Complicated Romance

Title: Complicated Romance
Author: Brianna (Bree)
Pairing: Severus Snape / Harry Potter
Rating: Eventually NC-17
Summary: Teacher student relationships were a rare occurrence at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but not unknown. What happens in the time of death, love and most of all, companionship? Will Harry find someone just as lonely as he and will they bring a new meaning to love? Who better for the position than Severus Snape? But with what complication will this love come?

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Previous Chapter: “Would you continue to watch Harry over the holiday, Severus?” Dumbledore smiled at Severus, already understanding the answer and very happy to be able to have Harry safe with someone he trust.

Severus looked up, sighing out, “I don’t really have much of a choice.”

Albus smiled widely, “Good. Then it’s settled.”

Severus damned himself and his emotions. He especially damned the man making all these possible. He needed a drink.

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Chapter Four: Mutual Consideration

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The pitch starkness surrounded the cold form; puffing of air, thrusting of hips, and tortured screams. Harry writhed beneath the dream, his eyes rolling within the cover of his eyelids as his body was struck with the Cruciatus curse violently.

“Crucio”

He outstretched his arms, swinging out his legs and causing more of the pain to echo from his forehead to the centre of his being. He was losing his concentration, the pain screaming and pounding through his ears. All he could hear was the desperation in the screams that surrounded his aching soul, binding and squeezing what little life he had left. Visions of death swarmed in his mind as the curse continued its course through his nervous system, setting off every possible alarm within skin sensory cells.

Hands were on him, holding him down as he screamed for his life. Cool liquid made contact with his lips, soothing sore skin within the canvas of his mouth. His throat was massaged, pushing the liquid down the length and pooling in his stomach. His body slowly calmed as the liquid created inner warmth that soothed even the most violent of pains that seemed to die away as the seconds passed. Another liquid was presented to his lips, this time most welcomed by his mouth as he drew in the contents and swallowed them down.

Harry breathed out a sigh as the darkness soon faded and his surroundings came to life, showing two massive blurs that hung over him. He squinted his eyes, attempting to see the blurs for their true forms, but was disappointed to find that it was an unsuccessful maneuver. He lolled his head back against the pillow and watched through blurred vision as the two masses talked to each other.

Harry couldn’t hear all of what the hushed voices were saying, but caught bits of the conversation in his ears. He recognized the voices immediately, identifying them to be Snape and Madam Pomfrey. He sighed out, awaiting their conversation conclusion where he would be allowed to talk.

“Mr. Potter, how do you feel?” The medi-witch came into view, her face clearing slightly of the blur. His glasses were placed over his nose and finally he was allowed to see the world around him. The night was still hanging over the room, but the lights were dimmed to allow little light to shed in over the forms that were now correctly identified to be his Potion’s professor and Madam Pomfrey.

“ ‘m fine,” he responded with a slightly raspy voice. His throat still hurt from the screaming that had taken place through the pain of the curse, but other than the pain in his throat –which was slowly fading with the effects of the potion- he felt good.

Snape leaned in slightly, taking a good look at him, before nodding his head. He took a seat nearest the bed and stared over at Harry, as though thinking of something to say. Harry peered at the man for a moment, before returning his eyes to the medi-witch whom was now attending to the removal of the bandage on his arm. He suddenly remembered what had happened the night before and his face down turned in guilt.

Harry couldn’t bring his eyes to turn over to see the reaction on Snape’s face. What was the man doing there? Hadn’t he been the one to say that he never wanted to see Harry again? Then why was he here? Harry was stricken with confusion. He finally decided that he simply would never understand why the man did the things he did.

Severus watched the boy for a few minutes, gathering his words. He felt his heart threading through his rib cage at the idea of having to talk to the boy after what had happened. He wanted to hide away from his feelings, as he always did before this and try to forget the way that the boy made him feel. He damned himself once more for his emotions and this time, damned the boy for putting them there.

He had enjoyed the years where he could hate the boy without a thought - take away points and send him to detention. Now, he couldn’t do such things against his own conscious which had changed its opinion on the boy and concluded that Severus, in fact, cared for Harry. He cursed himself for freely using that name in his conscious, but pledged that he would not use it out loud. He would retain what dignity he had left and store it in his outer dialogue. This was going to be harder than he had thought it would be.

