Secret Snarry Swap: Someone to Come Home To Title: Someone to Come Home To Author:goddess47 Gift Recipientecho_of_dusk Rating: PG-13 Word count: 7,595 words Content/Warning(s): (highlight for spoilers) *Fluff* Summary: A Savior walks into a bookshop... but that's a story for another day. Today, Harry has asked a reluctant Severus out for dinner. A/N: Many thanks to fenchurch1 for the beta and the Brit-pick!
Someone to Come Home To
"May I help..." Severus' voice trailed off when he recognized the bookshop patron, who had turned to face him at the sound of his voice.
"Professor!" Harry Potter turned, and cheerfully greeted him. "How are you?"
"Mr. Potter," Severus replied, projecting a level of calmness he did not feel. "I am fine. And you?”
"Please, call me Harry," Harry chided him gently. "I think we're well beyond Mr. Potter, anyway.”
“Then please, feel free to call me Severus,” Severus had to allow, reluctantly.
Harry smiled at him and they stood there for a full minute, looking at each other.
Severus took the time to get a good look at Po-... Harry. Harry had grown up in the past two years. He had gained a couple inches in height after the Defeat of the Dark Lord – even Severus found himself using the term and heard the capital letters in his head – and had put on some much needed weight. Someone had obviously taken him in hand, getting him into well-fitting as well as good-looking robes. The dark, messy hair was still there, though. Something Severus was inexplicably pleased to see.
A voice came from behind him. “Mr. Snape, can you help this lady?”
Severus gave a start. It was the owner of the bookshop, Gerius Kenning.
“Certainly, Gerius,” Severus replied smoothly. He nodded at Harry. “Good to see you, Harry.”
Harry stepped forward a small step, reaching out a hand as if to latch on to Severus. “Wait,” he said quickly. “You work here?”
Severus stepped back, inexplicably hurt. “Yes,” he replied sharply as he turned to walk away.
“Oh, bollocks,” Harry swore. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way... just...”
Severus took a small breath to buy time to consider his reply -- a breath he had learned he had the luxury to take, now that Riddle was dead. That sort of hesitation would have gotten him killed, years ago. “You were surprised that I have fallen so far,” Severus said softly.
“No!” Harry said firmly. “Listen, I have to be somewhere and you evidently have work to do.” He went on quickly. “Can we meet.... Later?” Harry frowned for a moment then looked up with hopeful eyes. “Dinner? Tonight?”
“I...” Severus hesitated. Then realized he was tired of eating alone. “That would be acceptable."
“Brilliant!” Harry said. “How about I meet you at the... Silver Ewer at half-six?” It was a middle-of-the-road restaurant not too far from where they were. Severus had never been inside but he had heard others talking about it.
“I cannot leave here until seven,” Severus admitted. "And there are a few things that need to be seen to after closing."
“No problem!” Harry assured him. “Half-seven, then?”
Severus nodded, “That is fine.”
“Excellent!” Harry enthused. “See you then!”
Potter left the shop without buying anything and Severus made a mental note to himself to ask what Harry had been looking for. He turned to the customer waiting for assistance.
“What may I help you with?” he asked the witch waiting for him.
The afternoon flew quickly, being early December and the start of the Christmas shopping season; it was quitting time before Severus knew it.
“Anything else?” Severus asked Kenning as they closed up for the night. Gerius Kenning had inherited the bookshop a year ago from an uncle and there were details of day-to-day business that sometimes still escaped him. He was a sensible person to deal with, didn’t make unreasonable demands on Severus as an employee and, well, it was good work.
“There was a special order,” Kenning shuffled through the papers behind the counter. “Ah! Here!” He handed the paper to Severus.
Severus looked over the request. “I suspect this is not simple,” he said. “How much of a hurry is this person in?”
“It’s for a collection of some sort,” Kenning said. “He didn’t put a deadline on it.”
“Then it can wait until tomorrow.” Severus put the paper into the desk he had appropriated for his own use.
“It certainly can wait. Go and meet your young man,” Kenning laughed.
Severus fought a blush. “He is not my young man,” he replied. “Potter was a student when I was teaching at Hogwarts.”
“That was Harry Potter?” Kenning goggled. Before he started working in the shop, they had a brief discussion of Severus' part in the War, Severus was painfully aware that there would be those who would not patronise the bookshop once they knew he worked there. To not discuss that would have been unfair to Kenning. His acquaintance with Harry had not been part of that discussion. Severus had been glad Kenning had taken his warnings seriously -- and not held it against him -- as the occasional patron huffed out indignantly when they recognised Severus.
“Yes, indeed it was,” Severus admitted.
“Then don’t keep Mr. Potter waiting,” Kenning made a shooing motion with his hands. “Bring him around some time, if you want.”
