AN: Well, were almost to the end. Thank you for following me on my journey…these stories are the first writings I have done in many years.

I hope you enjoy.

The Next Step

"AHHHHHHHHHH" Ron yelled holding his head in his hands.

The entire Gryffindor common room came to a halt and turned in unison to see what was wrong.

"Honey," Hermione said quietly, "what's wrong?"

"I'm just…I can't…" Ron put his head down on the table and covered it with his arms, "When's it over? I can't take it anymore."

"Ron, what's going on?" Harry had walked in at the end of the bellow and was waiting to hear the answer to Hermione's question. He couldn't think of any reason for Ron to be so upset.

"NEWTs…when will they be done torturing us? I'm gonna die before they're done."

Sighing loudly and putting her hand on her fiancés' back, Hermione chuckled, "Ronald, you will not die anytime soon and you know as well as anyone, NEWTs will be done in two weeks and then it's home and waiting for the scores."

Harry sat heavily on the couch opposite the couple and started to laugh. Now everyone in the room was looking at him.

When he had finally gotten it out of his system, he explained, "I just came back up from the dungeons and you can hear the same thing near every dorm and the library. Madame Pince is running all over telling people to be quiet. The teachers are all asking the same questions you are Ron. When's it gonna be over."

Now everyone was laughing with him and the tense mood in the room was suddenly gone and an almost jovial house went to the Great Hall, en masse, for dinner.

As the other houses came into dinner, they all wondered what had Gryffindor so happy. There was a rumour going around that one of the Gryffindors was dating a teacher. No one believed it and no one really knew who started the rumour but seeing how happy the house appeared, the rumour was gaining credibility.

Harry looked up at the head table and met Severus' eyes which smiled back at him. He had heard the rumour flying around and knew no one suspected that the couple in question was indeed Severus and him. He didn't want to add fodder to the rumour mill but he couldn't help continually stealing glances at his lover during dinner.

Albus noticed the exchanges between the two and made a mental note to talk to them later about discretion.

As Ron rounded the corner to the dreaded dungeon potions room, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a sound coming from the room he had never heard before. He could clearly hear two voices shouting at one another and it didn't take him long to discover who those voices belonged to.

"Have you lost your mind Mr. Malfoy?"

"Sir, I believe I am the one who should be asking you that. Potter?! This must be a mission or test or something, right? You can't possibly be in love with Potter?"

"Mr. Malfoy, my private life is absolutely NONE of your business. I will expect you to be quiet in the future about what you see or hear when you don't know what you are talking about. And as for the rumours you have started. I expect you will be finding a way, in the very near future, to stop them."

"But, I…" Draco knew there was no use. He could argue until he was blue in the face but his Godfather was right. It was none of his business. He just couldn't believe it was Potter that finally caught Severus' eye. "Yes sir. It will be done tomorrow. It's that it's Potter." He opened the door and walked, dejected back to his common room wondering how to stop the rumours. He never saw the ginger head hiding in the crevice of the wall.

Ron ran, breathlessly back into the library and found Hermione and Harry at 'their' table. He sat hard on the open chair and gasped for the air he needed so he could tell them what he had discovered.

"You okay mate?"

Ron held up a figure so they would wait and minute and with great effort managed to get his breathing to steady. He looked at the two and said, "I know who started the rumours and so does Severus."

"Who?" chimed Harry and Hermione in unison.

"Malfoy." Ron sneered.

Harry stood and walked from the library as though he was late for something. He didn't want to run because that might draw unwanted attention. He had almost made it to the dungeon when he heard, "Mr. Potter, might I have a word please."

"Uh yes sir." He couldn't very well ignore the request of the Headmaster and followed Dumbledore to his chamber.

As he followed Albus through the door, he heard, "Albus."

Harry's head popped out from behind Albus' back and Severus looked surprised, saying, "Is there something wrong?"

Albus gestured for Harry to sit next to Severus and walked behind his desk, sitting in his high back chair, facing the suddenly nervous pair. "There is something I wanted to talk to you gentlemen about. I know you are both aware of the rumours spreading through the campus about a 'student and teacher'. Severus, I believe you have been attempting to find out who started the tale, correct?"

"Yes I have and I do know who it was and it has been dealt with."

"Well, time will tell us that. I have been watching the two of you since you announced your relationship and you have done a good job of keeping it a secret. I do notice, however, that it seems to be hard for you to not look at each other in the Great Hall and I believe that may be your undoing."

