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Death Eater Takes a Holiday	By : LeeLeePotter Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 42271 -:- 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
- 40
- 41
- 42
Special Thanks to my Beta: Xikum

Chapter 42 Dinner
Guest

Harry slouched on his sofa, leaning against a warm shoulder
as he watched a movie on his new television. He lazily reached for a chocolate
covered pretzel from the coffee table that was strewn with munchies. When a
spoonful of chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream appeared in front of his lips,
he greedily devoured it.

"God, I missed this," moaned Hermione. "We
haven't had �date night� it so long," she complained.

"Yeah, sure. You just couldn't stand your parents
smothering you another minute," Harry said humorously.

"Ugh, tell me about it. I love 'em Harry, I do. But you
don�t know how hard it is to live at school for so long and suddenly have them
hovering over you day in and day out. My Mum is driving me nuts," she said
before digging into the ice cream tub again. "I do miss you. We've not had
any juicy conversations in such a long time."

"Is that all I'm good for? Who do you think I am, the
Professor of 'How to Please a Man 101�?" he protested with mock annoyance,
and grabbed a small glass on the table containing a warm amber liquid. He
winced after taking a sip.

"I can't believe you drink that stuff," she said,
ng tng the glass from his hand, and then taking a sip herself. "Ick,"
she winced, peered into the glass, taking another sip, "Damn, this stuff
is harsh," she rasped.

"I'm out of Butterbeer and this is all that I have
left. Severus drinks this sometimes, but I'm finding he's more of a wine
connoisseur. It's not bad if you want to get a good buzz. Sev hates when I say
that. I think it reminds him of my age," Harry said with a smirk.

"He is hot," she said breathily. Harry almost
sputtered out his pretzel. Hermione giggled at her dear friend�s shocked expression.
"I know, I know, but he kind of grows on you. Ever since I saw you two
kiss on holiday, and Ron had said how much he watched over you, while you were
in the Infirmary, I started thinking about him differently. You look so happy,
so content."

Neither had noticed the flicker in the fire as Severus
peeked to see if Harry was alone. They had discussed being more open with
Harry's friends, but Severus was a private person, and wasn't too comfortable
with it, yet. He did concede that he wouldn't put up the fa�ade while his
friends were around as they did for the rest of the public. Conveniently for
him, he was never around while Harry was with his friends. He peeked again and
they were both gone from the room. They had been lounging so comfortably
against each other he doubted she would have left so hastily. Listening
carefully he could just make out the voices from the kitchen.

"I think you need another drink," encouraged
Hermione.

"You know," Harry sipped from his glass again,
this time not wincing. "You think you're going to sway me because I've
been drinking?"

"Oh, come on Harry, please," she begged. I just
want to see it once. I swear I won�t tell a soul."

"Nah, he wouldn't appreciate that, I'm sure."
Harry wasn't exactly sounding as confident as he was attempting. She knew the
alcohol was working in her favor. Severus, still listening intently, was not
worried about his lover's faithfulness, but was still very interested in what
the witch wanted from him.

"Please, you can use the spell you learned, the one
that makes the picture show up in the air. A projection spell," she said
as she sat back down on the sofa with a fresh bowl of popcorn. "Oo, come
quick, it's the good part."

Harry returned to find Hermione staring at the TV with her
eyes glazed over. "You�re such a romantic," he said, as the leading
man on the TV screen embraced the heroine, kissing her deeply. She snorted, as
if Harry weren�t a romantic himself. No sooner had the credits began to roll
across the screen when Hermione started in on him again. Not quite listening,
Harry heard a distinct sound from the kitchen. Kieran and Sev had been teaching
him to be especially aware of his surroundings, and he had practiced listening
for various things. He was sure Severus had just Apparated into the kitchen. He
waited for his love to walk through the kitchen door, and realized Mr. Spy
wasn't making his presence known yet.

He would have some fun with Severus, and teach him to be
polite and greet Harry and his friend, instead of testing Harry on his ability
to be conscious of his surroundings despite the fact that his home probably had
better wards then the Ministry of Magic itself.

"I guess, but I'm telling you, I had to wait a long
time to see it. I can't see why you deserve to."

