I Just Love To Hex You

I Just Love to Hex You
Chapter 9
by Corgi

Thank you. A phrase he very rarely heard from anyone. Albus was the only one who had ever thanked him for anything. Severus\' heart soared when Harry uttered that one simple phrase, even though it was Severus who should be thanking Harry. Thanking him for wanting Severus as a person not an object. Severus had been on the receiving end of that far too many times before. Severus didn\'t understand completely why Harry wanted anything to do with him, but he wasn\'t going to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. He stood there relishing the subtle joy radiating from Harry\'s eyes.

\"I don\'t know when we\'ll be able to spend time together with out rousing suspicions. The headmaster said to be discreet and I\'m behind in my marking as it is.\" Severus didn\'t wish to ruin the moment, but reality came crashing in as it must.

\"You did bite off more than you cochewchew, trying to teach two classes at once. That time turner is going to drive you insane before the end of the year. You should have seen Hermione back in my third year.\" Harry stopped for a moment and looked inward as if searching for something. \"I could help you with your marking. I know I can handle 1st through 5th year Defence papers as well as 1st and 2nd year potions.\"

\"What makes you think I\'ll let you anywhere near a potions paper?\" Severus countered with a mock sneer. At this point, even the help of Longbottom would be welcome.

\"When I went for my career counselling with Professor McGonagall I decided that I wanted to be an Auror. Umbridge was driving her nuts and she declared that she would help me become one. Over the summer she sent me several books on Potions and quizzed me on them via owl. I haven\'t messed up a single potion in the past two years.\"

\"She got Professor Flitwick in on it.\" Severus rolled his eyes at the memory. \"I thought she was going batty hounding me to make up tests and then grading them. I never knew who they were testing. The handwriting was charmed. If you\'re volunteering, I\'ll accept before I drown in unmarked papers.\" Severus sat heavily in his chair as exhaustion began to overwhelm him. \"We just have to figure out how to explain your being here almost all the time.\"

\"Blame the headmaster. We\'ll tell everyone he\'s assigned me as your assistant. You can always put on a show for the Great Hall. Make a big scene over it, the bigger the better. The Headmaster would help; you know how he loves to put on a show. Besides, he probably did everything in his power to push us into this.\" Green eyes sparkled with mischief.

\"I\'m sure he will. You need to return to your dorm room. I\'ll collect you after lunch tomorrow and we\'ll start on the papers. If we get them done then we\'ll start on the love potions and counter agents.\"

Harry moved around the large desk in Severus\' office and placed what started as a chaste kiss goodnight then mutated into a drawn out passionate one that lasted until both men were faint. Harry stumbled to the door on wobbly legs and turned before opening the door.

\"Good night.\" Was all he said, but his heart nearly stopped when he saw the desire shining in Severus\' eyes. He gave the older wizard a bright smile and wrapped himself in his invisibility cloak and slid out the door.

Severus watched the younger wizard leave and shook his head wondering just what he\'d gotten himself into. He made a mental note to talk to Albus in the morning to discuss the situation. He snickered at Harry\'s little idea and the fact that Albus definitely would love to stage a scene in front of everyone. A small thought stopped him in his musings. \'When did Harry start plotting like a Slytherin?\' Shaking his head he levered himself out of his chair and headed to his bedroom for some much needed sleep.

Morning found Severus trudging up to Albus\' office via one of the numerous secret passages honeycombing the castle. After snarling the annoying password at the gargoyle guarding the entrance, Severus bounded up the stairs by two\'s just to cut short the wait. Before he could knock on the door it swung open to reveal a perky Albus complete with wildly twinkling eyes. \'One of these days I\'ll figure out how he does that,\' Severus fumed to hims

\"What can I do for you this morning, my dear boy?\" The old man asked with a knowing look in those blasted twinkling eyes.

