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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
- 50
- 51
- 52
Chapter 52
Potion Masters Brew the Best Coffee

Severus stood in Harry's kitchen, chopping produce for their
salad. He tasted a small cherry tomato, noting it had better flavor than the
last bunch they'd picked up. Harry had just placed the ravioli into a pot of
boiling water and opened his mouth for whatever it was Sev was offering.

Mmm, good," moaned Harry. He quickly wiped the juice
that had dribbled down his chin when he bit into the tasty tomato. Rummaging
through the icebox, Harry pulled out salad dressing and other numerous
condiments, dropping them on the table. He began grating aged Romano, and
dropped a bombshell. "I invited Remus to stay here during the full
moon."

"You what?!" Severus was shocked, to say the
least.

"He needed a place to stay, and the prejudice out there
is unbelievable. Even the more open-minded landlords don't want to risk the
damage to their property. Most aren't aware of the benefits of the Wolfsbane
on.&on."

"I wanted him out of Hogwarts to protect the students,
not to put you in harm�s way!" yelled Severus.

"I think you�re overreacting. I'm not in danger. Have
you no confidence in your potion to keep Remus' sanity during the change?"
Harry asked smugly, though it wasn't the best way to win an argument with
Severus.

"Are you forgetting his reaction when he smells your
blood? Are you willing to take that chance? I would like to think you are not
so foolish. Don�t prove me wrong," Severus replied very seriously.

"You are the reason he's forced into this situation. The
number of places so close to Hogwarts is limited as it is. Where did you think
he would go?" asked Harry calmly. He hoped Severus would be reasonable.

"I would have thought he would go home. He does have
one, you know," Severus said sharply.

"It's too far away. He can't manage apparating after
the full moon. It takes too much out of him."

Severus looked genuinely surprised. He wasn't used to people
admitting weaknesses, and Harry hadn't been that close to Lupin before a few
weeks earlier.

"I thought you knew what he went through. He said you
discuss the effects of the potion and the results of any changes made to
it."

"Yes, we discuss the potion and how it effects his
change. We seldom delve into aspects that don't pertain dtly tly to the potion
and its effects," explained Severus.

"Maybe he should take a follow-up potion to increase
his energy. A muscle relaxant wouldn't go amiss, either," suggested Harry.

"Don't think for a minute I've not noticed you steering
this conversation away from the point at hand," said Severus haughtily.

"No?" asked Harry casually, and tested the ravioli
to see if it was done.

"It's not your job tocue cue everyone. He can find his
own place." Severus stood to his full height, but that no longer
intimidated Harry as it had in the past. He did, however, earn a glare for the
rescue comment.

"At first, Remus thought as you do; he said he could
find a place and didn't want to put me out. But then, after searching, he
realized it was true. He has nowhere else to go, unless he puts up a huge
deposit. I hardly think it's fair he should spend his money on a place he will
only stay in for the full moon. It's one or two nights a month, at the
most."

Severus continued to chop vegetables, but with more vigor
than before.

"You never cared when Ron crashed here for days at
time. Hell, even Hermione's stayed the night on my couch. The twins brewed
potions 'till the fell asleep the floor, almost burning the place down on more
than one occasion. Those are the houseguests you need to worry about, not a
grown man that spends his night curled up in front of the fire."

"That's the difference between you and I. My friends
don�t trash my place. It's called maturity, maybe you've heard about it?"
drawled Severus with a grin.

"No, your friends spy from the fire, and then
blackmail you for weeks, after having seen a naked man in your bed. I believe
that's the same friend who left me hairless and Orange. Very
mature," said Harry, before popping another cherry tomato into his mouth.

"Touch�."

Harry grinned, giving Severus a peck on the cheek, and sat
down with the serving bowl. One point to Potter.

During dinner they let the 'Remus' conversation go. They
would continue that later. Severus told Harry about his classes, including the
troublemakers and the inept. Harry knew Severus was restraining himself by not
comparing the problem students to Neville, or Harry, for that matter.

"One of the Gryffindor first years is so small; I don't
think she can reach for a proper stir. I'd get her a box to stand on if I
wasn�t afraid she'd fall into the cauldron," Severus said, amused.

"You're mean." Harry sipped from his wine glass,
smirking at his lover's narrative. He suddenly thought about the few first
years he�d met. One of them was very small. She looked as if she were nine
instead of eleven. "Jessica?"

Severus narrowed his eyes, but then remembered watching
Harry at breakfast the morning after he'd slept in the castle. "The newest
member of your fan club?" teased Severus. He was sure he heard 'git' when
Harry took a sip of his wine.

When dinner was finished, Harry cleaned the kitchen while
Severus brought pudding to the sitting room. No sooner had Severus stepped out
of the kitchen, than Hedwig flew in, looking for leftovers. Harry collected
plates and bowls, and slid all the silverware into an empty water glass. He
could hear his aunt's voice in his head. She insisted that he would break the
glass doing that, but now he was in his own home and could do whatever the Hell
he wanted to.

In the sitting room, Severus put down the small plates with
care. He loved the presentation as much as the cooking. He placed small cordial
glasses down next to the bottle of a sweet ginger after-dinner liqueur. He had
opened the bottle and was about to pour when he heard a stream of expletives
from Harry. Within seconds, Severus was in the kitchen. Harry looked frightened
of him for a moment, then angry.

