Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Marriage of Convenience	By : NinaSweets Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 158860 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 44
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters and places all belong to JK Rowling this is a not for profit story.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
So a few of you weren’t very big fans of Snape in the chapter getting mad that he left Harry with the Dursley’s. I feel like I have to sort of explain so I will, Harry doesn’t make a big deal about it so Snape doesn’t. He’s trying to get Harry to get upset and get mad but Harry just brushes it off in a very ‘Dursley’s will be Dursley’s’ kind of way. But don’t worry as typical of Harry and Snape they’ll have a big bust up and Harry will grow a damn backbone.
Anyway, I only have a little chapter for you today but before that a lovely thanks to my lovely reviewers starr, ChaosLady, Jan, MoodySavage, cullengal10, DhampirParadox (thank you for your lovely tale I’m like that too with addictive fics), snape_lust, anonymous, Harriverse, badaxx17 and jules3677. Of course thanks to people who reviewed twice, I nearly typed your names twice because I didn’t realise you’d done that so good job tricking tired Nina.

Chapter Twenty-Five
So after an explosive start to Harry’s summer holidays he had exchanged his prison cell at the Dursley’s for one in Snape’s home. He was certainly allowed more freedom here then when he was at the Dursley’s but it wasn’t all that fun.
Snape’s home was how Harry had imagined his quarters would be when he first entered those. While Snape’s quarters at Hogwarts were actually quite comfortable with artful tapestries on the walls and lots of soft rugs and warm candles his house in Spinners End was... well... sad. Harry couldn’t think of a better word to describe it. It just seemed sad. The outdated furniture, appliances that barely worked, electricity that sparked and crackled when too many things were turned on and the inescapable chill that was everywhere even with the heater on full blast. Harry didn’t consider himself superstitious or at all spiritual but he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable here. The walls seemed be so full of horrible things that the wall paper peeled in the direction of the door trying to escape from itself. That was of course a ridiculous notion but every room was exactly the same, all the paper peeling in the direction of the exit, even upstairs it pointed down diagonally to the front door.
“What do you think?” Snape had asked after he had finished giving Harry the tour.
“I hate it,” Harry had replied. Snape had merely smirked at him but Harry did hate it. He still hated it. He hated it and he wasn’t allowed to leave without Snape by his side. After the man had collected him from the Dursley’s and shown him around he had told him Dumbledore’s theory. The man thought it was Voldemort trying to distract the Ministry from his return by getting them to hound Harry. Harry hadn’t really been reading the paper but they’d been sneaking in subtle digs about him and Dumbledore ever since Harry had been kidnapped. It had gotten worse with Krum’s death.
Harry was at the current moment trying to sort out Snape’s overgrown garden. The man claimed he liked it that way because it kept the neighbourhood kids away from his house. Harry argued back that they had probably gotten lost in the over growth and their friends had tried to help them and also disappeared into the greenery. Snape had gone to sulk in his make shift potions lab in the basement so Harry started to sort out the garden. He liked chores but not in exchange for food or not getting beat up like it was at the Dursley’s. Snape didn’t threaten to lock him away if the garden wasn’t finished by dinner. He didn’t do much at all actually. It was very odd seeing the man in his natural state, well where he had grown up and seeing him dress in Muggle clothes and expertly work the microwave or thirty year old telly set. Harry was frustrated his friends weren’t writing to him and Snape was occupied in his lab and wouldn’t tell him anything anyway. He just kept saying Dumbledore was working on it or some other such nonsense. Harry needed to know what was going on, he always did. He was nosey and he couldn’t help it. He and Voldemort were so intertwined that he had to know what was being done to stop the man. He knew there were plans happening and being left out felt like having people talking about him behind his back.
He felt so angry and frustrated with everything at the moment. His friends not writing, Sirius not writing, Dumbledore not telling him anything, Snape being his complete total git self like that last year hadn’t happened. He worked off a little of that rage by attacking the garden but it quickly returned when he stood back to admire his work. Eight hours in the sun and it looked like he hadn’t done a thing.
Harry stomped inside to clean up and start making dinner. Tipple was usually with Snape in the lab cleaning down there so he had reluctantly let Harry take over making dinner. He would get very cranky if Harry tried to make lunch or breakfast or do the dishes though.
