Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.
Note: Finally the long awaited interview but first, we passed 500 reviews, I'm so happy. Not let's make it a thousand shall we? Alright, let's begin.
Harry had always been a man of few words. He was not usually one to stand there gaping, but currently he could think of nothing to say, as the blond, curly haired, smiling witch stood in front of the doorway to Spinner's End. He could only think of how in hell she had gotten past the wards.
"Mr. Potter–Snape, we can do this interview outside if you'd like but I prefer to stay in a place which is somewhat dry," Rita Skeeter finally said with a sweet smile which made Harry faintly ill.
"Right." Trying to gather his wits was slightly harder than normal on this unusual morning and finally Harry opened the door and stepped away, gesturing for Rita to come through; she wouldn't allow him to live it down if he let her stand there on the sidewalk.
Aware of his rumpled, fresh out of bed look - thanks to Snape - and the way the old house looked, Harry discretely waved his wand and added a non verbal cleaning charm. Well, the room was less dusty than a moment before, but he couldn't do much for the couch.
Rita appeared to take it all in with great interest and her eyes gleamed as she turned back to look at him. "So where is your bond mate, Harry? He'll be joining us, won't he?" Her teeth showed with every syllable she spoke and Harry gave a nod, gesturing to the couch and the rickety chair that stood there, inviting her into a seat.
"He will be down momentarily. Why don't I go and see where he is? I'm sure you can make yourself at home." Rita looked around, as if she couldn't really believe the setting she found herself now. Harry sighed and then quickly disappeared behind the hidden door, warding it as he left.
He would be damned if let Rita snoop around the rest of the house. It was bad enough that she had seen the dingy living room and the small kitchen, but there was nothing Harry could do about that. He had not expected her to come today, it had slipped his mind that he had asked her for the interview, with Severus being ill and all.
"Who was it?" The deep dark voice would never cease to amaze Harry, he was sure of that as he walked into the bedroom to see Snape sitting up in the bed, looking at him with curious black eyes.
"Rita Skeeter, she is here for the interview." Harry sat down on the bed, refusing to meet the dark scowl which would no doubt be painted on Severus' pale face. A part of him wanted to curl back up to the older wizard and continue their interrupted conversation. What would it lead to, he wondered.
"Rita Skeeter is here in our house?" Snape asked softly, sounding dangerous.
Harry nodded. He hadn't missed the use of the word 'our' and it lifted his heart to hear Severus say such a thing.
"My my, Miss Granger certainly is very quick." Snape nudged him with his foot before he continued, "Very well, shift, Mr. Potter, we've an interview to get ready for."
"You mean you want to give the interview?" Harry's eyes shot up to meet the black ones of his husband as Snape shifted in the bed to prepare himself to get up and face the day.
"Well, it is the reason she is here, isn't it? I can't imagine that you simply invited her for tea and biscuits before sending her on her way again! And besides, somebody has to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't go about spouting nonsense. We may actually be able to turn this to our advantage."
"Yes, but you were ill…."
"The key word being 'were'. I am more than capable of sitting on the couch hearing you speak about everything that has befallen you, or did you have a live demonstration in mind perhaps of how we consummated the bond?" Snape rose to his feet quite steadily and smirked at seeing Harry's dumbfounded expression before he stalked towards the younger wizard and tilted up his chin. Severus spoke softly, "You can be proud of yourself that you took such excellent care of me and that you failed to heed my words. Had I been taking care of myself I would've no doubt been off worse. You did very well, Harry." Harry found a smile pulling at his lips at the honest praise.
Snape's fingers curled with surprising strength and gentleness around Harry's cheek before the Potions Master closed the distance and kissed Harry tenderly but briefly upon the boy's lips. He pulled away and said, "Now put something decent on. You cannot go down in rumpled clothing for I'm sure that it will not be the impression you wish to give Miss. Skeeter."
"Oh and what impression would that be?" Harry lifted his eyebrows, confused.
Snape's eyes shot up and down his body really quickly in an intense gaze that made Harry flush before the older wizard said, "That we had been having a quickie before going down to meet her. Now do hurry up, who knows what she'll get into when left on her own?"
And with those words, the newly recovered wizard disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a flustered and wishfully thinking Boy Who Lived in his wake.
