part 03
Severus woke when he heard the sharp pop as Marta appeared next to them. "Baby is awake, Masters."
"Thank you, Marta. We will be inside in just a moment." With a nod of her head, the house elf disappeared. Harry's hand prevented him from getting up.
"What were you saying to me earlier?" His eyes were a gleaming green and there was a small smile on his face.
"I don't remember. I find myself speaking Italian when I'm here, especially if I'm upset or overwrought. My grandparents only spoke Italian, and here at the farm it always seems to be right there at the tip of my tongue. My father never allowed my mother to speak it at the manor, so I only really associate it with this farm."
"What does bellisimo mean? That's the only word I can remember."
Severus tucked some unruly hair behind Harry's ear. "Bellisimo means beautiful. And you are."
He kissed Harry, wishing they had more time to just enjoy these lazy kisses. "We must go in. Your daughter is awake and undoubtedly howling for her milk." He helped Harry up from the blankets, and they both got dressed quickly. They walked back to the house to find Marta giving Iris a bottle, the baby's wet cheeks testament to the tears she had already shed.
Harry carefully took the baby into his arms, and thanked Marta for taking care of her.
They moved out into the sitting area while the baby finished her bottle.
Severus sat next to Harry on the couch, and stroked the baby's small foot as Harry held her.
"Have you given any thought as to what you want to do now that you are done with Hogwarts?"
"For years I thought it would be so cool to be an Auror, but now it's the last thing I would ever do. I've had enough of fighting insane dark wizards. I think for now I just want to enjoy taking care of Iris. It was hard enough to let Molly take care of her while I finished classes. I have no need to work, so I guess we'll find a place to live, and enjoy some peace and quiet."
Harry looked up from the baby to find Severus looking at him. "You already know I want to be with you, so you don't even need to ask about that. I'll look for a place near Hogsmeade, and then you can see us as much as you want."
"The only way I'll see you as much as I want is if you move into my quarters with me. It would be different if I was just a teacher, but as Head of House for Slytherin I am obliged to be there at the castle each night."
"Are you asking us to move in with you? Would the school allow that? Nothing would make us happier, but I don't want to jeopardize your position."
"Harry, I never intended to spend my entire life at Hogwarts. Well, actually, I did think that would be the case when the Dark Lord was resurrected. But I haven't thought that since he was defeated. I've given Albus and the school nineteen years of my life. I'll give them one more year, and then I plan on leaving."
"You don't seem too concerned about leaving your teaching slot open."
"Draco Malfoy will be apprenticing this year, and I think he will be more than adequate to take over my position next year. He was always gifted at potions, even if he spent too much time thinking about just the right contaminant to toss into your cauldrons."
Harry thought about this, and realized that Malfoy had actually been far more talented than he realized. Any number of items would have caused Harry's potions to fail, but Malfoy had had a knack for getting Harry's potions to explode far more frequently than mere chance would dictate.
"It would make sense for a Slytherin to replace you, seeing as Albus will also need to replace you as Head of House. Do you think Albus will consider him too young for that position?"
"Harry, I was only twenty when I took over the position. Draco has the bearing and education to fulfill all the requirements. I think it will work out quite well."
"And what is it you want to do?"
"I want to be here, working on my potions, and continuing to make the base components that I have been making for years. I have a large network of contacts, and I have been fending off requests for years for specialty potions. I would actually have a chance to pick and choose what I wish to make. I would have to build an Owlery to send out shipments, and make changes to the workshop, but I believe that I could work from the farm and continue to make a comfortable living."
Harry took the empty bottle and placed it on the side table. Iris was awake now for longer periods of time, and frequently made it through the night with only one feeding. He propped her up on his chest, and patted her back until she gave a loud burp.
"Maybe instead of Hogsmeade, you should stay at Grimmauld Place. It's already connected to the Headmaster's floo, and it would be safer for you."
"Severus, I will never willingly bring her there. That house is saturated with darkness. I want to have sunshine, warmth, and a place where people will actually be happy to visit."
"Then perhaps the dungeons would not be your first choice of abodes for the next year."
Harry looked inquiringly at Severus. "Are you asking us to live with you for the next year?"
Severus shook his head. "No, Harry, I'm asking you to live with me for as long as you'll have me. I'm asking you to spend the next year with me at Hogwarts until I finish teaching. Next summer, we can move here permanently."
Harry stood, the baby in one arm, and approached Severus. "Would Albus agree to that? And what about the reaction from everyone else? How would I fit in there?"
Severus sighed, trying to figure out if Harry was hesitant to commit, or if it was a matter of logistics.
"It would be something new, I agree. No other staff member has anyone living with them at the castle, and I don't really know what your status would be."
