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Battlefields

Chapter Five - One Step at A Time...

By DrusillaDax

       

Severus opens the door and lets Harry go in first.

Gods! Breakfast seems centuries ago. Yet, it's only a few hours ago that they shared their first kiss.

They fought Death to go back to each other's arms, lips... Souls.

Severus knows that Harry must be a little bit lost as to their relation and damn sure of his feelings at the same time. After all, Harry reserved a room for the two of them and invited him, Severus Snape, to join him. He did it in a whisper, but in front of all their friends.

That means so much for Severus.

Finally, "famous Potter" has more to offer than Severus thought in the beginning.

Harry almost runs to the window and opens it.

They have a view over Diagon Alley. The sun is setting, Harry was right, and the fire it casts on the buildings also is in his blood. He sits on the window-sill.

"Come, Severus! It's so beautiful!" Harry says, extending a hand.

Severus smiles the smile Harry brought back to his life, closes the door, discreetly puts a spell on the lock and sits behind Harry.

The young man slips into the arms of his companion and Severus holds him tight. Harry's hands caress the arms encircling him and as the sun slowly disappears, he leans against the wizard who's embracing him. The night falls and fully reveals the Moon to add to the romanticism of that moment. Harry's head is now resting on Severus's shoulder.

Harry slightly turns to look at Severus. The emerald eyes looking at him bring the older wizard back to reality, in spite of the amount of whiskey in his system.

"This is madness! I could be your father!" Severus declares.

Harry completely turns around so that he's face to face with his love and asks, "Are you ?"

Severus's back hits the side of the window and he blinks several times before whispering, "Of course not."

"So I never want to hear that again!" Harry almost growls.

"But the world will force you to remember that. Our friends today, and tonight, were mostly overwhelmed by the events of the day, but when everyday life comes back to normal, some will question your choice."

"Is this only *my* choice ?" Harry asks, his voice so sad.

Severus holds him even tighter, "No, it's mine as well, but *you* are the hero they'll expect to conform to their wishes..."

"As if I have ever done that!" Harry chuckles.

"They will judge you, Harry. And I don't want you to be sad."

"Who will do that?" Harry wonders innocently.

"Molly Weasley, Fudge, Skeeter... Your godfather, Harry... Sirius Black might want my head if he thinks that I've corrupted you..." Severus counts.

"Fudge and Skeeter... I easily imagine them bugging me over my choice, yet I can get rid of them or even hex them a little... But Mrs Weasley and Sirius love me, they'll want what's best for me!" Harry exclaims.

"What's best for you, *according to them*, might not be a man... and certainly not *me* for your godfather!"

Suddenly there are tears in Harry's eyes, "But *you* are making me happy. On a regular basis. They *never* did!"

Severus doesn't know what to do or say. He simply leans till his forehead touches Harry's and they stay close together.

"They will not like it..." Severus finally says.

"I don't give a damn! I..." Harry looks straight into Severus's eyes, "I love you."

Harry can feel a shiver coursing through Severus's body before he answers, "I love you."

Severus does not say 'so do I' or 'I love you too'...

Severus Snape gives a promise, something terribly close to a vow and it's Harry's turn to shiver.

They hug each other. They forget the world and the sadness of their respective pasts.

They have found each other. At last.

For one second, Severus dreams that he can enjoy some of this incarnation and be happy thanks to a green-eyed miracle...

Then he opens his eyes and screams when he sees what's in the room.

Harry turns around and it's only Severus's strong arms which prevent him from falling on the floor.

"Oh, sweet Goddess!" Severus whispers.

Lily and James Potter are floating in the room.

Harry jumps to his feet and says, "Mum, Dad... What are you doing here ?"

Both forms seems to speak but the two living persons cannot hear them. Suddenly Lily understands and she *silences* her husband and points at Severus, clearly articulating 'Help us!'.

"Help you ? To do what ?" Severus asks.

And Lily tells him that she knows he can read on their lips and be their voices in the world of the living.

