Fic: No Hiding Place book Four: The Cupboard Under The Stairs (30/32)

[sua_lay]

Title: No Hiding Place: Book Four: The Cupboard Under the Stairs (30/32)
Author: Rimau Sua Lay
Rating: overall NC-17, Angst, Drama, Action/Adventure, First Time
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings: Harry/Snape, Ron/Draco, (Sirius/Remus)
Date: December 2002 - ?
Disclaimers: Not mine, borrowed without permission, am not making any money. Please don't sue. Sherbet Lemon?
Summary for Book Four: -Before you can go forward, you must face your past. Sins of the father may bury the son. Harry will find out if a dog really is the man's best friend.
Warning: This part contains deaths, gore, mention of het rape, explicit sex between men, disturbing themes, angst and a partridge in a pear tree.

The earlier parts of the fic can be found here.

Part 30

Going everywhere with an escort was kind of weird, but at least Harry's friends made it seem more like they were just there for him like always and not acting on bodyguard duty.

The short walk to Hogwarts didn't necessitate a huge crowd of followers and others eager to protect him. With Hermione by his side, he could almost imagine they'd stepped back a few years, just two students back on their way to school.

Almost.

Smiling, Harry stepped back to the Great Hall, leaning against the wall and waiting for Hermione come from her meeting with McGonagall. His own talks with Dumbledore had been brief, just a few minutes of planning and then he'd been free to go to the dungeons for a moment.

Of course such a short visit was agonizing as well as a relief from the hectic routine.

He knew he couldn't stay, there were too many things to do and people see back at Hogsmeade, but it would have been a perfect day for a bit of relaxation. With Sirius and Remus away, it would have been so easy to just walk home tomorrow morning and not face barely hidden anger and confusion.

With lunchtime nearly approaching, staying wasn't an option. The problem with Dementors and the aftermath of Terry Boot's betrayal were still making everyone paranoid with worry, not to mention the near hysterics Harry's own bruises and the slight limping had brought forth after everyone had got over the fact that yes, he really was good looking in his new robes. He was needed in Hogsmeade and returning here in the evening just to be with Snape would be selfish and inconvenient to those who were so dedicated to keeping him safe.

Nevertheless, for a brief moment he almost considered it worth the fuss.

Watching Hermione walk down the stairs, he resigned himself to spending the night alone once again; hoping Ron and Draco wouldn't keep him awake half the night with their fighting or shagging. Or that strange mixture of both.

"Are you ready?" Hermione walked towards Harry with a slightly amused expression on her face. "We should be going back to Hogsmeade."

Harry grinned at that. "We've been away for two hours, Hermione. Do you honestly think they can't manage for such a short time on their own?" With all the training going on everyone should be busy and not causing trouble.

The way Hermione looked at him indicated that she wasn't so sure. "We are talking about the same people who sneaked Canary Custard in the mess hall last week."

Good point.

"Yeah." Not to mention Ron and Malfoy who would undoubtedly bicker about something pointless if they were left alone in public. Harry muttered, "Let's go then."

Smoothing her hair away from her face, Hermione didn't seem any more enthusiastic about going back to Hogsmeade. "Duty calls! People who should never have passed DADA classes and Hufflepuffs who want to ask me out to dinner."

Harry blinked, looking at her sideways. "Huh? What dinner?"

"Oh, I never did tell you... A few weeks before the N.E.W.T.s, people started asking me for tutoring sessions, exchanging knowledge for chocolate. Some of them are still doing that, except it's dinner invitations instead of chocolates now." Hermione chose to interpret the invitations as her still having Head Girl stamped on her forehead and not as some silly prank or a bet.

"Dinner invitations?" Harry mused out loud as if the thought had never occurred to him before. "Really?"

Hermione nodded.

Noticing that Harry wasn't making a move to actually leave, she asked, "What is it?" The strange look on his face was making her feel uncomfortable.

Harry shook his head slowly, uncertain of his idea. "I was just wondering if I should ask someone over for dinner myself."

He didn't have to say who; they both knew he was talking about Snape.

