The basement lab was quiet except for the steady scratching of quills. Severus was immersed in his lesson plans for the next bunch of first year dunderheads who would torture him with their presence, and Harry was working on his potions homework.

Snape had insisted that he work on the set potions homework even though Harry had pointed out to him that it was unlikely that he would have received a high enough grade to advance to NEWT potions. Severus had just curled his lip in the all too familiar sneer and told Harry that as that was indeed the most likely scenario, then he could consider the time and effort put into the homework as being punishment for his failure to work to standard during his OWL year.

Harry had scowled at him, but had managed to bite his tongue and set to work. Strangely, he had found the assignment not so very difficult, as it concerned work they had covered briefly towards the end of the last school year. In fact, without the Dursleys being on his case every ten minutes to do one chore or another (a sharp pang made Harry’s stomach clench when he thought of his aunt and cousin, and he wondered fleetingly how Uncle Vernon was coping), having to try to do his holiday homework in the dead of night, under the covers with a torch, and without the presence of his best mate to distract him, Harry found—much to his amazement—that he was capable of reasoned thought.

During the last term they had touched on some of the work that they would be delving into much more deeply in NEWT level potions, if, as Snape had so snidely told them, any of them managed to overcome their innate idiocy and actually managed to achieve an outstanding in their Potions OWL. At the time, Harry had wondered bitterly why the git would bother giving them a taste of the work which he was sure most of them were not going to have the chance to ever study. He had concluded that Snape would have revelled in making most of the class feel even more beleaguered than they normally did by setting them work above their level. If Harry remembered correctly, not even Hermione had managed to get her ‘Cataract Dissolving Potion’ to exactly the right consistency and colour. She had been most distressed over this development and had lamented hysterically and at great length to Harry that NEWT level potions was going to be beyond her.

Harry had almost resorted to dragging his friend to the hospital wing so that Madam Pomfrey could administer a calming draught.

The Cataract Dissolving Potion had been complicated and of course, Harry’s attempt to brew the potion in class had verged on disastrous; Harry remembered Snape had been particularly vindictive that lesson as it had been only a short time after the pensieve incident.

But now that he was working on the theory, Harry realised with some surprise that he must have been listening to Snape in class that day. He had actually managed to retain most of what they had been told, before they had started brewing. He was even more surprised that he found the work halfway interesting.

Now, Harry had gone as far as he could without some help. He glanced up and watched Snape for a few seconds. The man was concentrating on whatever it was he had recently written. Harry could see, even down the long length of the bench, that the parchment was closely written in Snapes small, neat script. His left elbow was on the desk and he was rubbing his fingertips along the deep furrows indenting his forehead; it appeared as if something was not to his liking. Harry didn’t want to disturb Snape and bring his displeasure down on his unprotected Gryffindor head.

Harry let his attention wander, and he studied the features of the room that Snape had turned into a lab, obviously with Professor Dumbledore’s permission, because as far as Harry was aware, this was Dumbledore’s house. The walls were rough hewn rock and Harry was sure they would be damp if some kind of drying and heating charm had not been in operation. They were quite a way beneath the house after all. Glass fronted wooden cabinets took up most of the wall space and he was perched on a stool at one end of a long stainless steel bench, and Snape was perched similarly at the other end.

A large sink was set up in an alcove at the far end of the long, narrow space and Harry could see a darker space in the wall to the side of the sink that looked like it might be a doorless opening into another room. He was curious, but he could hardly get up and go exploring. He could see jars and bottles of ingredients, mortars and pestles of various sizes, three sets of scales and on the wall opposite the doorless opening, there was a metal stand upon which about half a dozen cauldrons of differing sizes and made of a variety of metals stood. The whole was fairly rudimentary compared to the classroom labs at Hogwarts, but Harry supposed that it was good enough to keep Snape occupied when he was incarcerated here looking after the likes of him. Harry got the impression that the house wasn’t used all that often.

The sound of a quill scratching on parchment again had Harry’s head snapping back to Snape. He seemed to have gotten past his problem and was on a roll with whatever he was writing. Harry noticed that the cabinet behind Snape housed a small library. Curious, he levered himself off his stool and crossed to the cabinet to check out the titles.

Severus looked up as Harry walked past him. He turned on his stool and watched Harry reach for the key to open the cabinet.

“Can I help you Potter?” he asked in his deadliest drawl. Harry immediately pulled his hand back.

“Err, I was wondering if I could look for a reference book. I’ve gone as far as I can with last years text book.” Severus raised an eyebrow.

