Author Notes: Hello, everyone! Here is the next chapter at last, made possible only by Vine's dogged perseverance despite heavy RL issues, my nagging, and our joined wish of wanting to see this continuation through to the end.

My deepest appreciation to Vine who has, for the past few chapters, taken over the task of writing the rest of this tale. To her, it's not so much an impossible task as it is a time-consuming one, so we both appreciate your patience. Enjoy :)

- Chapter Start –

Harry finished his painting and sighed, staring at the red eyes that looked at him from the page, crow's feet soft in ironic contrast to the glare of the paint that those irises seemed to of the mouth pointed upward, and it looked deformed, like he had passed a finger over the paint before it dried. It gave the illusion of a particularly devilish a finger on the paper, animating the portrait. Bright lines sparkled from behind the figure, like threads holding a puppet, which then sputtered and vanished.

Faster than he had a chance to react, a hand shot out from inside the parchment, grabbing his he felt no nervousness, only the viscous feeling of the oil paint staining his neck. Those two eyes stared at him not in triumph but in despair. He lifted his eyes as the black paint stained the front of his clothes, encountering the unblinking stares of the Ravens, who looked at him in commiseration and quiet appraisal.

Harry opened his eyes, blurry and sleepy sight focusing on the nightstand, in between two piles of was a tiny tree standing in between the space the books made. He blinked and the tree disappeared.

He shuffled around until he was facing Severus, whose arm had dislodged itself from Harry's waist, causing him to wake up.

"We need to quickly read the books we got from Athens so that I know what to do," he croaked, clearing his throat after, eyes rapt on another pair of brown eyes, who also looked at him in silent commiseration and appraisal, just not quite like the Ravens, for which he was thankful for.

Severus nodded, as his hand caressed Harry's forehead, putting a lock of hair behind his ear. He waved that same hand afterward and light came into splashed the surface of everything in the room as the hearth came alive. They stayed like that, silent, looking at each other, ensconced within a soft cocoon of energy that had been building up since last night when they bid farewell to everyone.

"What is it that you are not telling me, Harry?" Severus enthused with just as gravely a voice. Harry blinked, caught off-guard but not entirely surprised. Severus was always way too clever. Just a few hours before, he had been praying for the contrary. Leave it to Severus to always shoot his expectations out of the water.

"What do you mean?" He asked right back, caressing a white forehead too, honey coloured hand against the ink of the blackest hair he had ever seen. He liked the combination of colours, green eyes admiring the contrast of his skin against Severus', which looked so pale in the faint light of the room that he seemed to be absorbing rather than reflecting it. Harry didn't stop looking at his face, and Severus stared right back.

Harry, now knowing that his bondmate wouldn't be able to look at his thoughts anymore either, wasn't quite as proud of this fact as he thought he should be, as he had been, with Dumbledore, the day before. It felt surreal, the things he was coming into very quickly. He should have felt afraid, but instead he felt calmer.

Severus didn't push further, which was quite a surprise. Just yesterday, he was frantic about him going after Julius Snape. It didn't seem to be in character for him not to, now, after talking about the importance of sharing everything and being on the lookout for foreign or prophetic thoughts. Harry felt an itch at that thought, as if something elemental had changed between them. Like something had become undone the moment Harry vanished from Hogwarts, bypassing one of the most fundamentally intricate wards in the entire world like they were butter.

Was Severus afraid of him now?

Was he feeling cautious of the things he might hear from Harry now? It was one thing to have an inkling to Harry's power, especially after so many surprising feats, what with casting spells thought to exist only in fairy tales and all another to bypass Hogwarts' wards entirely.

Was it something about Hogwarts itself - being impenetrable and old as time, but also deeply intimate, and considered home to the both of them - that cemented the place Harry held in the world?

