Tequila

Chapter 8

Harry walked quickly back through the dungeons and headed towards the Gryffindor tower, a dreamy smile plastered all over his face.

// Stop it! I can’t go back in there looking like the heroine in some cheesy muggle chick flick. Everyone will definitely know something’s going on! //

Harry was just so pleased with the outcome of the evening. If he’d been as flamboyantly gay as Seamus, he might have hugged his arms to himself and done a girly little twirl in the corridor. Harry was amazed that one kiss could have such an effect on him and amazed that he’d actually consider such a girly action. Grinning to himself again, he realised that this was the first time he’d actually thought about being in a relationship.

// With Snape. HA. //

Harry was more than amused. He was giddy, he was bubbly, he was royally pissing himself off. His only conclusion was this had something to do with mixing alcohol and truth serum.

// Never again! //

Composing his features into a look of indifference, Harry opened the door to the common room and found Ron and Hermione waiting for him.

“Harry,” exclaimed Hermione, jumping to her feet. “How did it go? Was he ok with you, we were so sure you were gonna be there all night.”

Hermione looked down at Ron who was currently curled up in a ball on the floor, sleeping soundly and drooling.

“Ron figured Snape would be a ‘right bastard’ to you to make up for not giving you detention for weeks.”

“Yeah,” Harry said with a snort, “he seems real worried.”

Settling down on one of the large burgundy couches in front of the fire, Harry looked hard at Hermione. She was his best friend, besides Ron, and was the one most likely to listen to what he had to say. He sighed loudly. Even if he wanted to tell Hermione about everything that happened, the spell prevented him from doing so. Testing the boundaries of the truth potion, to see if it was wearing off, he said:

“It was fine ‘Mione, just your usual detention with the greasy git.” Seeing that he was now in a position to tell a few untruths, he expanded a bit. “He had me cleaning cauldrons again. Nothing exciting.”

“Did he give you the chance to make up the assignment you failed today?”

Harry groaned and rolled his eyes. Trust Hermione to be thinking about school work when Harry still couldn’t get thought of that most perfect kiss out of his mind.

“No, Hermione. We didn’t even discuss it. To be perfectly honest with you, I forgot all about it.”

“Harry,” Hermione shouted impatiently, “you know you have to pass this class if you want to get into auror training.”

“I know Hermione,” Harry shouted back. “I’ve just got other things on my mind just now. I’m not even sure I want to be an auror any more. It’s what so many people expect of me. Why can’t I just decide once I’ve graduated what I want to do?”

Harry’s emotions, having been tightly wound all night, were now beginning to fray. He knew it wasn’t fair to take it out on Hermione like this, but she was the only one handy. Their rather noisy discussion had awoken Ron from his slumber who was now rising gradually to his feet mumbling.

“Look, I’m really tired guys, I’m just gonna head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

And with that he left the room.

Ron rubbed his eyes slowly.

“What the fuck was that all about? And what’s up with Harry recently? He’d been really moody and withdrawn. Do you suppose everything’s all right?” Ron cast a worried eye in the direction his friend had taken.

“I’m sure he’s fine Ron,” Hermione replied, trying to reassure her boyfriend. “He’s probably just feeling a little lost right now. Remember, for the last six years he’s had a job to do. Now that he’s done, I’m sure he’s just taking time to re-evaluate his life. Also, for the last several years, he’s been very tense, what with training for the war and having to kill Voldemort. He’s probably just finding he has too much time on his hands or something. If he’s still the same in a few weeks time we’ll talk to Dumbledore about it. But I’m sure everything will be fine.”

What Hermione said made sense, but Ron was still a little unsure as he headed to bed. He decided he would keep closer eye on his best friend. Just to make sure everything was all good.

Harry lay in bed and thought about his fight with Hermione. He’d been a shit and he knew it. It was a stupid thing to fight over and he had no idea why it happened since he’d been in a good mood when he arrived. He resolved to apologise to her tomorrow. There were too many instances in the past several years when the three of them had let stupid little fights come between them, and Harry was determined it wasn’t going to happen anymore.

