Yule Gifts (2/2), for gingertart50 Title:Yule Gifts (2/2) Author:lilyseyes Giftee:gingertart50 Word Count: 11,000ish Rating: NC-17/Adult Pairing: HP/SS Disclaimer: JKR owns the Potterverse – I just play in it. No money is made from this amateur work. Highlight for Warnings: *First time, Virgin!Harry, fellatio, rimming* Betas: The absolute best! Really! Summary The approaching holidays have Harry pondering the turns his life has taken four years after defeating Voldemort and a desire to start his own traditions.
Harry awoke slowly, awareness filtering back in increments – his head ached fiercely, his chest felt like it was on fire and his limbs were leaden weights. For a moment, he felt like he had been sent back in time to when the Dementors had made him fall off his broom high above the Quidditch pitch. He’d been sick and someone had taken care of him. Not Kreacher – the hands were bigger, gentler – Snape? A wave of sadness hit him. No, not Snape, Harry had done something stupid, he couldn’t remember what. Harry tried to think, but that hurt his head and he knew there was something he had to remember…
“Teddy!”
His voice came out as a harsh croak, but Harry forgot about his pain, struggling to get free of the bed covers. Firm hands restrained him, pushing him back down onto the pillows even as he struggled weakly.
“Young Ted is fine and at this moment sound asleep in his bed,” a dry voice told him as a vial was pressed to his lips. “Drink this, it will help.”
Obediently, Harry drank, making a face at the nasty taste of a familiar pain-relieving potion. It had been one of Madam Pomfrey’s favorites whenever Harry had been in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. His level of pain diminished almost immediately and Harry was able to open his eyes. The figure looming over him was backlit by a softly glowing torch and Harry squinted to make out who it was. The breath caught in his throat when he recognized the angular face.
“Prof--Professor Snape,” he rasped out, struggling again to sit up. “I’m so…sorry, sir, I didn’t…”
A finger across his lips silenced his stammering, a firm hand on his shoulder kept him still as Harry looked into the dark eyes that were suddenly very close.
“I regret that I was unaware of the secondary use for the potion you needed, Harry,” the deep voice told him quietly. “I should have realized that you would be the last person to want it for some nefarious purpose. I…apologize for the misunderstanding.”
Harry gaped at him, searching the face with squinty eyes to see if he was being mocked, but Snape’s face seemed surprisingly open to his scrutiny. Nodding jerkily, Harry swallowed hard against the lump that seemed to have formed in his throat. A goblet of cool water was pressed against his lips and he drank greedily. His face felt hot even as the rest of him felt chilled, his eyelids were so heavy and Harry struggled to keep them open as the goblet was taken away.
“Why are you here, Professor?” he managed to say thickly.
“Severus, please,” Fingers pushed the fringe off his forehead. “I attempted to contact you, to let you know I had completed the potion for young Ted. When you didn’t answer, I brought it here.”
Harry tried to snort, but he was so congested it just made him cough. “You mean you stormed over to find out why I hadn’t answered your owl!”
The corner of Snape’s mouth twitched and Harry gave a laugh that turned into a painful rattle in his chest. A large hand cupped the back of his head and helped him raise his head up enough to taken another, more pleasant-tasting potion. The Headmaster lowered Harry’s head, tucking the blankets around him awkwardly and Harry knew he was getting ready to leave. Lifting a hand, Harry caught the older man’s arm and tugged it weakly.
“No!” Harry croaked out. “Please, don’t go…”
Severus Snape leaned over him again, those eyes carefully studying Harry’s face. Harry tried not to breathe, tried not to let on that his chest was burning or how achy he felt, but just tried to project how badly he wanted the older man to stay. With a barely discernable nod, Severus straightened and Harry allowed his eyes to close as he felt the bed dip. For once, Harry felt truly safe as he slid deep into sleep.
Harry woke slowly, cocooned in warmth as very different fingers than those he had been dreaming of traced the lines on the palm of his hand. Curling his fingers, Harry captured the small hand as he opened his eyes. Teddy was sitting on the bed next to him with Harry’s hand around one of his, and the other over his mouth smothering a giggle. Harry managed to smile back, his body still aching, but his chest felt better and it was easier to breathe. Opening his mouth to speak, Harry was amused when his godson leaned closer, pressing a small finger to his lips as Severus had done before.
