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Devotion	By : KohakuShadow Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 7452 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any money off of it. Because, you know, that's totally not already obvious.

Chapter List
- 1-Devotion
- 1
A/N: Written as a birthday gift and inspired by the song 'Kill' by Jimmy Eat World.

I wrote this a while ago and have been holding it aside for said birthday, so I'm working off of a very vague memory here - if I have missed any warnings that should be included, I will add them if someone lets me know.

Yes, I DO have a mailing list. Check my profile for details.

DEVOTION

It was chance, nothing more. It was not at all unusual for Harry to find himself in Diagon Alley, lurking about the pet shop. He missed Hedwig terribly and often thought of getting another owl, but after several years, he still couldn't quite bring himself to do it. It felt as though any new pet would only be a replacement for the one held lost, and therefore he would not care for it as he should. He'd lost several things these past few years, not just his owl. He'd lost, for example, his purpose in life; with the war long since over, he really had no idea what to do with himself. And, his two best friends, who, alright, weren't so much 'lost' as 'pregnant', which was reason enough to give them their space. He'd been on the wrong end of one of Hermione's hormonal mood swings once, and once was more than enough to put him off women entirely. Luckily, he'd not been terribly 'on' women in the first instance. He'd also lost any possible hope of close, personal contact with the handsome, lanky, brilliant, dark-eyed, sarcastic love of his life.

And, that brings us back to chance, because it was pure chance that found Harry looking up from the doorway of the pet shop just in time to notice Severus Snape walking out of the apothecary across the street. They made rather accidental eye contact, and, in that instant, Harry forgot how to breathe. He forgot to look away, too. His heart thundered in his ears. He wondered if his former professor had even the faintest idea how crazy he was about him. It was only a few long steps to cross the street, but it felt like miles. He had no reason, really, to approach Snape, but he hadn't seen him in so long that he found himself frozen to the pavement. If only there was a reasonable excuse. Any excuse would do! But, nothing came to mind. He'd always been a terrible liar; there wasn't much point in picking up the habit now. Severus himself had often reminded him that Gryffindors are terrible at subtlety. So it was proven, as he found himself staring rather blatantly at the man, unable to tear his gaze away.

Just as he was wondering at the best way to approach Severus without making himself look like a complete fool, Snape's long legs carried him across the street. He didn't miss Harry's gaze following him. It was impossible, as those green eyes were rather intently boring a hole into his torso. "Potter," he acknowledged, turning sharply to continue walking, right into the pet shop that Harry had just exited. In spite of how odd it would look to go back into a store he'd just left, Harry followed.

"How are you, Professor Snape?" he asked clumsily as Severus casually perused the shelves of feed with what appeared rather specific intent in mind.

"Perturbed," Severus answered distractedly. "As I have just been forced to pay three silver for toad stones of a quality only scarcely worth one, if you must know." He picked up a bag of dog food, read the ingredient label, wrinkled his nose in disdain, and returned it to the shelf, and picked up another to do repeat the process. "Absurd," he muttered.

"You have a dog?" Harry asked, grasping at any detail that might spark a proper conversation.

"Not as such," Severus replied. "Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say, only temporarily. There is a stray with a broken limb that has been loitering about my home. I made the soft-hearted mistake of taking pity on it and giving it a steak bone last week, and setting the creature's broken bone. Now, it will not leave my stoop. I felt it in my best interest to procure food for the fool animal, so that I may eat my own in peace."

"You should take it in," Harry smiled, liking the glimpse he got at the soft side of Snape's heart. "It likes you."

Severus scoffed. "If I took in everything that likes me, Potter, I'd have had to make room for you ages ago."

Harry turned violently red as Snape finally settled on a dog food that did not so terribly offend his coin purse and appeared to pass his stringent requirements for acceptable ingredients. He sputtered helplessly as the older man turned back toward the exit, dropping the bag of food in Harry's grip. "As you seem intent to act as my shadow for the afternoon, you can at least make yourself useful."

Harry was still trying to speak, and managed to sputter out. "Y-you knew?! How did...wh-when did...I...?"

Severus actually took pause and looked down at the young man with what Harry thought, for an instant, was a mild sort of amusement. Was he teasing him? "Don't be daft," he said. "You've ever worn your heart on your sleeve. It was hardly a mystery. Albus was rather fond of teasing me about it."

Harry blushed so brightly that even his ears felt sunburnt. "You could have said something before now," Harry sulked a bit.

