Second Place - Romance

The next morning Severus announced that they should put in an appearance in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry sleepily grumbled his response. Personally he would much rather stay in the privacy of their rooms where they could easily partake of certain other activities. As his husband firmly led him out of the dungeons and up to the rest of the castle's occupants, Harry smiled at the memory of their lovemaking of the past day. Somehow, it was different now that they had admitted their love for one another. Where before the sex had been great, now it was somehow even better, as the young man understood that they were each pouring their love into the sexual act.

Scowling down at his young husband, the potions master was secretly amused at the direction Harry's thoughts had taken. He would have to admit that his mate had a valid point. Knowing that he was loved, and feeling free enough to openly express his love for Harry had given an entirely new aspect to their sexual activities.

Reaching the top of the stairs by the Great Hall, Severus made sure that his normal public face was in place. Nodding briefly to his husband, he turned down the hallway leading to the staff entrance.

Harry shook his head as he watched the black robes billowing out after the tall potions master. A sense of pride filled him as he gazed after his mate. Severus belonged to him now, he thought fiercely. He sensed a smirk coming through their bond and laughing, the young man walked over to enter the main doors where the rest of the castle was gathered.

As usual, the noise level in the large room dropped when Harry stepped in, but he ignored the many stares sent his way. Harry plopped down in his usual spot between Hermione and Neville. Ron was sitting on his girlfriend's other side and he looked up nervously when his friend sat. A poke in the ribs from the aforementioned girlfriend spurred him to action. "Uh, Harry, how are ya?" he asked.

"Okay, Ron. And you?" Harry politely answered.

"Um, okay. Say, do you want to go out to the pitch after classes this afternoon and fly for a while with me?"

Harry, understanding �guy speak', smiled and responded, "Brilliant. Sure thing, Ron. I'll meet you at the front doors after our last class."

Ron smiled, glad that Harry had accepted his apology and they were friends again. Hermione looked on in utter amazement. She never would understand men, she thought disgustedly.

A twinkle in his eyes the only sign that the headmaster had been paying attention to the two Gryffindors' reunion. Knowingly nodding to the confused female sitting between them, Albus Dumbledore took a sip of his iced pumpkin juice.

Glancing over to the potion master, Albus saw that he had also witnessed the exchange. With the benefit of their bond, Severus was sure to have picked up on his husband's delight in having his best friend back in his life. One of the greatest sorrows in the old wizard's life was his feeling that he had failed his young prot�g� in so many ways. He had overlooked the youth's feelings in his quest to protect a young Gryffindor who was poised on the precipice of darkness. He had managed to save young Sirius, but in the process had alienated an already fragile soul. It had taken a horrible set of circumstances for Severus to accept that he needed help; even if that help had to come from someone who had already let him down once. But Albus had managed to prove that he was worthy of the trust that the young Slytherin had placed in him and had offered him an alternative to the hell in which he was drowning. No, he couldn't take away the Dark Mark, but he could help Severus to bring light into the darkness. He could use his position in the Death Eaters' ranks to help bring down his hated �master'.

Perhaps he should feel shame for having forced Harry to marry Severus, but the venerable wizard truly believed that the ends justified the means. All that mattered now was the joy he could discern in his prot�g�'s eyes as he observed his young husband. And seeing the look sent up to the potions master from the young man in question, Albus knew that the feelings of love were reciprocated. As far as he was concerned, the happiness of his two favorite boys was the ultimate reward for all of his hard work.

Severus noted that the youngest Weasley boy was actually speaking to Harry. Concerned at first, he was relieved when he felt happiness surging through the bond. Who knew that the red head could do something right, he mused. Amused, he also saw the Granger girl looking exasperated at her boyfriend and Harry. He would have to ask Harry about that later.

Digging into his breakfast, Severus was interrupted when the headmaster stopped by his chair. "My dear boy, would you do me the favor of dropping in my office after you finish your meal?"

Severus knew better than to think that there was a choice in that request. Nodding, he continued to eat, not bothering to verbally answer. After all, Albus already knew the answer anyway, so why waste his breath?

Harry was actually enjoying his breakfast with the other Gryffindors when he sensed a presence behind him. Turning, he was mildly surprised to see the headmaster standing there. "Ah, Harry, I was wondering if you would come to my office after you have finished your breakfast. Yes? Wonderful, I will look forward to seeing you then," so saying, the headmaster walked off, leaving three confused Gryffindors in his wake.

Harry caught up to his husband just as the older man spat out the password to the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office. Nodding curtly, Severus acknowledged his husband's arrival. Watching as the gargoyle leapt aside, revealing the hidden spiral stairs, Severus wondered why the headmaster had such a fascination for sweets. Idly he wondered if he could create a �cure' for such an insipid condition. Before they had even reached the door to the headmaster's office he heard the invitation to enter.

Severus closed the door behind him and taking a couple of steps into the room, refused an offer to sit. The potions master had a busy day ahead and after having missed yesterday's classes, felt the need to overcompensate. Harry stood uncertainly beside his tense husband. Nervously he reached out and clasped his husband's hand. Harry was rather pleased when the stoic man accepted the gesture.

"Thank you, my boys, for visiting me. I am afraid I have some rather discomforting news to impart, and I felt that it would be better for you to hear it from me before the news becomes public. The Ministry was able to suppress the information initially, but it will surely become public knowledge by later today or tomorrow. First of all, I am delighted to say that Cornelius Fudge was forced to step down as Minister of Magic, due partly to his behavior at the Ministry Ball on Saturday evening. The Wizengamot is still working on finding a suitable replacement. However, there is some rather disturbing news to report. Auror Brighton Smythe was found dead in his cell yesterday. The cause of death has been determined to be poisoning. It is a rather obscure poison and the source of the poison has not been found. The last the prisoner had been seen alive was at breakfast. No evidence of forced entry has been found and all pertinent Ministry employees have been questioned. So as you may guess, this is something of an enigma for us. It is clear that someone did not wish him to tell his tale, but that leaves us with the question of who is responsible. I urge you both to be careful and to watch your backs. Someone obviously wants to discredit you both. My personal opinion is that Lucius Malfoy may have something to do with this, but the Ministry officials have assured me that he could not possibly have been involved." The hard look on the headmaster's face left little doubt as to what he believed.

The Snape-Potters looked at one another. They had both learned that it paid to listen to the headmaster. Both knew that Lucius Malfoy was a dangerous threat. And he had plenty of reasons to want revenge. They had destroyed his lord, they had managed to re-incarcerate him, and they had also turned both his ex-wife and his son from his influence.

Harry looked up at his husband. He would not lose Severus to a crazed pure-blood fanatic. He was reassured by a gentle squeeze of his hand and the potions master sent a comforting message through the bond. Harry sighed. No matter what they had to face now, he knew that they were in this together. Shyly smiling up to his mate, Harry sent back the reply that he understood.

The Flipside of Sanity - Chapter 26

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