Chase This Light With Me

by Chase'sGirl19

The Sequel to Already Home! It's Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts! Harry wants to help Draco come back to the light, even if the Slytherin does not want to. Severus is trying all he can to keep his relationship with his son above water as they fight through darkness and secrets that will lead to ultimate betrayals. Meanwhile a friendship starts to form between Severus and Remus...

25. That January Ninth

Chapter Twenty-Five - That January Ninth

Author Warning: Heavy smut scene at the end.

Disclaimer: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away By The Beatles

When Harry woke up, he didn't recognize where he was at first. It made his anxiety rise up a bit, instantly thinking of his cupboard in Privet Drive, but then he caught the twinkling Christmas lights illuminating the sheets above him and he remembered the fort he and Remus had built together. He must've fallen asleep in it and Harry realized he was feeling far too comfortable after sleeping on a floor all night long. Remus must've put a Cushioning Charm underneath him, making the floor soft and easy to sleep on.

And as Harry began to become more fully awake, he suddenly remembered why they had built the fort in the first place, because Harry had been worried about Severus coming home later than he said he would be. Harry had never found out if he did return home because he had fallen asleep. Alarmed, Harry turned over to wake Remus up and was relieved to find his second dad not sleeping alone. Severus was on Remus' other side, his arm loosely wrapped around Remus' middle. His head was on the pillow behind Remus' whose back was pressed up against Severus, looking as if he were in the middle of a peaceful dream.

It was endearing to see them together like that, still Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight of his dads being all lovey-dovey with each other.

Suddenly, Harry felt something poking him in the chest. He reached under his shirt and pulled out the offending object. It was the wooden wolf pendant he'd been wearing for the past few days. Remus had given it to Severus for Christmas, who had then given it to Harry for safekeeping. His dad hadn't asked for it back, and Harry hadn't minded holding on to it because at one point in this small pendent's existence, his mother had held it, worn it, his grandfather had worked so hard on it, carving out the small intricate details. In some way, wearing the wolf pendant made Harry feel connected to them. It was a part of Harry and it was a part of Remus, and he could see why Remus had given it to Severus, so he could be a part of them as well. It was time to give it back to his dad.

Ruffling blankets and sheets interrupted the silence, followed by Severus' sleep-filled murmur, "What do you have there, son?"

Harry tore his eyes away from the pendent and towards his dad. Severus hadn't really moved much, just pulled up his upper body so that his head was off his pillow and looking at Harry over a sleeping Remus, his arm was still wrapped around him, this time a bit more firmer, holding him close. His dark eyes were blurry with sleep.

Harry handed him the wolf pendant. "I think it's time you have this back," he said quietly to not disturb Remus' sleep.

Severus' eyes soften at the sight of it, reaching over to take it from Harry. "Ah, I was wondering when I'll see it again."

Harry turned over on his back and stretched, feeling his muscles and bones pop, shaking away the sleep. "I just wanted to hold on to it a bit. It used to belong to my mom."

"I understand, Harry. I know Remus wanted me to have it, but would you like to still hold on to it?"

"No, it belongs to you," Harry said, sitting up and running a hand through his messy bed-head. He watched Severus slowly get up as well, untangling himself from Remus, then clasped the pendant around his neck, smoothing out his messy hair.

"You two looked very cozy," Harry couldn't help but tease with a smirk.

"Shut it, you," Severus murmured. "What time is it?"

Harry crawled out of the fort to check the clock on the mantel.

"It's almost eight!" Harry called out. "Weren't we supposed to leave at seven?"

"Fuck!" Severus' answer rang out from the fort. "Remus, wake up, we're late. Staff meetings start in an hour."

Harry heard Remus groan out with protest. "Let's just miss the first one…"

"No, you silly wolf! Harry, have you packed?!"

"Um…"

"Harry James Potter," Severus scolded as he crawled out of the fort towards Harry, Remus following behind him. He stood up to where Harry was standing by the mantle. "You mean to tell me that you haven't packed yet?!"

Harry tried not to smile. The sight of Severus in his rumpled clothes from yesterday paired with bed-head and freaking out over being late… He was channeling Mrs. Weasley. "It's an organized pile on my bed. All I gotta do is just chuck everything back in my knapsack."

Severus slapped a hand to his face and sighed. Remus sent Harry a helpless look from behind Severus.

"Is your homework done at least?"

"Yeah… It's just still on my desk…" Harry said, sheepishly. Maybe this wasn't a good time to remind Severus that he had planned to go over Harry's Potions essay. Harry shook the thought away, it wouldn't help now… Severus would realize he forgot to do it when he was halfway through grading it.

Severus scowled at Harry. "Go pack!"

"Yes, sir!" Harry shouted and stepped away, sprinting towards his bedroom before Severus could continue scolding him.

"And stop being smart with me!" Severus shouted. "I can see you trying not to smile, this isn't funny!"

"Okay…" Remus said. "I think it's time you need your coffee… Don't worry, Severus, we'll just make a quick breakfast. I'll charm the dishes to wash themselves and we'll get there on time…almost… Better late than never, right?" was the last thing Harry heard before shutting his door and immediately started throwing everything into his knapsack with a quiet laugh. Severus was definitely channeling Mrs. Weasley… Harry was sure he was going to see more of that at the Burrow later today.

Moments later, Harry came out of his room dragging his heavy knapsack behind him with one hand and holding Hedwig in the other. The snowy owl was glaring daggers at him for being interrupted from sleep and being stuffed into her travel cage. He was greeted with the sight of Remus dressed in his brown threadbare robes and his Gryffindor scarf for the day and clearing up the living room with his wand, summoning all of the blankets and pillows back to their respectful places.

"Good morning, Remus," Harry grinned, still dragging his heavy bag to the front door.

Remus was now moving the coffee table back to its original place. "Morning, cub," he said. "You really got Severus in a mood, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I meant to finish packing before bed, but I fell asleep."

Remus gave him a pointed look, then to the kitchen. "Go in there with caution is all I can say, I brewed some coffee, so he should be a bit friendlier now."

Harry laughed, "Thanks for the warning."

"Here, cub…" Remus casted a Hover Charm on his knapsack and moved it towards the door. They were going to use a portkey to the Burrow, then Remus and Severus were going to Apparate to Hogwarts right after.

"Thanks, papa," Harry said with relief, not noticing Remus' shocked smile. He placed Hedwig's cage on the floor beside it. The owl grumbled as she tucked her head under her wing. "It'll just be a little while, Hedwig. You're going with Remus, that way you won't have to be stuck in there all day."

Despite being late, they still managed a hurried breakfast. Harry insisted they could all just eat at the Burrow to save some time, but Severus refused, stating that this was the last time they'll eat together in the cabin for quite a while. Plus, they had a very busy week ahead of them that was sure to keep them apart.

"Severus, isn't it your birthday this upcoming Thursday?" Remus said, as he began to clear up the dishes from the table.

Severus just continued eating, then gave Remus his empty plate.

Harry's smile was big. Severus caught sight of it and gave Harry his best glare.

"Dad," Harry laughed. "Your birthday? Have you ever had a birthday party?"

"No, and hurry up and eat. You're the reason why we're late!"

Harry quickly finished his eggs. "Dad, never? I've managed to have at least one. What about you, Remus?"

"The Marauders threw me one every year. One time it was a surprise party at midnight on the Astronomy tower. Oh, did we receive quite a detention sentence for that," Remus chuckled, spelling all the dishes to clean themselves.

"Don't give him any ideas, Remus. He already gets into enough trouble," Severus said, getting up and taking Harry's empty dishes then handing them to Remus, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I want everyone by the door in one minute tops!"

"Yes, sir!" Harry returned, earning a withering glare from his dad.

Remus rolled his eyes with exasperation then met Harry's eyes. And the look they exchanged, they both knew they had the same idea. Remus' hazel eyes danced with mischief. They were throwing Severus a surprise party.

.

.

They landed just in front of the stoop of the Burrow. Harry immediately lost his balance, feeling his feet slip from underneath him and before he knew it, he was flat on his back into the ashy snow sludge that surrounded the Burrow.

"Argh! Holy fuck!" Harry shouted from the painful fall and the cold shock of the snow.

Hedwig started screeching from the commotion. Remus was the one holding onto her cage. Harry's knapsack was shrunk and tucked safely away in Severus' pocket. They were dropping it all off at Hogwarts for him. The only things Harry had with him was his invisibility cloak folded up in his jacket pocket, alongside his practice snitch and his wand. He was also holding his broomstick, but he'd dropped it during his fall.

"Hey, language, kid!" Severus snapped without turning around, climbing up the stoop to the door.