“Do you mean to tell me that you wish to expound on the material we covered at the end of the year?”

“Well, we just covered the basics. I thought…” Severus’s eyebrow hiked a little further and Harry could feel his mood beginning to darken.

“I thought it would be good to go into a little more detail.”

“You’ve never bothered before,” Severus stated baldly. But he stood and reached past Harry to open the cabinet. His hand went unerringly to a thick book with a tattered spine. I don’t have a copy of ‘Advanced Potion Making’ here but you will find some useful material in here. Try chapter twenty-seven.

“Thanks,” said Harry, taking the book and returning to his seat. The book was entitled ‘Healing Potions for Chronic Conditions’, and there was enough information for Harry to finish off his assignment to his satisfaction. Whether it would be to Snape’s remained to be seen. But Harry knew Snape would probably never see the work, as it had only been set for the students who would advance to NEWT level potions. Only those who were sure of their grade—Hermione, for instance—would do the work before the exam results came through, and others would wait until they got their results.

8888

To say that Severus was surprised would have been an understatement. Any homework that Potter had ever handed in after the holidays had always been pretty slapdash to say the least. Though Severus now conceded that that might have had something to do with the boy’s home life.

Considering the state the Potter had been in when Severus had rescued him from Privet Drive, and considering that his belongings had been locked away in a cupboard, it wasn’t a big leap for Severus to work out that Lily’s sister was as much anti-magic as she had ever been and she had married an intolerant man who would have taken up her stance with unrestrained gusto. Their son would have naturally picked up their prejudices.

Severus now watched the boy studying the rather advanced text, his brow slightly furrowed as he ran the feather tip of the quill over his forehead, avoiding, Severus noticed, touching his scar with it. As he watched, the puzzled expression eased and Harry dipped his quill tip into his pot of ink and began to write again.

Severus could see that there was more than the perfunctory chicken scratch adorning the flattened roll of parchment and as he watched, Harry added a long paragraph to the already closely written page. Perhaps James Potter’s son was finally exhibiting some of the traits of his mother…like taking a pleasure in garnering knowledge.

Severus snorted and went back to his own work. It was amazing that one minute the boy was threatening to leave the wizarding world—his heritage—and the next, he was putting more effort into a piece of homework for his most hated subject than he ever had before. Perhaps Granger was rubbing off on him as well. Or perhaps Harry Potter was finally growing up.

None seemed likely, in Severus’s mind, but stranger things had happened. The traumas that the boy had experienced in the last three weeks may have wrought this unexpected change.

And maybe I’m just looking at things in a more benign light now that I have Erin in my life.

And as if the thought had conjured her, there was a knock on the stout wooden door and when Severus, pointed his wand at the door and opened it, Erin was standing there with a tray in her hands. Both wizards rose, but Harry was faster, and Severus sank back onto his stool as Harry rushed forward to relieve Erin of her burden.

“I thought you gentlemen might like a cup of tea,” said Erin, descending the final two steps that were on the lab side of the door. She followed Harry across to the bench where he set the tray down. “You’ve been sequestered down here for nearly three hours.”

Both Harry and Snape looked at the clock on the wall near the door, and both their faces registered surprise. Harry couldn’t believe that he had actually been in the same room as Severus Snape for this long and he was unscathed. Severus, alternately was surprised that he had not felt the need to lambaste the boy.

But he didn’t want to dwell on Potter. He looked at Erin who was smiling at Harry and handing him a large mug of tea and holding out a plate with several slices of chocolate cake on it.

“Thanks,” he said with a bright smile. He was as happy for the break as Severus was, though Severus hoped that the boy was pleased to see Erin for very different reasons than he himself was. But he had a sinking feeling that Potter was experiencing a serious case of teenage infatuation for an older woman.

“Sit down Potter, and try to keep the detritus from that slab of cake within a half mile radius of yourself,” Severus drawled nastily and he ignored the scowl that was directed at him and addressed himself to Erin.

“That must have been a harrowing journey down that steep staircase with a tea tray, Miss Hanson,” observed Severus as he reached for one of the two remaining mugs. He allowed the corners of his mouth to rise in an approximation of a smile and raised his eyebrows at Erin by way of a private greeting. “Dobby could have brought the drinks to us.”

Erin smiled at Severus, raising her own eyebrows in response to his gesture. “Actually,” she said brightly, “he did. He popped down to the door with the tray and I took it from him there. I needed an excuse to have tea with the two of you. And I wanted to make sure you weren’t working Harry into an early grave.”

