Word Count: 3638
Warnings: NA
A Year To The Day
January
Harry groaned softly and raised his arm over his eyes to block out the light that was attempting to assault him.
He'd known that drinking so much firewhisky would come back and bite him on the arse. Shifting slowly onto his side—being careful not to jostle himself too much, lest he upset his stomach before he was ready to leave the warmth of the covers—he startled when he came into contact with another body.
His eyes still closed, he froze, forcing his protesting mind to search for the memories of the night before, if only for a clue as to who he was lying next to.
Unfortunately, the darkness in his mind did not deteriorate to give him a pleasant memory. In fact, the darkness didn't deteriorate at all, leaving him with absolutely no idea as to who he was currently sharing a bed with.
"Stop thinking, Potter, you're making my hangover worse with the noise of the cogs turning."
Harry's eyes opened without his permission, and he found himself face to face with Severus Snape.
Had he put money on who would be in the bed with him, Sveerus wouldn't have even been on the list of possibilities, never mind at the top of it. Not because Harry didn't want him, but it was impossible to think that Severus Snape could ever want Harry in any capacity, let alone in the same bed. Right?
"Uh. Hi?"
Snape snorted, turning gingerly on the mattress to lie on his back, so that he could reach out to the bedside table. Harry took in the room slowly, wondering how it was only now that he was realising that he wasn't actually in his own bed.
The bedroom was nice—a calming colour scheme of tan, cream and darker browns—and absolutely nothing like what Harry would have expected, had he ever given much thought to what Snape's bedroom would look like.
Apprehension crept over him as Snape's hand reappeared holding his wand, but Snape muttered a summoning charm, while simultaneously raising his other hand to catch the potion that sailed into the room.
The fact that he could coordinate himself so well was quite impressive, especially if he was as hungover as Harry felt. He repeated the motion a second time, and handed Harry the second bottle.
"Here. Drink and sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up."
Recognising the hangover remedy, Harry mumbled his appreciation before he downed the whole thing in one go. He remained still for a moment, making sure that it settled without trying to make a reappearance, and then sighed in relief.
"Thank you."
"Hmm. Sleep, Potter. I'll make breakfast later, and we can enjoy the tragedy of a morning after conversation with eggs, bacon, and enough coffee to drown a Hippogriff."
Smiling despite himself, Harry rolled back over onto his other side and snuggled his face into the pillow. It smelled good, and he sighed as he closed his eyes again.
A few seconds later, an arm slipped around his waist, and a torso pressed up against his back.
Harry was asleep in minutes.
…
February
"I cannot wait to get home, and forget that on the fourteen of February, at least eighty percent of humanity lose their sodding minds," Harry grumbled, tossing the paperwork he'd just finished into the 'done' tray.
Ron chucked, finishing his own paperwork with a flourish of his quill.
"Hermione has a restaurant table booked for nine. When I asked her why she'd booked it so late, she said that she knew if she booked an earlier time, there was no way that I'd be there on time. I thought that she was exaggerating."
"Nope," Harry said, leaning back in his seat. "Clearly Valentine's day makes even the most mature of people insane. I don't understand… Surely it isn't necessary to have one day to prove that you love someone? Surely you should be doing it everyday, right?"
Shrugging, Ron stood up, stretching out his back. "I dunno, mate. What I do know, is that my lovely woman is waiting for me, and we're going to a posh restaurant for tiny plates of food, so I'm going to go and grab a bag of chips before I go home. I'm so glad that we don't have the night shift. See you in the morning, yeah?"
Harry nodded. "I'll be here. Have a good night with Hermione."
…
Apparating home, Harry hung up his robes as he debated over which takeaway to call. He really wasn't in the mood for cooking, and honestly, the idea of going out and braving a restaurant was enough to make him want to spork his own eyeballs out.
He entered the living room, and then paused, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing here? I thought that we weren't seeing each other until tomorrow?"
Severus shrugged, nodding at the contents of the table, which had been laid out with the kind of precision that Harry was coming to expect from the Potions Master. "I thought that you might have had a bad day."
Harry glanced over the table. There was a pizza box, and a second, slightly smaller box, that undoubtedly contained garlic bread sticks. A box of chocolates—Harry's favourites—two beers, and a bowl filled with sweets.
He rounded the sofa and dropped into the seat beside Severus, leaning into his side.
