Evenings During the Summertime

Evenings During the Summertime

    Harry finished the last of Voldemort's breath, while Snape was lying half conscious.

    "Young Gryffindor, always such a beautiful, pathetic being. Of all the things I could've given you...Even now you still say no to my power..." Smiling, Voldemort coughed and closed his eyes, sitting on his isolated throne. Harry Potter wept for this once powerful embodiment of horror. Even him, eventually faded into death. Voldemort's body slowly turned into a transparent shape, and he dissolved into the shadows.

    The young man had tears in his eyes, but he walked calmly towards the professor and sat down next to him.

    "Professor, he's dead, you know." Harry Potter lifted Snape's head onto his lap. Wiping the blood away on Snape's face with his own blood-drenched robe.

    "He's gone now? That's nice" Snape spoke with the strength of a dying man, breathing unevenly, but still managed to keep his dead-pan humor. Harry broke into a sob. The potions master put his hands on the boy's arm.

    "You've done well, Harry."

    The wizarding world received news of it two weeks since. It was already the last term of Harry's seventh year, and all the students were home celebrating the death of the dark lord. Summer was beginning, it can be felt in the air. The crickets were chirping away, and days can go on without the fear of being killed today or tommorrow. This sudden loss of burden actually made Harry more uncomfortable than when Voldemort was alive. The boy looked like he's aged a decade since the death of Voldemort.

    The young man would be seen walking around the castle aimlessly. Sometimes he would go out for a walk near the lake, or wander around near the Forbidden Forest. The library was also a good place to kill time. It was safe now. The Aurors rounded up the remaining deatheaters and there were no threats left for the Boy Who Lived Again.

    It was after dinner, Harry was walking to the lake. There he saw, Severus sitting on a grassy slope with a cigarette in his hand. The smoke was drifting lightly into the space above him. It smelled good, not that Harry liked smoking, but the smell felt like a lingering sadness coming from a bitter man. He walked next to Snape and greeted him.

    "Hey."

    "It's the ghost of Hogwarts."

    Harry laughed weakly.

    "Well, there isn't much to do now. It's just, that feeling of expecting something, and then all of a sudden having it. I just don't know what to do with this unexpected peace."

    "Just give it some time."

    "That's it?" Harry said.

    "What were you expecting?" Snape smoked again from his cigarette. Then he ground the cigarette butt onto a patch of soil. Snape stood up and patted his robe.

    "What? Are you leaving now?"

    "Just came out for an occassional smoke."

    "Oh... Well, can you just stay a little longer. No harm in it, right?"

    Harry pulled Severus' robe.     

    "For my savior, why not," Snape said dryly.

    "That was affectionate..."

    Snape sat down next to Harry.Harry looked up and was feeling somewhat speechless from the starry night sky. A cool breeze flew across his face.

    "It's nice out here," Harry remarked.

    "Sure." Snape never had much to say.

    The two of them sat in blessed silence, and they both looked weary. Harry felt like an awkward boy.

    "It's getting kind of late. I think you should get moving," Snape said as he got to his feet and straightened his robe.

    "Night, professor."

    The next day, Harry found Snape sitting there again, except right now was five in the afternoon.

    "Hey."

    "...."

    "Out for a smoke again?"

    "Sure."

    Teacher and ex-student were just looking at the red sun sinking behind the water.

    It became a habit for Snape and Potter, sitting beside the lake, a few times a week. The campus was now pretty much empty, now that most of the staff are gone. Hagrid just came back from the mountain of the Giants, raising his new found chimera. He named it Hoagie. Why, no one will ever know. But now Harry has something to do, helping out Hagrid from nine to three. Gave him a good workout.

    As usual, Harry went to the lake in the evening, he saw Snape lying down, but without his usual habit.

    "Hey, what happened to the cigarettes?"

    "Left them in my other robe, but it's not like I can't do without them."

    "Well, we wouldn't want to lose our potions master to a Muggle product just yet ..."

    "Hmph..."

    "What are you doing now?"

    "Preparing a harder potions class for next year. Now everybody's got so much free time on their hands."

    "Those poor kids..."

    It was eight in the evening. Severus wasn't there today. Harry decided to pay him a visit. He felt a little awkward not seeing the professor.

