Note: I really wanted to name the restaurant, 'The Lucky Duck', for some really odd reason. Go figure.
Note 2: For those who'd asked about what type of stories I'd like, I really don't care. I prefer slash with Harry as a main character. I don't like him much with Ron or any other room mate...Or Hagrid. Sorry, ew. Though I don't mind him with the older men, I don't want to read something with him and Dumbledore either. Rape stories aren't my thing unless its short and nongraphic. But, you got a good story, then I'll read it.
Warnings: Nonmagic AU. Slash between the two males known as Harry Potter and Severus Snape. Language. Drama/angst. Uh, yeah. Sorta character death later.
Pairing: SSHP
Summary: Nonmagic AU. SSHP. Severus Snape, world-renowned author and English professor, is suffering a bad case of writer's block. Frustrated (more than usual), he heads an old haunt of his and meets the most charming of young men - one Harry Potter.
The Three Broomsticks was Severus' final destination after driving around London for a good several hours. He hadn't meant to go there, really…But after he wove his way through the morning rush hour, it just felt right to stop in front of the old establishment.
Well…Not old, per say. It had been erected sometime after the author had just left Hogwarts, and had quickly become one of his favourite restaurants. It was in the Hogsmeade district near the university. Classy, but also very cheap. And as every poor postgraduate knew, cheap just couldn't be beat.
Stepping out of his car, Severus locked the doors and turned on the anti-theft alarm before heading inside.
The establishment had not changed a lot in the last decade, thankfully. Everything looked extremely hygienic and was tastefully done in greyshade colours. The morning sky and flickering candles on each table lit the small restaurant in such a simple, but pleasing way. Giant observation windows looked out over the thrumming city, allowing patrons to 'enjoy' the London landscape as they ate.
"Can I help you, sir? We…Er, normally don't get many customers during the morning hours," a curvy sort of woman in uniform approached after a moment. A nametag on her blouse proclaimed her name as being, 'Madam Rosmerta'.
"I was just driving around and thought I'd stop in for a spot of tea, Madam," Severus said after a moment before thinking. "You wouldn't happen to serve brunch as well?" He really hadn't eaten before making his impromptu decision to go 'out'.
Rosmerta glanced at the kitchens for a moment before nodding back at the man. "It shouldn't be a problem. Is there anything specific you want, or just…?" She trailed off in question.
"Anything, would be fine," he said in a dismissive tone before going to take a seat near a window. Having no doubt that the food would take a while to prepare, the black haired man pulled out a small leather-bound journal and an old fountain pen. No new inspiration suddenly leaped out at him, but perhaps if he closed his eyes...Just for a moment, of course, while waiting. Then perhaps, he would come up with something…
A crash suddenly startled Severus from his reverie. Quickly, the man looked over at the elevator doors to see a young man sheepishly picking up a metal box from off the ground. Ruffled black hair hung in the boy's face, not permitting the author to get a good look of the newcomer for a moment…But then emerald green eyes glanced up at him and pierced straight through to his soul.
The two stared at each other for a few minutes before Rosmerta hurried back in with a disapproving look on her face. "Now, see here, Harry! You better hope those vegetables aren't bruised, or I'll have your hide! And on top of that, you disturbed one of my customers!"
Full pink lips quirked up into a small smile. "Madam Rosmerta…I believe he's your only customer at the moment. And, how about we go to the kitchen and check to make sure nothing's bruised before I leave, okay?" a low tenor said soothingly
The woman grudgingly agreed and the two went back, leaving Severus to stare after the both of them. Something about this 'Harry' was very familiar…And those eyes! There was just something there, that…He couldn't put a name to it, whatever it was.
A plate of hotcakes suddenly appeared in front of his onyx eyes, causing him to blink. Where had those come from…? Looking up, he was almost blinded by Harry's radiant smile looking down upon him. "Hi, Madam Rosmerta said that this was for you. And, ah…" The green eyed boy balanced a number of plates on his arms like a pro for a moment before he manipulated the cup of tea he was holding to sit before Severus. "Here's your cuppa. But, she didn't know how you took it, so here's cream and sugar…" Two more objects were carefully placed down.
