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VALENTINES

Severus glared at his assembled class of Gryffindor and Slytherin third years, causing most of them to shrink back in fear. His glare increased ten fold when it landed on a Gryffindor girl that was sporting a bright pink and red colored headband.

"I would think that after two years in my class, you would already know my personal opinions of the holiday next week, but as it seems that none of you have learned anything, I will state this again. I do not want a single piece of pink, red, and or white frippery in my classroom at all. I fail to see why anyone would wish to celebrate the day a man got decapitated for violating a roman ruler, but seeing as my opinion does not count for much in the ways of celebration, you continue to do so."

He straightened from his seat, tossing his hair in the exact manner that made most students feel the sudden urge to wet their robes, and continued to glare coolly at his students, who were now squirming nervously.

"Now, seeing as I have made my personal views of the upcoming holiday very clear, I expect you all to obey my classroom rules. Is that clear?"

The assembled students all nodded vigorously, a few of the braver students muttering 'Yes sir's, and Snape, slightly mollified, turned back to his demonstration table to begin the day's lessons.

The rest of the day proceeded in the same fashion, with him having to remind every single one of his classes not to indulge in Valentine's Day while in his class. Of course, it didn't help with the students who were intent on making cow eyes at their current loves, but at least he didn't have to stomach every one of his pupils wearing clashing shades of red and pink.

Severus finally retired to his rooms after dinner, grateful beyond words that he didn't have his office hours that night. He had just settled into his favorite chair, which had moved up greatly in his esteem since the weekend that Harry had stopped by after his short stint in the Hospital Ward, when his fireplace flared up with bright green flames and Albus Dumbledore's head appeared.

"Albus." The younger man nodded in greeting.

"Good evening Severus." The older man smiled benevolently at the black haired man, then looked down at something on his end of the fireplace; Severus couldn't tell what. "I realize that I may have already asked you this, but did you want Saturday night off duty? I know your personal views of the Valentine's Ball…" Albus trailed off and looked at Severus.

"Yes Albus, I do." The older man nodded, and marked something down on whatever was in front of him. "Very well then, you have the night off. I trust that you won't be spending the night at the school?"

"If I can avoid it." Albus nodded sagely again and Severus had the distinct impression that the older man was ignoring his chilly tone, rather than missing it.

"Good, good. Thank you for you time Severus. I will see you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, Albus." Severus watched while Albus disappeared and the fire died down to its previous low flame.

He was staring at the fire while debating his lesson plans for the upcoming week when an idea jumped him out of nowhere, settled itself firmly in his mind and began picking at his attention. He fingered his snake pendant absentmindedly and nodded to himself, then stood, took a pinch of Floo Powder, and tossed it into the flames.

~~

Harry looked up from his chair where he was curled up with his feet tucked under him when his fire roared green. He glanced quickly at his Snitch Clock, which was flitting around the mantle of the fireplace, then frowned in confusion when Severus' head and shoulders appeared in the fire. "Harry?"

Harry shut his book and scooted to the floor near the fire. "Hello Severus." Severus didn't usually feel the need to fire call him, seeing as they saw each other on a fairly regular basis, now that they were on far better terms with each other.

"I have something to ask you." Severus stated plainly. He pursed his lips lightly, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. You'd think he'd never asked another person out before in his life. Oh wait.

Harry tilted his head in the way that always made Severus think of an owlet, or some other young bird. "Okay."

"Has Albus spoken to you regarding the eve of the Valentine's Ball?" Nice job there, Severus. Way to just jump in headfirst like a first year Gryffindor.

Harry nodded, head still slightly tilted, and thought a moment. "Uh huh… He wanted to know if I wanted the night off." He made a face like he thought it was a strange question, then an 'Oh well' face and looked back to the older man. "Why?"

"I was merely wondering if you would like to… Go out for the night." He said it as off-handedly as possible, hoping beyond hope that he didn't sound like a complete moron; after a pause that was probably a beat too long, he added, "To get away from the puerile, asinine frivolity that is Hogwarts on the fourteenth of February." It was an acceptable save on his part; not the best, but better than blathering on about something.

Harry began to smile, but about halfway through it, his face fell like a flying rock; Severus felt something give an unpleasant jostle in his stomach at the face. "If you do not wish to-"

"No, no! It's not that," Harry cut in quickly. "It's just that… I already told Albus that I would be okay here. He said that I didn't have to go to the ball if I didn't want to though." He paused, weighing his chances. "Do you think that he would let me go with you instead?"

Severus shrugged, one shoulder appearing in the flames before disappearing again. "I fail to see why he should do otherwise."

Harry nibbled on his lip for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay." He smiled, lip still caught. "I'll ask him. Will you be in your office?"

"No, my rooms." Harry nodded quickly. "Okay," he said again. "I'll uh… Call you back in a few minutes?" Severus nodded. "Very well. I will speak with you shortly." He pulled back and vanished from the flames.

Harry stared at the flames for a long minute then looked down as Quicksilver made her way into his lap. "And how isss Ssseverusss thisss night?" Harry wasn't sure, but he had the vague feeling that the large snake rather liked the prickly man, even if she didn't see much of him.

"He ssseemed fine. Why do you asssk?"

"I wasss sssimply curiousss."

"Curiosssity killed the sssnake, you knowsss."

"It mossst ssscertainly did not!" The snake replied huffily. Harry laughed at her, then reached out to rub her head in apology; the snake hissed pleasantly, soothed of her indignation, then allowed Harry enough room to make himself comfortable for his call. He took a pinch of his Floo Powder and tossed it into the flames. "Albus Dumbledore's Office!" The flames flickered and flashed, and he stuck his head into the fire.

Albus looked up from his desk where he was playing with some complicated looking instrument. "Ah Harry? How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." He paused for a moment, then looked up to the seated figure from his place on the floor. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Oh course, my boy. What is it?"

"Well uh… It's just… Um… Would it be okay if I went out this Saturday instead of staying in my rooms?" He asked quickly, getting the words out as fast as possible.

Albus' eyebrows arched for a few seconds while he thought. Harry? Asking if he could go out and not having someone else do it for him? What an improvement! The old man smiled benevolently at the teen, then pulled a scroll over to where he could write on it. "Of course, of course. Let me just make a note here… There we are…" He smiled at Harry again, then rolled up the parchment and put it away with a wave of his wand. "All right then, you have the night off. Would it be safe to assume that you're going out with a friend?"

Harry knew that Albus was referring to Severus and nodded slightly, a shy grin on his face; Albus chuckled brightly and waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. "Well, have fun, my boy. Try not to get into too much trouble."

