The next day brought a few firsts for several people in the house starting with Severus and Harry. Harry knew Lucius was planning on talking with his dad and after the day before, Harry knew he needed to try and make a better effort of this.
He turned to Severus after breakfast. "Were you going to be working in your lab this morning?"
Severus looked up from the copy of the paper he had been reading. "I was. Was there something you needed?"
Harry shook his head. "Actually I thought maybe I could come and work in the lab with you. I mean it could not hurt my potions grades for next year."
Harry had received his OWL results a few days before the wedding and to his surprise he had received O in DADA, potions and charms, and E's in everything except for divination and history which he received a D in. He had been shocked to pass potions high enough to continue but happy for his future plans, as well.
Severus looked like he thought Harry went mad but he nodded. "If you'd like to join me down in the lab I would not be opposed to the company this morning."
Sirius stopped Harry as he was leaving. "Thank you for this cub. I know you don't like potions. I am busy so I can't come and referee."
Harry smiled for he knew what his father would be doing and he took off with Severus who he heard getting his own talk from Sirius that sounded something like alive for our wedding please. Harry wondered who his dad was worried might die, if Severus might chop him up for ingredients or Harry might blow them up.
Down in the lab when they both had aprons on Severus turned. "Would you start on the slugs for me Harry? I need to have about two cups sliced up for the potion."
Harry nodded and went to the cutting board and got out the clips. "What kind of potion are we making Severus? I know you do work for the hospital in the summers."
Severus smiled and nodded. "This is though for the wolfs bane potions. There is a full moon coming up soon when Remus gets back and he will need a new dose."
Severus had to smile when Harry's face lit up. He had actually been intending to work on some burn creams that morning but when Harry had asked to come work with him he thought that he might choose a potion that Harry would have some interest in making. He had to admit that he thought if perhaps Harry had an interest he might agree to stay this afternoon. Severus rarely allowed people in his private lab, Draco from time to time but not often but he would with Harry. Before this had been about making his fiancé happy. His fiancé's happiness still was key but both Harry and Severus were that day trying to make some headway for themselves as well.
Severus looked over the ingredients Harry handed him. "Finer cut then usual. You have decent skill. Think you can handle shaving some figs for me?"
Harry beamed at the first ever compliment he had received from the man. "I think I could handle that for you Severus."
Though there was not any real conversation between the two of them through the morning other then about the tasks Severus wanted him to do Harry had to admit it had not been torture and Severus could see when he was not breathing down the boy's neck, Harry had a decent skill in making potions.
By lunch time Severus put the potion in stasis. "You know I think I will pair you with Draco in the fall. With him as a partner I'd not be shocked for you to ace it."
Harry laughed. "You know I never thought I'd ever hear those words out of your moth."
Severus shrugged as he took off his apron."And I'd never thought you'd ask to spend a day doing potions with me. You're welcome to help after lunch to finish."
Harry shocked him a second time. "I would like to see how this potion is completed, considering how important it is to my godfather. I'd like to come back."
Severus watched as Harry hung up his apron and the two of them headed up the stairs. So they had managed to survive a morning together without blowing each other up, had managed not to get into an argument and now they had agreed to spend the afternoon together. He was wondering what Sirius would think when he heard.
In the dinning room they found the others waiting and from the look on Sirius' face Severus was a bit worried. "I didn't kill our son, or harm him in any way."
Sirius laughed a bit and kissed him. "I can see that and I am glad he didn't harm you either. I just had a bit of an interesting conversation of my own this morning."
Harry looked at Lucius who nodded his head and when Harry knew that Lucius had kept his end of the promise and had actually asked Sirius for his permission to take Harry on their first proper date the next day. It was definitely hard to see Sirius' reaction but he took the smile on Lucius' face to tell him it had gone down well.
After lunch Severus stood. "If you're ready we should get back to the potion. It should not stay in stasis too long or we might kill that beloved godfather of yours."
Sirius looked up from his soup. "Are you telling me you not only managed a morning without killing each other but are going to work together this afternoon?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders but he was smiling. "I was interested in the wolfs bane potion and it really wasn't too bad."