Hp
Harry once more ran his hands over his messy hair as he opened the hidden door. Rita was still sitting in the same spot, her Quick Quotes Quill already in hand. The acid green clashed horribly with the faded brown of the couch but Harry refrained from commenting.
He wondered just what sort of things the quill would be writing. Would it tell the truth or something else perhaps? Twist his words as they had so often been twisted, or would Rita print the truth for once. It would be a nice start.
Rita held a parchment in her hands which she held out for Harry to take with a sweet smile, before saying with just the faintest of sneers, "Miss Granger has drawn up a document that gives me exclusive rights to this interview. Now all you've to do is to sign it."
"Is that the same document that enables me or anybody else I wish to be the only ones to edit the interview? And you are bound to print the truth."
"Well, our readers do wish to know all about your marriage to the person who murdered Albus Dumbledore."
Rita's smile was sweet but Harry could already feel his temper shortening as he snapped. "Severus didn't murder Dumbledore, it was arranged between them."
"Wouldn't anybody say that once the hero of the wizarding world and the person with the most influence currently would link their magic together?" Rita's smile widen.
"It wasn't like that at all! I saw his memories."
"Memories can lie, especially in the hands of a very powerful Occlumens." Harry could feel his magic rising a little as he began to become agitated.
He sneered with a sneer worthy of Snape and then said with a cold smirk, "Do you want this interview or not?" He enjoyed the way the heavily made up eyes widened behind her glasses as Rita stammered at him for a moment. "I can find dozens of reporters willing to print the truth about my marriage but if you wish to throw accusations around, I do wonder what the Ministry would say if they knew that an unregistered animagus was prowling about printing dirty secrets. Like you so helpfully pointed out, I am the one with the most influence in the wizarding world."
Rita stared at him, coldly, appraising and she finally said, "Your bond mate is certainly rubbing off on you…"
"No, I'm merely finally realizing what I'm worth and you can be sure that it is my bond mate doing this for a change," Harry said hotly. He really hoped that it wouldn't be like this all the time because he was sure that the interview would be over sooner then Rita thought.
Rita actually smiled at him and then, gesturing to the rickety chair she was sitting in, softly said, "Perhaps we can have some tea; I'm sure that you'll have lots to tell me." And as Harry merely raised a questioning eyebrow, she smiled sweetly at him as he left the room.
Hp
"So, Harry - you don't mind that I call you Harry, now do you dear? Well, tell us what really happened during what should've been the final moments of Severus Snape's life." Harry took a sip of his tea. Rita had obviously done her homework, but now it fell to him to explain the difficult tale of when Snape had been bitten by Nagini.
Try as he might - and he had tried, long and hard - he couldn't even remember fully what had happened or what he had been feeling then. Everybody was concerned that it was a conscious thought that he had linked their magic together but Harry couldn't remember ever making such a choice.
"Well, we were hiding in the Shrieking Shack, Ron, Hermione and I, and we were trying to attack his snake when we spotted Severus standing there. They were discussing something and I was thinking of the best way to strike at the snake without being seen. Voldemort attacked Severus with Nagini and he fell to the floor. Voldemort left the room and I approached Severus. He was bleeding from the wounds in his neck, two big gaping fang wounds and he expected to die, I just knew it when I looked into his eyes. I don't remember exactly how it happened but all I thought was that he didn't deserve to die like that and then there was a flash of light and I felt a pull on my magic and the next thing I knew, I had somehow linked my magic to Severus'."
"You make it sound as if you didn't have a choice in the matter," Rita responded.
"I wouldn't say it like that. It was more of a subconscious choice that I don't remember making but apparently my magic responded and was determined to save Severus, thus reaching out to his magic, and he accepted," Harry said thoughtfully.
"I imagine that he wasn't very happy when he woke up to find himself linked to you. The vendetta between you two is legendary at Hogwarts and even beyond."
"He was about as shocked as I was. I never knew that this could happen and, well… it was quite a shock when we woke up to find ourselves in the same room together, but the biggest shock was yet to come."
"How did Professor Snape respond when you woke up?"
Harry glanced up at her and then he said, "Well, it was quite a shock. He was angry of course. He was also in a lot of pain and we were both very weak because of the shared magic. I was depleted and Severus was severely wounded. Yet he was still strong enough to haul me from my bed to his bed by sheer force," Harry said with a laugh.
Everything had been so blurred then, he could really only remember the emotions, not the actual words which had been spoken. He glanced up at Rita as she asked, "When you learnt that you had to marry Professor Snape, how did you respond?"
