Entry tags:

event: anti-valentine's day 2012, fic, member: lilyseyes, pairing: severus/harry, rating: r

Another Kiss by lilyseyes
Title: Another Kiss
Author/Arist: lilyseyes
Pairing: Severus Snape/Harry Potter
Rating: R
Word Count: 4060
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The characters and their worlds belong to their original writers and no copyright infringement or offense is intended. No money was made from this story.
Summary: Prompt 3/Every time Severus kisses someone, they end up dead.
It's hard enough to find a partner when one is the Headmaster of a boarding school, even harder when everyone you kiss turns up dead.
A/N: Many thanks to roozetter for the last minute beta and veridari for the pre-read!

***~***

"We found another victim."

Severus Snape stared out at the thickly falling snow, a tendril of guilt tightening his chest. An early morning Floo-call from the Minister for Magic, on a Sunday, didn't bode well for a harmonious day. He closed his eyes briefly, thinking back to the acquaintance he'd dined with the night before as he slowly turned to face Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Young man, dark hair, with a slight build and blue robes?"

"Yes."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Severus attempted to stave off the headache that was beginning at his temples. "His name is…was Richard, and he was an acquaintance I'd converse with on a casual basis over the past year. Last night he invited me to join him for dinner and a drink, after which I returned to Hogwarts."

Kingsley nodded impatiently, hands deep in the pockets of his robes. "You kissed him." It wasn't a question.

"I did," Severus acknowledged a bit abruptly. "A brief, light press of the lips."

"Clarkson and Murphy as well?"

Severus sighed wearily. "Yes, Minister, even I have, upon occasion, kissed a male I might find attractive."

"And for whatever reason, the last three people you have bestowed kisses on have been found murdered shortly thereafter!" Kingsley pointed out. "Your contact with them seems to be the common denominator in each case, Severus."

"Or that they were all queer, dark haired, and frequent a pub known to cater to gay wizards!"

Kingsley took a step closer. "Why, then, are they all dead and you aren't?"

"I am rather well-protected here," Severus said dryly.

Kingsley looked at him steadily. "Are there any would-be lovers who might want to kill off the competition?"

Severus just snorted, not justifying the question with an answer and Kingsley rolled his eyes, reaching to lay a hand on Severus' arm.

"I realize that you may have been busy keeping a school full of children safe until just a year ago, but that doesn't mean someone couldn't be watching you, Severus. No recent encounters with over-enthusiastic or scorned suitors, perhaps? Or someone who may have felt like they'd been slighted because you refused to acknowledge them or their invitations?"

Severus looked up from his contemplation of the warm hand on his black sleeve, unexpectedly touched by Kingsley's concern. "I haven't engaged in any form of dalliance nor have I had anyone who seemed remotely interested in a romantic liaison."

Kingsley held his eyes and Severus quickly reinforced his mental shields. It wouldn't do for anyone to see that these deaths had bothered him more than Severus wanted to admit. The thought that he was being targeted wasn't a surprise to Severus, but the fact that whoever the perpetrator was, they were killing innocent people whose only crime was to show a bit of kindness to someone who hadn't experience an overabundance of it in his life. Severus started to turn away, but Kingsley's hand tightened fractionally.

"I have no doubts as to your discretion in anything, Severus, but it appears someone is actively stalking you and, one by one, eliminating the competition." There was no subterfuge in Kingsley's tone and Severus relaxed and nodded, before moving towards his desk.

"What is it you want me to do, Minister?" Severus needed to get back to a more professional level, despite his nonexistent love life being at the center of the mystery.

"Actually, I want you to do just as you have been doing, Headmaster," Kingsley told him, his voice all business. "I'd like you to return to the Rooster's Crow Friday next and accept the invitation to join the dark-haired young man who will be there waiting for you."

Severus frowned, looking across his desk at Kingsley. "You want me to put another person in jeopardy?"

"No, I want you to meet with the Auror that I will have waiting to serve as bait for this killer, Severus." The experienced voice of a seasoned Auror came through as Kingsley spoke. "A trained wizard who will be expecting to follow through with the plan, including the kiss you will share before you leave."

