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A Marriage of Convenience	By : NinaSweets Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 159377 -:- 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
- 15
- 16
- 17
Yay! Another chapter! Enjoy

Chapter Sixteen
Harry had been unable to get Lupin alone for the past week, the man always offering rushed excuses or simply disappearing after his lessons. Harry was running out of options. he was trying to brain storm ideas on how to get Lupin to come to him instead as obviously he wasn’t going to get near the man. It was so odd. Lupin had no reason to avoid him so Harry was not only frustrated because he couldn’t get answers to his questions he was feeling hurt because he couldn’t understand why the man was avoiding him and naturally started to think it was something he’d said or done but he couldn’t think of what it would be which was making it worse. Snape, of course, was no help.
“It’s not important why worry over it?” he had said and Harry simply glared at him.
Harry sighed bringing himself back to Lupin. He was heading out to Herbology with Ron and Hermione bickering by his side. He wouldn’t see Lupin today; he had double Potions this afternoon but Lupin tutored the fifth years in the spare block after the last class of the day and dinner. Harry would go up and attempt to talk to the man again. He needed to find a way to make Lupin stay though without running off.
“Harry!”
Harry stopped and turned to find Cedric Diggory waving at him. He and his classmates had just finished a Care of Magical Creatures class and were heading back inside the castle. They stopped, however, when they saw Cedric heading over to Harry.
Harry’s own classmates all shifted closer to have a listen in as well.
Cedric either didn’t notice their audience or didn’t care because he kept walking right up to where Harry waited.
“Hi,” he said
“Hello,” Harry replied, awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot.
“We haven’t really had much of a chance to talk since the task,” Cedric started, “I just wanted to explain,”
“Oh no I understand, it was the potion, it’s all right,” Harry said uncomfortably.
“Well I’m glad; I just wanted to make sure that everything was all right. The paper has been saying such awful things and I feel like it’s my fault,”
“Cedric the paper has been saying awful things about me since I arrived at Hogwarts. I don’t pay them any mind and you shouldn’t either,” Harry said.
“I won’t,” Cedric said with a smile, “Also, I’m sorry I couldn’t save you properly,”
Harry shook his head waving the comment away, Cedric nodded once before his face became hesitant. He took a step closer to Harry and spoke quietly, “I’m sorry but I have to ask. Did you really see him?”
“See who? I see a lot of people,” Harry said with a careless shrug.
“You know...” Cedric said glancing around awkwardly.
“Afraid I don’t,” Harry said smiling now. Cedric sighed and stepped forward once more so he was only a foot away from Harry.
“Did you really see... Voldemort?” he whispered.
“Yes,” Harry said, “and I don’t care if you believe me or not,”
“I believe you Harry, and now I’m really sorry I didn’t get to you in time, because you had to go through that and I can’t even imagine how awful it must have been,” Cedric said carefully.
Harry stared at him for a few moments unsure how exactly to respond, so he simply nodded his head and gave a small and quiet, “Thank you.”
“I know I’m not a very close friend and probably nowhere near as clever as your friends there but if you ever feel like you need someone else to talk to I’m happy to lend my ear,”
“Thanks Cedric, you’re a good guy... too good sometimes,” Harry said and Cedric laughed waving him off.
“Well, as always, it was a pleasure and I’ll see you around,” Cedric said and with a farewell nod to Ron and Hermione he left followed by his friends.
“What was that?” Ron asked when Harry turned to face his friends. Ron looked bewildered while Hermione was frowning at him.
“I don’t know,” Harry said, honestly confused.
“Well whatever it was it was very nice of Cedric to come and see how you were doing, I mean no one else but us has even really thought about what you’ve gone through, it’s nice to know people out there care about you even if they don’t always show it,” Hermione said, Harry nodded in agreement. It had been very nice of Cedric to come over, Harry immediately noticed the effect it had on his Hufflepuff classmates, they were all much warmer to him then they had been at the start of the week.
The rest of the school seemed to follow Cedric’s opinion, he was happy with Harry so they were too. The Slytherin’s were a different story but Harry would have found it very odd indeed had they started to treat him kindly.
