Disclaimer – I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or plots. I only own what comes out of my head.
Pairing – Harry/Severus
Spoilers – HBP
'' - Speech Underlined - Parsletongue Another Snape Courts Harry FicHarry's POV Chapter 3
As they walked into the Great Hall Harry remembered the roses and wondered if he would be receiving anything today. For some reason his gaze was drawn up to the staff table. Snape was missing. But then Harry saw Dumbledore and his knowingly twinkling eyes. He was instantly suspicious. 'He knows who sent those roses I'm sure of it.'
Once again Hedwig came flying in with the other post owls. She was carrying another package. Harry also checked this parcel for curses. It was safe, so he ripped the brown wrapping paper. It was a book. Harry read the title 'A Complete Guide To Wizarding Tradition'. Frowning he opened the front cover and saw a small piece of paper inside Read the section on courting it will answer some of your questions.
Deciding to read the boom later when he could discuss tradition with Ron and Hermione, Harry put the book into his book bag and finished his breakfast. After they finished the trio split up with Harry and Hermione heading towards the dungeons and Ron to the greenhouses. Ron had only managed to scrape an A on his Potions NEWT so he had not been accepted into the NEWT class. Not that he minded. Whereas Harry had studied Potions when he had been unable to sleep due to nightmares or Voldemort so he got an O, allowing him into Snape's NEWT class. He had only started reading his Potions textbook to try and get to sleep; there was nothing better than Potions for insomnia except maybe History of Magic. But it seemed that he remembered what he had read as when he sat the exam he knew the answers.
Harry and Hermione were the only two Gryffindors in the class while there were four Slytherins; Draco Malfoy, who had defected to the Light that summer after Voldemort killed his mother, Blaise Zabini, who was also on the Light side with his boyfriend Draco, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, who were both Voldemort supporters. Pansy because she had lost everything when Draco defected and came out of the closet, they had been engaged since birth and Bulstrode because she was raised by Death Eaters. There were also two Ravenclaws; Justin Finch-Flechley and Zacharias Smith.
They were working with dangerous substances this year, Snape only allowed competent pupils into his class, so it was a very small class. The potion they were meant to be making was Dreamless Sleep. Harry knew the ingredients by heart so he set to work slicing the shrivelled fig.
After adding the spiders legs he set it to simmer and set up a charm so that he would know when it was ready, allowing him to think about the differences in Snape this year. Since Voldemort had found out that he was the spy for the Light and sent his almost lifeless body back to Hogwarts for them to find, Harry had seen it all in a vision and informed the Headmaster, he had been less of a git. Whilst he still favoured the Slytherins he was more tolerant of the other houses. It seemed that part of his greasy git persona was just a cover so that Voldemort didn't find out about him. Since he had been discovered looked as thought a weight had been lifted off him. 'He looks much better now he doesn't scowl all the time. It makes him look younger. He's actually pretty sexy in a dark way and his hair isn't greasy at all its just very fine and silky.' Harry thought.
Bells ringing brought him back to reality, his potion was ready. Bottling it and putting it on Snape's desk Harry banished those thoughts 'I can just imagine the look on his face if he knew I thought he was sexy'.
The class ended and Harry left leaving a thoughtful Potions Master behind.
Later that night Harry waited until the Common Room had emptied before he took out the book. He opened the chapter on courting and read;
Courting is a traditional method used by witches and wizards before bonding to get to know the person they wish to marry. It usually takes place over a period of six weeks. During any part of the courting the courter and courtee may meet and the courtee may feel free to accept the courter. However the courter may at no point pressure the courtee to accept.
Courting has four stages. The first is where the courter will give the courtee a gift to prove their affection. The second is a personal gift, something that shows the courter's personality. The third is the first meeting and fourth the courtee's answer.
"I don't understand. Who would want to marry me?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione "I have a mass murder after my blood and anyone I'm close to is at risk."
"Anyone would love to bond with you Harry. You are sweet, smart and gorgeous if I wasn't in love with Ron I would try to turn you straight," Hermione replied slyly.
"Oh Merlin I hope it's a man. I haven't told the whole school yet but everyone who matters to me does," Harry said suddenly nervous.
"Don't worry Harry I'm sure most people have guessed that your gay after Rita Skeeter's article last month." Ron said consolingly.
"Maybe. I still don't know how she overheard that conversation anyway," Harry said turning red as he remembered what he had been talking about. Harry had just come out to Seamus and Dean and they were telling him that they had suspected it for a while.
"Do you have any idea who it could be Harry?" Hermione asked.
"No, I'm going to wait until I receive the personal gift before I start drawing up a list. I just hope it isn't someone I hate. I'm going to go through the names of all the gay wizards I know of and see if they fit. At least I know its not Draco, he's been going out with Blaise for months now, I can't see my and him dating. He's too high maintenance." Harry answered with a smirk.
They went to bed after talking for a while about courting traditions, Hermione learning just as much as Harry surprisingly.