A/N Last "Severus is sad about him mum" chapter. Didn't feel right not addressing it at all and then it decided to take up a good portion of the chapter. I'm sure they'll find something else to induce the angst.
I fixed Pandora's age. It's not exactly specified, but she's a bit young to have Luna the year after Lily has Harry.
In response to some common questions/comments
1) Yes, I know I messed with the headmaster /transfiguration position. Dumbledore was somewhere else and unable to take over for Dippet.
2) It's not exactly a time turner, but Harry will figure that out, hopefully soon.
The funeral was a small affair, a handful of the congregation standing dry eyed around the pine box as it was fed to the earth. The low scratchy rattle of an old preacher was the only sound, Severus remaining stoic at Harry's side. Tobias Snape was drunk of his arse, stumbling over to them as the others drifted away.
"Sssevr's," the man slurred, reaching out to pull him into a sloppy hug. The Slytherin froze, ice flooding his veins as he was engulfed with the pungent odor of liquor and stale smoke.
"Father," Severus answered listlessly. Koani hissed, dangerous and low, uncoiling from his place beneath Severus's robes. The drunk staggered back, tripping over the scraggly grass. "Leave us," he ordered blankly, drawing strength from the stream of magic Harry poured into his core.
"The muggle finally kill Mummy?" a wild voice taunted, cackle slipping from blood red lips as Bellatrix Black skipped from the woods.
"Hush now, Bella," A lighter, smoother voice admonished. Narcissa Black stepped out beside her, wrapping a restraining hand around her elbow and a silencing spell over her lips. "Sorry, Severus, Darling. Luc barely lets me out of the house as is, let alone near him." She eyed Harry with interest, unperturbed by this powerful young man who had bested the Dark Lord. "Lord Grey," She greeted politely, pale fingers still tucked in the crook of her sisters elbow.
"Lady Black," he responded, eyes still glued to Bellatrix.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, love," The blonde said lightly. From the depths of her robes she pulled a shrunken trunk. "I kept it away from them, just as you asked. Everything is as you left it." She smiled fondly as Severus cast a quick set of detection spells before levitating it to him.
"Thank you, 'Cissa," he said, clutching it to his chest.
"Of course, darling," she said, turning to address Harry, "I extend an invitation, Lord Grey, for boxing day tea at the manor." The parchment was thick and creamy, coated in a few tracker spells that Harry plucked away like a loose hair before tucking into his cloak.
"We'll be there," Severus assured her before they parted ways. Severus and Harry found themselves wandering down a dreary London road. "Harry," the younger wizard sighed tiredly, the circumstance weighing heavily on his stamina, "We've passed the inn."
"We're not staying at the inn," Harry answered steadily, curling an arm around his waist. They stopped between two shabby lots. The emerald eyed wizard hissed in parseltongue, a slim victorian home springing up before them.
The well manicured lawn and cozy interior were lost on Severus as he stumbled blindly through the halls. This was not how Harry had intended to bring his love home. The room they entered was dark and vast. Ebony woods and forest green fabrics. Ivory and brass accents kept it tasteful. Their, worn blue blanket from Hogwarts sat at the end of the bed, seemingly out of place against the rich duvet. Kali and Koani slithered away, reluctant to leave their wizards, but in need of a hunt.
Harry dropped his ever present rucksack on a wing back chair and eased out of his outer robes. His hands closed slowly around Severus's, pale fingers still clutching the trunk. "Severus," Harry called, low voice rattling the empty air. His ebony eyes were vacant and cool, gaze fixated on something passed. Harry had to pry frozen fingers away, leaving the trunk tucked beneath the bed. Severus stared at his empty hands as if he'd forgotten their purpose, hardly reacting as Harry stripped him to his pants. "Get some rest," Harry said, in a whisper, mindful of the silence as he turned down the covers.
Pale fingers sought out their blanket, smelling of home and safe, and pulled it over himself half heartedly. As he had every night since his mother's death, he rolled onto his side, knees tucked under his chin. "Stay or go?" Harry asked, tentative fingers smoothing tangled tendrils of long dark hair.
"Stay," his voice came out in a thin croak, brittle around the edges. Harry eased in after him, settling the rest of the bedding over them. That night as they lay silent in the darkness Severus's reached back, pale fingers interlacing with tan ones as they lead Harry to wrap around him.
He was haunted as he slept by the face of his father and the realization that he was starved for attention. Pathetic. A bloody leech. Waves of guilt crashed over him as Harry woke him from his night terrors with soft words and warm hands pressed over his shuddering heart. Strong, sure Harry who was held the loyalty of so many and inconceivable strength. He was so weak. His claim on this man so fucking selfish as he accepted near constant streams of his magic in order to remain standing.
Gentle lips pressed to his temple left him aching with guilt. It swam in the self deprecating pain and guilt, filling the empty places. And thought he hated himself for accepting a tenderness he had done nothing to deserve, he rolled in his lover's arms and pressed their lips together. Against his will warmth chased away the pain, the stark shock of it anchoring him.
"Fuck me, Harry," he whispered steadily, afraid what would spill from his treacherous heart if he dared to say more.
Harry eyed him with an unreadable expression before dipping his head to kiss at the expanse of skin along his collarbone. His hands remained in Severus's, something he failed to notice until Harry was pulling them off to the side. He lowered himself between Severus's legs, holding him to the bed with his weight. Holding him tightly as he took a dusky nipple between his teeth. Wet heat of his laving tongue eased possessive nips, leaving the rosebud beaded and burning. He moved onto the other, slowly taking it into his mouth even as Severus's light pants gave was to wanton moans.
