Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Diary of a Call Girl.

Losing Severus had hurt, it was the kind of pain that didn't quite feel real yet, but that was changing and it was starting to take his breathe away. It had been nearly a week since Tom had made his offer to Harry and part of him was hoping that Severus might show himself. That Severus might try to fix things. That all would be forgiven and they wouldn't have to continue on with this, Rita Skeeter or not.

Part of him knew that Severus might not ever come to him. He was stubborn and reserved amongst other things. It all seemed so silly now, but nothing was changing, nothing was getting better. He had somehow managed to hook Tom, against his better judgement, and now he felt as if he were stringing the man along. Part of him felt like it was the ultimate betrayal to consider his offer, but another part of him knew that he owed it to himself, and more importantly to Severus to give this a go. If sleeping with Tom turned out to be the price for their freedom he was willing to go there. It wouldn't be the first time he'd traded sex for goods after all.

One afternoon, when he was feeling particularly conflicted he'd gone for a walk and found himself standing outside of Severus' old house. Part of him had hoped the might might come there for one reason or another, but all he managed to get was a disapproving look from the neighbor bitch for smoking. Not caring, he sent a rude gesture her direction and tossed his cigarette onto the pavement and started off towards home.

Draco had gone out of his way to try to cheer him up, but it wasn't really of any use. He'd even said they would spend the holidays in Cornwall, because of how Harry had loved being there over the summer. He'd gone ahead with all of the arrangements, and had gone as far as arranging tickets for Ron and Hermione to come down as well. He just didn't have the heart to tell the blonde that he wouldn't be going. Draco must have forgotten that that was where Severus had asked Harry to marry him and he just wasn't prepared to face that yet. He decided against making a fuss about it and would forgo a typical Draco tantrum and not mention it until they were set to leave, then there would be no way he could force Harry to come along. He wasn't much in the holiday spirit as it was. November seemed to rattle along at a depressingly slow pace for him.

He constantly felt taunted by the presence of the black box that Severus had left with Draco. He hadn't opened it, and knew he wouldn't. He couldn't bear the thought of what might be inside of it. Mostly, he was afraid that he might open it to discover the engagement ring tucked neatly inside. He didn't think he could handle seeing that, the token of what had once symbolized their love and was only a remember of days since passed. Instead he quelled the situation by shoving the box into the back of the massive closet, under spare linens.

It was ten days after the offer that he had made up his mind and called Tom to accept his offer. He didn't know if it would work, and part of him was certain that it wouldn't, but he did know that he couldn't go on like this. He'd treat Tom as a rebound of sorts and try to move on with his life and try to leave behind the life he'd had with Severus. The man was more than ecstatic and Harry found it difficult not to mirror the man's enthusiasm. He grinned brightly into the phone, caught in the temporary happiness that the moment had cast. For now he wouldn't have to worry about his friend's worried opinions about how they might not think he's made the right decision. That Tom could be dangerous and how he's walked blindly into all of this. All he knew was that it just felt right, whether it was or not could be something else entirely, but for now it was what he needed to do. Part of him knew that Tom was probably a man of his word and if he wanted to end things they would, and maybe even part ways as friends.

He couldn't keep putting things on hold, hoping that maybe they would fix themselves. This was going to be up to him and he was ready to take the first steps forward, he just hoped that they were in the right direction.

The only stipulation Harry had made was that Tom keep him and his business life in separate spaces. He didn't want to know what the man was up to, and he didn't want to become involved if at all possible.

Following the good news, Tom had insisted that they should celebrate. Harry refuted most of his bigger ideas and finally settled on going as Tom's date to a friend's wedding. He almost instantly regretted the decision when Severus came creeping back into his mind.

He had to admit that the entire wedding was a lovely affair. The couple looked happier than anyone he'd ever seen before, but he supposed that came with marrying the love of your life. Knowing that you get to wake up to this person everyday for the rest of your life. It was a lovely thought, but he quickly squashed down any sadness that threatened to make itself known. It was the reception that had been particularly lovely.

"So am I your boyfriend now?" Harry had asked sipping champagne.

"I think so," Tom had nodded.

"I don't remember you properly asking," he smiled slyly.

"Will you, Harry Potter, be my boyfriend?"

"Yes," he'd blushed. It was a bit silly, but he'd be lying if he said that he hadn't liked it.

Harry stood idly in the corner, as the bride and groom took the floor for their first dance, and mused to himself about what would be the song he'd have his first dance to someday. Tom had excused himself to go and talk to friends, and this was the first moment he'd had to himself all evening. The bride was absolutely glowing, and the groom didn't look as if he'd ever been happier in his entire life. It was the type of moment that you wished you could bottle and go back later and experience even a fraction of the happiness you'd felt in that moment. If someone in the future ever did manage to do it they'd be a very rich person and deservingly so he'd decided.

