Deserving (Final Chapter)

A/N Sorry for the delay but too many things going on and in all honesty this was not an easy chapter to write (three rewrites) or to post. I am just asking you to read two more chapters after this one before you form a hanging party.


Chapter 31


Harry could hear them talking downstairs. It took him a minute to figure out who Snape was talking to but by the conversation he was able to determine that it was Neville. He listened from the top of the stairs.

“So you are assuring me he is fine,” came the voice of his husband.

“Professor, I assure you Vincent and his little girl are doing just fine. I am making sure they get plenty of sunlight, something they were lacking, and plenty of food and rest,” assured Neville’s comforting voice.

“You have no idea how much relief your words bring,” said Severus, breathing a sigh of relief. “And the house elf?”

“I had to put him to sleep,” said Neville, sending Harry into shock.

“How long can you keep him in his slumber?” Severus asked, relieving Harry of his prior horror.

“Indefinitely, I just have to make sure to hit him with nutrient spells every other day.”

“Seems harsh on the elf.”

“Professor, it was his idea. He came to me with this plan. I would have not asked this of the defenseless creature. “

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“Professor, you do know that Kreacher would do the same for you.”

“Why would I ask that of Kreacher? As you can see, I am in perfect health,” and deciding to dissipate any misconceptions he added: “My husband makes sure our son and I are well and healthy.”

Harry heard a long silence.


“I see you still don’t have your magic back,” Neville’s voice traveled to Harry.

“I am brewing. My husband has outfitted the cellar for my use,” came the court voice of Severus.

“I wish you would understand how much more you deserve in life.”

“You claim to know what I deserve. What a murderer deserves?”

“A murderer! Professor, when are you going to understand that what you did was a necessary evil? Dumbledore asked that of you.”

Harry could see Snape’s shadow rise.

“Mr. Longbottom, I do appreciate you bringing me good tidings of a former students, but it is late and my husband awaits me.”

“I am sorry if I have said or done something to make you uncomfortable. I just would love to see you understand that you are a great wizard and you deserve the best and nothing less.”

Silence.

“Good night, Professor.

***

Severus walked into the bedroom to find Harry waiting for him.

“You were in your lab late? Did you brew the conception potion?” said Harry, trying to sound casual.

“Yes, Sir, I did earlier today. I was not in my lab. I was talking to Neville,” then considering his next words said: “But you already know that.”

Harry had to admit to himself that it was foolish of him to try to pass one on Snape, but it was too late he had to continue is façade.

“Really? What did he want?”

“He was kind enough to come and assure me that Vincent and his child are fine.”

“And he also came to save you,” added Harry, “They all want to save you from the big bad monster.”

“As I have assured Mr. Longbottom, I am in no need of being rescued.”

Harry opened his hands and Severus walked into the embrace. Severus was not afraid of him. He never feared him.

“So everything is ready for the 31st?”

Severus nodded.

“Would you rather it not be on that day?”

“Sir, I am fine with whatever date you set,” he said from within his husband’s arms.

“Come with me,” Harry said, guiding Severus to the bathroom.

Once there Harry began undressing Snape. “Sir, I can assure you he did not touch me.”

Harry leaned in and kissed him. “Shhh I know. Just do as I say, don’t think,” said Harry as he continued to undress Snape.

Severus found himself standing naked in the middle of the bathroom while Harry got the water to the right temperature, then he proceeded to fill the tub. Severus watched as Harry poured liquid soup that must have had a magical component because the bubbles were growing faster than anything Severus had ever seen. When everything was to Harry’s satisfaction, he turned to Severus and guided him into the bathtub. Harry knelt down beside the tub. Severus didn’t understand what was going on. Why was Harry being so gentle with him? He watched as Harry lathered up a big round sponge and began to bath him limb by limb. Then Harry gathered some more liquid in the palm of his hands and proceeded to rub Snape’s scalp. It felt so good that Severus didn’t notice the water draining out barely reacted with the warm water that came falling from the shower head to rinse him of all the lather. Harry got up and went for the huge, fluffy towel. He guided Severus on his feet and then wrapped him in the towel, drying him from head to toe.

Was this a dream? Severus didn’t know and couldn’t bring himself to care. All he knew was that he was being given the royal treatment and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted. He had no idea how he got to the bed. He saw Harry looking for the lube in the nightstand drawer and went to sit up to get it himself but Harry would have none of it. He was to stay put.

“But you always enjoy it when I prepare for you,” he said in a whisper.

“Tonight is different, I told you, stop worrying, I am in charge,” said Harry, finding the jar of lube and smelling its contents. Harry dipped his fingers in the lube and toyed with it. Did he even know how to apply it? “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said with genuine concern. “I want you to enjoy it.”

Severus’ eyes grew three times their normal size. Enjoy! Did Harry say, ‘enjoy’? Harry was his judge and executioner, why then was he forgetting his duty, his role? Severus went to get up.

“Snape, I told you to stay put!”

“Why are you doing this?” asked Severus with terror written all over his face.

Harry got upset at his husband’s attitude. “I am trying to do something nice for you here and you are acting as if I was about to punish you.”

“But that is your job, to punish me.”

