Soap and Guacamole

by Icarus

It was growing late in Severus Snape's apartments, but his attention was elsewhere, languidly stroking Harry's thighs. The muscle ran just so…. Harry leaned back on a pillow of thick bubbles. He looked both lovely and satiated. Well, he should be. Some things improved with age.

There was no tub in these quarters, so Severus had Transformed the love seat in his living room into one. It was currently filled with multi-coloured bubbles.

They had been turning a Magical Die Severus had picked up in a certain sleazy Knockturn Alley shop. It randomly determined what would fill the tub. They had enjoyed the thin sheet of oil until they were exhausted, then the next turn gave them… chocolate pudding. That was fun, if a little predictable. Harry had liked it. Bored with that (and maybe a little sick) they gave it another turn. Guacamole. Their eyes met with distaste - No. - as they sat in foul smelling green paste. There was a reason this demonic contraption could only be found in Knockturn Alley. But it was still worth it. They were down to bubbles now. Bubbles were quite pleasant. If a little garish.

Severus had lit the fire and all the black candles in the candelabra, giving the room a mysterious soft glow. The radio was set to 'the Witching Hour': current Wizarding hits, a concession to Harry's youth. Severus liked music, but preferred that the composer be long dead. The wineglasses were virtually untouched. They'd been too busy to empty them even once.

Severus checked his watch before he realized that, of course, he wasn't wearing one or anything else for that matter. He sat up out of the tub and reached for his wand to do a Quick Time-Teller Spell. Harry's eyes flicked approvingly over the wiry muscle in his arms and chest as he moved, Severus noted with a satisfied inward purr. A man should know his good points, at least nearly as well as his bad.

"Cronos!" Severus flicked his wand and settled back into the tub. A tiny white fairy no bigger than his thumb appeared over the tub.

"Thank you for invoking Quick-Time! At the tone, the time will - ooo - " she squeaked, looking down at the two men tangled together in the tub below her.

The one, long and thin, and had an unruly shock of black hair. He was putting on an owlish pair of glasses. The other, of a similar height, was slightly broader, with sharp features; his longish straight black hair fanned out on the foamy pillow. If this were a gothic painting, they were both missing their fig leaves.

" - oh! Harry Potter. My goodness… the time is - is - " she turned pink and put her tiny hands over her eyes. She peeked, and then hid her face again.

"I think she's a little embarrassed, Severus." Harry commented. The fairy turned a slightly darker shade of pink.

Severus smirked. "Yes. I love doing this to them. Little prudes. It embarrasses the hell out of them."

" - ooo!… the time is eleven-o'clock-and-eight-minutes!" she got it all out in a rush, turned bright red and with a final glance, vanished in a tiny red flash.

"Yet they always linger that extra half-minute. I've timed it." Severus noted, tongue in cheek, looking up at the place where the Time Fairy had disappeared. "And they always look."

"She recognized me. Do you think they'd tell anyone?" Harry wondered.

Severus made a dismissive gesture.

"Well, we have forty minutes till McGonagall checks your rooms. You had better get dressed - " Severus grabbed Harry as he started to climb out of the tub and dragged him back into the foam. " - soon. Not now."

Harry emerged from the kiss breathless, kicking foam out of the tub.

"I can't wait till I leave school. Then we won't have to sneak around so." Harry tried to unsuccessfully wipe the foam off his glasses. He picked up the die. "I'm tired of Bubbles."

"Be careful with that thing," Severus warned him, "I don't fancy rolling about in potato salad."

"Is there potato salad?" Harry asked, staring at the die faintly horrified.

"I got it once. But only once."

"Well, that's proof," Harry said. "The Dark Arts truly are dangerous." Harry turned it, and smiled. "Ah."

"What is it?" Severus asked with no little trepidation, sitting up. Then the bubbles cleaned themselves off, vanished, and swaths of black fabric filled the tub.

Harry gave him a radiant smile. "Satin," he said, as he rolled and enfolded himself in the rich cool fabric.

"Sensualist. I will check that die for tampering first thing tomorrow. You have been entirely too lucky to be believed," Severus stretched. "You did not even get the glue. I always end up with glue."

"I got guacamole," Harry offered.

"I turned it that time. I got guacamole."

Harry had wrapped himself in the fabric until Severus could only see a pair of bright green eyes. Harry changed the subject.

"Do you think you could show me that trick… with the note?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Severus leaned on an elbow, preferring to lay on top of the fabric, thank you.

"I could show you a great many things. Including that. But - " Severus watched Harry's eyes carefully. " - it would helpful if I had my book back."

He held Harry's eyes, slightly triumphant at the young man's sudden discomfort. Harry froze, but didn't admit a thing.

