Second Place - Romance

The next morning Harry was glad that the headmaster had forewarned them of the goings on at the Ministry of Magic. Hundreds of owls swooped through the Great Hall, delivering mail and copies of The Daily Prophet at breakfast. The normal morning chatter died for a moment as the staff and students got a look at the headlines.

�Minister Fudge Unexpectedly Resigns Office
By Rita Skeeter, special correspondent.

The Wizengamot met early Monday morning to decide the fate of the often-beleaguered Cornelius Fudge, the now former Minister of Magic. A list of charges was read to the court and the man was shamed into resigning. Though the proceedings were closed to the public and the press, this reporter was able to get an exclusive interview with an important unnamed official and was able to find out the exact charges leveled at Mr. Fudge. They include: gross misconduct, with behavior unbefitting a Magic of Ministry official, of conspiracy to falsely imprison a citizen, of slander against not only that same citizen, but also another citizen, and of attempting to tamper with the evidence of the wrong-doing, as some of the documents pertaining to these allegations were magically altered. Mr. Fudge was warned that he would be wise to resign as the alternative would be a stay in Azkaban Prison.

It is this reporter's humble opinion that if even one of these allegations is true, then we are truly well rid of the man. The esteemed members of the Wizengamot are to be praised for their courageous stance in a difficult situation. (For an advanced look into the search for a new Minister of Magic, please read the story �Finding the Right Leader' on page 3.)

In a perhaps related incident, the Auror who was arrested at the Ministry Ball on last Saturday for his involvement with the Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, was found dead in his cell Monday afternoon. Though an official cause of death has not been released, this reporter has learned from a trusted source that the man was indeed poisoned. For a full story on the mysterious death, please turn to page 6 for the story, Mishaps and Mistakes at the Ministry.'

As the news was processed, the noise in the Great Hall rose and the students and staff compared their views on the information. It came as no great surprise that a supposedly closed and secret meeting ended up being reported in The Daily Prophet. If there was one thing the Ministry of Magic had always been unable to do it was keep a secret.

Harry smiled as he felt his mate's snort of disgust at Rita Skeeter's usual self-glorifying style of reporting. The young Gryffindor sent back an answering smirk to his mate and was rewarded with a raised brow and a reminder that he had promised to make sure he was never alone throughout the day. Sighing, Harry grabbed a piece of toast before making his way to his first class of the day with his friends.

Following Ron and Hermione into the dungeon potions classroom that afternoon, Harry was glad that they were now again speaking. Their flying session yesterday had been fun and Harry had forgotten how much he had missed his friend. While swooping through the cool autumn air the pair had managed to catch up on their lives and though Ron might not have chosen Severus for his friend, he had seemed to accept that Harry was happy. Knowing the childhood his friend had had, Ron finally had apparently decided that whatever brought Harry joy was okay with him.

Now that his husband no longer had to favor the children of the Death Eaters the other houses found that potions classes were far more relaxing. Severus still had the rather formidable responsibility of keeping his students safe in the classroom and he was of the opinion that a firm hand was the best prevention. However, he could now actively punish wrongdoers from his own house and he quickly found that the number of incidents in the classroom went down significantly.

Walking about the room as his seventh years' N.E.W.T. class prepared today's potion, Severus was pleased to see that his husband seemed to be doing well. The tall man felt a slight tinge of guilt as he considered that he had personally been responsible for Harry's hitherto poor performance in the class. He also recognized that his own Slytherins were often to blame for sabotaging the potions of some of the other houses' students. As the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry had been a favorite target over the years.

Seeing that the class period was nearing an end, the potions master called out that the students should be wrapping up their work. As the students bustled about, bottling their potions for grading and cleaning up their messes Severus walked back to his desk. Settling down in his chair, he waited for the students to bring up their potions. When his husband placed his on the large desk, Severus quietly asked him to stay behind. As this was the last class of the day for both, the potions master had plans for his young mate.

Harry waved to his friends and went back to sit quietly at his worktable while his classmates filed out of the room. He watched as the potions master got up to close the door after the last student had left. Smiling, Harry was somewhat surprised when he realized that his husband was raising both locking and silencing spells.

Turning back to his young husband, Severus let his gaze rake over the young man seated at his table. Long fingers lifted to his high collar as Severus began the arduous process of undoing the multitude of buttons adorning his clothing. Stopping in front of the young Gryffindor, he smirked at the awed expression on his mate's face.

Eyes opened wide as Harry began to realize what his husband had in mind. Mutely he thought that his wet dreams were coming true as he watched the older man continue to work on his buttons.

His robes now fully opened, Severus pulled Harry up to him and bent down to capture his husband's lips in a passionate kiss. Harry eagerly responded and ran his hands under the open robes. The potions master worked on the young man's trousers, sliding the offending garment and the underpants down slim hips. Harry obediently stepped out of his shoes and his clothing for his husband. Severus lowered his hands until he could firmly grasp his husband and pick him up. Harry quickly got the idea and raised his arms to clasp around the older man's neck and wrapped his legs around Severus' waist.

Severus strode over to the dungeon wall with his precious cargo. Gently leaning the young man against the wall, Severus easily held Harry and continued his attentions to the tantalizing lips. Their position allowed them to rub hard, straining erections against one another.

Harry gasped as Severus moved down to his neck, licking and nipping at the sensitive skin. Severus brought a hand between them, freeing his cock from the confines of his trousers. Raising his hand to Harry's mouth, he was rewarded when the young man obediently opened his mouth and began laving the fingers with his tongue. Now wet fingers moved down to prepare the willing orifice. Harry moaned as his body was breached and he held onto the strong man as he was readied.

"Now, Sev," he panted. Harry gasped when Severus lifted his hips to bring him down on his erection. Slowly the hard length slid into the smaller man and both groaned as the two joined. Fully ensconced in his lover's body, Severus paused a moment before he began thrusting up. Harry's position against the wall allowed him to ride the thrusts as his husband filled him. His cock was trapped between their bodies and the delicious friction was allowing him to reach toward completion. The sensations spiraled up as his mate's cock rubbed against his prostate. Harry threw his head back, ignoring the pain as he connected with the hard stone. Yelling out his pleasure, Harry felt his orgasm rip through his body and the contracting muscles pulled Severus into his own climax. Pulse after pulse of hot liquid spurted into the tight channel.

Emerald eyes met obsidian eyes as the two lovers caught their breath. Still trapped between his husband's strong body and the cold, hard dungeon wall, Harry smiled. He reached up a hand to brush back a stray strand of long ebony hair from his husband's face. Severus stepped back and gently set his lover down so that he could stand on his own again. But still he did not let the smaller man go just yet.

"That was brilliant, Sev," Harry smiled up at his mate. "I don't think that I'll ever look at potions the same way again.

"Impertinent brat," the potions master retorted. But the smile on his face belied his stern words.

Harry reached up and helped his husband rebutton his clothing. Allowing the older man to finish the job, Harry walked over to pick up his garments. Slipping the pants back on, he toed on his shoes and picked up his school bag. Harry turned around to see that the potions master was once again looking his formidable self and he doubted anyone would ever guess what they had just done.

Severus held out a hand to his mate and lowering the wards, he led his husband back to their rooms. Harry just couldn't help the huge smile that had taken up residence on his face. Who knew Sev had such a kinky streak, he thought happily.

The Flipside of Sanity - Chapter 27

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