Harry and Severus looked worried as they watched Albus. They both assumed he would tell them they weren't allowed to see each other anymore and that would be impossible to agree to. They hadn't spent a single night apart since their mini break at Spinner's End and there was no way they could go back to the way it was before.

Albus slowly smiled at the couple, "I would like to make a suggestion. I propose that you not try to keep it a secret any longer."

"Uh, sir, I'm not sure I understand."

"Harry, I'm saying that since the year is about over, you really have no reason to hide any longer. All that's left at this point is your testing and Severus cannot influence that so there is no longer and 'teacher - student' relationship. You are now just two men who happen to be a couple."

"Albus, I appreciate your confidence in us and while you have a good point, I can't help but be hesitant since Harry is still technically underage."

Harry sat quietly watching the exchange as various thoughts flew through his head. 'Was he ready for everyone to know he was gay?' 'Was he ready for everyone to know that he and Severus were a couple?' 'Should he voice his opinion here?'

His thoughts were broken when he heard, "Albus, I believe Harry should have a say in this as it does affect him as well."

Both men turned to look at Harry and were as surprised as he was when he heard himself say, "Does this mean I can move into Severus' chamber now instead of sneaking back and forth?"

Both men laughed and Albus said, "Right to the point. And yes, you may move into Severus' chamber if that is what he wishes. I would caution you two to not flaunt the situation but you needn't hide it any longer."

The couple rose, having been dismissed, and left the office, hand in hand. Both were smiling like the Cheshire Cat and kept stealing glances at the other to make sure it was real.

"So, when would you like to move in?" Severus couldn't get over the fact that he could say that to Harry, out in the open and without fear.

"Is now too soon?" Harry smiled impossibly big and hugged Severus tightly.

"I'll be waiting love."

The men parted, each going to their room alone for the last time, and neither caring that a dozen or more students had seen them and heard what they said.

Harry walked into the common room as though he was walking on clouds. The room went silent when they took in his face and whispers started to sweep the room in speculation as to the cause of his remarkable mood.

Harry didn't stop to chat or acknowledge the whispers as he passed through to his room and quickly packed. He was throwing his stuff into his trunk when Hermione and Ron walked in and Ron asked, "Whatcha doing?"

"Moving."

"Where"

"Severus'"

"Really?"

"Yep."

Hermione huffed, annoyed with the exchange, "Will there be anything other than this one word exchange happening?"

Harry threw his last book into his trunk and looked at her, "Why?"

"Enough!" Hermione was frustrated now and Harry's flippant response was the icing on the cake. "Since when are you moving in with Severus? Who knows about this? Are you sure? Give me details!"

Harry sat on his trunk lid and chuckled, "Albus just told us if we wanted to we could and we do so we are. He figured since classes have ended and the test can't be influenced by Sev, that it would be okay. Yes, I'm totally sure and anyone who wants to know can know."

He waited to see if there were going to be any more questions and when none surfaced, he stood and shrunk his trunk and put it in his pocket. He would follow Albus' advice and not flaunt the situation.

The trio left the common room and walked to the dungeon hall, watching as students stopped in the hall, point and whispering. Harry didn't notice and the other two didn't care. Harry was ecstatic and that made them happy.

"Potter, what are you doing here? And why are Weasley and the mud blood slinking around behind you?"

"Draco," Harry said surprising the boy by calling him by his given name, "I'm going to my room. I know that you are aware of my relationship with Severus, so it shouldn't surprise you that I'm down here."

"Your room is upstairs remember?"

"Actually, as of about 30 minutes ago, my room is now down here. In fact, it's right behind the snake portrait behind you." Harry smiled at the snake and said, "May I enter" in parseltongue.

The snake curled around itself as it replied, "Yes young master you may." The portrait swung open and Severus was waiting on the other side. Seeing Draco, he stepped out in to the hall and asked, "Is there a problem here?"

"No there isn't," Harry replied as he slipped his arm around Severus waist. "Draco is the one who spread the rumour. He saw us coming down here and asked what I was doing here." Harry stopped, looked and Draco and said, "Draco, how did you know about us? We've been so careful."

"Not careful enough, I saw you two snogging in the hall during the party in Gryffindor tower a few months ago. I was going to say something then…but I figured…"

Severus interrupted, resting his arm across Harry's shoulders and pulling him closer, "You thought you'd wait until there was a time to use is a fodder for blackmail, correct?"

Blushing severely, the boy replied, "Well, yea."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but that won't be happening." Severus smiled at Ron and Hermione, "Thank you for walking with Harry, but he is fine here now so you may go back to whatever you were doing."

