A/N: Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Home Economics and Domestic Magic Task 2- Cleaning Charms- Write about someone cleaning up a mess.
"Draco Malfoy!" A booming voice called out from the second floor of Grimmauld Place. The house was full with dozens of Order members meandering about as they waited for the next Order meeting to begin. Full of people who were now staring at the person whose namesake was being yelled throughout the large house.
Draco Malfoy looked as if he had gotten a Howler and was looking for a place to hide before it exploded. But it wasn't a Howler yelling his name. It was Harry Potter, owner of said house and one of the newest members of the order. And there was no place in that house that Harry could not find the other man.
"It wasn't me!" He automatically yelled back, causing the people around him to chuckle. Harry Potter appeared in the doorway of the library where the largest group of people were hanging out. He leaned against the door and smirked at the red-faced blonde.
"A likely story." He said smoothly. Nineteen-year-old Harry had grown into a confident young man who had been officially training for the defeat of Voldemort for the past two years. He lived in Grimmauld place with multiple members of the order, including Ron and Hermione, Draco, Remus Lupin, and Severus Snape. "May I have a word with you?"
Draco looked like he wanted to say no, but instead he straightened his shoulders and walked towards the door. He wasn't afraid of the Boy Who Lived. They strolled into the hallway, away from eavesdroppers and curious eyes. Draco turned to face Harry with a falsely innocent look, "What's up?"
"Could you explain why my room looks like a Boggart was let loose in it?" Harry asked calmly, looking for any sign of guilt in his friend's face. He didn't have to search really because Draco broke out into a proud grin.
"Oh that. You know, I think I did see someone go in there earlier."
Harry rose an eyebrow, "Oh yea? Did you get a look at this trespasser?"
"It was definitely a man. A tall man. With hair."
"I think you're stretching the definition of tall." Harry said back with a straight face. Draco was easily the same height as Harry, if not just a touch shorter. And Harry was by no means a tall man.
Draco looked indignant, "Hey!"
Harry just smirked, "Why is my room a mess, Malfoy?"
Draco shrugged, "Maybe someone thought you needed a push to spend the night somewhere other than your own bed."
Harry blushed a little. It was a frequent discussion among his friends that he needed to get out of the house and explore a more fun pastime than war. "If you wanted me to share a bed with you, Draco, you could have just asked."
Draco huffed, "I'm perfectly fine in the bed I'm in, thank you. I was speaking of a much darker haired man with a long nose and penchant for potions."
"Draco." Harry warned, his voice low. He glanced about the hallway, looking for any sign of lurkers.
Draco took a defensive stand, putting his hands on his hips with his feet shoulder width apart, "Oh come on, man. You two have been dancing around each other for a year. Your occlumency lessons should be renamed to 'How to Fill a Room with Sexual Tension'. It's time to stop pussy-footing about and take what you want."
Harry rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Draco wasn't quite wrong. Harry had been holding a crush on Severus for almost a year, ever since Harry joined the Order and started taking lessons with the man on the weekends. He was snarly and mean, but he was also wickedly funny and sarcastic. And he was the most intelligent man Harry had ever met. But that didn't mean he was ready to do something about it. If he was ever going to do anything about it. He was fine with his one-sided love life.
"Have you forgotten that I'm a wizard, Draco? I can clean up a little mess."
Draco looked thoughtful, but Harry saw the mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that."
Draco had thought of that. Harry stood in the doorway of his room after the Order meeting, looking at the mess that had been inflicted. His bed was barely recognizable, and every clothing item he owned was thrown about the room. His trunk lay empty on its side and its content littered the floor. Somehow his wardrobe was on the ceiling and Hedwig's cage was suspended in midair. There was a sticky substance covering everything. Harry tried every cleaning spell he could think of. Scourgify was a no go. Even a water spell didn't touch it. After trying magic, he stepped in and tried to manually clean, but nothing would budge.
"Fucking Draco." He muttered.
