Where Foundations Are Laid.

A/N: We are coming to the end of this little story and I have a couple of people to thank.

Firstly, a huge hug to my Beta, ARo, who isn't a Snarry fan but put up with my little detour with positive encouragement.

Secondly I would like to give an extra-special Thankyou to my reviewer, Orlando Switch, who gave me so much help in putting this chapter together. I couldn't have done it without you.

'The sexual embrace can only be compared with music and with prayer.'

~ Marcus Aurelius ~

Severus

I recognised the look in his eye the moment he opened the door, and I half expected him to leap at me before I had even taken my coat off. Maturity has taught him patience, but the tension was palpable. Thank god he finally acted on his impulse, because I needed to know. I know now.

His body is broader than I remember; muscular and firm. I could feel his erection starting through the fabric of his jeans, and it seems we have been blessed in that department too. I can tell he's had experience since the last time. I'm surprised that it doesn't make me jealous, but then, I haven't been totally celibate in the past seven years. I was tempted to go further, to give myself a fighting chance. His younger body will be ready for round two before I've even caught my breath.

'More wine, Severus?' He waves the bottle in my direction.

'No, thank you. I may be a wizard, but alcohol could still affect my performance,' I say quietly. He meets my eyes with amusement.

'You're very sure of yourself,' he says, but I can see the spark in his eye.

'You are many things, Harry, but I would guess that a prick tease isn't one of them.' I smirk.

'Hermione has always said I'm rubbish at hiding things,' he murmurs.

I reach across the table and take his hand, squeezing firmly. 'Where I'm concerned that's probably wise.'

He smiles and threads his fingers through mine briefly. 'You know I want you, Severus. I always have.'

I don't know what to say to that. I'm not one for declarations of love and passion, although I'm sure my desire for him matches his for me. I untangle my hand from his gently and drain my wine glass. I'm grateful when he changes the subject.

'Tell me about Harriet, Severus. I know that you and Hermione didn't conceive her naturally.'

I look at him blankly. This is not a line of questioning I expected, but I know he will find out sooner or later. Perhaps now is better, before it gets complicated. He will have time to change his mind about me.

'What exactly is it that you want to know?' The mechanics are simple to explain, after all. The rest is... delicate.

'Everything.'

Of course.

'Hermione and I were good friends. I knew of her relationship with Rosmerta, and I had shared some of my own experiences. We used to sit and talk, but of course you know that. After you left I was angry with her for her interfering, and we didn't speak for a while. I realised then how lonely my life really was.'

'I told you that myself,' he says smugly.

'Do you want to hear this or just tell me 'I told you so'?' I can't help but smile as he rolls his eyes at me.

'Sorry. Go on,' he says, laughing.

'I had never felt the need for children. I didn't think I would survive the war, so daydreaming about a non existent future seemed pointless. But I realised after you left how much I wanted a family. I said this to Hermione one night, after far too much Firewhisky.'

'And Hermione offered her services?'

'Not like that, no. She wanted a child, but she also wanted a career. We came to an arrangement that suited us both.'

'Without the sex?'

'Could you have sex with a woman, Harry?' He looks thrown by my question, which is unfair of me. I already know about him and the once-nubile Miss Weasley.

'Not anymore. I did a couple of times, with Ginny Weasley. It wasn't right.'

'Precisely. It would have been physically impossible for me to get Hermione pregnant the natural way, and we both wanted the child to be born for the right reasons.'

'The right reasons? Surely being parents was reason enough?'

'Not for us. Hermione and I agreed that the child should be conceived through love. You know how powerful that can be. It is the magic that protected you against the Dark Lord, after all.'

'Love?'

'You have to understand, Harry. I pushed you away to protect myself. It wasn't because I didn't care,' I whisper.

'What did you do, Severus?'

'Hermione is a clever witch, Harry. She is also a hoarder. The night you left the Dursley's with Mad-Eye and the rest of the Order, she kept what was left of the Polyjuice Potion and put it in stasis. I think it was for emergencies during the war, but it was never needed, so she just kept it.'

'My Polyjuice Potion?'

'We planned it for the summer holiday, when the school was virtually empty. Hermione used the Polyjuice Potion and came to my quarters.'

'You slept with her disguised as me?' His face is white, the shock immense. I want to laugh.

'Don't be ridiculous, how would that result in pregnancy? We kissed, once. Then she stayed with me while I prepared myself, and we used an extraction spell. She had taken a fertility potion to ensure conception, and she inserted my sperm in the bathroom of my quarters. We only had to wait a day to confirm the pregnancy.'

