Learning to Live - Sacrifices must be made
Fandom - Harry Potter
Pairing- Snape/Harry
Rating - PG 13
Summary - Snape wants to read his Potions Quarterly but Harry wants to read, "Magical Mansions"…
Word Count - 1,334
Disclaimer - Characters belong to the fabulous JK Rowling, I own nothing.
A/N- Alternative Fic written for the Hideaway July Quill Contest.
It was a strangely quiet day, Severus Snape mused, in his quarters in the dungeons at Hogwarts. Strangely, because due to the recent invasion of a certain green-eyed Gryffindor, he had not been able to get any peace. Not that he particularly wanted the brat to leave, mind you. But he feels that he must make a token protest at the intrusion, welcome though it may be, into his life and his heart. At the moment however, even the grouchy Slytherin had no complaints. He was sitting in his comfy chair, reading the Annual Potions Quarterly and Potter was nowhere to be seen. Life was good.
"Sev! I got it!"
Although he really hadn't expected the relief to last, Snape couldn't help but let out a hiss of frustration. Potter, busily taking off his coat and boots and jabbering a mile a minute, didn't see this. Snape paid no attention to the mindless chatter but annoyingly observed how the boy carelessly threw said items on the floor. He opened his mouth to deliver a scathing remark on Potter's inability to pick up article's of clothing when the miscreant himself demanded he be heard, "Sev! I found it!"
Snape tore his gaze away from the untidy arrangement marring the otherwise spotless stone floor of his dungeons and focused his onyx eyes on Potter. The boy was holding a book of some size and looking at Snape expectantly. The older man scanned his memory, trying in vain to remember what the significance of this 'book' was. His search was fruitless. Meanwhile Potter was thrusting the accursed 'book' in his face.
"Sev! Don't you know what this is?"
Snape's face remained blank.
"How can you not know what this is, Sev? I've been talking about it for two weeks now!"
Ah. That explained his forgetfulness. He really didn't listen to what Potter was saying most of the time. After all, the boy did tend to prattle on about the most nonsensical things. His babble was not the most interesting thing about him. Although his mouth certainly was rather fascinating. But Snape wisely decided that now was probably not the best time to bring up that little tidbit. The boy was worked up enough already. So he settled for raising an eyebrow. Finally realizing that Snape was blissfully ignorant, Potter had the decency to clue him in, "It's the latest Magical Mansions Catalogue!"
The second eyebrow promptly joined the first one.
"Let me show you," the boy impatiently huffed out and then proceeded to settle down on the arm of Snape's chair. Tucking his mop of unruly jet black hair under Snape's chin, Potter pushed off the Potions quarterly onto the floor and rested the bulk of his weight against Snape.
This was not so bad, Snape thought, as he slipped his hand into Potter's and tangled his fingers in the locks. He had finally realized what the boy was talking about. They had been discussing refurbishing Godric's Hollow so that they could reside there during the holidays when both of them were not working at Hogwarts. Potter had gotten the job as DADA Professor after the war had climaxed.
Potter was warm against his side, he was close enough to smell the scent that was uniquely Harry and while the boy was harping on about his wretched book, he could read his Potions Quarterly. Snape's free hand reached for his book, while he let Potter's pointless babble wash over him….wait? Where was it? Where was the Potions Quarterly? Where was the…..Oh, there it was on the floor. ON THE FLOOR?
Potter had swept it there, Snape vaguely recalled. This was the last straw. The boy was going to have to face the wrath of Severus Snape, feared Potions master and King of Sarcastic Remarks. But….the boy had been stressing on the point that Snape never listened to him and didn't care enough about him to take an interest in the house. If he were to protest now, the emotional Gryffindor would no doubt make a fuss over nothing. No, better not to say anything on the subject.
"Look, Sev, they've got everything in here!"
Perhaps if he slowly reached out and got it. Potter was much too distracted to notice him.
"Sev, will you kindly stop moving around? Oh, wow! Look at this beautiful bed! It's made out of real…."
Drat! The boy had caught on to his shifting. Maybe he could reach for his wand. Snape inched his hand towards his pocket. Potter however took this movement as a sign of interest and planted himself firmly in Snape's lap.
"Oh, the living room! What colours should we go for Sev? I'm rather partial to red and gold….."
No use reaching for his wand now, Snape thought. Well, he'd have to try wandless magic. Snape leaned forward slightly, his chin brushing the top of Potter's head, in order to get a better view of his neglected treasure.
"Sev, take a look at these carpet samples, will you?"
