Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Marriage of Convenience	By : NinaSweets Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 159311 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 45
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters and places all belong to JK Rowling this is a not for profit story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Another chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen
Harry stood staring at his reflection. It wasn’t very different from what he usually saw but at the very same time Harry wasn’t quite sure he knew who was staring back at him. The boy in front of him looked scared. Harry wasn’t used to seeing that expression on his face and he hated it. Sure he got scared sometimes but this wasn’t that thrilling kind of scared that shooting toward the ground on a broom gave him. This was not a fear he was familiar with and he couldn’t stamp it down as easily as he wanted and it was driving him crazy. He hated jumping at the smallest sounds and waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. He hated following Snape around like a scared little puppy but it was the only time his heart rate lowered a little, the only time he felt a little less on edge. Snape was very good about it, in that he didn’t complain but he did give Harry a few choice glares letting him know he was being ridiculous.
Harry turned his eyes away from his reflection and instead focused on Snape’s. He was getting that look right now actually because he’d followed Snape into the bathroom. The man was less than impressed but he didn’t say anything so Harry stood beside him and brushed his teeth and washed his face.
The man was shaving his face with a practised ease ignoring Harry’s stare.
“Will you teach me to shave?” Harry asked.
“If you ever grow some facial hair,” Snape replied and Harry smiled at him.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Yes,” Snape said easily and Harry laughed.
“No, do you think I’m stupid for asking things like that? About the future,”
“No. Everyone does,”
“But not everyone is Harry Potter,” Harry said
“What a horrible world that would be,” Snape said and Harry simply stared at him hoping there was more.
“Back to this again are we?” Snape asked and Harry shrugged. He had been thinking about his death a lot the past few days and would often make comments like this making Snape sigh and reluctantly placate him.
“Potter, in the highly unlikely event your enviable luck runs out I will take a trip to Spain, buy the most expensive scotch in the world and spend the night with three very high class prostitutes because I will have inherited your 17.8 million Galleon fortune,”
“My what?”
“Potter,” Snape sighed, “Everyone dies. It is a very unfortunate fact of life. Sometimes people will die far too soon and others will certainly outstay their welcome. I, however, am unfortunately still alive and I rather not think about how much longer I have to put up with that fact. Go and discuss your mortality with your friends,” he went back to shaving and Harry leant against the sink knowing the topic was closed for now.
“Have you and Dumbledore had your secret meeting about me yet?” Harry asked quietly.
“If I told you it wouldn’t be secret would it?” Snape replied and Harry fell silent.
“I just want to know what we’re going to do,” Harry muttered.
“We?”
“Yes! We! I mean these past few days have been great but I will have to face the real world today. What do I say? Do I tell everyone the truth? Ruin their happy little bubbled lives with the horrible reality going on outside these castle walls? That the bogeyman really exists and his name is Voldemort? What do I do!? How am I supposed to act? People are going to expect me to do something aren’t they? They’ll expect me to be the Boy Who Lived again! I don’t think anyone really knows that it was a complete fluke! Mum isn’t around to throw herself in front of me again! I’m useless! I’m a fourteen-year-old useless excuse for a wizard and everyone is going to expect some champion, some stupid hero that I am not!” Harry cried.
“You’re not a child Potter. You are physically and often times mentally but emotionally you’re not. I do find that innocence terribly endearing when it does show up but we wouldn’t have lasted half as long as we have if you were well and truly fourteen at heart,” Snape said and Harry frowned.
“Albus would tell you to let him handle it; he’d protect you from whatever happens. He clings to the notion of giving you a normal childhood. That went out the window the second the Dark Lord murdered your parents,” Snape said.
“What would you tell me?”
“What I told you before the first task. You have the potential to be anything right now. You can turn yourself into the little media darling if you want to, you can ignore them and let them write whatever they want about you or you can be brutally honest and let everyone make up their own mind,” Snape said.
Harry sighed softly and then leant forward to hug the man.
“Potter if your intention is to get me to accidentally cut myself and then bleed to death you’re on the right track,” Snape said and Harry pulled away sheepishly. He reached out his arms instead and began to trace the bare chest before him. He’d seen it before, Snape didn’t sleep with a shirt on, but he hadn’t really ever had the chance to explore it before.
