Disclaimer: My heart hurts every time I have to write the cursed words…I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.
Jewelclaw Lady of wind: Thanks al lot. I reckon it's a good thing when you see Sev's soft side makes me go weak at the knees lol. J But he's a bit mean at the start here!
Chapter four- Who would of guessed
After the day that Snape had shown his "kind" side he blatantly ignored Harriet. For some reason this bothered her. Harriet couldn't put her finger on it but there was something annoying her. Eventually it was the first day of term and the Hogwarts teacher were sitting in the great hall waiting for the sorting to begin.
"You're not nervous are you?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"No." Harriet smiled and so a convinced Hermione turned to ask Albus a question.
"Liar" The softly breathed word barley reached Harriet's ears. She turned startled and asked,
"What?"
"I said lair." Snape looked amused. "You are nervous I can tell."
"If I didn't want to make a scene in front of the students I'd slap you. You do not know me at all."
"So you don't want to make a scene?" Snape sounded thoughtful but as Harriet eyed him he just turned to survey the students. After the sorting Albus introduced Harriet and the cheers were loud enough to make her blush with pleasure. Finally they could eat but just as Harriet took a mouthful of wine Snape murmured to her,
"How many lovers have you had?" Harriet spat out her wine in shock.
"Why the bloody hell should I tell you?" She hissed
"I was just curious."
"It's none of your business." Harriet was about to turn away when she heard,
"Ah so you haven't had many."
"What the hell makes you say that?"
"You're so shy about it." Snape sounded smug in a way that only he could.
"Perhaps I don't want to sound like a slut."
"Oh so that's the case is it?"
"Make up your mind." Hoping that would shut him up Harriet tried to turn away once more but froze at his next comment,
"Good job I had you before you became dirty then."
"You complete shit." Harriet managed to choke this out and tell Hermione that she felt ill. She walked composedly until she was in the main entrance then ran up to her rooms. Once there she flung off her robes not wanting to touch anything that he had. Then she began to cry, how could he of done that he must know what it meant to her!
***
'Bugger it' thought Severus as he watched Potter go 'what did I say that for? In fact why did I even brig up the topic?" Severus sighed knowing that he ought to apologise and wearily excused himself before walking out of the hall. What he didn't know was that Albus's eyes followed him thoughtfully all the way. Severus climbed the stair wondering how he was going to get Potter to let him in, but when he reached the hallway Potter door hadn't bee shut properly. 'Well that solves one problem' Severus thought dreading what was to come. As Severus drew near the door he could hear the sound of a woman crying 'oh hell'. Finally he could see through the gap into the room and Severus saw Potter in front of the fireplace desperately trying to light a fire but she was shaking to hard to succeed and her wand was nowhere to be seen. The mad woman was only in her underwear, looking around Severus could see the rest of her clothes had been thrown into a corner. Severus was about to cal out Potter when he decided that Harriet might be a better idea,
"Harriet?" Potter froze and all noise stopped "May I come in?"
"What for? To mock me? To hurt me some more?"
"No!" Severus cautiously entered the room "I had no idea that what I said would get to you like this."
"Well it did!" It was obvious from her voice that Harriet was still crying.
"Why?" Severus was genuinely confused he could have understood anger but tears? Never!
"Snape no matter what happens a girl wants to cherish her first time and –not matter how much we regret it- you were my first." Severus picked Harriet up, placed her in an arm chair and then used his wand to make a fire. After that he went into her bedroom and grabbed a blanket. Then he picked up Harriet again settled her on his lap and arranged the blanket over them. Severus almost smiled when he realised that he was once again looking after his enemy then it dawned on him what she had said,
"Do you regret me being you first lover?" He asked
"Do you?" Harriet's voice was clearer now and she had stopped sniffing.
"I asked you first." Severus didn't normally play this type of game but for some reason he had to know.
"Ok, I do sometimes." Severus hadn't expected this and he frowned,
"Why?"
"Don't glare at me like that. It's just that I would have liked my first to be someone I cared about or at least was friends with."