"He suffered in silence and bore it stoically like the brave young man we all know him to be. He showed his famed Gryffindor bravery when he met me at the Ministry and spoke the wedding vows without a hitch, that is to say until he got to the part about kissing, that earned Professor McGonagall a downright frightening scowl which made me very proud."
The soft silky voice was one of the most welcoming sounds Harry had ever heard, as he turned towards the hidden doorway. Snape stood there, dressed in one of his customary black robes and with his deadliest smirk in place. The black eyes glittered and the dark hair looked so soft, as it hung in waves around Snape's face.
The dark eyes fixed on Harry's face and they softened slightly before Snape glided over to the empty spot beside Harry on the couch. Rita recovered quickly as she said, "It is so nice to see that you've recovered, Professor Snape."
"Hardly a professor any longer, Miss Skeeter," Snape sneered. Long fingers brushed Harry's hand as Snape leaned forward to take his tea cup that Harry had filled for him. The older wizard's dark eyes were watching the blond witch sitting opposite him.
Rita's quill was writing quickly and her smile was slightly condescending, but Harry found he didn't care that much. He was relaxing in Snape's familiar presence. The older wizard's body heat was a balm to his frazzled nerves but Harry didn't have the time to wonder why this was relaxing him so when Rita asked, "So, Severus, how do you view this marriage with Harry?"
"Mr. Snape, Miss Skeeter! And to answer your question, at first I was quite angry that the brat had to audacity to link our magic together after everything I did for him, but time has worn on, I'm starting to realize that there could've been worse things than being married to a Potter."
"So you're glad that you robbed the innocence of what would surely have been the world's most sought after bachelor," Rita said with wink. Harry wrinkled his nose at the term. People had expected him to marry right out of Hogwarts, like his parents had done, though he was sure it wasn't in the fashion he had managed to do it.
"I never robbed Potter of his innocence. It was merely the turnout of events. The bond between us which sprang to life when Harry linked our magic together would have to be consummated at one point and it was merely the next logical step."
"So you're denying all the rumors of any liaison with Harry Potter while he was still a student at Hogwarts."
The expression on Snape's face was frightening to behold, as the older wizard growled, "You may mistake me for many things, Madam, but a paedophile, I'm not! I do not get my kicks from deflowering innocent children or got aroused by their changing bodies or when they through themselves around whenever their hormones run rampart. Besides, didn't you know? Harry was the one who initiated the bonding between us."
Harry remembered the early days when Snape had often growled at him that he would never force himself on Harry. The older wizard had been true to his word but Harry now knew, that if he did ask Severus to do some 'forcing' he wouldn't mind in the slightest.
He coughed as he fought his blush and his wayward thoughts as he shifted in his seat to hide his growing arousal. He shifted closer to Snape who regarded him oddly. Rita was looking oddly at him as well but she said nothing, merely frowning before she asked, "How is the relationship between the two of you? Your 'professional' relationship at Hogwarts was always a bit explosive." She smiled, showing white teeth.
Harry drew in a deep breath. The stress on the word 'professional' had him frowning before Snape snarled, "I've already told you that Harry and I never shared a sexual relation while at Hogwarts…"
"But why would anybody believe you? I mean, you are a Death Eater who murdered Dumbledore and the way your marriage had been secretly consummated, mere days after the Final Battle speaks almost of a scandal. So was there a scandal?"
His voice tight with anger, Snape growled, "There was no scandal, except my impending trial and the linked magic between us. We were both in danger, I from my wounds and Harry because he was depleted. You know the Ministry's standing on linked magic; they would have sent me to Azkaban simply under the pretence of keeping me safe, thus harming Harry and myself dearly."
"But you were sent to Azkaban, so how did that affect the relationship between you two?'
"What do you mean?"
"You were sent to Azkaban, Mr. Snape- Potter when the Ministry discovered that you lied to them about the state of your marriage. At that point the marriage was not valid and thus there was no danger to either Harry or yourself…"
"There was." Harry surprised Rita by answering. "I was affected immediately when Severus was in Azkaban and I knew that he must be suffering quite badly as well. It was the reason I wanted to consummate the bond."
Rita blinked at him, frowning at Snape before she blurted out, "Surely a newly formed linked magic bond isn't that powerful."
