..
Their entire seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts class turned out to be a full Wizarding Dark Arts law course, much to Hermione's complete euphoria. While others like Harry could barely keep their eyes open, the Slytherins paid a lot of attention, discovering the specifics of why and how their families were getting charged- allowing them to understand and process what was happening to their loved ones.
But it was no use, Harry felt like he was completely back in History of Magic now, not Defense Against the Dark Arts. Snape rattled off complicated idiosyncrasies of Dark Magic law, Hermione enraptured in the information, half of what he was saying not in the textbook. Harry stared at him, unable to think.
This was very annoying- to be in Snape's presence but be absolutely bored out of his mind. Tapping his wand on his closed book, his train of thought wandered to Snape's recently much better kissing, how gentle his hands were until they weren't, and how his whispered insults took on a whole different connotation. And to be kissed, grinded against, then thrown out yesterday with absolutely no payoff. 'She will know you're here, so LEAVE.'
And now any day, Snape may or may not get sacked. Perhaps Professor McGonagall was steeling herself to secure safe placement for him outside of Hogwarts in one last show of friendship. Or maybe Snape was right, his relationship with McGonagall was solid and forgiving, and she still needed his help fortifying the castle.
Harry jolted- his chair scraping. Other students knocked out of their trances to watch his sudden outburst.
Harry straightened, flattened his hair, and settled back into his seat, now paying attention to Snape and the prosecution of… somebody… a pyro that loved breeding Ashwinders. An arousal charm had hit him under the table, but Snape's wand was nowhere in sight. As he passed, he only gave him a normal glance before moving on. Take the spell off- Harry tried to communicate with his bulging eyes, but he moved on.
Robes were excellent for hiding such mishaps, and he did know the charm to make it go away, but he shouldn't have to. For a solid ten minutes he stared displeased, tapping his fingers, asking him silently to undo it. Devon the Dangerous and his famous 20-year precedent trial was more important than Harry's comfort however, so he discreetly used his wand to un-harden himself.
When he left the class with Hermione he shot Snape a filthy look, but he was ignoring him to innocently straighten up his desk. Really? After the talk with McGonagall and everything?
Now that C.H.A.R.M.S. were even closer, they had two eighth year group study sessions a week: Wednesday and Sunday. Goyle was back, sitting next to Draco like they never had a 6-month row.
"He was more interesting last year. Who knew Hogwarts needed 'How not to be a Dark wizard' class?" Pansy said snobbishly, evidently disappointed in Defense Against the Dark Arts as much as Harry was.
"Maybe they should have taught that in fourth year," Dean quipped, opening his Herbology book. "Saved you all some time."
"Well, we should have one," Hermione said, Draco and Goyle not looking at her, but listening. "You can accuse someone of being a Dark wizard all you want, but if they aren't breaking any laws… Following a famous Dark wizard is a bit of a giveaway, but now that he's gone, it's up to the individual, isn't it? People could easily perform Dark Arts on accident, just thinking it's powerful magic, or just replicating magic of a family member, not knowing it's illegal."
"How could you not realize you're doing it? All Dark Magic is dangerous," Dean said as if Hermione was being thick for once.
"About half the Magic we use is dangerous. All those hexes students use to have a laugh- they're all reversable. Think about using a hex you read about and realize it's a curse that can't be broken."
"You have to mean curses though! Or else they don't work," Dean argued.
"You've never meant a hex?" Hermione shot. "In any case, it's all informative, isn't it? Sounds like the Ministry forgives a lot of ignorance if St. Mungo's can clean them up a bit."
"It's weird Snape's teaching a 'how not to get caught using illegal magic' class, though," Justin agreed.
"Who else better to teach it, honestly? Sounds like most of us, me included, have used some Dark Magic, or at least magic that should be illegal."
They all stared at her, wondering when Hermione used Dark Magic. Luna nodded understandingly, like using Dark Magic by accident was an easy mistake to make. Neville, however, looked awestruck. "Which ones have you used?" he asked with baited breath.
"Didn't you know?" She laughed softly and switched to a husky tone. "I've used Polyjuice loads of times." They all stared at her wondering what Hermione Granger got up to.
Thursday came around and Snape was still employed. No news was good news, so he dared the meeting, undoing and redoing the tripping charms on his way down.
