21

Chapter Twenty One: Rita Skeeter.

Severus woke up to the sound of wings flapping softly as a familiar weight landed onto his back. His hair was in his face, still unwashed from last night when he'd fallen asleep at his desk, but his face was in the comfort of his pillow. His body absolutely ached.

He swallowed dryly as he realised there was something else against him. Something much heavier than Fawkes. Oh, please don't tell him last night wasn't just another one of those magical dreams he'd suffered and that it had truly happened…?

Slowly, he pulled his face from his pillow, flicking his head to the side to get the hair from his eyes that stuck to his face. Beside him, leaning into the back of his shoulder was a shirtless Harry Potter, glasses crooked on his face.

Oh shit, it had actually happened! They'd had… sex. Severus tried to remember everything that had happened last night, but it all seemed like such a blur. It all happened so fast! He remembered Potter coming into his office, and then kissing and then…

Looking back at Fawkes, who waddled onto his arm sleeve—his shirt still being on—he tried to assess the situation and how the hell he was going to deal with this when Potter woke up. Should he honestly care? Part of him didn't, but then the other part of him realised he had no fucking pants on beneath the sheets! Just a pair of white, cotton socks.

Gently slipping out from underneath Harry's arm, he looked around the room, seeing his trousers across the floor, his wand sticking out of the pocket. "Fawkes…" he whispered, the bird squawking at his name. He put his finger up, urging the bird to hush. "My trousers."

Fawkes, who perched himself on the nightstand, just looked at the pair of black pants, tilting his head curiously before looking at Snape once more.

Damn good for nothing bird! Turning his head to Harry, he quickly checked if the Gryffindor was asleep well enough. What the hell was he going to do anyway? This was his damn quarters. It wasn't like he was going to run out of it and leave. No, he just wanted to get his damn pants, collect some clean clothes and take a shower. He could talk about it later. He felt nasty from sleeping in a dirty bed that they'd fucked in and hadn't cleaned.

As gently as possible, he was able to slip away from Harry and sit up, clutching the covers. As he went to reach for his pants, Fawkes burst out with a screech that made him almost grab at the bird and kill him in frustration. He sat perfectly still.

Harry's eyes gently fluttered open at the sound of something screeching. He groaned as his body ached, though stopping as he realised the room wasn't the fun and encouraging yellow and gold of the Gryffindor Tower. Instead, it was draped with green and silver tapestry.

Instantly, he pushed his arms up, adjusting his glasses so they were straight on his face. Oh, God, he was in Snape's bedroom! And he was… naked! And he was in Snape's bed! He looked down at himself before shyly grabbing the covers and trying to cover his bare chest.

"Oh, God, what happened last night?" he asked in horror as he saw Snape beside him, sitting up. He instantly went red as he saw beneath the white shirt that Snape wasn't wearing any kind of pants. "P-Professor?"

Snape just eyed Fawkes angrily, the bird chirping in delight. He turned over his shoulder, looking at the sight of Harry's red cheeks. "I think that's rather obvious, don't you?" he almost snapped, Fawkes fetching his pants finally.

Taking the black trousers, he slipped them on before standing and doing his belt back up. He had no idea where his underpants had gone, but he'd deal with that later. He turned back to Harry, the boy just staring at him as the memories clearly came back to him.

Harry swallowed hard, running his hands through his messy hair. "Oh, God… I'm so sorry, I did this! I remember. I remember last night and waking up and… I'm so sorry, Professor!"

He was apologising!? Snape couldn't believe this. Sitting back down on the side of the bed, Severus did his buttons back up on his shirt to cover his skin. "You've got nothing to apologise about, Potter, it wasn't like I hadn't encouraged such behaviour between us. I should have stopped it from happening, but I was rather weak."

Harry looked away, frowning. "No, that's not true…" he whispered. No, this was bound to happen. They both knew it. Their magic had been going crazy for weeks now; the both of them knew that. Last night was inevitable.

"Potter! We just… consummated this relationship! Do you honestly think people aren't going to know!?" Snape hissed, standing back up. "Merlin, it's late and breakfast is already being served. Why the hell didn't you wake us up, Fawkes!?"

Fawkes just flew to the bed and sat in Harry's lap, looking up at him gently.