"Potter is always an exception to the rules, including the ones regarding linked magic. Somehow, Harry managed to link our magic on a far deeper level since he is a very powerful wizard. "The black eyes regarded him and Harry knew what Snape wasn't saying, that Harry's magic had never been entirely his own, ever since he had been a small child.
"Then how does the bond manifest itself between you? It must be quite powerful."
"It is there, that is all," Snape said dismissively, waving a slender hand.
Harry managed to barely hide his snort as he took a hasty sip of his now luke warm tea. Snape was skillful at not saying what he didn't want others to know, but this was pushing it. Harry had noticed that in the past few days, as the distance between him and Snape disappeared, the bond between them grew stronger to the point where Harry was nearly always aware of the other wizard's magic and presence.
At first it had been distracting but Harry now found that he was quickly growing addicted to it and he somehow knew, that no matter what would happened in the future, he may just never let Severus go unless the older wizard really wanted it.
Hp
Severus glared at Potter as the youth managed to hide a snort by taking a sip of tea. The green eyes were aglow with happiness and amusement and Severus found that he had to forcefully remind himself that they were in unpleasant company as he sought to touch Potter.
He dropped his empty hand to the couch and rested it in the space between him and Harry. He glanced at the appalling woman sitting opposed him as she turned her attention to Harry and asked, "So tell me, how do you think that your parents would have reacted to find you bonded to your teacher who is twenty years your senior? Surely they would not be very proud of you to know that you linked your magic to a man whose reputation and allegiance is to the dark?"
Severus fought his growl the moment Harry's eyes dimmed and his young wizard swallowed thickly.
"I don't know what they would think. I think that my dad wouldn't be very proud since he knew Severus and he never really liked him..." Severus had to fight his own snort this time… "…but I think that my mom would have been happy. I mean, she was friends with Severus and well, I'm sure that she would have wanted him to be happy."
Even with her beloved son?
"But wouldn't you say that the fact that you never really had a parental figure in your life now makes you seek a person twice your age to help you satisfy the hidden longing you may have for the approval of a parental figure?"
"It would be a very strange relationship if I saw Severus as a parental figure and no, to answer your question, I did not. I may have always been on my own but I never mistook any of my professors for a parental figure. They never played that role in my life because the distance between us was too large. I suppose I did always look up to Dumbledore…"
"But he manipulated you and lied to steer you towards your death. Surely that must've changed your perspective towards the deceased Headmaster, which I'm sure my book did help a little to tell everybody the truth." Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes but only because he was so focused on Harry.
He could see how the green eyes turned positively sad at the mentioning of Dumbledore. Albus had wronged the boy on so many levels that Severus was still trying to work through the guilt and the many 'could have beens' in his relationship with Harry. They could have had had so many chances for even a friendship and, partly because of Dumbledore, they had never tried.
"Well, I'm still not really sure how to feel about him. It does hurt to know that he never bothered to tell me the truth, not even to say that it was my destiny to die at the hands of Voldemort. He never cared about what would happen to me…"
"And what about the other members in the alleged Order of the Phoenix? I know that Remus Lupin was a member of that Order. How do you suppose he would feel knowing that you are shagging a Death Eater?"
This time, Harry's expressive eyes did flash with pain, though it seemed that Rita didn't appear to notice as she continued with her questions.
"Are you perhaps going down the same route as your own godfather? Being away in Teddy Lupin's life because you've no other example…"
Harry made a sound in the back of his throat, an odd sound that had Severus startling. He could see how the younger male recoiled before folding in on himself, hugging his arms around his chest. The green eyes seemed to express all the feelings Harry couldn't voice or cry and Severus finally snapped, resting a strong hand on the brat's bent back. "Harry is a good godfather and regardless of whatever example Black may have set because of his incompetence, he was willing to go through fire for Harry, for he loved him dearly. If Harry will love Teddy as much as Black did the brat, then the young master Lupin can count himself very lucky for having such a dedicated godfather as Harry Potter-Snape. And besides, need I remind you that he has gone through hell lately and should be given much needed time to sort himself out before taking on any baby werewolves?"
Harry glanced up at him, too stunned to speak and finally Severus, picturing Lupin's face and easy smile, haughtily said, "He would be delighted for Harry to know that he had found happiness with somebody and well, to know that the person was me, I'm sure he would have managed somehow. I tend to grow on people."