Severus had frightening thoughts on what it was she wanted
his Harry to show her. He was about to walk into the sitting room and make his
presence known, but before he could get past the entryway, Hermione cast the
spell on Harry as he'd agreed, causing a scene appear in the air in front of
them.

There, bigger than life, was Severus' face. The very short
scene repeated itself over and over. He was smiling. It was a full face,
eyes-lit-up smile. With almost no background but blue sky, it was apparent
Harry's memory was of him flying Hagrid's horse. Severus hadn't known anyone
was watching him so far up in the sky. He was now standing right behind the
sofa. The other two�s faces both gazed up at the repeating scene before them;
neither of them appeared to realize he was there. Or so Severus thought.

"Harry, he looks like a completely different person.
It's like knowing something exists, but you've never seen it and wonder if it's
true. You know what I mean?"

"I know you've had too much to drink," he laughed,
but knew it to be true; Severus did look so different with a big smile.
"This was from the first day Sev took Hagrid's horse up for a flight
around the castle," he said with his eyes still on the larger than life,
smiling Severus. "Do you think you could take me for a ride
sometime?"

"Me?" asked Hermione, confused. Severus grinned, happy that Harry knew he
was there, and had not been taken unaware.

"I believe he was referring to me," Severus purred
in her ear, causing the poor girl to jump higher than her ginger cat on magical
catnip. Harry chuckled as he watched her leap and spin so quickly she
practically landed in his lap. Harry held onto her arm, to brace against the
sudden dizziness she was experiencing.

"P-p-professor Snape!" she slurred, and quickly tried
to wave her wand to make the enormous image of him smiling disappear. Severus
would have laughed at her reaction, if he didn�t think the sight of him
laughing wouldn't set the poor girl onto her arse. The other reason he wasn't
amused was due to the fact that her intoxicated wand waving had caused her
swish and flick to nearly take Harry's eye out. Luckily, he wasn't wearing his
contacts, and so his glasses took most of the impact.

Hermione was about to sputter a slew of apologies for her
poor aim but stopped dead in her tracks, blinking. Severus was leaning over the
back of the sofa; he had gently taken off Harry's glasses, his thumb was
caressing over a small, pink spot where the glasses had made a mark on his
face. His touch on Harry's skin was so tender and caring, she almost whimpered
at the sight before her. She really had had too much to drink.

Harry smiled, "I'm fine," he whispered soothingly
to Severus.

"Sorry, Harry," she said, finding her voice once
again. She stood up to make her excuses to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked her dejectedly.
"Don't leave."

"I'd have to agree," said Severus surprising the
other two. "Guessing by how much of that bottle has gone down, if you were
to Floo home now, you would no sooner land home before retching on your
parents� sitting room carpet."

Hermione was about to protest the fact that her parents
didn't have a carpet near the fireplace, when she realized a sober person
probably would have let that go. Severus suggested that she limit herself to
the consumption of alcohol that wasn't bottled before she was born, and rambled
on about having a decent bottle of scotch wasted on their indiscriminate
palates.

Harry just laughed because he'd never seen Hermione with
that look on her face. The look of being utterly clueless, as she hardly
understood a word Severus had said. Harry was sure Severus was throwing in a
few extra big words to mess with his inebriated friend's head.

The three unlikely companions made conversation over the
next hour. Hermione did her best to act as sober and mature as possible. Harry
simply relaxed; enjoying the first time he'd spent time with his lover in the
company of one of his friends. He wondered briefly how the evening would have
been if Ron were also there. He didn't really think Severus would have come out
of the kitchen, had there been anyone else there. It was a slow process that
Severus wasn't in any rush to get through, even though there were only a select
few people that could safely know about them.

When Hermione did leave, Severus admitted she was bearable
to talk to when she wasn�t in competition with others to offer
information. Harry wanted to protest
that Severus had enjoyed her company more than he let on, but for now he had
other things in mind. He was in a playful mood, and ran at the unsuspecting
Severus, throwing himself into the man's arms. Severus saw him coming but was
unprepared for the legs that wrapped around him in mid- air, forcing them to
fall back over the arm of the sofa.