Feeling risky, he entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with attractive ideas of how their night would play out. But when he walked through the second door, he wasn't greeted by Snape, willing to get fired to snog him, but by Professor Snape, annoyed and bustling, prodding him inside for a Potions demonstration.
Three empty cauldrons stood on the counter.
"Prove to me you can make an 'outstanding' Blood Replenishing potion- it is unacceptable that you cannot. Also: Skele-Gro. These are too important not to be ingrained in your memory. The final one- Lung Preserver for a punctured lung. That one takes a full three weeks to mature, barely worth it, but it may be on your C.H.A.R.M.S." A book smacked down next to him, not Harry's textbook, but a very old and tattered one, notated, and completely falling apart.
...This was going to be their date? These would take a couple hours at least. Harry's mood soured, staring around at all the disgusting he opened the door tonight, he was expecting a purely physical welcome, not lessons. Resigning himself to work, he opened the book without comment and started chopping ingredients. But instead of brewing potions in peace where he could concentrate, he received a running commentary that made him boil as much as he brewed.
"No! Cut those smaller!"
"Why are you stirring it that way?"
"It should be blue, not teal!"
"It's too early to add that!"
"WHAT are you doing!?"
"Look at your hands! You're CROSS-CONTAMINATING!"
"You don't PAY ATTENTION at all! You should already know how to BREW this one!"
For two straight agonizing hours, Snape was at his back, micromanaging him, reminding him how much he hated Potions with Severus Snape.
Although he finished the first two and sat the last one aside to mature, Harry was having vivid flashbacks of hatred spanning six years, reminded of every horrible thing said or done to him in finished, his bad mood was finally noted as they cleaned up and Harry remained sour.
"Was it so painful to work for once?"
"No. But for future reference, I like space to concentrate."
"SPACE? You would have preferred me to let you drop in the creeping root 20 minutes early, ruining it?"
"No," Harry admitted. "I just have to adjust my expectations, that's all."
Snape furrowed his brow."And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means…" Harry said acidly, "I was expecting a different kind of treatment upon arrival."
"Oh." Snape got a little quiet. "No matter- those are done, you are here now. I'm sure our headmistress would still like you to learn while you're here."
"Yeah. I just… forgot."
"You forgot you were supposed to be learning? Is that your mantra for this year?"
"STOP being a dick to me!" Harry snapped. Snape looked him over, realizing Harry was not feeling remotely intimate this evening. Setting down the tea he just brewed, he looked deep in thought, steeling himself to speak.
"I admit I messed failing to greet you properly. I don't regret preparing you for your Healing C.H.A.R.M.S. -surely you would still like to pass. You are upset with me, what can I do to ease this?" Poorly thinned resentment dripped from his ask.
Harry thought about this. "I don't know. I'm angry."
"Why, exactly? Tell me."
"Because you were a dick to me for six years, and tonight reminded me of how shitty you were."
Snape looked away. Harry looked away too, wanting to leave. When he turned back, Snape was wide-eyed on the couch, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, thinking while looking utterly distraught. "You were about to ruin the potions several times- I don't know what else to do or how else to act when you're about to make a serious mistake. Some potions take several months to brew. One slip-up, and everything is wasted. Ingredients, time, resources: a months' worth of work- gone in an instant."
Harry shook his head, trying to solve this puzzle. "This isn't about the potions anymore."
"What do you need from me? I don't know what you want."
"HOW? How can you be SHITTY to me for six years, and now we're… like this. Everything that's happened… you treated me so cruelly... HOW? How could you be so horrible to me for so long?"
"I don't have an answer for that." Harry stared at him incredulously. "I will not… justify… my behavior- I have no defense. I have done things under the Dark Lord's reign that I cannot take back, nor do I necessarily regret my actions; I have done much worse things than you I have chosen not to prosecute myself. I have served my purpose. Life goes on. But THIS YEAR … what part of my behavior this year, specifically, has upset you?"
"None…" Harry decided, looking down, thinking.
"What do you want me to do? I can't undo the past. And why would you want me to? The Dark Lord is finished. We are alive. Hogwarts is standing. That is as much as Dumbledore could have hoped. What do you want?"
"Nothing." And that was the real answer- nothing could erase the first six years of treatment.
