Disclaimer: No. I don't own anything. They are owned by JKR.
Pairing: HP/SS with hints of SB/RL, HG/BW, and others.
Warning: this is SLASH! Contains male/male relationship! If this is not your cup of tea, feel free to leave. Any flame because this is HP/SS pairing will be used to warm Sev and Harry's room.
Summary: After the war is over, Harry and Severus must find way to save their marriage.
Happily Ever After?
Chapter 1: Wrong Decision?
…and they live happily ever after.
Reading the most common used last line, Harry threw the paperback romance novel unceremoniously over the table. "Since when do you read those kinds of crap, Hermione? I thought you only read textbooks and scientific journals."
Hermione raised her eyebrows at her best friend's sarcastic remark. It didn't take a Trelawney, or Lavender who had replaced her position ever since the former Professor died in heart attack after an accidental encounter with Snuffles, to guess what had caused Harry's sour mood.
"So what's the matter now? Been fighting over who will do the laundry? Or the No-sex-until-the-potion-is-ready again? Or perhaps both of you can't decide whether you'll decorate your bedroom in green or red?"
Harry scowled.
"You do that again, Harry, and everyone will see that yours and Severus's love is NOT based on an opposite attraction."
"Huh?" Harry blinked dazedly over Hermione's supposed insult. His mind was still rather foggy after a full bottle of Fire whiskey he just drugged himself with.
"Never mind."
Harry nodded and reclined back to the couch. He had had another argument, with Severus, his husband, his bond-mate, his lover, his still-nasty Potion Master, the one he desired most, the one he had pledged to spend eternity with, his companion who gave him countless of headache and heartache without the Healing Potion he so skillfully brewed.
Harry began to feel an attraction to his cruel greasy Potion Master when the hormones started to kick in. Combined with his profound need for love and the fact that he practically did not meet any single soul but Snape throughout his summer holidays, he could not resist Snape and fell in love.
His seventh year in Hogwarts was filled with nearly-maddening obsession for Snape. Hell, he even spent his weekends studying Potion, hoping that Snape would notice that Harry could brew potions better than Draco. He wouldn't let the pale Slytherin to win Snape's favor. No one could win Snape's favor but him! And if he had to spend all his free time on dusty boring Potion texts in library, so be it.
At first, nothing changed. Snape was still his usual self, a natural enemy to Gryffindors, particularly to the Boy-Who-Was-More-Famous-Than-Lockhart, and an answered prayer to the Slytherins. He continued to sneer and insult Harry as usual. But with opposite effect. Harry fell deeper and deeper in love with Snape, who he deemed the sole person on Earth who saw him past the scar and his unwanted fame. He stubbornly came to Snape despite his sarcastic attitudes and harshness, convincing Snape that he too, was able to saw Snape past his previous mistakes.
Snape wasn't impressed at all.
Only when Harry took the Cruciatus curse that was meant for him, and nearly died because of it, Snape realized that Harry did not merely toy with his feeling.
And thus they both fell deeper into the web of love.
How could they not? Both of them craved for love and companionship. Both had grown up in less than supportive family, being shunned for what they are, receiving only false love and adoration. Both of them faced mortal dangers each passing minute for their role in the War; Harry, for being the utmost target of Voldemort, Snape, for being a spy. No one knew how long they would live. The fear and tension of such constant danger were feelings they could only share with each other.
And thus, a week after Voldemort's defeat, the Boy-Who-Defeat-Voldemort-twice and the ex Death Eater announced their bonding.
The bonding was done while they made love. It was not their first, and definitely not the last. But both of them were so deeply in love, and so afraid that they would be separated again now that they couldn't find excuses to work together anymore. Much more, Harry was terrified that the Ministry would hurt his lover and took him to Azkaban. His bond with the Harry would assure that no one dare to hurt him, because the nature of the bond would ensure that his bond-mate, Boy-Who-Is-Worshipped-by-Public, would experience the same damage. Surely, no one wanted to risk anger from the whole Wizarding world. And so they exchanged vows and family's bonding bracelet, much to the chagrin of the Wizarding World.
Their marriage was fantastic at first. The sex was terrific as always; passionate, fiery, all-consuming, fulfilling, and the union of their soul eased the pain that was caused by cruelty of war. Of course, many people objected: Ron, Hermione, Molly, Sirius, even Albus, to everyone's surprise. The bonding could not be annulled by a third party, so they tried to persuade Harry to do it; after all, Snape was a lot older than him, and not an easy person. Harry threatened to exile himself and his husband to Muggle world should any of them continued to persuade them to divorce. A word of warning in the front page of Daily Prophet ensured that no one dared to invade his privacy either. After all, his power did destroy the most powerful Dark Wizard in the century.