One more plate and cup were grasped in the youth's hand though. Raising an eyebrow in question, Severus gestured at them. "Oh, well, I was…Er, wondering if you wouldn't mind me sitting with you to eat?" Harry asked hesitantly, shifting on the balls of his feet.
"That seems a bit of a presumptuous inquiry, does it not?" Severus replied with condescending smirk before nodding at the chair across from him. "But if you so feel the need to do so, do not stop on my account." His gesture indicated he felt he was doing some great service by allowing the other to sit by him.
Still, the youth sat without a comment on the author's attitude. He set his own hotcakes down and began to arrange his silverware. "I'm Harry, by the way. Pleasure to meet you."
"Severus. Charmed." He watched the youth for a moment or two before shaking his head and turning back to his own hotcakes. They were quite good, actually. Not up to par with his usual standards, but good enough of a brunch as any.
The two ate in relative silence for a while. Sometimes observing the other from the corner of their eyes; but otherwise, no words passed between them. Or, none were until Harry spontaneously asked, "What's it like to do what you love, writing books, for a living?"
Jumping at the suddenness of the question, Severus couldn't help but stare. How did the boy, this youth he'd never spoken to before, know what he did for a living? It was mildly unnerving. But then the young man motioned at Severus' journal and gave a sheepish grin. "Your journal…The binding has 'Severus Snape' engraved into it. It…kind of gave it away."
"I see." A derisive look aimed at Harry was about all he could summon before he went on. He felt…compelled to answer. "It is an interesting experience, I suppose. One many are not privileged to have. I have no feelings of regret, unlike many with less than satisfactory jobs. No man is my boss, and I do as I please for the most part. It's…invigorating." Despite being a writer, he had trouble putting his feelings about the subject into proper wording.
But, the youth across from him nodded in understanding. "That sounds lovely. I-" He was cut off by Madam Rosmerta entering the room.
"Harry, I'm sorry to cut your time short, but your boss from delivery called. He's just got a shipment in he needs you to deliver - ASAP," she said. "I'll take your meal out of your paycheck, okay? Just go."
The black haired youth sighed heavily, running a hand through his locks. "Well, I guess I better get going." He stood up and, after a moment, turned to the author before him thoughtfully. Slowly, he pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it over to Severus. "Give me a call sometime, if you ever are in need of company. I'd like to talk more," he said.
Severus took the card to examine it. It had a cloudy background and a funny logo of a golden ball with wings on it. Underneath the ball in bold letters, it read, "Harry Potter - Jack of all Trades," before giving the home and cell number. Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?
He looked up to ask, but by the time he did, no one was there.
Days passed after that. Severus, inspired by the meeting that took place at the restaurant, began to write again. While he had hoped for an idea relating to the next book in his most recent series, he knew that the muse that had struck him in The Three Broomsticks would not allow for it. Instead, the muse percolating within his brain inspired something new entirely. However, his inspiration eventually dried up and all he was left with were three chapters that seemed to be at a dead end.
It was around that time that he began looking at the business card he'd received again. It was an interesting card, to say the least. What was that funny looking ball anyways? And, why had Harry - Harry Potter - listed that he was just a jack of all trades instead of…Instead of what? It seemed impossible to wrap his mind around the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived could have turned out to be a nobody.
His temper shortened and his nasty disposition grew with the days as he pondered the mystery of Harry Potter. It made no sense, and the sad truth of the matter was that Severus Snape did not react well to being confused. Still, it was only after being told off by the theatre professor for a particularly nasty scene that he realized how this conundrum was affecting his daily life. So, really, he felt he had no choice but to call up the delivery boy. He didn't want to, of course; it was that he had to.
Punching in Potter's number one day after work, Severus listened to the ringing of his cell phone for a moment or two as he thought of what to say. What was he to say, now that he thought about it? The situation was obviously an odd one. Perhaps he should just hang up? Yes, that's what he was about to do when a click signaled someone picking up on the other line.
"H-hello?" a husky voice on the other side answered, causing the author's eyes to widen. What in the world had he interrupted…? He should have hung up when he had the chance.
Instead, he cleared his throat and answered after a moment's hesitation. "Mister Potter, this is Severus Snape. I was calling to ask if you would be available and willing in the near future to perhaps join me for lunch?" There. That sounded rational and calm. "I must admit I am quite curious about your current situation, and wish to speak with you again."
