A/N: Hello again!! I'm back, with a semi sex scene in this chapter. I understand that-- especially with the events that almost happened in the last chapter-- Harry would not yet be up for this mentally, but as you know, he has a nasty habit of pushing things like this away, up until he can't anymore. So you'll see by the end of this chapter that it both helps him and yet makes his devolution a bit harder for him to deal with.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

-Xenia


Chapter 20: Close to Heaven

As Harry finished his recount of the days harrowing events, he was glad for his mates constant support. Severus was there taking his emotions away before they trampled his chest, and the fact that he was doing such an intimate action in the presence of so many unsuspecting people was making it hard for Harry to keep his arousal under control.

The dragon was in a state of arousal as well, as his mate fought to keep his face neutral even as his body experienced the euphoria of sharing emotions. Detaching his claws from his mates delicate neck, he stepped back and let the others believe he was ignoring the boy.

Sharing emotions or information through physical contact was common, but when the two sharing are mates, everything about the action takes on a more intimate context.

Harry had to look away from everyone, his face flushed as he brought his legs up to his chest. He was uncomfortably hard, and the wetness was back again, and each time it happened he forced himself to get a bit more used to it, but he had already had such a bad day.

As much as he was beginning to love the dragon beside his bed, he was glad that the man had backed away. Nothing about today had put him in a mood to deal with this. The two dragons were silent, and no one around them spoke, as they took Harry's movements as a sign to let the questions drop for the moment.

Dumbledore was, of course, the one to break the silence, letting Harry know that the students would be prosecuted for their transgression, and were already in the process of being expelled. He would wait until breakfast tomorrow to inform the students and staff of the changes, and he assured the boy that he would be as vague as he possibly could about the fact that Harry was physically qualified to board with the fairer gender.

The only thing he needed to know was which house Harry wanted to board with.

"I was supposed to be in Slytherin..." Harry said matter-of-factly, shocking all but one. "And I can't stay in Gryffindor with Ginny in there..." He shivered. The girl still hadn't given up, and tried to speak with him every chance she got. Touching him and asking if he was sure he wasn't straight. He just needed the right girl, she had once said, and he would realize that he didn't need to lie to himself and the school.

She had been a small blip in his year, but now the mess her brother had caused was making him realize that she may have been behind it as well.

He felt bile rise up in his chest, and before he could even move, his mate had transfigured a small cup into a bucket, and passed it to him.

The man was so attentive and gallant, yet he seemed to be unaware of how much his actions made Harry love him. Even now, the man only said something about being the only person there with a working brain, ignoring the fact that he had anticipated his mates needs so perfectly.

No one would know that this was what Harry was thinking, since his head was in the bucket as he wretched up his breakfast.

Once he was done, Madam Pomfrey had a glass of water waiting for him to clear the taste from his mouth, and his mate banished the vomit, but left the bucket in its transfigured state.

"Ravenclaw sir. I think Ginny might have known about what they were planning, and even if she didn't, she is still being creepy. I would rather stay with my sisters..."

When everyone but his mate had left to give him some sense of unwanted privacy, he reached out to the dark eyed dragon, pulling the man onto the bed with him.

Sitting on the side of the medical bed, Severus sent his little mate a knowing smirk.

"Oh shut up Snape!" Harry whispered with a pout. "I'm a teenage boy-- er, you know what I mean." The man had only lifted a brow at his slip up, but Harry didn't feel like redefining himself or his gender identity at this point.

"Can't I just live with you?" The smaller wizard asked softly. He knew that he would feel the most safe with his mate, seeing as the man had never let him down, and was dead set on never doing so either.

Snape just shook his head. He knew his mate would want to stay with him, but it would be impossible to pull off.

"No." He began, taking the boys smaller hand in his own. Harry's face fell, he wanted to be closer to the other dragon. Wanted to let their bond develop faster so that a day like today never happened again.

Severus brought the others hand to his face, placing upon it a soft kiss. His little mate was looking at him with furrowed brows and sad green eyes. He wanted to wipe the look of his loves face, but knew he could only explain his reason, instead of trying to indulge the boy who had asked so little of him.

