A/N: Evan Hunter, a prolific American author and screenwriter, once said, "Readers are what it's all about, aren't they? If not, why am I writing?" Authors can sit there and tell you till the cows come home that they write for themselves and themselves only. That may be true, but readers are really nice. Face it, we want to tell a story and we want someone to listen to that story. So to you, my dear readers who reviewed and added me t your alerts and favorites list, thank you.
Give me a B! Give me an E! Give me a T! Give me an A! What does that spell?
Invader Shawn!
...No it doesn't….
Oh. Well, I never was a cheerleader…I was a twirler…
Invader Sawn was awesome and beta-ed this chapter. Be nice to her, people, she puts up with me and my wordiness. Lol…
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Chapter 10: Rub a Dub Dub, a Potion Master in a Tub
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It's just a bath, Severus. – Harry Potter
Let it be known throughout the land, from sea to sea, and in all native tongues, that rehabilitation is, has been, and forever will be one of the most difficult things for a person to do.
At least, that was Severus Snape's opinion at the present moment.
And that is good enough for now.
It had become far too vexing for Severus to stay in bed all day, only to venture out when Harry assisted him to the lavatory. It got old. Fast. When he could not stand it any longer, he announced that he would be taking his recovery into his own hands and enlisted Harry to be his accomplice in this transgression. Such words were appropriate, because if Severus were caught doing this by Madame Pomfrey, there would be hell to pay. The Medi-Witch was still of the opinion that Severus remain on bed rest for at least another week, possibly two, before he even thought about starting to walk again. She had even taught Harry the spell to take care of any bathroom necessities Severus might have.
The teen had surprisingly kept a straight face while the Healer was present, but as soon as the elderly woman left, the boy had fallen to the floor in a fit of giggles.
Severus was not impressed by the teen's antics.
He was moderately appeased, however, when Harry stood and then asked if Severus was ready to walk to the loo.
So there. They were already going against orders. Why not just push it a little further?
If anything, it is always better to seek forgiveness than permission.
'Or however the blasted saying goes.'
There was only one thing that had to be done first.
Severus had to get his own clothes.
He had been in Harry's pajamas for far too long. It had been fine for the quick trips out of the room, since they had not encountered any of the other residents of Grimauld Place. If they were to be out longer, their chance of running into Granger or Weasley increased exponentially.
Harry had thought of asking Dobby to fetch some sleepwear clothes from the Potions Master's rooms at Hogwarts; an idea that had merit, but Severus was not eager to have the house elf rummaging through his things. He had seen what the freed Malfoy elf wore. No telling what he would bring back from his wardrobe.
Dobby exceeded expectation by bringing three sets of pajama pants and their matching tops for the professor to wear.
For some unknown reason, Harry had thought it humorous that all of the outfits were black.
Now that Severus was dressed properly, they could begin.
And begin they did.
It was now the third day of the rehabilitation process, and while Severus may not look like a buffoon because of what he was wearing, he thought he looked the utter fool for something completely different.
His brain was telling his legs to move accordingly, but the appendages seemed to have other ideas. Severus cursed under his breath at the thought that he must look like a newborn with the way his legs were shaking and wobbling as he walked back and forth down the hallway of the first story landing. Harry was only a few steps away, ready to swoop in and catch him should his traitorous legs decide to give out altogether, but the teen's worried look did not help Severus' feeling of vulnerability and unease at the present moment.
"Stop hovering!" he complained as he took another shaky step.
"I'm not hovering!" Harry countered. "The last time you told me to back off and I did, you almost fell. Then you criticized me for ten minutes about not doing my nursemaid duties."
"That was different."
"How?"
"Are you going to argue with me, or are you going to make sure that I am not impeded by one of the many rugs that seemed to be strewn about this floor?"
"You need to lift you feet more." The messy haired head was looking down at the Potions Master's feet.
"I am walking, am I not?"
"More like baby steps, really."
"You little—" Severus twisted to the side to thoroughly reprimand the boy. He was a grown man. A Potions Master. He did not take 'baby steps.' He doubted he even took baby steps when he was a baby.
The resulting twisting motion, however, caused what little hard-earned balance Severus had to completely leave him; his unreliable legs gave out from under him. He swayed precariously back, and then lurched forward in an effort to remain standing.
It didn't work.
Harry saw Severus falling forward and quickly stepped up to catch the taller man under his arms before he hit the ground. The teen took on a bracing stance, but still had to take a step back in order to stabilize himself and hold up the entire weight of the Potions Master at the same time. His knees sagged, but he stayed standing.
Severus was actually quite heavy.
In the end, Harry wound up nearly nose-to-nose with the Severus, looking him dead in the eye.
He sucked in his breath.
"I've got you," the messy haired wizard said quietly. His face heating because of the proximity.
"I am aware," Severus answered back. He was not sure why he was whispering too.
Harry blinked, then cleared his throat and carefully lifted and pushed on the older wizard, effectively righting the man back on his feet. He kept his hands under Severus's arms, however, to ensure that the man continued to stay upright. "Do you want help walking back to your room?"
Severus wondered just when the makeshift hospital room became 'his room.'
"Who said I am done?"
"Well, I thought—"
"Hmm. Yes, that is something that tends to lead to error with you. This is not even a setback. I can assure you that I am still fully capable of mobility. We shall stop when I say we stop."
