Nights of Gethsemane

I am so sorry for the very late update! I recently moved to Costa Rica and my new job keeps me hopping. In addition to that, I wrote a fic for the Snarry Games. Now that I\'ve finished with that, I plan to return to NoG full time!



Harry sat up to find Snape on the other side of the bars, watching him.



“I have something to show you.” He beckoned with his hand for Harry to follow, and Harry slid out of bed, padding across his cell. They walked to the laundry room together and Snape paused beside the door, his fingers curled around the handle.



“You must never reveal this to anyone,” said Snape. “It must remain between us.”



“I understand.” Harry nodded.



Snape opened the door and stepped into a narrow, twisted room. To the right of them, a washer and dryer emerged out of brick walls, crammed between piles of black and red cloth. At the opposite end, a winding set of stairs led up to cellar doors. Harry fell into step with Snape as he marched up the steps, threw open the doors, and pulled Harry outside.



They stood on the edge of a vast, desolate moor. The endless rolling hills of copper, yellow, and brown swept out until they turned blue and melted into the scorched scarlet of the wide, empty sky. Harry turned around, peering in every direction. As far as he could see, the moor was devoid of any sign of human habitation. He glanced back towards the house, and spotted the dark outline of a figure standing in one of the upper windows.



"Who\'s that?" he asked Snape, watching as the shadowy man raised a hand and motioned for Harry to come to him.



"Who?" asked Snape as he swept past Harry.



"In our house." But the figure had vanished. Harry turned and followed Snape as he walked along a winding path.



Beside them stretched out a recently tilled plot of land surrounded by a white picket fence. Instead of flowers and herbs, the garden was composed of strange white plants that looked like straggly, dead tree branches. They protruded haphazardly from the dark soil, the tapering ends of their branches reaching towards the sky like gnarled, thin fingers.



Snape led Harry through an opening in the fence. “Do you know what these are?” he asked, admiring a tree nearest to him.



“No." Harry glared at the skeletal branches.



“Mors Trees.” Snape pulled out a hose and began to water a tree. “I planted all of these for you.”



“....Are you serious? What the hell am I supposed to do with these?"



"They are beautiful, aren\'t they?"



Harry crossed his arms. "They’re bloody ugly."



Snape continued watering as if he hadn\'t heard Harry. “They are my favourite trees. Each one requires a body to grow. Look.” He pointed to the ground and Harry spotted something gold half-buried in the dirt. He bent down and scooped the dark soil to the side to reveal a placard that read, ‘Hathaway.’ He felt something warm, wriggling between his fingers, and when he looked down, maggots were writhing in the earth.



Harry yanked his hands away, jumping to his feet. "This isn’t what I wanted."



“I never promised you a rose garden.” Snape swept away to stand before an empty grave. Harry followed him and stood at the edge of the yawning black chasm that threatened to swallow both of them whole. Snape stepped closer to the brim, his black robes falling over the lip, disappearing into the abyss.



“Stop!" Harry yelled. "You’ll fall!”



Snape turned to him, his sallow skin stretched translucently thin over the bones beneath his flesh. Large black pits consumed his eye sockets; deep tunnels that stretched forever. “This is for us. You and I. We\'ll lie here together for eternity.”



“I don’t intend to die,” Harry declared, backing away from the edge of the pit which hunted him, widening with each backwards step that he took.



Snape\'s thin lips stretched into a twisted smile. “We’ve killed too many to live.”



“I’ve never killed anyone!”



Snape’s smile widened, showing his crooked teeth. “Look at your hands, Potter.”



Harry glanced down at his palms. Dark red, almost black blood pooled in the centre and seeped between his fingers.



Snape waved a black-swathed arm, motioning towards the trees. “I killed them all for you.”



“No," whispered Harry, shaking his head. "No, no, no... I-I never wanted this." He scrubbed his hands against his hips. "I didn\'t do this." He had to get rid of the blood. It wasn\'t his fault. He\'d never killed anyone. He rubbed his hands over every inch of his skin and still the liquid poured, running down his wrists and dripping from his fingers. He thrust out his hands towards Snape. "You have to fix this! You\'re responsible! You killed them."



Snape held out his bloody palms. “You knew what I was and still you joined with me.”



“I had no choice!” Harry turned from him and tore across the moor. He ran and ran and ran, but the scenery never changed. He ran until his lungs seared with every breath and his legs gave out, sending him tumbling into the dirt; thick dust clouds rising up around him. Snape, his face human again, stepped out of the dust and bent down to offer Harry a hand dripping with blood.



“Don’t tell me you’re scared," said Snape, his dark eyes warm, and pity on his face. "I thought Gryffindors had courage.”



Harry glowered at him and pulled himself to his feet. He stood before Snape with a straight back and hands clenched into fists. “I’m not afraid to die.”



Snape’s lips split into another smile. He stepped forward, his head bending down as if to kiss Harry as he splayed his hands over Harry\'s chest. He paused, his lips nearly brushing Harry\'s own. In a low voice, he said, “You\'re a fool, Potter,” and pushed hard. Harry tumbled backward into the grave, watching in horror as the black outline of Snape against the blood red sky grew smaller and smaller. White roots shot out of the earth and wrapped themselves around his body, yanking him down into the earth. Harry screamed.



