Title: a convenient Marriage

He was vaguely aware of Snape shuddering and gasping behind him, but his mind and body were too wiped to care about much of anything. He thought he heard Snape ask him something in a concerned tone of voice, but since that was clearly impossible, he allowed sleep to claim him completely.

Chapter 4

Harry slowly drifted up from sleep, rolled on his back and stretched - and immediately wished he hadn't.

"Bugger!"

A voice next to him said dryly, "Observant, aren't we? And if you'd simply paid attention last night, you wouldn't be having this problem."

Harry opened his eyes and glared at Snape. "Sod off, Snape."

Snape held up a small vial and sneered at him. "I wouldn't be so hasty, Potter. I hold in my hand the means to relieve what troubles you."

"What do you want me to do - give you a kiss for it?" Harry snapped.

"Last night, I would have given it to you for nothing. This morning...a 'please' will be sufficient."

"Please," Harry ground out. Snape unstoppered the vial and handed it to him, and Harry swallowed it. "God, don't you make anything that tastes decent?"

"Stop whinging, Potter."

Before Harry could say anything back, there was a tap on the bedroom door and then it opened. The Ministry official Harry'd met the previous day hurried in, a beaming smile on his face, with Dumbledore and Sirius right behind him.

"Good morning, good morning!" the official said cheerfully.

Harry saw Snape wince and smugly noted that his new husband didn't seem to be much of a morning person. Harry propped himself up against the headboard, pulling the bedcovers up to his neck, and waited for the explosion.

However, before Snape could say anything, the official had set his briefcase down on the bed and was pulling papers out of it. "So glad you are both awake, and I won't take any more of your time than necessary. There are just a few little forms to fill out. First, have either of you eaten or drunk anything this morning?"

"No," Snape said shortly.

"Yes," Harry said. "Um, a pain potion."

Sirius growled. "Just why did you need to take a pain potion, Harry?" he demanded, glaring at Snape.

Snape gave Sirius one of his most irritatingly smug looks and Dumbledore said hastily, "That's of no importance right now."

"Do you have a sample of the potion?" the Ministry official asked.

Harry handed him the vial and the man tapped it with his wand. "Right. Just a basic analgesic and muscle relaxant. Shouldn't interfere with the Veritaserum at all." He placed the vial in an envelope and put it in his briefcase, then began rummaging. "Now, I know I have a vial of it in here somewhere..."

"Allow me, Ignatius," Dumbledore said, holding out a clear vial.

The official took the vial and tapped it with his wand. A delighted look crossed his face. "Yes, this will do very nicely, very nicely indeed! As pure a sample of Veritaserum as I've ever had to the pleasure to work with. Yours, Professor?" he asked, glancing over at Snape.

"Yes, it is one of Severus' batches," Dumbledore affirmed. "Will that be a problem?"

"No, indeed! We in the Department of Magical Contracts rarely get a chance to work with the 'good stuff', as it were," Ignatius said, beaming at Dumbledore and then at Snape. "I will be the envy of my fellows, I can tell you that. Professor, if you'll let me place two drops on your tongue?"

Appearing stunned by the compliment, Snape opened his mouth without question, and Ignatius carefully placed two drops on his tongue. He then moved to the other side of the bed and repeated the procedure with Harry.

"Now, then, just a few questions to complete the contract." After having them verify their identities he said, "Was the marriage completely consummated last night?"

"Yes," Snape said quickly.

Harry looked doubtful. "What do you mean by 'completely'? If you mean, did Snape fuck me - yes, he did. If you mean did I fuck him - "

"That will be quite enough, Potter," Snape said coldly.

Harry scowled at him. "You're not the one wanting to know."

"Yes, yes, that'll be fine," Ignatius said hastily. He scrawled his name on the bottom of the contract, then had Dumbledore and Sirius witness it. Once that was done, he rolled it up, tapped it with his wand, and a ribbon with an official looking seal wrapped around it.