Severus knew that was the calculating side of Kenning, looking for an opportunity to use Harry to advertise his bookshop.
“If it’s appropriate,” Severus temporised. He needed to balance the need to keep this job with keeping his own private life, private.
Severus used the miniscule loo in the shop to wash his hands and face before setting out for the Silver Ewer. He enjoyed the short stroll in the cold winter air and found himself arriving almost ten minutes early.
“Severus!” Potter greeted him from outside the restaurant. “Glad you made it.” Harry was also, obviously, early -- had been waiting for him, in fact.
“No last-minute customers,” Severus replied. “And it’s not that far from the shop.”
“Come on, we can get a table,” Harry ushered him inside.
Harry must eat here regularly, Severus observed. The bartender gave him a nod and the waitress said, “Hey, Harry! See ya got company tonight. Want your regular?”
Harry looked at Severus, “They have a wonderful ale that has an apple flavour. Would you like that, or something else?” he asked.
“That would be acceptable,” Severus said. He never really drank much, it would have been a weakness around Death Eaters to be even slightly out of control. Since the War, he was apprehensive about drinking at all, remembering his father’s blatant drunkenness. He would limit himself to a single pint.
Harry nodded acceptance at the waitress and led the way to an empty booth in the back of the crowded floor. It was quieter there, giving privacy to anyone who sat there, charms helping control the ambient sound. Severus was slightly surprised to see the space empty.
Harry must have read the surprise in his face and admitted, “I asked Judie to hold it for us.”
“I appreciate the privacy,” Severus had to say.
“Sit, sit,” Harry said. He took off his outer robes, hung them on a convenient hook and sat on one side of the booth. Harry's shirt and trousers were well fitting, showing off a lithe body. Harry must still play Quiddich fairly often, Severus thought.
Harry allowed Severus to have the side of the booth that would allow him to see who was coming toward them, something he appreciated. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Severus took off his outer cloak but kept on his robe. He had worn one of his older shirts underneath the robes this morning, not expecting to be going out to dinner at all, much less with Harry Potter. It was clean but faintly shabby.
“How was the rest of your day?” Harry asked.
“Relatively straightforward,” Severus said. “Nothing special at all, really.”
“I do want to apologise for earlier,” Harry said softly. “I didn’t mean to... disparage your work. There’s nothing wrong with whatever you choose to do. I just didn’t expect to see you working in a bookshop.”
“An honest mistake,” Severus replied easily in the face of the earnest apology. “No need to apologise.”
Harry smiled at him and Severus found himself wanting to simply smile back at him.
Severus was saved by the waitress who brought their drinks at that moment. “Here you go,” she said, sliding the pints in front of them and dropping a basket of crisps on the middle of the table. "Try these," she directed. "The cooks are trying some new things and someone –" she looked pointedly at Harry "—had seen this in an American restaurant. Fresh made crisps, and not in a packet." She sounded obviously doubtful about the idea.
She looked at Severus. “Do you need a menu?”
“What’s tonight’s specials?” Harry asked before Severus could reply.
“Shepherd’s pie,” she replied. “And there’s lamb chops, also.”
Harry looked at Severus, “Do you need a menu?”
“No, I’ll take the lamb chops,” he replied. It was a treat he had not had in a while.
Judie quickly walked him through the choices he needed to make about sides, and then turned to Harry.
“That sounds good, make it two.” He smiled at her.
“I’ll put that in,” she said. “Back in a few.”
“Do you eat here a lot?” Severus asked.
Harry fiddled with the drink for a moment, then said, “Well, I own the place. So, yeah, I guess I do eat here a lot.”
“Really? A restaurant?” Severus was surprised.
Harry shrugged. “After all the hoopla after the war, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. I kinda hung around Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for a while but George had to kick me out. He needed his own space and, well, I wasn't really helping the business."
"How so?" Severus asked.
"Oh, we got crowds," Harry laughed, slightly bitterly, Severus thought. "But everyone was coming to see me and no one was buying. And anyone that was interested in buying couldn't get through the crowds."
"Understandable," Severus sympathised. "How did you end up here?"
"Fred and George knew the old owner, before... knew he wanted to get out," Harry recounted. "George introduced us and, well, here I am."
"What else do you do?" Severus asked.
Harry shifted. "Um... I have some investments that I take care of. It really doesn't keep me all that busy."
Severus suspected there was a lot more to it than that, but he didn't push for any more.
"How did you end up in that bookshop?" Harry turned the question around neatly.
"After the Ministry reluctantly apologised for taking over Spinner's End before I was exonerated, I found myself at a loss for what to do next," Severus admitted. "Minerva would have taken me back at Hogwarts but, well, it was finally a chance to do something I wanted to do."
