Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Drabble #7: The Apprentice Promoted

Harry had spent the evening pouring over outlines of the patients currently in his charge, occasionally jotting sloppy notes in the margins. He shuffled the stack of his most recent patients to the bottom and sighed, sadly. He wished futilely that there was more he could do for them. He glanced at his watch again, noting with ever-increasing worry that Draco was nearly an hour late. Tardiness was very unlike Draco.

Harry decided that he would find some food to quiet his grumbling stomach—it had been Draco's night to cook—and then firecall Snape to find out if Draco was still at his potions session. Perhaps something had gone wrong with the potion they had been working on.

He had just opened the cupboard to see what he could scrounge when he heard the front door open.

"Draco?" he queried, making his way through the living room to the entry hall. His lover closed the door behind him and stepped forward, allowing himself to be enveloped in Harry's arms. He lowered his head to Harry's shoulder and clung to him tightly. Unsure of what was going on, only knowing that Draco was upset, Harry just held him for a long moment, trying to convey comfort and love through his touch.

"Draco? What's wrong, Dragon?" he murmured into Draco's fine blond hair. Draco's reply was muffled by Harry's neck. "What was that?"

Draco lifted his head a little. "Severus says that I'm ready to take over the lower level Potions classes. He wants me to take over the first years. Perhaps the second years, too, if I prove to be a competent teacher."

Harry's entire body went cold. He knew Draco had felt him tense, so he forced himself to relax to prevent troubling Draco further. When Draco had accepted the apprenticeship with Professor Snape, they had both known that Draco would eventually be asked to teach, and thus would eventually have to move to Hogwarts. They had accepted that... but they had expected "eventually" to be several more years away. They had never guessed that they might only get the chance to live together for just barely five months before being separated.

Harry took a deep breath. "That's great, Draco," he said firmly. Draco looked up and met his eyes warily. "It really is. This is what you've been working for. If it happens to have occurred a bit sooner than we had expected, it just proves how amazingly brilliant you are." He was pleased to see the corner of Draco's mouth quirk upwards at this. Harry lovingly touched a hand to Draco's face and Draco leaned into the caress. "I'm really happy for you, Dragon, and so very proud."

Draco closed his eyes tight, and Harry politely pretended that he hadn't noticed tears brimming there. "Thank you, Harry. That means a lot to me." He pressed himself close against his boyfriend again. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Let's get some take-away to celebrate, and then we can celebrate again in bed. Chinese or Thai?"

Harry watched raptly as Draco slept; memorizing the way is fair hair spilled across the pillow, rumpled from their earlier shagging; the way his bare chest rose and fell, slowly, evenly; the way his eyelids fluttered every few seconds; and the way a smile tugged his red, thoroughly-kissed mouth. He wondered what Draco was dreaming about. Harry had been strong and happy and supportive all evening, but now that Draco was fast asleep, he was beginning to crumble. He couldn't imagine sleeping without his lover's warm body curled against his every night, not cooking for him or being cooked for by him, not sharing their food and talking companionably about anything that came to mind, not hugging him or kissing him or making love to him, not curling up on the couch and snuggling... the tears were beginning to fall now, hot and heavy and painful, each one carrying a bit of his soul. He pressed a pillow to his face to muffle his sobs, and was thankful that Draco was a deep sleeper.

Harry squeezed Draco's hand reassuringly. He'd called in sick to work today so that he could be with Draco when he told Snape his decision. The silly receptionist that had answered the phone had obviously not believed that the Great Harry Potter could get sick. He'd bid her good day and hung up. He wasn't sure if she'd put him down as sick or not, and honestly he couldn't care less.

He and Draco stepped forward together through the Hogwarts gates. Harry hadn't been back to the school since he'd graduated, and it was with mixed feelings that he watched the old castle loom ever closer as they approached. Hogwarts had given him so much in the years that he had attended school there: friends, teachers who cared about him, a sense of belonging... and Draco. Now, it was going to take Draco away from him again.

"Are you ready?" he murmured in Draco's ear.

Draco sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You know I'll do whatever I can to make this easier, right? I'll Apparate to Hogsmeade whenever you think you can get away. Maybe I'll even be able to spend a few nights with you, if Dumbledore and the rest say it's okay."

"Yeah, I know. You're so good at being there for me," Draco whispered. "Thank you."

"No thanks are necessary. I love you, Draco."

"I love you, too, Harry."

"Come on; we don't want to be late."

