Mister Mystery

15/12/2010

Have just coded this properly for the first time.

Now enjoy this tale the way I wrote it! Please read and review. Thanx. The Squig xxx

Mister Mystery


The dark-haired boy was leaning indolently against the bole of the large maple tree. One shoulder propped against it his whole weight resting on it, the rest of his body angled away in a perfect curve, feet crossed at the ankle. His head hung between his shoulders intent on something in his hands. His t-shirt hem stood away from the lean body, the jeans waist snagged on a narrow hip exposing a tantalising triangle of flesh that made the man approaching him through the long dry grass want to sink to his knees and worship it with his tongue.

He halted, his breath catching. The boy sensed his presence and turned, rolling his shoulders against the wood, dropping the leaf he had been dissecting, uncrossing his ankles and parting his legs slightly. He shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun as he regarded the man unhooking a large bag from over his shoulder. He murmured, “I was beginning to think that you’d stood me up”. The man moved between those parted legs and took the boy into his arms. One hand firmly clutched the boy’s backside, the other behind his head as they drew together in a kiss that took their breath away.”Never”, he whispered.

They drew apart, gasping. The younger man cast an appraising eye over his companion, “You know, for Wizardkind, you sure do scrub up nicely in Muggle mode, you don’t wear any of the weird stuff wizards usually wear when trying to pass”. His partner grinned, “I am not entirely without knowledge of Mundanes and their clothing styles”.

He was wearing a finely woven cream linen shirt that hugged broad shoulders just so, tucked into light tan pants hanging on the hips just so, that made the younger man’s mouth go dry at the sight. No flamboyant colours, no mish-mash of Muggle attire just a handsome man haloed in sunlight, his long black hair shining blue from the sun highlighting it. His young lover was entranced, pulling him back to another heated kiss. Until he was pushed gently away. “Not yet”, breathed against his ear.

He hefted the bag onto his shoulder, held his lover against him and pointed his wand at a point where their bodies touched and they Apparated away.

They landed in a heap and rolled away from each other on soft grass. The boy sat up and looked around him. They were in a beautiful little glade by a small partially dammed lake. A waterfall fed it at one end, a trickling stream outflowed from the other. The fall tumbled prettily through rocks making a delightful sound.

Around them was a rich greensward that led into trees in all directions but the glade was large enough so that the sun shone in. The boy shaded his eyes and squinted up at his lover, “It’s lovely here. Is this the place...?”. The man knelt beside him and ran a lazy warm hand up the boy’s back. He nodded, “Yes”, he whispered, gently running his hand into the messy brown hair and tipping the boy’s mouth to his for a long deep kiss.

They parted slightly, gasping for breath, eyes fixed on each other’s, faces flushed. The man swallowed hard, then a slow smile spread for his young lover, “I love you, Harry”. The boy grinned at him, “I know, and I love you too, Sev”.

Severus Snape still had a problem with Harry. He couldn’t believe that such a delicious, alive, vibrant specimen of young manhood could want to be with him.

Harry Potter still had a problem with Severus. He couldn’t believe what such a cultured, widely read and truly brave man could possibly want with the likes of him.

They kissed again, smiling round each other’s tongues, then parted again. Severus murmured, “I’ve never brought anyone else here, you know. You’re the only one”. Harry grinned, flattered. “No-one, Sev?. Only I know you and Remus had something going on a few years back”. Severus bowed his head and coloured, “I thought we were being so discreet”. Harry grinned, “You were, but I was getting extra tuition from Remus and had a major crush on him at the same time”, his grin became laughter.

“Let’s just say I realised, when after one of his extra lessons you met him outside Dumbledore’s office and thinking the brat was gone you snogged him senseless against the wall”. Severus’ colour deepened, “And you had a crush on him?. Merlin!. How old were you?. Fourteen?”. Harry grinned, “Not quite, my birthday renders me the youngest in my year. But I’ve always had a thing about older guys”, he shrugged and kissed his own older lover senseless beneath him, feeling a well-muscled thigh enclosing his own as they kissed. He moaned.

In a deft move, said ‘older guy’ twisted them around until his pliant young lover lay beneath him. Kissing the tip of his nose, he removed Harry’s glasses gently laying them aside and possessed that luscious mouth with his own, sucking and biting gently at those beautiful lips, parting them with his tongue and diving into willing warmth. His large hand cradled Harry’s head as his lover’s reply became more insistent, Harry’s soft tongue swimming into his lover’s mouth, tasting and being tasted. Severus moaned as Harry’s tongue touched his. Damn it, the boy always tasted of light and summer. The kiss deepened, Harry flexing upwards with his customary urgency and Severus smiled as he broke away.

“Tut tut, my impatient little Gryffindor, what is to be done with you?”, he purred, taking Harry’s earlobe between his teeth making Harry yelp. “Kiss me again. For fuck’s sake...God’s I swear you could make me come...just kissing me..please”, this last on a high-pitched moan.

Severus regarded the undone face below him, slightly detached, even as want raged through him, then grinned, moving his body away from his lover’s, relishing the challenge. His obsidian eyes gleamed as Harry’s flicked open, want and confusion in more or less equal measure pouring from them. “Sev?”, plaintively.

“No touching below the shoulders”, he whispered into Harry’s ear, “I’m taking you up on it. I’m going to make you come just by kissing you”. In spite of trying to stay cool, he could feel colour creeping into his cheeks as Harry reddened and squirmed below him. He had Harry’s head cradled in his hands, one holding him off the grass, the other cupping his face. He let his thumb trail over Harry’s lips, that parted beneath it, Harry’s tongue lazily licking the tip. He held still a moment as Harry drew the thumb into his mouth and sucked it. Harry’s eyes flew open and met those of his lover, a shy smile passed between them. Harry relinquished the thumb with a teasing last lick and it made a wet line over his lower lip then gently tugged at his chin, opening his mouth.

“You’re a wanton little trollop, Harry”, he murmured as his mouth opened over his wriggling lover’s. Gently nibbling at those flushed lips, feeling a frantic tongue seeking entry, denying it, backing away slightly. Harry subsided a little, letting himself be seduced by the most talented mouth he’d ever known. Little flicks of a tongue against his, driving him mad, then harder, more intense, more insistent, then a finger and thumb holding his lips open, a whispered instruction to breathe through his nose, “’Cos I’m going to fuck that sweet mouth with my tongue” then the thrusting, with a stiffened tongue, over and over between his now swollen lips, hard and insistent. It took mere moments and Harry was a limp rag, coming in his pants, then collapsing, laughing, flinging his arms above his head then around his lover, his grin huge. He sighed, “Merlin, Sev, you sexy bastard, you have the evillest mouth in the Wizarding world”.

Harry glanced down at himself, “I’m a bit of a mess and I didn’t bring my wand”, he glanced up shyly, “I was instructed not to”. Severus rose and bent down lifting Harry in his arms and carried him to the water’s edge and unceremoniously dumped him in. Harry gasped and squealed as the water covered him, expecting cold but instead....warm. He quickly emerged shaking his wet head. This was obviously a Magically charged stream and Harry could feel it as it cleansed him, as he leaned back into the sandy bed, up on his elbows, tipping his head back so his hair trailed in the water, enticing his lover in with a flutter of lashes and a tongue over his top lip.

In seconds Severus had stripped off his clothes and plunged into the water to emerge shaking the hair out of his eyes right next to his lover, who raked the stray hairs away from his face then kissed him fiercely. Severus found himself curling around his young beloved in the water, his hardness evident. His love still clothed although wet through. Severus licked his lips and began to peel the wet garments from the person he loved most in this world.

He threw the clothes haphazardly onto the bank and bent to attend to his now naked lover, lying seductively in shallow water. He gazed rapturously at the soaked boy who’s hands were trying to reach every part of him at once. He leaned in and kissed Harry lightly on the brow, then struck away into the middle of the pool, leaving Harry gasping, sitting up.

“Come on”, he called, “The water’s deeper here in the middle”, he swam off towards the waterfall. Harry ventured forwards until he felt the drop-off underneath his feet, then pushed off gently and swam after his beloved. Severus climbed out onto the rocks, shaking his hair out of his eyes. He leaned down and offered his lover his hand and hauled Harry out onto the warm rock beside him.

Obsidian eyes met malachite and held for a long moment, then Severus leaned over Harry and kissed him hard, running a wet hand over his body, taking Harry’s semi-hard cock into his hand, pumping him erect, then broke the kiss and scuttled down ghosting his lips over Harry’s hard cock. He drew away grinning. “I’m going to have a swim now and fetch the food. Stay there”, his eyes shone with wicked mirth.

Harry groaned, “Sev”. He rolled over onto his back as Severus took a perfect header into the water and swam away. After a while, Harry leaned up on an elbow and watched his lover swim with sure long strokes. He’d often wondered where Severus got his tone from and now he knew.

He watched a bit longer, then lay down again closing his eyes, letting the sun at his skin. The next thing he knew was cold drops of water on his warm stomach and chest, waking suddenly to feel Severus’ wet mouth tonguing his nipples. He raised onto his elbows and watched. Severus looked up and drew away. He hefted the bag between them. “Lunch first, I think”. He busied himself unpacking. Blanket, which he spread and Harry rolled onto immediately. Then a sumptuous array of food. At the bottom, a bottle of wine and a six-pack of lager for Harry, all at the perfect temperature.

Harry eyed the beer and Severus tossed him a can, “So, you’re going to get me drunk, then seduce me, are you?”. Severus laughed. “I don’t need to get you drunk, Harry. But I think we both needed a bit of a holiday, even if it is for only a few hours”. He poured wine into a glass and clinked it with Harry’s can, “Here’s to a beautiful afternoon with the man I love.....even if he is a heathen lager drinker”. Harry howled laughing and replied, “Here’s to a beautiful afternoon with the man I love, even if he is an effete wine snob”. This made Severus put his glass aside and kiss his lover, chuckling into his mouth.

Harry broke the kiss and rolled onto his front, “So, what’s on the menu, Sev?, apart from me for afters”. This earned him another chuckle as Severus spread the feast out, then looked into his bemused lover’s eyes. “You can’t see this can you?”, he murmured. Harry ruefully shook his head then heard the splash as Severus dived again. A few moments later, he reappeared with all of their stuff and handed Harry his glasses, spreading Harry’s wet clothes out, then his gloriously wet self out beside Harry who gasped as sight was restored to him and he took in the wonders of his lover’s nakedness lit by early summer sunshine.

He wanted to sink, to be possessed. but he was gently rebuffed. “Come on. Eat. You need fuel, and if you don’t, then I do”. He reluctantly left those tempting lips alone and sat back to eat. What a banquet was spread before him. Severus handed him a plate and a fork and they both tucked in. Cold roast chicken and samosas and cous-cous with roasted peppers, crunchy leafy salad, baby plum tomatoes that burst with juice, tiny pork pies, hard boiled eggs, quiche lorraine. With berry fruit salad and cream to follow, Harry lay back replete and stuffed to the gills.