Severus then moved to take a few steps and pushed Harry's hands out of the way.
He made it two more steps before his knees began to shake horribly. Before his legs gave out again, Severus felt his right arm being lifted up and quickly secured across the shorter wizard's shoulders and around his neck. One hand stayed securely wrapped around Severus's wrist, while the other came to the small of the taller man's back, eliminating the threat of another fall. Severus huffed, but leaned his weight against the boy to make his knees stop their blasted wobble. He looked down at his human crutch to see Harry with a small smile on his face. It wasn't his normal smirk that he sported when he found something humorous. Just a smile.
Severus wondered what was causing it.
"I suppose we are finished," the dark eyed wizard said after some time.
"Thought you might say that," Harry replied, his smile growing slightly. "Come on. Let's getcha back."
The two had only managed to take a few well-choreographed steps before they stopped at the sound of someone ascending the staircase a few meters away. Harry desperately hoped that it was either Ron or Hermione. The two knew somewhat about the rehabilitation Severus was doing and tended to stay out of the way, though that did not mean that occasionally they would pass by on their way upstairs. Yes, that was it. It was Ron or Hermione.
He really hoped it wasn't Madame Pomfrey.
The steps grew louder and louder until the person attached to those steps came into view behind the banister.
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief as Albus walked the final few steps to the top of the floor. He smirked as he heard Severus sigh as well.
Very quietly.
Albus turned his blue eyes to the pair in the hallway and both wizards noticed that the twinkle in them seemed to intensify. Harry looked at the elderly wizard's robes to try and gauge what kind of news the headmaster brought with him. Deep purple. That was a tough one. They were not necessarily dull, but they weren't bright either. Perhaps today was neither a bad nor a good day.
Harry wondered if everyone did that. Picked colors based on their moods. Maybe not a conscious thing, but something one did without ever realizing it. If that were true, then Severus, with his affinity for black, was always in a terrible mood.
'Hmm, that isn't too far off,' Harry thought as he watched the two older wizards begin to talk to one another.
He wondered what his color choices said about his mood and looked down at his baggy, red sweater. Harry had thought he had chosen the sweater that morning because it was clean and at the top of his drawer, but now he wasn't so sure. Before he had a chance to grapple out why his subconscious had decided to pick the sweater, he heard Albus say his name, bringing him out of his introspection.
"I say, Harry, you have been doing a remarkable job with Severus here."
The teen could practically feel the Potions Master roll his eyes. He hid his grin. "Thank you, sir."
A silver eyebrow rose slightly.
"Albus," Harry corrected himself.
The eyebrow went down and the man smiled, "I understand that you have taken to your caretaker duties, but might I borrow your patient for a moment?"
"I am not a thing!" Severus said, provoked by the tease. He attempted to stand up to full height, but began to shake again. He felt the hand at his arm tighten and the hand at his back moved around to his side to keep him vertical.
It is very hard to look intimidating when the only reason you are standing is a teenage boy holding onto you.
"And I was alluding to nothing of the sort," Albus said with a chuckle in an effort to cajole the easily offended professor. "I merely wanted to have a chat with you and figured young Harry here would want the break for a little while."
Severus was about to argue further, on what he was not sure, when Harry spoke up to his right.
"Well, if Severus doesn't mind, I need to get supper ready anyway."
Two sets of eyes turned towards Severus then; one green, the other blue. As if it were really up to him.
"Yes, fine. Only because I am hungry and there is no way I shall suffer through Mr. Weasley's cooking again."
Harry gave a small laugh and adjusted his arms to keep his grip. "Shall I walk you back then?"
"Oh now, there is no need for that," Albus interjected, stepping up to the pair. "I am sure that I can assist Severus back to the room."
The silver-bearded wizard stepped up right in front of Severus and, together with Harry, proceeded trading spots with the young wizard. Severus was jostled to and fro in the action and cursed audibly at the manhandling. Both of his helpers simply ignored him, and eventually, success was achieved with Albus supporting Severus and Harry standing in front of them. Severus shifted slightly. The height difference from Harry to Albus also meant a difference in balance. Severus did not like the change too much.
Harry stood there, looking at the two men who had taught him more than anyone else had in the wizarding world. "Well….You kids have fun now."
The green-eyed teen quickly turned and left down the stairs when he started to hear Severus growl. He had better make sure that whatever he made for dinner would easily come out of his clothes should the Potions Master decide to throw anything at him.
Severus watched the blasted brat escape down the stairs before he could be reprimanded. 'Kids,' indeed. He heard Dumbledore chuckling beside him and cringed in. This had to be a level of Hades. Forget rivers of boiling blood. Forget being frozen solid in ice. Dante had it all wrong. Being surrounded by a bunch of Gryffindors was much, much worse by far. Severus's dark humor supplied the thought that perhaps this was his hell. That the Lestranges had, in fact, killed him, and because of his sins against the world, he was forever to stay in the house of one of his childhood rivals and be surrounded by nothing but Gryffindors for eternity.
Yes, that was it.
This was hell.
"Are you going to just stand there and laugh, or are you going to take me back to my room?"
