Silver and Gold 11/? DH Spoilers
SPOILERS FOR DH


Title: Silver and Gold 11/?
Author: Eriador117
Rating: NC-17, Snape/Harry, other pairings.
Spoilers up to and including Deathly Hallows
Summary: Things are never quite what they seem. Epilogue, what epilogue? ;)
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the Potterverse, I'm just playing in it.
Beta'd by Rakina, many thanks :)
Warnings: AU, Angst, Mpreg. There are some other things I am not warning for as it will give away the plot and I myself don't exactly know where the story is going yet.



Earlier Parts

Part Eleven

Severus thought it might help if he joined Harry in his exercises rather than just watching, then he would be less inclined to dwell on Harry's physical attributes now that he was finally getting some flesh on his spare frame. It was a mistake; he noticed Harry even more, especially when Harry always seemed to pick whatever weight machine was opposite Severus. Almost as though Harry was as keen to watch him working out as Severus was to watch Harry.

Severus knew that probably wasn't the case. He wasn't the sort of person young men like Harry lusted after and as for Severus lusting after Harry, well there was no fool like an old fool, was there? Severus sighed and Summoned a towel to him so he could wipe his face free from sweat. His eyes were closed as he did so, when he opened them again, Harry was staring at him. No, not just staring. Gaping, open-mouthed, his eyes wide behind his glasses with only a small rim of emerald around the dark pupils. Harry was blushing, his hands no longer on the weight machine, but hovering in front of his groin. As though he was hiding it.

Severus stared back and he saw Harry swallow, his eyes never leaving Severus' face. Was Severus imagining the sexual tension in the room or was Harry really feeling something too? He lifted the towel to his face again, flexing his arm as he did so, but didn't close his eyes this time. Harry's eyes seemed drawn to his biceps and Severus could almost swear under oath that Harry was biting his bottom lip to stifle a moan.

Severus' cock began to rise and he knew the jogging bottoms would do little to hide the reaction. Harry's eyes glanced down at Severus' groin and the young man did moan a little that time.

"See something you like, Potter?" Severus asked, before both of them spontaneously combusted.

"Yes," he gasped then flushed even more. "Oh, God! I'm sorry!" With that, Harry leapt up and ran for the door, not even stopping to shower or change his clothes. He hadn't had his regular swim either but Severus' didn't mind too much. He'd discovered something much more important. Harry was definitely feeling something for him as well.

***

The stairs weren't co-operating; Harry ended up on the fifth floor landing, then the third before they finally allowed him off at the seventh floor and he could get to Gryffindor Tower. He didn't care that he was sweaty and smelly and panting like a horse that had just finished the Grand National. He needed to talk to Hermione! Only when he finally got to the common room, Hermione wasn't there.

He glanced at the clock, it was almost ten, Hermione didn't normally sleep in this late, not even on weekends. Ginny was talking to Neville on the two armchairs closest to the fire. As soon as Ginny spotted Harry, she jumped up and almost ran over to him before whispering in his ear. "I like a man all hot and sweaty. Very manly. Is there something I can help you with?"

"No!" gasped Harry, stumbling away from her. "I'm looking for Hermione."

Ginny flushed. "She's probably in the library. What do you want to talk to her for anyway?"

"It's private!"

"Private is it? Well, just make sure Ron doesn't catch you snogging his girlfriend."

Harry didn't even dignify that with an answer; it was none of Ginny's business what he wanted to talk to Hermione about. Ginny was the last person he wanted to talk to about this, whatever this was. He left without even thanking her. This time the stairs behaved and he got to the library without too many detours.

Hermione was in the Potions section, a forest of books was spread out on the table in front of her and on a couple of the chairs beside her as well. Her hair was swept up in a bun today, but a few wisps had escaped their bindings and trailed around her cheeks. "Hi, Harry," she said when she saw him, taking some books off the chair nearest to her so that Harry could sit down.

Harry was glad she was indeed in the library and not still at breakfast. The Great Hall was not the best place for private conversations. The library was much better; they were hidden by bookshelves and a hastily erected Muffliato charm soon took care of any potential eavesdroppers.

"Is Ron here?"

"In the library?" Hermione laughed. "No, he's out on the Quidditch pitch, wanted to get some practice in before the match next week."

"Good," said Harry. "I needed to talk to you alone."

