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.


Ridell left the Snapes and Velden to go file whatever it was he felt he needed to file in triplicate. Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the cop walked out the door.

“I truly truly detest that man.” Severus said as he picked up his own cup of coffee and sipped at the bitter liquid, putting it down as soon as he realized it was ice cold.

“Would someone please explain to me what the hell just happened here?” Harry asked as he reached out and reheated his husband’s cup without thinking and then looked down at his empty plate. Severus shook his head and wiped his face with one hand.

“I never wanted you to know about this Harry.” He began, Jo gave him a grin, and she knew the brat he’d been. Instead of staying to listen, she turned to one side to call Damon and Max to come join them.

“Tell me Husband, please.” Harry said simply and motioned at Severus’ toast. The older man just put it on his plate.

“I’ve been in a bit of trouble here Harry. They were all just very minor things, nothing magical at all.” Severus began and then stopped; he really wasn’t sure how to explain this to man sitting across from him. That coming here, going on a drunk and getting into fights had been stress relief from dealing with him during the school year. Well, and the trips usually occurred after he’d had an audience with his father and he had plenty of aggression to burn off.

“What was the worst Severus?” Harry asked covering his toast in jam before stuffing it into his mouth. Good grief he thought, I’ve become an eating machine. Sev was quiet momentarily, thinking and then answered.

“I broke a man’s arm and dislocated his shoulder several years ago during a fight.”

“You did this without using magic, right?” Harry asked as he watched him.

Severus nodded. “Anytime I even thought I might be drinking, I turned my wand over to Damon and had him perform a binding spell on my magic so I wouldn’t be able to use uncontrolled wandless magic while I was in my cups.”

“There’s a law against magic use here?” Harry asked. He really had no idea about things here. This was a crash course for him. Severus shook his head.

“No love, it’s like Ridell was saying. I belong, or belonged rather to a known terrorist group. The government here has always watched me very closely, if I started hexing people as I were wont to do, I’d have been removed from the country and barred re-entry after the first week I was here.” He smirked and Harry rolled his eyes. That had sounded like the Severus he loved so much.

“Can they keep us from moving here?” Harry asked quietly as he looked at both Severus and Jo, the pair looked at each other for a moment and then she answered.

“They can try to prevent you from relocating if Severus gives them a reason to consider him a danger. Hence the tracking bracelet, it will automatically record any spell he casts and transmit it to a central processing center for record and review.” She explained. Harry’s eyes got wide and then he grinned at his husband.

“What do you find so amusing, brat?” Severus mock growled at him as the waitress refilled his cup. As soon as she’d walked out of hearing range, Harry started laughing.

“I am so glad we don’t use lubricating charms…” he giggled. He really didn’t relish the idea of some goon getting his jollies from the mental image of Severus making love to his husband if they used a spell like that. Severus laughed and Jo looked scandalized at Harry’s comment.

“I didn’t need to hear that Harry.” She said, her nose crinkled in distaste. Severus only laughed louder and waggled his fingers at her. Harry just smiled innocently at them both.

“So they don’t care if he does everyday spells or things to do with potions?” Harry asked as Jo finally looked away from the long slender fingers of his mate. Forcing herself to look at the younger man, she answered.

“Correct Harry. They are only concerned with Dark Magic, or anything that could be used in a terrorist activity. Severus will however need to have another sponsor in addition to the couple that will represent you both. I’ve already taken the liberty of asking Damon and Max to join us here to talk.”

Harry cocked his head to one side and looked at her curiously; he didn’t understand why their friends needed to be here. Were they going to be their sponsors? He thought they were going to court for that in a couple of weeks. This was all too confusing, best let the adults handle it. Bugger, he was one of them now. He sighed softly.

“What is it Harry?” Severus asked as he heard his husband sigh. Looking at him, he found one very perplexed young man.

“Why are Damon and Max coming?”

“Severus has to have sponsorship papers signed within twenty four hours of asking for asylum. This will be temporary until we go to court to make things more permanent.” Jo explained as she held up the forms she needed signed.

“What does a sponsor have to do with things?” Harry asked.

“In Severus’ case, his sponsors will put up a substantial bond to ensure that if he causes trouble that legal fees will be taken care of.” She explained further as the desperado in question merely rolled his eyes and smirked.

