Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter and co.
A/N: Re-posted. p If you don't like slash, then I advice you not to read this.
FLIGHT OF FANCY
Chapter One
"POTTER! What is the meaning of this?"
"Ten points from Gryffindor!"
"What's wrong Potter? Don't you know how to read or are you just blind?"
"Shut up, Malfoy. Leave Harry alone."
"Oooh…the mudblood hath spoken"
"I'm warning you Malfoy. You've gone too far…."
"Oooh…I'm so scared. What are you going to do about it Weasley? "
"I've had enough of this! Anymore words out of any of you, including you Draco, and I will take twenty points from each respective house! By the way Potter, I expect you to be back here at 9:00pm sharp for some extra work to compensate for this wreckage you've made."
Harry trudged carefully down the dank steps towards the dungeons, trying his best to shut out the voices in his head. He just wanted to get this done with and quickly too. Sighing inwardly he reached the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the Potions classroom. Harry had thought that the Potions classroom was stuffed to brimming with colored potion bottles of all kinds but Professor Snape's office was, if anything, crammed with even more. There were potions of yellow, black, red, purple and pink, all jostling for space on the mahogany shelves that lined the corners of the room. Professor Snape's collection of potions took up so much room that the already small office was even more cramped.
Where was Professor Snape anyway? Harry scanned the room and spotted Professor Snape on his desk, sleeping. He had laid his head on the table, and Harry could see the tendrils of Professor Snape's oily black hair covering half of his pale forehead. The desk was full of unchecked papers of his first year students, but that was not what caught his attention. There was something else on the desk that made him take a second glance. Situated near Professor Snape, was a flask that was almost empty. It was filled with a strange grayish liquid. It did not have a pure grayish color, since it looked like it was mixed with something else. The color of the liquid was a cross between the whiteness of a cloud and that of ash. He immediately knew exactly what it was. They had taken this up in Potions class barely a month ago. Curiosity strucked him. Could this be why Professor Snape was asleep? After all, the potion is similar to that of a sleeping potion, but Professor Snape should have known that there would be uncertain effects if not taken in moderation. After all, he is the Potions Master. I should try to wake him up.
"Professor?" Harry called out. No response. He moved closer to the desk. Harry could hear the deep and methodical breathing coming from Professor Snape.
"Professor Snape?" No response. Should I just sit down for awhile and wait? Harry thought to himself.
Yes, maybe I should do that.
He had noticed the armchair situated just across from the desk while scanning the room. But before he could sit down, he saw Professor Snape's head slowly rise, just as though he was waking from a dream. He gave a groaning noise that sounded like a grunt to no one in particular. His eyes blinked as he adjusted to the light and to his surroundings. His face was mixed with a tinge of annoyance and anger for having been woken without his verification. At first, he did not notice the boy with glasses and jet-black hair standing right across from him. It was only when Harry spoke to him that he turned his attention to the speaker.
"Professor? You asked me to come here. So I did," Harry said.
He hadn't been expecting to see Professor Snape asleep. He was sure that Professor Snape would not have forgotten that he had instructed Harry to come here. But as he looked again at Snape's tired and wearisome face, he immediately knew why he could have easily forgotten. Harry recalled the events on his fifth year. It seemed so long ago but in reality it only happened a few month ago. The sessions he had with Professor Snape, and how seemingly irritable he was at him. The mysterious work he does for the Order….
Whatever the task was, it surely had drained Professor Snape of his usual demeanor. That could probably be the reason why he took the potion in order to relieve him of all the stresses he must be encountering. Unfortunately, Harry glanced again at the flask on the desk, he may have taken one to many.
"I didn't ask for you. You shouldn't be here. I've warned you again and again—," Professor Snape was telling him.
The look in his unfocused, glassy eyes gave Harry the chills.
"But—," he began.
Wait a minute, what am I saying? This is the perfect opportunity to get off the hook.
"--not to come here. It's too dangerous if they find out about us," Professor Snape continued, ignoring Harry's attempt in speech.
What in the world was he going on about? All of a sudden Professor Snape banged his fist on his desk, startling Harry and making him jump.
"Well? What are you waiting for standing around, James? " Snape said.
James? He must think…
It must be one of the effects of the potion…
"I'm sorry Sir, you must be mistaken. I'm not James, my name is Harry," Harry told him.
"Harry? Oh, yes. How can I forget? Young Harry Potter, such a strong headed individual, I should say," Professor Snape said. He stood up all of a sudden and straightened his robes.
"I should also mention to you that he takes so much after you. Like father, like son, as the old adage goes," Professor Snape continued. He was moving closer to Harry now while Harry was growing uncomfortable.
