Chapter 24 Gryffindors and Slytherins
As soon as Severus Snape stepped through the fire place, he found Sirius Black sulking on the sofa. Raising a dark eyebrow, Severus asked, 'What's wrong with you, Black?'
'Harry brought Slytherins home,' Sirius said.
'Slytherins?' Severus echoed.
'Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott,' Sirius told him. 'Draco and Lucius were bad enough.'
'Well, Zabini and Nott are Draco's friends,' Severus said. 'It seems Harry's getting along with the snakes rather well lately.'
'Don't remind me,' Sirius groaned.
'He told me he was supposed to be in Slytherin.'
'I know, he told me too,' Sirius nodded and folded his arms across his chest. 'Then again, so was I.'
'You would have been miserable in the green and silver house,' Severus commented. Sirius just nodded again and finally looked up, raising an eyebrow when he saw that Severus was holding a stack of parchment. 'Harry's school work,' Severus told him.
'Right,' the Gryffindor said. 'They're in the kitchen. Harry wanted a snack before dinner.'
Severus inclined his head and moved through the house, leaving Sirius sulking- the mutt was definitely sulking- in the sitting room. He entered the kitchen to find Blaise and the Weasley twins in a deep discussion about... something, while Draco and Theo were having a conversation. Harry, meanwhile, was munching on a sandwich and had a bowl of sliced cucumbers and a jar of peanut butter open by the plate.
'This is a rather interesting group,' Severus commented as he entered the room.
'Severus,' Draco beamed when he spotted his godfather. 'What are you doing here?'
'Potter's homework,' Severus drawled and dropped the papers on the table.
Harry waved a hand, his cheeks bulging with food, while Blaise and Theo both nodded respectfully. The Weasley twins were eyeing him, no doubt debating between saying hello and just out-right pranking him.
Severus groaned. 'I came here to escape Gryffindors, not see more of them.'
'I think he's talking about us, Freddie,' George commented.
'I'm hurt,' Fred said. 'Are you hurt?'
'Most definitely,' George nodded.
The turned twin pouts on Severus, who groaned again and sat heavily. 'I need a drink.'
'Hey, we're here, Professor,' Blaise smiled and leaned over the table. 'We'll save you from the Gryffindors.'
'Or help them prank you,' Theo drawled. 'Blaise and the twins are getting along a bit too well for my liking.'
'Be very afraid,' George grinned while Harry snickered.
'Shut up and get me a drink,' Severus scowled.
'Aye, aye, Professor Snape,' Fred said and stood, going over to the kitchen counter before Kreacher could get there. The little elf scowled at him, but Fred paid the creature no attention. 'Can I get you a firewhiskey? Some wine, perhaps? Or Muggle scotch- Lucius is apparently rather fond of it.'
'Father always does enjoy the finer things,' Draco commented.
'Whatever will blur my mind enough to not care about being around you lot,' Severus drawled and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Harry swallowed his mouthful of sandwich and asked, 'Are you okay, Professor?'
'It's Severus, remember?' the headmaster said. 'You're sleeping with my best friend after all, Potter.'
'Merlin, don't remind me,' Draco muttered.
'It's Harry, remember?' Harry said, and grinned when Severus glared at him. 'Fine; are you okay, Severus?'
'Not particularly,' Severus said and nodded a thanks to Fred when the eldest Weasley twin set a glass tumbler filled with amber liquid before him. He took a large mouthful before saying, 'Every day I question why I got into teaching.'
'Why, to help mould young men and women into powerful, intelligent witches and wizards, of course,' Fred said, re-taking his seat.
'And to scare the crap out of First Years,' George added.
'And Second Years,' Fred said.
'Third Years.'
'And Fourth Years.'
'All years, really,' George smirked.
'You're quite scary, Professor,' Fred said.
'Absolutely terrifying,' George nodded.
'You put the fear in everyone!' Fred grinned.
'Merlin, does anyone know how to shut them up?' Severus demanded.
'I've found a good snog works,' Fred said. His grin widened when Severus choked on his drink, and George, Blaise, and Draco snickered as the older man wiped his chin and scowled at the red-head.
'I think a curse would work more effectively,' the Slytherin glared.
'No, that just makes him more determined,' George commented. 'Trust me, Professor.'
Before Severus could try out his curse theory, Harry again asked, 'What's wrong?'
'The students of Hogwarts are idiots,' Severus said, turning to look at Harry. 'I swear, they get stupider every year.'
'Isn't it easier now that you're headmaster?' Harry questioned. 'You don't have to make lesson plans or put up with the idiots in class.'
'No, I just have to deal with those sent to my office, break up fights in the middle of corridors, and stop students sneaking out of bed every night.' He sighed and slouched slightly in his seat, too tired to care about his posture. 'I swear, Harry, even dealing with you every year was easier than this, and you were running around defeating the Dark Lord most years.'
'Hum...' Harry mumbled around a chip. 'Not sure whether I should feel insulted or complimented.'
'Go with both,' Fred suggested.
'Always works with us,' George nodded.