"Can't it be both?" Albus asked, but he began to walk anyway and guide Severus back to the grey guest room. "By the way, does Poppy know that you are out of bed this much?"
Severus kept his eyes forward as he walked, no matter how much he wanted to turn his head and properly berate the man for wasting his time. Instead, he settled for, "Are you going to simply make jokes, or are you going to tell me why you came?"
"My, my, my," Albus said lightly as they entered into the small room. "You seem to be in high spirits today."
Severus sighed. Dumbledore set him gently onto the bed, allowing the Potions Master to shift and adjust himself until he was back to lying down against the mound of pillows he used to prop himself up. Harry had had to get pillows from all over the house to accommodate to Severus's wish and to keep him from falling over. The result was nothing short of a nest of pillows.
When Severus finally situated himself accordingly, he turned his head to see Albus sitting down in Harry's chair. He pursed his lips together in annoyance. "Well?"
Blue eyes looked at him innocently. "Well, what?"
"Oh, for the love of—"
"Now, calm yourself, Severus. Let an old man have a little fun now and again. With this war, I think we can all use a little merriment from time to time. Wouldn't you agree?"
A noncommittal grunt was all he got in reply.
"I knew you would agree. Ah, but I really should be getting to the point of my visit, shouldn't I?"
"No. By all means, continue with your usual banter."
"I certainly hope Harry appreciates your sarcasm, Severus."
"As though I care what the brat thinks."
"Hmmm. Yes, of course you don't. Anyway, I am here to make another inquiry as to your health, though, from what I can see, you seem to be doing quite well. Are you feeling better?"
"Adequate."
"Ready to get back to teaching Potions?"
"Oh yes. I miss the little monsters that dare call themselves students. You did not come all this way to simply ask if I am ready to get back to teaching."
It was not a question.
Dumbledore turned his head away from Severus then, and the younger man instantly knew that while the reasoning that brought the Headmaster here to visit him was not dire or urgent, it was serious nonetheless. The silver bearded wizard's eyes lost their twinkle ever so slightly. Moreover, he seemed to haunch over just a tad, as though a weight were put on him. Severus braced himself for whatever the man was about to say.
"I am wondering what you will do when you finally do recover, Severus," Albus finally replied.
"What do you mean? Are you referring to teaching, because—"
"No, no. Not with that. I am referring to what you will do in this war."
Severus was still unsure what the other man was talking about, but instead of voicing his confusion again, he merely raised a dark eyebrow in question. He had worked with Dumbledore long enough to where he knew the older wizard knew what his unasked—and possibly snarky—question was.
"Will you continue to fight?"
The other eyebrow on Severus's face joined the other higher up on Severus's forehead. "You ask as though I have a choice."
"You have always had a choice, Severus."
The younger man snorted.
Of course he did.
And everything is made of gumdrops and it rains sugar water.
Severus did not have a choice.
To think so would be living in La La Land.
"You know as well as I do that I do not have a choice. My life has been out of my control the moment I signed it away to that monster of a man and even more so when I signed it away to you, as well," he said as he turned his attention away from the headmaster to look over at a small, dark portrait of some long-forgotten Black ancestor that hung on the opposite end of the room.
"You could always seek refuge away from the country, as Mrs. Malfoy and young Draco have done."
Severus snorted at that. "Oh yes, because Voldemort would simply give up looking for me and allow me to live my life in peace. As though I could actually run away and live my life in peace, knowing what is going on back here. No. There is no choice to this. If—and I do not use the term loosely—and only if I am able to return to optimal health where I would not be a hindrance, then I will fight."
"For our side?"
"No. For the Giants. Of course for our side! I do not think that I would get the most pleasant of welcomes if I strolled back up to the Death Eaters and asked to rejoin their ranks," Severus bit out as he turned his head back to look at the elderly headmaster.
Albus shook his head. "I was merely trying to gauge your commitment. It will not be easy."
"It never is."
"I will need your help once again when you are well."
"With what? I can no longer spy."
"Not with spying, my dear boy. With Harry."
Severus remained silent for a few moments. "I will continue to train the boy in dueling."
"That is not what I quite meant either."
Albus was beating around the bush.
Severus hated when someone did that.
He was more of a chop-the-bush-down-and-then-walk-over-it kind of fellow.
"Then what, Albus?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath, as though gathering his thoughts. "Harry may not know it, and in fact, I am sure he doesn't, but he is in even more danger now than ever. He has told me about the theory about being able to access his magic through his meditation. While I am pleased with that idea, I am concerned that this new development will make Harry even more of a target."
"Albus, the boy is a walking target. Any more so and you might as well tattoo a giant bull's-eye on him," Severus said in his most deadpanned manner.
The headmaster chuckled, "You know, you may be right, but he will need someone to watch his back. I know that Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley are there to help him, but they must also worry about themselves…and each other."
"And you are hoping that I will once again agree to protect the boy?"
"Something like that. Again, you have a choice. I could easily find another of the Order members to take on the job. Remus certainly would."
At that thought, Severus immediately bristled. While he knew that the wolf would readily agree to watch over Harry during battles, something in Severus's mind could not accept that fact. Not at all.
"Lupin is constantly away right now trying to keep the peace with the other werewolves. He could not possibly do that."