"I learned it all from you," Harry retorted from the ground. "It's okay, Hedwig. I'm alright!" The snowy owl's screeching echoing through the quiet air.

"Don't worry, Harry, one day you'll be able to keep your balance," Remus said kindly, offering a hand. Harry thankfully took it and pulled himself up.

Back on his feet, Harry put his fingers through the bars of Hedwig's cage, soothing her until her screeches turned into a soft grumbling. "Not one of our best mornings, huh?" Harry said to his owl.

Severus knocked on the door, then turned around to face them. "Are you okay? Any scrapes or broken bones?" he said to Harry with a bit more concern in his voice this time.

Remus was dusting the ice out of Harry's hair with concern. Harry quickly scanned himself over. "No, I think I'm fine."

"I'm sure that owl just woke everyone up now." Severus took in the state of Harry's dripping wet clothes. "Here, let me cast a Drying Charm on…" The door opened before he could finish with what he was saying. Severus stepped to the side and to Harry's utter embarrassment, Ginny came out of the Burrow.

"Harry? I thought I heard you and Hedwig," Ginny said with a smile, then it vanished when her brown eyes traveled to Remus who had been dusting the cold ice off Harry's back.

Harry felt himself blush from head to toe. He stepped away from Remus. His stomach was in knots and he couldn't think of anything coherent to say, trying not to think about the sludge that was all over him. Harry could feel Severus' and Remus' eyes going back and forth between him and Ginny. Hedwig's soft hooting was the only sound for one very awkward pause.

"Are you alright? It's very slippery there."

Harry could hear in Ginny's voice the awkwardness she was feeling of the situation. Harry was sure Dean had never been found by Ginny covered in ashy snow sludge with his two dads and an owl. How humiliating, perfect Dean was all Harry could think about, and how pathetic he must look to Ginny right now.

Freak! Aunt Petunia's voice echoed in his head.

"I'm fine, I fell on purpose," Harry blurted out, trying to save the situation, but just made it worse. He caught Remus wincing as he picked up Harry's firebolt.

"Ginny? Is that Harry? I thought I heard his owl." Mrs. Weasley suddenly appeared at the door behind Ginny. And Harry couldn't be more grateful for the Weasley matron's presence in his entire life.

"Good gracious, Harry! Did you fall?" Mrs. Weasley said, taking in the scene and Harry's dirty dripping clothes. "Oh, dear, I hope you're alright. It's quite slippery…"

Harry sighed with defeat and humiliation. The feeling of being saved from this situation quickly evaporated. Why was everyone focusing on his embarrassing fall into the sludge? Look at the freak covered in snow and ash and mud! Ginny would never go out with you now!

"I know!" Harry snapped, interrupting Mrs. Weasley, not meaning to sound rude at all, but it did, making the situation even more humiliating, especially when Mrs. Weasley's eyes began to water a bit.

"Mum, don't," Ginny consoled her, placing a comforting hand on her mom's shoulder.

"Harry," Severus scolded. "That was disrespectful!"

"Ginny, Molly, would you be so kind as to excuse us for a moment, we'll be right in," Remus said, taking control of the situation.

Harry just kept his eyes down on the floor, the ice on his back was seeping in through his clothes, making him shiver.

"Of course, Remus. I'll make some coffee for you as well."

"That would be lovely, Molly," Remus said.

Severus didn't join in on their brief exchange of words. His eyes were on Harry.

Once Mrs. Weasley left, Ginny said, "Don't worry, Harry. It wasn't just you. She's been like that ever since Percy showed his ugly face on Christmas." Harry only nodded, his eyes still casted down at his feet. He heard the door snap with a quiet shut.

I'm a freak. I'm a freak… Harry couldn't help but think, trying not to picture himself shivering and wet and dirty and unable to look at Ginny, and making her mom cry… She might as well just get back with Dean Thomas and marry him!

Suddenly, Harry's clothes felt instantly warm and dry again. Severus knelt down to his knees at Harry's eye level, getting his pants and robes full of the snowy sludge. Harry flinched from the sound and the close proximity of another person.

"Now you're not the only one covered in muck today," Severus said gently.

Harry could see in his peripheral vision that Severus was trying to catch his eye, but Harry avoided it. He was a freak… A freak! You're a freak, Harry! Aunt Petunia's voice was loud in his head. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His body was shaking, and this time not from the cold.

"I'm going to touch your hand," Severus said, he gently grabbed Harry's left hand. Harry could feel him prying his fingers open, massaging his palms, loosening his muscles. Severus then did the same thing to his right hand, gently telling him what he was doing, reminding Harry of him not wanting to cut anymore.

My list… I want to be happy… No more cutting….

Then when Harry's hand was finally unclenched, Severus pressed it to his chest, that way Harry could feel Severus' beating heart.

And at the feel of his dad's beating heart, Harry finally pulled himself together enough to finally meet Severus' eyes.

"You're not a freak," Severus said earnestly.

Harry shook his head, bowing down his head again.

"Hey…" Severus said, lifting Harry's chin up with a hand. "Come on now, keep looking at me. You're not a freak and I think you're much better than Dean Thomas, especially at Quidditch."

And when Harry finally met Severus' eyes, Severus pulled him into a hug.

"I can't go in there now, just take me with you to Hogwarts," Harry muttered against Severus' shoulder with despair. "That was so bloody humiliating!"

"No…no… Gryffindors don't run from embarrassing situations like that," Severus said back to him.

"Maybe, you can pull the sympathy card?" Remus suggested as Severus released Harry from his hold and stood back up. He had been silently watching Severus pull Harry out of his episode.

Harry looked at Remus with doubt. "Do you think she'll go for that?"

Severus shook the ice off his robes and casted a drying charm on himself.

Remus only shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

"I don't know," Harry sighed. "Ginny isn't like other girls. It wasn't that bad, right? Was it just my back that was dirty? And she didn't see me get all triggered, right? I tried to hold it together."

"Um…" Remus looked helplessly at Severus who only shook his head with a frown.

Harry covered his face with his hands, "Ugh!" he groaned out, his face blushing with humiliation all over again.

"I'm sorry, cub," Remus said sincerely.

"When we go inside, you must apologize to Mrs. Weasley. You were a bit rude to her, you understand that, right?" Severus said to Harry.

"I know, I will," Harry groaned.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked.

"Yeah," Harry sighed with defeat.

Once they stepped inside the Burrow, they found Ginny and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, the aroma of coffee was heavy and comforting in the air. To Harry's relief, they were the only ones there, Mr. Weasley must be at work by now and Ron could sleep through just about anything.

Harry immediately went to Mrs. Weasley with so much guilt for making her cry and apologized to her, giving her a big hug. It surprised her so much, she bursted into tears. Usually it was Mrs. Weasley who always gave hugs to Harry who would either always stiffened from the touch or shyly accept them. But now, Harry was trapped in her embrace. Ginny was watching from the table with an embarrassed expression. Harry shot her and his dads a look for help and rescue.

"Okay, Molly," Remus said softly, leaning Harry's firebolt by the coat rack at the door and handing Severus Hedwig's cage so he could pry Mrs. Weasley off of Harry. "Are you alright, what's going on now?"

"Remus, we have to go!" Severus said impatiently.

"It'll just be a moment," Remus said.

Severus and Remus took Mrs. Weasley to the living room, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.

"Oh, god, Harry, I'm so sorry! That was so embarrassing!" Ginny said as Harry took a seat across from her at the table.

He frowned down at the crescent-shaped marks on his palms, then closed his hands so Ginny wouldn't see them.

Freak was still ringing in his head and Harry tried his best to remember his list of being happy, of not cutting anymore, stop believing he was a freak, to give Ginny a chance… To ignore the voice in his head….

Harry wasn't a freak. And he was going to prove Aunt Petunia wrong by refusing to believe it and by enjoying Ginny's company without that getting in the way.

"It's okay, Gin, I'm sorry for making your mom cry."

"No, don't be. It really had nothing to do with you. She's been a wreck ever since Percy…"

Harry frowned at the sadness in her voice and in her chocolate brown eyes, the morning sunlight was trickling in from the window, setting her red hair aglow. Harry realized he was staring at Ginny and he tore his gaze away.

"He'll come to his senses," Harry said, hoping he sounded comforting enough. "He's a bloody idiot for turning a family like yours away. I would've given anything for a family like this when I was small."

Ginny smiled, "Well, it's not as all cracked up as it seems to be."

Harry laughed and Ginny laughed with him.

