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Authors Note: Story is dedicated to my amazing follower Aodrenn, happy belated birthday! Thank you for all the support and comments, you really do inflate my ego something crazy.
So, story – kinda funny, kinda smutty… No real story line to be honest, just some good times ahead.
. . .
What a wasted break, Severus stalked the halls of Hogwarts, he was running somewhat late for the welcoming back feast after the Christmas period. It had been another depressing festive time, spend locked away in his dreary dank Dungeon, wishing he could have something else, something better. Another long teaching spell before the next break, will it ever end? Feeling miserable as it was, he had ignored all attempted house calls and kept to himself, but now he was realising what a big mistake that had been, when he stepped into the Great Hall and found an extra body sitting at the head table. Damn, he'd forgotten Potter was back.
Fortunately he didn't have to sit beside him and took his usual seat beside the Headmistress, looking surreptitiously in the youths direction down the table as he spoke animatedly to Hagrid, who for the most part, was actually blocking the view of Gryffindor's golden boy. Shaking himself of the ill feelings towards the Wizard, he focussed on the beginnings of start of school notices as Minerva took the podium, reminding the students of rules.
"We are also pleased to announce the return of Professor Potter, who, for those of you were not aware, has spent the last two odd years travelling far and wide to extend his practical knowledge on Defensive magic. He comes bearing knew and exciting theories that I can only imagine he is bursting to teach you all, and has been generous to donate each student their own new textbook that was published and peer reviewed in order to become your new theory material. Welcome back, Professor Potter." She stood aside and motioned to her colleague, who gushed and waved his goblet of wine haphazardly towards her and the students.
Severus bristled at the relaxed manner in which the younger Wizard portrayed himself, but the stranger observation was the development of facial hair and a messy bun that was secured at the back of his head. He looked like the definition of an intrepid traveller and rolled his eyes at the very existence of the Wizard. They had left on awkward terms, a fight prior to him leaving had caused much distress and distain for the population at Hogwarts, taking his frustrations out on the students. At least he'd been able to bring them to heel, his bad temper, for once, proving to be positive.
. . .
"Well, I can't say I missed this place, it hasn't changed a bit."
Severus looked up from his desk and regarded Harry carefully; he'd been able to successfully avoid the man for weeks, but it seemed that luck had finally run out. The relaxed manner in which said man was walking towards him, quite possibly irritated him further, and he attempted to focus on the poorly written homework in front of him. It wasn't until Harry came right up to him and perched on the edge of his desk, leaning back casually and crossing a leg.
"Do you mind?"
"Absolutely not," Harry beamed, settling himself better, "How are you, Severus? You've been avoiding me."
"That obvious, hmm?" He replied with sarcasm, which didn't seem to deter the younger Wizard.
"I agree, you used to be far subtler in your ways." The positive attitude was proving more irritating for Severus and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Things change, people change."
"That they do; so, what do you think?" Harry asked, holding his arms out to mean himself.
It was a losing battle, Severus knew it, so he leaned back in his chair, elbows relaxed against the arms, and his hands placed into his lap. Looking at the man properly, a lot of things had changed; long gone were the boyish green eyes and soft skin that pronounced him more as a boy, a child; they were replaced with matured wrinkles. His physic far more built up, the Seekers body had been morphed, trained, into a muscular specimen that were accentuated by tighter clothing, showing Severus every muscle. Yes, the facial hair added to the appeared maturity, but the way he held himself seemed to have changed dramatically, though the fact he was sitting on the edge of his desk with a devilish smile proved that not everything had aged in his absence.
"You look old." Severus commented dryly, watching emerald eyes grow wide as saucers.
"Ouch, Severus, I'm wounded."
"Nothing your youthful heart cannot combat and overcome."
Harry huffed, "I missed you too. So, what's new?"
"What's new?" Severus wrinkled his brow, looking sceptically at the question.
"I've been gone for two years, Severus. What's the gossip, hot news?"
They'd had this type of relationship before the man had left for his sabbatical, the memories had been tainted however, with their blow out, and he was hoping they could move on from it all. It seemed Harry had, his relaxed form showing as such, but there were still issues between them, he would be a fool to forget about them, knowing full well they would rear their ugly head again.
"You should know by now, Potter, that hot news and idle gossip is not something I frequent myself with. All you need to know is that in your absence, Slytherin stole the house cup from your lions, as there was not any one to top up the points they lost from me. They will, undoubtedly, enjoy the fact you have returned."
Harry huffed, "Naturally."
"Anyhow, it should be me inquiring how your explorations went, what you did, how on earth you survived..." His dry tone suggested that he was playing with the younger Wizard and he was surprised at how easy it was to slip into old habits.
"Well, I could tell you – "
"Really?"
" – But I'd prefer to be nursing a glass of whiskey whilst I do." Harry didn't even pause when interrupted and Severus saw the glimmer of hope shining back at him.
