The Experiment

TITLE: The Experiment
AUTHOR: Taran
PAIRING: SS/HP
RATING: NC-17
FEEDBACK: Yes Please!!! taran_swann@yahoo.ca
DISCLAIMER: *sigh* Not mine. Some nasty, ugly, brilliant woman by the name of J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter universe. I'm just borrowing for a while, and then I'll send it all back only slightly warped.
SUMMARY: Draco's plan to claim Severus backfires when Harry gets there first.
NOTES: Part of the Dusk-Till-Dawn Fuh-Q Fest (First line challenge: To go further with this experiment was to run a great and most unwise
risk.)
WARNINGS: Be warned, there are NO spoilers but characters are somewhat OOC!
A/N: Thanks to Sher for all her help. Thanks to RaeC for beta-ing for me, even though I didn't make all the changes she suggested. I loved all the ideas, just didn't have the patience to make the changes.
ARCHIVING: The Dusk-Till-Dawn Fuh-Q Fest Archive until the end of the fest, then anywhere asked.


The Experiment by Taran


To go further with this experiment was to run a great and most unwise
risk. If anyone found out what he was doing, Draco Malfoy would be fed to the hippogriffs. If Severus Snape found out, Draco would be hexed into oblivion. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take.

He wanted Snape and he knew that if he could get the man pregnant, he would have no choice but to marry Draco. He could make the changes necessary to himself, but he was always a top and the idea of having something, even a child, growing inside of him made him queasy.

Besides, how would it look for someone of his standing to be hideously fat and ugly? Not to mention the reaction his perfect, unblemished skin would have to the hormonal changes. Then there were the mood swings. No, Draco definitely could NOT get pregnant. It had to be Snape.

This was the third and final batch of Barer Potion, also called male pregnancy potion, he needed to make. Once it cooled, he would line Snape's coffee mug, which sat on his desk in his office, with the odourless, tasteless concoction. After this, the changes would be complete and permanent.

The last step in his plan was to seduce Snape. That could very well be the hardest part. He knew Snape preferred men but wasn't sure even he could make the man set aside his morals and sleep with a student. While the rules regarding teacher/student relationships was lenient, Draco was sure Snape had never slept with a student before. He had a bottle of old scotch in his room that he would use to get Snape drunk with. That should work very nicely to seduce him with.

Draco sat on a stool and waited for the potion to cool. He was feeling very confident about his plan. It had to work! It *would* work! He would get what he wanted because Snape wouldn't have a choice. His father would see to that, if necessary.

When the potion had cooled enough, Draco snuck into Snape's office. He lined the mug with the Barer potion, as well as a fertility potion just to be sure it worked quickly, then returned to the lab to clean up. He had just gotten the last of it cleaned up when he heard voices in the hall. A loud, deep laugh penetrated the thick walls, making Draco freeze in place. He couldn't tell who it was.

He quickly hid behind a row of desks until the laughter had faded down the hall. He let out a huge sigh of relief, then silently slipped out of the room and back to his dorm. Everything was in place for phase two of his plan to be set in motion in the morning.


~*~*~*~


Severus Snape entered his office in the morning rubbing his tired eyes. He was skipping breakfast for the third day in a row. He hadn't been feeling well lately, suffering a constant stomach ache. Severus was nearly ready to give in and pay the school medi-witch a visit. He had already tried several of his own potions to calm his stomach but so far nothing had worked. It felt like his entire stomach was churning itself into one giant knot. He was beginning to worry that someone might notice his discomfort and Severus hated calling any kind of attention to himself.

He sat down in his chair and winced. He was not comfortable at all. Severus took a deep calming breath and smelled the pot of fresh coffee sitting beside his desk. He filled his favourite mug, the one with the picture of a grinning cat with a yellow feather sticking out of its mouth with a caption that read "Dead little birdies don't talk." Harry had given it to him after a conversation in which Harry claimed a little birdie had told him Severus was ticklish. He took a deep gulp of the steaming liquid before settling down to do some marking before morning classes.

By the time his first class, seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors, started entering, Severus had finished the first pot of coffee and was starting on his second. He was wide awake now and high on caffeine. He had to control his facial features quickly when Harry Potter entered the room. He nearly smiled at the young man in front of everyone. Harry, however, was not so quick and managed to give Severus a wide grin before schooling his own features into a poor imitation of Severus' scowl. Thankfully, it seemed to have gone unnoticed by the students.

Harry stumbled slightly and kicked a desk. Severus glared into the warm emerald eyes.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for being clumsy, Mr. Potter!" Severus growled.

Harry looked confused for a moment, then gave an acceptable scowl. Severus could tell that Harry understood that it was the grin he was referring to, not the kicking of the desk. If anyone knew of their relationship it would make things very difficult for them. Harry hadn't even told his friends that he was gay, let alone that he was shagging the greasy Potions master.

As the class settled, Severus felt the weight of a stare on him. He glanced around the room and found Draco was smiling happily at him. It made him nervous. The only time Draco smiled or was happy was when he was planning something. He only hoped it wasn't another prank on Harry. It was becoming difficult for him to constantly protect Harry without drawing suspicion on himself.

