Breakfast was quiet between Harry and Severus, each picking at their toast as the situation was just plain awkward, but mostly because Severus was trying to read the paper as his distraction from the talk he and Harry had to have afterwards. Severus agreed to Harry's request, despite how utterly mad it was, but he understood, though he wished he didn't. His own upbringing had been less than ideal, an alcoholic father and a neglectful mother, and he felt more than an ounce of sympathy for Potter's desperation to leave a bad situation.
More than that, Harry wasn't just some random student of his in the school. Harry was the son to his former bully and former crush, it caused mixed feelings about Harry. Severus hated James Potter for the bullying, but also for being the one who got to marry Lily Evans. Severus was Lily's first friend and they were best friends, but Severus had feelings for her and screwed up, probably his one and only chance when he let a moment of frustration and anger get the better of him.
Lily had cut ties with him after he'd hurt her, and he never got to apologize. It was like a slap to the face how she warmed up to James afterwards. Severus, hurt over losing his best friend, turned to the Dark Arts and took the Dark Mark after graduation. Severus had always protected Harry over the years and Harry knew that now, but Severus figured Harry didn't know it was because he promised Lily after her death that he'd protect her son like he couldn't protect her. The vow the Headmaster bound him to, to protect Harry, had been gladly taken.
So in a way, this marriage was about protecting Harry from staying with Sirius Black, who was obviously not himself after Azkaban and Harry felt that he wasn't safe with the man. Honestly, Severus was kicking himself. How could he not have noticed Black having a few screws loose. But regardless, Harry was his student, but also a member of his house and he had been caught in the statement that if any of his snakes came to him with a problem he could solve; he'd never turn them away. Harry made a solid argument about why he chose to use marriage as a last resort, it couldn't be challenged or broken unless they broke it.
Severus was sure he could handle a year married to Potter, and most of it would be at school, where they'd keep up their teacher and student persona. No one would be able to figure out they were married, and if they did, nobody could do anything. Severus agreed to help Harry because the boy's desperation had been real; Harry had pleaded with him and while he mentioned the life debt as his last card to play, he didn't invoke it on Severus.
Harry asked and begged Severus to agree of his own will, and Severus was the one to ask Harry to invoke the debt just so nothing could be held over Severus's head again. That showed Severus that Harry hadn't wanted to resort to something like this, but he didn't have any other options, so it was his only way out and Severus may not know what exactly happened between Harry and Sirius to make Harry want to escape the man, but the ideas ranged from a form of abuse.
And if any of Severus's Slytherin students came to him with complaints of abuse; he'd do whatever he could to help them escape. This was just him helping Harry out of a bad situation and it was only a year. Just one year and they end things and go their separate ways.
"Pot-," Severus stopped, remembering that Harry had asked him to use his actual name. Potter is what Severus used for James, and Harry was clearly trying to escape being in his father's shadow. "H-Harry?" He quickly corrected "We still need to discuss this arrangement more in depth." Severus told him.
"Okay," Harry replied while putting down his cutlery.
"Let's go sit in the sitting room to talk." Severus suggested.
Harry nodded and got up, so did Severus, and they left the kitchen to get to the room in front of it. Both took a seat in front of the fireplace. It stayed quiet for a few moments, neither one wanting to open this can of worms.
"As I told you, we cannot, and will not marry until after you have turned sixteen, Mr. Potter. A suitable date in August needs to be picked." Severus muttered as he couldn't stand the silence.
"That sounds good to me," Harry responded quite agreeably.
"Mr. Potter…Harry, you are aware that once we marry, this 'relationship' will not be kept quiet." Snape frowned. "You cannot hide this. The Department of Magical Bonds and Marriages keeps a thorough record of all wedding ceremonies."
"I wasn't entirely sure how it worked," Harry frowned at the thought of being in the public eye again. "I knew it would come out eventually and would probably cause an uproar,"
Snape gave a mirthless laugh here. "An uproar is putting it mildly. The Boy-Who-Lived marries a supposed Death Eater. Why I can see the headlines now!" The Potion Master's eyes narrowed. "I think we both should be prepared to receive quite a few Howlers, if not immediate death threats."
"Professor, surely you're exaggerating," Harry frowned.
"Do you wish to make that bet with me Mr. Potter?" The other man rebutted. "You know very well how the papers will spin this. Imagine that Skeeter woman hounding us." Here, Harry made a face.
"But still, no one but us can break the marriage," Harry responded.
"Mr. Potter, have you ever thought that I might get thrown in Azkaban by the people that want to control you?" Severus growled as he stood up and paced. "I've agreed to help you but I'm putting myself at considerable risk as well."
"What do you want, Snape?" Harry now asked as his eyes tracked his professor. "You think my life isn't at risk every single day I'm alive? You're not the only one who lives constantly looking over their shoulder. Let's just take fourth year as the example." He remarked as Severus sighed. "I'm just saying…I get it. I get the risk and I still can't thank you enough for agreeing. Tell me what you need from me to assure you it'll be alright?"