“Shhh,” Teddy admonished in a loud whisper. “Mr. Snape is still sleeping.”
Harry could feel the body pressed against his back forming a major part of the warm and safe feeling he’d awoken with. “Then we should be still until he wakes up, shouldn't we?”
“Yes.” Teddy nodded his head emphatically. “Mr. Snape brought me my potion, Harry, and I can sit stiller now! I even colored yesterday and stayed in the lines!”
Severus had brewed the potion for Teddy, Harry thought as a warm feeling washed through him. He wasn’t sure how the Potions master had learned the true reason he needed the potion, but Harry was thankful that he had taken the time to brew it. Another old perception of his sardonic former teacher crumpled into dust as Teddy continued to whisper animatedly about his Mister Snape.
“Mr. Snape could use a strong cup of tea,” a sleep-husky voice from behind him interjected dryly. Teddy jumped off the bed. “I’ll tell Kreacher!”
Cautiously, Harry leaned back against the slender form behind him. A hand settled heavily on his hip, not pushing him away, but not drawing his closer, either.
“I am not one to be used as an experiment for you to determine your sexual preference, Harry.” Reaching down, Harry drew the hand forward to encircle his waist and pressed closer to Severus for a long moment. The last thing he wanted was to do something stupid and damage their already fragile friendship. Harry closed his eyes, simply enjoying the luxury of being held.
“It feels nice here with you,” Harry told him quietly. “I’ve never lain in bed with anyone before, nor have I ever ‘experimented’.”
The hand at his waist shifted and rolled Harry onto his back. Warm lips settled over his, nipping and teasing, sending a jolts of sensation straight to his cock as they moved over his lips, nipping and teasing. Ginny had never been able to stir his body with just a kiss, or coax this level of response from him even when she had wormed her hand in his pants to wrap around him and squeeze. The thought of Severus' slender fingers wrapped around his prick made his erection throb, and he whimpered as the older man pulled away. Severus’ face was flushed as he studied Harry with a satisfied smirk.
“If you decide you have a proclivity towards men, I would not be opposed to introducing you to the delights of the flesh.” Dark eyes swept over his face. “You have but to say the word, Harry.”
Bemused, Harry nodded and lifted his fingers to his lip. “I think I would like that, Severus.”
Teddy burst back into the room just as Kreacher appeared with a heavy tray and announced breakfast, leaving Harry to his thoughts as the room dissolved into a whirlwind of commotion.
<<<>>>
The next week passed in a blur of activity in preparation for the Yule holidays.. Harry spent his recovery learning about the old ways of celebration that were still practiced in many of the ancient wizarding families, trying to decide which he wanted to incorporate in his and Teddy’s lives. Andromeda insisted that Teddy be able to celebrate Christmas as that had been the Tonks family tradition and Harry agreed. Christmas at the Dursleys had been a day of endurance for Harry, the true meaning of the holiday lost in Dudley’s present counts; Harry didn’t want Teddy to fall into that. The Weasleys and Hermione had taught him that it was a day of giving rather than a day devoted to how much one could receive. Harry wanted to teach Teddy that, as well.
Insisting that he needed to monitor the effects of Teddy’s potion and make sure the dosage was correct, Severus had appeared in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place every day. The older wizard was as sardonic as ever, but Teddy had taken a great liking to him despite the man's dry tone. As Teddy’s behavior stabilized, Harry could see the quiet intellect of his father emerge, and was greatly amused when the child began to ask Severus questions about the potion he was taking. The first time it happened, Harry expected him to sneer in the way he would have when Harry was a student, he had been pleasantly surprised when Severus had given the little boy a simple explanation. Harry had been even more surprised at how much he had looked forward to Severus' daily visits and soon persuaded the older man to stay for dinner most evenings.
It was after a whiny plea to visit Father Christmas from Teddy, exhausted from missing his nap when his grandmother had visited unexpectedly, that Severus offered to help Harry with his dilemma. His mother had celebrated Yule, Severus explained and he had grown up with a mix of traditions, including Father Christmas and Boxing Day, as well as the traditional Yule gifts. Severus described the cleansing ritual, the Yule log, and how the Christmas tree had been incorporated from the Yule traditions. The mention of multiple gifts caught Teddy’s attention and he was on his best behavior through the remainder of the meal.
