Dreams No Mortal Ever Dreamed Before

Madamdragon: And you have no idea how jealous he is going to be. Thanks for reviewing each and every chapter- I truly appreciate it. *huggles*


31. Chance of a lifetime


When they returned home Harry gratefully sat down on the couch resting his legs on a footstool.


“So what do you want for dinner?” Snape asked after giving him a potion that took most of the pain away.


Harry considered that. “Maybe pasta?”


Snape smiled. “Then pasta it is. I could prepare it with a pesto.”


Harry nodded. “That sounds great.”


The elder wizard accepted that and disappeared into the kitchen leaving Harry by himself as he sipped a lemonade.


It had been stupid to be jealous of Blaise but that was his nature. He would jump to conclusions and do the first foolish thing that came to mind. It had been unnecessary to overstrain himself.


Still Blaise Zabini had hit a sore spot with his good looks and graceful movements. Pushing up his shirt he stared at his torso not liking how frail it looked.


Sighing he let it fall down again and continued to stare into the flickering fire until he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.


“Harry, supper is ready,” Snape said softly. When Harry looked up he smiled. “What were you brooding about”


Harry slowly rose smiling ruefully. “Just analysing my life, that's all.” He followed Snape into the kitchen and smelled for the food. “Wow, that smells divine.”


After supper Harry was tired from the physical exhaustion and so they retired to bed where he snuggled into Snape's arms. Feeling his chest rising and falling and hearing his steady heartbeat Harry suddenly was terrified of losing this. It was the same as his fear of being alone, something that felt incredibly silly but was persistent.


Closing his eyes he vowed to get some sleep and stop thinking about Blaise Zabini.

He already regretted that he had decided to join Snape on his visit to Hogwarts but he felt better physically and so he sat in Dumbledore's office with a cup of steaming tea in his hand, feeling much like a student.


He had made an effort this morning wearing a new pair of jeans, a black shirt and some new dragon leather boots that he had bought while on a shopping spree with Hermione.


As he folded his legs over each his thoughts drifted to the mind blowing sex they had this morning, Snape finally agreeing to do it properly. Secretly he had started to prepare himself every morning while taking a shower and that surely had paid off in the end.


Feeling a nudge into his side he snapped to attention and blushed when Dumbledore and Snap were looking at him obviously expecting an answer.


“Sorry,” he apologized but Dumbledore only laughed good-naturedly and waved it aside.


“I hope these thoughts were worthwhile,” he said easily. “Severus was just wondering if you wanted to join him in his lab where he will gather some of his belongings that he kept there or do you want to attend the fifth year defence against the dark arts class. Professor Newborn and his students would surely love to see the saviour of the wizarding world up close.”


Being torn Harry was caught between doing something that sounded like fun or attending an affair that was surely boring as hell. Admonishing himself for being childish he made his decision.


“Gryffindor and Slytherin.?”


Dumbledore rose and escorted both wizards to the door.


“Of course, I would not suggest anything else. Now it was wonderful having seen you again my boys and I am looking forward to seeing you at the ministry ball.”


With that the door closed and Harry turned to Snape.


“What ministry ball?”


Snape rolled his eyes. “If you had paid attention, you would know that there will be a ceremony sponsored by the ministry where you will receive your order of merlin.”


Harry narrowed his eyes. “Hey you cannot decide such things without asking me first!”


Snape curled his lip for moment reminding Harry so much of the old head of slytherin he knew.


“I asked you, actually I asked twice. You once answered with yes and when I asked you the second time you said 'I'd love to'.”


“I did?” Harry felt like an utter fool and watched helpless when Snape spun around to leave. “I'm sorry,” Harry whispered not knowing what else to say.


Snape froze, sighed and then turned around.


“You were distracted, so let's no longer talk about it.” Relief washing over Harry he allowed the elder wizard to embrace him for a moment.


When Snape pulled away he smirked. “What were you thinking about?”


Now Harry blushed. “Nothing.”


Feeling a gentle prodding he allowed Snape in and let him see what he had been thinking about. Snape laughed heartily.


“Young hormone fuelled wizard.”


Harry smacked against his shoulder. “Hey, this morning you enjoyed my young hormone fuelled body.”


“That is true,” Snape admitted. “Do you find your way to Professor Newborn's classroom?”


“Yeah, sure. I attended classes there for six years.”


“Enjoy yourself,” Snape remarked and then turned around to disappear into the direction of the dungeons.


When Harry walked out of the classroom one hour later he had to admit it had been fun to share his knowledge with the students but his stomach was grumbling and so he headed towards the dungeons.


Finding his way to the potion classroom was easy but before he had a chance to walk inside, he could hear voices.


“...still you should have taken the offer, Sev. Researching and teaching at the society is the greatest honour in the world for our kind.” Zabini.


“That was not really an option Blaise. I cannot leave Harry alone until he is a bit better,” Snape answered in his collected tone of voice.


“It is commendable that you want to help him to recover, he is the saviour of our world but to throw a chance of a lifetime away like that- I have it from Draco that you always dreamed about being accepted in the society of potions masters.”


Harry heard something being moved. “There will be time for that later, I assume.”


Blaise snorted. “And what if not? What if Harry will never recover to such an extant that you can leave him? Do you want to pause your life for him forever?”


Now it was Snape's time to chuckle. “There some things in life when you do not really have a choice Blaise.”


“You are not speaking like a slytherin right now,” Blaise drawled but Harry had heard enough.


His thoughts were racing, his emotions getting the better of him but he shoved them into the back of his mind and making some noise he walked into the classroom, trying to act nonchalant.


“Ah Harry,” Snape said. “If you are done here, we could return home, what do you think?”


“Sure,” Harry answered careful to keep his tone even..


Snape turned to Zabini who sat on the teacher's desk. “Well Blaise, it was a real pleasure seeing you again.”


Blaise nodded with a smile. “It was and maybe we see each other at the ball. It was cool seeing you again Harry.”


Leaving him alone in the classroom Snape and Harry walked out of the school to make their way out of the wards.


“Why are you so silent?” Snape wanted to know.


Harry forced another smile on his face. “Just exhausted I guess.”


Snape pulled the boy closer when they reached the apparition point.


“I side apparate you just so you do not lose an arm.”


After they returned home Harry pretended to be exhausted and retired to his bed while Snape went into his lab to brew some more of his muscle relaxant potion. Staring against the ceiling Harry tried to shake the feeling that some of Blaise's words had made sense.


He had never considered that after the war there was a promising new life waiting for Snape, chances he never had while Riddle was still on the lose. Somewhere inside guilt was eating away at him while he was too weak, to scared of being alone to let Snape go.


In a way he was a liability more than anything else, needing help with many things he took for granted all his life. It was hard accepting that when you had not even reached your 20th birthday and had dreamed of being an auror one day, or play quidditch professionally.


What if Snape wanted to leave but was hesitant to because of Harry's ailments? He knew the elder wizard loved him but how much was love and how much was guilt, a feeling of owing it to the saviour of the wizarding world?


Closing his eyes he tried to fall asleep but found it hard to. He wondered what that society was, he had never heard of it before. He would have to ask somebody who knew and if he was not mistaken he knew one blonde slytherin who wanted to make amends for being an arsehole for six years.


Finally sleep overtook him and he fell into a deep sleep.