Author's Note:

I could never get used to opening up my ff.net account and seeing how many people have read and liked my writing. Thank you so much.

You might be wondering why it's been taking me so long to update. In case some of you have not guessed, I'm still in school, which means that yes, I do have standardized tests and I do have homework and I do have Amnesty International. However, I never stop writing! The main thing with my schedule is that now, with every chapter, I run it through my betas and I run it through my friends and then I post it. So there you go.

And lastly, thanks to my betas. You rock.

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England

by Galae

Lupin left. Again.

Severus failed to point the last one out before Dumbledore said, brightly, "Remus had just been appointed to a fine position as the Head of Inflicted Muggles for the Ministry of Magic. He was a wonderful Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, and his presence here will be sorely missed."

Lupin gave the rest of the professors a grateful smile as they murmured congratulations on his appointment as well as sadness over his leaving. Severus kept his head straight. He and Lupin never quite got along as well as Harry wished, but they had actually exchanged a few civil words (though, admittedly, mostly on Lupin's part). He wasn't distressed over Lupin's leaving, but still . . . he had been one of the few teachers who wasn't on Severus's black roll.

"Now, let us take a short break. We will continue the meeting in ten minutes." Dumbledore said.

Just as he was about to leave, Dumbledore called out, "Ah, yes. May I see you for a minute, Severus?"

He tried not to throttle the smirk off Hooch's face as he turned.

"Severus," Dumbledore said when the last teacher left, "I'm sure you know what would be the effect of Remus' decision."

"The DADA post is open?" Severus raised an expressive eyebrow. "Honestly, Albus, I am not that obtuse."

"I know. I was wondering if you mind that we should close it soon."

"Albus, I had stopped wanting the post years ago," Severus interrupted. "I would not mind if you appoint yet another idiot to teach."

"I'm glad I have your blessing, then," Dumbledore said, far too happily for Severus's liking.

He's onto something, Severus thought crossly as the rest of the teachers made their way back.

"Now, our subsequent topic is, naturally, the appointment of a new teacher to the Defense Against Dark Arts position." Only Dumbledore kept insisting on calling it by its full name. "I have received many suggestions, but after a few rounds of investigation I have found just one candidate. But this person is very eligible for the position, given his past and his endeavors." Dumbledore paused and looked at the row of stern teachers staring back at him. His blue eyes twinkled. "I formally nominate Mr. Harry James Potter to be our next Defense Against Dark Arts professor."

All of the sudden the room exploded. And then it silenced. Because Severus had stared stonily at Dumbledore and said, frankly, "I truly believe that you are joking."

"Oh, Severus," said a very exasperated McGonagall. "I know that you were at great odds with the boy, but he's no longer your student and even you have to admit that he has all the qualifications, and then some."

"That is not the point!" Severus snapped, whirling around. "The point is that Dumbledore cannot appoint Harry Potter to be our next DADA teacher."

"And why can't we, Severus?" Dumbledore looked at him through his spectacles.

"Because—because—it wouldn't work!" Severus cried frantically.

"Severus, as long as you're not sabotaging his classes, Harry would do fine!" Hooch called out.

The bitch.

Dumbledore looked at her, and then back at Severus. "Harry would make an excellent addition to this staff. His sense of humor, his vivacity, and his talents would all contribute greatly to Hogwarts. Severus, I am sure that you are going to get along well? You seemed to have been doing well the last couple of weeks."

The bastard. Severus said nothing, only glared.

"Thank you. Is the Hogwarts faculty in unanimous agreement over the appointment of Harry Potter to the Defense Against Dark Arts position?"

One by one they stood up and said, "Aye." The rest of the staff arranged themselves for bargaining as Severus pushed himself up.

But they never quite got to it. Because in a pained voice, Severus said, "Aye."

That was the first time in many, many years that Hogwarts was able to conclude an appointment meeting as quickly as that one.

