"Have you gone nuts?" asked Harry, as soon as they Apparated into Snape's bedroom, in the cottage, Snape carrying Harry in his arms.

Snape, who had his Time-Turner around his neck, looped the cord around Harry's neck as well and turned the hourglass six times.

"There wasn't any other way to talk to you," replied Snape, placing Harry on the ground. "The whole week was all hearings, hearings and more hearings. And classes will restart tomorrow. I mean... the day after tomorrow."

"But how will you explain this to Dumbledore if..."

"Harry, we all know that Dumbledore knows everything."

"What do you mean, 'everything'?"

Snape narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you still angry with me?"

"I... Yeah, I think I am. I don't like people to decide things for me. I'm not a child any more," said Harry, not believing his own words. The previous night, he had decided to apologise to Snape, and now he was talking to him in that tone!

"Always wanting to play the hero, Mr Potter..."

They glared at each other, as on the verge of starting a duel or a wrestle. The tension was almost unbearable.

"I think I should go," said Harry, lowering his head, unable to face Snape any more.

Snape grabbed his arms firmly. "It might be true that I treat you like a child. You have to understand that I'm twenty years older than you, and it's not easy to break old habits. On the other hand, I can't apologise for what I did, because, if it happened again, I would do exactly the same. I did what I did because I... couldn't stand the idea of losing you."

Harry couldn't think any more. Suddenly, they were in each other's arms - it was as if their bodies had made the decision for them. They moaned at the same time.

"Harry..."

"Oh, Severus. I've been such an idiot."

"That's old news."

Harry smiled. That was his Snape. "Do you still remember that other way we used to communicate?"

"That was precisely my idea when I brought you straight to this bedroom. I hope I'm not out of practice, after such a long time," said Snape, before capturing Harry's lips in a longing kiss.

Severus pushed him gently onto bed, always kissing him. Harry gave a soft moan, wrapping his arms around Snape's shoulders. The older wizard took off Harry's glasses and folded them up on the bedside table.

They kissed for a long time, both lost in the battle of lips and tongues, hands roaming all over each other, bodies pressing together. The kiss could have continued further if Harry hadn't rocked his hips against the older wizard's, and wrapped his legs around his waist, pressing his arousal against Severus's stomach greedily.

Then Severus decided to take off the boy's clothes, very slowly. Harry did the same to Severus's robe.

When Severus found himself only in his underwear and got rid of Harry's pyjama top, he gazed at the young wizard's body, surprised.

"You have grown." Severus slid his fingers into the new hair on Harry's chest. "Only a month away from you and you are... different."

"Do you still like me?" asked Harry, unsure, his voice cracking.

Severus frowned. "Of course I do, Harry. I don't have any fetish for teens. I want to see you grow and develop in all aspects of your being. I just don't want to stay away from you. I want to watch every change, second by second."

"And I won't mind if your hair gets white, or if you get bald."

Severus grimaced. "I am a wizard. We have spells and potions for hair implants. I taught you how to prepare the Capillus-gro potion in your last term. You have never paid attention to my classes, obnoxious boy."

Instead of replying, Harry took one of Snape's nipples between his teeth, and the Potions master forgot the subject completely.

Harry started to devote himself to the neck and earlobe of his lover. He licked and smelled him all over, delighting in that body he already knew, getting familiar with it again. "Hmm. You've used that lizard's eyes microsponge shampoo again... And your hair's not greasy now."

"I'm perfecting that shampoo," explained Severus.

"Don't even try to get more handsome. If you really become the Slytherin Sex God, I'm going to die of jealousy."

Severus pinched one of Harry's nipples. "I want you to die of jealousy!"

"Ouch! Sadistic wanker!"

"Oh, you will see the wanker!"

Harry got rid of his briefs. Severus couldn't take his eyes off him.

Harry loved the way Severus was looking at him. How he had missed this! All that time without having those eyes boring into his soul, those hands roaming all over his body... He was totally focused on the moment, wanting to enjoy every second with Severus.

Severus slipped off his briefs, revealing his fully erect cock, and crawled between Harry's legs. He kissed the boy languidly.

"Severus, I want you in me."

Severus closed his eyes, as if savouring the boy's words, and felt Harry's cock throb against him.

"Soon I'm going to be inside you, Harry," he said, hoarsely. "Deep inside you."

Harry whimpered. That voice did amazing things to him.

Severus reached out to open the bedside table drawer and produce the lube. He unstoppered it and poured some onto his fingers, looking down at Harry intensely. Without taking his eyes off his lover, he spread the product over his cock.

The older wizard slipped one finger carefully inside Harry, sliding it in and out.

Harry squirmed beneath him, melting and wanting more. "I'm ready, Severus. I don't need more prep."

"Absolutely not. It's been a long time since we did this, and you have to be patient."

Harry sighed, but was rewarded with a second, and soon a third finger.

When Severus took his fingers out, Harry almost complained. But soon Severus's cock was pressing at his sensitive entrance.

Severus plunged in slowly, waiting for Harry to adjust, his eyes locked on his lover's as to make sure that Harry knew he was his.

As if it was necessary, thought Harry. As if Harry had any doubts. As if it was possible to feel any more intimately linked to a person than that. And yet...

"More, Severus. I want more."

