HP fic: Unconventional [Harry/Severus, adult]
Title: Unconventional Author: celandineb Fandom: HP Pairing: Harry/Severus; references to Draco/Harry Rating: adult Length: 2485 words Warnings: dirty talk, cross-dressing, semi-public sex Summary: A wizard went into a bar... Note: Written for alisanne for the 2009 fall_fantasia.
Potter Still in Outback, read the headline, its lettering quite large despite the fact that the story was buried on page four of the Daily Prophet. Severus huffed. He disliked acknowledging, even to himself, how avidly he followed Potter's life; these stories about the boy's travelling were at least easier to cope with than the ones he been reading last year, which dwelt in loving detail on Potter's relationship with Draco Malfoy. To his surprise the two had not had a noisy public breakup. Instead, several months ago Potter had begun on this apparent world tour, and Malfoy had dropped out of public view. Doubtless soon there would be some spectacular incident to put him back into the gossip column.
Severus folded the paper with a yawn and drank the last of his cooling tea. It was Friday. He had half a dozen potions to tend to, some to be parcelled up and shipped off to their purchasers. There were also new supplies to obtain, for which he had an appointment with Longbottom at three that afternoon. That young man had matured well. Now that they were no longer teacher and student, and Severus didn't have to try to drill knowledge into his head, they got along rather well in a professional way.
To reward himself that evening he would go to Modus. It was an unpretentious place, catering primarily to a clientele of wizards and witches who sought what Severus preferred to think as unconventional relationships. He appreciated that those who frequented Modus included a variety of ages and persuasions, so he did not feel conspicuous in going there as he did in certain other places.
The day passed in satisfactory manner. He completed brewing several potions without incident, checked the progress of a batch of Polyjuice, and added unicorn hair to the Felix Felicis that he was brewing on commission. It was not his favourite to make, the exceptional finickiness of the process straining even his patience, but it was extremely profitable, so he accepted commissions for it on occasion.
When they met, Longbottom was able to offer him a large supply of Bubotuber pus at a very good price, and promised that the mandrake root Severus needed would be ready the following week. Altogether it was definitely a satisfying day.
He ate a light supper and changed his robes before heading out to Modus. It was early, but a couple of times in the past month he had seen someone whom he found most attractive, and hoped to be able to speak with him tonight... perhaps even more than speak.
The first time, the man had been wearing tight black leather trousers, and an even tighter white T-shirt clung to his chest. He wasn't tall, but attractive in a muscular way nonetheless. The second night he had worn more conventional clothing, but when he'd turned on his stool at the far end of the bar from Severus, his neck bore a silver-studded black leather collar. If he was there tonight, Severus was keen to see how he would be dressed. Past appearances suggested a certain flexibility of approach, something Severus valued.
Modus had only perhaps a dozen patrons when Severus arrived, but it filled quickly. He had chosen a seat from which he could see the entry, and sat nursing a firewhisky as he watched to see if the young man would turn up again. He chided himself for hoping; a wizard like that would doubtless have his pick of partners, and the chance that he would be interested in Severus was slim. Still, there was always a chance. He would have to take it to find out.
"May I buy you a drink?"
Severus flicked a glance at the husky-voiced speaker, already beginning to shake his head. A dark-green dress flattered a figure that was more columnar than curvy, emphasising also the greenness of eyes in an artfully made-up face.
"I..." he began, and stopped, blinking. This was no woman, as he'd first thought, but the very man he'd come looking for. After seeing his attire the previous two weeks, whatever Severus might have guessed he'd wear, it wasn't a dress.
"Yes, thank you," he managed to say without too much loss of dignity at the awkward pause.
The other man gave a slight smile and signalled the bartender for refills. "I've seen you here before, and you looked like someone I'd want to meet. Cheers," he added, lifting his fresh glass to Severus.
"Cheers," Severus responded, sipping to wet his suddenly-dry throat. He let his eyes roam over the man. Silk stockings – at least, Severus was fairly certain they were silk, from their sheen – covered legs beneath a skirt not quite short enough for Severus to be able to tell whether the stockings were really stockings, or ordinary full-leg tights.
