Disclaimer: JKR gets credit.

You Could

By WittchWay

Dumbledore sat patiently in his office the following morning sipping his tea, waiting. He knew the bond between Harry Potter and Severus Snape had not been completed as his headmasters office was still allowing him access to it.

But the energy that had been swarming the castle was becoming increasingly strange…yet enchanting this morning. The castle was happy, Dumbledore could feel it in the stones of the foundation. The castle was waiting for it's new headmaster. He had even witnessed several changes to his office. The walls weren't as red and gold as they normally were and just an hour ago he had looked up from his paperwork and thought he saw Salzars Slytherins staff hanging over the fireplace but quick as he blinked it was back to the painting of a Phoenix hanging in it's usual place and position.

He tried to chalk it up to the early morning hour or perhaps the way the sun hit the room at that moment but he new in his heart that soon he would no longer be headmaster, hopefully soon after the wizarding world would be rid of Lord Voldemort.

Dumbledore tapped his fingers on his desk, patiently waiting for his potion professor or Harry Potter to arrive and discuss their plans with him.

But as the day progress neither showed and the energy of the office didn't change anymore, not even a glimpse of change out of the corner of his eye.

He was sad of course that his reign as headmaster was coming to a close after nearly 25 years. Alas, it was long enough, he would write his memoirs like all-pervious headmasters, teaching tips, and observation of the trade and the castle. Like all pervious headmasters the chapter would be added to Hogwarts… A History as just another chapter to an already glorious and mysterious tale of the wizarding school.

Dumbledore glanced at the hourglass on the corner of his desk and rose from his seat. It was nearly dinnertime and he would be expected in the great hall for dinner momentarily.

And that was how the days past for Dumbledore. Waiting in his office for Snape or Potter. Waiting for some sign that the bond had been completed.

The whole school and wizarding community was waiting for some sign that the bond was complete. He had even received several Howlers of his own, from folk wanting to know what he was doing to push them along. The Minister of Magic had even started calling daily to see what was taking so long. Each day he took the messages lightly, with an easy air but he was beginning to wonder himself.

On the fifth day of Harry Potter's arrival Dumbledore wondered if he should venture down to the dungeons and see what exactly was going on. He didn't want to invade on them but neither had shown up for a meal since Potters arrival. Oh, Snape still taught his classes but he had taken to dismissing the students early and then had assigned all the 3rd years and above reasearch projects they were to work on in the libaray during their class period, thus excusing him from teaching them.

Truthfully Dumbledore had quite enough of the delay and their avoidance of him and all other staff members. He had even invited professor Snape to tea on more occasions in the past few days then he actually cared to spend with the man and had been turned down each time. He tried to make excuses to trek down to that part of the castle to get a glimpse of the soon to be bonded but had failed miserable with excuses. Each he could come up with was lamer then the next and it would be obvious that he was there to spy on them.

So when the Head boy of Slytherin approached the teachers table on what would be Potters seventh day at the castle Dumbledore was pleasantly surprised.

It happened as the evening meal was coming to an end, when the boy approached. He was a strange sort of boy, his eyes were constantly darting around, his neck was to long for his short head and he was to pale, which seemed to be a Slytherin trait. He didn't smile as he approached, Dumbledore could feel McGonagall shift next to him. He was the type of boy that made others nervous, a perfect Slytherin.

"Headmaster," his tone was soft, though lacked proper respect.

Dumbledore had noticed the boy hadn't been at dinner but there was still time to grab something before it ended. He nodded at the boy to continue.

"…They're fighting sir…it's been non-stop for nearly an hour…there's smoke and…" he trailed off looking over his shoulder where another group of Slytherin students stood, "…something…the feel is wrong in the dungeons….", his voice trailed off with a slight confused tone to it.

Dumbledore looked at Minerva who simply shrugged. He stood slowly, "Thank you Mister Darren, please go finish your meal."

There was his chance, a perfectly nice opportunity to inform Severus that his students were concerned about him and his chance to verify that Harry Potter was actually in the castle. Not that he expected it to be a pleasant experiences but still his golden opportunity.

Dumbledore slowly made his way down the steep stairs that led to the dungeons and professor Snapes private rooms. He could feel his bones ache the moment the chilled damp air hit him. The stones held a slight gleam to them as if invisible water was trickling down them continuously.