"Oh. Shouldn't you be talking to Madam Pomfrey?" A couple of weeks into term Harry had finally given in to Ron's pestering about why he was seeing Madam Pomfrey and why she had banned him from playing Quidditch. Ron still didn't understand why someone suffering from depression shouldn't be allowed to play Quidditch, but Hermione had looked at Harry and without Harry having to say it, she knew. The knowledge was in her eyes. "Oh, Harry," she'd said and hugged him right in front of Ron. Ron had grinned and then hugged him too.

"I'll probably have to tell her later," said Harry. "But I really just wanted to talk to a friend, Hermione."

"Okay, shoot."

"God, Hermione, I've gone and ruined everything!"

"What? How?"

"With Professor Snape! I'm such an idiot!"

"Harry, calm down. Just take a deep breath and tell me what's happened."

"You know he's been helping me with my training?"

She nodded and waved him on; Harry realised the whole school probably knew about Harry's training sessions with Snape. "Well, he hadn't actually been doing any weights or anything until yesterday, he was just supervising before. But yesterday and today he was wearing this really tight black t-shirt and working out. Really tight – you could see every muscle when he moved and his arms! Oh my God, I couldn't stop staring at his arms! They were bulging out of his sleeves. And then today he asked me if I liked what I saw and I said yes! I ran out of there and found you. God, Hermione, what's going on?"

Hermione giggled a little. "Harry, you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"He was flirting with you!"

"Flirting with me? But why?"

Hermione looked Harry up and down; shaking her head as if she couldn't believe her friend could be so dense.

"Oh, Harry. Why wouldn't he want to flirt with an attractive man like you? He fancies you, haven't you noticed? He's always staring at you at meals or during classes when he thinks no one's looking."

Harry couldn't believe that Hermione sounded so... approving. Snape was one of their professors after all. "And from what you've said, it sounds like you fancy him too."

"But I'm not gay!" protested Harry, but even as he said the words he wasn't entirely sure. "Am I?"

"Maybe you're bisexual?" Hermione suggested. "Put it this way, Harry. What gets you more excited? Seeing Snape in that t-shirt or seeing a girl naked?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Since I've never actually seen a girl naked." The more he thought about it, the more he realised he didn't want to either. It just didn't get his blood flowing as seeing Snape had. There had definitely been some reaction in his cock as he'd watched Snape, nothing as definite as an erection, but there was certainly some excitement there. Is that why he'd always shied away whenever Ginny had wanted to go any further than kissing?

"You are a gentleman, aren't you, Harry?" smiled Hermione. "Not even admitting that you and Ginny slept together."

"I didn't sleep with Ginny," said Harry. "She wanted to, but I never felt ready."

"Is that the truth? Or are you just protecting her reputation?"

"I swear, Hermione. We've never done anything more than kissing and a bit of petting. Why?"

"Because Ginny was spreading it all around the girls' dorms that you did sleep with her. You were apparently amazing by the way."

"What? Why would she make up something like that?"

"I've no idea. She's talked about all her boyfriends."

"So everyone thinks we've been together like that?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Ron certainly thought so, that's why he thought you were messing her around last year. That you were just after one thing."

"Ron thought that?" Did his friend really know Harry so little? And what on Earth would Ginny have said in the girls' dorms if they had in fact slept together? Harry didn't think girls talked about that sort of stuff to each other.

"I think he's realised by now that Ginny sometimes exaggerates things to get attention. Ron thinks it's because she's the only girl and the youngest. But anyway, enough about Ginny. I want to hear more about Sexy Snape!" Hermione giggled again and Harry could hear the capital letters in her voice.

"There's nothing more to say," protested Harry, his face heating.

"Do you fantasise about him?"

Harry blushed even more. He hadn't in the past, but he had the impression that he would in the future.

"So are you going to ask him out?"

"What? He's my teacher! You're not saying you would condone it if something happened?"

"You're eighteen, Harry. It wouldn't be as if he was taking advantage of you, not if you both wanted it."

"But what about the teacher thing?"

"If the war taught us anything, Harry, it's that life is too short. I don't think he would mark your work any differently if you were together and your exams aren't taken by him anyway. As long as you're discreet and don't start snogging in the middle of the Great Hall or something, I don't see why you can't be together. You've both lost so much; you deserve to find happiness wherever you can."

"Even if it's in Snape's arms?" Harry could hardly believe what he was saying.

"Yes."


TBC