23 – Beneath the Surface

It seemed as if a cloud of silence had stretched itself over the castle. Students passed through the halls speaking in whispers. Laughter was rarely heard, and when it was, the person who caused it immediately put an end to it.

N.E.W.T Potions was as dismal as ever. Severus didn't even bother having the class brew anything. He knew he should just continue on as though nothing had changed, but he couldn't see any reason for it. Instead, he set the students on a simple task out of the textbook.

Within a half hour, the class had finished. There was still nearly two hours left before the bell. Severus accepted the assignments as they came in, and simply sat at his desk, gazing at them all.

For ten minutes they all just stared at one another.

"You may leave for the library, if you wish," Severus said quietly. "However, I'd like to ask you three to remain behind," he nodded at Harry, Lileana and Setarina.

The others gathered their belongings and left, closing the door quietly.

"Harry, it's not you I need to speak to, but I wish for you to remain with me as much as possible, given recent events," Severus said, rising and moving to sit on the front of his desk. Harry nodded in understanding. Both looked over at the girls.

"Setarina, look at me," Severus said gently.

She raised her head slowly, as if not wanting to do what was requested of her. "Yes, sir?"

Severus shook his head. "As long as it is only the four of us in this room, I'm not your professor. I am Severus. Understood?"

The girls nodded.

"Is there something, anything, you want to tell me?" Severus asked.

Setarina opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. Her gaze shifted to Harry's. For a few seconds, all of Harry's senses were drowned in pain and fear. He could hear someone crying faintly, and he felt like he'd been violated.

"He did something unforgivable, irreversible…it's been four months."

Harry broke the eye contact and stared at the stone floor.

Setarina looked back at Severus. "No. Nothing at all," she said before dropping her gaze. "May I leave?"

"Yes," Severus answered. Setarina grabbed her books and quickly left.

"How are you doing," Severus asked Lileana.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Honestly, I am. But she's not. And it hurts me more because I don't know what it is that could be tormenting my baby sister…" she trailed off. She stood up and looked around. "I think she took my books as well," she said, looking at Harry and Severus. "I'm going to go." With that, she left.

Severus turned to Harry.

"What, am I going to be questioned as well?" Harry asked.

"Actually, yes," Severus sighed. "What happened when she looked at you?"

"Don't you know what's wrong with her?" Harry asked, frowning.

Severus shook his head. "I didn't use Legilimency on her, in case there was something she truly didn't want me to know."

"It's been four months…"

"This is going to be complicated," Harry said slowly. "I don't even know where to begin on this."

"The beginning is usually a good place, Harry."

Harry shot Severus a glare. "This isn't funny, Severus."

"What is it?"

Harry hesitated. He wasn't sure how Severus was going to handle the news. In all honesty, he feared that nothing could be done about it, because Arsenius was now Headmaster.

"Harry?"

He met Severus' gaze. "She's carrying his child."

"Harry!"

He looked around to see Setarina coming towards him. He let Severus go ahead a bit so he could talk to her.

"Please," she whispered frantically. "Please don't let him tell anyone else. It has to stay between the three of us."

"But what about your sister?" Harry asked her.

She glanced over to Severus, who was watching them. "I don't know how to tell her, Harry." She began to cry. "She's my older sister, but I don't know what to say to explain…how do you explain something as—as horrifying— " she broke off, sobbing.

"Come here," Harry whispered, gathering the poor girl in his arms and holding her tightly. "It's going to be okay. Really, it is."

"How, when he keeps doing it, over and over again?" She cried into his shoulder. "He finds excuses to give me detention and— "

"Shh," Harry whispered. "You don't have to tell me. I already know. I know everything, Setarina." He closed his eyes and swayed them back and forth, knowing nothing but the smell of her hair.

When her cries subsided, Harry moved back just enough to raise her chin towards him. Gently he wiped the tear stains from her face.

"Go to your dormitory," he said softly. "I'll send an owl telling you when and where to meet me."

She nodded and left without a word.

Harry turned to Severus and joined him down the hall.

"Whatever you have up your sleeve, Harry," the older man said, "do not break her heart."

Harry stopped walking and looked up at Severus. "What do you mean?"

Severus sighed.

"I know with whom your heart truly lies, Harry," he said, tracing the younger man's jaw. "No matter what takes place between you and her, I know you'll be coming home to me."

Harry said nothing. He wasn't sure he understood Severus' words, but he knew the meaning would come to him in time.

Harry sat in the Astronomy Tower, overlooking the grounds that evening. He had just sent Hedwig to Setarina mere moments before and was slightly nervous as to what the evening would bring. The moon was full and the skies were clear. It was quite warm for late February, but it didn't matter.

"Harry?"

He turned to find Setarina behind him. She was dressed in black from the hooded cloak to the dress underneath. As she sat down next to him, he could see her just barely protruding belly and reached out to caress it. Looking at her face, he watched her eyes close and heard her sigh.

