Disclaimer:- Unfortunately I still own nothing but my plot. JK Rowling and associates still own everything.

sSs

A/N:-At the end of this chapter Harry and Draco get rather badly behaved, so if man on man is not your thing, perhaps you better stop reading once they arrive at Draco's apartment. Next chapter will contain Hermione and Severus getting naughty, so please don't be discouraged by the lack of Sev and 'Mione action to this point. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

hHh

Chapter Four – The Week After The Night Before

The next day when Hermione arrived for work with her usual two pastries for her and Harry's breakfast, she found a posy of colourful sweet peas and honeysuckle. There was a note tucked into the flowers and it was warded so only she could pick it up. Harry was just arriving with their coffee as Hermione was opening the note.

"Here I was, going to ask you if you were all right, and you seem to have moved on already," he commented, placing the coffee on the desk.

"They're from Severus, we went to a lecture yesterday," Hermione informed him.

"It must have been a great lecture to have him sending you flowers today," Harry smirked at her.

"It was, and so was dinner afterwards." She cast a speculative look towards Harry. "But how did you know Nott had finally broken things off?" She kind of knew it must have been Draco who had told him, even if she was trying to change the subject, so her next question came with a grin. "Did you have a good time on the weekend?" When her best friend immediately blushed heatedly, she sensed something had happened and stopped opening the note. "Come on, dish. You got up to something. I knew it, Draco turned up, didn't he?"

Harry's blush extended further down his neck, and Hermione snickered. "I'll take that as yes then," she said, watching him. It astounded her exactly how innocent Harry still was, he had not really had that many relationships and he still got very flustered.

Fighting to remain calm at Hermione's playful banter, some semblance of reason made it by his flustered brain. "Hey," and he looked around before moving to shut the office door. Then he whispered urgently, "How did you know I… you know… Malfoy?"

Hermione grinned at him, "Let's just say it's plainly obvious to anyone with eyes."

"You mean everyone knows," he squeaked.

"Of course not, silly. But it didn't take me long to work it out."

"How?" his voice sounded panicked.

"Calm down, it's not that bad."

"You reckon," Harry said in a huff of breath. "I've never thought of… I've had a damned hard time with it," and his blush re-emerged as he made the appropriate hand movements, "you know… with another bloke."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione collapsed, laughing, "pull the other one."

"It's not funny," he told her, obviously affronted.

"No it's not," she said, trying to straighten her face. "But you have to remember who you're talking to; I used to see the way you checked out Dean and Seamus." Harry sat there bright red, and Hermione took pity on him. "Come on let's eat breakfast," she encouraged.

After several sips of his coffee, Harry settled and his eyes landed on the half opened note again. "What's it say?" he asked, indicating with his pastry and causing a shower of flakes and icing sugar, which he then glared at, before vanishing.

"Oh!" Putting down her breakfast she wiped her hands, and smiling pensively she picked up the posy inhaling the scent deeply. "We had a lovely day, yesterday," she gushed dreamily. "He's so amazing," she continued.

"Snape?" Harry queried. "Amazing?" Then he shook his head. "Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you tried the ultimate Slytherin, wasn't it?" Then he laughed quietly, "It's a good job Lucius Malfoy is dead," his cackle growing into a snort, and earned him a steely glare.

Hermione then turned her attention to the parchment, quietly reading to herself.

Dear Hermione,

I wished to thank you once more for your company yesterday. It truly did make my day very pleasant for me.

Would you do me the honour of dining with me on Saturday evening? I will pick you up at seven pm.

Yours, in anticipation,

Severus.

Harry could see a shining smile spreading across her face. He had long suspected that she was carrying a flame for their former Potions professor, and had been for a very long time hence her interest in all things Slytherin. However, he wouldn't have dared to mention it. She had had to make her own way to this point.

"We're going out Saturday night," she all but gushed when she put the parchment down. "I have to answer him." She picked up her quill, and immediately sucked the end into her mouth deep in thought.

"Boy, you've got it bad," Harry laughed, and then decided to level with her. "I've got a date with Draco Friday night," he admitted hesitantly.

Hermione put the quill back down and focused on this news. "Oh Harry, that's wonderful, what are you doing?"

"He's taking me to dinner," he said, finishing the last of his breakfast.

"And then to his apartment," she winked at him.

"He didn't say anything of the sort, and you behave yourself," he scolded, making her pout. Harry laughed as he came around the desk and kissed her head. "See ya later, love. Don't work too hard."