"Oh, he would easily come back for that," Albus offered calmly. "He goes out there because he knows that his missions are for the greater good of the war, not unlike you were with spying. If I were to ask, especially for Harry's sake, Remus would cease his mission and come back to—"
"That will not be necessary."
"Oh?"
"I shall…look after the boy during battles."
"Oh?"
"I never like it when your eyes twinkle."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Albus replied. He was almost believable, except for the tell-tale smirk and the sudden interest in his left pocket as he fished about for something. "Lemon drop?"
'Meddling, geriatric crackpot.'
"No, I do not want a blasted candy…. And yes, I will look after Harry during the battles. I am, after all, the best versed in the ways of the Death Eaters. I know their fighting styles the best. It is only logical."
"That was my reasoning as well," Albus said happily, he popped the candy into his mouth, "but it is not only the Death Eaters and Voldemort that Harry will have to worry about."
"How so?"
"The wizarding public has become overly excited over the ultimatum."
"They are still obsessing over that?"
"During times like this, focus of the people can be quite misplaced. The Death Eaters might have retreated slightly in their attacks, but their presence is still quite oppressive and the public still believes that Harry's surrender will ensure their safely. Some are going so far as to call for his death."
"What?!" Severus felt a rush of anger well up in him with such intensity that it was almost painful. How dare they? All of them—any of them? Harry might be a clumsy oaf at times, but the boy was doing all this for the wizarding world. For these ingrates who were now calling for his death. Severus' mind was working a mile a minute. He knew there was no way he could feasibly seek revenge on the entire wizarding world, but that would not stop him from imagining many interesting scenarios.
"Severus?" Albus called out to the younger man. He could tell the Potions Master was off in his own thoughts. He tried again. "Severus?"
Dark eyes finally focused back on the wizard in the chair. The Potions Master realized that he had been daydreaming and quickly thought of a plan to cover up the fact.
"So, what do you suggest about be done about this?"
All right, so that was not the greatest of plans, but it got the conversation going again and Albus did not press the issue, so Severus could pretend that he had not been doing such a ridiculous thing as conjuring up a fantasy world. Even if those fantasies were where he was exacting retribution from all the ungrateful wizards and witches out there. Dark or not, daydreaming was a waste of time and something Severus did not subscribe to.
"Nothing can be done really about it," was Albus's answer the Severus's question. "Harry does not go out of the house already, so it is not as though he will need a chaperone. However, if a battle was to occur in the wizarding world and some civilians were to get the wrong idea…well, Harry already has a lot to deal with."
"You think that some vigilante wizards may try to take the boy out themselves?"
"Precisely. While I know Harry is more than capable of handling these things, I fear that until he is able to fully control whatever power he possesses that these compounding threats may prove to be overwhelming for him. I also know that no matter what the public says about him, Harry would never be able to attack whom he considered to be an innocent person."
Severus nodded slowly. No, Harry could not.
But he certainly could.
He felt his mouth form into a slightly evil smirk. He almost hoped that some inane vigilante wizards did try to attack Harry. Could be quite fun.
Albus chuckled at the smirk. "I thought you may see things that way. Think of it as more incentive to make a complete recovery."
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"You stink."
Severus's head popped up from his book in confusion and looked over at the teen sitting in the chair. They had just finished with another ambulatory session in the hallway and were currently resting. Well, Severus was resting. Harry was simply staying there for the company. The older wizard regarded his younger companion.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You stink. You need a bath."
"A…bath."
"Yes, a bath," Harry repeated. The teen fully closed his book and placed it onto the nightstand. "You know, they fill a tub with water and you sit in it in order to get clean. Surely you've heard of it?"
Dark eyes narrowed. Severus was not about to have the teen smart off to him. "I am well aware what a bath is, Potter." He saw the boy wince and groaned internally. "I will simply cast a cleaning charm, Harry. I have done so every day now and will continue to—"
The Potions Master was reaching for his wand, but his hand was stopped. He looked up into green eyes.
Harry took a deep breath. He knew this was not going to be an easy thing, but it needed to be done. "Severus, that spell can only do so much. Now that you have been walking more…well…you stink."
"You have said that."
"And it's true. Listen, a nice warm bath might help. You never know. All I know is, you smell and your hair is really greasy. I feel sorry for the pillows."
"Why you—"
"It's just a bath, Severus," Harry interrupted in exasperation.
He could live with the smell. He had smelled fouler things at the Dursley's house for sure, but he had noticed that the man had become increasingly irritated as the days went by and while the man was usually quite unhappy about most things, Harry was running out of reasons for the man's disposition. Mrs. Weasley always said the best thing for relaxation was a bath, so why not give it a try? What could it hurt?
"And what are you proposing, Harry?" Severus asked with a sneer. "That you bathe me?"
The messy haired teen set his jaw in determination, even as his cheeks colored. "Yes."
Severus' eyes narrowed further. The boy was bluffing. He had seen how easily embarrassed Harry got over the littlest of things. Hell, the boy was blushing like a tomato now. The older wizard did not think for one minute that his young caretaker would or even could go through with this crazy idea.
He would just have to call the Gryffindor's bluff.
He leaned back a little and crossed his arms. "Fine."
Harry's eyebrows rose up to disappear into his messy hair. He didn't think it would be this easy. "Say what?"
