A/N: This chapter is the work of the amazing Luna4917. All applause and glorious reviews go to her. Also I own nothing HP, I can only dream. Enjoy all.

Chapter 14

"Harry, please let Severus know that Lucius and the boys will be here at Noon. I would like this lunch to be a very pleasant one, like one big, happy family so can you and Draco please try to get along?"

"Sirius, I have nothing against Draco, if he doesn't give me grief, I won't give him any."

"Son," Sirius began as he set the table with the Black family china, "I hope someday, that Draco will be my son – which would make you brothers – I would like to see you starting to think of each other that way now."

"Ya know," Harry said, frustrated by the implication that he was always the one to start something, "I have enough on my plate right now without worrying about Draco. I'll behave, don't worry." With that, Harry walked out of the kitchen and headed to his sitting room. He hoped Sirius understood that whether Draco was there or not was irrelevant at this point. The nightmares were about the only thing on his mind these days. Well, that and Severus.

Sirius sighed and pulled his favourite high back chair out from under the long kitchen table. Although the table was an antique, it hardly looked used. His mother had been obsessed with making sure the table remained as pristine as the day his Great-Grandfather had hand carved the Black Family crest into the oak tabletop. He placed his head in his hands, elbows leaning on the table and remembered back to the conversation he had had with Harry the night before.

"Harry, what are you doing up? "

"I wasn't tired yet and thought I'd come down and get some tea. What about you?" Harry had noticed that Sirius had stopped writing in his journal when he realized Harry was in the room. "You don't have to stop what you were doing, I won't be here long, it's been a long day and I didn't get much sleep last night."

"No, that's fine son. I was just finishing a conversation with…someone." Gesturing to the book on the table in front of him, Sirius explained, "It's a two-way journal. I can send a message to someone and they can send a message back. It's more private than using the floo."

"Oh…how is Lucius doing?" Harry asked with a smirk on his face. He poured his tea and turned to look at his godfather. He was greeted by a look of surprise and curiosity.

"How did you know who I was talking to?

"I remember seeing the two of you together the other night."

"Well, I guess I should explain this, huh?"

"What's to explain? Your talking with someone who is a death eater, helped put you in Azkaban and had a hand in killing my parents. Whose son has been a pain in my arse since the first day of my first year and whose wife was just executed by the dementors for trying to kill a friend of her son's. No explanation needed."

Harry began to leave the kitchen and Sirius knew if he left it like this, his relationship with Lucius would never work. He stood and quickly grabbed Harry's arm as he asked, "Please, won't you at least let me tell you what's happening?"

"Fine, I guess I can have my tea here." Harry pulled a heavy chair from out from the table and sat down. This was his favourite chair at the table; he really liked the elaborate scroll work on its back and Severus always sat next to him in the chair farthest from Sirius. He waited patiently for Sirius to say what he wanted to say all the while wondering why none of the chairs at the beautifully carved kitchen table matched. They had some sort of decoration, painting, carving, family crest but no two were the same.

"Harry," Sirius said to get his attention. "I'm not sure how much of my past you know but when I was in school, I was in a relationship that was very important to me. I kept it quiet from everyone, including your parents. Not because I didn't want them to know but because I didn't think they would understand. You see, my lover and I met first year, but it took until half way through our second year before we could admit our feelings for and to each other and get together."

Sirius smiled and chuckled slightly, "We would meet in empty classrooms, secret passages – thanks to the Marauders map – and find any reason we could to get out of the castle for some private time. Neither one of us was ready to admit to each other at that point, that we were anything more than a fling, but then toward the end of third year, just before exams, on the first night of the full moon, Remus caught us together in the Shrieking Shack."

Harry was watching his godfather's face totally engrossed in what he was hearing. He had forgotten his cooling tea as he sat with his hands clasped on his lap clenching the edges of his worn out robe.

"At first, Remus thought we were dueling, but then realized he was interrupting a rendezvous and got very upset. He was close to changing and hollered for us to get out so we ran back to the school promising each other that being discovered wouldn't change anything. The next morning, Remus pulled me aside and asked me how long it had been going on and was it serious. I told him I hoped it was serious but wasn't sure as we hadn't had that conversation yet."