As he was leaving she'd started composing her reply to Severus again. "Oh… what… oh yes. Have a good day, Harry," she called as he went out the door.

xox

"So, how'd it go with, Granger?" Draco questioned as he and Severus sat down to their coffee in Severus' lab.

"If you are referring to yesterday, we had an excellent day," the Potions master confirmed. They had only just settled into their breakfast when a tapping on the door arrested Snape's attention. As he looked to the door wondering who wanted him, he reflected that this particular tapping was more refined than the ordinary inter-office memos; it was almost politely asking for entry, it would take some skilled wand work to make it this subtle. He resisted the urge to stride to the door, reef it open and just grab the memo mid-tap. In an unprecedented move, he motioned for the door to open and admit it cordially.

Draco gasped at this move, and as they watched, a delicate origami dove glided in and circled Severus' desk once before landing. "That's one of Granger's memos, they're beautiful," the blond commented. "She is such a natural at Charms…" and he stopped talking seeing a look in Severus' eyes he had not seen before. He was completely mesmerized by the graceful little bird. "Oh my, Severus, you've got it bad," Draco sniggered, earning a sneer from his god-father, but the dour wizard didn't comment past his facial expression.

Draco watched in wonder as Severus gently straightened out the bird to read the message. "You know it's almost criminal what happened to make Granger miss out on her place with a Charms master. She's much better than the one who double-crossed her." Draco thought for a minute, "Was Flitwick there yesterday?"

Severus was distracted by Hermione's reply, but he said, "Err… what?"

"Was Flitwick at the lecture, yesterday?" Draco repeated, smiling quietly.

"Oh… no, I don't believe I saw him. Why?"

"I heard that he's not too well. Old McGonagall will be looking for a new Charms professor sooner or later from what I hear," his voice drifted off casually, knowing that even though Severus appeared not to be listening, he usually was. In the past Draco had hated it when the Potions master did this, but today he was kind of pleased that Severus was so distracted, he deserved the happiness that had always escaped him.

Severus suddenly seemed to focus back into the room. "What happened to make Hermione miss out on her apprenticeship?"

"Well you know how they only take people for Charms apprenticeships from their first year out of school, some bollocks about aptitude. It's not like Potions and Arithmancy and such, where applicants are taken anywhere from school leavers onward." Severus nodded, "Well, what I heard was that Pavarti Patil wanted the apprenticeship with Flitwick, and instead of taking her chances with everyone else." Draco took a sip of coffee, "You know how it's a kind of lottery between the masters?"

Severus' eyes narrowed and he cautioned, "Get to the point, Draco."

"Well apparently, Patil and Lavender Brown conspired to cheat Granger out of getting her name on the list at all, jealousy, I guess. They placed a fake list on the board until she'd put her name on it. It was bad timing for Granger because the list came out the same day that Weasley announced to the whole Hall at breakfast time that he didn't think it was working between them and he didn't want to be her boyfriend anymore. She was so distracted she wrote her name on the fake list and didn't notice."

Severus looked sceptical. "How do you know that's true?" he asked, taking a mouthful of his coffee.

"Well when the places were announced in the Prophet, Granger's name wasn't there, despite her gaining the highest mark in Charms that year, and Flitwick giving her the Charms medal and that speech about hoping to welcome her back the next year." He shook his head, "I know she approached the legal firm I was apprenticing with to see if anything could be done, but without hard evidence that she had actually signed her name on the list," he shrugged.

The Potions master bristled on Hermione's behalf. "That's awful. Does Potter know?"

"Oh yes, he supported her all the way, Weasley, well you can guess his level of support, can't you?"

"Well considering he married one of the perpetrators," Severus spat.

"As much as I dislike the ginger menace, I don't think Weasley knew what his then fiancée had helped her friend to do." Draco shook his head, "Probably still doesn't."

"So, why isn't Patil the Charms professor at Hogwarts then?" Severus sneered.

"Well," Draco replied conspiratorially, he was getting right into the story, and this made Severus roll his eyes. "After Flitwick had gone to all the trouble of training her and setting her to teach, she flitted off and married some American wizard, saying that teaching was for the birds. Nobody wants the post because of the hardship of being out of society ten months of the year."

"Yes, it certainly isn't the life for a social butterfly," he said with scorn, as he walked over to check the potion that was bubbling away on his work bench.