"And hey, don't feel bad about falling out there. If it makes you feel better, Ron fell at that exact same spot yesterday, on his arse!" Ginny giggled, sending Harry into hysterics, the humiliation from the morning finally washing away at Ron's expense.

Severus and Remus finally returned with a much calmer Mrs. Weasley who was saying, "We are using the Floo network in the afternoon. It's going to send the kids to Minerva's office."

Remus spied Harry and Ginny laughing together at the table and smiled. Severus was just behind him and Molly, still holding on to Hedwig's cage.

"Excellent, that way we won't have to worry about any mishaps on the train, like the last time," Severus said, giving Harry a pointed look.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Aren't you guys running late?"

"You're right," Severus scowled. "Remus, let's get going."

They both gave Harry a quick hug. Severus made Harry promise that he'll be at the Great Hall in time for dinner this time, and then they were gone.

"Have you had breakfast, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pulling things out to start cooking as if nothing ever happened.

"Um y…"

"Say no," Ginny whispered.

Harry gave her a questioning look. "No, I haven't?"

"Oh, dear, just let me whip you up some eggs!"

After breakfast, Harry and Ginny spent the rest of the early morning flying around the orchard, racing each other and making up games to catch Harry's practice snitch until they both grew tired and cold from the winter air. Ginny had teased Harry, saying he was just tired of her beating him, and Harry protested against her teasing, saying he was just slow after Mrs. Weasley had stuffed him with a mountainful of eggs. But despite all the teasing, Harry couldn't help but admire how brilliant a flier Ginny really was, and with her on his Quidditch team, Harry was very confident of Gryffindor's chances of winning the cup this year.

They ended up in the living room with mugs of hot butterbeer and a plate full of homemade biscuits between them provided by Mrs. Weasley who had gone upstairs to wake up Ron. They could hear her scolding him to start getting up and start packing several floors down.

"Poor, Ron, he shouldn't have waited till the last minute. He's missing out on these biscuits!" Harry grinned, not admitting to Ginny that he'd also got yelled at this morning by his dad for not being ready.

"Mum always goes berserk about food whenever you're around," Ginny said, munching on a biscuit. "But I can't complain. I don't mind you being her favorite kid, it stops her from coddling me."

Harry thought about her words and the deeper meaning behind it. Ginny, as the only girl in the family and the youngest, was always coddled and treated like the baby in the family. He was glad that in some way, his presence took that unwanted attention away from her.

"You're the only one, Harry, who I don't have to fight to be seen as not a little kid."

Harry smiled at that, then he frowned, "Ginny, I have to thank you for having my back that night Bellatrix attacked. I'm sorry for putting you into danger like that… I didn't mean to…"

Ginny interrupted Harry before he could stammer out everything he was trying to say, her brown eyes were unwavering, making Harry nervous and shy. "It's okay, Harry. It was my choice. You didn't make me do it."

Harry shrugged, looking away for a moment, then back at her. "Did your mom get mad at you? You must've gotten into loads of trouble. I never thought Remus had it in him to scold me the way he did."

"Oh, yeah, believe me she had kittens about it, but it was all worth it to make sure you were safe."

The cackling fireplace was suddenly the only sound from the room. Mrs. Weasley had stopped shouting at Ron.

"Ginny, why did you do it?" Harry finally found the courage to ask.

Ginny considered his question for a moment, her eyes moved away from him and down to the mug she was holding in her hands. "I don't know," she shrugged, thoughtfully. "I just didn't really think. One moment, I was watching you run out of the house through the window, and the next thing I know, I'm running after you through the field."

"An adrenaline rush, then?" Harry asked, nothing else? he almost added.

"No, it was more than that," Ginny sighed and she put down her mug on the coffee table, then turned towards Harry, gently taking his hand and turning it over to reveal the crescent-shaped marks from his nails digging into his skin earlier. "I just couldn't stand the idea of you being hurt again."

Harry moved his gaze from their joined hands to meet her brown eyes. His heart was beating so fast in his chest, his stomach was churning and he was sure if he stood up, he would just fall over. He'd lost all feeling in his legs. Ginny was so close… Is this really happening? Ginny broke up with Dean!

"Ginny…" Harry could only say.

"You know you can talk to me, right? I've told you this before, and it still stands, even if we hadn't really hung out much during the past few months… I didn't mean for that to happen, I've just been spending a lot of time with Dean."

"Oh, yeah…" Harry stuttered out. "I know… It's fine, Ginny, really… Didn't you two break up?"

Ginny was taken aback by Harry's question, her eyes flickering with annoyance. "Ron told you? That prat!"

Harry laughed, her reaction chased away his nerves. "Yeah, but please remember that I need Ron back as my best friend once you're done hexing him!"

"No promises," Ginny laughed in return, her brief annoyance at her brother fading away. Then she stopped laughing and her face blushed red. "Well, actually… Dean and I just got back together. I just sent him a letter this morning."

And Harry's heart dropped and he had no idea what he was even saying to Ginny anymore. "Really? Oh, um, I'm happy for you two." Harry really hoped that he didn't sound as pathetic to her as he was feeling inside.

This time Harry was the victim of Ginny's Molly Weasley glare. "Are you really?"

Harry could only nod once.

Ginny tossed a biscuit at him, catching him in the face.

"Argh! Ginny!"

"You're such a liar!" she laughed, she threw another biscuit at him. "Tell me the truth, Harry Potter!"

"Okay… Okay… Dean is a bloody toerag!" More biscuits were thrown, and Harry shouted out before he could even stop himself, "He has to be, Ginny! Argh! Stop!" he laughed. "He has to be to break up with you, Ginny! I know that if it were me, I would never let you go!" The biscuits stopped after that. And Harry kept his gaze down at his lap, realizing what he'd accidentally let slip. He could feel himself blushing from head to toe. And the quiet was so loud, the tension so high, and through it all, even through the biscuit throwing, Harry realized Ginny had still been holding his hand.

Ginny must've realized the same thing at the same moment, because her eyes landed on their intertwined hands and she quickly pulled her hand away, her cheeks blushing as much as Harry knew he was blushing himself.

Harry cleared his throat, then finished the last of his butterbeer, trying to figure out how to break the awkward tension he'd caused between them.

"So, um, living with Snape and Remus, what is that like?" Ginny suddenly asked.

And Harry knew she changed the subject because it was heading towards something dangerous between them, and he wondered why she was so afraid of it. Why was she so afraid to let Harry get close to her? Why did she prefer Dean Thomas over him? There was definitely a spark between them. Harry never held Hermione's or Ron's hand, never caught their eye in the middle of a crowded room, like Ginny and Harry seemed to accidentally do every time. Ginny liked him just as much as Harry liked her, Harry was sure of that now, but perhaps… It wasn't just Ginny that was holding them back from being together, Harry realized he hadn't actually been present around her either as he'd dealt with his mental health. It was him too, Harry couldn't let her in, and Ginny knew that. Maybe she was waiting for him.

Harry thought about showing her his scars, thought about telling Ginny everything that very moment, if that would break the glass between them. But he couldn't…not yet. He couldn't stand the possibility of her seeing him as a freak, even though Harry knew deep down that she never would.

Harry swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and down. As much as Harry really liked Ginny, he just wasn't ready to open up in that way just yet. And so, Harry just told everything to Ginny about how it was like being in the cabin with Remus and Severus as co-parents, but he tweaked it a bit, leaving out all of his struggles with his mental health, and he made it sound as if Remus and Severus were just friends and not in a relationship. Only because he wasn't sure if his dads were out about that yet.

And sometime during their conversation, the tension finally broke and they were finally comfortable with each other again, as if Harry had never let those words slip. Then Ron finally came down, interrupting them immediately by tackling Harry with a hug.

The rest of the morning passed too quickly and before Harry knew it, it was time to floo back to Hogwarts, and just as Harry had anticipated, things at the Burrow grew very chaotic. Ron and Ginny still had last minute packing to do, and Mrs. Weasley kept bursting into tears at the thought of her youngest children leaving her. Ginny and Ron had tried consoling her as much as they could, with Ron's jokes just making it worse until Ginny slugged him in the shoulder. Harry couldn't help but appreciate the extra big hug Mrs. Weasley gave him, telling him to take care of himself. Harry returned the hug, saying to her that he liked a quiet life, and that having Severus and Remus in the castle watching him, there was no way Harry could get into any more trouble. That seemed to calm Mrs. Weasley a bit to Harry's, Ginny's and Ron's relief.

But to Harry's disappointment, as soon as they had arrived to Hogwarts, Ginny had immediately taken off, stating that she was going to find Dean, and it squashed Harry's happy mood so far down, and the only thing that was able to pull him out of his funk was a letter given to him by Hermione, stating Dumbledore's next meeting tonight after dinner.

