Rating: M

Warnings: Slash, swearing, infidelity, ignores epilogue, probably a bit OOC

Pairings: SS/HP and HP/GW

Genres: Romance, Drama, Angst

Summary: Harry's engaged to Ginny, but then along comes Severus Snape. SLASH, SS/HP, POST DH

Chapter Ten: No Way Out

It happened on Saturday. As Harry stood watching the Holyhead Harpies do a lap of victory around the Quidditch pitch, Ginny looking her beautiful and exuberant self, he realised he'd made a huge mistake.

He'd betrayed her. That gorgeous, amazing woman out there – the one who made him smile in the mornings when he woke up next to her; the one he loved more than anyone and anything; the one who always stood by him, no matter what – he'd betrayed her. There was no use in pretending otherwise. What was the point in telling himself he'd done it "to make sure"? It didn't matter. It didn't count for anything. Facts were facts, and facts were inescapable. He'd left the house on Friday evening and had gone out with the full intention of kissing someone else. There was no sugar-coating it, not now. That second kiss had not been an accident.

What the second kiss had been was good. Better than good. But it was just the kiss he'd liked, not Snape. He'd liked it because it had been new; it had been fresh and exciting and after five years of kissing the same person, "new" was bound to be a turn on.

When Harry had returned home from Snape's yesterday, he'd gone straight to the bathroom. He'd locked the door, turned the shower on, and had proceeded to have one of the best orgasms of his life.

And afterwards, of course, when he'd climbed out of the shower, his cheeks flushed with heat, he'd felt an almost unbearable amount of guilt. His only consolation was that he hadn't thought of Snape – he'd torn off his shirt, yanked down his trousers, and had concentrated solely on the pleasure coursing through his body.

He wasn't going to dwell on it – that had been decided the moment he'd caught his breath. He'd wasted enough time worrying about Snape already. It was a phase, that was all; a phase that had been and gone. It should never have happened in the first place, but at least now it was over. He knew what he wanted.

Ginny made him feel alive. When she smiled, his whole world lit up. When she kissed him, his body tingled. He'd never doubted his love for her, not once. And now that this whole Snape mess was over and done with, it meant he was able to move forwards and get on with his life.

And really, it was much better if he didn't think about it.

He wasn't in denial. How could he be when there was nothing to deny?

"Thank Merlin that's over," Ginny sighed heavily, flopping down on the sofa next to Harry. She stretched out her arms and perched her feet on the edge of the small table in front of her, looking out through the large glass windows into the other room.

It had been an hour since the match had ended and the Holyhead Harpies had only just managed to escape the numerous fans and reporters that had been gathered outside the Diagon Alley club, awaiting the arrival of the team and party guests. A large majority of people were in the main room, laughing and joking, drinking and dancing, but a few of them (Harry included) had slipped out into the quiet VIP lounge for some peace.

"I hate dealing with reporters," moaned Ginny, resting her head on Harry's shoulder. "After all these years, I still don't understand how you do it."

"Neither do I," he replied, thinking of how he'd ended up using the back entrance to the club in order to avoid all the flashing cameras. "But hey, look on the bright side. At least we get to suffer together."

He grinned at Ginny, who rolled her eyes with a snort and hit him on the arm.

Harry smiled to himself before letting his eyes wander over the other room. From where he was sitting, he could just about make out Neville and Hannah at a table of their own. Their heads were bowed together and they seemed to be deep in conversation, despite the loud music pulsing from the speakers.

Over by the bar, drinks in hand, were Ron and Hermione. Their eyes were fixed on something further away, however, and when Harry searched the room he found George and Angelina in the middle of the dance floor, limbs flying in all sorts of directions.

Harry glanced back at his friends just in time to see Ron frown before turning away. Ron still wasn't comfortable about his brother dating Fred's ex, but there hadn't been any other arguments about it since that first one at the Ball. Harry knew he'd get used to the idea eventually, but for George's sake he hoped it would be soon. It had taken a lot for George to start enjoying life again and he didn't want to see him upset because of Ron's infamous stubborn streak.

Movement next to him pulled him away from his thoughts. He turned to find Ginny gazing at him.

"I was thinking," she started, slowly, "I only have one more match now and then I'm free for two whole weeks. Is it too late to book a holiday?"