It was still strange for Hermione to think about Harry really seeing Snape since she'd never seen those two behave as if they were close to each other. Whenever they interacted in their headquarters, both barely acted like friends, Snape rarely initiating any contact himself. Everything she knew about their relationship came from the short and disgusted stories Ron had told her and the somewhat dreamy looks on Harry's face when Snape was mentioned in a conversation.

That was probably why she flashed a toothy grin. "I think that's an excellent idea!"

Harry was definitely surprised by the enthusiasm. "You do?" For some reason he'd been expecting a very Ron-like grimace. "I mean I was thinking about asking him over to our place." He doubted Snape would want to go and have a quiet dinner with him at the Broomsticks.

"Yes, Harry, I did get that." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Now go. You should ask him right now, before he can make any other plans for tonight."

The look on Harry's face was absolutely priceless.

"Go on. I'll wait for you here." She made a shooing motion towards the staircase leading to the dungeons.

Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders for a moment, the half-hug instinctive. "Thank you!" Without other words, he hurried to the stairs.

Leaving Hermione standing there with an amused and yet wistful smile on her lips.

Down in the dungeons, Harry tried not to start worrying about the whole thing. He was going to ask, and if Snape said no, it wouldn't be a big thing. He understood Snape's need for privacy and everything. He wasn't really nervous.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his robe before touching the small snake.

"Back so soon?" Snape looked a little surprised to see Harry standing there. "Let me guess, you decided to waste the whole day here after all." To his annoyance, he didn't sound half as irate as he'd tried.

"No, actually I came to ask you if you'd like to come to my place for dinner." The words came out in a jumble, but Harry couldn't even be embarrassed by them.

He was too busy gawking at the openly astonished look on Snape's face.

Walking back to Hogsmeade had never felt as nice as it did today. Harry kept grinning at everyone who passed him by, not minding the way Hermione seemed to find his exuberance amusing. It was good to see her smiling again. He didn't even mind the work today, going through the meetings and discussions with unprecedented fervor. He ignored the attention his relaxed demeanor gained and focused on thinking about tonight.

He needed to check the pantry as soon as he got home to see what they could have for dinner. It would have to be something special, or maybe not, Snape hated all the fuss. Better to just make something simple.

He was definitely going to give Eppy a night off.

The day almost seemed to fly by, and sooner than he'd thought, he was padding through the living room, his mind still occupied by happy thoughts.

"You seem happy." There was a grin on Ron's face. "What's the occasion?"

Harry stopped, shocked, and turned to look at Ron who was sprawling on the couch with a Quidditch magazine held loosely on his hand. He had completely forgotten about little things like Ron living here too. "I... I'm just thinking about making us some dinner."

"You're cooking?" Ron sounded delighted as he jumped to his feet. "So this really is a special occasion!"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah it is... Snape's coming over for dinner."

The Quidditch magazine fell on the floor from Ron's nerveless hand. "And there goes my appetite," he muttered, ignoring the pained look on Harry's face. "Snape's coming for dinner?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" It came out without a thought. "No, wait, scratch that. You asked him for dinner? Here? Now?"

Harry just nodded. Right here and now, yes, because he was feeling lonely and this was the perfect opportunity and he missed Snape. He didn't think Ron wanted to hear him say those things, and wasn't even sure he wanted to say them. But he did want Snape over for dinner.

"Damn, Harry, I don't get it." Ron shivered and muttered a few words about the revolting greasy git. He didn't even try to mutter them quiet enough for Harry not to hear.

Staring at Ron, Harry swallowed all the heated words that threatened to escape. Finally he said quietly, "I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Yeah, I can live without that. Don't want to have nightmares." There was a smile on Ron's lips, but he sounded genuinely disgusted.

That made Harry snap. "Then shut up!" He saw the way his friend rolled his eyes. It made him feel another surge of hot rage. "I can deal with you being an utter moron with Draco, barely tolerating him one moment and then shagging him the next. That's your business. But you're not going to insult Snape again. Not while I'm close enough to hear it."

Ron's mouth fell open. He'd never seen Harry like this.