Severus smirked, already assuming he had won. "I said, that is fine. Since you seem so eager, then I will take a bath."
This time, it was Harry's turn to narrow his eyes. He had a feeling that Severus was not actually acceding to the idea to a bath. Quite the opposite. The light finally came on in Harry's mind. Severus thought he would back out.
Well, two can play at that game.
He hadn't been sorted into his the house of Gryffindor for nothing.
He stood up and pushed up the sleeves to his pullover. "All right then. Let's go!"
"What?" Severus said as his eyes widened infinitesimally.
"I said, let's go. You said it was okay to get a bath, and that is exactly what we are going to do: Get you a bath."
Fine.
"Fine!" Severus began to get up, getting help from the teen along the way.
The battle of wills was on.
Now, it was only a matter of who would cave.
They walked down the hallway to the loo in total silence, both steeling their nerves so that they were not the first to admit defeat. Severus walked some of the way, but he was still taxed from his earlier efforts and needed to rely on his younger companion in order to make it to the bathtub.
Both men stared at the ominous, white tub as though it were about to stand up and attack them.
"Okay then," Harry finally broke the silence. "Let's get you ready." He slowly moved the taller man over to the toilet, lowering the lid and then lowering Severus onto the seat.
After that, he turned back to the tub and turned the faucets on to get the water going.
Severus just sat there is silence.
The boy was not backing down. Was he really about to let a former student see him naked? No. Harry would back out. He had to.
Right?
Instantly, Severus felt very self-conscious and hated himself for it. He knew he was not what people nowadays called a 'looker,' but he thought he had come to terms with that. He did not care what others thought of him usually. Now though, with the thought of Harry seeing him in such a—quite literally—exposed moment, made him uncomfortable in a way he had not been since his school days. He tried to get control over his emotions as he watched the teen adjust the taps to the right temperature and plug up the tub to fill with water.
Harry stood and hoped that his face wasn't too red. He was supposed to be taking care of Severus. This was part of it. He turned to look at the man sitting on the loo. He was a little bit relieved to see that the potions professor looked marginally nervous as well.
He could do this.
"Ready?"
"Do I look ready?" Severus snapped, thought there wasn't much heat. He crossed his arms tight to his chest. "Or are you wanting me to bathe in my pajamas."
"Oh," Harry said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he couldn't do this. "Right." He took a step towards the Potion's Master. "Do you need help or—"
"I am not an invalid! Simply help me stand and I will undress myself!"
Yea, okay. He could do that.
He moved over to helped the man stand, then turned around to face the other direction to give the man some privacy.
Severus rolled his eyes as the younger man turned, but did not comment about it. He reached up to begin to unbutton his black nightshirt. He got halfway down the row when his hand began to shake too much. 'Damn it. Why did Harry suggest this after I did my walking?'
He would never be able to fully undress. He was too tired. Too weak. He…he would have to ask for help.
"Your timing for this endeavor is deplorable. Such as I am, I am unable to do this without some form of assistance."
"You…" Harry turned to look at Severus, trying not to look at the man's partly exposed chest, "You need my help?"
There was a few beat pause in the small room.
"Yes."
Both men stood frozen.
Severus figured this would finally be when the younger man backed out. Harry looked like he were about to fall down more than himself, and he could not really walk. He saw the boy's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed nervously. He had won this little game of chicken.
"Right then," Harry said resolutely and stepped up to Severus to finish with the last of the buttons.
'Or perhaps I have spoken too soon,' Severus thought as he looked down at the shorter man that was undoing the last button.
Harry tried to remain focused to the task at hand. Not on the fact that this was the first time he was undressing another human being before. He wondered why he wasn't bothered by the fact that it was another male that he was undressing, but more for the fact that Severus was his teacher and new friend. Perhaps it was the same as the quidditch showers or living in the dorms. He had seen boys naked there and it didn't affect him. This was no different. He brought his hands up to take the loosened shirt off Severus's shoulders and down his arms, letting it pool on the floor.
This wasn't like the dorms or quidditch at all.
And it most certainly was affecting him.
'No! Must stop having confusing thoughts right now. I am his caretaker. I'm not suppose to ogle him….Why am I ogling him in the first place?! Stop it, Potter, you are going to make a complete arse of yourself. Just got to get his pants off…no big deal….shit.' Harry brought his lower lip between his teeth and then, cursing the slight shake to his hands, began to untie the drawstring on the Potions Master's pajama bottoms.
This whole time, Severus was watching. Watching as smaller hands went up to the tie of his pants. He quietly sucked in a breath as he realized his body was responding to all of this.
'No, no, no, no, no! This cannot be happening. Think of something, for gods' sakes. Minerva in a bikini…Albus in drag…that oaf Hagrid, naked…'
Severus shuddered internally, but congratulated himself at the same time for warding off most certain humiliation.
'Why had my body reacted that way? Harry is over twenty years my junior and a very straight young boy. He would probably run from the room screaming if he were to witness me in such a state. It was simply an involuntary reaction. That is all.'
Harry finally managed to untangle the knot of the string and loosen it enough to where the bottoms fell down Severus's slim legs to puddle on the floor with his shirt.
