Seeing What Develops
Movies, films, cinema—whatever term one chose to use, they had been one of his favourite escapes, delights and solitary pleasures since he'd largely quit the claustrophobic morass of British wizarding society. He'd moved south and west from Scotland to Wales and lived a mostly Muggle existence.
When his war wounds ached in the cold weather, he consoled himself with the amusing spectacle of the palm trees growing down the lane in his neighbour's garden. Palm trees in the land of mists and Merlin struck him as faintly ridiculous, never mind the climate permitted them to survive.
Lately though, watching movies alone had lost some of its appeal. Far more fun was his new routine of puttering around on a Friday evening, waiting for Harry to show up. He would phone in an order- a nice takeaway from Naga's Noshes, a fusion Indian/Middle Eastern place one town over that Harry would pick up on his trip to Severus'. Severus made sure to order enough chutney, tamarind sauce, paratha and either Saag Paneer or Chicken Kashmiri for two, along with some Kingfisher beers or Woodpecker cider to accompany their meal.
Not long after six, Harry and supper would arrive. Harry drove a semi-feral Ford Anglia that had belonged to the Weasley clan at some point. He'd found it in the Forbidden Forest and coaxed it into his ownership by promising it skilled muggle mechanics to rebuild its engine and a complete refurbishment. Now with its soft leather seats and Deco inspired wood interior it far more resembled a high end sports car.
Harry had had it painted a Halloween orange with black racing stripes, which, on closer inspection, were comprised of very small stenciled silhouettes of Harry's devising—all sorts of bats. His vanity place, BATMAN was explained by the car's decals which were from Bat Conservation groups, and two bumper stickers that read "B is for Bat" and another that said "I (heart symbol) bats!" Sometimes an aerial like those on old fashioned TV antennas on a telescoping pole hung half-way out of the boot: it was part of Harry's bat tracking equipment.
Slowly Harry was introducing Severus to the world of bat studies and habitat conservation—a very different perspective than the world Severus experienced as a bat animagus. He also liked the different reactions and perspectives Harry brought to watching films, including some of Severus' old favorites.
"What movies have you already seen?" Severus asked Harry, when he'd agreed a few months ago that he would welcome Harry's overtures to being at least friends with benefits.
"Oh, just bits on the telly," said Harry dismissively. "There's only so much one can see through a crack in a cupboard door, you know."
"Do you remember any in particular?"
"Mm, the girl with magic shoes who travels around Oz. That had witches in it, so Petunia switched it off pretty soon after she was welcomed to Munchinkland. Oh, and there's a war where Atlanta burns and Scarlett wants to kill the Yankees. No magic in that one."
"Fine then, I'll have mercy on you and we'll start with some more recent films first," decided the movie buff. "Then we'll go from the merely popular to truly great films."
Harry shrugged. Anytime spent with Severus led to interesting discussions, there was no one else he'd rather talk with, and the other things the man could do with his mouth! Well, words failed Harry, but his moans seemed to be enough encouragement.
After seeing all of The Wizard of Oz, Harry said, "The Wicked Witch of the West could've given Bella LaStrange a run for her money. But the film doesn't go at all into the alliances the different magic creatures must have had to avoid territorial disputes…"
After a film about a man's rise from poverty to become a newspaper magnate, Harry screeched at the ending. "Are you effing kidding me? It's his sled?!"
They watched Gone with the Wind one rainy November Saturday afternoon and evening with a break for tea time and fooling around on the couch. Harry's verdict? The snogging was terrific and "Scarlett was brave enough to be a Gryffindor but conniving enough to be a shoo-in for Slytherin."
A science fiction series set in a galaxy far, far away…
"I love you," said Leia. "I know," he replied.
"Arrogant as any Malfoy, but not nearly as well dressed," proclaimed the Gryffindor who was currently lounging in ratty blue jeans and a long sleeved T shirt that said "We can't stop here! This is bat country!"