"Unlike you, I have marking to do. Now, kindly get your backside off my desk and out of my office." He swatted at the thigh closest to him and leaned for to pick up his quill.
Sighing dramatically, Harry slid off the wooden table top and swaggered away, smirking and peering over his shoulder when he was at the door. Severus looked up and gave him a dead look, eyes narrowing, and daring him to speak another word, but when none came he simply focussed his magic and let the door shut in the younger Wizard's face. Harry hadn't changed a bit, a bit bolder than before, he'd admit, but aside from that he really was as he remembered.
. . .
Severus stood waiting in the main entrance hall, alone. He shouldn't have been of course, the man he was supposed to be patrolling with that night was late by almost twenty minutes. Sighing, he went in search of the younger Wizard, trying the office and personal chambers, before thinking outside the box. He remembered, too late, that Harry enjoyed using other methods to do his marking and walked into the library foyer, seeking the man out. Tucked up the back, buried from initial view behind some high winged arm chairs, and surrounded by a healthy number of papers scattered around him in a semi-circle, he found him. Seemingly very immersed in his task, flitting between different papers, brushing the soft quill feather across his bottom lip and frowning, he clearly didn't know Severus was even standing there until he cleared his throat.
Jumping, Harry's eyes widened, "Merlin, Severus. You need some louder shoes."
"Perhaps you should ask Minerva for a larger desk, if this is the mess you decide to make elsewhere."
"Organised chaos," Harry winked, "It makes perfect sense to me."
Severus all but rolled his eyes and leaned against the nearest chair, "I take it you have forgotten your duties for this evening?"
Harry frowned, biting his lip, then pouting as if he were thinking hard about what he was forgetting. Severus wanted to snort with disbelief, and he thought to himself, how is he a qualified teacher again? He was an abomination, clearly time away had done nothing for his organisational skills, which had been bad enough before, but general duties? He hoped this wouldn't be a recurring issue with his colleague, there wasn't anything more demeaning than having to be an errand boy and remind him of such things.
"Ohh, it's Thursday, isn't it?" Harry gave him a lopsided smile, and he knew the man was having him on, "Bear with me, I'll need to take these back to my office."
Severus waited, patiently at that, as he watched Harry gathering up his papers and slinging them close to his chest. He looked everything like a doe-eyed school boy, if it weren't for the fact he had a man's beard. As he observed the face, getting more detailing from it that showed he'd aged, he found himself lifting his own chin and stroking the underside with the back of his knuckles. The action caused his colleague to look at him and was given a wry smirk.
"A bit of a change isn't it? I think it looks good though, don't you?" Severus found himself nodding, but moved his gaze resolutely in front of them, without further comment.
Strolling through the castle at night had always been something Harry enjoyed, Severus less so, especially when there was no one to catch and deduct points from. So, when they stopped outside Harry's living quarters at the end of their rounds, the younger Wizard was turning to Severus and asking if he'd like a nightcap. Regarding his former student, he finally nodded and was escorted into the inviting room. Surprisingly, the room had changed since he'd last been in it, many memento's and objects obviously collected during the man's adventures were spread out across the room.
"Whiskey?"
"Please." Severus replied, taking a fancy to a rounded bangle that sat protectively in a glass case, at either end of the formed metal, what might have been gold, was the head and a tail of a dragon.
"That's a rare Romanian artefact, Dacian arm bracelet, had to dig for it too. But, worth it." Harry handed the glass to Severus and stretched his back to straighten it.
"So, your travels were successful then? Whatever it was that you were trying to achieve."
Harry snorted, "Yes, they were very successful, thank you." He commented, lingering close to Severus's side before swaying around and heading for the couch.
Severus watched as he flopped down lazily, leaning heavily against the arm and glancing across the room at him. Feeling strange for simply standing in the middle of the room, he followed suit and took the other end, sitting straighter and more articulately.
"It feels weird to be back; adjusting to the snow was harder than I thought. North East Asia, the Middle East… All of it so dry and hot. Of course, I'm not complaining really, look at how tanned I am." Mainly laughing, but partially giggling, Severus surveyed the golden complexion before he was treated to the man stripping out of the top half to his robes.
"Well, I can see you enjoyed spending your riches on bringing half of it back with you."
"Oh, the things you see, Severus… This isn't even half of what I wanted to buy, but there's this attribute called, ugh, what was it," Posing his best thinking face, the lightbulb moment was over dramatized, "Self-control. Yep, that's the one."
Severus shook his head, attempting to hide the smile at his colleagues' antics.
"Two years flew by, but the best part of the trip was Romania." Jumping up, Harry waltzed over to his crowded desk and started rifling through papers and books, "Check this out, fully licensed and everything. Not many people can say they're a competent dragon trainer."
