Nights of Gethsemane

When he opened his eyes again, Snape was standing by the side of the bed.

"All of your toiletries are in the bathroom," Snape said as he offered a hand to Harry.

Harry took it and let Snape pull him to his feet. He stumbled when he first tried to stand, but caught himself.

Pulling out his wand, Snape traced the tip down the length of Harry's torso, removing the bandages. The hand holding Harry's shifted to his elbow, and guided him towards the bathroom.

"I can manage on my own," Harry insisted, shrugging off Snape's hand. He staggered in and sat down to urinate.

"Any stiffness?" asked Snape from the doorway.

Harry shook out his limbs and wiggled his torso. "Nah, everything appears to work." He had scoffed when Snape offered his bed as a reward, but he did feel incredibly well rested, and he had the feeling it wasn't simply due to the sleeping potion.

Snape brushed his teeth and then left the bathroom, leaving the door open.

A nice, long shower to scrub away all the dirt and sleepiness proved to be just what he needed. When Harry stepped out of the tub onto the plush bathmat, he felt recharged and ready to fight Voldemort. All of his toiletries had been placed beside the sink along with his clothing. He hadn't dressed in a while and didn't mind being naked. He almost didn't dress, but it wasn't like Snape to do things without purpose, so he slid them on. When he'd finished, he stepped out of the bathroom to search for Snape and breakfast.

He found Snape at his desk, composing a letter. Snape glanced over at Harry and returned to his letter. "Do you know how to cook a decent breakfast?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah, I can make breakfast."

Snape stood, arranging all the items on his desk with several flicks of his wand, and motioned for Harry to lead the way to the kitchen.

Giddy with anticipation, Harry walked ahead of him. He'd not been taken to the kitchen for months, and now he'd be able to cook breakfast. "Will you be eating too?"

"If it's edible," said Snape.

"It will be," promised Harry as he walked into the kitchen.

"You may need these," said Snape from behind him. Harry turned around to see his glasses in Snape's hand.

"Thanks!" He slid them onto his nose and gazed at the massive wall of spices.

"If you burn yourself you won't be allowed in the kitchen again." Snape strode over to the fridge. "Now what would you like to make for breakfast?"

Harry thought. "Eggs. Bacon. Sausages." As Harry announced the ingredients they left the fridge, flying towards Snape. "Tomatoes. Toast. Mangoes."

"I don't have any," interrupted Snape. "I do have fresh oranges and apricot jam."

"That sounds good."

Snape floated the items over towards the kitchen counter beside the stove, elongating it so that all the ingredients fit. "Have you used a gas stove before?"

"No, just electric."

Snape turned on the stove and Summoned clean plates to rest on the other side of the stove. "Adjust the heat with the knobs." He demonstrated as if Harry had never seen a stove before. "Do not touch any part of the burner even after the heat has dissipated. You must-"

"I grew up with Muggles." Harry grabbed one of the frying pans and placed it on top of the burner. "I've cooked breakfast for my relatives as long as I can remember. I haven't burned myself since I was nine."

Shrugging, Snape returned to the table and sifted through the pile of parchment that had followed him in. He focused on his work, leaving Harry alone to cook as he pleased.

Harry had cooked for years, but never before had he tried to make a meal so perfect. In addition to a desire to surprise and impress Snape (although part of him still considered that an impossible task), he could fix everything just the way he liked it. He focused on his work--frying, sautéing and mixing. The knives didn't permit his touch and anything he needed cut, he carried over to Snape who barely glanced up from his papers as he cut the items with magic.

Harry decorated the plates with the food, fanning out the thinly sliced tomatoes and creating orange bowls with the peels as Mrs Dursley had ordered him to do for Aunt Marge.

He carried Snape's plate over first. Snape moved aside his papers when Harry set the plate down. He looked at everything offered before him critically, but made no comment. Harry returned for his own plate and then left for a cup of tea. Snape had somehow acquired his own, despite the fact that Harry hadn't seen him go near the teapot.

Selecting a mug from the rack, Harry poured a cup from the teapot. Leaves spilled in with the liquid and Harry dumped the contents of the cup back into the pot.

"Do you have a strainer?" he asked, not seeing one anywhere near the pot.

"I doubt you will find that brew to your liking," Snape said from the table. "Fill the mug with water and come here."

Harry obeyed and walked over to the table, placing his mug down beside Snape. Snape touched the mug with the tip of his wand. "Ebullio." The water boiled. A box of teabags flew off the shelf and into Snape's waiting hand. "Fetch the milk and sugar if you desire them."

Teabags were the last objects Harry expected to see in the home of a Potions Master but perhaps there were times when even Snape had no patience for brewing. He carried the tray over to the table and found his cup waiting by his chair.

Snape ate his meal with his eyes on a parchment. He ignored Harry and barely paid attention to what he was putting in his mouth. While Harry didn't expect a compliment, he didn't expect to be ignored either. He swallowed his disappointment and focused on his meal which had turned out quite well in his opinion.

When the silence in the kitchen, punctuated only by the sounds of their utensils stretched on and on, Harry finally broke it with, "What are you reading?"

"Answers to some queries from an associate of mine." Snape's dark eyes never left the page. "If you've finished eating, put all the dishes in the sink."

