Severus Snape never fancied himself to be anything more than a cruel and unforgiving bastard, but in brief moments of disgust and confusion he dealt with things the only way he could. Some nights a woman, others a man –it had never actually mattered. After decades of saying he'd loved Lily Evans, he almost believed it himself, but in the end he knew it was just a convenient lie.

The aftertaste of too much gin and one smoke too many greeted him as he woke. After a long meeting with Albus, he'd gone straight to his favorite club and had clearly succeeded in getting wasted. Somewhere in the confusion of the Dark Lord returning, they'd managed to lose Harry Potter, but of course Albus had a plan. The bastard always had a plan. There should have been some sign of the boy, some sign of accidental magic.

Perhaps the Dark Lord had him? Perhaps Albus had him. All he knew for sure was that Albus' plan to replace him with the other Potter twin was too convenient. The most trusted members of the Order hadn't known about the twins –he hadn't known until Albus had announced he was bringing the child out of hiding.

The bed shifted under him and he swore loudly. "Shower and get out." When no response came he rolled over and stared at his bed mate. He couldn't initially place an age on the guy next to him, couldn't even remember bringing him home. He took a long look at the mop of dirty blonde hair poking out from his duvet and sighed –no point in waking whoever it was until he'd sobered a bit.

After a long, hot shower he made up a pot of tea and some toast. The open files on the kitchen table caught his eye and he hoped his guest hadn't been up and about. He read through the file detailing the last sighting of Potter again as he ate. How had none of the Order members assigned to watch him realized he hadn't left the house once all summer? Plenty of boys had come and gone, but nobody had actually seen their little savior. He heard footsteps behind him and slammed the file shut as he turned. "How old are you?"

"20," the young man answered. His dirty blonde hair stuck up in different directions and his clothes were just a bit too tight to be comfortable. "You, uh…well." He shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose. "500 pounds."

Severus scoffed as he looked him over. "Let me guess –you needed the money but couldn't find an easy hit, so you drugged my drink, figured I'd feel obliged to pay you. Maybe you'll call the authorities if I don't." He took a long sip of his tea while he debated how to handle the situation. Albus would have his balls if he got arrested due to a run in with a hustler. "We'll have to work something out, considering I don't have any money."

"We can discuss it over toast. I'm Gio," he extended his hand. Severus shook it once before moving to the other side of the table.

He slid the plate of toast across and poured out another cup of tea. "You aren't 20."

Gio shrugged as he quietly munched on a lightly buttered piece. "I'm however old you want me to be."

"And why is that?" Severus asked as he leaned back in his chair. "A boy your age ought to still be in school."

Gio lazily ran a hand through his hair and tugged at it. "I have rent. And I'm not a boy, despite what you think."

Severus scowled. "Yes, a rent boy. I teach children your age, you twat. How do you think this might look to my employer?" He paused as he saw the fear flash across the boy's features and felt the small static field. Surely it was magic. If he turned him over to the authorities, he'd probably do time for prostituting; if he let the boy go…. Was it really his business, whether the boy in front of him died on the streets? "Tell me more about this rent you owe."

"We conducted a business transaction that you're refusing to pay for, mister. It's not any of your…." He paused and gulped as Severus stared him down. "My parents died years ago and I live with an aunt and uncle. They said I'm old enough to pay my way, but I'm moving out on my birthday. I'll be a legal adult soon. A neighbor offered me 50 pounds and here I am." A dark look crossed his features and he jumped up. "Forget about the money." He turned to run, but Severus caught his wrist.

Though Gio fought, Severus swiftly had hold of both his hands and restrained him just enough. Severus hissed as the boy pressed against him and tightened his grip. "You're in luck…Gio. I'm in need of an assistant, someone to do the dirty work. I won't pay you, but you can have room and board."

"And you'll take what you want from me as you please?" Gio yelled as he fidgeted.

Severus dropped him and gave a shove. "If that's your assessment of me, then get out. I've watched so many people squander their lives and talent. I apologize for offering you something more than…this!" He stepped back and scowled. The boy wasn't any of his business. Somebody else could save him. Wasn't it enough that he had to sort out the mess with Potter? He leaned against the table and watched as Gio jumped up and ran. "Fuck."

-:-:-:-

He stood still while Albus paced back and forth across his office. They were positive the boy was no longer at the Dursleys, but they couldn't send anyone to verify it. If they tipped their hand and the Ministry, or worse yet the Dark Lord, started hunting for Potter…the boy would be imprisoned, if not killed. "Are you sure the boy gave no indication?"

"I see no reason why Harry would have run," Albus said firmly. "This isn't like him. Do you think it's possible? Surely if the Dursleys harmed him, we would know."

Severus shrugged and tried not to look annoyed. Albus hadn't bothered to notice the abuse he'd suffered at his father's hands and he knew the other Heads often missed the signs in their pupils. "The boy was shorter than I would have expected a Potter to be. And what of the other one? The twin?"

"Charles," Albus whispered. He leaned dramatically against his desk and sighed. "Charles was sickly, shouldn't have survived past infancy. The scandal it would have caused for a family like the Potters to lose a child so young…. We knew he would be targeted, but the boy needed medical care Severus. He's doing quite well now –the treatments have worked."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and wished to escape the conversation. Surely the Potters had agreed to it; surely the boy was fine. "This doesn't strike you as rather convenient?"