“I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”



Bits of the roots broke off and pushed against his skin, scratching like skeletal fingers.



"SNAPE! HELP ME!"



Sharp. like Lucius\'s poisoned needles, they pierced his skin, wiggling their way inside of him. Dirt poured around him and on top of him, burying him in the soil.



"HELP ME!"



Twigs clawed at his bones and penetrated his skull.



"DON\'T LET ME DIE!"



Snape appeared on top of him, his larger body pressing Harry’s down into the dirt. “You must die. It\'s only fair. You’re responsible for their deaths.”



“I didn’t want them to die!” Harry pummelled the dark shape of Snape with his fists. His hands sank harmlessly into the black cloth of Snape’s robes no matter how hard he pounded.



He was suffocating and he opened his eyes to see Snape on top of him, his hands on his chest, pressing him into the bed. Harry\'s instincts kicked in and he slammed his fist into Snape’s ear. Snape grabbed his hands and pinned them against the bed.



“Calm down!” he ordered, his black eyes boring into Harry’s.



“Get off me!” Harry jerked his hips to the right, nearly knocking Snape off the bed, as he ripped his left arm out of Snape\'s grasp.



“Immobulus!”



Harry fell helplessly back against the bed, his heart pounding in his chest.



“You were having a nightmare.” Snape pressed his fingers to Harry’s throat, checking his pulse. His magic flowed through Harry, centring around his heart. “I can’t have you aggravating your injuries. I will release you now, but if you don’t calm yourself, I will sedate you. Finite Incantatem.”



Harry relaxed as control of his body returned to him. “Shit. You could’ve done that before I woke.”



“You’d rather wake without control of your body?” Snape asked as he left the bed and procured breakfast with a tap of his wand.



Harry imagined waking to find himself paralysed and shuddered. “Maybe not.” He tried to sit up in bed, but the simple movement made his head spin. He leaned forward, cradling his head in his hands. “I hate the morning after Cruciatus.”



“And yet you seem determined not to sleep through it,” Snape said. “Take this.”



Harry opened his eyes and lifted his head to see an open potion bottle. He took it from Snape and tipped the contents into his mouth. For medicine, it didn’t taste bad, slightly sweet in fact.



“That’s pretty good. You should make more like that.” Harry pressed the empty bottle back into Snape’s hand.



Snape floated over the breakfast tray and set it in Harry’s lap. “Valeriana is only effective on a few spells and I fear you will soon develop a tolerance to it. As I doubt Bellatrix will ever become creative, I prefer to restrict its use to after her visits.”



Harry looked over his porridge as his mind went through the previous evening. He snapped his head up and turned towards Snape who had his hand inside the small black bag he sometimes brought to heal Harry.



“I did it,” Harry said.



“Did what?” Snape shut his bag with a snap and sent it away.



“Fooled Voldemort,” Harry reminded him. “He brought Nagini with him.”



“While he has relaxed his guard around you, I feel it is a bit presumptuous of you to claim that you’ve ‘fooled’ him. A single slip-up-”



“He’s even more paranoid than you so I should continue to play my part as best I can.” Harry mimicked as he stirred walnuts into this porridge. “I’m not stupid.”



“The boys said that you were disrespectful towards them. Why did they say that?”



“They wanted me to look them in the eyes, but you said that I shouldn’t ever do that. I figured I should obey whoever has more authority.”



“Never disobey a direct order from a Death Eater,” Snape said in a voice full of authority. “If you are confused, obey and ask me for clarification later. You must always play your part-”



Harry rolled his eyes. Not another lecture about being the perfect slave. He interrupted it with, "They called you a nonce!"



"I don\'t care what-"



"You don\'t care? They talked shit about you the entire time!"



Snape\'s eyebrows arched. "Their opinion is worth even less than yours. Besides, I am sure that you and your friends have said worse."



Harry sputtered. "That\'s not the point! I\'m not a child. I\'m old enough for sex. I\'ve been old enough for a while!"



"Then act your age. What did your disobedience earn you? Nothing but their suspicions and a broken nose. Do you enjoy being hurt?"



"No. Of course not. But-"



"Always obey the Death Eaters, no matter who they are or what they say. It-"



“All right. All right.” It seemed as though he could never do anything right in Snape’s eyes. Changing the subject, he asked, “How are Ron and Hermione doing with the Horcrux search?”



“What makes you think I am in contact with them?” asked Snape as he tapped the table with his wand and a cup of tea appeared. He sat in Harry\'s chair and blew on the steaming liquid.



“Because it would be stupid of us to kill Nagini unless we were sure the last Horcrux is destroyed. And the quicker he\'s dead, the sooner we\'re both free of this place."



Snape calmly sipped his tea. “How do you propose I initiate contact with them?”



Harry suspected that he already had and this was similar to the situation with whatever was in the laundry room. If he guessed correctly, Snape would tell him.