"You're my best friend. But I..." Harry closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He was not about to explain about his feelings towards Snape. When he went on, his voice resonated deep and soft. "I know I'm needed here and Snape is needed in Hogwarts and I can live with that. But I really miss him and if I choose to invite him over for dinner, you'll just have to live with it. Or you can eat somewhere else."

With that, he walked to the kitchen, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't want to drive Ron away, but the disgust his friend didn't even try to hide was too much.

He knew that all the people who knew about him and Snape were probably just waiting for him to come to his senses. Remus and Hermione never said anything about it, but he was sure they at least thought about it.

Being with Snape wasn't easy. Their schedules clashed and the short moments they could share in public were never enough to satisfy his need to be close to Snape, and with all the work and the attention turned on him, Hogwarts could have been continents away.

This was a unique opportunity and he wasn't going to waste it. He missed Snape more than he wanted to admit, refusing to dwell on it when there was nothing to do about the whole thing. Now here was a chance to spend time with him, to introduce him to the place he lived in.

Ron would just have to deal with this. Hopefully he wouldn't leave completely, but to his horror Harry realized that right now, he couldn't find any strength to really worry about it.

He had dinner to make.

Eppy only huffed when he explained to her why he was busying himself in the kitchen, but her ears didn't look as droopy as usual. Harry didn't comment on that, but he had to wonder if the grumpy house elf had actually missed Snape as well.

It was a good thought. Maybe not everyone in his world hated Snape.

He concentrated on the cupboards, thinking about what he should make and wondering if Ron would go and eat out instead of staying here and eating with them. It would be better than open sulking or angry words and yet it would be so much worse than anything.

This was Ron's home as well and Harry didn't want to force anyone to leave. Not over something like this.

Sighing, he stared at the well-stocked cupboards, not sure he was up to making anything with the nausea building inside.

A moment later the door opened quietly and Ron sneaked in, looking sheepish. "Um... Can I help you with something? Like set the table or cut bread."

He wasn't going to try anything more adventurous than that, especially if there would be a dinner guest coming in. Not that the idea of accidentally poisoning Snape wasn't intriguing.

Harry had to blink a few times before he could look at his friend. "Sure. You can set the table."

Not saying anything about the relieved expression on Harry's face, Ron went to grab the plates. He hesitated for just a moment and then chose the better china; it was a peace offering, nothing more. Personally, he didn't care one way or the other.

The way Harry smiled at him made it worth the trouble.

He busied himself with the plates and silverware, grumbling from under his breath when he knew no one was listening.

Precisely five minutes to seven there was a knock on the front door.

Gazing at the closed door, Ron sighed. Of course Harry was still busy with the food. Since Hermione didn't seem to be in a hurry to answer the door -- with her room so close to it, she had to hear the knocking -- he crossed the hallway. He was glad he knew what to expect when he pushed the door open, otherwise seeing Snape standing there would have made him gibber in panic.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasley."

"Um... Good evening, sir." Ron couldn't even dream of calling Snape by his name. He gestured with his hand. "Come on in."

Stepping inside, Snape looked around. He noted a slight tingling sensation around him and was surprised that the youngsters had actually remembered to set the wards here.

Ron wondered what to do next. It didn't look like Snape was about to leave any outer clothing on the rack. Not that it would surprise him if he did, for even during a nice day like this, he was once again covered in black from neck to toe.

"I took the liberty of bringing this." Without other explanations, Snape shoved a bottle at Ron. He was beginning to enjoy this. From the look on the boy's face, he could tell that he'd not been happy hearing the news about a dinner guest.

"Thank you." At least it came out without a stutter this time. Ron stared at the bottle of wine, glad that he now had something to do with his hands.

The silence stretched as they stood there. Snape didn't let the evil grin to spread to his lips, but his eyes did glint with malicious glee. When he'd accepted Harry's invitation, he hadn't realized how enjoyable this might be.

Ron was starting to sweat with panic. He'd been prepared to retaliate to any sarcastic and evil comment Snape made, but he wasn't saying anything. The man was just standing there, waiting for him to actually do something. He wished Harry were here, at least he'd know what to do.