Harry chuckled softly and leaned against Severus, trust evident in the smallest gesture he made.
Rita smiled and asked, "So Harry has found happiness with you, Professor and you've found happiness with him?"
Severus gaped at her, how was he going to rescue himself from this?
Hp
Harry tried to keep his breathing as normal as possible, but he found that he was failing slightly. He kept casting glances towards Snape, wondering what the older wizard would answer. How much could possibly depend on this answer? Harry's heart it seemed.
He forced himself to breathe steadily, slowly in and out, even as his body tensed. Rita was staring up at Snape, smiling sweetly at the Potions Master who growled sharply at her, but still had to answer.
Will Severus deny the question or simply refuse to answer it? I don't know what I would do otherwise. It isn't like this is anything important, but I do want to know how he views happiness. I know that he would never think of himself as happy but well… how do I feel?
Harry frowned as he tuned in on his own thoughts. How was he feeling in regards to this marriage? When did Snape's opinion start to matter so much to him? And since when had Harry begun to feel safe with the older wizard, knowing instinctively that Snape would protect him from anything, including himself.
Is this happiness? But that was never mentioned in any fairy tale book. All those princesses were always smiling and laughing joyously whenever their prince showed up. But then again, every time evil is defeated, it would stay dead and there aren't any people left to mourn or pieces of lives to rebuild. No, I suppose I've to make do with my own happy ending with my prince.
But for some reason, Harry found himself fighting a broad smile as he realized that in all manners of the word, Severus was his prince.
Snape cast a dark look at Harry before he grumbled, specks of color high in his cheeks. "The brat better be happy since he isn't getting out of this marriage."
"You do not intend to divorce him…" Rita started to say before Snape cut across her with a raised eyebrow.
"Give me a reason that I should. I mean, as you said, the boy is the most sought after wizard in the wizarding community at the moment. And I do deserve a reward for all the years I spent putting my life on the line spying for Dumbledore. "
"Oh, I don't know, out of the goodness of your heart perhaps and to give him a chance for happiness."
"I don't own a heart, just ask my former students for proof and besides, why don't you ask Potter if he is happy or not? If the goofy grin he is fighting is any proof of the fact that he is blushing scarlet now, I really think that you already have your answer. That would at least be the case if you had learned the subtle act of reading people, which, since you see fit to snoop around so much, I think you never managed to learn."
Harry hid his snort and he did feel his cheeks warming as he saw how both Rita and Snape regarded him. He turned his attention to Snape, seeing the easy smirk on the thin lips and the way the black eyes glittered before Harry, wishing with all his might that Rita was leagues away or that she had the decency not to print this, shyly confessed, "I've been very happy this past two months."
Snape raised an eyebrow but Harry noticed how the black eyes seemed to warm suddenly and the older wizard, with much less venom then Harry had ever heard from him, snarled, "Your life must have been quite miserable if the past two months with me have been the happiest of your life."
"Well, you saw my memories so you should know and could judge it." Harry was a little bit uncomfortable. He knew Snape loathed public displays of affection, even more than he had loathed Harry on one occasion and he wasn't entirely comfortable himself.
Snape's fingers curled around his hand gently, squeezing before the older wizard softly sighed and said, "I've told you before that the love you've got inside that big heart of yours shouldn't be wasted on me."
"And I've already said that it isn't wasted," Harry said, matching Snape's tongue perfectly. The tiny squeeze of his hand let him know that Snape had caught his meaning before Harry added, "And besides, seeing as this love is mine as you say, I choose who I waste it on."
Snape's eyes bore into his own with a nearly frightening intensity, but Harry was no longer afraid that Snape would read his mind, because he was already telling the truth to his husband. At least he was now. He had never lied to Snape since the older wizard had never lied to him and he knew from experience that lies always came to the light and that they would hurt more than the initial truth.
"You foolish boy," Snape breathed, so softly that Harry barely heard him but Harry knew in that instant that as Snape's dark eyes locked with his, that the older wizard had somehow accepted what Harry was telling him and that Harry would always be safe and that this moment belonged to them and them alone, regardless of their audience.
He made a soft noise in the back of his throat, and Snape's fingers curled roughly around his hand, the contact warm and strong in Harry's mind. He continued to stare into the dark eyes of his bond mate to see the words Snape couldn't express, the words the older wizard had never learned to say because every time the wizard had tried, he had been hurt and he had finally guarded his heart away.
