Note: 15 reviews last chapter even though there's 150 alerts, so only about 10% of those that like it enough to want to know when it's updated actually think it's worth reviewing. *sighs*

THE WAGER
by Yih

14. In which the wager is lost

Every subsequent day that Harry was in Snape's private rooms – his personal laboratory – Harry could feel the tension building. There were the little harmless brushes, the way Snape would sometimes look at him, and how close they would be without touching. It was exhilarating and exhausting.

Harry didn't know if Snape knew what he was doing or not.

He couldn't read him at all.

This was no Draco, who Harry knew better than perhaps he knew himself. Snape was not someone to be trifled with. Harry cringed to think what Snape would think when he found out what had pushed Harry into this reckless attempted seduction. Although, it really was just an excuse. He would have eventually acted on his desires, just as he gave in to Draco even when he had wanted to keep that friendship pure for the fear of losing Draco forever if things had turned out poorly. But he wanted Draco too much and had always wanted him in that way.

Much as he wanted Snape in that same way.

It was different, though, with Snape. It wasn't as much of a physical attraction as it was mental. You couldn't compare Draco's beauty to Snape's. One was fair; the other dark. Draco was young; Snape was experienced. Harry could learn with Draco, and learn much from Snape.

It was completely different – the reason Harry wanted Snape – but wanted him nonetheless.

"Very good," Snape said softly into Harry's ear, leaning down, his lips so close that Harry could almost feel them moving as Snape spoke. "I think we are ready to attempt the potion next time. We have successfully brewed every partnered potion and our styles compliment one another."

Indeed, it was easier than Harry had expected – it was actually perfect… working together. He could do this for the rest of his life. He'd thought about that more than once over the last few days.

The only problem was Draco.

And it was going to be difficult, Harry thought, to get both of them.

Draco was selfish with the tendency toward jealousy and Snape was difficult to please in general. And Harry doubted his ability to attract both of them to the point they'd deal with the idea of sharing him. Would they? Possibly if either of them wanted one another, but Harry wasn't sure he could use that as an incentive.

And the idea of either of them sharing was rather ludicrous. They were both too Slytherin and yet he was counting on that as well. Slytherins wanted what they wanted and would do what was needed to get it… and Harry was counting on making himself desirable enough for them to accede to his own wishes.

If only…

How he detested this uncertainty! – how it made him feel like he was a child again, unwanted amongst his blood relatives, not the cocky, self-assured Slytherin he had become over the years at Hogwarts. But he was still that lonely orphan, the one who wanted so fervently to be loved and wanted. Harry simply hid it well beneath his carefully concocted very Slytherin façade.

"Potter," Snape whispered into his ear, "does my presence bore you?"

Harry snapped to attention, backing up into Snape and feeling something hard against his buttocks, something he knew all too well what it was. Harry could feel his own blood pulling into his groin, into his penis at the sound of his name on Snape's tongue.

Slowly Harry turned his head until he was within kissing range. "Hardly," he murmured, "bored."

"Indeed?" Snape lowered his face closer to Harry's and it would be so easy to simply press forward and kiss him.

Something stopped him though; something niggled at the back of his mind – Draco.

Because he knew his lover, which was what Harry thought of Draco, wouldn't like it.

As much as he wanted Snape, as much as he wanted to kiss Snape, to seduce him in spite of the wager, he couldn't because of Draco. He was scared of being completely alone again and he was afraid Draco would turn his back on him if he did go behind his back. Draco would have just rationale.

And Slytherins were logical and calculating to a fault.

Harry would just call this his first loss.

No harm done in the end.

TBC

(thanks for those that do review, you're awesome!)

this chapter's pov was unexpected, the next one is going to be Snape's.

A/N: Sorry about the sour grapes in the beginning, but when I get so few reviews it doesn't motivate me very much to review. Harry's character, at least the "insecure" part of Harry finally comes out as he was unwanted as a child and does feel it keenly, but Slytherin has helped him hide it well. It's the reason that Harry values Draco so much, even though he's dysfunctional enough that he doesn't know if he has ever loved or even knows what love is. And now that he has Draco, he's afraid of losing him because of something stupid, like a wager. At least, that's my reasoning behind the entire chapter. I hope it puts more insight into Harry and his cloak of "Slytherin" that has shielded him for so many years. Not much of Snape in this one or Draco at all, but Harry's bout of insecurity is just a bout. He really is Slytherin to the core and weakness is something to be made use of not to wallow in when you're Slytherin.

Released on March 5, 2010.