Intentional Slip

by Laurenke1

Snape told Harry that his hand with Veritaserum might slip over Harry Potter’s pumpkin juice. Harry thought his Professor was bluffing but what if he wasn’t? How will our hero cope with this? And will the Professor get what he wanted? Slash

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.

Note: I was rereading the fourth book and I came to the scene where Snape threatens Harry with the Veritaserum. Snape then says that unless Harry watches his step his hand may slip over Harry's pumpkin juice. Well what if his hand does slip? Let's begin. Veritaserum forces somebody to tell the truth to any question that is asked so yeah:P.

Summary: Snape told Harry that his hand with Veritaserum might slip over Harry Potter's pumpkin juice. Harry thought his Professor was bluffing but what if he wasn't? How will our hero cope with this? And will the Professor get what he wanted or will he see a different side of Harry Potter?

Title: Intentional slip

Warning: slashiness. Time leap at the very end.

Author: Laurenke1.

Evening meals in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry were loud affairs. Students of all houses sat each at their own table; overseen by their professors and the Headmaster who sat at the Head Table, ready to dock points and to give out detention should anybody fail to obey by the rules.

Harry Potter, fourth year and Champion of Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament, though no fault of his own was for once at ease as he sipped his pumpkin juice. He had successfully survived and completed two of the three tasks and he didn't have to worry about the third task until months away, at the moment, life was good.

He was sitting with his friends, and he was feeling well. It was Friday and all he had to worry about this weekend was the homework that was due next week. At the moment, life was good. Well not good, but well and peaceful. For Harry Potter, peaceful was good.

"So Harry, if I had been taken during the second task would you have waited until I was rescued or would you have just gone up without me?" Harry bit back a groan. Ever since the second task, when Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang and Gabrielle had been taken to the bottom of the lake, Ginny Weasley had been dogging Harry for answers if he would have rescued her as well as he had rescued Fleur Delaceur's sister.

"Of course I would have rescued you." Harry was annoyed but he ground out the truthful answer none the less. He glanced at the side to see a positively happy Ginny as she beamed and purred, leaned her head against his arm.

"Because you like me?"

Harry angrily shook his arm as he said, taking another sip of his pumpkin juice. "No, because you're Ron's sister. He wouldn't have let me live it down, and not to mention your family if I were to let you drown."

It was the first time that Harry had actually spoken his mind. Ginny sputtered beside him and Ron choked on his food. Harry's green eyes widened as he turned to Ginny but she had already risen from the table. Harry only caught her glimpse of her tear stained face before she was gone from the Great Hall.

Embarrassed, he turned back to his friends. Hermione Granger, the bushy haired witch sitting on the opposite side of him scowled fiercely at him as she said. "I know that you don't like Ginny very much but that was no reason to be mean, Harry. Why did you say such a thing to her?"

Ron was still trying to clear his windpipe and it seemed to be the only thing that saved Harry from a smack or an argument. He turned back to meet his friend's eyes and said, cursing himself when he did so.

"Because she is annoying me. I'm not some kitten that she can just pet and things like that. Ever since the Yule Ball when Ron suggested that I should take her, she has been all over me. You would think that I'm a pillow or a blanket she can fuss over."

These had been thoughts that Harry had been thinking for a while but those he had never uttered. He knew it could hurt Ginny and he was too fond of the peace to even try and shatter it with truthful comments.

"Harry James Potter! I know that you're under a lot of stress but that is no reason to be mean to people. Telling the truth is one thing but you can swallow it away if it hurts. Or have you suddenly swallowed a truth serum or something like that?" Harry's breathing caught in his throat as he took another sip of his pumpkin juice.

He put his glass down immediately as if he had been burned and swung around to look at the Head Table. There, besides Professor McGonagall, his head of House was a hooked nose, dark haired, thin, tall man who smirked at him, his black eyes narrowed and Harry knew as he swallowed thickly, that Hermione had been right, he had been given a truth serum.

He resisted the urge to answer Hermione's question, immediately pushing away from the table. He had to get out of here before anybody could ask him any question. So that was the reason why he suddenly answered everything to truthfully. How could he have been so foolish? Snape had practically promised him that he would give him Veritaserum if he caught Harry near his office again.

