Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; that privilege belongs to JK Rowling

Warning: This story mentions abuse and has male on male sex themes so if you don't like it then I suggest you stop reading.

Pairings: HP/SS, RW/HG, NL/LL, DM/PP, GW/DT

Summary: Harry is being abused by his relatives; the Weasleys are mad at Harry for hurting Ginny; Severus Snape gets de-aged and has a surprising sorting. There are no horcruxes in this story. AU, OOC.

A/N: I'd like to thank you for your reviews. I have known some of you were worried that Remus was going to tell Harry about Lionel. I can assure that Remus won't be directly involved in telling Harry at all. I originally had a different plot for Harry to find out the truth, but I decided to change it to something else, which I think would work better with how this story is going to go.

Beta: I would like to say that I have finally got a beta-reader who has been absolutely amazing and has helped me so much, so thanks a heap for your wonderful work.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

"Crucio!" Voldemort pointed his wand at his Death Eater.

Voldemort was especially furious with this Death Eater. He'd been one of his most loyal followers, but Voldemort had lost faith in him. Severus Snape, also someone he'd trusted unconditionally, was still missing; no one had been able to locate him. He held the curse a little longer; he was waiting for the blond aristocrat to make a sound. When the man finally let out a scream, it was music to his ears.

"Now Lucius, kindly tell me, why has young Draco failed to do his assigned task?" Voldemort hissed dangerously.

Lying on the ground, still panting from the aftereffects of the curse, Lucius struggled to move. He knew if he didn't respond quickly enough, he would get another round of the cruciatus curse from the Dark Lord. As if he could read Malfoy's mind, the Dark Lord lost patience and cursed Lucius again, taking pleasure in his agony before releasing him.

Lucius slowly sat up, ignoring his body's protests at any sort of movement. Slowly rising to his feet, Lucius stood slightly hunched over and tried to slow his panting back down to normal breathing. He looked at his Lord. "My Lord, I do not know why Draco has failed his task."

"Not good enough, Lucius," Voldemort hissed angrily, placing Malfoy under the cruciatus curse for the third time. He held the curse until Lucius fell to the ground unconscious.

Turning away from the fallen man, Voldemort looked among his loyal followers at one man in particular, one whose son has been doing what the Malfoy Heir should have been.

"Smith," Voldemort said, stopping in front of his Death Eater.

"Yes, My Lord?" Smith answered, with an air of confidence.

"You and your son have both been extremely faithful, and for that you shall be rewarded."

"Wormtail!" Voldemort snapped at the cowering man not far behind him.

"Y-y-yes M-m-my Lord?" Wormtail stammered. He was half hiding behind his hands and walking towards his master, while occasionally glancing at Nagini and making sure the serpent wasn't going to attack him from behind . . . not that he could do much if she did.

Without saying a word, Voldemort grabbed Wormtail's arm, pulled the sleeve up, and placed the tip of his wand on the Dark Mark to call one of his junior members.

It wasn't long until Zacharias Smith showed up. He was one of Voldemort latest recruits and a son of inner circle member Edmund Smith. Zacharias, or Zach as he preferred to be called, had joined the Dark Lord's ranks during the recent summer holidays. Other new recruits were Crabbe Jr., Goyle Jr., Rookwood, Thicknesse, (who he planned to make Minister of Magic once he could get rid of the current fool) and Foster. One who didn't join last summer was the son of the man who was still unconscious on the floor.

Draco Malfoy insisted that he did want to join, but he wanted to wait until after he'd finished Hogwarts. Voldemort couldn't help but think that this was a ploy the Malfoy heir was using to avoid joining his forces. To test that theory, Voldemort gave him an assignment, a test to see where Malfoy's true loyalties lay. So far, the Malfoy heir has failed his task. Zacharias Smith, on the other hand, was doing exactly what young Malfoy should have been, and to show his appreciation, the Dark Lord planned to reward him.

"You summoned me, My Lord?" Zach asked, showing his respect to his master by bowing.