"Then let's stick to my original plan. Iris and I will find a place in Hogsmeade for the year. We'll visit you during the week, and you can spend your weekends with us away from the castle. If Albus is willing to connect my floo to his, then you could return with only a moment's notice if there was an issue with your students."
Severus drew them into his arms, breathing in the sweet powdery smell that always seemed to accompany both Harry and Iris.
"Very well. We'll find a small cottage for you. Albus will have no objections to having you visit the castle, and I will have Draco there to take charge of the Slytherins any time I am away from the castle."
Harry kissed him happily, already thinking about the house they would be looking for. The farm was already perfect for him and Iris, and Severus had obviously done some thinking about the changes he would need to make to launch a business from the farm. Maybe he would take on the Owlery as a winter project. There would be the building to consider, and then he would need to procure owls. The winter would provide ample time for him to learn about overseeing a flock of owls, if that was even what a large group of owls was called.
Severus could see that Harry was lost in his thoughts, but as there was a smile on his face, he was loathe to disturb him. They had two more weeks to spend at the farm, and then they would return to the castle and begin to look for a suitable house for Harry and Iris. Harry was still young, and the next year would give him some time on his own and maybe some perspective on the changes in his life. Hopefully, by next year all three of them would be settled into a new life.
The next two weeks passed much too quickly. Harry and Iris spent quiet mornings together while Severus worked, and their nights were spent in the large bed they shared. Severus loved the small gasps that Harry never failed to give when he entered him, and Harry in turn discovered the delights of being the one to make Severus gasp with pleasure.
Severus had plans drawn up for the new Owlery, and wrote out all the changes that would need to be made to his barn to enable him to work on a larger scale. He would need more shelving for ingredients, and additional benches for cauldrons to produce more complicated potions than he currently made at the farm. Arrangements were made to have the work done over the winter so that when they returned the following year all would be ready for them.
Harry and Severus began to look at properties as soon as they returned to Hogwarts. They settled on a small cottage on the edge of the village, close enough that Harry could walk to the nearby grocers or other businesses, but enough outside of the main village that he would have a reasonable garden and yard. There were two cozy bedrooms, one bathroom, a tiny kitchen, and a large room which served as both dining and living area.
Much to Severus' amusement, Harry bought a bed which nearly filled his bedroom. He bought a crib for Iris, and comfortable furniture for the living area. Harry took advantage of his final weeks at Hogwarts by reading all the books he could find on mail owls and the care, feeding, and training they required.
It was strange for Harry to see the Hogwarts Express come into Hogsmeade Station, and to not be a part of the throngs of students heading into carriages and boats. For seven years, he had been part of the bustle and noise, and now he was just another villager, albeit still a famous one.
Harry had worried that he would get a lot of unwanted attention when he moved into his house, but his face had become a familiar one in the years that he had been allowed to participate in Hogsmeade weekends, so all in all it was immeasurably better than if Harry had tried to live in Diagon Alley.
Harry became a permanent dinner guest on Wednesday evenings, and the students loved seeing Iris. When the new term started, Iris was busy cutting her first teeth, and trying to crawl. Everything within reach went into her mouth, and Harry's clothing frequently had wet spots from being gummed.
Draco was happy to be in charge on the weekends, so Severus left the castle every Friday evening to spend the weekend with Harry and Iris. The big bed at Harry's came to feel like home, and he now seemed to only sleep well when Harry was sleeping next to him.
He arrived on the last Friday in November to find Harry and Iris kneeling next to a large box on the floor in the sitting area. Looking into the box, he realized they were looking at a dozen eggs, nestled in straw, with a warming charm over the box.
"Harry, why are there eggs in the living room?"
Iris looked up at the sound of Severus' voice, and crawled over to him, making her usual baby sounds. He picked her up and hugged her, always amazed at how she melted into him, warm and trusting. Looking over her head, he saw Harry smiling at them.
"Severus, I have a surprise for you. These are owl eggs. European barn owls, actually. Apparently the owls will bond with us better if we raise them ourselves. The eggs are all less than a week old, so we have about three weeks before they start hatching."
"Harry, what are you going to do with a dozen owls, plus Hedwig, in this house?"
"Well, it will be a few weeks before they hatch, and after that it will be two more months before they're ready to fly. And once they're ready to fly, it will be another month or two before they're ready to leave their nest. So we won't actually have flying owls for three or four months."
"So by early April we'll have thirteen owls flying around the house?"
"Actually, by early April the Owlery will be done, and I thought Iris and I would bring them over to the farm."
Severus knew it was selfish, but he wanted Harry and Iris to stay right where they were. On a rational level, he knew that he could arrive at the farm in scarcely more time than it took him to get to Hogsmeade, but just knowing they would be at the farm while he would be at Hogwarts made his chest ache. He held Iris a little tighter, not wanting to let her go.