Lily and James are not ghosts. They have been granted one apparition and have some pieces of advice to give to their beloved son. Severus explains that to Harry.

Harry and Severus go and sit on the bed, the older wizard holding his love.

"I'm sorry if you don't approve of my choice..." Harry starts, but Lily stops him by gesticulating and Severus becomes her voice.

'You misinterpret our coming here tonight. We have been granted some moments with you to give you our blessing once you have found your soulmate...' Lily articulates.

Harry looks at Severus and, then, at his parents, " You don't mind, then ?"

'No! We've seen you so sad for so many years... Severus makes you happy... Voldemort is gone, thanks to the love you share, otherwise that Curse would not have worked... And life is yours now!" James articulates.

*That* is just too much for Severus. In his entire life, he had never thought that he could have bits of happiness and even less hold love in his arms like he's doing right now.

He simply breaks and sobs in Harry's neck.

The green-eyed miracle hugs Severus.

"Severus ? I think Mum says you can't give them a voice if you can't see them..." Harry softly whispers.

The Potions master looks up, tears in his eyes, and the three Potters are looking at him with... love. That brings more tears.

Harry is finally forced to trade place with Severus to soothe him and dry his tears.

When Severus is finally ready to resume his voicing, Harry asks a crucial question to his parents, "You don't disapprove of my choice ?"

Lily and James look at each other.

'We do know how difficult happiness is to find in this world. And we do know that the two of you can only find it in each other. It took you so many years to understand it. Make the most of your time!' James says.

'Be happy! This is all we want for you,' Lily says.

"It's going to be hell!" Severus sighs.

'Not worse than school!' James jokes.

'And we may have a solution while we're here...' Lily suggests.

"What, Mum ?"

Harry's parents show them their left hands and their wedding rings become more tangible.

Harry feels the tension in Severus and asks, "What does that mean ?"

Severus turns to him and declares, " It means that if we link our destinies, your parents will give us their rings, thus showing the world their approval..."

Tears threaten to come back to Severus's eyes, but Harry reacts first, "That would be perfect! I cannot imagine life without you and we can have the world now... What do you say ?"

The eagerness and love of the green-eyed miracle wins the heart of the Head of the Slytherin House and he nods his acceptance.

Both wizards quietly exchange their vows of love.

That will do for now.

They can always have a huge wedding party with their friends, the real ones, later.

James comes near his son and drops a very small ring in his hand. Lily does the same with Severus.

"I'll never be able to put that ring on, it's too small..." Harry starts.

Severus finds it extremely difficult to swallow suddenly and explains that those are not actual rings, but threads of the life of his parents: Lily had James's life around her finger and James had Lily's. Those 'rings' will adapt to the size of the finger on which they're placed.

Harry looks at his left hand, at Severus, at his parents.

He's grinning, laughing and crying at the same time. He hopes one cannot die from happiness, otherwise he's in trouble deep!

'We'll leave you alone now. We won't see you again before years, but when we do meet again, I want you to have endless happy memories to tell us!' Lily says.

'Be happy and enjoy life!' James says.

And they fade away.

Harry and Severus look at each other, smiling, but eyes full of tears.

"That was some blessing!" Harry says first.

"That, Mr Potter, is an understatement!" Severus answers, opening his arm in an invitation.

Harry cuddles up against Severus. Their hearts are beating so fast that they just stay there for some time.

Then, Harry gently kissing Severus's cheek, clearly wanting more, makes Severus think 'Hormones... Not out of the wood...', but he smiles nonetheless.

The kiss they share shows Severus that their *bedroom* life is, indeed, going to be interesting: the green-eyed miracle is avid and gifted.

Severus brings their kiss to an end.

"Maybe we should rest some time first..." he suggests.

Harry blinks, blushes and wonders, "Is it because I've never made love before ? Is it why you want to delay ?"

Severus chuckles and caresses Harry's cheeks, " I've never made love either..."

In one split second Harry wins the World Contest of Overripe Tomatoes Imitations which causes Severus to laugh heartily.

