Gaelic Blessing

The next morning both men woke up with a sense of rightness. The previous night after their revelatory discussion, they had simply made their way up to Harry’s room, changed into pyjama bottoms and simply fallen asleep. The next morning both woke feeling more rested than they had in a long time.

Harry had woken up to find his back pressed against Severus’ chest and Severus wrapped around him like a vine. He wasn’t sure whether or not Severus was awake but was reluctant to move as he loved the feelings he was currently experiencing. He finally rolled over when he felt Severus drop a kiss onto his bared shoulder and a shiver of delight ran up his spine. He blushed as he felt Severus’ intense gaze on him but struggled to find somewhere to look that wasn’t Severus’ naked chest.

“Well? What are you thinking?” Severus asked in a deep, smoky voice.

“I just can’t believe that this is happening. That you love me and you’re in bed with me. I’ve been dreaming of this for years and it is literally a dream come true.”

“I’m going to sound like a love-struck Gryffindor for saying this but the same things applies to me.” At Harry’s puzzled look he continued talking. “I fell in love with you whilst you were still a student. Whilst you were still my student. I didn’t think that I had any chance at all; that you were definitely heterosexual. Then you split up with Miss Weasley and announced your orientation. I had slightly more hope when you started seeing Mr Zabini as it showed you didn’t care about house rivalries. Then the only obstacles that remained were the age difference, my having been your teacher, your father and godfather hating me and my having been a Death-Eater.”

“Oh Sev.”

Harry made an abortive to motion as if to reach out and kiss the older man but his courage failed him. Instead, Severus took the opportunity, his dark eyes gleaming. One of his hands slid up Harry’s back to cradle the back of Harry’s head whilst the other remained wrapped around Harry’s waist. Slowly, he leaned in, onyx eyes locked with emerald until, with Severus’ face looming impossibly close to his own, Harry’s eyes fluttered shut of their own accord. Severus captured Harry’s lips with his own incredibly gently, revelling internally as Harry’s mouth opened in a silent gasp, allowing Severus’ tongue to venture inside as Harry’s hands reached up to tangle in Severus’ hair.

The kiss continued for several long minutes with neither man wanting to break it until they at last had to pause for breath. Severus looked down at Harry and suppressed a groan; his face was flushed, eyes glazed over and lips swollen from the kiss. The sight was so arousing that Severus threw caution to the wind and gave into temptation.

Slowly but surely, and looking remarkably predatory he reached down and captured Harry’s lips. As Harry let out a hushed moan, fiddling with the soft hair at the nape of Severus’ neck, they both knew that they wouldn’t be leaving the bedroom anytime soon. They were so engrossed in each other that they failed to notice the door opening to reveal the wide eyes and delighted grin of Holly. She silently let the door slide shut and skipped away down the corridor.

It was nearly an hour later that the two men agreed that they needed to remove themselves from the bed and go and see to the children. Harry’s head was pillowed on Severus’ chest whilst one of Severus’ arms banded around Harry’s shoulders and toyed with the shoulder-length raven hair.

“Sev? What happens now?”

Severus looked down to see Harry staring up at him. “What do you mean what happens now?”

“With us. I mean, we’ve admitted that we love each other but where do we go from here? I mean you can’t leave Hogwarts and I have the children to think about.”

“What do you want Harry? What do you want from me?”

Harry paused for several long moments, one hand idly tracing patterns on Severus’ skin before he spoke.

“What do I want from you? Ideally I want a relationship, I want this. I want to be able to say I’m yours. To wake up in your arms, to come home to you. However, I will take whatever you are willing to give me.”

“I want a relationship with you. I’m sufficiently old enough now that I need a long-term relationship rather than a brief affair or simply a fling. Obviously there are several things to be considered; the children being the main priority. Are you truly averse to returning to Hogwarts?”

Harry absent-mindedly pressed a kiss to the chest lying beneath his head. “I never wanted to leave Hogwarts Sev; it’s always been my home. I simply couldn’t face Fudge’s manipulations.”

