Author name: Lovecraft
Author email: starlightstrands@hotmail.com
Category: Slash: Severus/Harry
Keywords: Lime, Smarm, Much cuddling and even more dragon facts.
Rating: PG-16.
Spoilers: None, really. Although it'd help to know the books, just for character reference. *rae*
Summary: A late night study session.
A/N: Brought to you by the letter "A" and the word "Slumps". =)
Reference: All knowledge about the dragons was carefully reworded from Harry's "Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them" text book. I didn't plagiarize word for word but I did need the wording to be very close. ...Oh, come on! You *know* students don't usually bother learning something well enough to form an oral report in their own words. Harry's proving that he's read the material, remembers the material, but doesn't have a good enough memory to try for complete memorization. He's not creative enough or exact enough to have the text completely original or verbatim, but you can tell he's definitely trying.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but if I did, I could redefine the Gay Kama Sutra. I swear I could! Really! ...Even though I haven't shown it much in this particular series. *slumps over*
Archive: Anyone who wants it can have it, so long as I'm informed and my email is listed somewhere.
WARNING: Severe mood swing! This is FLUFF. Pure and simple! -- Dammit. I can never stay angsty for long. My odd sense of humor won't let me. On the plus side, this was meant to get the swarmy feelings out so the next chapter could be the gratuitous sex scene. On the minus side, that ain't gonna get posted on this site. Don't yell at me! It's not MY fault. *glares at the newest rules*
Series: Needs Unmet
~*~
In The Meantime...
~*~
"Hm. Next shall be... dragons."
I shift slightly and clench my hands tighter around soft, full robes. "Which one?"
Long tapered fingers travel down my back. Muscles automatically relax under the ghost-touch. "All of them, Mr. Potter."
I turn my face into his throat and nuzzle the pale skin. "Dragons come in ten species-"
"Alphabetical order, if you please."
I bite down gently. Now he's just being a pain. "The first of the species, *in alphabetical order*, is the Antipodean Opaleye. It's a medium sized dragon with iridescent scales and a bright red flame. It's not generally considered violent, rarely attacks men, and prefers eating sheep."
Severus valiantly refrains from commenting on the last. I nuzzle his ear lightly.
"And you've just lost two points, Mr. Potter. What do you think you've forgotten?"
I frown and bump his chin with my cheek. Oh. "It hails from New Zealand, but can be found in Australia if it's home becomes endangered."
I'm rewarded with the touch of his lips against my temple.
"The next dragon is the Chinese Fireball, or Liondragon. Unlike the Opaleye, Fireballs prefer eating humans and pigs." Now it's my turn to restrain my tongue. It's a good thing Dudley never had his name picked out of the Golden Goblet. "They are the only dragons from the orient and are quite large. Their scales, like their eggs, are scarlet with touches of gold here and there." I pause a moment, there is something I'm forgetting. "Ah! And while they'll eat any person that wanders onto their land, they're less aggressive toward other dragons."
"Excellent response." I smile into his shoulder, enjoying the soft thrum his body gives off when he speaks.
"Thank you. Now, the Common Welsh Green is the most 'prominent' in our area of the world. They actively avoid humans, like the Opaleye, and prefer eating sheep. They prefer the upper mountain regions and there are reservations for them. They have what is considered a 'melodious' roar."
I can feel his frown against my scalp. "Anything else?"
"Not a lot of information on them in my books, surprisingly enough." I shrug.
"Check the library on the Ilfracombe Incident for tomorrow."
I nod carefully and bite back a yawn. It's always very difficult to not fall asleep during these sessions. Studying was never considered comforting until Severus started tutoring me. With his help, I can make up for the past couple months I spent ignoring my class work and pass my N.E.W.T.'s.
"Hebridean Blacks are the more aggressive counterpart to the Common Welsh Greens. They are among the larger dragons at thirty feet and they require territory up to a hundred square miles per dragon. Their scales are rough, their eyes are purple, and they have large, bat-like wings. And they have barbed tails. They prefer eating deer, but have been known to carry off large dogs and the occasional cattle."
"What wizarding clan is largely responsible for them?"
"MacFusty."
"Indeed." Light strokes against my spine. I've taken to wearing the lightest cotton shirts I have, no undershirt, just to better feel that touch.