Harry had a feeling Fawkes had done that on purpose. But it did cause an issue. Everyone was going to be wondering where the hell he was, not to mention with Snape missing it was going to look even worse!

But did they really have anything to hide? His friends knew he was in a relationship with Snape. McGonagall had even accepted it! Wasn't sex a normal part of a relationship? Weren't two people who were in love meant to have intimate moments?

Harry swallowed hard as he realised what he was thinking. Snape was grabbing his clothes around the floor and piling them into his hands. "Professor…?" he asked, Snape stopping and looking down at him. "Is it really a big deal? I mean… we like each other, right? Why shouldn't we be like normal people and… do 'it'?"

At the look on Harry's face, Severus placed his clothes onto the edge of the bed. "Potter, I hardly think we're a normal 'couple'," he said. "You are… Harry Potter. The boy who not only lived, but the wizard who defeated the Dark Lord. Do you have any idea what kind of stories would come from this? If this were to get out?"

"So what!?" Harry asked loudly.

So what? So what!? Snape gave an agitated noise. "You really want your personal and sex life to be in the tabloids!?"

Well, no, of course he didn't, but what was Snape so worried about? Everyone had relationships! Why should they be any different? He knew he was the talk of the Daily Prophet today, but that shouldn't mean he wasn't allowed to have sex with his… boyfriend? What the hell was Snape exactly? He supposed the man was his boyfriend, but that word just didn't suit Snape at all!

"Are you… are you ashamed of this?" he asked, his eyes squinting a little as he looked to the Slytherin.

Severus frowned, his hands slapping to his sides. "Potter, I just slept with the most famous wizard of our time and you are asking me if I am ashamed?" If anything, this was something others would have been celebrating. Who knew how many people out there wanted to sleep with Harry Potter!? He was famous! Courageous! Gryffindor! Attractive! Young! The list was bloody endless.

Well, it sounded stupid when he put it like that, but Harry wasn't convinced. "You're acting like this is a big deal. I mean… I know we had sex, but… we're in a relationship. Why shouldn't we be able to do things in private?" he asked, Snape having collected his pants. He grabbed them from the pile and slipped them on beneath the sheets.

Severus felt his shoulders loosen a little. Potter had a point. Yes, they were in a relationship, and yes, they should be able to do things in private. He wasn't ashamed of Harry. How could he be? The Gryffindor was what everyone else wanted out there. How the hell had it been him, of all people, to bond with his magic?

"Yes, I suppose you are right," he muttered, though still feeling highly awkward about the whole thing. After all, why couldn't it stay private? No one knew but him and Harry.

When Harry moved, it didn't help any with his uneasiness as the young man crawled across the bed to meet him, still shirtless, his skin soft in the morning glow from the dying fire.

"You didn't hurt me, if that's what you're worried about," Harry smiled, taking Severus' hand into his own. He looked down at the rolled up sleeve that probably happened during sleeping or the exciting events of last night. He turned it over, looking at the pale tattoo of the Dark Mark. He knew what it was, and what it stood for, but… there was something exciting about it being on the man's arm. He rather liked the idea of Snape being a dark man. Of dating someone who was so different from all of his friends. It was new and exciting. Any Gryffindor liked a challenge.

His fingers ran up the hairless skin on the underside of the arm, feeling the small bumps from scars. "Did you try to remove it?" he asked, looking down at the number of scars on the man's arm.

Snape tore his arm back away. "Not that is matters to you. It's hideous. Don't look at it."

Harry's brows arched as he looked up, horrified that Snape would say something like that about himself. Over the last few weeks, Severus Snape had become increasingly attractive to Harry. Before he had feelings for him, of course it wasn't the same. Snape wasn't the most attractive person in the world, but now he was. He was gorgeous when messy in the morning. He was cute when he was awkward. He was sexy when he was dressed up. And even the Dark Mark was deadly looking on him.

He took the man's arm once more, pulling Snape down. "You're not hideous!" he said in argument, almost too teenage-like. "So you have some scars. I have them too… At least you don't have to wear yours on the outside of your clothes. At least people don't point at you and whisper, questioning if you're the real Harry Potter or not."