Harry nodded, in what Severus assumed was understanding. Losing everything in life was both exhilarating and terrifying. Severus frequently thought he was still on the terrifying side of that equation.
"It was actually Minerva that introduced me to Gerius," he said. "He was just taking over the shop from his uncle and he needed someone to help him get started. The shop had not been doing well as the uncle's health declined, and everything was in disarray. He hired me on and I've been there for almost a year now."
Severus' own story was also much more complicated, but it was neither the time or the place for that discussion.
"You're not brewing at all?" Harry asked softly.
"No," Severus said shortly. He took a deep breath and released it. "Sorry," he said. "It's just... with my injuries from the War, I find I don't have the... stamina to brew anything but simple potions." He looked down at his neatly folded hands. They weren't shaking... at the moment.
"I'm sorry?" It was as much a question as anything.
"It has forced me to look at other options," Severus replied. "But I find I do not miss it as much as I thought I would."
Severus was saved from any other personal revelations by their dinners appearing.
"Do you need anything?" Judie asked. When both men shook their heads, she left with a cheery, "Yell if you change your minds!"
The meal was excellent. They ate mostly in silence, enjoying the chops, baked potatoes and asparagus.
"You have an excellent chef," Severus commented, as he finished off his meal.
"If you promise not to tell..." Harry said.
Severus nodded, wondering what Harry was about to say.
"I hired a family of house-elves away from Hogwarts," Harry said with a small grin.
"You actually pay them?" Severus asked. He knew that had been more Miss Granger's passion than Harry's.
Harry waggled his head. "I give them money, but they really don't do much with it," he admitted. "Since it's mostly a family, they pool what I give them and use it to help other house-elves. They really don't want to be free, just useful."
"That's... unexpected," Severus admitted.
Harry nodded. "They came to me, really," he said. "The restaurant was a golden opportunity to give the house-elves jobs and to get me out of George's hair."
"You've done well," Severus said.
Harry flushed at the praise.
"Dessert, gentlemen?" Judie came to the side of the table. "Another round?"
"Not for me," Severus replied. "Thank you."
"No, thanks," Harry replied.
"My thanks for the meal," Severus said.
"If it's not too forward, I'd like to do it again. Soon," Harry blurted.
"You don't have to..." Severus protested.
"I know," Harry admitted. "But, well, it was nice."
Severus had to admit it was nice. Harry had made it all easy, something for which Severus was grateful.
"I would be glad to meet you for lunch on Monday, if you're free," Severus found himself offering.
He watched as Harry considered for a moment, then said, "I don't think I have any appointments, Yes, I'd love to!"
"Don't feel that you have to rearrange anything on my account," Severus assured him, hastily.
"No, nothing to rearrange," Harry said firmly. "Just needed to remember some meetings that I already have and make sure there's nothing on my schedule for Monday."
"Are you willing to try a competitor?" Severus asked.
Harry laughed. "Always."
Severus suggested, "How about we go into Muggle London and try Green Apples?"
"I've never heard of it," Harry replied. "But always willing to try something new out."
"We can meet outside the Leaky Cauldron about one," Severus offered. "Since it's Muggle London, it tends to be busy right at noon but we should be all right just after that."
"A good idea," Harry agreed.
They said their good nights and went off in different directions.
Severus looked around his bed-sit as he readied for sleep. It wasn't awful... It hadn't been awful. Now, he looked at the room with fresh eyes and wanted more...
If he slept especially well that night, he attributed it to the pint and a good meal.
Monday found Severus fussing about what to wear. In the end, he really had only one good set of Muggle clothes. Next time...
He sat down heavily on the bed. Next time? Why was he thinking about another meeting with Harry? Potter. It needed to be Potter. Severus frowned at himself. What was he thinking?
Severus saw Potter about the same time Potter saw him. Potter's face seemed to light up as he caught sight of Severus. Harry looked comfortable in Muggle clothes; a heavy pull-over sweater emphasised the breadth of his shoulders. Severus forced himself to look at Potter's face and not at the rest of his body.
"Severus!" he said. "Hope I'm not too late!"
"No, no, you're fine," Severus said. He fought the smile that wanted to escape at the sight of Ha-... Potter's. "It's down this way." He pointed off to the left.
Potter asked, "Not that I'm fussy, but tell me something about this place."
Severus sighed to himself. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to get through the afternoon.
Harry seemed to pick up on his mood. He stopped and guided them both to an alcove between buildings. Pedestrians flowed by them. "Severus? What's wrong?"
"I..." Severus was at a loss to explain it without hurting Ha-... Potter. He focused. "Nothing serious."
"We don't have to do this today," Harry offered. "We can do it some other day."
"I'm not sure we should be doing this at all," Severus said, without thinking.