Sirius paused as he reached for Harry's abandoned mug to refresh his tea. As he sat back down he began again, "I tried all through the next day to get some alone time with him so we could talk about what happened, but I couldn't. Then, on the last night of the full moon, I was walking back from the One Eyed Witch passage and was grabbed and shoved into an empty room. I had drawn my wand and was ready to fight before I realized who it was."

"That night Lucius and I decided to tell our friends and family that we were a couple and we didn't care if they didn't approve." He stopped to see how Harry would react to this information and was greeted by a look of disbelief on the boy's face. He laughed and said, "It's okay to be shocked. Most people were when they found out, including our families. James was the only one who wasn't surprised."

"Sirius, are you saying that you and Lucius were…ya know…dating?"

"Harry, we were very much in love and wanted to be together. Unfortunately, Lucius' parents had other plans and had arranged a marriage between him and my cousin Narcissa. We were devastated when we were told we could not be together."

"Why did everyone get so upset?" Harry was worried that his pairing with Severus could cause the same uproar so this interested him very much. He scooted forward slightly, "Did they not like that you were being open about being gay?"

"No Harry, being gay is not that big a deal in the magical community. We don't view it like the Muggle community does. For us, it's always about furthering the generations and if a male/male or female/female pairing will create the best chance of a new generation in a family, that's perfectly acceptable."

Sirius sighed, "No, the arrangement occurred while we were all still very young. Long before Lucius or I ever thought to get together. We talked about the situation and Lucius said he was not going to defy his parents' wishes and nothing I said could change his mind."

"The saddest day in my life was the day your parents were killed Harry. The second saddest was the day I said goodbye to Lucius." A tear slowly rolled down the man's face as he lightly ran his hand over the cover of the journal.

"Why are you suddenly talking to him again? What's changed other than his wife being dead?"

Sirius told Harry about finding the journal again, the entry asking for his forgiveness and the night leading up to rescuing Harry. He confessed to Harry, that although he was the number one priority right now, "I miss Lucius and the diary just isn't doing it."

Harry thought for a moment about what he had just learned. He looked up into the man's gray eyes and said, "I understand missing someone you love. You're welcome to go and see him. Severus and I will be just fine here by ourselves."

"Actually, I have invited Lucius, Draco and Draco's friend Blaise to have lunch here tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

"Because Lucius and I are working on getting our relationship back on track and I want my family to all be together. That will, hopefully, include Draco at some point. I would like nothing more than to have you and Draco get along as family but I know that you'll have some hesitation about that."

Harry sat up straight in his chair, slammed his hand on the table and yelled, "Why would I be hesitant to have someone who has always been my enemy, come into my home and have lunch! And exactly how are you planning on explaining Severus' being here? I don't want to share that part of my life. Can't you understand that!"

"Harry, what's going on?" Severus said as he burst into the kitchen; robe hanging open exposing his chiseled torso and feet bare as he didn't want to take the time to put on his slippers, he took in the look of terror on the boy's face and asked what was going on. He stopped behind Harry's chair and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders hoping to help calm him down.

"My godfather," Harry spit the word from his mouth like it was venom, "has invited Lucius, Draco and Blaise to have lunch here tomorrow. Since he and Lucius are again a couple, he has decided its family time and you're included." He finished as he stood and spun to face Severus.

Severus lowered his hands to rest on Harry's arms and leaned toward his face. He wanted nothing more than to take Harry in his arms and hold him, tell him everything would be okay, but he couldn't. Not right now. He took a breath and whispered, "Go back upstairs and wait. I'll talk to Sirius and come up. I promise we will work this out."

Harry left without a goodnight to Sirius and when he was out of hearing range, Severus turned and asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Harry isn't ready for anyone to know about what's gone on or about our pairing. I assured him no one would have to know until he was ready."

"Severus, I understand Harry's hesitation but I had no intention of exposing your pairing. I planned to tell everyone that you were helping with Harry's therapy and that I asked you to join us for the meal."

