Long Fic: Two Way Mirror - Percy/Snape - oh so very NC-17

[icarus]

Title: Two Way Mirror
Rating: Truly NC-17
Pairing: The rather intense Percy/Snape
Wordcount: 2,792.5
HBP spoilers like you wouldn't believe. If you want non-spoilery Percy/Snape, read this instead.
Summary: Wizarding gloryholes, unromantic sex and gritty, anonymous encounters under the shadow of war. A fugitive is at risk of being believed.
Author’s Note: Thank you to the ever-insightful cheshyre, world-renowed expert on Percyness, and to dphearson for her enthusiasm. Also a call-out to killerbeautiful for her prompt reply (do you want the next one?). ETA -- almost forgot. Seven Shoe Alley belongs to CLS (my absolutely fabulous beta from Primer to the Dark Arts) from her Marauder-era Stag Night, which you really ought to read.

Read the rest here: Wizarding gloryholes, unromantic sex and gritty, anonymous encounters under the shadow of war. A fugitive is at risk of being believed.

Snippet of Two Way Mirror
By Icarus



It was always the men's room where one heard these things. Percy shook himself off and was buttoning his trousers when the wooden door bumped open. He turned, a bit startled, as two men continued their conversation in surprisingly loud voices that echoed off the dank grey walls.

"Yeah, they've got Squibs – girls and boys – who'll suck you for practically free."

By their casual robes they looked like they were from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. A bathroom stall door thumped closed.

The taller of the two stood in front of the urinal and said loudly to his friend, "Oh yeah, I've heard of Seven Shoe Alley. Wouldn't be caught dead paying for it though."

Percy hovered by the faucet and pretended to ignore them as he peered at his reflection. He stroked a curl a flat with a little water.

"Eh, everybody does it one time or another. Don't mean nothing about you, just that you needed a quick pick-me-up."

The other laughed as he buttoned his robes. "All the same, I think I'll stick with my girlfriend."

"Yeah? And how's that working out for you? You find the magic key to unlock her knees yet?"

"Oh, fuck you!"

It was just the usual crudeness among men, and Percy didn't know why it preyed on his mind throughout the day. Yet he found himself at his desk thinking about it, quill poised as he leaned on an elbow, the late afternoon sun streaming in through the window behind him. There was the usual bustle of people in his office… whose last words he had just missed. "—the Minister's signed the anti-Dementor Act rider, however—"

He blinked and tried to catch up.

Of course he knew about blow jobs. That was nothing new; he'd even had one once. But somehow 'blow job' coupled with 'boy' had fired his imagination.

He wanted that.

He wanted to do that.

And apparently other people did as well.



Read the rest here: Wizarding gloryholes, unromantic sex and gritty, anonymous encounters under the shadow of war. A fugitive is at risk of being believed.

Comments

[gaeta.livejournal.com]

First the Snape/Peter and now this. You're working out a marvelously dark and, in this story, somewhat resigned Snape that suits the new canon beautifully.

I especially like that ending.

[monzz.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love this! All the HBP fic I've read so far has been of amazing quality, and this is no exception.

And Percy overhearing things in the toilets at the Ministry! *squees*

[caseylane.livejournal.com]

This was great! The simple paranoia of Percy, his compassion, everything was just a treat.

[hilarita.livejournal.com]

Fantastic. Hot and dirty and just right. I love obsessive Percy.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*purrrrs* Thank you. I'm really enjoying the new Snape canon.

And yeah, my stuff's getting really dark, isn't it?

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*nods* I think it reflects the quality of JKR's work on HBP. Plus, it's got a rich, dark filling. ;)

And Percy overhearing things in the toilets at the Ministry!

And checking out guys at work! Tsk. He may be rather fruity but he's definitely a guy.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He's really surprisingly normal (and a rather nice guy) under that stiff exterior. But he's changed since his separation from his family. Grown a lot more confident and determined.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Obsessive? Oh, hey yeah, he is, isn't he? Thanks! I hadn't noticed.

Icarus

[pitchblackrose.livejournal.com]

Lovely! Really well written :) You draw a convincing picture of Percy's life and his character. I also loved the pages of conversation that didn't occur in the back-room. Good work!

In conclusion: Great atmosphere. The sex is hot and the Snape is sexy. What more could a fangirl want? :)

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

So.

Brilliant opening- for that is what you hear in men's rooms- all sorts of vulgarity. Except Percy has a truly vulgar streak to him, and this strokes his interest.

I like his regularity and secrey in his dates- it fits what we see of PErcy, with Penelope Clearwater. Smart, smart girl.

and then thereis the Wizarding gloryhole, and meeting someone not so glorious- Snape. I love teh fact taht you show him resign, and utterly, sad, and yet able to muster a bit of humor in the face in it all.

and yes,the sex is Teh Hawt, of course, but the most telling, most sensual bit was when Severus allowed himself to touch Percy's face.

Yay! Posted! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Heh, ordering a wanted poster and hanging it ... over his bed, right?

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

Gloryholes are a favorite of mine, but I'd only ever read about the non-wizarding kind. Trust you to make the wizarding version even more intriguing.

Your post-HBP Snape is amazing. Thanks so much for this!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You got it. *grins* It's a little like having a framed photo on his dresser, an unconscious admission of the depth of his feelings. But because it's a wanted photo, he never allows himself to forget what Snape has done.

He feels, oddly enough, as if the photo of Snape understands that he can't in principle be on his side and at the same time recognises the statement he's made by having his photo in his room. When he hangs it up, he's accepted Snape as a constant presence in his life, for good or bad, and is no longer trying to fight it.

That eases his internal conflict because he's stopped berating himself and accepted that his feelings don't have to make any sense. This is a big step for Percy, whether or not Snape ever returns.

