Second Place - Romance

Stretching, Severus was surprised to find a warm weight on his left side the next morning. Curiously looking down, he was startled to see Harry snuggled up closely to him. Memories of the past day came flooding back into his awakening mind. The man groaned silently as he realized that he was now married to the man he loved so desperately, but the knowledge that Harry had only married him to get him out of Azkaban stung deeply. If left to his own devices, he would never have let Harry know of his feelings, preferring to believe that it was for the best and that he didn't deserve the young Gryffindor. But that choice had been taken from him and now he had to figure out how to live with the consequences of that damned Gryffindor nobility. Severus knew himself well enough that he couldn't easily change who he was and how he behaved. He had spent so much of his life living a lie and hiding his true self from the world that it was easy to forget who he truly was sometimes. Gently stroking a soft cheek of his young love, Severus again sighed. Could he do it? Could he find a way to open up to Harry?

Harry gradually allowed his mind to be pulled up toward consciousness and he sighed in his contentment. As awareness crept in to his mind, Harry began to wonder at the warmth in his mind and soul. A slight frown crossed his brow as he worked to figure out the reasons for his sudden feelings of security. Carefully cracking an eye open, Harry was shocked to find that he was in the arms of his potions master. The young man hurriedly pulled back and mumbled an apology as he tried to remember how he had ended up in bed with Severus Snape.

In any other situation Severus would almost have found it comical to watch the expressions flitting across the face of his young bond mate. Evidently Harry was having as rough a time remembering the recent events as he had earlier had. The normally stern potions master smirked in amusement as he watched the confusion evident in the young man's countenance. In answer to Harry's mumbled apology, Severus tilted his head in acknowledgement of the unusual situation.

"Oh," Harry sat up and remarked. Shyly he looked over to his mate and tried to gauge the older man's feelings.

"Indeed," Severus agreed.

"Uh, well. Good morning, Sev," Harry politely greeted his bed partner.

"Sev?" the potions master asked. "I do not remember granting permission for you to truncate my name, Mr. Potter."

"Mr. Snape-Potter, Sev," the young man smiled cheekily up at the formidable man. "Severus is a nice name, but it is entirely too stuffy. So I think Sev should do when we are alone."

Sev, er Severus, looked askance at the brash young man. Raising an elegantly arched eyebrow, he silently regarded his new bond mate. Clearing his throat, the potions master began, "Now that you have managed to rescue me from the horrors of Azkaban prison what do we do now, Mr. Snape-Potter?" This said with a slight emphasis on the hyphenated name.

"Well, Sev, now that you are safe, I guess we have to focus on getting to know each other. Like it or not, we are now married, and I at least intend to make the best of it," Harry said with conviction.

"And do you think that this is will be easy? Do you not anticipate that your friends will wonder what I, the evil ex-Death Eater and all around nasty potions master, have done to you? Do you expect that the wizarding world will gladly accept that their precious hero has married such an unsavory character?" Severus sat back against the headboard as he waited for Harry's answer.

Harry's nose scrunched and his brow furrowed as he considered what to say. He couldn't deny that in true Gryffindor spirit he had given little thought to the possible ramifications of his actions, but deep down he knew that he had done the right thing and that if given the chance, would make the same decision again. But he also knew that Severus had a point. Hermione would come to see the necessity of Harry's actions and she would support him. But Ron was another matter. Ron had been his first school-aged friend, but sometimes Harry wished the boy would just grow up already. The red head was infamous for his illogical outbursts of temper and for yelling before he even thought to think. Harry sighed; there was no way Ron would handle this well. But that didn't change Harry's mind. When he agreed to marry Severus in order to get him out of Azkaban he had also agreed to do everything within his power to make it a real marriage. He had enough respect and admiration for his potions master and mentor that he was certain that he could come to have deeper feelings for the man. When Dumbledore had revealed that he and Snape were soul mates, well, that had just clinched the deal as far as Harry was concerned. He had always wanted a family and now he had the chance for just that. He didn't think that he was in love with the irascible older wizard, but Harry was an optimist and he believed in giving things a chance.

Finally realizing that he had been silent for some time, Harry looked up and smiled at Severus. "I know it won't be easy, Sev. But I meant what I said earlier. I fully expect this to be a real marriage and I will do everything I can to make it so. I have always been alone, Sev. And when I thought I had finally found a family, Sirius was taken from me. The Dursleys certainly were never my family," the young man bitterly ended.

