Gravity

Oneshot, AU

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

…

The first time Severus Snape met Harry Potter, the young man had somehow fallen into Severus' rose bushes. Neither was very happy about this.

With a scowl, Severus grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him through the bushes and onto the porch.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"What the hell are you doing in my bushes?"

"Well, a minute ago I was in a tree, and then magically-"

"Do you have any idea what those bushes are worth?"

"No . . ." Harry mumbled and picked some of the thorns from his jumper.

"The seeds for that particular breed of roses are over one thousand pounds a dozen, and the costs of raising them sufficiently are easily in the hundreds of thousands-"

"Are you some kind of gardening enthusiast? Look, I'm sorry I fell in your bushes, but it was an accident, so-"

"You're going to pay for the damages."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't just fall on someone's prize winning bushes and expect everything to be handy dandy."

Harry stood. "Handy dandy? Look, I'm not paying for those bushes, Mr . . ."

"Snape."

"Mr. Snape. It was an accident. What was I supposed to do, say 'Oh, I'm sorry, Gravity. I can't fall on these bushes. These bushes are champions.' It doesn't work that way."

"Get off my property."

"I really am sorry-"

"Get off. My property."

Harry sighed and stumbled off the porch, leg throbbing. He wondered how many thorns were still embedded in his ass. An hour later, after cleaning his wounds and wrapping them in gauze for dramatic effect, Harry spotted Snape kneeling by his rose bushes in the dim evening light with a flashlight and notebook.

…..

Browsing through a seed catalog and taking notes, Severus Snape was not expecting a visitor in the least. He made a few more calculations toward a blooming date and grunted at the impatient knocking. Albus Dumbledore was obnoxious, but rarely was he rude.

To say Severus was displeased to see Harry Potter instead of Dumbledore on his doorstep is an understatement. The younger man had kept out of sight, and rightly so; If Severus had seen him too soon he may have throttled him for the blatant disrespect he'd shown the week before. The fact that his hands were behind his back was also suspicious.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to make amends."

"Go away."

"I brought you something. Are you going to let me in?"

Although the urge to slam the door in his face was overwhelming, Severus opened the screen door and stepped back. Harry eased past Severus with his back faced away until Severus closed the door and looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, so I smashed your rose bushes, and I'm sorry. But I did try to make up for it by getting you this." Harry brought the pot from behind his back and placed it carefully in Severus' hands with an uneasy smile. "I went through a lot to get this, so I hope you're grateful."

Severus studied it for a moment, brows furrowed. ". . . What is it?"

"You call yourself a gardener, and you can't even recognize . . ." Severus glared. "Sorry. It's, uh, a Middlemist Red. I thought it might make up for the roses."

Severus set down the pot and stared at Harry. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No. It's really a Middlemist. You can check the documentation; I got it from a botanist, actually. A great-uncle of a friend."

Severus leaned closer to inspect the plant. "I don't know your name."

"It's Harry. Harry Potter."

Severus nodded absent-mindedly. He was already looking around for his notebook.

"Will you be able to take care of it? I mean, I assumed you could, because of the roses, but I could be wrong. It won't survive if it's not in the right conditions . . ."

"I have a sufficient greenhouse." Severus said quietly, looking Harry in the eye for the first time. "Thank you, Mr. Potter."

"You're welcome, Mr. Snape. If you ever want to get in contact with the botanist who sold me the plant, I'd be happy to give you his number."

"I would appreciate that." Severus said carefully. "Thank you." He flipped to a new page and licked his pen more out of habit than need. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why were you climbing the tree over my yard?"

Harry blushed. "I was trying to get a better look at your greenhouse, sir."

…

It wasn't as if they spent countless evenings exchanging anecdotes, but within a few months, the two men had gained a sort of fond tolerance for one another. Harry knew better than to walk anywhere but the sidewalk in Snape's yard, and Severus knew better than to expect Harry to stop playing Adele and Sonic Youth at all hours of the night.