“Normally things progress much slower Harry, but Severus has asked for political asylum citing concerns for his safety if he were to return to the British Isles, so things must move quickly so Ridell has no chance to try to deport him on a trumped up charge of whatever he thinks might stick.”

Harry nodded as it became as clear as mud, but he did get the general idea. His husband was not well liked by the local law enforcement and apparently not by their new country’s government either, he could sympathize a bit though, it had taken him nearly seven years to not want to hex the git on sight.

“So after they sign whatever, we can leave? Go to Echo, I mean?” Harry asked, he was anxious to find their home and move in.

“Maybe Harry, it depends on what kind of bond is put up, but you should be able to go today or tomorrow.”

Severus smiled at his husband, proud of the way he’d handled himself with that self righteous prig, Ridell. Oh how he’d wanted to tear the man’s throat out for looking at his Harry like that, and then when he had the nerve to put his hand on him, that had been the final straw. He turned and looked at his friend of several years and was once again very glad he’d stopped that day in the pouring rain and fixed her flat tyre.

“Thank you Jo. I suppose we should have come to you when we first decided to stay, but with everything going on, it slipped to the back of my mind.” Severus said. Harry had begun to fidget a bit in his chair, looking around the diner and the patrons.

“Harry, do you need to move around a bit and stretch your legs?” Severus asked as his little one looked at him with a grateful smile of thanks.

“Thank you Husband, may I go walk Asphodel and Bezoar?”

Severus turned in his seat and looked over the car park and searched for the cruiser Ridell drove, not seeing it he nodded to Harry.

“Stay in the front of the building Harry, and if a police car of any sort comes into the car park, you come in here to me straight away, bring the pups if you have to. Am I understood?” Severus said as Harry rose from his chair and took the keys from Severus to unlock the door on the truck.

“Good idea Sev, that man has his eye on Harry. I’ll send Luke out with him.” Jo said as she motioned over to where she had been sitting and a tall blond man came to her side immediately.

“Luke, this is Harry, I want you to go outside with him while he walks his puppies. Just stay to one side and make sure no one bothers him.” She instructed him. The blonde’s eyes moved up to where Harry stood and took him in. He nodded once.

“Sure Ma’am, no one will bother him. If someone comes, just bring him back in?” he asked.

“That’s right Luke, thank you dear.” Jo said with a smile and patted the big man’s arm gently as he left her side to escort Harry out to the truck. Harry stood still for a minute and looked at Severus; he didn’t know this guy from a can of paint. Severus nodded and smiled, he knew Luke could be trusted with Harry’s safety.

“It’s okay Harry. Luke’s a good man. He’ll make sure no one bothers you.” He said reassuringly and gave Harry a gentle push towards the door.

As soon as the two submissives were out of the diner, the two began to talk about the legalities of what Severus’ past would mean to their move.

“How bad is it going to be?” He asked quietly.

“It could get really ugly Sev, I won’t lie to you.”

“Can they bar me from moving?” he sighed as he glanced out the window and saw Max, Damon, and Grant standing outside talking to Harry and Luke.

“They may try. The fact that it is documented that you were acting as a spy for the Order is going to be something I am going to be playing heavily on in court.” She said as she took out a notebook from her handbag and started taking notes.

“Jo…thank you again.” Severus said as he reached out and covered her hand with his own and gave it a squeeze. He couldn’t think of anyone else he’d trust with his defense more than her. She flashed him a smile and squeezed his hand back. He’d been there for her a time or two as well and what were friends for after all?

“I am going to try to argue them down to leaving the bracelet on for only eighteen months instead of the normal five years. You have been a respected professional for the last twenty some years and a war hero, so I will use that to our advantage as well.”

“Well then teaching the little blighters was good for something then.” He snarked and then sat up to greet his friends as they joined them at the table. Max and Damon sat as Grant went for the waitress and Jo began to pull more papers out of her handbag.

“Hey Sev, Jo explained a little bit to us when she called. Allie and I will be sponsoring you both while Damon and Grant will sponsor you.” Max said as he picked up his friend’s coffee and drank as he waited to order.

Severus sighed in frustration and embarrassment; he hated to have to rely on anyone to help him. Grant joined them then with the waitress and they quickly ordered so they could begin talking.

“What do you need from us?” Damon asked as he stirred sugar into his cup and picked up the paper he was given.

