I'll Be Home For Christmas

In the past, before I started posting my own stories, I used to find it a bit off-putting when authors "begged" their readers for reviews, or threatened to withhold updates unless they were received. Now, having been there myself, I have to say that not only do I completely understand where they were coming from, but I find it quite sad that although apparently everyone can press the button to get to the story, it seems to be exceedingly difficult for anyone to press the review button. This is a give/give situation for those of you who haven't yet figured that out. I give you a chapter update, and you give me a review. This makes it a win/win situation all the way round! See? Isn't that nice?! Now, I've very considerately posted an update, you will very considerately post me a review. Yay! Everybody is happy now!


Oh, and as a little added incentive.......SmutAlert!


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Severus sat at his desk and scowled out at his third years. This class more than any other tried his patience to the limit. By third year he felt they should have gained some grasp of potion brewing, but more often than not he found himself disappointed every year.

His general dark mood concerning his third years wasn't helped by his current domestic situation. He and Harry had had quite the row over Severus' reluctance to hold the new Weasley child at the hospital, and nearly a week later the younger man was still being quite frosty about it.

Harry, as predicted, had been furious with Severus, and disappointed as well. He felt that Severus could have shown a bit more enthusiasim. When Severus had tried explaining his reluctance away by claiming unpreparedness, Harry had shouted that if he could hold off having their babies until Severus was "prepared" he would, but as that wasn't likely to happen Severus had damned well better get himself prepared and soon. It had degenerated from there, ending with Harry in tears, furious at himself for crying, and refusing all attempts by Severus at comfort. He had refused to speak, choosing instead to shoot reproachful looks at Severus, the emerald eyes large and accusing, making Severus chastise himself severely for his baby terror. Since then, the reproach in those beloved green eyes had been eating away at Severus until he thought he would do anything to make it go away. Harry, however, wasn't budging, and Severus was leery of upsetting his pregnant husband any further.

Harry was right, he thought ruefully. They would soon have not one, but two babies of their own, and Severus had better get himself prepared, for the sake of his children as well as his own sanity. He wanted to be a good father! He wanted his children to love him. He wanted a happy family life.

Grimly, he glared out at his third years, and set his shoulders.

He knew what he had to do.

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"Harry dear," Molly Weasley said as she spelled tea to the table for them both, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Severus. It's different when it's your own children. And really, Dear, you just need to give him some time." She patted his hand reassuringly.

"He had an awful childhood," Harry said worriedly, "and so did I. But even if you have the best parents in the world, aren't you supposed to want to be even better? Aren't you supposed to want more for your kids?"

"Of course," Molly said comfortingly, "and I'm sure Severus does. Certainly if his own father was horrible he wouldn't want that for his own children."

"But, you should have seen him!" Harry sighed, still worried. "He was terrified. It was obvious. Ron had barely put Hugo in his arms and he was already handing him back! What if he does the same with our babies! What if he terrifies our girls the way he terrifies his students? I don't want our girls growing up afraid of their father!"

"Harry, Harry," Molly shushed, "It won't be that way, Dear. Severus loves you, he'll love his children too! Just wait and you'll see. Once he sees his little girls, he won't be able to resist them. In fact, I'm sure he's going to be the type of father that won't let anybody else touch them. Look how he is with you. You can tell what sort of father a man will be by the way he treats his wi.......erm......his partner. Look at Arthur, and he's the best father there is!"

Harry chewed his lip thoughtfully. She had a point there. Certainly Harry had looked on Arthur as the sort of father he'd wished he'd had growing up. He did treat Molly well. It was obvious, even after all the years they'd been together and all the children they'd raised, she was the only one for him. And after all, Harry knew Severus was the only one for him. He still felt a bit worried; he couldn't quite erase the memory of the look of sheer panic on Severus' face at the hospital, but maybe Molly was right. She usually was. Maybe when it came to his own children it would be different for Severus.

Harry sighed and sipped his tea. "Maybe you're right. Just give him some time. I guess I really shouldn't have got so upset." He shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "Must be the hormones. Poppy said this would happen. I always just feel kind of stupid afterwards."

Molly smiled fondly, coming round the table to hug him close. "It's alright, Dear. You're pregnant! You just stop fretting and relax. Have a biscuit, you'll feel better."

Harry smiled and let her hug and fuss over him. It felt good.

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Severus curtly dismissed his class and stalked back to his and Harry's quarters. The situation was intolerable. He and Harry could not go on like this, barely speaking, and Severus was determined to make him listen to his apology when he arrived back from work. In the meantime, he pondered Harry's words. That he'd damned well better get himself prepared for the arrival of their daughters.

