In *Just* Seven Days...
By Drusilla Dax
Disclaimer: I'm *just* playing with someone else's toys. May I be forgiven in my next incarnation...
Notes: If I give only the surname of the Auror, but not the name, it's on purpose (that's a side-bunny provided by Minx!)... I really would like to thank gnatalie, my glorious and amazing and kind beta-reader and grammar tips provider!
In *Just* Seven Days...
By Drusilla Dax
Oh! Severus knew...
Really, he did.
He knew the gods loved to have fun with his life *and* his sanity (they had made him join Voldemort for the stupidest reason ever, they had sent him back to Hogwarts for years to teach - him! Teaching! For the love of Merlin! He'd hated the brats when he was one of them, and he had not changed his mind over the years, because there was *nothing* wrong with his mind).
Now... Now he was going back to his rooms in the dungeons at Hogwarts. The only thing he wanted was to lie down and never wake up, ever again.
Over the past week, his whole world had collapsed.
It had all started with the last raid of Voldemort.
Minerva McGonagall had been killed while she tried to protect one of the Aurors involved in the fight.
Young Hermione Granger had died too... in childbirth. Quite a stupid accident: the combination of an incompetent mediwizard and a Ministry Officer of State Security announcing her that her companion had been taken and killed, and her poor heart had failed her. Yet, her companion was not dead. Well, he was not dead at the time, but now... he was an empty shell, a ghost unable to react and take care of his daughter, and even after years of hatred, the look in Sirius Black's eyes when Severus had met him at St Mungo's had made the Potions master want to cry. Even the kiss of a Dementor would have been more human: Black was destroyed and he had not even acknowledged the other deaths.
Not even the death of Harry Potter.
Harry...
The green-eyed miracle who had managed to survive for twenty-four years after his first encounter with the Dark Lord.
Famous Potter, who had finally grown into a gentle young man, with whom Severus had kept working even after his graduation.
Harry had been buried this morning.
That was a very nice last straw. Severus didn't know why he had survived, but enough was enough.
Severus opened his door, walked into his bedroom and lay down on the bed, and decided that it *was* enough. He would never leave that bed. The game was over.
Severus closed his eyes, and prayed not to open them again.
Whatever happened to... 'leave me alone' ?
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick had taken to doing exactly the same: the day Voldemort attacked, and again the day before, when he had come to fetch him to go to the burial.
If people meant to keep invading his rooms, he might as well leave the door open...
"I'm sorry, Severus," Professor Flitwick said, "But Albus told me to wake you up. It's time to go to the burial..."
Severus jumped out of bed, and blinked several times before saying, "Who else do we have to bury ?"
Flitwick walked to the Potions master's side and patted his hand. "I'm *really* sorry Severus, but Harry is gone... It's not a nightmare... Now you should get dressed. The ceremony will start in an hour," and with those words, the Charms teacher left.
Severus thought he had gone mad for two whole seconds. Then...
Then he heard the alien 'tick, tock' of a clock.
He left his bed, and found Albus Dumbledore's clock on the mantelpiece. He took it and literally ran to the Headmaster's office. From the other end of the corridor he shouted "Calisson!" to the gargoyle which opened just in time to let him in.
Albus was dressed in black, a colour which did *not* suit him at all, and he was sitting by the empty fireplace.
There was a terrible sadness in his eyes. Yet, there was also a spark of hope, and when he saw what Severus was carrying, the old wizard even smiled.
"So, it has chosen you, my dear..." he announced calmly.
"Chosen ? What... ?" Severus started, "Listen Albus, I don't know why you brought your clock to my rooms. The last week has been extremely painful for all of us, and I do not need that kind of invasion... And I will not stand your twisted sense of humour with your sending Flitwick to invite me to come to Harry's funeral when we buried him yesterday."
"But we didn't..."
"Are you mad, Albus ? We put Harry's coffin next to his parents' yesterday!" Severus suddenly felt terribly sad. He put the clock on the Headmaster's desk and sat down in one of the chairs in front of it.
