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Corruption Of Innocence	By : mrsrickman Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1461 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 27
Chapter 28

Dealings With Hidden Feelings And A Certain Harry Potter

It was one thing having to work with Harry Potter, the new potions assistant, but talking to him about private matters was another whole kettle of fish altogether.

Severus sat at his desk marking students homework not paying much attention to the youth hovering and dithering about. Washing tables, cleaning cauldrons and so forth. Severus looked up with a small smile. Perhaps it wasn't too bad. At least he, the potions master could now spare himself from the most basic tasks when dealing with the general student body.

For a long while he watched Harry, not realising he was still smiling slightly. He flipped the feather quill between his fingers a few times before letting it fall of it's own accord down onto the wooden desk.

"Potter you can stop now," he decided. "I think we need to have a little chat."

Harry looked up wearily from his manual scrubbing and glanced at the professor. God he hated cleaning by hand, but Severus Snape always had a penitent for doing anything like that the un-magical way. Including the house elves.

Poor things, thought Harry. Must take them hours to sort stuff out in here. Harry shook his head. He had forgotten that Professor Snape generally didn't trust them to sort out his things. They did the basic menial tasks like scrubbing, cleaning and sorts. Something they should be doing today if that little group of elves weren't on holiday.

Holiday? House elves on holiday? They were born to believe that they were nothing but the property of their owners and their very existence depended on hard work. Dobby had been an exception of cause. And it had probably been him who was their gang leader fighting for their cause. Of cause had it not been for Hermione in the first place and her 'House Elf Liberation Front' none of it would have even been considered, let along acted upon.

Harry had missed a lot in past few years away from home. Elves had rights, respect and holidays. They even wore proper clothes, not tea towels like he had seen Dobby wear, nor grubby rags.

At least at Hogwarts they wore clothes, shabby in their form and appearance but clean clothing neither the less. However, the small, floppy eared, bulging eyed beings still refused payment for their toiling. They are lucky, he decided. An hour or two in here and well...

Severus despised the use of wands in his classroom even when children weren't present.

Harry had a sneaking suspicion that Professor Snape loved to watch people toil to the point of exhaustion in his presence. Especially Harry.

"Yes sir." Severus glowered. "Is there something wrong?"

"Surprisingly I would have to say no. Your work is exemplary and you have helped me a great deal since you came."

"Thanks, Processor," he said letting the astonishment show on his face as well as in his voice.

Harry picked up the bucket and scrubbing cloths and carried the lot over to the sink. The gargoyle tap immediately flung its serpent head back and spewed out cold running water. Harry sloshed out the contents of the bucket and rinsed his rags.

Severus got up and tossed the feather quill into the pen stand.

"When you have finished, Potter join me in my office."

"Yes, sir."

"For God's sake boy, you aren't a student any more stop with the yes sir, no sir. It is driving me insane."

"No. I mean do you want me to leave Hogwarts? I've tried to be nice to you and that. Since you've had a hard time of late I thought I was helping."

"It hadn't even crossed my mind, Potter. Here." He passed him the glass. Harry took a long swig and nearly choked. Severus smirked.

"I should have warned you. It's one of my own brews. Potent at best."

"In...deed!" Choked the younger man grasping his throat and coughing.

"That is one of the bonuses of being a skilled potions master, Mr Potter. Perhaps you may wish to consider the..." Severus' brows knotted together noting Harry's scarlet face. "Or perhaps you don't drink alcohol?"

"Not as strong as that stuff," he replied after recovering.

Severus sat down in the second armchair and placed his untouched glass on the floor.

"Um, Professor there is something I would lik ask ask you if that's okay?"

"What?"

Harry was sitting on the floor in the lounge of his and Jinny�s house. A building standing in the village of Hogsmead that he had rented since leaving school. At that moment in time Harry was sifting through boxes and boxes of things that once belonged to his parents. Only recently had it came to his notice that his parent�s belongings had been stored away in one of those large storage bunkers underground.

With it all now safely in his home, Harry had the task of going through it all. He and Jinny had only just returned from their holiday. It had been a lazy Sunday afternoon and it was a good enough time as any to have a good rummage through his parent�s things.