After he had thought for a bit, he offered, “You change your Patronus to look like mine. I doubt most Death Eaters can cast them.”



“Have you forgot this location is under surveillance?”



“You could distract them. Cast something to attract their attention and then cast the Patronus off in the other direction.”



"You assume that one\'s Patronus can be changed at will."



"Tonk\'s changed. I know she did it unconsciously, but maybe they can also be changed if you try hard enough. Can they?"



Snape shook his head. "No, not on purpose."



"Too bad. Your Patronus is probably something they\'d never trust... like a snake."



Snape stared at him for a bit before the corners of his mouth curled upwards, “We’ve spent far too much time in each other’s company.”



Harry grinned at him around his spoonful of porridge. “Yeah, we have.” He removed the spoon. “What do you have planned for today? I don’t want to spend it in bed.”



“Until lunch I will cast at you while you are blindfolded. If you will have sufficiently regained your strength by then, you will be allowed a normal training session in the practice room.”



“Let\'s do another contest.”



Snape quirked an eyebrow at him. “If I had known you were so eager to perform fellatio-”



“Shut up.” Harry pointed his spoon at Snape like a wand. “You’re going down.”



“You’ve forgot who triumphed during our last encounter,” retorted Snape.



“I haven’t,” Harry said. “In fact….” he gulped down the last two spoonfuls of his porridge, “I\'ll do it right now.”



“Now?” Snape echoed, his eyebrow arching.



“Yeah, I wanna be able to train a full session later today.” He also wanted to give Snape head while his senses were muted from the after-effects of the Cruciatus. While he didn’t plan to swallow, he was worried Snape\'s cock would taste bad. He pushed the tray away and scooted away from his pillow. “Sit here.” He pointed to his pillow.



Snape stood and walked over to the bed, shoving the pillow to the side. He pushed his robes to the side and climbed on the mattress, settling himself against the back wall. He quickly unbuttoned his coat, his pale fingers flying fast over the dark fabric.



Harry turned away from him to set the tray on the floor. He felt unaccountably nervous and, for a moment, he considered telling Snape that he had changed his mind. However, it wasn’t fair to continue to accept blowjobs from Snape without giving any in return. Snape had only agreed to continue giving blowjobs on the condition that the favour would be returned, but not once had he kept his promise to Snape.



Harry glanced over at Snape who had his hands over his groin, his dick still tucked out of sight. He watched Harry with a neutral expression on his face as though waiting for Harry to make up his mind. Snape wouldn’t force him. It wouldn’t be like with the Death Eaters. The knowledge that he could refuse to continue at any point eased Harry\'s nervousness and he crawled over towards Snape with renewed conviction.



“I’m not taking it out for you,” Harry said in mock agitation.



Snape undid the buttons of his trousers and shifted fabric until his cock and balls spilled out. He was half hard, the head of his penis still hidden underneath the foreskin. Harry shifted closer, lying so that their legs were parallel, and wrapped his fingers around the shaft. It pulsed at his touch, thickening eagerly in his hand. He lifted up his head, met Snape\'s dark eyes, and said, "You aren\'t showing this to him."



"Of course not," said Snape without pause.



"He\'s not allowed to see any of this contest stuff."



"He won\'t."



Snape was far more agreeable when Harry had his dick in his hand. Harry would have to take advantage of that later, but for now, he\'d do as he promised. He bent down and smelt Snape\'s dick, but it didn’t smell bad at all, just strongly of Snape. He flicked his tongue out and touched the side of it quickly before withdrawing his tongue back into his mouth. It didn\'t taste like anything really. He gave it a longer lick, but it was just the same as licking an arm. He wasn’t sure if the difference was due to poor personal habits of the Death Eater or his muted senses, but he was grateful that the smell and taste weren’t repulsive at all. He carefully pulled back the foreskin and flicked his tongue across the glans which caused Snape to harden even faster. Snape’s cock was the only part of him that was reacting. His breathing remained deep and even, and his hands rested on the mattress on either side of his thighs.



Feeling brave, Harry wrapped his hand around the base and sucked the tip into his mouth. He took Snape in until he gagged and then began to bob his head over the tip while he worked the shaft with his hand. Snape remained quiet and still although his dick hardened fully in Harry’s mouth. Harry tried to remember the suggestions from the book and shifted so that both of his hands were free. He wrapped his left one around Snape’s cock again and used his right to gently cup the testicles. He ran his tongue hard and flat over the head while he lightly rubbed with his hands and was rewarded with an intake of breath from Snape. Feeling pleased with the reaction, Harry shifted his hand so that he could rub the tip of his middle finger against the spot between Snape’s balls. He lightly rolled them between his small finger and thumb while he bobbed his head and hand over the shaft. Snape made a small noise deep in his throat and Harry felt his body stiffen. The book suggested licking the balls or putting them in your mouth, but they were hairy and Harry didn’t think he could stand to feel them on his tongue.



