For weeks following, their dinners were normal-sized once more, though Severus still cooked them all. Harry went to bed each night feeling like he had barely eaten at all, but out of shame, kept quiet about it.
The following morning, a month after the first time, Severus gave him the phial again, refilled with the same potion and told him not to eat for the day again. He was going to disagree when Severus swept him into his arms and kissed him deeply before leaving.
Harry took the potion and followed his instructions happily. He knew that when Severus came home, he'd make it worth the wait. He practically drooled just thinking about it.
Then, at about six forty seven, the phone rang.
"I'm going to be working late tonight. Make yourself something small and go to bed. I'll be back by morning." Like a balloon inside of him had popped, Harry no longer felt happy. With a small ham sandwich half eaten and left on the kitchen counter, he crawled into bed disheartened.
Harry's eyes snapped open. He was curled up with his arms wrapped his body. For a moment, he didn't know why or what had happened, but then a cramp hit him, feeling like a fist had grabbed his insides and twisted.
He sat up and reached for the bedside light, his hands shaking and his head paining. He groaned in pain and as if a light bulb went off in his head, stood up.
Pounding on the wooden floor underneath him, he went down the stairs, stopping in the hallway for a fraction of a second before going to his destination.
First it was the half of his dinner. His fingers felt along the table, poking the bread before it disappeared into his mouth.
He reached into the cupboard above him, pulling out another bag of biscuits. It seemed like once he started he couldn't stop. They quickly finished and before the last one even hit his stomach, he was shoving a chocolate frog down his throat, chewing it while fingers ripped the wrapper of the next one open.
The papers and wrappers dropped to the floor as he moved from one food to another, clearing out the top cupboards effortlessly. Stopping, he spun around and hurried to the fridge. The light shone on his face as his eye scanned the inside, finding a piece of cake that had escaped his purge. Swiping some cream off, his put his finger in his mouth, moaning softly in delight as his eyes closed lustfully.
Severus stood outside the door, watching Harry devour the contents of their fridge before moving onto the freezer. The sound coming from him showed that he'd found the ice cream.
Severus knew that despite Harry's binging (which he noticed from the disappearing food when he came home everyday, seemed to be happening more often), there must be at least five litres of it. He knew because two hours ago, when he was sure Harry was sleeping, he'd put it there.
He felt a squirm of delight. This was going so much better than he had thought. It wouldn't be long till the difference in the boy started to show.
And it wasn't.
Three weeks on and he didn't even remember that night, but had been curious why their cupboards were empty the next morning. Maybe Severus had changed his mind about this whole thing and cleared out the food.
Not likely. He'd been encouraged by the man to finish off the cake he'd made just three days ago. And despite being oddly full, Harry hadn't even protested. The cake had been right there in its entire three-layer-black-forest glory, he'd felt his mouth watering and then…. it was gone and he was lying on the kitchen floor naked, his head on Severus's lap and his torso and face smothered with the cream.
Going out to Diagon alley, he reached for his robe off the bed and put it on, his mind still wondering. He tugged it and it wouldn't close. He looked down, not believing it. He'd noticed that his clothes were tighter (with the amount he'd been eating, how could they not be?), but now….
They were tailor made at Severus's insistence. A perfect fit. He gave it another fruitless tug. The buttons wouldn't meet. He pulled it off along with his shirt and looked in the mirror, shocked at the sight.
His reflection, as long he could remember looking at it, was an image of bony hips, ribs and a sunken stomach. Now as he stared, he didn't see it anymore. His hips didn't stick out as much, his ribs weren't as visible and his stomach….
It wasn't sunken in nor was it wasn't flat. He poked it, watching it wobble for a moment. It felt weird to be able to grab his flesh and it stuck out a bit from his body. Fleshy and starting to look a bit round, he guessed that was what kept his robes from closing. That combined with the weight on his thighs and bottom.
Putting the shirt back on (which he noticed now, was also a bit tighter), He sucked it in and managed to close his robe, the buttons straining. This wouldn't work to go out in. He got out a pair of trousers from his cupboard and spent ten minutes trying to pull them on to no avail.
They just wouldn't fit over his new body. He was finally reduced to doing something he had hoped he wouldn't have to. Pulling them up as much as he could, halfway over his bum, he grabbed his wand and tried to think.
He had heard Hermione use this spell once. Not on her own clothes of course. It seemed Ron's bottomless appetite had started catching up with him and Hermione, being a good wife wanting a happy husband, had enlarged his trousers so he wouldn't realize. Harry only knew because he'd walked in on her doing it and agreed to help.
Of course, it had been useless in the end. He'd continued putting on and they'd given up. Even he'd notice if they enlarged it that much. Of course, Ron still seemed oblivious to his weight problem, but it had slowed down (even if wasn't so gangly anymore)
His felt them enlarge slightly and he pulled them up, just able to get them on. With another struggle, he got the button closed. It stretched over his hips, threatening to tear, and made his belly squash up at the waist. Oh well, his shirt covered them and it would be okay for now. Today at least.
Severus was extremely busy at work for the next few days, but Harry was soon presented with another phial of the transparent potion, which he drank with no argument. Having gone back to sleep afterwards, he seemed to need it so often lately, feeling more and more lethargic, he didn't notice over the next hour the noises his stomach was making.
Grumbling and weird popping sounds. He just turned over, waking up an hour later with a hunger to feed a hippogriff and a want for cheesecake.
As soon as Severus got home that night, he pulled Harry, who had been waiting for him by the door, into a tight hug and kissed him deeply. Harry didn't know why, but Severus did this every night after he gave him the potion. He didn't question it though and let himself be shooed upstairs with the promise of a surprise. His starved stomach rumbled at the idea of it might be.
Harry shivered as he felt Severus's hands on his naked body, running over his hips and eyeing him lustfully. He groaned as tongue licked a bit of cream off of his stomach, bucking his hips and trying to pull Severus closer.
Severus sedated him, putting a macaroon in between his lips as he kissed him right above his bellybutton.
"Not yet. You're improving. Yes, very nicely." Severus whispered huskily. "But not enough." Harry moaned in disappointment and had another biscuit stuffed in his mouth.
"There's a Ball of sorts in a few weeks for Potion's Masters. Not quite exclusive as I would have liked, but still worth attending. We will see how you do by then and I'll consider taking you fully. Agreed?" Harry nodded and gasped as Severus hand wandered lower. "Now… would you like some more of that cake I brought home?"