The sun was moving off them as they lay together holding each other lightly as they digested dinner. Harry drifted off into a light sleep watched by his lover, who, then lay beside him and joined him in a light doze. They awoke together to find themselves in deep shadow. Harry shivered until he was gathered into warm arms and clasped against Severus’ chest. Kisses that heated his blood being planted along his neck then his shoulder. His head dropped to allow easy access, to be rewarded by tiny nipping bites all the way from shoulder to ear, then a swiping tongue over the lobe which made Harry shiver.

He was turned gently, his mouth claimed, devoured. “Want you, Harry”, murmured between his lips. “Then take me”, the moaned reply. So with a whispered, “Lubricus”, charm, he did just that, plunging in and out of his lover’s wet heat with abandon. Harry’s legs tensing around Severus’ waist, his mouth pulling away, a rictus, and Harry came all over both of them. Severus adjusted his position and ploughed into his lover, uttering vague entreaties, vows, then came a storm deep within Harry.

Severus collapsed against Harry’s chest. Being welcomed in. Soft kisses in his hair. Arms around him. This was another facet he adored about Harry. He cuddled after making love. Even if he went to sleep shortly afterwards, he always showed his appreciation. Harry winced a little as his lover withdrew, then Severus crawled into his lover’s arms and was held tight, fingers raking through his hair, loving words murmured, and Severus lapped it up.

He rose on one elbow and gazed into his lover’s spent face. Harry flicked his green eyes open, “What?”, he queried, lazily. Severus broke the gaze and reached into the bag, fumbling into a small pocket, unzipping it, palming the contents. Harry quizzed, “What’s going on, Sev?”. For his part, Severus merely blushed and looked down. Harry cupped his face in a palm and lifted it. “What, Sev?, what is it?”. Severus slowly opened his bunched fist and Harry gasped.

A beautiful ring lay in his palm.

His voice a little croaky, he pushed his hand towards Harry, “It’s for you, my love. I want you to have it”. In his turn, Harry grinned, leaning in a little towards his lover, and, instead of taking the ring, he touched his two thumbs together and extended both hands out, his fingers spread, towards Severus. He asked softly, “Which finger does such a magnificent ring belong on, I ask myself?”. Severus placed the thing between thumb and forefinger of his right hand. Taking Harry’s left hand in his, he pushed the ring easily onto the ring finger. He intoned, “Harry, will you be mine forever?”. Harry looked down at the ring winking on his finger, his mouth a perfect ‘O’, then back into the eyes of his lover reading uncertainty and fear of rejection, “Are you asking me to marry you, Sev?”, he whispered. The man reached out a gentle hand and traced a line down Harry’s face with his fingertips then onto his neck, gentle flutters over his collarbone, the man’s hand was trembling slightly. “I want you in my life, Harry. Forever and always, though I admit to still being stunned that you want me at all, you sweet creature”.

Harry lowered his eyes, “I don’t know how you can say that, Sev, after my persistence in chasing you. This isn’t some adolescent infatuation you know. I’m totally and utterly in love with you, you idiot, it just amazes me what you see in me, I mean, aside from my cute arse”, he looked up coyly through his fringe.

Severus swatted him gently, “You know what you mean to me, Harry. Don’t make me go all mushy, it’s not a pretty sight. So, will you marry me, Harry?”. His smile widened as he sat up. Then spread his arms. Harry fell into them. “Of course I will. The answer is yes”.

In truth, Severus had expected Harry to prevaricate, but Harry knew what he wanted and threw his arms around his beloved, “Yes. Yes. Yes. I will marry you”, he yelled and giggled at a stunned Severus Snape, who snapped out of his trance and embraced his Harry with main force, “You will?. You really will?”. Harry nodded, “Yes, Sev, I really will. I want you, now and forever. And you proposed to me in the nude. How cool is that?”

They rolled around laughing and kissing, until Harry was sprawled over his lover who was flat on his back. They gazed at each other then kissed slowly, giving the heat time to rise between them, allowing the passion free rein. Harry climbed atop Severus and rubbed their cocks together eliciting mewls from them both. Severus broke the kiss and murmured, “Make love to me Harry. I want you”.

Harry leaned up on his elbows, “Are you sure.....?”, the unspoken, ‘after what happened last time’ hanging in the air between them. Severus nodded, “Yes. I have my safe word now and I will use it, Harry, if I have to. I want this, Harry. I’ve always wanted it...”. Harry silenced him with a kiss, “I know, Sev. Ssshhh. I know, and I’ll take my time. I’ll need you to do the charms, though”, he giggled.

Severus grasped his lover’s right hand and licked along his palm, “Lubricus”, he murmured, and Harry’s hand was slick and wet. He kissed his way along the man’s lean torso, flicking his tongue around taut nipples and over flat planes of stomach, following a line of dark hair from belly button to groin, then he took Severus’ weeping hardness into his mouth. This earned him a groan and a thrust into that warm wetness. As he sucked, he worked his right hand between his lover’s legs and fondled his balls, then a light tracing of wet fingers around his puckered hole and one slender digit slipped inside. Severus tensed then, breathing hard, he let himself relax.

Harry’s look was questioning. Severus smiled and nodded, “I’m still with you, Harry. That feels good. Move around a little”. Harry thrust the finger in and out a bit, getting deeper with each thrust. He hit a hard knot deep inside, that caused his lover to buck upwards with a shout, “Merlin!. Harry, what was that?”. Harry withdrew his lips and grinned, “Your sweet spot, lover. May I continue?”. Severus sank back covered in a light sheen of sweat, “Yes”, he breathed.

Before long, Harry had three fingers buried in his beloved, feeling the wanton abandon in his partner as he pushed against Harry’s fingers, “More...Harry...More...Please. Want you...Take me”. As he entered that incredible tightness for the first time, he had to exercise such control as made him grit his teeth, count backwards from a hundred, anything to stop him coming too soon. He inched slowly in until Severus was completely filled. They lay a moment gazing into each other’s eyes. Severus could see his lover’s fight for self-control and loved him all the more for it. He ran his hands along Harry’s back and clutched his bum. “Move inside me Harry. Make love to me”.

Harry watched his lover, mesmerised, as he started to move. Slowly at first, then picking up pace as Severus writhed beneath him. The hands on his backside squeezed harder, the body beneath his answering his thrusts. Harry was holding on by the skin of his teeth. He leaned up onto one hand and took his lover’s length in the other, pumping him in time to his own thrusts. The change of angle made Severus squirm and Harry rammed that little spot over and over, feeling a mist behind his eyes, He could hear murmurs and endearments, then, “Gods, Harry, don’t stop, please, please”, as Severus tightened around him and shot over his own belly and Harry’s hand. Moments later and Harry came deep inside his beloved for the very first time, moaning and crying his name aloud.

Severus winced as Harry withdrew and drew him into his arms as their breathing slowed. Harry was all concern, “Did I hurt you, Sev?”. Severus shook his head, “Not seriously. I sting a little, but I expected that”, they kissed, with feeling, passion spent for now, then Harry leant on an elbow and regarded Severus for a while, tenderly stroking the face below him, “Someone hurt you, didn’t they, love?”, he whispered. “I’ve been hurt. I know it when I see it. Tell me, Sev. Please. Let it out. I’m here, love”. He lay down and held Severus’ head on his chest, hooking his leg over a hip. Severus nodded just once against Harry’s shoulder.

His voice a mere whisper, “Three Upper Sixth boys decided to have some fun with the misfit third year. I wasn’t the first. I wasn’t the last, although the last had the guts to report them and they were expelled. She pressed charges. All three did serious jail time. I didn’t have the courage to come forward. My mind has somehow blotted out the rape itself. I just remember, as if I was outside myself, seeing myself, lying there, hurt beyond measure, bleeding, naked. On the floor of the Charms classroom”. He went silent and curled his face into Harry’s chest. Harry felt the heaving shoulders and gathered his beloved tighter into his arms, tears pricking at his own lids, “Oh, Sev, my poor love”. He rocked his lover as he howled against him. Cathartic tears. Cleansing tears.

As his sobs eased, he was aware of Harry’s arms tight about him. He relished the warmth. He knew Harry wept with him. “Harry, there’s one last thing you should know. The girl, who gave evidence?”. He turned reddened eyes up to Harry’s face. “Her name was Whitbread. Rachel Whitbread. She was a second-year Ravenclaw. A second year. She wasn’t even thirteen yet. And she got all three sent down. Years later, I heard she’d married. Had a child. The announcement was in the Prophet. To one Reuel and Rachel Granger, nee Whitbread, born a daughter.....Hermione. She left school after the court case and essentially disappeared. Rachel had less than two years Magical training. How she must have felt sending Hermione here, I cannot imagine”.

Harry reeled back in shock, “Hermione’s mum!!. She always told us she came from Muggles!. Oh, gods, she doesn’t know, does she?”. Severus shook his head, “Probably not. I’m sorry Harry, maybe I shouldn’t have said, but if you want to know where your best friend gets her courage and fortitude from, I’d look no further than her own amazing mother. She stood up where I was afraid to”.

Harry hushed him, “Ssshhh, you may not have faced up to your attackers, but you have been brave enough to spy for the light against the dark. Maybe this is why. To stand straddling the dark and the light takes it’s own courage, Sev, my love”. As tears threatened again, Severus held Harry tight, “D’you know, Harry. Whenever I’m sitting in one of His meetings, gathering information, and I’m scared out of my wits that one day I’m gong to be rumbled, exposed and killed on the spot?. I just imagine a frightened twelve year old girl in the witness stand facing down her rapists and I take courage, Harry”.

There wasn’t much he could say to this and he took a hand back to rake absentmindedly through his hair. His eyes closed. “Shit, Sev. This is heavy”. He took a moment to digest it all, his head in his hands, rocking back and forth in agitation. Severus reached up and grasped Harry around the waist, pulling him gently back down beside him. “Harry, what’s the matter, love?. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you.....”.

Harry turned worried deep malachite eyes on his beloved, pinning him. “Afterwards. After the, erm, attack, how many baths did you take to try to wash it all away?. How often did you run away to escape everybody?. How did you cope?. How did you get your life back?. How did?.....”, his voice tailed away into sobs and he gathered into himself holding his knees with whitened knuckles and rocked fiercely.

Severus sat up and held his beloved to him. He murmured, “Yes to all of those things, Harry, but how did you know?. Did someone hurt you too?. In the same way?”. As Harry collapsed onto him, he felt the single nod. He bent his head to hear the barely whispered, “My cousin. I grew too close to a minor member of his gang and he warned me off. Duncan was a nice guy, really, he didn’t want to run with a gang, but round our way it was Dudley’s way or the highway. That day, me and Dunc were sat on the swings on the Rec ground. We’d been talking. He came over and sat in my lap. We kissed clumsily. It was lovely. Then Dudley’s gang caught us. Duncan ended up in hospital. Dudley raped me that night. It was the summer holidays after fourth year”, he turned anguished eyes to his lover.