Harry tried out various others techniques, noting which of them drew small reactions out of Snape; a soft intake of breath, a twitch of his cock. It was interesting making Snape react, but Harry soon grew bored of giving head. His jaw and throat started to hurt and his arm became sore. He concentrated on the head of Snape’s penis, trying to bring him off quickly, but it didn’t seem to be working. He tried doing the actions which seemed to get the most reactions, but Snape still didn’t come. After several minutes of wanking Snape furiously and not feeling any closer to the end, he lifted his head and demanded, “Are you going to come or what?”



“That’s fine,” Snape said as he placed a hand on Harry\'s shoulder and pushed him back.



Harry wasn’t going to argue with him, so he slid off the bed and walked over to the sink to rinse out his mouth. Even though it didn’t taste bad, he didn’t want to have Snape on his tongue throughout the day. When he glanced over at the bed, he saw Snape buttoning himself back up. It didn’t seem as though he had orgasmed. Had Harry done it wrong? Snape hadn’t given him much indication either way. Harry hoped he wasn’t planning to claim that Harry needed to give him a second one, because he hadn’t come the first time. He wasn’t going to give Snape any more.



Snape left the bed and gestured for Harry to return to it. “When you’ve finished, sit in the centre of the mattress.” His voice was as cool and calm as ever, as if he didn’t have a raging hard-on trapped within his robes. Maybe he didn’t. Harry couldn’t tell either way.



After Harry finished his morning routine, he climbed back on the bed and sat in the centre with his legs crossed.



“Obscuro.” The world went black.



“We will begin with light dodging.” Snape’s voice drifted across the room. “Move as little as possible.”



“Right.” Harry nodded. When the first Finite Incantatem raced towards him, he barely had to move. He held himself mostly stationary as he shifted to avoid the spells with ease. “Why weren’t we taught how to do these things at Hogwarts?” he asked.



“For the same reason most Muggle children aren’t trained in combat. Very few ever require it.”



“But I require it,” Harry countered in frustration. He turned to the side to avoid a spell. “Why didn’t he instruct me?”



“The Headmaster wished for you to experience a relatively normal childhood."



“So that I could just die at the end of it? How am I going to win unless I know how to fight him?” Harry asked, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. He knew he was whinging, but he didn\'t care. If anyone deserved the right to complain, it was him.



“I have studied magic for longer than you’ve been alive and I do not dare challenge him,” Snape said. "You have never been the best of students."



If Snape could not challenge Voldemort, then it would be unlikely that all of the training he was receiving would help him against the Dark Lord. He might be able to dodge the Death Eaters, but Voldemort was far more clever and skilled than they were. He could just set up spider webs and Harry would be caught helplessly unless he had a wand, which seemed unlikely. A while ago, Snape had admitted that his plan was ‘suicidal’. Perhaps Harry would be required to kill himself in order to defeat Voldemort. Maybe that was why Snape still hadn\'t told him about his plans.



"Now that Voldemort has brought Nagini with him, isn\'t it about time you told me the outline of your plan?" asked Harry.



"You are still rather rash and temperamental. I-"



"Look," Harry interrupted. "It\'s going to take years before I ever become like you. I might never be able to do it. If you intend to wait until I\'m perfect, then you\'ll probably be waiting forever. If you want to be free of Voldemort, then you’ll have to tell me your plan soon."



There was a pause before Snape spoke. "As I\'ve said before, it would be stupid to develop one plan and expect the Dark Lord to conform to it, especially with unknown variables such as the Elder Wand. Some of the plans I\'ve developed depend on its acquisition while others don\'t require it. I feel it would just confuse you if I were to try to explain all the possibilities I have considered. After this Saturday, our options will be narrowed."



"But how will our options be narrowed this Saturday? You don\'t know where the Elder Wand is, do you?"



"I intend to Master it; not physically possess it."



"But how will you know you are its Master?" Harry didn\'t bend his head far enough and the spell hit him, returning his vision.



Snape recast Obscuro. "I will never know for certain unless I manage to locate the Wand and attempt to use it; however, that isn\'t my concern. If Draco is the current Master of the Wand and the Dark Lord finds its location, it will be far too easy for him to gain control."



Snape didn\'t need to say how Voldemort would probably try to take control of the Wand from Draco; Harry already knew. He hadn\'t even considered how Draco\'s life was endangered. Did Narcissa know? Was that why Snape was so set on trying to take control of the Elder Wand from Draco? Voldemort would have had to be told about Draco\'s lessons and if Snape practiced disarming, then Voldemort would have no reason to go after Draco should he ever find the Elder Wand. Harry asked, "That\'s in... two more days, right?"



"Yes."



He could stand two more days. Knowing that the end was near perked his spirits and hardened his resolve. Two more days was nothing. He had been in this hell nearly three months and had survived. He would beat Voldemort.



After casting for a while longer, Snape stepped over to the bed. “Finite Incantatem.” Harry allowed the spell to hit him and watched while Snape pulled a small bottle from his robes.



