Pour Combattre Soif et Aime To Fight desire & love

he day had simply gone downhill after the potions class. Word had spread incomprehensibly fast through the school, and it now seemed that every single person knew about the courtship. Harry wondered why they even bothered to whisper. And the thought of giving a reply to the two…

"So, I guess I have to just write my reply…and sell my soul to a man who has threatened to poison me several times." Harry groaned, shoving his untouched plate of food away.

"No…it's not that simple, Harry." Hermione was shaking her head in a way that did not bode well. "You do know what courting means don't you?

You have to give both Malfoy and Snape the time to…woo you." Harry could not believe what he was hearing.

"Woo me?" Harry sputtered, thoroughly disgusted. "Yeah, fat chance there. Are you telling me that I have to…to go on dates with them?"

Hermione nodded, as if this was the most obvious fact in the world.

"Of course, Harry. Each suitor has a two hour period once a month for four months. You go wherever the suitor wants to go for that time period."

Hermione trailed off, her book mode abruptly stopping at Harry's expression. "Oh, Harry, it's not that bad.

Once the four months are over, you can tell Malfoy you refuse his offer and be done with it." Harry lifted his head off the table slightly.

"Yeah? And what about Snape? I supposed to…to date him? Marry him?" Hermione bit her lip, unable to find words to comfort Harry. Because, he was, after all, correct.

Ron had been checking his watch unhappily every few minutes and now he finally interrupted them to say,

"Harry? It's 6:50." Harry swore under his breath, straightening up.

"Right…I'll see you guys later, I guess." Hermione glanced at his plate.

"Oh, Harry, you should at least eat a little." Harry shook his head firmly, standing up.

"No, I'd just throw it back up," he said, dead serious. Without another word he turned and left the Great Hall, leaving Ron and Hermione staring after him.

Harry dragged his feet and walked as slowly as possible, but he still found himself in front of Snape's office a minute before seven, considering ways to provoke Snape into poisoning him finally. He knocked twice on the wooden door, his arm feeling like lead. It only took a moment for the lock to click and the door to swing open.

Snape stood there, arms folded, wearing his typical sneer.

"Potter. You're on time, for once in your life. Sit down." He motioned with one finger to the chair in front of his desk. Harry had no choice but to obey, sitting in the chair.

As Snape latched the door and relocked it, Harry began to feel more and more like a prisoner waiting for his execution.

Snape sat down and simply surveyed Harry's expression for a moment, his fingers laced in a way that reminded Harry disconcertingly of Dumbledore. Then at last he spoke.

"Potter, let us make some simple facts clear. I assure you I would much rather drown myself in the Great Lake than court you."

Harry glared at him, but his face lacked the menace he might normally would have given it.

Harry was actually rather relieved to find out that Snape wasn't acting weird like Malfoy and was perhaps the only other sane one besides Harry.

Completely ignoring Harry's expression, Snape continued, "However, as I would hope you are aware, Draco Malfoy remains your only other option.

Even someone as thick as you must realize that Malfoy only wants to hand you over to Voldemort." Harry nodded firmly in order to prove to Snape that of course he knew that.

Snape leaned back in his chair then, his eyebrow now slightly quirked in cold amusement. "Which leads us to the current problem of me courting you."

Harry simply was not going to be able to get used to this idea.

"Sir?" He finally spoke up, unable to bear it any longer. "After the…the courtship…thing…I will be able to decline them, won't I?" Snape's lip curled, a full sneer playing on his lips now.

"No, Potter. There is no denial of both suitors. I'm afraid my only hope is to become terribly ill in a year and leave you with my unimpressive fortune."

Harry was too overwhelmed to realize that he was now gaping like a fish. He actually had to marry Snape?

Severus Snape, the man who hated both him and his father, a former death eater?

"Potter, close your mouth before you start attracting flies."