Severus looked down to see a broken glass in the sink. Harry
was squeezing his sliced hand as it trickled blood into the sink and diluted
into the flow of water emptying down the drain. A myriad of emotions were
expressed on his face. Severus saw him wince with pain and fury. Harry looked
to be in turmoil as he watched the pink-tinged water flow across his white porcelain
sink.

"Is it bad?" asked Severus with concern. He'd seen
Harry hurt many times during training, and he'd always handled pain well.

"I'm fine!" Harry shouted and stormed out of the
room irritably.

Severus could hear him cursing in the other room, and
wondered if having developed such a filthy mouth was a sign Harry had been
spending too much time with Kieran.

"Miserable bitch," muttered Harry as he stopped
the bleeding and used magic to heal the wound. He knew it was his own fault,
but part of him was blaming the beast he'd called Aunt all those years.
"They continue to make my life miserable." He continued to rant to no
one in particular, unaware of his audience. He was angry that he'd done
something stupid just to spite his aunt, who would never even know he'd been
breaking the �no sliver in a drinking glass� rule. He was also annoyed at his
reaction to Sev's entrance. He knew he�d looked like a frightened child who
thought he would be punished for his incompetence. Slipping back into that old
skin upset him to no end. He knew he wasn't being rational, but right at that
moment, he didn't care. He blamed the Dursleys.

Severus cleared his throat, causing Harry to turn around.
"Harry I�" Severus paused. Harry saw the mask of indifference fall
over his lover�s face. "I'm being summoned," said Severus evenly.
"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'm just mad at myself. I'll be okay," said
Harry, his anger forgotten.

"Listen before I go; I know you don�t want to hear it
right now, but please don�t have Lupin stay here," plead Severus.

"I've already asked him; I'm not taking back my
offer."

"And this?" Severus picked up Harry's hand and ran
a finger along the place where he'd cut himself on the broken glass. "How
do you suppose the wolf would react to this? I can't allow you to be in danger
if I can help it. It's your fault I've grown accustomed to you being around.
I'd like it to stay that way."

Harry smiled. "I think you'd miss me," said Harry
sweetly, and then frowned. "You�d better go. I like having you around,
too."

"It takes seven minutes to walk from the deepest part
of the castle to the edge of the wards at Hogwarts. I have a few minutes,"
Severus said, pulling Harry close. "I understand you don't want to go back
on your word. I would expect no less from you." He kissed Harry briefly.
"How about a compromise? You sleep in your room at Hogwarts while Lupin
stays here." Severus waited for Harry's reaction.

"Alright," replied Harry softly. "I
promise," he added and caught sight of relief in Sev's eyes.

"Send Hedwig to Albus, I'll send her back when I
return." Severus kissed Harry firmly, and apparated away with a nod.

Harry sighed and dragged himself into the kitchen to finish
cleaning up. He let out a mirthless laugh when he realized he'd unintentionally
gotten what he wanted. He was afraid Severus would object to him spending too
much time in the castle, possibly putting them at risk, should they be found
out. But with it now being Sev's idea to have Harry stay, there was no longer
an issue. Perhaps his subconscious Slytherin tendencies were at work? The Hat
would be gratified.

One of Remus' main conflicts with staying at Harry's was
having someone there the next day. Sure, it had been nice to have his lover
there to take care of him, but anyone else was uncomfortable. To wake nude and
vulnerable was not something Remus wanted to do in front of Harry--- or anyone
else for that matter. He'd explained
that when he declined Harry's offer, but Harry insisted he would leave for the
night. Remus refused to put Harry out of his own home, but was relieved to hear
Harry had his own room at Hogwarts. It helped that Harry had stayed there
recently, showing Remus it wasn�t an odd occurrence and he didn't mind in the
least.

With the kitchen clean and Hedwig on her way to Albus, Harry
settled onto the sofa. It was then that he noticed the fancy sweets Severus had
placed on the table. He'd not let Harry peek into the box he had arrived with
earlier. Two small plates were decorated with fancy gourmet chocolates. From the foreign language on the box, Harry
knew Severus had apparated someplace special to pick up the delicacies. He
wasn't about to admit he didn't recognize the language.

With a long drawn-out sigh, Harry headed for the fire,
throwing in some Floo powder. "The Burrow," he called, but didn't
step through.

"Hello, Harry," Molly greeted him warmly. She was
sitting at the scrubbed table, penning a letter. "Did you want Ron,
dear?"

"Yeah, is he home?" asked Harry, trying not to
look too dismal. In no time at all, a bright, freckled face appeared closer to
the fire than Molly had been.

"Alright, Harry?" asked Ron, getting a shrug in
return.

"Want to come over for pudding?"

