Dressed to Impress

CHAPTER 3
(30 Days of April)

Harry yawned quietly behind his gloved hand as he slumped down in the chair. He was completely bored, cold and generally uncomfortable. He couldn’t even eat the corset he wore leaving little room for just breathing let alone stuffing his face. The Ball had gone on around him the group he’d sat in for most of the evening gradually pittering out as couples took to the floor to dance. Even Sirius was out dancing with Tonks and Remus, leaving Harry sitting beside the older wizards discussing politics and ‘the old times’. Harry hadn’t seen much of Ron or Hermione either the two of them circulating and meeting potential ‘employers’ as Hermione had described them. Harry had been right he’d had more fun at the world cup party the night before. Surprisingly Harry had seen Snape mooching around the place, keeping to the shadows and avoiding any of the conversations wizards tried to draw him into. Snape was still a social pariah even after being labeled a hero of the war. The potions professor hated company and despised useless conversation, Harry would be surprised if Snape enjoyed anything that he didn’t do alone.

Harry was looking around for the wizard he was currently thinking about and was somewhat surprised when he felt someone sit down beside him, a warm hand coming to rest on his upper thigh. Harry turned around ready to give whoever had the cheek to touch him a mouthful when he froze.

“Close the legs Potter, you can see what you had for breakfast.” Harry was speechless as Snape pushed his legs together with a firm hand before going back to sipping what appeared to be a glass of whisky. Harry longed for a drink of the amber liquid and stared as the professor took another swig. As if knowing what Harry was thinking Snape passed the glass with the small mouthful of whisky left in it across to Harry who gratefully accepted it with a smile.

“Thanks.” Harry muttered as he nursed the small amount of whisky making it last knowing he wouldn’t be getting anymore. “Enjoying yourself?” Harry whispered bitterly as he glanced around at the couples dancing closely on the dance floor. Snape looked positively out of place among the colored costumes, his boring black robes doing nothing but draw muttered nasty comments about his personality.

“As much as crutiatus on a sunny day.” Snape replied as he glanced across at Harry who was staring daggers through the couples. Harry didn’t have a girlfriend, he’d never really had a full girlfriend just a crush on Cho that had gone nowhere. His lack of girlfriend was partly the reason he avoided functions such as this, feeling thoroughly left out when things got close. Without failure to someone would always bring up the subject of him ‘settling down’ now the war had finished, and Harry could never quite shake the picture of himself as an old wizard in fluffy slippers and a nightgown. “Yourself?” Snape inquired as Harry snorted in mock amusement.

“I’m cold, I feel as trussed up as a turkey and I just want to go to bed.” Harry muttered darkly as he regrettably finished the last dribble of whisky Snape had given him.

“How about I offer you a proper drink in my chambers and we can get you into something a little warmer and more covered?” Harry was surprised by the offer and turned to stare up at Snape in surprise. Harry was about to accept when he remembered his godfather’s strange words, causing him to frown in concern.

“I shouldn’t…” Harry twisted his hands in his lap awkwardly as Snape turned to him and sighed heavily.

“With all due respect Potter, your godfathers a prick and no matter what tripe he fed you earlier about staying away from me I assure you it’s an unnecessary warning but if you prefer to sit here alone, looking like a midnight tramp then that’s your choice…” Snape stood up abruptly from his seat ready to leave at being rejected but Harry was instantly at his feet beside the elder wizard.

“Do you have whisky?” Harry inquired gesturing to his empty glass as he caught hold of Snape’s arm to stop him from leaving. Snape smirked over his shoulder and put the empty glass on the table.

“Single Malt.” Snape muttered as he led the way out of the great hall, Harry hurriedly keeping up with him, his feet killing him in the high heels as he struggled to meet Snape’s long strides. The castle was practically deserted and only the eyes of the paintings watched Harry and Snape travel down into the dungeons.

