Disclaimers etc... See part 1

Author's notes: Lots of transition and groundwork. But all important. And some of it just a little bit
of home. We're in the home stretch boys and girls. But I'm no where near done with the universe. I
mean. How many people are just dying to see what happens when Ron takes Draco home to mama?
Heheh.

My live journal: http://amireal.livejournal.com


Part 41

Severus eyed the latest intruder with distaste. "He told you to just come right down here, did he?"

Remus's jovial attitude did not seem to be swayed by the chilly reception, "Yes, Albus mentioned
something about a meeting."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "He did, did he?"

Remus gave a smile. "Yes, he did."

"I don't suppose he mentioned anything else useful." Severus closed his eyes in resignation.

"Just that he would be down in a moment, something about giving me time to get acquainted with
my surroundings" his demeanor turned puzzled for a moment, "I'll admit I've never been in your
rooms before, but I don't really understand what he said."

Eyes still closed, he asnwered. "It was merely another example of the Albus being a bloody
annoying know it all."

Before Remus could respond a voice called from further in the room, Harry's. "For gods sake just
let him in."

Lupin's eyes widened in surprise. "Harry?"

Severus rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, Harry. Come in before you start attracting attention." He led
Lupin back into his sitting room where Harry and Black were waiting.

"Harry, Sirius, what're you doing here?"

There was a tense, almost guilty silence, finally Harry spoke up, "It's a... long story, Remus."

"Oh really? My favorite kind."

And so once again they embarked up the twisted sorted tale that was their... betrothal- good lord,
what was he thinking?

Lupin was looking more and more incredulous but held his tongue until they were done. "That's
very disconcerting."

"You're not the one living it." Severus said dryly.

Remus shook his head. "No, not that."

Oh he was afraid. "What then?"

With a glimmer in his eye that resembled Albus', Remus asnwered. "You're completing each
other's sentences."

"We are not!" They shouted.

At the same time.

Fuck.

Remus reclined in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "I think I'm just going to let that
speak for itself."

Severus muttered to himself. "Bloody lunatic."'

"Ah, I see everyone is here and in good health." Albus appeared from somewhere near the doorway.

Dammit, he knew he'd rewarded the door.

"No thanks to you." He sneered out.

"Now Severus."

"Yes Albus?"

Albus graced him with one of those all knowing looks. "Do be happy in the fact that I did not choose
a more inappropriate time to send you your visitors."

He nearly blushed when he remembered how close a call it had been with Black. "You're an evil old
man Albus."

"Quite."

Black made a high pitched strangled sound. He ignored it. "Why are we all here anyway?"

"I thought it would be a convenient way to update all of you on the plans for tomorrow."

"And entertain you in the process." Severus shot back.

Albus shrugged. "It's the simple pleasures that keep me going."

Severus personally thought that it was more likely some pilfered drugs from Madame Pomfrey's
supply closet. "Please, just get on with it."

"Certainly." Albus complied. "Tomorrow, after breakfast, we will be joined by Cornelius Fudge and
two aurors-"

Severus was incredulous."Are you trying to get us killed?"

Albus looked at him. "I did not have much of a choice, imagine his reaction to finding out after the
fact."

"Imagine Lucius' reaction to finding out that he's guilty without even having the courtesy of a
trial." Harry bristled next to him.

"Severus, imagine all of our reactions if all does not go as we hope."

Damn it. He hated it when Albus had a point. "Fine, continue."

"They will join, me, you, Sirius, Remus, Minerva, Poppy, Draco and Harry at the meeting place."

Black broke in, "Harry's not going anywhere near this insanity."

Before he could say anything, harry spoke up, "Sirius, you're assuming that you have any say in the
matter."

Severus silently cheered Harry's obvious statement. Mangy mutt deserved to have it thrown in his
face.

"Good lord," Black looked horrified, " you're beginning to sound like him."

Speaking of things being shoved in people's faces. "I've already had this conversation with him
Black, there was nothing I could say that would convince him that it was a foolhardy endeavor at
best."

Lupin spoke up. "Try withholding sex."

He favored the werewolf with a glower that would wilt flowers. "Thank you for that entirely useless
suggestion."

"And the terrible mental image." Black added.

Lupin shrugged. "It always worked with Sirius."

Two startled silences and three raised eyebrows filled the room.

"His girlfriends, present and past used to get together and scheme." Lupin supplied.

Black got an indignant look on his face, "That would explain so much."

Harry sniggered. "From what I've heard, it serves you right."