Harry got a... look. One that Severus had seen Harry get when playing Quiddich. Or dealing with a difficult situation. Harry's ability to focus was one of his strengths.
"Severus," Harry said softly. "What's wrong?"
"Why are you here?" Severus asked.
Harry frowned in puzzlement. "For lunch, I thought," he replied, looking Severus in the eye.
"Sorry. Not that. Why are you having lunch with me?" Severus asked.
Harry's frown didn't disappear. "Because you asked," Harry responded cautiously.
Severus sighed. "Don't you have anyone else you'd prefer to eat lunch with? Some of your friends?" he persisted.
Harry's eyes got wide as he seemed to understand what Severus was really saying. He took a step closer. Close enough that Severus could feel the heat from Harry's body. "Severus! I want to have lunch with you. And, well, there aren't a lot of people I'd like to have lunch with."
There was something sad about that last statement. "Are you sure?" Severus persisted.
"Yes," Harry said firmly. He didn't move away.
Deciding to give up for now, Severus said, "Thank you."
Harry smiled at him and Severus knew he was lost.
"This way," Severus said, pointing down the street.
Green Apples was a small restaurant on a side alley, not totally overrun by tourists. Severus knew that it would be similar to The Silver Ewer but, at the moment, he felt wrong-footed and couldn't think of anywhere better to go.
The waitress recognised Severus and took them to a booth along the far wall. It wasn't as secluded as the booth they had the other night, but it gave him some illusion of privacy.
He felt Harry set a small ward about the table and raised an eyebrow. "Wandless and wordless?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry grinned. "Had a chance to study with Flitwick over the summer and he brought in a friend who is a dueling master. I learned a lot with them. Some of which I wish I had... learned earlier."
Harry's voice had gone quiet at the end. Severus wondered who Harry had thought he might have saved if he had those skills earlier.
"You can't spend too much time on what if, or you'll drive yourself spare," Severus commented. "I know."
The waitress brought their drinks, a lager that would go with most of the food on offer. They ordered the Ploughman's lunch, which was brought quickly.
"This is good," Harry commented, taking a bite of the crusty bread.
"I like that there's no standard fillings," Severus said. "It's always interesting to see what kinds of meats and cheeses they put together. There are times it is... more than interesting."
Harry laughed. "I can imagine there would be times you could get things you don't want." He took another bite and washed it down with a swig from his pint. "But this would be fun to have on the menu."
Severus took a small sip of his drink. "I didn't think to ask the other night. What are all your friends doing?"
Harry gave a small grimace. "Well, Hermione and Ron are in France at the moment," he said. "Hermione's working on a Mastery in Transfiguration. Ron's actually working on expanding his skills in Charms, but probably not a full Mastery. He says one insane person in the family is enough."
"I would not have thought of Charms as a strength that Mr. Weasley would have," Severus replied honestly.
"He wanted to go to France with Hermione and she wouldn't have him along unless he worked on something. He thought Charms would be simpler than any other option, but in the end, it turns out he has a knack for it," Harry explained. "He's exchanged letters with Flitwick and has become excited about what he's doing."
"I've seen Molly and Arthur a couple of times," Severus admitted. Well, Molly had determinedly searched him out and essentially blackmailed him into coming to the Burrow for dinner about every six weeks or so. "But what about Miss Weasley?" he asked, trying to keep it friendly without being too invasive.
"You probably are aware that Ginny's signed on to the Harpies as a Seeker," Harry started. When Severus nodded, he went on. "She and I... well, we've decided we're better friends than anything else. She's busy with Quidditch and traveling, so we've only seen each other occasionally off season. She should be home on holiday at Christmas but I'm not sure when."
No romance there, then. Severus found that interesting. "Anyone else?" Severus asked.
"Neville is working with Professor Sprout to organize some of her Herbology lectures into a book," Harry recounted. "Neville's done some work toward his Mastery in Herbology but wanted more hands-on experience. It was Professor Sprout's idea to organize the information into a book."
"There are quite a number of Herbology books in existence already," Severus thought through the section of their bookshop.
"Well, they're looking to make something for the casual grower," Harry replied. "I'm actually their 'test case' since I have something of a brown thumb. Everything I touch seems to die." He grinned.
"I will remember not to leave any plants in your care," Severus replied.
Harry laughed. "Better not!"
"Anyone else?" Severus probed.
Harry shrugged. "I help Andromeda Black with Teddy Lupin," he admitted. "I take him one day a week. That gives her a break and I get to know Teddy better."
Severus had totally forgotten about Remus' son, born just before the end of the War. "He must be... what? Four?"
"Yes. He's quite the handful," Harry admitted. "He has more energy than I know what to do with. I don't know how Andromeda does it every day, but she does have a couple of house-elves that help her out. He didn't inherit any werewolf traits from Remus, thank goodness, and he's showing some of Tonks' Animagus tendencies. But he's very bright and a good kid."
