Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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
- 45
- 46
- 47
A/N please read:
With this chapter AFF is all caught up with the story. That means that
you've seen all I've written. The next update could take a week. Maybe less. I
will continue this story as I have since I started an update every week or two.
Promise. Lee~

Chapter 47 Past
Times at Privet Drive

Harry woke early on his birthday. It had not been a good
night�s sleep. He was just glad it was morning so the onslaught of nightmares
he'd had would be over. Even though
he'd awakened from the horrors in his dreams, Harry was startled at the
unfamiliar sight of his bedroom. Waking to any room that wasn't his dorm room
or Ron's room papered in orange quidditch posters would be scary. The only
other place he'd ever slept was Privet Drive. Harry had stopped waking from
nightmares in a panic at the sight of his new bedroom after the first few weeks
in his own home, until last night. He blamed the flashback. He'd not wanted to
deal with that just yet with Sev, but damn, fate had its own plan.

________________________

Severus had been teaching him to remove clothes with the
spell he'd used on Harry. It was fun to practice and Harry had done a fair job
of it. The problem came when Harry attempted to try the reverse of the spell,
putting the clothes back on. As Harry now lay in bed next to his sleeping
lover, he cringed of the memory of last night.

~ ~ ~ Flashback ~ ~ ~

Harry had been standing by the foot of his bed, laughing at
the silliness of he and Severus taking each other's clothes off with the spell.
No matter how many times Sev had done it, Harry would still have a priceless
shcoked look when an article was removed without warning. Severus had told him
he wouldn't ever tire of seeing that look. When asked how and where he had
become so good at such helpful magic, Sev confessed that before he and Harry
had gotten together, most his time spent with other men had been quick and to
the point. They would meet up, satisfy one another, and be on their way. Harry
didn't manage to hide a giggle when Sev told him about a few of his exploits
that had led him to learning a quick-dress spell.

"So, tell me, did you break hearts all over London when
we got together?" asked Harry teasingly. Teasing or not, Severus knew what
Harry was asking.

"I just stopped showing up at places where I would meet
up with certain �acquaintances�," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure no
one has noticed I haven't been around," he said with a kiss to Harry's
nose.

"I would," Harry said against Severus' neck.

"You only say that because you want to top in the
morning," Severus waved his wand and his trousers were back on in a flash.
"Your turn," he said, holding up Harry's tee shirt. "Oh, and be
careful not to try this with clothes that don�t fit. For most wizards the spell
wouldn't work if the item was too small, but you are a powerful wizard, and the
spell would work for you. Painful, but it would work," he said with a
smirk. Severus chose not to say why he knew that fact. Some things were too
embarrassing to share.

"Okay, I'll be sure not to dress you with my clothes by
mistake." Harry tried the spell to put on the tee, but had been laughing
and wasn't concentrating. At first it had been amusing to see the shirt was on
wrong, with one arm coming out of the opening for his head, but Harry soon
realized the armhole wrapped tight around his neck was constricting his
breathing.

Even with both their clothing strewn all over the floor, it
only took Sev a moment to find his wand.
Harry had reeled his head back, trying to take a breath, and had fallen
back slightly. The shi shirt snared on Hedwig's perch, making things worse. Harry
hung there, urgently trying to tear at his neck to escape, but one arm was
pinned and the other was restricted by his position.

Severus spoke soothing words, but Harry didn't seem to
notice the tee was suddenly gone. He gasped and struggled as he continued to
scrape his nails into his neck in a desperate attempt to get free. Severus
suddenly remembered back when he was on holiday as a teen. He'd found Harry,
midway through a bad dream, thrashing around in bed making the very same
gestures. He didn't know about Harry's burn scar at the time, but it all make a
lot more sense now. Harry had explained how he'd gotten the scar, but Severus
hadn't made the correlation with the dream he'd witnessed until now.

Nothing Severus was doing was helping. He didn't think he
could do the quidditch commentating thing Ron did. He cursed under his breath
as he tried to think of another way, but couldn't. So, with no other options,
Severus Snape began to sing. He sang a
song almost long forgotten. It was a song his mother sang to him when he was a
vyounyoung child. He felt very foolish singing a lullaby, even if Harry didn't
understand the French words to know what he'd been singing. Luckily for him,
Harry calmed and dropped into a dazed sort of sleep. He hadn't been coherent
enough to really know what Severus had done. He hoped.

