You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

25

The restaurant they went to was a few miles north of the city centre in a predominantly Jewish district. The owners greeted Severus effusively then he brought Harry forward and introduced him, “This is my husband, Harry”, to round eyes behind polite greetings. One asked Severus, “Robbing the cradle aren’t we? Is he of age?”, in a low voice. Harry deliberately ignored the purr and the whispered, “Just”, from his beloved. They were led to an alcove and seated, but Harry felt uncomfortable with the scrutiny he received not only from the owners, a pair of perma-tanned over-bleached middle-aged skinny queens but from some of the patrons. He slumped down on his banquette and Severus slid round the table to sit beside him and asked him what was wrong.

“They’re all staring at me and checking me out. I’m easily the youngest here apart from the waiters and I feel like I’m in a cage”. Severus took action and walked over to the reception desk and his two friends, “I may have to leave, Harry is getting freaked out a bit”. They desisted and glared at many other old friends that were dining that night before hitting the clubs, raising an eyebrow at people and the attentions died down.

“Sorry, Harry, I didn’t mean to be the cause of discomfort”. Harry sniggered harshly, “Behave, Severus, you love showing me off, the looks we get ‘cos I’m so young. How long have you known these guys?” Severus hung his head, “My motives are not entirely of an exhibitionistic nature. You are, after all, my spouse, and I wish for you to know my circle of friends. Mario and Anton have been good friends to me and the food here is really something”. Harry relented and allowed himself to be taken into a light embrace and a delicately chaste kiss.

The food made up for the weird atmosphere and Harry enjoyed every mouthful, eating heartily of every course, slurping up oysters or dipping strawberries into melted chocolate and feeding Severus with them and Severus enjoyed his young love’s attentions. They were presented with a gratis half bottle of champagne and they got a little giddy as neither had had alcohol in their systems since the wedding. Harry sighed as he realised the prestige in the gay world of an older man landing such a young lover and marrying him, no less and decided to act up to it.

He was quiet and shrank into the far corner of the seat in the taxi on the way home and they rowed when they got home. “I know it’s a big deal that the lonely Severus has landed himself a fine piece o’ chicken, but do you have to parade me as such? We have a fucking bond, a Magical bond, in case you’d forgotten, and I felt like a piece of meat that everyone was slavering over. I’m married to you, for fuck’s sake and you let your mates all drool. It felt no different to Voldie, except he wants to kill me not fuck me. I felt like your little bottom and I didn’t like it”. Harry flounced off to bed leaving a dumbstruck husband downstairs who sank his head into his hands and brooded on his wrongs.

He switched off all the lights and went to bed to see his love scrunched tight on the far side of the bed. He resisted all attempts at mollification and Severus lay back with a grunt and rolled away, he hadn’t meant for tonight to go in quite the way it did although he was in the mood to show off his love, he couldn’t deny it, but he had reckoned without his own naïveté and the predatoriousness of older gay guys for a bit of young flesh. Sometimes the scene wasn’t so nice.

He rolled over and gathered a pillow in his stomach murmuring Harry’s name and his apology, “Sorry, Harry”, and sank his red face into the pillow. Sometime in the night, warm arms wrapped him up and he woke from a dream where Harry was kissing his neck, to find it was really happening. Somewhere around dawn, he was forgiven, then spread and taken in the roughest fuck Harry had ever given him, the anger working it’s way out of his beloved with each thrust, each bite, each angry invasion into flesh. As they came down, Harry spat softly, “You are mine as much as I am yours”, and released the residual tension in a kiss that stole the breath from both of them and Severus gave himself up to the ferocity before they both slept knowing deep in his heart that he was forgiven.

****

Back at school the NEWTs results were posted on a board in the Entrance Hall and all jostled before it to pick up their marks, but all paused before one set of results, particularly his best friends, but the result was plain to see. Harry Potter had somehow earned Outstanding for Herbology and Astronomy plus a possible Outstanding for Potions and Transfiguration pending the practicals. It was Draco who asked the obvious question, “So does that mean Potter sneaked back into school to sit them?”. To bemused shakes of the head from the New Trio. Ron put it succinctly, “Well, if he did, we knew sod all about it”, and Draco believed him. He had his own ideas about this exile lark and like Steve, had done the Maths. He also strongly suspected that his godfather and Potter were together somewhere and his brain threw up all sorts of suppositions not the least of which was a Potions Master that had knocked up the hero of the wizarding world. If only he knew....

