"Only by his prowess," Harry quipped.
That won him the gambit.
Severus gave a breathy snort, his thin lips curving into a tiny, but actual smile. He seemed to realize what he was doing and immediately blanked his expression. "Potter, please! It's too early in the morning for this."
"You just don't want the students to see you smile and think you're human, right? Have to keep up that cool -"
"Good morning," Hermione's uncertain sounding voice said from directly behind them.
They both jumped and swung around in their seats to see a confused looking Hermione and Ron standing a few feet away. Ron, in his red Auror robes, was paused with one foot pointed in the direction of their usual seats at the other end of the table. He looked like he'd been frozen in his tracks by the sight of Harry sitting next to Snape.
Hermione appeared much less confused, though that could simply be the effect of her dignified black teacher's robes and the neat bun she'd put her damp hair in this morning.
Harry noted that both his friends' hair was drying around their faces, as if they'd just stepped out of the bath.
"I thought you were sleeping in," Harry said with a grin, before giving a belated, "Good morning, yourself."
Hermione smiled, gestured at the two empty seats on Harry's other side, and asked, "Are these seats taken?" She directed her question to Severus, who usually isolated himself behind at least four empty chairs when he could.
Severus' voice was dry as desiccated batwings as he replied, "Unfortunately, I don't own the chairs."
Ron's face clouded in anger.
Before anyone could say anything else, Harry grinned and said, "That's Slytherin for 'we'd be honoured to have the pleasure of your company.'"
His friends still stood there frozen, as if awaiting Snape's permission to join them.
After a few seconds of that uncomfortable stand off, Severus gave an irritated, "Oh, do sit down. I won't deduct any house points."
Hermione chuckled and pulled out the nearest chair, Ron following her a moment later.
The ensuing silence was even more awkward.
Very aware of his oldest friends' stares, Harry got himself some scrambled eggs and bacon. He shivered as Severus' hand brushed his while reaching for the toast. Needing to ease the tension, he looked over at Ron. His friend appeared utterly exhausted. There were dark circles under Ron's eyes and his normally affable features were strained. "How is the search going?"
Ron groaned. "It's not. We're still going through Burke's holdings. Estate by bloody estate. It's a horror."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Harry asked, hating to see Ron so overwhelmed.
A trace of his characteristic humour glinted in his blue eyes as Ron said, "You could pass me the cream."
Suddenly, everything was all right between them again and they were laughing. When Harry glanced to his side, even Severus appeared amused, although his facial expression didn't change.
Ron seemed stretched so thin that he piled food down his mouth with very little of his characteristic animation or chatter.
Harry was really beginning to worry, but then Ron looked over at him and said in a low, confiding tone, "Whatever you're doing, keep it up."
"What?" Harry asked.
"You look good, Harry. Like maybe – damn," Ron straightened as an alarm chime sounded from the air behind him. Ron was so tired these days that he'd set magical alarms to alert him when he needed to leave. "Duty calls." The lanky redhead grabbed a couple of muffins from a tray beside him and rose to his feet. After bending to give Hermione a fast kiss, Ron turned back to Harry and said in a rush, "I know I haven't been around a lot lately, but you've been making like the Invisible Man as well. Whatever you're up to, keep Friday night free. I'm off and we're going to the Three Broomsticks." Lowering his voice, Ron continued with, "Bring whoever it is that's put that healthy flush back in your cheeks. I want to meet him. See you all."
Ron gave his shoulder a brief squeeze, nodded in Snape's direction, then turned and ran like a late second year for the nearest floo.
"He hasn't changed at all since school, has he?" Severus asked in a superior sounding tone as they watched Ron's red-robed figure thunder through the hall, drawing every eye as the bright red blur passed.
"He's gotten taller," Harry said, causing both Hermione and himself to giggle.
"And his skills in certain areas have improved remarkably since then," Hermione added with an air of contentment that left no one in any doubt as to what she was referring.