Now, with the morning sun peaking through the edges of the
window coverings, Harry watched Severus sleep. Harry felt bad he'd awakened the
man several times in the night with his tossing, turning, and mumbling from
nightmares. Harry remembered Severus saying they would talk. He wasn't going to
put it off any longer. Sev wouldn't allow it. Harry blushed at the absurdity of
having to be rescued from his own shirt. He wasn't sure if last night had
qualified as a full-fledged flashback, or a panic attack. But really, it didn�t
matter. He was just distracting himself from the issue.

Thinking back to last night once again, Harry had enjoyed
having long arms wrapped around him comfortingly. Severus had been very
soothing to Harry when he awoke from his nightmares. Sure, it had taken Harry a
few seconds to be sure of where he was, but once he knew, he never wanted to
leave Sev's arms. He would keep his promise to talk to Severus when they got
up. Harry grinned an evil grin, thinking, technically, Severus wasn't awake
yet, and if the man were temporarily distracted from conversation, it wouldn't
mean he wasn't going to keep his promise.

Sev was a sight to see, sleeping peacefully. He was on his
side a little, but mostly on his stomach. His dark hair spilled over his face,
hiding it from view. He slept with one hand under his pillow, and Harry
wondered if the man's wand was under there. The long legs, mostly exposed, were
in full view once Harry had slowly slid the sheet from his lover's body.

Harry lay back down beside Sev, caressing over his back with
a touch so light he was barely grazing over his skin. The feather light touch
continuedn ton to Sev's low back, and over his hips. Harry smiled when Sev
hummed an appreciative sound in his sleep. Having reached as far as he could
while lying down, Harry sat up and continued to caress Sev, his barely-there
touches stroking down the long, lean legs. As he did this, Harry crawled around
to the bottom of the bed, allowing himself better access. The caressing was
replaced with a firmer touch, then followed up with a warm tongue and many
kisses.

When Harry's mouth had kissed and licked its way up to the
back of Sev's knees, he remembered Severus had been adamant about having time
to prepare before Harry had topped. Apparently, cleanliness was a pet peeve of
his. Harry was now glad Sev was asleep as he attempted to reach his wand and
almost fell out of bed doing so. With a great stretch, and some goofy looking
awkward reaches, he managed to reach his wand where he'd left it. One thorough
cleaning spell later and a grinning Harry returned to feast on the undoubtedly
now awake Severus. The sleepy man made appreciative sounds as he had earlier,
encouraging Harry all the more. Though they weren't words, they were more
coherent sounds than before. Harry grinned and nibbled his way up to a firm
arse, biting a cheek lightly.

"Ow," muttered Sev. So, maybe it wasn't so light a
bite? Harry made up for his transgression by licking the now red teeth marks on
Sev's left cheek. Any pain Harry had caused was soon forgotten as his
ministrations continued. He began probing with tongue and then oiled fingers.
He was making sure his lover was well prepared, not wanting to cause any
discomfort, but was cut short when Sev made it clear he was ready. "That's
enough," said Sev breathily. Harry's wanted to argue that fact, he�d been
enjoying himself, but Sev's commanding tone spoke volumes. Harry wondered if he
ignored the man and kept up the preparations, would Sev beg, or hex him? Harry
grinned as he'd heard the hitch in Sev's breathing that he'd caused. He was
really enjoying this.

Harry attempted to position himself, and was relieved when
Severus pulled a pillow under himself, rising up his hips to a more comfortable
height. Thoughts of this counting as actually being the final part of losing
his virginity were suddenly whisked from Harry's mind as Severus pressed back.
Harry gasped for breath as if the room were suddenly void of oxygen. Nothing
had prepared him for the overwhelming sensation he experienced as he entered
Severus. Harry's mouth had opened and closed twice; both times, no sound came
out. His lips formed an 'O' shape as he continued to breath in short gasps.

When Harry felt a squeeze of muscle remind him he could move,
he realized there was more to come of this awe-inspiring experience; he hadn�t
lost it, and he began to slowly move and eventually find a pace they both were
comfortable with.

"Sev," he panted. "You feel so good," he
said breathily against Sev's shoulder.