Severus smirked. “In that case it should interest you that it is the general consensus that Fudge will not be re-elected this year. As for returning to Hogwarts; Albus is retiring this year and Minerva is taking over as Headmistress with myself as Deputy. Draco Malfoy is taking over as Transfiguration professor but we are in need of both a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and a Head of Gryffindor.”

Harry sat up, staring down at the other man. “Sev, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying come back to Hogwarts.” Severus sat up himself. “Come and teach Defence and become Head of Gryffindor. Robert and Violet start there in September anyway. The next four could attend the wizarding primary in Hogsmeade which would leave Georgiana and Elizabeth. I’m sure Molly or Poppy would be happy to look after them whilst you or I teach. We could work it out. Will you at least consider it whilst we enjoy Christmas?”

Harry nodded. “I think I can manage that. I’m going to have a shower.” He got up before leaning back over Severus and dropping a kiss on his mouth. “Care to join me?”

He then walked into the bathroom without a backwards glance leaving Severus, mouth agape on the bed.

“Sweet Merlin, how am I going to get through the rest of the day?”

Shaking his head he threw off the bedclothes and followed Harry into the adjoining room, determined to make the most of the time that they had to themselves.

It was nearly forty minutes later that they emerged from the bathroom and Harry’s room to make their way downstairs. They were halfway down the stairs when Severus felt Harry’s hand slip into his. He looked down immediately to see Harry staring up at him.

“Regardless of what happens, if I come to Hogwarts or not, I want this and I want you. I’m not afraid of anyone else or the children knowing. Unless you are?”

“I’m more than happy for people to know if you are. Now, come on, let us find the children.”

***

The rest of the day was spent with the children doing typical family activities. Snow had started to fall overnight and by mid-morning when Harry and Severus emerged a thick blanket of white carpeted the grounds of Heathmore. Much to the children’s delight, as soon as they were dressed warmly, they were allowed outside to play in the snow. For several long hours and with judicious applications of warming charms they had snowball fights, built snowmen and made snow angels until finally the heating charms ceased to work and cold set in.

After a light lunch of hot soup and sandwiches Harry managed to persuade Dobby and Winky to vacate the kitchen for the afternoon. When he was a child at Muggle primary school he had always envied the children who chattered about Christmas baking with one or other of their parents. He was determined to make up for his lost childhood by baking Christmas cookies and mince-pies with his wards. He even managed to persuade Severus to join in. The potions master would of course deny it but he quite enjoyed the domesticity of it all.

Later that evening, after dinner and having demolished several plates of the baking that they had made, all of them were sat in front of the Christmas tree with a blazing fire in the open hearth. The space underneath the Christmas tree was overflowing with presents. The children could tell which presents were which; Severus’ were obviously wrapped in green whilst Harry’s were a mixture of gold and red. The children’s were in brightly coloured paper with a multitude of icons on them. As it approached time for the children to go to bed Harry raised his wand and summoned a set of presents wrapped in Ravenclaw blue paper.

“Ok guys. Here we go. One present tonight and then its time to go to bed. Okay?”

The children sat up eagerly as Harry started passing out the packages. Although it appeared to be a struggle they waited until all the children had a present in their hands. As one they ripped into the paper and very quickly there were exclamations of delight from around the room. It had become tradition for Harry to give the children new nightclothes as a Christmas present on Christmas Eve. That way they received a present and went to bed in new clothes feeling nice. Harry smiled as he saw the eager faces then jumped as he felt Severus’ hot breath by his ear.

“So, where are my new pyjamas for Christmas?”

Harry smiled in a sultry manner as he turned his head and planted a kiss on Severus’ jaw.

“You know, I considered it but then I thought that maybe we could get away without pyjamas tonight?”

He looked concerned as Severus shifted uneasily under him. “Sev? Are you ok?”

“If you were planning on telling the children a story then you’re doing it down here.”

