Penance is the Play

\"If we convince the Headmaster you need more private tutoring, there is no reason we can\'t continue spending a few hours together at Hogwarts,\" Snape said, tapping a finger against his tea cup. \"Tell the Headmaster you find the defense lessons useful, and that you\'re not secure yet in using Occlumency.\"

Harry nodded. He wanted to continue to spend time with Snape when they were back at Hogwarts. He couldn\'t imagine not seeing Snape anymore after they\'d spent half the summer together.

\"You do realize we must be careful,\" Snape continued. \"You are not to tell your friends a thing about what we do together, understood? If anyone asks, you\'re taking remedial Potions again.\"

\"Yes, sir.\"

\"And you must understand I won\'t treat you any differently in my class than I have done before.\"

Harry smiled. \"I\'m used to the insults now. The only thing that bothers me is that I won\'t be able to insult you right back.\"

\"Oh, but you can. That way I can squeeze in a few convenient detentions,\" Snape said smoothly, his lips curving up in a suggestive grin.

\"I have a feeling Gryffindor is going to lose a lot of points this year,\" Harry said, and laughed.

\"Indeed.\"

Still snickering, Harry stared down at the table top. Snape\'s stained fingers curled around his tea cup. Harry looked at his own hands. Four weeks of working with certain potions ingredients had discolored his fingers as well. He didn\'t mind, though. It gave him a constant reminder of what had changed between him and Snape.

A crack sounding from the hallway announced Dumbledore\'s arrival.

\"Good morning,\" Dumbledore said, cheerful as ever, as he entered the kitchen. \"Oh no, don\'t get up, Severus. I\'ll find myself a cup.\"

\"Morning, sir,\" Harry said as Dumbledore summoned a cup and joined them at the table.

\"Ah, a cup of tea. I haven\'t had time yet to sit down this morning,\" Dumbledore said, leaning towards Harry as though he was sharing an important secret.

Harry smiled, and Snape looked as though he wanted to upturn the teapot over Dumbledore\'s head.

Sipping his tea, Dumbledore looked between Harry and Snape, taking his time to observe them. \"Only two more days,\" he said. \"Are you looking forward to returning to Hogwarts, Harry?\"

\"Yes, sir.\"

\"Good, good. I think Severus requested an evaluation of your summer lessons.\"

\"Indeed, Headmaster,\" Snape said, straightening in his chair. \"The boy has made progress, though he has requested we continue our Occlumency lessons at Hogwarts. And offering the boy remedial Potions also wouldn\'t go amiss. Merlin knows he\'ll need it to survive my N.E.W.T. Class.\"

Dumbledore nodded. \"Harry, how do you feel about this?\"

Harry cleared his throat. \"I agree with Professor Snape. I\'m still not perfect at Occlumency, though I am doing better than before. And yes, Potions has never been my strong point, and I\'d really like to pass Professor Snape\'s class.\"

\"I see no problem with any of this. You two can arrange your private lessons together. Do you have any objections, Severus?\"

Snape looked rather sour, but he shook his head. \"Perhaps we can also continue our defense lessons. I believe the boy found them useful.\"

\"I did, yeah.\"

Dumbledore\'s lips curved up in a tiny smile. \"I\'m not sure that will be necessary. I can assure you, I\'ve found a competent new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.\"

\"Who have you hired, Headmaster?\" Snape asked, and his tone suggested he wasn\'t assured at all.

\"Professor Krum.\"

\"Krum?\" Snape asked.

\"Viktor Krum?\" Harry echoed.

Dumbledore nodded happily.

Snape rolled his eyes. \"I see you\'ve resorted to hiring students now.\"

\"I assure you, Severus, Professor Krum is more than qualified to teach this class.\"

\"Perhaps a bit overqualified, I should think,\" Snape said, and sipped his tea. Dumbledore gave him a peculiar look, though Snape ignored it.

Harry watched them quietly. He didn\'t have any problems with Krum teaching them. Sure, Krum was young, but he had seemed competent at Defense Against the Dark Arts.

\"Professor McGonagall requested that I ask you how you feel about the position of Quidditch captain this year, Harry?\"

Harry\'s eyes widened. \"I thought I was banned?\"

\"That ban has been lifted,\" Dumbledore said with a dismissive wave of his hand. \"Shall I inform Minerva you accept the position?\"

\"Yes, sir!\" Harry beamed, and even Snape\'s disgusted look didn\'t temper his excitement.

\"If that is all?\" Dumbledore asked, and finished the last of his tea.

\"Actually, there\'s something else I\'d like to ask you, sir,\" Harry said. \"My friends asked if I could meet them in Diagon Alley tomorrow, to buy our new school supplies. I\'d really like to go.\"

\"I told the boy it\'s too dangerous,\" Snape said, before Dumbledore could reply.

Dumbledore opened his mouth, but Harry interrupted. \"And I told Professor Snape the entire Weasley family will be there to keep an eye on me.\"

\"And then I informed the boy the Weasleys will be busy enough keeping their own brood under control.\"

\"And I reminded Professor Snape he could cast a glamor charm on me again.\"

\"Of course, I was forced to tell the boy experienced wizards can see right through such a charm.\"

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, watching their interaction with an amused gleam in his eyes.

\"Perhaps Professor Snape is forgetting his own area of expertise,\" Harry said, grinning. \"I could always use Polyjuice Potion.\"

Snape kicked against Harry\'s shin under the table. \"You see, Headmaster, why the boy desperately needs remedial Potions? He doesn\'t even remember it takes a month to brew Polyjuice Potion.\"

Harry\'s cheeks flushed as he realized he\'d almost said too much. \"Well, perhaps Professor Snape can supervise me tomorrow.\"

\"The boy\'s ignorance constantly astounds me. I can\'t be seen in public with the boy, as well you know, Headmaster.\"

\"I believe Professor Snape is unaware of simple means to disguise himself,\" Harry said, feeling smug. \"He could always borrow my invisibility cloak.\"

Snape opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again after a few seconds.

\"Well, that\'s settled then,\" Dumbledore said, getting up from the table. \"You will use Harry\'s cloak to supervise him tomorrow, Severus.\" He smiled at them both. \"I\'m pleased to see you two have got past your animosity this summer. I will see you both in two days.\"

\"Bye,\" Harry said.

\"Headmaster,\" Snape said, sounding annoyed.

As soon as Dumbledore had left, Harry looked at Snape with a grin. \"You want to go upstairs and show me how well we\'ve got past that animosity?\"

Sighing, Snape offered Harry a reproachful look. \"Work before play, Potter. Or perhaps you don\'t want Lupin to recover anytime soon.\"

\"Right,\" Harry said. They were close to finishing the modified healing potion. \"Play later.\" He followed Snape out of the kitchen, feeling strangely happy Snape would join him in Diagon Alley the next day.


*~*~*~*~*


\"Your friends don\'t need to know about my presence,\" Snape said as they stood in front of the kitchen fireplace. \"They would only risk my exposure.\"

\"Okay,\" Harry said. He handed Snape his invisibility cloak. Snape seemed quite smug about taking it from him.

\"After I leave, wait five minutes before using the Floo. That way I can make sure the Leaky Cauldron is free of any possible threats.\"

\"Okay,\" Harry said again. \"I\'ll see you there. Well, not see, exactly.\"

Snape sneered, and then stepped under the cloak. An invisible hand threw some Floo-powder into the fire. \"The Leaky Cauldron!\"

Tapping his foot, Harry waited and waited until he thought five minutes had passed. He checked to make sure he had his wand and his money pouch, and a handful of Floo-powder later, Harry tumbled out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron.

The place was crowded, and an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. Until an invisible hand on his shoulder told him he wasn\'t alone.

\"Three-and-a-half minutes, Potter,\" Snape whispered in his ear. \"When are you ever going to learn to follow simple rules.\"

Harry snickered in response. He glanced around the pub again, and spotted a gathering of redheads in the corner.

\"Ron! Hermione!\"

\"Harry!\"

And before long, Harry was surrounded by his friends and their family and things seemed as normal as they\'d ever been. Though as they strolled through Diagon Alley, Harry was constantly aware of Snape\'s invisible presence. An occasional brush of fingers over his arm or shoulder made sure he didn\'t forget. His friends were oblivious, and chatted as though their most hated Professor wasn\'t hearing every word they said.

They visited the Quidditch shop and the apothecary, and they stopped by Fred and George\'s new shop, at which point Harry was sure he heard Snape mutter behind him, \"Dear sweet Merlin, spare me.\"

Their last stop was Flourish and Blott\'s, to buy their new schoolbooks. When Hermione was engrossed in their new Transfiguration book, and Ron and Ginny were arguing with their mother, Harry felt a hand settle on his shoulder.

\"If you want to purchase a few useful Potions books, I suggest you go to the first floor,\" Snape whispered behind him. Harry nodded, and climbed the stairs, making sure he wasn\'t followed.

There was no one else in the Potions section, and Snape pointed out useful titles by sliding them an inch off the shelves. Harry gathered them as he followed Snape around.

\"Thanks,\" Harry said once he had an armful of books.

\"Do try to absorb the information provided within those books.\"

Grinning, Harry placed the books on one of the reading tables, and reached out his arm. He felt Snape\'s chest, and a few clever moves later, he\'d wormed himself under the invisibility cloak with Snape.

\"Hi,\" he said, smiling up at Snape\'s surprised eyes.

\"Mr Potter,\" Snape started, but Harry cut him off by licking his tongue across Snape\'s bottom lip.

\"Come on,\" Harry said, making sure his tone was daring. \"I know you must appreciate the idea of molesting James Potter\'s son under his own cloak.\"

A slow smirk appeared on Snape\'s face. \"Ten points to Gryffindor.\"

Harry captured Snape\'s lips in a searing kiss, pushing his tongue inside Snape\'s mouth. Snape answered it, and Harry sagged against him, surrendering to Snape\'s tongue. He was kissing Snape in public, with his friends just one floor down, and that was such a forbidden and thrilling idea, Harry\'s cock started to get hard. He pressed his hips against Snape, and Snape kissed him harder in response.

\"Harry?\" Hermione\'s voice was accompanied by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

Gasping, Harry broke away from their kiss, and slipped out from under the invisibility cloak.

\"Harry?\" Hermione asked, as she rounded the bookcase. \"Are you all right? You look a bit flushed.\"

\"Er...\" Harry was at a loss of what to say. Hermione\'s gaze traveled down his body, and her eyes widened. Harry\'s trousers weren\'t wide enough to hide his obvious erection.

A book dropped to the floor to Harry\'s right, and as he glanced in that direction, the sign above that aisle swung as though someone had slapped against it. The sign read \'Adult Section\'.

\"Er...\" Harry said again, and pointed at that aisle. \"I was going through some of those books.\"

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand, and giggled, her eyes shining with amusement. \"Oh, Harry, I\'ve read all about teenage boys and their hormones. But honestly, a bookstore is hardly the place for these kind of things.\"

\"Yeah, I know,\" Harry said, laughing. \"But it kind of has a mind of its own.\"

Giggling even louder, Hermione\'s cheeks flushed red.

\"God, this is embarrassing,\" Harry said, but he too couldn\'t stop laughing. Having been caught by Hermione did convince his cock to give up and relax. Hermione wiped at her eyes and tried to catch her breath, and Harry did the same.

When they had calmed down, Harry picked up his pile of books.

\"What are those?\" Hermione asked.