"You bet." Harry smiled. When it came to sweets,
you didn't have to ask Ron twice. Harry could hear Molly commenting on Ron's
already having seconds at dinner. Ron stepped through the fire with ease, and
dusted himself off. Harry explained that Severus had been summoned. Ron gave
him a sympathetic look. He had learned over the years what it was like to wait
for his father to come home from raids, and that was a cakewalk compared to
what Ron was trained for as an auror. He didn't want to even think about what
Snape was doing as a spy. Ron couldn't quite figure out the changed feelings he
had for Snape. Maybe it was because Severus was someone Harry cared so much
about, or the fact that he had put himself at great risk for Ron when he'd been
captured. He could at least admit to having a lot more respect for the man than
he'd had in previous years.

"Fancy," exclaimed Ron as he headed straight for
the plate of chocolates. He wiped his finger through the powdered sugar that
decorated the plate beneath the hand-made delicacies.

Ron held up a cordial glass, pulling a face. "Is this a
gay thing?"

"No, you prat. It's a sophisticated thing. I
think." Harry muttered the last few words. Ron's nose wrinkled up as he
sniffed in the bottle. "It's an after dinner liqueur. Kind of sweet, not
bad," explained Harry. Ron was now reading the label, still holding the
small glass. It looked odd in Ron's big hands.

"Snape trying to make you into some kind of sissy snob
with drinks that go in these cute little things? Someone like Ginny would
probably love it. Hermione too, now that I think of it."

Harry sighed and left the room, returning with two bottles
of butterbeer. "Better?" he asked Ron with an exaggerated fake smile.
"For your information, I first had liqueurs at Albus' niece's home."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm just winding
you up," Ron said defensively, but then realized Harry was probably
worried. "Snape doesn't seem like the sissy type, I guess." Ron held
a cordial in one hand and his butterbeer in the other, sipping from each in
turn. "Wow, they're both sweet, but the liquone one has more of a kick to
it. Not bad," Ron said approvingly, and poured another glass. Harry
resisted the urge to comment on Ron's taste, alternating sips of butterbeer and
liquor; it wasn't worth it.

Ron turned on the TV. Initially, he had scoffed at muggle
television, but less then a week later he'd been hooked on the shows and
movies. He chuckled when he'd noticed Harry falling asleep next to him.

"How could you sleep now? I thought you were
worried." Ron realized that probably wasn't what he should have said.
"I mean, look at that?" Ron pointed to the screen. "What was it
you once said�'you don't have to be straight to appreciate a woman's body'? Or
something like that," was Ron's poor attempt to quote Harry. "They�re
hot!" A girl with large breasts and even larger hair bounced across the
screen.

Harry lifted his head enough to see the television, and the
bleach blonde with big um...hair. "Appreciating a niody ody is one thing.
Watching hours of �Tits & Arse� on
TV is another." Harry then changed the subject altogether. "I can
sleep now because it's so early. Sev hasn't been gone that long. Nothing bad
would have happened this early. I'll
wake up, and by ten I'll be nervous, by midnight, worried, and by sunup, I'll
be frantic. Trust me, I need to catch the few minutes I can manage now."
explained Harry. He was getting used to his own reactions. "Maybe tonight
won't be so bad, and he'll be home before one." Harry slumped back down in
his chair, not waiting for or expecting a response from Ron. His supportive
friend was good for hanging out and not asking too many questions. Ron would
never ask; 'How does that make you feel?'

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Severus apparated into a dimly lit room he recognized as a
small meeting room in Malfoy Manor. Lucius stood in the doorway, appraising
him. "Good evening, Severus."

"Lucius."

"Imagine my surprise to receive your letter. It's been
a long time since you readily offered information," his tone almost
accusing. "Admittedly, you do offer tidbits when our Lord inquires, but
seldom do you come forward on your own accord."

Severus was not about to rise to any bait, nor was he going
to defend himself to Lucius. "Will I be given audience with our
Lord?"

"Perhaps," Lucius answered vaguely. "Tell me
what interesting news you have, and if�&q Luc Lucius began, but was cut off my
Severus.

"As you so graciously pointed out, I seldom get a
chance to offer worthwhile information to help our Lord�s cause. If you think
I'm going to allow you to take the credit, you�re sadly mistaken."

"I'm wounded that you would think so little of me,
Severus," replied a grinning Lucius, not looking the slightest bit
insulted.

"Is he here or not, Malfoy? I have better things to do
with my weekends," demanded Severus.

"I'll bet you do. Still keeping fuckmates on
hand?" asked Lucius, getting an evil grin in return. Severus hadn't
actually seen any of them since before Easter break, but that was irrelevant.

"Do you have information for me, or did you come here
to discuss your sex life?" Voldemort entered the room, and watched
approvingly as Malfoy and Snape alike prostrated themselves at his feet.

"My information is in regards to Potter, my Lord."
Severus thought oddly that Harry Potter would have been the answer in regards
to both subjects, but he wasn't about to offer that information.

"You may rise," instructed Voldemort. He gestured
to a small group of chairs and the three wizards sat in the ornatairsairs
covered in rich brocade fabrics. While the room was fairly dark, Severus could
make out the faces in the portraits on the walls. Lucius gave instructions to a
timid house elf to bring drinks to his guests. There was no point in asking
what Severus wanted to drink; they always drank whatever Voldemort was having.
After drinks arrived, Voldemort swirled the amber liquid in his glass before
taking a sip. He then gave Severus a nod, his cue that he was now ready to
listen to what Severus had to offer.