“Drink all of this. I’ll return with lunch.” Snape tossed the bottle to Harry and then strode out in a cloud of black. Harry uncorked the bottle and drank down the contents. It tasted like coppery milk. He rinsed his mouth with mouthwash and returned to the bed to wait for his lunch. He turned the bottle over in his fingers as he waited. It was the first time he\'d been given something that could possibly be used to make a weapon since he broke the dish. He threw it at the ground as hard as he could, but it bounced harmlessly off the floor. He retrieved it and began to bounce it off a wall like a ball, throwing and catching it repeatedly.



“Accio bottle!” Snape said when he returned. It flew out of Harry’s hand towards the older wizard. “You could’ve broken it.” Snape stepped over to the table to summon lunch for Harry.



Harry doubted that, but arguing was pointless, so he took his chair, pulling the ham sandwiches towards himself.



Snape took his chair and removed a scroll from his robes. He opened it and began to read it, sipping his tea while his dark eyes scanned over the parchment.



“What’re you reading?” asked Harry.



“A letter from an associate,” Snape answered absently.



Snape had referred to whoever he had been talking to in his bedroom as an associate. Harry asked, “Is it from Narcissa?” He didn\'t understand what Snape saw in that stuck-up bitch.



“No.” Snape rolled up the scroll. “Draco will arrive this Saturday. I do not know which of his parents will accompany him. If his guardian chooses to remain throughout the lesson, you will have to distract them while I try to gain control of the Elder Wand. Lucius would enjoy a chance to play with you, but Narcissa doesn’t share her husband’s desires. You must find a way to occupy her time. I’d suggest-”



“Wait a minute," said Harry as he thrust his empty plate away from him. "I’m going to have to deal with Lucius alone?”



“That’s a possibility.” Snape nodded absently. “He’s not allowed to hurt you.”



“Not physically."



“If you are as controlled as you claim to be you will be fine,” Snape said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I will attempt to persuade Narcissa to accompany Draco.”



Harry couldn\'t believe that Snape didn\'t have a problem with the idea of leaving him alone with that sadistic bastard. "Attempt? You\'re going to do more than \'attempt\'!"



"And you wonder why I refrain from telling you my plans." Snape rolled his eyes. "Really Potter, I ask for so little-"



Harry slammed his hand down on the table. "You aren\'t the slave here! You\'re not the one he\'s going to harass for hours!"



"I don\'t see why you are so scared." Snape sneered the word, showing off his yellow teeth. "He won\'t sexually molest you and he\'s forbidden from harming you. What\'s he going to do? Talk you to death? He can\'t hurt you unless you let him. Do you want the Dark Lord defeated or not?"



"Of course I do. But why the hell does Draco need a babysitter? He’s an adult. Tell him to come alone.”



“Do you honestly believe this location is known to whoever takes the Dark Mark?” Snape asked in exasperation. “If fortune has favoured us, his parents won’t remain the entire time. However, we should plan for all three scenarios. If Lucius should arrive, play your part perfectly and keep him entertained."



"And how am I supposed to do that?" Harry snapped. "Do you want me to suck his cock?"



Snape pressed his lips together, his thin mouth now almost a line. His eyes darkened and narrowed and he met Harry with a look that would\'ve made Harry glance away had he been easily intimidated. "Must I hold your hand and guide you every step of the way? If you are so incapable of dealing with a single Death Eater when he is forbidden from harming you then I will place you under the Imperius curse or remove your memory after he has left. Is that what you want?"



"No. I can do it, if I have to. It\'s just-" Harry leaned back in his chair, trying to collect his thoughts. He knew they needed to protect Draco and try to get mastery of the Elder Wand. It was selfish of him to place his own concerns over Draco\'s life. He pushed his fears to the side and, in a calmer tone, explained, "It\'s just I want to avoid dealing with Malfoy if I can. Can\'t you knock me out and tell them that you went overboard with torture the night before? Say that I still haven\'t recovered from Bellatrix?"



Snape shook his head. "That would be far too suspicious. Lucius has his faults, but he\'s not stupid. You will only have to engage him for a few hours and I will check in on you periodically to make sure he hasn’t overstepped his bounds. If Narcissa should visit, then I will send her to check on you. Distract her with conversation. As a mother with a son your age, she is full of pity for you and would probably answer any questions you had about Hogwarts.”



Harry didn’t like the idea of being pitied for hours, but it was better than being tortured by a sadist. Either way, Snape\'s cool confidence eased some of his fears. If Snape checked in on him regularly, then Malfoy couldn\'t hurt him too much, right? He downed the rest of his pumpkin juice and dropped the cup on his plate. “Tell the Order to harass Lucius then.”



“What makes you think I am in contact with the Order?”



“They killed Hathaway,” Harry reminded him. Snape didn’t say anything in response. Harry remembered the guessing game and offered, "You have mirrors like Sirius and my dad did. You Polyjuice into a Muggle or someone else so they never know it is you."



"Why should they trust a random individual?" Snape asked, his tone of voice returning to normal. "Especially when Polyjuice Potion is so well-known."



"You tell them that you are a Death Eater who is using Polyjuice to remain hidden. They\'d understand the need for discretion."



"You forget that the Dark Lord only informs me of a few of his plans. If he knew about the existence of this mirror, which he surely would before long, he would set up ambushes and give each Death Eater a different location. I would be discovered."



