Halloween Prompt - Ghastly

School of Prompt - Apothecary

Gringotts

Vampire Diaries - Relax, I'm not here to cause mischief. / Says everyone who has ever caused mischief.

Vampire Diaries - I come bearing coffee gifts!

Vampire Diaries - I'm not stupid! / Let's not say things we don't mean.

Vampire Diaries - This may come as a shock, but I'm not here to hang out with you.

Vampire Diaries - Are you insane?! / I prefer spontaneous.

Word Count Without AN - 718

Just Dinner?

The bell jingled cheerfully when he opened the door, the sound at odds with the rather miserable interior of the Apothecary. Harry walked past the randomly arranged frog spleens and flobberworms to the counter, where the rather dour owner stood glaring at him.

"Severus," Harry greeted with a cheeky smile.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Relax, I'm not here to cause mischief."

"Says everyone who has ever caused mischief. You're a bit old for trick or treating aren't you? Besides, it's not Halloween until Saturday."

Harry snorted. "Did you just make a joke? You know what, never mind. This may come as a shock, but I'm not here to hang out with you. I need your help."

"Of course you do. What stupidity have you got yourself into this time?"

"I'm not stupid!"

"Let's not say things we don't mean."

"There you go again with the jokes. But seriously, I got hit by a dodgy curse and I need a potion to counter it."

"What curse and when?" Severus asked, the slightly amused smirk he'd been sporting gone without trace.

"Tardus Acerba Funera Ascriberet, and I got hit with it on Thursday."

"Of all the - That was four days ago! Are you insane?!"

"I prefer spontaneous. In my defence, we only actually identified the curse this morning."

"It took you four days to translate a bit of latin?"

"Do stop being an arse. I got hit in the back, protecting Lucius bloody Malfoy I might add, and didn't hear the incantation. We only caught the caster late last night."

Severus' eyes brightened slightly. "So you can get me some of the caster's blood?"

Harry grinned, handing over a glass vial of bright red blood. "Willingly given. Poor sod was actually quite distraught that he'd hit the 'Savior.' Lucius murdered, or was party to it at least, his wife during the war. Obviously he's not been accessible while in Azkaban."

"Quite. Well this will make it considerably easier to make the counter potion. I'll have it for you in two days. The Ministry Potioneer's couldn't make it?"

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. Didn't ask them."

Severus nodded, accepting the answer for what it was, feeling a slight glow of pride that Potter trusted his potions more than those at the Ministry. "The...ah... pain will start manifesting soon, if it hasn't already. Are you well equipped with pain suppressors?"

Harry smiled, a trace of bitterness on his face. "I can deal with pain, Severus. You know that better than most."

Before Severus could reply, Harry was heading out the door with a "See you on Saturday."

"Brat."

If there was fondness in his tone, well, there was nobody in the shop for Severus to deny it to.

Two days later, Harry returned to Severus' apothecary, a cheerful smile plastered on his face.

"I come bearing coffee gifts!"

Severus rolled his eyes but accepted the coffee anyway. He held out a vial full of bright blue liquid which Harry accepted with a grimace.

"Down in one?"

"Down in one," Severus confirmed.

Harry gulped the potion down, gagging slightly. He handed the empty vial back, wrinkling his nose.

"You've outdone yourself on taste, Severus, that was ghastly."

Severus snorted. "Because taste is the important part of a lifesaving potion, of course. My mistake."

"Hmm. You'll let me take you out to dinner to say thank you for saving my arse again, right?"

"That isn't necessary," Severus replied stiffly, tensing suddenly.

"You turned me down when I was eighteen for reasons I now understand. I'm twenty nine, Severus, and my feelings for you haven't lessened in the slightest. Are you really going to keep me waiting?"

"Has it occurred to you that perhaps I have no feelings of a romantic nature for you?"

"Of course it has. Thing is, you're a mean enough bastard to just tell me that straight up."

"Just dinner?"

"For now."

"Very well," Severus relented, and Harry was sure his stance softened slightly.

"Thank you. When?"

"This evening is agreeable for me."

"How am I supposed to get a reservation? It's bloody Halloween!"

Severus smirked. "I'm sure you'll think of something."