~*~*~

As promised—all right, as warned—Harry owled Severus three times a week after school ended. They had been at the bargaining table for a long time over that frequency. Harry wanted to be able to owl Severus as much as he wanted, but Severus argued that it would seem strange for the faculty to see Harry Potter's snowy white flying into Severus's window too often. Severus finally agreed to three, and Harry promised to send the inconspicuous brown owls at the post.

But this was the fourth time that an owl tapped at his window that week, and Severus knew that it wasn't from the Daily Prophet.

Sure enough, Harry's untidy writing shone on the parchment.

"Severus,

I got the news yesterday. Dumbledore sent me an owl. I am so excited. Teaching! At Hogwarts!

I expected Dumbledore to say that you had a hard time with the appointment. But he actually added (on another slip of paper, naturally) that you were unusually quiet. I flatter myself in thinking that it was because it's me.

I suppose I'll be seeing you soon, then! Merlin, next year is going to be quite a year. You and me, teaching at Hogwarts together. I suppose there'll be no excuse to avoid me then, hmm?

I shall see you at the staff meeting in July, then. Good bye!

Harry."

Severus sighed, sat down and composed his own obligatory letter:

"Dear Harry,

I would consider next year a miracle if you do not flatten Hogwarts . . ."

~*~*~

The main problem, Harry thought, with his relationship with Severus was that he could never be sure of who he can tell.

Take Ron, for example. Harry even had a hard time deciding when to tell Ron. Ron, who was practically his second half; Ron, who was always there, helping him in his fights and dangers; Ron, who knew that he owned exactly seven-and-a-half pairs of socks, one of them being fuchsia, but Severus was more than anything Harry had ever told him. For all he knew, Ron could have puked. What normal teenager wants to hear that their best friend was entangled with his most despised teacher?

Still Harry told Ron the week before graduation—him and Hermione both, because he knew Hermione's cool logic would resuscitate Ron, and Ron did act like a fish out of the water. Hermione sighed, whacked him a few times on the back, and said, "Honestly, Ron, your dramatic ability should have put you into the Royal Shakespearean!" Then she turned to Harry and said, "Have you gone insane?"

"I don't think so," Harry said cheerfully, enjoying the scene more than he thought he would. "In fact, I feel saner than I've ever been."

This caused more choking on Ron's behalf. Harry seriously wondered if the twins had put some kind of a spell on him.

"Ron? Besides dying on me, can I please get a response?"

"Out of all the people, why him?" Ron demanded, wheezing. "It's bad enough picking a Hogwarts teacher, but Snape!"

"So I suppose it would have been much better if I tried to shag McGonagall?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes," said Ron, simultaneously as Hermione said, "NO!"

"At least McGonagall's a Gryffindor," Ron pointed out.

"Is that all there is?" Harry asked. "Houses? Honestly, Ron, I thought that at seventeen house rivalries don't matter that much anymore."

"It's not just that." Ron shook his head vigorously. "For one thing, he's, like, almost forty. He's a greasy git, and he was a Death Eater. Hardly who I thought you'd end up with, Harry."

Harry bit back an ungrateful "Well, you're not planning my life!" Instead he said, "I don't know. For something that you think is so wrong, it felt so right."

That quieted him. Ron closed his mouth.

Harry sighed and turned to Hermione. "Well? What do you think?"

"After the initial 'I-think-you-need-to-go-to-St.-Mungo's'?" Hermione inquired with a smile. "Well, honestly, Harry, if you're happy, I have nothing against it. Snape is really under appreciated. When we were young, it was really difficult to look over his carps and barbs, but now, I don't know, I have developed some kind of admiration for him. He's a very intelligent man, and don't forget all he did for Dumbledore. Gosh, I don't even know if I could have done it, risking my life everyday to be a double agent."

"So you . . . support me?" An euphoric grin crept over Harry's face.