"You have no idea how dumb some people can be," he said, sighing. "One poor bastard forgot to buy his wife a card, and she demanded one the moment that she woke up. He's currently in Saint Mungo's with the body of a stuffed toy, and roses, where his hair used to be."
Severus snorted and then wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulders. He nodded to the tv, where Harry noticed a couple of DVD boxes waiting.
"Amityville, or Friday the 13th?" Severus asked.
Harry glanced up at him and smiled, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're actually my favourite human being."
…
March
Harry let himself into Severus' flat, a container of soup and a potion secured in his hands. Locking the door behind him, he put the soup on the kitchen table and flicked the kettle on, before he walked through to the bedroom, where Severus lay prone in the bed.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
He cast a silent temperature spell, and winced at how high it was.
"Like I fell foul of a herd of Hippogriffs."
"Here," Harry murmured, helping Severus sit up against the pillows. "The potion that you asked for. How long will it take to work?"
Harry unstoppered the potion and helped Severus to drink it, before he took the empty vial and put it on the bedside table.
"I should be feeling better by the morning," Severus replied quietly, slumping back down. "Was the shop okay?"
"Fine," Harry assured him. "Blaise dealt with most of the potion inquiries, and I cleaned and served customers without a problem. I'm pretty sure that Blaise it hoping you'll be back tomorrow though. He kept trying to talk to me about the experimental potion he's been working on, but," Harry shrugged. "You know what I'm like with potions."
Severus chuckled, and then hacked on a cough. He still looked amused when he caught his breath though. "Thank you for taking care of it, for me."
"Of course. Are you hungry? I picked up some soup from that little cafe we went to last month."
Nodding, Severus smiled at him. "Please."
Harry helped him to sit up again, and then Severus added, "Will you see if there's any green tea left in the cupboard, as well, please?"
"I got some while I was out," Harry replied, returning the smile. He pressed a gentle kiss to Severus' temple. "I'll be back."
Severus watched him go with a warm feeling in his chest that had absolutely nothing to do with the fever he was running. He couldn't remember anyone ever taking care of him through illness, certainly not in his adult years.
It was a nice feeling.
…
April
The sound of laughter washed over the garden, and Harry grinned as he watched the kids running back and forth, brightly coloured Easter eggs held in little woven baskets.
"You're not actually planning on letting them eat all of that chocolate today, right?" he asked Bill, chuckling.
The stricken look on the Curse Breaker's face was enough to turn his chuckling into a full on belly laugh.
"You're lucky that you can hand your monster off at the end of the day," Bill grumbled, nodding to Teddy, who was chasing Victoire around the garden. "Andromeda is going to be so mad at you."
"Nope," Harry disagreed, shaking his head. He was still grinning widely. "He can have one egg while he's with me, and then I'm going to hand the rest off to Andy, and she can do with them as she wishes. When he complains, he can complain to her. It's a win-win for me."
Bill rolled his eyes, but he smiled. "The lucky life of a godfather, I suppose. I thought that Severus was coming with you today?"
Harry shrugged. "He had to work. He offered to come by after, but I'll be leaving within half an hour of him arriving, so there's little point. I promised Andromeda that I'd have Teddy home by six."
"How are things going between the two of you? You seem happier than I've seen you in, well, ever really."
"I am happy," Harry replied softly, his grin gentling into what he was sure was a sappy smile. "He's… we bicker and argue, but he knows me in a way that nobody else has before. He knows when I need to rant about work, or if I want to just chill out, or if I want to go out and do something. It's… He's really great."
"That's the way it's supposed to be, Harry."
…
Harry dropped Teddy off with Andromeda at five past six. He was late because he'd been distracted by Molly. He handed off the child, who was already excitedly telling her about his day, his mouth running a mile a minute, and the chocolate.
Hugging first Teddy, and then Andromeda, he left with a smile and a wave of his hand. He Apparated straight to Severus' flat, grinning as the scent of hot-cross-buns assaulted his nose.
"You've been busy," he said, pressing a kiss to Severus' shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.
"Quite. And I have a surprise for you."
"Oh?"
Turning around to face Harry, Severus tilted his head and shifted his robe just enough so that Harry could see a small egg that had been painted on his shoulder.
"What… is that?"
"Chocolate egg," Severus whispered against Harry's lips, pulling him close. "I thought that you might enjoy an Easter egg hunt of your own, after watching the children all afternoon."
"You mean that these are all over—"
"Everywhere."
"Happy Easter to me."
