"Back off, Lucius. I will have no problem dealing with you." Harry had his wand jabbed into the blonde's back.
"Mr. Potter, I have no idea what you mean."
"Your hand on his arm and guiding him around better not happen again." Harry thrust his wand into Lucius' back again. "You didn't want him, remember. I believe you and Draco rejected him. He's mine now."
"He's not a possession." Lucius was going to continue, but Voldemort with his new wife, Minerva was heading toward them.
"He's mine, Lucius, don't touch." Harry put his wand away. "So, how's married life treating you, Dad?"
"Very well, but it would be better if you didn't threaten one of my top advisors, even if he is being an idiot." Voldemort gave Lucius a warning look.
"Harry, I'm sure Lucius and Draco now realize what they turned down." Minerva had been surprised when both Malfoy men had rejected Severus submission to the Ministry to be courted but wasn't surprised that Harry took on the challenge of Severus Snape.
"Their loss is my gain. Now, I'm going to go and get my husband, and we're going to enjoy our first Christmas under the Mistletoe in our quarters."
"He knew he could look like that." Draco muttered by his father's right shoulder as they watched Harry join Severus.
Severus had short hair, it was full, black, and styled so that it framed his face. His skin had a healthy glow, and his black robes were cut to show off the man's broad shoulders and lean hips.
Why they got married:
"The Order has to be on some type of drugs." Harry slammed down the morning paper. "Forcing marriages isn't a good idea in any sane person mind."
Voldemort and Minerva inhaled deeply and sighed, almost together. "Sadly, it's the only way Dumbledore would agree to leave peacefully." Minerva took a sip of tea. "I tried to get him to understand what might happen, but he kept insisting it would unite the factions."
"Having everyone in his Order married to one of your followers doesn't make sense, and by the end of the year. Honestly, it's barbaric. What made him come up with that idea?"
"I'm afraid it was us getting married. He figured since I married your father, and am now being taken care of, all of his Order members should follow suit." Minerva gave Voldemort a look when she said being taken care of, as part of their marriage agreement was that she would not give up teaching. "He honestly believes it will unite everyone and protect anyone in the Order from future harm for being on the losing side in the war."
"So how is this going to work? Does Severus have to do it too?" Harry had been spending a lot of time with Severus. He ignored the Order members as much as possible. He found them very annoying.
"Since he was my spy and considered part of the Order, his options are a bit different. He can submit his request to be courted to the Ministry and it will open to anyone who is one of my followers to accept. Everyone else has to submit their requests to the Ministry and the Ministry will approve or reject the match if they are rejected the Ministry will match them up with someone. I wish the old fool saw how much of a problem it will create."
"Oh, yeah, that will make everything so much better. Honestly, can you see Granger with any of your followers?"
"We tried to get him to at least let the Order members pick or find someone in the magical world, but he refused to back down. He wouldn't leave peacefully until I agreed with the whole marriage aspect of the peace treaty. He wanted absolute contracts, originally, but we got him to back down on that term." Voldemort and everyone had tried to get Dumbledore to leave without causing more deaths. They finally reached an agreement to the marriage contract after a small skirmish in Diagon Alley where the Order had hurt some children. Dumbledore claimed it was an accident but no one really believed that.
"Dad, this isn't going to go well."
Harry was walking down to dungeons he wanted to see Severus again. He turned the corner and saw blond hair. "Severus, how are you?" Harry recognized that voice of Lucius Malfoy. He really hated the way the man teased his Severus. Ever since Narcissa was killed by Sirius Black, the Malfoy men seemed to believe that Severus was their toy. He wondered what Lucius was doing here. Hogwarts was closed to all but a few.
"I'm fine, Lucius. Have you come to tell me your decision?"
Harry knew that Severus had already submitted his requests to the Ministry with whom he desired to be married to. Harry's name wasn't on the list, just the two Malfoys. He had come here today to talk and submit his request to Severus personally. Today was Halloween, and he wanted to change the meaning of the day for him.
"Yes, and while you are fun to play with, you are a half-blood, and we can't soil our families bloodlines."
"I see."
Harry could hear the coldness in those words. He wanted to kill Malfoy. "It's nothing personal. We can still have our fun. Draco sends his regards. He will send you the invitation to his wedding to Miss Weasley."
"Your own wedding?"
"I'm already married. I was bonded this morning, to Ronald Weasley. He is currently at home getting acquainted with his new wifely duties."
Harry knew what that meant. Lucius was going to make sure that both Weasleys behaved as true pureblood wives. He also knew that the Malfoys did it out of spite.