It had felt strange to Harry to touch, smell and see items that had been buried away from humanity for years long, only now to be seen again by a son who had never known his parents. There were clothes, books, furniture, and baby things -

Harry smiled as he reached and pulled out a soft yellow teddy bear from one of the storage boxes. It had belonged to him as a baby, and once again he was holding it in his hand now. He had a vague impression that it was his favourite toy as a baby.

He lay the teddy down on the floor.

Kneeling forward he pulled a heavy looking package toward him. Harry drew out his wand and waved it over the top of the box. Quickly the top opened to reveal its contents. Harry waited for a moment, slightly apprehensive to what he might find.

Finally he pulled out a book. It was large, bound in dark brown leather and inlayed with gold hearts. Across the front bore the initials of his parents, L J.

Harry felt a lurch in his stomach. He opened the book to find the pages were blank. "Odd," he muttered and remembered with a shudder the diary of Tom Riddle he had found years ago while in his second year at Hogwarts in Moaning Myrtle�s bathroom.

Harry wouldn�t make the same mistake twice by accidentally pouring ink onto the blank pages.

"No way."

Harry went to put the book down on the floor when something very peculiar happened.

There was the sound of distant laughter and clapping and Harry clasped the book tightly in his hand pulling it to his ear. Indehe she sound was definatly coming from the book. Only that it was getting distinctively louder now. Harry jerked the assorting sound away from his hear and coughed when a puff of colour shot out of the inner pages.

A delicate cloud of glittering pink smoke gradually rose from the book until most of the room was fogged with the stuff. Harry plastered his hand over his mouth to avoid breathing the essence in. He found that his eyes didn�t sting though.

Slowly the fog dispersed and the room cleared. Harry frowned again, puzzled at what magic had caused such strangeness. He again picked up the book and noticed with surprise that the book was a photo album, a wedding album to be exact. His mother and father�s.

Harry had only one album of his parents at that point in time, given to him by Hagrid upon leaving Hogwarts after his first year for the summer holidays.

Tears formed in his eyes and he gave no indication that he was going to wipe them away.

Over all there were about twenty to thirty moving images in this album. He had one or two pictures from Lily and James� wedding in his other book, but to she ehe entire collection together was wonderful. Lily was radiant in her sparkling gown of silver and peach, decorated with a delicate silver brocade across the bodice and sleeves. Her hair was dressed in ringlets. Interspersed between the fiery curls were the tiniest pearls he had ever seen. No. Harry looked closer. It was fairy dust intermixed with angel drops.

Standing beside her was James with that familiar grin upon his face and that black dishevelled hair, hair that Harry seemed to have inherited.

James suddemovemoved and ruffled his hair spilling out angel dust that had evidently been sprinkled onto his head to. The delicate dust fell, coating his black suit giving it a strange sparkle that reminded Harry of Muggle game show hosts.

Finally he put the book down to continue searching through the other contents of the box. There were photograph after photograph, family members he had never even heard of before, pets, images of houses he had never visited, gardens, other people�s children, pictures of him as a tiny baby, pre scar days of cause, and then- Harry picked up a rather warn photo that he would have never guessed.

Lily was about eleven. Besides her wearing a strange childish bashful smile was non other than Severus Snape. Harry gasped in surprise. It was un-mistakenly him. The dark eyes, the black hair. Presumed he was younger, his face carried the immaturity of youth. Harry had never ever in his entire life seen the potions master smile like that. The sweet purity of a young boy that would grow up into a man twisted with hate and self-doubt.

Harry flipped the photo aside and there was another and another. An entire collection of photographs of Lily Evens and Severus Snape. Then he saw one that definitely caught his eye. They were holding hands.

"I was going through some of Mum and Dad's photo albums and stuff, when I came across several of you with Mum and...you were smiling and holding her hand." Harry looked directly at Professor Snape and swallowed. "Where you two lovers?"

"No," came a voice. Harry was surprised by the lack of emotion. No biting defence, no sarcasm, just a simple bland no.

Severus felt a strange sensation hit him. It was as if young Mr Potter had read his mind. He studied the man before him and wondered how he was going to address the subject of his feelings without causing Harry to run out of the room wracked with laughter, as if someone had made him drink a laughing potion.

"But I do intend on discussing your mother. The reason why I brought you in here," Severus said slowly.

"Okay, but what about her? Why were you holding her hand in that photo and-?"