Harry could almost feel Severus debating his next words, but then his lover gave a silky, "I imagine they aren't the type of skills one could discuss at the breakfast table."
Stifling a laugh, Harry looked back over at Hermione to see her reaction to Severus' atypically personal comment. Her eyes widened in shock, but she covered quickly, responding with a prim, "Certainly not," that was worthy of Professor McGonagall at her severest.
This time Harry made no effort to hold in his laughter. Hermione joined him. They both looked over to Severus, whose eyes were alight, as though he were laughing inside. The sight of Severus calmly eating his porridge as though he hadn't just said something completely outrageous cracked them up even more.
Finally, they calmed and returned their attention to their own breakfasts.
"Well, I have to go check on a book Madam Pince was supposed to order for me," Hermione said once her food had disappeared. "I'll see you later, Harry. It was a pleasure chatting with you, Professor."
Severus gave a grave nod and a courteous, "Likewise."
Hermione left the table with as much speed, but far more grace than her husband had.
Once she was gone, Harry looked back over at Severus and offered a quiet, "Thanks."
"For?" Severus questioned.
Harry shrugged. "Not eviscerating anyone at the breakfast table?"
"The morning is still young."
"Yes, but we're both finished. Shall we go?" Harry asked. As they were approaching the door to the corridor, he took a quick look around him. They were alone, but that wouldn't last. "Have you got a minute? I'd like to talk to you." His searching gaze fixed on one of the numerous unused classrooms that could be found on almost any floor at Hogwarts. "In here."
Severus followed him into the dusty, dim room that was crowded with school desks and less identifiable pieces of furniture.
"Is this melodrama really necessary?" Severus protested. "We're going to look like truant sixth years if we're caught exiting this room."
Harry chuckled. "Don't worry. I have it on good authority that Professor Snape's busy at the moment. We're safe."
"Really, Potter," Severus said, but he could tell by his exaggerated exasperation that Severus was enjoying their banter. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"You heard Ron. Will you come with me on Friday?"
Confused, he watched Severus tense up.
Severus was silent for a time, and then he said in a careful tone, "You needn't go to all this trouble."
"Trouble?" Harry repeated, knowing he probably sounded blank and stupid, but he hardly ever understood Severus' perspective on relationships. This happened every time he tried to really talk to Severus. His lover's defensive walls would pop back up again, and he would find that they were talking at cross-purposes.
"You've been most conscientious about . . . socializing with me, but you needn't work so hard at it. You have other friends and interests that you've been neglecting while I've monopolized your time. It's time you returned to them."
Harry's stomach clenched in a tight knot of dread at what he thought Severus' cautious words were saying. His mouth ran dry. The breath caught in his chest as his heart beat like a wild thing in blind terror. Was Severus dumping him?
"Are you saying you want to end it?" Harry asked, wishing he could manage something like a normal tone. Even his own ears could hear his fear.
Relieved, he saw shock wash across Severus' strong features before they were consciously returned to their normal blankness. "No. I was actually attempting to keep that from happening."
"That's not how it sounded," Harry shot back, still stiff and tense because he couldn't read what Severus really wanted. "Just say what's on your mind – please?"
"You needn't . . . interact so much with me. We can still . . . enjoy our extracurricular activities without you neglecting your friends."
The icy freeze transformed into incandescent fury as Severus' meaning penetrated. Extracurricular activities! Was that how Snape thought about their time together?
Holding himself firmly in check because he wasn't twelve anymore and couldn't afford to indulge his anger, Harry stiffly asked, "So you just want to meet for sex then? Have nothing else to do with me?"
Whether it was his tone or his words themselves, Severus seemed to realize how furious he was. Harry braced himself as those dark eyes scoured his face, prepared for anything except the regret that flashed across Severus' suddenly tense features as the man snapped, "That isn't what I meant."