"Oh!" Harry gasped and stepped back, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. Snape had the pajama pants and only the pajama pants to cover him. "You're not—"
"Your little house elf did not bring a change of proper undergarments," Severus stated succinctly. Watching the young boy flush and dart his eyes from the floor to him was causing another one of those involuntary reactions to occure and he was fighting with all he could to keep it from getting out of hand.
"Right—uh—right," Harry stuttered out, then snapped his mouth shut and inhaled through his nose. He turned around and shut off the taps. "Okay, let's get you in the water."
He walked up to the Potions Master's side and took his arm as he had done on several occasions in the past. This time, though, instead of grabbing fabric, he was met with surprisingly warm skin. The few steps to the bathtub's edge was no problem, but actually getting Severus into the bath proved most challenging and in the end, Severus was sitting in the tub and Harry's sweater was soaking wet.
"Fantastic," the teen said dryly as he stood and turned to take the sweater off. He was thankful that he had worn layers today. He could handle his t-shirt being a little damp. He turned back around after tossing the sweater in the ever-growing pile of clothes and found himself not as nervous now that Severus was actually in the bath.
'There. Easy.'
Harry stepped back up to the tubs edge. "Do you want some bubble bath?"
"No, I do not want any bloody bubble bath!" Severus said with his best glare.
"Well, aren't you just a water person." Harry was feeling much better. Joking about this seemed to be helping. He reached over to the side of the tub and grabbed a hand towel. He brought his wand out of its holder and with a mutter and a swish, turned the towel into a cup.
He was on a mission.
The green eyed teen dipped the cup in the water and brought it up to Severus's hair. Without asking he tilted the Potions Master's head back and let the water run down the greasy hair.
"What in the name of Salazar do you think you are doing!?" Severus nearly yelled in surprise.
"Washing your hair," Harry replied as he repeated the motion with the cup a few more times until the older man's longer hair was completely wet.
"You do not have to wash my hair. I am not a child."
"You can't lift your arms above your shoulders. You can't wash your hair, I can, and you need it."
Harry grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squeezed out a good-sized dollop into his palm. After setting the bottle back down, he rubbed his hands together a few times before working the bath product into Severus' scalp. Soon, there was a good lather and Severus's black hair disappeared in the white foam. Harry continued to work in the shampoo and wondered what the Potions professor would look like with clean hair.
"Do you ever wash your hair?"
"It is unnecessary. Water removes enough contaminates. If it comes into contact with any ingredients or anything of that nature, then there is a potion that will strip the hair completely."
Harry just smiled, shook his head, and continued wash the older wizard's hair.
Severus reluctantly admitted, though only in his most secret of thoughts, that the having someone wash his hair was actually quite…
…nice.
Finally, Harry picked up the cup and began the slow process of rinsing the lather out, careful not to get any in Severus' eyes. When that was finished, he sat down on the floor and leaned against the tub.
"I'm sure you want to be the one to wash the rest of you?" the teen asked as he looked into Severus' dark eyes. He felt that damnable blush return at the thought of washing the rest of Severus' body.
The Potions Master seemed more subdued. Harry noticed that there was a slight hint of pink on the man's usually pale face. "I should be able to handle that," he replied as he picked up the bar of soap. Harry reached over and handed him a washcloth. "Though, you may have to assist with my back."
Messy, black locks shook as Harry nodded his head. "Gotcha."
The two fell into a somewhat easy silence; the only sound that of the water moving about as Severus bathed. Harry looked around the bathroom, his thoughts drifting off to this and that. Pondering about what seemed to be going on in his life nowadays. He looked back over at his friend. It still felt so weird for him to think of Severus as his friend sometimes. But it seemed to be working out quite well. Maybe a little confusing at times, but quite well just the same.
He grabbed another washcloth and his wand to transfigure the flannel into a rubber duck. He sat up on his knees and placed the small, yellow toy in the water.
"What," Severus said as he looked down at the thing, "is that?"
Harry looked up at Severus's face. The man really needed to loosen up sometimes. After all, this was definitely one of those things that they were going to look back on and laugh. Well, at least Harry would anyway. Maybe, one day, Severus would as well. Well, maybe not laugh, but—
Oh, never mind.
"It's a rubber duck."
"Why is this aquatic plaything in the water with me?" Severus asked as he continued to stare the unassuming trinket down.
Harry couldn't decide if the man was afraid it was going to attack him, or if he thought that if he stared at it hard enough, it would go away.
The green-eyed teen gave a small smile as he shrugged. "You look like a person who never had a rubber duck before."
"I highly doubt that there is an actual look to a person who has never had such a thing."
"Still. Have you ever had one?"
Severus was silent for a moment. "No."
"Well," Harry said as he reached out and over to push the rubber duck with his finger, watching the small toy float in the now soapy water, "now you do." He brought his hand back to his side. This time, when he looked at Severus he was staring right into the man's dark eyes.
Severus regarded him in his usual, serious manner for a few moments, then brought his washcloth up and began cleaning his arms.
The rubber duck stayed.
When the bath was finally over, it was another series of complicated movements to get Severus out of the tub. In fact, it was even more difficult since the man was wet and quite slippery. Harry's shirt ended up completely soaked by the time it was all said and done.
Once more, Harry's eyes fought to look anywhere but at his naked ex-professor's lower half, instead, focusing on the man's face. "Do you need—I mean—uh—do you need me to dry you off?" he asked as he handed the man a towel.