"Severus... That 'clock' is not *mine*. It was made by the Founders. It went to you, because it chose you," Albus explained.
The Potions master only blinked. Repeatedly.
"If it went to you," Albus sighed, "I might as well tell you what it does... Have you ever wondered why it's commonly believed that the Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses know almost everything ?"
Severus nodded.
"That's because we've been chosen by the clock, and when something goes wrong, it brings us back in time, like a Time-Turner acting on its own. And it allows us to correct things," the old wizard revealed.
"Why was it in my room ?" Severus asked.
"The clock has chosen you to be the next Headmaster, and, judging by your reaction to the news that Harry's burial is to take place in a few moments, I would say that it has decided to give you a mission," Albus offered.
"A mission ?"
"What would you do if you were given the opportunity to change things ?" Albus wondered, knowing perfectly well that the clock was listening to the conversation... After all, his predecessor had trapped him in the exact same way!
"I would save our friends. Minerva... Hermione... and Harry... I would kill Voldemort myself, and I would recommend his soul to the lowest sub-demons," Severus vowed.
For the first time since the attack, Albus smiled.
Severus sighed and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was once more in his bed...
First opportunity
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick came in. Severus was a little bit disoriented, but he heard the clock signalling its presence, and he remembered Albus's words about a mission.
"What's happening ?" he asked his fellow professor.
"Members of the Order have taken some Death Eaters... The Dark Lord will attack Hogwarts today," Flitwick announced.
Severus gasped.
Flitwick thought it was the dreadful news, but Severus had just registered that, if he was not right now in some extremely realistic dream, his friends were alive. And he might save them...
Severus told Flitwick that he would go and see Albus straight away.
He left the clock where it was, but ran (again) to Albus's office.
"Albus! The clock is in my room. How do I proceed now ?" the younger wizard asked, slightly breathless.
The Headmaster offered him one of the happiest smiles Severus had ever seen, but declared, "I'm sorry to inform you that you are alone in this... *You* have to find the way... I know you will, I've always known you'd do great things."
"Did you often have to do *this*, Albus ?" Severus wondered, thinking that it was not the kind of life and the kind of stress he could stand for long.
"Don't worry, there have been only a few hiccups... And... Severus, there are things that you will not be able to change... I never arrived on time to save James and Lily. For some reasons, unknown to me, they had to leave us..." Albus said.
"But what do I do now ?" Severus mused.
"I let my instinct lead me, but maybe you should work from your logic..."
"Yes... Logic... Thank you, Albus..." and a plan was already forming in the Potions master's mind.
He thought he had to work chronologically, which meant he had to save Minerva first...
He thought that he would *only* have to tell her to avoid the Great Hall when Voldemort would attack, and that their friendship and the respect they had for each other in spite of House rivalries would prevent her from going to the room where she would meet her end.
Several hiccups of the clock proved to him that he was wrong: each and every time she went and protected the Auror.
Severus thought that, fortunately, the clock was not a sadist: as soon as he failed in this, he was brought back and was granted a new chance to save his friend.
It took him time to figure out the only reason why she would go and die, protecting the young man, even if the near improbability of that reason explained Severus's slowness in his reasoning.
Severus went to Minerva's office and confronted her: "You're in love with Weasley," he said by way of introduction.
She immediately became redder than a Gryffindor banner.
"Minerva," he went on, "I do not know if *this* is the right way to convince you of the danger of the situation, but I * know* what is going to happen in a few hours, and if you blindly jump into the battle, you will be killed by Lucius... Minerva, in his eyes I have seen his soul become dull when he held your body... You two could have a happy life. This is all I wish you, but you have to survive the battle..."
She nodded.
When Voldemort and Malfoy came into the Great Hall, Lucius aimed at Weasley, but Minerva yelled "Expelliarmus!" and Lucius's wand jumped out of his reach.
Severus knew that he had finally found the way to save Minerva, and Weasley. But, though he did his best, and his old companion and Voldemort were finally killed for good, Harry died in battle, and by the time he thought of Hermione, it was already too late...
