WOW!!! I got loads of reviews!!! *does the happy dance*

Thank you so much: Mara-Jade-Potter (great review,as always), Corgi1, REW, asdf, Ookami Kage, yue, Cliffe (I'm glad I've redeemed myself, hehe), Jasey, idril.tinuviel, Pilas, toamanda, MoonysGurl, velda, tina, sassygirl, and Ariestar.

The more reviews I get, the more incentive I have to keep writing, which is precisely why I'm posting another chapter just 3 days after posting the previous one.

AN: This chapter just happened. I didn't plan it this way at all. I have an outline for the story and I'm trying to write according to it, but this particular chapter took me into unchartered territory since the ideas just struck me as I was writing.

I hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter 8:

"You are welcome to join me for dinner, if you so desire"

Severus' out of character invitation didn't sink in immediately. Perhaps being so close to the object of his desire was affecting him, or perhaps he'd been too deep in thought, but Harry merely gawked at Severus questioningly, as if the Potions Master were speaking a foreign language.

Severus glared amusedly at the younger man before him, sensing his confusion,

"It seems Harrison Evans shares Harry Potter's unfortunate lack of mental abilities" he sneered.

"Wha? Nah, I err" Harry mumbled, his face turning beet-red. Severus still had the ability to make him feel like a fool. Harry was about to spout a rebuttal in his own defense when he caught the warmth in his former Professor's gaze. He then realized the man was just teasing him, perhaps testing him, even.

He would gain so much more by not rising to the bait, and simply letting the insult remain unanswered.

Realizing this, Harry grinned at Severus, looked him straight in the eye, and replied sweetly: "Thank you for the kind invitation, Severus. I'd love to join you for dinner".

The two men walked in the direction of Severus' home in companionable silence. Their strides appeared to be synchronized – neither having to lag behind or to rush ahead in order to keep up with the other. Had a stranger been watching, he would undoubtedly think they were old companions who felt perfectly at ease in one another's presence.

As they neared the mansion, Harry took in the overwhelming view. This wasn't a house; it was an old medieval castle, complete with drawbridge and moat. As they came even closer, he noticed the castle appeared to be completely symmetrical – two identical towers were erected on top and the exact same number of gables decorated each wing of the castle. The young wizard was mesmerized by the castle's curious mirror imaged architecture and asked Severus if there was a reason behind it.

"Indeed" came the cool reply. "The Snapes have long since married for pedigree or money. Love and affection never entered the equation. This habit brought forth the reasoning behind the distinct architecture of Snape Castle. When a woman was approached in regard to a marriage bond with a Snape, she was promised a wing in the castle identical to that of her husband. Snape marriage bonds are renowned for their fairness and equality: both parties enjoy their seclusion and solitude. Both may continue to lead their individual lives as they see fit, so long as, for appearances sake, they remain together and produce heirs. The East wing has traditionally belonged to Snape men, whereas the West Wing was built to house their wives".

Harry's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He couldn't contain his amazement at what he'd just been told.

"What about the children?" he insisted. "Do they live with the mother or the father?"

Severus' expression remained blank as he replied, "there is a special area in the middle section of the castle where the children and house elves take residence. This arrangement is useful for keeping pests and disturbances out of the parents' way".

Harry noticed he'd lagged behind from the sheer shock of Severus' last statements. He jogged hurriedly to keep up with Severus, all the while thinking how Hermione would have reacted to what he'd just been told. House elves and children certainly didn't seem to count for much in the Snape household…

By now they were facing the rather immense front door to the Castle. Severus whispered a password, which unlocked it, and a house elf dressed in a butler uniform opened it for them.

"Good Evening, Master Severus", said the elf in a deep voice. Far deeper than that of any house elf Harry had ever come across.

"Good Evening, Ishmael. I trust dinner has been prepared?"

"Certainly, Master Severus. It will be served instantly in the dining hall."

"Very good" Severus motioned for Harry to follow him as he led the way..

"Wow, Severus. I've never seen such a posh house elf before" Harry tried to joke.

"All Snape house elves receive extensive training in etiquette, table manners, language, and other useful skills. We breed them to be the best: hardworking, obedient, yet proud."

Again Harry found himself shaking his head at Severus' remark. Snape's cold exterior and superior attitude were beginning to make a lot more sense to him with every passing moment.

The dining hall was very stern and cold in appearance. An exceptionally long and narrow rectangular cherry wood dining table stood in the middle, with two places set at either end. The dishes were beautiful off-white porcelain with a delicate soft-pink and golden design adorning the rim. The crystal glasses sparkled and the silverware was sterling silver. Everything appeared to be expensive and in impeccable taste.

The two sat at opposite ends of the table and dinner was served by two house elves dressed as French maids (Harry learned their names were Magali and Solange).

Just as one might expect, the meal was exquisite. Harry'd never had so many courses in one meal before: clam chowder for starters followed by succulent shrimp and mussles in a tangy tomato sauce. The main course consisted of tender venison steak with a cream sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. The feast ended with a rich tiramisu that simply made Harry's tongue dance in delight.

The only thing that bothered him throughout the meal was the feeling that he was dining alone. Severus was sitting at the far end of the table and they did not converse at all during the meal. This arrangement did not appeal to Harry in the least.