Snape then leaned in and Harry found himself arching up to meet the thin lips, but they only curled into a slight smirk before Snape bypassed Harry's lips to whisper in his ear. "You realize that I'll feast on that love like a dark parasite and you will be utterly mine, perhaps damned for eternity."
"Or perhaps saved from darkness by one who knew it intimately and renounced it, finding himself redeemed and rewarded because of his patience and good deeds," Harry whispered back, just as soft.
Snape drew back so he could look Harry in the eye and then asked in a harsh voice, "You would be mine?" Harry could only nod for suddenly his throat was too constricted to say anything. "Say it!" Snape demanded, harshly, still in a whisper.
"Yes, Severus, I'll be yours, forever." The thin lips curled into a genuine smile and Harry could feel the emotions which shone in Snape's eyes echo in his own chest. That emotion he was sure, with the right nourishment, would turn into love.
He smiled back, unable to contain himself and then a flash went off, even as his eyes still probed Snape's dark ones. To belong to this wizard would be bliss, Harry was sure. He would be taken care of properly and perhaps never wanting for anything again…
Rita cleared her throat, smiling her tooty smile as Harry drew back from staring at Snape to look at the reporter. She smiled gently at him, and much to his horror held a hand held camera in her hand, smiling sweetly as she purred, "That'll make an excellent picture, the two of you so obviously lost in each other. The affection and love speaking in your eyes…"
"Love…" Snape sputtered at her, scowling darkly. Harry was unsure whether the older wizard had trouble with the word or the fact that in a moment that should belong to them utterly had been caught on camera.
"Now, as lovely as the latest picture was and as endearing as to see that you two are more than capable of getting on together, I still have some questions. Now, Harry, when did you first know that you might be attracted to men? From what my sources say, you were not so against marrying a man, but more for the person that Professor Snape is."
Harry glanced back at Snape before he smiled and said, "Well, there was somebody back in my sixth year who I had feelings for but I never really acted on those feelings or knew that person like I now know Severus… It is complicated."
"We've the time, Harry," Rita said kindly.
"Well…" Harry wondered how he could possibly explain that he had a huge crush on the Half Blood Prince. He only recognized it now for what it was. The same intense feelings whenever he imaged the male who must have lovingly wrote all those snarky comments in the well worn potions book, or when Harry dreamed about finding the male and talking to him.
He sighed for a moment and then curled against Snape's side, wondering what the older wizard would say when Harry told him that Snape had been the one Harry had been dreaming of back in his sixth year.
He looked back at Snape quickly and then answered, "Back in my sixth year I had a thing for a prince."
The statement was met by silence but Harry kept his eyes forcefully on Rita to gauge her reaction. He could feel Snape stiffen against Harry but then the breathing seemed to leave the Potions Master in a huge sigh and Snape wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, his hand warm on the younger male's lower back.
Rita managed to recover as she said, "Ah and how did that end, Harry?"
"Better than I ever imagined, Rita." Harry turned to look at Snape as the black eyes regarded him.
"So, does this new revelation make you feel threatened, Severus?"
The black eyes bore into Harry's own as Snape answered, "No, because I know that this prince wouldn't stand a chance against me. And besides, feeling threatened by a mere figure that held Harry's attention two years ago may imply weakness or the lack of a strong marriage, both of which we do not have."
"So you don't see this person as a danger to your wedded bliss?"
"Absolutely none, what so ever," Snape answered dryly and Harry relaxed.
It had shocked his world a little to know that the person he had been crushing on had been Snape but now, it didn't matter in the slightest as Snape's arm tightened around his waist possessively.
Hp
Severus sneered at Skeeter as she flashed him another smile. He glanced down at the messy bowed head by his side. Speaking of revelations, he had never anticipated that Harry had been lusting after the Prince or him for that matter. Though lusting probably wasn't the correct word, it would have been more dreaming and hidden hand jobs in the dorm if he knew Harry, and he did.
So Harry liked him then? Had always liked him, even before he knew who the prince really was.
"So, Severus, your bond mate's birthday is coming up, do you have anything special planned?" Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Except to take him out to muggle London to an obscure gay bar and ravish him since he is of age? No, none." He could feel Harry startle and he rubbed his hands down the younger male's spine, applying pressure gently to sooth his brat.