"Yes, Mr. Smith," Voldemort hissed, gliding over to where his young Death Eater stood. "You have proven that you are faithful to me; you and your father (pointing toward Edmund Smith) are going to be rewarded for your loyalty. Come."

Voldemort showed his two loyal Death Eaters to a private chamber down the hall from the main meeting room and about half the size of the former ballroom. Opening the door, he stepped aside as the two men entered the room. It had two large windows that were charmed so you could see out but no one could see in. It also contained a bed large enough to fit six people comfortably with room to spare. There was a lounge and two arm chairs near the fireplace, and a fully stocked bar that could only be opened with magic. In the middle of the room huddled six frightened Muggle women, unsure of their fate. When they saw the three men enter the room, their fear escalated to new heights.

The Smith men looked at the room in awe. "My Lord!" Edmund exclaimed, the sound of glee and euphoria evident in his voice.

"Enjoy your reward. Once finished, dispose of them as you see fit."

"Thank you, My Lord," Edmund said as he made a move towards his reward like a predator going after its pry.

"My Lord?" Zach queried.

Voldemort paused in the act of closing the door on his way out to respond, "Yes, Smith?"

"I would like to request an audience with you to report some intriguing information that I have on Potter." Smith put forward his request to his master, placing as much venom as his could on Potter's name.

Voldemort thought about it for a second. Since the disappearance of Severus Snape, young Mr. Smith was his most reliable source of information about the boy. Out of the hand full of Death Eaters he had in Hogwarts, Smith was the only one relaying information about Potter. Despite the fact that he'd assigned the task to Draco Malfoy, he'd yet to receive anything from him. He'd come to rely on the information that Smith passed on.

"Very well. Come and see me once you have enjoyed your reward," Voldemort said, intrigued at the thought of what the young man might have to tell him.

"Thank you, My Lord." Zach bowed and headed into the room for his reward. If Zach had to guess, he'd say the women inside ranged in age from about ten to mid-twenties, which suited him just fine. He was planning to thoroughly enjoy himself tonight . . .

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Remus had just finished marking the final essay of his sixth year Defense students. He decided that he needed to stretch his legs after spending the better part of the last three hours marking essays from various years. He headed out of his office and started to wander the corridors of Hogwarts, passing only a few students who were either heading back to their dorms or to the library in search of texts that could help them with whatever essay they were writing for their respective classes.

Remus had been very busy over the last few days. He'd briefly spoken to the headmaster about adding another room to his quarters in preparation for Tonks' arrival. They both could design and prepare it as a nursery for their child. Though he was concerned about the pending birth of his child and the arrival of his beloved wife, he was more worried about his godson and his apparent relationship with 'Lionel Prince'. He had thought about telling Harry that his boyfriend wasn't who he said he was, but rather his most hated Potions Professor. What stopped him was watching how they interacted with each other. He could see that the boys were extremely close and had developed a strong friendship, so to speak.

Remus and Harry's first dueling session on Tuesday had left them both rather bruised and battered. It gave Remus his first true insight into how powerful Harry actually was. He was naturally skilled in dueling and he'd developed quite an arsenal of spells over the years. Remus had never once doubted his godson's ability, and Tuesday's session had shown him why Voldemort had marked Harry as his equal. It was obvious to Remus that Harry was a force to be reckoned with; it was more than sheer dumb-luck that had allowed Harry to survive his past encounters with Voldemort and his Death Eaters, it was also his skill. Voldemort was arrogant when it came to Harry. He only saw him as a harmlessly annoying puffskein that needed to be dealt with, not as the powerful wizard he actually was.

After the lesson was over, they'd healed their injuries and sat down to a relaxing cup of tea. Remus wanted to ask Harry about a few things including his spell knowledge, his school work, and, of course, his boyfriend. Harry's eyes positively glittered as he talked about Lionel; he was radiant and so much in love. Harry's feelings came through brightly as he spoke of Lionel and the help he was giving him. Remus knew that the world was going to come crashing down on Harry when he learned Lionel's true identity and that gave him the urge to tell Harry himself so he could provide some comfort. But, as he watched Harry talk of Lionel and the happiness he felt, Remus just couldn't do it. He could not destroy what little happiness Harry now had. He'd had so little happiness in his life up 'til now that he deserved to bask for as long as he could. He deserved the happiness that love could bring into your life, and Remus could not rip that away from him.