“Severus will need a two hundred thousand dollar bond of some sort held in trust for the next five years in case he should have to be deported or end up in jail.” She explained. Severus hung his head and just muttered under his breath while Damon and Grant just looked at one another and nodded.

“Property work?” Damon asked brusquely as he reached for a pen. Severus’ head shot up at the sound of the old man’s voice.

“No way Damon, you can’t do that.”

“Hush up boy.” He said and looked back at the witch expectantly.

“Property will work if it is owned free and clear with no liens against it.” She replied. Grant nodded and sat back, resting one hand over his husband’s.

“The bar’s been appraised at two hundred and twenty thousand, will that work?” Grant asked as he looked at the paper Damon had sat in front of him, his husband was not about to admit he’d forgotten his reading glasses.

“No Damon, you can’t put the bar up, I won’t let you.” Severus said as he stood up shaking his head, “It’s too much to ask of anyone to do for me.” Grant didn’t even bother to look up.

“Sit down and shut up, we are not finished here. Mind your manners.” He said calmly as he went over the paper work, a smile curving over his lips as he heard Severus sit back down.

“So as long as there are no legal problems incurred by Severus, the property reverts back to the original owners at the end of the time period?” he asked as he sipped his husband’s coffee.

“That’s right. Also, it is set up so that at any time, you may go in and exchange the property for cash value in your name. So if Severus had that amount of money on hand, he could give it to you and you could get the title to your property back by putting up the cash instead.” She explained. She’d had a feeling that this was going to be a bitter pill for her friend to swallow, but he had a good support network and they’d help him.

“I can do that?” Severus asked a bit more mollified at that bit of information, at least then he wouldn’t feel quite so much a charity case. First though, he’d have to see to his funds in Gringotts. Jo nodded that he could and he relaxed a bit in his chair.

“Where do I sign then?” Damon asked as Grant handed the paper back to him. The couple had not even had to talk about signing over the deed to the bar they had owned for the past twenty years, not if it was going to help keep Sev in the country.

Jo reached over and placed her finger by the line where he would sign and his husband would sign next to him. Max signed next as a witness and then the paper disappeared in a puff of smoke and she turned to Max.

“From you and Allie, we’ll need a bond of one hundred thousand for the both of them, not due until we are in court on the ninth of September. At that time you will be given the same paperwork to look over and sign and the same instructions.”

“Not a problem Jo, we’ll be there.” Max said as he leaned forward on his elbows and nudged Severus with the back of his hand. “It’ll be alright man, don’t worry about it. This is why you have family.”

Severus shook his head, still amazed people were willing to go to this trouble for him. He looked at Grant and Damon and tried to speak.

“I haven’t the words to say how much I thank you both for what you’ve done for me. The trust you’ve placed in me takes my breath away. I give you my wizard’s oath not to disappoint either one of you.” He said humbly and bowed his head. “Max, you are my best friend. You know I would do the same for you in a heartbeat. The fact you’ve done this for my family will never be forgotten and can never be repaid. I will always be in your debt.”

The three men looked at each other and then looked at a very subdued and somewhat humbled Severus Snape and then Damon spoke for them.

“Boy, do you think we are letting you out of our lives that easy now that you finally have your shit together? Besides, we have another grandchild coming to spoil and Grant doesn’t port key any where and I don’t fly, so Harry has to stay.”

Severus laughed at that and at the mention of his husband’s name he looked up and out the window to see the man in question putting the puppies back in the truck and then turning to come back in to the diner to join him. Luke was standing dutifully to one side looking over him as he’d been told.

“So do we need to do anything else right now?” Grant asked as he finished up his piece of pie and pushed his plate back. Jo shuffled through her papers and shook her head.

“No, I’m all done here, the paperworks been filed and now we wait to hear back from the magistrate on duty. So everyone enjoy your day. Sev, you and Harry need to stay in town, okay?” She said as she stood up after Luke pulled out her chair.

“No problem, I need a nap after all this.” Severus said as he yawned and stretched, dropping one arm down over Harry’s shoulders and then turning them both to walk out the door.

“See you all later, we’re going to bed.” He called over his shoulder as he got the change from the bill and opened the door for his husband. He looked down at Harry and smiled.

“Come on brat, let’s go back to camp for awhile.”