Severus sighed heavily and paced back and forth in front of the large fireplace. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make the prospect of doing it any more appealing. It was difficult for Severus to admit to anyone that he was less than prepared for anything, and even more difficult for him to ask for help. Still, this was about Harry, whom Severus could not bear to have angry at him, and for their children, whom Severus wanted to love him. His family.

My family, he repeated to himself.

Grimly he snatched up a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace.

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Later that evening Harry returned to their quarters from the Auror office to find Severus waiting for him at their table which was set with a sumptuous feast of a supper. Severus had even taken care to provide all the strange things Harry had been craving lately. Harry felt a deep pang of love for his cranky husband throb in his chest, along with guilt for being so cold to him lately.

"Harry, I wish to tell you..." Severus began.

"Sev, I'm so..." Harry began at the same time.

They both stopped. Emerald met onyx over the candles on the table, and suddenly the only important thing was the need burning in the depths of the other.

Nothing further was said as Severus kissed his young husband all the way into the bedroom, neither of them caring that supper grew cold on the table.

Quickly they peeled off clothing, each of them ravenous for the other. Their mouths met and parted again and again over heated skin as they tumbled into the bed. Harry shivered in anticipation, spreading his legs wider as Severus kissed and nibbled his way down his body, then engulfed his throbbing cock with his wet, hot mouth.

He clutched the bedspread tightly, moaning low in his throat as the sinful mouth of his husband slid lower, first laving his balls, then gently sucking them in to caress them with his tongue. Harry hissed in pleasure and dug his heels into the mattress, raising his body to better enjoy the warm bath.

Severus lolled Harry's balls around in his mouth a bit longer, the younger man's obvious pleasure stepping up his own arousal mightily. Harry made such beautiful sounds, but Severus wanted to hear his own name called from those red lips.

Gently he let the soft sac slide from his mouth, running his tongue up Harry's shaft to suck teasingly at the dripping tip before reversing the motion, leaving a wet trail all the way back down to the cleft of his delectable arse. Long fingers spread the way, and Severus' slick tongue began a wicked probing of Harry's twitching entrance.

"Oh!" Harry blurted out and began the incoherent babble that was music to Severus' ears. His own leaking cock beginning to tingle and throb, he scrabbled on the beside table for the lube.

Harry felt Severus' sinuous tongue leave his pucker and whimpered in protest, but he was soon assuaged by a long firm finger slowly making itself known. Another soon joined it, and Harry felt his toes curl. Another, and he was keening loudly, begging Severus to replace them with his hard cock.

"Sev....please! Now! I...I can't...wait anymore!" he wailed, drawing his legs up higher in encouragement. "Just.....fuck me!"

Severus, however, needed no such encouragement and obligingly proceeded to push his dripping shaft into the tight heat of the younger man thrashing so deliciously beneath him.

'Oh God, yes!" Harry sputtered, and Severus had to agree. Yes indeed.

He began to move in long, steady strokes, Harry's eager channel hot and grasping all the way, sheathing himself balls deep each time, until he couldn't tell which if them was moaning louder. Severus reached between them and wrapped his long fingers around Harry's weeping cock, delighting in the scream his love gave as he pumped his hand up and down. Harry was definitely louder now.

Harry wrapped his legs tightly around Severus' back, forcing the head of his tantalising cock to batter his sweet spot even harder, and writhed under the assault, nearly sobbing as he felt his balls tighten. It was sooner than he expected, but he found he didn't mind. His only thoughts now were on his release.

A few more firm pumps to his cock along with the insistent nudging of his nub, and he was spurting hot jets of come between them, his channel spasming wildly around the thick shaft impaling it.

With a long, low moan Severus let go and filled Harry with his own release, straining against him until he was milked of all he had. Harry released the death grip his legs had on him, and Severus leaned foward to kiss his young husband's heaving chest before he carefully pulled out and collapsed onto the bed panting heavily.

Harry turned and curled up to his husband, sighing contentedly as Severus wrapped strong arms around him, and then immediately felt guilty for how he'd treated him.

"I'm sorry, Sev," he said, voice still trembling from the force of orgasm, "to be so....bitchy... to you."

"I am sorry that I disappointed you," Severus said, and Harry felt awful.

"No, Sev..."

Severus tightened his hold on Harry and said firmly, "My behaviour was inexcusable, and it is understandable how it would cause you consternation in regards to my impending fatherhood. But know this, Harry. I want to be a good father. I can be a good father, and I will be. A loving father. I do not want our daughters to grow up fearing me as I feared my own father. I want to have a happy family life. For all of us."

Severus became aware that although Harry had said nothing, his shoulder was growing exceedingly damp. He pulled his husband closer still, kissing the beloved black mop, and murmured, "I promise you, Harry"

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