He sighed, keeping the other's hand against his lips as he spoke. "I am trying to court you somewhat traditionally Rie, which means we cannot live together until such a time that we are past this stage. I will still need to formally request your hand in marriage, and you will still have to accept or deny my claim on you. But even then, we will be forbidden from living together until after our wedding."

As the man explained his reason behind rejecting Harry's proposal, the student sighed. He knew a bit about the rules and regulations on courting, especially when it is being done with a specific creature blood. They were dragons, or well Harry was a dragon kin and his mate was a full dragon, but even with that slight change they were still prohibited from living in such close quarters until they were fully mated.

In the end, and after a bit of time searching his mates eyes, Harry relented. The man looked just as upset that he had to say no as Harry was to hear it.

It didn't matter in the long run, he thought privately. Severus was still his, and they would be able to live together one day.

He was a bit concerned about another matter, as they sat together on a bed, in the semi privacy behind the curtains.

"And we can't..." A soft blush overtook his cheeks and upper neck, as he licked his lips nervously.

"Can't what Rie?" Severus smirked. The movement was so natural and such a constant that Harry wanted to hit the man just as much as he wanted to kiss it away.

"Can you kiss me?" He cleared his throat and shifted on the bed, rumpling the sheets as he got closer to the man sitting at the edge.

Instead of answering his siren, Severus simply placed Harry's hand back down. Instead he took the boys chin between his thumb and forefinger before turning Harry's head from side to side.

Harry was starting to get worried and impatient. If the man was using him to say no to his own question, he would be disappointed. If the man was just stalling then he would be upset that his mate didn't want to kiss him as much as he did.

However, before he could open his mouth to speak, his lips were covered by a second pair. Closing his eyes almost immediately, Harry let himself fall into the kiss, his body relaxing as the feeling of love and happiness washed over him.

Snape had such soft lips, and the way he commanded the kiss left Harry with no thoughts about the man not wanting this either. A hum escaped him, and he realized that his mate was holding the back of his head as he tilted his face this way and that to get a better angle.

Harry himself hadn't moved his hands just yet, and when he noticed this, he started to let his hands explore. He was unsure of what to do with his hands, so he just let them roam, rubbing tentatively over the mans chest, arms, and legs.

Strong muscular thighs lead to an empressive bulge that had Harry gasping, followed by a moan as his mate slipped his tongue into his mouth. The mans lower half was connected to a nicely toned stomach and chest that rumbled with a low growl. From there, Harry found his hands circling the man's covered forearms, before moving up to his broad shoulders.

He spared a moments thought on the dark mark on his mates wrist, but left the thought in the dust as he reached the nape of his mates neck. Severus had such soft and silky hair, and Harry mused that his wings would feel a lot like this. The whole time he explored, he maneuvered himself closer and closer to his mate.

It wasn't more than a slow exploration that ended with him on the man's lap, and his arms around the older man's neck. He sighed happily, a slow whisper of a song escaping him.

The man's tongue was doing an exploration of it's own, as were his hands, come to think of it. The man was carressing the teen's tongue with his own, while his hands were gathering Harry into his grip.

It was unreal, the amount of arousal that shot through his body when the man gripped his waist possessively. The larger warm hands made their way beneath his torn shirt, confidently rubbing circles over his sensitive skin as it continued to heal.

Everything about this was so gentle that Harry really lost himself in it. He was becoming more and more aroused as they explored each other, the snogging and heavy petting was much more than he had ever done. He had only kissed Cedric and later Cho, but neither could compare to the way his mate studied his mouth and body like it was a Greek mastepiece.

Harry could feel his mates hardness between his legs, and something about it made him feel even more pleasure than before. He clenched his legs around the man's lap, and accepted the fact that he was now undeniably wet. The slick feeling was one he was still aiming to get used to, but it was easier to let it slide when he had better things to focus on.

Like rocking his hips to get more friction against his core. The thought in itself was embarrassing, but he didn't want to think of his vagina by it's scientific name. Either way, he was getting so close to something, and he wasn't sure what it was. It was building in his body, like how it was when he was close to an orgasm, but it was different somehow.