It had taken a while for him to find just the right angle so
that he'd brush against Sev's prostate, but was confidant he'd managed to do so
when Severus let out a strangled cry, bucking his hips. Harry held Sev's hips
as he made love to him, and through his own haze tried to remember things he'd
enjoyed when Sev had topped. When he'd gotten close to climax in the past, Sev
had stroked him to completion. Harry wanted to reach around to ensure Severus'
pleasure, but didn't think he'd manage to keep the satisfying rhythm, and his
balance, too. "Touch yourself," he said breathily

As his climax approached, Harry thought nothing could feel
better. But just as he spilled his seed, Severus too had climaxed, tightening
around him. Oo! He�d been wrong; he could feed better. He
shuddered as the wave of pleasure swept over him. Once he'd caught his breath,
Harry placed a kiss between Sev's shoulder blades, and collapsed on him.

In the stillness, Harry could feel himself rising with each
shallow breath Sev took. "Am I too heavy?" he asked. His words puffed
a warm breath on Sev's back.

"Yes," he answered simply. Harry slid off Sev's
back to lie by his side.

"Why didn't you say so?"

Severus pulled him close for a slow kiss. It'd been a very
long time since he'd allowed someone to top, who had then actually stayed and
laid down with him, in no hurry to leave. He didn't want to disturb that
moment, even if it wasn't the most comfortable position.

When their kiss broke, Harry just looked intently at
Severus. He saw a new expression he'd seely aly a few times before. He didn't
really know what it was, but continued to watch Severus just the same. He
seemed to not only be looking at Harry, but through him. Severus traced a
finger along Harry's face. He'd trailed a path along the famed scar, and the
other, not so well known marks he'd found. When the long finger had passed over
his lips, Harry smiled against it.

"You have that look again," Harry said, finally
finding the courage to do so. "You look sad, like you're debating to tell
me something, and I worry it's going to be some horrible news."

"You're joking," Severus said with a smirk. Harry
felt a little silly now.

"The first time I saw that look, you appeared somewhat
startled, like you just remembered leaving a cauldron burning. In fact, you
left shortly afterwards. I've seen it a few times since. I'm always waiting to
see if you're going to leave when you look at me like that." Harry bit his
lip. "We�re still spending the day together for my birthday, right?"

"I shouldn't have taken so much time to tell you,"
Severus looked sad for a moment. He hated the insecurity he could see in
Harry's eyes. He wanted to be the one to make him feel safe.

"Harry, I love you," he said tenderly.

Harry took in a slow, steady breath. He could get used to
that voice declaring love for him.

"How is it I can confuse a look of love for a neglected
potion?" he asked with a grin.

"It's not every day a nasty Potions Master falls in
love. I had to confirm I was in my right mind before saying such a thing."

"Is there a potion for that?" Harry was
practically lying on top of Sev again, nipping at his ear.

"There is always a potion," he replied arrogantly.
"If one does not already exist to suit the need, I can rectify that."

Harry nodded as if he was thinking of a problem he needed
solved. �I don't have any needs at the moment, but if I do, I'll be sure to let
you know. This means you're staying, right?"

"Yes. I'm going to make you breakfast. Then we are
going to sit down and have a long talk. Don't even look at me like that. If you
hadn't put it off this long, we wouldn�t have to do this on your birthday.
Besides, then it will be done, and you can enjoy the rest of the day. Later
this afternoon I will go out to pick up a few things I need to make your
�birthday dinner� tonight."

"I love when you cook for me. I'm starving."

___________________________

One satisfying breakfast later, Harry and Severus sat on the
sofa with a large bowl of grapes. They had two important topics to touch on
today, and Harry had chosen the lesser of two evils (in his opinion) to start
off with. He didn't really think there was all that much to talk about in
regards to Sev�s spying.

"I was very unfair to you when I freaked out about Ron.
I saw you looking so smug, and all I could think of was how much you reminded
me of Lucius enjoying a good torture/rape session. When I found out later that
you had figured out a way to fake the rape, and had just found out that Ron had
a way out without you having to get involved, my heart ached. I can't really
promise not to react badly when things happen, but I'll try not to jump to
conclusions be tae talking to you."

