Smoke & Mirrors

Disclaimer The characters and sheer genius belong to J K Rowling. Any smut is mine, but I don't make a penny/eurocent/cent from my warped imagination.

Chapter 6 Aftermath

Harry yawned, stretched, and smiled contentedly. He'd slept late after the previous night's events and was now sitting at a picnic table on Hogwarts lawn, shaded by a huge tree. The weather was still warm and he was wearing only a red and gold pair of swimming shorts, his thin body brown from the past summer's sun. He'd even managed to persuade Severus outside to join him. As a concession to the continuing glorious sunshine Snape had forsaken his usual black and was dressed in a thin silk robe of Slytherin green. A happily smiling Dobby had just brought them a tray of toast and coffee. Harry spread his toast liberally with butter and marmalade, took a satisfyingly crunchy bite, and grinned at Severus, who was sipping a cup of black coffee. He was back on good terms with his lover, the sun was shining and all now seemed well with the world.

A mood which lasted just as long as it took for a post owl to drop the morning's Daily Prophet onto the table between them and for Harry to glimpse the headlines:

KNOCKTURN ALLEY PHOTOSTUDIO DESTROYED IN MYSTERY FIRE

PROPRIETOR MISSING, FEARED DEAD

Harry stared across the table at Snape, his green eyes wide in shock. "Severus - you didn't?"

Snape glanced up. "Didn't what?" he asked, looking impassively at Harry, who wordlessly held the paper out to him and pointed at the headlines. Snape smirked. "I didn't kill the little shit, if that's what you're asking. I came very close to it, though ... " He narrowed his eyes. "And those wizards who had you in those dreams ... they might not be so lucky."

Harry leaped up, vaulted the table, and grabbed his lover by the shoulders. "What happened last night? Did you set fire to his studio? What - "

Snape easily fended off Harry's assault, somehow managing to pull his swimming shorts down around his knees in the process and effectively hobbling him.

"Stop that," Harry commanded, half laughing and half angry. "People will see us."

"What happened to the famous Gryffindor recklessness?" Snape enquired with a lazy quirk of an eyebrow. "In any case there's hardly anyone left here to see anything." He passed his hand lightly over Harry's cock, then undid his own robe and let it fall open.

Harry took a deep breath. He knew that Snape was trying to distract him from the Prophet headlines, but he couldn't help reaching inside Snape's green silk robe and cupping his heavy balls in his hands. Snape murmured encouragement. Harry sank to his knees on the grassy lawn and began to run his tongue around his lover's halfhard cock.

After a moment,the older wizard held him off. "It's time I put more healing potion into your anus." He drew out his wand and Summoned the little jar, which came flying from the castle into his outstretched hand. "Bend over, Harry. Hmmm, maybe we do need a little privacy, after all." He led Harry round to the far side of the tree, so that its large trunk concealed them from any possible onlookers, and pushed his fingers, well coated with potion, deep inside Harry's arse. Harry moaned.

"Aaahh, can't you put it in with your cock, Severus?"

"It's too big." Snape sounded regretful. "I don't want to risk reopening the tear." He slid his fingers gently back and forth, smirking as he saw how Harry squirmed with pleasure and clutched at his cock. At last he withdrew his fingers and nuzzled into the back of Harry's neck. "But I wish I could," he said thickly.

Harry took another deep breath, then choked. "Whew, that potion of yours is really scented, Severus - you'll make my arse smell like a tart's!"

"Oh, yes ... " Snape looked a little embarrassed. "I suppose it doesn't really need that ingredient. But I always made it that way; it's how they liked it in the brothel ..." He bent down, pressed his face against Harry's buttocks, and inhaled deeply. "Ah, yes, that takes me back ..."

Harry turned, Snape's nose following him round until it came to rest against his groin. Snape curled his tongue up and delicately probed the tip of Harry's cock. He glanced up at his young lover, raising a lazy eyebrow "Mmmm, happy memories ... sometimes I wish I could go back to those days ..."

Harry smiled down at him; he was learning to read his Severus now, and he was ... fairly ... sure that he was joking.

Severus slowly straightened up, holding the younger man close and licking and sucking at his nipples. Harry threw his head back and gazed up into the sunlight filtering through the green leaves above them. All his senses seemed heightened; he felt the soft whisper of Severus's silk robe across his bare skin and the warm wet pressure on his nipples making them tingle. He could hear the leaves rustling overhead, and the gentle cooing of wood pigeons in the distance. And of course the heady scent of the potion ... He glanced down, revelling in the contrast of his lover's pale chest against his own brown skin. Severus pushed him back against the tree trunk, kissing him fervently, his tongue probing into Harry's mouth. They rubbed their now fully erect cocks together as they kissed.

