Primer to the Dark Arts

Overdue Books

by Icarus

Harry stirred a little, suddenly aware that he was still dressed. His jeans dug into his stomach. He felt a little sticky too, but he could ignore that to sleep a little longer. Blue jeans had to be the single most uncomfortable garment in which to sleep, he decided. Which made Harry wonder why were they so comfortable during the day? It was one of those great mysteries he pondered in the mornings when his mind drifted with little else to do. He always thought of odd matters like that when he was in his cupboard, staying there a little longer in the mornings just to avoid Dudley.

The morning was bright, it was late, but he had nowhere to be and he was very tired. His whole body anchored itself to the bed. Though his mind was stubbornly awake.

It was a bad combination; tired body, awake mind.

Harry blinked and glanced about. He was pleasantly surprised by his surroundings. Severus' room. Oh yeah. He remembered.

He unbuttoned the jeans, peeled them off... it was so hard to do... and tossed them onto the floor. Severus stirred beside him, always the light sleeper. Fortunately, Severus the morning viper, curled into his corner of the bed and went back to sleep. Without complaint. That was rare. He did not like to be disturbed. For someone who complained bitterly about Harry taking too much of the bed, he certainly took very little of it.

Harry realised with a pleased smile that this was the first lay-in he'd ever had with Severus. Usually, those few times they had accidentally fallen asleep after sex, they were too busy throwing clothes on and packing Harry off to his rooms to enjoy it. It didn't matter anymore. Harry was officially no longer a student. And he was welcome to stay. Harry savoured that a moment.

Harry looked down at his arms. There was no mark or any outward indication of the spell. Somehow he had expected a Dark Mark or, well, something like it. But Severus said Voldemort had branded him, so this spell must work somewhat differently.

It was so good just to lie here next to Severus. He rolled over deliciously and studied the older man, aware he might never get another chance. Though Harry loved to sleep in, Severus, despising the morning though he always did, was efficiently up early, every day. Something to do with a wizarding bed that froze over after a certain hour as a child. Harry couldn't exactly picture someone like Mrs Weasley doing that to her kids. The Snape family must have been a joy. It made his cupboard seem quite luxurious by comparison. At least it was always warm.

Black hair tumbled across the pillow next to Harry. Elegant hands clutched the duvet, his precise cheek bones almost carved under dark lashes. He had a wide mouth, sensual, lips parted. He must be very tired to be so relaxed, Harry thought. Blunt dark eyelashes fluttered a little, and there was slight crease in his forehead. Severus did not have good dreams. He was also still dressed. Now that was a shame. Though his breeches looked considerably more comfortable than jeans. Even if they were stiff with blood.

"Hey, wake up a little, Severus. We have to get those off you." He was careful to speak first before touching him. Severus hexed out of a dead sleep, and looked later.

Severus groaned, wrapped himself around his pillow and rolled all the blankets off of Harry. But Harry knew Severus was awake. He couldn't sleep through a pin drop. A low growl proved Harry right.

"I would turn you into a potted ivy... if I were still amongst the living."

"Good morning. You know, you were much cuter when you were asleep."

Severus' cough was almost a laugh. "No one has ever called me 'cute.' "

Harry pulled the blankets and stained sheets off Severus. Severus was not helpful at all; he just threw an arm over his face. His sleeve was crusted to the elbow.

"C'mon. Ugh. You're covered in blood. Let's get these things off you - Ow!"

Harry had leaned up on an arm, forgetful of his freshly sliced hand. The cut broke open sharply, stinging, and seeped new blood. Severus glanced up.

"Watch where you bleed. The sheets are Hogwarts' - bleed on them. Not the pillows. Those are mine. We will need to tend our wounds. Tomorrow. Perhaps next week..." He rolled over on his side.

"No, no, I've got it. Sometimes I forget I'm a wizard." Harry picked up his wand off the end table, leaving his glasses there for the moment. He pointed his wand at his hand: "Vestigia Restorsum!"

The cut attempted to close itself, shuddered, and fell open again. Harry stared. Severus spared him a bleary sarcastic glance. There were dark circles under his eyes.

"You cannot counter the effects of a powerful spell with a Healing Charm. Certainly not the Ligare Juncta Commisceo. Easier to fill a crater with a teaspoon. Our hands must heal naturally."

Harry hadn't considered that. It made sense though.