Draco knocked firmly on the door to Snape's office, and pushed it open at the terse acknowledgment from the other side. As they entered, Snape nodded at each of them, seeming spectacularly unsurprised that Harry had accompanied Draco. Harry inclined his head politely to the Potions professor. They weren't exactly close, but Snape respectfully acknowledge that Harry made his godson extremely happy, and Harry knew that Snape truly cared for Draco as though he were his own son. Draco had informed Snape of their relationship right after the two boys first slept together. The professor hadn't been happy, but he had come to accept that the two boys were good for each other. Snape still frequently threw caustic remarks in Harry's direction, but Harry could hear a respect... and almost an affection... in them that had never been there before, enabling him to accept the comments with a laugh instead of being hurt or angered by them.

Snape put down the quill he'd been holding and looked intently at his godson. "What have you decided, Draco?"
Draco took a deep breath and leaned slightly against Harry, who squeezed his hand again. "I have decided to take the position you have offered me. Thank you for the opportunity, Severus," he replied formally. Harry felt his stomach drop again as it was made official, but did his best not to let his distress show. Still, Snape looked sharply at each of them before crossing his arms.

"I feel as though I am missing something. I expected Draco promotion to be a joyful occasion, and yet the two of you stand before me as though it were a death sentence instead."

Snape stared at them, evidently expecting some sort of explanation, so when Draco didn't answer, Harry did. "It's just the... living arrangements, sir. It's really fantastic that Draco got this promotion, but neither of us are looking forward to having to live apart."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. "I am well acquainted with your idiocy, Mr. Potter," he said in long-suffering tones, "but I must ask that you attempt to avoid infecting my apprentice with it. It is sure to put him off his potions."

"What do you mean, Severus?" Draco asked as Harry snorted at the barb.

"You will be teaching first years only, perhaps second years after a trial period. As far as your potion proficiency, you are prepared to teach up to sixth year advanced Potions. It is only your skill in teaching that I question, merely because I have not seen it in action."

"Oh, he's a great teacher, Professor," Harry cut in with an insolent grin. "He tutored me in potions before my mediwizard exam, and I passed with an above average score."

"Unfortunately, that is quite the stellar review," Snape agreed with a small smirk. "What I am trying to stress is that you will not be a full-time teacher for several more years, at least. I might not give you seventh year advance Potions until I am too decrepit to stir a potion ladle. I have to admit that I enjoy teaching somewhat competent students more complicated potions, though if more students like you, Mr. Potter, somehow manage to worm your way into my advanced classes I may have to change my opinion of them.

"The point is that as long as you are not a full-time professor, there is no reason for you to live the castle. In fact, not all of us professors have no outside lives whatsoever, as shocking as that may seem to you. Professors Vector and Sinistra both have husbands, perhaps even children, and they are allowed to spend most weekends at their homes unless they have school business—such as detentions or staff meetings—to attend to. The same would be allowed of you. Perhaps more, due to your... condition. It would probably be safer for all involved if you were able to visit Mr. Potter regularly and receive his... assistance with certain matters."

"Safer for my patients, too," Harry remarked.

Snape pinned him with his trademark sneer. "And why, may I ask, would Draco's absence from your household have any affect on your unfortunate patients, Mr. Potter?"

Harry frowned at him, confused. Snape wasn't generally known for being dense. "Well, for the same reason that his absence from my household would affect his students, of course." When the Potions professor's face remained blank, Harry turned to Draco, incredulous.

Draco gave him a small smile. "It's your secret, love. I had no reason to tell Severus, so I didn't."

Snape scowled at both of them. "It is impolite to exclude people from conversations, Mr. Malfoy. What have you not told me?"
"He never told you that I'm an incubus, too," Harry supplied. "I just figured he had, what with you being his godfather, and all. I figured he told you everything."

"I do, generally," Draco agreed. "However, we'd agreed to keep our conditions as quiet as possible. I refrained from telling Severus until I had your explicit permission. I suppose I have it now?" Draco asked, raising a gracefully arched brow.

Harry laughed. "Yes, of course."

"Good. Severus, Harry's an incubus, too."

"I think I've figured that out now; thank you, Draco," Snape commented dryly, appearing torn between amusement and exasperation. "That is absolutely ridiculous. The odds against two oblivious partners both carrying an active incubus gene is unbelievably enormous. Only you, Mr. Potter. Only you." He shook his head. "Honestly."

