Title: The Lupent

Author: Regal Baring

Disclaimer: I don't own, JKR does (which incidentally means no profit for me), I just twist them for my wonderful, evil pleasure.

Pairing: HP/SS, HP/RL

Warning: Explicit slash, homoerotic content between men

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Chapter 3

The Deal

The rest of August passed quietly by almost without notice. Harry's Occlumency lessons continued with Snape in the cellar, who was his usual cantankerous and ill-tempered self. They continued shooting expletives back and forth, which was rather cathartic for Harry, and never failed to bring a smirk to Snape's thin, pale lips.

On one such occasion, to Snape's malicious delight, Harry was sprawled out on the floor in an ungainly position after having cracked the back of his head on the unforgiving stone, and was staring dazedly up at the ceiling.

"Come now, Potter, is that all you have to give? Really, the Dark Lord will have no problem defeating you if that is all the effort you are going to be putting into your studies," Snape sneered.

"Snape," Harry began, "you are a git."

"Please, spare me the adolescent retorts and remove yourself from the floor," Snape ordered imperiously. He stood aloof, arms crossed over his chest, and tapping his wand against his shoulder in impatience. Harry hated him.

Harry crawled to his hands and knees, panting with the effort, and a splitting headache pounding at his temples. When he felt warmth trickling down his cheeks to drip on the floor, he raised one hand with difficulty to touch his chin, smearing the blood along his face. He gazed with a dimly puzzled expression at the thick, viscous fluid.

"It's blood, imbecile," Snape informed him, watching with careless eyes at the boy stared stupidly at his hand. He felt no twinge of regret at the boy's wound, and did not offer to heal the tender skin of the boy's scalp.

"I know that you greasy bastard," Harry panted, stumbling to his feet to weave woozily.

"I have told you before to address me in the proper manner I deserve, and I will not disregard any more foolish words," Snape threatened, his wand hand twitching with the repressed desire to smack the boy upside the head.

"Oh, well excuse me. I meant to say, Sir Greasy Bastard," Harry said cheekily, before collapsing back to the stone floor in exhaustion.

Severus snorted before leaving the cellar without a backward glance. He smirked sinisterly in pleasure when he passed an obviously trepid Lupin, who shot a worried glance at the swinging door of the underground training room.

"What have you done to him, Snape?" Lupin asked quietly, still gazing at the door.

"Nothing the idiot didn't deserve, Lupin," Snape replied with obvious enjoyment.

Remus said nothing, but made his way carefully to the door and began to descend the stairs, but stopped when he heard the Potion master's voice.

"Perhaps I should follow as a chaperone, Lupin. One never knows what a beast will do, after all," he said softly.

Lupin turned with a quizzical look upon his weary-lined features. "Harry wouldn't hurt me, Professor."

"I wasn't talking about the boy, Lupin," Snape said, his eyes as fierce as a hawk, his face carefully masked as he took in the man's suddenly pale features. "Oh yes, I saw that little incident in your bedroom in the boy's thoughts, though he doesn't seem to know that I noticed. It really was quite amusing, but I only wonder what Dumbledore would make of the information."

There was silence between the men before Remus finally spoke up, calm despite Snape's wishes for a babbling werewolf with something to lose.

"Do what you must, Professor," was all Remus would say as he continued on his way to the bottom of the steps.

Snape watched the stiffened back of the werewolf fade from sight, and was strangely disoriented. He had expected something different; there was no smear on his conscience at the subdued threat to the werewolf's livelihood, but more irritating was the flicker of jealousy that lurked in the back of his mind at the repeating image of the boy locked in the other man's embrace. He left in with a swirl of robes that would have impressed even Dumbledore, had anyone been there to witness his tactical retreat.

-------------------

Remus calmly helped Harry to his feet, murmuring in his soothing lilt as he led the boy back to his room upstairs.

"It's okay Harry, I'll help you," Remus said softly, as he pulled the boy gently to his feet. When Harry showed signs of drifting back down towards the floor, he quickly wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders in an effort to steady him. He tried to ignore the warm press of Harry's body against his side as he helped lead him to the steps.

"Hn, sorry Remus," Harry muttered groggily as he gradually made his way up the wooden steps, holding the rail tightly in his grip.

"It's alright, just be careful," he cautioned, ducking his head to avoid the low ceiling and was inadvertently able to smell the scent of citrus in the boy's hair. It made his nose twitch, and while it was unexpected, it wasn't unpleasant. He could swear he recognized that smell from somewhere…but he only shrugged, forgetting the scent in order to watch carefully as Harry dragged his feet up the steps.

When Remus finally exited with Harry in tow, he found the venomous Snape had left and could only feel relief. The man was truly a tortuous presence to bear.

But changing his mind, Remus instead headed towards the kitchen after noticing the gory head wound which needed healing. It was the perfect opportunity for Remus to set things right.

"Wha' we're doin'?" Harry mumbled, stumbling with the man into kitchen.

"I need to take care of your head wound, Harry," Remus said softly, "and there are a few things I want to talk to you about."

"If 's 'bout the kiss, don' worry 'bout it," Harry slurred, slumping down into the kitchen chair. "Snape musta done somethin' weird th's time. I've never felt like this b'fore."

"Hush," Remus said, and calmly smoothed Harry's hair away from the back of his head to get a closer look at the wound. Pulling his reading glasses from his robe pocket, he pushed them onto his face and grimaced at the sight of all the blood running down the boy's neck. It didn't seem as if it was serious, but he was bleeding like a stuck pig and it made Remus' nose twitch uncomfortably.

Whispering a healing spell, the wound quickly closed up before Remus grabbed a towel to wipe away the mess left behind. He also incanted a spell to help Harry clear his mind of some of the blurriness the blow had inflicted.

"I still feel awful," Harry complained, laying his head down onto his crossed arms on the table tiredly.

