Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.

Note: Thanks for the reviews. I am so glad that everybody liked my reactions and the explanation that I gave. So here is the next chapter. It takes place directly after the last one, so let's begin.

Thoughts kept running through his head, feelings resurfacing that Harry had thought he had buried years ago. Fear kept choking him, making him nauseous and unable to sleep. But he knew better then to turn and toss around, careful of waking his bed occupant. If Harry hadn't been so occupied with his own thoughts, he would have heard the absence of even breathing that would have assured him that Severus was sleeping.

He slept with his back touching the broad back of his lover, Severus stretched out on his side as Harry lay curled up as he had done so many times in his cupboard, legs drawn up to his chest.

The blankets provided little warmth from his chilly thoughts and not even the arms that had held him throughout all the evening and had finally tucked him in could draw him away from those memories which kept resurfacing. Harry longed to turn around and cuddle in Severus' arms but he didn't want to deprive the older wizard of his sleep. Finally, he made a decision and he slowly got up and out of the bed, slipping out of the room and into the sitting area on the way to the kitchen.

Sleep would elude him, but Harry could do without a night of sleep. He was tired, his body achy, but his mind wouldn't leave him alone. He knew that if he closed his eyes he would have terrible dreams and he would wake up screaming, he didn't wish to do that to Severus.

Slowly he raised his wand, aiming it at the fireplace and allowing the flames to build up to the right wand as he summoned the kettle, settling it over the flames and placing the teabag in it, allowing the water to rise on its own time.

Harry drew Severus' chair closer to the fire. He needed the simple comfort of the older wizard's scent now, even when he had spent most of the time in Severus' arms in the evening, but he had hardly been aware of that. He just rested back when exceptionally cool hands gently began to cascade through his hair, slowly pulling at certain longer locks as Harry relaxed.

"Did I wake you?" Harry merely muttered, watching the flames as the other hand began to shift through his hair as well. Severus was silent, merely busying himself by massaging Harry's skull before the older wizard heaved a big sigh and answered.

"No, I did not sleep therefore you could not wake me."

Harry tossed his head back so that he could look at Severus, the older wizard was patiently glancing down at him, dark eyes concerned and the harsh looking face open. Harry suddenly felt years older, or years younger, depending on how you looked at it really.

"I wasn't aware of the fact that you weren't asleep." He confessed softly, shifting slightly so Severus could sit down as well. He tugged at the pale arm until the taller wizard finally relented and walked around the chair to sit down, Harry soon shifting onto the armrest with his bare feet resting on the dark slacks that Severus wore. The warmth of Severus' bare arm seeped into Harry's chilled feet as Harry watched the kettle.

"You are making tea, brat?" Severus inquired after a moment, following Harry's gaze. His husband only nodded, perched as he was on the armrest of their chair.

Harry frowned, and asked, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Severus lifted his eyebrows, puzzled at the sudden turn, but it had been something Harry had been wondering about for quite some time. It seemed easier to focus on such a thing, rather than the heavy thoughts which had been crossing his mind since last evening and the disastrous visit with the Dursleys. Harry shuddered uncomfortably at the memory.

"Call me brat. You bestowed the nickname upon me when we first got…uhm…together. I mean, not that I mind, but it is just… kind of weird because there were nicer nicknames out there which you could have chosen instead." Hesitant green eyes locked with the black ones and Severus moved his arm to drape it over Harry's knee, contemplating the younger wizard.

He had been surprised by Harry's question but he knew the younger wizard was merely asking to delay the inevitable. They needed to talk about Harry's reaction to the Dursleys. Severus needed to know and he needed to make Harry understand that such reactions were perfectly normal for a wizard who had seen as much as Harry had.

"I am not a nice person, Harry. I don't need the whole wizarding world knowing of my affections for you and I want to make sure to give you a name you will answer to when I call you that. To make you weak in the knees and such foolish things. 'My love' will hardly be sufficient since Mrs Weasley calls you that as well. I don't want to remind you of her when I call you that…"

"You only called me 'my love' once. During our wedding day…Besides you will never remind me of Mrs Weasley when you call me that. It has a certain…." Harry was grinning now and Severus growled low, recognizing what Harry might say.

"Potter, don't say it!"

"…sweet ring to it." Harry finished with a smirk and Severus groaned.

"I am not sweet, Potter!"

"No, you are right. You are highly seductive when you call me brat in that dark velvet like voice of yours." Harry sat up suddenly, green eyes searching Severus' face as the older wizard reached out with one hand to brush Harry's cheek, thumb arching over the younger male's cheekbone. As a gentle expression twisted the harsh features into the true age of Severus Harry gasped.