.

.

The first day of lessons were finally over and it seemed like every professor had conspired against their sixth year students over the Christmas break by deciding to make their lessons even harder for them than it was before the break.

Today, Harry had three classes, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions, and he already had a mountain of homework from them. Harry wasn't even exaggerating on the size either. It literally piled almost to top of his head when he'd stacked all of his homework on a table of the library besides Hermione's own, which was scarily larger than his by a huge margin. Harry really had no idea how she was not panicking over it. Just looking at it would cause anyone a panic attack. And this was just after the first day! Tomorrow, Harry had Charms, Transfiguration and Potions again! And he was quite positive that he was going to have another new stack of homework by tomorrow evening.

The homework wasn't the only thing that made Harry's first day go so rough. The meeting he had the night before with Dumbledore left him a lot to think about and it also left him with quite an impossible task. Dumbledore had shown Harry a false memory given to him by Professor Slughorn. And Harry's task was to retrieve the real memory from Slughorn in time for the next meeting. Harry had told Hermione over and over again what he had seen and of the word Horcrux. The mysterious word stayed on Harry's mind all day. Harry and Hermione had even skipped lunch to look though the library for anything on Horcruxes but their efforts were fruitless. Harry had no idea how he was going to get that memory from Slughorn. It was clear he didn't want to give it away in the first place. Harry wished he could just ask his dads for help. He had a very strong feeling that they might be able to solve the mystery of what a Horcrux was, and Harry had an even stronger feeling that Remus could form a successful mission on retrieving Slughorn's memory with his hands tied behind his back and his eyes blindfolded, but Harry was forbidden to talk to Severus and Remus about his secret lessons from Dumbledore. Severus knew about the lessons, but he didn't know what they were about.

And speaking of Severus, the sixth years had quite a shock when they found Professor Slughorn opening the doors to their dungeon classroom instead of Professor Snape. Harry was especially shocked and also a bit worried. Why didn't Severus make it to his first lessons of the new spring term? Especially when he'd spent most of the winter holidays carefully preparing his lesson plans. Harry was able to get Hermione to ask Slughorn about Severus' absence, since she was always known to be asking those sorts of things, so that it wouldn't be questionable to the sixth year Slytherins. Harry couldn't do it himself, he was supposed to act happy and relieved at Severus' disappearance, not worried.

Slughorn had not really given an explanation, and Hermione had told Harry after class that this was probably Dumbledore's doing to give Harry a chance to ask Slughorn about the memory. Which he tried and miserably failed at, resorting to getting kicked out of the classroom. And Harry was sure he was going to see his dad later during dinner at the Great Hall looking as murderous as ever for being forced to give up his sixth year lessons on the first day.

And Draco…

They had bumped into each other as they rounded a corner in the corridor just at the start of lunch. Harry was alone. Ron was with Lavender, and Hermione was waiting for Harry in the library. Harry had called out to him, but Draco ignored him. The corridor was empty. Everyone was in the Great Hall.

"Watch it!" Draco snarled, pushing Harry to the floor, then started walking away.

"Draco? Draco!" Harry had called out, not bothering to get up from the floor just yet.

"Get lost, Potter!" Draco scowled.

"Do you always kiss your friends, then just treat them like shit after?"

"Fuck you," Draco just snarled again and left, not saying another word after that.

And trying so hard to not feel hurt and rejected, trying so hard to believe Draco's promise that this was all just an act, that once the war ended, they'll be friends again, Harry was failing at it. He was losing his best friend. He didn't recognize the stranger walking away from him, and Harry began to doubt his feelings of sparks that needed to be lit and the curiosity he'd felt in their kiss. It was just Draco being caught in a vulnerable state, and it left Harry with the ugly feeling of being used.

Besides that incident, Draco completely ignored Harry. As if that kiss in the dark and empty dungeon never happened. During the classes they shared together, Draco kept to himself in the back of the class with the hood of his school robes up, barely paying attention and even falling asleep in class, and ready with a sharp tongue to whoever, even from his own house, spoke to him. The only ones he stayed close to were of course Crabbe and Goyle. Professor Binns didn't seem to notice Draco's behavior. Slughorn chose to ignore it and Remus wouldn't have it and sent him to Severus. Draco had scowled in defiance and stormed out without even an insult. Harry doubted that Draco even made it to Severus' office.

Also, Hermione's and Ron's friendship was just gone… Harry found himself having to split his time between them, and thinking of having to do that until they stopped fighting… It brought his spirits down, but that was nothing compared to seeing Dean and Ginny walking in the corridors together hand in hand. Ginny always gave Harry a friendly smile every time they'd passed, but it still hurt to see Ginny and Dean together. The morning he and Ginny spent together before they returned to Hogwarts was still fresh in his memory. And Dean and Ginny were the reason why Harry had decided to hide out in the library with Hermione before dinner. He couldn't bear to see them snogging in the corner of the common room, and then dealing with Ron's temper over it.

The only good things about the first day of school was of course Remus' class and the sign about Apparition lessons for the sixth years starting on the first Saturday of February that was posted on their bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Harry and Ron had excitedly signed up for it. It would be so much better to Apparate then to use a bloody portkey. Harry was tired of being humiliated everytime he fell over from using one. The last one still burned a hole in his memory.

Hermione and Harry had long ago given up their second search on Horcruxes for the late afternoon, only because of their homework piles. Harry was working on his Defense essay while Hermione was working on Ancient Runes. She'd hardly said a word to him in almost thirty minutes as she poured over some complicated-looking symbols that made Harry's head hurt everytime he glanced over at her work.

And finally having enough of homework silence, Harry put down his quill and said, "Hermione, let's take a break. Let's see if we can find anything on the Half-Blood Prince in any of these books."

Hermione didn't look up from her homework, nor stopped writing as she answered Harry with annoyance, "There's no need. Before the holidays, I've looked through every single book in this entire library. And nothing. I couldn't find anything on a Half-Blood Prince," she scowled at the name. "I really think you should just hand that book over, Harry. We don't know who this Prince person is… And the spells in that book… I don't like it," she finished with a frown.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're just upset that I keep beating you in Potions."

Hermione slammed her quill down and fixed him with a glare. "As if! Without that book you're useless at Potions! It's a wonder your dad hasn't figured it out yet! I really do have half a mind to tell him!"

Harry groaned, "Hermione, please don't!"

Hermione huffed a breath out with annoyance, "I won't, Harry, but I want to."

Harry grinned, "I really do appreciate that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her quill again, continuing on her work. Harry watched her for a moment, then flipped the pages of his Defense textbook.

"You know…" Harry said quietly. "Ron is okay, if you were wondering that."

"I wasn't," Hermione said in a clipped tone of voice.

"Just letting you know," Harry shrugged. "Because after I told you everything that happened at the Burrow, all you did was scold me, then you asked how everyone was doing, but you didn't ask about Ron. So, he's okay, if you were wondering."

Hermione slapped her quill down again, and this time she had a death glare.

"Harry, aren't you supposed to be working out on how you're going to retrieve Slughorn's memory for Dumbledore?"

"Hermione, I already tried speaking to Slughorn after class and he kicked me out of the classroom. I even tried impressing him with that bezoar! There's not much I can do now. I tried…"

"Well, try again! It's important! And I'm not solving this for you, I have enough on my plate already!"

"I'm not asking for you to help me. Don't worry, I'll figure something out."

Hermione just shook her head, flipping through her textbook. Harry ran his hand through his hair, moving his fringe away from his face. He glanced at Hermione again who was reading with careful concentration.

"How long are you going to stay mad at Ron for, anyways?"

"When he stops behaving like a child."

"So, never then?"

Hermione gave Harry another withering glare.

Even though that glare could scare off any of the younger students, Harry just smiled and said, "I've missed you during the break. It wasn't the same without you there."

Hermione sighed and finally gave him a smile in return, their brief argument finally cooling down between them. "I'm sorry… I just can't be around Ron right now… And despite all of the bad stuff that happened, it still sounds like you had a wonderful holiday with your dads. You deserve that, Harry, you really do."

"Thanks, Hermione, you're going to make me shed a tear," Harry laughed, making Hermione laugh a bit. And Harry was happy he was able to finally get one out of her. She always looked so upset and stressed just before the holidays, and she was starting to fall into that again and Harry couldn't help but wish that Ron could stop acting like such a bloody idiot and just find the courage to break up with Lavender Brown.

"Well, if you don't want to work on homework anymore, then let's get started on planning the next D.A. meeting."