Harry felt shame just at the thought, not in devaluation of himself, but for daring to think that way about Severus, who had gone to previously unreached heights just for him; who would go to the end of the world for him, if that necessity arose. He wanted to ask, and had the urge to say something as a now nude Severus strode along the room, getting his things out for the day ahead. He looked more energized now, maybe not entirely okay, but definitely more was a marked improvement that Harry liked to think was, in part, thanks to him bringing Diana Snape back from Julius, safe and sound, which had helped with Severus' peace of mind, which in turn had sped up his recovery.

He bit his lip, reigning in his emotions. He could not afford to talk to Severus right now. Not right now, he told himself.

"Let's call your godfather and Remus over to go through the books, shall we?" Severus said, his back towards Harry, his naked body the epitome of art. "Your friends might like to join us."

He looked like a statue, all sinuous and strong lines carved out of the whitest marble. He had clearly lost some weight, but he still looked wiry, well defined, and spectacular. But Harry didn't feel the tingle in his nether regions or his wrists at the sensuality Severus emanated. He just felt an itch in his chest. It felt fragile and tender. He gulped, croaking out a "Yeah," as Severus strode towards the bathroom.

O-o-o

They had a quiet breakfast in their quarters, but it was still tense. Some of that tension, thankfully, had dissipated as, pausing before entering the bathroom, Severus looked back and pulled Harry towards his body in a tender hug, divesting him of his clothes and then gathering his clothes too. A soft hand had nudged him towards the bathroom in clear invitation, but gentle enough to know he could refuse.

Harry hadn't wanted to could distinctly remember that first time Severus offered, and how his shyness, which now seemed stupid in light of the things that had happened recently, had made him hesitate. This time, he didn't. They had soaped each other, white and honey hands caressing wet skin with reverence, mouths fused constantly under the spray of the water, warm tongues slippery as the painful tingle in Harry's heart extended to his neck, wrists and erection. They had also stroked each other but not to completion, the atmosphere still too tender and solemn for an orgasm, tongues licking sweetly at the others' mouths as the water poured down and hid Harry's tears.

Severus had dried him after the shower, with an energy in his eyes so powerful and otherworldly, Harry felt a pinch of pain profound enough that it took a lot of his newfound knowledge to hide his feelings and thoughts from Severus. Then, in a moment so acute it felt like it had slashed at his heart, Severus then knelt down and dried his calves. Severus had looked up right afterward, like a knight awaiting one last task, death eminent, one knee down on the floor and a forearm on his flexed leg. His skin shone brightly against the floor, wet tresses framing his face.

Now, having both brushed their teeth and placed the ancient books on the coffee table in front of the fireplace, they kissed as they waited for everyone to arrive. Severus gave him light pecks as he chased those luscious lips, and then they kissed deeply, with nothing to be heard but the intimate, wet noises their mouths made, his trembling body ensconced within the copious folds of Severus' deep forest robes, as if a forest was eating him alive.

A few moments later, as they parted and Severus waved his fingers to take the swelling off their lips, Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione emerged from the fireplace, coming directly from the Headmaster's office. After a quick spell to clean off the soot, Ron and Hermione hugged Harry and started asking him questions, worried but curious. In the meantime Severus, Remus and Sirius got to work with the first three books as Harry recounted his little adventure with Julius.

There were no words uttered when Harry finished his story. Both Ron and Hermione looked solemn and pensive. They both understood the stakes were higher now more than ever.

"Also, we were invited to this," Harry said, pointing at the miniature gold pyramid lying in the centre of the coffee table. He reached for it, having discovered that upon tapping it, bright orange letters emanated from the little golden figure, letters dancing and forming the invitation once again. Ron and Hermione read it in relative excitement.

"I'm guessing this is not the same as the International Diet of Magical Creatures, right?" Hermione asked, gathering her curly mass of hair up in a ponytail, which happened whenever she was about to use her brain to full capacity. Harry watched her silently, having a slight deja vú moment at her resolute look.