Severus turned his attention away, knowing Draco wouldn't dare try anything in his class. He shivered with anticipation as he caught sight of Neville Longbottom nervously preparing his cauldron for the potion he would be making. Over the last six and a half years, Severus had learned to watch and anticipate Longbottom's extravagant mistakes. His robes were all saturated in protection spells and wards. Severus was determined to outlast the boy.

Towards the end of the class, Severus had become distracted by two Slytherin girls at the front of the class. He didn't see Draco Malfoy leave his seat to approach him just as Longbottom's cauldron let out a loud belch and soak the three students closest to it. Draco, Longbottom, and Seamus Finnigan were covered with an unfinished silencing potion.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for your ineptitude, Mr. Longbottom!" Severus yelled as he turned to look at the devastation. He had a hard time controlling his laughter at the look of shock on Draco's face. Obviously, Draco hadn't sabotaged the potion himself, this time.

Severus just shook his head and handed all three of them towels and told them to go see Madame Pomfrey. When they tried to speak, the three boys discovered they had completely lost their voices. Draco's face turned bright red with anger. Severus suspected that this ruined whatever the cunning young man had had planned.

As the class ended, Severus commanded Harry to remain behind. Severus saw his friends give Harry a pitying look as they said goodbye. He glared menacingly at them until the door was closed.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Harry asked with a glint in his eye.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. We need to discuss your... clumsy behaviour earlier."

"Sorry, Sev." Harry giggled as he approached Severus' desk. "I just can't help it. You look so tired today that I thought I must have worn you out last night."

Severus rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling at the memory. He still couldn't get over how sensuous his young lover was. Sensuous and insatiable. He pulled Harry into his arms as the smaller wizard straddled his legs. Severus was momentarily lost in a warm, loving kiss.

He was pulled out of the kiss by a sudden churning of his stomach. He gasped and pushed Harry off his lap. Whatever was causing his stomach ache had just gotten much worse. His insides felt as though they were on fire and were burning a path up his chest. He felt dizzy and nauseated.

"Sev, what's wrong?" Harry's voice was thick and deep with concern.

"It's nothing. Just an upset stomach."

"Severus, you're white as a sheet and shaking. Now tell me what's wrong!"

"We missed supper last night, as you'll recall, and I didn't have breakfast this morning. It's probably just a lack of food."

Severus tried to be dismissive but he knew Harry wouldn't let it go for long. Severus promised to see Pomfrey if his stomach didn't settle down after lunch or got any worse. He knew, of course, that the medi-witch would be out of the school that afternoon, running her weekly errands. He would deal with it himself, or see her the next morning. He gave Harry a kiss, promised to see him after supper and sent him off to his next class before his own second class arrived.

He went to his personal stores cupboard and took down a selection of potions he hoped would help. Severus had always detested doctors and medi-witches and that wasn't about to change any time soon. He would only seek out medical help after he had exhausted his own resources.

After a few minutes, Severus felt his stomach begin to relax again, just as he started the next lesson. By the end of the two hour class, Severus felt so much better, that he thought whatever it was must have passed.

Sitting down to lunch at the head table, Severus glanced at Harry long enough to give the young man the idea that he was feeling better. Harry gave an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgement. Severus saw Harry's green eyes sparkle with relief. It made him feel secure to know just how much Harry worried and cared for him, and he relaxed more than he had in a long time. Everything was going better than he could ever have hoped for.


~*~*~*~

The following two weeks were the longest of Draco's life. He had decided to wait with his seduction of Snape until his voice returned. This worked out well, after all, because he got his voice back the day before Valentine's Day. He was going to seduce the man he wanted on the day for lovers.

Once again, Draco had everything set. Snape's mug was lined with an aphrodisiac and another fertility potion. He had decided an aphrodisiac would work faster than trying to get Snape drunk. Tomorrow was Saturday. Snape would be in his office, alone, drinking coffee, Draco still couldn't understand the man's preference to coffee over tea, and marking papers all day. It was perfect. Immediately after breakfast, Draco would come down to the dungeon office, supposedly to discuss potions or something, find a very randy professor, and bang! They'd be having sex all day long! It was fool-proof. It was ingenious. It was to be his ultimate victory!

Draco cleaned the laboratory and returned to his dorm feeling very confident. By the time of the Valentine's Day Dance, Snape would be pregnant and Draco would have what he wanted. He fell asleep with visions of his beloved professor draped over his desk, calling Draco's name, with him pounding into Snape from behind.


~*~*~*~


Severus fell into his office laughing, with Harry crashing down on him. Harry had been tickling him as he tried to open the door, then had pushed up against his back as the door finally unlocked and opened suddenly with their full weight against it.

"Why, Sev! I thought you said you didn't have time to play tonight!" Harry said, laughing and playfully rubbing against Severus' arse. Severus bucked up against him, making Harry gasp.

