Here it is folks. Tell me what you think.
"Mister Lefey, remain behind."
It was Friday afternoon, two weeks into classes and Jade was just cleaning up his workspace after potions. When the last student left, Jade stood before the professor's desk and waited. Snape was studying him, probably waiting for him to squirm. He sent the man an amused and unimpressed look. The staring contest continued. Jade smirked and decided to up the ante. He walked around the desk and pulled himself up to sit on it. He schooled his features to the most angelic expression he could manage, complete with fluttering eyelashes, and smiled down at the man.
The professor chuckled, "How are you settling in?"
"It's different, but not in a bad way."
"I presume I can trust you to keep any illicit activities safely behind closed doors."
"I promise to do my best not to get caught, and if I do you'll have plausible deniability."
"I suppose that is the best I can ask." The potions master paused a moment, "Potions is, shall we say, not your strongest subject."
"I appreciate the tact but I'm well aware of just how hopeless I am," Jade flashed a sheepish grin.
"Hopeless is not the word I would choose. You follow directions well enough but lack both precision and understanding. Your other professors have expressed satisfaction with your abilities, so I assume that lack of intelligence is not the issue. I suppose your past instruction in the subject was somewhat lacking?"
Jade smirked, "It was lacking something."
"My students are expected to learn the basics on their own time. Most either gain an understanding through extra experimentation or finding the proper references, or they simply follow the directions with exact precision. The students that do not bother to discover the information themselves will not continue in potions at any rate, and I refuse to waste my time instructing dunderheads with no desire to learn. The majority of my snakes come from pureblood families with a strong background in potions. Those that do not are quickly brought up to speed by their classmates in first year. There are always a few that simply lack intelligence and talent who will never succeed in my subject, but that is to be expected in any field of study. Potions require a certain predisposition; I believe you have it. You are, however, so far behind your classmates that catching up would require you to sell your soul to one of my exceptional few. I will not make such a demand of you. I am however willing to sacrifice a few hours a week of my time for your instruction, if you truly desire to learn."
Jade considered, "How much time are we talking about?"
"I would request your presence in my office on Sunday and Wednesday evenings at seven sharp."
Jade nodded, "It's a date." He turned and left the room without waiting for a dismissal.
It was only after his student shut the classroom door that it occurred to Severus that the teen had not once addressed him with the proper respect, and it had never occurred to him to object. He also could not quite chase the boy's choice of words out of his mind. 'It's a date', indeed. How ridiculous.
Lefey showed up promptly at 6:59 Sunday night, in entirely muggle attire. The black t-shirt was a great deal too tight to be legal and had the words 'If you don't like what I'm wearing feel free to undress me' printed in neon pink across the front. Just a touch of skin was visible beneath the hem of his shirt and above the waistband of black silk boxers which showed about an inch higher than his trousers. He wore a studded neon pink belt holding up his denim trousers. The jeans sat low on his hips, dragged down, most likely by the weight of the sheer amount of metal chains, zippers, and buttons, plus whatever the young man kept in that many pocket. How exactly do trousers that loose cling quite that well?
Severus became aware that he was ogling his student around the time he noticed the blush currently creeping across the youth's flawless skin. Dear Merlin, he's not even legal. Recovering himself, he fell back on the same tactic he used whenever he felt uncomfortable: sarcasm. "I was under the impression, Mister Lefey, that when you referred to our meeting as a 'date' you spoke in jest. Perhaps you would care to explain your current attire, and why you believe it appropriate clothing for a school environment."
The boy ducked his head in a pathetic attempt to hide his ever darkening blush.
The obvious submission did nothing to cool Severus' misdirected ire and, as always, the moment he sensed weakness he went for blood. "If you are soliciting favours, I can give you the names of several upperclassmen who would be more than interested in trade."
The youth's head snapped up and Severus found himself gazing into shocked emerald orbs. When the boy spoke it was barely more than an incredulous whisper, "Are you calling me a whore?"
Severus waited for the youth to scream at him, shut down in cold fury, or burst into tears. He got none of those things. The reaction he received surprised him more than Dumbledore's offer of protection when he turned spy.
