Harry rubbed his sweaty hands on his robes. This was worse then facing ten Death Eaters at once. He swallowed nervously and glanced from the table in front of him at the dark haired teacher in front of the class who of course paid no attention to him. Harry had no idea if the rumours were really true but he couldn't think of anyone else to ask about something like that.

"Class dismissed." The well-known snarl resonated in the room.

Everyone who hadn't already finished packing their bags was quickly stuffing the last things into them. Hermione and Neville were standing beside Harry to wait for him. But he shook his head and whispered that he would meet them for dinner in the Great Hall. The two gave him questioning looks but hurried away without asking him further. At long last the classroom was empty except him and Snape. Harry tried to calm himself but his heart kept racing and his breathing wasn't as calm as he would have liked.

Slowly he stood up and went to the desk where Snape was standing. After clearing his throat twice Harry finally managed to speak: "Professor, sir, could I talk with you?"

"You already are, Potter. You better make it worth my while. I don't know why I should waste a good dinner." Snape said, draping his robes around him while he crossed the arms over his chest.

Harry looked away and clenched his fists. It was even harder then he had imagined. His eyes moved between Snape's chin (he didn't dare look him in the eyes) and the desk in front of him. "I… Sir…" Harry stuttered.

"I'm waiting, Potter."

With a deep breath Harry said that he didn't know whom else he could ask about this.

"I'm quite sure you know by now that I am not interested in guessing, Potter. So you either define 'this' or you might want to come back when you are able to articulate yourself clearly," Snape said, his voice sounding bored.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, keeping himself from just turning around and leaving. Slowly he opened his eyes again and starred at Snape's chin. "Sir, I don't even know if it is true, but I do have to ask someone before it drives me insane." Harry took another deep breath. "Do you know anything about BDSM?"

There, now he had said it. With a relieved sigh he looked up but his relieve turned into anxiety as he saw Snape's face. The neutral and maybe bored features were gone. Instead Harry saw the wrath coming through.

"Why am I not surprised, Potter? I knew that could only be some kind of Gryffindor prank. Fifty points from Gryffindor. And now get out of here at once!"

Harry shook his head vigorously. "No, sir, please!"

He stepped forward but Snape raised a hand from underneath his robe and a wand was pointed straight into Harry's face.

"Get. Out. Now!"

A part in Harry's mind was surprised that things around them weren't freezing with the coldness that emitted from Snape. The other part tried to think of a way to make Snape believe that he was serious and not playing tricks on him. He didn't know any. He grabbed for the last straw and slowly got down on his knees.

"Please, sir. This is not about Gryffindor. It's about me." He shook his head lost for more words.

"About you sinking so low only for another possibility to brag about your knowledge of me? You have ten more seconds to get out of my classroom, Potter."

Harry hung his head. He had no idea how to convince his teacher.

"Suit yourself, Potter. If you are so eager to play your role…"

Harry saw a twirl of black robes in front of him and then the dark wizard walking to the door to his office. With a loud bang the door fell shut behind Snape.

Harry closed his eyes.

Severus stormed through his office into his private chambers slamming another door shut behind him. He was furious. With long strides he paced through his sitting room. Back and forth he went, at one point flicking his wand angrily at the teapot, which rattled frightened with boiling water just a second later.

After five more minutes he had calmed down enough to take a cup of tea and sit down. He shook his head. He was disappointed with Harry. And that made him angry with himself. Angry because he had believed that over the last year, Harry and he had come to respect each other. He had thought the hate and resentment had been left behind. And maybe after some more time they might have had the possibility to – to what? Like each other? Severus snorted. He had been far off on that one. Harry really was what Severus had thought all those years: an impertinent brat!

Harry had caught Severus off guard even though he hadn't shown it to the boy – young man, he corrected himself. He had seen and done too many things to still be counted as a boy, a somewhat innocent teen.

Severus had seen in their Occlumency lesions that Harry had not had the live that he had thought. He had not been brought up spoiled rotten by the Dursley's. Severus sighed. He was disappointed because he had actually grown to like Harry, even if he had not shown it to him. Somehow Harry had managed to penetrate Severus' armour. Behind his usual indifferent mask, Severus had been pleased to see that Harry wasn't that bad in potions – of course he could still be better but since the war was over, Harry had delivered quite some good essays, which weren't simply copied from Granger either. And he had stopped making impudent remarks. Severus took another sip of tea. Obviously he had been a fool to believe that those things meant a different acquaintance overall. It rather looked like it has been a long planed trap to make Severus feel secure enough to trust the Gryffindor. Well, that Potter brat had been wrong about that. He had looked right through him after all.

Enough brooding over that! Severus looked at the clock on his mantelpiece. It was time for dinner and even though he wasn't really hungry he would go up there. The Headmistress liked to have all her staff there and it was a good way to keep an eye on Potter.

tbc