Attacking his mouth with vigor, Harry squeezed his legs
around his lover's waist, delightfully pressing them together. Harry's
aggressive tongue continued to plunder Sev's mouth until an annoying crinkling
sound compelled him to pull away. "Sorry," said Harry, amused, pulling
a bag of candies from between the sofa cushions. Severus looked at him,
curious, commenting that he rarely saw Harry eat so much junk food in excess.
"Mione's parents are dentists. The best snack at her house is fruit juice
sweetened oatmeal cookies," explained Harry, pulling a face. "She
needed a fix."

/p>

"If I were to need a fix, would you also grant my
wishes in true Gryffindor style, in excess?" growled Severus.

"That depends on your wishes," he answered, and
nibbled along Sev's jaw. "I may be a Gryffindor, but the Slytherin part of
me wants to make sure it's something I would enjoy." Harry kissed him
hard, dominating the kiss. As quickly as he had fastened himself to Sev's lips,
Harry pulled away again. "Hey, do I get a wish like everybody else?"

Severus chuckled. He wasn't used to Harry being tipsy and
found him very amusing. "Tell me," Sev purred. "What do you
wish?"

"Hmm, what� do� I� wish?" he drawled out slowly,
thinking about his answer. He wriggled on top of Sev, grinding their hips
together. "I wish to top," he said with an impish grin.

"Is that so? And what, pray tell, led you to believe I
would allow such a thing?" Severus said smugly. Harry looked stunned, then
indignant. Severus couldn't hold the smirk any longer; it turned into a smile,
resulting in his receiving a punch from Harry when he realized Severus was
teasing him. "You call that a punch? You forget, I've been training you
three days a week since summer began. I know your weaknesses," he said
with an evil grin.

"You don�t scare me," said Harry. He wriggled his
hips again, grinding himself on Severus. "You're just trying to distract
me because you don�t want me to top." His words slurred slightly.

"You should be scared." Severus unbuttoned Harry's
pants, pulled his shirt loose, sliding his fingers beneath the cotton tee.
Harry's eyes grew wide as the long, slender fingers that usually gave him much
pleasure were lightly wiggling up his sides. He practically screamed.

"No! Don't you dare tickle me!" pleaded Harry. He
squirmed to get away, causing Severus to moan from the friction.

"I should make you squirm more often," he growled.
Harry caught his breath, thankful the fingers were now gently rubbing his hips.
It wouldn't do to be sick on his lover, especially when he was trying to talk
him into letting him top.

"Hey, stop distracting me. I want to make you feel as
good as you make me feel good." He paused, trying to figure out if that
sentence made sense. "I'm not even
as big as you, or is that a bad thing?" Harry suddenly looked unsure of
himself.

"I'm sure you would feel divine buried deep inside of
me. I would just prefer to have a little advance notice so that I can be better
prepared. And, you may not want to be drunk your first time."

"Better prepared? I thought that was my job?"
Harry said, and slid his hand around to reach Sev's arse.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Harry harrumphed at his words, but didn't argue, thinking
Severus had a point, but wouldn't admit it.

"Besides," Severus continued. "You're a horny
seventeen-year-old with � a bottle of scotch in you. I could give you head and
you'd probably pass out minutes afterwards."

"I resent that!" Harry said, half-laughing.
"Besides, Herminnony drank some too, so that would make it a � of a bottle.
I think." Severus chuckled, and allowed him to go on. "I'm a teen,
I've got stanina, stanima, well, I can go a long time." He said haughtily.

"I believe the word your mangling is 'stamina',"
Sev said, pulling Harry's shirt up and over his head. "Perhaps an
experiment is in order," he said, licking his lips.

"Deal." Harry pulled out his erect member, rubbing
a drop of pre-come around the tip. "If you give me head, and I don�t pass
out, you'll let me top?"

"I didn't exactly say that, but ok, deal." Sev
pulled him down for a kiss. "I can't exactly reach, you'll have to let me
up."