“Potter,” Snape said and Harry smiled at him but that didn’t stop his wandering hands.
It became a contest of wills, Snape determinedly ignoring Harry and Harry determined not to be ignored.
Harry won.
Snape accidentally cut his neck when some of Harry’s fingers got particularly adventurous slipping under the waist band of the man’s pants.
Harry felt bad and kissed the small cut ignoring the terrible taste of shaving cream. He pulled back and Snape smirked at him wiping his lips clean of the taste with a damp cloth.
He turned back to the sink and then washed his face clear of any remaining shaving cream before slapping on some aftershave. Harry pulled a face at the smell of it and Snape smirked.
“Thank you,” Harry said quietly.
“For?” Snape asked,
“This,” Harry said indicating between the two of them, “For letting me cling to you for the past few days. I realise it’s probably not exactly the way most, what did you call me? Emotionally mature? I realise that this probably isn’t very emotionally mature of me, so thanks for letting me do it,”
“Even adults sometimes just need a hug,”
“But not you?”
“Never me, I am above such things,” Snape said and Harry laughed again.
Snape leant down to kiss him and Harry eagerly returned it. His hands, which had stilled after he had caused the man to injure himself, were on the move again. He traced along the man’s thin chest memorising every little scar, every dip and curve.
“How adventurous are those wandering hands of yours feeling?” Snape asked and Harry shrugged.
“Uh... fairly?” he said uncertainly and Snape smirked.
He took hold of Harry’s hands and moved them from his chest to Harry’s. He then guided Harry’s hands up and down slowly and carefully.
Harry stared at him curiously and Snape stared right back that smirk still there.
“Have you ever masturbated?” Snape asked.
Harry stilled both their hands.
“What?”
“It’s a simple question,” Snape said
“I... I am not answering that,” Harry muttered awkwardly.
“So yes,” Snape said and Harry stared at him in shock.
“Do you remember what felt good?” Snape asked. “Do you go quickly? Just desperate and fumbling and harsh tugging? Or do you go slowly? Just feeling, learning every ridge and vein that is uniquely yours? Teasing yourself? Do you like to teeter on the brink until one little touch is enough to send you over? Perhaps you let your fantasies do all the work? Who do you think about? What gets you going Harry? Tell me, show me,”
Harry stood gaping at him.
“Show me,” Snape repeated.
“I... what? Like... right now?” Harry asked. Snape nodded and Harry blushed furiously and looked down.
“I... I’m... it’s... I... rush...so I don’t... I don’t...” Harry mumbled but Snape heard him.
“You often go for the quick tug in the shower in the hopes I won’t realise what you’re doing in there,” Snape said and Harry blushed darker but nodded. “You do realise I know though,”
“What?!” Harry cried feeling mortified.
“You’re as subtle as a Hippogriff in an apothecary Potter, and about just as quiet,” Snape said and Harry hid his bright red face in his hands.
“Oh,” Harry muttered feeling very awkward now. Snape pulled him into a hug.
“You’re so easily embarrassed,”
“Yeah how odd that I get embarrassed about discussing my showering habits with a teacher,”
“You still think of me like that?” Snape asked and Harry shrugged in reply.
“Well, it’s kind of hot hooking up with the teacher isn’t it?” Harry said and Snape raised an eyebrow.
“Is that what you fantasise about?”
“What? No I mean it’s that stereotype right?”
“Is this why you are always so distracted in my classes?”
“No! It’s a boring subject!”
“You’re a filthy pervert Potter,” Snape said and Harry could only splutter indignantly. “You want to be punished don’t you?” Snape asked and Harry laughed a little at the absurdity of the statement.
“Yes Professor, I’ve been so bad,” Harry said playfully.
Snape surprised him by smacking his arse. Hard.
“Ow!”
Snape spanked him again and Harry jolted with a gasp.
“The boy doth protest too much,” Snape smirked and Harry glared at him rubbing his sore arse.
Snape lent down to kiss him again and Harry wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders. This was safe territory that hopefully wouldn’t lead to any more conversations about masturbating.
