Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.
Note: Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm so glad for all the ideas people have send to me. Sorry for the late update but yeah you know, real life plus I graduated in the mean time and found a full time job. So let's begin.
Harry woke up warm and fussy. He opened eyes that were sticky with grid. His nose was buried in hair that smelled of smoke and for a moment Harry nearly recoiled instinctively. But he kept himself in check when he searched the bond to find that Snape was fast asleep, the surface of his feelings calm but Harry only needed to delve a little deeper to see the deep grief, resentment, regret, guild and agony that send his husband in such a deep slumber. Snape was bone weary, not only because of the fact his body was still healing but because life had just dealt another blow to them.
It would be upsetting for most people to see their house burning down; all their possessions lost in a red and orange blaze but for Severus it meant another blow. His wizard was just getting his life back together and while normally he took things in stride but now…
Harry wasn't even sure about the depths of his husband's feelings of darkness. In the past twenty years there had been so much going on in Severus' life that Harry couldn't even begin to understand in his darkest dreams. He could only be there for his husband and try to deal with it.
He had only realized now what he had said yesterday. It didn't really matter to him where they ended up but still, it was impossible for them to live underneath a bridge. He knew that Severus had no other assets but he supposed that the best thing to do would be to ask for a goblin of Gringrots to come to them with a statement of both their vaults so they could decide. Since Harry was heir to the Black vault as well, it would do him some good to have a list of all the assets contained in both the Potter and the Black vault. Perhaps there was something left in the Prince vault and they could go from there.
Harry sighed, softly. He Summoned his glasses to him, carefully not to wake Severus. The moment he put them on he realized that he could move his hands without them hurting. He looked down at the bandages, relieved to at least have that.
He carefully lay back down and looked at Snape. The older wizard's face was turned towards him and while it may be relaxed in slumber, Harry knew what those lines hid. They seemed to have been sharing the same pillows as well as the same single bed. Harry had to suppress a smile at the thought. In the beginning Snape would rather endure the Cruciatus curse then to share a bed with him. How things had changed.
He glanced around the ward. The grey light streaming in from the windows made him realize that it wasn't all that late yet. He had an annoying habit of waking up early. Luckily this time he wasn't the one with a morning erection…no, that was somebody else, Harry realized as he felt the hardness against his thigh. He moved his leg a little, feeling Severus sigh in responds. An idea began to form in his mind and he looked around. The ward was completely empty.
Slowly he turned further on his side so he had better access and then slowly shuffled down, careful not to wake anybody. Finally he was underneath the blankets and at the same level with Snape's cock that was tenting his boxers. Instead of seeking something to dress in, Snape had climbed into bed beside Harry yesterday and had transfigured his clothing in black short and simple boxers. Slowly Harry hooked his fingertips at the hem and pulled them down. Snape snorted in his sleep and turned on his back, Harry hastily moving away.
Snape settled within a moment, his cock standing erect and Harry licked his lips. He glanced up at his husband but he already knew what he was going to do. Perhaps this would sweeten Snape's mood as he moved forward and while licking the tip, swallowed Snape's cock to the root.
Hp
Severus was having the most wonderful dream. He was frotting against somebody as wonderful hands stroked his stomach and chest as he was evolved in glorious heat. A dark head bobbed enthusiastically up and down, giving him a very satisfanary blowjob as Severus arched his back, hands moving down to tangle in the dark hair as he pressed his imaginary lover against his cock to continue his work. His eyes flew open, staring at a ceiling that was incredibly familiar to him because of the time he had spend in the Healing wing.
His breathing was quick and Severus wondered if he should finish the job while he remembered the dream. Imagine his surprise when he moved down slowly, allowing himself the luxury of a morning wank before business took over to find that somebody else was already doing the job. He glanced down, slightly shocked but definitely speechless to see Harry was doing exactly what Severus had dreamed, giving him a blowjob.
His hands tangled in the unruly mop of hair as he encouraged Harry. It wouldn't be long before he climaxed. The experienced tongue and the mouth that moved were too much for his already fragile nerves and he tried to keep his climax at bay. He didn't want to finish early but he couldn't help him, his orgasm was ripped from him by the wonderful things Harry was doing with his tongue and as Severus tried to keep the bucking off his hips to a minimum, he did arch his back as his lover's name erupted from his lips.