Black's eyes narrowed and shot Severus a quick glance before returning to Harry, "What have you
heard?"

Before anyone could answer, Albus interrupted, "Children, please, it is well past my bedtime and I
would like to wrap this up."

They silenced themselves.

"Thank you, as I was saying, Lucius is scheduled to appear at approximately 11:00 he will be
greeted at the gate by a portkey, that will work for him and only him and which will take him to a
specially warded room in the dungeon, where the 11 of us will be strategically placed. The only ones
Lucius will, hopefully, be aware of will be you, Severus, myself and Draco. From there, we will
have to play it by ear."

Severus sneered. "And we all know how much I love that."

"Now Severus, what's life without a bit of adventure?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's adventure and then there's idiocy."

"Its always been a fine line."

He threw his hands up in the air. "He finally admits it."

"But idiocy can certainly be fun."

He would never win, it was becoming clear now.

"Thank you gentlemen, I will leave you to your evening." Just as Albus had reached the door, he
turned back, "Come Severus, I'm positive you can find several things to berate me about." And he
was gone.

"He is right."He said, and added, mostly to himself, "As usual." He turned to Harry, "I'll be back in
an hour." With a sharp nod to Black and Lupin, he too, was gone.
______

Harry found himself alone in a room with Remus and Sirius. On a regular day he would have
enjoyed the visit. Today he had the feeling it wasn't going to be as pleasant.

Remus turned to him with a strangely muted smile on his face, "So Harry, how are you doing?"

He took a moment to really thing about it before answering, "Well, Remus, I'm fine. I would almost
describe myself as good."

Sirius peered closely at him, "Really Harry? Because you may not have a choice about him" Sirius
choked on the word, "buggering you, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with that attitude of
his."

Harry laughed a bit, "First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your mature handling of the
situation." He paused for Remus' laughter. "Second, I'm really ok, he's treating me fine, I'm
treating him fine, we're both fine." He watched both Remus and Sirius relax minutely at that
pronouncement. "Third, he hasn't buggered me," Sirius looked confused, "yet." He waited for Sirius
to recover, really he should have known better than to say that while he was drinking something.
"Really," he continued, "I'm rather looking forward to it, it looked quite enjoyable."

Sirius' mouth was practically on the floor, "You mean he.. You... he let.."

Remus just looked amused.

Harry spoke again, "Sirius, close your mouth before you start catching flies," maybe he was
spending too much time with Se- Se Snape. He was going to have to get used to that name. "Sirius,
I suggest you stop asking questions you don't really want to hear the answers to."

"It's good advice padfoot."

"Look, Sirius, I don't know how I can convince you, but we can't... we can't hurt each other."

Sirius let out a large sigh. "I know Harry, I just feel so out of control in this."

"Imagine how I feel."
______

Three lone figures stood outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

The red headed on leaned over to the blonde and said, "They outnumber us in there, you know."

The blonde nodded. "Most probably."

The brunette, the female spoke next, "They're probably not going to be happy."

The blonde smiled. "Of that I have no doubt."

Again, the red head, "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Draco gave an evil grin. "Much more than I probably should."

Ron turned to Hermione. "Well at least he has that."

"Come on," Draco said, "I want to introduce you to the subtle art that is head fucking."

The only response was two deep sighs.

"Come on," he urged, "we haven't got all night, this type of thing requires an audience."

Hermione leaned closer to the portrait of the fat lady and said, "Morning Glory."

"Let me guess, McGonagall set the password?"

"How'd you know." Ron asked.

Draco shrugged. "She seems like the scary morning person type."

Ron entered first, followed by Draco and then Hermione. They didn't make a big production out of
it, just walked calmly though the common room. Until it became obvious that where there had once
been a rambunctious amount of noise, there was now a heavy silence.

The trio turned and faced their audience.

Ron spoke first. "What?" He was met with silence.

Hermione tried next, "Do I have a spot on my face somewhere? Why are all of you staring at me?"

Draco was especially proud of her. It normally took years of practice to perfect that sort of innocent
tone.

Colin spoke up. "Because we're afraid to move."

"Why?" She asked, again in that innocent tone. She was playing them like a fiddle.

He was once again struck by how beautiful she was.

"You might hurt us." Colin answered.

She shook her head and approached him like a 5 year old. "Don't be silly."

Colin nearly tripped over himself trying to get away. "I saw Seamus, I'm not being silly."

Hermione shook her head, "I think the rest of you are smart enough to learn from his example. Just
don't do anything stupid."

