Simple

Chapter 11

Severus readjusted his pyjama buttons and pulled his t-shirt back on before rushing into the living room.

Harry lay sprawled on the bed, his arousal making it harder for concern to kick in. He was not worried at all for Draco, he was more anxious about the throbbing inbetween his legs. Which disgusted him but even self-hatred was too hard to achieve with the burning heat collecting in his crotch.

He negotiated himself out of the bed and dressed slowly, giving his erection time to die before he made his way into the living room.

Draco was a bundle of black on the rug, his hand had a vice-like grip on Neville's ankle as he panted through his teeth. Severus sat beside him, his wand casting a scan over Draco's body.

Neville's face appeared as though it was held together by tape, his skin scrunched together and his eyes tightly shut, crystal tears forming at the corners.

Guilt invaded Harry's mind as he watched the straight face of his husband.

"Well, he will be fine. Just needs a blood replenishing potion of course."

Neville nodded.

"Harry, fetch one for me. It's the neon green one, you will know it when you see it."

Harry nodded, walking dumbly like a zombie into Severus' store. He found the vial easily and held it stiffly, scared suddenly it might slip from his hands.

When he came back, Severus had Draco's head supported on his knee. Draco's eyes were closed but the corners of his mouth were turned upwards slightly, in a shaky smile.

Neville stared at him, protectively and Harry received the impression that if the situation called for it he could murder anyone to defend the weakened body of Draco.

"Come on Draco, you need to drink this," Severus said in a fatherly manner, tilting Draco's head back.

Draco pulled his lips apart and opened his mouth, Severus tipped the contents of the vial into his throat.

Draco coughed and spluttered and Neville flew from the couch and scooped his partner's body into his arms, kissing him softly on the forehead.

"Can I trust you to look after him Mr Longbottom?" said Severus yawning. "He can explain to us the details in the morning."

"Of course, his wounds are closed?" said Neville.

"Yes, he will be in a lot of pain so I imagine he would want you there. You want the bed?"

"No thanks, we will be fine here," said Neville, blushing.

Harry hoped it had nothing to do with anything he might have heard before Draco arrived from the meeting.

"You sure you will be alright?" asked Harry, his remorse about ranking his arousal above his friends clear.

"Yeah, he probably wouldn't want you hanging about anyways."

Harry nodded and headed back the bedroom, Severus close behind him.

They slid back into the bed and Harry tried to keep his mind clean and distracted from thoughts of Severus' body and the effects it had on his own…

"You need to talk to Longbottom," Severus said quietly.

"What about?"

"Draco. He needs to understand that Draco is going to the next meeting. And the next, he is part of the war effort now."

"Yeah…"

"I had a little peek in his mind, he's not for letting Draco go…"

"You invaded his mind like that?!"

"I needed to see how he was feeling, if Draco would be alright with him…"

"Severus…"

"Draco cannot die before the end of the war."

Suddenly rage filled Harry and his vision blurred.

"How dare you be so insensitive! Neville is justifiably worried about Draco but you are thinking about the war, why can't you be grateful for five minutes that he's still alive!"

"Do not talk about things you do not understand Mr Potter," said Severus coldly, pulling back the covers and rushing through the door, seeking the shelter of his study.

Furiously, Harry threw himself back against the soft mattress, growling through his teeth, his cheeks pink with anger.

His temper dimmed after a while and he felt guilty. He was unclear as to whether the shock of Draco's appearance or the uncontrollable need for Severus but he had not chosen anger, it just happened.

Casting his Griffyndor pride aside for a few moments, he ventured into the living room.

He turned to see Neville smooth Draco's hair as he whimpered quietly. Chewing on the blanket as he tried to keep the pain silent, his eyes wide and haunted.

"You alright?" said Neville, tearing his eyes away from Draco.

"Yeah," Harry said, deflated.

"I saw Snape stalk into his study thing, you two okay?"

"I said something a bit out of order. I'm gonna go and apologise."

Neville nodded, his arm wrapping around Draco's neck and squeezing him gently.

Deciding against knocking, Harry walked in. Very surprised to see Severus with his head down, his hands lying limply in his lap.