He gave her a small smile. "Too late to book the time off work, I'm afraid," he told her. A holiday was very appealing though. Especially if it was somewhere hot and involved Ginny and her black bikini. Alas, they would just have to make do with the beaches over in Cornwall.

"Typical," she sighed, letting her head fall against the sofa. "Any ideas then?"

"I do have something, yeah." He paused, a little hesitant, but she watched him, waiting for him to continue. "Maybe we could use the time to start making arrangements," he said. "You know, for the wedding. What do you think?"

Ginny's eyes went wide but a second later her whole face lit up. She squealed in excitement and flung her arms around Harry's neck.

"Really? Oh, Harry, it'll be perfect! Oh, there's so much to do! The flowers, the catering, the music…and what about a venue?" She pulled away from Harry and held him at arm's length. "Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"Slow down," he laughed. "We haven't even set a date yet."

"How about winter?" she suggested. "I've always dreamt of having a winter wedding. All those fairy lights, all those decorations…it'll be so romantic, don't you think?"

"Next winter?"

She shook her head. "This winter."

"This winter?"

"How does December sound? Around Christmas time?"

"It sounds wonderful, Gin," he said, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her enthusiasm. "But are you sure six months is enough time to get everything done? You said so yourself, there's an awful lot to do."

"It's plenty," she assured him, beaming. "Oh, Harry, can you imagine how beautiful it's going to be? And how cute will Victoire look as a flower girl? And little Teddy as the ring bearer?" But then, suddenly, she paused and her smile faltered. "You do want to get married this winter, don't you? Because we can do it next year if you'd rather wait."

Harry smiled softly and shook his head. Really, it was quite amusing sometimes to just listen to her go on and on.

"Ginny," he said, and he reached out and took hold of one of her hands. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to give you the perfect wedding day…a perfect start to all the years ahead of us. We could get married in a sewer and I'd still be happy as long as it was what you wanted."

She gave a little giggle at that but her eyes were shining brightly. She pulled Harry into another hug and he held her tightly, loving how her small, feminine frame fit so wonderfully in his arms. Ginny wasn't a fragile person, but sometimes she just felt so delicate.

By the time they broke apart, she was glowing again. The smile stirred something in Harry's stomach and he ran a hand through her soft red hair and caressed her cheek.

"I have to go and find Hermione," she informed him merrily. "I feel like I've just gotten engaged all over again!"

And with a great, big kiss on the lips, she got up and practically bounced out of the room.

Harry sat back with a smile on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt so content.

He'd definitely made the right decision. There wasn't a doubt in his mind.

Plans were made to start making wedding plans the moment Ginny got back from her next match in Switzerland. As she had yet to even leave, however, they found themselves with almost a whole week to spend in one another's company, most of which (when Harry wasn't working) was spent in bed…or on the sofa…or on the kitchen table…

Making love to Ginny was one of the greatest experiences Harry had ever had, and he'd been through a hell of a lot in his twenty-two years of life. But sex with Ginny was always so passionate. It never failed to set every nerve in his body on fire.

They'd been each other's firsts, and were happily each other's onlys. Everything they did, they'd learnt together. Harry adored the connection he had with her.

And it wasn't just the sex either. They shared so many interests that it was never hard to find something to do. Conversations were rarely dull and there were never any awkward moments between them.

So when she left for Switzerland on Thursday morning, Harry was left with the entire house all to himself and not a clue in the world as to what he could do to occupy his free time. He could handle things just fine when she went away for weekends, but this time she was gone for five whole days. But still, at least he'd have her all to himself for two weeks when she returned, and he was quite looking forward to starting the wedding arrangements – Ron said it was a girl's job, but Harry couldn't wait to get stuck in.

In the meantime, however, he found himself at a temporary loss. His friends were busy with their own lives and the last thing he wanted to do was intrude, although he knew he'd be politely welcomed should he choose to stop by.

Visiting Snape did enter his mind, but he quickly shot down that idea. He was still refusing to acknowledge what had transpired between them and that, he told himself, was for the best. Although…

He still couldn't believe how far he'd let things go. Hard hands, rough lips, prodding erections…

No!

