Disclaimer: credit to JKR, I like Italics
Portrait living
By Tracev
So you want to play
Harry's plan for the next few days was simple, Avoid Snape at all cost.
Easier said then done, of course.
He had wanted to tell Dumbledore about Snape's behavior toward him but once the headmaster had started telling him different spells they were going to try to reverse the portrait spell, it just seemed pointless to worry the Headmaster more so. All he could do at this point was wait for this all to be over with…soon.
So he was back to avoiding Snape. It consisted of rising early, of avoiding the great hall for meals, which was easier then it seemed as most teachers ate in their rooms or had left for the holiday. Harry planned to nip down to the kitchen for breakfast or missed it all together.
Ron was gone before he woke each morning and returned well after he went to bed. Harry tried to help with the research but it was hard work. He wasn't sure how Ron, Mister Poe and Dumbledore were doing it. Other wizards and scholars would pop in to go over theories with Dumbledore but for one reason or another each idea was shot down.
Ron was putting a lot more energy then he ever did into his studies. Harry was impressed at the time he spent. Hermione would have been proud to see him working so hard. He had learned a lot about wedding portraits and what they really meant. While over all it wasn't bad, he would never be forced to have an intimate relationship, he would be forced to spend large amounts of time with Snape. If he gave in and let the relationship take that slight turn then they could go days or weeks with out having to see ones partner. But until that deed was done he would have to stand the mans presence. Harry realized at the end of day one of mission avoid Snape that he felt a little tingly due to lack of contact. Tingly he could live with but Poe had said the feeling would increase. While it would never fully force them it would force closeness.
The one bad side affect was that one would never have desire for another. Ever. His body wouldn't react to anyone else except Snapes. He couldn't even cheat on his husband and being sixteen it was very... well you understand sixteen, male, sexual peak, your right hand can't be your best friend for life.
Over all Harry was getting a little panicked as the end of the second day neared and they had no real lead.
Mrs. Norris seemed to be the another problem. She was following him around and Filch followed her around. She seemed to be constantly underfoot and Harry had on more then one occasion stepped on her tail. Harry was sure that if Filch had a wand he would have been hexed and strung up by his thumbs by now. But as it was he was pretty sure he would have multitudes of detentions once school was back in session. Harry did notice that Mrs. Norris did avoid Snape as well, she seemed to seek his company but never that of the potion master. Harry thought he understood that.
The first day of Snape avoiding had been easy as things went. The second day Harry had rose early but was still in the common room when Snape arrived, he wasn't carrying a breakfast tray this time but the folder from the travel agent.
He sat down on the common room sofa next to him, with out asking. Mrs. Norris was on the pillow at his feet, scratching and biting at him through his socks. He figured this was her way of playing but it did hurt a lot.
"Good morning Po… Harry," he opened the folder, "now I've been looking at the honeymoon brochures and I think the best is the Magic Mountain." he handed Harry the pamphlet. Harry took it automatically but didn't look at it. Snape was talking to him as if they hadn't missed a day together.
Why the hell was Snape so instant that the others wouldn't find a way out of this.
"We are not going on any honeymoon." the audacity of Snape to assume that Dumbledore and his best friend could not get him out of this. Even Mister Poe had contacts and was always popping off to somewhere to discuss matters with other Ministry officials.
Snape smiled at him, yellow tea stained teeth gleamed at him. "Such hope in them..." Snape took Harry's hand in his, "They won't succeed."
Harry started to grind his teeth, he knew that they would find a way out. They had to, he couldn't be stuck with this for the rest of his life.
A flash of something strange crossed Snapes face. The hidden smirk and what Harry thought was a sneer but had been stopped mid way from appearing on his face. Harry sat up looking at Snape really looking. Was he playing a game? Was he toying with him?
Harry suddenly felt very stupid. This had all been a joke. He understood very well what was happening. Snape would never give up that easily. The man had confidence in Dumbledore to get him out of this. He was just messing with him. Silly silly boy.
Harry was angry with himself for failing to see the cruel joke in this. Really this would be a classic Snape move.
Snape wanted to play games then he would play games.
"...That's fine...dear," that hurt, Harry could see why Snape always had that pained look on his face.
But Harry smiled up at him and didn't stop his own twisted smile from happening. If anyone had walked through the door at this moment and saw these twisted looks, they would have thought that they had been spending the day making faces at each other.
"Well, that's settled. I'll just send the owl off, shall I... Now I still have to go to the apothecary. So get ready." Snape started to put the papers back in the folder, "meet you outside in half hours time."
They parted ways.