'So why the Polyjuice potion? You could have done all of that without it!' He is indignant now; the use of his likeness against his knowledge has irked him.

'You didn't listen, Harry. The child had to be conceived through love. I don't love Hermione, and she doesn't love me, but there is one person we both love.'

I watch his face closely as the penny drops. I'm surprised when tears fill his eyes and then fall undashed down his cheeks.

'You named her after me...' he chokes.

I say nothing. Finally telling him the truth has brought us to this, the point of no return, but I hadn't considered this reaction. He pushes back his chair suddenly and walks out of the room, but I can't let him go like this.

'Harry, wait!' I go after him, up the stairs. I don't know my way around, and he could have slammed any one of the five doors off the landing. 'Harry...'

I take out my wand and use a Point Me spell, and I don't bother to knock. His bedroom is in darkness, but I can sense him.

'You said you kissed her,' he says. His voice comes from the far side of the room, and I move quietly towards him.

'Once, yes.'

'Why not go all the way? You could have had your fun and be done with it.'

My eyes grow accustomed to the dim light, and I see him by the darkened window. His arms are wrapped tightly around his chest, but if he believes this will keep me away, he's wrong. I stand in front of him and remove his glasses. He doesn't look at me, so I tip his face upwards and kiss him firmly. His lips are full and warm, and I long to taste him. I feel him sag against me and I know he's given in. It would be so easy to have him now, when he's vulnerable, but I want us evenly matched. Although my instinct is to kiss him harder, I pull away and run my hands through his unruly hair, holding him still so that I have his full attention.

'I could have had my fun with Hermione, you're right. I could have taken out your cock and wrapped my hands around it, and stroked it until she was begging me to let her come.' He groans, and I push my thigh against his erection to emphasise my point.

'I could have gone on my knees and taken your cock in my mouth to suck it dry.' I kiss him again, my own erection now straining against my fly. I'm taunting myself with my own imagination, but I have to make my point.

'I didn't do any of that.' He kisses me now, and his hands push my jacket to the floor as he walks us towards the bed. He takes hold of the front of my shirt and shakes me, hard.

'Why not?' He's demanding, and I catch a glimpse of the glitter in his eyes.

'Because she wasn't you.'

This time, we both move as one, and I battle with his tongue as my hands pull his t-shirt from the waistband of his jeans. I touch his skin lightly, letting my knuckles graze his nipples as I bring the fabric over his head. He gasps with pleasure and reaches for my shirt, pulling impatiently at the buttons. I still his hands with a grin and pull the shirt off. It hasn't hit the floor before I feel his mouth on my chest, and his warm, wet lips move firmly over my nipple. He sucks and licks with confident strokes, and I don't stop the groan leaving my throat as I run my nails over his firm shoulders. He moves his lips and the cold air hits my wet flesh, sending shivers down my spine and hitting my groin. I can't wait any longer.

'Jeans off.' I hiss, unfastening my fly quickly. My cock springs from its prison, seeking him out and bobbing with anticipation.

In moments, we are naked. I stand before him, grateful for the darkness because I know he is looking at me as I am looking at him. I can faintly see the definition of his muscles, the smattering of dark chest hair, and I follow the trail quickly down. His cock is straight and thick, surrounded by tight, dark curls, and the sight of it makes me harder than I've been in years. I already know how good he will taste in my mouth, but before I get there, he steps closer and pushes me back onto the bed. Before I can stop him, he's on his knees, kneeling between my thighs and nuzzling my cock with his nose. His hand is on my shaft, and his hot, wet mouth covers me, the perfect combination of wanking and sucking, and I lie back, unable to stop the waves of pleasure washing over me. Suddenly, he releases me, and I feel his firm flesh and hot mouth as he crawls up my body urgently. He takes my cock in his hand, and I reach for his, firm, thick and eager. We press our bodies together as he kisses me fiercely, his tongue thrusting as we rub our slick cocks against each other. He feels so hard, and I know neither of us will last much longer.

'Coming!' He cries into my mouth. Fuck, so am I. We rut against each other, and I feel the tip of his cock against my own as his comes with such force his orgasm hits my chest. I kiss him, our tongues colliding, and can't stop the jerk of my body as my orgasm finally explodes and mingles with his. I feel my come spurting over and over again and rub our still hard cocks together to prolong the sensation. Harry gasps against me, and I know he loves it as much as I do.

I lay back on the bed, panting and covered in sweat from the exertion, and stroke Harry's hair softly.

'Fuck...' he whispers against my throat.

'Indeed.'