Not a few years ago they had done similar things to this, but in the secrecy of the library or the Gryffindor common room, with only the three of them and what he now considered limited: the repertoire of the school library, even with their illicit access to the forbidden section. Now, they were surrounded by really powerful wizards, all tall, formidable and dark, with an ample and vast pool of wisdom to lend a hand to their little tradition. Even then, Harry was proud to notice that Hermione was worth her weight in gold, looking tiny surrounded by all of them. She even looked small in comparison to him, even though Ron also towered over the both of them now.

"What do you know about the International Diet of Magical Creatures, Hermione?" asked Sirius, impressed but not surprised.

"Only that it's some sort of committee made by leaders of some communities of magical creatures, but it always seemed like a small association made to negotiate things with our governments, kind of like a front of sorts. The Diet doesn't even have representations for most magical creatures. This sounds like something of a major scale. I had actually read about the International II in a book I ordered on Arithmancy. It was, as expected, a tiny note in reference to the brand of ownership that made the elves slaves to wizards. It was at that event that the branding took place. The fae people had to ask for help from other communities, but no one wanted to take ownership. Only the humans did." She frowned at this, as if disgusted by her own species.

"Still, the book mentioned some leaders of those communities and how they helped with the branding. I don't know how they did that. There was no mention of it. I do remember that the note was about an equation on focus and concentration, the one that helped calculate the ideal quantity for belladonna and acromantula eggs for Felix Felicis, the "luck" potion. Subjects in the development of that potion died until someone figured out the exact order and quantity needed in the potion. Of course, up until Professor Snape also modified it. Who knew that mixing the belladona with a droplet of fae tears could decrease the amount of secondary effects. How did you come up with that, professor?"

The five of them looked at her in astonishment, which made her fidget a little. Severus was the one to recover first, looking pleased at her knowledge.

"And how did you know I made a variation of it when it's on the curriculum for your sixth year?" He asked, raising a dark full brow.

Hermione shrugged, nonchalant. "I just did some light reading and saw the new edition of the book the sixth years are using now, the footnote had your contribution to the new formula."

Sirius gaped at her, while everyone else looked fondly at her apart from Severus, who nodded in deep approval.

"Hey, Harry! Why don't you take it and see what happens? It can't hurt to try it out at this point, can it?" Ron suddenly exclaimed, blue eyes so bright and guileless.

Remus shook his head, smiling a sad smile in reparation, seeing the three wide eyed youths gasp like it was the most brilliant and simple idea, like they were almost stupid to not have thought of it before. Hermione, seeing his expression, immediately went into a thinking mood, reaching the same conclusion he was just about to voice.

"I'm guessing there is a limit to what the potion can do within situations like this then."

"Yes. It is indeed well known that the potion has its limits," Severus said. "And that's for a purpose too. The original formula only worked on elves because they were the test subjects, as it was made shortly after they were branded, and a lot of experimental potions and spells were tried on them after that before the Act against Magical Creatures was signed some fifty years later. It's paradoxical, the whole ordeal, because a lot of people were expecting to take advantage of their elves' luck under the potion. As expected, only the user is lucky when using it, so a few elves regained their freedom doing things that made their owners set them free by accident. Human trials started shortly after with incredible results, as in, the extent of what the potion could do was quite long. But all human test subjects died exactly six days later from their magical core suddenly dying out, but in a way so fast and so implosive all the victims died of spontaneous combustion. There was a lot of unrest at that time, as people, especially noblemen, were ready to sacrifice their whole lives to strategize and plan against rival families and clans. After that it was banned and the authorities back then did a pretty good job at getting rid of all copies. I believe the only original copy remains in a temple deep within the pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico, taken care of by several impenetrable wards and a Quetzalcoalt. The version we all know today that you referenced was invented by Zygmunt Budge, who had access to the original recipe because his master was a revered and highly lauded Potions Master and Healer from Belize, Elaine Chanecka."

Harry opened his mouth, to which everyone looked at him and unanimously yelled "NO."

"You guys don't even know what I wanted to say!"