Ron turned to Draco, "She's hot isn't she."

"Not the word I would have chosen, but yes. Definitely hot."

The room had become quiet again.

Hermione spoke at them, "We'll be upstairs if anyone needs us, try not to." she turned around
grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him in for a bruising kiss that left him dizzy. She then dragged him
upstairs with Ron following sheepishly behind them.

He was so proud of her.

Just before entering her room he said, "I think we can move you to the advanced lessons."
______

Severus stalked after the headmaster all the way to his office. He watched him putter about, taking
his time getting seated, pouring a cub of tea and slicing himself some pastry.

"Now Severus, what would you like to talk about."

He opened his mouth the answer, but found that he was too angry to form the words.

"Can't think of anything?"

Severus took a moment and began again. "After last night, I find myself coherent and able to more
than the most basic tasks for greater periods of time. This has allowed me to contemplate your recent
actions with a scrutiny that I had lacked earlier."

"And what have you concluded?"

"That you are the most manipulative, conniving, bastard I have ever met."

"You're too kind."

He slammed hi fists on the desk, "Dammit Albus, that was not a compliment! It was not a joke! You
play with my life and the lives of others as if we were mere pawns! You meddled with something so
personal that I can't even describe! I'm so out of control I can't stand it! And all you do is sit there
with that stupid smile."

Albus looked at him seriously for a moment, "What would you have me say, Severus. You of all
people know that we must do things we dislike to have won this war. Which, despite Voldemort's
demise, I believe is far from over."

"I want some courtesy! It's the least I can ask for from a member of my own family!"

An air of angry energy instantly permeated the room, a surprisingly quick hand was in the air and
casting a silencing charm. "Watch your tongue Severus!"

It was the closest to a yell he had heard come from Albus' mouth since he was a child.

Albus took a moment to calm himself. "You should know better than to say things like that where
they can be overheard. I am sorry that this is frustrating Severus, but I cannot accomplish what I
need to accomplish any other way."

"So you make fools of all of us. Me especially."

"While I admit that I do enjoy watching my carefully laid plans come to fruition, I do not enjoy the
machinations." Albus stood up and came to the other side of the desk. "You are my only kin left, I
care about you more than you know and it pains me greatly what I have asked you to do and what I
have done to you without permission, but I take care in the fact that it had to be done."

"All I ask is a little courtesy in your intrusions into my life."

"I will try, but please remember that I do not always have a choice in the way that I do things."
______

When Severus returned to his rooms he found that they were empty, save for Harry sitting on the
sofa reading a book.

"Where are Black and Lupin?"

"They left a few minutes ago. I had a tough time convincing them I was ok after that backwash of
anger I got from you."

"Yes, we're going to need to explore this connection a bit more."

"Probably."

They stared at each other for a few moment before Harry slowly put the book he was holding down
and stood up. They met in the center and stared a bit more.

Black eyes met green and something sparked between them. The reached for each other at the same
time, lips mashed together and fought for dominance, soft wet licks punctuation by quick nips.

Again he didn't remember making it to the bedroom or how most of his clothes came of, though he
did vaguely recall that it had all felt amazingly good.

Then Harry sprawled out on the bed with a look in his eye. "My turn." he rasped.

Severus could only nod and reach for one of the bottles he a specially set on the night table earlier.

He lost himself again in soft gasps and the slide of skin and then he was there, harry was as ready as
he would ever be, hips thrusting in the air, back arching, eyes begging him to continue.

So he did.

Slow. Go slow.

Oh god, so perfect.

Harry's eyes glazed over a bit, so he waited until a shift of hips encouraged him again.

Soon he was lost in the depths of Harry, not knowing where one began and the other ended.

Face to face, for the spell would not allow anything else, they moved in an instinctual rhythm.

Faster. He needed more.

Almost too much.

But oh so good.

Hot silk heat enveloped him and coaxed him.

Muscles tightened, movement became fluid and they drove closer and closer.

Oh god, right there. That was perfect.

Keep going. Don't' stop.

They needed this, wanted it so badly.

Fingers intertwined and held tight.

So close.

Close.

Close.

There!

Backs arched, muscles spasmed.

Loud gasps filled the air and finally-

-they collapsed, panting. Exhausted, they fell asleep.
______

The morning saw an angry looking crow delivering the Daily Profit directly to Severus Snape's
desk. The headline read:

HARRY POTTER-SNAPE? A DAILY PROFIT EXCLUSIVE!

TBC...

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