"And my personal favorite," perhaps I have been spending too much time around Severus. I'm not usually so good at 'dry deadpan'. "The Hungarian Horntail. Considered the nastiest of the dragons, they can breathe fire up to fifty feet, have hard, sharp protrusions on their tails, and enjoy eating human whenever possible. Their young are interesting in that they club their way of their cement-like shells with their tails."
"You've studied this quite a bit, haven't you?"
"With Hagrid's fascination with dragons? Of course. I do want to pass my N.E.W.T.'s, after all."
His low chuckle warms and wakens me. I take a deep breath and try to recount what I've gone through and what's left. "Um, Pe- No, that's not it. Norbert! Yes." Again with the chuckle. I really enjoy Severus' laughter. "Norwegian Ridgebacks are like the Horntails, but instead of spikes on their tails, they have large protrusions down their backs. They are aggressive to their own kind, are the only dragons to eat water mammals as well as land, and they develop their fire-breathing abilities earlier than the others."
"How early?"
"Between one and three months, although Norbert managed to set Hagrid's beard on fire just after his hatching."
"That was your first year, yes? I did wonder about that smell."
"Severus, be nice."
Fingers dig into sensitive flesh, leaving me twitching and giggling. "Me? Nice?"
"Ah yes," I grin into his throat. "My mistake."
"Hm. Continue."
"The Peruvian Vipertooth is the smallest and swiftest of the dragons. About three of me in length," I earn a snicker and a promise of more tickles, "They are smooth scaled and copper-hued, with short horns and venomous fangs. The International Confederation of Wizards took it upon themselves to lower the Vipertooth's population during the late nineteenth century when the feeding habits of the Vipertooth took them from goats and cattle to human."
"You'll probably want to study up on what else the International Confederation of Wizards decreed during that time period for Professor Binn's class."
I nod and add another hour to my after-dinner activities in the library. "Okay. Although Madam Pince is starting to call me 'Mr. Granger' and Hermione is starting to look worried about my mental health. And red. Very, very red. I think Madam Pince has ideas about what Hermione and I are doing between the bookshelves."
I almost miss the light strokes down my back in favor of the burst of laughter beneath me. I pull back and sit more firmly against his knees just so I can watch his face light up. As the unexpected laughter winds down, I become more aware of his hands curling at my hips and slowly sliding down the sides of my legs.
Severus quirks a small but very real smile at me. "Thank you." For showing him how to laugh again? For being here with him? For holding him and being held in return? For being someone comforting and comfortable? For being needed and wanted in return?
"And thank you." I lean just my head forward and kiss him. It's just a soft brush a lips, nothing as brash or hot as our first, but it is spectacular all the same. When I pull back, he's still smiling. I scoot against his body again and rest my head just above his heart. The strong beat brings a smile to my lips.
"And next?"
"The Romanian Longhorn. They have deep green scales and long golden horns they use to gore their prey before roasting and eating it. The horns are actually considered a Class B Tradable Material and can be very important in Potions work. ...I'll have to spend another hour in the library looking that one up, won't I?"
Two arms wrapped around me firmly, but the voice was pitched low with amusement. "My personal library, yes. You can borrow the black book on the right end of the second shelf over my worktable. 'Brewing with Dragon'."
"That sounds like some horrible cookbook from Malfoy Manor."
"No, that's 'Grilling with Dragon, How To Make the Best of Your Insufferably Expensive Dining Habits'."
"...Really?"
A long-suffering sigh is my answer.
I stifle a snicker and continue. "Longhorns are the most endangered of the dragons. They currently live only on a reservation where they are being put through an extensive breeding program. Numbers are low because of people poaching the dragons for their horns."
"Now, Swedish Short-Snouts are known for their silver-blue scales and their blue flames. Their hides are sought after for protective gloves and shields and their flames are capable of rendering a person to ash in a matter of minutes. They prefer uninhabited mountainous regions for nesting."
"And the last one for the night?"
"Wait, you mean I'll be finished? Done? I can go to sleep after this?" I smile, a quick flash of teeth.