Severus frowned, relaxing his arm as he allowed Harry to trace his fingers delicately over the scarred skin. "Yes, I tried to remove it after your mother's death… Happy now?" he said, though Harry giving him a not so very impressed look. Merlin, what did he want from him?

Harry opened his mouth to say something when a knock at the door was heard. He instantly looked worried as Snape looked at him, his hair flicking across his face.

"Get under the Cloak!" hissed the older man, throwing the Invisibility Cloak to Harry as he summoned it with his wand before putting it back into his pocket. When Harry was nowhere in sight, he looked down at himself that was no way near presentable, trying to brush his messy hair away from his face before he headed to the office door and opened it. Standing on the other side was Minerva McGonagall.

"Severus," said the witch, looking the man up and down as he was rather messy looking, "… Did I come at a bad time?"

"I just fell asleep on my desk, that's all," lied the Potions master, putting a hand onto the threshold as if to hide the scene that was in the next room. Merlin, he just realised he had no underpants on beneath his trousers, and it was horribly uncomfortable.

"Oh, well…" Minerva noted, looking through the office for a moment before she saw the man's arm was uncovered. She eyed it curiously before Severus realised what she was looking at, instantly rolling down his sleeve and putting his hands behind his back.

"Severus, is something going on here that you wish to inform me of?" she asked curiously, seeing the sheets of the bed that were clearly messed up and half laying on the floor. If Severus had fallen asleep at his desk, then why would the bed be messy at all? She didn't take Severus Snape to be messy like that. In fact, she knew he wasn't.

When McGonagall entered the room, Severus tried to look as casually dark as normal. "No, Headmistress," he said calmly, his hands still behind his back. "I was just getting ready for a bath. If you don't mind, can this wait until I am more presentable? I don't wish to head to the Great Hall such a mess."

In the next room, Harry saw McGonagall looking past Snape, and he felt his body instantly heat up at the thought of McGonagall catching him in here. At the same time, he still didn't quite understand why Snape cared so much about this getting out. Sure, it would be embarrassing, but would McGonagall tell? Besides Dumbledore's portrait maybe. Shouldn't she know that these events were happening? Their magic outlawed the Ministry anyway, so why was it such a big deal? Besides it being the talk of Hogwarts and the Prophet. That he could understand. But who the hell would tell them?

Fawkes was looking at him beneath the cloak, and he swallowed hard, trying to make him look away. "Fawkes," he whispered, "go to Snape! You can't be looking at me, McGonagall will see you!" Instantly, a cry came from the phoenix which got McGonagall's attention in the next room which was quite visible from his spot.

Severus turned sharply. "Nothing to concern yourself with, Fawkes is just being temperamental as he hasn't been out in a while. I will make sure he gets plenty of exercise," he said, nudging his head towards the door or his office. "Was there something you needed?"

Minerva turned back to the dark haired man. "Potter is missing. His friends said that he hadn't been in the common room when they awoke and they are worried. I thought you may know of his disappearance through the night."

"Potter's made it clear he likes to roam the castle at night, I'm positive he will show up soon," Snape drawled, his hands still behind his back. "If he shows up, I will be sure to push him in your direction."

"Good, because the Prophet is still here and ready for a second day with the boy. I thought you could use a break, and as I am not busy today, I thought I could take him around."

Of course they wanted more from Harry. Snape felt his insides go tight, but his expression stayed unreadable. "Well, you are the Headmistress, I am certain it would keep a good image for the two of you and Hogwarts as a whole. Now if you don't mind, falling asleep at my desk has made me quite uncomfortable." It wasn't like it was a complete lie, and Severus was rather gifted with lying as it was.

McGonagall shook her head. "Even when you were a boy you worked yourself too hard, Severus," she muttered, putting a hand to his shoulder. "Get yourself presentable, and if you find Potter, please send him my way."

"Of course, Headmistress," Snape said, putting his hand onto the door and closing it when Minerva walked out. He pressed a hand to his forehead before quickly turning around, though freezing instantly when the door burst open again.

"Severus Snape! Don't you dare tell me that you and Potter spent the night together this weekend!?"