Harry looked confused until Severus shifted once more and he felt a hard length against his back that caused his eyes to widen. Harry didn’t think that he’d ever told the younger kids their bedtime story so quickly and said goodnight to the older children before retreating to his bedroom. He shut the door behind him and practically whimpered at the sight that awaited him.

Severus had been browsing the bookshelves and turned as he heard the door open leaning against the shelves. To Harry he looked as though he had just stepped out of the pages of a gothic novel. Silently, Severus held out a hand and Harry stepped towards him. As soon as Severus had hold of Harry’s hand he pulled him flush up against his body and inclined his head so that their lips grazed.

“I have been waiting all day for this.” He looked down at Harry. “Then again, I’ve been waiting five years for this.”

Harry smiled goofily. “Sev, as sweet as that is, just kiss me.”

Severus did just that before breaking it and walking Harry back until he was sat on the bed, Severus leaning over him smirking wickedly.

“I think it’s time for my early Christmas present.”

As Severus gently pushed him back onto the bed Harry couldn’t stop the nerves that were slowly starting to overcome him. Whilst he had had several boyfriends and even a girlfriend in the guise of Ginny Weasley, Harry was still a virgin. Even though many of his peers had started having sex during their NEWT years Harry never had; he simply hadn’t been that concerned with having sex. That wasn’t to say that he was a total innocent. Both of his relationships with Blaise and Seamus had involved oral sex, masturbation and mutual groping, but he had just balked at going all the way.

Towards the end of the war, and once it had been revealed that Harry himself was a Horcrux, he had been sorely tempted purely for the fact that his death could prove to be imminent. However, Harry knew deep down that he was a romantic, and if he was going to lose his virginity, he was going to lose it to someone that he loved and who loved him. Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the feeling that someone was watching him. Slowly, he looked up to see Severus staring at him intently and he blushed under the intense gaze and immediately started apologizing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Realisation dawned on Severus’ face. “Harry, have you done this before?” Seeing Harry’s slightly confused face he clarified his question. “Harry, are you still a virgin?”

If possible, Harry blushed even more and started to play with his fingers before saying in a quiet, almost inaudible voice. “Yes, I’m still a virgin.”

Severus exhaled rather loudly. “But you dated Finnegan and Zabini. I’m sorry Harry, but they were both renowned for sleeping around at Hogwarts. Even the teachers knew. I just assumed….”

Harry looked slightly hurt. “So what? You just assumed that because everyone else they’d dated fell into bed with them that I would do the same? I thought you knew that I wasn’t that shallow? I thought you knew me better than that.”

By the time he had finished speaking Harry had pulled himself away from Severus and started to curl himself into a ball at the head of the bed.

Severus’ heart plunged into his boots and he hated himself for opening his mouth and ruining things when they had been going so well. He reached out a hand towards Harry but couldn’t quite touch him.

“Harry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out sounding like that. You know what I’m like; I’ve been a miserable, insecure bastard for longer than you’ve been alive. I simply struggle to comprehend why you’re interested in me, let alone interested in me enough to even consider giving me such a wonderful gift as your virginity.”

He breathed a sigh of relief as Harry uncurled slightly and bright eyes peeked out from under unruly hair.

“Harry, you don’t have to tell me but why did you never go all the way? Surely you’ve had many offers?”

Harry laughed, sounding slightly bitter. “Of course I’ve had many offers – more than I can count to be honest. I never had a childhood Sev; you of all people know and understand that. I had to grow up too quickly. While everyone else in my year was experimenting with sex I was trying to cope with the fact that I was a horcrux and the possibility that I might not survive another face-off with Voldemort. Plus, I kind of wanted to wait and give my virginity to someone I loved and who loved me. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that I wanted to give it to you.”

