Chapter 19: Valentine's Day Part II

After leaving Hogwarts, Draco and Hermione Apparated to the front stoop of 12 Grimmauld. Draco needed to speak to Severus. Hermione knocked on the door and waited. Remus was the one who answered.

"Draco, Hermione! This is a surprise. Come in." Remus smiled.

"Hi Remus, is Severus around?" Draco wondered.

"Yeah, he's downstairs in his lab. You know the way, I'm sure." Remus told him. "I'll be around if you need me for anything." Remus headed upstairs to finish cleaning out the attic.

Draco and Hermione headed down, just as Harry and Ron Apparated into the hallway.

"It's quiet." Ron stated. "Wonder where Remus is?" Harry took out his wand and placed it in the palm of his hand.

"Point me Remus Lupin!" His wand spun in his hand for a moment before pointing to the stairs leading to the second floor.

Hermione paused on the stairs leading to the basement. Draco looked at her.

"What?"

"I thought I heard Harry and Ron." she frowned.

"It couldn't be!" Draco exclaimed, panicking. They scrambled back up the stairs, through the kitchen and into the hall, just seconds after Harry and Ron cleared the landing on the second floor. Hermione frowned.

"That's odd. I could have sworn I heard them."

"Merlin, Weasley! Give me a bloody heart attack next time!" Draco groaned. Hermione chuckled lightly.

"Let's find Snape so we can get this done."

"Good idea. My nerves can't take much more." Draco laughed as he and Hermione headed back into the kitchen.

Not a minute later, Ron and Harry came back down the stairs. Ron looked around for a moment.

"I could have sworn I heard Hermione and Draco down here." Ron told Harry. Harry looked like he was ready to strangle him.

"Don't do that to me, Ron!" Harry stated.

"Sorry, mate. Let's go talk to Moony." Ron laughed. They headed back upstairs.

"Severus?" Draco called once they got downstairs. Severus's head popped out from his storeroom.

"Draco. Hermione. I didn't know you were here." He stepped out, wiping off his hands.

"We just got here, actually." Hermione replied. "Draco has something he wants to ask you."

Severus's dark gaze turned to his only godson.

"I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of standing for me at my bonding ceremony tonight?"

"Tonight? Why so soon?"

"Sev, you know how long I've loved Harry. I just felt that I've – we've waited long enough."

"There's something you're not telling me." Snape answered after a moment. "Spill it."

"Um...well...see...I-er..." Draco stammered. Snape, trying his hardest not to smirk, looked at Hermione.

"He hasn't actually asked Harry yet. He wants to make it a surprise." she explained. Snape arched an eyebrow at his godson.

"And what makes you think he'd actually say yes? Springing this on him last minute. He has every right to say no." Snape told him. Draco's eyes widened in fright.

"Don't say that, Sev! Harry wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him! Today is perfect!" Draco, on the verge of a panic attack, gripped his elbows tightly. Snape looked at Hermione.

"He's been like this all day. Get used to it." she sighed.

Snape stepped closer to Draco and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I didn't mean to tease, Draco. My apologies." Snape stated. Draco nodded, taking a deep, calming breath.

"I'm sorry. I just want this to be perfect." Draco murmured.

"Draco, I love you like my own. Of course I'll do this for you." Snape smiled.

"Thank you, Godfather." Draco smiled, hugging the taller man.

"Does Remus know about this?" Snape wondered as Draco stepped out of his embrace.

"Could you tell him for me? I still have things to do in Diagon Alley before this evening." Draco wondered.

"I will do that, certainly. What time do we need to be there?"

"About 6."

"And may I inquire as to how you are going to get Harry there?"

"I have a plan." Draco grinned. "I wasn't a Slytherin for nothing, you know." At that, Snape laughed.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron finally found Remus in the attic.

"Moony, what are you doing up here?" Harry asked, skirting around partially open boxes.

"Looking for something that I had packed away some time ago. I wanted to give it to Severus for Valentine's Day."

"Snape, getting a Valentine's Day gift? That's a laugh." Ron grinned.

"Shut it, Ron or I'll tell Remus what Hermione gave you this morning." Harry warned him. Ron's face reddened in embarrassment Remus sat back on his haunches, clearly interested in this.

"What did she get him?" Remus wondered.

"Well-" Harry began. Ron clamped his hand over his friend's mouth.

"Don't, Harry! If you ever cared about me, ever, you won't say anything."

"I want to know, Ron. If you or Harry don't tell me, I can always ask your wife." Remus told him. Ron knew he was serious and removed his hand from Harry's mouth with a sigh. He mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that, Ron?" Remus asked. Ron mumbled again. "I didn't catch that."