"Surely you wouldn't…"
"Well, sadly, Miss, it falls to me to teach the boy the nefarious sides of life but trust me, I'm sure that Harry will enjoy it as much as I will." Severus licked his lips, fingers moving into the back of Harry's jeans, who startled even more.
Harry tensed and Severus pretended to press a kiss against a temple as he murmured, "Relax."
Harry was trying, he could tell and finally the younger male pressed back against his finger as Severus continued to slowly work his way into the muggle jeans Harry wore. If Rita noticed any fidgeting, she never let it on as she asked brightly.
"So are you going to plan a grand old party, Harry?"
"No, probably not. I'm going to celebrate with my friends and Severus, and that'll be all I need."The brat turned huge eyes up towards him, shining with contentment and Severus fought his smile.
"The Ministry is proclaiming a party for you on the special day, wishing to declare it Harry Potter day, what do you say to that?"
"That I'll only set foot in there the moment they declare my bond mate innocent," Harry replied hotly.
"So you still hold fast to the notion that he is innocent?"
"Yes, because he is," Harry snarled. His green eyes were blazing and Severus allowed the delicious sight to warm him and to arouse him as his finger dipped into Harry's crevice. The younger male didn't seem to notice as he continued to glare at Rita who merely said.
"You have given proof to the Wizengamot to state your case but the public knows virtually nothing about the trial."
"And we would prefer to keep it that way!"
"But I thought the reason for this very interview was to get out the truth." Rita raised an eyebrow and Harry broke the stare, fuming.
"What my bond mate means is that there is a lot depending on the trial and the public may have other ideas of justice than that of the esteemed members of the Wizengamot," Severus finally said carefully. He pinched Harry's left cheek and he could feel the tremors going through the younger male.
"So you proclaim you are innocent as well?"
"Madam, I never proclaimed such a thing. I'm still utterly convinced that I should atone for my sins but I've already spent time in Azkaban and well, let's just say the results were not what we had hoped for."
"But you took your bond mate's virginity, surely that should count for something."
"I'm not somebody who thrives on stealing the innocence of your people, Madam. One more such comment and you will see the outside of that door." Severus' voice dropped. How dare she? That she questioned him on Dumbledore he could stand, barely, but she had the gall to question him about Harry and their bonding, well she was dead wrong if she thought him meek enough to sit here and to allow her to question those things.
"Then what do you think of Lucius Malfoy and the accusations he has thrown your way?"
"That he is looking for ways to take me down with him in his fall. He should know me well enough by now to know that I'm perfectly capable of nurturing my own guilty conscience in ways better then he has. I've had more practice."
"So you deny them?"
"No, I played my part in the events, as did he. I'm just more capable at handling falling from grace better than he is," Severus answered bitterly. His fingers dug into Harry's back roughly and he looked away, refusing to meet the blue eyes that could possibly see into his soul.
"Then what are your thoughts for the future if you refuse to discuss the trial?" Severus allowed Harry to answer it, knowing already what his answer may be.
"It depends on the outcome of the trial. I don't know what I'll do if Severus is sent to Azkaban."
"But what about house arrest, would that not work?" Rita asked and Severus glanced up. Surely the woman was joking, she had never had any sense of honour or had even remotely liked to side with people. Could she possibly be feeling sympathetic towards Harry?
"Severus is already under house arrest and I think that he already paid enough for whatever he has done. He had been attacked by a snake you know."
"Yes, but a lot of people have suffered from the war."
"I doubt any of them will be continued to be shun by society even if they have been exonerated by the Wizengamot," Severus murmured. Harry turned to look at him, chewing his lip as his expressive eyes showed him the apprehension his young husband was hiding.
"You really think that people will continue to shun you even when you are freed?"
"Of course, don't be such a dunderhead, Harry? You have seen what the public is capable of. They will tell you one thing and condemn you the moment you turn around. They are very fickle; I believe you saw it when you read all those lovely articles in the paper. We'll never know peace, regardless of what the ultimate decision will be with the Wizengamot."
"But you've done your part to change the world and to try and make it a better place? You challenged the world and you did the best with the role life handed you and you played your part very well. You couldn't do anything else or you would have been killed and you've been very brave. I think that people should respect that and not condemn you for what you've been doing," Harry replied hotly.
Severus felt his mouth go dry. Harry Potter, hero of the wizarding world was preaching his case and quite heatedly as well. What had Severus done to deserve such a gift?