"If he inherited his father's intelligence, he will be very bright, indeed," Severus admitted. Even if he never liked Remus Lupin, he could be admit that the man was intelligent.
"I'm taking Teddy for Boxing Day," Harry said. "You're welcome to join us."
"I'm not sure..." Severus demurred.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Harry coaxed. "Christmas is much more fun when there's a small child involved."
Severus suddenly realized that Harry probably never had much in the way of a 'fun' Christmas, living with Lily's sister. Remembering that Harry had spent his Christmas holidays at Hogwarts -- or that one year at Grimmauld Place -- when he was in school, Severus knew that Harry's experience with Christmas wasn't necessarily the best.
"I would be happy to do so," Severus found himself saying.
"Brilliant!" Harry smiled. He cast a quick Tempus. "Look, I have to be somewhere else in a bit. Another meeting, sorry. Meet me for dinner on Friday?" he offered.
"The shop is open later on Fridays," Severus started to protest. "I don't want to inconvenience you."
"No problem," Harry said easily. "What time are you off?"
"The shop is open until nine," Severus replied. "And there's stocking to do, to prepare for Saturday. So there's no fixed quitting time."
"Then come to the Ewer when you're done and we'll have a late supper," Harry offered. "I always have paperwork to do and I can do it while waiting for you."
"If you're sure you don't mind." Severus felt a need to make at least a token protest.
"I'm sure," Harry promised.
By Friday, Severus not only regretted agreeing to meet for a late supper but regretted agreeing to spend Boxing Day with Harry. Although, he was also strangely reluctant to send Harry an owl to cancel.
Although he should have found it telling that it was again "Harry" in his head and not "Potter"... As much as he tried to distance himself, it simply was not working. He had spent some of his free time in a Muggle bookshop, looking at books on gardening and deciding that Longbottom and Sprout could do much better, and probably would.
On Friday, Severus took along some clean clothes to wear to his meeting with Harry, knowing that the combination of the long day and the restocking after closing would be sweaty work.
It was close to 10:30 pm before Severus was free to leave the bookshop. The shop had been especially busy due to the approaching Christmas season, and he knew it would be equally busy tomorrow. He briefly considered not going but he quickly freshened up and changed before leaving.
The noise level in the tavern was very high but Judie waved at Severus when he walked in. She held up a pint glass with a question on her face. Severus gave a nod and moved to the back of the room.
Walking through the privacy ward was something of a relief. He found Harry dictating a letter, a strange writing instrument dancing over parchment as he talked.
"... and we need to pay better attention to the placement of advertisements, especially this close to the Christmas season. Find out who put the ads for the Nimbus brooms and the Comet brooms next to each other. There's a time and place for that, just not for Christmas sale ads."
Harry looked up, stopped the device and smiled. "Severus! Welcome! Glad you could make it!"
Judie followed quickly, sliding a pint and a basket of warm crisps on the table as Severus took off his cloak and outer robes. Severus sat gratefully as Harry shuffled his papers together.
"Investments?" Severus asked. "That sounded like... a newspaper? Or magazine?"
"Umm... newspaper," Harry stuttered.
"Good for you," Severus said. He took a sip of his beer, settled comfortably into the bench and sighed in contentment. He pulled the basket of crisps closer -- lunch had been a long time ago.
Harry grinned. "I got tired of all the trash the Prophet was printing, so I figured I couldn't do any worse."
There had been major speculation when the Daily Prophet had changed its tone, essentially overnight, almost three years ago. It had become a much more serious newspaper, reporting proper and honest news. It also had opened a lot of eyes about how insular Wizarding England was, when the paper started reporting news from the rest of Europe and the Americas.
"That was you," Severus said. It was a statement, not a question.
"Yup," Harry affirmed. "Lock, stock and barrel. But through a proxy -- I have a group of solicitors who take care of most of the business and a manager who deals with the majority of the day-to-day business." He gestured at the letter he had been dictating. "I don't usually get involved but this annoyed me so much, I had to say something about it."
"What made you buy the Prophet?" Severus asked.
"They had printed one more bloody picture about me, attending a Ministry function by myself and speculating about why I was there alone, was there a woman in the wings, and other pure shite," Harry recounted. "It wasn't anything they hadn't printed before, but it was the final straw. I owned the paper by the end of the week."
Judie came up at that point and said to Severus, "Glad to see you here. This one would work all night otherwise."
Severus found it charming when Harry blushed at the gentle remonstration.
"They saved some fish for you, if you're interested," Judie said. "Fish and chips?"
"Sounds good," Harry agreed.
"That would be fine," Severus added.