What? Oh, right, the boy was speaking to him. Snape painstakingly looked away from his tempting book and forced himself to concentrate on the…carpet samples? Merlin! CARPET SAMPLES? Potter really didn't expect him to pick out carpet samples? Judging by the eager look on the blasted brat's face he was.
"That one."
"The one at the end? But Sev, it's pink! I don't understand. Sev, are you listening to me?"
Snape nodded. "Oh good. Since you're not doing anything, we can go over the entire book together. Thanks Sev. You're the best," Potter leaned back and gave Snape a kiss right on his surly mouth. Snape promptly forgot why he was trying to get away from the boy in the first place. Oh, wait. His Potions Quarterly. On the floor. And Potter was preventing him from getting it.
"I can't wait Sev! I mean, it's not really about the house and the furniture and everything. It's more about….well…," here Potter's voice broke off.
To Snape's horrification, Potter's eyes had welled up. Severus Snape had faced many things in life; A crazy Dark Lord, an equally if not more crazy Headmaster, Longbottom and a whole army of Weasleys but he was completely unprepared to deal with a lapful of sobbing Chosen One. The boy had ceased his page turning and was now staring at Snape with an unfathomable expression.
"It's more about the fact that I'll be living with you. And it'll be official. We'll be together and finally get our happily ever after. I realize I'm being a completely annoying prat about this Sev and I know that you're getting rather annoyed with…"
Potter never got to finish his sentence because Snape had lunged forward and collided their lips together in a warm, albeit salty (on account of the boy's tears), kiss. After a few minutes, Snape gently broke away from the kiss and lifted up Harry by the chin.
"It's fine, Harry. I understand," Snape hesitated but the look in Potter's beautiful emerald eyes drove him to continue his thought, "I confess, I am rather impatient as well."
The breathtaking smile that lit up Potter's face more than made up for him being so maudlin. It even made up for the hours of meaningless talk he had had to endure. And if Snape was honest with himself, he would gladly give up every moment of peace and quiet that he possessed for a few smiles from Harry. Because Severus Snape knew that he did not deserve someone so pure and good like Harry. He was not worthy to call Harry his. But he would spend every day for the rest of his life trying to be someone that Harry would not be ashamed to be with.
This was one sacrifice that Snape was more than happy to make. Forsaking his Potions Quarterly for Magical Mansions? Not even Harry Potter could induce him to make that kind of sacrifice.
"Harry, do you think I could read Potions Quarterly now? Please?"
Pairing- Snape/Harry
Rating - PG 13
Summary - Snape wants to read his Potions Quarterly but Harry wants to read, "Magical Mansions"…
Word Count - 1,334
Disclaimer - Characters belong to the fabulous JK Rowling, I own nothing.
A/N- Alternative Fic written for the Hideaway July Quill Contest.
It was a strangely quiet day, Severus Snape mused, in his quarters in the dungeons at Hogwarts. Strangely, because due to the recent invasion of a certain green-eyed Gryffindor, he had not been able to get any peace. Not that he particularly wanted the brat to leave, mind you. But he feels that he must make a token protest at the intrusion, welcome though it may be, into his life and his heart. At the moment however, even the grouchy Slytherin had no complaints. He was sitting in his comfy chair, reading the Annual Potions Quarterly and Potter was nowhere to be seen. Life was good.
"Sev! I got it!"
Although he really hadn't expected the relief to last, Snape couldn't help but let out a hiss of frustration. Potter, busily taking off his coat and boots and jabbering a mile a minute, didn't see this. Snape paid no attention to the mindless chatter but annoyingly observed how the boy carelessly threw said items on the floor. He opened his mouth to deliver a scathing remark on Potter's inability to pick up article's of clothing when the miscreant himself demanded he be heard, "Sev! I found it!"
Snape tore his gaze away from the untidy arrangement marring the otherwise spotless stone floor of his dungeons and focused his onyx eyes on Potter. The boy was holding a book of some size and looking at Snape expectantly. The older man scanned his memory, trying in vain to remember what the significance of this 'book' was. His search was fruitless. Meanwhile Potter was thrusting the accursed 'book' in his face.
"Sev! Don't you know what this is?"
Snape's face remained blank.
"How can you not know what this is, Sev? I've been talking about it for two weeks now!"
Ah. That explained his forgetfulness. He really didn't listen to what Potter was saying most of the time. After all, the boy did tend to prattle on about the most nonsensical things. His babble was not the most interesting thing about him. Although his mouth certainly was rather fascinating. But Snape wisely decided that now was probably not the best time to bring up that little tidbit. The boy was worked up enough already. So he settled for raising an eyebrow. Finally realizing that Snape was blissfully ignorant, Potter had the decency to clue him in, "It's the latest Magical Mansions Catalogue!"