"Okay." Harry grinned again, then pulled back from the fire, breaking the connection. Albus smiled brightly at the fire and stroked his beard. Improvements, indeed.

~~

Severus looked up from where he was sitting in his chair when his fire roared up again, this time revealing Harry's presence in the flames.

"He said I could go!" Harry exclaimed cheerfully, not pausing for greeting; Severus didn't feel the need to say 'Hello' either. The older man simply nodded once, setting the book he was reading aside.

"Good."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked brightly.

"There is a small Muggle restaurant in London that serves very good food. How does that sound?"

Harry's smile vanished at the word 'Muggle' and he suddenly looked very nervous. "M-muggle?" He asked, hoping he had heard wrong; Severus nodded. "Yes. Why? Is there something wrong with that?"

Harry shrugged slightly, one shoulder lifting into the fire. "Well… It's just… Well…" Harry raised his hand and made a vague gesture indicating something that should have been blatantly obvious. "You know…" He starting biting his lip with a force Severus hadn't seen since the day they had gone to Hogsmeade.

Severus thought for a moment, and then his mind connected with what the problem was with the plan. Harry's 'family' had been Muggle! Of course he would have issues with going to a Muggle restaurant! Severus growled internally at his stupidity then tilted his head to Harry's disembodied one. "If you do not wish to go, we could make plans to go somewhere else."

Harry bit his lip harder, then released it when Severus spoke. "Well…" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Keeping them shut, he said quietly, "I can't really keep hiding here forever…" He opened his eyes and looked at the seated figure, a mixture of worry and determined resignation on his face. "Sounds great. What time?"

Severus wasn't convinced. "If you are uncomfortable, we do not have to go."

"No, no," Harry said quickly. "It sounds like fun. Really." He smiled a bit more brightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. Severus could tell he was trying to be brave, and felt an odd sense of pride that Harry was making a somewhat active attempt to overcome his fears; he nodded to the younger man in acceptance. "We should leave around 7.45. I will have a Portkey ready to use, since we cannot Apparate from the grounds."

Harry nodded and smiled again, this time a bit more brightly. "Okay. Will it be all right if I come by around 7.30?" Severus nodded. "Yes, that will be acceptable."

Harry smiled again and pulled back from the fire, breaking the connection. As soon as the fire had died back down to its usual color, Severus rubbed his face and stared at the flames. "I have a date with the son of my old school rival, and I actually want to do this. Merlin help me."

~~

The night of the Valentine's Ball arrived, and, with Quicksilver's help, Harry opened his wardrobe and looked through his clothes. Most of his clothing was Muggle style, his one concession to his Muggle 'family', and he hoped it would be nice enough for his date with Severus, without being too formal. He shivered slightly and grinned when he thought about their plans.

He grinned again and pulled out his nicest pair of black trousers and a dark green turtleneck. Eyeing them critically, he eventually decided that that they would be suitable. If worse came to worse, he could transfigure them to be a little less or more dressy. He then reached in for his best cloak to go over the clothes. With a slow circular movement of his hand and a quick flick of his wrist, the cloak shimmered and reformed into a Muggle style coat.

"What do you thinksss, Quicksssilver? Will thessse be good for tonight?"

The large snake lifted her head from where she was coiled on the foot of Harry's bed and surveyed the clothing. She flicked her tongue a few times then bobbed her head in affirmation. "They will do very wellsss."

"Good." Harry nodded and began stripping off his clothes to change. When he got down to just his boxers, his pet lifted her head again and eyeballed his chest like it was something unpleasant.

"Why haven't yousss returned thatsss?"

Harry lowered his gaze and looked at the snake necklace, which was currently sitting in a loose coil, resting lazily.

"Um… Becaussse I just haven't?" He grinned sheepishly at Quicksilver, who made a face that Harry knew to be the equivalent of a human arching their eyebrow. "Well, he hasssn't asssked for it back, ssso I've been keeping it."

"I sssee…" The snake eyeballed the pendant again then lowered her head back to the bed. "Well, at leassst it looksss like me. That'sss okay."

Harry laughed and pulled the clothes on, making sure to keep the trouser legs over his boots instead of tucking them in as he usually did. After he got his shirt on and tucked in, with the sleeves over the tops of his gloves, he looped a nice looking black belt with a silver clasp around his waist and turned back to Quicksilver. "Well?"

The snake raised her head and nodded her approval. "Very nicssse. You look almossst like you knowsss what you are doingsss."

"Gee thanksss. You're a real helpsss." Harry muttered sarcastically.

The snake gave her shrug movement, then lowered herself down to the floor and wound her way over and around his feet; when she moved away, Harry noted with pleasure that his boots had been shined to perfection. "I takesss it back. You're a real helpsss! Thanks!"

"It isss the leassst I can do." Quicksilver replied, pleased with her work and looking at her reflection in the toes of the boots; Harry rolled his eyes and reached down to rub her head fondly, then straightened and placed his coat over his arm and looked at his Snitch clock, which was currently darting in mad circles around the legs of his bed. "Accio Snitch clock!" The small clock zipped up to Harry where he could read it and he noted with a pleased grin that the display currently read 'Almost time to go!', which would give him enough time to get down to the dungeons and still be on time.

Harry looked down at the floor when Quicksilver rubbed against him, getting his attention. In her mouth, she had a pair of gloves held tightly in her mouth. He reached down and took them, placing them in one of the coat pockets. "Thanksss Quicksssilver. I almost forgot thossse!"

"Which isss why I am here. Make sssure you tell him I helped with thossse."

"I will. Thanksss again."

With a final long rub to Quicksilver, which left the snake hissing in pleasure, Harry looked in the mirror, ran his hand through his hair and watched it fall back into its usual messy state, put his glasses in his pocket, just in case, and left his rooms, locking and warding the doors behind him.

~~

Severus looked up from where he was transfiguring one of his cloaks into a Muggle style coat as Harry had done to his own when a knock sounded at his door and the wards informed him that it was Harry. "Open."

Harry stepped in when the door opened of its owner's accord and shut it behind him. He had gotten somewhat used to doors opening without anyone doing the actual movements, but it still threw him off a bit. After making sure it was closed fully, he looked up just in time to see Severus enter the room from his bedroom, fully clothed with his own coat draped over his arm. Harry managed to not drool all over the floors, but that didn't stop him from staring just a bit; with any luck, the older man wouldn't notice.

"What?" Severus arched an eyebrow and began pulling his coat on. "Why are you staring at me?" Well, so much for not noticing.

