A/N: Sorry for the delay. Someone mentioned that Harry is perhaps getting a little too clingy…you might be right. Could other people give me their opinions about that? Thanks.

Harry, seeing the torchlight glimmer over Severus's face, shivered. The man looked gaunt, somehow stretched too thin. He was reminded of Sirus's face, when he'd first caught sight of his godfather. Then, Azkaban had been to blame. Now, Harry had no idea.

"Are…are you alright, Severus?" The man winced and opened his mouth, avoiding Harry's eyes.

And all at once, Harry did not want to know what Severus was going to say. He rose to his feet, crossed the space between them in two long strides, and took the taller man's hands in his own.

"You look dead on your feet, Severus. Come inside and I'll make you some tea."

Severus seemed to pull himself together. The stretched look vanished, and he drew himself up to his full height. Only his black eyes still reflected weariness, and Harry was frightened to see it, from a man who was always so controlled.

"I'm fine, Potter."

Harry, suddenly certain of the right way to handle this, laughed lightly, shoving aside the pain at being called 'Potter' by the man he'd been so intimate with. "This is getting repetitive, love."

The use of the endearment made Severus's face contort strangely, as if he wanted to be both pleased and furious, and couldn't decide which.

"I suppose you've decided again that you've got to let me go, or push me away."

"I–"

"But you've managed, of course, to forget that I'm not exactly keen on giving you up."

Severus pulled his hands away, massaged his temples, eyes closed. "You don't know what you're saying, boy."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, but kept his tone light. "Sorry, but I think I do. Unless you can honestly tell me that you don't care about me, I'm not letting you push me away."

When the older man opened his mouth to object, Harry cut him off. "How do you think I'd manage if I had to let you go?"

Severus suddenly opened his eyes, looking around the corridor in a panic-stricken way.

"This is not a conversation we should be having in the hallway, Potter."

Harry nodded. "Then let's go inside. But what else is there to say on the subject? You might be willing to give me up, but the feeling is not mutual."

He followed Severus into the dark chambers, shutting the door behind him, steeling himself for further argument, and turning around—

Straight into Severus's arms.

Harry automatically pressed into the embrace, breathing deeply. Every second he spent in this man's arms was precious, and he would not waste it. Not when it could end forever any minute, knowing Severus.

But when Severus spoke, it was quietly, lovingly.

"You foolish boy."

Harry pulled back—not far enough to be out of the circle of Severus's arms—to inspect his face.

"What's wrong?"

Severus, nonplussed, raised an eyebrow. "I haven't a clue what you mean."

Harry took a strand of the silky hair in his fingers and dusted off Severus's nose with it. "Outside, before you caught yourself, you looked like death warmed over. What's bothering you?"

Severus sighed. "I should be used to you by now. Some things, Harry, are none of your business, and you would do well not to stick your nose where it does not belong."

Harry very nearly wilted under the harsh words, but told himself to snap out of it. This was how Severus was—cranky and generally mean, and Harry didn't want him any other way. Besides, Severus had called him 'Harry', and that, despite the abuse, was enough to make him feel warmer.

"Alright, I'll mind my own business." He said softly, "but I worry about you. I think Dumbledore's stretching you too thin." He waved his wand at the torch brackets on the wall, and was pleased to see them spring to life. "Now. Since you don't want to talk about it, why don't you sit down, and I'll make you some tea?"

Severus stared at him, apparently at a loss for words, and sank into a straight-backed armchair. It was several seconds before he managed a reply. "You are a surprise, as always, Harry. You know more about me than you have any right to know, and I am utterly lost to you." There was a long pause in which they stared into each other's eyes in a way that Severus would call 'sickly'. Then Severus broke the eye contact. "I think I would prefer something stronger than tea, if you would not be adverse."

Several minutes later Severus clutched a goblet of Firewhiskey in one hand, the other resting lightly on Harry's head. Harry sat crosslegged at his feet, back resting comfortably against Severus's knees.

Harry could not remember ever being so happy. Severus's legs were cool against his back, and they sat in silence, watching the flames in the fireplace. There was something mesmerizing about them.

"I had a bugger of a day." His voice was loud in the room, almost echoing.

Severus laughed softly behind him. "As did I." The voice faltered. "I am usually a very solitary man. But I was not adverse to finding you here tonight."

