Another Kind Of Magic

"Alright, I'm off to plan DADA with Snape. I'll see you later." Harry took his leave from the common room and went down to the dungeons.

Snape was sitting at his desk as Harry entered his office. "I'm with you in a minute, Potter. I just need to finish this."

Harry watched his teacher and mentor write something on a piece of parchment. He looked at the long and slender fingers that were holding the quill and his mind wandered off to images of what those hands and fingers could do on his body. One of them being the digits holding his nipples instead of the quill, holding and teasing them, another image that came to his mind was the hand stroking his skin instead of smoothing the folded parchment.

Harry sighed and blinked a few times to get his mind out of the gutter. He looked up again and found Snape's eyes fixed on him.

"Enjoying yourself there, Potter?"

Feeling caught, Harry blushed furiously and he looked anywhere but at Snape but he did notice that his teacher sat back in his chair.

"Maybe I shouldn't say this, but you do blush rather nicely. Very appealing."

Harry's head snapped back and he stared at Snape who had gotten up and was on his way to his private chambers. Harry didn't move, as he was afraid his knees would buckle since they had become rather wobbly. He rubbed his damp hands on his jeans. He didn't really know how he felt. A part of him was deeply embarrassed because he was sure that Snape somehow knew to some extend what had been going on. But there was something else as well, some kind of excitement.

"Coming, Potter?"

Harry saw that Snape stood at the door, obviously waiting for him. He walked over and shot a glance at his mentor while passing him. If he wasn't completely off the road, he'd say that Snape did look quite amused.

"Take a seat."

Harry sat into his usual chair and gazed at Snape, watching him getting tea and sitting down himself.

"You seem rather quiet today. Is everything alright?" The older wizard wanted to know.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I'm fine. Its just… can I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Thank you, sir. I'm just wondering… about what you said in the office. Do you like making me feel…" Harry stopped and tried to find words. How had he actually felt? "I don't know how to describe it? I don't think I've felt like this before."

Snape smiled benignly at him. "How does 'squirmy' describe it? As in being slightly embarrassed and your toes seem to curl up."

Harry nodded. "Something like that, yes."

"Did it feel nice or was it unpleasant?"

Harry lowered his eyes. Honesty and communication. He took a deep breath. "Usually I don't like it much when I get embarrassed. But that wasn't bad." From underneath his fringe Harry looked at Snape who was still smiling.

"I'm glad you don't feel bad about it. I've always had an affinity for teasing which leads to your answer: Yes, I do enjoy making someone squirm. And I could easily getting used to make you squirm."

Harry felt his insides squeeze together as he heard that but Snape continued his face back to serious and he leaned forward in his chair.

"And since we're already at it, there is something else that needs to be settled. Harry, you might want to hand control to someone else, but when it comes down to it, nobody besides you has it. That means that if there is a situation that you can't handle anymore because it is getting too much for you, you can stop things immediately. All you have to do is say a word. This would be a safe word and not just any other one, because sometimes 'no' actually means 'yes'. This safe word will be your lifeline, safety belt, emergency break or whatever you want to call it. The most common one is 'red' which means every action will stop as soon as you say it. Don't ever use it lightly but don't ever hesitate to use it if you need it! Did I make myself clear?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. If I'm struggling with a situation I call 'red'."

"Now if you need to clarify something or have a cramp and need to move a limb, or anything else that doesn't need to stop the entire scene, I found it rather helpful to use 'yellow' for a check in. Others will simply voice it. It depends on how good the partners can communicate with each other."

Harry nodded again. "Red for stopping and yellow to check in."

~

Severus leaned back in his chair. "Exactly." He smirked at Harry. "Now that we have that settled, Harry, tell me what you were staring at back in my office." Severus knew that this question had surprised the young wizard as he perked up and his cheeks started to colour again.

"Er… um… well, I-" Harry broke off again.

Severus tilted his head. "Yes?" He prodded.

"Well, I was… er… looking at your hands, sir," Harry said, lowering his head again.

Severus looked down on his hands. "And, pray tell, what would be so fascinating about my hands that you would stare at them for several minutes?" He slyly asked.

Harry's head shot up. "Several minutes?! Blimey!"

"Language, Potter." Severus smirked. Obviously Harry had not even noticed how long he had been in his own little world.

"Sorry, sir."

"I take it that you have lost track of time?"

"Seems like it, sir."

"So would you like to answer my question?" Severus saw the grin starting in Harry's face. "Don't even go there, Harry. It's not a polite question, it's a polite order."

Harry pouted a bit but couldn't hide the smile. "One can always try."

"You can try if you can deal with the consequences. Now what was that about my hands?" Severus was definitely enjoying this.