It was a few songs after when Tom came over and extended his hand to Harry and Harry stared at him for a moment before taking it.

"I believe they're playing our song," Tom smiled wilily.

"But we don't have a song," Harry said confusedly.

"We do now. Now, let's dance," Tom said pulling him out on the dance floor and he was grinning the entire time.

Part of him wondered, as they danced, if being that cunning was a learned behavior or something that you were born with. In the end he decided that it definitely had to have been something you were born with. It was one of the better moments he'd had in a really long time, and he was grateful to Tom for bringing him.

"That smooth fucker," Draco had grinned brightly when Harry had told him the story about their song. "He really does know what he's doing. It's strange he isn't the biggest slut in London."

"Maybe he has to have some personal morals to make up for the ones he's lacking on a professional level," Neville mused. "He seems like a man that needs to have some balance about him."

"Either way it was a really lovely night," Harry said tugging off his tie and depositing it onto the desk.

"So you're really going to go through with this then?" Draco asked. "I mean you're going to properly date him and everything?"

"It feels like the only way to sort out the mess I'm in. I mean he's willing to help, and I'd be a fool to pass it up at this point. We've been trying for months and getting nowhere."

"It didn't hurt to try," Neville offered perkily.

"No, and I'm ever so grateful that you all have helped like you have," Harry smiled at both of them. Sometimes he wondered how he had kept such wonderful friends when he'd been so callous towards them in the past few months.

One of the things that Harry liked about Tom was how seemingly open his schedule was. Harry had rang him up that morning and suggested that they go Christmas shopping together and the man was ringing his doorbell within the hour. It was a nice change from having to schedule his days around Severus' job. Part of him was pleased with the situation, but another larger part knew that he wouldn't have traded Severus for the world.

Tom offered his elbow and Harry hooked his arm through allowing Tom to escort him to the car and open the door for him. Ever the gentleman.

He'd never been that great at shopping for Christmas gifts, he boiled it down to years of never being able to buy his friends gifts. Ron and Hermione weren't that hard to buy for, he'd bought Hermione cashmere scarf, with a beanie and gloves to match it and he'd gotten Ron this antique chess set. Ron loved the game almost as much as footie and collected different sets. He then got both of them a thousand pound gift card to tape to inside of their gifts, they were students and honestly when didn't a student need money for something. Neville was also a breeze, after talking it over with Tom he decided that the boy would mostly appreciate some form of rare plants.

Draco was his real trouble. What did you get someone who had everything?

In the end he managed to find a brilliant, vintage watch that Tom had spotted in one of the shops that they had wandered into. The lady behind the counter had explained to them that it was one of 100 ever made and that they were incredibly lucky to have come by it. It had cost him more than a pretty penny, but this Christmas he wanted to show his friends how grateful he was that they had helped him so much in the past few months. That they'd taken the time to help him try to escape Rita's clutches and get back his life. They hadn't succeeded, but he didn't think he could have even made it this far without their love and support and this was just one way he had of showing it to them.

"Don't get me anything for Christmas," Harry instructed Tom as they waited in line for hot chocolates.

"Why ever not? That's hardly any fun."

"You've already doing enough for me this year with Rita and everything. That's all the gift that I need,"

"Alright," Tom nodded with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You're still going to get me something aren't you?" Harry sighed in frustration.

"Of course. It's hardly Christmas if I don't get to give you of all people a gift."

"Right," Harry blushed. "Do you mind if we stop off at my old flat so I can stash these gifts? If I take them home they're only going to get snooped through by Draco."

"No trouble at all. Then you can let me take you to dinner," Tom smiled fondly.

"So is this all of the shopping you need to do?" Tom asked as they sat waiting for their food to arrive.

"Oh, um no, but the most important ones, I guess," he smiled lightly. "I wish that was all. I've still got the Weasleys and you of course, and maybe Luna. What about you then?"

"Only you," the man smiled. "And well Rita Skeeter, she's about to receive an unexpected gift. I've already set things into motion there. It might be a bit early, but a memorable Christmas for her nonetheless."

Part of him felt bad for the nutter, but another part of him remembered the hell she had managed to put him and Severus through for the past few months. How she had ruined their engagement, what was meant to be one of the happiest moments in anyone's relationship, before leading to the complete decimation of their entire relationship. He didn't care if Tom managed to banish her to the coldest, most remote corner of the planet, as long as she was alive and she left him alone. She needed to learn her lesson for what she had done to him, and probably many more before him. He didn't know her entire list of treacherous acts, but he did know that he planned to be the last name on the list.

A/N: I hope everyone had a lovely New Years! Thanks for reading and reviewing!