"I appreciate that Harry, but what concerns me isn't
the times you may misunderstand. What if I did rape Ron? Can you tell me our
relationship could stand such a strain? I am a spy. I do what I must to gain
information for the Order. There have been times when I had to make a crucial
decision to either blow my cover or save an individual. I had to decide if I
felt their life was more important than the information I could retrieve, over
time, as a spy. On the rare few occasions I've chosen to save a life, I've
managed to keep myself out of trouble. I can't promise that will always be the
case."

"You mean like when you sent me through the
window?" asked Harry as he popped a grape into his mouth.

"Yes. In fact the room you landed in is still under
repair. When I first saw the shattered windows and the large amount of blood, I
began to second-guess my decision to use that method to keep you from falling.
These are the reasons I hadn't allowed myself to get close to anyone in a long
time. When Ron had been captured, all I could think about was ways to help him
escape. I'd gotten angry that my judgment had changed because I'd fallen for
you. It didn't occur to me until much later, that Ron had the ability to get
away any time he wanted, but he chose to stay to help you. You're both very
resourceful, and I have to remember that you don't always need me to rescue
you."

"No need to rescue me? Like the time you gave me the
extra potion I needed after the vision, or when I choked in the kitchen on
holiday, or maybe when I was being strangled by my own tee shirt?" Harry
said with a depreciative laugh.

"None of those things would have happened if you and I
weren't involved. It was our having sex that caused you to run low on potions
in the first place. It was Filius mentioning me having sex that made you choke.
We need not even discus the tee shirt." At this point Severus couldn't
help but snicker. "Perhaps we should cut the grapes in half for you?"

"You're such a git."

Severus smiled with a grape between his teeth, and pulled
Harry in for a quick kiss. Harry broke the kiss with a grin, chewing on the
half grape he took from Sev's teeth. "My git," he added, wiping his
mouth with the back of his hand.

"This is the best birthday I've ever had, you
know," Harry said seriously. "I've never eaten so much on my
birthday, either," he said, popping in way too many grapes at one time. He
knew the conversation about his family had to happen. This was his way of
easing into it.

"I was under the impression Albus celebrated your
birthday last year when you were in his care," said Severus.

"He did,"ry sry said, now staring down at his lap.
"It took a while before I could eat a decent amount of food at one
sitting. By the time my birthday rolled around, I was able to eat small
portions of most of the food served, and even a small slice of cake. It was
enough so most people didn't think much of it. Unless you were near Ron who ate
so much, my portions seemed very small in comparison." Harry smiled,
thinking of his friend's ferocious appetite.

"What happened, Harry? Why was it no one knew what was
going on?" asked Severus thoughtfully.

"For a long time I thought some people did know. There
were clues like my Hogwarts letter was addressed to 'the Cupboard Under the
Stairs'. I didn't think they really cared. Then again, no one at my muggle
schools managed to notice I was underfed, or overworked. Why would the
wizarding world be any different? By the time I knew better, I was afraid to
say anything from fear of not having a better place to go; I was afraid of
going to an orphanage. Sirius was on the run. I didn't think I could take
having one more thing in common with Riddle. Did you know he had begged to be
allowed to spend summers at Hogwarts, so he could stay out of the orphanage
he�d grown up in?"

Severus shook his head. He hadn't known that, or that Harry
had ever feared the possibility of being sent to an orphanage.

Harry paused, thinking about the past several years, getting
his thoughts in order. "Nearly every year the summer would end with a
bang. It was always a fiasco. Every year some part of the Dursley�s house was destroyed,
or some bad thing would happen to a family member due to magic, just before I�d
leave. Each year it made it harder for when I�d return for the following
summer."

Severus recalled that he'd heard of the bars on the bedroom
windows, the flying car, the cousin�s enlarged tongue, or in the aunt's case,
enlarged completely. Harry did have a colorful file to read if anyone ever
cared to do so. Severus had recently given the file a going over, along with
the medical records and photos in the envelope marked �Evidence�. Bless Albus'
meddling heart for leaving Harry's file out on his desk the very day he made
Severus wait for him in his office for over an hour before a meeting. That file
made for interesting reading.

"The summer following my fourth year was difficult. I'd
blamed myself for everything that had happened at the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It
didn't help my peace of mind that my relatives always had blamed me for most
things. I was miserable, and if they wanted to blame me for the dry season burning
their grass, I was in no position to argue. The nightmares increased tenfold
that summer. Vernon is not a happy man when he loses sleep. I should have told
someone things were bad then, but I thought I deserved it and kept quiet."