"Well?" Severus asked. Harry looked up, a bit confused. "You could conjure us a few bandages."

"Oh. Of course," said Harry, who quickly summoned a roll of Medi-Gauze. It had 'the best Healing Charms woven into every inch!' Or so the packaging said. Not helpful, but at least it was still gauze. As Harry wrapped Severus' hands, he asked curiously.

"You know that spell then?"

"Yes. I have often tried to remove the Dark Mark," Severus grunted. He watched Harry as he carefully guided the bandage around his thumb. Harry's glasses had slipped to the end of his nose. Severus bit back a slight wince as Harry pulled it a little tight. "As no doubt your research discovered, the Dark Mark is believed to be based on the Commisceo. I must admit, I was so bent on removal I never considered the possibility of adding a competing spell. But then, I suppose I did not want it either. One is bad enough."

"So, do you know what it does?"

"You do not?!" Severus sat up. Harry's hard work came undone in a spiral.

"Well, I have the general idea. But I didn't bother to go through all the details." Harry was a bit sheepish. Mostly he just needed to know how to do it. The 'why' of it was Hermione's job.

"Details he calls it. A spell that is going to affect him for the rest of his life. Details," Severus said in disgust. "Harry - you are reckless! Of all the irrational, unthinking, mindless, misbegotten... you are a hazard to yourself and others! I ought to wrap you up and store you in box. Permanently!

"If I had known you were that stupid I would never have agreed!"

"Well what does it do?" Harry asked. It seemed pointless to be upset about it now. It had worked. He was just grateful they had survived. Besides, Harry trusted Hermione. Though she had been worried about this spell. He had assumed her worry was because it was so difficult.

"I'm not sure. Oh, I know what the Commisceo ought to do. It is usually used by very close friends. Or lovers..." Severus' glance at Harry was warm. "But what it will do in conjunction with a competing version, the Dark Mark? I have no idea."

Harry took Severus' hand again to try to redo the bandage. It was no use. Harry conjured a fresh roll of the purple Medi-Gauze. He looked up at Severus.

"Well. I suppose we're going to find out."

"You are a fool, Harry. An outrageous arrogant fool," Severus said darkly, shaking his head with a laugh of stunned disbelief.

A slow smile spread across Harry's face.

~*~*~

Once stripped and bandaged, they had fallen back to sleep. Harry woke to a clattering sound in the kitchen and the sound of running water. He wandered in wearing Severus' robe and nothing else, yawning.

Severus was dressed in flowing black and was tasting what smelled like - and what Harry dearly hoped - was food. Harry was famished.

"G'morning," Harry said. Severus glanced back at Harry over his shoulder.

"It is afternoon. Be civilized and have a bath. You have blood on you." Severus gave him a look of distaste. Severus himself could not have been up that long, however. His hair was still wet.

"You are a beast in the morning," Harry said, sitting down at the kitchen table and picking up The Daily Prophet.

"It is afternoon," Severus informed him again. "And I hate mornings. Mornings are for headaches and responsibility. In the morning that beautiful boy from the night before has bad breath and bad hair - "

"I'll brush my teeth," Harry responded. He stood and hovered curiously over Severus' pans, and then ran his hands through Severus' wet locks. "But you know, I like it when your hair's a mess. Reminds me you're human."

" - and blood on him. Go have a bath." Severus pushed him away.

Harry tasted some of the blood on his arm, aiming a grin in response to Severus' best glare. "Salty. I think it's some of yours."

Harry lifted a lid on one of the pots and sniffed. "I didn't know you could cook..."

Severus set the spoon in his pot and gave him a long steady gaze.

"Potions is cooking. One would think that after seven years you might have noticed." He added some herbs. "Though I suppose I should not be too surprised. Given your grades in my class."

"Yeah, how did I do, by the way? On the final."

"Potions? You passed, barely. By the skin of your teeth. Virtually no one did. But you failed the Dark Arts. Miserably."

Harry sampled one of Severus' pots. "Oh..."

"Well, what did you expect? You only made an effort for one class. Though I may reconsider your Dark Arts grade, considering your, ah, recent extra credit work..."

"No - I meant, wow, this is really good." Harry seized some pot-holders and moved the steaming container to the counter. "I expected to flunk both classes, given how mad you were."

"I am not biased. I merely have higher standards than some other professors, whom I shall do the undeserved favour of not naming."

