Warning! - Chapter rated PG-13
Chapter 4
.
Fifteen minutes later, Tristan had been bundled off to his childminder and they arrived at the Great Hall. Together.
Apparently last night hadn't been enough to prove that they were a couple, because most of the school stared at them blankly. Severus scowled back and Harry squeezed his hand before taking the seat next to him and getting Severus a cup of tea - white, no sugar.
"Was I that nosey as a student?" he inquired.
"No, they're just wondering what the hell you're doing with me, why you would deign to bring up a child with me, and what I did with his body."
Sensing the self-effacing mood Severus was slipping into, he silently cursed the students before leaning close.
"I want to bring up Tristan with you because you are good role model and father for him and we both love him to bits. I want to be with you because I love you and you're a sexy fool. As for the last, don't be silly - they're not that bad."
He ran a hand up Severus' thigh under the table, squeezed his knee and muttered, "but feel free to take your frustration out on me later," before turning to his breakfast.
Severus was silent for a while, chewing his food or sipping his tea. Then he leant close to Harry.
"Thank you."
Harry smirked.
"Oh, believe me, it'll be my pleasure. Yours too, but definitely mine."
Several of the staff looked at them after that - the only two audible sentences in their whole discussion - and Harry had sniggered at the shocked looks on their faces. Severus swatted his leg discretely as an admonishment for his lack of scruples in public, but secretly, maliciously, loved the fact that he was practically married to the person who could make Minerva McGonagall go that particular colour of red and Fillius Flitwick tumble off his seat without even trying.
Harry finished eating quickly and sat there, fiddling with everything he could find to dispel his nervous energy until Severus brought a firm hand down on his, effectively pining it to the table.
"Stop it."
Harry looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I just realised that being a teacher means that I actually have to teach those things," he said, waving his free hand in the direction of the students.
Many teachers cackled, remembering their own first day nerves.
Severus turned the hand palm down and looked him dead in the eye.
"You'll do fine. Just remember what a brat you were - I coped. They will listen to you, even if only because you are their Saviour. You will tell them things. Hopefully some knowledge will enter their thick skulls. If it doesn't, consider your earlier offer double-sided. Now."
He lifted the hand to his lips and gave it a peck before standing.
"I have to go get some things ready to make Pomfrey's potions. Have a nice morning. See you at break time in the staff room."
Harry smiled a little and nodded. Severus left in the direction of the dungeons and Harry turned back to see Minerva McGonagall looking at him strangely. He sighed a resigned and none-too-happy sigh. He had escaped this last night, but the only staff member who had known was Dumbledore, and he had only known for a very specific reason. Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to let him get away with the amount of information he'd given out the previous night.
"When did this happen?"
Harry felt like he was eleven again and getting shouted at for smuggling a dragon (or lying about it, anyway).
"Uhm… a while back?"
She glared at him. Obviously that was not enough information. He glanced at the clock hopefully. Between taking his first class ever of fifth year Slytherin and Hufflepuff and telling Minerva that he had been under her care when he had started sleeping with Severus, he would take the class. Sadly there was ten minutes before he could even say he had to go early - he didn't have the wonderful excuse of making potions for the general Hogwarts populace to get him out of it.
"When did you adopt Tristan?"
That was a little better, though he was suspicious that she had changed tack so quickly.
"We started the application not long after he was born and we got to bring him home about a year and a bit later - just under three years ago."
"So you were together before that."
"Uhm, yes."
"When you were doing your training?"
Harry got a little more reluctant.
"Ye-es."
Her eyes narrowed.
"When you were his student?"
Harry gulped.
"Sort of."
She turned, outraged, to Dumbledore.
"Is that not against the school rules?"
"No."
Everyone except Harry at the table looked surprised.
"It would have been, but…"
The headmaster coughed discretely. Seemingly he was just as uncomfortable under the wrath of Minerva McGonagall as Harry had been.
"But what?" demanded the fiery Gryffindor.
"But we were bonded," Harry said in a clear voice.
"Bonded."
She looked confused.
"But you were underage - Sirius would never have agreed."
At the mention of his late godfather he was slightly saddened, but he figured that the fact that he was sitting at the staff table, able to argue with his former house head on an almost equal footing was enough to have made him proud, so he just answered her unasked question. He seemed to be doing that a lot.
"He did. He didn't approve of the fact that it was Severus, but he liked the protection it gave me and knew I wouldn't have done it with anyone else, so he accepted it."
Minerva seemed mollified by his answer - ever so slightly, anyway.