"My Lord, I have recently uncovered information that
may be of some value to you." Severus began. "It seems, the wards
protecting Harry Potter�s relatives� home are weakening, and will soon be
easily breached. His family will no longer be as well protected as they were
while Potter lived with them." Severus took a tentative sip of his drink, waiting
to see what the Dark Lord's response would be.

"I see," he gave nothing away. Severus couldn't
tell if he was pleased or not. "Why do you suppose that is?"

"My Lord?"

"Why do you suppose the wards will not be replenished
to keep Potter's family safe? Wouldn't you think Potter would want to protect
his 'loving' family?" he asked wryly. Severus was concerned. His
Master seemed to be in a good mood, but that didn't necessarily mean Severus
had no worries.

"They're muggle fools, my Lord. I don't think they
fully understand the repercussions of not allowing the wards to be replenished.
Dumbledore attempted to influence them, to no avail. Perhaps we could lure
Potter out. He will surely attempt to save his family." Of course, Severus
didn't plan on the mission going well. Unforeseeable things could happen
to the Dursley patriarch during the attempt to kidnap him.

"I do value you
coming to me with this information, Severus. I will not go so far as to say I
was losing faith in you, but I will say my confidence in your loyalty is faring
better now that I see you making a positive contribution to our cause. It also
shows me that Dumbledore is trusting you, Severus."

Severus breathed a silent sigh of relief. It had been a
while since he was trusted with more than brewing potions. What was the point
of spying if he wasn't gathering information for Dumbledore? Severus never
would have handed over Vernon just for the sake of saving his place as a spy;
he did it because Vernon deserved what was coming, and he wanted the pleasure
of participating. This was a convenient bonus.

"I will give you a little insight on Potter and his
family, since you've shown your loyalty to me with this information regarding
Potter's relatives."

"You�re too kind," Severus murmured reverently,
with a bow.

"Do you recall the attack on Potter's family
home?"

Severus knew it was a rhetorical question and remained
silent.

"Of course you do. Tell me, are you aware of the source
of our information prior to that attack?"

"I believe Potter's mail was intercepted, my
Lord." Severus didn't say more as it was sometimes hard to remember what
information was gained from fellow Death Eaters and what was told to him my
Order members. It had been a hectic time before and after the biggest attack in
years.

"That is correct. While reading Harry Potter's mail, I
found out some interesting things." Voldemort grinned as he took another
sip of his drink. It was odd to see a wizard with only an opening for a mouth
manage a beverage. "As it turns out, Harry Potter did not grow up in the
cherished lifestyle some may have assumed. The muggle fools didn't know the
valuable commodity they had in their hot little hands. I would wager they would
have sold the boy to me had I offered the right price. Shame no one took a
closer look.�

�After the attack on his home, I checked, wanting to commend
the loyal follower that may have killed Potter. Imagine how surprised I was to
find not one Death Eater could lay claim to Potter's near destruction. I had
foolishly assumed the boy's complaints in his letters were of a simple nature.
I'd thought perhaps he was bored, or that he missed being in the wizarding
world. Never trust a muggle!"

Severus allowed a surprised look on his face. It would
please the Dark Lord.

"Potter's relatives are not shut-ins. I could easily
have had someone grab them while out of their home. But to what end? If I were
to attempt to bring out Potter with a kidnapping, would it not be better to use
one of his friends?"

"You are right as always, my Lord. I wish to point out
his closer friends have all had their wards increased since leaving school.
Only his family has refused the increased protection offered to them.�

"Tell me why you think he would go to the trouble to
protect muggles who were so despicable they nearly ended his life?"

"My lord, Potter has terrible guilt. He blames himself
for the deaths of his parents and of his Godfather, even of that boy who
accompanied him taking the trophy at the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He made the effort
to visit his family with Albus in an attempt to convince them the wards were
necessary. Two wizards were needed to replenish the wards, and he meant to be
one of them. Certainly, he must care to do such a thing, if for no other reason
than to keep his own sanity, to satisfy his �conscience�. Potter won't fare
well if he thinks his last relatives have died for their association with
him."

Severus knew he was pushing the issue. Part of him wondered
if he shouldn't have just taken care of Vernon himself. No, he knew why he'd
done this. If he were to do it as part of a mission, there would be no turning
back. There had been many times he'd almost gone to Privet Drive to avenge his
lover, but he had always stopped himself. Every story told, every nightmare or
flashback made him want to wring the man's neck. But now, after seeing Harry
with the glaring bruise and a defeated look in his eyes, it was too much. He
wasn't stupid. He knew there was much more than what Harry had told him.
Chances were, even Albus didn't know the full extent of what Harry's family had
done. Beatings do not just get very bad in one summer. He was sure Harry had
lived through years of abuse, far worse than he'd let on. Severus didn't want
this man to ever have another chance at hurting his Harry again.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Back at Harry's place Ron lay spayed out on the couch. A
bottle of butterbeer balanced precariously in his hand as he slept. Harry, on
the other hand, was wide awake and staring out the front window. The windows were
spelled so passersby wouldn't be able to look up and see in. He watched the
night sky for signs of Hedwig, to vailvail. After another ten minutes of
watching the sky, Harry fluttered around the place, nervously cleaning up. The
table had been messy with bottles and the remains of the sweets Severus had put
out for the two of them. Harry picked up the plates marked with fingerprints
where the powdered sugar had been. One lone chocolate remained on a plate.
Harry liked leaving the best for last as food went. He'd left that largest
chocolate with a drizzle of white chocolate on top for Sev. It was different
from all the rest. He did feel a little bad, having left only one for Severus.
At least the one he did save was much more elaborate then the rest.

