A/N I apologise for the delay in posting, but life and headaches happened. Updates this week will be today, Thursday and Saturday.

Severus woke up the following morning and looked across to find Harry still sleeping, carefully leaning across, he kissed Harry on the forehead and slowly got out of bed, putting on a robe and fastening it as he walked from the bedroom.

Hermione had just made a cup of coffee and turned around and squealed.

'Come now Miss Granger, surely my face isn't that scary?'

'Well no Severus but when you appear in my fire when I wasn't expecting you. What's wrong?'

'Harry, since we came back from our weekend away two days ago he has been quiet, withdrawn, keeps looking at me as though expecting something bad to happen, what is going on?'

Hermione sighed as she sat down. 'You had a six week contract to go on dates, see how you are with each other, you are yet to consummate the bond. Harry is insecure, he has been hurt and used by people he thought he could trust'

'He thinks I will leave him now the six week contract is up? I don't like what I see so I will deny him as my mate?'

'Yes'

Severus nodded. 'Thank you for telling me Miss Granger'

'Call me Hermione' Hermione said, but it was too late, Severus had gone from the fire.

Once Severus dressed, he left the cottage and went to Gringotts bank. 'I wish to enter my vault' he stated to a goblin.

Harry woke up and stretching over he felt not only was Severus' side of the bed empty, it was also cold, lifting his head up he called out, 'Severus?'

When he was met with silence, Harry got out of bed and taking care of his morning routine in the en suite, he went padding through the cottage. 'Severus?' he called out again.

'Master Harry be waking up! Can Kreacher be doing anything for Master Harry?'

'Do you know where Severus is?'

'Master Severus left earlier after talking with someone via floo'

'Did you manage to catch any of the conversation?'

'Kreacher be only hearing something about leaving now six week contract is up. Kreacher be only hearing bits as Kreacher been busy still getting everything feeling like home here now. Will Master Harry been wanting breakfast?'

'No, all of a sudden I am not hungry, thank you Kreacher'

Harry hadn't seen Severus all day! He had sent him a patronus but all he got back was he would be back this evening just sitting and thinking, first he was upset, then scared and worried and then confused, if Severus was leaving him then why buy this cottage? Now that was something Harry wanted the answer to.

Kreacher appeared at the side of Harry. 'Kreacher be sorry for doing this but Kreacher be having his orders'

Harry frowned. 'Orders?' he asked before Kreacher took hold of him and vanished with a pop.

Harry looked around and saw that Kreacher had brought him to the roof of the cottage. 'Kreacher, why have you brought me up here? It is now dark I could fall!'

'Kreacher been told to bring Master Harry up here and that you are to stay here and watch'

'Watch what?'

Instead of answering, Kreacher disappeared with a pop.

Harry was looking around and after a few minutes he was going to shout to Kreacher but then a figure walking into the back garden caught his eye, it was Severus. Sitting as best as he could on the roof, he watched Severus.

Severus walked outside and turning in a circle he managed to see Harry on the roof without actually tilting his head up, waving his wand, the lights in their back garden lit up so Harry could see their garden lit up but couldn't quiet see what Severus was doing, he waved his wand so all the grass was cut short and all neat before taking a bag from his pocket and enlarging it.

Harry pulled his knees up and rested his arms on his knees as Severus enlarged a bag and started walk in a pattern, walking back and forth. Severus had lit the lights but all it did was outline the edge of the garden, he watched as Severus then started to move up and down and side to side, his arm waving back and forth and round and round.

Once Severus finished he looked up at Harry. 'Nearly done Harry' he called out. Walking to the back door, Severus thanked Kreacher who had just placed down the last box. Waving his wand, one by one, the lids of the boxes opened.

Severus apparated next to Harry and kissed him. 'I have been waiting all day for that' he said, smiling at Harry.

'Where have you been today Severus?'

'I have been sorting something out. Our contract has finished. I don't want to leave you Harry, leaving you would be like my heart being ripped out, I was speaking to Hermione this morning and I guessed it when she told me certain things,'

'Kreacher heard bits of your conversation'

'Hearing bits of one and not hearing the whole thing have people jump to the worse conclusions, now I said to Hermione 'He thinks I will leave him now the six week contract is up? I don't like what I see so I will deny him as my mate?' Now I bet Kreacher only heard about leaving you now contract is up'

'Yes' Harry answered quietly.

'Harry I have been out all day sorting a surprise out for you'

'What kind of surprise?'

'Look at the garden'

Harry looked and gasped. 'Are those fireflies?'

'They are'

Down in the back garden, the fireflies were in the shape of a heart with the letters 'H' and 'S' inside it and underneath was the question. 'Will you marry me?'

Harry turned back to look at Severus. 'Really?'

