Severus awoke to the unfamiliar sensation of being curled tightly against another warm body. Recalling the events of the previous evening, he allowed himself to relax into the embrace, slowly taking in the unfamiliar surroundings of Owain's cosy room. A large bay window let in the weak winter sun, lavishly framed with heavy velvet curtains in red and gold. Gryffindor colours, he noted sardonically, the whole damned room is done out in Gryffindor colours. Glancing indulgently at his companion, sleeping peacefully under gilded satin sheets, he thought that maybe he could learn to live with it. He continued his leisurely appraisal of the room, eyes running slowly over the antique mahogany desk, the merrily crackling open fire, Albus Dumbledore sitting calmly in the armchair next to the bed........
He blinked once or twice, trying to make sense of the last image, before letting out an aggrieved yell.
"Albus! What in the name of God are you doing?"
The headmaster set down his teacup, adjusting his glasses slightly with the other hand.
"Ah, Severus, I didn't wish to startle you. You looked so contented, lying there with Owain."
Severus spluttered incoherently, only soothed by a now fully awake Quirrell, who seemed unaccountably amused.
"Didn't wish to startle me? Didn't wish to startle me! Well, for a start, you could try not sneaking in on me when I'm asleep!"
Quirrell touched his shoulder gently.
"Calm down, cariad. Albus obviously has something he wishes to discuss with us. Albus?"
Severus glared at the headmaster, furious that he had invaded their privacy.
"Well, actually, I just wanted to see if you had settled in adequately, as poor Dobby was quite concerned when he came to see me last night."
Dumbledore chuckled, looking towards Owain.
"Oh right, I'm sorry about that Albus, but he did come in at a rather - er - inappropriate time." Owain was forcing himself to speak in between fits of laughter. Severus stared back and forth between the two men, amazed at how comfortable they seemed to be with the current scenario. He sighed inwardly. Maybe it was the lack of intimacy, his self-imposed isolation over the last few years that was making him uncomfortable. He and Owain had been inseparable at one time, he distinctly remembered his lover's parents branding them `a pair of lovesick puppies'. But they were older now, and that type of behaviour was definitely inappropriate. He could just imagine all the owls from furious parents, appalled that they were not told of his 'preferences'. That was why he never told anyone - he was already an outcast within the faculty because of his past, but this would push him further away from the already distant 'real world' that was the staff room. Of course, his sexuality and
choice of partner would in no way affect his teaching abilities. Providing, of course, that he didn't fall in love with one of his students! Severus laughed out loud at this thought.
"Well cariad, what's so funny?"
"Erm nothing, just thinking about something."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me or I'll....."
The rest of the sentence was whispered in Severus' ear, causing a mischievious smile to grace his lips. He turned Owain's head to the side and placed a narrow finger over his lover's mouth. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before an audible sigh brought them out of their reverie.
"Well gentlemen, I can see you are...busy," a jocular smile, "so I'll be off to the Great Hall for breakfast. If you eventually decide to join me I suggest you walk in separately, so as not to cause any suspicions." The last was uttered in a confidential whisper. With that, Dumbledore arose and walked towards the door, smiling indulgently at a blushing Severus and an amused Owain.
"Oh and gentlemen - put some clothes on." His chuckles echoed down the corridor. As he shut the door Owain collapsed backwards onto the bed in fits of laughter.
"It's not funny Owain!"
"Oh but it is, cariad! You should have seen your face!"
"Well Owain, it's hardly surprising. After all, it isn't every day I wake up to the sight of my boss sitting in a chair next to my bed!"
This only caused Owain to laugh more. Severus sighed - there really was no limit to this man's sense of humour. Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Owain sat back up.
"Never mind, eh, Sev? Come on, let's get ready for breakfast."