Harry was watching Severus as he held Iris, and he knew something was wrong from the way he was avoiding looking at Harry.
"Severus, I thought this would be a nice surprise. I had put in an order at the Emporium for owl eggs, and they weren't sure when they would have some, but they let me know this morning that they had this clutch. Do you want me to send them back?"
Severus shook his head. "No, Harry, it's fine. If you need to take them over in March or April, then do so. I should be packed and ready to go by the end of June."
Harry got up from the floor and slid an arm around Severus. "I wasn`t planning on staying there, Severus. I was just going to take them over and get them settled. We had talked about having someone in charge of the Owlery, and I'm perfectly willing to turn them over once we get there. I thought Iris and I would spend the night to make sure they get settled, and then we would be back the following morning."
Severus took a deep breath, surprised at how relieved he felt. Harry kissed him softly on the neck, saying, "I couldn't be away from you for that long. Besides, Iris needs her papa."
Iris grabbed Severus' chin and yelled, "Dada dada dada dada dada!"
Harry kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, Iris, Dada's here, and your Papa is too. Give Papa a kiss?"
Iris leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on Severus' cheek.
"See? She knows you're her papa, even if all she can say right now is dada."
"Harry, she calls everything dada. You give her milk and she says dada. You put her into her bed and she says dada."
"Well, it won't be too long before she calls you papa. Now, it's time for a certain young lady to go to bed so her papa and I can have dinner."
Severus kissed the baby and handed her to Harry. Harry changed her in her room and tucked her into her crib. He brushed the long strands of inky black hair off her forehead, watching as her dark eyes began to close. It never failed to amaze him how lucky he was to have her. "Night, sweetie."
He returned to the living room to find Severus still standing in the same place. "Severus, what's wrong? Are you all right? Ready for some dinner?"
"I think dinner will have to wait." He drew Harry into his arms and kissed him, wishing he could find the words to tell him what it meant to him that he was part of their tiny family. Instead, he settled for cherishing Harry with his mouth and his hands.
They fell onto the big bed, and Severus rolled onto his back, drawing Harry on top of him. "Love me, Harry."
Harry kissed him until they were both gasping for air. "I love you, Severus. I do."
Clothes were strewn on the floor as they were hastily discarded. Harry moved to pull Severus on top of him, but Severus held him firmly. "No, tonight I want to feel you inside me."
Harry was floored. In the months they had been together, Severus had always been the dominant partner. He wasn't quite sure if he was ready for this role reversal.
"Severus, are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure Harry. I'm far from being a virgin, but I admit that it has been many years since I have allowed someone to take me. Don't look so scared. We live with the proof that you've been in this position before."
"That was different. I may have been on top, but I sure as hell didn't know what I was doing at first. It would have been a total disaster if Caitlin hadn't known what she was doing. You're the only man I've been with. I don't want to do this wrong and hurt you."
Severus stroked his back and pulled Harry close to reassure him. "You could never hurt me, Harry. We'll take it slow, but I want this, for both of us."
They kissed and stroked until they were both trembling with need. Severus talked him through the preparations, and Harry knew enough to hold still and take a deep breath once he had breached the tight muscle. Severus kissed Harry as he urged him to move, and soon both were caught in the whirlwind. Harry was lost after only a few strokes, collapsing on Severus when he came.
Severus urged him to roll onto his back, and used a spell to prepare him before he slid into his warmth. Harry was still blissfully limp, and could only hold onto Severus moments later as he came.
They fell asleep in a sticky tangle of limbs, with Harry's face pressed into Severus' chest.
Christmas holidays were a far cry from previous years. Harry, Severus, and Iris had a quiet morning at the cottage. Severus had cooked breakfast for them, and then they had exchanged presents. Iris gleefully pulled at the wrappings and spent quite a bit of her morning crawling in and out of empty boxes.
"If I had known she'd be happy with just the boxes, I wouldn't have filled all of them."
"Admit it, Harry; you loved buying presents for her."
"You're right, I did. I know she's a bit young for some of them, but she'll grow into them."
Severus hugged Harry tightly when he opened his gift. Harry had scoured bookstores for journals belonging to long dead potions masters, knowing Severus would enjoy deciphering their work. Harry smiled with pleasure at the practice snitch and flying gloves Severus gave him. The practice snitch would give him a good workout and force him to keep up with his flying skills.
They spent the afternoon at the Burrow, surrounded by the Weasleys and other members of the Order.