Harry bent down in front of him, looking up to catch Severus' eyes that were filled with tears. Not saying anything, Harry brushed stray hairs from Severus' face and put them behind his ear, not removing his gaze.

Severus hiccupped slightly and then his tears became worse, his tears falling freely down his face like a tap. Harry placed his hands on Severus' knees, partly to balance himself and partly to comfort him.

As the water subsides Harry smiled up at Severus, holding his hand out to interlace his fingers with his husband's.

"I'm sorry Sev, I was nasty," said Harry finally.

"It's okay, I realise what people think of me."

"Don't be like that, I'm not people. I should have and do expect more, it was a slip. I'm a little stressed…Lame excuse but it's the best I have right now." Harry decided to forget about the lust, it seemed inappropriate.

"I do love him, he's like a son to me…but…Being too soppy will make this harder for him. He does not want Longbottom to worry about him…"

"That's impossible…"

"That is what makes this harder for Draco than it ever was for me…"

Harry stood up and kissed the top of Severus' head.

"Bed?"

"Okay," Severus sighed.

"Want me to carry you?" Harry laughed as Severus stiffly rose. "Must be getting hard to walk at your age."

"Shut up Potter, I can run circles around you."

"Sure you can Sevvy," laughed Harry, turning round to pull Severus in his arms. Throwing the man over his shoulder and jogging with him through his rooms.

"Wow, Harry's pretty strong don't you think Dray?" said a soft voice in the background.

When Severus went into the kitchen in the morning he was pleasantly surprised to find Draco sitting at the table, clutching a mug of steaming tea in his hands.

"Morning," said Severus, sitting down across from his godson.

"Hey. How pathetic was I last night then?"

"Better person to ask would be Longbottom. He seemed to want to protect you and exiled me and Harry to the bedroom."

"Like you hated that…Anyway!" smiled Draco. "We need to talk to Harry about something very important."

"What?"

"Larry's turn to shine…Nagini is out hunting tonight and that means it's the perfect time to snakenap her."

"I don't like this idea…Harry will be fine?"

"Yes! And I will be too, just on the off chance you were actually worried about me…"

"Be quiet Draco…So what is your plan exactly? I realise it will need severe editing from someone who isn't completely idiotic…"

"I'm a Slytherin! I have cunning. But anyway, I figured Harry could get Larry to maybe…seduce her."

"Seduce her?! She's a snake…"

"She's still a woman right? And she can't be getting too much snakey attention being with the Death Eaters all the time?"

"She's getting too much "snakey attention" as you put it," said Severus, his eyebrow raised. "But I hate to say that might just work…"

"Thank you," smiled Draco.

Harry lay on his stomach, nose to nose with Larry informing him of every detail of the plan. The snake seemed oddly excited about meeting Nagini, he told Harry he had not seen a female of his species in a while. Harry could not imagine anyone being excited about meeting Nagini but it made the execution of the plan easier.

Although he had to discuss the details of their mission that night, Harry was mostly holed up in the bedroom to avoid the conflict on the other side of the door.

Neville was being forced to accept that tonight Draco would be coming back in a similar state and he refused to. The pain in his eyes struck a chord in Harry, he only had to watch Severus go once it and it was almost unbearable and he didn't even really understand how he felt at that point.

But time was ticking, Harry and Draco really needed to leave soon so hoping he could be the end of the argument, he walked into the living room, the raised voices washing over him.

"Fine! Just bloody go! Just fucking piss off and die! I can stand here and be the one with no one, as always!"

"Just stop with the self pity for thirty seconds Mr Longbottom please…"

"Shut up Snape!" screamed Neville.

Neville gathered his clothes together from the previous day and stuffed them in his bag pack, pieces of clothing over flowing as he threw it over his back without zipping it up. He opened the door and slammed it heavily behind him as he swallowed by the dark corridor.

Draco stood there, his face blank and his eyes shining in the light, his teeth pressing into his bottom lip, draining out all of the colour.

I realise this one is a bit shorter than the others but I thought that was a good place to leave it.

Enjoy and review.

Like the plays with the word snake? I am very easily amused.