Harry hadn't finished eating, but he assumed the comment meant 'shut up and leave me alone' so he didn't try to speak to Snape after that. When he'd finished, he carried his dishes over to the sink and washed them. He was halfway through the pile when Snape stood.

"I will use magic for the rest. Follow me."

Snape led him to the throne room. Pointing his wand at Harry, he cast, "Obscuro." Hating the spell, Harry ducked out of the way.

"Why can't I just close my eyes?" asked Harry.

"Very well," Snape agreed after a pause. "I will inform you once I have finished."

Harry sat on the floor and waited. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell Snape was casting because of the way the magic in the air changed. After what seemed like ages, Snape said, "Open your eyes."

Harry opened his eyes to find the room visually unchanged. He could feel the wards though, pulsing as they gave off faint traces of magic.

"I can feel them!" Only a year before he had felt nothing in that cave with Dumbledore but now he knew they were there as clearly as if they were visible. He inched towards the one nearest to him, feeling out with his hands, trying to judge the length of the invisible curtain of magic.

"There are two main types of wards," lectured Snape. "Protection and Triggering. Protection wards are the ones with which you are most familiar. Cast around a domicile, they restrict access and protect the inhabitants as well as structures from unfriendly spells. Such wards can also be set up in smaller spaces such as this room although they are basically useless here. You may wonder why the Dark Lord does not simply place a ward around his Horcrux that is strong enough to prevent anyone but him from reaching its location, but that is impossible. Such a strong ward must be constantly replenished in order to effectively deter any who wish access. While this would be practical to defend a place such as my potions lab or this home, the Dark Lord would need to dwell near his Horcrux fairly often. It would constrain him considerably, as well as alert any interested parties to the location of his hidden Horcrux.

"The Dark Lord has always been interested in pushing the limits of magic and, while it is theoretically possible that he may have found a way to maintain a strong ward without replenishing it regularly, it is highly unlikely that he has managed to accomplish this feat in such short a time. If he has, then breaking through the wards will alert him to an attack on his Horcrux. As you have not been trained in ward breaking and, without access to your magic, I doubt I would be able to teach you such a complicated art even if we had the time. We'll hope that either I will be able to break into the Chamber, or that we won't require you to accomplish this particular task.

"Now, because he is the heir of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets was bequeathed to him by birthright, he may be able to cast a very ancient and powerful ward that would effectively keep anyone but him from entering. However, wards of that type will allow any descendant of that bloodline to pass through. As your blood flows through his veins and he would've had to construct this ward after his resurrection, using the blood of his new body, this type of ward would let you pass through unimpeded."

Harry chuckled. "He really messed up when he took my blood, didn't he?"

"More than he knows," agreed Snape. "The Triggering type of ward is something very few know about. The way they work is that the equivalent to a Protection ward is cast in a very small area. I've cast one from here-" He pointed to the floor an arm span away from Harry's left foot. "-to here." He pointed to the ceiling directly above where he had previously been pointing. "Run your hand through it."

Harry scooted over and felt around the area. He could feel it; much stronger than the other wards, it was an invisible rope of magic hanging from the ceiling rather than a plane. When he let his fingers wander too close, it vanished.

"Because this ward is concentrated in such a small area," said Snape, "it is highly unstable and any disturbance will cause it to break. This may seem to be a poor Protection ward. That's because its purpose is to alert the caster to the presence of someone in a forbidden location. If these spells have been cast around his Horcrux, each one you break will alert him to your actions. Think of them as the wizard equivalent of lasers if you must. For this task, you will pass through this room to the door which leads to the cellar without touching any of the wards. If you touch any of them, even the Protection wards, I will know."

"With clothes?" Harry asked, blinking at Snape.

"I assumed that you would find clothes if I brought you to Hogwarts, but if you'd prefer to traipse about naked, I see no harm in it." Snape smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm getting clothes if I can! And really, I'm glad he never let you bring me to Hogwarts, because the idea of walking through those halls starkers sounds like a nightmare I once had." Crouching down, he crawled forward, feeling the air for traces of magic.

Obscuro raced towards his back and he barely had time to roll out of the way, straight into a ward.

"What the hell!?"

"What have I told you about moving only as much as you need to?" Snape fired off another that Harry avoided by ducking.

"I just didn't expect it." Harry squatted, feeling for the wards as he dodged the rapid fire of spells that shot at him. He had learned to dodge fairly efficiently but the amorphous, variable wards confused him. "Slow down the spells."

"Concentrate."

Harry tried to, but he had somehow become trapped between walls of wards and, as Snape advanced, he couldn't find a way to escape. He shifted on his feet avoiding the spells and, just when he finally found the exit, he tripped, tumbling through two triggering wards.

"Where is your focus, Potter?" criticised Snape, as he set the wards back up. "Your dodging was pathetic."

"Let me do the wards alone first. It's too confusing."

"You need to be adaptable to new situations. If you can't think on your feet you'll never survive. Go." Snape shot off a spell and Harry barely had time to dodge out of the way.

He scuttled towards the door, trying to rely on instinct and the edges of his senses rather than feeling out each ward But still the spells raced all around him, and he became confused about where he had found wards already and where the carpet was free. Obscuro hit him and he paused.