But Harry hadn't been near Snape's office or his storeroom in the last two years. Sure, Hermione had stolen ingredients back in their second year and Harry always had a feeling that Snape suspected him but the Potions Master couldn't prove it. So what was Snape going to do now? Harry glanced back up at the Head Table and groaned silently, Snape had disappeared.

He looked back at the table, his thoughts running a mile a minute. Alright, just relax, Harry. How long can this truth serum last? You just got to get up and away from this table so that nobody can ask you anything. Okay, just act normally in the corridor or Snape might catch you. Just answer with yes or no, sir and then get out of there. Either get outside or in the dormitory where nobody can find you. Or the loo, I can hide out in the loo, surely nobody can come and find me there. I'll tell them that I'm not feeling well….yeah…

"Harry, where're you going?" Harry rose on none to steady legs as he forced a smile to his face and said.

"I don't feel too well…" He wasn't lying because right now, at this moment he wasn't feeling very well. He just wanted to get out of here and be alone until the potion had worked off, however long that might take.

Ron was eying him strangely but before his best friend could say a word Harry darted out of the Great Hall, pretending that it was an emergency that made him run away from the smell of dinner. Well it was an emergency but not in the way that most people thought. People called out to him but Harry pretended that they weren't there. As long as they didn't ask him anything then he was good.

He hurried into the Entrance Hall, which was deserted at this time of day since all the students were at dinner. Rushing towards the marble staircase a hand suddenly seized him by the scruff of his neck but Harry barely had a moment to shout as he was dragged back and somebody hissed. "Got you! Not so fast, Potter! Has nobody ever taught you that you should not run in the corridors? I think that you need to come with me to discuss your punishment."

Harry struggled against the firm grip before an iron hand clamped down on his shoulder and one who captured him shook him roughly. Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him immediately who had captured him. The deep voice had been his first clue. The only male Professor who possessed such a deep voice, except Hagrid but Hagrid would never manhandle Harry, was Professor Severus Snape.

His second clue was the knowledge that Snape would love to get his hands on Harry after he had fed Harry a truth serum. Harry wrecked his brain trying to come up with a spell to spell his mouth shut. Sadly for him, there was no such spell.

His instincts kicked in. The first instinct that he had ever learned to obey at the Dursleys and that was just to hang still and just cooperate. He had learned the hard way that struggle would only mean more pain and punishment later.

So Harry allowed Snape to push him forward. Instinctively he knew that his Professor wouldn't harm him, well not too much anyway but he was still fearful. Snape was a man who liked being in control and Harry had always hated relinquishing it. It had been what made him feel so bad whenever he had been locked in his cupboard, well that and the tiny space.

He had to practically run to keep up with Snape's longer strides as he fought his rising panic. Here he was, under a truth serum and going to be in the same room with his hated Professor. Snape would surely ask him questions, questions that Harry had to answer truthfully.

Ever since his Professor had threatened him with the Veritaserum, he had done some research on it to be prepared. He hadn't liked what he had read. There were only two defenses against the subjection to Veritaserum and that was the antidote or the something called Occlumency, or whatever the bloody hell that was.

So basically Harry had more chance to learn how to fly without a broom then to be able to resist Snape's questioning. He tried to focus on his surroundings and not on the painful cramping of his stomach, because he would surely puke up his dinner.

They were in the dungeons, just outside Snape's office and Harry was shoved forward. The door opened before he could bang his head against it and Harry stepped into the circular, dark and damp office. He stepped inside, glancing back to see Snape close the door behind him and smile nastily at Harry. Okay, I guess running away is out of the question.

Harry took a deep breath as Snape snapped. "Sit down, Potter!"

The older wizard stalked past Harry, his arm brushing Harry's shoulder roughly. Harry followed his teacher as Snape approached the desk. The tall wizard pulled back his chair and sat down. Harry took the hard backed one that stood in front of the desk, wincing as he sat down. He still hadn't fully recovered from where the creatures in the water had grabbed him. His ribs were still tender but then again, ever since Uncle Vernon had beaten him so badly when he was ten, they had always been tender.

Snape glared at Harry from across the table before the Potions Master purred. "So tell me, Potter, why were you running in the corridors?"