The portrait of Salazar Slytherin that marked the entrance to Snape’s chambers grumbled a curse as Harry stepped through the doorway and into the warm private rooms. This wasn’t the first time Harry had been in Snape’s chambers, having recovered in here after the climatic battle at the end of the war. Nothing much had changed, Snape’s unorganized, dusty chaos still littered every surface. How Snape found anything in his mess was beyond Harry’s comprehension but he supposed the professor had been living like this for most of his life and so was undoubtedly used to it.

“Umph.” Harry sighed as he pushed some parchment out of the way of the couch and flopped down into its worn leather cover his legs falling open as he adjusted himself painfully. Snape rolled his eyes at Harry’s lack of deportment as he poured them both a generous glass of whisky and returned to his own seat by the fire. “You really should clean this place up.” Harry muttered as he reached over to take his glass before settling back in the sofa.

“I like it like this.” Snape grumbled over the rim of his glass as he sipped at the far superior alcohol than the dishwater he’d been served at the ball. Harry nodded and fell silent enjoying the warmth of chambers compared to the drafty hall upstairs. Snape stared at Harry through the amber liquid in his glass careful to look away when Harry glanced at him. Harry knew the professor was staring but chose to ignore it until the silence became too much.

”What?” Harry queried as he pulled his wand out of the glove and tossed it carelessly onto the coffee table in irritation. “Is the eyeliner smudged?” Harry chuckled sarcastically as he fluttered his eyes dramatically before putting his feet up on the couch.

“You’ve got the legs for it.” Snape whispered nonchalantly as he nursed his whisky. Harry rolled his eyes and stretched his stocking clad legs out for Snape to get a better look at them.

“So everyone keeps telling me. I think they’re girly.” Harry muttered as he lowered his legs back down again and scratched his thigh idly through the net.

“I believe that’s the idea Potter.” Snape chuckled as he removed his own wand from within the folds of his cloak and flicked it into mid air, a plate of cheese and crackers appearing a second later on the coffee table.

“So come on, how come Sirius doesn’t want me associating with you tonight, aside from the usual gripes.” Harry sat up and having rested his glass on the arm of the chair reached forward to select a few pieces of cheese and some accompanying crackers. Snape watched the easy extend of the boy’s arm muscles and flex of the ivory skin as the boy sat back with his chosen snack.

“He’s under the impression I get off on that sort of thing.” Snape gestured casually to Harry’s costume as he stood up and went to refill his own glass.

“Why does he think that?” Harry mumbled around a mouthful of goat’s cheese and water cracker. Snape having poured himself another drink moved around to his bookcase and after a minute perusing the mess dragged down a sizable photo album. Silently Snape handed Harry the album as he returned to his seat by the fire. Somewhat dubious as to why Snape was offering any information regarding his private life Harry toyed with the tassel holding the album closed.

“Well open it, it’s not as if half the school hasn’t seen it already. No doubt Gryfindor has a monument to it up in the bloody tower.” Harry frowned at Snape’s irritation but having wiped his hands clean on his thighs slowly opened the album. Harry stared at the first picture, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline as he stared at the unsmiling figure standing amongst an entire group of students pointing and laughing. “Go ahead and laugh Potter, I assure you my complexes regarding that particular prank have already rooted themselves thoroughly.” Harry bit his lip but didn’t even smile as he stared at the miserable picture of Snape when he was young, dressed up to the nines in twelve inch heals and a red lace teddy. The young wizards face was heavy with make-up and the studded dog collar about his neck stretched out of the picture into someone’s hand.

“It’s not funny.” Harry muttered as he turned the page to see yet another picture of Snape dressed up in women’s clothing, this time a pink dress, with pale tights and a sun hat. Again and again, Harry turned the pages each picture seemingly more humiliating than the next, and each time Snape’s young miserable face staring back at him from the sea of laughing figures. “There’s so many.” Harry whispered as he paused on a particular revealing nightgown that left nothing to the imagination.

“Indeed, 30 all up each as humiliating as the next. 30 days in April, 30 outfits for each.” Snape put simply as he finished his drink and liberally poured himself another. Harry grimaced wondering how on earth Snape had got himself into such a predicament. Before Harry could ask however Snape preempted him and continued with his explanation.