Once Harry had the four-year-old bathed and tucked into bed, he joined Severus in the drawing room. Kreacher had managed to organize Teddy’s toys onto the shelves that once held Dark objects and trophies. Hesitating in the doorway, Harry took a moment to study the unique profile as Severus relaxed with a crystal goblet of the Scottish single malt that Harry had bought when he discovered it was his favorite. The flickering firelight danced along the prominent nose and his stomach lurched oddly, not unlike the way it did in his fourth year when he a crush on Cho Chang. As aloof as Severus had been in the past week, Harry knew it wasn’t a crush that he felt for the Headmaster of Hogwarts, even if he could not totally define it. It was something deeper, with infinitely more power to hurt him, Harry knew. “Are you going to join me or simply stare at me like a loon?”
Harry smiled as he moved to sit beside Severus, his body reacting instantly to the proximity of the older wizard. “I was just gathering my thoughts.”
Snorting, Severus leaned back into the corner. “I am torn between being flabbergasted that you can have more than one thought at a time and terrified of which will dominate the others.”
Blinking, Harry tried to ignore the pain that flashed through him. Maybe he had misread the situation badly, he thought, trying to ignore the funny tightness in his chest. A hand closed over his, fingers cold from the chilled glass it had cradled.
“Have you not learned that my humor tends to the sarcastic, Harry?”
Harry fidgeted, his fingers restless under Severus’. “Yes, I know, it was…it was just that I am…I want to ask you an important question, but I…”
Severus gripped his fingers, stilling them gently as his thumb stroked over Harry’s knuckles. “Please, ask your question, Harry.”
Taking a chance, Harry looked up into the dark eyes, trying to gauge the thoughts behind them. “Would…would you spend Yule here, with Teddy and me?”
Tilting his head, Severus examined Harry’s face. Harry tried to hide the nervous fear he had that he…that they would be rejected. The hand holding his slowly pull Harry closer until he rested against Severus. His heart beat wildly as Severus’ free arm wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into his lap. Severus lifted their joined hands and laid them on Harry’s chest.
“This means so much to you that your heart is pounding like this?”
“Yes,” Harry answered honestly, hoping he would not be pressed to explain why.
The dark eyes were inscrutable as Severus continued to look at him. “Is this the house where you live all the time?” Harry blinked at the unexpected question. “No, I…I have a cottage where I usually live, we usually only come here when we need something in London or Andromeda is visiting.”
“The ritual that accompanies the Yule celebration is best performed in the place you consider home.”
Swallowing, Harry nodded, knowing Teddy would like that better anyway. Neither of them really enjoyed the Black family residence. The cottage was outside Manchester, bought with the money Harry had earned while he was an Auror and he was quite proud of it.
“Yes, Harry, I would be honored to spend the Yule with you and Teddy,” Severus told him, leaning forward to kiss him softly.
With a sigh Harry melted into Severus, his heart pounding now for another reason, and he tried not to be disappointed when Severus refused to deepen the kiss. Pulling back with a groan to match Harry’s, Severus pressed his face into Harry’s hair.
“When the time is right, Harry.” The deep voice held a world of promises.
<<<>>>
The two-story cottage was brown with the shutters painted a deep green, allowing the house to blend into the forest that surrounded it on three sides. Unpretentious and well protected, Harry’s choice earned Severus approval. The area was actually due north of where he and Harry’s mother had grown up, up-river from the playground where he had first spied on Lily and Petunia. He liked to think that his best friend would have been proud of way her son had turned out and would not have cared that Harry had sought his company. Lily had known of his preferences and laughed at his fear that it would make a difference in their friendship.
Smoothing a hand down the front of his heavy winter cloak, Severus negotiated his way up the icy walk. Kreacher would have transferred the items Severus had requested and Andromeda had agreed to come for Christmas morning. He, Harry and Teddy would share the Yule celebration, with Minerva, Poppy, Ronald and Hermione Granger-Weasley arriving that evening to share the Cleansing ritual with them. The inclusion of his friends had surprised Severus, as Harry’s friends knew only that he had concluded his liaison with Ginny Weasley, although the brat did plan to tell them that he was gay. He was sure Granger would be as philosophical as always, while Weasley would be so traumatized by Severus’ presence he wouldn’t even blink when Harry made his announcement.
