Title: The Love Potion
Author: Sprinkles
Rating: PG-13 just to be sure…
Archive: Sure, just ask me first.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry or Snape or anyone else from the Potter-verse. They either own themselves or belong to JKR
Summary: Harry comes to Snape and confesses to being in love with him. Snape in turn believes that Harry is under the influence of a love potion and attempts to identify and cure it.
That night, Severus Snape roamed the school like a wounded creature.
He had stayed in his office brewing potions for the hospital wing for as long as he could without going mad. Even if the boy wasn't there, everything in the room held a different memory. There was the pile of cauldrons in the corner, the couch, the wine, the books.
At last he had slammed down his tools and stormed out of his office. Where he was going, he did not know. He went to the Great Hall, to the teacher's lounge and to every quiet corridor he knew. He still could not find peace: as soon as he sat anywhere, thoughts and feelings he didn't even know he had threatened to overwhelm him; as soon as he started walking, he felt so exhausted, he needed to sit down.
A few other teachers who were in residence passed him in the hallways, saying that he looked unwell, that he should have a lie down. Snape ignored them and continued drifting all over the school.
Of course, I look unwell…I'm in pain…
He staggered into his office at two thirty in the morning, completely sober, but nearly overcome with grief. With a jolt he realized that he had left that evening's cauldrons in the corner for Harry to clean – Harry, who wasn't coming, anymore. He debated cleaning the cauldrons himself that night, but went off to bed hoping (and praying and begging) that Harry would wake him up at the crack of dawn.
But seven AM came and went and Harry did not come. By eight o'clock, Snape squared his shoulders, bracing himself, and went to clean his cauldrons alone.
Around about ten o'clock, Snape sadly came to terms with the fact that the Love Potion had indeed worn off, leaving behind nothing in Harry's mind and heart but annoyance and disgust. He would probably never see him again. Even if the boy was living in the school, he would most certainly be avoiding Snape. Can I blame him? I would be avoiding me, too…
But then again, Harry did have some of his father's qualities. A hot rush of rage went through his abdomen. James Potter would not have avoided him. No. James Potter would have come down and cursed the very life out of him. But Snape couldn't even imagine Harry's face contorting with anger the way James's did – Harry who used a non-violent spell even in their mock duel…
So Snape resigned himself to the fact that the only way he would ever see Harry again in his office would be if Harry came storming down to tell Snape exactly what he thought of the man who almost tried to take advantage of him while he was under the influence of a potion.
Thus, when a hard rap sounded on his door at seven PM that evening, Snape was not completely shocked when he opened the door to find Harry Potter standing there, hands behind his back with a neutral look on his face.
Snape lifted an eyebrow. Alright, let's have it, Potter. Tell me I'm a disgusting pedophile to take advantage of you. Tell me how dishonourable I am for not immediately telling you of the situation and curing you. Tell me what you realized last night: that you just scrubbed cauldrons for two months and wasted most of your summer with a greasy, old potions master who was not decent enough to save you from yourself.
But what he said was, "What are you doing here, Potter?"
Harry stood up straighter and looked Snape in the eye. "I came to tell you something."
"Tell me what?"
"Tell you exactly whatI realized yesterday…"
Oh no… Snape braced himself.
Harry pressed onward. "Yesterday, I realized that I had been scrubbing cauldrons for you for two whole months and…" Harry stopped short.
Snape prompted him. "And…?"
"And so you owe me one date."
Silence.
What? Snape stared at him, feeling most terribly wrong footed (he resolutely tried to push his heart back into his chest despite the fact that it seemed to be taking a flight through the upper atmosphere). Wallowing in self-pity, he had completely forgotten about that promised date. And even though he was overjoyed (I'm not overjoyed I'm simply surprised.""Sure you are…") that Harry still appeared to be infatuated, he was completely, totally, utterly, Longbottom-style confused.
Harry actually came back and is asking for his date? Did this mean that the Love Potion hadn't yet worn off? It certainly should have. The book said sixty days and Love Potion effectiveness dates were pretty exact. Could someone have given him another dose? It was extremely unlikely. All the Slytherin pranksters were spending the summer at their homes. Perhaps the test for the Love potion was incorrectly brewed?