"She bought me a bloody thong!" Ron nearly shouted. "With white lace and big red heart in the middle! She's gone mental!" Remus and Harry both began to laugh hysterically. "It's not funny! She expects me to wear the bloody thing! How am I supposed to be a man with dental floss crawling up my arse?" By now Harry and Remus were flat out on the floor, laughing harder than ever with tears streaming from their eyes. Ron scowled at them, wand in hand.

Finally Harry and Remus got themselves under control, reluctantly, and Harry got to the point of his visit.

"Remus, I wanted to ask you. Would you be my best man at my bonding ceremony this evening?"

"What? You're kidding, right?"

"No. Draco and I are having a bonding ceremony at Hogwarts tonight. And I'd like you to stand by my side."

"Harry, I would be honored to do this. You didn't even have to ask." Remus smiled, hugging him.

"There's just one teeny tiny detail." Harry hedged. Remus didn't like the sound of that.

"What?"

"Draco doesn't know about it." Ron told him. Remus resisted the urge to groan.

"And just how did you plan on getting him there and springing this on him last minute?"

"I was going to owl him. Pretend to invite him to dinner with our old teachers."

"How can you be sure that would work? And what makes you think Draco would agree to a last -minute bonding ceremony anyway?" Remus wondered, planting little seeds of doubt in Harry's head.

"Remus. Please don't make me doubt myself. I know Draco want to be with me and I want to be with him. This just seems right to me. If anything, the war taught me to take any happiness I can get because life is too damn short for 'what ifs'. Look at you and Severus."

"What about us?"

"Did you even think it possible 10 years ago the two of you would be in a relationship?"

"No. We hated each other actually."

"And here you are, 11 years later, living together and shagging like bunnies. The same could be said for me and Draco. Or me and Severus. I hated Severus with a passion. And now it seems like we're friends, even if he doesn't want to admit it to me or himself."

"He admitted that to me, just last week actually. Said he was fond of you, if I remember correctly."

"Really?" Harry grinned.

"Don't tell him I told you. He promised to make me sleep in the den if I breathed a word of it to you."

"My lips are sealed." Harry smiled.

"Mine aren't." Ron smirked.

"Ronald!" Remus exclaimed.

"Tut-tut, Moony. You dragged my secret out of me. I think it's fair that Snape know what you told Harry."

"I hate you, Ronald Weasley." Remus growled.

"I love you, too, Moony." Ron grinned.

"Cheeky bastard." Remus laughed, resigned to his fate of sleeping alone for a few nights.

Hermione and Draco, finished with their chat with Snape, Apparated from the front hall just as Ron, Harry and Remus came down the stairs. All 3 stopped when they heard the Apparation crack.

"Harry. Am I seeing things or was that Hermione and Draco?" Ron asked.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I missed seeing whoever it was." Harry admitted. "And if it was Hermione, why is she using Apparation when she's pregnant?"

"I swear that woman is making me mental." Ron groaned.

"You married her, mate." Harry grinned.

"Don't remind me."

"Oh, Ron. You love being married to her and you know it." Remus chuckled, slapping Ron on the back.

"Merlin help me, I do." Ron grinned. Harry looked at his watch and gasped at the time.

"We've got to go Ron! Thanks, Remus. We'll see you this evening."

"Till then Harry. Later, Ron." Remus stated, shaking his hand. Ron and Harry Apparated as Snape was coming out of the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Snape asked as Remus pulled him close for a kiss.

"Ron and Harry."

"What did they want?"

"Harry asked me to stand up for him at his bonding ceremony tonight." Remus stated offhandedly. He was not expecting Snape's reaction. He started laughing. Great big breathless laughs. "Severus?"

"Oh this is so funny. Those two! Oh my!" Snape laughed harder.

"What's going on?"

"You're going to laugh when I tell you."

"Severus Malcom Snape, tell me what is going on right now!" Remus demanded. So Severus told him what Draco had come to see him about. When he was done, Remus was laughing as well.

"So they both have the same idea but yet are keeping it secret from each other until tonight? Oh this is going to be fun." Remus grinned.

At that moment, an owl flew into the room and dropped a scrolled parchment into Snape's hands. He opened it and read it slowly.

-So Snape...how fond of of Harry are you?

RW

Snape looked at Remus who had the good sense to blush.

"Did you tell those two something that you shouldn't have?" he scowled. Remus backed away slowly.

"Now Sev, Harry was making some analogies about his relationship with Draco and his with you."

"You told him I was fond of him?"

"Well he kind of asked."

"I'm going to kill you, Lupin." Snape scowled, advancing on his lover. Remus turned and fled up the stairs, Snape hot on his heels. He caught up with him at the door to their bedroom and pinned him against the wall. Instead of choking the man like he wanted to, he proceeded to kiss the breath from his lungs and when that wasn't enough, he shoved him onto the bed, and decided a good shagging was in order.

Remus wasn't sure if he'd be able to walk properly later that evening.

A/N: Rotflmao! Oh man! This chapter had me laughing the whole time. I hope you laughed as well.