Strong magic washed over Severus as he passed through the protective fields surrounding the home. It amused him that Harry Potter allowed himself to be portrayed as an average wizard with mediocre talents, when in fact, the young man was every bit as powerful as Albus Dumbledore had been. Was he ready to be involved with another powerful wizard? It had taken a number of hours of soul-searching before Severus had resolved himself to the course of action he was about to undertake. Neither of them wanted to endure the intense scrutiny of the wizarding world, but it was unavoidable, as was the effect it would have on Teddy. Severus did not do things by half measures and he realized that by letting Harry into his life, he was also gaining a child.
“Mr. Severus!”
Said child ran out of the house and flung his arms around Severus’ thighs, almost knocking him over. Pleased to be greeted with such enthusiasm, Severus brushed a hand over the light brown hair in an affectionate gesture. Between Teddy’s sweet personality and emerging desire to learn, Severus found he did not mind spending time with him.
“Young Ted, your exuberance astounds me,” Severus told him as he crouched down to meet the child’s eyes, one hand resting lightly on the thin shoulder.
“Harry said I could be the welcomin’ committee!” Teddy told him earnestly, a broad smile on his face.
“I am most appreciative of your welcome, but I would like to ask you a very serious question.”
Teddy nodded solemnly.
“If you could have anything, any gift you wanted, what would that be?” Severus believed he knew the answer to this particular question, having had occasion to watch the interplay between Harry and his godson.
There was no hesitation in the little boy, only a deep yearning that was evident in his voice and eyes. “I would want Harry to be my daddy.”
As he had suspected, Severus thought. “Harry is already your guardian, Teddy, why would being your daddy make it different?”
“Because, Mr. Severus,” Teddy said earnestly, “Harry doesn’t have to stay with me forever, but a Daddy would.”
“And what if you needed to share Harry with others?” Severus asked quietly, surprised when Teddy broken into a broad smile.
“I know a Daddy would always love his little boy, no matter how many other people he loved.” Teddy leaned towards Severus and whispered, “Kreacher says if you keep kissing Harry that you could be my Papa!”
Taken back, Severus blinked at the child, before narrowing his eyes. “I do believe you have a touch of the Black family Slytherin in you, young man.”
Teddy giggled madly just as Harry appeared in the open doorway. “Severus? Is everything all right?”
“Young Ted and I were just conversing.” Severus stood and steered Teddy towards the door. “Now, have you chosen a Yule log, Harry?”
A broad smile lit Harry’s face and he pulled Severus into the house with endearing eagerness. Severus was amazed at the amount of work Harry had done to decorate his home. Evergreen boughs decorated the hearth and doorways, holly and mistletoe accenting the length, with oak leaves and acorns as a center piece. The traditional foods were laid out on the table – figs, honey, ham, pastry, and a Yule cake. On a side table sat the small baskets Harry had filled for each of the guests with the traditional gifts of candles, coins, and a sprig of mistletoe wrapped in holly. A large log lay in the fireplace, ready to light.
“I got to help pick it out, Mr. Severus!” Teddy fairly bounced with excitement.
“As you should, Teddy,” Severus told him, sending Harry an approving look.
When the Floo in the adjacent study activated, Teddy, the self-appointed greeter, ran in to see who had arrived. Severus stepped closed to Harry, admiring the way the tailored robes of dove gray fitted as they flowed to black trousers, accenting his slender form. Reaching out, Severus smoothed the front of the red waistcoat that peaked from under Harry’s robe, sliding his hand to where it cupped Harry’s waist. Eminently pleased when Harry stepped closer, Severus pressed against him and kissed him. It was no more than a brush of warm flesh, but Severus could feel his own body respond and was pleased to see a flush bloom on Harry’s cheeks.
“Stay with me tonight, Severus?” Emerald eyes searched his, a fragile look about them.
“It is the night of the Solstice, Harry,” Severus told him, “a time for new beginnings. Yes, I believe tonight would be the perfect choice to start something new.”
Severus was leaning in to kiss Harry again when a gasp and a giggle came from the doorway. Holding Harry’s gaze, he stepped back in a leisurely manner before turning to scowl at Teddy, who was giggling madly, wholly unimpressed by the glare. Poppy Pomfrey smiled indulgently from beside a flabbergasted Minerva McGonagall.
