Death Eater Takes a Holiday

Chapter 61 Humbling experiences.

Harry was in the kitchen preparing dinner while he, Ron and Hermione waited for Severus. Hermione sat on the sofa, going over notes for the Warding of her home. She was rechecking her figures when Severus arrived with a small white box and a bottle of wine.

\"Good evening, Hermione,\" he greeted her with a small, polite bow.

Hermione said hello and thanked Severus profusely for his assistance on the plans for her wards. Harry pushed past the swinging door from the kitchen to welcome his lover, and refrained from kissing him in front of Hermione.

\"What did you bring?\" Harry bounced like a child waiting for a treat. \"Ohhh,\" he groaned in delicious anticipation. \"You brought these chocolates the night we had ravioli…\" he trailed off, remembering Severus didn\'t get a chance to enjoy dessert that evening, since he\'d been summoned. Ron entered the sitting room with a butterbeer in hand.

\"I love those!\" proclaimed Ron, looking in the box over Harry\'s shoulder. Hermione, not wanting to feel left out, peered over to see what all the fuss was about.

\"They look positively sinful. Look how they spelled out the name of the shop in icing sugar on the dish,\" she pointed out the white letters stenciled on the glass.

\"I didn\'t notice that last time,\" Harry commented, not realizing last time Ron had swiped his finger through the powdered sugar before he\'d taken a good look.

Hermione waited patiently as Severus took off his travel cloak and put the wine to chill, but then couldn\'t hold back any longer. She was excited about finally doing research that was both important and personal, just for her. \"Severus, did you bring the list?\" she asked optimistically.

\"The list?\" he raised a questioning brow, not having a clue what she was asking. Seeing Harry wince gave him a good indication his lover had forgotten to tell him about said list.

\"The list of wards that were put up at my family’s home a few years ago. I thought it would be helpful while planning the Warding for my home,\" she didn\'t think she\'d have to explain that to a wizard with Severus\' experience. Hermione frowned, knowing why he sounded confused. \"Harry told you I asked for it, didn\'t he?\" she sulked. Her friend was very mature in most areas, but when it came to giving messages or remembering to open the Floo for her, Harry was as irresponsible as many eighteen year olds.

\"I do have the list,\" Severus reassured her. Harry tried not to look surprised, and wondered how Severus was going to pull it off, since he’d never mentioned it.

All in all, dinner went well. Severus asked Hermione and Ron about the Warding date and apologized for having to reschedule their meeting to discuss it a few times. He\'d expected Hermione to drive him a little crazy with all the questions she\'d inevitably have, but once dinner began he was grateful for a good topic to fall back upon. It was the first time the four of them had dinner together. Severus was concerned they\'d have nothing to say to each other after the first ten minutes.

Hermione asked Harry about his assessment for the Order. She was very curious about how it was set up and if he\'d suspected it was a test or not. Harry wasn\'t sure how comfortable he was about discussing it; at the time he had believed it to be real. He didn\'t think Ron was too comfortable with the conversation, either. He remembered when Ron had come back from the mission when he’d been a brief ‘guest’ of the Death Eaters. He\'d not asked Ron detailed questions, but he\'d seen him brought into the Infirmary, looking frightful after his capture. Harry was sure the real thing had to be a whole lot worse then his test.

With a slight change of subject, Harry told Ron about the twins spelling the portkey for his capture. He\'d convinced Fred and George he wasn\'t angry, but was happy he\'d not found or been victim to a single W.W.W. product since his return. Severus gave them all a laugh, telling them how he’d approached the twins to help him with the spell in the first place. Ron had been convinced Severus used his impressive intimidation skills on his brothers, but Harry had seen Sev\'s handwriting on some of the twin\'s product notes, along with an impressive product idea Harry was sure neither George or Fred had come up with. He also had to give his lover credit. He\'d fallen for the trap, opening a letter when he\'d recognized the magic was from a Weasley, only to be waylaid by the portkey.

Harry put away the leftovers while Hermione returned to the living room to spread out her parchments full of warding spells and everything else she could think of wanting to discuss. Ron followed behind her with a beverage in each hand. Harry took a step back from the icebox to find he\'d bumped into a soft wall of robes. He turned around to see his favorite Slytherin scowling at him.

\"Was there a message I should have received?\"

Harry winced, nodding his head. \"I guess it slipped my mind,\" he admitted apologetically.

Severus continued to look aggravated. He didn\'t need to remind Harry how disappointed Hermione would be if her plans were held up by his lack of consideration.

\"You told her you had the list. How?\" Harry paused and then answered his own question. \"You also thought to check which wards had been previously placed.\"

\"You\'re partially correct,\" Severus left the kitchen before Harry could ask about the other part. He let out an exasperated sigh, mentally berating himself, knowing he deserved it for having forgotten to communicate Hermione’s request in the first place.

The Warding discussion didn\'t take very long. Harry told them a few things about his own Warding, but the conversation was predominantly between Severus and Hermione, with interjections from Ron. Severus complimented them on their decision to ask Ron\'s father and eldest brother Bill to participate in the Warding along with Ron, Hermione and Harry. There had been some concern about having asked Harry over other family members. After much deliberation, Ron insisted Harry was family too, and no one could argue his magical strength.

One could almost hear the men\'s sigh of relief when Hermione put the last of her parchments into her bag. Harry served the much-awaited chocolates Severus had brought. Hermione looked at the foreign words on the box.

\"I\'m going for my Apparition test in a few months, but I can\'t even imagine popping to the continent to pick up dessert,\" Hermione had been delighted to hear Apparition improved with practice and not magical strength alone. \"The book says the average wizard can Apparate fifty to seventy-five kilometers safely. Do you find that to be accurate?\" This question launched a completely new discussion of facts, Ministry regulations, and common sense. Ron had told her that he\'d Apparated more than eighty km plenty of times. Harry commented that he and Ron had probably Apparated around the same distance. Severus smirked, knowing Harry had Apparated to the training building regularly, which was a much greater distance then Harry realized. Ron took the opportunity to retell the details of Apparating Dudley out of St. Mungo\'s.

