CHAPTER 29

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, which portrays kitschy sweet moments between our cherished Potions Masters and lion-hearted Gryffindor; chapter 30, on the other hand, will have a major climax and showdown. For now, enjoy the sappy calm.

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"Do you know what I want to do, Harry?" Snape murmured, nibbling at Harry's earlobe. His fingers forsook Harry's tattoo and squeezed his bottom.

"Tell me," Harry said with a hitch in his voice.

"I am going to kiss and spoil every inch of your body. And…" here he whispered into Harry's ear, "I am going to make back-breaking love to you – if you are ready, that is."

Harry blushed deeply.

"I'm more than ready," he breathed eagerly, "but I've never done this before."

Snape smiled.

"I know. I did it once with a fellow-Slytherin when I was seventeen. It wasn't anything special. Rather disappointing, in fact. We were only experimenting. After that, I had a few flirts and kisses with some wizards in a bar. Nothing to rave about. Lucifer was one of them, as you saw when we were having our Butterbeer."

There was a pause, during which Harry played with Snape's hair. He thought it best to keep the knowledge of what he had seen on two occasions underneath his Invisibility Cloak to himself – at least for the moment. The guilt and shame at invading Snape's privacy were too sharp, and he knew only too well that Snape would be furious; and he wanted to develop the moment they were sharing, not destroy it.

"I hope that we can do something to rave about now," he said cleverly.

"Indeed?" Snape asked, his voice smooth as water.

Harry pulled Snape down onto him, engaging him in a passionate combat of tongues and limbs on the bed. Snape complied most enthusiastically with Harry's impatience and proceeded to fulfil what he had suggested, expressing their love in the most intimate manner which was physically possible, taking care, however, to use a protection charm. The aura of boundless magic set free as their emotions left control was nearly palpable around them.

Harry discovered that the area where they had been tattooed was extremely sensitive and reacted wonderfully to kisses, suckling and other seductive caresses. He felt Snape's body quiver underneath him when he applied his lips and tongue to the tattoo; he himself could not suppress a loud moan when it came to Snape to pour his attentions on Harry's tattoo.

Later, the two wizards were lying in bed on their sides, caressing each other's faces, their bodies sweaty after the passion they had shared.

"That was...beautiful. You are beautiful," Harry whispered to him.

"I was searching for someone," Snape said softly. "I didn't even know that I was actually searching for someone. Or that I would find you."

He laughed.

"You, Harry James Potter, whom I used to despise so much. How you can see in me what you see, a quick-tempered wizard who is nearly double your age, still remains a mystery to me."

"But not to me," Harry said quietly. "I am so happy when you are around. I can be myself. I see so much in you which you yourself don't see. Severus, you don't know how special you are."

"You and Albus are the only ones who have told me that I'm special. And you're the first to say I'm beautiful."

"You are beautiful. And it's time that you told yourself that you're special."

He smiled at Snape, who closed his eyes when he felt Harry's hand touch his cheek and mouth.

"Let's have a shower," Harry added. He got out of bed and took Snape's hand. The older wizard followed him, kissing his neck fondly.

After their shower, Harry soon fell asleep, but Snape remained awake, stroking the untidy black hair. He mused on his life. He had never dreamt that the boy he had once loathed with his whole soul would be his love. Now the boy was a mature young man. He had thought that too much had been broken between them. Fortunately, he had been severely mistaken. Harry Potter, of all people, regarded him as his love and friend; a strong bond of respect and affection had been forged between them. There were so many wizards and witches Harry could have chosen from – but he had chosen Severus Snape, brightening up his gloomy evenings, knowing when Snape felt like talking to him, sensing when Snape wanted to be alone. It was a very brave choice. Choosing Snape implied meeting with resistance from various quarters. The occasional Howler still drifted before them at the staff table during breakfast. Harry Potter was more than just brave. He was sweet and kind. There was spontaneity to his actions and words; it charmed Snape beyond description. He loved Harry's laughter, his vivaciousness in spite of all the grief he had gone through, his sparkling green eyes, his innocence verging on naiveté in some domains, his courage and sincerity.

The next evening found them in the Great Hall bickering after a game of Wizarding Chess.

"Didn't Ronald Weasley teach you anything?" Snape asked exasperatedly. He had just beaten Harry for the second time.

Harry scowled.

"You only won because it is your chess set."

"Well, how about fetching your own set?"

"I will!" Harry exclaimed, rising to the bait immediately and pushing back his chair. Just then, Dumbledore happened to stroll inside with McGonagall, talking casually with her.

"Ah, Albus. You wouldn't happen to have a wizard's chess set with you?" Snape asked calmly.

"A chess set?"

"Potter insists that I won because we were using my set. He wants to fetch his set now. I propose, however, that we use an…unbiased set."

"Certainly, Severus."

With an elegant flick of his wand, he summoned his chess set and resumed his walk with McGonagall in the grounds of the castle.

The borrowed chess set did nothing to improve matters. They both won each time, Snape first and then Harry.

"I guess they felt sorry for you, that's why they made winning easier for you," Snape grumbled.

"No, they felt sorry for you, that's why they let you win the first time."

"Nonsense."

You're talking nonsense!"

"The hell I am."

"Language, beloved."

"Recalcitrant brat!"

Harry rose at this point and gave Snape a forceful kiss. The chess set was upset as he pushed Snape against the table, kissing him fiercely again.

"Pick us up, lazybones!" one of the pawns yelled at them. The other pawns joined in the protest vehemently.

Snape gasped when eager slight fingers began to pleasure him through his robes.

"Harry Potter! We're…in…the…Great…Hall…!"

"I am fully aware of our surroundings, beloved." He looked into the half-closed black eyes and pressed his mouth against the parted lips, inserting his tongue between them.

He drew back to watch the effect.

"Please don't stop," Snape whispered hoarsely.

"I think we have kept Albus's chess set long enough with us, Severus."

"And if they till him what we were…are…doing?"

Harry glared at the pawns.

"Don't you dare tell him," he said.

The pawns blew rude raspberries at him, and the impatient one hollered:

"You wish!"

Harry's finger grazed Snape's lips.

"My bedroom, beloved," he said mischievously.

The two wizards interrupted their activities to return the chess set and then made a beeline for Harry's rooms, stumbling and actually falling on the floor at one point, Harry on top of Snape. They only made it to the privacy of Harry's bedroom when they heard Peeves singing rudely from far. Snape got up from the ground, gathered Harry into his arms and carried him away in a flurry of kisses.

"I love it when you call me 'love', Severus," Harry told him, his arms wrapped firmly around the tall wizard's neck.

"You are the first person to call me 'beloved'," Snape confessed, "and, if I may add, extremely insane to do so."

Harry's laughter rang through the corridor.

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