Harry headed into the cramped little kitchen that was probably very in during the 1950s but was now just barely functioning. The benches were all awful bright green Formica with a matching fridge. The cabinets were a mint green with one of them missing a door. Harry could see the three slightly chipped plates stacked neatly inside.
Harry crouched down before the stove to pull open the over where they kept the pots and pans when the oven wasn’t being used. He pulled out the fry pan and stood back up jumping in surprise. Right in the middle of the stove was a single cupcake with a candle in it. Harry frowned at it and turned around.
Snape was leaning in the open doorway watching him.
“Happy Birthday,” he said quietly and Harry laughed.
“My birthday is on Friday,”
“What?”
“The 31^st,” Harry said still smiling. Snape muttered something under his breath darkly and Harry grinned.
“Thank you though, it was very sweet of you to try surprise me,”
“Well it worked, you were surprised,” Snape said and Harry laughed.
“Cause you have the wrong day! I can’t believe you don’t know my birthday,” Harry said quietly and turned to pick up the cupcake. “Can I eat it now or are you going to leave it there till my actual birthday?”
“It’s your birthday cupcake, if you eat it now you won’t have one then,”
“But it’ll taste funny then,” Harry pouted.
“You may eat it now. I will now have time to get you an actual present,”
“You’re gonna get me a present?” Harry asked around a mouthful or cupcake. As soon as he got the okay he’d shoved it in his mouth.
“Yes, that is traditionally what one does on another’s birthday,”
“What will you get me?” Harry asked with a grin.
“What do you want?”
Harry frowned in thought picking at his cupcake idly. What did he want?
“I want to see Sirius,” Harry said after a short while thinking.
Snape groaned loudly and Harry watched him patiently.
“Why?” Snape said and Harry raised his eyebrows.
“Because I love him and I miss him,” Harry said not to mention one wide eyed look and Sirius would tell him whatever he wanted to know unlike Snape.
“We’ll see,” Snape muttered and Harry stared at him blankly. Snape stared back but Harry refused to back down. Finally the man rolled his eyes,
“I’ll write to the Headmaster tonight,” Snape gave in and Harry beamed. Snape sighed and headed back to his lab while Harry turned to start cooking.
After a simple dinner of spaghetti Bolognese Harry was shooed out of the kitchen by Tipple who began to clean. Harry headed upstairs to the room he shared with Snape to read a little before bed. He hadn’t started on his holiday homework yet but he hadn’t really planned to do that till much later. He felt he worked better with that last minute pressure and thankfully even though Snape was a teacher he didn’t nag as much as Hermione did. No doubt she’d already completed all hers.
A few more days of the same routine and then it was Harry’s birthday. He woke up to a flock of owls pecking at the covers on the bed. Snape was still asleep beside him so Harry gently freed each owl of its package and shushed them if they made sounds. He gave them some of Hedwig’s owl treats and they each flew out the open window other then Hedwig who hopped forward to sit on his leg for a pat.
“Potter, that had better not be your owl on my bed,” Snape’s sleep roughed voice said.
“It’s not,” Harry lied petting his lovely owl softly to keep her calm. She nipped at his fingers before taking off out the window so he didn’t get in trouble.
“Your way with wildlife I’m surprised cartoon birds don’t braid your hair and little mice make your clothes,” Snape groaned turning over. Harry smiled
“Oh yes I’m very like Cinderella with the awful relatives and forced to do chores before she’s married off to a horrible man. Some day my prince will come,” Harry sighed wistfully before he started to open his presents.
Harry was startled as Snape began to kiss his neck. He jumped slightly but allowed the man to continue what he was doing. By the time Harry had finished opening all his presents and reading all the cards Snape had moved up his neck and was kissing along his jaw. Harry turned into the kiss so their lips met.
Harry pulled away and licked at his lips as he stared at the man before him.
“Severus,” he said softly and Snape’s head tilted toward him. “Did you ask Dumbledore about my present?”
“Professor Dumbledore,” Snape corrected and Harry nodded impatiently waiting for the answer.
“You may see your dog father,” Snape muttered and Harry couldn’t resist bouncing a little in excitement. Harry closed the space between them and gave the man a quick kiss.
