The Snake and the Lion
"Potter."
Sighing, Harry side-stepped the crowd of students filing out of the Potions classroom behind him and walked back towards Snape. The professor was standing behind his desk, scowling at the curious pupils who dared to try and linger in the hopes of hearing what Snape wanted to say to Harry.
"Go to your next lesson you two. Potter will catch up with you in a few moments."
Harry glanced quickly at Hermione and Ron, who were frowning uncertainly at them from the doorway. Reluctantly, they left, escaping Snape's harsh glare. As soon as they were gone, Snape leaned forward over his desk, bracing his hands on either side of a pile of essays.
"Potter," he began, pausing slightly before continuing in a low almost inaudible voice, "you are not and never will be my favourite pupil. However, because of the...nature of your relationship with Draco, I want you to do something for me. For myself and for you really."
Harry frowned, his lips pressing tightly together as his right hand twitched slightly. He didn't like where this was going, and dreaded to think what Snape wanted him to do.
"Draco has, I believe, never told anyone in Slytherin when his birthday is, but I feel that you should know."
After blinking a few times, Harry's face eventually relaxed, allowing the colour to return to his lips. "Sir?"
Snape rolled his eyes and straightened up, folding his arms across his chest.
"Yes Potter, I am on referring to his birthday. Has he told you when it is?"
"No." Harry muttered sourly, watching the smirk grow on Snape's face.
"Well, Potter, aren't you glad I decided to warn you a week in advance?"
"A week?"
"Yes, Tuesday to be exact."
The professor's smirk grew even more, threatening to show some teeth, as Harry floundered for a few seconds.
"Why are you telling me, though?" he finally asked.
"Unfortunately, his parents do not pay very much attention to him normally, and hardly notice him even when it is his birthday."
Snape's tone was filled with bitterness towards Draco's parents, and Harry was glad that the Slytherin had a fatherly figure of some description, even if it was this particular man.
"I know that you care about him. And for once, I want someone to show him that he is not forgotten on such an important day."
Snape saw the look of determination in Potter's eyes, happy to see the boy nod once sharply in understanding. There was an odd connection between them both, and it was all because of their feelings towards one Draco Malfoy.
"Of course."
"Good. Now you'd better go before anyone misses you."
"Thank you, sir," Harry replied, as he turned and hastily left.
Snape shook his head in amazement as he thought back on the past seven months.
"Just look after him when I can't," he muttered under his breath with a sigh.
~*~
"What did Snape want?" Ron hissed, as Harry slid into the chair beside him.
"Hm? Oh, he just wanted to warn me about future detentions if I don't concentrate properly in class," Harry replied quietly.
Ron frowned, but turned his attention back to the front of the class where McGonagall was talking about their homework again, after being interrupted by Harry a few seconds before.
~*~
"Harry?"
Looking up from his homework, Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at his best friend.
"Fancy a game of chess when you're done?" Ron asked, smiling and gesturing towards the board that was all set for a game nearby.
Harry quickly checked his watch and smiled apologetically in return.
"I'm really sorry Ron, but I've gotta go in ten minutes."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, sorry."
He couldn't help but feel guilty. All week he'd been distracted, and his friends had no idea why. He knew that it would all be worth it in the end though.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. It's just really important."
"Alright, I understand. But where are you going?"
Harry blushed slightly, causing Ron to grin and lean forward, winking.
"Won't say a thing."
Laughing, Ron wandered off in search of someone else to drag into a game of wizarding chess, Harry continued writing out his homework. Every now and then, he cast furtive glances at his watch, until finally it was time for him to put his things away and leave.
Smiling in anticipation, he made his way down to the lake, fighting the urge to grin as the butterflies in his stomach made his body tingle all over. Seeing the solitary figure standing before the lake, he allowed the grin to surface and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist from behind, hugging him close.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Draco replied, smiling slightly as he saw Harry's grin from the corner of his eye. "Miss me?"
Tightening his hold on the blonde Slytherin, Harry snorted at the teasing tone and turned his head to nibble on a tempting ear-lobe.