"I don't! Now get off before someone sees us!" Severus tried to pushed off from the floor but Harry was leaning his weight into him and refused to budge. "Harry, if you expect us to be able to spend the day together tomorrow, you'll have to let me get my marking done tonight. Now get off!"

Harry slid seductively down Severus' body, kissing along the way. Severus snickered at the light tickling sensations. As soon as Harry had moved down to his knees, Severus pushed himself up and escaped Harry's grasp. He stood up, closed and locked the door, and huffed down at Harry's pout. He flung his long black hair over his shoulder and swung his robes around dramatically, making Harry laugh.

Severus was chuckling mildly as he sat down at his desk and summoned a pot of coffee. After all the joking around with Harry, Severus was in great need of caffeine. He waved his wand over his steaming mug to cool it sufficiently to down it quickly while Harry made himself comfortable in a desk near Severus to work on a paper for Charms class.

After about 15 minutes, Severus started to feel hot. It was as though someone had suddenly lit a big fire in the room. He was having difficulty concentrating as well. He kept looking over at Harry, thinking of what else they could be doing with what little time they have together.

It wasn't long before Severus was forced to remove his robe, exposing his pale, lightly haired chest. Severus used to wear multiple layers of clothing, but since he started seeing Harry as more than just a despised student, Severus kept his wardrobe much simpler and less time consuming to get out of. Even his tailored slacks had been replaced with what Harry called sweat-pants, an apt name since Harry did make Severus sweat a lot when he wore them.

Harry looked up at the movement. He raised a suggestive eyebrow and smiled. Severus smiled in return and shook his head to discourage him. They didn't have time to fool around, no matter how much he, himself, wanted to. If they wanted to spend Valentine's Day together, he had to get the marking done now. Sunday Severus had staff meetings to deal with. Saturday was the only day they would have while everyone else was occupied and wouldn't notice Harry's absence.

Severus sighed and tried to get back to work. After several restless minutes, he gave up. His mind kept returning to his sexy young lover sitting just feet away. Severus was never the one to initiate sex, always letting Harry lead, especially when he had work to do. It hadn't been a problem working with Harry in the room in the seven months they'd been together. Tonight, he couldn't think of anything but having Harry's hands and lips, and other warm body parts, all over him.

Severus rose quickly and, pushing the desk in front of Harry aside, straddled himself over Harry's legs, and proceeded to kiss him with wild abandon. Harry was startled for a moment, but soon gave in. It was several minutes before they finally broke for air.

"Finished your work already, Professor?" Harry teased.

"I haven't even started, Mr. Potter," he whispered as he kissed and nipped at the sensitive skin starting at the base of Harry's throat, making his way up to Harry's lips. Slim fingers began undoing Harry's robe. Like Severus, Harry opted for simplicity. Severus was pleased to discover that Harry was completely naked under the heavy robe. As he pushed Harry's robes down his shoulders, Severus followed with his mouth, lips sucking, teeth scraping. Harry was shivering and both were already breathing hard.

As Harry leaned forward to get the robe off, Severus leaned in and began kissing Harry's well toned, smooth chest. When his teeth latched onto a sensitive nipple, Harry growled and tapped Severus' cheek playfully. Severus raised seductive eyes, kissing the tender spot apologetically, then moved on and repeated the procedure with the other one.

Severus slid down Harry's legs, his tongue trailing lightly over the warm salty skin, pausing to dip his tongue suggestively in Harry's navel. When he was kneeling on the floor at Harry's feet, he once again raised his eyes as though asking permission to continue. Harry was still stunned by Severus' actions. He had always been the one to approach Severus for sex and Severus had never allowed more than some heavy kissing and light touching in his office. All Harry could do was stare into the lust filled eyes and lick his lips. It was all the encouragement Severus needed.

Kneeling between Harry's knees, Severus couldn't hold back any longer. The need and lust coursing through his body was making thought nearly impossible. All he knew for certain was that he needed and wanted the young man sitting in front of him. As gently as his shaking hands would allow, Severus reached out and touched Harry's already hard cock. He licked his lips unconsciously as a drop of pre-cum pearled at the tip. He could smell the mix of sweat, sex and Harry as he breathed deep before sticking his tongue out and caressingly licked off the pearl. He shivered with Harry as he savoured the taste.

Severus leaned forward and swallowed Harry's cock all the way down until his chin was stopped by Harry's balls. Harry gasped and arched forward, his hands coming to rest on Severus' head. Severus gripped Harry's hips to keep him in place as he set a steady rhythm. He would pull up almost all the way, sucking hard, then drop back down fast and hard. Harry kept his hands on Severus' head but didn't give any pressure, letting Severus move freely.

It wasn't long before Severus could feel Harry stiffening up, ready to explode. He pulled off completely and stood up to remove his pants. Harry groaned at the sudden loss of contact. Severus again straddled him, his eyes never leaving Harry's. As he lowered himself into Harry's lap, Severus reached behind him and took Harry's throbbing member in his hot hand, positioning him. He winced as Harry began to breach his dry opening, but didn't stop lowering himself. His lust was far greater than the pain.