He lay on the bed, spend and sated. His arms came up to cradle Harry as the younger male lay down beside him after having cleaned Severus up and pulling his boxers back up. By the stickiness inside Harry's own boxers Severus knew he didn't even need to bother with helping his husband to climax. Harry cuddled into him, fingers playing with Severus' shirt for a moment. They lay like that for a long moment until a soft call came.
"Harry?"
Severus immediately indentified the voice as Poppy's but the timbre of it was unfamiliar. It was a pitch he had never heard before. He glanced up to see her standing at the foot of the bed, moving from one foot to the other. It surprised him. Poppy had never looked this uncomfortable before, not even when she had been lecturing him about the proper sex aid techniques for his Slytherins. He sat up slowly, careful to keep the blanket covering his lower half. He could feel Harry's stick stomach press against his own as his shirt rode up as Harry sat up as well.
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey?" There was a faint red tint in Harry's cheeks and Severus didn't need to feel the embarrassment flowing through the bond. He was feeing that enough on his own.
"I take it that you are feeling alright now, dear. Even to the extend that the bandages can come off now?" Poppy wasn't looking at them deliberately and Severus frowned, what was wrong with her?
"Yeah, they feel fine now."
"Good, I'll check upon them in a moment. "Poppy faltered for a moment as she turned away and then looked back at them, her expression stern. "I do hope that you are dressed once I return and that Severus is out of that bed. Though it is nice to know that you have both recovered enough to do strenuous activities."
Severus was horrified, just how long Poppy had been standing there. Did she come into the room when Severus had cried out Harry's name or had she come in earlier and witnessed that?
Surely she couldn't mistake a moving bulge underneath the covers, especially when Harry was missing and Severus had moved his own hands underneath the covers. He could feel the flush rising to his cheeks, especially when Harry looked up at him and asked in a mortified whisper. "Did she see us?"
Clearing his throat, Severus looked down at his husband and said. "I am not entirely sure but I imagine she did. She must have caught enough to draw the right conclusions. Though she does not have any reason to judge us since we are married and it is what people who are married do. How else do you suspect they will stay together for so long?"
"By communication. That is normally the key to everything." Harry grinned at him and Severus merely raised an eyebrow as he said.
"Been married before then?"
"No, but neither have you so I suppose that we can just make up our own rules."
"Yes, you always like to do then, don't you? Makes it easier to tweak them I suppose."
Harry nudged him and then said. "Hurry up and get dressed. I don't think that I can blush anymore."
"Oh, I do have some very satisfying ideas that I can get you to blush an even prettier shade of red."
And as Severus waved his wand to transfigure his clothes back, he was rewarded by a very pretty blush indeed.
Hp
After Madam Pomfrey took a good look at his hands and pronounced him healed, giving him a very odd look until Harry blurted out. "Well, you said that touching one another would help with the linked magic. We just took your advice to heart. You always said that I needed to listen to your advice more often."
Madam Pomfrey eyed him uncertainly and then said. "Yes, but for you to take it to this level, I was not expecting that."
"Surely you have seen weirder things." Harry could feel his face flush again but really, she was a mediwitch at Hogwarts, surely she had seen more shocking things then him giving his husband a blowjob. He still refused to think on how much she had seen. Just imagine that Professor McGonagall would have been standing there. He would have never lived that down. It was as bad as almost being caught on the couch when they had just been kissing.
She sighed and then smiled at him as she answered. "Yes, I have encountered stranger things in my time here at Hogwarts." Her expression became stern as she looked at him and said. "Now, I have noticed when I was examining your magic and when I was examining Severus that the linked magic between you both is stronger then ever. Normally this bond would be like an open circuit as you two share the magic between you, allowing you to pull on the other's reserve but this time it seems like it is a closed bond. Did you two do something that you should not have done?"
Surprise filtered through the bond and amusement.
Harry covered his wrist with his hand before Madam Pomfrey could glance down but immediately she had seen the movement and asked. "Is your wrist hurting you?"
