Bonds of Affection

The next days that followed were absolutely and utterly blissful, as far as Severus was concerned – when he allowed himself to forget about Voldemort, the termination ingredient, the prophecy, and his nightmares. Heeding Albus\' advice, he banished those thoughts at daytime, and focused only on one thing – what he had with Harry. Harry\'s friends made it easy, joining them for breakfast every day, and then, disappearing tactfully, going to Hogwarts “to do research”, or to Muggle London, “to shop.” Severus once made a snide remark about what on earth they could be shopping for day after day – Hermione just issued a silly giggle, and studied her plate with absolute fascination. One of those days, Harry asked Severus to permit him to join Hermione and Ron on one of their excursions to Muggle London.



“You will stay out of trouble?” Severus asked him dubiously, hoping not to allow even a hint of dread to enter his voice.



“I can\'t promise that,” Harry answered with a smirk. “But I will return alive and unharmed.”



Harry left with his friends. They all returned in the evening. Ron and Hermione remained in the kitchen setting the table for dinner. Harry entered Severus\' study and looked at him with a mysterious smile.



“Well now,” Severus drawled with just a touch of sarcasm. “If this isn\'t the Boy-Who-Shopped. Dare I ask what you bought?”



Harry approached his desk and simply opened his mouth. Severus glanced at it – and for a good minute just stared speechlessly, looking at the thick barbell piercing with massive metal end-beads, decorating Harry\'s tongue.



“What on god\'s good earth motivated you to do something like this?” Severus asked finally, when he regained his ability to speak.



“Hermione suggested it,” Harry said, grinning. “She got one, too. So did Ron.... so I figured, well...”



“Mr. Potter,” Severus intoned with extreme displeasure. “If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you join them?”



Harry rolled his eyes. “Join them?” he smirked. “I\'d most likely lead the way.”



Severus cupped Harry\'s face in his hands. “Didn\'t it hurt?” he asked gently, abandoning sarcasm for a moment.



Harry nodded. “It hurt like hell, even with the Muggle freezing shit. It took 6 healing spells from Hermione, and a vial of healing potion, and it still hurt for good ten minutes afterwards. But it\'s fine now.”



“It\'s fine now,” Severus repeated venomously. “I suppose I should be thankful you did not return with some sort of exotic infection, or nerve damage...”



Harry was watching him intently, and then told him quietly, “Look... Severus.. if it makes you unhappy, I\'ll take it out at once. You can close the hole in my tongue. I don\'t care. To be honest, I mostly got it because... well, someone said it could enhance pleasure. I thought you might like it. I really didn\'t want to upset you... you can punish me if you want to...” Harry\'s voice trailed off, and he stared down at his feet, with a meek expression on his face.



Severus sneered and grabbed Harry\'s hair firmly, gathering a fistful of his locks. Harry leaned into his grip with a blissful sigh.



Severus glared at Harry, upper lip curling up in contempt. “You have ten minutes to convince me to allow you to keep this ... abomination.”



“Yes, Sir,” Harry answered humbly. Severus was still sneering at him, when Harry\'s mouth latched onto his, the young, irreverent tongue parting his lips, and reaching inside. Severus returned the kiss, and their tongues touched against each other, the bead of the piercing coming between them. Severus shuddered with pleasure as the smooth sphere stroked his tongue, over and over again. He was still slightly dazed when Harry withdrew from the kiss, and knelt before him, working furiously fast to unbutton his trousers.



As soon as Severus felt his erection spring out from his garments, Harry\'s mouth closed in on it, and the tongue began its caresses, the moist flesh and the cool metal trailing the entire length of his cock together. Severus gasped slightly when the tongue circled the head of his cock, and the bead of the piercing rubbed against his slit, rolling in the stream of precum. The teasing caresses continued, infuriatingly slow and tender, until Severus finally buried both hands in Harry\'s hair and thrust deeply into his mouth. The bead of metal and Harry\'s tongue continued to stroke the member that was sliding in and out of his mouth, striking against the back of his throat. With a low grunt, Severus spent himself into Harry\'s mouth, who swallowed every last drop – and finally glanced up at Severus with a sly smile.



