 Snape choked on smoke and rolled over onto his side. What was happening? Were his rooms on fire? Wait… he wasn’t in his rooms, he was lying on grass with a tree root digging into his hip. Voldemort! Oh God, Harry! Snape heard a groan from his left and looked over. Harry Potter was crumpled against the base of an oak tree, cradling his head in his hands. “Potter… Harry, are you all right.” “Not really, but I think I’m alive. I don’t think death is supposed to hurt this much.” Snape scrambled over, wincing in pain; it felt like every inch of his body was bruised. “We’re alive. I think that means we won.” Harry looked up with shadowed eyes. “Voldemort?” Snape looked across the burnt clearing at the blackened figure lying on the ground. “Dead.” Harry gripped Snape’s arm. “Are you sure?” “AH!” Snape recoiled as hot burning pain ripped up his arm. “What? What’s wrong?” Harry pulled at Snape’s sleeve and uncovered an oozing burnt patch where Snape’s Deatheater mark had been. “Oh.” “Yes, oh. Voldemort’s dead all right.” “What about the other Dea… I mean, what about the Malfoys and the Deatheaters?” Snape realised Harry had lost his glasses and couldn’t see the burnt bodies lying around them. Circling one arm around Harry, Snape was glad. “Gone, Harry. We won.” “I suppose I should feel good about that.” Harry leaned in and laid his head on Snape’s shoulder. “Dumbledore and Sirius should be here soon, shouldn’t they?” “Yes, I think after the light show half the wizarding world will be here soon.” “My head hurts. Is… is my scar like your mark?” Snape gently brushed the hair back from Harry’s forehead and gasped. Harry winced. “Is it bad?” “No. It’s not burned: it’s white.” Harry lifted one shaking hand up to touch his forehead. “It feels different now. It still hurts, but not the same.” Harry paused. “I know a healing spell for your arm. I just need to find… my wand. My wand burned, didn’t it?” “Everything burned, Harry. Once you opened up that power… it was…” Snape stopped, realising he was shaking too. The memory of their combined power coursing through them, connecting them on an elemental level left him hot and cold and awed. Harry had gone very still. “I burned him to death, didn’t I?” “I… yes, I think so.” Snape held on tighter as Harry began to sob quietly into his chest. “Hush, hush. You didn’t have any choice. We didn’t have any choice.” “I know, I know. It hurts to know I’m a killer.” “You’re not a killer. You were a soldier in a war. A war we might have lost without you.” Harry made a sound that was very close to a hysterical giggle. “Was that a compliment?” “If it was please forgive me: I’m not at my best right now. I think I’m going to sleep for a week once I get back to Hogwarts.” “Me too.” Suddenly Harry jumped. “Oh God! I can’t: I have my NEWTs next week!” Snape threw back his head and laughed loudly and shockingly. “You just faced down Voldemort and a legion of Deatheaters and you’re worried about your exams?” Harry looked a little affronted. “Well, they’re important. If I want that research assistant post I need to get As in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Beasts.” “Potter, you could fail everything and you’d still have people falling over themselves to offer you jobs.” Harry stiffened. “If you don’t earn something, it’s not really yours.” Harry shivered. “I honestly didn’t think I’d live long enough to take my NEWTs.” “If it makes you feel any better, you aren’t even close to the worst student I’ve taught.” Harry wrapped his arms carefully around Snape and sighed. “It shouldn’t, but it does. Thank you.” “Everyone in your year was worked a little harder because we knew you’d have to stand up to Voldemort eventually. I think you’ll be surprised at how easy the NEWTS are after the sort of tests you’ve had to endure over the last two years.” “Oh God! You mean everyone’s homework was my fault?” “In a way.” “Do you think we could keep this a secret? I’d rather not be ripped limb from limb by my classmates.” Snape laughed again. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.” “That’s nice you know?” “What?” “You laughing. I never heard you laugh before.” “Relief, endorphins, whatever. I’ll be back to my usual self in the morning.” “Shame; I like you like this.” Harry shifted closer and Snape realised Harry was practically in his lap. He should move, but it felt so good to be alive and relatively unhurt and Harry made a rather nice lapful. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in thought, each exhausted, but too shocked by the night’s events to doze. Snape realised he was stroking Harry’s hair but couldn’t bring himself to stop. “Not that I didn’t like you before,” Harry said unexpectedly. “What?” “I said I liked you like this, but I liked you before too.” “You did?” “I’m a bit shy about that sort of thing.” “What sort of thing?” Harry tilted his head up and placed a light kiss on Snape’s lips. “That sort of thing.” Snape tried to tamp down the fire that lit up his senses at the touch of Harry’s lips. “That’s the endorphins again. Post battle adrenaline rush. And it’s a bad idea.” “The endorphins or the adrenaline or whatever just gave me the courage to do it. You’ve been my favourite wet dream for years.” Snape choked at the mental image of Harry in bed asleep, writhing in the grip of an erotic dream. “Don’t say things like that. It’s wrong.” “No it’s not. I can still feel the connection between us. I know how you feel. I know what you felt when we kissed.” Harry reached up and pulled Snape’s head down again and this time the kiss was deeper. Snape felt an echo of Harry’s arousal and pulled back. “No! I can’t… you’re just…” “I know what I’m doing and I’ve been legal for almost two years, Severus.” Harry said calmly. “Legal with anyone who isn’t your teacher.” “You aren’t my teacher any more. Or had you forgotten? I had my last potions class on Tuesday. I have a study week, two weeks of exams and then I won’t even be a Hogwart’s student.” The next kiss was almost desperate: two hurt and hurting men clinging together as if their lives depended on it. Snape pulled away again. “No, not like this.” Harry sighed. “Please…” “No, not like this. I don’t want us to start this surrounded by the charred corpses of our enemies.” Snape’s voice came out a lot harsher than he’d intended and Harry shrank back. “S… surrounded? I can’t see… my glasses are gone.” Snape looked over at the huddled lump that used to be Draco Malfoy. “Be glad you can’t see, Harry.” The air was suddenly filled with the clamouring sounds of wizards arriving. Snape felt Harry being pulled away from him and allowed himself to be guided to his feet. He heard Harry’s gasp of horror as he was lead through the burnt clearing before being apparated away, and finally let himself pass out. ~ Snape looked over at the clock on the mantelpiece in his rooms. Half an hour. Half an hour since the DADA exam had finished. Harry’s last exam. Shaking himself out of his daydream of green eyes and soft lips he turned back to the revised third year syllabus that wasn’t even close to distracting him. Half an hour. Dammit, he’s not coming. He didn’t say he’d come. He hasn’t said anything. What am I doing here? I could be in the lab, working on that new farseer potion… Snape jumped as his door opened without a knock. Harry walked in shyly, his face flushed and his hair damp from a shower. They stared at each other for a moment. “I didn’t think you’d…” “I hope you don’t mind…” Harry blushed and Snape coughed and they tried again. “I really meant to…” “I’m sorry I was so…” Snape scowled. “Dammit Potter…” And suddenly Harry was in his arms and it didn’t matter any more. Everything was good: there were soft lips and half-understood murmurs and a searing sexual heat. As they fell down on the bed Snape heard Harry whisper against his neck, “We won Severus. We won this.” The End
|