Cupboard Space (Chapters 3 - 4) Complete & Snarry
Cupboard Space
Rating: - NC-17 or R18+ Depending on the Country.
Pairings: - HP/SS (Some others less significant)
Warnings: - None that you’re going to take any notice of anyway, so I won’t bother.
Summary: - Harry Potter isn’t good at everything and when he gets caught practicing, detention serves another purpose entirely.
CHAPTER 3
Snape shuffled painfully along the darkened corridor heading for the single flickering light coming from the Gryfindor Boy’s bathroom. It was hours past curfew and whom ever was still up, was brazen enough not to conceal their whereabouts from prowling professors. After Potter’s display in the great hall earlier Snape was certainly not in the mood for leniency and whoever dared to be out after curfew would feel his wrath. Wincing a little as he stepped up into the bathroom Snape paused as he took in the sight. The central sunken stone bath was full to overflowing. A discarded boys school robe lay slung on the floor while a familiar pair of glasses and wand lay abandoned on the sink. Snape growled inwardly as he stared at the round glasses, his fists clenching at his sides as he thought of the scar faced little brat who wore them. As he stared at the glasses something in the reflection of the mirror caught Snape’s eye. Through the rage a strange foreboding sensation rippled through Snape’s body as he glanced around the empty bathroom. The place was too silent and there was no sign of the owner of the items. Snape gaze fell on the sunken bath tube in the center of the room, and it was there he saw the first glimpse of brown hair floating on the top.
Ignoring the pain in his groin Snape strode across the tiled floor, narrowly avoiding slipping on the overflowing water of the bath as he looked down into the deep water. The sight sent his heart into his throat. Harry Potter lay suspended at the bottom of the bath, his emerald green eyes eerily devoid of life as they stared up at him. The boy’s face was pale and his lips were almost purple. Without thought Snape threw himself into the tub, managing to take a large lung full of air before going down after the boy at the bottom. With his heavy school robes swirling around him Snape caught hold of Harry’s arms and tried to drag the boy to the surface but something was holding him down. Unable to hold his breath any longer Snape came to the surface with a gasp, and grabbed for his wand he’d dropped carelessly on the floor when he’d jumped in. Clutching his wand Snape took another deep breath and pushed himself down again into the depths of the bath. Muttering spells under water was difficult but after the second try Harry seemed to come free from whatever magic was holding him down. With Harry in his grasp Snape came to the surface and dragged the lifeless boy over to the side. Harry surprisingly didn’t weight much as Snape literally threw the boy out of the water and onto the tiled floor. Wrenching off his own heavy wet robe Snape pulled himself from the tub and scrambled over to where Harry was still lying deathly still on the floor. Snape wasn’t a medi wizard but like most wizards he knew basic revival techniques. Grabbing his wand Snape whispered the revitalizing spell.
Almost immediately Harry’s body seized up in a spasm, the boy practically snapping in two as his lungs suddenly took in a breath of air and he coughed up a lung full of soapy water. Snape leant over Harry’s body watching carefully as the boy took another shallow breath in, the boy’s eyes just fluttering open in disorientation. Snape sneered down at the boy his moment of fear totally eclipsed by the swell of anger.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again!” Snape growled low in his throat his voice deathly serious as Harry pushed himself up. Snape didn’t move from where he was hovering over Harry’s face, the wet straggly curtain of black hair dripping down onto Harry’s pale cheeks. Harry stared into Snape’s inky black eyes that flashed with liquid anger as he grabbed hold of Harry’s chin and tilted the boy’s head up to get a better look at him in the light. Colour had returned to Harry’s lips although the boy was shivering and despite the effort not to, his teeth were chattering in the cold of the bathroom. Satisfied that Harry was indeed still breathing Snape let go of Harry’s chin and stood up from over the boy’s body. “Next time you decide to be melodramatic and kill yourself make sure you pick a night when I’m not on curfew duty.” Harry swallowed convulsively as he watched Snape snatched up his wand and sopping wet cloak from the floor. “Oh and your condition,” Snape paused as he wrung out the sleeves of his shirt. “Don’t be so self centered that you think it’s something special because I assure you, you’re not the only one in this castle not getting any!” If possible Harry’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he watched Snape turn and stride painfully towards the exit of the bathroom. Harry distantly heard Snape muttering a drying spell as he shuffled up the hallway leaving Harry feeling decidedly ill with guilt on the wet bathroom floor.
CHAPTER 4
Harry paced nervously in front of Snape’s office. It had taken him two days to pluck up the courage to even show his face in company since the incident in the bathroom, no less to face Snape. Guilt was eating at Harry like gnawing bats and despite not wanting to discuss his problems with anyone let alone Snape, Harry still thought he owed the professor an explanation of his actions.