"You want to go get the formula, get Severus to brew it and drink it thinking it won't do anything to you," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I actually wanted to drink the normal version and go get that original recipe in case Voldemort does have the idea to drink it himself." Harry shrugged to which all of them snapped their mouths shut in astonishment.

Severus, who was the only one that had remained stoic and silent, pursed his mouth.

"Of all the tools Voldemort has at his disposal with the Books Of Dark, I doubt he would think about the original Felix Felicis unless it's described in one of the books. But even if he did, I would think he discarded the idea pretty quickly. None of his actions so far have been successful in the way he would have wanted to, either way. As far as we can ascertain, either he doesn't know or he also fears it might kill him too. If the latter were the case, that means there are still remnants of his humanity inside him."

"But what if-"

"We already have a lot on our plates, Harry. I don't negate the idea of you taking the normal version of course, as that wouldn't hurt to try and I already have a batch made. But if you take it, I think you can focus your energy elsewhere."

"Well then, whatever I feel after taking it, it might be a pretty good idea to see it through, right?"

Severus looked at him deadpan and then rolled his eyes with a small smile etched on his lips.

"I guess so," he acquiesced, knowing how repetitive he was sounding, asking Harry yet again to focus on something else. Maybe, like with Julius, Harry ended up being right.

"How does the potion work exactly?" asked Ron, a little excited himself, looking like he was seeing if he could get his hands on a dose too.

"The potion itself is not luck per se, but rather a way to connect your subconscious with your consciousness." Severus was using his teaching voice again. "Neuroscience, a Muggle branch of science pertaining to the brain, has this theory that we store and file ninety five percent of the stimulus we are subjected to in our subconsciousness, and it is correct. The potion creates a path by taking the reserves of lysergic acid diethylamide we have in our brain and multiplies it, ten times the dose we produce when we dream, and it brings forth the data stored away, 'connects' it to the 5% we are conscious of. Under the effects, people have reported that they just 'feel' and 'know' what they have to do at the right time. To say it is limited is a fallacy, because our brain does store an immense amount of information that we do not have access to normally, but it is not infinite because it still only navigates the things our brain has knowledge of. The original version would not only do that, but bend certain natural laws of magic, especially when it came to the will of other people. It was like a more liquid, volatile and explosive version of the Imperius Curse, a dark curse meant to control the mind of a person and make them subject to the caster's will. That's also one of the reasons the treaty to protect magical creatures from torture came into being so 'quickly' despite pushback from all the owners of that era. All of the elves that tried the potion only did things to get free and not one human or any other magical creature came into harm, despite the Elves having stronger and bigger magical cores than Wizardkind, and obviously capable of more harm than us with under the effects of the potion."

Severus turned to Harry imperiously.

"There are some things that worry me about this potion, Harry."

He stood up from his place in the loveseat and signalled for all of them to accompany him. They all stood up and trailed after him like ducklings. As they entered his office and then his lab, Harry was instantly assaulted by the smell of recently cut wood, masculine shaving cream and earthy potion ingredients, like roasted sweet potatoes, bay leaves and something metallic. It was delicious, heavenly – the very essence of Severus that Harry couldn't help but give a small yelp at this observation, gaze zeroing in on the man at once.

Severus looked back at him sharply, resulting in a thousand silent words travelling along Harry's nerves and tattooing his skin. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and he looked down, clearing his throat.

Behind him, Remus grinned and nudged Sirius, who was in the middle of rolling his eyes so far back in his skull one would think they got stuck for a moment there, smirking reluctantly after Remus ruffled his hair and touched the lobe of his ear with the tip of his nose, knowing Remus smelled him in the room. Hermione, seeing two cauldrons simmering away at the back of the room and recognising the potion fumes from one of them, while at the same time getting a strong whiff of Ron's scent, smiled cheerily at Harry and then at Ron. The latter went close to her to sniff her, as if surprised that she all of a sudden smelled so strongly in the room.