"Harry! Iris! Professor Snape. It's so good to see you all!" Hermione gave Harry a big hug, and lifted Iris up to give her a kiss on her cheek. Iris clung to Harry as she adjusted to the noise and confusion.
"So, how is it at University? Any boyfriends we should know about?"
Hermione swatted Harry on the arm, blushing as she did so. "Yes, if you have to know. I've been seeing another student, he's two years ahead of me, and his name is William. And that's all I'm telling you. Now, I want to hear all about how this little girl is doing." She dragged him off into the sitting area.
Severus found himself having an interesting conversation with Fred Weasley. They were having trouble disguising the taste of an ingredient in one of their trick candies, and Severus found himself offering ideas about substitutes and the effect they might have.
The afternoon sped by and surprisingly enough, for Severus, it was a relaxed and friendly day. Everyone knew how close the two men were, and all seemed supportive of their decision to move to the farm and focus on their business venture. Harry promised Molly that he would have Severus connect a fireplace at the farm to the floo network to make it easier to visit.
At the end of January, Severus was startled to see Harry's head in his fireplace just as he was about to leave for breakfast, yelling for Severus to come quickly. He fell into the living room of the cottage, wand out, trying to figure out what was happening.
"Severus, she walked! I put her down on the floor to play while I got her breakfast ready, and she pulled herself up on the table leg and she took two steps!"
Severus forced himself to breathe deeply to slow his pounding heart.
"Watch, she can do it for you."
Harry stood Iris up in the kitchen, and Severus stood in the doorway.
"Dada! Dada!" Iris wobbled a bit before taking three lurching steps toward Severus before plopping down on her bottom. Harry scooped her up and kissed her, bringing her to Severus for a hug.
"Isn't she amazing?"
"She is, but we already knew that." He kissed her and stroked her hair. "Now, I have class soon, and I have yet to eat something. I'm afraid I must go, but I'll come back tonight." He kissed them both and stepped back into the fireplace and was gone in a flash.
Harry built some temporary small flying cages behind the cottage for the small owls to practice flying in. Their nest in the living had become larger to accommodate all twelve birds, and Harry took them in small groups out to the mews for them to strengthen their wings. Iris loved watching the birds as they flew around, and they became used to her squeals of delight.
Harry and Iris took the owls to the farm the first week in March and got them settled into their new home. Harry was very pleased with Franco Bertolone, the man Severus had hired to take care of and train the new owls. The Owlery had turned out well, with plenty of room for the birds to fly around, and abundant perches at varying heights. There was even an area with alcoves built into the walls for future nests, and mews for future young owls to fly in.
They spent the night at the farm, and Harry made notes as to things they would need to live there year round. Harry peeked into the barn to see Severus' improved workspace, and was surprised to find that a small sitting room had been added off the back of the barn, with plenty of room for a desk, armchairs, and a bunk for Severus for those nights when he had sensitive potions brewing and would want to be close by.
Upon returning Tuesday evening, Harry was happy to find Severus at the cottage.
Severus pulled Harry and Iris into his arms, relieved that they were home again. He had been distracted and irritable for the past two days just knowing they were at the farm while he was at Hogwarts. He had informed Albus that he would be away during the Easter holidays to go to the farm with Harry and Iris.
"Dada! Dada!" Iris was pulling at Severus' robe, demanding to be held by him. Severus took her from Harry and held her close, inhaling her familiar baby smell.
Harry chattered about the Owlery and the changes to the barn while they had dinner and got Iris ready for bed. They both kissed her goodnight and covered her with a blanket. Her door was always left open, as was theirs, although she rarely woke during the night.
"Severus, would you mind if we have a birthday party for Iris here in a few weeks?"
"Harry, you make the decisions here. This is your cottage, and she is your daughter. If you want to have a party here, then by all means do it."
"This is our cottage, and she's our daughter. We're in this together, Severus."
"Harry, I'm sure your friends would love to help Iris celebrate her birthday. However, the cottage is rather small to serve as a proper birthday venue. Easter holidays will be soon after her birthday. Would you want to invite everyone out to the farm for the day? The floo is connected, so all we need to do is give everyone the address. Marta would love to have the house full of people."
Harry hugged Severus tightly. "That would be perfect. We're going there for the week, so perhaps a few days after we arrive would be a good time?"
"I'll inform Marta, and you send out the invitations."
Harry made his list of invitees the next week, and sent out letters with instructions for flooing to the farm, the address simply Snape Fattoria. They had a small cake for just the three of them on the night of Iris' birthday, and Harry wrote Iris a letter which he placed in a small chest in his room.
The chest already contained a small lock of her hair, and several small things Harry had saved over the past year, such as one of her tiny shirts from when she was a newborn. The chest would be for Iris when she was older, and would include the letter from her mother. Harry was planning to add a letter each year on her birthday.