Tongue in cheek, Harry decided not to answer that. He sleeked a lock of hair out of Severus' face and stroked his back.

"You look a little a pallid this morning, " Harry noted.

"It is afternoon. Go get dressed. And have a bath. Not in that order."

"Sure you don't want some of this blood back?" Harry smirked.

"Oh yes. Do save some of it for me. I shall have it in my afternoon tea. And sprinkle a little dirt with it, if you don't mind," Severus said, leaning back into Harry's kneading hands.

"Aha! We always knew you drank the blood of students!"

"As you drank the blood of your teacher?" Severus glanced over his shoulder, with an arched eyebrow.

Their eyes met darkly.

"You could at least say thank you. Next time Voldemort rings you, and you don't want to answer, you're either going to be able to fight back or I'm going down the toilet with you." Harry's gaze was steady. He leaned on the counter.

"I spend half the afternoon cooking. That means no house-elves, no one around. No interruptions. One would think someone bright enough to locate that spell might be able to put these facts together," Severus pointed out scathingly.

"Oh. Well, uh, actually... Hermione found it," Harry confessed.

"Then never mind: You flunk Dark Arts. Granger passes instead," Severus said.

"Hey! I worked the spell!"

"Then you get everything else," Severus purred. He turned to Harry.

"I'll take you up on that. Right now," Harry said under his breath. He backed Severus against the kitchen table and began pulling up his robes, kissing his neck and face. The pepper mill clattered to the floor.

"Fucking on the kitchen table? Unhygienic..."

"You keep Bolyvorg Potion with the food - !" He finally had Severus' robes up to his waist. Trousers underneath. Wizards wore too much clothing.

Severus surfaced from a kiss and breathed through a toothy smile: " - it is Hermetically Sealed. I watched the Hermit Seal it myself." Harry had his trousers down. He had torn off the belt to Harry's robe. His robe. It was really fine Harry hadn't dressed after all. "So long as no one tampers with it - "

Harry yanked his trousers the rest of the way off, and fumbled Severus' legs over his shoulder -- silenced him with a kiss, dragging him close. The table rattled slightly; it was never meant to hold any weight. Harry was a pleasant pressure against his arse, pressed against Severus, trembling. Maddeningly, Harry stopped.

" - oh, do go on..." Severus gasped in frustration. He lay back on the table, carefully, as it shook again.

"In the kitchen? It's unhygienic," Harry teased him.

"I don't care!" Severus' fist hit the table and the salt shaker fell to the floor, scattering salt everywhere. Severus looked up.

"You had better move my sugar bowl first - " Too late. Pottery shattered on the hard floor and sugar scattered with a whisper. They both winced. " - damn it."

"Never mind the sugar bowl. Where's your butter?"

~*~*~

Severus had finally managed to get Harry to take a shower. Harry's arms were draped around his shoulders and chest, the water cascading down their backs. It turned Severus' hair into a smooth black sheet, slick and soft along Harry's shoulder. Harry leaned his chin against Severus' collarbone with a sigh.

"Mmm. I love the hair." Harry nuzzled him.

"Really? I hadn't heard."

Severus' habitual toss of his head made the fine sheet of his hair dance along Harry's back. As he well knew. The reaction was predictable. Not that Harry being predictable was always a bad thing. Harry was very willing by the time Severus got him to the bedroom. Soft sheets and downy pillows were always his preference.

~*~*~

Later in the bedroom, Harry was zipping up his trousers and tucking in his shirt. He glanced about for his glasses. Useless to look for something when you can't see. He noticed Severus twirling something familiar in his fingers.

"Lost something, have you?" he chided, straightening his robes. "Be more careful, I almost sat on them. Objects are never quite the same after a Reparo Spell. Best not to break them in the first place."

"They've had ten Reparo Spells. At least. And I was busy. After all, I want to enjoy you before we're both dead."

"You do not think much of your abilities," Severus said flatly.

"Neither do you."

"Oh, I do not think much of your common sense. Or rather, your complete and utter lack of it," Severus pointed out. Not handing Harry his glasses back yet. "I also do not think much of you as a student to be perfectly honest. You are arguably one of the worst I have ever had. Despite your ability to somehow pass my exams. Your handwriting is atrocious - I should be wearing a pair of these by now as a result - and you have no patience for research. Your essays... are an equal mix of bullshit and mindless parroting, bereft of insight and sometimes even thought. Do not ever think you got away with it. I am not a bad teacher and I know when someone makes no effort.