Soft footsteps echoed down the stairs and both men turned to look at Draco Malfoy walking towards them with a slight smile on his face. "Professor Snape. Nice to see you again." The polite words sounded perfectly honest. He didn't go as far as to actually offer his hand to his former professor, but he did nod at him. Noticing the bottle Ron was holding as if fearing it was about to explode, he added, "Let's go into the living room, and I'll put the wine to breathe."

Gesturing towards the doorway leading to the living room, he took the bottle from Ron. He raised his eyebrow slightly at the label, appreciating the perfect choice in wine. Not overly expensive, but a decent vintage anyway; something that would probably go well with anything.

Snape wasn't at all surprised that young Malfoy had excellent manners. He'd probably been raised to host dinner parties at the Malfoy Mansion. This house was definitely not a mansion, but you couldn't guess that by his behavior right now.

The endless polite litany falling from Draco's lips accompanied them to the living room, making even Ron relax a little.

He wasn't sure how to behave. This was his home and he had no reason to actually fear Snape here or anywhere else really, but Snape was... Snape. You didn't just sit down and engage in small talk with him.

Except that was exactly what Malfoy was doing, his calm expression never wavering, asking polite questions about brewing. Brewing, for Merlin's sake!

A moment later Hermione appeared at the doorway. She had done something to her hair again, and was that a new frock? Ron couldn't really tell, but he was happy she was here; now he could continue sitting here and having a nice and quiet nervous breakdown without anyone noticing.

Cocking her head, Hermione offered her hand to Snape. "Good evening, professor." It only felt appropriate, considering the man had stood up as soon as he'd seen her.

"Good evening Miss. Granger." Grasping the offered hand briefly, Snape stood there, waiting.

Hermione could understand why Ron still looked so flustered. It was obvious Snape wasn't going to engage in pointless small talk. "Harry should be here any minute. He's still busy in the kitchen." At least that didn't sound completely foolish.

"I see." A faint smirk ghosted over Snape's face at the possibility of commenting Harry's cooking once again. For someone so completely inept with potions, he was actually not a bad cook. He'd be certain to phrase any possible compliment like that.

Wondering if she should ask Snape to sit down, Hermione already started a gesture towards the couch as the kitchen door banged open and Harry stumbled into the room a moment later. His face was red from the heat and his hair was messier than usual. Seeing Snape, he froze.

He grinned. "Hi, Snape. Thought I heard your voice here." He was glad everyone was already downstairs, even Ron, who looked like he was facing a big fat spider but was still sitting there bravely.

"Potter." Snape nodded his head a little.

Harry didn't mind the curt reply, he was already moving towards the small dining room. "Come, sit down. The dinner will be ready in a minute." He was glad he'd sent Eppy and Bob away for the evening. It was easier to fuss over the food than to wait for it to arrive.

"You're cooking?" There was a glint of almost evil amusement in Snape's eyes. "Intriguing."

It was so perfectly Snape that Harry could only smile foolishly at him. "Yup, I'm cooking. And though it's probably not as good as something you'd make, it'll be perfectly edible."

Snape allowed his amusement show on his face, but didn't say anything. He simply allowed Harry to fuss with the seating and the food, watching the silent play of various emotions on the teenagers' faces.

He didn't usually seek the company of such a crowd, but had indeed been intrigued by Harry's invitation. With Black and Lupin away, there wouldn't be half witted slurs and threats -- he hoped -- but then again no one could really be sure when there was a Weasley involved.

Harry managed to carry all the food to the table without dropping anything, and then watched happily as everyone started to eat. His smile got extra wide as Ron shovelled his food with something akin to fervor.

This was such a good idea.

He listened to Draco make small talk; not at all surprised that Hermione picked up the thread of conversation when there was a short silence. He didn't bother to join in except for a few chosen remarks; just listening was enough.

The food was good -- even if he said it himself -- and the wine was excellent, and Snape and his friends managed to sit through dinner without anyone making a scene. There was hope yet, but for what, he didn't dare to even contemplate.

