Chapter 14 – Distractions and Distractions

"Mr. Sage? What are you doing here?"

"Visiting your Potions Master. How are you, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore looked totally flummoxed. It wasn't a good look for him, probably because he wore it so seldom. "I had no idea the two of you were still friends."

"Seriously?" He had been sure Dumbledore would be aware of the floo activating when he visited. He was still struggling with the fact that he wasn't aware of everything ever, full stop.

Dumbledore recovered quickly. "Not that it surprises me, of course."

"Of course." What was going on here?

"Enjoy your visit, Mr. Sage."

He was still a little confused when he knocked on Snape's door. After a moment, the door was flung open forcefully.

"What is i—Sage? What are you…? Get in here," he said, and pulled Cameron into his quarters. "Did anyone see you?"

"I ran into the Headmaster. It was strange, he had no idea I'd been visiting you."

"Of course he didn't," Snape snapped. "Why were you even out there? Why didn't you use the floo?"

Scowling, he reached into his sleeve and extricated Thessa from her position wrapped around his wrist. "I didn't want to take her through the floo network. She wanted to see you, though I can't imagine why."

"Did you tell him why you were here?"

"What's his problem?" Thessa hissed. Good question.

"I just said I was visiting you. What is your problem?"

"Nothing, I just—none of the students saw you?"

And then it suddenly hit him, like a well-placed Freezing Charm. Snape was ashamed of him, ashamed to be seen with him. He didn't know how he'd never noticed it before. Aside from that first time when he showed Cameron the castle, he was always insistent that no one see him there. Even then, he'd waited until school was out and the castle was nearly deserted. Snape had told him early on that he'd thought of himself as straight all his life—he couldn't possibly be completely comfortable with the world seeing him as homosexual. He hoped that was it, anyway. It would be much worse if it was about him, personally.

"Wait a minute. You never cared when I took you out! We saw all those shows, and the dinners, and you were fine with it." It made no sense. Of course, almost all of the places they'd gone had been muggle. Maybe he only cared about people he actually knew, that he had to see every day. He could understand that, in a way.

"What are you talking about? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He wouldn't have liked it, but it would have made things so much easier.

Snape looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Tell you what?"

"That you didn't—that you weren't…comfortable…being seen with me. I would have understood. I know a lot of people don't accept…alternative lifestyles, and—"

Snape's face contorted, and Cameron wondered just how angry he was.

And then he laughed.

"Is he all right?" Thessa asked derisively.

Cameron failed to see how it was funny.

"You thought that I was ashamed to be associated with you?"

Cameron scowled. He wasn't sure what was going on anymore, but he knew Snape was laughing at him. "Well, what am I supposed to think when you don't want anyone from the wizarding world seeing us together?"

"Sage, you know there are children of Death Eaters at this school."

"Yeah. So what?"

"They report back to their parents. They watch me very closely." He knew all of this, but he couldn't see where Snape was going with it until he added, "I don't want you to become a target."

Cameron gaped. He had to be joking. "You're hiding our relationship to protect me?"

"Seems you had the wrong end of the stick. I thought you were supposed to intelligent? Defense Master and all that."

"Shut up, you," he snapped at her.

Snape looked away, seemingly embarrassed, and nodded. Well, he ought to be embarrassed!

"How many wizards or witches do you know who are more magically powerful than I am? What is it you imagine they could do to me?" he asked, torn between amusement and indignation.

Snape looked chagrined, as well he should. "I didn't think…"

"Didn't think about that, did you? You just decided to protect me from the big, bad Death Eaters and let me believe you weren't comfortable with us."

"This is serious, Sage! They're dangerous people."

"I know that very well. Probably better than you think," he said in a tone he hoped brooked no refusal. "And I'd be honored if you would accompany me to dinner in Hogsmeade tonight. What do you say?" Snape was still a very private man, and he hoped he wasn't pushing things too far.

"It would be my pleasure," Snape answered, contrite. "I'm still amazed you want to be seen with me. Sometimes I don't know how you put up with me."

"Me neither. I think it's a symptom of being in love."

"It must be. I certainly can't explain my unnatural forbearance of you any other way."

