[TW: Disciplinary spanking and non-consensual consent] This is not a slash fic per say, but it does have spanking as the main focal point. I strongly advise that you read the disclaimer in my bio prior to reading this fiction to see if this story might be a good read for you.
Author's notes: regarding the setting for this fic, please see the introductory notes at the beginning of chapter 1. Intense paddling of Harry in this chapter.
Chapter 17: The Paddle
Harry shuddered when he heard the firm clacks of Snape's shoes ascending the first set of stairs. He adjusted his position in the corner, getting as tightly pressed into it as he could.
His heart rate ticked up when he heard Snape pause on the upper floor.
Though tears were no longer streaming down his face, an overwhelming fear for his second spanking had fully taken hold of him.
Harry wanted to cry or to plead for mercy from Snape, knowing full well it would do no good, as he reached back to rub at his sore skin from this morning.
This was so miserable, why did he even choose to stay?
He didn't want to feel the paddle bite his tender skin.
Harry's breath hitched when he heard the bottom door leading up to his stairs creak open, followed by the resonating sounds of Snape's clacking shoes as they hit each creaky wooden step.
Harry silently begged that Snape hadn't heard him crack open the window.
The door to Harry's bedroom swung open slowly, revealing Snape's stern figure in the dim light of the entryway. He entered the room, his gaze fixed on Harry.
"Well, Potter," Snape drawled as he closed the door behind him with a click, his tone dripping with disdain, "it seems you have a penchant for insolence tonight."
Harry swallowed hard, he glanced up from the corner briefly then pulled his anxious gaze back to it.
"I'm sorry… sir." Harry said into the tight corner.
Snape let his dark gaze wander briefly around the bedroom. He soon located what was needed and he moved swiftly to retrieve it.
Harry swallowed hard when he heard Snape's shoes clacking on the wooden bedroom floor, each step echoing with a rhythmic tension that hung thick in the air.
His stomach was doing somersaults and his palms were laced with sweat.
In the dimly lit room, Harry held his breath, his senses heightened and his heart thumping hard in his thin chest. He fidgeted his feet and pinched his eyes shut at the familiar creak of the oak desk chair being retrieved from the opposite side of the room.
The dragging sound as Snape pulled it out from its tucked away spot added an ominous note to the tense atmosphere.
"Retrieve your paddle," Snape soon ordered in a low voice that made Harry's breath hitch.
"Um," Harry stammered for a moment as he slowly turned away from the corner, "C-can you get it?"
Snape paused, leveling Harry with an overly irritated glare, still holding the desk chair slightly off the floor.
Harry licked his lips and fidgeted his index finger against the sleeve of his right shirt. "It's in that bottom drawer, next to you." He added softly.
Snape said nothing, setting the desk chair down with a harsh snap. Harry swallowed as he watched Snape bend down and slide open the bottom drawer.
Just as the tense expression on Snape's face drew deeper Harry remembered, "Oh, um– they're–"
"Not present," Snape concluded on Harry's behalf.
"This feeble endeavor to delay will result in an escalation of your punishment, and I assure you, additional swats will be administered for every minute you drag your feet tonight, Harry. I have no patience for you."
"N-no, sorry, they are there, Professor." Harry said, his stomach rolling at the threat. "You just can't see them because they're… under my cloak."
Snape's dark eyes narrowed into black glittering slits as he reached into the drawer.
Sure enough, his calloused hand found the soft, weighty, invisibility cloak bunched up concealing the spanking tools.
As Snape dragged it up some, Harry watched the Potions Master's right hand disappear along with half of his arm as the cloak swooped down. The sounds of the implements clamoring together at the movement made Harry cringe.
Snape's irritation deepened as he withdrew the cloak, a symbol of Harry's infamous escapades during his school years. He bent down further and retrieved the paddle, concealed under the invisibility cloak.
"Of course, hidden under your precious cloak. One might think you've been evading consequences for years with this wretched thing." Snape snapped, his voice laced with bitterness as he fully pulled the cloak out of the drawer.
The invisible fabric billowed and swirled around Snape's hand, a silent reminder of the countless times Harry had used it to slip through the grasp of authority.
Harry bit his lip, a wave of guilt washing over him as he realized the association the cloak had with his past misdeeds. Snape's narrowed eyes bore into him, a silent admonishment for the trouble that still lingered despite the war being over.
"Come to me." Snape commanded, folding the cloak over his left arm and leveling Harry with a terrifyingly firm expression.
Harry took a few shaky breaths as he forced himself to move, he wanted nothing more than to run away in that moment— away from Snape, from the paddle, from his heavy feelings.
What a dreadful night this had turned out to be.
Harry felt a swell of anger at Narcissa as he made his way slowly over to Snape, his bare, clammy feet padding against the cedar floorboards.