"This is not the time, my pet. We have to talk about certain things. There are certain things I must make you understand and I will not brook any other subject until we have thoroughly chewed this subject out." Severus' dark eyes were fixed upon Harry and finally Harry nodded. Severus took a deep breath before he continued, eyes still fixed upon Harry. "Harry, we have to talk about your reaction to the Dursleys…."

"Forget it! It was stupid of me to react this way…" Harry hastily cut in but Severus held up a slim, pale hand, cutting Harry off as the keen black eyes noticed how the younger wizard chewed his bottom lip apprehensively.

"Harry, your reaction was actually perfectly normal for a change. Sometimes a mere reminder of a dreadful and often traumatic event can send us back to those feelings of that time. I didn't anticipate that they could be in London…." Severus sighed as he watched Harry looked at him before his young husband said.

"I thought that I would be alright, but the moment I saw Uncle Vernon I…I felt the same way that I did all those years ago. All he has to do is to look at me and I step back in fear…" Harry shuddered at the memory, green eyes sparkling with pain and tears and Severus longed to erase them all.

How stupid and blind he had been for all those years. He ran a weary hand over his face and through his hair. What he had assumed had been arrogance had, in fact, been carefully hidden signs of abuse. He, of all people should have seen it. How and why Harry had been unable to protect himself against such behaviour, the heavens knew. The boy was powerful enough though, that had become clear in Severus' mind when they had encountered the Dursleys yesterday. The fear in the green eyes of his beloved, not to mention his own past, had prompted him forwards when he had stepped between Harry and Vernon.

His temper, short at best, had simply exploded as he began to realize the huge mistake he had made when he had seen the massive pain Dumbledore had caused Harry. Dumbledore had mistreated Harry just as surely as Severus had. The only difference was that Severus had refused to see what should have been clear from the very beginning, and Dumbledore had known what the Dursleys had been doing to Lily's son.

He felt a new surge of hate for the old Headmaster. Dumbledore had abused the younger wizard's affections for him and had manipulated him, using the fragile trust and love the younger male had developed over the year in the care of his friends to make him do something no child, Chosen One or not and damn prophecy or not, should ever had to do or endure.

It was no wonder that Harry didn't know what it meant to let go. In the past few years, the young wizard had lost so much, so many things he barely even had. Sirius Black, the former bane of Severus' existence and Harry's godfather, dead even before Harry had been given a chance to form a lasting relationship with him. Remus Lupin, due to the werewolf laws, had been unable to take care of Harry properly as it was supposed to be and now he was gone. The Weasleys also Harry had lost, when they had reacted out of fear and disgust when Harry had told them that he had chosen Severus. This had wounded Harry beyond anything else. He had hoped that those he considered family would react well to the news and, when they did not, questioned him harshly about any decision Harry had made.

They had come around eventually but Severus was not the kind of person to simply forgive them at the first opportunity. Still to this day the youngest and only daughter refused to speak to Harry, and Severus could sometimes see the look of wishful thinking as Harry caught sight of Ginny Weasley, which no doubt was giving him trouble in class.

Instead of acting on his power of authority as a teacher, Severus refused to give in. Harry needed to learn that he was not responsible for other people's happiness and he should be able to make his own decisions without the whole wizarding world falling over it. Severus had watched Harry struggle in the past few weeks and he regretted not being able to help his beloved. He sighed, it was all in the past now, and ran his hand once more through his hair. He refocused his attention on Harry.

"I shouldn't be able to feel this way, Severus. I defeated one of the darkest wizard's of all time and all Uncle Vernon has to do is to say something to me and I feel like a quivering ten year old." Harry spat out the words, angrily wiping at the tears.

"Harry, I don't honestly know how you managed to survive all those years but I know for sure that your uncle and aunt feared you. They fear magic. I know what is it like to fear your family, my….father did the same thing to me until I got my wand. I never feared my father again after that, for I knew that I was stronger than him and that I could defend myself. He had already beaten the magic out of my mother and she had never defended herself, I never knew why." Severus could see the widening of green eyes and he knew that Harry hadn't thought of the memories he had seen in their fifth year lesson.

"I didn't realize…" Harry begun, shaking his head to try and clear himself of the confused feelings.

"I didn't want you to, but just as surely, I hadn't realized what was going in on your home. If I had, you would have been out of there much sooner, blood wards or not." Severus' fingers came to rest upon Harry's trembling knee and Harry lower lip began to tremble as well. The hesitant green eyes rose to meet the black one as Severus prompted Harry to speak, which the younger wizard finally did.

