Chapter ten

Harry had sent another letter to Hermione and Ron telling them what day they would be able to come and to find out if they were going to arrive on that day. He also had to tell them the name of the place so they could floo straight here. Dumbledore explain in yet another letter that the house and land was protected by charms, but if Harry invited someone, they would be able to floo straight in.

So the morning his friends were due to arrive, Harry woke early, showered before pacing the living room waiting for his friends to arrive. Severus laughed, but made Harry breakfast, then made him sit down to eat it.

'Eat, you still need to put on some weight love.'

'I'm just so excited to see them Sev, it's the longest we've ever been apart.'

'I know, but eat, you have time.'

Harry nodded and started eating, but he kept glancing up at Severus, 'I wonder how they will take the news of us.'

'They will probably be shocked, but they didn't care that you were gay, so at least they accept that.'

'Yeah, they do, I'm just worried more about Ron and what he might say.'

'Will you stop worrying Harry, it's giving you wrinkles and that's not good, especially at only eighteen.'

Harry scowled, 'I do not have wrinkles Severus,' he snapped.

Severus knew Harry was pissed, calling him by his full name showed exactly how pissed he was. Severus ran his fingers along Harry's cheek, then over his lips.

'I didn't mean it love, I'm trying to get you to relax, it'll be fine and nothing will break us apart again, nothing, I've told you that.'

'Sorry babe,' Harry sighed, then finished eating his breakfast, 'I'll be in the living room, waiting, are you going to be up in the office?'

'Yes, as we agreed until you tell them. Now kiss me and go.'

Harry kissed Severus with as much passion and love as he could before leaving the kitchen and heading back to the living room. He knew Ron liked to sleep late, so he wasn't expecting them for at least another couple of hours. So he made himself sit down with a book to take his mind of the minutes that seemed to drag and every one of those minutes felt like hours.

He got through two pages when the fire turned green and out stepped Hermione and Ron. Harry stared up at them, before launching himself at them, hugging them tight.

'Merlin, it's good to see you,' Harry said happily and he couldn't believe how happy he really was at the sight of his friends.

'You look better than we thought you would,' Hermione hugged him again.

'I'm good, I spend a lot of time outside. Why don't I show you to which rooms you can use, then we can catch up?'

'This is a beautiful room Harry.' said Hermione as she looked around

'The whole house is beautiful, I'll show you around after you settle in, come on,' Harry led the way upstairs, 'That's my room,' he pointed and opened the door.

'Big, really big,' Ron said staring into the room.

Harry closed the door and pointed out rooms. Hermione and Ron took two rooms next to each other.

'Settle in and meet me back downstairs,' Harry hugged his friends again making them both laugh and Harry saw Hermione flash a smile at Ron, but he also noticed she looked worried.

Harry went back downstairs to wait for his friends and it wasn't long before they joined him, so he started to show them around the bottom part of the house, but he left the library till last because he knew Hermione wouldn't want to leave it. Once they got through every room apart from the library Harry stood outside the closed door.

'Just expect to lose Hermione for a while Ron,' Harry smirked then opened the door to let Hermione and Ron step in before him, then laughed at the look on Hermione's face.

'Great Harry, now I'll never see her,' Ron grinned as he watched his girlfriend.

Hermione ignored him, just kept looking at all the books. Harry smiled at Ron before he looked back at Hermione who was looking at Ron in surprised.

'Ron, that's the first time you've really smiled in three months.' Hermione said sounding surprised but happy.

'Yeah, it's strange, I haven't felt like smiling at all. The moment I stepped out of the fireplace, all I want to do is smile.'

'Dumbledore said this place healed him, I felt the same. I would sit outside, sometimes fall asleep and when I woke up, I always felt better. The first few days I was just so angry, then I kept getting depressed and you wouldn't believe it, but Fawkes kept nudging me at meal times, like he was making sure I ate.'

'Considering how you looked and sounded the last time we saw you, it's really amazing how good you do look. I wasn't sure being alone for three months was really want you needed, but it seems Dumbledore knew what you would need.'

'He always did Hermione. But if you can possibly leave this room, I would like to show you around and there's something I have to tell you before I show you the last room.'

'Yes I will leave this room, for now, so finish showing us around your home.'

Harry took his friends towards another door, but stopped at the knowing Severus was behind the closed door.

'This is his office, or should I say my office now, looks like the one from Hogwarts, just a bit smaller. Before we go in though there's something I need to tell you, about being gay.'

'We're fine with that mate, even if Ginny was upset and you will have to explain why you went out with her when you knew you were gay,' Ron said.

'I will, but later,' Harry took a couple of deep breaths, then lifted his hand, his left hand, 'I'm married, I have been since I was sixteen and the man I married is in the office waiting for us. He knew I needed to explain to you and he also knows this is a shock and when you see him, even more of a shock.'

'Married, sixteen, you weren't an adult yet Harry, so how?' Hermione asked her voice rising.

'I'll explain everything, I promise, just know I was able to get Dumbledore to get my relatives to sign a form relinquishing their guardianship over to him and he signed the form allowing me to marry. Now before we go in, I need to tell you this. Everyone believed we hated each other, we did at first, but then we had to spend a lot of time alone, so we got to know each other. This all started when I was fifteen and from then on we were friends, but we developed feelings for each other. We did try to deny our feelings, but we both realised that we could die, so we decided to be together and just hoped we would survive. Now another thing, everything thinks he's dead, only Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey know he's alive, oh and Kingsley, but they knew he needed time to heal. Then Dumbledore told me about the house, so we came here together so we could both heal.'

'Just tell us who this is mate, it's all fine,' Ron said.

'I hope you'll be fine with it, I'm nervous about how you will react and he's worried about me. He doesn't want anything to come between our friendship or our relationship.'

'Harry, who is it?' Hermione asked but she could see how nervous Harry was.

'I'll let you see for yourselves,' Harry said nervously then opened the door to the office and let his friends step in and saw them both falter when they saw Severus Snape.