She tugged at his hand and Harry allowed her to remove it. She stared at the tattoo, surprised as she held up Harry's arm and examined the snake and the griffin in the light that shone into the room. "That was not there a few weeks ago." The snake lifted his head and showed the wicked fangs. The griffin did the same and Harry felt the strangest sensation overcome him. It was a sense of alarm and danger as it filtered through the bond. He could feel Snape's emotions flare up in an instance and then a thought came unbidden to his mind. My mate is in danger.
Harry glanced up as Snape peered around the edge of the curtain, alarm on his face.
The flash of protection that filtered through the bond made Harry's heart beat more rapidly as he realized it was because Madam Pomfrey was running her finger tips over his tattoo. A sense of belonging and safety made him smile as he continued to glance up at Snape as the dark eyes looked at Harry and then at Madam Pomfrey as Snape reached up one hand to gently touch his own phoenix tattoo as if it was warning him.
"Poppy, if you would be so kind to remove your hand from Mr. Potter's tattoo. It is driving me up the wall." The deep voice put Harry further at ease as he basked in the steady emotions that came from the bond.
Madam Pomfrey glanced up as she said. "Whatever do you mean, Severus?"
Snape sighed, blowing out the air harshly through his nose before he said. "The tattoo on Harry's wrist, it was my birthday gift to him. I have a similar tattoo on the back of my shoulder. We used the magical intend that as long as we care for one another, the tattoos will always be visible as signs of belonging to one another. Except the magic interfered with our linked magic and our thoughts. It made the bond between us stronger reacted in an unforeseen aspect."
"I am still none the wiser to what you mean, Severus." Harry was relieved that Madam Pomfrey had removed her hand from his tattoo; it was making him feel uncomfortable.
"We can sense each others emotions and apparently it will act as a warning to other people. This is the first time that somebody else than myself has touched the tattoo and as the magical creatures Harry chose reacted to you; it also brought me to his side."
"You mean that you feel like Harry was in danger? I mean no harm, Severus, you know this." She cried out.
"I do. But the bond does seem to react that way. It will not react to you when you touch him any other place but it seems when I am away and Harry is touched on the tattoo then I will be brought to his side to make sure he is alright. Perhaps the magical creatures simply need to see everybody who Harry will be regularly in touch with, literally before they realize that they are merely friends and they do not intend to take him from me."
I wonder what the tattoo will make of Ginny then. I haven't even seen her, let alone talk to her since I slept with Severus. Would Severus have to stake his claim?
Despite his fear for Ginny, Harry couldn't help but feel the flash of arousal he felt at the thought of Severus using whatever method to make Ginny understand that Harry belonged to him. He glanced up when Severus glanced back at him, momentarily confused by the flash of arousal Harry had probably send out through the bond. He pretended to be entirely innocent but by the hidden snort he knew he wasn't succeeding.
"And how do you propose to go about that? Stay in the same room while people line up to touch Harry's tattoo?"
"We haven't thought about that. I only learned of it five minutes ago myself. We are still seeing how strong this bond between us is."
"I'm sure that you were doing plenty of research earlier."
"Well, you know me; I'm a scholar at heart."
"And at another place as well, which I'm sure your husband discovered early enough." Harry pretended not to pay attention to the conversation but Severus growled.
"Now that you are through with drilling me and my bond mate, may we be excused?"
"As long as your promise to go outside. You may have been healing well but you are still far too pale. You need some sunshine and fresh air, Severus, it is good for you. And here at Hogwarts you do not have the worry about people wanting to harm you."
"Poppy, you know that I will most likely turn to dust in the sunshine."
"Oh, please, Severus, can we? It has been far too long since I have been out in the sun and I know a very good place to…uhm, do some research." Harry looked up at his bond mate, knowing how Severus couldn't resist his green eyes. It was true as he saw the dark eyes narrow before the older wizard said.
"I suppose I could step outside for a moment. I need to find some ingredients that grow by the lake. You may help me by carrying the basket."
And as Harry jumped out of bed, he knew he would gladly do all the carrying if it meant spending time with Severus.
Hp
Severus knew he should be annoyed that he was out in the sunshine but he couldn't help but turn his face up to the warmth of the august sun as Harry did the same. He basked in the warmth for a moment before he turned to regard his bond mate. Harry stood with his face tilted upwards, eyes closed and a small smile playing on the handsome face.