"You are a wizard, Harry. There are drying spells."
"Oh, yea…"
'Why didn't I think of that?'
A few spells later, the taller wizard was completely dry, and a new set of pajamas was accioed into the small bathroom. Harry set to work putting the man's shirt, fixing all the small buttons, but he faltered when he got to the pants.
"Uh…"
Severus instantly realized the dilemma.
No.
No way.
"I can do that," he said as he reached out his hand. He was convincing until he swayed slightly.
Harry shook his head. "You'll fall."
The teen opened out the pants and knelt down in front of the Potions Master.
'Don't look. Don't look. Don't look. Don't look,' Harry thought franticly as Severus carefully stepped into both legs of the pants, using the sink for balance.
Harry did not see it, but Severus's eyes had widened to near comic level as soon as the green eyed wizard knelt down.
'Oh, God. Do not react. Do not react. Do not react. After you add newt's tale, stir three times counterclockwise. Then, add chopped nightshade—'
No matter what he thought, though, he could not keep his treacherous body from responding as Harry stood slowly, bringing the pants up with him. He flinched in embarrassment, but hoped that since the young wizard had very quickly brought the waistband up and over his hips that the teen was none the wiser. From Harry's reaction, with his face reddening even further—making him almost purple—and the shaking hands as he tied the drawstring, Severus had a feeling that that his hope was all for not.
Harry stepped back quickly when he was done and turned to drain the tub, trying to calm down. Why had Severus reacted like that? While he hadn't wanted to look, it was really difficult to miss—well—that. What addled Harry was that he found his own body reciprocating the action and wasn't that new and scary.
Did Severus see?
Could he tell?
What was going on?
He picked up the small rubber duck from the rapidly disappearing water and set him on the edge of the bathtub. Finally, he thought he had composed himself enough to turn around and face Severus.
"Ready, uh, ready to go?"
"That would be for the best."
"Right."
Perhaps if they pretend that it never happened, then eventually it would be like it never did.
That usually works.
Right?
"Harry?" Severus asked as they walked down the hallway, the teen once again aiding the taller wizard in the endeavor.
"Yea?"
"Mention the rubber duck to anyone, and I will kill you."
"Gotcha."
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Harry really needed to meditate.
Hermione had told him that he needed to do so to see if he could access the white space again, but because of all that had been going on recently, he hadn't gotten the chance. Now though, even if Hermione hadn't told him, even if he never saw the white space again, he would still be meditating. He needed to clear his head. Desperately.
He had thought ignoring what had happened with Severus and the bath would just go away.
Well, it hadn't.
He was still highly confused and didn't know what to do about it. He was not about to talk to Hermione or Ron, some because he was worried how they would react and also because, well, that would be a really awkward conversation that he just wanted to avoid. Discussing this with any adult also seemed like a very bad idea. He had thought perhaps Remus might have been his best bet, but considering the history between the once Marauder and the Potions Master, Harry did not see a conversation like the one they would have ending too well.
He seemed to be alone in this with way too many thoughts running around in his head, causing havoc.
His cranium needed a cleaning.
So here he was, in the corner of the library, trying to get back into the right mindset. He had planned it all out this time. He had worn comfortable clothing, some of his oldest jeans and a lightweight blue t-shirt that was thinned with age. Ron and Hermione had been informed what he was doing and Hermione had assured him that she would keep Ron away from the library if and when the redhead forgot. Severus had just had his supper and potions and was not expecting him again for a few hours.
He was set.
Green eyes drifted shut and Harry let his mind clear out. Soon, the snitch was ahead of him on his broom with clouds all around.
Harry felt some reluctance when he noticed the clouds begin to disappear, but allowed it to happen. He enjoyed the blue place. It was so relaxing. This was where he could truly let all his cares go.
His reluctance was from the thought of the blue place going away and the white space taking its place.
That did not seem to be happening though. Maybe that had only been a onetime thing.
Harry really did not care. The blue place suited him just fine. He could stay here for as long as possible.
And he did.
The teen stayed there until the blue began to lighten, the white slowly seeping in. Harry braced himself for the electricity that was sure to come. He felt the first of the sparks as soon as the last of the blue swirled away.
Lightning.
Burning.
Power.
This was the longest he had ever been in the white space. The first and only time before had been interrupted. The longer Harry stayed in this volatile location, the more it felt as though every nerve in his body felt as though they were set afire. He did not know if he wanted to go back or keep going. Was there something beyond this? What would it feel like? He had been pulled back before he could answer those questions and now Harry found he couldn't stop himself. He had to know.
Curiosity killed the cat and isn't a lion just a giant cat?
Harry wasn't thinking about proverbial words of wisdom, though.
The young wizard made the decision to push forward. The electricity intensified significantly to the point where Harry felt the need to cry out, but there was no sound here and even though his body felt pain, Harry's mind continued with its immersion.
Just when he thought that there was only the white space, that this was the end of the line, a small amount of color began to leak into the white that was crackling around him. Harry tried to focus around the pain that was shooting through his body to try to place what the color was infiltrating his senses.
Pink?
His subconscious contained the color pink?
Harry certainly hoped not. Ron would never let him live it down if his mind had a pink area.