Damn the man! He is enjoying this…

Harry narrowed his eyes in a glare but then he answered, prompted by the potion. "I was trying to get away from the Great Hall."

"And what was the emergency that you had to get away that you had to resort to running?" Snape's smirk was deadly.

"I wasn't feeling very well and I was trying to get to a loo, sir!" Harry growled. He glared at Snape fiercely, wishing that he was like those muggle comic book heroes and that he could burn holes in Snape with his eyes. The Potions Master steeled his fingers together and regarded Harry for a moment.

The black eyes were partly hidden in the gloom but Harry knew without a doubt what Snape's next question was going to be. "When was the last time that you were in my personal stores, Potter?"

"I was never in your stores, sir or anywhere near them…"

A vein began to throb near Snape's temple, near the roots of his hair and the Potions Master opened his mouth for a moment before he reclaimed control and instead hissed out coldly. "And what about during your second year when one of the Gryffindors threw fireworks in a cauldron that caused the Swelling Solution to spray over several students? Somebody broke into my stores and stole several ingredients needed to create a Polyjuice Potion. So tell me, Potter, if you weren't in my store who was?"

Harry knew he was in trouble the moment the question left Snape's lips and he gulped. He looked around the room but there was no way that he could not answer. He could feel the answer on his tongue as he said. "Hermione was in your stores that day."

He lowered his gaze to the ground. He had sworn to protect his friends but he had failed. He signed before Snape snapped. "Then what was your role in these events?"

"I was the one who threw the fireworks…"

Harry had his gaze lowered to the ground but he startled when Snape was suddenly around the table and Harry was being shaken roughly by the shoulder as the Head of Slytherin house snarled, spittle wetting Harry's face. "Don't you have any brains, Potter? What possibly possessed you to do such a thing? You may not care for your fellow students but even your father wasn't as stupid as to put his friends in danger by throwing fireworks in a violent potion!"

"We just wanted to find out who was opening the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't want to be send home when they closed the school. It is what would have happened if the attacks had continued…I know it was stupid!" Harry tried to pull himself away but Snape refused to release him.

"Why on earth wouldn't you want to return home? Most students would gladly empty their vaults to return home because their school closed and they could forget about the lessons? You always have to be special, don't you…Potter!"

Harry tried to keep his mouth shut but the truth serum prompted him to speak as he whispered. "Because I would gladly be locked in the Chamber of Secrets with the basilisk then to return to the Dursleys and have them lock me in the cupboard and do whatever they want with me because I dared to set foot in their house."

Silence fell heavily around Harry but Harry didn't dare to respond. He wasn't sure if Snape had heard him, though the Head of Slytherin house always seemed to hear everything, even when they whispered something. He glanced up through his fringe, wondering what his teacher was thinking.

The dark eyes were staring into Harry's own with an intensity that was frightening and made Harry's eyes water as he met the black stare unblinkingly. Memories of the time spend in his cupboard, of doing chores at the Dursleys, the many times he hadn't been fed or when Dudley, his fat cousin, did his favorite game of Harry hunting rose to the surface of his mind.

He struggled to push them down as he remembered the times his uncle had hit him or tossed him into the dark space without a thought about Harry's wellbeing or safety. His aunt's cold words as she slammed the door shut and locked it. He broke the stare when he saw a smaller version of himself sobbing at the closed door to his cupboard.

He shook his head firmly but then a hand caught his chin, a hand far gentler then Harry had ever been used to. He would have flinched if he had seen the hand coming, it was hard enough to try and quill the instinct when he can see somebody reaching out to touch him, and though it is harder to do with adults then it is with his school mates.

Snape's hand was very gentle, far gentler then the older wizard had ever been before. The Potions Master forced Harry to meet his gaze as the black eyes searched his face and then the next question had Harry wincing. "So tell me, Mr. Potter, what was your home life like that you would dread to return to it?"

Harry could feel the color draining from his face but the next moment his drugged mind betrayed him as he answered, closing his eyes tightly. "My aunt and uncle hated me. They thought I was a freak because I could do magic and they were afraid that I would harm my cousin, Dudley. I had to cook dinner for them and clean and if I was a good boy and did my chores right then it would mean that I would get food. Please don't ask me to tell you any more, sir…."

"Oh, I think I will. Where did you sleep when you were a little child?"

