harry?” questioned Dumbledore as Harry stepped back into the car that would transport them back to the lobby of Gringotts.

“Yes sir. I just need to gets a few things at Madam Malkin\'s Robes for All Occasions and then I’m done if that’s alright with you?”

“As it happens Harry, there are several things I need to pick up there as well, so that is not a problem at all,” he returned, blue eyes twinkling merrily and mouth curving into a smile.

Inside the store, Harry and Dumbledore split up. Harry made for the section of Wizarding clothing most closely resembled Muggle clothes with the exception of magical button and such and selecting several pairs of jean, slacks and several dress shirts he was sure he’d never wear but would like Rus to see him in and then, in a flash of Gryffindor boldness, asked Madam Malkin to include a raw silk black robe with silver serpents embroidered along the edges for Severus. That lady looked at him with interest as she rang his order and he paid, shrinking everything to fit his pocket. Looking her directly in the eyes, he made her promise not to reveal what he had bought, or who he had bought it for, unaware that as he did so, he bound her to her oath with the very elemental earth magic that was a living, breathing part of him. She would never be able to reveal what he’d bought, even under Veritaserum.

Satisfied, he waited patiently for Dumbledore, who had apparently been trying new robes, and they made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron in silence, flooing back to the headmaster’s office at Hogwarts. He thanked the headmaster once again, and smiling turned to make his way back to the tower. He was stopped at the door by the headmaster’s voice wishing him luck and encouraging him to ‘have faith in him, he’s a good man’. He could only assume that meant the headmaster knew, as usual, as with a brilliant blush, he nodded his head and ducked out the door.

He decided that now was as good a time as any to have that talk with Remus. As much as he liked Parvati, he didn’t think she was quite the professor’s type. He’d have much more fun more fun with Seamus anyway. As he rounded the corner towards Lupin’s office, Harry couldn’t help but wonder exactly how much Dumbledore knew about his attraction to Professor Snape. Arriving at his destination, he was pleased to see that the professor was alone. He knocked tentatively before entering the room and closing the door behind him.

“Hello Professor,” was all he got out before Lupin interrupted him.

“Harry, you know when we’re alone you can call me Remus.”

Harry blushed just a tad before nodding his head. “Um, so the Ball Remus. Are you going with anyone yet?”

Remus arched an eyebrow. “No, not yet. Are you asking me to go Harry?”

Damning his ridiculous skin, which of course, was suffused with yet another flush of red, he stammered out, “Err, no…um, well you see…bugger. Um, sorry Remus. No, I ah, well, Parvati is planning on asking you and well so is Seamus, and I know it’s none of my business but I think you’d have a much better time with Seamus than her and so I was wondering if you could go with Seamus.”

Remus eyed Harry speculatively. As delicately as he could, he sniffed the air between himself and Harry. Hmmm, he’s nervous about something. “Harry, I consider you a friend, even family, so never feel as though you can’t tell me something. Of course you know my preferences, so naturally I would prefer to go with Seamus in any case. He is a very interesting young man.”

“He’s loads of fun too,” Harry grinned. “A regular comedian he is, but you’ll see that for yourself.”

Remus smiled. “So Harry, who will you be taking? Miss Brown perhaps or maybe Miss Chang?”

Harry flushed yet again. “Erm, neither of them actually.”

Something was odd. Remus could smell fear, no anxiety, and desire. Now, who could affect the boy this way? He sniffed again and realized that the flavor of the arousal he smelt indicated a male, rather than a female. Now, this indeed is interesting. “Well then Harry, if not a witch then a wizard. Malfoy perhaps?” he suggested teasingly.

Harry tensed; Remus was way too close to the truth of the matter. “Malfoy! Not if you paid me. He may be less of a git than usual, but I still don’t trust him.”

The anxiety in Harry’s scent spiked and Remus could even smell fear now. “Harry,” gently so as not to further the young man’s anxiety “is there something wrong?”

“Um, no, well ah, not exactly. That is to say,” he muttered, voice trailing off.