Snape cupped Harry’s arse and hefted him up onto the counter. He spread Harry’s legs and came to stand in between them, encouraging Harry’s legs to wrap around his hips. Harry shuffled forward with a few well placed thrusts until he was right up against the man.
Snape responded with a few thrusts of his own that had Harry gasping. Snape’s hands slid under Harry’s shirt and Harry pulled away slightly.
“Cold,” Harry explained not bothering to pull his mouth away from the kiss properly so his words slurred a little.
Snape responded by moving his cold hands up higher making Harry squirm. He pulled away to take off Harry’s shirt but he was back in mere moments and they were kissing once more. Snape’s hands roamed Harry’s bare torso, fingers spread to caress and stroke. They moved up to lightly rub over Harry’s nipples, flicking and teasing. Harry moaned softly into the kiss his hands clutching at Snape’s shoulders.
One of those hands remained teasingly rubbing at Harry’s nipple making the boy quiver, the other moved around behind him to stroke down his back. He used the hand to pull Harry impossibly closer and his mouth moved from Harry’s lips. He kissed down Harry’s neck, sucking on that spot that always made Harry moan. Snape moved down, kissing and biting at Harry’s collar bone and then lower.
Harry kept his hands on the man’s shoulders, watching with wide eyes, panting heavily. His cock had gone from half-hard to positively aching in the span of a few moments and he wasn’t sure if he’d last very long. Snape’s length rubbing against his own separated by a mere few inches of cloth was driving him closer and closer to the edge. Snape’s wandering hands and expert tongue weren’t helping that much either. Harry let out an odd squeal of pleasure and pain as Snape bit his nipple. He received apologetic licks that made him whine softly, legs and arms twitching in arousal.
Harry whined, grasping the man’s shoulders harshly as he thrust against him wildly. Snape was at his neck again, kissing softly, one hand still teasing Harry’s chest and the other now thrust between them squeezing and fondling Harry’s cock. Harry’s hips moved and faster against that hand as the wonderful coil inside him tightened. He was gasping, moaning and panting, and then his breathing hitched as he came with a soft whine.
He slumped forward against Snape who stroked him through his orgasm making him whimper softly. He had to reach down to stop the man’s hand as everything was feeling oversensitive. As he did, he felt Snape was still hard.
He looked up into the man’s eyes and stared.
“I’ll take care of it,” Snape said but Harry didn’t move his hand. Harry squeezed softly and Snape sighed. Harry took that as permission to continue so he slowly moved his hand over the hard length. He could feel the heat radiating through the sleep pants the man was wearing. Snape was much larger then he was, Harry could tell just from what he was feeling, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get his hand around the man’s thickness. He had a momentary panic on how on earth it was ever supposed to go up his arse.
“You don’t have to do this,” Snape said and Harry smiled nervously.
“I want to,”
“The look of horror on your face says otherwise.”
“I was just thinking about... when we... have... sex... it’s not going to fit,” Harry muttered.
“We’ll work up to it,” Snape assured him. Harry leant to kiss him softly one hand on his shoulder and the other still touching his cock.
“Harder and faster,” Snape encouraged. Harry did as he was told moving his hand up and down faster and squeezing lightly.
“More,” Snape said and Harry kissed him deeper moving his hand faster and squeezing tighter.
There was a loud crack and Harry pulled away in shock.
“Did I break it?” he asked.
Snape let out a snort and then burst out laughing. He quickly put his hand over his mouth to try and stop himself.
“Tipple is sorry to be interrupting Master!” Tipple cried.
Harry jumped in surprise and leant to the right so he could look around Snape. Tipple, Snape’s house elf, stood nervously tugging on his ears watching Snape intently.
“What?” Snape asked. He had suppressed his laughter very quickly and was now glaring.
“Headmaster Dumbledore is wishing to see you and your wife,” Tipple said
“I’m not-” Harry started but Snape spoke over him,
“We shall be up shortly,”
Tipple nodded and disappeared with a loud crack.
“What do you think he wants?” Harry asked quietly. Snape simply shrugged and ushered them both out into the bedroom.