"Why are you stopping?" yelled Snape from across the room. "Move!"

More spells raced towards him, Immobulus this time, and Harry rolled out of the way. Being blind was bad enough, no way was he becoming immobile as well.

Harry shouted, "How in bloody hell am I supposed to reach the door when I'm blind?"

"You don't remember where it was?" Snape scoffed. "You must always pay attention to your surroundings."

"I got turned around! I can't dodge, find the wards, and head towards a door when I'm blind!"

"You should be able to," said Snape without a shred of understanding in his voice. But he cast a Finite Incantatem at Harry and Harry gladly jumped in its path. Glancing around the room, he saw the door at the other end.

"Fuck!" There was no way he was going to be able to get to the bloody door at the current rate. "Slow it down."

Snape did not slow down the spells. "You need to learn this now, Potter. Time is of the essence and we cannot afford to waste any more. Feel with magic instead of relying on your eyes."

"I don't have my bloody magic!"

"You know what I mean!"

Harry rushed towards the door, twisting and turning as he dodged around both wards and spells. He had got halfway across the floor when he stepped on a triggering ward.

"Again," said Snape.

Each round was as disastrous as the last. By the fifth attempt, Harry had given up. He dropped to the floor to catch his breath and said, "I can't do this!"

Snape crossed his arms. "You need to try harder-"

"What do you think I've been doing? This is the first time I've been able to feel these things!"

"Do you want to be free of this place or not?"

Harry couldn't believe it. As if he wanted to be a slave. "Fuck you, arsehole. Don't even give me that shit. You know I want to get the fuck out of here, but I need time to learn this. If it's so fucking important, then you should have started me on it earlier!"

Snape tsked. "I won't overestimate you again. Very well, go through with only the wards first." He waved his hand dismissively.

Seething, Harry dropped down to his hands and knees and began to feel the wards again. Snape needed to pull that huge fucking stick out of his arse and fast. Harry had barely trained at Hogwarts and only started learning most of these skills within the past month or two. He doubted anyone else would have been able to do as well as he had just done without serious training on either ward detection or dodging. Hell, from what he'd seen, most wizards couldn't properly dodge; it was never suggested as a tactic in the classes where he'd learned the bare minimum of defensive magic.

The wards nearest the door were organised into a twisted spider web that required a level of flexibility Harry hadn't realised he had. With care and many false steps, he finally wound his way through the invisible maze and touched the door knob.

"Now, we will begin again." Snape twirled his wand around, deconstructing the wards.

"I need to use the loo first."

"Very well."

"It's not very likely that someone will be shooting spells at me while I'm trying to get past wards, is it?" asked Harry as he followed after Snape. "I mean, if I am close enough to a Horcrux to see the wards and a Death Eater sees me, there is no point in tip-toeing through them."

"Not all of his allies have taken the Dark Mark," Snape reminded him.

Faint memories reformed. "Oh yeah, Greyback didn't have a Dark Mark. Is that why he isn't invited to the parties?"

"Greyback was killed; but no, he wouldn't have been invited had he lived."

Good. Memories of Greyback and Hermione swam into his mind, but the edges of them were fuzzy. He tugged on them, trying to solidify the missing pieces. He didn't want to remember the torture, but there was something cut out, something he had the feeling he needed to know.

Snape's voice jarred Harry back to the present. "If you are finished, then we will return to the practice room."

Nodding, Harry washed his hands and followed Snape. "I'm ready for some spells now, but only a few of them at first."

The second attempt went much better than the first. It took several hours, but Harry managed to grab the door handle, even while dodging. He dropped to the floor, panting for breath as Snape cleared the room of wards. Once his pounding heart no longer felt as though it would explode from his chest any moment, Harry asked, "I did it, didn't I? I didn't touch any of them that time."

"No, but you need to move faster."

Harry wasn't expecting a compliment, but more reprimands irked him. "I'm hungry. Is it lunch time yet?"

"Yes, you may make yourself a sandwich." Snape motioned for Harry to follow him back to the kitchen. Harry climbed to his feet, leaning against the wall for support, and then stumbled after him. "I cut up chicken breasts for sandwich meat yesterday," said Snape as they entered the kitchen. "Sit at the table."

Harry sat down and Snape sent the chicken breasts over along with mustard, mayonnaise, butter, and several vegetables. When the bread came, Harry liberally coated a slice in mustard before piling chicken breasts high. He added a bit of lettuce and some tomatoes before smooshing the second piece on the top and biting into the masterpiece. Snape sent over a glass of milk and busied himself by the stove, brewing a new pot of tea. This one was crafted with the same care devoted to brewing potions; each ingredient carefully measured and added. Once the kettle whistled, Snape set about making his own meal.

By the time Harry started on his second sandwich, Snape had finished making his food. He poured out two cups and carried them over to the table, his plate floating behind him. He added milk and sugar to his own cup, a single cube along with a liberal dash of milk.

Harry had never seen Snape add anything to his tea and assumed that it was bitter. He poured in twice as much milk as Snape had used and dropped in three cubes of sugar. Snape raised his eyebrow, but his mouth was full of tea so he didn't say anything.