****

The final term was ending and there was no reappearance from either the Potions Master or Harry. They had the leaving feast. It came and went without an appearance from either of them, then the end of year dance where there was considerable licence. The temporary head of Slytherin had volunteered to supervise and much to the celebrants’ delight, she remembered what it was like to be eighteen and leaving school, so she turned a blind eye to the alcohol being passed around. Anyway, it made for hotter action on the dancefloor. She idly watched all the couples. Despite all she knew about the Weasley/Malfoy emnity, she watched with interest as Ron and Draco took the floor and began to move together, bodies following each other’s lead. Ron had a hand in Draco’s lower back as he pressed them together and Draco was impressed that his dance teaching had been so effective as they moved together and he ground against his lover.

She idly watched the two Gryffindor girls, Hermione and Ginny as they joined at the mouth and hips on the floor. She watched Susie Bones lead Hannah Abbott on the floor and they kissed deeply as they danced, then a strong Pansy Parkinson from her own house wound her fingers into Dean Thomas’ hair and they moved in time to the music out on the floor and amazed by their dance moves. The handsome dark haired young man finally revealed his affair as the two rocked and swayed on the floor joined at the mouth and hip to the amazement of Dean’s housemates who hooted and catcalled their encouragement. The heat built.

****

Harry brooded, “Tonight’s my leaving ‘do’”, he sighed, then turned to see the pain on his beloved’s face. “Severus!!!!”, he shouted but his cries were to no avail, Severus creased over again in pain clutching at Harry, then relaxed for a short while. Harry found himself timing the intervals, a small smile on his face, twelve minutes until his lover bowed over his very large belly clutching it tight. Harry gently suggested that his husband dress. Severus grouched, “Why? What for? It bloody hurts, I don’t want to move”. Harry grinned, “’Cos those times are approximately twelve minutes apart and remember what Poppy said to you?”

Severus’ face was a picture, “You mean......? Oh, god, is this the real thing....? Bratling’s on his way?” Harry’s face was bright red as he nodded, “You must have caught during the process as I think I did. We need to get you back to school”. He Summoned Dobby, who ‘popped’ in in seconds. “We need Madam Pomfrey on alert, Dobby. We will portkey in, in about half an hour”. The House-Elf read the urgency in Harry’s voice and Poppy was on full alert as Minerva brought them both in to the private room they had shared before, only this time the circumstances were a bit different. Severus groaned loudly as his early contractions hit him bunching his fists to ride the pain and chewing his knuckles.

He breathed deeply through the bearing down and felt his son change position with each contraction. This stage lasted many hours, but to Severus time was a blur. He hung on to Harry for dear life and Harry was there, holding him back just as fiercely, massaging his back, walking him around, talking deep and intimate things through the bond and the mind. Severus gasped and promised Harry the same level of support when the time came and Harry melted, kissing his beloved full on the mouth, his tongue joining in until Severus drew back, screaming in agony.

Poppy was carefully timing him and when they were close enough together she ordered him to. “Push. Bear down as hard as you can. Push. Take a deep breath first”, she watched the face of her colleague as Harry held him and he gathered breath then pushed for Britain. She beamed, her hands between his spread legs, “Come on, Severus, you can do better than that, one more push and baby’s with us. On my count. One, two, three, PUSH”. He clenched his hands around Harry’s supporting arms making deep nail marks in the skin but he was past caring as the next huge push made his baby appear in the world. Harry was sobbing joyfully into his mind and hair. Severus had one last push to make and his baby was cut free from it’s bodily moorings and took air in the world for the first time. Poppy cut the cord, weighed and wrapped the child, placing it in it’s ‘mother’s’ arms. “Severus Potter-Snape, meet your little girl”. They both looked at each other, “Girl?”, then started to laugh as they looked at their first child. A healthy nine pounds, two ounces, a tonsure of black hair on her head and the buds of her two front teeth already showing, despite the fact she was a fortnight early.

Severus collapsed exhausted into his beloved’s arms holding their daughter and Harry relieved him of the bundle and held her in one arm while he held his exhausted lover in the other, gazing down at his new family. He let the tears flow quite unable to do anything until Poppy came to check on them and wiped them away. She took the sleeping baby out of his amazed arms and laid her in her cradle and Harry had both arms free to wrap around his beloved. “Severus, I’m so proud of you. You have given us a beautiful daughter and I love you so much”. Severus was so tired, he could do nothing but grunt as he slept in Harry’s arms.