…
May
"Uncle Harry! Uncle Harry, lookit!" Teddy shouted, pointing exuberantly at the unicorn foal.
Harry grinned. "I can see it, Ted. Do you like it?"
"Yeah! Can I have one?"
"I don't think that you can keep unicorns as pets, little man," Harry replied, trying to curb his amusement. "But we'll see what they've got in the gift shop, okay?"
"Can we go now, please, Uncle Harry?"
"You don't want to see the other animals and creatures?"
"More?" Teddy tugged on his hand, and when he didn't move fast enough, ran ahead a little, to the edge of the path. "Come on, Uncle Harry, come on!"
Harry chuckled, slipping his hand into Severus' to tug him along.
"Are you having a good day?" he asked quietly, keeping an eye on his impatient godson, who was bouncing on his heels as he waited for them to catch up.
Severus smiled down at Harry and nodded. "Surprisingly, yes. Thank you for asking me to come with you."
…
June
"I really don't understand why you insisted that I bring shorts," Severus grumbled, as he and Harry unpacked their small suitcases into the limited space of the hotel room.
"Um. We're at the beach," Harry pointed out. "Shorts are implied. What else are you going to wear?"
"Going to the beach doesn't automatically mean that I wish to wear as little clothing in public as is decent, Harry."
Harry laughed.
"You can transfigure them into full length trousers if it makes you uncomfortable, Severus," he assured his grumpy partner. "But it's warm out, and I'd hate for you to overheat in the sun."
"I have a better idea," Severus said, abandoning his suitcase in favour of pushing Harry onto the bed, leaning over him with a wicked smile on his face. "We forget the shorts altogether, and spend the weekend naked in bed. I'll show you just how many things I can come up with, that doesn't involve getting sand in unforgiving areas."
"Promise that we can walk along the beach later on tonight, and you have a deal," Harry replied, nuzzling his face against Severus' neck, biting lightly.
"A walk in the moonlight? Deal."
…
July
It had been the best birthday he'd ever had. As they stood atop the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by other tourists, all admiring the lights, Harry knew that he could never have asked for more than what he had with Severus.
He'd never want to ask for more than he had, because his life was as close to perfect as he could imagine it being right now.
"Thank you for today," he murmured. "I don't even have words to tell you how much it all means to me."
Severus smiled, tightening the arms he had around Harry's waist. He stood behind him, chin resting on Harry's shoulder, as they looked out over Paris, enjoying the last moments of the evening.
"You're welcome. I…"
Harry turned in his embrace, his eyes curious and hopeful as he titled his head up to look at Severus.
"I love you, Severus," he whispered, smiling slightly when he felt all of the sudden tension leave Severus' body.
Severus, relieved that Harry had understood, and more so that the sentiment was returned, kissed him deeply.
"I love you, too."
…
August
"I don't understand why this is such a big deal," Harry shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "My flat is bigger, I have a better view, and you've already said that you love my bed much more than yours! Just move in with me and be done with it!"
"My flat is better placed for work for both of us, and you damn well know it!" Severus shouted back, pressing his fingers to his temple in an attempt to ward off the threatening ache. "You prefer my decor, you love the cafe down the street, and my kitchen is superior to yours!"
Silence reigned for a moment, and then Harry sighed.
"We're going round in circles," he muttered, throwing himself into the armchair. "I can't keep having the same argument, Severus. Three times this week, and it's just…" he shook his head. "It's getting ridiculous."
"The make up sex is fantastic though," Severus replied. He reached down to pull Harry to his feet, and then twisted them around, so that he could sit down in the armchair and pull Harry onto his lap. Letting the younger man lean into him, Severus kissed the side of Harry's head. "But you're right. This really shouldn't be so hard."
"Why don't we just buy somewhere new?" Harry offered. "Somewhere that's both of ours, that we both choose?"
Severus nodded, and then smiled. "Okay. I think… yes. It's the best compromise."
Harry sat up slightly, enough so that he could press his lips to Severus' in a sweet kiss. "Why don't you remind me how good the make up sex is?"
…
September
Severus was checking the walls to make sure that the paint had spread and dried evenly, when a shock of white burst through the wall into the room, forming into Ronald's patronus.
Harry's best friend's voice shook as it spoke through the shiny silver dog. "Saint Mungo's. Harry's been injured."
Severus' heart clenched as he forgot about the decorating of the new bedroom in an instant. Practically flying down the stairs, Severus threw the floo powder into the fireplace, and stepped inside.
