It's Purely Carnal
Chapter 11
Severus and Harry spent the remainder of the weekend holed up in Severus's bedroom. They emerged Monday morning to rumors about the attack – generally over-dramatic ones, but relatively true to the facts. Severus, despite his usual iron fist, had little control over the whispers that ran through his classes all day – after threatening one student, Albus forbid him to do it again. Pity was the overwhelming emotion towards Harry. The group of girls again swarmed him at breakfast, and was only deterred at lunch by Harry hiding in the library.
When Severus finally finished his classes, he skipped dinner, located Harry, and holed back up in his room. As he graded papers, he answered Harry's questions about his own work; generally, he was sarcastic, but Harry eventually understood the concept.
"I wouldn't have guessed you would be good at Charms."
"I am good at everything."
Harry laughed.
!*!*!*!
When the two had to remove a house elf who had heard the rumors from the room forcibly, Severus poured himself a glass of scotch and sat down on the couch. "I'm not sure which would be worse; staying here for the holiday, or going to the Weasleys'."
Harry chuckled. "We'll find out in a week, won't we?" He tried to steal a sip of Severus's scotch.
The Potions master glared at him, and floated a bottle of wine over.
Harry frowned. "All I get is wine? Why do you get scotch?"
"The world can't handle an intoxicated Harry Potter. We've been over this before."
Harry remembered the last time he got drunk in front of Severus, and poured himself a glass of wine. The bastard had even watered it down.
!*!*!*!
The two survived the next few days in a similar matter, with a changing balance of domestic scenes, drunkenness, and sex. They went to all their classes – Severus tortured his students with two rolls of parchment due before holiday while Harry procrastinated to avoid doing his History of Magic essay – and spent the rest of the time in their room. On the bright side, with a tutor like Severus, Harry got the second best marks on his essay.
They tried to avoid Dumbledore if possible, along with most of the students. Severus even held off given detentions to avoid being in contact with them. Harry saw Hermione, who thought of it as her duty to proofread his essay (she was shocked that Severus had actually given someone answers; Harry simply laughed), but she saw the domestic scene and got the point that she was intruding. She did make it clear that she would be spending winter hols with the Weasleys for at least a few days – she tried to keep the smile off her face, but Harry knew that she was looking forward to seeing the calamity this holiday would become.
!*!*!*!
On Saturday morning, when anyone leaving for the holidays was to board the train, Albus showed up at Severus's room early, in hopes that he wouldn't have to force the two out. He was not shocked that Severus slammed the door in his face, but he was surprised that the two appeared with trunks packed at the train less than a half hour from then. Albus was not leaving for holiday quite yet, but when he did, he would have to make a side trip to see the Weasleys.
!*!*!*!
Severus detested trains. Especially trains filled with hundreds of teenage wizards. Everywhere he looked, he saw kissing, cursing, rule breaking and idiocy. He and Harry found their own compartment, and Severus locked the door magically.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "You don't think that's a little extreme? What if all the other compartments are full?"
"Then they can sit on someone's lap. They will not be part of my company."
"Severus, no offense, but I'm about the only one on this train who does desire your company."
Severus smirked.
When the trolley came around, Harry automatically got up to buy something, then spotted the lock. He turned his eyes on Severus.
The stoic man tried to resist, but he slowly softened. He opened the door for Harry, who ran out and bought sweets for the both of them. Whatever Severus said, he was a sucker for a Pumpkin Pasty.
!*!*!*!
The two of them stood uncomfortably on the platform, watching the students walk by. Severus attempted to ignore the pointing and stares he received, but when he finally spotted the trademark Weasley hair, he was almost grateful.
When he saw there was two heads, and that they were identical, he thought that he would rather go on the run and fight Aurors.
!*!*!*!
Fred and George shook Harry's hand, grinning widely, and shot a look or two at Severus. When they exchanged a devious glance, Severus sighed and shut his eyes. Harry chuckled.
Eventually, Ron and Ginny showed up. There was a tense few moments while Molly and Arthur hadn't appeared yet, and after hearing a short whispered conversation between the twins, Severus dragged Harry off to a bench some ways away. He leaned his head back against the wall and wished to be back in his room, with a bottle of scotch and Harry, not on his way to the Weasley home.
Harry let Severus close his eyes, knowing it would be safer for all involved. He watched Fred and George make lewd hand gestures at him, and tried not to laugh. Ron and Ginny were alternatively glaring at Harry and acting as if he didn't exist.
!*!*!*!