Harry groaned, "Blimey, don't you ever just relax?"

Hermione whacked him with a rolled up parchment. "Harry, you're the instructor!"

"Ow! Okay!" Harry laughed.

Suddenly, a loud, "Shhh!" interrupted them, causing both Harry and Hermione to jump in their seats. Madam Pince was standing over them with a sharp finger to her lips and a glare that could outshine Hermione's.

"Sorry," they both mumbled. And when the librarian finally stalked away, they both fell into silent fits of laughter.

They spent the rest of the hour before dinner planning the next meeting, and when Hermione was finally satisfied that they had enough to go on, Harry was convincing Hermione to leave the library for dinner, even promising to sit with her instead of Ron, when Remus found them.

"Harry, I've been looking everywhere for you," Remus said, taking a seat across from him and Hermione. "Hi, Hermione."

"Remus!" Harry greeted.

"Hello, Remus," Hermione greeted.

Remus looked around, "Where's…"

Harry shook his head.

Remus caught the hint and glanced at the parchment in front of them. "What's that you're working on?"

"Plans for our next D.A. meeting," Harry said, passing the parchment over to Remus so he could take a look.

"This is brilliant, but can I make a few minor adjustments?" Remus said, after a few moments.

"Of course," Hermione said eagerly. "We were going to show you anyway during dinner."

As Harry and Hermione watched Remus look over their D.A. plans, Harry asked, "Remus, how come Severus didn't make it to lessons today? Did he miss the whole day or was it just the sixth years?"

Remus frowned at Harry's questions, however he didn't look up from the parchment as he continued writing on it with Harry's quill.

"It was just your class. I don't know the reason behind it… I don't know if I should even tell you. It was a bit strange…" Remus trailed off, concentrating on his adjustments.

"Remus, now you have to tell us," Harry deadpanned.

Hermione nodded her agreement. "You know we won't spread it around."

Remus sighed, not saying anything right away. He seemed to be fighting with himself on his decision of revealing what happened or not. He then finally put the quill down and fixed his attention on Harry and Hermione.

"Yesterday, during the staff meetings, right after the last one ended, Dumbledore pulled Severus to the side and told him that he must let Slughorn take over his sixth year class just for the first day. Severus was livid of course. He argued with Dumbledore, and it became a whole scene. Dumbledore wouldn't tell Severus exactly why, which pissed him off even more and I don't blame him. It's the first day of the term. He stalked over to Slughorn and tossed his lesson plans at him and stormed out of the classroom, shouting at Dumbledore: "Why am I even a professor here if you're giving all my classes to that incompetent fool!"

"Whoa," was all Harry could say.

"I know," Remus said. "It took me a while to track Severus down after that. I found him sulking on top of the Astronomy tower."

"Is he still mad about it?"

"Most likely, I haven't really been able to talk to him during this hectic day."

Hermione, who had listened to everything Remus had said, glanced at Harry, and he knew what she was thinking. Remus' story confirmed her theory of why Severus was missing during class today. It was definitely Dumbledore trying to give Harry a headstart on retrieving that memory and Harry had blown it. His stomach clenched with failure. How the bloody hell was he going to be able to pull this impossible task off? And he was so close to just revealing it all to Remus right there in the moment. But he remembered Dumbledore making him promise to not tell anyone but Ron and Hermione.

Remus suddenly reached over and put a hand on Harry's arms. Harry looked down to find himself unconsciously rubbing at his arms. Hermione noticed as well, she frowned with concern but she didn't say anything, and Harry was relieved and grateful for her tactfulness.

"I came to find you so we can plan Severus' birthday party," Remus said, his hazel eyes that were full of concern, sparked with mischief.

Harry smiled at that, feeling his anxiety wash away from the distraction. "We should have a small party!"

"I was thinking of the same thing, but who do we even invite? I hate to say this but, Severus doesn't have any friends. Maybe, Madam Pomfrey and the heads of houses would do it," Remus said. "But, I don't know, I'm afraid that may be sort of awkward."

"We can invite some of our friends to liven the party up," Harry added. "You'll definitely come, right, Hermione?"

"Mmm…well… Professor Snape doesn't like being around people in general. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Hermione, he's never had a birthday party before!" Harry protested.

"No, she's right, Harry. This week just started and Severus is already having a tough time of it, there's no need to stress him out even more. How about something with just us three? It would probably make him happy."

Harry sighed with disappointment, "Yeah, you're right."

"Don't worry, cub, you can throw me one in March," Remus chuckled, causing Hermione and Harry to laugh. That earned them a threatening glare from Madam Pince.

They ended up planning a birthday tea on Thursday evening in Severus' quarters. Harry and Remus were going to bake him a cake and surprise him with it after dinner. Hermione offered to distract Severus from following them out of the Great Hall until they were ready. It was called Operation: Surprise Severus with a Birthday Cake.

"Why does it need to have a name?" Harry asked with exasperation. "It's not even a good one!"

"It's the correct way to plan things such as surprises and pranks. It's only the Marauder way, cub. Plus we don't have time to waste on finding a better name, I know it sucks."

Once they were done with that, they all walked to the Great Hall for dinner. As promised, Harry took a seat beside Hermione. He spotted Ron on the other end of the table sitting next to Lavender, looking thoroughly miserable. Harry didn't dare look anywhere else. He didn't want to see Ginny and Dean having dinner together.

Remus had affectionately grasped Harry's shoulder, saying his goodbyes to him and Hermione before he walked up to the staff table, joining Severus who was glaring daggers at Dumbledore and Slughorn, but when Remus had taken his seat besides him, he tore his dark eyes away from them and to Remus. Harry watched Severus' whole demeanor change and softened a bit for just a very small moment, as if Remus' presence calmed Severus' foul mood. But it was only for a fleeting moment, until Severus' emotionless mask was back up, hiding the real Severus Snape from the students and staff.

---

It was midnight as Remus made his rounds on the floor that had the staircase to the Astronomy tower. He and Tonks were stationed there that night for sentry duty. Tuesday nights were the days Remus and Tonks were scheduled together to help the Order guard the castle. Remus had a feeling this might make him exhausted the next day, but it was just as well that he was up walking the castle corridors. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep if he tried. The next full-moon was approaching very soon and he could already feel the insomnia and the restlessness of his soul, the heavy darkness looming a bit closer.

Footsteps were suddenly heard, Remus whirled around with the light of his wand searching the shadowy corridor. He wasn't supposed to be here on his own. Tonks was Remus' partner, but she hadn't arrived at his office at the usual time, forcing him to start their rounds without her and it worried Remus. It wasn't like Tonks to be late. Maybe she was still upset with him and decided not to show or perhaps got stuck working a late shift at the Auror Department. Remus frowned as he recalled Tonks saying she was often bullied at the office for being related to the Blacks and for being a young woman and for being known as clumsy. More footsteps interrupted Remus from his thoughts and this time his wand illuminated a figure walking towards him.

"Wotcher, Remus," Tonks' voice rang through the empty shadowy corridor. "It's just me." She stepped into Remus' wand light, blinking from its brightness.

"Dora, I thought you weren't going to show up tonight," Remus said with a breath of relief, lowering his wand away from her eyes.

"Well, mad at you or not, I still have to keep up with my duties. Where are we heading?"

"The Astronomy tower."

"Ah, lead the way then."

"Hey, I'm sorry you felt so upset with me that you ended up being late tonight."

"Don't worry, Remus, it wasn't just that. I got stuck with all the paperwork tonight. Those bastards can't tear themselves away from the field long enough to sit down and do the paperwork. That's the second time this week they've piled everything onto my desk," Tonks complained with a huff of annoyance.

Remus frowned at that. "Tonks…"

Tonks glanced at Remus, catching his look of concern. "It's fine, Remus. I got here eventually, didn't I?"

"But if this is really becoming a problem and you're feeling mistreated, maybe we can talk to Alastor about it."

Tonks snorted at that. "I'm not going to go crying to my mentor about this. It's bad enough that I'm the youngest Auror in the office, no need to give them any more fuel to the fire that I can't handle my own problems as an adult."

Remus sighed at her stubbornness.

"It would only make things worse, Remus," she added.

"Okay, you're right," Remus said.

"I'm always right."

Remus grinned, "Absolutely."

Tonks suddenly shoved Remus.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

"I'm still upset with you! How's the bite, has it healed yet?"

"Yeah," Remus brought his hand up to his neck. "I've put a Glamour Charm on the scar."

"That's going to get annoying," Tonks said.

"I know, I have to reapply it like twice a day. I'm starting to wish I was a metamorphmagus like you."

