Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Diary of a Call Girl.

A few weeks had passed since the envelope had been delivered to Harry and he hadn't heard anything else. His birthday was quickly approaching and Severus was busy prying for something he might like, while Harry was adamant that he didn't want a single thing. That Severus had already given him the perfect gift by asking him to marry him. He had thrown the caution to the wind and had started to ignore the envelope and it's contents. All that mattered was right now, and with no word coming from the sender Harry began to shrug it off as nothing.

Draco was insisting on throwing him a party, but all he really wanted was a quiet dinner out with his friends and Severus. He didn't need a huge party like Draco had thrown for himself. Maybe he could talk Severus into putting Draco off of the idea. Severus seemed to be the only person that the blonde git would care to listen to and even then it was pretty hit and miss. It was his birthday, shouldn't he have at least some say in what was going to happen, especially since Draco was making no secret of his intentions. If it were a surprise party at least it would be too late for him to protest what was happening, but not Draco wanted him involved in the plans. He'd never had an actual birthday party before, when he lived at the Dursley's he was lucky if they even acknowledged his presence that day. He could never even dream of having a party, those were reserved for precious Dudley. When he was older he would have dinner with the Weasley family and they would all get him presents, but it was never an actual party. He didn't mind it and he didn't see the need to start the silly tradition now, but trust Draco to blow everything out of proportion.

While he was concerned about Draco taking his birthday out of proportion, there was a more pressing matter at hand: dinner with the Weasleys and Severus. He had announced his engagement not long after getting home, and everyone seemed genuinely ecstatic for him, even Ron, if only begrudgingly so. He was nervous for the lot of them to meet for the first time, especially now that he had agreed to marry the man. He really wished that Severus could have met them when they were supposed to the first time. It was difficult enough announcing an engagement to your family, but even more so when they had yet to meet the lucky man who had asked. They were do to go to dinner on Friday night and Harry was increasingly nervous, and had developed the nervous habit of twirling the ring on his finger which drove Severus mad, and the man constantly chastised him for it.

Harry was really starting to hate this stay at home spouse bit that he was running currently, but had no clue where to start looking for a job. He had done the shoot that Draco had set up and it was fun, but honestly there was just too much time in between things for it to sate his need to do something. The great thing about escorting was that you made your own hours, and if you didn't feel like working on a Tuesday then so be it. He missed the idea of being his own boss and knew that he wouldn't find that elsewhere. He didn't miss escorting now that he had found Severus, but he did miss that it was something to do and you made your own hours and such. There was a lot of freedom in the job and he was already mourning the loss of that freedom. He knew that he wouldn't have to work again in his entire life if he didn't want to, but what was he meant to do with the hours of the day that Severus was busy working, he'd drive himself mad sitting at home.

Severus had suggested that he get a hobby, but other than sex he wasn't that great at anything. He only exercised to stay firm and even now he was starting to slip on the regimen. He hadn't ever really had a plan, he just figured that he would escort until he felt too old for the job and then bow out and after that he would just sort of figure it out on his own. Now he felt like he wanted Severus to be proud to be with him, to be able to introduce him and when someone asked what he did to have an answer. He felt extremely childish by not having a job or a plan. Everything was sort of in flux at the moment and he was still trying to figure out where all the pieces were going to fit in his life. It was growing increasingly frustrating and he just hoped that things started to sort themselves out sooner rather than later.

"Potter!" Draco said bursting through the front door.

"Good to see that you've lost the ability to knock," Harry said glancing up from the copy of The Quibbler that Luna had left behind.

"What is this?" Draco ignored him and picked up the magazine and scowled.

"Luna left it behind ages ago and I was reading it," Harry said taking it back from the blonde.

"Don't tell me you've become a freak while I'm off with my fit new boyfriend," Draco teased.

"You wish," Harry grinned. "Maybe I am mad, because the last I checked you didn't do the whole boyfriend routine."

"Yes, well that was before my meddling best friend set me up with Neville. He's really innocent I'm afraid I'll ruin him," Draco said worriedly.

"Any other time you'd take that as a challenge," Harry asked confused.

"Yeah, well he's different," Draco shrugged.

"Ooo look at you," Harry teased and Draco flipped him off.

"What about you? Taming the heart of my godfather, the one man in the whole of Britain who wouldn't give anyone a second glance."

"Oh shut up!" Harry laughed.

"I bet it was the blow jobs, that's how the lads and lasses trick boys into marrying them," Draco said matter of factly. "Yours must be out of this world to tame Severus Snape. Funny, I don't remember them being that out of this world."

"Oh my god will you shut up," Harry blushed scarlet.

"Someone's embarrassed," Draco smirked.

"What're you doing later? Severus is going to be working late and I'm tired of sitting home alone," Harry sighed.

"I have a date with my lovely new boyfriend. Where are your working class friends then?"