Severus took the scroll and unravelled it; there, plain as day, was a certificate in hand rearing and training dragons. Disbelief was an emotion that he was able to catalogue in that moment, Harry Potter, goes on sabbatical for two years and becomes a dragon tamer. It was comical, truly, if not for the fact he was now also a pronounced author of a bestselling textbook in his field and still loaded.
"Why did you come back then?" Severus placed the scroll down between them, then swirled his drink gently, before taking a small mouthful.
Harry's demeanour changed slightly at the question and narrowed his eyes towards the fire, but then as soon as it appeared, the mood shifted and he was happy once more, watching Severus with mirth swimming in his eyes.
"We can't be on holiday forever, even if it was a working one."
"Right." Severus didn't buy it, but he didn't push the matter.
A knock on the door certainly jolted Harry, and comically jumped up looking alarmed. Severus felt the glass he was holding being snatched out of his hand and in one gulp it was downed rather hastily. Soon the two glasses were being shoved down the side of couch's cushions and the bottle, that was still a third full, was thrown into the fire with a small burst of glass.
"Come in." Harry raked a hand through his hair and sat on the arm of his couch that his colleague was leaning against and tried to calm himself.
"Ah, yes, Minerva, hello." He greeted.
"Evening Harry, oh and I didn't know you'd have company. Severus." She nodded to the Potion's Professor and he returned the gesture, "I came to check on you, see how things were going."
"Yes, fine. Absolutely great, Severus and I were just catching up properly. You know how the timetable can get in the way." Harry rushed out, still trying to remain calm.
"Indeed, I do. Well it is most opportune that the two of you are here. May I?" She pointed to the free end of his couch and he nodded, "As you know, Valentines Day will be upon us in no time, and I wondered if the two of you could go through screening the mail this year. Severus, you did it last year, but I know how time consuming it was. Harry, I don't suppose you would know a good spell to make the process easier?"
"I'm sure Severus and I can think of something together. In fact, we could get started right away?" Severus twisted himself and glared at his younger counterpart for a brief moment.
"Wonderful, hopefully those blasted Weasley products don't go under the radar this year." Shaking her head, she shuddered at the memory, as did Severus.
"Well, if that's all?"
"Yes, yes, I won't take any more of your time." She stood, flattening the front of her robes and took a moment to appreciate the position of both her colleagues, then smiled.
The moment the door was closed, Harry let out a breath and sagged against the couch, leaning partially on Severus's shoulder in the process. Said leaning post shifted suddenly, mostly to get away from the contact, but it seemed the younger Wizard hadn't anticipated the move and slipped sideways, ending up sprawled on his back and across the man's lap.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow and oddly not objecting to looking down his nose at the other Wizard.
Laughing awkwardly, Harry moved his hands, trying to sit up, but only increased his cringing situation by placing hands on places they should be going, blushing terribly and deciding that rolling off and onto the floor would be better. Sitting back on his haunches, he scratched the back of his neck turned his head slightly towards Severus.
"I didn't think she would come tonight. Next time we're doing this in your rooms."
"And why, might I ask?"
Harry hesitated, standing so his back was towards the man, "Nothing serious."
The casual response had Severus rolling his eyes, "Your body is telling me otherwise."
"You were always far too perceptive," Harry lamented, rolling his head back to look up at the ceiling, "I'm going to need a new bottle of Whiskey, by the way. You wouldn't mind, would you? Only Madame Rosmerta won't serve me."
"Why on earth would she refuse the sale of alcohol if she knew – " He stopped himself, a lightbulb going on, "Harry? Are you – "
"I'm tired, and we have a busy day tomorrow." Harry shook himself from the sadness and flashed his colleague a tired but bright smile, "You can let yourself out."
Severus stood there and watched as the bedroom door was closed in his face and frowned. It seemed there was more to the story after all.
. . .
Severus stood watching from afar, Harry was teaching the first years' broom techniques today, and with a rare spot of sunlight, he was certainly taking it for all it was worth. The younger Wizard had a very relaxed teaching style, even more evident during this time as he lazily spread himself along the length of his broom, one leg dangling and his head nestled against the bristles. He was making exaggerated motions with his hands, though from this distance he had no idea what was going on and could not neither hear the lecture. It seemed the students understood however, and he leaned against the frame in thought.
"That's right, the larger dragons have the most powerful wings, expanding across the short edge of the Quidditch pitch even." Harry, or Professor Potter, to his students, was explaining.
"Were you scared?"
"Of what, precisely? I simply mounted my broom and sped out of their fiery reach." He laughed in a carefree manner, and some of the students laughed with him.
Severus was startled suddenly when Hermione Weasley came to stand beside him, her smile fond as she watched her best friend.
"Afternoon, Severus. Something catch your eye, or just enjoying this odd sunshine?" She asked, her voice softly spoken.