"Really?" There was the noticeable sound of a smile. "Yeah, that sounds great. I-" There was a sound of movement on the other side and then some grumbling. "Cedric! Would you go away? I'm on the phone with somebody right now. I…Stop licking me! I swear, you're such an animal!" More sounds of movement and then a slightly out of breath voice returned. "Sorry about that. I just got out of the shower and am soaked and Cedric, well…" Harry trailed off in a chuckle.
Severus just hoped the young man didn't hear him gulp at the images his words conjured. The youth was undeniably good looking…And, well, he was only human. "Er, quite all right, I assure you. Is there any place in particular you would wish to convene at, or shall I choose a location?"
Harry made a thoughtful noise before a snap was heard from the other line. "I know of the perfect place to go. Do you know where Diagon Alley is?"
"Of course. It's on the north side of campus, about twenty minutes away or so, correct?" It wasn't in as good an area as Hogsmeade was or as close to the university, but it was quaint. Severus bought his clothes from around there and many of his teaching supplies.
"Good. I was thinking we could go eat at the Leaky Cauldron. Does that sound alright to you? I know it may not be what you typically are used to, but…" There was a small, unidentifiable sound at the other side and Harry sighed. "And, could Cedric come along with me, if you don't mind?"
Severus gritted his teeth. "Fine by me," he agreed forcefully, though his voice merely portrayed pleasantry. "Shall I meet you tomorrow, say around four sharp?"
The other man agreed and said his good-byes before hanging up. Vaguely, the black haired author wondered what he had got himself into. The situation was snowballing, in his opinion. However, he couldn't deny the curiosity, the same that made him such a good writer, nagging at him to follow through.
That's how he found himself standing outside the Leaky Cauldron, waiting for his…Er, companion to show. It was now four minutes past four. Severus grumbled something about punctuality, as a hand descended upon his shoulder. He turned with an air of surprise to find a casual Harry leaning against the wall next to them.
"You're unpunctual," he said, stating the first thing that came to his mind. "I thought we agreed on four sharp."
The black haired youth rolled his eyes in a good natured way and looked at his watch. "Sorry. I was four, sorry, five minutes late. Cedric decided to be…uncooperative." A fond smile tugged at Harry's lips, causing a foreign feeling to jolt through the author before he shook it off.
"Where is your acquaintance anyways? I would like to dine before long, if that is alright with him…" Yes, Severus was feeling decidedly sour. The fact that Harry had begun laughing at his inquiry didn't make things any better. "What are you snickering at, Mister Potter?"
"Harry, please. And Cedric is…Well…" The young man trailed off, barely holding back his laughter as he glanced over his shoulder. The author followed his gaze before his eyes alighted on a large brunette dog sniffing a tree. He then noticed a leash leading from the dog to…Harry? "Se…Er, Mister…Professor Snape? Uh, I'd like to meet Cedric, my mutt."
Well, that was unexpected. "I suppose your calling me by my given name wouldn't be uncalled for...," he said with a bit of a shocked air, eyes trained on the animal who'd looked up at his owner saying his name. "…What breed is he exactly?"
"We're not sure exactly. I just kind of found him outside of the Hufflepuff dorms when I still attended Hogwarts. He appears to be a Saint Bernard and German Shepard mix. Don't you, boy?" A woof.
The speak of Hogwarts reminded Severus of one of the reasons he'd wanted to talk to Harry so much after learning his name. "Shall we adjourn inside for lunch then? Do you need to…" The professor made a vague gesture. "…Tie him up anywhere before we head in?"
Harry shook his head and smiled, going over to the door to open it. "Nah. There's a room in the back where Cedric hangs out so that all the employees can coo properly over him. I think the waitress, Cho, is madly in love with him and is planning to kill me and kidnap him." He chuckled. "She makes the most disgustingly cute noises at him…"
The two headed in and almost immediately half the patrons turned to greet them. Calls of 'Wotcher, Harry' or 'Good to see you, mate' echoed across the room before the two found a booth slightly away from the rest after handing Cedric off to a seemingly random employee. "I take it you come here often?" Severus asked with a sardonic smile.