Harry turned to look at Severus and then said. "There is a really nice place by the lake where we can lay in the grass."
"Do I look like the type who will sit in the grass?"
"I will transfigure something into a blanket. We have some things we need to discuss." It was the tone of voice and the face Harry made that had Severus drawing his wand. Within a moment he had one of his buttons transfigured in a dark blue blanket as he gestured for his bond mate to sit down. Harry did so with a little smile.
The younger wizard crossed his legs as Severus stretched his out before him. Harry had pulled several strands of grass from the ground and was twirling them around. Severus waited until the silence became unbearable as he tried not to shout out at Harry to finally say something. But he was the older and more experienced wizard so he could wait, couldn't he?
It seemed that Harry finally took a deep breath as he said. "You know some of the stuff we need to discuss, such as the new aspect of the bond that just rose, who tried to harm us but we also have to discuss the future. And I don't mean the immediate future such as where we are going to live but what will be in our future, I don't fancy living somewhere where people have such easy access to us and to our belongs and they harm us like they did with Spinner's End."
"There is quite an easy solution to the latest predicament." Severus said with a neutral expression on his face. Harry glanced up and the green eyes widen as he asked.
"And what is that?"
Severus studied the handsome face that had come to mean so much to him in the past few months before he forced his voice to cooperate as he said. "To divorce me. It would be the most easiest and simple solution to our problem. It would mean that you would not get harmed because you are married to me. We can find a way to meet up once in a while in regards to the linked magic. I will go away, someplace quietly…"
"I hardly think that is a solution you would be comfortable with. We can sense each others emotions in case you forgot, Severus. And besides, as far as I'm concerned, it isn't a solution, period. People need to deal with the fact that we are married and that we are going to stay that way, regardless of what they do or what they think about it. If we ever decide to divorce then it will be for our own reasons and not because they think we should. They will not direct my life like that."
Severus allowed the hope he felt at Harry's words to filter through the bond tentatively as he could see how the green eyes brighten and Harry smiled at him. He cleared his throat and then said. "Now that that solution has been dealt with, what else do you suggest? It is clear that we are not safe in living our life in public so perhaps we should do it in private."
"I don't fancy having to play hide and seek again. We both did that during the wars. No, I want to live my life out in the open and so should you. A need for privacy is one thing but I do not want to be shut away behind wards and unplottable properties. We have earned and deserve that."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Could Harry be thinking the same thing? Lately his husband had surprised him by agreeing with him on so many things that Severus sometimes wondered why he had thought himself to be so different from his bond mate for all those years.
"Well, I always wanted to see a little bit of the world. And since you are a free man now, and I don't have a job and I'm sure that between us we will have plenty of money, why not go abroad for a few months or even a few years?"
"Traveling is certainly an option. During my tenure as Potions Master at Hogwarts I have seen plenty of ingredients that came from exotic places abroad; perhaps it would not be so wrong to visit them."
"I always wanted to travel for a few years, actually. I have never been on holiday before." Harry's smile was reminiscent and shy. The green eyes looked far away and Severus allowed Harry the moment he needed to pull himself together. He didn't need any form of bond to know what was going through Harry's mind at the moment. He would take Harry on a holiday, even if it was the last time he ever went on one.
"Would you really want to leave everything behind to go and spend a few years with me abroad?" He carefully ventured.
Harry looked up at him. "Yeah, why not? I mean, Ron is working at the WWW; Hermione is going to follow further education. They have each other and I think that it is time that we start to each live our own lives. I don't want to be an auror, I have seen enough dark arts to last myself a lifetime. My fame is skyrocketing at the moment and the public will view hungrily what my next step is going to be for the next 10 years or so. If I fail or succeed, it will get featured on the front page of the Prophet. Plus, there will be threads because I dared to fall in love with you. It isn't what I imagined my life after the war to be. I want to have the time to sort out my mind. I think I've earned that. I want to relax and try out some news things, things I have never even thought about such as surfing or learning a new language. I want to learn how to cook. I want to see new places and meet new people that don't immediately look at my scar. I want to introduce you to people without them judging you without knowing the real you. I want to see the world, to meet new people, experience new things and I want to do them all with you. But we aren't allowed here at home so why not go away? Perhaps in a few years this will all have died down and people will have forgotten or have changed their minds…"
"The odds are against us. People do not forget wrong deeds easily. They could never forget and what do we do then? What if this is viewed as fleeing?"