"Merely thinking; your reckless friend over there seems to think he is above the teaching code."
"His style is definitely unique, but we certainly can't deny it gets results." She said in good humor, seeing her prompt had been overlooked, "It's good to see the two of you getting along."
Severus glanced at her briefly, considering something before he couldn't resist asking, "Why would Minerva not allow Harry to drink?"
"Successful people are usually the loneliest, I'm sure you can work out why her concerns are there."
Sure, Severus was a smart man and he couldn't help but determine that Harry was an alcoholic, though the reasons for why he would have turned to the Whiskey really didn't make sense. Obviously, now he was guessing, but he assumed something had to have happened when he was travelling. There was more mystery to that younger Wizard than he could ever have imagined, from the open book he was during his school years, everything had changed.
"I don't suppose you'll tell me what happened whilst he was away?"
"It's really not my place, but he experienced a lot. There are things that I don't know, mind, I can always tell when he's holding something back, but knowing him for so long, there's only so much pushing before he snaps back. Perhaps, you should heed that warning."
Even though Hermione's voice was stern, her softened features told him there was something was amiss, but he didn't question her further, and instead they stood in silence as they watched their colleague hovering above the ground. At one point, Harry drifted out of the group and their presence must have caught his attention, because in the next moment he was given a fright and fell off his broom. Landing on his face, the class roared into laughter and he went red with embarrassment. Not to be outdone, Harry simply started laughing also and waved off his accident in a carefree manner.
Severus used the distraction to turn away, heading to his classroom for the next lesson.
. . .
Utterly flabberghasted and irate, Severus stormed into the teachers lounge with a vendetta against whoever was going to listen. Mostly, his attention was brought to Minerva, she paused mid sentence as she addressed the rest of the staff and turned over her shoulder to look at him. He wasn't late to the meeting, far from it, but he felt immediately as if he were intruding on a conversation between Harry, Hermione and Hagrid. Blasted Gryffindors, he thought bitterly, then launched into the whole reason why he was feeling as he did.
"A dragon!?" His voice was an extremely loud hiss, one that still allowed a decent amount of spittle to escape between his lips, "How could you be so lax in the boundaries of power? What had you thinking, sure, let's show the students a bloody dragon?"
Of course, he was referring to the seventh year Care of Magical Creatures class that had ended a couple of hours ago. The only way he even knew about it was that the seventh years had Potions directly afterwards, and if it weren't for the fact he couldn't get a single one of them to focus on the lesson, he might have been less irritated.
"Aye, a dragon. He were beaut'ful." Hagrid beamed happily, and Severus shifted his black eyes to the half giant with a glare fully intact.
"Relax Severus. It was completely tamed."
"Oh, yes, Potter. I forgot you were a qualified dragon tamer." Rolling his eyes dramatically, nothing about the situation made him calmer.
It might have been the fact that Minerva hadn't said a word, or the fact that Hagrid seemed far too happy about the beast; on the other hand, it could have been that Hermione was smiling warmly at him… But no, he firmly believed after a moment that it was indeed the relaxed and smug appearance of his colleague, Defence Against the Dark Arts brat, Harry Potter. Sunken into his chair, slouched and elbows pressed into the arms of the chair, with feet propped up on the table in what he decided was incredibly rude and disrespectful.
"I can assure you, it was." Harry countered, unmoving from his comfortable position.
"Severus, why don't you sit down, we are just waiting for Filius and Ponoma."
Outwardly calming, the exception being the snarl he directed at the arrogantly situated raven haired Wizard, he swiped at said mans feet as he walked past and took a seat away from the rest of them. Whilst he sat there thinking about all the other reckless things this school had done over the past years, he was subjected to hearing more about the dragon that Hagrid had somehow managed to procure. What didn't stray far from his mind however, was the Norbert incident a few years back and couldn't help but wonder if Harry had managed to smuggle an egg into the country upon his return. More shocking things had happened, so it was highly likely.
" – And you will ensure they are aware of the dangers."
"As long as they follow the rules, then we won't have an issue, Minerva. In fact, I was wondering if perhaps we could offer a couple of them a ride on the creature. Hagrid did that for me on Buckbeak," Harry beamed, then glanced at Hermione knowingly, "Isn't that right, Hermione?"
"Oh, shut up." She blushed, shaking her head and running a finger along her wedding band.
"Riding a dragon? Oh yes, what could go wrong?" Severus huffed quietly, side eyeing Harry in the process and catching the sparkling green eyes.
"With me?" Absolutely nothing, Severus." Grinning, Harry slumped back in his seat once more, looking the older Wizard directly in the eye, as he thumped the heels of his shoes against the wood across the table once more.
. . .