The brat giggled; he actually giggled! It was a sound he had never heard from a Slytherin's mouth before. Occasionally the females among his flock would make a simpering, flirtatious noise that was similar, but never in, honest to Merlin, amusement. Thankfully, or not depending on how one examined the situation, that clear crystalline sound quickly evolved into full-blown laughter until the brat could barely remain on his feet.
Severus made one last attempt to regain control of the situation. "Are you quite finished?" it was asked in the same icy tone that promised untold horror to anyone that refused to fall into line.
The boy seemed to neither care nor even notice. He barely managed to gasp out a response, "Just give me a moment, please."
Several minutes and a couple relapses later, the brat finally managed to pull himself together. "Sorry. Sorry, but you just called me a whore. A whore!" he choked back a snicker. "Leave it to you to discover just about the only thing I've never been accused of. As for my clothes, about half my wardrobe looks something like this; if I didn't wear them on the weekends I'd never get the chance. I didn't want to push my luck by wearing them in class; I'd probably lose points for distracting my classmates or something." The youth gave a sheepish smile.
I would certainly take points.
"Are you going to teach me or would you like me to go change into something a little less comfortable first?" that cheeky grin would normally have caused Severus to verbally shred the little brat.
It took the patience of a saint to ignore the images that flashed through Severus' mind about all the things he would love to 'teach' this young man. This boy was not one to be dealt with impulsively; that would be a slippery slope. After deciding to withhold judgement for now, Severus addressed the youth, "Follow me."
Severus turned and moved to the back wall of his office. He placed his hand on the wall and felt the wards' magic slide across his skin. He pushed the stone under his hand and felt it slide back like the heavy door it was. "Welcome to my private lab, Mister Lefey."
Jade studied the room around him appreciatively. He was having a little difficulty reconciling the fact that the ever private man had invited a student into his personal space. The room was meticulously organised. The walls were lined with ingredients, cauldrons, and various tools. There were several sinks against one wall that gleamed with cleanliness. The only place that was less than tidy was a large desk in one corner; there were papers and books scattered all across it.
The man had pulled a stool from under one of the long tables and set it in the empty space in front of the desk. "Sit here, listen, learn, and do not touch anything. Madame Pomfrey requires some additional potions for the hospital wing so I must lecture while I brew. Do not take notes. If you understand, remembering will not be a problem. Feel free to interrupt and ask questions at any time you feel you lack comprehension."
"Yes sir," Jade settled onto the stool, closing his eyes and allowing the man's smooth velvet voice to wash over him.
"Potions are about balance. Every ingredient must be counteracted and reinforced. Your cauldron will tell you all that you are required to know if you simply learn to listen..."
Jade was completely enraptured. The man spoke each sentence with a loving caress, stroking it like a lover. There was no way Jade would forget a word.
Jade's eyes had opened without his knowledge. They followed the man about the room, taking in every action, no matter how small. The potions master was in his element, tending a dozen cauldrons at once. No motion was wasted. He moved with a steady flowing grace, always knowing precisely what to do next. Each movement bled into the next in an intricate dance.
Jade was unsure how long he had been watching and listening before he realised exactly why his blood was rushing and where it was going. I'm getting turned on by this? Bloody teenage hormones! Wait, does this mean I'm gay? Jade groaned and dropped his head into his hands. As if I'm not enough of a freak already. Jade clenched his eyes shut and listened to the lecture. It did not help his current state of arousal but at least it was easier to focus on the man's words rather than imagining what else he could do with those hands.
Jade woke with a gasp, covered in sweat, and tangled in sticky sheets. He slammed his head back into the pillow. It was hardly his first wet dream, though he had nightmares a hell of a lot more frequently. What was bothering him was the dream that came with it. Usually he either could not remember his dreams or they were of faceless lovers with stroking hands and mouths. This one was crystal clear and included the lustful dark eyes of a certain professor. That's just what I need. I'll never be able to look him in the eye again.
It was still early but Jade knew he would not get anymore sleep this morning. He pulled himself out of bed and headed for a shower. What I need is a distraction.
This thought led him to the library before breakfast. There had to be something in here that would interest him. He settled on a magical creatures text and tried to focus his thoughts. He was not alone for long. Hermione came in shortly and headed straight for her usual table. She did not even look at him and he forced himself not to acknowledge her. After a couple of minutes a small group of what looked like forth year Hufflepuff girls rushed in. They scattered homework across the table. It looked like they were doing some last minute cramming. All but one buried their noses in books. The last girl was near tears. She was attempting a banishing charm over and over with no success.
