How Severus Spends His Summer Hols

DISCLAIMER: JKR owns everything that is in reference to the Harry Potter world if it is in one of my works of fiction. If it is not found in one of her creations, then it is mine unless otherwise stated. I am not making any profit from the writing of this story.


Harry laughed as Ron mimicked Max with a surprised.


“Huh?” not two seconds after the first one. Both of the red haired men looked at the couple with their mouths dropped and their eyes opened wide. Hermione looked dumbfounded as well, however Allie just grinned back at Harry happily.


“Tomorrow mate, you’re getting married tomorrow?” Ron asked as he was the first to recover his composure.
Harry nodded and then replied, “We have to. Severus’ grandmother is pretty upset with him, this will make it better.”


“Wait, this is Severus’ family? His real family?” Hermione asked, she was getting more and more confused as the moments passed and she hated it when things just didn’t make sense to her. She looked around the room she was seated in and then looked closely at Maggie Rainwalker and then back at Severus, shaking her head.


Harry could feel the anger coming off of Severus in waves, the man was furious at having the family that took him in under the scrutiny of a former student, regardless of how talented she’d been in his classroom. He was trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation when things got even worse.


“You aren’t moving here, are you Harry?” she asked not thinking of how the question sounded to everyone around her. She honestly meant no disrespect by it, she was merely curious.


“Mrs. Weasley,” Severus growled as he scowled at her in fury, “I will appreciate you to apologize and then leave. You may aparate from behind the house back to the camp and then port key home. Your welcome is over.”


Ron gaped at his wife, he couldn’t believe what she’d said or the fact she’d said it in the first place. He stood and took her arm to escort her out the door.


“You have my apologies Professor; I don’t know what’s gotten into her.” Ron said sincerely as he faced the furious man and his soon to be husband. Hermione pulled away from him and started toward Harry who was pulled behind Severus. “Come on Mione, we need to go now. Enough has been said.”


The witch stood her ground and crossed her arms, staring at Severus and Harry. The rest of the room was quiet, they were clueless as to exactly what they should do or say to curb whatever was going to happen. Max just hoped he wasn’t going to have to heal anyone of any life threatening curses, but as he looked at his best friend’s face, he rather doubted that was going to be the case.


“What Harry, what did I do?” she demanded as she tried to go around Severus and was hauled back by Ron.
“Outside Hermione, now.” Harry barked as he stepped from behind the older man and grabbed her arm, dragging her out into the heat. Once outside, he turned to face her, his face set in one of the angriest expressions she’d ever seen on him.


“How could you say that about those people? They adopted Sev, Hermione, they accepted him and you are looking down on them.” He nearly shouted as he leaned in close and got into her face. He was almost as furious as Severus, this woman that he’d considered a friend had insulted the family he was about to become part of.


“What are you talking about Harry? I didn’t insult anyone. I just asked if they were his family, I didn’t know, I thought all of his family was in Ireland.” She spat back, not believing that they had thought she was being small minded, if anyone should have known better, it should’ve been Harry. She didn’t make fun of people. Well, unless they were Draco Malfoy and then they were fair game as far as she was concerned.
“What about the crack you made about us moving here?” Harry demanded, still trying to keep the head of fury he had built up. He could sense, rather than see the faces at the windows watching.


“Harry, you idiot, do you know why I asked that?” Hermione asked, throwing her hands up in the air, clearly exasperated with him by this point. “I asked because of the different magic and practices used here, I didn’t know how your power would be affected, that’s all Harry. You know I would never make fun of how people live.”


With that the young woman sank down and sat on the bottom step of the porch, her head in her hands crying softly because people had jumped to conclusion at her questions. Yes, she should have had more tact, but when she was after answers she didn’t always remember her manners. Harry sat down beside her after a moment and put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a hug.


“I’ll go talk to him Mione, he’s just wound up because of tomorrow and we just had our heads handed to us by his grandmother.” Harry said, all traces of anger gone from his voice. They sat there in silence for awhile before she spoke.


“They adopted him? When? He seems so at home here, so happy. I’ve never seen him happy before.” She said as she ran her fingers through the fur of the collie that apparently lived under the porch and who had decided to come out to visit.


“Yeah, he’s been coming to the States since our first year at Hogwarts. He told me it helped to keep him sane with me in his life, you know I believe him.” Harry tried to explain and went on. “From what I understand, he was pretty well adopted ten years ago into the Rainwalker family. Grant and Damon can’t have children for some reason and they took a shine to Sev.


“He is happy here Mione, I’ve never seen him happier then when we’ve been here in the States. Bloody hell, I’m happier here than I ever was at school. Do you know what it is like to be with someone and have to hide your feelings incase someone finds out and fires you?”


Hermione looked up at Harry and shook her head, she knew things had not been easy for the couple, but she’d really not given it much thought, now she wished she had of.


“It’s awful Mione, there were times I wanted to stand up at the Head Table and shout out that I love the man sitting in there, that I wanted to spend my life with him, spend it sitting at his feet if those were his wishes.”


“Oh Harry, I didn’t know. It’s better here?”


Harry nodded and then answered.