"That's done, then," he said briskly, setting the contract inside the briefcase. "I'll file this when I get back in the office. Should you wish an official copy for your personal files, one will be available after 30 days." He shook both Harry and Snape's hands. "Congratulations, gentlemen. I hope that your contract will be very beneficial to both of you. Albus, if you'll show me out?"

"Certainly, Ignatius," Dumbledore said, and followed him out of the room.

There was an ominous silence in the room for a moment after the pair left, then Sirius said, "Why did Harry need a pain potion, Snape? What did you do to him?"

Snape smirked. "Why, deflowered your virgin boy, of course. And remember, it was your idea."

"Bastard," Sirius growled, then turned to Harry. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

Harry was caught by the demands of the Veritaserum still running through his system. On the one hand, Snape had been remarkably considerate the previous night, and Harry hadn't been aware of any pain at the time. On the other hand, Harry had been in considerable discomfort this morning, and was still feeling rather tender. His stomach roiled.

"I have to use the loo." He fled into the bathroom and promptly lost the contents of his stomach.

He was vaguely aware of someone else entering the bathroom as he tried to convince his guts to stop heaving. "Here," said a quiet voice, and a glass of some milky-looking substance appeared before him. He took it and forced down a swallow, and was surprised when it didn't come back up immediately. In fact, it seemed to stop the heaves, not to mention the spinning of the room around him.

"Thanks," he muttered. "Convenient being married to a Potions master, I suppose."

"I could hardly have you vomit to death on the morning after our wedding," Snape said dryly. "Think what that would do to my reputation." Harry gave an involuntary snort of laughter. "Your godfather has gone on his way. Shower, brush your teeth, and come back out when you're done. The house-elves will have breakfast waiting."

The bathroom door clicked shut and Harry dragged himself to his feet. Taking his time, he showered thoroughly and brushed his teeth twice. Deciding he couldn't delay the inevitable any longer, he returned to the bedroom.

A familiar looking trunk was sitting at the end of the bed, and Harry was surprised as he realized his things had already arrived from his flat. He opened the wardrobe to see that the house-elves had already hung up his clothes, and then frowned when he realized that his clothes were the only ones hanging there. A quick look in the dresser verified that his things occupied the drawers alone.

"Is Master Harry needing something?"

Harry swung around to see a house-elf dressed in a pristine tea towel was standing by the bed. "Um, yes. Professor Snape's things. His clothes and such. Where are they?"

The house-elf looked surprised. "In Master Severus' room, sir."

Harry frowned, absorbing the fact that Snape apparently kept his things in another room, and wondered angrily if the man thought Harry would steal his precious belongings.

"May I be helping Master Harry dress?"

"No," Harry said shortly, jerking open the drawers to pull out a shirt, jeans, and his most comfortable pair of boxers. "But you can show me where that bas - where 'Master Severus' is when I'm dressed." He quickly dressed and tried unsuccessfully to do something with his hair, then gave up. "Can I ask your name?" he asked the house-elf as he followed her out of the room.

"I is Pippa, sir," the house-elf said with a bright smile, and began chattering quite happily about the house and the other occupants as she led him down the stairs to the dining room. Harry thought she seemed very cheerful for someone in Snape's employ - he half expected Snape's servants to be cowering in fear.

"Breakfast, Master Harry, sir," Pippa said, as they entered the dining room. Harry saw that Snape was already seated at the table, hidden behind the Daily Prophet, and his eyes widened at the sight of the heavily laden table. "Is there anything you be needing, Master Harry?"

"Um, no," Harry said, feeling a little queasy at the sight of all the food.

Snape poked his head out from behind the paper gave him an impatient look. "Sit down and eat, Potter. My house-elves apparently think you are wasting away to nothing; this is all in your honour."

"Um, I don't think I can eat much," Harry said as he carefully took a seat.

Snape gave him an appraising look. "Pippa, fetch the purple flask from my bathroom, please." Harry raised an eyebrow at the sound of Snape saying 'please' and cautiously nibbled on a piece of toast. The house-elf returned with the requested item and Snape poured half of it into a glass of pumpkin juice, stirred it, and then handed it to Harry. "Drink that. It will help settle the nauseating effects of the Veritaserum."