Harry was so lost in sensations that he didn't even consider that Severus wasn't properly prepared. It wasn't until after Severus was fully seated on him, his face tight and red with pain, that Harry realized what Severus had done. He pulled Severus to his chest, holding him tight until his own urgency to move passed. Again, Harry let Severus move freely, setting the pace himself after the initial pain had passed. It didn't take Severus long to start moving, bouncing hard and fast in Harry's lap.

After only a few moments, or an eternity, Severus threw back his head, crying Harry's name as he ejaculated several ounces of semen onto their chests. Muscles tightening up around him, feeling the warmth of Severus' cum landing on his chest, the sated look on his lover's face; it was all too much for Harry. He exploded into Severus with such force, he was worried he might hurt the older man.

As they came down from the bliss, Harry held Severus tight to his chest, cherishing the warmth and passion Severus had shared with him. He was shocked to realize, as Severus' fingers began tracing light circles on his chest, that Severus was still hard. He could feel the warm penis pulsing against his stomach. Normally, Harry was the one to remain hard and ready for a second go, but Severus would need time to recover.

As Harry thought this, Severus began to slowly rock forward in his lap, pressing his cock into Harry's stomach and slicking it up with his own cum. Severus was again kissing and biting at his neck, making Harry shiver and moan. Harry's legs were beginning to cramp, so he decided they needed to change positions. He uttered a levitation spell as he got his hands under Severus' thighs and stood up, keeping Severus in place. Severus moaned, bit down hard on Harry's shoulder and wrapped his legs around his waist.

Harry lowered them to the floor between the rows of desks, never losing contact with Severus' arse. They kissed passionately as Harry bucked gently into Severus. Harry had thought with the initial need out of the way, they could take their time reaching the second peek. Severus, however, wouldn't be slowed. He pulled out of the kiss and began begging Harry for more, faster, harder. Harry could never deny his love anything. He became rougher as their passions mounted and it seemed the rougher he got, the more Severus wanted.

It was morning before Severus was sated enough to let Harry rest in peace. Harry had at first laughed at Severus' lust when he said he was ready for a third round. After the fourth, Severus finally let Harry rest for about an hour. He was given about another hour before Severus declared himself ready again by unceremoniously waking Harry up and sitting on his lap.

By the end of the seventh round of love making Harry was seriously wondering what had gotten into Severus. When Severus had finally lost his raging erection, Harry sighed with relief and fell asleep immediately right there on the floor of the Potion Master's office.

Severus awoke around 9am, his body aching and his stomach rolling. He was laying on his side on the cold stone floor of his office with Harry spooned up against his back. He could feel Harry's flaccid penis pressed up against him, throbbing almost imperceptibly with the beat of Harry's heart. He sighed at the warmth of Harry's deep breaths against the back of his neck and Harry's hand laying possessively on his stomach.

When he took a deep breath, however, the smell of stale sweat and sex made him gag. Severus quickly threw Harry's arm off him and dashed to the bathroom before he retched on the floor. The sudden movement and the slamming of the bathroom door, jerked Harry into full wakefulness.

"Sev?" Harry called with concern. "Sev, what's wrong?"

When he heard Severus vomiting into the toilet, Harry yanked the door open to find his lover pale and shaking violently. Harry dropped to Severus' side and pulled the long hair away from his face. He waited until Severus stopped retching, then pulled the exhausted man into his arms. He held Severus while the trembling subsided.

"Sev, you *have* to see Madame Pomfrey today. This has gone on long enough."

Severus merely nodded his head weakly. He felt as though it was much more than just his stomach that had be drained. They remained sitting in the bathroom on the floor for several minutes while Severus regained his strength enough to stand up. When he was ready, Harry helped him back into the office and got him dressed.

Before he could finish dressing himself, however, they heard foot steps approaching the office door. He glanced wide-eyed at Severus, who pointed at the bathroom. Harry quickly gathered his things while Severus performed several cleaning and air-recycling spells. By the time the mysterious visitor knocked, Harry was safely hidden away in the bathroom and Severus had the room sufficiently cleared of the evidence of their love-making.

Severus took a deep breath and glanced around the room. He was still feeling a little light-headed but the room looked in order. Even his morning pot of coffee was sitting on the desk waiting for him. He growled at the intruder as the second knock came. He set his face in a scowl, prepared to chase whoever it was away immediately.

Upon seeing Draco standing in the doorway, Severus dropped the scowl and adopted a more irritated look. Draco was smiling brightly at him, as he had been doing for several weeks.

"Yes, Draco, what is it?" he asked impatiently.

"Do you have a moment, sir?" Draco asked as he swept past Severus into the room. He glanced at Severus' desk and saw the mug half filled with coffee beside the steaming pot. This was it. It was time to make his move as the aphrodisiac would be in full swing in Severus' body. He would never be able to resist Draco's attentions.

Severus had just closed the door and turned back to Draco when he was suddenly tackled by strong arms, his mouth covered by warm, wet lips. It took Severus a moment to grasp what was happening. Draco Malfoy was kissing him!

"What the hell are you doing?" Severus yelled after pushing Draco away.