“Thank you,” Harry said quietly and Snape just grunted. Harry smiled and began to peck quick little kisses all over the man’s face trying to cheer him up.
“You’ll go tonight,” Snape said and Harry stopped his kisses to frown at him.
“Tonight?”
“Yes for the remainder of the holidays you’ll stay with him,”
“Where will you be?”
“Around,” Snape said and Harry raised his eyebrows.
“You won’t stay?” Harry asked
“I’m a busy man,” was the reply. Harry was not very happy with that answer and his face twisted into a frown again.
“All will be explained tonight,” Snape said and Harry sighed.
“One day you’re not going to be able to soothe me with stupid things like that,” Harry said with a glare.
“It’s a little late to play the angst ridden teenager Potter,”
“I am an angst ridden teenager,” Harry replied.
“Well let’s see if we can turn that angst into a more pleasurable energy,” Snape said rolling Harry underneath him. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Snape’s neck eagerly accepting his kiss.

“Harry!”
Harry couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him as Sirius rushed forward to pick him up and spin him around in a tight hug.
Harry let Sirius chatter at him as he nodded along his mind still trying to catch up.
Snape had Apparated them into a Muggle alleyway and they’d walked two streets to Grimmauld Place. Snape handed Harry a piece of paper which he quick read.
The Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix are located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
Harry looked between numbers eleven and thirteen and started in surprise. Where there had been an empty lot now stood a decrepit house, Snape ushered him forward up the steps. Before Snape had the chance to knock on the door it had been thrown open and Harry had been dragged inside by an over excited Sirius.
Sirius had now thrown his arm around Harry and was leading him down a dimly lit hallway. They reached the end of the hallway and headed down a set of stairs that led to a basement kitchen. The youngest four Weasley children were seated at the table with their parents and Hermione.
Before Harry could get distracted by catching up with his friends there was a hand tugging on his wrist. Harry turned to Snape who was standing right behind him like an over protective shadow.
“I have to go but I’ll be by in a few days,” Snape said softly. He kept his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear but the whole room was deliberately stirring their tea or eating their biscuits very slowly so they could listen.
“Okay,” Harry said with a nod. Snape leant forward to give him a quick kiss goodbye. Harry heard Mrs Weasley’s shocked gasp but as Snape chose to ignore it so did he.
Snape turned and left and Harry found himself under the Weasley matriarch’s intense gaze. Harry subtly shifted closer to Sirius for protection from that stare. He couldn’t help but feel like he was in trouble but he couldn’t work out why.
“Have some tea Harry,” Ginny offered indicating to the seat opposite where she Ron and Hermione sat. Harry headed around the large kitchen table and took the time to study the room. It was very dark down here, there were dozens of candles lit and two gas lamps by the door to try and shed light around the room but the light stayed unnaturally clumped around the flames.
A cup of tea was practically slammed down in front of Harry making him jump in surprise. Mrs Weasley shuffled back to the sink and began to angrily clean plates. Harry frowned at the teacup and glanced at Sirius.
“What’s that about?” Harry asked quietly.
“Molly isn’t terribly happy with me or Snape at the moment,” Sirius said with a careless shrug. Mrs Weasley shot him a dark look before resuming her washing up.
“Why?”
“Well everyone hates Snape so it’d make sense she would to,”
“Sirius,” Harry said sternly.
“Cause you married the git, she thinks it’s somehow my fault,” Sirius said “I told her it was his love potions but she won’t believe me.”
“You’re supposed to be his guardian! How could you let him do this!” Mrs Weasley snapped.
Harry went to speak but Sirius shook his head.
“I’ve never cared what people thought about me before I don’t care now. You can keep shooting your dirty looks any time you like Molly, whatever makes you feel more comfortable in my home,” Sirius said.
Mrs Weasley was glaring again. Sirius stood up with a grin.
“Come on. I’ll show you your room; you’re sharing with Ron,” Sirius said.
Harry glanced at Ron who offered a small smile.
“Er... is there a way that I could have my own room, or my own just for when Snape comes round. I just don’t think Ron would like us sharing with him,” Harry said and Ron nodded gratefully.
