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.

After leaving the healer’s office, the couple went immediately to the realtor’s to wade through a veritable mountain of paperwork before they could claim the Overlook as their own.

Kat Snowe, one of three realtors in Echo, had been working with Severus Snape over the past three summers to find a suitable property for him to retire from his teaching position. She was happy to see that the man was finally settling down here in town and seemingly happily married to a nice young man. Once upon a time perhaps, maybe briefly, she had entertained the notion of pursuing Severus Snape on a romantic level, but that notion had quickly been dashed to the rocks when she had come upon the handsome Brit locked in an embrace with the middle Parker boy from over on Pine Mountain.

With a smile and an inward sigh she passed over the last document for the couple to sign. It never failed, the good ones were married or gay, she really had to get out of Echo. Harry gave the woman one of the warmest smiles she’d had been given in a long time and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Miss Snowe, when may we move in?” Harry asked as he sat on the edge of his chair and wiggled. He reminded her so much of a schoolboy, she wondered how much of an age difference there was between them. Severus quietly put one hand over the younger man’s and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Harry, there is a lot of work that has to be done before it will be livable. We will be staying with Grant and Damon for a few more weeks yet,” he said with a patient smile, he knew his husband was anxious to move into their new home.

“Severus is right Harry, you will receive the keys today, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to live there yet,” she agreed as she took the keys to the house out of her desk drawer and placed them in front of the couple. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw his face fall a bit as he took the news that he couldn’t move in immediately.

Severus looked up from signing what had to be the hundredth form and watched Harry as he rocked in his seat. Smiling to himself, he decided that maybe they’d go pick furniture out today.

“Is this the end of it Kat? Do I need to sign anything else?” he asked as he passed everything back over to her to glance through. After a quick perusal, she smiled and stood.

“Enjoy your new home here with us in Echo, gentleman, I hope that you find it a wonderful community,” she said with a smile and stuck her hand out to shake their hands. She couldn’t help but laugh as the younger man of the couple all but dragged the older man out after reminding him about a chili dog.

In the truck the older man turned to Harry and held his hand tightly as he leaned over and kissed him. Harry positively beamed at his husband with happiness. They had their own home now, one they could start to fill with children and friends.

“Would you like to go pick out paint and wallpaper today, Harry?” Severus asked as he started the truck and pulled out of the parking space.

“I’d love to, but I would like to have something to eat first please Husband,” Harry said as he placed one hand over his tummy. He was taking Max’s advice seriously, he had a lot of weight to gain for this baby, and he needed to take better care of himself. Severus only nodded as he steered the big truck down the street and pulled it into a space in front of the grocery.

“I agree that you need to eat Harry, but something besides a chilidog. Let’s go find you something proper to snack on and I’m going to set up an account for us so that you can just call in our groceries to be delivered,” he said as he opened the door and helped his young husband out the door as well.

Once in the market, Severus sent Harry off to find some healthy snacks while he took care of business. He sought out the manager and in a few short minutes he had a monthly account set up for Harry and himself along with delivery service for the Overlook. All they needed to complete the process now was Harry’s signature on the card. Smiling as he saw his husband come up to the counter, Severus made note of what was in the other man’s basket. Handing him the card with instructions to sign it, he went through the items himself. Some fruit, bagels, milk, juice, and cheese cubes, all good choices he thought.

“Nice doing business with you, Mister and Mister Snape,” the manager said jovially as the purchase was paid for and the record was entered into the books for future reference. With a wave they were out the door and back in the truck, headed out of town to their new home to get measurements for furniture shopping and ideas for paint and wallpapering.

Harry once again noted the distance from civilization that they were traveling as they turned onto Copperhead Road and made their way down the treacherous track leading to the house. Swallowing the last of his juice he decided to speak to his husband about his worries.

“Severus, how far are we from town?” he asked quietly as he looked out his window and noticed that some of the trees were beginning to put on their fall colours. He nervously bit his lip and waited, smiling as he felt the comforting hand of his husband’s over his own.

“We are twelve miles out of town Harry, why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering how I was supposed to go do things…I mean if I were to be allowed to do things Sir,” he added quickly as he glanced up at the older man. They came to the small stream and Severus concentrated as he navigated the low water crossing and drove up the other bank.