Now he had to know.
He gave one last mental shove. Where the blue had slowly faded into the white, there was nothing slow or easy about this transition. This was like an explosion.
It was an explosion.
And all around him, the only thing Harry could see—
—was red.
Harry felt an intense pain of something impacting the back of his head, sending his mind back into his body and back into the library. His green eyes immediately flew open and his breath was escaping in rapid gasps as if he had just run a kilometer in three seconds flat. Those same eyes scanned through the library, barely recognizing the place. Chairs were overturned and books were scattered everywhere in disarray.
"Was there really an explosion?" Harry wondered aloud.
Seconds later, the door burst opened revealing a very scared looking Hermione and Ron.
"Are you guys okay?" Harry asked automatically as he took in their expressions.
"Are we okay?" the redhead asked incredulously as the two continued to rush over to Harry. "We should be asking you that!"
When they were finally right in front of where he was sitting on the floor, Hermione let out a gasp. "Harry, what happened to you?"
"What do you mean?" the green-eyed wizard asked as his hand came up to rub the back of his head. "I hit my head. I always hit my head when I do meditation. It's like a requirement."
The young witch shook her head franticly. "That's not what I mean. Here!"
She reached down and pulled the Harry to his feet. Before he could even ask what was going on, his friend had drug him out of the library and in front of one of the many large mirrors that hung in the hallway.
Harry was about to finally question what on earth was the matter, when he got a good look at himself in the mirror. His eyes widened as he took in his appearance.
He still had the green eyes. The same nose. Same mouth. Same annoying scar on his forehead. It was when he got to his hair that things got a little weird.
Scratch that.
A lot weird.
His hair was still very untidy, with flyaway curls and cowlicks everywhere.
And it was still black.
Mostly.
Now though, there was a spattering of grey hairs throughout and a small shock of grey locks right at the hairline in the middle of his forehead.
Harry brought his hand up to run it through his hair, hoping desperately that it would just rub out.
It didn't.
It looked as if the top of his head had been aged by several years.
He looked with wide eyes back over at his two best friends. They still had very surprised countenances. Harry knew he matched the look as well.
"What the hell happened?" he finally asked.
"Again," Ron said, "We should be asking you. We were in the other room, when it felt like—like some sort of giant shockwave went through the whole house. There is glass broken everywhere and we heard a lot of commotion coming from the library. That's when we came to find you."
Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, when a booming voice echoed through the house.
Severus' voice.
"GET UP HERE NOW!"
Harry winced. No need to wonder whom that order was directed towards. He gave one last glance to Ron and Hermione, before turning and running up the stairs to Severus's room. He ran through the door to see Severus sitting up in his bed, face contorted in anger. As soon as he took in Harry's appearance, more specifically his hair, the scowl faltered.
"What the hell did you do!?" he yelled at the teen.
Harry was immediately on the defense, "I didn't do anything! At least not on purpose. I was meditating and in the white place, but then I found a new area…it was red. It felt like an explosion. When Ron and Hermione came to get me I discovered this." He waved a hand up to indicate his hair.
Severus gave a grunting noise. "Well, it had better had felt like an explosion, because that is exactly what that was. You just sent out a highly powerful burst of magical energy."
Harry's eyebrows shot up into his now two-toned hair. "I did?"
"Yes. You did, you little imbecile. I would not be surprised if all of Great Britain felt that! What were you thinking!?"
"I don't know," Harry said in exasperation, "Like I said, I was in the white space and I found this new, red area. I wanted to see what exactly it was. Do you really think all of Britain felt that?"
That seemed almost impossible.
Had to be impossible.
"It was…quite an extreme show of power, Harry," Severus stated in a calmer tone of voice, though he still sounded highly unimpressed with the situation. "If we are lucky, then the force was not as widespread. If we are not, then—"
"Then Voldemort knows," Harry finished the statement. "Possibly we will be lucky?"
His only response at first was a hum. Harry stood frozen in front of the bed, waiting to see what Severus would say. Finally, the older, dark eyed wizard spoke.
"There is nothing we can do to change what has happened. The only thing we can do now is move forward and see what this new development brings. I highly doubt that this red area that you encountered only succeeded in causing a change in that mop of hair on your head."
Harry nodded his head. A flash of silver caught his eye. It took him a moment to remember that was his hair. This was really all they could do now. Press on and hope for the best.
And expect the worst.
"Right."
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Miles away, sitting in a dark room, lit by only a few candles, the Dark Lord Voldemort sat in his chair, surrounded by a few of his most inner circle of Death Eaters. Off in a corner of the room, sat the three Lestranges, still not back in good graces, but the dark lord was generous. He would allow them to make up for their failure.
A bony, white hand rose up to pet Nagini's head as the serpent lay its head in his lap.
That was quite a magical emission that occurred only a few moments ago.
His followers had all become uncertain, murmuring amongst themselves as to what could have caused such an event.
Lord Voldemort knew.
He could recognize that magic anywhere.
"Well, isssssn't thissss interessssting…"
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Thanks for reading chapter 10! Hope you enjoyed it.
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Teasers for next chapter:
- Well, that is quite different, isn't it?
- Most. Wicked. Thing. Ever.
- I am done teaching.
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Reviews are loved!