Molly and Arthur did eventually appear, explaining their absence as having to catch Percy's owl, which had been chased by a gnome onto the roof and refusing to stay still. Severus groaned slightly when he heard this, expecting his holiday to be full of gnomes and pesky owls, along with pesky children.
!*!*!*!
They found themselves in the Ford Anglia being driven to the Burrow. Severus questioned the pointlessness of this aloud – after all, they could Apparate; why drive? He was ignored by all, except Mrs. Weasley, who explained that Arthur liked driving. Severus mumbled something about that being a pathetic excuse and Harry coughed (it sounded suspiciously like a laugh).
!*!*!*!
After a few close calls, mostly due to Mr. Weasley being unfamiliar with the actual method of driving, the car did make it to the Weasley home. Severus spelled his and Harry's trunks out of the magically expanded car, and tried to sneak upstairs. When he was deterred by Mrs. Weasley, he nearly cursed her.
She made them allow her to show them to the room they would be staying in. There was an awkward moment when she tried to explain why she had given them the most remote room, but Severus guessed it anyway – she had no doubt that the two men would not make it through the holiday without sex.
Severus didn't want to venture downstairs. Severus, who knew more spells than Harry and was the only one willing to do them, put a few spells to keep the family out, but he couldn't keep the smells of the meal Molly was cooking out.
Harry's stomach started to rumble. He pouted in Severus's general direction. Eventually, Severus looked up and sighed.
"The way to your heart is through your stomach." Severus smirked. "And other organs."
Harry smirked at Severus. "I'm hungry."
"Terribly sorry."
"Come on, Sev, let's just go down and eat."
"You had breakfast."
"That was hours ago."
"Stop whining, Harry, it's most unattractive."
Harry knew better than that. "Sure. Now, come on!"
Severus shot a look at Harry. "I'm not that easily swayed. I will not go down there."
"I won't have sex with you."
Severus turned towards Harry. He stared at him for such a long time that Harry felt silly for even suggesting that, because he would never make it.
Severus turned back away from Harry. "Somehow, I think that would not happen."
Severus tolerated about five more minutes of Harry pacing, huffing, and pouting before he opened the door.
Harry didn't leave. "Are you coming?"
"No."
Harry involuntarily grinned at his tone. "Come on, I know you're hungry too."
"No."
"Severus…"
Snape closed his eyes. "That family is more dangerous than a pack of drunken Death Eaters."
"Let's go." Harry left.
Severus paced for a moment, then followed Harry out of the room.
!*!*!*!
He stopped at a corner when he heard voices. Peering around, he spotted Harry and the Weasley twins. He didn't bother to tell the two apart.
One of them stepped closer to Harry and whispered something to his brother. Snape cast an amplifying spell, but had already missed it.
Both twins took more steps towards Harry. Snape began to feel as if something was wrong, but he decided to let it play out.
!*!*!*!
Harry looked up at George, then Fred. They stared back at him.
Finally, Fred chuckled. "Where's old Severus?"
"He's coming."
George grinned. "Couldn't resist the smell?"
Harry smiled sheepishly, still darting his gaze back and forth between the two.
"Me and Fred were thinking about you, now that you're flaming gay, and pretty bloody gorgeous at that."
"Okay…"
!*!*!*!
Severus kept his cool up until the point one of the twins tried to kiss Harry. Since Harry told 'Fred' to get off, it must have been Fred.
Then he came around the corner.
!*!*!*!
For some reason, neither twin looked too worried. They backed off and grinned identically at Severus.
The one who had tried to kiss Harry – Fred – chuckled. "You've got a nice little boy here, Snape. I don't suppose you share?" He roamed his eyes over Severus in a way that made him hard. He banished the thoughts from his mind, grabbed Harry and started to leave.
Just before descending the stairs, he turned back to the twins. "Death Eaters don't share."
!*!*!*!
Severus stopped halfway down the stairs. "Are you all right?"
"Severus, Fred tried to kiss me, not murder me."
"Both should be a capital offense, for anyone but me."
Harry cocked an eyebrow at the phrasing. "Does that mean you're going to murder me?"
"Potter, plenty of people have tried to murder you, and have never succeeded. What makes you think that your lover will be the one to do it?"
Harry chuckled, and continued down the stairs.
!*!*!*!
Finally, Harry sat down with a big plate of Molly's food. Severus raised an eyebrow, and served himself a much smaller plate.
Harry grinned at his lover with his mouth full, and Severus rolled his eyes.
"If you gain fifty pounds, I will not sleep with you."