“Yeah well, in case you have forgotten I will be punishing you soon, remember ‘conceived in pain’.”

Yes, Severus remembered, Harry was going to take him dry. It had been ages since he had done so, but that had been his sentence: conceive and give birth in pain. That still did not explain what Harry was doing.

“I want you to have something nice to think about when we are conserving our second child. I thought that if I made it for you tonight you would have a good memory to fall back on. I guess I was just being stupid.”

Severus felt like the lowliest animal on the face of the earth.

“I would not consider your thoughtfulness as stupidity. I am the one who has acted foolishly,” said Severus, draping his hair over his shame.

Harry would never understand why Severus bowed his head before him. Snape was a powerful wizard, even without his wand, he had no need to bow before anyone, but he did. Harry searched behind Severus’ hair and found his chin and lifted it with one finger.

“Now that you know why I am doing it; will you relax and let me do this for you?”

Severus moved his head and captured Harry’s palm with a kiss, then he nodded.

“Well, then help me out here, what would you like?”

The answer wanted to escape Snape’s lips but years of disillusions had taught him better. He bit his lips together.


“Snape, I am asking for help here.”

Severus whispered his answer. “Sorry,” said Harry inclining his ears closer to Snape’s mouth.

“To come in your arms,” was the still too low whisper, but this time Harry was able to hear him.

Harry considered his words. “Is it alright if we achieve that like on our wedding night?”

Severus remembered that night. It had been the beginning of their lives as a family. It brought a warm feeling to his heart. He nodded his consent.

“May I ask one other thing?” asked Severus with what seemed to Harry as a way too timid voice.

“What is it?”

“May I prepare for you? I do enjoy doing so. You always look upon me with desire when I do so.”

Harry smiled and rubbed their cheeks together. Severus wanted to please him. He had really become a good husband and Harry was happy for that. He agreed to the request. Once Severus was ready Harry had him lie on his side and penetrated easily.

“Don’t start touching yourself until I tell you, alright?”

Severus nodded.

Harry began to thrust with gusto until he stopped when he heard a noise that he didn’t know where it was coming from. It took him a minute to figure out that the little mews were coming from Snape. Snape was responding to him. Had he ever done that? The sound that his husband was making was intoxicating and before he knew it he was ready to blow but he remembered his promise.

“Touch yourself; make yourself feel good. Really good,” he whispered into his husband’s ear.

Severus didn’t spare a second he began to bring himself to completion which wasn’t difficult considering that he was already so hard. Severus’ little meows became strong panting. Harry’s head was spinning. He was making Snape feel good. He felt so powerful when all of a sudden he heard it…

“Yes!” cried Snape.

That was more than Harry could take when his whole world exploded. Exploded within his husband. Severus responded by shooting his own load. They both laid there out of breath. Harry whipped out of his wand and cleaned up the mess that Snape had made. It took Snape a second to figure out what Harry had done. He had always been asked to clean up his own mess but tonight his husband took care of everything. That was his last thought as his husband scooped him up, took a deep sniff of his neck and fell asleep. Severus fell asleep with a smile on his face.


***


Two days before Harry’s birthday Severus got the opportunity to prove his commitment to Harry.

“Snape! Snape!” Harry called out as soon as he cleared the floo. “Snape, where are you?”

Harry could hear Snape climbing the steps from his potion lab in the cellar.

“Sir, is there something wrong? I believe you said you were going to work late today,” said Severus taking his working apron off.

“Yeah, we caught the bad guys earlier than we thought. They are all behind bars. I still have to fill out the reports but this couldn’t wait. I had to come show you,” he said, obviously excited about his finding. “Come… sit down,” he said guiding him to the couch were they could sit side by side. “Remember when you said you would do anything to prove that you are committed to our relationship; to our family?”

Severus did not like the way this conversation was going. He could feel something was not right. But he had said he would do anything to prove to Harry that he would never leave and he was not backing off, so he nodded his answer.

Harry smiled, relieved at Snape’s answer. He pulled out a vial out of his pocket. The bottle had a phallic symbol on it and right under that was the recognizable poison symbol consisting of skull and cross bones. Severus’ eyebrow departed as far away from his eye as humanly possible.

“Sir?”

“It’s the castration potion already made. You won’t have to deal with illegal substances.”

Severus did not answer but Harry could see his hesitation and felt a pang in his stomach. Snape would not do it. What in the world every made him think that Snape would make a sacrifice like that for him. Harry was going to drive him away. Sooner or later he was going to do something that would make Snape leave. They all left.


But Severus could see Harry’s thoughts written all over his face and taking a deep breath nodded his consent.

“You’ll do it?” asked a stunned Harry.


Snape took a thick swallow and again nodded his consent.

“You’ll do if for me?”

Severus wished he would give him the potion and get it over with. He felt his will faltering.

Harry smiled up and him and kissed Severus’ forehead then uncorked the potion and put it to Snape’s lips. Snape opened his moth and took the first sip, he knew instantly that something was wrong with the potion.

“Sir, the potion, I do not think it has been brewed correctly. The taste is off and the consistency…”

“Have you ever brewed one?”