"Hmm, you may have a concussion," Remus said thoughtfully, lifting the boy's chin to look into his eyes. Harry's green eyes were shadowed, his pupils dilated so far that you could barely see the color, and he was blinking rapidly. "Yes, I believe you do. I'm going to have to firecall Madame Pomfrey and see what she says about this."

As Remus moved to hurry towards the fireplace to make his call, Harry reached out and grabbed his arm, halting his departure.

"Please, can you tell me what you wanted to talk about first?" Harry asked, his fingers pressed to his temple in obvious discomfort but his face set determinedly.

"Your health is first priority," Remus answered gently. "I must call her first."

"No," Harry said stubbornly. "This is the first time you've talked to me since…well, that incident, and I want you to keep talking to me."

Remus looked ashamed of himself. "I don't blame you for what happened Harry. I'm sorry I haven't been around much."

"It's not that you haven't been around, it's that you just stay locked up in your room all the time. We don't even eat together!" Harry said, his voice betraying his anger and hurt.

Remus glanced down at his feet in apology. "I am sorry Harry. I never meant to desert you," he whispered.

Harry glanced away from the man, missing the tremble Remus gave before he could control himself. "Yeah, well it doesn't mean much now. Since Tthe summer is almost over, I'll be leaving for Hogwarts soon, and then I really won't be able to talk to you."

"I'll still be visiting Hogwarts, Harry. I'll come to see you as often as I can. And maybe we could spend Christmas break here," Remus soothed, stroking the boy's hair before he could catch himself. But Harry didn't seem to mind, moving fluidly under his palm as a cat would, seeking more of the comforting stroke. Remus couldn't contain his smile; Harry really was part cat in many ways, but his loyalty stamped of a wolf.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry pressed, still shivering under the calm, soothing caress.

"Well, I wanted to give you your birthday present," Remus said kindly, smiling at Harry's blatant look of surprised delight.

"I thought you had forgotten," Harry admitted, watching eagerly as Remus withdrew a small, thin envelope from his robe pocket.

Handing it over with a calm, if rather expressionless face, Remus tried to watch in detachment while Harry ripped it open in barely contained enthusiasm.

"It's…oh Merlin…it's a picture of my father," Harry whispered reverently, stroking the moving wizard picture in front of him. It was obviously old as the sides were beginning to peel and curl inward, and there was a faint crease down the middle, but Harry ignored the evidence of the wear and tear. He was shocked into silence as he watched the Lupent stroll casually around the picture frame, smiling in a whimsical cat-like way at Harry, extending a paw towards his omnipresent son.

"Dad," he said, his voice strangled. To see the evidence of his father looking almost identical as he did made his eyes sting bitterly. He was overjoyed with the gift, but it was a shadowed joy; he wished his father had been present at his first transformation.

"Thank you Remus," he said shyly, looking up with wide eyes. "I'll never forget this."

"Your welcome, Harry," Remus said softly. "He would have wanted you to know that he would have understood your feelings, and he would have wished he could be here to help you."

Harry could only nod, looking in fascination at the identical Lupent with hazel eyes staring back at him in amusement. James Potter twisted his body around in amazing figure eights, showing off to Harry with pride. Harry laughed out loud when the young Lupent in front of him got tangled up in his own body, falling roughly to the grass at his feet, and huffing in mock anger at his son's laughter.

"This is a wonderful gift, Remus. The best I could have asked for," Harry said with a brilliant smile. "But," he began, confused, "why didn't you give this to me earlier?"

Remus shrugged uncomfortably. "There just never seemed a right time," he tried to defend.

"There was a month," Harry said shortly, but couldn't help his smile at the low growl the picture uttered. "But its okay, I understand. It would be hard to give this up. It's so lifelike," he said in awe.

"Well, I figured you needed it more than I do," Remus said, trying to ignore the prickle of regret at losing his most valued item. But, he reminded himself, it's going to a son who needs it more.

"I…well, I could never thank you enough," Harry said, getting to his feet slowly.

"Would you like me to help you get to your room?" Remus asked in concern, watching the boy as he moved stiffly away from the kitchen, clutching the wizard photograph to his chest.

"Ah, no, I don't need help," Harry said vaguely before leaving the room to settle into silence.

Remus sat alone for a moment, listening keenly to the sound of Harry shuffling up the stairs to the second floor to his bedroom, and heard the door shut with a soft woosh, as if the boy was trying to be careful not to disturb anyone.

He lowered his head into his hands, cupping his palms over his eyes and blocking out the dim light of the kitchen. Evening was approaching, and he hesitated to move. He wanted to bask in the warmth still left in the kitchen from Harry's presence, remember the smile that had lit up the boy's entire face at his gift, and inhale the scent that haunted his dreams. But as all dreams must come to an end sometime, he had a firecall to make.

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Harry was lying on his back in his comfortable sweat pants sans a shirt, holding the picture above his face, watching with a smile as his father showed off his tricks in front of him. The same strange gurgle Harry had made as a Lupent was emitting from the picture from time to time. Harry wished so badly his father were here right now; they could have prowled together in their Lupent forms, he could have been taught properly how to be a strong wizard, he would never have been left so alone…

The sudden opening of the door surprised him, and in his startlement he rolled off the bed and crashed to the floor. Snape stood there smirking, which sent a flush of humiliation creeping down his cheeks and extended to the tops of his shoulders.

"What do you want?" Harry asked sullenly.

"I was told by that wretched nurse Pomfrey that you were in need of a concussion potion. Was she told wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow of disdain.

"No," Harry muttered, pulling himself back upright, the picture still clutched in his hand.

Severus said nothing, watching the half naked boy stand warily as if he were waiting for another attack similar to this afternoon's lesson. But Snape merely stood waiting at the doorway.

"Well, are you going to give it to me or not?" Harry demanded, still red. He crossed his arms across his bare chest defensively, tucking the picture protectively against his skin.

"Give it to you how?" Snape purred. "Like the wolf did that morning in his bedroom?" he asked, his voice a seductive whip.

Harry paled, the blood draining from his face before he started stumbling over his words. "It-it, well, it was an acc-accident," he tried to explain.