Harry looked doubtful but took a sip of the juice. To his surprise, it remained down, and he drank the rest of it. His stomach immediately stopped rolling and he sighed with relief.

Harry glanced down the table at Snape, wanting to thank him for the potion, and saw that he'd retreated behind his paper again. On the front page, Harry saw that the news about their nuptials had already broken. "Boy Who Lived Weds In Secret" was blazoned across the front of the paper, and underneath it were separate pictures of him and Snape. Snape's picture glared at him across the table and he glared back, suddenly remembering that he was angry with Snape.

"Is there a reason why your things are in another room?"

Snape lowered the paper and gave him a questioning look. "I was under the impression that separate bedrooms would be preferable to you as well as to myself."

Harry blinked at that, and felt a sudden wave of relief at the realization that he wouldn't have to sleep with Snape every night. "Um, yeah."

"On the occasions when I desire marital congress, I will, of course, inform you before coming to your room."

Harry's stomach flopped again. "I..."

"It shouldn't occur more than once or twice a month, as I am quite accustomed to satisfying my own needs," Snape continued. "I trust that will be acceptable to you?"

"Yeah," Harry said glumly. It was, after all, part of the marriage contract and Snape was within his rights to ask for more. Hell, he could ask for a baby, if he wanted one.

Snape watched Harry toying with his food. "Is something wrong, Potter?"

"No. I just..." Harry sighed. "Everyone always talks about what a big deal sex is, but it just...well, it was okay, but it wasn't fantastic."

"I will endeavour to provide more satisfaction next time," Snape said dryly.

Harry flushed. "That's not what I mean. The way you...when you touched me like that...it was nice. It was better than when I touch myself. But the other part...do people really like that?"

Snape shrugged. "It is quite pleasurable for the one doing the penetrating, and I'm given to understand that many enjoy bottoming. I, myself, find being buggered less than satisfying."

"Yeah," Harry said, picking at his eggs with his fork. "Not that I'm complaining or anything." He looked up at Snape. "And you don't bottom."

"No," Snape said shortly. "If you wish to experience the pleasures of topping, you will have to look elsewhere." He folded his newspaper and set it down on the table. "Now, if you have quite finished torturing those eggs, I will give you a tour of the house before I start work."

Harry nodded and finished his tea. "I'm done."

"Very well, then." Snape stood up and began speaking in what Harry recognized as his lecturing voice. "This, as you can see, is the dining room. Breakfast and dinner will be served here whenever either of us is in the house. You may take lunch whenever and wherever you choose. Through that door are the kitchens. We have two house-elves; please refrain from pestering them at all hours of the day and night. If you espouse your friend Granger's beliefs about house-elf rights, I would prefer you to keep them to yourself. Pippa and Toby have been with me for many years, and I have become rather accustomed to them."

"Right," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

Leading Harry into the foyer, he gestured towards the room Harry had seen the previous evening during the reception, "That is the sitting room, and the library is next to it - not that you'll have any use for that. Down this hall is my workshop. You are not - for any reason short of dire emergency - to enter my workshop. Is that understood?"

Wonderful, Harry thought as he nodded. My home for the next God- knows-how many years, and I feel like an unwelcome guest in it.

"Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, each with a private bath," Snape said, gesturing towards the stairs. "You have already seen your room. Mine is next to it, and the guest room is across the hallway." Snape took in a deep breath and said, in the tones of one grimly prepared to be sociable even if it killed him, "Please feel free to invite your friends to visit. However, if you plan on inviting your godfather, kindly inform me so that I may make plans to be elsewhere."

Harry grinned at that, feeling oddly warmed by Snape's allowances.

"I will, of course, be returning to Hogwarts at the end of the week when the students return from Easter Break. However, I will endeavour to return during the school year when my schedule permits me, as well as the summer and holidays," Snape continued. "I would appreciate it if you would provide me with a copy of your schedule, so that I know when your games occur."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Becoming a fan, Snape? Or just afraid you're going to miss me?"