Harry blinked and lowered his head a bit, hoping to hide the blush he knew was creeping up his cheekbones. "Oh uh… Well uh…" He smiled shyly up at the older man. "You look good."

Severus looked down at his clothes: a black open necked, long sleeved shirt with the cuffs fastened with plain silver cufflinks, a plain pair of black trousers with the legs draped over his usual Dragonhide boots, and a simple silver signet ring with a scripted 'PM' on his right middle finger from when he was named a Potions Master. He looked over his clothes again quickly and turned to retrieve something from one of the tables; Harry noted with approval that the older man had pulled his hair back from his face and tied it with a thin silver cord at the nape of his neck.

After watching Severus for another second, Harry began pulling his own coat on, touching one of the pockets to make sure the gloves were there. He turned back when he had it on, and noticed that the older man was holding what looked like a Muggle pen.

"Are you ready Harry?"

Harry nodded, then looked at the pen again. "Is that our Portkey?"

Severus nodded and held it out to Harry, who took a hold of the bottom section of the pen. When nothing happened, Harry looked up in confusion. "Isn't this the part where we get sent somewhere?"

Seven nodded, then uncapped the pen. By the time the world stopped spinning, the pair were standing in a deserted alleyway in what Harry could only guess to be Muggle London. He swallowed thickly as a cold hand suddenly wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed tightly. Severus looked down at Harry, who was biting his lip hard enough to make it bleed. He took the pen and recapped it, then placed it in the pocket of his coat. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry looked up from where he was staring at the entrance to the alley, hoping that he looked a lot braver than he felt. "I'm fine." He smiled halfway and bit his lip again; Severus didn't believe him for an instant, but chose not to say anything. Instead, he simply held out his hand in invitation to the younger man.

Harry took Severus' hand gratefully and felt better about the whole situation, even if there still was a small worm of fear sitting in the back of his mind. They began towards the alleyway and paused before exiting, looking back and forth along the sidewalk; after a few moments, they stepped out together, Severus pulling Harry along slightly so he would know it was safe to exit. They entered the crowd smoothly, no one noticing when two men suddenly appeared in the crowd from what appeared to be a plain brick wall.

As they walked along, Severus led Harry down the sidewalk, dodging people and cars; he shivered at the press of the crowd and moved to walk a little closer to the older man. "Where are we going?" He finally asked while they were standing at a crosswalk with a small group of Muggles.

"We will be dining there." Severus gestured across the street and down a few shops to a restaurant called 'The Waltz'. Harry looked at it closely, then decided that they were dressed at an acceptable level for the establishment.

They eventually made their way across the street and into the restaurant, where a tall, thin man with a tiny moustache greeted them. "Do you have a reservation?" he asked Severus, not paying any attention to Harry.

"Yes. Two under the name Alexander."

Harry looked up at the name, but Severus didn't meet his gaze. The man looked through a long list of names, found the one Severus had given, then looked at them and gestured for them to follow. "Right this way, please."

Harry examined the other patrons while following the two men, then looked at one of the two empty chairs at the table the man indicated as theirs. He pulled his coat off and placed it on the back of his chair, then sat down while Severus did the same. The man left them after that, and Harry looked around the room while Severus glanced idly at a small list on the table.

Taking the actual size of the establishment into consideration, the room was fairly large, with tables scattered around at various intervals, seating from two to eight, with one long table in a separate room Harry could just see through two glass doors. The light was low, but the candles on the tables were bright enough that everyone could see everyone else at his or her table. There wasn't a menu or anything that Harry could see, but he assumed that since Severus hadn't said anything on the matter, it was okay.

Severus watched Harry from behind the wine list; he seemed to be excited about being in the restaurant, but also seemed to be trying to keep his excitement in check. He looked at the wine list again, sneering at the lack of anything decent to drink; he couldn't help but think that one of his former students, a Gryffindor by the name of Longbottom, could brew things better in his first year than the wine Muggles had to offer.

A few minutes later, Harry and Severus looked up from looking around the room and at the wine list when a young woman walked up and smiled brightly at them. "Good evening gentlemen. I'll be your waitress tonight." Harry smiled brightly at her, but Severus just nodded simply while she gave each of them menus.

"Would either of you gentlemen care for something to drink? Wine, tea, water?" The woman smiled winningly at Harry, sensing him at the nicer of the two.

"May I have water please?"

"Certainly." She scribbled hastily on a small notepad that she produced out of a pocket on her belt, then looked at Severus, who looked up at her, giving her a cool stare. "A glass of the house merlot and water." She nodded, scribbled a little more on her notepad, then turned and left them alone again.

Harry opened his menu and looked down each of the lists, reading the descriptions of each of the available meals; everything sounded interesting, but he wasn't sure which of them to get. After a few more minutes, he eventually settled on a plate of shrimp alfredo and set his menu down. After a moment, he reached down to fiddle with his coat pocket, making sure again that the gloves were still where he had left them; he didn't notice when Severus did the same thing with his own coat.

The waitress returned a moment later with a small tray with their drinks and set them down in front of their respective owners; Harry immediately took a small sip of his water and watched as Severus did the same with his wine.

"Are you gentlemen ready to order, or do you need a bit longer?" She smiled back and forth between them, then eventually rested her eyes on Severus, who tilted his head inquisitively at Harry; Harry nodded and looked up at the woman, who shifted her gaze to him.

"May I have the shrimp alfredo please?" She nodded and scribbled on her ever-present notepad and looked at Severus. "And for you sir?"

"Filet mignon."

"All right… One shrimp alfredo and one filet mignon?" Harry nodded at her and handed her his menu, smiling slightly at her as she took it. "I'll get those out to you as soon as possible." Severus nodded again, watched her leave, then turned his attention back to Harry, who seemed to be nervous about something and was watching at the other patrons.

Harry looked around the room, watching everyone, and his eyes eventually fell on an older couple that was sitting at a table a little ways from them. The man was saying something to the woman, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which he handed to her while she smiled brightly at it. Harry nodded slightly to himself, then turned back to Severus.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at his companion. "Uhm… I know that Valentine's Day is usually reserved for lovers and people like that…" He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the gloves. "But since Quicksilver and I aren't really abounding with those…" He waved his hand in a circular motion, as if trying to figure out his next words, "we just usually give something to our friends. So…" He extended his hand and set the gloves on the table where Severus could reach them. "Happy Valentine's Day, Severus." He smiled shyly at the older man, then pulled his hand back and folded them on the table.

Severus picked the black and silver gloves up and looked at them closely, feeling the material. The back of the hands were Dragonhide, but the palms were made of something different that he couldn't quite place.