But still if there was the slightest chance that Harry was still under a Love Potion, Snape would have to turn him down for his date… ("I can't believe you! You're an IDIOT!" screamed a voice in his head.)
At that moment, Harry brought his hands out from behind his back; clutched in one fist was a dozen roses charmed to glow silver. Snape was still staring at him absolutely dumbfounded, so Harry reached forward, picked up Snape's hand and put the bouquet into it. The hand tingled as Harry released it.
Maybe I could give in just this once…No…No, I can't…
Snape made a move to hand the flowers back to Harry. "Harry…I – "
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Oh, no you don't! You promised me that you would go on one date with me if I scrubbed your cauldrons for two months. I've kept my end of the bargain. Now, you have to keep yours." Harry attempted his own version of an 'imposing glare' which fell quite a bit short of Snape's but the effort was still admirable.
Snape hesitated. What should he do? He did promise Harry (and he did want to)…but he also thought that the current love potion should have worn off by now…
Harry, sensing uncertainty, continued on: "Of course, I could tell every one that you came to my aid during that pink hair incident…"
Snape arched an eyebrow. Cheeky brat. "Well. I guess I have no choice, do I?
"Nope."
Snape strode towards his bedroom to change clothes, thinking all the while about what could possibly have happened to that potion. The test potion was positive, but at this point in time, the potion should have worn off. However, if the potion had worn off, then Harry's behavior, his very speech and thought patterns, should have changed – but they had not. Snape supposed he should have recognized this important fact when Harry left him yesterday. But, he thought disgustedly as he buttoned up his robes, I was too caught up in pathetic emotions to think clearly. But now he saw clearly: Harry Potter must still be under the effects of that potion.
But he had given Harry a promise…
He glanced at the roses on his bedside table as he began to argue with himself again.
You, unworthy as you are, have been granted a second chance, are you really going to throw it away and say 'No'?
I should. I really should.
Then you are a fool. You are even more idiotic than Longbottom.
Snape was silent.
Then: You take that back.
Surely one date couldn't hurt…
Fine. I'll just have to tell him that there is nothing between us…after the date, of course.
The restaurant which Harry had chosen for their date was an Italian restaurant in Hogsmeade and at about eight o'clock they walked does to the village together. In a way it was just like old times: they joked, they talked, they insulted (or in Harry's case, received insults.) At last, they came to the restaurant. They went in, Harry gave the reservation name, and they were seated.
Snape glanced around the room from the table. He hated to admit it, but he was impressed at Harry's taste: it was indeed a very nice restaurant.
A waiter appeared at his side. "May I bring you gentlemen a drink?"
Harry answered first. "Sure, I'll have a butterbeer…"
The waiter's eyebrows skyrocketed and Snape rolled his eyes. Well there goes my high opinion of the brat's taste…
He picked up the end of Harry's sentence. "…and I'll have a glass of your best merlot." The waiter smiled at Snape, happy that there was a least one person at the table who seemed accustomed to eating in fancy restaurants, and left to get their drinks.
When the waiter was out of sight and earshot, Snape lifted an eyebrow at Harry that said quite plainly: You really have no class at all, do you? "You go out to an expensive Italian restaurant and order butterbeer?
"Hey! As if you should talk when I'm the one paying. I'm just as classy as you are! Because I've been doing your manual labor, I haven't had any butterbeer since after graduation two months ago. And besides," Here Harry's eyes began to twinkle. He sat up straight and elevated his nose high in the air doing a remarkable impression of the late-Lucius Malfoy. "I hear that this year is an excellent year for buttermalt."
Snape felt like beating Harry over the head with the decorative flower on the table – but his lips twitched nonetheless. "There's no year for buttermalt, Potter."
Note to self: If further companionship is experienced with one Harry Potter, teach him something about culture.
The rest of the date went without a hitch. They talked about Snape's current projects (he wanted to see if he could adjust the Wolfsbane Potion to have a longer duration of effectiveness) and plans (he would still be teaching the 'dunderheads' come September). They talked about what Harry was going to do. ("Well, Madam Hooch is retiring and Dumbledore still thinks that I should stay in the castle, so I thought I'd apply for her job.")
