Happy Daft Day lotrwariorgodss! Recipient:lotrwariorgodss Title: The 'incident' Author:moonsnoangel Rating: PG-13 (language) Warnings: n/a Prompt/Summary: Harry happens upon Snape and assumes all the wrong things. Author's Note: First fic; Harry is well over 18 years of age and has long since left Hogwarts.
"Barkeep, another," I bellowed from my table so far in the corner it was the definition of seclusion, or so I thought. "This time make it double!"
"Hard day?" Draco shouted as Ron walloped me so hard it took a few minutes before I remembered where I was, much less the question just asked. Luck was not on my side that fateful day, first the 'incident', then my so-called friends show up wanting to hear all about it.
As Draco and Ron settled in to my table of 'what if's and 'could have been's, Collin walked in, the biggest wanker of them all. And as life goes my way, oh so often, he spotted us and invited himself for a drink. Who knew he would turn out to be one of those people who would sell anything, precious or not, just to get his name out there?
"Hey gents," said Collin. "You'll never guess what I heard from Ms. Wood this morning."
"The family jewels wouldn't ever live up to all the hype?" I mumbled hoping my voice was as low on the outside as it was on the inside.
Ron made a sound, not quite human, but a sound nonetheless. It was the type of sound that one might hear when a drink shot out of someone's nose.
"What was that Harry?"
"Oh nothing, I'm merely entranced as to what someone as charming and witty as Pansy would have to say," I lied through my teeth, using my superb acting skills.
"Well, as I was saying…"
To be honest I tuned him out after this as I had been doing more and more since the k… well, you know, since 'the incident.' I could have made him happy, well at least less of a grump. I know it would have been grand, grand in the broad since of the word; we would have never grown apart, once we got past the rather large pile of insecurities. We'd have had a family and a house, well after I worked a few years, then we could have had a house. I would have made it work. For him, I would have made it work.
"…can you imagine? Your own little sister, beating you in a game of quidditch."
"Yeah well, not every game of quidditch goes the way you plan it. Okay!" I yell, becoming more and more agitated by the second. "For instance, just last week, I knew I'd played the best game of quidditch I'd ever played in my life, and you know what happened? The coach, that bloody waste of a human being, sold my broom to the highest bidder right in front of me! Can you believe that sod? I was so mad I could have killed. I swear I could've. He's a right sod, brother and sister my arse!"
Ron artfully leaned over to Draco and whispered, "Is he still talking about quidditch?"
"I don't think so. Has he had one too many or do you think he's finally gone 'round the bend?"
"Hmm, off his rocker or blissfully wasted. Scratch that, no bliss here… He's finally gone and done it. I always said he'd be the one to go barmy. There's only so much one man can take."
"What are you two talking about? You knew didn't you! All that time I spent with my broom and you two couldn't be bothered to tell me that he'd rip my heart out and sell it to the highest bidder? Some friends you are, too busy skirting around each other to focus on what's truly important, Quidditch! Barkeep, another. Keep 'em coming!"
I grabbed my drink downed it in one go and then continued, "All that's bad enough but today… I kissed him, and then I caught him with some bloody slag all over him, that whore! That sodding filthy skank! I could've had the perfect game of quidditch, even 'n hard times, we would've made it. Oh god, why! Why did he – How could he –" And thus I broke into tears, with a friend on each side and a fraud across from me.
If that wasn't bad enough, Ron and Draco had stopped listening to me and begun making "eyes" at one another. I swiftly put an end to that with a very nicely aimed kick to the shin.
"Bloody Hell! My hip… you just kicked me in the bloody hip… what the fuck Har… Oh Hell No!" yelled Ron.
At this point I'm not sure what happened as I had passed out on the table, but I'm pretty sure Ron didn't want to deal with my drunk arse and thought to get back at me all in one go. All I know is I woke up with one hell of a hangover and staring me in the face was the one man I would have given my whole left side to not be looking at.
"Potter"
::groan::
"Harry, look at me."
::muffled:: "Go way."
"As this is my house, I believe if anyone is to leave, it would be you, not I."
Why is he looking at me like that… wait… "Why am I here? Was I not with Ron and Draco?"
"Mr. Weasley felt burdened enough for the night and kindly deposited you on my doorstop, Merlin only knows why he saw this as a fitting thing to do, but it is Mr. Weasley after all."
"Who is he?"
"What are you going on about?"
I flip over, getting way too into his face, "You can't answer a question with a question; it's against the rules! Who is he, Snape?"
"Harry, you haven't called me Snape since I began training you for the war, even when I told you to. Why start now?"
"I thought we were close. I thought we were friends. I guess I was mistaken." I moved to get up. He pulled me back down. Graceful as I am normally, hung-over is almost as bad as when I'm drunk. So yeah, I missed the bed and hit the floor. "Bloody fuckin' hell!"
::snicker::
"Oh you are not laughing at me. Snape, I swear on your life. You best not be laughing at me, after what you've put me through…"
"If you would be so kind as to tell me what happened, I will willingly explain the problem away."
"It's not that easy. You obviously have changed."
"Changed? In the eighteen hours in which we last conversed, I changed? How did I change?"
"Are you just acting like what happened between us is no big deal? It took me months to work up to doing that."
"Merlin's beard," Snape groaned as he pinched the top of his nose. He leaned over to help me back on to the bed and then continued. "Harry, it took you months to work up the, whatever you were building up to kiss me on the cheek?"
"Yes, okay? And then you go and throw your self at the nearest slag… I'm leaving." I storm off in a huff. Once in the sitting room, I try and throw upon the door only to realize it's locked. As I'm going for my wand, I'm spun around. Snape has grabbed onto my hips and is shoving me into the door. I furious and breathless, together and separately; one swirling force of emotion.
"Harry, there is no one else. Only you."
At that exact moment, our lips met for the first time. It was clumsy on my part and beautifully methodic on his. Then I regained my senses. I ducked down and slid out under his arm.
"How unfair of you to show me what I can't have!"
"But you can; you already do."
"I can't accept what you're offering, not if you're going to treat me like you did yesterday."
"I have already given it to you. Why do you keep going on about yesterday? What the bloody-fuck did I do yesterday? I went to an apothecary and then to Longbottom's Plant Emporium. Once back here the only person I've had contact with was you."
"At Neville's, you and Neville's new assistant were all over each other."
"Harry, you're jealous of Sam?"
"You know his first name!?"
"Harry, listen to me. Sam is annoying and very flirty. He is worse than Draco when it comes to a lot of things, including his need to own everything he can't. He was very blunt about what he wanted with me, he threw himself at me, quite literally, and then I personally threw him from the store. He doesn't work there any more. Do you believe me? If not, ask Longbottom."
"Maybe I jumped to conclusions."
"Maybe?" questioned Sev.
It was that quintessential quirk of the brow that got me. It's always gotten me, year after year. It's hard to resist and I'm beginning to think he knows it.