He wasn't going to think about it. He wasn't! It had been a phase. It was over now. End of story.

Now, where was he? Ah, yes. Not giving Snape extra visiting days. Yes, well, Snape was for Fridays and he didn't want to accidentally lead the man on or something by turning up when Ginny was away – that was sure to send out all sorts of messages. Besides, it really was best to stick to the schedule regarding his ex-professor from now on.

And as far as schedules went with Harry, he should have known that they wouldn't stick for long, as was proved when Andromeda showed up on his doorstep with Teddy that Friday evening after work.

The moment he opened the door, he knew he was going to have to cancel on Snape. He hated cancelling, but on this occasion he wasn't entirely sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Harry," she said, shuffling through the door and depositing Teddy on the carpet, "But a new client has just gotten in touch at the last minute and he wants a full spread for a party tomorrow – we have to do it, it's good publicity. Anyway, Molly and I are going to be working long into the night."

When Harry just stood there gawping, she added, "For the catering business."

"Oh," said Harry, shaking himself and feeling like an idiot. "Well, that makes a lot more sense than what I was thinking. What you said "client" and "full spread" it sort of sounded like…well…" He trailed off sheepishly as her eyebrows went higher up her forehead, but she gave a tut and laughed.

"Really, Harry, you need to get your mind out of the gutter. You're almost as bad as George. Anyway," she said, handing him a bag, "are you alright watching Teddy? Please say if you're not."

Harry looked down at the bag she'd handed him and then at Teddy, who was stood looking up at him, holding his hand and smiling broadly. She hadn't given him that much of a choice, really.

"Yeah, it's fine," he said, managing to keep the sigh out of his voice. "We'll have fun. Won't we Teddy?" he added to the boy, who nodded.

She smiled at him gratefully and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. "And I'll see you," she said, bending down and kissing Teddy, "tomorrow. OK?"

After they'd said goodbye, Harry shut the door and led Teddy into the living room.

"You want something to eat?" he asked the young one. "I think I have some pumpkin pasties in."

"Pizza!"

"I haven't got any –"

"Pizza!"

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on," he said, ruffling Teddy's neon blue hair. "I'll go and order one. What drink do you want?"

After he'd made sure that Teddy was sitting comfortably, he switched the television to the children's channel and went into the kitchen to order their food. Harry had learnt early on that sitting Ted in front of the TV was a good way to keep him distracted. Andromeda, being a pureblood, didn't own such muggle things and the images on the screen never failed to grab Teddy's attention.

After Harry had placed their order with the nearby takeaway, he grabbed a quill from the side and pulled a piece of parchment towards him. It was almost 7pm and he didn't want Snape to think he was avoiding him again.

Severus, he scribbled down;

I'm sorry, but I can't make it tonight. Andromeda stopped by and I've ended up looking after Teddy for the night. She and Molly are trying to start a catering company and they've just got themselves their first costumer.

He paused, and reread the note. Then, against his better judgement, he added;

Maybe we could meet up tomorrow instead, or on Sunday? I have the whole weekend free as Ginny's away with her team until Tuesday.

Your friend,

Harry

There. That didn't sound like an excuse, did it? He didn't want to make the man paranoid. And, after all, it was the truth. He couldn't exactly do anything about it.

He set the quill aside and went over to Ginny's owl, Freddy, who was perched on his stand by the kitchen window. Harry didn't have an owl of his own. He knew it sounded crazy, but he'd never wanted another one, not after Hedwig had been killed. When he'd been stuck at the Dursley's, Hedwig had been the only one he could talk to. She'd provided company during some of the toughest times of his life and getting another owl just didn't seem right somehow.

He rolled the parchment into a small scroll and summoned a piece of string to him, which he wound tightly around his letter. He fixed the other end to Freddy's leg and reached over to open the window.

"Take this to Severus Snape," he said to the owl. "And don't let him hex you," he added as an afterthought. "I don't know what kind of mood he'll be in after he reads it."

Freddy hooted softly and nipped his finger before taking off through the window and into sky. Harry gave a sigh as he turned back towards the living room. He still wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or not; a part of him had been excited about seeing Snape again. Another part had been absolutely terrified.