Harry shrugged and then looked up at Severus, directly in his eyes as he said. "Perhaps you are right and they won't accept us. They might never do that. But maybe, you never know, we will have found a place in our travels that we can call home. There are plenty of other places in the world where we can live. The people I love here can visit or we can visit them. The world is large and the U.K is only a small part of it. Though it is a step I'm willing to take if you want."
For a long moment Severus thought. Was this really what he wanted? To leave everything he ever knew behind, the people Harry loved and the people who knew him. The people who judged him so harshly. Could he really open himself up to new experiences or was he too damaged already? He didn't know how this was going to turn out but he did know that it was something he wanted to try.
"Yes, it a step I'm willing to take with you." He finally said and as he was rewarded with Harry's bright smile, he knew that they had just taken one step forward towards a bright future.
Hp
"Right, now let us discuss the new aspect of the bond." Severus grimaced as he remembered the moment with Poppy and the feelings that had come through the bond. The nearly animal desire to protect his mate had been overwhelming. He shook his head firmly to rid himself of the memory of immediately going to his bond mate's side and face whatever danger Harry faced. He wondered why he hadn't felt it when Harry had opened the letter. All he had sensed then had been the pain his husband was in but not the desire to protect Harry.
Did it mean that somebody had to be touching Harry or the tattoo before he would react or had the bond matured yet again between them, developing a new aspect? He glanced at Harry, to see the green eyes deep in thought as Harry contemplated the aspect of the bond as well. Where would it end? Would it eventually mean that they could not only sense each other's emotions but eventually read each other's thoughts?
It was something Severus wasn't comfortable with. He knew that the intend behind the magic when they had created the tattoos could not possible achieve this but they still had the linked magic to consider. The linked magic was supposed to be just that, the fact that their magic was linked together and the bond that had sprang up between them to share their magic between them and call upon the other's magic was a direct result. To know that the bond had evolved when they had added the tattoo was a big surprise but the very thought that one day Harry would be able to hear his thoughts was too much for Severus.
All his life he hadn't had anything that was private and most sacred to him except for his thoughts. That was the one thing that he valued above all else and what had scared him witless every time he had been hit by the Cruciatus curse. To know that if he was exposed to it too long that he would become like Neville Longbottom's parents and that he could lose his mind and go mad. He had valued his mind and had honored it so that it could become his greatest asset and strength, he would not have it taken from him and to share it with somebody, even with somebody he would eventually grow to love as much as Harry was still not an option open to him.
Some things had to remain private after all and his thoughts would be one of those, he decided.
He glanced up to see Harry watching him, immediately looking away. Severus raised an eyebrow and finally snapped. "What are you thinking, brat?"
"Well, about this new development between us. You know, that you can sense when somebody is touching me. It would be cool to see what would happen when I would be with the Weasleys. Would you storm in then when I go to visit them alone when Mrs. Weasley is hugging me?" Harry grinned at him.
Severus' eyebrow climbed even higher. "I would be more worried if Bill, Charley, George, Percy or Ronald was hugging you and the bond called out to me then."
Harry fidgeted with the grass again as he looked down and said. "You think I'll only be attracted to boys?"
Severus was taken aback by the question. He studied Harry's face carefully. Harry had paled the longer Severus was silent as if he was waiting for the verdict. It was not a question Severus could answer honestly. He didn't know Harry well enough for that. He didn't know Harry's past or his previous relationships. It wasn't even a question he felt comfortable enough to answer for himself. He reached out and placed a hand on Harry's knee as he said. "That is not a question I can answer for you, Harry. Only you can answer that."
"Does it matter then if I would be attracted to both males and females?"
"It does not matter to me for it would make me a hypocrite. You must remember that I was in love with your mother for a long time." To think of Lily still brought a pang of grief and pain to Severus' heart but the pain was a lot less then it had been years ago. He had overcome his love for his childhood friend within years after her death, unlike he had told Albus. It was the memory of the love she could have given him as a friend that sustained him and served a happy memory. It had been a hard blow to know that she would never forgive him, which he could never ask for her forgiveness. Surely time would have mellowed her out and she would forgive him if he asked for it.