Once, when Harry commented that he couldn't park in his garage due to the clutter, Severus helped him clean it. They unearthed an old record player, which Severus commandeered for the afternoon and used to play The Velvet Underground and Cher. Harry usually made an effort to start a conversation where there wasn't one, but that day he just listened and cleaned and offered to make lemonade to no response, so he made it anyway.

Thick glass tapping his teeth, Harry surveyed the junk scattered in his yard. When the hell had he gotten a sewing machine?

….

Nearly a year after Harry fell into his bushes, Severus invited him over for dinner. Harry didn't know what to expect, and he brought a case of beer from a nearby brewery as a house warming gift of sorts, although Snape had lived in Spinner's End since before Harry was born.

As soon as Snape opened the door, Harry smelled spices and something akin to mint coming from inside. He gave Severus a curious glance and stepped inside, where the scent became stronger.

"Are you a botanist and a master chef?"

Severus cleared his throat in response and took the beer from Harry, leading the way into the kitchen. Harry stopped in the doorway, stunned.

Although Harry had been in Snape's kitchen twice since they'd met, he'd never seen it in use. At least three pots were bubbling on the stove, and it looked like something was in the oven.

"Are you throwing a dinner party or something?"

Snape scoffed a little. "I didn't know you were a comedian as well as a menace, Potter."

"Oh yeah," Harry said with a grin. He opened the fridge without permission and grabbed a pudding cup. "I forgot that you're so antisocial your best friends are plants."

Snape opened a nearby drawer and fished out a knife, and Harry yelped and hid behind the fridge door.

"Potter," Snape said with an air of amusement as he opened a cabinet with his free hand. "Help me mince this thyme, will you?"

Harry laughed nervously. "For a moment there I thought you were going to murder me."

"It depends on how good of a mincer you are, really."

….

Harry looked down at his plate in awe. Not only had Snape prepared mashed potatoes, meatloaf, mixed fresh vegetables, and an oily salad, he had arranged said items into what looked like a miniature house held together with toothpicks, complete with bushes in the front and mashed potato smoke at the top of the meatloaf chimney. Harry could barely manage macaroni and cheese from a box.

"Severus, this is amazing. Are you . . . a chef?"

Severus opened his beer and took a swig. "I'm the head cook at an orphanage downtown."

"Really? But this is fantastic. Do you prepare dishes like this for the kids?"

"Sometimes. It depends on what's donated and how much time I have to prepare."

"So all the extra food . . ."

"Is for a staff potluck tomorrow night. It's against health regulations to prepare meals at home and bring them in for the children."

Harry watched Snape scoop out the chimney smoke and eat it in silence.

"Are you going to eat or not?" said Snape.

Harry coughed. "I actually don't know where to start."

Snape looked at Harry's plate with a smirk. "Maybe the salad bushes."

Harry laughed and stabbed one with his fork. "Because you should always start with the salad bushes. Obviously." He stuffed a huge forkful of salad into his mouth and caught Snape's gaze across the small table. Harry smiled, cheeks bulging and salad bits covering his teeth.

Snape's low chuckle made Harry laugh, spraying dressing all over the table in the process.

"Elegant as ever, Potter"

Harry swallowed his salad and laughed until he choked. "You know it." He said breathlessly afterward, wiping tears from his eyes. He took a moment to lick his teeth clean before smiling at Snape again, and the older man's expression was a mix of amusement and fondness that was odd. Odd for Snape, anyway.

Harry looked away, but not before wondering exactly what the older man was thinking.

….

After Harry whined his way into helping Snape pack up food for the potluck, wash the dishes, and roll out cookie dough, they sat on Snape's couch and watched the evening news together. Harry sipped from a glass of water as Snape nursed a beer, his third that night.

"Is that a man or a woman?" Harry said, leaning forward and squinting at the reporter on screen.

"Does it matter?" said Snape, taking another slug of his beer.

