Title: The Art of Necromancy
Author: Artemis Luna Diana
E-Mail: artemislunadiana@yahoo.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Harry/Severus
Time: begins right after GoF
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts to spend the summer. Out of sheer boredom, he scours the library for books to read and stumbles across a book that will change his life…
Disclaimer: I own not a thing
WARNING!!!! THIS IS A SLASH STORY!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE SLASH OR THIS PARTICULAR PAIRING… LEAVE NOW!!!!
Chapter Eleven: Checkmate
Harry leaned up against the wall, silent. Snape was ignoring him at the moment, not that he really minded since he was fighting his own uneasiness. In three days the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be returning for the fall term. In less than an hour, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would be arriving, at Dumbledore's request.
Despite Harry's numerous appearances, no one really knew that he was back. The Longbottoms and two other wizarding families that Snape and he had saved were keeping true to their word: they hadn't sold their story to the paper. The recovery of nearly every person in St. Mungo's was still being hotly debated, and the one lone man who claimed to have seen Harry Potter was dismissed as an imbecile.
Sirius had gone into a depression when Harry's disappearance became known. Dumbledore told Harry that Remus had owled him worried that Sirius would kill himself in his grief. Remus was the only thing keeping Sirius grounded. His twelve year stay in Azkaban had left him vulnerable, and Harry's disappearance had pushed him that much closer to the edge.
Harry's body trembled. It was wise to admit your fears to yourself. He could admit that he was terrified.
***
Snape glanced over at his silent companion. Harry had grown more and more silent as the time of Black and Lupin's arrival drew closer. While at first, it had been a blessing to be able to devote his full concentration to his research, the silence soon began to feel uncomfortable. After nearly a month of the Necromancer's constant chatter, the sudden silence was unnerving. Damn him! How could he already have gotten use to the boy? Snape glanced over again and noticed the trembling in the teenager's body. Was seeing Black and Lupin that daunting a task for him?
"Is something wrong?"
Harry jumped at the sudden noise. "What?" he asked, having missed the entirety of what Snape had said.
Snape frowned. "I said, is something wrong?" When he saw Harry's confused look, he gestured towards Harry's still trembling body. "You're shaking."
Harry wrapped his arms around himself and took a deep breath. It wasn't helping. "I'm afraid," he finally said.
"Of what?"
"How they are going to react," Harry replied softly.
"I expect they will react as those of us who already know reacted."
"Astonishment, a lot of doubt, but eventual acceptance?"
Snape scowled. "Something like that."
Harry laughed slightly. "Something like that," he repeated. "I hope so."
Snape set down his quill and turned to face Harry. "Why don't you go find something to do? It will keep your mind off of it."
"Want to shag?"
Snape scowled and picked up his quill. He resumed working without bothering to reply.
Harry straightened and walked over to him. He leaned up against the table. "Sorry," he said, though he wasn't, "Want to play chess?"
"I'm busy."
"You're pissed."
Snape glared at him. "Go away."
"Come on… it was your idea."
"One that I regret suggesting."
"Now you're wondering why you ever decided to be nice to me," Harry sighed melodramatically.
"I'm not nice."
"True."
Silence. "Will you go away!" Snape snarled, annoyed.
"Nuh-uh, not unless you play one game of chess with me."
Snape debated hexing the infuriating Necromancer. "Fine."
"Great!" Harry walked into Snape's office and returned with a chess set.
"What is that doing in my office?" Snape growled.
Harry shrugged. "I can't remember why I put it there." He began setting up the board on one of the tables in the workroom. "White or black?"
"Black," Snape replied, somewhat maliciously, "You need every advantage you can get."
"Confident, are we?"
Snape stood up and walked over to the table where Harry was setting up. He sat down again. "I'm a Slytherin. We know much more about strategy than you stupid Gryffindors."
"You're slipping," Harry said with a smirk. "That wasn't up to your usual standard."
"Perhaps it's because I'm being slowly driven insane by a deranged Gryffindor Necromancer who wants nothing more than to get in my pants."
"And what lovely pants they are!"
"Your move."
Harry smirked and moved the first piece of the game. "King's Pawn to e4."
***
"Albus."
"Hello, Remus, Sirius. Lemon drop?"
Both declined.
"Well, I have some good news," Albus said with a smile. "Harry's back."
"What?" Remus asked. Sirius was to shell-shocked to respond.
"He showed up a few days before I owled you. We've just been waiting for you to arrive to tell you the good news."
"Where is he?" Sirius croaked. "Is he alright?"
"He's fine. He's got quite a story to tell you." The Headmaster seemed to hesitate a moment, as if he wanted to say something more, before standing and leading them out of his office.
They walked in silence as the two newcomers struggled to accept that Harry was back and was perfectly fine. Remus was the first to notice where their walking was taking them. "Why are we going to the dungeons?"
"Because that's more than likely where they are."
"They?" Sirius asked.
"Harry and Severus."
"Why is Harry with that slimly git?" Sirius demanded.
Remus shot him a look, and he settle into an angry silence.
***
{30 minutes earlier}
"What do you say we up the stakes?"
"How so?"
"If I win, I get something, if you win you get something."
"What is the something I'll get?"
Harry smiled. "Winner's choice, not to be told until after the game."
"Intriguing." Snape smirked. "I'll enjoy winning all the more."
***
Albus, Remus, and Sirius were nearly at Snape's workroom. Albus glanced at his silent companions, wondering if he shouldn't have told them about Harry's Necromancy to get them a little use to the idea.
***
{5 minutes earlier}
"Checkmate!"
Snape stared at the board in shock. "I lost to a Gryffindor?"
Harry giggled and jumped up.
Snape's eyes widened. 'The bet!' he realized. Before he could say a word, Harry plopped down in his lap and sealed their lips together in a bruising kiss.
***
TBC…
A/N: hmm… I think Sev may have been a little oc in this chapter…. Anyway! I'm going to start posting chapters once a week now that the rush to get the majority of the initial idea down is done with. Trust me, folks, it will make for a better story! I also have another Harry Potter story that is floating around in my head. I'll probably type up a few chapters and see if I like it. If I do, then I'll start posting that too. Until next week, my fine feathered friends!
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or sent me an e-mail. I get sidetracked and sometimes forget to reply back to e-mails I get. If you are one of those folks, I do apologize and thank you for your e-mail.
~Artemis Luna Diana~