Planting his utensils down, Snape patted his lips with a napkin before casting an amused look at Harry. "I must say I'm amazed, Potter. A kettle isn't that different from a cauldron and usually when someone fails with one, he also fails with the other. But your cooking skills are nowhere near dismal."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Yes, I'm sure you are," Snape muttered, knowing exactly how small things like this mattered to Harry. But the food really was excellent, and the company wasn't completely hideous.

At least now he was spared from listening to Filius make half-hearted jokes with Pomona.

Biting his lip, Draco concentrated on staring at the label on the wine bottle, pretending he was interested in the vineyard and the year and the small picture of a weird looking bird sitting in a fruit tree and was not about to laugh at the way Weasley and Granger looked.

What did they expect? Draco couldn't even begin to imagine. Somehow Snape had always defied definitions; everything he did seemed to have a purpose, but most of the time it was only known by the man himself. He had certainly not imagined Snape would sit here and wax poetry at Harry.

"Anyone up for a dessert?" Harry asked, smiling foolishly as he gathered the plates. He considered shooing Ron away as he got up to help him, but then just smiled at him too.

He was damn proud of his friend right now. Sure, Ron wasn't making any small talk, but he wasn't showing his disgust either. That was more than enough for Harry.

Ignoring the way Draco seemed to find his constant grinning hilarious, Harry sat back down and concentrated on his dessert. He wasn't really hungry with the insanely bubbly happy feeling churning in his stomach, but didn't think he could just sit here and drink in the atmosphere. That would have lead to questions and embarrassing comments, he was certain

Hermione was practically beaming at Snape.

She hadn't known what to expect, but this was something she wouldn't have dreamed of in her wildest dreams. The sarcasm was still there, as was the apparent amusement at Ron's discomfort and yet it was clear that Snape was trying not to make any overly evil comments about stupid people. He was simply enjoying his dinner.

Seeing Harry completely relaxed and happy was the most wondrous thing. Hermione worried about him, seeing all the meetings and the training lay heavily on him, noticing the pressure he was under despite her own sadness. Or maybe because of it. There had been evenings when she'd feared Harry would break under the workload he'd taken upon himself.

She could see no sign of a harrowed expression on him now. Harry was eating his dessert with a healthy appetite, smiling as he said something to Snape.

It was the first time in a long while that she saw that smile; nothing strained or wistful about it, just a simple happy expression that made Harry almost glow. Hermione sank her spoon into the ice cream and had to admit to herself that even though all the beaming and glowing also looked absolutely ridiculous, she was happy for him.

She was almost disappointed when the last bit of the dessert was gone and there was no more reason to just sit here.

"How about if Ron and I take care of the dishes and you and professor Snape can go and sit down." Hermione made a gesture towards the living room, certain that Harry would get her meaning.

From the grateful gleam in his eyes, she could tell he did indeed. Ron looked actually happy to be carrying dirty dishes, every step taking him farther away from Snape, but Hermione didn't bother to rib him about it.

He could look as disgusted as he wanted to as long as Harry didn't see it.

Snape didn't even try to hide his amusement as he noticed the privacy given to Harry and him. "Are we now supposed to have some quality time for ourselves?" Not that it was a real question.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. Sitting down on the couch, he held out his hand. "Come on then."

Muttering, "I knew it," Snape sat next to Harry.

"Well at least I'm not trying to sit on your lap and coo." Grinning at Snape's rather horrified expression, Harry leaned closer to him. He was sure no one would barge in any time soon and he could lean on Snape if he wanted to.

"No, you're not." It was clear that Snape didn't find the prospect of such teenage behavior funny. However, he did move a little to the left to better accommodate Harry's leaning.

They sat there in silence for a while, the mood mellow and almost drowsy.

"I'm glad you came. I've missed you." Harry hadn't intended for it to just come out like that, but when the words were out, he was glad he'd actually said them. "And the dinner wasn't so bad, was it?"

Snape thought about saying something about Granger's sharp gaze on him or how Weasley had by now turned denial into an art form. "No, it wasn't." Even with the tension, it had actually been pleasant. How surprising.