Harry looked around. It was kind of funny to see Severus
laying flat on his back on the sofa, with his knees over the armrest, and Harry
propped on top. "I don't want to let you up. I like it on top," he
said with a smirk. Severus put his hands around Harry's sides again and lifted
him up over his head until he had access to what he desired. "Oh,
Merlin," Harry cried out when he was swallowed whole. His pants still
around his hips prevented him from putting a leg down for balance. Severus held
his hips, as Harry kept his legs straight in the 'push-up' position. This
wasn't the topping he'd planned, but he wouldn't complain, and continued to
pump into Sev's eager mouth. It was difficult to keep up with that position,
but Harry didn�t want that sensation to stop for even a second. Even if it
meant that his calves were going into spasm from the position, he wasn't going
to give in. He was going to get head, and then top with Severus. The thought
alone brought him closer to completion.

~*~*~

Harry woke up in his bed. 'Son of a bitch.' He didn't
even remember getting to bed. As he sat up, he deeply regretted doing so. He
thought back to the position he was in while Severus was fellating him. It was
a strenuous position. Severus wasn't stupid. The ache in his legs was nothing
compared to the headache that was about to peak. "Bless you," he
said, spotting the vial of hangover cure on his nightstand. Downing the vial, he
opened a small note that accompanied the merciful cure.

Dear Harry,

Courteous, respectable men do not point out other�s
misfortunes, or mistakes made despite warnings they may have received. Since I
am neither courteous nor respectable, let me say,

I told you so.

Yours truly,

Severus

PS: I'm taking the rest of the scotch back home with me.

"You are such a bastard," said Harry, laughing. He
got up and showered, looking forward to his training today. Sev and he had a
good prank to play on Kieran.

Kieran had been pestering Severus about his lover. Severus
in return had him all but convinced that the body in his bed must have been a
prank, since that person hadn't come forward, had most likely finished school
that June and wouldn't be bothered with him again. Keeping up appearances,
Harry did his best to impress, practically flirting, but received no response
from the irritable trainer. They played the game of �chase and clueless� for
weeks, until a few days back when Kieran was at his wit�s end and convinced Severus
to admit his feelings and get laid already. All the while, Kieran never let on
he knew it was Harry.

No sooner had Harry Apparated into the building, than he
heard a familiar silkyce. ce. "Sleep well?"

Harry flashed him a grin. "You're such a prick."

"Excuse me? I held up my end of the deal," Sev
licked his lips, proving his point. He pulled Harry behind a partial wall of
hay bales.

"Yeah, I suppose, but next time, hold up your other
end," Harry said, moving his eyebrows suggestively. "Mmm" he
sighed happily when Sev's lips met his, pulling them to the hay-covered floor.
"How long before Kieran gets here?"

"Not long," Severus spoke the words against his
neck. "He always arrives early. He tries to beat me here and catch me
unaware; it�s an old game he never wins." Severus sucked on Harry's
earlobe eliciting a whimper. "Try to be quiet, as if you don't want to get
caught."

"Isn't that the point?"

"Yes, but he's very good. Kieran would know if a mouse
crept by." Severus gave Harry a stern look when he whimpered again, but
couldn't hold back a smile. He loved how responsive Harry was.

When Kieran Apparated in, his first reaction was a satisfied
grin, thinking he'd managed to be the first to arrive. But he was instantly on
alert when he heard something shuffle in the shadows. He stealthily moved about
the room until he had a view of what, or rather who, was in the shadows of the
hay barrier. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he could make out the
silhouettes of two bodies in a heated kiss. The glint of light against silver
showed Severus' ring on a hand squeezing a tight young arse. Kieran walked away
humming, relieved that they had finally gotten together. He distinctly heard a
silencing charm being placed, and was grateful for it.

"Here, turn it back ten times." Severus whispered
in Harry's ear, handing him a time-turner. It wasn't the same as the one
Hermione had had, this one only went back a minute for each turn, and was very
small. Harry gave Severus a sound kiss, and 'popped' home. Rummaging through
his clothes, Harry changed into something completely different. He combed his
hair again, and sent Hedwig off with the time-turner, returning it to Albus as
promised.

When Harry 'popped' back, he saw Kieran smiling and humming
to himself. "Hey, Kieran," he said cheerfully. The Scott startled at
the sight of him. Giving the room the once over, Harry asked, "Where's
Severus? Isn't he always here first?"