Only an hour ago, he and Snape had engaged in a profoundly meaningful conversation before she intervened and disrupted it all. Blowing up his day into pieces, like a typical Malfoy would.
When Harry finally reached Snape, he forced himself to meet the dark hard gaze. He felt tears swell up again in his stinging eyes, threatening to engulf him.
"I will be confiscating this," Snape said, motioning to the cloak draped over his left arm. "You certainly have no need for it now or anytime in the near future."
Harry wanted to protest but he knew it would be foolish to do so with a heavy punishment already hanging over his head.
"Yes, sir." Harry wisely replied, keeping his somber gaze on his bare feet.
Snape let his punishing eyes traverse the young wizard for a moment longer as he considered how he would like to proceed.
"Take this," Snape shifted the heavy, cherry wood paddle, out— extending the handle to Harry.
Harry glanced up at Snape then down anxiously at the implement. He pulled his fidgeting hand up and collected it, awkwardly bringing it down to rest at his side.
Snape gave a curt nod, picking up the wooden desk chair, he then said: "Disciplinary tools will now reside in your dresser drawer, where you retrieve your clothes each morning. Place them in the correct location, now."
Snape ignored the protest on the tip of Harry's lips as he moved past the boy with precise, firm strides.
The whole point of having Harry keep the brush, strap, and paddle was so they would serve as a reminder for good behavior. Hidden away in the bottom of the desk they so clearly failed to do so.
Harry's heart beat ramped up, and a few shameful tears fell as he sucked in a trembling breath and bent down to the lower drawer. His clammy had grazed against the thick leather strap, making him shutter.
Snape positioned the wooden chair to the side of Harry's soft bed and drew in a sharp breath. His thin lips were in a tight line and his expression remained rigid, lacking any dismay. He carefully folded the cloak and placed it at the foot of Harry's bed.
Throughout the day Snape had struggled with his resolve to paddle Harry. Every wince the young wizard made in the backyard had tested his commitment to follow through as a ridiculous sense of empathy had overtaken him.
For that he blamed the boy's intrusion into his past.
However, Harry's deliberate defiance this evening reignited the disciplinarian within him, fueling his unwavering resolve. If Harry believed for a moment that he could defy him and disregard instructions this summer, he was sorely mistaken.
Harry required structure in his life, after all, this was the primary reason Snape had agreed to Minerva's suggestion in the first place.
For far too long, Harry had escaped the repercussions of his actions at Hogwarts, and Snape was determined not to let the boy manipulate him into pity like he had so many others before.
No, he was quite resolved to met out this spanking with sharp precision.
Or, at least he thought he was.
"P-Professor Snape?" Harry asked, his back turned to him as he buried the implements in his top dresser drawer.
"What?" Snape shot, resting his right hand on the back of the wooden chair, allowing his other to rest on his hip.
He narrowed his dark gaze, challenging Harry's shining emerald eyes to argue with him.
"Uh, um," Harry stumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around his chest.
"Enough." Snape snapped, "I will not pity you, Potter. You've made this bed yourself, time to lie in it. Come here."
Harry let out a little sob that took Snape off guard.
"I'm, I- 'm sorry," Harry said quietly as he forced himself to walk over to Snape.
"Indeed you will be when we are through here," Snape threatened, sealing off any emotion as he prepared to resume his stoic routine for this form of discipline.
Just before Snape could settle into the chair, he was halted by Harry's next action.
Instead of pleading, whining, or hesitating, Harry simply closed the distance between them, allowing his trembling frame to fall heavily into the Potions Master's strong chest.
"P-Potter," Snape stammered against the weight of the distraught boy now pressed into his chest, "Wh— what has come over you?"
Harry merely shook his head, letting his guilty, shameful tears soak into Snape's soft cardigan. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Snape's broad torso and buried his head in the warmth of Snape's lavender, cedar scented chest.
Harry really couldn't be bothered to be embarrassed. He needed some semblance of support after the intense emotions of the day.
A part of him desperately wanted to bring back the closeness he'd felt to Snape in the kitchen, hating the cold, icy persona Snape had taken on again.
For a moment, Snape faltered, standing stiff as a board. He certainly wasn't one for hugs; in fact, he hadn't given one in over a decade.
Yet, to his own astonishment, when Harry let out another shaky little cry, Snape found himself wrapping his strong arms around him, pulling the insolent young wizard in closer to his chest.
They stayed like that for a long moment as Harry let himself weep softly in Snape's supportive arms. He was so relieved to feel the warm, comforting touch; some much needed affection after the day he had.
Despite Snape's aversion to any displays of sappy affection, Harry was consoled by the strong hug that Snape was so clearly capable of giving.
Manipulative, little prat, Snape thought as he pulled his hand up to reluctantly hold Harry's moppy brown head of hair, soothing him from the onslaught of shaky tears.