As Harry set aside the empty pizza box, he decided that a quiet evening in with his godson wasn't such a bad thing after all, no matter what he'd had to give up for the opportunity. The little boy was so delightfully curious and when he'd finally tired of the television, he'd bombarded Harry with questions about their family and friends. Harry had ended up getting out one of Ginny's photo albums and they'd spent at least half an hour flicking through pictures of the Weasley's, giggling at the antics of Fred and George and smiling as Grandma Molly waved at them from the pages.

Eventually, of course, Harry's old album had made an appearance. Teddy had seen it dozens of times and could easily point out Remus amongst all the photographic people, but he never tired of it, nor of asking Harry all about him. The fact that their fathers had been friends always seemed to put a smile on Ted's face and he loved it when Harry talked about Sirius and the Marauder's Map, which, he promised, would one day be Teddy's, as long as he didn't tell Grandma!

After an hour of reminiscing had passed, and the summer sky had finally started to grow dark, Harry put away the albums and Teddy trotted over to his bag and pulled out a stack of brightly coloured playing cards. He was just dealing them out between them when there was a knock on the door.

"No cheating," Harry warned Teddy as he got up. Teddy's giggle confirmed Harry's suspicions and he smiled and shook his head, heading for the hall.

Upon opening the door, however, the smile slipped away and he stared in shock at his visitor.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," the man said, a smirk on his thin lips. "May I come in?"

Harry found his voice.

"Snape? What are you doing here?"

"Since you couldn't come to me, Potter, I decided to come to you. I brought wine." His eyes sparkled as he held out the bottle for Harry. Harry, however, had other things on his mind. Shoving Snape aside, he promptly stuck his head out the doorway, glancing left and right down the street.

"Did anyone see you?" he asked, pulling back to look at Snape.

The smirk on his lips grew and that, coupled with the gleam in his eyes, sent Harry's stomach leapfrogging.

"Relax, Potter," he said. "I'm not your dirty, little secret." He stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. "At least, not yet," he added in a whisper, and he swept passed Harry into the living room.

Numbly, Harry followed.

"Ah. This must be Ted. How do you do?" Snape extended his hand to Teddy, who shook it shyly. "My name is Severus. I'm a friend of your Uncle Harry's."

"Nice to meet you, Sev'rus," Teddy smiled. "Do you want to play Exploding Snap with me?"

"Certainly."

As the two of them settled down at either ends of the small coffee table, Harry let his feet carry him from the room. He was slightly surprised when he realised he'd entered the kitchen, and for a whole minute he just stood, staring blankly at the fridge.

Eventually he began to register the voices reaching his ears; the laughter of Snape – laughter! – and the cheering of Teddy as the cards exploded.

Slowly, Harry's mind started to pick up speed.

Snape. Here. In his house.

He gripped the back of a chair for support as his thoughts whirled around his head.

What was Snape up to? What had he meant by those words?

I'm not your dirty, little secret. At least, not yet.

Not yet? Not yet? What was he playing at?

Did he think, because of last weeks kiss, that Harry was attracted to him? Or was this something more, something different? Harry had a horrible feeling that it was that last one.

But why? Was he trying to make Harry suffer? Was he trying to cause trouble? Was he, perhaps, attempting to blackmail Harry, exchanging his silence for sexual favours?

No. That was just silly. The Snape he knew wasn't like that.

But then, what? He rapidly went through all he could remember of there conversations, but nothing stood out. The only thing Harry could think of was…yes…Snape was attracted to him! And he was doing this for fun. It amused him.

Harry let out a relieved laugh, pushing himself up straight on the chair. Of course Snape wasn't out to get him! They were friends! And Harry probably looked like a right pillock, taking everything so seriously. Snape was teasing him, and here Harry was, almost shitting his pants.

OK, that was an overstatement, but still…what was he to do? Let him down gently? Somehow, though, Harry knew it was passed that stage and he wished he knew why that scared him so much. It wasn't a frightened kind of scared…it was more of the nervous variety…his stomach twisting, his mind in disarray…A part of him actually felt excited at the prospect of…

For the tenth time that week, he found himself stopping that train of thought. It wasn't right. He refused to travel down that road.

Running an unsteady hand through his hair and taking a few, deep breaths, he turned on his heel and marched back into the living room.

