Harry stared. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes with back of his hand. He considered pinching himself to check if he was really awake.

Snape was kissing a woman.

Snape was kissing a woman.

Harry closed his eyes, pressing his eyelids together so much that after opening them, he saw little dancing light dots. Behind the light dots, Snape was still kissing a woman.



..ss..

Severus kissed her with all his might. He loved kissing her. He wished he loved the woman as much as he loved kissing her. It was bliss.

Then Severus opened his eyes and found Potter. Staring.

Hell, how could have his Notice-Me-Not charm failed?

Potter made a turn on his heel and ran. Severus cursed and ran after him. Fortunately, they were at the edge of Hogsmeade where students rarely wandered. Of course, Potter had had to be the exception!



..hp..

Harry was running, but a quick look behind told him that Snape would get him soon. Damn the man’s long legs.

Snape grabbed his arm, spinning him. Harry scowled at his least favourite teacher. He hated being grabbed and manhandled. He had enough of that at the hands of Uncle Vernon, thank you very much.

“Name your price!” Snape barked.

Harry could just stare at him. “What?”

“Name your price, Potter. You have seen something you shouldn’t. I, sadly, cannot Obliviate you. We will negotiate the price of your silence,” Snape explained. Harry could see the man was getting angrier with every sentence.

“I....” Harry honestly couldn’t find one single word to say.

“Potter, I know that you nearly ended up in Slytherin. Don’t play dumb, and negotiate!” Snape barked.

He was obviously at the end of his – short at the best of times – patience. Harry frantically tried to find anything. Any demand at all. What could he ever want from Snape?

Suddenly, he got it!

..ss..

Severus recognized it the second it happened. The brat’s eyes lit like candles. Damn him.

“So, what is it?” Severus asked. What a pity he couldn’t risk erasing Potter’s memory. But mind charms were always tricky, and according to Albus Potter was their chance to get rid of the Dark Lord. His mind had to stay sound – or as sound as it has ever been, seeing as he was a Potter.

“My dad,” the boy blurted. “You knew him. I want you to tell me- No, to write! You have to write something nice about him.”

Severus stared. He expected the boy wanting house points for Gryffindor – they were supposed to be selfish brats, were they not? Or maybe Potter would have demanded to be allowed into Severus’ Advanced Potions class next year. Writing an essay about the late James Potter...

“It will be done,” Severus said sourly.

“Six feet long!” the boy demanded. “By the end of the week!”

“Two weeks,” Severus negotiated, more to get to Potter at least in something rather than really needing the time. “And mind you keeping your mouth shut, or else.”

“Deal.” Potter smirked at him, and had the nerve to offer his hand to Severus to shake. Severus eyed it with disgust, but shook it briefly.

“Deal.”