Severus was taken aback at the obvious rancor in the young man's voice as he spoke of his muggle family. He had always been given the impression that his relatives adored him. The potions master and former master spy made up his mind to investigate further. His musings were interrupted when Harry continued his narrative.

"Sev, I don't do anything by half-measures. We are now married and I want to make this work. The question now is, do you?" Harry nervously sat back and fiddled with the covers as he awaited an answer.

Inside the potions master was ecstatic, but outwardly he gave no sign of his feelings. He was terribly afraid of rejection and could not yet bring himself to open himself to possible ridicule. Sighing, Severus opened his eyes and gazed solemnly at his mate. "I will do what I can to make this work, Harry. I can't pretend that I would have chosen this turn of events, but now that we are faced with this particular set of circumstances, we must now deal with the consequences."

Harry chuckled as he shook his head. "You just can't say anything simply, can you, Sev?"

Raising an eyebrow, the potions master allowed a corner of his mouth to quirk upward slightly. However, he chose to ignore that statement in favor of the more practical. "I do believe that it is morning, Harry, and as such we might partake of breakfast?" He didn't wait for a response before summoning his house elf. "Tizzy, would you please bring Master Harry and myself a light breakfast?"

As the dutiful elf popped out without answering, Harry smiled. "You know, Sev, people hear you being polite to a lowly house elf and your reputation will be completely ruined."

Severus stiffened as he reacted to the careless comment. "Tizzy has been an important part of my life and is as important to me as any person could be, Mr. Snape-Potter."

Chagrinned, Harry sighed. "Sorry, Sev. I didn't mean it that way. One of my best friends is a house elf. Well, at least when he isn't trying to save my life," the young man ruefully allowed. "I meant no disrespect to your house elf. Besides, I noticed that she was wearing clothing. So does that mean that she is a free house elf?"

Relaxing slightly, Severus nodded. "Tizzy has been the one constant in my life. She was my nursemaid when I was an infant and she was my one friend when I was growing up. She stayed with me through my difficult childhood and when I reached the age of consent, I bought her from my father. I then released her from slavery. She refused to leave me and has been with me ever since. I pay her a salary, and as you have noted, she has a true wardrobe. She has a day off a week and a paid vacation each year. I have come to view Tizzy as one of my true friends."

Harry smiled broadly as his husband finished. "I'm glad you have had someone in your life, Sev. I don't know much about your past, but something tells me that you have had as bad a life as I have. And no one deserves the kind of life I have had."

The potions master was about to ask about that last comment when Tizzy returned with a breakfast of omelets and fruit. A carafe of strong coffee accompanied the food. Harry smiled his thanks and after the food was set down by the two comfortable looking chairs next to the fireplace, he started to climb out of the large bed. The smile slipped off his face as he realized that he and probably Severus were still naked from the previous night's activities. He looked up to see an amused smirk on his husband's face. Severus reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his wand. Severus spoke an incantation and Harry looked down to see that he now wore a black satin night robe. Looking up he realized that his mate was similarly dressed.

Laughter bubbled from the young man's throat and he eagerly scrambled out of bed and over to the welcoming breakfast tray. Severus more sedately followed, even as he smiled slightly at his young mate's reaction. The two settled into the chairs, which Harry found to be very comfortable, thank you, and each hungrily reached for their share of the food. Nothing was said for several moments as the perfectly cooked eggs and the fresh fruit were devoured and the hot coffee was happily consumed. Sated, Harry sat back with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Thanks, Sev. That was great."

"Since I had nothing to do with the preparation of the food, I fail to see why you would be thanking me," Severus drolly commented.

Harry rolled his eyes and failed to hold back a snicker. "I am trying to be a polite guest, Sev. This is where you smile and say �you're welcome'."

The older man raised an eyebrow as he considered this information. He was used to dealing with facts and potions but not with people and emotional issues. Well, he decided, I guess now is as good a time as any to learn some new habits. "You are welcome, Harry. I am glad that you approve." A slight smirk quivered on his usually stern lips.

The men had just finished a rather companionable meal when Tizzy popped back in with a copy of The Daily Prophet. Severus thanked the elf, who quietly cleared away the remains of the meal and again popped out.

A frown crossed the older man's face as he read the headline of the daily rag. "Well, Harry, it seems we did not have to wait long to find out what the reaction to our bonding would be." So saying, the now irate potions master handed over the offending paper to his mate.

Harry sighed as he caught sight of the bold headline. Well, he had expected as much, he thought wryly to himself.

