CHAPTER 22
A/N: piuk: yes, I was glued to the TV to watch the figure skating championships besides studying! ;-)
Okay, this chapter contains rather rough slash. I felt quite nervous writing the sexual scenes, I don't think I've ever written so…well, not graphically…but so…bluntly before, kind of…I was all the time worried to keep it within the M-rating limit :-) It was important to write bluntly, as I put it, in order to create a contrast between the Severus-Marius interaction and Severus-Harry interaction :-)
The next chapter will be up in another week.
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Marius Rivers had been given spacious quarters on the third floor; but Severus did not bother about walking from the dungeons to Marius's rooms late on a Tuesday night; instead, he used the Floo, appreciatively aware of the fact that Marius would consider this rude. Marius was indeed startled: his grey eyes narrowed for a moment, then a smile raised the corners of his mouth.
"I should have known that you would not use the door," he said.
"I didn't expect you to know after twenty years," came the impassive answer.
There was a brief silence during which the two men sized each other up.
"Do you want anything to drink or to eat?" Marius asked courteously after a few seconds.
"No, thank you," Severus said, still sounding impassive.
Marius came close to him and placed his hands on Severus's hips.
Severus suddenly grabbed the front of Marius's robes, crushing their bodies together. Marius uttered a low laugh in his throat. He leant in and kissed Severus on the lips.
Severus responded forcefully to the kiss, shoving his tongue into Marius's mouth. It was a prelude to a series of needy kisses; hands wandered everywhere.
"Where is your bedroom?" Severus said urgently.
"This way."
Marius led Severus to his bedroom. Severus pressed Marius roughly against the bed, forcing Marius to lie down on it. He tugged at Marius's robes. Both men were panting with want.
"You used to be so timid," Marius murmured as Severus flung his robes aside and started on Marius's shirt and trousers, "you are a lot more affirmative, now, Sev. I like it."
"Stop talking, and don't call me 'Sev'," Severus growled, peeling down Marius's trousers. Marius removed his shirt and reached out to undress Severus. Severus slapped his hands away. Marius laughed, stretching out on the bed, naked and aroused. Severus was soon ready; he prepared Marius and drew a condom over his aching sex. Their intercourse was rough, even violent. They pulled fiercely at each other's hair. Marius dug his nails into Severus's back, leaving little bleeding crescents. Severus marked Marius's throat and abdomen with angry red love bites, or rather lust bites. Marius hissed with pleasure during Severus's frenzied thrusts. The poles and ceiling of the four-poster bed wobbled with their movements. The next morning, Marius would discover bruises on his shoulders where Severus had buried his fingers during his climax. They spent half the night rutting fiercely. The sheets and they themselves were sticky with spit, sweat and come. Several used condoms had been flung carelessly onto the floor. It was one o'clock in the morning when Severus departed, sated and completely exhausted. Marius could still smell the scent of their savage sex when he woke up in the morning, his body protesting painfully in tender places.
Severus, for his part, slept deeply. He, too, woke up feeling sore and achy. He was unusually hungry and had some more breakfast than usual. Marius gave him a small wink which Severus acknowledged with a sneer. His bottom lip was cut after Marius had smashed his mouth against his during the wild throes of passion. Severus had not bothered to heal it. Dumbledore, however, noticed.
"If you would allow me, my dear boy…that cut looks rather nasty…" he said, tapping Severus's lip with his wand and murmuring a quick musical spell.
"Thank you, Albus," Severus said with uncharacteristic politeness. Dumbledore beamed. During supper, Severus discovered Marius sitting next to him.
"When do we meet again?" Marius murmured to him, boldly sliding his hand into Severus's napkin-covered lap; the other teachers were absorbed in their conversations; Dumbledore was talking to McGonagall.
"What do you think you are doing?" Severus hissed softly.
"Giving you an hors-d'oeuvre," Marius whispered. Severus felt infinitely grateful that the staff table was a safe distance away from the House tables, and that the massive tabletop and its long Christmas tablecloth sheltered his lap securely. Severus was also profoundly grateful to his training as a spy and his abilities as a skilled Occlumens. He managed to keep his face completely impassive when he came within a few minutes, Marius's skilful hand still twisting in his lap. The only sign he betrayed was the involuntarily clenching of his fingers around his cutlery; his knuckles turned white with the pressure, and his cheeks became stained with crimson. He bowed his head over his plate as if concentrating on his food.
"How about tonight?" Severus answered Marius's question.
"Same time?"
"In my rooms."
"Certainly, Severus. You are most hospitable."
"It is a…pleasure," Severus smirked.
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Later that day, Severus was lying in bed, one arm casually pillowing his head as he watched Marius dress. Their second "round" had been just as frantic and wild as their first one. Severus had scratches on his neck where Marius had clawed at him, and Marius himself was looking like he had been flung amidst a colony of enraged Bowtruckles. They both healed their injuries with their wands. Severus rudely declined Marius's Healing services.