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and drew him back up the hall leaving the three staring at each other, each evaluating the other and the situation.

"Severus, you are my Godfather. I…well, I wouldn't have blackmailed you. But Potter? I mean, aren't there others you could be attracted to?"

"Draco, we've had this conversation already. My private life is just that, private. If you would like to talk with us, you may come in and we can have a civilized conversation. Otherwise, I will thank you to not talk about things you know nothing about and to keep your assumptions to yourself."

Severus and Harry entered the chamber as the guardian hissed her welcome, and Harry said, "Thank you very much." as they passed by.

Severus raised an eyebrow in question and Harry replied, "She said, 'Welcome home young master.' And I thanked her. We've chatted many times this year when I've been waiting for you or sneaking in and out. She's even been a lookout for me."

Draco had followed the pair into the chamber and upon hearing Harry's comment about the guardian, knew that he had been wrong about the pair. The guardian would never admit just anyone into the chamber, parseltongue or not. Hell, even he couldn't get in without Severus leaving permission and he was related.

He had to do something now that he really didn't want to, but he couldn't let the chance go by. He cleared his throat watching the couple sit on the couch, snuggling and said, "Uh, I'm sorry. I have misjudged the situation and acted like a child. I hope you know that from this point forward, I will honour your relationship and not say anything else." He turned and focused on a stunned Harry, "Harry, welcome to the family." He smiled, turned and quickly left the room. It hadn't been as hard as he thought it would be to say that, but he wasn't going to stay around now that it was said.

Harry looked at Severus not trying to hide his surprise. Severus was smiling wide and knew that Harry was dumbfounded by this side of his enemy.

"That's the Draco that I know and love. You'll have the opportunity to get to know him now as well. I know that once you two sit and talk, you will find you have more in common than you ever knew."

"Darling," Harry said as he pushed his lover onto his back on the couch, "I couldn't care less about Draco at this moment. Right now, there's only you and me and our home." He bent down and kissed Severus, slowly at first then with more vigor as the older man reached around and grabbed his arse pulling him close.

Harry moaned as his cheeks were grasped and squeezed and he broke the kiss long enough to say, "Too many clothes." He looked down at Severus as he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it onto the floor.

Severus drew in a breath at seeing Harry's chest. The sight never failed to make him forget to breathe. The only thing that garnered more of a response was the treasure that was currently being revealed as Harry stood and his pants hit the floor in a heap.

Severus groaned and reached his hand down to Harry's groin but Harry stopped him before he could succeed in his mission.

"No. Tonight you are mine." Harry growled the words as he ripped Severus' shirt open and latched onto his nipple, sucking and nipping at the pebble and using his hand to pinch and pull on the other.

He ran his tongue slowly up his gasping lover's chest to his neck and up to his earlobe, taking it in his mouth and sucking. Carding his hands in Severus' silky hair, he whispered heavily, "I will be inside you tonight."

Severus moaned and ran his hands down Harry's naked back and tried to push him back, but Harry was determined to do just what he had said. He pushed back and pinned Severus to the couch. He hovered over his mate looking into his eyes, his muscles taut and glistening with the sweat that had started to bead up on his well tanned torso.

Severus wasn't sure if he was ready for Harry to conquer him yet but he was liking this side of the boy. He didn't get to see the Dominant Harry very often and when he did, it was usually on the Quidditch pitch. Maybe he could learn to like this side of the boy.

Severus, panting heavily pushed Harry up and said, "Wait, let's move to the bedroom where it's more comfortable."

Harry pulled Severus up and his pants fell to his feet. He stepped out of them and began to lead Harry toward the bedroom when he was pushed form behind into the kitchen table. "I can't wait that long."

Harry kissed Severus squarely between the shoulder blades and as he slowly pushed Severus forward, bending him over the table, he ran his tongue down the man's back taking in the salty taste of the sheen of sweat that now covered it.

When his tongue reached the apex of Severus' firm backside, he nipped at each cheek before parting them and running his fingers the length of the split.

Severus firmly gripped the table sides and groaned loudly, not able to utter a coherent word.

Harry cast a lubrication spell, covering himself and the arse in front of him. He didn't want to be cruel but he was going to have his way no matter what. He had wanted this for so long and wasn't going to wait another minute.

He positioned himself at the opening and slowly pushed inside his lover, eliciting the sweetest gasp of pleasure from the man. When he was completely encased, he paused to allow for adjustments and then began to slowly rock in and out of the man, taking his time using long, slow strokes, punctuating each thrust with a grunt as he hit the man's prostate.