"If you lose more than five pounds, I won't sleep with you. You're damn skinny enough."
"Hm."
Harry caught the subtle actions that meant he had hurt Severus's feelings – his eyes refused to meet Harry's, his jaw was tight, and his left hand tapped on the table. Harry shifted uneasily. "Sorry."
"That's alright."
"It's just…you are pretty damn skinny. It's almost a little scary."
"I'm far from wasting away, Harry."
"You didn't use to be this skinny."
"I recently lost some weight."
"Right after you started sleeping with me."
"Did you prefer my weight before?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair, and glanced around, noticing that all the Weasleys had left the kitchen. "It's not that you aren't bloody gorgeous; just don't go too far, okay?"
"Your concern is noted."
!*!*!*!
When Severus finished his plate, he stood up and got another one.
Harry grinned.
!*!*!*!
When Harry had finished his plate, and talked Severus into having a small piece of pudding, Snape tried to go back upstairs. Harry held his arm.
"What?"
"Severus, we're staying in their house, we have to talk to them at some point."
"I don't think so."
"Do you want me to stay down here with the twins by myself?"
Severus stepped off the steps, and allowed himself to be dragged along. "I make no promises as to not cursing anyone."
"I wouldn't expect anything different."
!*!*!*!
Severus spotted a chessboard in the family room, and sat down at it. Harry grinned.
"I suppose you'd like to play."
"Yes."
"You just want to beat me."
"Yes, Harry. I do."
Harry looked around, and when no one forbid them to play, he sat down and set up the pieces.
!*!*!*!
Ten minutes later, as always happened when playing wizards' chess with Severus, Harry was losing badly.
As always happened by this point, Severus was giving him advice – just not enough that Harry could win.
"Knight to G5."
"Don't do that."
"Why?"
Severus showed Harry an elaborate number of moves that would happen if he played his knight on G5, which ended in his checkmate.
Harry sighed, and told his knight to go back. The poor angry chess piece cursed at him.
!*!*!*!
Five minutes later, despite Harry's best efforts, he had lost miserably.
Severus had a rather self-satisfied smile on his face.
!*!*!*!
When Ginny, watching the domestic scene, found herself so upset that she ran out of the room crying, Harry and Severus both agreed that it was time to go upstairs. They were on their way out of the room when Molly Weasley stopped them.
"There will be no hiding up in your room all day, Harry, Severus. Interact! Play another game of chess, for all I care. But you will not spend the entire holiday locked up in your room."
Severus shot a look at Harry. Harry grinned and went back to the chessboard. "Another game?"
"Let's go outside instead."
!*!*!*!
Over the course of their affair, both when it was secret and public, Severus had been teaching Harry spells. No Dark curses – Harry forbid it – but useful, unique or entertaining spells that Severus thought Harry might like. They never dueled – Severus was inclined to use painful curses when he dueled, and refused to do that to Harry – but Snape was slowly teaching Harry an arsenal of rather useless spells – because those were the ones Harry wanted to master – that even Ms. Granger would be surprised at.
Harry produced a corporeal Patronus, just for fun. He shot a look at Severus, hoping he would produce one too. He didn't know what form Sev's took.
Severus, however, waited until Harry stopped focusing, and his Patronus faded, and then he smiled. "Very good."
"Are you going to teach me something, or did you just want to get out of there?"
"I'm thinking."
!*!*!*!
Twenty minutes later, Harry had accidentally mispronounced a spell, and caught the Burrow on fire. He stood outside, biting his lip, watching Severus and Mr. Weasley put it out. The remainder of the Weasley family stood looking on, caught between anger and laughter.
When the fire was out, Severus grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him upstairs. This time, no one objected.
!*!*!*!
Severus shut his eyes. Harry kept biting his lip.
They both burst out laughing.
Severus shook his head. "You are the clumsiest boy I know."
"You told me the spell!"
"You said it wrong."
They checked the clock, and decided to not leave the room until dinner – and Severus was only convinced of that because he remembered how difficult Harry was when he was hungry.
Severus tried to appear busy, but he was bored. Harry flipped through the books Severus had brought with him, but nothing interested him.
!*!*!*!
The two were both anxious and thrilled when there was a knock on their door.
It switched to anger when it was Trelawney.
(AN: Sorry it's been so long. Having a bit of a tough time. Script Frenzy's also coming up, and I've got Voldemort/Snape to finish – but I PROMISE that I will not forget this story. The updates might just be a little slower. Please read/review/rec/add to alerts! EDITED 7/8/2011 to fix a few odd things.)