"Yes. However strange it might sound, yes, I support whatever you have with Professor Snape. But." Oh no, there's the 'but.' "After the whole compatibility thing, you do realize how many rules you are breaking? Nowhere in any of Hogwarts rules does it say that it is allowed for a teacher and a student to fraternize."

Harry groaned. "We're not 'fraternizing.' Seriously, I would be thanking my lucky stars if I had gotten half as far as you and Ron had—" A serious blushing session for both of them. "—But Se—Snape, he didn't allow it."

"You mean, you've never thought about it?" Hermione asked cautiously. Ron was still red to the tips of his hair.

"Oh, Merlin, of course I've thought about it. Some days, I've just wanted to shag him in the worst possible way, but we never did anything. Well, beyond an occasional snog." Ron, who just recovered, paled and started choking again. "Se—Snape has something about celibacy. He wants to keep the whole thing . . . appropriate . . . until I graduated and we had a serious relationship." Harry made a face. "But he never quite told me how we're going to know we have a serious relationship."

Hermione looked like she wasn't sure that 'an occasional snog' was in the school rules as well, but she didn't say it. Instead, she said, "We-ll, as long as he's not doing anything to . . . hurt you . . ."

Harry was aghast. "He isn't! God, I can't even imagine that he could! You don't understand, the Death Eater thing, it scared him. He would never . . ."

"Well." At least Ron was breathing again. "Um, I guess, I guess—what Hermione said. You know. I support you if you're totally happy with him. But if he ever does anything, tell him—tell him I'd send Fred 'n George after him!"

Harry smiled.

~*~*~

It was the first time he had seen him for over . . . two months. Granted, Harry had sent him photos now and then with the correspondence, but his fingers still gave a little twitch. Harry smiled at him with his eyes. Severus swallowed and saw Albus looking at him with a benign look. This was not going to be an easy year.

Despite the fact that Poppy and Minerva sat between them, Severus was very well aware of Harry's presence. He could sense his every movement, every smile, every nod. It was insane, completely insane, but . . .

"Is there anything else someone would like to say?"

Severus's head jerked up. Of course. He had been so busy focusing on not focusing on Harry that he missed the entire meeting. Oh well. He could always force it out of Minerva later.

What was happening to him?

"Then I shall conclude this meeting. Be aware that school opens in seven days." (Severus privately thought 'beware' might have been more fitting). "Don't forget that we have a little opening party Friday night. If anyone has any concerns, feel free to come up to my office. The password for this month is 'Cinnamon.'"

"Cinnamon?" Severus repeated.

Dumbledore winked. "Far better for my health than, say, lemon drops, don't you think? I am quite convinced that if I say it often enough, I shall be spared a reprimand next time I visit Poppy."

As the rest of the teachers shuffled out, Severus took an amazing amount of time to get his parchments and inkwells in order. He finally stood up, well aware of the young figure at his back as he walked out.

"Well?" Harry said.

Severus continued to stride. "Not here, Harry." He reached his office and unlocked it.

For the first time that day, he was able to get a good look at him. Harry had grown little over the summer—he was past his growth spurt ages. But his skin was more golden, eyes brighter, mouth set in a merrier line. Despite it all, though, Harry looked more like the man he was.

"Well?" Harry repeated. "Did you miss me?"

"How could I, with your owls tapping at my window every five seconds?"

"I missed that tongue," Harry murmured, taking a step closer and wrapping his arms around Severus. "In more ways than one."

And then those full lips were on his, mouth parting with familiarity, tongues meeting again in slow re-acquaintance. Severus didn't need to say anything. As Harry's tongue dove in and out of his mouth, dancing around his, eliciting unconscious tremors up and down his spine, there were no words that needed to be said.

"You're a fast worker," Severus said when they parted.

"Only when I care to be," answered Harry.

Severus gestured towards the armchairs. "As much as I'd love to continue this session, we have a few things to talk about."

Harry nodded and sat down, eyes never leaving Severus's face. "Like the next year?"