They clung to each other, lost in the horror of their pasts. But when they eventually came to, it was to each holding the other tight. Harry had a slight smile playing with his lips, “I rendered him permanently impotent that night. I used Dark magic, and I will never be ashamed of that”. Severus was awed, his eyes wide, “I didn’t know enough. Oh gods. I bludgeoned you with Occlumency in fifth year?.... Just after?...Oh fuck!, no wonder you were....Oh gods, Harry. I’m so sorry and you were hurting too”. Severus crumbled in Harry’s arms.

They gazed at each other, holding tight as they emerged and each silently forgave the other for wrongs committed in the past. Harry murmured, “I love you, Sev, even more than I did an hour ago, if that’s possible. I love you so much”. Severus smiled shakily, “I don’t deserve you, Harry. I really don’t”. He was quietened by fingers over his lips, “Hush, Sev, don’t do us down, love, don’t sully what we have. Okay, we come with baggage, history, not all of it pretty. We still have to keep secrets and I know neither of us wants to do it like this, but right now we have no choice. If the wheels come off all of this tomorrow and you’re sacked and I’m expelled, we’ll run and run and they’ll never find us, but we’ll be together, Sev, and I won’t let anyone take that away. Not now, after all we’ve suffered and all we’ve been through, and if they clap you in irons and cart you off”, he put up his hand to forestall Severus, “I know what we’re doing is illegal, Sev, and I know where blame would rest, even though it isn’t true, but if you go down, then I’ll wait for you. I’ll knit socks for you, I’ll bake a cake with a file in it and I’m babbling, aren’t I....?”.

Severus pulled Harry to him, “Yes. But I get your drift”. He was smiling in earnest as he claimed his lover’s mouth. Harry shivered slightly as they drew apart. “Cold, love?. Here, let me”, Severus waved a hand and a small fire lit feet from them. He pulled the blanket around Harry’s shoulders and Harry rested his head on Sev’s chest with a contented sigh. These were his favourite moments with him, being held, loved, protected. Not the saviour of the damn Wizarding World, though he was hardly that, Voldemort being still very much at large, but for a while he felt the cloaking weight of his responsibilities lifted and he could just be himself. Plain Harry Potter. A man in love and loved in return.

Harry idly stroked his fingers through the hair on Severus’ chest, the firelight catching the stones on his ring making them sparkle. He turned in his lover’s arms and fumbled for his glasses. He looked closely at the ring. A thick white-gold band into which were set three large square-cut rubies flanked by four smaller rectangular-cut diamonds. “It really is beautiful, Sev”. He drew the ring to his lips and made as if to kiss it but instead pulled down his lower lip with the knuckle of his middle finger and stroked the stones over his moist inner lip.

Severus was confused, “What are you doing, Harry?”, he asked softly. Harry was lost in thought. He removed the ring and ran the band over the same spot in his mouth. He turned and grinned, “I’m reading the Magic. I can tell the band has protection charms on it, the diamonds are uncharged, but I’m buggered if I can read the rubies, although they have your casting signature all over them”.

“That’s incredible. I never saw Magic dowsed that way before. Why not use your fingertips?”. “Mine are too calloused from Quidditch and playing the guitar and I have a very sensitive spot there, as you know”, Harry’s eyes sparkled. Severus raked a hand into Harry’s hair and pulled him close, “Hmm, let’s see, shall we”, and proceeded to suckle and nibble that sensitive mouth ‘til it’s owner moaned aloud and answered with his own heated tongue. Their love-making was unhurried and tender, leaving them boneless and sticky in each other’s arms, their foreheads touching.

As their breaths slowed, Harry asked, “So, Sev, what do these stones do?”. Severus took Harry’s hand and kissed it, then pointed to each stone in turn, “This one will take you to Grimmauld Place, the other side stone will bring you here and the centre stone will take you to my home. All have my Apparation signature, so the fact of you being under-age won’t register. You just touch the tip of your wand to the relevant stone and you can Apparate alone to any of these destinations. Before we leave here, I must add you to the wards around this area”,

Harry was impressed, “Wow, Sev. That’s amazing. Thank you”. His tone lost a little enthusiasm and gained worry. “This is illegal, isn’t it, Sev?, so these are only to be used in times of need?”. Severus smiled, “Yes, though I don’t doubt we could use them recreationally as well, just not too often. Apparating with a minor isn’t illegal so long as I’m driving, so to speak, but this may help you if you need it, even if you just have to get away and think for a while. This place is very conducive to thinking, even quiet revision”, he leaned in and kissed his lover gently. “For now the other end is fixed to my Apparation point outside the School gates. After you gain your own licence then we can alter the charms any way you like, but these are strong enough to last until you come of age”.

Awed, Harry kissed his beloved and shivered slightly in his arms, “You’re getting cold. The day is waning. It’s about time we got back to School”. Harry reluctantly agreed and after a long kiss they separated to clean up and dress, dousing the fire and tidying the site. Severus took Harry to the edge of the clearing and took his left hand, “Spread your fingers out, Harry. You’ll feel a bit of a tingle when we touch the ward”. His hand advanced cautiously until he felt the crackle of magic, a little painful to begin with, these were old wards after all, then a feeling of bliss as a little of his own Magic was added, enough to recognise him by.

As the Magic fizzled through him and away, he sagged against Severus, who held him from behind, absorbing the sag. “Sorry, Harry. I didn’t realise you would react like this”. Harry smiled lazily at his beloved, “I always react to strong Magic, Sev, especially yours, makes me horny as hell, actually”, he tipped his head back and pouted. Severus chuckled and buried his face in Harry’s neck, “No you don’t, you gorgeous little creature. We’re going home. Come on”, he pulled away, looking round, “Have we got everything?. Then come here and hold tight”. He touched his wand to their joined chests and away they went.

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Hermione was dozing in her favourite place, halfway up the old maple tree. At some time in it’s history, several logs had been pollarded, leaving a wide empty ‘flet’ at it’s heart, enough space for a slender girl and her birdwatching and painting paraphernalia. She had packed away her paints and board and was looking round for the lens caps of the Omniocular when two sounds made her sit up and listen.

The first, the patter of rain, becoming heavy very quickly. Bugger. She was going to get soaked going back to the Castle, she peered through the leaves at the sky, only a shower, she spotted the blue advancing behind the rain clouds, might as well wait it out. She zipped up her jacket and pulled the hood up, then wriggled out full length on the branch onto her belly putting her eye to the eyepiece once more. She doubted that she’d see the family of wagtails again that day, but she may as well look while she waited.

The next was a loud whump not far from her tree. She angled the Omniocular downwards. Two people were untangling themselves from each other. She could hear voices. They were coming nearer at a run. She froze in place. The first voice she recognised but couldn’t quite place, the second was unmistakable. “Where did you hide the cloaks?”. “At the base of this tree over here. Fuck!. I’m soaked”. Harry. He was laughing. “Come on slowcoach”

He appeared about ten feet or so below the branch Hermione was lying on. She thought about calling down to him, but decided against it. Harry was obviously seeing someone. That much she and Ron knew, but he was being so secretive, to the point of either hiding his Marauder’s Map or taking it with him each time he disappeared. He really didn’t want to be found. He’d vanished shortly after breakfast this morning and no-one had seen hide nor hair of him all day.

Hermione had a feeling, if she just lay nice and quiet, she was about to find out.

Harry rooted about at the base of the tree, “Here they are. Come on”. The other person ran up and bent over clutching his thighs clearly out of breath. She watched Harry rub his hand over the man’s back, “Are you all right, love?”. A nod. “Will be in a minute”, a bit wheezy. She still couldn’t place the voice.

He stood over Severus and gently lifted him to standing. Harry smiled, “Come here, O aged one. Lean on me”. Harry shifted backwards and leaned against the trunk, his lover pressed against him, his face buried in Harry’s shoulder. He purred, “I thought I told you not to bring your wand, you naughty boy”. Harry giggled, “Is that a wand in my pocket or am I just pleased to see you?”. They both laughed.

Come on, Harry, let’s see his face, show me.

Large hands cupped Harry’s face and they kissed. Severus pushed his thigh between Harry’s, parting them. He could feel his lover’s erection against his hip, he made small grinding movements making Harry moan around his tongue, then broke the kiss and tipped Harry’s head to nibble along his neck. He ran his hands down Harry’s chest then back up under his t-shirt, stiffening the nipples with his thumbs, then down again to the waistband of Harry’s jeans.

Oh, shit!. They’re not going to have sex right here, are they?”.

“What am I to do with you?, my sexy little Gryffindor. You eager little slut, you. You’re wearing an old man out”, as he dipped his head and took a rosy nipple in his mouth. Harry laughed and thumped Severus’ shoulder, “You’re not old, you’re in your prime, gods, do that again”, he gasped.

It was when the man sank to his knees and looked adoringly into Harry’s eyes that she saw.

Merlin’s balls!!!. Snape!!. That’s disgusting!. Harry must be under a curse!!. Don’t worry Harry, I’ll hex him for you. You can’t possibly be here of your own volition. Just let me get my wand. Oh, bollocks, it’s in my bag and if I move, you’ll both know I’m here and he’ll kill us both. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Licking his top lip, he unfastened Harry’s jeans and slid them down, taking Harry’s weeping cock between his lips, teasing and licking at the head. Harry cried out, “Gods, Sev, oh yesss, please, my love. Suck me, suck me hard.....”, anything more a mere babble as Severus took his cock fully into his mouth from root to tip and sucked hard. Harry moaned and hissed through gritted teeth, “That’s amazin’. Yessss”.

Severus backed off a little, “Harry, grab that branch just over your head, I’m going to take your jeans off”. Harry complied. “Now take your weight a minute and lift your feet up”. Off came trainers and jeans. Severus found their cloaks stashed under Harry’s invisibility cloak and spread one out, “Now, put your feet down, but keep your hands where they are. Spread your legs a bit wider for me, lover. Merlin, you should be so glad I don’t have a camera, you are such a picture”. Severus sat back on his heels and admired the view. Harry posed this way and that, displaying himself.

I’m sorry I haven’t got a camera, you greasy old git. I’d get this on film and then you’re straight before the Ministry, you rancid old pervert, and then you’ll get the sack and be in solitary in Azkaban, and may you stay there ‘til your bones rot.

Severus spread his knees, so Harry could see the effect his gyrations were having, “You drive me to distraction, Harry, you’re beautiful and sexy as hell”, he licked his lips and resumed his previous ministrations. This time, he snaked a hand behind Harry’s balls and in no time had three fingers buried in him. Harry’s cries were louder, he was pleading for release, his hips jerking into his lover’s mouth, when Severus stopped.