He could only look at the young wizard seated before him, green eyes blazing in determination to see it through to whatever end and determined to show Severus that he was a man worthy or love and affection and, for a moment, Severus almost believed it.
Hp
Harry looked away, trying to hide his burning gaze. Merlin, he had made a grand fool of himself by his heated words spoken for Snape. They were most likely all going to printed all over the Daily Prophet by tomorrow, but he found he couldn't really care now.
He was insecure enough for the both of them, but he had meant what he had said. Snape deserved to live in peace when all of this was over.
"Well, I do have enough material now to print a very delightful article," Rita said brightly, smiling at them both before she rose, putting the quill away in her crocodile hide purse and the camera soon followed.
"But we haven't discussed everything yet." He managed to cry out.
Rita smiled sweetly at him as she said, "Yes, true, dear, but I've everything I wanted."
Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to form the words he wanted to say but then Snape rose, managing to make it appear graceful even though Harry could see how the older wizard held onto the armrest of the couch for a long moment before he held out a hand and spoke in that deep voice of his.
"I suppose that you'll print all of the stuff we have said today, but I've to trust in your sound judgment that you will at least make it a good article and do not intend to cause harm. I still have enough proof to show you that even Death Eaters on trial can cause harm." The smirk that twisted the thin lips made Rita pale, but she merely covered it up by her normal brilliant smile and then gave a nod.
Harry wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and walked to the door, holding it open. Rita gave him a pat on the shoulder, smiling at him before she winked and said, "I'll make sure you receive a copy of tomorrow's paper, Harry. I'm sure that you can appreciate the article that will adorn the front page tomorrow."
For some reason as Harry closed the door, he was sure he wouldn't.
Hp
Snape was straightening the room when Harry returned and the older wizard poured another cup of tea as he sat down on the couch. Harry wondered if he should sit back in his old spot or pull up a chair.
"Do you really think that we won't have a peaceful life after the trial is over?" Harry knew his voice was soft, but he had to know. It may be a stupid question but really, all he wanted was peace and to be left alone regarding his choices.
Snape glanced at him before looking away and saying with great care, "The chance of us having a quiet life isn't very big. There will always be people who will be against whatever decision the Wizengamot makes and we have been through too much in this country for people to even think of leaving us alone. They'll condemn me, hate me for what I've done and they will always feel like they have a right to pry into your life and to get a say in it, since you are their hero."
"But that is bullshit. We both deserve our own lives without people interfering and…"
"People already hate you for marrying me. There is one solution, one chance for us to turn this around."
Snape looked back but Harry couldn't read his expression as he asked, "And that is?"
"To divorce me." There was a bitter edge to the tone and Harry tried not to recoil. He curled in on himself and then asked in a small voice.
"But it won't break the bond between us?"
"No, it won't. But I'm sure that we can work around that."
"But what if I don't want a divorce?" Harry glanced up to see the dark eyes widen before a smile crossed the pale face and Snape held out a hand. Harry rose and went over to his husband, allowing Snape to grasp his hand as he tugged gently to settle Harry in his lap. Harry finally did so, a little bit tense as Snape tilted his chin up so he had to meet the dark eyes.
"You would really want to stay with me for eternity, regardless of how hard our lives may be?"
"I promised to stay here with you through light and dark times and…"
A slender finger that was laid across his lips shut him up as Snape said, "Promises can be broken. I want to know if you, Harry James Potter Snape, wish to stay with me, out of your own free will?"
"Yes," Harry finally managed to whisper. He bowed his head and buried his face against Snape's neck, knowing that he was setting himself up for a huge fall and it seemed finally that after what seemed like an age, Snape answered, his hand stroking Harry's hair.
"Good, because it won't be too remiss having you as my brat for eternity, Harry." And while it was hardly a declaration of love, for Harry, the words held the same meaning, as he hid his grin and curled up to his bond mate.
That is it for now. I hope you liked it. Well, review of course and send me some ideas for Harry's birthday presents and party.
The next chapter: Not only Harry and Severus are in for a surprise when the Daily Prophet arrives with the interview but also the rest of the wizarding world? Will our heroes get over the shock of what Rita Skeeter printed or will friends and loved ones come knocking with questions of their own? And will Harry finally spend some quality time with little Teddy Lupin? That and more in: Family Dynamics.