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Written for;

The Would You Rather... Comp, Round 5.

Favourite Character Challenge - HarrySeverus

If It Ain't Broke

Harry let himself into Severus' quarters quietly, shaking off his invisibility cloak as soon as he closed the door behind him. Looking around the living room and seeing no sign of his partner, he let out a sigh of relief. Stuffing his cloak out of sight, he sat down in his favourite armchair to wait.

"You do realise that now you are no longer a student, you don't have to hide under that infernal cloak when you wander the corridors post curfew, don't you?"

Harry jumped, raising a hand to his chest in fright when Severus' voice came from behind him. Grinning sheepishly, he waited for his heart to slow.

"Are you attempting to give me a heart attack?" he asked.

"Are you attempting to avoid my question?" Severus returned evenly, sitting in the armchair beside Harry.

"It's just a habit, I guess," Harry said after a moments silence, rubbing his neck in discomfort.

"Or you don't want to be seen anywhere near my quarters," Severus surmised quietly. Harry winced inwardly at the hurt he detected in Severus' tone. He hated these kind of conversations. They never ended well.

The problem was that Severus was correct in his assumption that Harry didn't want to be seen any where near the Dungeons of Hogwarts. Rather, he was half-correct. Harry was sure that Severus thought the problem was Harry being ashamed of him or something as equally ridiculous, when in actual fact, that couldn't be further from the truth.

"Are you ashamed of me, Harry?" Severus asked quietly, breaking Harry from his thoughts.

"No," Harry replied immediately and with enough conviction that Severus had a hard time disbelieving him.

"Then why have we been together for over ten months and you have yet to inform even your closest friends of our relationship?"

Harry hesitated. He wasn't sure what would hurt Severus less, but as he looked up to meet Severus' eyes, he knew the older man deserved the truth.

"I told them four months ago," he admitted. When he saw Severus raise his eyebrow, he knew he'd have to elaborate. "It...didn't go well."

"Ah," Severus responded, his eyes clearing with understanding. Leaning over, he took Harry's hand in his own, tugging him from the armchair into Severus' lap. Wrapping his arms securely around Harry's waist, he said, "Did they tell you that you had to stop, ah, associating with me?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really. I guess they... voiced their opinions. Loudly. I haven't mentioned it since, and I'm relatively certain that they thing I... stopped seeing you."

"So you decided to leave it be."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly before he settled himself more comfortable against Severus' chest. It was his favourite place to be.

Severus shifted slightly, taking a small box from his pocket.

"So, you won't be wanting this then?" he asked, handing it to Harry. Harry took it with a shaky hand, opening it to find a beautiful ring nestled inside.

With tears in his eyes, Harry gasped. "Sev I... Yes. Of course I want it. I want you to be mine forever. Yes."

Severus smiled, a blinding smile that he reserved only for Harry, before he melded their lips together in a searing kiss that left them both breathless and gasping for air.

Catching his breath, Harry grinned cheekily. "Do I have to put it on myself?"

Severus took the box back from Harry, taking the ring out and sliding it onto Harry's finger. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too."

xxxx

"Will you be hiding it in public?" Severus asked later as they both lay snuggled together under the sheets, his fingers caressing the ring on Harry's hand.

Harry thought for a second before he shook his head. "If they are truly my friends, they'll be happy that I'm happy."

"And are you happy?"

Closing his eyes, Harry shuffled further into Severus embrace. "Never been happier."