It was at these last words that Severus thought ‘To hell with it’ and pulled Harry back into his arms and practically onto his lap. “You have no idea how much you saying that means to me. After everything I’ve done in my life I never expected to survive the war let alone survive, still have a job, become the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts and have a lover. Let alone a lover like you. You are a wonderful, beautiful young man and I am honoured that you would want to give me your virginity. Are you truly sure that you want this? We don’t have to do this tonight – you can take as long as you want. This is too important for me to rush you into.”

Severus stopped talking, part of his inner voice berating him for acting like a self-sacrificing Gryffindor. The voice stopped immediately as Harry twisted in his lap so that he was straddling Severus’ lap, his hands wrapped around Severus’ neck and all the blood enabling Severus’ brain to function rushed southwards to pool in his groin.

“Severus, you can stop being honourable now. You don’t have to be. I want this. I want you. Don’t you want to unwrap your Christmas present?”

As he spoke the last sentence he pouted and looked up at Severus through his eyelashes.

Severus groaned and shifted slightly. “Bloody Merlin! You’re a minx Harry. If this is what you want and we start this then I won’t be able to stop. Once we start this, you’re mine. Forever.”

“There’s nothing more that I want.”

Slowly and shyly, Harry tilted his head up and pressed his lips against Severus’ in a tentative kiss. There was no response and Harry pulled away. As he did so, his eyes caught Severus’ gaze and his breath caught at the blaze of emotions in the intense dark eyes.

The breath was literally stolen from his lungs as Severus took control of his mouth in a kiss that was as possessive as it was passionate. His eyes drifted closed and he whimpered as his mouth was firmly plundered. Several minutes later, just as he thought his lungs were about to explode, Severus’ mouth left his and moved to his jaw-line and neck. As he did so Harry felt elegant fingers trail up his back and round to the clasps holding his robes fastened. With it still being cold and Harry still recovering he found that robes were warmer than even his yearly Weasley jumper. Severus was also wearing robes as he was still reluctant to lose his ever-present robes and Harry shifted closer to Severus and slowly brought his hands to the fastenings of Severus’ robes.

As Severus started on the clasps of Harry’s robes he returned his attention and his mouth back to Harry’s, wanting to replicate his fantasies in real-life. Harry’s mind was buzzing as his robes slid off his shoulders and were thrown to the floor without a second thought. Without a pause, Severus’ hands were on the buttons of Harry’s shirt and as one of his hands slid through and touched bare skin Harry ripped his mouth from Severus’ and moaned loudly. Severus smirked, feeling inordinately pleased with himself for garnering such a reaction.

“I think a silencing charm would be in order, don’t you?”

Harry gasped as Severus bit his ear lightly and mumbled something before biting out. “Done! We can hear them but they can’t hear us.”

“Good. Because I have every intention of making you scream tonight.”

At Harry’s whimper Severus smirked wickedly and flipped Harry onto his back.

With a captive audience, Severus stood and started to strip, for once completely unconcerned about the tattoo still etched on his left forearm, however faded it was. Leaving on just his black silk boxers he crawled onto the bed and over to Harry before claiming his lips once more. Slowly but surely he stripped Harry of his clothes until the younger man was completely naked underneath him. Harry flushed red and started to cover himself up until Severus caught his wrists in one hand and prevented him from covering his modesty.

“Don’t. You have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. You’re beautiful.”

Harry’s blush was showing no signs of abating as he spoke. “I don’t believe that. You’re the beautiful one but I have no intention of arguing with you. I guess I’m just nervous. I’ve never done this before and I know I’m not going to live up to your expectations. I’m sure you must have had a multitude of lovers in the past.”

Severus stroked a hand reassuringly over Harry’s chest before he stripped off his boxers and laying back at Harry’s side.

“Harry, you’ve already surpassed all of my expectations by agreeing to a relationship. Everything else will just happen. All I want you to do is lie back, relax and just trust me.”

Harry nodded before arching up with a mewl of pleasure as Severus’ hand reached up to tweak a nipple. While one hand fisted itself in the bedsheets the other reached up and tangled itself in inky black locks and pulled Severus’ mouth down to meet his. Their lips were meshed together for several long minutes before they broke for much-needed air and Severus moved his attention elsewhere.