"Shut up," Harry scowled. "Ron and Hermione won't be home until Friday."

When Severus finally made it home Harry had passed out on the sofa in the sitting room, and barely roused when the man had sat next to him. Harry work a few hours later to find Severus sitting at the end of the couch with his feet in his lap, the man looked deep in thought over the book he was reading and Harry blinked up at him. He wondered when Severus had made it home and why he hadn't woken him up. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and crawled down next to Severus and laid his head in the man's lap. Without saying a word, Severus started sifting his long fingers though Harry's messy hair. He sighed in content and dozed back off as the man continued the assault on his hair and scalp. He didn't wake again until Severus was lifting him to carry him up to bed.

"I can walk," Harry protested sleepily.

"Just go back to sleep," Severus said softly. "Why didn't you just go to bed if you were tired?"

"I don't like going to bed alone if I know you're coming home," Harry yawned. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked very content," Severus smiled softly and sat him on the bed.

"Will you be home in time to go Friday?" Harry asked watching Severus change for bed.

"I have taken Friday off just so there will be no worry," Severus said pulling on a tshirt and climbing into bed.

"You're brilliant," Harry smiled lazily as Severus wrapped an arm around him and kissed him goodnight.

"As are you."

The past few days had Harry feeling unnaturally clingy towards Severus and he wasn't sure why. He just felt as if he were to loosen his grip at any point he would lose that ground. Nothing had changed, but here he was acting mad and driving Severus mad in the process. The way he was acting had left the both of them moody and in an effort to stave off some of the wild energy that had been flying around him he was going to go shopping. It was mostly to get out of the house, but he also thought that maybe the whole retail therapy idea held some weight. He was going to find something to wear to dinner on Friday and maybe find Hermione a congratulatory gift for getting the internship under Severus. Not that he had any doubt of her getting it, and not just because she had the connection to him, she was incredibly talented and capable in her own right. If he was ever going to know someone who would change the world he had found it in her.

He spent most of the day sifting through racks of clothes before finally deciding an nice pair of jeans and a polo to wear on Friday. The jeans were black and the shirt was a deep maroon color, and he didn't mean to fluff his own ego, but he thought he looked absolutely smashing in the clothes. He couldn't wait for Severus to see him in them, and he was finally ready to go and find something that said congrats to Hermione. He wasn't sure what would be appropriate, what did you get someone who had just gotten a new job? He had bought her a nice bottle of wine, but he wanted to get her something that was practical as well. In the end he got her a new diary so that she could keep up with her schedule, but he was worried that maybe that was out of date and everyone did everything electronically now. It was the thought that counted right?

When Friday finally did roll around Harry paced incessantly all morning and chained smoked as well when the mean old lady of a neighbor walked by he very aptly told her to fuck off and tossed his cigarette onto the pavement and headed back inside. He drove Severus so mad with his incessant fretting that the man locked himself in his study. He didn't mean to be such a pest, but he was genuinely nervous about Severus finally meeting the Weasley family. He knew that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would love whoever Harry brought to meet them, but he was worried that maybe Severus wouldn't warm so well to them. After all, Severus was a very introspective person and the Weasleys were anything but that. He hoped that everything went according to plan. Finally, as an effort to get him out of the house Severus shoved some money into his hands and told him to go out and buy some flowers and wine for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry tried to protest, but the man was having none of it. He told him maybe the walk would burn off all of this energy that Harry couldn't seem to contain. Begrudgingly, Harry pulled on his trainers and headed out to pick up the flowers and wine.

When he made it home, Severus was standing in the kitchen idly watching over the stir fry he was cooking. Harry looked at him in confusion, but the man told him to find some water for the flowers and to put the wine in the refrigerator. He then cut the stove off and dished two servings onto plates for them and placed them at the table.

"You smell and taste just like cigarettes," Severus scowled after placing a kiss on Harry's lips.

"Sorry, I'll brush my teeth after I eat," Harry grinned.

"Yes, eat. What has gotten into you this morning?" Severus asked mildly.

"I'm nervous," Harry fidgeted in his chair.

"Why?"

"I'm afraid you won't like the Weasley family. They're very different from you," Harry admitted.

"You're very different from me and I love you just the way you are," Severus retorted.

"You know what I mean," Harry half grinned.

"I'm sure I will find them lovely, shouldn't you be more concerned with them liking me?"

"No, they love everyone, well almost everyone, that's just who they are," Harry shrugged.

"And what if they don't like me?"

"I wouldn't care, because I would still like you," Harry smiled.

"Then you should feel the same if I do not like them. It's harder, but you can have both without having to choose a side if it comes to that."

"You're the best," Harry grinned and tucked into his food.