"Setarina…" he whispered. She opened her eyes. "Are you sure you want to continue with this?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "Perhaps it will make this whole thing easier for me."

"It should help," Harry replied. "But— "

She put a finger to his lips. "Listen," she said. "Listen to the night. Let nature pour over your senses. Let it guide you."

He closed his eyes and let his body relax. He could feel the wind blowing through his hair and he could hear the trees moving in the Forest. He could also smell Setarina's hair, quite strongly, and he opened his eyes. She lifted her gaze to his as he moved closer to her.

"You're sure?" He asked again.

She smiled and shook her head, bringing her hand up behind his neck. "No," she said, pulling his head down to hers and whispered the last words into his mouth, "but why the hell not?"

It was a kiss that shattered his defenses, and if he hadn't been sitting, it would have knocked Harry off his feet. He could feel a warm sensation flowing through his bloodstream into all areas of his body. His mind was numb, and when he broke away for air, he could barely breathe.

Only Severus had ever done more than that to him.

That thought made Harry momentarily freeze.

"Are you alright?" Setarina asked him. He looked at her.

"No matter what takes place… I know you'll be coming home to me."

Now he understood what Severus meant.

"Yes," he whispered, caressing her belly again. His eyes traveled over her body until they met hers again. She took his hand and brought it up to her swelling breasts and pressed her hand on top of his. He squeezed gently and she let out a soft moan. Just the sound made him hard, and he realized he wanted to be inside of her. Desperately.

She kissed him again as he lowered her to the ground and held himself above her. She pulled him down on top of her, lifting her legs, making them closer. Her dress settled around her hips and he could feel through his robe that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. He knew she could feel him pressing against her.

"Harry," she moaned in his ear. He could feel her shake underneath him and hear her shallow breathing.

"Hm?" He wasn't doing much better.

"I want you," she whispered.

He lifted her dress up and over her head, tossing it aside. Taking a full look at her, he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And yes, despite her age, she was a woman because she was carrying a child inside her.

He bowed his head over her chest and took one of her breasts into his mouth. Setarina quivered under him as he suckled her. He moved to the other breast and gave it the same treatment. Her body's reactions encouraging him, he began a trail of kisses up her neck until he reached her ear, while his hands explored further below. When his fingers entered her, she clutched his shoulders and moved up as if trying to bring him closer to her.

"Harry, please," she moaned.

At that point, he was so hard that it was beginning to hurt him. He didn't try to resist as she yanked his robes over his head, nor did he pull away when she reached for him. When her hand closed around him, he let out a gasp.

"Setarina," he whispered into her mouth. She alone knew what she was doing, and Harry thought he would be too clumsy with her if he tried to do it without her help. However, he was proven wrong when she moved her hand. He let his instincts control his body. At the same time, he pushed himself in and she pushed herself up. He felt himself hit the end a little harder than he'd intended to, and through the maze of desire that engulfed his brain, he heard Setarina cry out in pleasure.

For the next half hour or so, however long it was, all he could hear were her soft cries and his moaning. And when he came, the only thing in his mind was her face and her voice crying out his name……

Severus heard the door open from a very far away place in his head. In actuality, it wasn't that far at all, or so he thought, but then again, he had been dreaming for sometime.

He'd been asleep as long as Harry had been asleep. Severus knew everything that had gone on in the Tower, he'd felt it as if it were he himself that was doing it.

He sighed. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be with a woman.

Harry was his first and only male lover. It surprised Severus how easy making love to another man had come to him the previous winter. Maybe it was something in Harry that made it easier. Then again, he was also Harry's first and only.

Someone stumbled into the room, snapping Severus to his senses and making him look up.

"Harry?"

"Huh?" He was obviously disoriented. So much so that he literally fell over and landed on Severus' lap. "Oh, shit."

Severus laughed. "Are you drunk as well, Harry?"

Harry's deep green eyes looked into Severus'.

"No, I am not drunk, although I think what I've just done deserves more than drunkenness."

Severus laughed harder.

"Sev?"

"Yes?"

"It's been far too long," Harry said, his voice husky. He wove his fingers into Severus' hair.

Severus looked deep into Harry's eyes. He could see the long-buried hunger that Harry had for him. Just the look in his eyes made Severus want to devour him. It made him hard thinking about it, and Harry just happened to be sitting dead on it.

"Go ahead," Harry said, displaying his newly acquired ability to read minds. "I won't stop you. Devour me, dominate me, take me, possess me, and expose me. Turn me inside out without mercy and torture me." He leaned towards Severus' ear. "Fuck me," he whispered.

Severus let out a growl as he picked Harry up and brought him into the bedchamber. As he crawled onto the bed and towered over Harry, he brought his head down to the younger man's ear.

"You're mine," he hissed.

Well, there it is. Looking forward to the comments that result from this 