Slowly, he made his way down Harry’s chest licking, biting and pressing kisses to the vast expanse of creamy skin that had been exposed. He was aware that Harry had craned his neck to watch through eyes that were gradually becoming hazier with lust by the second. As Severus shifted once more, now in line with Harry’s prominent erection, he looked up and caught Harry’s eyes before turning his attention to the proof of Harry’s desire in front of him.

Very slowly he licked up the length before engulfing it in his mouth, smirking inwardly as he heard the thud of Harry’s head hitting the bed, incapable of holding it up. From there he set about destroying Harry’s composure, licking, swallowing and humming around the cock in his mouth. The only noises Harry was capable of making were mewls and whimpers of desire along with the butchered abbreviation of Severus’ name. It was with great satisfaction that Severus heard Harry wail.

“Sev! I’m coming!”

He swallowed Harry’s release before leaning up and over him to kiss him, probing the seam of Harry’s lips with his tongue and delving deep into Harry’s mouth. As he broke the kiss he leaned over to the bedside table and snagged the vial of lubricant that he had retrieved from his robes. He hovered over Harry, a touch of concern in his eyes.

“Harry, if you don’t feel that you’re ready for this or you have any doubts then just say so. I won’t force you into anything.”

“Sev, just shut up and do it. I want this and I want you. I’ve waited for four years, I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Severus caught Harry’s eye and the younger man realised what he wanted. Concentrating, he let his occlumency barriers fall and felt the slight probe of Severus’ whispered legilimens as he saw the truth of Harry’s words. Satisfied, he withdrew and kissed Harry softly.

“I love you Harry James Potter.”

Slowly he pulled the cork out of the vial of lubricant with his teeth and guided Harry’s legs up towards his chest. Harry realised what the older man wanted and hooked his hands beneath his knees, holding himself open. Severus looked up and his breath caught in his throat at the picture Harry made; lips swollen and bruised from kisses, eyes dilated with lust and legs held open. Not wanting to break the moment he upended half of the vial over his fingers and brought his fingers to Harry’s entrance.

Wanting Harry to be completely relaxed, as he pushed in the first finger slightly he captured Harry’s mouth in yet another heated kiss. Slowly but surely he stretched and prepared Harry thoroughly until he could take four of Severus’ fingers. Severus knew that he was well-endowed and that Harry would need all the help he could get.

When Harry was writhing in pleasure and impaling himself on Severus’ fingers he knew that the younger man was ready. As he continued stretching Harry he used his other hand to upend the remaining lube over his erection. Slowly, he removed his fingers and replaced them with the head of his cock. Harry whimpered as he realised just how large Severus was but Severus reassured him and continued to slide in. he couldn’t believe how good it felt to be encased in Harry and how right it felt. For his part, Harry felt full almost to overstretching but complete with Severus inside him. He was overjoyed that he had waited and even more overjoyed when Severus started to move, brushing against his prostate with every stroke.

It was not too long before Harry was screaming in ecstasy as Severus had promised him and soon than he thought his vision exploded and he orgasmed with barely a touch of Severus’ hand to his cock, Severus following him over the edge as Harry’s muscles spasmed around him, Harry’s name on his lips. Completely sated, Severus carefully pulled out of Harry and settled him along his side, wandlessly casting a cleaning charm. He looked down as a kiss was pressed against the underside of his jaw to see Harry smiling up at him sleepily.

“I love you Severus.”

“I love you too Harry.”

As Harry slipped into sleep, Severus was unable to resist and leaned down to press a kiss against upturned lips, thinking all the while that none of his fantasies came close to the real thing.

Authors Note: Okay, so this is the un-edited chapter 8….not posted on fanfiction.net or hpfandom.net. This is the first sex scene that I’ve ever written and I’m not convinced that I’m 100% happy with it. It appears that I can read the scenes but I just can’t write them! Please be nice….. Belle