"That sounds plausible. I think Harry will be okay with it. He just needs time to adjust to the idea of you and Lucius being a couple. Harry and Draco have been at odds since the first night they met, that will be hard to change quickly."

"Thank you for understanding." Sirius hesitated before continuing, "May I ask how the two of you are settling into everything?"

"I'm fine. The floor is very well put together and convenient for us. I appreciate the effort you put into getting that together. Harry is doing as well as can be expected. He is having nightmares which I hope will lessen in intensity once Poppy gets his therapy started."

"And the other…"

"You will have to ask Harry about that. I've made it clear that I will not discuss our private life with anyone unless he knows first." Severus stood to leave, and pausing at the door with his back to Sirius said, "Please respect his wishes. It would kill him to lose you now that he finally has you in his life full time." He left the room without turning around.

As Sirius sat remembering, he realized how what he'd asked Harry could be taken as an accusation that Harry was the cause of all the trouble. He would have to apologize for that as soon as he could, but he would give Harry sometime with Severus to cool down before he approached him. He smiled as he realized that it was only an hour until everyone would be here and he felt his pulse increase and his breath catch at the thought that he would soon see his true love again.

Severus heard Harry approaching in the hallway and quickly focused on the book in his lap. He was grateful it was there as he was sure the evidence of his wandering mind was very obvious. He couldn't believe how quickly his body had adapted to the idea of having found his mate. While his mind knew he needed to take things slower, his body sure didn't.

Neither man had mentioned that first night in Harry's room, but it had featured in quite a few fantasies of late and Severus knew he was either going to have to initiate more contact or get his mind engaged elsewhere. The sexual tension was driving him mad.

He smiled at Harry as the boy entered but quickly became concerned when he saw his face. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" he inquired.

"Not really. Sirius wanted me to remind you that everyone's due here at noon. I have to change cause I don't think track pants and hoodie are gonna work with the family china." Harry said sarcastically as he started pulling clothes from his closet.

"Is that what upset you, dear?"

"No, Sirius also asked that Draco and I not get into anything with each other. Like I'm the only one who starts stuff." Harry threw his oxford shirt on the bed and pulled the sweatshirt over his head. Severus moaned quietly as he saw the Quiddich toned six pack abs and well defined pecks he so badly wanted to caress. "I told him I don't have the time or care to be concerned with Draco now, too much other stuff on my mind." Harry hadn't noticed the other man's reaction as he continued to change. When he removed his pants to put on chino pants, he finally realized that Severus was staring at him, mouth hanging slightly open and a blush on his cheeks.

Severus snapped out of his trance when he heard the boy laugh. He shook the thoughts from his head and said, "I'm sure Draco is getting the same talk from Lucius. Since Lucius and Sirius haven't seen each other in a couple of days, I'm sure they're both a little edgy." Sounding very edgy himself. He turned and headed out of the room towards his own to change and added, "And, as they will likely be spending a lot of time together, they would like to see the two of you get along. Get togethers can be hard when families don't get along well."

The use of the word "Family" wasn't lost on Harry. That was the second time today it had been used to describe Draco and himself and he pointed that out following Severus. "Does everyone know something I don't?" he queried as he plopped down on Severus's bed watching him change from his loose button down shirt into a finely knit cashmere jumper in a rich emerald green. Severus had always favoured this jumper as it was the exact shade of Harry's eyes. He paired this with a pair of black jeans, that hugged all the right places, and dragon hide boots. Harry watched Severus' nimble fingers as they brushed his hair back and tied it loosely with a piece of leather, remembering their kiss and how it had felt when he ran his ands through it, reminding him of the feel of corn silk and he wondering if the leather would keep it from flying free. Harry felt a flush quickly cover his entire body when he saw Severus in his boxer briefs. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was becoming aroused just being in the same room with the man.

Once he was dressed, Severus sat next to Harry on the bed and put his hand on Harry's thigh answering, "I can only speak for myself love, and no I don't know anything you don't. I'm just assuming that things will go well and progress between them and you'll end up as family."