"I most certainly could not have," Severus scoffed. "What would have happened if Voldemort were to discover it? He thought I was one of his own, and would have gladly set out to use the knowledge to his advantage. Even I would have been hard-pressed to dissuade him without giving him reason to suspect I was playing him for a fool. What if he had told me to gain your confidence by seducing you?" He balked at the very idea. "You were only a child. I could never." He abruptly changed the subject as they rounded the corner. "Do you like pork at all?"

"Huh?" Harry answered brilliantly. The sudden change of subject caught him off guard.

"Pork, Harry, as in pig. I happen to have been gifted with a rather large supply, and it is far more than I can possibly ever consume myself. I had been considering inviting you for a late lunch, but I will be preparing pork and potatoes, with some manner of canned vegetable, so it really depends entirely on..."

"Yes! Absolutely!" Harry answered abruptly, not giving Severus a chance to finish his sentence. He'd have gladly eaten a plate full of Bertie Botts Bogey Flavored Beans if it meant having a...oh, but he didn't dare call it a date! It was just a late lunch. Or an early dinner. Or...oh, who bloody cared what to call it? He was going to be having a private meal with Severus Snape, who was inviting him over, already well aware of how Harry felt about him! Harry was on the verge of hyperventilating with his excitement, so he spat out the first nonsense that came to mind to force himself to breathe: "You can introduce me to your dog."

"It is not my dog."

Harry just grinned as they stopped to wait on line for the next floo. "I can help you name him. Or her?"

"Her," Severus answered tersely, not quite wanting to admit he had paid the animal enough mind to know its gender. "And, I have no intention of giving a name to a dog that I do not plan to keep."

Harry grinned. "So, you have a ton of ham that you can't possibly ever eat yourself, but you're buying kibble for a dog you don't plan on keeping? Just admit that you like her," Harry taunted.

"I will do no such thing."

XXXXXXXXXX

"She's adorable!" Harry declared, ruffling the collie's long fur and hugging around her neck. She wagged her tail and slobbered all over his ear.

"Don't do that. Merlin only knows where she's been," Snape groused, standing in the kitchen doorway, wiping his hands on a hand towel. How had he let Harry talk him into letting the dog inside?

"I scourgified her. It's fine," Harry answered casually, letting the dog jump all over him.

Severus sighed. "Scourgified indeed. If you insist on letter her run amok, give her a proper bath first. Upstairs. Both of you," he gestured sharply at the narrow stairwell beside the bookcase. "I've not even peeled the potatoes yet, so take your time to scrub her properly."

Harry was already halfway up the stairs when Severus hollered behind him, "And, don't you dare let her out of the bathroom without a proper drying spell first!" What in the bloody hell had he committed himself to? A dog and a Potter? In the same house, at the same time? He must be mental. One was more than enough to contend with, and he honestly wasn't sure which required more care and attention.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Dis iff dewicious!" Harry declared.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Severus scolded.

Harry swallowed the huge chunk of meat he'd stuffed between his cheeks. "Sorry," he said. "But, really, I had no idea you were such a good cook."

"It is hardly a five star meal," Severus scoffed between bites of mashed potatoes and string beans.

"It's great," Harry countered. "I haven't eaten anything I didn't have to make myself in ages unless take away counts."

"I am not even certain take away counts as fit for human consumption," Severus replied.

After a bit of an episode with soap suds being tracked down the stairs and through the living room, Harry had finally caught the dog and finished bathing her; she was feisty in spite of her broken limb, and he was afraid of hurting her; that was his excuse for letting her get halfway through the house before catching up to her when Severus had cast a look of disdain upon him for the mess the pair had made of his house.

Now, having cleaned up in a rather abbreviated fashion before their late lunch (which was really more of an early dinner after all) got cold, Harry was sitting at the table in one of Severus' tunics because his shirt hadn't survived the experience completely unscathed. The dog had calmed, though Severus thought she was less fond of dog food than table scraps, and was now curled up beside the fire, leaving the men to have their date in peace.

Severus had no delusions. Harry fancied him, and he'd invited him over and cooked a meal for him. If Harry was uncertain of his intentions, Severus at least knew well what he was doing. It was somewhat less nerve-wracking, knowing the young man had had a particular attachment to him since a very young age, and appeared to still harbor it. That made the unplanned and highly experimental date easier. There was nothing to be brave about. It was only a matter of proper timing and execution. Even so, he was nervous. What if he wasn't all Harry expected him to be? Surely, Harry knew by now that he had various flaws, not the least of which was a bad habit of placing his foot rather soundly into his own mouth. His social graces were also somewhat lacking, and his conversation skills not much use outside of a lecture hall. He honestly hadn't the foggiest what Harry saw in him, but he was not about to question it. There wasn't much he was sure of in life any longer, but he was absolutely positive, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he was very tired of being alone. As such, when he exited the apothecary to find Harry outright ogling him from across the way, he decided to, for once in his life, take a chance.