Harry hid his face as he stared at the floor. He was disgusted with himself for not being able to fight the truth serum. He wanted to hide in his bed until this was over. Why did Snape have to ask all these questions? Couldn't the Professor simply humiliate Harry like he wanted to and then be done with it? It would be so much easier then forcing Harry to speak about his childhood.

"I slept in the cupboard under the stairs, sir." Harry whispered. He inhaled sharply as he heard an angry exclamation bypass his head and curled in further. Fear spiked his belly, making him even queasier then he all was.

He tried to pull free and to create some much needed distance between himself and Snape. He could clearly remember back in his third year when Snape had been so close to losing control when he had confronted Sirius. Harry didn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

The hand withdrew and Harry glanced up as Snape stalked around the office, his robe swirling about his legs as the Professor hissed. "Ever since you set foot in this school you've flaunted your regard for the rules in the faces of those with authority but this year you have done something remarkable stupid, even more so for a Potter. Why did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire? Do you not have any regards for your own safety nor have your relatives managed to beat that out of you? Every year you barely escape with your life, how do you think that you'll escape this time? Tell me why, Potter!"

Snape spun on his heels as he stared at Harry. Harry flinched badly but he couldn't look away as he cried. "But I didn't. I don't want to enter. I don't want the fame. Why would I want to enter my name? I'm too young and if the Weasley twins can't fool the age line Dumbledore then how could I do that? The past few years I've only managed on luck, not on skill. Why would I want to put myself in danger knowingly?"

"Perhaps because you are looking for a way to induce your fame even more?" Snape sneered. Harry stood gaping and then he shouted, cursing the truth serum even more.

"Why would I want or welcome the fame? What makes you think that I would look kindly upon my fame? I don't want to be famous! I don't want this ugly scar upon my head! I don't want the reason why I'm famous! If I could trade it all in to get one moment with my parents I would. Don't you think I would rather have my parents here then to have people fawning over me and pretending that they know me or that they can have a say in my life because I supposing rid the world of an evil dark lord? I would trade it all in just to have somebody who saw me! Me, Harry, not the one who survived the killing curse as a child that killed his parents…"

"Silencio!" Harry fell silent as Snape whirled his wand upon him. He was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath as each breath caught in his throat painfully with a sob that was threatening to break free.

Snape approached him, one hand outstretched and his wand in his other hand as the Professor softly said. "You need to calm down, Potter. Hysterics isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to speak since I have questions that I demand an answer to."

Harry's eyes burned as he stared at the floor. You're the one who gave it to me and all you want is answers to your questions. I'm so sick of people refusing to see me….

He sucked in a deep breath through his tight throat but he glanced up as Snape softly asked. "Mr. Potter?"

Perhaps it was the way the green eyes burned with resentment and unshed tears, a plea that was send out to any adult who would listen but so far none had done so or perhaps it had been Harry's earlier confession but the Professor sighed and then softly said. "Perhaps we better talk in an environment that would put you more at ease, Potter. My office is not best for these kinds of chats. Come along."

Harry's eyes were wide but he glanced back at the door to the office as the door behind Snape's desk opened. The Professor glanced back at him and softly said. "I'm not going to harm you, Potter. We are merely going into my private quarters where you can speak freely about your relatives and your treatment at their hands."

The dark eyes regarded him solemnly but Harry wasn't sure what prompted him to move. He slouched forward carefully, past Snape, his hand tightening in his pocket upon the handle of his wand but he was very surprised when Snape reached out to gently push him forward, the touch oddly warm against Harry's ice cold body.

Oh god, I hope he isn't going to ask any embarrassing questions. I mean, I can take it if he just wants to chat about the Dursleys but if he is going to ask me why I started to doze off in Potions, I'm screwed. I can't help it that he has such a wicked voice. I'm a freak that I fantasize and dream about his voice.

Harry's eyes opened wide behind his glasses. He hadn't anticipated that the private quarters of his Potions Master would be so welcoming. He glanced back at Snape to see that the thin lips had curled into a smile as Snape purred. "Surprised?"

Harry could feel his face heat up and he quickly focused his attention on the living room ahead of him. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace and the main colors in the room were a dark red and a dark brown. Strangely, Harry felt at ease almost immediately.