Not three full minutes after the patronus had arrived, Severus was walking up the corridor of the Auror ward.
"Wow, that was fast," Weasley commented, when he spotted the panicked Potions Master. "He's going to be okay. The Healer came at almost the same moment that I sent the patronus to you. He's likely going to have to stay here for a couple of days though."
Severus let the relief of 'he'll be okay' wash over him for a moment, before he turned his attention back to the red haired Auror. "What happened?"
…
The Healer allowed him in to see Harry a little over an hour later. It hurt Severus to see his larger-than-life love lying in the hospital bed, looking so small, dwarfed by the whiteness of the sheets and pillows.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, when Harry blinked his eyes open blearily, a few minutes after Severus had settled into the seat beside his bed.
"Uh. I… don't know. What happened?"
"You were on the wrong end of a blasting curse at close range," Severus replied, gently stroking Harry's hair from his face.
He was doing his best to keep his anger at bay, but he was itching to go to the Ministry and demand access to the monster that had almost killed his Harry.
"Oh. Ouch."
Unable to stop the small smile blossoming on his face at such a Harry reply, Severus took Harry's hand in his own and raised it to his lips to press a kiss against his palm. The smile didn't last long, the situation still far too fresh in his mind. "I almost lost you."
Harry stared at him for a long moment, and then shifted on the bed, wincing as he moved over to the other side. He tugged on Severus' hand until he took the hint, and eventually, Severus lay down in the space that Harry had created for him, draping his arm carefully over Harry.
"I'm right here," Harry murmured, turning his face into Severus' chest. "I'm right here."
…
October
"Wow," Severus murmured, blinking as Harry walked into the room, a scowl on his face. "You look… enchanting."
"Bite me," Harry muttered, glaring at his partner.
"Shouldn't that be the other way around?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrow at his Harry. His currently-a-vampire Harry.
"Never again am I allowing Hermione to choose the costumes for Halloween. Never. Again. God, could she have been any more cliche?"
"What costume did she get for Teddy?"
"Oh, he was a baby vamp, a mini version of me," Harry said, smiling slightly. "He looked adorable."
"And the others? Tell me that you, at the very least, have enough blackmail material to cover… this?" Severus asked, stepping closer as he waved his hand at Harry's ensemble.
Suddenly grinning, Harry nodded. "Hmm. Hermione was Dorothy, you know, from the Wizard of Oz?"
When Severus nodded, Harry continued. "Fred, George and Percy were dressed up as the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion respectively."
Snorting at the implications of Percy's costume, Severus nodded again for Harry to continue.
"And she dressed Ron up as Toto."
Laughter filled the living room as Severus wrapped his arms around Harry.
"In comparison, I believe that you got off quite lightly," Severus murmured. "And I wasn't lying to you, Harry. You really do look quite… enchanting."
…
November
Scarves wrapped around their necks, gloves warming their hands, and coffee heating their insides, Harry and Severus stood side by side, their fingers entwined, their eyes on the bright flashes lighting up the sky.
Harry had never been to a Muggle Bonfire and Firework display before, and he was captivated by the experience. He'd seen fireworks, of course, and these ones weren't quite as creative as those that Fred and George made and sold at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, but they had a certain charm about them.
Severus pulled his fingers loose from Harry's, taking the empty cup from his other hand and throwing the two cups into a nearby bin. He wasn't nearly as interested in the fireworks, and if it hadn't been for Harry, he'd probably be at home right now in front of the fire, reading a positions journal and enjoying a smooth cognac.
He couldn't find it in himself to be disappointed.
Harry's face as he watched the display more than made up for the fact that Severus was entertaining frostbite to his nose. The innocence and wonder made him look so much younger, and yet, when Harry turned to glance at Severus, he could see the wonderful man that he'd grown into.
He was Severus'.
He'd chosen to share this—and many other experiences—with Severus.
Severus had never believed in luck, but if he did, he'd consider himself to be the luckiest bastard to walk the earth.
…
December
The final night of the year. Their anniversary. Another New Year's Eve party. There was only really one way for Severus to thank Harry for the last year—the happiest of his life to date—and that was to ask him to share many more with him.
"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three!"
"Harry?"
Harry turned to look at him, eyes shining, his smile wide and open. "Hmm?"
"Two!"
"Will you marry me?"
"One!"
The ring box opened to show a simple gold band, seven diamonds encrusted into it.
"Yes!"