Author's Note: Dedicated to Sev's Gurl (Hippy Flower) for asking me to join
her mailing list and Kebi for the fan mail -- What can I say? I love it
when people write me fan mail! (BTW: If someone ever draws fan art for my
stories, I'll love them forever)
Chapter Ten -- An Offer to Refuse
Severus Snape stood by the fireplace, watching the flames spit and jump. Fires made such perfect pictures -- A hint of violet at the tip of a gold and crimson tongue. It could destroy without prejudice. It could also warm and nurture. In a way, fire was a complete paradox.
"I think I should be heading back to my room, sir," Harry said quietly. The Potions Master hadn't spoken a word for the past quarter of an hour. The boy began to rise to his feet, hesitantly.
"Stay, Potter," Severus commanded. Automatically, the boy dropped back down onto the chair. Severus didn't turn to look at him though. "Potter, I'm going to offer this to you once and only once, do you understand?"
"Yes," Harry replied, concentrating his attention on his shoes, which were brushing against the hardwood of Severus' floors.
"Come to bed with me."
Harry's feet stopped in mid-swing.
"What did you say?" Harry asked, convinced that he hadn't heard the last statement correctly.
"Come to bed with me, Potter," Severus repeated slowly, as if he were talking to an incompetent child.
"You mean . . . To go to sleep with you?" Harry asked hopefully.
"No, you insolent brat," Severus scoffed. Like a true gentleman, he left the rest unsaid. No need to use such vulgarity with a student, after all.
"Oh," Harry said quietly.
"I know," Severus sighed, suddenly seeming bored with the entire conversation. "It's an offer to refuse but I attempted to offer all the same."
The entire situation was so unlike Severus Snape and . . . Harry suddenly noticed the six empty shot glasses sitting on the table. "Of course," Harry thought to himself. "Of course."
The Potions Master walked over to the chair opposite Harry Potter and stretched out languidly. Harry watched intently as nearly every limb in that lanky body stretched out luxuriantly.
"I apologize Potter," Severus murmured. "Sometimes when I abuse my liquor, I am a bit too vocal in my thoughts. I must have been remembering your father or something of the sort . . . "
"I'm not my father," Harry repeated.
"So you say," Severus replied, smiling sardonically. He waited expectantly for a moment before asking, "So are you staying or are you leaving?"
"I can't stay," Harry shrugged apologetically. Looking at the man, Harry wasn't even so sure if he wanted to. The oil-slick hair hanging limply along the slender, sallow face with the nose the size of a small peninsula . . . No, he definitely didn't want to. The man was a horror among horrors -- The ugliest man on the Hogwarts staff. Even Dumbledore or Flitwick would be better to spend the night with . . . Harry's nose twitched in disgust.
"I suppose not," Severus said, his voice tinged with disappointment. He rose to his feet and his robe absently fell off of his left shoulder, revealing a glimpse of the professor's body. It was just as lanky as Harry suspected -- The bone poked up anxiously from under the thin layer of skin and muscle. But it was still skin . . .
Harry shuddered.
"Some other time maybe," Harry said, trying to make the professor feel slightly better about the rejection.
"I don't think so, Potter," Severus scoffed. The robe slipped a bit farther down off of his shoulder. Harry stared blatantly. "I said that this was a one-time offer. But, of course, you have to get back to your Tom, don't you." The bitter note on the name "Tom" brought Harry's attention back to the conversation.
"Yes," Harry said stiffly. "I have to get back to my Tom. I expect he'll have calmed down by now, don't you think so?"
"Tom never calms down," Severus smiled, opening the door of his office. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to Dumbledore. I doubt he'd be very lenient about one of his staff members getting completely drunk and propositioning a student."
"I won't say a word," Harry nodded. "These are hard times after all. We all need some means of escaping every now and again."
"Good night, Potter."
"Good night, Professor," Harry said, taking one last glance at that shoulder before the door was shut in his face.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Tom, or Voldemort as he was more often called in this form, sat in his chambers, slouched slightly and looking worn. Too tale, too thin, too pale . . . He glimpsed his image in a mirror and he could have broken glass. This skeletal, snake-like figure . . . He silently prayed that tomorrow would come quickly. He needed that glamourie back in place and quickly.
Someone knocked quietly at the door.
"Come in," Tom said softly. The door creaked open and there, in all his radiant glory, was Harry Potter. Tom patted the bed next to him, signaling for Harry to come and sit down, but the boy remained standing.