"Probably not, but in most cases it's something you'd want to know."

They watched in silence until Snape said quietly, "Does it matter to you?"

Harry set down his water. "What do you mean?" He turned to face Snape, and the man seemed very serious considering the question at hand.

"Does it matter to you, Harry, whether it's a man or a woman?"

Harry's brows furrowed. "No. It never has, really."

After pretending to pay attention to a segment on pet adoption and not watch Snape out of the corner of his eye, Harry turned back to Snape and shivered as the older man leaned toward him. Harry closed his eyes . . .

The doorbell rang, and Snape pulled away as if burned.

Harry mumbled, mind hazy with what he'd hoped to happen. "Who's that?"

"Probably Albus. He always has such bad timing."

"Albus? As in Albus Dumbledore?" Harry opened his eyes and stared at Severus.

"You know Albus Dumbledore?" Said Severus, and he heard the lock click open and cursed himself for giving Albus the spare key.

"Severus, is everything alright? You usually answer the door right away . . ." came a voice from the hallway, and Harry ran for the kitchen, but tripped and hit his head on the side table. "Merlin's balls . . ." Harry grumbled as he army crawled behind the couch. Albus Dumbledore walked into the room, frowning.

"Severus, I thought I heard something."

"Fear not, Albus. It was only my hopes being crushed once I realized it was you and not the male escort I contacted."

"Now, now, Severus. We both know I don't pay you nearly enough . . . Is there someone hiding behind your couch?"

"I certainly hope not. I don't remember giving anyone permission to do so."

"Severus, there are shoes behind your couch. Either you have taken a liking to sneakers, or there is a young man hiding behind your couch."

"I'm an empty pair of sneakers now, am I?" Mumbled Harry, and he hauled himself up and stood.

"Harry!" Albus looked pleasantly surprised and held his arms expectantly. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"Yeah, I know." Harry said grudgingly, and he shuffled close enough for Albus to pull him into a fierce hug.

Severus winced at the pang of an oncoming headache. "Does someone want to explain to me what the hell is going on?"

Harry burrowed into Albus, blushing. Although they had nearly kissed, he was nowhere near ready to explain to Severus his connection to Albus; his entire history, consequently.

Albus patted Harry gently on the back, seeming to understand. "Harry why don't you go into the kitchen and make us all some tea?"

"But-"

"Please, Harry."

Harry's head hung low as he made his way to the kitchen, and Albus sat beside Severus on the couch. "Severus, my boy, how have you been?"

"Now is not the time, you old coot. How do you know Harry?"

Albus looked around the room, his expression drifting from benign to somewhat melancholy. "They brought him to the orphanage when he was just a baby. He'd been badly hurt in the accident that killed his parents and there's still a scar on his forehead, although I doubt he's let you see it. He wears his hair long because they teased him when he was younger."

"Why haven't you seen him in years? He can't be more than nineteen."

"He ran away a few weeks after he turned sixteen. We thought we'd be able to find him if he tried to use his inheritance, but he never did. I had no idea he lived here, Severus. When did he move in?"

"A year ago."

"Why didn't you mention him? You seem to be friends."

Severus shook his head. "We drink on the porch and he comes over from time to time, but . . . He never said anything and I never thought to ask."

"This seat is warm, Severus. I assume he's been here a while."

Severus wiped at some of the condensation on his beer before knocking back the rest of it. "What do you want me to say, Albus?"

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that Harry has a history of escapism, and he may be using you for the same purpose."

Severus cleared his throat, but Harry came back into the room with three steaming cups, a container of cream, and a small bowl of sugar. "I'm sorry about raiding your kitchen, Severus. I'll clean it later, I promise." He set down the tray and stood awkwardly before them.

"Sit down, dear boy." Albus said quietly, gesturing toward an armchair. "Tell us what you've been through these past few years."

….

