A/N: Frank/Severus

Usual apologies

Disclaimer: see previous chapters

Frank shifted awkwardly in his seat beside the raven haired teen, biting his bottom lip as he tried and failed to keep his gaze on his text book and not on the long pale fingers that moved deftly across the pages of the book beneath it. Flipping from one page to the next, stopping only for the left forefinger to slide down the page tracing each written line before pausing as he took a ratty looking quill into the other hand and started writing over a new piece of parchment beside it.

Severus has beautiful hands. Frank's always thought so. He's never had the courage to say it out loud though.

Severus would probably throw a stinging curse right at his bollocks if he even thought about it.

The Slytherin paused as he read the next page, bringing his forefinger up to his lips to bite in contemplative thought and Frank had to look away. Swallowing hard when he suddenly felt his mouth go dry.

It's only been a few weeks since this started, but Frank didn't really need more than a few days to know when he'd fallen for someone.

Three weeks ago, Slughorn told him that he was failing potions and that if he had any hope of passing at the end of the year, that he'd need to find someone to tutor him before the OWL's started that year.

It took him a whole month to find someone to agree to being his potions tutor. It seemed that his reputation proceeded him. Everyone in Hogwarts knew about Franks difficulties with Potions and Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts… and Charms, no one wanted to be anywhere near him when he was using his wand let alone when Frank was working with dangerous and potentially lethal potions ingredients. A month into it Frank was getting desperate… until he got a suggestion from an unlikely source.

"Have you asked Severus yet?"

Frank hadn't asked Snape, but that's only because the raven haired Slytherin terrified him and Frank was pretty sure that Snape would never agree to being his potions tutor anyway.

"You know he has the best potions marks in school, right?"

Frank knew that Snape had the best marks in almost every subject in school, but that didn't make him any less intimidating.

"I can put in a word for you if you'd like." A pause and a sly smile, "All you need to do in return is keep him occupied for me."

But Frank was getting desperate. Slughorn was threatening to kick him out of his class, no else seemed to be willing to tutor him. At that point Snape seemed like the only available option.

"Rosier's been getting on my nerves. All I need you to do is keep Severus busy."

So, he started studying with Snape.

Getting the raven-haired teen to tutor him wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. All Frank had to do was ask… and offer to pay Snape at least five galleons a week.

They studied in the library on most days, those sessions consisted of Snape drilling him on potions ingredients and their uses, reading over every essay that Frank had given in since the beginning of the year and forcing him to redo each and every single one. It was exhausting and somehow more intimidating than when he gave his essays to Slughorn. It felt like forever before the Slytherin deemed him ready to start working in the potion's lab and even longer still before Snape let him brew anything on his own. But Frank didn't mind too much.

Snape was intimidating at first but somewhere along the lines Frank started noticing other things about the Slytherin. Which is when things got complicated.

Snape was brilliant and ambitious.

"Exactly what do you think you're doing?"

He was confident and oddly endearing.

"All you were supposed to do was keep him occupied."

Snape was interesting and strong willed and he had the most beautiful hands.

"This wasn't part of our deal Longbottom."

Two days ago, Frank completely forgot himself and did something he shouldn't have.

He'd just gotten back a potions assignment, he got an outstanding for his essay on a plant strengthening potion that he was working on. Severus helped him with the ingredients, guided him whenever he got stuck. When Frank got the marks on his assignment back he was so elated that he forgot himself. He went straight to the library, straight to Severus and before he could stop himself kissed the Slytherin right on the lips. What surprised him most about the event however was the fact that Severus actually kissed him back.

They haven't talked about it since.

Frank wanted to talk about it, but he didn't know how.

So much time has passed, and he's still terrified of the Slytherin, although now, I suppose he's terrified for different reasons. Frank resisted the urge to sigh. This isn't how things are supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to kiss Severus, he wasn't supposed to like him let alone start developing feelings for the other teen. He was supposed to pass potions and keep the Slytherin occupied at the same time that's all. Unfortunately, fate had other plans and to be honest, Frank didn't want to fight against those plans. Not anymore.

"Snape?"

The Gryffindor suddenly said causing the raven beside him to hum in acknowledgement as he just kept on writing. Frank took in a deep breath, Snape paused to look at him just then, lips turning down in a slight frown while his eyebrow arched in question.

"Longbottom?"

"I-"

Frank sighed again. He didn't know what to say, there's so much he wants to say, but he wasn't at all sure how to say it, so he decided to go a different route.

The brunette reached out and took Snape's hand, uncurling the fingers and setting the ratty quill aside and the raven allowed it for the moment. Just watching as the other gently took his hand.

Then Frank leaned down and kissed his hand, causing Snape's eyes to go wide and he immediately tried to pull away, but Frank wouldn't let him.

"Longbottom, what're-"

"I…I like you, a lot." Snape's frown grew and Frank started to flush at that intense gaze, "A-and I was hoping-"

Severus sighed, "No."

"What?"

"I know what you're going to ask me and my answer is no."

Frank felt his heart clench at the instant rejection, "But, why?"

"Why?" Snape scoffed, "Exactly what sort of imbecile do you take me for Longbottom? Did you really think I wouldn't know why you asked me to tutor you in the first place? Did you think I wouldn't know that he sent you to keep an eye on me?"

Frank tensed and Snape scoffed again, "I know him better than he thinks, frankly it's a little insulting that either of you thought this distraction would somehow work."

Frank's eyes went wide, "No, it's not like that-"

"It's not?" Snape asked with an arched brow and Frank cringed just the slightest bit, "Or at least… not anymore."

The raven rolled his eyes, "I'm sure."

