A/n: Sorry for the long wait! With money issues, my injury, being sick, and other fics, it was hard to keep up. I hope it was worth the wait!

Chapter Eight

Harry had almost hoped when he woke up the next morning that he had imagined Ron's behaviour. That it wasn't true. Hermione didn't talk about it, and he wasn't about to bring it up. Part of him thought that Ron would come by and apologize, but days passed, and there was no sign of him. Harry shrugged it off and then went to concentrating on the next thing happening his life - Sev's birthday. He wracked his brain but had no idea what to get him. He had gotten something rather special and personal for Christmas, and that had only been a couple of weeks ago.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Hermione told him. "You don't have to get him anything, you know."

That was when it hit him. He knew exactly what to do. When Severus came over the next day, the first thing he asked was, "When is your birthday exactly? I know it's coming up really soon, I just don't know exactly when."

Severus was silent for a moment before finally responding, "Wednesday."

That soon? He wished that Severus would have mentioned it earlier. That was fine, though. For what Harry had in mind, it didn't matter. He wouldn't need a bunch of extra time to prepare anyway. "I want to do something for you for your birthday."

"That is not necessary," he replied curtly. "I do not think that my birthday is anything to celebrate." Harry sighed. He should have known that this was going to happen. It would figure that he was the kind of person who didn't want to celebrate his birthday. "If I remember correctly, you did not want to celebrate yours either."

Harry nodded. It wasn't surprising that he had brought that up, either. "Yes, but I am not going to throw a party for you and invite a bunch of people over. That was not what I had in mind," he said. "I was thinking a private dinner, just the two of us. I want to cook for you."

Severus hesitated for a second before responding. "I suppose that would be satisfactory," he agreed. "And you would insist regardless."

Harry smiled. "Yes, I would, because I happen to think that your birth is something to celebrate," he said, pressing a kiss to his lips. The kiss lingered for a moment before Harry broke it. "So, what is your favorite food?"

"I like many different kinds of foods," Severus responded.

Harry rolled his eyes. That was a typical Severus response. It was obvious to him that he was playing this off to make it seem like he didn't care. He was sure that the older man cared a bit more than he let on. "Yes, but if you had to choose?"

"I suppose if I had to choose one type of food, I would say pasta."

"What kind?"

"Fettuccine."

"Chicken? Beef? Salmon?"

"I am not particular," he said, "but I would say chicken or salmon."

Harry nodded, and he had the perfect dish in mind. He would have to double-check the recipe. He knew something that he thought Severus would like. It was important to him that this night went well. He knew it might not mean anything to Severus - or at least he acted like he didn't care - but it meant something to Harry. This would also a be way for Harry to pay him back for allowing him to hide out here after his birthday party. After all, they hadn't been together then so Severus could have kicked him out.

A couple of days later, the Floo went off. Harry turned around and saw a familiar red-head standing there. "What do you want?"

"Look, can we talk?" Ron asked him.

Harry turned around, facing back towards the telly and away from Ron. "I think you said everything you needed to at the party." The memory was still rather fresh in his mind. He put a hand up to his chest, remembering getting an attack that night.

Ron walked around to the side of the bed. "I deserve that," he said. "I want to apologize."

"For what?" Harry said, turning to Ron with a glare. "For making a right arse of yourself at the party? Inviting that vapid twit, then ignoring her all night and leaving her here? For being so wrapped up in your anger over your breakup with Hermione that you haven't come and seen me once since I've been on bedrest?" He turned back towards the telly, still fuming.

Ron just stood there, looking sheepish. "I deserve that, too," he said. "I let this whole thing go to my head. I was so obsessed with the fact that she dumped me that I forgot about everything else. I just… I just wanted to make her jealous, but I got so drunk and…" He shook his head. "That's no excuse, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for getting drunk, ruining the party, for what I said, and for not coming to see you."

Harry slowly turned and looked up at him. "I guess you're forgiven," he said, wondering why he always had to be the one to forgive Ron for something. They had too much history to just do away with everything, though, and Ron did seem sincerely sorry.

At that moment, the Floo went off again. Harry turned around to see Severus standing there. He smiled at him, but the older man's eyes went straight to Ron. "Weasley, I thought I made it quite clear -"

Ron held up his hands in mock surrender. "I just came to apologize to Harry, and I will make sure to apologize to Hermione, too." He looked between them as Severus was still leveling Ron with a furious glare. Ron looked back at Harry. "Your boyfriend is a bit protective of you."

Harry looked back at Severus and smiled. "Yes, he is." Especially considering the fact that Harry had an attack because he had gotten so upset at Ron last week. He knew that Severus remembered that just as keenly as he did. He also knew that Ron hadn't meant to, but that didn't excuse the fact that it happened.

"I'm going to go now. I will see you soon, Harry, I promise." With that, Ron left.

Severus watched him carefully until he disappeared through the Floo. After he was gone, the older man walked over and took his place next to him on the bed. "You forgave him?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, he seemed truly sorry for what a jerk he's been."

"It always seems that way after he's already done it."

