**I don't own Harry or Snape. (If only. ) I make no money off of this. I just love this world and want to write about it.**

Warning: This is a HP/SS story. If you don't like two men together..don't read it please.


Just A Kiss

PREVIOUSLY:

"Oh my gods," he breathed. Snape had kissed him and he'd liked it. Filled with a strange power, Harry felt he could conquer anything. Slay any dragon, defeat any foe over just a kiss.

Now I have something to fight for. Another kiss.

With dreams of the future floating through his head for the first time since he could remember, Harry gently stroked his lips and headed off to bed.

HP~SS~HP~SS~HP~SS


Chapter 2: Kisses and Confrontations

Severus Snape, Potions Master, reformed Death Eater, the man who had looked in the face of unspeakable horror and never flinched, was undone. He was rocked from his foundations. Nothing made sense!

I kissed him...

Robes billowing, he ran away from the stolen moment in the tower... down the steps..away from... him.

A kiss. I've come unraveled by a single kiss.

"A single kiss?" A silky voice whispered through his mind.

No, not just one kiss. Two. Two peerless kisses...but it was a fluke, a random occurrence, a mistake!

"Are you sure?," the voice taunted.

Yes! Of course it was. No one could willingly want to kiss me. How could they? I'm...I'm no beauty. I'm twisted and broken... damn it! I don't understand how he has such power over me. When did this happen? I hate him, really I do. I...

Coming to a halt outside of the dungeons, Snape collapsed against the wall.

That was my first kiss....

It felt so wonderful. Right. Like we belonged...together. How could I have not known...

How could I go all these years without being kissed?

Reaching his private rooms, Snape sighed, mumbled the password (Nox Aeterna), and entered his cold and lonely rooms. Left only to ponder what had to be, while ignoring what could have been.


While Snape was brooding, sinking slowly into the darkness, Harry was in heaven.

He kissed me. He kissed me. I can't believe it. I..

Harry sighed. He had to be honest with himself. He had been fighting this war within himself since he could remember. Despite what people told him, this could be his last night. He had to be true to himself. He had to admit to himself that he...he was gay. But more than that he...had feelings for Snape.

When did that happen?

"The Pensieve..." suggested a voice.

Yes, the Pensieve. He looked so...lonely. Like me. I'm glad he kissed me. I wanted him to.

"Why did he run away like that," Harry mused. "That's so unlike him."

"Maybe he realized who he was kissing," a poisonous thought hissed.

No. He wanted to kiss me. Snape never does anything that he doesn't want to...not with me. I mean, we hated each other, but he KISSED me.

It felt too...right. He gave me my wish.

Why?

Determined to unlock the answer the was hidden within Snape, he stopped and turned towards the dungeons. With a drive that was purely Gryffindor, Harry decided to confront the situation head on. He had to talk to Snape.


A light knock cleaved Snape from his glass. "Go away, whoever you are," he bellowed before taking another long drink of firewhiskey.

"Please sir, let me in. I have to talk with you."

Oh god. It's Potter.

Snape swigged the last of the liquor before he replied."Go away boy." He turned towards the nearly empty bottle.

"No. Snape, let me in. Please," Harry begged.

Unable to rail against the sorrow in the boys voice, Snape reluctantly set the bottle down and let him in. "Enter!"

Harry softly tred into the room. It was much more lush than he would have expected from Snape. Plush leather seating graced the tastefully arranged room. Books lined every spare bit of wall space. Harry let his eyes wander the room until they settled on the man he needed to speak with.

"What do you want," Snape asked with out turning away from the fire. He couldn't bare to look.

Tentatively, Harry moved closer to the brown leather chair in which Snape was sitting. " Why?"

"Why what, Mr Potter."

"Why...Why did you ..umm, ya know," Harry babbled.

"Boy, I am in no mood for your prattling. Say what you mean or get out of my sight. Some of us are trying to get rest before tomorrow. Only you Potter. Only you would come down here in the dead of night to talk and not say any.."

"Why did you kiss me!" Shocked by the commanding tone of his voice, Harry stood trembling at his bluntness.

Under his breath Snape replied,"thats the million galleon question, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind Potter. I...I don't honestly know why I kissed you. You seemed to... Regardless of what happened in the tower, just know that it will not be repeated. It was utterly irresponsible of me to do what I did. I'm thirty-eight years old Potter. You are a mere child. I should have known better. Besides, you have more important things to contemplate. You should be thinking about strategy, not about a greasy, broken-down potions professor."

