A/N 2: There is slash in this part, just a little. Sorry to those who wanted more than this, you'll have to wait for it. It's just a little taste of hopefully what's to come *grins maliciously*. If you don't like slash, feel free to leave.
A/N 3: I'm about to start the new term at college on Monday, so I probably won't update until Wednesday or Thursday. Since that is the case, I'm posting this chapter and chapter twelve as well. Until then!
Muchos gracias to Nagini, Mornie, Dynast's Girl, Reaper, tracev, Caster, izean, Smart Ash, Raven-eyes and all my other reviewers. The feedback is greatly appreciated.
Don't worry Dynast's Girl...Sev's ass has not been forgotten. We'll get plenty of views of it, I promise.
*Three days later*
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Harry was once again inside a large dark room, the only light coming from candles stationed along the walls of the room. Harry started toward the light, but was stopped by two hands that grabbed him firmly around the waist. Harry panicked and started to struggle, but the hands only held on tighter. Harry looked down and realized he was naked.
/How...?/ Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a low, dangerous voice.
"Going somewhere, Mr. Potter?" the silky, familiar voice asked. Harry instantly melted into the body that pressed itself against his back. Harry shifted his head to look back into deep onyx pools, drowning in their depths.
"Severus," he whispered as his captor started placing feathery kisses along his jaw line.
Harry raised his arms and wrapped themselves around Severus' neck, pulling him closer. Severus nibbled his way down to the base of Harry's neck searching for the pulsating vein. "God, Sev!" Harry moaned as Severus sucked hard at the base of his neck, as if marking his territory. Harry arched up into the hands that were traveling languidly up and down Harry's body, exploring every inch of his torso. Harry whimpered as Severus tweaked and pulled his pink nipples into painfully hard little peaks.
Suddenly, Severus let go, backing away, and Harry growled in protest. Harry turned around and stared, disbelieving, as Severus gracefully dropped to his knees in front of him, reaching for him.
Severus looked up into Harry's eyes and smiled. He pulled Harry's body closer, one hand massaging Harry's ass, the other holding the base of Harry's cock. He licked the pearl of liquid pooling on the tip of Harry's cock, chuckling at Harry's pleasure-filled moan. Harry's lust-filled eyes watched as Severus slowly trailed his tongue up and down the underside of his shaft. Severus took the tip of Harry's cock into his mouth, sucked gently, grinning as a small mewling sound emanated from Harry's throat. He slowly traced the rim with his tongue. A finger of the hand that had been massaging Harry's backside trailed lightly down his crease, searching, finding and then massaging Harry's tight entrance in a slow, agonizing circular motion. Harry leaned his head back and screamed incoherently, his hips bucking instinctively as Severus' mouth enveloped him fully in the warm, moist heat of his mouth...
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Harry shot up in bed, gasping for air.
"Oh, shit! Why the hell did I have to wake up?" Harry mumbled to himself, flopping back onto his pillows. He fumbled for his glasses and put them on. He looked at the clock.
"Six o'clock. Wonderful," Harry muttered, throwing off the blankets. He carefully shifted his throbbing erection and stood up. He stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He stripped off his pajama bottoms, and tossed his glasses onto the counter.
"My, my, somebody's awfully perky this morning. Things looking up? It's always a good thing when one rises to the occasion!"
"Sod off!" Harry yelled, glaring at his reflection. "Stupid mirror," Harry grumbled, stepping into the shower, yawning.
Harry took care of his arousal first thing, otherwise he wouldn't be able to function properly all day. He gripped his cock firmly and came after only a few strokes. He recovered quickly and finished showering.
Harry started humming to himself as he dried off, attempting to lift his own spirits. The dream had been bloody brilliant and had seemed quite real, but in the clear light of day, it only accentuated Harry's problem.
Harry wanted Severus, he knew that much. He simply didn't know how to go about it. He wasn't experienced at all in the fine art of seduction, Fred being the only openly gay man he knew, and he didn't have a clue where to start.