“No,” Mrs Weasley said with her hands on her hips, “That is completely inappropriate,”
“Oh I’m sorry Molly do you not share a room with your husband?” Sirius said and Mrs Weasley shook her head.
“That is not-”
“How? Arthur is your husband just as Snivellus-”
“Severus,” Harry corrected quietly.
“That’s what I said, just as he’s Harry’s,” Sirius said.
“If it were my child-”
“Harry isn’t your child!”
“HE’S AS GOOD AS!”
“That’s not-”
“WHERE WERE YOU?! While he was being left at those awful Muggles house! Where were you?! You were selfishly thinking about yourself! You were thinking about your need for revenge! You weren’t thinking about that little boy at all! Guess what! While you were paying the price for that selfish mistake I was thinking about him! Since the very second I saw him all alone on the platform I’ve been thinking about him! I send him sweaters and chocolates just as I do my own children. When he comes to visit I feed him and clothe him like I would my own son! So don’t you dare think you care about him more than I do because you went to school with his father! I’ve given that boy more love and care then you ever have!” Mrs Weasley shouted. Harry blinked at her in shock before turning to see how Sirius would react to that. Sirius was breathing heavily through his nose, looking like he was ready to punch the woman right in the face. Harry put a soothing hand on his arm to try and calm him.
“All of that is very true Molly,” Sirius said quietly, “So I’m sure you can understand how I don’t appreciate you storming into my home with your litter telling me how everything I’m doing is wrong. I’m not a smart man and all I can offer is my very best and I don’t like being told that what is my best still isn’t good enough. Harry and I have to work out our relationship on our own. I didn’t ask for your help and I don’t need it. I think it’s best if you clear out,”
“We’re here for Harry not you,” Mrs Weasley said
“Well lucky it’s my house then now get out,” Sirius said crossing his arms over his chest.
Mrs Weasley looked like she was going to argue some more but Mr Weasley gently turned her toward the stairs and gave her a slight shove toward them.
“Come on you lot,” Mr Weasley said ushering his children from the room. Sirius sighed loudly and fell into a chair putting his face in his hands.
Harry petted his shoulder gently looking over to where Ron and Hermione lingered. Hermione came over and gave Harry a hug.
“Happy Birthday,” she said quietly
“Some birthday huh?” he said and she smiled.
Together she and Ron headed off upstairs to pack their things.
Harry wasn’t sure how long he stood beside Sirius in the dark kitchen. It was a long time after he heard the door slam closed behind the Weasley’s though.
“Want to give me a tour?” Harry suggested quietly. Sirius looked up from his hands and sighed.
“Yeah okay,” he muttered and stood up. He was looking more well fed and groomed then the last time Harry had seen him but his face still held that tight exhausted expression. Harry wondered if it would ever go away.
“So you grew up here?”
“Yeah, I hated it then and I hate it now. My father was overly paranoid though so it’s got the best protection charms and is completely undetectable. I offered it to Dumbledore to use as Order Headquarters. About the only useful thing I’ve been able to do,” Sirius sighed. They’d made it to the ground floor now and Sirius pushed open the door to reveal a dining room. It was filthy covered in dust and cobwebs.
“My mum died about three years after I went to Azkaban and the House Elf Kreacher has been here on his own ever since. He loved my parents, mostly mum though. I think he’s gone a little loopy being on his own so long. He hasn’t cleaned a thing since she died other than her stupid portrait in the front hall,”
“What’s the Order of the Phoenix?” Harry asked as they stepped back into the hall.
“Oh I forgot no one told you, that’s no good. They were a group around in the first war to take down Voldemort, Dumbledore started it up. Your parents and I were in it along with a lot of other great witches and wizards who lost their lives...”
Sirius turned and headed up a flight of stairs. All along the grand stair case was a row of severed house elf heads mounted to the wall. Harry stared at it in disgust and glanced at Sirius.
“My family was weird,” Sirius said simply and Harry nodded slowly. Sirius walked along the landing and pushed open a door to reveal a drawing room. The fireplace was once a beautiful thing but had fallen into a sad state of disrepair, black tiles had fallen off and shattered on the ground and ash spilt across the worn carpet at least halfway across the room.
