Crimson Regret

Myniephoenix: Poor confused Harry indeed.

Raphael Argai Thanatos: You likey smut? Oh I am SO glad!

PJ: Um yes did you not see this sentence in the last chapter? ‘Tomorrow he’d go to the library at the first opportunity and try to find out anything about Cupido’s that would indicate a reason as to why this was happening.’ Thank you I’m glad you liked the usual Hermione bashing.

Aline Potter: Well Harry is very confused as to what the hell is going on right now, caught between yearning after his potions master with all his heart and utter horror at the fact that it IS his greasy potions master that he’s yearning after. The events of the last chapter were kind of the last straw for Harry, Going into Diameter and the odd kiss when Severus is around he can attempt to ignore but what they just did together is to big to ignore and so he resorts to anger. I’m glad you liked it.

Hambares: Well everybody uses cleaning spells don’t they and it gets same old same old after awhile so I thought that I’d use an anti discomfort spell, basically when used it allows the caster to ignore any discomfort he is feeling e.g. wet clothes, small amounts of pain, rashes and what not, almost as if they actually didn’t have wet clothes etc. Thanks for the tip off about the spelling error and glad you love the fic!

Bright One: Glad you like it, yes I feel sorry for Snape to.

WretchedScar: Hehe glad you like.

Woof: MORE? But its not that far into the story yet. Sheesh some people, horny beggars lol. Oh no worries bloodletting will abound soon enough.

Shun: WOW the best one you’ll ever read? THANK YOU!!!

Missi: Oh I am sorry, try ice (I find its much simpler then holding your hand under a tap for ten minutes – SUCH a palaver) I am so very glad you like my story!

Squallsama: Basically Hermione said to Harry that not all deaths are peaceful as in you know not everybody dies happy or peaceful or really ready to die. And of course he knows this first hand due to Cedric and Sirius and so she kind of stirs up old guilt and bad memories.

Alexiel: Stunning? *Blushes* thank you. No need to thank me.

Angie/Les: YES MA’M! lol

tessa3: *winks winks* back. Thanks for telling me and I’m glad you like it.

Saske\'s Iris: Hmm might be awhile afore the grinning. Oh well. Fabulous? High praise indeed! Thank you!

Katie K: I’m glad you like it.

Icestar: Thank you! Yeah, if only…

Emma: Wow, *blushes* Thank you hunny, yes when I write I do try to imagine I’m actually there. It helps.

Shippo: OH THANK YOU!!!!!

Memdrake: Satisfying??? Hmm me thinks you is still miffed about me last review.

CassandraMalfoy: I’m glad you like it.

Eci_Frog: YAY you liked how Harry fainted? THANK YOU for mentioning it, I did try. I wanted more than just ‘ he fainted’, or ‘he fell to the floor’ you know? THANK YOU!!!

Dracosbitch: titanic? High praise indeed I am most glad you felt as if you were there, that’s the effect I try to achieve. Luv and hugs in return times a hundred!!!

z: Yes a big shame isn’t it. oh well. I’m glad you liked it!!!

BakuraxRyou_forever: Oh never mind thanks anyway lol.

SilverPhoenix: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!! I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK THINKING I’D GOT MY FIRST FLAME. No worries really lol it just shocked me, I’m very glad you liked and I can’t answer the last question-sorry.

Roxy: Thank you. Evil laugh was for…?

momoko: Thank you…I eagerly anticipate the day when I inspire you to write more in your reviews lol.

Kat Potter: Thank you I’m glad you do!

GetOutOfMyHead: Just wait and see lol. Just wait and see…thank you.

jillypooh: Oh I hate maths too don’t worry and I dread the day when I try to write a fic to do with MATHS!!! *gags* Sorry there is a reason for the circles and I’m very happy you gave my fic a chance, thank you!!!

Miss Heidi: I’m so happy you like it, thank you.

PirateDucky: Oh cool, confirmation that I got it right! Thank you I’m glad you like it.

SuicideSkittles: Ayyy I hope the description helped and yer here’s the update lol.