"Oh, that feels good," Harry whispered into his lover's mouth.

Severus drew his head back and regarded the younger wizard solemnly. "But I think I need to apply some more potion as well ..." Harry gasped. Severus chuckled, pulling the little pot out of a pocket and dipping his fingers in. He reached round behind Harry and plunged his fingers past the youth's ring. Between the movement of their cocks and the rhythmic massaging of his passage Harry was soon so turned on and excited that he couldn't stop himself from shooting his spunk up to spatter across their bare chests. Over his lover's shoulder he caught sight of a squirrel on a branch above, watching them intently. This struck Harry as really funny and he sniggered.

"What's so bloody funny," growled Snape. "You could have waited ..." He bent his knees so he could angle his stiff cock to thrust up against Harry's inner thigh and balls. Harry yelped, but his lover was soon coming, in a series of violent pulses, his spunk running down Harry's leg.

Snape slumped down onto the grass, leaning against the tree trunk, gasping for breath. Harry sat beside him and they both gazed up into the leafy branches. "I wasn't laughing at you," Harry said. "It was that squirrel up there, looking at us like it wanted some sex tips or something." The squirrel flirted its tail and ran off along the branch.

Harry leaned against the older wizard. "So tell me what happened last night. You went to Knockturn Alley, and - what?"

Snape sat silently for a while, passing his hand absently over Harry's hair. Then, still staring up into the tree, he began to talk in a low, meditative tone. "I found Quercus and forced him to go to his studio with me ... he didn't want to show me where he'd hidden the negative of your photograph, but I, ah, persuaded him ... I was so angry ... especially when he tried to excuse himself by blaming me ... he said Corvid Simonides got the idea from something I'd said ... "

Harry turned his head and looked at Snape. "What do you mean?" he asked sharply.

Snape had the grace to look faintly embarrassed. "It was when I met him to offer to sell you to Fenrir Greyback. He wanted to know why, and I said that I'd planned a ... ah, ... career for you in Knockturn Alley ... as a whore ... but you were too, ah, conventional ... so I meant to get a profit out of you somehow."

Harry burst out laughing. Snape raised an interrogative eyebrow.

"Well, the brothel - wouldn't be - very successful," gasped Harry, "would it - not if you - burnt it down - every time I had a customer - oh crikey!" and he howled with laughter again.

"Very amusing," said Snape sourly. "I daresay I could refrain from that, if you annoy me sufficiently ... anyway, I did stop myself from wringing Quercus's neck. After all, that photograph did help me save your life with the Essences potion. But I took the negative and, ah, made sure he wouldn't be using his studio for a while."

"You set fire to it? But what happened to Quercus? The Daily Prophet said he was missing believed killed."

"Mmmm, I don't understand that," Snape said thoughtfully. "I left him wringing his hands over the ruins of his studio, but he wasn't ... particularly ... injured. Maybe he's lying low for a while."

"Maybe," said Harry, frowning. "But -"

He was interrupted by a loud crack! and the appearance of two house elves, one welcome, the other far from it.
"Kreacher! What do you want?"

The snouted, bat-eared house elf glared at him resentfully. "Kreacher has come to clear away Master's breakfast," he croaked, then added in a plainly audible undertone "You would think Master could find better things to do than cavort naked in all his wantoness, oh what would my poor mistress have said alas, and with his shameless partner, a Professor no less, and a half blood, Kreacher will ignore him ..."

"SHUT UP, KREACHER!" Harry shouted loudly. He looked at Dobby. "Dobby, I thought Kreacher was supposed to stay in the kitchens, what happened?"

Dobby's huge eyes widened even more, and a large tear trickled down his cheek to splash onto the lawn. "Harry Potter is angry with Dobby, and it is not Dobby's fault," he said reproachfully. "Dobby tried to stop Kreacher, but Kreacher bit him, sir." He held out his skinny arm and displayed an ugly looking wound.

Snape struggled to his feet. "Keep your house elves under control, can't you?" he spat nastily, and stalked off towards the castle, fastening his robe as he went. Harry retrieved his swimming shorts, which had ended up under the table, and pulled them on.

"That bite looks nasty, Dobby, better get something to disinfect it," he said. He hated to think what noxious bacteria Kreacher was harbouring in his mouth. "And Kreacher, there's no need for you to clear our breakfast things away, I'll do that."