Potions class was very reaffirming of their hatred of him and all things Gryffindor. By the end of class Gryffindor had lost over twenty house points and several of them had wound up with detentions. Hermione was on the verge of tears at the prospect of her third detention ever in her life.
Snape was pacing at the front, growling under his breath as the class nervously worked on their potions. No one had made a sound since the last outburst from the man which had resulted in Hermione’s current frazzled state.
“He’s in a worse mood than usual,” Ron dared to whisper to Harry working beside him.
“Maybe because Potter isn’t putting out,” Malfoy hissed with an evil grin, “You can smell the virgin on him from here,”
“WHAT?!”
The whole class jumped.
“Mr Malfoy!” Snape slid forward like a snake inching toward the snooty blonde Slytherin boy.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing sir,” Malfoy said
“That was not ‘nothing’,” Snape said. He wasn’t shouting now. He was whispering. Whispering so quietly Malfoy could barely hear him and that meant he was in very big trouble. Harry couldn’t even find it in himself to be happy at Malfoy’s misery; he like everyone else had been shocked into silence by Snape’s vicious behaviour lately.
“What did you say?” Snape repeated. Malfoy shook his head staring at his shoes.
“You seem to have a very unnatural interest in my private life Mr Malfoy. What I do or do not do with my husband is absolutely none of your business. So if I hear you discussing it again you’re going to have a lot more to worry about then a zero in Potions,”
“That’s not fair! You’ll give Potter marks but not me?”
“Mr Potter will also be failing because while I was yelling at the insufferable know-it-all and he was puffing up ready to defend her he didn’t notice the powdered bicorn horn you slipped into his potion,” Snape said, “duck Potter,”
Harry didn’t need to be told twice and quickly ducked, a second later his potion exploded. The cauldron bubbled over spewing thick grey goo in every direction. Hermione and Ron had just enough time to shield themselves with their books; unfortunately the other Gryffindors around them were not quick enough and got splashed.
“Attempting to kill a student Mr Malfoy, that is definitely worth a zero and two weekend’s worth of detentions,”
“Professor!” Malfoy began to protest but Snape glared and he stopped.
“Mr Malfoy, I am already in a foul mood, do you really think it wise to aggravate me further?”
Harry’s potion was now letting off a very thick noxious gas and Snape groaned loudly in frustration.
“Cover your mouths and evacuate the classroom in an orderly manner,” Snape instructed.
The class all hurried out into the hallway, Snape following behind them. He waved his wand a few times trying to clear the fog but it didn’t work. He rolled his eyes and began digging through his robe pockets searching for something.
Harry stepped forward and huddled close to his side.
“What are you looking for?” he asked quietly.
“Blue vial, it’s a dampener I brewed last night. Did you see it?”
“The one you put next to my glasses last night?”
“Yes,”
“Left side,” Harry said. Snape searched his left pocked and found the vial. He took the lid off and threw the potion into the classroom. They heard a small smash and the gas slowly began to evaporate.
“I feel that is enough excitement for today. Go inside and collect your things. I want a twenty inch roll of parchment on why adding fangs of the Congo water viper to any potion containing talons of the white necked raven is dangerous. You must list three examples using today’s class as one of them,” the class all groaned in protest, “You’re dismissed.”
Harry trudged into the classroom to grab his books along with everyone else, listening idly to the muttered complaints about Snape, Malfoy and himself for getting them the stupid homework assignment.
Harry ignored them, finishing earlier meant he had more time to get upstairs and try catch Lupin. He’d been thinking a little about his tactic. It was actually Malfoy who’d helped him. Thinking about the blond boys spoilt brat behaviour in class had inspired him.
He headed upstairs and went to wait outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. The bell rang signalling the end of class and doors burst open either side of him. A rush of students hurried past eager to drop their things off and relax a little in their common rooms before going off to dinner.
He waited patiently outside the door while Lupin chatted to a few students who’d stayed to ask him questions. When the man finally emerged from the room he spotted Harry and gave him a smile.
“Hello Harry,” he greeted, “I don’t have time to chat I’m afraid, I’m tutoring some students.”
Harry then did something he wasn’t very proud of. He took a leaf out of Dudley Dursley’s book and threw a tantrum. Well as close to one as Harry would ever allow himself to have. He burst into loud wails and hid his face in his hands.