“Well, Mr. Potter – I must say, this was ... quite convincing,” Severus said evenly, and closed his trousers, readjusting his clothing.



“If you are still not sure, we can repeat a few times,” Harry offered with feigned seriousness. “Maybe after dinner? The table is set..... Hermione and Ron picked up kind of exotic pasta dish.”



About to head into the dining room, both inspected each other carefully, to ensure that no traces of passion was left on their clothing, or faces. The table was indeed already set, and the food had been served. Severus and Harry sat down quickly.



Hermione passed Harry on her way to her seat and murmured in a barely audible voice, “Goodness, Harry, you were just going to tell him the dinner was ready... what kept you so long?”



Severus kept his face absolutely impassive. Harry smiled like a Cheshire cat.



Ron glanced at Hermione sourly. “You should know by now to never ask that question in this household.”



She chuckled quietly.



“Oh come on now,” Harry said with a smirk. “Stop pretending to be bothered. Severus and I look good together, and you know it.”



“Yes, you do,” Hermione said seriously, without even a trace of irony in her voice.



Ron shrugged with feigned resignation. “Well... better than Dumbledore and McGonagall do anyways...We walked in on them snogging the other day... in his office...”



Stunned, Severus felt a string of spaghetti go down the wrong way in his throat. He had never – ever thought of the ancient, solitary Headmaster as being with anyone... that way. Harry apparently hadn\'t either, as his eyes and mouth were wide open in shock.



“Why,” Harry said with quiet accusation in his voice, “Did you see fit to plant that image into my mind?”



“Because,” Ron said with a wry grin. “Why should we be the only ones traumatized?”



“Ron!” Hermione hissed indignantly. “For shame!”



Ron laughed quietly and Hermione smacked the back of his head.



Harry glanced at Severus cautiously, as if trying to ascertain whether he was becoming irritated or upset. Severus gave them all an obligatory scowl, but could not help a corner of his mouth curling up in amusement. He folded his arms on his chest, leaned back in his chair and wondered when and how it happened that he stopped minding his solitary life becoming invaded by the unruly trio of young people, just on the verge of adulthood, but not quite there yet, who were teasing him and poking fun at him just about every chance they got. No – it\'s not that he did not mind it - he absolutely loved it. Sunshine, he thought again, looking at Harry with a faint smile.



Later that night, when Harry was lying on the bed by his side, Severus asked softly:



“Harry – what\'s gotten into you? You\'ve never acted like... a rebellious teenager before.”



Harry mumbled something incoherent into the pillow.



Severus patted his back. “You said one reason for the piercing was to enhance pleasure. Was there another?”



“Sort of,” Harry whispered quietly. “Look, Severus... the truth is, I never had a chance to do any wild things that other teenagers do. I mean... I never had a decent summer before this. I never ate properly, or enough... my uncle punched me whenever I screwed up... Every summer, I just shut down and waited for school to begin again. So today I felt like...I don\'t know.... grabbing the last bit of freedom I had left before Voldemort calls us, and I finally have to grow up once and for all.”



“I see.”



Severus caressed Harry\'s hair with gentleness, and then, stroked his young body, over and over again, his fingers seeking out and soothing every knot of tension, and every ache, until Harry finally fell asleep under his touch with a tranquil smile on his face.



As Harry slept, Severus watched him: so incredibly thin, so fragile, and far too young... too young to be dying, too young to be fighting Voldemort, and his status as legal adult aside, far too young to be in bed with him.... Severus wondered, yet again, what horrible stupidity had possessed him to pour Voldemort\'s potion down his student\'s throat, plunging him into the surreal, horrifying world they now both inhabited.



... to be continued...



Author\'s Note: Well... I know you must be getting restless, but there are just two more chapters until Harry and Severus “join” Voldemort. Hang on to your hats ; )