"Yes. Do you intend on continuing this relationship for that long?"

He was serious. And Harry was serious too when he answered, "I want to continue this relationship for as long as I can."

"That might be quite a while, Harry," Severus observed. It was neither sappy nor biting. Just truthful.

Harry shifted in his chair. "That is what I'm hoping for."

Severus smiled. Harry had long been able to discern the of-course smile that he gives Draco and his cohorts and the genuine smile that so few people see. "I am glad to hear that. So what do you suppose we should do about the students?"

"I thought about that," said Harry, slowly. "I was thinking that we should probably try to keep it quiet. Until it is necessary to make the announcement."

Severus winced a little at "announcement," but he said, "That was my thought as well. It wouldn't do for my image to be thought of as dating a fellow teacher."

"If that's what you're worried about, think about my Gryffindors!" Harry said, laughing.

"Yes. Not mentioning the Slytherins. We are an odd match, aren't we?"

Harry leaned over and clasped his hand. "Not at all."

"Hmm. I suppose I do love you."

"I love you too."

~*~*~

School started with no great mishaps. Severus was thanking his lucky stars. The new students were sorted into their respective Houses, and then they ate. The smaller kids did stare often at their new DADA teacher in awe, though.

Teaching was a lot harder than Harry had expected. Granted, they get generous breaks, but he often stayed up very late at night to grade papers. He found himself running on coffee and sugar. Sometimes, Harry would sleep through breakfast, until a very stern-looking Severus unlocked all his doors and woke him up.

Now he knew why Severus acted so during his classes. It takes a great deal of patience not to act like that.

There was, for example, a Hufflepuff named Socrates Endwood, who, unfortunately, failed miserably to live up to his name. He was the inevitable Neville Longbottom of his class. After the first Hufflepuff-Slytherin double DADA, in which Sock blew up his desk, Harry moved all his more delicate materials into another room.

He assigned his first detention on Thursday, to Peggy Thompson, a coquettish little fourth-year who had a predilection for making eyes at boys throughout the class. His main exasperation was that the boys cast glances back. It was utterly distracting and infuriating. After a moment of pensiveness, he decided not to assign detentions to anyone else, lest Peggy get the idea that detentions are a way to be alone with her partners in crime.

But what Harry failed to notice was that he sat next to Severus at almost all the functions, and then they had a habit of talking quietly amongst themselves at mealtime and Quidditch games. All he knew was that one day he was browsing through the Faculty Only section of the library and heard a couple of Ravenclaws chatting.

It was a high-pitched squeal that caught his attention. Then a decidedly feminine voice saying, "Jack, you can't think so! That is simply ghastly. Potter . . . and Snape?"

"How could anyone like Snape? He's an utter git," said another.

"I'm telling you, I see them together all the time," Jack insisted. "They sit together. They walk down the halls together. Sometimes Potter even goes to Snape's office at night. I saw him go in one day. I'm telling you, Athene, there's something going on."

"He could have needed a potion or something," said Athene reproachfully.

"At ten o'clock at night? Potter didn't go to Snape's office office. He went to his private office. The one that only Slytherins are supposed to know about. Now how would Potter know about where it was?"

That was enough. Harry walked back to his classroom to prepare for his next class. His heart was pounding rapidly. So. Some of the students had thought about it . . . But who had noticed? And what are they saying? The boy, Jack Bassett, was a bright and well-liked lad. If he believed . . .

Thank God his next class was Gryffindor-Hufflepuff seventh-years. Colin was in that class. He would ask Colin.

End Chapter 2.

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As usual, anything pertaining to the word "review" is rapturously received.

(I'm working on my Verbal. Give me a break.)

P.S. I sensed some humanities majors in the reviews for Chapter 1. The truth is that I love history, it's the only thing I'm good at, but my teacher just gave a bomb of a test. Half the class failed and the highest grade was a 71.