“Really, Severus!” the Deputy Headmistress groused. “What would Albus say about such behavior?”
“I can assure you, he of all people would approve wholeheartedly, Minerva,” Severus smirked as Harry stepped forward to greet the women.
The Granger-Weasleys arrived just before the sunset ritual was to begin and had little time to express their opinion. Secretly, Severus was delighted as it appeared that Harry had made time in the past two days of preparations to sit down with his friends. There was no outright hostility from Ron Weasley and Hermione seemed more intrigued than anything. Both former students were polite and respectful as Harry led them outside to a neatly tended garden. There a small altar was set with a large red candle and several small white ones; and holly, ivy and mistletoe decorated the top.
“If everyone would form a circle, please,” Harry’s voice was clear as Severus moved to take Teddy’s hand, standing between the child and Poppy.
Harry took his place near the flickering candles and Severus could feel the nervousness radiating from him. This ceremony was important to the young man, and Harry was afraid he’d forget the traditional chant, Severus knew. After lengthy discussion, they had agreed that they would not have a priestess, as both decided this first year to stick with the traditions Severus was raised with and knew best. Harry cleared his throat and began to recite in a clear voice:
“Guardians of the East, Powers of Air Winter gales, cold caress Sweep clean our minds Prepare us for the ideas of the new year .... Guardians of the South, Powers of Fire Slumbering volcanoes, hearth fires of winter Purify our hearts Prepare us for the challenges of the new year.... Guardians of the West, Powers of Water Crystalline snowflakes, sparkling ice Let our emotions flow Prepare us for the feelings of the new year.... Guardians of the North, Powers of Earth Snowcapped peaks, silence at the heart of midnight Grant us stability Prepare us for the tasks of the new year.”
Harry smiled at his friends as he spread his arms wide, hands palms up.
“We are gathered here tonight to welcome the start of another cycle of the sun, to celebrate a time of renewal for the earth. It is a time that we wish goodwill and joy to each other, and our hope that the coming year brings happiness and continued prosperity to each of us, as well as our world. With the same faith and perseverance we used to overcome the Darkness, we will remain ever vigilant against anyone who might wish to cause strife and interfere with our peace. Allow us to continue to be gifted with and appreciate the love, joy, and wonder in our daily lives. It is with humility and honesty that I thank you for the love and care you have given Teddy, me, and each other in the past; you are family to us. Welcome, friends”
Teddy leaned against his leg as Severus watched while the women stepped forward to hug Harry and the tall redhead shook his hand. As Harry moved towards them, he stooped to pick Teddy up before stepping into Severus’ arms. There was a gasp of breath, presumably from Weasley, but Severus didn’t bother to look up from the green eyes that had bewitched him. “Well done, Harry.” Severus assured him and he felt his cheeks heat as both Harry and Teddy gave him chaste kisses.
<<<>>>
Harry watched the green flames swirl around Ron Weasley as he Flooed back to his and Hermione’s flat in London. With a sigh, he waved down the lights and moved towards the stairs. Wiping damp palms on his trousers, Harry paused to check Teddy and tucked his blanket around him with a smile.
Severus was waiting for him in his bedroom, no doubt sitting in front of the fireplace with a snifter of his best brandy. They had carefully negotiated the beginning of this relationship for the past two weeks, with Severus giving a negative for every positive reason Harry could come up with for becoming involved. The bargaining had taken Harry on an emotional highs and lows, but he was glad Severus had been so determined not to enter into it lightly as neither of them wanted a one-off or to damage their friendship.
Stepping into his small sitting room, Harry was surprised to find the fire banked low and a single candle burning. Severus stood in the doorway to the bedroom, clad in black trousers and white shirt, his slender feet bare. Harry found himself mesmerized and aroused by the sight of the pale flesh and long toes. “Harry?’ Severus asked quietly, drawing his attention.
The older man took a step forward, taking his hand to pull Harry slowly towards him. Bemused, his nervousness forgotten, Harry allowed himself to be brought flush against the tall, warm body. His hands came up of their own accord, sliding up the front of the soft cotton shirt, feeling the firm flesh underneath. Severus stood still as Harry’s fingertips lightly traced up the line of his chest to his collarbone and on to his Adam’s apple where faint scars that marred the smooth skin of his throat.