Harry’s eyes flew open, “Sev”, he begged. Severus stood, running his hands up Harry’s body as he did so. With one hand he gently held Harry’s chin as he kissed him, the other undid his pants and he freed his aching cock.

Oh. My. God. I cannot believe I’m actually seeing his prick. Shut your eyes, don’t look. I can’t help it. I’ll get vertigo otherwise and fall on them. I have to witness. Dear members of the jury, how do you find the defendant. I can hear it now. Guilty as charged. Corruption of a minor. Paedophile grooming. How many others have you abused, you evil bastard?.

Severus ran his hands down Harry’s back and cupped his arse, “Jump up, sweet, wrap your legs around my waist”, he held Harry’s hips firmly, then entered him in one fluent thrust, making them both groan with delight. Harry used his leverage to deepen his lover’s thrusts. Severus used his flickering tongue in and out of his beloved’s mouth to drive them both to ecstasy in all too short a time. Both came noisily crying the other’s name. Severus withdrew. Harry dropped his feet to the ground and held his beloved tight. The man trembled and laughed softly. “Harry Potter, you have worn me out. I swear, today holds the record for me of the most climaxes in a single day. You. Are. Incredible. But I need to either sit down or fall down”.

Harry quickly spread the other cloak and after swiftly scrambling back into his clothes, they both collapsed upon it. He flicked the cloak open that he had been standing on and twitched it around them both. He pressed his lover onto his back and he held him as they got their breath back.

They were quiet for a moment, just the sound of breath and the pattering of the rain. Severus ran a hand through Harry’s hair and the boy purred with contentment. “Harry?”. “Mmm”. “There’s something I need to tell you, love”. Harry raised onto an elbow and looked down into his beloved’s face. Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I’m leaving Hogwart’s. I’ve written my resignation letter and I’m going to present it to Dumbledore first thing tomorrow”. Harry opened his mouth in shock to reply but Severus held up a hand. “Hear me out, Harry. When the fact of you and I comes to light, then our world is going to implode. Whatever you say in my defence will never be believed. The powers that be will always blame the elder in a relationship such as ours and the fact that I am, a) a teacher, and b) responsible for working with children will go against me no matter what you say. We both know how the world works, Harry”.

So you’re running before they can clap you in irons, fucking coward. I hope loads of people come forward and lay the finger of blame on you and your years here are laid bare, erm, wrong metaphor there, Hermione.

“I’ll be the one accused of grooming you like an accursed paedophile, to get my hot corrupting hands on you. We both know that isn’t true, but when the likes of Rita Skeeter gets hold of this, then my life here will be untenable. There’ll be hordes of parents wanting to take their children out of school, as well the threats from within. Think about it, Harry. I love you. I want to shout it from the castle rooftops. I don’t want us to be a dirty secret. I think we’ve both had our fill of those, don’t you?”.

Harry nodded and bent to kiss Severus on the tip of the nose, “You shouldn’t have to give up your career though, Sev, it’s not bloody fair”, Harry frowned. Severus leaned up just far enough to plant a kiss on Harry’s mouth, then lay back again. “I’m not entirely without funds, Harry. Truth to tell, my little sideline makes me nearly as good an income as teaching. I have a small house with the mortgage fully paid and the remains of my grandmother’s legacy, enough to put you through Auror training, treat us to a nice civil wedding with a little left over for a nice honeymoon. I can support us modestly until you qualify, then life will improve with two incomes. We won’t be rich, but we’ll have comfort, maybe the odd holiday. There’s also the possibility that I could make my sideline into a full blown second career. My product is in demand, you know”.

“Sev, if you could do anything in the world and money was no object, what would you do?”. A frown appeared between the older man’s brows, “I don’t under...”, Harry held up a hand silencing him, “Humour me, Sev. What would you do?”. Severus smiled and entered into the game. “Well, first, we would have a lavish wedding, although no-one’s going to come because they’ll hate us once this gets out. But after that, I’d take you on a year-long honeymoon all over the world, wherever we fancied going. I’ve always longed to travel. I’ve only ever been outside the UK a couple of times. Then, wherever we decided to settle, I’d open my own perfumery. I can see it now, Snape Industries, no, Snape Enterprises, perfumes and colognes made the old fashioned way with a full bespoke service for wealthy individuals”, he was chuckling as he finished.

Harry flushed and lowered his eyes, thinking, then, biting his lip, he raised his head, “Sev, there’s something you ought to know. I dunno how to explain this, erm, I have some means of my own, erm, those dress robes I bought you for your birthday cost a pretty penny and, oh shit, how do I say this?”.

He sat up cross-legged and buried his head in his hands, “Ron and Hermione know I have means at my back, but I’ve never even told them how much”, he paused and raked his hands through his hair breathing hard. “You know the Ministers at the Ministry have to declare their assets and where they came from?. You also know I went out with Draco for a short while?. Well, just out of curiosity, I looked up the Malfoy assets. With the Manor and their other holdings, apparently they’re worth about 50 million altogether, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they had more salted away somewhere”. Severus was highly confused, not sure where this was leading, but stayed quiet allowing Harry to say his piece.

“Sev, I could buy the fucking Malfoys at least four times over”. There, he’d said it.

Severus was speechless, his mouth an ‘O’.

Hermione nearly fell out of the tree.

“So, sweetheart, You want your own lab. It’s yours. A year out to travel?. Cool. So long as I can look at Dali’s in Spain and the Taj Mahal on our travels, then wherever you want to go, we’ll go. If neither of us wanted to raise a finger again, we could indulge in a life of unabashed luxury until our dying day, although I want to set a bit aside to settle on any kids Ron or ‘Mione may have”, he was grinning.

He didn’t expect Severus’ reaction. The man sat up horrified. “No, Harry. As soon as we get away from here. I’d like you to see a solicitor and organise one of those pre-marital agreement things. I must not have any access to your money”.

Harry looked a little hurt and put out, “Fuck, Sev, what’s mine is yours. We are to be married, babe. I want to do this for us”.

Severus gathered Harry into his arms, “Come on, Harry, can’t you just see the headlines. ‘Greasy old Potions Master seduces wealthy pupil and marries him for his money’. I can’t, Harry. I can’t take any money from you. Don’t you see...”. There was a note of rising panic in his voice. Harry took his lover’s face in his hands and looked directly into his eyes, “Okay. Several things wrong with that headline. First, you asked me to marry you before you knew of my assets. Second, I seduced you. For fuck’s sake, Sev, it took me four months to get you into bed. Third, you are not old. You’re under forty not nudging seventy. Okay, granted, you are more than twice my age now, but as we grow older, that will matter less and less, if I get older, that is, and Voldemort doesn’t finish us off in the meantime. Oh, and you’re not greasy. It was only that pomade stuff you used to use until I showed you the wonders of hair conditioner. You have beautiful hair”, he finished on a giggle, “So the only bit of that headline that’s true is the Potions Master, and I’ll concur with that”.

Severus didn’t have a thing to say to that. Harry watched his lover bite his lip and tears pool over his lower lids. He blinked and a tear escaped, then another. Harry brushed them away tenderly with his thumbs, “Don’t cry, love. Yes, there will probably be some flak, but I fully intend to put our wedding announcement in the Prophet. I want us to be out. Out and proud. I love you, Sev, and I don’t give a shit what others say about us. After all that’s happened in both our lives, I just want us to have some fun for Merlin’s sake. Enjoy our love, celebrate it, wallow in it, be a little carefree. I’ve had expectations piled on my shoulders since I was eleven and, yes, I’ll probably try to fulfil them one way or another, even at the risk of becoming an obituary. Scary I know. I’m terrified of leaving you a widower all too soon, so for pity’s sake, let’s enjoy the time we have for as long as we have it”.

He could feel Severus tremble and gathered his beloved to him and kissed him, “We’ll work it out, love, but we will be together. I’m not leaving you. I’m not doing a pre-nup. We share everything, and we’ll have the best damn honeymoon anyone’s ever had”, he tilted Severus’ face to his again and they kissed again, the kiss deepening, tongues meeting, caressing each other, hands twining in soft hair, gentle moans, holding and being held. They broke the kiss and regarded each other, their eyes shining, love pouring between them, big smiles on both of their faces.

Look at them. Shit. Look at their eyes. This isn’t an Imperius. This is the real thing. It’s obvious Snape didn’t know about Harry’s money, in fact it could make things worse for them. Oh, gods. I’m glad I couldn’t get to my wand. They’re getting married! Where did that come from?. How long have these two been together?. Fuck!. When Harry wants to be secretive...... I’ve never even seen the slightest hint, and I’m usually pretty good at picking up this kind of thing. I missed this entirely.

Guys, can I be your maid of honour?. I can’t believe it, I’m nearly in tears.

They came together again, their kisses slow and considered. Harry felt the heat but resisted, realising his partner’s tiredness. For two pins he could have shagged him senseless, but sensed Severus holding away a little, keeping a damper on the rising heat. “Sorry, Harry, but you’ve had all I can give you for today. I’m knackered. I need food and sleep, preferably with you, but if you need to spend a night in your dorm, then...”. Harry silenced him with a kiss. “You are jesting, babe. You propose to me today, and expect me to stay apart from you tonight?. Not on your life, matey”. He looked out into the gathering dusk. “The rain’s stopped”. He gazed at his beloved, “We should get back then, but know this, Sev. I will always love you. I want to marry you. You’re mine”. Severus blushed and nodded at the vehemence in Harry’s tone, then kissed him like tomorrow was just a dream and today was his last day on Earth.

They made ready to leave when Severus had a sudden thought. “Harry, love. Your ring. Do you mean to wear it in school?”. Harry kissed the ring. “No. Actually, I’m terrified of losing it, it’s so beautiful and precious”. Severus grinned and reached into a pocket concealed in the edge of his cloak and withdrew a fine white-gold chain. “I’ve thought of everything”, he murmured. He took the ring from Harry’s finger and threaded it onto the chain, then, bidding Harry turn around, he fastened the slender links around Harry’s neck, then tucked the ring into the front of Harry’s t-shirt, running his fingers lightly under the neck of the garment until the chain was completely hidden from view.

Harry shivered deliciously at the touches. Severus wrapped Harry’s cloak around him and Harry automatically tipped his head so it could be fastened for him.

That’s so sweet, he did that automatically, like Snape does this all the time. I must get a proper look at that ring too, can’t see it properly from here. Look at them, can’t keep their hands off each other. I never figured Snape for the touchy-feely type. Have we all been wrong about him? What did he mean by dirty secrets? I know about Harry being raped by his cousin. Maybe Snape has something like that in his background. How awful. Poor him.