"Come, come. You are caught. Confronted. In bed. Your notes clearly disappeared at the same time. Nobody else would have taken those. Or does your Weasley have it?" Harry remained silent. Severus was not sure how far that relationship went, between Weasley and his Harry. Severus sneered. "Still - you will admit nothing? Not even to me? Appalling. You ought to have been Sorted into Slytherin."

"I almost was," Harry said.

"What?" Severus blinked. Now that was an eye-opener.

"I asked Sorting Hat not to," Harry explained.

"Yes. Well, that was probably for the best," Severus noted. "A true Slytherin would have replaced your notes with a blank scroll. Then I would never have noticed. It is what I would have done.

"- if you are going to be bad, you might as well be good at it."

"Is that why you became a Death Eater?" Harry asked suddenly. The satin slid down to his chest as he sat up.

"The best of the worst, or the worst of the best - is that it?" Severus said with acid humor.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"No." Severus was curt. "Nothing so intelligent."

Severus rolled onto his back, not looking at Harry, and was silent for a bit. "Well congratulations, Harry. You certainly know how to kill a good party; so nice of you to remind me of old ghosts…"

"I remind you of him?"

"What - ? Him? Oh yes, your obsession with Torvald. - Is it jealousy? I would be so flattered - " Severus looked over at Harry, who had taken the opportunity to wrap himself sensually in the satin again. He was lying on his side looking up at Severus fetchingly. "No. You are nothing at all like him. Torvald… was a violent man. A puritan. German. He liked being a Death Eater. And he loved Dark Magic… even, certain aspects of it. He had an iron stomach."

"What about you?" Harry asked softly.

"I did my job. Very well. Too well in fact." Severus did not like these memories being dragged up in his bedroom. Or living room as the case may be.

"I mean Dark Magic." When Harry's eyes sparkled like that, he reminded Severus disconcertingly of Dumbledore. That wizard saw too much. Reminding him of an old man did nothing for Harry's sex appeal. Severus did not deign to answer.

"I was a fool." Severus said darkly. "I do not like being a fool."

Severus sat up.

"Come. We must get you back to your crib, before mother McGonagall has a fit and starts randomly firing Seeking Spells."

Harry ignored Severus' jibe of course. He knew that if Severus didn't see him as a man, he wouldn't be here.

"Well, she can't find me in your quarters. It's Warded," Harry pointed out.

"That would be the problem. A student who has just gone to the bathroom can be found."

"We still have twenty minutes," Harry complained.

"Mmm. Twenty minutes. Now what can we possibly do with twenty delicious minutes…?"

Severus slowly unwrapped Harry from the satin like a present. Harry watched him with big eyes, delighted. Satin was fun. Harry particularly loved being stripped for some reason Severus could not figure out. He squirmed deliciously, as Severus slowly devoured him where he was already rising to the occasion. Harry started to return the compliment, but Severus put out his palm and stopped him, shaking his head. "Time. Do not start what you cannot finish."

Frustrated, Harry sighed, "I really can't wait till we can stop sneaking around!"

"Now that's twice you've said that. Tell me. Are you really so anxious to allow your friends to know that you have suffered the lecherous advances of your decrepit Potions Master? Willingly? A man even? Such as he is," Severus asked doubtfully. Harry was not being realistic.

"Decrepit?" Harry raised his eyebrows and laughed, then stretched languorously on the satin. Severus picked up a wineglass, and handed Harry his. Harry took a sip, and then turned the stem in his hand. "Yeah, I'm really suffering…"

"Sensualist."

"Comes from living in a cupboard. Makes you appreciative of little things like - air." Harry put his chin on his knee and considered. "Well, I hadn't really thought about it too much, but it is the truth, isn't it?"

"So you would take the pointed fingers, the disdain of those who once respected and admired you, the horror of your friends - ? Not to mention baring your neck to Malfoy and his ilk, your detractors… all in the name of some obscure Truth?" Severus was astounded.

"I take it back: You are, every inch of you, a Gryffindor."

Severus set his glass down and gave Harry a hand up out of the tub, letting his hand slide down the pleasant curve of his bottom admiringly.

"Do me a favor," Severus said as he watched Harry pull on his clothes, a sight in and of itself. Harry may like being undressed, but Severus had a unholy fascination with watching him dress. "Before you go off on some 'nobility jag': talk to me. I may not appreciate being doomed with you."

"You know I would," said Harry.

True enough.

Harry picked up his wand and some Floo powder.

Then just before Harry stepped into the fire, a gleam of last minute mischief crossed his face. Harry suddenly leaned forward and tipped the die with his wand one more time. He disappeared into the fire with a naughty grin and a wave. With a shock Severus watched the satin disappear as it was replaced with -

- champagne. Expensive champagne at that, by the taste of it.

"Dumb fucking luck." Severus decided he'd save some for Harry.

Finis. Next: 'Eureka!'