An hour later Ron woke, just catching the bottle before it
dropped to the floor. "Don't waste alcohol," he mumbled. Harry was
pacing the room and glancing at his watch every five minutes. "He'll be
alrigh� mate, you'll see." As Ron became more coherent he saw how clean
the place was. "Wow, next time you�re worried, come by the Burrow. Mum
will love it," teased Ron, in an attempt to cheer him up.

"I hate this. He could be anywhere, doing anything. I
could very well spend the whole night flipping out, only to find out he spend
the night stirring potions for the bastard."

"You'll know soon enough. He'll come back and you'll
know," Ron said as if it was that simple.

"No, I won�t. He doesn't tell me and I don�t ask. It's
like an unspoken rule with us. Sometimes he'll bring up something the next day,
but never the same night, and even that is rare," explained Harry.

"Why? He could at least tell you if the only thing he
did all night was brew potions."

"If he did that, then I would know on the other nights
that he did more. He's a spy, and I won't fuck with his head by making him tell
me everything he does and have him think I'm judging him. It's bad enough he
has to do some things and then relive them, reporting to Albus. If I see what
happened in a vision, I mention it to him. That way, if he wants to talk about
it, I already know most of the details and he could vent if he needed to, or
not. I think he likes knowing that when he comes here, I'm just going to wrap
my arms around him, regardless of how he spent his evening, no questions
asked."

Ron gave Harry an understanding smile. He could already tell
Hermione was going to question him about his missions, expecting details. She
had a thirst for information, and he understood about wanting to be left to be,
just be. He'd not been on a big Auror mission yet, just a few training
runs with simulated situations. He'd been excited to tell Hermione all about
them for the most part. But one day he'd had a hard time of it during training;
he hadn�t felt like rehashing it with her and they'd had a row.

"Maybe you
should explain that to Mione," mumbled Ron.

"I didn�t say it was easy. Some days I want to scream
at him to tell me why he's in a mood, or being distant." Harry sighed,
thinking back on a few hard nights. "It works both ways. If I wake up
screaming, he doesn't need to know the details--- like Seamus used to ask for
before we learned silencing charms. He did make me tell him about the
flashbacks after I freaked in the Infirmary." Harry rolled his eyes. "I
thought I'd gotten wit with not having to tell him those lovely details."
Harry laughed before he spoke again. "He was really impressed with you and
how you handled things in the Infirmary. Sev said that he thought you were
going to take his arm off," he smirked.

"No kidding?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "He was worried he
couldn't do the quidditch thing you do, but then Albus told him he didn't do
it, either."

"Well, at least he doesn't have to worry about it. It's
not like you really have flashbacks anymore." Ron noticed Harry was no
longer making eye contact. "Oh! When? Lately?" asked Ron, concerned
for Harry. "Sorry, you don�t have to tell." He quickly rectified.

Harry shrugged. "It was just once, soon after the time
in the Infirmary," he admitted. Sev's only had the one time to deal with.
It wasn't bad."

Ron pursed his lips, thinking Harry hadn't passed that
hurdle yet, and worried since his friend lived all alone. But Harry hadn't been
alone. Ron smiled. "Did he give the quidditch commentary?" asked Ron
with a big grin, thinking about what Snape would look like trying. Harry
chuckled, that was all Ron needed to laugh out loud. "Did he?"

Harry bit his lip trying not to say. He settled on shaking
his head no, still trying to contain himself, which only made Ron want to bust.

"What? You have to tell me now," demanded Ron.
Harry just sat there, now with a goofy grin on is face. "Wait, what was it
that Dumbledore used to do?" mumbled Ron, trying to figure it out.
"No!" blurted Ron when he remembered. "Did he sing?"

Harry looked like he was going to blow a gasket holding in
his laugh, but nodded his head, much to Ron's delight.

"Oh my God. I can not imagine Snape
singing. What did he sing? Do you remember?" Ron asked exuberantly. Harry
continued to chew his lip, and finally relented.

"I don't really know what it was he sang. It was in
French," admitted Harry. "It sounded like a children's song, like
you'd sing a baby. Kind of embarrassing to be telling you, actually."

"He sang you a French lullaby?" asked Ron in
disbelief.

"It was kind of sweet, really," Harry said with a
blush. "I fell asleep." At this point Ron fell off the sofa laughing.

"Shut up, you prat. I used to fall asleep in your arms
by the time the Cannons scored their fifth goal," Harry said indignantly.
Ron at this point settled down when he remembered they were talking about Harry
having a flashback, though he continued to quake with silent laughter--- and
then spoke with a French accent for the next half-hour. Harry tried to scowl,
but there were several times Ron would have him cracking a smile as he used the
French accent to yell at the TV.