"Do stop babbling, Mr. Potter. And yes, you can go to sleep after this. You have finished your assignments, you've studied perhaps longer than even Ms. Granger, and you have double Potions tomorrow, so I want you alive and cognizant to make sure Mr. Longbottom doesn't botch up the skele-Gro. The last thing Madam Pomfrey needs is a liquefying potion."
"Huh. Skele-Gro uses a small piece of shell from a Fire Crab and a bit of dung from a Mooncalf, right?"
For those who have never considered Severus Snape to be a soft or kind man, then it's quite obvious that they've never been on the receiving end of the smile that's currently being aimed at me. Not that the smile is any wider or his face is any more open, but his eyes are gleaming with approval and he fairly radiates a contentment I'd never seen in him before. He's actually proud of me. "Yes, that's exactly right. I'll be discussing it with your class tomorrow."
I nod, reluctant to break the current good will in the atmosphere. "I look forward to it."
"Hm." His smile lasts another moment, then he gently urges me back against his body. It's a cue to finish the lesson.
"The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest of all dragons. They can get up to weights of six tonnes and can collapse buildings by simply landing on them. Their scales are grey and their eyes are red, but their talons are what people usually notice after their size, as their talons are long and vicious looking. They've been carefully watched by the Ukrainian wizarding officials ever since an Ironbelly carried off an empty sailing boat from the Black Sea in 1799."
I trail off and simply bask in the warmth of Severus's embrace. Truthfully, I'm glad to be done studying for the night. I've been working my butt off trying to get to where I need to be in my studies and I'm rather tired of it. How Hermione ever managed to do this for seven years on end, I'll never know. But no matter how tired of the constant books, memorization, and recitation of facts, I can't help but look forward to the study sessions with Severus. Being with him calms me, listening to him read from a text entices me like Professor Binns could never do, and he looks... pleased when I manage to complete a complicated potion all on my own. Not that it ends up great, but it's definitely passable. Seeing that level of excitement from him is worth a great deal of study sessions.
We slowly disengage from the embrace. I scoot back and carefully lower my feet down to the floor. I slowly unbend my knees and stand straight; Severus keeps his arms out to brace me in case my legs had fallen asleep. After the first few times of falling over, we've learned how to carefully get me back into an upright position. Once I feel firm on my feet, I grin and step back. Severus moves into the vacant spot with a liquid grace I still envy.
We stand in front of each other, a thin line of space between us. I put my hands on his shoulders and lean up on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth. Before I can pull back completely, he takes my hand and brings it up to his lips. The feel of his kiss against my inner wrist is a muted thrill. Even after he releases my hand, I can still feel his gentle touch.
I let my eyes say what I'm not allowed to speak as a student. I love him, desire him, need him. He is slower to release the shields from his gaze, more timid in his unveiling, but he still grants me that small peek into his soul. I know how hard it must be to make himself vulnerable, but for me (for me!) it does it. For a brief moment, at least. I smile when his gaze goes back to mirrored blandness. His entire posture slumps minutely with relief. Not that he'd ever believe that he can slump.
"Goodnight, Mr. Potter."
"Goodnight, Severus."
Even that causes my smile to widen. Both of our chosen titles were carefully planned. Severus had used his 'Mr. Potter' to distance us, to keep us from getting too close too quickly. The honorific title, something that he usually didn't use while yelling at me in class, somehow became endearing. The title had gradually become a bit of a tease from him, a smirk-inducing pet name of the most unexpected kind. So to tease back, I had taken to calling him by his given name. The first time I had used it, he had given me a nearly shocked look. Now, it simply deepens his contented smirk.
"Thursday I need to work on my Transfigurations."
His smirk disappears and I have to fight to keep from laughing.
"I was thinking Hermione and I can work on it. She's an ace in Transfiguring. Anything that turns orange for her is supposed to be." I nod sagely.
Severus scowls. "Indeed. Then I'll see you tomorrow for our study session, then again on Friday."
I nod again and collect my scrolls, quill, ink, and books.
"Goodnight, Sev."
He pauses with his hand on the door. "Goodnight, Harry."
I smile, hoping that it doesn't look as melancholy as I feel. Then the door opens and I slip outside, down the hall, and back to Gryffindor Tower.
N.E.W.T.'s begin in two weeks. I can't wait.