"If you had to add milk and sugar, then I'm definitely going to have to," explained Harry as he picked up a teaspoon he didn't remember Snape giving him, and stirred his tea.

"I normally add a bit of milk and sugar to my non-herbal teas."

"I've never seen you."

"I prepare the cups ahead of time. Yours aren't the only dishes I prearrange in the mornings."

Harry took a sip of his tea. He had added too much sugar. He pretended that he hadn't and stubbornly drank from his mug.

Snape's meal consisted of baguette slices which were covered in some sort of weird mixture of vegetables and spices.

"What's that?" Harry asked as he finished his second sandwich.

"Bruschettas," said Snape offering one to Harry with a wave of his hand. "You don't seem to favour basil, so I didn't think you'd like it."

Harry ate one, then stole another. "I could do without it, but everything else is good."

"Haven't you had enough to eat?" Snape guarded his last piece with a frown and his arm.

"I'm training so I need to eat a lot." Harry smirked. "Speaking of which, what are we doing now?"

"For the next session, we will combine all that you have learned so far in the form of a competition."

At the term 'competition,' Harry perked up. "I'm going to try to hit you with balls while you try to shoot me with spells?"

"No. Wait here." Snape cast the chaining spell to emphasize his words and strode off towards the throne room, taking his last bruschetta with him.

Annoyed, Harry pulled on the chain which now connected his right arm to the table. As he examined it, he discovered that Snape hadn't actually attached it to the table, merely created a ring around the leg. He cleared all the dishes, placing them on his chair, and then sat down on the floor. He gripped the leg of the table and tried to lift it, but it was much heavier than it looked. He lay down on his back and placed his feet on the underside of the table and pushed up with all his might. He pushed and pushed and finally lifted the table enough to slide the ring out from under the leg. He set the table back down and caught his breath. He was free! But what should he do?

He glanced around, pondering what sort of mischief he could get up to. Nicking food seemed pointless and any weapons he collected would be found and confiscated by Snape. Not knowing how long Snape would be away, he sneaked over to hide behind the door. He held his breath when Snape strode into the room. Snape stopped as soon as he saw the empty table and realised Harry was nowhere insight. Luckily, he had walked in far enough for Harry to push the door closed and jump at Snape's back.

Snape whirled around, his wand out, and yelled, "Stupefy!"

Harry barely managed to roll out of the way in time.

"Potter!" Snape bellowed, his face white. "What do you think you are doing?" He marched over to Harry who remained crouched on the floor.

"I was just training you," said Harry, grinning to show he meant no harm.

Snape grabbed him by the arm with fingers like talons and hauled him to his feet. He shoved Harry back towards the counter.

Harry shot a hand back to catch himself. "You're going to hurt me!"

"I should," hissed Snape. His dark eyes burned from a pale face twisted with rage. His hand flew out and boxed Harry on the side of the head hard enough to sting, but not enough to hurt. "Why can't you think? What if I'd had an unexpected visitor with me?"

His hand flew again. Harry batted it away. Snape grabbed the chain with his left hand and, pinning Harry against the counter, closed his right hand around his neck.

"You wouldn't have just led them in here without warning me." Harry grabbed the wrist of the hand that was threatening to throttle him and tried to pull it away. "You'd have found some way to let me know."

"What if I'd killed you?" Snape continued in the same low, dangerous voice.

"You couldn't have. You've trained me too well. See how I dodged that Stupefy?"

"You stupid-" Still squeezing his neck, Snape dropped the chain and smacked him in the face. "-arrogant-" Another smack. "-childish-" Another.

"Stop it!" Harry pushed him away. It wasn't painful, but he hated being hit.

Snatching his arm, Snape spun him around, and bent him over the counter. Harry kicked back his legs, pushing up off the counter, but Snape moved between his legs and, holding one arm and the back of his neck, shoved him back down with surprising strength.

"Move again," said Snape, his voice dark, "and you'll regret it."

"Hurt me," Harry retorted, "and you'll regret it."

Snape pressed Harry's face harder into the counter top. "You insufferable child. Do you really think I need to hurt you to punish you?"

Wincing, his heart pounding, Harry answered, "No, but do you really think you can do what the Dursleys couldn't? Have Voldemort's punishments ever made you treat him with respect or anything other than false obedience?"

"I suppose you think I should just allow you to do whatever you want, no matter how stupid your actions are. You-"

"No," interrupted Harry. "I think you should tell me what I'm doing wrong instead of trying to beat me into submission. Look, I'm sorry I moved. I wasn't trying to run away or anything. If I thought for even a second that someone else had stepped in the house, I would've returned to the chair."

Snape released him and took a step back. "This is exactly why you should stay here instead of trying to hunt for the Horcrux yourself. You have no sense of self-preservation and constantly behave in the most infantile manner. You'd get yourself killed before you reached the edge of the wards. There are times for playing games and this is not one of them. You will never, ever do that again. When I chain you somewhere, you will stay there. For whose protection do you think I use the chains?"

"Mine," sighed Harry. "I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

At the second 'I'm sorry,' the rest of the anger drained from Snape's face and his features slid back to normal. He looked down at the chain. "How did you escape from the table?"

"I pushed it up."