Harry continued to call Ron a prat and pretended to watch
the program. He thought about Severus singing the song to him. He could hardly
remember it, but the silky smooth voice had a way of immersing itself into his
very soul. He'd never even told Sev that he had heard him. He figured Severus
would have been embarrassed. He hadn't planned on telling Ron, but he'd not
regretted doing so. It had been a long time since he and Ron had laughed so
hard. The last time he managed to make Ron fall over laughing, he'd been drunk.
It was good to be able to get there sober. Mostly sober.

Some hours later, Severus apparated into Harry's sitting
room. His eyes instantly went to the television, as it was the only light
source in the room. At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing, but then he
recognized it was mostly flesh, soft, round and curvy flesh. Severus winced at
the sight. He much preferred watching two men. At that moment there was only
one man he wanted to see, and the redhead slumbering on the sofa didn't fit the
bill. He shut off the television and left to find his Harry.

"Har?" mumbled Ron in the dark. "That
you?" a glowing light emerged from his wand with a muttered 'Lumos'.

"It's Severus," he answered quietly. "Go back
to sleep." He didn't expect to see the relief that appeared on Ron's face.

"He's worried about you. Sorry he's sleeping now. I
slipped him half a potion about an hour ago," said Ron, not wanting Snape
to think Harry didn't wait up. "You OK?" asked Ron before his head
fell back down on the arm of the sofa.

"Yes, thank you," Severus answered simply and left
Ron to go back to sleep.

Some several hours later, and not nearly long enough by
Severus' standards, Harry awoke. At first his brain was a little hazy, the
sleeping potion still not quite gone from his system, but it didn't take him
long to realize he was not alone in his bed. Severus was roused abruptly when a
thoroughly relieved Harry pounced on him. "You�re back!" he
exclaimed, kissing every inch of Sev's face.

"Very perceptive of you. Yes, I'm back, and I was
sleeping." Severus rolled over away from Harry, knowing it was pointless,
and grinned when Harry jumped atop him and continued trailing kisses down Sev's
neck. His mapping out of where Sev's shoulder joined his neck was suddenly
halted when a noise came from the other room.

"What was that?" Harry started up and listened
carefully. Severus also lifted his head to allow both ears to hear.

"It�s Weasley, snoring. Now go back to sleep before I
have you drugged again," insisted Severus, rolling back to pull Harry into
a tight embrace. Harry snuggled in close and relaxed back to sleep again.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Severus reawakened at a more reasonable hour, but in the
same manner, with Harry showering him with kisses. He of course didn't protest,
until a talented hand reached into his boxers.

Harry growled when Sev put his hand over Harry�s, impeding
progress. "Why not?" He tried not to sound whiny.

"Weasley is still here. He's been far more mature about
our relationship than I ever would have bet. In fact, I've already lost several
sickles due to his behavior. Do you really wish to change that? He will
certainly be uncomfortable hearing us fooling around."

"Two words, 'silencing charms'," huffed Harry.
Severus gave him an evil grin.

"I suppose a silencing charm will take away the goofy
grin you usually have for the next hour afterwards?"

Harry looked affronted. "I do not get a goofy
grin!"

Severus looked at him incredulously.

"I don�t!" insisted Harry, thinking even Severus
had a nice glow about him after getting head.

"Must I prove my point?" asked Sev sardonically.
Harry thought he had changed his mind about fooling around, but he wasn't so
lucky. "Face the mirror," Severus covered his eyes. "When I let
go, look in the mirror. Now, think about our first kiss,� he paused a bit, �and
the kiss we shared sitting at my desk, when you helped me set up the
classroom." Severus paused again, then whispered close to Harry's ear.
"Think about the sex we had later that night, when you pounded me into the
mattress."

"You mean the night you screamed?" Harry�s breath
hitched as Severus began sucking on his neck.

"Yes, that night. No one's ever made me scream like
that," whispered Severus seductively, and removed his hands from Harry's
eyes. Harry immediately opened his eyes to see a blissfully happy, and
admittedly goofy grin on his face.

"Oh, Christ," he groaned. "How pathetic."

"Not pathetic, endearing," Severus said softly in
his ear. Harry refused to look in the mirror again, knowing he was grinning
again when he felt Sev sucking on his earlobe. "Get up, I'll make
coffee."

In the kitchen, Harry got out three large mugs while Severus
brewed coffee. "Gryffindor mug's for Ron," stated Harry as he put
three sugars into the tall red mug bearing a gold lion. "You look
hot," stated Harry. Severus was wearing his black pleated trousers with
one of Harry's tee shirts. He'd not bothered to spell his robe clean yet. Must
have caffeine first.

"Your shirt is too tight on me, but I refuse to go
shirtless with a guest here." The black (of course) tee was very tight on
Sev. Harry had no complaints. Every muscle showed through very nicely. Before
leaving to use the loo, he tweaked Sev's nipples to make them hard and show
through the thin fabric.

Severus carried two mugs into the sitting room. Ron sat on a
footstool, fire-talking to Hermione. He looked like he may have regretted a few
of the drinks from last night. Severus
handed Ron his coffee wordlessly, not wanting to interrupt their private
conversation.