There was a desk that rattled ominously in the corner and large floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the street below. Along one wall was a large family tree, Sirius stepped into the room flipping on the lamps.
“The glorious history of the Black family,” Sirius said waving his hands at the tapestry. Harry stepped forward to stand beside Sirius.
“Where are you?” Harry asked and Sirius pointed to a black burnt hole.
“Mum burnt me off when I ran away. I went to live with your dad,” Sirius said with a small grin.
“Your family was all in Slytherin?” Harry asked noticing the recurring snake theme in the rooms he’d seen so far.
“Oh yeah, for the past four hundred years,” Sirius said.
Harry looked at the burnt hole where Sirius’s name had once been and followed it along.
“You have a brother?” Harry asked
“Had. He disappeared when I was nineteen, can’t write a date of death when you don’t know it,”
“Sorry,”
“We never really got along, he was everything my parents wanted me to be and I was everything they hated,” Sirius said with a shrug. Harry followed the lines along and frowned.
“You’re related to the Malfoy’s?” Harry asked.
“All pureblood families are related somehow. Intermarriages and all that, see up there is your fathers second cousin so we’re also distantly related too. Over here is Snape’s line, he descended from the Beaumont’s who married into the Prince’s in the 1700’s but obviously this doesn’t have all those because they never married back into the Black’s.”
Sirius let Harry study as much of the tapestry he wanted and diligently answered his questions as best he could. When Harry was done they continued the tour all the way up to very top floor the fourth. Here was where the grant chandelier was hitched to the ceiling providing the most light then the levels below. Harry took a peak over the stair railing staring down to the entrance way wondering why the light couldn’t seem to travel as far as it ordinarily should. The top floor held Sirius and his brother’s rooms but the room to Regulus Black’s door was firmly shut. Sirius’s door was slightly a jar revealing the mess within.
“I bet it’s just as messy as it was when you were a teen,” Harry joked and Sirius grimaced.
“Worse actually. I haven’t had to really clean up after myself in so long I have apparently forgotten how to,” Sirius replied making Harry laugh.
“Do you think its safe enough for me?” Harry asked quietly. Sirius frowned.
“You want my room?” Sirius asked
“I want to share your room,” Harry said.
“Really?” Sirius asked and Harry shrugged a little self consciously.
“I just like sleeping beside someone; it helps with the nightmares,”
“Oh, oh of course we can share,” Sirius said patting Harry’s shoulder. “Just give me a second to clean up.”
Sirius held up a hand to make sure Harry stayed right where he was before squeezing into the room without moving the slightly open door. The door closed and Harry heard a loud array of noises but mostly the sound of papers being hastily shoved somewhere, probably under the bed.
“I’ve seen dirty rooms before, I don’t mind helping,” Harry offered.
“Don’t you dare come in!” Sirius ordered and Harry laughed.
“I don’t care if you’ve got dirty magazines Sirius; in fact I hope you do then I can read those instead of having awkward conversations with you,”
“Learn by doing, that’s the key,” Sirius replied, “but not until you are both over seventeen and have dated for at least two years!”
“Like I’m sure you did,” Harry said and the door was thrown open so Sirius could narrow his eyes.
“Do as I say not as I do,” Sirius said and Harry nodded. Sirius stepped aside so Harry could enter the room. Harry smiled at the red and gold everywhere. Gryffindor’s house colours.
“Did you just shove everything under the bed?” Harry asked and Sirius shook his head. Harry hurried over and flopped down on the big four poster bed and smirked at the sound of the rubbish being unsettled from his jump. He sat up to see the rubbish and clothes and emerged from their hiding spot under the bed.
“Oh that bed yes I shoved everything under there.”
Harry smiled and headed back down the stairs to retrieve his trunk. He carried it back up to Sirius’ room to find Sirius in the middle of changing the sheets.
“I don’t think I’ve changed them since I got here,” he muttered sheepishly.
“You don’t think I’m weird for wanting to sleep here right?” Harry asked as he searched his trunk for his pyjamas.
“I’d never think you’re weird,” Sirius said and Harry smiled at him gratefully.
“I’m going to go read for a while will you be okay?” Sirius asked and Harry nodded.
