July 2003

The men settled into a shaky friendship, with Severus opening up about his hobby of reading muggle literature and Harry sharing how he got into the hobby of wood whittling as a way to connect to his old friend, Hagrid, who had died two years ago. Severus had remarked that Hagrid was a staple of the Hogwarts experience and while he hadn't been bosom buddies with the man, he did regret his death.

In one of their conversations, childhoods had been brought up. Once Harry admitted that Petunia had raised him instead of a long lost Potter relative as Dumbledore had led most to believe, Severus got to his feet and paced. He couldn't believe that Dumbledore had trusted in "family bonds" more than eye witness accounts like that of Minerva. He had left yet another child in an unpleasant situation. Severus begrudgingly opened up to Harry about his own pre Hogwarts life. How Petunia had been a bully even at the age of ten. How his father had made coming home from school a terrifying experience.

Harry smiled softly and admitted that he was often scared that Vernon would kill him one day.

Severus admitted that his father, Tobias, had actually tried to kill him once. His mother had stood up for him then. Smacking him over the back of the head with a skillet and memory charming him to forget his anger and compelled him to avoid the boy. It had been one of the few times she had used her magic in defense of her son and herself.

They talked briefly on the condition of being gay in Britain both in the wixen world and in the muggle world. Severus talked about how he had felt seen with Freddie Mercury's popularity and then his devastating loss to AIDS a few years later. Harry talked about how he had never felt comfortable dating in the wixen world even though homosexuality was more accepted. The sheer allure of his fame was too strong a pull for most people to resist, and he found he couldn't trust some of the people he went on dates with to not reveal secrets to the press.

Severus read more Whitman and they discussed the varying themes within. Harry had never had a lesson on poetry outside primary school, and definitely wouldn't have trusted his teachers to introduce queer americans from the 19th century, so was learning for the first time the ways language could be molded and flow into images.

Harry was shocked to find that as he got to know Severus, he liked what he found. He looked at the other man furtively throughout the day, traveling on horseback through the most gorgeous countryside he'd ever seen. And what he found was that Severus as a handsome man with his hair shortened. It no longer hid his face in curtains. The shorter hair had the effect of making his nose somehow more prominent and less at the same time. It was striking and the touch of gray sneaking into his hair made him seem…dare he say, sexy. Like a glamorous older Hollywood actor.

They were getting close to their destination and Harry found he would miss this simpler interaction. And he started getting ideas, terrible ideas considering he had Teddy to think about but the draw of the other man was hypnotizing. He didnt even know if Severus would want to be more involved.

One day as they were riding their horses, traveling the mountain passes, Harry spoke up.

"Severus, I feel like I've gotten to know you these past few weeks, more than I know my best friends really, and I was wondering how you would feel about staying in contact after I leave? Or visits? I just…I think I really like you. And I'm wondering if you like me as well."

Severus was quiet for a beat, and then another beat. FInally, "Are you propositioning me, Potter?"

Harry flushed but the fact was that's exactly what he was trying to do.

"I suppose so." He answered back, rubbing the back of his neck.

Severus bit out a short bark of laughter and said "We'll see what you can handle when we get back to town. I might not be opposed to taking you on a date."

Harry blushed harder.

"Sounds good