Chapter 16: In which there is a lot of talking
"We have a problem."
"Severus?"
"Get up you lazy lummox. Didn't you hear me? We have a problem."
Draco groaned loudly and ran a hand over his eyes. "Its hours too early," he paused to look at the clock, "four hours too early for that matter, for us to be having this conversation – or any conversation that does not include coffee. Come back in the morning."
Severus scowled and plopped decidedly ungracefully onto the bed, landing squarely on Draco's stomach causing the boy to grunt loudly. He looked down at Draco with a wicked grin forgetting for the time being the serious nature of his visit. "Now, are you ready to have our discussion or shall I have to call up Harry and tell him that you've been having an affair with Colin Creevy?" Severus barely contained a snicker at the horrified look on Draco's face.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Severus' eyes lit up at the challenge Draco had unwittingly offered him. "No I suppose you're right," he said feigning nonchalance as he rose of the bed and strolled lazily across the room.
A soft whoosh of air told the potions master that Draco had turned his back and was attempting to go back to sleep. Just the opportunity he had been waiting for. Grabbing a pinch of powder from the easily accessible box on the mantle, "Harry Potter's office!" he crowed throwing the powder into the flames.
"NO!" in one motion Draco leapt from the sanctity of his bed and flew towards Severus taking a flying leap towards his former professor.
Severus stepped aside and watched with a triumphant grin as a half-naked Draco Malfoy landed in the brilliant green flames and disappeared. His grin quickly faded though as he remembered the reason for his early morning visit. Summoning a jumper and pair of pants from Draco's wardrobe he tossed another pinch of powder in the fire and went to join the boys.
--
"Do you have a moment Mr. Potter?"
"Minister!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, "Of course I've got time for you. Come in."
Arthur Weasley smiled at the messy-haired young man. "Please Harry, call me Arthur."
"Of course Arthur, so what can I do for you?" Harry returned to his desk chair and motioned for the Minister of Magic to take a seat.
"Just a bit of family business I need to clear up," Arthur explained, taking a seat. "Molly wants you to come to dinner at the Burrow this Thursday. Its Ron's birthday you know and we're trying to get all his old chums together. Ginny's Neville is bringing Dean, Seamus and another chap whose name I can't recall, Kevin? Conan?" He shrugged, "not that it matters too much. We also wondered if you could ask Hermione to come and to bring this man she's seeing. Ginny's been so mysterious about the entire affair." The minister finally seemed to run out of breath and Harry took the opportunity to voice his answer.
"Of course I would love to come and I'm certain Hermione will be there though I can't promise either of us will bring a date." Harry almost chuckled imagining the reaction he and Hermione would get from the all-Gryffindor gathering if they did bring the men in their lives.
Suddenly the fire behind Arthur turned green and a half-naked Draco vaulted through it closely followed by Severus Snape in all his black robed glory. Harry's eyes widened in shock and horror as Arthur turned to see who had invaded on their conversation.
"Minister," Severus greeted the stunned red-head with a polite nod, "I'm afraid we didn't realize you were here. We'll just wait outside shall we?" He grabbed Draco by the elbow and dragged him towards the exit inwardly cursing himself every kind of fool.
"Severus!" Arthur found his voice just moments before the bizarre duo made their escape. "Surely there's no need to run off. It's nice to see you and your... er..." He trailed off awkwardly looking between Draco's cowering boxer clad frame and Severus' imposing one in full greasy-bastard ensemble, with one hand full of Draco's clothing while the other held the boy firmly by the arm.
Severus grimaced. "Yes well... Malfoy here... well..." He trailed off helplessly. "It's not how it looks."
Harry who had been madly gesturing throat slitting in the background collapsed on his desk with a groan.
Arthur, perhaps the most embarrassed of the four stammered something about modern lifestyles and excused himself from the room, his eyes carefully averted from the sleep mussed, half naked ex Hogwarts pupil and his stern, black haired ex teacher. Some things were too strange for a simple man like Arthur to contemplate.
"Well that was a disaster." Harry said into his desk surface, not raising his head.
Severus handed Draco the clothing he'd grabbed and took a seat at one of the office's plush arm chairs.
Draco scrambled into his clothes in record time, "I don't think it's that bad, Harry. Not like he knew you and I were together, just thought old Snape here had a thing for the young virile male." There was a touch of resentment in Draco's voice that Severus fully sympathized with. It was hard loving in someone else's shadow and worse when that someone barely acknowledged your existence in public.
Harry was not immune to Draco's tone. He raised his head. "I didn't mean it like that"
Draco snorted his disbelief.
"Honestly. It's just…" he ran a hand through his unruly black hair as if that would help him think, "Arthur invited us to dinner with his family, me, Hermione, and the nice fellows we're seeing and now it's impossible for us to go."
Draco was silent for several moments. From the expression on his face it was clear he was trying to decide which of the thousand things he wanted to say should be said first. "You were going to invite me to WEASLEY'S? Did you expect me to say yes?" finally won out, closely followed by "Are you OUT of your MIND?" and "why is it impossible he already knows you're gay?"
Severus, momentarily distracted from his own problems by the drama taking place right in front of him sat back with a contented smile on his face and watched them bicker. The smile turned to a look of horror moments later when the screaming stopped and the making up began.
Draco had sidled up to Harry and snuggled into his lap and they were talking in low whispers when Severus stood up, startling the couple (who had forgotten his presence) so much that they tipped the chair over and were sent sprawling on the office floor.
"We came here," Severus snarled, "because we have a problem. I did not come here to watch you to have sex on Harry's desk." He winced at the thought and added, "I like my eyes, I've been told they are my best feature."
The couple had the grace to look embarrassed as they took their own (separate) seats. "What's the problem?"
"I quit Hogwarts." Severus replied dully.
Harry's eyes lit up as if today were suddenly Christmas. "Have you told Hermione?"
"Of course he hasn't told Hermione." Draco chided. "If he'd told her she would have either tossed him, in which case he would be at home getting slobbering drunk, or forgiven him in which case he would not need our help. Either way he would nto be here if he'd told Hermione."
"I don't want to tell her until I have a new job. Unemployed middle aged potions masters are not exactly appealing."
Harry nodded. "There is actually an opening here that might work."
Severus looked hopeful. "Potions work?"
"Not exactly. One of our owl handlers was promoted to department head so the postal service needs an extra pair of hands."
"You want me to be a postal worker?"
Draco looked offended at Severus' skepticism. "At least it's a job. You can't avoid Hermione forever."
Defeated, Severus nodded. "Ok. I'll take it."
--
A/N: I'm so sorry that I'm taking soooooo long with this story. Severus quitting his job threw me off completely, but characters will do what they will. Huge thanks to all those who are still reading after years of silence. PLEASE REVIEW!!
On-A-Rainy-Day- Tildy is a human. Right now its hard to tell.. I almost wrote elf a couple times, but she's human.
Ginn, and Anarane Anwamane – thanks for your wonderful comments!
BabyRuth – Glad that the slash didn't throw you off the story completely.