"A werewolf and a metamorphmagus? You can't have everything, sweetie," Tonks laughed.

Remus chuckled in return as they reached the entrance to the Astronomy tower. They began to climb the long winding staircase.

"Blimey, I'm going to pass out," Tonks gasped for breath as they finally reached the top. She tripped just at the top and almost fell back, but luckily Remus grabbed her by the upper arm and held her steady.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just give me a moment," Tonks gasped, stepping a good distance away from the stairs, trying to catch her breath.

Remus nodded, giving Tonks her space. He glanced around and saw that the fourth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were having a late night Astronomy class, looking up through their telescopes and charting their star charts. Remus found Professor Sinistra walking among her class. She gave him a warning look to not disrupt her lesson.

Remus nodded and motioned for Tonks to come with him on the far side, away from the students. Remus hauled himself up on the ledge and sat down, dangling his feet off the edge.

"Looks like everything is clear tonight," Remus pointed out. Tonks didn't say anything and he quickly glanced at her then back towards the view of the grounds.

"What?" he asked her.

"Remus, is that safe?"

Tonks leaned over the edge, looking down, then seemed to get dizzy from it. She stepped back.

Remus shrugged. "I can always use a Hover Charm if I fall."

"Oh, for fucks sake, Remus!" Tonks whispered to him, aware of the students on the tower with them. "What is it with you and always having this need to put your life in danger?"

Remus shrugged again. "I like living life on the edge or should I say ledge?"

Tonks laughed, "That's a horrible joke!"

Remus smiled, then it faltered. He looked down at his hands. He was wearing the green gloves Severus had given him for Christmas, freshly washed and repaired from being ruined on Christmas night. It reminded him of why Tonks was upset with him.

"Dora, I'm not taking the mission."

Tonks breathed a sigh of relief at that. "It's not that I couldn't believe in you. I know you're powerful enough, smart enough and brave enough to have a chance in pulling something as big as that off, but I just don't want to lose you, Remus."

"I know," was all Remus could say.

And together they watched the stars above, pointing out a few constellations until it was time to patrol the other floors of the castle.

.

.

During the next two days that passed, Remus was exhausted and it didn't help that when he went to bed last night, he was plagued with confusing dreams of that mysterious bright light and Kaylie now running beside him, her pelt brushing up against Remus' own in silent support. Remus had thought that Kaylie finally revealing herself in his dreams, telling Remus that her death wasn't his fault would be the end of these confusing dreams, but they kept happening. The bright light with the mysterious black wolf was always just out of his reach.

But despite being exhausted, today was Severus' birthday. They hadn't really been able to make time for each other during the past few days, due to it being a hectic first week back at Hogwarts.

All they managed in the past few days were meals together in the Great Hall and most of the time, they were rushed due to one of them having to be somewhere or one of them being called away by a professor or student. And what Remus missed the most was the privacy of being alone together. He and Severus had gotten used to being comfortable with each other during the holidays at the cabin, now they had to figure out how to have a secret relationship at Hogwarts when most of the day was being spent among hundreds of students and around the staff. They were forced to act as just close colleagues. They weren't out as a couple. They felt that it wasn't safe to reveal their relationship to the public, especially with the war going on and the important role Severus played in it. Also, Remus was very well-known among the Death Eaters, they despised werewolves. And Remus couldn't help but imagine the dangers Voldemort and his followers knowing about them would bring. It would get Severus' cover blown for sure, and possibly even killed.

Sometimes, Severus and Remus would pass each other in the crowded corridors. Remus would sometimes catch himself from reaching a hand out to Severus. Sometimes they would dare to chance a glance at each other, the corner of Severus' lip upturned. A secret smile just for Remus. It would always cause the winged creatures in his stomach to flutter.

They were able to manage a spot of tea together Monday evening, but that was about it. Remus had guard duty Tuesday night with Tonks, and Severus was paired up with Minerva on Wednesdays. They haven't even been able to sleep together in one bed, forced to sleep in their own living quarters. Remus sighed as he walked down to the Great Hall from his office. He missed the holidays.

At least this morning he had managed to pull off another, more private birthday surprise for Severus…

Remus got ready for the day, then flooed straight to Severus' quarters. He dumped all of his teaching materials on the coffee table and then found Severus standing in the kitchen, organizing his lesson plans for the day which were all splayed out over the table. Severus snapped his head up at the roar of his fireplace and the green glow.

"Remus?" he called out with delighted surprise.

"Happy Birthday, love!" Remus only said, going over to Severus, sweeping him off his feet and hoisting him up on the counter, attacking him with a deep kiss as he unbuckled Severus' pants.

Remus licked his lips, remembering the quiet moans, curse words and terms of endearment for Remus that Severus had let out, remembering the taste of him going down his throat… After Remus' birthday surprise for Severus, they had walked to breakfast together, holding hands until they exited the empty dungeons and reluctantly pulled apart, once or twice they dangerously allowed their hands to brush against each other as they walked through a few empty corridors.

With his thoughts on that morning, Remus climbed down the moving staircases, he couldn't help but feel sad when he realized that he hadn't seen Severus since then. He was starting to really miss his boyfriend. Remus had skipped lunch today for the first phase of their mission, Operation: Surprise Severus with a Birthday Cake, which was to go down to the kitchens and gather everything he needed, plus a few sandwiches. He met Harry and Hermione at his quarters and together they quickly had lunch, then made the cake which was phase two.

Then phase three of their mission was once Harry and Hermione had to go to their next lessons, Remus quickly flooed to Severus' quarters and hid the finished cake in his icebox with a Warding Charm to prevent Severus from opening it.

Remus made it to the Great Hall a bit late for dinner. He had just completed phase four, which was to floo to the cabin and pick up some board games, pillows and blankets. He right away spotted Severus at the staff table, eating and listening to something Minerva was saying to him. Severus' dark eyes flickered to the door as he spoke to the formidable witch in return, as if he sensed Remus' sudden presence in the hall. He was most likely waiting for Remus to appear, most likely wondering what had kept him away during lunch. Severus looked partly frustrated and partly relieved to see Remus walking towards the staff table, then he tore his eyes away from him and forced his attention back on Minerva.

Remus walked past the Gryffindor table, catching Harry's eye and giving him a quick wink. Soon, phase five of Operation: Surprise Severus with a Birthday Cake was going to commence.

Remus took his seat besides Severus, who glanced at him but couldn't say anything just yet, being stuck in a conversation still with Minerva. Flitwick and Sprout had also joined them. As Remus piled some chicken and potatoes and corn on the cob on his plate, he couldn't help but notice that Dumbledore was still missing. He'd been missing the whole week and Remus wondered why.

He ate his food, silently listening to the conversation going on beside him. It sounded like the heads of houses were trying to get Severus to go out with them to the village to celebrate his birthday.

"Just celebrate without me," Severus said with annoyance.

Remus snorted at that, almost choking on his food. He picked up his goblet and drank some water, only to find Severus glaring at him.

"What's so funny, Lupin?" Severus drawled. It was a bit sexy, Remus couldn't help but think of what Severus had moaned out to him the last time they saw each other.

Remus grinned, "It's your birthday, Severus? Happy Birthday!" Remus thought he sounded pretty convincing that he was just finding out about it just that moment. Severus huffed with annoyance and rolled his eyes, going back to his food.

"Oh, please, Remus, help us convince Severus to join us for a nightcap at the Three Broomsticks," Minerva pleaded with a smile. "And why don't you join us as well?"

Noticing that Severus was almost done with his dinner, Remus took a few quick bites and stood up, swallowing his food and another gulp of water from his goblet, startling Severus and the other professors from his sudden movement to depart.

"I'm afraid I cannot, Minerva. I must go, I have a pile of student work in my office that is not going to grade itself, and with the full-moon approaching, I believe this is the only time to do it. I'll hate to fall behind after the first week."

"You just got here," Severus mouthed to Remus from behind his curtain of hair so the others wouldn't see.

Remus just gave him a regretful shrug.

"You are right, Remus, have a good night now," Minerva said with regretful understanding, not seeing the quiet exchange between Remus and Severus. "Next time, then."

"Yes, next time. Good night, everyone," Remus said, ignoring the glare Severus was sending him, knowing it meant that he better not dare leave him with them, just in case he did get roped into going to the Three Broomsticks with them. Remus wasn't worried about that happening, Hermione was sure to find a way to prevent that.

Remus then turned away, leaving the staff table and headed towards the doors of the Great Hall, gesturing with a nod of his chin at Harry to follow after him. Remus could feel Severus' eyes on him, and Hermione must've seen Severus getting up because she quickly leapt out of her seat and determinedly walked over to the staff table.