Author email: starlightstrands@hotmail.com
Category: Slash: Severus/Harry
Keywords: Lime, Smarm, Much cuddling and even more dragon facts.
Rating: PG-16.
Spoilers: None, really. Although it'd help to know the books, just for character reference. *rae*
Summary: A late night study session.
A/N: Brought to you by the letter "A" and the word "Slumps". =)
Reference: All knowledge about the dragons was carefully reworded from Harry's "Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them" text book. I didn't plagiarize word for word but I did need the wording to be very close. ...Oh, come on! You *know* students don't usually bother learning something well enough to form an oral report in their own words. Harry's proving that he's read the material, remembers the material, but doesn't have a good enough memory to try for complete memorization. He's not creative enough or exact enough to have the text completely original or verbatim, but you can tell he's definitely trying.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but if I did, I could redefine the Gay Kama Sutra. I swear I could! Really! ...Even though I haven't shown it much in this particular series. *slumps over*
Archive: Anyone who wants it can have it, so long as I'm informed and my email is listed somewhere.
WARNING: Severe mood swing! This is FLUFF. Pure and simple! -- Dammit. I can never stay angsty for long. My odd sense of humor won't let me. On the plus side, this was meant to get the swarmy feelings out so the next chapter could be the gratuitous sex scene. On the minus side, that ain't gonna get posted on this site. Don't yell at me! It's not MY fault. *glares at the newest rules*
Series: Needs Unmet
~*~
In The Meantime...
~*~
"Hm. Next shall be... dragons."
I shift slightly and clench my hands tighter around soft, full robes. "Which one?"
Long tapered fingers travel down my back. Muscles automatically relax under the ghost-touch. "All of them, Mr. Potter."
I turn my face into his throat and nuzzle the pale skin. "Dragons come in ten species-"
"Alphabetical order, if you please."
I bite down gently. Now he's just being a pain. "The first of the species, *in alphabetical order*, is the Antipodean Opaleye. It's a medium sized dragon with iridescent scales and a bright red flame. It's not generally considered violent, rarely attacks men, and prefers eating sheep."
Severus valiantly refrains from commenting on the last. I nuzzle his ear lightly.
"And you've just lost two points, Mr. Potter. What do you think you've forgotten?"
I frown and bump his chin with my cheek. Oh. "It hails from New Zealand, but can be found in Australia if it's home becomes endangered."
I'm rewarded with the touch of his lips against my temple.
"The next dragon is the Chinese Fireball, or Liondragon. Unlike the Opaleye, Fireballs prefer eating humans and pigs." Now it's my turn to restrain my tongue. It's a good thing Dudley never had his name picked out of the Golden Goblet. "They are the only dragons from the orient and are quite large. Their scales, like their eggs, are scarlet with touches of gold here and there." I pause a moment, there is something I'm forgetting. "Ah! And while they'll eat any person that wanders onto their land, they're less aggressive toward other dragons."
"Excellent response." I smile into his shoulder, enjoying the soft thrum his body gives off when he speaks.
"Thank you. Now, the Common Welsh Green is the most 'prominent' in our area of the world. They actively avoid humans, like the Opaleye, and prefer eating sheep. They prefer the upper mountain regions and there are reservations for them. They have what is considered a 'melodious' roar."
I can feel his frown against my scalp. "Anything else?"
"Not a lot of information on them in my books, surprisingly enough." I shrug.
"Check the library on the Ilfracombe Incident for tomorrow."
I nod carefully and bite back a yawn. It's always very difficult to not fall asleep during these sessions. Studying was never considered comforting until Severus started tutoring me. With his help, I can make up for the past couple months I spent ignoring my class work and pass my N.E.W.T.'s.
"Hebridean Blacks are the more aggressive counterpart to the Common Welsh Greens. They are among the larger dragons at thirty feet and they require territory up to a hundred square miles per dragon. Their scales are rough, their eyes are purple, and they have large, bat-like wings. And they have barbed tails. They prefer eating deer, but have been known to carry off large dogs and the occasional cattle."
"What wizarding clan is largely responsible for them?"
"MacFusty."
"Indeed." Light strokes against my spine. I've taken to wearing the lightest cotton shirts I have, no undershirt, just to better feel that touch.