Twisting his hands in front of him, Harry made one more pass of Snape’s office before taking a deep breath in and knocking on the wooden door.
“Come.” Snape’s deep toneless voice filtered out from between the crack in the door. Harry hesitated nervously before reaching for the handle and pushing it open. Harry had avoided Snape all week, purposefully playing sick as to avoid going to Snape’s potions’ classes. Even Dobby was bringing Harry meals in his dorm room so that Harry didn’t have to sit in the great hall.
Harry held his breath as he stared at Snape, frozen in fear on the threshold of the office. Snape was sat behind his large oak desk, his nose buried in several piles of scrolls that were undoubtedly school papers. When Harry remained silent Snape finally glanced up from his work to glare at his visitor over the top of the parchment he was currently marking.
“Oh, you are still a student here after all. I was beginning to wonder.” Snape’s irritated tone of voice was nothing that Harry hadn’t expected, and so the boy let out a nervous breath as he stepped forward into the office and closed the door behind him. Snape had gone back to his marking non-to interested in the boy standing before him.
“I’m sorry.” Harry lowered his gaze to the floor as the words trembled from his mouth. There was no way Harry could meet Snape’s gaze while he said what he had to, and no force in hell could make him stop twisting his hands in anxiousness. “I’ve never done that before, I’m not sick or anything. I was just…” Harry paused trying to find a way of explaining himself without sounding totally incompetent and childish. “I was just tired of it. I didn’t think anyone would notice,” Again Harry paused as he closed his eyes, a single tear leaking out from the corner of his eyes as he continued. “I’m sorry I’ve missed your classes, it won’t happen again.” Harry licked a salty tear from his lip as he waited for Snape to say something. When the professor made no sound Harry turned to leave, determined to scurry back to his dorm room and hide for the next hundred years.
“Don’t think that everything in your life is always going to be straightforward Mr. Potter.” Harry paused in front of the door his hand on the doorknob as he glanced back nervously at Snape. The elder professor was reclined back in his chair behind the desk, the parchments he’d been marking momentarily discarded as he stared at the boy. Harry didn’t know what to say in reply, still not willing to meet Snape’s intense gaze even across the room. After a long moments silence Harry was surprised to hear Snape sigh heavily. “Just because Miss Price doesn’t do it for you Mr. Potter doesn’t mean you’re incapable and that your life is worth ending. I consider myself as having survived worse humiliations than your current situation. My advice is to let it go and move on.” Harry nodded silently still not meeting Snape’s gaze. “Besides what I saw of you several evenings ago, you’re quite capable of achieving certain necessary aspects of intimacy.” Harry felt the crimson blush sweep into his cheeks as he began twisting his fingers nervously again. The night Snape had left Harry in the bathroom the boy had sat for a good five minutes recovering himself. It had only been then that he’d noticed the hard-on he sported. Shocked excitement had overwhelmed him, as he’d stared at his hard prick finally standing to attention, as it should do. Harry hadn’t given it a thought then about Snape’s presence, and only now realized what the professor must have been privy to upon dragging Harry from the bath. “Spare me your embarrassment Mr. Potter, I don’t consider sympathy one of my strong points.”
“Sorry sir.” Harry whispered trying his best to calm down. Snape snorted in irritated amusement as he stood from his desk and moved around to stretch his legs in front of the desk. This time Harry dared to glance up at Snape catching the man’s gaze briefly as Snape stared at him pointedly.
“I’d be careful if I were you Harry,” Harry’s head snapped up again his eyes widening in shock at hearing Snape use his first name. “Little boys who enjoy death grow up knowing nothing else.” Harry’s gaze locked with Snape’s, the man’s dark obsidian eyes swallowing Harry whole and making him shiver in fear. “Your homework for the week is in this folder. I expect you to have caught up with the lessons you missed by Monday.” Harry nodded as he stepped forward and took the folder Snape had collected from the desk to hand to him.
“Thank-you sir.” Harry muttered as he turned to move from the room, hoping to be out of Snape’s gaze as quickly as possible so he could try and make sense of the conversation that had just passed between them.
“Oh and Potter,” Harry paused already halfway out of the door. “Detention with me Saturday & Sunday, I don’t appreciate having to explain to the house elves why I require ice for my groin.” With a hasty nod Harry ran from the office. Harry knew he’d have never have gotten away with kneeing Snape at dueling club, but he was surprised it had taken till now for Snape to reprimand him. With a sigh of relief Harry hurried up to his dorm room determined to catch up on his potions work before his mind could begin worrying about what Snape had said to him in the office.
TBC>>>