Finally, Easter holidays arrived, and they escaped to the farm. Harry brought several trunks with their winter clothing and items he thought he would not need at the cottage for the next two months. The farm was beautiful in the spring with abundant flowers and lush grasses behind the house.
Severus had had an additional room built onto the house over the winter. There was now a large sunroom off the back of the house, next to the large patio area. Two walls were almost entirely glass, while another held an enormous fireplace. Harry had a feeling they would be spending a lot of their time in that room, enjoying the sun and the view.
Iris was happy to visit the owls and explore behind the house. She was picking flowers when Severus came outside to check on them.
"Papa! Papa!" She toddled over to Severus and gave him the handful of mangled flowers she had picked.
"Thank you for the lovely flowers, Iris. Perhaps if you picked them holding the stem rather than the flower itself we could put some in a vase."
He took her by the hand and together they gathered a large bunch of flowers. Severus found a shallow vase and helped Iris put all the flowers in them. Harry had to turn away to wipe tears from his eyes as he watched Severus and Iris together. Despite his short temper with older children, Severus never seemed to lack in patience or gentleness with Iris.
Three days after they arrived their house was filled with the sound of cheerful voices. People flowed in and out of the house, and Harry and Severus found themselves giving tours of the grounds and buildings.
Harry turned when he felt an arm encircle his shoulders.
"Well, mate, looks like a right sweet set up you have here. So tell me, are you going to make an honest man of him?"
Harry looked at George with obvious befuddlement.
"George, what do you mean?"
"Well, it's obvious the two of you are in this deep. You've been living with the man for most of the past year. I would have thought you'd at least have hand fasted by now."
"We can do that? I thought hand fasting and marriage were only for, you know, men marrying women."
"That may be the case in the muggle world, but in our world that has no bearing."
"Maybe he wouldn't want that. He would know about it, and he hasn't said anything like that to me."
George laughed softly. "It's really not his place to, Harry. He may be older, but you have more social standing, you're undoubtedly richer, and you already have an heir. It would be an insult to you if he asked you to marry him. In effect, he would be asking you and Iris to give up everything, take his name, assume his social rank, and allow him to control all your assets."
Harry still seemed puzzled. "But then the same would be true for him, wouldn't it?"
"No, Harry. He would have to take your name, but he would rise to a higher social standing. His past and his, shall we say, associations, would in effect be wiped away. Think about it, mate."
George gave him a brief hug before moving off to talk to Ron and Hermione.
Harry's mind was spinning. He had simply assumed that Severus was content with their present arrangement, and had given little thought to being able to make a formal commitment. He would have to find Hermione, and see what she knew about this whole social standing and marriage thing.
Severus had been talking with Filius when he noticed one of the Weasley twins putting his arm around Harry. Their discussion seemed to be of a serious nature, which was unusual for the two of them. At Christmas, they had talked endlessly of new ideas for the joke shop the twins ran, and he had enjoyed watching Harry laugh.
He continued to talk to Filius, but part of him was going over the scene of Weasley and Harry embracing.
His attention was diverted when Harry called out that it was time for cake. Iris clapped and yelled after she managed to blow out the sole candle on her cake. She had her own, tiny round cake, and proceeded to lick the frosting off it as soon as the candle was out.
They all watched as Iris tore open a huge pile of presents, calling out to her Papa to look, again and again until Severus sat her in his lap and helped her to open them. When the presents were done, Harry scooped her up and let her say her good-byes before taking her inside for a quick wash, then placing her in her bed. Her thumb went into her mouth and she was asleep in moments.
Gradually, their guests left, all of them complimenting the men on their lovely home, and thanking them for the chance to be a part of Iris' first birthday. Harry was exhausted by the time Hermione left, and collapsed on a chaise in the sunroom. Severus made sure the barn was closed up before joining Harry.
Harry was quieter than usual, thinking of everything George and Hermione had told him. Much as Harry wanted to get down on bended knee and ask Severus to marry him, there was apparently a protocol that wizards were expected to follow. Harry couldn't simply ask Severus to marry him. He needed to have a token of promise to give Severus. Although it could be pretty much anything, it was traditionally a piece of jewelry. Then, he needed to have a contract ready, stating what he was willing to provide for Severus, and what his status regarding Iris would be.
Harry snuggled into Severus' side, and was rewarded with being pulled in for a slow, tender kiss. As soon as they returned to Hogsmeade, he would work on the contract, and find an appropriate piece of jewelry. For now, the baby was sleeping, the house was quiet, and there was only the feel of Severus kissing him senseless.