"Eh…" The youth shrugged sheepishly. "I guess you could say that. It's not far from my house, and I often find it a hassle to only cook for Cedric and myself."
Severus nodded without saying anything. Instead, he tried to evaluate the man in front of him. He didn't understand, couldn't understand, and that frustrated him.
"So, the midday usual, Harry?" a small man asked, approaching the two. Onyx eyes watched as Harry nodded, a gentle smile gracing his lips. Flyaway hair stuck out all over the place, and if one was looking hard enough, they could see the tell-tale corner of a lightening bolt scar. "And what for your friend?"
The professor sneered slightly and pulled his gaze away from his companion to look at the menu before him. "What, pray tell, is your usual?"
"For lunch, I typically have some Lincolnshire bangers and mash, with a tall glass of chilled pumpkin juice," Harry said, reaching over the table to point out the foodstuffs in question on the menu. "Then, if I come for dinner, I normally get the steak and kidney pie…With pumpkin juice or a Marston's."
Raising an eyebrow, Severus couldn't help but ask. "So, not only do you have a plebian palette, but you drink…Pumpkin juice? What sort of refreshment comes from a marrow, and still manages to taste good?" As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. It sounded mildly insulting, especially with the tone he'd used.
Luckily for him though, his companion didn't take offense. "I know, right? However, you really must try it. Like I said earlier, I doubt it's what you're used to. Hogwarts' food is divine…But, this is really good too. The university is what actually got me hooked on pumpkin juice in the first place. Haven't you seen it on the café menu?" Harry asked, grinning. "You should try it. It's based off the recipe for the Americans' pumpkin pie."
He was supposed to drink something based off what 'Americans' regularly ate? The author could practically feel the calories already without having even ordered the blasted beverage. Still...He wondered what it would taste like. "Fine. I suppose I'll have the steak pie with a pumpkin juice."
"Got that, Tom?" The tiny man nodded quickly to the orders before hurrying away. The green eyed youth turned back to Severus. "Now, what did you want to talk about? You did say you were curious..." A small, slightly sarcastic smile adorned his face. "It's about my being Harry Potter, right?"
Though reluctant about admitting it, the older man had to agree. "Partly. I…" He didn't want to ask anything too personal, as it would not only make the situation more awkward then it already was but would also entitle the other to ask a personal question in return. "I don't understand," he finally said.
Harry shrugged in a self-conscious way. "What's not to understand? Life for normal people don't turn out like yours did, or like the characters in your books. It's not all about neatly tided ends." His tone, though light, held a trace of bitterness.
"But, you are most unlike some commoner. You are…Well, you are the Boy-Who-Lived, a Hogwarts student!" Hogwarts was known for producing graduates that would excel. It was almost like a curse…Or blessing, rather. Every student that had stepped from the university's halls led successful lives in whatever they so wanted. The fact that some student - this student - was not only some delivery boy but alone seemed inconceivable to Severus, and shook the very foundation of all that he knew.
"You know my title? Well…I suppose it's not surprising since you do work at the school." The young man sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead. "But, besides that, you're wrong. I'm just like everyone else. I…I never graduated Hogwarts. I'm not a student anymore. Just a simple uni-dropout."
He'd heard tales, of course. His colleagues often bemoaned their pitiful classes and wished for the Potter brat to return. But, Severus had always ignored all their whinging. The child had never been in any of his classes, and some part of the man had felt an irrational hate and jealousy for the student. But now, sitting across from him in a local pub…
"Why in fate's name do they identify you as such, anyways?" The question was abrupt, meant to change the subject to something lighter. "I have heard it enough, but I have never been privy to the tale of how it came about."
The grin came back to Harry's face, though it wasn't as bright as before. "You know Professor McGonagall? Er, I suppose you do since she's your colleague, but…Yeah. Anyways, it was her who originally gave it to me. After a rehearsal one year for the autumn musical, the guys from my dorm - Gryffindor - started ragging on me in good nature about how much of a workaholic I was when it came to such events. The prop designers, chorus line, orchestra, everyone had been given my number in case they needed extra hands or help, so I sorta had been running myself low." A far off look entered the boy's eyes in fond remembrance.