The walls were covered in books though one wall was left blank with two windows that showed the lake. Harry frowned at that until he realized that they must have been charmed to show whatever Snape wanted to see.

"Finite!" Harry released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding as Snape released the silence spell he had placed upon Harry. The Professor gestured towards the leather couch that stood in front of the fireplace and after one last glance towards the tall man; Harry walked forward and sat down.

Snape walked around the couch and sat down in the chair opposite the couch. The older wizard glanced at Harry for a moment and then asked. "Would you care for some tea, Potter before I start to explain what we are going to do?"

Harry gave a nod. He didn't trust his voice to speak and Snape Summoned a house elf. Harry was glad to see that it wasn't Dobby since he didn't think he could deal with having the enthusiastic house elf here at the moment. He rubbed at his eyes.

This day had started out remarkably well and now this had happened. How had he managed to get stuck in this room with Snape of all people? If Harry had been truthful with himself, he had never been afraid of his feelings for Cho to become public but more his feelings for Snape.

True he didn't like the man, well, not really, at least not the way Snape threatened him but there was something about Snape that drew Harry in. He was interested and he wasn't even sure why. Perhaps if Snape had been a nicer man than Harry could have blamed it on something other than him being a freak…

"What're you thinking about, Potter?"

"You." Harry could feel his face turning bright red as the answer slipped out. He dared to glance up at Snape to find the dark eyes widen slightly before the Potions Master leaned forward and purred.

"And just what exactly were you thinking about, Mr. Potter?" Harry couldn't decipher Snape's feelings from the older wizard's tone as he softly said, knowing he had to answer.

"Your voice…sir…"

"And what is it about my voice that you were thinking about?"

"Just how deep it is and how much I like it." Harry whispered. He glanced up at Snape through his fringe before the older wizard purred.

"And that is the reason why you drift off in Potions so many times?"

Harry could only nod. He hid his burning gaze, knowing that Snape's only intend was to mock him. He glanced up when Snape got to his feet to pour some tea and set a cup down in front of Harry as he asked softly. "So you drift off because you like my voice? Is there anything else about me you fantasize about, Mr. Potter?"

Snape's voice was even but oddly soft and Harry took a deep breath as he whispered. "I don't know why I would fantasize about your voice…it isn't like you use it for anything else then to belittle me. Though I suppose that it would be nice to think that you could use it to whisper nice things to me…but nobody else whispers nice things to me but then you're the only voice I like so I suppose that it is only natural for a freak like me to get off on your voice and my imagination."

The silence between them deepened as Harry wondered if Snape had even heard him. He wanted to glance up when Snape asked. "What is it that you feel when you listen to my voice or when you think about it and imagine about it?"

Harry could feel his face burning as he confessed. "I feel pleasant and…aroused…I feel safe when I imagine that you like me and tell me that I'm doing well and help me. I lie in bed at night and it helps to make me fall asleep when I've had a nightmare. I just imagine that you tell me it is alright to have a nightmare and that somebody is stroking my hair and helping me calm down. But it isn't alright; it is unnatural to dream about men and to hope that somebody will help you when you know that nobody ever will."

Harry chanced to glance up to see Snape's eyes darken even more in disapproval. He immediately looked away, knowing that with his little confession he had made Snape hate him even more. Something churned inside of him and he curled up further, trying to hide himself from the black gaze.

"I suppose that your relatives are to blame for the nonsense you're sprouting?"

Harry's stomach dropped with a feeling Harry didn't want to recognize before he jumped to his feet and shouted. "It isn't nonsense! It is the truth! You're the one I dream about when I have a nightmare and I want somebody to calm down! It isn't okay to think about a teacher in that way, a teacher that hates you and…." He took a deep breath before he hissed, turning on quick feet. "…I know that I'm not wanted but sometimes I just want somebody to like me and to protect me instead of telling me to grow up and to stop dreaming and expecting! Well, fine! I hope you had a grand old time, sir. Now I know when I'm not wanted, at least the Dursleys have taught me that much…."

His heart was surely breaking because even when Harry had never dared to admit it even to himself, he had always held a small hope that someone, preferably Snape, would see him for who he was and who would understand him. He had never dared to talk it over with his Professor because he knew how Snape was going to react but still, he had hoped.