Harry, Severus, and Iris spent the remaining days at the farm enjoying the quiet. Harry helped Severus harvest some of the flowers which were in bloom, and Iris became adept at pulling flowers up by their stems and putting them in her own special collection basket.
Severus was somewhat concerned that Harry had become rather pensive and quiet since the birthday party. He would look up to find Harry staring off into space, with a small frown marring his forehead. He had made one venture to ask Harry if there was something on his mind, but he had been cheerfully brushed off, which had made him feel even more uneasy.
They returned to Hogsmeade at the end of the week, and Severus reluctantly returned to Hogwarts. He knew he was being ridiculous, he knew Harry loved him, but he couldn't help but wonder if George Weasley was somehow to blame for Harry's preoccupation with something he was unwilling to share with Severus.
Harry put Iris to bed on the night of their return to Hogsmeade, and immediately sat down with a quill and parchment and began to write out his initial outline for a contract. He had been going over it in his mind for days, so it seemed rather straightforward now that he could finally write it down. It took several revisions, but before he went to bed he felt that he had a decent contract written.
Harry and Iris prowled through the small jewelers shop in Hogsmeade the next day, but Harry didn't see what he was looking for. Lunchtime found them in Diagon Alley, and the third jewelry store had something close to what Harry had been searching for.
The chain and pendant clasp were made of platinum, while the pendant itself was green tourmaline. The stone was teardrop shaped, with so many facets that is sparkled as Harry held it up to the light. There was just a hint of red fire within the stone. Harry had a brief conversation with the proprietor, and in short order there was a tiny snake winding up the side and over the top of the pendant, also created from platinum.
Harry thanked the man profusely, and had the necklace placed within a black velvet pouch, and the pouch placed in a small, discreet box. Pleased with himself, Harry left the store and took Iris back to Hogsmeade. Stopping at the bookstore, he browsed through the books and purchased some high quality parchment to use for the contract he would present to Severus.
Harry called Molly Wednesday morning and asked if she would be willing to take Iris for the evening.
"Of course, Harry. Bring her nightclothes, and she can spend the night. Arthur would love to be able to spoil her a bit, and you can have a quiet night with Severus."
"Thank you, Molly. I need to talk to Severus without any distractions. I'll bring here by around four, if that works for you?"
"Lovely, dear. We'll see you then."
Harry brought Iris to the Burrow that afternoon, and then returned home to have a quick shower, and dress in a set of his better robes over a crisp shirt and freshly pressed trousers. He slipped the rolled up contract in one pocket, and the jeweler's box in the other. With a final check to his hair, he set out for the castle, hoping the walk would calm his nerves.
Severus told himself repeatedly that everything was fine, that whatever Harry was thinking about had nothing to do with them as a couple. He didn't know why he kept dwelling on Harry's quietness. As he walked to the Great Hall for dinner, he thought that the end of the school year couldn't come soon enough. At least he would see Harry and Iris tonight, and he would be back with them for the weekend, just as they had been doing since September.
He took his seat in the Great Hall, and it was only bare moments later that Harry slid into the seat next to him. Severus was opening his mouth to greet them when he realized that Harry was alone.
"Where is Iris?"
"Oh, she's with Molly and Arthur for the evening. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to have some time alone with you after dinner. I, um, need to talk to you."
Severus could feel his heart beating madly. He noticed that Harry was dressed up, far beyond his usual attire. He could almost feel the waves of nervousness Harry was exuding, and his stomach began to turn. Neither of them spoke during dinner, and Severus could only push his food around and wait for dinner to end.
Harry was so caught up in his own nervousness that he didn't notice how quiet Severus was. As soon as they could, they excused themselves and retreated to Severus' chambers.
Severus headed straight to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a hefty glass of scotch. He downed the entire contents before putting the glass down. He couldn't even look at Harry, so sure was he that the younger man had decided to break it off with him. He kept going over the scene of George Weasley and Harry together at the farm, sure that this was the reason Harry was here alone, needing to talk to him.
"Severus, I need you to look at me."
Severus took a deep breath and forced his face into a neutral expression. Turning, he faced Harry, waiting to hear the worst.
Harry pulled a box out of one pocket, and a rolled parchment out of the other. He knelt with one knee on the floor, and looking up at Severus he quietly asked him, "Severus Snape, would you honor me by becoming my husband?" He held up the box, and said, "I offer to you this token as a promise of my intent, and this contract as proof of my desire to share all aspects of my life with you. I love you, Severus, and nothing would bring me greater joy than to spend my life with you."
Severus stared numbly at Harry, his mind trying to absorb the fact that Harry was asking him to marry him. He had not changed his mind about Severus or the farm. Quite the opposite, in fact. Not only that, but he was doing it in traditional wizard style, with a token and a contract, indicating the seriousness with which he was asking him. Severus wasn't quite sure why he was down on one knee, but perhaps that was a muggle tradition.