\"Snape gave me a few titles to buy,\" Harry said. \"Potions books. They should help me get through my N.E.W.T.s.\"

\"Can I see them?\"

\"Of course.\" Harry let Hermione pick a book from his pile, and she skimmed it as they walked down the stairs to join the rest.

\"What was so funny?\" Ron asked. \"I could hear you laughing like mad.\"

Hermione started giggling again, and Harry gave Ron a knowing look. \"I\'ll tell you later, mate. This isn\'t something your mother or sister should hear.\"

Ron seemed content with that, and Harry strolled to the counter to pay for his books. As he waited at the end of the short queue, he felt Snape\'s hand on his shoulder.

\"Nice recovery, Potter,\" Snape whispered. Harry snorted in response. \"Do you have enough money to pay for those?\"

\"Yeah.\" Harry stepped up to the counter, and hoped the sales witch wouldn\'t notice the embarrassed flush still heating his cheeks.

Once everyone had bought their books, they decided they had earned a treat, and they made their way to Fortescue\'s Ice Cream Parlor. Harry, Ron and Hermione got a table of their own, just out of earshot of the rest of Ron\'s family. Harry licked his lips at the sight of the enormous sorbet he\'d ordered.

Hermione leaned closer to them both. \"Harry, have you considered continuing the DA this year? I\'m sure you\'ve learned a great deal this summer you can teach to the rest of us.\"

\"Actually, no, I hadn\'t thought of it,\" Harry said in all honesty. \"I don\'t think I\'ll have time to continue with the DA. There\'s our N.E.W.T. classes, and Quidditch, and I have to take remedial Potions, and that other thing I\'ve been practicing.\"

Hermione seemed to consider that.

\"Plus,\" Harry continued, \"Dumbledore told me he\'s hired a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. The DA won\'t be necessary, I think.\"

\"Who?\" Ron asked, as Hermione shot Harry a curious glance.

\"You may not like this, Ron,\" Harry said, sounding apologetic. \"Viktor Krum.\"

\"Viktor?\" Hermione shrieked, and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. \"That\'s fantastic. He hasn\'t said a word about it in our letters, though.\"

\"Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise,\" Harry mused.

Hermione smiled, looking radiant. Ron was staring daggers at her.

\"Yeah, well, maybe now you can finally go out with Vicky, after all those novels you\'ve been writing to him last year,\" Ron said darkly.

\"Don\'t be ridiculous, Ron,\" Hermione said. \"Viktor will be my Professor, and I\'ll be his student. If we were to be anything more than friends, he\'d get fired.\"

That actually seemed to cheer Ron up. \"Then you definitely should go out with him this year.\"

Harry didn\'t like the direction their conversation was going. \"Hey,\" he said to Ron. \"It could be worse.\" Ron arched an eyebrow. \"It could be Snape,\" Harry said, grinning. He was rewarded by an invisible flick of fingers against his ear.

\"God, yeah,\" Ron agreed. \"Imagine that. I\'m finally rid of that greasy bastard and his stupid Potions class, and then I\'d be stuck with him for another two years.\"

Ron\'s glass of pumpkin juice mysteriously fell over and spilled in his lap. \"Bugger, how did that happen!\" Ron reached for the pile of paper napkins, and Harry laughed so hard he had to hold onto his stomach.

After he\'d caught his breath, Harry gently steered their conversation away from Snape. He didn\'t want to risk Ron ending up with his sorbet in his face if he made anymore comments about Snape.

And Harry felt good and comfortable being around his friends again. And knowing that Snape was there and was watching over him made him feel even better. And for the first time that summer, Harry thought his next school year may very well be the best yet.


*~*~*~*~*


\"Harry, let\'s go find an empty compartment!\" Ron yelled at him from across the platform. Harry waved at him in response, and then said his goodbyes to Kingsley, Moody and Tonks. They\'d walked him to King\'s Cross safely, after Snape had left for Hogwarts by Floo that morning.

\"Thanks,\" he said to the three Aurors, and hurried after Ron, dragging his trunk and Hedwig\'s cage with him.

Hermione found them an empty compartment, and they were joined by Neville, Ginny and Luna. As soon as the train pulled out of the station, they were chattering away about their holidays and the new school year.

And though there was a lot Harry couldn\'t tell his friends, he did tell them plenty of what had happened, such as how Snape had bested him at their defense game every single time. Of course, he didn\'t mention the rewards Snape had earned. Neville seemed intimidated by the idea of taking on Snape in a duel, Ron disgusted, and Hermione looked proudly at Harry.

After an hour, their compartment door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy, flanked as always by Crabbe and Goyle.

\"Potter,\" Malfoy said, sounding like Harry\'s name was a threat all on its own.

\"Piss off, Malfoy,\" Ron replied, but Harry rose to his feet and stepped up to Malfoy.

\"Let me handle this,\" he told his friends, and then he gave Malfoy his best sneer. Harry\'d grown a few inches over the summer, and he could look Malfoy right into his silver eyes.

\"Malfoy,\" he said pleasantly. \"Your summer must have been horrible, what with your father still serving time in Azkaban. What happened? Why didn\'t Voldemort break him out? Did you refuse to drop to your hands and knees and take Voldemort\'s cock up your arse?\"

Malfoy whipped out his wand, looking furious, but Harry immediately grabbed Malfoy\'s thumb and twisted his wrist. Malfoy\'s wand clattered to the floor, and Harry silently thanked Kingsley for teaching him that trick.

He reached for his own wand, and pressed the tip to Malfoy\'s throat.

\"I will kill you, Potter,\" Malfoy snarled. \"Mark my words.\"

\"Oh, please, Malfoy,\" Harry said, sounding bored. \"I\'ve dueled Lord Voldemort himself. Twice. And I lived to tell the tale. Do you really think your empty threats mean anything to me? I suggest you go deflate your ego, and come back when you have some real power to back those pathetic words.\"

\"You haven\'t the balls to hex me, Potter,\" Malfoy said, though he looked far less sure of himself now that he didn\'t have his wand.

Harry lowered his wand. \"You\'re right. I\'m not going to waste any magic on you. You don\'t deserve it.\"

Malfoy wanted to say something, but Harry cut him off.

\"Instead, I\'m going to do this.\" Harry drew his fist back, and slammed it against Malfoy\'s pointy nose. It gave a satisfying crack, and Malfoy doubled over, blood pouring down his mouth and chin.

\"I suggest you get that looked at,\" Harry said, grinning. \"It\'s definitely broken.\"

\"Get him!\" Malfoy shouted.

\"You want to try me?\" Harry asked Crabbe and Goyle, raising both his wand and fist.

\"No,\" Goyle said. \"We don\'t want any trouble.\"

\"Good.\" Harry pushed Malfoy away from their compartment door. \"Then I suggest you two bugger off and take this little boy with you.\" Then he shoved the compartment door shut in Malfoy\'s face.

\"That felt good,\" he said, turning towards his friends. They were all staring at him with wide eyes and mouths hanging open. \"Did I mention Kingsley taught me physical combat this summer?\"

Ron howled with laughter, slapping his thighs. \"Harry, that was brilliant!\"

\"Yeah,\" Harry agreed. He thought it had been brilliant. He only regretted Snape hadn\'t seen it. Though he imagined Snape wouldn\'t be too pleased with Harry attacking one of his students.

\"Remind me not to piss you off,\" Neville said, and then he laughed. Harry shook his head, sat down and rubbed his sore knuckles.

\"Damn, but Malfoy\'s skull is thick,\" he said, which sent his friends into another round of laughter.

\"Harry,\" Hermione said, after she\'d stopped giggling. \"I hope you do realize that Malfoy isn\'t going to let this slide. I suggest you watch your back at school.\"

\"Oh, he\'s welcome to try something,\" Harry said, snickering. \"I\'ll be ready for him.\"


*~*~*~*~*


Malfoy was late for the welcoming feast. When he strolled in halfway through dinner, Harry noticed his nose looked black and blue. Harry\'s friends noticed it, too, and Malfoy was greeted with a round of laughter from the Gryffindor table. Harry expected punishment for his actions, but neither McGonagall, Dumbledore or Snape took points from him.

It wasn\'t until the next evening Snape mentioned the incident. Harry met with Snape for his first remedial Potions class, and Snape insisted they practice Occlumency before engaging in any kind of play.

\"That\'s enough for this evening,\" Snape said, after their third round. Harry took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. He was more than adequate at Occlumency these days, but it still exhausted him.

\"Do you care to tell me what happened to Malfoy last night?\" Snape asked, studying his wand.

Harry snickered. \"He fell onto my fist.\"

Snape didn\'t look amused. \"Potter, I suggest you tell me what happened if you don\'t want me to take fifty points from Gryffindor on your behalf for beating up one of my students.\"

Shrugging, Harry glanced down. \"He harassed us on the train. Threatened to kill me. So I punched him. He\'s had it coming for six years.\"

\"Hmm.\" Snape seated himself on the edge of his desk. \"I won\'t take points, because Malfoy hasn\'t reported the incident, though it\'s obvious what happened to him. Students all over the school were babbling about it today.\"

\"All right,\" Harry said.

\"And I don\'t think Malfoy was making idle threats.\"

Harry glanced up at Snape, narrowing his eyes.

\"You know Malfoy\'s contacts, Potter. It\'s not inconceivable Malfoy is going to try something against you in the hopes of impressing a mutual acquaintance of ours.\"

\"To get his father out of Azkaban,\" Harry guessed.

\"Possibly. I suggest you be very careful around Malfoy this year.\" Snape straightened himself. \"You have one minute, Potter.\"

Harry blinked at Snape, surprised. \"You want to continue our defense lessons here?\"

As a reply, Snape pointed at the door of his office. \"The clock is ticking.\"

\"Shit.\" Harry rushed out the door, and then stood still for a moment to think of a plan. He hadn\'t brought his invisibility cloak, nor the Marauder\'s Map, because he had a genuine reason to visit Snape that evening. He hadn\'t thought about needing to sneak around.

Harry turned left, and took the first corridor on his right, and found himself in a part of the dungeon he wasn\'t familiar with. Which wasn\'t a surprise, as Harry wasn\'t familiar with most of the dungeons. He cast a Feather Light Feet Charm, and walked down the corridor.

Truth was, Harry didn\'t feel like trying very hard. He\'d missed Snape the previous night, when he\'d been asleep alone in his bed in Gryffindor Tower. He wanted to make up for lost time, and Snape, as usual, insisted on working before playing.

\"Stupefy!\"

Harry hadn\'t even seen Snape appear from a corridor to his left. He hit the ground with a dull thud, and the first thing he saw after Snape enervated him was Snape\'s disapproving look.

\"Pathetic, Potter.\"

\"Sorry, sir.\"

\"Get up.\" Snape turned on his heel, and Harry scrambled to his feet and followed Snape back to his office.

\"I don\'t believe you\'ve deserved any kind of reward this evening,\" Snape said, seating himself behind his desk. \"You haven\'t even deserved the privilege of sucking my cock.\"

\"But -- \"

\"Besides, I have these tests to grade. Second year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. It will keep me busy all evening. Good night, Potter.\" Snape pulled a stack of parchment closer, and dipped his quill in a silver inkwell.

\"You gave your second years a test on their first day of school?\" Harry stared at Snape with his mouth opened.

\"Of course. I wish to see how much of last year\'s classes stuck in their feeble minds over the summer.\"

\"You\'re unbelievable,\" Harry said. Snape ignored him, but Harry wasn\'t about to go down without a fight. \"Sir, you\'ve obviously deserved a reward this evening.\"

Snape crossed out at least three paragraphs with one fluent flick of his quill, and Harry flinched on behalf of the poor student who\'d receive that test back.

