(Thank you for all the encouragement and suggestions, you may find some of them here!)
Part four:
It was the morning of the day after the ball and some residence of Hogwarts were still finding it hard to adjust to the idea that Harry Potter had brought Severus Snape as his date to the ball, others however were not so surprised...
The two men entered the hall side by side, seemingly unaffected by the silence that instantly fell. With a smile for the older man, Harry walked away from his side and settled at the Gryffindor table beside Ron and Hermione.
The Bat of the dungeon's quietly made his way to the staff table. The other professors were wise enough not to try asking the dark man questions. Severus sat and began to eat breakfast in silence with Minerva smiling at him. It was quite clear from her smiles, that Snape wasn't going to have to ask her if she approved of Harry and his new relationship. After all the Headmistress looked like the preverbal cat who got the cream.
Slowly Ron turned to look at his best friend. "So you're gay then?"
Both Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes at the red head. "Of course, why else would I come to the ball with Snape?"
"But my sister...Cho?" Ron sputtered.
"Are the only two women I ever dated, that should have been a big enough clue for you Ron. Besides which, I have a funny feeling that no straight man describes his fist kiss as wet."
"Yes but still, Snape?" This best friend asked clearly shocked.
Slowly green eyes fell on the man next to him and darkened dangerously. "Ron, be very, very careful right now."
The redhead gulped and let the conversation slide onto another topic. Harry looked over his head at the bushy haired witch next to Ron and rolled his eyes. The young woman grinned at him, she shrugged and then gazed at something over Harry's shoulder.
The messy haired man turned to find Draco Malfoy standing behind him. "Yes, Malfoy, what is it?" Harry asked with a deep sigh.
"Are you and my godfather really together?"
The Gryffindor bowed his head slightly in a yes, and the blond smirked down at Harry. "If I had known you like Slytherin men, I would have tried for you myself."
The green eyed man smirked right back. "You are a fine looking man Malfoy, just not my idea of heaven."
With an overly dramatic gesture, Draco placed a hand to his heart. "I am wounded, shot to through heart!"
Harry shook his head and smiled up at him. The blond leant into the other wizard slightly and whispered to his ear. "Take good care of him."
With another smile the Gryffindor bowed his head again to the Slytherin. The ice prince straightened and walked away, quite happy that Harry would indeed take care of Severus.
Over the next few weeks, the newly outed couple were the centre of attention, both good and bad. The two men had dealt with all the attention with surprising grace and fortitude on Harry's side, and with a snarling snapping attitude on Severus'.
Slowly time passed and sure enough the next big event at Hogwarts was looming on the horizon, the Valentines ball. It seemed to Severus that every woman and all the gay men were determined that Harry Potter was going to be their date for this ball.
Despite the fact that the green eyed man said no to everyone who asked him to go with them, they just kept asking. Even when Harry stated firmly that he already had a date, it didn't stop, some people even asked who his date was, at this point Harry just looked at those people as is if they were blind or stupid.
To say, that all of these people trying to win him away from Severus, the man who was now promised to him, was annoying the Head of Slytherin, would be a slight understatement. The Potions master was hanging onto his temper by a very slowly fraying thread.
This thread finally snapped just two nights before the ball at dinner in the great hall, when Ginny Weasley had walked up to Harry in front of the entire student body and staff saying to the wizard very boldly.:"So Harry, when are you going to ask me to the ball?"
A hushed silence fell over the hall, as everyone waited for Harry's answer. This silence however was not broken by the young man's answer, but by Severus Snape slamming his chair back from the staff table. All eyes travelled from the two Gryffindors to the Head of Slytherin, who made quite a frightening and spectacular sight as he descended from the dais in a swirl of black.
No one dared to move, as he stalked towards Harry and Ginny, fury etched into every line of his being. In fact the golden boy was sure a few people had forgotten to breathe. The green eyed man felt his lover stand behind him, then two slender pale hands came to rest on his shoulders and Harry knew without even looking that Severus was now glaring from behind him, down at the young woman in front of them. "I've had enough! Harry Potter is not going to this ball with you Miss Weasley, in fact he will not be going with any of you, because Harry is going to the ball with me. So I suggest that no one else even contemplates asking him. Is that perfectly clear?" The older wizard told the young witch in low commanding tones that echoed round the hall.
"But why would Harry want to go with you?" The redhead asked uncertainly.
With a smirk Snape answered this question. "Harry is going with me because he is mine."
"Yours?" The young woman asked, a slight squeak to her voice.
"Yes, mine." The Potions master affirmed with a slight growl to his voice.
"Oh." Was all Ginny could say to this statement.
Slowly Harry turned in his lovers grasp and looked up at the other man. "Well that's one way to let them know I'm out of bounds I suppose."
Severus growled down at his lover, the grip on the younger wizard's shoulders tightening slightly. "I'm sorry but I just couldn't..." The Potions master shrugged helplessly.
"Its fine, I'd rather they knew." Harry said with a gentle smile for Snape.
"Good." His proclamation made the Potions master release his lover, before stalking back to the table and starting to eat his meal once again.
