Frizz lowered her mouth. Harry automatically parted his lips, then realised what he was doing and quickly shut them again.
He tried to move his hands so he could push away her face, but he couldn't, as his hands were trapped rather painfully underneath her. He tried to wriggle away. Again he found he couldn't- his own indent in the snow held him fast.
Harry instead contented himself with pushing his head back into the snow and wishing Severus would wake him up with his usual 'Potter! Wake up you twat, I need some food!" or maybe, 'Potter! get your lazy arse out of bed, I must relieve myself!' Harry almost laughed to himself; he loved the way Severus didn't talk like a normal person.
He opened his eyes and saw Frizz's lips a mere inch from his.
Suddenly Frizz's eyes shot open and she squeaked as she was pulled away from Harry.
Harry was momentarily grateful. That was until he heard Toni's scream.
"You bitch!"
From his place on the floor Harry heard a hard slap.
"Who the hell are you?"
"You know damn well who I am!" Slap!
"Toni? What are you doing? who is this?" Slap!
"Stop slapping me! I haven't done anything I don't even know who you are,"
Harry wished now more than ever that he had had time to learn to apparate properly. Then he joined Frizz in confusion – what the hell was going on?
"You know what I mean, you gold digger!"
Harry looked up to stare blankly at Frizz, who was looking just as blank as him, to Toni who was steaming at the ears, to Hermione who looked like she was trying her best not to look like she didn't know what was going on, and back to Frizz again who had also started going red but that had more to do with the hand shaped mark on her cheek.
"What's going on here?" Harry looked up to see Severus looking down at them all. His gaze rested on Toni who appeared to be reaching for Frizz's throat. "What's going on?" he repeated more sternly.
"That bitch stole my money!" Toni screamed. She grabbed Frizz by the hair and dragged her into the trees shouting "I must settle this!"
Harry thought it an amazing feat, as both girls still had their skis on. He then noticed that Hermione and Severus were staring at him.
"What?" he asked innocently, looking up at them.
Hermione sighed and went to follow her friend.
Severus continued to stare at Harry.
"What?" Harry repeated, getting up.
"You are more of a whore than I first thought Potter."
"What?" Harry was beginning to feel like a stuck CD.
"You know what I mean."
Harry felt like he was trying to solve a puzzle he had somehow managed to lose all the pieces to. All he had as one pathetic piece of it. He turned it over in his mind. His feelings for Severus. Even that piece didn't make much sense. It stuck out in places Harry didn't want it to.
"Now Potter, we are going to come to an understanding. I live with you," Harry didn't want to admit his heart did a mini pirouette, "but we don't look at each other, you don't talk to me except to release me in the morning, or to tell me what you're going to be cooking. I don't talk to you unless I am forced to and I fail to see a scenario where that will be the case. There is nothing between us, you're a spoilt annoying brat, and I'm a mean sadistic bastard. And we will have to deal with it until that useless Granger replies to your owl. I would move out, but my apartment has been repossessed. So from now on there is silence," Severus whispered the last word so quietly Harry had to lean toward him to hear it.
He leaned in, and made the mistake of looking into Severus's onyx eyes. He had to admit to himself now he had a crush on Severus Snape. Just a tiny one.
"I'm sorry," Harry blurted, "I was being a selfish ass this morning."
"I'm glad you can accept your faults Potter."
There was a pause.
"Aren't you going to apologise?"
"What for?"
"For storming out like that!" Harry stopped himself from saying 'I was worried,' -that would be embarrassing. And he knew full well he shouldn't have been worried, Severus could look after himself.
But Harry had to admit to himself that it hadn't been that kind of worry, he had been more worried that Severus wouldn't come back.
And that thought scared him, and to know how much that thought scared him only served to scare him more.
"I didn't steal anything from you! I don't even know you!"
"I know," whispered Toni, "Shut up." she peered out from the trees.
"What?" Harry asked innocently, staring at Hermione and Severus.
Hermione snapped off her skis and followed Toni into the woods.
"What's going on?" Frizz demanded.
"Shut up," Toni repeated, hitting Frizz over the head.
"Stop hitting me!" Frizz said indignantly.
"You'll get used to it," said Hermione, joining them in watching Harry and Severus from the trees.
"What do you mean 'get used to it'? I'm not spending any longer with you weirdoes!"
"You're involved now. You have no choice."
"But I didn't ask to be involved!" Frizz almost wailed, earning herself another hit over the head.
"Toni, stop hitting her."
"Don't defend her, or I'll start on you too," Toni now directed her speech at Frizz, "Then why did you try to kiss Harry?"
"What?"
"You know what I mean. Out there. You were trying to explore the inside of his mouth. I could have seen it even if I was blind."
"Kiss him? EW!" Hermione and Toni stopped and stared at her.
"What do you mean 'EW'?" demanded Hermione, "You were hitting on him out there."
"You were leaning right in," added Toni menacingly.
"I was trying to get my skis untangled."
"I can see how pulling Harry would help you do that, maybe he could untangle your clothes from your body while he was at it."
"I don't even like Harry, I have a boyfriend."
There was a pause. Even Harry and Severus had ceased to talk.
"Wow... well, this is awkward," said Toni, scratching the back of her neck.
"Aren't you going to apologise?" said Frizz, almost in sync with Harry.