"So what? You're just going to be angry? …FINE." And he got up. "But I have no less than fifty things I should be doing with my time. I refuse to waste it on your mind games. Leave." And he walked towards his workstation.
"Fine." Harry threw his bag over his shoulder and walked out the door into the classroom. But he didn't make it halfway until he could hear fast footsteps behind him. Harry ignored these but his wrist got snatched- pulling him around.
"You're not leaving."
"Fuck off."
"You're not leaving!"
"I'M LEAVING! We JUST AGREED I'm too angry to do this, so I am going to go. GOOD BYE."
Snape wrenched him forward and screamed directly into his face: "YOU'RE NOT LEAVING!" Harry froze.
Snape's ferocity turned to panic, knowing he crossed a line.
Harry could guess Snape feared a break at this point, but he was in no mood to comfort him, not now. He renewed his attempt to shake his wrist free. Snape double-downed on his claw-like grip, holding him tighter. Harry looked between Snape's fearful angry face and his imprisoned wrist, unable to believe he was in this situation.
"I'm so angry at you." Harry was shaking. "You threatened to harm my friends, their pets, you read Rita Skeeter articles about me in class. YOU taunted Sirius, and now I don't have him anymore," his throat cracked, "you forced Lupin out of school, and you ARE SO AGGRESSIVE, all the bloody time. I hate you. I hate the things you've done to me AND the other students!"
Snape leaned in, tightening his grip still. "Join the club."
Harry's eyes widened, his wrist still not released.
"I said: Let. Me. Go." he threatened with finality. He was released.
Harry reached the classroom door but a Shield Charm erupted right in front of the exit, blocking him. Harry whipped around to see Snape coming straight for him, wand raised offensively.
"Expelliarmus!"
Snape blocked it with a little flick. A second flick- all the chairs in the room ran to the door, creating a stacked barrier in front of him.
Harry swiped a tall fire barrier between them, blocking Snape from getting closer, then blasted the chairs away from the door.
All the candles went out- all fire extinguished, and he couldn't see.
The candles flickered back in, brighter, and with a second spell, Harry tore down the Shield Charm.
The teacher's desk galloped between Harry and the door, preventing him from getting in arms reach of the doorknob.
All the damaged chairs sprouted wings and started attacking Snape.
They burst into flame, obliterated.
Harry shrunk the large office desk into the size of a matchbook. He crushed it with his foot.
A large stone block undid itself from the wall, falling, unseen by Harry at first. Snape thought better of this, undoing his own spell and breaking it into attacking then saving Harry cost him, all three of Harry's next spells whipped and knocked Snape forcefully back across the room- smacking him against the stone.
Refractio. The next two spells aimed at Harry missed entirely. The next one would have hit him except he put up a new Shield Charm. He was at the door. He won.
The doorknob melted in his hand and the wall started to rumble. Grabbing the door knob must have set off a trigger. The entire stone wall started to scrape and move, pushing him, catching him, knocking everything in its path- the whole wall speeding to the opposite side, ready to crush him and everything in the room. And as it sped to crush them both, hands grabbed his robes and pulled him through the chamber door as the two stone walls slammed together, crushing everything in the classroom.
Harry was shoved up against the wall.
"Don't shut me out. Please- don't shut me out," Snape begged in an unfamiliar voice.
Harry blasted him back all the way to the fireplace.
And begging Snape was gone. A lasso of a movement sent binding ropes shooting across the room towards Harry -but he blocked them.
Refractio. Harry thought, and a series of dangerous looking spells aimed right for him missed entirely.
The fire crinkling behind Snape erupted into flames, burning him and his robes, distracting him long enough to-
"EXPELLIARMUS!" and Snape's wand clattered to the floor.
Yes. This! This is why he signed up to be an Auror. He needed this. He wanted this. No way he could leave Hogwarts and do some menial wizard's rush- THIS is what he breathed hard from the effort and from almost being crushed to death.
And he wanted nothing more than to continue. Feeling hot from the fight, the warmth spread from his heart, pumping in both directions, to his face and much, much lower.
Snape, whose neck and forehead were pulsating, put his hands up in surrender.
"DON'T THROW THE FIGHT! I DON'T WANT THAT. You LET ME WIN!" Harry roared. And Snape did not deny it, looking at him sideways, allowing his anger to lick him. "Don't bend to me, that's not what I want! YOU wouldn't want that! YOU DON'T WANT people bending to you!"
