Chapter 5: The Morning After

When Harry awoke the next morning, he was aware of two things. The first was the warmth and weight of the comforter over him. The second was that he was definitely the only person in the bed. He blinked awake and rolled over, fumbling for his glasses, though he had no idea where he'd left them. He patted at the nightstand blindly.

"A bit to the left," Severus said. Harry grabbed them and sat up. Okay, time to take stock. This wasn't Gryffindor Tower. Good. And he was clean, but naked. That was promising. And his ass felt kind of numb. Wonderful. And Severus Snape was standing only a foot away, putting two cups of tea and a plate of fruit slices on the nightstand. He was wearing pants, but nothing else. Disappointing, but excellent. Add it all up and it was proof that last night wasn't just an incredibly vivid dream. Harry grinned brightly up at his lover and smirked at the way the older man's gaze slid away from his almost shyly as he sat on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around Snape's shoulders. The man tensed a bit and Harry frowned. "Don't," he said sternly.

"Don't?" Snape asked.

"Don't start over-analyzing it all now. It's too late. I like you. You like me. I'm of age," he smirked a bit as he added, "and you're not so old that you can't keep up."

"That is not the problem," Severus protested weakly. "You're a teenage boy. A student. You're expected to do reckless, childish things. But I...at my age I should be able to control myself."

Harry sighed. "Have you ever thought that maybe what you really need is someone who it's okay to lose control around once in a while? Honestly, do I have to think of everything?" he teased. "Do I have to distract you out of your over-used brain again, because I'm willing," he added, nipping lightly at the older man's shoulder.

"Stop that. Go shower. Try to think of something to tell your friends when they ask why you never made it back to the dorms last night."

"I fell asleep studying in the library."

"Something people will actually believe, Harry," Snape sighed, but Harry heard a slight hint of exasperated amusement in his voice.

"Oh, I know. I was having sex."

"Harry!"

"Not with you. I mean, who would ever believe that?" He straddled Severus's hips playfully. I mean, if I told people that my type was broody dark haired older men full of biting sarcasm and shy smiles, they'd either think I was joking, or tell me such a person didn't exist, right?"

"...I'm not broody."

Harry smirked against his throat. "I could have called you snarky."

"...fine," Severus answered. "I'm broody, then."

"Just leave the excuses to me. After all these years, I've gotten rather good at them." Harry stopped further protests with a deep kiss and was rewarded by Severus Snape's arms wrapping around him.

Around eleven, Harry walked into Charms with a note from Madam Pomfrey stating that he'd just been released after a fever that had overtaken him during detention last night.

"Right in front of Snape?" Ron leaned over and whispered. "That's rough."

Harry was barely able to keep himself from grinning. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," he replied before changing the subject. "What's with Hermoine?"

"She's been like that since breakfast. I managed to get out of Parvati that they were playing that compatibility thing this morning, haven't been able to get a word out of her since. Girls are just weird, ya know. It's just a game."

"Oh, I dunno. I hear they can be alarmingly accurate," Harry answered casually.

A silence passed. "Harry you...uh...I mean...you don't really think..." Maybe Harry shouldn't have said that. Ron was obviously thinking of Snape.

"No way!" Harry answered in a harsh whisper. He had to change the subject quickly. "I mean, come on, Ron. Don't even joke. Seamus and Viktor Krum? That's impossible."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right. It's just, you know," Ron grinned. "Seamus IS really obsessed with Quidditch, huh?"

"Totally."

It probably wouldn't take his friends long to put two and two together once Hermoine was feeling like herself again, but until then, Harry didn't want to share the real Severus Snape with anyone.

~ The End ~

A/N: There is a Viktor/Seamus fic called 'Rival Hearts' that serves as a prequel to this story.