"Don't be mistaken! I have plenty of knowledge, experience and skills. I could make you want to beg even the lowest sub-demons to deliver you from this earth by just whispering the proper words in your ear.. Shagging, having sex... Yes... Make love... You'll be my first. I wish that moment to be special and with the day we've had, it sounds impossible. We barely ate, fought all morning, performed a powerful spell, drank a lot. Trust me... We should wait..." Severus explains.

To the 'trust me' line, Harry had nodded his agreement, but the only thing he'd registered was, "We will be each other's first ?" That said with a Cheshire-Cat grin.

From that moment on, Severus Snape knows: he's in trouble with the man he loves. Harry's eagerness sounds infectious. If Harry makes him too happy, it's going to be hell keeping being the dreaded Potions master with a permanent smile on his face...

They resume their kissing until Severus hears two phials clinking.

"What's that noise ?" he asks Harry.

Taking the phials out of his sleeve, Harry explains, "Weasleys gifts, minutes ago. I don't know what they're for..."

Severus looks at the gifts and smiles again. Showing Percy's he says 'lubricant' and 'Taste Giver' about Ginny's.

"Er... Lubricant... I'm not totally clueless. Inexperienced, yes, but not stupid... But *Taste Giver* ? That's the first time I hear of that..." Harry says.

"It's a Slytherin potion which has a much more complicate name and I'm not sure I want to know which of the Weasleys gave you what, but let me demonstrate *one* of the use of the Taste Giver..." Severus says.

While Harry gives him Ginny's phial and puts the other on the bedside table, the young wizard wonders what it really does and what *all* the applications are...

Severus puts a drop of the potion on his lips and places the phial next to the other.

"Now, Harry, think of a taste you'd like my lips to have. When you've found it, say it aloud and then kiss me..." Severus invites him.

Not an inch away from his partner's lips, Harry whispers, "Lime" and enjoys that particular taste on Severus's lips.

The smile on Harry's lips proves that he enjoys that offering.

"Can we batch cauldrons of this ?" the young man asks, his voice full of lust, but so tired as well.

"After some hours of rest, yes..." Severus accepts and starts to undress Harry.

The eyes of the young wizard silently ask again Severus if he is sure about their doing nothing that night.

"Let me first show you how pleasant it can be to share a bed with someone..." Severus states.

"We've done that last Christmas!" Harry exclaims, furious that Severus forgot so fast.

"Naked ?" Severus teases him.

Harry decides to keep his mouth shut and lets Severus lead the game...

       

Severus wakes up first. Surprised by the sun in the room.

They did not close the window yesternight and the house elves took the spell he put on the door as a very strong 'don't you dare come in and bother us', so the window is still open...

For the first time in his life, Severus does want to try and resist his instinct and simply be in love. He kisses and caresses the man in his arms.

Harry wakes up, surrounded by love. Something rather unusual for him and his eyes work on conveying his love to the man with whom he's joined his life.

Both are happy, rested and aroused.

They kiss as if one of them was in desperate need of Muggle CPR.

"Morning, Love !" Harry happily says.

"Morning!" Severus answers, his voice betraying his emotions.

They kiss again and Harry takes Severus's left hand. He wants to have a look at their rings.

They smile, kiss and start to roll the one on the other in bed.

Once Severus has Harry carefully pinned under him, the green-eyed wizard asks if they couldn't start to make use of the Weasleys offerings.

Severus growls and comes with an even better option, "What if we have breakfast and I take you to my home, where we will be left all alone... till Albus figures where we fled ?..."

Harry nods fervently and keeps repeating 'yes' between hot kisses.

       

Two in the same shower was a good idea which took them more time than they had initially expected. It's Harry's comment on his intention of making the soap happy which started unexpected games...

       

The Leaky Cauldron is nearly empty and Tom explains that their friends kept drinking and are still asleep.

While he serves a traditional breakfast, Tom spots the rings and smiles.

"You see, Love ? He does not judge..." Harry says.

"Optimistic, innocent one!" Severus says, feeling he's melting.

"Yes, sir!" The green-eyed miracle says, grinning yet again.


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