"A bait Auror?" Severus snorted derisively. "I'm afraid my popularity with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is such that you may have difficulty finding anyone who would speak to me civilly, let alone kiss me."

"You leave that to me, Severus," Kingsley said, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I believe my Head Auror can find someone to fit the profile."

Severus suddenly felt wary, the twinkle reminding him of Albus at his worst, but he nodded his agreement. "I'll be at the pub on the fourteenth at half six."

"Excellent, Severus! I appreciate your assistance with this; Polyjuice only goes so far." Kingsley gave him a wink before striding to the Floo and disappearing.

Severus stared after him as the green flames died, wondering what had happened to his orderly, post-war world.

***~***

"You want me to what?" Harry Potter looked up from his report, the singed hair on the top of his head still standing on end. "Really, sir, I have all these arrest reports to fill out and then the Use of Magical Force report to finish, so I'm not really up for jokes."

Gawain Robards gave him a hard look. "This comes straight from the Minister, Potter!" he barked, slamming a maroon folder down on the desk in front of Harry. "This killer is targeting a very specific type, and you fit the profile, so you've been assigned to play the 'bait'."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the Head Auror. "What does any of this have to do with kissing Snape? You said my next assignment was to kiss Snape."

A smirk appeared on Robards' face and Harry swallowed hard, wondering how much his department head knew. He'd never quite gotten over his crush on his Half-blood Prince, and while he'd come out to his friends as bi-sexual, Snape remained the focus of all his fantasies. This was going to be pure torture, Harry could tell, as he ignored the silence that had descended around them.

"Each of the young men killed were murdered after Snape kissed them." Robards tapped the folder with a jagged fingernail. "Finish up your reports and then I want you to meet with Higgins and Stone of the task force to go over the case. As of now, you are temporarily reassigned to them."

Robarts walked away and Harry met Ron's eyes as he watched unabashedly from his desk opposite Harry. The tips of Ron's ears were red as he tried to smother his laughter and Harry just glared at him. Casting a wandless Muffliato, Harry opened his mouth to berate his best friend when Ron burst into laughter. Harry blinked, before joining him, his side already hurting from the bruised rib he'd suffered in today's operation.

"Bloody hell, mate, Snape will eat you alive!" Ron howled. "Although you might like that, from what I remember about your Half-blood…ow!"

"I don't remind you about your idiotic crushes of our sixth year, Won-Won, now do I?" Harry snapped, rapidly losing his patience again. "I can use something stronger than a Stinging Hex…"

"Harry!" Ron waved a hand at him, obviously in an attempt to stave off any further hexes. "Sorry, mate," he hiccupped. "I thought you'd gotten over that, branched out into new interests, if you know what I mean."

Flushing, Harry dropped his eyes and took a deep breath. Ron was referring to last Valentine's Day when they were all out as a group, Ginny was his date, when he was dared to kiss the next person who walked into the pub they were drinking. Three pints in, Harry had agreed and then found himself in front of a tall, dark-haired bloke who had grinned and given Harry a kiss that curled his toes. And changed his whole perspective on his sexual orientation.

"I have a lot of respect for Snape, is all." Harry wiped his arm across his forehead, sighing. "What he did, what he endured, was incredible, Ron, and he is the bravest man I know. If the Minister wants me to help Snape then I'm there, willingly."

Ron's jaw dropped and Harry dropped his eyes back to the parchment in front of him, the neat block letters they were taught in the Auror Academy swimming in front of his eyes. He wasn't embarrassed by his feelings for Snape, exactly, just too unsure of what he felt to bring them out for scrutiny. Since he and Ginny had drifted apart while he was in the academy, Harry hadn't dated as he'd concentrated on his studies. An evening out at pub with Hermione and Ron, and upon occasion, former schoolmates and coworkers, was the extent of his socializing.

"Harry?"

Lifting his head to look at Ron, Harry was surprised by the earnest look on his face.

"You know I was just having you on, right, mate? You know I have your back, right?" Ron asked him, a crooked grin on his face.

Harry nodded slowly, turning up the corners of his mouth. "I know, Ron, I just…I need to help with this one."

