Note: Cruel and Unusual Punishment –I want at least 5 NEW reviews before I'll post chapter 11… Soooo, if you really want to see more, I suggest you drop me some love!

-Also, I wholeheartedly apologize for the ridiculousness of my layouts… It's very obnoxious, I know. Double Spacing doesn't' seem to be helping between section breaks at all, so I'll have to remember dashes –I haven't been writing for in awhile, and it's hard to get back into the swing of things. Sorry, again.

Harry Potter and the Great War

Chapter Ten

"I had fun tonight." Ginny had linked arms with Sev, walking her back towards the general direction of the Gryffindor common room, "Besides all of the obvious problems. I think Hermione and Don had fun too –poor Neville."

"I think he'll be alright." Sev shrugged, stopping her as they approached the end of the corridor near the common room, "I assume this is close to your common room?"

Ginny nodded, "Yeah."

"I'll drop you off here then." He slipped her arm from his, "And, I, err…I guess I'll see you later?"

"Sure." She nodded, clasping her hands behind her back and attempting towards 'coy', "So…what are you doing the rest of the night?"

Sev raised an eyebrow, "Err, going to bed, I suppose."

"Oh. And…is there something going on before you get back to your house?"

Sev thought for a moment. "Err…am I forgetting something?"

Ginny shrugged, "Maybe… You might be."

Sev nodded, something finally clicking in his head, "Oh, right. Good night, Ginny." He placed a short kiss to her cheek. "We should do this again sometime."

Ginny's face turned a shade of pink, "We should." She put her palms on either side of his face, pulling him down to her height again to kiss him on the lips, lingering for an extra moment before she took a step back, with a bit of a grin on her face, "Good night, Sev." She turned on her heel, walking the rest of the length towards her common room with a bit of a bounce in her step.

"Did you have fun on your date?" Draco was waiting for Sev in the common room when he got back a few minutes after he had left Ginny.

"Yeah, I did." Sev nodded.

"And I take it you like her?"

"I do." Sev nodded again. "Is there a problem with that, Draco?"

"No, no, of course not, Sev." Draco ran his hand over Sev's shoulders, as he circled him, ending by tilting Sev's chin upward, "But what are you going to tell your new girlfriend when she finds out about us?"

"She won't, Draco." Sev brushed his hand away. "I have faith that you wouldn't want a certain affection of yours to get out any time soon –or do I have to remind you of your little infatuation with a certain red head, and a boy with a scar?"

"You'd never prove it." Draco shook his head. "You can't scare me."

"I think I have access to a pensive, should anyone need proof from me. My memory should prove interesting."

"Bastard."

"Good night, Draco." Sev side-stepped past him towards the common room with a last-second parting to trail over his shoulder, "See you in the morning, Mate."

"So, Sev is seeing Ginny Weasley?" Remus was touching the things on Severus's desk about a month later. "Is that wise?"

"It's wiser then his first choice in love interests." Severus was trying not to ignore Remus was he graded papers, "Trust me on that one, Remus."

Remus sat in the chair across from Severus's desk. "Oh? Why is that?"

Severus put down his pen to look up at his lover, "He thought he might be interested in…the last person on earth you'd ever think of."

Remus thought for a moment, pondering, "Hmm… Lavender Brown?"

"Wrong gender, wrong house."

Remus straightened, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Severus nodded.

"Draco Malfoy? Are you kidding me?"

"No." Severus shook his head. "A few days after term started, he asked me what I thought about it… I told him to do whatever he wanted."

"And you don't know anything else after that?"

"I don't think I want to know anything else after that, Remus." Severus shook his head.

"And now he's dating Ginny?" Remus shook his head. "I can't say that I would have suspected that, of all things. –About Draco I mean."

Severus shrugged, "So, you still haven't told me what you're doing here –No one saw you come down here, I hope."

"No. I had to speak with the headmaster, so I thought I would stop by to say hello…possibly a little bit more."

"Hmm." Severus nodded, "Well, I wish I could indulge you, but unfortunately, I'm a bit to busy to romp about with you right now."

"Don't be crude!" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, so that's not what you came for?"

"Oh, of course it is, but you don't have to say it out loud."

"I'm sorry Remus…I really don't have time."