Harry shrugged. "What can I say? I guess that, being the Boy Who Lived and all, subconsciously I couldn't let Draco continue to top me... as it were," Draco snickered slightly, "so I retaliated."

"Indeed." Turning to his godson, he asked, "I suppose you passed on to him all of what I taught you about controlling the urges when they occur at inopportune times and dampening the allure?"
"Of course," Draco replied.

"And I suppose that since you are still accepting the Energy Potions I have been brewing for you that you are both still taking them?"

"Yes," the two men replied together.

"I am glad to see you have some modicum of sense in your heads. In light of this, there is no question that Draco will have as many opportunities to return to visit you as we can arrange. I may trust him to be able to maintain control for extended periods of time, but I unfortunately have no such conviction in you, Mr. Potter."

"Hey," Harry protested. "I can control myself. I haven't had an incident yet," he pointed out.

"There was that one close call in the pub," Draco reminded him. "During Ron's bachelor party."

"Yeah, but that was only a week after I'd changed!" he said defensively.

"And what occurred when you nearly lost control?" The Potions professor queried.

Harry sighed. "Draco took me home and... 'assisted' me, as you put it," he admitted.

"Exactly. Draco went for nearly a week immediately following his change and never once lost control until you purposefully and knowingly provoked him. In your case, however, Draco has been by your side since the moment your gene activated. You have not truly had to test your control. Once Draco begins to teach full-time, I believe it would be best to have Draco return home every night for the first few weeks. You can then try every other day, and then every three days, and so on as you build your control. As much as I know you would rather not be apart, I know the two of you well enough to realize that you do not appreciate being treated differently than everyone else."

Harry nodded. "That's true enough. It's a good plan, Professor."

"Thank you," he acknowledged. "However, there is no need to worry about that until Draco has to make his presence in the castle more permanent. For now, there is no reason why he can't go home every day after he's finished teaching. The Slytherin/Gryffindor first year class occurs the period before lunch, and the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class occurs the period after lunch. Draco could come before the first class, eat in the Great Hall, attend his second class, and then return home. If he needs to assign any detentions I can take them on for right now."

"Thank you, Severus," Draco said.

Snape nodded. "Now that this misunderstanding has been cleared up, I will ask you one more time: do you wish to take on the first year Potions classes?"
"Yes, I do. Very much so."

"Good," Snape replied decisively. "Would you be available Monday morning so I can make an announcement to the school during breakfast? The staff will have already been informed by then, of course."

"Of course. See you Monday, Severus."

"Yes. I wish you luck in successfully getting anything to adhere in your students' tiny brains."

"Thank you," Draco said dryly.

"I don't think he'll need it, though," Harry added with a grin.

"We'll see. That will be all, gentlemen," he said dismissively.

"Bye, Severus," Draco said with a grin. "And thank you." Snape nodded and Draco slipped out the door, Harry a step behind him.

"Mr. Potter..." Snape began, sounding almost hesitant as Harry's hand grasped the door knob. Harry looked back questioningly. "As a mediwizard, do you know anything about the children recently admitted to Saint Mungo's?"

Harry's smile disappeared. "Yes. Children's medical needs are my specialization, in fact."

"Do you have an update on their conditions?" the professor asked, trying to seem neutral, but Harry could see the concern lurking in his dark eyes. "No one has thought it important to inform me of anything since the night they were admitted."

"We think that the older ones will most likely make it through all right. The younger ones... well, we're doing the best we can. We've lost two of them already, and it's hard to be sure about the rest just now. I suppose you're the one supplying the potions for them?" Snape nodded. "Good. I'm glad they're getting the best."

The potions master's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the compliment.

The door opened again. "Harry?" Draco queried, looking in puzzlement between his godfather and his boyfriend.

"Sorry, Draco, I'm coming. I got caught up talking with Professor Snape." Draco gave him a skeptical look. He was well aware that there was no love lost between the two of them. "I'll tell you about it when we get home."

Draco nodded his assent and stepped back out.

"Goodbye, Professor," Harry said politely, feeling as though his respect for the old potions master had risen several notches. Any man as concerned about the welfare of children as he appeared to be couldn't be that bad.

"Goodbye, Mr. Potter. You can tell Draco that I am looking forward to thrusting my more inadequate classes upon his young shoulders."

Harry laughed slightly. "I'm certain that he'll handle it all wonderfully."

"As am I, Mr. Potter. As am I."