It was therefore to no one's surprise, when Harry came to the Valentines ball escorting Severus. The two men where in the same passion they had been at the Yule ball. There were still those who made attempts to separate them, but all who tried failed miserably. Harry looked at his partner and smiled. "You'd think they would give up trying to get us apart."
"Hopefully they will eventually get the hint that we are quite happy together."
"I hope so."
Draco and Blaise walked over to the pair arm in arm. The blond smiled at them before he spoke. "So are you two planning to dance tonight?"
Slowly the two wizards looked at each other, then to Draco and Blaise. "Don't tell me that people keep trying to separate us just because we haven't danced." Harry said with a sigh.
Draco grinned at the Gryffindor. "Alright, I won't tell you that's why."
Harry rolled his eyes and Severus lifted one brow at his godson. "Shall we take to the floor then, Severus?" Harry asked his partner softly.
"If it's going to stop those idiots from thinking that they have a chance with you, then yes."
The younger man smiled at Severus. "Maybe some of them want a chance at you."
Snape didn't get a chance to comment on what Harry had just said. A slow song had started to play and Harry was leading him out onto the floor. The two men held each other close as they circled the floor in time to the music.
The Potions master felt contentment wash over him as he danced with Harry, it soothed him to be able to claim the younger man in such a public way. The Gryffindor smiled up at Severus, who shocked half of the school by smiling back. As the song came to its end the two men retired from the dance floor.
Severus and Harry did not go back out onto the dance floor until the final dance of the evening. To the dark eyed man this dance felt so much better and more magical than the first of that night, after all the expectations of others had not forced them onto the floor.
Harry's hand was back on his waist and the young man's hand was firmly gripping his other hand, as they twisted, turned and twirled through the final waltz of the evening. Severus gently but firmly pulled Harry closer to him, the younger man allowed him to do so and smiled up at the Potions master.
Slowly the music came to a close, Harry stood in the centre of the floor, still holding Severus. Slowly the young man lowered the hand he had been holding for the waltz. Harry drew it to his lips and kissed this hand, whilst his other hand remained on Snape's waist.
Soon they were the only ones left on the floor, a smirk spread over Harry's face and suddenly Severus felt concerned. A Slytherin smirk on that young man's face somehow looked extremely dangerous. "Harry what are you doing?" The Head of Slytherin asked gently.
"Trust me." Was the only answer the older man received.
It wasn't too long before every one was looking at them, Snape hated being the centre of so much attention, he tugged on the one hand Harry held, but the young man didn't move at first. Then slowly he let go of the raven haired man's waist, drew something from his pocket and knelt down.
Severus' dark eyes went wide, as did those of most of the people present. Slowly the green eyed man looked up at Snape, he opened the hand he had put into his pocket and the onyx eyes of the other man widened even further. In Harry's palm lay a white gold ring topped with a deep green emerald to match his eyes. "Severus Snape, I made you a promise, one neither of us can break, so here I kneel before you to ask you: will you marry me?"
Gasps ran round the hall, but Harry and Severus had eyes only for each other. "Yes Harry, I'll marry you."
With a large smile plastered on his face the young man rose from where he had knelt, and lipped the band onto the finger of the man he loved. Possessively Harry took the other man's hand, he fisted it under Severus' left, and with a small smile the Potions master lay his arm along Harry's loosely closing his long fingers round that fist.
Hermione dashed over followed by headmistress McGonagall. "Oh congratulations!" The young bushy haired witch said beaming at them.
"Thank you Hermione." Harry said returning her smile with one of his own.
The headmistress smiled at the pair of them. "Congratulations to you both. I assume that you intend to wed once you have graduated Harry."
"Yes, I am hoping that my love will not think me to forward in asking if you will allow us to wed from here."
Snape's eyes widened, his lover of just three months seemed to know his heart well. The Potions master gazed down at Harry, the green eyes met the dark eyes of the Bat of the dungeons. "Yes, I agree, it would be appropriate for us to marry from here, this is after all home."
"Yes, home for both of us." Harry agreed softly.
Minerva smiled widely at the two men she loved as sons. "Good, I am glad to hear it. I take it that means you will be taking the defence against the Dark Arts position Harry?"
"Yes Minerva I will."
"Good." Satisfied the older witch walked away.
Harry turned to his lover and smiled gently. Draco and Blaise were the next to come over to the engaged pair. "Congratulations." Said Blaise with a small smile.
"Congratulations to both of you." Draco said with one of his rare smiles.
"Thank you." Harry said with a smile of his own. Severus on the other hand just lowered his head in acceptance of their good wishes.
With the ice now broken, many others came up to congratulate, others of course did not, but Harry and Severus didn't really care about their opinions. After all it wouldn't be too long, then Harry would have graduated and they would finally have each other.
Sure enough, one month after his graduation, Harry Potter stood in the great hall of Hogwarts, in robes of deep emerald green and silver. Standing opposite him in black and silver robes was Severus Snape.
The hall was full of friends, family and well wishers. The two men had exchanged rings, they had made their vows, and Harry was smiling up at his lover who was smiling back at him. "I now pronounce you husbands together, you may kiss." Severus leant down he firmly pressed his lips to those of his new husband. The dark man was filled with a happiness that he had never hoped to find and he had the rest of his life to thank the man in his arms.
The end.
(It's all done, yay much happiness)