The Slytherin common rooms were to his immediate right, though there was nothing to mark it, just a grayish patch of stone wall.

All the torches were lit casting long shadows down the corridor. Several of the Slytherins students had followed him down the stairs. Though they hung back, talking among themselves.

As he rounded the corner half of Slytherin house had filled the corridor. The Head boy joined the Head Girl of Slytherin helping keep several of the younger year's back. They stood gawking as the noise and the occasional intermittence of stars flew from their head of house rooms.

The two groups of students merged together and began informing the newcomers of what was going on.

The door to Snapes rooms stood all the way open, a pile of clothes and a laundry basket was tossed into the hall, a very nervous house-elf was picking up the clothes and casting quick dry cleaning spells on each item.

There was yelling and shouts from Snapes rooms, then a force of magic, red in tone rushed towards the group and Dumbledore. The corridor crackled with energy and power, several of the students suddenly looked flushed from the surge of magic and he was sure that if they hadn't been mostly 4th years and above they would have passed out from the energy flow.

"Sir…Headmaster, they been at it for an hour…." the Headgirl whispered her words trailing off, waving toward the lingering smoke in the corridor.

With that a large flush of sparks and stars came crashing down the hallway, the house-elf squealed and disappeared. Dumbledore quickly cast a shield around himself and the students.

The magic hit the shield with a crazed angry force and disappeared.

Dumbledore dropped the shield and sighed. So it was that bad.

"Please return to your common rooms and make sure you and your fellow students remain there." Dumbledore said sullenly.

The headboy and girl nodded and began the task of ushering everyone back into the common room.

Dumbledore waited for the students to disappear before he moved onward.

He hadn't actually seen Harry Potter since his arrival at the school nearly a week ago. He had heard of course that he was here; by the house elves, by a Slytherin Prefect who had happen to be in the corridor one late night and had been caught in the crossfire of an anger Potter who had been intending to hex Professor Snape during one of their now infamous rows. But Madam Pomfrey had managed to grow the boy's eyebrows back rather nicely.

He had so hoped that they were taking this time to become familiar with each other. That they were working on their differences and were at least trying to get along. Had perhaps forged a friendship and potential bond.

But as he moved down the corridor he could see that had not happened. If the scorch marks on the walls were any indication it looked like it would be a cold day in hell before the bond was complete.

Besides the larger pile of clothes in the hallway, there was a great billowing cloud of smoke that seemed to be lingering.

A clatter of breaking glass and then a "umpf". Several of the people from the portraits nearby had gathered into the one that hung on Snapes door and were whispering among themselves.

Dumbledore furrowed his brow and pulled his wand, prepared to disarm two very pissed wizards

But the voices echoing toward him caused him to stop and listen for just a moment as he sneaked a glimpse of them in the messy room.

"Take that off."

Harry Potter turned around, his class cloak swirling around him. The dark reds of the fabric rustling as he moved.

"Why?" Harry said defiantly.

"You're not worthy of wearing the cloak until the bond is complete…" Snape snarled. "Not to mention I told you to put your stuff away." Snape shrugged out of his teaching robes and tossed them over the chair in front of a bookcase.

"Your stuff is all over the place..." Harry waved his hand indicating the whole room. Not only were several sets of Black robes flung over the same chair he had just cast another one onto, there was a pile of them on the floor, all dirty.

"These are my rooms..."

"... I offered to move to the guest room..." Harry cut in pulling the reference chart he had borrowed from the library closer to him. He examined the picture of an open book with a heart on the center of the page, the same one that graced the back of his school cloak.

"You can't go until the bond is complete..."

"Yes, yes…but I did offer to complete it... that is why I'm here. " Harry followed Snape back to the sitting room where more clutter was present. This same fight had happened daily since his arrival; "Potter pick up this pick up that, Potter put that away…no not there" It all was a continuos headache.

Harry followed Snape to the front door, a bundle of his clean clothes and the basket had been knock over and now littered the dungeon corridor. Harry frowned "Did you do this?" he said angrily.

"It was in the way. Everything of yours is in the way."

"Perhaps if you allowed a house elf in our rooms it wouldn't be so messy."