Harry grinned, glad that Severus couldn't see his face, couldn't see how gleeful this news made him feel.

"Good. I don't know how much longer I could have stood being in the same building as you, but not being able to see you."

"Indeed."

Harry leaned his head back against Severus's thigh, sighing as he felt a long-fingered had stroking his hair. "That feels really nice."

"With you here, I will never want for a pet dog."

Harry laughed as much at the fact that Severus was happy enough to make a joke as at the dry humor. "I'm much more useful than a dog."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well…" Harry rose to his feet and eased himself onto Severus's lap, straddling the older man's thighs, and wrapping his arms around the thin neck. "Dogs probably aren't very adept at this sort of thing…"

Severus hissed slightly as Harry toyed lightly with his hair.

Harry, feeling delirious with happiness, unbuttoned the neck of the other man's robes and leaned forwards enough to suck on the white collarbone. There was a sound above him, something between a moan and a gasp, and he took that as permission to keep going.

He trailed his fingertips lower, letting the robes carry his movements, and kissed a trail up the arching neck.

Fingers grasped at his hips, and something wet and warm spilled onto his side.

For a split second, Harry thought that Severus had come, somehow, but a glance down told him the truth. Grinning, he plucked the goblet from Severus's limp fingers and placed it on the floor a foot away.

He clucked his tongue. "Now I'm all wet."

With slow, sensual movements, he pulled his robes over his head, and, with one eyebrow raised, ran his hands back down, over his own bare chest, parting his lips and moaning shamelessly.

Severus growled, leaned forwards, and seized Harry's wrists in an iron grip, pulling Harry into his arms. "You need a good fucking." Then, without warning, he lowered his head and attacked Harry's left nipple with his tongue. Harry leaned back his head, moaning again, his erection throbbing into Severus's thigh.

"Yes!"

Severus's fingers pinched his other nipple, and Harry felt each squeeze, each lick, go straight to his groin.

"You are the bane of my existence, boy." Severus panted. "This is wrong, what I do with you, and yet I cannot stop." His mouth moved to the hollow of Harry's throat, and his hands cupped the boy's face, tangling in his hair.

Harry fought to keep his head clear, not an easy feat, considering. He managed to stop moaning for a second, grabbed Severus's sleek hair and pulled the man's head level with his own.

Then, sweetly, a contradiction to the urgency of a second ago, he kissed Severus's thin lips, using the back of his hand to stroke the man's smooth cheek.

Harry closed his eyes, tasting Severus, gently dominating the kiss so that the potions master tilted his head back, going limp in his grasp.

When Harry pulled away to speak, it was in a slightly breathless, slightly hushed voice. "Was that wrong?"

Severus did not reply. He seemed lost in his own world, gazing at Harry in a way that baffled the boy. He had never been looked at, never been worshiped, like this, with someone's eyes.

Harry kissed him again, this time passionately, his body flush against the taller man's, his hands fists in the black hair.

Severus moved his hands to Harry's backside, squeezed it gently when Harry released him, making the boy moan.

Harry's next words were punctuated by moans, panted out as Severus bucked against him. "Is this wrong? How can something that seems so perfect be wrong? Who is this hurting?"

Evidently this was the wrong thing to say, because instead of responding favorably, Severus rose to his feet quickly, pushing Harry off.

They stared at each other, Harry speechless, Severus trying to get himself under control. When he finally spoke it was in a rasping, unhappy voice that made Harry's insides ache.

"It is hurting you. This cannot be healthy. You should be with someone your own age! You should not be spending your time sitting on an old man's lap, running your fingers through his greasy hair!" He made a visible effort to calm himself, and went on in quieter tones.

"You should not be running your hands down the body of a known Death Eater. You should not be whispering endearments into the ears of a man who has killed more people than you could comprehend." His voice lowered yet again, and Harry hardly breathed as Severus went on.

"Do you imagine that you are living dangerously? That is not your privilege."

Harry stepped forwards, put his hand on Severus's arm, tried to say something, but was cut off.

"Enough with your assurances. I will not contaminate you. This thing that has sprung up between us is not possible."

Harry found himself growing angry. "If you don't shut up, I'll use the Body Bind on you again!" He found himself snapping.

Dark eyes flashed, and he was suddenly looking down the shaft of a wand, pointed at his face.

"Don't try it, Harry."

They were still for a second, and then Harry reached out and pushed Severus's arm down, glaring at the wand contemptuously.