Severus huffed out a mirthless laugh. “That, would be impossible,” he said, glancing at Harry who had just shoved the last bit of cake into his mouth. “Whatever Potter dies of, it will not be overwork, I assure you.”

Erin narrowed her eyes meaningfully and Severus hid a smirk behind the rim of his cup. “Would you like some more cake, Harry?” she asked advancing the length of the bench with the plate. Harry took another.

“This is great,” he said before taking another bite.

“I’m glad you like it,” said Erin, smiling. “I made it.”

She shoved the plate under Severus’s nose. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like a slice, Professor Snape?”

Severus looked at the remaining slices of cake suspiciously. “I am not really a cake eater, Miss Hanson,” he said guardedly.

Erin cocked her head to the side. “Any cake, or just my cake?” She waved the plate under his nose enticingly. “Come on Professor…everyone loves chocolate.”

Severus knew he was in an untenable situation. Erin’s back was to Harry and she was directing her own version of a smirk at Severus, knowing it was definitely not in his league, but it dared him to refuse anyway. He took the smallest slice he could find, but his look told Erin that he would extract his revenge when they were alone.

“I do have to admit,” he drawled, holding her amused gaze, “if I do indulge my very underdeveloped sweet tooth, chocolate is the thing I look for.”

Harry thought that if Snape were to indulge his sweet tooth a bit more often, his inherent nastiness might take a turn for the better. He watched over the rim of his mug as Hogwarts’ resident bat gazed into Erin’s eyes as he bit into the moist dark cake. His brow furrowed slightly as a small smile of satisfaction curved Erin’s lips at the sight of Severus Snape eating the cake she had made. Why would she care? And as Harry finished his mug of tea, he wondered when the animosity the two of them had so far exhibited towards each other had disappeared.

When he asked if he could be excused for the day, Snape waved him away without a snide word…very unlike Snape. And the smile Erin threw at him seemed to Harry to be quite distracted, as if she had more important things to be doing at the present time. And yet, as Harry gathered his work together, leaving the text book on the bench, Erin made no move to leave the lab with him.

As he climbed the stairs, Harry’s thoughtful expression became more and more stony.

Severus however, took advantage of Harry’s departure. After spelling the door locked, he and Erin indulged their passion for more than chocolate.

8888

The rest of the afternoon and evening were anything but comfortable. After Harry had put his school bag in his room, he took himself outside to enjoy the view again. The late afternoon temperature was a little more conducive to being outside, and Harry sat gazing out across the Atlantic. The sun had broken free of the perpetual cloud cover and was casting a golden shimmer across the steel coloured water. He couldn’t get any closer to the cliff edge than about six feet as the wards formed an invisible wall. But Harry sat with his chin on his knees and watched the suns very slow descent in the northern summer sky. As the hour advanced, thick grey clouds again gathered again, blocking the warmth, the wind came up again and the temperature dropped accordingly.

Harry couldn’t help thinking about the scene he had witnessed on the lab. What was that all about? Where was the disdain that Snape usually bestowed upon people…that Harry had seen him bestowing on Erin at Hogwarts? And where was the fiery temper he had witnessed Erin directing at a truly deserving Snape? Both behaviours had been rather conspicuous by their absences down in that lab. It couldn’t mean anything?...surely it couldn’t.

But Harry’s conclusion was severely tested, and his pensive mood darkened considerably when he entered the house again to see Erin ascending the stairs from the basement lab with Snape two steps behind her. She was looking back over her shoulder and laughing at some comment Snape had just made.

Severus was the one who spotted Harry, and when his face fell into its usual harsh lines and his eyes darkened, Erin’s laughter dried up immediately. She spun around, knowing immediately what Severus’s look meant.

Harry’s face had emptied of all expression and after several very uncomfortable seconds where they all stared at each other, Harry strode towards the stairs and took them three at a time to the upper level.

Erin wanted to go to him immediately, but Severus dissuaded her, telling her it was best to leave him alone for a while. But it was a very sullen teen who sat down to dinner and the atmosphere once again, was such that it would not aid digestion. Harry kept his eyes on his plate and though he had taken Snape’s previous admonishments about his table manners to heart and had not bolted his food, he still finished before Erin and Severus.

Harry’s impatience to be gone was palpable but that made Severus even more determined to make him sit and wait, and so he took his time. Erin was miserable and desperately wanted to speak to Harry, but she really didn’t know what to say to him. There was no point in lying and saying that she and Severus had only been talking down in the basement; Harry wasn’t stupid. So much for her and Severus’s subterfuge.