Draco rose and straightened himself, brushing any stray crumbs off his dark suit as he added quite out of the blue. "You know I noticed yesterday that the Apothecary in Hogsmeade is for sale," he watched for Severus' reaction. "There's a nice family home attached to it, you know?" he said rhetorically.

"Is there indeed?" Severus scoffed.

But Draco knew his observation had hit home. "Have a good day, Uncle S," he laughed as he made for the door.

"Good day, indeed," was the muttered answer. But as soon as the door was closed a smile started to twist his lips upward, and he went to his desk. It was a little known fact that Severus had been holding a developer off. He was the last resident at Spinner's End and he now pulled a mobile phone he had charmed to work with magic from his desk drawer.

Gesturing to the door, he heard the lock click. There was little chance he would be disturbed anyway, but he was always very careful with his privacy. He picked up a card from the same drawer and entered the number from it on the keypad of the mobile. "Ah, Mr. Edwards," he said, when a harried voice answered. "Severus Snape here, I believe you wish to speak to me concerning my residence at Spinner's End?"

The calmness of the Potions master's voice gave no indication of his internal joy he felt at finally being about to rid himself of a hated home. Severus was a methodical wizard, and he had a plan, he knew the more desperate the developers became over his refusals to speak with them, the more likely they would be to accept any offer he cared to make.

He also had no intention of taking the university's offer; he was never going back to teaching. Although, for the right sort of money he could be persuaded to be a guest lecturer, no, he had been waiting for this Apothecary to come onto the market. He had always fancied living in Hogsmeade, and had actually already heard about the death of Master Bumblespoon, who had owned the Hogmeade shop and home, but Severus had not expected the family would wish to part with the property so quickly.

After he had finished on the phone, he wrote letters to both the property agent in Hogsmeade and the Headmistress of Hogwarts, and then summoned two Ministerial owls to deliver his missives before he rose and finished his potion.

The Apothecary in Hogsmeade had always supplied Hogwarts with both their ingredients for the Potions classes and now also the Potions for the infirmary. The only reason Severus had brewed the Potions while he was professor there was because Albus had been a cheapskate, and the old headmaster had taken complete advantage of the unbreakable vow he had forced Severus to take, and had him doing his every whim. He would happily do it now if he was being paid to do so.

xox

Severus made arrangements to have the next week off work, starting today, Friday. He'd made an appointment with Minerva McGonagall, and then he was going to see the shop and house. The developer had caved on Wednesday afternoon, and Severus had deposited a hefty cheque into his Gringotts account yesterday at lunchtime. So now, regardless of whether he bought the Apothecary or not, he needed to find somewhere to live, and he needed to do it by next weekend, because he had agreed to vacate Spinner's End by Sunday next week.

There was one thing for certain; property changing hands in the magical world was so much simpler than the muggle one. He had noted this when Draco had bought his apartment, it took almost three months for it to be all organised. If he bought the Hogsmeade house today, he would be able to start moving things in almost immediately.

This was all going through his mind early Friday morning while he dressed for his appointment with the Headmistress. He had made certain to make his appointment while the brats were in class. There was no way he wanted to wade through a sea of smelly pubescent dunderheads to reach McGonagall's office.

Nine twenty five saw him traversing the hill that was the driveway to Hogwarts. Despite his assurances to himself, his stomach was rolling mutinously. It was enough to sour his disposition to the point of bringing back the dungeon bat. However, this time he resolutely swallowed the urge and remained calm.

He was here on business and then he was leaving. I have to confirm that a main stay of my proposed new business venture will continue, he told himself as he walked.

Being a past headmaster, he didn't need a password for the gargoyles; they sprung aside as he approached. He did however give the courtesy of a knock on the inner door.

"Come in," said a voice from within, and when he had done so, he took in the office that had been the bane of his existence for almost a year. Thankfully it looked nothing like that room, it had been completely remodelled. "Severus," Minerva enthused, coming around her desk. "Please have a seat," she continued, indicating the chairs by the fireplace. "It's been so long, how may I help you?"

Severus cautiously took the offered seat, and also the tea she thrust upon him before he answered her question. "It is my intention to purchase the Apothecary of the late Master Bumblespoon, I have come this morning to ascertain that the school intends to continue their contract with the Apothecary."

"Oh indeed, especially if it is one of Hogwarts' own as the proprietor," she enthused.

"Hmmm," Severus replied, thoughtfully, swallowing the sneer he felt coming at her comment. Minerva seemed to sigh and relax a little, a fact that was not lost on Severus. "Being head of the school is not an easy job, is it?" Severus commented, wondering what she thought he had wished to talk about.

