Harry woke the next morning late, with a mild headache, before he remember how late he was up. Him, Hermione, Thalia, Daphne, Fred, and George were in the Great Hall until about 2 am, talking, laughing, getting drunk, and just having a good time. Harry smiled. It was the first time, besides the one day with Severus, where he just let everything go, and did whatever.
Maybe Hogwarts was good for him. Or maybe laughter is the best medicine. Or maybe both.
Harry looked at his watch and saw it was about 11 am and decided to forgo breakfast and just go to the Great Hall for lunch after he got ready.
Severus laughed to himself when he saw the mess on the table in the Great Hall that morning. He knew the six teens were int the Hall until the wee hours of the morning. He cast a couple of charms to clean the mess, and the began to ate. Everyone else, besides the six friends, began to slowly file in for breakfast. It wasn't until after everyone had eaten did anyone comment on the absence of six friends.
"Where are Thalia, Hermione, Harry, Daphne, Fred, and George?" Bill Weasley asked.
"Did you not see them playing tag and running trough the halls yesterday? They were quite hard to miss." Severus said.
"No, but that is a sight I wish I had seen. But that doesn't explain where are they are now." Bill replied.
"They came here after, probably got drunk. And are now sleeping."
"Good for them." Filius piped up.
"Why?" Molly, the ever protective mother asked.
"They need this. They never had a chance to just relax with Voldemort looming over their heads. Now they can do things normal teenagers do. Like get drunk without permission. Or run around like a bunch of hooligans. These past few years have subdued the children, even in school, I noticed. They were never as crazy as other classes have been. It's nice change."
"Filius raises a good point." Minerva said.
"I say we wait here until they come, all hungover, and be loud." Charlie said with a smirk. "They need the full experience."
Everyone agreed, and the topics of discussion soon eased into other things. Severus never mentioned that Harry had hangover potion. Why ruin the fun?
Soon Harry was ready. He thought he would have needed his hangover potion, but he didn't. He brought it with him though, in case anyone else did.
It was quite ironic the way the six met up at the doors to the Great Hall at the same time. None of them were hungover enough for the potion, but all six of them were sluggish, and definitely sporting headaches. They entered the Great Hall, talking quietly amongst themselves. They soon realized they weren't alone and that everyone seemed to be extra loud.
Harry sat next to Severus, paying no mind to anyone else as he ate his fill, and then pushed the plate away, folded his arms on the table, put his head on his arms and fell asleep, snoring softly. Hermione ate a little, before quietly excusing herself. Thalia, Daphne, and the twins acted normal.
Everyone else watched the six bemusedly, curious as to why none of them were reacting. Severus could tell none of them had taken a potion, as the weren't exhibiting the side effects. He was also curious as to how Harry fell asleep so quickly.
Everyone soon excused themselves, leaving Severus and the sleeping Harry. Severus knew he should probably wake Harry, but he didn't know the best way to. Or he could carry him, but that ran the risk of being seen. Severus sighed, and gently began to shake Harry.
Harry woke groggily. "Sorry, Imma little sleepy." He mumbled, not moving.
"Come on, Harry, let's get you back to your rooms."
"I'm comfy here."
"Harry, come on. You'll be more comfortable in your in rooms."
"But then I'll be lonely."
"You will sleeping, how can you be lonely?"
"You'd be surprised, Sev."
"Go to rooms, I go to office to grab some paperwork, and then floo to your rooms so you won't lonely. How does sound, brat?"
"Perfect." Harry said, slowly pulling himself to feet. "See you there."
Severus sighed. What did he get himself into know?
Minerva, Daphne, and Remus smiled amongst themselves. They were in a hallway, watching Severus and Harry.
"How long do you think until they get together?" Minerva asked.
"It depends on Severus. Harry won't start anything, he is scared of commitment." Remus said.
"And depends on if Harry has another setback. He was good last night and this morning, but, honestly, it won't last." Thalia said.
"I wish it would." Minerva said, "It's nice to see him and Severus smiling."
"It will, eventually." Thalia said, "Harry's definitely better than he used to be. He is more open and carefree than he was even a free weeks ago. A few weeks ago he wouldn't have run through the halls playing tag and running around laughing."
"It nice to see that happening, especially considering who was involved." Remus said. Thalia raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
"A Slytherin pureblood, Gryffindor blood traitors, a halfblood, and a muggleborn, as well as a foreigner. This wouldn't have happened a couple months ago. With the war and all."
Minerva nodded, "Sadly, Remus is right. I'm glad to see things changing for the better around here. If Daphne and Harry get along, it will help when the students come back."
"Oh, but it will be even better if Harry and Severus are together by then."
"I'm not counting on it, Thalia." Remus said.
Harry sat, curled up on his couch waiting for Severus. He smiled thinking about the man, Severus was helpful to Harry, and kind. Harry was sort of surprised at how Severus was acting, but he wasn't going to complain. He liked this new Severus.
He smiled in greeting when Severus came through the floo. Severus nodded in greeting, and sat on the opposite end of the couch, and began working on some paperwork. Harry slowly fell asleep, subconsciously, putting his feet in Severus's lap. Severus looked over at Harry, surprised, but didn't say anything, continuing his paperwork.
Harry slept peacefully, as Severus sat there. Severus had finished his work and summoned one of his favorite books, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He had been reading for about twenty five minutes, before Harry began to stir.
"Feeling better?" Severus said amusedly. He watched as Harry nodded, before he noticed that his legs were in Severus's lap.
"Yeah, yeah." Harry said, quickly moving his legs off of Severus's lap. "Sorry bout that." He added, flustered.
"It's no worry." Severus added, nonchalantly.
"It is, but whatever. How long was I out?"
"About two hours or so." Severus said with a shrug.
"Thank you, Sev, for staying with me. It means a lot to me."
"It was nothing." Severus said.
"Just let me thank you, you git."
"Brat."
"Bat."
"Imbecile."
Their faces were getting closer with every insult, and after that last one, they were kissing. If someone had asked them, they both would have said the other had started it.
They both pulled away, at the same time, each a deep red.
Severus stood, ready to leave, but Harry grabbed his wrist.
"You are not leaving until we discuss this, Sev."
"Okay." Severus said, "Is this something you want?"
"More than anything, Sev."
"Are you sure, Harry?"
Harry didn't grace that with a verbal answer, instead he responded by kissing Severus again.
"Does that answer you?"
"Yes." Severus replied. "However you know I am a traditionalist to some sorts, so if do this, I want to court you."
"What does that mean?" Harry asked, sitting next to Severus.
"Basically, it gives a set amount of time to decide if we are fitted for a romantic relationship, without outside pressure. We consider if we want to proceed to an engagement and later marriage. Courtship varies amongst different couples, we can make a contract. Usually, there is no intimacy, until marriage."
"So what qualifies as intimacy?"
"We can decide, if we decide to proceed to make a contract."
"Oh, we will be making that contract."
"Okay, so this is how we have to go about this: Traditionally, I ask my parents, then yours, and then you. We then set the contract with those people, but as both of us have lost our parents things will be different."
"Ask Minerva and Remus."
"Minerva and Remus?"
"I can tell you think of Minerva as a mother figure, and Remus is like a father to me."
"Okay, I'll ask Minerva, then Remus, and then we make this official. Come on, let's go. Now!" Severus said, getting up, and pulling Harry behind him.