That night Harry went to bed totally confused. He had sat down with his cello, but before he even had played one note he had heard beautiful music floating from outside the Gryffindor tower. He was used to his own little dark and melancholy music, so the light and almost chipper music really did catch his ear. Unable to suppress his curiosity he warily stepped outside his own room and listened to the music some more before exiting the portrait to see who was playing. It would be an understatement if you would say that he was surprised when he saw his normally so gloomy professor smiling and playing violin, outside Gryffindor tower.
Captivated by the music Harry just stared at his professor, feeling the crush he had towards the older man grow into a something much bigger, love. He shook himself off from the trance when Severus stopped the song he was playing. Feeling little blush making it's way on his cheeks Harry sighed, making Severus nearly jump out of his skin. To Harry's major surprise Severus didn't sneer, or scowl or anything like that to him, just beamed. 'Much like Dumbledore.' Harry mused.
"Hello Harry. How are you?" Severus said, nodding his head as a greeting.
"I'm.. fine, but why are you here? I didn't know that you could play violin." Harry said, feeling little shy.
"I.. I just wanted to play somewhere else that in the dungeons. This felt like a good spot, 'cause couple nights ago I heard someone playing cello. I thought that people wouldn't mind."
Harry swallowed. He thought that he had put up the Silencing Charms, so that nobody would hear him. Apparently, he had forgotten.
"So.."
"So.. What?" Severus asked him back.
"I.. I think I go back to sleep. Good night sir." Harry made a hasty retreat back to the safety of his room, away from the too-big emotions towards his Potions professor.
"Good night Harry."
Harry just barely heard the last whisper when he nearly ran to his room and leaning against the wall next to the portrait hole. His heart was pounding inside his ribcage. 'Why he has to torture me so?' Harry thought and nearly burst into tears. His traitorous heart was once again loving and it hurt so much. Harry knew that Faith would somehow break his heart again. It seemed like his destiny, to be alone in the world, love and lost so many times that eventually his heart would be nothing less than a pile of flesh and scars.
Bitter thoughts floating around his mind, Harry laid down on his bed, still fully clothed. He tried to suffocate all the love he felt for Severus, but all those thoughts were drowned by the image of the professor playing the violin with the soft smile caressing his lips. Harry sighed and before he even realised, sleep had claimed him, lulling him to oblivion. His dreams, normally haunted by the deaths of his loved ones, were filled with Severus and his bright smile.
¨¨¨¨
The next morning Severus was anxious to see Harry, just to see how he was doing. But when Harry stepped in the Great Hall Severus' face fell. Harry had puffy, red eyes and he looked really, really sad. 'Did I do that?' Severus felt tears forming in his eyes and he just stared at his food, unable to eat anything from his plate. He never noticed that Harry looked at him with so much love in his eyes that it could melt even the most cold-hearted man or woman in the world.
Of course, this change of glances didn't go unnoticed by the Headmaster. Almost rubbing his hands together in glee, he smiled. 'Improvement has happened, muahhahhaa…' Mad laughter rang through the Headmasters head and he chuckled out loud. 'Am I mad or what…'
Severus looked strangely at Dumbledore, but shrugged the thoughts from his head. Sighing deeply he got up and headed back to his dungeons. All the way there he couldn't think anything else but the certain Gryffindor. 'I'm losing it.'
Sighing he said the password to his portrait of Dracula. "House of the cunning ones."
"Right you are."
Severus stepped inside his personal chambers and looked around him. The pupils hadn't seen this ever. And if they had, they wouldn't believe their eyes. Everybody thought that the gloomy potions professor lived in a cave, hanging upside down like a bat. But how wrong they were. The room was decorated with light colours and the walls were charmed to look like wood, although they still were solid rock. The furniture was golden brown leather and as comfortable as they could get. Major part of the wall space was covered with bookshelves, filled with novels and potion books. The room was the only place Severus felt cosy with. His role as the mean professor was just a cover. And how he hated to be the heartless bastard.