\"Don\'t worry, sir,\" Harry said as he strolled towards the desk. \"I won\'t keep you from your work.\" And before Snape could reply, Harry dropped to his knees and crawled under the desk. He pushed Snape\'s legs apart, and tugged on the buttons of Snape\'s robes.

Snape\'s quill scratched harder across the parchment, but Snape said nothing.

Harry soon found his prize; Snape\'s cock was half-hard, and Harry felt it swell against his tongue when he sucked it into his mouth.

The scratching of Snape\'s quill stopped for a few seconds, and then returned with a vengeance.

Harry hummed around Snape\'s cock. He loved feeling that hard flesh between his lips and on his tongue. And after four weeks of daily blow jobs, he knew exactly how to drive Snape mad with desire. He licked under the head of Snape\'s prick, teasing the tip of his tongue against the most sensitive part of Snape\'s cock, and then sucked as much down as he could, his lips tight around the base.

A sharp snap sounded through the office, as though Snape had just broken his quill.

Moving his mouth up and down Snape\'s prick, Harry grinned, and rubbed a hand across the front of his own trousers. His cock was hard and didn\'t wish to be ignored.

And then Snape\'s cock was gone and Snape rose to his feet. \"Get up, Potter.\"

Harry peeked over the edge of the desk. \"Huh?\"

\"Drop your trousers and bend over.\"

That Harry didn\'t have to be told twice. He was on his feet at once, and as he fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, he stared at Snape, who stood behind his desk, all black robes and menacing sneer, with his hard cock jutting out from between the black fabric. Harry moaned at the sight.

As soon as his trousers and boxers were down to his knees, Harry placed his hands on the edge of the desk and presented his naked arse to Snape. \"Please,\" he whispered. \"Please, sir.\"

\"Impatient as ever,\" Snape said, and inserted two slick fingers inside Harry\'s entrance.

\"God, I\'ve missed this,\" Harry moaned, pushing his arse back against Snape\'s hand.

\"It\'s not even been 36 hours since our last fuck, Potter,\" Snape said, and Harry could tell by the tone of Snape\'s voice Snape was rolling his eyes.

\"Exactly my point.\" Harry tried to fuck himself on Snape\'s fingers. He wanted to feel more, deeper, harder. \"I\'m ready. Please.\"

\"So this is your secret fantasy, Potter,\" Snape said, his voice darkening. He slid his fingers from Harry\'s body and replaced them with his cock. \"Being fucked over a desk in your Potions master\'s office.\"

The combination of Snape\'s voice saying those things and Snape\'s cock thrusting inside him made Harry\'s arms tremble and his elbows buckle under his weight. He slumped down on Snape\'s desk, fingers grabbing at pieces of parchment as Snape pulled out and pushed back in hard.

Snape was fucking him in his office, bent over his desk, right on top of a stack of Potions tests. Harry didn\'t think he could get more aroused, and his cock throbbed, eager for release. \"Please touch me,\" he moaned. \"Please, sir.\"

Snape\'s thrusts became harder, and the heavy wooden desk shook under Harry\'s body. Snape\'s hands dug into Harry\'s hips, his thumbs spreading Harry\'s arse cheeks wide open, and when Harry glanced over his shoulder he saw Snape was staring down, watching how his cock slid in and out of Harry\'s body.

\"Oh fuck.\" Harry bit his tongue to keep from making any more embarrassing sounds. He pushed back against Snape and felt as though Snape was splitting him open, trying to fuck his way through Harry\'s body.

\"Oh fuck, please,\" Harry groaned when he couldn\'t hold back any longer. \"Please touch me.\"

Snape released a throaty chuckle, and slowed his thrusts down. His cock sheathed inside Harry, Snape rotated his hips at a torturing slow pace, his sac pressed against Harry\'s arse. Harry\'s arm flailed, and he knocked over the inkwell, red ink spilling over the side of the desk.

\"God, stop being such a bastard and touch my cock already!\" Harry yelled, feeling desperate for release with Snape\'s hot, slick cock buried so deep inside him.

\"Demanding, aren\'t we, Potter?\" Snape sounded bemused, and pulled out ever so slowly, only to thrust back in as hard as he could.

\"God, yes!\"

Snape did it again, and again, and just when Harry thought he might actually lose his mind, Snape finally reached down and closed his hand around Harry\'s neglected prick. The touch of Snape\'s fingers alone was enough to make Harry come.

\"Oh yes, yes, yes,\" he chanted, and climaxed pearly strings over the stone floor. Snape increased his pace, hands clutching at Harry\'s hips, and Harry let himself be fucked, let Snape take what he needed.

A sharp hiss, followed by a deep groan, and Snape stiffened against Harry, spurting his release deep inside Harry\'s body. Snape\'s face was tight with pleasure, and he kept his cock buried inside Harry for a while, his hands stroking across Harry\'s hips and lower back.

\"God, I needed this,\" Harry said, and glanced at Snape with a smile.

\"Hmm,\" Snape agreed. He slid his cock from Harry, and took a step back, giving Harry room to get up.

\"Do you need to clean yourself up?\" Snape asked, tucking himself away.

\"Nah. I\'ll take a shower before bed.\" Harry reached for his trousers, and tried to make himself presentable again.

Snape glanced at the clock. \"You should leave. It\'s past curfew.\"

This was the part Harry didn\'t like. He wanted to crawl into bed with Snape, fall asleep curled against him, as they\'d done during the summer.

\"You\'ll see me tomorrow in class,\" Snape said, as though he understood Harry\'s reluctance to leave.

\"Yeah.\" Harry curled his arm around Snape\'s waist, and rested his cheek on Snape\'s shoulder. Snape glanced down, and kissed him. Harry smiled against Snape\'s mouth, and drew their kiss out for as long as Snape let him. Then Snape stepped back, and Harry got the message. He turned towards the door.

\"Potter. Be careful around Malfoy,\" Snape said, sounding earnest.

Harry smirked at him. \"Save your sentiments for someone who needs them.\"

Snorting, Snape waved Harry out of his office, and Harry snickered all the way up to the Great Hall.


*~*~*~*~*


The first week passed in a blur of classes, homework, Quidditch practice, lots of remedial Potions, and not nearly enough sleep. That Monday found Harry and his friends in the Great Hall for dinner. As Harry slid down on the bench, Hedwig swooped into the hall, carrying a roll of parchment.

\"For me? Thanks, girl,\" Harry said, accepting the letter. Hedwig nipped his finger, and took off again.

\"It\'s from Remus,\" Harry told his friends once he\'d opened the letter. \"I sent Hedwig to him with some more chocolate yesterday.\"

Dear Harry,

I\'m happy to tell you I\'ve been released from St Mungo\'s today. The books and chocolate you\'ve sent me have helped a great deal with my recovery, as has the potion you and our mutual friend have brewed for me. Thank you very much. And please thank Ron, Hermione and Ginny on my behalf for the lovely get-well-cards they\'ve sent me. I\'ll write to them personally later this week, after I settle back in you know where.

Your friend,

Remus.

Harry smiled. \"He got released from St Mungo\'s today.\"

\"That\'s great,\" Hermione said. Harry handed her the letter so she could read for herself.

Ron, in the meantime, was directing his best glare at the Head Table. He\'d been doing that a lot the past week. Even after their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, in which Krum had proved to know enough of the subject to be a decent teacher, Ron had kept casting him hateful glares whenever they were in the Great Hall.

\"Ron? Ron!\" Hermione sounded agitated. Ron glanced at her. \"Lupin is home.\"

\"Oh. That\'s good,\" Ron said, and went back to glaring at Krum. Only the arrival of their dinner distracted Ron enough to stop his newfound obsession.

\"I\'m starving,\" Harry said, and reached for his knife and fork. And then someone rudely pushed him in the back. Harry shifted, and saw Malfoy standing behind him.

And Malfoy wasn\'t alone. He was surrounded by Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Zabini, Bullstrode and Parkinson. Malfoy shoved Harry to the side and snatched the letter from Hermione\'s hands.

\"What have you got there, Potter?\" Malfoy handed the letter to Nott, while Crabbe and Zabini gave Ron a push.

\"Your friend Remus?\" Nott said in a singsong voice. \"Who is he, Potter? Your boyfriend, you little faggot?\"

Harry\'s cheeks flushed, and he silently cursed himself. He inhaled a deep breath, remembering all the lessons Snape had taught him about control. \"Are you afraid to talk to me alone, Malfoy? Is that why you need your whole class with you to come over here?\"

Malfoy sneered at him, and then someone cleared their throat at the other end of the hall. McGonagall had risen from her seat and was staring in their direction. Malfoy took the letter from Nott, and threw it back at Harry.

\"Remember my promise, scarhead,\" he said, his voice tight. Then he patted Harry on his head, and turned away. The rest of the Slytherins followed him back to their own table.

Harry glanced at the Head Table, and caught Snape\'s questioning gaze. Harry gave an almost invisible shrug in response, and turned back to his dinner.

\"I say you should punch him again, Harry,\" Ron said. His cheeks were flushed with anger. \"Maybe that will teach that ferret a lesson.\"

\"He was just trying to intimidate you,\" Hermione said, and Harry nodded at her.

\"Yeah. And he did a piss-poor job at it.\" Harry picked up his knife and fork again, and cut up his steak. He took a bite, and didn\'t bother savoring the taste. He was starving. He took another bite, and another, and when he wanted to try some of the mashed potatoes, a nasty flare of pain ripped through his stomach.

Harry knew that feeling. He\'d felt it once before, when Snape had thought it a good idea to poison him.

Glancing at the Head Table, Harry wondered if Snape was trying to teach him a lesson again. And then he wanted to slap his own head.

Malfoy. Or course.

Snape curved an eyebrow, and Harry shook his head once, to signal him not to interfere with anything. Inhaling a deep breath, Harry looked at his friends, and once he\'d got their attention, he inconspicuously reached for the last of his steak and slipped it in his pocket.

\"I\'ll be right back,\" Harry said, acting as though nothing was wrong. \"I forgot something.\"

Ron and Hermione shared a confused look, but Harry gave them a reassuring smile. He got up, and strolled out of the hall as casually as he could. Malfoy was staring at him, and Harry gave him a smirk, as though he had just tried to poison Malfoy. Once in the corridor, Harry grabbed the piece of steak and got out his wand.

\"Toxicum Acclaro!\"

A purple mist appeared around the piece of meat, and since Harry had revised the chapter on poisons after Snape\'s stunt, he knew exactly which poison Malfoy had used. Harry had even brewed it over the summer.

It was called Wishful Death, and it was made from a combination of aconite and the poison of the Wandering Spider, one of the most venomous spiders in the world. The combination of those two ingredients, as Snape had explained it, ensured the only symptoms it caused were stomach pains and a slight drowsiness, while the poison killed within the hour. That\'s where it had got its name, because it was, in a morbid sense, a wishful way to die.

Harry shuddered, and then forced himself to stay calm. He knew if he got excited, the poison would spread faster through his body. Focusing on his breathing, keeping it slow and deep, Harry walked to Gryffindor Tower.

Once in his dormitory, he took his potions box from his trunk, and opened it with a touch of his hand and the password. \"Dogstar,\" he said while thinking of a basilisk. He\'d decided on a password in parseltongue, because that guaranteed no one at Hogwarts was able to open it besides Harry.