“Everyone hates me!” he cried. Lupin looked like he’d been slapped and immediately dropped everything he was holding to rush forward and hug Harry. This was the same reaction Dudley always got from Harry’s aunt so he knew he’d done something right.
“What Harry? Where did this come from?” Lupin asked in concern rubbing Harry’s shoulders in soothing circles. Harry couldn’t help but thinking that was awfully nice to have someone be concerned about him no wonder Dudley did it all the time.
“No one will talk to me! I mean even you kept running away from me all week!” Harry muttered.
“Harry, I wasn’t running from you. I am a teacher it’s a time consuming occupation”
“You sound like Snape,” Harry said sadly.
“Oh Harry,” Lupin sighed and hugged him tighter. “Come to my office, we’ll have a chat,”
“Are you sure? You’re not too busy?” Harry asked pulling away from the hug with a little sniffle.
Harry decided he could be very evil when he felt like it.
“Of course not Harry, come along,” Lupin said kindly.
Together they made their way into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and Lupin’s office which was the room behind it.
Much like the other week Harry settled into the chair in front of the man’s desk while he prepared tea for both of them.
Harry took the chance to have a quick glance around the office. It looked very much the same as the last time Lupin had taught here. Lupin’s office was filled with various books and odd little knickknacks. The most interesting things in the office however were not the hundreds of very rare first edition books or even the very fascinating humming hat stand in the corner. It was usually whatever dark creature Lupin had managed to find to bring in for his third year classes. Harry remembered studying Grindylow’s and Red Caps, always really excited that he would get to actually see the creatures before him and not just in a book. Although in future he was more than happy to look at werewolves in books then in real life.
Lupin handed Harry his cup of tea and then sat down behind his desk with his own steaming mug.
“Full moon soon?” Harry guessed.
“Saturday,” Lupin replied with a sigh.
“Oh, is Snape brewing your potion?”
“I don’t know, is he?” Lupin smiled.
“I’m not allowed in the lab. I break things,” Harry said quietly.
“I’m sorry if you felt I was ignoring you Harry it wasn’t intentional. I’m here whenever you need to talk. Do you feel like you’re being bullied? There are steps we can take for that,”
“What?” Harry asked, “Oh, that no, I lied. I mean well everyone probably does hate me but I don’t care about that. I mean I care... it’s hard not to but I don’t care it’s not-”
“Harry,” Lupin interrupted and Harry stopped, blushing a little at his rambling. “Take a second. Think about what you want to say, what do you want to talk about?”
“Okay, I have a question. Promise you’ll answer,”
“I’ll certainly try to,” Lupin said.
“Why did Sirius try to kill Snape when they were students?” Harry asked.
Lupins face darkened his brow furrowing and his jaw set. He looked down at his desk in silence.
Harry frowned at the reaction.
“No need to ask who told you that,” Lupin muttered darkly, “Why do you ask?”
“It’s pretty serious. I just can’t believe Sirius is capable of something like that. I truly feel if Wormtail hadn’t been just that split second faster Sirius would have stopped himself. He would have come to his senses I’m sure of it,” Harry said and Lupin sighed.
“Sirius doesn’t really have much sense. He never has,” Lupin said. “He was young and impulsive. I don’t think he realised exactly what he was doing when he chased Wormtail down that alleyway. He’s not one to think about the consequences,”
“What happened?” Harry asked.
“Harry,” Lupin said, “It’s the past. It doesn’t matter, Sirius is alive, and Severus is alive. It’s unimportant,”
“Unimportant! My Godfather has tried to kill people not once but twice. Something happens that drives him to do that and I just can’t believe anything can be bad enough to push someone like Sirius over the edge,”
“He didn’t deserve Azkaban but it has certainly taught him a lesson. He’s not going to go off and attempt to kill anyone anytime soon I assure you,”
“But how do we know?”
“Harry, Sirius has faced some pretty horrible consequences for doing absolutely nothing. I don’t think he’s very keen on actually being the murderer they accuse him of being,” Lupin said and Harry sighed deeply.