\"Isn\'t that dangerous for muggles?\" asked Hermione. \"I read about a researcher who is trying to prove forced Apparition can cause muggles to have a temporary loss of brain function. They believe it to be very brief, and might only cause problems if done repeatedly, but then they don\'t have much data to prove the theory since not many wizards attempt to do it,\" Hermione looked at the incredulous expressions on the two younger men. Then Ron and Harry looked at each other, silently agreeing that it appeared she\'d hadn’t once taken a breath.

\"Most people study the booklet given by the Ministry, but my gal learns the entire history and every study available on Apparition before she takes the test,\" teased Ron. \"Harry, do ya\' think we killed any of your cousin’s brain cells?\"

Harry shrugged with a laugh. \"Could be, but how would you tell?\" he pointed at Ron as if he\'d just then remembered something. \"He fainted didn\'t he? No worries, there won\'t be any repeats, so his brain function is safe, or as safe at it was before,\" Harry grinned and popped a chocolate into his mouth. When the confectionary goodness reached his taste buds, Harry closed his eyes in chocolate ecstasy. \"Hmmm, so good,\" groaned Harry. Severus appeared unfazed by this; he showed no embarrassment nor revealed any arousal caused when Harry enjoyed his food so enthusiastically. It was an effort, but he managed.

\"If you want, we can leave you alone with your dessert,\" Hermione said to Harry pointedly, her cheeks pinked.

\"He\'s eaten like that for years. Why do you care now? You\'re blushing!\" Ron pointed to her rosy cheeks, laughing. Severus chose not to comment.

\"I know, but at the time we weren\'t eating with someone who actually knows what Harry sounds like in the throes of passion.\" She surprised herself having said it, but Harry\'s reaction was worth the extra heat she was feeling on her face.

\"Whaa…?\" he asked popping his finger from his lips, which a moment ago had been wrapped around the sugarcoated finger, seemingly oblivious to their conversation as he’d sucked and licked the remnants of the confection.

\"Ugh, do you have to talk about that?\" complained Ron. \"I don\'t want to think about what that sounds like,\" he muttered, and took a big swing of his drink. Hermione rolled her eyes when Ron overreacted. She was sure he acted like that on purpose sometimes. Harry sat back from the table.

Harry looked at his best mate, \"Fine, I\'ll leave you with the rest,\" Harry pushed the plate away. \"It\'s not like I don\'t know what you sound like in the \'throes of passion,\' Harry held up his fingers in quotation marks, using Hermione\'s words. She almost choked, and then looked at Severus, who was wearing a matching expression of curiosity.

\"How would you know?\" she and Severus questioned together, making them all laugh. Ron had laughed along with the others until the wheels in his head had turned enough for him to process the words. He glared at Harry.

\"I can\'t believe you would tell them that!\" Ron actually looked angry. Harry couldn\'t figure out what the big deal was. Hermione and Severus once again looked to each other in surprise. Severus handed her a chocolate filled with caramel, and sat back with his arms crossed, ready for a show. He hadn\'t seen Ron mad at Harry since the \'Sweet Dreams\' episode, and this promised to be equally entertaining.

\"What are you getting your knickers in twist about? Its no big deal,\" Harry was gesturing with his hands so much, he had to put down his drink to keep it from sloshing on the floor. “You think you\'re the only bloke in the world who has sex dreams?\"

Ron had deliberately drowned Harry\'s words out. \"You were the one who didn\'t want anyone to know you bawled your eyes out like a baby.\" Ron\'s words rang out in the silence. No one spoke; Harry had been frozen to the spot, and looked as if his head was about to explode.

\"Can I have a word with you in the kitchen?\" Harry ground his teeth together as he spoke, keeping his voice even. No sooner had they stepped into the kitchen, Severus cast a spell on the swinging door.

\"What was that?\" she asked curiously. \"For that matter, what the heck is up with them?\"

\"A small spell. It renders the next silencing charm useless,\" Severus quirked a smile, amused she appeared eager to listen in. He’d half expected her to protest the intrusion. Then again, she was the one who didn\'t think couples should keep secrets from one another.

\"These really are very good,\" she commented casually, and sat back again, waiting for the voices in the kitchen to get louder, and smiled when she heard the word \'Silencio\'.

\"I can\'t believe you!\" Harry\'s voice carried nicely. \"We agreed no one needed to know about that night! Those nights, whatever. You are such a prat,\" he continued until Ron jumped back in again.

\"I\'m a prat? You\'re the one who brought it all up, telling them you know what I sound like having sex.\" A chair could be heard as it scrapped along the floor before Harry plopped himself down.

\"I wasn\'t talking about that at all. I meant the sounds you make when you have sex dreams. Did you honestly think I would tell Hermione I\'d heard you having sex with her in the next bed?\" he asked incredulously.

Severus and Hermione watched the kitchen door as if it were the telly. Her jaw dropped at the last bit of information. Severus refilled his glass, smirking at the melodrama. And to think he had been dreading this evening, having to play Mr. Social with Harry\'s friends. It was actually turning out to be quite entertaining. Back in the kitchen, Ron also had a jaw-dragging problem.

\"I thought that\'s what you were talking about. What the bloody hell was I supposed to think?\"

\"You were supposed to trust me, and think I wouldn\'t betray your confidence. You\'re such an arse,\" Harry sounded tired.

\"I am an arse,\" he admitted, surprisingly, and smacked his palm on his forehead repeatedly in a Dobbiesk fashion. \"But you talked about the sex sounds and I figured….\" Ron trailed off.

\"After all those years listening to Seamus, I\'d think you\'d know what I was talking about,\" Harry laughed, and laughed harder when he began imitating their former roommate and Ron joined in.

\"Oh, baby. Oh, baby. Oh baby. Oh baby. Oh baby. Ohhhhhhh,\" they chorused.

\"You could always count on Seamus for five \'Oh babies\' before he woke up sticky and looked around to see if the rest of us in the dorm were sleeping.\" They laughed, but Ron sobered some.

\"About what I said about you bawling like a baby… sorry, mate,\" winced Ron in shame.

\"S\'ok. I\'d have been more upset if I hadn\'t already cried on your shoulder while making the front page of the paper, ‘Luv’,\" he added with a pucker, teasing his friend.

\"I guess I was scared,\" shrugged Ron. \"I don\'t want her mad at me. I want her to say yes tomorrow when I give her the ring.\"


\"Oh, fuck,\" muttered Hermione, shocking Severus with her language. \"Hit me,\" she said, without explanation.