"…a whole Sickle," Teddy finished proudly.

"That's quite generous."

"What is?" Harry asked, coming to stand by the sofa.

Teddy looked up at him. "I was just telling Mr. Sev'rus of how the Tooth Fairy gave me a Sickle last week. Seeeee?" He grinned widely at Harry, opening his mouth to show the missing tooth.

"Fantastic," he said to him, smiling. "What are you going to spend your money on?"

"Sweeties," he told him. "Grandma says if I eat lots of sweets then my teeth will rot, and that means more money from the Tooth Fairy!"

Snape barely contained a snort, but Harry looked down at the young boy, torn between amusement and anxiety.

"I'm afraid that's not how it works, Teddy," he told him gently.

"It is," he nodded.

"No," said Harry, smiling again. "The Tooth Fairy only rewards good boys, whose baby teeth fall out on their own. The Tooth Fairy doesn't like bad teeth."

"Oh." The boy looked thoughtful. "Well, what shall I spend my money on then?"

"You could always save it up," Harry offered, "And buy something you really want."

"Like an aquar…aqu…aqur…"

"Aquarium?"

"Yes!" he beamed. "An aqurum! Full of lots of little fishes!"

"I was thinking of something less extravagant," Harry laughed. He held out his hand for Teddy. "Come on, you. Bedtime."

"But Uncle Harry…! Can I have an extra half hour? Pleeeease?"

"You've already had an extra half an hour," he said. "Now come on, say goodnight to Severus."

Teddy let out a puff of air and stuck out his bottom lip.

"G'night Sev'rus," he said miserably. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Ted," Snape replied. Then he looked at Harry. "I'll open the wine, shall I?"

For some awful, inexplicable reason, Harry felt himself blush. He ducked out of the room before Snape could say another word.

By the time he returned, Snape had made himself very much at home; his shoes had been kicked off and he was stretched out on the sofa, a glass of ruby-red wine in his hand. He held the half-empty glass up in a salute as Harry neared him.

"Nice home you have here," he said, before taking a sip of the wine.

Harry ignored him. He stopped in front of the sofa, arms crossed against his chest.

"Whatever you're playing at, stop it," he said firmly. He was breathing heavily through his nose as he glared down at Snape.

Snape lifted an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He sat up and placed his glass on the table in front of him.

"Well?" Harry demanded. "Aren't you going to tell me what this is all about?"

Snape got to his feet, but his expression was blank as he looked at Harry, who felt himself quailing, but told himself to be strong.

"Look," he said, feeling his bravado slipping away, "If this is about that kiss last week…well, you should know it didn't mean anything. I was curious, alright? But that is well and truly over now so you should…you know…stop this."

Finally, a reaction. Snape's mouth lifted into a smirk. It might have been a smile.

"Tell me to stop just once more," he said softly, "and I will."

Harry stared, and then tried to get his mouth to open. It did, but no words came out. He closed it and then tried again.

"This…this is…" he managed, not at all sure of what he was trying to say.

"Just say it," he whispered, "and I'll stop."

He drew closer to Harry and brought a hand to his cheek. It was rough but it felt good against the stubble of his beard, and he had to fight not to close his eyes. Stop, he had to say stop.

He didn't say it and Snape moved closer, so close that he pressed his mouth against Harry's, his breath on his lips.

"Say it," he whispered against Harry's lips, "and this goes no further."

And as Snape's mouth began to move on Harry's, as his tongue began to lick at his lips, Harry realised that he didn't want to say stop.

Snape Apparated them to the bedroom.

Harry's knees hit the back of the bed and he fell, bouncing lightly as he landed on the mattress. Snape towered over him, a dark shadow in the unlit bedroom. But then, suddenly, the lights flickered on, almost as if Snape had been reading his mind, and Harry gulped at the predatory gleam in the other man's gaze.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Snape began to peel off his jacket. He kept his eyes fixed on Harry's and Harry found he could look nowhere else. Snape shrugged, pulling one arm out from a sleeve, and then the other. The jacket fell to the carpet.

Then, eyes still on Harry's, Snape mounted the bed. He moved so that he was straddled over Harry's thighs, leaning above him, looking down. He reached out and ran a long, bony finger down the buttons of Harry's shirt, his hand settling over the growing bulge in his trousers.

