You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

7

The next morning at breakfast, Harry glanced at the Staff table, Severus kept his eyes on his plate or his fellow Staff members as they talked over their meal. Minerva thought that Severus was unusually animated and instead of pushing his food around in his usual desultory fashion was tucking away a generous plateful of food, following with toast and tea.

Harry leaned over the table to speak to his two best friends and told them of the contretemps he had had with the Headmaster last night. All three stole looks at the venerable old gentleman who seemed distinctly off his food pushing his plate away to drink large quantities of tea, occasionally shooting Harry hooded glances that spoke of his fear. Harry felt no victory, just a sadness that the truth was less than his idealistic self had at first thought. He turned his attentions back to his friends and was soon embroiled in a discussion of the upcoming Gryffindor/ Slytherin Quidditch match. “This is part of my humanity”, he thought as he let himself be drawn into strategy, laying salt and pepper pots and other sundry dining items into battle moves and let Ron move the pieces around much like he did at chess. Harry had always admired Ron’s ability to strategise and listened carefully.

Severus watched the trio leave the Hall, his eyes mainly on Harry. He had severely underestimated all of them and felt a deep sadness in his heart. They all complemented each other so well. He had been such a fool to doubt them, but he exulted at the same time, he and Harry had perhaps the potential to be an awesomely strong unit, but these three were pretty formidable. They had spent their entire school careers as best friends, they could finish each other’s sentences, each knew, without judgement, how the others thought, and he was humbled by this, he had kept himself so apart, thinking his role so special, but in that moment, he realised he was just another cog in the machine just like these three mere children, but they knew their power. Ron and Harry may be the fighters, but it fell to the brightest witch in a generation to keep them at it. He couldn’t suppress a grin as he watched them leave. He flicked a glance to his own House table and saw his godson watch them as they exited, a flush in his cheeks and undisguised longing in his eyes, following the every move of a tall well-built red-headed Gryffindor who ignored him completely as they passed the Slytherin table. He thought with a chuckle that the boy had it bad for a certain Ron Weasley.

****

Hallowe’en was rapidly approaching. Between starting revision for NEWTS and the extra prep assigned, there hadn’t been much time to investigate the bond between Harry and Severus. Hermione had done a little reading but so far had come up with very little. They didn’t seem to be bonded Higher Magicals as Harry had said nothing about either new powers or empathic or telepathic abilities between them. She puzzled as most bonds seemed to enhance the powers of the bondees. She frowned, maybe this was a minor bond, not particularly Magically-orientated, just one of true love. She stole a glance at Harry beside her at the Library table, as usual he was staring into space, a slight smile playing around his mouth until she nudged him gently and he came back to himself, grinned at her and re-applied himself to his Transfiguration revision.

They split up as the library closed and Harry hugged Hermione before tiredly making his way to the dungeons, slipping on the Cloak as he went. He had to wait until the corridor was clear then went to timidly knock at the door. It was yanked open before he could knock and he traipsed in, the door slamming shut behind him before Severus doubled over in pain and slumped to the floor.

Harry threw the Cloak off and was instantly beside his lover, “Severus, what’s wrong? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?”. Severus shook his head impatiently, “No, I’ve just got a dose of the grippe, it’ll pass, but I feel a bit lousy in the meantime. It must be something I ate earlier. Help me up”. Harry obliged but was a little concerned when he saw how pale his lover was, two high spots of colour on waxy cheeks. Severus staggered to his emergency cabinet and downed a Potion then leaned heavily on the table as the Potion seemed to calm him, a simple pain-reliever. He smiled then as he cautiously stood straight again. He blew out a breath, “That’s better. Sorry about that”, his colour quickly returned to normal and Harry was relieved.

They sat on the sofa in front of the fire and Severus pulled Harry into his arms, “I missed you this morning and I haven’t seen you all day, except from a distance”. By mutual agreement, they spent the nights together, with Harry slipping out in the early dawn, trying hard for the discretion they’d promised. Dumbledore was avoiding both of them like the Plague. They gazed into each other’s eyes and the fire started it’s now familiar slow burn between them, then they kissed, long and deep. The bed bell sounded and Severus had to reluctantly pull away, “I must do my rounds, love, I shan’t be long”. Harry shook his head and grabbed his Cloak, “You were poorly, I’m coming with you, in case you take ill again. I don’t want to sit here worrying about you. Come on, let’s get this over with, then I want a nice long bath with you, how does that sound?”. Severus leaned forward and kissed Harry on the nose, “Perfect, lover. Let’s go”.

Harry shadowed Severus as he made his rounds. They climbed up the long flight of stairs into the Astronomy Tower to hear moans and cries from within the top room with the observation balcony. The door had been carelessly left open and Severus shook his head, but Harry held him back, recognising the voices, trying to stifle a giggle, “Fancy another show?”. His lover turned to him with a wicked smile on his face and slipped under Harry’s Cloak, kissing him wetly. “Come on, let’s see what they’re up to, the naughty pair”, he whispered, and, arms about each other, they crept cautiously into the room.