"Guess he got held up," Kieran said vaguely.

Harry scrutinized the wizard's face, narrowing his eyes.
"You're lying, he's always first. Is this a test?" Harry said, and
began cautiously moving around the large room.

"He was late once, when he had a meeting with
Albus," Kieran rationalized.

"Yes, but you knew where he was then. Is he going to
pop out from somewhere and attack me?" said Harry, on the alert. Kieran
looked agitated. "You know, all that harassing him about getting laid? I
think you finally wore him down. I think he's gonna� ask me out," Harry
said confidently, and continued his search for the �missing� Severus. Just as
he was about to jump into Severus' hiding spot, he was abruptly stopped by a
spell that just missed his head, sending red sparks past him into the shadows.
Harry turned around to see Kieran with his wand out, but was startled when an
arm quickly made its way around his neck, a second arm holding a wand to his
head.

"Don't allow yourself to be distracted," purred
Severus in his ear. "You should have ignored the spell Kieran sent past
you, and continued your investigation." Severus chastised Harry, grinning
at Kieran.

"I know, but I didn't want to miss the look on Kieran's
face when I found you rolling in the hay with another man. And to think, I had
this shocked, hurt look all practiced," said Harry with a pout. By now
Kieran realized he'd been had. Severus turned Harry around in his arms and
leaned down to claim his sweet lips. As they kissed, Kieran yelled obscenities
at them.

Harry noticed during the training that Kieran was trying a
lot harder to curse Severus than usual. He also noticed that Severus had to add
a few pages to the book where they marked his progress. Harry looked over Sev's
shoulder and noticed the name Fawkes, but Severus wouldn't elaborate on why
they chose that name for him in the book. Kieran, who was still being a poor
sport about the joke, told him they named him after a phoenix because he didn't
die, but Harry could tell he was being sarcastic. In the end, Kieran conceded
that it had been one of Severus' better pranks, and he was glad they were
together.

~ * ~

A week or so later, Harry got a chance to visit with the
real Fawkes on a trip to Hogwarts. He arrived at the top of the steps, but
didn't hear the familiar voice asking him to enter. He knocked, receiving no
response. "Guess he's out," Harry said to no one in particular, then
gave his private password, allowing him access through the Headmaster's office
to his own room. Harry checked his watch with a smile, and rummaged through a
box of papers to find what he was looking for.

Harry sat back comfortably on his old bed, reading through a
document. This is how Albus found him. Harry checked his watch again and raised
an eyebrow. "You're getting slow
Albus; you're not getting old, are you?" teased Harry, as he stood to
greet the wizard properly. Albus wrapped his arms around Harry as he always did
when greeting Harry in their home in Albus' tower.

"You are not above punishment from me, young man,"
chided the elder Wizard. "As for my getting slow, I had already heard from
Hagrid that you were on the grounds, and looking well," he said, a smile
right up to his blue eyes. He took a seat on the bed as Harry gestured to him,
"How are you finding living alone?"

"Who's alone?" laughed Harry. "Ron visits
when he can, Hermione and I hang out on Thursdays, and the twins are there
brewing potions for products that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let them do at home.
With good reason, I might add."

Albus chuckled. "I have heard you're on your third pair
of drapes in the living room."

"How did you know about that? You freak me out
sometimes," said Harry with a look of disbelief. Albus enjoyed how
comfortable Harry had gotten with him, although Harry did occasionally forget
himself and speak to Albus as he would with Ron, getting into trouble for foul
language.

"I assure you, there is nothing mystical going on. A
certain Potions Master was ranting about your safety since you allowed the
Weasley twins to use your place for research."

Harry bit his lip, hiding a small smile. He loved that Sev
cared about him. "He isn't very happy about them being there. I um, leave
out their brewing log in an easy to see location, and usually there are notes
and changes in red the next day. I think Severus� checking it over has
prevented a lot of accidents. I'm pretty sure he's added an extra ward to the
building, too." Harry said sheepishly. Albus looked impressed that Harry
had noticed.

