Challenging the Potions Master

"Not even the ingredients! They don't even know the ingredients!"

A cloud of tests whirled through the air like feathers, covering the floor in a white layer of P's and D's and his whole body collapsed onto his desk when the last piece of paper touched the ground. After reading all this rubbish it was a miracle his brain was still functioning! Those damn kids! This time, Snape was really angry. This was an awful start for a terrible week!

Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and even his favourite Slytherins had failed him! After a little misfortunate incident (Weasley had blown up everything within a 10 ft radius!) he had decided to test them before any dangerous potions making. Writing down a list of ingredients couldn't cause any damage, right? But he had been wrong. It could cause him a nervous breakdown! Hadn't anyone been listening to what he had said during class? They had all been lousy... Except, of course, the Granger girl. But she didn't count! It was Draco Malfoy he was thinking of right now... If only he had tried a little harder! He would have granted him with an O easily, even if he didn't deserve it. But no! He hadn't even made an effort. The little brat hadn't even listened during lessons. He was as bad as the rest.

He tried to sit more comfortably in his chair and calm down, staring at Draco's test, the only one that had remained on his desk. Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy... Snape had promised his father that he would look after him. And he had always favoured Draco, not because he was trying to keep his promise, but because he was so fond of the spoiled little wizard. Somehow he admired and envied all the negative aspects of his personality. His vanity, his fake upper-class manners... even his impudence! But Draco hadn't appreciated his efforts to help him. Butterflies' wings? Butterflies' wings in an invisibility potion? What an outrage!

He stood up feeling his head was ready to explode. He couldn't control his nerves anymore! Oh, he had to go out for a while. He had to relax because every second he remained here he kept thinking about their tests and their results and... all the rubbish he had been reading. He stared at the door. He had always hated public places and fresh air, and so he usually confined himself to his dark study and had always found peace of mind there. But now he really needed to get out!

His wand moved up. He had barely finished hissing a brief spell when everything had ordered itself in a second. The tests gathered on his desk, forming a perfect pack and the spilled red ink slipped unresistingly back inside the bottle... He pushed open his office door, hoping it would hit somebody (unfortunately it didn't) and got out.

Thank god it was late! The yellow light from the blazing torches followed him now, as he walked through the hallways. Yes, these were his favourite moments. Not a soul to disturb him. Just him and his thoughts and nothingness...

"Professor Snape?"

"Huh?" he snapped.

It was only Filch... And he was quite surprised with Snape's alarmed expression.

"Oh, I didn't see you!" Snape tried to explain his surprise, "I thought you were a student!"

Filch grinned. "A student, huh? I am glad someone shares my feelings about those little devils!"

"Ah, well! Can't make them disappear, right?" murmured the Potions master.

Filch didn't answer, but his face betrayed how much he enjoyed this idea. Snape had offered him some food for thought... He would probably return to his little office now, thinking it over and over again!

"Thank you, Professor... Goodnight."

"Thank you for what?"

But Filch didn't seem to hear him any more... He was murmuring to himself now, unspeakable torturing methods, in all probability.

Whatever... he didn't much care for him. Filch wasn't great company anyway... He continued wandering around the great stone hallways enjoying the silence, but it seemed that someone was really determined to ruin his night. The general silence made certain sounds seem louder than they actually were. A door slammed shut somewhere close by... He was sure he had heard a door! And the sound came from the library! What now? It just couldn't have been any teachers. Not this late anyway. The Potions master suspected something was wrong.

He did want to let it go, for once, but his curiosity overpowered him. Strange noises in the middle of the night had always been bad news at Hogwarts... He moved carefully, making no noise at all and cautiously pushed the library door. He could smell fire; fire coming from a torch. Someone was there! His sight caught a faint light coming from the depth of the library hallways... Students, of course! But what were they doing in the library so late at night? Not studying! After all the crap he had been reading all afternoon, he was positive about that one... Hmmm... they must be up to something. Snape approached the faint light silently; he didn't want to be heard after all... And then the light went out, but everything remained visible, covered in faint moonlight. And then he saw him...

He saw golden hair and fair skin, luminous in the moonlight... Only one boy reflected celestial light this way... Draco? He was facing the wall but Snape could tell it was him. No other boy looked like him. And he was... wearing nothing but his trousers? But there was someone else there too, hidden behind him. And only when they moved did he manage to make out a shadow with messy dark hair. It was a boy. The Potter boy! Harry Potter?

Snape's eyes widened... Was he hallucinating? Draco and Harry, together? What were they doing, anyway? But the answer was right in front of him. They were... hugging! They were... lovers? No, this was ludicrous! Unbelievable! But then, how could he explain it? Draco was really standing there and Potter did hug him! They were real! He covered his mouth with his hand, Oh, no! Lucius would kill him! How had he let that happen?

Draco, his pet student... Only, as he noticed now, he didn't seem like a young boy at all! The masculine line of his shoulders drew his attention... A nicely shaped young body, reaching adulthood... But what was he doing, anyway? He was looking at young Malfoy! He had to stop looking! But he couldn't...