Lost in the sensations that were sparked from the mere touch of his fingers on warm flesh, Harry was startled when he realized an arm banded his waist, while fingers wove themselves into the hair at the back of his head. Tilting his face up, Harry’s breath was stolen by the pair of hovering lips that closed over his. A moan escaped. This was the kiss he’d been waiting for, Harry thought dimly, as Severus traced the seam of his lips with his tongue, parting them to dive inside. Then he simply could not think as tongues tangled and teeth gently clattered together. His arms were around Severus' neck and he was on his tiptoes as they devoured each other hungrily.
Hands ran up and down his body making Harry shiver as they learned his angles and curves. He wanted this so much, to have Severus take care of him and to love him – in every sense of the word, Harry realized. Sure hands stroked his bare skin and Harry arched into the older man, desperately seeking skin on skin contact. In the next moment his wish was granted, although he wasn’t sure how. Severus had managed to remove both their clothing and allowed Harry to press against him, gentle hands stroking reassuringly. His cock throbbed, and Harry felt like he was burning with fever again. He keened softly as Severus moved back half a step.
“Shhh, everything is fine,” Severus murmured in his ear, hands moving in reassuring circles on his back. “I realize this is all new to you and the feelings can be very intense, so just take a breath.”
Harry closed his eyes and drew cool air into his lungs. Warm lips pressed to his temple in an affectionate gesture that surprised him. The blood still hummed in his veins, but he was able think a little more clearly. Severus drew him towards the bed, shutting and warding the door to the bedroom behind them.
“Tell me what you want, Harry,” Severus asked him, hands easing him down onto the bed.
Harry groaned as his new position put him on eye-level with Severus’ erection and he grasped one muscled thigh as his other hand hesitantly reached for the long, slender cock. He ran his fingertips up the thick vein, watching in fascination as the cock twitched before he curled his hand around it. A drop of pre-come moistened the tip and Harry leaned in to lick it off. The groan from above gave him the courage to gently pull down the foreskin and lap at the engorged head, sucking it into his mouth. A hand fisted in his hair as another descended to his shoulder and Harry felt the thigh muscles bunch under his hand as if Severus was holding back any movement. What he lacked in skill, Harry made up for in enthusiasm as he licked the velvety skin, his tongue playing with the slit.
It was only a moment before Severus pulled back with a gasp. “You show an astounding aptitude for that, but this will be over before it starts if you continue. Move over.”
Harry scooted back on the bed and found himself pressed into the mattress as Severus settled over him. Fingers plucked his glasses off his face before Severus braced his hands on either side of Harry’s head and began to lick a trail from his earlobe to his jaw.
“You have not told me what you want, my brat,” the older man told him between strokes of his tongue. “Anything, everything, Sev,” Harry gasped as a fingertip stroked across his nipple. “I want you…to…be in charge…please…” “As you wish,” Severus’ purred before his lips covered Harry’s.
After that Harry could only lay there and feel as lips, tongue and fingers commenced a sensual attack on his body. The blood thundered in his ears. His heart pounded as Harry’s fingers scrabbled for some type of purchase on the warm flesh, finally latching onto the soft, silky sway of hair that was teasing his abdomen. Severus pushed his legs apart and settled between them as Harry’s brain began to short-circuit. His straining prick was engulfed in wet heat as he felt a slick finger press into him and Harry felt his climax slammed into him.
“All right?” There was amusement in the warm voice and Harry’s myopic eyes could see the curve of Severus’ lips. “Yes,” Harry panted, loving the sight of Severus resting between his splayed legs.
“Good, it should be easier now that you are somewhat relaxed.”
Pressing kisses to the sensitive skin of his inner thigh, Severus pressed his legs further apart as he licked his way to Harry’s bollocks. Sucking first one and then the other into his mouth, Harry felt his cock rapidly harden as the finger inside him was joined by a second, filling him as it burned in pleasurable pain. Licking down, Severus’ tongue joined his fingers to lap around his entrance, the incredible sensations threatening to overpower him again. A third finger pressed into him, stretching him wide and adding to the burning. Harry’s breath hitched even as a finger brushed against something inside him that shot a jolt of fire along his nerves.