"Thanks," Ron gratefully accepted the coffee.
Severus gave him a nod and returned to the kitchen to take a seat. Ron took a
deep breath and looked like he would bathe in the aromatic blend if he could.
After finally taking a sip he noticed Hermione staring with her mouth open and
watching Snape's retreating form. "What?"

"N-nothing. Just unexpected, I guess," she
stuttered and swallowed hard.

"I can't figure you out," complained Ron.
"You�re always calling me a prat �cause I have a hard time imagining Snape
being nice, and then you look shocked when he gives me a cup of coffee. It's
really good, by the way." He didn'tk upk up on the fact that her stunned
reaction was at the sight of Severus' muscled body. Hermione didn't notice
Severus kept his left arm close to his side, concealing the Mark; her attention
was quite focused on the well-formed muscles of his broad shoulders and chest
leading down to tight abs, and then that nice rear view, muscled back and tight
arse.

Hermione came out of her daze when she realized Ron was
trying to get her attention. "Oh, sorry, just distracted I guess,"
she said, feeling guilty. She would make it up to him later, even if Ron didn�t
know what it was he was going to be rewarded for. "See you later,"
she added sweetly.

Ron got up, deciding he needed another cuppa� when he heard
the voice he'd known from Potions class all those years.

"That was my scone, you spoiled, rotten, good for
nothing�get back here!" Severus didn't sound like he was kidding around
and that worried Ron. He opened the kitchen door slowly, unsure of what he
would see. He certainly didn't expect Severus shaking a finger up at the top of
the icebox, where Hedwig perched, firmly clutching a raisin scone in her
talons, clicking her beak at the irate wizard. "It's your fault for
spoiling her!" yelled Severus at the closed door where Harry was brushing
his teeth.

Ron stood, shocked by the scene in front of him. He bit his
lip to keep from laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Ron, you there?" came Harry's voice from behind
the door, knowing Ron would have come to investigate.

"Yeah, mate?"

"It's OK to laugh," Harry said, poking his head
through the now open door. He watched Ron worrying his lip; looking somewhat
torn between nervous and amused. Severus glared, daring him to chuckle. Taking the
safe approach, Ron poured himself more coffee and sat down across from Severus.

"This is the best coffee I�ve ever had. You should show
Harry how to make this."

"What makes you think I didn't make it?"
interrupted Harry.

"Sorry mate, I've had your coffee."

Severus made no comment, but Harry could tell there was a
grin behind his cup. Harry made a rude gesture to Ron before closing the
bathroom door again.

"Glad he's in a better mood," commented Ron.
"I guess I�d better go. I promised to take Hermione out to lunch, give her
a break from studying. Big test on Monday. Thanks for the coffee by the way,
great stuff." Ron knocked back the last mouthful and put his cup in the
sink. Severus followed Ron over to the fireplace.

"If I can have a word?" asked Severus, getting a
quick nod from Ron. "Have you any plans for Wednesday evening?"

Ron looked startled for a moment, but swiftly covered it up.
"Yeah, I'm meet � um got something I have to do Wednesday."

Severus nodded slowly, obviously thinking through his next
move. "No problem, forget I asked," said Severus casually.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Wednesday evening, eight sharp, Harry arrived at the Granger
family home to pick up Hermione. She and Ron had tickets to a show, but
something had come up and Ron suggested Harry take her. Severus, too, was very
busy that day. But as it was mid-week, Harry gave it no thought.

In another town, far from the theater, was the quiet Privet
Drive. Behind a garden fence at Number Six, two cloaked figures scanned the
neighborhood, making sure the muggles were all in for the night.

"Are you sure this is the place? This looks nice, to
me."

"No, I didn�t want to chance apparating directly there
in case the wards were still intact. Number Four is that house," pointed
the taller of the two wizards. Faces covered with hoods, the two skulked
through the gardens, stepping on plants and flowers, getting into position.

Unbeknownst to the taller wizard, a deadly snake paused,
ready to strike. With a tiny black tongue tasting the air, the snake recognized
the human as a friend of the one who set him free, and slithered on his way to
leave him in peace. It was the other
wizard that had finally spotted the serpent retreating in the grass.

"Oh my God! Ron, did you see that snake?" asked a
startled Seamus Finnigan.

"Shut up before the Dursleys hear us. We want to surprise
them, remember?" reprimanded Ron, who was now second-guessing his decision
to bring Seamus on the mission to scare Harry's family. Ron had Auror training,
while Seamus had relaxed the summer after having survived taking his N.E.W.T.s
and finishing Hogwarts.

"I could be wrong, but don't they already look really
scared?" asked Seamus, spotting Petunia and Dudley Dursley through the
kitchen window. Ron held his hand up for Seamus to be quiet as he moved
stealthily to the back door for a closer look. Harry's aunt and his cousin
stood side my side, frozen with terrified looks on their faces. The cause of
their fear appeared at the doorway from the other room. A Death Eater, a real
one. He'd said a few words and left again with a wicked laugh. Looking back at
two two Dursleys, Ron realized they must have been in some sort of body bind,
as they were unnaturally still.