"You pushed up the table?" repeated Snape, his eyebrows darting upwards in disbelief.

"I lay down on my back and pushed up the table. I didn't move it much, but I only needed to lift it enough to slide the ring under the leg."

Still holding the end of Harry's chain, Snape turned and dragged him towards the practice room. "Can I trust you to behave for the rest of the day?"

"Yes," Harry answered in the most contrite tone he could manage. "You know I'll train as best I can. Let me prove it to you."

Snape stepped into the practice room which had been filled with black objects of various sizes as if Snape had enlarged a box of toy blocks and scattered the contents all over the floor. The boxes nearly covered the carpet completely, leaving narrow passages that wound through the room in zig-zagging patterns.

"The objective of this contest is to steal your opponent's wand--or rather, the replica thereof," said Snape as he withdrew two wands from his robe and handed one to Harry. A thrill passed through Harry at the feel of the object in his hand. He knew, just by looking at it, that it wasn't a real wand, just a carved bit of wood; and he was without magic. However, even knowing that, he felt powerful holding the thin stick. It was a reminder that he was a wizard and, although he might be currently stripped of his powers, he had the potential to be fierce; to fight against Voldemort in a proper wizard's duel. He clutched the stick and grinned widely up at Snape, not caring if he looked mental.

Snape gave a snort and removed the chain. "To make the challenge even more difficult, I have placed wards around the room. Trigger them and I will know exactly where you are."

Harry frowned. "That's not fair to me. You'll win for sure."

"I'll blind myself," said Snape. "Obscuro."

Snape's eyes turned completely black. It startled Harry, who took a step back.

"When I say, now, count to twenty and then the contest will begin. You must remain in this room. If you try to leave, I will know. Do you understand?"

"Yep. I gotta grab your wand or stop you from grabbing mine. No leaving the room and you've stuck wards everywhere."

Snape nodded. "Now." The lights in the room dimmed and Snape became a dark shadow.

Even though Snape was blind, Harry darted away from him as quickly as he could while feeling for the wards. He had no doubt that a blinded Snape was still a dangerous opponent. He found a three-way corner and waited. No sense in chasing after Snape when Snape would have to come after him. Besides, Snape probably expected him to go on the hunt and, by waiting, he had a greater element of surprise. He tried to control his breathing while he waited, his neck craning and his eyes straining to peer into the blackness of the narrow paths surrounding him. Trying to hold it had never worked well, but breathing slowly and deeply seemed to help. His heart pounded hard in his chest, beating in his ears. Even though he knew it was impossible for Snape to hear the drumming, it still seemed to echo around the empty room and he willed it to slow.

His ankles hurt from the awkward squat, but he held his position. Just when he was about to give up and begin the hunt for Snape, he saw a dark shadow moving at the edge of the shortest hallway that connected to his position. It walked past the hallway, moving at a glacial speed.

Harry wanted to chase the shadow, but he also wanted to stay and wait for Snape to come for him. He chose to remain in his spot. After several minutes had passed and he had begun to regret that decision, he thought he saw movement down the longest hallway. He peered into the darkness. Although he estimated the longest hallway to be only twice the length of his body, with the low lights, it was difficult to see anything more than what appeared to be a black blob floating towards him. Harry tightened his grip on his own wand and, with occasional glances at the other hallways, waited for Snape to approach him.

The shadow moved ever so cautiously, approaching a foot at a time. He spotted a white patch near the top which he assumed to be Snape's face. As slowly as he could move, Harry adjusted himself, shifting to a better crouch. When Snape was one body-length away from him, he charged, pushing to his feet and flying forward.

Snape jumped backwards, toppling a block into the path between himself and Harry. Harry, who hadn't realised such a thing could be done, ran into it and tripped. As Snape groped for Harry's wand, he rolled out of the way and darted off down a hallway. He ran straight through a ward, recognising it as his foot passed through it. Cursing his luck, he forced himself to slow and turned to head in a different direction. In order to avoid the wards, he had to move slowly and his mind screamed at him that Snape was gaining on him with each slow step.

He glanced back at regular intervals. Just when he was confident he had finally escaped, he spotted a cloud of black and panic filled him. Even blinded, Snape would soon steal his wand.

His heart pounding, Harry yelled at himself internally to think. A phrase of Snape's popped into his mind: 'Stop thinking about limitations and start thinking about possibilities.' He glanced up at the tops of the boxes surrounding him and had an epiphany. As quietly as he could, he slid onto a short box. From there, it wasn't difficult to pull himself onto a taller one. He surveyed his surroundings and discovered taller boxes crammed together across the hallway from where he was now. After searching for Snape and finding him nowhere in sight, Harry wiggled his way down the boxes, hurried across the path as fast as he dared, and shimmied up the steps of boxes opposite from the previous one. On top of the tallest, he surveyed the layout, noting the dark spot that he assumed to be Snape. Despite the fact that Snape had knocked over the box to block Harry rather easily, the one on which he sat seemed sturdy. Harry decided to wait there.