Harry went upstairs to get ready, thoughts of Snape running in his mind. It seemed that Snape was going to play this little game out to its fullest extent. Well Harry was prepared. He brushed his hair and put on his best shirt and jeans. He was about to leave when he remembered that Ron had told him of a cologne charm in the book his brothers had given him for his birthday. He rummaged around Ron's trunk for the book, finding it he flipped the book open to a random page and the first spell was to make one smell like lavender. Harry wanted to look for a manlier scent but time was running out he cast it quickly and head out to meet Snape.
Snape was standing by the front door looking down at Mrs. Norris as she rubbed up against him purring. She slid back and forth across his legs, Snape looked as if he was going to kick her. Harry didn't know why he didn't pick up on this game earlier. He watched him a moment, greasy hair, yellow teeth, yellow overly pale fingers. Fingers that if this marriage wasn't resolved would touch him, Harry shuddered and know one else would ever touch him again.
Of course being 17 he wanted to be touched all over, and frequently.
He jumped the last two steps and quickly jumped down next to Snape slipping his hand in Snapes, "Ready."
If Snape was startled he didn't show it. They made small talk as they walked toward Hogsmeade holding hands, for Harry it was the awkwardness of talking to a professor as if one was courting, for Snape it was the awkwardness of rarely having to make small talk.
"Mrs. Norris really seems to like you".
"Yes, the Wedding portrait charm is just affecting her more."
"Why doesn't it affect us, in the same way."
"It will near the end of the week. She's just a animal it has different affects on her."
They were silent the remainder of the way, Snape dropped his hand as they neared the village. They visited the apothecary shop where Snape didn't buy a thing but spent nearly an hour talking to the clerk as Harry wandered the store.
Harry usually had a system when he came here, Honeydukes, joke shop, butterbeer, shrieking shack. He eliminated the shrieking shack since Sirius death, he just couldn't bare the sight of it anymore.
The joke shop didn't hold much interest anymore as Fred and George Weasley sent an endless supply of items now. Surprisingly Snape dragged him to Honeydukes then all the way to the back of the shop to a curtain that he had never seen before. As they slipped through they were in an impossibly small room with shelves of different treats.
Harry was pushed up against Snapes chest, with a hand around his waist. He tried not to push away the man invading his space as he squinted at the jars on the shelf reading the labels; Luscious licorice, No No sugar dough, paint brushes, what looked like small tins of edible body paint.
Harry blushed, squeaked, "What the hell is all this?" looking at the picture of two wizard friskily moving against one another on the packages. Another had a pair of witches eating Caramel off of each other's bodies.
Snape picked up a tin of Caramel body paint, "For our honeymoon night. I plan on painting your body, then devouring you." He let his tongue dart out and nip on Harry's earlobe. Letting his hand rest on the small of Harry's back then letting it dip down to cup his ass.
Harry almost broke the game then.
He wanted to shove Snape away, but instead, after regaining his composure he gave Snape what he hoped was a fetching look.
Snape touched his cheek then picked up a paintbrush to go with the Caramel tin and turned toward the check out counter. Harry stood there a moment then picked up a jar of strawberry vanilla creme and followed Snape out. Setting the jar on the counter next to Snape's he grinned up at the man.
Mr. Honeydukes looked then each over, Harry leaned into his professor grinning.
Snape smirked and paid. They spent the rest of the morning wandering the shops in a comfortable silence. Little bits were said here and there, they stopped for butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks, then headed back toward the castle.
As soon as Harry crossed through the gates he headed toward the castle and Dumbledore's office when Snape grabbed his hand.
"We're not done, I've arranged for lunch in the school gardens." he pointed toward the over grown garden.
Harry really wanted to go help in the research but he had to play the game.
He let Snape take his hand and guide him down the stone path. All the flowers were in bloom and magical looking dragonfly's darted about. Snape led him to a grassy knoll where a blanket was spread out and a picnic basket was sitting in the middle of it. Harry let himself be dragged over to the lunch and down onto the blanket. Snape opened the basket and pulled out wine and cheeses, pre cut fruits and bread with herb spread. Harry leaned back on several red and purple pillows that had been cast about.
He shut his eyes and tilted his face toward the sun. He opened them again as a shadow fell over him, only to see Snapes face inches from his own. A smile on his lips, dark eyes staring at him. Snape leaned over touching his cheek, Harry opened his mouth to protest but Snape swooped down on him clamping his mouth to his.
It was a soft kiss that deepen, Snape's tongue nipped at his bottom lip pulling on it. He tasted and savored Harry's mouth. As Snape pulled back he watched Harry's eyes, half shut, the little pink tongue of the boy darted out licking the taste of him from his lips.
"You smell like lavender" he whispered.
Harry smiled.
"Professor SNAPE," Dumbledore growled. The two sprang apart, he stood menacingly over then. Hands on his hips, "Harry return to the castle NOW."
TBC