Besides, the more oppositions you get, the more you determined to prove that they are wrong.
But relationship in times of danger and difficulties is pretty much different when all things were normal. It is easier to die for a person than to live with someone, especially when the persons are Severus Snape, the sarcastic cynical bastard, and Harry Potter, with all his emotional baggage.
They fought. And fought and fought. First, the fighting and disagreements didn't seem like a problem. They even enjoyed the heating squabbles, which often followed by great sex. Yet, times went on, and they reluctantly admit that sex wasn't the answer to every problem they had.
Damn him! Harry punched the couch with his fist, feeling frustrated and angry. He knew that the reason for their thousandth fight this time was a bit childish: Snape has overworked and totally forgot their second anniversary. And when Harry confronted him, the situation was heat up by Snape's unwillingness to acknowledge the importance of this event, that anniversaries and Valentines, and all sort of romanticized events were nothing but a girly immature obsession.
Of course, Harry was extremely angry; their marriage was the best thing that was happened in his life and Severus degraded the memory of it. Storming out of their apartment, he went to Leaky Cauldron, downed a bottle of Firewhiskey and was found by Hermione Granger-Weasley ( once a feminist, always a feminist) who dragged him to her house and threw away the second bottle of Firewhiskey he had just bought.
Hermione sighed. She never doubted that Harry loved Snape and vice versa. But like Muggle's song said "sometimes love just ain't enough". She knew it all too well. Breaking up with Ron was the hardest thing she had ever gone through, even harder than loosing her parents to the battle. But they had no choice; they could not work it out. Now they were both happily married; Hermione with Bill and Ron with Hannah Abbot.
"Harry…," she said carefully. Bringing up his marriage was never been a good idea, but as a good friend, she felt compelled to do so.
"Don't say "I've told you so"! Just don't!"
"It's not what I am going to say," said Hermione indignantly. "I just want to say that just because Snape was not the most understanding person in the world, as we always aware of, doesn't mean he doesn't love you."
"I am sorry. I am sorry, 'Mione. I know that, it's just that…that we have been fighting constantly for a year. We are so different. We try to work it out, we did try, but it seems to be useless. We end up hurting each other more."
"I know. Don't forget that I am the unlucky marriage counselor every time you fight."
Harry smiled. Hermione was the only person he could talk to about his problem with Severus. She was the most rational, accepting, and understanding about Harry's marriage and the most available too. Sirius and Remus were married and moved to America (people here never overcame their prejudice over werewolves), and Ron was just too busy with his work as an Auror. Besides, Harry bet with every Knut, Sickle and Galleon in his vault that Sirius and Ron would just persuade him to divorce Severus with the smug "I told you so" expression on their face. Harry hated that.
Besides, he loved Severus with his life and did not want to loose him.
If he could help it.
"Come on, Harry. You have been brooding for hours. Go to sleep, Winky has prepared the guest room for you." Hermione had never given up on her SPEW obsession, and as a result, she made herself a model of "How to treat a house-elf civilly." Winky not just get payment and holidays, but also her own room, health insurance, retirement plan, bonuses, and a cabinet full of clothes. But no Butterbeer.
Harry did not object and followed Hermione to the guest room that was falsely named. It should be Harry's second room, considering the amount of times he spent there when he was fighting with Severus. This time, it would not be any different. Harry would wake up in the morning, go back to his apartment, have a violent sex, and forgot the incident.
Everything would be fine, wouldn't it?
***********
Author's Note: I have been writing fanfictions in different fandom for a year, and this is my first HP fic. HP/SS, SB/RL and SB/SS are the pairings I love most. I've read many HP/SS of how they work out their relationship without effort, as if it's the most natural thing in the world: a guy married to another guy who is old enough to be his father, who is his former nemesis, and live happily ever after. In this story, I am trying to portray a realistic dynamic of their interaction. I don't know how good I am in doing it, since I am a girl, het, and never met such complicated characters as these two in a relationship. I would appreciate it if you tell me what you think of this story.
Oh yes, I am not an English native speaker and I always have a need for beta reader. If any of you feels interested, please contact me through email or leave your email in the review and I'll contact you.