“I was thinking that we’d get you a little car or something, Harry. That would give you a bit of freedom to get out with Grant or Allie while I am working at the shop,” Severus replied as he smiled down at his husband and shut the truck off. Harry frowned a bit and undid his seat belt, waiting as his husband opened his door to help him out.

“I don’t know how to drive. I’ve never learned, and to be honest, the idea frightens me. Especially now that I’m pregnant, I don’t want to take a chance of having a smash up,” he said as he let the strong arms of Severus gently help him to the ground. Severus looked at him for a moment and scratched his head; the young wizard had a point, a good one.

“Well, I am having the Floos all checked as soon as possible, I suppose you can use the floo system if Max okays it and it doesn’t make you queasy,” he said thoughtfully, plucking the notebook and pen from the glove box along with the tape measure. Holding Harry’s smaller hand, he led the way up the wrap around porch and stopped for a moment looking around.

“I’d like to have rocking chairs out here, Harry. What do you think?”

The shorter man looked around and walked the length of the porch, stopping here and there. Pointing up at various places, he told Severus he’d like to see hanging plants there, a swing over here behind that lilac bush, and of course several rocking chairs with a small table or two for holding tea. Smiling, Severus took down plenty of notes and drew a quick diagram of what Harry wanted to do with the front porch.

“How do you feel about the Floo, Harry?” he asked as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, ushering the young man in before him. “Would you feel comfortable using it?”

“I hate traveling by Floo, but I will. Maybe a bicycle, Husband, at least until I am further along? That way I am still getting good exercise,” Harry said hopefully as he stood in the middle of the entry hall and looked around with a critical eye.

“I don’t think its safe Harry, but we can ask Max his opinion,” Severus said as he shook his head and looked around with Harry. “I think a soft cream would be nice in here with maybe a pale olive border?”

Harry looked at his husband thoughtfully and then back at the walls. Stepping forward, he ran his fingers over them gently and murmured to himself. Almost as if talking to the old house, asking it what it would like.

“I like the cream Sev, but maybe not the border. Look at the woodwork. Under all that Merlin awful paint, the carving is exquisite. Couldn’t we strip it and refinish it to an oak stain?” he asked as he looked back to his husband, who was now studying the wood trim more closely. Nodding to himself, he saw that Harry had been right, this molding may very well be original and hand carved, it should be returned to its glory.

“Good idea Love,” he said with a smile as he wrote down all of what Harry wanted. Taking him by the elbow, he led him into the other rooms and slowly they worked their way through the downstairs as far as the colour schemes went. Ending in the kitchen, Severus stood by the back door and looked out over a small patch of ground outside and turned back to his husband.

“This would make a lovely spot for your little herb garden you said you wanted,” he said as he drew Harry to him, wrapping his arm about his waist and noticed for the first time the gentle swelling that was beginning to form at his middle. He splayed his long fingers gently over Harry’s belly and nuzzled his face down into his love’s hair. Harry leaned back into Severus’ chest, sighing happily as he laid his hands over his husband’s.

“What shall we grow?”

“Hmmm…” Severus mused as he swayed back and forth with the younger man cradled in his arms as he planned their garden for them. “Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, chives, dill, oregano, basil, really anything you desire, Harry. We’ll make it work.”

“Will you teach me to cook?” Harry asked his eyes closed as he still rested against his husband’s strong chest. “I mean cook food that is worth eating, something more than pasta with powdered cheese sauce.”

“I will be happy to, and I am sure Grant would be happy to teach you a few things as well, Love,” Severus said softly. He could feel how tired his Harry was getting. His body was nearly limp in his arms as he held him close.

“Harry, there are a couple of armchairs in the front parlor, would you like to go rest while I go upstairs and do the rest of the rooms?” he asked as he brushed long tendrils of hair back from Harry’s wan face, his emerald eyes were closed. He was so near asleep right now.

“Would you mind terribly, Husband?” Harry murmured as he turned in Severus’ long arms and nestled in closer to him. In reply, Severus simply scooped Harry up into his arms and easily carried him back into the parlor. Standing him on the floor, he drew his wand, aiming it at one of the covered chairs. In no time it was uncovered and transfigured into a comfortable chaise, which Severus then laid Harry out on.

“There you are Harry, now rest for a while,” the older wizard said as he bent down to kiss the younger man’s closed eyes. Harry opened one sleepy emerald eye and regarded him for a moment before leaning up to kiss him softly.