That night, as he went to bed, Albus's words were ringing in his ears: "Severus, there are things that you will not be able to change"... and that made him cry...
Second opportunity
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick came in.
Severus heard the clock.
He was instantly wide awake.
And full of hope.
"What's the matter ?" he asked eagerly.
"Members of the Order have taken some Death Eaters... The Dark Lord will attack Hogwarts today," Flitwick announced.
Severus jumped out of bed and told the other professor that he was going to see Albus.
On his way, Severus reflected that now that he had found the proper words to deal with Minerva, he had to save Harry. He perfectly knew what was going to happen during that particular battle: he had lived it too many times for his taste. He knew which hexes and curses would be thrown, by whom, and in which order.
Severus whispered "Calisson," to the gargoyle which opened, with a smile.
"Good morning, Albus, your clock has chosen me and I'm working on my 'mission'," the Potions master quietly informed his employer and friend.
Albus smiled, and offered a lemon drop, which, to his utter surprise, was accepted. Severus was still rolling the sweet on his tongue, when he noticed that the Sorting Hat was, well, regarding him. And he suddenly had an idea to save Harry.
"Have you ever killed two birds with one stone, Albus ?" he asked dreamily.
The Headmaster only chuckled, guessing that mentioning Sirius and Buckbeak might *not* be wise...
Severus rose from the chair where he had settled, and he took the Sorting Hat. As soon as it left its shelf, the sword of Gryffindor landed on Severus's left foot. He hissed in pain, but thanked the Hat nonetheless.
He went to warn Minerva with Godric's blade hidden in the folds of his robes.
The first time he tried to kill Voldemort with the sword, before the latter cast the Killing Curse on Harry, he only injured the Dark Lord, and he was attacked by Lucius.
Severus had to learn some basic fencing...
A few hiccups later, he was reasonably proficient.
When he took the Sorting Hat in Albus's office, he caught the sword as soon as it was released.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"You're welcome," Albus said.
::I think it was meant for me:: the Hat said.
Severus smiled. Albus blinked.
"Do you think Evil should be fought with its own weaponry ?" Severus asked his mentor.
"If you can remember your own path... Yes, I think so," the old wizard answered.
Once Minerva had disarmed Lucius, Severus plunged the blade into the Death Eater's heart. He fell silently on the ground.
Voldemort turned to face Severus.
When he beheaded Voldemort, the Potions master was already whispering a curse aimed at the Dark Lord's soul.
The Killing Curse died on Voldemort's lips as entities were already dragging him towards the lowest circles of Hell.
All the people present shouted with joy. The Aurors immediately took care of the remains of the Dark Lord.
Severus was a little surprised, not that his curse worked, but that he felt Gryffindor helping him in his move with the sword... He guessed that if the clock had appeared in his rooms, it meant that the spirits of the four founders approved of him... He no longer had to think exclusively as a Slytherin.
Now... Hermione... Her child needed her, and Sirius shouldn't have to go through that. Remembering his former enemy's look when the mediwizard told him that Hermione had died made Severus shiver once again. He knew he needed help.
"Harry!" he called over the endless manifestations of joy.
The young wizard made his way towards his former professor, "Yes, Severus ?"
"Do you know where Sirius might be ?"
"He's with Remus in Oxford, why ?" the young man wondered.
"You have to go and bring him to St Mungo's, Hermione is having the baby, and she will need him," Severus told him.
"Do you mean to go for Trelawney's job, Severus ?" Harry said incredulously.
"Will you do as I say, Harry ? It's vital for her," Severus insisted.
"I trust you!" Harry didn't say more. He fought to run out to disapparate to his godfather.
Severus gave the sword back to Albus and ran to disapparate to the hospital.
There, he was told that Hermione was already in labour but that nothing was wrong, and since he was not a member of her family, he had to wait outside the delivery room. He never saw the MOSS arriving, he only heard Hermione last shout when the man announced Sirius's death.
When Severus entered the room, she was already dead. He collapsed on the floor. He had failed. Harry arrived minutes too late, and he spent the rest of the day cursing himself for not having been able to locate Sirius and Remus sooner in the Bodleian. Remus took care of the child while the mediwizards had to sedate Sirius.