He sorted through the vials of antidotes, and uncorked the correct one. And as he put the vial to his lips, a small flutter of panic danced through his chest. What if he\'d done something wrong? What if he\'d identified the poison incorrectly?

But no. Snape had taught him too well for him to make any mistakes. Harry downed the antidote, and leaned back against his trunk. He waited, biting his lip, and after a minute of stomach cramps, the pain finally dissolved.

And for the first time, Harry silently thanked Snape for poisoning him. If it hadn\'t been for that experience, he doubted he\'d have known Malfoy had poisoned him. He\'d have probably thought he\'d eaten something wrong, and feeling tired, he\'d have gone to bed. And he\'d have died in his sleep.

Harry slammed his potions box shut. Malfoy was going to pay for this, and Harry knew exactly how. He got his bag, and shoved his invisibility cloak and the Marauder\'s Map into it.

As he walked back to the Great Hall, Harry had to give it to Malfoy; it had been a perfect plan to kill him. Cause a distraction at Harry\'s table, pour a vial of poison over his food, wait an hour, and Harry Potter was dead.

Harry gritted his teeth, then squared his shoulders, and stepped through the doors of the Great Hall as if someone hadn\'t just made an attempt at his life. He smiled at Ron and Hermione.

\"Forgot my bag,\" he said, seating himself beside Ron. He pushed his plate of food away. \"And I\'ve lost my appetite.\"

Which was true. The combination of the poison and the antidote saw to that.

\"Are you all right?\" Hermione asked.

\"Yeah, sure,\" Harry said. \"Why shouldn\'t I be?\" He looked over at the Slytherin table, and once he caught Malfoy\'s gaze, he gave Malfoy his brightest smile. Harry wanted to laugh at Malfoy\'s nonplussed look. That little ferret had to be breaking his head why Harry Potter wasn\'t dropping dead yet.

Pomfrey, Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, they were all seated at the Head Table. Harry knew Malfoy had to be wondering how on earth Harry could have evaded his plan without their help.

And then Harry realized something. \"Ron? Hermione? Do you have any stomach cramps?\"

\"Huh?\" Ron looked confused.

\"Seriously,\" Harry urged. \"Is your stomach painful at all?\"

\"No,\" Hermione said. Ron shook his head.

\"Good,\" Harry said, and at their suspicious looks, he added, \"Just wondering.\" He didn\'t want to tell his friends, or anyone else for that matter, what Malfoy had done. Not until after he got his revenge on that Slytherin bastard. Harry looked at the Head Table. Snape stared at him with narrowed eyes, and Harry smiled in response. Snape turned his head away with a disgusted look on his face.

As dinner drew to an end, students and teachers started leaving the Great Hall. Harry waited until Malfoy left, and then he got the Marauder\'s Map out.

\"What are you doing?\" Hermione asked.

\"Just checking something,\" Harry said. Malfoy was making his way to the Hospital Wing. Harry also noticed something else. \"Oh look, Krum is coming our way.\" That got both Hermione and Ron off his back. Hermione started fumbling with her hair, and Ron dropped his fork.

\"I have something to do,\" Harry told his friends as he got to his feet. \"I\'ll see you in the common room later.\" But neither Hermione or Ron heard him, as Krum had just arrived at their table. Harry hurried out of the Great Hall, and once he reached a corridor free of other students, he slipped under his invisibility cloak. The map still in his hand, Harry walked towards the Hospital Wing. Malfoy\'s dot was standing close to Pomfrey\'s dot on the map, and Harry guessed Malfoy was getting a final check up on his recently healed nose.

Harry waited a few corridors down from the Hospital Wing, and he didn\'t start walking again until Malfoy left the infirmary. Smiling at his own cleverness, Harry cast a Feather Light Feet Charm on himself, and sneaked after Malfoy. As soon as he saw Malfoy\'s blond head come into view, Harry took his wand out.

\"Oh Malfoy,\" he said, thinking of a basilisk. Malfoy whipped around on his feet, looking as though he expected a giant snake to slither up to him.

\"Who\'s there?\" Malfoy asked, getting his wand out.

\"Oh Malfoy, you naughty, naughty Slytherin,\" Harry whispered. The basilisk was clear in his mind as he spoke. Malfoy turned on his heels a few times, but there was no one there, save for Harry under his invisibility cloak.

\"You\'ve deserved punishment, you nasty little boy.\" Harry aimed his wand, the basilisk still locked in his thoughts. \"Occaecare!\"

When the blinding yellow beam from Harry\'s wand struck, Malfoy dropped to the floor, screaming.

Harry stood frozen to the ground. That wasn\'t supposed to happen.

Malfoy screamed, legs trashing and hands clawing at his eyes. He screamed as though he\'d just been hit with the Cruciatus Curse.

Harry knew Malfoy had always been a bit of a drama queen, but this time he sounded as if he were in real pain. But the Blinding Curse wasn\'t supposed to hurt. Harry had just wanted to give Malfoy a good scare.

\"Shit,\" Harry said, and ripped his cloak off. He dropped to his knees beside Malfoy, and yanked Malfoy\'s hands away from his face. Malfoy\'s eyes weren\'t just bloodshot, there was blood dripping down Malfoy\'s cheeks.

\"Oh fuck.\" Harry was trembling, unsure what to do. He could run, and no one had to know he\'d cursed Malfoy. But as much as Harry despised Malfoy, he couldn\'t leave him behind like that. He had to at least end the curse.

Aiming his wand at Malfoy, Harry said, \"Finite Incantatem.\"

Malfoy kept creaming and thrashing, as if he wasn\'t even aware of Harry\'s presence.

Harry aimed his wand again, and thought of a basilisk. \"Finite Incantatem!\"

Nothing happened. Malfoy tried to claw at his eyes again, blood now dripping down his temples to the floor, legs jerking as if he\'d gone into a seizure.

\"Fuck, fuck, fuck!\" Harry shoved his cloak and wand into his bag, and pulled at Malfoy\'s shoulder. \"Malfoy, get up.\"

But Malfoy didn\'t appear to have heard Harry.

\"Draco. Draco! Draco!\" Harry\'s voice finally rose above Malfoy\'s screams, and Malfoy closed his mouth long enough for Harry to say, \"I\'m taking you to the Hospital Wing. Please get up.\"

\"Potter,\" Malfoy croaked, as Harry pulled him to his feet. \"What -- \" Malfoy cut off and started screaming again. Harry locked his arm around Malfoy\'s waist, grabbed Malfoy\'s arm around his neck, and hauled Malfoy with him as fast as he could. Malfoy was barely walking, his feet dragging over the floor.

As they reached the corridor leading to the infirmary, Pomfrey came rushing towards them. \"What is going on. I heard -- \" Her mouth dropped open as she looked at Draco. \"This way!\" She led Harry inside the Hospital Wing and urged him towards the first available bed. Harry lowered a still thrashing Malfoy to it as best as he could.

\"What happened to him?\" Pomfrey asked, waving her wand over Malfoy. Bonds sprang from the side of the bed, tightening around Malfoy\'s wrists and ankles.

\"A curse,\" Harry said, his voice trembling. \"I cast a Blinding Curse on him. This wasn\'t supposed to happen.\"

Pomfrey\'s eyes narrowed, and Harry didn\'t think he\'d ever seen Pomfrey look that angry before. \"Well have I ever. Dark Arts.\" She turned towards a few younger students gathered around a patient in a bed opposite them. \"You, fetch the Headmaster. You, fetch Professor Snape.\" She turned to Harry. \"And you stay right where you are, Mr Potter.\"

Harry clutched both his hands in his hair, standing at the foot of Malfoy\'s bed. He actually felt like crying.

Pomfrey poured four different potions down Malfoy\'s throat, and Malfoy finally stopped thrashing and screaming. Instead, a slow, pained moan escaped from his lips. The bleeding hadn\'t stopped, and Malfoy\'s blond hair around his temples colored crimson.

The doors banged open, and Dumbledore swept inside. He didn\'t even look at Harry or Pomfrey, but stopped beside Malfoy\'s bed and put a hand on Malfoy\'s forehead. He drew it back as though he\'d been burned. The doors banged open again, and Snape stalked inside. He did look at Harry, and Harry flinched at the furious gleam in his eyes.

\"What happened?\" Snape asked, rounding the bed so he stood on Dumbledore\'s opposite side.

\"I – I – I cast a Blinding Curse on him,\" Harry said, his voice cracking.

\"This is not the result of a Blinding Curse!\" Snape roared, and Harry could tell he was really, very angry. \"Headmaster, I demand the Potter boy be expelled at once!\"

Harry\'s legs dropped out from under him, and he sank to the floor. He knew without a doubt Dumbledore would expel him for this. And he couldn\'t even disagree with him. He deserved to be expelled for this. He tightened both hands in his hair, rocking back and forth on his heels.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry\'s shoulder, and Harry glanced up at him. Dumbledore\'s blue eyes had darkened with anger.

\"Harry, tell me what spell you used on Mr Malfoy.\"

\"The Blinding Curse!\" Harry yelled, feeling panicked. \"I swear!\" He pulled his bag off his shoulder, upturning it. Then he offered his wand to Dumbledore with trembling hands. \"Please, sir. I swear, it was only a Blinding Curse. None of this was supposed to happen.\"

Dumbledore accepted Harry wand, and aimed it at one of the tall windows. \"Priori Incantatem.\"

A jet of yellow light, not nearly as bright as Harry\'s had been, shot towards the windows. It vanished into thin air. Dumbledore looked at Snape with an unreadable expression on his face, and they both stayed quiet for a long time. That upset Harry even more.

\"Malfoy poisoned me during dinner,\" Harry said, and reached inside his robes. He offered the piece of steak to Snape. \"There. He used Wishful Death on me. I just wanted to get back at him. I just wanted to give him a scare. The Blinding Curse isn\'t supposed to hurt.\"

\"Potter, be quiet.\" Snape snatched the piece of steak from Harry, and muttered the identifying spell. Purple mist rose up, and Snape nodded at Dumbledore.

\"Poppy,\" Dumbledore started, but Pomfrey cut him off with a wave of her hand.

\"I believe I can heal him, Headmaster,\" she said. \"Although it will take some time.\"

\"We will leave you to it then. Severus, Harry, I wish to speak to you both in my office right away.\"

Harry accepted his wand back, and stuffed it in his bag along with his other possessions. Then Snape closed his fingers around Harry\'s upper arm and pulled him to his feet. Snape\'s grip was strong and painful, but Harry didn\'t even dare try to pull away from it as they followed Dumbledore through the corridors to his office.

Inside, Dumbledore waved at two chairs, and sat himself down behind his desk. Harry sank down in one of the seats, feeling exhausted and scared. He pulled off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes.

\"Harry, I need you to tell me exactly what happened,\" Dumbledore said, sounding as calm as ever, though there was nothing cheerful about his voice. \"But first, where did you learn the Blinding Curse?\"

Harry glanced at Snape, who sat in a chair beside him. \"I – I saw it in a book in the library at Grimmauld Place,\" Harry said, focusing his gaze on Dumbledore. He made sure his mind was locked. \"I was selecting a few books on Dark Arts to send to Remus, and I paged through them to make sure Remus would find them interesting. I saw the curse in one of them.\"

Dumbledore nodded his head. \"Now tell me what happened this evening between you and Mr Malfoy.\"

Looking down at his shoes, Harry released a quivering breath. \"During dinner, Malfoy came up to us and caused a distraction. He poured Wishful Death over my food. I didn\'t notice him doing it. But I felt it as soon as I\'d taken a few bites.\"

\"If Mr Malfoy poisoned you, why didn\'t you come to me or any of your other teachers?\"

Harry still avoided Dumbledore\'s eyes. \"Because I thought I could handle it on my own. I\'ve been revising poisons over the summer.\"

Snape gave a tight nod of confirmation at that.