"When I was a child, I always hoped that somebody would come and get me out of there. Somebody who cared for me, but nobody ever came. Not even one letter explaining what I did when I accidentally used magic. Finally in the summer as I turned eleven, letters came but I wasn't allowed to read them. Then Hagrid came, that was one of the best birthdays ever. And then, when I arrived here at Hogwarts, people looked up to me for something I don't even remember doing. Even you hated me, for reasons I never really understood, but nobody wanted to explain anything to me. They don't like to talk about my parents and people don't like me because I have wounded their families because I defeated Voldemort…It is confusing and then people ask how I turned out the way I did…" Harry bit out sharply.

"Ah but there are some choices in that as well, Harry. I am not saying that I should have treated you the way I did, but I was wrong and I admit it, only to you, mind you, but I admit it. Somebody should have seen the signs earlier and gotten you out of there, but the damage is already done. All we can do now, really, is work on it." Severus' thumb shifted over the fabric of Harry's pyjama trousers and the younger wizard frowned.

"Don't worry so. I am not going to harm you. Do you trust my word so little, my pet, that you frown so?" Severus leaned in closer, his breathing playing across Harry's lips.

"No, it is not that. I know that you won't harm me but is just a thought that has crossed my mind. Nobody ever owned me, you know…." At seeing the suddenly closed expression on Severus' face, Harry grew alarmed and, as the older wizard drew back slightly, Harry placed a hand on Severus' bare arm to stop him.

"Let me explain, Severus, before you become angry. You call me yours, and you are the only one to ever do so. It is flattering really, because you have always been truthful with me, however hurtful or harsh that truth might have been. You are also the dominant male in this relationship." Harry leaned against the warmth that Severus offered, even as the man frowned at him, unsure of what to say, as Harry yawned and finally concluded. "Severus, it is a good thing. I realized that I like having a person who takes charge and who can take care of me."

Harry didn't care that he was rambling as he yawned again and lowered himself into Severus' lap, softly saying. "Thank you for standing up for me yesterday. I now know that I shall never anger you again." He laughed softly, rubbing at his eyes and upsetting his glasses.

He could feel the fear evaporating as he spoke to Severus. The long hand gently began to cascade through his hair again, and Harry felt his head rise each time Severus took a breath where it lay against the older wizard's chest. This conversation had proven to Harry that he could trust the older wizard. He could say things to Severus without making him angry; being honest with the person he loved most in the world.

He could feel himself drifting off, only grunting at Severus' words that they should retire to bed only to suddenly find himself hanging in mid air. He looked down at Severus, who sneered at him as the older wizard floated Harry into the bedroom and undid the spell, causing Harry to crumple in an undignified heap on the bed. The younger wizard merely turned around and crawled underneath the covers, falling asleep the moment Severus slid in next to him and was oblivious until morning.

Harry's mood was light all throughout breakfast, ignoring the glances he received from the students with a bit of help from Severus. The older wizard seemed to break every one of his own rules by ruffling Harry's hair and chatting with him, murmuring low commentary under his breath, which sometimes nearly caused Harry to spew his food across the table.

This didn't go unnoticed by the students either and some actually gaped at them. Harry could see the angry brown eyes narrow as Ginny's eyes passed over him and he felt something tightening within him. Ginny had been a nuisance since the start of term, barely listening to his lectures, and Harry was getting fed up with it.

She looked him in the eye and then the next moment she bent her head low to whisper to another seventh year Gryffindor who glanced up at Harry as well. Severus noticed him stiffen, for the next moment the long fingers curled underneath his chin and his head was turned back to Severus to meet the smug look on Severus' face. It was a look which put Harry immediately on guard as he swallowed thickly and, had he looked behind him, he would have seen the wink that Severus received from the headmistress as she sipped her coffee innocently. Severus' dark eyes twinkled dangerously before he closed the distance between them, breaking all of his laws in one fluent movement as he captured Harry's lips.

After some careful probing Harry opened his mouth, feeling Severus' tongue slid in expertly. He was so caught off guard that he barely responded until he moaned hungrily into Severus' devouring mouth, until the headmistress coughed elegantly and Severus drew back, fingers still keeping Harry's chin steady. The DADA professor needed a long moment to catch his breath before shyly grinning up at Severus who merely raised an eyebrow in smooth response, before going back to his breakfast as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened and that he hadn't just kissed his husband senseless, much to the amusement of some of the students.