Snape gave a soft laugh that carried. "Of course I do…"
And what was threatening to happen… did happen. The adrenaline from the fight surged through Harry, like he could play ten Quidditch matches and win them all. He could have gone against Victor, Wood, Ron, Draco, and his ex-girlfriend. He wanted to hit Snape, hex him, hurt him, among many, many other things. He wanted a fight- a real one. But this information was being translated directly to his groin.
Harry stood there frozen, angry and embarrassed, wand still pointing. Snape's palms were up in surrender, surveying Harry's emotions, wondering how this was going to go.
Harry swallowed. "Can… can we..."
"YES." Snape bent over to pick up his wand, maintaining eye contact.
Harry felt his face go red and dropped his wand arm, knowing that he lost.
"What do you want? Something old or something new?"
"Something new," Harry mumbled, refusing to make eye contact after his terrible defeat.
A wand pointed to the classroom wall stuffed in the doorway, Snape slowly guiding it back. Dragging Harry from the chambers into the remnants of what used to be a classroom, the desk magnified and repaired itself- waddling to the front of the class for them to use. Snape pushed him onto the desk.
The room was now a sea of broken everything. Small pieces of wood, crushed books, destroyed jars… but all the wicks from the crushed candles lit themselves, giving them a sea of beautiful candle light from the floor.
"I hate you so much," Harry mumbled.
"Good."
Harry undid his robes, threw half of it hastily off a shoulder, pulling up a sleeve, holding his arm out expectantly. "Burn me," he instructed. "Go on. Burn me. I am so angry at you."
Snape gave a little smirk. "If you insist..." and he burned him.
"SSSssssssa… ahhhhh…" Harry closed his eyes, feeling his anger bubble with the burn. And it did not stop. It only stopped when he motioned for it to stop. Pulling away, he blinked at the hole in his arm, eyes watering. "Yeah… yeah, that feels great." And he remembered why he was here. But I don't want to do potions with you ever again. Never, ever, ever again.
Snape took his burnt arm with two gentle hands, leaned down, and kissed the burnt hole, hair falling in graceful waves, brushing the arm. Harry loved it, feeling like he shouldn't enjoy getting hurt and having his wounds kissed so lovingly. Snape looked at him, reading him correctly, and kissed it again. And Harry felt even more hot from shame… or….
"A few more times," Harry whispered. And three more times he was burned and kissed, getting redder with each one.
All the things he was mad about really didn't seem to matter anymore.
"Are you ready?" Snape asked softly.
"No, I'll never be," he said. "So, get on with it."
And he attacked him- dragging him across the desk like it was a real assault, showing a disturbing amount of strength for someone so thin. "Stop fighting. Stop fighting," Snape laughed. Harry fought him with his free arm while he was pulled up to a sitting position.
"Easy now… easy now…" Snape cooed, twisting an arm even further, preventing him from thrashing. Harry was secretly thankful for the fight, and way more aroused than he had any right to be. A thumb and index finger found his neck… and a gentle squeeze applied.
Harry stopped struggling as much, feeling the intense pressure in just two fingertips.
"There we go… be calm now…"
His was pushed up against, feeling the domination of in the hands holding him- the pressure. Harry instinctively grabbed the arm that squeezed his neck though it made no difference. "Why are you fighting me? I am doing this for you…" Snape asked earnestly, his eyebrows furrowing in an incredible show of realistic acting. Or Harry thought it was acting.
He felt the body against him, allowing himself to accept it, weighing it- asking the question if he could really do that eventually. "Give me access. Let me do it," Snape whispered, undoing Harry's protesting fingers, peeling each of them off in turn while he rocked into him. "I will give you anything," he whispered into his ear, slowly cutting off his airway, "just tell me what you want." And the pressure finally released on his neck and Harry could breathe. But he didn't breathe, he moaned.
Harry remembered again why he kept coming back here, everything else falling away. He rocked too, wanting to feel it, wanting to experiment with the feeling emotionally and physically, testing the newness. Despite all the red flags and all the boundary pushing, it felt good to be taking their time. They were taking their time, weren't they? Months had passed- a little taste each week and…
Snape sat on the desk, pulling Harry on top, forcing them together roughly and insistently. His neck was being squeezed by a mouth instead, sucking, creating marks, and then replaced again by the thumb and index finger. Pressure from all places: his neck, his jaw kissed, his waist held. His breaths came in high pitched little intervals. Hands held him at his neck and waist, directing him, controlling him, commanding him.