"It didn't seem much like an accident to me," Severus sneered. "It looked like Dumbledore's Golden Boy was enjoying his former Professor far too much."

"I-no, look, it wasn't how it seemed," he stammered pleadingly.

"No? Are you calling me mistaken?" Severus taunted, trapping the boy in his own words.

"Wha-yes, I mean, no, I mean, I don't know-" he abruptly cut himself off. "Look, what do you want?" he asked tiredly.

"Oh, I don't think I like that attitude at all, Potter," Snape said with soft menace. "It seems that you are accusing me of attempting to blackmail a student."

"Well aren't you?" Harry snarled angrily. His flush had returned twofold.

"I think what I want is a simple enough exchange," Snape said, almost hissing his words in delight.

"What do you want?" Harry repeated, lowering his eyes to the floor.

"In return for my silence…well, I suppose you'll just have to accost another Professor and then I won't have reason to go to the Headmaster," Snape said with a far-too-innocent smirk.

"I-what?" Harry gaped incredulously.

"Come now Potter, I didn't think you were this dim," Snape said impatiently. "You heard what I said."

"I heard it, but I can't believe it. Why would you want me to do that?" Harry asked in amazement. "I thought you hated me. I mean, I tried to kill you."

"I do hate you, stupid boy," Snape said, trying to reign in his temper, "and my reasons are not important." Suffice to say, destroying Gryffindor hopes have a high number on my priority list, he thought with grim satisfaction, completely ignoring the reference to the threat on his life. After he got what he wanted, he would have the rest of his life to torture the boy with his slip up.

Of course he felt no need to explain his reasoning to the boy. He hated Lupin, with more passion in his body than he held even for potions or dislike of Potters. To have him crushed under the knowledge that a Slytherin had defeated and stolen from him once again…oh, victory was so sweetly served along with Gryffindor anguish.

-----

Harry knew there was more the story than he was being told, but right at that moment, he couldn't dredge up enough emotions to care. He was in shock. Maybe his concussion was more serious than he had originally thought. He thought he had heard the most hated man on the planet, the greasiest gob of them all, the Potions Professor of Hogwarts with the reputation evil enough to scare first years into wetting themselves…he imagined he had heard that he wanted Harry to kiss him. Kiss him like he had kissed Remus. He almost shuddered in his revulsion. It was going to ruin his memories of kissing far worse than Cho Chang ever could have accomplished with her tear-filled kiss.

"You want…me…to kiss…you?" Harry asked, hoping he had heard wrong.

"Well, I hadn't stuttered," Snape scoffed.

"Oh, but, well, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Harry groped, trying to find a suitable reason. But his mind had gone blank; his system had shut down at the words 'kiss' and 'Snape' in the same sentence.

"And, Potter?" Snape questioned, that damnable eyebrow raised again. "Are you going to give me a reason?"

"Well, I'm not, uh, really feeling my best right now, Professor," Harry said, patting himself silently on the back for the excuse.

"And when has that ever stopped you before?" Snape retorted, his arms crossed and his game face on. He looked ready to haggle.

"I…um…I just wouldn't be able to give it my all?" he squeaked, his eyes squinting shut behind his thick glasses and his thin shoulders raised in a questioning shrug.

While Harry thought that was the lamest answer he had ever given, Snape actually seemed to consider it.

"I do not care to have my kiss be as slobbering as an inexperienced first year, so I suppose a short delay might be in order," he grudgingly admitted. His 'revenge kiss', as he liked to think of it, needed to be perfect. Something to remember on the cold nights ahead he thought while he smirked indiscernibly.

Harry let out an audible sight of relief to which Snape narrowed his eyes at, but did not comment on. They agreed that the next time they met for his Occlumency lesson, less than a few days later, they would finish the deed.

It was in short order that Snape administered the potion, catalogued the results, and exited as ostentatiously as he had come. When Harry looked down to find the picture still sheltered between his arm and chest, he looked questioningly at the sour face the Lupent had. The animal's eyes had closed, and his muzzle was crinkled in obvious disgust.

"Yeah, I know, he's a git, but doesn't smell that bad to me," Harry said, watching avidly as the Lupent gave him a disbelieving stare.

"No, really," he admitted, "I was surprised too, but when I'm a Lupent I can stand to be around him."

The Lupent snorted, which Harry was still surprised to be able to hear, but his opinion was quite clear. It definitely wasn't a normal photograph, but Remus hadn't seemed to want to explain anything about the picture.

Harry only shrugged in response to the Lupent's disgust. "Well, it's not like I'm normal in any other aspect, why should this be any different?"

The Lupent nodded his head gamely after a moment of consideration, before settling in the grass for a nap. Harry carefully stored his picture away in his trunk, and got ready for bed though it was only now nearing evening. He wasn't hungry, and certainly wasn't in the mood to face Remus after what had just happened.

So he settled down for some good ole' fashioned slap-and-tickle with himself. After wiggling out of his pants, he settled down on the bed with his back against the headboard, a pillow behind him for cushioning, the lights off, and the sheets at his feet freeing him from any restraint.

Already his prick was half hard, and it only took a few now-expert strokes to bring it to fullness. Harry could not muffle his sighs of pleasure. The head of his cock had already begun to redden and glisten in the darkness, like a lighthouse attracting his attention. He had to muffle a snort at the analogy, but let a groan loose when his thumb brushed over the head, smearing pre-come and heightening his sensitivity.

Settling his head back he closed his eyes, imagining he could smell the darkness of a werewolf close by, smothering him in its silky sweet scent designed to bring him to instant arousal. He could almost feel the thick auburn hair between his fingertips and a slick prick pressed against his own. He imagined a heavily scarred, but deliciously sexy, body rubbing against him, rising above his own smaller form dominantly. He felt subjugated in the most pleasurable way.

His hand quickened its pace, and he moaned loudly this time, unable to control himself while he bucked into his hand. He dreamed he was arching against the hard body pressed against his own, humping hard into the man he could only dream to be with. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood when he felt the tightening of his entire body, as taut as a bowstring ready to snap.