"And my personal favorite," perhaps I have been spending too much time around Severus. I'm not usually so good at 'dry deadpan'. "The Hungarian Horntail. Considered the nastiest of the dragons, they can breathe fire up to fifty feet, have hard, sharp protrusions on their tails, and enjoy eating human whenever possible. Their young are interesting in that they club their way of their cement-like shells with their tails."
"You've studied this quite a bit, haven't you?"
"With Hagrid's fascination with dragons? Of course. I do want to pass my N.E.W.T.'s, after all."
His low chuckle warms and wakens me. I take a deep breath and try to recount what I've gone through and what's left. "Um, Pe- No, that's not it. Norbert! Yes." Again with the chuckle. I really enjoy Severus' laughter. "Norwegian Ridgebacks are like the Horntails, but instead of spikes on their tails, they have large protrusions down their backs. They are aggressive to their own kind, are the only dragons to eat water mammals as well as land, and they develop their fire-breathing abilities earlier than the others."
"How early?"
"Between one and three months, although Norbert managed to set Hagrid's beard on fire just after his hatching."
"That was your first year, yes? I did wonder about that smell."
"Severus, be nice."
Fingers dig into sensitive flesh, leaving me twitching and giggling. "Me? Nice?"
"Ah yes," I grin into his throat. "My mistake."
"Hm. Continue."
"The Peruvian Vipertooth is the smallest and swiftest of the dragons. About three of me in length," I earn a snicker and a promise of more tickles, "They are smooth scaled and copper-hued, with short horns and venomous fangs. The International Confederation of Wizards took it upon themselves to lower the Vipertooth's population during the late nineteenth century when the feeding habits of the Vipertooth took them from goats and cattle to human."
"You'll probably want to study up on what else the International Confederation of Wizards decreed during that time period for Professor Binn's class."
I nod and add another hour to my after-dinner activities in the library. "Okay. Although Madam Pince is starting to call me 'Mr. Granger' and Hermione is starting to look worried about my mental health. And red. Very, very red. I think Madam Pince has ideas about what Hermione and I are doing between the bookshelves."
I almost miss the light strokes down my back in favor of the burst of laughter beneath me. I pull back and sit more firmly against his knees just so I can watch his face light up. As the unexpected laughter winds down, I become more aware of his hands curling at my hips and slowly sliding down the sides of my legs.
Severus quirks a small but very real smile at me. "Thank you." For showing him how to laugh again? For being here with him? For holding him and being held in return? For being someone comforting and comfortable? For being needed and wanted in return?
"And thank you." I lean just my head forward and kiss him. It's just a soft brush a lips, nothing as brash or hot as our first, but it is spectacular all the same. When I pull back, he's still smiling. I scoot against his body again and rest my head just above his heart. The strong beat brings a smile to my lips.
"And next?"
"The Romanian Longhorn. They have deep green scales and long golden horns they use to gore their prey before roasting and eating it. The horns are actually considered a Class B Tradable Material and can be very important in Potions work. ...I'll have to spend another hour in the library looking that one up, won't I?"
Two arms wrapped around me firmly, but the voice was pitched low with amusement. "My personal library, yes. You can borrow the black book on the right end of the second shelf over my worktable. 'Brewing with Dragon'."
"That sounds like some horrible cookbook from Malfoy Manor."
"No, that's 'Grilling with Dragon, How To Make the Best of Your Insufferably Expensive Dining Habits'."
"...Really?"
A long-suffering sigh is my answer.
I stifle a snicker and continue. "Longhorns are the most endangered of the dragons. They currently live only on a reservation where they are being put through an extensive breeding program. Numbers are low because of people poaching the dragons for their horns."
"Now, Swedish Short-Snouts are known for their silver-blue scales and their blue flames. Their hides are sought after for protective gloves and shields and their flames are capable of rendering a person to ash in a matter of minutes. They prefer uninhabited mountainous regions for nesting."
"And the last one for the night?"
"Wait, you mean I'll be finished? Done? I can go to sleep after this?" I smile, a quick flash of teeth.