"Oh, why can't I get it right? I know how; I'm sure I do." She threw her wand down on the table. "Professor Flitwick's going to fail me for sure and then they'll make me go back to third year. Mum's going to be so disappointed."
Her friends offered some reassurance. It was just one quiz after all. The girl seemed to have a flair for the dramatic.
Jade decided that a good deed would be a suitable distraction. He walked over to the girls' table, "Pardon me, I couldn't help overhearing. I could probably help if you like."
The reactions were amusing, if nothing else. One of the girls squeaked and fell out of her chair, one attempted to draw her wand and wound up flinging it across the room, one was frantically digging through her bag, and the other two had successfully drawn their wands and were holding them in his face with shaking hands, one was backwards.
He held his empty hands in the air and tried not to laugh, "I don't mean any harm, I swear. I only want to help." He gave his most disarming smile and watched the girls slowly relax.
The most suspicious of the lot, and the only one who had managed to draw her wand properly, kept her wand trained on him. The rest seemed to take him at his word, though they still seemed a bit nervous.
The one who was having trouble gave him a grateful smile, "Oh, would you? They've all tried to help me but I'm just hopeless at the whole subject."
"It looks like you're just trying too hard. Here," he reached over and picked up her wand, handing it to her. "Loosen your grip a bit, that's it. Now your wrist should be cocked a bit, like so," he adjusted her arm. "Now end with a gentle flick, like that. Try it now."
The girl scrunched up her face in concentration and did what she was told. It worked. Her face lit up and she tackled the unprepared Slytherin, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn't think I'd ever get it right."
Jade awkwardly removed her arms from his neck. "Anytime. I'd suggest practicing a few more times before heading to breakfast just to be sure you've got it down. I'll see you around," he bid a hasty retreat. Merlin help me, I think I made a fan-girl. He put it out of his mind and headed down to breakfast. He should have known it would not be that easy.
By lunch, the fact that he had helped a Hufflepuff was all over school, like he had broken some rule that nobody had bothered to tell him about. It was not nearly as bad as what he had lived with every day as Harry Potter, but he had gotten used to anonymity and he found the sudden attention a bit disturbing. One of his classmates, an Aaron Avery, leaned across the table, "Is it true? You actually helped a Puff. What were you thinking? What could you possibly gain by playing nice with a Puff?"
Jade shrugged, "I was looking for a distraction. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Avery sneered, "Just don't make a habit of it. This will blow over; everyone thinks you've got some sort of ulterior motive, but if you ever do it again they'll start thinking we're all soft."
Jade rolled his eyes, "And we can't have that." He would have gladly let the whole incident rest at that if it were not for what happened at dinner.
The Hufflepuff girl from that morning walked right up to Slytherin table, dragging one of her friends. "Hi again. I'm sorry to bother you with this but my friend and I have been having some trouble with certain charms. Since you helped me so easily this morning, we were hoping you would meet us in the library tonight and go over a few spells with us. You're a really good teacher."
Jade had already opened his mouth to politely refuse when somebody kicked him under the table. He looked over to see Aaron glaring at him and shaking his head. Jade smirked at the boy. Never tell a second generation Marauder what he ought not to do. It will be the first thing he tries. He plastered a smile on his face and turned back to the girls. "I'd be happy to be of assistance. We should set up in a disused classroom so we can practice without disturbing anyone. Oh, and if you know of anyone else who can use the assistance, bring them along. I'm willing to help in Defence and Care as well."
The girl giggled at him flirtatiously, "Thanks so much. I'll see you then." She turned and led her gaping friend away.
When Jade turned around the entire table was staring at him in varying degrees of shock and horror. It was totally worth giving up a few hours just to see their faces. He schooled his features to as innocent as he could, "What?"
There you have it. Please review. I'm a little disappointed that nobody's torn it to shreds yet. Oh and about the"Freak" comment in this chapter, Harry's not homophobic but after his time with the Dursleys he can't help but think that anything that makes him different from everyone else is a flaw. He's working on celebrating his individuality but it's slow going.