Chapter 27

Severus unfolded the paper, his fingers shaking only slightly. He found his own proposed contract, with no changes other than a large X drawn through it. Harry had agreed to the courting, but seemed to be utterly against the marriage contract. Severus felt a bit perplexed. He'd offered everything he could to Harry in the first draft of the contract.

Rather than assuming the worst, which he could admit was a bad habit of his, Severus took a deep breath and turned his attention towards his wardrobe.

After his classes for the day, he'd be meeting with Harry here at Hogwarts. He wanted to look his best.

Severus was anxious. Every nerve ending he possessed seemed to be teeming with energy and tingling just beneath his skin. In one month he would be either engaged to Harry, or would likely never see him again. Either option would be a life-changing one.

Should he wear the dark green robes? No, something about the colour made him feel too stereotypically Slytherin. The navy blue? No, the detailed stitching in them felt too ornate for the occasion.

Severus growled out of frustration. He scribbled a quick note to Hermione and sent it to her with a flick of his wand. Just as quickly, he received a note in return.

Help is on the way.

Severus rolled his eyes. He wasn't a damsel in distress, he just needed an outside opinion in wardrobe. Severus waited five minutes very patiently. But five turned to twenty and he moved to the settee to a read a bit. He couldn't focus and read the same paragraph several times over. Severus checked the time and it had been an hour, time for afternoon classes to commence.

Severus made his way to the classroom, his teaching robes whipping around behind him as dramatically as they always had. And although his image as the hateful old bastard bat of the dungeons had long dissipated, old habits died hard and so he still stalked the corridors looking sour and intimidating. Nonetheless, students now greeted him with waves and smiles.

"Good afternoon, Professor!"

"Hello, Professor Snape!"

Severus greeted them with a curt bow of his head.

Inside his classroom, the tittering of students was louder and more chaotic than usual.

He took his place at the front of the class and raised an eyebrow, silently commanding their attention.

Slowly the whispers and giggles came to an end.

"What..." he looked slowly between each student. "Has gotten you all so excited?"

A few of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs glanced at one another nervously. Several of the girls had dreamy smiles on their faces.

"A bit early to be so excited for the end of year ball, is it not?"

The students remained silent. He sighed.

"Meadows," he pointed to the blonde fourth year at the front of the class. "Enlighten me to what is so exciting."

"We've read The Prophet. Congratulations, sir! We're all hoping for a favorable outcome for you."

Severus took a slow step backwards. "Excuse me? What-?"

"One second, sir."

Meadows sorted through her satchel briefly then produced a wrinkled copy of the days Prophet.

Amongst the announcements of weddings, engagements, and births were a few announcements of formal courtships. One of which detailed his and Harry's.

It was brief, as it wasn't one of Skeeters gossip columns.

Severus looked back to his class.

"Ya know," began Ian Finnegan. "My cousin, Seamus, did say he thought you and Harry Potter always fancied one another."

Meadows giggled and nudged her friend to her left. "We always rather thought he and Professor Granger got along a bit well…"

"Professor Granger!" He scoffed. "Enough about my private life, let's get to work for the day."

Severus knew the courtship would be public knowledge, of course. But he'd been under the impression he'd receive a warning before it was published. As he gave the class their instructions for today's potion, his stomach sat low and heavy in his abdomen.

He was worried for Harry. If it was now being spoken about publicly, Harry would be forced to face Draco and his family.

The class set to work and Severus circled through them checking their progress.

"That isn't right," he said gently. The quiet blonde looked up at him and worried her lip.

"How do I fix it?"

"Try adding a bit of wormwood, then stir counter clockwise."

She grinned. "So not a total loss?"

"Not yet." Severus smiled at her and she began adding the wormwood.

Severus no longer wholly loathed teaching the way he once had. Now that he was not the common object of detestation amongst students, he found that teaching came more naturally. He'd once insisted that he rather enjoyed being hated by every student, but he actually quite appreciated being liked and respected these days. Of course, it was also easier to be nice when he wasn't always exhausted from risking his life each night leading a dual life as a spy.

His classes ended for the day and Severus stepped from the classroom to find Ronald Weasley awaiting him in the corridor.

"Professor!" Ron offered him a genuine smile. "'Mione tells me you need wardrobe help."

Severus rolled his eyes. "So she sent you, naturally. The king of fashion."

"Look, mate, I may not be trendy myself, but I know what Harry likes."

Severus groaned. The two set off towards his rooms.

"For what it's worth, we're all glad you're doing this. Can't be easy to do, for a private man like yourself. But we've always been Team Severus. And, honestly, anyone is better than Draco." They stepped into Severus's sitting room. "Alright, show me the options."

Severus paced his classroom that evening after dinner. He'd lit the room with candles hovering along the walls. He checked the time again. His heart was racing. Was he making a mistake? Should he have left Harry alone? Was he sure he could really make him happy? Was Harry already too content with Draco to ever choose Severus over him? Draco was young and handsome and charming...

A gentle knock sounded against the heavy dungeon door.

Severus pulled it open slowly.