As Remus walked along the outer corridor that ran parallel to the lake, he stopped and took in the scene. It was late afternoon, not long before the sun set; he could hear the nearby birds chirping, the Thestrals singing, the giant squid splashing in the lake, and various forest animals off in the distance. The chill in the air was an indication that winter was almost upon them, and judging by the feel of the wind, it wouldn't be long before it started to snow.

Movement in the distance caught Remus' eye. Over by the lake, two figures were making their way back towards the castle from the direction of Hagrid's hut. He watched as they slowly walked toward the castle and he was able to identify Harry's unruly mop of hair . . . the other was sure to be Severus.

He also caught sight of a third person who was watching them from behind a bush, but was unable to make out who it was; his view was blocked by the bush the person was hiding behind. His focus was brought back to Harry as he and Lionel glanced around to see if anyone was watching before they wrapped their arms around each other for a passion filled kiss.

"Ah, young love. It is such a wonderful thing, wouldn't you agree, Remus?" Dumbledore said, coming up from behind Remus as he watched as Harry and Lionel separated from their kiss and headed back inside.

"It is a wonderful thing, Albus," Remus said, masking his concerns. He decided immediately not to let on to Albus that he knew Lionel Prince was really Severus Snape.

"Yes, young Harry does deserve some much needed happiness in his life," Albus said, looking over his half moon glasses at Remus whose attention was still focused on the spot where Harry had just been kissing Lionel.

"Yes he does, Albus," Remus sighed, before turning towards his mentor.

"I'm afraid our young Harry has some tough times ahead of him."

"He does," Remus said, silently fuming that one of those 'tough times' included Harry's boyfriend's true identity.

Albus watched Remus as he tensed for a slight second when he mentioned 'tough times' for Harry. He knew that Remus' extra sensitive sense of smell would have picked up on the deception that was happening.

"Harry is a strong boy, Remus. He has his mother's nature about him."

"I know, Albus, but I still worry about him."

"As do I. Harry needs all the love and support that we can give him."

"Right, 'tough times', I know Albus," Remus said, mocking Albus' earlier words.

"I know you know the truth, Remus," Albus said, looking at the spot where Harry and Severus had just been before he turned his focus back to Remus. "I just ask that you do not tell Harry the truth. He is happy; in fact, they are both happy."

"I won't tell him, Albus, but what is going to happen to him when he finds out the truth?" Remus said, feeling cynical of Albus' intentions.

"Harry is an understanding and kind hearted young man. I have no doubt that everything will work out in the end," Albus said, his eyes twinkling madly as if he knew something that Remus didn't.

"That may be so, but Harry is going to hate the fact that he is being lied to and that he is once again being kept in the dark. What about the fact that Harry is actually in love with 'Lionel', not knowing that he's actually Severus?" Remus said, trying to contain some of the annoyance he felt.

"I believe that the feeling is more than mutual," Albus said knowingly, choosing to ignore Remus' tone of voice.

"Yeah, well that may be so, but what if they take or have taken this relationship further?" Remus said, his golden eyes narrowing at the headmaster.

"That, my dear Remus, is between Harry and Severus." He had to admit he'd never considered that Harry and Severus would do anything beyond kissing. He thought that perhaps he'd better have a word with his Potion Master before anything too serious or intimate happened between his two favorite boys.

Remus glared at the headmaster. He was more than a bit annoyed at the fact that Harry was going to end up being hurt somehow. Even though Harry's nature was a lot like his mother's, he wasn't sure how Harry was going to deal with the fact that his boyfriend was not the person he thought. Remus was about to say something else when some students started to make their way down the corridor on the way back to their dorms.