"What about Black?" asked Severus. "Did you
have any contact with him?"

"Vernon was careful not to leave marks that would show.
Near the end of summer, Sirius met me in the park and I'd told him things were
getting harder. He'd threatened Vernon, and that helped with my uncle, but they
found a loophole. My cousin Dudley was underage, the same age I was. It didn�t
count as child abuse if it was just two teens fighting. Or �roughhousing� as my
aunt referred to it, when questioned by the neighbors when my bruises were
starting to show up. Dudley wasn't smart enough to hit me where it wouldn't
show. I stopped telling Sirius; I didn't trust him not to do something
impulsive and get caught. I didn�t think I could bear it if he were sent back
to prison because of me."

Harry unconsciously rubbed the scar on his neck, though most
of it was gone now. "After the incident when I was burned, Vernon was
scared. He'd thought for sure someone was going to turn him into a toad for
what he'd done to me. For a while, they left me to my own devices. Maybe they
thought if they ignored me, I'd go away," Harry laughed mirthlessly.
"Ignoring me meant less food, too." Harry popped a few more grapes
into his mouth. "�Round that time, an owl came by with a letter addressed
to Vernon, of all people." Harry shook his head at the memory. "A
nice letter from my Head of House telling them what good marks I'd gotten that
year and how proud she was. And get this," Harry mused. "McGonagall
suggested that they should probably discuss my options of future career choices
with me as I'd have to take O.W.L.'s that year."

Harry put on his best Vernon voice, imitating the muggle
fool. "What does that woman mean 'taking owls'? If you think for one
minute you're bringing more birds into this house, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING
COMING!!!"

Severus grunted around a large grape. His hatred for the man
was getting palpable.

"The nerve of me getting good marks. Not only was Iill ill a wizard, but I was trying to be good at it," Harry laughed.

Severus didn't laugh at the joke. He knew it was hard for
Harry to tell him about his home life, and he'd obviously been leaving out more
than a few things. People don't have flashbacks from lack of food and getting
beat up by their obese cousins.

"They got two letters that week. It seems Dudders
wasn't doing very well in his classes. That didn't go over too well. They
accused me of having had the letter sent from my Head of House in order to make
my cousin look bad. Vernon had devised a plan. He came up with some excuse he
could give as to how I'd gotten burned, apparently some kind of accident."
Harry rolled his eyes. "The rest could still be considered 'sibling
rivalry'. Just two boys that got into a scuff on occasions." Harry picked
up his cold drink, gulped down half the glass, and then sent an ice cube back
into the glass. "Not that it mattered if he had a plan. No one asked. No
one pounded down the door demanding answers. That year, the twins came and
picked me up. They had 'borrowed' a flying carpet their father had confiscated and
left in his office overnight. I think they intended on a joyride, and didn't
actually plan on picking me up, but once they showed up, there was no going
back, I s�pose."

Harry swallowed the rest of his drink, this time crunching
up the ice cube he'd sucked in with his drink.

"We made a deal, the twins and I. They would help me
conceal the scars before the start of school, and not tell their mum, and I
wouldn't tell their mum wI'd I'd overheard them doing the last time I slept
over their house." Harry smirked.

"Excuse me?" asked Severus. "What could be so
bad they'd be willing to help you hide such a thing?"

"Ron and I tried to figure that out, too,"
admitted Harry. He told Sev how he hadn't ever really overheard the twins doing
anything. It was a desperate attempt to keep them quiet. Harry had been shocked
it worked out so well. After a while, Harry decided he didn�t want to know what
the twins would consider so bad they'd helped him cover up his awful scars.

"That was very Slytherin of you, Harry," commented
Severus. "Once you were safely
back at school for the year, why didn�t you tell anyone about what had been
going on? Did you still think you deserved to be treated like that?"

Harry shrugged. "I lived that life for so long. Sure,
things had gotten bad, but I�d managed. I was close to telling a few times. I
thought for sure Albus would figure it out, or someone would know I had been
using glamoures, but I hadn't counted on my getting more powerful, which
allowed me to hide it as well as I did. By the time the school year ended, I
figured, �Hell, I made it through so far, why tell anyone? Why ask for
trouble?� I knew that if I told, the story would get out somehow; it always
does. I'd be in all the papers. 'Boy Who Lived, scrubs floors and does yard work
between beatings, Wizarding community shocked at his inability to defend
himself from muggles with meaty fists,�� mocked Harry. "It was my last
summer. I only had to get through one last summer, and no one would ever have
to know my secret," he said sardonically.