Aya: I may have forgotten to email you, if I have my eternal apolagies, if I haven’t WOOHOO. Glad you like it.

Raphael Argai Thanatos: *again* lol soz.

tessa3: *Also again* Yes they are all from Evanescence lol. I say no more. LP?

THIRTY SIX!!!!!!!!! HUGS TO EVERYONE!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Don’t say I’m out of touch
With this rampant chaos: your reality

Severus sat before the fire eating the simple meal he had cooked for himself quietly. Occasionally his hand would stray to the coffee table beside him to take a sip from the glass of red wine there, before carefully setting it back on the table where it glinted like the prettiest of rubies in the light of the fire.

Though the vampires eyes remained fixed on the heart of the fire, the cosy glow inviting to his tired gaze, his thoughts were elsewhere.

‘A greasy git such as yourself’. The words had remained with him all evening, circling around and around in his head like the wheel of a bicycle when still ticking around slowly after a careless biker dismounts in haste. He was not an idiot, he knew what his students called him and thought this to be an indication of how dim-witted the majority of them really were if ‘Greasy git’ was the best they could come up with.

Severus was not a vain man, hence the reason he put the more important items on his agenda before washing his hair. He hardly thought it was worth it really considering that by the end of the day it would be dirty again due to potion fumes, so usually he saved that particular activity for the weekends, if he had time.

But now as he absently stroked a hand through said hair, he had the strange urge to wash it regardless and perhaps put a protection charm on it to keep it that way. Realising what he was doing and thinking he snorted and deduced that it was something to do with mating rituals and the need to impress his mate that had him contemplating ridiculous trivialities and attempted to go back to his meal.

But uppermost in his mind was the resolve to prove to Harry that he wasn’t the greasy git people portrayed him to be despite his best intentions to go over his lesson plan for tomorrow’s third years.

Looking down at the now cold remains of his dinner he sighed and downed the contents of his glass before picking up his tray and taking it into the kitchen.

The room was irritatingly bright compared to the living room and Severus hissed as it hit his eyes and made him flinch.

Shielding his gaze with his hand he was about to place the tray on the work surface when suddenly he hissed for a completely different reason as the dark tattoo on his arm inflamed and he vaguely watched the tray slip from his fingers and slowly flip in the air to crash into the floor with a metallic clang as cutlery and crockery rained down around it.

The Dark mark burned fiercer as if scalding metal had been applied to his skin to redden and blister it like a gruesome brand of ownership. As in effect it was.

Squeezing his arm in a vice like grip in an attempt to dull the pain he took up his mask and robes and was gone in a swirl of black tailored material.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly as the words on the printed page before him swam in his vision.

No matter how hard he looked he couldn’t seem to find any information about Cupido’s that was more than a paragraph long. He knew that he was a rare creature, knew that Cupido’s had only really been around for about fifty years or so. But surely someone had studied them close enough to get some real information on them. Surely someone cared.

Closing the book with a heavy thud, he took up the lantern beside him and tucked the book under his arm.

The musty smell of the library invaded his nostrils like a dull chocolate, sweet and with a hint of brittle parchment.

The place was dark save for the moonlight shining through the medieval stone arched windows and illuminated the books in a ghostly glow.

He shuffled through the many rows of books, his invisibility cloak wrapped around his shoulders so that the upper part of his body appeared to be floating along in mid air.

Depositing the book in its correct place he made his way to the entrance and carefully peered down the hall to see if anyone was about. Seeing the hall was deserted he blew out the lamp and placed it back on the shelf where it belonged before drawing the cloak up over his head like an old beggar woman donning a shawl and quietly made his way back to Gryffindor tower.

Meandering along he thought back to his chat with the headmaster earlier.

Unfortunately Dumbledore hadn’t seen things quite Harry’s way. In fact he had simply seemed amused by Harry’s heavily edited tale.

:Flashback:

“I fail to see the problem my dear boy.”

Harry almost choked in shock.

“But sir, he’s a teacher, what…what if-“

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled merrily in obvious mirth as he grasped what Harry was trying to say.

“Oh hush my boy, I have complete faith in Severus, things will not get out of hand.”