Harry was almost grinding his teeth by the time Severus finished and sat back with his hands folded across his flat abdomen. He met Harry’s cold eyes with his best professorial glare. Harry finally dropped his eyes. Snape could still out-intimidate him.

It was all Erin could do not to wring her hands together. Severus did not speak of the thing that was obviously on Harry’s mind. Strangely, he took very little pleasure in the boy’s jealousy.

“We will be leaving here at seven in the morning, Potter.” Harry’s head snapped up, the coldness and misery in his eyes replaced by hope.

“We’re going to the Burrow, tomorrow?” Severus nodded once.

“How are we getting there?” Harry glanced quickly at Erin, obviously wondering if she was going with them and if so, how were they to travel by magical means with a Muggle in tow. There was only one way he could think of, but as they were on an island, the Knight Bus was not an option. His brow furrowed. Come to think of it, Harry wasn’t sure how Erin had gotten here.

Snape’s answer snapped Harry out of his mini reverie.

“We will be travelling by car,” answered Severus in a voice that suggested that he was not exactly happy with the travelling arrangements.

“Car!” repeated Harry, amazed. “But it must be hundreds of miles…and we’re on an island, aren’t we?”

It was obvious that Severus was having difficulty preventing himself from making a smart comment about Harry’s amazing memory.

“Yes, Potter, we are on an island. But as Miss Hanson cannot travel by floo and has to be rendered unconscious to be apparated anywhere—a situation that is far from ideal—a Muggle means of transportation was the most viable solution.”

Severus stopped addressing Harry to call for Dobby. “You may clear the table, Dobby and we will have our post-prandial coffee in the living room,” he ordered, when the little elf skulked into view. Dobby bowed low and with a click of his fingers, the table was cleared. Severus stood and went to pull Erin’s chair out.

Harry’s mood darkened again at the possessiveness of the gesture, and he jumped quickly to his own feet and stalked into the other room ahead of the two adults. He was nearly at the hallway and the stairs when Severus, followed by Erin, entered the living room.

“Potter!” called Severus, shortly. Harry stopped, his shoulders stiff.

“Yes, sir,” he said through gritted teeth and without turning around.

“Kindly do me the courtesy of facing me when I speak to you!” Severus bit out angrily. Harry didn’t move for a moment, but then he turned slowly, his face carefully neutral. He was careful to look only at Snape.

“Yes, sir,” repeated Harry.

You will be down here at six o’clock for breakfast. You will have all of your things packed into your trunk so that I can shrink it.”

“Yes, sir.” They glared at each other and Erin bit her lip in silent misery. “May I go now, sir?”

“Get your sulky face out of my sight,” Severus said with a hard won effort at restraint. Erin Hanson was really putting a kink in his style. Right now, he was finding it very hard not to give in to his desire to give Potter a good lift under the ear!

8888

When the tentative knock sounded on his door, Harry really wanted to ignore it. He knew it was Erin. He couldn’t pretend to be asleep though because she would be able to see the light under his door. Plus, her cat was in here again.

“Harry, please let me in,” Erin called softly, and with a beleaguered sigh, Harry rose from where he had thrown himself down on his bed and opened the door. Before Erin could say anything, Harry had turned and stridden back to his bed, where he scooped up a contentedly purring and dozing Pumpkin, who let out a funny little squeak of protest. He thrust the cat at Erin.

“Here’s your cat,” Harry mumbled before turning away again and thrusting his hands deep into his pockets. Erin sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. She shut the door and then placed a thoroughly disgruntled Pumpkin back on the bed before speaking.

“Harry, please talk to me.”

“What about?”

“About what happened this afternoon.” Harry raised his eyebrows.

“Did something happen this afternoon?” he asked in mock surprise and Erin felt a spurt of annoyance.

“OK Harry, I know that you’re angry…”

“Why would I be angry? It’s none of my business who you’re shagging!”

It would have been difficult to say whose face registered the most shock after this pronouncement, Harry’s or Erin’s. But whilst Harry’s shock turned quickly to feigned indifference, Erin's turned to fury. Harry tongue darted out to wet his suddenly dry lips when he saw the look on her face.

“You know Harry,” said Erin in a deadly voice. “I never before considered that perhaps Professor Snape has cause to think so badly of you. I thought you were a cut above the normal, run-of-the-mill, foul mouthed teenager. Apparently, I was wrong.” She felt no satisfaction as she watched the heat climb into Harry’s cheeks.