�The-Boy-Who-Lived Married to Vicious Death Eater!
By Rita Skeeter, special correspondent.

Unnamed Ministry sources revealed yesterday that the Savior of the wizarding world, Harry Potter has married Professor Severus Snape, a known Death Eater and supporter of You-Know-Who. As Professor Snape is the potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where our young hero attends, we can only speculate what hold the Death Eater has over Mr. Potter. One has to wonder why the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, has allowed such a travesty to occur. What dastardly fate does this supporter of You-Know-Who have in store for our dear savior?...'

Harry quit reading and snorted. "Well, goes to show what they know, huh, Sev? After all, if I recall correctly, you had no say in the matter. The real question is what does the Boy-Who-Lived have in mind for the supposed Death Eater." Harry waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner, pulling a slight chuckle from his new mate.

"Yes, one would have to wonder, Harry, what you intend to do with me." The tone was light, but Harry could hear the underlying uncertainty in the unspoken question.

Harry sobered. "That's easy, Sev. I intend to get to know you, the real you. Somehow I get the feeling not many people have ever really known you. And then we see from there. I already like and respect you. I think it could turn into more if we give it a chance."

Searching the emerald eyes for any signs of duplicity, Severus finally nodded. "That would suit me well, Harry. But you will still have to run the gauntlet when we go out there. Your friends especially will be suspicious and will want answers. You will have to decide what you are going to say to them."

"Well, we can't really tell them the truth, can we? At least not the whole truth. I mean, if anyone found out that I married you just to get you out of Azkaban you can be sure that Fudge would find a way to negate our marriage and you would be right back where you started. I won't let that happen," the young man fiercely said. Sighing, he continued, "So, the trick then is to find an answer what would appease everyone, but still be somewhat truthful. I have found that partial truths are the best lies because they are the easiest to remember."

Severus stared hard at his mate for a moment before responding. The fervor of the answer was as shocking as the answer itself. "You do realize that answer is somewhat Slytherin in nature, don't you? Presenting a partial truth as the unvarnished truth? Whatever will your fan club say, Mr. Snape-Potter?"

Harry chuckled. "Well, I guess they would say that the sorting hat had a point when it wanted to place me in Slytherin."

The reaction to that particular piece of information was not long in coming. "What!? You were almost sorted into Slytherin? Pray tell me how you managed then to be placed into Gryffindor."

Harry was rather amused at the stunned expression on his mate's face. He hadn't thought it possible to so completely surprise the man. "It's simple, Sev. I asked the sorting hat to place me anywhere but in Slytherin. I had already met Draco Malfoy, and I am afraid that he reminded me too much of my cousin Dudley for me to even begin to like him. And Hagrid had said that dark wizards came out of Slytherin, so I wanted in anywhere but there."

The potions master shook his head as he processed this news. To think that Harry could have been placed into his house, he thought incredulously. How many more surprises did his young lover have in store for him he wondered?

Raking a hand through his hair, Harry asked a question that had been bothering him, "Er, Sev, how are we going to handle potions class? I mean, how are we going to avoid any accusations that you will be favoring me?"

Looking over to his young mate, Severus was amused to note that the expression on Harry's face meant that he thought that his professor would not be anything but his snarky normal self. Severus thoughtfully began, "Since this was originally Professor Dumbledore's idea, I am certain that we will be able to count on his help to grade your papers and oversee your quizzes and tests. And since this is also your N.E.W.T. year, he can also direct your potions studies for those tests. That way, no aspersions can be cast on either of our characters."

Harry grinned as he listened to his husband. True to form, Severus Snape viewed the dilemma with a detached eye and could offer an unbiased opinion. Harry was beginning to realize that he appreciated these qualities about his new husband. He wasn't sure how he felt about the man, but he had the feeling that he could come to care for him.

The remainder of the coffee was drunk in silence and the newly wed couple had little reason to further delay facing the outside world. Harry was glad that classes had been cancelled for the remainder of the week following Voldemort's defeat. That meant they still had four days until classes resumed. Each showered separately and dressed in their usual garb. Harry was thankful that the headmaster had thought to have his meager belongings sent down to the dungeons.

Harry nervously smiled over at his new mate as he watched the older man dismantle the wards protecting the door to his quarters. Putting on a brave, albeit Gryffindor, face, Harry smoothed down his robes and followed his husband out the dungeon chambers.

The Flipside of Sanity - Chapter 11

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