************************************************
Severus stormed through the doors of the Great Hall, sending a few third year Ravenclaws hurtling to the ground. After the events of the previous night all he wanted to do was smile, but he could not allow his students to see a softening of the stern image he had cultivated for so long. Owain was already seated next to Dumbledore at the staff table, a wicked grin gracing his even features. Severus groaned inwardly, suddenly dreading the next few hours. As he swept into his seat, smoothing his black robes irritably, he noticed that an extra cushion had been added. Hot colour rose high, warming his face, and he flashed a particularly vengeful glare in Dumbledore's direction. The old headmaster's eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he raised his teacup in salute. From his other side, Owain discreetly blew a kiss, smothering a giggle. It took two cups of black coffee to restore the sour look to Severus' face. Glancing around the Great Hall, Severus noticed a large black dog
curled up at the feet of the Potter boy. Sirius Black. Dumbledore had insisted that they had to work together, and both had agreed - albeit reluctantly. The dog's pale eyes regarded him knowingly. If animals could smirk, this one definitely was. He tried to conceal an obscene gesture with a sudden urge to scratch his head; Sirius gave a short, sharp bark. `Gods, how I hate that man', he muttered under his breath. He was distracted from that unproductive line of thought by the sudden arrival of the owl post. His black eagle owl, Hades, landed on his shoulder, carrying a tiny parchment roll simply labelled 'Sev'. Unobtrusively, he spared Owain a glance. The other man's eyes were sparkling, but his face was hidden by a half-eaten piece of toast. Suspiciously, Severus unfurled the parchment, only to be greeted with a charmed message, in flashing red ink,
"I luv oo, Sevvie - wevvie"
Not sure whether to laugh out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of it or to use any one of the Unforgivables on the man seated only a few yards away, he stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall in much the same manner as he had entered it (this time sending some seventh year Hufflepuffs flying to the floor). Walking aimlessly through the corridors, he made sure they were entirely deserted before breaking into peals of hopeless laughter. While his uncommonly sharp sense of humour appreciated the gesture, he was incredibly unimpressed by the current taunting from both Owain and Dumbledore. In actual fact, Owain could be excused, having missed out on the formative years of Severus' still developing attitude problem. The elderly headmaster, however, was another case entirely. He had confided in Dumbledore many years before his acute fear of ending up ostracised and alone if his private life became known to the wizarding community. Sighing, he entered his classroom and sat down
near his desk, idly drumming his fingers on the scarred wooden surface. Owain was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he'd be damned if he was going to let him slip through his fingers again. Standing up, he decided he would make use of this extra time by preparing for his first class. He strode over to his ingredients cabinet and started to get out the necessary items, hoping that a busy day would at least take his mind off his fears for a while. After all, the last thing he wanted was to be so engrossed in his own thoughts that some student would take it upon themselves to blow up the classroom to snap him out of his reverie. Setting a rack of test tubes on his desk, he wondered who would be the first to cause an accident in the Potions classroom this year. Normally it was Neville Longbottom, but so far he had only spilt a vast amount of acidic solution over the floor, resulting in a very large hole in the centre of the classroom, which, of course, Severus
quickly repaired. Maybe Longbottom was getting better - no, he'd give it one more lesson before he jumped to a conclusion like that. He smiled to himself as he sat back down. A knock at the door made Severus quickly resume his usual expression, ready to glare unappreciatively at whoever walked in through the door.
"Come in!"
"Um professor, sorry to bother you, but well..."
"Spit it out boy."
"The headmaster needs to speak to you urgently."
"What about?"
"I don't know professor - he sounded very upset. He also told me you're not to worry about your class - he will see that it's covered."
"Very well."
Severus followed the quivering student up the stairs towards the Great Hall, inwardly worried about the exact nature of the problem. As he reached the top of the staircase, he saw a large crowd of people huddled around the entrance to the school. Quickening his pace, he arrived just in time to see Dumbledore step forward. The look on the headmaster's face ignited a note of panic inside him that was hard to ignore.
"Ah, Severus, just the man. I believe this type of thing is your forte."
Dumbledore turned towards the open doorway and Severus' eyes followed the old man's gaze, settling on a figure sprawled out across the floor, identity hidden by a sea of concerned faces.
"What happened?" His tone was carefully controlled, in dreadful anticipation of the headmaster's next words.
"Well, I believe young Mr Malfoy just tried to use a certain Unforgivable curse on Mr Potter." Shamefully, he suppressed a sigh of relief. At least the prone figure wasn't that of his lover.
"Is he ok?"
"Yes, although I do believe he would not be with us now if Owain hadn't stepped in." A cold hand of fear gripped Severus' heart. Looks like I spoke too soon.
"Where is Owai..Quirrell now?" A note of urgency coloured the Potions Master's deep voice, and those closest to him observed the incessant clenching and unclenching of one pale fist.
"In the Infirmary - just as a precaution of course."