Sirius looked like he thought his son and his fiancé had been abducted by aliens or put under the imperius curse but for what ever reason the two of them were seeming to get along, he was going to take it.
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Lucius felt like a teenager again. He had thought down the road when he was proposing to Harry he might consider talking to his dads first but for a first date this was new to say the least. He and Narcissa had an arranged marriage so he had never even really courted someone before. He reminded himself not to be so nervous for he already had the man's blessing to date Harry. He didn't really need to ask him to take Harry out for the day but he thought it would go down better if he did.
He walked into the sitting room after breakfast where he had seen Sirius disappear. He had no idea how to start this so he tried. "Up for a game of chess?'
Sirius looked up in surprise but shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I could use some practice. I might actually be able to beat Remus for the first time in decades."
Lucius had seen the two play together enough that summer and though he knew it was more Remus' thing he had seen Sirius play both with his fiancé and with his son and Lucius thought perhaps it was a way for them to manage to be in the room together and try to get this conversation done without choking on his words.
Lucius set up his pieces. "I saw your surprise when Harry wanted to do potions with Sev this morning. I think those two really were able to bond a bit last night."
Sirius found himself agreeing. "I wish it had not taken me being an ass but I am happy they have. Sev actually threatened to leave me and take Harry with him if I ever did something like that again."
Lucius understood what the other man was saying. "I have never heard such a declaration of love for one's adopted son before now."
Lucius knew that for his best friend it had been a step. Severus could have said that he would have taken off but he had said he'd take their son with them. He had not said it to hurt Sirius either. It had not been a retaliation. Lucius knew his friend enough to know Severus had meant it, meant he would take Harry away from Sirius to protect the boy from the pain that Sirius had put them both through.
Lucius took a deep breath. "It meant a lot to Harry that you gave us your blessing last night. And I have to say it meant a lot to me as well."
Sirius did not look up from the board. "I was being a hypocrite I realized and more then that I want him happy. You keep to our deal and you have my blessing."
Lucius moved his first pawn. "I respect your son and I will never force him to do anything he is not ready. I am too in love with him to hurt him, I promise you."
Sirius looked up. "Severus made me realize I had come to respect you this summer and that though there is a huge age difference, I could trust your words."
Lucius nodded. "I have come to respect you as well. I think most of our problems stemmed from you believing me a Death Eater. I'd like to get along for Harry."
Though they had called a definite truce after Lucius had saved his life and Sirius had found out to his shock Lucius had been a spy all along, but this relationship between Harry and Lucius was definitely going to test that.
"I'd really like to take your son for a proper date tomorrow. I thought I should perhaps make sure you don't mind me taking him out of the house all day."
Sirius looked ready to laugh. "Are you really asking me after all of this, permission for a date?" and when he saw Lucius was serious. "You have my permission."
Lucius relaxed a bit at that. "Harry thought it was important living under the same roof with you to ask and I agreed."
Sirius knew it would have been Harry's idea. "But out of our sight don't go forgetting the rules. If you hurt my son at all, I don't care if you saved me, I'll kill you."
Lucius was solemn. "I am not going to break my promise to you or your son. And if I hurt Harry, I know even my best friend and probably my son would kill me to."
Sirius seemed to take that as confirmation enough for him and they went to their game. When they realized that their other halves were spending the afternoon together they actually ended up spending the afternoon playing chess. Draco was giving all four of them looks like he thought they had all gone insane, by the time the group sat down for dinner.
After dinner he went to Harry who told him how his day had gone. He smiled. "Well my chat with your dad went well. He thought it funny but we have his okay."
Harry kissed him tenderly. "I know you think it bizarre to ask him for a date but for our first I thought it would just make things easier. Thank you for doing it for me."
Lucius smiled and returned the kiss. "You know how much I love you and if I have to ask your dad permission for a date I will. I just want to whisk you off."
Harry tried to get details out of him about what he had planned for the next day but Lucius had no intention of ruining his plans for the two of them for he had wanted to make their first date special. He knew Harry had only been on one date ever, with Cho and that had been an absolute failure.
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After breakfast Lucius turned to Harry when they were leaving the dinning room and surprised Harry when he stopped him from going and grabbing a robe, as they wore muggle clothes in the manor.