"Always," he whispered, feeling a shiver run through Draco.
Twisting around in Harry's embrace, Draco draped his arms gracefully over the Gryffindor's shoulders and leaned against him, their lips a hair's breadth away. Pressed up close together, they closed their eyes and locked out the rest of the world.
"Tease."
At Draco's playful mumble, Harry sealed their lips together and felt the familiar jolt run through him, leaving him light-headed and warm. Deepening the kiss, Draco rubbed his hand along the back of Harry's neck, stroking the skin sensually. They finally pulled away slightly when the need for oxygen outweighed the need to continue the kiss.
"Oh, and happy birthday," Harry breathed, a lopsided grin on his face.
Draco blinked once, twice, in shock.
"How did you find out?"
"Snape told me. He wants me to make sure you know that people care and want to see you happy."
"Typical." Draco couldn't help but smile though. It was nice to know he was cared for.
"So! Let's do this."
Unable to prevent himself from grinning, Harry stepped back slightly as Draco blinked again in confusion.
"I think you had better explain to me what's happening before we go any further. You're a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors tend to do stupid things after all."
Rolling his eyes and sitting on the ground cross-legged, Harry tugged on Draco's robes and pulled him down beside him. Not resisting in the slightest, Draco was soon staring across the lake along with Harry, who was leaning back on his hands.
"Well, I suppose that's true. I'm dating you, after all, aren't I? So I can't really argue with you there"
Grinning as Draco swatted him playfully around the back of his head, Harry shuffled closer to the blonde's side.
"You never know when you're onto a good thing, do you Harry?" Draco quipped. "You're as blind as a bat, even with those daft glasses of yours."
Letting a mock-hurt expression play across his features, Harry gasped. "That hurt, it really did."
Snorting slightly, Draco leaned his elbows on his knees. "Oh boy, I really picked a good one when I chose you."
"When you chose me?" Harry said indignantly. "I saw the way you were following me everywhere with your puppy dog eyes. I'll have you know this is a sympathy thing."
"Noble Harry Potter, always thinking of others in his quest to save the world from all evil."
"Oh God, the sarcasm gets worse every day," Harry groaned, shaking his head sorrowfully.
Smirking, Draco turned to face him. "And you love me for it."
Harry paused to gaze at the sky, as if deep in thought, before nodding his head sagely. "Yep. Even love you for that."
"Good." Draco smiled and looked back at the lake.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Harry leaned forward and put his hand on Draco's knee.
"But seriously now," Harry said as Draco turned to face him, "I've got you something for your birthday."
"Really?"
Harry carefully reached into his pocket and drew out a small gift-wrapped box. Holding it nervously in his hand for a second, he handed it over to Draco who turned it over a few times. As Harry watched him, cautiously awaiting the response he was going to get, Draco found a corner and gingerly ripped off the emerald coloured paper.
The box was beautiful; soft green velvet, the colour and texture disguising the box's strong and sturdy structure beneath. It had to be jewellery, that was all it could be. Feeling Harry's fingers lock their grip on his knee without the other realising, Draco opened the box and felt his expression soften. Nestled on soft, navy silk were two rings, a chain threaded through each. They were both simple silver chains, and simple silver bands. But when the evening sunlight fell across them, they seemed to have a golden glint to them.
Turning to Harry, he smiled at him and put his head to one side.
"You know I don't really go for the mushy, lovey-dovey things but...thanks, this all means a lot to me, and I love you. Amazing how much has happened between us...." He then smirked. "There you go. Sap quota met for the next month."
Harry just grinned in reply and pulled something else from his pocket.
"I also got something else. Add a bit of personality to these." He gestured towards the chains, and handed a small brown package to Draco.
It was thin and small, about the size of dog tags that Harry remembered from a Muggle film he had seen once with Hermione, and an awe-struck Ron. Placing the box with their chains in his lap, Draco carefully unwrapped the brown paper bag and pulled out two white plates of metal. His breath caught as he gazed at the designs.