Harry was busy getting ready in the bedroom, while Severus had opted to get dressed in the downstairs loo. He pulled on his new jeans and shirt and fixed his hair which had decided to be alarmingly unruly today. He sighed after a few moments and decided that this was as good as it was going to get. He pulled on his glasses and headed downstairs to where Severus would no doubt be waiting on him. His mouth nearly dropped to the floor when he saw the man. Instead of his usual black attire, the man was dressed in dark grey slacks and a white button up shirt, Harry had never seen him wear anything like this and it was amazing. He idly wondered why the man didn't wear things like this more often and conceded to drop hints about it in the future.

"You look amazing," Harry said after a moment.

"The same could be said for you," Severus said kissing him softly. "Are you ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be," Harry nodded and Severus took his hand and let him to the waiting car.

The trip to Surrey was mostly spent in a pensive silence. He briefly laughed at the idea that they were showing up to dinner with two bottles of wine. He felt as though he were going to a party with the instructions of byob, but at the same time he thought that maybe the wine would help to take the edge off of his nerves. Severus sat working away on his phone, replying to emails and texts regarding work while Harry kept checking the weather for no reason on his own phone. He missed the days when he had a schedule to keep and places to be. He shook off the feeling and smiled nervously at Severus who had stopped what he was doing to take note of Harry's saddened demeanor. He tried to ask what was wrong, but Harry shook his head and told him it was nothing.

When they finally pulled onto the street where The Burrow was located Harry felt like his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest. He took a few deep breaths and when the car stopped he gathered his gift to Hermione, and Severus picked up the flowers and wine for the Weasleys. Harry went to get out of the car, but Severus told him to wait and walked around the car and opened the door for Harry. He smiled up at the man and stood on his toes to place a kiss on the man's cheek. Before they could even make it through the gate in the front garden Mrs. Weasley was out the door to greet them. She fussed at Harry for being too thin as always and then she looked up at Severus and smiled brightly before pulling the man into an unexpected hug. Harry watched as Severus stiffened at the unwelcome contact and offered a sympathetic shrug when he looked to him for help.

"These are for you Mrs. Weasley," Severus said offering her the wine and flowers.

"Call me Molly, dear! Oh, you shouldn't have, these are so lovely!" She beamed up at him and then herded them into the house.

Harry watched nervously as Severus came into the sitting room. He wanted to gage the man's reaction to the Weasley home. It was nothing like their home, and Harry worried that might be a little off putting to him, but the man seemed fine and shook Mr. Weasley's hand and took the seat offered to him. He properly introduced himself to Ron and Hermione and Harry pulled Hermione aside to give her the gift he had gotten for her. She beamed brightly at him and slung her arms around his neck in a hug. She insisted that getting her a shot at the job was gift enough and that he shouldn't have, but he told her to shut up and enjoy.

Mrs. Weasley bustled around the kitchen and Mr. Weasley talked to Severus about his work, and about the school they had gone to. Hermione also talked to her new boss about various things that were seemingly over he and Ron's head. The two of them looked at each other and grimaced, because once Hermione kicked off it was difficult to get her to stop. Everything was going grand until Mr. Weasley pulled out a deck of cards and told Severus to pick a card. Harry found himself rooted to the spot of carpet he was standing on watching in worry about how Severus might react. He couldn't remember if he had warned the man or not of Mr. Weasley's obsession with magic tricks. Harry breathed in a sigh of relief when Severus didn't refuse the man and went along with his trick. He excused himself and went out to the back garden to have a smoke with Ron.

Dinner was a solid affair, and he didn't think that things had gone too badly, other than Mrs. Weasley insisting that they should throw the wedding in their back garden. Severus had thanked her for her offer in an attempt to steer her away from the topic, but she had kept prattling on and Harry shrugged in apology. That's just how Mrs. Weasley was, she was a loving control freak. Harry had grown used to it, but Severus was used to be in control of himself, and having others jump at his command. That was the only issue that seemed to rise, and it wasn't even that much of an issue. He was really happy with the way things had gone. Even Ron had started to warm to the man, not in the normal way, but much like a cat will stay away and inspect a situation before deciding whether or not to enter. He wasn't completely sold on the idea that this was who his best friend was going to marry, but it was their first official meeting and Harry thought that the idea would more than likely grow on him.

"Thank you for dinner, Molly," Severus had said curtly when it was time for them to go.

"Anytime! You two must come back for dinner very soon!" She gushed at the pair of them.

"We will," Harry grinned and hugged her goodbye.

He followed Severus out to the waiting car and got into the door that Severus had pulled open for him. He could finally breathe freely, the night had been a success and he just hoped that Severus would feel the same way.

A/N: I hope you liked it. Sorry this was so long in the coming. I started a new story called: Here's Something I Can Hold On To. I can't remember if I told y'all that yet, but it's a Snarry and you can find it under my stories. I'm sorry if this is sort of dodgy, but I was halfway through this chapter when my computer completely crashed and burned and I lost everything. Thanks for reading and reviewing. The next chapter will be up much sooner I promise!