He shook his head sharply. Here he went again, thinking about these things that made him run in circles. It didn't do him any good and he should be paying attention to the here and now. It was all very well to daydream when there had been a war and every day was a struggle to live through but now he had a husband here…and no home and somebody who was out to get him.
Why could his life never be simple and easy? Why did happiness always have to come at a price? Why could things never just be uncomplicated and simply be there for him to enjoy them? Did he have to be taught how to value the things that mattered to him? He valued Harry above all other things, he certainly didn't need people injuring his bond mate to value what he had. And the same with the house at Spinner's End. He may not have been the wealthiest man around, compared to some other Potions Master but he had a home and now it was gone. Did it mean that he had never valued a place to come home to where nobody knew him or bothered him?
He had valued Spinner's End above Hogwarts even. There he could be himself and there was nobody to bother him. Nobody who sometimes even knew he was there…
He was a failure. Here he was discussing his future with his bond mate as if he had such a future with Harry. He knew he was kidding himself. Why did he even think that he have anything that even resembled a normal life? He had done too many things in his life that bordered on the wrong he should be atoning for those things now. And while he may not have been punished for it by the magical judges then perhaps the universe was judging him.
Severus was too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice that his despair was starting to push through the bond and to Harry, or to see the big shadow that fell over them, blocking out the sun.
Hp
"Hagrid." The relief that washed over Harry was so great at seeing the big man with the out of control beard and the warm black eyes that it nearly made him start to cry. He cast one last look at Severus, who was staring at a faraway place, too lost in his own dark thoughts to notice Harry as he jumped up and was wrapped up in a bear hug by one of his best and first friends. He smelled Hagrid's unique smell as he whispered. "He is doing it again, Hagrid. I can't reach him. He is blaming himself for what happened when it isn't his fault."
"The lad has been displaying this behavior since I first met him as a wee boy….Don't worry, Harry, I know of the perfect way to draw him out." The deep voice of Hagrid made Harry smile. He was so glad that his friend was here. He had not see Hagrid in so long. It was partly his fault. How could he have spared no thought for his friend that had been forced to carry Harry's body though the forest when he thought that he had died?
He should have at least checked up upon Hagrid, or even send a letter. But he had been so busy that he had barely thought about the next day, let alone his friends.
"Hagrid, I'm sorry…." He pulled back from the big man to see the dark eyes, so unlike Severus' looking down at him as Hagrid hid his confusion behind the big beard that made him look so dangerous. But Harry knew there wasn't anybody kinder than Hagrid.
"What're you talking about, lad?"
"I hadn't even thought about coming to visit you or to send you a letter. I was just so busy with the trial and everything…I shouldn't have forgotten it…"
"It is alright, lad. I know all about what happened to you, Professor McGonagall, well, she has been really kind in talking to me whenever something happened. I was going to send you something for your birthday but when the Professor said that the outcome of the trial was due that day, I wasn't sure what to get you. I know about Hedwig and she was a great owl, Harry, so perhaps a new one…or I have a nest of crups if you are interested, or kneazles." Hagrid was grinning down at him before he glanced back at Severus.
"You mean to say that I couldn't borrow Fluffy to guard our next house?"
Hagrid shuffled about uncomfortable and he looked away as he said. "Well, you see, Harry, the thing with Fluffy is that…he is in high demand. You see...he attacked several Death Eaters, chasing them away from first year students he was charged to protect. Well, the Daily Prophet has found out what he has done and now people are asking to breed with him in the hope of getting a similar guard dog. The Ministry has even paid me a visit to congratulate me on breeding such a good pup…I told them that he guarded that Stone from Dumbledore in your first year…"
"Hopefully you didn't tell them how to put him to sleep?" Harry had to grin. Hagrid had the grace to blush but he grinned right back.
"Now, let's see about that husband of yours. It isn't the first time that he pulls this deep into himself. He has been known to do this and to push other people away when bad things happen."
"But you know how to reach him." It was not a question but a statement and Hagrid nodded. Harry wondered how many students Hagrid had comforted and taken into his home over the years. Surely there were plenty of students who had made a friend in the gentle giant. Had Severus been one of those people? Had he, when he was a young teenager, confided in Hagrid?