“Husband, did you know that you are my hero?” Harry asked in all seriousness as Severus laid him back against the cushions and conjured a light blanket to cover him while he slept.

“No my love, that is in your job description, not mine,” Severus said as he stroked the dark hair tenderly while he sat on the edge of the chaise, watching as Harry wriggled around to get comfortable.

“No Husband, they made me be their hero, but I needed one of my own. You are mine. Thank you for that,” he said softly as his breathing evened out and he slipped into his nap without another thought. Severus sat there for a moment completely speechless. He didn’t know what to think or how to feel. Right now his heart was close to bursting as he looked down at his little green eyed mate.

Severus climbed the staircase making notes in on what colours he thought would work best when his mobile rang in his back pocket. Fishing it out with a muttered curse, he answered it quickly before it could wake Harry.

“Hello Grant. Yes, we are out at our place. Harry’s fallen asleep,” Severus said as soon as he heard his foster father’s voice on the line. He sat down comfortably on the built in seat under the stained glass window on the landing while he talked.

“Max said he is dreadfully underweight.”

“Nearly twenty pounds and he’s further along than we thought he was. He’s almost finished with the first trimester,” he said with a small smile as he ran his fingertips over the dark blue glass set into one pane.


“Grant, we heard her heart beating today, it was brilliant,” the normally austere man gushed as only a proud daddy could. He listened as the older wizard told him of the things he would need to do in the upcoming week to get the small space in his building ready to be used as an apothecary. He took down what notes he needed to remember as the other man spoke. Closing his eyes briefly, he wondered just why he’d thought opening his own shop had been a good idea.

“Grant, don’t you think I could possibly work for Damon down at Cutty’s instead?” he laughed as his to-do list got steadily longer.

“No, I completely forgot to ask Max about this coming weekend Grant. I’ll ring him though and see what he thinks. I would imagine if Harry promises to eat every fifteen minutes he’ll let him do it,” he laughed. A few minutes more of conversation and the call ended with Severus promising to not be late for dinner. Glancing down at his watch, he noted he needed to get a move on if he wanted to finish getting the colours done for his husband and then back into town.

Singing softly to himself, he meandered through each bedroom. For a wizard, and a pureblood at that, he had a remarkable appreciation for Simon and Garfunkel. In each room he stopped and spent a few minutes daydreaming of what the child would be like that would call that particular room his or her own. He just hoped he could be a good father to his children. Merlin knew his own father was a miserable excuse for a role model.

Once again as he was on his way up the stairs to the third floor his mobile rang. Frowning, he pulled it from his pocket, wondering what Grant had forgotten to tell him.

“Yes Grant?” he said into the phone as he opened the door into the last bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks as he realized the voice on the other end of the connection was not Grant Wolffe.

“Lucius, what is it? You sound like hell,” he said as he stepped into the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He already had a good idea he didn’t want to be having this conversation with Harry in the same house.

“You have him there at the Manor?” he asked with one raised brow as he wandered around the room for lack of anything else to do as he listened to his friend.

“He threatened Evette? Surely you jest, little Evette?” he asked incredulously as he sucked in his breath, but he already knew his old friend was dead serious.

“Of course I understand. We closed on the house this morning actually. There are several outbuildings that can be used.”

“You have pensieve memories of what he did to my Harry?” he asked almost woodenly as he stopped in front of the window and looked down the mountainside. He would see what this monster had done to his husband. He would now see why his little Harry was so broken.

“Have you…”

“I understand Lucius. Of course you need to get him out of there as soon as you can. You can’t port key him here though, my bracelet would alert the bastards,” Severus said as he glared down at his wrist and the blasted black circlet of metal.

“That was a damn good idea of Draco’s. Port keying into Canada and then driving down, you both speak fluent French, aristocratic bastards,” he chuckled darkly.

“What day do you plan to come in?”

“Give me a few days to set some things up here. I need to make arrangements for Harry. I don’t want him anywhere near this bastard.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow morning and let you know the best time and way to bring him in. Thank you Lucius, I owe you.”

“No. I am not naming my daughter after you, you egotistical fop,” he laughed as he gazed out the window and spied the little stone building he intended to use to house Morgan Taylor. “Yes, the baby is a girl. We’ll try for a boy next time and we still won’t name him Lucius.”

Laughing, Severus hung the phone up. Quickly finishing the notes he needed to make on the third floor rooms, he then hurried downstairs to wake his young husband.