"Well, sir," Harry started with burning cheeks. "I like your hands. There big and strong and yet I've seen them handling things with…uhm…"

"I'm listening."

"You know with… uhm… some kind of tenderness," the young wizard finally admitted.

Severus chuckled. "Quite a strange concept to compound the greasy bat with tenderness, hm?"

To his surprise Harry shook his head as he gazed at him but the words were even more astonishing: "Not for me, no. I just wasn't sure how you would react to it."

"Oh." Severus blinked flummoxed. That was a turn on the conversation he had not expected. He sipped on his tea. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about that. There are hardly any people who get to see anything else then a snarky professor. That being said I do have emotions besides anger and I am even aware of them, Harry."

The young wizard across Severus nodded slightly. "And there are some people out there who don't even want to look at the real you even if you would let them. They just keep reminding you that you have been a Death Eater. And some of them might never stop it." Harry was still gazing into Severus' eyes. "Doesn't that frustrate you sometimes?"

Severus sighed softly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to answer this question at this point. It was far more private then anything they had talked about so far – at least in his opinion. And a part of him simply didn't want to admit that Harry was right to some degree: sometimes it was frustrating to be looked upon as something disgusting. But it was something he had been getting used to over the years and it even worked to his advantage at times.

"Sir?"

Severus hadn't noticed that his thoughts had been rambling. "Does it frustrate you to be admired as Dumbledore's Golden Boy?"

As Severus had expected it, Harry snorted.

"Hell, yes."

Severus just raised an eyebrow, hiding his smirk.

But Harry ignored the wordless scold and continued: "Even now after a year everybody treats me like I've done something extraordinary."

Severus laughed softly. "That you did, Harry. No doubt about it."

"Well, yes. I would have been lost without the help from others. I would have died many times if it hadn't been for my friends, the DA, the Order and without you. I wouldn't have had a chance to destroy Voldemort without the things you taught me."

Severus watched Harry looking into the fire for a moment then the young wizard gazed back at him.

"Did I ever tell you how grateful I am for your help?"

"Not like this."

"Well, I am."

"Thank you for letting me know, Harry."

"It was about time I'd say," Harry said with a wry smile.

~

They sat in a companionable silence for a while, both busy with their own thoughts while they watched the flames dance in the fireside. It was Harry who finally spoke first.

"Sir?" Harry could feel Snape's gaze shift towards him but he kept his eyes on the fire.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I still owe you an answer. I was imagining what your hands would feel like on my body. And what they might do there." Somehow it had been easier to not look at Snape while admitting this. In addition to that Harry was also afraid of looking at him. He was afraid of loosing himself in those onyx eyes, or to just stare at his lips, wondering how they would feel on his, or his mind would wander of once more while staring at his hands. It was safer to not look at him right now.

"What is going on, Harry?"

Harry heard the concern in Snape's voice and shot a quick glance at him before returning his eyes back to the fire. He took a deep breath. "Honesty and communication, right?" Harry didn't wait for an answer. "I… I'm feeling rather attracted to you."

And it would have been wiser to keep his bloody brave Gryffindor mouth shut, Harry thought. He rolled his eyes about his stupidity.

"And now you're probably going to stop the lessons because of it." Harry sighed. Then he realised that so far Snape hadn't kicked him out. He hadn't even scolded him. Harry turned his head just to find Snape smiling softly.

"I'm not surprised about it. I should have expected it. For one thing you are a teenager with hormones flying high and above, secondly you are sitting here listening to me telling you about all those new and exciting things and on top of that I am teasing you despite the fantasy I have seen."

Harry watched as Snape took another sip of his tea before he put the mug on the table beside him. Then the older wizard looked thoughtfully at Harry.

"I should have foreseen it," he said quietly and it seemed like he had said that more to himself. "Harry, as I said before, I like teasing you. But my intention was not to manipulate you into falling head over heals for me. You are young and a lot of things can happen in three months."

Harry frowned in confusion. "I don't feel like you are manipulating me. And if I choose not to jump at the next best opportunity before I get my hands on-" Harry felt the blood shooting into his head and coughed. He saw Snape arching an eyebrow but before he could say something, Harry added that it was his own choice.

Snape nodded but didn't say anything for a moment. Harry once again looked into the flames.

"We'll continue your education later, Harry. It's time for dinner."

Surprised about the time having passed so quickly, Harry turned his head back to Snape. "Wow, time's flying past if you're having fun."

The teacher chuckled. "Seems like it."

Harry got up from his chair and so did Snape. Tipping back his head a bit, Harry looked into Snape's eyes that hold nothing of the coldness in them like years before. He sighed and without a word he turned and left, on his way to the door muttering quietly under his breath: "Two more months. It's not that long. I can do this…"

tbc