Severus went back to his rooms.
He was greeted by the chiming of the clock. As he went to bed, he murmured, "Please".
Third opportunity
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick came in.
Severus jumped out of bed asking, "Is Voldemort coming ?"
"Ye... Yes. How do you know ?" Flitwick wondered.
Yet, the Charms professor was in for one more surprise, because on his way out, the Potions master hugged him as he announced his going to Albus's office.
That time, the beheading of Voldemort was even easier.
Severus had had some time to see the flaw in his first approach, and when Harry had finally reached him, he gave him precise directions, "Hermione is having the baby. I will fetch Sirius and bring him to St Mungo's as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I want you to go and stay with her. I want you to use your name if necessary, but you *must* be in the room where she is... It seems that our beloved Ministry is about to make some blunder. If she were to be told that something happened to Sirius, she would not survive it. Will you help me protect her ?"
"Are you sure that Sirius is all right ?" Harry inquired, rather pale suddenly.
"Quite!"
"Do you mean to go for Trelawney's job, Severus ?" Harry said incredulously.
"Will you stop making silly suggestions and do as I say, Mr Potter ? It's vital for her," Severus almost growled.
"Yes, sir! I do trust you!" Harry declared as he started running towards the door.
Severus, the happy father-to-be and the grinning werewolf apparated in the very room where Hermione was in labour and where Harry Potter had stunned the MOSS who had forced the door. Severus refused to leave Hermione's side, which was for the best since the mediwizard almost gave her the wrong potion to ease her pain. Remus led the mediwizard out while the three other wizards delivered Hermione and Sirius's daughter.
Some hours later, Poppy Pomfrey came to the rescue and pronounced mother and daughter fit to go back to their home. She had some doubts about the father who was grinning like a Cheshire-Cat and wild with joy.
Before taking his child and partner back into their nest, Sirius took Severus aside.
"Look, Snape... I owe you more than my life... I just don't know what to say..." Sirius said.
"Then say nothing," Severus offered.
"But with our past..." Sirius started.
"Don't you think it's time for the both of us to behave like adults ?"
Sirius was seriously taken aback, but he nodded nonetheless.
Both men shook hands.
"Don't you want to come with us ?" Harry offered, as they finally all stood in front of the hospital, Hermione on a floating bed with her daughter.
"Yes, Severus, come with us," the young mother said.
"Thank you, but I suspect that I shall be required at Hogwarts," he answered.
"Come and visit us soon," Hermione said with a huge smile.
Severus couldn't help caress her cheek, and he nodded before disapparating.
Severus spent the whole afternoon chatting with Albus about the duties inherent to what seemed to be his new charge, and he went to bed smiling, knowing that for the first time in many years, he would sleep well, lulled by the clock...
What's wrong ?
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick came in.
Severus fluently shouted some very colourful swearwords, and ran to Albus.
The future-Headmaster-trapped-in-a-very-unpleasant-mission exposed his situation: he had done everything he had initially planned to do, so why on earth was he still stuck in the same day ?
Albus explained that as long as the clock considered that it was not *perfect* he would go on living the same thing. The old wizard also evoked the possibility that the clock might be offering him some time for himself, some time to do exactly what *he* wanted. Albus revealed that while the clock was having those hiccups, Severus would be the only one to remember everything, but he could read, do research, travel the world and as long as the clock allowed it he would not change, or age. Albus said that it was an invaluable opportunity to come into control of one's life...
First, since Severus had all his afternoons 'free', he started reading: potions books (roaming the Restricted Section, and then travelling abroad), spells and charms books, and finally Muggle books - those his family had always despised. He discovered a whole new world. He befriended librarians, bookstore owners, and even some Muggles who recommended him some very good novels and amazing pieces of poetry...
One afternoon, as he was reading Michelangelo's Sonnets, he came face to face with... himself, and he froze.
"Exactly my point!" his own image in the mirror said.
"What ?" he answered.