Severus straightened the collar on Harry’s cloak and kissed the tip of his nose, then left his hands on Harry’s shoulders and looked him in the eye, “Harry, you must say nothing to Hermione about her mother. It’s obvious the girl isn’t aware she was at Hogwart’s and it’s likely she doesn’t know the rest of the story. This sort of thing should come from her mother if she chooses to tell. It is not our place to”. Harry nodded, “Course not. I promise I won’t”. Severus held his lover close for a moment and they parted.

They made sure they had everything with them, and, hand in hand, they left in the direction of the castle. Hermione watched them go, wearing an expression of complete shock and confusion. She crawled slowly backwards to the flet, her muscles sore, her mind a mess. What had she just heard?. Her mother? What did she have to do with anything?. Here at Hogwart’s?. But her mum was a Muggle. She couldn’t begin to fathom it. She was determined to phone her mum as soon as possible. Thoughts whirled around her mind.

She thought on all that she had seen and heard, blushing as she remembered the sex. Harry had seemed to enjoy it as had his lover. This was no pederast and his victim, they were obviously very attached to each other. She wanted to doubt but she knew that what she had seen was the real thing. Like it or not. On second thoughts, she rather liked it, even if the situation was a bit weird.

She smiled as she watched them out of sight through the Omniocular. They’d held hands or had their arms around each other until they reached the school gates, they kissed again, then Harry disappeared under his invisibility cloak and Snape got them both through the gate, his guiding hand looking like it steered air, but in actuality Harry’s warm back was beneath it.

She climbed down thoughtfully. Should she tell him that she knew about them?. Should she keep it quiet?. She let the dilemma bother her all the way back to the castle. She scuttled into the dining hall as dinner was finishing, but managed to grab some food. She looked for Harry. He was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Severus Snape. She grinned to herself as she ate, her hair still damp.

Harry was lying naked in Severus’ bed, his beloved with him and copious amounts of food on trays between them. They fed each other strongly flavoured Indian food, specially requested from Dobby, who had done them proud. They covered up as the trays were removed, thanking the House-Elves, then it was just the two of them, flushed and fortified by a good meal. They relaxed in each other’s arms, warm and well-fed as their day caught up with them. Severus just about had the presence of mind to cover them in sheets and blankets as sleep claimed them both, twined together, breathing into each other’s mouths.

xxxxxxxx


Monday morning. Double Potions. Harry was doodling in the corner of a piece of parchment as Ron slid in beside him. “Nice day, yesterday, Harry?. Where were you? Haven’t seen you since breakfast yesterday morning”. Harry reddened and looked down. His hand automatically sought his ring on it’s chain hanging snugly against his breast. He clutched it through the fabric of his shirt, “Great actually. Had a bit of a sunbathe. A proper day off, a bit of peace and quiet. It was nice. Yourself?” Ron smirked at him, “Come off it, Harry. You were with Mister Mystery again, weren’t you?. I can see it in your face”. His voice dropped and he leaned in, “Come on, Harry, you can tell me. I’m your best mate”. Harry grinned and looked Ron in the eye, “Yes, as a matter of fact I was, and, yes, we shagged every which way from Friday. Five times, if memory serves me right, if you must know, but I’m still not telling you who it is. I can’t Ron. There’s a lot at stake here. I told you, I’ll tell when we’ve left School”.

“So how was your Sunday, anyway. Draco still being insufferable, is he?”. Ron knew when he was being fobbed off, but sighed and rolled his eyes, “You were right with your advice, Harry. The only way you can shut the arrogant git up, is to shove something in his mouth. So I did, severally”. Harry roared laughing.

It was cut short by the door clapping open as Snape entered and billowed along the aisle towards his desk. As he passed, he kicked Harry’s satchel. “Potter!. Bag in the aisle. Trying to kill someone are we?. Five points from Gryffindor”, as he swept to the front of the class.

Harry winced, “Bollocks”, and shoved his bag under his seat. The lesson began. As it progressed, Hermione stole covert looks at Harry and Snape. Merlin!, these two could act. She kept a sharp eye out all through the lesson, but neither of them gave a thing away. In fact, they were so good, she noticed the barbed looks Harry shot Snape, the return glares. Everything looked totally normal. Harry displaying underlying nerves as Snape watched his Potion making, his usual sneer in place, Harry’s lips pressed into a thin line until Snape’s attention turned elsewhere. She watched his huffed breath of relief as their teacher moved away.

She grinned to herself and lowered her head to her work. Shit, she knew too much. She couldn’t help herself. She kept watching. When he thought everyone was bent over their work, she saw Snape’s expression soften as he looked at Harry until Neville brought him round tipping his cauldron accidentally and spilling some of his Sedative Potion on the floor. Snape was on him in a heartbeat, sneer ratchetted up to full strength. Harry allowed himself to dream as Severus’ attention was diverted. His hand crept to his throat and he grasped his ring again beneath his shirt, bowing his head, biting his lower lip, then shook his head and let go, looking up into Ron’s confused face. “Harry, why are you clutching your tie like that?”. Harry grimaced and laid his hand flat over his chest, “Heartburn. Brekkie was a bit greasy”. Ron nodded, “Was a bit, wasn’t it?”. The lesson continued without further incident.

At break-time Hermione shot off before Ron or Harry could speak to her. Their lessons diverged after break. She wasn’t at lunch. Neither thought much of it. After lunch all three had Transfiguration. Hermione sat away from them, next to Lavender. Harry frowned. Why was Hermione ignoring him?”.

This pattern continued for the next two days until Harry cornered his best friend barreling from the library, her head down, determination in her stride. “Whoa, girl. Where are you off to?, and why haven’t you said two words to me since Sunday?. Is anything wrong?”. She swallowed hard and took a breath, “Harry, you’ve no idea. See you later”. She struggled free and shot off down the corridor. Harry gazed after her retreating back, confused.

Saturday morning. Hermione snuck out of the great Hall, her pockets jingling with Muggle change. With a sigh, she ensconced herself in the School phone box, fed the beast several pound coins and dialled her home number. Her mother answered.

Two hours later after alternately badgering and cajoling she had the full story. She stepped out of the phone box, her mind reeling. She was in shock. She staggered away totally oblivious to the comments fired her way about her hogging the phone when a long line waited to use it. She waved off all the complaints, dazed, and made her way on automatic pilot back to the Gryffindor tower. She collapsed onto one of the sofas after first threatening to hex the first years occupying it. They left in a hurry.

Ron entered, mindful of his mission, then stopped short when he saw Hermione. Laid on her back, vacantly staring at the ceiling, hands folded on her chest. Tear tracks from her eyes into her hair at her temples, every few breaths catching. In a moment he was by her side. “’Mione. What’s the matter?. You look fuckin’ awful. Is there anythin’ wrong?”.

She came out of her trance. Noticed Ron at her side. Allowed herself to crumble, knowing she would be comforted, then sobbed on Ron’s shoulder. He didn’t ask. If Hermione wanted him to know, then she’d tell him. If not, then he’d just hold her anyway. He’d realised many years ago that this was one of his roles. To be the tower of strength. When his smarter but less strong friends needed it. When Harry or Hermione needed to cling for a while, he’d readily let them, just like now, when Hermione clung limpet-like around his neck. He needed no explanation. That would come in it’s own good time. He folded his warm arms around his distressed friend and she hung on for dear life as she wept against his chest.

xxxxxxx

Harry lay fretting in the arms of his beloved. “She’s not spoken to me in a week, Sev, and she avoids me like the Plague. She casts me the occasional dark look, but that’s it. I’m really worried about her, but the moment I approach her, she runs off or gives me that deer-in-the-headlights look. I’m worried about her, Sev, I really am”, he sighed.

He was tense and pre-occupied all weekend despite everything his lover tried to do to snap him out of it.

Monday morning, double Potions. Hermione was already in the classroom when Harry arrived. Damn, he’d hoped for a private chat with Sev before the class began. Then he noticed her posture, slumped over the desk, her head buried in her arms, her shoulders shaking. Harry sank down beside her and took her into his arms. She gasped out big gulping sobs, then suddenly wrenched herself from Harry’s arms, turned, and threw up on the floor, retching and coughing. This was the precise moment Severus chose to appear.

“Miss Granger. Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?”, he withdrew his wand and cast a quick scourgify, cleaning the floor. She shook her head, drawing her own wand. With shaking fingers she cast an abluere at her mouth and the taste of vomit vanished. In a halting small voice, keeping her head down, she murmured, “I need to talk to you. Both of you”. It was only then that she dared to raise her head, flicking a nervous glance between the two of them.

“Mr Potter, Miss Granger, my office please. Are you able to stand, Miss Granger?”, his tone held none of his usual sarcasm, and for this Hermione was grateful. She nodded weakly and let Harry help her to the Professor’s office. Snape closed the door behind them, shutting out the sounds of the rest of the class assembling.

He bade them sit on his sofa. Hermione perched on the edge, tension keeping her back ramrod straight, her fists were tightly balled in her lap. She shrugged Harry’s arm from around her and dared to look up again, a repeat of the nervy glance between them. Then she let out a long breath, her eyes squeezing shut. She summoned all her courage. “I know”, she said flatly, “About you two”. Then proceeded to tell them, her shoulders relaxing visibly as the words spun out. “I know about mum too”, she reddened, then she turned flashing angry eyes to her Potions teacher, “How the fuck did you know. What did you have to do with....what happened to her?”.

She regretted her harsh words with one look into Snape’s face, the flush and the angry tears pooling in his eyes. Harry reached out a hand to his lover who took it, holding tight as he tried to compose himself, then he amazed her by sinking to his knees and letting Harry snake his arm around him. Harry now had his lover to one side of him, his best friend to the other, an arm about each. He stayed quiet. “Hermione, your mother showed courage where I could not. I don’t really want to say any more right now”. Realisation dawned and the girl’s face crumpled. She reached out a tentative hand and gently squeezed Snape’s arm and let go, “I’m so sorry sir”, she whispered.

“I shouldn’t know any of this, I know, and you can both trust my discretion, if that helps”, she said between sniffles. She snorted a dry laugh, “I was even there legitimately. McGonagall gives me a pass so I can go and paint and watch birds and get some peace and quiet. I got a proper eyeful that day I can tell you. I couldn’t close my eyes ‘cos I get vertigo, nor stop up my ears ‘cos I held the Omniocular, and my wand was in my bag”, she finished lamely. Colour suddenly flushed her cheeks and her head dipped into her cupped palms, “Merlin, I’m so embarrassed”.

Harry glanced at the bowed head, then at his lover, he held him gently, “You all right, love?”. Severus was more or less composed, his eyes only slightly pink, “I’d better go and teach before a riot erupts out there”, he cocked his head at the door. Harry leaned in and kissed him gently. Severus stood. Hermione raised her head. He said, “Take all the time you need”, in the gentlest voice she’d ever heard him use, before he swept back into the classroom all billowing robes and sneers. Business as usual.