"Oh god Harry, faster. Please."

Harry willing obliged, increasing his speed and depth with each successive thrust, driven further by the loud moans and gasps as well as the sound of skin slapping against skin.

"Oh god…almost there…oh…"

Harry bent over slowing his pace and reached around his captive taking his much ignored shaft into his hands. He wasn't going to last much longer, but there was no way he would release unless they did together.

Severus couldn't believe how incredibly erotic it was being taken in this manner. He didn't think it could get any better until he felt Harry grip him and begin to pump his engorged member in time with his thrusting. He arched his back and with one final thrust, both men exploded in climax, screaming "AAAAHHHHHHH" as neither could make any other sound at that moment.

Light exploded in the room, bright as noon day sun and the men collapsed in a heap on the floor, trying to catch their breath as they continued to run their hands over the other.

As they came down from the orgasmic high they had been riding, Severus looked at his satisfied lover and said cheekily, "Happy now?"

"Oh quite," Harry responded with a huge grin, "but did you see that light?"

"Yes, I did."

Sitting up, Harry inquired further, "Well, what was it?"

Severus sat up and pointed to Harry's chest. He looked down and on his chest directly above his heart, was a tattoo, a green snake wrapped around a sword capped with a large ruby. Harry looked up surprised, and noticed the match to his on Severus' chest.

"What…how…"

"Dearest, we are now bound. These tattoos represent a bond created as we climaxed. Generally, it only happens when a committed couple decides to wed," he paused for a minute and looked at Harry with an expectant gleam in his eyes, "Harry, what were you thinking about tonight?"

"I was thinking of how amazing it was that we get to be together," he said as he led Severus toward the bedroom continuing in line of thought, "how I am the luckiest man in any world to have someone that I love so much return the feeling and that I hoped it would never change."

Severus walked into the bathroom, laughing and turned on the tub. Hot water poured into the large ceramic oval and steam filled the room. Harry followed picking up towels and adding a little cold water to temper the heat.

Severus climbed in the claw-footed tub and helped Harry in, guiding him to rest between his legs, head resting on his chest and with his messy, post-coital hair tickling his chin. He soaked a cloth in the water and added some eucalyptus body wash to it and began to bathe Harry.

Harry sighed contentedly at the attention and asked, "So, what were you thinking about?"

Chuckling, Severus said, "Thinking? Who could think with the stuff you were doing and saying? However, just prior to being…conquered, I was thinking that if anyone could make my life so complete, I find it ironic that it was you considering our history. That I couldn't wait for you to graduate so I could take you into my arms in public and snog your lips off your face. And that I've never been dominated before and it was an incredible turn on the way you took me."

He ran his hands over Harry's stomach and down to Harry's groin. Harry inhaled as Severus wrapped his shaft in the sudsy clothe and began to stroke him up and down over and over. He let his head fall back on his mates' chest and his mouth hung open and he moaned his pleasure as his breathing increased.

Severus increased the pace of his stroking as Harry's breath began to catch and the rosy glow of his impending orgasm crept up his body. When Severus knew Harry was about to peak, he ran his thumb up the vein on the underside of Harry's shaft and then across the slit on the head of his twitching member causing Harry to immediately scream, "OH GOOOOOOODDDDD" as he came, spraying the side of the tub with the force of his release.

Severus slowed his movements bringing Harry back down to reality and said, "Your welcome love."

Helping a spent Harry out of the tub, Severus was delighting in the thought that Harry was now his bonded partner. He grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry the boy's firm body, trying not to get heated up again, then wrapped it around his waist. He grabbed the other towel and dried and wrapped himself as he led Harry to the bed.

Harry climbed onto the bed and scooted up to the top, leaning on the pillows. He hadn't said a single word since his climax in the tub and Severus was getting worried.

"Honey, are you okay?" Severus crawled up next to him and noticed the blank look on the boy's face.

Harry blinked a couple of times and finally focused on Severus' worried face. He smiled, reached his hand up and caressed Severus' cheek as he sighed contentedly.

"Harry?"

"I'm sorry love; I'm just trying to find the words to express what I feel right now, here with you. There are not words in any language I know of to convey the depth of my feelings right now. I am so unbelievably happy." He snuggled into the embrace of his lover who was currently feeling like a big puddle of emotional goo.

Severus reached down and tipped Harry's chin up, placing a gentle kiss on his smiling lips. The kiss may have started chastely but it developed into a long slow deep kiss which led to the men making love, filling the moment with all of the emotions they couldn't voice and falling asleep tangled in each other's arms.