"It still doesn't explain why, as your head of house at the time, I knew nothing of your relationship until last night when your son sat on Severus' knee and called him daddy!"
The students were starting to look up at them, but Harry didn't care. In a voice not so much loud as clear, he spoke.
"Professor, at first it was a matter of safety. Then, it was a matter of our joint wish to keep it out of the papers. Then it was for Tristan's safety. Now, it no longer matters. I am in love with Severus. I consider him to be my husband. We have a beautiful son together. I have a family and we are happy. Please, be happy for me; be happy for us. This is what I fought for. This is what we all fought for."
Harry had a flushed face and Minerva had tears in her eyes.
"You're right, Harry. I am happy for you."
She smiled.
"But the next big milestone in your life, you tell me as soon as possible, okay?"
"I'm about to teach my first class. Is that a big enough milestone?"
"The next one I don't already know about."
Harry smiled.
"Deal."
Minerva smirked at him.
"So you're why Severus never had breakfast or supper with us in recent years?"
"Well I had to hijack some of his time!"
Her smile softened.
"I'd ask if you're sure he loves you, but I could see that he does."
"He loves Tristan, too."
She looked questioningly at him.
"What's Tristan's full name? It was never in the papers, so I assumed it was simply Tristan Potter."
"You're half right. It's Tristan Ryan Potter-Snape."
"Where's he now?"
"We've got a minder who tutors him during the day at her house. She's got three other kinds his age to look after, too, all magical but with muggle connections. She's wonderful - she teaches them about both worlds. Very intelligent woman, and her husband's great with the kids when he's around."
Something about his smile made her ask.
"Would I have heard of them?"
"I certainly hope so - you taught them both."
She gasped.
"Not-"
"Yup. Mrs Hermione and Mr Ronald Weasley. They live in the muggle world now, so the only time people see them is when Ron's at work or when Hermione makes a trip to Diagon Alley."
"I was wondering what she did - Ron never said when I met him last year. Kept avoiding the question."
"Probably because of Tristan, actually - we're still best friends and they'd do anything to protect me and my family, and vice versa… Oh! Class starts in five minutes - I'd better get going."
"We'll continue this discussion later, young man," she said in her teacher voice.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry smiled, and then left for his office to take one last look at his lesson planner before class.
::TBC::
Chapter 4
.
Fifteen minutes later, Tristan had been bundled off to his childminder and they arrived at the Great Hall. Together.
Apparently last night hadn't been enough to prove that they were a couple, because most of the school stared at them blankly. Severus scowled back and Harry squeezed his hand before taking the seat next to him and getting Severus a cup of tea - white, no sugar.
"Was I that nosey as a student?" he inquired.
"No, they're just wondering what the hell you're doing with me, why you would deign to bring up a child with me, and what I did with his body."
Sensing the self-effacing mood Severus was slipping into, he silently cursed the students before leaning close.
"I want to bring up Tristan with you because you are good role model and father for him and we both love him to bits. I want to be with you because I love you and you're a sexy fool. As for the last, don't be silly - they're not that bad."
He ran a hand up Severus' thigh under the table, squeezed his knee and muttered, "but feel free to take your frustration out on me later," before turning to his breakfast.
Severus was silent for a while, chewing his food or sipping his tea. Then he leant close to Harry.
"Thank you."
Harry smirked.
"Oh, believe me, it'll be my pleasure. Yours too, but definitely mine."
Several of the staff looked at them after that - the only two audible sentences in their whole discussion - and Harry had sniggered at the shocked looks on their faces. Severus swatted his leg discretely as an admonishment for his lack of scruples in public, but secretly, maliciously, loved the fact that he was practically married to the person who could make Minerva McGonagall go that particular colour of red and Fillius Flitwick tumble off his seat without even trying.
Harry finished eating quickly and sat there, fiddling with everything he could find to dispel his nervous energy until Severus brought a firm hand down on his, effectively pining it to the table.
"Stop it."
Harry looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I just realised that being a teacher means that I actually have to teach those things," he said, waving his free hand in the direction of the students.
Many teachers cackled, remembering their own first day nerves.
Severus turned the hand palm down and looked him dead in the eye.
"You'll do fine. Just remember what a brat you were - I coped. They will listen to you, even if only because you are their Saviour. You will tell them things. Hopefully some knowledge will enter their thick skulls. If it doesn't, consider your earlier offer double-sided. Now."
He lifted the hand to his lips and gave it a peck before standing.
"I have to go get some things ready to make Pomfrey's potions. Have a nice morning. See you at break time in the staff room."