“And you’re right, it isn’t any business of yours whom I shag, as you so eloquently put it. And if you’re going to continue to be such a nasty little creep, then perhaps it’s time for me to distance myself from you.” With a last disappointed look, she spun about to open the door. But before she could even turn the knob Harry’s desperate voice halted her.

“Erin I’m…” His voice trailed off. Erin turned back to look at him. He looked wretched, but she wasn’t going to help him out of the huge hole he had dug for himself.

“You’re what?”

Harry took a step towards her, then stopped and threw his arms out and let them slap back to his sides. “I’m sorry! I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” agreed Erin, no sign of softening in either her voice or her stance. Harry’s eyes were bright with his distress and he just stared at Erin for several long seconds. It was obvious that he was still torn and sure enough, his next words, whilst not couched in the offensive language he had previously employed, were still far from what Erin considered to be appropriate.

“Are you?” he burst out. Erin’s chin rose and her eyes narrowed.

“Am I what, Harry?”

Harry pointed out the door with a shaking finger. “ Are you with Snape?” he asked wildly, jabbing the accusatory finger several times in the direction he supposed Snape to be.

Erin wanted to yell that that was still forbidden territory, but then she remembered that she had been worried about Harry’s reaction when he found out about her and Severus. She had definitely not planned on him finding out so soon…before she had even really labelled herself in her own mind as being attached to Severus Snape. She had definitely not labelled herself his girlfriend. She doubted Severus would ever label himself as something so twee as being anyone’s boyfriend.

Since her marriage had ended, Severus was the first man she had allowed to get close…that she had wanted to be close to. And though Harry had jumped the gun with his deliberately foul accusation (Erin was sure he had used the word ‘shag’ just for its shock value), he had not jumped it by too much. She and Severus had gotten carried away down in the basement. They had done everything but shag. So really, Harry’s accusation being wrong was just a matter of semantics.

Erin took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pleading look on Harry’s face. Pleading for her to answer in the negative. “Harry, Professor Snape and I have been thrown together quite a bit over the last couple of days and…well…”

Erin couldn’t finish, but she didn’t have to. Harry looked as though he had just lost his best friend. He turned away, shaking his head, but Erin didn’t have to see his face to know how disgusted he was. “I don’t understand. Haven’t you seen what he’s likes? How could you let the ugly git near you, let alone touch you?”

Bristling with fury again, Erin stalked over and thrust her face into Harry’s, in, had she but realised it, a very Snape like move. “So, you think that looks are all that a person is?” she hissed.

“No, of course not!” squawked Harry, backing up a step. “He can’t help his looks, but he can help his temperament.”

“Can you help being a sanctimonious little snob?”

Harry’s mouth fell open. He just stared, truly horrified by what she had just said. Him! A snob! No-one had ever accused him of being a snob before. This had nothing to do with being a snob, anyway. This was about the really lovely woman he had come to know in the last week—was it only a week?--allowing that shit to touch her, make love to her.

Didn’t she understand what he was? He wasn’t just a nasty piece of work, he was a Slytherin! He was a Death Eater for God sake! He hated everyone but his own kind, his own house. He had to tell her…she had a right to know. Snape must just be amusing himself with Erin. He was a Death Eater, therefore, he hated muggles and Muggle borns.

He opened his mouth to tell her, to warn her but Erin held up a finger right in front of his nose. “I don’t want to hear another word, Harry. I am seriously disappointed in you. I thought that you and I were friends, but it would appear not. A friend doesn’t do what you just did.”

Incensed, she spun around again and stalked through the door and onto the landing. Harry rushed to the door.

“Erin…”

“I said, not another word!” She was holding onto the newel post and looking back at him, her eyes glittering with anger and something else that could have been the beginning of tears.

“Erin, please! This is important. I have to tell you.” Perhaps it was the frantic look on his face, because Erin sighed and took a couple of steps back towards him. She raised her chin to indicate Harry say what he had to say.

Harry licked his lips again. He hated her looking at him like this, like he was a flobberworm that she had just trodden on. I’m sorry Erin, he said in a rush. This isn’t about Snape’s looks…”

“Professor Snape, to you.”

Harry gaped. She was worrying about titles, for God sake. “Professor Snape! This isn’t about his looks, or even the fact that he has treated me like dirt for five years…”

“He saved your life,” ground out Erin.