What he needed was an accomplice, someone to help him snag the Potions master, but that was obviously out of the question. Who would he ask? Ron? Good god, no! Hermione? Sure, if he wanted a ten-hour lecture on the impropriety of a student-teacher relationship. Dumbledore? Harry instinctively knew Albus Dumbledore would not have a problem with a relationship between him and Severus; he'd probably even encourage it, as long as it didn't interfere with Harry's learning or Severus' teaching. In fact, knowing Dumbledore, he probably already knew that Harry was having impure thoughts about his potions teacher. That wasn't the problem. He'd just give him a knowing twinkle, a cryptic message and send him on his way, even more confused than he was before. Sirius? Worse than Ron. Harry shuddered at the thought. Remus? Nope. Too close to Sirius. He'd end up telling Sirius in a valiant attempt to save Harry from himself, and Harry really needed Severus alive and healthy for what he was planning. Hagrid? He'd want to see Harry happy no matter what, but he'd spill his guts without meaning to. There was no one.
/Well, first things first,/ Harry thought. /Until I can figure it out, I can make sure he notices me!/
Harry trotted to the closet and selected a pair of leather pants and a white, sheer long-sleeved shirt. Harry dressed, adding his boots to the ensemble. He went to the bathroom and put on his contacts, then tackled his wild hair. Once it was tangle-free and blown dry, he shook his head, his hair flying in all the usual directions. His unruly hair suited him well, and he knew it was an asset and not a detriment. He looked into the mirror, ignoring the wolf-like whistles emanating from it and smiled. He knew he looked good, if still too thin, and he liked the way his chest could be seen through the sheer fabric of the shirt. He blew a kiss at his reflection, a very un-Harry thing to do, and waltzed out of the room.
Harry bounded down the corridor and staircase. He slowed once he neared the dining room, so that he wouldn't appear too terribly eager. He casually sauntered into the dining room (in case Severus had already shown up) and stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes bulged as he took in the sight of the blond-haired boy sitting in his usual seat. Silver eyes looked up and widened in shock.
"You!" Harry said.
Draco jumped up. "What are you doing here, Potter?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Malfoy."
"If you'll both shut up and sit down, I'll answer the question," Severus growled as he walked into the dining room, glaring at both boys.
Harry and Draco knew that Severus was not a morning person, or at least he wasn't before his morning cup of coffee, and shouldn't be pushed when he was in this mood. They sat down quickly and shut their mouths.
"Harry, quit glaring at Draco. Draco, put your eyes back in their sockets," Severus snapped, sitting down in his customary seat and pouring a cup of much-needed coffee. "You two look like a couple of idiots."
Severus drank down his coffee, sighed contentedly, and poured himself another cup. "Now, Draco, Harry is here because the media is conducting a "Man Who Killed Voldemort" manhunt. They're now offering 500 galleons to anyone whom discloses his whereabouts. If you so much as utter a word of his whereabouts, Draco, I'll hang you up by your ankles every night for an hour during your sixth year." Draco nodded, cringing because he knew Severus would do it, if pushed just the right amount.
"They've put a price on my head?" Harry asked angrily.
"So it seems. This is the last place they'll look for him, Draco. I invited him to stay here because he needed a break. You know all about what happened." Severus looked at Harry. "Harry, Draco is here because his mother threw him out last night after Lucius was sentenced to Azkaban until his death. Draco is my nephew. Narcissa is my half-sister. Narcissa is a very vain and shallow old bat who loves no one but herself. This is Draco's home now. And Draco, this is Harry's home, for as long as he wants to stay. I fully expect the two of you to get over yourselves and learn to live with each other. I think the two of you owe me that at least. Between the two of you, you've scared away most of my remaining years. I would like to keep the rest, as few as those may be." Severus then opened the morning's edition of The Daily Prophet.
Draco gave Harry a conspiratorial smile, mouthing a few words to Harry. Harry caught the intention and nodded. The two simultaneously sneered, "Yes, Uncle Sevvie."
Severus dropped the paper and slammed down his coffee cup, glaring at the two blurs that were dashing through the door. * * * *
Harry and Draco dashed into the music room, giggling madly.
"Oh, we are so going to pay for that," Draco said. "Uncle Severus hates when I call him that."
"I have a feeling you're going to have company every night this year. We'll both be hanging up by our ankles." This sent them both off into another fit of giggles.
Harry composed himself and sat down at the piano. He started flitting his hands across the keys, trying to think of something to say to his new housemate. He didn't know how to react to Draco outside of their positions as enemies, and that relationship was not an option in this house. He looked over at Draco and saw that the man had the same problem. He sighed and absently started to play Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata', not really thinking of what he was playing.
