A Thank You Kiss

Harry ran up to the Gryffindor Tower and flung himself onto his bed drawing the curtains closed. He wasn\'t crying but his body was visibly shaking and he didn\'t quite know if it was either from anger with Sirius or from fear that Sirius won\'t let him go out with Lucius. Harry shook his head fiercely. It didn\'t matter. He would go on a date with Lucius Malfoy even if he had to stupefy his godfather for that. He took Lucius\' short but rather amusing letter and started reg ang and rereading it smiling softly. Suddenly his curtains were drawn back and Harry came face to face with Sirius.

\'What do you want?!\' snarled Harry jumping up and trying to close the curtains again.

\'Don\'t you dare taking this tone with me, Harry!\' roared Sirius.

\'Oh I see. So what do you suggest I do? Do you want me to turn the other cheek?\'

\'I just want you to stop being stubborn and forget about Lucius Malfoy.\'

Harry laughed out humorlessly:

\'Yeah right, Sirius! Why would I do that?\'

\'Because even if you don\'t I won\'t let you out of this room till this nonsense about your meeting Lucius Malfoy is no longer resides in your head!\'

\'I am not a prisoner here! You can\'t keep me here forever! I am a free person and I can do whatever I want!\' yelled Harry.

\'You are not meeting him, Harry and that\'s final!\'

\'I am meeting him!\'

\'What is it?\' asked Sirius suddenly taking the sheet of paper that turned out to be Lucius\' letter, \'Oh, so he sends you letters now?\'

\'Give it back!\'

\'I don\'t think so.\'

\'Bastard!\' hissed Harry that earned him another fierce slap.

\'You are staying here! I will lock you and no one will release you but me! Even house-elves won\'t be allowed to come up here to you. I will be the only one to visit you and if you happen to change your mind I will gladly set you free. But before that no I don\'t think so.\' said Sirius walking rds rds the door and sealing it behind him.

Harry stared dumbfounded at the door. He couldn\'t believe that he once again in his life became a prisoner. At first the Dursleys and now Sirius. He ran up to the door trying to open it but it wouldn\'t budge. He tried all the opening spells he knew but they were useless. He tried to shout and ask for help but it was pointless. Dispirited hopeless and helpless he fell down on the floor and cried clutching at the necklace. He did kno know that he cried himself to sleep until he felt someone shaking him by the shoulder. He thought that it was Sirius once again that\'s why without opening his eyes to see the person clearly he hit him right into the face and it was only when he heard the voice that could hardly belong to his godfather that he opened his eyes to see that he had hit professor Snape. As the said professor was currently lying on the floor clutching at his nose Harry decided that he had broken it. He crawled towards Snape and said quietly:

\'Professor I am so sorry. I really am. I thought it was Sirius.\'

\'Damn you Potter.\' he heard in response.

Harry smiled sadly.

\'It looks like I\'m already damned.\'

Snape looked up and it was a horrible sight to behold it even made Harry wince in sympathy. The nose was indeed broken and blood was pouring down Snape\'s face and further down coloring his robes pretty blored.red.

\'Let me help you professor.\'

\'Don\'t you dare touch me Potter. I had enough of your incompetence in class and I don\'t want to suffer from your inability to cast a simple healing spell now.\'

\'Professor,\' said Harry with a deep sigh, \'I am not that incompetent. Besides there are other healing spells except simple.\'

Snape looked at Harry in evident surprise.

\'I\'ve been taking private lessons with madam Pomfrey on Mediwizardry. I can heal you. I swear I won\'t damage you. No more than I already did.\' he added with a grin.

\'You are a mediwizard, Potter?\'

\'You can ask madam Pomfrey.\'

\'Why?\'

Harry shrugged his shoulders.

\'There was too much destruction around during the war and I wanted to help people, to be able to heal them. So I asked the headmaster to let me have lessons with madam Pomfrey. Beside the fact that I learnt something useful and I could not only help to bring down Voldemort but also could help to return people to life it was also very entertaining and very calming. So can I heal you too?\' asked Harry tentatively.

\'All right, Potter.\' said Snape with a dramatic sigh.

Harry took out his wand, drew closer to Snape and muttered a spell. In a moment everything was as usual and Snape had his hooked nose back.

\'See. You are as good as new. You can check yourself in the mirror if you don\'t believe me.\' said Harry.

Snape went to the bathroom and indeed looked into the mirror amazed that the boy was really good at something. He cast a cleaning spell at his robes and returned to the room finding Harry still sitting on the floor looking at him curiously.

\'What are you doing here professor? I thought I wasn\'t allowed to have visitors.\' Harry said bitterly.

Snape snorted.