"I see."
"Don't worry Severus. I'm sure we can enjoy each other, once you are married."
"Lucius, I didn't get involved with you while you were married to Narcissa. I won't now that you are married again." Harry knew Severus wasn't an easy person to get along with, he also knew that Severus set some very strict lines of behavior that he didn't cross.
"I'm sure you'll change your mind once you're married to some horrid half-blood or muggle-born. No pureblood would want you."
Harry wanted to kill Lucius Malfoy. How dare he say that to his Severus? Severus was a great person. Severus helped him when he first started at Hogwarts and everyone expected him to follower Dumbledore. Severus was the one who kept him from killing Gryffindor Trio of Idiots, Ginny Weasley, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Severus was the one who spent hours with him in preparing for his OWLs and NEWTs.
"Good day, Lucius." Severus' cold voice brought Harry out of memories.
"Good day, Severus. Remember you do know how to find me."
Harry walked away and hid in an alcove as he listened to the tapping of Lucius' cane as he walked. What a pompous jerk. If his father didn't rely on the idiot so much, he would find a way for Lucius to disappear forever, or have Nagini bite him.
Harry exited the alcove and headed back to the dungeons. He found Severus in the hall repairing some walls. "Bad potion accident?"
Severus turned his head. "Harry, I wasn't expecting you. No, I do this every holiday. It's to reinforce the walls to keep the potions from taking them down."
"I wanted to speak to you before the day ended. I know it's the deadline." November first had been the end date for submitting marriage contracts.
"I know you heard. I felt your magic get angry with Lucius. Harry, I will let the Ministry select my future spouse. I'm not going to marry you because of what Lucius said." Severus wanted to run and hide. He knew Harry wouldn't say anything to anyone about what happened.
Harry pulled out the marriage contract, handed it to Severus. It was a very simple agreement, just two pieces of parchment. "I don't want to marry you because of what Lucius said. I want to marry you because you are you. I had that drawn up. As you can see by the date on it that it was before Dumbledore forced the marriage issue. I have wanted to ask you out for a long time. Why do you think I keep coming to Hogwarts?"
Severus looked up from the marriage contract that he had been reading. "You want to get married on Christmas Eve?" He was honestly surprised, someone wanted him, really wanted him. Not for his potion skills like Voldemort or Dumbledore did.
"Yes, I thought of you as my own Christmas present. You are a genuine gift to me. I want you to know that." Harry leaned forward and gently kissed Severus on the lips. "I'm glad they don't want you, I would have had to kill them if they did. A long slow death."
Severus' face showed his shock. "Harry, your father-"
"He knows and approves. He and Minerva have been urging me to let you know. I tried a few times."
"I had wondered what you wanted to speak to me about the last few times we meet. You seemed so distracted, I had thought you had a girlfriend or boyfriend and didn't know how to let me know that you wouldn't be spending time with me."
"Severus, I wanted you to be my boyfriend, now husband." Harry reached into his robe pockets, pulling out a small box. "See, I have been carrying this around since Dumbledore made the deal."
Severus took the box and opened it. Inside was the Peverell Consort ring. It was white gold with emeralds and rubies alternating around the band. "Are you sure? I'm only a half-blood." He knew Harry didn't care, but politics and with the way Dumbledore forced the marriages of his Order members, he really wasn't the wisest choice for the Ruler of British Wizard World's son.
"So? Do you think that matters to me? It may matter to that ponce Malfoy, but not me. So is that a yes?" Harry knew he sounded desperate, and that it wasn't the best proposal but he finally did ask Severus.
"Yes, but I want to change one thing in the contract." Severus was rereading the contract, again.
"What?" Harry's heart dropped a bit. He wasn't sure what Severus wanted to change. Harry wanted a real marriage and had hoped that Severus would too.
"I want kids." Severus looked at Harry, with hope in his eyes.
"Good, so do I. I didn't put it in there because I wanted to discuss it before making that decision." Harry kissed Severus again. "I love kissing you." Severus blushed. No one had ever said that to him. "I love how you move. Your body is so elegant."
Severus melted. He had wanted to submit his courtship arrangement with Harry, but he thought that Harry would have rejected him. He put in Lucius and Draco because they were always hitting on him, teasing him with how they would use his body, but they never said anything about appreciating Severus or his body. They had never even kissed him. Lucius wanted him as a conquest. Draco wanted him as a way to bolster his name in the potion world. Harry was almost famous as the Boy-Who-Lived and as a Defense Champion, of course, having Voldemort has his father also aided in that area.