"I apologize," Tom sighed. Harry didn't move a muscle.
"Next time you do anything like that," Harry said coldly, "I will not hesitate to defend my family."
"There won't be a next time," Tom said definitely. "But you have to understand my nature . . ."
"That's no one's nature," Harry said definitely. "That's simply pettiness and cruelty. You were a vindictive bastard tonight and I should refuse to look at you for at least a month."
"Then why are you standing in the doorframe?" Tom asked, smiling slightly. The warmth radiating off of the man sitting in front of him caused Harry to relax a little bit and the corners of his lips unwilling turned up into a smile.
"Just don't do it again, okay?"
"Of course not."
Harry went over and flopped down on the bed next to Tom.
"So where did you run off to?" Tom asked conversationally.
"Oh nowhere," Harry lied. "I just needed to be alone for a few minutes . . ." He checked the clock. "Hours . . ."
"I see," Tom said, raising an eyebrow slightly. He refused to ask Harry any more questions about his whereabouts tonight though. They would definitely be unappreciated.
"Where's Sirius? Is he still in the infirmary?"
"Yes," Tom replied sheepishly. "He'll be there until tomorrow. He's fine though -- Just a bit battered and bruised."
"I need to stop by and see him tomorrow, I suppose," Harry said, more to himself than to Tom. "Do you think I should bring him anything?"
"Some Every Flavor Beans," Tom smiled. "Or maybe just a piece of chocolate. Chocolate is the comfort food, you know."
"Remus always used to give me chocolate," Harry replied. "After the Dementor showed up on the Hogwarts Express he gave me chocolate."
"Of course," Tom said. "Remus Lupin -- The werewolf. I expect I'll be meeting him next, then. Hopefully, he'll be easier to deal with then your godfather was."
"Hmmm," Harry sighed as if he hardly cared. He cuddled up against a pillow and closed his eyes.
"Do you mind sharing the bed tonight?" Tom asked, keeping his voice at a whisper so he wouldn't disturb Harry's calm.
"It's fine," Harry yawned. "As long as you don't touch me when you're like that . . ."
"Alright," Tom said, turning off the lights. He lay down on the bed, as far away from Harry as possible, and tried to pretend that the boy's last words hadn't hurt him.
Author's Note: Ick! Hard chapter for me to write! I'll update soon . . .
Chapter Ten -- An Offer to Refuse
Severus Snape stood by the fireplace, watching the flames spit and jump. Fires made such perfect pictures -- A hint of violet at the tip of a gold and crimson tongue. It could destroy without prejudice. It could also warm and nurture. In a way, fire was a complete paradox.
"I think I should be heading back to my room, sir," Harry said quietly. The Potions Master hadn't spoken a word for the past quarter of an hour. The boy began to rise to his feet, hesitantly.
"Stay, Potter," Severus commanded. Automatically, the boy dropped back down onto the chair. Severus didn't turn to look at him though. "Potter, I'm going to offer this to you once and only once, do you understand?"
"Yes," Harry replied, concentrating his attention on his shoes, which were brushing against the hardwood of Severus' floors.
"Come to bed with me."
Harry's feet stopped in mid-swing.
"What did you say?" Harry asked, convinced that he hadn't heard the last statement correctly.
"Come to bed with me, Potter," Severus repeated slowly, as if he were talking to an incompetent child.
"You mean . . . To go to sleep with you?" Harry asked hopefully.
"No, you insolent brat," Severus scoffed. Like a true gentleman, he left the rest unsaid. No need to use such vulgarity with a student, after all.
"Oh," Harry said quietly.
"I know," Severus sighed, suddenly seeming bored with the entire conversation. "It's an offer to refuse but I attempted to offer all the same."
The entire situation was so unlike Severus Snape and . . . Harry suddenly noticed the six empty shot glasses sitting on the table. "Of course," Harry thought to himself. "Of course."
The Potions Master walked over to the chair opposite Harry Potter and stretched out languidly. Harry watched intently as nearly every limb in that lanky body stretched out luxuriantly.
"I apologize Potter," Severus murmured. "Sometimes when I abuse my liquor, I am a bit too vocal in my thoughts. I must have been remembering your father or something of the sort . . . "
"I'm not my father," Harry repeated.
"So you say," Severus replied, smiling sardonically. He waited expectantly for a moment before asking, "So are you staying or are you leaving?"
