The first date had gone well, and Severus was not about to back down. He would not take no for an answer, about next Friday. Harry had told him the next step of his rehab was getting out and moving around. He no longer needed the rehab room, he just needed to get the exercise. And what better way for him to do so, then to take Harry off on a date. Their first date may not have been the most romantic, but it had been a good start. He reminded his brother when Lucius pointed it out, that he had never had a romantic streak in his body. Lucius tried reminding him, that he and Draco or even Pansy, would help out with that. That made Severus groan, and he had told them he wanted to do it on his own. Harry had already commented on believing Lucius had told him about his taste in flowers and food. Severus had picked the flowers, thinking about Lily's taste.

On Friday Harry didn't plan to bring his son to rehab with him. He had no idea why he was giving in to the man, and his demands for a date. He didn't ask Harry for a date, he told Harry they would be going out. But he knew deep down, that his brothers were right about this.

Teddy pouted. "I come."

Harry shook his head. "Not today Teddy bear."

Teddy was in tears. "I see Mr. Toby."

Harry sighed. "Mr. Toby and I are going for dinner."

Teddy sniffed a bit. "Play date?"

Harry smiled a little. "Kind of like one."

Teddy still wasn't totally happy. "I come on play date?"

Harry sighed. "Maybe another one, I promise."

George had come in. "Besides you're coming for a sleep over with me and Aunty Angie."

Teddy turned to his favorite Uncle. "Twins not big enough to play with."

George scooped him up. "You know we will still have fun. And maybe Daddy will make you a big brother."

Harry nearly choked. "It is a second date."

Teddy beamed. "I want a brother Daddy."

Harry kissed his son. "You may have to wait a few years."

George went to take Teddy. "Not if Uncle Toby has any thing to say about it. It'll be sooner."

Harry called after him. "Stop encouraging my son."

Harry liked the thought of giving his son a little brother, and hopefully a sister one day as well. He had always wanted a few kids, and he knew Teddy would love to have some siblings. But he had never imagined that Severus would be the other parent in the picture. As he headed for the manor though, he knew that picture was changing slowly. He could see Severus would make a good dad, as he watched him read with Teddy. And more and more, he could see the man would make a good husband as well. But Harry wasn't about to be rushed in.

Severus was waiting for him at the gates when he had come. Since his rehab was now all about exercise, he thought their date would be it. Harry shrugged, and agreed that it made sense, when Severus summoned the bus for them.

Harry smirked as they got on. "You know I could apparate us both."

Severus shook his head. "I'd like to arrive in one piece."

Harry didn't think it funny. "I have done side by side even with my son."

Severus smirked. "Well I wanted the location to be a surprise anyways."

Harry shook his head. "More romantic than Diagon Alley?"

Severus shrugged. "I hope."

Harry shot him a look. "You hope?"

Severus confirmed. "Though I thought dinner went well."

Harry grudgingly admitted. "It did."

Severus had a small smile. "We will be going out next weekend as well."

Harry shook his head. "Maybe we should see how tonight goes."

Severus didn't back off. "We will."

Harry grunted. "If you plan to keep whisking me off on dates, my son will want to come. He thinks they are play dates."

Severus' smile grew a little. "I have no problem with that."

Harry wasn't sure. "It's a bit early."

Severus reminded him. "Your son has known me for months now."

Harry couldn't deny that. "I guess you're not the same as Rick."

Severus snarled. "Can you stop comparing me to that animal lover?"

Harry smiled, and as they got off the bus, he assured the man he could. He hadn't allowed Rick to meet his son, even after a few dates. He hadn't wanted his son to meet a date, unless they were serious. But Teddy already adored Severus, was attached to him before they went on their date. And he knew his son would be more hurt, if he cut Severus out of his life. He was happy at least, that Severus was willing to be there for his son. He knew a lot of single parents didn't have it easy, when they tried to date, finding someone who'd accept a child.

Harry was surprised. "This is my home on the coast."

Severus nodded. "Very observant."

Harry found himself led down to the water. "How did you do all of this?"

Severus admitted. "I had a bit of help."

Harry smiled a little at the candle light dinner. "It smells amazing."

Severus helped pull out a chair. "I assume you'll forgive it's not a picnic."

Harry agreed. "We will work on that."

Severus grunted. "I thought no work talk."

Harry agreed. "Sea food? You know I don't like."

Severus smirked. "Just some shrimp, the rest is not. And you liked it well enough last time."

Harry couldn't deny it. "Fine, I guess you weren't too wrong."

Severus poured them some wine. "Lucius thinks I should try lobster on you next time."

Harry laughed a little. "He would."

Severus fed him a piece of shrimp. "No complaints about my ordering food."

Harry smirked. "Not a restaurant this time."

Harry was surprised as dinner was cleared when music began. Severus stood. "Can I have this dance?"

Harry was surprised. "Can you?"

Severus helped him up. "Only one way to find out."

It wasn't the most graceful dance in the world, but they both enjoyed it. It was good exercise, if nothing else, for Severus. He didn't need his cane for short periods of time, though they moved very little. After dessert, they even took a walk down the beach together. At the end of the night, Harry found himself drawing the man into a kiss. It was the first one Harry had initiated, and was no brush. He would have pulled back, but Severus wound an arm around his waist, and kept him in place. Harry's lips parted to allow his tongue access, and his own explored as well. As they finally pulled back, they were both left breathless, and Harry could have sworn there was color in the other man's cheeks.

