Harry couldn't face the other after that. He returned to his dormitory in Gryffindor Tower and spent his time reading the books he hadn't left in the headmaster's office. Unfortunately, most of his books were back there. It started to dawn on Harry just how comfortable he'd gotten with the other.

Now it seemed that it had all been placed on hold. He'd renewed his classes with his classmates and had a hard time explaining on Friday why he didn't have his books with him and had to share with Ron. Ron didn't mind, and Hermione knew for once when to let the subject drop.

He hardly slept that night, and he couldn't begin to comprehend this feeling of… longing inside him. He missed the headmaster, but he could hardly look at him at the moment. Then on Saturday night it became worse. He ignored the feeling and climbed straight to bed. He pulled the curtains closed in the four poster bed and went to sleep.

"Let's have some fun, puppy."

Harry jumped awake, breathing deeply, tears in his eyes. He covered his mouth turning on his side trying to contain the whimpers and trying to keep his cries silent. He didn't want to sleep by himself. Without thinking it twice he grabbed his invisibility cloak and practically ran to the headmaster's office. He said the password between breaths and felt relief run through him when he saw the other hadn't changed it. He walked into the office and Severus promptly came out eyeing the empty open doorway.

Harry took off the invisibility cloak and Severus relaxed. "Potter…" He instantly noticed the dried tear streaks on his face and Harry looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry…" Harry whispered.

"No Harry." Snape said coming over, pulling him into an embrace that Harry gladly returned. "No, I wasn't angry at you… I was angry at myself. I should have known you were not ready." He said.

"It was my fault." He said.

"No, it's not." He said gently petting his hair. Harry shuddered gently as it felt so good. He quickly realised that the changes from the scratches weren't just limited to slightly heightened senses. "Come on, let's go to bed." He said making him look up and pressing their lips together.

Harry nodded and went with him. Only in the other's arms was he able to empty his mind and go back to sleep. He was glad the other didn't ask him about why he was in tears when he came to his side. Curled in his arms he faintly remembered the other kissing him again and whispering comforting words into his ear.

-o-O-o-

Harry just stared at the vintage diamond ring on Luna's left hand. She held onto Draco Malfoy's arm as she came to give them the news.

"We're getting married in the summer. I think it would be a lovely weather then." She said in her dreamy tone. Harry was trying to formulate words but found it impossible.

"Congratulations Luna." He finally managed and looked at Draco. Draco didn't talk to them much but he did try for Luna. Now they were getting married. He imagined Draco allowing his future children to go on playdates with Ron and Hermione's future children and could already imagine Lucius frothing at the mouth.

"We'll send the invitations soon Harry." She smiled gently and walked away with Draco. Harry watched them go until they were out of the great hall. He faintly heard something about her wanting to show him the Thestrals.

"Married at eighteen… don't you think they're a bit young?" Harry said turning to Ron and Hermione who upon hearing him say that turned all their attention to their food, not making eye contact with him. It took Harry a couple of seconds to register the silence and frowned, then his eyes widened. "You're engaged?" He said shocked. Hermione smiled at him gently when he figured it out.

"We were going to tell you soon, but we didn't want to put too much information on you." Hermione smiled gently. Harry just kept looking at them in shock.

"Besides… we're not the only ones, almost everyone's getting engaged around this time…" Ron said looking around.

"But… why so soon?" Harry asked confused.

"Well, we already know we're meant to be… so what's the point of holding it up any longer?" Hermione said happily. Harry looked down then up at Snape.

He wondered what it would be like to be married to the other. The other was twenty years his senior… so he might want to 'seal the deal' faster than Ron and Hermione or Luna and Draco would. And what about family? Children?

"I don't get it." Harry said turning to his friends. "I thought the whole point was to encourage wizards to have children, how do they expect Severus and I to…" Then reading the Daily Prophet that Ron had discarded he saw his name on it again. The same topic was discussed on the front page. Predictions as to what his children would look like and how many they were planning on having. He looked at it in disbelief. "Can you believe this?" He said showing it to them.

"It's obvious they'd want to keep an eye on your life mate." Ron said. Hermione glanced at the newspaper and showed the same casual reaction as Ron.

"Hmm… so many predictions, sounds like fun though, wonder what our kids will look like." Hermione said and Ron had the grace to choke on his food, as if it suddenly dawned on him that following marriage there were likely to be children.

Something else was slowly dawning on Harry. The fact that they didn't think it impossible for him and Severus to have children. Roughly remembering where babies came from, from his biology lessons in muggle school and from the hushed whispers of devious classmates the knew the whole gist of it. But were male wizards different? If that were the case a whole different sensation settled inside him. Disgust. All thoughts of the Daily Prophet and upcoming weddings left his mind and all that he thought of was Greyback. Surely… no… it just couldn't work like that…

Yet without an explanation Harry bolted out of there and went straight to the library. He desperately went around the thousands of books trying to find something relevant. But he wasn't Hermione, and looking through most of the books he thought might include something on it he found nothing. He skipped lunch and dinner trying to find something. He refused anyone's help when they came to offer it. In the end Madam Pince had to kick him out when bed time came about.

With a feeling of dread and hundreds of questions buzzing in his head Harry returned to his room, finding himself in the headmaster's office in what seemed like minutes.

The other was currently reading a book by the fire, drinking some tea and Harry stared at him for a long moment. He knew what Snape was doing. He was trying to make him feel uncomfortable in the silence and would soon tell him off for not eating, but Harry didn't have time to feel even more uncomfortable.

"How can two wizards have a baby?" He asked without warning. A question that caused the other to spit his tea out and turned to him with wide eyes.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be talking about that Potter?" He asked standing and cleaning the book with a quick spells, walking off to his desk to try to find something to do to forget what the other had said.

"Severus… how do two wizards have a baby. Tell me…" He needed to hear it. Severus stopped turning to look at him realising that the other really didn't know, and also realising what the other was really worried about.

"Oh, no Harry. Of course it's not like that. It's very different." He said coming down to his side. He placed his hands on either side of his arms. "I forget you might not know this… sit down." He said. Harry did as he was told getting the feeling he was going to get the talk from Snape and cringed thinking quickly about how to point out that he got the gist of it but Severus silenced him when he opened his mouth.

"But…"

"Shht, listen." He said sitting comfortably in front of him. "Witches who can't have children, or two wizards would resort to the Draris potion. It's a very complicated potion, each parent drops a certain amount of blood into this potion and slowly an egg is formed.

"An egg?" Harry asked confused. Severus nodded.

"It's a sturdy egg, that carries the embrio for nine months, one of the parents still have to carry it with them everywhere. Just like a normal pregnancy except… it's not, obviously." He said gently. Harry stared at him for a long time before he started laughing. Feeling so stupid for having panicked all day. Severus gave a short laugh before calling for some food for him. "Now eat… before you pass out." He said.

Harry embarrassed, but still smiling nodded looking up to grab some sandwiches the house elves brought him. Severus stood and went to rearrange his books in the bookshelf to Harry's left. He looked at the other's back, and now that he was worry free he started to wonder. What would their children look like? He blushed when the other turned and ate quietly. He was glad the other wouldn't read his mind anymore because otherwise he'd be twice as embarrassed right about now.