"Back in a tick," Judie said.
"If I may ask," Severus decided to give in to his curiosity, "what other investments do you have?"
Harry sighed. "Do I have to?"
"No," Severus replied immediately. "I was merely curious." He could sense Harry's sensitivity on the issue.
Harry shrugged. "Besides George's shop and the paper, I'm a silent partner in a handful of businesses on Diagon Alley. After the war, some of the smaller shop owners needed some help getting going again. I set my solicitors to keep a quiet eye out for folk who needed help but didn't seem to be getting it. They handle everything, I just provide the funding," Harry explained. "There's another batch of property investments, and some Muggle businesses that create things that the Wizarding world doesn't."
"What sorts of Muggle things might that be?" Severus asked.
"I'm still hopeful for electronic things," Harry said. "But that's not going so well. But simpler things like writing implements." He held up the device that was writing before. "This is essentially a Muggle fountain pen. The writing looks like the writing from a quill, but is easier to carry and store. I'm working on ball point pens--" he paused to make sure Severus knew what that was "--but that's going to take more work to be accepted."
"I've used Muggle pens and I do have to admit they can be more convenient," Severus replied. "But that will be difficult for many to accept."
"I know, I know," Harry nodded his head. "But I figure if I can get fountain pens more commonly used, then ball point pens shouldn't be far behind."
"That's... very ambitious of you," Severus said. "Electronics?"
Severus watched as Harry talked enthusiastically about portable radios, televisions, telephones, computers and tablets. Severus knew some of this but Harry had obviously taken to the field. Judie slid their dinners on the table while Harry talked. Severus ate as Harry talked on.
Harry finally ran down about the time Severus was finished with his meal.
"Sorry, didn't mean to monopolise the conversation," Harry apologised.
"I did ask," Severus gave a small grin.
"Next time you'll know better," Harry smiled.
Next time. This time Harry said it, and it wasn't the little voice in the back of his head.
"You have all these projects you are working on," Severus said. "You must have... colleagues that you're working with. Someone you'd prefer to spend time with."
Harry looked down at the plate in front of him. When he looked up, his eyes were bleak. Severus unthinkingly held his breath.
"Colleagues? Sure. I have a lot of those. But they all want something from me. Money, mostly. But they want time, attention, or some piece of The Boy Who Lived for their own purposes." Harry sounded resigned. And maybe a little lost.
"But no one to come home to at night," Severus said softly.
"Yeah." Harry gave a rueful grin.
Severus bit back his question of Why me? because, really, he was in much the same position. Perhaps not even as 'fortunate' as Harry, he could count his 'colleagues' in the single digits.
"Where do we go from here?" Severus asked.
Harry looked faintly relieved. "We could just... keep on going from here for a bit," he suggested. "And see where it goes."
"Where would you like it to go?" Severus persisted.
Harry looked at him, shyly. "We could go... anywhere," Harry hedged.
"Harry," Severus sighed. "Even if you ignore the fact that I'm old enough to be your father, I am too old to simply meander through to anywhere."
Harry took a deep breath, to steady himself. "I'd like to spend time with you, learn more about who you are and what sorts of things you like, and dislike. I want to explore the world, both Muggle and magical. I've barely been outside of England but going alone has been... just not worth it." He paused and then said softly, "And I'd like someone to come home to at night."
"And you think I'm the person for that?" Severus was dumbfounded.
"I want to find that out," Harry said. He reached over the table and held Severus' hand. "You've seen me at some of my best and some of my worst; that hasn't scared you off. Yet." He gave a small grin. "And you'll understand when I have nightmares about Riddle, or some admirer tries to chat me up. You'll help me protect me from myself." A small pause. "And, maybe, I can do the same for you."
Severus wanted. So much. He wanted this to be true. That Harry bloody Potter was willing to share his life with the hated Death Eater Severus Snape.
"I'm not an easy man," Severus said, rubbing his thumb across the back of Harry's hand. "I have my own nightmares. And your adoring public will turn on you when they realize that you've taken up with me. I may have been exonerated by the Ministry, but there are too many who have ignored that."
"Fools, the lot of them," Harry said instantly. "And don't think it's easy being me, either. Everyone wants a piece of me for themselves."
"How about a trial period?" Severus proposed. "We go on as we've started through Christmas and, after the first of the year, make some longer term plans." He gave a wry grin. "I've been alone too long to rush into anything."
"I can live with that," Harry smiled.
Judie came by with coffee and a plate of chocolate fairy cakes with butter cream. "Manda made your favorite," she pointed out. "Thought you'd like to share."
"Tell her thanks," Harry laughed. He looked at Severus, "What kind of dessert is your favorite? They'll make it for you, if you like."