With only a few more thrusts he knew he could fall over the edge, but something held him back. Something was needed to push him over the cliff, and when he clenched his fist and his eyes hard simultaneously, black obsidian eyes seemed to glare at him from the darkness and he climaxed with a shout. Spewing over his hand and belly, he gasped deeply, his eyes snapping open in surprise and disgust. Snape…Snape had warped him!

With a grimace, he cleaned his body off and slumped into an exhausted heap, slipping off steadily into unconsciousness.

Down further in his bedroom, Remus tried to ignore the excited groans coming from Harry's room, but when his own hand fumbled to release his erection, he could not stop himself. Damning himself in every language he knew, he roughly pulled and tugged at his arousal, dreaming of nothing, but listening intently to the sounds echoing eerily down the hallway. He could only imagine the picture the boy made, but the boy's lust-husky voice made him as hard as he could ever remember being. He quickened his pace to catch up, knowing instinctively the boy was close…

He found his climax in the strangled shout of the boy whom he should have called 'son' but could only wish to call 'lover'.

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The tension in the house had eased a bit, but was still not as comfortable as they had hoped. It was the day before Harry was supposed to leave for Hogwarts for his transformation, which he had been informed would be activated every twenty-nine and a half days of the lunar cycle.

That afternoon he had another Occlumency lesson, and though his concussion was gone, he was still leery around Snape. Not to mention the 'situation' they had found themselves in. He was full of conflicting emotions; his belly had to too-full feeling one has after eating too much. On one hand, he was disgusted by the blatant display of power Snape wielded over his life, though he wondered how much trouble Remus could get in with Dumbledore since he wasn't the Defense Professor any longer…

But then again, Harry was never one to take chances. Well, he took chances, but if this one could be avoided with a simple kiss, why not go with the flow? He certainly didn't feel any sort of excitement over the deal…and even if under duress he would never admit to feeling any sort of anticipation.

"No need to be so nervous, Mr. Potter," Severus said mockingly, his wand at the ready. They had the unspoken agreement that the kiss would take place after their business was through, though Harry felt as if it was only heightening the anxiety he already felt. He was sure that secretly it was Snape's plan to make him a bumbling idiot by the time they were through.

"I'll be nervous if I want to," he returned lamely. He winced at his own reply; it was the weakest he had ever thrown back. Snape seemed to think so as well.

"Surely, Mr. Potter, you aren't thinking about our little deal, are you? Surely the heroic Gryffindor of the Century is not afraid of one tiny little kiss?" Snape taunted acidly.

"You really put a lot of effort into making me hate the very sight of you, don't you?" Harry asked almost conversationally. He ignored Snape's patented 'You-will-bow-before-the-awesome-power-of-my-aggravated-presence' glare, and concentrated hard on rebuilding the walls around his mind that Snape had unceremoniously smashed to pieces three nights ago.

"Legilimens!" Snape shouted, attacking Harry's weakened defenses unmercifully. But surprisingly, the wall held up rather well as Harry was frantic to stop Snape from seeing any other incriminating memories.

Snape's face was suffused in color at the mental rebuff, and he immediately barked, "Legilimens!" once again.

But Harry held firm, gritting his teeth against the invasion of his self, his mind aflame in screaming pain at callous way Snape ripped at his walls. But he vowed to himself that he would not let the bastard in to steal more of his happiness – he had already taken his memories of Remus; he wouldn't steal anything else.

"No!" he cried out in desperation before driving the man back. His thoughts were suddenly tangled in Severus' own, and Harry was horrified to find himself in the other man's mind.

A young Severus was being held upside down in a courtyard surrounded by laughing classmates, a horrible burning sensation in his chest and an all-fulfilling rage at the injustices aimed against him…

Severus watching from the corner of his eye as a young Harry Potter gazed back at him with wary eyes at his first year Welcoming Feast…

His father stood, kicking and shoving a fifteen-year-old Severus against his bedroom wall, screaming, "The very sight of you makes me sick! I told you I expected you to make Prefect this year, and you couldn't even accomplish that! You are not fit to be a Snape…"

Harry was wrenched from the Potion master's mind, thrust away mentally with the strength of ten men, and he landed against the far wall. Breathing heavily, he stared in shocked horror at the trembling, fatigued Professor in front of him, gaping silently in confusion.

"I…I'm…I didn't mean to," Harry said shakily, looking down into his lap, unable to meet those searing black eyes boring into his down-turned face.

"It doesn't matter," Snape said coldly. "It was acceptable that you forced me from your mind, but if you push too hard you will get trapped in the Dark Lord's. I can assure you, his would be far worse than either of us could imagine."

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled. "I really didn't-"

"Oh, do be quiet. Neither of us could help it," Snape cut him off, irritation plainly evident in his smooth voice.

"I…okay," Harry said, still unable to make eye contact with the man standing in front of him. He was shy, and uncomfortably aware that a bond had been forged which could not be so easily destroyed again. He had not raged, threatened, or maimed Harry for inadveratantly stealing into his mind – that had to be progress of some sort.

"Well, that's enough for tonight," Snape said, exhaustion edging the corners of his words like ice. Harry shivered.

"I…well…should we do it now?" he asked hesitantly, still breathing erratically, though he wasn't sure if he was out of breath for the right reasons anymore. He had not moved from the floor, and could only see the tips of Snape's glossy shoes, so he missed the expression of triumph on his face.

"Tonight will not be good, Potter. We shall just have to do it on another night, before your Occlumency lesson, I believe."

"Oh…well, okay, if you think so," Harry said, trying to feel the relief he knew he should. He could only feel a dull pull in his stomach, and tried to make himself believe that was the missing emotion. He was failing miserably, but attempted to hide it from the other man.

They were both silent, Snape reading the fleeting expressions on the boy's face while Harry tried not to look directly into Snape's eyes.

"I will see you tomorrow, Potter," Snape abruptly said.

