A/N: Here you go, chapter 11! Hope you'll enjoy and as always, review!
Chapter 11
"What's wrong with this one, then?" Snape asked.
Harry made a face and said, "I don't know. It's just..."
"Harry... This is good. It's a pretty neighbourhood, the house is big, it's..."
"Mmhm..." Harry said and stopped listening as Snape went on about how great the place was. It wasn't great. It reminded Harry of Privet Drive, with perfect little lawns and perfect little disapproving people living with their perfect little families in perfect little houses. No, they shouldn't have come here.
"I just don't want to live-" Harry began and then fell silent. Snape looked at him questioningly but Harry's eyes were fixed on the big, blonde boy – well, man – that walked in to the kitchen followed by a short, chubby girl with brownish blonde hair.
"Dudley", Harry said without thinking. Now Snape looked over at the couple too. It was an open viewing of the house, they had every right to be there, but Harry wanted to throw them out of there. The fact that they'd been considering the same house was... It made Harry's stomach churn.
"Who's this?" Harry asked in a friendly tone. He knew 'friendly' wasn't what Dudley had expected and Harry's smile widened at his uncertain expression.
"Margaret", he said and saying her name seemed to sober him up. "Margaret, this is my cousin, Harry."
Harry smiled and the girl took his outstretched hand and shook it. "Hello", she said in a squeeky voice.
Harry wondered if she always sounded like that or if it was just Dudley's nervousness that made her like this. Dudley and his – could he say girlfriend? – girl looked at him expectantly and then they looked at Snape behind him.
"Oh! Right. This is Snap... Severus."
He couldn't call his boyfriend by his last name! That wasn't normal. Should he tell them he was his boyfriend or had they gotten the hint? Should he say fiancé? Harry forced himself to calm down. It was just Dudley! He shouldn't be nervous around a boy that used to call himself Big D!
"Are you thinking of buying it?" Margaret asked. She had atleast understood the boyfriend-thing, Harry knew by her strained smile. Dudley just looked at them with a confused look on his face.
"Buying what?" Harry said stupidly. "Oh, the house. No, I don't think so."
Harry looked up at Snape who watched the couple with a bored look on his face.
"Oh", Margaret said simply. Harry now noticed how her arm was linked in Dudley's and the golden ring on her finger.
"You're married?" Harry asked and Margaret shone up in a more honest smile.
The moment Harry'd said it he realized he should have kept his mouth shut. He'd gotten an invitation, he remembered. He'd just ignored it.
Margaret or Dudley didn't comment on it though. They said something about how nice the wedding had been but nothing more. They ended up standing there in the unfurnished kitchen in an awkward silence.
"So, how are Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked and Dudley mumbled that they were fine.
"So... What are you doing these days?" Harry asked.
"Working with dad", he said and Harry smiled. Oh, the drill company. Exciting. "What about you?"
"I teach. At St. Brutus'", Harry added with a pleasant smile that made Dudley blush and look away. He deserved it, Harry thought.
"Well, we should... We should get going", Dudley said and Margaret added a cheery smile.
"Bye", Harry smiled and gave Dudley a smile that would have killed Voldemort and all his horcruxes, if he'd given it to him.
"St. Brutus'?" Snape asked after they'd left and they were alone in the kitchen.
"St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys", Harry explained. "That's what we called it when we had company."
"What?" Snape said with a small smile.
He thought he was joking. How sweet. Harry smiled and gave Snape a peck on his cheek. "Can we leave now? We're not going to buy this, are we?"
Snape looked like he was going to argue the change of subject but then he kissed Harry back. "No. No, we'll have to keep looking."
...
Ginny pounced on Harry as soon as he walked through the door to Grimmauld place. Ginny was there to visit Amanda and the twins were already there, discussing business with Sirius. Apparently he was investing in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
"How are you, professor?" she asked with a grin.
"The school year hasn't started yet, you can't really call me that", Harry said and smiled at her. "But I'm good. You?"
She looked good. She was tanned and had more freckles than ever. She nodded. "I'm great."
Malfoy showed up behind her and Harry laughed. "Wow. What happened to you?"
It was pretty obvious what had happened though. He was completely red. Lobster red. Tomato red. Ketchup red. Christmas red. And he had some very pretty markings after sunglasses too. Malfoys apparently weren't suited for the sun. Not at all. Really not.
"Fred and George's sunlotion", Ginny said and Harry could see that she was barely containing a laugh. "It says it protects against the sun, but really it makes the sunburn worse. Protects against skin cancer though", she added and stroked Malfoy's hair.
"Yeah, that's a real relief", Malfoy grumbled through clenched teeth and shrugged off Ginny's hand.
"Harry, we see you've seen the masterpiece", Fred said and patted Malfoy's shoulder.
"Draco boy, you're not mad at us, are you?" George said with a grin.
"Don't tease him!" Ginny said and George and Fred disappeared out the door with matching grins. They apparated right outside the door.