"I…" Frank looked away, "If you knew all this time then why-"

"I needed the money." Snape said shortly as he went back to the books and parchment before him, "Plus I knew it would only be a matter of time till his little plan backfired on him and your presence around me started to annoy him. I assume he's already confronted you about it, told you to leave me alone."

Frank only nodded, Snape gave a snort, "Of course he did. Look, if you want me to help you with potions, I still need the money, so we can continue as usual. But we won't be dating or anything of the sort. I can't be in a relationship with you, not in the way you want."

Frank stayed silent watching as Snape continued to read, watching as those fingers moved across the printed pages, staring as he picked up the quill and started writing. He watched as a drop of ink fell and stained those perfect pale hands and spoke before he could stop himself.

"So, when you kissed me back, you only did it because you knew it would annoy him."

Snape shrugged, "One would think he would have something better things to do than constantly watch me."

"Do you think he's watching right now?"

"Isn't he alw-" before the Slytherin could finish his sentence Frank suddenly took his hand all over again, set the quill aside. "Longbottom what-"

He pressed a kiss on Snape's wrist then in the palm of his hand and down to the tip of his forefinger before suddenly sucking it into his mouth. Severus tensed tremendously as he tried to jerk back.

"What're you-"

"If you'd like." Frank started blushing right up to his ears as he kissed the next digit on Snape's hand before looking up in a pause, "I could help you annoy him even more."

The Slytherin just stared at him with his lips twisted in confusion and his eyebrows drawn together and then he smiled.

"I think I may have underestimated you Longbottom."

Frank smiled back, "You wouldn't be the first."

Severus sighed, "Are you sure?"

As an answer, Frank pushed his seat back. Still holding onto the Slytherin's hand he got up, urging the other to follow.

"There's something I'd like to show you."

Severus frowned, but nodded as he got up and they left the library, leaving their books on the desk in the furthest corner of the large room. It was a Saturday and with everyone in Hogsmeade the chances of anyone taking their books was minimal. Severus followed as he was led through the long winding stone halls and out of the castle until they reached the green house. Severus frowned as Frank used an alohomora to unlock the door and walked him inside. Passed the desks covered in dirt and every manner of plant material and passed the plants growing in pots nearest the walls they went straight to the closet where Professor Partridge kept the fertilizer and tools.

Frank smiled as he let go of the Slytherin's hand and opened the closet.

"Do you remember the potion you helped me work on for my assignment?"

Severus folded his arms across his chest. "Yes."

"Well, I did a bit of experimenting on my own and realized that it had a bit of an unexpected effect on Devils Snare."

"What kind of effect?"

Frank smirked as he pulled the wand from his inner robes and aimed for the closet. Snape's eyes went wide when a single vine slowly but surely started to slide out from the inside of the closet slowly inching closer to the Slytherin.

Snape stepped back, "What?"

Then another vine came out and then another, Frank's eyes started to glow ever so lightly and Snape just continued to stare in shock until he suddenly felt something warp around his middle and he panicked immediately making to claw at the vine when-

"It's alright, I swear it won't hurt you." Frank said and Severus looked up at the other in shock.

"Won't hurt me?! It's devil's snare!"

"It's also daylight." Frank said with a smile and Snape looked up at the greenhouse windows, only just seeming to remember that the sun was out and the raven gasped.

"But how-"

"The potion allowed the snare to feed off of sunlight instead of darkness and in turn that made the snare more susceptible to magical control." Frank explained with a slight shrug, "It took a while to learn how to control it, but I think I did alright."

"I think you did better than just alright." Snape said as one of the snares started moving up swaying in the air beside him and he reached out to touch it, feeling along the plant's smooth silky texture and he couldn't help but smile.

"This is incredible-"

And then Longbottom was suddenly in front of him again. Surprisingly soft lips pressed against his own in a gentle kiss and the brunette pulled back with a dark blush on his face.

"You're incredible. You helped me do this and-…" Frank reached out to brush Snape's hair behind his ear, "And if annoying him is the only way I can convince you to give me a chance then, I'll take it."

Snape sighed as he looked away, "You realize that this isn't going to end well."

Frank gave a sheepish grin, "Things rarely ever end well for me."

Snape gave a snort before looking up at the other and leaning forward to press a peck on the Gryffindor's lips, "What else can you do with these things?"

Frank laughed, knowing that was about as close as an acknowledgement as he was going to get he looked down at the snare moving around them and his eyes glowed faintly. Suddenly four of the vines moved as fast as lightning, wrapping around the Slytherin's arms and legs. Snape gasped in surprise when he was suddenly lifted a few inches off the ground, his arms and legs spread apart.

"A few things actually." The brunette said and another vine slowly slid up along Snape's chest, up the raven's neck and along his left cheek up to his lips. Snape tensed but still managed to somehow let out a startled laugh.

"Why do I feel like this is some sort of kink of yours?"

Frank's blush went one shade darker, "Nothing like that, I just wondered."

"Wondered what?" Severus said when another vine came up and tilted his head to the side Frank stepped forward again, lifting a hand to curl around Snape's wrist and tracing along his fingertips.

"How far you'd let me go."

Snape stared back at him, a high flush coloring his cheeks as the vines continued to slip over his face and neck and he let out a deep breath.

"It's a bit soon to be asking me that don't you think?"

"Is it?"

"How far would you like to go?"

Frank went red and Snape managed to roll his eyes, "Alright, I am not letting you fuck me using the devil's snare on the very first day."

"The second day then?" Frank joked and Severus laughed loud and bright before giving the other a smirk.

"Maybe."

Frank's eyes went wide and Snape laughed again.

A/N: I dunno, I might do a tentacle kink thing later

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