One had a green and silver snake, amber eyes glittering in the light, curled up around itself. Its tongue flickered out every now and then, tasting the air. He watched, fascinated as the snake unwound slightly and glanced between the two strangers before it. The second had a beautiful lion with a proud golden mane, sprawled on its back. Its tail was twitching as it dreamed, face turned away from Draco as it slept.
"Wow, the detail is amazing. They're so real."
"Here."
Smiling happily, Harry took the box from Draco's lap and removed one of the chains. Undoing the clasp, he reached across with one hand and gently took the plate with the sleeping lion from Draco's hand and slowly slid it along the chain to rest alongside the ring. He then closed the clasp and let it hang from Draco's neck. Draco glanced down at it, feeling the light and comforting weight against his chest.
Taking the other chain and the snake charm, Harry managed to thread it on next to the ring before pale hands carefully tugged it from his own. Draco leaned closer and put the chain around Harry's neck. Gazing into Draco's eyes Harry couldn't help but smile at the open expression, loving the fact that Draco trusted him enough to let his guard down around him like that.
"The snake and the lion are just symbols of how we can sort of have a part of each other with us, even if it is just the house mascot image. And the rings...they're just to say 'I'm taken', and maybe in a few years if we're still together we can wear them for real...."
"I like this possessive streak of yours," Draco replied, grinning wickedly at Harry. "I never really liked sharing much anyway."
"Spoilt brat," Harry teased.
"Stupid Gryffindor."
"Insufferable git."
"Impossible sod."
Harry paused and winked. "Adorable cutie."
"Adorable cutie?!" Draco repeated, face flushing as his eyes flashed silver. "I draw the line way before that! Take it back, or suffer the consequences."
"Nope."
Grinning, Harry made no attempt to stop Draco as he was pushed onto his back, with the indignant Slytherin straddling his hips. Draco's forearms were braced either side of Harry's face, leaving them nose to nose. Draco's chain tangled with Harry's beneath him, the rings side by side together with the snake and the lion.
"You'll suffer for that, you know." Draco declared before claiming Harry's lips in a bruising kiss.
And suffer he did.
* * End * *
"Potter."
Sighing, Harry side-stepped the crowd of students filing out of the Potions classroom behind him and walked back towards Snape. The professor was standing behind his desk, scowling at the curious pupils who dared to try and linger in the hopes of hearing what Snape wanted to say to Harry.
"Go to your next lesson you two. Potter will catch up with you in a few moments."
Harry glanced quickly at Hermione and Ron, who were frowning uncertainly at them from the doorway. Reluctantly, they left, escaping Snape's harsh glare. As soon as they were gone, Snape leaned forward over his desk, bracing his hands on either side of a pile of essays.
"Potter," he began, pausing slightly before continuing in a low almost inaudible voice, "you are not and never will be my favourite pupil. However, because of the...nature of your relationship with Draco, I want you to do something for me. For myself and for you really."
Harry frowned, his lips pressing tightly together as his right hand twitched slightly. He didn't like where this was going, and dreaded to think what Snape wanted him to do.
"Draco has, I believe, never told anyone in Slytherin when his birthday is, but I feel that you should know."
After blinking a few times, Harry's face eventually relaxed, allowing the colour to return to his lips. "Sir?"
Snape rolled his eyes and straightened up, folding his arms across his chest.
"Yes Potter, I am on referring to his birthday. Has he told you when it is?"
"No." Harry muttered sourly, watching the smirk grow on Snape's face.
"Well, Potter, aren't you glad I decided to warn you a week in advance?"
"A week?"
"Yes, Tuesday to be exact."
The professor's smirk grew even more, threatening to show some teeth, as Harry floundered for a few seconds.
"Why are you telling me, though?" he finally asked.
"Unfortunately, his parents do not pay very much attention to him normally, and hardly notice him even when it is his birthday."
Snape's tone was filled with bitterness towards Draco's parents, and Harry was glad that the Slytherin had a fatherly figure of some description, even if it was this particular man.
"I know that you care about him. And for once, I want someone to show him that he is not forgotten on such an important day."
