I'd Die for You

You'll turn your head

"Do we have to discuss this again?"

Harry was alarmed. "When did we discuss it in the first place? Kill me for wanting to revisit the subject while your cock isn't inside me and I can string two full sentences together." Saying that candidly when they were neither naked nor close together in bed made Harry blush and made him a little horny too. But Snape didn't object anymore to the conversation.

"Fine." He was sitting by the fire in Harry's room, waiting for him to finish packing a rucksack for Robin Hood's Bay. They were due to meet Hawthorne and Savage at the castle's entrance in half an hour.

Harry went into his wardrobe to grab pants but he stared inside of the drawer for a while and couldn't think of what to say to Snape. He was filled with anxiety again that he was pushing Snape too far, asking him for too much and that Snape would respond soon by ending everything.

"We don't have to go on about it forever. I just want to know that you believed me."

"Can you be more specific?"

Harry grabbed some pants, more pairs of socks and closed the drawer. He packed them in his rucksack and walked over to where Snape was seated. Snape's ankles were crossed and he was picking at something on his hand.

Harry sat on the floor beside him. "Did you believe me when I said nothing happened that night I went out with Hermione?"

"Do you think I can't tell when someone's lying to me?"

"I wasn't lying!"

"I know you weren't- that's what I meant."

Harry had many questions at once. "Then what didn't you believe?"

Suddenly Ron's voice filled the room. "Harry? Oh, er, sorry- hello professor."

Ron's head was in the fire. His face was becoming so red that Harry was sure he'd have a hard time telling the difference between him and the flames.

"Sorry," Ron said again.

"It's okay," Harry said, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Snape's hand clenched the armrest tightly. "What's up? I was just packing, we're due to leave soon."

"Yeah, I wanted to go over the plan to make sure we're all on the same page."

"Right. We're walking to Hogsmeade, the five of us- me, Snape, Hawthorne, and Savage with Hagrid in back. Hawthorne and Savage will Apparate to London first and use the two-way mirror to let me and Snape know it's okay to follow. We'll be there for a couple of days for some training?" No one had told Harry exactly what they'd be doing so he stopped to confirm this with Ron.

"Yeah," Ron said, not elaborating.

"And then Apparting to Manchester first- it's safest in case anyone's got trip tracers for magic anywhere near Robin Hood. From Manchester, we drive."

"Okay, good. See you soon."

"Bye," Harry said and sighed when Ron disappeared. "Sorry," he told Snape, not sure why he was apologizing. When Snape didn't say anything, he asked again, "What didn't you believe?"

Snape scratched his cheek. "You said you couldn't. You kept saying that."

"You think I could have if I had the opportunity?" Harry asked, eager for this piece of the puzzle.

Snape just looked at him, not answering.

"Well that's just a fact. Someone did try to have a go with me-"

Snape cut in forcefully. "It's not my business. Who am I to-," he looked into the fire before carrying on,"stop you from living your life? I meant it, when I told you to explore." He paused. "I tried to mean it."