Snape carefully kept his face during that piece of information.
"Wouldn't want to do anything a bit cerebral, would you, Potter?
"Of course not, Professor."
Though Snape would rather bite off his own tongue than admit it, he was enjoying the date. Their banter and insults were actually quite amusing. However, something was bothering Snape. And that something had nothing to do with the fact that he was ethically bound to dump Harry after their date was over.
He wasn't even quite sure what it was that was bothering him, but it had been niggling and nagging at his mind since Harry had done his Lucius Malfoy impression – besides the fact that Harry knew nothing about the difference between wine and beer (a faux pas that Snape considered near criminal.)
He knew the feeling well enough: it was a feeling that he had forgotten something important, that he had overlooked something. What is it? But he couldn't think of a thing so he pushed the matter to the back of his mind and tried to give it no more thought.
They talked and talked, neither one of them looking at his watch, until Harry looked around and noticed that most of the patrons had left. He glanced down at his watch. It was almost midnight.
Harry, reluctant to end his date, hesitated, but knew he should have been back at the castle a while ago.
"We should go back to Hogwarts. It's about midnight."
Snape nodded, eyes growing slightly colder as he remembered what he had to do.
Harry paid the tab and they both got up and slowly walked back to Hogwarts.
It was at this time that the little nagging feeling began to bother Snape again. He ruthlessly shoved it aside.
It's just my mind trying to create something else for me to concentrate on so I forget to discourage Harry. And he began to concentrate on what would be the kindest way to send him away. Snape had never had much in the way of girlfriends and boyfriends at Hogwarts. For the most part, he had avoided people and other people had avoided him.
The end result was that Snape had no idea how to dump someone and had no idea what he was going to say.
Finally they arrived back at Snape's office door.
"Could you step inside my office, Harry? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
Harry came in and sat down. Snape poured him a drink and sat across from him.
Snape waited a good long time before beginning. "Harry." Snape took a deep breath. "I firstly would like to say, 'Thank you' for the dinner. I truly enjoyed myself for the first time in many years." Harry blushed slightly. "And I am aware that two months ago, I accused you of playing a prank. I know now that you are not playing a prank…"
As Harry looked up hopefully, Snape winced and looked elsewhere. He didn't want to see Harry in pain when he sent him from his office. He looked at the floor, the bookshelf, the cauldrons, the coffee table…
"However, Mr. Potter…" Snape froze. His eye had suddenly caught sight of his book on potions and the nagging feeling had redoubled. What had Harry said tonight?'Because I've been doing your manual labor, I haven't had any since after graduation two months ago. Besides I hear that this year is an excellent year for buttermalt.'
Two months ago…'buttermalt'…Snape stared at his Love Potions book in silence. Light dawned – he knew what he had overlooked.
But what were the chances?
Snape's blood thundered in his ears as he dove at the book and practically tore the pages in his haste to find Love Potion #48.
"Professor?" Harry looked at him, slightly alarmed at the strange turn of behavior.
"Shhh…" Snape hushed him, scanning the page. 'The identifying ingredient in Love Potion #48 (otherwise known as the Heavy Infatuation Potion) is menthethanol. This is a fairly rare ingredient and can only be found in a few other potions and additives including:
Essence of Moonstone
Illumination Draught
Buttermalt Extract…'
Snape's breathing quickened as the pieces fell into place. He tried to calm himself. "Harry. You went out to The Three Broomsticks after graduation, did you not?"
Harry was totally non-plussed. What was Snape going on about, now? "Yeah. I was there with Ron and Hermione."
Snape waved the last sentence away as unimportant and enunciated his next words slowly and clearly. "Potter, try to remember, now. How. Many. Butterbeers. Did. You. Drink?"
Harry was getting a little scared. Snape had not looked at him this intently since his Occlumency lessons in fifth year. "Er…five or six?"