"But. When it comes to real, practical, physical magic? Well, there are those who say you are one of the best Hogwarts has seen in a long time. Do not let it go to your head, Potter! I have reservations about telling you." He handed back the glasses.

"According to who?" Harry was stunned.

"That is 'whom,' Harry. The werewolf, Professor Lupin, for one. While he was here." Severus watched Harry carefully. "Dumbledore for another. As for myself, until yesterday, I thought they were blinded by that ineffable 'Potter mystique' that seems to cling to you and lets you get away with whatever you want. Even in my kitchen. But after last night's performance... well, it seems my teaching you was not a complete waste of breath. You may prove me wrong if you like. But if you don't mind, wait until after Voldemort has caught up with me. Long after."

"It may not come to that you know," Harry said.

"We should be so lucky," Severus said seriously.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After a late lunch, or an early dinner, they felt fully recovered. Harry stretched out on the love seat paging through one of Severus' unique coffee table books. Severus was in his chair, scowling at The Daily Prophet, clearly finding a news item in there that annoyed him. Harry glanced at the upside-down headline. He seemed to be reading a long piece about an old house being condemned. Now why should that bother him?

Harry returned to the coffee table book. It had various landscapes rendered in a way that was quite life-like. The ocean shore was interesting, if a tad loud. Harry got ocean spray on his glasses, though the wind was refreshing. After a bit, Severus surfaced from behind his newspaper and shot him a look that said: do you mind? Guiltily Harry turned the page. Now he was basking in sun's rays from a remote island. The ghost cat batted at the flames in the fireplace. Now that was something she could never do while she was alive, Harry thought. He wondered if there were ghost mice in the castle for her. She gave up on the flames and started stalking the crow in the photo above the hearth. It ignored her, as it still ignored Harry. Severus had reassured Harry that the crow would eventually warm up to him.

Severus tossed the paper in the fire then hexed it in a spew of purple and green sparks. He looked rather annoyed. "Morgana's bastards, the lot of them..."

"What's up?" Harry asked.

"Nothing." Severus scowled.

Harry blinked. That had been a rather dramatic nothing. Severus steepled his fingers under his chin, a sudden thoughtful expression on his face.

"So. Harry. What are your plans for the future?" Severus asked. Harry wadded up a piece of paper into a paper ball and lobbed it across the room. The ghost cat silently scampered after it.

"Other than staying here with you forever?" Harry asked. He shut the book, before he got a sunburn. That tropical sun was intense.

"Impractical. You are hardly professor material," Severus pointed out. Leave it to him to mention the ugly truth so bluntly.

"Well. I've thought about it long and carefully," Harry stretched.

"And - ?" Severus prodded.

"And I haven't a clue," Harry admitted.

"I suspected as much." Severus smiled grimly. "I may have a job for you. For the summer, while you think about your future. How are you with Reparo and Construction Spells? Beyond endlessly fixing your glasses, that is."

"Pretty good, I suppose. Why?"

"And fairly good with Dark Magic, too... yes," Severus mused, rubbing his lip thoughtfully. "I have a little work that needs to be done at Snape Manor, if you don't mind staying there."

Harry brightened. "Don't mind? Me? Stay in a wizarding mansion all summer?"

"You have not seen it. It has not exactly been... maintained. I will pay you for the work, of course," Severus continued smoothly.

"Will you be there?"

"Part of the time. You will need help," said Severus, but Harry wasn't listening.

"Then I don't care what kind of a wreck it is. That would be wonderful!"

"As I said: you have not seen it yet." Severus hesitated, then seemed to change his mind about whatever it was he was going to add. He disappeared behind a Potions Journal, volume 957. "If it proves too difficult we can re-negotiate the terms mid-summer. That would be fair, I believe."

The fire crackled as Harry happily contemplated the summer. It threw off a last few angry purple sparks and settled.

"Where will you be? Here? Or at your flat in London?" Harry wondered.

"London? That was a long time ago... where Torvald and I lived... how did you - ?" Severus' face was suddenly fierce and triumphant. He threw aside his Potions Journal and picked up his wand. "That address was - in - my - book! Bring it back!"