“Then just tell me what he did,” Harry said raising his eyebrows in challenge.
“No,”
“Snape said my dad saved him, I want to know why my dad had to do that, why Sirius forced my dad to have to do something like that.”
“Your father was a great man,”
“But to put himself in danger for someone he didn’t like? I don’t understand. I just want to understand it all, please!”
“IT WAS ME!” Lupin shouted. Harry stopped. Lupin stopped. He gasped and sunk down a little in his seat. He stared at the table, gripping his tea cup far too tightly.
“Sirius and James were... they were good people Harry. They were wonderful, kind and courageous people. However, they were very mean to Snape. I don’t know why, they just... fixated on him for some reason and they were... cruel. I was just – just so grateful to have friends; I didn’t stop them when they would start in on him. But Snape, he was brilliant and so clever. He began to realise something wasn’t right... with me. He was trying to sneak around after us, trying to figure out a weakness he could exploit to get us to stop picking on him. Sirius got into a fight with him one day. Snape was quick, he was smart, and he could duel like no one else. Your father was a good match for him but Sirius could never quite best him. He got beat, again and was naturally furious. So he told Snape if he really wanted to best him that they should meet up for a wizards duel. Sirius suggested the Shrieking Shack, so they could fight properly without being interrupted. He told him how to use the secret passageway and they agreed to meet at ten o’clock, after curfew.
I’d been having a tough time, I was very ill, since my friends already knew my secret it was a relief not to have to hide from them. James had helped Madame Pomfrey walk me down to the Whomping Willow. When he got back to the common room Sirius was bragging to Wormtail about how he tricked Snape, how we’d never have to worry about him again. When James worked out what he’d done he rushed down to stop Snape, not before giving Sirius a well deserved punch in the face first though. James knew what would happen to Sirius and myself if something happened to Snape. Sirius would go to jail for murder and I... I would be put down,” Lupin stopped. He had squeezed his tea cup too hard and it had broken in his hands. He didn’t seem to notice. He kept staring at his desk, looking very lost.
“The Wolfsbane Potion was invented in 1986 by a man named Johan Navik. I don’t remember my time with Moony very much before then. I do remember... I don’t think I can ever forget, that fear on Snape’s face, when he saw Moony... when he saw me,”
“Professor Lupin, I’m really sorry,” Harry said earnestly. He felt absolutely wretched for pushing the issue and that he had no idea how to heal the man’s hands not that his teacher had noticed they were injured, he was just staring.
“Don’t be, it could have turned out a lot worse. Snape was sworn to secrecy and Sirius was stripped of all privileges for the rest of his school days and given a year’s worth of detentions. He apologised to me, I don’t think he realised how it could have been, some nights it’s all I think about. I owe a lot to James and to Dumbledore; I certainly wouldn’t be here without either of them,” Lupin finished with a sigh staring down at his bloody hands without really seeing them. Harry watched him for a few moments and realised that Lupin was far too lost in his memories to even realise he had accidentally hurt himself.
“Professor,” Harry said softly standing up, “I’m going-”
He was interrupted, the door to the office swung open. Harry turned to see who it was and sighed in relief.
It was Snape; he stood in doorway frowning at Harry. There was a smoking goblet in his hand.
It was Lupin’s Wolfsbane potion. It had to be taken for the three days leading up to the full moon and then just before sunset on the day of the full moon.
“I... er... Professor Lupin hurt his hands,” Harry said quietly.
Snape looked past Harry to where Lupin was sitting in silence. He stalked past Harry and set the goblet down on the table before striding around the desk to stop beside Lupin. He crouched down beside the man and took hold of one of the bloodied hands. Taking out his wand he cast a series of spells, carefully removing the shards of the tea cup. He dug around in his robes and pulled out a small vial with a stopper, he put two drops on each of Lupins hands and stood up.
“Rub your hands together,” he ordered.
Lupin blinked but followed the command. He blinked again and then looked up at Snape.
“Oh... er hello, Severus, how are you?”
“Horrible,” Snape replied
“Sorry,” Lupin said quietly.
“Whatever for?” Snape asked frowning.
“That you feel horrible,” Lupin muttered awkwardly.