Thank you, I was hoping someone would comment on the poster. :D

Icarus

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Oh yeah, it's like ... a kind of double-bluff with himself though, both a penance and a reward for accepting his feelings and seeing the other as he is.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Exactly. But he was already in that bind, so admitting it almost openly (not that anyone but Percy ever saw his bedroom) at least took the pressure off.

Now I'm wondering if people picked up on Snape's subtle Legilimency....

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Percy's life has changed a great deal. He has a lot more money, three years in the Ministry and - after surviving Fudge - a measure of job security. His over-eager cockiness has settled down to a steady sense of his own competence, especially now that he's not trying to prove himself to his family.

The sex is hot? Oh good. I was a little worried because it was written entirely from the rather technical perspective of the "doer," focused on getting the other person off.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I think that unless Percy had something to gain from the "name" of the family he's with, he'd try to keep his personal life personal. Although the main reason he was so secret about Penelope was that he knew the teasing he'd get.

Except Percy has a truly vulgar streak to him, and this strokes his interest.

He does, and he would never admit it. I think it's because his prim and proper self-image is slightly false.

the most telling, most sensual bit was when Severus allowed himself to touch Percy's face.

Yes. That's really where they crossed the line for Percy. His experiments with men up until that point were almost clinical. He calls his "dates" with that prostitute "intimate" for crying out loud (squelches Jack O'Neill voice). This was really the breakthrough experience where he was emotionally invested as well.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Oh, HBP has given us Snape fans so much to work with. Augh! The angst, the drama, the nightmare, the slimyness -- mwah! I may be a tad disappointed in the dearth of Percyness (though there's much implied and YES! He didn't go crawling back! Hoo-rah!) but that's what fanfic is for... I hear tell of a Percy site in the works, and I have mine (steadily chips away) as well.

Icarus

[devin-chain.livejournal.com]

I think this is my favorite post-HBP fic so far. You make a glory hole encounter beautiful. It's not sentimental. It's dirty. You don't deny the sleaze factor. But you make it gorgeous. I love this fic.

[mooselord.livejournal.com]

What a story ! As I think about it, I want a Wanted Poster for my office too.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*grins* I love it.

Hey, I want one, too.

Icarus

*meep!*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Wow, that's wonderful. I put a lot of extra effort into this story to make it technically "right" and work for the long term, even after the last book is written.

Icarus

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

i dunno. i don't think i liked this one.. i forget, did you say where you stand on that issue? on whether he killed him with malicious intent, or he did it because D was dying anyways and asked him to? (i'm so good with the subtle, heh)

it made me sad...makes me think about where snape could be now, he most certainly is an outcast though, isn't he? i wonder if in canon it'll be public knowledge that he killed him? both he and percy are outcasts.. i think that's why this made me sad. outcasts comforting eachother.. *sigh* good writing, but yeah.. i don't like feeling like this right now..

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

This is intended to slip into canon with barely a whisper, so it has no indication one way or the other. Plus, from Percy's point of view he's guilty.

My stand is that JKR has been redeeming Snape so often in the series it is unlikely he's genuinely a Death Eater.

If you're wondering about my thoughts in the background, this is a Snape filled with regret and resigned to being the "bad guy" who killed the beloved Dumbledore, despite his real intentions.

In this, while Percy was in his presence, Percy sensed something off: his political radar expected one kind of reaction from Snape, and this sorrowful sense of resignation didn't fit the bill for a guilty murderer. Deep down, he knew. Percy has always known the truth about Harry, and Snape here, but he believes "the facts" and "the evidence" before his own intuitions and opinions. It doesn't occur to him that "the evidence" could be wrong.

So once he was out of Snape's presence he started second-guessing himself. He's angry with himself less for the blowjob and more because of his reasons for it: kindness. And this is his first real feelings for a man (which is rather sad, but they made a powerful connection). He could easily fall in love with Snape, and perhaps he has. These feelings are that overwhelming to him, and irrational.

By-the-way, it's subtle and you're not intended to know (because Percy doesn't know) but Snape cast Legilimens here, before the sex:

He looked up into Snape's burning eyes

and here, after:

But Snape remained, his steady eyes on Percy who felt curiously vulnerable and naked under that gaze.

He was assessing the danger, but instead found that Percy's concern was genuine. For a hunted man hated by all, this was water in the desert. It was so unexpected he didn't want to leave.

So despite the sordid location and the sadness, this is a love story and a story about trust: trusting one's instincts, and finding someone you can trust.

You can bet that if Snape survives and is vindicated he's going to look Percy up. The one man who was genuinely concerned about him, despite it all? Oh yeah, Percy passed a major test of character there for Snape.

Icarus

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

awww.. *wipes eyes*... i love that.. yeah... it was a good story.. but..yeah, okay. i'm just rambling..

[ianevski.livejournal.com]

Gah! I loved this so much. Percy was just right (as I imagine him) and Snape was like all of the travellers I read about -- sad and desperate for some touch of life not on the run. It was really great. I think that's all I can say. :)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I find I'm really falling for this pairing strangely enough.

Icarus

[ianevski.livejournal.com]

I find I get addicted to strange and unique ships very easily.

[jenisaks]

Wanted to read this fic but unfortunately most links to your website comes back as a 404 so I cant get to any of your fics unless it's posted here :-(

[icarus]

Due to some unwanted attention from outside fandom I had to take down all my NC-17 fics from my site. I'm slowly putting them back up, but it will take time.

All of the missing NC-17 HP fic is on RS.org, however.

[icarus]

Well, I checked, and this was isn't on RS.org. So I moved up the calendar for fixing the stories on my site. Check that link again.