Feeling better, he drifted off to sleep.

Harry woke remarkably early the following morning. He knew his potions master habitually went to breakfast at 7 am where there was less chance of him bumping into too many students. He also knew that he, Ron and Hermione were seldom there before 8.30, just managing to grab a slice of toast before running off to class. Well to be honest, it was only himself and Ron who rose late, Hermione was usually to be found studying in the library long before either of them saw the sun in the morning.

Harry got out of bed at 6 am this morning. He wanted to be up and ready early enough to catch a glimpse of Severus before he had to go to class. He didn’t have potions again for another 2 days, and for the first time in his school career he found himself wishing he had it today. Laughing at his silliness he made his way to the shower, for once, mercifully empty and with plenty of hot water.

As he stood under the hot spray, his mind drifted back to his conversation with Severus the previous night.

** I like to think I may fall in love with you **

Harry sighed as he remembered Sev’s words. It was an admission he had been hoping for, but certainly not expecting. It had warmed his heart to realise that he may fall in love with the man and that his feelings may be reciprocated.

// what do I call him now? Sure he’s still my teacher, but is he my boyfriend? My lover? Bugger. //

Harry touched his lips with one finger. Still feeling that chaste, beautiful kiss. It had never been like that with anyone. No tongues battling, no fierce fumbling, no release. But still…..perfect. Harry shook his head, as if to clear the thoughts and images from them. How could one kiss feel like that? He’d had several little affairs. No sex, just a lot of groping in dark corners. His friends all knew he was gay, wasn’t a big deal since both Seamus and Dean were gay as well. But It had felt different with Severus.

He needed more. Not tonight certainly, but soon. Definitely soon.

Drying himself off quickly, he threw on his cleanest and least wrinkled robes and headed down the stairs. He didn’t notice Ron’s eyes open briefly and look at him carefully before closing again.

Harry walked through the corridors of the castle and realised that at 6:45 am, it was even emptier than at 3 am. No Filch or Mrs Norris trailing around looking for troublemakers and no ghosts wailing, trying to keep everyone up. Harry stopped just outside the great hall and listened carefully. He wanted to go in and see Severus

// Snape, its Snape in school!!!! //

but he didn’t want to be the only student sitting in the hall. That would look very suspicious, he supposed. Hearing murmured voices through the door, Harry sighed and opened it. He needed to be in there, regardless of how it looked.

Harry stepped into the great hall and looked around, cautiously looking everywhere but at the staff table. He wanted to make sure there weren’t too many witnesses when he looked up at Sev…Snape.

The hall was ridiculously empty. There were 2 Ravenclaw 2nd years and 1 Hufflepuff 5th year. Harry was glad there were no 7th years there that he might have to make polite conversation with before heading to his seat. The Bloody Baron, it appeared was the only Slytherin up apart from….. No he wasn’t looking there yet. And there was no-one at the Gryffindor table, not that Harry expected there to be. Taking his usual seat in the middle of the table felt very strange with no Ron, Hermione, Dean, Seamus or Neville sitting around him.

Watching his bacon and eggs appearing on the plate in front of him, Harry decided it was probably time to look up at the staff table, considering how he’d managed to not look at it once throughout his entire walk to his table.

Harry glanced up. There he was. Harry felt his heart beat a little faster. Sitting next to Madame Hooch and looking at Harry with intense dark eyes. From this distance, Harry could see no emotion in those eyes, not that he expected to if they were right in front of him, but he did see something…. Was that a smile? No, it couldn’t have been. It definitely wasn’t. It was just a little less smirk than usual. A little less tightness around the eyes. Harry was ecstatic.

“Good morning, Professors, “ he called to those sitting at the top table. “Beautiful morning isn’t it?”

Being that it was April, in Scotland, the morning was decidedly horrible, with dark clouds obscuring the sun and drizzle soaking everything through.