"Has it really been so long, Professor?" Draco said laughing. "I was kissing you." Draco moved quicker than Severus, grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him into another kiss.

"DRACO! Stop this at once!" Severus yelled, pushing Draco away from him hard.

"Come on, Snape. I know you want me."

"No, Draco, I do not!" Severus backed away until his hips bumped against his desk. He was becoming fearful of the strange behaviour from his most precious student. "Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Draco said as he moved closer to Severus again. "I've chosen you."

"Chosen me?"

"Yes, chosen you, for my partner, my lover."

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. "Draco, I could never be your lover," he said with sincerity and sympathy as he opened his eyes, looking directly into the pale grey ones in front of him.

"I already know all your arguments, Professor, and they won't work. The rules regarding teacher/student relationships only state that the student must be over the age of consent, which is 16. I'm 17. The age difference between us doesn't matter when you consider the average life span for a wizard is about 150 years. Fifty years from now, there won't really be any difference. I want you, Snape. I've claimed you."

Draco leaned in to kiss him again but this time, Severus put his hand over Draco's mouth and stopped his movement.

"I love you, Draco, but not in this way. I'm flattered, I really am, but you are my godson. I changed your diapers when you were a babe. I was there when you took your first steps."

Severus was nearly in tears. He felt awful for Draco as the young man had never seemed to have been in love before and now he was going to be the first to break the young man's heart. Severus felt ridiculous for being so emotional, but he just couldn't help it. Draco was very important to him.

"Draco, I had a hand in raising you. You've always been like a son to me. I do love you, Draco, but I could never be your lover."

Draco didn't know what to say. That was the one argument he had never considered. He looked closely at Severus and saw how sincere he was. He also noticed how pale he was.

Draco suddenly remembered the aphrodisiac he had slipped into Severus' coffee mug. It was obviously not working but seemed to be making Severus ill. He felt almost guilty now for what he had done to the man. Maybe Severus was right, maybe they were more like father and son than lovers. Draco was suddenly feeling very confused.

Draco had just decided to tell Severus about the aphrodisiac, not about the Barer Potion, when Severus turned green. He pushed Draco towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I'm not feeling very well this morning. We'll have to talk later."

"But, sir-"

"Please, Draco. Later." With that, Severus had Draco out and closed the door behind him.

"What the hell was *that* all about?" Harry asked coming out of the bathroom. "He *claimed* you?? What are you, a prize he thinks he's won?"

Severus leaned shakily against his desk, head hung down, fighting to keep his stomach in place. Harry rushed to his side, the scene with Draco already forgotten.

"Sev, you have to go see Madame Pomfrey. I'm so worried about you!"

"I will, Harry. Right now." Severus slowly straightened up, taking deep gulps of air. "Take your cloak and go back to your dorm. Your friends will be worried about you. I'll see you after lunch."

Harry quickly got under his invisibility cloak, never taking his eyes off his lover. Harry had never seen anyone actually turn green before except for Ron after a hex he tried to cast on Malfoy had back-fired. He had certainly never seen Severus ill until the last few weeks. Severus had never been sick and even when he was injured from his Death Eater duties, he had always been strong enough to cover it up so well that no one would ever guess he was hurt.

Severus led them quietly through the dungeon corridors and into the main hall where they went their separate ways. Only when he was sure Harry was out of sight, did Severus let out a long shaking breath. He was tempted to turn around and rush back to the sanctuary of his dungeons, but Harry was right. It was definitely time to seek a medical expert.

Fifteen minutes later, Severus was lying on a bed in the school infirmary staring unseeing at the ceiling. Pregnant. Someone had slipped him a Barer potion. His head was spinning and he was fighting hard against a flood of tears waiting to burst forth. The prognosis couldn't have been any worse.

Pomfrey had continued to babble until she realized Severus wasn't listening, then she sat next to the bed and just held his hand while he calmed down.

"I gather by your reaction, you didn't make the Barer potion yourself. It's a very complicated potion. There are very few at this school who could accomplish it."

Severus knew she was not so subtly trying to find out who the father was. Severus knew it had to be Harry, but he didn't believe for a moment that Harry had slipped him a male pregnancy potion. Harry was as adamant, if not more so, about not letting anyone find out about their relationship until his graduation. Harry hadn't even told his closest friends about it, fearing their reaction. He would never jeopardize their secret by impregnating him.

Severus sat up suddenly and pulled his hand away. He couldn't listen any more. He needed to think. He needed to be alone. He needed to throw up. Severus grabbed his robe off the chair and dashed out of the room, ignoring the medi-witch's calls. He fled as quickly as his queasy stomach would allow, back to his rooms where he slammed the door shut and collapsed in front of the toilet. He could no longer hold back his raging indigestion nor the tears.

Two hours later, a knock on his door called Severus out of his thoughts. He had been sitting motionless in front of his cold fireplace. When he tried to rise, Severus found his legs had gone numb. After a moment he was able to walk stiffly to the door. Opening the door, Severus didn't see anyone there so he stepped aside, holding the door open, listening as Harry's invisible feet carried him into the room. Severus closed the door softly and returned to his seat.