\"Does it bother you that much to know Harry overheard a private moment between you and Ron?\" asked Severus, not thinking she was that big a prude.

\"No,\" she said, but didn\'t sound convincing. \"How do you think I want to remember getting engaged? I may forever look upon my ring and be reminded of Seamus moaning, \'Oh baby\',\" she whined, and knew it was an exaggeration of course, but that was beside the point.

\"This is the last time,\" he grumbled under his breath. \"Obliviate,\" Severus spoke clearly, giving her engagement a chance at a happier memory. He spoke the incantation the very moment Harry and Ron walked in. Once again Ron\'s jaw hung open.

\"Bloody Hell!\" exclaimed Ron. Severus continued to hold up his wand, while Hermione sat with a glazed look on her face. \"What did you do to her?\" he demanded fiercely.

\"Ron,\" Harry said calmly placing a hand on his friend\'s shoulder. \"Think about it for a minute. Come on, think like an Auror. We left a woman and a spy out here while we stormed into the kitchen to argue over me knowing how you sound during sex. Did you actually expect them not to listen in?\" Harry noted the moment Ron caught on. Severus grinned, clearly enjoying himself entirely too much.

\"Oh, no! I said I was giving her a ring. You heard that?\" he asked, directing the last question to Hermione, but realized Severus had continued to hold his wand, leaving her out of the loop for a little longer.

\"She didn\'t want the special moment to be spoiled for her,\" explained Severus.

\"I guess that means she plans on saying yes,\" Ron beamed with a silly grin.

Harry released the supportive hand from Ron\'s shoulder and punched him instead. \"As if there was ever any doubt, you prat.\"


Hermione was left under the impression they\'d gone to talk about wet dreams and the retelling of Seamus Finnigan\'s five \'Oh, baby\' nights. Soon after, the evening ended. Friends departed, Harry promised himself he\'d clean in the morning, and then happily fell into bed. \"Are you still mad at me for not giving you Hermione\'s message?\" he asked Sev before dropping half his body weight on top of him.

\"I wasn\'t mad, I was disappointed,\" Severus trailed his fingers through his lover\'s hair. Harry noted he\'d said \'was\', meaning past tense, and relaxed a bid more.

\"You didn\'t seem too surprised or upset that we\'d listened in on your conversation,\" Severus figured now would be the best time to ask, knowing what Harry had meant by his question and taking advantage of the situation. He casually observed his lover’s behavior, and wasn\'t sure if Harry was taking in his scent or sighing more. The quick nuzzle of Harry\'s nose by his ear put him at ease.

\"I don\'t know if I would have dismissed it that quickly if I hadn\'t been concerned about defusing Ron. Maybe I would have been more bent out of shape if it were my big secret and not Ron\'s. Selfish, I know, but there you are,\" Harry admitted. \"If I felt it a crucial secret to keep from you, I could have put up stronger spells. I hadn\'t expected that Ron would bring either of those up and Hermione would hear.\"

\"It\'s a general spell to cancel out your silencing charm; it can\'t decide who listens.\" Severus rolled onto his side, and Harry turned his head to meet him for a kiss. The kiss ended when Sev abandoned his lips and nibbled and licked down his chin, rounding the collarbone and working his way back up the other side of Harry\'s neck, making his young lover shudder and moan. He bit harder, pulling a groan from Harry. \"I could get a piece of that chocolate and we could compare the sounds of pleasure you make,\" teased Sev.

\"No. I\'m not letting go of you long enough to go get it,\" He ground his hips against his partner, creating a lovely friction between them. Severus smirked and reminded Harry he was a wizard and wouldn\'t have had to get up at all.

\"Did you get off listening to your friends in the next bed?\" Sev whispered the question into Harry’s ear. He grinned, seeing his lover\'s cheeks redden.

\"Not at first,\" he said shyly.

\"No? How many times did you listen before you changed your opinion?\" he continued to grin as Harry\'s eyes widened.

\"I only heard them once,\" Harry insisted, and made a face, squishing up his nose. \"It was weird at first. They\'re too much like family. After a while, when they got a good rhythm going, it was kind of hot.\"

\"Did Ron know you were listening, or did he find out later and blow up with his usual flare for dramatics?\"

\"I\'m not answering any more questions about that, at least not tonight. Embarrassment isn\'t good for the libido.\" Despite Harry\'s words, Severus shifted, rubbing them together again. He was tempted to say that at eighteen Harry was nothing but libido, but that wasn\'t true, and he remembered something else to harass his lover with.

\"Speaking of embarrassment, Kieran mentioned you made a Healer blush? I didn\'t think it was possible,\" Severus said with a laugh, and continued to do so when he felt physical proof that embarrassment didn\'t do Harry\'s libido any good.

\"Are you happy now?\" huffed an indignant, and now flaccid, Harry. \"Playing twenty questions isn\'t going to get you laid, Professor Snape,\" Harry turned his head away, unable to roll over, as Sev had climbed on top of him and was pressing a semi-hard member into Harry\'s thigh.

\"Did you think I only stayed for the sex?\" Severus gave him an evil grin. \"I don\'t need sex to find you entertaining,\" he teased, but Harry wasn\'t looking at him. \"Are you in a huff because I asked you the questions, or is it this?\" he asked pressing against Harry\'s uninterested cock.

\"I can take teasing and the occasional humiliation,\" he said with a roll of his eyes. \"Apparently, you can\'t have both,\" he said to his crotch.

Severus laughed, and trailed his finger around Harry\'s chest, finding each sparse hair. \"Our time is so limited during the school year,\"

\"Which is most the year,\" interrupted Harry.

\"I’m content to spend time with you.\" Severus paused, and turned his head to look at Harry from the corner of his eye. \"But…\" he grinned, getting the \'but what?\' look from Harry. \"Since you\'re already embarrassed, you may as well answer the question. Questions,\" he corrected. \"Kieran wouldn\'t tell me what made the Healer blush.\"

\"I haven\'t actually figured that one out myself. Phoebe was in a tiff when she sensed wand magic, and they all looked at me like I\'d broken a Cardinal rule,\" he said. \"When I told her I’d spelled off my clothes, she practically knocked her teeth out slapping her hand over her mouth. It was the same look Molly Weasley had when she found Charley and me kissing. Frances was just as bad, she gasped so hard she choked. \"I think she sprayed spit on me,\" he said absentmindedly, and rubbed a spot on his chest in memory of the event.