A bit of awkward silence passed between them before Harry could find something else to say. "I, uhm... Professor McGonagall said she keeps asking you to come back to teach, but you keep refusing."

Severus set down his glass of wine calmly, and paused to consider the best way to explain. Under normal circumstances, his answer would be both curt and succinct, but these were not normal circumstances. He wanted to impress upon the young man that he found his company desirable, even if Harry did drag havoc in his wake. "Hogwarts was the only home I knew for a very long time," he began cautiously. "I did not feel at home in this house, in part, perhaps, because I childishly felt allowing myself to would be an acceptance of the various things that were wrong with my family and childhood. The war has given me perspective. This town is quiet, all but abandoned, so I am relatively free to do as I please without unnecessary disturbances, which suits me quite well enough. As to Hogwarts, there is no longer anything there that holds particular interest for me."

Harry blushed anew. Anything? Or anyone? His first analysis of those words told him it's because he wasn't at Hogwarts anymore, but that was nonsense, right? "S-so, what are you doing, now?"

"I've taken charge of the abandoned factory near that wretchedly toxic river, and have transformed it into a workshop from which to run a small brewing business. The Muggles, those that are nosy enough to give it much care, believe I am a perfumer. Two of the doddering old women up the way had quite the argument about whether I'd turned it into an artist's loft or a perfumery. I felt the latter would easily explain any peculiar aromas that might escape the ventilation ducts."

Harry thought Severus seemed amused by that, and smiled, forgetting again to breathe when the older man reached across the table to refill his wine glass. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You should make perfumes, just in case they start asking for samples," he joked.

Severus rewarded him with a faint smirk. "Perhaps," he replied. "And, perhaps, I will name the first for you."

Harry laughed quite energetically at the very thought of it. "I think 'Harry' is a poor name for a perfume," he rebuffed.

"I suppose. I will have to attend to the naming with more subtlety, then. Let me think a moment." He gave pause, and felt his heart flutter as he made a production of lifting Harry's face by the chin, tilting it from side to side, and pretending to give the matter some very serious thought. He watched Harry's blush reach his ears anew. "Perhaps, I will call it Devotion – that's rather a bit more appropriate for a perfume, I believe." He slowly removed his hand to return to his side.

Harry took the bait and snatched it. His pulse raced. It was so often hard to tell with Snape, but, the man was driving him wild. "Professor, uhm..."

"Severus. As you recall, I am no longer a professor, Harry, and certainly not yours." He was rewarded with another bit of sputtering incoherence, which he found rather charming.

"Severus," Harry repeated, trying to will the butterflies in his stomach into submission, and demanding his cock not get itself all worked up over a bit of hand holding, or the fact that the older man had not pulled his hand away, only lowered his arm to the tabletop. "...a-are...are you trying to seduce me?" He felt a fool for asking it, for not being able to quite tell on his own, and for being entirely too hopeful. He prepared himself for disappointment; Severus would no doubt laugh at him for even considering such a thing.

"That rather depends on whether or not it is working," Severus answered.

Harry's stomach ran riot, and his cock, certainly, could not ignore that statement. He let go of a breath he'd been unwittingly holding. "You had me at hello," he answered across their mostly empty plates.

"Then, perhaps you might be so inclined as to bring your chair a bit closer," Severus replied. He had little interest in dinner any longer. He'd only had the barest interest in it in the first instance, and that mostly due to propriety. It would have been highly inappropriate to have asked Harry if he enjoyed intercourse with other men, and so it was that Severus had instead chosen the white lie of having an overabundance of pork. Harry had, rather adorably, entirely missed the pun.

Gladly, he didn't entirely miss Severus' other efforts, and scooted his chair around the table until he found himself seated beside the man he'd been fantasizing about since puberty. The dog lifted her head curiously. Severus ignored the animal's perked ears and tilted head in favor of tilting Harry's chin up and leaning over him for a kiss they had both wanted since they'd laid eyes on one another in the Alley.