Ron was on his back lying on a spread cloak, Draco was over him and sucking on him hard, pumping his own cock with his spare hand. He popped his mouth off to a groan from Ron, “Who said you could stop, slut?”, Ron’s voice was hoarse with desire. “Please, Ron, let me fuck you, you’ll love it, I promise”. In reply, Ron grabbed a fistful of Draco’s hair and fed his large thick cock back into that mouth, “Shut up and suck, bitch, and if you do it right, I might suck you in return. Now leave your cock alone and concentrate”. Draco moaned his pleasure and went back to his previous task until Ron arched off the ground and came in the back of Draco’s throat, the blond trying hard not to gag as he swallowed every drop, then sat back on his heels as Ron recovered. “Okay, that wasn’t bad”. He sat up and flung Draco onto his back and returned the favour, but he took his time, driving the Slytherin mad and as Draco started to buck and mutter obscenities, he pulled away, stripping the blond of his lower clothing and flipping him over, aroused again, then pulled Draco up until he was on all fours, prepared him quickly and entered him and ploughed in hard and fast, gripping the base of Draco’s cock to prevent him coming first, “You don’t get yours until I’ve had mine, bitch, you know the rules”, and proceeded to drill Draco into the floor until he felt his second release build then wanked his lover until they both came together, gasping and crying out.

In the darkest corner of the room, Severus had to stuff a chunk of Cloak in his mouth as he came in Harry’s mouth. They waited until the other two had left before Harry pulled Severus down to the floor and took him in the same way, biting his lip as he shot deep inside him. Severus was aroused again, but Harry shook his head, “Let’s take this to bed and be a bit more civilised about it. I want you to fuck me, Severus, but not here. Think you can manage it back to your rooms?”. He disappeared back under the Cloak as they left the tower.

They got as far as the sofa in the living room, shedding clothes as soon as they entered, Severus on his back and Harry riding him hard. Severus grasped Harry’s cock and wanked him as Harry bounced up and down eagerly on that thick length, then braced his feet against the arm of the sofa and started to meet Harry’s descent, pushing up as Harry bore down until they both screamed each other’s names as they came, before they collapsed together and Severus slid his arms around Harry holding the younger man on his chest as they got their breath back, raking his sweaty hair with his fingers and kissing him tenderly. They passed out together on the couch for a while and awoke deep into the night.

They felt quite decadent taking a bath together at that time of night, washing each other, arousing each other again, climbing from the large tub, drying each other and fooling around and went into the bedroom, damp and naked, then made love again in bed, finally sleeping as the false dawn rose.

Early in the morning, Severus awoke in pain again, unwinding himself from around Harry and knocked back another Potion, glad that Harry was still asleep. Severus went to the loo and came back to bed, feeling the pain ease as he wound himself around his sleeping beloved again, hearing his lover’s murmurs as he held him, spooning around his back, kissing the tangled mop of dark hair as sleep claimed him.

Harry loved weekends. He could watch Severus as he woke, biting his lower lip gently as he watched the lashes flutter and the eyes open, then the slow smile into his lover’s eyes, the heated good morning kiss, the sleepy morning loving that they both enjoyed, the cooked breakfast when they could bear to be apart, Severus carrying the tray into the bedroom, before climbing back into bed with his beloved. Harry had told him a little of his early life before school, being treated little better than a House-Elf, worse in fact, because in the main, the House-elves were at least respected, whereas Harry had been treated like dirt. Severus had cried in private over the terribleness of Harry’s past and made a regular thing of cooking the boy his Saturday morning breakfasts and serving it to him in bed. Harry loved it.

They would talk of this and that before Harry had to go to his Quidditch practice. Today, Severus asked him, “What are your plans for Christmas, Harry?”. Harry shrugged, “I’ll be staying here as usual, but both Ron and ‘Mione are going home. I’m usually invited to the Burrow for Christmas day, but the Weasleys are off abroad this year to visit Charlie, so I suppose I’ll just be here this year, why?”. Severus removed the tray, placing it on the floor, then cupped Harry’s face in his hands. “I have a small house of my own where I go and just be me away from this place, but I would love to spend Christmas there with you, just the two of us. We could get a tree and all of that if you want, though I don’t usually indulge in the Christmas thing as a rule”.

Harry beamed, “Oh, Severus, I’d like nothing better, to spend a whole three weeks in your bed, in your company and no-one to bother us. It sounds perfect, though I warn you, I like the whole Christmas schtick, tree, deccies, holly and mistletoe, prezzies, turkey or preferably duck for Chrissie dinner, you know?”. Severus bit his bottom lip, “Harry, my love, I haven’t ever done a proper Christmas before, so I’ll let you guide me here, and we’ll do the whole shebang. Say yes, please”. Harry threw his arms around his lover, “I’d love to, but won’t Dumbledore object?”. Severus snorted, “Stuff him. We’ll go anyway. I think he’s a bit scared of us as a unit. For three weeks we can be just ourselves. I even have Muggle clothes stashed at home. We’ll go shopping and everything. Whatever you want”. Harry kissed him, “Sounds bloody brilliant, Severus. Yes, yes, yes”.

As they walked out onto the cold Quidditch pitch later that morning, Ron asked Harry what was making him look so happy and Harry told him, “Severus’s invited me to go home with him for Christmas, and I said yes. He’s got a house in Manchester somewhere. Oh god, Ron, I can’t wait”, he chuckled. Ron grinned, “He’s doing you a power of good you know. Even when you’re back in the dorm, you don’t seem to have the nightmares any more and I know you don’t put up your silencing charms now”, he biffed his best friend on the shoulder. Harry blushed, “I’ve got better things to dream about now. Hey, are you buying Malfoy a present this year?”. Ron shook his head, “I know what I’m going to give the arrogant git, though. He’s improving and, by and large, he’s been a good bad boy”, he grinned and said no more for now as the team took off and enjoyed a good practice in the bracing air.