"Well?" Harry asked as he pulled off his cloak and sat in the chair next to Severus. "What did she say?"

"She said, 'Congratulations, Professor Snape, you're pregnant,'" Severus said in a complete mono-tone. He felt as though all his emotions had drained out with his stomach and tears. He had nothing left.

"Yeah, right!" Harry burst out laughing. He sobered up quickly as he realized Severus wasn't joking. He jumped to his feet, filled with a sudden rage.

"How the HELL can you be pregnant?!"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Barer Potion."

"Of course, I have... You took a Barer Potion?! Without asking, without at least telling me?? How the fuck could you do that to me?" Harry was furious. Every time Severus opened his mouth to say something, Harry cut him off.

"You bastard! We agreed to wait to tell everyone. I haven't even told my friends about us and now I'm supposed to tell them we're having a baby!? How could you not tell me?"

"I would have told you if I had known," Severus said meekly. All the emotions he thought had drained out were resurfacing, tears were threatening to cloud his vision again. "If you would just calm down and listen to me, Harry-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?? What the FUCK are we going to do??!!"

A knock on the door made Harry growl menacingly. Before Severus could reach it, the door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy.

"Professor, can I have a word with-" he stopped as he caught sight of Harry standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed angrily over his chest. Harry's eyes were blazing with fire. Draco got the impression that his arrival may have saved the professor's life. He took a protective stance between Harry and Severus.

"Not now, Draco," Severus said tiredly.

"What's going on?"

"None of your fucking business," Harry ground out between clenched teeth. He was breathing hard and staring daggers at Severus.

"We'll talk later, Draco," Severus said as he attempted to usher Draco out the door.

Suddenly, everything made sense to Draco. All the times he had seen them together, the worried looks Potter had been giving Snape over the last few weeks while the potion made changes to Snape's body. And now, Harry was angry and Severus was obviously upset. It happened. The potion had worked, only not for him. Potter had once again cheated him out of his victory.

Draco whirled around to face the two men. His face had flushed to a bright crimson and his eyes had darkened with fury.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" he asked Snape.

Severus' face dropped in shock. There's no way Draco could have known. He certainly would not have heard Harry's yelling through all the silencing wards he had placed on his walls. He couldn't possibly have known, unless...

"How do you know that, Draco?"

"I don't believe it! After all my careful planning, brewing that fucking potion just for you, and worrying about how you would feel fucking a student, and all along you've been shagging FUCKING POTTER!!"

Harry gasped in shock at the admission. Draco had given Severus the potion. Severus hadn't done it on purpose to manipulate him or force him into publicly admitting their relationship. Draco had done it to trap Severus. Harry looked over to his lover and felt awful for the way he had reacted. Severus was so pale and trembling with exhaustion and outrage.

Severus grabbed the back of his chair to steady himself. He felt violated and used. Draco had violated his body in such an intimate way that the young man may as well have raped him, for all the difference there was. Harry, believing Severus had gotten pregnant on purpose just to hurt him, hurt Severus just as much. Severus was so angry that he could hardly breath.

"Do you have any idea what you have done, Mr. Malfoy?" Severus whispered in a deadly tone.

"Yes, and there's not a fucking thing you can do about it because I'll tell everyone your dirty little secret!"

"Get out!" Severus couldn't even bring himself to look at the young man he had cared so much about. "Get out of my sight!"

Draco's eyes suddenly filled with tears as he raced for the door and out of the dungeons.

"I'm so sorry, Sev. I should have listened before freaking out." Harry reached out his hand to touch Severus' shoulder but Severus pulled away.

"Get out, Potter."

"Sev, please, I'm sorry," Harry begged.

"Get out! I need time to think."

Harry hung his head in shame and guilt. He turned back to Severus when he reached the door.

"Will I see you later?"

"At the dance."

As he heard the door close, Severus sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Even with the baby growing inside of him, Severus had never felt so alone.

An hour before the dance was to begin, Severus found himself standing outside the headmaster's office. If Draco was going to tell, he would have a lot of explaining to do and thought it best to tell Albus before the Slytherin could do it.

Severus knew his appearance was bad by the look on Albus' face when he opened the door.

"Severus! What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," he said quietly, not willing to meet the old man's kind blue eyes.

Severus accepted a cup of tea as he sat across for Albus. His hands were shaking so much that the tea cup wobbled on the saucer and sloshed out, burning his hands. Before he could drop it, Albus took the cup and saucer and placed it on the desk in front of Severus. Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his hands clenching into tight fists. Albus patiently waited, his eyes bright with deep concern.

"There's so much I need to tell you. I know I should have told you sooner, I just... I didn't want to disappoint you." Severus kept his eyes down, scared to see anger or shame in the eyes of the man who had put so much faith in him.

"I've been having an.. affair with Harry Potter for seven months now. After the final battle, after Voldemort was defeated, we held each other. I was free for the first time in my life and that scared me. When he kissed me, it was like.. like coming home. I found myself, standing there in his arms.