He naturally pulled his other hand up to rub the trembling boy's back, hating the way his resolve to be unmovable was completely moved by the soft sobs of the broken young wizard in his arms.
After a few long moments more of the muffled cries, Snape moved to grab hold of Harry's shoulders, stealing his resolve again despite the clench of dread in his chest.
He pulled the boy back a bit as he bent down slightly to look into Harry's tear soaked eyes.
"Harry," Snape began, his voice a mixture of concern and firmness, "this... this display of emotion changes nothing. You're not absolved of the consequences of your actions. You have a lesson to learn, and I won't be swayed by tears. This does not excuse your behavior."
Harry looked down to the ground, crying quietly as he nodded. "I-I, k-know-w," he forced out through the tears.
Snape let out a tense sigh, with his strong hands he guided Harry over to the bed and forced him to take a seat.
Harry continued to cry, resting the heavy paddle in his lap and bringing his hands up to cradle his tear soaked face.
Releasing his hold on Harry's shoulder's Snape took a seat on the wooden chair to the side of the bed. He then leaned over and snatched the paddle out of Harry's lap, prompting a tense breath to escape the young boy.
Snape sighed and leaned over, placing the hefty paddle on the nightstand.
"Take a breath and compose yourself," Snape instructed, leveling Harry with a stern look that hardly betrayed the discomfort he felt.
"O-ok-ay," Harry replied, taking a few short hard breaths and pulling his hands away from his face. He wiped his wet palms on his trousers and glanced up at the ceiling, willing himself to take a few cleansing breaths.
Harry didn't fully comprehend why he had succumbed to such violent tears already. He also had no clue as to where his nerve to initiate a hug from Snape, of all people, came from.
Yes, he dreaded the paddle, but he believed he could endure it. The pain would be there, but he genuinely trusted Snape not to push it too far, even with the looming threat of a more severe punishment for disobedience hanging over him.
This time, the onslaught of tears seemed to take hold of him as Snape had held up his cloak.
In that moment, Harry was suddenly reminded of everything he'd done wrong over the course of his school years, of all the trouble he'd gotten himself and his friends into. He thought back to how different things may have been if Snape had been there to discipline him like this; maybe he could've saved himself and others some trouble.
"There now," Snape said, his voice shockingly soft as he watched Harry's chest return from heaving to slower, more measured breaths.
"Out with it, what's the source of this emotional upheaval besides apprehension?" Snape asked, his usual sternness softened by a genuine concern that he couldn't entirely conceal.
Harry let a soft pause hang in the tense air as he sucked up a few more stray tears and ran his long sleeve across his face, moving his glasses out of the way as he worked to dry the sadness from his eyes.
"I-I, feel b-ad," Harry stammered as he caught his breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Undoubtedly," Snape chided. "Elaborate."
Harry nodded, fearful to earn extra strikes for being vague. After a few more long moments he composed himself and his broken voice began to return.
"I-I feel bad f-for letting you down," Harry admitted, stunning Snape. "I promise I-I learned this morning, I didn't mean to let my emotions at the door t-take over my response a-again."
Harry sucked in another shaky breath and forced himself to relax. He crossed his arms over his chest, hugging them close to his body. He needed to get this out clearly then he could go back to crying over Snape's knees.
Snape glanced up at the ceiling briefly and interlaced his fingers on his lap.
Seeing there was no response coming yet, Harry cleared his throat and gave a loud sniff.
"I know I deserve it. I'll take it without arguing," Harry said softly, keeping his eyes up on Snape's averted dark eyes.
Snape lifted his brows and looked back down at Harry, momentarily at a loss for words.
He had expected Harry to plead, as he had all the way up the stairs, but the boy's demeanor had completely shifted from rebellion into humble acceptance. Snape couldn't recall a time where he'd seen Harry look so contrite.
"I guess," Harry licked his lips and drew in a little breath, "I'm not used to… thinking too much before I react. I've kind of been just in action for a few years, trusting my instincts over everything else."
"Indeed. By the end of this summer, however, you will assuredly break that pesky habit of neglecting reason, Potter," Snape admonished.
Harry swallowed and dropped his gaze.
"I'm sure I will." He said quietly.
Snape gave a curt nod and shifted his fingers ever so slightly.
The room held a heavy hush as the candles by the windowsill flickered in the blue moonlight. Harry cringed when he caught sight of the open window, scolding himself for what he was about to admit.
"And, um, I also… disobeyed your instructions to stay in the corner," Harry's voice was exceptionally quiet, "I kind of tried to eavesdrop when you left the room."
Snape felt his jaw clench at the admission, so help Merlin— Harry had better be referring to the blasted window crack at the tailend of his conversation, nothing prior.
"Is that so?" Snape asked, his sharp tone cutting through the tense air like a blade.
Harry swallowed and forced himself to nod, "I heard you both walk outside, I just wanted to know why she came so I cracked the window open to hear… I'm sorry."