"So you know about that? Does it bother you that he has
added his personal ward to your home, without your permission?"

"Oh, no. I was surprised when we covered Wardings in my
Wizarding Customs for Muggles class. I didn't know it was such a big deal, and
that he could get in a lot of trouble for that, if I were to complain. I just
thought it was nice he cared enough to do it," explained Harry. "I
noticed right away. It's like feeling a light buzz of magic that wasn�t there
before. I could feel that it was his, you know?" Harry felt silly and
didn't know if he was making sense. Albus smiled and Harry didn't worry about
it so much. He wasn�t going to admit that it had felt like he was getting a
magical hug from Sev.

"Most wizards aren't sufficiently aware of the magic
around them to recognize another wizard�s magical signature until they are
older, or perhaps trained to do so. You will one day be a very powerful wizard,
Harry. That is not to imply that you are not already a most impressive wizard
for your age."

"Thank you, Albus," Harry said sincerely. Albus
gave him a knowing look. Harry wasn't just thanking him for the compliment, but
for being straightforward. With all that Harry had been though in his life, he
didn't need his guardian speaking in riddles. Albus was Albus and still
occasionally gave vague answers, but he tried not to be overly cryptic, and in
return Harry was more forthcoming. He had long since learned it was best to
tell the truth when Albus asked if there was something he wanted to tell him.
All the years he had answered 'no', he had paid for it every time.

"I see you've been reading the deed to Godric's
Hollow," Albus said, seeing the document Harry had been reading when he
came in.

Albus and Harry continued their conversation over tea, when
Harry learned about the property and what he needed to do before building
again. Albus recommended a wizard he could contact for information regarding
building details and local codes, and even mentioned that Harry should talk to
Filius Flitwick, but didn't mention why.
What was initially a stop-in for picking up papers, and tea with Albus;
ended up turning into dinner in the Great Hall with the remaining staff at the
school.

Harry sat next to Albus, since McGonagall was dining
elsewhere that night. Everyone had been surprised to see Harry joining them for
dinner and asked him many questions about his new home and what he was doing
with himself. Moments before the food arrived, Harry caught sight of a familiar
black flowing robe that swept into the room. He continued his conversation withliuslius, waiting for Sev to notice him. The tall, dark wizard walked
purposefully to his spot at the table, scowl in place. Harry thought for a
moment he was having a flashback to his school days.

A few professors greeted the Potions Master, getting a short
"Evening" with a nod in response. He never actually looked at anyone
when he greeted them; he was lost in thought and stared into his teacup,
looking for answers to a question that had been plaguing him. Harry noticed
that Sev's hair looked especially greasy that evening. He hadn't realized until
that moment that Severus must have been making a real effort to look nice for
him, since he looked very good most of the time. Harry had only been seeing the
man while training and when they were alone at Harry's place, so he hadn't seen
Severus in this setting since he'd finished school. Harry happened to say
�hello� at the same time as Hagrid; he may as well have been mute for all
Severus would have heard beyond Hagrid's booming voice. Harry felt like a fly
on the wall, so to speak. It was interesting to see how Severus acted when
there were no students around and he obviously hadn't realized Harry was there.

"Severus has been brewing a particularly difficult
potion since yesterday evening," offered Albus. Harry nodded, his mouth
full at the moment. He listened intently as Severus spoke to Professor Sprout
regarding a plant he needed for the potion he was brewing. Severus placed his
pocket watch open on the table, and continued to glance at it between
bites. Harry watched him eat quickly,
and wondered how one could eat and scowl at the same time. Soon Severus was
picking up his watch and getting up from the table, though the others were
barely half done.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a potion to return to.
Goodnight," said Severus to no one in particular, but had said it for
Albus' benefit. After murmurings of 'Good evening' and other such regards from
a scattering of staff, Harry waited until he was sure Sev would hear him.

"Goodnight Professor," Harry said genially, and
smiled warmly when Severus snapped his head around, quick as a flash, having
immediately recognized the voice. Severus looked utterly shocked. He hadn't
even realized Harry was sitting at the table during dinner, and was now torn
between wanting to say something, and the need to get back to his potion that
could not wait. There was nothing he could say in front of mixed company
anyway, thus the potion won out. Keeping eye contact with the unexpected dinner
guest, Severus saw that Harry had found the whole thing amusing, and then had
turned to speak to Hagrid, giving the Potions Master an out.