Severus had sat up and held Harry’s face in his hands. He seemed to be shaking his head \'no\'. When he lifted up his head, Severus’ hands trailed down his lover’s face, eventually coming together as if in prayer. Severus\' head began to bob, soon joined by his shoulders. It was then that Harry realized Sev was shaking in quiet laughter. He resisted the urge to pout and waited.

\"Do you recall the conversation we had about discussing the Cruciatus curse in polite society?\" he asked sweetly, getting a nod from Harry.

\"You mean the time the waiter accidentally hit Ron and me with a chair?\" he looked to Severus for confirmation. \"Ron told the waiter not to worry about it, it hurt less then a bludger, and I agreed and said it was nothing compared to getting hit with the Cruciatus, and the pub went quiet?\"

\"That would be the one,\" Severus’ tone was rich with sarcasm, and shook his head again in disbelief.

\"I know, I know….\" Harry sighed. \"Respectable people don\'t find themselves in a situation to be under an Unforgivable. It makes you guilty by association,\" Harry spoke as if he were reciting his lessons.

\"Yes, and those same respectable wizards and witches would never admit to having ever performed a spell only a sexual deviant would be familiar with. You slut,\" he teased.

\"Great,\" Harry muttered. \"Do you suppose in the future, you could mention these things before I make a fool of myself?

\"What fun would that be?\" he winked. \"I wouldn\'t get too worked up. Years ago, only prostitutes knew such spells, but with the arrival of sex clubs, the especially provocative spells became more widely used. These days they\'re more commonly used than people tend to admit,\" Severus noticed Harry didn\'t look any more at ease.

\"The Healer appeared honestly shocked. Maybe Phoebe looked more shocked then Frances, but still, I have to face those women again,\" Harry said miserably.

\"They\'ll get over it,\" he assured Harry. You, on the other hand need some thicker skin if you’re going to be in a relationship with an evil, dark wizard bent on teaching you all the unsavory things mums warn their children against,\" he waggled his brow at Harry, making him laugh.

\"Wait,\" Harry paused. \"My mum never had a chance to warn me about the likes of seedy characters trying to corrupt innocent young men. That puts me at a disadvantage,\" Harry held the bed sheet up to his chin as if protecting his virtue.

\"It\'s the very thing that makes you so delectable. But…\" Severus trailed off as if deep in thought, though Harry knew better. \"You know what Ron sounds like having sex. You are not sounding so naïve, in my opinion. Or was that why you had cried, having to witness a naked Weasley?\"

\"I suppose you want to know what Ron was talking about?\" asked Harry accusingly, but Severus could see his smile.

\"Of course,\" he said offhandedly and leaned on his elbow. Severus casually picked up Harry\'s hand, tracing the lines with his index finger.

\"How\'s my life line? Short?\" Harry couldn\'t help but think of Trelawney when Sev examined his palm.

\"Stop stalling, and tell your story,\" Severus rubbed his thumbs on the palm, massaging it. \"Come on now, you’re the one who said we should know more about each other,\" he teased.

\"Only, I\'m the one doing the telling,\" pouted Harry. \"Oh, that feels good, keep doing that,\" he moaned, not knowing a massage on his hands would feel so good. \"This goes both ways, you know. You\'re going to have to think up a good story to tell me. A very good one, as you already owe me,\" insisted Harry. Severus hummed in agreement of sorts, and listened while Harry told his story.

\"Ron\'s always helped me when he could,\" Harry began, and liked the way Severus pulled him down, close, spooning behind him, and continued to work magic on Harry\'s hands. \"Eventually we used a silencing spell around both our beds, so Ron could hear if I needed help with potions after a vision, or something,\" something being a bad dream, but he didn\'t need to spell it out for Sev. \"One night, Ron wanted a little privacy. I don\'t know if Hermione had snuck in, or if he was right-handing it, but anyway, he spelled his own bed separate from mine. He planned on changing the spell later, but he fell asleep.\" Harry closed his eyes, for a moment thinking only of the pressure applied to his fingers, as Sev paid attention to each digit.

\"Let me guess,\" the deep voice in his ear caused a shiver. \"The one night he can\'t hear you, you have a vision, he feels like a heel, so the next time around you\'re stuck listening to two thirds of the trio rutting in the next bed while you feign sleep,\" narrated Severus. He held up Harry\'s hand, inspecting it, then conjured a file.

\"That\'s pretty much it in a nutshell,\" Harry liked Sev\'s version. It was accurate, and conveniently left out the part where he too thought he had privacy, and was caught crying by Ron. It started out as a pain induced whimper and blossomed from there. After his vision, he’d screamed out of frustration and pounded his pillow, wishing it were Voldemort’s face. He’d hollered, ranted and raved at the top of his lungs, releasing his pent up energy as he’d kicked his bed and pounded his pillow like a child having a tantrum. After exhausting himself, he’d collapsed into the fetal position and cried, or as Ron tactlessly put it, \'bawled like a baby\'.

Harry let out a tired laugh remembering that night, thinking, \'Ron couldn\'t find me ranting and raving; he had to wait until later when my face was covered in tears and snot?\' Harry was pulled from his thoughts, hearing a scratching sound and realized that while he’d reminisced, Severus was filing his nails.

\"What are you doing?\" he asked with a derisive laugh. \"Are you going to do my hair next?\" Harry thought any comments about Sev acting like an old queen might not go over well. \"I just trimmed those,\" he complained.

\"Well, I\'m trimming them again. I like them rounded off smoothly like this,\" he held up Harry\'s hand, showing his nails.

\"It makes my hands look girly, rounded off like that,\" he grumbled, but wasn\'t exactly sure why.

\"Are you implying my hands look \'girly\'?\" he said girly as if it were a blasphemy.

\"No, but I\'ve got smaller hands than you. I need all the help I can get,\" Harry held up his hand, noting the nails did look good. Severus climbed atop of him with a grin.