"I'm fond of a Battenburg cake, actually, even if it is more for tea than afters," Severus admitted. "What I can get at the bakery isn't like what my mother used to make."
"It's the marzipan," Judie put in. "I'll get Manda working on it."
"We'll be back Sunday," Harry said before Severus could demur.
"We will?" Severus asked softly, after Judie had left. He watched as Harry bit into one of the cakes, a trace of buttercream on his lip.
"If not, then everyone else can enjoy it," Harry said. "Did you have something you wanted to do on Sunday?"
"No," Severus had to say. "The bookshop is open until four. Because of the coming Christmas season, the shop is generally busy and I can't take the day off."
"Makes sense," Harry said. He looked at their joined hands. "You could come to my place," he offered diffidently. "Manda could get me a cake but we'd have some... quiet."
"You can cook?" Severus raised an eyebrow.
Harry grinned. "Okay, it's not quite the same as what we can get here but, yes, I can manage," he admitted. "We can see if that 'having someone to come home to' works for us."
"When you put it that way," Severus allowed, "I have no choice but to agree."
Severus reached across the table with his free hand and used his thumb to swipe at the butter cream on Harry's mouth. Harry's eyes went wide when Severus licked the bit of sweet off his thumb.
"It is good," Severus said, trying to keep a straight face but he knew his eyes were dancing. "I'll have to take one home with me."
"I'll get Judie to wrap it up for you," Harry smiled at him.
"And, with that, I'm afraid I need to leave," Severus said reluctantly. "It's already late and tomorrow will be a busy day."
Harry looked disappointed. "I'll open the Floo for you," he said. "I called my new place Hedwig."
Severus knew the death of his owl had been a hard spot in Harry's life. Severus knew he had played a large part in that night, even if he had been working for the Order. He had made his apologies to George Weasley, which George professed to accept, but George never came to the Burrow when Arthur and Molly had Severus over for dinner.
"I'll be there," Severus promised.
"I'll see you then," Harry said, not letting go of Severus' hand.
Severus forced himself to let go of the warmth that not only engulfed his hand, but had traveled up his arm. He felt warm and comfortable, in a way he had not in a long time.
Severus stood, put on his robe and cloak and leaned in. He put a gentle finger under Harry's chin, tilting up his face so that Severus could give him a soft kiss.
When Harry leaned forward as Severus withdrew, Severus said, "Slowly, Harry. We have time."
Harry settled back in the bench. "Then you better go," he said, wryly. "I'm suddenly not interested in slow."
"Good night, then," Severus said.
Outside the Ewer, he took a deep breath. He wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to kiss Harry... not that he was sorry, but it wasn't what he had planned.
The warmth of Harry's touch carried through to his bed, warming the cold sheets that were unexpectedly lonely.
By the end of the work day on Sunday, not only had the warmth faded but the voice in Severus' head had started to get louder. What had he been thinking, kissing Harry Potter?
He told himself it was his promise to see Harry on Sunday night, and not a desire to not disappoint Harry, that sent him on his way. He threw the Floo powder, stepped into the Floo and said, "Hedwig!"
He stepped out into a warm room decorated in blues and greens that reminded him of the ocean. It was a sophisticated look, one he had not expected.
"Severus!" Harry came into the room, looking slightly frazzled. "Hang up your cloak and robe, and join me in the kitchen while I finish up dinner."
Severus took the opportunity to look around as they walked through the... house? apartment? Severus wasn't sure. In any case, it was larger than his single room.
"What made you move here?" Severus asked.
Harry shrugged. "Grimmauld was a disaster," he said. "It had too many memories, and keeping it up was a nightmare. Even with extra help, it was too much for me, especially by myself. So Molly and Hermione put their heads together to find something suitable and, well, here I am."
"Where are we?" he asked.
"Cambridge, actually," Harry replied. "It's close enough to London to be on the Floo network but far enough away that I have a certain amount of privacy. I can go to the market and buy ice cream and biscuits without needing a glamour or being mobbed."
"I tend to shop by owl as much as I can," Severus admitted. "I don't have much of a kitchen and what I don't eat out, I tend to do take-away."
Harry waved a hand at the extensive kitchen, "Even with all this, I don't cook too much," Harry admitted. "No fun cooking for just myself."
"What have you made for us?" Severus asked.
"Pork chops and baked potatoes," Harry replied. "And a salad. Simple enough. And Manda made you a Battenberg cake, so save room for that."
"Sounds good," Severus had to agree.
"I figured you'd be hungry, if you've worked all day," Harry said. "It'll be ready in a few minutes. Wine? I got a bottle out of the Black cellar."
"For that, I'd love a glass," Severus admitted. "The Blacks knew how to select wine."
"I'm learning something about it," Harry said as he reached for a bottle that had been on the counter. He opened it deftly, reached into the cabinet for glasses. He poured two glasses and passed one to Severus.