Snape saw the look of determination in Potter's eyes, happy to see the boy nod once sharply in understanding. There was an odd connection between them both, and it was all because of their feelings towards one Draco Malfoy.
"Of course."
"Good. Now you'd better go before anyone misses you."
"Thank you, sir," Harry replied, as he turned and hastily left.
Snape shook his head in amazement as he thought back on the past seven months.
"Just look after him when I can't," he muttered under his breath with a sigh.
~*~
"What did Snape want?" Ron hissed, as Harry slid into the chair beside him.
"Hm? Oh, he just wanted to warn me about future detentions if I don't concentrate properly in class," Harry replied quietly.
Ron frowned, but turned his attention back to the front of the class where McGonagall was talking about their homework again, after being interrupted by Harry a few seconds before.
~*~
"Harry?"
Looking up from his homework, Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at his best friend.
"Fancy a game of chess when you're done?" Ron asked, smiling and gesturing towards the board that was all set for a game nearby.
Harry quickly checked his watch and smiled apologetically in return.
"I'm really sorry Ron, but I've gotta go in ten minutes."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, sorry."
He couldn't help but feel guilty. All week he'd been distracted, and his friends had no idea why. He knew that it would all be worth it in the end though.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. It's just really important."
"Alright, I understand. But where are you going?"
Harry blushed slightly, causing Ron to grin and lean forward, winking.
"Won't say a thing."
Laughing, Ron wandered off in search of someone else to drag into a game of wizarding chess, Harry continued writing out his homework. Every now and then, he cast furtive glances at his watch, until finally it was time for him to put his things away and leave.
Smiling in anticipation, he made his way down to the lake, fighting the urge to grin as the butterflies in his stomach made his body tingle all over. Seeing the solitary figure standing before the lake, he allowed the grin to surface and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist from behind, hugging him close.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Draco replied, smiling slightly as he saw Harry's grin from the corner of his eye. "Miss me?"
Tightening his hold on the blonde Slytherin, Harry snorted at the teasing tone and turned his head to nibble on a tempting ear-lobe.
"Always," he whispered, feeling a shiver run through Draco.
Twisting around in Harry's embrace, Draco draped his arms gracefully over the Gryffindor's shoulders and leaned against him, their lips a hair's breadth away. Pressed up close together, they closed their eyes and locked out the rest of the world.
"Tease."
At Draco's playful mumble, Harry sealed their lips together and felt the familiar jolt run through him, leaving him light-headed and warm. Deepening the kiss, Draco rubbed his hand along the back of Harry's neck, stroking the skin sensually. They finally pulled away slightly when the need for oxygen outweighed the need to continue the kiss.
"Oh, and happy birthday," Harry breathed, a lopsided grin on his face.
Draco blinked once, twice, in shock.
"How did you find out?"
"Snape told me. He wants me to make sure you know that people care and want to see you happy."
"Typical." Draco couldn't help but smile though. It was nice to know he was cared for.
"So! Let's do this."
Unable to prevent himself from grinning, Harry stepped back slightly as Draco blinked again in confusion.
"I think you had better explain to me what's happening before we go any further. You're a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors tend to do stupid things after all."
Rolling his eyes and sitting on the ground cross-legged, Harry tugged on Draco's robes and pulled him down beside him. Not resisting in the slightest, Draco was soon staring across the lake along with Harry, who was leaning back on his hands.
"Well, I suppose that's true. I'm dating you, after all, aren't I? So I can't really argue with you there"
Grinning as Draco swatted him playfully around the back of his head, Harry shuffled closer to the blonde's side.
"You never know when you're onto a good thing, do you Harry?" Draco quipped. "You're as blind as a bat, even with those daft glasses of yours."
Letting a mock-hurt expression play across his features, Harry gasped. "That hurt, it really did."
Snorting slightly, Draco leaned his elbows on his knees. "Oh boy, I really picked a good one when I chose you."
"When you chose me?" Harry said indignantly. "I saw the way you were following me everywhere with your puppy dog eyes. I'll have you know this is a sympathy thing."
"Noble Harry Potter, always thinking of others in his quest to save the world from all evil."