Severus was standing at the top of the hill that overlooked the grounds keepers shack and edge of the forest. How could they keep a dragon locked away without anyone seeing it? The whole things was bizarre, but simultaneously, he was curious. Dragons were dangerous creatures, they needed to be handled with care, and were amazing to study. From what the students had explained, the beast was huge, nearly clearing the tree tops and black as night.
This was the reason he found himself ascending the stairs to Gryffindor tower where Harry's rooms were located, he wanted to be shown for himself what this creature looked like and what better way to be shown than with the dragon tamer himself. However, just as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the younger Wizard was walking towards him with another man by his side. Said individual was wearing a stiff looking suit, spectacles that sat halfway down his nose, and a greying goatee that matched his aging hair. His colleague looked surprised to see him there, and he was half tempted to keep walking, under the pretenses that he was simply passing through, but instead stopped.
"Hello, Severus." Harry said, the smile not quite reaching his eyes as it usually did.
"I was coming to see you, though I see you are busy."
"I can see myself." The older Wizard commented, reaching out to shake Harry's hand briskly, "Good day." He continued, addressing Severus with the tip of his head.
Harry regarded Severus for a moment, letting his shoulders drop marginally as he turned back towards the stairs, "What can I do for you, Severus?"
"Merely wondering if you might be able to introduce me to your dragon friend as I seem to have been the only individual that has not seen it yet." He replied, diligently following behind the shorter Wizard.
"I see." Harry left the door to his rooms open as he passed through, allowing Severus entry.
The room was tidier than he'd seen it previously, papers cleared away and the coffee table cleared so it could be seen, except a gift box that had the lid dislodged that sat upon the surface. Harry was walking into his bedroom but Severus didn't follow, instead he went over to the couch and being the thorough investigator he was, took a sneak peak at the box to see what was inside it. Pictures, from what he gathered, and with a sly finger, pushed the lid aside further.
He almost wished he hadn't when he saw the top photo, and without hesitation, he picked it up to have a closer look. It was of Harry, looking so incredibly happy, but he wasn't alone and had his arms around another man, slender, tall, with very long black hair. They were dressed in attire one might find in the Middle East, loose and lacking any real vibrant colours. Looking down at the rest of the photos, the next one made his heart constrict. Without wanting to pry further, he placed the one in his hand back into the box, covering the other where Harry had his lips pressed against the cheek of his, obviously, lover. Regret, he wished he hadn't been so curious.
"Sorry, I couldn't stand such formal – " He paused when he saw Severus standing by the couch, " – Attire. What were you doing?" He hurried in pulling the robe over his head and went over to the couch, seeing his box tampered with.
"What happened to him?" Severus had been caught, there was no point in beating around the bush.
"You seem so sure that something did. Can't two people just drift apart?" Harry frowned, feeling irritated that his colleague had these stalker-like tendancies, "They don't always have to fight before they part ways."
Severus narrowed his eyes, "I assume then that this is why you drink? He must have been special."
Harry muttered something under his breath as he picked up the box and went into the bedroom, words like, special and you'd know, and then his name, from what he thought he'd heard. He really should have seen this coming however, he'd pushed a button and possibly a very personal one with the younger Wizard, which meant he was about to explode and a fight mere seconds from starting.
"You think you know me, but you don't."
And it did.
"Evidently not if you're going to run away from your problems. You didn't just leave because you felt like a holiday, did you?"
"Well done, Severus. Ten points to Slytherin." Harry bit out, standing in his bedroom doorway, "That was my therapist, if you hadn't already guessed it and furthermore, yes, that man in the photo was special to me. He was there when I had no one else, picked up the pieces you left behind. I was so ready to make that leap, but then you did such a very Severus Snape asshole thing and ruined it. Turns out, running away didn't do that much good when I fell in love again, I think it even hurt more."
Severus was speechless, did Harry just confess he had feelings for him?
"And no, I'm not going to show you the dragon and ruin the surprise. I'd still like to think I can hold something from you, keep it a secret, just so I can have something that you don't ruin."
"Ruin? Harry, slow down, what are you talking about?"
Running a hand through his hair, the younger Wizard pulled the tie in his hair free and shook his head, letting it fall down his face. Shaking his head more, Harry looked at the floor and leaned against the doorframe, all the while Severus just stood there, not really knowing where any of this came from or why it was happening right now.
"I had to leave, Severus. I couldn't watch you and that, woman, Rose, have a happily ever after when I felt like absolute Erumpant shit."
"Rose?"
"Yes, Rose! That successful medical potions lady you were seeing."
Severus couldn't help it, he laughed.
"What? Now you're going to laugh at me on top of all of this?"
Severus was relieved, partially; the other half of him was confused, "I was never dating, Rose, you fool. She was my publisher, for the planned Potions text I have been writing over the past decade."
Now it was Harry's turn to be speechless.