Severus then tried him on British costume dramas: A Room with a View, Jeremy Brett's version of Sherlock Holmes, the 1995 Sense and Sensibility. Harry chewed some of his pita pocket with falafel and tzatziki sauce. "Elinor Dashwood looks like a younger, saner version of Trelawney, isn't that disturbing? And don't you think Colonel Brandon has your nose, Severus?"
He peered at the screen. It was a Roman nose like his, but not nearly as crooked. The man hadn't had Tobias use him as a punching bag a time or two. "Not really, I can't say I see much of a resemblance," he said dismissively.
"His eyes are a lighter brown than yours; I far prefer yours," Harry said and flicked off the screen with a wave of his hand. He leapt up on the coffee table where he had been resting his feet and struck a Gilderoy Lockhart like pose.
"My lover's eyes are black like a well burnished cauldron, stalwart in the flame,
His hair dark as a bat's wings taking flight at night. His eyes are the dark of undeveloped film,
The Robe of Darth Vader, the deepness of the night around The African Queen."
He hopped off and took a healthy swallow of his beer. "Thank you for welcoming me to Blackpool, I'll be here all week, try the Biryani."
Severus huffed, half-pleased, definitely embarrassed but trying to hide his reaction. "You're a barking mad lunatic, Potter. Save the versifying for your legions of admirers."
"It's free verse," said Harry. "I do admire you excessively, you know."
"I'm going to go stretch my wings," said Severus, changing the topic. "If you'd like to accompany me tonight?"
Severus took his nightly constitutional flight, doing a few swoops at Potter's hair in retaliation for the poetry. He followed up with a barrel roll as Harry followed him easily on his broom. It was another solitary pleasure of his that now was shared with another.
"Any bat colonies nearby I haven't checked out yet?" Harry asked the bat flying nearby.
Severus flicked his ears back in a yes gesture and wheeled, charging direction toward a church on a hill a few miles off. There wasn't a roost in its belfry, but an unused stable one field over with a south facing roof hosted a colony of pipinstrelle bats.
The colony contained five banded bats among the dozens there. Approaching each one in turn in his Greater Mouse-eared bat form, Severus politely requested they show him the clips on their wings so the human staning outside wouldn't need to catch them. Numbers fixed firmly in his memory, he flew back down to where Harry was waiting, broom in hand in the moonlight.
He extended his left arm as Severus approached and the bat grabbed onto his nubbly fisherman's pullover.
"Thank you, that is so much easier than disturbing the mums and pups and getting the banded ones upset at getting caught again."
Severus debated whether he should tell Harry later that the prevailing attitude was embarrassment tempered with self-congratulation for being brave during a scary encounter.
He climbed up into Harry's already windblown hair and launched himself homeward. On the way back they flew spirals around each other for fun. At the farmhouse, Harry opened the door, expecting Severus to fly in and change to his human form inside. Instead the bat landed on his shoulder and crawled down his chest, clinging upside down to the cabling. His pointed nose sniffed deeply and appreciatively. Harry carried him inside and shut the door, and placed his broom against the mudroom/hallway's wall.
"Would you be okay with my petting you?"
He saw amusement in the dark round eyes and the bat's head bobbed once. Carefully, he ran two gentle fingers over the bat's back and along the amazing combination of muscles, bones and skin that allowed it the freedom of the skies.
Feeling magic gather, he tried to step back, as Severus retook his human shape.
Harry found his hands stroking the human skin of firm muscled shoulders and arms. His hand stilled on Severus' chest above his heart.
"You can keep going, I'll not forget the pipinstrelles' numbers", promised Severus, taking Harry's hand to lead him to the bedroom.
"I think you could make me forget my own name for several minutes. I want you so much."
"Which name, muggle or wizard?"
"Touche. 10 points to Snape, sorry Prince, formerly of Slytherin," replied Harry, and watched a familiar but loving smirk cross the man's face.