"Severus", Malfoy said and Snape nodded with a smirk.
"It suits you", he said and Malfoy resumed his glaring.
"Harry!" Amanda shrieked. She was about five months along now and had a pouting belly under her stretched out yellow dress. "It's so great to see you!"
"Yeah, hi", Harry mumbled.
"Hey, Sirius", Harry said and Sirius hugged him.
"Hey, cub. What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much", Harry said. Only gotten engaged and gone houseshopping. Nothing big.
"Come in!" Amanda said and led them to the kitchen.
Grimmauld place was completely different. It was brighter, had more color and was just... A lot less disturbing and depressing. It looked like someone actually lived there, someone who didn't think that 'decorating' meant putting up dead houself heads on the walls.
"This place looks good", Harry said and tried to catch Sirius' eyes. He was the reason they were there. They'd decided to tell him. They had to. Harry seriously couldn't take anymore waiting and dreading Sirius' reaction to everything.
"Thanks", Amanda said and poured Harry and Snape a cup of tea. Snape pushed his cup away from him and looked at Harry.
"Actually, we're only here to", Harry hesitated. No, this was not the time to chicken out. "...talk to you, Sirius."
Sirius looked at them with that blank expression – right between a smile and a questioning look – that you had when someone was being overly serious. "About what?"
Harry looked at Amanda. Luckily Ginny and Malfoy were in another room, saying hello to Buckbeak. Well, Malfoy was standing in the doorway, with a slightly paler red on his face, watching Ginny say hello to Buckbeak. Anyway, they were out of hearing range.
Maybe it was better that Amanda was there. Sirius wouldn't dare to blow anything up if his pregnant girlfriend was in the room, would he?
Harry looked at Snape, as if to say 'you do it'. Snape straightened up and said, "We're getting married", while Harry smiled cautiously at Sirius.
It was like ripping off a band aid. It hurt like hell.
Sirius went pale while Amanda smiled. "That's wonderful!" she said and beamed.
"Yeah", Harry said.
Sirius was still quiet and it was so much worse than if he'd shouted and yelled.
Amanda actually squealed. Then she hit Sirius' arm, looking for a reaction. Sirius just stared at the table.
"I can help with the wedding preparations, right?" she said, but didn't succeed in breaking the tension in the room.
"Sirius", Harry said and he hated how needy he sounded. He shouldn't be asking Sirius for his approval, he should be mad. Harry had the right to scream and be mad. But still, here he was, begging Sirius to accept this.
Harry looked at Snape and he got the hint and started walking to the door. He wasn't choosing Sirius over Snape; it just might be easier if Snape left. Amanda looked between Sirius and Harry worriedly before she left too. Then Harry slumped down at the chair next to Sirius'. He didn't even know how to begin, so he just sat there, quiet.
Then Sirius pulled him in to a big hug.
"I can't stop you from doing this, can I?" Sirius said and Harry could hear that he was smiling. Then he said, more seriously, "If he gives you any trouble, tell me, okay?"
"Yeah", Harry said and smiled.
"I'm sorry", Sirius mumbled.
"S'okay", Harry said and buried his face in Sirius' robes.
"I may have been a little unfair", Sirius said.
"You've been an arse."
"Yeah, I guess I have been. Sorry", Sirius said and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Snape leaning against the doorframe, the blabbering Amanda standing behind him. Snape had that sour look on his face, the one he had when he wanted to rip someone's head off.
"Are we allowed back in now?" Snape asked through clenched teeth.
"Yes", Harry said and as soon as he'd released Sirius, Amanda pounced on him.
"Yay! We're all friends now!" she exclaimed.
Yeah. Well, maybe not friends, but something.
"God, that girl can talk", Snape grumbled next to Harry's ear.
"Yes, she can", Harry said and shook his head in an attempt to make the endless stream of excited words stop.
"What's happening here?" Ginny asked as she and Malfoy walked in to the kitchen.
"Harry's getting married!" Amanda shrieked before Harry had a chance to say anything.
"I believe I have something to do with it too", Snape said as Ginny broke out in a huge grin.
"Harry! Snape! Really?" she said and Harry smiled and nodded.
They were really doing this. They were really getting married and moving in together. Harry suddenly wanted to lie down. Getting married was... big. Oh, god. And that panicky feeling of not being able to do it crept its way into Harry's head. He was nineteen, he couldn't get married. But he had Snape. Snape? Yeah, right, Snape was... Snape was Snape! He was completely unable to love. No, Harry argued with himself, he wasn't unable to love. He loved Harry. Yes, but it had taken him like one year to say it and when he'd said it it had sounded forced. And he'd only said it once. Why in the world did Harry have to go and get married to Snape?
A/N: And there he is again with the doubts… Oh dear Harry, when will you learn?
I feel so evil when I write him like this (sorry^^'). Anyway, you'll have the next chappie in a few days, I hope.