"What for?" asked Hermione, in same moment Severus asked the same thing.
"Accusing me of nothing, dragging me by my hair for no reason and beating me!"
"I have no reason to apologise, I'm not sorry. Anyway I could use you."
"I'm sure that sounded a lot less wrong in your head Toni," said Hermione, patting her on the back.
"Yes, it did...Anyway, Operation Wine Glass is back on track, and we have a new helper."
Frizz looked from Toni to Hermione like they were mad.
"What are you talking about?" was all she managed to croak.
"You explain," said Toni, patting Hermione on the head, "I have a lesson with Harry, and make sure you fill this lass in well. I want a fully qualified cadet when I see you after Harry's lesson. Oh, and don't worry about Severus too much at the moment. I have a plan."
It could have but been Frizz's imagination, but she was sure she saw Hermione's shoulders sag as Toni turned her back and strode toward the two men.
"I'm in," said Frizz, standing up, "I don't know a lot, but I have a feeling with Severus and Toni there is no chance of boredom."
"You're right," sighed Hermione, "but sometimes boredom is safer."
"Come on Harry old chum," said Toni jovially, swinging her arm around him and clipping on her skis at the same time, "lesson time," and she slid off down the slope, Harry tucked neatly under her arm.
"So what are we going to do in today's lesson?"
"Various bits and pieces," replied Toni as she steered Harry toward the closest chair lift.
Toni released Harry as they slid onto their seats.
"Harry, I know your secret."
Shit! She knows I'm a wizard! If the Ministry finds out I'll be arrested for sure!
"What secret?"
"I would tell you, but then it wouldn't be a secret would it?"
"But if you know it then it isn't a secret, is it?"
"No, it's a truth."
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"No, there's a line. Your secret could not be a truth, and it can't be a lie until it is spoken. But although they are few and far between there is such a thing as a truth."
"What are you talking about?"
"You won't know until you speak the truth."
Harry's head buzzed. He felt like asking her how long she had been rehearsing that line, but decided against it. Instead he settled on ignoring her confusing statements that probably didn't make sense anyway.
"So what do you want me to say?"
"Your feelings for Severus."
"Selfish bastard."
"Your real feelings Harry."
"And what if I don't tell you?"
"I'll make your head explode."
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Well, I won't do it personally, eventually your mouth will explode of its own accord and your secrets will all come tumbling out and not necessarily to the right people. Tell me, or go to the boulangerie tonight and tell Hermione. I don't care which, just do it."
"Why do you care so much?"
"I'm just looking out for you Harry. We wouldn't want Severus to hear about it would we?"
"I think I'll see Hermione later."
It would be more embarrassing, but at least the initial reaction wouldn't be
'Sqwee! So when are you going to doink?'
He had better go or, he had to admit, he would accidentally blurt it to Severus, and that would be embarrassing... imagine: 'Severus, I'm having funny feelings about you, but I honestly don't know what they are, so can you kiss me, just so, you know, I can sort it out.'
So that is how Harry ended up falling down to the boulangerie that evening (he still hadn't got the knack of all the stairs).
"Ah Harry, I've been expecting you," said Hermione, smiling at him from a table and motioning for him to sit down opposite her. A cup of tea was already laid out for him.
"I thought you said this wasn't going to be a big deal."
"It's not."
"Then why have you set out cups of tea and got all prepared... hey, are you wearing mascara?"
"Of course I drink tea, I'm British."
"I'm British too, but not that British. Next thing you know we'll be doing embroidery," Harry mumbled the last bit so Hermione couldn't hear him. Who knew - she might take him seriously.
"Right Harry, I knew you were hiding something. Spill the beans."
"There's nothing to tell, I'm just beginning to be friends with him and he makes it so hard, I'm just trying to be nice."
Flashback
"If he doesn't want to admit it at first then flirt shamelessly, it's known to break any gay man."
"Why do I have to talk to him?"
"I think he feels that you are more sane than I."
"How shocking."
Flashback ends
"Well, if that's all Harry... then I was thinking, we should go out sometime." whispered Hermione from under her eyelashes.
Fuck, thought Harry, I don't want to date her, but if I turn her down she'll think I want to date Severus.
"I know you said you were gay," continued Hermione, "but I was wondering if you could...explore your sexuality further for me."
Harry was frozen. "I'll see how it goes over the next few days."
"And he actually fell for it?" asked Frizz, almost laughing.
"What do I do?" Hermione almost wailed, "Toni, if your predictions are right he'll accept the date!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Toni grinned, "I'm out working tonight. Hermione, you better sort out my decks, we're going to Hot Liquid."
"What?" asked Frizz as Hermione groaned and buried her head in her hands.
"She's a DJ, and Hot Liquid is a... gay strip club."
I have had so much trouble with this chapter, so you had better appreciate it. I know it ain't the best chapter ever but I have spent 5 hours on this thing, and if I spend anymore time on it I will scream. I also know not much happens in it, it's one of those joining together chapters, it has to be in there and it is boring. But the next chapter will be fun. :D
Oh, and another note to my faithful reviewers, I love you (no, I'm not a hippie) I know people like my story because I am on 91 alert lists. Which really annoys me, because I'm getting 12 reviews per chapter. So thank you to those who review and to those who don't, I am a trained vampire.