Harry felt himself shiver at the word "love." He found he was beginning to really like hearing these pet names from Severus. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I'll apologize for reacting the way I did when I see him again."

Severus was proud of Harry for admitting this. He knew Harry would do the right thing once he thought over the situation.

Harry shifted slightly toward Severus, their knees touching and asked Severus, "Is being gay really so easily accepted?"

"Yes it really is. No one will think any less of you. Now being stuck with me…well that might raise a few eyebrows," Severus said with a chuckle.

"I'm learning that's not such a bad thing." Harry replied looking him straight in the eye as he started to lean forward.

Severus met Harry half way for what promised to be an incredibly passionate kiss. He ran his hand slowly up Harry's leg as his tongue stroked Harry's. Just as he reached the junction of Harry's leg and groin, the men heard a pop downstairs and figured their lunch guests had arrived. They broke their kiss and paused to catch their breath before getting up and heading for the stairs. As they left the sitting room, Harry reached for Severus' hand to maintain the contact. Sirius stepped out into the hallway, as they came off the last step, to let them know lunch was ready and stopped short at the sight of the men holding hands.

"Uh, lunch is ready." He stammered and promptly turned back into the kitchen.

Harry looked up at Severus, as if to ask about the man's reaction, only to have his joined hand put in front of his face. He smiled and blushed right up to his hairline and they separated as they walked into the kitchen to join everyone.

Severus greeted Lucius and the boys as everyone got seated. No one seemed surprised to see him so he assumed Sirius had told them he was here. He took his usually seat next to Harry at the table and waited to see what would happen now.

Lucius was dressed to the nines, as usual, in a hand tailored heather gray suit with deep red tie and pocket square. Draco and Blaise were both well appointed in black dress pants and blazers with sky blue and light pink shirts, respectively. Severus had no doubt they had both been asked to dress up by Lucius and that made him wonder what this lunch was really about.

Lunch progressed without much happening; lots of small talk and silverware clanking, awkward looks between people and everyone wondering what everyone else was thinking.

Toward the end, when it was obvious that everyone was done eating and just lingering, Lucius asked if he could have a tour of the house. Sirius smiled and said, "Harry, why don't you show Lucius around while we handle the cleanup."

"Um…okay I guess I can do that," Harry said looking at Severus for confidence. Severus smiled at him and firmly squeezed Harry's hand under the table in encouragement. He hadn't let that hand go since they had sat down and until now, it had been one of the best meals he had had. He knew something was up and that he'd find out what that was soon enough.

"Thank you Harry, I would appreciate that," Lucius replied. He grazed his hand over Sirius' cheek as he got up to leave the table. As they left the room, Lucius looked at Severus and began to doubt Sirius' explanation for the man being here. He had noticed the flushed faces when the two had walked into the brightly lit kitchen earlier. It also hadn't escaped his well trained eye that each man had only used one hand during lunch or that they both had small grins on their faces while they ate.

"So Harry, how are you feeling?" he probed.

"Better. Severus and Sirius have been very good about giving me my space to work things through in my mind. It helps knowing I won't be getting in trouble with the ministry."

"Yes, I imagine it does." Lucius said chuckling. The men had reached the Study and Lucius stopped Harry with a hand on his arm as Harry prepared to tell him about the room, and started, "Harry, I asked Sirius to have you give me a tour because I wanted to talk to you in private. I have actually seen this house many times. Would you sit with me for a minute?"

"Sure, was there something in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, your godfather."

"What about him?"

"Well, I'm assuming you know that he and I are lovers and had been when we were in school. I took a lot for granted then and gave up the best thing in my life to please my family. I regret having lost all those years with him, Harry. I truly love him and always have, but I don't regret the fact that because of what I did, I have Draco."

Harry waited to see if Lucius would continue. He could tell there was something more on the man's mind but didn't want to interrupt.

"Harry, I'm sorry about your mum and dad. I know that Sirius is your only family now and I hope you won't mind sharing him with me. I have no plans to leave him alone ever again." Lucius reached into his pocket a produced a small burgundy velvet box. He opened it and turned it toward Harry revealing a simple titanium band with a small garnet nestled at its center.