"Harry, what is all this about? You are making some strange claims here today, and I would hate to be misinterpretted." Severus came around the couch, almost using a fond expression at the Wizard who was shrinking in on himself.
"None of it matters now, I – "
"It matters to me. A man who, you claim, left you in pieces, that apparently loved another woman when he's as gay as a pink ink pot, and apparently ruined something he knew not what he was ruining. Please tell, you didn't leave because of me."
At Harry's guilty expression, he surmised that it was in fact the case.
"We had something good, not that I knew what it was at the time, but when Rose started sniffing around, you distanced yourself. It hurt me, you hurt me… But the worst part of all of this, is now knowing that it was me that destroyed it."
"Harry," Severus walked up to him and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder, "You decided to waste two years of our lives, because you thought running away was better than facing reality? Silly man."
The younger Wizard looked up to him, sadness in his eyes.
"I missed you, Harry. Believe me, it was a bitter time when you left, without so much as a goodbye too? I thought I'd never see you again, and when you came back, you'd changed so much."
At this, Severus cupped Harry's face with both hands, forcing him to maintain eye contact as they stood closely to one another, on the threshold of the youths bedroom. Tempting fate, juggling the dice in either hand, Severus took that plunge, the one Harry had run away from two years ago and leaned into him. He hadn't even stopped to think if the ravenous man was even single, or if he was looking for a relationship, it was simply the first thing that came to mind when he saw how upset those green eyes were getting. For a flicker of a moment, he saw that young, scared little boy that he'd taught at school, but the moment he pulled away, trapping that delectable bottom lip between his teeth, he was reminded that he was no longer a boy but a man.
"I have now made my intentions clear, it is up to you whether it is persued or not." Severus said softly, removing his hands and taking a step back.
Harry was simply standing there, quite possibly in shock, so Severus decided to let him think things through before they proceeded. Turning his back, he was almost at the door when he heard a deep breath being taken and paused with his hand on the knob.
"His name was Michael. The only reason why I got involved with him, was because he reminded me of you… You were the reason I left, but also the reason I returned. Both Hermione and Minerva fought to have me come back. I'm not an alcoholic like you may think, but when I start, there is difficulty in stopping, mainly because drinking is better than believing I loved a man for so long and he didn't return the sentiment. Severus, I love you. I have done for so long, and I really want you to come back over here and finish what you started."
Severus had a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, and with a dark, sultry gaze, peered back across his shoulder to take in the man who had just professed his love. Perhaps it was because he had been missing the younger Wizard all this time, or that it had been a particularly rough dry patch between his last partner that he'd had in his early twenties. But he didn't take long before deciding to indulge the man in some long over due loving.
The moment Harry's back hit the mattress, he was dedicated in making sure everything was perfect, that he pressed the right buttons this time, the sensitive ones, forbidden. One just happened to be located at the base of the neck, a bite to that spot sending hot passion through Harry's veins; he could tell by the bucking of hips. He experimented as he ran both hands down the length of that muscular body, trapping the writhing form against the sheets with both hands. The restrictive movements had its desired affect, a keening, subble whine escaping those perfectly rose pink lips. It was too tempting not to take them between his teeth once more, nibbling away as he began fondling around, sliding robes up and exposing rippling muscles as they strained against his hold.
Cherry red is how he turned his lips, marking them so the world would know he was taken. He chose not to test the limits by marking that tanned neck, knowing that it would be the first place anyone would hazard to guess something had happened; instead, he moved lower, taking in a taut nipple and abusing that. Enchanting sounds were his reward, as well as rigid movements from the waist down that were unable to wriggle free. Slipping a leg between solid thighs, he brushed against a hardness that would bring them both such pleasure and joy. He pushed against it, creating friction just on his thigh alone and was happy with the loud gasping he received from such a simple action.
Incoherency, colourful language; they all rolled together and Severus wondered briefly how long these romantic feelings had been harboured between them. He could honestly say, that when Harry had first started teaching, he had been surprised at how easy they were able to work alongside one another as colleagues. The younger Wizard hadn't started teaching right away, it had been at the ripe age of twenty four when he'd arrived, and perhaps it was that maturity, losing some of the boyish charm, is what had allowed Severus to tolerate him better. The day he realised Harry had left, was the day of realizations, but with no one to confide in, anger and bitterness were better to hide from the pain.
Now, however, he had that very same man that caused him so much pain, lying trapped beneath him and at his merciful hands. They weren't going to give him mercy though, he was planning on driving that young man into the brink of hysteria, before finally giving him what he wanted. Hands were trying to grab at him, before giving up and twisting into the bed sheets. Letting go of the nipple that was dark red and would bruise later, he sat up, pinning Harry to the bed with sheer weight of straddling across his thighs as he divested them both of robes. Green eyes were focussing, but not by much, so he leaned down, running fingers through those long raven locks and gripping into them to enforce his control.
