CHAPTER 41
A/N: The slash scene in this chapter is heavily based on a drawing by Aislin Avalbane – I asked her to draw a picture of Harry and Severus sharing ice cream in bed °g°…The result was/is breathtaking…;-D You will find the link to Aislin's drawing on my profile page (last entry), and you will also find a link to more information on the two Greek legends "used" in this story. Thanks a million for your reviews and enthusiasm, and thank you, Aislin, for your great picture! Right. This is a "sugary lemon" chapter ;-)
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Harry was in the hospital wing, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to conduct a blood test on both him and Severus. "I've never been intimate with anyone. I've kissed before, and that's it," Harry had said.
"I still want to be on the safe side," Severus had stated firmly, "it is only too easy to think that magic can keep all diseases at bay, or that condoms are not needed; and even if both partners are healthy, condoms are essential for hygienic reasons. There is only so much magic can do. Protection spells can cause discomfort if they are too strong and are obviously useless if they are too weak. They are simply too tricky to fine-tune and not worth the risk."
Wizarding condoms looked like Muggle ones – but they came with spells and intriguing features such as changing textures ("to increase stimulation," Severus explained blandly), flashing colours ("A useless feature…considering that condoms are usually inside an orifice.") and an Unbreakable Charm ("I wouldn't rely too much on that!"), among other things. Harry also discovered animated leaflets in the box.
"Wicked," he commented, reading the instructions avidly while Severus's mouth twitched with suppressed mirth, "and the wizard is particularly well endowed."
Madam Pomfrey emerged with her equipment; the procedure was over in half a minute and the results were ready in three minutes.
"Everything is fine," she said.
Severus had told the matron, in his usual abrupt manner, that Harry and he were romantically and sexually involved.
"This information is naturally highly confidential," Severus had added, "only the Hogwarts staff may know about our relationship."
"Oh, I quite understand," Madam Pomfrey had said, "and I wish you and Harry much happiness."
She had looked both astonished and pleased. She had often doctored Severus during his time as a Hogwarts student and after several of his Cruciatus-punctuated meetings with Voldemort. Harry, of course, had been quite a regular patient during the past years. Madam Pomfrey smiled as she watched the two wizards leave the hospital wing. It was so good to see them happy – with each other, no less.
Albus Dumbledore was so pleased that he knocked his teacup onto the floor and swooped down upon Severus, enfolding the embarrassed man in a hug.
"Congratulations, my dear boy! Harry, do stop loitering coyly in the corner and come over here, will you?"
Harry detached himself from Dumbledore's office wall with a grin and joined in the hug.
"Ah," Dumbledore exclaimed, releasing them and dabbing at his eyes, "I am delighted for you, Severus and Harry."
Behind him, Fawkes burst into song and promptly shed two magnificent feathers. Dumbledore went over to the perch and picked up the feathers.
"They will make excellent quills," he said, handing one to Harry and the other to Severus. The phoenix spread his wings and settled on Severus's shoulder. The Potions Master stroked Fawkes with the tenderness which lurked underneath his protective armour of thorns and brambles, as Harry knew very well by now. Fawkes sat on Harry's shoulder as well, rubbing his head against Harry's cheek before returning to his perch and pecking hungrily at pumpkin seeds. Dumbledore blew his nose, accompanied by several of the portraits on the walls. One of them blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn. Phineas Black, however, yawned loudly and pointedly and left his portrait to skulk around in Grimmauld Place.
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On the evening before Harry's birthday, Severus asked Harry over to dinner. Their relationship was rather formal in some aspects. Severus, who was a born planner, detested spontaneous visits and insisted on dividing their time into slots and was reticent about spending another night with Harry.
"Let us wait until you are of age in the Muggle world as well – you still have to turn eighteen."
"Severus, we can spend the night just lying next to each other, like at Grimmauld Place," Harry pointed out sensibly, but Severus was adamant. Not wanting to insist and spark the man's quick temper, Harry conceded quietly. He dressed with care, choosing a set of dark-green robes to match his eyes. He wore a pair of new Muggle jeans underneath them. He walked down to the dungeons and, for the very first time, stood in front of the door of Severus's private rooms. He did not have to knock; the air around him seemed to quiver, and the door opened. Wards, Harry thought, and he has set them to recognise and admit me. He flushed with pleasure and stepped inside Severus's hall, which strongly resembled the Hogwarts library because of all the bookshelves. The colour scheme was tastefully muted, and the whole place was well lit.
"Good evening, Harry. I trust that my personal quarters meet with your approval," Severus's dry tones greeted him; the man was sitting on the sofa, reading a book. He was not the type to greet visitors by opening the door for them and leading them to the most comfortable piece of furniture, all the while pouring out an insipid stream of fatiguing small talk.
"I like your rooms very much," Harry said, approaching Severus. The Head of Slytherin rose and wrapped an arm around Harry's waist.
"Sometimes I wish I were as tall as you," Harry remarked.
"You were meant to be built like an elf or a sylph, although your height would have increased if your diet had been less restricted during your childhood. I am relieved to see that you have put on some weight over the years."