\'Like I\'m going to listen to Black. You should have seen the fight your friend Ron and his brothers and his sister put in order to set you free. But your godfather is one piece of shit and he wouldn\'t budge. Even Lupin couldn\'t make him change his mind.\'

Harry smiled sadly.

\'But you managed to get through.\' he remarked.

Snape snorted once again.

\'As if I don\'t know that spell.\'

\'But why are you here professor?\' asked Harry now very much curious.

\'First of all I need to ask you a few questions, Potter.\'

\'Go on.\'

\'Is it true that Lucius is going to pick you up today at 7?\'

Harry nodded.

\'Do you want to go?\'

Harry nodded and Snape could see excitement and something else flicker in his eyes.

\'Why is it so important for you to go out with Lucius? Is it really worth losing your godfather?\'

\'It feels so natural. Like it felt in the shop to kiss him. It just came to me. I acted on my senses. I always do.\'

\'Yes and kissing Lucius Malfoy on the lips in front of his wife is something that comes naturally to Harry Potter.\' said Snape sarcastically.

\'Don\'t mock me professor. And as to his wife she was too busy buying the whole shop to notice anything at all. I want and I need to go out with Lucius. It just feels right. It\'s gotta be right.\' Harry said fiercely holding onto the necklace the gesture that didn\'t slip past Snape.

\'I\'ll help you to get out.\' he said after surveying Harry for a moment.

\'Why?\' asked Harry surprised though his face lit up with happiness and a soft blush crept over his cheeks that kept thellsells from Sirius\' slaps.

\'I happen to know the history of that necklace and it is not something that is given in the spur of a moment. Besides, I simply can\'t miss the chance of annoying your godfather still further.\'

\'What do you know about the necklace?\' asked Harry his eyes lightening up.

\'That is really notplacplace to tell you and now if you want to go somewhere I suggest you go and make yourself presentable. You don\'t want to be late.\' said Snape smirking.

Harry\'s eyes widened.

\'And what time is it now?\'

\'Half past six, Potter, hurry up. You don\'t want to disappoint Lucius now do you?\'

Harry ran to the bathroom as Snape burst out laughing muttering under his breath:

\'As if anyone would be too disappointed with such a face or body.\'

*

\'How do we get out of here?\' asked Harry when he was ready.

\'By the main entrance. How else?\'

\'Are you mad! Sorry professor. I mean won\'t Sirius be there?\'

\'He won\'t do anything with me by your side. Rest assured, Potter.\'

\'Ok.\'

Snape opened the portrait hole that was no longer sealed and led Harry the shortest way to the entrance hall. As they were going down Harry heard the clock struck seven. They were in the entrance hall when there was a knock on the door. The next moment the door burst open to reveal an immaculate as ever Lucius Malfoy all in black with his silver hair falling down his shoulders and a snake cane in his hand standing his head held high on the threshold.

There was a short distance that separated Harry and Snape from Lucius Malfoy when Sirius appeared in between them wearing a feral expression on his face and being held back by Lupin and Mr. Weasley.

\'Haven\'t I told you already that you are not going anywhere near Lucius Malfoy?\' he roared.

\'Out of the way Black!\' snarled Snape.

To Harry\'s great surprise it seemed to work and soon enough their way was clear. Snape escorted Harry right to Lucius who held out his ungloved hand and taking one of Harry\'s trembling hands in his own brought it to his lips kissing it softly and making Harry blush.

\'Harry.\' said Lucius warmly inclining his head.

\'Mr. Malfoy.\' said Harry smiling softly.

\'Harry!\' he heard from behind and turned around to see Sirius no longer fighting Lupin and Mr. Weasley.

Harry raised an eyebrow in silent question.

\'Harry, I\'m warning you, if you go through that door with him I don\'t want you to come back.\'

Harry winced but stood his ground.

\'It\'s hardly an option here, Sirius. I am going to walk through that door with Mr. Malfoy whether you want it or not. And as to my not coming back here the last time I checked the headmaster of Hogwarts was Albus Dumbledore therefore he is the only one who can forbid me to step onto its grounds.\'

Harry turned away and Lucius stretched out his hand for him to hold on to.

\'Harry, how can you go out with him knowing all about him? For Merlin\'s sake, Harry, he\'s married! His son goes into school along with you!\' It sounded like the last plea.

It was Lucius\' turn to answer and he did it in his usual cold and extremely dignified manner.

\'Let my marital status not trouble you, Black. I\'m sure I can deal with it.\'

He turned back to Harry.

\'Shall we?\'

Harry took a deep breath looked into Lucius\' no longer cold gray encouraging eyes and nodded resolutely. It was time to follow his heart. It was time to go his own way. It was time to build his own life. It was time to find his own happiness. It was time to start living. It was time to start loving. It was time.


A/N: well, you know guys, tell me what you think.