His legs were clenching almost unconsciously, and he was grinding against his mate faster now, as bolts of lightning ran through him. It was so intense that his fingers were clenched in Severus' hair and he pulled away from his mates lips. He wanted whatever it was to never end, but unfortunately, or rather fortunately, it did.

A short cry escaped his lips as he felt the tension snap. His vaginal muscles contracted involuntarily, which shocked him on a lesser scale.

Bouncing slightly in the man's lap, Harry tried to stop his uncontrolled movements and cries, but his body wouldn't listen, as he experienced his first orgasm from his feminine bits. Almost immediately after the first, was a second orgasm, one that he was a lot more familiar with. His eyes rolled back and his voice left him until his body was spent, and tears came to his eyes, as he finally refocused them to see a look of pure lust in his mates eyes.

Dark eyes stared straight into his own, and Severus' breathing was ragged, but it was calmed by another kiss. This kiss was brutal, and teeth clashed as Harry panted through the entire experience.

Fatigue was beginning to set in for Harry, and as he finally stopped the jerking tremors his body was going through, he sagged against his mates chest.

The two shared a few slower kisses, and Harry was glad he had worked up the courage to ask for a kiss. Never had he felt this sated, not even after his wildest fantasies or dreams of being with his mate.

As slowly as it had began, the kisses were ended by Severus pulling back from his dazed mate. The siren was in a state, humming and chirping quietly as he came down from the high of his back to back orgasms.

The soft humming became a song that petered out as his gem rested his head against his chest and fell asleep in his arms.

The dragon was glad that his mate was asleep, as he was keeping himself from breaking several rules and laws by the barest of threads.

Courting a minor was allowed if said minors guardians have given permission beforehand. But it was expressly forbidden to go as far as they had almost gone, before marriage.

This was why he had contacted the Dunill's and Khagra to ask for permission to court his mate. Black would have been on that list as well, if he had been alive, but the animagus knew Harry was Severus' mate before the events that led to his death took place. He had accepted it, begrudgingly yes, but he had accepted it just the same.

Cleaning his gem, Severus moved the boy from his lap and stood. He tucked him beneath the covers and set up a monitoring charm on the smaller male. He would leave to take a cold shower, then he would have to go back to his afternoon classes. Then he would inform his mates family and friends of the boys current location, and give them time with the young siren, while he and the other Heads of House spoke about what to tell the students.

After all of this, he would have time to visit his gem, but after that he need to call a house meeting and make sure his students knew not to cross him or be so stupid to think they could get away with sexually harassing others.

As it was, he wrote a note to Harry, leaving it on the bedside table, and leaving the Hospital wing in silence.

He really needed a cold shower.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Severus was having a hard day. Quite literally, as he could not forget the look on his treasures' face as he came. The teen was so shocked and overwhelmed, and the way his eyes rolled back while his head fell back was too arousing to forget.

The sounds his mate had made as well kept his mind distracted during his rare moments of peace. The soft sounds of Harry's breathing and how he shivered against him was almost enough to break his control. And the surprised chirp as he came the second time damn near killed Severus. The teen was so unknowingly sexy, so innocent in his reactions that Severus was genuinely afraid to break the siren. His blushing face was all Severus saw when he closed his eyes, and his melodic voice as he moaned still rang deliciously in his mind.

He could hardly wait until that same voice spoke his given name, in that same breathless way.

Damn it he was hard again.

On the bright side-- if you could believe that Severus Snape believed in those-- He was currently on his way to his mate and the infirmary.

The meeting with the Headmaster and other Heads of House went well enough. He kept to himself mostly, and when he suggested punishments for the offenders, he was pleased to note that the others agreed with most of what he'd said.

It was just a shame they didn't agree to stringing them up by their intestines to a broom and sending them home with a note explaining their reason for death.

The others knew he was a Dragon, it was known to a select few in the wizarding world, and after today, only four non staff Order members knew this part of his heritage. They were the three Aurors who came to pick up the criminals, and the wolf.

Other than them it was Hagrid-- who was unable to spill the secret by a spell-- the Dunhill family, and Harry's clutch of friends.

