Eureka!

by Icarus

"I had to call a special session of our Dark Arts class, just to see you. You have been remarkably absent lately."

It wasn't entirely fair of Severus. He insisted on discretion and now complained about the results. The voice was cool, calm, but the feelings behind it weren't.

"Could it be a Weasley is taking more of your time?" Severus snarled.

Harry could think of safer things than being in the Forbidden Forest, alone, with a jealous and unreasoning Snape armed to the teeth with Dark Magic. And permission to use it. No one would come to Harry's aid, assuming naturally any explosion of Dark Magic was part of their class.

Harry took a step backwards, while Snape slowly circled him menacingly, his black cloak catching the light breeze. As a Death-Eater he must have been terrifying, the hysterical thought flew through Harry's mind. Then Harry recalled Hagrid telling them in Care of Magical Creatures: "Running from a wild creature is about the worst thing you can do."

So Harry took a step closer; and, tentatively, when Snape halted, another; speaking softly in the cooing voice one used with the most violent Manticores, not even listening to himself:

"Look… you have completely misunderstood me… I'm not avoiding you… I'm only being careful. You asked, remember? Ron is with Hermione… You know that…"

Eventually he stood right beside Snape, who eyed him suspiciously still. With the sharp angular face, lank long hair and curled lip, he looked feral. But he had lowered his wand. Reason seemed to have returned to his eyes, though that dangerous cold anger still flickered.

Then Harry said in his natural voice, "Talk over dinner? Here - it's like throwing a dungbomb in Filch's office. I can't invite you to my place…"

Severus looked relieved and the tension broke. "Seven. My quarters. Password's Perehelion. I changed it when I thought…." his voice was somewhat ragged.

"You're far too suspicious," Harry marveled.

Snape nodded almost imperceptibly, and said quietly, "Don't be late."

Harry finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Who would have thought Care of Magical Creatures - better termed Care of Dangerous Magical Creatures - would apply to Severus Snape? But on second thought Harry considered, it made perfect sense. He wished he could tell Hagrid his class had likely saved his neck.

"Shall we continue? With our class." Snape offered.

Harry nodded weakly against his will, with a distant sense of disbelief. His nerves still jangled with adrenaline shock and fear. Severus must have ice water in his veins, to be so calm and able to go on readily after all that.

Severus set a tiny glass unicorn on the rock. It pawed with little hooves, and tossed its mane. It was cute. Harry barely listened as Severus began to explain, in great detail, the Nova Incendiero spell, which was a variation on the simple ordinary Fire Bomb….

An hour later, the glass unicorn was in perfect health, trotting in happy circles on the rock. Snape had long since given up worrying about the fate of their table. No doubt it would remain intact till the end of this age. Harry was as hopeless, as ineffectual, as ever. Severus leaned back against a tree with a sigh. He thought Potions was bad. As he watched, Harry's spell-casting form fell completely apart in frustration, exhaustion and anger, a first year's mistake. This was all Dumbledore's fault. They should be learning this from day one. Harry kept at it with renewed fury. Snape couldn't help but admire Harry's lithe gesture, even though he had it all wrong. Again. Dammit.

"Harry - " he shook his head and began to correct him…

Harry turned, a look of passionate frustration on his face, one that said "Shut Up" as clearly as if he'd spoken it. He looked as though he would gladly turn this spell on Severus, if only it would work. And… something else…

It had been too long. Never mind their date. "You've earned a break…"

"Expelliarmus!" Severus disarmed Harry as he approached, tossing aside his own wand as he captured the heat of Harry's face in his hands. His cape slid to the ground between them. But Harry had beaten him to the kiss, fervently, with a stream of invectives nearly unintelligible between breaths.

"You bloody crazy son of a bitch, you bastard -" then Harry pulled out of the kiss and pushed him, then shoved Severus again. " - scared the shit out of me!"

His eyes were blazing and intense, passionate. Severus let him take it all out, laughing a bit, startled at Harry's fury. Though there was no doubt that he deserved it. Of course he did. It was unlike Harry, but Severus had pushed him too far, frightened him, then worked him to the bone.

"You want discretion - then you blame me…! I thought - !"

Then Harry pulled Severus back into the renewed kiss, and the rest of whatever else he had to say was lost, as they devoured each other. They struggled to remove their robes without letting go or interrupting.