Snape sneered at him in disgust before placing the smoking goblet on the desk.
“I’ve modified it slightly; you will let me know if it has any adverse affects?”
“Well the last one you gave me turned me into a werewolf. It was most inconvenient,” Lupin said.
Snape’s face remained impassive at Lupin’s little joke and Lupin simply smiled as if the man had laughed. He leant forward to accept the smoking concoction from Snape. He took a small hesitant sniff his face scrunching in distaste at the smell. Taking a sip, which he carefully swallowed, he glanced at Snape who was watching with an eyebrow raised.
“It tastes just as foul as it usually does,” Lupin said, “I don’t suppose those modifications you made had anything to do with its taste?”
“That’s not important to the potion,” Snape said simply.
“I’ll start a journal of any and all unusual behaviours Severus,”
“Pertaining to the potion please, I don’t want to read about unicorns and rainbows or whatever it is you and Potter were discussing when I entered,”
“Severus, I was teaching him how to give you a blow job,” Lupin said it with such a straight face that Snape stared at him in shock for a few moments before he glared.
“Oh very mature Lupin,” Snape spat
“I thought so,” Lupin replied and took a sip of his potion to hide his smirk.
“Potter, we’re leaving,” Snape said and swept out of the room. Harry smiled after him and turned back to Lupin.
“I like that he just assumes I’ll follow him,” Harry said and Lupin smiled.
“It’s fun to annoy him,” Lupin agreed.
“I probably should go,” Harry said, “Uh... thanks for telling me, I understand that it was really difficult for you to say and I’m sorry I pushed you,”
“You look a lot like your father but when it comes to getting what you want you’re exactly like your mother. She didn’t take no for an answer, she didn’t like being out of the loop,” Lupin said and Harry smiled at the compliment.
Harry stood and came around the desk to give the man a hug,
“Thanks,” he said again and Lupin just nodded.
Harry pulled back and gave the man a small smile before hurrying out of the room.
Snape was waiting in the corridor when Harry emerged from the classroom.
“So you wheedled it out of Lupin did you? I’m sure all you had to do was give him that doe eyed look and he caved,”
“This look?” Harry asked and widened his eyes so much he could feel them begin to water. He blinked a few times and then turned to Snape with his wide sad eyes and down turned mouth trying to look as hopelessly pathetic as he possibly could.
Snape stared at him, his mouth a jar in shock. He blinked and seemed to regain his composure quite quickly but Harry knew he’d have fallen for his crying as easily as Lupin had.
“Careful Potter your Slytherin side is showing,” Snape said and Harry smirked at him.
Harry turned and began to head down the corridor to dinner, Snape walking behind him.
They were stopped in their tracks by a loud scream.
“Stay here,” Snape ordered but Harry was already running.
Snape cursed and sprinted after him.
The scream had come from Lupins office. Harry was already frozen in the doorway when Snape caught up to him.
“Foolish boy,” Snape spat pulling Harry behind him.
Harry poked his head around the man’s side to survey the dark room. There was a really awful smell coming from the room. The smell reminded Harry of the time his Uncle Vernon had run over a cat and Harry had been forced to clean its remains from the front of the car and bury them in the back yard. It smelt like three day old dead cat that’s what it smelt like. Worse in fact, it was far stronger.
Snape took a step into the room his wand tip lit, glancing around he was frowning.
“Remus?” Snape asked.
“I’m here,” Lupin replied, he sounded strained.
Snape flicked his wand and the lights turned on.
Harry gasped and took a giant leap back.
Lupin was lying on the floor with something very bony and slimy on top of him.
“What is it?” Harry asked
“Not what, who,” Snape replied crouching down to help Lupin up.
“What?!” Harry cried stepping back again.
“He appears to have been dead for some time,” Snape said quietly to himself. Lupin was now standing up looking very shabby and seemed to be covered in some kind of liquid.
“He fell out of that cupboard,” Lupin said pointing to the cupboard in question. Snape sniffed it and shook his head.
“You didn’t smell anything?” Snape asked and Lupin shook his head.
“No, he seems to have been in there a while too. Some sort of stasis charm perhaps?”