The morning found the men being awoken by a very persistent hissing from the living room. Harry got up and walked into the room as asked the guardian what was wrong.

Severus got up and followed bringing the boy his robe and heard the hissed conversation, "Harry, what's going on?"

"We have a visitor and she's doesn't want to let him in. I'm telling her it's okay to."

"Who's the visitor?"

"Me," came the reply as Draco walked through the open door.

"Draco," Severus said, tying his robe closed and making sure Harry was covered, "What are you doing here this early?"

"Well Godfather, it's not that early, it's 10am after all and I'm here because I wanted to let you know that the rumour has been stopped and no one is talking about it anymore."

Harry was worried about the sneer on the blondes' face. "What aren't you telling us Draco?"

"I didn't have to stop the rumour because it was confirmed by the two of you in the hallway yesterday. But I did make one correction; I told everyone that you two weren't the ones the rumour was about."

"Then who did you implicate?" Severus was suddenly very disappointed in his Godson. He didn't think Draco would ever intentionally lie about a teacher and student. The only person he disliked that much was Harry and that seemed to be resolved.

"It seems that Professor Sprout and Neville Longbottom have been seeing each other for the last year."

The men all looked shocked but it sort of made sense to Harry. Neville was always going to the greenhouses to help her with some project or harvest.

Draco flopped down on the couch and made himself comfortable. Harry and Severus followed, Harry sitting on Severus' lap in the chair, and wrapping his arms around the man's neck.

Draco didn't like seeing this and his face made that quite obvious.

"Draco, if this makes you so uncomfortable, you can leave ya know," Harry said with a smile on his face. He could feel how content Severus was with his choice of seat and shifted a little to tease him.

Severus coughed as Harry shifted to hide the moan that wanted to escape his lips. Having Harry sitting there and not be able to do anything about his instant arousal was killing him.

"I came here for another reason. I wanted to talk to you about this situation."

Draco now had Harry's full attention as he slipped of Severus' lap and into his own chair, "Situation?"

"Okay, this is how I see it. Potter, you appear to make my Godfather happier than I've ever seen him. I don't like it, but there's nothing I can do about it." He turned slightly to look directly at Severus, "I promise I will not make trouble for you two and I will try to get used to the idea but I would appreciate it if you would not get all lovey in front of me, it's kinda nauseating."

Severus laughed and got up, dislodging Harry from his perch, to embrace the blonde. "Draco, I'm glad you understand how I feel about Harry," he began as he led the boy back to the door, "I was just as surprised when I realized it. I will do my best not to attack him when you are around. But, I think you should take time to get to know him. You'll find you have more in common than just me and you'll probably like him."

"Well, I don't know about all that, but I will stop harassing him."

Severus hugged and thanked the boy and then shooed him out the door. When he turned around, Harry was standing in the kitchen putting the kettle on the stove…naked.

Severus smiled.

Monday morning dawned with no beautiful sunshine or birds singing. Instead it was with grumpy, sleep deprived students lining the tables of the Great Hall, listening to the driving rain outside and the testing schedule inside.

Dumbledore stood at the podium in front of the head table listing the NEWTs testing schedule by class.

Harry's schedule was set so his exams were spread out 2 per day and his astronomy written on the last morning and the practical that night. His first exam was Potions and when that was out of the way, he had three hours to kill before his Transfiguration exam.

He was thrilled to be getting to two hardest out of the way first, but these were also crucial to pass if he was to continue on to work for the Ministry. He hadn't quite decided which department he wanted to be in, Law enforcement as an Auror or in the Department of Mysteries. Oh course, since falling hard for Severus, he was also considering teaching.

He sat tapping his quill point on the table thinking about spending his life in the castle he called home, and with this wonderful man he truly loved, and the thought seemed to give him wings. He only half realized he had risen, with the rest of the students, and was walking out the door. His mind was entirely filled with the possibilities of being a teacher here and never having to leave Severus' side.

There were so few students ready for NEWT level exams this year that they didn't need to use the Great Hall for a change and were able to complete most of the exams in the classrooms themselves, so Harry proceeded down to the dungeon with his classmates and looked expectantly for Severus when he entered the room.

Severus of course was not in the room, one of the Ministry examiners was. He seated each student at their own station and explained what the exam would entail before starting it. They had three hours to complete the exam and a spell had been cast on the chamber so no cheating would occur.

The students looked at the examiner waiting to begin.

"You may begin."