Harry was beginning to wonder if he had made a serious faux-pas after Severus continued to look at him strangely.
"Severus, would you at least look at them?" Harry hated hearing the warble in his voice, but he hadn't expected Severus to simply stare at him.
Severus jumped a bit at Harry's voice, and realized Harry was still holding out the box and the parchment. Gingerly, he accepted both.
"Harry, you're making me uneasy kneeling on the floor. Stand, please."
Putting the parchment into one of his pockets, Severus opened the box and removed the velvet pouch. He opened the drawstrings, and gently upended the contents into his palm. It was a bright platinum necklace, with a jewel so green that it seemed to glow. A delicately carved snake seemed to be caught in mid-slither going up the side of the pendant.
"Harry, it's beautiful. Thank you."
Harry smiled as he realized that Severus liked the necklace. "I thought a ring would get in the way, and a bracelet wouldn't be much better. You can wear this under your shirt."
"What is the stone? It doesn't appear to be emerald."
"No, it's green tourmaline. It actually has a bit of red in it too."
"Is there some significance to the stone?"
"Ah, no, I just loved the green color. The man at the store went on and on about how it balances out your energies, and um, I think he said it can be helpful to your, um, potency. Not that I got it because of that. I just liked the color. Truly."
Severus raised an eyebrow inquiringly, his stomach feeling much better as Harry rambled nervously.
"It's a beautiful stone, and you are quite correct that a ring would be most inconvenient. May I read the contract?"
"Please. The wait has been killing me."
Severus drew Harry over to the couch, and they sat with their legs touching as Severus read through the contract, and then read it again just to be sure.
"Harry, are you sure this is what you want? Did you look into this before you wrote it?"
"I had advice from George and Hermione, and I found a book on traditional wizard contracts at the bookstore when I went to buy the parchment. It's exactly what I want. The question is, do you want this?"
Severus could only look at Harry in amazement. Harry's only request was that Severus change his name to Potter-Snape. In return, Harry was adding Severus as a joint holder of his Gringott's account. Severus would also be added to all property deeds held by Harry. He was recognizing Severus as one of Iris' legal fathers, even going so far as to state that if Harry should die while Iris was a minor that Severus would have sole custody of her.
Harry was promising to always financially support him and provide a new home should Severus ever decide he no longer wanted to reside at the farm. The farm would remain as Severus' property, as would any assets he had going into the marriage.
Severus had to take a deep breath before he answered. "Harry James Potter, I hereby accept your promise and your contract. Your terms are most generous. I will gladly change my name to Severus Potter-Snape, and I am honored that you are making me a legal parent to your daughter." He summoned a quill to him, and signed his name under Harry's. The parchment began to smoke, and disappeared with a flash of red flame. Harry took the necklace out of Severus' hand, and slid it over the potion master's head, undoing several buttons to allow it to rest against his lover's chest.
Severus wrapped his arms around Harry. "You have been so quiet since the baby's birthday that I have feared the worst. I have to admit that you have managed to shock me."
Harry kissed him, his own nervousness fading now that Severus had signed the contract. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I was trying to work out what to put in the contract, and deciding what kind of token to offer you. I wasn't sure that you would want to marry me."
Severus squeezed Harry tightly. "Foolish boy, you must know by now what you mean to me. How could you even think that I would say no?"
"I was just nervous. I know that you love me, that you love Iris too, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to commit yourself to us. Um, so what happens now? I'm not really all that well informed about these rituals."
"I assume that you read the book on contracts thoroughly?"
"Of course. I didn't want to miss anything or do it wrong."
"You obviously spelled the parchment correctly, and the addition of my signature sealed the contract. We are now legally married, Mr. Potter. You do realize that this will hit the Daily Prophet tomorrow?"
"Let's make an announcement at breakfast, then. I'll fire call Ron, Hermione, Molly, and Remus in the morning, hopefully before they open the paper."
"It will be expected that sometime in the near future that we will host a gathering to give people the chance to congratulate us. Perhaps we could have that here at the school as soon as classes end?"
Harry smiled, placing small kisses down Severus' throat. "Sounds perfect."
Severus rose from the couch and put his hand out to Harry, who accepted it and rose to his feet.
"Let's get you out of those clothes then, husband of mine. The rest of the night is ours, and I intend to sample every bit of your delectable body."
"Lead the way, Severus."
Harry woke up early and made his calls. Hermione was happy but not surprised, having had a good idea that Harry would be asking Severus to marry him. Ron was shocked that it had already happened, but congratulated Harry sincerely. Remus regarded Harry seriously, asking him if he was quite sure that he wanted to make this commitment.
