Chapter 11 Very secret engagement
AN: Angst alert… or rather an emotionally stunted unsocialised 42 year old wastrel's version of "angst…" yay, I think…not!
My biological father is a violent bullying vapid moron. We've been no contact since 2006. My 'dad' (the one who helped my mother raise me) was an alcoholic. I never really drank much, and I decided to go tee-total in 2006. I actually think I'm allergic to all kinds of alcohol, the stuff that's in certain products and the stuff that's for drinking. Also with the medical concerns I have, drinking alcohol isn't a good idea. I have low blood pressure… it already affects my balance… imagine how alcohol would make things worse.
Severus's point of view
Nat and Clint visited me in the middle of the night via the floo, while Harry was asleep.
"You want to marry our son?"
"Yes I do… he's my soulmate and I worship the ground he walks on. We are very very much in love. I know I should have contacted you when I started dating Harry but we didn't know yet that you are his and Hermione's parents."
"That jerk Dumbledore is responsible for that, Severus, and no one else."
3 weeks later
Harry's point of view
On Severus's birthday, I got permission from Headmaster Riddle to take him to New York for a couple of days.
We arrived at JFK International airport's portkey hub, went through security and met our chauffeur at the exit to the arrivals gate. He had our luggage already. Tony and Pepper were waiting in the car for us. Little did I know that Severus had a surprise in store for me.
Severus's point of view
I was very nervous. Tony had helped me plan what I was going to say, Pepper had helped me decide what to wear, Jay, Sirius, Remus, Tony, Lucius, Fred, George and Bruce helped me to choose the ring… Jay, Bruce and Pepper were in charge of food.
Everything was perfect.
The meal was delicious, after we ate, we sat out on the balcony on the main living floor. As the Empire State Building lit up I slid the ring box from my pocket, opened it under my coat, got onto one knee, looked up at Harry and said,
"Harrison Edward Stark, will you marry me?"
"YES!"
Tony's point of view
When Harry and Severus came inside they were both grinning. They had an arm around each other.
"Well?"
Harry held out his hand
"Congratulations you two"
Little did I know what was to come…
Severus's point of view
No one knew back home what Harry and I had just done.
We gathered our friends and family together at Malfoy Manor and broke the news.
"When we were in New York… we got engaged"
Silence.
"Wow" said Sirius
"Good" said Minerva
"We need to strategize." said Tom
I was instantaneously very angry.
I sat in the conservatory, face like thunder, watching Harry flying with his friends. Suddenly I wondered if our engagement and our soulmate relationship was a mistake. I began to question everything.
Lucius found me.
"Severus, what's the matter?"
"No one was even remotely interested when Harry and I broke the news of our engagement… Did I make a mistake?"
"What?"
"Did I propose too soon, did I misjudge this, did I read the situation wrongly?"
"Of course you didn't Severus."
"Then why does no one care? I don't expect fanfares or parades but people could at least act as though they're happy about this."
"Everyone is worried about what Dumbledore is going to do"
"Lovely"
I went back to Hogwarts alone and like a coward I didn't speak to Harry beforehand. I simply retreated and locked myself away, leaving Harry a note.
Harry's point of view
Severus didn't come outside to fly with us like he had promised to… He had left Malfoy Manor altogether… I was stung, and stunned. He refused my floo calls. Then I found the letter.
"Harry,
I'm sorry,
I've gone back to Hogwarts.
I don't get why no one reacted to our news.
I'll see you at the start of term.
SS"
This letter was cold, hard, emotionless and not at all like the man I was supposed to be marrying in 3 months time.
I showed Draco the letter and he asked Lucius for the emergency override spell for Sev's fireplace.
Draco's point of view
When Harry showed me Uncle Sev's letter, I was horrified, and I showed it to my father
"Do you have the override word?"
"Let me deal with this Draco"
"OK but I want to watch"
"SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE SHOW YOURSELF AT ONCE!" Dad barked into the flames.
"Eileen"
"His mother's first name?"
"Yes."
"SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE IF YOU DON'T COME OUT OF THAT BEDROOM OF YOURS RIGHT NOW AND QUIT SULKING I WILL PUT YOU OVER MY KNEE!"
The bedroom door flew opened. Uncle Sev was standing glaring up a storm at my father.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Leave me alone Lucius!"
"Your soulmate is extremely upset and worried"
"Do I look like I care? I don't deserve him!"
Dad stepped close to Uncle Sev,
"Open your mouth"
Uncle Sev refused
"Open your mouth right now Severus Tobias or I will send Draco to get dad"
Uncle Sev refused again
"Granddad Tom, you're needed!" I yelled
"Thank you Draco"
Dad whispered something to Granddad Tom, he frowned, searched the room with his wand and then put Uncle Severus over his knee and gave him a spanking.
"I should make it one smack for every year of your life but I have work to do… and that will take too long, so, one smack for every half-decade."
"That's only 8, he deserves a lot more"
"I am extremely disappointed in you young man. You know better than this. Do you want to be like Tobias?"
"No sir."
"You will come back to Malfoy Manor tonight, you will go directly to bed. I've half a mind not to leave you a hangover potion but I'm not that cruel. You will be cleaning out the horses and the alpacas tomorrow morning with no magic, do you understand me?"
"Yes sir."
"You're also going to talk to Harry about this"
"Yes sir."
"What else do you have to say for yourself?"
"I'm sorry sir"
"You are forgiven but, I'm not the one you should be apologising to."
"I know"
Harry's point of view
Lucius brought Severus into our room and put him to bed.
"I'll be in the media room, goodnight" I said harshly. I turned and left, taking my pillows with me.
Draco and I shared the couch in the media room. We watched Star Wars.
Lucius brought us hot chocolate.
"What do I do Lucius? Do I tell him off? Do I end things? Do I listen? I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"I think you need to tell him exactly how you feel, and then listen…"
"OK"
"I don't think you should let the sun set upon your wrath"
"Too late"
I fell asleep when Draco and I were watching The Empire Strikes Back.
Draco woke me at 8am
"Uncle Sev will be going to muck out the horses and alpacas in about 30 minutes. Now's your chance."
I marched into our bedroom and sat down opposite Severus
"Explain yourself" I barked "You have 5 minutes and if I don't approve of your answer, woe betide you"
"You sound like me" Severus said but upon seeing my face he said
"I'm just… I thought people would have been interested and at least happy for us Harry. It's not an excuse… you'd think at 40 years old I'd have learnt from my past… and yet here I am destined to repeat it."
"Dudley's father, Vernon Dursley, was an alcoholic. When he was drunk, he used to violate my aunt on a nightly basis, he also used to beat her senseless. We tried to leave several times. He always talked her into staying. Eventually, he killed her, all because he was pissed that Dudley had magic and no one told him. He would have beaten Dudley half to death before he accepted that his only son was a wizard." I said scornfully.
"My father was an alcoholic. He murdered my mother in front of me. I was 9. If it wasn't for Lucius rescuing me, I'd have followed the same path. I'm sorry Harry, I know I let you down."
"I forgive you. You've got chores to do."
I got into bed and went to sleep. When I woke up, Severus was lying next to me, he was on his back, his right ankle was propped up on pillows.
"What happened?"
"One of the horses kicked me and I fell and I badly sprained my ankle. I've asked Lucius to go to my rooms at Hogwarts and dispose of ALL alcohol."
"Good. We'll need to make sure the wedding is alcohol free by the way"
"You still want to get married after this?"
"Of course I do Sev, don't you?"
"Of course I do Harry, I just… wish people had reacted better… Maybe we should elope?"
"I like that idea"
AN: Spoilers for Wakanda Forever, Infinity War/Endgame in this chapter. (this warning is for potential readers who have not seen any MCU films. Don't say it can't happen, because it can. I was once that person. I saw no MCU films until Spider-man Far From Home. I had no idea what they meant by "the blip" until I got Disney during the first COVID-19 Lockdown and finally caught up. I also have all of the films on DVD, because internet glitches happen.)