Dumbledore raised his glass to Harry while the rest of the Professors, well most of them, smiled indulgently at him.

Feeling in a better mood than ever, Harry settled in to eat.

Severus was always up at 5 am. Always always. It was just habit now. Usually he sat in his sitting room, had a cup of tea and read the ‘Prophet’ before having a shower and heading to breakfast.

This morning he was indeed up at 5 am and did sit and have a cup of tea in his sitting room but he definitely didn’t read the paper. He threw the ‘Prophet’ down in disgust after having looked at the same headline for 10 mins and he still didn’t have a clue what it said.

// See? This is what happens when you kiss a student! //

Severus had a long, relaxing shower, taking greater care than usual to make sure every part of his body was clean and washing his hair twice. He told himself it was stress relief, massaging his scalp like that. When he was dried and dressed, in his nicest teaching robes (that’s to say they had less scorch marks than the rest) he started to make his way down to the hall.

// I am most certainly not taking pains to make myself look good for a student!! Am not, am not, am not!!! // he shouted at the little voice in his head that knew better.

Realising that he was half an hour early for breakfast, having skipped out on the paper, only made Severus even grumpier.

// I will not let this affect me. I’m a grown man. A cool, calm, collected grown man. I will not have a tantrum right here in this corridor. //

Feeling better from the stern talking to he’d given himself, Severus made his way into the hall. The only other person in the place was Dumbledore.

// No. This is not good. I can’t make small talk with this man after what I did last night. NOOOOOOOO //

Severus looked up to Dumbledore with the usual cold expressionless mask on his face, despite what his brain was going through, and said:

“Good morning, Headmaster.”

“Ah, Severus, good morning. You’re in here particularly early this morning.”

Severus thought fast. “Yes, Albus, I seem to have run out of my favourite tea and thought I might get some here before breakfast.” He was particularly proud of that little fabrication.

If Dumbledore had any idea he was lying, he gave no indication. He moved further down the table to sit next to Severus. Being that there was no other staff member in, Severus had no way to stop his advance.

“Severus, I understand you had young Mr Potter in for detention last night?”

Severus groaned deep inside himself and felt his heartbeat get steadily faster.

“Yes, Headmaster. His inattention on class caused an accident that I felt he should be punished for.”

“Yes, yes, of course Severus. I trust you entirely in your punishment of students who misbehave.” Albus’ bright, youthful eyes started twinkling madly. “I do seem to recall yourself and Mr Potter becoming quite friendly during the training for the war. I do hope his ‘inattention in class’ has not affected that in any way.”

Severus felt his stomach drop. Surely the old man didn’t know. He couldn’t know. He didn’t know.

// No. He doesn’t. //

“No, indeed Albus, for the boy and I had a very informative conversation last night while he was in detention.”

// HA!!! Make of that what you will you interfering old coot!! //

Albus’ eyes continued twinkling madly. “Excellent, my dear boy. I’m very glad to hear it.”

Before Severus could say another word, Minerva and Filius entered the room so the headmaster made his way back to his own chair.

// Fuuuuuuuuuuck //

Severus knew he’d have to be careful. The headmaster couldn’t know anything, cause really there was nothing for him to know. Yet. But if he was gonna have his own way, Severus had every intention of spending as much time as he could with Harry Potter over the next couple of months, just to see if there was anything there that could progress further.

As if his thoughts had come to life in front of him, Harry Potter himself opened the great hall doors and made his way to his seat. Severus smiled deep within himself. He’d never seen Harry at breakfast before and certainly never without his friends. The boy looked gorgeous this morning, with his eyes still slightly heavy with sleep, in spite of the shower that had wet his hair. As Harry’s breakfast appeared in front of him, he looked at the staff table and right at himself. Severus again smiled deep within himself. He was glad of Harry’s attention but he really would have to urge him to be more discreet.

“Good morning, Professors. Beautiful morning isn’t it?”

Harry positively glowed and Severus groaned deep within his chest. He was never gonna make it till graduation.






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