"I would like your permission to ask Sirius to, officially, marry me," Lucius continued looking from the ring to the stymied face belonging to his step-son.

"Why would you want or need my permission?"

"Because it's customary to ask the oldest, adult male of the family and as I can't ask Sirius without asking him, I'm asking you. Also, because I hope you will give us your blessing and be a part of our lives."

"How does Draco feel about this?" Harry wondered if Draco knew about this already. Maybe that's why Blaise was here, to keep Draco from making a scene.

"Draco does not know I'm going to ask Sirius. He thinks were still getting reacquainted and that we haven't talked seriously about our lives together. We were actually having that discussion when we got the information that you needed help. When I saw the passionate need he had to help and protect you, I again saw the man I had loved all these years and knew I needed him to be mine, permanently and publicly."

Harry sat and looked at the ring still before him and slowly reached up to touch it. He knew the second he touched it, feeling the protective and loving magic that flowed from it, that it was the right thing and that Lucius would make Sirius very happy. He looked Lucius in the eye and said, "You have my permission, blessing and best wishes…Please keep him happy."

Lucius' face broke with a large, full smile and he hugged the boy thanking him. "I promise I will."

The two men were welcomed back into the kitchen by the smell of fresh bakery and herbal tea. Harry immediately walked over to Severus and smiled at him to let him know everything was ok. He watched as Lucius approached Sirius hiding the box behind his back.

Lucius took Sirius' hand in his own and tugged him back over to his chair by the table. After Sirius sat down, Lucius moved behind the mans chair and turned to face the room, still holding Sirius' hand and said, "Family, there is something I want everyone here to know."

He looked down into the twinkling gray eyes of his love and began, "I love this man with everything I am and always have. I pushed aside my feelings years ago to do what my parents wanted, and while I got a beautiful son from the union," he paused to acknowledge Draco, "my heart was never in it."

"Right now, standing here with the people we most cherish," Lucius moved to the side of the chair and bent to one knee, "I would like to ask you, Sirius, to marry me and allow me to love and protect your heart for eternity?"

Severus couldn't help but be touched by the display and a little surprise that he appeared to be included in the family. Without any thought for what those in the room might think, he reached over and took Harry's hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of the boys' hand. Harry squeezed the warm hand back and realized his palm was sweating and he was shaking with joy for his god father.

Sirius looked over at the boy to see how he was taking this and saw a smile on his face and tears running down his face. He tipped his head toward Harry as if to ask if it was ok. Harry nodded back and gripped his and Severus joined hand with his free hand pulling them in close to his stomach.

Sirius looked at Lucius and replied, "My heart is yours and it has always been. And so am I." Lucius slipped the band on Sirius' finger and the men stood up and embraced. The room watched on, as slowly they began a passionate kiss that all the men gathered there felt in their bones.

Harry's shaking increased as he tried not to cry out loud and Severus quietly slipped them out of the room as Draco and Blaise tried to make themselves busy with anything that took them from the room. Though Draco wouldn't admit it now, he was truly touched by the openness his father had displayed and wondered when the best time would be to announce his engagement. He suddenly felt as though he should include the gathered men in their happy news.

When they got up to their sitting room, Severus placed his hands around Harry's facing cupping it and tilting it up toward his. "What's wrong dear," he inquired sweetly. "Are you not okay with this?"

Harry tried to get his breathing under control and allow his emotions to take over. As he looked into Severus' eyes, he felt as though someone had opened a window and his panic, fear and worry all blew out with the wind. He suddenly found his calm and centered himself, "I'm great with this. Lucius meant what he said and I know it."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I just wondered if you…if I…" stammering, not sure how to say what he wanted, "I just wondered if that is how it would be for us one day. Will we get past the awkwardness of now and get to the passion or will we always be hiding and a little mistrusting of each other."

"Wow, you don't ever just think simply do you." he laughed. "Harry, not everyone feels the overwhelming passion we saw down there, but I believe that we have already begun to find our version of it. Rest assured." As he placed his lips on the Harry's he knew what he had said was right. They would get to a place of love and comfort with each other and passion would follow.