You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

9

Harry could feel that slow inexorable climb towards the surface of sleep. Three things made him open his eyes finally, the sound of the curtain being drawn, the smell of freshly ground coffee and a sound slap on his backside, “OwSeverusyagit”, as he remembered where he was and stuffed his head under his pillow, “’Mhavinalieinit’snotaschooldaygerroffIdon’tdopain”, he mumbled and felt the bed dip and the pillow gently removed before his lover turned him over and kissed him, “Come on lazybones. Tomorrow’s the last day for posting parcels by muggle post before Christmas, so if you want to get presents to your friends we have to go shopping today”.

Harry groaned and woke up fully, sitting up. “What time is it? And why are you up already?”, he rubbed his eyes. Severus laughed, “It’s nearly 11. I’ve let you sleep in. Come on, don’t let’s waste the day. Here, I’ve made coffee, that should kick-start your brain”. Harry bleared at the proffered mug and took it.

An hour later and they were on a bus into the city, strap-hanging with a plethora of other shoppers. Harry cast a side-long glance at his lover in a thick leather flying jacket zipped up over jeans and sturdy lace up boots, his hair tied back. Harry had on his favourite thick hoodie under a comfy old cord fleece lined jacket over jeans and trainers, he felt quite scruffy beside his lover as he looked down at himself.

Harry was surprised by how near to the city centre they actually were. They tipped off the bus in Piccadilly Gardens. He realised he hadn’t made any kind of Christmas list but with such a large array of shops to choose from, he thought he’d wing it this year and see what he could find. Severus took great delight in showing his lover around and Harry had no problems finding gifts for his friends and adoptive family. In the huge bookshop on Deansgate, he found a pile of stuff for Hermione, in another, they found some beautiful and inexpensive Christmas decorations and stocked up. Severus murmured, “If you want top-notch tree ornaments, we’ll go to the Continental market in Albert Square”. Harry said, “But I haven’t found any decent jigsaw puzzles for Molly and I know she loves them”. Severus held up a hand, “Best place is a teeny toy shop in one of the suburbs. We’ll have a late lunch here in town and we’ll detour on the way home. There’s a great academic bookshop there that I wouldn’t mind dipping into as well”. Harry smiled, “Lead on”.

They turned into a narrow cobbled street alongside a canal with bars and pubs on the other side of the street and Severus surprised Harry by throwing his arm around Harry’s shoulder, “Severus!!”, Harry made to pull away, but Severus stilled him, “This is the gay village and a friend of mine owns one of the best bars in this street. I thought we’d have a meal here”. They went into a large but cosy bar decorated in salvaged old wood and Harry recognised old rood screens from churches. Large beams and pillars held the place together. Most of the other bars were very modern, but this place was a labyrinth and packed.

They found a table and Severus went to the bar and had a word with the young cute barman who bellowed a name and a short, chunky balding man hove into sight, “Who’s died?. Where’s the fire?”, then he spotted Severus and they hugged tight, “Severus. You old sarky bastard. How are you doing, love? Good to see you. Fuck me, you haven’t aged a day, lucky sod”. Severus laughed, “Good to see you too, Steve. Come over, there’s someone I want you to meet”, and brought him over to the table. “Steve, meet Harry, the love of my life”. They shook hands, then Steve’s eyes widened and his voice dropped, “Merlin, Severus, this is that Harry?”. Harry rolled his eyes, the use of the greatest wizard’s name as an expletive clued him to another Magical. Steve called to one of the barmen, “Joel, a pint of Guinness for my friend here. What’s your poison, Harry?”. “Lager, please, Stella if you have it”. Steve called the order out and the young lad brought the drinks over. Severus went for his wallet to be told, “Sod off, Severus, these are on me”. Harry caught Joel checking him out and he returned the look with a raised brow and a smirk as he took his drink.