“Only because Dumbledore told him to,” countered Harry angrily. “But this isn’t about me, either. I’m worried about you.”

“Thank you Harry,’ said Erin after a second or two, her voice considerably less irate. “But I am a big girl. I can look after myself.”

Harry shook his head. “No, you can’t. Not against…” He took a deep breath. “Snape…Professor Snape’s a…he’s a…”

“He’s a what?” Harry looked at her through anguished eyes. He had to tell her. For her own safety, he had to tell her.

Erin raised an impatient eyebrow. Harry opened his mouth, but then closed it again. He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t tell her. She would hate him for ever if he did. And he couldn’t give away Snape’s secret. He just couldn’t.

Yes, Snape was a Death Eater, but he was Dumbledore’s spy, and Dumbledore trusted him implicitly. According to Dumbledore, Snape was no longer loyal to Voldemort. And, he had saved Harry’s life on more than one occasion. And as he hated Harry so vehemently, he would only do that if he was loyal to Dumbledore.

“Well?” said Erin, losing all patience.

Harry swallowed and shook his head. He turned back into his room, leaving Erin looking after him, her anger fading away to be replace with worry. He just looked so defeated, so sad.

“Harry?”

“Look, I’m sorry about everything, all right. I was just being a pillock. What you do and who you see are none of my business.” He sat down on his bed, his hands clasped between his knees, his eyes cast to the floor. His next words were little more than a whisper. “I just thought…”

“What did you think?” Erin asked in voice only a little louder than Harry’s.

Harry shook his head. He couldn’t tell her that he had feelings for her himself. How pathetic would that sound? And what had he expected? That she would wait until he was old enough to have a relationship with her…old enough for her to realise that he was a man and not a boy.

And that was definitely pathetic! She had to be at least ten years older than him, maybe more. A wizard was considered an adult at seventeen, but a mature woman was still going to consider a seventeen year old as nothing more than a kid. And even if she was still available when he was twenty one, she would be well over thirty by then.

How stupid was he to think that a gorgeous woman like her wouldn’t be snapped up by a guy closer to her own age. But did that guy have to be Snape? Harry couldn’t fathom what Erin saw in him. Sure, he had said that looks weren’t important—and that was the way it should be—but the first thing to be impressed upon someone about another person was that person’s looks, wasn’t it?

Harry couldn’t see it; he couldn’t see anything about Snape that would attract Erin…that would attract any woman. There was the greasy hair—though when Harry recalled the Snape he had had contact with since he had been rescued from Privet Drive, lank, greasy hair wasn’t part of the picture—the sallow skin, the less-than-white teeth and the overlarge nose.

But then, reluctantly, Harry saw in his mind’s eye, the tall, slim man in his austerely impressive, high collared shirt and old fashioned, high buttoned, black coat, covered as they always were by sweeping black robes, stalking the corridors of Hogwarts. The students—Gryffindors, mainly—always only saw the greasy git, but Harry suddenly realised that Snape’s clothing was always immaculate. And something else Harry was aware of…Snape’s hair might appear less than clean, but he never smelled dirty or stale. And his teeth might not be white, but the man’s breath was always fresh; Harry knew that because Snape spent quite a bit of time right in his face.

Harry’s depression deepened even more though, when he concluded that the reflection that stared back at him from the mirror was nothing to set the world on fire, either. He was supposed to look like his dad…but his dad had been good looking and charismatic; he had been a quidditch hero after all, and the girls had thought he was something worth chasing. But he, Harry wasn’t good looking; girls didn’t chase after him. Cho didn’t count because she had only turned to him because he had been a substitute for Cedric. He had never had girls looking at him the way he had seen the girls looking at his dad in the pensieve. He supposed his eyes were all right, but he thought they looked much nicer with his mum’s red hair than they did with his own black hair.

No, Harry concluded, there was nothing worth writing home about as far as his own looks went. Snape might not be good looking, but neither was he. And there was obviously something about Snape that turned Erin on, other than the fact of the man being twenty years older than Harry’s own sixteen.

Erin felt terrible. All the fight had gone out of Harry. Severus had told her that Harry had a crush on her. She had laughed at the suggestion. But it looked as if he was right, which probably meant most of this whole performance was due to jealousy. She knelt down in front of him and took his hands between her own, and when she spoke, her voice was very gentle.

“Harry, I am sorry if you’re upset, I really am. I don’t like to see you hurting. You have come to mean a great deal to me in the short time we have known each other.”

