Love Potion No. 13

Chapter 8

Harry sighed as he wandered along the carriage corridors of the Hogwart’s Express searching for an empty compartment. They’d been late or very nearly so, due to the Auror’s over protectiveness. There had been another attack on a little village up north, it seemed Voldemort was trialing his new weapon what ever it was and the unsuspecting isolated village had been the testing ground. None of the order would talk of what had happened specifically and so Harry had assumed it was bad. Snape had been summoned last week too and all were eagerly waiting for his return, his summons longer than usual. Harry secretly hoped Voldemort kept the potion’s professor at least then he’d be spared the bastards cutting remarks and nastiness that he knew would be coming this year like always.

“Harry, sit down.” Harry found Neville, Seamus, Ginny and Luna Lovegood in one of the carriages and eagerly accepted their offer of a seat. Ron and Hermione were attending to their prefect duties leaving Harry to travel to school with his other friends.

“We heard about your accident, some fall hey.” Seamus offered Harry a chocolate frog as he gestured to the bandages still poking out from beneath Harry’s robe.

“Yeah, some fall.” Harry whispered remembering vividly the look in Snape’s eyes when the man had dropped him. Admittedly he’d taught Harry a lesson and saved his life but that didn’t mean Harry had to let on that he was grateful for it. “Ready for the new year Neville?” Harry queried having not seen a lot of his Gryfindor friend due to his extra lessons at the end of last semester.

“Yes, It’s great I dropped Potions.” Neville smile brightly causing the small group in the compartment to laugh. Harry silently wished he could quit potions too but that was unlikely it he still wanted to become an Auror after school. Besides something made him want to stay, if only to piss Snape off with his mere presence in class.

The rest of the journey was passed in companionable silence, occasional conversations about summer holidays passing without much fuss. Harry was content to sit staring out of the window, the visions of his dreams of the past few weeks etching themselves into the glass. Since the accident Harry had been having strange dreams, nightmares even about Snape and the drop from the tree. As much as Harry had brushed it off, the look in the elder wizard’s eyes as he’d fallen away haunted Harry’s dreams. It scared him to be honest. He didn’t know what the look had meant or been, or if Snape had even been aware that he’d made the look but Harry remembered it as clearly as if it had happened an hour ago. It had been his dreams that had driven away thoughts of Charlie Weasley, Harry’s pride still wounded at being referred to as a child but considerably less important than what he’d experienced with Snape the day in the tree. Harry had considered telling Dumbledore about it but then that would involve telling the headmaster about the other dreams…. which while less upsetting were no less embarrassing.

Hermione and Ron returned from their meeting bearing news about the up coming year and Harry turned his thoughts from his dreams to his friend’s conversations. Before too long the train shuddered to a halt at the station and the carriages began to empty. Wide eyed, awing first years scampered about the platform waiting for Hagrid to organize them while the elder years made their way through the rain to the Thestral drawn carriages. Harry blindly followed his friends to the first carriage available but just as Harry was climbing up into the carriage a hand fell on his shoulder. Harry spun around slipping off the step and into a puddle on the muddy road. A familiar tall, dark cloaked figure stood beside him silently and having closed the door to the carriage waved it on before Harry’s friends could complain. Harry stared at Snape beneath the hood of his cloak as the next carriage pulled around and Snape stepped up into it out of the rain.

“Get in.” Was the stern command and Harry grumbled as he step up into the practically empty carriage. Flicking the rain from his face Harry sat down on the bench opposite Snape and watched as the elder wizard lowered his hood to reveal the stern cold features Harry was familiar with. “We don’t have a lot of time so I’ll get to the point. Are you or are you not sexually active Potter?” In that instant Harry could have choked on his own tongue as he stared wide-eyed and open mouthed at Snape’s forthright question. Harry was stunned silent for a moment but when he recovered himself he became instantly defensive and folded his arms across his chest.

“You’ve got no right to ask me that question Professor, that’s private and I’m sure if the Headmaster knew…..”

“He does…” Snape snapped irritably as he turned his nose up in disgust at Harry. “Who do you think sent me on this errand Santa Clause perhaps?” Snape was on fine form tonight and Harry physically winced at the sharp barb. “Now answer my question Potter, are you or are you not engaging in sexual activities with your peers?” Harry fidgeted awkwardly in his seat not meeting Snape’s eyes.

“I’m not.” Harry muttered a little bitterly knowing that aside from himself and Neville everyone else in his year had at least got to second base. Even Seamus had received a head job from some third year, last year. Snape tilted his head to the side for a moment the sarcastic comment Harry had thought would come never making it to the elder wizards lips.

“Hmmm interesting. Tell me did you ever make advances on Charlie Weasley?” Harry instantly pinked as he turned his gaze away from Snape and out of the carriage window.

“Now that is none of your fucking business.” Harry snapped angrily still feeling extremely hurt by the way Charlie had so flippantly brushed him off to his friends.

“Language Potter I’m not above removing points before you even step into the school.” Snape warned dangerously and Harry bit his lip cautiously, his second outburst dieing on his tongue before it could be given voice.

“What’s this about?” Harry muttered angrily getting more and more uncomfortable with sitting in the confined space with Snape. Snape, who’s eyes had haunted his sleep these past few weeks, who’s hooked nose and thin lips although ugly proportioned to the rest of his face on their own were works of art.

“After the incident over the holidays the headmaster believes it prudent that I tutor you in bat behavior and protocol so that you don’t try and spear yourself again.” Snape supplied carefully as he shook some raindrops from his cloak.

”Oh, ready to tutor me now are we? You weren’t so forth coming with the information that you were an Animagus bat in the first place were you? And what has this got to do with my sex life?” Harry muttered still a little pissed he’d been forced into this situation and bitter that he hadn’t found out Snape was a bat earlier. Snape sneered irritably at the boy and pursed his lips together tightly.

“My life is my business Potter, who I choose to tell about my affairs is my decision and you were not at the top of that priority list when I became an Animagus.” Snape snapped sharply as he leaned closer to Harry in a threatening manner. “Further more, you may remember me telling you that Bats are the only creatures aside from humans that have sex for recreational purposes rather than pure procreation. The headmaster thought it would not be a good image for the boy who lived to be spreading his seed around the castle like a bitch in heat. But as I predicted earlier after that disastrous potions explosion you are more mature than your peers and in better control of your sexual urges, which in turn is keeping your inner bat in check.” The carriage came to a halt outside the castle door and Snape instantly slid across the bench and out of the door leaving Harry to quickly follow him. They were late. The first years already having been taken into the hall ready to be sorted. Harry had expected them to make a quiet entrance and sneak to their seats but Snape was too angry for that. Banging open the doors of the great hall Snape strode angrily down the center of the nervous first years leaving Harry to tentatively take his seat at the Gryfindor table.

“Ah Professor Snape, we can begin Professor McGonagall.” Headmaster Dumbledore smiled at Snape who took his seat sourly at the head table, his arms folded across his chest and his scowl scanning the nervous first years with something akin to disgust. Harry sighed as he sat down next to his questioning friends, but Harry waved their questions aside as the sorting hat began his New Year song.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>