He stepped closer to his study table and picked up his violin. For three decades it had been his only friend. The only thing he had to himself. And now he had shared it with Harry. He caressed the polished surface with his long fingers. How he wanted the wood to be replaced with the soft and warm skin of Harry's cheek. Lonely tear made it's way down Severus' cheek when he thought about Harry's sorrowful face at the breakfast. He was ready to leave Harry alone, seeing how much pain he caused. 'I have to ignore the pain in my heart, so that the only thing that claimed it's place in there could be happy.'
Severus laughed bitterly. It was always like this. In his days at school he had had a crush on Sirius Black. But Sirius had never seen this. Always he chose to torture the Slytherin. But now the torturer was his former bully's Godson. How cruel can life become? Severus felt the urge to break down and cry. But he was stronger than that. He just swallowed the lump in his throat and placed the violin back on it's crimson velvet bed.
Severus walked slowly to his bathroom and looked at the mirror. His black hair was looking greasy, but it was just the texture, the silkiness made it shine, so it looked really greasy. His onyx eyes looked dull by the unshed tears. His nose was fixed a little time ago. During one Death Eater meeting his nose was broken and Madam Pomfrey had straightened it. Now it didn't look so hawk like but much.. Nicer.
"You do know that you're handsome, right?" the mirror said to him.
"How could I be?"
"You're looking at yourself, you should see it."
Severus sighed and splashed cold water to his face. He had to teach first years in couple minutes. Oh joy. He straightened his robes and took a final look at his appearance. Scary, as always. He sighed softly. How he wanted to look like Dumbledore. Minus the white beard and twinkling eyes. He wanted to look so friendly that the pupils wouldn't fear him. But we all have our roles. Sighing again he stalked away from his rooms and to the potions classroom.
¨¨¨¨
That night Harry laid on his bed, idly tracing odd patterns on his bedspread.
"How can I tell Severus that it was I who played the cello?" Harry asked from the mute walls of his room, never receiving answer.
"How can I tell Severus that I love him?" he asked the next question. Still the walls held their thoughts to themselves.
"How can I make him mine?" he asked the last question. Still, no answer.
Harry sighed deeply and looked at the canopy of his four-posted bed. The hanging weren't the usual Gryffindor crimson or gold, but they were floating silver silk. Harry reached out his hand and ran his hand on the material, memorizing the feeling. 'His hair must be as soft.' he thought silently. Sighing again Harry flung his arm over his eyes, not wanting to see anything. But his inner eye betrayed him. He did see something, Severus playing the violin to be exact.
"Okay, that does it." Harry snapped and sat up.
"No more Mr. Nice Guy."
Harry got off the bed and went to his cello, packing it on it's own bag. Carefully he placed several invisibility charm on it, to hide it from everyone's eyes. Accompanied by a charm to make it lighter the cello was ready. Harry raised it to his back and headed towards the door. He thanked every existing god for the fact it was lunch time and everybody was at Great Hall. So he had clear path. Looking as innocent as possible Harry made his way down to the dungeons and to a room he had found few weeks ago on his little adventures on the hallways.
The room was built so that the acoustic was as perfect as possible. But it was almost as gloomy as his beloved Potions Professor, so Harry grabbed his wand and started chanting an incantation. Soon the walls looked like covered with the finest silver-grey silk, but they still were stone, for otherwise the acoustic would be ruined. (A/N: I haven't the slightest clue how these things go, but…)
The next thing he did was charming several candles floating around, casting their own soft light in the dark. Not wanting his intention to be too obvious, with just the light of candles, he lighted the fire to roar in the fireplace. 'Perfect.'