\"Being small in stature does not mean you are any less masculine. You may not like the way your nails look, but I like the way they feel,\" Severus placed Harry\'s hand on his arse for emphasis. He raised a brow, feeling Harry\'s body showing interest. Harry pulled him down for a kiss, and moaned when their erections slid sensuously together. With their height difference, Harry could nibble on Sev’s neck while still aligning their cocks up nicely. He felt more than heard a happy sigh in his mussed hair.

\"Feelsss nice,\" Harry drew out his words, emphasizing his pleasure. He felt Sev\'s cock jerk against his own in response. Time for an experiment, he thought. \"~ I love your big cock, ~ Severus,\" he hissed in Parseltongue, but pronounced Severus in English, so his lover could hear his name intermingled seamlessly amid the serpent’s words.

Severus puffed out a deep shuddering breath. His cock grew impossibly larger, and he ground his hips hard against Harry\'s.

\"Hmm, like our first time together,\" Harry lifted his hips; their eyes met. \"~ You were so mysterious, and sexy as hell, ~\" he saw unmistakable hunger in the dark eyes that watched his red lips enunciate every hissed syllable. His burning desire evident with each thrust, bringing them closer to the edge.

\"Fuck,\" breathed Severus uncharacteristically.

Harry was close, but wanted to hold out, knowing Severus wasn\'t quite there. Sev losing all restraint was nearly enough for Harry to burst. He bit down on the nearest flesh he could reach.

\"Severus! ~ You sexy Slytherin snake, ~\" he hissed, licking the bruise he\'d made. He repeated the phrase several times, until Severus recognized a pattern. \"Severus you sexy Slytherin snake,\" he said once again in English, drawing out each \'s\', gasping on the last word as he came. By that point his Slytherin Snake had lost all coherent thought. Hearing his name hissed out while Harry spilled his hot seed was Severus\' undoing. He climaxed with a shout.


Harry startled awake, unaware he\'d fallen asleep. He was vaguely aware of the tinge of pain his scar gave him. It looked as if Severus had also fallen right off to sleep. He was still on top of Harry\'s legs, but his upper body had twisted and collapsed alongside him, to keep from suffocating his young lover. Severus looked peaceful in sleep. Many a troubled night Harry could see his worry lines, as Severus could even scowl in his sleep. Tonight, they\'d had a nice night together. Harry liked to think he\'d given Sev good things to dream about in the night.

Harry watched the peaceful, content face for a moment, and frowned when Sev flinched in his sleep. He didn\'t want his love to have bad dreams, and tried to coax him into better state of mind with a nuzzle and soft kisses on his thin lips. With a sharp intake of breath, Severus\' eyes shot open.

\"Just a dream, love,\" purred Harry, pulling Severus close, but the body beside him remained rigid.

\"I wish it were,\" he answered flatly. \"I have to go,\" he added as he sat up, one hand held over the Dark Mark on his arm.

\"Do you want me to send Hedwig to Albus?\" Harry\'s concern was clearly written all over his face. Severus gave a curt nod and left the warm bed, too annoyed to notice the hurt he caused by his callousness. Severus was irritable when the Dark Lord cut into their private time, since it was so limited once school started. Harry knew enough not to take it personally, but knowing didn\'t avert his emotions. Severus had left abruptly, not even a kiss goodbye.


~`~`~`~`~`~


In a cross mood, Voldemort sat miserably in his high back chair upholstered in thick, blood-red velvet. The lushness of his favorite chair did nothing to relieve his mood. He swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise, and contemplated whom in his Inner Circle he could trust with delicate information. He\'d come close to divulging the personal information to Lucius, but his minion’s son had suspiciously taken an extended trip just when he was in need of a favor from the boy. He was confident of Lucius\' loyalty, but the timing wasn\'t right to exhibit any weakness to his loyal followers. It wouldn\'t do to have them question his capabilities or health, mental or otherwise.

It had all started around the time of the attack on Privet Drive. Voldemort had begun to notice emotions that weren\'t his own. Feelings of desperation, pain, and later, grief flowed through him as if he himself were suffering. It wasn\'t until a more recent attack when the Weasley brat had been abducted and raped that he put it all together. It was subsequently confirmed when the anguish he felt was followed by the front page story in the Daily Prophet featuring a photograph of the wrenched Potter boy sobbing in his redhead\'s arms. The revelation had been a surprising, yet satisfactory discovery.

Once he realized the source, he found Potter\'s pain and anguish to be quite pleasing indeed. He compared it to the rush one could feel after a particularly satisfying session involving a muggle and several Cruciatus curses. The pain, grief, and occasional feeling of betrayal helped keep a bounce in the step of the contented Dark Lord. He would occasionally ponder what it would feel like to lose the connection when he finally killed the menacing child.

It was quite amusing until the discomfort began. It was a small ache at first, but then continued to blossom into something much worse. He\'d ordered Snape to brew potions to keep him healthy, preventing him from catching anything going around, but his attempts were futile. Potter had fallen in love. The constant assaults on Potter and his friends helped to keep the boy\'s sprits down, but the continued attack failures against The Boy Who Lived were making him look bad. Morale plummeted amid the Death Eaters. Losing several followers to Azkaban earlier in the year hadn\'t helped.

Voldemort pulled on a tasseled sash that had been hanging not far from his reach. Moments later an exhausted servant entered, prostrating himself, trying to keep his balance as he\'d been sound asleep only moments before.

\"Your arm,\" the Dark Lord ordered flatly. With a touch of the holly wand, the pitiful servant whimpered when he could feel the burn blackening his Mark as the message was sent to those his Master summoned. The snake-like wizard took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. He could not sense any emotions from Potter at that moment. While he would rather feel Potter\'s pain and desperation, he settled for the absence of joy and happiness and any other such jarring and revolting emotions the Potter brat had unknowingly sent along their connection.

With a wave of his hand, Voldemort dismissed the pitiful one at his feet. The lowly servant scurried out, passing Lucius Malfoy in the corridor. Malfoy walked proudly through the manor with grace and refinement. His hair and clothing were perfect, as expected. No one would suspect that only moments earlier the aristocrat had been slumbering in a comfortable chair in his den with a half-empty glass of scotch balancing precariously in his hand. A terrified house elf had been silently sitting on the floor, waiting should the glass slip from his owner\'s hand, which it unfortunately did when the Mark burned. As the house elf watched his master immediately Apparate from the manor, he belatedly remembered he\'d forgotten to clean the scotch spilt on his master’s robe. \'At least his hair was perfect\', thought the creature before he scurried off to punish himself.