His words just made Harry lean even closer to him so that he had to wrap his arm around Harry's shoulders.

It was getting late even though it was still quite bright outside. Harry didn't want to move, content on spending the whole night on the couch with Snape if he could, but he could hear the others bustling around at the background, knowing they would soon start their evening routines and then it would be time to go to bed.

He closed his eyes. "Can you stay for the night?" And this time he'd really not intended to say it out loud. "Or are you in the middle of something important at home?"

It was unlikely Snape would even consider staying, but he had to ask. Evenings were usually quiet here, everyone too tired to really engage in a conversation, and even with his family all around him, Harry felt sometimes so empty without Snape.

"Poppy needs me to go through the storages and I really should debrief Albus about my research." Until spending time with Harry, Snape had never really thought about his lack of free time. Working with his potions had always been the only thing he'd really wanted.

He wasn't surprised by Harry's sigh of disappointment. Waiting for the inevitable cajoling, he had to wonder why it was so important to him to have Harry actually ask again. It would serve no purpose; his mind was already made.

"However," he added before Harry could say anything. "It really is getting late. My work will still be there when I go home. Tomorrow."

Staying here was not a burden. Seeing Harry look up with delighted amazement in his eyes was more than enough to convince him he'd made the right choice.

"Thank you."

The quietly whispered words annoyed Snape for some reason. "You don't need to thank me, I'm not doing you a favor." Then he glared, even more annoyed by his own words.

It was bad enough that he preferred this to work; he didn't need anyone else to know about his insanity.

Harry chose not to say anything, not sure he could actually get anything intelligent through the thick feeling in his throat. He just snuggled closer against Snape with his eyes closed, enjoying the moment.

No reports, no planning. He wasn't going to waste one thought to the war tonight. Like Snape's, his work would still be there tomorrow; no matter how he delegated, there always seemed to be more things for him to do.

But not tonight.

He excused himself a moment later. Walking towards the sound of softly spoken conversation, he slipped into the kitchen, surprised to find all three of his friends there. "Hey guys, I didn't mean to leave all this mess to you."

Ron almost dropped the plate he was wiping dry. "Damn it, Harry! Don't do that!" He should already be used to the sneaking up from behind after growing up with Ginny, but it always startled him.

"It's okay." Smiling, Hermione nodded towards the door. "Go back to him. You don't have to worry about cleaning tonight." With Sirius and Remus due back tomorrow, this was an unique situation for Harry, and he deserved every moment he could have with Snape.

She wasn't even ashamed of her sappy thoughts; the look on Harry's face was definitely mushier than anything she could think of.

"Yeah." Ron agreed with Hermione. It would be just fine to stay in the kitchen; that way he wouldn't stumble into Snape as he was leaving.

He continued drying the plates, handing them to Malfoy who was stacking them on the counter, listening half heartedly as soft voices murmured in the hallway. Ready to let out a sigh of pure relief as the front door closed behind Snape, he almost choked as the sound of the door closing never came. To his horror, he could only hear two sets of footsteps heading upstairs.

Only Malfoy's quick reflexes saved the plate that slipped from his nerveless fingers.

"Bloody hell!" Ron staggered to the hallway, not sure what he was doing but unable to just continue with the dishes as if nothing was happening. He was horrified! He'd thought Harry wanted a few moments with Snape to say farewell, but this? Definitely not this.

"Ron?"

Turning back to look at Hermione, Ron managed to gasp, "Snape's not leaving!" Didn't she see? Snape was staying for the night! With Harry!

Hermione shrugged. "Yes. And?"

"He can't stay here!" Ron could understand Malfoy's indifferent and very annoying raised eyebrow -look, but why the hell was Hermione all right with this?

"Come on, Ron." Honestly, some days Hermione wondered when her friend would grow up. If ever. "Did you really think Harry just wanted him to stay here for dinner?"

That only made Ron look even more horrified. Hermione had thought that.... Sweet Merlin! "But..." He wanted to say something nasty to her, but that would just make him feel worse. Only one thing would make him happy now, and trying not to growl, he took a step towards the stairs.