Dumbledore took this as an opportunity to leave and started to walk away. After taking a few steps, he stopped and looked back towards Harry's honorary godfather and said, "Don't tell him, Remus. He is happy at the moment. Just let things run their natural course." And with that last comment, Dumbledore quickly disappeared down the corridor before Remus had a chance to say anything else.

Remus still wasn't convinced that Harry should be kept in the dark about his boyfriend. It made him wonder if Dumbledore remembered what had happened the last time Harry was kept in the dark. Didn't he remember how Harry had practically destroyed his office after Sirius' death? How upset he was about the discovery of the prophecy and Dumbledore's decision to 'protect' him? Surely even Dumbledore, for all the wisdom and knowledge he had gained over the years, wouldn't knowingly put Harry through such pain again, would he?

Shaking his head and letting out a sigh, Remus started to head back to his quarters. On the way there, he could hear Dumbledore's words constantly ringing in his ears, 'Harry deserves some much needed happiness.' It was true that Harry was extremely happy at this point in time, like any normal teenager should be. But Harry was no normal teenager; he had one of the darkest wizards of all times trying to kill him at every turn, and the expectations of the entire wizarding world that he would deal with said wizard. No teenager should have that kind of burden placed on his shoulders.

Remus knew that Harry hadn't had many pleasant experiences in his life, but if Severus was making him happy, then perhaps he should leave them alone for the time being. But maybe, just maybe, Remus could give his former school rival a friendly little warning. Yes, that would do it. He'd give Severus a word of warning. Maybe that would prompt him to either back off or tell Harry the truth. With his mind made up, Remus went back to his quarters to make sure everything was in order for the arrival of his beloved wife, Tonks. She'd be at Hogwarts in the morning and he couldn't wait to see her.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Zacharias Smith was full of excitement. He had thoroughly enjoyed his reward from the Dark Lord at their last meeting, and he hoped that the latest bit of information he'd collected would prompt a similar treat. As he made his way to the owlery after spying on Potter, he'd caught the tail end of the conversation between the Headmaster and the DADA professor. Dumbledore had said, "Don't tell him . . . let things run their natural course." Zacharias could easily figure out the 'him' they were talking about had to be Harry Potter. Like the rest of the school, Zacharias knew that Harry Potter was the DADA professor's honorary godson and said person looked up to the DADA professor. His curiosity was peaked. He wanted to know what the headmaster meant. He decided that he had to find out what they were talking about so he could report it back to the Dark Lord.

When he got to the owlery, Zach called his faithful Eagle Owl down. "I have a letter for you to give to our Lord. Wait for a response." He attached the letter and gave the owl a treat before watching him fly off into the distance. Then he called down one of the school's barn owls, attaching another letter to its leg and giving it instructions on where to go. Before releasing the bird, he gave the owl a small treat and watched as it too flew off. "It's time for the wizarding world to know the truth about you, Potter." Zach's voice was full of venom as the owl flew out of sight. He then left the owlery and headed back to the Hufflepuff common room.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

"Come in, Severus," Dumbledore said, just before the young man knocked on the door.

Scowling at this, Severus opened the door with a loud bang and made his way to his customary chair, his robes billowing out behind him.

"Even as a seventeen year old, Severus, you are quiet an imposing figure," Albus said, looking over his half moon spectacles.

"Some of us have more important things to do than sit around for idle chit chat, Albus," Severus replied, his voice clearly showing the annoyance he felt for being called up to the headmaster's office.

"Humor an old man, Severus; I miss our friendly chats."

"No, you don't; you miss hearing about what the Dark Lord is planning, as you no longer have a spy amongst the Death Eaters," Severus bit back.

"That's not necessarily true Severus. I must admit that it is a lot harder to find a way to stop Tom from doing whatever he is planning, but with Harry's visions, we at least know that he knows about your spying on him, thus being able to keep you safe."

"I am safe because he cannot get into Hogwarts and he has yet to figure out the truth."