\"Where did you get the antidote?\" Dumbledore asked. \"I assume you took it, otherwise you wouldn\'t be sitting here right now.\"

Harry nodded. \"As part of his tutoring, Professor Snape made me brew a few antidotes over the summer. I took some, because it seemed convenient to have them.\"

\"Very well. I don\'t believe I can find any fault in that, don\'t you agree, Severus?\"

Snape gave another tight nod, though he seemed anything but pleased.

\"Continue, Harry.\"

\"After dinner, I followed Malfoy. I used my invisibility cloak, because I wanted to scare him. And I used that curse, because I knew – I thought it wouldn\'t cause him any real damage. I thought it would blind him for a day. That seemed a good enough revenge for him poisoning me. But when I cast it, things went all wrong. I tried to end the curse, but nothing happened. So I took Malfoy to the hospital wing.\"

\"Harry, I need you to tell me exactly what you were doing when you cast that curse. What were you thinking? Feeling?\"

\"I – er -- \" Harry closed his mouth, staring at Dumbledore with wide eyes. \"I cast it in parseltongue.\"

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, running a hand down his long beard. Beside Harry, Snape inhaled a sharp breath.

\"But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not,\" Dumbledore said, sounding thoughtful.

\"Of course,\" Snape said. \"We\'ve been interpreting that incorrectly all along.\"

\"What?\" Harry asked, at a loss of what Snape meant.

\"The prophecy, you idiot boy,\" Snape snarled. \"You have a power the Dark Lord doesn\'t have.\"

\"I do?\"

\"Harry, when you cast this Blinding Curse in parseltongue, you altered its magic. The result was far more damaging than it should have been,\" Dumbledore said. \"Tell me, how did casting that curse in parseltongue made you feel?\"

Harry pursed his lips. He understood what Dumbledore was trying to ask him. He wanted to know if Harry had accidentally used dark magic. \"It felt like casting any other spell, sir. Like casting a Levitation Spell.\"

Dumbledore seemed to relax at hearing that reply. \"Then I think it\'s now time to discuss your punishment.\"

\"I demand the boy be given detention. With me. I have a few barrels of toads that need disemboweling,\" Snape said, though he didn\'t sound as angry as he had done before.

\"Three weeks of detention with Professor Snape,\" Dumbledore said. Harry wasn\'t sure how he felt about that. He wasn\'t sure how Snape felt about him at that moment. But he nodded. He knew he\'d deserved some sort of punishment, and he was quite relieved Dumbledore wasn\'t going to expel him.

\"And fifty points from Gryffindor for using Dark Arts in this school,\" Dumbledore added. Harry nodded once more.

\"I\'m sorry, sir. I swear I won\'t do it again.\"

\"And Severus, I believe it may be useful if you examine Harry\'s ability to cast spells in parseltongue during your private lesson together.\"

\"Of course, Headmaster.\"

\"Now if you\'ll excuse us, Harry. Professor Snape and I have the matter of Mr Malfoy\'s punishment to discuss.\"

\"Wait outside that door for me, Potter. Your detention will start at once.\"

Harry nodded at Dumbledore and Snape, got his bag, and hurried out of the office. Outside, he sagged against the wall. He still wasn\'t sure what had happened exactly. He did know that he\'d seriously injured another student. And even if that student was Malfoy, Harry hated himself for it.

An eternity of self-doubt later, the door opened, and Snape stepped out. He motioned for Harry to follow him.

\"What\'s going to happen to Malfoy?\" Harry asked.

\"Be quiet, Potter,\" Snape said, and Harry snapped his mouth shut. He trailed after Snape until they reached Snape\'s office. Inside, Snape walked towards his desk, but didn\'t sit down. He looked at a loss of what to do.

\"Come with me,\" he finally said, and pushed a side door open. It led to a hidden, narrow corridor, and Harry followed Snape, unsure where Snape was taking him.

Snape\'s private quarters, as it turned out. Harry found himself in a small living area, with a fireplace, a couch, a desk against the wall, and several bookshelves filled with books.

\"Sit down.\"

Harry lowered himself to the couch, sliding his bag to the floor. Snape opened the door of a small cabinet, reached for a glass, glanced at Harry, and reached for a second glass. He carried them to the small coffee table, together with a bottle. He filled both snifters, and pushed one in Harry\'s direction.

\"What is it?\" Harry asked. He didn\'t recognize the bottle. The label was in French.

\"Cognac,\" Snape said, seating himself beside Harry. \"A very old and very expensive bottle of cognac. A present from Lucius Malfoy. I think the irony won\'t be lost on you.\" Snape downed his glass, and refilled it.

Harry took a small sip, and grimaced. He put the glass back down and glanced to his side. Snape looked as exhausted as Harry felt.

\"While under normal circumstances attempted homicide will result in expulsion, the Headmaster has decided Malfoy will remain a student at this school.\"

\"Why?\" Harry asked. He tried the liquor again, and this time it didn\'t taste as badly. It warmed him nicely on the inside.

\"Because, Potter, you and I both know if Malfoy is expelled, he\'ll go running to the Dark Lord. Dumbledore knows this as well.\"

\"Ah.\"

\"However, Malfoy will be serving detention until Christmas. Once he leaves the Hospital Wing, that is.\"

\"With you?\"

Snape shook his head. \"Filch. And Dumbledore.\"

Harry drank the last of his cognac. It made his eyes water. He put the glass down and shifted a little closer to Snape. \"I\'m really sorry for what happened.\"

Replacing his glass on the table, Snape turned towards Harry. \"You have no idea of the impact of this, have you, Potter?\"

Harry shrugged.

Snape cupped Harry\'s face with both hands. \"You have a gift, a power, no other wizard has. You can alter a spell by casting it in a different language. I can\'t do that. Dumbledore can\'t do that. Even the Dark Lord can\'t do that.\"

\"But I had no idea what was going to happen,\" Harry whispered.

\"That is of no matter.\" Snape got to his feet, and paced in front of the couch. \"Let me put it this way, Potter. I\'m quite sure you remember how to cast the Blood Boiling Curse. I suggest that during your next confrontation with the Dark Lord, you cast that at him in parseltongue, and I\'m convinced that will rid us of our Dark Lord problem for good.\"

Harry gaped at Snape.

\"This ability makes you possibly the most powerful wizard in the world,\" Snape said, leaning over Harry.

\"I don\'t understand,\" Harry said. He didn\'t want to understand it.

\"Cast a Levitation Spell in parseltongue. But don\'t aim at me.\" Snape stepped out of the way. \"Go on.\"

Harry reached for his wand. He licked his lips, swallowing, thought of a basilisk, and then pointed his wand at the bottle of cognac. \"Wingardium Leviosa.\"

The bottle shot up two feet, and exploded, sending liquid and glass flying everywhere. Both Snape and Harry raised their arms over their faces to ward it off.

\"I was planning on finishing that bottle this evening,\" Snape said, cleaning up the mess with a flick of his wand. \"Thank you for depriving me of the chance of getting pissed good and proper on Malfoy\'s priceless cognac.\"

Harry managed a small smile. \"Sorry.\"

Snape sat down beside Harry again. \"Do you now see how useful this gift can be?\"

\"Yeah.\" Harry inched closer to Snape, resting his cheek on Snape\'s shoulder. \"So you aren\'t mad at me?\"

\"Mad at you?\" Snape said, as though it were the most ridiculous thing Harry had ever suggested. \"Potter, I should be kissing your feet.\"

\"Can you maybe just kiss me here?\" Harry touched a finger to his lips. Snape stared down at him for a few seconds, and then cupped the back of Harry\'s neck, pressing a long kiss to Harry\'s lips.

Harry crawled into Snape\'s lap, pressing his face against Snape\'s throat. \"But Vol – the Dark Lord speaks parseltongue, too.\"

\"But he can\'t alter spells with it,\" Snape said, stroking a hand across Harry\'s back. \"Trust me, if he could, he\'d be ruling over Britain as we speak.\"

\"I don\'t want it,\" Harry whispered. \"I don\'t want this power.\"

Snape pressed his lips against Harry\'s forehead. \"You noble, little Gryffindor. People would sell their souls for his kind of power.\" He tipped Harry\'s chin up. \"You have the power to kill him, Potter. The next time he confronts you, you won\'t be helpless anymore. You will kill him.\"

Harry lowered his eyes. \"What do you suppose will happen to me if I cast dark magic in parseltongue?\"

\"I suggest you don\'t find out until you come face to face with him.\"

\"But what if it turns me into – into someone like him?\"

Snape offered Harry a teasing smile. \"I told you, Potter, I won\'t let you.\"

Harry kissed Snape, and desperately tried to believe him.


*~*~*~*~*


Snape sent him back to Gryffindor Tower a few minutes after curfew. Harry wanted nothing more than to stay with Snape, but he knew there was no way they could justify a student spending an entire night with a Professor.

Harry took his time walking back to Gryffindor Tower, trying to let everything that had happened sink in. But by the time he reached The Fat Lady, his mind was still in turmoil, and he was too exhausted to try to make sense of it.

As he stepped inside the common room, he was met with surprised shrieks and worried faces.

\"Harry!\" Hermione jumped to her feet.

\"Mate, what happened?\" Ron stood in front of him at once. \"Rumor has it you killed Malfoy!\"

Harry stared at his friends, and memories rushed to the front of his mind. Malfoy bleeding from his eyes. Malfoy\'s screams echoing between the bare walls. Malfoy trashing in his arms. It was too much. Harry felt his eyes fill with tears, and he turned on his feet and rushed up the stairs.

By the time his friends reached his dormitory, Harry had wiped his eyes dry again.

\"Harry?\" Hermione took a few careful steps towards the bed. Ginny and Neville trailed behind her.

Ron rounded Harry\'s bed and sat down beside him. \"Harry. What\'s going on?\"

Gesturing for his friends to join him on his bed, Harry cleared his throat, and started telling his friends what had happened. He gave them the version he\'d told Dumbledore. He told them about dark magic, and what Snape had said about it. It cost him some trouble to keep his voice from cracking when he described Malfoy\'s condition, but he made it through the story without breaking down.

After he finished, he was met with a shocked silence.

\"Bloody hell,\" Ron whispered. Hermione reached for Harry\'s hand. Neville and Ginny kept quiet.

\"Oh, Harry,\" Hermione said, and squeezed his hand.

\"I\'m scared,\" Harry said, and wiped at his eyes furiously. \"I\'m really scared.\"

\"Me, too,\" Hermione said, and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry pressed his face against her shoulder and hoped his friends wouldn\'t see his tears.


*~*~*~*~*


The next afternoon, Harry pushed the doors to the infirmary open. Malfoy sat up in his bed. His hair was blond again, not the crimson that had haunted Harry all throughout the night, but his eyes were hidden behind a thick layer of bandage.

\"Who\'s there?\" Malfoy asked.

Harry walked up to his bed. \"It\'s Harry.\"

\"Oh. Come to finish the job, Potter?\"

\"No. I\'ve brought you some chocolate.\" Harry placed the slap of Honeyduke\'s Finest Dark Chocolate on the table beside the bed.