Severus Apparated into the manor, landing alongside Lucius. Nether showed surprise at their sudden close proximity. They simply continued to walk at a brisk pace, neither making eye contact as they spoke.

\"Severus.\"

\"Lucius.\"

\"You smell like sex,\" Lucius commented amusedly.

\"And you of scotch,\" Severus replied, is tone equally light.

\"I do hate when it spills. I dare say a decent bottle cost more then the strumpet you hired for the night.\"

‘No, but the scotch was probably older,\' thought Severus, smirk in place. Their banter ended, having reached the room where Lord Voldemort awaited.

The Dark Lord watched in amusement as the two wizards knelt, kissing his robe. It was like watching a contest to see who could be most graceful. With a disinterested wave of his hand they stood, simultaneously bowing their heads, waiting to be addressed. Lucius\' white mane contrasted considerably with Severus\' black locks. They were almost complete opposites, yet alike in many ways.

\"Tell me Lucius, have you heard word from your son?\" Voldemort spoke slowly, causing Lucius to hesitate, unsure if his master was finished speaking.

\"No, my Lord. Draco is still on holiday,\" Lucius was still paying for ‘his son\'s timing’, since the Dark Lord had decided he needed a favor and Draco was unavailable. Little did he know it was not Draco who had made the arrangements. Nor, hopefully, would he ever discover that fact.

Severus resisted the urge to smirk and remained silent. Voldemort continued to refer to the boy as Lucius\' son. Lucius, on the other hand, continued to refer to his son as Draco, giving him his own identity. None of it truly mattered; if the Dark Lord were angry enough, Lucius would bear the blunt of Unforgivable pain. It didn\'t seem to be the case tonight, though. Severus wondered why the Dark Lord had called them. Petty issues were seldom the reason for being summoned at such a late hour. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, thought Severus.

\"~Severusss~,\" hissed Voldemort. He enjoyed the startle from his usually impassive follower. Severus, though he couldn\'t decipher the hissing of the serpent, couldn\'t help but notice Harry spoke in tones far different from the cold, merciless serpent he was forced to bow down to.

\"I\'ve received word that you have taken a lover,\" Voldemort casually rolled his wand between his fingers. Severus tried not to stare at the nearly perfect match to his lover\'s wand. For a brief second he feared the worst, but then realized his Master was most likely referring to Lupin, not Harry.

\"You know that I wish to make ties with the werewolves, yet you chose not to inform me you\'ve taken one as a lover. Not just any mangy wolf, but one so close to Dumbledore? Do you deny this, Severusss?\" he gave no time for a response from the Potion Master before casting the Unforgivable. \"Crucio!\"

\"My Lord,\" gasped Severus as his body shook from the waves of pain crashing over his every nerve ending. \"Not my lover,\" he managed to blurt out between spasms.

\"No?\" the Dark Lord let up the curse, but didn\'t give Snape permission to stand.

Grateful to stay on the floor for a moment, Severus explained. \"My Lord, Lupin and I are not lovers. I make the Wolfsbane potion for him in return for sex. I am not in a position to gain his trust; I\'m simply taking advantage of an opportunity that arose coincidentally around the same time I was given the potion for potency.\" Severus kept his face passive as he remembered having to take the potion at the meeting before he was given Ron Weasley as a \'reward\'. He hoped his story sounded plausible.

\"If I may, my Lord,\" Lucius bowed, receiving a nod. \"As a member of the school Board of Governors, I\'ve had the opportunity to read Severus\' contract. It clearly states he, as Potions Master, is required to provide all potions necessary to the student body and staff alike,\" Malfoy smirked evilly.

Given permission to stand once again, Severus stood with as much dignity as he could muster. \"I am required to make potions that would be available for sale in a public apothecary, nothing more. I\'ve made great advancements in the Wolfsbane potion. If Lupin wants the added properties that I have developed, which both makes the transition less painful and incorporates muscle relaxants that do not react badly with the potion, which in turn help make the following day bearable, then he will pay my price.\"

\"Crucio,\" Voldemort believed Snape, but was feeling much better and needed the entertainment. \"I\'m all for taking advantage of a good situation, Severussss,\" he hissed. \"However, as my servant, you should always put me before your own desires. If I should require something from the wolf, you will make sure he satisfies my needs.\" Speaking of servants, Voldemort suddenly remembered something, and pulled on the satin sash once again. A scowl formed on his snakelike face when no one responded. He again pulled the sash with such force the tassel tore from it. The same pitiful servant stumbled in quickly, scurrying to kneel before his Lord. He quivered, waiting for the inevitable.

\"Crucio.\"

Lucius watched on in amusement, glad it wasn\'t him, while Severus kept his eyes on the floor, praying to any gods that would hear him that Harry hadn\'t been suffering the third Cruciatus that had been cast in forty minutes. The servant was eventually released from the curse and sent to retrieve some notes his master had made. Lucius was dismissed while Severus was required to stay and review the notes.

An hour later they agreed on a series of potions that would help restore the Dark Lord’s facial features. After killing Potter and taking over the Ministry, he planned to declare himself the new Minister of Magic. He was under the impression the masses would more readily accept the Dark Lord as their leader if he were to look at least human. He was very disappointed to discover one of the key ingredients for the first potion was an illegal plant that would take at least a week to procure. A second ingredient needed to be harvested from a rare creature whilst it was still alive. Both items would be difficult for Severus to obtain. It would take some time.

Severus knew that even if all went well, the Dark Lord couldn\'t accomplish all that he’d planned and be Minister for some time to come. Why the need for these particular potions now, this call in the middle of the night? He was starting to think his Master was thinking up reasons to call him, which was true. He was dismissed, having promised he would immediately begin his search for the rare potion ingredients. After one last ‘Crucio’ for good measure, Severus crawled to the area from where he could safely Apparate.