Cringing mentally, Snape turned back around with a very straight face. "I beg your pardon?" he asked as if offended. Minerva just walked over to the very Harry Potter style T-shirt that was sitting on the lounge in his office. Damnit… In the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten Harry had taken his top off and left it in here last night. All he could think of was the damn Cloak of his.

"Did you think I wouldn't see this!? Where is he? Potter!?"

Harry felt himself instantly go stiff beneath the Invisibility Cloak, his face going red with horror. He didn't move, though. He was too terrified to with the tone in McGonagall's voice.

"You tell him to come out this instant or I will search these quarters high and low, Severus!" snapped the Headmistress.

Severus moved awkwardly. "Potter had a chill, and he simply came to me for a potion. He must have forgotten it when he left after I took his temperature," he tried, shrugging gently. "You don't think I'd honestly sleep with the boy, do you?" He gave a rather horrid look at the thought, though stepping back when Minerva poked him in the chest.

"Don't lie to me, Severus, I know very well what happened here last night. If you hadn't noticed, it's already all over the school! Rita Skeeter saw him come in last night and very well knows the door didn't open all night!"

That woman! Clearly she'd been in her unregistered Animagus form, otherwise Harry would have seen her last night. She must have been waiting there before the boy had come down to the dungeons. But why!? Was she spying on him!?

As angry and horrified as he was, he questioned why the hell Minerva had come in here so cheerily? Did she honestly think he would just come out with it? This was Snape! Not to mention he'd lied multiple times to her face just now…

Severus found himself unable to get out of this situation, and he just looked at Minerva apologetically. "Oh, don't give me that look! You were the one that damn well knew this was going to happen!" he snapped. "You and your Gryffindor behaviour, pushing and shoving and then making me escort him around all yesterday! You have no idea what that did to me!" He'd become horribly possessive and frustrated. All night the only thing on his mind had been how to take Harry as his own before he'd fallen asleep at his desk.

"You couldn't keep it in your pants for one more night, Severus!? You could have done this any other night, the two of you, and Skeeter wouldn't have been here, but you just had to do it the night she was roaming the castle!?" the witch yelled. "Oh, Severus, for a Slytherin you can be quite daft."

Snape just gave an embarrassed look, knowing very well what he had caused by giving into Harry last night. He wasn't one to usually stand down in a fight when it came to Minerva McGonagall, but he did know when he was defeated by the witch.

"Professor, it wasn't his fault! I came down last night and… It's my fault," came Harry's voice, both eyes instantly looking to him. He'd grabbed one of Snape's shirts that had been folded on the table and tossed it over himself—even if baggy. He didn't wish for the Headmistress of Hogwarts to see him topless. The whole situation was embarrassing enough.

McGonagall's expression didn't change. She was fuming. "You stupid boy," she said, though sighing. "Do you two have any idea how fast this will spread to the Prophet? Severus Snape, the man who had been protecting Potter all this time? Oh, this is exactly what those people are looking for! Another big story, and you two have gone and given that to them right from the palm of your hands!"

"Sorry," Harry said, his eyes going down. "I didn't know… I didn't think-,"

"No, you weren't thinking at all, Potter, at least not with your first head, anyway," Minerva said, shaking her head as Harry just went a bright shade of red. "Potter, I want you up in the Gryffindor common room immediately, and Severus… get yourself looking like an actual professor who works here." McGonagall turned on her heal and opened the door, waiting for Harry.

Harry looked to Snape, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry…" he murmured, taking the Cloak into his hands as well as his pyjama shirt. Snape was silent as he walked past him, heading outside of the dungeons.

As he stepped out, immediately there was a bright flash in his eyes, and he covered them, wincing. When his eyes came back into focus, Rita Skeeter was standing with her quill scribbling, her photographer behind his large camera.

He looked down at himself as he realised he was wearing one of Snape's shirts. Now it was way more obvious to what happened last night!

"Out of the way!" McGonagall yelled, pushing past the woman and her photographer.

"Harry Potter, tell us what it's like to be in love with a Hogwarts professor! Sharing a bed with them at night!" Skeeter asked eagerly as she chased the two of them away from the dungeons. "Has this been going on since Severus Snape first saw you here at Hogwarts? How delightfully juicy! Protecting you all this time, a spy for You-Know-Who."