Severus took out of his pocket, two binding rings he got from his vault and presented them to Harry. 'I love you Harry, with every fiber of my being, will you marry me? Bond with me, consummate, and join together for the rest of our lives?'

Harry choked out a laugh. 'Yes!' he laughed and forgetting they were on a roof, jumped on Severus who apparated them onto the grass below.

'Sorry', Harry giggled 'forgot we were on the roof for a minute'

'I noticed', Severus said with an amused gleam in his eye

Leaving his mates arms, Harry walked over to the heart shape and gently ran his hand over one of the top curves, the lights danced through his fingers, his heart was close to leaping right from his chest, everything he had ever dreamed of was his for the taking, someone loved and cherished him without condition, something he had never been the recipient of growing up. Tears sprang in his eyes and he roughly wiped them away.

'Harry?' Severus asked gently, coming to his elf's side

'I'm fine Sev', Harry sniffled 'these are happy tears, never thought I would have anything like this, my whole life people have always seemed to want something from me in return for their love and affection'

'Harry I promise you that I will love you unconditionally while we are on this earth and into the hereafter, being Elves means we live for an incredibly long time', Severus said reverently 'There is one or two things I would like from you, but nothing that can't be returned in kind'

'Is there just?' Harry asked noting the wicked glint in his mate's eyes

'Yes my Elf, very pleasurable things indeed' Severus purred

'I suppose I can make an exception then', Harry grinned

'You will not be disappointed Mr. Potter', Severus growled low in his throat

Harry found Severus in his lab the next day and waited until the Potions Master had finished what he was doing before speaking.

'Sev can I talk to you for a minute?' Harry asked

'Of course my elf', Severus smiled

'Umm, I was reading in the book Mione gave me about, bonding and consummating those bonds, most of it was very in depth, but there was one bit that said people like us wait until they are bonded through marriage before taking the next step. I also read that doing it this way can help when it comes to conceiving a child', Harry blushed slightly, but composed himself before continuing on.

'There is also an Elvin blessing from the first High King and Queen Elves, that can be read out during the ceremony, after that our creature will become one with us, we will no longer be two different people, we'll even look different, and when we consummate the bond, the book said our hearts will beat as one, I don't know if it's something you would like to do?'

'It all sounds wonderful Harry, perhaps you can show me the passage and we can read it together, there might be more we don't know about yet' Severus said warmly 'anything you want my elf'

'You wouldn't mind?' Harry asked

'Not at all, as long as I have you I am a happy man' Severus kissed Harry softly

'Mmm' Harry hummed as Severus deepened the kiss, the elf melting into his lover's arms

'I quite agree' Severus murmured, breaking the kiss to allow air into his lungs, relishing in the flushed face of his little elf 'Lets go and read that book' before I rip your clothes off and consummate the bond right here in my lab he thought, willing his madly beating heart to slow.

Severus wrapped his arm around Harry's waist as the young elf snuggled into his side he fit perfectly as though he was always meant to be by the older mans side. Harry flicked through the pages, stopping when he came to the passage he'd been reading earlier that day.

'This is where I left off', Harry told Severus pointing to the end of a passage.

The Slytherin skimmed over the next paragraph absorbing every molecule of information as he went, Harry had been correct when he'd said it was in depth, but years of reading scrolls and marking students work had taught the Professor to pick out the important bits and leave the rest.

'Would you like to wear the traditional bonding robes?' he asked his elf

'Yeah' Harry said a grin forming on his face 'where will we get them?'

'I happen to know that Madame Malkin makes these particular robes and has done so in the past' Severus replied perhaps we can go into Diagon Alley and get fitted for them later today or tomorrow?'

'Sounds good', Harry fidgeted uncomfortably as he recalled the last trip into the magical alley and the swarm of fans and well wishers that had surrounded him soon as he feet touched the ground. He still had bruises from where wandering hands had latched on. 'Sev would you mind terribly if Madame Malkin came here?' Harry asked quietly, and then proceeded to tell him about the events before.

'I can call and ask her to come here Harry that's no problem, she has a private floo at the back of the shop I am sure she would let us use that, should we go in there, no one will even know we are there' Severus suggested

'I know it seems silly and the hype will eventually die down, but I can't stand all those people milling around firing question after question at me' Harry confessed

'I understand, and will ask Madame Malkin to come here' Severus assured his mate 'Harry always remember that no matter where we are or where we may go I will protect you from any harm'

'I know you will Sev Elf and I love you all the more for it' Harry smiled

'And I you my little elf' Severus whispered kissing Harry's temple

When Kreacher came to tell his Masters afternoon tea was ready, the old Elf found them on the sofa in the library fast asleep in one and another's arms.

It did his heart good to see both his Masters happy and content with that thought in mind he left them, and went to cast some charms over the tea, so it would be ready when they woke.