'I'm seriously considering fleeing in the middle of the night,' Severus said. 'There's a beach somewhere calling my name, I know it.'
Fred and George both burst into laughter, while Draco said, 'I can't imagine you on a beach anywhere, Sev.'
'I like the image, though,' Fred grinned and looked Severus up and down- well, he tried to, what with Severus' lower half hidden under the kitchen table.
Severus ignored him and continued to talk to Harry. 'Without Minerva and Hermione, I'd have lost my mind by now.'
'Hermione?' Harry said, sitting up slightly. 'What about her?'
'About two weeks ago she bumped into me as she was walking down the corridor outside my office, and she knocked my papers to the floor,' Severus explained. 'She helped me pick them up and carry them to my office, where she then proceeded to mark a dozen Potion essays just by flicking through them. The Potions Master was sick all that week and the job of collecting homework and teaching the class fell to me. Hermione's been helping me since then.'
'Maybe you need a secretary?' Harry suggested. 'It might make your work-load easier.'
'Or I could quit,' Severus said and sighed wistfully. 'I could spend all my time making potions and reading magazines.'
'Never took you for the gossiping type, Professor,' Harry grinned.
'Normally I'm not,' Severus nodded, his lips curling. 'But when most magazines are speculating on yours and Lucius' love life, I find it rather entertaining.'
Harry groaned, and the rest of the kitchen's occupants laughed.
'Did you see that article on Mr Malfoy last week?' Blaise asked. 'It was in Witch Weekly; a whole two pages wondering about the size of his coc-'
'Blaise!' Draco snapped and the dark-skinned boy pouted at him. 'I really don't need to hear about my father's... size,' Draco scowled.
'Well, the rest of Wizarding Britain is rather curious,' Severus commented.
Draco groaned. 'I hate you all; I really, really do.'
'Aww, no you don't, Little Lucius,' Fred said and threw an arm around the blonde. 'You know you love us.'
'You call him Little Lucius?' Severus asked with a smirk.
'Sure do,' Fred smiled at the professor. 'Look at him; he's like a Lucius clone, only much smaller.'
'I am not small,' Draco huffed and pushed Fred away. 'I'm 5"8, thank you very much!'
'Ah, but your father is 5"11,' Severus mused. 'So yes, you are smaller than him.'
'Skinnier, too,' Fred said, eyeing Draco closely. 'Your dad's all... you know; broad shoulders, strong muscles, well-defined jaw-line...'
He trailed off and Harry looked at him, amusement- and was that jealousy Severus detected?- in his eyes. 'Looked at Lucius a lot, have you?'
Fred snapped out of his daze and twisted in his seat, the chair scraping across the stone floor as he leaned forward. ''Course not, Harry, old chum! I get it, he's totally yours, I wasn't even looking that long, I swear!'
'Liar,' George laughed. 'Every time Ron rants about Harry and Lucius Malfoy, Fred makes it a habit to go on and on about Mr Malfoy's finer features.'
'I do not!' Fred denied.
'Oh, really?' George asked, his red eyebrows going up. 'So was it another brother- Bill or Percy, perhaps- that commented on Lucius' finely-shaped arse, his broad shoulders, and smooth pale neck that a person could just bite into?'
There was definitely jealousy in Harry's eyes now, and Severus realised that Lucius wasn't the only possessive lover in the relationship.
'I didn't!' Fred said, eyes wide as he looked at Harry.
'Really?' Harry asked, scepticism heavy in the word.
'Uh...' Fred fidgeted before saying, 'okay, so that maybe happened. But come on, Harry, the man is Gorgeous with a capital G! I was just admiring him, that's all; he's yours, I know that, and you love each other, I'd never get in the way.'
'Love?' Harry spluttered. His cheeks were turning an alarming shade of red, and the others watched in amusement as he tried to deny it. 'We're not... no, we... absolutely not... we just started dating, Fred!'
'Mm-hmm,' Fred hummed, grinning broadly. 'Whatever you say, little brother.'
'We're not in love!' Harry denied vehemently.
'Anyway,' Fred said, turning his back on a fuming Harry Potter, 'Blaise, have George and I told you about our new Chibi Bats? They're like Pigmy Puffs; completely our own design, small, well-tempered, and easy to keep in a flat, or even Hogwarts.'
'Fred!' Harry snapped.
'They're cute little things, just like full-sized bats,' Fred continued, completely ignoring the other Gryffindor. 'Only they're fluffier and can't fly very far, so even if they get out, you can catch them easily.'
'Perfect little pets, really,' George nodded.
Blaise looked intrigued- as did Draco and Theo, really- so the five fell into discussion about the twins' new creatures, while Harry glared at them and shoved cucumbers dipped in peanut butter into his mouth.
Severus just smirked to himself and sipped his drink, letting both the alcohol and the warm, friendly atmosphere relax him. Feeling relaxed while in the presence of Gryffindors, Severus mused to himself. Who would have thought?
The flare of the fireplace in the other room made Harry pause, his head cocked to one side. Severus looked at him, one eyebrow going up. Suddenly Harry dropped the cucumber stick he was nibbling on and pushed the bowl back. He stood as quickly as he could and pressed one hand to his stomach as he said, 'S'cuse me!' and hurried out of the room.