"Anyways, McGonagall had heard them going on and jokingly dubbed me 'the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Entertain' before telling my mates to leave off. It became a common nickname after that, but then Rita Skeeter happened. Anyways, she heard of it somehow, turned it into 'the Boy-Who-Lived', and plastered it on the front page of the school newspaper," the young man sighed grouchily. "Never liked that bint. But that's about it."
Severus smirked and waved Tom over as the man approached with their mugs of pumpkin juice. "Suiting title for a child prodigy, anyways. Thank you," he said, taking his glass.
Harry took his glass as well and took a long sip before sighing in content as the deliciously creamy liquid slid down. "Not exactly a child anymore though," he said, smiling slightly. "But, I suppose I still dabble in what made me a 'prodigy'." He shook his head. "But, enough about me. What about you? I mean, gulping gargoyles! I'm sitting with a world-renowned author in a dingy little pub. Why?"
"…Gulping gargoyles?" He watched at the young man blush charmingly before continuing. "You intrigued me, that's why. You were a mystery I felt the need to solve. Why you were working as a mere delivery boy confused me."
The delivery boy shrugged awkwardly. "You still don't have your answer though. I never said why I left, why I work the way I do…"
On that point, Severus conceded. "No, and to be quite frank, I'm still curious. However, I suppose I don't need to know…But, as you said, enough about that. It's unfair of me to only ask questions of you and to provide no answers of my own." He paused. "Ask what you will. I won't respond if I don't wish to."
Harry nodded after a moment and thought. "Where do you get your inspiration? Your series are so…so full of life. So realistic, yet many are fiction oriented. The series 'Ensnare' sent chills through me and the 'Bewitch' books were mind-boggling. And then the novels 'Bottling Fame', 'Glory Brew', and 'Death Stoppers' were like nothing I'd ever come across before!" He blushed again. "I don't mean to sound like a raving fan, but they just…I don't know. Your books touched something in me."
Fans had, of course, accosted him before with similar and gushing praise questions. Severus always felt disgusted by it, actually. But with Harry, he couldn't help but feel flattered…He had a feeling that the boy wasn't simply saying that to humour him. "My muses differ. For many, I base them off what I know and am interested in. Other authors forget that sometimes. They see where the fans' interest is pointing, and then write to please. I write for myself," the man explained as if he were at one of his lectures. "When I wrote the first book of 'Ensnare', the topic of serial killers in a fantasy realm was something many hadn't touched on."
"I remember that," Harry suddenly said, smiling. "The culture scene was unsure what to make of it, and mothers protested it being put in the fantasy section their children often read from. Luckily for you the material was deemed relatively clean, if not a bit macabre."
He nodded in reply. "Indeed." He paused to take another sip of his drink, thinking about his next question. He still didn't want to get too deep...yet. "What was that bizarre little picture on your calling card? The ball with wings."
The young man's face lit with a grin and he pulled one of his cards from his pocket before holding it out. "Well, I was just going to place a simple set of music notes there...But, then I got bored, and this here? It started out as a full note. I added wings to it first...Sort of as a 'music gives you wings' kind of statement, until I started doodling on the inside of the note. You can still sort of see some of what I drew, if you look really hard. See, here's a cat...And that's a full moon...Oh, I think that's a pumpkin." Harry laughed and pointed a few more of the doodles to Severus before storing it back in his pocket. "Anyways, I call it a snitch...Kind of like pitch, but...You know, not." He shrugged.
Severus resisted the urge to sneer at Harry's ineloquence. "I...see. I suppose an interesting answer for an interesting person," he managed with a polite derisiveness that was more automatic than anything else. Again, once he realized how he'd spoken, he looked at the boy across from him for a reaction. He didn't expect the youth to just laugh though. The author seemingly didn't affect him that much.
...The professor was still debating if he was relieved or irritated more by that.
"So, back to my turn. Hm...Oh! What dorm were you in at Hogwarts? You did attend, right?" Harry asked, a goofy smile alighting his features.
Sniffing in a slightly offended way, Severus nodded. "Of course! Who do you think I am? I was in the Slytherin house." He could see a flash of the same competition and rivalry that typically went through the eyes of opposite houses.