"No," she commented, taking a sip of her tea. "It most certainly isn't."

Sensing an advantage coming, Severus smoothed, "Is it anything I may assist with?"

"Not unless you know a good Charms instructor," her brow furrowed deeply.

Severus chuckled internally, his eyebrow rose a little. "Well it just so happens I do know of someone who would make an exceptional Charms professor. Unfortunately, she was prevented, swindled even, out of attaining her mastery, and you know what the Association of Charms Masters is like."

Even though he was fairly certain Hermione would tell them to shove the job, she deserved the chance to do so, and have at least some of her revenge. He had looked into the case during the week and was appalled at how she had been treated. Severus knew he'd hit the mark, and he prepared to take his leave. "Well, Minerva as stimulating as this is, I really need to keep going, thank you for meeting with me. Feel free to owl me was any orders as soon as I'm settled." Rising, he bowed his head slightly. "Good day, Headmistress."

"Good day, Severus, and thank you. This meeting has been uncommonly enlightening."

"Indeed," the Potions master smoothed, with his patent smirk, and he was gone.

His walk back down the drive was far more pleasant. He took a moment to revel in the fact that he could still sway people to his point of view so easily. He was also mildly impressed that the headmistress had taken his meaning so quickly, but he wondered how impressed she'd be when Hermione was finished with her.

He was feeling quite refreshed as he entered the office of the property agent. The Apothecary was up the quiet end of the main street, and it didn't take long for Severus to discover that it was perfect for his needs. As the shop was being sold as an ongoing business, the shelves were still stocked, and the lab behind still functional, although it looked like no serious brewing had occurred there for some time.

The house, which was at the bottom of an extensive—but overgrown—potions garden, was actually a huge family home. It was two stories and contained four bedrooms and a library study. Severus was jumping for joy inside; of course on the outside he merely nodded his acceptance of the property.

In his mind, he had already catalogued the inventory and decided what would still be viable out of it. It appeared that the property agent had also had someone do the same, as when they returned to his office he produced an extensive list of stock and equipment that was included and they set about the business of haggling.

xox

That evening as he showered and dressed for his date, Harry Potter was almost euphoric. During the week, he had realised just how long he had been waiting for this moment. The raven-haired wizard took extra time to ascertain that he was ready for any adventure that might follow dinner tonight.

Despite his high powered job and his control of every situation, the one thing Harry longed to do was submit to someone. In private, he wanted to be dominated and taken care of. He wasn't into pain, but he liked the feeling of allowing someone else to guide him.

The thought of Draco being that person was making him as hard as a rock, and he hadn't even made it out the front door yet. It was a good job he was still in the shower because he could take himself in hand and get some relief before he exploded.

Three hours later, and dinner had been wonderful. They had dined in the most exclusive restaurant in Diagon Alley, and Harry had accepted Draco's invitation for coffee at his apartment, but of course there was no coffee in sight.

Draco side-longed Harry straight through his wards, and once inside had not let go. Their eyes perused each other's faces hungrily, and the urge to taste Draco became too strong for Harry again. His eyes broke away from Draco's grey orbs and started flicking between them and his plump pink lips.

The blond took this as an invitation, and closed the distance between them, but at an agonisingly slow pace to make certain he wasn't about to be hexed, even though he was confident he hadn't misread the signals.

Their breath mingled and their hands steadied one another as Draco's lips brushed over Harry's. Once, twice and then three times, and on the fourth pass he stayed, the pressure of his lips was firm and caressing.

Harry moaned and opened his mouth, this alone felt better than anything he'd ever done with a woman. Draco took control of the kiss and deepened it, plunging his tongue into Harry's willing mouth. The Gryffindor wizard moaned again, loudly, and his companion walked him backwards towards the lounge.

What ensued was a revelation to Harry, feelings and urges that he had always had to consciously find, rose up without thought and he was participating without having to force himself from an expectation of what should happen.

Draco pushed him down on the lounge and pinned him there. He took a moment to remove Harry's glasses and stroked the raven-haired wizard's cheek. "You are so beautiful," Draco told him. This made Harry blush, "And I think this particular shade of pink just became my favourite." Stroking his cheek again, he murmured low, "I have waited so long for this moment."

Harry became coy, but answered in a barely audible whisper. "So have I," and he raised his head up to chase Draco's lips.