"You tell them only some of what you know so that way Voldemort can\'t tie it back to you," Harry mused. "Maybe you steal memories from other Death Eaters so that you tell them things Voldemort thinks you wouldn\'t know."



"It is an interesting theory," said Snape, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. "However, a spell can be used on the mirror to find its counterpart. Anything which could lead to the destruction of both parties involved as soon as one party is compromised would be incredibly foolish to use."



"You should\'ve told me that earlier!" Harry stood. "Let’s go upstairs. I’m ready to beat you."



Snape cleared the table with a flick of his wand. "First, I will examine you." He stood and walked over to Harry. "Have your senses fully returned?" he asked as he picked up Harry\'s left arm and checked his pulse.



"I think so." Harry squinted at the toiletries on the sink, trying to remember how blurry they normally looked.



"Flex," Snape ordered, as he ran his hand over Harry\'s upper arm. Harry bent and straightened his arm, flexing his muscles as Snape\'s fingers prodded it, his magic pushing into the skin and surging through Harry. After the magic had spread out from his fingers and then returned to them, he announced, "Your reflexes still feel sluggish to me. You probably won\'t be harmed by physical exertion; however, I always prefer to err on the side of caution. You will dodge for a bit more."



Harry really wanted to get out of his cell and run around, but he wanted to be in full form for his competition with Snape, so he nodded. "Same as before?" He retreated to his bed.



"Yes. Obscuro!"



As Snape cast again, Harry focused on his training, moving only the bare minimum to dodge. Although he knew it was necessary, he couldn\'t help but grow bored as his dodging remained perfect. Luckily it wasn\'t long before Snape released him and said, “You should be healed enough to attempt to best me." With a haughty expression on his face he added, "I’ll be sure to handicap myself enough so that you even have a chance of winning."



"Don’t be so full of yourself. I’d kick your arse all over the field if we were playing Quidditch," Harry assured him as he slid off the bed and began walking backwards so that he could keep his eyes on Snape as he headed to the practice room.



"When the contest is meaningless-"



"When I have a broom-"



"I’d simply remove it and then what would you do?"



"You wouldn’t be able to hit it in the first place!"



Snape whipped out his wand and fired a spell at Harry who dodged into the practice room.



“Cheating this early?” Harry grinned. “You must know you won’t win.”



Snape sent away the furniture and summoned the balls. “The same rules as last time?”



Harry nodded. “You are only allowed to use Immobulus. However, no dividing line this time. We each have free reign of the room.”



“Very well.” Snape scattered the balls along the walls.



Harry edged back, keeping his eyes locked on Snape as he bent down and gathered up a few balls. Snape sent an Immobulus racing towards him and he darted off. Snape had a greater advantage using spells instead of balls as weapons; however, Harry had quicker reflexes and was faster. He knew Snape would expect him to make a stupid mistake and pondered how he could use that to his advantage. Snape was too quick to be hit by a straight forward attack, but he probably wouldn’t ever put his back to Harry either. Harry gripped a ball tightly in his hand and then realised what he should do. All this time he had been treating these balls as spells, but they weren’t and there were things that he could do with them that he couldn’t do with spells.



He darted around the room, attacking with two balls at once from different angles. Snape responded quickly, dodging one while he used magic to send the other back at Harry. He didn’t bother to pace himself, pushing hard as he darted around while Snape remained relatively stationary, only moving the minimum amount necessary. Once Snape was manoeuvred into the correct position, Harry charged straight at him with two balls and tripped over his feet. One ball flew straight at Snape who deflected it lazily with a flick of his wand while the other harmlessly sailed past him to strike against the wall, bounce off, and hit Snape in the back.



“YES!” Harry punched the floor in triumph and jumped to his feet. “I DID IT! Hahaha! I fucking beat you!”



“I went easy on you, because you are still recovering,” Snape claimed as he sent the balls away and restored the furniture.



“You are such a liar.” Harry shook his head, his smile stretching his mouth wide. He knew he probably looked mental, but didn\'t care. The knowledge that he had outsmarted Snape was almost better than a blowjob. Almost. “You should give me my blowjob right now."



“Go take a shower,” ordered Snape, waving his hand to motion Harry back to the cellar.



Harry walked backwards away from him towards the door.



“There is no need for such paranoia,” said Snape as he watched Harry with a half-smile. “The contest is over.”



“That’s supposed to reassure me?” asked Harry as he backed down the stairs, feeling the way with his hand against the wall. “I’m keeping my eyes on you until I get my blowjob.”



“Move aside then,” Snape said impatiently, and brushed past Harry on the stairs, striding towards the bathroom. Harry hurried after him. Snape placed the muscle potion on the edge of the tub and then sat down to read. Harry jumped into the tub and turned on the shower. He felt he had impressed Snape even though he knew he’d never hear it. He had beaten one of the most powerful wizards without wand, magic, and while half-blind. He couldn’t wait to boast to his friends. Hermione would be proud of him. He wanted to suggest another contest even though he hadn’t yet received his blowjob for this one. If he could beat Snape once, he could beat him again.