Snape flopped onto his couch, boneless. Potter had had five butterbeers (whose main ingredient was concentrated buttermalt extract, which in turn included menthethanol) the night before Snape had taken the blood sample. Snape closed his eyes as everything came together
No wonder the Love Potion test gave a positive result.
Snape's heart jumped a little. And no wonder he didn't show a change when the Love Potion wore off…
Snape's mouth began to twitch into a smile and as he suppressed it, it turned into a grin, and as he brought up his hands to cover it, it turned into a laugh. …because it never existed in the first place. In silence, he savored the sweetness of that simple truth.
Then breaking the silence:'I told you so!' said his heart.
Harry, watching Snape in a fit of hysterics, was getting really frightened. Snape was laughing like a madman because of something he read in a Love Potions book? He knew potions made Snape happy, but this was a little much, wasn't it? Cackling like a nut? He vaguely wondered if he should go get Madam Pomfrey.
Snape finally stopped laughing, stood up and looked down at Harry who was still sitting on a chair. Harry supposed that that was his cue to go, so he also stood up.
"What did you want to say to me, Professor?"
Snape's eyes began out-twinkle Dumbledore. "It…doesn't matter, Harry."
There was a long pause. Harry looked down at his feet. "Well. I – er – I guess I'd better go back to my dormitory…" He waited for a moment. "I'll…see you tomorrow, then. Do I…Do I get another date if I maybe do another two months of scrubbing?"
Don't let him get away this time…
Snape said nothing but walked around Harry until he was between Harry and the door. However, Harry, still studying his feet with the utmost concentration, did not notice and took his silence for rejection. "O – Okay then. I guess I'll…see you…next term." Harry paused again as if to gather his courage. "Do at least get a goodbye kiss this time?" Harry looked up at the place where Snape suddenly no longer was. Harry glanced around. "Er…Professor?"
Hands descended on his shoulders and spun him around. Snape was looking down at him, eyebrow raised, lips smiling, eyes twinkling. Harry shivered under the dark gaze.
"A goodbye kiss, Potter…?"
Harry had barely nodded when the hands pulled him forward into Snape's arms and hot lips descended on his. Harry's very toes tingled. This was not the rough, lustful kiss of his dreams but loving and passionate. One arm snaked around his back and the other around his shoulders. They couldn't seem to get close enough. Harry clung to Snape and kissed him back as hard as he could. A hot tongue demanded entrance and Harry gave it.
Never let him go…
Finally, the kiss ended. Harry, face flushed, lips swollen and looking thoroughly ravaged rested his head again Snape's shoulder, wondering how long this would last. Snape, in turn, held him close wondering when his heart had received such a command in his brain.
Suddenly Harry was pulled away slightly as Snape continued his sentence from before and bent down to hiss quietly into his ear.
"Was that an adequate goodbye kiss, Harry?"
Snape felt, rather than saw Harry's nod.
"Well, Mr. Potter," Snape slid his hands up Harry's arms and Harry waited, wondering if a final teasing goodbye was coming just like the teasing from two months ago.
Snape was smirking at him in exactly the same way. Harry held his breath as Snape bent his head closer. Is he just teasing me? I think he's just teasing me…
"I think we can do better than that…"
And taking Harry by the hand, he pulled the totally potion-free, presumptuous brat into his bedroom and shut the door.
A/N: All right! One epilogue to go. Judging by the number of reviews (er, death threats) I got last chapter, I gather that positive potion was pretty controversial…heh heh sweatdrop . Anyway as this story draws to a close, I'm sending out a request for plot bunnies for my next story, because I frankly have no idea what to write about! Thanks guys – XOXO Sprinkles
And on to the Thank Yous – Tanith Lilitu, Solesse, Maire, visitor, Annika, x, kit, Teldra, Mordicai, cynosure the hierophant, moondancer, severusphoenix, jaz7, lillyseyes, insanechildfanfic, Lela951, Anime Monster, Dark-Lady-Devinity, Ditzy 1978, seabiscuit0810, Kateri1, willowtree16, King Mana
Sorry I'm not commenting on your reviews at this moment but (for my own safety) I want to get this chapter up ASAP! I'll comment on reviews in my epilogue, I promise.
To my American readers: Happy 4th of July
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