"Hmm…" He nodded, standing with a sigh, "Aright, well, I guess I'll just let myself out then –can I at least have a kiss before I go?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at him, with a slight smirk, "Don't think I don't know your game, Remus Lupin. You're trying to make me feel guilty –and I'm here to say that it isn't going to work."

"Not even a chaste one?" Remus leaned on the desk, "C'mon… Who knows when the next time we'll see each other will be? It could be weeks…months."

"We'll see each other at the holidays." Severus assured him. "Sev, Don, and I will be staying at Headquarters, I think."

"Oh? That will be nice." Remus nodded, "But what about the rest of the brood? Hermione and Ginny will probably be along as well…"

"Hmm, well…Maybe that will be the time that…Sev tells Ginny his little secret."

"Have you talked to the Headmaster about that?"

Severus nodded, "We have discussed it, quite a bit. Especially after Halloween –you should have been the shocked looks between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. It was like they had walked in, in buff or something. It was fantastic, the way all of the students eyes popped out of their heads."

"I'm sure it must have been some sight to see." Remus nodded. "I also take it that Hermione is being less hostile towards the boys?"

Severus nodded again, "They're even studying together like old times… I think it's, er…freaking everyone out, I believe is the correct term."

Remus laughed, moving around the desk to press a kiss to Severus's lips, "I love it when you try to talk like a student. It's so cute."

"This coming from the boy who used 'cool' as every other word when we were in school…or do I need to remind you?"

"I did not!" Remus scoffed.

"Oh Severus, your new robes are so cool! Oh Severus, it's so cool that you want to go to the library! Oh Severus, wouldn't it be cool if we went up to the Astronomy Tower? I hear it's really cool at night!"

"Shut up." Remus silenced him with another kiss. "You hardly talked at all –I had to make up all of the conversation."

"You always wanted conversation at the worst times." Severus shook his head.

"I like to hear you talk…" The werewolf proceeded to push some of the papers back off of Severus's desk, to sit in front of him, putting his hands on top of Severus's shoulder, "You've got a really sexy voice, Sevvie."

"Oh god…" Severus leaned back in his chair, letting Remus's hands slip down his chest, "I suppose I have no choice but to give into you now, isn't that right, Remmie?"

"Ew, don't call me that!"

"You're such a schoolboy." Severus stood up, moving Remus's knees apart to stand between them, and kissing him again, pulling his long fingers though his silvering hair. The pair was interrupted however by knock.

"Who is it?" Severus barked, prepared to give whoever it was a very severe punishment.

"Err…it's Sev… Is this a bad time?" He opened the door slightly, "Oh, err, hi, Remus."

"Hello Sev." Remus got down from the desk, and moved back around the desk, "We…weren't doing anything."

"Bloody hell we weren't." Severus cursed, "What do you want?"

"I thought we had a…lesson, but I guess not, so I'll just be getting back to my common room." Sev nodded. "You two have a nice night."

"Oy! Wait a second…" Remus stopped him. "How about your side of this rumor –What's this I'm hearing about you and Ginny?"

"Well, I went to the Halloween Dance with her. That's really it. We study together with her and Hermione once in awhile, but…I mean, she's a Gryffindor…" He scoffed, and then bit his tongue, "I didn't really mean that the way it sounded…"

"And what about this Draco business?"

Sev averted his eyes towards his father, "You told him!"

"He asked." Severus shrugged. "You never swore me to secrecy."

"I can't believe you did that!" Sev shook his head. "I shouldn't have had to make you swear! Your supposed to be my father! You can't just go telling people things I tell you in confidence!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sure you are." Sev nodded. "You really haven't changed at all, have you? You still hate me, don't you?"

"Sev…" Remus reached to stop him.

"No, I don't want any excuses from either of you. Just…leave me alone." Sev pulled the door shut again.

"Well…that wasn't good." Remus shook his head.

"Thanks, Remus. Now he thinks I hate him." Severus shrugged.

Remus sighed, "Are you sure you don't? –I'm not insinuating anything, Sevvie, don't look at me like that. I mean… You just found out that he was your son, and…I think you were getting along a little to well… He's never had a father before, and I don't think you were what he was looking for."

"I'm trying, Remus. I really am –what the hell do I know about teenagers?"

"Well, think about what your life was like at sixteen."

Severus nodded, "I had to put up with your mates torturing me, while you looked the other way, and shagged me when they weren't looking."

"Severus…don't get mad at me!"

"I'm not. We're not school boys anymore, Remus, thank god."