“Harry talk to me. What’s wrong? Did the person say no?”

“No, but he very well might. It’s not as if…well he hates me and I doubt he’d go.”

Ah, Snape then. “I don’t know Harry. You might be surprised. You’ll never know till you ask. But you may want to hurry, I wouldn’t leave it too late.” Personally, Remus thought Snape more than a match for Harry and the man needed someone to bring him back to life. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Sirius attempting to get in the way.

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew who it was,” Harry whispered.

“I don’t know about that. I think he’s the perfect choice. And between me and you, I think he could use some livening up.” He laughed as Harry’s mouth dropped in surprise. “Oh yes Harry. The only other person who appears to hate you as much as Malfoy would be Snape. However, I’m not so certain that hate is what he feels. So ask. The worst he can do is say no right?”

“Well that and make certain that everyone in Slytherin has a good laugh.”

“Tsk tsk. Didn’t you tell me the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin? Use your inner Slytherin Harry.” He reached out and gave Harry’s shoulder a friendly squeeze. “I’ll be sure to tell Miss Patil I already have an escort and ink ink I shall ask your young friend to the Ball myself.”

Smiling, he turned towards the door. Over his shouldee mee mentioned as casually as possible, “Severus had deliveries to make to the hospital wing today. I would speak with him after the evening meal.”

Harry stared, unable to believe that his surrogate godfather had just encouraged him, no told him, not only to ask Rus to the ball, but when would be a good time to ask. He shook his head as he wandered through the door and towards his common room. This day was turning out to be full of surprises.

Harry looked around the common room, but could find neither Ron nor Hermione and supposed they were somewhere snogging. Wistfully, he thought how lovely it would be to have someone to sneak off and snog with and decided that he would skip lunch altogether and just have Dobby bring him something or just make up for it at dinner. He went up to his room and took out the shrunken purchases and returned them to their proper size, laying them on his bed. Transfiguring an old quill into a box, he charmed it to be deeper than it looked and carefully folded the robes he had purchased for Snape into it before locking it and charmed it to only open on Christmas Eve, the day of the dance. He’d need Hermione’s help with a charm to keep the contents from being revealed, but he didn’t anticipate a problem there. The other gifts, he decided not to wrap as really, there wasn’t a good way to wrap a deed and the other was lovely just as it was. He placed the items in the top of his trunk and satisfied, he lay down to a quick kip.

Of course, without the silencing and warding charms Harry put up before he slept, a good long nap would not have been had as Ron came tearing up the stairs after lunch bellowing Harry’s name. He couldn’t wait to tell Harry about Lupin asking Seamus to the ball in front of Parvati. When he couldn’t open the curtains to Harry’s bed, he gave up and went looking for Seamus to congratulate him.

***

Harry wiped his suddenly clammy hands on his robes as he walked towards the potion master’s office. He brushed over the pocket in his jeans once again, just to be certain that he hadn’t lost Snape’s gift and sighed in relief when he felt the bulge made by the sheath and handle. He had decided that the man couldn’t possibly be as evil to him if he gave him a gift first, and even if he were he would still ask. He had already arranged for Dobby to place the Christmas gift in Snape’s rooms on the 23rd. Hermione had been brilliant, charming the gift so that not only would it not open before it was supposed to, but it would only open for Snape.

Harry knocked on the door to the office with a great deal more confidence than he felt. He was an adult now, damned if he was going to allow this man to continue to make him feel like some first year.

Snape yanked the door open with way more force than was strictly necessary, prepared to blast whoever was on the other side into Circe’s garden for disturbing him in his hard won private time. He was completely unprepared to see Harry, and his already pale face paled further, alarm flashing in his eyes before he mastered himself enough to grind out “What do you want Potter?”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and said, “Um, Professor, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment. In private.”

Merlin and Circe he actually came to talk to me! He stepped back and flung the door open, gesturing for Harry to come in. Harry immediately went to the chair closest to the desk and sat, waiting for Snape to settle himself behind the desk before he spoke.