"We went slow, both of us needing to be sure of ourselves. It was months before we did anything more than kiss. And I am sure, Albus," Severus said as he finally looked up into the shining eyes of his mentor. "I know I love him."

"I know you do, Severus," Albus said as a smile took over his whole face. He had known, of course, all about their relationship, he even nudged them closer when ever he could. They needed each other and Albus had always known that.

"After the battle," Severus continued, "Harry started sneaking down to my rooms whenever he couldn't sleep, which was nightly. He.. we both, suffered from terrible nightmares except when we were together. I don't think I would ever have slept again if it had not been for Harry. We learned so much about each other in those first few months. We would talk for hours, about anything and everything."

Albus smiled at the peace in Severus' face and the sparkle in his eyes that Albus hadn't seen in years as he talked about Harry.

"We had agreed to wait until Harry's graduation before telling anyone about us. Everything had been going so wonderfully until a few weeks ago."

Albus watched closely as the sparkle faded. Severus' eyes looked away from him again and filled with tears.

"I started feeling ill. My stomach was constantly rolling, my insides felt like they were on fire. I thought it was just an ulcer. I've had them before but it felt different. When it finally went away, I thought everything was ok again."

Severus paused, taking several deep breaths before starting again. He was starting to shake and kept fidgeting with the front of his robe, his eyes squeezed shut.

"This morning when I woke, it had started again, only much worse. I finally gave in to Harry and went to see Madame Pomfrey."

Severus stopped again as the tears escaped and trailed silently down his pale cheeks. He swallowed hard, as though a rock had suddenly appeared in his throat.

"It seems Draco Malfoy has given me a Barer Potion in hopes of claiming me for himself." Severus finally broke down and let the tears flow freely. "I'm pregnant, Albus," he whispered.

Albus came around the desk and knelt beside the distraught man, gathering him into his arms and holding him. He let Severus cry, rubbing his back and murmuring soothingly. It was several minutes before Severus was able to dry his eyes and compose himself. Albus returned to his seat to let Severus finish.

"Harry was so angry when I told him. He thought I had done it on purpose to hurt him or force him into admitting our relationship."

Severus felt his heart breaking all over again. He had trusted Harry and never believed for a moment that Harry would have done such a thing to him, but Harry didn't have the same faith him. Albus tried to quiet his heart.

"He was shocked, Severus. You can't blame him for that. He had never considered the possibility of pregnancy with you. If he had been with a woman, I'm sure he would have reacted differently just because he would have had that consequence in his mind at some point."

Severus thought about it for a moment and realize Albus was right. Harry had no way of preparing for the news any more than he himself had. The only difference was that Harry reacted with anger and he had reacted with tears.

"Follow your heart, Severus. It has served you well so far." Albus' blues twinkled merrily.

Severus rose from his chair, giving Albus a sad little smile. Albus came around the desk again and pulled Severus into a warm embrace.

"Do not worry, little one," he whispered in Severus' ear. "Just follow your heart."

They walked together in quiet contemplation to the Great Hall for the Valentine's Day Dance. Just before reaching the main doors, Severus was called to a halt by Madame Pomfrey. They talked in hushed tones for a moment, then entered the Hall. It was already filled with loud music and dancing students.

Severus felt his stomach twisting into giant knots as he stared at the pulsing, glowing hearts fluttering around the ceiling. The lighting was dim with a red tinge to it, making it difficult to see. Severus just managed to catch a glimpse of Harry with his friends before the crowd of students blocked his view. Severus sighed heavily as he moved to a shadowed pillar on the far side of the room.

He stood for a long time leaning against the cold stone pillar, watching the students dance and laugh and kiss. He was so engrossed in watching the young lovers, that it wasn't until Harry's soft voice reached him that he noticed Harry's presence beside him in the shadows.

"I'm sorry, Sev. So very sorry for how I reacted. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. I was just so shocked and scared. Its ok, though. Draco can tell who ever he wants, I just don't want to lose you!"

Severus gave a mirthless snort. "Harry, you can't even tell your closest friends about us. How are you going to handle having the entire school knowing?"

"I can handle it just fine. Ron and Hermione took it well," Harry said with a smile as Severus suddenly looked at him in confusion. "I told them this afternoon. I figured if Malfoy's going to tell the whole school, I had better tell them first."

"And they didn't run away screaming?" Severus asked sarcastically.

Harry laughed. "Not at all. Quite the opposite in fact. They laughed at me and said it was about time I admitted how I felt about you! Of course, the pregnancy was a bit of a shock, but they got over it and congratulated me."

Severus remained silent, staring down at his boots.

"Look, I know I reacted bad, and I know there are going to be all kinds of rumours but I want to be with you, Severus. I want to be a family. I need you so much!" Harry was nearly in tears.

"You know what I hate about people who start rumours," Severus said slowly. "They never start with the facts."

Harry looked at him without comprehension, but Severus smiled and took his hand. "Lets give them some facts to start with this time." He backed out of the shadows, still holding Harry's hand, until they were in the centre of the room with all the students and faculty staring at them.