Harry raised his eyes to Erin’s earnest face, a little explosion going off inside his stomach. But her next words made the firework fizzle. “I feel for you like an older sister might feel. I love my brother, Simon, but he’s a fair bit older than me. He was twelve when I was born, and he was always very protective of me.

I'm twelve years older than you and I feel very protective of you. You have no family anymore. Not,” she said with a bite in her voice, “that they were worth diddly-squat as a family. I want to be the family that you don’t have anymore. I feel like I am already…I feel that close to you.”

Harry huffed out a little laugh. “Your new boyfriend won’t like that very much. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed or not, but Professor Snape and I don’t get on very well.”

Erin jumped to her feet and plonked down on the bed next to Harry. “Yes, well…I’m going to do my very best to change both your attitudes.”

Harry just stared at her for several bewildered seconds. He didn’t know what to say, and so he just shook his head and looked away. Erin put a hand against his cheek and turned his face back to her. She leaned forward and put her forehead against Harry’s.

“Are we OK now? Do you accept my right to like Severus?

Harry took a deep breath but then he nodded once and her hand moved up to cup the back of his head and draw it down. She planted a kiss on his messy hair.”

“You don’t have to understand why, Harry. Scientists have been asking why this person is attracted to that person for eons and nobody has come up with the answers yet.”

She put her other hand up to his other cheek and stared deeply into his eyes. “If you were fifteen years older, who knows what would have happened,” she said softly. “But as things stand, you’ll have to accept me as the big sister you never had. Is that enough for you?”

Harry eased his face out of her hold and looked down at the floor again. He cleared his throat of the obstruction that had suddenly developed. He nodded again, too embarrassed to look at her.

“And in my now official capacity as your big sister,” said Erin with a smirk in her voice, “I get to have the final vote on any girl who might decide that they want to take up with my little brother.”

The look Harry bestowed on her was exasperated. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.”

Erin scooped Pumpkin into her arms and plonked her down on Harry’s knee before she stood. “Oh, it’ll happen. You’ve already mesmerized one female to the point where I hardly get a chance to pet her anymore.”

She stood and walked to the open door. “And I’ve told you before that you’ll have the girls beating a path to your door.” She blew a kiss at him and left the room.

“Erin!” Harry stood, gathering Pumpkin more firmly into his arms. Erin looked back around the door jamb, her eyebrows raised in question.

Harry stood irresolute for a moment, not wanting to make her angry at him again. But then he burst into speech, despite himself. “Please, ask Sn…err, ask Professor Snape to tell you about himself.”

Erin’s lips thinned a little. “Harry…”

“Please! I’m not trying to cause trouble. I’m really not. But you need to know some things.”

Erin looked at the earnest, worried young face before her, and finally, she nodded.

“I will ask him. Does that set your mind at rest.”

Harry nodded.

“You’d better get yourself to bed. We have an early start tomorrow.”

8888

Erin re-entered the living room just as the gentle fire in the gigantic fireplace changed into a magical green blaze. Erin was still not used to this phenomenon and she jumped back and had to stifle a yelp with her hand.

Severus stepped out of the flames with a heavy fabric hold-all in his arms. When he saw Erin, he smiled and Erin melted. That smile must be the best kept secret in the wizarding world; it was obvious that Harry knew nothing about it. She was sure that there would be more than one young hormonal witch at Hogwarts who would be quite mesmerised if they could see what a smile did to their potions professor’s face.

Severus dumped his bag on a chair and enfolded Erin in his arms, meeting her upturned face and keeping her lips busy for the next several minutes. Erin loved the intimacy…loved the feel of Severus’s lips and mouth under her own. His kisses made her feel cherished and his tongue set her on fire, the same as it had done the first time she had experienced the delights of Severus Snape’s drugging passion.

Had that only been last night? She had become used to his touch so quickly; it was as if she had known it her whole adult life; it was as if she had been waiting for it her whole adult life.

But just now, another, much younger black-haired wizard kept impinging on her consciousness and she did not respond to Severus as she had done earlier that day. Severus could tell immediately that her thoughts was not entirely on him. He pulled back and looked down at her, one eyebrow raised in question. Erin avoided his eyes by wrapping her arms around his slim waist, and resting her bright head on his chest.

“You spoke to the boy, didn’t you?” asked Severus, and Erin felt as much as heard the words as they resonated through his chest.

Erin nodded. “I know you said to leave it alone, Severus, but I couldn’t. He was very upset.”