Snape glared at him. "There are still those out there who would like nothing better than to do you an injury, Potter. Lucius Malfoy, in particular, will not take this change in his plans gracefully. If you were to turn up missing, it would help to know whether you had been abducted or were simply chasing your arse around the Pitch."

That sounded reasonable and Harry agreed. Snape relaxed a little and led the way through a French door onto a beautiful little patio. "Out here are the gardens. They are not extensive, however they provide many of the ingredients for my potions, so I would appreciate it if you and your companions didn't rampage through them."

"Hey! I don't rampage - or at least I haven't for years!"

"Of course," Snape said dryly. "Keep your Quidditch flying to the open field west of the house, if you please. On fine days, the house- elves serve afternoon tea here on the terrace. You are welcome to join me, or not, as you prefer. If you have any preferences as far as tea or cakes, make them known to Pippa."

Harry nodded and turned back to study the house. "It's very nice, Snape, but not at all what I imagined."

Snape's lip curled. "You were expecting something along the lines of Malfoy Manor -large and pretentious? By the time I came along, the Snape family had been reduced to genteel poverty, retaining little but our bloodline and our pride. My distant cousins reside in what remains of the ancestral home; I haven't been there since I was a boy." He looked up at the house and Harry could see the satisfaction in his face. "This is mine; I bought the land and built it. One day, I may pass it down to my heirs."

Harry hastily skirted away from that issue, gesturing toward a small building on the other side of the terrace. "What's that?"

"That, Mr. Potter, is yours."

Harry frowned. "My what?"

"Your personal office or workroom - whatever you wish. You can store your rubbish there for all I care."

"Mine?" Harry asked, not daring to believe.

Snape frowned. "Is the concept too hard for you to grasp, Potter?"

Harry ignored him as he walked over to the building and opened the door, then looked inside. It wasn't large, about the size of Hagrid's cottage, but it was clean and bright and fresh with possibilities. There was a sense of newness about it, and Harry turned to look at Snape in surprise.

"It's not much, compared to your previous luxurious surroundings," Snape said coolly.

Harry grinned. His last place had been a furnished flat, shared with two other members of the team. Before that, it had been a small dormitory room with four roommates. And before that...

"It's perfect," he murmured, running his hand over the smooth walls. It was new -Harry would have bet his life on that. Snape must have had this built just for him. He felt an odd tightening in his throat.

Snape sneered. "Don't try to flatter me, Potter. Compared to your Muggle relatives' home - "

"It's heaven," Harry said, continuing to circle the room, soaking up the feel of the place. "The Dursleys treated me like dirt - they kept me under the staircase for ten years. When my Hogwarts letter came, they put me in Dudley's second bedroom, but only because they were afraid. Of course, they put bars on the windows and locked me in most of the time."

Snape frowned. "Why would they do that?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his head. "Because they hated magic and everything to do with it, including me. I suppose they thought they could starve or beat it out of me." He gave Snape a wan smile. "Didn't work, of course."

Still frowning, Snape studied Harry's face as if looking for signs that the young man was lying. "Of course," he murmured. "'That which does not kill us - '"

" '- makes us stronger'," Harry finished with a small smile.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware that you'd read Nietzsche, Potter."

"I haven't," Harry replied. "It was in 'Conan the Barbarian'." At Snape's blank look, he said helpfully, "A Muggle movie. Saw it on the telly one night when the Dursleys were out."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Impossible brat."

Harry felt a warm feeling roll through him. Already, this had the feel of something familiar and safe. "Insufferable git."

Snape gestured at the empty room. "You may furnish it as you wish. Pippa and Toby are aware of the merchants with whom I have accounts."

Harry frowned. "I have my own money," he said sharply. "I can pay for my own things."

"Good," Snape said, appearing not the least bit put out by Harry's declaration. "My salary, while generous, is not extensive, and I prefer to spend it on other things."

"Fine," Harry retorted.

"Well, now that we have that settled, I have work to do. I have wasted quite enough of my time this morning," Snape said and turned to leave.