They gazed shyly at each other. Hermione broke the silence first. “How long has this been going on, Harry?. I mean there were certain, er, gestures. You’re neither of you new to this are you?”. Harry blushed and grinned. “Christmas. Not last year, the year before. Although nothing really happened until Easter”. Hermione’s mouth widened in surprise, “Fuck, you guys are good. I never picked up any of this”.

Harry had a faraway look in his eyes. He grinned. “It was a sad start. I stayed at Hogwart’s that Christmas as you know. Well, I was bored and brooding over Sirius. Severus has a little sideline going, making perfumes and colognes and he invited me to help him. I did. He was patient in a way he never was in School. We got to talking and he engineered the conversations to Sirius. Slowly but surely, he was getting me to open up. Start to grieve properly. Well, one night, I actually admitted I’d found Sirius attractive, that I’d come on to him and that he’d pushed me away. It still fucking hurt. I mean the guy was my godfather, we weren’t related by blood or anything, but I still made a bit of an idiot of myself. Sirius was straight and I was a bit needy. Suddenly, I freaked and rushed out of the lab”.

He sighed and smiled slightly, “Severus found me on a flight of stairs, curled into a ball and howling my eyes out. He peeled me off the balustrade and just held me while I cried. Then he carried me to his own quarters, laid me on the sofa, made me drink some hot chocolate, then held me again until I was asleep, a pillow under my head and a blanket over me. I stayed there three nights until he gently suggested I go back to my dorm. I missed him. I was smitten. It took me until Easter to get him to sleep with me. You can imagine the issues the poor man had. I mean, he doesn’t do boys. Men, yes, boys, no, and a damn pupil at that. But then...the night everyone went home for Easter”.

Harry’s voice softened to a whisper, “That night, oh gods, that night..”, his voice tailed away.

Xxxxxxx

He tapped diffidently on the lab door. “Come in”. He flicked the latch and entered. The lab was faint-inducingly hot. He closed the door. The atmosphere was almost too thick to breathe. He leaned against the door sucking air in, feeling his face redden, sweat start on his upper lip. Through the steam, he located his Potions teacher, robes off, white shirt sticking to him, sleeves rolled up, hair roughly tied back. He turned as Harry entered, a fevered look in his eyes, a spark between them then turned back to his potions.

His back still against the door, Harry sank to the ground. “What the hell are you making here, Severus?”, he felt quite faint. The man approached him and hauled him to his feet. “I’m mixing human pheromones, come and look”. Harry allowed himself to be dragged upright. He tottered over to the bench, bending and sniffing deeply of the Potion bubbling gently. He let it hit him in slow waves, closing his eyes. He smiled and lazily opened his green gaze directly into Severus’ nearly black irises. The man leaned over his bubbling cauldron and inhaled.

“I don’t need this for the...energy, just the, er, courage”, and in moments he had a hand running through Harry’s thick messy hair, the boy’s face tilting, lips parting, the tip of wet tongue over top lip, the tiny moan and Severus broke into a thousand pieces, his mouth seeking the warmth and wetness of Harry’s.

They teased and feinted, soft licks against each other’s lips. Harry nipped Severus’ soft lower lip, inviting entry, parting his lips, then tongues thrashing, warring, wetting each other, mouths wide, crushed together, soft sounds emitted, arms moving, tightening around each other, bodies pressing together, hands roaming, coming to rest, tangled in hair, clutching a firm arse, pulling them closer, then closer still, drowning in each other’s kiss.

Trembling fingers pulling at clothes, fiddling with fastenings until with mutual grunts of dissatisfaction, cloth was torn and rent from bodies, buttons flying, zips breaking, clothing being flung about them hither and yon. Then heated skin on skin, hot cocks rubbing, sweat making for delicious friction. Severus cleared a space on the bench with one sweeping arm, Harry vaguely heard the sound of glass smashing as he was laid out backwards over the bench, arching into his lover, his legs spreading wantonly, then slicked fingers entering him. He threw his head back. His neck and throat being devoured. A sharp bite to a nipple making him groan. A hand on his cock, a mouth. He saw stars. He was ready and pulled his lover on top of him and in, threading his legs around a slim waist. They moved together as if they’d always done this. Thrusts, moans. “Harder, love, harder. Don’t you dare stop. Fuck. Oh shit. Comin’, Sev. Coming. I’m...Oh gods”, and Harry shot between them. With a loud cry and a clenching of teeth, Severus filled his lover in many long slow spasms, then collapsed, shaking, into Harry’s arms.

They caught their breath awhile, then Severus stood, pulling Harry up with him, Harry’s legs still wrapped around his waist. They kissed long and deep. As they came up for air, they realised that this was what they wanted. To be held. To be caressed. After love-making. They were mutually astonished and held tighter. That was the first night they spent together. They ended up in Severus’ large bed twined around each other after another energetic bout. Closed-eyed kisses as they dissolved into sleep. Thus was the pattern set. For the next year or so.

xxxxxxx


“So. Now you know, all the sordid details”. Harry’s brow creased as he regarded his best friend. On a serious note, he asked, “How’s your mum?”. Hermione sniffed, “She’s fine. She’s come to terms with it over the years. Daddy knows. She went to a Muggle High School and finished with the Wizarding world until I came along. It did give her anxieties when she sent me here, but they offset it with the knowledge that I’d get my training, and I’ve never given them cause to worry, even when we’ve been embroiled hip-deep in adventures”. She looked down, “I’m still in shock, though. I’ll get over it, I suppose”, she gave a small dry laugh, “Like I have to get over what I, er, saw, last week. O Gods, Harry, I’m really sorry. I should have said something, alerted you, but to be honest, I just wanted to know, who’ve you been hiding from us. D’you blame me?”.

Harry chuckled, “Shit, ‘Mione, even if you’d said something, you’d have still seen him and saved us all red faces”. She dipped her head again and told him her thoughts from the day, the negative as well as the positive, then re-iterated her question before the revelation about her mother. She brushed Harry’s cheek with her hand, “Can I be your maid-of-honour then, at your wedding?”. Harry grinned at her then and she ruffled his hair, “And I’d love to see your ring if I may?”.

Severus walked in as Hermione was examining it on it’s chain, her and Harry’s heads pressed together, they were grinning at each other. Severus stood a moment and watched them, then coughed politely, drawing their eyes. “It’s break-time now. You must be getting on to your next class, if you’re up to it, Hermione?”. They’d missed the entire lesson. They cast panicked glances at each other. Severus smiled at them and pulled two small pieces of parchment to him on his desk, running his right hand lightly over both, then handed them one each, “The notes of today’s lesson and your revision assignments for Friday”. They thanked him and made to leave. Harry turned and winked at his lover and mouthed, “See you later, love”. Severus grinned back and Hermione caught it, “You know, sir, you should do that more often, it suits you”. Severus snapped his haughty face back in an eyeblink, “What, and have my reputation totally ruined”, he rolled his eyes dramatically. They laughed and left.

xxxxxxxxx

The next few weeks were sheer madness as the NEWTS loomed closer. Four heads bent over library books. Between them, Draco and Hermione were keeping Ron’s feckless nose to the grindstone. Harry grinned as he watched them bickering in low voices, then lowered his head and set about missing Sev again. Merlin!. It was only Tuesday and he ached for him.

They’d decided that Harry should be back in his own bed reluctantly, just meeting one day a week, then Severus had an exhausting day with the onslaught of a horny and frustrated Harry, usually out at the glade. This time when they came to collect their cloaks, if she was in the tree, then Hermione would greet them, calling down from her branch to alert them. The third Sunday, they invited her to join them. She packed up her gear and slithered down the tree. “We’ve still got some wine or lager, which would you prefer, Miss Granger?”, a slow smile, a laconic drawl. “It’s ‘Hermione’, sir, and if the wine is chilled white, then wine. If not, and the lager is cold, then a lager please, it’s bloody hot today”.

Harry passed her an icy can. She rolled it over heated cheeks and forehead, then popped the top and took a long swallow. She belched delicately, excused herself and finished the can in a few gulps. She crushed the empty, “Fuck, that was good. Any more?”. Harry handed over another which disappeared as quickly as the first. The third she opened and sipped from, then leant back in the grass and let the hit wash over her. Harry glanced at his lover then his friend, “Er, ‘Mione, have you been, erm, smoking today, by any chance?”. She turned an incandescent grin his way and nodded, “Even the smartest student in school has to lose it from time to time”.

“Got any left?”, despite the fact that there was no-one to overhear, his voice dropped to a whisper. By way of reply, she rummaged around in her bag and drew forth a battered old baccy tin and extracted three single-skin blunts and a lighter. She flicked the Bic, lit the first and passed it to Harry, the next she offered to her teacher, not without a giggle at the incongruity of the situation, then lit the third for herself. Severus looked a little nonplussed.

“What exactly is this, you two?”. Both of them were drawing expertly on the joints, holding the smoke, then releasing it through their noses. He followed suit and coughed himself red in the face. Harry giggled and patted his back. He took a drag then opened his mouth over his lover’s breathing the smoke into his mouth. This didn’t hurt nearly so much. They smoked both joints this way. Severus slumped suddenly against Harry his skin cold, a clammy sweat on his brow. Harry held him until he warmed again. Hermione pressed a glass of wine into his hand. “The wine heats the blood, the dope heats the senses. Ride it, let it carry you”. She left two more small blunts on their cloaks and rose, “I need to find Ginny. I need to get back. Cheers for the beer. See you later”. She blew them both a kiss and wobbled back to the castle, hitching her bag higher on her shoulder.

Heading across the grass, she gave in to temptation and turned. Harry was sprawled atop his lover, their mouths meshing, hands everywhere. She saw Snape’s body arch into Harry’s touch and turned back, laughing.

Severus was totally intoxicated, worshipping Harry’s taut body with his tongue. Harry writhed and bucked, then flipped them over, straddling his beloved, slowly stripping him. Severus murmured, “Tell me, Harry, what is this stuff?”. Harry responded by dipping his tongue into Severus’ bellybutton then carrying on down, undoing, then lowering pants, underclothes, then capturing that delicious length in his mouth. In the tiny corner of his rational mind that remained, Severus had to agree with Hermione. His senses had never been so awake.

Eventually they lay in a boneless heap, sharing a lingering kiss. As they parted slightly, Harry reached for one of the blunts and the lighter, setting it alight and taking a deep drag, then holding it to Sev’s mouth. They smoked in companionable silence as the day waned. “Come on, Harry, what is this?. Answer me. Is this Pot?” Harry smiled lazily then nodded, “D’you like it?”. Severus laid back, taking small hits from the joint then passed it on, “Can we obtain more if we want to?” Harry laughed aloud, “Yes. The, erm, Weasley twins grow their own strain, from Dutch stock”. He clamped his mouth with his hand, “I shouldn’t have said that. This is illegal in both worlds, the Magical and Mundane”.