"Did I disturb you Sir? Maybe I should come another time then..," Harry said backing slowly away from Professor Snape and towards the door.
"He has that same spark you have. He's also excellent in Quidditch you know. A Seeker, can you believe it? Although, I bet you expected that he will be an excellent Chaser like you," he said.
"Sir…," Harry was speechless. He did not know what to say. He knew that instant that Professor Snape had finally lost it. He was crazy and temperamental to begin with and he frightened the hell out of his students with his sneer and sarcastic comments. Well, maybe except for Slytherin students. Now, here was Snape thinking that he was James, Harry's father. He was actually talking to him no that was wrong, to James humanely. He did not know what was scarier than that.
"Now, now. You don't need to be modest. He really is a special boy. Although, I do not say it in front of his face, I still have a reputation to keep. Now that the dark days are starting again,"
He was already barely inches away from Harry. Harry could see that his eyes were still adjusting to the brightness of the office. He had dark circles under his eyes.
"I…," Harry said. He wasn't sure if it was just the trick of the light but he thought he saw sadness on Snape's face, as he gazed at Harry.
"So…much…like…you. It's too bad he never got to know you as well as I did," Professor Snape was saying. Harry just stared at him dumbfounded. He stepped closer to him. It was all he could do to keep his composure. Harry gulped.
"Sir, I really should go now. You look tired and…," Harry said all too fast. He wanted to get out of there immediately. Professor Snape's proximity to him was making him even more uncomfortable.
Snape laughed. "Tired? Oh, no. How can I be tired? The night has only begun," Harry tried to back away but he found out that he couldn't get past Snape. Suddenly, Snape grabbed Harry's arm, and rather harshly, pulled him close.
"W-what is it that you want?," Harry said softly afraid to speak up. He felt warm and uncomfortable all of a sudden. Professor Snape bent closer to Harry. He could feel the older man's hot breath as he spoke.
"You."
"Excuse me?" Harry asked meekly. They were so close now that he could see the wrinkles on Professor Snape's face. Before he could react however, Professor Snape placed his fingers on his lips.
"Shhh. You always talk too much," Professor Snape removed his finger from Harry's lips. But before Harry could reply, Snape had already took him in his mouth. Harry did not know what to do. Here was his Professor, kissing his own student. He could feel Snape's tongue as he probed his mouth. Harry felt weird about it at first. But the feeling of weirdness vanished immediately when Harry felt a burning and heated sensation coming from his body, particularly that space between his legs. This was completely wrong. But if it's wrong, how come I'm feeling…? He broke off the contact immediately.
"Professor Snape!" Harry said loudly in hopes of waking his professor from his dream world. It was then that Snape's eyes became focused once again. There was also a horrified expression on his face. He opened his mouth to speak and decided the better of it. It was the first time that Harry had ever saw Professor Snape speechless. It was Harry who spoke up.
"Umm… Sir, what just happened?" Snape let go of his hand from Harry's arm and started backing away.
"Nothing Potter, nothing. You may leave now," he told him.
He strode back to his chair by his desk and sat down heavily. Harry stood still, not believing what had just transpired.
"Well?" Snape asked. He's sarcastic tone was back again.
"Sir. I still don't understand why…," Harry could not finish his sentence. Snape looked at him, and for a moment he expected that he would be scolded at. But then his features softened and when he spoke it was soft.
"I rarely do this Potter, but since it's of no use lying to you right now, I'm going to be frank. There are a lot of things that you do not know. For instance, James and I were close once," he told him and then he sighed deeply. He seemed to be remembering something but then quickly snapped out of his reverie.
Harry just stood there in silence not believing the words that Snape said. He could not mean what I think he means, right? I must have been imagining it. Yes, that's it. I'm hearing things that is all.
"Well? Leave! Shoo! Off with you. I still have a lot of work to finish," Snape said after a few moments had lapsed.
Harry not knowing how to react to the nights events, stumbled from the room. He did not want to leave yet. There were still some questions that he wanted to ask. It was already obvious what Snape meant by close. But Harry did not want to think on the details too much. He wanted to know how that happened. What did James see in Snape that made them…that made…? He could not even say it. He just wanted to know. But more than that, he had another reason for wanting to find out more about them. This could be an opportunity to get to know his father, who he never knew. But was that his only the reason? Harry could still remember the feeling of the burning sensation in his body. He immediately took the thought off his mind feeling ashamed of feeling such a thing. He was exploding with questions, but the answers were, for the moment tantalizingly out of reach. Fortunately, something good came out from this experience. Harry was shown a side of Snape that he never imagined being possible. Wonders indeed never cease. Snape actually cared for someone.
Although, Harry was still having a difficult time in accepting that, that someone was his father.