"Slow down Mr Potter. One thing at a time."

"Sorry, Professor." Harry looked down at the floor then up again and straight into the eyes of Severus Snape.

"Your mother and I were best friends at school."

"You were! Bloody hell, Severus Snape and a Gryffindor. My Mum." The shock hit neither the less. He saw the potions master squirm uncomfortably in his chair, but seemed to recover fast enough to respond with a quick sneer. Even being best friends shocked Harry enough so that he short up from the chair as if a spark of electricity had jolted him.

"God's sake Potter calm your ever so grating emotions and stop acting like such a twerp."

"Sorry," Harry felt stupid. He was being foolish he knew, a bit outlandish in the shock treatment he had just been given.

"Before you ask how she a lowly Gryffindor and myself managed to get together I remind you to keep a check on that stupid permanently adolescent brain of yours." Before Harry could think of anything to say, rebuff or not, Severus continued. "She was hopeless with potions."

"Oi! My Mum was really good at that. It was one of her best subjects."

"Really? Humph, that is because I helped her with it. Had you yourself put your mind into the subject you may have done better."

"I was okay."

Severus raised a brow.

"Perhaps in your little world. There is more to life that Quidditch and killing gnomes."

"Hay, there's more to-"

"Exactly. Anyway, Lilly... your mother, I helped her out since I am an adept with that subject."

You don't cover up your pride and pretension much do you? Harry thought.

"For your information, Potter, in regard to our relationship..." Severus swallowed. "We simply became closer if you will."

"Closer?" A strange quirky expression touched Harry's face. A mixture of surprise and odd humour.

"This is ruddy stupid," muttered the professor also now standing. "You obviously think that she and I had an affair. On the contrary." Sad memories floated up into his mind robbing him from reality for a moment. Finally his mind came back to the present to discover Harry watching him puzzled. "You may go now."

"But I'm interested, sir!" Severus groaned inwardly. There was no beating around the bush, he realised and the sooner he came out with it the better.

"You are correct on one aspect of our relationship."

"Oh?"

Severus swallowed. "I did love her." The world suddenly seemed to come to a halt for both of them. Severus felt his cheeks flush and quickly looked down at his hands, nervously playing with the folds of his robes.

Harry nearly choked again. This time he had no brandy pass his lips. In fact the glass was still standing on the side table next to him. He closed his mouth quickly when he realised he was gaping.

Severus twitched uncomfortably.

"I suppose you are going to laugh at me now."

"Why would I do that, Professor? I mean yes it was a bit of a shock, but-"

"You thought I was incapable of feeling?"

"To be perfectly honest yes," Harry replied awaiting the thunder. Strangely nothing happened.

I was, thought the elder man.

Severus paced the room for a long minute then turned when he heard Harry's voice.

"Did she know?"

"Of cause not. She married you�re... your father." Severus fumed at the thought of the elder Potter and the pain he intentionally and intentionally caused. "She told me of their engagement the same time I was going to reveal my heart," came a sorrowful after thought.

"Sir, I hope you don't mind me asking but-"

"Go on."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I feel that you are now old enough not to snivel with shock, horror or hilarity at me for my weakness. And you are Lilly's son." Severus squared his jaw and stared un-unnervingly into Harry's eyes. Lilly's eyes, he thought sadly. "There is something else..."

"What?" Harry frowned and tried desperately to pull away from the professor's mesmerising gaze.

"And because I care about you."

Another shock. Harry gaped.

"Are you having me on?" Stooping over far too many bubbling cauldrons has defiantly addled his brain. Harry shook his head bemused at the elder man's weird admittance. He'll be telling me he loves me next, thought Harry. Must be the medication. After all he's been ill. Wonder what is wrong with him for Dumbledore to request an assistant and for him to actually agree. "Oh, Bloody hell."

"I am sorry that this had to come out this way."

"How was to come out?" He said not expecting an answer. "I thought you hated me,"

"I never hated you," he said. "Would I have gone out of my way trying to save you from falling off your broom on your first Quidditch tournament if I hated you that much?"

"I thought you were trying to kill me."

"It was Quirrell who was the danger to you," he said silkily.

"Well, I know that now, but at the time you..."

"I was the horrible bat." Harry laughed out loud.

"What do you find so amusing?"
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Corruption Of Innocence