With nothing of great importance to report to Albus, Severus considered checking on Harry. He tried to remember if Harry was likely to have fallen back to sleep after he left. They\'d been sound asleep when he was called, so it was possible Harry hadn\'t waited up. It was then he remembered the look on his lover’s face when he left. He\'d often been short with Harry in those situations, but he couldn\'t even remember telling Harry he loved him before he left. Harry had held his hand out to him as he popped out. Had he even kissed him goodbye? If he\'d been killed, was that how he wanted to be remembered by his lover?

Arriving in Harry\'s room to find it empty, Severus bolted for the loo, and then the other rooms, to no avail. He checked the bedside table drawer, not a potion in sight. He lifted the bed sheet and looked on the floor and saw several blue and green caps that had once sealed Harry\'s potion vials.

It was a long walk from the Apparition point to the castle. He briskly made his way up to Albus\' office. Surprisingly, the gargoyle sprang out of his way without any need to recite an obnoxious password. That only meant one thing. Albus was waiting for him. Severus opened the office door, expecting to hear Albus telling him to enter, but found the room empty. Fawkes rested on his perch, politely sharing it with Hedwig. The white owl took flight, landing on Severus\' shoulder. She gave a small hoot, indicating she was glad he was there. She then bit him on the ear, hard enough to draw blood, and flew back to her previous spot on the large perch.

It was then Severus noticed the door to the safe room was open. Knowing Harry must have used the stone to come to Albus made him all the more nervous. In the empty room, the only sign that Harry had indeed arrived was four empty vials on the floor. There was no mess to be found, but the faint smell lingering in the air indicated he\'d been sick.

After checking Harry\'s room in the tower, Severus was hit with a wall of magic. Albus\' magical signature was impossible to miss. It was rare to feel such power. When the hum of magic in the air ceased, Severus needed only to wait a moment before the door to Albus\' room opened. Severus tentatively stepped inside. A large bed with white curtains trimmed in gold nearly filled the room. Harry, asleep in the center, looked like a small child. Albus sat beside him; he looked rather tired in his powder blue bedclothes with fuscia swirls and matching nightcap.

\"Albus?\" Severus spoke softly as not to disturb his lover.

Albus\' voice sounded overused, and even more tired then he looked. \"Harry took all his potions, and was frightened when the curses continued. I could not stand to see my child suffering a moment longer,\" Albus brushed the damp hair from Harry\'s face, exposing his scar. He turned to take a closer look at Severus. The tremors were hard to see if you didn\'t know to look for them. \"Come, child,\" Albus said, sounding exhausted.

Without giving it a thought, Severus stepped closer to the large bed, and sat beside Albus. He could think of nothing but his Harry. Albus didn\'t think Severus even noticed when he\'d cast a relaxant spell over him. \"It makes an old heart ache to see his children suffer so,\" Albus handed Severus blue and green topped potions to manage the effects of the Unforgivable.

Severus had at first thought Albus was referring to Harry, but realized the plural and was taken aback when he felt one hand on his shoulder and the other helping him to drink the potions. \"What did you do for him?\" asked Severus, remembering the magic he felt earlier. He fought a great urge to take Harry into his arms.

\"I conjured a sensory deprivation sphere,\" Albus saw Severus startle. \"I know it\'s a very disturbing thought, to have someone cast a spell cutting you off mentally and physically from yourself, but if the caster is trusted implicitly, it need not be an upsetting experience. He merely has to know that I love him, and will keep him safe,\" Albus knew Severus would understand. He, too, had always felt safe in the tower. It wasn\'t often he\'d slept in his room there, just next to Harry\'s, but sometimes even knowing it was there for him was a comfort.

Albus also knew Severus was very concerned for Harry. The man had never consciously entered Albus\' bedroom before. He\'d only once before been carried in, near death. Albus had nursed him back to health and watched over him until he finally awoke, days later. Severus had awakened in his own room across the hall, but later dreamed of a large bed with white hangings trimmed with gold. He\'d thought he’d dreamt of his death, but now he recognized the bed upon entering the room, seeing Harry almost lost in a sea of soft pillows. With the thoughts of his past receding along with his worry for Harry, Severus recognized the signs of a relaxant spell.

\"What did you hit me with, old man?\" his words were harsh, but his tone was not. A soft chuckle was heard. It was the first indication they were not alone. Minerva McGonagall, in her dressing gown, stepped out from the shadows.

\"Harry was quite worried about you,\" she said gently. \"He will be fine,\" she added, hoping to be of some comfort. Albus convinced him that Harry was only sleeping at this point. The sphere had been taken down just before Severus had arrived. Any concerns he had for Harry\'s health were alleviated when he heard Kieran would be there in the morning for an appointment to discuss a treatment plan for Harry\'s unavailable reserve of magic. Albus said he would be moving Harry into the young man’s own bed before the night was through. Severus could already see that daybreak was not far away. He stepped through Harry\'s Floo back to his bedroom, and left it open in case Harry had need of him.


*~*~*

Severus woke early. He did not intend to do the math. He didn\'t need to know he\'d slept all of a whole hour and a half. The first sight he had from his bed was through the still open Floo. Harry was sleeping. Albus appeared asleep in a chair by his bed. He had the feeling Albus wasn\'t actually sleeping. Severus stepped out of his steamy bathroom and checked the Floo again. Harry slept on peacefully. He dressed for the day and checked the Floo. He wrote a letter to a dealer of rare plants, and checked the Floo again. Harry continued to sleep. When Severus could think of no other reasons to stay in his rooms, then his office, he warded his office and was nearly into the corridor when he faintly heard his name called out. By the time he managed to get all the way back to his bedroom, Harry had screamed his name two more times. Albus soon had the situation well in hand. Severus bit his lip to keep from telling Albus to get out of the way so he could Floo in.

\"He\'s hurt,\" yelped Harry. Albus poured a potion into his mouth.

\"Severus is just fine. He\'s back at Hogwarts. Oh, here he is now, see Harry?\" soothed Albus, pointing at Severus in the fire. Harry held out his hand for his lover, desperate to be sure he was safe. He squinted to see the blurry figure in the fire, but it faded into nothingness as the potion took affect.

Severus stepped through the Floo as soon has Albus saw him and backed out of his way. He reached for Harry\'s outstretched hand, but it fell limp on the bed before he could grasp it.