"Does Lupin know you're having those thoughts about his partner?" A silky-smooth voice came from the doorway. Harry didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Definitely not that kind of fucking." Harry said with a smile at the tall man. He was like a shadow in the doorway with his black robes and long black hair. Harry watched as Severus took in the sight of his room.
"Well it looks like some kind of fucking went on in here." Severus said after a couple minutes of silence.
Harry gave a choked laugh. He had never heard the other man say 'Fucking' before and it should have been illegal. And considering the context, Harry felt his body respond to it. He gave himself a mental talking to. "This is the work of your godson."
Severus looked proud for a second before his trademark smirk took its place, "And are you going to just stare at it until it cleans itself?"
"It seems as good a plan as any." Harry didn't take the bait anymore. He had spent enough time with the other man to know when he was teasing.
Severus nodded and left without another word. Harry watched him leave with a smile. He felt his stomach flutter. He was so screwed. He sighed slightly and then turned back to his immediate problem. It was almost bedtime and Harry didn't currently have a bed to sleep on. The other rooms of the house were occupied, as he shared his house with multiple members of the Order. So the only other viable option was to sleep on the couch in the library.
Harry made his way to the bathroom and got ready for bed. His teeth were brushed and his face was washed. He stripped down into his pants and transfigured his other clothes into lounge clothes. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw a light on in Severus' room. Draco's words flew through his mind. If Harry was a smidge more brave, he would take those couple of steps and knock on the door. But he wasn't brave enough to look up at the other man and admit his attraction. He wasn't ready to face the rejection, which would ultimately change their relationship. He enjoyed being almost friends with the man. He enjoyed their comradery. Harry wasn't ready to give that up.
Instead, Harry turned and walked down the stairs into the large, now empty library. He started a fire in the fireplace and found a piece of paper to transfigure into a soft blanket. Harry tried hard to get comfortable on the couch, but it wasn't a couch meant for sleeping. He lay on the small piece of furniture and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. Harry did a spell and saw it was after midnight. He turned to face the back of the couch and tried to will himself asleep. Counting sheep did not help. Harry debated getting up and trying to find a potion to help when he heard footsteps.
"What are you doing, Potter?"
"Not sleeping." Harry said, his voice muffled by the couch.
Harry heard the other man snort, "Obviously."
Harry turned until he faced the other man. He could see the outline of Severus, but without his glasses, it was just a blurred outline. He didn't need his glasses to know he was smirking. "My bed is currently stuck upside down. This was my only option." Harry felt around for his glasses and put them on. He took in the sight of Severus out of his robes and in dark green pajamas.
Severus quirked an eyebrow, "It is not your only option." Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. Was Severus saying what he thought he was saying? "You could transfigure the couch into a bed."
Harry's stomach dropped. He was an idiot. "Oh yea."
Severus rolled his eyes and held out his hand, "Come on." Harry hesitated, looking at the hand being offered to him. He slowly reached out his own hand and was helped into a standing position. Severus turned and walked out of the room with Harry behind him. It did not escape Harry's notice that they were still holding hands.
They made it to the second floor and Harry's heart was beating faster as they passed Harry's room and instead went in the direction of Severus' rooms. Severus turned towards Harry and his confusion must have shown on his face, "I have a perfectly good bed." He answered with a shrug.
"How convenient." Harry's voice sounded raspy, his mouth dry.
"Indeed." Severus said as he entered his room. Harry had been in them before for lessons, so he didn't feel the need to look around. Instead he couldn't take his eyes of the bed. The green cover was folded back as if Severus had been laying in it earlier. "Do not hog the blankets." Severus said before dousing the lights. Harry heard the mattress groan as Severus entered the bed. Harry took a breath and did the same. It was a comfortable bed, the sheets were soft and warm.
Harry lay on his back, hyperaware of the man next to him. He could feel the stiffness in the other man, the same stiffness that Harry felt. He didn't know if he could relax enough to sleep.