"You're right, we're not." Remus nodded, "And both of my friends are dead now, so…I shag you wherever, and whenever I want." He moved to try and kiss him, but Severus held him at an arms length.

"Now you're being crude."

Remus sighed, "Sev will get over this. In a couple of days, he won't even remember why he's mad at you."

"Sure he will." Severus nodded, "I never got over my grudges, why should he get over his?"

"I think this change is opening Sev's eyes… He's seeing that you're not such a bad person, Severus."

"He doesn't know me, Remus. He's son and he doesn't know me. Do you know how scary that is? Lily fucked both of us over with her selfishness –I never got to know my son, and he never got to know me."

"Well, the only thing we can do right now is…try and make up for lost time. So just relax, and trust me when I say he'll get over it."

Severus nodded, pulling Remus back into his arms, "C'mon…I think you wanted a romp before you left?"

The rest of November passed by quickly, and with the exception of a few Occulumency and Potions lessons, Sev had very little to do with his father. He tried to keep Ginny out of it, brushing off her questions about it, but finally a few days before vacation, he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"What are you doing for the Holidays?" Ginny asked as they worked quietly in the library.

"Umm…I'm going to Headquarters with my…Dad."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up, "I'll be there too! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I guess I didn't want to think about it…spending more time with my Dad, I guess." Sev shrugged, "But I'm glad you'll be there too –you can take my mind off of things."

"So…what's going on between you and your Dad?" Ginny asked. "Don says you haven't spoken to him since the beginning of November."

Sev shrugged, "He, uh, told someone something that I had thought was just between us. He doesn't know much about being a father."

"What Dad does?" Ginny laughed. "I'm lucky –my parents had my six brothers to practice on, and they still don't have it quite right yet."

"What are you talking about? Your parents are great, Gin." Sev shook his head. "Mine are…lying, cheating bastards." He bit his tongue, "I'm sorry, that just came out."

"Are you talking about your Dad?"

"No… Yes. In a way, but I really…I blame my Mum." Sev shook his head. "Can we not talk about this?"

"We can stop, if you promise to tell me about it later –over holiday." She held out her pinky. "Promise me."

Sev nodded, linking pinkies with her, "Sure, Gin. I'll tell you all about it over vacation."

"I know you will." She leaned over the table to kiss him. "I have to go –I wanted to get some packing done early –but I'll see you at dinner?"

Sev nodded, "Sure. I'll save you a seat." He let watched her pack up the rest of her stuff, before she kissed him again and made her way out of the library.

"Spending the holiday with your girlfriend, Sev?" Draco leaned in over his shoulder. "What a shame –I had rather hoped you'd be around Hogwarts…"

"Why? I thought you were going home."

"Change of plans –My parents decided to take a little holiday themselves to France, so I'm staying here." Draco brushed Sev's back from his face, "Your hair is getting long."

"I hadn't noticed."

"It's looks good long."

"I'll probably cut it during vacation."

Draco smiled nodding, "Of course you will. You have a girlfriend now, why would you care about being aesthetically pleasing to me." He leaned to whisper, "It doesn't matter what you do to yourself, Sev. You'll always attractive."

"Are you stalking me? This sounds slightly threatening."

"I just want to realize that you don't belong with a red-headed Weasel. You want me." Draco shrugged. "And the sooner you realize that, the more fun that can be had."

"For you maybe."

"Oh, no Sev –you will be the guest of honor when it comes to any kind of fun that I'll be having." Draco didn't even look around before pressing a kiss to his lips. Sev shoved him backwards, hoping that he hadn't caught anyone attention.

"What are you thinking, Draco? Are you crazy! You can do that here!" Sev hissed, beginning to pack up his books. "It's one thing when you're coming on to me when we're in the common room, or in our dormitory, but in the library? What do you think you're doing?"

Draco didn't answer, touching his fingers to his lips for a second, a small smile crossing his lips, "Don't get your panties and bundle, Sev. It was just a joke."

"Nothing is ever a joke with you, Draco!" Sev shook his head. "Excuse me, I have work to do."

Draco sighed, taking a seat at the now deserted table. He wasn't trying to make Sev's life difficult… He was just finding that his infatuation was beginning to get more serious every day –and with no other prospects to take his mind off things… Sexual tension was clouding his mind, not to mention some of the other parts of his anatomy.