Harry bit his lip; he knew that Snape was doing his best, and it wasn't fair to lash the man over his own pride. "Professor," he said quickly, then decided that didn't sound right. "Snape...er, Severus."

Snape turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. "Is there a reason why you are reciting my title and names?"

"Just trying to figure out what I should call you," Harry retorted.

Snape appeared to consider it for a moment. "Severus will be acceptable," he said.

Harry nodded. "And I'd appreciate it if you called me 'Harry' instead of 'Potter'." He smiled wryly. "After all, it's 'Potter- Snape' now, right?"

"Quite," Snape said, then seemed to recall something. He pulled a box out of his pocket. "This is yours as well. I would have given it to you yesterday, but there didn't appear to be an appropriate time."

He looked awkward, unlike his usual assured self, and Harry was reminded of the way Snape had looked at Dumbledore the previous evening. It made Harry feel uncomfortable to see Snape displaying anything less than complete control, and he quickly opened the box. "A ring?"

Snape nodded. "It is traditional, and Malfoy will expect to see you wearing one. To do otherwise would arouse suspicions."

"Right," Harry said. He slid the ring on his finger and felt it alter to fit him perfectly. "Thanks." He looked up and met Snape's eyes. "For everything."

Snape nodded again and quickly left. Harry stared at the ring for a long minute, a symbol of just how much his life had changed, and then determinedly turned his attention away from it and back to the room. His room, he thought with satisfaction as he imagined the possibilities. It was a start.

Chapter 5

Snape returned to Hogwarts at the end of the week, but as the Quidditch season had resumed, Harry had little time to notice his absence. There were some expectations for England in the World Cup, and the quarterfinal circuit was so gruelling, that Harry had little time for more than a hot shower and a sandwich before falling into bed.

Then in early May, England lost the latest round of games and so was out of the running for the Cup. Harry found himself at the house with unexpected free time on his hands. After sleeping nearly around the clock the first day, he spent the next morning puttering about his workshop. It had gotten rather untidy after weeks of infrequent use, especially as he'd asked the house-elves to leave the cottage to his care. Who would have guessed, he thought as he flicked a duster over the furniture, that he'd enjoy cleaning after all those years with the Dursleys. Maybe it was because it was his. He felt a certain pride in the way the place looked now that he'd fixed it up and had plans for spending some of his new free time here with his godfather and his friends.

The afternoon found him looking through the bookshelves in the library, both out of curiosity and to find something to read. The sound of someone arriving by Floo in the sitting room made him hurry into the room, book in one hand, wand in the other. Even though their Floo connection was private and warded, Harry had learned not to take anything for granted.

Snape was dusting himself off when Harry entered the room, and as he looked up, Harry thought he saw a brief flicker of approval in his eyes.

"Ah, I see you've located the library," Snape said. "Or were you planning on hurling books at intruders?"

Harry grinned and put away the wand. "Looking for something to amuse myself," he said, holding up the book.

Snape took a look at the title and raised an eyebrow. "Icabod Flinch's treatise on defensive spells and their history? I'd be impressed if I thought you had the slightest idea what you're getting into."

Harry's grin widened; damn, but he'd missed the man. "Irritable bastard."

"Idiotic brat," Snape retorted.

"So, what are you doing home?" Harry asked. "Exams are in six weeks - I thought you'd be busy terrifying the students out of their wits."

Snape snorted. "The majority of the students have no wits. However, to answer your question, it's a Hogsmeade weekend and the thought of being shut up in the castle with students on a sugar high was more than I could bear."

Harry narrowed his eyes; Snape was avoiding looking at him and that couldn't be good. "What's wrong?"

Snape looked up and then away again, although Harry could see two faint spots of colour in his cheeks. "Nothing," Snape snapped back, then added diffidently. "It is one month today since our wedding, and I thought I'd come along tonight, if you had no other plans."

Harry knew exactly what Snape meant and he flushed. "Oh. Right." He drew in a deep breath, thinking of the contract and the way Snape had fought for him. "That'll be fine. I haven't any plans."