“Severus! Please!” Harry whimpered as the fingers continued to stretch him, his body on fire once again. Severus pulled away, leaving Harry to feel bereaved for a moment, before a pillow was stuffed under his hips and his legs were folded up against his chest. Something more substantial than a finger pressed slowly inside him, the burn worse than before and Harry drew hiccupping breath. Severus gripped his hips.
“Relax, my Harry.” Severus was breathing hard, his arms shaking as he held himself still.
Harry concentrated on the sweat-damp face above him until he felt the pain recede and Severus fill him completely. He reached up and gripped his knees as Severus began to move slowly. Then Severus shifted his hips and brushed that spot inside him, causing Harry to gasp. A smirk erupted on the angular face and Severus leaned down to kiss him hungrily, his hips snapping back and forth. Harry could only groan and clench his muscles, a smirk of his own crossing his face as he heard his lover gasp. And then reality retreated as sensation took over and Harry could only feel the cock filling him, the lips devouring him and his world went gray again as he cried out his orgasm.
When he came back to full awareness Harry was held firmly in Severus’ arms, his nose buried in the juncture between neck and shoulder. Harry knew better than to call it cuddling. His body still hummed with incredible sensations, even as Harry yawned widely and sighed as he wiggled closer.
“Did you remember to lay out Teddy’s first Yule gift?” The deep voice resonated with a warmth Harry hadn’t heard before.
He rubbed his nose slowly against Severus’ skin. “Yeah, the Muggle coloring book and little watercolor paints we found.”
“Excellent,” Severus’ hand cupped his arse. “And mine?”
“The ever-inked-quill you were drooling over with gold and red ink.” Harry yawned again, turning into a yelp as Severus pinched his cheek.
“Brat!”
Grinning, Harry lifted his head enough to press a kiss against Severus’ jaw. “And mine?”
The slender fingers soothed the skin they had just abused. “The paperwork necessary to change your guardianship of young Ted to an adoption is on your desk.”
Pain gripped Harry’s chest briefly. “Remus will always be Teddy’s father, Severus.”
Caressing fingers soothed him, “Yes, but Teddy has expressed the desire for you to be his Daddy and I believe you would excel in the position.”
Pain faded into a tightness that brought tears to his eyes. “I’m not sure I could do an adequate job alone, Severus.” “I disagree, my brat, but in light of your insecurities, we may be able to negotiate a more amiable arrangement. A child does seem to thrive with two parents enforcing his boundaries, especially if one is a pushover.”
Harry sputtered until Severus shifted and silenced him with a kiss. Snuggling back into the warmth, Harry yawned again, looking forward to the bartering that would hopefully form them into a family.
<<<>>>
The weight of a stare pulled Severus reluctantly from a deep sleep. Cautiously, he slit open one eye in a habit left over from his days as a spy, greeted by the gray of pre-dawn light. Dark eyes stared back at him from a face wreathed in smiles, Teddy’s light brown hair careful slicked down and his sleep clothes immaculate, making him glad Harry had insisted they re-clothe themselves last night. Severus opened his other eye and, if possible, Teddy’s smile became broader, the bright eyes lingering on his godfather draped across Severus’ chest.
“To what do I owe this dubious honor?” Severus asked in a dry whisper.
“Kreacher said you were ready for me,” the boy told him enthusiastically, trying to whisper and failing. “Can I call you Pere like Victoire calls her father?”
“Absolutely not!” Severus was appalled, pointedly ignoring the snicker against his throat.
Teddy pouted. “But if I have a Daddy now, what will I call you?”
The lean figure in his arms tensed and even young Ted seemed to be holding his breath waiting for any answer. Severus knew this was more than a bantering about a title and met the child’s eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“I have always preferred Latin to French, therefore, you may address me as Pater,” Severus told him sardonically, rearranging Harry against him and lifting the edge of the covers. “If you would like, you may nap here until it is time to get up.”
Teddy scooted in immediately, cuddling against Harry, as Severus settled back against the pillows. A hand slipped down and fingers entwined with his as warm lips brushed his shoulder.
“Perhaps Pater and Daddy can give you another gift, Teddy,” Harry’s sleeping voice was filled with emotion. “How would a bonding ceremony on Boxing Day sound?”
“Brilliant!” Teddy fairly glowed.
Severus sighed as his heart seemed to swell, for the first time in memory he felt content with his world. This was truly a new beginning and a blessed Yule for them all.