“But that’s just it sir…logical thought seems to go out of the window when…it…happens and before you know it your…well excuse me sir but literally screwed.”

Dumbledore smiled a half smile as he clasped his hands in front of his nose. After several seconds he brought them down long enough to look at Harry seriously and say, “I see no reason to discontinue the help sessions, if you are ever in really serious trouble I will be aware of it and will intervene immediately. Now I believe it is time for you to return to your common room Mr Potter, no doubt Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are waiting for you and you all need a good nights sleep, this being your N.E.W.T year.”

Harry stared at the Headmaster as a light switched on in his brain, Dumbledore knew! He knew what had happened.

Oh God!

:End Flashback:

Harry shuddered as humiliation swept through him in the aftermath of the memory. He didn’t know how or in what way Dumbledore had acquired the information that told him of Harry and his professors ‘adventure’, but he sure as hell hoped in hadn’t been detailed.

Putting the cringe worthy matter to the back of his mind he arrived at the portrait and spoke the password.

Now all he had to do was think up an excuse to tell Ron as to where he had been if he had awoken and discovered that his bed was empty.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Severus waited patiently as the Dark lord finished attending to what ever he was doing at his desk, his back straight and impending Severus’s view of his master.

His master was dressed in a navy blue silk dressing gown that strangely enough had a hood and it unnerved Severus, change of any kind was unwelcome where the Dark lord was concerned and this indeed was change as the snake like creature only ever wore black, more elaborate versions of Death eater robes in front of his servants.

“As usual you answered promptly to my summons.” Severus broke away from the heated tangle of his thoughts as the words floated out from the averted wizard’s lips.

“Yes my lord, I try to be as punctual as possible.”

The Dark lord chuckled. “Of course you do my Severus.”

There was a brief silence and then, “I feel it is time to break Lucius out of Azcaban. He has paid for his crimes and managed to find out some rather interesting information from one of the inhabitants of the prison.”

“Oh?” Severus inquired politely.

“Yes it seems there is a certain potion that when drunk changes ones life in dramatic ways.”

Severus grunted in affirmation that he’d heard his lord’s words and watched the tip of the elaborate peacock feather quill as it fluttered in the air over his master’s shoulder as he wrote.

The Dark lord appeared to finish writing what ever he was writing and slowly placed his quill on the desk before him.

“Would you like to find out what these dramatic changes are?” His voice was quiet and seemingly laden with anticipation.

Severus cocked his head in sudden interest, this sounded ominous.

“But of course my lord, I am anxious to acquire all that you wish to bestow upon me in your generosity.” He said becoming more agitated as his master rose from his chair to turn and strip away the shimmering silk that cocooned his body.

Silence lay in the air, thick and heavy as Severus took in his master’s nude form.

It wasn’t so much the fact he was nude that robbed Severus of his speech, it was the fact that he was nude and Severus didn’t mind the view.

Gone was the pale grey, dried out skin. Gone were the snake like features of his face and the skeletal figure. Instead before him stood a tan, chiselled black haired youth with the body of a god. From his handsome features to his slender feet.

His eyes however were still the intense scarlet they had always been.

The vision before him turned to give him a sideways view and a glimpse of his round derrière.

Gliding his hand down just short of touching his body the dark haired Adonis quirked his brow, “Do you like what you see my Severus?”

Schooling his features back into his habitual mask Severus managed, “I do my lord.”

Smiling his master turned his body back to face his servant and leaned down to retrieve his robe from where it lay rumpled upon the floor, the silken material shining in the light from the chandelier.

Severus tore his gaze from his masters swinging and ample sized member as his legs parted slightly and he raised his foot for balance and swallowed subtly.

“Need I bother to ask from your reaction whether you have found your mate?” His master asked as he wrapped his robe back around him and sat in the chair across from Severus.

“No my lord I have not.” Severus lied smoothly, very glad that the former display had aided him in convincing is master that he did not have a mate.

For the first time he was glad that although he had no desire to bed anyone beside his mate now that he had found him, he could still look at and appreciate what he saw.

