Title: One Stupid Person
Author: quixotic-hope (harrysev)
Beta: Amanda Saitou
Pairing: Harry/Severus
Rating: R
Genres: Romance, Angst, Fluff, First time
Warnings: slight-AU (ignoring HBP)
Spoilers: 1-5
Summary: Having lost his value as a spy for the light, Severus must now take a Death Eater-aging potion and befriend the dratted Boy-Who-Lived. But what happens when he starts falling in love?
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. belong to the wonderfully talented JK Rowling. I mean no harm by using her characters in this story. I am making no money whatsoever; I merely hope to entertain people.
Chapter 7: Growing Attraction
Ron and Hermione were spending more and more time alone together, leaving Harry with no one besides Alan to talk to. Not that he minded, anymore, though. No, after the first fight they had had, Harry had learned to enjoy spending more time with Alan than with Ron and Hermione. The other boy was smart, of that Harry had no doubt. He also had an incredible sense of humor, even if it wasn't the laugh-out-loud sort of funny that most people in Gryffindor appreciated. Alan's humor was much more subtle, but that's what made Harry appreciate it even more.
Mainly, Alan reminded Harry of Severus Snape. Not that he would ever tell the other boy so. Alan might not know Snape, but Harry had a feeling that Alan wouldn't like being compared to the professor that practically the entire school despised. Then again, reasoned Harry, Alan wasn't the sort of person to care what others thought of him. That was yet another part of him that reminded Harry of Snape.
Harry sighed. He really should stop thinking of Alan as Snape. He already knew that he was attracted to Alan, and comparing Alan to the man he loved wasn't going to do either of them any good. Harry thought about the promise he had made to himself that summer: he would forget about Snape and find someone who could love him.
But was Alan that person? Yes, everything that Harry loved about Snape was evident in Alan, but did that mean anything? Was Alan even gay? Somehow, Harry doubted it. Being gay wasn't something that was celebrated, and he had the feeling that Alan wasn't as abnormal as he was.
Harry sighed and returned his gaze to the window. It was November now, and most of the leaves had already fallen off the trees. He had known Alan for three months. That wasn't nearly enough time to begin to fall in love with someone, was it? But he felt like he had known Alan for so much longer. Did that count for something?
Confused, Harry shook his head and walked away from the window.
xxx
Severus Snape was confused, something he did not like feeling in the least. More annoying was the fact that he was confused about Harry. Potter! Damn it, the boy's name was Potter. Severus sighed. It was no use. He was starting to develop feelings for the Boy Who Lived.
He didn't know when it started or why it happened. He had a feeling it started that night when he watched Harry teach Creevey how to summon a book. The look on Harry's face when the boy finally managed to summon a book from up in the dorms to the common room was something Severus would never forget. Harry had been proud of Creevey. He hadn't taken any responsibility for the younger student's sudden ability, just said that all Creevey had needed was a little encouragement.
James Potter would have accepted full responsibility for the boy's achievements if he were in Harry's place. Well, he would have if he was the sort of person to help others out. But James Potter would never waste his time helping younger students learn. He would simply laugh at them for not being as clever as he was and go on his way.
Harry was different. If he knew how to do something that someone else didn't, he would drop everything to help the less-fortunate student. Harry always made sure not to make the other student feel bad about not knowing how to do something. He was patient and kind: a natural teacher. Severus had never had that much patience.
But that wasn't all. Harry also had an incredible sense of humor. He appreciated Severus's jokes like no one else did. Loathe as he was to admit it, Severus loved the way Harry's eyes sparkled when Severus said something he found funny. He loved the way Harry spent all of his time with Severus when he could have been hanging out with any of his other Gryffindor friends.
Severus was slightly afraid. He had never cared about anyone before, and he knew that this infatuation with Harry would not end well. For starters, Severus knew that no matter what happened, Harry would never return his feelings. Harry would hate him when he realized that Alan Rickman was really Severus Snape. Even if the boy did seem to respect him—Severus—that didn't mean that he wished to be friends with the greasy Potions master.
That certainly didn't mean that he wished to be more than friends with his greasy Potions master. The boy probably wasn't even gay. After all, the boy merely looked at a few books. That didn't necessarily classify him as gay. And even if he was, he wouldn't want anything to do with Severus.
Unfortunately for Severus, he wasn't the only one who had started to notice his growing infatuation with the boy wonder. Every month Severus dragged himself up to the Headmaster's rooms to give an update on how things were going with Harry. Every visit Severus insisted that he still didn't know what was wrong with Harry, and every visit Albus insisted that Severus would find out sooner or later.
Over the past month, Severus became aware of Dumbledore's twinkling gaze following him everywhere. That look made Severus feel slightly ill.
"Severus! So good to see you, my boy," greeted the Headmaster as Severus sat down for his monthly meeting. "Lemon drop?"
"Albus, simply because you decreased my age does not mean that I am any more likely to enjoy those repulsive sweets of yours."
"Of course not," agreed Albus, popping said sweet into his mouth. "I was merely being polite."
"Of course you were," nodded Severus. "And before you ask: no, I do not know what is bothering H-Potter." Severus mentally cursed himself for slipping up on the boy's name.
Albus's lips twitched when he heard Severus' slip up. Things were progressing nicely, then. Now all Severus needed was a little nudge in the right direction.
"Did you know that nothing in the rulebook states that student-teacher relationships are illegal?"
Okay, so maybe Severus needed a little more than a nudge. Maybe a shove.
Severus lowered the tea he had been about to sip and gave the Headmaster a calculating look. He was right, then. Albus did know of his feelings for the boy. Damn it.
"Please, don't tell me that you're starting that 'Random Fact of the Day' thing again," groaned Severus, not willing to admit defeat. "You have my word that if I am ever in dire need of completely useless information you will be the first person I contact."
This time Albus laughed out loud.
"As pleased as I am to hear that, that wasn't what I had in mind."
"Wasn't it?" asked Severus, determined to keep his feelings to himself.
"No, it wasn't. I've noticed the looks that you've been giving young Harry—"
"Albus," interrupted Severus, half angry and half apprehensive.
"—And I just wanted to make sure you knew that there is nothing wrong with student-teacher relationships," continued Albus as though Severus hadn't said a word.
"Albus," tried Severus again, this time with more of a warning in his voice.
"Particularly when neither one of them is a teacher," added Albus thoughtfully as he unstuck two lemon drops, still ignoring Severus.
"Albus!"
That time Albus turned his full attention onto the man before him. He saw the anger in the other's eyes and knew that that anger was covering so many more emotions. Deciding that he had tortured the poor man enough for one day, Albus inclined his head.
"It's getting late. You should get back."
Severus nodded and stood up.
"Good evening, Albus."
"Good evening, Severus."
Albus waited until Severus was practically out the door before adding, "You best hurry. I expect Harry will be wanting to know where you went."
Albus dodged the tea cup that was aimed at his head.
A/N: Yes, I know Albus could very well have used magic to dodge the cup, but I felt his actually moving would be more amusing. Hope you all liked this chapter!