Their snogging started to become heated and both could feel their erections straining for freedom. Draco rubbed his on Harry's and watched with pleasure as Harry's eyes rolled back into his head and he arched up off the lounge searching for more friction.

Next Draco's hand started rubbing Harry through his trousers. "Is that nice, love?"

"Oh fuck, yes," Harry moaned and opened his legs further.

"Good boy," Draco smoothed. "Take off your shirt," he commanded further.

Harry's shaky hands complied, and shook the material from his shoulders. He almost squealed in delight when the tip of Draco's hot tongue flicked a rosy nipple.

Then Draco's grey eyes followed Harry's abs down to his navel and the straining bulge in his trousers that his hand was rubbing. His other hand came around to undo the trousers, his eyes going back up to Harry's as if asking permission.

Harry collapsed back onto the lounge and threw his arms up over his head in a gesture of supplication.

Draco then instantly forgot about undoing the pants but simply banished them and the underwear to the floor. Harry's glorious hairless and toned body was suddenly on display to him. "You are so beautiful," Draco told him again in a husky voice, and his mouth lowered to taste Harry's cock.

The raven-haired wizard's sharp intake of breath was followed by a groan of delight, and he thrust tentatively up into Draco's mouth.

"No, stay still," the blond warned, "I'm in charge here." Draco felt Harry's shaft twitch in his mouth, and knew he was on the right track. "I'll tell you when you're allowed to move."

"Uuugggg, yes… anything you say," Harry moaned, he thought he was going to explode just from the pleasure of Draco's words. He had never been this turned on in his life. Finally he could allow someone else to control how things went.

Draco moaned around Harry, but decided to explore other areas. Initially Harry cried out when Draco's mouth disappeared from him, and he opened his eyes to see Draco vanishing his own clothes, before he set to work again.

But, glancing up the hall, this time he took Harry's hand to pull him upright. "I think the bedroom would be better, more room to work. Then with a cheeky grin and a snicker Draco dropped the hand and grabbed Harry by the cock to lead him to the bedroom.

When they arrived, without letting go, Draco leaned forward and whispered heatedly, "On all fours in the middle of the bed," and he noticed Harry was quick to comply. "Good boy," he crooned, and whispered a cleansing spell while massaging Harry's arse cheeks. Then parting them, he ran his tongue up and down, swirling it around Harry's puckered entrance before probing carefully inside.

Harry was sweating as he fought with himself not to push back against the delicious feeling. Next the tongue was replaced by a finger, and the same tongue slithered over the ridge of skin behind Harry's balls and then sucked one into the hot mouth, making Harry squeal in excitement.

Once the other one had been also suitably lathed with attention, Draco had managed to insert two fingers in Harry and was busily expanding his virgin entrance. While his fingers were working his mouth was not idle. It had arrived back on Harry's dripping shaft, "I'm going to make you come so hard," he told him.

Feeling his knees starting to shake Harry braced himself, he'd never felt so turned on, he couldn't get over it. Then suddenly he felt it, roaring down his spine, tinkling deliciously. He felt his balls starting to tighten and then explode, and Draco was right, he had never come that hard before.

Draco eagerly slurped up every drop and kept sucking hard until Harry was limp and shrivelled. Draco's movements on the bed behind him didn't even register, he was in post-orgasmic bliss, and that's exactly what Draco wanted.

Casting a lubrication charm, Draco covered his own aching member liberally, and rolled his partially collapsed partner onto his back, before he started probing with the head of his shaft.

The raven-haired wizard lay there completely compliant, and Draco was able to work himself in with relative ease. He rolled Harry's legs further up towards his waist and slowly withdrew until only the head was inside, then thrust a little more forcefully.

Starting a steady rhythm, Draco watched as Harry's wilted dick roared back to life once he started stimulating the Gryffindor's prostrate with every thrust. Soon Harry was moaning and panting again, and Draco was thrusting strongly. "This is what you've always searched for, isn't it, Harry?"

"Oh yessss, fuck yes."

"Are you mine, lover?"

"Yyyyeesssss, yours always…. oh fuck Draco, harder," Harry groaned.

Draco snickered and obliged. "Say it again," he managed through gritted teeth as he tried to stave off his release.

"Yours… oh yours… oooohhhhhhh," and the rest of Harry's babbling was lost as they both came hard.

Draco collapsed on top of his lover and his mouth connected with him once more. But this time they were languid and gentle kisses, and it wasn't long before they were both asleep.