Deciding to change subject lest the Dark lord push further or attempt legmency to ascertain whether he was being truthful, Severus queried.

“My lord, am I correct in assuming the potion recaptured your youth?”

Crossing his legs and taking a sip from the flute of champagne beside his chair, the Dark lord chuckled indulgently.

“Yes my Severus, this is how I used to look.”

“But why?”

The legs crossed the other way, “I have my reasons.”

There was silence again as Severus digested this. His lord had never showed any inclination to vanity, indeed he had seemed rather pleased with the effect his former appearance had on people.

“Would you care for a strawberry?” The Dark lord asked proffering a red swollen berry to Severus.

“No I am afraid I must take my leave if you have no more need of me my lord, Dumbledore caught me leaving and I had to tell him that I was simply taking a stroll.”

“Ah, then by all means Severus take your leave.” His master said, biting into the berry Severus had declined and licking up the juice that spurted down his chin

Swiftly the vampire kneeled and kissed the hem of the Adonis’s robes, consciously ignoring the fact that it was considerably higher than usual.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry could not help but think again of the matter that was deeply troubling him as he pulled the curtains around his bed shut and made himself comfortable beneath the covers.

He desperately wanted to know what it was that cancelled out the potion and caused him to react to Snape’s arousal as he did.

Also what was altering his behaviour so significantly and making him ‘snuggle’ into the potions master. He was still troubled about angering his professor as well and no matter how hard he tried couldn’t escape the niggling feelings of guilt and shame.

The events of earlier resurfaced in his mind unbidden and he relived the ecstasy that had consumed him as he was pleasured by Snape.

The sheets beneath him were warm in a poor parody of what the potions masters’ torso had felt like behind him. Warm and hard and yet soft and sculpted at the same time and Harry groaned as his cock reacted accordingly as the memory played out like an x rated film before his eyes.

He ached as he felt the imprint of the hot and slender hand from his memory around him and his breathing became erratic as the need to touch himself grew.

Unable to resist any longer Harry’s fingers skimmed his body to close about his cock in a teasing dance like the one that the potions master’s fingertips had played out earlier.

Making a swift down stroke he gasped as pleasure surged through his cock and he brought his other hand down to roll his sack gently in his palm.

He stroked again and his mouth fell open, again and a grunt issued forth from parted lips. Again and his breath hitched and his hand sped up and soon he was thrusting uncontrollably into his own grasp to the memory of the fateful session earlier.

Almost forcing himself to release his member he brought his hand up to give it a good swipe with his tongue before returning it to his desperate organ.

It wept for him as drops of precome slid down the underside and he moaned at the added sensation and gathered them on the tips of his fingers to spread them across the sensitive head and slicked his thumb in the slit of his cock.

Becoming almost desperate he jerked harder and cried out as his orgasm shot forth hotly from his excited member.

“Snape!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry concentrated fiercely on the potion before him as he stirred it in a clockwise direction. Every time he met the potion master’s gaze he blushed heatedly and tried desperately not to think of what he’d done in the privacy of his bed late last night.

It was not as much of a problem as you might think, as the potion master was quiet and reserved. Speaking only to gently offer instruction.

Harry knew it was because of his words yesterday and was deeply aggrieved when he wasn’t feeling embarrassed about tossing off with his Potions mater’s name on his lips.

Barely twenty minutes into the session Harry came to a decision and checking his potion was stable, turned to Snape.

His eyes fell on the soft, silkiness of the raven hair of his professor and he marvelled again at the difference clean hair made to the man.

“Professor…I am sorry – for what I said yesterday. I was simply reacting to the rather embarrassing occurrence and did not mean for my words to come out as they did.”

“They were true none the less.” Snape said, keeping his eyes on the cauldron before him.

“Well yes, but it has more to do with the fact that you are my professor than anything else.”

Snape raised his eyes at last and a strange light shone in their depths as he raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes sir, really.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author is keeling over from hunger pains, PLEASE feed her and of course notify her of any complaints about the chapter (not quite as happy as I\'d like to about it you see), spelling and punctuation marks.