"...My rooms..." Snape sneered.

"No these are my rooms now, as well…until…you're able … till this is over with..." Harry growled. The last few days had been very difficult. Snape had snarled at him, sneered at him, hexed him, threatened him, not that he hadn't done the same back to the man.

Of course it wasn't as things weren't improving. They had learned of each other's likes and dislikes. Though Snapes dislikes out numbered Harry's dislikes by a considerable number.

They were still sleeping in the same bed at night. It was a strange unwritten rule that they wouldn't talk about it.

They ate breakfast together in silence, read the morning paper in silence. Hated the Daily Prophet in silence together, which had taken to publishing stories of Harry's Disappearance from the Aurors Training Hall.

They had learned things about the other and the magic they could produce together.

They had learned to do wandless magic as long as they were touching and nearly had the magic under control. Their individual magic with wands had also improved. Which still amazed Harry, he barely had to think and the words came to him, the magic seemed to flow easily through him as it happened.

The first day he had conjured a pair of socks to keep his feet warm while waiting for his laundry to arrive. And while this was something he had done a hundred times before and always with the same results, a pair of navy blue socks. He had never mastered how to make different style of socks appear no matter how much energy he put behind it. Now he simply had to think red socks with gold snitches and conjure the socks and there they were.

He had spent the remaining of the day conjuring the most insane combination of socks he could think of. Of course socks of any color had been one of Snapes dislikes.

"Don't you blame this on me" Snape fumed, "I simply gave you time to adjust. You were in no emotional state to finish the bond when you arrived."

"Yes, Always had my best interest at heart, didn't you Snape…. " Harry dropped the research chart into a chair, his voice rising in anger.

Snape seethed, "You think you're so above everyone else, don't you Golden boy," he moved dangerously closer, Harry backed up as Snape moved into his personal space.

Harry clenched his fists at his side, "…. Snape...you...I…" Harry hissed so furiously he couldn't speak, he hated Golden boy, more then any other title placed upon him. He wanted to go for his wand but he knew Snape would be quicker. His cheeks flushed in anger.

"Intelligent as always Mister Potter." Snape snarled, his face inches from Potters. He breathed in the pure scent of the boy…young man, mixed with anger…and arousal.

Snape stepped away. He looked at the young man before him. His green eyes had darkened, a blush came to his cheeks. This was not the first time they had fought and he had sensed such a reaction. Each time it had awakened something in his own body, his own need.

Shaking Harry touched Snapes sleeve, waving his hand indicating the laundry in the hall was to refold it's self and settle in the basket. Absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

Snape caught his hand as Harry dropped it down to his side.

"Don't," Harry whispered.

Snape slide his arm around Harry's waist pulling him forward, a rush of magic crackled around them. It was warm and comforting, inviting.

"Hmm," Snape said softly bending down to take a tender earlobe in his mouth. His hand stroking the boys neck, "so warm." Snape whispered nuzzling Harry's neck.

Harry bit back a moan, tilting his head back in order to expose more of his neck. Resting a hand on Snapes chest, he leaned forward.

"I want…," Harry moaned as Snape moved into kiss him.

"I know," Snape murmured guiding them back toward the bedroom.

Dumbledore pleased with the pending results gave a final flick of his wand and slowly beckoned the portrait on the door to shut it's self.

"Meddling again old man?"

Startled Dumbledore stopped and slowly turned around, "Shacklebolt…How are you my good fellow?"

Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt clenched his fist, "We need to talk".

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, "Well come up to my office, we'll have some tea."

Shacklebolt narrowed his eyes, "I don't trust your tea…we need to talk about Weasley and this…" he indicated Snape and Harry.

"Oh, this was nothing…" Dumbledore started to move toward the stairs, "I was just giving them a little boost."

"A little boost," the Auror raised his voice, "is that all it is. Do you think this is what Harry wants?… I've had a long talk with Hermione Granger and I'll tell you right now it isn't"

Dumbledore stopped and slowly turned around, his face blank, his half moon glasses slide to the tip of his nose. "Kingsley come to my office and have some tea…" his words were punctured with control.

TBC

Review???

Sorry in order not to get the story pulled from and their crazy something's are okay and others aren't system there is no true slash scene, I did say implied slash. Loopholes are not our friends.