"The tops are Dragonhide, but Quicksilver gave me some of her scales for the bottoms. Um… They're waterproof, and when I had them made, I told the maker that they were for you. Well, not for you, exactly, but for someone who worked with potions a lot. There's some magic worked into them as well, which will let you feel the texture of anything you're working with, but won't react with any of the more sensitive plants. And, um… They're resistant to acids up to and including Dragon's Blood, but anything stronger could damage them." Harry trailed off for a moment, trying to recall everything else about the gloves. "Oh, and they're really durable too. They'll um… They'll resist being cut or punctured, as long as you don't make an active attempt to slice them up. And… And…"

"Harry."

Harry looked up from his rambling in time to see Severus try the gloves on and look at them. "They're very nice. I've needed some new gloves for some time now, but haven't bothered with buying them. These will be very useful. Thank you." He began pulling them off and pocketed them. "And give Quicksilver my thanks as well."

Harry smiled, relieved that his gift was liked, and rested his hands in his lap. "Okay. I thought you would like them." He smiled again at Severus, then looked around the room as a short man began playing on a piano in one of the corners of the room.

Severus watched Harry watch the piano player for a few moments, then pulled a small box out of one of the pockets in his own coat pocket and placed it on the table. He wanted to give it to Harry, but he could wait until the teen's terminal curiosity about the world had been filled for the moment. Severus was surprised to find that he was actually quite comfortable with simply sitting and watching Harry, and didn't find it strange that he almost always found himself staring at the pretty boy, rather than thinking about things such as potions, which, until the beginning of that school year, had been everything in his life.

Harry smiled slightly to himself as the piano player finished playing one of Bach's Preludes and turned back to the table. He smiled brightly at Severus when he noticed that the older man was watching him, then resumed looking around the room, watching everyone interact with each other. He found it funny that probably everyone in the room, if asked, would say that there was no such thing as magic, never mind the fact that there were two fully fledged wizards sitting among them; he snickered at the thought, catching Severus' attention.

Severus arched an eyebrow at the bubble of quiet laughter; Harry grinned childishly, then made a small pointing motion to everyone else in the room. "I was thinking that, if you asked them, everyone would say that there isn't any such thing as magic. Of course, they don't know that I'm a Charms Apprentice and you happen to be one of the most terrifying wizards to ever teach children… Short of Salazar himself, that is." Harry grinned again when Severus gave him an arch look.

"Oh really? Only 'one of the most terrifying'? Hmph. I must be losing my touch." He glanced at his nails idly. "Perhaps I should start giving detentions which include polishing trophies whilst spending time in the giant squid's lake again… Or washing the windows outside Gryffindor Tower, without the use of a broom or magic." Here he looked up and smirked evilly at Harry. "But considering that any student not in my house tends to be reduced to tears when they find out that they must serve a detention with me, rather than Mr. Filch or their Head of House, I would have to say that I don't believe I have completely fallen out of practice in scaring students into fairly decent behavior."

Harry stared at Severus, a look of mock scandal on his face. "Do you enjoy making students cry?"

"I find that it is a rather nice little perk of the job. That and poisoning students in the name of giving them an education." Severus smirked evilly again, then gave Harry an appraising look. "You can not honestly tell me that you have not gone without debating whether to cast a spell on a student or two while trying to give them at least a chance of learning something?"

Harry looked away, whistling, then looked back at Severus, a look of exaggerated surprise on his face. "Who me?" He pointed to himself, then folded his hands inconspicuously. "Cast a spell on a student? Never. I don't know what you're talking about." Harry looked away and whistled again, and, much to the older man's surprise, Severus found himself chuckling at the feigned innocence.

"I thought so. You may as well face it, my imp. We teach nothing but dunderheads and half-wits, with a few comprehending students thrown into the mix, and I would like to be allowed to use them in classroom demonstrations to get the lesson across. I, for one, would love to be able to give a few of my students poisons and see if they can figure out what it was before I have to force the antidote down their almost dead throats. Oh look, dinner." Severus looked up from where he was talking to find that the waitress had returned with their plates, although she seemed to be a slight shade of pale green; Harry barely refrained from giggling at her discomfort at Severus' statement while she gave them each their plate and topped off their waters before leaving hastily to busy herself somewhere else.

"That's what she gets for eavesdropping." Severus stated coolly before cutting into his meat. At the comment, Harry couldn't hold his laughter back any more and it broke through, causing Severus to look up from his meal before joining in, although he was slightly more refined in his amusement than Harry's puppy like joyfulness.

"You're so mean, Severus! You know that?"

"So I've been told." Severus continued eating, every now and then pausing to take a sip of his wine. After laughing at Severus' coolly stated comment, Harry followed suit, digging into his meal with the standard teenage appetite. It was as he was also taking a drink that he noticed the small box Severus had placed on the table and he eyed it, trying to see into it and figure out what it contained; after a few minutes of hard staring, he had come up with absolutely nothing, and decided that it would just be better, although not as easy, to be patient and find out in time.

The men ate their meal in companionable silence, each listening to the soft melodies coming from the piano player, and it wasn't until the waitress had reappeared, cleared their table, left a desert menu, and gone off again that Severus finally decided that it was now or never.

"Harry…"

"Hmm?" Harry looked up from the desert menu and cocked his head to one side; Severus had taken a hold of the box and moved it to where Harry had placed the gloves earlier. "I usually do not partake of the standard gift giving customs during this time of the year, but I must admit that I also have something for you." He pulled his hand back and left the small black box on the table where Harry could take it.

Harry blinked at the box for a moment, then extended his hand and took it carefully; he pulled it to him and looked at it before opening the small gift. After a few moments of simply looking, he flicked his thumb over the small clasp holding the box shut and opened it, then sat and stared at the contents in dumb surprise.

Resting inside the box on a perfect black cushion was the most beautiful ring Harry had ever seen in his entire life, even though he hadn't seen that many. Sitting across a thin silver band were four perfect gems, each glinting a different color in the light. Underneath each stone was an engraved animal, and upon closer inspection, Harry discovered that they were the four Hogwarts mascots. From the innermost stone to the outermost sat a finely crafted raven, which flapped its wings, feathers flashing in the candle light, followed by the Slytherin snake, which reared up and flicked its tongue, scales glinting. After that was the Hufflepuff badger, which lifted its head and blinked sleepily at Harry before returning to its nap, and finally the lion of Gryffindor, which opened its mouth in a silent roar, mane boldly tossing to and fro.