They were kissing now, passionately. Two warm young bodies, sweating over their tender touch, totally unaware of his presence... Bodies, breaths and hands became a misty dream before his puzzled sight and he began to feel dizzy, unable to breathe any more... They were so close, but it was hard now to tell one from the other... And he was standing there, watching, still and silent as a statue, a shadow. He had to stop them, stop them from doing that! That was abominable!

Harry kneeled before young Malfoy. His hands moved on Draco's legs and, in spite of the distance, Snape could see straight into his green eyes. He saw provocation... Draco's hand moved softly through Harry's messy hair and he leaned on him, covering his body with his shadow. A powerful force was now holding the Potions master. It wasn't magic, but heat! It was the distant sense of tender kisses... His shivering hands searched for the wall, touched it and felt the coldness... He had to back on something solid, or he would fall down, for his legs barely held him any more... His mouth opened, but nothing came out. His mind searched for a threat, a spell... Nothing useful came to his mind. He felt paralysed, unable to withdraw his very glance. Weakness... His hand moved up, to his chest. He could hear his heartbeat clearly now, loud as a beating drum, sense it on his fingers and he was sweating! What was happening to him? His ears caught Draco's sigh, calling Harry and he bit his lips. His hands sank underneath his robes, grabbing his shoulders, trying to get a grip on his paranoia. His mouth, still dry, closed at last and he gulped down his remaining saliva. It seemed ages before he dared to breathe again, afraid that they would sense his presence.

But then his skin, bare against his touch, stopped shivering and he took some deep breaths... He looked down on the floor to keep his mind occupied with something... anything else! Anything but this excruciating sight! So, Draco and Harry, lovers... OK, he had to calm down now and think! Think! What if Lucius found out? No, he wouldn't! Who would tell him? Apparently nobody else knew! It would be a disaster for Draco as well. He couldn't even imagine what Lucius would do to his son... Nobody must know! Not a soul!

He looked at them again. Somehow, clearing everything in his mind had eased him. Overcoming his initial surprise made him appreciate what was happening in front of him. And he even dared to believe that... maybe... this wasn't as hideous as it had seemed to be at first. It was actually quite... beautiful! And he did wish to go on staring at Draco! Somehow, he couldn't withdraw his glance from the beautiful boy! What the hell, Snape deserved this! Being Draco's mentor all these years... And so, he made himself more comfortable on the wall...

Snape continued staring, feeling much more excited now. He was beginning to enjoy the scene and he could even admit it! In spite of the distance he could see every little detail. He couldn't have been more grateful for the bright moon, offering him its generous light tonight! He almost felt their rhythm. Their heat reached him... And as they continued kissing and touching, he decided to steal some of their pleasure, imitate their movements... His fingers moved up and down his body, feeling the firmness of his chest. His fingers moved up and down his chest, feeling its firmness. And when Draco finally surrendered to Harry's soft lips, Snape's hands moved south. But his hands were a man's hands and they could not compare to the silky touch of a boy. And so, he did not dare to ease the fire between his legs. He needed a boy's touch on his body now, hell, he deserved it! He wanted Draco! Yes, the mere idea of him touching his body was so pleasant! He wanted Draco to caress him. He needed to feel his touch and taste his lips. He had every right after all! It was Harry who didn't! Harry was violating his property with his hands... Harry had no business there, on Draco's body! Snape wanted to kick him away, take his place... He gnashed his teeth and his rising anger turned him on! He had to do something; he could not go on staring for ever!

But something stopped him. Draco had now surrendered to his ecstasy and Snape was thrilled to watch his face, filled with pleasure. His crystal eyes twinkled like a candle's light as he sighed under Harry's tender touch. No, he would wait... He couldn't deprive his beloved Draco of this delight... Somehow, Draco's pleasure was so precious to him... Harry was being so careful with Draco, so soft. "Yes, offer him everything you have, Potter! I want to see what you can do; I want to learn your tactics, my most fearsome rival! I must know your secrets. I must find a way to take him from your arms. Find a way to lure him into mine... But then, how could he win through against Draco's youthful taste? He had to be better than Potter, offer Draco something incomparable! A man's touch, a harder kiss and a grown-up's skills. These were his weapons now. Maybe Draco needed something firmer now, exactly as he himself needed something tender. Maybe, just maybe, they could complete each other! He would only have to face the Potter boy. He would fight on the battlefield of his desire until Draco's body was conquered. And so he decided to fight; and fight hard.

They were so lost to the world that they didn't see him coming. It was Harry who noticed Snape's shadow spreading on the floor like a dark threat and dashed back, like a scared animal. His frightened eyes betrayed his surprise, his shock... He hid in the shadows, trying to cover himself with some scattered pieces of clothing. But Draco remained there, still unaware of Snape's presence, lost in his pleasure, but as his dreamy eyes continued looking high above, he faced Snape's strict eyes examining him. And in this position he froze in astonishment... Quite pleased with himself, Snape waited a minute to enjoy his effect on them...

And then he decided to break the silence.