Snape meandered through the room as he searched for Harry. He paced carefully, his slow steps covering every exposed inch of the carpet. He ignored the tops of the boxes, only touching them to guide his movements. After what seemed like years, his steps brought him closer to where Harry was lying in wait. Finally, Snape passed by his boxes. Harry jumped, landing in front of Snape. Snape had switched his wand to his left hand and Harry's right darted forward, opening to catch Snape's. Snape had caught onto the ambush when Harry's feet hit the carpet, and when Harry tried to yank the wand out of Snape's hand, he found that not only did Snape refuse to relinquish the wood, but he also held Harry's makeshift wand tightly.

"Finite Incantatem," cast Snape. The blindness disappeared from his eyes and the room lit up. "A tie."

"No way," argued Harry. "I got you first!"

"You attacked first, but you endangered your own wand in the attack," Snape pointed out as he pulled both wands from Harry's now loose fist and returned the fake one to his robes. He used the other to restore the room's normal decor. "I closed my fingers around your wand just as you closed yours around mine."

Harry grumbled under his breath but could not argue with Snape's logic. "What are we going to do for the sex since we tied?"

There was a moment's pause, and then Snape said, "We simply take turns."

"No." Harry shook his head. "How will we decide who gets to go first? What we'll do is this: You can fuck me, but I get to pick where and in which position."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "You already have a location in mind."

"The Dark Lord's throne," said Harry with a wide grin.

"Absolutely not." Snape's voice brooked no disagreement.

"Why not? Are you scared?"

"If you are going to be childish-"

"It's not childish," Harry argued, glaring. "Fine, we'll do it in that chair." He pointed to a comfortable-looking recliner. "But I get to pick the position and you can't touch me."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "You idiot, how am I supposed to fuck you if I can't touch you?"

"With your hands!" Harry said, waving his for emphasis. "You can't touch me with your hands!"

For a moment, Snape just looked at Harry through half-lidded eyes and Harry thought he'd refuse for sure. Then, he nodded curtly. "Fine."

"All right, take off your clothes." Harry stripped off his clothing and walked over to the chair.

"No," refused Snape.

"Oh, come on! You have to take off your clothes!"

Snape crossed his arms. "If you won't let me touch you, then I'm not removing anything that isn't necessary."

"Why does it matter to you if you touch me or not?"

"Because if I let you control it, you will work yourself to climax far too quickly for me to bother undressing," Snape declared in a sooty tone.

Harry crossed his arms. "I will not."

Snape's eyes glittered. "Shall we have a contest then? We will practise frottage and the first one to reach climax must agree to the rules of the other."

Harry knew he wouldn't win. That bastard could hold himself off for hours if need be, and Harry had just never bothered to learn how. "Only for the clothes," he finally relented, knowing he'd been beaten. "If you win, you get to keep them on, if I win, you have to take them off."

"Very well." Snape strode over to the chair and smoothly took his seat. His fingers worked over his trousers and soon he had pulled out his half-hard cock. "Come here." He motioned with his fingers for Harry to approach him.

Harry crossed the room. "Shouldn't we do this on the floor or something?"

Snape reached forward and grabbed Harry's wrist, pulling him forward. "You suggested the chair, now straddle my legs."

Harry climbed onto the chair, feeling awkward as he straddled Snape's legs and pushed his own hardening dick against Snape's. He tried to pull his wrist out of Snape's hand to grip them with both hands but Snape's grasp remained tight.

"No manual manipulation," insisted Snape before he released Harry's hand. He plucked the glasses from Harry's nose and tossed them to the side.

Harry gripped the armrests. He was determined to try and do the best he could. He probably wouldn't win, but he hoped he'd be able to hold out for a long time. He wished he knew more about Snape's sexuality, what drove Snape wild. If he knew, he would've done it to try and push the other wizard over the edge, but he didn't know anything beyond the very basics. He felt more virginal than he had felt in a while; young and inexperienced. He ground his hips against Snape's, pressing his rapidly filling manhood against the thickening one beneath him. Snape watched Harry with burning eyes, his body completely still except for the slow movement of his chest as he breathed.

Harry bit his lip as he wiggled around, trying to find the best spots to stimulate Snape. Frottage wasn't nearly as exciting or as pleasurable as it had sounded in the books. It was too similar to when he rubbed his dick against the pillows -- nice, but not nearly as good as a blowjob or fucking. He pressed his cock against Snape's as hard as he could, but he couldn't seem to get the right angle or enough friction to properly stimulate both of them, no matter how he moved his hips. Snape remained as frozen as a statue, his cock hard and his eyes filled with fire, but still in complete control of himself. Fucking bastard. The only reason he'd suggested this stupid thing was because he knew he'd win.

Oh well. If Harry wasn't going to win this contest, he'd at least make sure that he'd get to come twice that night. He stopped focusing on trying to get Snape off and started to concentrate on his own pleasure. He closed his eyes and wiggled his hips until he found the perfect spot, and then began thrusting his pelvis as he rubbed against Snape.

Oh god, that was perfect. Just there. Still not what he really wanted, but better than nothing. Harry let a moan escape his lips as he rubbed faster, his orgasm rushing towards him like a freight train. And then-- Almost--

"Are you even trying to control yourself?" Snape's criticism cut through his pleasure. "Where's your discipline?"

For a moment, Harry considered stopping and trying to beat Snape, but he was too far along to care. "Piss off, Snape," he growled as he grabbed the man's shoulders and rubbed himself faster and harder. And then, he came. Groaning, he shot out over the two of them, covering both their dicks in warm, wet spunk.

