Love Me Gently

“Do you think Snape’s a vampire?” Harry asked his friends on day after he returned from the room of requirement after another evening spent in detention. Snape had again sent him away early. He had picked up his school books to try get homework done before bed but his mind returned to the everlasting question and he didn’t think airing it to his friends would tell them he was under some sort of spell.



“He’s certainly pale enough,” Ron said looking up from the essay he was getting through slowly. The red head shrugged though considering the possibility. “He’s obsessed enough in black as well.”



“Professor Snape might be a git, but there’s no reason to speculate he’s a vampire all of a sudden,” Hermione said glaring over at both of them over the top of a textbook. “Besides if you even read of anything about vampires after you first asked me, you’d know they have blue eyes, which turn a dull red when they fall into a blood frenzy if they don’t go feeding for too long.”



Harry failed to see where he had the time to look up things outside his classwork when he’d been getting detentions, purposely however. He was doing anything to get alone with the professor but the man wasn’t making it as easy as he’d like. It used to be simple mistakes in Potions would land him detentions, now the man acted as if he ignored them or even attributed it to a common mistake when it was the man’s presence making him not concentrate on what he was doing. He’d resorted to pranks at times to get at least a couple night’s detentions but they were always cut short just as he couldn’t stand not doing anything.



“What’s with your curiosity about the old git anyhow?” Ron asked him and Harry looked up at him looking slightly confused. “I may not be in Potions, but I’ve heard of some pranks. Are you trying to lose your head? Or are you following my brothers’ footsteps?”



Harry looked away before the redhead would spot the tinge of pink that had covered his cheeks. Licking his lips he gave a small shrug. “It’s time he felt tortured some.”



“Why couldn’t you do it when I was in class? I could have helped you!” Ron demanded making Harry look back at him startled a grin twitching at his lips. “I’d give anything to see the old bugger’s face after a really good prank.”



“Perhaps you should have got the grades to continue then,” Harry said with a shrug. There was one trick he’d like to do but Snape is never seen eating or drinking anything. Though he is at the dinner meat at the head table if one watched him, and Harry did watch him, he didn’t touch a thing. Harry knew that teachers eating there for breakfast and dinner were mandatory or at least their presence but he wondered if the man was that careful. “Have you two noticed he never eats?”



“What do you mean? He’s at breakfast and dinner all the time,” Ron said looking confused.



“He’s there, but he never touches anything.”

“Why do you think he wouldn’t eat anything?”



“He’s had a rough life, you both know that. Perhaps he doesn’t trust food he himself doesn’t make.” Hermione told them with an exasperated sigh as he glared at them for gossiping on the hated teacher. “Of course if you want to continue on the vampire way of things food is poisonous to them. Alcohol is the only thing that vampires can drink without a dangerous reaction, presumably so it’d be easier to lure victims out of bars if they joined the social rank. Muggles might not notice them purposely not touching the stuff but wizards or witches would most likely notice it.”



“Another point of him being a vampire then,” Ron said looking at her curiously once more. “The blue eyes can be hidden by a glamour, so the fact he doesn’t have blue eyes isn’t the only thing to base that he is not a vampire on.”



Harry nodded his agreement and Hermione rolled her eyes to return to her book with a shrug, she’d brought it up again but there wasn’t any real proof it was just speculation. Ron was pulled over to think similarly to Harry but he looked at the fire as he thought. “You don’t think Dumbledore would have hired him if he knew he was a vampire would he?”



“Why not?” Harry asked looking at Ron, if there were ways for werewolves to function normally in a society, why not vampires as well? “Lupin’s a werewolf and he’d hired him.”



“There’s potions for werewolves though Harry,” Hermione said giving up on her textbook when she couldn’t go on ignoring the two. “To my knowledge there hasn’t been one created successfully for vampires.”



“Snape is a Potion’s Master though,” Harry reasoned as he stood up to pace, his homework for the night was long forgotten. “If he were a vampire wouldn’t you think he’d try to create a potion for himself? He’s obviously got the capabilities.”



“Why did you start thinking he was a vampire anyhow Harry?” Hermione asked when she didn’t have anything else to point out against the idea. She was still curious about all the interest in both vampires and Snape.



“I don’t know,” Harry said moving to sit down again with a sigh. It wasn’t exactly a lie but he wasn’t about to tell his friends he had begun having feelings for the man. When he wasn’t near him he could think rather clearly and remember why he hated him, why he should hate him but whenever he was near Snape he couldn’t think anymore and the only thing stopping him from jumping the man was there were students in class with him and he forced himself to focus on the task Snape set him during detention.