"Wow…" Harry looked up at Severus, then back down to the ring, then back up to Severus, and finally back down to the ring.

Severus watched Harry open the box, hoping that it wasn't too much, then kept a close eye on his companion while he reacted to the gift. At least he seemed to like it, if his silence was any indication. Severus wasn't completely sure of the gift's acceptance until Harry sat the box down on the table and tilted his head at Severus again.

"Which hand does it go on?"

The older man blinked, thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, considering that it is not an engagement or wedding ring, I believe that you may wear it on which ever finger you choose to. It is spelled to automatically fit onto any finger you place it on. You can either wear it over or under your gloves, and as an added bonus, it is spelled so that you may remove it or your gloves separately, without having to remove the other."

"Wow…" Harry said again, this time lifting the ring from where it was sitting snugly in the box; he looked at his hands for a moment, then at the ring, then slid the small band onto his right middle finger and looked at it in the light. He grinned at it, then looked up at Severus and smiled brightly, eyes flashing his happiness. "It's so pretty. Thank you Severus. No one's ever given me something so nice before."

Dessert came and went quickly, and although Harry didn't say anything more about the ring, Severus was pleased to see that every so often, Harry would bring his hands together and play with it, as if checking to make sure that it was still there; Severus paid for the check so smoothly that if Harry hadn't known any better, he would have sworn that Severus was a Muggle, and it wasn't until the waitress said 'Have a good evening, Mr. Alexander.' that Harry remembered what he had been meaning to ask Severus all night.

They had just gotten outside and were heading back towards the concealed alley when Harry slipped his hand into Severus' and looked up at him. "Um… Severus?"

"Yes?" Severus glanced down at Harry, then back up to the street as the signal that they could cross lit up.

"Who's Alexander?"

Severus blinked and looked down at Harry. "Excuse me?"

"Alexander. You told the man at the door that our reservation was under the name Alexander and the waitress called you Mr. Alexander." Harry stepped around a wadded up newspaper, then looked back up at the older man.

Severus made a non-committal gesture. "It's a pseudonym. Snape is a rather uncommon name in the Muggle world."

"Oh." Harry looked down at the sidewalk, then back up to the stores they were passing, not really paying extremely close attention to where he was walking. As a result, when the door to a store opened and a very large fat youth walked out, Harry didn't have the time to stop or dodge the other. The two collided and Harry took a step backwards, trying to keep his balance.

"Watch where you're going, you twit!" The other man snarled darkly; Harry's eyes widened and his heart stopped cold in his chest when the voice registered in his mind. "Oh Merlin no." He whispered, then looked up into the face of one of the three people who had made his life a literal Hell while he had lived with them. Of all the people that he could have accidentally walked into in the middle of London at night, it had to be none other than Dudley Dursley.

Harry took a second quick step backwards, trying to get more space between him and his horrendous cousin, but was stopped when he felt a heavy pair of hands on his back. "Watch out, you ignorant child!" Harry wheeled around, fear tying his stomach in knots. There, not a half-meter away from him, was his uncle, Vernon Dursley. Harry gasped in fear and stumbled away from the two men, looking wildly around for Severus.

"I'm s-so sorry, sir. I-I-I didn't mean to… Really. Excuse me. I'm sorry." Harry babbled nervously, trying to find an escape. He hadn't gotten more than a few steps away when one of Vernon's large, meaty hands came down on his shoulder, trapping him.

"Don't I know you, boy?"

Harry's eyes widened in fear and he tried to gasp in a breath that wouldn't come; he shook his head quickly, hoping to get the older man to leave him alone. Albus had told him about the Obliviate he had cast on the Dursleys, and Harry was more than happy to go along with the ruse.

"No. I think I do. You're… I know you… You're… Harry. Harry something…" Vernon's face suddenly went very purple, a look Harry vividly remembered as the last thing he would often see before being punished for something he had done. "You little freak. Where have you been hiding? I know you've gone off and done something weird. I think a bit of time in the basement would do you some good, you little- Get back here!"

Harry, fear induced adrenaline giving him strength, wrenched himself out of the fat man's grip and spun on his heel, only to barrel headlong into Severus; not realizing who he had collided with, he instinctively lifted his hands to shove him away but was stopped when the older man wrapped his hands around his shoulders, his low voice penetrated the fog of terror that was clouding Harry's ability to think.

"Harry? What is it? What's going on?"

"Oh gods. Don't let them take me Severus! Please! I'll do anything. Just please, please, don't let them. Please. Please don't." Harry continued to babble on, begging Severus to keep him safe.

Severus stared down at Harry's terrified form and held him close, then looked up at Vernon, who was reaching out to pull Harry back; the potions master's glare was enough to freeze him in place. Severus lowered his head to speak softly into the teen's ear, still glaring venomously at Harry's relatives. "It's all right, Harry. Nothing is going to happen."

Harry, who was still too scared to do anything other than beg for safety, simply pressed closer. "I can't go back there. Please don't let them take me. Please don't let me go back there."

Vernon finally snapped out of the momentary surprise Severus had caused him and glared at Harry. "Get off of him, you little brat! You'd better get over here this instant or so help me, I'll-"

Severus tightened his grip on Harry. "Or you'll what?"

Vernon paused, clearly having not expected anyone to come to his nephew's aid. He glowered at the other man, irritated at the interruption. "And just who do you think you are, getting into the middle of my business?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Severus replied coolly, arching an eyebrow in the fashion that usually left students trembling in fear; Mr. Dursley backed down, put off from his rage, but then puffed himself back up, determined to get what he wanted out of the situation. "Vernon Dursley. And that boy you have there belongs to me. So hand him over!"

As Harry trembled and pressed tighter against Severus, the name instantly connected with what Albus had told him about Harry and his past. "Oh really? You're Vernon Dursley?" The fact that Severus seemed to recognize his name had the effect of calming Vernon a bit, and the younger Muggle seemed to be proud that someone knew his father's name.

"That's right. And like I said before, that boy belongs to me." Severus smirked darkly at Vernon, who shifted uncomfortably when his usual bullying tactics didn't work.

"Well," Severus stated, voice cool and sharp enough to be painful to anyone it was released on, "I know who you are, Mr. Dursley, and I know what you've done to Harry." He grinned darkly when the other took a step back and nodded to Vernon. "Oh yes. I've seen the marks you've left, and I've got the mind to make things right myself."

"And just what are you going to do? You don't know what that boy can do. He's a freak!" Vernon glared at Harry's back, which shook even more, and Severus growled darkly.

"I will have you know something, Mr. Dursley. Not only is he not a 'freak' as you so creatively put it, he is also not a boy, which means that if he does not want to go with you, he does not have to."