"I can't stay," Harry shrugged apologetically. Looking at the man, Harry wasn't even so sure if he wanted to. The oil-slick hair hanging limply along the slender, sallow face with the nose the size of a small peninsula . . . No, he definitely didn't want to. The man was a horror among horrors -- The ugliest man on the Hogwarts staff. Even Dumbledore or Flitwick would be better to spend the night with . . . Harry's nose twitched in disgust.
"I suppose not," Severus said, his voice tinged with disappointment. He rose to his feet and his robe absently fell off of his left shoulder, revealing a glimpse of the professor's body. It was just as lanky as Harry suspected -- The bone poked up anxiously from under the thin layer of skin and muscle. But it was still skin . . .
Harry shuddered.
"Some other time maybe," Harry said, trying to make the professor feel slightly better about the rejection.
"I don't think so, Potter," Severus scoffed. The robe slipped a bit farther down off of his shoulder. Harry stared blatantly. "I said that this was a one-time offer. But, of course, you have to get back to your Tom, don't you." The bitter note on the name "Tom" brought Harry's attention back to the conversation.
"Yes," Harry said stiffly. "I have to get back to my Tom. I expect he'll have calmed down by now, don't you think so?"
"Tom never calms down," Severus smiled, opening the door of his office. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to Dumbledore. I doubt he'd be very lenient about one of his staff members getting completely drunk and propositioning a student."
"I won't say a word," Harry nodded. "These are hard times after all. We all need some means of escaping every now and again."
"Good night, Potter."
"Good night, Professor," Harry said, taking one last glance at that shoulder before the door was shut in his face.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------
Tom, or Voldemort as he was more often called in this form, sat in his chambers, slouched slightly and looking worn. Too tale, too thin, too pale . . . He glimpsed his image in a mirror and he could have broken glass. This skeletal, snake-like figure . . . He silently prayed that tomorrow would come quickly. He needed that glamourie back in place and quickly.
Someone knocked quietly at the door.
"Come in," Tom said softly. The door creaked open and there, in all his radiant glory, was Harry Potter. Tom patted the bed next to him, signaling for Harry to come and sit down, but the boy remained standing.
"I apologize," Tom sighed. Harry didn't move a muscle.
"Next time you do anything like that," Harry said coldly, "I will not hesitate to defend my family."
"There won't be a next time," Tom said definitely. "But you have to understand my nature . . ."
"That's no one's nature," Harry said definitely. "That's simply pettiness and cruelty. You were a vindictive bastard tonight and I should refuse to look at you for at least a month."
"Then why are you standing in the doorframe?" Tom asked, smiling slightly. The warmth radiating off of the man sitting in front of him caused Harry to relax a little bit and the corners of his lips unwilling turned up into a smile.
"Just don't do it again, okay?"
"Of course not."
Harry went over and flopped down on the bed next to Tom.
"So where did you run off to?" Tom asked conversationally.
"Oh nowhere," Harry lied. "I just needed to be alone for a few minutes . . ." He checked the clock. "Hours . . ."
"I see," Tom said, raising an eyebrow slightly. He refused to ask Harry any more questions about his whereabouts tonight though. They would definitely be unappreciated.
"Where's Sirius? Is he still in the infirmary?"
"Yes," Tom replied sheepishly. "He'll be there until tomorrow. He's fine though -- Just a bit battered and bruised."
"I need to stop by and see him tomorrow, I suppose," Harry said, more to himself than to Tom. "Do you think I should bring him anything?"
"Some Every Flavor Beans," Tom smiled. "Or maybe just a piece of chocolate. Chocolate is the comfort food, you know."
"Remus always used to give me chocolate," Harry replied. "After the Dementor showed up on the Hogwarts Express he gave me chocolate."
"Of course," Tom said. "Remus Lupin -- The werewolf. I expect I'll be meeting him next, then. Hopefully, he'll be easier to deal with then your godfather was."
"Hmmm," Harry sighed as if he hardly cared. He cuddled up against a pillow and closed his eyes.
"Do you mind sharing the bed tonight?" Tom asked, keeping his voice at a whisper so he wouldn't disturb Harry's calm.
"It's fine," Harry yawned. "As long as you don't touch me when you're like that . . ."
"Alright," Tom said, turning off the lights. He lay down on the bed, as far away from Harry as possible, and tried to pretend that the boy's last words hadn't hurt him.
Author's Note: Ick! Hard chapter for me to write! I'll update soon . . .