“The scar on your godfathers hip, above that gaudy tattoo of a dog?” Harry nodded silently knowing exactly which scar Snape was talking about on his godfather’s body having seen it often during the summer. The scar was the only thing that Sirius couldn’t hide even in dog form. “I put it there with a carving knife from the kitchens.” Snape put simply causing Harry to gasp in surprise. Harry was about to give Snape a mouthful but swallowed it as Snape talked over him. “Before you go accusing me of anything Potter, it was in self defense. Your father and his trio of friends cornered me in the kitchens one evening, I was sick and unable to attend dinner so I snuck out to the kitchens after curfew. Unfortunately I ran into them coming in from one of their many nights out, Sirius threatened me, held my face so close to the fireplace it singed all my hair on one side and left me bald for a week. I thought he was going to push me in so I struck out with the only thing within reach, the carving knife I’d dropped on the floor from where I’d been cutting some cheese for a sandwich. I caught him good.” Harry lowered his gaze back to the picture of Snape in the album the dog collar around his neck yet again being held by someone out of shot. Harry suddenly had a sinking feeling that he knew who held the end of the leash. “You should think yourself lucky that Albus has mellowed over the years Potter. My punishment stood at 30 days spent in Sirius’s service, doing what ever he told me to do.”

“Bastard.” Harry muttered under his breath as he ran his fingertip gently over Snape’s miserable face in the picture again cursing why his father and godfather had been so cruel.

“Quite, I was a laughing stock and spent the entire month of April being led around by a dog collar, dressed as a woman.” Harry sighed heavily and slammed the album closed before getting up and shoving it forcefully back into the shelf where Snape had retrieved it from earlier. Angry Harry paced the room now realizing why Sirius had been irritated with him for turning up dressed, as he was this evening. Snape’s dark gaze watched Harry’s figure pace back and forth until finally the boy stopped and with his hands on his hips turned to stare at Snape.

“Then why does he think you like this then? If you were forced into it in the first place?” Harry gestured to his costume and Snape looked up sharply from the rim of his whisky glass.

“Because I didn’t put up a fight Potter, Black thought anyone opposed to doing such things would have put up more protest than I did.” Harry scoffed loudly at the stupidity of his godfather, and the mentality of keeping such a grudge for so long a time.

“You don’t though do you?” Harry inquired softly as he sat back down on the couch unaware that his corset had slipped a little revealing his nipples above the silk bodice.

“That depends on what you’re referring to Potter because I believe I already told you that men dressed as women don’t do it for me.” Snape muttered as he put aside his empty glass now realizing that he’d had thoroughly too much and that the alcohol was loosening his tongue and making him say things he’d rather not.

“What about just men?” Harry whispered cautiously as he fiddled with the elastic strap holding his stockings up.

“That can be debated.” Snape swallowed awkwardly as he stood up from the chair and strode over to the fire, determined not to look at Harry any longer less he say something he would regret tomorrow when the hang over set in. Harry hadn’t missed the predatory look Snape had thrown him on the stairs when they’d first bumped into each other, just as now he hadn’t missed the awkward longing glance the professor had given him as he’d stood up in front of the fireplace.

”What about me?” Harry whispered silkily wondering what on earth he was doing but surprised by the result.

“I think you better go.” Snape barked out loudly as he turned abruptly from the fire and disappeared into his bedroom leaving Harry staring on stunned at the potion professors retreating figure. Hermione had once joked with Harry about the sexual tension between he and Snape, saying that it was the cause of their friction but Harry had laughed it off. Harry had never looked at Snape as a sexual creature before, proffering ultimately not to think of Snape even having a cock let alone using it. The idea kind of squicked him out a little, but he had to admit the professor was attractive. Not in the traditional sense of the word but he wasn’t ugly by all means. Harry had dabbled a little in queer relationships, purely experimentally of course. He’d kissed Charlie Weasley last summer and had reciprocated a hand job with Ron when the two of them had been reading ‘playwitch’. Still those things were a long way from actually being gay and so as Harry stood up to follow Snape into the bedroom he knew he was blindly following an unknown instinct that had crawled up from some deep, dark secret place inside of him not even he had known existed.

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