"Yes, that is true my dear boy."

"I am NOT your boy, Albus."

"No, you're not Severus, but you are like a son to me and I truly do care for you."

"..."

"Believe what you would like, Severus; it is truly how I feel," Albus said.

Severus paused to really contemplate what the headmaster had told him countless times before. For some reason, this time was different. Severus had always had to look out for himself; no one else had ever cared enough. Apparently that was no longer true.

Severus' father, Tobias, had been a Muggle who despised magic-thus despising both he and his mother. Some of his earliest memories centered on his father frequently coming home drunk and beating them both; but no matter how badly his mother was hurt, she would always attend to him once his father had passed out. At least, she had until his father had beaten her so badly one day that she never woke up. Severus remembered that day as if it was yesterday; he was five years old when his father came home drunk and savagely beat his mother until he killed her and then turned on him.

For the next few years, Severus suffered many beatings from his father. When he received his Hogwarts letter, he thought he'd be able to escape the beatings and was happy at the thought of making some friends. Unfortunately, for the next seven years of his life, he became the victim of many cruel pranks at the hands of the marauders while at school, and continued to suffer beatings over the summer holidays at the hands of his father. The only bright spot was Lily, his one true friend. Lily was the only person he ever cared about and who cared about him as well, until that fateful day in his fifth year. Even though their friendship suffered a major blow that day, they did make up, but their friendship never truly got back to where it had been.

Severus had become cynical over the years and always before had shrugged off Albus' assertions that he cared as meaning that he cared for the information Severus could bring him. His past experiences reinforced that impression. People never cared for him; they cared for what he could give them. But now that he had Harry in his life, he knew he was truly cared for. He was certain that Harry loved him as much as he loved Harry. He had someone that he worried about constantly, especially with the Dark Lord over the horizon all the time. He had someone who also worried about him, and for the first time in his life, he understood how Albus truly felt when he said that it always worried him when Severus was at a Death Eater's meeting.

Albus sat back in his chair and watched the young man before him. He truly considered him the son he'd never had and only wanted him to find happiness, and it appeared he had done so with Harry. He smiled at the thought. He'd watched as the two became friends over the last few months. Now that Severus had truly gotten to know Harry, he could look beyond the physical resemblance to James Potter and focus on the fact that he is much more like his mother and Severus' best friend, Lily.

He'd watched as their friendship grew into love. They had initially both stumbled along, but they had now developed a truly deep and caring relationship. He knows that Harry is going to be upset at the truth, but he also hopes that Harry can get past his anger and see what he truly has when the secret is revealed. Harry has learned to see the real person beneath Severus Snape's mask, and Albus is certain that Harry's great capacity to love and forgive those he loves will allow him to set aside his anger for the deception. He is Lily's son, after all.

"Care for some tea, Severus?" Albus asked.

"Thank you," Severus said.

Albus waved his wand and a pot of tea and two cups appeared along with some biscuits and cake. Both men poured themselves tea and had a plate of biscuits and cake each. Severus left anything that had lemon in it to the headmaster; he detested anything with lemons, including those infernal lemon drops that Albus tried to get him to have all the time. He sat back in his seat and sipped his cup of tea while waiting for Albus to talk.

"How is your research going, Severus?" Albus asked, thinking perhaps this would be a safe way to approach the subject he really wanted to discuss.

"Extremely well; I have discovered the combination to how I can regain my adult self. I have gone through many trials and errors, but I believe I have found an antidote for the De–aging potion. As we speak, I am currently testing it to make sure it is safe before I use it," Severus stated.

Albus noticed that Severus had indicated he intended to use the potion on himself, meaning that he was seriously considering going back to his old self. Dumbledore was displeased at the thought. "You intend to go back to your old self, Severus?"

"I am considering it, Headmaster," Severus replied, not sure why he said what he did. Perhaps he was scared of Harry's reaction when he found out the truth.

"What about Harry, Severus?" Albus said, approaching the subject that he really wanted to discuss with Severus.