The students for their part were divided. Some were chuckling softly at seeing the dazed blush that crept up the youngest Professor's cheeks. The most part were gaping like fish however, too amazed by the sudden change in their normally sour Potions Master, who never had done anything like this or at least it was rumoured to be. Those were the same students who hadn't cared what had been written in the papers and were now seeing the pure display of the love between the two Professors, it left some students shocked while they had known that their two teachers had been married.

Some, such as Ginny Weasley were whispering loudly, expressing their anger but Harry didn't listen. He steeled himself: one toe out of line and he would use his new title to his advantage.

He rose carefully, still a bit flustered from their kiss even as Severus paid no attention to him only when he was halfway out of his chair was he yanked back as Severus whispered. "Stand up for yourself, Potter. Enough is enough!"

Harry could only nod and then he was out of the Great Hall and in his classroom, having some quite moments to steel himself for the first class of the day, seventh year Gryffindor.

The sudden loud voices of the students as they entered his classroom and most of them greeting him friendly, some of the tension disappearing that had been hanging around the classroom since the beginning of term.

"Good morning class, we will begin this morning with the discussion of the defence against vampires…" Harry greeted his class with a smile and turned to tap his wand at the blackboard so the writing appeared on it. "Open your books at page 345 if you would…."

Loud talking at the back of the class distracted him and Harry turned, as did many of the students. Familiar red hair swayed as Ginny spoke loudly with her neighbour who was trying to keep her voice down and Harry bit back an angry sigh. He remembered Severus words from earlier and stood up straight, calling out. "Miss Weasley, anything you would like to share with the class?"

He had expected her to grin at him and then continue chatting until he sent her out of the classroom, but instead she turned to him for barely a second and said before resuming chatting. "Yes, professor, actually I do."

Harry felt his frustration peek and he crossed his arms over his chest, wand in hand as he said, "Well go ahead then. I am waiting…"

"Oh am I wasting your precious time that you would rather spend with your lover? Cuddling and snogging in the Great Hall? I have never seen anything so disgusting!" She spat out, angrily rising.

"Then you surely must have had your eyes shut in the Final Battle then, because I can point out a thousand different things that were more disgusting then me kissing Professor Snape. Or perhaps you don't like me kissing somebody else? Is that what this is about perhaps, Ginny?" Harry was at the end of his patience as he tapped his wand against his thigh and dropped his arms back to his side.

Ginny flushed a pale red for a moment but Harry didn't feel any satisfaction. He would be careful in guarding his tongue. It wouldn't do him any good if he lost his temper with her. "You betrayed me, Harry. You were supposed to marry me and instead you marry that….that…that…." Ginny burst into tears, unable to say anything as she sobbed with her arms in front of her face.

"Miss Noors, would you kindly escort Miss Weasley up to the Healing Wing? Inform her that this will not be the last conversation to be had about this." Harry could feel his anger rising, but it would do him no good to take it out on Ginny now, not when she was so emotional.

He dismissed the girls with a wave of his hand and ran a hand through his hair before smiling at the class to continue teaching, the rest of the day passing uneventful.

Before dinner Harry slipped into his quarters for a moment of peace, frowning when he found Severus waiting for him. He placed a quick kiss on the older man's cheek, frowning as Severus' arms were soon wrapped around him as the older wizard embraced him. "I heard about Miss Weasley's breakdown in your class today. I must congratulate you, my brat, on doing such a fantastic job. You have just survived your first student breakdown."

"It doesn't feel very amazing, Severus." Harry confessed.

"You must remember that Miss Weasley lost her brother recently and she is still recovering from the war, as are most students. It surprised me that she has lasted this long, that most students have lasted this long. Madam Pomfrey knows what to expect so you don't need to worry. Everything will be alright." Severus' voice was low and reassuring, easing Harry's nerves.

"Shall we go to dinner?" He asked, lifting his head to look at the black eyes.

"Actually no, we are going to have our dinner here and then I am going to enjoy a nice long hot bath with you, mister Potter Snape. I would like to finish what we started this morning at breakfast and I think that we will benefit from it greatly, much for the good of the students of course. They benefit so from healthy, happy professors after all." The dark voice was filled with amusement and Harry smiled.

"Of course they do. Everything is for the good of the students… So it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you want to see me naked?"

"Nothing what so ever. Nor has it got anything to do with the fact that no matter how delicious your arse might be, I might be persuaded to allow you to be on top for once. Only once mind you, I am still the dominant male after all." The low voice filled Harry up and before he knew it, he had dragged Severus to the bathroom, shedding clothes as they went and both students and professors did indeed benefit greatly from the new healthy and happy Potions Master and DADA professor.

I hope you liked it. I need some ideas for the next chapter. It might be about the end of the probation period so post what you want to see. Review of course.