They also know he was the sole protector of Lily's treasure, whether he liked Harry or not. So they could understand why the man spoke of killing the others for trying to do something unspeakably horrible to his charge. Still the answer to the suggestion had been a resounding no, and so Severus had to be happy with the boys being expelled, having charges pressed against them, definite prison time, and having their wands snapped on top of it all.

Speaking of wands, Harry would need a new one, as broken wands never quite worked the same as they had before being snapped. Severus had decided to take over the Hogsmeade weekend coming up, and no one questioned him on it. However he needed to keep a distance from the boy after this.

As much as it might hurt them, he and Harry could not have a moment like they had earlier, so while he would not turn the boy away, they would be unable to get that close for a while.

His thoughts ended as he walked into the infirmary, and spotted his mate surrounded by his friends. His note from earlier was being read aloud by the looks of it, as they had been smart and cast a silencing spell around them.

Clearing his throat as he walked up to them, he flashed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and sneered at the group of gaping teens.

Longbottom had likely squeaked by the terrified look on the boys face, and that was all that mattered. He came into the boundaries of the spell and relaxed his face into a smirk.

Really it boardered on a shit eating grin, but he wouldn't admit to that.

"Ver!" Harry called with a giggle. He knew his mate loved intimidating people, but the self satisfied look on the mans face as he relaxed made Harry feel light.

He too knew that earlier had almost gone too far, but he wouldn't change it for the world. It made him feel alive, and reminded him that those boys wouldn't be able to try anything again. They wouldn't be able to touch him, and even though he was still a virgin and untouched, the threat of sexual assualt was still a constant throughout the entire ordeal. Ron especially seemed like he would have loved nothing more than to steal his innocence. Harry was just glad that the red head nor his goons would ever get the satisfaction of breaking him in such a way.

Burying the memories behind his mental shields for the moment, he decided to just live in the moment.

He was physically healed, he hadn't assessed the other aspects of his being just yet, and he was waiting until everyone was gone to break. Except everyone seemed to know about his plans so they stayed, even through lunch, eating with him instead of leaving.

Severus came over to Harry, and placed a hand on his cheek. Harry looked at the man, and knew he was caught. His masks fell for a moment and everyone saw the desperately broken look in his eyes before he turned his face towards his mates hand and away from them.

No one spoke for the moment, instead studying their Professor, who's smile was once again nonexistent. He looked just as serious as usual, but his face held a softness to it they had never seen. The man used his free hand to run it through his mates hair, whispering in Parseltongue to Harry, who responded in a small voice.

"Speak to me mate, what ails you?" Severus ask, rubbing his thumb over his mates soft cheek.

"I can't forget..." The teen mumbled sadly.

Harry looked and sounded so sad, and Severus sent the boys seer friend a look, before taking a seat behind Harry on the bed.

Luna closed the curtains fully and stood, slowly ushering everyone out. She turned to the two still on the bed and smiled, and after the group left, Harry broke.

"They almost--" He couldn't finish the sentence, shaking his head and trying again. "They tried to--"

Shushing his mate, Severus told the teen that he didn't have to say it. He instead held his gem as the boy began to shake.

"You held your own, and if I hadn't have gotten to you when I did, I know that you would have come out as the victor." This was all he said. He didn't want his mate to be reminded of the mornings events any more than the teen already reminded himself.

"But he got so close, He wouldn't have given up if you hadn't come in. And I know that he wasn't going to stop just because I burned him." Harry said.

He had felt so helpless and weak, so small and alone in that room, but he also knew that he was the most unworthy person to have any of his mates constant attention.

The man had done so much for him, protected him from so much, and Harry was useless. He could hardly count all the times the man had helped him, how much the man had sacrificed to keep him happy. He remembered last year as well, back when he had almost rejected his mate.

The man was falling apart by the end of that year, and if Harry hadn't have stopped being a prat, his mate would have gone insane. The man had resigned himself to suffering in silence so Harry could have the time he needed to grieve his godfather.

It was too much, Harry was too much. He wasn't worth being loved, being safe and warm in his mates arms, he shouldn't have this man wanting to court him. He was a freak.

As Harry descended into his dark thoughts and repressed trauma, Severus held him, whispering sweet nothings the entire time.