“Professor…I um, I have something for you. Ah, a gift.” He fished around in his pocket and brought the knife out and placed it between them in the middle of the desk.

Snape stared at the knife, the scabbard beautiful in an almost luminescent grey, the handle in ebony and some sort of leather. The entire thing gave off an air of controlled magic. He looked up at Harry and his eyes narrowed. “What is it you really want boy? No one gives a gift like this without expecting something in return.”

Harry glared at his professor. You’d think nobody had ever given him anything before. He bundled up every bit of Gryffindor courage he had, fueled it with everything that had been said to him before about the man in front of him and let everything pour out of his mouth.

“I gave you the gift because I wanted you to have it. But if you need an excuse in order to take it, then consider it a bribe to go to the Ball with me. I know professors can go with students, and I already know that several of the professors will be attending with students. I also know no one has asked you yet. And you did promise that if there was anything you could do, you would. Well, this is it. Go with me to the ball. Don’t make me spend Christmas Eve alone.”

For along moment, there was silence in the room. Both men evaluated each other, and the motives behind what they did. Finally, Snape broke the silence.

“Alright. I will attend this blasted party of Albus’ in your company. However, I will do so only because I gave my word to do what I could to help you. There is no need for this extravagant gift.”

He eyed the knife, desire almost buried in his eyes, but because Harry was looking for it, he saw it. A brilliant smile crossed Harry’s face and Severus thought he would do anything to keep that smile firmly affixed on this young man’s face.

Harry was simply excited because Rus had said yes. He grinned again, teeth flashing and eyes twinkling. “Actually, there is a reason. Tomorrow is your birthday, is it not?”

Severus started slightly. Immediately his mind went back to the beginning of the day and his fantasies of spending his birthday with Harry. Very cautiously, he answered, “Yes it is. And how, may I ask, did you know that?”

“That doesn’t really matter does it? The fact is, tomorrow is your birthday and that,” Harry briefly pointed at the knife, “is your gift.”

“Mr. Potter, I cannot allow you to grant me something you obviously know neither the value or rarity of. If you…”

“Actually Professor, I know exactly what that is. And how rare it is. It made from Erumphet Horn and can cut through anything. The handle is bound by tanned Erumphet hide, which adds stability and power to the blade itself. As these animals are nearly extinct, I think I have an idea of its value and rarity. And I want you to have it.” He certainly wasn’t going to tell the man that his parents had intended that it be a gift to the person he was bonded to, but he couldn’t think of anyone else he’d rather have it. Rus was his heart, even if he couldn’t tell him so, and he was going to keep that knife no matter what.

Severus was floored. The boy truly intended for him to have it, even with securing his attendance to the ball. Perhaps he, no, he couldn’t. Ruthlessly, he derailed his mind from the direction it was attempting to take to focus back on the problem at hand. Harry wanted him to have this, a gift so rare people did unimaginable things just to obtain one. His face softened imperceptivity and his entire body relaxed. Harry saw it and grinned to himself. He was going to keep it.

Quickly, before Severus could talk himself out of keeping the gift he changed the subject. “So, I’ll meet you here then before the ball?”

Snape’s head jerked up and his eyes flashed at Harry. “You most certainly will not. I shall arrive at Gryffindor Tower precisely an hour before that blasted party is due to start. You can help me finish preparing before the bloody thing starts. I shall not be pleased if I have to wait on you Mr. Potter. I suggest you be ready.”

“Certainly Professor.” Smugly. Triumphantly.

Snape lowered his head; a smile desperately trying to make it’s way unto his features at the smug tone the boy used. “Get back to your common room. I have work to do.”

Harry grinned and slid out of the chair and made his way over to the door. He looked back and caught Snape watching him with an odd look in his eyes.

“Good night Professor.” Softly, almost a whisper. Hft tft the room closing the door behind him.

He could have sworn he heard an equally soft ‘Goodnight Harry’ before the door clicked shut.

A/N - So, tell me what you think. Next chapter, the Ball and a first kiss.