"It's what you said." Harry stared down at the unswept floor with its years' of accumulated dust. He could hear shouts and laughter coming from the corridor as students passed the door on their way from the Great Hall, and then only Severus and his raspy sounding breaths in the intermittent silence.
"I phrased my thoughts badly," Severus said at last. "Forgive me, Potter. I meant no insult."
The apology was a first from Severus. In any other circumstances, Harry would have instantly forgiven him anything for the gesture, because he knew how difficult it was for this proud man to admit he was wrong about anything, but Severus' suggestion had cut him to the quick. His heart was still bleeding. He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet Severus' eyes before demanding, "Then what did you mean? Because it sure as hell sounded like you didn't want anything to do with me outside of the bedroom."
Harry knew he was glaring, but he couldn't help it.
He saw Severus' Adam's apple bob up and down, and heard the resulting noisy swallow. "I was attempting to give you the freedom to interact with your friends." Severus paused, and added, "I know you miss Weasley."
"And I was attempting to arrange to spend some time with him. That's why I asked you in here – to talk about going out on Friday."
"Do you think they want me tagging along on your night out? They want to spend time with you."
Abruptly, Harry understood what was going on, why Severus had made that awful suggestion. It wasn't about Severus having lost interest in him at all. What it was about floored him. He'd hoped they were past these issues. Thank the stars he hadn't entirely lost his temper. He stepped closer and reached out to touch Severus' arm. "Ron asked me to bring the man who's made me happy these last few weeks. That man is you."
Severus' gaze flicked away for a moment before he seemed to regain his equilibrium enough to respond. "Do you seriously believe Ronald Weasley wants to hear that?"
"Whether he wants to hear it or not, it's the truth."
"Not all truths need to be advertised," Severus answered softly, with obvious reluctance.
"I won't lie to them or keep secrets from them," Harry insisted.
"And yet you haven't revealed with whom you've been spending your nights for the last three weeks." It wasn't precisely an accusation, but it was as close as made no difference.
"It's not exactly the kind of thing I could bring up at the teachers' table. That's the only place I've seen Ron for the last three weeks," Harry protested.
"Don't try evasion with a Slytherin. You didn't tell them because -"
Harry didn't need his Occlumency and Legilimency skills to hear the rest of that line, the unspoken because you're ashamed of me that he could almost hear ringing in this often-betrayed man's mind. Unwilling to force Severus to voice his insecurities, he decided to bare a few of his own instead. "I didn't tell them because I never thought you'd stick around this long. You're the first lover who has."
Severus' narrow-eyed, suspicious glare scoured Harry's features. Harry braced himself for a tirade, but after a moment, all the waspish anger faded from Severus' face. Severus stared a bit longer and then said in a tentative voice, "That can't be true."
"Can't it?" Harry challenged.
The utter incomprehension in Severus' eyes was one of the greatest gifts he'd ever received. Before he seemed to think better of it, Severus asked, "Why would anyone leave you?" Severus followed it up immediately with a quick, "That wasn't an appropriate question for me to ask. You needn't answer."
"No, it's all right. I want you to know." Harry drew a deep breath and continued, "You've seen how careless I can be with my powers when I get . . .aroused. I forget to use my wand, and it frightens people. And if it's not that, then my nightmares usually scare them off." Severus hadn't witnessed one of his night terrors yet, but Harry felt better giving the man fair warning.
"Your nightmares?" Severus questioned, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder.
The tightness clenching his stomach relaxed at Severus' touch. Severus hardly ever initiated physical contact. When he did, it meant something.
"The dreams are very violent, and I wake up on the defensive, ready for a fight and . . . ." his explanation faltered. Taking a deep breath, Harry finished with, "The bottom line is that I haven't had a single lover who's been able to stick it out for more than a week or so – until you. It's been three weeks now and you're still here. That's something of a miracle to me, and I'd like to share it with my oldest friends . . . unless you don't want anyone to know about us?"