Pausing for a moment, Snape felt relief that Harry hadn't been foolish enough to leave his room. However, his anger persisted, fueled by the clear disregard for the rule he had recently disciplined Harry for violating in his classroom just days ago.
"If it helps, I didn't hear anything..." Harry tried, dropping his emerald eyes to his fidgeting hands, when Snape gave him a disapproving glare.
"It most certainly does not help," Snape's voice sliced through the dense air again.
He took a slight breath and pinched the bring of his large nose. After a moment of charged silence he pulled his hand down and relaxed his fingers.
Harry noticed how tired Snape looked at that moment, making him feel all the more guilty.
"Your actions tonight most certainly merit firm consequences. However, we must first and foremost address your remaining punishment for last night's transgressions, independent of this additional poor behavior."
Harry nodded, forcing himself to hold Snape's stern gaze. He hated the way Snape had slowly enunciated the word 'independent.'
"I certainly can not entertain additional strikes this evening without risking damage to your skin," Snape continued, "Nevertheless, rest assured, your blatant disobedience will not go unpunished. Tomorrow morning, you will face an additional punishment for your eavesdropping and disobedience. Consider it a delayed consequence for your lack of restraint."
Snape's gaze remained stern as he spoke, leaving Harry to contemplate the forthcoming repercussions.
Harry swallowed and nodded, "Um, another spanking punishment?" He asked despite the hot wave of shame that overtook him.
"I have yet to decide." Snape snipped, although, in reality, he had already made up his mind against it.
Maybe he would have considered it if Harry had lied, but the young wizard's display of maturity in admitting his insolence and accepting his final punishment had, in fact, instilled in Snape a small sense of pride. He recognized how challenging it was for someone of Harry's age to exhibit such courage in the face of a spanking.
"Thank you for not adding more on tonight," Harry breathed out, the words heavy with genuine gratitude as he wiped away a few remaining tears from the corner of his eyes.
The acknowledgment of Snape's decision not to add more strikes brought a momentary sense of relief to the young wizard.
Snape gave a short curt nod and pulled himself up to the edge of the wooden chair. Harry's stomach dropped at the motion, his heart rate creeping back up again.
"Come here." Snape instructed, pointing to the floor in front of them.
Harry sucked in a shaky little breath and forced himself to slide off the soft comforter of the bed.
In one step he was in front of Snape's lap, looking down into the Potion Master's stern expression.
"Do you fully grasp the purpose behind my choice to give you the paddle this evening?" Snape questioned.
Harry swallowed, shifting his weight on his feet, despite the hot red heat taking over his neck and face he kept his somber gaze on Snape.
"Yes, sir." Harry responded quietly, fidgeting his hands together in nervous anticipation.
"Articulate it then." Snape instructed, keeping his stern gaze fixed on Harry and forcing himself not to falter at the sight of the sad green eyes.
Harry took a quick breath, "I deserve it 'cause, uh, I broke more than one rule…"
Snape nodded, waiting for Harry to elaborate.
"And, y'know, losing control of my emotions is not okay. It wasn't right that I broke the dowel, got too sloshed, and lost track of time," Harry admitted.
"Indeed. Go on." Snape prompted, causing Harry to nervously dart his eyes up to the ceiling.
"Um…" he thought for a moment, trying to conjure up the answer Snape wanted. "I was also disrespectful to you."
Snape gave a slow, precise nod.
"Indeed you were. I will help you finish."
Harry swallowed and waited, his back seemed to break out in little trickles of sweat and his stomach flurried with sharp jolts of trepidation as he glanced down at Snape's outstretched legs.
Snape continued in his unwavering tone, "Indeed, I am going to paddle you for your rule-breaking and destructive outburst. However, this punishment is intended to extend beyond mere physical discipline,"
Harry nodded and swallowed hard, his breath coming out in little hitches.
"Through this discipline, I hope to instill in you a sense of control, teaching you the importance of restraint and respect. You may find me strict, but consider it a necessary firmness, a means to provide stability in your tumultuous life. You've faced too much chaos that went undisciplined and now you require a steady hand to guide you back to a place of both safety and stability. Understood?"
Harry's eyes, already glossy with unshed tears, dropped at Snape's unexpected explanation. A mixture of gratitude, vulnerability, and a hint of relief played across Harry's face.
For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words, his throat tightening with a surge of emotions. The realization that Snape's strictness wasn't merely because he demanded good behavior, but stemmed from a genuine concern for his well-being, touched a chord deep within him.
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, sir." Harry whispered, his voice barely audible.
His eyes, still glistening, held a mix of appreciation and understanding. The weight of Snape's words began to sink in, and a rare sense of reassurance washed over him.
It was a new moment of connection, a realization that Snape's discipline, as stern as it was, came from a place of care and a desire to provide the stability Harry so desperately wanted.