He kissed Harry, and Harry felt every hair on his body stand on end.
"Dinner is ready," Severus breathed into his ear.
"So am I," Harry answered, smiling.
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Severus's dark eyes followed Harry's careful movements with interest. The young man was being very conscientious about his table manners – no elbows on the table, no fidgeting, no speaking with a full mouth, as was so often the case at the House tables during mealtimes.
When dessert arrived, a wide grin spread over Harry's face.
"Strawberry ice cream – you demolished it at Grimmauld Place with quite a vengeance," Severus said impassively. Harry smiled.
"Thank you, Severus," he said, "but why aren't you having any dessert?"
"I am a light eater; you are still a growing individual with a healthy appetite. My frankly meagre appetite is too entrenched in my metabolism to suffer any major upheavals of diet."
Harry smiled again, this time at Severus's lofty sentences, and rose from his chair, picking up his bowl of ice cream.
"If you will excuse me," he murmured politely, walking towards Severus and planting himself on his lap.
"Mr Potter, what exactly are you doing?"
"Sharing my ice cream experience with you," Harry said, dipping the spoon into the bowl and nudging Severus's lips with it. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Ice cream, you scream," Harry chuckled.
"Mischievous creature, I assure you that I do not scream easily," he commented; Harry took the opportunity to press the spoon between Severus's parted lips. Severus rolled his eyes and ingested the portion of strawberry ice cream, rather enjoying being fed by Harry. Harry shifted on Severus's lap to make himself more comfortable. This action resulted in a very conspicuous side effect on Severus's part; said side effect was further enhanced by Harry placing a blob of ice cream on Severus's cheek and licking it off.
"Harry Potter!" Severus growled, yielding to a moan as Harry started to kiss his neck assiduously. His hands stole down to Severus's lap. Severus got up in a flash and seized Harry's hand. Harry clung to the bowl and spoon as he was nearly dragged to Severus's bedroom. They undressed each other between repeated applications of strawberry ice cream.
"Nice…lamp…" Harry gasped when he noticed the stylish dragon-claw lamp on Severus's bedside table, "and…nice bed…"
"Have you finished complimenting my furniture?" Severus said hoarsely, pushing Harry onto his bed. Maybe that standard Extension Charm which had come along with the bed would be useful after all…
Harry laughed, trying to nibble at Severus's earlobe. They lay down in bed, and Harry, with a quick Quidditch-agile motion, slid on top of Severus, still clinging valiantly to the dessert bowl.
"Will you put that accursed thing down?" Severus hissed. Harry, completely naked by now, obligingly set it on the edge of the bed and peeled down Severus's underwear. Then he scrambled on top of an equally naked Severus Snape, spreading ice cream all over the lean body. His tongue and hands travelled over Severus's skin methodically. Severus was steadily losing control; stifled sounds issued from the back of his throat, and his toes and fingers curled. He opened his eyes when Harry stopped caressing him and watched the youth warm up a portion of ice cream in his hands and blow upon it with his breath.
"What…are…you…doing?" he asked huskily, starting to sit up, but Harry smiled at him.
"Lie down and you'll see. Or rather, you'll feel it."
Severus complied; the next second, his breath burst out in a harsh gasp when Harry smeared his erection with the ice cream and lapped it off with his eager tongue. Harry could hardly believe he was pleasuring Severus so intimately at such an early stage of their relationship; but then, he had confessed his love to Severus in the middle of being thoroughly pleasured himself.
Harry scrambled upwards and dribbled strawberry ice cream on Severus's chest and licked it up slowly, sweetly, sexily, his hand shifting to where his mouth had been only seconds ago. Severus's head snapped back into the pillow and his hips arched off the bed as his body exploded. He dug his fingers into Harry's hair while his other hand clutched frantically at the bedclothes. Harry pressed a strawberry-flavoured kiss against Severus's open mouth, their tongues meeting in an ice-cream-coated clinch. Severus lay panting on the bed, his eyelids half closed, a glimmer of jet shining through his long eyelashes. Harry bent over him and kissed his forehead. Severus suddenly seized Harry in his arms and rolled him over onto his back.
"It is most unwise to waste good food," he panted, managing to sound lofty even in his dishevelled and sticky state. It was not long until Harry, too, was covered with ice cream and trashing with ecstasy. Afterwards, they lay together with their arms wrapped around each other until they heard the grandfather clock chime midnight in Severus's hall. Severus cupped Harry's face in one hand.
"Happy birthday, Harry," he said somewhat gruffly. He was not used to extending birthday wishes to people, the notable exception being Dumbledore, whom he regarded as the father and friend he had never had.
The green eyes beamed at him.
"Thank you, Severus. I have never had such a wonderful birthday start."
Severus bent and lapped at a small blob of strawberry ice cream clinging to Harry's clavicle.
"Mmmh, I simply love strawberry ice cream," Harry said cheekily.
Severus snorted; and from that moment onwards, one of his pet names for Harry was "Strawberry".
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