\"Are you going to try to poison me now?\"

Harry snorted. \"No. This may come as a surprise to you, Malfoy, but there is only one person on this planet I want to kill, and it isn\'t you.\"

\"Whatever you say.\" Malfoy inched his hand towards the table, feeling his way around. He found the chocolate, and brought it to his lap. As he ripped at the paper, Harry cleared his throat.

\"I want to apologize for what I\'ve done to you.\"

\"Oh, please, Potter. I tried to poison you yesterday. You got your revenge. And now you want to apologize. Do grow a spine.\"

\"I...er...didn\'t mean to hurt you.\" Harry fidgeted with a button on his robes. \"How are you feeling?\"

\"As if I\'ve been put under Cruciatus for about a week,\" Malfoy said, and snapped a piece of chocolate in half.

\"Ah. But you\'ll be able to see again, won\'t you?\"

\"Pomfrey seems to think so.\" Malfoy swallowed his mouthful of chocolate. \"Please stop being nice to me, Potter. It isn\'t natural.\"

Harry snickered. \"I can\'t disagree with you on that.\"

\"And now we\'re agreeing on something. Stop it.\" Malfoy tried to hide a smile by stuffing more chocolate in his mouth.

Harry grinned, but when he realized Malfoy couldn\'t see it, he stopped. \"I just want to say something, and then I\'ll be out of here.\"

\"Get on with it.\"

\"I will kill him, Draco. It\'s your decision on which side you will be when I do. That\'s all.\" Harry turned around to leave.

\"Potter?\"

\"Yeah?\" Harry looked at Malfoy over his shoulder.

\"See you around. Soon, I hope.\" Malfoy rubbed his fingers over the bandage, and then broke off another piece of chocolate.

Harry chuckled, and when he left the infirmary, he felt a bit better than he\'d done all day.


*~*~*~*~*

\"I\'ve never seen a Summoning Charm lead to this effect,\" Snape said, hardly disguising the chuckle in his voice.

Harry stared at the torched book. \"Me neither.\" He grinned at Snape.

\"I think that\'s enough for this evening,\" Snape said, and gestured towards the couch. Harry tucked his wand away and took a seat, while Snape summoned a pot of tea.

They\'d spent Harry\'s three weeks of detention examining Harry\'s ability to cast spells in parseltongue. They\'d stuck to mundane, simple spells, but the effects always were disastrous. One of the main problems was that Harry had no control over the altered effects. Which explained why his \'Finite Incantatems\' in parseltongue never led to the desired effect. If anything, they only made things worse.

Snape hadn\'t made Harry disembowel those toads – he\'d saved that for a couple of unfortunate third-years who\'d blown up a cauldron in his class. Harry didn\'t mind, of course, and enjoyed the extra time he got to spend with Snape.

\"Thanks,\" he said, when Snape put a cup of tea down in front of him. \"Work is over, isn\'t it?\"

\"Indeed.\" Snape sat down beside Harry, and gave him a lewd grin.

Harry snickered, and shifted closer to Snape. His lips found Snape\'s, and his tongue teased its way inside Snape\'s mouth. Harry moaned into their kiss, and pressed closer when Snape cupped the back of Harry\'s head.

\"Bed?\" Snape asked, as he\'d done most nights of Harry\'s detention.

\"Yeah,\" Harry said, and then toyed with one of the buttons on Snape\'s robes. \"But I wanted to ask you something.\"

\"What?\"

\"Well, up until now, we\'ve always – you\'ve always -- \"

\"Spit it out, Potter.\"

Harry worried his lip. \"I was just wondering if maybe I could have sex with you sometime. If I could fuck you.\"

Snape\'s stare was impassive.

\"I mean, I like it when you fuck me. Hell, I love it, but I was just wondering what it would be like to fuck you.\" Harry really hoped Snape wouldn\'t get angry with him.

Snape\'s lips quirked up. \"You wish to make me the victim of your pubescent experimentation?\"

\"Er...\"

\"This would be your first time, am I right?\"

\"Yeah.\"

Snape got up, and pulled Harry up with him. \"Very well. We\'ll see how far you get before you fall prey to premature ejaculation.\"

Harry had no idea what Snape had just said, only that it had sounded like consent. His cock sprang to immediate attention, though Harry didn\'t share its enthusiasm. Yes, he wanted to fuck Snape, but that idea also intimidated him to no end.

\"I\'m nervous,\" he said, once they were inside Snape\'s bedroom.

Snape snorted. \"I suggest you be quiet. You know the mechanics. And honestly, you can\'t be any worse than him.\"

Harry leaned his forehead against Snape\'s chest, groaning. \"You\'re not going to make this easy for me, are you?\"

\"No,\" Snape said with a chuckle, and tilted Harry\'s chin up. \"Now, shut up and fuck me.\" The searing kiss that followed made Harry\'s toes curl, and gave him just enough courage to start unbuttoning Snape\'s robes. Snape returned the favor, and soon there were hands stroking across Harry\'s naked chest and Harry felt warm skin under his own touch.

\"Bed?\" Harry asked, sounding just a bit unsure. Snape nodded, and lay down on the sheets. Harry stared at him, at all that naked, pale flesh, Snape\'s hard cock lying in a patch of black hair, Snape\'s dark eyes regarding him, and Snape\'s finger beckoning him.

Right. Harry shook himself, and crawled on the sheets beside Snape. Harry had expected Snape to position himself on his hands and knees – it was Snape\'s favorite position to fuck Harry. But Snape remained on his back as he parted his legs.

\"Like this?\" Harry asked, tracing a finger down Snape\'s chest.

\"Yes. I\'d like to see who is fucking me.\"

Of course. Harry still had trouble accepting Snape had done that with Voldemort. Harry tried not to think about it very often, though Snape didn\'t seem to have a problem with it.

\"Okay.\" Harry reached for the vial of lubricant on the nightstand. Snape drew his legs up, and Harry shifted between them, pouring lube over his fingers. Snape had done this to him countless times, so Harry knew what he was supposed to do. Still, touching the tip of his slick finger to Snape\'s entrance was a wondrous experience. Sliding it inside even more so.

\"Yes,\" Snape said, and one corner of his mouth curved up. Harry found courage in that, and moved his finger in and out of Snape\'s body. It was hot and tight, and the thought of replacing his finger with his cock was almost too much for Harry to handle. His hand trembled, and he tried to steady it as he added another finger.

\"Yes,\" Snape said again, and Harry moved his fingers faster, much like Snape always did with him. Snape\'s mouth twitched and his brow furrowed, and Harry was lost in that abandoned expression, until Snape reminded him there was more to it than this.

\"I\'m ready, Potter.\"

\"Okay.\" Harry inched closer, drew his fingers from Snape\'s body, and stroked his cock a few times. Then he pressed the head against Snape\'s pucker, his hand curled around the back of Snape\'s knee. He pushed, and pushed again, and Snape\'s body gave way, and Harry was buried inside tight, slick heat.

\"Oh fuck,\" he gasped, leaning over Snape.

Snape stared up at him, pupils dilating, and Harry held his gaze as he pulled his hips back and thrust inside.

\"Oh god, oh god, this is so good.\"

\"Now you know why I prefer to do it so often,\" Snape said, his voice deep and hitching. Harry would have laughed, but he felt too overwhelmed by actually having his cock inside Snape. He was fucking Snape.

Snape was letting Harry fuck him.

\"Oh god, I don\'t think – ah, I can last,\" Harry breathed, pumping his hips harder and harder, as though they had a mind of their own. Snape reached for his own cock, and stroked it hard. It made Harry want to thrust even harder, so he did, and Snape bucked his hips back against Harry.

And they were fucking, together.

Harry stared into Snape\'s eyes, and let them draw him in, capture him, like Snape\'s eyes always did when Harry was close to coming. Harry thrust again, as deep as he could, and his sac tensed, and he came with a strangled groan, eyes still locked with Snape\'s. His cocked twitched deep inside Snape\'s body, release spilling in uneven waves.

\"God, yes,\" Harry sighed. He braced himself on his arms, hands beside Snape\'s shoulders, and he could tell by Snape\'s narrowed eyes Snape was close as well. A deep groan and a curled lip, almost a smile, and Snape climaxed with Harry\'s cock still sheathed inside him.

Harry felt overwhelmed. There was heat inside him, bubbling to the surface, forcing itself out his mouth.

\"I love you,\" he whispered, before he could bite those words back.

Snape\'s eyes widened, and Harry\'s did, too, and Harry was sucked into a mind that wasn\'t his own. He hadn\'t know there was a connection, but he saw Snape\'s memories flash before his eyes. One image chased him, and unrolled in colors and sounds.

\"I demand you let me use Veritaserum on the boy, Headmaster,\" Snape said.

\"Severus, that really won\'t be necessary.\"

\"There were incriminating memories in that pensieve! The boy had enough time to look at all of them. If the Dark Lord takes one more peek inside that child\'s mind and sees – Headmaster, you know what he\'ll do to me if he finds out.\"

\"I\'m well aware of that. However, I don\'t believe we should force that information out of Harry. I suggest you continue with the Occlumency lessons.\"

\"Lessons? That boy dared invade my privacy! I will throw myself at the Dark Lord\'s mercy before I ever teach that boy one more lesson!\"

\"Severus, please do reconsider. Harry needs your expertise.\"

\"I don\'t care what that boy needs, Headmaster. Good day.\"

Harry was thrown out of Dumbledore\'s office, and found himself in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place. And he was looking at himself.

Their first Occlumency lesson that summer. The one where Harry had forced his first fabricated memory at Snape. It seemed like an eternity ago.

And then Harry felt it. He felt Snape seize the opportunity to get a look inside Harry\'s mind.

So the boy wants to play a game. And he has no idea his mind will be splayed open when I get my hands on him. Yes, I do believe I still have a few lessons to teach him. Thank you, Harry Potter, for being a horny little brat.

Harry gasped, and he was back inside Snape\'s bedroom. He stared at Snape\'s face, and by the look of fury in Snape\'s eyes he knew exactly what memories Snape had seen in Harry\'s mind. The connection had worked both ways.

\"Get off me!\" Snape shoved at Harry\'s shoulder, and Harry tumbled backwards and fell off the bed.

\"You were planning on getting me fired and sent to Azkaban?\" Snape was shouting in a way Harry had never heard before. He sounded hurt.

\"You used me!\" Harry yelled back.

\"And you didn\'t use me?\" Snape got to his feet and loomed over Harry. \"You were willing to risk my life and the entire Order for your petty revenge. You ungrateful little bastard!\"

\"I never saw those memories, and you did this,\" Harry waved between them, \"just to see inside my mind. You fucking used me!\"

\"Yes, I used you!\" Snape\'s eyes narrowed and a menacing sneer appeared on his face. \"I used you, Potter, because you were too stupid to realize I could see right into your mind when I fucked you! I could pull up your memory of that afternoon you invaded my privacy and see exactly what you\'d seen. It may very well have saved my life.\"

Harry gaped at Snape, and he crawled up with trembling legs. \"I wasn\'t going to continue with my plan. Not after – I don\'t know, but I wasn\'t going to do it. I could have done it. I could have told Dumbledore everything that night he dropped by, and I didn\'t!\"

\"And how am I supposed to believe you when you\'ve spent your whole bloody summer setting me up!\" Snape turned away from him. \"Get out, Potter, and don\'t you dare ever come back.\"

\"You used me,\" Harry said, and he hated the sound of those words. He reached for his robes. \"You used me.\"

\"At least I wasn\'t going to get you sent to Azkaban, you little freak!\"

\"I wasn\'t going to do it.\"

\"Get out.\"

Harry didn\'t bother pulling on his socks or his boxers. He stuffed them in his pocket when he shrugged on his robes. Then he stepped in his shoes and marched out of the bedroom. Snape followed him, fuming.