\"I\'m sorry, Severus. Had I known you were there a moment sooner, I could have waited on the potion. He needs to sleep if he\'s going to be in any shape to have a meeting with Kieran and Healer Frances Wellingfield in a few hours,\" Albus sighed, looking apologetic.

Severus closed his eyes, took a breath and gave a small nod of understanding. He so desperately wanted Harry to know he was there for him.

\"He knows,\" Albus said reassuringly. Severus would have been concerned about Albus reading his thoughts, except that he knew he looked pathetic. Albus convinced him to go down to breakfast by promising to send along word as soon as Harry met with the Healers.


~\\*'

Harry sat comfortably in Albus\' office, talking with Kieran. Albus came in, holding the door open for Frances. To Harry\'s surprise, she didn\'t have on the traditional white Healer\'s robes, but muggle clothing. She wore a pair of black slacks with a Slytherin green top finished with white collar and cuffs. She looked very hip, in Harry\'s opinion.

\"Wow, I hardly recognized you with clothes on,\" Harry said, offering his hand to the smiling Healer. When he realized what he\'d said, his jaw dropped and she laughed out loud. \"I um… meant muggle clothes, of course,\" he quickly added, with a blush.

\"She could say the same about you Harry,\" teased Kieran. Frances told them she had plans after their meeting to visit with a fellow Healer who was a muggle.

They continued with the pleasantries and serving of tea. Albus was kind enough to offer them privacy, and was pleased when Harry asked him to stay with him.

Frances explained to them that in the past when wizards were found to have stored magic, they had discovered that the problem took care of itself over time. Knowing that wasn\'t the answer they wanted to hear, she also explained that to speed the process, it was very important for Harry to be sure he was healed from any and all injuries as soon as possible. His body needed to know that he was taken care of. She instructed him to heal every single injury; even a simple splinter should get an easy cleansing charm.

\"While I strongly feel a Healer must \'Do no harm\',\" she said with emphasis in Kieran\'s direction. \"There may be some merit to the plan Kieran has designed. While I personally would have a problem offering such a suggestion, I admit it will more likely be the quick answer to your problems if it works, than any I would have considered.\" She gave Kieran a short bow of her head. He gave her a thankful smile. He knew how difficult it was for her to condone unconventional methods.

\"We discussed this with Phoebe and she doesn\'t personally approve of the treatment plan I have laid out for you, Fawkes. She doesn\'t say it won\'t work, only that she disapproves.\"

Harry took a sip of his tea, taking in what they\'d explained so far, or rather, hadn\'t explained yet. He trusted Kieran and wasn\'t at all surprised to hear some of his methods were a little unorthodox.

\"I would advise you do all of the things Healer Frances suggested earlier. In addition to her plan, I propose we re-heal the injuries you\'ve self-healed in the past. If you remember, in one of our other meetings, I explained you wouldn\'t find scar tissue if you were a true Healer?\" he asked, getting a quick \'yes\' from Harry. \"By fully healing those injuries, it may further convince your body to release its emergency store of magic. It could take some time, but it may be considerably less time than if you were to let it happen naturally.\"

\"What exactly is re-healing?\" Harry was almost afraid to ask. \"Is that like breaking your arm again because it didn\'t heal proper the first time?\" Harry asked, with some trepidation. Frances winced. Her muggle friend had explained some of the typical muggle medical practices. In her opinion, they were positively barbaric.

\"I can probably show you with something small,\" Kieran held out his hand, reaching for Harry\'s. \"You\'ve had your skin re-grown after the stained glass window incident, right?\" he asked, and continued quickly when he saw Harry\'s eyes widen in alarm.

\"It\'s not going to be that bad. You have to keep in mind there are many nerve endings to contend with when growing new skin. The internal stuff shouldn\'t be nearly as bad.\"

Harry remembered to breathe while Kieran held his hand, looking for a good place to demonstrate.

\"What\'s this?\" he pointed to a small scratch on Harry\'s forearm. Harry explained that Hermione\'s cat had scratched him. Kieran waved his wand over Harry\'s arm with a short incantation, causing the scratch to be a fresh wound once again. He then spent almost no time healing it completely. \"Did that hurt?\" he asked, keeping his eyes on Harry\'s.

Harry wondered if he was trying to avoid eye contact with Frances. He had heard her hiss when his scratch was made new. \"I could hardly feel it; you know I have a high pain threshold,\" Harry picked up his teacup again. \"That was only a small scratch. Is everything going to hurt as much as it did the first time?\" he didn\'t want to endure some of his past injuries again.

\"Not as bad as the first time, but I won\'t kid you, it may be difficult at times. If you find it\'s too much, I can always stop. It\'s not as if you have to continue once I start. You make the decisions,\" Kieran looked nervously at Frances and then back at Harry with a reassuring smile.

\"There are spells that exist which are designed to stop you from feeling pain,\" Frances surprised Kieran by sharing that bit of information. \"They are not often used, since they are difficult to cast. Healers don\'t tend to need such spells. There are doctors at St. Mungo\'s who use the spells on patients who need emergency surgery, but for some reason cannot be put to sleep. Not many can safely use the spells, and it\'s dangerous if done incorrectly. I\'d wouldn\'t offer such information, but it looks to me that you would probably prefer not to wait for nature to take her course with this,\" she smiled at Kieran, who wouldn\'t want to do something completely against the wishes of a renowned Healer, or friend.

\"Can you do those spells?\" Harry asked Kieran, and then turned to Albus. \"If he can\'t, can you? For the hard stuff, I mean?\" he was trying not to sound pathetic, but was afraid he\'d failed miserably. Albus reassured him that he would make himself familiar with the spells should Kieran need any assistance.

Frances and Kieran answered a few more questions Harry and Albus had, and set up a schedule that would coincide with Harry\'s training. Albus invited them all to stay for lunch in the Great Hall. Harry suggested he could sit with Ginny, giving Severus a chance to visit with Kieran at the guest table. That way, Severus would not have to wait any longer to find out how the meeting went.

Harry was hoping to catch Severus before lunch, but Kieran saw a tremor in his hand and insisted he heal any residual side effects Harry still felt from the previous night’s round of Cruciatus curses. Later, in the Great Hall, Harry managed to make eye contact with Severus and gave him a smile. He almost thought he saw relief on the usually impassive \'public\' face of his lover.




TBC