Severus nodded sharply, levelling a baleful glare at Draco Malfoy. The arrogant young blonde was leaning casually against the doorframe, smoky grey eyes alight with smug triumph. He bit back a sharp retort, smothering the wave of red-hot anger that threatened to consume him. How dare the boy look so cheerful, when he had endangered the lives of both a fellow student and Owain! Severus blinked back the unexpected tears beginning to well in his dark eyes. And Owain.
***************************************************
He blinked once or twice, trying to make sense of the last image, before letting out an aggrieved yell.
"Albus! What in the name of God are you doing?"
The headmaster set down his teacup, adjusting his glasses slightly with the other hand.
"Ah, Severus, I didn't wish to startle you. You looked so contented, lying there with Owain."
Severus spluttered incoherently, only soothed by a now fully awake Quirrell, who seemed unaccountably amused.
"Didn't wish to startle me? Didn't wish to startle me! Well, for a start, you could try not sneaking in on me when I'm asleep!"
Quirrell touched his shoulder gently.
"Calm down, cariad. Albus obviously has something he wishes to discuss with us. Albus?"
Severus glared at the headmaster, furious that he had invaded their privacy.
"Well, actually, I just wanted to see if you had settled in adequately, as poor Dobby was quite concerned when he came to see me last night."
Dumbledore chuckled, looking towards Owain.
"Oh right, I'm sorry about that Albus, but he did come in at a rather - er - inappropriate time." Owain was forcing himself to speak in between fits of laughter. Severus stared back and forth between the two men, amazed at how comfortable they seemed to be with the current scenario. He sighed inwardly. Maybe it was the lack of intimacy, his self-imposed isolation over the last few years that was making him uncomfortable. He and Owain had been inseparable at one time, he distinctly remembered his lover's parents branding them `a pair of lovesick puppies'. But they were older now, and that type of behaviour was definitely inappropriate. He could just imagine all the owls from furious parents, appalled that they were not told of his 'preferences'. That was why he never told anyone - he was already an outcast within the faculty because of his past, but this would push him further away from the already distant 'real world' that was the staff room. Of course, his sexuality and
choice of partner would in no way affect his teaching abilities. Providing, of course, that he didn't fall in love with one of his students! Severus laughed out loud at this thought.
"Well cariad, what's so funny?"
"Erm nothing, just thinking about something."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me or I'll....."
The rest of the sentence was whispered in Severus' ear, causing a mischievious smile to grace his lips. He turned Owain's head to the side and placed a narrow finger over his lover's mouth. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before an audible sigh brought them out of their reverie.
"Well gentlemen, I can see you are...busy," a jocular smile, "so I'll be off to the Great Hall for breakfast. If you eventually decide to join me I suggest you walk in separately, so as not to cause any suspicions." The last was uttered in a confidential whisper. With that, Dumbledore arose and walked towards the door, smiling indulgently at a blushing Severus and an amused Owain.
"Oh and gentlemen - put some clothes on." His chuckles echoed down the corridor. As he shut the door Owain collapsed backwards onto the bed in fits of laughter.
"It's not funny Owain!"
"Oh but it is, cariad! You should have seen your face!"
"Well Owain, it's hardly surprising. After all, it isn't every day I wake up to the sight of my boss sitting in a chair next to my bed!"
This only caused Owain to laugh more. Severus sighed - there really was no limit to this man's sense of humour. Wiping away the tears from his eyes, Owain sat back up.
"Never mind, eh, Sev? Come on, let's get ready for breakfast."