\"If you dare ever tell anyone of this, of any of this, Potter, I will personally hand you over to the Dark Lord. Is that understood?\"

Swallowing, Harry nodded. \"I wasn\'t going to do it,\" he said, his voice soft and trembling. \"I swear. Please.\"

\"Out!\"

Harry fled. He snatched up his bag and ran out the room, through the corridor, and then out Snape\'s office. He ran all the way back to Gryffindor, because if he stopped running, he\'d have to think about what had just happened.

\"Harry? What\'s wrong?\" Hermione asked when Harry stormed inside the common room.

\"Nothing!\"

\"Harry, what happened?\" Ron tried, and Harry rounded on his friends.

\"Leave me alone,\" he said, picturing a basilisk in his mind. Hermione blanched and Ron actually ducked. Harry snorted, and marched up the stairs. Inside his dormitory, he grabbed his pillow and slammed it against the wall until it broke and feathers flew everywhere.

This wasn\'t supposed to happen, he told himself over and over again. Snape wasn\'t meant to find out, especially not like this. And Snape wasn\'t meant to have used him.

Snape had used him.

And Harry had let him.


*~*~*~*~*


The next evening, Harry stood outside Snape\'s office. They had an Occlumency lesson planned, and at first, Harry hadn\'t wanted to go.

But as he thought about things, which he\'d been able to after he\'d tortured his pillow for a good hour the previous evening, he realized he needed to talk to Snape. He needed to talk to Snape about this.

Because something about Snape\'s story didn\'t add up.

If Snape had used him, which he had at first, then why had Snape continued fucking him? Harry now remembered Snape wanting to see Harry\'s eyes when he came their first few times, but after that, Snape had never insisted on it.

Why had Snape continued fucking Harry, and why had Snape taught Harry all those things, if all Snape wanted was one peek inside Harry\'s mind?

It didn\'t make sense, and Harry wanted answers.

So he knocked on Snape\'s office door. No reply came, and Harry knocked again. Nothing. He knocked, and knocked, and knocked, but Snape never answered the door.

Harry tried the handle. The door was locked.

Defeated, Harry turned and walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Tomorrow, he had Potions, and he vowed to have a talk with Snape at the end of class.


*~*~*~*~*


Snape was in a piss-poor mood, and he took it out on Harry even more so than usual. Students around Harry were whispering about it, and even Malfoy, who\'d returned from the infirmary a few days earlier with his eyesight restored, gave Harry a questioning look at one point.

Trying to concentrate on his potion, Harry avoided Snape\'s eyes and didn\'t protest whenever Snape took points from him. Thirty so far. Snape was going for a personal record, it seemed.

\"Fill your vials, label them correctly, leave them at my desk, and get out.\"

Students around Harry hurried to comply, but Harry took his time, stalling long enough until he was the only student left.

\"I told you to get out,\" Snape snarled, when Harry walked to the desk to give Snape his vial.

\"I want to talk to you, sir,\" Harry said, and hoped he didn\'t sound as wounded as he felt.

\"I have nothing to say to you.\" Snape crossed his arms, sneer nastier than ever.

\"But what about our lessons?\" Harry asked, because he had to ask something, even though his lessons were the least of his problems.

\"Potter, I have nothing further to teach you. When confronted with the Dark Lord, cast a Killing Curse in parseltongue. Now get out.\"

\"But I have to talk to you.\"

\"What you have to do is get out of my classroom.\" Snape grabbed Harry\'s shoulder and moved him towards the door.

\"But I need you!\" Harry yelled, stumbling into the corridor. Snape slammed the door shut in his face. Sighing, Harry leaned his forehead against it. \"I can\'t do this alone.\"

The door remained closed.


*~*~*~*~*


After two more days of trying to talk to Snape and being ignored, Harry\'d had enough. When everyone else had gone to sleep, Harry sat on his bed, Marauder\'s Map in hand. He knew Snape often made late night strolls around the castle, looking for unsuspecting students out of bed after curfew.

Harry hoped Snape would feel like going for a stroll that night.

Snape\'s dot remained in his private rooms for a long time, and then finally, just after 1am, Snape\'s dot moved to one of the corridors. Harry jumped up from his bed, grabbed his bag, and went in pursuit of Snape.

And he was determined to win this round of their game.

Harry cast a Feather Light Feet Charm, pulled his invisibility cloak on, and kept his eye on the map.

Three more corridors, two more corridors, one more corridor, and then he saw a swirl of black robes disappear around a corner. Harry increased his pace, wand in hand, and burst out from behind the wall.

\"Stupefy!\"

Snape dropped to the floor like a rock.

\"Ha!\" Harry said. Finally, he\'d managed to immobilize Snape. Of course, now he needed to be quick before Filch or Mrs Norris decided to inspect that part of the castle.

\"Mobilicorpus!\" With Snape in tow, Harry made his way through the castle, keeping an eye on the map to make sure no one would see them. He descended the stairs to the dungeons, and stopped in front of Snape\'s classroom.

The door was unlocked. Harry pushed it open and maneuvered Snape inside. Then he cast the strongest locking spell he knew, though not in parseltongue. He didn\'t want to risk blowing up the door.

He propped Snape up against his desk, and inhaled a deep breath. He could still back out now. He could leave Snape there, and Snape would never know who\'d hexed him.

But Harry wanted answers, so he opened his bag and took out the small vial filled with a clear liquid.

\"Torustitum!\" Harry knew he\'d just cast Dark Arts again. In for a Knut, in for a Galleon. \"Enervate!\"

\"Potter!\" Snape barked, sliding to the floor. Harry rushed towards him, and helped him sit up, balancing him against the desk.

\"Hi.\"

\"Potter, release me at once!\"

\"Nope.\" Harry crouched in front of Snape. \"I want answers, and you\'re going to give them to me.\" He held up the vial.

Snape\'s eyes widened. \"You dare use that on me, and I will have you expelled. And I mean it this time, Potter!\"

\"If you dare have me expelled, I will tell Dumbledore everything. You hear me? Everything.\"

Snape closed his mouth, narrowing his eyes.

\"I think we need to talk. And no more lies this time. Open your mouth.\" Harry uncorked the vial and held it up to Snape\'s face.

Snape pursed his lips into a thin line.

\"Don\'t be so immature,\" Harry said, and pinched Snape\'s nose closed. Snape held his breath for a remarkably long time, but Harry won in the end. Snape gasped for breath, and Harry quickly poured six drops in Snape\'s mouth.

\"You\'re an Occlumens,\" Harry said, as though Snape needed to hear the explanation. \"With only three drops, you can evade the truth. I\'ve been reading up on Veritaserum.\"

Snape snorted.

\"And since I\'m an Occlumens as well...\" Harry stuck his tongue out, and poured six drops on it. He closed his mouth, and felt warmth swelling in his chest. \"I think it works.\"

Snape was staring at him with wide eyes.

\"I told you, no more lies.\" Harry stoppered the vial, slid it in his pocket, and sat down on the floor beside Snape. \"I wanted to set you up, because I was grieving and I held you responsible for Sirius\' death.

\"But as I got to know you, and as we started doing things together, I realized I didn\'t want to lose you. And now, I would never report you. I would never tell Dumbledore anything. I care about you.\"

Harry stared at the floor. \"You have to believe me now.\"

\"I do believe you, Potter.\" Snape looked rather annoyed he\'d said that. Harry smiled at him.

\"I have a few questions for you.\"

\"And I\'m convinced you\'ll ask them.\"

\"Yeah,\" Harry chuckled. \"First, why did you continue to be with me? You could have stopped after those first couple of times.\"

Snape clenched his jaws. \"I saw...your potential.\"

\"My potential as what?\"

\"Your potential as a wizard. I knew I could teach you. I wanted you on my side.\"

Harry blinked at Snape. \"Your side?\"

\"Yes, my side. Not the Dark Lord\'s, not Dumbledore\'s, but my side. I wanted you close to me.\"

\"Oh.\" Harry thought about that. \"Is that why you taught me all those things? All those curses? And gave me the potions box?\"

\"Yes,\" Snape said. He looked pained. \"I wanted you to find me useful.\"

\"I find you very useful,\" Harry said, and then wondered where that had come from. \"I mean, I like being with you. And I like your side.\"

\"I\'m delighted.\" And even though Snape sounded sarcastic, Harry knew he couldn\'t be lying. It made Harry laugh. Snape gave him a disgusted glare in response.

\"So you continued to be with me because you wanted to be with me, right? Not because you were using me.\"

\"I – I\'m not sure if I wasn\'t using you, Potter. But I do enjoy spending time with you.\"

\"Do you want me?\"

\"Want you to what?\" Snape frowned, his eyes glazing over.

\"Do you want to have sex with me?\" Harry quickly asked. He realized he had to be somewhat specific with his questions.

\"Yes.\"

\"Do you want to spend time with me?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Do you love me?\" Harry held his breath.

\"I – no.\"

\"Oh.\" Harry bit his lip and glanced down, his shoulders hunched.

\"I\'m not sure,\" Snape continued, \"what that should feel like.\"

\"Ah.\" Harry thought about that. \"Do you care for me?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Do you wish me any harm?\"

\"No.\"

\"That\'s good enough for me,\" Harry said, and laughed when Snape gave him a surprised look.

Snape cleared his throat. \"Did you mean what you said that evening? Do you...love me?\"

\"I – I think so,\" Harry said. His mind was forcing him to find just the right words, no matter what other things he might want to say. \"I think this is what love feels like. I love spending time with you. I love having sex with you. I love listening to your voice. I love how you can compliment me and make it sound like an insult.\"

Snape chuckled. \"I love that, too.\"

\"Why did you send me away that night? Why did you refuse to talk to me?\" Harry asked, shifting closer to Snape.

\"I was angry. At you. And then I was angry at myself.\"

\"Why at yourself?\"

\"Because I had allowed myself to get too close to you. Close enough that you could hurt me.\"

\"I\'m sorry I\'ve hurt you. I don\'t want to hurt you. Please believe me.\" Harry gave Snape a pleading look.

\"How can I not believe you when you\'ve dosed yourself with Veritaserum, you foolish child?\"

\"Can we just go back to the way we were? Can we be close again? Do you want that?\"

\"Yes, yes, and yes,\" Snape said, and rolled his eyes. Harry touched his hand to Snape\'s, and then realized Snape was still under the Paralysis Curse.

\"Finite Incantatem,\" he said, flicking his wand. Snape stretched his legs in response. \"Sorry about that. But I had to talk to you and you wouldn\'t let me.\"

\"I\'ve taught you well,\" Snape said, shaking his head. \"I should have seen this coming.\"

\"You\'ve taught me very well.\" Harry rested his cheek on Snape\'s shoulder. \"And I\'m very grateful for it.\"

\"You foolish Gryffindor,\" Snape sighed, and ran his hand down Harry\'s thigh.

\"You can still insult me?\"

\"If it\'s the truth, yes.\" Snape laughed, and that sound sent a flutter of pleasure down Harry\'s body.

\"I\'ve missed you,\" Harry whispered.

\"I\'ve missed you, too,\" Snape said, and gasped. \"I did not want to admit that.\"

Harry doubled over with laughter. \"This is fun. We should do this more often.\"

\"Like hell we will. I\'m confiscating your Veritaserum the first chance I get,\" Snape said, though he smiled.

