A/N:  hey, well this has a hideously fluffy Chappy ending, but I think its sweet, I can just picture it in my head. 

Thanks to all the reviewers.  Its such a buzz to get all those complements,  Honestly I swear its addictive!

   

Chapter twenty:  The Stars

    They day went past painfully slowly for Harry.  Most of the people he knew, and had known he had been gone last night had assumed he had been off with Draco for a late night romp, especially when he walked into the great hall looking well and truly shagged, and apart from some very varied looks -from out raged, to approving, to so some very forlorn ones and even a few jealous ones from some of the girls- most people left him alone about it. 

    Draco had sauntered in ten minutes after Harry and winked at him causing Lavender to giggle wildly. 

    The rest of the day had been most un-eventful.  He had gotten away with the missing homework due to some first class sucking up courtesy of Hermione and by the end of dinner the only truly notable thing was the look on Dracos face when Harry had explained what had happened to make absent for the night. 

    Harry was currently seated at the fire place in his room with Draco leaning casually on his shoulder.  It was about eight at night and Harry was starting to wonder if Sev had forgotten what he had said, or if it had just been a way of avoiding talking to him.  Draco had come round for moral support, after Harry had come back from his advanced Care Of Magical Creatures class looking like he was about to start chasing his own imaginary tail he had been so worked up and worried. 

    Draco had distracted Harry with tales of the still secret Ravenclaw and a colourful description of why he was late for breakfast himself, but as the clock struck eight thirty Harry was a wreck, but only his close friends would notice it, the fidgeting and the constant tossing of the little snitch Draco had given to him on their one month anniversary -They had gotten together at a Quidditch match, and the gift had seemed appropriate.  Harry had since named the golden ball his worry aid and toyed with it incessantly when he was nervous about something. -  were the only signs that he was outwardly giving, but Draco could read them all too well.

    "Har, chill out would ya?"  Draco smiled at him reassuringly and gave him a quick hug.  Harry nodded in response and then let out a whoop of joy as an owl tapped at his window. 

    Harry dropped the snitch immediately and ran to the window and opened it.  The owl flew in happily from the cold and waited patiently as Harry untied the note attached to its leg before flying back out the window, not seeming all that eager to return to the bitter winds but well trained enough not to hang around.

    Draco rushed up to Harry and read the note over his shoulder.

    Meet me at the astronomy tower at 11 o'clock

                                       ~Sev

    Draco laughed out loud at the last word, pointing at it as Harry frowned at him.

    "Oh, oh god!"  He choked out; doubling over in mirth, Harry himself couldn't see what was so funny.  "He, he actually lets you call him Sev!"  Draco made a face and smothered his laughter.  "God, I'm sorry, but it's funny, Mr.  Professor Severus Snape Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, actually willingly lets himself being called Sev.  Well, it really is love then."  Harry smiled, to nervous to actually laugh but still getting Draco's point.

    "I'm off Har, but good luck ok?"  Harry sighed and opened the door effectively dropping the silencing charms round the room.

    Once Draco had left Harry started his martial arts training, needing something to clear his head before his meeting at the astronomy tower.

    At eleven exactly Harry arrived at the astronomy tower.  Severus was already there, but Harry had expected that, the man always had to make sure he had the upper hand.    

    "Sev."  Harry smiled, Snape was standing looking out at the stars, he was leaning against a wall, and dressed so completely in black that if it wasn't for the stark pale of his face, Harry wasn't sure he would have been able to tell his lover apart from the shadows. 

    "Harry," Severus greeted, letting a little of the relief he felt that the Gryffindor had actually turned up show through in his voice.

    "It's a beautiful night." Harry walked up and stood next to Severus, watching the stars. 

    Harry had first fallen in love with star gazing when he had been chased up that tree by Aunt Marge's blasted dog.  He had spent almost all of that night watching the stars because he had nothing else to do; he had found them hypnotically beautiful.  They looked at him just as the looked at ever one else, they didn't look at him and call him a freak and shine less brightly for him. They twinkled just as bright and just as beautiful for him as they did the Dursleys. 

    At the time Harry had not known he was special, in fact at the time he had thought he really was a freak, and the 'gift' the stars seemed to give him was priceless, to for once be seen equal in the eyes of someone.  Ever since then he had loved the stars.  They were the perfect companion, they always came back to you and they never judged you, they saw you just as they saw every one else.  Harry wondered what Severus was thinking about as he watched them.      

    "Yes," Severus's voice was quiet.  "You were right."  Severus said, still a low whisper, despite the silencing charms around the room and his gaze was still fixed on the sky above them both rather than on his companion.  "I do care about you."

    Harry's whole body loosened off, relaxing muscles he didn't even know were tense.  Now all he had to wait for was the but…

    "More than I really understand, I care about you, but," Ah, there it was, right on queue. "I couldn't stand to see you hurt, not ever, I won't have more blood on my hands, and not that of some one I care about."

    "Fine Sev," Harry stole Sevs usual trick of keeping his voice expressionless, "I suggest you don't go around sleeping with Poppy then, of any one like that, Albus is probably fine though."

    Severus finally tore his eyes from the heavens and stared at Harry, unashamedly gawking. 

    "Pardon?" 

    "You heard me, if you started sleeping with Poppy then there would be a problem, because the dark side really doesn't care about her, they have no sort of personal vendetta with her, but of you started sleeping with her she'd be in danger, she'd either have to give up working on the good side, or they would have you hurt her to prove loyalty or something.  On the other hand, it doesn't matter with Albus, because they have a grudge on him any way, so he would be in as much danger if you weren't sleeping with him as he would if you were."  Severus just continued to study him. 

    "I'm already on Voldies top 3 list I'm sure, if we keep this a secret, at least for now, then I'll be in no more danger than I was before."  Harry looked deep into Sev's eyes, watching as emotions flitted through them to fast to read. 

    "Very well."  Severus leaned forward and kissed him softly, gently, not pressuring, not expectant, just a kiss.  When he broke away he wrapped his arms around Harry and they both sat down in front of the window. 

    "Can we forget about all that now?"  Harry asked, hopping this meant Sev had finally gotten over his barriers.

    "Yes."  Severus pulled Harry closer and lightly kissed the top of Harry's mess of black hair.  The boy had obviously thought all this through, Severus scolded himself.  Why had he ever thought Harry needed protecting?  Harry was capable of protecting himself better than any one. 

    They spent the next few hours watching the sky, Severus explained to Harry all about the constellations and the stories behind them, and Harry told him about life with the Dursleys.   

~*~*~Tbc~*~*~