He squirmed under the carefulness of it all. Harry's member just as hard as his own, both straining against their confines. He gave a hurried roll of his hips gasping at the friction. Harry shook his head, inky tendrils caressing twin peaks of red. Harry moved to his knees, hovering just above Severus as his mouth mapped out the smattering of scar covering his pale skin. His cock ached, weeping as it was brushed by random rolls of Harry's hips.
He moved slowly down Severus's body, regretfully releasing their interlocked hands to plant one on Severus's stomach, just above the live of his pants. An unspoken command as he sat back on his haunches. Be still. His pants were removed slowly, Severus groaning as the elastic was dragged down his sensitive shaft. Harry's we're magiced away with little thought as he lowered once more, hot breath ghosting over his cock.
"Suck," he ordered, voice gravely and deep. Tan fingers pressed against thin lips, Harry's own mouth moving forward. Harry licked a strip along his pulsing member as Severus took the fingers into his mouth with a greedy whimper. Harry took the head of his cock into his own mouth, matching the depth and intensity Severus sucked on his fingers. Severus moaned Harry sucked him all the way to the root, hand still holding bucking hips to the mattress. The other found its way down Severus's body, widening the spread of his legs.
He prepped his lover with slow, teasing strokes. Saliva coated fingers working their way into Severus's tight pucker. Breathy moans let Harry know that he was close; he stroked his prostate once more before drawing out completely. Severus quivered with the loss of sensation, mewling as Harry lined up his cock. Harry braced his arms on either side of his body, trapping him in and kissing him languidly.
Emerald eyes bore into Ebony as he pressed forward slowly, growling when Severus tried to fuck himself on his cock. Balls deep he held himself there, eyes centimeters apart. Slow he dropped till their foreheads touched, chests pressing together with each ragged breath.
Move. Severus begged with his eyes and his desperate hands searching out where they were joined. Those hands were slowly eased away with deep, measured thrusts. Rushing off to work their own straining prick where it rested between them. He had already been close but Harry held him right on the edge. He lay panting and writhing in his hold, intense green eyes unblinking, watching him come undone. Strong, deep thrusts quickened to match their breath. Harry's warm, wide hand cradling the nape of his neck. Rough, sure lips claiming him as he came between their heaving chests.
Harry didn't ask him to speak, though his hands trembled as he fussed over cleaning them off and back to sleep. The desperate way he trapped Severus against him in the early morning. Careful words he reserved for bed and their familiars. Severus could hear it in the tremor of his voice. The resolute care he weaved into his mannerisms. His refusal to overstep, to ask for something the grieving man could not give, the want coiled beneath his skin. The desire to help held back tenuously, urges to manipulate any sort of confession out of him stubbornly ignored.
"We've got to catch the train day after tomorrow," Harry reminded him on boxing day from his place at the stove.
Christmas had been rather strange. Harry had, quite aloofly, presented him the deed to the victorian they'd been residing in with a quite, rueful, "You might need it. If I… disappear." He smiled apologetically, "I warded it. No one but us should be able to get through."
"You bought me a bloody house for Christmas?" Severus asked, sure he was unable to deal with the emotional repercussions of the possibly insane time travelers actions.
"It was more my present to myself, Severus," Harry sighed, he'd been dreading this conversation. "I need to protect you." Quieter. "Please, Sev, let me do this."
Severus studied him carefully, "Alright, but only if you accept my gift without too much protest." Harry nodded, quirking an amused smile. A small black box was placed on the table before him. Nestled in cream tissue paper was a pendant on a chain, a small silver ball and parchment thin golden wings. A snitch. "I charmed it," Severus explained hurriedly, "To… disused bludgers."
"Your spell work is brilliant," Harry murmured, studying the weave of the strands. "A bit illicit," he added after a moment.
"That sport is barbaric," Severus stated with a shudder.
Harry chuckled, "Help me with the clasp?" They had spent their days beneath blankets and in front of roaring fires. Mugs of hot coco became breakfast and lie ins become a comforting routine. They would have to return to Hogwarts all too soon.
"The house?" Severus asked Harry from his place at the table. The wizard was currently buzzing around the kitchen in his pants and a worn maroon jumper with a large golden 'H' stitched in the front.
"Cares for itself when we're not around," He explained absent-mindedly, attempting to pour pancake batter in the shape of animals.
"Harry?" Severus started when he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Mum standing at the stove in her own Christmas jumper. A blight really, bought off the bargain rack, toxic greed and sickly red. He held perfectly still, waiting for the torrent of anguish to pool in his core. It never came. His mum was dead and he was perfectly fine. What was wrong with him?
"Hmm?" Harry asked, sneaking the spatula into the sink sheepishly. He licked off the batter again. Foodborne illnesses be damned, it was worth it. "Severus?" He whirled around when there was no response. Sighing at the picture that met his eyes. "Come here, then," He murmured, crouching down to wrap his arms around the trembling wizard.
"Don't," Severus hissed, overturning the chair with a slam. He lept to his feet as if he'd been burned, slowly backing away.
"Okay," agreed quietly, trying to mask the hurt in his eyes. No overstepping. Right. Severus wasn't some fragile child. He wouldn't make him feel like on. He went back to his pancakes. They were bubbling. Flip.
"I'm fine," Severus whispered angry and harsh. How could he be fine? Mummy was dead, why did he feel fine? How.
"That's normal," he hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until Harry answered. "You're not always going to feel that loss. The sadness, the emptiness, the numbness. It probably won't go away, no ever. But it's not always going to be what you feel. When Siri-Whe someone clos- It's normal. There's nothing wrong with you."
He brought two plates of fresh fruit and pancakes to the table. Severus joined him and together they dismembered little pancake rabbits and dogs and what Harry insisted were mice, but were actually just 3 overlapping circles.