Severus took a small sip, "Very nice!"
"It's one I've come to like," Harry agreed. "I have a standing order for two cases from the new vintage every year."
"Good plan," Severus said. "May I help?"
"The salad is in the refrigerator," Harry pointed with his chin. "The potatoes are under a warming charm and the chops will be ready in one more minute. We'll eat here in the kitchen, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Severus agreed. He retrieved two plates of salad from the cooling box and set them on the table. Harry placed the potatoes and beans on the table and went back for the chops.
"Sit and dish up," Harry directed.
Eating occupied the next few minutes. Eventually, Harry asked, "How was your day?"
Severus recounted some of the more interesting encounters of the day. Women asking for books about subjects they didn't understand as presents for their husbands. Clueless husbands looking for inspiration for presents for their wives. Children running loose, unsupervised, were the worst. Although teen-agers trying to look at, or buy, decidedly adult books and magazines were a constant.
Harry made coffee to go with dessert and served Manda's Battenberg cake.
"This is very good," Severus said after the first mouthful. It was as close to the cake his mother had made as anyone had come. He broke the pink and yellow sections apart and ate them separately, realizing he had done the same as a small boy.
Harry made a small face at his taste of the cake. "Umm... no offense, but... not something I'd go out of my way for." He pushed the remainder of the cake in Severus's direction. "Please, take it with you."
Severus had to laugh. "It is an acquired taste," he agreed. "But, more for me."
They put the dishes in the sink and Harry offered, "Another glass of wine?"
Severus considered. "One," he accepted.
"We can sit out back," he directed. "And I can give you the Knut's tour."
The rest of the apartment was light and airy. Harry readily gave Hermione and Molly credit for the furnishings and decorations. There were three bedrooms, each with an en suite, as well as a formal dining room and a library cum office.
"It's certainly nicer than Grimmauld, but I tend to rattle around," Harry said as he led the way to the back. "Up here it my favorite bit." He pointed to a narrow staircase.
The stairs led to a small balcony on the roof of a middling tall building. "I have warming charms set up so I can sit up here whenever I want. It's very peaceful and a beautiful view of the city."
There was a bench along one wall and they sat next to each other.
"Harry..." Severus began.
"No! Just stop!" Harry replied quickly. He turned slightly so they were facing. "You're having doubts again, aren't you?"
Severus nodded. "I suspect they won't go away easily."
Harry took his hand, warm in the cool night.
"Move in with me," Harry said in a rush.
"Harry..."
"I have all this space, you can have your own room and, well, maybe it will help with your doubts," Harry went on. "If it's awful, you can move out."
Severus looked down at their joined hands. "It won't be awful," he said softly.
By the end of the week, Severus found himself ensconced in one of Harry's bedrooms. It had been slightly disconcerting how little he had to pack and how easy it was to move. Over the next weeks, Harry didn't pressure Severus into anything, but they spent time together.
Severus learned something about Harry's business holdings and found his opinion sought on occasion. Harry was a savvy businessman and Severus was pleased to be asked to contribute, even in a small way. He also found that Harry was his own man, ignoring Severus' advice for a course he thought more appropriate.
Harry drank an alarming amount of coffee on a daily basis. Severus learned to appreciate Harry's taste in coffee but learned to make tea at night to entice Harry away from his coffee.
On the other hand, Manda provided them with a variety of desserts on a regular basis. Something Severus approved of wholeheartedly.
Christmas found Severus feeling fairly smug as he cooked a goose for them, although he had asked Manda for her chocolate fairy cakes -- with buttercream -- that he knew Harry liked. They had enough to share again with Teddy the next day.
Teddy had been slightly stand-offish at first, but when Severus brought out the fairy cakes; Teddy was won over. Although Severus later regretted what the sugar rush did to the four year old.
"You did warn me," Severus said wearily as they both collapsed at the end of the day. "I am out of practice, although we never had preschoolers at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin."
"I'm told it gets better," Harry said. "And, umm, I usually take him away for a week in the summer."
"We'll manage," Severus said.
Harry sat next to Severus on the couch and laid his head on Severus' shoulder. "Thank you."
Severus manhandled Harry so he could wrap an arm around his shoulder. He dropped a kiss on Harry's head. "You're welcome."
Six months later...
Harry collapsed on the bed next to Severus and panted.
Severus took a moment to catch his own breath before he cast a cleaning charm on them both and brought Harry closer.
"I still say you're amazing," Harry murmured.
"You're not too bad yourself." Severus tipped Harry's face up for a kiss.
A month into the New Year, Harry had said Sod this! and invaded Severus' bed. Naked. Warm and naked and willing.
A month after that, they had consolidated bedrooms.