Severus didn't wait for an answer but threw a Stasis Spell. Harry blocked it and rolled to the floor.

"Sado-Immobilius!" Severus fired another Spell. But Harry knew that one and defused it with the counter charm.

Harry tried a Levitation Spell. Severus swatted it to the ground, hitting the carpet. The rug levitated, bubbling underneath the furniture, knocking them both off-balance. Severus' wand-work was quick and tight.

"Expelliarmus!"

Severus' brutal Disarming Spell blew Harry ten feet across the floor, and his wand flew clattering to the wall. Severus slowly approached; wandless, Harry did the next best thing - he tackled Severus, landing both of them on the bubbling carpet. Any spell Severus tried would likely hit them both. Severus was surprised, but soon had Harry pinned and struggling under his superior weight. He tapped Harry on the nose with his wand. And blue-green strips of light strapped Harry - and the carpet - to the floor.

They were both heaving and laughing. Severus struggled to his feet.

"You look beautiful..." he gasped. "...decorating... my floor... And you are going to... going to stay there... until you bring.. back... my book..." Severus' chest heaved.

Harry struggled and gave up. How Severus managed the unfamiliar Binding Spell without hitting himself was beyond Harry.

"You're really good at duelling," Harry grinned.

"I know," Severus smiled, touching a cut lip.

Harry gave in.

"Let me up, and I'll get the Book of Eros for you," Harry said.

"You give me your word as a Gryffindor?" Severus asked sceptically.

"I give you my word as Harry," he said.

"Even better." Severus banished the straps, and the Levitation Spell, and gave Harry a hand up. "We will have to do that again some time."

"What? The wrestling?"

"Oh, I get that every night. And in my kitchen," Severus smirked.

"Teach me that spell and you have a deal," Harry said, picking up his wand. " Accio: Book!"

"And give away my advantage for next time? I think not," Severus said. "It's difficult to find Grappling Spells that will work at close quarters. A word of advice however: do not tackle a larger man unless you plan to take his wand. And you had best learn to be much better at this. I may be good, but Lucius Malfoy can beat me with one wand tied behind his back."

~*~*~

They settled together in the love seat to wait for the book to arrive. It was a ways away, and could hit any number of obstacles to slow its flight. They fed the rest of the newspaper to the fire and Harry tucked himself under Severus' arm. Severus had a few other interesting travel books he wanted to show Harry, and some photos of places he had been. Severus had precious few of those, though he had travelled often. Most of his travel had been on... business... he explained. Sometimes Harry forgot his former occupation. He was fairly certain he didn't want to know just what that business had been.

Not long after, they heard a persistent erratic bumping sound against the door. There was the sound of something of a scuffle.

"Ah. That would be my book, at long last," Severus said, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

Harry picked himself up off the couch to answer the door, setting aside a stack of photos. They were of indifferent quality, Severus was no artist, but interesting nonetheless. Harry wondered how many of those people in them were Death Eaters. Torvald appeared in many, grinning and cheerful as ever. It was still hard to picture him as a ruthless killer. Harry opened the door.

"Ron...?" Harry asked, stunned.

"Harry! Thank God it's you. It's getting away!" Ron's arms were wrapped around the struggling Book of Eros. There were sneaker skid marks along the stone floor.

Ron's eyes widened as Professor Snape joined Harry at the door. Severus slid his arm intimately and possessively around Harry's hip, his hand sliding across his arse just to make the point. Severus gave Ron his most lascivious smile. Harry couldn't keep the heat out of his face at this contact, and Ron's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. Ron's jaw fell.

"Harry...?" Ron said questioningly, almost desperate for Harry to deny what he saw.

"Ron - " Harry began to explain, reaching for him, but Severus interrupted.

"Mr Weasley. So good of you to - stop by. Thank you, as well, for so kindly... ah, bringing me my book." Severus pulled the Book of Eros from Ron's now limp hands.

Then Severus pulled out his wand: "Obliviate!"

Ron's eyes glazed. He stared straight ahead unseeingly.

"You will return to your day's activities. Whatever they may be. You will forget what you saw here, that you ever saw Harry and me together in my apartments."

Severus shut the door in Ron's face without even looking to see if he had left.

"I just did the both of you a favour, Harry." Severus turned to him. "Now do yourself a favour, and tell him. Soon."

Finis. Next: 'The Unicorn.'