"What? Why?" Harry asked, looking up in surprise.

Snape rolled his eyes, and said slowly, "The morning of September 1st is your Changing. You will be in the dungeons for the protection of the children. So tomorrow you will be taken to Hogwarts in preparation, as you surely cannot ride the Hogwarts Train as a raging beast, now can you?"

"I…oh," Harry said dumbly. "Why am I staying with you?"

"The Beast will be on an important Order assignment, and cannot attend to your needs," Severus derided happily.

"Oh," Harry said softly, his eyes downcast. "I understand."

Snape was suddenly, irrationally, irritated. What is the stupid boy pining after? He would see to it that the Beast was given no chance of this boy's affection. And it would be Snape that would take it away.

Without giving it another thought, he was spurred forward in his frustration and lifted the boy to his feet by his shoulders.

"Whoa, wha-" Harry started, but was cut off by the press of thin lips against his own. Not having expected the attack, he was stock still for a moment, his eyes wide behind his glasses as the man pressed him back against the stone wall behind him. They both seemed frozen by the suddenness of the action, and neither were responsive to the kiss.

"You will not even think about him while I am here," Snape breathed after he pulled away briefly.

"What are-" Harry tried again, but was once again stopped in mid sentence by the Potion master's insistence. But Harry had been semi-prepared this time, and opened his mouth slightly in hopes of tempting some other feeling than the press of dry lips.

Lured by the sweet promise of that not-so-innocent mouth, Snape grew aggressive, stabbing forward with his tongue to plunder the inside of Harry Potter with no remorse. His tongue soothed and caressed before turning wicked and cunning, teasing Harry's tongue with flicks of his own before darting away.

Harry groaned urgently, pulling the man closer to his body, and arching his neck submissively while demanding more.

Snape pulled away for a moment, captivated by the ravished look upon the boy's face.

"You like that, don't you, Potter? You like to be taken roughly, to be dominated, to be reduced to a begging whore," Snape whispered, cajoling Harry's mouth to open wide for him with teasing nips before dipping his tongue deftly inside the boy's mouth.

"Or do you like it to be sweet and tender, with barely-there touches like the Beast prefers?" Snape said, his voice lowering an octave.

Harry whimpered, pressing and arching his body against the stern man in front of him. Remus? Remus who? He wanted more of that citrus taste that burned his tongue and made his mind flame in desire. He was quivering from a mere kiss from the man, what more could he withstand?

"No, I think we both know what you want…Harry," Snape murmured quietly, before grabbing the boy roughly by the hair, yanking his had back, and taking his mouth with ruthless passion.

-----

Harry moaned wantonly, his mouth full of the taste that had haunted his dreams for the past three nights. It had been a mixture of sweet and sharp smells, and his dream lover with auburn hair had always morphed into a man with the darkness of Hell right before he climaxed. Every damn night he had dreamed of the man.

"Please," he begged, pulling away to gasp for air. "Please, more," he whimpered.

"Yes," Snape hissed. "Beg me, plead for my body to be buried inside of you…" he trailed off, his voice a whisper of velvet in the chilled air.

"Oh, please, god, I need you," Harry gurgled, his voice strangled. He couldn't breathe; he could barely function. All he knew was a longing so deep he could think of no reason not to obey the commands the man in front of him desired.

"Soon," Snape said softly, running his fingers - which had been cruelly digging into the boy's scalp but had turned gentle – soothing the boy. "You are not ready yet, but soon."

"Why not now?" Harry asked, his brilliant green eyes dazed. "Don't you want me?"

"Oh, my impudent Gryffindor, you do not know how much," Snape murmured in his ear, his breath sending shivers down Harry's spine.

"I want you," Harry cried, arching his body roughly against Snape in demand.

"You do not know what you want, idiot boy," Snape said harshly. "You play with fire when you tempt grown men. You are nothing but a tease."

"No, no," Harry said, his eyes pleading. "I'll give you whatever you want." His eyes were wild as he leaned against the wall, spreading his knees as if to give him access to his entire self. He briefly wondered at his own sudden change…but he could not control himself. It was as if he were separated from his body and its rampant desires.

Snape drew in a rough gasp, before punishing the boy's impudence with a sharp tug to the boy's hair. "Foolish boy, offering that which you do not know enough of to give. I thought you had more sense than this, but perhaps you are too young to know the difference," Snape said slyly, watching the outrage blossom on the boy's face.

"I am not a child!" Harry retorted harshly. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Do you really, Potter? I don't believe that. If you knew, I don't think you'd be offering me your body so casually," Severus answered, calm once more.

Now that the world was slowly coming back into focus, Harry was embarrassed at his actions and could not answer the man's taunts. He looked shamefacedly down at his worn trainers with an expression of disbelief. How could he have been so stupid?

-----

Snape watched the blush stain the young boy's cheeks, sighing mentally. He knew it was the Lupent inside of the boy that was making his reactions so strong, but he was not above using it as a means of getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was the innocent youth in front of him that had begged so prettily to be taken against a wall for the first time. He did not speak to soothe the flush on the boy's face, but instead started once again smoothing a hand over the ruffled mop of dark hair, still pressing his body against the boy. Best not to put too much distance between us, Snape thought, or he might be tempted to pull away.

As it was, he could still feel the boy's unwanted arousal digging into his thigh, and with a feral smile, shifted slightly to put more pressure on Potter's groin. Harry tried to muffle his grunt of surprise, but could not find room to pull away, and the pressure was so delicious that he tried to surreptitiously move closer while distracting the man.

"I never knew you felt this way, Professor," Harry said innocently, staring up into those bottomless dark eyes that easily captivated his attention.

Feeling the boy thrust slightly against him, he pressed closer, no longer worried about disguising his actions, and watched the boy's eyes darken and glaze over.

"Well, that would never have been appropriate, would it, Mr. Potter?" he asked mockingly, flexing the smooth muscle of his thigh in warning.