Harry changed into his uniform quickly, ignoring his uncomfortably sticky underwear.
Snape was ready in less time which Harry marvelled at, all those layers and buttons. Snape simply smirked and picked up Harry’s book bag to carry for him. Harry had a smirk of his own at that gesture.
They made their way through the school, ignoring all the students heading to and from breakfast. The crowd cleared a path when they saw Snape coming so their progress up to hospital wing was swift.
Snape handed Harry back his book bag and carefully took hold of the double doors to the hospital wing. He gave a great shove and the doors flew open, allowing him a very grand entrance to stalk inside to.
Harry, having never been on the other side of one of these grand entrances, followed the man trying to hide his amusement.
Dumbledore was standing at the other end of the hospital wing with a small crowd of visitors.
Harry recognised Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic and Amos Diggory, Cedrics father. They had met earlier in the year on their way to the Quidditch World Cup.
They were both wearing very official looking robes, from their jobs at the Ministry of magic; the Minister’s robes were an odd off grey colour that did no favours to his lime-green bowler hat. Mr Diggory was wearing navy blue, he was a tall man, like Cedric, and his blue eyes were unusually bright, his robes bringing out their colour very sharply. He had a ruddy brown beard that he was currently stroking, thoughtfully glancing between Harry and Snape.
Waiting at their feet were three house elves, Tipple, stood slightly apart from the other two. One was Harry’s friend Dobby; he had met the elf in his second year when the creature had been trying to kill him in a misguided attempt to actually save his life. Dobby was consoling a hysterical house elf named Winky. Harry had met Winky before a few times and she was very much a stereotypical house elf, she was loyal to a fault and wanted nothing more than to serve her masters with her very last breath. She had belonged to the Crouch family until the World Cup when she’d been fired by Mr Crouch. Winky had then come and worked here in the kitchens but all she did was mourn for her former family which often resulted in her getting drunk off Butterbeer and passing out before the fireplace. Dobby was very kind to her and tried to help her adjust to a new life away from a family, Dobby himself had been freed two years before that from the Malfoy family by a quick thinking Harry.
“Harry Potter,” Dobby greeted excitedly, bouncing up and down at the sight of him.
“Hi Dobby,” Harry replied and Dobby smiled before turning back to comforting Winky.
“Headmaster,” Snape said in greeting. He was taking in the odd assortment of characters and wondering why his presence was needed.
“Severus,” Dumbledore replied and then turned to face a bed. Harry glanced over and found Cedric Diggory sitting in the bed with a smile on his face. He spotted Harry and cheerfully waved.
“Young Mr Diggory finds himself the victim of a love potion,” Dumbledore said.
“Love potion?” Snape repeated.
He stepped forward to examine Cedric, carefully shining his wand light in the young man’s eyes and then had Cedric stick out his tongue to examine that.
“Who has he fallen for?” Snape said
“Harry,” Cedric replied easily.
“Is that why you asked me to the dance?” Harry asked and Cedric nodded.
“Of course that’s why!” Mr Diggory cried, “My boy is straight,”
“No I’m not,” Cedric laughed. Mr Diggory looked rather shocked by this news and glanced around nervously.
“Amortentia,” Snape concluded, “A very powerful love potion,” he explained for Harry’s benefit. Harry gave him a charming love sick smile in thanks purely for the Minister’s benefit. The smile grew when he saw the man turn away in disgust.
“You are in withdrawal now Mr Diggory so I expect everything is very wonderful and charming right now,” Snape said.
“Sure is,” Cedric said cheerfully,
“That will subside in a few days,” Snape said and Cedric nodded.
“Thanks Professor, you’re so smart. Harry’s so lucky to have you,” Cedric said and Snape turned away with a sneer.
“Well who gave it to him? Someone has poisoned my boy!” Mr Diggory said angrily.
“Dad it’s not poison, Professor Snape just said it was a love potion and those are not poisonous,” Cedric said and smiled at Snape for confirmation. Snape just frowned at him.
“Well it’s clear that it is Potter’s fault,” Fudge interrupted. “He wanted young Diggory here in love with him so he cooked up a potion,”
“What?” Harry asked.