Severus watched Albus climb into his decrepit Austin Mini and speed away with a 'meep'. Scowling, he closed the door and walked down the hall into the living room. Harry was sitting in the seat he had occupied before, biting his lip a little.

"I think you should go home, Harry."

"Is it because I ran away? Do you think I'll leave if any little thing goes wrong?"

"I didn't think that far in the future."

"Did you want to kiss me on the couch before Albus showed up?"

Severus sighed. "Yes."

"Do you still want to?"

Severus did not answer, but he walked over to the couch and squatted to meet eyes too old for their years. "I think you should go home, Harry."

He brought a hand slowly to Harry's face, and he traced a cheek with his knuckles before pushing the dark fringe of hair back and kissing the lightning shaped scar.

….

Harry knew he was being a tad desperate, but Severus had been avoiding him. Although neither had mentioned the almost-kiss, Harry considered it was an indication of mutual attraction that had potential to be much more.

Severus had never ignored Harry's trans-yard greetings before, but he had been for the last two weeks, ever since the night everything had come out into the open.

Grunting a little, Harry pulled himself up onto the lowest branch of Severus' oak tree. He took a moment to steady himself and get comfortable. If Severus was anywhere as stubborn as he seemed, Harry was going to be up there for a while.

The sun set slowly, and it wasn't until the milky blue of twilight that Severus seemed to notice Harry sitting in the tree he'd fallen from the year before.

Severus stepped outside, the screen door slamming loudly behind him. "Potter, what the hell are you doing?"

"I thought we were on a first name basis, Severus."

"Get down here. Now."

"Why don't you come up? I need help, maybe. I might fall into the rose bushes again."

Severus visibly paled. His bushes had barely survived the last fall and were expected to win regionals this year.

Harry scooted to make room for Severus, who was huffing from the effort, a moment later.

"It's a nice view, don't you think?"

"You'll be lucky if I don't strangle you when we're back on the ground."

"You've been ignoring me." Harry said with a shrug. "I figured the best way to get your attention was to climb your tree . . ."

Severus shook his head in agitation watched the sun sink below the horizon in an effort to calm himself. He didn't look when Harry clasped his hand in his, but he didn't pull away.

"I'm not going to run away from you, Severus. I don't know what Albus told you about me, but I'm not afraid of you. I mean, you're moody and grumpy and you insult me on a regular basis, but . . . I know you care about me, at least a little bit."

Severus continued to watch the sky, and in complete darkness, Harry turned the older man's face to him and kissed him carefully. Severus responded, and Harry hummed a little, content with the knowledge of what a sappy fool he was.

Snape's porch lights came on automatically, and misters connected to the sprinkler system began to water the rose bushes.

"Do you want to go inside?" Harry said quietly as he pulled away.

"Why?" Severus licked his lips and pecked at Harry's for good measure.

"I can't feel my butt. Both of my buttcheeks are numb."

Severus laughed, surprised, and lost his balance. He swung his arms wildly for a moment before falling out of the tree and into his rose bushes.

"FUCK!"

Harry began to laugh, holding onto a branch for dear life as his body shook with the force of it. "I've never heard you swear like that, Severus." He said before beginning to giggle again.

"There are thorns in my ass, Potter. What am I supposed to say?"

"Look on the bright side, Severus. At least the misters are flushing your wounds."

"This mist is made primarily of insecticides, Potter."

Harry continued to laugh, and after slipping a little and struggling to stay upright, he fell into the bushes as well.

….

Harry held still as Severus dabbed at one of the worst cuts, just below his jaw.

"That tickles . . ." Harry complained, but he waited until Severus pulled away and wrung out the rag to move.

"This is all your fault, Potter. If you hadn't have climbed my tree either time, I wouldn't have to do this . . ."

Harry took the rag from Severus with a smile and threw it across the room. "At least your buttcheeks aren't numb and thorny."

"Yes, at least my buttcheeks are not numb and thorny. Thank Merlin for the small things."