"Of course, brewing potions with students is not ideal, but you could do something about the way you look," the mirror said.
"I don't have time for trifles!"
"You do now..." the mirror hinted.
Severus closed his book and glared at his image, "And, pray, what should I do ?"
His image started counting on his fingers, "Since you're a wizard and you can use Cleaning Charms, you could stop wearing black," the image held out his hand to stop the protestations of Severus, "I *know* that you like it, but some real colours would be nice, maybe some green, like a good Slytherin. You could either stop drinking that awfully strong tea or prepare some decent potion to get rid of the stains on your teeth, you could do something about your hair, and finally you could go outside to read, you'd get some colour on your cheeks... Otherwise, you'll end up looking like Binns..."
"You make sense," Severus thought. His own image snorted and that experience was somewhat disturbing.
In the privacy of his rooms, Severus tried to change the colour of his robes, but not the cut, for he liked it. He finally decided to wear a very nice emerald green... The exact colour of...
He tried stopping drinking his tea, and soon decided that a potion would perfectly do the trick.
He tried cutting his hair, but he and his mirror gasped in horror in a perfect chorus. He tried to have it longer, adding in his magic a spell to protect it against potions fumes, and he and his image decided that they liked it.
He took his books to the greenhouse, and with the help of a spell, his cheeks soon took on a healthy colour.
Finally, he started accepting Hermione's invitation instead of going back to Hogwarts.
He seized that opportunity to discover who the people with whom he had been working for years really were.
The respect Remus and Hermione had for him deeply touched him.
He took time to understand how Sirius's brain worked...
His most pleasant discovery was Harry. Harry with whom he now spent entire evenings sharing memories and thoughts.
Thanks to his chats with Harry, going through the same fight every day was less and less tedious.
Another opportunity ?
Someone was pounding on the door.
Someone was forcing the spells on his doors, taking off the wards he had put on his private quarters... Flitwick came in, ready to deliver his message, but the sight of slightly tanned Potions master wearing green robes and with shiny black hair down to his waist left him speechless.
Severus tickled the gargoyle that day, and it happily grinned.
Albus grinned as well.
Minerva squeaked when she saw him. She recovered just in time for her daily blush about the Auror.
Voldemort gasped when he turned around and he reacted even less than usual.
Harry obeyed more rapidly, and there was a twinkle in his eyes.
Severus brought Sirius to Hermione as the MOSS was trying to come in the room, and the wizard swooned when he saw the Animagus apparating.
That time, Severus had Remus kick the mediwizard out of the room even before the wrong potion was offered.
In front of the hospital, he gladly accepted his daily treat and went with his friends back to their home in the suburbs of London.
For the first time, it occurred to him to ask the name of the baby as they drove in a car provided by the Ministry. He saw Hermione and Sirius trade an anxious look, and the Animagus decided to let the mother speak.
"We were wondering if you would accept to be her godfather," Hermione asked.
Severus gulped and said, "But Harry or Remus would be a more logical choice."
"My Curse prevents me from ever being godfather material, but it doesn't mean I cannot spoil her," Remus declared.
"And if I understand correctly, I would be her other godfather," Harry added.
Severus looked at Sirius who nodded to show he totally agreed to this.
"I would be honoured to become this young lady's godfather, then," Severus announced.
Hermione was sitting next to him. She handed him her daughter, and hugging him, she whispered, "I want to call her 'Severa'".
Severus smiled. He would have to find something else to suggest, even if he had to admit that Severa Black sounded good... Well, *his* tomorrow would be another today and he would offer another name.
At dusk, Severus took his glass and went out on the porch. Like that character in the Muggle fairy tale, he would have to go back before long to Hogwarts and the clock which would bring him back to *this* morning.
Thinking of the day made him chuckle, and the sound attracted Harry Potter towards the dark corner where Severus had taken refuge.
"What's funny, Severus ?" the green-eyed wizard asked.
"This day."
"Yes, the end of Voldemort, Severa... and your new look, all in one day, that was a funny day... Quite impressive beheading by the way! I didn't know you could do that," Harry teased him.