"I hadn't seen you here before a few weeks ago." He strove to keep his voice casual, but suspected he had failed.
The other man's smile widened. "That's right."
"New in town?" Severus floundered on.
"You could say that. You're not, I take it."
Severus shook his head. "I've been around the block in more ways than one."
"Never found anyone you fancied enough to make a long-term go of it, would that be it?" guessed the man. He shifted on his barstool and Severus caught a flash of suspenders and bare skin as he re-crossed his legs.
Frowning, he said, "I prefer to think of it as having high standards when it comes to permanent arrangements... although I am certainly not averse to trial runs, so to speak."
An expression of sadness passed over the man's face, so quickly that Severus was unsure if he'd really seen it. There was something familiar in the look, too, although he could not quite pin down why.
"... up for a trial run."
Severus had missed something. "I'm sorry," he apologised, "I didn't quite hear that. A bit noisy in here."
The man repeated, "I said, and where might you be up for such a trial run?"
"We can negotiate that. There is usually a room or two available here at Modus." Severus couldn't tear his gaze away from the green eyes that bored into his own, gleaming in challenge. Lily had had such eyes, and Harry, but Lily had been dead for decades and Harry was in Australia. Green eyes and even dark hair were merely a coincidence. He'd had plenty of partners who were fair-haired in the past.
The man leaned closer, his breath warm against the shell of Severus's ear. "What would you say if I told you that I wanted you too badly to wait, that I wanted you to come out and fuck me in the alley behind this fine establishment?" His hand brushed Severus's thigh and the touch sent an electric thrill through Severus's body, his cock responding with a special enthusiasm.
"You haven't even told me your name," Severus said, struggling to keep a grip on his reaction, when he wondered if he could even wait for the alley.
Sharp teeth nipped his ear lobe. "Does it matter?" came the murmur. "I'll tell you what, though. After you've fucked me, if you still want to know, I'll tell you. Fair deal?"
"Fair," Severus agreed.
"All right then. I'll leave now. Wait five minutes and then follow." The man slid from his stool and left without looking back.
Severus stared after him for a moment before recollecting himself. He drank off the rest of his firewhisky, during which it occurred to him that it was just possible that this was some kind of setup, that he might be ambushed, robbed, beaten or worse. He felt for his wand and gripped it. Better safe than sorry.
When he was out in the fresher yet cool air, however, there was no sign of any trouble. The man was waiting a little way down the alley, as promised, and had prudently chosen a spot behind an enormous rubbish bin where they would be concealed from any casual passers by.
"I had almost started to wonder if you were coming." A manicured hand stroked Severus's chest, gripped his shirt to draw him closer, the second hand reaching to stroke his cock through his trousers. "Mm. I do like someone who knows what he wants, and is eager for it." His mouth tasted of lipstick and whiskey when Severus kissed him, and his tongue was agile, probing every inch of Severus's mouth before he broke away to say breathlessly, "We don't want to waste too much time, here. I've put up a privacy spell, but you never know."
True enough. Severus tucked his wand back into his pocket and began to fumble with his clothes.
"Here, let me," the man murmured, deftly unbuckling Severus's belt and undoing the flies of his trousers, extracting his cock to run one fingertip along the vein that pulsed the length of it. "Oh, isn't that a gorgeous fat prick," he murmured. "Just the way I imagined it. Do you want to fuck me from behind, then, or hold me up against the wall with my legs wrapped around you?"
"From the front." Severus fished his wand out once again and cast a levitation charm, which would keep him from having to support the other man's whole weight. He very much liked the idea of those silk-stockinged legs around him.
"Aren't you the clever one," the man said in pleased tones, leaning against the wall and holding out his arms to Severus. "Come here."
Stepping close, Severus lifted him a few inches, supporting him effortlessly with one arm while his other hand took hold of his own cock, groping a bit until he had it lined up and was able to slide into the hot slick channel that waited for him.