"No, sir," Harry gulped, leaning his head back against the wall as if in surrender.

"Would you have done this without my coaxing, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, but answered quickly, saving them both the babble of incoherence that made up Potter's mind. "No, you would never have even thought about it."

"How do you know?" Harry asked pertly.

Snape only lifted a single eyebrow in questioning disdain.

"No, I probably wouldn't have," Potter said grudgingly. "But still, why did you decide to do this?" Potter asked, waving a hand at their incriminating positions.

"That is not for you to know, Potter," Snape sneered, before thrusting his leg sharply against Potter's erection.

Harry moaned, whimpered, and without further warning, climaxed quickly in his pants.

"What-that's never-ohh," Harry grumbled, sliding down the wall in a boneless heap when Snape stepped backwards without a word.

"I see we'll have to work on your stamina, Potter, if you ever wish to fuck like an adult," Snape said carelessly, ignoring the wide eyes of the boy on the ground in front of him.

Harry was stunned. Fuck Severus Snape? He had never truly considered the possibility an actual option, but now that it had been thrown out into the open, he was surprised to discover his libido considered that idea one of the best he had ever heard.

His hopes –and renewing erection- were immediately dashed soon after.

"But I will have nothing to do with you if you cannot learn Occlumency," Snape sneered, his mask already back in place. It was as if nothing had ever happened between them, and it struck a painful cord in Harry that he seemed to have forgotten it so quickly. It was if he hadn't been affected at all.

"I…okay," Harry said softly. "I'll do my best, now that I have a goal to reach," he said.

Snape merely glared at him. "See that you do. I do not wish to be killed by the Dark Lord after he goes traipsing through your mind and sees what we have been up to."

"Prat," Harry answered, smiling wearily. "And I will work on it," he promised.

They were both quiet for a moment, before Harry garnered the courage to speak up. "But do you really mean it, Professor?"

"Mean what, Potter?" Snape asked, crossing his arms imperiously.

"That if I learn Occlumency, then we could…" Harry trailed off weakly, unable to find the word to describe the budding relationship between the two men.

"Fuck?" Snape asked, raising a brow in amusement when the boy winced.

"No," Harry argued defiantly. "It would be more than that."

"Don't get your hopes you, you insolent pup. It would be nothing more than that," Snape said harshly, pulling away from the boy who still crouched on the ground at his feet. It was unnerving to see that rebellious glitter back in his eye as Harry slowly got to his feet to stalk towards the Potions Professor.

"It would be more than that. You would not be going through all this trouble," he said, waving a hand around to indicate all that had passed between them, "for just a fuck."

"What I choose to do is no business of yours, Potter," Severus spat. "If you think-"

A delicate tread of footsteps broke off the end of what Snape had been about to stay, and both whirled away from each other and stood at either end of the room, glaring. Harry glanced down, and with a grimace he noticed the stickiness gluing the pants to his skin, and with a quickly muttered cleansing spell, had the evidence disappear as their unwanted guest opened the door.

"Ah, Harry, I had thought to find you down here," the Headmaster said congenially as he stepped through the portal and stood regally at the top of the stairs. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat, and stepped forward to meet Dumbledore's serious blue eyes.

"Yes, I'm here, Professor," Harry muttered, brushing a hand through his wild hair absently. "Did you need me for something?"

"No, no, I just wanted to let you know that Remus will be leaving this evening for a while, and he wanted to speak to you before he left, Harry," Dumbledore said gently, watching his face for his reaction.

Harry's face fell, but he nodded to show he understood. He turned to look slightly out of the corner of his eye at the stiffened form of his Potion's Professor and asked sarcastically, "Is it okay to be let out of class early, Professor?"

Snape, with his arms still crossed, shook his head. "We are not through with your lesson today, Mr. Potter," he said with barely concealed menace. He wanted to strangle the boy, and then fuck him ruthlessly, but when he noticed Dumbledore was looking strangely in his direction, he quickly guarded his mind.

"I believe that will be enough for today, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. "Harry, you may leave now."

"Yes, Professor," Harry mumbled, exchanging a look between the two older men before shrugging slightly and leaving the cellar quickly in search of Remus.

The Headmaster waited until Harry was out of sight before turning slightly chilly eyes to observe his furious Potion master. They had always had a rather volatile relationship, Severus and Dumbledore. Severus was well known for his vitriolic wit and he did not lessen it even in the presence of the most powerful wizards alive, whether it was Dumbledore or Voldemort. To Snape's thinking, he was doing both men a favor, and both had let his sarcastic, un-subdued behavior slide without comment when in private conference. So, while Severus did not believe in withholding any aspect of his acidic personality, Dumbledore did not bother to conceal his iron-gripped hand on Fate when around the Potions Professor.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Severus," he said, his normally cheerful voice serious.

Snape sniffed, undaunted. "You do not know what you speak of, old man," he sneered with his trademark scowl in place.

"You are playing with Harry's life, and that is something I cannot allow," Albus returned calmly.

"Oh, so you are the only one allowed a hand in the boy's future, Headmaster?" Snape asked with feigned surprise. "Why not let the boy make his own decisions for once," he smirked.

"I do not know why you are acting this way, Severus, but I will get to the bottom of it, and if you hurt Harry I will not be happy. He is still young."

"Are you threatening me, Headmaster?" Severus frowned, his arms unfolding to touch the tip of his wand in his sleeve. "And he is no child, as Potter was busy telling me earlier."

"No, Severus, I am not threatening you, but consider it a warning," Albus placated. "Both of you are like sons to me, and I don't want to see either of you hurt."

"I can take care of myself," Snape said tonelessly, "like I always have." His fingers dropped away from his wand as both men relaxed slightly.

Dumbledore's eyes grew sad. "It should not have been that way, Severus," he said soothingly. "Just know that I am here for you both."

"Your words have been duly noted, Headmaster. Now, I must leave, I have work to finish today now that the Potter brat is not taking up my precious time-" he was about to finish with a dramatic whirl when a thunderous sound began above their heads. Both exited the room quickly, and Severus knew that the boy had gotten himself into trouble once again, and once again he must rush to the rescue. Damn idiot.