"So why don't you regret it all the time?" Harriet blushed but didn't answer "Tell me" Harriet hesistated but then said in a rush,
"You were good. Better than good, you were fantastic. Not only that but you were gentle. You didn't rush me. When I was shy you were patient enough to help me through it. When I didn't know what to do you explained and showed me. After you first penetrated you stopped until I had adjusted even though it's your instinct to keep thrusting until you reach satisfaction. There has that answered your question?"
"Yes." Severus was amazed he had never known. He'd never had any complaints form his lovers but they'd never told him he was brilliant. Now he was being told it from no-one less than Harriet Potter.
"So do you regret it?"
"No." Severus knew it was true. He'd sometimes wished the circumstances had been different but he had never regretted being her first.
"Why?"
"I don't know." Severus of course did know but he wasn't telling. They sat in silence for a while and Severus noticed with relief that Harriet was warming up. Then,
"Snape why are you here?"
"Well I work here…"
"Don't be daft. Why are you in my room and why am I on your lap?"
"What I said down in the hall was inexcusable; I knew that as soon as I said it. I came up here to apologise and when I saw the state you had gotten yourself into it was the least I could do."
"You still haven't apologised."
"Oh yeah…I'm sorry." They sat in silence again until Severus noticed that Harriet was asleep. Carefully he stood up and took her into the bedroom. Slowly he arranged her under the sheets. Severus paused a moment to look at her. With the candlelight flickering over her Harriet really did look beautiful. Later as Severus lay under his own sheets, an image of Harriet in her innocent white cotton underwear flashed into his head. With a groan Severus's hand went down to take care of his erection.
***
Harriet's eyes snapped open at seven the next morning, with a hour to spare before breakfast she enjoyed the warmth of her bed a while longer. Suddenly Harriet remembered the event of last night; the spiteful comment from Snape, the tender way he'd looked after her, her confession about how she felt on him being her first and the small breech on the enmity they had shared for so long. Harriet smiled as she thought of Snape's gentlemanly behaviour, after all she hadn't tried a thing as she'd been on his lap in her underwear, 'Oh good lord my underwear' Harriet thought despairingly her eyes widening 'Snape saw me in possibly the most unappealing underwear known to man.' Harriet wondered why she cared…it was Snape; he probably hadn't noticed her state of undress. At eight Harriet walked cheerfully into the hall. Children's chatter brightened her spirits even more and Harriet practically bounced into her chair. Ignoring Hermione who was about to great her Harriet said chirpily to Snape,
"Morning."
"Good Morning." Snape yawned.
"Sleep well?"
"No I bloody didn't. Sorry I'm grumpy in the morning."
"And there was me thinking that you were just plain grumpy." But on a closer inspection Snape did looked paler than usual.
"Ha ha…very funny."
"You were always good at sarcasm." Harriet then lowered her voice "I'd offer to help you relax with a massage but we can only guess where that would take us." Harriet was amazed at herself and she could only guess what Snape was thinking, "By the way thank you for last night I probably would have frozen otherwise."
"If I hadn't provoked you it wouldn't have been necessary." Here he indicated Harriet's plate "You might wish to eat something; I could see you ribs last night." Harriet blushed as that meant he had noticed her lack of clothing last night and then under her amazed gaze Snape's mouth lifted in a genuine smile.
"Good lord you're smiling!" The smile vanished "No no don't stop!" Good god that man had a cute smile.
"What?" The poor man sounded bewildered and gently she tapped his mouth with the tip of her index finger,
"This is normally in a scowl or a sneer; still it's your best feature. Shall I tell you why? I will anyway" Snape opened his mouth to object but Harriet breezed on "Your hair is greasy; don't really know why I guess you don't either. Your skin is deathly pale and that stems from skulking around in the dungeons to long. Your nose is large and hooked a fact that you cannot change but if the rest of you change's it would be the factor on which ladies minds remember you. You body is good but not brilliant yet you hide what you do have with over large robes and baggy clothing. There what do you make of that Snape?" Harriet had run out of breath and was aware that she may have gone too far. Then that devastating mouth curled back into a smile,
"I think that you had better start calling me Severus…Friends?" He held out one of his elegant hands. Harriet chuckled, shook his hand and said,
"Friends." Then they walked out of the hall arm in arm with all of their colleges apart from Albus watching in amazement.