Chapter 25

Harry walked down the staircase which led from his and Draco's flat and into his bookstore. The first task of the day was sorting through the post left by the front door. There was always a bit of mail from young men and women asking him for a date, sometimes a platonic letter of adoration and thanks, sometimes a request for an interview. Harry set those aside for later. He rarely responded anymore, but he couldn't bring himself to throw them away immediately.

Next, Harry turned on the lights, did any dusting or sweeping that needed to be done, and set to organizing.

Then the "open" sign would flicker to life and the bookstore was ready for business.

The bell above the door dinged quickly and Harry looked up, as he would for any customer, but found that he was a bit sad that it wasn't Severus. Had he really expected the man would come by again so soon? Of course not. Harry knew him better than that.

Or at least he used to, and although Severus hadn't outwardly changed all too much, Harry could sense something different in his demeanor, in his eyes.

Harry was careful to keep his mind closed, but he hoped Severus hadn't been able to discern his own feelings otherwise. Severus had always been able to read Harry like a potions text.

Could he tell that Harry's heart was pounding? That his stomach was clenched into knots? That having Severus touch his wrist was potentially the happiest he'd been since leaving Hogwarts?

Oh, Harry, you poor sod. You'd told him outright that you weren't ready to let him go.

Even through his embarrassment, he couldn't help but to think Severus felt the same way.

Severus still wore his bracelet. And the way Severus had looked him over like a precious object to admire... it made Harry feel good. It made him feel desired. Draco didn't necessarily make Harry feel that way, but he was content with what he had with him nonetheless.

It was simple with Draco. It was easy.

But as Harry looked over his shop, he began to wonder if he no longer desired simple and easy. Maybe he wanted a mess. He wanted difficult. He wanted to bicker. He wanted passion.

Maybe he just wanted Severus, in whatever form he could have him.

Harry sighed and rubbed his palms down over his face.

The customer picked up a few children's books, paid Harry and then left without much fuss. It was still quite early, after all.

Harry had begun to consider lunch options already, as his stomach grumbled. But the door rang again, and Harry was disappointed once more that it was not Severus.

It was his godfather.

Sirius only ever cornered Harry in the shop when he felt that Harry wasn't coming round to see him and Remus often enough.

He wasn't in the mood to be chastised so he shot Sirius a look that he hoped conveyed as much.

"I received a letter for you at Grimmauld."

"Oh. Alright. You could have sent it to me. You didn't have to bring it down here."

"Actually, I did." Sirius leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "I was specifically requested to bring it to you by hand."

"That's odd. Is it ministry post? They know how to find me..."

"Harry, we need to talk."

Harry frowned. "Go on."

Sirius spoke at length about Draco. About how he was manipulative, abusive, not the right fit for Harry. He'd heard this same speech a few times from various people but Harry'd learned to brush it off. Something about this speech coming from Sirius felt a bit different, a bit more concerning.

Harry wanted to argue, but found he had nothing to say except, "I don't mind it."

"But that doesn't sit well with me. It doesn't seem like you."

"You don't get to decide that."

Sirius grunted, then took a deep, frustrated breath through his nose.

"Tell me one thing: if you were given the chance to restore what you once had with Snape, would you take the opportunity, or would you shun it?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "I- I don't know," he stammered. "It's not a true possibility, so I haven't considered."

"What I didn't hear you say, Harry, is: 'absolutely not. I only want Draco.' Which, if you loved him the way you ought to love your fiancé, would have been your answer."

Harry hesitated. "Yeah, well, you haven't been married so what would you know?"

Sirius winced. "Still it seems I know a great deal more than you." Sirius pulled an envelope from his robes and dangled it in front of him. "Because I know that this envelope contains a potential future with Snape."

Harry snatched the letter from his godfather's teasing grasp and unfolded it quickly.

Harry gasped as his eyes flew over the parchment. Severus's handwriting, he was sure of it. No one would be able to duplicate the man's careful and elegant hand so expertly.

"If you could see the look in your eyes right now, Harry, I believe you'd know your answer."

Harry looked up towards Sirius. "But I'm engaged."

"Which is clearly why Snape sent this."

"I thought you hated him, why do you seem to be his advocate right now?"

"We came to a sort of... peace treaty, while you were in the infirmary after the battle. Harry, I'm not sure if you saw what I did in him."

"No, how could I see anything? He abandoned me as soon as I woke. He made it very clear that he didn't care anymore."