--------------------

"Remus? Where are you?" Harry asked quietly as he made his way through the different rooms. He had already glanced into the older man's bedroom, but he had not been there, and had begun to search through the house. Nearing the library, he noticed the light was on underneath the edge of the door, and tapped the old wood softly.

"Yes, come in," Remus bade, shuffling through the books in the large, private library. He didn't know how long this mission would last, and one never knew what supplies would be needed.

"Professor Dumbledore said you wanted to see me?" Harry asked, stepping into the warmly lit room, the fireplace crackling invitingly, the smell of musty tomes mingling with damp mold and warm air. It jumbled the senses, as if stepping back in time.

"Yes, Harry," Remus said slowly, keeping his eyes trained on the book spines in front of him. "I'm sure the Headmaster has mentioned that I will be leaving for a mission this evening," he began.

"Yes," Harry sighed, his eyes lowering in disappointment. "I was hoping you could at least stay with me during my Changing, but Snape said I was going to be in the dungeons."

"I'm sorry Harry," Remus murmured.

Harry shrugged, trying to school his features into indifference. "Well, whatever."

"Harry, listen, I-" Remus abruptly cut himself off, taking a deep sniff. "What's that smell?"

Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion while he took a tentative sniff of himself, before his eyes shot open wide in shock. "Oh…uh…"

Because tomorrow was going to be his Changing, his senses had gradually increased and he could smell things no human – besides possibly Snape - could possibly decipher. There was the stink of mold from the cellar clinging to his clothing and the palms of his hands from his rough landings on the floor; the musk of sweat emanated from underneath his arms and the surface of the tender skin of his neck; the heady citrus of the Potions master made his lips sting richly; and the smell of semen was strong from the front of his pants, though a cleaning charm had been used.

If Harry could smell all of those in a split second, he was sure Remus was aware of them as well.

"Oh, I, well…" Harry shrugged and tried to smile weakly.

Remus had blushed when he too had realized what some of the varied sort of smells were – though he was confused by the strong scent of citrus, he knew Snape had been teaching him Occlumency this afternoon and was not worried – and tried to laugh it off.

"I know, you're sixteen, you can't help it," Remus said, coughing lightly to dispel the tension.

Harry laughed in relief, knowing he had escaped a potentially sticky (he winced at the unintended pun) situation.

"Yeah," Harry grinned, "the Lupent has not only given me a new body on the New Moon, but also made me horny enough to-" Harry cut himself off, his tongue and the unexpected amnesty of his snog with Snape having gotten the better of him.

But Remus only laughed out loud this time, nodding his head in agreement. "Believe me, I know all about it. A time as a teenager werewolf was not easy, let me assure you," he said, his chuckles still evident.

Harry looked away, shy again. He rubbed the toe of his worn trainers into the thin rug in front of the fireplace, before darting his eyes back to meet the amused amber eyes of the werewolf in front of him. "So, um, was there anything else you wanted to tell me before you left?" he asked, trying to hide his hopefulness. Though he knew it was wrong, he still wanted his godfather's lover; only now, his desire was slowly starting to include a certain Potions Professor who was a greasy bastard, but a damn good kisser no matter how much Harry would have wanted to deny it.

"I-" Remus suddenly stuttered, "I, well, I wanted to tell you that…I will miss you a lot, Harry," he said softly, his amber eyes torn.

"I'll miss you too, Remus," Harry said, his eyes gleaming. He was both elated and saddened at the same time; he knew it would be a while before he would get the chance to see Remus again, but at least he would have the knowledge that Remus resented the separation as much as he did.

Harry watched Remus as he stood in the dim light uncertainly, his shoulders hunched and his thin body almost folded in upon itself. So Harry, without thinking for the second time that day in as few minutes, stepped forward to wrap his arms around Remus and pulled his head tenderly down to his own.

Remus gasped, his body stiffening before he uttered a groan of true despair and deepened the kiss with animalistic desire, his need starkly exposed. Harry answered the unspoken beg with his tongue, stroking Remus' soft lips with his newly learned finesse.

"No!" Remus suddenly shouted, pushing the young boy away from him with barely suppressed violence.

Harry gasped for breath, his hand held over his heaving chest and rapidly beating heart while he blinked in confusion. "What is it?"

"We should not be doing this, Harry. It is wrong," Remus said, his voice cracking. He turned away, his eyes drawn to the flickering flames in the fireplace. He could not stand to see the deliciously debauched look on the boy's face; his will was crumbling before his very eyes.

"How can it be wrong, Remus? There is nothing to stop us from being together," Harry defended, trying to force the reoccurring image of Snape that flickered before his eyes to disappear.

"It is wrong to me, Harry," Remus snarled, losing some of his vaunted control. "I am a grown man, I should not be allowing such actions to take place."

"I am not a child, Remus," Harry defended angrily. "I know what I'm doing."

Remus scoffed. "Only children say such things," he sniffed, before taking a deep breath. He knew he was starting to sound like Snape, which was horrifying in itself, and he could sense Harry's sudden withdrawal emotionally.

"I cannot defend myself from that," Harry said, his voice tight. "But I can defend my actions. I know exactly what I was doing, and I was kissing you because I want you."

"You cannot know what you want, Harry," Remus said tiredly, his amber eyes reflecting the flames eerily as he turned away from the fireplace to look at the trembling boy.

"Why does everyone say that?" Harry cried. "How can anyone know what I want, if not me?"

Remus sighed, flicking his rust-colored bangs away from his eyes. "Harry, I'm sorry. But I cannot do this with you, it just isn't right."

Harry drew in a harsh breath and pulled away as if slapped. "How can it not be right when it feels so good?" he whispered.

Remus smiled without mirth. "Haven't you heard that the things that are most desirable are the worst for you?"

"Then what, is Snape good for me?" Harry taunted. "Because he seems to want me," he said wildly, ignoring Remus' roughly indrawn breath of surprise.