Harry moaned, leaned in, and opened his mouth to the kiss, fingers curling into Snape's robes. Yes! Oh Godric, yes! If this was a dream, he hoped he never woke up. Severus kissed him sweetly, cupped his slender hand along the young man's jaw, and caressed Harry's tongue with his own.

The dog had gotten up and curiously nudged her nose against his thigh. He blindly pushed her away. Not now. She moved to Harry next, who did the same. He rather liked Severus' new dog, but he rather liked Severus a good bit more, enough that he soon found himself straddling the older man's lap, honestly far too absorbed in their kisses to be certain how he ended up there. Had Severus lifted him bodily out of the chair? Had he climbed there himself? It didn't matter. Severus was holding him close, devouring his mouth, and -oh Godric!' - running his hand along Harry's denim-clad arse.

Harry curled his arms tightly around his former professor's shoulders and held him close. His cock protested against the front of his trousers, begging to be released from confinement.

The kiss broke for a moment, for desperate need of air, and they disapparated rather abrubtly, much to Harry's surprise. He blinked at the brevity of the trip, and found himself falling clumsily atop Severus on a bed. His greedy cock prodded Severus' thigh. Was he really in Severus Snape's bedroom?!

Severus gave him little time to take in the scenery of his personal space, pulling the young man right back down into another kiss. His hands roamed freely down Harry's spine, cupped his bottom, slid up his bare back under the borrowed tunic. It felt wonderful to touch someone, to have a body other than his own in his bed. He was a man whose habit was to keep careful stock of his life. He wasn't prone to letting himself get carried away, but if a chance meeting found a handsome young man with an unfathomable fancy for him in his home, then he knew it would be terribly remiss of him not to take every possible advantage of the situation. He supposed that must be the pragmatic Slytherin in him.

Harry moaned into their kisses. He forced himself to sit up, if only long enough to pull the tunic over his head and cast it aside, before leaning down again to kiss the beautiful man beneath him. To be fair, he knew there were not many people in the Wizarding World who would agree with Harry on the subject of Snape's appeal, and Harry honestly didn't know if he fancied him because of the way he looked, or if he merely liked the way he looked because he fancied him so bloody much, but he couldn't see as it mattered either way. The end result was the same; Snape's appearance appealed to him and made him swoon, from the long, slender fingers, to the lanky build, and right on up to that disproportionately large nose. He loved even that. And, if a chance encounter on the street had miraculously landed him in the man's bed, then he had to take ever advantage of that; consequences be damned. He supposed that must be the reckless Gryffindor in him talking. He began fighting with the buttons on Snape's robes. He couldn't wait to get a look at the pale flesh hiding under all those layers of black fabric.

Severus couldn't have dreamed this better. The subtle tone of Harry's arms, the dusky nipples, the way the young man was more than happy with the change of scenery and did his utmost to disrobe him as quickly as possible without making use of a wand. He shifted and struggled out of his robes, rolled them over to fight his way out of the tangle of his tunic, and leaned down to press a kiss to Harry's throat.

Harry moaned, curling his fingers in Severus' long hair. He'd always had a thing for long hair. He rather fancied dark hair, too. He supposed that could well be because he'd always had a bit of a thing for Severus, but he didn't like to over-analyze things that much, especially not when he found himself in the middle of experiencing the stone cold Severus Snape not being cold at all. In fact, his body was quite warm. There was, however, at least a part of his anatomy that closely resembled a stone at the moment, and it was bulging against the front of his trousers. Harry fought to catch his breath as the bulge brushed against his thigh. He'd induced an erection in Severus Snape! How awesome was that?! He kissed the older man passionately, reaching his hands down to get to work on aforementioned trousers. Snogging was fun and all – brilliant, even! But, he wanted to get to the main event before Severus came to his senses and changed his mind. He panted and struggled blindly as his fingers fumbled with buttons and lacing, and internally cursed Severus' old-fashioned taste in clothing, as the older man's tongue ran along his collarbone, turning his spine to jelly. It made it rather a bit harder to control his limbs, as he felt himself melting into the bedding.

Severus couldn't resist Harry's greedy affections. He reached down to help him along, and cursed himself for choosing the most complicated pair of trousers in his wardrobe this morning. If he'd known the day would end like this, he would surely have had a bit more forethought. He unfastened the tie of the corset laces and loosened them. The button fly beneath was half undone, in a rather asymmetrical manner already, and he made quick work of freeing himself the rest of the way. Pulse racing, he slipped out of the well-fitted trousers. He gave Harry no time to get a good look at his figure and change his mind, instead kissing the young man deeply and making very quick work of Harry's jeans in the process.