"Oh God, the sarcasm gets worse every day," Harry groaned, shaking his head sorrowfully.
Smirking, Draco turned to face him. "And you love me for it."
Harry paused to gaze at the sky, as if deep in thought, before nodding his head sagely. "Yep. Even love you for that."
"Good." Draco smiled and looked back at the lake.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Harry leaned forward and put his hand on Draco's knee.
"But seriously now," Harry said as Draco turned to face him, "I've got you something for your birthday."
"Really?"
Harry carefully reached into his pocket and drew out a small gift-wrapped box. Holding it nervously in his hand for a second, he handed it over to Draco who turned it over a few times. As Harry watched him, cautiously awaiting the response he was going to get, Draco found a corner and gingerly ripped off the emerald coloured paper.
The box was beautiful; soft green velvet, the colour and texture disguising the box's strong and sturdy structure beneath. It had to be jewellery, that was all it could be. Feeling Harry's fingers lock their grip on his knee without the other realising, Draco opened the box and felt his expression soften. Nestled on soft, navy silk were two rings, a chain threaded through each. They were both simple silver chains, and simple silver bands. But when the evening sunlight fell across them, they seemed to have a golden glint to them.
Turning to Harry, he smiled at him and put his head to one side.
"You know I don't really go for the mushy, lovey-dovey things but...thanks, this all means a lot to me, and I love you. Amazing how much has happened between us...." He then smirked. "There you go. Sap quota met for the next month."
Harry just grinned in reply and pulled something else from his pocket.
"I also got something else. Add a bit of personality to these." He gestured towards the chains, and handed a small brown package to Draco.
It was thin and small, about the size of dog tags that Harry remembered from a Muggle film he had seen once with Hermione, and an awe-struck Ron. Placing the box with their chains in his lap, Draco carefully unwrapped the brown paper bag and pulled out two white plates of metal. His breath caught as he gazed at the designs.
One had a green and silver snake, amber eyes glittering in the light, curled up around itself. Its tongue flickered out every now and then, tasting the air. He watched, fascinated as the snake unwound slightly and glanced between the two strangers before it. The second had a beautiful lion with a proud golden mane, sprawled on its back. Its tail was twitching as it dreamed, face turned away from Draco as it slept.
"Wow, the detail is amazing. They're so real."
"Here."
Smiling happily, Harry took the box from Draco's lap and removed one of the chains. Undoing the clasp, he reached across with one hand and gently took the plate with the sleeping lion from Draco's hand and slowly slid it along the chain to rest alongside the ring. He then closed the clasp and let it hang from Draco's neck. Draco glanced down at it, feeling the light and comforting weight against his chest.
Taking the other chain and the snake charm, Harry managed to thread it on next to the ring before pale hands carefully tugged it from his own. Draco leaned closer and put the chain around Harry's neck. Gazing into Draco's eyes Harry couldn't help but smile at the open expression, loving the fact that Draco trusted him enough to let his guard down around him like that.
"The snake and the lion are just symbols of how we can sort of have a part of each other with us, even if it is just the house mascot image. And the rings...they're just to say 'I'm taken', and maybe in a few years if we're still together we can wear them for real...."
"I like this possessive streak of yours," Draco replied, grinning wickedly at Harry. "I never really liked sharing much anyway."
"Spoilt brat," Harry teased.
"Stupid Gryffindor."
"Insufferable git."
"Impossible sod."
Harry paused and winked. "Adorable cutie."
"Adorable cutie?!" Draco repeated, face flushing as his eyes flashed silver. "I draw the line way before that! Take it back, or suffer the consequences."
"Nope."
Grinning, Harry made no attempt to stop Draco as he was pushed onto his back, with the indignant Slytherin straddling his hips. Draco's forearms were braced either side of Harry's face, leaving them nose to nose. Draco's chain tangled with Harry's beneath him, the rings side by side together with the snake and the lion.
"You'll suffer for that, you know." Draco declared before claiming Harry's lips in a bruising kiss.
And suffer he did.
* * End * *