“Minister it is a sixth year potion, Potter’s potion skills are third year at best and that is being particularly generous,” Snape said.
“I believe I have the answer to that,” Dumbledore said mildly. Fudge turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh do you?”
“Yes, you may have noticed our odd guests,” Dumbledore said and indicated to the three house elves. “This is Tipple, Dobby and Winky; I believe Winky here has quite the story to tell.”
Winky began to sob hysterically and shook her head,
“I won’t betray my masters! I won’t! I won’t!” she cried fitfully. Dobby patted her arm softly and tried to encourage her.
“But they isn’t your masters anymore, they be giving you clothes, you don’t have to be keeping secrets for nasty families who giving you clothes,” Dobby said.
Dumbledore crouched down in front of the group of elves and spoke softly, “Winky, if you please? Something terrible has happened, I think you know why. It will only get worse from here, so I ask you to share your story with us and then you may have some extra work in the kitchens for the rest of the day,”
Normally offering someone work wouldn’t really be a reward but it was different for house elves. Winky actually brightened at the idea of more work and tried to curb her sniffles.
Then she told her tale.
She had served the Crouch family her whole life; the Crouch’s were nice good people. It wasn’t their fault that their son had joined You-Know-Who. He had been sent to Azkaban prison and left to rot there; Mr Crouch pretended he didn’t have a son. It broke Mrs Crouch’s heart, so when she realised she was dying she convinced Mr Crouch to swap them. Mother and son each drank the Polyjuice potion and turned into one another. Mrs Crouch drank the potion until she died and was buried in the prison grounds. Mr Crouch left his son at home under the Imperius curse and Winky was left to make sure he didn’t escape. Over time, though he began to fight the curse, he was determined to go and find his true master, You-Know-Who.
You-Know-Who came to find him though, Winky had been scared, and she had hidden away from the scary man. She had heard them planning though, she had heard everything. How You-Know-Who had heard from a ministry worker that the Triwizard Tournament was to be held at Hogwarts, how they planned to get Harry Potter into the tournament so they could kidnap him. How Crouch Jr. had volunteered to pose as a teacher at the school, which led to their eventual kidnap and impersonation of Mad-Eye Moody to suit that purpose.
Winky was then fired but Crouch Jr. called her back, she went willingly to him not caring she was now free. She didn’t want to be free so she was happy to return to her family. Mr Crouch was put under the Imperius curse, but he began to fight that so they confined him to home with Winky to watch over him. He escaped and was headed for Hogwarts but never came home.
“Young Master killed him! He killed him!” Winky sobbed, Dobby offered her a small knitted hat and she blew her nose in it. Harry recognised the hat as one of the ones Hermione had made and hidden in the Gryffindor common room to try and trick the elves into freedom. After a while the elves had stopped cleaning there so Dobby did it by himself and collected all the hats and socks in the process.
Winky gave Dobby back the hat and continued on with her tale.
Crouch Jr. gave Winky a very special task; she was to feed Cedric Diggory his potion. Because Harry Potter was not in the Tournament so they had to find a way to put him in the Tournament.
“Otherwise, Young Master’s Master would be very cross with Winky, very, very cross. Now, You-Know-Who is back and Young Master is happy at his side and Winky is stuck here! Winky is a good house elf! She did what she is told! Good house elves do what they is told and Winky is a good house elf!”
There was silence.
Harry turned to look at Snape whose face was a complete mask, the man did reach out to gently take hold of his hand though and give it a quick squeeze before letting go.
“You-Know-Who? Back! Dumbledore it’s absurd!” Fudge cried. “You don’t honestly expect me to believe a hysterical house elf do you?”
“Well Harry here was right there when it happened? Harry if you don’t mind?” Dumbledore said.
Harry sighed and told the Minister what had happened in the graveyard indicating where he’d been cut by tracing the graze on his cheek and offering his blood soaked robes as more evidence.
Fudge was in no mood for it and shook his head, “Dumbledore, you believe this?”
“I do,” Dumbledore said.