"But you didn't make it though the whole summer,"
stated Sev. "What changed?"

"Nothing changed, unfortunately." Harry sighed.
"My uncle realized that he'd gotten away with searing the skin off my neck
and parts of my skull. I was the proud idiot who had managed to keep my secret.
My uncle thought the all-powerful wizarding world knew, but didn't seem to
care, and since the glamoure held for a while, they'd assumed I'd been healed.
There was no reason to hold back at that point."

"Funny thing is," Harry began. "At first I
didn't think things were too bad. It didn�t occur to me why Vernon had me doing
all the big outside stuff the first week. Once the weeding and planting had
been done, and the fresh coat of paint wherever needed was finished, I hardly
had a reason to go outside. It made it hard to find ways to meet up with
Sirius. I think he had been watching 'cause my third day in, I was tilling a
new flower bed when a snake I knew came by to tell me there was something in
the front yard bushes, left there by a big black dog."

Severus almost snorted. Almost. "A snake you
knew?" he asked incredulously.

"He was a friend of a friend." Harry mused.
"I let a snake loose in the yard the year before. I taught it which yards
to stay out of and how to recognize poisons. From what I hear, my aunt's not
enjoyed her backyard for a long time."

"What was in the bushes?" Sev asked, realizing the
conversation had gotten off track. He wasn't sure if Harry was doing it on
purpose or not.

"A sandwich and a bottle of water. The water was so
cold it had started to freeze around the edges."

Severus watched as Harry spoke as if he found a treasure.

"I tried to hide it, I really tried." Harry was
speaking quietly, as if telling a secret. He was now looking far away, not
focusing on anything in particular. "Dudley saw me eating it. That was the
end. By the time he had knocked it into the dirt, he was off and running to
tell Vernon. It was the last food I saw until�I guess whenever it was I woke up
in Hogwarts." Harry once again put on his best Vernon Dursley voice.
"How dare you tell your freaky friends we don't feed you proper! Well you
can just let them keep feeding you. I won�t allow you to be a burden on this
family any longer!" he reached into the bowl, placing way too many grapes
into his mouth at one time. After swallowing the handful, he reached into the
bowl again, but bumped hands with Sev and pulled his hand back quickly.
"As if the bastard would�ve let me out of the house again to get any food
that may have been left for me."

Severus didn't speak, but placed a grape in Harry's mouth
and waited for him to continue his story.

"Vernon was
easily provoked for some reason. I don't know if it was because I was soon to
be a fully trained wizard, with a future in my 'freak' world, or because his
own son was doing so poorly. One night, while they were eating dinner, I was
pouring my cousin some soda, and listening to Vernon complain about how Dudley
would be pulled from the boxing team if he couldn't keep his grades up. Then, a
huge owl tapped at the window. When I gained consciousness, I was locked in my
room. I found out later that I'd been offered the position to fly 'seeker' for
England."

"They blamed me, deciding that poor Duderkins had been
too frightened of magic to be able to concentrate on his studies at school.
They blamed me for the grass drying up in the drought; I must have done that to
keep from mowing the lawn. They blamed me for the snakes. With each infraction,
came more punishment." Harry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"OK, the snakes were worth it," he said with a
grin. "I started to get worried when the punishments got more severe. I
sent Sirius a letter. I didn't say much, but I made it a point to mention that
I would be sending him a letter again the next week. He knew there was
something I wasn't saying, and I knew he would act if he didn�t get the letter
I�d promised to send.

�I was getting really hungry. I was already getting punished
for stealing the food my cousin had in fact been snea and and blaming me for.
He came into my room late one night. I thought he was in his room on his
computer. I'd taken a knife from the kitchen, so I could use it to chop up some
of Hagrid's old rock cakes into small pieces. He'd rushed in so quickly I instinctively
put up my hands to protect my head. I didn�t mean to cut him," Harry said
softly. Severus put a comforting hand on Harry�s hand, encouraging him on.