"Fuck, yes," hissed his partner as he began to move. "Come on, give it to me, fill me up with that beautiful cock, fuck me hard." His legs tightened around Severus's arse.
Severus obliged, setting a slow rhythm at first, but gradually increasing the pace as the constant stream of filthy encouragement dripped from his partner's lips. He found himself coming sooner than was his usual wont, a guttural groan escaping his throat as his orgasm hit and he spent himself deep in the other man's arse.
Still coupled, he watched the man bring himself off, fist working frantically over his cock, the fabric of the dress bunched up against his belly. Just before the moment of his orgasm, his green eyes opened wide, gazing at Severus, and in that instant Severus recognised him.
"Potter," he whispered in shock, and Potter's mouth opened in an O, his back arching as he spattered them both with sharp-smelling spunk.
"Are you angry?" he asked as Severus lowered him to stand on his own feet again, and backed away a step or two.
"Not angry, exactly." Severus shook his head, but said, "I don't understand. Why the deception? And aren't you supposed to be in Australia?"
"Let me cancel this glamour." Potter sighed and brought out his own wand. "Finite incantatem." His features shifted only slightly, but now he was obviously himself again. "Two reasons. First, I had no idea if you'd want me, Harry, but I wanted you, and I managed to learn that you sometimes picked up men for one night stands, so I figured it might work. "
"Understood." Severus inclined his head. He used his wand to clean them both up and began tucking his clothes back into place. "And the other reason?"
Potter slipped his specs onto his nose and adjusted them, looking uncomfortable as he finished straightening his clothing. Severus thought that he looked even better in a dress as a man than he had in his disguise.
"The second reason is related to the story about me being in Australia, actually," he said. "Um. Do you really want to hear this right here, or somewhere a little more..."
"Salubrious?" Severus supplied. He glanced around, his lip curling, but he said, "This location does have the advantage of relative privacy, unlike Modus or any other public establishment. Go ahead." He wanted to hear what Potter had to say, but was not prepared to suggest going to either of their flats, not at this point.
"All right, if that's what you want." Potter chewed at the corner of his lip for a moment. "If you know I'm supposed to be in Australia, you know that I was dating Draco Malfoy pretty seriously before that, right?"
"Yes." Folding his arms, Severus waited for more.
Potter nodded. "I figured you would pay attention to what was happening in my life; that was the problem, in fact, but Draco suggested how I could turn it to advantage. The Australia thing was his idea."
"His idea?" Severus blinked.
"Yeah. He knew how much I fancy you, you see, but he was certain – and I agreed with him – that if you knew or even guessed that I was the person coming on to you, you'd refuse, out of a warped sense of suitability, or something like that. If you thought I was safely out of the country, we figured there'd be a better chance. So the person that reporters are tracking in Australia is actually Draco, using Polyjuice to impersonate me."
"Draco agreed to help you with this harebrained scheme, after the two of you had broken up?" Severus frowned. "That doesn't seem like him."
"The scheme was his idea, remember. And we didn't break up. That was just part of the deception. I guess it's okay if I tell you that he doesn't mind – well, not much – that I wanted you; because he does himself, too. We argued for quite a while about who would get the first chance at you."
"So this was all some kind of bet?" Severus asked, an edge of bitterness in his tone, although really he should have expected something of the sort.
"No!" Potter looked shocked by the suggestion. "I'm not explaining this properly. Draco and I are still a couple, but we both want you as well: individually and together. If you'll have us. I was just the one who had the first shot at trying to persuade you to think about it, that's all. I guess maybe Draco would have done it better."
"You 'did it' just fine," said Severus in his driest voice, concealing a tiny smile as he watched Potter register the double entendre. "I confess myself surprised, that's all. This is not a development I would ever have expected."
"Then you'll think about it?" Potter's expression was as hopeful as that of a Crup waiting for a treat.
Severus stroked along the neckline of Potter's dress with one calloused fingertip, dipping into his cleavage. "Very hard indeed," he promised. It might be unconventional, but then, what in Severus's life had ever been otherwise?