Title: What a Difference a Dark Lord makes
Author: Futret
Rating: PG
Pairing: HP/SS
Disclaimer: Not mine, JKR's
Feedback: yes thanks
Beta: MiaUgly and Kitera-Matar
Archive: Part of the From Dusk till Dawn Severus Snape/Harry Potter Fuh-Q-Fest at http://www.kardasi.com/HPSS/storyindex.htm
Challenge: 'Not here, Not now! No magic?' – Wave X
Severus looked around the room in satisfaction. The table was all set, ready for their meal. The place settings were facing each other; set out with exact precision on the round table, and the red and gold table linen matched the chairs. They'd debated long and hard about the dining table – Severus wanted something more formal and elegant, while Harry liked the informal setting of a round table. Harry finally won when he reminded Severus that they never did any entertaining anyway and it would just be for the two of them. The round table would be much more cosy. Severus smiled as he remembered. How could he refuse with an argument like that? He looked round again and nodded - just the silvery green candle in the centre to light, and then it would be ready. Time to think about the bedroom.
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Harry knew Severus was cooking him a meal in celebration of their anniversary. He also knew that it was meant to be a surprise but he could smell the wonderful aromas coming from their quarters, even from up in the South Tower. At least the menu would be a surprise, as Severus never cooked the same thing twice on these occasions. Harry smiled in anticipation. Severus liked to experiment, and often spent a similar amount of time in the kitchen, as he spent creating a new potion. Harry loved him for it.
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Severus had been cooking all afternoon and was now getting the bedroom ready, in anticipation of what would follow the meal. He tidied up and put on the sumptuous midnight blue bed linen that they'd received for their 4 th anniversary last year, from their friends Ron and Hermione. Five years today since they were married. Severus breathed in the freshly laundered smell as he put the sheets on, and cast his mind back to when he and Harry first met….
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Harry sighed and looked out the window. He was supposed to be writing another chapter of his book, but he wasn't really managing to keep his mind on the task – he didn't really want to think of the battle with Voldemort on his wedding anniversary. Instead, his mind kept wandering back onto thoughts of his husband and what was waiting for him downstairs.
This led him onto thoughts about their life together over the last five years; their bonding; the day they met and how his life had changed since then.
He remembered back to the interview for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position and how nervous he'd been to begin with, feeling worried that the other candidates would be much older and more qualified.
As he sat in Snape's waiting room, he'd known it was stupid to feel so nervous. He had defeated one of the greatest Dark wizards of the age and, while he may be young, he knew that he knew a lot more about Defence than most wizards. But it was his first proper job since leaving school and he had badly wanted to impress. He'd been announced into the presence of a dark, foreboding man. He was rather intimidated and had wondered what Severus – Professor Snape – would be like to work for. But then he stopped thinking about all that and just concentrated on doing a good interview and demonstrating to the man how his skills were an almost perfect fit for the position. He felt he was destined to get this job.
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Harry had been nervous , Severus remembered.
Incredibly nervous in fact, as demonstrated by the fact that he spent the first ten minutes, gesticulating with his hands whenever he was trying to explain something. Severus smiled. It was a habit Harry still possessed when he was nervous.
The first thing Severus had noticed was how smart Harry looked. He'd been wearing fitted wizard robes, in a charcoal grey colour, with a lighter grey lining. They had showed off his slim shoulders and trim waist. He had looked very professional, but very young. Severus found himself warming to the man though. He recognised the nervous gestures and tried to get him to relax a bit more. He'd been pleased with the answers given to some of his questions – Harry could explain things well – and as Severus found himself begin to get more interested in the background of this young man, he realised that this was a good sign of Harry's unconscious teaching ability – he could communicate in such a manner as to inspire an interest in his subject. Severus felt this might just be a successful appointment. Harry would be a breath of fresh air around the castle too.
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And getting the job had been wonderful, Harry thought. He'd been so eager to start and ready to prove to Severus that he could do the job. The first week had been difficult though and he had wondered if he really was cut out for teaching. Severus had managed to put his mind at rest.
