The Potions Apprentice

chapter 1

At Snape Manor
It was a month before the school year started and Keith was asleep in his and his lover's bed. He stretched, yawning then rolled over and reached over for his lover, but nothing. He reached out again without opening his eyes, and he frowned. "Mm, Sev," he murmured getting no response he finally opened his eyes to see what he already knew, the bed was empty beside him.

Getting up he grumbled tiredly as he trudged downstairs unhappily to find his partner. As he walked his mood lightened a bit when he smelt the fresh morning air and the sunlight warmed his cold skin through a window that his love had surely opened. Keith noticed the door to the potions lab was open slightly and he chuckled as he walked past and headed to the kitchen, 'of course he was in the lab where else would he be' he thought with a smile.

In the kitchen, Keith had started on breakfast and two coffees. While breakfast was cooking he had told the house elf, Ella, to watch it as he took Severus his coffee. He knocked gently on the door to the lab, knowing how detrimental any distractions could be to a potion. Waiting for the gentle "come in" from behind the door.

Keith entered the lab and placed the coffee on a bench, and turned to Severus who had let to look up even as Keith stepped close enough to determine what potion he was making as it turned out Keith did know what the other man was making it was a healing potion. When Severus had finished the step he was up to which didn't take long he turned to Keith.

"Morning, love thank you for my coffee," he said standing and giving him a kiss which was replicated. Pulling away Keith walked over to the list of potions needed by the medical wing for the new school year. "Well we still have a lot of work before we go back, anyway I came down to tell you breakfast is almost ready so put that down and come and eat, we'll come down together and work on this after," Keith said with his hands on his hips then gave the man another kiss. The man went to explain why he needed to stay in the lab but Keith just sighed and placed a finger on Severus's lips, silencing "Just come up when you've finished this potion, love" "I will" Severus nodded and then back to work to finish in time for breakfast.

Keith headed back up to the kitchen to finish breakfast. When the wards went off informing him that someone was trying to get through the floo. He quickly slid his wand out of the wand holder under his sleeve. Crept into the living room and pointed his wand and the fireplace when out stepped Albus Dumbledore and James Potter.

When Keith realized who was standing in the living room he put his wand away "Professor Dumbledore, Auror Potter how many I assist you" he said with an air of  icliy politeness "We're here to speak with Snevllius" Potter spoke rudely earning both him and Dumbledore a cold glare. Albus quickly intervened before things escalated "could you please go get Professor Snape for us?" He asked in his fake grandfatherly voice.

"I apologize but it would be detrimental to interpret him at this stage of the potion, I'm afraid" Keith lied not wanting them left unattended in their home, knowing that if he did they would snoop. "It's essential that we speak with him as soon as possible" Albus stressed, "then I'm afraid you'll just have to wait," Keith said coldly.

Out of nowhere, Potter grabbed Keith tightly by the throat throwing him hard against the nearest wall, and placed his wand against Keith's side looking a little trigger-happy. "You little slut go get the greasy bastard or else" he whispered extremely close to Keith's ear. Keith tried to squirm away the violent man to no avail, talk about police brutality. But luckily or unluckily in some cases.

Severus walked having finished the potion. He took a moment to take in what he was witnessing before jumping into action. His wand at the Auror's throat "I suggest you remove yourself for my assistant immediately." He said darkly his voice filled with venom. Which got the man to release him when Keith was free he nodded to Severus telling the man he was okay and left the room to hear his love yell at the other men in the room.

Keith had Ella bring breakfast down to the lab with the request to inform Severus of his whereabouts when their uninvited guests left then he started on the list of potions that needed to be made before they returned to Hogwarts. He had gotten halfway through the second batch when the door slammed open causing Keith to jump and nearly knock over the cauldron. He quickly steadied it and then looked back to see an angry Severus wearing a hole in the floor, Keith placed a spell on the cauldron to pause the progress.

He walked over to his stressed partner and grabbed his wrist, the one that didn't have the dark mark. "Stop pacing and talk to me," he said, Severus sighed and just pulled Keith to his chest and tightly held him there. Neither moved for a while enjoying the comforting embrace "How dare he touch you, how dare they ask that of me after everything they have done" Severus raged as he pulled back just enough to examine the darkening bruise around his throat.

Until Keith slid his arms around the other man's neck, pulling him down and meeting in a gentle kiss. "I'm fine, he didn't hurt me too badly, now what did they ask?" Said calming Severus down. Severus took a deep breath "They said that Lily was looking for a Hogwarts apprenticeship and as Lily and I used to be friends they thought that I would give her a potions apprenticeship" he explained causing Keith to seeth "After how she treated you? How have both Potters treated you? They have no right." Keith stated getting angry on Severus's behalf.

"yes, love calm down because that wasn't what made me angry, sigh they expected me to fire you as my assistant" Severus growled at the thought "And what did you say?" Keith asked suddenly feeling insecure knowing how Severus used to feel for Lily, he saw her as his little sister. Severus immediately noticed his lover's crest-fallen expression and quickly jumped to reassure him.

"I of course said no and that the spot was already filled, and that if Lily was looking for an apprenticeship she should try Flitwick" Severus drawled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world but the smile on his face showed that his motives were true Keith smiled at the other man and Severus pulled Keith into another kiss. "After Potter left, Dumbledore also asked me to watch over the Potter brat," Severus said annoyed or as annoyed as he could be wrapped in Keith's arms. "Both of them or only Mathew?" Keith asked knowing that Hadrian was Severus's godson, Lily had named him so before their falling out. "I asked about Hadrian and all he said was that he was safe" Severus sighed not believing it at all and Keith knew that.

"How about the both of us keep an eye on them, huh? We already have to keep an eye on Draco." Keith suggested Severus nodded pulling his love into another quick kiss "Good idea, but for now, we still have 24 more batches to make" Severus said pointing to the list for the medical wing. They spent the next two weeks working almost 24/7 only stopping to eat, use the bathroom, and have short naps.

They had finished all the work with three weeks left on their deadline so now they were just resting and enjoying all one on one company while it lasted. Currently, they were lying in bed kissing, talking, and giggling like teenagers, not that they'd ever admit it to anyone. That's what it was all they did in the last week of break, sometimes they would head to the library and the gardens but wherever one went the other was sure to be there.

It was the day to return to Hogwarts they were just finishing packing, Severus was out of the room while Keith was packing his trunk when Severus entered the room behind him and quietly grabbed his waist. Pulling Keith back towards him and kissed his neck "So there you are, finally coming back to help me with the packing" Keith snarked half-heartedly while leaning back into Severus's arms. If Keith had looked back he would have seen an evil grin spread over Severus's face
(But he didn't so guess who got thrown on the bed ;)