Harry

Harry explains to Sirius and Ginny that he's feeling great- on all accounts he the antidote seems to have worked and most likely, he'll be able to play soon.

"See you, Harry." Sirius takes a handful of floo and throws it into the fire, the flames flickering emerald green. "Boyfriend calls!" and the mutters a word, disappearing.

"Something dodgy about him," Ginny nods towards the fire, and Harry shoots her a glance, to which she snorts, "Not that I'd expect you to notice. In any case, I should keep you from Snape, now, should I?"

"Wha- Gin, I don't even know if I-" but Ginny just sends him kissy faces as she, too, shoots off. "Bugger."

Severus

"Professor?" Oh, Merlin's beard, Potter's footsteps are making their way over loudly. Not that they drown out the thud of Severus' heart.

Potter rounds the corner in all his haphazard, Harry Potter glory- his hair a mess and his cheeks flushed deliciously. "Oh bugger, did Sirius say something? Or- God, did he do something? Can you talk? Oh my god, Severus, talk!" Harry- Potter?- Harry? Appears to be quite alarmed, his hands flying to run through his messy hair.

Severus was going to say something, but now he can't, obviously, because Potter just called him Severus. "You called me Sev-"

"Oh, shit- my bad, Professor, I mean, shoot-"

"It's fine, Potter. You," Severus swallows as Potter offers him a hand- which he scowls at before standing up on his own- all but whispered, "You may call me what you like."

Harr- Potter let his hand fall awkwardly. "Er- what? Sorry, it's just, I didn't-"

"Youmaycallmewhatyoulike." Severus feels his cheeks burning and desperately wishes he hadn't said anything at all. When Potter just chews his lip, Severus grits his teeth around the words. "You. May. Call. Me. What. You. Like. Merlin, Potter, are you really so incompetent that you are unable to comprehend a single sentence?"

Harry doesn't falter for even a moment at this insult, instead beaming at him as though Severus has given him the world.

"Hey, thanks! You're pretty great, you know that? And thanks, you know, for everything else." If he doesn't stop smiling, Severus is going to kiss him.

What does everything even mean? It's Harry's house. Severus responds with a terse nod.

"So, Severus?"

"Yes?"

"No, I mean, I can call you that, right?" Salazar, yes. Severus' name sounds positively divine on those full lips, rolling of that tongue. He'll wank to the memory of his name in Harry's mouth, he knows it.

Severus sighs, forcing reluctance. "That is acceptable, I suppose."

Harry breaks into a full grin, and Severus has to close his eyes before he smiles back. We can't have that, he decides hurriedly, so he marches out of the hallway.

"Since you are healed, Potter, I should be getting back to Hogwarts by tomorrow, as I have missed far too many days already." He hopes the ache in his voice isn't detectable.

Harry

Obviously, Severus (!) was about to smile, and there was definitely hidden reluctance in that last bit. Hmmm. Can't hurt to try.

"Severus?"

"Yes, Potter?" Severus stops by the doorway, his back still to Harry, but Harry quickly swings around him.

"First, if I call you Severus, you better call me Harry, and secondly, it's only mid-afternoon." Snape is staring impatiently, one eyebrow raised.

"Please identify your point." He sounds so smart.

"So why are you leaving now?" Not sure why he cares so much, Harry really really doesn't want Severus to walk out that door, to walk away from him.

Severus scoffs. "So that I might be out of your hair sooner."

Harry doesn't budge when Severus tries to move past him. "I don't mind."

"Potter!" growling, Severus reaches for the doorknob, but it doesn't escape Harry that Severus hasn't said anything of much substance. He catches that hand and holds it.

He doesn't miss the blush either. Oh, god. He likes likes Severus. He fancies him. Or, at least, he thinks that's what the swoop in his stomach is.

The way Severus blushes cutely, the way he avoids Harry's eyes like the plague. Severus Snape is cute.

Severus yanks his hand back as if Harry's hand burns, and Harry sighs. "Severus? Hey Snape, can you look at me?" Snape seems to bring Severus back, and Harry bites his lip when Severus levels a cold, even stare in his direction, though his cheeks are still tinged with pink. "Hey," Harry speaks softly. Severus looks nonplussed. "We have the rest of the day, can we just kick back?"

Harry's jaw nearly hits the floor when Severus actually concedes, "Very well. Make tea." airily as though granting a favor.

Harry's cheeks ache from smiling so damn hard.

Severus

The two of them are now seated, giving Severus physical support to fumble through what just happened. Harry Potter just asked- insisted- he stay. So he can…

Talk. "So. How's it going with you?"

"Potter, we've lived in the same house for a week. You know what's going on with me." Quite honestly, he fails to see the appeal of small talk.

"Well, what's going on in that head of yours, because I can't tell a bloody thing." Harry loads his tea with milk and sugar until the tea can't even be discerned.

Unable to answer honestly (his thoughts center somewhere below Harry's belt), Severus asks a question right back. "When's your next game?"

He actually knows, but torture couldn't make him admit that.

"Two days," is the practiced answer. "Ginny can't make it." Never a minute where Severus isn't reminded of one of the many reasons he'll never be the one for Harry.

Stop thinking. "Why Quidditch?"

"Eh." Potter shrugs as though being seeker for the world's best team isn't much, not really. "I dunno. I'm good at it, you know, so I figured maybe I could do it."

Severus raises his eyebrows skeptically, "You could do anything." Or anyone. "You're Harry Potter."

"Well, yeah, that's the thing, see? If I wanted to do something it would be for who I am instead of what I can do, so I can trust that in Quidditch, I'm at least earning my keep, you know?"

Well, and if that isn't just like Potter, as if he hasn't already earned his keep for the rest of his life and many times over for everything he's done for everyone alive.

"Kreature, you've done so much today, take a break. We'll go out for dinner."

We'll what?!

Then Harry grabs Severus' elbow and pulls him into the floo, muttering something into the fire before the emerald flames sweep them off, Severus clinging to Harry's arm in confusion only to release it quickly the moment the fire spits them out.