Severus laughed heartily, and for the first time, he discussed the clock with someone else than Albus, telling Harry about what had been happening to him, explaining the hiccups of the clock. He had to use some of the secrets Harry had told him during their evening chats so that the young wizard believed him...
"I can tell you how I feel because, tomorrow I will wake up having to live the same day again, and you won't remember that I've come to love you," Severus said without thinking.
"Are you drunk, Severus ?" Harry asked wonderingly.
The Potions master laughed again, rather nervously that time.
"What ?" the younger wizard asked.
"Thank Merlin you won't remember that tomorrow, because I've just realized that I don't even know if it's the kind of relationship that would interest you... With a man, I mean...It's just that since your crush on Miss Chang, I've never seen you with a witch," Severus confessed.
"For a very good reason," Harry said, and he gently kissed the man beside him.
Severus and Harry hastily said goodbye to their friends, and returned to Hogwarts.
In early July, there were no students to worry about, and the members of the staff who had been staying over for various Order missions were all out celebrating.
Severus and Harry walked hand in hand down to the dungeons.
Severus unlocked his door and let Harry in first. The clock greeted them.
As Harry walked towards it, Severus thought that it was years since he last had had a lover. He wasn't even sure he had some proper lubricant in his rooms, and he didn't like to have to resort to spells for *that*. He knew he could be better prepared for 'tomorrow', but this night was simply too important: Harry might not remember it, and Severus was not even certain that this gift would be granted again, but Severus wanted their night together to be... the best, for the both of them.
Swiftly, Severus got rid of his robes and jacket.
When Harry turned around, his lover-to-be was wearing extremely well-fitting black trousers and a light white shirt. The younger wizard was properly fascinated by the new length of Severus's hair.
Slowly walking towards Severus, Harry asked, "Did it take you long ?"
"All the improvements ?" the mirror intervened.
Harry was slightly surprised, but he nodded to answer the reflection.
"It took me some time to accept what was going on and to accept that I could be someone different from what my family and my former friends wanted me to be," Severus confessed, as he took small steps towards Harry.
"You always were fascinating, but I feel I'm going to love the new Severus even more," Harry announced.
The green-eyed wizard started unbuttoning Severus's shirt.
"When did you start finding me fascinating ?" Severus asked, unable to believe his ears, but divesting Harry of his robes and finding beneath faded Muggle jeans, and a black t-shirt with a pink triangle... whatever that was.
"Oh... Some months after we started to work together for the Order. You no longer had to try to teach me anything, and you started treating me like an adult. Where everybody saw the Boy-Who-Lived-and-Graduated, you only saw potential... I'm grateful for that, but I have to tell you that your teaching method sucks!" Harry said, his fingertips barely daring to touch Severus's chest.
The Potions master's breathing became erratic, but he managed to defend his position on two fronts: he declared that his method in the classroom *was* efficient and, yes, he *had* statistics to prove his point, and he removed the annoying t-shirt using magic.
When Harry took him in his arms, Severus acknowledged for the first time that the young man was almost as tall as he was... He had not really paid attention before... and right now, all coherent thoughts threatened to leave him: it had been so long since he had been touched that all his nerve endings began a symphony and requested attention.
"So soft," Harry whispered, reverently touching Severus's collarbone with feathery kisses.
As much as he was enjoying... everything, Severus caressed Harry's cheeks to get his attention. When the young man stopped, he finally said, "It's been a *very* long time for me since I last..." Merlin! To his own ears he sounded pitiful.
Harry blushed a Gryffindor shade of red, and answered, "I'm not exactly an expert, you know."
"You're not..." Severus asked in a panic.
Harry chuckled softly, and said, "I can still count my lovers on one hand, but I'm not a virgin, Severus."
They resumed their gentle caresses and added kisses which grew wilder, more intense and heated. At one point, their knees met with the bed, and they slid onto it on their sides. How they had made the trip there, they never knew.
All they knew now was that they needed to get rid of their trousers and whatever underwear they had... and, oh, get some lubricant!