Severus stormed down to the dungeons, angry with himself,
though he wasn't sure why. He scowled at his robes; they were a stained, coarse
fabric woven to keep him safe from stray noxious ingredients. He had taken off
the detachable front, (which he refused to call an apron). It was still not
acceptable dinner wear, but he had expected that only the staff would be at
dinner. He had lived with them in the castle for over 15 years, and didn�t put
much thought into grabbing a quick bite to eat while a potion was at a point it
was safe to leave to simmer, unwatched. The staff had long since gotten
accustomed to the wizard ignoring them in favor of contemplating his brewing
results.

As the doors to the Great Hall closed behind Severus, most
of the staff had already returned to their conversations and dinner. Harry and
Albus turned to each other, with no need for words, and laughed. "A bit
distracted today?" asked Harry, chucking.

"It happens when one is engrossed in work," Albus
said, and paused as he buttered a roll. "Severus is passionate about his
life's work. Potions are a big part of who he is."

Harry could see this was going somewhere, but wasn't sure
where.

"Summer will be over before we know it, and you won�t
be in training three days a week. Severus will be teaching again. What will you
do with all your spare time?"

Ah, the 'What are you going to be when you grow up'
question. "I don't know. Maybe I'll work on my tan a little longer,
and I'll have free time to organize my Wizards Cards collection. I've got about
twenty of you now, did you know?" asked Harry casually. Albus
smiled at his kidding, and let the topic go. Harry knew Albus wasn't expecting
a real answer, or he wouldn't have asked at the dinner table. It was his way of
getting Harry to think in that direction. A week or so later when he brought up
the topic again, Harry would discuss the subject seriously with him, having
given it some thought ahead of time.

"Albus? May students use the quidditch pitch to
practice while school is out of session?"

"Preparing for your future career?" asked Albus.
"It is not widely known, but the grounds at Hogwarts are open to students.
However, most students would have to travel a great distance, and it is usually
not practical, given the limited travel options to young people. By the time
they�re old enough to Apparate, most students have other destinations they are
eager to reach," he said with a smile.

"Cool," Harry said around a buttered roll.
"Ron and me told Ginny we would help her train up before the quidditch
tryouts."

"Ah, the last of the Weasley students joins the ranks.
Did you know that there was at least one Weasley on the quidditch team for
every year a Weasley was at Hogwarts?"

"Ron's mentioned it a few times," Harry mused.
"A few dozen times. How is that right? Bill's the oldest and he didn�t
play."

"Before Charley led the team, Roger Weasley, a nephew
of Arthur's, was on the team. He was a chaser, I believe," Albus
reminisced.

"How do you remember all this shi�stuff?" Harry
quickly recovered from his slip. Albus pursed his lips. "No wonder you
need a pensieve," Harry teased, and a chuckle could be heard from behind
him, where Madam Hooch was enjoying their conversation.

~ * ~

Down in his lab, Severus spelled away any loose crumbs from
dinner that might have fallen into his cauldron and washed his hands
thoroughly. As he dried off his hands, Severus caught a glimpse of himself in
the mirror above the sink, noticing that his hair was so filthy it was now
separated in clumps. He really did need a shower, to peel off the layer of
slime that seemed to adhere to him when he stood over a steamy potion for hours
or days on end.

When it finally occurred to Severus that he was angry with
himself for the way he looked in front of Harry, he became all the more angry. "I
am not a man of fashion, and if that's important to him, he should date
Malfoy," grumped Severus. His little bout of anger was waylaid by the
memory of Harry in the Great Hall. "He looked entertained by my
distraction. The Brat," he said, amused by his lover. To make up for
ignoring him at dinner, Severus decided to offer Harry a ride on Hagrid's
flying palomino. He refused to think it had anything to do with wanting Harry
to see him in tight leather the next time they met up.

LeeLeePotter@OptOnLine.Net
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Death Eater Takes a Holiday