****

Ron was the last in a long line of people queuing up for a hangover potion which Poppy was busy doling out. Her lips were pressed thin at the numbers of folk in need. She was going to have a very severe word with Albus over the policing of last night’s shindig.

Ron’s stomach battled between taking the potion and rejecting it so Poppy pushed him onto a nearby bed until the nausea had passed then bustled away from him. He was now the only one left in the Medical wing except the Medi-Witch. As his vision and equilibrium started to return to normal he cast an idle glance at the stocky form of the Matron and what she was about, then he sat up straight as realisation dawned. She was heating a feeding bottle filled with milk in a small pan of water.

“Madam Pomfrey?” he croaked. She whipped her head around to see the boy’s lop-sided grin, “Are you all right, Mr Weasley?” her tone was short. He inclined his head in the direction of the small stove, “They’re here aren’t they?” Her back stiffened, “I don’t know what you mean!”, she snapped. She was very tired having been up half the night with the birth and then dragged out of bed by numerous cries for hangover help this morning so her temper was a little frayed. “Oh, come on, Madam, I was at the wedding, I...er...know they’re both pregnant. Harry and Professor Snape, they’re here?”

She gave him a level stare, “Wait there a moment”, and, taking the pan off the stove, she squirted a little of the milk onto her wrist, perfect, and disappeared into one of the private rooms off the main ward.

Harry was awake with his new daughter in his arms. His husband was still asleep beside him. He looked up as Poppy entered, “Mr Weasley is in the main ward and I’m afraid he saw me prepare this”, she held out the bottle and Harry took it. In a very short time, she opened the room next door and Harry sat on the bed while he fed his daughter and Ron was beckoned over by Poppy who ushered him in, “Don’t stay too long and don’t tell anyone. For their safety, only Albus and Minerva are cognisant at present”. He thanked her and went in.

Harry was lying on his side, a pillow propping his belly, with his daughter beside him happily suckling away. He grinned at his best mate as he entered, “Hi, Ron. If you’re the nearest I have to a brother then meet your niece”. Ron tip-toed into the room and across to the bed peering at the bundle cradled on Harry’s arm as he fed her with the other hand. They both looked in silence then she startled them both. She opened her eyes for the first time and frowned. Harry chuckled, “Just like mum”, and saw the fathomless dark eyes either side of the crease. Ron grinned, “Have you named her yet? Hey, I thought this one was supposed to be a boy?” Harry shrugged and looked back into those trusting dark eyes, “We were wrong. She’s beautiful”, he hesitated before telling Ron about the elevation in their Magic but resisted until he and Severus had talked about it all.

The baby had finished her feed by reaching for the teat and turning her head aside blinking rapidly. Harry gently lifted her up instinctively supporting her head and draped her over his shoulder and stroked her back. She belched like a trooper but didn’t puke, “Another one fond of her food, definitely takes after mum”, Harry quipped as he laid her down again, but looked up to see Ron with his arms spread towards him, “Can I hold her?”, and handed her carefully to his friend. Ron toed his shoes off as she was passed to him and turned folding his legs creating a lap and slid a hand under her head as she was passed to him, “Hello, you, I’m your uncle Ron. Welcome to the world little girl”, and there was a wonder in his face.

A sound from the doorway made both sets of eyes look up. Harry rushed to his husband’s side, “You shouldn’t be up out of bed”, he chided gently. Severus smiled, even while he had to support himself on the door jamb, “I woke up minus a husband and child feeling like I’ve been bludgered to every part of my anatomy. I thought I’d try and find you. Good morning, Mr Weasley”. Harry grinned at his beloved as he took his weight, “Come on, you, back to bed. I’ve fed little’un. She’ll be asleep again soon”, and attempted to steer Severus back in the direction of their room, but the man resisted, “Ron, if you are happy to look after the babe for a short while, then, Harry, I would appreciate some assistance with a shower as I feel all sticky and disgusting”. Ron seemed delighted with this and readily complied and Harry took his lover back to their bathroom.