"He is! He needs to be watched constantly and that's just what my wife and I can do!"

Severus smirked again, sending Vernon back another step. "Actually, Mr. Dursley, Harry here is something that we like to call a wizard. I'm sure you've heard of them. People that can do magic."

"There's no such thing!" Vernon hissed; his face had gone from red to very pale.

"There is, you're just too close-minded to know it, which is a shame, really. Harry here is a very bright young man and will actually be teaching next year, although I'm sure you don't care." Severus gave both of the men long appraising looks and curled his lip in disgust. "From the looks of you and your son, it appears to me that the only thing you care about is stuffing food into your fat mouths. May I suggest a diet? I know a wonderful spell often used in torture sessions. It will seal your mouth shut for a week at a time. That should give your body enough time to start digesting all of those nauseating fat stores you have." Severus sneered cruelly at the pair of men, leaving no doubt in their minds that he would cast the spell on them without further hesitation; both of the men backed up and shot fearful glances at each other.

"I will give you both five seconds to turn around and waddle away like the repulsive slugs you are, and we'll all forget that this little interlude happened at all. After that... Well, however many times random rashes and pustules pop up on your faces and other, unmentionable, areas really will be your own fault." With that, Vernon and Dudley were gone and Severus smirked darkly at the area where they had been standing before looking around, still holding the trembling teen.

As it happened, he and Harry were actually at the alley where they had originally used the Portkey for their reservations, and was relieved to note that no other Muggles were on the street. He managed to maneuver Harry into the concealed alleyway, a feat in itself, considering how Harry was still frozen in fear, and then pulled the Portkey from his pocket. Keeping one arm around the younger man, he pushed the item into Harry's hand and pulled the cap off, activating it.

When the world stopped spinning again, both of the men were again standing in Severus' rooms. Since they happened to be standing next to one of Severus' tables, he dropped the Portkey pen on the one they were standing closer to and wrapped his arms around Harry again, who was still trembling a bit, but was now silent.

"Harry, everything is fine now. We're back at Hogwarts. Calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you. They're gone." Severus lowered his head and spoke softly into the teen's ear, keeping his tone soothing; at the words, Harry shivered and burrowed closer into Severus' chest, but spoke loud enough that Severus was able to hear him clearly.

"I can't go back there. It's Hell. I'll kill myself before I go back there."

A spike of alarm ran through Severus; he pulled back and took Harry's face in his hands, making the boy meet his eyes. "No, Harry. Don't say that."

"You don't know what it's like there! It's true! You saw my scars!" Harry looked like he was on the verge of tears and was biting his lip furiously; Severus shook his head.

"I don't care how true it is. Don't say that." Here he wrapped Harry in a tight hug again and pressed his cheek into the boy's hair. "Please don't say that."

The two men stood there for a few more minutes before Severus finally decided that Harry had completely calmed down, and he pulled back again, but just enough to look down at the younger man. Harry's eyes were still red rimmed, but at least he wasn't crying or shaking any more. "Do you…" Severus took a deep breath for the next part. "Do you want to spend the night here?"

Harry's eyes widened like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Can I?" Severus nodded, causing one corner of Harry's mouth to twitch in a weak smile. "Thank you."

THE SLEEPOVER

When Harry emerged from the door of his bathroom, Severus looked up from where he was standing next to the open doors of his closet and smiled slightly to himself, although he hid it under the guise of coughing. It was rather cute - although Severus would never admit to thinking anything was 'cute' - how small Harry looked in his transfigured pajamas. Severus, who only had two pairs of pajamas himself - one of which he was wearing and the others being held hostage by house elves on a cleaning rampage - had suggested that Harry either ask for his to be sent down, or could magic his clothes into something more sleep related; Harry, not wanting to cause any elves the trouble of bothering with his clothes, had simply waved his hand over his jeans and shirt and changed them into a pair of too-long, dark red plaid cotton pajamas that covered both his feet and hands; the neck was that of a regular t-shirt, and Severus, much to his displeasure, could make a few lines marring the teen's neck, although he made the effort to not stare at them.

Severus had put on his own perfect black silk pajamas and had busied himself with hanging up both of their cloaks, which he had taken the liberty of removing the transfiguration that had been on them, and had just put away his Potion Master ring when Harry entered the room and looked at him for a minute, then at the bed, saying nothing; Severus, sensing the problem, looked from Harry's back to the bed, then shrugged and moved to stand next to him.

"You may have either side. It makes no difference to me." He looked down Harry, who was still looking at the bed and frowning as if in thought, then up to the bed. Who knew that the day would come that Severus Snape would have trouble getting into his own bed? Finally resigning himself to the fact that Harry wasn't going to move without Severus giving him a direct order, the older man moved to the left side of the bed, the side he usually slept on, lifted up both the warm owl down stuffed comforter and the soft cotton sheets he preferred, and got in, stretching languidly.

Harry took Severus' motions as a sign that it was his turn to move and made his way to the other side of the giant king sized bed - a fact that Harry found rather surprising, since Severus always came across as a man who didn't like anything in excess, including his personal commodities - and crawled under the warm covers as well.

At the contact with the bed, all of the stress from the day flew out of Severus' body and he stretched again, straightening his long legs out, one arm resting on his chest, the other above his head, and yawned silently, feeling his body dropping into sleep.

"Night Severus." Severus turned his head and pried one eye open at the yawned statement and saw Harry lying on his stomach, one arm and leg flung out to the side, the other arm and leg straight, arm underneath his body. The last thing the older man could remember thinking before sleep quickly overtook him was how right it felt to have someone in bed with him for once in his life.

~~

Some time during the night, an ear-splitting shriek sounded in the room, followed by a series of whimpers and moans; Severus shot up in bed, instantly on-guard from his years as a Death Eater, and yelped in surprise when someone's hand lashed out and slapped at him, as if trying to get him to go away. The blow surprised him, and Severus, acting on instinct, shot his hand out in an attempt to grab the attacking hand.

After a few failed attempts, Severus finally managed to get a hold of the offending appendage and looked down into the face of his attacker. After staring for a few seconds, his brain caught up with the information his eyes and ears were sending it and Severus realized that it was Harry that was flailing around. The teen was tossing and turning in his sleep, alternately muttering and whimpering, tossing his arms about as if trying to fend off some invisible attacker. As Severus sat and watched the teen, he also realized that Harry's movements weren't strictly related to deflecting the invisible strikes, but also bodily jerks from when the blows would land.