Severus simply led them to where the bus had pulled up. "Lucius will baby-sit next Friday."


For two months he and Severus had been dating. At the end of the date, Severus always informed Harry of when their next would be. He had received no protest though since the first time. Harry could admit he liked it, and he always had a baby-sitter already planned. His son had come on day excursions with them, but nothing officially a date. Harry watched the two of them together, and any doubts that popped up, slipped away. He and Severus hadn't taken the next step physically, but Harry could admit to perhaps not being ready for it.

Severus was about to face the next big hurdle. Harry and Teddy had been invited in the start of December, to the Burrow for dinner. It was a few weeks until Christmas, and Harry decided it was a good trial run. If Severus wanted a future with him, there were some things he had to face.

Severus grunted. "I don't know about this."

Harry shook his head. "You're coming."

Teddy nodded. "Uncle Toby come."

Severus ground his teeth. "It will ruin my appetite."

Harry kissed him. "They are my family. I put up with yours."

Severus didn't back off. "My family is yours too, I remind you."

Harry couldn't deny it. "It won't kill you to have dinner with them."

Teddy chimed in. "Grammie Molly good cook."

Severus sighed. "I guess I remember that."

Harry nodded. "Besides it isn't the first dinner you had with them."

Severus grunted. "I was forced to live with them during the order."

George had come up behind. "I believe he was referring to the family dinner you invited yourself too."

Angie actually came to his defense. "First dinners as an official date, are always strange."

Harry was the one to grunt this time. "He is not my date."

George clapped him on the back. "You have dated for two months, and bringing him to a family dinner."

Severus whispered in his ear. "You called me your boyfriend last night on the beach."

Harry blushed at the memory. "Fine. All the more reason for you to come."

They had been at the beach, their favorite spot, the night before. They had come the closest to making love, after Teddy had gone to bed. They had been under the stars, and if Kreacher hadn't come to say Teddy needed him, they likely would have. Harry had finally admitted the man was his boyfriend, and he wanted the dates to continue. He had reminded Severus, he would spend part of Christmas here with the family. And if Severus wanted to have a family with him and Teddy, he'd have to be part. And not just the dinner with the Malfoys and Tonks family, either. And tonight would be a good trial run, so hopefully the holidays would go much smoother than that.

George knew his brother was a bit distracted, as was the rest of the family. Ginny had been released from prison the day before. As far as George knew, she had no contact with the family. She was in a half-way house, and community service and a job from the courts, as part of parole.

Ron groaned when he saw them. "I thought Mum was joking."

Hermione elbowed her husband. "Play nice."

Harry kissed her and his little godson. "He has grown so much."

Hermione smiled as she handed him Alby. She turned to Severus. "I am happy you came."

Severus tried. "I was reminded about family."

Molly looked up as she put the finishing touches on dinner. "We've been asking Harry to bring you for some time."

Bill laughed at Harry's look. "You shouldn't be the one embarrassed. He is the cradle robber, meeting the parents."

Harry managed to laugh a little. "It's not like he is new to them."

Percy shrugged. "May be easier that way."

Harry looked at them. "I hope this goes well."

Fleur hugged him. "It will. The adults will be civil, and the kids don't know him."

Harry looked at Ron. "Hopefully all the adults."

George smirked. "I think Fleur was grouping him in with the kids."

The Weasleys had been surprised when they learned he was dating Severus. They had their suspicions, when they had seen him at the dinner. But besides Ron, they were all handling it better than Harry worried. He was reminded how bad Molly took it, when he broke it off with Ginny. And if it had been quicker, she may have still had a hard time. Molly was perhaps not as quick as the others, to be happy for Harry and Severus. She loved Harry and wanted him to be happy, but his choice was definitely a shock. But the family could see, unlike Ginny, Severus made him happy. It had taken Molly a while, to see how miserable her daughter made Harry. And her hatred for Teddy, admitted in court, hadn't helped either.

Hermione looked at her husband. "Stop playing with your food."

Ron shot Severus a look. "My appetite is not there."

Molly shot her son a look. "Then you are welcome to start on the dishes."

Severus smiled a little. "I remember how much you liked cleaning cauldrons."

Bill tried to move the conversation away. "Have you considered going back to teaching?"

Severus turned to him. "I am considering. I need to convince two others as well."

Harry blushed as the man's eyes went to him. "I am not uprooting my son for a boyfriend."

George suggested. "I heard Poppy is retiring. And Teddy would love to live at school."

Teddy beamed. "Ghosts, and Hagrid, and Uncle Toby and…."

Severus added. "Perhaps not just as a boyfriend."

Harry flushed. "We have been going out for two months."

Ron grumbled. "Two months too long."

Severus shrugged. "It'll be closer to a year then. I told you already."

Harry was reminded the man said Teddy and Harry would be his one day. "I wouldn't hold my breath on it."

Molly even managed to smile, as she watched the two of them banter. Harry could see perhaps marriage, but he didn't think in less than a year. And he was still not about to allow the man to win at everything. After dinner, they took their dessert and coffee into the sitting room. Molly and Arthur were starting to use some reward money and his promotion, to renovate. With the growing family, they'd need more room.

The moment was broken up by a voice from the door. "Look at this, a party to welcome me home. I'm so touched."

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