Harry looked up at him and kissed Severus firmly on the lips. "It'll be fine, I promise, though I do appreciate how much you care." Severus didn't respond to that, of course. That was fine with Harry. He knew what he had gotten into when they had started this relationship.

Severus's birthday arrived sooner than he would have anticipated. He made a comment to Hermione about going shopping for the meal he was preparing. She immediately put a stop to that. "Give me the list, and tell me what you need," she said. "I will go get it."

"But I -"

"Those energy potions are for emergencies," she said. "Severus's birthday is not an emergency. You know he'd be angry if he found out you did that, and I don't care if you're feeling better. You're not off of bedrest yet."

Harry wrote down the list, and Hermione got everything on the list. He was going to make it at Severus's place, leaving Hermione by herself for the night. He had promised Severus that he would call when he was ready, and not come over on his own. So, that's what he did. Severus flooed him over. They made their way upstairs. "Now, go back downstairs to work."

"You do realize that I am already aware of what the meal contains," Severus said. "You did ask me questions about what I would prefer."

"That's not the point," Harry said. "The point is that this is for your birthday. So go back downstairs. I have taken an energy potion, and I have another in case I need it. I will be fine. If something goes wrong, I will scream or call for you. Okay?"

Severus nodded and reluctantly left to go back downstairs. Harry knew that he didn't like leaving him alone for long periods of time while they were together, especially if he was going to be moving around. However, for this instance, Harry wanted to prepare the meal alone so that when Severus came up, it would be ready. After all, it was his birthday. Any other meal and Harry wouldn't care. Any other meal and they could get takeaway or Sev could cook. This was special. Harry wanted it to be special.

Harry took some time to familiarize himself with the kitchen, getting all the pans and utensils he would need before starting to cook. The first thing he started to make was the sauce - butter, garlic, chicken stock, making sure to get it to the right thickness. After that, he started the garlic bread that was recommended to serve with it. He cut up the bread, mixed together with butter, garlic, and parsley and spread it over the bread and then put it in the oven.

The next step was the chicken. He put salt and pepper on it and then put into a pan to cook. Once he had properly cooked it, he put it off to the side and set a warming spell on it to make sure that it stayed warm. The next step was adding the basil to the cream sauce. He then finished the garlic bread before moving onto the pasta, making sure to put spells to keep the bread fresh.

Harry knew that Severus would need to clean up, so he went to to get him. "You might want to clean up now, Sev," he told him. "It'll be done by the time you finish." He made sure to cover up the food so that he couldn't see it yet. He wanted it to be done before Sev started analyzing it. He knew he was a good cook, but this was the first time that he had ever cooked for him like this. Hermione made food most of the time, or it was something that Molly had brought over.

Once the pasta was done, he transferred it into a bowl and tossed some of the sauce in it. He cut the chicken into slices. He grabbed two plates and split the pasta and the chicken up before pouring the rest of the sauce on top. The last thing he added was the garlic bread, which he set on the side of the plate. Harry set both plates on the table, putting warming spells and charms to keep the food fresh. He tossed together a salad quickly and made a quick dressing. Tossing it together, he separated that into bowls as well, setting them next to the other plates.

Harry poured them each a glass of red wine that he had bought especially for this night. Admiring his work for a moment, he went to get Severus, who was just coming out of his bedroom, having changed out of his work robes. "Dinner's ready." Harry led him back into the kitchen and sat down in a chair. He watched Severus closely as the older man sat down across from him. He watched carefully as Severus ate a bite of the garlic bread and the pasta.

"This is delicious, Harry," Severus said, looking up at him.

Harry smiled brightly. "I'm glad you like it," he said. Harry asked about his work as they ate, which he knew that Severus would appreciate. He did not appreciate potions the way that he did, but he did appreciate the skill with which the man made them.

"Your appointment is tomorrow?" Severus asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, it is, tomorrow morning," he said. Tomorrow he would find out if he was off bed rest. "I'm not sure what I'll do if he tells me I have to stay on bedrest for another month. I think I'll go mental."

"You'll do it for your own good," Severus told him. "It's not as if the Healer is doing it to torture you. You were seriously injured and aggravated that injury. You need to take it easy if he tells you to, or your warden and I will make sure that you do."

Harry nodded, rolling his eyes at Sev calling Hermione his warden. "Yes, I know," he said. "It's just hard for me. What would you do on bedrest?" Severus's silence was all the answer that he needed. "So, how old are you?"

"That is not important," Severus told him.

Harry chuckled. "No, it isn't, but I'm curious," he told him. "Wait, I can guess… Forty-one? No, this would actually be forty-two, wouldn't it?" Severus nodded. "That's not so bad. As far as wizards go, you're still young. Why does it bother you?"

"Can we change the subject?" Severus asked. "If my age isn't important, then we do not need to keep discussing it."

They had just finished eating, so Harry stood up. "Why does it bother you? You run a successful apothecary, and manage to do so anonymously. You are working on a book..." He walked over to Severus, pushing the older man's chair out of the way of the table. "And you have a twenty-one year old who is very interested." He straddles the man's hips, wrapping his arms around him.