Harry unstrapped the cello from his back and gently he placed the invisible instrument next to the wall, removing the charms from it. Harry started to chant the incantation to build up a silencing charm, modified to allow only him and Severus to hear the music. Little out of breath Harry summoned a chair to himself, exactly in the middle of the room. Harry looked down on himself and frowned. He wanted to impress his professor, but his clothes wouldn't give the needed impression. Baggy jeans and t-shirt just wouldn't do. Mumbling curses under his breath Harry left the room, after placing several locking charms on the door. He sprinted up the stairs and into his room. Lady Luck was still with him, nobody was seen in the Common room, so he had free way to his dormitory.
He kneeled in front of his trunk and went through his clothes. After few minutes search he founded what he was looking for. The brand new black jeans were just tight enough to show his slim body, but they didn't feel uncomfortable. Quickly he changed his baggy jeans off and pulled the new jeans on. Throwing his shirt on his bed he continued to look for a shirt topless.
"A-ha!" he said loud, when he found his last Christmas present from Hermione. It was a tight silk button-up shirt and it's black colour matched exactly the colour on his jeans and hair.
Satisfied with his outfit Harry exited the dormitory and the Common room and the Gryffindor tower. Casually he walked through the quiet hallways of Hogwarts, listening to his nearly non-existing footsteps. His dragon-hide boots were simmering black and they were enchanted to quiet down their wearers steps. All in all, Harry looked like a shadow in his black clothes and if somebody would be walking in the hallway, they wouldn't notice Harry, so well hidden he was.
Breathing deeply to calm down his heart Harry stepped back inside the chamber and picked the cello from it's place, taking his place on the chair Harry took the instrument between his knees.
"Here goes nothing." Harry muttered to the silence.
Closing his eyes Harry placed to bow to the strings and started playing slow and gently music that just floated from his heart to his fingers. The vibratos of the notes felt all the way up his spine, making the fine hair on back of his neck stand up. The beaming smile that had graced Severus' lips came back to his mind, giving the music a new layer. Harry's fingers took their lead and played about the warm feelings that were honed in Harry's heart towards his professor.
¨¨¨¨
"Peace at last.." Severus sighed silently when he made his way towards his chambers. He started to unbutton the few top buttons of his robes.
The only thing he wanted to get was a nice strong drink of Firewhiskey and his favourite Charles Dickens novel and sit down on his couch in front of the fire in his most comfortable pyjamas and just let the world play it's course. He had decided that he would leave the Gryffindor alone. It was best this way. 'It would never work, he's too young. He deserves someone his own age, with beautiful face and better reputation.' Severus sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. The black strands fell back on their places, shadowing his face slightly.
Severus made his way through the empty hallways, unconsciously humming the song Harry had played at the night, the song Severus played last night. What he didn't notice, at first, was that he hummed the song at the same time as the song was played somewhere near. Severus froze on his tracks, stopping to listen, wanting to believe his ears. Soon he started to follow the music, mesmerized by the warmness in the melody. The song was the same as last night and the night before, but something was different. The notes were played softer and it sounded like the player poured his heart in the music. For the player was no longer mystery to Severus, he recognized the style to belong none other than Harry Potter.
Stepping slowly he walked down the hallway and stopped again when he located the room. Unlike normally, there wasn't a portrait covering the doorway, instead there was just simple door. Severus extended his shaking hand and turned the knob slowly. The door opened without a creak and Severus stepped cautiously inside. It would be an underestimate to say that Severus was impressed.
His jaw dropped nearly to the floor when the sight opened fully to his eyes. Harry sat in the middle of the room, squeezing the instrument gently between his black denim covered legs and his well-defined arms moved gently inside the black silk sleeves. The floating candles casted their lights and shadows across Harry's face, making him look like immortal being. The black lashes casted their own shadows to his slightly pink cheeks and the smallest of smiles softened his lips. Severus gathered all his willpower to keep from running to Harry and picking him into his arms, to be showered with kisses and all the love Severus' heart could give.