As much as he hated to admit it, Dumbledore had been right – Severus did in fact care for the boy, but maybe more than the man had thought. Never in all of his years had Severus felt this way for another person. During the years of watching the boy, taking in parts of the boy’s life, and helping him through them, Severus had soon developed feelings that you should not feel for a fellow peer’s son; certainly feelings that you should not feel for any seventeen-year-old, a person that you are at least twenty years older, enough to be their father.

He had in fact fallen in love with the boy. The need to protect Harry from all of the troubles in the world had resorted from this new found emotion that he did not believe he would be capable of. After the abuse that he was subjected to during his years, he never would believe himself capable of showing any form of compassion for another person. He had never would have seen himself wanting to share his time with another person; he had always seen himself alone. But hidden beneath the malice and emotionless façade was a person capable of loving, capable of compassion for another person. It had taken a teenager, Harry Potter to be specific, to show Severus more about himself that he thought he would have ever known.

When he raised his eyes to meet the boy’s, he noticed fear, conviction, and especially guilt hidden within emerald orbs. Severus blew out a good amount of air before allowing his thoughts to penetrate his words, “Good to see you are awake, Mr. Potter. I would like to apologize for what had happened earlier. I realize that what I had said was not at all correctly put and it was my mistake to have thrown you out. I allowed my temper to take over my conscious thought and I now realize that it was wrong of me to do so. If you feel that you could stand me for another week of the holiday, then I would like it if you would continue to stay in my private chambers.”

Harry was flabbergasted at all that Snape had just said. Most of all, he was blushing. Snape had just apologized to him. Had Snape lost his mind? Not just that, but the man had extended a hand out –metaphorically speaking- for Harry to continue to stay in his rooms. Harry felt the steadily increasing heart beat in his chest. He couldn’t form words; trying to communicate a simple ‘yes’ was even taking much of his energy.

Harry rose from his position on the pillow, his voice churning within the confines of his throat. He brought his lower lip between his teeth and thought through exactly what the other man had communicated. If it hadn’t been for his weakened state, he would have run into the man’s arms. Now that exhaustion haunted over him, he needed to keep his thoughts and words simple.

“Okay,” he finally choked out from the many sentences that rolled around in the front part of his mind. He could feel his stomach flutter, not from the anticipation, but from another emotion that he had shared with no one else. During the years that Sirius had been still alive, Harry had felt a weaker form of this feeling, more so for a family feeling. Now with Snape, he felt something stronger, something that made him want to be with the other always, never letting go and never being let go of.

He was young, he realized. Snape was older, matured through the years of wisdom. Harry had only had a taste of life, though what he had been through was considered to be “adult matters.” Still, Harry knew what he felt, though he wasn’t quite sure of it. He needed to be able to express his emotions, but with this one, he felt as though it was a secretive feeling that shouldn’t be expressed openly.

The fact of the matter was, Snape was his professor and a former peer of his father. Snape was old enough to be his father – which surprisingly did not disgust him in any way. His attraction to the man was deeper than age, looks –though he was very happy with the way the man looked- and superiority; his attraction was to the core of the man. He had found out many things during the last few years that he co-existed with his Potion’s master.

Harry closed his eyes, feeling the effects of the potion finally take a toll on his physical exhaustion. With a final murmur, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep –which he was extremely thankful for- and hoped against hope that come tomorrow, Snape would in fact be there by his side.

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Daylight broke in through blinded windows, a new sun for the morning that was called over the entire isle of water passing with crashing vigor against the sides of the island housing the school.

Harry roused from the dreamless night, his hands coming to wipe away the last residue of a night well slept. He let a low yawn pass his lips before pushing himself up and swinging his legs over the infirmary bed. He tried to allow his eyes to get used to the sunlight now filtering through the half-blinded windows, but gave up as he turned away. He noticed that Snape was off to the side of the bed, a book cradled in his heads and his eyes following over the words, though they stopped for a moment to acknowledge his presence.

Harry nodded to his professor before taking off for the lavatory. Once finished with his usual business, he took to sitting on the bed and preparing himself to leave.