Harry wriggled and writhed to help things along between sloppy kisses. He arched and cried out when Severus slipped his hand up his thigh to cup his hard cock, palming him from the balls on up. Could this really be happening? Oh, but who cared? Even if it was a dream, or a cruel joke, Harry was helpless to defend himself now. He planned to enjoy it while it lasted, and if Severus kept things up at this pace, it wasn't going to last terribly long at all. The way the man was nibbling on his ear would be enough to drive him mad alone, without the addition of that skillful hand. He could scarcely withstand it as he clung to his beloved for dear life, and what little sanity he was able to maintain through his lust. "Severus, please..." he begged. Oh, how he loved calling the man by his first name! He'd longed to for ages, and the older man offered not the least protest to the familiarity. He supposed being naked together, and quite aroused, was about as familiar as it was possible to get, really, so there was no point in arguing the little details. It was insane, the way his mind would wander off when left to its own devices. That was fine. He didn't have much use for it at the moment, anyway.

"Please?" Severus asked knowingly. Oh, he shouldn't tease the delicious Gryffindor, really, but it was so hard to resist when he was actually begging. 'For me, of all people.' He decided he rather liked watching Harry beg. Watching him writhe like a wanton whore, bare against his bed, was certainly nothing to scoff at, either.

Harry's emerald eyes sulked up at him. "You know very bloody well what," he snarked up at the older man.

Severus actually grinned at that. For once, he really couldn't stop himself. "I have quite a good idea, yes," he answered, leaning in to kiss Harry's mouth again, and that tender spot behind his ear. "Roll yourself over, while I fetch the appropriate potion."

"You don't use a spell?" Harry asked as he obliged, loathe to lose Severus' body heat to let the man go rummaging for Godric only knew what.

"Spells are adequate," Severus answered, back turned on the young man as he rummaged through his nightstand. "But, if in no particular rush, the potion is far better."

Harry wanted to scream that he was in a rush, very much so, but Severus rolled back over beside him, ran his fingertips lightly down his spine, and left him breathless by saying, "I was under the impression we had all night. Is there somewhere pressing you need to be?"

Harry hated being teased. Then again, Harry loved being teased by Severus. It was rather a delicate balance of petulance and adoration. "Not unless you count your lap," Harry complained.

Oh, now that did sound appealing – Harry straddling his lap, sitting himself down on his need and rocking his hips; yes, that sounded very appealing indeed. Severus filed it away for a future encounter. For tonight, everything was already going quite according to the plan he'd formulated over dinner. If Harry had never been prepared with a potion before, he wasn't going to remember what sitting was, let alone be able to move his body into the proper position across Severus' lap. It appealed to him, knowing that he would be the one to watch the handsome young man experience this manner of preparation for the first time. He uncorked the bottle and slowly poured the vibrant orange potion down the crack of Harry's arse.

Harry cried out. The moment it touched his skin, it felt like ice, sliding down his crevice. He expected it to drip past his hole toward his bullocks, but, magic that it was, the liquid actually plunged into his hole, rather than dripping past it, and in that instant, turned from ice to lava. His mouth fell open and he buried his face against the duvet, clinging to it as more and more of the potion leaked down, sought out his heat, and slipped into his body drop by drop, prying him oh so gently open with it's icy touch, cleansing and stretching his innards with liquid flame. The contrast of hot and cold was so intense that his entire body quivered. He thought he might orgasm from the preparation alone. It was sheer force of Gryffindor will, and the intense desire not to humiliate himself in front of Snape, that prevented it.

And, then! Merlin! When had Severus even moved? He hadn't the foggiest idea, lost in his own pleasure already, but he felt the man's hands settle on his hips, his knees slide between Harry's own, pressing his thighs open sinfully wider, and the head of his lover's (oh, he certainly hoped this meant they were to be lovers in every sense of the word!) cock penetrated his entrance.

Severus slipped in deep and smooth. He moaned, but Harry didn't hear it over his own cry of pleasure, back arched hard, torso pressed to the bedding, arse in the air. He must look utterly pornographic, but it didn't matter in the least how he looked. He felt not the barest twinge of discomfort as Severus slipped easily inside of him. It was wonderful, perfect, brilliant, amazing, sublime – the list of appropriate adjectives went on for miles. As if it weren't perfect enough already, Severus began thrusting. Harry sobbed, unable to find another appropriate outlet for the intensity of his pleasure.