Severus’ smile was lazy and totally stoned, “Why does this not surprise me?”, he enquired laconically, until Harry shut him up with a kiss that tore the breath from him. Then totally capitulated and let Harry make love to him, spread him, take him. No touches. He came a storm, Harry fucking him slowly, showing more restraint than he ever had before, the weed coursing through him, a few more of those bone-shaking deep thrusts, and Harry fell into his beloved’s arms, a total mess. Laughing and resplendent.

They staggered back to Severus’ rooms. Harry under his invisibility cloak. Severus locked and warded the door. Harry ditched invisibility, then his clothes, inviting his lover to him, naked and wanting. That delightful weight pressing him to the bed. He was taken, then taken again as their energies resurged, then in the quiet of the night, he gently took his beloved again, slightly bloodshot eyes regarding each other. Severus’ sighs reverberating against his throat.

In the afterglow, Harry lit the last joint. They shared it, then stubbed the remains out. That night, they slept the sleep of the dead.

xxxxxxxx

Harry awoke in a panic, until Severus soothed him, “Another three hours yet, until the start of your first paper. Let’s relax a little”. His tongue making it’s slow, wet way along Harry’s nervy body and sucked him, forcing Harry’s body up off the bed. After Harry had finished, Severus refused all attempts on him, gently slapping Harry’s arse, directing him shower-wards. In minutes, Harry presented some semblance of normality, then was gently pushed out with a kiss and a “Good luck, Harry”.

The next two weeks passed in a blur. One paper after another. At night, each fretted over the temporary loss of the other, while each accepted that this was the best way to do things. Frustration sharpened Harry’s mind. As he entered the exam hall for the final time, he spotted Draco balled up in his seat, flicked a glance at Ron, equally frustrated. Hermione was curled around her own thoughts as Severus called them to order.

Ginny waited outside the Hall as Hermione barrelled out and enveloped her in a huge hug. Her exams were over, for good or ill. Ginny’s brother followed. His tongue already down Draco’s throat. They pulled away long enough to gaze deep into each other’s eyes, then Ron yanked at the front of Draco’s robes, and in a trance, Draco followed. They disappeared in a haze of flapping robes and pure lust.

Harry watched as his best friends were claimed by their lovers and felt a pang. He sat for a moment, dejected, as the hallway cleared of his fellow students, then as the last person disappeared, he felt warm arms around him, a hot mouth on his neck, He moaned and tipped his head backwards against Severus’ shoulder, weariness etched on his face, his skin pale, a frownline was starting between his eyes. Severus turned him to face him and held him tight as Harry buried his face in his neck, shaking. “Thank fuck that’s over”, he mumbled.

Severus gently lifted Harry’s face and kissed his brow. “Come back with me now. You need to eat and sleep. I bet you’ve not had much of either lately”. Harry nodded and picked up his bag. In a quiet corridor, he donned the invisibility cloak and in minutes they were both in Snape’s rooms. Harry collapsed on the sofa kicking off his shoes and spreading out full length, an arm flung up behind his head, the other gently clutching his ring through his shirt. He was fast asleep in about two seconds flat.

He walked back in to his living room with a loaded tray of tea and fancies to tempt his young lover’s jaded palate, then stopped in the middle of the room and lowered the tray to the coffee table. He went over and knelt beside the sofa regarding Harry in sleep. He couldn’t keep the big silly grin off his face, “Merlin!. You are adorable, you sweet creature, you”, he whispered, then leaned over and gently kissed and tongued the triangle of skin on Harry’s hip, that his untucked shirt revealed. Harry moved slightly and murmured in his sleep, the smallest smile on his face.

With a sigh, Severus rose to his feet, and gently removed Harry’s glasses, planted a kiss in his hair and went and sat at his desk, pulling a heap of marking towards him, and set to work, every now and then casting a glance at his sleeping lover over his shoulder. Three more weeks. That’s all. Three more weeks. Then they were both out of here.

He’d not had time to tell Harry yet. Of the conversations he’d had with Dumbledore. Who had begged him not to leave, while at the same time trying to extract from him the reason why? First he feinted the excuse of his perfume making becoming more lucrative than teaching, then parried with being tired of teaching and wishing to enjoy new challenges.

Then he looked up into Dumbledore’s penetrating stare and squirmed like a nervous first-year. Albus’ voice was gentle, “I would rather hear this from you, Severus, not from the Press”. His mind reeled, he really did owe the man before him his life. He leaned forward and buried his head in his hands, indecision wracking him. He suddenly huffed out a long breath and made up his mind. He looked directly into Dumbledore’s eyes, then told him the real reason.

Albus didn’t display any emotion beyond a widening of the eyes and a deeper intake of breath, “Are you sure, Severus?”. The dark-haired man looked up into those wise old eyes, any guile stripped from his own and nodded, “He wears my ring, albeit on a chain around his neck. He has accepted me”. His voice dropped to a whisper, “I love him more than life itself”, his eyes lowered.

The Headmaster reached out and lifted Severus’ face. Saw the rage of emotion behind the other man’s eyes. “Severus, I have had, on many occasions, to rely upon your wisdom, your dry wit and your common sense. I still trust them, as much as I ever have”. He smiled then, “Be happy, both of you, for as long as you have. If he has to kill then he will need someone to lean on, someone to pick up the pieces. And if.... things work out to the contrary?”. Snape dipped his head, “I think of this constantly. I know of the Prophecy. I wish it could be other than this”, his voice faltered, “But I still want him, even though our time together may be short”, he sighed, then squeezed his eyes shut, tears escaping.
He reeled away from Dumbledore’s quarters, keeping his head down, stumbling into his own rooms minutes later, sinking to the sofa, head in hands. He allowed himself a short wallow, then he stood ironing out the tense kinks in his back and went to invigilate Arithmancy 2. As the heads of his NEWTS students bowed over their papers, he sought out just one, watching him spill ink, fluster over a broken quill, until he glided up to his desk and pressed a fresh quill into nervous hands, receiving a “Thank you, sir”, in return. The dark head looked into his eyes for a fraction of a second. An incandescent smile, then bent over his work.

xxxxxxxxx

The final night. The final meal at Hogwart’s. Except for a rushed breakfast in the morning. Dumbledore rose to his feet, pressing his wand to his throat and murmuring Sonorus. “Well, another class about to leave us. I wish you all well on your chosen paths. A teacher leaves us also. Let me take this opportunity to thank Severus Snape for all the hard work he has put in to make Hogwart’s students the most sought-after employees in the Magical world. His contribution to this school will be sorely missed. I hope all of you will join with me in wishing him every happiness for his future”. He hefted his goblet aloft. The bereft Slytherins lifted theirs. From the other three tables, nothing. Then Severus’ eyes caught the Gryffindor table, a lone toastee, goblet held aloft, a big grin behind it. Harry.

Ron snagged his arm as they left the dining hall, “Why did you toast the greasy old git?. Myself, I’m glad to see the back of him. I wish he’d left years ago”. Harry said nothing, he just smiled.

Harry used the chaos that reigned after breakfast the next day to slip unseen down to the dungeons. Severus welcomed him with a kiss then went back to his last minute packing. Harry wandered into the middle of the room and looked around. His lover’s home for the last twenty years reduced to a heap of boxes and tea-chests. The finality of it all hit Harry hard in the chest. He smiled slightly and blinked back tears. He must have sniffed, for the next thing he knew, he was encircled by comforting arms, a soft kiss into his neck, he leant back into the touches and sighed, “Aren’t you just a teeny bit scared, Sev?. I know I am”.

He felt rather than heard Severus’ low chuckle against his shoulder, “If you must know, I’m bloody terrified, Harry, but I still want to do this. My main fear is that you’ll have a change of heart”. By way of reply, Harry fished the chain out from the neck of his t-shirt, fiddled with the clasp until it undid and slid the ring from it. He fastened it up again, it was a pretty little thing and he had grown used to it. He turned in his lover’s arms so they faced each other. He held the ring up, “Ask me again, Sev”, he whispered.

With slightly trembling fingers, Severus took hold of the ring and in a fluid move dropped to one knee. Harry looked down, shocked. The older man smiled, “Well, isn’t this how it’s supposed to be done?”, he arched a brow. Harry forgot to breathe. “Harry James Potter, will you do me the honour of becoming my spouse?. Will you marry me, Harry?”.

Harry giggled and blushed, then reached down and trailed light fingertips over his beloved’s face. They held each other’s gaze. Harry could feel his eyes tearing and his breathing catch, “Yes, Sev, I will. I want to be yours forever and you to be mine”. He felt a tear slide down his cheek as Severus carefully placed the ring on the third finger of Harry’s left hand, then stood. Their gazes didn’t waver as they drew closer and kissed, long and slow. As it threatened to become passionate, Severus drew away, “Come on, Harry, my love. You must go or you’ll miss the train”. They had discussed this many times. Harry was determined to take a last ride on the Hogwart’s Express. Severus was equally determined that he was not going to travel on the train, “Merlin!, Harry, surrounded for eight and a half hours with a host of schoolkids. No. I’ll meet you at King’s Cross. Then tonight, my love, Paris”.

Harry reluctantly left after a final kiss. He rushed up to his dorm to lug his trunk downstairs, plunged back into the maelstrom of School life and departure. He deposited his trunk with the others and hared back for a leather weekend bag and Hedwig in her cage.

The station was a hive of activity. Harry went and had a word with the guard, Ron saw him press several Galleons into his hand as Harry then stuck special labels on his luggage, then hopped aboard with the others. They found a carriage and by sheer dint of threatening to hex the next person that attempted entry into the middle of next week, ensured that they had it all to themselves, themselves being Harry, Ron, Draco, Hermione and Ginny.

Harry tossed the bag into the luggage rack, then slumped into a window seat, his hands shoved into his pockets, his feet on the seat opposite, legs crossed at the ankles. It was with misty eyes that four of the five watched Hogsmeade station become further and further distant as the train pulled away and started to pick up speed.
They were all quiet for a while. Ron broke the silence, “It’s weird, I’ve been looking forward to leaving all year, but now I’ve actually left, I know I’m gonna miss the place”. Various murmurs of assent around the compartment. Ginny stayed quiet. She knew that one year on, she would probably feel the same way. She wrapped her arms around her lover and rested her head on her shoulder. Hermione grinned and held her girlfriend in return, dropping a kiss into that rich red hair.

Ron pulled Draco to his side, loosely draping his arm across the blond’s shoulders. “Whaddya say, Ferret. Shall we get pissed then, or what?”. Draco laughed and kissed his boyfriend, “Weasel, that sounds like a capital idea. Allow me”. Hermione still found it funny that their barbed names for each other were now terms of affection.

The boys dug two large bottles of aged firewhisky from their persons and uncapped the first. They took two generous slugs each and Ron handed the bottle to Ginny. She tipped a little into Hermione’s mouth amidst much giggling, Hermione having to wipe her chin as she swallowed. Ginny took a pull, then handed the bottle across the compartment to Harry.