"Professor, I have a question about the essay you've assigned…"

Remus briefly looked back before exiting the hall to see Severus' expression scowling with frustration and annoyance as he was forced to stop and speak to Hermione.

"We don't have very long to set everything up," Remus said to Harry who had quickly caught up with him. "Phase five of Operation: Surprise Severus with a Birthday Cake has been accomplished, eating dinner and getting out of the Great Hall without Severus following us."

They quickly headed down to the dungeons. Luckily since everyone was at dinner, no one was around to see them go in an unusual direction for a Gryffindor student and the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"Now, what? Phases six and seven: setting everything up, and surprising Severus with the cake?" Harry laughed. "You're such a dork, papa."

Remus laughed, "You always say you wanted to be a part of the Marauders. This is how we did our pranks, giving them a name and planning them out in carefully well-thought out phases. That is why most of them worked out so well."

.

.

When Severus walked into his dark quarters, Remus and Harry were ready. As soon as Severus waved his wand at the lanterns, lighting up his quarters, Remus and Harry standing in the living room, shouted, "Surprise!"and shot Severus with confetti from the tips of their wands, thoroughly giving Severus a heart attack. Harry and Remus high-fived each other, congratulating each other on their accomplished mission.

"Mischief Managed," Harry said, laughing at a confetti decked out, angry-looking Severus Snape by the closed portrait door.

"What the holy fuck is all this?" Severus shouted with his hand to his heart.

"Your surprise birthday party," Harry innocently grinned.

"Oh fuck, don't tell me there are people here," Severus groaned.

"No, just us, love," Remus chuckled.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Severus grumbled as he took off his outer robes, shaking the confetti off, then hanging them up on the coat rack where Remus had left his own.

"Are you okay, dad?" Harry grinned. "Were you surprised?"

"Surprised? I think you two almost gave me a heart attack is more like it," Severus said, dusting the confetti off of his clothes and out of his hair.

"At least you can say you've had a surprise birthday party now!" Harry pointed out.

Remus softly chuckled at Harry as he stepped towards Severus, helping him dust the confetti out of his hair and off his shoulders, saying sweetly, "Severus, come look what we've done for you."

Looking at Remus, Severus' annoyance at his sudden scare faded away and he let Remus lead him to the sofas.

Remus was watching Severus' face as he took in their set up. He and Harry had pushed the sofas and armchairs back a bit for more space. They moved the coffee table to another part of the living room so that it was out of the way. And on the living room floor in front of the fireplace, Remus had laid a Cushioning Charm so that they wouldn't feel the hard floor underneath. Harry fixed the space up with blankets over the carpet and placed pillows everywhere making it more comfortable. At the center was a chocolate cake that said, Happy Birthday, Severus! in neat green icing done by Hermione with a charm. They had promised to save her a piece of cake in return for her help. Thirty-seven candles were placed on the cake. There was a case of cold butterbeer and a stack of games that contained a pack of exploding snap cards, chess, Battleship, Monopoly and gobstones.

Severus gapped at the set up, then whipped his head towards Remus with a small smile, gently pulling Remus to him by his waist and into a quick kiss.

Harry rolled his eyes at the sight of them kissing. Seeing that, Severus let go of Remus to pull Harry into a one-armed hug, ruffling his hair and shooting Slytherin-colored confetti over Harry's head from his wand with a smirk.

"Hey!" Harry laughed, covering his face in a shower of silver and green confetti that was landing on his clothes and hair. "It was Remus' idea too!"

"So quick to turn on me, huh?" Remus chuckled at Harry with mock offense, sending another shower of confetti over his head.

"Argh! Papa! Not you too!" Harry laughed, brushing it out of his hair. "It's going to take weeks to get this stuff out!" He grabbed a handful and tossed it at Remus, who playfully dodged out of the way. Harry took off his glasses, sending a shower of confetti falling from the floor, sending Remus into hysterical laughter as he pulled Harry into a hug, brushing the rest of the confetti off of him.

Severus watched their playfulness with amusement, then asked, "You two really did this for me?" Severus sounded so touched and surprised, as if he wasn't used to this sort of treatment.

"Yeah, of course! Happy birthday, dad, come on, make a wish and blow out your candles!" Harry said, taking his arm and leading him to a spot in front of the cake.

"I guess we'll just leave my quarters covered in confetti then," Severus grumbled at the mess.

"That's the spirit, Severus!" Remus said.

Remus and Harry then chose spots on either side of Severus and started singing Happy Birthday. Remus couldn't help but chuckle at the blush creeping up Severus' pale cheeks from all of the attention. He then blew out the candles with the biggest smile on his face, no one at Hogwarts would ever believe that Severus Snape could ever smile like that.

As they ate their cake on the living room floor, washing it down with cold butterbeer, they all caught up with each other with how their week went. Severus ranted about his fury over Slughorn and Dumbledore, then asked Harry about something peculiar that happened during Slughorn's class on Monday having to do with a bezoar. Harry had shrugged it away, saying he got the idea in a book in the library. That he's been spending a lot of time there with Hermione since she didn't want to be in the Gryffindor common room anymore with Ron and Lavender Brown. Remus could tell that Severus didn't quite believe it, but he let it slide, probably to avoid this night ending in an argument between them.

Harry then told them how excited he was for the Apparition lessons starting in February, and that having Apparated already before had brought unwanted attention from the other sixth years. He also told Severus what Remus, Hermione and himself had planned for the first D.A meeting next week, and that he couldn't wait to start up Quidditch practice again, and scolded Severus and Remus for the audacity of all the homework they've been assigning.

Remus sat and listened, giving in his input every now and then. He couldn't help but smile at Severus who wasn't much into sweets, but had helped himself to another piece of cake. And they spent the rest of the evening playing board games, until Severus and Remus who were playing chess with Harry watching and laughing at their competitive banter, noticed Harry had fallen asleep laying on his stomach, his head resting on the pillow he was using to rest his arms and chin on.

"Severus…"

"Hold on, I'm concentrating, darling…" Severus said, his eyes focused on the board.

"Our kid has fallen asleep," Remus chuckled.

Severus tore his eyes away from the board and laughed at the sight. Harry was completely out, softly snoring. "I'll take him to his bed, he can spend the night here."

Severus stood up and gently gathered Harry into his arms.

"You got him?" Remus asked.

"Yeah," Severus said, carefully stepping over the games and remains of the cake and empty butterbeer bottles and walking over to Harry's bedroom.

Once Severus disappeared with Harry, Remus used his wand to clear everything away, sending all the pillows and blankets neatly folded up on one of the sofas. The cake was sent to the ice-box and the empty bottles to the rubbish bin. The dirty dishes went to the kitchen sink. The games were stacked neatly on the coffee table that stayed in its new spot, keeping it out of the way. The Cushioning Charm was lifted and Remus casted a Silencing Charm over Harry's bedroom. Remus then waved his hand at the lanterns, making their flames dim a bit more. He pointed his wand to a gramophone that was sitting on one of the shelves. Soft music began to fill the room.

"Remus, what is all this?" Severus asked with surprise, stepping out of Harry's room and closing the door softly behind him.

Remus turned towards Severus with a soft smile. "May I have this dance?" he asked, holding an arm out to Severus.

Severus' eyes were soft as he stared at Remus with wonder, accepting the invitation.

Remus, leading them into a steady dance, said with gentle amusement, "You've once told me that you wished you would've danced with me tonight. Do you remember that, Severus?"

Severus seemed at a loss for words, he was gazing at Remus with so much love and wonder in his eyes, as if someone had put an enchantment on him. He was able to nod once, swallowing nervously, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and then down.

Remus snorted with amusement and leaned his forehead against Severus' own, dazed obsidian eyes were all he could see. And with an arm around Severus, one hand pressed against the small of his back, the other interwoven with Severus' slender fingers… Remus began to softly sing to him…

"Here I stand, head in hand

Turn my face to the wall

If she's gone I can't go on

Feeling two foot small

Everywhere people stare

Each and ev'ryday

I can see them laugh at me

And I hear them say…"

Remus guided Severus into a spin then pulled him back so close against him again. Severus' eyes were on Remus' lips as he sang so softly to him. Remus was sure Severus could feel his warm breath against his own lips.

"Hey, you've got to hide your love away

Hey, you've got to hide your love away

How can I even try

I can never win

Hearing them, seeing them

In the state I'm in

How could she said to me

Love will find a way

Gather 'round all you clowns

Let me hear you say…"

"Fuck, I've missed you so much, Remus," Severus finally managed to say, snapping out of his daze. He suddenly took the lead from Remus, spinning him around several times, then held him close, almost ready to just kiss him senseless.