After at least ten minutes of stifling silence, in which it was obvious no man was sleeping, Severus spoke. "Face the other way." The other man commanded. Harry did as he was told. He looked out at the dark room, wondering if Severus was regretting his decision to allow Harry into his bed. Harry didn't know if the other man was used to people sleeping with him. Maybe he couldn't sleep with another person. Harry definitely wasn't used to another person in his bed. But more importantly, Harry couldn't get his mind to shut up enough to even consider sleeping.
So Severus did it for him. Harry felt a hand on his hip. He shivered at the touch and wanted to say something, but his brain wasn't working. His mind was completely silent. He felt Severus' chest press against his back and his knees contour to Harry's. The hand trailed up from his hip to his side and across his stomach. Harry felt each movement like electricity. He felt breath on his ear and Severus lay his chin on Harry's shoulder. "Better?" It was whispered into his ear.
Harry laughed breathlessly, "I'm really not sure." He felt the other man laugh.
"Sleep, Potter." The hand moved up to his chest.
Harry tried. But he felt like he was on fire. "I don't think I can sleep with you up against me like this." He breathed out.
"I'm not that easy, Potter. Tonight, we are just sleeping." Fingers were tracing circles lazily right above where Harry's heart was bound to beat out of his chest.
"And after tonight?" Harry didn't mean to sound so desperate. He didn't get an answer. "Why did you invite me up here? I could have stayed down in the library."
"I couldn't do this with you downstairs." Harry jumped slightly when he felt lips on his neck. He moaned and flushed with embarrassment at the sound.
"I didn't know you wanted to do that." He said stupidly.
Severus smirked against Harry's neck, "I'm positive you're the only one who didn't know."
With this new knowledge, Harry went to turn around to face Severus, to feel those lips on more than just his neck, but he was held into place. "Not tonight, Potter. Tonight, we sleep."
Harry huffed. He didn't think sleep was important at this moment. The man he had wanted for a year was in the same bed as him, pressed up against him, admitting feelings that Harry had only imagined in his daydreams. Sleep was the last thing Harry wanted to do. But the next thing he knew, he was being woken up by bright sunlight shining through the crack of the curtains. He was pressed into Severus' side, his arm sprawled over the man's pale chest and his head laying on his shoulder.
Harry didn't know how Severus would feel this morning. Maybe the other man had stayed up drinking before he found Harry in the library. Maybe he had said and done all that under the influence. And Harry didn't want to ruin this. He may have been more confident now, but he wasn't stupid. Harry quickly extracted himself from the still sleeping man and left the room as quietly as possible. There was no one out and about yet, which means it was still pretty early.
Harry forgot his room was a disaster until he was opening the door. He had planned on grabbing clothes and taking a shower, but that wouldn't work. Or at least he didn't think it would. But when he opened the door, his room was spotless. The bed was made and in its rightful spot. Hedwig's cage was on the side table where it belonged and this floor was no longer sticky.
"Apparently you didn't consider asking Kreacher to try cleaning it."
Harry turned around and saw Severus leaning against the doorway, his pajamas still straight and unwrinkled, as if he hadn't slept in them. If Harry hadn't had first hand experience of the truth, he would have believed the man had not slept. "You had Kreacher clean my room? When?"
"Before I went to find you in the library." His face was blank, but his eyes were sparkling in amusement.
"My room was clean last night? Why didn't you tell me?"
Severus rolled his eyes, "You are an idiot sometimes."
Harry felt flush. He brain was reeling. Severus stepped closer to him. Harry looked up, his mouth open in wordless question. Severus reached out and held Harry's head in his hands, "For once in your life Harry, you're thinking too much." And with that, he was being kissed. It was a soft kiss, softer than Harry had thought Severus capable of. And softer than Harry really wanted it. He stepped closer and pushed harder against the man's mouth. Severus pushed back and they stepped backwards together, still attached, until the back of Harry's legs met resistance.
Harry pulled Severus down with him.
He should have known better than to doubt a plan of Draco Malfoy.