"Please don't… No…"

Severus reached down to Harry's shoulder and shook him gently, trying to rouse him; Harry whimpered and cringed in his sleep.

"Leave me alone… Stop it…"

"Harry." Severus shook a little harder.

"No… Stop… Please stop it…" Harry continued to whimper and cringe, and Severus had to duck once or twice to avoid getting accidentally hit.

"Harry!" Severus shook the younger man as hard as he dared, and Harry's eyes snapped open, unseeing. After a few moments of staring blankly, Harry blinked and focused on Severus' face; after a few more seconds, he cringed again and rolled over onto his side, away from Severus' concerned looks, and curled up into a ball. Severus was about to lean over and ask Harry what was wrong when he noticed that Harry's shoulder were shaking and he was still whimpering, although now Severus knew that particular sound to be someone crying and trying to hide it, rather than someone scared witless.

Severus continued to lie on his side while watching Harry, then, for lack of a better idea, he leaned over so that he was speaking near Harry's ear, but not so quietly that Harry had to turn his head to hear him.

"I will still be here, if you need me." After the brief comment, Severus moved away from the quietly weeping teen and laid back down on his back in the same position he had gone to sleep in and closed his eyes, even though he was far from sleep now.

Harry stared at the wall, hugging himself tightly and trying to calm down from his nightmare induced fear; it had been a long time since he'd had a dream about his 'family' but it didn't surprise him in the slightest that he'd had one after running into them on the street. He could still feel the memory of the pain from where they had hit him, and could hear their voices ringing in his ears, berating him, his dead parents, his abilities; he cringed again and bit his lip in an attempt to stay silent and let Severus get back to sleep. Harry knew that he himself wouldn't be sleeping again that night, he never did after his nightmares, but it wouldn't be right to keep the older man up just because of him. He curled up even tighter when he heard Severus say that he would be there, and made no noise while the other man shifted into a more comfortable position.

Harry's self-imposed silence didn't last long however; after only a few more minutes, he lifted his head and looked over his shoulder carefully at Severus, who was still in the same position he had gone to sleep in. Harry looked at him for a long minute, but it wasn't until the choking weight in his stomach grew to take in all of his senses that he gave in and acted on his instincts, some small part of him hoping that Severus wasn't asleep just yet.

Severus knew the instant that Harry moved, but chose to stay still, lest his moving frighten the boy back into a ball; keeping his breathing even, he shifted just enough to make his side more open to the younger man, and when Harry moved again, pressing himself up against Severus and burying his head into Severus' chest, the only thing the older man did was move his arm from above his head to wrap around Harry's trembling form, rubbing his back lightly and stroking his hair.

"I can still hear them sometimes…" Harry whispered into Severus' chest, still trembling from the nightmare. "Telling me what they think of me. How strange and abnormal I am. How pathetic…" He cringed and shifted, pressing close to Severus' warmth, one hand pressed underneath between them, the other clenching a handful of his pajama shirt. "How no one could ever love a scarred, worthless thing like me…" Harry's breath hitched on his last statement and Severus barely kept from cursing someone into oblivion when he felt the damp warmth of the younger man's tears seeping into his pajama shirt; acting on the instincts that had saved him a innumerable amount of times, he tightened his arm around Harry again, his free hand clasping at the balled fist on his chest.

They stayed that way for some time, Harry quietly sobbing and clutching Severus' chest like a life-line, Severus holding Harry, arms forming a protective shield around the younger man; it wasn't until Harry's snuffling finally calmed that Severus dared to speak. "Harry…" He pressed a gentle kiss into the teen's hair and before resting his cheek against it. "No matter what anyone else says, you're not worthless."

Harry refused to look up, keeping his eyes downcast. "That's a nice thing to say, even if it isn't true." He whispered, ashamed of himself.

Severus stared in shock at Harry, the shook his head. "That's it. I've had just about enough of you berating yourself." Harry looked up at the growled statement and began to move away, trying not to show his hurt; Severus was faster, however, and before Harry could even move one of his arms, he found himself on his back, pinned under Severus' heavier form. "Now, you are going to lie there and listen to me, and if that means that you have to stay here for the rest of the night, then so be it."

Harry stared up at Severus, silent and a little scared. When it became apparent that the older man wasn't going to say anything further until he got some sort of answer from the teen, Harry swallowed audibly and nodded his head; Severus nodded in return, then shifted enough to allow Harry more room to breathe.

"I've seen worthless, Harry, and trust me when I say this. You're not it. Worthless is a potion when the timing is off. Worthless is a student's essay when they didn't pay attention to the assignment. Worthless is hours of planning gone awry because one person didn't do their part." He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before continuing. "If there is one thing that I've come to know from my time here, it is that every single person on this staff has plenty of worth, which includes you. Albus would not hire someone who was worthless to teach his students, nor would Filius would be entrusting his knowledge to you."

Harry continued to watch the older man while he spoke, keeping his silence. "And another thing," Severus continued on, staring directly into Harry's eyes. "If you were worthless, I would not have taken you on as an advanced student, seeing as I will only teach those who are the best and brightest in my subject. If you were worthless, I would not have spent my valuable time and even more valuable ingredients making an Eyesight Correction Potion for you, because that is a particularly fickle potion that I only make for people that I deem worthy. If you had no worth, as you seem to ready to believe, I would not have given you my pendant when we went to Hogsmeade. I wouldn't have asked you to accompany me tonight, or have given you that ring, or have offered for you to stay." Severus paused again, taking a breath and steadying himself. "And… If there is one thing in my life that I strive to hold constant, it is that I have no room for worthlessness in my personal life, yet you have become a prominent figure in it."

Harry stared up at the older man, eyes wide, asking the final question that he couldn't put into words; Severus, understanding, simply lowered his head and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry's lips, then turned to nuzzle the soft skin below his ear. "Let me show you just how much you truly are worth," he whispered. He pressed another chaste kiss to Harry's lips and looked up to lock eyes with the young man that meant more than the world to him; the teen stared back, trying to make sure he was understanding what he was hearing, then nodded slightly, accepting whatever would come.

Severus nodded slightly in return, then leaned down and kissed Harry softly, intermixing quick pecks and longer sweeping kisses randomly, then moved slightly to plant kisses along the teen's forehead, cheeks, and chin, then back to his lips, then along his jawbone, and then back, all the while running the hand that wasn't supporting his weight along Harry's cloth covered side; Harry was too lost in the sensations to even realize anything was happening, and it wasn't until he felt hands on bare skin that he even noticed that his shirt had somehow become unbuttoned, and even though Severus was still kissing his face and neck, he was now running his hand up and down Harry's chest and stomach. He instinctively reacted and tensed up a bit, glancing down at his bare chest, then up at Severus with a mixture of worry and fear in his eyes; Severus, however, simply leaned down to kiss him slowly, then began paying attention to Harry's chest.