"God, Potter, do you have to play something so bloody somber?"
Harry smirked and abruptly changed pace, playing Joplin's 'The Entertainer'. "Better?" he sneered.
"Somewhat," Draco replied, completely unaffected by Harry's tone.
"So what are we supposed to do now, other than be united in fear of your uncle?"
"How should I know, Potter?" Draco spat, walking up to the piano and leaning against it, watching Harry's hands move across the keys with graceful ease. "I never could manage to learn how to play. But then, my father thought it was a waste of time. He refused to let me take lessons. He even went so far as to remove the piano from the house."
"Well, since you're here now, you could learn. I'm sure Severus would be happy to teach you."
Draco shrugged. "I guess. I'll worry about that later. I'm going upstairs to work on my Muggle studies homework. I don't think I'm brave enough to face the dining room again."
Harry finished the song and looked up. "I know what you mean. I think I'll sneak down for something in a little while. Who'd you pick for your authors?"
"Tolkien, Tolstoy, and Stephen King."
"Do you have any of the books already?"
"I have the King and Tolstoy books. King is my favorite author and I have all his books. Uncle Severus has tons of crap on Tolstoy. He's one of his favorite authors. I just need to buy the Tolkien books."
"Don't bother. I'm doing him as well. You can use my books. I have all his works. Just let me know when you need them," Harry said, starting to play 'Out of Tears'. He missed the look of surprise on Draco's face.
"Okay, thanks." Draco walked towards the door. When he reached it, he turned around. "Hey, Potter."
"Yeah, Malfoy?"
"You sent my father to Azkaban."
Harry sighed heavily. "I know."
"Thanks."
Harry looked up, surprised, but Draco was already gone. Neither one noticed the black eyes staring at them from the door across the hallway.
* * * *
Harry spent most of the afternoon reading. He had finished The Hobbit and was now on to The Fellowship of the Ring. He was in the middle of the chapter 'The Council of Elrond'. He had just finished reading Boromir's protests about destroying the One Ring when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up to see Severus standing there.
"What's up, Sev?" Harry asked curiously, watching Severus walk towards him.
"I wanted to talk to you for a moment, about Draco. I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"No, of course not. Just doing a little reading for my essay. It's time I took a break." Harry sat up and patted the sofa cushion invitingly. Severus sat down next to him.
"I overheard the end of your conversation in the music room this morning." He sent a slight glare Harry's way as Harry tried to hide a snicker.
Harry gave up and gave Severus a cheeky grin. "Oh. I guess you were on your way to wring our necks."
Severus sneered. "It did cross my mind, however, I thought better of it. I'm pretty sure you are wondering why he would thank you for sending his own father to a hellhole like Azkaban."
Harry's mood darkened and became more subdued as he thought of the morning's conversation. "The thought did cross my mind, but I've never understood what motivates Mal-, Draco."
"Mmm. I'll tell you something, but it will not go out of this room, or I'll cast the Cruciatus on you myself. I don't want Weasley holding this over the head of my nephew."
Harry nodded, knowing full well that Severus was serious. "I understand. I won't say a word." Harry wondered vaguely why Sev had mentioned Ron's name.
"Very well. I'm trusting in you, Harry. Don't make me regret this." Severus looked at his hands. "You remember how much I hated Lucius?"
"Yes. I've heard you curse that man's name more than anyone I have ever seen. Lots more times than you know about." Harry, in his fifth year, had been privy to many meetings between Severus, Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid and Sirius, in an attempt to gain some advantage over Voldemort. He had also heard a lot more while making full use of his father's invisibility cloak.
Severus smirked, knowing exactly what Harry was referring to. Since Harry hadn't broken into tears at the thought of the cloak, Severus took it as a good sign and continued, looking down at his hands. "That man was a sadistic bastard. He was mean and violent, nearly as bad as Voldemort. Lucius despised everyone and everything. The only reason he married Narcissa was to produce an heir. Once Draco was born, Lucius and Narcissa were done with each other, staying together only for status and politics. Neither of them loved Draco, leaving him to be raised by the house elves. They wanted nothing to do with him. When he was older, they only noticed him when they felt he needed to be screamed at or berated, or when he was needed for some political reasons. I won't go into details, but he suffered physical and emotional abuse consistently."