"No!" exclaimed Dobby. "Dobby is honoured to take Harry Potter's things, sir." He began piling crockery onto the tray.

"Oh, OK, thanks, Dobby. And you, Kreacher, go back to the kitchens - and stay there until I tell you different."

"Kreacher obeys," the house elf muttered resentfully, and disappeared.

"There is not much for the house elves to do in the kitchens at the moment, sir," said Dobby. "Nearly everyone has left Hogwarts for the rest of the summer. Even Professor McGonagall is leaving today."

"Is she? Thanks for telling me, Dobby. I'd better see if I can catch her before she goes," and Harry set off across the lawn, frowning. He was worried that Snape was determined to mete out his own form of justice to the wizards involved in his wet dreams, and could be heading for trouble with the Ministry of Magic as a consequence.

Professor McGonagall, when he explained the situation, was inclined to agree. "In fact, there are certain elements at the Ministry who would love to see him in Azkaban," she said. "It does occur to me - I may be being paranoid - but with what you've told me of Mr Malfoy's involvement - after all, he does work at the Ministry himself - well, I do just wonder whether a certain amount of entrapment was involved."

She removed her square rimmed spectacles, and polished them carefully, not looking at Harry. "You've probably heard of Augustus Rookwood. He worked for the Ministry of Magic, and he was a spy for Voldemort for a very long time. He did a lot of damage too before he was caught."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Professor McGonagall replaced her spectacles and looked earnestly at Harry. "Well, what you probably don't know, is that Professor Dumbledore was convinced that there was another spy at the Ministry, one who was never uncovered. He felt that there was more than just incompetence and Cornelius Fudge's silliness behind the Ministry's failure to take action against Voldemort until it was nearly too late."

"And you think this spy is still there?" Harry asked.

"I do. And I'm sure they bear a tremendous grudge against you and Professor Snape for killing their master and bringing their dream of power to an end. You must not let them have any excuse to send Professor Snape to Azkaban, you must accompany him and act as a restraining influence if you can. And you must be very, very careful yourself, Harry. There are people at the Ministry who don't care for you much either. You've always been too independent for their liking, like Dumbledore before you. They'd be easy prey for the spy's manoeuverings against you." She gave a deep sigh. "It's a real shame. I know how hard things have been for Severus. He was just beginning to relax, and now this." She nodded approvingly at Harry. "He's looked so much happier since he's had you, you know. I've even caught him smiling once or twice! When he thinks nobody's looking, of course."

She laughed. "Anyway, be off with you," she said briskly. "I've a lot to do; the new term starts on September 1st and I won't be having any holiday at all if I don't go soon."

Harry left her office, thinking over what she'd said. He needed to talk it over with someone. He wandered over to the Gryffindor common room, where, as he'd hoped, he found Hermione.

She listened intently to his story. "Hmm. It does make sense. A mole in the Ministry? I wonder who it could be ... They must be very good at covering their tracks, whoever it is."

"Could be anybody," said Harry. "My money's on that horrible Umbrage woman. Though I suppose if they've managed to stay hidden this long, it'll be someone you'd never suspect, like Arthur Weasley. Not that I think it is him," he added hastily.

"Smoke and mirrors," Hermione said musingly.

"Huh?"

"You know," Hermione said. "Misdirection. Like a conjuror?"

Harry thought. He vaguely remembered a conjuror at one of his cousin Dudley's birthday parties. He'd not been allowed at the party, of course: he remembered sitting on the stairs and catching a glimpse of the conjuror through the open door, performing tricks.

"And I'd love to know how Malfoy fits into all this," Hermione said suddenly. "Was he just working to his own agenda - or had the mole been at him? It'd be good if we could find out who he talks to at the Ministry. D'you think Percy would help us?"

"Not really," said Harry. "But I've an idea - Kreacher! It might keep him out of my hair for a while, too. I got him and Dobby to tail Malfoy once before, if you remember. They can follow him around the Ministry and report
back to us."

"I'll do some research as well," said Hermione. "I can look into the pasts of known Death Eaters to see if any of them had Ministry contacts of any kind."

Harry smiled at her, thinking that she looked a lot happier now that she had something to think about besides Ron's behaviour.

Hermione smiled back. "And how are you, Harry?" she asked. "Is Professor Snape treating you all right now?"

"Yeah, very much so," Harry grinned, thinking of their interlude under the tree - even if it had ended on rather a sour note, thanks to Kreacher.

TBC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>