Severus paused in his work, noting with surprise that Harry still had his snake pendant on; he ran his finger over the pendant, smirking slightly, then took up lightly rubbing Harry's side with soft, slow strokes. "Why do you still have this Harry?"

Harry glanced at the adornment, then relaxed back, staring at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on the words and having a hard time of it. "You never asked for it back… And I couldn't… Mmmm… Bring myself to just force it back on you. Did you want it back?"

"No. Keep it. It looks good on you. I like knowing that you're wearing something of mine." He continued to rub the soft skin, this time alternating between using his full palm and just his fingertips.

"Oh… Okay…" Harry sighed against the soft touches, spending more time concentrating on the sensations assaulting his nerves rather than the words in his ears. Severus didn't pay him any mind; this was the effect he had been going after, anyway. With another smirk he continued with his earlier plans, before the sight of the necklace had interrupted them; he would wait until the morning to tell him just how much the sight of the cool metal on Harry's pale skin meant to him.

He worked slowly, first running his fingers over every one of Harry's scars, committing every part of the younger man to memory, then leaned down to follow his fingers with his lips. Harry, who had never felt anything quite as alien or exciting than someone else's lips on his skin, relaxed completely and sighed, panting slightly.

When he was sure that Harry had relaxed to his touch, Severus smirked against the pale skin, then shifted just enough to run lips over Harry's right nipple, ripping a gasp of surprise out of the younger man; Severus smirked again and returned to kissing every one of Harry's scars, pretending that he hadn't done anything differently. He waited patiently until Harry had relaxed again, then repeated his actions, this time to the left nipple, pulling another gasp of surprise from the form beneath him; this time, however, he didn't return to his earlier tactics, preferring to focus his concentration on the small nub under his mouth. Harry lifted his head and stared in mixed surprise and arousal at the dark haired figure, then moaned loudly and let his head fall back as Severus gently bit him, playing with the sensitized skin.

Severus continued to play with the younger man, running his hands over any part of if him that he could reach, trailing his fingertips along the soft cotton bottoms of the teen's pajamas, around the drawstring waist, and up and down the heavily scarred chest. Harry was lost in the sensations again until he felt a long hand slide inside his pajama bottoms; he was about to lean up and say something, but Severus was back to kissing him thoroughly, silencing anything Harry had been about to say.

"Do you want me to stop?" he whispered quietly when he had paused in his kissing long enough to allow Harry to breathe, not that he could do that very well with the amazing things Severus was doing with his hand; he shook his head no. "Just relax…" The older man leaned down and began kissing Harry again, this time pleased to note that Harry was taking an active part in the kiss, stroking his tongue along Severus' tongue and the roof of his mouth before pulling back and inviting Severus to return the actions.

Severus continued to kiss Harry, resuming his roving technique, running his tongue along Harry's scars, nipping lightly at his collarbone and lips, until Harry was moaning loudly, not sure of what he could do to the older man, but more than happy enough to allow him to continue for as long as he desired to do so; Severus was alternating between running his hand along Harry's heated length, palming the head, and doing something obscenely amazing to a spot just behind his balls and the entire feeling, combined with everything his free hand and mouth were doing was turning into too much for the inexperienced teen. "Severus… I can't… I just…" More babble continued to flow out of Harry's mouth until Severus once again silenced him with a thorough kiss.

"Relax Harry…" He continued to kiss him, whispering in a voice that Harry knew should have been illegal for any form of usage. "It's okay. Just relax."

The sensations proved to be too much for the younger man, who tensed slightly, then arched as he came, covering the older man's hand and soaking his pajama bottoms with his come, moaning loudly in the process.

After the last tremors from Harry's orgasm had run their course, Severus released Harry's softening cock and removed his hand from the now sticky bottoms, wiping his hand off on the sheet before lifting it to run through the teen's hair; Harry tilted his head into the touch, then turned to kiss the older man when he repositioned himself to lie alongside the teen.

"You didn't…" Harry tried to speak in another breath-giving pause in their kiss, but Severus shook his head and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry's lips. "Don't worry about it." Harry nodded slightly, then tilted his chin up, asking for another kiss, which Severus quickly bestowed upon him, this one far more languid and relaxed than the previous ones.

Eventually the two men broke their kiss and Severus rolled from his side onto his back, Harry shifting to drape himself across the older man's slightly larger frame, frowning slightly when he brushed up against Severus' still hard length. Severus groaned quietly at the accidental touch, then nearly bit through his lip when Harry's unsure hand rubbed against him fully through the cool silk of his pajama bottoms. "Harry…" He groaned the name like a prayer, but it didn't save him from much when Harry continued to stroke him, shifting in pressure and speed until he found a pattern that he figured Severus to like, from the way he was sighing and pressing into the younger man's hand. "You really don't…"

Severus barely had the sense of mind to find it rather endearing how much concentration the teen put into his task, but he lost all thought completely when Harry, going off of what Severus had done to him earlier, squeezed his cock through the cloth, then slipped his hand into the expensive pajamas to rub him without any barriers between them. It turned out that Harry had either a gift for hand jobs or an amazing case of beginner's luck – although Severus was more than happy enough to go with the first option – and the older man barely had enough to time to draw a breath before he was shuddering it out again with his own orgasm.

Harry eventually removed his hand, rubbing it on the sheets as he'd seen Severus do, then curled up against the older man's side, snuggling into the warmth the other man was giving off; Severus, still slightly out of breath from the hand job, simply wrapped one arm around the lanky form pressed into him, reached under his pillow for his wand, muttered a quick 'Scourgify' over himself, Harry, and the bed, then put his wand back and wrapped his other arm around to completely encircle the teen, resting easily and nearly asleep. After a long yawn, Severus pressed a kiss into the unruly mop of hair tickling his chin, muttered a soft 'Goodnight Harry' and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him.

"Night Sev." Severus heard Harry yawn back in response and felt him bury his head into his chest before barely hearing Harry's quiet 'Love you', followed by the soft deep breathing of a peaceful sleep.

Severus lifted his head slightly, eyeing the sleeping form pressed against him, then smiled; he wasn't anywhere close to being as surprised as he should have been when, without any major soul searching, he realized that he felt the same way. "I love you too Harry." He murmured into the dark mass of hair before settling back into the pillows and falling into his won uninterrupted sleep.