But now, he was feeling like he had done when he had asked Cho to the Yule Ball and she had said that she had already been asked. Only, this seemed to hurt even more. It was almost like his heart was trying to break into little pieces. There was a numbness spreading through Harry but even before he could reach the door, Snape said.

"I did not mean to dismiss your feelings as nonsense, Harry, even I'm not such a cruel man! The nonsense I was referring to is the uttermost bullshit that you were sprouting about it being unnatural that you rock yourself to sleep at night after a nightmare when you think about somebody who you draw comfort from. That and your feelings of attraction to males are not unnatural in the slightest."

Mouth opening in shock, Harry turned around to stare at Snape. The older wizard had leaned forward in his chair and was regarding him before Snape rose with a graceful ease Harry had been secretly jealous off and got to his feet as he approached Harry.

The older wizard held up his empty hands to show he meant no harm and when he came within touching distance of Harry, he rested a hand on Harry's shoulder as he said. "It is a testimony about your strength of character that you would share your feelings with somebody you think hates you…."

"I don't have much of a choice, now do I? The Veritaserum forces me to tell the truth to any question somebody asks."

Much to Harry's surprise and dismay Snape smirked and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I only added two drops. The Veritaserum stopped working the moment you set foot in my private quarters. I suppose because of your agitated state you did not feel the compelling to answer disappear."

Oh god, Harry felt like he was going to be sick. His face heated up before he could feel the color leaving his face. He had been the one to say everything about his feelings towards Snape and not the truth serum? Oh dear, Merlin no, please, somebody kill me now! Where is Voldemort when you need him?

He leaned his head forward, feeling the world tilt dangerously as his hands groped for something to steady himself on. Arms held him and Snape softly whispered. "Just take deep breaths, the feeling will pass."

"I doubt it." Harry muttered.

Much to his surprise Snape chuckled softly and Harry glanced up from where he had hidden his face in the man's robe. The dark eyes positively gleamed in the soft light of the room and then the corners of Snape's mouth curled up in what he could describe as a smile. Harry felt like beaming.

"I know that in your teenage mind you think that this is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you but even you are not as dimwitted as to think that nothing good can come out of this. If I had wanted to dismiss your feeling as unimportant and wanted to humiliate you, I would dose you with Veritaserum once more and send you to the Slytherin Common Room. So my keeping you here is a testimony of my own feelings."

"There was a compliment in there somewhere, I'm sure but would you kindly explain what you mean by your own feelings? I'm very dimwitted at the moment."

For some reason Harry had never been so coy before but Snape merely smirked and shifted slightly so he could look Harry in the eye and said. "If somebody had dosed me with Veritaserum at the moment and asked me about my feelings for you, I would have to admit that they have only deepened and my sense of protection towards you has increased, especially in light of events of how your relatives threatened you."

"And are those deepening feelings good or bad? I mean if you hate me more then I should better go."

"I haven't hated you for many years now, Harry. Yes, I may have feelings of anger or rage towards you but hate is not one of them. You are a dunderhead who rushes into situations without thinking about the consequences but I haven't hated you since your third year…."

"Uhm, how come?" Harry had to know, he really had to.

"Lupin prattles rather a lot, especially at me when I brought him his goblet of the Wolfsbane Potion. I suppose he didn't have anybody else to prattle to but most of his prattle happened to be about you and especially about what you saw when you were around Dementors. I suppose, knowing Lupin, he had been trying to make me see that you were not a copy of James Potter but rather your own person. Much to his credit and my displeasure, it worked…"

"You don't like to think of me as anything else but a copy of my dad?"

"Yes and no, it certainly makes my task of trying to keep you safe a lot easier if messy feelings are involved but I suppose that statement is moot now anyway. Though I suppose it would make it easier if I took a more active role in your education then I'm doing now."

"And that means?"

"That means that I'm willing to act as a guardian at school should you have the desire to see one. Black is your godfather and he should be the one you go to outside of this school but since the methods of communication are being watched, perhaps you could be persuaded to go to another person with your problems."

And as Harry met Snape's dark eyes, he smiled and said, without any aid from a truth serum. "That would be brilliant."