"Sev, what are you doing?" Harry asked nervously as he looked around at all the eyes following them.

"Something I've wanted to do for a very long time," Severus whispered. He ran the back of his fingers up Harry's throat, tilting Harry's head until their eyes met. With a glint in his eye and just a ghost of a smile, Severus raised his voice to be heard easily in the silent room. "I love you, Harry Potter."

Harry was stunned. Neither of them had used the word love before. They had expressed it in other ways, but had never actually said it. Harry's heart soared to heights he had never imagined he could reach. Amongst the gasps of shock from their audience, Harry, too, raised his voice.

"I love you, too, Severus Snape."

Severus smiled brightly, as Harry had only seen him do in private. He leaned down slightly and pressed their lips together. Laughing inwardly at the shocked sounds surrounding them, he deepened the kiss, pulling Harry tightly into his arms.

A sudden change in back-ground sounds made Severus pull back and look to his left. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were laughing and cheering them on, which led others to do the same. Severus looked around the room and saw that even Draco was smiling and cheering for them. All the teachers looked shocked but clapped along with the crowd. He caught Albus' eyes, which were sparkling more than Severus had seen in a long time. The old man smiled and gave a nod of approval.

Severus and Harry looked back at each other and started laughing. They kissed again, then hugged tightly till the noise died down. As they clung together, the music started back up, soft and caressing. They began to sway with the beat, slowly moving more until they were dancing gracefully.

As one song ended and the next began, they continued to move around the dance floor. More couples finally joined them until the floor was filled with young lovers.

Severus rested his head on Harry's shoulder, nuzzling the side of Harry's neck, fully appreciating all of Harry's unique scents. He was so captivated that time passed unnoticed. Suddenly, he remembered his last conversation with Madame Pomfrey, which he had completely forgotten to tell Harry about. He pulled back enough to look at Harry's happy face.

"Oh, Harry. There's something I forgot to tell you. Just before the dance started, Madame Pomfrey stopped me. Apparently I left her office too quickly earlier and she hadn't had a chance to tell me something."

Severus paused for a moment while Harry gave him a quizzical look. He took a nervous breath before starting again.

"Harry... we're um... having triplets..."

Harry's face went blank and his eyes bulged out before rolling into the back of his head as he fainted. Severus gasped as Harry fell out of his arms and onto the floor, too surprised to do anything to stop Harry's fall.

He heard the gasps and cries from the students around them and Weasley's voice asking what happened, but all he could do was stare at his lover out cold on the floor. A smile started to spread over his face which turned into a grin, then to snickers, then into loud uncontrollable chuckles. He was doubled over in laughter.

"SNAPE!" Weasley yelled to get his attention. As Severus slowly calmed down and wiped the tears from his eyes, Weasley asked, "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied, still trying to control his laughter. "I just told him we're... um... having ... triplets." At the look of shock on Weasley's face, Severus burst out into a fresh round of chuckles. It wasn't long before Weasley was laughing with him, as well as several people in the crowd.

As Harry began to stir, Severus knelt down beside him. "My big strong, brave hero," he said with a smile and only mild sarcasm.

"Is it true?" Harry asked with wide eyes as he sat up.

"Yes, beloved, we're having triplets."

As the crowd broke into loud cheers again and Harry wrapped his arms around him, Severus heard one voice near him mutter a fast, "Oh, shit." He looked up and saw Draco Malfoy looking terrified and a bit green. The young man gave him a nervous smile and then bolted for the security of the crowd.

Severus pulled Harry to his feet, and then took his hand to go searching for Draco. Harry gave him a puzzled look but followed him around the room. They finally found Draco hiding in the same shadows Severus had stood in earlier.

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Have you something you'd like to tell us?"

"Well, um, it's lucky its only three babies after two rounds of fertility potion." Draco tried to laugh it off as a joke, but the look of shocked anger on Severus' face made him swallow hard.

"Two? You used TWO fertility potions??"

"Well, one with the last dose of Barer Potion and ...one with the aphrodisiac last night."

"Aphrodisiac?" Harry asked, trying not to laugh. "You gave Sev an aphrodisiac?"

Severus was having a hard time controlling his own snickers.

"Yeah, I lined his coffee mug with it the same way I did with the Barer Potion, but I don't think it worked. Snape was ill this morning instead of ... well... turned on."

Severus and Harry looked at each other and all semblance of control was lost. Severus again doubled over in laughter.

"Oh, it worked all right, Malfoy, only he didn't get it this morning, he had it last night!" Harry said between giggles.

Draco let out a sigh of relief. Snape obviously wasn't going to kill him for it. He was even able to laugh with them after the fear had faded.

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said seriously as he pulled himself under control. "One hundred points from Slytherin and you will have detention four nights a week with Filch, until the end of the year." As Draco's chin dropped in disbelief, Severus put his arm around Harry's waist and led him back to the dance floor.

As their bodies fit together in perfect harmony, Severus whispered in utter bliss, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Harry returned.

Severus smiled into Harry's neck as the crowd and music faded into the night.

~*~*~