“It’s preposterous! The boy is delusional! He’s been having fits all year, he speaks Parseltongue, his tales get taller and taller each year and you swallow it every time! The boy is trouble Dumbledore; he has clearly got some mental health issues and he shouldn’t be encouraged! He needs to be locked away for his own benefit!” Fudge said.
Harry glared at the man.
“I have been locked up! By people who thought they were doing it for my own good just as you did! My Aunt and Uncle locked me in a cupboard under the stairs! They tried to starve the magic right out of me! For my own benefit! They tried to beat the magic out of me for my own benefit! I learned quickly that no one cared about any of that. So I dealt with it, I handled it but if you think for even a second I’ll ever let someone treat me like that ever again you are sorely mistaken!”
“I... you were locked away?” Fudge asked
“Yes! By my family who are supposed to love me! I can only imagine what idea a stranger like you has about locking me up!”
“Dumbledore is the one who hid you away; no one knew where you were” Fudge said pointing to the man.
Dumbledore simply stared at the accusing finger but said nothing. Harry glared at Fudge, he was acting like someone who had been cornered would, and throwing the blame whichever way it was needed.
“Dumbledore hid me away because he knew what people like you would do with me if you ever got me! You’d put me on a pedestal and tote me around like some sort of mascot ushering in this era of peace. I am not an object for people to decide what to do with me! I am a fourteen year old boy who is scared. I’m scared and I’ve tried to ask for help but everyone is so content to brush me aside. I go on these stupid crazy adventures because of adults like you! Who won’t listen to a scared boy who is trying to tell you that a teacher is after the philosopher’s stone! Or that there’s a basilisk in the basement, or that Sirius Black is innocent or that I didn’t put my name in that fucking goblet! So I don’t care if you don’t listen to me because no one ever does and I’ll just do it myself like I always do because that’s the only way anything ever gets done!” Harry cried.
“Minister,” a gruff voice called, “Perhaps you don’t want to believe the hysterical house elf or the boy with daddy issues so severe he married a man old enough to be his father, but you can’t ignore me.”
Everyone turned to look at the last bed in the Hospital Wing where the real Mad-Eye Moody was laying.
“I’m not some house elf you can bully into submission, Minister, nor a teenage boy you can simply bury in bad press,” Moody growled. He was sitting up now. His name sake, his Mad-Eye was missing, presumably still with the imposter. As was his wooden leg. Harry suspected if that wasn’t the case he’d have come stalking over to Fudge, to stare him down. As it was he was trying to at least stare him down even if it was only with one eye.
“I’m not going away,” Moody said and Fudge glared at him.
“You don’t honestly expect me to believe You-Know-Who is back and he stole your leg do you?” Fudge asked. He had tried to make it sound offhand and casual but his voice was shaking slightly.
“Well someone fucking did,” Moody said, “Someone stole my leg and stole my face! The very least you should be doing is investigating it!”
“I shall see to it,” Fudge muttered.
“I want Scrimgeour on it,” Moody ordered.
Fudge glared at him and then turned that glare to Dumbledore who smiled politely at him.
“We’re going to be having a discussion about this soon Dumbledore,”
“Certainly, arrange a time and I’ll happily be there,” Dumbledore said.
“Good, Amos, will you be coming back with me?” Fudge asked. Mr Diggory nodded and then quickly leant down to give his son a hug goodbye.
They left together heading back to the Ministry of Magic to resume their jobs.
“Well wasn’t that a very exciting morning?” Cedric said breaking the awkward silence.
“It certainly was,” Dumbledore agreed cheerfully. “But the day must go on, Mr Diggory I believe that you should make a speedy recovery. You seem well enough to attend your classes for the day; I shall inform your teachers to excuse any erratic behaviour,”
“Thanks sir,” Cedric said getting up from the bed.
Dumbledore then turned to the house elves and dismissed them all before turning to Harry.
“Harry,” Dumbledore said and Harry looked at him wondering if he was going to be in trouble for speaking to the Minister of Magic like that.
“About the Dursley’s,” Dumbledore continued and Harry blinked in surprise. “I am a great believer in the love of family. With family there is a love there that I haven’t found anywhere else. Unfortunately not everyone thinks the same way that I do.”