He grew hard throughout the shower in anticipation of his reward and was fully erect when he stepped out of the tub. He stood on the rug, dripping wet with his cock proudly pointing upwards, and looked at Snape expectantly; his face schooled into his best Snape impression.



Snape’s eyes flickered upwards to Harry\'s penis and then back down again. He turned a page of his book and said in a cool voice, “Dry off and put on your potion first.”



Harry rubbed the towel over his body and scrubbed down his hair. He grabbed the muscle potion and drizzled it over his legs, rubbing it in as fast as he could. Snape got up from his chair and stepped forward to take some of the potion and massage it into Harry’s back with thorough strokes. Harry imagined those fingers on his cock and could barely focus on what he was supposed to be doing. His cock dripped profusely and he was tempted to turn around and push Snape’s head down towards his dick.



Finally, Snape stepped away from him to wash his hands in the sink. He motioned to his chair. “Sit down.”



Snape was going to kneel in front of him! Harry scrambled over towards the chair and plopped down, spreading his legs. His erection bobbed up, eager and waiting for head. It had been too long and Harry forced himself to calm down so he wouldn\'t waste this fantasy come true by blowing his load too early.



Snape finished washing his hands and then knelt before Harry. With a look of resignation, he wrapped his right hand around the base of Harry’s cock, pulling down the foreskin as he did so, and lowered his head to suck the tip of Harry\'s penis into his warm, wet mouth.



Fuck! It was just what he wanted! Harry groaned as he resisted the temptation to thrust his hips into that wet heat. Snape began to bob his head, letting Harry\'s glans fuck his mouth. Harry raised his hands and clenched his fists in Snape’s hair, his dick swelling as big as it ever got. Snape lifted his head.



“Potter, remove your hands,” Snape ordered in the same cool voice he used to boss Harry around during training sessions.



Harry yanked his hands from Snape\'s head and gripped the sides of the seat instead, digging his fingers into the wood. Snape lowered his head again and stuck out his tongue, licking up from the base of Harry\'s cock to the tip in a maddeningly slow pace as if he were savouring the taste. With his eyes opened and focused on his task, Snape wore a look of intense concentration that reminded Harry of their first Occlumency lesson together. It was a highly inappropriate thought which made it all the more erotic. Never in a million years would he ever have expected to see Snape kneeling before him, licking his cock.



Snape\'s wandering tongue drifted lower, licking at the top of the balls; jiggling them in their soft sac. He lifted a hand to cup the balls, pressing against the skin behind them. It was nice, but Harry wanted more. He spread his legs, shifting forward to the edge of the chair to give Snape greater access. Snape took the offer, his tongue journeying lower before he sucked a ball into his mouth. It felt strange but good; especially when Snape began pumping Harry\'s shaft with his hand at the same time. Shit, that was fucking fantastic. Head from Snape had never felt like this before and he had to concentrate to hold back the orgasm threatening to overtake him.



Snape removed his hands and head and brushed back a stray strand of hair. He shifted as though he were about to stand up and walk away. Was Snape planning on leaving the blow-job half finished as pay-back for this morning? He better not; especially not after bringing Harry this close to coming.



Snape leaned forward again and grabbed the base of Harry\'s cock. He swirled his tongue around the head a few times before he sucked Harry back in, swallowing him up with a warm mouth around every inch of cock his hand didn\'t grasp.



“Oh fuck!” Harry lost control, his hips jerking. Snape\'s hands shot to Harry\'s thighs, holding him down on the chair, preventing him from fucking his mouth. Harry grabbed Snape\'s hair, his fingers curling in the soft strands.



Snape lifted his head, letting Harry’s cock fall from his mouth with a wet pop. “I will tie you down,” he growled, fixing Harry with a death glare.



“Sorry, sorry.” Harry muttered as he grabbed onto the seat of the chair again.



Snape shook his head and returned to his task with gusto, sucking Harry back into his mouth and bobbing his head. His hand wrapped around Harry\'s shaft again, squeezing it, and it was too good, too much, too fast.



“I’m gonna- I’m gonna-” Harry gasped, trying to push Snape away with his hands, forgetting that he wasn\'t supposed to touch him. Snape just bobbed his head faster and Harry squeezed his eyes shut, no longer able to hold back the orgasm rushing at him. He came with a shout, his fingers digging into the robes covering Snape\'s shoulders as he poured his seed into Snape\'s mouth. Snape swallowed it all, gently milking him dry. Harry gasped for breath and opened his eyes to stare at Snape stupidly, his mind completely blown.



Snape released Harry\'s cock and stood, smoothing out his robes. He quirked an eyebrow down at Harry as if to say, \'beat that\'. The smug look on his face remained as he said, "Back to your cage," as if they had just finished a training session. Harry didn’t think he could move, but he somehow managed to get to his feet and stumble after Snape back to his cell. He collapsed into his chair, watching mindlessly as Snape summoned dinner for him and then left, his robes billowing behind him as he strode off.



