Track 11

Sadly, all of Snape�s efforts to get Harry back to work were in vain. Production for the day had to halt due to the fact that an inordinate number of cast and crew members had to go to the Infirmary to be treated for shock. Ron Weasley in particular was in rather bad shape, having taken to babbling incoherently with his eyes wide and unblinking. Harry, however, despite being the good friend he was, didn�t seem to take any notice as his best mate was carted off along with several other glassy-eyed students. His attention was focused solely on Snape who, after remembering himself and his surroundings, had stalked off muttering something about hormonal teenagers and refused to even acknowledge Harry�s pleas for him to come back.

Harry looked dejectedly at the floor, still oblivious to the mayhem around him. He�d really blown it this time. And things seemed to be going so well, too...

A hand clasped gently onto his shoulder and he looked up. There stood Remus, looking at Harry apologetically. Harry sighed as he felt another hand fall onto his other shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Sirius trying to look supportive while drying his eyes at the same time. It wasn�t working very well, but it was the thought that counted. Harry attempted a weak smile before deciding that it wasn�t worth making the effort since both Sirius and Remus could see right through it. Instead, he sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands, allowing the tears to silently fall.

It wasn�t until much later when he was back in Remus and Sirius�s rooms that he realized he�d actually cried, and in public, no less. This mystified him, since despite the fact that he had indeed been upset, nothing had really warranted him crying like some little girl who�d just gotten her period for the first time and had no idea what it was. He quickly pushed this thought to the side, however; he had far more important things to dwell on.

"So, what do you think I should do now that I�ve made an utter tit of myself?" Harry asked his godfathers, who were sitting on either side of him on their couch.

"I say forget the git!" Sirius piped up automatically, earning him a warning glare from Remus. Harry slumped lower in his seat.

"It�s not that simple, Sirius�I mean, I wish I could just forget about him, but those eyes�that voice�" Harry trailed off.

"�that arse," Remus added dreamily, and Sirius sent him a hurt look. Remus, noticing the look on his mate�s face, was quick to add, "Which, of course, has nothing on Sirius�s." This seemed to mollify his lover a bit, but Harry apparently wasn�t too keen on discussing his godfather�s hindquarters.

"That�s really not something I needed to hear," he pointed out, a note of discomfort in his voice.

"Sorry," Remus quietly apologized, and a brief silence fell over the group.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Harry asked again, breaking the silence. Remus let out a soft sigh.

"Honestly, Harry, I�m not sure. I mean, do you just want to shag him�" Sirius began making strange strangling noises, "�or is there something more?"

"Something�you mean, do I love him?" Harry asked. Sirius choked on his own saliva.

"Well, I was going to say �fancy�, but yes, that�s pretty much what I meant," Remus confirmed. Harry squirmed a little as Sirius tried to clear his air passages.

"I�yes, I think I do. Love him, I mean," Harry whispered. "Is that bad?" he suddenly asked, looking up at Remus.

Remus smiled warmly. "Well, I wouldn�t call it �bad�," he replied teasingly, but then his smile faltered a bit. "It�s just�you�re going to have a difficult time ahead of you if you decide to pursue this, Harry," he warned. "Severus Snape does not open up easily, and even getting him to accept the idea that you really do fancy him will probably be quite hard."

Harry�s face took on a troubled look. "So what you�re saying is that I really have no chance with him."

Surprisingly, it wasn�t Remus, but Sirius who responded. "That�s not true, Harry. It�s just�you have to�" He cleared his throat. "You have to show him that this means more to you than just a�that you want it to be more than just�"

"Shagging?" Harry supplied, and Sirius actually blushed.

"Actually, I was going to say �a purely physical relationship�, but I suppose that�ll do to be getting on with." He cleared his throat again, avoiding the surprised look that Remus was sending his way.

"So I have to prove that I fancy him, and that I�m not just in it for the sex, then�" Harry mumbled to himself, slowly getting to his feet. He began pacing back and forth in front of his godfathers as he contemplated this. Suddenly he stopped short and faced the two older men. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?!"

Harry laid on his four-poster in Gryffindor tower, silently staring at the ceiling and pondering his latest challenge. Sirius and Remus hadn�t been much help � they�d both agreed that if Harry really wanted to prove to Snape that he had feelings for the man, he�d have to come up with something on his own. Harry was pretty sure that was just their way of covering up that they couldn�t think of anything, either.

Harry considered a direct confrontation, but the main problem with such an action was simply that Snape would not believe him. He�d probably think it was some sort of joke or prank or something, and would slam the door in Harry�s face. No, Harry was pretty sure the direct approach was not the way to go.

�Maybe I should do something traditional, like send him flowers,� Harry thought absently before quickly banishing the thought. Considering the man�s level of paranoia, that would probably be even worse than the direct approach. �Argh! Why does he have to be so difficult?� Harry ranted to himself. There had to be something � anything � that he could do to enlighten the Potions master to Harry�s feelings. There just had to be!

Suddenly an idea struck him. Dumbledore. Surely, Dumbledore would know! Surely, Dumbledore of all people would hold the key! Determined to speak to the headmaster first thing in the morning, Harry rolled over onto his side, pulled his covers up to his chin, and fell asleep, apparently not caring that it was only nine p.m. and that no one was in the dorm yet because most of them were still in the hospital wing.