Title: Together
Author: Redrum
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: JKR owns these characters and the setting.
Summary: Harry wants to come out. Severus would rather stay in the closet. Can they work it out?
TOGETHER
"Can we go to the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked, looking over at his lover.
Severus scowled as he was drawn away from his potions tome. "You may," he responded.
Harry sighed. Straightening up from his seat by the fireplace with the bubbling cauldron inside - which was almost as big as him - he ambled over to the large armchair that his lover currently occupied. The other chair, worn from use, was his, but he didn't think sitting in his own chair would warrant the attention he wanted. Harry plopped himself down on Severus' lap, receiving only a grunt for his efforts.
"I am not going with you, no matter how long you continue wiggling."
Harry rolled his eyes, gave one last good wiggle against Severus' groin, before stilling.
The man continued reading, his arms now around Harry to continue holding the book in front of him. Harry sighed softly and shifted around until he was comfortably curled up, taking up the space of Severus' torso and no more. Even at tewnty seven, he was still shorter than the average wizard his age. The air of neglect that he'd had as a child was lost, through he would always be thin with bony wrists and small hands. He idolized Severus' body (discluding the scars). Broad shouldered, natural muscularity, lean; while Harry was compact, with muscles earned through strenuous activity, and he was just shy of being considered a healthy lean.
"Stop it."
Harry blinked. "What?"
"You're feeding your poor self-esteem. Desist at once."
Harry pouted. "How do you know -"
"I've been with you for approximately nine years, I would like to think I am an expert in reading your body language." He peered down at Harry, whose eyes were narrowed suspiciously. He finally admitted grudgingly, "It also works to my advantage that even after all these years, you're still terrible at Occlumency." He smirked when the young man scowled and his pouting increased.
"Can you take me to the Pub?"
"Yes."
"Really?" Harry exclaimed, eyes lighting up as he turned to face Severus' in his chair at the head table in the Great Hall.
"Yes. I am physically capable of taking you."
Harry's face fell. "This is one of your 'can' and 'may' lessons, isn't it?"
"It wouldn't make sense to use 'may' in your question, but at the same time, one could answer you in two ways. One could take the question literally, saying yay or nay to the capability of escorting you, or, one could answer the question you are really putting forth -"
"Forget it," Harry huffed, pushing his full plate away from him and leaving the Great Hall through the back door.
"Is there a reason you are peering at me like I have just coughed up a hairball and have proceeded to eat it?" Severus asked after a long silence at the head table.
"I cannot fathom why he is still your friend after all these years," McGonagall snapped, nose upturned in disgust.
"I believe that is of no concern to you." With that, Severus pushed away from the table, leaving his half-empty plate behind him as he exited the Great Hall.
"Do you want to go out tonight for supper?"
"Why bother when we have a perfectly good meal here at Hogwarts? Unless meals prepared by the house elves are too low now for you, Potter?" Severus sneered, looking up from his markings at Harry, who was standing by the door, having just come in from flying around the Quidditch Pitch - if the tell tale rosy cheeks and wind tossed hair were any indication. The young man usually did his thinking in such a way, claiming that the freedom of flying gave him the ability to really think about serious matters.
"I like going out to eat every once in a while, even though I always love what the house elves serve. You don't have to come, but I usually go out on Fridays to eat, window-shop and people-watch. I just thought you'd like to come with me this time."
"I would rather eat in the Great Hall where it is less crowded."
Harry sighed. "Maybe I should just stop trying," he muttered, thinking out loud as his shoulders drooped.
"I believe that's the most intelligent comment you've produced in over two months," Severus responded, bowing his head again and going back to his marking.
"Fine... just -- fine," Harry growled through gritted teeth. "I really don't know why I'm still your 'friend,'" he spat. With one last glare, Harry opened the door and slammed it shut carelessly behind him.
Severus sighed loudly, and in an unusual fit of gracelessness, he let his forehead fall to the desk with a painful 'thunk.' "What am I going to do with you, Harry?" he whispered, letting the red ink stained quill fall, uncaring of the ink pooling beneath the tip onto a fifth-year's essay.
"Maybe I've been too subtle. I mean, why else would you be saying 'no' each and every time?" Harry asked rhetorically, rolling over onto his side to face Severus. The other man heaved a great sigh before grudgingly rolling over onto his back.
"I want to go out on a date. In public. I want to come out to our friends and our colleagues; I hate hiding our relationship. Are you really that ashamed of me?"
Realizing he wouldn't get any sleep if he didn't answer (Harry would no doubt leave their bedroom chambers to sleep in the armchair, even though they both knew neither would get any sleep if they weren't sleeping in the same bed), he replied finally. "I am not ashamed of you, Harry. And I have understood your -less than subtle- hints for the past two months."
Harry frowned. If Severus had understood... then why...? He felt confused and completely lost. Did Severus not want to be with him any more? But that wouldn't make sense, considering they still had frequent sex. "I don't understand then."
The other man gave another sigh before rolling over onto his side, facing Harry now as he pulled the blankets up higher to cover his chilled shoulder. "I admit, I've been waiting for you to either get tired of asking, or to come out and say what you really wanted to. I knew that once I started the relationship that we would eventually have to come out, in turn, informing the wizarding world. You know how much I hate attention, Harry."
Reaching out, Harry smoothed a thumb across Severus' dark brow. "But why have you resisted for nine years? Especially these last two months, when I've been asking you to come out."
Severus leaned into the hand stroking his hair while he hesitated in answering. "Honestly... the only person who knows of my sexuality is... was, my father. When I came out to him, accidentally, he didn't take it very well."
Harry snuggled closer and pressed a kiss to the large nose. "Times have changed, Severus. People are more open."
Severus shook his head, eyes narrowing, trying to get Harry to understand. "No, they're not. Muggles may be, but the wizarding world hasn't changed. Granted, they won't set fire to use or send us to St. Mungo's, and we won't be breaking any laws since most of them were abolished because they were considered to be too cruel and inhumane. But they will hate us. Your colleagues, and the people you call friends... you may find out their true colours if we come out as a couple." Severus moved forward, pressing his forehead against the other man's. "I don't want you to feel the wrath of the wizarding world yet again, Harry."
"I know... but I really am tired of hiding. So what if we get Howlers and a few glares and hateful words? Or even hexes, you and I are both war veterans, I think we can handle petty hexes, or even dangerous ones."
Severus sighed. After a long silence, he pulled Harry to him, holding him close. "I agree to come out as a couple only if you promise that you will tell me if everything becomes too much and that you'll agree with me if I tell you to move into seclusion with me."
Harry nodded slowly. "We could live in the Muggle world if things do get really bad."
Severus' lip curled in disgust, making Harry smile in amusement as he felt it against his forehead. "That will be a last resort, but yes, we could live in the Muggle world. It will be somewhere of my choosing though," he added swiftly, almost desperately.
The young man smiled broadly and tilted his head back for a kiss. "Agreed," he murmured against thin lips.
A hand ran down Harry's back until it cupped one cheek. "We'll go out tomorrow night at an established restaurant, not some Pub."
"'K," Harry breathed, wrapping his leg around Severus' and silencing him with another heated kiss. Even if the wizarding world did turn against him, at least he had Severus.
- end -