Chapter 9: Harry Does Some Serious Back Pedaling
by ataraxis
Harry blinked repeatedly to clear his sleepy eyes after feeling a heavy weight fall down upon him, waking him.
Once he could see clearly (as clearly as he could without his glasses on), he gave a startled gasp as he saw Severus lying over him in an ungainly sprawl. 'Oh, sweet heavens, he can't be here. Not now!'
"Potter, what are you doing in Emma's rooms?" Severus demanded as he slowly and clumsily straightened himself into sitting upright along the edge of the bed.
'Think fast, Harry my boy, think very fast. Okay, not only think fast, but think logical and plausible.'
"Urm," Harry muttered as he tried to grasp at a solution that would leave him and 'Emma' in good standing.
"And where the hell is Emma?" Severus asked before Harry could utter a complete response to his first question.
Harry latched onto the fact that Severus seemed intent on separating Harry and Emma as two separate and distinct individuals.
"She's staying at my place.
"She contacted me just after she finished her meal. She had wanted to unwind and relax, but was afraid that even if she warded her doors, that students or professors," Harry gave a suggestive look straight at Severus, "would still interrupt her evening. She was in desperate need of a moment to get away. So we swapped. I let her have run of my home for the evening, and I would stay here just in case such an event did happen and someone did come knocking."
Harry watched as Severus peered intently at him and Harry immediately threw up his mental wall, protecting his thoughts. He should have done that as soon as he realized it was Severus who had invaded his rooms.
To forestall any more questions from the Potions Master, Harry went on the attack and decided to ask some of his own. "And just pray tell, why are you here? Why are you skulking about in Emma's rooms?"
Severus shifted uncomfortably, then paused in his actions. He was Severus Snape, Potions Master and a distingued professor, not some recalcitrant student. Though he had been caught in a place he shouldn't have been. He sighed and figured he might as well admit the truth.
"I was concerned about Emma, especially after she didn't appear at dinner. The Headmaster told me that if I had any questions, that I could contact her via the Floo." Severus conveniently left out that the fact that Albus had also told him to only try to contact Emma for half an hour after dinner.
Harry remained silent as he contemplated Severus' words. 'What game was Albus playing?' Albus had known that Harry had wished not to be disturbed, that ihe/i was going to be here instead of Emma. Albus had been adament that Severus not be allowed to know the truth.
"Well, I can tell you that Emma was feeling down and needed a mini holiday. Dobby, my house elf, would have seen to all her needs and no one would disturb her as no one knows where I live. I always visit other people, people never visit me."
"How do you know Emma?" Severus crossed his arms as he sneered.
Harry sighed and sat up, propping some pillows behind him. He figured he had already spun one lie, he might as well spin a whole tale of them. "We met during her travels, in Egypt. I was visiting Bill for a few weeks, and I ran into her at one of the bazaars in Cairo. She made me think of my mum, and well we just fell in together for the duration of my stay there. She's here because of me, in fact. I was the one to recommended her to Albus for the Charms position."
Harry couldn't tell what was going through Severus' mind as they continued to sit there on his bed, staring at one another. As the silence lengthened, Harry became more and more aware of his position and lack of clothing. He had only put on a pair of pyjama bottoms, before climbing into bed and he felt exposed to the other man. And tense, as if a coil of something he couldn't identify was tightening in his stomach.
Harry was jolted from the preoccupation he had fallen into while analysing his feelings, when Severus spoke again.
"Will she be back in time for her classes tomorrow?"
"I would assume so. It was just for the night. She'll probably arrive after breakfast." Harry crossed his arms, as his body betrayed him, for some unknown reason and his nipples hardened. It wasn't that he was cold, for the night was fairly warm. "Now that your concerns about Emma's welfare have been satisfied, perhaps you could leave?"
Severus jerked, as if pulled by an invisible string and the expression on his face became blank. Harry wasn't sure what the expression was prior to that, but it was definitely one he would be thinking on for the rest of the night and well into who knew when.
"Yes, well. I apologise for interrupting your sleep. I shall bid you good night." Severus rose from the bed to leave, but Harry shot out a hand to stop him, grabbing a hold of the older man's wrist.
"Wait, I have one more question. It's personal, and I'll understand if you don't wish to answer. Do you care for Emma that much? I mean, she told me that you and she had become friends, much to my surprise, but I didn't think it was more than that."
Severus stiffened and tried to yank his wrist away, but Harry tightened his hold. "Much as you would like to characterize me as a lonely, bitter man, Mr. Potter, I do cherish my friends, all the people I care about. I protect them to the best of my abilities." Severus gave another tug and pulled away.
"I meant no offense, Professor, just concern for Emma, since all I had seen or known from you was antagonism, and not just to me. I hope you sleep well, and have a good morning as I won't be seeing you again in the morning."
Harry watched the Potions Master leave and heard the Floo activate seconds later, then a shout of "Severus Snape's quarters Hogwarts."
Once he was assured that no one else would be disturbing him that evening, Harry leaned back hard against the pillows behind him and thought over the entire brief, but bizarre situation he had found himself in. Harry slowly smiled though as he replayed some of Severus' last words. 'I protect them to the best of my abilities.' Them being the people he cherished and cared about. Harry knew he was leaping to illogical conclusions, but he didn't care. He knew that he was one of those people Severus cherished, because Severus had always found a way to protect him, and it wasn't just because he had been the Wizarding worlds saviour, of that he could be sure.
A/N: Currently unbeta'd except by MS Word. :) I wanted to thank everyone who left a review, it's very appreciated.