Harry moaned, and rutted against Snape until he finished spewing, the release leaving him very satisfied even though he'd lost.

Snape's eyes were shining with satisfaction. He held out a hand to the side. "Accio lubricant!" The wide, flat container hurtled towards him and he caught it easily, holding it out to Harry as he cast the cleaning spell. Harry accepted it and opened it, dropping the lid to the floor. He scooted back to give himself room and then, covering his fingers in the warm goo, proceeded to lube up Snape's hard cock. Snape watched the proceedings with half-lidded eyes, still holding himself completely still. Harry deliberately took his time to smear on the lube, running his hands up and down Snape's cock, slipping his fingers under the foreskin and teasing the head inside its sheath, rubbing his palm over the head, and wiggling his fingers over the sides and the bottom. Snape endured it all stoically until one of Harry's hands slid down to cup his balls, rolling them gently in his fingers. He let out a tiny grunt of pleasure then and Harry finally showed mercy.

Lifting his bum up, Harry reached back behind himself and pressed a finger inside. It slipped in easily and when the second met no resistance either, he knew he was ready.

"Right, hands on the arm-rests," insisted Harry as he turned himself around.

Snape's arms immediately came to lie on the arm-rests, his cock straining up towards Harry's arse. Harry placed his hands over Snape's forearms and then lowered himself down towards Snape's cock. The head of it pressed behind his balls and he wiggled until it was right up against his pucker. He pressed down on it, but didn't let it penetrate the tight ring.

"I don't know if I'm stretched enough," he lied. "Maybe I need some more lube."

"Then use it, you stupid fool," Snape said and Harry knew he was trying his hardest not to thrust up his hips.

"Nah," Harry answered cheekily, "I'll just go reeeeal slow." And with that, he pushed down, letting the head of Snape's thick cock breach his pucker. Snape let out a hiss of pleasure as Harry very slowly worked his way down Snape's cock, taking it deeper and deeper with a pace that was sure to drive the Potions Master out of his mind. The slow stretch and fill felt amazing, the warmth of Snape's cock flowing into him. He wanted to go faster, to take more and deeper, but it was too much fun to feel Snape's arms stain under his hands. Snape bore the torture stoically and Harry was halfway down before his resolve broke, and he thrust up hard.

"Don't move," Harry insisted, pressing down with his full weight, pinning Snape against the chair with his bum. Snape was buried fully inside of him, Harry's balls resting against Snape's. Harry squeezed around the thick length inside of him before he shifted ever so slightly, moving his hips only enough to give the feel of movement. Snape tried to thrust back up against him, but Harry was too heavy for him to move without magic.

"Potter! Move your sodding hips or I'll-" Snape started to snarl and Harry finally stopped teasing him and began to lightly fuck himself on Snape's cock. Snape's arms twitched under Harry's hands and Harry knew that Snape was dying to pull them out of his grip, grab his hips, and really pound into him. Harry wasn't going to let him. Yet.

Harry rode Snape's thrusts, rising up whenever Snape thrust up so that the other wizard couldn't get the depth he wanted to.

Snape bore it all in stride, his hips rising faster and harder. Finally, he grunted, "Feet. Up. Put your feet up on the arm-rests."

Deciding to show him mercy, Harry leaned back on his hands and placed his feet up on the armrest. The change in angle allowed Snape to thrust deeper into him, burying himself ball-deep with each thrust. Harry balanced himself on the armrest and let Snape fuck him as hard as he wanted, his own cock stirring to life again as Snape's rammed into his hole, brushing against his prostate with each stroke.

"Fuck," Harry panted, finally thrusting back against Snape in earnest. He held that pose until the urge to stroke himself was too great for him to resist. He released Snape's trapped arms and leaned back against him, resting his head on the Potions Master's shoulder as he shot down a hand to rub one off in earnest. Snape immediately snaked down his hands to grab Harry's legs, pushing Harry down as he thrust up, his strokes slowing. Harry wanked himself in time to the languid strokes. It was good, but he preferred it fast and hard.

"Go faster," he suggested, trying to push his hips down hard.

"Get up and turn around," Snape ordered in a crisp voice, pushing Harry as he gave the instructions.

Harry hurriedly pulled himself off Snape's dick and turned around as Snape adjusted himself in the chair.

"Come here," Snape grabbed Harry's arse and pulled him forward. Harry was caught off guard and fell, knocking his forehead against Snape's.

"Watch it! No do-overs, remember?"

"Do you need anything?" Snape asked in concern, raising a hand to brush back Harry's hair as he pulled Harry's head down for a closer look.

"I'm fine," insisted Harry, batting Snape's hands away. "This chair needs to be wider," he commented as he tried to reposition himself.

The wand flew to Snape's hand and he waved it in a half-circle, doubling the chair's width. "Wide enough?"

"Show-off." Harry grinned as he straddled Snape's hips, reaching down between his legs to grab Snape's cock and hold it in place while he positioned his bum. "When I get my magic back, I'll show you a trick or two."

"You would've destroyed the chair," argued Snape as he carelessly tossed his wand to the side and grabbed Harry's waist, pushing down as he thrust up.

