Eyes

Previously:

The Headmaster tapped his fingers together and closed his eyes as he thought. Minutes dragged on in pure silence. Snape and Harry glanced at each other, both getting nervous. The prolonged silence worried Harry, creating thoughts along the lines of 'What's gonna happen?' and 'No matter what having and loving Severus was worth it.'

At last Dumbledore cleared his throat and lowered his hands into his lap, leaning back in his chair. “I've made my decision.” 

~X~

Harry swallowed hard. Now was the moment. His heart pounded as Dumbledore drew out the silence, allowing nearly a full minute before he finally answered.

“It is very seldom that a student and a teacher attempt a relationship. There are very few cases that I know of and I believe only one other during my time here at Hogwarts, as a teacher and student. In that case their love became known among the entire student body and it was eventually brought to the Ministry of Magic. I believe the decision the Ministry made in that case will be the same that I will make now.”

Harry looked at Snape and back to Dumbledore. “What was the decision?”

“The couple was allowed to stay together on one condition.”

Snape raised his eyebrow at Dumbledore's reticence to talk. “And what was that condition Headmaster?”

“The couple had to be married if they wished to stay together.”

Harry and Snape looked at each other. Snape's eyes held a smile but he didn't allow it to travel to the rest of his face.

Harry looked deeply into his lover's eyes and smiled. He mumbled “Is that all?”

“The ceremony would of course be held here in my office and there would be whomever you would like to be here. I would officiate the ceremony myself, although the marriage would only last until Harry finishes school. I just have one condition to add to this as well.”

“And what would that be?” Harry asked.

“Who else knows of this relationship?” Dumbledore asked looking between the two of them.

“Just Ron and Hermione outside the three of us.” Harry answered promptly.

“Are you sure?” Dumbledore questioned and Harry nodded.

They both looked at Snape and he replied, “I haven't told anyone.”

Dumbledore nodded and continued. “That's fine then. My condition is that no one else finds out about you two. You may continue on however and whenever you wish, just so long as it does not interfere with anything that may be of more importance. I believe you kept your trysts a secret under the guise of Potions Tutoring, was it not?” Harry and Snape both gave a curt nod. “Indeed, then that is how you shall keep it. How do you feel about the proposition?”

Harry could hardly think. He was given the option to keep seeing Severus only if he married him. It'd only last until he was done with school, but did he really want to take that leap? Did Severus want to take that leap? Were they really that much in love?

Snape hesitated to answer just as he had. It was a big decision to make whether it was permanent or not. Finally Harry had to say something. “Professor, do you know if the student and teacher stayed together after the student was out of school?”

Dumbledore glanced down at his desk and seemed lost in a reverie before he finally came back to the room and answered, “Yes, as I understand it, they lived together a good number of years afterward. He eventually died, natural causes of course. She followed him just a few short years later of a broken heart.”

Harry had made his decision with Dumbledore's answer. He turned to his love. “Severus, I want to do it.”

Snape looked at him. “Are you positive?

“Absolutely. I've made up my mind and that's not going to change.”

Snape knew that Harry wasn't lying. “Have I told you that you're just as stubborn as your father?” He quirked his eyebrow and smiled tenderly. Turning to face Dumbledore with a decision that was one of the biggest of his life he answered the Headmaster's question. “I accept as well.” From the corner of his eye he saw Harry's face light up like it was Christmas morning. He smiled to himself. He could keep his love and be even closer now.

“You are both free to leave then. Please let me know when you wish to have the ceremony.” Dumbledore waved his hand and they both stood and left. When both men were gone from the room he sighed heavily and looked at the seat that Harry had occupied. The boy was the last person he thought that might have of ever happened to. Not that he really thought it would happen to any of his students. There was after all, a reason all the teachers were over a certain age.

~X~

Harry and Snape made it to the bottom of the staircase. Harry checked the corridor to make sure that no one was within sight and once completely clearing it, leaned up on his toes and kiss his fiance.

His fiance...

That made what he had to do all the more important.

“I have to go talk to Ron. He was upset when he found out and I think he might have been the one to tell Dumbledore about us.”

Snape nodded and Harry turned in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. He got halfway down the hall when he stopped to look back to see if Snape had gone his own direction and was surprised to see him still standing at the bottom of the staircase. He blew the older man a quick kiss, waved goodbye for the night and started off towards the common room one more time.

Within minutes he was back in the large, fire lit room and setting his things on the table across from where Hermione and Ron sat once more. It was late by now and there were only a few other students left on the couches so he knew that they could talk here without anyone overhearing anything.

Hermione looked up at the sound of Harry's books hitting the table. “Harry, what took you so long?”

“He hasn't told you then?” Harry looked a little surprised and he tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Who hasn't told her what?” Ron asked sounding confused.

“Don't play stupid Ron. I know you told Dumbledore.” He kept his voice quiet fighting every urge he had to yell.

“Tell Dumbledore what Harry?” Now Hermione was confused too.

“Dumbledore found out about Severus and me.” Harry looked at the both of them, mouth set in a firm line.

“What? Well what did he say?” Hermione sounded worried. Harry seemed to be really upset.

Harry swallowed and continued looking down at the table quick before continuing. “Severus and I are getting married. It'll last until I'm out of school. No one but the three of us, Sev, and Dumbledore will know about it though. Firstly though, tell me why you told Ron. I know I pissed you off by not telling you what was going on, but why?” Harry looked at Ron straight in the eyes.

Ron looked back with confusion still clouding his face.

“Harry, Ron's been with me since we left the Room of Requirement. We came right back here and neither of us have left since then.” Hermione answered with confusion and a hint of curiosity on her face.

Harry looked at both of them. “Neither of you have left? Then who told Dumbledore?”

This wasn't just a mystery, it was a possible problem. There was someone else out there that knew Severus and Harry were together. Harry had a feeling start to settle in the bottom of his stomach that told him worse things were soon to come.