The twinkle fell from Albus' eyes as he turned. "I would not suggest insinuating that I would harm Harry. No, we must play this carefully. I can handle Granger and Weasley, get Charles to take Harry's place, but you must find him!" A stray tear fell from one of his eyes, but he quickly brushed it away. "Have you been called, recently?"

"Yes," Severus said as he hid his groan. He tried not to let Albus see his headache, how hung-over he was and found himself thankful for his pale complexion. "The Dark Lord commissioned his regular round of potions. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Yes, yes, very well," Albus muttered as he turned, his mind clearly somewhere else. "Let me know if you need anything."

Severus turned on the spot and strutted out –he knew a dismissal when he heard one.

-:-:-:-

After hours of brewing for the school stores and contemplating the Potter problem, he apparated to the end of his street and began the walk home. In just another week, Potter would be expected at Headquarters for his birthday and somebody was bound to notice. Black and Lupin would go crazy with fear; the Weasleys would dissolve into hysterics. He pushed the gate to his yard open and stopped. After the events of the day, the boy on his stoop was not a welcome sight.

Gio stood and slung his bag over his shoulder when Severus reached the door and muttered a greeting. He charged inside before Severus could stop him and walked straight to the kitchen. "I want to discuss your offer," he said as he sat. "Room and board in exchange for doing your dirty work and fucking you once a day."

Severus raised his eyebrows and tutted as he sat. "The fucking is unnecessary…and probably illegal." He sighed as he stared at the boy. The physical release wouldn't be worth it. "There's a spare room upstairs. I'll need you to prepare specimens in my lab and keep the house tidy while I'm away."

Their eyes met for just a moment before Gio stood. "I don't believe you. But that's okay for now," he slung the bag over his shoulder and looked toward the door. "When you decide you want something…." He nodded his head as he left and loudly ascended the stairs.

The boy made almost no noise, but Severus could tell he'd gone to the right room. If he was right about the boy being magical, the potions preparations would come easily and he might get a decent apprentice out of it. After another moment, he quietly walked upstairs and entered the room he'd sent Gio to. "You'll keep it clean?"

Gio pushed away from the dresser and approached, the front of his pants already unzipped. "Yes sir," he whispered. Right as he reached Severus, he turned so they were back to front and wiggled. "Whatever you want," he muttered as he nudged against Severus' jaw.

"What I want," Severus said slowly as he pushed the boy away from him, "is for you to come learn how to remove and pickle toad eyes so that I can get some work done." He diverted his gaze while Gio zipped his trousers and then led him to the lab. Had he really fucked the gorgeous specimen just the night before? Had he really been so far gone as to think it was a decent idea?

The lab was small and untidy, just barely large enough to brew one potion at a time. Gio stopped when he saw the contents of the room and gasped. "You're! No, I can't…."

Severus slammed his hand against the door right next to the boy's head and then grabbed the back of his shirt. "You do have some sort of education then? Is it enough for you to do some basic work for me or shall I be teaching?"

Gio trembled as he turned and stared up into Severus' eyes. "I don't want anything to do with the magical world."

"Shut up," Severus ordered as he leaned against his hand on the door and lowered to the boy's eye level. He almost caught a glimpse of something before the boy's mind rejected him and he gave up. "I won't hurt you, you stupid child. You will tend my home and prepare ingredients. You will not have any contact with the magical world or my contacts within it." He pushed away and tugged Gio forward by the front of his shirt. "Today, you will remove the eyes from these toads and pickle them. Is that within your capabilities?"

"Please," Gio whispered as he fidgeted against Severus' hold. "Promise you won't try to take me back."

Severus released his grip but didn't pull away when Gio took hold of his hand. "I won't force you to do anything, Gio." The boy continued to caress his hand and pull him closer. "No," Severus whispered when they were just inches apart. "It would be inappropriate for anything more to occur between us."

He ordered Gio to begin as he hurried out. The boy would continue his behavior until he believed he was safe and under no pressure to perform and then he would settle into normal behavior. Until then, Severus figured he would just have to be the bigger man. He could deal with a confused and scared child long enough to sort things out.

As he stroked himself, he repeated that it didn't mean anything. The boy could pass for 20 and was initiating it on his own. It was just a natural, physical reaction to new stimulus that would fade with familiarity. He started down the stairs but stopped when he heard a loud crash.

He pivoted and turned slowly on his toes. If he stormed in and threatened Gio as he so enjoyed doing to his students, the reaction would be unpleasant. The door creaked as he pushed it open and he took deep breaths. Gio stood a few steps from the worktable, the scalpel still in his hand, his face covered in goop. "What happened?" Severus asked as he slowly approached.

"It moved," Gio whined. "I thought it was dead…but it moved and…." He motioned to the slime on his face and balked.

"I see," Severus muttered as he took the scalpel and handed the boy a cloth. "Perhaps I ought to supervise for a moment." He laid out the next toad while Gio cleaned up and tried not to tense when the boy slipped under his arms and placed himself between Severus and the table.

"Like this?" Gio asked as he took the scalpel and made the first incision vertically along the snout.

Severus grunted his approval as he rested his arms on the table and shifted his hips to put more space between them. He watched as Gio made two horizontal cuts –one above and below the eye sockets –and two vertical cuts on either side in silence.

Gio noticeably tensed as he scooped out the eyeballs and placed them in the pickling solution. "Was that right?" he asked quietly.

"I suppose you had an adequate teacher. Let me watch again and you can get to it."

Gio will turn 17 shortly, btw. He'll be older before they hook up, tho.