"Harry," Severus said, quietly thinking about the boy he was deeply in love with.

"Yes, Severus, Harry. How is Harry going to feel if you turn back into your normal self?" Albus pressed.

"He'll probably be glad, considering who I am, especially since I've been lying to him right from the start."

"But you haven't given the boy a chance yet."

"I don't know if I can handle the pain if Harry rejects me, especially once he discovers who I really am," Severus replied melancholically.

"You love him, don't you, Severus?" Albus asked his eyes twinkling madly.

"Of course I love him; he means everything to me. I don't want to lose him because I am me and not Lionel Prince," Severus said without any hesitation.

"Your name is the only thing different, Severus. I'm sure Harry will see that once everything is explained to him," Albus said, trying to prevent Severus from making a major decision based on fear rather than fact.

"Perhaps; I just don't want to lose him, Albus," Severus said sadly.

Albus could see that Severus was losing control of his emotions, an extremely unusual occurrence for him; he always had such tight control. Getting up from his chair, he moved around to sit next to the man he considered a son.

"Harry loves you, Severus. Anyone can see that. I have no doubt that Harry will be shocked when he finds out the truth, but you must understand that he is much like his mother, hot headed at times but also very rational," Albus said gently, placing his arm around Severus' shoulders. He was a little surprised when he didn't tense up or shrug his arm away like usual.

"I hope you're right, Albus, but I doubt it," Severus replied solemnly. He doubted that Harry would be able to get past the fact the he is his most hated Potions Professor. Then again, Harry had said more than once that he now respects him, maybe, just maybe, he might be wrong and Albus could be right about Harry, only time will tell.

"I know I am, Severus. Harry is a remarkable young man who has lived and seen more in his short life than most grown men."

"That he has, Albus, and through it all he has maintained his innocence," Severus added.

"His innocence, Severus?" Albus asked, now broaching the original reason for calling Severus to his office.

"What are you implying, Albus?" Severus fumed at the unsaid accusation.

"I'm just asking about Harry's innocence, Severus, I meant nothing by it," Albus said, trying to defend his wording against Severus.

"Of course you did, Albus. You basically asked whether or not Harry and I have consummated our relationship," Severus said in anger, as he roughly pulled away from Albus' arm and stood up.

"Now that you've brought it up, Severus, have you?" Albus had manipulated Severus into saying what he didn't want to ask directly, but he instantly regretted his question.

"That, old man, is none of your business, but since you are so keen to know every aspect of my personal life, I will tell you this much...I will never EVER consider doing such a thing to Harry until he knows the truth about me," Severus said, his anger reaching the boiling point as he started to pace back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but we had to know," Albus said, feeling guilty for what was occurring.

"We, Albus?" Severus said, his eyes betraying the rage he was feeling. It didn't take him long to work out who the other half of the 'we' was. "Don't you mean Lupin was concerned because the wolf picked up my scent and had to scurry all the way to his master and report his findings? Of course, he would be worried that I was using Harry for my own personal gain. He couldn't be further from the truth. I love Harry with all my heart and I will be damned if I stand here and watch as people are more concerned about me loving Harry than keeping up with training him so he can survive the fight against the Dark Lord." Severus' anger got the better of him as he stormed out of the Headmaster's office and slammed the door.

Albus was dumbfounded at Severus's outburst. He knew the man could hate passionately, but he never realized that he could love just as passionately. The outburst about Harry proved it. He had no doubts now about the depth of Severus' love for Harry. Twice in a short period of time he'd admitted that he loves Harry and he wants to protect him so he could survive the fight against Tom Riddle.

Fawkes had watched the encounter between his master and the man his master thought of as a son. He picked up on the man's rage as well as the sorrow his master now felt. Giving a trill he flew over to his master's lap.

