The Hero and the Spy

Fair Play

Summary: No one flirts with Harry's husband.

Character(s): Harry Potter, Severus Snape, unnamed OCs

Relationship(s): Harry/Severus, OC/OC

Setting: post-Hogwarts, post-war

Warnings/Tags: AU, slash, established relationship, humour, jealousy, implied willing attempt at adultery from OC

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Fair Play

Harry's eyes narrowed as he casually looked across the room only to find Severus engaged in conversation with a lovely young woman dressed in quite the red dress. Now, typically, such a thing wouldn't be a problem, no matter the beauty the woman held. Severus was clearly interacting with her for the sake of the conversation and he had complete trust in his husband. However, the woman was shameless and Harry found he couldn't allow it to continue. It didn't matter that Severus was gay and married and would never have an ounce of interest in such a person; Harry was allowed to be jealous at least sometimes, or irritated at the very least.

Now, how to handle the situation?

Severus would not appreciate if he forced his way into their conversation, nor did he hold nearly enough potions prowess to effectively pull off such conversation to insert himself with them. He glared when her hand touched Severus' shoulder and then flipped her long, strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. He did notice how Severus took a minute step backwards, thank you, but it was the huge ring on her finger that he noticed more and gave him the perfect way to deal with the...problem.

The best way to cut the woman down to size and teach her about flirting with what belonged to someone else would be to flirt with her husband.

His eyes darted around, trying to find the man he was sure he'd seen her with when she had approached Severus in the first place. He spotted the man quickly standing not too far from his wife and very clearly in line of sight of what was happening between her and Severus. He politely excused himself from the men he'd been conversing with and headed over to the woman's husband. He purposely passed behind Severus and caught her eye over his shoulder, holding her gaze as he walked directly to her husband.

The man was startled at his approach, but responded easily to his company. He laid his own flirting on heavy and, if he hadn't known better, he could have sworn the man was actually gay. Every few seconds, he glanced over at Severus and the woman, each time finding her to be staring at him with eyes that were getting steadily harder. He copied a lot of her actions, laughing and touching the man in a more-than-professional way. It didn't take long for her to come over to them, sliding an arm around her husband's waist possessively.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at her, feeling Severus come to stand behind him.

"Oh, darling, I was just talking to Mr. Potter here about your patents," the man said with a smile.

The woman copied with her own very fake smile. "Is that so?"

"Yes, we were discussing the importance of making it clear what belongs to you so no one else can take it," Harry said, giving her a very pointed stare alongside his own fake smile.

Her smile faltered, eyes flickering to Severus over Harry's shoulder. She cleared her throat and turned to her husband, muttering something about needing another drink. Harry bid them an exaggerated goodbye as the man led her away.

"Was that supposed to be subtle?"

Harry turned to face Severus who was taking a sip of his wine, an eyebrow arched and lips curved into an amused smirk. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Not to her," Harry said.

"Shameless," Severus said.

"She was the shameless one! Flirting with a gay, married man," Harry argued.

Severus' eyebrow rose higher. "As opposed to flirting with a straight, married man?"

Harry scowled. "It's called fair play."

Severus chuckled and pulled Harry to him, kissing his forehead, before pulling him back into the throngs of the potions' community. It might have been a ridiculous plot and completely unnecessary, but it didn't escape Harry's notice that he was kept at his husband's side for the remainder of the evening.

Fin