Title: Understanding

Author: Turtle Wolf 94

BETA: Abandon-Morality

Pairing: Severus/Harry

Summary: Hermione and Ron are having a little trouble understanding Harry's way of thinking. Join them as they figure it out.

Rating: T-To be safe!

Warnings: Contains Homosexual pairings and kissing. If you DON'T LIKE then DON'T READ!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters thereof; only the specific plot that I write.

Necessary back knowledge: Voldemort died in Harry's first year. Severus, Narcissa, and Lucius are all spies.

-START-

"So," Harry asked hesitantly, "Are you guys mad?"

Harry's two best friends had different looks on their faces; Ron, his mouth hanging wide, was gazing off into the distance, face as red as his hair, and Hermione looked slightly confused, though she didn't appear to be repulsed by the idea. If Harry knew anything at all about his friends, he could already guess how they would react; Hermione might have been raised in the muggle world, but she was more accepting than most, and Ron. . . Harry looked at his flabbergasted friend, thinking about how different the wizarding and muggle worlds were. Since the muggle notion of same sex partnerships being something less than desired was derived from a belief in god, and since the wizarding world didn't have any type of strict religious background, their views on the subject were somewhat different.

"It's just odd, Mate," Ron eventually stated, "I mean, I'm all right if you're into blokes, but with him. . ." Ron pulled a face before sighing, "But if he makes you happy, I'll do my best to understand."

Hermione nodded pensively, "But why didn't you tell us sooner, Harry? We're your best friends! We love you! If he makes you happy, then of course we'd support you in this!"

Harry grinned, happy that his friends were taking this so well; he had known that Hermione would be accepting, but he thought that Ron would take longer to convince. "I don't know," Harry shrugged, "I just didn't know how. I mean. . ." Harry looked around the table, picking at a bit of the lunch on his plate, being sure to keep his voice down in the great hall, "I know that you guys were on tough terms with the Slytherines."

Ron nodded, thinking of the past two months, and the strangeness of it. "I understand now, though." He said, "I mean, I know that you wouldn't be friends with them if they were total prats. I trust your judgment; if you think that they're alright, I'll try to see them in a better light."

Harry smiled at his friend, glad that his brother in all but blood was beside him in this.

Harry looked up as Luna, Neville, and Katie Bell walked up, the girls giving him hugs and Neville patting him firmly on the back.

"I'm glad that he's made you happy, Harry," Luna said in her normal dreamy voice, "We just want you to know that we understand that you two are together."

Harry grinned at the girl that had strangely become his friend, marveling at how close they had become since meeting in first year. "Thanks, Luna," he responded, thinking of how odd it was that she always knew things before he told her.

Neville nodded, smiling, "And we want you to know that we don't judge you, Harry. He may scare the bejeezus out of me, but we trust you."

Harry nodded, glad that he and Neville had become friends after the incident in first year.

Looking at Harry with a teasing smirk, Katie decided to put her two cents into the conversation, "Yeah," she said lightly, "Even if you do go snake in the bedroom, we'll still be fighting for the gold on the field. And you know that you're red-headed brothers have always got your back." Katie nodded to George and Fred, who sat a little ways down the table with their friend, Lee Jordon, who nodded and shot Harry leering grins, silently promising the boy much teasing.

Harry laughed, glad that he had everything that he had ever wanted; He had brother, mothers, fathers, and sisters; found in both Slytherin and in Gryffindor, and he hadn't had to return to the Dursley's in years. Life was truly perfect.

Looking around for his professor, Harry frowned as he couldn't spot him, then, jumping at the velvet voice that he loved so much.

"Worried, Mr. Potter?" slid from between the lips that he loved to kiss and Harry grinned, turning to allow himself to fall into the arms of his one true love; Severus Snape.

He heard a mixture of disgusted exclamations and cat-call, but he didn't care, he just melted into his lover's embrace, kissing the older man softly on the lips before explaining his actions to his slightly peeved other. "I told them. About us, I mean." He admitted awkwardly, his face heating.

Severus quirked an eye brow, a slight smile lighting on his lined features, "Well, then," he said slowly, "How 'bout we quit the formalities and head straight to the bedroom?"

Harry grinned at the dry response, knowing that his lover said it purely to shock those nosy enough to be listening in. "You're incorrigible," Harry whispered into his lover's mouth,

"I try to be," he heard, a hand dragging itself along his back, causing several people to make fake gagging noises.

Looking up, he saw a few of his housemates glaring at him, but he couldn't care less; he had the people that he needed, and they all accepted who he was.

Pulling back to look Severus in the eyes, he asked, "So what took you? You're never late for anything."

Shrugging, Severus hooked his arms around him young love, "Madam Pomfrey needed some potions brewed that took a little longer than I had thought."

Harry nodded, looking up at the staff table, where Minerva McGonagall sat next to Dumbledore, both of which had stars in their eyes as they watched them, beaming smiles on their faces.

"Come, love," Severus said, "If we don't stop this display soon, the old folks are going to start planning our wedding."

"Oh, all right," Harry mock sighed, turning to his friends before saying in an overly loud voice, "I'm off to be whisked away by the great bat to the dungeons, where he will have his wicked way with me."

Severus groaned behind his, whispering something about proper punishment for sassing a teacher. And as Harry grinned at his cackling friends, allowing Severus to lead him from the hall, Harry couldn't help but think that he wouldn't miss it for the world.

Life was good.

-END-

This is my first story, so what did you think? I think that I did pretty well for a first timer! Please R & R!