When they simultaneously realized the implications of Snape's words, Cameron's grin lit up the room and Snape tried to hide his blush.

"Can I go, too?"

XXX

He contrived to be at Hogwarts on the fourth of June, even though it was the middle of the week. He didn't plan to do anything—who knew what effect untimely interference might have?—but he wanted to be there just the same as Harry, Ron, and Hermione put their heads together to save the stone.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Snape asked when he stepped into the sitting room.

"Thought you might want to celebrate the last day of exams. I know you still have grading, but you're free of the little buggers for a while."

Snape raised an eyebrow at him. "Depends on what you mean by 'celebrate'."

"Anything you like," he answered with what he hoped was a come-hither look.

"Anything at all?"

"Of course. Always."

"Even if I wanted to…spank you, then tie you up and have my wicked way with you?"

Cameron faltered a bit at that. "Well, I…I'm not…I mean, if that's what you want to do. Really, whatever you want. Any time."

Snape cocked his head to the side. "You really would, wouldn't you? Even though you're obviously uncomfortable with the idea."

"Of course. I'll give you whatever you need. I hope you know that."

"Relax, Sage, I was joking."

Cameron gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, I can't say I'm not glad to hear that. Seriously, though. What would you like?"

Snape considered for a moment. "Well, I've been supervising Potions practicals all day and haven't had a chance to clean up. Have a shower with me?"

He felt his cock give a hopeful twitch. "Oh, yes." That sounded like a great idea.

Ten minutes later, he stood admiring the lines of Snape's body as he rinsed his hair. With his head tilted back into the spray, his neck looked particularly inviting. They hadn't actually done the whole showering together thing before, and he wasn't sure if Snape would want to take things further or head back to the bedroom now that they were clean.

It was strange. In all his previous relationships, he took things like that for granted. With anyone else, if he had a hankering for shower sex and a wet body within reach, he'd grab it. He always felt comfortable going for whatever he wanted, sure that if his partner wasn't in the mood he'd say so and they'd leave it for another time, no hard feelings. By the same token, he never worried about refusing a partner something, like when that guy in Algeria had asked him to wear a corset. He'd said no, the guy shrugged, and they went straight to the sex.

But it was different with Snape. He didn't want to refuse the man anything. Likewise, he knew it would hurt if he tried to initiate something and was rebuffed, so he usually made sure of his welcome before he did. Although, a lot of the time he got the impression that Snape was so starved for affection he'd never tell Cameron no, even if he wasn't in the mood. He didn't want that, either.

For the first time, he had something to lose. He didn't want to mess up this thing with Snape.

He was just about to reach out for him when Snape stepped out from under the water and gave him a considering look. "Can you cast a wandless Featherweight on yourself?"

"…Yeah…"

"Good. Legs around my waist."

After a brief moment of shock, he pounced and wrapped himself around Snape, who turned and pressed him against the tiles. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Merlin, yes. Fuck me, Severus."

"Summon the lube."

Cameron shook his head. "No need, I can do a charm. It's done, go ahead."

"Gods, you didn't even blink. Do you have any idea what it does to me when you do that?"

Cameron reached down and palmed his hard prick. "I've a notion. Are you going to do something about it?"

With a moan, Snape slid two fingers into his entrance, but Cameron was impatient.

"That's enough, it's enough…fuck me, Severus, I want to feel you."

Snape looked like he might protest for a moment, but then Cameron felt the fingers leave him to be replaced by something more substantial.

"Oh, yes," he breathed as Snape slid into him in one smooth move. It felt so full, almost uncomfortable. Just right.

"Cameron," Snape whimpered and Cameron pulled him into a kiss. It was open-mouthed, wet, and clumsy. It was perfect.

"Now," he mouthed against Snape's lips, "Now, please."

Snape nodded and began to thrust. Then they were rocking together, and it felt like they'd been doing this forever, and he never ever wanted it to stop.

"Oh," Snape moaned, "I'm not going to last." Cameron knew he wasn't either, so he clenched around him and Snape was coming, filling him with heat, then he was coming too and he couldn't see and he couldn't breathe and everything was bliss.

But then, before Snape's softened prick had even slipped out of him, Snape screamed and they both fell to the floor.