ambitious, cunning, adaptable | hp x dm

chapter forty seven: do you like me?

Pansy smirked up at him impishly and sprang from her seat to wrap her arms around Harry. "I knew there was a reason the Hat put you in this House."

Harry hugged her back softly. "You'll look over my letter?"

"Of course."

Harry nodded his head and made his way towards Snape's office. He had a favour to ask.

Upon arriving at the door, Harry hesitated for only a moment before knocking quietly. There was the sound of rusting paper and something being put down, and then the door opened. Snape arched an eyebrow down at him, looking surprised to see him. "Do you need a calender to go with your alarm clock, Mr. Potter?"

Grinning sheepishly, Harry shook his head. "No, sir. Could I ask you something?"

The man eyed him for a moment before stepping back and letting Harry in. The desk had a huge tomb on it, explaining the rustling noises. Snape closed the door and then stared at him expectantly. Clearing his throat nervously, Harry kept his eyes on the desk. "Would you mind very much if I asked you a favor?"

Sending the boy a dry expression, Snape crossed his arms and tapped a finger against his upper arm. "That would depend entirely on the favor."

After a moment of pause, Harry met the man's eyes, eyes wide with something akin to desperation. "Would you teach me how to dance, Severus?"

That look of dark amusement slowly bloomed in the professor's eyes. "I believe I recently did just that. Your favor has been fulfilled. Sometimes I impress even myself."

It took a moment for Harry to register that Severus Snape had just told a joke. A half hysterical chuckle escaped him. "I mean dance well. You know, not stumble across the floor like my feet have been switched."

His lip twitching, Snape eyed him. "Ah. A challenge, then. Fortunately for you, I enjoy those. May I ask your reasoning for this turnabout? When we last spoke, I believe you were contemplating suicide rather than be forced to dance."

Harry swallowed. "I was... thinking about asking Draco. He'd be an arse about it if I messed up while dancing with him. So this is a precautionary measure."

The amusement in those eyes became more obvious, and Snape tilted his head. "Oh, I suppose I no longer have to ask you to see Madame Pomfrey." At Harry's odd look, he continued. "I was beginning to fear that you had gone blind."

Ignoring the way Harry sputtered at that, Snape turned and went to the door to his quarters, holding it open for the boy to follow. "I believe music would be helpful in this endeavor."

Feeling vaguely like he had just signed his own death warrant, Harry obediently made his way through the door.

The next hour and a half was spent with Snape making Harry repeat the steps over and over, first on his own, and then with the professor leading. Every time Harry missed a step or held himself wrong, Snape snapped at him like a Muggle Drill Sargent.

When it was finally over, Harry's arms hurt from holding them up for so long. And that wasn't even going into how his legs felt. But his dancing had shown a marked improvement. A couple more sessions and he'd be at least good enough to prevent Draco from criticising.

Maybe. He hoped.

Instead of heading to the dorms, he made his way up to the owlrey. Wishing he hadn't sent off Hedwig that morning, he picked out the nicest looking of the school owls and spent a few minutes writing out as well-spoken a letter of intent he could manage, he was too nervous to show Pansy, and sent it off to Malfoy Manor.