"The man's been a bastard ever since you had Kreacher rescue him from the Shrieking Shack," Ron said quietly. "I…just don't want to see you…you know."

Swallowing his own fears, Harry managed what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I know, mate, thanks."

***~***

Severus Apparated to the west side of the Rooster's Crow at the appointed time, his apprehension sitting in his stomach like a stone, glad to be away from the garish St Valentine's Day decorations that had proliferated at Hogwarts. He'd worn the same black frock coat and trousers that he'd worn the last three times he visited the pub. The prospect of spending half an hour in the company of an Auror, while trying to behave as if he was enjoying his evening, concerned him, but Severus had read up on the current political climate at the Ministry and even memorized the Quidditch standings as a last resort.

Stepping briskly into the drizzle, Severus strode to the door and slipped inside. A raised hand from the bartender acknowledged him as Severus moved toward the table he usually occupied. While he was prepared for there to be someone waiting for him, Severus knew the moment he laid eyes on the Auror already seated there that this was going to be the most difficult night of his life. It wasn't the hair, now shorter on the top and somewhat tamed, or the thin, pale scar on his forehead that made Severus pause in midstride, it was the warmth in Potter's magic that reach out to him.

The young man looked up as Severus approached and smiled. "Severus! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Good evening," Severus said in what he hoped was a pleasant tone as he seated himself opposite, unsure as how to address Harry Potter.

"I’m afraid I was a bit early, but I just had to escape the Valentine’s madness at the office." Potter gave him a rueful grin, looking older without his customary spectacles. "Not had much luck on this particular holiday myself."

"Indeed," Severus acknowledged, trying to strike a neutral inflection. "I'm not fond of the celebration myself."

The barmaid appeared at Severus' elbow just before things could get awkward. The server was a former student who had barely squeaked by in his Potion's classes despite being a Ravenclaw. She didn't appear to recognize Potter as she took their order, but then again, Helena had been out of school before he'd arrived. Severus remained silent until she had delivered his whiskey, Potter waving a dismissive hand over his half-empty pint. The new maturity in Potter's face and the difference in his hair style made him look rather like what Severus remembered of Lily's father.

"I must say I'm surprised to see you here this evening." Severus let his eyes sweep the room as he lifted the glass. "Isn’t there someone who'll be perturbed about the lack of romantic gestures or your presence?"

"The last bloke I dated put me off romance, actually." Potter told him with a forced smile.

Severus almost inhaled his sip of whiskey and only just covered his choking with a cough. Although Severus knew Potter was playing a role, that line had come out a bit too smoothly. One of his more erotic fantasies rose unbidden in his mind, having to do with the man sitting across from him and his old Potions desk. His cock twitched at the pleasant imagery. Taking a fortifying slug of his drink, Severus met Potter's eyes, surprised to see trepidation in them.

"Well, then, it seems that we have a bit of time now for you to pummel me with those questions I'm sure you have burning in your brain," Severus snapped, leaning closer as he lowered his voice. "This may be the only chance you ever get."

Harry laughed, the smile curving his lips failing to make his eyes. "I was thrilled to be asked to dinner, as I did always wonder why you refused to see me. Especially when all I really wanted to do was thank you personally for all you had done for me and to apologize that I'd been such a berk to you all those years."

Severus barely kept the disbelief off his face, but kept his voice at a low, intimate level. "That is difficult for me to believe. Denunciations seemed more your style."

Sadness crept into Potter's eyes, but he didn't look away. "Hardly, sir, well, not after I viewed your…after I realized what had truly happened. I had hoped that you'd tell me a bit about my mother, though, as you were her closest friend."

"She was as stubborn and tenacious as you seem to be when you fixate on something," Severus said conversationally. "And you did manage to find the intellect she'd given you, eventually."

Despite the derisive quality to comment, Potter smiled slightly. "That I did, eventually."

Helena appeared with their meal and they began to eat, their conversation straying into more general, less emotionally charged areas. Severus found that Potter could actually carry on an intelligent conversation when he wasn't being belittled and baited, and their dinner was actually a pleasant experience. As was his custom, Severus ordered a glass of wine with his mutton, but noticed Potter still nursed the same pint of ale and he gave the young man a nod of approval.