"I think I may have offended Severus beyond forgiveness," Albus said to his phoenix, upset that he had made Severus so livid. Judging by the way Severus stormed out and slammed the door, Albus thought that it might take a lot of work to get Severus to forgive him for his meddling in his private affairs.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

Severus was fuming; he'd never been this angry or hurt by the headmaster before. He couldn't believe that he'd wanted to know whether or not Harry and he had consummated their relationship. Basically, the headmaster was questioning his honor. The headmaster should have known him well enough to realize that he'd never take their relationship further unless Harry knew everything and accepted Severus for himself. Severus would not do anything to compromise what he had with Harry.

As he walked towards Gryffindor tower, he thought about taking a slight detour to a certain Wolf's office and hexing him into the middle of the next century, and he nearly did it. In fact, he got as far as the corridor that the Wolf's quarters were in, but thought better of it. If he did anything to Harry's beloved godfather, Harry would never forgive him, thus ruining any chance of a long term relationship, even when the truth comes out. Sighing, he turned around and headed back to Gryffindor tower, taking the longest route possible to give himself enough time for his anger to ebb away.

It was an hour pass curfew when Severus had finally made it to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"You're out of bed late young man," The Fat Lady said, reprimanding Severus for his tardiness.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Severus said, venomously.

"With an attitude like that young man, I might make you sleep out here all night," the Fat Lady retorted.

"You do that and I swear on Merlin's grave that I will curse you so that it sounds like someone is constantly banging on your door," Severus replied with malice.

"You wouldn't dare," The Fat Lady said, challenging her young Gryffindor.

"Wouldn't I?" Severus asked, instantly pulled his wand out with the curse on the tip of his tongue.

"No, don't!" The Fat Lady begged when she realized that Severus would do as he said.

"Then let me in you infernal woman!" Severus demanded.

"Not without the Password," She demanded back.

"Fine, Flibbertigibbet" Severus said as he stowed his wand, rather annoyed at the portrait. Without hesitation, the Fat Lady opened up, allowing Severus to enter the Gryffindor dormitory.

He quickly made his way to his room, eager to see Harry, only to discover that his boyfriend had already fallen asleep. He kissed him lightly on the lips and removed his glasses and the book he had been reading. He placed them on the bedside table and bent down again, kissing him on the forehead. "I love you, Harry," he whispered quietly into his ear then went to get ready for bed.

HPSSHPSSHPSS

The next morning, Harry and Severus were walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Severus was explaining to Harry that Professor Dumbledore had called him to his office the previous evening and he got held up longer than expected. By the time he got back, Harry was already asleep. Harry told Severus that he didn't have to explain himself; he trusted him fully.

"Hey, Lionel?" Harry asked, after a couple minutes of silence.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I was wondering, since it is Hogsmeade next weekend, and the first one since we got together...I was thinking that perhaps...couldwehaveourfirstdate?" Harry said nervously.

"Harry, I didn't understand what you just said, especially when all your words ran into each other," Severus replied.

Taking a deep breath, Harry repeated, "I said, 'could we have our first date?'" He held his breath and hoped Lionel would say yes.

Severus could see that Harry was nervous. He'd considered asking Harry to go out with him, but Harry asked first. Stopping in the middle of the corridor, Severus took hold of Harry's hand and pulled him close; wrapping one arm around his waist, he pulled his boyfriend into a passion filled kiss.

Harry was surprised at this action, simply because they'd made sure that no one was watching them the other night in the courtyard. But this time, Lionel pulled him into the kiss in the middle of the corridor, not caring if anyone was watching them. He couldn't help but melt into the kiss.

"I would love that very much, Harry," Severus said after they broke apart.

Smiling at his boyfriend, Harry gave him a hug before they headed off to the Great Hall, neither caring that they were still holding the other's hand. They walked into the hall and ignored the people who were staring because they were holding hands. They were oblivious to the smirk they were getting from a certain seventh year Hufflepuff.

Harry and Severus sat down for breakfast by Neville and Luna and ignored the dirty looks that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sending them. If someone had told Severus a year ago that a year from then he would be happily in love with Harry Potter and friends with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, he would have hexed them and suggested that they check themselves into St Mungo's for a mental examination. As they sat eating their breakfast, Severus could not shake the feeling that something dramatic was about to happen.