Harry was being pulled along roughly by McGonagall, and the headmistress turned to Skeeter with a very nasty look in her green eyes.

"Get away from here before I toss you out myself," the woman hissed, Rita Skeeter stopping immediately when she saw just how serious she was. "I want you off the grounds immediately! Potter will not be having any more interviews with you today. That is my final word."

Harry was dragged away once more by the Headmistress, leading him up to the common room and throwing him inside. He knew he'd done wrong, but what the hell was the big deal!? Hogwarts wasn't going to get into trouble by this. If anything, Harry and Snape were the ones who were going to get harassed by his fellow students!

"Professor, I'm really sorry…" he said again, rubbing his arm to where she had gripped it. "I didn't know she was there! I mean… no one will believe her anyway! Her stories are always blown out of proportion!" he said, trying to get her to remember what the woman had said about him and Hermione in their fourth year.

"It doesn't matter if people believe it or not, it's still going to blow up and cause trouble for the school!"

Harry looked up, brows furrowing. "But Snape told me that Ancient Magic overrides the Ministry's rules. So what if he and I… are together?" he asked.

"Ohh, Potter," she groused shakily. "Severus is a professor, how do you think he's going to deal with students harassing him over this? Not to mention your own skin! You have exams. If you want to pass, how do you expect to do so with the Prophet spreading rumours and your fellow students whispering even more?"

"I don't care!" Harry yelled. "I don't care what they say! What is so bad about being in a relationship!? Loads of students here are in relationships, and I'm sure they're not keeping it in their pants. At least mine and Snape's is real! Our magic is bonded, and… I don't care if anyone makes fun of that! I'm used to being in the paper! I stopped caring what they said years ago!"

"And what of Professor Snape? Have you thought of him!?" snapped the Headmistress. Snape was almost like a son to her. She and Dumbledore had taken him in when he needed them, and she was well aware of how the other teachers saw him.

She had been the one to look after him. Even if they were snappy to one another and enemy Houses. It was why she was so hurt when she thought that he had betrayed them all and was fighting for Voldemort. It hurt even more to know that Dumbledore had kept it from her and sworn Severus to secrecy.

They had both taken Severus in, and he had been their responsibility as a young teacher here at Hogwarts. And now he'd done something like this!? Something so thoughtless! And lied to her face! How many other times had Severus lies to her so easily!? Without even a flinch or a twitch!

Harry gave her a confused look, not understanding. He knew Snape wasn't used to the attention, but this seemed like something so much worse than that.

"Why do you care…?" he asked, shrugging in the large shirt. "What happens in the papers about me and Severus Snape has nothing to do with you. I get the whole school thing, but I can't see how it's a bad thing… Hogwarts can't get into trouble about this, not when Ancient Magic stands over the Ministry."

McGonagall sighed, pushing her glasses up lightly. "I worry for the both of you, Potter. You may be used to this kind of attention, but I assure you, this will not be easy for Professor Snape. You are not to return to his quarters! Is that clear?"

What!? Harry didn't believe this! "You were the one that said it was okay for us to be together! Now you're going to go back on that!?"

"Yes, well, that was before you two couldn't keep your hands to yourselves! And clearly your bodies! I will not have that disruption in my school. If you and Severus wish to continue this relationship, then it will be done outside of Hogwarts and away from the eyes of other students!

"As a Head of House, it is Severus' responsibility to look after his students. He cannot do that if you are there, Potter. I'm sorry… my decision is final…" she murmured, knowing very well that it was going to be tough on them.

Harry felt his chest cave. After all this time!? How could they keep away from one another when they'd just experienced something as amazing as last night!? He wanted to talk to Snape, make sure he was alright! How could she do something like this!? Drag them away and keep them apart when they needed to talk.

"Professor, please… you can't do this! You can't go back on your word!"

"I never said that you and Professor Snape could have intercourse, Potter. I merely explained that you could be in a relationship. But doing such things on the school grounds? I'm sorry, Potter, but this is for the best of the students here, as well as the both of you. Now go get dressed and clean yourself up. You will be expected to make another appearance today." Maybe not with Rita Skeeter, but he still had interviews with others. Knowing Rita Skeeter, she would keep this to herself and her article, so it shouldn't come up in any interviews today.