Harry's expression of gratitude stirred an unexpected warmth in Snape's typically stoic chest, a quiet appreciation he concealed beneath his reserved demeanor.
Smoothing out a wrinkle in his pants, Snape let out a barely audible tense breath, "Recite the rules and be quick, Harry."
Harry's stomach turned at the command. He wanted to face the paddle with brave stoicism but his body refused to get on board.
"Uh… no kicking you, no forcing away my emotions," Harry's face turned a brilliant shade of red as he dropped his eyes from Snape, "I can't be theatrical and I need to stay still for it."
He breathed a shaky sigh of relief after gritting out the last part.
"Almost, you've neglected one." Snape said calmly.
Harry crossed one arm over the other and gave it a squeeze. "Umm…" his mind raced for a moment before it dawned on him, "oh, right, I shouldn't cover with my hands."
"And if you break the rules?" Snape asked, lifting his stern brow.
Harry sighed, flushing furiously.
"You'll smack my thighs." He said quietly, keeping his eyes on his squirming feet.
"Look up at me." Snape commanded, making Harry's stomach plummet to his feet.
Harry cleared his throat and bit his lip a little. "Sorry, you'll—"
"No, not for that," Snape interrupted, Harry glanced down with a tight, apprehensive expression.
It took Snape a minute to gather the words he wanted to say in a way that felt appropriate.
"I commend your capacity for accountability and willingness to endure the consequences of your actions. It's not a simple feat, but you managed. Well done." Snape said it in a quiet tone, his tight facial expressions relaxing as he finished.
Fresh tears sprung into Harry's eyes at the words and the gesture, though Snape hardly gave him time to contemplate it.
"Hand me your glasses," Snape instructed.
Harry pulled them off his face quickly, folding them with trembling hands and extending them down to Snape's open palm.
Snape reached into his pocket, retrieved his wand, then tapped the glasses. They popped away and reappeared on Harry's dresser top, out of reach.
Snape then turned and set his wand on the bedside table behind him.
"Take your trousers and pants off," Snape commanded, turning back to Harry and reaching up to firmly grab hold of his bicep, "completely this time."
Harry cried softly but moved to obey, without hesitation.
His sweaty hands popped the silver clasp on his trousers and he quickly worked them off. Kicking them away from his feet as Snape held his bicep, supporting his balance.
Harry sucked in a hot breath of humiliation and slid his pants down off his thin hips, giving them a little kick as well.
The cool air invading in through the cracked window enveloped Harry's exposed lower half, making his thighs shiver.
Thankfully Snape didn't make him stand there bare for long.
"Over my knee," Snape said firmly, guiding Harry down into position.
Harry's stomach clenched as his thin hips pressed down onto Snape's soft trousers for the second time that day.
The moment his upper body landed on his supporting bed below his waist, he buried his face in the covers and cried.
Snape glanced down at the boy across his knee.
The desk chair was on an even plane with the top of the bed, making it easier to position Harry in a supportive way. His chest rested on the top of the bed comfortably and his backside was pushed out at an acceptable angle over Snape's left thigh.
Snape moved his warm, stabilizing hand into place on Harry's lower back and let his gaze wander for a moment across the plains of Harry's faded red skin.
He had no interest in further humiliating the crying young man, but deemed it necessary to do a quick inspection before administering the paddle.
"Harry," Snape said slowly, waiting a moment for the crying young wizard to comprehend his need to respond.
Harry titled his face to the side of the bedspread and sucked in a tearful little breath.
"Y-ye-s?" He asked, his nervousness clearly apparent in the tone of his voice.
"You may find this briefly uncomfortable; however, I must physically access your skin to be sure it is capable of receiving further discipline." Snape moved his hand a little lower down from Harry's back. "There are a few places that I need to touch to be perfectly sure they haven't welted. Understood?"
Oh, Merlin. Harry just wanted to die from embarrassment, uuuughh. He forced himself to nod quickly though, wanting to get it over with.
"R-right," he said fast, adding a quiet, "ok-ay s-sir."
Snape leaned down a bit closer to better observe the faintly blushed skin. He was slightly concerned with Harry's sit spots which had endured the majority of smacks from the brush.
Quick as to not prolong Harry's discomfort, Snape briefly ran his potion stained fingers across the reddest parts of Harry bum, eliciting an involuntary flinch from Harry.
Harry had sucked in a sharp breath when he felt Snape touch him, momentarily taking his mind off the guilt and emotional anguish he was experiencing.
Snape nodded and pulled his hand away. As he had suspected from his initial glance, there were no welts or abrasions on Harry's tender skin.
"As I had anticipated, you are quite alright." Snape said.
Harry nodded and buried his face in the covers. His ears were bright red and his pride no longer existed.
