Harry sat in the Great Hall, eyes fixed on the faculty table. Actually, fixed on an empty seat. Snape's seat. At first, Harry had been disappointed. When he'd been in that particular situation, he'd come to the Great Hall. His Gryffindor courage wouldn't let him do otherwise. So, even though he was a Slytherin, where was Severus? Hiding in his dungeon, devising revenge...perhaps trying to alleviate his condition? It didn't really matter because he wasn't eating in the Great Hall with the rest of the school.

But then it occurred to Harry that Snape was hiding, most likely because of his embarrassment. Potter beamed. He admitted that he'd hidden from his lover before, but now the latter was hiding from him. That alone was sweet revenge.

At least, that's what Harry told himself as he ran out of the Great Hall, heading directly to the dungeon. He couldn't wait another minute to be with Severus. Surly, the day had been as hard on him as it was on Snape. It had taken every bit of self-control not to go to his lover, knowing that the older man would be fantasizing about him all day...but more importantly, he'd be ready and waiting.

The young man grew harder at the idea of walking into Snape's chambers to find the professor lying down, touching himself, and crying out Harry's name.

Just outside the potions master's door, Harry took a deep breath to steady himself before walking in. However, the sight awaiting him wasn't what he'd had in mind.

First off, Snape wasn't lying down; he was sitting at the desk tucked away in the corner of the room. Second, he wasn't touching himself; he was grading papers, making notes all over the students' scrolls. Third, he wasn't crying out Harry's name; he barely seemed to notice that the Gryffindor was in the room.

"Severus..." Harry said, suddenly unsure of everything.

Silence filled the room as Snape finished grading the scroll he was working on before looking up. "Mr. Potter, I am quite busy. Say whatever it is you came to say and leave," he barked, returning to his papers.

His mouth hanging open, Harry didn't know what to say. How had things gone wrong? Confident that he could put the evening back on track, he spoke in his sexiest voice, "Don't you want me to stay, Severus?"

The older man continued to grade, "As I said, I'm quite busy. If that is all, please see yourself out."

The Golden Boy's shoulders slumped as he closed the door behind him when he left. Leaning against wall across from his lover's door, he quietly asked himself, "What happened in there?"

-----

The instant that Harry closed the door, Severus dropped his quill and reached for his own instrument. With the strength of his erection, he could have held the table up! He allowed his breath to be ragged again, as it had been before the show he put on for the boy. Snape refused to let Harry get the better of him. He had to demonstrate his more Slytherin abilities to his Gryffindor, and if that meant that he would have to go without his lover's nightly company, so be it. The pain between his legs was survivable...horrendous, but survivable.

Barely able to stand, Severus slowly made his way to bathroom. Surely, his third cold shower of the afternoon would do the trick; at least, he prayed it would. He didn't know how much longer he could withstand his obvious need, or fight the potion that had completely taken control of his senses earlier. Ergo, he hoped that one time being turned away would be enough to teach Harry a lesson. Snape wasn't sure if he could to it again...he'd barely made it through just a few moments ago. As soon as he'd seen the boy, Severus had to force himself to remain seated, and not attack the boy, as he fantasized doing.

And when Harry had lowered his voice to a purr, the older man had visions of nuzzling the area just below his lover's ear to make him purr in bed. Making him scream by nibbling on his nipples. Kissing and licking the tip of his penis until Harry could no longer form words.

"Not what I should be thinking of," Snape muttered under his breath. He stepped out of the shower, his skin a light blue color that almost immediately surrendered to the flushed red that spread from his still standing member. After dressing for bed, Severus went to bed alone, suddenly aware of how large his bed seemed without Harry there to fill it.