"Yes, I can tell how much you are interested," Severus said wrapping his arms around him. Harry rocked his hips slightly to make his point, and the older man let out a groan. "But we can't. You are still on bedrest." Now, it was Harry's turn to groan. "You keep insisting on testing my self-control."

"I guess I want to see how far I can test it," Harry said.

"You are quickly reaching my limit," Severus responded. When Harry smirked at him, Severus continued speaking. "I promise that if you are completely cleared for physical activity tomorrow, I will make sure that you pay for all of the teasing you have given me."

Harry chuckled. "I suppose that's fair," he said, moving off Severus's lap. After that, they moved into the kitchen, sipping on their wine as they talked about various subjects - Hermione's work, her relationship with Draco, when Harry was going back to work, and anything else that they could come up with. After a while, it was time for him to go home, though, as much as Harry didn't want this night to end.

They found themselves back in Harry's flat. Hermione had made herself absent, it seemed, to give them some privacy when she heard the Floo. "So, did you enjoy your birthday?" Harry asked, moving closer to Sev, allowing the man's arms to wrap around him.

"Yes, I did," Severus said, leaning forward sealing Harry's lips with a kiss. "It was quite enjoyable. Good food, and I would say the company was quite good, as well."

Harry smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that." Severus kissed him once more, pulling Harry against him. He melted into the older man, enjoying the feel of Sev's body up against his own as he tightened his hold on him as the taller broke the kiss. Harry had given a slight moan of disappointment before they parted ways. It may seem like something small, but to Harry, this night had been huge.

The next morning, Harry nervously anticipated his meeting later that morning. He desperately wanted for things to go back to normal. He wanted to be able to go to work. He wanted to be healthy enough so that Severus wouldn't need to keep him at arm's length anymore. That wasn't the only thing, either. He wanted to be able to do what he wanted when he wanted. He wanted to be able to help Hermione cook and clean on a regular basis. He wanted to be able to sleep in his own bed. He wanted to be able to have Teddy overnight. He wanted to be able to take care of himself. He wanted to be able to workout again. He was tired of being on bedrest.

"Are you concerned about what the healer will say?" Hermione asked him over breakfast and coffee that morning.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, I feel fine, but…"

"You think there's a chance that he'll keep on you on bedrest to be on the safe side?"

He nodded. "You have to admit, I don't always have the best luck."

Hermione smiled at him. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "Just remember that Healer Brown is only going to do what they think is best for you." She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Everything will work out. It usually does."

That was easy for her to say. She wasn't faced with another month of bed rest. A couple of hours, though, he found himself at St. Mungo's. He was waiting for Healer Brown in the examination room, nervously wringing his hands together. His worst fear was that he wasn't well yet. Surely, he was after the past month of sitting around and doing nothing. Physically, he had felt fine lately. He had been slightly better emotionally, too, though of course, his emotions had their ups and downs, but that was only to be expected. Things would get better, though, if he was allowed to do something besides lay around the house all day, every day.

A few minutes later, Healer Brown walked in. "Good morning, Mr. Potter," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Harry responded. "Please tell me I'm off bedrest."

"Be patient," snapped the healer as he took out his wand and began performing various spells. "How are you feeling?"

Harry didn't think the repeat of the question was necessary, but then again, he hadn't answered the last one properly. At least not what the healer would think was a proper answer. "Good, much better lately, not as tired or worn out."

"Have you felt any pain in your chest? Any at all?"

Harry opened his mouth to say no until he remembered the New Year's Eve party and the pain he had felt in his chest after yelling at Ron. "Er, some about a week and a half ago," Harry said, "but other than that, no. Nothing more than what I before the injury."

Healer Brown made a noncommittal noise and continued doing spells for a moment before taking the wand and putting it into his robes. "Well, everything seems to be going well," he said. "I don't think you will heal any more than you have already. As long as you are not feeling weak or have any other symptoms, I think you will be fine."

Harry fought to keep the smile off his face. "Does that mean I'm off of bed rest?"

Brown nodded. "Yes," he said. "I don't recommend you starting work until next month, but you can start going back to your normal routine and begin using magic normally again."

Harry cleared his throat. "What about working out, and… other physical activities?" He hated asking, but he needed to do if he was healthy enough for him and Severus to get more physical. Sex wasn't the only thing in a relationship, but having it off the table completely was not fun at all.

Healer Brown shrugged his shoulders. "I would take it easy for a bit as you start to get back to being more active again, but as long as you are feeling well, no pain or weakness, I think you will be fine," he said. "If you feel any pain at all, stop what are you doing immediately and come see me."

Harry nodded. He had hoped that's what he was going to say, and he could live with that. "And when am I starting work?"

"You are starting on the eleventh of next month, a Monday," Healer Brown explained. "Meet me in my office, you will do a test to make sure that you are no longer addicted to potions of any kind, and then I will explain how things will go. Understood?"

Harry nodded. "Crystal, sir," he said. "Thank you." He left, smiling as he headed home. He wanted to go straight to see Sev, but he knew the man would be working now. He would see him later, and they could actually go out to eat instead of eating over at Harry's house. The important thing was that things could finally go back to normal, and he and Sev might start having a real relationship, one that didn't didn't involve staying in all the time. Things might actually be looking up for once.