"If you go up there now, you will lose a friend," Draco said quietly. If it were someone else, he wouldn't really care, but he still recognized Snape's importance as the Head of his House. With Harry it was different; from the beginning, he had been the key element in his own survival, but now he could actually say he liked the Gryffindor hero. "Do you really think it will be worth it?"

Ron froze. He could not really deny the truth in Malfoy's words.

He'd seen Harry's slow descent into the madness of being with Snape; first the weird attitude with the git, behaving like he wasn't a disgusting creep anymore, then the long discussions with the man. The... He still refused to think about sex between those two. Now this.

He turned slowly to look at Malfoy, hating the rare and completely honest expression on his face. He couldn't even say anything hateful to him right now.

"I think Malfoy is right, Ron." Hermione said it without looking at the Slytherin, grimacing as if the words tasted sour in her mouth. "Harry can make his own decisions. Just think of how awful it would be if you went up there and made a scene. Like... If you make him to choose between Snape and you, he just might..."

"It would kill him." It would kill them both. Ron closed his eyes. He couldn't even imagine life without Harry's friendship anymore.

"Yes. I think it just might."

Draco didn't say anything, simply watched the two Gryffindors finally use their brains and understand what was going on.

Without a word, Ron returned to the kitchen to finish with the dishes. He was glad the others didn't say anything; Hermione's compassionate words and Malfoy's... whatever would have just made him explode.

Saying good night to Hermione was almost too much, and Ron didn't even try to look happy as he trudged upstairs after Malfoy, using the Slytherin almost as a buffer against any evil.

Fortunately there was nothing disgusting -- namely Snape -- in sight.

Everything was normal, or as normal as it could be in these circumstances, so Ron stepped from behind Malfoy and hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should go to the loo or not. He didn't really have to go, but it was probably better to go now when he had the opportunity to go in peace instead of later when he might run into someone.

Still trying to decide, he took a few steps towards the bathroom anyway.

Hearing faint voices drift through the wall, Ron blanched, stopping as if he'd just walked into an invincible barrier. He'd never realized just how thin the walls in this house were. "Fuck!"

"Yes. I believe you're correct." Now there was a leer on Draco's face. Every time he'd wanted to tease Weasley about what Snape and Harry were so obviously doing he'd stayed quiet, and now he was glad his half awe half respect towards his professor had always held his tongue. This was far better than any teasing words.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ignoring the smirk, Ron marched into his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him. There was not going to be any fucking or thinking about fucking tonight! He was just going to bed.

Such a shame, really.

It didn't take long for the house to quiet down, all teenagers retired for the night.

Tomorrow would come soon enough, and with it more work and more training. Things would be back to normal, Sirius and Remus returning home, and even if Snuffles would sniff around the house, growling and looking like he was about to reclaim his territory by piddling in every corner, the storm would pass with simple words. They would probably not talk about it after the yelling match that would certainly occur when Sirius was stable enough to turn back into his human form.

Harry knew his schedule for the rest of the week, and knew there would be little time for him to even contemplate such peace and quiet as he was experiencing right now. But that would all be in the future.

A breeze blew through the empty streets of Hogsmeade, rattling the shutters on the windows. Harry listened to the soft night time sounds, snuggled closer against Snape and smiled.

---

Comments

[tommywy.livejournal.com]

Outstanding, I'd say. Exceptionally lovely chapter. The interaction between Harry and Snape is heartwarming, and it's nice that Harry's friends finally begin to realize how things are between those two. Also enjoyed the last scene in the kitchen. Brightened up my crappy evening considerably. Thank you.

[sua-lay.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think Harry's friends really need to get over all the 'ewww Snape' -stuff and start seeing how important the greasy git is to Harry. Glad I could help making a crappy evening less crappy. :D

[lilyeyes.livejournal.com]

Excellent chapter - it is amazing hgow you show the characters maturing with a few words, even Ron!

[sua-lay.livejournal.com]

:D Well, I've always said miracles might happen, so maybe even Ron will manage to grow up.