Severus by this time had already prepared himself, taking a hold of the boy’s trunk and waiting patiently for Harry to finish gathering his belongings that had been settled on the table near the bed. There was a simple note addressed to him by the headmaster, including a few chocolates which served as a get-well present. It’s only habit that the man would give the boy chocolate.

Harry had finally gotten all his things together before he looked to Snape for some sort of assurance of where he was going. Snape nodded to him.

“Come this way. We will go immediately to my rooms and you can re-settle yourself back in.”

Harry followed quickly behind the man, noticing that Snape had already taken it upon himself to carry his trunk. The walk to the room was quiet; not even their breathing could be heard as they walked down the corridor that would lead into the dungeons and eventually into Snape’s rooms. Harry tried to calm his anticipation, finding it unsuccessful as he was given entry into the cold drafted prism.

The area was dark, except for the soft glow of the fireplace off to the corner. Harry immediately brought his trunk to the side of the couch and put it to the floor, blowing out his nervousness as much as he could. His body was trembling and he felt his heart still pounding against him.

He took a seat on the couch, trying to keep his eyes drawn to the hearth where the wild, magical fire was placed. He did hear from the corner of his ear that Snape had taken the seat nearest the couch and fire. His heart was still speeding against his chest and he could feel his hands fumble for some kind of grounding in his lap. Harry turned his head to see that Snape was watching the flames as well, the man’s usual emotionless expression placed.

Harry watched Snape from across the short distance. His hands were in his lap and his heart beating fast against his chest. He looked down and then looked up; he was caught off guard to see the man also staring at him. His heart stopped when the man rose from the couch and walked over to where he was sitting.

Snape grabbed his chin, forcing him to rise with the strength of the hold. Harry tilted his head back to look into the man’s eyes. Snape leaned forward slightly, his hot breath touching Harry’s lips. Harry felt his body shaking and his eyes close.

Lips brushed his as he was drawn closer. Harry weakened into the touch; feeling the man’s arm round the center of his waist and pulling him flush against a lean form. The lips grew more persistent, weighing on Harry’s and brushing a tongue over his bottom lip, asking silently for entrance. Harry was all too happy to give into the silent plea, opening his barrier and feeling a strong muscle brush through, filling out the hot cavern of his mouth.

Harry gasped in response, his mind running circles and his knees buckling to keep him from falling - though the floor beneath him was now serving as his only grounding to the world around him. The tongue in his mouth languidly explored his mouth, running over the pallet and sweeping across his cheeks. The light-headedness grew as the passion increased, his weight faltering and failing him as his arms wrapped around the man’s neck for support.

Finally, they pulled away to relinquish their oxygen supply which had run low due with the passion of the kiss. Harry breathed heavily, looking up into eyes that had forever stayed impassive and now showed signs of lust and other emotions that Harry couldn’t quite target. Snape was looking at him, the way that Harry had seen in his dreams; the way he had wanted Snape to look at him.

“Harry,” before Harry had a chance to reply, those masterful lips had returned to his, now creating a weak tension in his body. He wanted more, and got it when the hand that had been on his chin, fell down the length of his torso and fingered slightly at the rim of his pants. He couldn’t help the groan that left his throat when the man stopped at the rim.

“Please…”

“No, Harry, it’s too soon.” The hand removed itself and Snape pulled away, leaving a distraught Harry to try to hold himself up. What had just happened? Hadn’t Snape been the one to initiate this? Why was he the one putting a stop to it? Harry looked up, but the questions died when his saw the lust in the man’s eyes and the evidence of an erection tenting his robes slightly. Was Snape stopping on his accord?

Harry felt foolishness and guilt run through his blood as he took a step back and sat down on the couch, covering his obvious erection. He didn’t look up to see the man stepping closer and finally kneeling in front of him.

Severus knelt down, his eyes turning serious as he gentle grabbed Harry’s chin and turned the boy to look at him. “Harry, what do you feel?”

Harry watched Snape for a moment, feeling his heart pound in his chest and his body yearning for the man’s touch once more - yearn for the passion of the man’s kiss. He suddenly felt his words flee him as he sat there, fumbling with the soft of his fingertips.

“I…uh…well…umm….I really…I liked it.” Where was that Gryffindor courage and bravery? Well the Sorting Hat had said that he should be in Slythrin. Harry smiled a lopsided grin at the man and surprisingly enough got a small chuckle from Snape for his attempt at expression.