"I had to take a few compulsory Healing courses for my Potions Mastery," he said coldly.
Marius shrugged.
"Tell me if you change your mind."
"That will never happen."
"When do we meet again?"
"We'll see," Severus said dismissively.
"Fine," Marius answered, buttoning up his robes and reaching for Severus's hairbrush.
"Do not touch my possessions," Severus said sharply.
"If you say so," Marius said, raising an eyebrow at Severus's rudeness. He combed his hair with his fingers and performed a small charm on his dark-brown locks with his wand.
"It is late at night. No one is going to see you except for the portraits," Severus said acidly.
"You never know – portraits like to spread rumours."
"You have always cared about what other people think."
"As if you don't care about what others think. I'll see you later," Marius said. Severus reacted with a lazy wave of his arm. Marius left. Severus realised that it was the very first time anyone had ever shared his bed at Hogwarts. In fact, he had never even had any carnal adventures in the castle which had sheltered him for such a long time.
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It was Friday, and Harry was punctual when he opened the door of Severus's office. The man had told him irritably to stop knocking every time and to simply enter – his wards would recognise Harry. Harry had been quite surprised, interpreting Severus's adjusting of his wards for his, Harry's sake, as an oddly considerate gesture. He stepped inside the room and saw that Severus was not alone. Marius was with him.
"Ah, Mr Potter," Marius greeted him. So he has decided to use my surname because I made it clear that I'm not interested in him, Harry thought with amusement.
"Professor Rivers," he answered aloud, giving the tall wizard a brief nod. He looked at Severus.
"Am I intruding, sir? I can return later."
"No, Potter," Severus said curtly, "Rivers is on his way out."
Harry blinked as Marius exchanged a full-mouthed demonstrative kiss with Severus. Harry was sure that tongues were involved.
"Later," Marius murmured, his hand brushing Severus's hip. He cast a rather arrogant glance at Harry and strolled out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Don't worry, Potter. You can continue trusting me," Severus said with a slight sneer, noticing the rather startled expression on Harry's face, "even if I am involved with someone neither you nor I trust."
"You don't trust him, you don't even seem to like him, but…Sorry, I know that this is none of my business," Harry said; this was too personal, too intimate.
"Not bad, Potter. You are learning manners and limits. My arrangement with Rivers is of a nature which does not require confiding in the other."
"I…Er…No, it's nothing," Harry trailed away, embarrassed.
"Nothing? Kindly tell me what you were about to say, Potter."
"It's just that…if you're sharing such intimacy with someone, then how can there be no trust?"
"It depends on the amount of trust. There is enough trust to benefit our arrangement, and that's it, Potter," Severus said with a tone of finality. Harry was still looking startled.
"And…love?" He could hardly believe he was asking Severus such a question.
"Are you truly so naïve, Potter? People have different notions of love. I, for my part, don't care about a thing as asinine as love. It does more damage than good." Severus said scornfully.
"So when my mother sacrificed herself because she loved me…was that asinine?" Harry wanted to know.
Severus wanted to give the youth a cruel hurtful answer, something along the lines that if his parents hadn't loved them, then no one would be burdened with Harry today; but looking into the serious, even sad, green eyes, he was reminded of that strange vision he had had of Harry rocking back and forth on his bed, pleading for help…
"No. It was not," he said finally. He came close to Harry and gently stroked back Harry's fringe. Harry remained still. Severus studied the scar for a few moments.
"No, it was not," he repeated, "that it was never."
I never had a mother or father who loved me. Would my mother have tried to save me if Voldemort had aimed the curse at me? I doubt very much. She would have given in. Maybe even offered me to him to recruit…Severus turned his back on Harry.
"Come, we shall duel in the classroom."
Harry followed Severus out, confused by the Potions Master. He had seen Marius and Severus kissing via Occlumency and spontaneous Legilimency; but he had never seen two men actually kiss so erotically right in front of him in the same room. Severus Snape in action, he mused and discovered that the thought did not disgust him at all. In fact, he had to honestly admit that he had found that kiss rather…sexy. Harry blinked to himself and thrust the thought aside; he had a duelling lesson, and he had to concentrate.
The lesson was just as exhausting as Occlumency. Harry, however, found it a thrilling sport, especially when confronted with an opponent like Severus Snape. Severus noticed that the youth moved with a dancer's gracefulness and light-footedness; his movements were fluid, and the way those green eyes flashed at him from behind the spectacles was rather engaging.
The duel ended with a drenched Severus and a panting Harry, who had warded off a series of small fireballs by directing the strongest Aguamenti charm he could produce.
"Sorry, sir," Harry said as Severus cast a Drying Charm on himself.
"You may leave," Severus said, ignoring his apology, "please read chapters five, six and seven in this book for next our next lesson."
Severus Summoned said book and held it out to Harry, rather than thrusting it at him.
"Thank you."
Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower with the tome under one arm, replaying that kiss in his mind and cursing himself for doing so.
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