Harry could feel a flash of jealousy and he ruthlessly stomped it down. This was neither time nor the place for it. He wanted to be the one to comfort Severus and to have the older wizard turn to him, to look to him for comfort. He sighed, all of these were feelings he never experienced before. He took a step back and allowed Hagrid to approach his bond mate.
Would Hagrid succeed where Harry could not? Harry couldn't even sense Severus' emotions because the older wizard must surely be hiding them behind a wall; one Harry was not allowed to penetrate. Harry looked as Hagrid loudly announced. "Good day, Professor."
The flash of reorganization that zapped Harry made him startle as he watched Severus resurface. For a moment emotions spilled over the bond and Harry could feel the despair that had been edging at his thoughts. He had thought it had been himself who was feeling that way but now that he recognized it, he sensed Severus behind the powerful emotion. The wizard rose from his seat and the dark eyes flashed to Harry, not showing anything as Severus straightened.
"Good day, Hagrid."
"So how have things been, Professor? It has been a long time since I saw you here at Hogwarts looking so well…"
Severus shook his head, his eyes flashing. "I'm not a professor anymore, Hagrid. You have used my given name before so I fail to see why you are so adamant to stand on ceremony. Unless it is because Harry is here. Well, if that is the case then you need not bother. He is my husband and he knows me better than anybody else."
Then why won't you trust me with your heart and your thoughts? I'll keep you safe, Severus, I promise. That is one vow I'll never break, really…
"Yet you still do not trust him enough to help you when you obviously need it. That is one thing that hasn't changed, Severus, no matter how much you may have." From where he was standing Harry could see the angry flush of the pale cheeks even when he felt the anger vibrating through the bond.
"Oh and what would you know about that, Hagrid? You hardly know me."
"But I did know you better once, lad." Hagrid's voice was a tad bit sad as he continued. "When you did not have a friend and you were struggling with yourself and your burdens. It was before you joined You Know Who. You were the brooding type even then and after all these years it hasn't changed. You always sought out this spot, a spot by the water where you could be alone and you would become so lost in your thought that nobody could reach you anymore and draw you out. What memory is holding you captive in your mind, Severus, that keeps drawing you to this spot?"
Severus flushed again, this time for a different reason as his gaze shot towards Harry. Unread emotions were hidden in the dark eyes but the next moment Harry recognized the place they were sitting in. He could have slapped himself. How couldn't he even have thought about this? It was the same place, except perhaps meters off that he had seen in Snape's memory, the horrible one where his dad had tricked Snape and Snape had messed up his friendship with Lily because he lost his temper.
Immediately Severus looked away and Harry took a step forward before he stopped. What could he say?
"You would not understand, Hagrid."
"I would not understand that a girl who was not meant or worth to be your friend ended your friendship because you lost your temper with her? Lily was a wonderful person, she really was, but it looks to me like she was looking for a reason to break the friendship between you both. I saw what happened and I saw how you behaved afterwards. For days you tried to apologize to that girl and even in my class she refused to even look at you. There have been enough people when I got kicked off of Hogwarts who showed the same behavior. People I thought were my friends turned their back on me when I was accused, glad to be rid of me."
Harry looked from one tall figure to another. It suddenly struck him as strange. Hagrid was a gentle man, a man who was as old as Voldemort had been and yet in all the time Harry had known Hagrid he had only see Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall treat him with the respect he deserved. Everybody else assumed he was dumb or anything else. Hagrid was none of those things; he was one of the best friends Harry had ever had.
"It is nice that we have established that we are both friendless, Hagrid but that is not what this is about. I have grown accustomed that people are interfering in my life and think they have a right to judge me and what I did, as if they had the right, but now they have gone too far. Once again they take steps to show what they think of my exoneration but they take it even further, they harm my bond mate and burn down our house. Do tell me, how I should not blame myself for this?"
Severus snarled and Harry flinched. Hagrid stood his ground and merely said. "By showing these people that you cannot be beaten. Have you never heard that the best revenge is to live well?"
Severus looked away. "Living well was never something I was allowed to do."