"The previous punishments seemed like a mere slap on
the wrist compared to that night. When Dudley saw the cut on his hand, he
wailed as if I had hacked his arm off. By the time Vernon managed to get up the
flight of stairs, Dudley had managed to take the knife and cut me back in
several places. When Vernon was finished defending his �poor child�, and
teaching me a �proper� lesson, I didn't think I'd make it to the next week to
write Sirius. It took me several days to manage to move enough to do so. Even
then, I di act actually manage getting up, but Hedwig, bless her soul, brought
me a piece of paper and a pencil from the desk."

"I could hardly see, and had to write with my left
hand. I'm not really sure what I wrote. I think I must have told him I loved
him, �cuz at some point when he showed up in my room, I remember hearing Siri
say he loved me, too. You kinda� know the rest. He went off into the house for
a bit, I guess to see my �family', and then came back to carry me out. That was
when we realized the house was under attack, and he placed me in the basement
to be safe." Harry caressed Sev's
cheek. "Yours was the next face I saw."

"Thus the nightmare continued?"

"How could I possibly think seeing your face was a
nightmare? After you treated me so kindly all those years in class?" he
said sarcastically, allowing the mood to lighten, if only a bit.

Severus laughed, but was curious to know what Harry had
actually thought. Ron wasn't too sure Severus wasn�t a true Death Eater when he
was captured. What did Harry think after the attack on his home that day? He
needn't ask, as Harry answered the question for him.

"When I
recoed yed you, my first reaction was to thank Merlin I was free from that
place. I wasn't aware the attack was over, but I knew you would do whatever you
could to get me out. When you carried me effortlessly up the steps, all I could
think of was how pathetic I was and what you must think of me. However, all
thoughts of you mocking me with such information went right out the window when
I realized Sirius would never have allowed you to go and get me, not if he was
able to do so himself. I don�t remember much after that. I don�t remember much
past the steps."

"You lapsed into a coma before I reached the front
door. Had I not been so caught up with having to fulfill Black's last request,
I might have paid more attention and realized your injuries were unrelated to
the Death Eater attack.�

�In all the years I�d known him,yes">

"You really love me?" asked Harry with a silly
grin.

Severus scowled, but Harry could see he was being humorous.
"Do you want me to write it down for you to keep, along with that infernal
note you have that declares I won't kill you?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," teased
Harry.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

lasslass=MsoNormal>Harry buzzed around his little home, making sure everything
was clean and nice for his romantic dinner with Severus. He was delayed several
times as well-wishers fire called, wishing Harry a �Happy Birthday�. Being his
first time living alone on his birthday, Harry hadn't thought to light the
fire, but Severus suggested he do so as he was leaving for the market. At least
three calls came in back to back the second the fire was lit. First Hermione,
Neville, and Ron called. The other calls that came in were from disappointed
friends who would miss out on the celebration, since the party at the Three
Broomsticks had been cancelled due to safety issues since the recent attack.

Harry was snapping a fresh sheet in the air to make his bed
when he heard another call. "Hellooooo. Any Birthday Boys home?" he
heard Mrs. Weasley's voice coming from the sitting room fire. He was thankful
Severus wasn�t there, as he might not have lived that down.

"Hello", Harry replied cheerfully, as he stepped
into Molly�s view, with Arthur at her left shoulder.

"Happy Birthddeardear," she said so cheerfully she
practically sang. �Arthur and I were out and we found a stand that had fresh
berries. I know you love them. Since we�re here in town, I thought we could
give you a call."

Harry realized finally what she was getting at, and invited
them in. Molly fussed about, checking over the place to see what Harry had
added to the decor. Arthur smiled proudly to see the Floo box he'd given Harry
at the Warding. It was in good company; the only other thing on the mantel was
the Order of Merlin awarded to Sirius.

As she walked behind the sofa, Molly brushed her hand across
the blanket she had hand knitted for Harry. It had been covering the back of
the sofa. It was still too warm to sleep with it on the bed.

"Come take a look at this, isn't that a beauty?"
Arthur said to his wife, as he admired the clock on the wall. "A gift from
Albus. Isn't that right Harry?"

"Yes, A Warding gift," Harry answered. "Can
you guess which hands Fred and George added?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I can guess," Molly said huffily, but Harry could
see she was playing it up. "Dinner tomorrow is at six. I expect that hand
will be moving along soon," she said pointing to the 'Time to Party' hand
on the clock face.