“Everyone tells me that where we are going to be living is very tolerant. Echo is like Hogsmeade, mixed in every way and no one really cares. You have no idea what it will be like to finally be able to walk down the street and hold my husband’s hand, to let him kiss me as I walk out of his shop at lunch. To not have to hide my belly under concealment charms as I get bigger, I can be pregnant Harry there, and no one is going to care. No one will bother our children because of who we once were, no one cares here, Mione, this is freedom for us.”


She listened to her friend of many years and she felt her heart breaking as she heard the hurt in his voice of things he’d had to go through simply for loving another man. She knew he was right, they would never find the peace they wanted and so rightly deserved back in Great Britain. She didn’t have to think anymore on what she’d tell Dumbledore, Harry was happy and that was good enough for her. Now she just had to do right by his surly mate.


“I need to go apologize to Severus,” she said as she stood up and brushed the dust off the seat of her pants, “I have to make him understand that that is not what I meant.”


A velvety dark voice spoke from behind them, causing her to jump and Harry to raise his head and smile.


“That won’t be necessary Hermione.” Severus said as he pushed the door further open and stepped out onto the porch. “I heard enough of what was said. Your apology is accepted.”


“I really am sorry I sounded the way I did Professor, it was never meant like that.” She said sincerely as she took his outstretched hand and felt his long fingers close over hers and squeeze once in acceptance.


He then reached down and took the hand of his Harry and helped him to his feet carefully, pulling him into his arms to kiss him once he was safely up.


“Hello love,” Harry murmured as he let himself be held there in the South Dakota sunshine, feeling the heat as it warmed his body.


“We have a little problem Harry,” Severus said as he pulled the younger man away to look down at him.


“What is it?” Harry asked, biting his lower lip, somehow he’d just known things were too good to be true. He was never going to be allowed the same happiness others seemed to be blessed with, he briefly wondered exactly who he needed to make a human sacrifice to in order for his life to run smoothly for once.


“It isn’t a big problem, don’t look all frantic, love,” he soothed as Ron came out to join them on the porch. Hermione stood close to him and let him hold her hand in his. Harry just sighed and hung his head, waiting for the axe to fall.


“We need someone to stand up as your family is all, Harry. See I told you it was nothing awful. We can get Max and Allie to do it, no problem,” Severus said with a small chuckle as he lifted Harry’s chin and kissed him softly. Harry looked at him, a perplexed expression on his face, he didn’t understand why Ron and Hermione couldn’t do it, they’d known him longer.


“What about Ron and Hermione, Sev?” he asked, he really didn’t know why Sev wanted the other couple, if anywhere, they should be with his family.


“We’ll be happy to Severus,” Ron said as he glanced at Hermione and saw her nod her head in approval.


Severus only looked at Harry, if there were only one time in his life that the younger man would be able to read his mind, Severus really wished it were right now.


“See Sev, Ron and Mione will stand up for me, they’ve known me as long as you have.” Harry said happily, not catching the look in his mate’s eyes and apparently not reading the man’s thoughts. Harry looked at him again and noticed the slightly pained expression and started to get irritated.


“What’s the problem Sev?” Harry asked, his voice just a little on the waspish side, he was not in the mood for Severus to decide that Gryffindors couldn’t be part of the ceremonies. In response the older man pulled Harry away from the porch and back over to the truck, what he had to say, he wanted to say privately first.


Harry glared up at the raven haired man and put his hands on his hips, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes glinting. He was ready for a fight. Severus just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.


“Do not forget yourself Harry, I have absolutely no compunctions about putting you over my knee here and now for your cheek. Harry hastily rearranged his stance and looked down contritely.


“Sorry Sir, but what is the problem with them doing this for me? I don’t understand.”


“Harry, I don’t care if they stand up for you, I know you are close. The problem is a more mundane one, it is one of money. As your family, they are expected to gift my family and help cover the costs of the wedding, just as my family is expected to do the same for yours. The Rainwalker clan is huge and no one can be left out lest it be considered a grave insult from you.” The older man explained gently. Harry stood there in growing horror, his friends didn’t have that kind of money. “I do not want your friends to be bankrupt over this Harry, it is unfair to ask them to do it.”


Harry shook his head in agreement, he’d had no idea that this was part of it. They turned and went back to the couple waiting on the porch. Ron’s face was getting redder as he thought of why Severus wouldn’t want him to stand up for his friend.


“A Weasley not good enough Snape?” he asked hotly as they returned.


“Stop it Ron, that isn’t it at all,” Harry said with a sigh, “it’s a matter of money. As my family, you’d have to provide gifts for a lot of people in Sev’s family and they would provide them for you. He just doesn’t want this to be a burden on you both.”


“Trust me Ron. I can think of no one that has anymore right to stand up for my Harry than the two of you, but as Harry said, it is a financial issue.” Severus said as well, he didn’t there to be bad blood on the eve of his wedding.


“It doesn’t matter Professor, we are still standing up for Harry, just tell me how much and what we have to do,” Ron said defiantly, he was not going to let his best friend down in this, they were family. He didn’t notice as Hermione simply closed her eyes and nodded. Inside she was thinking she’d married a moron, but they would find a way to make this work, it was for Harry after all and he’d paid for much of their honeymoon.


Severus only shook his head and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘foolish Gryffindors’.