Serving Penance • Snarry •

Chapter 7

Seventeen days until the full moon

Harry spent the afternoon contentedly reviewing documents sent to his post office box and collected by an invisible Kreacher. His first tenants were moving into the house in two weeks' time and an electrician needed to modernise the fuse box. Not something that he could accomplish with magic. Snape was grilling peaches, and had honey, mint and yoghurt out on the worktop.

Before this summer, he had never really considered Snape as being domesticated, or even imagined him as a fully human being. With his shirt sleeves folded up above his elbows, Dark Mark unashamedly on display, Harry couldn't stop himself admiring Snape's forearms as he chopped the mint. It was an added bonus that his arse looked marvellous in tight smart trousers. Despite the abundance of unoccupied rooms, and their own private areas of the house, they gravitated towards each other at all times of the day.

He seldom slept through the night, and so previously spent most of his days wallowing in bed. Now, he leapt out, hoping to see Severus at breakfast.

At eight in the morning, he was eating honeyed porridge whilst reading Managing Electricity in the Modern Muggle World. He woke up from a disturbing dream of Sirius arm wrestling Severus and losing. Snape swooped in, looking more tired than normal. Since moving in with Harry, he dressed impeccably at all times. Today, he had dark circles under his eyes and was swamped in a towelling dressing gown. Harry had already flipped Hades's food sign to 'I HAVE BEEN FED: DO NOT BELIEVE MY LIES.' Severus gratefully helped himself to the half-full cafetière. It was hard to take him seriously when he had a mug with a Quaffle flying through three hoops.

"Have some porridge, too. It should still be warm." Harry tried to eat his porridge normally, as though he were a normal person without a raging crush on the man stood not four feet away.

Snape waved his wand to decant it into a bowl and summoned a spoon. "Thank you."

"...You all right?"

Snape grunted noncommittally so he didn't pry.

Hades pounced on the trailing tie of his dressing gown, so he picked him up for a cuddle. Harry wondered if he was snuggly in other areas of his existence.

"I'm going out to Diagon Alley, do you want anything?"

He could look happy. He could do this.

Severus just shook his head and left, levitating a tray whilst cradling Hades in the crook of his arm.

Harry's morning got worse from there. He ventured out to Flourish and Blotts, the minute it opened at thirteen minutes to nine. He was infinitely grateful that the doddery shop assistant hadn't recognised him as he paid for the book The Highs and Lows of Muggle Tax Returns. His mood turned foul as an insistent reporter cornered him in the street. "Mr Potter, are the rumours true that you are suffering a mental breakdown?"

"Don't touch me! Please—stay away." He flinched away from her, heart racing, and considered which shop to flee into next.

She followed him like a mosquito. "Is there anyone special in your life?"

"Yes. Go away." His head started to spin.

"Do you plan on attending your birthday celebration in two weeks' time?"

"I—what?"

"Your loyal fans meet on your birthday to celebrate your victory over darkness—"

"No." He resolved to send Kreacher to Eeylops Owl Emporium and shook her hand off his arm.