"What's wrong, Lionel?" Harry asked, seeing that his boyfriend was a bit fidgety and not eating much, which was unusual for him.

"I just have a feeling something is going to happen," Severus simply replied.

"Good or bad?" Harry asked; he wasn't sure if he was going to like the answer.

"Not sure, Harry," Severus said, but before he could say anything else, he heard the squawk from the owls announcing that the post was here.

Both Harry and Severus waited in anticipation to see if they got anything. Severus spotted his faithful owl coming towards him. He landed in front of him and Severus untied the mail and gave his owl a treat. The owl flew away as he grabbed his copy of the Daily Prophet and opened it-instantly paling at what he saw.

"Lionel," Harry said, noticing how quickly his boyfriend paled. "Lionel, what's wrong? What's happened? Have the Death Eaters attacked someone or has Voldemort done something? What is it?" he asked, feeling very worried when he didn't say anything. It was then that he noticed the Hall had gone deathly quiet and everyone was looking towards him. Some, with a look of disgust on their faces, others with pity, and some were just waiting to see what was going to happen.

"Harry, I think you better have a look at this," Neville said, handing him his copy of the Daily Prophet.

Harry took the paper and opened it up to see what made his boyfriend go pale. Harry instantly went white himself with the news that greeted him on the front page.

Boy – Who – Lived is GAY!

By Rita Skeeter

This reporter has recently received a report that our Hero, Harry Potter, is a homosexual. That's right my faithful readers, Harry Potter is gay, and this particular reporter is not happy that our Hero is gay.

A source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he has heard the rumors going around school that Harry Potter is gay. In fact, Harry's former girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, slapped the boy Hero a few weeks ago saying how disgusted and ashamed she was of him. Also, on the same day, Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter's former best friend, had it out with him in the middle of the Great Hall just before the incident with Ginny Weasley.

The source went on to say that it was then that the announcement was first heard that Harry was gay, but not many people believed it. They believed that Ginny and Harry had a falling out and that Harry would find a new girlfriend or some nice Witch he could settle down and have kids with.

The source then told this reporter that it wasn't until a couple of nights ago, when he saw Harry kiss another boy, that he started to believe the rumors that Harry was gay.

"It was not a friendly kiss between two people; it was a passionate kiss that only people who are in love share," said the Source.

As you can see from the photo below, our Hero, Harry Potter, is lipped locked with another male, identity unknown, in a disgusting display of affection.

All that this reporter has to say is, Harry Potter is a disgrace to the Wizarding world and should be locked away.

For more information about Homosexuality and why it is wrong turn to page 7.

Society's view of homosexuality turn to page 11.

Underneath the article was a picture of Harry and Lionel kissing. Harry knew it was taken the other night in the courtyard. He had no idea who had taken it and sent it to the Daily Prophet, but he did know that his personal life was once again splashed on the front page. He knew he was about to get inundated with mail, and he expected the majority of it to be hate mail.

Harry looked around the Great Hall and noticed how quiet everyone was for the first time. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and a few other Gryffindors had a look of glee at Harry's humiliation. A lot of people appeared to be in shock, it was as if their worse fear had come true. Others were completely disgusted at Harry; a few had a look of pity, while a handful had a look of lust. Harry looked up at his Professors and he could see a lot of them were worried and upset at what they had read. Remus and Tonks were both looking extremely worried about the article.

Harry then looked towards Neville and saw a look of pity. His boyfriend hadn't yet moved a muscle, but Harry could tell he was furious by the way his knuckles had turned white from gripping the paper so hard. Starting to feel trapped, Harry did the only thing he could do, run. He got up from the table and ran as fast as he could out through the front door and towards the lake.

Severus, seeing Harry get up and run, snapped out of his stupor and ran after his boyfriend.

"Harry!" he called out as he ran out the door. He didn't hear the sudden talk that erupted in the hall as they both ran out of it.

TBC...