"If, and I am very certain it will come to this, if anyone makes a move to kill me," Severus held up a hand to silence the boy. "The marriage can't only be broken by us. If one of us were to die…" He paused to let that possibility sink in.
"It's in muggle vows, Severus. Till death do us part. I know it can break if one of us dies." Harry informed.
"I am willing to help you Po-Harry, but I need to be alive to do so." Severus said.
"You're very much alive, Severus, but if it'll make you feel better…" Harry paused. "I solemnly promise that none of this, when it comes out, will backfire on you."
"You'll take the fall?" Severus asked.
"What fall? It's not like we're committing mass murder and in interrogation to rat out the other. There's no fall, Severus. You're worried that when it comes out that we're married, people will come after you and claim that you forced me into it. I'm promising that it won't happen. You won't get in trouble for this…I swear it." Harry vowed.
"Don't make that promise lightly, Harry. It's a vow on your magic…Don't make a promise you can't keep. All anyone has to do is turn me in as a former death eater, I still have the mark…That's all it'll take to throw me in Azkaban. Albus covered for me years ago, that's why I swore loyalty to him…But I'm still branded and that's all it'll take." Severus said.
"Then I'll find a way to get rid of the mark. I can beat Voldemort; I think, with some research, I can get rid of it." Harry stated.
"You'd…Do that for me?" Severus inquired, surprised.
"No one deserves to be marked like property, Severus…Your past doesn't define you." Harry reassured. "You were just a boy, older than me…You made a bad choice. You obviously recognized it was a mistake and took steps to rectify such. We all do dumb stuff when we're young; it doesn't set the bar for who we are when we grow up. Look at you, became a potions master and teacher at Hogwarts. It's not who you are now and I promise that people will see that. I'll find a way to remove that mark on you, so you can cut all ties with the snake-faced psychopath hellbent on world domination. Fighting him is what I'm meant to do, so when it comes to him…Let me protect you. I swear on my magic that you will not get in trouble when everything comes out."
Severus stared at him. "Very well, Potter…I accept your promise to…Protect me when all this blows up. Also, I am still your professor while at school," He added as he stared at the young man. "We will need to keep this professional."
"I can be professional. Merlin Severus, I'm not going to drag you behind a suit of armor to snog you!" Harry responded while trying to hide his blush at the idea.
"You're a teenager, Mr. Potter," Severus said matter of factly. "I was a teen once too. I know you have…Urges," The man uttered.
"I've always got too much going on in my life to worry about that, Severus. Yeah, it happens, but it doesn't control me. If that were the case, don't you think there'd be a lot more teen pregnancy happening at school?" Harry argued gently.
"Mr. Potter, you have no idea how many of your year mates I have found skulking about after curfew looking for a little nookie," Severus muttered though Harry choked.
"Did you just use the word nookie?!" The other tried to keep his giggles in check. "No one uses that…Oh Merlin…I can't…" Harry laughed.
"Shut it, brat." Severus glared. "That's what we called it in our day. Would you rather I describe in vivid detail just what I've seen at these encounters? How undressed I've caught students out of bed?" He raised a brow. "Would you want the vivid details of Mr. Longbottom's escapades in the Astronomy Tower with Miss. Lovegood?" Harry choked upon hearing that but shook his head. He'd rather not. "That aside…We have more to discuss, Harry."
"Like what?" Harry inquired.
"Like a date, Potter," Severus sighed. "Guests? It's going to be an actual wedding, is it not?"
"I figured you wouldn't want all that attention for some big thing like the boy who lives marries at sixteen." Harry replied. "Could keep it quiet, private ceremony…Do you really want our wedding photo plastered on the front page of the Daily Prophet?"
"No, indeed not." Severus said.
"Then we keep it quiet. No one knows about the ceremony except the few people we invite and then we deal with whatever comes along the way." Harry remarked. "You need to relax, Professor. You're far too tense."
"Gee, I wonder why," Severus cast him a dark look. "I'm currently spending the beginning of my summer planning my wedding to one of my own students!" He scolded.
"Calm down. It'll be fine, learn to stop worrying about everything, Sev." Harry giggled. "Want me to give you a massage? I've got good hands. You can ask any one of the Slytherins about that."
"I don't think I want to know." Severus stated.
"I didn't mean it in a sexual way," Harry rolled his eyes. "But I give good shoulder, back, and neck rubs." He shrugged. "Come on, let me show you. You're gonna have to get over this being touched by me thing if we're ever gonna consummate the marriage."
"I'm aware!" Severus glared. "I'm not afraid of being touched, but I told you that I was not touching you until after you're sixteen…"
"It's just a back rub, Severus. I'm not gonna seduce you or anything…Unless you want me to." Harry winked. "Come on, let me help you de-stress…We can keep talking." He smiled.
"Fine…" Severus agreed as he turned his back to Harry.
"Take off the outer jacket. You're never gonna feel anything through this thick thing…" Harry remarked.
"I'll keep it on, thank you…" Severus stated.