"This is unfair, let me drive." Harry managed to gasp out when they were done kissing.
"Next time. Maybe."
Harry's eyes widened when he saw the rarest of grins; Severus wasn't known for showing emotion that didn't protray suffering, pain or being down right miserable, and he knew that. Using the distraction, Severus gently pushed the younger Wizard back down horizontally, running fingerlight touches down his chest until he found the waist band of robes. This was going to be the first time he got to see all of Harry, so he went about savouring this moment by simply peeking beneath the slacks, still grinning. A blushing face was what greeted him when he made eye contact and he knew the moment he palmed the hard center, he had his colleague literally in the palm of his hands.
Letting out a groan, he pushed their clothed lengths together, shooting his head back and closing his eyes as the effects rippled through his body. It was at that moment, he knew personally, it wouldn't be long before he found his release, and Harry wasn't much further behind. Peeling back those robes with excruciatingly slow movements, the length was finally revealed and Severus certainly wasn't disappointed in what he saw. Glistening with a single pearl that was jostled from the movement, started to slide down the head, but Severus wasn't going to waste a single drop and took his younger charge between his lips, tongue sweeping up the natural fluid.
It caused Harry to tense in surprise, his body jerking and pushing the arousal further back along his tongue. It was delicious, pure and devillish, simultaneously. This was a craving he couldn't ignore, and quickly set to work, sucking, biting gently, teasing. As he did this, the rest of Harry's robes were removed and he was left starkers and wanting with a heady need that was evident in the way he panted, gasped, whined. Severus had to stop himself from finishing the man off before they got any further, and removed himself from the bed entirely, standing beside it so he could rid himself of the black slacks he still painfully wore.
Harry's flushed cheeks, beneath the beard, showed him that there was still youth buried within, whilst those darker emerald eyes were shining up at him with a maturity they hadn't before, their core was still fresh. When he moved his expert fingers to the buttons on his pants however, those green eyes darted down with renewed excitement and Harry propped himself up onto his elbows with rapt fascination. One button was popped, then a second, to which dark curls could be seen, tempting and teasing for what lay ahead. As hard as Harry was, he showed immense restraint in not lunging at him because he admitted, the lead up was almost better than the final act itself.
"Severus, come on." Finally, it started to crack and Harry's desperate plea was coupled with the scrambling motion to sit up and move to the edge of his bed.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Severus replied with a smug coyness about himself, popping the last button and shifting his slacks downward to explose his own hard length.
A half lidded, exotic moan, was the response before Harry crawled forward and took it in, what appeared to be, a very sure and steady hand. The touch was electrifying, further proving that this should have happened a long time ago and that two years had been wasted. If he were to compare their size, they were relatively similar, length over girth, but still a handful to manage. Tilting his head gently, and gathering up those long back strands that shifted as the younger Wizard moved about, pleasuring him, Severus admired the beauty until he lurched forward, eyes snapping shut in order to stave the sudden onslaught of coils winding in his abdomen. Harry had taken him into his mouth, reddened lips bobbing back and forth, sucking harder than he could have imagined.
Pulling on the hair without warning, Severus forced him back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He took those few precious moments to admire Harry Potter, spread eagled on his own bed, flushed and aroused. If possible, the innocence of his face brightened when Severus ground out a deep – lube, now – and scrambled towards the bedside table. With a suspiciously tanned backside now open to him, the moment he saw a small tube of lubrication in Harry's hot delicate hands, he pinned the younger man down once more, trapping him face first in the sheets as he not so gently pulled apart perfectly rounded globes.
His tongue drove straight into the forbidden crevace, taking no prisoners as he lapped up the tight ring and hairless balls. He had allowed for the rutting to take place, he knew that Harry was close but focussed on making him suffer before plunging straight into that tight channel and making the man his. It was obvious to see, the pain that was going through his bed mate, the longer he teased and probed into Harry's puckered hole.
"No prep, just go." Harry breathed out in desperation.
Severus considered it, knowing it was going to hurt, but whipped the tube of lubrication straight from Harry's hands and lathered up. He couldn't help but slip a singular slicked finger into the entrace, enjoying the hiss as cold lubricant caused a shock to the skin. It was brief however, he wanted to burying himself, he had worked them both up to this point and there was no going back. Harry was rearing up, his body showing desperate signs that it needed to be taken and used.
"Deep breath." Severus said, giving him a nanosecond of warning before he pressed his head to that delicious entrance.
By the sounds that he received, he could only imagine green eyes rolling into the back of Harry's skull as he took the full length, rather well he might add, and easily. It must have been this single movement that had caused a violent reaction, the younger Wizard grunting and suddenly jerking backwards to take his entire length in one swift movement. Settling his thighs against the back of Harry's, he twisted his body and looked down at the sheets below them, seeing two distinct patches of pearl-like liquid settling and soaking in. He would have chuckled, if it weren't for the jerk forward and equally sudden push back as he was now being taken.