“So, home for Christmas, Severus? You must come and check out the New Year bash we’re putting on, cute strippers and a great drag”. Severus nodded, “I’ll think about it”, as he slid into the seat next to Harry. Steve sighed, “Merlin, Severus, you can still pull chicken. I’m fuckin’ jealous. You are of age, son, aren’t you?”. Harry fluttered his lashes in mock-innocence, “Yeah, just, but I still get carded everywhere”, then giggled. In actual fact, he wasn’t eighteen until the coming July, “And in fact, I pulled Severus, not the other way round”, he smirked, “I always did have a penchant for the more mature guy”, which made Severus’ brows raise. Steve had to leave them to deal with a crisis somewhere and his lover turned to him, “Really, Harry? The older guy thing?”. Harry stuck his tongue out cheekily then nodded, “You don’t think it was some mere stripling like myself who taught me those, erm, techniques that you admire so much”.

Severus turned, effectively blocking Harry’s view of the rest of the bar, “So, I’m not your first older guy?”, he glowered. Harry was grinning, “Now, now, Severus. You said you didn’t want to know. It’s all history, water under the bridge, that kind of thing. I don’t ask you, you don’t ask me”, he lowered his eyes and licked his top lip suggestively, leaning back into the end of the bench they were seated on. Severus growled and pounced, pulling his young lover to him for a far from chaste kiss. As they emerged, Steve was grinning at them, “Yup, you two are hot. Were you planning on eating? ‘Cos we’ve some mighty fine steak at the moment, finest Aberdeen Angus, hung for three weeks”. Harry smirked, “Steak sounds good. Yes please”. Severus grinned at his friend, “Go on then, twist my arm. Two steak platters it is”. Steve stood, “I’ll leave you boys to it, but don’t be a stranger, Severus. Hope to see you both at New Year, yeah? Now I must go and run my bar. Catch you later”, and he was gone.

Harry leaned in and purred, “Just what I need, some well-hung red meat in my mouth, yummy! Fancy a trip to the Gents”. Severus barked a laugh, “Give over. The last time I fucked in a toilet I was twenty-five. You can wait until we get home, you cheeky bugger”. Harry leaned in and pressed a hand to his lover’s crotch, feeling him as hard as iron, “Mmm, but can you?”, and was claimed in another kiss. As they drew apart, Severus growled, “Impudent pup. I saw that twerp of a barman giving you the once-over”. Harry batted flirtatious eyes at his lover, “I just can’t help being young and gorgeous, now, can I?”. Severus held him and kissed him again, “No, you adorable creature, you”, and took several deep breaths to calm his arousal somewhat as the waiter appeared at their table with their meals. They untangled themselves and set about their dinner with gusto, ordering another pint to go with the food. The steak was succulent and juicy, just perfect. Severus went to the bar to pay, to be rebuffed, “Steve said on the house, mate”, the young man shrugged and refused all payment, Severus leaned over, “Tell Steve, we’ll see him at New Year and thank him for us”, the barman nodded.

They gathered up their parcels and left the pub with their arms around each other. They detoured as planned to the suburb that Severus had mentioned. Harry left his lover in the bookshop and found the toyshop, selecting two puzzles from their vast stock that he knew Molly would just love. He was delighted with his buys and met Severus again, the man had a pile of books at his feet. He paid and they wandered to the taxi office past a shop selling Christmas trees, they bought and paid for one, Severus giving his address for it to be delivered the following evening and then they were on their way home, smiling at each other and discreetly held hands in the cab.

Harry spent the early part of the evening wrapping parcels, readying them for the post, no owls here, they had to rely on Royal Mail like the rest of the populace. He wrote out cards and enclosed them with the gifts, then just had time to run round to the Post Office on the main road before it shut. Severus had asked why not wait until the morrow to post them, but Harry grinned, “I have no intention of dressing tomorrow. I want to spend all day in bed with you. I wanted to do that today, but, well”, he shrugged and chuckled and his lover moaned biting his lower lip at the suggestion. They drank more cold beer and rolled blunts and spent their evening watching movies and blowing each other on the sofa. Sated and tired, they had a relatively early night.