No one said anything at Harry's outburst, because just as Hermione was about to explain why, and then refraining from it for some reason, Severus had waved his wand and muttered a slight incantation that almost sounded like a song. The table in the middle of the lab rose slowly to reveal another table, this one made of solid steel with a tray of several potions in several glass vials, and even a few metallic and wooden ones. He plucked a round glass container of what looked to be liquid gold, shiny, almost sparkly. It seemed to be dancing merrily in the container.

"As I said, there are some things that worry me about this potion, Harry."

"The worst that can happen is that it doesn't do much for me, right?"Harry asked, looking at everyone in turn.

"That's not the problem, Harry. That can happen, yes but… there is also a possibility that it works way too much too," Remus said.

"Exactly," Severus agreed, "The reason the potion is so dangerous is not only because it is extremely volatile if done wrong, or that it is poisonous to a certain extent, it multiplies the quantity of the acid I told you about, which we produce in small doses when we are asleep and we dream. In its man-made form, this acid is known in the Muggle world as a potent psychotropic drug and something tells me your brain will be very sensitive to it, knowing the way your brain works is also potentiated by your power."

Harry felt oddly secure in Severus' observation. He didn't know if it was because the scent of him almost made a cocoon of safety around him or if it was again, one of those weird but increasing moments of otherworldly consciousness.

"I think I'll be okay," he said in a quiet voice he had come to recognise in himself as his 'Kingly' voice and not his normal uncertainty didn't dissipate from his audience's gazes, but they knew enough to perceive something else in his own.

Harry couldn't yet get accustomed to that.

0-0-0-0

They made their way back to the living room and sat down again. Severus noted with amusement that Harry sat close to him, their sides touching.

"I advise that you take a third of the whole dose and see where it goes from there," Severus said, pouring the golden liquid onto a smaller glass summoned from the lab.

"Won't it do something if not taken correctly? As in, the whole dose?"

"Adequate question, considering," Severus smirked, feeling an elbow poke his side, "but alas, no. If you take a third of the dose it simply means that the effect will last four hours instead of the twelve it lasts when taken whole. I would rather deal with any potentially dangerous side effects for four hours rather than twelve," he said, contrite.

"I'll be okay," Harry repeated, looking ahead and nodding towards something. He then took the glass from Severus and gulped it down without any preamble.

Severus' eyes widened at Harry's hastiness and everyone tensed up, ready for an explosion, for an otherworldly manifestation, for the Shadows, anything.

Nothing happened.

"When is it supposed to start working?" Harry asked, looking down at himself, almost like he was expecting to glow or bleed or explode.

"A minute. As you know, most potions work almost instantly, but this is not quite a normal potion," Severus answered, voice tense and hand going almost instantly towards Harry's knee, half expecting him to float away into the universe.

Then Harry bent backwards suddenly, eyes white, head thumping on the back of the sofa and torso coming up as his arms tensed. One of his hands, as if retaining his will, grabbed Severus' hand, gold specks of light enveloping him rapidly and engulfing Severus.

0-0-0-0

Everyone shouted, reaching for them before they popped out of existence, the air surrounding them moving so fast that a resounding BANG! was heard, tearing at their eardrums and making them bleed. The implosion of air rattled the whole room and extinguished the flames, leaving them in complete darkness, not without blinding them first with another explosion of gold light, leaving sparks behind from where Harry and Severus just were milliseconds before.

"Harry! Severus!"

Remus managed to bring life to the fire again, his ears ringing and wet, seeing everyone else with their bloodstained fingers over their ears and mouths open, faces twisted in distress

He felt disoriented, looking sideways as he felt Sirius touch his hand and leave a red imprint on it. Sirius said something and he shook his head.

"I can't hear anything!" He said even though he knew it would go unheard.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Harry felt pain, but it was a unique pain, localized. It was strange too, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He felt shy, tingly, afraid but elated. His heart soared, his whole soul was lifted. The pain transformed and he gasped, his exhale made a giant bubble of air come out and pop at the surface, where it transformed into a rose. A strand of black hair touched him, while warm hands grabbed at his hips.

