CHAPTER 34
A/N: Dear all, sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I am drowning in translations and my professor has told me to start collecting material for my prospective PhD paper. No holidays for me after the MA exams…:-( Well, it is known that holidays can sometimes be hell-idays! :-)
--
The evening of the second Sudoku competition between the two headstrong wizards arrived, and Harry with it, a twinkle in his green eyes. Severus eyed him suspiciously. The disadvantage of teaching Harry mental magic was that Harry could Occlude him with little effort – he was more than familiar with the signs which foretold Severus's Legilimentic attack. And the fact that a bond of soul sympathy – or soul recognition – existed between them could not be underestimated, although the visions had ceased since Harry had started learning Legilimency, thus restoring a balanced relationship of mental magic between them.
This time, Severus had charged the house-elf Winky, who had recovered from her Butterbeer addiction thanks to her friendship with Dobby, to bring them the three parchments containing the two grids and solutions. Winky disappeared after appearing with the parchments, and Severus spoke:
"I have changed our seating arrangements. If you are agreeable, then we will share the same table."
Harry bit back a smile. Severus usually didn't give a flying Flobberworm about someone agreeing or disagreeing with what he said.
"Certainly, sir," he said, approaching the desk. They sat down, drawing up their chairs to the table. Severus's foot touched Harry's accidentally. The youth didn't seem to notice; he spread the grid before him and looked at Severus, waiting for the starting signal. Severus slid a book between them to prevent clandestine glances at the other's grid and raised his wand, giving the sign. Two dark heads bent over two pieces of parchments, two quills scratching numbers into blank squares. Harry raised his head and caught Severus's eye. They exchanged an intense stare before Harry lowered his eyelids to his grid. The minutes passed in silence. Harry took his time. More time than necessary, in fact. At last, with a poorly concealed smirk of smugness, Severus leant back, crossed his legs at the ankle and drawled:
"I am delighted to announce that I am the winner of our little competition, Potter."
Harry pushed aside his grid. Severus thought he saw that mischievous twinkle in those green eyes again.
"So it's the shirtless duel next Friday?" he asked matter-of-factly, his mouth looking fetchingly kissable.
"Yes – but do have the decency to keep your upper portions covered until you have accessed the classroom."
Harry raised an eyebrow in a reminiscently Snape-ish manner.
"I do possess a modicum of decency and dignity," he reassured the Potions Master.
"Indeed?" Severus said with exaggerated incredulity.
"I see that I shall really have to prove myself to you," Harry said.
Severus leant towards him.
"You will always have to prove yourself to me. Thank you for a most satisfying evening, Potter. You may return to your dormitory."
--
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Ron was playing Exploding Snap with Neville.
Harry carefully masked his exhilaration and glumly informed Hermione that he had lost to Snape. He felt rather guilty.
"So what will you have to do?" she asked him solicitously.
"An extra round of duelling." He carefully avoided telling her that the duel would be topless and felt his conscience twinge. Of course, he reasoned, Hermione would never believe that fastidious restrictive Severus Snape might be uncontrolled enough to "solicit" a student. No one would ever believe such a thing…especially when inevitably taking the well-known hostility between Severus and Harry into account. Former hostility, Harry thought. Severus did seem to be…flirting…with him. Severus Snape, of all people. Soul sympathy. Or cock sympathy? Harry made an odd spluttering noise at the deliciously dirty thought.
"Harry? Are you fine?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"Yeah. Just thinking of how I could have won that Sudoku game." He bent over, fiddling with his sneaker. He was a bad liar, and he knew that it would show in his face. Pretending to settle his shoe seemed the best way to inconspicuously avert his face.
"Well, what's done is done," Hermione said wisely, patting his back.
--
It was the day of the duel. Severus was wearing a pair of carefully ironed trousers underneath his robes. All he had to do was unfasten three of four buttons, followed by a touch of his wand which would make his robes fall open, revealing him in only his pants. His dark eyes crinkled with anticipation when he heard Harry's familiar knock on his door. Severus flicked his wand at it, and it opened, admitting his student. A t-shirt and, oh Merlin! Blue jeans. Their eyes locked.
"I strongly recommend that you remove superfluous items of clothing for our duel," Severus said suavely. I would like to see you remove…everything, the Potions Master added silently.
Harry plucked off his spectacles, placing them on Severus's desk. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, draped it neatly over a chair and retrieved his spectacles. Severus tried very hard not to stare at the expanse of delectably bare chest, stomach and abdomen or at the faint alluring trail of dusky hair dipping into those enticing blue jeans. He failed miserably, of course. His long fingers, usually so skilled and agile, actually fumbled on the first button of his robes. Harry was waiting, watching him discreetly from underneath lowered eyelids. Drawing courage from the youth's shyness, Severus pushed his uncertainty about his own body into the remotest corner of his mind and undid the buttons. A lazy tap of his wand later, and his robes unfolded themselves and slid off his body, pooling around his booted feet. He saw Harry moisten his bottom lip. He picked up his robes and tossed them casually onto the same chair over which Harry had draped his t-shirt. Harry's green eyes indulged in what could only be described as a most appreciative glance at his bare upper portions. A flush spread over the youth's cheeks. Severus's trouser-clad legs moved smoothly as he walked over to a wall.
"You seem to like what you see," Severus remarked, knowing that he was moving beyond the teacher-student boundaries. But he was a lousy teacher anyway. His groin was lousy as well, he decided.
"I do," Harry said with characteristic Gryffindor directness. Then, eyes looking extremely innocent – too innocent – behind the round glasses, he added:
"There wouldn't happen to be a similar dress code for mental magic, would there?"
Severus's mouth dipped upwards into a sensual smile.
"Mental magic is not viewed as a competitive sport, otherwise it would not hold the reputation of being such an obscure branch of magic," he replied, twirling his ebony wand in his slender fingers.
"Hm," Harry said contemplatively, drawing out his holly wand. Harry-Hyacinthus, Severus mused. I want your lips and hips crushed against mine…
"Let us begin," he whispered in velvet tones, curving his body in the compulsory opening bow. Harry bowed just as gracefully. The contestants straightened, raising their wands.
--