“Professor Potter, may I have a word?” Severus had approached him in the staff room that Friday evening as he was groaning over the mess his Third Years had made over their Boggart essays. He looked up in surprise.
“Of course, Headmaster,” and indicated a seat beside him.
“Thank you.” Severus had paused then and Harry had wondered if he was about to give him bad news.
“Professor Potter - ” Harry had corrected him then, and asked him to call him by his first name. It was automatic, as he still hadn't gotten used to being called Professor anything, but he wondered later how he had the nerve to suggest it.
Harry smiled again. How young and naive he'd been.
“Harry, I just wondered how you found your first week, and if there was anything you wanted to ask me?”
“Er..no, not really Headmaster - ”
“Severus, please”
“Severus then. Actually, there hasn't been anything too horrendous to deal with – no one has killed or maimed their fellow classmates yet. But it's been a bit of a learning curve this week. I've enjoyed it but I'm not sure the same can be said for the students!”
Severus had laughed then.
In his little room at the top of the South Tower, Harry laughed too. He knew this was when things changed for him. When he started seeing Severus not as the Headmaster, but as a friend. He couldn't be sure when things changed for Severus for all he said at this point was “Relax Harry. I'm very pleased with your work, and feel you will be an asset to the School”
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Severus poured himself a brandy as he thought some more about their friendship and the beginnings of the relationship. Everything was prepared – the duck was in the oven and the smoked salmon was ready to be placed upon the bread fingers he'd already toasted and sliced up. He was just waiting for Harry to come down from his office.
They'd begun a ritual of Friday night meetings, where Harry would talk over the week and Severus would listen and advise. It wasn't always work-related though; they would talk about anything and everything – books, music, and plays; about the wider Wizarding World; about the Ministry of Magic and wizard politics. All in all, Severus found Harry to be an intelligent and articulate young man.
Severus grinned. He was remembering a particular night where he and Harry were arguing about werewolf policies. Severus was practising tolerance for all species, and the rights of the werewolf to live free in the wizarding world with the help of Wolfsbane, whereas Harry was of the belief that there should be communities created, where werewolves should be confined to their own pack .
The discussion had gone on most of the evening until they were the only two people left in the staff room. Severus recalled that he had finally looked up from the discussion and had been surprised that he hadn't noticed they were alone before then.
“It appears late, Harry. I wish we could continue this conversation further but I should probably let you get to bed.” They'd tidied up in comfortable silence and walked out the room together.
Pausing just outside the door, Harry had turned to Severus. “Why don't we go back to my quarters for a nightcap?”
With an almost miniscule raise of his eyebrow, Severus nodded. “Alright, why not?”
Arriving there, Harry had been almost as nervous as he was during his interview! Severus had been waved into a sofa by Harry and, after pouring two tumblers of whisky, the young man had joined him there. Over the course of their discussion, Harry had gotten up a few times to stoke the fire, or refill the tumblers, and each time he sat back down he had sat closer and closer to Severus. It had got to the point where their thighs and shoulders were touching. Severus chuckled again. Devious little sod, he thought.
That was the night Harry had kissed him.
That was the night everything changed.
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Harry didn't know what had prompted him to kiss Severus. It had just felt the right time. They'd been growing ever closer and he had thought about taking their relationship a step further for the last few weeks, but he hadn't known if it would be welcome or not. He had felt a spark between them though. And then, with the heat from the fire, the warmth from the whisky and the feel of Severus being tucked up close against his side, he found he just had to take the risk.
Harry resurfaced from his memories with a smile on his lips. Thank goodness he had. Things had changed so much for him since then. He had never thought it possible to meet someone as perfect as Severus. Maybe he had something to thank Voldemort for after all, as without his Defence training, he would never have had the nerve to apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. Funny how things worked out...
Harry grinned and gathered up his belongings, and went downstairs to greet his husband.