As they finished up, the apprehension that had gone away over the course of the last two hours slammed back into Severus and settled into the pit of his stomach. Throughout their date, Severus had been able to feel the reassurance of Potter's magic. It was something he'd experienced occasionally with Albus, except that Potter's struck him as protective instead of just the feeling of power. Watching as Potter finished off the last of his ale and pushed the glass away, Severus wondered if he was even aware of the magnitude of his magic.

Potter took the cheque when it came, fishing out a small stack of Galleons, certainly enough to make him an instant favorite of Helena. Pushing away from the table, Severus stood, brushing a hand down his coat. Potter mirrored his motions, stepping towards Severus and tilting his head. A tad surprised to find Potter was almost his height, Severus leaned forward slightly, and as he'd done three times in the past few months, pressed his lips to those of his date.

A jolt of arousal flashed through Severus' body, his cock going from the half-aroused state it had been in to throbbing hardness in that instant. Severus felt Potter brace a hand against his chest, as if anchoring himself and providing another point of contact as desire threatened to take over. It was an instant and a lifetime encompassed in that kiss, the feel of the warm, slightly chapped lips, Potter's breath feathering against Severus' cheek, and the unexpected flare of sexual chemistry. Sneaking a taste with the tip of his tongue, Severus leaned back with the flavor of ale, beef stew, and something uniquely Potter. He drew in a breath, trying to savor the moment.

"Thank you, Severus," Potter whispered in a breathless voice, the sensuality of it fanning Severus' already enflamed senses.

"Floo me," Severus ordered softly before taking a step backwards. "Lovely evening, Harry."

He pivoted on his heel and strode out of the pub, concentrating on making a dignified exit despite his aching erection. Already regretting his words, Severus stepped around the side of the pub towards the Apparation point. The first thing Severus planned to do was check himself for hexes, anything to explain the incredible arousal and sexual desire that he'd just experienced from a mere kiss.

***~***

Harry stared after Sev…Snape as he strode briskly out of the pub, longing filling him like a physical ache. What was supposed to have been a simple kiss had been the most extraordinary thing Harry had ever experienced. Keeping to their operational plans, Harry pushed it out of his mind as he sat back down, letting a small smile play around his lips. The investigation had shown that each of the prior victims had been murdered shortly after they had left the pub. Two had lingered for several hours, but the first victim had left immediately after Snape, and their strategy called for Harry to wait half an hour before he left.

The barmaid cleared off the table and gave Harry his first smile of the night as he thanked her. The pub was crowded with couples and Harry avoided looking at the clasped hands, couples kissing in the corners, and the inappropriate thoughts racing through the back of his mind. He was there to draw out a killer, not gape like a voyeur, and especially as he knew some of these couples were fellow Aurors. That thought made Harry a bit nauseous.

At the appointed time, Harry stood and reached for the cloak he'd thrown over the chair. The bartender lifted a hand and Harry returned the gesture as he walked towards the door. Stepping outside, Harry was surprised to find the drizzle had turned to rain and the clouds closed in around them. He stepped out and turned towards the Apparation point.

"Sir! Can you help me? I don't think my mother is breathing!" A thin, wiry man with a pointy nose and stringy blond hair stepped out of the darkness, a frantic look on his face.

Harry automatically moved to follow the man as he disappeared back into the shadow of the alleyway across from the pub, his instincts screaming in alarm and his wand in hand under his cloak. As he passed under an awning, Harry could feel the edge of a magic-dampening spell and stepped suddenly to the side, purple spell light flashing harmlessly by. Diving for the ground, Harry stifled a gasp of pain as another hex brushed his shoulder. That spell had been cast from behind him. He rolled towards the building.

"There's no change of escape, you might as well give up," a disembodied male voice told him. "We just want to talk to you."

"Like you talked to the other men you've killed?" Harry shot back, rolling the opposite direction even as a Stunning Spell hit where he'd been.