Harry's words elicited a strong response from Severus, making him groan and gasp. Severus cupped Harry's balls, squeezing them slightly, and penetrated to the root, starting to pound him harder and faster, rubbing against his prostate mercilessly. Harry responded by thrusting against him, and the tension was building more and more, reaching an unbearable level. Finally, Harry arched his entire body, murmuring incoherent words and spilling his seed between their bodies.

Severus thrust once more, twice, and also reached his climax. Collapsing, he lay still on top of Harry for a while, exhausted and sated.

~* ~* ~

"The ring hasn't even blinked once during all this time," said Harry a few minutes later, when Severus had rolled off him and started toying with the boy's dishevelled hair. "Every time I felt lonely and afraid I'd never see you again, I held it, and it comforted me."

Severus stroked Harry's face with his knuckles. "In a year, Harry, we will be able to complete the Hierosgamos rite."

"And live happily ever after?" Harry gave a rather incredulous smile. "Do you think we're free from the dark wizards once and for all?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think so. This is only an armistice. Lucius will try to gather the Death Eaters again. You need to continue to practise and perfect your magic. And I will have to maintain the façade of loyalty to the Death Eaters."

"Why?"

"I talked to Draco yesterday. Lucius still trusts me. He is hidden somewhere, and believes that I have helped the Dark Lord to escape."

"But if it was you who made the potion!"

"It wasn't me who added the potion to the water! He doesn't know that I took part in the whole plan. He counts on me to help reunite the lower echelons of the Death Eaters, who weren't affected. Hence, we cannot be too careful. As Moody says, constant vigilance!"

"Hmpf, with you near me, I already have constant vigilance! And speaking of constant vigilance, what happened to Akhmatov?"

"Dumbledore's allies in Durmstrang managed to free him. You will have Defence Against the Dark Arts with him again this term."

"What?! Is Dumbledore completely nuts?"

"That was exactly what I said to him."

"And what did he say?"

"He said, 'Now, now, Severus, let's give him a second chance. He didn't mean to cause us any harm. He merely fell in a trap'."

Harry grimaced. "What a bastard! He knows that you can't say anything against second chances."

"Nonetheless, I insisted the man was at least incompetent and unable to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. But it was useless."

"Severus, do you really want to teach Defence?"

Severus snarled. "I would rather be a Gryffindor than teach anything other than Potions. Do you think that, after teaching Potions for fifteen years, I would be qualified to teach any other subject?"

"Of course you would. You're a very powerful wizard, and you know a lot about Dark Arts!"

"Oh, but the Ministry syllabus forces us to teach a lot of unimportant material. I don't have patience for that. We've spread the rumour that I want the post to mislead the Death Eaters into thinking that I resent Dumbledore because he doesn't hire me, and that he doesn't hire me because he doesn't trust me."

"I see... It must be horrible for you, to let people think that you're a loser, that you never get what you want..."

"Indeed. It doesn't do my self-esteem any good. Speaking of self-esteem, are you upset because Longbottom is being worshipped as a hero now, and not you?"

"Oh no, I don't want to be worshipped, if that's what you mean. You don't believe me, but I've never wanted to be famous. What bothers me is that it was the Sandpotion B that defeated Voldemort. And you're not receiving any credit for this."

Severus shrugged.

They kept quiet for some time.

"Severus, do you think Mrs Weasley will get better?"

"You like her a lot, don't you?"

"Er... She treats me like a child; it's annoying. But you know, Ron's my best friend. He's so sad because of her."

"I was thinking... Weasley said she hasn't recovered her memory yet, but her vital functions are intact, and she's going to be discharged from St Mungo's within three days. We can take her to Hogwarts. I think the Sandpotion could help cure her. With Pomfrey's assistance."

"I hope so! It would be great!"

Then Severus reached out for his robe and produced a wrinkled parchment from one of its pockets. "Speaking of the Sandpotion, take a look at what I received yesterday."

Harry opened the parchment and read.

Dear Professor Snape,

I hope you are all right!

I'm writing this letter to you to inform you that the Headmaster convinced my parents to teach at Hogwarts this term! It seems the Headmaster told them they would be able to help the Wizarding World to restore their hozho and reach a higher stage of harmony. My father's going to teach "Navajo Magic Studies", and my mother, "Navajo Divination".

Do you remember when I told you it would be amazing if we could have a collective Healing Ceremony at Hogwarts? (The Blessing Way would be my choice, but we can talk about that later.) I think we will finally be able to do it!

I'm looking forward to the start of classes. I had already read the entire Potions book for this term; I can barely wait to start practising.

Yours faithfully,

Kai Clauschee

Harry smiled. "This boy is a treasure! Do you know what his parents were working on the Department of Mysteries?

"I have no idea. Albus never told me."

Harry looked at Severus with dreamy eyes. "Severus, do you think that, with a Navajo ceremony, we'll be able to mend the division between the Houses, and prevent the rising of another dark lord?"

"My customary realism would make me answer that no, that this division is crystallised, even historically, and that there will always be dark lords. But who would imagine that one day we would be here, in the afterglow of the best shag of the century, talking amicably?"

"The best shag of the century? Aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

Severus shot him an offended look. "Why? Wasn't it for you?"

"Er, I'm not sure. What if I show you my idea of 'best shag of the century'?"

"Oh," murmured Severus, pulling Harry on top of him. "Arrogant as always, aren't you, Mr Potter? I challenge you to do better than myself."

The End