"Hey, you've got to hide your love away

Hey, you've got to hide your love away…"

So shocked at this sudden turn of events and of the fact that Severus could dance and had been hiding it from him this whole time, it was all Remus could do to keep singing and not break into laughter, and when he finally sang the last note, Severus caught him in a deep kiss.

A deep kiss that slowed down everything around them. Remus couldn't even hear the low music coming from the gramophone anymore. They kissed and they kissed, Severus pulling Remus so close against him. His hands traveled up and down Remus' body, feeling, exploring every part of him that he could reach. Remus did the same thing to Severus, feeling his slender torso, then reaching down to his waist and butt, squeezing the soft yet firm cheeks. Remus felt himself begin to harden under Severus' touch and he could also feel Severus' own hard bulge pressed against his thigh.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Remus Lupin?" Severus whispered once they finally pulled their lips apart from one another.

Severus suddenly spun Remus around one more time before he could answer him, then pulled Remus close so that his back was pressed against Severus' front. Behind him, Severus brushed his hair aside, pulling at his collar so he could nuzzle Remus' neck, peppering his skin with soft lingering kisses. He lifted his neck up to give Severus better access, closing his eyes and enjoying each kiss, each soft loving touch from Severus' lips. They swayed to the music, Severus had his arms wrapped around Remus' waist, their hands interwoven.

"Is it working?" Remus tried to say with mischief, but it came out in a quiet gasp. His stomach was so full of butterflies, fluttering madly inside of him, causing him to lose feeling in his legs and he was so glad that Severus was holding him up so tightly because Remus was so close to falling down to his knees.

As an answer, Severus began to suckle at his earlobe then left a train of soft kisses behind his ear and down his neck, finding a tender spot to latch onto and started sucking it, most likely leaving Remus a hickey. While doing that, Severus purposely pressed his hard bulge against the back of Remus' thighs, so dangerously close to the entrance of his butt.

Remus let out another gasp, "I'll take that as a yes!"

.

.

They had somehow managed to make it to Severus' bedroom, locking the door and getting into the bed between desperate kisses. Severus laid Remus down into the sheets, taking off his vest, his shirt and tie, then his pants and shoes and socks until Remus was completely naked on the bed underneath him. Severus stared down at him, his obsidian eyes taking in every single feature of Remus' body and it made Remus feel beautiful and human for the first time in such a long time. To somehow have Severus Snape look at him like that… Severus kissed him hard, then climbed off of him to take off his own clothes and his shoes and socks, throwing it all on the floor, then climbed back over Remus, covering him in not desperate and quick kisses like before but slow, passionate ones, lingering kisses, trailing up and down Remus' entire body, his eyes always finding Remus'. They were so big and so dark and Remus could see Severus falling in love with him even more than before.

Remus reached out a trembling hand, his whole body was shaking partly from the cold air coming in from the open bedroom window and partly from nervous anticipation of what they both knew what this was leading to. Remus cupped the side of Severus' face. Their eyes connected. Severus' hair fell in curtains around his face, tickling Remus' cheeks. The only thing Severus was wearing was the wooden wolf pendant around his neck. It dangled on his chest. He turned his face, kissing Remus' hand. They didn't speak, they didn't have to. Lost in each other's eyes, they both knew what the other wanted, both knew they were ready for the next best step of their relationship. Remus watched Severus as he continued kissing his fingers, he wanted Severus inside of him, needed to feel Severus filling him up, needed to feel as close and vulnerable and complete as Remus could possibly be with the one person that was so dear to him.

Remus spread his legs open as far as he could, feeling the warm weight of Severus on top of him, his hard member touching his own. Severus let go of his hand to give him a loving kiss on his lips, leaning his forehead against Remus' own.

"I love you, darling, you have no idea how beautiful you are right now," Severus whispered in his ear.

Remus moaned out in desperate want. "I love you too, Severus… My love, I need you…" he gasped out, his body trembling even harder.

Severus reached over and pulled a jar out of his nightstand drawer. Kissing Remus a couple of more times on the lips, his cheek, his forehead, before climbing off of him. Remus watched Severus on his knees, opening the small jar, his naked body trembling just as hard as Remus' own. He coated his fingers with the clear substance, then looked down at Remus' spread legs, exposing the most private parts of himself. Severus' eyes lightened with excitement and wonder as he took Remus in, then he glanced at Remus with a bit of hesitation but still full of love and desperate want.

"Go ahead, love," Remus whispered shakily.

And Remus felt the gentle pressure, the slight burn of a finger prodding into him. Remus let out a soft moan, feeling Severus' finger feeling the taut and sensitive muscles inside.

"Deeper…" Remus moaned.

Severus went in as far as he could, Remus' breath was starting to grow heavy. Then he inserted another finger, stretching Remus and coating him with the clear gel-like substance, making him ready and loose. Remus let out another ragged moan, breaking out into a sweat.

"Severus," Remus gasped.

"Remus, you're being so fucking sexy right now," Severus growled. He dug his fingers into Remus as far as he could, making Remus arch his back a bit, letting out another moan.

"Severus… Severus… Please…" Remus whimpered as he then watched Severus coat his penis with the clear gel with one hand, then tossed the jar on the floor.

Severus pulled his fingers out swiftly and climbed on top of him, latching himself to Remus' lips and suddenly Remus felt the burning slick pressure of Severus entering him. Remus and Severus both moaned into their kiss as they felt Severus go deep inside of him.

Remus started gasping out with pleasure and pain, beads of sweat rolling down his face. Severus lifted Remus' hand and placed it on his face once more.

"Look at me," Severus said with breathy words.

Remus kept his gaze connected to Severus' dark obsidian eyes as Severus began to slowly thrust into him.

"Severus, I love you so much… I've never been quite in love like this before…" Remus said between each small gasp, each slow gentle thrust.

And with those words, Severus seemed as if he knew what Remus meant. That their love was so hot and deep and endless, that Remus didn't feel this sort of love with Sirius Black. Severus Snape was Remus' soul mate.

And the thrusts became rougher and harder and quicker after that. They were both gasping for breath. Severus let go of Remus' hand so he could wrap his fingers around Remus' hard penis, jerking him off until Remus suddenly felt himself reaching to completion.

His orgasim was strong. Remus let out a strangled shout, feeling his muscles contracting, releasing the tension as he felt himself cum all over Severus' hand. Severus had pounded into Remus even harder as he orgasimed, then suddenly he let out a shout, warm pleasure filled Remus up as Severus came inside of him. Then he pulled out and collapsed on top of Remus in a quivering, sweaty mess.

"What the actual fuck was that?" Severus breathed out in shock. "Remus, I've never had an orgasim that strong before, I almost fucking cried!"

Remus laughed loudly at that, then pulled Severus' face up, covering him in a gentle series of kisses, wrapping his arms tightly around his beloved, whispering, "I love you…" over and over again.

Severus fell asleep first, cradled in Remus' arms, still both naked under the blanket but clean from the messes they'd left.

The most perfect night… January ninth… Remus would always keep the memory of this night close to his heart.

And he thought about what he'd admitted to Severus, about Remus falling into a deeper love with him than he'd ever felt with Sirius. It was clear to Remus now that he and Sirius were never meant to be. Severus was his soul mate, the person that the universe wanted Remus to find, this beautiful man sleeping in his arms. And Remus kissed Severus' forehead, and he felt no guilt at all for Sirius….

Rain began to thrum against the castle, hitting the window pane. It brought with it the scents of water on earth and cobblestone. Remus laid there with a sleeping Severus in his arms, listening to the rain, feeling Severus' beating heart as he pressed a hand to his bare chest, his fingers curling in the fine dark hair dusting Severus' pale skin. Fidgeting a bit with the wolf pendant resting on Severus' chest. Every now and then placing soft kisses on any part of Severus that he could reach, counting his soft slow breaths….

Suddenly, thunder boomed loudly across the skies outside, followed by a heavier downpour. A flash of lightning illuminated the room with white light causing Remus to hold on tighter to Severus, jumping a bit from the loud cracking noise. Another streak of lighting lit up the sky causing Severus to stir a bit in his sleep. Remus kissed his temple, whispering him to go back to sleep as he lifted a hand to shut the window.

Review Responses:

CityGirl7768: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, I agree, I felt like the past few chapters were a bit heavy, and that was my goal, to write something light. I'm so glad you caught that! And thanks for the compliment!

LightsCameraPotter: Thank you for the review and the wonderful compliment! I'm glad you think so, cus sometimes I struggle with that haha.