"I see Severus has warned you, but I can tell you that you are nothing but another kiss to him. You see, he is Helena's soul mate, he just isn't aware of it yet."

"Why would Severus want Helena, when it appears that she's the wrong sex?" Harry pivoted towards where he thought the man was concealed, letting loose an array of rapidly fired Burning Hexes.

There was a scream and a burst of swearing. "Lies! He's not like you shirt-lifters, he's not a poof! You're an abnormality, an abomina…"

The tirade ended in a scream as the team of Aurors descended on them and, with the minimal use of force, disarmed the suspects. Harry submitted to being checked out by the Auror medic as he watched Robards appear next to the head of the task force. It wasn't until he saw Helena and the man who'd sought his help together that Harry saw the family resemblance. Bloody bad way to win one's sister a husband, Harry thought as he watched the two of them hustled off by Ron and Dean.

And Severus Snape was safe, free to choose his own partner, Harry thought, frowning slightly as he moved to join Higgins in questioning the bartender.

***~***

Severus paced from the window to the desk and back again, his frock coat long discarded, his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, and a crystal snifter of brandy untouched on his desk. There wasn't a sound in the room, aside from the occasional crackle of the fire, as he paced. Not a single snore from the portraits that lined the room. A mixture of rain and snow trickled down the window, blurring his view out into the darkness.

He avoided any thoughts about the way he'd reacted to the kiss in the pub, not wanting to dwell on the feelings or the improbability that those feeling had been experienced by hid date. Yet, there had been something, subtle signs that Potter hadn't been complete unaffected. The hand on his chest, the sharp intake of breath, the dilation of his eyes…Severus shook his head to clear it of those thoughts and resumed his pacing.

As the clock chimed midnight, the Floo flared to life and Severus turned to face it as Harry Potter stumbled out of the fireplace.

"Harry, my boy!" Dumbledore's portrait called out in delight.

"Potter, here?" Phineas Nigellus Black muttered, sounding scandalized.

Severus was across his office in three strides, his eyes taking in the bruising around Harry's right eye, a laceration to his jaw, and what looked like a scorch mark on his cloak. The idiotic grin on his face told Severus that the operation had been successfully, his magic energizing the room with Harry's enthusiasm. Waving his hand, Severus cast the spell that froze the portraits of the voyeuristic former Heads.

"We have both the suspects in custody, Headmaster!" Harry extended his hand.

With a growl, Severus batted the hand aside and pushed Harry back against the wall. Pressing his body against Harry, Severus felt that same jolt of arousal clear down to his toes as his lips caught Harry's in a searing kiss. Harry moaned and tried to pull him closer as Severus set about plundering the sweetness of the mouth that opened under his. Harry shifted, aligning their groins as he wrapped his arms around Severus' neck, one hand carding through his hair as a needy sound erupted from deep in his throat. It was a sound that Severus had heard many times in his fantasies. Severus' hands moved down to cup Harry's arse as Severus continued to kiss Harry frantically.

Feeling the hard length of Harry's prick against his thigh, Severus shifted and then rocked forward, gasping as he felt their cocks rub together through their clothing. The sensation ripped groans of pleasure from both of them as their pricks slid against each other. Beyond the point of thinking, Severus gave himself over to what he was feeling. The sweetness of the mouth frantically devouring his, the frantic want that radiating from this powerful young wizard, and Severus was lost. The delicious friction against his sensitized flesh was too much and Severus' low, throaty groan was swallowed as his climax ripped through him. Harry shuddered in his arms and stiffened, a breathy sigh the only sound as he came.

As he struggled to regain his breath and his composure, Severus felt soft kisses feather along his jaw even as the tingle of a cleaning charm washed over the front of his trousers. Pulling back slightly, Severus looked down into brilliant eyes, somewhat dazed, but still gleaming with desire and, could that be, hope?

"Bloody hell, that was brilliant!" Harry didn't relinquish his hold. "Could we just skip the dating preambles, as its late and I'd just like to go to bed? We could still celebrate Valentine's Day."

"Now, this type of Valentine's Day I wouldn't mind repeating," Severus said with a satisfied sigh.

***~***