Harry played the last note and lifted his head, making the long and soft hair fall back from his face. Harry breath deeply and opened his eyes. Needless to say he was little surprised to see his professor standing in the doorway staring at him in awe. The small smile grew just a hint and he motioned Severus' to step inside. Numbly he stepped inside and closed the door.
"That was.. beautiful." he finally managed to say to Harry.
"Thank you."
"So.. It was you who played in the Gryffindor tower." Severus said smiling.
"Yeah.. I didn't tell you immediately, because I was hypnotized by your music." Harry said, blushing slightly. Severus smiled softly and shook his head slightly amused.
"It's okay. So, how long have you played?"
"Since my first year here."
"Almost seven years. You're really good with this."
"Thank you. How long have played the violin?" Harry asked kindly.
"For 32 years."
Harry looked at him in awe and then smiled. The little smile melted Severus from inside and he wanted to take Harry with him to someplace far away, where no-one could hurt them. A place just for them. A place where they would live through the decades, just enjoying each others company and music.
"So you're a master with the violin. Two time master. Potions and Violin." Harry blushed and looked down, feeling ashamed because he knew that he was rambling. However Severus smiled goofily, knowing that the expression didn't quite belong to his reputation, but who cares?
"Thank you." Severus said and bowed slightly to Harry.
"Umm.. You said that you wanted to play somewhere else than the dungeons.. Well this room is in the dungeons, but you could play here.. I mean if you want to.." Harry groaned inwardly. 'I'm rambling, AGAIN!'
Severus kept his chuckle inside and just smiled widely. "Sounds wonderful. Thank you."
Harry smiled back at him and nodded. Severus sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. "So much I hate to leave your company, but I have work to do. Good Night Harry."
"Good Night sir."
"Severus. Just call me Severus when there's nobody else around."
"Okay.. Severus."
Severus smiled again, feeling like a toothpaste commercial, but if he wanted to look something else than a gloomy bat-like potions professor, he had to smile and look more happy.. Or something. Bowing his head slightly Severus exited the room, fighting the urge to jump around sing something. But he felt so giddy, Harry had taken the next step.
¨¨¨¨
When Harry was sure that the potions professor had gone he undid the silencing charm and slumped to the floor smiling goofily. His insides were all one puddle, melted down by the bright smiles of one Severus Snape. Harry hugged himself and giggled. He was making tiny steps of improvement and hopefully some day they would take him to Severus' arms and heart. Sighing contently Harry got himself up and he laid his cello on the corner of the room before blowing the candles. Carefully he closed the door before making his way back to Gryffindor tower, back to his bed and to dream about the deep pools of black almost twinkling with laughter that were the eyes of one Severus Snape.
¨¨¨¨
A/N: whoah, second chapter.. hopefully you liked it..
Some reviews requires an answer:
Enthaltan: I meant that Harry stopped playing and then the bow touches the ground. : )
Necromant: I first thought about that too, but then.. well they have had a hard past so they just don't jump on each others arms and kiss the other senseless. So I let them hone the relationship in peace. : )
elly the white: that's the point. Severus is so galloused and everything, but the music is so beautiful that it makes even the toughest of the tough ones cry..
Deirdre Riordan: thank you for your offer but I have a beta already.. : )
Lady Darkness13: I think I know the fic you are referring to.. and I admit that it gave me this idea..
Charles D. Ward: do I? I kinda based this story, or at least the start of it, on Apocalyptica's song Faraway… : )
I want to thank each and every one of you for your reviews, you know who you are, they make the writing easier.. I also want to apologise that Severus and Harry are little OOC, but hey, it's the way I see them… : ) And hopefully you enjoyed this chapter too..
Until next time, keep on reading and reviewing!
Luv, Angels Whisper
¨¨¨¨¨¨
28/3/05 : I edited this chapter due to a review made by relative1983. You were right, it was a bit mystic about the time of the day. I slightly modified it, so maybe it makes more sense now… : )
