Fic: Assuage
Title: Assuage Summary: Harry and Severus come out to the Weasleys and spend some time assuring them that they know what they're doing. Rating: PG Pairing: HP/SS Genre: Romance Series: Word of the Day (WotD) Warnings: None! Beta-ed: NO Complete: YES Disclaimer: Not mine!!
“Sev, we need to assuage their concerns.”
“Why?” Severus asked. If Harry hadn’t known better, he would’ve said Severus sounded… petulant. “What business of theirs is our relationship?”
“They’re my family. Of course they’re gonna be worried and want to ask questions. Especially given whom I’m seeing.”
“I dislike making a spectacle of myself,” Severus sulked. Oh, yes, definitely petulant.
“Severus, they’re not going to make fun of you or anything. They want to make sure I’m happy with you. They’d want to make sure of it with anyone I dated.” A horrifying thought occurred to Harry. “Unless… unless our… relationship isn’t serious… unless you don’t consider what we have…”
“Shh…” Severus soothed, laying a finger over Harry’s lips. “Harry Potter, I don’t care how often I have to say the words to make you believe it, I will. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. I’ll even put up with your bloody family for tonight.”
“You know it’ll be more than just for tonight. They love me very much, and they’ll want to see me often. And you too, if you’re dating me.”
“Oh, Merlin, spare me,” Severus muttered.
“Severus…” Harry began, half-annoyed, half-worried. “Are you…”
Severus growled and kissed Harry ferociously. “Harry, I love you. I adore you. I glorify you. I worship you. I deify you. I will put up with your ridiculous family as often as I must, if it means I can go to bed next to you every night and wake up next to you every morning.”
Harry melted at his words.
There was a knock at the door. Harry opened it. The entire Weasley family rushed in, smothering Harry. Severus tried valiantly not to snicker at the image: Harry being squeezed half to death by sixteen Weasleys and Weasley spouses.
“Please, everyone, have a seat. I’m glad you could all come for dinner tonight. It doesn’t really matter where you sit, except that I sit at the head and the seat to the right of mine is already occupied.”
“Wait, what is Snape doing here?” Ron cried.
Harry glared at Ron. “Have a seat. I’ll explain in due time.”
Everyone sat, clearly puzzled.
“Many of you have asked me if I’m dating anyone.”
“Yeah, and you put us off every time!” George cried.
“Well, I want to tell you now,” Harry said with all the patience he could muster. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my lover, Severus.”
Harry was glad he had waited on serving the food until after the announcement, as sixteen mouths dropped open the second he finished his sentence.
“Harry, dear, I know that we should trust you, but are you sure that it’s a wise choice?” Molly asked.
“Yes, Molly,” Harry smiled. “We love each other very much, after all.”
“Harry, have you gone nuts?!” Ron screeched.
“Hm…” Harry pretended to consider the question. “Nope.”
Harry sighed in relief as Severus rubbed his back gently as they continued to assuage the Weasleys’ concerns.
Assuage – v. 1. To make milder or less severe; to reduce the intensity of; to ease; to relieve. 2. To appease; to satisfy. 3. To soothe or calm; to pacify. (Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day, March 11, 2008)