The Day Ahead

Wow! Two chapter's in two days! Lol I hope this was worth the wait! *Snicker* Not very long and not quite the end. The end is coming though!

~*~*~*~


"Harry! Sev!" Remus yelled through the door. "That's a changing room, not a make-out room!"

Severus and Harry snickered through the kiss. Severus placed his hand on Harry's chest, eying him seductively, and pushed him back. He reached behind himself and opened the door, then motioned for Harry to leave. Harry playfully put his nose in the air and huffed as though he was accepting a rejection.

When Harry was out the door, Severus reached out and grabbed Remus by the arm, pulling him into the tiny room.

"Hey!" Remus cried as Severus closed the door.

"All right, Remus. I now know Mr. Potter's motives for his actions today. What's your excuse?" Severus narrohis his gaze, daring the werewolf to lie to him.

Remus smiled knowingly, stepping up to Severus to whisper in his ear. "Have you ever felt sexy, Severus? Ever felt totally wanted for your mind, soul, and body? Would you have accepted Harry's behaviour if you hadn't?"

Severus looked at him in confusion. Remus continued to smile at him as he leaned in and kissed Severus on the cheek before opening the door to leave.

"Think about it, Severus."

Severus sat on the little bench to start changing into the clothes he had arrived in. His mind kept going over what Remus had said. Had he felt sexy before? Had he ever felt totally wanted? No, he had not felt so wanted before today. It was flattering to be hit on by two men. Remus was right. If it had only been Harry, he probably would have taken it as a joke and gotten mad at Harry for being so public about it. He would certainly not have taken Harry seriously. Remus had set him up to accept Harry's advances.

Severus shook his head with a smile. Remus had played his part perfectly. He had opened Severus' mind to the possibilities, for which he was ever so grateful. That didn't mean he wouldn't have his revenge, however. Some how Severus would return the *favour*.

He emerged from the change room to find Harry and Remus waiting with broad grins. Severus sneered at them as he walked up to the desk to pay for his purchases. As the sales girl started ringing it in, a short man in a navy robe with light brown hair, rushed in, heading directly for Remus.

"Remus," he called.

"James, what are you doing here?" Remus beamed at the man as he kissed him. Severus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Remus, it's time for guys to go." James looked worried.

"Why? What's going on?" Remus was all business now.

"Malfoy's in town. I think he got wind of him," he nodded at Severus, whose head snapped up at the mention of Lucius Malfoy, "being in Diagon Alley. You have to go, Remus."

Remus gave a sharp nod and turned toward Severus. "Hope you were done shopping, Sev. By the way, this is James, my lover." Remus smiled and winked at Severus.

"I am very... relieved to meet you," Severus said, reaching out to shake the man's hand. Remus and James laughed.

James got serious again as he turned back to Remus and said, "I'll keep an eye out the door." He nodded at Harry, then went to the front door to stand guard.

The sales girl finished Severus' purchase and told them to go out the back door if they had a portkey but it would not work inside the store because of protective wards. They would be able to use the portkey in the alley. Severus magically shrunk his bags and stuffed them in his pockets as Remus told James they would go out the back.

Harry nervously took Severus' hand. After the dark Lord fell and the surviving Death Eaters were rounded up for trial, Lucius Malfoy had escaped. Before he disappeared, however, he had promised revenge on Severus Snape, blaming him entirely for everything. It was not a threat to be taken lightly. Malfoy was still powerful, even though he had lost much in the war.

Severus squeezed Harry's hand reassuringly as they made their way to the back door of the little clothing shop. Remus removed the portkey from his pocket so they could activate it immediately once they left the wards of the shop.

They stopped short upon reaching the alley. Standing in front of them was Lucius Malfoy. Harry gasped and positioned himself in front of Severus, while Severus barely restrained a snicker at the man's dishevelled appearance. Malfoy's hair was a tangled web of dirty blond locks, his normally immaculate dress clothes were torn and soiled and even his raised wand was broken at the tip, a tiny piece of wood dangling precariously.

"Hello, Severus," he said in a raspy voice.

"Hello, Malfoy. Goodbye, Malfoy," Severus said as he grabbed hold of the portkey and was whisked away with Harry and Remus to the sanctuary of Hogwarts School.

As they landed just outside the gates of the school, Severus fell to the ground laughing rauco.
.

"What the hell are you laughing about? You could have been killed, Severus!" Remus stood with his hands on his hips, glaring as Severus continued to laugh.

"Are you kidding?" Severus asked as he sobered up. "Did you see his wand? He couldn't have hexed a gnome out of a garden with that thing! And his hair!" Severus doubled over in another round of laughter. "Oh, how the vain have fallen!"

Soon Harry, and then Remus, joined him on the ground laughing. It was several minutes before they were able to straighten themselves up enough to enter the grounds of the school. Severus was still snickering as he unconsciously put his arm around Harry's shoulders. Harry smiled brightly up at him and wrapped his own arm around Severus' waist.

It suddenly dawned on Severus that he was about to walk into the school with his arm around Harry as though they were long-time lovers. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Harry. Harry started to pull his arm away shyly but Severus stopped him with a light kiss that made Harry blush.

"You're adorable when you act shy," Severus whispered.

"And you're beautiful when you blush," Harry returned, which did indeed make Severus blush.

Entering the main doors with their arms around each other, Severus decided to hell with secrecy. It would be a major pain in the arse to publicly deny their relationship. He would simply hex anyone who said anything about them being together. It woulso lso be far more entertaining to see the looks of shock on his colleagues faces, especially Minerva's uptight face.

As they stepped up to the doors of the Great Hall, Severus was intending to join the lunch hour feast that would be in progress at that time, Harry stopped.

"Sev, are you sure you want to do this?" Harry knew how private the Potions Master was and really didn't think he would be ready to announce to the whole school their new relationship.

"You need ask? Really, Harry, after all these years, have you never noticed my flare for the dramatic?"

Harry laughed. Yes, he had certainly noticed. It was one of the many qualities he loved about Severus. Harry sighed and reached up to kiss him, happy to not need to stretch much to meet Severus' warm lips. Severus gave a low moan and melted into Harry's arms as the kiss was deepened.

Remus, standing behind the new couple, cleared his throat loudly, causing them to break apart, their cheeks flushing bright pink. Severus, holding Harry close, threw open the door and entered the Great Hall.