Harry smiled at him. His hair was somewhat tamed and combed to the side. He wore a tight white muggle t-shirt and dark jeans with black leather boots. He had his hands tucked into his pockets. He'd clearly not shaved in the week since they'd last met, giving Harry a short but well groomed beard. It suited him.

Harry's eyes looked Severus over. He felt his palms begin to perspire.

"You look well," Harry said. "It's good to see you."

Severus stepped to the side, allowing Harry to enter. "Thank you."

Harry looked around the classroom, still smiling.

"It hasn't changed much."

"No, I suppose it hasn't."

Severus had pulled two student chairs to the center of the room and transfigured them into comfortable upholstered ones. He motioned for Harry to take a seat as he did the same.

"So this is the 'first meeting' according to the courtship ritual."

Severus nodded and crossed one ankle over the other. "How did Draco take the announcement that was made in today's Prophet?" Severus asked bluntly.

Harry grimaced and scratched his chin.

"Er, well, he didn't hit me."

"He's hit you before?!" Severus sat up straighter, feeling panicked.

Harry chuckled and placed a calming hand on his knee. "No, Severus. I was teasing." Harry sat back in his seat and removed his hand. Severus found that he instantly missed the contact. "He wasn't happy. Although I think we can both understand why. He didn't speak to me at all as I packed some of my belongings. He probably didn't he feel he could, since Sirius was there to help me. My godfather was overly excited to have me coming back to Grimmauld, you see." Severus nodded and listened intently. "You didn't have to have me leave my flat, by the way."

Severus sighed. He should have practiced some answers to the questions he knew Harry would ask.

"I felt that you living with Draco... gave him an unfair advantage. I have five dates planned for the next month, whereas he would receive the rest of your free time."

Harry grinned mischievously and nodded. "You didn't want me to leave dinner with you and go home to snog him."

Severus winced. "My thoughts were along those lines, yes."

Harry shrugged. "We don't snog often anyways."

"I'd like to address that later. For now I'm wondering why you denied the entirety of the marriage contract?"

Harry glanced around the room. "How'd you build up so much wealth?"

"I'd... hoped... that one day you might find your way back to me. I started a business on the side providing potions to private buyers. I wanted to have something to offer you. It's not as much as the Malfoys have, of course."

"To have made so much in only a couple of years, your business must be doing very well."

"It is."

"If this business makes you happy, I am happy. But I don't want your money. If I wanted to buy another home, I could buy one. I don't need you to do that for me. Tell me what else you can offer."

Severus looked at him quizzically. He had nothing else to give him.

As if understanding, Harry continued. He leaned forward, his vibrant green eyes piercing into Severus's dark ones.

"I'll answer first. I can offer you a faithful partner, no lack of affection, support in all matters... even when I think you're wrong." Harry grinned teasingly. "I can offer you a home- the dwelling is irrelevant, I can offer you a home, despite which roof we reside under." Harry took a deep breath and looked down towards his fidgeting hands. "I want back what we had at the safe house. We were ourselves. There were no expectations or pressure. We drank, we laughed, we sat comfortably in silence."

Severus's throat suddenly felt so dry he couldn't swallow. He nodded, even as he still sought to fully comprehend what Harry was telling him.

Harry clasped his hands around Severus's.

"I'm telling you," Harry tilted his head, capturing Severus's eye contact and commanding his attention. "I fell in love with you in the safehouse. I will never require more of you than what you offered me there."

Severus cleared his throat, and looked away so that he could blink away any emotions that might threaten to arise.

"What else can I offer you? What would you like?"

Severus shook his head. "That's not how wizarding courtships operate. I'm the one doing the courting, you see."

Harry laughed. "I don't give a damn how they work." Harry sighed and asked more gently, "What more can I offer you?"

In that moment Severus desperately wanted to allow his lips to capture Harry's and kiss the young man into oblivion, but the courtship didn't allow for such contact yet. He began to tremble as he resisted the urge.

"Only what you offered in the safehouse."

Harry grinned. "I used to fantasize that our future would be just as it was when we were there. Even the home looked the same."

"You fantasized about our future." Severus felt his eyes widen in amazement.

"Of course I did. It's what got me through. It's what kept me holding on."

"And then I shunned it the moment you woke up."

Harry bit his lip and nodded. In a sudden wave of surety Harry looked back up quickly with something like anger burning behind his eyes. "Yes. Yes, you did. I needed you. Is that what you brought me here to say? I needed you."

"Allow me to explain. I thought-"

"Yeah. Sirius explained. I get it. But right now I look at you and I think that you were just terrified I'd end up changing my mind about you. You were scared I'd leave you so you left me first."

Harry's words stung. They stung because they were true. "My pride-"

"-Fuck your pride!"

"Harry, stop!"

Severus found that somehow they'd both jumped from their seats and were standing chest to chest, red faced and panting. He could feel Harry's breath on his face. He stared at the perfect Cupid's bow nestled so neatly above Harry's full lips. His stomach fluttered like caged Cornish pixies.

"Lay down," Severus commanded, though his words were only a husky whisper.