Returning back to Seamus, Ron waved his wand in a large arc
over the two of them. "We don�t need these robes, the real thing is
already here," said Ron, transfiguring their fake Death Eater robes back
into their own clothes. "Here, take this." Ron pulled a small object
from his mouth. It had been affixed to one of his teeth.

"Ew, what is it?" asked Seamus in disgust.

Frustrated, Ron spelled the portkey clean and gave it to
Seamus. "This will take you to a safe room at the Ministry of Magic, Auror
Division. I'll go in first and make sure it's safe. When I give the signal, you
come in quickly, and make sure you get a hold of both of them before biting
down to activate the portkey. Okay?" Rasn'asn't completely sure about
Seamus, watching him nod nervously in answer to his questions. "I'm going
in," whispered Ron.

Tiptoeing into the kitchen, Ron was grateful Petunia and
Dudley had been placed in full body binds. He could tell by the looks in their
eyes they would have started to scream at the first sight of him. "It's
ok, I'm here to get you out," said Ron, as encouraging as possible.
"I'm Harry's friend; I'm here to help." Ron wasn't sure if telling
them he was a friend of Harry's actually made them feel calmer or not. After
checking the next room to be sure the Death Eater he saw wasn't about to come
back in, Ron signaled to Seamus.

Seamus did as he was told, and was quickly in the kitchen
grabbing hold of the two frightened muggles. It was almost amusing when Seamus
wrapped his arms around them in a large hug. He'd only traveled once by portkey
and it was known that each person traveling had to touch the portkey, so he
wasn't sure how it would work since the activated device was in his mouth.
Ron's portkey was specially designed for Auror use. It was developed not only
to get agents safely away, but also to take in prisoners, just as Ron had
managed after he'd been captured.

Ron, while amused, did not allow himself to be off guard.
Unfortunately, Seamus had made a lot of noise entering the kitchen at great
speed, allowing the screen door to slam.
Ron had hoped to assess the situation before going for help, but it was
too late. The other Death Eaters in the house were already aware of his
presence, leaving him no time to look for the remaining Dursley. Once back out
in the yard again, Ron attempted to apparate away, but the wards were still
strong enough to prevent him from doing so. At a run, he hurdled the fence to
get away from the Death Eater who was close on his tail. Sparks flew past Ron's
head as he ran the last few steps needed to get past the boundary. With a pop,
he was safely gone. He'd not looked back to see the Death Eater cursing at his
retreating form, nor had he seen the same wizard drop to his knees, having just
received a fatal snakebite.

Knowing the Ministry would be alerted of the situation by
Seamus' arrival, but that it would take them a long time to sort it out and
take action, Ron headed directly to Hogwarts.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Up in the tower, Albus sat at his desk, going over
some of the paperwork requiring the Headmaster's attention, when he heard
someone banging on the door by the gargoyle guarding the entrance. He was most
disturbed to hear Ronald's tale about the Death Eaters at Privet Drive. After
calming the young wizard, Albus gave Ron a small list of items he wanted Ron to
obtain before returning for more instructions.

Bewildered, Ron left with a list of seemingly
inconsequential items. He felt as if the Headmaster had sent him on a
meaningless mission, but didn't question it, as the elder wizard usually knew
what he was doing.

With Ron gone with a busy list, Albus sat back down
in his chair. He'd known Severus wasn't going to let sleeping dogs lie,
especially if the dog in question had continued to hurt Harry. Severus, of
course, had never let on there had been a plan to take his revenge on Vernon.
Albus never would have allowed it, but Albus also knew it was only a matter of
time before Severus learned enough about Harry's past to take action. He could
honestly say he was surprised it took this long after the previous week�s visit
to Privet Drive.

Albus again sipped the tea, gazing at a picture of
Harry at their Guardianship Signing. In the photo, Harry's smile was off as the
temporary paralysis hadn't yet healed, and an arm could be seen from out of the
frame, holding him up for the picture. Harry looked pathetically happy as he
looked up at Dumbledore in admiration. In the photo, Albus looked at Harry with
a smile for how far his charge had progressed in his healing. Poppy had
confirmed Harry was out of the woods and would live. The Guardianship was
processed immediately. Looking down at the photo, knowing how far Harry had
come in real life, Albus could hardly believe how fragile the boy in the photo
looked back then.

As the older wizard sipped another cup of tea, he
stared into the fire, contemplating the decisions he had to make over the
course of the last twenty-five years. Some things he would do again, while
others he deeply regretted. Sure, he could have had a team at Privet Drive
immediately, but the chances of blowing Severus' cover were greater than the
chances of saving Vernon from whatever fate had been decided for him. Albus
would not put Dursley above Severus.

After several cups of tea and a handful of lemon
candies, the tired looking wizard stood up and approached the mantel. With a
heavy sigh, he threw a handful of powder into the flames.

"Minerva McGonagall," he called out.
Within seconds, a concerned Deputy Headmistress appeared to speak to the
floating head in her fire. "Call an emergency meeting of the Order. Privet
Drive has been attacked."

Tbc

A special thanks to my beta, who did an especially good job
with this chapter. Thank you Xikum.

LeeLeePotter@Optonline.net
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Death Eater Takes a Holiday