Lucius smiled. "Severus told me how well your day in muggle London worked out for the three of you. I thought it might work for us as well."
Harry laughed at that. "I never thought I'd see you in muggle London. It was a shock enough to see Severus but you? I think I might faint."
Lucius kissed him. "I have for business from time to time but because of my role as a spy I have never been able to often. I thought you could be my guide."
Harry had never really been much into the muggle world for he had spent most of his time locked up at his relative's home other then the park and school or one trip to the zoo but he definitely knew a lot more about the muggle world then Lucius. He knew Lucius had thought it was a chance that the two of them would be able to enjoy each other and not have to be worried about the prying eyes every where in the wizard world. They would always be recognized in the wizard world.
Shortly before lunch the two of them arrived in London on the knight bus for it was easier then apparation for such a distance. They got off at the Leaky Cauldron but they did not go in.
Lucius turned to him. "Do not laugh at me. I kind of took advice from Sev. He watched enough muggle TV with your dad and said what we should enjoy doing."
Harry smirked at the sound of that. "First you asked one dad's blessing and then you asked the other for date advice? You were a brave man last night weren't you?"
Lucius reminded Harry that he and Severus had been best friends since they were eleven years old but he did have to admit that when it came to asking Severus about advice on where to take the man's adoptive son on a date, it had been new territory for them. Harry had no idea what Severus would suggest but it turned out his adoptive father had some decent ideas. They ended up down at the Thames.
Lucius explained. "Sev said something about the rivers and taking walks or such. I heard about these muggle boat rides and lunch along the water."
Harry smiled as he was led onto a little river cruise. "I guess it is a great way to see the city and I mean I lived in Surrey but I have never really seen much of it."
They found it a bit funny with the muggle tour guide telling them about the history of the city and all of ghost stories which of course the muggles all thought were jokes, but the simple lunch was quite good. On the warm summer day the breeze on the water was quite nice and when they finished they decided to take another bus ride though on a muggle version of the Knight bus, an open topped double decker bus for a street tour of the city.
Lucius laughed as they road along. "I don't know how muggles can stand traveling on these things. I mean we could have apparated to every spot in five minutes."
Harry shrugged and kissed him. "Well where would the fun be in that. I happen to find listening to the muggles and their stories almost as exciting as the sights."
Lucius had to agree. "If I could spend the day talking with you and listening to your laugh, I think I could handle doing this again."
They headed off to a family oriented pub for dinner and even after an afternoon on a muggle bus, he had never expected he'd see Lucius chowing down on a hamburger and even managed to get the man to drink a fizzy pop. Lucius had usually stuck to wine in muggle restaurants or even ale and he had to laugh at the surprise on Lucius' face when the bubbles were in his stomach. He did a very uncharacteristic thing and let out a burp.
Harry kissed him as he led him to the dart boar to play a game. "Don't worry I won't tell your son or my dads. Just your body's reaction to your first soda."
Lucius looked a little less embarrassed as he took his darts. "Good. I mean I am not the snob I was forced to act like before, but burping in a restaurant?"
Harry turned his attention to the dart board. They had a good time though Lucius missed the board so bad that he almost hit another patron with the dart and had to buy the person some beer in an apology. Harry was happy to find a game that he could beat Lucius at for he would never beat the man in chess, only Sirius. He had been rewarded with a kiss for every won game.
Back at the house Lucius laughed. "Well usually you see the person home after the date but we live in the same home. But I hope I can still have a goodnight kiss."
Harry laughed and pulled him down into one. "I think it is probably the two dozenth kiss of the day but I'd not want to break tradition. Thank you for today."
Lucius pulled a gift from his pocket. "Okay don't laugh for this is something so foolishly muggle but I thought it would remind you of today."
Harry laughed when he looked at it but he also smiled. "I promise nothing will make me forget our first date but thank you, this will definitely be a keeper."
Lucius saw him to his bedroom door where they shared the traditional last kiss and Harry slipped into his room. He was blushing badly and he felt so amazing from their first proper date. The little toy double decker bus which Lucius picked up at one of their stops, was definitely a good reminder of their first date.