“No, Sir, I haven’t but…”

“Look, I am sure it will taste off but I am guessing that a potion like this won’t be easy to swallow.”

Severus feared that Harry would think that he was going back on his word, so he continued to swallow the rest of the potion which he knew immediately that it had been a mistake. His insides began to contort and air was not flowing to his lungs.

“Sir, it is bad; the potion is bad,” he said slipping onto the floor.

Harry followed him to the floor and held him in his arms. “Soon it will all be over, you’ll see.”

Severus looked at him with a drowning expression. He hoped Harry was right, but then: “Husband,” Severus managed to say before passing out.

Kreacher popped into the room and ran to Snape’s side. He looked up at Harry and then down at his dying friend. “Harry Potter will not kill Severus!” said the elf in a demanding voice and pulled out a bezoar and placed it in Severus’ mouth. Just then Millicent and Sly walked in on the scene. They could not believe what they were looking at. Severus was unconscious and Harry was standing above him.

“What is going on?” demanded Sly.

“Harry Potter is wanting to kill Severus. I is not letting Harry Potter do so,” explained Kreacher.

“Harry!” cried Millicent. “How could you?”

What were they on about? Why were they yelling? Why did Kreacher keep on saying the word killing? Harry’s head was spinning.

“I can’t get a pulse,” said Sly try to assess the situation. “Kreacher, take him to Poppy at once!” demanded the Auror. Kreacher did not waste a second and popped out of the sitting area with Severus.
Sly rose to his feet and confronted Harry. “Harry, what is going on? What have you done? How could you want to kill the father of your child?”

Harry’s head was still spinning. Why was Snape not opening his eyes? Where was Snape? He had to go to him. He turned to enter the floo.

“Harry! Where are you going?”

But Harry didn’t stop to answer.

***


Once he reached the hospital wing at Hogwarts things became even more confusing. The place was packed but no one was speaking to him. He could hear things like “he isn’t waking up” and “can you save him?” Severus didn’t need saving. He would soon wake up, a bit changed but alive.

“Madam Pomfrey?” said Harry, trying to stop her from her back and forth sprint.

“Mr. Potter,” she said through gridded teeth, “I would appreciate it if you do not speak to me. I am finding it quite difficult not to cast a curse at you right now. And if I were you I would leave immediately because I do not believe that Minerva will have the same restrain that I am showing.”

“But you must know. He is not ill. He simply took a potion but Kreacher came in and he…”

“Mr. Potter, Severus Snape is at the doors of death. Now if you will excuse me I intend to keep him from crossing that threshold.”

The doors of death? What was she talking about? She couldn’t be serious could she? And for the first time Harry had to consider that Snape was in real danger. His thoughts were interrupted by Minerva who came storming into the infirmary. She took one look at Harry and said: “Why haven’t the Aurors come to detain him?”

“I believe that the fact that he is Harry Potter has brought him some time,” offered Poppy.

Just then Kingsley came rushing in. “Is it true? How is he? Will he survive?”

Minerva turned to look at her friend. She wanted those questions answered also.

“I am trying but in all honesty it does not look good for our friend,” said Poppy, shaking her head.

“Kingsley!!! Why hasn’t he been arrested?” demanded Minerva.

“My Aurors are waiting for the court order. They will be here soon,” responded Kingsley.

“We should have never left him there,” whispered Poppy, looking at Snape’s unanimated body.

“We had no way of predicting the future,” justified Kingsley.

“What, rape and a first murder attempt was not enough of an indicator?” said a sarcastic Headmistress.

“Minerva, you have to admit, that as of late…”

“I don’t have to admit a thing. All I know is that Severus Snape is dying in my castle and his murderer is still standing here free.”

Just then two Aurors came into the room and handed Kings a parchment. Kings read it and nodded his consent but the Aurors were not moving. Were they really expected to capture and detain Harry Potter? Kings saw the fear in his men’s eyes and decided to help.

“Harry you have hereby been charged with the attempted murder of Severus Snape. You are to surrender your wand.”

“He is not dead. This is all a mistake. Snape is going to get up soon you’ll see,” said Harry hoping with all his will that his words were truthful.

But Kings was not budging. He still had his hand extended waiting for Harry’s wand.

“Madam Pomfrey, this is a mistake. Snape is not dying. You’ve got to believe me,” pleaded Harry but the medi-witch turned away.

“Harry, we found the bottle of poison in your sitting room.”

Yes, the bottle… Harry had to admit that it looked bad. He could understand why they believed he had hurt Snape. Snape… He so needed Snape. Snape would know what to do, he always knew how to fix difficult situations. Harry remembered when he had scared Richard by levitating his Papa, but Snape turned it into a game and had Richard giggling in no time. Then there was just the other day when Richard had stormed in to save his Papa and yet again Snape was able to turn it around and make Richard laugh again. Yes, Snape will wake up soon and fix this whole mess.

“I know it looks that way but I assure you it isn’t. It is not poison. You’ve got to believe me.”

“Harry, your wand,” was Kings’ answer.

Harry took out his wand ready for battle, but just then Ron walked in. Walked right up to him and took the wand away from Harry. Then he turned to the other two Aurors: “Take him away.”