Severus took a seat adjacent to the boy and sighed out slightly. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Harry laughed slightly, feeling the tension ease away as he turned to look at the flames, “Go figure. I was suppose to hate you.” He looked over at Snape with another grin, but brought his eyes back to fire. He felt comfortable finally with the situation, willing his erection away.

Severus took a deep breath, belittling the last of his dignity stores and turning to Harry - if he had come this far, best not to ruin it and be left with nothing. “What did you have a vision of last night?”

Harry felt his tension return as he brought his eyes back to Snape, he felt safe to share what he had seen, but not ready to talk about it. He sighed out, “…it was dark…”

Severus sighed as well, turning the boy’s chin and allowing Harry to look into his eyes. He felt his heart ache, looking into the tearing eyes of the-Boy-Who-Lived. Severus wrapped his arms around the boy, drawing him close and feeling the soft sobbing against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to will away the boy’s pain. Harry had been through so much, but for as young as he was, he was standing strong with the visions the Dark Lord forced upon him. Severus felt the rage boil in the centre of his stomach, making him tighten his hold on the boy slightly.

Harry calmed down, feeling the tears slowly edge away with the comfort of the strong arms that held him. He looked up to see Snape peering down at him, his eyes worried. Harry’s heart skipped a beat, remembering the heat in the kiss. A blush formed over the soft cheek bones.

Severus felt his eyes get captured by the emerald orbs that he was now gazing into. When had he lost control over his emotions? Why it was that he felt comfortable showing the emotions on a usually vacant face, he would never truly understand. He bent his head, pressing his lips to the boy’s and savoring the innocence that was delivered through them.

Harry sighed out at the feeling of the strong lips once more present on his lips. Harry moved his body against the other, restraining a groan when his stomach met the man’s equally hard erection. He moved slowly against the hardness, rolling his hips and finally moving up –shyly- to straddle Snape’s hips.

Severus groaned, having realized how the situation turned from innocent to dangerous in a matter of seconds. He strained for his conscious to object, but all he received was a groan from it saying ‘you’re on your own.’ He gasped when the boy’s firm arse pressured his erection. This was getting even more difficult by the se—

Harry moaned, wrapping his arms tightly around Severus. Severus lost all of his control when the boy moaned, his mouth capturing the exposed neck and kissing it softly, rolling his tongue around the forbidden flesh. His hands rested on the boy’s hips, pressing them further into his erection. Damn his hormones. He was starting to act like a hormonal teenager. His curses died once more when the boy gasped and moaned to follow the intent sucking of his neck.

Harry had never experienced such powerful emotions as the pleasure spiked, cascading down his spin and setting off arousal sensorial cells over the most of his body. The man’s lips were entrancing, grabbing moans and gasps from his throat with such ease it scared Harry. He was losing himself in the leisure pace and his body screamed for more, though he had not one clue as to what that ‘more’ was.

Severus, however, knew what ‘more’ was and what that ‘more’ led to. He pulled away when the soft whisper of professor passed the boy’s lips. That was right, he was the boy’s professor and this kind of behavior was not acceptable, no matter how much he wanted it. He pulled away, gasping slightly. “Harry, we can’t.”

Harry looked up, his eyes wide and his face was flush with a soft crimson. His lips were ravaged completely as well as the love bites on his neck. He was suddenly pushed off the man’s hips, Snape rising to get away from where they had last committed their crime.

“Sleep. I will be back later to bring you your lunch.”

Severus left the boy on the couch, his mind swarming with the new form regret of his actions. He had been out of line and he couldn’t help but feel that he had failed the boy somehow.

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Next Chapter: “But you certainly can’t mean that, Albus.” Severus was holding his tea in his hand, his face was expressionless, but he had gone rigid at the new found information.

“We must get him to safety, Severus, we cannot keep him here. The wards have weakened and the sight of those Death Eaters is a warning. If we do not get him to safety, then we might not be able to save him from a fate that he does not deserve. I am asking you to go with him. You must protect him.” Albus was standing, his hands resting on the desk, his face tired from a night without rest.

“Where will we go?”

“I have already made arrangements for you to be transported from here to an unknown location.”

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