"Then you did not see it."

Harry groaned in frustration. "You've made your point. Enlighten me."

"He loved you. Fiercely. You know all that he did for you. And afterwards, he let you go. He set you free. Initially I was so blinded that I didn't see any of that. He was desperate to have you and yet he set you free so that you would be untethered, and able to live your life fully. I believe it's the most selfless love he was able to offer. And yes, before you ask, it is paining me to admit this." Sirius smirked.

Harry shook his head as if trying to clear it and stared down at the letter in disbelief.

Quietly he asked himself, "Then why is he doing this now?"

"You see, he sent me instructions that I should hand deliver this, but I received a short letter of my own. I think it explains things pretty well."

Black Sirius,

Inside the attached envelope is something quite important. I am begrudgingly requesting that you hand deliver it to Harry, with no others around. I fear interference in this matter, given what has been recently brought to my attention regarding Harry and his fiancé. Because I know your curiosity is quite a force, I will tell you the enclosed document is a courting proposal. I am choosing to go about this in a way that cannot be contested as infidelity.

As I believe I'd made clear to you before, I chose to not pursue Harry after his completion of school so that he would be able to explore life in whichever way brought him happiness. However, I have it in good confidence that these opportunities I desired for Harry have been squandered and I am now sure that I, in fact, could offer Harry a better life. If he still feels for me the way he once did; I'd like another chance with him.

I continue to care about him strongly.

Make of this what you will,

Severus Snape.

"You have the chance, Harry. Will you take it?"

"Draco would never allow me to write Severus a response."

"He wouldn't allow you..." Sirius echoed.

Harry understood what Sirius meant. He knew how his friends felt about his relationship.

He allowed Draco to take the reigns because he didn't want to be in control anymore. It had started long before anyone else saw it. It had begun during the Order meetings, when Harry refused to attend and allowed Draco to go in his place. Or when Harry didn't much feel like eating but Draco would pile his plate full and demand he eat. It had started innocently enough, and grew from there.

Harry knew he didn't love Draco the way he should, but he also knew he'd never love anyone the way he did Severus, and so he was willing to settle for far less. That was his only option other than spending the rest of his life utterly alone.

Except that now Severus was an option once more. Should he jump at this opportunity? What if Severus abandoned him again? Harry wasn't sure he could handle losing Severus again.

"I can't risk Draco finding this. Take this back to Grimmauld with you. I'll come by tomorrow to go over it. Could you find me a book on traditional courting? I'm not sure how to write an acceptance letter."

Sirius grinned. "Once upon a time I'd have sooner eaten my own head than see you with Snape, but today, Harry, I cant help but feel that you're making the right decision."

Harry smiled at him, although a bit bitterly. It'd have been nice to have Sirius's support all along.

"And, Harry, come early in the evening. There are time limits on these matters."

As Harry closed up the shop for the evening, he felt as if he were in a fog. All he could think about was the proposal he'd read over, and how he would like to respond. His heart leapt at the thought of Severus publicly courting him. But his stomach tensed with anxiety thinking of how Draco might react.

The fog over Harry's mind was just as thick as he walked into his flat, passed by Draco on the settee, and towards the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

"No hello or good evening for me, love?"

"Sorry. Long day. Good evening."

Harry sipped at the water slowly.

"Get dressed," Draco told him. "I've chosen some robes for you. They're on your bed."

"Where are we going?"

Draco looked at Harry as if the simple question had slapped him in the face.

"It doesn't matter where we are going. I told you to change clothes. We're leaving soon."

And, as always, Harry didn't argue. He took a deep breath, finished his glass of water and went into his room to make himself presentable for whatever social gathering Draco insisted on attending.

Harry tied the bow tie as well as he could and stared at himself in the full length mirror.

He wondered if Severus was in his own room right now, as eager to receive Harry's response as Harry was to send it. Harry touched a gentle finger to the glamoured bracelet and lowered the occlumency guards around his mind.

Severus leaned back in his chair and ran his index finger over his lower lip, enjoying the sight of Harry looking so debonair in the mirror.

"Thank you for letting me see you," Severus said aloud.

Harry smirked at his reflection, at Severus, and ended the connection between their minds.

Severus closed his eyes and smiled.

Draco called for Harry. Harry grimaced.

"Coming, Draco."

Harry took another moment to stare at his reflection then joined Draco in the sitting room.