"I don't want to live without you, Severus." The older man opened his mouth, closed it again, gulped, and opened it once more. Harry spoke quickly, not giving him an opening. "And I can tell you truthfully that you haven't hurt me. Not once. And you haven't bloody contaminated me either."

He took Severus's hand in his own, pressed it to his chest, over his heartbeat. "You aren't some foul Death Eater. You're Severus, and I know you've done horrible things, and I love you. And I know that you won't hurt me, even if you don't."

"Harry…" It was hardly a whisper. "This isn't possible."

"It is, though."

Severus looked at him, not angry any more. "You are perfect, Harry."

Harry snorted. "Bullshit. I have pimples, and I wake up with bad breath, and I scream at Ron and Hermione. And I jinks my professors and jump on their laps."

"I can't."

"Yes you bloody well can."

Harry stepped forwards, wrenched the wand out of Severus's hand, flung it away, and kissed him.

Severus kissed him back.

Harry, his heart pounding, goosebumps raised on his bare chest, pulled the taller man towards a couch, sinking down on it, undoing buttons as he went.

But again he met with resistance.

Almost desperately he met Severus's eyes. He couldn't bear this.

But the black eyes were kind, and thin lips met his own in a fiery kiss. When they broke apart, Severus bit his earlobe and whispered, "not here."

Harry found himself pulled to his feet again and kissed thoroughly while a pair of warm hands worked their way into his trousers.

He was drawn backwards, into a darker chamber that he recognized as Severus's bedroom. They paused in the doorway, and Harry managed a breathless grin. "This isn't fair; you've still got your robes on."

Severus lifted an eyebrow, and Harry pushed the heavy robes over his shoulders, revealing a stiff white shirt and black pants.

"How much clothing do you need?" he asked with exasperation, earning a wry chuckle.

"It is cold in the dungeons. Perhaps that would explain why you are coming out in goosebumps?"

Before Harry could respond, Severus had taken his arms, steered him carefully over to the bed, and pushed him down on it. And then, ignoring Harry's squeal of surprise, Severus knelt by his side, pulled Harry's trousers off entirely, and began to kiss his way up the boy's thigh.

Harry nearly passed out. His hands clenched in the sheets and he moaned uncontrollably.

"Please!"

Severus's voice was a harsh whisper that sent tremors up and down Harry's body. "What is it you want, Harry?"

He nipped the inside of Harry's thigh, and Harry jerked in response.

"Do you want me to touch you?"

"Yes!" Harry managed moan.

"How eager the young are…the longer I take, the more prolonged the pleasure…"

"Please, Sev!" it was nearly a scream.

This seemed familiar to Harry, seemed like something he'd nearly experienced once, but he drove all thoughts from his head. His back was arching and he was making a high-pitched keening noise that he couldn't have described, ever.

And then Severus swallowed him whole.

Or that was what it felt like.

Harry's length was encased by wet heat, and he fisted his hands in Severus's hair, thrusting into his mouth, feeling the black-haired man swirl his tongue, move up and down, before settling in to suck hard.

This time he didn't hold in his screams. He could feel his legs pressing hard into the bed beneath him, could barely breathe for screaming, drove his hips up and into Severus's face.

Harry looked down, feeling himself pulse and jerk, at Severus. He had never seen a more erotic sight. Severus's hands were wrapped around his base, and thin lips moved with great concentration. Several whisps of hair had fallen about Harry's hips, and their color matched his own hair.

With one last scream, he thrust up desperately, shooting his seed into Severus's mouth as his orgasm washed over him.

When it had finished, all he could do was lie there, limp, exhausted, watching Severus stroke himself to completion.

Then came an undeterminable period of time, in which they lay side by side, breathing deeply, in unison.

Severus spoke first.

"You have classes tomorrow."

Harry grinned. "So do you."

There were several more minutes of silence.

Then, in a voice that was hardly audible, Severus whispered, "I'm glad you came."

"So am I." Harry breathed. "I don't want to be clingy, and I think I could last a while without seeing you," he gulped, "but I think I'd rather not."

"I feel the same way."

And that, Harry thought with a feeling of contentment, was quite a concession coming from Severus.

A/N: thanks to everyone who gave me nice reviews. I'm too tired at the moment to write a long author's note, like I usually do, so you can just imagine one.