Hp

Despite Snape's well hidden guidance in his fourth year, the Potions Master hadn't been able to prevent Harry from seeing Voldemort return, nor being able to prevent Harry from returning to the Dursleys that summer. And much to Harry's shame and displeasure it didn't stop him from viewing Snape's pensieve during his fifth year when they had Occlumency lessons.

In hindsight, his violation of Snape's trust might have been what had contributed to Sirius' death. Harry had all the time in the world to think about it during that horrible summer after his firth year. He had send an owl to Snape to explain things and begged him to help him because despites Harry's increasing feelings towards the Potions Master, feelings of a romantic notion, Snape had helped Harry bear the guild of Cedric's death and now Sirius.

It was during Harry's sixth year that Snape told him about what Dumbledore had asked him to do and in return, Harry had become so angry at the manipulative Headmaster that it had taken a kiss, a real kiss, a toe curling kiss that made Harry forget everything he had been thinking about.

It didn't take long for their relationship to reach a new level, that of lovers and since that moment, even when Snape killed Dumbledore and had to flee and all the horrible months afterwards as Harry haunted down the horcuxes and finally defeated Voldemort, that Harry kept himself for Severus as he forced himself to believe that their love would survive the dark time they were in.

Strangely enough it did, even when Severus nearly didn't, wounded as he was by being bitten by Nagini', Voldemort's familiar. But it seemed that which had started out their relationship, Veritaserum was also determent to demand how it would continue.

Namely with the trial and the Veritaserum Harry had been forced to take to testify for Severus. The days in court after Voldemort had fallen were long and there were times when Harry wishes he could lay down to sleep for a long time. He had been fit to have bouts of despair now that it was finally all over but he had to see it through to whatever end as he supplied memories, testimonies and gave everything of himself except for his tears and hope, those he kept to himself to try and get Severus exonerated.

But perhaps it isn't to be. Perhaps those few nights in his bed are all we have been given. Everything I've been fighting for has been for naught. I should be glad that I have tasted a little bit of what it was to be loved by him…damn the Veritaserum for making me think these things.

Angrily Harry wiped at his eyes as a tear threaded to fall. He was just so tired. Days spend at the Ministry in the courtroom 10 with the Wizengamot were taking their toll on him and this final day was no different. But at least tonight he would know what the future would hold.

He had curled up outside of the courtroom as the Wizengamot reached their decision. He kept his mouth shut, not wishing to talk to anybody because he was pretty sure that his dose of Veritaserum that he had been given hadn't stopped working yet.

He sighed when a hand stroked his hair. Glancing up and opening his mouth for a sharp rebuke Harry froze as he stared into black eyes. He didn't registered the cheering that was taking place around him, only content to look in the black eyes of his lover for as long as he could.

Finally Snape asked. "What're you thinking?"

Feeling the gentle compulsion in his chest Harry answered. "That I'm tired and wish for this to be over. I'm so sick of all this uncertainty."

"Well, let me take away your fears by giving you the news that I've been cleared from all my charges. What do you think about that?"

Smiling tiredly, Harry leaned his forehead against Snape's as he said. "I think it is bloody brilliant but ask me again in the morning because all I want to do right now is to drag you off to bed and use you as bed warmer and a pillow so I can get some sleep and wake up with you and know that it isn't a wonderful dream, I'm having."

"I've not even been cleared for a quarter of an hour or you already seek to drag me off to bed. You really are an impossible imp, Mr. Potter, though the idea of waking up with you is very tempting to say the least. But seeing as you're still under the affects of the Veritaserum there is one more question I see it fit to ask you."

"Oh and what is that?"

"Will you consent to spend the rest of your life with me as your bond mate?"

As if I need Veritaserum to answer that. "Yes, I do, with all my heart."

And then Harry couldn't contain his smile or the few happy tears that spilled from his eyes as he was swept up in those arms that belonged to him and would continue to hold him forever. He pulled back so he could kiss his lover as he whispered. "You realize that the Veritaserum stopped working the moment you told me you were cleared, don't you?"

"Yes, brat, I know." That wonderful deep voice told him and as Harry kissed his beloved again, he knew that the intentional slip of Severus' hand over his pumpkin juice had been the best of his life.

The end.

Well I hope you liked it. Review please. Wow, it is back to regular stories for me now.