Severus could very much relate to that sob. He felt as though his body was being torn apart by pleasure. He had not so much as kissed another human being in far longer than he could recall, and he most certainly had not been so intimate with one in at least as long. That he now found himself claiming Harry Potter as his own was a multi-faceted sort of pleasure – a smugness, as James would surely loathe it, a sense of gratitude, for what Lily had left behind to compensate for what she had been unable to give him, and most importantly and immediately, a passion which had always been reserved for Harry alone, even when Severus himself had not realized it. It was the passion that dictated his actions now, the driving thrusts, the harshness of his breath against Harry's spine, the way he leaned into the young man, rested his head against his shoulder, and certainly, his passion had much to do indeed with the kisses he laid there, and with the hand he snaked around to fondle Harry's groin.

Harry forgot how to breathe when Snape began to stroke him in time with his thrusts. Tears edged at the corners of his eyes and he pleaded senselessly for more of the intense pleasure that only Severus could give him. He'd had sex before, plenty of it (if he did say so himself)! And, it had been brilliant, or so he had thought until now, when he realized just how brilliant it was meant to be. He couldn't contain his pleasure, and far sooner than he would have otherwise liked, he cried out and spilled himself across the duvet.

Severus felt that delightful young body clamp down upon him. He heard Harry's cry of pleasure as if from a distance, and his vision blurred, his legs went weak, and with one last, forceful thrust, he spilled himself into his young lover. The world went white. When color began to fade back in, he found his body had already acted on his behalf and slipped out of the young man to collapse on the mattress beside him. Harry did not appear to be in any better condition. He narrowly avoided the mess he'd made of the duvet cover by falling sideways, with his buttocks pressed against Severus' thigh, and his head resting against his arm.

Severus couldn't quite repress the groan as he shifted awkwardly to his side and blearily scourgified the bed. He did a terrible job of it, but it would suffice until morning, or afternoon, or whatever ridiculous hour it was when he finally willed his body to move. He knew it wasn't terribly late in the evening, but he certainly felt as though he could sleep for the next several days – with Harry curled so intimately beside him, of course. He didn't know how to tell Harry his feelings on the matter, so put the wand aside and let his arm drop across the younger wizard's ribcage and resed his hand on Harry's stomach. He kissed the back of Harry's shoulder softly, and hoped that was enough to say all the things he would surely get wrong if forced to pull the words past his lips.

"Severus, I..." Harry sputtered awkwardly.

Severus decided to interrupt him. Now was not the time for awkward confessions. They would only ruin the blissful moment they were sharing. "I know," he answered, pressing his thin lips to Harry's shoulder again. "You will make breakfast in the morning, as I prepared dinner tonight. It is only fair." Severus had often said that life was not fair, but it seemed the universe had decided to give him a big payback for all of his suffering today. He didn't think that made the universe and himself quite 'even', as it were, but it was certainly an adequate start.

Harry grinned and nuzzled tighter against the snarky man of his dreams. He knew he would have to learn to read between the lines with Severus for a lover, and that was bound to lead to several misunderstandings and various complications, but he would figure it out eventually. Their relationship had always been fraught with passion, and not all of it was good. He didn't suppose sex would change things between them too terribly much, but that the making up would be far more exciting. As he was learning to read between those lines, no doubt making countless mistakes, they would still have their share of perfect moments, just like this one. That was enough to make whatever turmoils they would surely put themselves through more than worth the extra effort.

"How do you feel about Gladys?" Severus asked after a rather long and comfortable silence had passed between them.

"Gladys?" Harry asked. Who in the bloody hell was Gladys?

Severus realized what he'd done only belatedly; he had followed a meandering train of thought, and spit out only the tail end of it as if Harry had been privy to the entire conversation that had only gone on inside of his own head. He would have to become better about that. "As a name," he replied. "For the dog."

Harry laughed. "Are you keeping her for my sake?"

"Well, perhaps as an added incentive for you to visit frequently," Severus conceded, though he really was growing attached to the stray.

Harry thought Gladys was certainly a dog name only Severus could ever possibly cook up, but he wouldn't say so, and he wouldn't tease him about it. "Well, a little extra incentive wouldn't hurt," he joked.

In response, Severus leaned over the young man, tilted his chin up, and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. Another followed, and another. Gladys aside, those kisses were really all the incentive Harry needed to make a nuisance of himself, as much time as he intended to spend at the side of the man who saved his life, and who gave him reason enough to be grateful for being the boy who lived, and the boy who had something worth living for.

~The End~
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Devotion