"Have it your way then," Harry adjusted himself and put his hands on Severus's shoulders to start working them in a massage fashion. "Now, where did we leave the conversation?" He asked as Severus momentarily got lost in the feeling of Harry's hands on his shoulders, squeezing and working his thumbs into the muscles.
"While we are on the subject of sexual things," Severus muttered. It had to be brought up. "I need to know, Harry…Are you a virgin?" Severus's question got Harry to blush.
"N-No…Blaise and I…Um…Last year when we were dating." Harry admitted, but kept focus on his massaging, slowly beginning to work his hands lower. "We did it more than a couple times-,"
"Mr. Potter, please spare me the details about Mr. Zabini and yourself," Severus held up his hand. "I merely wished to know how to proceed with the wedding night. If you wish to keep up your dalliance after the wedding, do so discreetly."
"Wait, what?" Harry was gob-smacked as his hands stopped moving and Severus wished he hadn't. "Do you think I'd cheat on you?!" He asked, frowning.
"This is a marriage of convenience, Mr. Potter. It is not unheard of in pureblood circles for spouses to have discreet lovers." Severus stated.
"I would never do something so scandalous." Harry adamantly proclaimed. How could anyone? Marriage wasn't meant to be taken lightly, not with the vows said. No, Harry would never. "And not to go there, but I'm a half blood…So I'm definitely not going to take a page from a pureblood's…Ideals." He remarked, looking at his professor and then asking, "Would you?"
"I find the notion deplorable." Severus responded.
"Good, then we are on the same page," Harry replied before taking a breath and began moving his hands again, which Severus found relaxing. Such was what Harry had said would happen; he hated to admit that the boy did have good hands.
"Why would you tether yourself to me?" Severus questioned after some moments of silence. "You could have anyone you wanted."
"I could…" Harry nodded. "But… None of them would see me for me." He stated. "And I doubt they'd call me out on something if I had a stupid idea. Besides, I realized long ago that I like older men…More experienced men…" Harry let that hang in the air as he made a suggestive notion that had Snape hitching his breath.
"Am I to assume you're a bottom then?" Severus asked. "We need to work out how the wedding night goes, so I need to know what you prefer in…"
"When having sex?" Harry supplied.
"Yes," Severus replied. "I'm not even going to ask why you know you like older men."
"Just preference. I've never actually slept with anyone older than me, Severus…" Harry informed. "It's only ever been looking. Fantasizing I guess." He shrugged. "Anyway…I'm either or when it comes to sex. I can top or bottom. I was top with Blaise, he preferred the bottom after we both tried each thing with one another." Harry revealed. "What about you?"
"I…Bottom. I can top, I just prefer bottom." Severus admitted.
"If you feel more comfortable topping me on our wedding night, that's fine with me. It takes a lot of trust between partners and since this is thrown together and our history, I don't expect you to have that much in me. It's fine, I trust you." Harry told him while still working the massage to Severus's back.
"If this is to work, trust between us is essential…I will bear your offer in mind, but as you trust me…Then I must do the same." Severus remarked. "I'll allow you to top me on our wedding night."
"You don't sound sure of your choice," Harry informed. "I think it's because you're only seeing me as your student, not potential lover." Harry kept his hands on Severus's shoulders, then only slightly moved his fingers up to touch Severus's bare neck, causing the man to flinch. "You don't have to be afraid of me, I won't hurt you." Harry adjusted to sit on his knees and move in closer so his chin was on Severus's shoulder. "I think you need more convincing, Severus," Harry smiled wickedly and set a light kiss on the man's neck.
"Potter, I am still your teacher and we are not married yet!" Severus said quickly, stiffening.
"School ended on the 21st, Severus. It's summer vacation…You're not my teacher right now. You have to stop seeing me as such when it's not a factor in play," Harry told him. "I make you nervous, I sense it…" He gave a light laugh. "We're, by all standards, engaged right now. You're my fiancé." Harry reminded before raising his neck some to kiss the back of Severus's ear.
"Harry…" Snape let out a strangled moan as his ears were quite sensitive. Something that Harry was happy to figure out. Harry slid around to be sitting in Severus's lap, surprising the older male by the actions. Harry kept his hands around Severus's shoulders and stared into his eyes, only moving one hand to fix a piece of Severus's hair. Harry's soft hand cupped Severus's cheek. Blast this boy and his seduction, that's exactly what he was doing!
"You know…I've always wondered what's under all these layers of fabric," Harry told him. "There may be times I just want to ravage you, and these buttons are going to slow me down."
Severus swallowed hard. Harry giggled at the man before moving closer. "W-We shouldn't do this." Severus remarked in as firm a voice as he could manage.
"And what shouldn't we be doing?" Harry asked.
"T-This. I told you I wasn't touching you until we're married." Severus reminded.
Harry leaned in more, his lips inches from Severus's now. Harry's eyes flicked to Severus's. "You're not the one doing the touching, I am and I never agreed to not touching you before we're married…" Harry said as Severus's eyes widened some and then Harry closed the gap between their lips. Severus was stunned by the action, but he didn't fight it and melted into the kiss fully, finally closing his eyes and kissing Harry back.