"I think it's moving along now," commented Arthur.

"No dear, that's not the party hand, it�s another hand
behind it moving up," she said looking carefully. "Oh!" Molly
gave Harry a smile when he blushed. "It says 'Time for Your Date'. Why
didn't you tell us you were going on a date, and here we are barging in,"
she said quickly, almost pushing Arthur to the fire.

"Don't be silly," Harry assured her. "The
hand hasn�t even gotten close to the mark, I've got a while yet." He
pulled them into the kitchen where the sun was still shining in, and poured
them each a cold glass of lemonade. Molly excitedly looked all over the
kitchen. She was surprised to see it so well stocked, and having a large
variety of spices and herbs on hand. Harry showed her the window box where he
had planted only a few herbs.

"There's a whole untended garden down there," he
pointed to the small yard. "I meant to ask Mr. Jennings, my landlord, if I
could do some planting. But I never got around to it."

"I hear Severus Snape and Kieran Donnelley kept you
training hard all summer," commented Arthur. "You missed the last
Order meeting while you were recuperating, and of course the topic of your
training came up. Albus told of your actions during the attack. He was very
pleased with how far you've come in your training. When asked to give an
account, Severus reported that you had surpassed any other they had trained so
far. That's quite a compliment, coming from him," praised Arthur.

"They keep me on my toes," said Harry modestly.
"They're an interesting team. A lot of hard work, but some good times,
too. In fact just last night they attacked me here in my own home, kidnapped
me, and forced me to go out and ingest alcohol for my birthday," laughed
Harry.

"When you were last at the Burrow, I noticed you two
seemed to be getting along much better," said Molly. Harry wasn't sure how
to tell them he and Severus were a couple.

"We do have a much better relationship now that I'm no
longer a student, at Hogwarts at least," Harry said, taking a large sip of
lemonade. He knew he was being vague, but didn't know how to breach the
subject. They meant a lot to him, and he wasn't sure what their reactions would
be.

"I imagine you must have. Ronald told me this morning
that he invited Severus to the Burrow for your birthday celebration. I was
taken aback to say the least." Molly put her empty glass in the sink. She
had started washing it too, when Harry stopped her. Molly knew her son was
opinionated and overdramatic. For him to invite his long hated Potions
Professor, something had to have changed. When she questioned Ron, he had
passed it off, saying they had all gotten along during holiday when Snape was
younger, and that Harry and Severus also had formed a friendship during the
holiday and training. She had thought there was more to it, but wasn�t going to
push Ron; she was glad he'd shown such maturity with his acceptance.

After setting a date for the Weasleys to come for dinner,
they said their goodbyes and birthday wishes once again. Arthur had politely held up the box of Floo
powder for his wife, when Severus Apparated in, only a few feet from them. He
had a few small square objects in one hand and a large package from the market
in the other.

"Good heavens, you startled me! How are you, Severus?"
asked Molly.

"Fine, thank you Molly, Arthur," Severus greeted
them with a polite bow. "For you, from Albus," Severus said, handing
a few brain-boxes to Harry. "He asked me to remind you, lunch is at noon
tomorrow."

Harry went to drop the boxes in the drawer of his bedside
table, and returned in time to hear Arthur warning Severus.

"We'll be going now. Severus, don't keep him too long,
Harry has a date," Arthur said, grinning, and gestured over to the clock.
The hand that announced it was time for his date was now on the mark.

"So he does," purred Severus, handing Harry the
package.

Harry reached into the bag, pulling out a long green bottle
with a grape leaf on the label. "Great! You got my favorite wine," he
said with excitement.

It was Molly who first put two and two together. Severus was
impressed; she managed not to look shocked. Though, maybe she wasn�t all that
shocked. The woman did have seven children, after all. Keeping a few steps ahead was crucial as a
mum. She gave Harry a big hug, before turning to leave.

lasslass=MsoNormal>

"We'll see you both tomorrow. Enjoy your date,"
she directed the last line to Severus. As she nudged her husband to the Floo,
Arthur could be heard asking. "Wasn't it Harry who had the date?"

Molly followed close behind. She would explain it to him
when they homehome.

TBC

LeeLeePotter@OptOnLine.Net
- 45
- 46
- 47
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Death Eater Takes a Holiday