Remus' eyes darkened dangerously. "Stay away from Snape, Harry. He is a dangerous man."

"Well, if you don't want me, what's to stop me from finding someone that will?" Harry asked bitterly. "Why am I not good enough for you?" he asked softly, after a moment of silence.

This situation was completely out of his character; he hated talking about feelings and desires, and…well…anything similar. Yet, he couldn't control his words, his actions, his wild emotions. It was as if he were turning into a female! He shuddered at the thought, and tried to reign in his rampant mood swings.

Remus let out a small sigh, before smiling wearily. "You are a wonderful and beautiful boy, Harry. I doubt I could deny that, as you've seen evidence at how much I desire you," Remus said, self-loathing creeping into his voice.

Harry's eyes brightened, and he took a tentative step forward before he was stopped by Remus' raised hand.

"But it would not be right for me to take advantage of you, Harry. Now is not the right time for any of this to happen," he said quietly, his eyes downcast. "I'm leaving tomorrow on Order business, and I do not know how long I will be gone. It's very dangerous," Remus finished bluntly.

"If not now, then when?" Harry asked harshly. "We both might die within the year, why am I not allowed to have a chance at being happy? Why must I always give up what I want for everyone else? WHY CAN'T I JUST BE NORMAL?" Harry ended, shouting, his fists clenched and his eyes closed.

There was a loud crack, and the bookshelves began to fall apart, spitting out books and their ripped pages wildly. The neat stack Remus had made earlier tumbled to the floor as the house shook with the force of Harry's uncontrollable anger.

"Stop it! Stop it Harry!" Remus shouted, withdrawing his wand to cast a quick shielding spell, watching in horrified awe as the books swirled around the quivering, furious body of Harry Potter.

"Calm down!" Remus tried again, but Harry was not to be encouraged. In fact, the howling tornado of books only increased, and Remus truly began to become frightened as various sized tomes clashed loudly against his steadily weakening shield.

"I just want someone to want me," Harry said through gritted teeth, his eyes still shut, his body wavering in rage.

"Stupefy," Remus cried, his wand aimed at the swaying form of the thin boy, but all he succeeded in doing was knock a few books out of the whirlwind.

Suddenly, the door crashed open, and both Snape and Dumbledore stood in the doorway, watching in amazement at the angry force.

Dumbledore began to take out his wand, but Severus forestalled the movement, edging closer.

"Potter!" Snape called smoothly, his voice never wavering. Remus could see Harry visibly tremble, but the books still whirled, upending the table and chairs. The fireplace went out, and though the afternoon sun still shone through a window, it was still dark.

"Potter, cease that racket this instant," Snape said calmly.

"Prof-ffesor Snape?" Harry asked timidly. The books abruptly dropped to the floor, and Remus dimly realized Severus had reached the boy even in his anger.

"Yes, idiot, who else would be stupid enough to enter a library that a Potter was demolishing?"

Harry choked out a laugh before stumbling towards the doorway. "I'm sorry, sorry," he mumbled, before pitching forward dizzily.

Snape deftly caught the boy in his arms, gently cradling him against his chest before he left without another word to either man who still stood silently.

"You stupid boy, letting out all the energy for no reason…wasted it all on that beast…always having to rescue you from yourself…"

Snape's voice trailed off as he left further down the corridor, climbed the stairs, and made his way towards Harry's bedroom.

"Why did this happen, Remus?" Dumbledore asked calmly, stepping further into the room after the last traces of Snape's irritated voice faded away.

Remus clenched his fists, allowing his shield to diffuse into nothing. "I…I was trying to explain to Harry why…why we could not…be together, over the school year. Because I will be gone, on Order business," Remus said, trying to hide the real reason behind an overly simplified truth.

"I see," Albus said, his expression calmly amused. "Harry did not take your…separation well then, did he?"

"Ah, no, Headmaster," Remus said.

"Well…I'm sure Harry understands why you cannot…be together," Dumbledore offered coolly.

"I explained that I, er, would be gone most of the time, Albus," Remus said, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, I'm sure you did. Well, I suppose we should get this cleaned up, then, shall we?" Dumbledore said congenially, before flicking his wand with deft ease.

--------------------

"Professor Snape?" Harry questioned weakly, as Snape calmly barged into the room Harry had been using over the summer.

"Yes, what is it, Potter?" Snape sneered, dumping the boy onto the bed roughly.

"I-thank you, for helping me," Harry said quietly, lying still on the bed where he had been deposited.

"Yes, it always seems I must come to your rescue, even from your self," Snape muttered dryly.

"You helped me," Harry stressed, his eyes flashing as he looked up into the looming Professor's midnight eyes.

Snape said nothing, watching the boy with detached interest.

"What were you doing in there with Lupin?" Snape finally asked.

"I-well, he said," Harry tried to say, but blushed. It gave everything away, and Snape turned away from the sight, heading towards the door emotionlessly.

"Wait, Sna-I mean, sir!" Harry called, pushing himself off the bed as if ready to give chase. But he weaved on his feet, still drained from his outburst of magic.

"Lie down," Snape commanded, striding back towards him to push him brusquely back onto the bed.

"I…I kissed him," Harry said softly, and Snape froze at the helplessness in his voice. "I kissed him and he pushed me away. He said he didn't want me, that it was wrong to be with me." His voice was strained and rough as if holding back tears. His green eyes glittered suspiciously behind his glasses.

"Then he is a fool," Snape said dispassionately, before leaving the gaping boy staring at his back in startled hope.

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Word count: 9,660

Thank you all so much for your continued support. Your requests go a long way towards encouraging me to get my arse in gear and finish the project. I was so excited when I found this chapter. Editing has been done, but not to the extent that I probably should have. So any errors you catch, please let me know so I may fix them. Yet, I wanted to post quickly for those who have been waiting so patiently.

A special thanks to the wonderfully supportive reviewers, there's too many to list, otherwise I would!

TBC