After combing out Severus’ hair, Harry attired him in a fresh nightshirt and cleaned their bed with his wand and Severus sank back gratefully into sweet smelling bedlinen. Harry went to retrieve his daughter to find Ron rocking her and crooning at her tunelessly over her sleeping form. Harry watched for a while until Ron noticed. They exchanged a smile as Harry took the baby from him, “You want kids one day, don’t you, Ron?” The redhead nodded, “’Course I do, I come from a big family, though given that I’m queer could pose a few problems. Speaking of which, I think Draco has been coming to his own conclusions about your absences, just be careful. I’d best be off now and leave you two to it. Can I tell the girls?” Harry murmured, “Gimme a sec”, and took his daughter next door to his husband and laid her in his waiting arms, “Ron says, can he tell Hermione and Ginny?”. Severus looked near to sleep once more but gave in to the sensuousness of his feelings, “All right, they may visit, but only for a short while and if they coo and giggle excessively then I won’t be responsible for my actions”. Harry told his friend, “Leave it until this afternoon, yeah? Severus needs more sleep”, and, smiling, Ron left the medical wing.

Poppy held all the visitors at bay like a protective she-lion until her charges had awoken naturally and had a little time to come round properly before she announced they had visitors. Albus and Minerva were the first and they congratulated their colleague and Minerva gently lifted the sleeping babe from her cradle with a practiced move and lay the sleeping bundle across her lap. The child flicked her eyes open and blinked a couple of times before settling back into sleep. “She has your eyes, Severus. Have you named her yet?” Both men shook their heads and glanced at each other, they both had ideas but preferred to wait until they were alone to discuss it.

The teacher and the Headmaster had gone a few minutes when another timid knock sounded and Harry crossed to the door, Hermione and Ginny stood there. He hugged them both fiercely and let them in. Hermione instantly sat on the bed while her girlfriend leaned over the cradle. She took a loose hand of Severus’ in hers and looked into his eyes, “How are you feeling, Severus. I bet you feel battered?” and gently tightened her hold on the hand. Severus was surprised by this gesture but warmed by it, he nodded, “Battered inside and out”, and felt tears build in seconds behind his eyes and they fell before he had a chance to close his eyes. Hermione wiped them away, “Don’t cry, no, fuck it, cry if you want to, you’ve just been through the mill, if Molly is to be believed and that lady is an expert after all”. Severus smiled through the tears at this unexpected support, “I’ll never call ladies whingers again when it comes to the issue of childbirth, I feel like I’ve been turned inside out and then some”.

Hermione could feel her own tears rise so squeezed then relinquished the hand and went and stood over the cradle, an arm snaking around her girlfriend. “Harry, what colour are her eyes, or are they open yet?” Harry chuckled, curling up with his husband, “She’s got Severus’ eyes”, then kissed his beloved’s temple and threaded his arm around the drooping shoulders, “I think someone needs to be asleep here”, and the girls caught the signal straightening to leave. Hermione wished them good luck, but Ginny stood there, her hands on her hips, “Severus Potter-Snape, you do realise that any child of Harry’s is automatically a member of the Weasley clan as the adopted son, don’t you?”, she smirked.

Severus looked up, tear tracks still evident. “I can think of no more worthy a clan that I would like to be a member of, that is, if your mother will have me. Your father and I have a cordial enough relationship, but I confess”, he hesitated a moment, “To being shit-scared of your mother. A truly formidable lady”. To a bubble of laughter from the other three, but Severus saw the beginnings of extended family in his future. From lonely early middle-aged man to the catapulting into a maelstrom of this mysterious thing called ‘family’. It was bound to get on his nerves from time to time, he was an intensely private man, after all, but as the tentative skeins of familial love wove around him and included him, he felt a jolt of extreme peace start to insinuate itself into his soul and felt another barrier shatter somewhere in his heart. Two Weasleys down, only millions more left.

After the girls had left, Severus collapsed against the bedhead and sighed aloud. Harry gathered him up and held him, “Just me and you now, lover. Snuggle down and sleep. I’ll hold you”, and his husband complied but reached for his Harry before the soft blackness descended and kissed him all tongue and passion then made a grunt of apology as the world receded again.

When Poppy next looked into the room it was to find all three of her charges deeply asleep, the baby in her cradle and Harry cradling his husband’s upper body in his arms, the black-haired head against his chest, his mouth buried in his hair. She dowsed all three for problems but they were all fine. She looked on them for a while longer, noting, despite his tiredness, that Severus had an arm looped protectively across Harry’s belly. She grinned and backed out of the room.