Fuck. That was bloody fantastic! Harry hadn\'t thought it possible for a blowjob to get any better. And Snape had even swallowed his come! None of his classmates would ever believe him if he told them. Just imagining how Ron would take the news made Harry burst into laughter.



After Harry had calmed down, guilt flowed through him. He thought of the blowjob he had given Snape and how bad it must’ve been. Snape hadn’t even come as far as he could tell, and yet he had still given Harry a perfect one. It wasn\'t fair, he really should give Snape another one; this time to completion. He wouldn’t let Snape come in his mouth, but he could finish him off with his hands. What he had done had been rather cruel – working Snape up and then walking away. If Snape had done that to him, he would’ve been outraged, but Snape hadn’t said a thing. It was only right that he give Snape head again. Besides, that arrogant prick was so full of himself. Snape thought he was better at everything. Snape wouldn\'t manipulate him into a dick-sucking contest, but he would show Snape he could live up to his word.



After dinner, Harry read more of Faustus. The more he read of the story, the more he believed Snape saw himself as the protagonist and was saying why he joined Voldemort through the story. There were many words and phrases he didn’t understand, but the general storyline wasn’t too difficult to follow, although there were parts he didn\'t grasp. He wondered how much of it Snape expected him to understand.



Harry read until his eyes hurt and then returned the book to its place under the mattress.



As Harry lay in bed trying to sleep, his mind wandered to the previous evening and what he had overheard. Could he trust Snape? After nearly three months, he still was plagued by doubts; little nagging thoughts that crowded around the edges of his mind. He normally ignored them; pushing them to the very edge of his awareness, but now he roamed through them, not wanting to discount any possibilities.



It probably all came down to whatever Snape hated more – the memory of James or being Voldemort\'s slave. At the beginning of his imprisonment, he would\'ve thought Snape hated James more, but lately he had come to believe that Snape would rather help the son of his worst enemy than live a life of servitude. Snape wanted him to defeat Voldemort, that much he knew. Snape always acted as if his time were highly valuable. It didn\'t make any sense that he\'d waste his time with the training if it wasn\'t supposed to be used against Voldemort and the other Death Eaters. Snape could always claim that Harry wasn\'t allowed out of the cellar when Voldemort wasn\'t around, or that it was too risky, or give some other excuse to curtail the amount of time they spent together. Snape couldn\'t possibly be so devoted to maintaining the illusion of partnership that he would continue the training for hours a day, every day. Sometimes he was in a right foul mood and yet he still spent hours in the training room. It would be too easy for Snape to claim that he needed to focus on his brewing or that he had a visitor. There would be no way of knowing whether Snape was telling the truth or if he was really in the library reading or wanking or whatever.



It was possible Snape planned to kill or enslave him as soon as Voldemort was defeated, but that seemed unlikely. Snape needed him for a defence from the wizarding world which had no reason to trust the Death Eater. Without his help, Snape would probably be sent straight to Azkaban; if not killed first. Even if Snape thought that he could convince the populace of his innocence on his own, as soon as Harry defeated Voldemort, this whole master/slave farce would end. There was nothing Snape could say or do to him that would make him want to remain a slave. The idea that he\'d ever agree to be anyone\'s slave, much less be castrated, was preposterous. Snape would never do that to him. But what was Snape going to do to hurt him?



Harry pushed those thoughts away. There was no sense in dwelling on what might happen. No doubt Snape could be unspeakably monstrous if he wished to, but despite all his threats, he had never been sadistic outside of the throne room. But why wasn\'t Harry told why the sex had been free of cruelty so far? Or.... had Snape somehow expected him to duck and overhear the conversations? They had spent hours training; surely it was obvious he had the ability to duck a Muffliato if it was shot from far enough away for him to react in time. Although Snape had seemed surprised he overheard what Voldemort said, but maybe he had played his part so well, even Snape had been fooled by it. Maybe he had misjudged Snape\'s reaction while drugged.



If Snape had known that he ducked, or expected him to duck, then why cast it in the first place? Was it some sort of test? Was it like the times when Snape lied but made it obvious he was lying?



Instead of answers, he had somehow gained a million more questions. Harry sighed and pulled the sheets more tightly around himself. Tomorrow he would talk to Snape about Faustus. Outside of sex, book discussions were one of those rare moments when it seemed like he was interacting with a relatively open and honest Snape. Perhaps then he\'d gain some answers to the questions that plagued him. But now he needed to sleep.









[[I was a big fan of the Batman Animated Series growing up (I loved it when Robin would get captured and Batman would have to go save him) and watched every episode. In one of the episodes, Batman correctly deduces that he’s in a dream because he can’t read. I thought it was true, at the time, but I’ve since had many dreams where I read or write words that show up very clear and legible to me. I had this dream in which I read a book on Mexican constructs of homosexuality that used Harry Potter fanfiction as examples to explain the authors points and the dream consisted of me turning the pages of the book and reading the words. I’ve asked several people about this and it seems to be fairly common, so I left it in here. Similarly, I\'ve always been able to feel pain in dreams (although some people claim you can\'t) and.... let\'s just say that not all of these elements are products of Harry\'s imagination :) ]]