Harry spun Severus around, dragging him down to the ground, and he was having much more success getting both their robes undone. Severus became suddenly aware of their surroundings. He'd never done this before in a place so… public, and felt a momentary thrill of alarm. Then he recalled his magical 'traps' and 'surprises,' and laid back to enjoy this in more privacy than he could ever find at home. Harry's shirt was off, revealing smooth skin he was tempted to devour. Severus' hands slid to his waist, his achingly narrow hips, while Harry did something marvelous with his teeth, and they were both finding it gaspingly impossible to get any closer. Though, oh, he tried. Harry learned quickly when it came to Quidditch, or this… anything physical perhaps.

"Now I have a thing or two to teach you…" Severus murmured, and he turned Harry over, licking the entryway with practiced skill and passionate intensity.

They ignored how late the hour was, letting the breeze tickle their cool skin. Other than the rocks he had tossed aside, Severus thought he could get used to this out of doors. Severus turned to Harry and caressed his neck and chin with his lips, whispering in a low voice: "stay with me tonight… no one will notice… I'm sure I can think of some excuse…" Harry just moaned sleepily. He didn't seem to mind or even to notice the rocks.

Severus thought Harry was asleep, when he caught the glimmer of green eyes smiling up at him in the half-light, not quite focusing without the glasses. Harry's hand carelessly traced the line of his cheekbone, caressed the silk of the long black hair Severus was so proud of, outlined the shape of his lips; Severus stroked his chest gently and circled the silk of his nipple. Harry's breathing caught. He reveals everything, Severus noted. Perhaps unwisely, but he liked it. Severus inwardly laughed at himself, cynical. So nice to discover you like the ones you fuck, he thought.

The unicorn on the rock above them started a cheerful, and slightly annoying, tinkling trot. Professor Snape's eyes lingered on it a moment, calculating, recalled sharply to the present. And the problem at hand.

Severus' hands slid down past Harry's waist, but Harry was already ready, prodding up eagerly into his hands. Ah, the young, how do they do it? He drew close and whispered in Harry's ear as he fondled him:

"Listen to me. I know you don't like to destroy…"

Harry started. Surely Harry didn't think that Severus Snape didn't know him, most intimately, by now? He was a cautious man. He studied people carefully before he brought them to his bed. As soon as he learned of Harry and Ron, he knew lack of options would likely lead Harry here. Though he hoped there was more to it than that. He feared probably not.

"Yes, I know…" he started to stroke Harry expertly, setting aside his own suddenly insistent pleasure to give all his attention to Harry -

"The Dark Magic… is like this, this passion…" Harry's breathing started to come raggedly, he was very close -

"You are so close to it, Harry…" Harry writhed slightly, he was very near the cusp -

"And then you do this - "

Snape let go.

"I don't know how you can bear it, Harry."

Harry raised up on his elbows, his pale chest rising and falling. Two green eyes blinked and stared at Snape in the twilight. Professor Snape tossed his hair. Strange, to be in this role of teacher, with your student's naked thigh pressed so temptingly against your own. But he saw the lesson sink in.

Perhaps an old murdering Death Eater could teach after all, Severus thought to himself. Wouldn't that be a miracle.

At their next class, Harry set the dainty glass unicorn on the rock. It blinked innocently up at him, nuzzling his hand a little and flicking its tail.

Harry backed away.

Then he gestured, recited the summoning incantation, and swung his wand as though he were throwing it:

"Novus Incendio!"

There was a brilliant blinding blaze of light, like a purple fireball, too bright to look at - they both flinched away in the same moment. Snape slowly dropped his hands. Harry stared, in dumbfounded shock.

The rock was badly blackened and damaged; the top looked like a cinder. All that was left of the little unicorn, was a thin piece of slag.

Severus leaped up and grabbed Harry in a vise-like hug, twirling him around and ruffling his hair. He was almost laughing - lecturing a mile a minute - emphatic and gesturing at various points, then he seized Harry again by both shoulders:

"You did it, Harry! You have it! I finally taught you. Dumbledore will have to start a Dark Arts class now! Makes me wonder if there's hope even for Longbottom… no, no, probably not - !" He gave Harry a firm kiss on the cheek and squeezed him again. "See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Let me get you something, anything you like!"

Harry didn't hear a word of it. He felt a little like he was in a dream. He wiped his nose and stared at that little bit of slag.

He missed that unicorn.

Finis. Next: 'Fools' Victory.'