“Tell me Mr Potter, you’ve always been a rule breaker but tell me this. Why does it seem you are trying my patience on purpose?” Severus asked in his best teacher voice as he stared down his nose at the boy blatantly walking the halls without so much as his invisibility cloak. Severus has been putting up with all the messes and pranks and cursing Potter every step of the way while he was forcibly giving him detentions. Of course he knew the reasons, Potter’s body was tempting him to do anything to get close to him but the boy hadn’t done much but do the work he told him without so much as a word to him. If the boy’s plan was to get close and woo him he wasn’t doing a great job.



“I’m sorry if you’re taking it personally Sir,” Harry said looking up at the tall man doing his best not to fidget beneath those intense obsidian eyes. Inside he was laughing to himself, he was catching an insight to the man who never asked for excuses before now. Perhaps the man was different than he’d thought he was, it’d be nice to be proven correct. “As you said I’m always a rule breaker, I gotta keep up that image.”



Severus sneered down at the boy, he was hardly in the mood for Potter’s cheek and yet he was amused that he’d regained some function other than utterly staring. Something he wasn’t catching himself doing as his eyes roamed over the lightly tanned skin, took in those beautifully emerald eyes and full lips. His eyes slid over Potter’s neck and licked his lips as he listened in the silence the sound of the boy’s heart beat and the gush of flowing blood. With a blink he was back and realized Potter was asking him if he was alright. “Yes, yes Potter. Go back to bed and report for detention at the regular time.” He turned away and hall duty or not rushed to his rooms before making certain Potter did as he was told.



Harry watched Snape leave with a startled look, one would think he was the teacher telling the man to do as he’d been told. He returned to the common room in deep thought, Snape was acting entirely different and what he’d seen he didn’t think it was exactly a good way. Harry could remember those eyes on him taking in every inch of skin exposed, Harry’s cheeks heated even at the memory of it. When the eyes had gotten to his neck though Harry had seen the need in the man’s eyes as he licked pale lips, a quick dash of pink breaking seemingly white skin in the eerie light emitted from their wands. That was when the man seemed to lose all composure and had taken a step toward him and Harry wanted to close the distance so badly but instead asked if the man was alright.



He looked into the embers of the dying fire in the fireplace. If Snape was a vampire he knew the man was wanting to feed by what he’d seen, but even though he had his suspicions about the man he was wanting to go forward and let him feed. He shivered in the warm room as he imagined being held in those arms as teeth sunk into his neck. It was strangely erotic and he felt himself get hard thinking about it. He fell into one of the armchairs with a sigh, would he really be alright with dating a vampire? He shook his head, not in rejection but at his folly. Snape was a teacher and though ass he might be he wouldn’t get into a relationship with a student, life mate or not.



Harry woke the next morning still in the arm chair and looked at the time and gasped it was middle of first period and it was potions. Why hadn’t Hermione waken him? He got up and ran upstairs to get changed and ran back down to spot Hermione walking in and giving a smile. “Oh you’re up good. I was just about to wake you if you weren’t. Why’d you sleep in the armchair anyhow?”



“I wasn’t able to sleep and I didn’t want to wake the others,” Harry said looking at the girl rather confused, why wasn’t she in class. “Why didn’t you wake me?”



“Potion’s has been cancelled for the day for some reason,” Hermione said holding him a napkin of cold toast which he accepted with thanks anyhow. “I thought you might’ve wanted to sleep in. Though I don’t know how comfortable an armchair could really be.”



“Oh.. Thanks.” Harry mumbled taking a bite of toast. Potions was cancelled? Was Snape alright? He’d looked okay the night before, aside from the time he’d spent staring at him. He had also run from him, perhaps the man wasn’t alright. “Does anyone have any idea as to why?”



“No Harry. Though I dislike missing classes, I didn’t think there was a need to ask around,” Hermione answered looking at Harry oddly. Was he really wanting to go to class?



“Oh, sorry.” Harry mumbled again sighing, he wasn’t thinking straight. Perhaps he should go down to ask if his detention was pushed to the next day as well, ignoring the feeling that was telling him he was just wanting to make certain the man was alright. Shaking his head he pushed the idea aside. “Where had you been?”



“Library,” Hermione told him as if he didn’t need to ask. “First class is almost over, we better head to Defense Against the Dark Arts.”