It was lazy and with no steady rhythm, so Severus took pity on his colleague and took hold of slender hips, controlling their movements. It was clear he was moving a rag doll, but at least it was a more coherent one that moaned wantonly in time with his thrusts. He knew it wouldn't take long, but he could have only hoped that it lasted long enough to give Harry another clear explosion of pleasure before he filled his own. It was a drawn out groan, more like a growl, as he completed, nails digging into soft skin as he did so.
Rumblings from his chest bubbled forward, he couldn't help it, but it seemed the absurdity of their situation caught them both at the same time. Harry was the first to crack, his forehead pushed into the mattress as he attempted to keep himself kneeling with Severus still inside him. Severus joined him then, slowly and carefully withdrawing before slipping sideways and pulling the young man to his chest. It was a pure moment, a coupling that he had hope would prosper and bring them both joy in the long run.
"I hope you have a serious think about the implications of you having moved away for two years." Severus commented, his eyes closed as he nuzzled the back of Harry's head.
He felt a brief nod from the younger man, "I deeply regret having acted like the irrational Gryffindor I am."
"Good." Severus purred, tightening his hold.
"But… I think it's time I showed you what I brought back from Romania." Harry grinned, not that Severus could see it, and the man frowned.
"And what surprise would that be, precisely?"
Another chuckle from his colleague, and Harry replied, "You'll see."
. . .
Grumbling with folded arms, Severus stood in the middle of Hogwarts Quidditch pitch with a few others that had congregated with him. Hermione and Minerva were there, as was Hagrid, all of whom were smiling widely. Sighing, he voiced his distaste for having been summoned here to begin with, only to have Minerva reprimand him for being a, bitter old fool. Well, if that was her attitude, he was going back inside where he could be warm and relax, hopefully relaxing into, one Harry Potter, but the younger man had been absent for the morning and this only irritated him further.
Just as he turned to leave, there was a loud roar that appeared to have come from the neighbouring land, a tree covered island that was situated smack bang in the middle of the Black Lake. It was an all mighty sound that he thought might have come from a very large creature, and in his mindless thoughts, he belatedly realised that it would have come from the dragon everyone had born witness to, except for him. Deciding to stay put, he put both hands into his coat pockets, waiting for something to happen.
"I hope everything is all right." Hermione said, looking behind them when nothing was seen.
"Ah, he'll be adjust'en, don' you worry bout tha'." Hagrid reassured them, and Severus narrowed his eyes to the giant.
"This better be bloody worth it." Severus commented, just as he heard the deep gushing of air and a shadow casting down on them a second later.
Looking up to the sky, Severus's mouth dropped open at the sight of such a magnificent and large creature that flew right above them. It's wings spanned easily the short edge of the pitch when fully extended, but it didn't come anywhere close to landing as it took off into the sky, showing them at a distance it's elegance whilst being sizeable. It was different to any dragon Severus had studied, it had four legs as well as its long wingspan which he supposed was something that made it so terrifying. The black colour was quite distinct, as was the vibrant, almost neon bright, blue that could be seen in various parts of the wings and spine.
"So, there's a dragon. Where is, Potter? Shouldn't he be here to tame the thing?" Severus commented, feeling slightly unsafe as it roared once more and came hurtling towards them.
"He's up there." Hermione commented, nodding upward.
"Where?" He asked, confused.
"There." Hermione smiled, pointing at the dragon.
"Forgive me, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, Mrs. Weasley."
"No, Severus. He's there." She looked at him with a knowing smile that sent a cold shiver down his spine, "He's the dragon."
The penny fully dropped as the others all watched Severus go from pale, to surprised, then anger to boiling hot rage. Removing his hands from the comfort and warmth of his pockets, he stepped forward and in front of the group just as the dragon was about to land at the end of the pitch.
"POTTER!" He yelled out, his voice deep and vibrating with his fury.
He was distantly aware that the Withches and Wizard behind him were laughing at the comical way the afternoon was panning out. But what he was most fascinated with, was the way the dragon seemed to smile before throwing its head back and sending a lightning blast straight up at the sky. Of course Harry Potter had to be an animagus, naturally he was a best selling author of text books, and irritably, Severus couldn't help but feel a small slither of pride knowing that the Wizard was his.
"I think he'll let you ride 'em now." Hagrid said, stepping up beside his colleague and patting a tense shoulder.
. . .
Happy birthday Aodrenn. I hope this story was up to your expectations and your dragon needs were met. You're going to have an amazing year, filled with happiness and I have hope that your next birthday will be spectacularly better than this one.
ViciousVixen
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Image of dragon, and other inspirations, can be found on 'Vicious Vixens Fanfics' Facebook group page.