That night Harry didn't know what to do. It felt as if he was walking on eggshells. He had no idea what he and Viktor had talked about but the other was particularly tense. Harry had been sitting in front of the fire for the past two hours, pretending to read about the next day's lesson, whilst plucking up the courage and collecting the correct words, to talk to him.

"Professor? What did you and Viktor talk about?" Harry mumbled as he looked at him correcting essays.

"I am busy as you can well see, I'm sure if you want conversation that Mr. Krum is more than happy to provide that and more." He said dryly. Harry nodded to himself and accumulated the courage needed to continue speaking.

"Well, I don't want to be with him. I want to be with you." Harry said and was trying very hard to keep himself as cool and collected as Snape always managed to be. Something which he obviously failed as his voice shook slightly. Snape looked up at him and Harry blushed. He wasn't thinking about it, but the moment the other looked at him, an image of them kissing popped into his head.

"Really Potter, are you incapable of thinking of nothing else?" he asked rolling his eyes. Harry remained as dark as a tomato and wondered how to fix that.

"I wasn't thinking it until you looked at me!" Harry defended himself and stepped closer to the other. Shakily Harry reached for the other's hand, holding it quietly as he tried to register the fact that the other wasn't pulling away. "Sir, I don't want to be with Krum." He said once more. Snape looked up at him and stood up, looking down at him, starting to make him nervous.

"Yet you want to be with me? Why?"

"Well, it's not because of the mirror, or what anyone else says." Harry defended himself, not needing Occlumency to know what the other was probably thinking.

"Then why, Potter?" Snape asked, his deep voice making Harry's lips tremble slightly as he kept his eyes focused on the other's robe buttons, stepping closer, his fingers still holding onto the other's hand.

"Because I've never felt this way before." He whispered. Snape brought his free under Harry's chin, tilting his head upwards to look at him. Harry felt his heart racing wildly in his chest. He let go of Snape's hand and the other placed his freed hand against Harry's neck, pulling him closer, pressing his lips against the young man's.

Harry shuddered gently, as the other pulled away slightly for half a second only to press their lips together again.

Harry reached up to grab onto the other's robes, kissing him back with the little experience he'd gained from being with Ginny. He didn't really like it when he had been with her. It was all automatic. He never expected that currents of delight would course down his body from just a kiss, from just an embrace.

"Ah…" Harry moaned and tensed, blushing darkly, covering his mouth after hearing himself. "Sorry…" he whispered. Snape simply smirked.

"What did Krum want?" He asked. Harry chuckled.

"Why? Are you jealous professor?" He asked.

"Well, I'm supposed to keep you safe, I'm not about to let anyone take you." Snape said simply. Harry blushed but smiled.

"Away from you?" Snape said nothing in reply, simply kissed him again.

It wasn't like those weird make-out sessions teenagers had, where they are practically eating each other's face off, no, it was gentle and exciting, and god did Snape know how to do it.

He was unsure what Krum had done to convince Snape to finally take step forward that he needed. Harry was really sure how well Krum would take it, but next time Harry saw him he would make sure to thank him. Well, he wasn't going to lie, having someone jealous because someone else is getting close to you was something he wasn't used to but it was pretty hard to not to enjoy the excitement it caused.

After a while too soon they stopped and stood quietly in each other's arms. Ginny's words rang in his memory. A feeling he didn't like filled his chest as he remembered her words.

"Sir, did it really look that bad when I was with Viktor?" Snape didn't need to read his mind to know what he was talking about. He'd heard the rumours himself and even the headmistresses dared to pat him on the back as if consoling him for something Severus was not about to give up so easily.

"Don't worry yourself about it, Potter. Let idiots think what they will." And just like that the weight that had been on his shoulders lifted and he smiled at the other.

"Thank you sir." The other sighed, and turned to continue with his work. Harry smiled once more and turned to leave.

"I suppose, given the circumstances… You may call me Severus in private." He said not looking up as he carried on covering the current essay in his hand with red ink. Had he looked up he would have seen the other's shocked expression and blushing cheeks followed by a smile that would have made the dementors prefer all the patronuses in the world over it.

"I'm going to bed, then… Severus." He liked the way saying the other's name made him feel. That night was one of the best sleeps he'd had since he left Gryffindor tower. Even if it did start cold at first, at some point in the middle of the night he heard a soft voice muttering a warmth charm that lulled him into a comfortable sleep.

-o-O-o-

Greyback roared and teared at the wall in a fit of rage. Lestrange looked at him in boredom whilst the rest tried not to look at the enraged werewolf.

"Calm yourself, Greyback. What is the point of you tearing down our hideout?" The widower said as he calmly brought the cup of tea to his lips sighing in a calm manner as if he hadn't a care in the world. Greyback tensed turning to the bold deatheater who seemed unaffected by the creature's lack of control.

"The question is Lestrange, why are you so calm?" The werewolf hissed, black eyes glaring furiously at the other as if considering to attack on not.

"Because whilst you're busy letting your heat out on that wall, I've devised a way into Durmstrang institute." He said calmly. At this a malicious grin spread on the werewolf's face and his black eyes seemed to turn to crimson around the edges.

"Let me go get him then. I want to see his face the moment he realises that I have him." He was panting looking to the side just imagining the young man's face. Alecto Carrow smirked as if she couldn't wait to see what the werewolf had in store for the boy. Her brother in contrast was slightly pale at the direction their revenge plan was going in. It seemed like the moment that Lestrange had given Greyback the 'go ahead' the werewolf had been unable to think of nothing else.

"No." He took a sip of his tea, not looking up, as if explaining himself wasn't necessary, but finally decided to do so. "Don't worry yourself Greyback, revenge will be sweet. For you sweeter than for the rest of us it seems." He put down his cup and leaned back on his chair comfortably. "We will get Potter, and it will be Severus himself who will give him to us." The other deatheaters looked at each other confused. Hearing Severus' name Greyback recalled that his vendetta had been on him to begin with and grinned maliciously.

"How?" Lestrange simply smirked.