Blood Ties.

"Enter."

Harry paused to smooth his sweaty palms down the front of his robes, swallowing before stepping into the smokey Potions classroom and closing the door behind himself a little too hard. He winced at the sharp crack it made and then hurried up toward the front of the room, feeling as if he'd swallowed a handful of Cornish Pixies.

"Harry?"

Snape looked up surprised, then swiftly snapped his expression back to cool disdain and rose, motioning the teenager to follow him as he lead the way back to his quarters. He ushered him in and closed the doors, activating the long-standing wards before turning back to Harry with an arched brow, unable to hide his worry.

"It's okay, Severus. Nothing bad has...well, that is to say nothing Voldermort-ish has happened."

Harry groaned and turned, pacing about the antechamber with his eyes on the floor, hands ceaselessly chasing one another through his wild hair, making it look almost presentable for a moment before mucking it all back up.

"You really are distressed. Here, sit down and drink this, and for Merlin's sake, quit fiddling with your hair."

Snape conjured a chair and pushed Harry down into it, then summoned a glass of water from the kitchen, unable to stop the frantic beating of his heart. Harry might be good for him in most ways, but this stress couldn't be beneficial to his health.

"Thanks, Severus."

Harry mumbled into the glass before gulping down half as Snape walked over to lean against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. A question Harry had often wondered about popped back up in his head, and he decided to risk annoying his friend by asking.

"Why didn't you ever get married? I mean, you're a good-looking bloke, got that sort of cold, sinister thing that plenty of girls seem to go for. Look at Krum, after all. So, why didn't you?"

Snape eyed him silently for so long that Harry began to fear that he had not just annoyed him, but truly pissed him off, which frightened him still. He'd slowly managed to get over his terror that the wrong thing would make Snape stop caring about him, that rather understandable fear of abandonment, but it still prickled him sometimes.

"Because, Harry...I'm not interested in women."

Harry blinked in confusion, then his eyes widened as he realized what Snape meant.

'Guess I came to the right person after all.'

"But...then how come you are never seen with any blokes? I'm sure there are plenty who like that dangerously elegant thing you've got..."

Harry stopped and blushed furiously as he realized what he'd just said, dropping his head to stare into his water, hoping desperately that Snape hadn't noticed.

'Like hell he didn't. Since when do you go around using terms like that about anyone, let alone blokes?'

"I appreciate the compliment, Harry. And I have been in a commited relationship for the last 18 years, we simply prefer to keep our private life private, that is all."

Harry could swear he had heard amusement in Snape's voice, which jerked his head up, narrowing his eyes at the little grin that rested on the older man's face.

"Who...Nevermind, forget it. You wouldn't tell me anyway, and you shouldn't. It's his secret, not yours, after all."

Snape's grin faded and he arched a brow, curious pride shining in his eyes as he gazed down at Harry. Apparently, the boy was still capable of surprising him with moments of measured maturity.

"Surely you didn't come up here in that flurry to ask about my love life, Harry."

The emerald eyes darted away and Harry fidgeted in the chair, then jumped up again and began pacing once more.

"I kissed Draco Malfoy. Or, maybe he kissed me. Either way I kissed him back and liked it."

Snape nodded slowly and moved around to take the chair that Harry had vacated, crossing his legs and brushing a hand over his thigh.

"I'm not sure what you are wanting from me, Harry. My blessing? You are perfectly free to kiss who you like, especially if you enjoy it."

Harry almost tripped over his feet as he swiveled to stare gape-jawed at Severus, though he might haved guessed on that reaction given what he'd just learned. He still had so much to learn about this strange, enigmatic man.

"I-I...I'm not gay, am I?"

That actually drew a reaction from the older man, though it was in the form of a full-bodied, deep laugh that transformed him from someone slightly frightening and dour, to someone so like Sirius that a pain wrenched Harry's heart.

"Goodness, what a weighted question, Harry. Do you expect me to whip up a potion that will tell you the truth about your sexuality? None exists, I'm afraid. However, I do have one question that may help you decide. Aside from the kiss, how do you feel about Draco?"

Harry blinked and flopped down on the floor, sprawling there and purposefully avoiding his friend's gaze, which he could feel boring into him with a familiar heat.

'How do I feel about Draco?'

"I think he's a lot different than I imagined before I found out what his motives were last year. He's wicked smart and a whiz on a broom..."

Harry paused to try and think of more things about Draco, but his next words were cut off.

"Harry, I asked how you feel about him, not what you think. You of all people should be able to set aside your thoughts and simply listen to your heart."

A year ago Harry might have taken that comment as an insult to his intellect, but he knew better now. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, conjuring Draco's face against the darkness behind his eyelids. He could feel the smile that sprang instantly to his lips, the way his heart began to pound and the sweet ache in his chest.

"I...I want to protect him, want to make him happy and keep him safe. I want to know the real Draco behind the mask, like I got to know the real you. I...I want so much, Severus. It hurts."

Tears sprang to his eyes as he revealed himself openly to his former enemy, or so he'd thought at the time, and he lifted his fists to grind them away before they could escape.

"That sounds like love, Harry. As long as it isn't only within you when he is weak and in need, then I think you should find out how he feels about you, don't you?"

Harry dropped his hands, opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling, breathing rapidly.

"Draco's never weak. Even after he comes back from seeing Voldemort and lets me hold him, it's not weakness, it's...it's a different kind of strength. He is strong enough to accept kindness after being through something so filthy and painful. Not everyone could stand to be touched just then, or ever, after that."

Silence followed this confession and Harry swallowed, wrinkles appearing on his brow as he scowled.

"What?"

He heard the faint rustle of Snape's robes as he shifted and his voice was tender when he whispered.

"Are you going to ask him how he feels, Harry?"

Harry debated turning the double-edged blade of silence back on it's wielder and then sighed, face scrunching up as if the words caused a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I'm scared, okay? I mean, I didn't even know I liked blokes, and now I'm suddenly falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Who, by the way, is being regularly used by the most loathesome creature on the planet, because of me. How the fuck do you tell some guy who's just got raped that you fancy a shag?"

Harry waited breathlessly, expecting some comment on his vulgarity or guilt, but heard nothing. He let it go on as long as he could stand and then finally turned his head to look up at Snape, who was smiling at him gently.

"We both know that's not all you want from him, Harry. We also know that you are not the sort of person who puts something off out of fear, not when he knows it would help someone else."

Harry thought of asking how his feelings could possibly help Draco, but the truth flashed within his mind before his lips had so much as parted.

'Because, stupid, if he loves you, then you have something together that can extend beyond this wretched war. Love is stronger than any magic, Dumbledore taught you that. If you and Draco can form bonds of love, it can only help your plan to destroy Voldemort. Not only that, but it might help you find a way to make the interim easier on him.'

He exhaled in a rush and stood, moving over to hug Severus and kiss his cheek, trembling a little.

"I'll try. If he's disgusted and hates me, then you have to dress up like Santa Claus this Christmas."