"Slytherins...Stereotypically cunning, ambitious, secretive, wicked pranksters, didn't win the House Cup in all of the...uh, one and a half years I actually managed to attend the school," Harry said with a teasing smile. "I almost signed up for the Slytherin dorms too, but I thought that the Gryffindor ones suited me best in the end."
Why wasn't the author surprised? "Of course. Gryffindors...Illogical, determined, brash, braggarts, supposedly brave and courageous," Severus replied in a decidedly condescending tone. He couldn't help the slight smirk that took the sting out of it though.
The black haired youth paused for a moment before tipping his head in slight agreement. "Touché. So, whose turn is it? You did say 'who do you think I am', which could constitute as a question..."
He couldn't help but snort slightly. "One which you didn't answer, so it doesn't count."
The delivery boy opened his mouth as if to give an answer when a small female approached them. The girl looked as if she were of Asian decent, leading Severus to believe this was the 'Cho' Harry had briefly mentioned before. The fact that she had Cedric on his leach also helped. They only had to wait a moment before she began to speak. "Aaah...Harry. Rita Skeeter is on her way in. I thought you would want to make a run through the back. Though, if you wanted to leave Cedric here..." She trailed off hopefully.
"Ah, no. I believe we'll take our leave, if that's alright with you Severus?" Harry asked, slightly frantic. "Oh, and could we have two containers for this stuff left?" He waited until Cho left to look at the door anxiously.
The professor raised an eyebrow and watched as the other's movements. "I suppose it's alright with me, but why ever are we leaving? Just because of Skeeter? You have every right to be here, the same as I." It baffled the author a bit why the 'brave' Gryffindor would run.
"I told you she coined my 'title', but I forgot to mention that she's a little obsessed...As you know, she still heads journaling by Hogwart's Daily Prophet...Well, she'd lock me in a room if she thought she could to get answers from me by doing so. I'm her favourite topic, her enigma...Whatever you want to say," Harry said, taking the containers from Cho as she returned.
Severus felt a small pang of the familiar jealousy when it came to the 'Gryffindor Golden Boy'. Why did Skeeter find a dropout so more interesting then a best-selling author? Almost as if sensing his thoughts, the other man paused in his food gathering to smile a bit sarcastically at him. "Though, I suppose if I was half as unwittingly caustic with people as you seem to be, I probably wouldn't have many on my tail. Perhaps you could act as a shield for me, Severus?" Harry took the leash from Cho and started towards the door, after calling out a "put it on my tab".
"Why ever would you wish to escape from the press, even if you believe this particular journalist is a...What was it? Ah, yes. A 'bint', as you put it?" the professor asked, strolling alongside the other. "A few minutes in the limelight for just a small sacrifice of your own time to answer some questions...Don't you wish for people to fawn over you after they read that rag? It could even get those with higher-up powers looking at you again. Maybe they'd look long enough to get you out of your current...career." The thought that being a delivery boy could be considered a life work left a sour taste in the man's mouth.
The two left the building and began walking along the back alley. The silence stretching between them continued for a moment before the young man snorted in disbelief and...some other unidentifiable emotion. "I hate reporters is why. I don't like my privacy being invaded or someone making me out to be more than I am. I'm just Harry, despite whatever tags they may have once labeled me with. And...Times are different now. I'm not the same person as I once was," he said, voice soft. "Those dreams have passed, and I missed my chance."
That was a point Severus strongly wanted to debate about. Talent shouldn't be wasted, and neither should a Hogwarts' student. But, something else had caught his mind he had to ask about. "If you feel that way...Why did you agree to come out with me, though you knew your being Harry Potter is what intrigued me?"
Harry smiled and shook his head. "You haven't figured it out?" he asked, wonder entering his voice. "For being a writer and a professor, you're awfully unobservant."
The black haired man scowled and raised an eyebrow. He knew the stance made him look intimidating, though it only seemed to bring out the smile on Harry's face more. "What, pray tell, are you jabbering about, Potter?" he ground out, sneering.
He didn't expect Harry to suddenly lean forward and whisper in his ear, "I'm obviously attracted to you, you fool," before pecking him on the cheek. Severus could only stare after as he watched Harry and the lopping beast known as Cedric disappear within the crowds of Diagon Alley. Suddenly, the Snape male was struck by the peculiar notion that his life was about to change in ways he never would have imagined.