Snape shifted and looked at Harry's legs. They were out straight, preventing him from securing them.
He tapped the back of Harry's exposed knee, "Pull your legs in."
Harry let out a tearlaced groan, not wanting to argue, but hating the idea of being pinned down again.
He obeyed the instructions slowly but turned his head to the side to shakily say, "Ple-ease d-don't, h-hold them down."
Snape rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, "Potter, it's been a long day and this will hurt. I'm not going to spend half an hour coaxing you off the floor again."
Harry moaned as Snape effectively trapped his legs with his own.
Snape shifted and reached behind his seat to grab the cherry wood paddle off the nightstand.
He hefted it in his hand a bit and drew his lips into a tight line.
Despite his intermittent anger with Harry throughout the evening, the tears welling up in the boy coupled with the long hug, added an extra layer of difficulty to the task, though Snape acknowledged its necessity.
He placed the paddle on Harry's backside, pushing it down firmly into the tender skin.
"Wait!" Harry found himself begging through tears, his chest rising and falling in horrible anticipation.
"What, Potter?" Snape shot back, positioning his left hand firmly at the base of Harry's lower back, moving the hem of his shirt up.
Harry had panicked when he felt the heavy, hard surface rest across his tender bum instead of Snape's warm hand. He swallowed, his nerves taking over the surge of tears flowing down his cheeks.
"Y-you're just s-starting with tha-at?" Harry stammered out.
Snape caught the fear laced into Harry's tearful words, making his chest clench.
Snape let out a low hum, "Indeed, this is a paddling, and I will be applying the paddle."
He said nothing more, tapping the paddle a few times across Harry's bum before pulling it back and bringing it down in a hard thud.
Snape felt Harry jump, thrusting his hips forward in response.
Harry gasped, twisting the covers in his palms.
Oh no, fuck no, this was going to be awful.
Snape let out a tense breath and glanced down at the blossoming deep red mark in the center of Harry's bum.
He forced himself to recall the young hero's audacious transgressions, tightening his brace on Harry's lower back before pulling the paddle back once again.
Harry sucked in a horribly sharp breath and clenched the blanket tight in his palms.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, was all he could manage to think as he felt the paddle thwack down again and again on aching skin.
Snape's rhythm was slow, measured and awfully painful as he smacked the most tender areas of Harry's already disciplined skin.
Harry gasped loudly and screwed his eyes shut as the burning pain spread everywhere.
"S-Snape, oh— ahh, oww," Harry breathed out through shaky sobs.
Despite Snape's firm hold, Harry pushed his hips down with all his might, desperate to somehow mitigate the sting.
Each slow smack of the paddle rekindled the horrible ache left from the hairbrush this morning, making Harry sob and jerk hard with each stroke.
"Bl-bloody he-ll! O-oww!" Harry cried through fits of ragged breaths as the paddle caught him sharply across his sit spots.
It ached so bad, smacking deep into his skin making him wish he'd never said yes to going out with Ron.
Making him wish he'd never drank: smack
Making him wish never lost his temper: smack
Making him wish he never cursed at or disobeyed Snape: smack, smack.
Ow, ow, owww!
Rather than striking pinpointed regions on his trembling bum as the brush had, the paddle seemed to stretch across the whole area making Harry wince at the explosively sharp pain.
"Lie still," Snape said when he felt the boy's thighs flinching and squirming hard under his own leg.
Four well placed smacks later and Harry's couldn't take it anymore.
Against his conscious will his hand flew back to block the next smack.
"S-Snape!" Harry pleaded, the cry muffled by his face pressed hard into the covers, "Mm sorry! S-s-topp— p-please! I-It h-hurts."
"Potter!" Snape snapped narrowly missing Harry's hand. "Foolish choice, young man."
Harry's cries intensified as Snape seized the back of his wrist, forcefully pulling it up across his lower back and pinning his hand in place.
This was horrible.
Snape took a deep breath in and let his stern gaze traverse Harry's red skin. He hated himself for following through with the next part, but Harry hadn't left him a choice.
He dropped his leg down slightly, exposed the upper back tops of Harry's trembling thighs.
Snape knew Harry was about to beg so he wasted no time in delivering three hard smacks to the back of each naked thigh.
Harry cried out in pain, jolting his legs back and forth to try and mitigate the horribly sharp sting.
"Ow!" Harry yelled, trembling in pain as Snape pushed his back down harder.
Finally, all the instinctual fight drained from Harry, as his entire body collapsed into shaky sobs. He released the tension held in every muscle and allowed himself to surrender to the pain.
"Take a few breaths," he barely heard Snape say, hating the feeling of the hard paddle pressed firmly into his hot burning backside as he tried to breath.
"I-I…I," Harry's hitched breaths made it hard for him to form words.
"Hush," Snape murmured in his low, distinctive voice, "it's painful, I understand. We are nearly through. You're doing well."
