Friendship and Beyond 29/?

Rated: R contains mentions of rape and torture, although not actual scenes. Possible HP/SS in later chapters, also HG/RW.

Authors Notes: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, that would be JKR. Subject matter not for children, although nothing too graphic, but be careful when reading just to be on the safe side.

Support of Friends

The warm feeling of security and comfort left Harry abruptly as he watched Severus stalk out of his quarters closing the door solidly behind him. Harry never noticed the abnormality of feeling happy and secure in Snape's presence until he had left.

It was only as Harry stood alone in Snape's living room that he realized the novelty of feeling content, something that was sorely lacking the last month or so. The only time he had felt as comfortable with anyone, let alone as unguarded as he had obviously been to not notice his own state of mind, was in the company of Ron and Hermione.

With them he didn't need to put up a front, they had seen him warts and all and loved him still. While he wouldn't categorize the feelings between himself and Severus as loving, there was a hint of caring underneath the familiar banter and insults between the two recently.

Harry thought about the change in his feelings for Severus and thanked god that nobody was around to witness the revelation. He didn't think he could particularly explain the dark blush that covered his whole body, nor the obvious physical reaction, let alone the embarrassed smile, especially since he was sitting alone on his potion professor's coach. Laughing nervously Harry checked to make sure there weren't any unexpected intruders, before snorting at his own flight of fancy.

[Somehow I doubt that Severus is plagued by the warm fuzzy feelings I am. He left so quick I thought his bloody arse was afire. Who am I kidding, I nearly had two separate panic attacks just this morning, if he was still here, or god forbid interested in me at all, I would be liable to run screaming from the room. Not that he would even look twice at me, scrawny as I am.]

Harry sighed in exasperation at his traitorous thoughts, idle hugging a sofa pillow that smelled distinctly of wormwood. [It's not like I would know what to do with the man if he was at all amendable to the idea anyways. Which he isn't. He practically ran away in disgust after all.]

Harry was pulled from his thought by the chiming of Snape's mantelpiece clock. He noticed with a snort that it was pointed at 'Time to get your broody arse up and start another scintillating day.' [I guess it is at that.] He got up reluctantly, before gathering his outer robes and cloak.

Glancing around one last time to memorize the homey environment, because Harry very much doubted that Snape would ever let him enter his private room again after his professor's panicked reaction earlier, Harry put out the fire with a quick flick of his wand causing the interior to fall into unsettling darkness. He was unable to force himself to look around as the darkness closed in around him, rather he left without a backward glance, keeping the softly lit sitting room in his mind's eye for comfort.

After the door closed behind him and the locking charms were automatically reset, Harry let out a breath and turned around. He lightly placed his hand against the wooden door, uncovered by the usually portrait which was still opened. His hand curled slightly as he felt the familiar magical signature incorporated into Severus' wards. Even his magic was biting, so Harry still didn't understand the sense of peace he got simply by basking in Severus' magical aura. He understood even less why he was becoming secretly amused and entertained by the depreciatory bastard's caustic remarks. When Harry stepped back from Snape's wards he felt several degrees colder in comparison and quickly turned away from his newly-found safe haven.

As soon as he entered the Slytherin dormitory he was beset by his two worried friends, who manhandled him up the stairs and into their room. He felt a bit guilty seeing his friends faces as they stood before him imperiously glaring at him.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Ron growled furiously.

"I-" Harry began only to be interrupted.

"When I woke up to find you missing I thought you'd been kidnapped or something." Ron continued , running his hands sharply through his hair in frustration.

"I'm so-"

"I can't believe you would act so irresponsibly." Hermione snapped cutting him off once again. "You didn't leave a note or anything."

"I know I-" Harry answered softly, looking quite cowed by their outrage.

"How the bloody hell are we supposed to look out for you if we have no clue where you are?"

"You should know better than to sneak off into the middle of the night, Harry." Hermione admonished sternly.

"I slept with Snape!" Harry screamed in exasperation over his friends continued screeching. Harry watching in fear as his friends quieted instantly and goggled at him in patented disbelief.

"You did what?" Ron yelled, looking as if Harry had two heads and one of them was Voldemort.

"I slept with Snape." Harry stated a little softer this time, watching his friends' faces in concern. When they still hadn't responded after a few minutes of strained silence Harry lowered his head in defeat, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Hermione and Ron shared a look over Harry's head, coming to the same decision rather quickly and nodded slightly to each other, although their eyes still showed their shock.

"Come on mate, there's no reason to be crying unless Snape's willy was the size of Neville's." Ron commented turning red in embarrassment as he tried to lighten the mood. "And I can't believe I just made a comment on the size of Snape's… ahem."

"I can't believe you said that, Ron!" Harry chortled, hiding his head against Hermione's shoulder in embarrassment.

"That makes three of us." Hermione added, raising an eyebrow in Ron's direction. He only shrugged his shoulders helplessly causing her to shake her head in amusement.

"Were you upset because Snape isn't fully functional?" Ron asked teasingly, knocking shoulders with his best friend. This comment only helped to set the trio off into uncontrollable laughter.

"I wouldn't know." Harry answered between breathless chuckles. "He can get it up, but who knows if it stays that way."

"Harry!" Hermione screeched scandalized, covering her ears with her hands. "My virgin ears don't need to hear this."

She didn't notice the inquisitive look that passed between the two boys as her head was down, nor the twinkle in the redheads eyes as he winked at Harry, smiling softly in her direction.

"Seriously guys, nothing like that happened." Harry told them after a few seconds where they all caught their breath. "I just slept in the same bed as him."

Ron merely raised an amused eyebrow causing the dark-haired boy to blush maddeningly.

"It made me feel safe." Harry explained while looking at his lap, feeling unaccountably shy for some reason.

"That's good Harry. I'm glad." Ron answered reassuringly giving Harry's leg a quick squeeze in silent support. "But that doesn't explain your rather… erm… intimate knowledge of Snape's, um, package."

Ron's ears were tipped with red, as he waited for Harry to answer, although he was still feeling a bit uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Both Hermione and Ron watched Harry's restless movements in concern.

"Um, he was a bit… happy … when he woke up this morning." Harry mumbled.

"Oh, well good for you mate." Ron cheered, trying to sound supportive of his shy friend.

"Yeah well, I kinda freaked out… with everything that's happened, I just didn't know what to do." Harry answered, locking eyes with his two best friends, looking agonizingly into their supportive faces.

"Don't worry about it Harry." Hermione reassured. "It will take some time. Don't push things too quickly."

"I'm not."

"Good then. Besides, if…Snape truly cares about you then he'll wait until you're feeling secure with him."

"But he doesn't care." Harry cried passionately. " He was disgusted by my display this morning, I just know he was. He went to talk to Dumbledore about taking advantage of me."

"That's bollocks!" Ron sneered. "If he didn't care about you at all he wouldn't be trying to comfort you like he has the past weeks. He's probably just concerned that you're not in the right state mentally to deal with him personally yet."

"That's not true." Harry disagreed.

"Perhaps not, but I see what Ron is saying." Hermione told him gently. "You need to heal before you can even think of perusing a relationship with Snape beyond friendship. You've got some time, hun. Let things happen naturally."

"Yeah and if that greasy git doesn't see what a bloody miracle you are then screw him." Ron added enthusiastically. "You're the best thing that's happened to the prat and he should be on hands and knees thanking god that you even want his sorry arse."