Once they were served coffee Harry decided enough was enough. He rose from his seat, waved his hand lightly and muttered a spell. The chair began floating from its original location down to Severus' side of the table, landing softly at his right (Albus' insistence on having him master wandless magic kept proving itself as a wise decision). Harry picked up his coffee cup and sauntered over to his chair.

Severus raised a questioning eyebrow but then sighed in acceptance of Harry's action.

"Plagued by loneliness, I presume?" he sneered.

Harry plopped in his seat unceremoniously, rolled his eyes playfully at his host and replied "I thought you invited me to dine with you, not in the same room with you".

Severus remained silent for a moment while gazing blankly at Harry before whispering: "I imagine Snape Castle etiquette could do with an upgrade at this point".

This comment awarded Severus Harry's award-winning smile and the two discussed the past few weeks of their lives over coffee.

After finishing their coffee the pair retired to the sitting room, where Severus treated them both to a nice strong glass of brandy. They lit a magical fire in the fireplace and continued their amicable conversation while sitting comfortably on the antique Victorian sofa.

During the conversation Harry learned that Oxford University's Magical Wing had offered Severus a very tempting research position. He had been offered the position of Chief Potions Researcher, which would enable him to choose whether to work from home or in the state of the art laboratories at the University itself. He'd be researching and inventing new groundbreaking potions with the greatest Potion Masters in the country.

It seems that his fame for being the inventor of the counter-potion for Voldemort's "Invisible Lethal Injection Potion" (used against Harry in the final battle) had opened new opportunities for him and he was now facing some difficult decisions.

Harry found Severus very easy to talk to. He was still as prickly and sarcastic as ever, and he constantly whipped out razor sharp remarks laced with superiority and cynicism, but when they weren't meant to belittle Harry, he found them quite enjoyable and even humorous. Severus was definitely an interesting, knowledgeable man who, much to Harry's surprise, possessed a wonderfully witty and dark sense of humor.

By the time Harry rose to return home it was already 2 am. Both men were caught off guard by how quickly the hours had passed and how much they'd enjoyed the evening. Before stepping into the fireplace and flooing back to his cottage Harry tried to think up an excuse or a reason to set up another 'date' with Severus. He was perceptive enough to realize the direct approach might scare the older wizard away, so he decided to take things at a slower pace. After all, he wasn't certain he was ready to proceed quickly himself. He had just begun therapy and jumping head first into a romantic entanglement without having the necessary mental resources at bay could end up costing him his chance with Severus. That was a risk he was not willing to take.

"I don't have a therapy session planned for tomorrow, meaning I pretty much have the whole day to myself." Harry said, warily.

"I thought I might go into town, restock on food and stuff, tomorrow morning," he added hesitantly.

When Severus showed no signs of responding, Harry flushed before managing to croak: "Do you think you might want to, erm, I mean if you're not doing anything that is, err, join me, maybe?"

*Gee that was brilliant, Evans!* Harry berated himself silently while blushing profusely.

Severus' expression was unreadable as he faced Harry and replied "I have quite a few things planned for tomorrow, so I must decline your eloquent invitation."

Disappointment kicked in and Harry felt almost as if he'd been punched in the gut.

"But" Severus added in a softer tone, "I believe I will have time for another stroll at dusk".

Harry grinned at him happily, realizing he had not been rejected as of yet. He was going to take another walk with Severus tomorrow, and possibly the next day, and the next…

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Over the next few weeks Harry and Severus eased into a comfortable routine of enjoying a relaxing stroll together at dusk and spending the rest of the evening together having dinner and chatting, usually at Snape Castle, though every once in a while Harry would insist on cooking dinner himself at Dalton Cottage.

Harry was also making progress with Dr. Armstrong in their therapy sessions, which continued as planned. They began by dealing with Harry's abused childhood and the loss of both parents as a toddler. The Dursleys may not be Harry's favorite people on earth, but they certainly hurt him deeply, considering they were his primary caregivers during the most crucial part of his childhood. The mental and physical abuse he suffered at their hands had scarred him considerably, and with Dr. Armstrong's guidance, he was learning how to let go of his anger, shame, and pain and by doing so, allowing their hold on him to weaken.

Hermione and Ron had dropped by a few times. They had brought sweets to cheer their friend up, but were surprised to find him refreshed and cheerful. Since neither one had a clue as to the true reason behind this drastic change in his mood, they accredited it to the therapy he was undergoing.

The therapy was undoubtedly helping Harry move forward and accept things that had happened in his life, but it was a difficult process that exerted quite a bit of energy from the young wizard.

There was no question in his mind that he owed his newfound joy and optimism to his friend Severus, who was helping him heal by simply being there for him.

Severus never pried into Harry's life. He never judged or criticized Harry's decisions. Severus seemed to understand that Harry needed to do things at his own pace. He needed to try different aspects of his personality on for size, and to select those in which he felt most comfortable. In fact, Harry had never felt so accepted as he did with Severus. Not even when he was with his surrogate family, the Weasleys. He loved them all deeply and was grateful for their love and support, but he always felt he stuck out like a sore thumb with the temperamental red heads.

Things were different when he was with Severus. It was almost as if the two had created a little world of their own.

The two men shared a bond through their loneliness and battle scars - two things neither the Weasleys nor Hermione could ever truly understand.

TBC

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The more reviews I get, the quicker the next chapter will be posted…

Reviews are my muse! :)