CHAPTER 35

A/N: Pehico: Harry felt rushed into telling Severus about his feelings, but the two want to take it slow(er) when it comes to being physically intimate, especially after their unpleasant consummation. The most important thing (and this is the reason why it was a rush) was that they confessed their love for each other. The pace slow/fast will cause problems, though, and you'll find out more in this chapter.

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Bright rays of Easter Monday sun sparkled through the shuttered windows. Harry opened his eyes. There was something warm next to him. Or rather, someone warm. Harry rubbed his eyes and rolled over onto his side. Severus was lying on his side as well, his back towards Harry. Harry snuggled his cheek into a patch of black hair lying on the pillow. It was as silky as Severus's voice. He stretched and tiptoed his way out of bed, glancing at the clock as he scuttled to the bathroom – seven A.M. Usually, it was Severus who got up early. Well, there's a first time for everything, Harry grinned to himself.

Severus opened his eyes and discovered an empty space next to him. It was still warm, and he discovered a single dark hair on Harry's pillow. It was black, like his own hair. Severus picked it up and twirled it lazily in his fingers. When hairs were on the head, they were an object of admiration. As soon as they left the scalp, they were regarded as disgusting things by people. Severus held up Harry's hair and came to the conclusion that he liked it anyway even though it had parted with its usual residence. There was a loud clang from the bathroom as Harry dropped something, and Severus was sure that he heard his husband assess the situation with a hearty four-letter word. Soon, the door opened, and a shower-fresh figure dressed in jeans and a light jumper issued forth. Severus Snape was not a morning person; but today, he found himself appreciating the first minutes away from the unconsciousness of sleep. He sat up in bed, and Harry turned.

"Good morning, Sev," he said happily.

"Sev?"

"I thought of it during my shower. It reminds me of the number seven, which is considered magical."

"Such morning flatteries," Severus murmured. "But if it should relieve the tangling of your tongue whenever you utter my full name, then you may abbreviate it in your radical fashion."

"How do you manage to speak like a professor when you've just woken up?" Harry asked, amused. His pillow, propelled by a non-verbal spell, flew towards him. Harry managed to catch it cleanly, his Duelling and Quidditch reflexes instantly in action.

"Wow, and you sure know how warm up your magic after sleeping!" Harry laughed, tossing the pillow back at Severus, who scrambled out and made a beeline for the bathroom. Harry was not offended. He knew that Severus was more open to conversation after freshening up and eating breakfast. They went down together and were given plates stuffed with fried eggs, bacon, tasty sausages and mushrooms by Mrs Weasley and Lupin. Conversation began to flow steadily and warmly as people filled their stomachs. They were not idle on Easter Monday, however. The young people went out to de-gnome the garden while the others discussed, in low voices, about Voldemort and how to foil his plans.

"So, Harry, how was it with Snape?" Ron asked. Hermione frowned.

"You mean, sharing a bed?"

"What else, mate?"

"Ron!" Hermione snapped. Ginny smirked behind her veil of red hair.

"Come on, Ron, that's personal." Harry answered.

"Shy? Or no action?" Ron asked, looking sceptical. Hermione threw a gnome at his head.

"Hey, I was only kidding! You think I want to really know every detail about that greasy – I mean-"

A gnome left Harry's hand and thumped him smartly in the ribs.

"My husband is not greasy!" Harry growled. There was a snicker from the Weasley twins.

When Harry moved out of earshot, Fred whispered to Ron:

"Don't worry, little brother, they slept like angels."

"How would you know?" Ron whispered back.

"Extendable Ears," George explained succinctly.

Hermione stared at them, shocked. Ron, too, looked rather taken aback.

"How can you possibly spy on people's private lives like that?" Hermione bristled.

"Hey, it's Snape, Hermy, don't get so worked up."

"It is Harry and Professor Snape, you two, and you have no right to eavesdrop like that! It's completely shameless of you!"

"Ah, they just meant…er…well," Ron said, trying to be diplomatic. The twins rolled their eyes and Hermione sniffed haughtily. She marched away resolutely and de-gnomed a patch of garden a safe distance away from her boyfriend and the twins. Ginny, too, was no longer amused and joined her. Harry was happily oblivious of the conversation concerning his love life.

When Harry and Severus returned to Hogwarts in the evening, Harry found himself wondering about the bed-sharing arrangements in their rooms. He had felt very happy and comfortable sharing a bed with Severus. Safe. Protected. Loved.

"Sev?" he asked timidly.

"Yes, Harry?" Severus looked at him probingly.

"How was it for you to share a bed with me?" he asked cautiously, trying to make sure that he was on safe territory.

"It was quite passable," Severus replied, looking amused.

Silence.

"Oh. Okay."

"What are you trying to get at, my subtle one?" Severus asked shrewdly.

"Well…would you mind repeating the experience?"

"Harry, I think it would be better if we did not share a bed. It was simply a makeshift arrangement at The Burrow, and although we are in a relationship and married, I would prefer sleeping separately."

"Okay. Well…Fine," Harry said.

"You are not happy," Severus remarked.

"It was nice sharing a bed with you. Different, and nice. I felt really good. What about you?"

"I would prefer not to rush things."

"We don't have much time anyways, do we?" Harry said, his voice becoming hard.

"I would think that you would understand what damage rushing can do after-"

"-our consummation, I know," Harry finished his sentence.

"Obviously, we do not agree on the topic of bed-sharing," Severus commented.

"No, no, you're right, we had better sleep separately," Harry said briskly, giving him a smile and kiss on the cheek. He turned to go.

"Harry. Wait."

Harry looked at him.

"I do not want to force you to do something you don't want to."

"Sev, if I had not wanted to share a bed with you, I would have told you."

Severus nodded.

That night, they slept alone in their beds. The night after that, Severus heard a knock on his bedroom door and opened it to reveal a blushing Harry. He wordlessly took the young man's hand and led him to his bed, and they slept innocently next to each other. From then onwards, Harry would repeat this little procedure twice a week, preferring Wednesday and Saturday nights. Severus was happy to have Harry in his bed until the youth's presence began to have unintentional effects on his body – and mind. He began to long to touch Harry intimately, to caress him all over, to take him in his mouth and taste him, to make him come. By the time it was May, Severus was becoming sexually frustrated. Harry and he indulged in a lot of hugging and kissing, but neither dared to take the next step and explore what was underneath the robes and clothes. Severus was still haunted by his previous behaviour towards Harry; and Harry was haunted by Severus's guilt; he could read it in the black eyes whenever they were on the verge of becoming more intimate. So when Severus told him bluntly that he no longer wanted Harry in his bed, Harry, who was becoming even more frustrated (and not only sexually) than Severus, lost his temper.

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