"Now you are just pitying yourself, Severus. I thought that you never stood for anybody pitying you! You have done remarkably well for yourself, I would say. You survived that terribly snake bite, which I am sure not one of those people who wished you to be punished expected. You married our Harry here. You were exonerated. You have a free future ahead of you. You can choice whatever you want to become. There will always be people who think that they can judge you. So stop wallowing in self pity!"
Harry blinked at Hagrid. He had never heard the big man speak in such a tone to anybody. It seemed to work on Severus because the older wizard straightened and said his voice deep and cold. "I am not to be pitied, Hagrid…"
"Then why are you doing it to yourself? Use that clever mind of yours, lad and come up with a solution to the problem."
Severus looked properly chasined for the first time and Harry stepped around Hagrid as he faced his friend and leaned against his husband, sliding an arm around Severus' waist. He was so sure that he was going to get pushed away but instead Severus' hand came to rest on his shoulder. It was the only affectionate display Severus would allow himself to display but still, it made Harry's heart beat faster. They had come so far.
"As far as I can see it we have two options. We can stay here at Hogwarts, safe behind the wards or we can find another place to stay. Spinner's End was a drivel and while I do not condone how it was done, I'm glad that it is gone."
"Well, there is another option…I mean Mrs. Weasley has told us that we are welcome to stay with them but I don't fancy living in a house with 10 other people. They already have enough to deal with and their house is already crowded so I really don't see why we should also go and live there…or we could rent a cottage...I mean…I know that you probably don't want to live in Sirius' old house since there are all these bad memories. Plus the place could really use some cleaning up. I know Mrs. Weasley has done some things about it but it is still…."
"Mr. Potter, stop your prattling." Harry's mouth closed with a snap. "I have no intention to inflict myself upon the Weasleys. They are a well meaning family but I do like my peace, brat and living with a large family such as them would cause problems for us both."
"Yes, let's not forget Ginny." Harry piped up. He could have slapped himself when Severus' eyes snapped to him. The dark eyes flashed and Severus bit out, something cold creeping through the bond.
"And pray tell, what are you talking about? Has Miss Weasley done anything? You are my bond mate in case it has slipped your or her attention. The ring and the tattoo you are wearing are proof enough."
Harry flushed and looked away. He shrugged. "No, she hasn't done anything…I just…I know that she still has feelings for me and well…it wouldn't really do for her to see us all the time and well, you would be jealous, I would be miserable if you didn't do anything to show that I belong to you and I really don't think that Mrs. Weasley will look kindly upon us if we are going to have sex in the kitchen because you were jealous when I spoke to Ginny. I imagine that you would…you know, stake your claim."
Harry fell silent with a flush as he stared up at Severus. He pretended that Hagrid wasn't there; it would be easier to deal with.
"How would you be so convinced I would stake my claim as you say by having sex? Perhaps I shall merely invent a charm that I will put on your back with an arrow pointing down at your arse that says for potions master's only."
That imagine made the blood in Harry's head rush down as he swallowed to keep the feeling of arousal at bay. Sweet Merlin, would he do that? I have to find out when he would so such a thing….I know it isn't right if he would do it if I was just talking to somebody but it is so fucking arousing…
He hoped he could hide his thoughts but as he glanced back up at Severus, he could see that he wasn't succeeding as well as he wanted to. He grinned sheepishly.
"Now, am I to understand from your prattling that you would like us to go and stay at Grimmould's Place for the time being?" Severus finally said.
Harry nodded mutely, wondering how quick Severus would reject the idea. He was surprised when Severus said.
"Very well. Let us see what kind of dismal home your godfather has left you."
And as Harry looked forward to exploring the Black's home with his husband, he wondered what sort of secrets and nasty surprises Grimbauld Place held for them.
Okay, I admit, it was a little bit OOC, alright a lot but it is done and well, I'm happy with it. So what do you think? Review of course and send some ideas for the next chapter.
In the next chapter: Harry and Severus make a new home in Grimmould Place but will they manage what Sirius, the Order and Mrs. Weasley have tried to do and make a home of the old house? What surprises await them in a house that has been abandoned for years? Have the visiting Death Eaters left a surprise or two? And what will Mrs. Black think of the new inhibitors? Will Harry be alright in the home of his godfather? And what will they find out when they ask for the contents of the Prince, Black and Potter vault? That and more in: Grimmould Place.