He cried. In liberation, in freedom, in solace.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Severus' hair whipped about as he tried, and failed, to make sense of how they were moving through space, hands grabbing Harry's lax body and embracing him, ready for impact. The entire tunnel they were passing through looked like it was pulsing, watery, and just as he extended one hand to touch it, his feet touched the grass beneath, a wave of golden water drenching them entirely along with the grass beneath. Wind ruffled their hair and clothes, and a strange, guttural roar raised goosebumps on his skin. He raised his eyes, encountering giant emerald orbs and pearly white teeth in the form of a monumental snarl. The body inside his embrace moved, as if on automatic, giant emerald orbs looking at another pair. The Quetzalcoatl closed its mouth and lowered its head in reverence.

"Ajaw," a voice like thunder announced, just as Harry's body went lax.

That great mouth opened again, and Severus didn't even have time for his eyes to widen when another great roar exploded in his ears as a giant ball of blue flames enveloped them.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was scorching, painful, destructive as it was blinding.

And then it stopped.

He blinked, as he lay on the ground with Harry on top of him, his arms, tense like steel, still clung onto the smaller body. The Quetzalcoatl exhaled a big puff of hot air, but the tone of it felt like it was chuckling.

Several guards trotted towards them and knelt in a circle around their bodies.

"Ajaw Harry Potter and Grand Potions Master Severus Snape,"

-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Thanks for everything, Itzel," Harry heard Severus voice say and then a heavy wooden door closing. He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying almost level to the surface of the floor, made of a stone of a beautiful green colour. Two black boots came into sight and his gaze travelled all the way up to Severus' face, who looked at him with exasperated affection.

"Your shenanigans, I must say, have been recurrently successful, and this time is no exception."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?"

"On the contrary, I am delighted at the sudden trip." Severus sat down beside him, and Harry had a chance to look at the room they were in. It was made of the same stone, with furniture of heavy wood with a lot of intricate details, edged in gold.

"We appeared on the grass outside the temple of Chichen Itza, right on the face of the Quetzalcoatl. You were awake by then, looked at me with a smile, and then fainted in my arms. The Quetzalcoatl breathed fire onto us and, as I had been rusty with knowledge about these wonderful creatures, I thought we were about to die. It turned out we were just being cleansed. I didn't waste time and told the guards quickly of your suspicions. Indeed, the original copy was first stolen by Gindelwald almost a century ago and they had just finished a negotiation with the German Ministry of Magic to return it. It arrived here and was deposited at its original resting place just five minutes before our grand arrival. You were out for about half an hour. Do you feel anything?"

"I do feel something," Harry chuckled, scratching his head. He felt… oddly energized, maybe a little giddy. But only a little, like that first time he had tried Firewhiskey, tiptoeing between relaxed and tipsy. He felt like he was seeing things through some sort of fuzzy lenses, but at the same time he felt resolute. It wasn't so much that a voice was telling him to do something, in fact, he didn't feel much different from the hunches and inklings he has been feeling lately. Just that they were more obvious.

"Did you say anything to them?"

"Only that we should be alerted if anything happens. Maybe we should head back and if anything happens… well, it's easier now to travel long distances… You do know the Quetzalcoalt is inside the innermost ward of the grounds, right? You bypassed wards that have been here for longer than Hogwarts'. He also recognised you right away and bowed down."

Harry hadn't heard Severus speak with such reluctance before. It wasn't apparent to the normal eye, but he was starting to pick up on subtle differences.

"Isn't the Temple of Chichen Itza a tourist attraction?" he asked instead, fingers making his up to Severus' nearest hand and holding it, scooching over so that their side were plastered over each other, messy head reading on a shoulder. He felt more touchy-feely, like he wanted to touch Severus, crawl inside him and fuse with him, and found to his pleasure that he could, almost, at least. He knew he liked Severus very much, but he still felt at odds with himself, as if he didn't have the permission to. It was almost as if the potion, instead of telling him what to do, gave him permission to just do, without thinking much about it.