Harry smiled a little and nodded. Severus left in the direction of the dungeons and Harry turned back to see Minerva McGonagall looking at him strangely. He sighed a resigned and none-too-happy sigh. He had escaped this last night, but the only staff member who had known was Dumbledore, and he had only known for a very specific reason. Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to let him get away with the amount of information he'd given out the previous night.
"When did this happen?"
Harry felt like he was eleven again and getting shouted at for smuggling a dragon (or lying about it, anyway).
"Uhm… a while back?"
She glared at him. Obviously that was not enough information. He glanced at the clock hopefully. Between taking his first class ever of fifth year Slytherin and Hufflepuff and telling Minerva that he had been under her care when he had started sleeping with Severus, he would take the class. Sadly there was ten minutes before he could even say he had to go early - he didn't have the wonderful excuse of making potions for the general Hogwarts populace to get him out of it.
"When did you adopt Tristan?"
That was a little better, though he was suspicious that she had changed tack so quickly.
"We started the application not long after he was born and we got to bring him home about a year and a bit later - just under three years ago."
"So you were together before that."
"Uhm, yes."
"When you were doing your training?"
Harry got a little more reluctant.
"Ye-es."
Her eyes narrowed.
"When you were his student?"
Harry gulped.
"Sort of."
She turned, outraged, to Dumbledore.
"Is that not against the school rules?"
"No."
Everyone except Harry at the table looked surprised.
"It would have been, but…"
The headmaster coughed discretely. Seemingly he was just as uncomfortable under the wrath of Minerva McGonagall as Harry had been.
"But what?" demanded the fiery Gryffindor.
"But we were bonded," Harry said in a clear voice.
"Bonded."
She looked confused.
"But you were underage - Sirius would never have agreed."
At the mention of his late godfather he was slightly saddened, but he figured that the fact that he was sitting at the staff table, able to argue with his former house head on an almost equal footing was enough to have made him proud, so he just answered her unasked question. He seemed to be doing that a lot.
"He did. He didn't approve of the fact that it was Severus, but he liked the protection it gave me and knew I wouldn't have done it with anyone else, so he accepted it."
Minerva seemed mollified by his answer - ever so slightly, anyway.
"It still doesn't explain why, as your head of house at the time, I knew nothing of your relationship until last night when your son sat on Severus' knee and called him daddy!"
The students were starting to look up at them, but Harry didn't care. In a voice not so much loud as clear, he spoke.
"Professor, at first it was a matter of safety. Then, it was a matter of our joint wish to keep it out of the papers. Then it was for Tristan's safety. Now, it no longer matters. I am in love with Severus. I consider him to be my husband. We have a beautiful son together. I have a family and we are happy. Please, be happy for me; be happy for us. This is what I fought for. This is what we all fought for."
Harry had a flushed face and Minerva had tears in her eyes.
"You're right, Harry. I am happy for you."
She smiled.
"But the next big milestone in your life, you tell me as soon as possible, okay?"
"I'm about to teach my first class. Is that a big enough milestone?"
"The next one I don't already know about."
Harry smiled.
"Deal."
Minerva smirked at him.
"So you're why Severus never had breakfast or supper with us in recent years?"
"Well I had to hijack some of his time!"
Her smile softened.
"I'd ask if you're sure he loves you, but I could see that he does."
"He loves Tristan, too."
She looked questioningly at him.
"What's Tristan's full name? It was never in the papers, so I assumed it was simply Tristan Potter."
"You're half right. It's Tristan Ryan Potter-Snape."
"Where's he now?"
"We've got a minder who tutors him during the day at her house. She's got three other kinds his age to look after, too, all magical but with muggle connections. She's wonderful - she teaches them about both worlds. Very intelligent woman, and her husband's great with the kids when he's around."
Something about his smile made her ask.
"Would I have heard of them?"
"I certainly hope so - you taught them both."
She gasped.
"Not-"
"Yup. Mrs Hermione and Mr Ronald Weasley. They live in the muggle world now, so the only time people see them is when Ron's at work or when Hermione makes a trip to Diagon Alley."
"I was wondering what she did - Ron never said when I met him last year. Kept avoiding the question."
"Probably because of Tristan, actually - we're still best friends and they'd do anything to protect me and my family, and vice versa… Oh! Class starts in five minutes - I'd better get going."
"We'll continue this discussion later, young man," she said in her teacher voice.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry smiled, and then left for his office to take one last look at his lesson planner before class.
::TBC::