Harry nodded slightly and followed Hermione out of the common room and towards class but he was still thinking of Snape and wondering the reason as to why class was cancelled. By the time classes was over Harry was anxious to be done with dinner. Snape wasn’t at the head table and neither was Dumbledore, sighing he stared at his food and ate quickly. He didn’t know why but he was more anxious to see Snape than usual since all this started, biting his lip he excused himself and left dinner early to head down into the dungeons.



Harry stood at Snape’s office door for a moment and knocked, he was waiting for Snape to answer when he spotted Dumbledore walking out from behind a portrait from a room hidden behind it. Spotting Harry Dumbledore looked confused and paused. “Harry, my boy. Do you need anything from Professor Snape?”



“Uh, no Professor.” Harry said glancing at the office door knowing already that Snape wasn’t in it. “I just have a detention with Professor Snape and wasn’t certain if it was cancelled as well.”



“Oh, yes..” Dumbledore said giving Harry a look to say he shouldn’t be getting in such trouble still. “One moment Harry.”



Harry stood waiting while Dumbledore disappeared into the room once more, the portrait swinging closed once more behind him. Biting his lip he realized the room must be Snape’s personal quarters, even if he hadn’t needed to come down for his detention he was glad that he had. Dumbledore reappeared and told him to come in. Harry looked around the small living room in colors of green and black and was surprised to see a small kitchenette with a muggle fridge. His eyes returned to the Potion’s Master who sat in one of the armchairs and for a moment he was uncomfortable remembering the night before he heard the portrait close behind him and Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen.



Looking back to Snape the man looked well enough and those eyes weren’t focusing on his neck and seemed to try not to focus on Harry himself. He wondered idly if the man was attracted to him just as inexplicably as Harry was to the older man. Biting his lip his eyes looked around again as the silence between them grew.



“Had you considered not showing up for your detention Mr Potter?” Snape asked him finally and Harry gulped as he walked forward until he was standing at the arm of the green velvet sofa.



“Classes were cancelled, so I was uncertain Sir,” Harry said truthfully though the first part would have been known already to the man. He shifted uncomfortably, there was something different about being alone with the man in his office than being alone with him in his private quarters. “I had thought perhaps you were... unwell.”



“I am not sick Mr Potter,” Snape said sneering at him, the look made his stomach clench each time he’d seen it and biting his lip he nodded his understanding. Snape stood and motioned for him to follow. Harry didn’t press further about what had kept him from teaching classes when Snape didn’t elaborate but he’d wanted to.



Snape lead him through a door and for a fleeting moment he thought it would be the man’s bedroom, but instead he was greeted by the sight of a work room. Cauldrons were bubbling in the middle of the room and shelves lined the walls holding ingredients. There were boxes on the floor in one corner and Snape walked over to them.



“This is my private work room Potter, you are not to go near or even look into the cauldrons. I do not need the work spoiled by your folly,” Snape said his dark eyes looking down on him. Harry realized the man was only giving him this job because he’d probably run out of things to give him, licking his lips he nodded. “In the boxes are ingredients, the shelves are marked on where each ingredient goes and the ingredient containers are also marked as to what they are. It’s a simple job Potter, I’m certain even you cannot mess it up.”



“Yessir,” Harry mumbled as the man waited for an affirmation. The man nodded and left with another warning of not to go remotely near the bubbling cauldrons less he want a month with Filch cleaning out the grimiest parts of the castle. Harry shivered and turned to the boxes to get to work.



The job was tedious and long since he couldn’t take direct routes to cupboards on the other side of the room. Even without Snape’s warning or order would Harry go near the cauldrons less he trip and knock something over or even drop a loose ingredient within the batches. Every once in a while Snape returned to stir the potions but this was the first detention that the man hadn’t sent him away early, and the first one he wasn’t sent away with longing to jump the man. Before he left though he turned to Snape back in the man’s living room.



“Sir?” Harry began questioning even his reason to stop, he’d never thought about this before and yet here he was. The man stood there waiting for him to continue with an impatient look in his eyes. “Would.. would it be possible to get private tutoring from you in potions?” Harry looked away suddenly blushing some and his mouth yammered on. “As you know I’m horrible at them.. but it’s not purposeful and I try to do it correct they just don’t turn out proper.. and I was thinking with a .. little more tutelage I might gain more skill than I have.”