"Yes, but the ones the Muggles see is a replica a few hundred meters away from here. It is enchanted for them to see it as if it is right where we are, given that it was also built with very precise astronomical coordinates," Severus explained, his teaching voice coming out automatically.

Harry jumped up, startling Severus a bit. He turned to the door and jogged towards it.

"I have an idea but it's just a little detour."

"So the potion is working?"

"Yeah, I think I feel the things you described. Stay here."

Harry found Itzel just outside the door and asked her about the Temple. It served as a place of cleansing and a safety vault for some of the most famous and dangerous artifacts in the world.

"We have an intricate tunnelway surrounding underground cenotes that have been protected by the Magical Mexican Government for three thousand years. And just like the temple you were in a few weeks ago, the water in these cenotes have cleansing and healing properties. The difference in these is that they can also be used in Sex Magic at weddings for dignitaries and aristocrats, as to enhance the spells they perform when doing tandem magic. Most of these don't work much though, as most of those couples were not soulmates," Itzel said, with a glint in her eye.

Really, it was wild how information about his whereabouts was so well known it even reached the other side of the planet.

Was it any wonder that Voldemort always seemed to know where he was? If it wasn't for his almost supernatural powers it might as well be because of the gossip.

"Would it be possible to make an appointment to get into one of those?"

"There are only four cenotes and have been already reserved for the next three years, but I'm sure we can make accommodations for Your Majesty."

Harry cringed, embarrassed at being given these kinds of benefits just for being King, yet still grateful for the opportunity.

"Let me make some calls and one of the cenotes will be all yours in about fifteen minutes." With a brisk walk, Itzel disappeared down the hallway, flowing clothes sparkling just like Dumbledore's.

Harry went back to the room, encountering a splash of onyx in the form of Severus sitting perfectly still in the center of the bed, bare white feet closed at the ankles. His skin seemed to glow with the oranges and greens from the green stone and the giant fireplace opposite him. The giddiness in Harry wavered, assaulted by something much more tender and powerful. Quiet yet… intimidating.

"We have fifteen minutes," was all he said, gulping. Severus looked at him with somber brown eyes.

Harry walked over until his feet touched the corner of the bed. He knelt down, moving on all fours and then arranging himself so that he sat on Severus' upper thighs, arms sliding up, embracing a slender long neck.

"I feel like the potion is not telling me what to do exactly, but rather… just inviting me to do,"he said quietly. "Almost like a nudge to just let go of all fears. I don't feel much different to how I've been feeling lately."

Severus nodded his assent, his own arms having found his way to Harry's waist, "What with all the inklings 'and stuff'" he enthused, in poor imitation of Harry's own way of talking.

Harry grinned at him, one playful hand pinching a soft, thin cheek. He cupped said cheek and close the gap between them, peppering Severus's cheeks with soft kisses, each one a little slower and deeper as he neared Severus' mouth. Severus did nothing but clench Harry tighter to him, only his face tilting sideways as their lips aligned, the kiss gaining a headier and more decadent feeling.

A few moments later, as Severus' hands slithered down to grab at his arse to pull him even closer, Harry broke the kiss, trembling.

"Are you ready?" he asked, gulping. Feeling stupid about it. Severus smirked, but the feeling didn't reach his eyes. His eyes still held that somberness in them. If Harry was the Harry of a few months ago, he would have felt affronted and insecure. Now, he felt that Severus showed those emotions not because he was disinterested, but because he knew this was monumental.

Neither of them had said anything, yet both knew what was about to happen.

Severus could have asked him 'Are you ready?' but instead he nodded, eyes striking, deep and endless. Harry was happy to drown in them and never surface again.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! We hope this was worth the wait. Please feel free to guess at what's going to happen and why, but even if you don't, please say something in a review to ease our minds. It would be much, much appreciated :)