"Nn," grunted Harry, grabbing onto Snape's shoulders to better balance himself. He matched Snape's thrusts, his hips pumping fast as he rode Snape's thick cock. "Better," he gasped. "Much better."

Snape's hands slid up Harry's back, pushing Harry's shoulders towards him as he bent forward. He flickered his tongue over Harry's collarbone and then lightly nipped the juncture of his shoulder and neck. Harry tilted his head back, baring his neck to Snape as Snape's tongue and teeth worked their way slowly up the bared expanse.

Harry moaned, deep in his throat, as Snape's hot tongue licked over his Adam's apple. Hands curled in his hair and he bent his head forward to press his hot mouth against Snape's equally warm one. Harry nipped at the soft lips, biting the lower one lightly which caused a soft groan to escape Snape's lips. Encouraged, Harry bit harder until the warm salty taste of blood touched his tongue and he pulled back guiltily. Snape gripped Harry's hips, but rather than throw him off, he pushed down as he thrust up and Harry had the ridiculous thought that if Snape's cock had been just a bit longer, it would've pierced through his intestines and speared his heart.

Snape grunted and Harry stared down at him to see the perpetually pissed-off face melt into bliss as orgasm neared. Snape closed his eyes and threw back his head in ecstasy, exposing his throat to Harry. Harry watched, entranced, as Snape orgasmed, his dick pulsing inside Harry's arse as he spent his pleasure. Peace fell upon his features, and a slight smile graced his lips. His face was so open, so unguarded and oddly submissive. In that moment, he was more naked than he'd ever been, and when the dark eyes opened, Harry caught a glimpse of something deep within them that vanished as soon as Snape realised he had an audience to his rapture. Without a word, Snape pulled Harry off of his cock and towards him, fastening his mouth around a nipple and sucking hard as his hand closed around Harry's dripping penis. Harry melted against him, his fingers curling in Snape's hair, the strands slipping through his fingers.

Snape's hand gripped tighter and Harry pulled back, gently pulling Snape's head back and up while he shifted down until he pressed his lips against Snape's. He closed his eyes and lapped at the bite mark with his tongue, as if he could clean it from Snape's mouth. Snape's tongue slid out to swipe against Harry's and Harry chased it down, thrusting his hips into Snape's hands as he explored Snape's mouth with his tongue.

He was so close and when Snape's hand did that little half-twist thing, he came, the kiss forgotten as he moaned his pleasure into Snape's mouth, his release spurting into Snape's hand. He shuddered against Snape as he came and came, the peace that Snape had felt now flowing through him as well and when his body finished shaking, he pulled back and opened his eyes. He smiled at Snape who was watching Harry with warm eyes.

Harry grinned and said, "That was much better than taking turns, wasn't it?"

"I never thought you'd turn down fellatio." Snape teased, as he raised his hand to gently brush Harry's fringe away again. "I'll need to cut this mess soon."

Harry released Snape's hair, shifting his hands back to Snape's shoulders.

"I've been thinking about growing it out again." He shook his head like a dog shaking water off its coat. "It makes me look older."

"Younger," Snape corrected. "The only way you'd look older with long hair is if you grew a beard to match it. Which reminds me." He fetched his wand and pressed it to Harry's cheek. The shaving spell raced across his jaw and when Snape removed his wand, Harry rubbed at his face.

"I'll be so glad once I can shave my own face again."

Snape used his wand to clean them both of sweat and semen.

"Does it hurt?" Harry touched the mark on Snape's lower lip.

"It's nothing," said Snape dismissively as he pushed Harry off of him. "You'll have to try harder than that."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"You think this hurts me?" Snape smirked. "I've had girls bite me harder."

Harry hated hearing about Snape's conquests. He turned and searched the floor for his glasses.

"Perhaps a shower is in order," Snape said as he stood up and strode towards the door leading to his room.

"Yeah." Harry followed after him. Snape motioned him into the bathroom and Harry took a shower first, soaping himself down quickly. When he was finished, Snape chained him to the towel rack and took his own shower. He stepped into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his skinny frame and, after climbing in the tub, he shut the curtains and then stripped off his towel, draping it over the curtain pole. Harry didn't understand why Snape felt the need to hide his nudity. They had just fucked and it wasn't like Harry hadn't seen Snape naked before. He sat, bored, on the floor and waited.

"Will I cook dinner too?" asked Harry.

"I intend to make cottage pie and a crumble for desert," announced Snape from behind the curtain.

"I can help with the cottage pie. I've never made a crumble before, but it doesn't seem too hard."

"Very well." Snape turned off the shower, Summoned a clean towel to himself, and left the tub wrapped in the towel. He disappeared into his bedroom and when he stepped into Harry's field of vision again, he was dressed in his black trousers and frock coat and his hair had already been dried. He released Harry from the chain and stalked towards the kitchen. "Dress."

Harry scurried after him, snatching up his clothes and pulling them on along his way.

[[I always wondered why Voldemort didn't have wards surrounding his Horcruxes that prevented other people from walking in and taking them. Hogwarts can protect against that, so why can't he? I made up an explanation here, but if anyone has a better one, I'd love to hear it.

Please review!]]