Severus paused, thinking for a moment. He glanced at Harry before looking down again. "There was another reason I've been so hard on you. I didn't tell you earlier, because it had to do with Draco; since it has to do with all this, I think it's only fitting you know. Lucius knew that you would be in Draco's year. When Draco left home to go to Hogwarts, he was given implicit instructions to befriend you. It didn't work, as you well know. That night, after the feast, Draco came to my room hysterical. He told me you had turned down his efforts, and he was terrified. He worried about it all year. He knew what was coming. Lucius, of course, wouldn't do anything at Christmas, knowing that Draco would have to return to Hogwarts soon. He took great pleasure in threatening Draco with what was to come. At the end of the year, he spent his last night at Hogwarts crying in my arms. I tried to get Lucius to let me bring Draco here, but he wouldn't have it. When he got home that summer, he suffered the Cruciatus curse for the first time. He was also beaten several times over that summer, and the summers following."
Severus looked up and was surprised to see tears streaming down Harry's face. "Oh, god. I didn't know. I'm so sorry. Oh, Merlin, he was so small."
Severus sat next to Harry and put his arm around him. Harry leaned into him and laid his head on Severus shoulder, crying softly. "It's not your fault. I didn't tell you this for you to feel guilty. There was no way you could have known, and what happened wasn't your fault. The next year Draco was given orders to hurt and annoy you in any way possible, to foil any efforts you made against Voldemort. Draco was simply too terrified of his father to do anything but what he asked. Thus the basis of the relationship between you two."
Harry looked at him. "I'm still sorry. Really. I didn't want him to be hurt. I don't know what to say. God, even life with the Dursleys wasn't that bad. They may have locked me in a cupboard and half-starved me, but god, the Cruciatus on a twelve-year-old?"
"I know. I told you this, because I wanted you to understand something of Draco. You two are really very much alike, and if you two can possibly give each other a chance, I think you can become friends. This coming year you two will need each other."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning there are several students who are not nearly as happy to have their parent rotting away in Azkaban and several more who will not be very happy that Voldemort has been turned to ash. Draco was known as the ringleader of Slytherin, of the Death Eaters' children. He will be singled out, as will you. Draco has already received threatening letters from anonymous students, and he's not safe with the Slytherins. Many Slytherins did not find Voldemort appealing, and Draco will suffer the consequences, being the son of one of those that tried to kill you. This set of Slytherins may not like you, but they like the children of the Death Eaters even less. Now that Voldemort is gone, they have nothing to fear. All those who followed Voldemort will single you out, as well as Draco when they find out he thinks they're nothing but imbeciles. I think that you two could benefit from a friendship, looking out for each other."
"So you want Draco and I to try to be friends."
"Your astute level of intelligence astounds me, Mr. Potter," Severus sneered.
Harry pulled away from Severus and glared. "Oh, come on! We're not still on that 'Mr. Potter' crap, are we? And I wasn't asking, I was merely musing out loud, git!"
"Temper, temper. Now, what's this about a cupboard and starvation?"
Harry blushed. He hadn't told many about the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of his aunt and uncle. "Oh, er-...um, well..."
"You have excellent command of the English vocabulary as well, I see."
"Shut up!"
"Spit it out, Harry."
"I don't spit it out!" Harry said before he could stop himself, realizing too that Severus was not speaking of sexual references. He really should not sit so close to the man. It was just too distracting; after all, he was nearly sixteen, and hormones were raging constantly. He blushed a furious red as Severus hid a grin behind his hand. "That's...I didn't mean...oh, nevermind. Okay, you wanna know? For most of my life I lived in a cupboard underneath the stairs at the Dursleys, locked in much of the time, except for school and to do chores, stuff like that. I didn't have anything and never got very much to eat. Happy now?"
Severus looked astounded. "And Albus let you stay there?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know how much he really knew. I know he knew about the cupboard. My first Hogwarts letter was sent to me addressed 'The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. I never said anything to him, though."
"God, Harry, I'm sorry. I thought you were spoiled by them."
"No, their son was."
Severus hugged Harry, feeling guilty for some of the nastier thoughts he previously had about the young man. Not trusting himself to his emotions, he simply said, "Dinner's in an hour." Severus tousled Harry's hair and left.