“You have a lack of skill Potter, anything would aid you to improve.” Snape interrupted in a harsh voice making Harry flinch. He knew he’d been babbling but the man’s proximity was again taking it’s effects on him. Looking back up at the man he expected to see anything but the opposite of disgust on the man’s face. The look was quickly replaced by the cold mask he sported but Harry spotted it even if for a moment he thought he’d imagined it. The man must be feeling the same effects, right? “However much I might dislike it Potter, you do need something I’m tired of tables and floors melting or spilling messes that might cause boils or something worse.” Snape’s nose wrinkled as he agreed with Harry and accepted his request. Harry gave a brief smile to the man and for a moment he had the overwhelming urge to hug his Potions Master he held it off but just barely. “After dinner Potter every night and Saturday afternoon you will come to my office for your additional lessons. Don’t be late or they’ll be cancelled.”



“Thank you sir!” Harry said enthusiastically in replace of the hug and other things he’d like to do to the older man. He hurried out of the man’s rooms before he allowed himself to do anything of the sort and made a slow way up to the Gryffindor common room.



Severus watched Potter go with a curious look wondering about what he had just gotten himself into. That was all he needed was more reason to be in the same room with Potter alone but a reason to need to be near the boy. Too many things could go horribly wrong if either of them lost their self control and it appeared the boy was having harder luck each time they were near. After last night’s episode it was only evident that things just might go wrong on another level if he wasn’t careful.



Both Hermione and Ron looked up when he walked into the common room in a happy mood. He went up to grab his school bag and returned to sit in their place beside the fire as the two continued to look at him expectantly and he looked at them confused. Ron finally asked what had been on both of there minds. “Where were you?”



“Detention.” Harry said raising his eyebrows, he’d thought he’d told them where he was off to after dinner but both of them looked at him blankly. “I’d gotten one for wandering the halls last night and bumped into Snape.”



“You served detention with Professor Snape? I thought classes were cancelled,” Ron sad his turn to look confused and Hermione sat forward expecting an explanation as to why the man had cancelled classes.



“It didn’t state detentions so I’d gone down to check, he made me restock his private workroom’s ingredients cabinets,” He said with a shrug as he pulled out neglected homework with a sigh he caught Hermione’s questioning gaze and gave another shrug. “I didn’t notice anything wrong and he’d said he was not sick. I didn’t press the issue as to why he’d cancelled class.”



“You mean he actually shared personal information with you?” Ron asked incredulously his eyes widening. “He didn’t just state ‘It is none of your business Mr Potter’ or something?”



Harry shook his head ‘no’ and looked at what had added up with a sigh, he wondered how he was ever going to keep up this pace if he added on a private tutoring session with Snape. “I won’t be around after dinners or Saturday afternoons now. I’d asked him if he’d tutor me privately and he agreed.”



Both of them were staring at him. Hermione looked startled, whether it was because he was going for help or Snape was giving it he wasn’t certain. Ron was a mix of startled and horrified as he stated what was on his mind. “Why would you want to spend more time with his abusive ass? Or in other ways why’d he say yes? I’m certain he was enjoying watching you fail and trying to get you to quit.”



“You both know I’m as horrible as he says I am, I’m trying to improve my record.” Harry told them reasonably. If he wanted to be an auror he had to be good at Potions to be on the safe side, the way he was going he’d be dead quick if someone decided to try poison him. He didn’t mention that he liked spending time with Snape.



“Good for you Harry,” Hermione said with a small nod and smile. “You’re finally taking initiative to get better at your worst subject.”



“I still can’t see why you want to put up with his abuse for a minute longer than you absolutely need to. ‘Mione is good at potions, she probably could have helped.” Ron said. Harry sighed knowing his friend wasn’t going to let up at all and trying to ignore it as the redhead continued. “From day one he’s singled you out with his verbal abuse and now you’re opting in for more? You’ve finally lost your mind that’s what.”



“I want to have the extra time with him so lay off,” Harry muttered darkly glaring at the redhead, pausing to realize what he’d blurted out as his friends stared at him once more. Biting his lip he looked away and started to work on his homework that was being left undone the more they talked.



“Do you actually like him?” Ron asked in a strangled voice when the silence had stretched far too thin. Harry glared at him once more and bit his lip harder. “You do, don’t you!?”



Harry put down his quill sharply and gritted his teeth, Ron really didn’t know how to let something go. Especially when a person didn’t want admit one thing or another.



“I can’t explain it,” Harry said finally his eyes shifting to look into the fire because he couldn’t find himself to face looking at either of his friends as he said it. “But..” He paused to watch the fire dance with beautiful grace.



“I think I love him.”