Harry took a few ragged inhales, holding his breath in between each and focusing his attention on Snape's thumb rubbing across the side of his pinned wrist.
"Do I have your full attention, Harry Potter?" Snape asked after a few long moments of listening to Harry's ragged cries subside.
Harry gave an exhausted nod, replying with a raspy, "Y-yes sir, I'm l-listening."
Snape nodded, moving the paddle in a few slow circles across Harry's burning backside.
Harry hiccuped a few times and sucked in a couple more sharp breaths, cringing at the uncomfortable sensation.
"The next time you're tempted to step out of the boundaries we have set in place, I want you to think of how you feel in this moment." Snape said sharply, patting the paddle a few times for emphasis.
Harry moaned, "I-I will, s-sir," he added quickly.
"As challenging as this may be for you, understand that the strap is a more severe consequence. One which you will find yourself on the receiving end of if you chose to invoke it. Pay attention; I will not tolerate further foolish misbehavior. Your thoughtless actions and poor decisions end today. Is that perfectly understood?" Snape questioned, his tone cutting sharply through the air.
"Yes sir, I'm sorry, s-so sorry." Harry said, his head rested to the left as he stared at the blurry wooden posts of his bed frame.
The dimly lit bedroom held the weight of Harry's hitched breaths in its quiet corners. Shadows clung to the edges, and the air seemed thick with remorse.
The soft glow of a solitary lamp on the nightstand revealed the subtle quiver in Harry's form, his head bowed, eyes fixed on the indistinct patterns of the wooden bed frame. The atmosphere echoed with the weight of regret, a palpable silence settling between the cautionary words Snape whispered and Harry's sincere apology.
"And you listen very carefully to me," Snape said, bending his head down low to Harry's ear, his voice coming out in an ominous whisper, "If you ever, ever, dare tell me to sod off again, I will make these last strikes pale in comparison to the next."
The room went black as Harry screwed his eyes shut, feeling Snape shift and the paddle leave his aching bum.
In a blinding flash, three of the most intense strokes that he'd ever received at the hand of Severus Snape came crashing down in explosive pain across his tender sit spots.
Harry lost his breath at the pain, jerking with full force as Snape released his wrist and stabilized his lower back with his hard pressed hand.
"Ow! Ow! Owww!" Harry shouted, letting out a long forceful sob.
Snape bent to his right side and let the hefty paddle clack down against the floor in a resounding thud.
Harry jerked his arms up to tuck under his thin chest and let his head bury back into the soft comforter as he wept with unrestrained force.
Merlin, it hurt so bad.
Snape rubbed firm, comforting circles across Harry's lower back, listening to the bitter flow of distraught sobs coming from the well disciplined young man.
Looking closely at Harry's inflamed backside, Snape ran his hand down the hot, tender skin. To his relief, there were no welts. He grimaced though at the way the heat pulsated against his hand.
Though Harry knew Snape had to just be checking for welts, he wanted to ask him to keep rubbing. He couldn't bother to feel embarrassed anymore and would gladly welcome anything to soothe the horrible sting.
"Mm' so s-sorry, Snape." Harry murmured into the cover.
Snape let out a shaky sigh of his own and moved to run his left hand through Harry's clean mop of brown hair.
"Hush now, Harry," Snape uttered in his characteristically subdued tone, "consider yourself forgiven."
Harry experienced a few harsh sobs of relief, each one a mixture of pain and gratitude, as he absorbed Snape's words. Despite the pulsating heat in his backside, the weight of Snape's forgiveness brought a certain solace, making the endured pain almost worthwhile.
Almost.
They lingered there for a long moment.
Snape's firm, rhythmic rubbing of comforting circles on Harry's trembling back relaxed him.
Snape patted every now and then to console the tearful wizard while Harry focused on breathing through the throbbing ache.
The cold night air now felt good on his punished skin as the candles flickered softly in the blue moonlight. Soft gusts of wind whispered through the cracked window, carrying away the shattered remnants of emotions that hung between them.
Harry let out a final raspy sigh as the last of his tears subsided. He pulled his sleeve up to his eyes and wiped the rest of his wet face dry.
Snape hummed low and gave Harry's back a few more firm pats.
"Are you miraculously still breathing, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, his dry tone weaving through the words.
"Hardly," Harry retorted, a pained smile playing on his thin lips.
"Perhaps then, it is time to get into bed." Snape said it like a suggestion but Harry knew not to argue.
"Alright," Harry said, punctuating the end of his short response with a hiccup.
Snape used his left hand to help guide Harry back into a stance as he moved to get up himself.
Harry couldn't hide his sharp grimace from Snape as they stood, causing the stoic Potions Master to sigh ever so slightly.
Snape reached over and snatched up his wand from the end table, slipping it into his trouser pocket.