Harry nodded, unsure how to reply to that so he didn’t. Dumbledore smiled and patted his shoulder, “I think you had best be on your way to class now.”
Harry gasped sharply. Immediately at the thought of being separated from Snape his heart began to beat faster and was giving shattering stops and starts.
Harry turned to Snape in alarm and raised his eyebrows. He knew he’d have to eventually leave the man’s side but he hadn’t even realised it would have to be right this second.
“You’ll be fine, your friends will help you,” Snape said quietly and Harry nodded miserably. He knew it was pathetic and stupid and irrational but he couldn’t help himself.
“Okay,” Harry muttered quietly.
“Good boy,” Snape said and gave him a pat on the shoulder, about as affectionate as he’d allow himself to be in public without Harry urging him to do more.
Harry turned and headed off to class, but not before pausing to take one look back at the three men remaining in the hospital wing.

Hermione ambushed him at lunch time and dragged him out into the grounds. Ron trailing along behind them carrying snacks for them to share.
They sat down beneath a tree huddling fairly close together enjoying the early spring day.
“Harry, what happened?” she asked once they were settled.
So Harry told the story again, with Hermione and Ron both frowning and gasping appropriately.
“I just feel... I don’t know... seeing my parents and him... I just... I – I – I...” Harry stopped and Hermione leant forward to pat his shoulder.
“It’s okay to be afraid,” Hermione said, “it’s completely natural.”
“Not for me! I hate it!” Harry snapped.
“You’re human and unfortunately that means feeling all the horrible things as well as all the wonderful ones,” Hermione said crossly.
Harry stared at her blankly and she raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“I just don’t feel like me,” Harry confessed and Hermione’s gaze softened. “I feel dirty, he stole my blood. My blood... my parents blood... he stole it like he stole them and I hate it. I hate that he did that. That he just took something... something that was mine... the only thing that protected me and he stole it and defiled it... my mum sacrificed herself for... for...”
“It wasn’t for nothing Harry,” Ron interrupted, already knowing where Harry’s thoughts were headed.
“Of course it was, I’m living on borrowed time here! Her time. It was awful seeing her standing there just smiling at me. Both of them. They were only a few years older than I am now. They were as nice as everyone says they were and it broke my heart...”
Ron offered a small comforting smile and Harry returned it.
“It was easily one of the best experiences of my whole life but I can’t help but feel a little resentful about it. I’ve never missed them more then I do now,” Harry muttered. “She’s screaming in my head all the time now and whenever I close my eyes all I see is that bloody green light.”
“Have you told Professor Snape?” Hermione asked
“He already knows,” Harry replied
“How would he-? Oh right... you guys... share... a bed...” Ron said awkwardly and Harry raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah, we do,” Harry said plainly and Ron just shook his head.
“Don’t understand it mate,” Ron said and Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Harry’s probably very grateful to have someone to hold him through the night after the trauma he’s just suffered even if it is ‘our greasy Potions teacher’,” Hermione said.
“What was that Miss Granger?”
Hermione gasped and turned sharply. Harry followed her gaze and found Snape emerging from the Forbidden Forest heading toward them.
“I... I was... I,”
“She was defending you, honest,” Harry assured him.
“I know Potter I just wanted to watch her be speechless for a few moments as she can never shut up in my class,” Snape said and Harry rolled his eyes at the man while Hermione blushed looking rather hurt by the comment.
“Can you go be scary somewhere else please?” Harry asked and Snape glared at him while Ron and Hermione stared wide eyed.
“Potter,” Snape warned.
“Sorry, sorry I mean can you go be scary somewhere else please sir?” Harry rephrased and Snape’s eyes narrowed.
“Ten points from Gryffindor,” Snape snapped and then began to head toward the castle.
“I’ll earn it back tonight, Professor!” Harry called after him
“POTTER!” Snape barked and then stormed away with Harry smirking after him.
“You seem to be getting along better,” Hermione said and Harry shrugged carelessly.
“I suppose when you spend the better part of the night wiping tears off your young husbands face you start feeling more generous toward him and his friends,”
“That was generous?” Ron asked
“About as generous as he’ll be in public... in private though...” Harry said cheekily and Ron put his hands over his ears to tune out the rest of Harry’s sentence.