"Do stop babbling, Mr. Potter. And yes, you can go to sleep after this. You have finished your assignments, you've studied perhaps longer than even Ms. Granger, and you have double Potions tomorrow, so I want you alive and cognizant to make sure Mr. Longbottom doesn't botch up the skele-Gro. The last thing Madam Pomfrey needs is a liquefying potion."
"Huh. Skele-Gro uses a small piece of shell from a Fire Crab and a bit of dung from a Mooncalf, right?"
For those who have never considered Severus Snape to be a soft or kind man, then it's quite obvious that they've never been on the receiving end of the smile that's currently being aimed at me. Not that the smile is any wider or his face is any more open, but his eyes are gleaming with approval and he fairly radiates a contentment I'd never seen in him before. He's actually proud of me. "Yes, that's exactly right. I'll be discussing it with your class tomorrow."
I nod, reluctant to break the current good will in the atmosphere. "I look forward to it."
"Hm." His smile lasts another moment, then he gently urges me back against his body. It's a cue to finish the lesson.
"The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest of all dragons. They can get up to weights of six tonnes and can collapse buildings by simply landing on them. Their scales are grey and their eyes are red, but their talons are what people usually notice after their size, as their talons are long and vicious looking. They've been carefully watched by the Ukrainian wizarding officials ever since an Ironbelly carried off an empty sailing boat from the Black Sea in 1799."
I trail off and simply bask in the warmth of Severus's embrace. Truthfully, I'm glad to be done studying for the night. I've been working my butt off trying to get to where I need to be in my studies and I'm rather tired of it. How Hermione ever managed to do this for seven years on end, I'll never know. But no matter how tired of the constant books, memorization, and recitation of facts, I can't help but look forward to the study sessions with Severus. Being with him calms me, listening to him read from a text entices me like Professor Binns could never do, and he looks... pleased when I manage to complete a complicated potion all on my own. Not that it ends up great, but it's definitely passable. Seeing that level of excitement from him is worth a great deal of study sessions.
We slowly disengage from the embrace. I scoot back and carefully lower my feet down to the floor. I slowly unbend my knees and stand straight; Severus keeps his arms out to brace me in case my legs had fallen asleep. After the first few times of falling over, we've learned how to carefully get me back into an upright position. Once I feel firm on my feet, I grin and step back. Severus moves into the vacant spot with a liquid grace I still envy.
We stand in front of each other, a thin line of space between us. I put my hands on his shoulders and lean up on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth. Before I can pull back completely, he takes my hand and brings it up to his lips. The feel of his kiss against my inner wrist is a muted thrill. Even after he releases my hand, I can still feel his gentle touch.
I let my eyes say what I'm not allowed to speak as a student. I love him, desire him, need him. He is slower to release the shields from his gaze, more timid in his unveiling, but he still grants me that small peek into his soul. I know how hard it must be to make himself vulnerable, but for me (for me!) it does it. For a brief moment, at least. I smile when his gaze goes back to mirrored blandness. His entire posture slumps minutely with relief. Not that he'd ever believe that he can slump.
"Goodnight, Mr. Potter."
"Goodnight, Severus."
Even that causes my smile to widen. Both of our chosen titles were carefully planned. Severus had used his 'Mr. Potter' to distance us, to keep us from getting too close too quickly. The honorific title, something that he usually didn't use while yelling at me in class, somehow became endearing. The title had gradually become a bit of a tease from him, a smirk-inducing pet name of the most unexpected kind. So to tease back, I had taken to calling him by his given name. The first time I had used it, he had given me a nearly shocked look. Now, it simply deepens his contented smirk.
"Thursday I need to work on my Transfigurations."
His smirk disappears and I have to fight to keep from laughing.
"I was thinking Hermione and I can work on it. She's an ace in Transfiguring. Anything that turns orange for her is supposed to be." I nod sagely.
Severus scowls. "Indeed. Then I'll see you tomorrow for our study session, then again on Friday."
I nod again and collect my scrolls, quill, ink, and books.
"Goodnight, Sev."
He pauses with his hand on the door. "Goodnight, Harry."
I smile, hoping that it doesn't look as melancholy as I feel. Then the door opens and I slip outside, down the hall, and back to Gryffindor Tower.
N.E.W.T.'s begin in two weeks. I can't wait.