“And he’s upset you now.” Severus responded. Erin noticed that his voice was laced with the usual antagonism it held every time he spoke of or to Harry. Erin despaired of ever reconciling this man and the boy upstairs to how important each of them was to her. Severus was unaware of Erin’s inner turmoil as he took her hand and led her to the vacant chair in front of the now gently flickering flames. He sat, and pulled her onto his knee. “I gather that he has deduced that you and I are…well, that we’re now together?

Erin leaned backwards against Severus’s encircling arms and looked very pointedly at him. “Do you really think he is so stupid that he couldn’t deduce what had happened down in the basement?”

Severus raised a lazy eyebrow, and Erin felt a spurt of irritation…the same emotion she had felt in the midst of Harry’s rant upstairs. She clucked her tongue and tried to disengage herself from Severus’s hold. He wouldn’t let her go, however, and she collapsed back against his chest inserting her arms between them and wrapping them around her chest in a gesture that advertised her exasperation. ‘Do you know, if I have to continue to put up with the pair of you sniping at and about each other, I’ll have to knock your silly Slytherin and Gryffindor heads together.

Severus’s face became very still and he released Erin. “You’re free to go, Miss Hanson,” he drawled softly and Erin pinched her lips together and stood up. But instead of finding another seat, she turned and glowered down at Severus.

“A half hour talk with Potter and suddenly, you’re discontented.”

“I am not discontented,” denied Erin hotly, her arms wrapping tightly across her chest again. “I’m happier with you than I have been for a very long time. Actually, that’s not true.” She leaned down, supporting herself on the arms of the deep chair. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been with a man, before. I didn’t feel like this even with my husband, Severus.”

She put her hand against his cheek. “I thought I knew what love was when Grant and I got together. But I was just swept off my feet by a smooth operator.

“You, Severus Snape are anything but smooth. You’re irritable and impatient, bad-tempered and unforgiving.”

“if you keep throwing compliments like that at me, I’ll get a swollen head,” said Severus with a smirk.

“This isn’t funny.” She leaned in further and kissed him on the corner of his mouth…the mouth that had transported her to paradise. “I might be jumping the gun here; I hope not, because if this is all just a game to you, then you are going to leave me psychologically scared for the rest of my life. Not to mention, exceedingly depressed.”

Severus grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down onto his knee. Grasping her chin gently, he turned her head so that he could angle his mouth over hers. Erin allowed him to kiss her deeply and thoroughly; they savoured each other, and Erin was sure that Severus’s gentle passion showed he felt the same commitment for her as she did for him. He wasn’t pushing her; he was allowing her to set the pace. Every instinct was telling her that she could trust this man with her heart and with her body.

“This is not a game,” Severus whispered. “This is as real for me as it is for you.”

Erin smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the high collar of his robes. Sandalwood and cinnamon assailed her senses and she closed her eyes and breathed him in.

Earlier in the basement, Severus’s lovemaking had been gentle but sure, and she had allowed him to explore her body as she had explored his. Severus had not baulked when she had reluctantly eased away from his increasingly desperate lips and hands and though it would have been so easy for her to continue…to allow him to continue to transport her to heaven and back , she had erred on the side of caution.

A basement laboratory was ultimately not where she wanted to consummate their relationship, especially with a teenager present in the house. A teenager moreover who might or might not have a crush on her. Severus had said so, anyway; she hadn’t been so sure then. But still, she had known that Harry had come to rely on her regardless of whether he had a crush or not and she had wanted to eventually explain about her and Severus to him; she had not wanted him to find out like he ultimately had.

It would have been so easy to go where Severus led, and God, her body had dictated that she do just that. And as strange as some might think her for denying herself the pleasure she knew would have been hers, Erin wanted it just to be her and Severus together, not her and Severus sneaking around to avoid Harry. It couldn’t be too much longer. After all, they were taking Harry to his friends tomorrow.

But now, there was still the problem of what Harry had said to her. Once his anger and jealousy had been dealt with, what had been left was distress and worry for her. She and Severus definitely needed to talk; there was so much that she did not know. He had told her about Harry, or most of it anyway; she was sure that there were things he had not mentioned, especially concerning his and Harry’s combined history.

But she didn’t know anything about Severus Snape from before four days ago. Harry had been desperate for her to ask Severus about himself. Erin couldn’t imagine anything that he might have to say would make her feel any differently towards him, but she wanted to know…she needed to know what made this man tick. Erin pushed herself upright again and when Severus would have pulled her to him for another devastating kiss, she resisted.

“Severus, will you tell me about yourself?”