"Yes…" Harry managed to say with what little air he had while he was being choked, caressed, and kissed. "Ughhh…aahhhh." Shudders were added to his small breaths… yes, he could do this… it would be fine later if… And then he was being burned too… on top of the choking… and...
And…
Harry patted Snape's chest to stop.
"Are you done already?" Snape asked flatly, letting his neck go, all tension over with. They were on top of the desk in the middle of the destroyed classroom lit by all the broken candles on the floor.
"Bathroom." Harry swallowed and climbed off. He gave one last glance to the destroyed classroom where Snape sat on top of the desk looking supremely pleased with himself.
He practically ran away.
Why did something so dangerous feel so...
No- it was embarrassing. Also: terrible.
Running the water in the bathroom, he splashed it on his face and then ran wet fingers through his hair. It was incredible. He tingled, still feeling the adrenaline. Was it supposed to feel that good, getting choked? Between his anger, the row, the duel, almost getting crushed, and then being choked, burned and kissed in the carnage of the wrecked classroom… he questioned his own existence and sanity in the mirror. Straightening his clothes, he went back.
From the sound of it, Snape was repairing everything in the next room.
Harry almost missed it. Barely even registered it- a trick of the light. Something moved on Snape's personal writing desk. Harry paused, heart beating. What was that? He moved closer. A leather book was open on the desk, and… what was that moving inside of it? Was that a magical picture? No! A PAINTED PORTRAIT! Stepping closer, the face turned towards him.
A long beard. Glasses. Harry blanched, stepping away so quickly he hit a corner, tripping.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE IT!?" Harry screamed in a high-pitched voice that was not his own.
Snape hurtled from the other room and with a wand flick the leather book shut violently, slamming itself into the desk. "Why do you think I have it!? So he could boss me around all last year, no matter what room I was in!"
"He… he heard everything?" Harry gasped, reeling over everything that was happening in this room for months. A small frameless portrait of Dumbledore was in this room the entire time. No wonder McGonagall knew.
"Dumbledore is dead!" Snape yelled, flabbergasted he had to keep explaining this. "A portrait is not a person, Potter! A shadow, a poor copy, a mere reflection."
"Burn it if you don't want it!" Harry yelled, his hands in his hair, unable to process that Dumbledore heard everything they were just doing.
Snape stood up straight, excitedly. "I could burn it!"
"No," Harry ruffled his hair. "No… why… why didn't you tell me!?"
"I thought you'd be jealous," Snape said, like this was obvious.
"Uggggghhhhhhhhh," Harry moaned. "You have… a portrait of Dumbledore… AND YOU LEFT IT OPEN! Tell me you normally don't leave it open!"
"I should burn it," Snape said, ignoring Harry's panic.
"No, don't do that… just… can't you… can't you put it somewhere else?"
"What, like my bedroom?" Snape snorted. "My bathroom? There's no good place to put it."
"UUUUuuuuUUUGGGGHHHHHH."
"I wanted him to hear after his stupid little lecture," Snape said out of nowhere, Harry's eyes popping with this spiteful admission. And suddenly Snape's dark glowing orb made a lot more sense.
"Can you… not?" Harry freaked, rubbing his face, crumpled up with embarrassment.
"I'll get rid of it, I'll get rid of it. He has other portraits; he doesn't have to be in that one."
"Can't you... just give it to Aberforth?"
"No good. He may burn it too."
"Maybe- but I doubt it."
Snape smiled, apparently finding this entire scenario very amusing. "What? He didn't hear much. I barely even touched you."
"You barely touched me!?" Harry yelled. "We've been doing stuff for months!"
"I've barely touched you, according to everything in that book of yours, AND nothing from my personal 'book,' SO…"
"And what's taking you so long!?" Harry blurted. Snape froze, surprised by this news was supposed to be violating him more. "Well… no," Harry corrected. "I thought we'd wait. Not at Hogwarts."
Snape rubbed his face, thinking... "Not at Hogwarts. Was that the plan?"