\"I\'ll make it short, Albus. By the look on your face I can tell you know that I\'ve caved in. Harry\'s offered to help with my marking and we need a little help covering up the fact he\'s going to be in my rooms. You\'re the help.\"

\"Whatever you need, Severus, you\'ll have it. So what do you need me to do?\"

For the next half hour, Severus and Albus planned for the spectacle to take place during breakfast. Severus retraced his earlier route back to the dungeons to prepare. About 5 minutes into breakfast meal time, Severus left his chambers with a thunderous expression on his face. As he stormed through the halls, clutching a piece of parchment Albus thoughtfully sent down with Fawkes, he scattered students by his mere presence. He approached the huge doors leading to the Great Hall and hesitated for a half of breath before summoning up a visible rage. The doors slammed open with more force than they usually did as he stepped up to them. He glared around the Hall before focusing in on the Headmaster as helkedlked up to the head table. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Harry and noticed he was wearing an angry expression and had a crumpled up piece of parchment in his hand. He completed his journey to the head table with out breaking stride and stood before it, back iron rod straight, and glared at old old man sitting in the centre.

\"Headmaster, what is the meaning of this?\" Severus asked in a deadly whisper holding the parchment for all to see.

\"You need help, Professor Snape, so I assigned someone to help you.\" The headmaster looked like he was enjoying himself behind the stern mask he was wearing.

\"Are you out of you\'re mind? I do not want help, especially from HIM!\"

\"My decision stands. Harry Potter will be your assistant. He\'s been the top student in Defence against the Dark Arts this year. If he didn\'t already have a full schedule as hectic as yours I would have him take over teaching the 1st through 3rd year defence classes. He\'s already shown an aptitude for teaching.\" Severus managed to hide his shock at that comment. He wondered if Harry caught the implications and the offer hidden within Albus\' mock lecture.

Severus mock glared at the Headmaster and walked over to his seat. As he sat he scowled at the students table by table until the Gryffindor table was left. Severus upped the level of his glare until everyone was studiously looking at their plates, except Harry, who was glaring right back. Harry, after a quick survey of the room to make sure no one was watching, gave Severus a quick wink and turned his attention to his food.

All the classes that day went by in a blur while Severus continued to project animosity left and right. Lunch arrived and Severus thanked the Powers-that-Be for the fact that his teaching for the day was done. All he had to do was \'drag\' Harry down to his office for his \'unwanted\' help. Severus spent his meal much like his breakfast, glaring at everyone that dared to look in his direction. Harry still had that angry look on his face and the Headmaster was positively beaming. Severus shoved his seat back and left the teacher\'s table when he noticed that Harry seemed to be done. He stalked over to the Gryffindor table to collect the young man, looking very much like a storm cloud as he did so.

\"If you\'re ready, Potter, I suggest we get this farce over with.\" He snarled making everyone around Harry wince.

\"Yes, Professor,\" was Harry\'s resigned reply. Harry still looked angry. Severus never suspected that Harry could act this well.

Severus turned in a flurry of robes and started to stalk out of the Hall. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Gryffindors cast sympathetic looks at Harry as he followed grudgingly behind him. What did the little idiots think he was going to do, pickle the boy? The two silently made their way to Severus\' office.

When Severus stepped into his office he noticed the addition of a small desk against the far wall all set up for Harry\'s use. Albus never did things half way. Harry followed him in and placed his bag next to the new desk.

\"What do you think of Albus\' job offer?\" Harry asked softly as if afraid of Severus\' response.

\"I didn\'t know if you had caught on to that, Harry.\" Severus looked up and handed Harry the defence essays that needed marking.

\"I did and so did Professor McGonagall. When I got to Transfiguration class today she handed me all the requirement information for Defence against the Dark Arts Mastery.\"

\"It\'s your choice to make. I won\'t influence your decision. I\'m sure that Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall will do so in my stead.\"

\"I\'m not so concerned about them influencing me. I\'m more concerned about the fact that you\'re teaching the class now. I mean you applied for it 15 straight years before they allowed you to teach it. I don\'t want to take away something you\'ve worked so hard to get.\"

\"Perhaps we should discuss the matter after you\'ve had time to think about it. Let\'s get this marking done before the paper breeds and takes over the room.\"

Severus felt a twinge in his stomach and a little spark of something. Was that hope? Severus couldn\'t dismiss the feeling that he might have finally found someone who wanted him and gave a damn about his feelings and well being.