“The body has decomposed too much for that, perhaps a simple notice-me-not charm that has worn off,”
“A lovely welcome present from the previous teacher,” Lupin muttered
They were interrupted by Harry throwing up in the doorway.
“Really Potter?” Snape snapped.
“Severus, thankfully Harry is not as used to death as we are!” Lupin said and turned to Harry, “Come on Harry we’ll go sit in the class room for a little while,”
Harry allowed himself to be led down the stairs to the classroom. He sat down on one of the desks while Lupin sat opposite him.
“It stinks,” Harry said and Lupin offered a sympathetic smile.
“I would go change but I fear I’m already a suspect and tampering with evidence would do nothing to help me,” Lupin said.
Harry opened his mouth to ask what Lupin meant but was overcome with another wave of nausea and clamped his mouth shut tightly.
A bright light from Lupin’s office had Harry glancing that way. He watched as a Patronus charm hurried past them in the form of a deer, the beginnings of antlers forming on its head. He frowned after it curiously. Harry’s own patronus took the form of a stag. He’d never had the opportunity to see anyone else’s patronus. Lupin had told him last year when he’d been teaching Harry the charm that the charms corporeal form was a representation of the witch or wizard who cast it and though it didn’t happen often could change if the caster had experienced an emotional upheaval.
It was ten minutes before the deer came back into the classroom; it was followed by Professors Dumbledore, Karkaroff, McGonagall and Flitwick, Madame Maxime, Ludo Bagman and the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge.
They ignored both Harry and Lupin to climb the stairs to Lupins office where Snape was waiting.
The patronus did not leave; it had stopped in front of Harry and titled its head down in a low bow. Harry reached out to pet it gently for a few moments before it disappeared.
“Was that Snape’s patronus?” Harry asked Lupin quietly.
“Well I’ve never seen it but I assume so,” Lupin answered, he was frowning slightly, “I didn’t know he could cast it to be perfectly honest,”
“He’s quite powerful why wouldn’t he be able to?”
“Because, while power is an important aspect of the spell casting, it’s most driving force is the happy memory used to create it,” Lupin said and Harry frowned glancing at the doorway to Lupin’s office.
“I’ve seen enough,” Fudge said stepping out of the office.
“Remus Lupin you are under arrest for the murder of Barty Crouch,” Fudge said
“Of course I am,” Lupin sighed. “Let’s all forget the fact I was not even teaching here when he went missing,”
“You’re already in enough trouble werewolf! Do you really want to make it worse?”
Lupin glared at him but said nothing.
Harry leapt up ready to defend his teacher but a hand on his arm was pulling him back. Harry turned to glare at Snape and the man shook his head slightly before giving a small nod to Dumbledore.
“Now, now Cornelius, innocent until proven guilty,” Dumbledore said soothingly.
“Unless they’re a werewolf,” Fudge snapped.
“I don’t recall that being the quote,” Dumbledore said mildly. “Minerva is that how the quote goes?”
“This will take a while,” Snape whispered to Harry. Harry glared at him and went to speak again but was cut off rather abruptly by Snape’s arm snaking around his waist and giving a squeeze. He was then lifted into the air and tossed over the man’s shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Harry cried out.
“I am just going to escort my husband to our quarters, I will be available by floo call should you have any further need of me,” Snape said in a voice that dared anyone to say anything about his treatment of Harry.
“No you are not! You put me down right now or you’ll be very sorry!” Harry wailed.
Snape turned and carried Harry out of the room and Harry sighed flopping down on his shoulder.
“You’re going to be sorry when you put me down,” Harry mumbled into the man’s back, “I’m going to kick you in the crotch,”
“Potter, if you’re going to act like a child, then I will treat you like one,” Snape replied.
“You can’t just toss me over your shoulder whenever you want to shut me up! What about Professor Lupin?”
“The Headmaster can handle the Minister, the worst Lupin will get is a few snarky comments from the Minister when Albus wins his argument,”
“But-”
“No, Potter!” Snape snapped.
Harry pouted and let the man carry him all the way down to their rooms in a sullen silence.
Snape crouched down and placed Harry’s feet back on the ground. He then turned and sat on the couch while Harry crossed his arms and glared at him.