Harry peered around the fuzzy floor for his boxer pants while Snape moved to take the wooden chair and paddle back to their rightful places.
Pulling his pants up gingerly, Harry cast a hard glare at the blurry wooden paddle in Snape's hand as he gave his bum a small rub.
Snape replaced the wooden chair with a firm clack, then briskly strode over to the dresser to retrieve Harry's glasses and stow the paddle.
Returning to Harry, Snape extended the glasses down to the subdued young wizard. After Harry had slid them back onto his face, he peered up at Snape with wide, red-rimmed eyes. He still looked remorseful and distraught.
Snape felt a swell of unease as he forced himself to open his arms a bit.
Harry, shocked by the unexpected offer of a hug, couldn't help but smile as he accepted the subtle gesture.
Harry buried his face in Snape's cedar smelling chest, breathing in the comfort he so desperately needed.
Snape, despite rolling his eyes, couldn't conceal the subtle warmth he felt as he patted Harry's back a few times.
"Very well then," Snape quipped after a painfully long minute of hugging for him, "time you go to bed."
He moved to pull back and Harry decided to tease him a touch, holding on extra tight.
"Potter," Snape said quickly, pulling a bit harder on Harry's tight shoulders. "Honestly, enough of this."
Harry let out a little laugh as he finally pulled away, "Merlin, you act like a hug is lethal, Professor Snape."
Snape rolled his eyes and hummed low.
"Considering your tendency to attract trouble, I prefer to be cautious even with hugs. Now, off you go to bed before you conjure up another calamity."
Harry smiled as Snape herded him over with little shoves to his bed.
Snape grabbed up the invisibility cloak from the end of the bed and tapped it with his wand, Harry couldn't see, but he knew from the swishing sound it had disappeared to some other quadrant of the house, making him frown.
Oh well, he'd get it back soon or later.
Reaching the top of the headboard first, Snape pulled back the covers and motioned for Harry to get into bed.
Harry yawned and obeyed, pushing himself up and into the soft mattress. He hissed when his bum momentarily hit the bed before twisting onto his stomach.
Snape reached over and slid his wand back into his pocket then pulled the covers over Harry.
As Snape tucked him, Harry couldn't help but smile mischievously, "First hugs, now tucking me in, huh? Didn't realize you were such a softy, Professor Snape. What's next, a bedtime story?"
Harry couldn't see him through his closed eyes but he knew Snape was glaring down.
"Knowing you, the request for one can't be far off," Snape shot back.
Harry let out a light chuckle, listening to the sound of Snape's clacking shoes reverberate through the otherwise quiet room as he made his way to the door.
"Sleep well, Potter." Snape said quietly as he moved to walk out.
"Good night." Harry replied, though right as the door began to close, Harry called back, "Professor Snape?"
He heard Snape take a step back up the creaky top stair, cracking the door open again.
"Um," Harry took a little breath, "thanks." He said it softly, genuine gratitude seeping into his few words.
Harry couldn't see the faint smile stretch across Snape's face as he replied back with:
"Go to sleep Harry. No doubt the figments of your imagination can hardly wait for the trouble you're bound to find in your dreams."
With that Snape flicked his wand and the window snapped shut followed by the sound of a soft click as the lock on the side slid into place. The flickering candles extinguished in a smoky puff, casting the room into near darkness.
Harry smiled, sliding his glasses off and setting them on the nightstand. He listened to Snape close the door and make his way down the creaky steps.
Harry sucked in a weary breath and extinguished the final glimmering light from the warm lantern.
His bum had never ached quite as bad as it did now, yet for some reason he felt waves of soft peace flowing through every part of him.
As the soft tendrils of sleep began to wisp him into the cocoon of slumber, Harry felt his chest swell with a mix of emotions. His mind drifted back to the memories he'd seen in the Pensive, the image of his mother and Snape as children, laying in the wide open field, came to mind.
Briefly, ever so briefly, Harry found himself wishing things had turned out differently between both of them; wondering what life would have been like if Snape had ever been more to him than a distant Potions Professor.
The fleeting thought gently cradled Harry as he succumbed to the embrace of well-deserved sleep, leaving the possibility for who Snape still might become in the quiet corners of his dreams.
Author's notes: I must admit, I loved writing these last two chapters. I might even go as far as to say that they are my favorites out of this work. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did crafting them! Hamlet, MusicMelis, DMLucas, Fantasystar78, and Goldflame01, thank you all so much for taking the time to comment on the last few chapters! I am so touched by your kind words, dedication to the plot, and beautiful reflections. It was a joy to read your comments & I smiled at all of them! I have this story on Ao3 as well, if you are inclined to have more of a back and forth conversation about the chapters on that site I'm able to reply directly to you. No pressure to switch over there, I just wanted you all to be aware I'm able to reply more thoroughly. Happy reading this week, stay safe! Much love to you and yours 3