Severus attacked the buttons on Harry's jeans, and the young man wiggled out of those, taking off his shorts in the process.
That sight made Severus gasp.
Harry grinned, put his glasses on the bedside table, and uttered a spell to divest his companion of his trousers. When he discovered that Severus was naked underneath, it was his turn to gasp.
With a mischievous grin, Severus took advantage and moved first. His lips trailed a path of kisses from Harry's neck down to his navel, paying extreme attention to his nipples. Meanwhile, Harry was caressing his lover's back and hair; his regular moaning was only occasionally interrupted by 'Oh! God!'.
Then, with an enthusiasm Harry had not experienced yet, Severus directed all his care to the throbbing shaft practically against his nose now.
"Hello, you," Severus whispered.
Harry felt his cock give a twitch, and he blushed again, embarrassed to have a part of him answer a greeting without his permission. He was not embarrassed for long because when Severus licked his tip like an eager child devouring his first ice-cream, Harry's brain melted. From his previous experiences, Severus remembered to be attuned to the reactions of his lover, and some licking, sucking and stroking later, not much, mind you, Harry experienced what he thought must be the best orgasm in history...
Severus had been unable to swallow all of the seed, and he was busy with a handkerchief when Harry regained the basic control of a minimum of brain cells.
The young man kiss his lover to thank him and asked him if he had cream in his bathroom.
Severus had the strange feeling that butterflies were trying to steal his heart.
"Resourceful Gryffindor!" he exclaimed, and added, "Accio cream!"
When the small pot jumped into Severus's hand, Harry took hold of one of the pillows and rolled on his belly.
Severus could not yet believe what was happening.
Spreading his legs with all the agility of a well-trained Quidditch player, Harry turned his head around and said, "I want you inside of me..."
Answering that Siren call, Severus put some cream on his now aching shaft, and he put some more on his fingers, when Harry turned around once more, and begged, "Now, please!"
Carefully and lovingly, Severus soon found himself sheathed in Harry.
The urge to move took the both of them, and predictably, neither lasted long.
When Severus left his lover's body, he tried to compensate the loss by spooning him.
"Sweet Merlin!" Harry said, still panting, "That was amazing!"
"Thank you, Mr Potter," Severus murmured in his lover's neck.
"You *are* amazing, Severus, but it's everything that we did tonight that is amazing. I've never felt better in my *whole* life. As if I belong in your arms..." the young wizard deciphered.
"Oh!"
That would be interesting to elaborate in the next hiccups, Severus thought with a smile...
Harry slightly turned to kiss him good night, and declared, "I love you too, you know."
Severus kissed his lover and tightened his grip on his chest.
Both fell asleep happier than they had ever been in their entire lives.
Someone was pounding on the door.
"Yes, I know! I must save the world... Again," Severus growled, and he started to get up.
A strong hand grabbed him, and he found himself in the arms of Harry Potter. A grinning Harry Potter.
"Not this morning my dear, it seems that you're on towards your next adventure," the green-eyed wizard purred.
The pounding resumed.
With a flick of his wand, Harry opened the door, and Albus practically ran into the room.
"Good morning, my dear children," Albus happily said.
"Morning, Albus!" Harry answered, still holding his lover tight.
"Since the clock is still here, it means that the school has chosen you... I'm retiring to the south of France. I'll send owls and sweets... Have fun!" and with those words, he jogged out.
"What did he mean 'the school has chosen you' ?" Harry wondered.
"He means the school made me the Headmaster," Severus almost whined, holding Harry back.
The young wizard softly laughed.
"Don't laugh! You're taking the Potions class!" Severus announced.
Harry searched the eyes of his lover. When he was certain that Severus was not joking, he sealed his contract with a kiss, and added, "Yes, Headmaster Snape, but only if I can share your bed..."
"We have an agreement, Professor Potter."
After that first experiment, the clock had very few hiccups.
It allowed the Hogwarts Headmaster and Potions master to live a long life together. It even allowed them to die together, in their sleep, in their bed.
Their goddaughter, Severa Weasley, née Black, became the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Finis