    Harry knew where Snape's chambers were, he'd often been there for his training sessions. He just didn't want to bother the man. He knocked.

    "What?" someone answered gloomily.

    "Professor, I was wondering-"

    "-Why I wasn't there?"

    "Yeah, can I come in?"

    The door opened without a sound. Harry saw Snape with a quill in his hand, and a stack of parchment on his desk.

    "Writing a letter?"

    "No, and it's none of your business."

    "Oh..." Harry felt a little humiliated in front of the professor.

    "That shut you up."

    Harry laughed dryly. Snape grumbled.

    "The Magical Masque asked me to write a volume on advanced potions. So you won't be seeing me for awhile."

    Soft classical music was being played in his room.

    "Sit where ever you like. Just don't bother me."

    Harry took a couch cushion and sat down in front of the fireplace. He fell asleep smelling the cigarette smoke when it was around one in the morning.

    The boy found himself waking up on the couch with a cloak draped over him. He heard Johannes Brahms' Tragische Ouverture playing in the back. He quickly scrambled to his feet and saw his professor writing at the desk.

    "Oh jeez. Shit, I'm sorry, I fell asleep and I forgot the time. I am really sorry. What time is it?"     

    "Ten-thirty. You were talking in you're sleep." Snape slowly looked up.

    "What did I say?" Harry felt like he was being annoying.

    "Grumbled and stuff. Don't know." Snape looked back down at his work.

    "I'm so sorry, Professor, I really forgot the-"

    "It's okay."

    "Oh..." Harry just stood there, quiet. "WelI I have to go meet Hagrid." He hesitated to announce his leave. "I need to take care of the school greenhouse. Now that Hagrid brought in some new plants for next year." He paused. "Uh... Bye Professor. I...nevermind." Then he took off, closing the door behind him.

    "Sure." Snape continued to write on his desk.

    Harry just finished cleaning up the greenhouse. No one took care of it for a while, and most of the plants were dying in there. It was six-thirty, but he was sweating as if the sun was hanging right above his head. Harry then decided that swimming in the lake would do him some good.

    The boy took off his gray shirt and faded jeans, then boxers. The lake rippled evenly when he jumped in. He was just taking a dip, not bothering any fish creatures or anything, when someone called out.

    “Is the water chilly?”

    It was his professor.

    “No, it’s fine. Why won’t you come in and join me?”

    Severus smoked from his cigarette, and breathed out a cloud of gray air.

    “Alrighty, but I haven’t swum in years.”

    Harry was rather surprised at this answer.

    “Oh…Really? You know I was just asking, Professor. You don’t have to.”

    “That is if you don’t want me to.”

    “No, no. Come on in.”

    The man dropped his cigarette and put it out. Then he took off his cloak, his robe, and removed his boxers. Snape was as pale as death, and he seemed to have lost some weight since Voldemort was dead and gone.

    Harry was looking at Severus with concern in his eyes.

    “I assure you, Mr. Potter, I do not drown that easily.” Snape slowly walked into the water.

    “No, it’s not that, you just look like you haven’t been eating all three meals everyday.”

    “I have, just cut down my portion. My appetite hasn’t been so bloody great lately.”

    “You alright?”

    “Fine, fine.”

    The naked boy and man floated around in the black and silver water. The moon was like a pearl and its reflection was seen in the lake.

    Harry poked out of the water and brushed his hair back. He sighed. “This is nice.”

    “Hmm. Sure,” Snape agreed in his own way.

    The two wet blokes got out of the water and dressed themselves. They were walking toward the entrance of the castle. Neither man had much to say. It was cold and they were wet. All of a sudden, Harry grabbed Severus. They both stopped, and Harry looked at Snape in the eyes.

    “You take care of yourself now, Professor. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

    And then, he kissed his dear professor on the lips. Harry took off quickly and clumsily.

    “Oh…what?” Snape stood there by himself, watching the Gryffindor walking hastily away.

    The next night, Snape got a visit from a certain Boy-Who-Lived-Again.

    “Come in.”

    Harry was wearing a white t-shirt and khaki pants. He looked clean and smelled like laundry.

    “Professor, I…yesterday was…”

    “I know, you didn’t mean it and you did it because you were young and miserable.” Snape didn’t look up, and continued working at his desk.

