Part One

Part One

Harry dragged his feet as he let Ron and Hermione lead him towards his next lesson-Potions.

"Cheer up Harry!" Ron grinned, slapping him on the back. "You look as if you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders!"

"Sorry, I'm just really dreading Potions today," Harry apologised. He sighed, and picked up his pace a little, not wanting to be late. He'd certainly hate for Professor Snape to have yet another reason to pick on him! Although things had definitely been improving lately. Ever since he'd seen what he had.

Entering the room and taking a seat at the back, Harry let his mind wander yet again, to what he had stumbled in on at the weekend.

It was Sunday evening and Harry was just down the corridor from Professor McGonagall's office. He had to hand in a piece of homework, but from what he could hear, she was not in a good mood. She was having a blazing row with someone, who, as he drew nearer and peeked through a crack in the door, he identified as Snape.

He watched with curiosity the scene that was unfolding before him: Professor McGonagall was stood near the centre of the room, facing Professor Snape.

"Serverus, I have told you time and time again that on Saturday evenings the Quidditch pitch belongs to Gryffindor! Slytherin do not have permission to practice at the same time!" Red spots were starting to glow on her cheeks.

"Minerva please! Slytherin do need to practice too!"

"Well then you should have booked the slot yourself!"

"I shall take this up with Dumbeldore!"

"You do that then, see where that gets you! An angry silence filled the room and for a second, Harry was almost afraid that Snape would strike his head of house. But instead, he did something completely different. The tension in her jaw relaxed and, almost as if in slow motion, he reached up a hand and slowly stroked her cheek.

Minerva felt herself start to protest, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the strange, unfamiliar way he was looking at her, or the comfortable warmth his hand provided her cheek with, but either way, she found herself stepping towards him slowly.

Serverus wanted to step back, to pull his hand away from her face and flee the room, but he was rooted to the spot. For a long moment, they started tentatively into each other's eyes, then oh so slowly; Minerva started to walk towards him. He put his hands round her waist and pulled her close to him, then, without thinking, he moved his mouth towards hers.

As their lips drew ever closer together, Minerva felt her doubts begin to slip away. She stopped thinking about how she shouldn't be doing what she was, and concentrated on how good it felt to be held lovingly in Serverus's arms. And then finally, their lips met and for a long moment, they were lost in oblivion.

Stood at the door, harry realised that he probably shouldn't be watching, and turned to walk away. What he hadn't counted on however, was tripping on a chair placed outside the office and bringing it down on top of himself with a loud crash.

Inside the room, Minerva and Serverus pulled away from each other, startled. Dashing to the door, Snape grabbed Harry by the collar of his robe, before he had chance to run away.

"Potter!" Snape growled. "I should have known. What do you want?" He shook Harry angrily, not loosening his grip on his collar.

"Let him go Serverus," McGonagall commanded coolly from the doorway. "We don't know what he's seen." Unwillingly, Snape let go of Harry robes.

"So, Potter," he fumed. "What exactly have you seen?"

"N….n….nothing sir!" Harry stuttered. "I especially didn't just see you and Professor McGonagall kissing in her office!" he could have kicked himself. Snape started to turn a funny beetroot colour, but McGonagall pushed past him. Putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, she bent down and smiled at him kindly.

"Now Harry," she started. "I think we both know that you should probably keep what you just saw secret. Don't you agree it's for the best?" Harry found himself compelled to nod in agreement. "Good lad. Now hand me your homework and run along." And that was where Harry had left them.

He didn't know what had happened after he had left, but he was certainly curious. It was hard not to tell Ron and Hermione, but he knew he couldn't break his word to Professor McGonagall. He'd just been grateful for the fact he didn't have a Potions lesson until Wednesday.

The few times he'd passed Snape in the school's corridors, he'd smiled and nodded nervously in Harry's direction, but Harry still wasn't too keen on spending an hour in lesson with him.

However the lesson passed, much to Harry's surprise, the same way his Transfiguration class the day before had-without event. It was only when the class had been dismissed and Harry was on his way out that Snape spoke up.

"Um, Harry, a word if you please?" Malfoy and his gang sniggered as Harry was forced to wait until the class had left the room.

"Listen, I know you said you wouldn't tell anyone what you saw on Sunday, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me doing a little spell to make sure you don't let anything slip?" Harry started to protest. "Now I can't do anything without your consent of course, as the spell would require you taking a potion but-"

"Sir, I don't get it! If you and Professor McGonagall are in love then why-"

"Professor McGonagall and I are not in love! I'll have you know that I haven't even spoken to her since Sunday evening!"

"Okay, but if it's all the same to you sir, then I'd rather not take the potion!" Harry grinned cheekily as he sauntered out of the room. With two teachers afraid of what he might say, he had a feeling that this term was going to turn out to be funner than most!