************************************************
Severus stormed through the doors of the Great Hall, sending a few third year Ravenclaws hurtling to the ground. After the events of the previous night all he wanted to do was smile, but he could not allow his students to see a softening of the stern image he had cultivated for so long. Owain was already seated next to Dumbledore at the staff table, a wicked grin gracing his even features. Severus groaned inwardly, suddenly dreading the next few hours. As he swept into his seat, smoothing his black robes irritably, he noticed that an extra cushion had been added. Hot colour rose high, warming his face, and he flashed a particularly vengeful glare in Dumbledore's direction. The old headmaster's eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he raised his teacup in salute. From his other side, Owain discreetly blew a kiss, smothering a giggle. It took two cups of black coffee to restore the sour look to Severus' face. Glancing around the Great Hall, Severus noticed a large black dog
curled up at the feet of the Potter boy. Sirius Black. Dumbledore had insisted that they had to work together, and both had agreed - albeit reluctantly. The dog's pale eyes regarded him knowingly. If animals could smirk, this one definitely was. He tried to conceal an obscene gesture with a sudden urge to scratch his head; Sirius gave a short, sharp bark. `Gods, how I hate that man', he muttered under his breath. He was distracted from that unproductive line of thought by the sudden arrival of the owl post. His black eagle owl, Hades, landed on his shoulder, carrying a tiny parchment roll simply labelled 'Sev'. Unobtrusively, he spared Owain a glance. The other man's eyes were sparkling, but his face was hidden by a half-eaten piece of toast. Suspiciously, Severus unfurled the parchment, only to be greeted with a charmed message, in flashing red ink,
"I luv oo, Sevvie - wevvie"
Not sure whether to laugh out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of it or to use any one of the Unforgivables on the man seated only a few yards away, he stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall in much the same manner as he had entered it (this time sending some seventh year Hufflepuffs flying to the floor). Walking aimlessly through the corridors, he made sure they were entirely deserted before breaking into peals of hopeless laughter. While his uncommonly sharp sense of humour appreciated the gesture, he was incredibly unimpressed by the current taunting from both Owain and Dumbledore. In actual fact, Owain could be excused, having missed out on the formative years of Severus' still developing attitude problem. The elderly headmaster, however, was another case entirely. He had confided in Dumbledore many years before his acute fear of ending up ostracised and alone if his private life became known to the wizarding community. Sighing, he entered his classroom and sat down
near his desk, idly drumming his fingers on the scarred wooden surface. Owain was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he'd be damned if he was going to let him slip through his fingers again. Standing up, he decided he would make use of this extra time by preparing for his first class. He strode over to his ingredients cabinet and started to get out the necessary items, hoping that a busy day would at least take his mind off his fears for a while. After all, the last thing he wanted was to be so engrossed in his own thoughts that some student would take it upon themselves to blow up the classroom to snap him out of his reverie. Setting a rack of test tubes on his desk, he wondered who would be the first to cause an accident in the Potions classroom this year. Normally it was Neville Longbottom, but so far he had only spilt a vast amount of acidic solution over the floor, resulting in a very large hole in the centre of the classroom, which, of course, Severus
quickly repaired. Maybe Longbottom was getting better - no, he'd give it one more lesson before he jumped to a conclusion like that. He smiled to himself as he sat back down. A knock at the door made Severus quickly resume his usual expression, ready to glare unappreciatively at whoever walked in through the door.
"Come in!"
"Um professor, sorry to bother you, but well..."
"Spit it out boy."
"The headmaster needs to speak to you urgently."
"What about?"
"I don't know professor - he sounded very upset. He also told me you're not to worry about your class - he will see that it's covered."
"Very well."
Severus followed the quivering student up the stairs towards the Great Hall, inwardly worried about the exact nature of the problem. As he reached the top of the staircase, he saw a large crowd of people huddled around the entrance to the school. Quickening his pace, he arrived just in time to see Dumbledore step forward. The look on the headmaster's face ignited a note of panic inside him that was hard to ignore.
"Ah, Severus, just the man. I believe this type of thing is your forte."
Dumbledore turned towards the open doorway and Severus' eyes followed the old man's gaze, settling on a figure sprawled out across the floor, identity hidden by a sea of concerned faces.
"What happened?" His tone was carefully controlled, in dreadful anticipation of the headmaster's next words.
"Well, I believe young Mr Malfoy just tried to use a certain Unforgivable curse on Mr Potter." Shamefully, he suppressed a sigh of relief. At least the prone figure wasn't that of his lover.
"Is he ok?"
"Yes, although I do believe he would not be with us now if Owain hadn't stepped in." A cold hand of fear gripped Severus' heart. Looks like I spoke too soon.
"Where is Owai..Quirrell now?" A note of urgency coloured the Potions Master's deep voice, and those closest to him observed the incessant clenching and unclenching of one pale fist.
"In the Infirmary - just as a precaution of course."
Severus nodded sharply, levelling a baleful glare at Draco Malfoy. The arrogant young blonde was leaning casually against the doorframe, smoky grey eyes alight with smug triumph. He bit back a sharp retort, smothering the wave of red-hot anger that threatened to consume him. How dare the boy look so cheerful, when he had endangered the lives of both a fellow student and Owain! Severus blinked back the unexpected tears beginning to well in his dark eyes. And Owain.
***************************************************