“Yeah,” Harry replied, Sirius gave a small smile before leaving Harry alone.
Harry changed into his pyjamas and crawled into Sirius bed. It didn’t take him very long to fall asleep surrounded by the smell of Sirius which always made him feel calm and safe. As sudden as he fell asleep he was being woken up again this time by Sirius trying to quietly creep into the room. He had tripped over some wayward clothes in the dark and hit his head on the dresser with a loud bang startling Harry awake.
“You okay?” Harry asked quietly.
“Fine,” Sirius grumbled.
There wasn’t much light streaming in from the window, only a little guidance from the moon enough for Harry to make out the man’s shape. Sirius flopped onto the bed beside him and Harry smiled.
“Sorry I woke you,”
“That’s all right,” Harry replied.
“Now that you’re up do you mind if I ask you something?” Sirius muttered.
“Of course not,” Harry said.
“Do you think Molly was right?” Sirius asked and Harry frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“About me, am I selfish?” Sirius asked and Harry turned to face the man in the dark.
“I think everyone is a little bit. We can’t help it, we’re all so wrapped up in our own problems it’s hard to notice anyone else sometimes,”
“You’re not like that,”
“I think because from a young age I was always told what a burden I was that I grew up worrying about being a burden on anybody. I think too much about what other people think of me to worrying about myself. I’m the opposite of everyone else I guess,”
“I’m sorry you had to grow up like that,” Sirius said. “Molly was right; I wasn’t thinking I shouldn’t have gone after Wormtail.”
“I don’t regret it. The Dursley’s are horrible but I wouldn’t be who I am without them. You wouldn’t be you without your terrible family either. I don’t know if I would be better or worse but I like who I am,”
“I like you just the way you are but I still can’t help wishing it was all different. I wish you’d been raised by your parents, I wish I’d been there to watch you grow up, take your first steps and say your first words and pull your first prank. I wish you got the chance to be a normal kid with nothing more to worry about then homework and somehow working up the courage to ask a pretty girl on a date to Hogsmeade.”
“I still worry about that stuff, not the girl’s part so much but definitely the homework stuff. It’s just sometimes Voldemort takes priority over homework problems,”
“See it shouldn’t be like that,” Sirius sighed, “Will you do me a favour?”
“My homework will get done don’t worry,”
“No not that, I want you to separate from Snape,”
“What?”
“Not like permanently, I just want you to try it. You have to be separated for a year before you can file for divorce anyway, so I want you just try the separating part. If you want to run right back to him you’ll have my full support. I’ll even throw you a proper wedding, drinks and all. I just want you to be really sure about him and the only way to know that is by seeing what else is out there. Can you just for one year pretend to be a normal fifteen year old and worry about homework and go on awkward dates with some equally awkward girls?”
“What if I want to date boys?”
“Fine, but your dates must be awkward I command it. It’s all part of the teen experience,” Sirius said and Harry laughed softly.
“How am I meant to ignore Voldemort for a year?”
“Well I understand sometimes you can’t but you won’t go off looking for him like the Philosophers stone debacle,” Sirius said sternly, “Do you think you can do it?”
“For you, I’d do anything,” Harry said
“So you’ll do it?”
“I can’t promise it’ll work but I’ll try to worry more about my grades and go on lots of awkward dates, just for you,” Harry said. Sirius wrapped him up in a tight hug making Harry laugh.
“Thank you,” Sirius said sincerely and Harry smiled.
It didn’t sound too difficult. In fact a break from Snape and Voldemort and all the Boy-Who-Lived nonsense sounded exactly like what he needed right now.

AAAAHHHH jealous Snape will be sooo fun!
Also quick update on how this story is all going. I’m feeling a little blah-blah about it so to crank up my mojo it’ll probably be a lot of time skipping through the year. I just don’t want this to wind up 800 chapters long with 600 of those boring awful dragging chapters. Hopefully that’ll kick my butt into gear with more updates, yay! I just keep getting other ideas though, it’s a curse! I’ve already half finished another story that’ll be up after this one. For now though, I’m sticking to this one till its done so don’t worry about that. Also feel free to nag me in reviews, I love them and I don’t mind nagging, Nina
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A Marriage of Convenience