"I already have, Remus. I love Severus. He fills a part of me that was missing, and I think I fill that same space for him. We're good for each other, Remus."
Remus nodded, saying, "Then congratulations are in order. Will you be having a wedding party?"
"Yes, but not until the end of the school year. I'll let you know."
Harry turned and found Severus behind him.
"Not everyone will be supportive. There will be many who will say that I am marrying you for your money and your status. I just want to make it clear that I would have married you without any of those provisions in the contract."
"I know that, Severus. Those were there to protect you and Iris. I have a terrible track record of getting myself into trouble, and I needed to know that if anything should ever happen to me that you will be there for Iris, and that everything I have will become yours. I plan on being around for a long time, but I want everyone to know what you mean to me."
Severus hugged Harry tightly, and said, "Go get our daughter, and then we will all have breakfast together."
Harry dressed quickly and stepped through the floo into the Burrow. Iris squealed upon seeing him, and Molly drew him into a quick hug.
"Thanks for taking her for the night. I asked Severus to marry me, and he said yes and signed my contract. We're making an announcement at breakfast, so I thought I'd bring Iris so she'd be there when people congratulate her father and me."
"Oh, Harry, I'm so happy for both of you. Severus has been a different man since you and Iris have lived with him."
Harry thanked her again, and kissed her cheek before leaving.
The announcement in the Great Hall was met with a deafening silence for a moment before everyone began to clap. Iris clapped too, safe in the arms of her papa.
Harry spent the last two months at the cottage packing and shopping for new things for the farm. Finally, the school year was over, and Harry made arrangements for the contents of the cottage to be moved to the farm. At the school, Severus had been doing the same, and his private rooms were now completely bare. Harry stood by Severus as they took one last look around, remembering their first night together.
They went upstairs to an outside courtyard, and greeted everyone who had come to their wedding gathering. Severus groaned when he saw the large pile of presents covering a table.
"I think we may need more room at the farm. Between the contents of the cottage, my rooms, and these gifts, we may not have room to walk."
"It will be fine. Although we might want to commission a small guest cottage. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a fair amount of people this summer."
They ended up having two cottages built, and there were many visitors that summer, and every summer after that. Severus' business grew to the point where he was comfortably busy, but with plenty of time to spend with his family.
They always spent the week of Christmas at the Burrow, which became increasingly fuller as small red-headed children were born into the new families of the seven Weasley children. There was a constant stream of Weasley children visiting them for various lengths of time throughout the summers.
Harry and Severus both had to work not to cry when Iris left on the Hogwart's express for the first time. They were relieved when Iris was sorted into Ravenclaw. Harry, because he felt that as a Ravenclaw she was less likely to get into trouble, and Severus, because he knew that as a Ravenclaw she would never know the prejudice that Slytherin children were frequently subjected to.
When Iris turned sixteen, Harry gave her the chest he had been holding for her. It contained seventeen letters from her father, sixteen letters from her papa, and one letter from her birth mother. It was also filled with pictures of her family taken since her babyhood, and a small lock of her hair. A small gold bangle was in the chest, and she remembered when her father had removed it from her ankle when she was five, replacing it with a necklace spelled to work the same as the bangle. Once off her ankle, it had reverted to its original size, and Iris was amazed to see how tiny it was.
She read through the letters from her papa first, then the ones from her father. With shaking hands, she read the one from her birth mother. Her father had always answered her questions about her mother as much as he could, but it was different to read the words that she had written herself. Maybe, when she was older, she would want to meet the woman who had given birth to her, but not now. She had two fathers who loved her, and a large extended family with the Weasleys. Going to the living area, she sat in her father's lap and hugged him.
"I love you, Daddy. You and Papa. Thank you for the chest."
Harry held onto his petite daughter, relieved that she seemed to have no immediate desire to search for Caitlin. They hadn't heard from her since she had left England, and Harry sometimes wondered how much she thought of the child she had left behind. Iris seemed to have taken the contents of the letter well. As long as his daughter was happy, then Harry was content to follow her lead.
Severus smiled to see their daughter sitting in Harry's lap. Although Harry only reached Severus' shoulder, Iris only came to Harry's chin. Her long black hair flowed down her back, somewhat tamed now that it was long. Her eyes remained large and dark, and Severus thought she was the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen. He sat down next to them, and put his arm around them.
Perhaps in another ten years there would again be the patter of small feet at the farm. Severus was looking forward to having grandchildren, although he wasn't sure there was actually a wizard out there who would be good enough for his daughter.
Harry rested his head against Severus' shoulder, basking in the warmth of his family. This was all he had ever wanted, a family to call his own, and a place to call home.
The End