Ah, the beginning of the holiday season. Got yelled at for not putting the Christmas ornaments on right. Goodwill towards all men!

Here's the fourth chapter of "Spells." The fifth chapter might take even longer to write, because I have so much to do. But I'll deliver, I promise! I'm not letting this fic dangle.

Thanks for all your reviews!

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The Spells We Know

by Galae

Chapter 4: Love and Let Love

Harry found himself standing outside Snape's office that night. His clothes were scented with apple juice, and his hands sweaty and cold.

He knocked.

The door flew open on the third knock, just when he was going to turn away. "Potter? What do you want?"

"P-Professor," Harry chattered. "May I come in?"

"For gods' sakes, it's eleven at night!"

"I need to talk to you."

Snape gave him an assessing look. Harry gathered he must have looked traumatic, because his professor sighed resignedly and let him in.

"What do you want?" he repeated.

"I said that I needed to talk."

"What do you—" Snape stopped. "If it is about that lurid booth, Potter, I can assure you that I have no inclinations whatsoever to investigate the results of that bloody spell."

Harry sat down on an armchair. After the many times he had been in that office, he found that he was able to find his way around pretty well now. "That is a shame," he said, not looking at Snape. "Because that is what I've come here for."

Snape settled into the other chair. "Potter, you are wasting your time. Why should I care about whose initials I got?" Snape asked derisively.

"Because," Harry said, looking straight into Snape's face, "my initials are H. P."

For a fraction of a second, he looked taken aback by his abruptness. Then a sneer appeared on his face and he said carelessly, "Yes, yes, yours and half a million other people's. Tsk, tsk, but I believe I have overestimated your intelligence over the years."

"Wha-t!" That was not the answer Harry was expecting.

The sneer only grew wider. "You have no idea, do you? Dumbledore was quite successful in making your booth trivial in importance. Initials are nothing. Why, do you even know how many Harry Potter's there are in the world? Let alone H. P.? It means nothing. And if you are halfway implying that my heart's love is your bratty self, I wonder at your sanity, Potter. You would be sadly, very sadly mistaken. It is a fair coincidence."

"No. It is not a coincidence," Harry said evenly. "And I am not mistaken. You know why I took the booth this month? Because last month, I went to the exact same place, did exactly what you did. And you know what initials I got? Do you know what initials I got?"

Snape was silent.

"S. S." said Harry furiously. He had to stop himself from wringing his hands. "You know who has the initials S. S.? You."

That was when Snape stood up. "A mere accident, Potter. Nothing to snap your idle mind over."

Harry followed him. "Really, Professor? Do you really believe that that is an accident? Tell me that it is. Because I really, really do not believe so."

Fire crackled in the air. There. He had said it.

Snape turned around suddenly. Harry blinked, finding himself face-to-face with the man who had been his mind and heart for the last month. Snape looked tired, all of the sudden. "What do you want, Potter?"

"I want to see if it's real. If the spell . . . if the spell actually worked." Harry licked his lips unconsciously.

Snape studied him. "And what do you suggest would dissipate that absurd notion from your mind?"

"A simple kiss, of course."

Snape looked stupefied. "You want—you want—what?"

"A kiss. If it is as you said, that I am an ignorant brat, then nothing will happen." Harry said clearly. "And then we can go back to our lives, knowing that the possibility is quenched. I would never bother you again. Your mind would never bother you again. But if we don't . . ."

With a pang, Snape realized that Harry had capitalized on his greatest fear—that what the little bastard said tonight might haunt him for God knows how long.

"Very well," he said, voice cracking.

Harry gave him a smile. He took a step forwards, minimizing the space between them. Slowly, he raised a hand to Snape's face, trailing a finger from the corner of his eye to his cheek, and then down, to his neck, to where his skin met his collar. Snape's skin was amazingly smooth.

He raised his lips to meet him.

He was so warm. At first Snape did not move, but then Harry wound his arms around his neck and his tongue peeked out, urging his mouth to open. When Snape did, Harry was swept away. A hot tongue met his, and he descended into that lovely silk that he had been waiting for for so long. His tongue slid in and out of Snape's mouth, and somewhere along the way Snape began to mirror his movements. He had wanted this before, and now he felt like he never wanted to stop.

Snape made a little sound at the back at his throat, and that just inflamed him even further. Harry moaned instinctively and dove into the kiss, claiming that talented mouth for himself for once and for all. He pulled that slim, tall body close to his own, hearing his blood rushing in his ears, and knew that he was never going to be the same again.

But when Snape tugged his lips away finally, Harry realized that yes, perhaps he did need to breathe after all. He gasped for air. Snape's eyes were closed, eyelashes forming deep arches in the firelight, and a slight flush had bloomed on that pale cheek. Harry shivered, wondering if that was what he looked like in the afterglow.

"Now," he purred, throatily. "Now, do you believe me?"

Snape's eyes flew open and he jerked away. "Potter." Without another word, he stalked away, plunging himself into a chair.

Harry felt his pulse slowly returning to normal. He felt cool, lightheaded as he made his way to where Snape was sitting. "You know it's true," he said. "The spell spoke the truth. I want you, and you want . . . me."

"No, Potter!"

Harry blinked. "What?"

"Potter—Harry," Snape corrected himself, ironically noting the situation. "I need . . . some time."

"Time?"

"Yes, time." Did Harry always act like such an idiot in times of lust? Snape realized that he had just put "Harry" and "lust" in the same sentence together. The world was definitely going to explode sometime soon. Maybe Voldemort was alive after all.

"Time," Snape said, collecting his thoughts once again. "You had a month's worth of time to think about this, if your tale was true. Did it ever occur to you that I might need the same? As much as this might surprise you," he added dryly, "I am not coerced into such activities on a daily basis."

"Coerced?" Harry's mouth dropped open. "You—you wanted it!"

"'But if we don't . . .'" Snape quoted.

"You liked it!"

"I—we are not discussing this right now, Po—Harry! This is a delicate situation, a potentially dangerous one if Al—anyone finds out. I need time to think about this. What did you expect, Harry, that I was going to jump into bed with you? I'm sorry to offend your obviously enormous ego, but if you took a month to work yourself up to this, I need at least as long. No, contrary to your belief, I am not any more fonder of the idea of this than you were a month ago."

Harry shut his mouth. He had never thought about it before.

"I know you've never thought about it," Snape continued, eyes boring very indignantly into Harry's. "What did you think, that your old, staid, ugly, sex-deprived Potions teacher would jump on you like a ram in mating season?"

"I—" It was a very attractive image, but Harry shook it away. "All right, I get your point. How much time do you need?"

Snape looked at him. "As much as I will need. Now go to your dorm."

A second later, Harry was stumbling out the dungeons, head spinning, wondering what the hell had just happened.

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"The weather outside is frightful . . . but the fire is so delightful."

Obviously, somebody had been to my town.

Snow City, USA. A foot and a half of snow and no snow day in sight. The people down in North Carolina get an inch and they're freaking out. Down here, it just means that you'd have to start your car an hour early tomorrow.

Anyways, I'd appreciate more members in R.E.V.I.E.W!