"I don't know. Well, maybe… just… we were caught and everything. So, no: not at Hogwarts. In case we're questioned again."
"...Hogsmeade then?" he asked as if solving a problem.
Harry stared. Dumbledore revelation aside, Harry had been meaning to broach the date question, but couldn't get out the right words. 'Do you want to go on a date with me' sounded juvenile. Also, Snape may say no, which opened up a whole other jar of issues. "Yes... I've been thinking we should… go on an outing," Harry offered dubiously.
"No, we shall to go separately… end up in the same place," Snape suggested logistically.
"Under disguises," Harry added, thinking they were both too recognizable.
"Where?" Snape asked, looking back at him.
"The Hog's Head."
Snape snorted. "More Dumbledore?"
"It's an Inn!"
"You astound me."
"You don't mind, apparently."
"It's good fun between friends…" Snape grinned mischievously. "The Hog's Head? …Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't think Aberforth would say anything. "
"No… I don't think he would." And Snape looked deliciously evil at this new plan.
"Make me a promise."
Snape's smile faltered, like he was very wary of making things like vows and promises now a days.
"Don't… don't ever put that… thing… that portrait… where it can see or hear again."
Snape laughed. "I didn't mean to put it anywhere, it just remained where it was. I will find someplace to put it. Portraits are everywhere, I'm surprised you still care."
"It's weird. I don't care what you say- it's weird. So don't leave it am I supposed to face him again?"
"It's a portrait, not a person, Potter. You seem confused by this point."
"So, people are just doing it in front of portraits all the time, are they, is that what you're saying?" Harry raised his voice triumphantly like he had him cornered.
"YES. That's exactly what I'm saying."
Harry closed his mouth, thinking about all the portraits at Grimmauld Place. Thankfully Sirius didn't like any of his family so his room was very much portrait-free, allowing him to take care of himself without anything watching. But no matter what Snape said, it still seemed like a huge violation to 'leave Dumbledore out.'
Despite this violation and the embarrassment of messing around where Dumbledore could plainly hear, Harry was snogging him again, thinking about the total destruction of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and what came after, knowing he would feel adrenaline every time he thought about it, and his mind wandering to their upcoming 'date.'
Harry's shirt was peeled off, his chest finally fully inspected fully. The first time with Ginny was nerve racking, being skinny and all, but now he was the 'Savior of the Wizarding World' and had a halfway decent body. …Although he secretly worried his form would revert back unless he took up some sort of physical activity. He hadn't figured out what that would be yet. Snape, fully clothed, drank him in, like he couldn't look enough. Harry felt good about himself for once, feeling attractive, and someone else thought so.
Fingers found his sides and brushed gently down. His muscles were touched lightly, pressure into the skin, watching it give way when released. Eyes curved slowly all the way down his body, tracing every aspect of it… memorizing it.
Harry took off his glasses. Snape completely froze at the invitation to look at his body and his eyes. Snape didn't move for a while, like it was all too much... or maybe Harry was more attractive than he thought he was.
"Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked into the dark silence of the room.
"If you must..." came a whisper.
"When did you decide… I was an option?"
The silence stretched…
Perhaps it was the wrong question at the wrong time. After a solid minute a hand resumed stroking his side.
"…It was imperative that the plan succeed. Simple: I needed to get you the sword. We did not anticipate you so good at hiding. Every hour of every day last year was spent wondering where you were. Whether I would hear word of your capture, and how to get you out of that too. I did not mean to get… preoccupied… but…" his voice caught. "It . Fixation. But if you must know, that... fixation… didn't morph into… …until… you came back. I did not want you here… but…" He gave a heavy sigh. "And if I'm allowed to say it, if it won't turn you away to say it, I decided- no, I demanded a reward for my sacrifices. Convinced myself that I deserved something. …Ah, but that is just justification for my selfishness…"
"Thank you for telling me," Harry said, allowing him to stop. "I couldn't place when the change happened."
In this moment Snape seemed vulnerable. So he decided to ask…
"Do you know more Enigma Magic?"
Snape stopped his stroking at once. "I do…" and although Harry couldn't see him properly, he looked disturbed by this request.
"Can you show me?"
Snape didn't answer at first, turning his gaze completely away from his naked body. "I will think about it…"