"Go grab some clothes and I will be waiting for you at the bathrooms. You will need to clean yourself before going out there. And, Potter… don't think I am any more happy about this than you are, I am merely doing my duty as Headmistress of Hogwarts."

Harry just looked down, angry about the whole thing. He quickly turned around and stormed up the stairs to get some new clothes. He hated this! He hated that this one thing had determined so much for them, and now they couldn't even be seen together!? They had Potions together! Snape taught him! He understood that the students could be weird about it, but honestly, there were things he could tell McGonagall that would make her hair curl about some of the other students at Hogwarts!

His and Snape's relationship was formed by their magic! That was something they couldn't help! They'd tried to resist it, and McGonagall and Dumbledore had pushed them together. Just what the hell had changed McGonagall's mind about this!?

He sighed angrily and grabbed some new clothes. Today was going to be horrible!

*****

Severus had spent most of the day inside his office. He'd fixed the bed, taken a bath and cleaned his clothes after finding them all. The day had been awkward and strange, but that didn't mean he regretted the events of last night.

He and Harry had been waiting for months to finally even touch one another, and last night they had consummated their relationship by going all the way. A kiss here and there was fine, but making that final step? It had felt amazing.

Sure, it may not have been planned and it was certainly spontaneous for a Slytherin, but it was out of his control. Their magic was strong and it had been dying for them to connect to one another. And they had. And he wanted to do it again.

He had skipped breakfast, mainly for Harry's sake. Also, he had no desire to see McGonagall at all right now. He felt horrible for what he had done and may have caused to the school, but he couldn't regret his actions fully. Minerva had said quite simply that it was allowed, and it wasn't his fault that that stupid bitch Rita Skeeter had been stalking the dungeons at night. She should be fucking thrown out for her actions! She shouldn't have even been on the damn grounds! This was a boarding school! No visitors were allowed after hours unless told otherwise!

Shaking his head, he continued to work on his papers, only stopping when he heard the inevitable knock on his door. This time, there was no time to answer it, Minerva McGongall didn't give him that privacy and instead pushed the door open, stepping inside. Privacy was a privilege, and he had lost that.

"Severus, we need to talk about the events of last night and this morning," the witch said, closing the door behind her. Fawkes was sitting on his perch nibbling on a treat as he watched her come inside.

Severus didn't stand, nor did he stop his work. "Headmistress, I would greatly appreciate if it was never mentioned again," he said, scribbling a cross on the paper. He did not want to discuss what he and Harry had done last night with McGonagall. It felt horribly awkward and embarrassing. Hell, even thinking about having had sex with Harry made him blush.

"Severus, why didn't you talk to me about this!?" asked the witch, Severus just looking at her strangely as he finally stopped work. "I may be the Headmistress here, but you do know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?"

Oh, Merlin, it was one of those conversations. Severus put his hands into his lap feeling even worse as he avoided eye contact. "Minerva, please."

"When Dumbledore and I took you in, you were our responsibility. When your mother and father died, we were the ones to look after you, and once I already thought that you betrayed me. I can understand that you kept secrets from me then, under Dumbledore's orders, but I will not have you doing it again! Let alone lying to my face so easily."

"What did you want me to tell you!?" Snape hissed, standing up. "I had no clue it would happen! I didn't even… think it was possible! It's Potter! The boy's hated me since he came here, and I can't blame him. I put him through Hell and back, and I disliked him just as much, and then…"

Running a hand through his washed hair, he leant against the edge of his desk. "I don't need this conversation, Headmistress, I have papers that need finishing."

"Severus Tobias Snape!"

"Do not call me that!" Snape snapped, pointing to the witch. He hated his disgusting and abusive Muggle father! He would not be called after him through his middle name. "You and Dumbledore are to blame for this, not Harry or I. You two were the ones who pushed us to finally accept these feelings we had for one another. You did nothing to stop them! You even informed me that our magic overpowered the Ministry when it came to wizarding law! And now you expect to guilt trip me because I gave into a primal instinct!?"

"You slept with him, Severus. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to the school!? What this is going to do to you!? Your job? Your students are going to give you Hell for this!"