    “I…” Harry hesitated. He was fidgeting. “No.” He quickly went behind Snape and put his arms around him. Harry Potter was now very pink and very awkward.

    “I like being next to you. You make me feel…I don’t know, I’m just so tired…”

    Snape put down his quill, and was very quiet.

    “Come to my bedroom.”

    “But…I’m not asking for…”

    “Just do it.”

    Snape sat down on his bed, and patted the spot next to him.

    “Come here.”

    “But Professor-“ Despite his words, Harry lied down next to Snape. Snape put his arm around Harry and closed his eyes. He sighed softly.

    “You said you were tired.”

    Harry couldn’t help but smile, and he went to sleep soon after.

    When Harry woke up, he heard water being turned off in the bathroom, and shortly, Snape came out of the bathroom, wearing just his boxers. Harry’s mind seemed to slow down. He stood up, got out of bed and went up to kiss his professor. Snape’s eyes opened with surprise and then closed. After a moment, Severus held Harry’s shoulders and asked,

    “Are you sure about this?”

    Snape wouldn’t deny, but Harry Potter was a beautiful boy. He just didn’t want to notice his student in such a manner, because it would have gotten in the way of everything.

    “Sure.”

    Snape leaned down and kissed Harry passionately. The classical music still played. They kissed each other for an hour. Snape was smiling while Harry giggled into his mouth.

    “We have to go eat breakfast you know.” Harry’s stomach reminded him as it rumbled.

    “Okay, go on ahead. I’ll be right there.”

    They both arrived in the Great Hall together. Harry just couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face. Breakfast went on as usual, but this time, teacher and ex-student both went back to the dungeons together.

    They slammed the door behind them and pecked each other with kisses like newlyweds. Snape carried the boy onto the couch and said into his ear,

    “Now would be a good time…” Then he smiled.

    Harry leaned up and kissed his professor on the cheeks and eyes. He smelled like cigarettes.

    “I’m a little scared.” Harry lied back on the couch, while his professor took off his clothing one by one. Snape gave no response to his comment, but instead came over and removed Harry’s clothing. Then he kissed the boy like a madman.

    “I’ve never gone beyond kissing and-“

    “Sex is a sacred thing, don’t talk too much,” Snape mumbled into Harry’s neck as he kissed his way down. Harry shifted his body a little, and decided the couch was uncomfortable.

    “Bed,” Harry whispered. Snape carried Potter like a princess onto the bed and laid him down gently. He continued his kissing and nibbling downward. Harry shuddered as the professor kissed him tenderly.

    “Get ready.”

    The professor sensed tears in Harry’s eyes.

    “Sh, shh,” Snape hushed the boy.

    Harry shed tears as he came. The professor soon followed him. They lied back in bed and Harry fell asleep in Snape’s arms. He could smell the cigarette smoke, and the Tragische Ouverture still played.

    Harry didn’t see the potions master at the lake as often anymore. But that time alone was compromised with the time Harry spent in Snape’s room. Regardless of what they did, they were used to each other being there at a certain time. When it was the time that Harry usually arrived, Snape would look up from his work to see if he was there yet. If Harry wasn’t, he would just wait until he was. On Sundays, Harry would wait for the professor at the lake. Summer was coming to an end, and it can be felt in the air.

    Snape came over and sat down next to Harry on the grass. The evening breeze was soft, and the crickets chirped. They both looked at the clear night sky, and wondered what they were going to do when school begins.

    “I don’t think I’m leaving Hogwarts,” Harry said slowly.

    “Good, you can be my apprentice.” Now, Snape doesn’t come out here just for a smoke, he comes because he wants to.

    Snape kissed Harry with the moon hanging over their heads. The man still smelled like cigarettes sometimes, and the boy still listened to the Tragische Ouverture play in the dungeons, but they would never forget, how truly warm and fond their evenings were during the

Summertime,

And the living is easy.

Fish are jumping,

And the cotton is high.

Oh your daddy’s rich,

And your mama’s good looking.

So hush little baby

Don’t you cry.

One of these mornings,

You’re gonna rise up singing.

You’re gonna spread your wings,

And you’ll take to the sky.

But till that morning,

There’s nothing can harm you.

With daddy and mommy

Standing by.

THE END