The days went by with Harry spending his evenings in Severus\' office, classroom and quarters marking, learning and talking with long make out sessions in between. They spent many of their hours together just talking and giving each other bits of their pasts with each evening they shared. They had just settled into a comfortable routine when Severus received the dreaded and unwanted summons from the Dark Lord.

Severus quickly gathered his robes and mask and raced out after Harry gave him assurances that he would inform the headmaster of Severus\' call and immediately return to Gryffindor tower. He ran all the way to the edge of Hogwarts\' wards and immediately disapparated to the Dark Lord\'s side. He apparated into a clearing that he immediately recognized as one of the Dark Lord\'s favourite killing spots. Severus wondered which poor soul was going to be tonight\'s victim as he took his place with in the circle. When the Dark Lord arrived Severus knelt along with the others as he blanked his mind and watched everything intently without seeming to do so.

\"We have a traitor in our midst, my faithful.\" The Dark Lord hissed as he walked along the circle. \"The traitor will suffer most horribly for dealing with the mudblood lover.\" The Dark Lord stopped directly in front of Severus as he finished his declaration.

Severus stifled a moment of panic before the Dark Lord moved on. Before he could sigh in relief he heard a hissed \'Crucio\' and pain took over his consciousness. He curled up on the ground as the fiery pain raced along his nerves, but he refused to utter a sound. When the curse was lifted he struggled back to his feet, back straight and defiance written in his very stance as the bastard stalked around him.

\"Dumbledore put Potter into your power and yet you did not bring him to me. I\'ve been informed that you\'ve been tutoring the boy in ways to overcome the Dark Arts. Well, what do you have to say for yourself?\" When Severus refused to utter a word the Dark Lord continued. \"Now my faithful show Severus what happens to traitors. Make him bleed but do not kill him. That will be my pleasure.\"

Curses and physical blows rained down on Severus and before long he couldn\'t tell up from down. The Dark Lord called a halt to the proceedings after what felt like days. Severus panted for breath as he rose unsteadily from the ground. He refused to meet his death crawling on the ground like a worm. He stared at the Dark Lord with loathing plainly visible in his eyes even though his face showed nothing. As he watched the Dark Lord raised his wand in preparation for the killing curse Severus felt a pang of regret for leaving Harry alone in his fight.

\"Avada Kedavra!\" rang out from the Dark Lord\'s lips and the green ray of light sped towards Severus who braced himself for the impact.

Much too his surprise, as well as the Dark Lord\'s, the spell whizzed past his shoulder and impacted with a masked form behind him. As the body topple the mask concealing its features fell revealing the face of Bellatrix Lestrange. Severus stared back at the Dark Lord as he once again raised his wand for the killing curse and again the curse went by Severus to hit yet another Death Eater. Severus, too shocked to move, noticed red eyes suddenly turn to green and give him a pointed look as if to say \'get your sorry butt in gear and run, fool!\' Harry somehow figured out how to possess the Dark Lord and Severus took the hint and made for the gap the young wizard made. As he began his race for the wards that protected the grove another killing curse felled yet another masked form as the rest of the Death Eaters followed the Slytherin m of of \'watch your own ass\' and dove for cover.

Severus ran unimpeded for the shields and took once last look over his shoulder and saw the Dark Lord\'s wand slowly start to point at its owner and as he apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts he heard the incantation for the killing curse ring out once again. He reappeared at the gates of the school in an ungraceful sprawl. Using the gates to lever himself upright he drew upon hidden reserves of strength and raced up the drive to the school. Adrenaline surging through his veins allowed him to ignore the agony in his body as he sped into to the school. He only had one thought on his mind. Harry.

tbc