Snape knew what the consequences were. It wasn't like he was exactly thinking with his brain last night, and he certainly didn't think Rita Skeeter would have seen something like this. He knew by tomorrow morning it would be posted in the Daily Prophet and he would have to deal with the students on a Monday morning asking him, harassing him and teasing him about the whole thing.

"You should have come to me… I could have arranged something between the two of you," Minerva said, her voice going soft now.

"I already made clear that I was not thinking, that I was not expecting such events to unfold. Never would I ever…" He looked down. "Minerva, I am deeply apologetic for what this may cause to the school, but you can't honestly think that we could have stopped this from happening. Potter is an eighteen year old teenager, his hormones are surely all over the place, and-,"

"You're a perfectly capable adult, Severus. Don't even tell me that this was tempting just because of your solitude."

"No," Snape drawled. "I take full responsibility for my actions. I should have stopped it from going any further, and I did not. I was weak, I understand that."

Severus turned back around and sat down at his desk, his hands going to his lap. He'd been alone for many years, in love with someone who he could never have and for the first time someone had actually showed interest to him.

He didn't try and understand how he and Potter's magic had come to bond, nor how he and Potter had even come to like one another, but they did. And last night had been one of the most powerful things he'd ever felt. The Gryffindor's magic was intense when intertwined with his own, and utterly arousing.

"What is the real reason you are here?" he muttered, looking back up to the Headmistress of Hogwarts. Surely she was here for an actual purpose and not to just try and educate him on sex and the fact that he could ask her things—which he would never do. McGonagall may have taken him in, but he was old enough to know what sex was and how it worked.

"For the safety of the students, you and Potter will not be able to show you are in a relationship during school days," McGonagall said, Snape's eyes lowering. "You are a professor here at Hogwarts, and thus you will act as one."

"You do realise what you are doing, Headmistress?" he said calmly, despite the medley of emotions he was feeling right now.

"Believe me, Severus, I know that yours and Potter's magic will be active when you are close, but I must do this for Hogwarts and its students."

"They learn sex education, what could you possibly be protecting them from!?" Snape questioned harshly. Just because Hogwarts was a school for witches and wizards didn't mean they stopped learning how the world worked. Sex education was still mandatory at this school as it was with any as they reached the age. Witches and wizards were stull human!

Minerva frowned. "I am protecting the both of you by doing this. You have students to teach, and it will not be easy if you and Potter share classes. They will think you are bias and every test result will be questionable."

Snape stood back up, his hands slapping onto the desk. "Why did you allow this in the first place, then!? Just to strip it away from us!? You were the one who accepted this relationship! You allowed us to act upon our feelings! We did. And all of a sudden it's a crime against the students!? I would never favour Potter's scores just because I slept with him! What kind of professor do you take me for?"

Coming from someone who clearly favoured his Slytherin's above all, it actually wasn't hard to see Severus keeping Potter's scores as honest as possible. But she knew Severus didn't favour on test results, simply in the hallways and in Quidditch.

McGonagall looked up at the taller man, frowning. "Severus, you performed a sexual act on a student in the school. If this had of been at your own home in Spinner's End, then I could have excused it. When you asked if your relationship was acceptable on the grounds, you did not mention a sexual one. I would have thought you to be more professional with the matter. I am sorry, but this is my final decision. You and Potter are to act completely professional whilst in school."

That was for a whole fucking year! Snape knew they couldn't last that long without doing something illicit to what McGonagall was saying.

"Headmistress, please reconsider this! Whatever I have done to make you upset, I apologise, but tormenting the both of us like this? What do you possibly think it will achieve!?"

"You may spend weekends together, but that is all," Minerva said finally, heading to the door. Fawkes made a rather angry screech which caught her attention as Snape walked over to him to hush him.

"I advise you to prepare for tomorrow morning when the Prophet arrives by the post… Goodnight, Severus."

As the door closed, Snape let his hands fall down to his side. He understood the safety of the students, he understood that he and Potter could cause a lot of tension in classes and between students, but what he couldn't understand was why Minerva McGonagall seemed to upset over the whole thing when she had been the one in the first place to accept their relationship as something public.

Feeling a light nibble on his sleeve, he turned to the phoenix who was seated on his perch. He gently scratched the phoenix's neck before returning to his papers for the night.