Harry was stunned. He had never heard such self-loathing. This is Snape, the meanest Professor in Hogwarts The nightmare of every first year student, a brilliant wizard, a man who faced death and ruin as much as he did. How could he sound so lost?

Taking a deep breath, Harry walked around the chair and saw that his eyes were closed. The firelight danced on the longest eye lashes Harry had ever seen.

Oh my gods.. he looks so... beautiful. How could I not realize? How could I never have noticed?

"I told you before, I'm glad you kissed me. You...you gave me what I needed. I...I wish you hadn't run from me," he whispered.

"I'm a Slytherin, I didn't run away," sulked Snape.

"Well what would you call it," Harry replied with a hint of humor in his voice.

"It was...I don't have to explain myself to you,"Snape snapped.

"Why do you always do that? Why can't you just let that go? Be a person for once? I know you can be. If you couldn't you wouldn't have held me as I cried tonight, you wouldn't have comforted me, kissed me."

Without a seconds hesitation Harry grasped his face and kissed his hair."Please Sev, please just be a man tonight. Please just.."Harry timidly murmured "hold me."


It was the "please Sev" that shattered the last of his defenses. Only Lily had ever called him "Sev". His only true friend, now her son was asking for more than he thought he could possibly give, but he had to do it. He couldn't resist.

"Alright," Severus whispered "Alright."

Just for tonight. It can't be anymore than this. I can't bear to hope.

"Thank you." Harry breathed as he crawled into the warm, dark embrace of his former foe. "Thank you so much. No one has ever held me like this. You...you make me feel... safe."

Severus' heart warmed at the admission. " No one holds me either," he admitted. "No has ever wanted to, dared to, let me hold them."

Harry looked into the dark obsidian eyes of the man cradling him in his lap.

"I'm sorry," Harry crooned as he lightly kissed Severus' cheek. " I...I never told you how sorry I was for the way my father treated you. I...you were right. My father wasn't what I thought he was, but neither are you,"Harry smirked. " I..I never told you, but that's..that's when I stopped hating you. I realized you were a person, flawed yes, gods yes, but you have had just as hard a life as I have."

Severus couldn't breathe.

Had Harry apologized to him? He doesn't hate me? No one, except Lily, had ever cared to look and see him for himself, to look beyond the facade. And he kissed me again, not that I truly mind it.

Gently, Severus brushed his palm over Harry's cheek. "Thank you for that. You don't know how much that means to me." With barely a second between statement an breath, Harry leaned forward and began to trail kisses over Snape. "You *kiss* want *kiss* me *kiss.*. I want you too," Harry sighed as he worked his way around Snape's face. Brushing his lips delicately over the man's forehead, eyelids, and finally his lips.

"Mmm," Someone moaned.

Soft, chaste, pressing of lips turned hungry. Mouths opened. Tongues collided, parried, teased.

"Oh Gods," Harry cried as he turned his body to straddle the lap beneath him.

Hands wrapped around his waist, slowly lifting his shirt off. Snape stared at the half-naked boy in his lap. He devoured the sight of the firelight over pale, porcelain flesh.

He is so beautiful. I must be dreaming.

"Would you...do you want to." Harry asked shyly.

"Would I want to do what, Mr. Potter."

"Harry, please call me Harry. I love it when you say my name."

"Harry," Severus replied in sultry tones.

Oh his voice. Harry shivered. How can he do that to me with just his voice.

"Harry," he teased, "what are you asking me?"

Swallowing around the gigantic lump that had formed in his throat, Harry tried to work up the nerve to ask for what he so desperately wanted.

"Would you *swallow* take me to your bed? Would you..ehm..make love..ya know..to me?"

To be continued...


HP~SS~HP~SS~HP~SS

A/N: Thanks for the feedback, reviews, and additions to Author alerts! Seriously, it gave me the courage to create a 2nd chapter. Again, any feedback that you would be willing to shoot my way would be appreciated. I think this story is going to play out through at least 4 chpts. I know where my guys are going, I'm just not sure how long it's going to take.

Again, thanks so much!

Latin: Nox Aeterna - everlasting darkness