They headed back into the castle a little while later with Harry feeling a little better for their company. He still wasn’t quite his usual self and spent the week more nervous than Neville in a Potions class. A fact Malfoy noticed and pounced on immediately. He was merciless in his bullying. It helped that on Friday Rita Skeeter published an article about him. The article claimed he was traumatised and barely functioning in his classes, it spoke about his visions and nightmares and how much he missed his parents.
“How does she keep getting this stuff!?” Harry cried glaring at the article. Hermione was reading it with a calculated gleam.
“She’s banned from the grounds!” Harry muttered angrily.
The whole school was whispering and sniggering at him as he headed to Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Malfoy was already standing in front of the classroom door with a smug grin on his face. He was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands and smirked.
“Did you want some tissues Potter?” he asked snottily.
“I hope he doesn’t cry in class,” Pansy Parkinson said, “I won’t be able to hear the Professor over the sounds of his sobs.”
“Don’t worry Miss Parkinson; I’m sure Harry will be able to keep his hysterical sobbing down to a minimum and if you ever happen to lose your parents I’m sure we’ll all be happy to grant you the same courtesy.” a hoarse voice said cheerily.
The students all turned and while the Slytherin’s all backed away slightly the Gryffindors rushed forward.
“Professor Lupin!”
“Hello,” the man said with a tired smile watching the students jump up and down eagerly.
He was a tall thin man with greying sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes with a hint of yellow in them. He was covered in scars and was wearing a very shabby set of robes to cover up as many of them as possible.
He had taught them last year but had been forced to resign after the whole school found out he was a werewolf. He had also attacked Hermione and Harry because he’d forgotten to take his special Wolfsbane Potion that rendered him harmless in his werewolf state. No one knew about that second part though or he really wouldn’t be allowed back into the school grounds let alone as a teacher.
“I thought you couldn’t teach here anymore, didn’t the board kick you out?” Malfoy asked rudely.
“I have been allowed a very temporary contract to finish out the year on Professor Moody’s behalf. He has unfortunately fallen under the weather and has decided to return home to recuperate,” Lupin said and ushered everyone into the class room.
“I am not being taught by a werewolf!” Malfoy said and the Slytherin’s nodded in agreement.
“Don’t worry, for those of you who are uncomfortable being taught by me you are welcome to go down to the dungeons where Severus has said he’ll happily teach you what you would have learned with me,” Lupin said.
The Slytherin’s all left and Lupin turned heading into the classroom. He sat down and waited for the Gryffindor’s to settle.
It was quite impossible, their favourite teacher had returned and they all had so many questions especially about his being a werewolf which is why he’d had to leave in the first place.
Eventually when Lupin called for quiet the class fell into silence and waited. And waited...
“Professor? Is there a lesson planned for today?” Hermione asked politely.
“Yes Hermione, we’re just waiting for your classmates to return,” Lupin replied and the students exchanged a confused glace.
All became clear when fifteen minutes later the door was thrown open and the Slytherin students were roughly shoved into the classroom by a very cranky Potions Master.
“Any more ridiculous complaints will be dealt with in the same manner!” Snape snapped.
“Sir!” Malfoy protested,
“Don’t worry Mr Malfoy, you’re not his type,” with that Snape turned on his heel and slammed the door shut behind him.
The Slytherin’s all stood awkwardly around the door staring at Lupin who smiled a smug little smile and held out his arms to welcome them.
“Well, now that’s all sorted. Let’s get started.”

Of course Moody left he was locked in a trunk! I would be out of there so fast.
I was going to have Sirius replace him but I’ve got plans for him so in the garbage he stays... for now...
Thank you all for your very wonderful kind words! They meant so much to me and I’m glad to see a few people returning as well as discovering new people who are enjoying it so much.
I got asked why I bumped up Harry’s kidnapping to the second task, I hope this chapter answers that a little and also... I like it being different, you don’t just want to have me following the books, there’s no excitement, I want you all to be surprised and I think you were so that’s why I did that.
I hope you all enjoyed it and I’ll see you next time, Nina.
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A Marriage of Convenience