“I don’t think it’s fair when you do that,” Harry said
“Well when you can lift me you’re welcome to end arguments by throwing me over your shoulder,” Snape smirked. Harry glared at him.
“I don’t think anyone will ever be as tall as you are” Harry grumbled and flopped down on the couch beside the man.
“I’m only 6’2” Snape said
“Only,” Harry mocked and Snape frowned at him.
“There are plenty of people taller then I,”
“Who?”
“Hagrid,”
“Doesn’t count,”
“Well, I – 6’2 is not that tall!” Snape said defensively. Harry laughed and sat up shuffling closer.
“It’s okay, your tiny elfin husband kind of likes having someone who can man-handle him. If only I could get you to follow me around all the time to throw me over your shoulder when I go to do something stupid,” Harry said with a smile.
“I am glad you have learned something from this experience,”
“Yeah, poor Professor Lupin appeared to be in enough trouble, he didn’t need my jumping in making it worse for him,” Harry muttered and Snape leaned forward to offer Harry a small kiss as a reward. Harry snuggled a little closer to the man and looked at him.
“Do you know who it was?” Harry asked quietly.
“We believe it was Barty Crouch,”
“The Tournament Judge?” Harry asked and Snape nodded. “Who would want to kill him? Why did he look like that?”
“I don’t know who would want to kill him. As to why he looked like that he had been dead for quite some time, the body begins to break down as soon as four hours after death,”
“So I’m going to look like that?!”
“Eventually,” Snape said
“EUGH!” Harry cried out in disgust.
“You’ll be dead it won’t matter,” Snape said and Harry stared at him. He was completely horrified. He was going to die. He was going to die and become a horrible slimy thing.
“I have said something to upset you,” Snape concluded and Harry gave him an incredulous look.
“For someone who is so smart you can be a real idiot sometimes,” Harry said.
“Well what did I say? I shall fix it,”
“You just told me I was going to die and become a slimy thing!”
“Everyone will!”
“Yes but most people can put that off as a distant future scenario, for me that could very well be my tomorrow!”
“I take comfort in facts; it does no one any favours to live in a world of fantasy. You will not be dying anytime in the next month of that I am sure,”
“Oh, thanks,” Harry said dryly.
“Well you might if I decide to finally make do on my promise of poisoning you with one of your own botched potions in my class,” Snape said and Harry snorted, giving Snape a small smile.
“Did I fix it?” Snape asked quietly. Harry frowned at him before shrugging.
“A little,” Harry offered and Snape nodded.
“I take comfort in facts. I realise most people are not in a similar mindset,” Snape said and Harry smiled.
“It was nice that you tried,” Harry offered, “thanks,”
Snape gave a curt nod and Harry smiled kissing the man’s cheek before standing up, “Night,” he said softly before disappearing into the bedroom leaving Snape alone on the couch.
Harry had just settled under the covers when Snape entered the room.
He changed into his night things and then slid under the covers dragging Harry across the bed and into his arms. Harry smiled against the man’s chest and snuggled closer.
“Your patronus is a deer,”
“Yes,”
“Mine’s a deer too,” Harry said
“I remember,” Snape said.
“I know why mine is a stag; do you know why yours is a deer?”
“That’s the first time I’ve seen it in nearly fifteen years. It’s quite different to how I remember it,”
“It’s changed?”
“Yes,”
“Professor Lupin says they can change after an emotional upheaval,”
“True,” Snape replied.
Harry stared at him and raised an eyebrow. Snape rolled his eyes but answered Harry’s silent question.
“It was a doe, now it appears to be a hart,” Snape said, “a very foolish, ignorant young hart,”
“Oh, why-?”
“No,” Snape interrupted.
“I was just-”
“No,” Snape said
Harry’s mouth opened but Snape interrupted him again with a kiss.
“You can’t just kiss me to shut me up,” Harry complained. It came out muffled as Snape planted kisses all around his mouth.
“Shall I throw you over my shoulder instead?” Snape asked.
“Kisses please,” Harry said and Snape smirked peppering his face with gentle kisses until he fell asleep.

I like my cute moments, sorry, I can’t help it. Well, until next time guys, Nina
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A Marriage of Convenience