The second eyebrow promptly joined the first one.
"Let me show you," the boy impatiently huffed out and then proceeded to settle down on the arm of Snape's chair. Tucking his mop of unruly jet black hair under Snape's chin, Potter pushed off the Potions quarterly onto the floor and rested the bulk of his weight against Snape.
This was not so bad, Snape thought, as he slipped his hand into Potter's and tangled his fingers in the locks. He had finally realized what the boy was talking about. They had been discussing refurbishing Godric's Hollow so that they could reside there during the holidays when both of them were not working at Hogwarts. Potter had gotten the job as DADA Professor after the war had climaxed.
Potter was warm against his side, he was close enough to smell the scent that was uniquely Harry and while the boy was harping on about his wretched book, he could read his Potions Quarterly. Snape's free hand reached for his book, while he let Potter's pointless babble wash over him….wait? Where was it? Where was the Potions Quarterly? Where was the…..Oh, there it was on the floor. ON THE FLOOR?
Potter had swept it there, Snape vaguely recalled. This was the last straw. The boy was going to have to face the wrath of Severus Snape, feared Potions master and King of Sarcastic Remarks. But….the boy had been stressing on the point that Snape never listened to him and didn't care enough about him to take an interest in the house. If he were to protest now, the emotional Gryffindor would no doubt make a fuss over nothing. No, better not to say anything on the subject.
"Look, Sev, they've got everything in here!"
Perhaps if he slowly reached out and got it. Potter was much too distracted to notice him.
"Sev, will you kindly stop moving around? Oh, wow! Look at this beautiful bed! It's made out of real…."
Drat! The boy had caught on to his shifting. Maybe he could reach for his wand. Snape inched his hand towards his pocket. Potter however took this movement as a sign of interest and planted himself firmly in Snape's lap.
"Oh, the living room! What colours should we go for Sev? I'm rather partial to red and gold….."
No use reaching for his wand now, Snape thought. Well, he'd have to try wandless magic. Snape leaned forward slightly, his chin brushing the top of Potter's head, in order to get a better view of his neglected treasure.
"Sev, take a look at these carpet samples, will you?"
What? Oh, right, the boy was speaking to him. Snape painstakingly looked away from his tempting book and forced himself to concentrate on the…carpet samples? Merlin! CARPET SAMPLES? Potter really didn't expect him to pick out carpet samples? Judging by the eager look on the blasted brat's face he was.
"That one."
"The one at the end? But Sev, it's pink! I don't understand. Sev, are you listening to me?"
Snape nodded. "Oh good. Since you're not doing anything, we can go over the entire book together. Thanks Sev. You're the best," Potter leaned back and gave Snape a kiss right on his surly mouth. Snape promptly forgot why he was trying to get away from the boy in the first place. Oh, wait. His Potions Quarterly. On the floor. And Potter was preventing him from getting it.
"I can't wait Sev! I mean, it's not really about the house and the furniture and everything. It's more about….well…," here Potter's voice broke off.
To Snape's horrification, Potter's eyes had welled up. Severus Snape had faced many things in life; A crazy Dark Lord, an equally if not more crazy Headmaster, Longbottom and a whole army of Weasleys but he was completely unprepared to deal with a lapful of sobbing Chosen One. The boy had ceased his page turning and was now staring at Snape with an unfathomable expression.
"It's more about the fact that I'll be living with you. And it'll be official. We'll be together and finally get our happily ever after. I realize I'm being a completely annoying prat about this Sev and I know that you're getting rather annoyed with…"
Potter never got to finish his sentence because Snape had lunged forward and collided their lips together in a warm, albeit salty (on account of the boy's tears), kiss. After a few minutes, Snape gently broke away from the kiss and lifted up Harry by the chin.
"It's fine, Harry. I understand," Snape hesitated but the look in Potter's beautiful emerald eyes drove him to continue his thought, "I confess, I am rather impatient as well."
The breathtaking smile that lit up Potter's face more than made up for him being so maudlin. It even made up for the hours of meaningless talk he had had to endure. And if Snape was honest with himself, he would gladly give up every moment of peace and quiet that he possessed for a few smiles from Harry. Because Severus Snape knew that he did not deserve someone so pure and good like Harry. He was not worthy to call Harry his. But he would spend every day for the rest of his life trying to be someone that Harry would not be ashamed to be with.
This was one sacrifice that Snape was more than happy to make. Forsaking his Potions Quarterly for Magical Mansions? Not even Harry Potter could induce him to make that kind of sacrifice.
"Harry, do you think I could read Potions Quarterly now? Please?"