\"I won\'t let you.\"

\"I know.\" Snape glanced at Harry. \"What am I to do with you?\"

\"Just the things you\'ve been doing already,\" Harry said, and pressed his lips to Snape\'s. \"I just want to be with you. And I want you to be there for me.\"

\"I\'m there for you, Harry.\"

\"Not for the last three days you weren\'t. And you called me Harry.\"

\"I was angry, but I still wouldn\'t have let you get into serious trouble. And that is your name, isn\'t it?\"

Harry smiled. \"Yes, it\'s my name. Why don\'t you call me that more often?\"

\"You never asked me to.\" Snape shrugged. \"I didn\'t think it was important to you.\"

\"It\'s not very important. But I\'d like it if you called me that from now on when we\'re together. Can I call you Severus?\"

\"Yes, Harry.\" Snape smirked at him. \"Though call me that in class just once and you will be disemboweling toads.\"

Harry laughed, and nudged his knee against Snape\'s. \"You make me happy.\"

\"Likewise.\"

\"I think I really do love you,\" Harry whispered, and pressed a kiss to Snape\'s cheek.

\"I – you make me feel warm, generally.\"

Harry snorted with laughter.

Snape huffed. \"Well, it\'s true.\"

Harry stayed silent for a few moments, just relishing the feeling of Snape sitting next to him. \"Do you really believe I will kill Voldemort?\"

\"Yes, if you use your abilities with parseltongue.\"

Harry pursed his lips, glancing at Snape. \"Do I remind you of Voldemort?\"

Snape frowned. \"In some ways. But I like you much better than I\'ve ever liked the Dark Lord. And you\'re prettier.\"

\"Severus, I\'ve seen Voldemort up close. Even you are prettier,\" Harry said, chuckling.

\"Do you think I\'m ugly?\" Snape asked, and he sounded unsure.

Harry stared at his face. \"No. I used to think so, but not anymore. I love your eyes. God, you have such intense eyes.\"

\"I like it when you stare into them. It feels like you see only me and nothing else.\" Snape lowered his gaze, a flush staining his cheeks.

Harry smiled, and pressed another kiss to Snape\'s cheek. \"You like powerful wizards, don\'t you?\"

Snape snapped his gaze up at Harry, eyes narrowed. \"I admire power. I always have.\"

\"I\'m afraid of it. I\'m afraid of what my power might do to me,\" Harry whispered. Snape pulled him closer in response. \"What do you think will happen to me if I cast dark magic in parseltongue?\"

\"I\'m not sure.\"

\"Do you think I need to cast dark magic in parseltongue to kill Voldemort?\"

\"Yes,\" Snape sighed. \"But it\'s your decision. It\'s your risk to take, so you get to decide whether you want to do it or not.\"

\"But what if it turns me into him? What will you do then?\"

Snape cupped Harry\'s face and stared into Harry\'s eyes. \"I won\'t let you turn into him. I told you that before, and I mean it. I will do everything in my power to keep you from following in his footsteps. I promise.\"

\"Thank you,\" Harry said, and pressed his lips to Snape\'s. \"I need you in this. I can\'t do this alone.\"

\"I\'m right beside you, Harry.\" Snape deepened their kiss, and Harry wrapped his arms around Snape\'s neck. He moaned against Snape\'s lips, and felt a loss when Snape pulled back.

\"It\'s 2 am. You need sleep. I need sleep, too.\"

\"Yeah,\" Harry said. \"Can I see you tomorrow evening? For lessons and sex?\"

Snape snorted with laughter.

\"It\'s the truth,\" Harry said, chuckling. He let Snape pull him to his feet.

\"Yes, you may see me tomorrow evening. Come to my office after dinner.\" Snape gave Harry one more kiss, and then stepped back from him.

\"There\'s one last thing,\" Harry said, lips curling up in a grin. \"I won.\"

\"What?\"

\"I deserve a reward.\"

Snape smiled, shaking his head. \"Tomorrow, Harry, I promise I\'ll give you a blow job you\'ll never forget. I\'m honestly not in the mood right now. Veritaserum kills my libido.\"

\"Damn, I should have thought of that before dosing you,\" Harry said, and gathered his bag. He unlocked the door with a flick of his wand. \"I\'ll see you tomorrow. We\'ll have sex then.\"

\"Undoubtedly,\" Snape said, and returned Harry\'s smile. Harry ran all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. As long as Snape was with him, Harry knew he\'d make the right decision when it came to it. Snape wouldn\'t let him be anything less than he was meant to be.


*~*~*~*~*


Epilogue


The dogs ran out in front of him, barking their greetings at the brown horse in the pasture. But Harry didn\'t see the brown. He only saw the green of the grass beneath the horse\'s hooves.

He saw lots of green all day long. And at night, his dreams were of a blinding green light that filled him like Severus\' cock never could. But when Severus\' cock did fill him, and Harry reached his climax, the flashes of light he saw behind his closed eyelids were green.

Bruno, Harry\'s enormous St Bernard, pushed against his legs. Harry smiled down at him, and followed Bruno to the barn, where he gathered the things to feed the chickens and the ducks and the goats and the sheep.

Harry had lots of animals. Severus said it was good for him. It kept him busy all day, taking care of them. Feeding them. Collecting the eggs. Petting them. Talking to them. Brushing them.

Harry liked his animals, but he really wanted to have a snake. Or maybe two. Or maybe three. But Severus wouldn\'t let him.

Elmo, Harry\'s Border Collie, herded the chickens to one side of the pen so Harry could collect the eggs. He put them in a basket, one by one, and closed the pen carefully after he was done. Then he shooed Nelly the Greyhound to the side, and dropped a stack of hay in the enclosure of the sheep and the goats.

The grass was so green. The walls at St Mungo\'s had been green, too, though not as bright as Harry liked it. Harry liked green to be very bright.

Bruno pushed his head against Harry\'s thigh, and Harry smiled at him and followed Bruno to Carlos\' pasture.

\"Do you feel like a ride today?\" Harry asked his horse. \"I feel like a ride today.\" Carlos whinnied in response, nodding his head up and down.

Harry got the saddle from the barn, and once Carlos was ready, Harry turned to Bruno. \"You stay here.\"

Bruno could never keep up with them, so Bruno always stayed behind, to keep Severus company. And even though Severus called him a great big slobbering mutt, Harry knew Severus liked Bruno.

Harry mounted Carlos, and whistled once to tell Elmo and Nelly he was ready. Elmo and Nelly took off, and Carlos galloped after them, and Harry smiled at the feeling of wind in his face and the sight of all that green around him.

Scotland was very green in the spring.

Harry knew he could ride for hours without seeing another living soul. There were no Muggles where Harry lived. And no wizards, either. Especially no wizards.

Elmo and Nelly ran, and Carlos galloped, and Harry smiled and wondered if he kept riding his horse, he\'d find a wizard eventually.

Some days, he really hoped he would.

But after two hours, Carlos stopped. Elmo and Nelly gathered around the horse, panting, their tongues lolling out the sides of their mouths.

\"Is it time to turn back?\" Harry asked. He tried not to sound disappointed. Carlos whinnied, and Harry patted him on his neck. \"All right. We\'ll go back.\"

And they did. Elmo and Nelly ran, and Carlos galloped, and Harry smiled and enjoyed the wind and the green. When they reached the barn, Bruno was there to greet them, and Harry hugged him before leading Carlos back to his pasture. He made sure Carlos had water and hay, and then he put the saddle back in the barn.

He remembered to take the eggs back with him to the house. Harry liked his house. It was small and it smelled nice, like smoke and lemon. And Severus lived there, too. Harry stepped through the red front door – Harry didn\'t really like red, but Severus had insisted – and went in search of Severus.

But as he tried the kitchen, he remembered. Severus was away for the day. Severus had gone to Hogwarts for business.

\"He\'ll be back soon, won\'t he?\" Harry asked Bruno, who pressed his wet nose against Harry\'s hand in response. \"Okay. I\'ll make tea.\"

Harry lit the stove with a match, and then filled the kettle with water from the tap. He put a teabag in the blue teapot – Harry didn\'t really like blue, but Severus did – and waited for the water to boil. And just when he\'d poured hot water in the teapot, the front door opened and closed.

Elmo and Nelly jumped up, barking, and went to greet Severus. Harry followed them, Bruno not two paces behind him.

\"Hi,\" Harry said. \"I\'ve made tea. How was your day?\"

\"Dreadful,\" Severus said, pulling off his cloak. He draped it across one of the dining table\'s chairs. \"Dumbledore is meddlesome as ever, Draco is far too kind for his students – three exploding cauldrons in one class, that serves him right – and Lupin sends his regards. He insists on coming over for supper this Sunday.\"

But Harry only heard half of what Severus told him. Because there, in the pocket of Severus\' cloak, was a wand. The handle stuck out just an inch from the black fabric.

Harry lunged for it, but Bruno clamped his teeth in Harry\'s trousers and held him back. Elmo and Nelly jumped in front of Harry, lips raised and teeth flickering.

\"No!\" Harry screamed, clawing at the air around him. \"I need it!\"

And then Severus closed his arms around him, and Severus had taken lessons from Kingsley, Harry just knew it.

\"Please,\" Harry whimpered. \"Please, please, please.\"

\"No, Harry,\" Severus said, and pressed his lips to Harry\'s temple. \"Look at me.\" Harry did, and Severus\' eyes were black, and black was the only color Harry liked besides green.

\"I\'m sorry,\" Harry said, and pressed sloppy kisses to Severus\' cheek. \"I\'m so sorry.\"

\"It was my mistake.\" Severus released Harry, and patted Bruno on his big head. Then he turned away, and Harry watched Severus take his wand from his cloak. Bruno still had Harry\'s trousers between his teeth, and when Harry tried to take a step towards Severus, Elmo and Nelly growled at him.

Severus dropped his wand in the wooden box beside the front door; the box everyone dropped their wands in when they visited Harry, and no matter how many times Harry had tried, the box would never open for him.

\"Did you say you made tea?\" Severus asked. Bruno finally let go of Harry\'s trousers.

\"Yes!\" As Harry turned towards the kitchen, Severus ran a tired hand across his face.

Harry carried the tray holding the teapot and cups carefully into the living room. He poured them both a cup, and sat down on the couch beside Severus. Bruno placed his big head on Harry\'s knee, gazing up at him with adoration. Nelly insisted on lying on the couch beside Severus, and Elmo curled up at Harry\'s feet.

\"How was your day?\" Severus asked, mindlessly stroking Nelly\'s slim head.

Harry looked at Severus, and when Severus was around, things always seemed much more clear. \"Shit,\" he said, when he realized what he\'d done. \"I\'m sorry.\"

\"I know,\" Severus said, and pressed a kiss to Harry\'s lips.

\"You know I don\'t really want it, don\'t you?\" Harry asked, worried Severus would hate him for his uncontrolled behavior. \"I really don\'t, but it\'s hard sometimes.\"

\"I know.\"

\"I\'m glad you won\'t let me,\" Harry said, and he meant it. \"I\'m really glad.\"

\"I told you I wouldn\'t, didn\'t I?\"

\"Yeah,\" Harry said, and rested his cheek on Severus\' shoulder. \"You did.\"

And Severus had kept his word ever since Harry had killed Voldemort with a Killing Curse stronger than the wizarding world had ever seen.

But on some days, Harry wished he hadn\'t.


~~fin~~