Harry let out a shocked gasp and his hips moved forwards, like a magnet, into that heat. Snape smirked and pulled the hand away.

"My, my…we are eager, aren't we?"

Harry closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. All he had to do was stay 'stop' and this madness would end.

He heard the rustling of clothes above him and he looked up to see that Snape had divested himself of his shirt. Harry eyes roved the body in front of him, taking in the paleness of the skin and the very light spattering of hair that covered the chest. His stomach was flat, but not toned, and there were no muscles to speak of, except those on his arms. A couple of ribs were also visible, though not shockingly so, and a large, nasty looking scar ran from his lower chest to his stomach, disappearing in the hair that led further downwards, into his dark jeans, where, Harry noticed, a bulge was starting to appear.

Again, he gulped. But before he could think to do anything else, Snape's hands were back on his chest, at his shirt, and Harry just lay there, watching in wonder as slender fingers flicked open the buttons. Harry felt his face flushing with colour as his body was revealed, that hungry look Snape was giving him going right to his cock.

And then, suddenly, lips were at his chest, on his hot, burning skin and Harry arched upwards, bringing his hands up to tangle in Snape's hair. He cried out when teeth closed around a nipple, but then the mouth was gone, replaced by hands.

Lips covered his own and Harry greedily opened his mouth, letting Snape's tongue glide over his, caressing, lighting fire in Harry's body.

Hands travelled up Harry's arms and pushed the open shirt away. Then, breaking the kiss, Snape set his sights on Harry's trousers.

Harry's fingers slid from Snape's hair as, slowly, teasingly, the other man let his own fingers travel the length of Harry's quivering body, coming to rest at the top of his jeans. With a satisfied smirk, he reached for the zip. It was torturously slow and Harry felt every second of it. He closed his eyes again and bucked his hips, seeking a hand, a finger, something…

His jeans were peeled away, dropped on the floor like nothing, and Harry lifted a hand to his still-clothed cock, but Snape smacked it away.

"Mine," he purred. Harry swallowed a groan. This was…so different to how things were with Ginny, and yet it was the same, the same parts of him being touched…but different…it felt…

He felt a hand at his boxers and he snapped his eyes open with a cry. He quickly stifled the rest of it and felt himself flush again. Snape grinned, however, and reached for his wand; Harry felt a silencing charm go up around the room and he pushed himself up on his elbows.

"You can still say 'stop'," Snape reminded him.

Harry gritted his teeth and threw his head back on his pillow, surrendering himself to Snape's ministrations. A part of his brain screamed at him to stop, to take this no further. He chose to ignore it.

It turned out, Snape had very skilful fingers indeed, and a very talented mouth, and when he'd finally brought Harry off, his orgasms crashing through him like so many waves, Harry had flopped down on the bed, panting for breath, eyes closed, feeling the shivers running their course. He was vaguely aware of movement next to him and he cracked open an eye to see Snape, jeans around his ankles, his hand busy around himself.

Harry wished he could have summoned the energy to get a closer look at Snape's cock, but all he could do was lie there and listen and…eventually…he drifted off to sleep…a kiss on the lips being the last thing he was aware of before blackness.

A/N: If you want the unedited version (oh yes, it exists!) then please follow the link in my profile (if its not there, give it an hour or two to appear). Although if you are going to review (hint hint) after reading it, I would prefer that you reviewed on this site, and not the other one as I don't really use that for, well, anything lol.

So...it's almost 4 in the morning over here. Can you believe I've spent the last TWO HOURS looking for a site to upload the unedited version to?! Seriously, everything was either invitation-only, or ones that require readers to join groups and have passwords, and loads of them required stupid uploading text codes that just confused the hell out of me! Really, two hours! I'm so stressed it's not even funny.

Yeah, anyway, ignore the lack of italics on the other site. You'll just have to imagine where they go lol.

And ignore my bad mood, and please review! I wrote the unedited version just for you. Haha, that rhymes...

I need sleep. Nighty night! xx

UPDATE: Just added two more paragraphs to the end because, for some reason, I'd left them off. And thanks for all the reviews so far guys! Glad you liked!