Chapter 7: Letting Down Emma's Hair

by ataraxis

Emma arrived at her chambers without any intervention and once she closed her door, she leaned back against it wearily and sighed. Though Harry had been on longer assignments than his current one, he had never gone undercover as a female and he was finding it hard on his nerves and draining to his magical energies. His appearance was so heavily altered, that lately he was forgetting just what he looked like normally.

So Harry decided to take the evening and let Emma fade into the background.

Emma pushed away from the door and warded it against all visitors, even though so far in Emma's employment, she had yet to be disturbed in her own quarters.

Emma slipped off her teaching robes and sat down to remove her shoes before calling for a house elf to ask for dinner. Once the meal was served, Emma took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to relieve some of the tension that had been building all day and had only escalated from the meeting with Michael Turner.

After leisurely polishing off a meal of Shepard's Pie, a large goblet of pumpkin juice, and a serving of bread pudding with caramel sauce, Emma called for another house elf to remove the remains of the meal. Once all that had been accomplished, Emma could officially become Harry for the night, barring any interruptions that may occur should the Headmaster contact him.

Sitting down in front of a mirror, next to which stood a large portrait of the Boy-Who-Lived to serve as a reminder, Emma began her transformation. It wasn't a long process by any means, just annoying to have to 'think' about what he wanted to look like. A temporary full facial change or long-term minor changes in hair colour or length took no effort, but when it came to a complete change in height, build, and overall cosmetics, it took great thought and magic.

He always thought Tonks made it look effortless, but now he knew that was not the case. Of course, he remembered that the few changes she made in his presence were mostly to her hair.

Once he was back to his old, boring self, Harry slipped out of the rest of Emma's clothing and wrapped himself in a worn, but comfortable robe that he had purchased just after completing Hogwarts. He went to the bathroom and drew himself a hot steaming bubble bath. While the water was running, Harry went back to the living room and set his Wizarding Wireless radio to play.

Harry dropped his green terry cloth robe and stepped into the tub and eased himself gently down into the soothing water. He cast an alarm spell to wake him in thirty minutes if he should fall asleep while in the tub.

Harry closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax as the heat from the water seeped even more tension from his body, making him pliable and aroused.

Harry often did not allow himself the pleasure of ... well, of pleasuring himself sexually. Harry had never been one for casual encounters with strangers or even with good friends. Always at the back of his mind, he wanted to find that special something his parents had, and that Arthur and Molly have even now decades after their first date. Unfortunately, with his job such as it was, pursuing a full-time relationship was not possible and he was feeling the strain of loneliness.

'Perhaps it is time to get out of the spy business and find a more normal job.

'Maybe I could stay on here at Hogwarts as the Charms teacher, if Albus would agree and champion me to the Board of Governors. Because surely they would need someone to fill Emma's place once her job as spy was over.' Harry continued to let the steamy, warm water caress at his skin as he contemplated his future once his current position was fulfilled.

He hummed along to a tune playing on the radio, something he remembered back from the days of school and one of the balls he had been forced to attend. It was a catchy song and he bobbed his right foot to the rhythm, while tapping his fingers along the edge of the claw tub.

After the alarm sounded alerting him that his thirty minutes were up, Harry stepped out of the bath and leaned over to remove the stopper from the bottom of the tub. As it was draining, Harry then stepped into the shower to rinse off the suds and to finish his ablutions. He reached for his wash cloth and a bar of oatmeal and sandalwood soap, something he wouldn't normally use while as Emma, but it was his favorite scent on a normal 'Harry' day, and he wouldn't deny himself this additional, albeit small luxury.

Once Harry was done toweling himself off, he slipped his robe back on and went to his bedroom next door, on his way through the living room he claimed a paperback mystery novel he'd purchased from a store in London. Once inside his spartan bedroom, he slipped into bed between soft, cotton sheets to read and unwind before sleep would claim him.

sshpsshpsshpsshpsshp

Severus eagerly awaited Emma's arrival at dinner in the Great Hall, hoping to speak to her quietly about her first meeting with Mr. Turner. He watched stoically as his House arrived, and then as the rest of the students filtered in noisily. The teachers were typically always the first to arrive, to watch over the students to make sure no one fell out of line in behaviour. By the time the entire Great Hall was full, and Emma had not arrived, he frowned in concern. He turned his head towards the Headmaster hoping to convey his worries and all he got for his trouble was a smile and a complacent nod.

Severus knew that Emma wasn't Emma, but that didn't mean he cared any less for the well-being of whoever it was that he had been spending time with. In fact, he cared a great deal for the person he was slowly getting to know. He knew that whoever it was, Albus trusted them greatly, therefore there was no risk in getting closer to Emma.

After dinner was over, Severus approached Albus and questioned him about Emma's whereabouts.

"She's fine, Severus. She just wanted a quiet evening to herself. If you need her for anything, I'm sure you can reach her in her rooms via the Floo if it's an emergency. She said she would be warding her rooms against interruption as she was feeling a little rough around the edges," Albus said as he left the Great Hall via the staff entrance, Severus trailing only a few steps behind.

Severus hummed in agreement, and made a beeline straight for his chambers and his fireplace.

Severus looked down at the flickering flames, debating if he should firecall Emma or not. 'If she is in desperate need of relaxing, surely my call could wait. Or perhaps she would like some company and maybe a bottle of wine to share. A nice glass of white wine has always helped me unwind after a hectic day.'

Severus persuaded himself that his Floo call would not go amiss and he threw some powder into the fire and called out, "Emma Malsby's room."

Severus stuck his face into the fire, and the moment Emma's room came into view he noticed that music was playing and what sounded like a pleasant tenor voice was humming along to the song. As Severus' gaze swung over to where the sound originated, he noticed a male body through the open doorway, bending over a tub. Severus gave a sharp intake of breath as he saw the slim male form, with a shapely arse and fairly well endowed male genitalia start to bend upright. Severus withdrew from the fire quickly before he could be noticed. He had wanted to stay just a few seconds longer to see who the body belonged to, but caution and a sharp spike of unwanted arousal that had invaded his body made up his mind for him.

Severus backed away blindly from the fireplace and as his knees hit the edge of his wing backed chair, he sank down into its waiting comfort as he contemplated this unexpected complication.

'Emma is a man and I think I might be ... gay?'

A/N: Thanks to Magdelena for another speedy beta. She rocks as usual.