“Earth to Harry. Come in, please”. Harry turned his head, breaking his reverie. She held the bottle out. Without thinking he pulled his left hand from his jeans pocket and reached for it, to be stopped by a vice-like grip around his wrist. Draco.

“Whoa, what have we here, Harry Potter?. Take a look at this little bauble, folks”. He displayed Harry’s ring for them all to see. Harry flushed deep crimson and looked up into four pairs of eyes trained on him. Three shocked, one amused. “I think it’s time you told them, Harry”, Hermione’s voice was low and clear.

Harry twisted his wrist out of Draco’s grasp, then grabbed the bottle, taking several long burning swallows as something clicked in Draco’s head, “Them, Hermione?, not ‘us’?. You bloody know, don’t you?”. It was Hermione’s turn to blush. She nodded once, “Yes, I’ve known for about two months. Harry, please”.

He took another fortifying swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, then handed the bottle on. He took several deep breaths as he felt the alcohol loosen his smile and his inhibitions, “This ring is exactly what it looks like. It’s an Engagement ring. I’m going to be married, as soon as Muggle legislation allows, which I believe will be a year, more or less, come Christmas. Laws allowing same-sex marriages to take place. Oh, and Hermione?, he says he’d be, and I quote, ‘honoured and delighted’ to have you as our chief bridesmaid”.

A brown-haired blur dived into Harry’s lap. She enveloped him in a huge hug, knocking his specs askew, kissing his cheek vehemently, then resumed her seat, “The honour and delight will be all mine, Harry. Just don’t stick me in some god-awful meringue frock”. They both laughed. The other three were still trying to process the information given so far. Harry bit his lip and gazed into the puzzled faces. “Come on, guys. It’s actually not that difficult to figure out, if you think about it. My predilection for the older guy....”.

Quietly he put into effect some of Sev’s wandless magic training and disarmed the three of them, then gathered the three wands together and held them before his face, “A little trick he taught me. I’d very much like to be in one piece to meet him at King’s Cross”. Ron, Ginny and Draco patted at their clothes, they were wandless.

Ron clawed a hand through his hair, totally confused, “Was that necessary, Harry?, I mean, I know I can fly off the handle sometimes”, he glanced at Draco, “I know I freaked a bit when you started going out with Ferret here, but, well, hey”, he grinned at his lover, who rolled his eyes and grinned back.

Ginny’s face was altogether more serious. She looked at Harry hard, “He’s left School for you, hasn’t he?”. His eyes caught hers and he swallowed involuntarily. “Yes”, he whispered. She turned to her brother and his boyfriend, “Come on, thickoes, older man, not pupil, left School today. Join the dots”.

They looked at each other, blond and redhead, appalled looks creeping over their faces along with realisation. As one they turned to a beetroot Harry, “Erm, oh shit. Harry, are you mad?. Are you serious?. You’re marryin’ Snape?”.

Harry was biting his bottom lip to stop it quivering. Hermione couldn’t take anymore and moved across the carriage again and plopped down beside her best friend and took him in her arms. With an air of defiance, he faced his best friend and his lover, “Yes. I’m in love with Sev Snape and he’s in love with me and I’m goin’ to marry him as soon as we can”. His eyes were wet by now. He clutched the wands as they all processed this.

Harry stared out of the train window, well, he’d said it. He cast occasional nervous glances at the others. Hermione was still sitting next to him. She’d released him, but still held his hand, squeezing it gently to send her re-assurances. The silence thickened. The train went over points, jostling them all about a bit, breaking the trance that lay on the compartment.

Ron lifted his head from his hands, “This is officially weird, Harry. Yes, I’m in shock, but, strangely enough, I have no desire to kill you, or him, for that matter, although I’ve no idea why”. Harry allowed himself to smile. Draco just shook his head, smiling slightly, “Harry, are you the reason that he’s been acting something like a human being for the last year or so?”. Harry giggled, “Really?. He’s still been a git to me in class, but then I suppose he’s had to be, you know, maintaining the professional demeanour and all that”. Draco nodded, “He started this discussion group, no holds barred, weekend clothes, we got into all sorts of subjects, race, sexuality. Well, you know”, he shrugged, his pale unMarked forearms on show. “It was as a result of those talks that I decided, well, you know. It’s why I’m in this compartment today”.

Harry nodded, “Wednesday nights, yes?. He was always late back”, his look drifted off, he gazed at the ceiling. A polite cough brought him round. Ginny.

“Harry, if you already have a maid of honour, can I be your flower girl. I think, despite everything, that this is the most romantic thing I ever heard”. Harry shrugged wearing an ear-to-ear grin, “I’ll have to ask him”.

Then the barrage of questions hit as the whiskey was passed from hand to hand. Harry took it and drank, “I didn’t mean to get pissed today, not until tonight, that is”. Hermione giggled, “Okay, what are your plans for tonight, then, Harry?”.

He bit his lower lip and grinned lopsidedly, “I’m going to Paris tonight. Paris’s Rue de Magique has an excellent gay bar, Le Coq Sportif. We’ve, erm, been before, a few times, actually. That’s what comes of having a lover old enough to Apparate. I have three of his Apparation signatures in this ring and I’ve used them loads of times. Fuck, it’s good to be able to talk freely at long last, though when this hits the papers, don’t believe a fuckin’ word, they’ll have it all arse-about-face”. Ron nodded, he’d experienced the Press’s attentions toward Harry over the years, and the lies that they’d promulgated.

At some point, Hermione warded the door to their compartment and fished into her bag for her battered old tobacco tin, a sizeable clutch of ready-rolled blunts within. She lit each of five and handed them out. The first bottle was empty and Draco popped the cap on the second. He took a deep drag on his joint then raised the bottle, “You’re fucking mad, the pair of you. To Harry and Severus”, he took a long swallow, handed the bottle to his lover. Ron’s eyes bored into Harry’s, He lifted the bottle, “I don’t begin to understand the attraction, Harry, but I can see your face. Every time his name’s mentioned you either blush or grin or both. Who the fuck am I to take that away from you?. You deserve a bit of fun, Harry, and for whatever reason, Snape provides this for you”, his confused diatribe brought the biggest smile to Harry’s face.

He rose, a bit wobbly, budged Draco along the seat and dropped beside his best friend and hugged the breath from him. He grabbed the bottle and swigged long and hard, “Ron, be my best man, please?”. Arms around each other, their gazes held. Ron slowly nodded, “Yeah, okay”, then the two of them grinned like loonies and held each other tight. Then Ron drew back, hefted the bottle at Harry and said, “You mad git, I love you, be happy. Congrats to Harry and Snape”, he drank. Hermione took the bottle from him and hoisted it, gazing thoughtfully at the assembled company, “To love, to life, to the Light, to happiness, to us all, to Harry and Severus, may your love be everlasting, and if he ever hurts you, know this, I’ll hunt him down and have his bollocks for breakfast”, she took a long drink as the boys around her winced and her girlfriend giggled.

Ginny took the bottle, he eyes muzzy and phased, “To Harry and Snape. He’s good, but you’re better. Wizards, that is. Be happy forever. I love romance and you’ve kept this hidden, for how long?, nearly eighteen months. It must be love. Be happy Harry, and if he breaks your heart, ‘Mione and I will be well and truly on his case”, she slurred and drank.

The rest of the bottle was drunk between them, several joints consumed, flicking the roaches through the window into the passing English countryside. It was with a deep feeling of satisfaction, that Harry dozed off. Around him the conversation was lively until, one by one, they all slept.

Harry was the first to wake, casting a mild anti-hangover charm, then an abluere to rid his mouth of the stale whisky. He went to the loo and returned, gently rousing his friends. “We’ll be in London in about fifteen minutes. Come on, wake up”. Draco and Ron were in an undignified heap, Draco’s hair all over the place. Harry recalled with a pang, that this was how he’d liked him most; all rumpled and a bit messed up, then Ron turned over, his lips parting in that sleepy-sexy way he had. Harry looked and bit his lip. How many times had he kissed that lush mouth awake?. He shook his head clear as he remembered and anticipated. Being met. By the man who surpassed these lovable boys. A real man, the thought made him bite his lip again. He turned his attention to the girls. He bent and kissed Hermione’s cheek. They’d shared a bad night, the sex a disaster, only serving to remind them of the side each should bat for, but after they’d given up on the sex, they’d had a lovely night, hugging and talking, nibbling munchies and sharing several cans between them. A new intimacy opening up.

Ginny was the only unknown quantity to him. He shook her shoulder gently. “C’mon, Gin, time to wake up. We’re nearly in London”.

Gradually everyone came to their senses. Harry handed their wands back and all cleaned breath, then cured hangovers, wincing as they moved about the compartment, tidying and gathering up their stuff. Harry was bristling with anticipation as the train drew up alongside platform 9 and ¾’s.

He left the compartment, going to the door before anyone else, his weekend bag at his feet. He lowered the window as the train slowed, raking the platform with his eyes. There he was. Seated on a bench. In jeans and a collarless shirt, a few buttons undone, bare feet thrust into sandals, his hair tied back, the two tiny rings in his left ear showing, his leg crossed over the other, ankle over knee, his arms flung out across the back of the bench. Harry’s breath caught at the sight, his mouth drying.

The train stopped. Harry was out of the door first. The other four burst onto the platform scant moments later, to see Harry running. Stopping a foot from his lover. Harry’s fists balled beside him. Then he closed the gap, taking his beloved in his arms, running one hand up his lover’s back, the other pulling the band from his queue and royally messing up that soft black hair. They faced each other, panting, from millimetres away, then drew together, heads tipping, mouths opening, then claimed each other with such passion. They separated slightly, a circle of two. “Well that’s us out, babe”, Harry murmured. Then they moved away. There was a deafening silence on the platform behind them.

Ron sighed as Draco draped himself around his shoulders, “Can I believe that I’m actually checking out the arse of the guy who’s made my life a misery for the last seven years”. Draco gave his boyfriend a kiss and a sidelong look, “He’s fucking hot in street clothes, isn’t he?”. Hermione giggled, “I’m not into men, but dressed like that, I must confess, he’s a handsome enough specimen”. Ginny was still stunned by it all, “Did you see the look on Harry’s face?. Both of their faces actually. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Snape look happy before. It’s taken ten years off him. I still have this feeling I should be disgusted, but now I’ve seen them together....”, her voice tailed off.

Harry glanced over his shoulder, saw their expressions and winked at his friends, “See you soon”, he mouthed. Then he and his beloved moved into the public Apparation spot. Severus grinned at his lover, who gazed ecstatically back, he whipped out his wand, kissed Harry once more, held him close, pointed his wand to a joined spot between them and murmured ‘Paris’. And they both vanished.

To cheers.

The End

xxxxxxx