'Does that happen often?' Blaise questioned, turning away from George.
'It does when it involves Father,' Draco chuckled. 'He'll stop halfway through a sentence and run off.'
'Oh, sweet Salazar,' Severus groaned and tipped his head back. 'He's gone to maul Lucius.'
Fred and Blaise were immediately on their feet, racing through the house to try and catch a glimpse.
{oOo}
'Lucius!' Harry grinned when he spotted the blonde stepping away from the fireplace. Remus was behind him, but Harry didn't care; he just wanted his partner.
Lucius smiled and quickly found his arms full of Gryffindor. Harry tipped his head up and Lucius quickly obliged, sealing his lips over the younger man's.
Harry groaned and pushed his fingers through Lucius' tied-back hair, immediately messing up the ponytail. They kissed for about a minute before Lucius slowly broke it.
'Hello, little lion,' Lucius said. Harry blinked dazedly, but a bright grin overtook his face when Lucius bent down to press a kiss to his rounded belly. 'And hello to you too, little one.'
Harry's smile softened as Lucius ran his fingers and palms across Harry's stomach. Whenever their son decided to kick up a fuss, all Lucius had to do was talk softly and rub Harry's belly, and he calmed down. Harry could already tell that Lucius would be the favourite parent. He'd no doubt spoil their child rotten, while Harry would be the strict one.
'Hello, Harry,' Remus decided to chime in, breaking Harry and Lucius from their moment.
Harry felt his cheeks heat up slightly as he looked past his partner. 'Hey, Remus,' he said, and Remus smiled at him.
'Is Tonks home?' the werewolf asked and set his battered briefcase beside the armchair he was standing beside.
'Uh... I don't know,' Harry shrugged. 'I only got home about twenty minutes ago.'
'She went to Andy's with Teddy,' Sirius said from the sofa. He was lounged back, reading a leather-bound book, and shifted about to pull his pocketwatch out. He clicked it open before saying, 'She said she'd be home for dinner, so... twenty minutes, maybe?'
'I should wash up,' Remus said.
'Me too,' Lucius agreed and pecked Harry on the cheek. 'I'll be back in a minute.'
He walked from the room and Harry watched him, his eyes trailing from Lucius' long, lush blond hair, right down to his perfect arse (unfortunately hidden by robes). It wasn't until Sirius said, 'Quit staring at his arse!' that Harry snapped out of it.
Harry turned to Sirius and folded his arms. 'You're just jealous,' he announced.
Sirius snorted, and there was a gleam in his stormy grey eyes. 'Yes, I'm definitely jealous,' he nodded, trying to look serious. 'I want my own blond prat.'
The smile at the end of his words told Harry that Sirius was joking, and he felt something warm settle in his chest. Sirius had been telling the truth; he was already trying to treat the whole "Harry & Lucius" thing better. Harry smiled brightly at his godfather. 'Thanks, Siri,' he said, softly.
Sirius smiled back at him. 'Not a problem,' he said. 'Now go on, I know you wanna grope your boyfriend before dinner.'
Harry turned red, and stuttered something about stupid dogs and having control, before he rushed from the room. Sirius just chuckled and settled back on the sofa, eyes on his book once more.
{oOo}
'So he really apologised?' Lucius asked as he led Harry down the staircase, their fingers linked.
'Mm-hmm,' Harry nodded. 'He's really trying, Lucius.'
'Good,' the blond said.
Harry smiled. 'I told him to apologise to you, too. It wasn't just me he hurt with his behaviour, it was both of us.'
Lucius tugged Harry to a stop on the landing and turned to face the young Gryffindor. 'I don't need an apology, Harry,' he stated. 'I only cared about how his behaviour was affecting you. If you're happy, and if he's treating you better, that's all I care about.' He brought Harry's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, making Harry smile.
'Aww!'
Harry and Lucius both turned to see Fred and George Weasley standing at the bottom of the stairs. Fred had his hands stuffed into his trouser pockets, and George's fingers were linked behind his head, but they were wearing twin smirks as they looked up at the couple.
'Aren't they cute, George?' Fred asked.
'So adorable, Fred,' George replied.
'We're jealous,' Fred announced.
'We want some rich man to take care of us,' George said.
Harry rolled his eyes. 'You're straight, George.'
The younger twin shrugged. 'Fred can do the dirty work; I'll reap the rewards.'
Fred turned to his brother, both his eyebrows going up. 'So you're going to sell my body for money?'
'Sure,' George shrugged again.
'I'm outraged!' Fred declared, a hand going to his chest in mock pain.
George just winked.
'Since when do you have red-heads wandering around the house?' Lucius questioned, his eyes still on Fred and George.
'Oh, Draco and I ran into them in Diagon Alley,' Harry told him. 'We had some ice-cream and started chatting, then I invited them over for dinner.'
'I see,' Lucius hummed.
'Don't worry, there are some other Slytherins here for you, so you don't feel overwhelmed with all the Gryffindors,' Harry said, smiling when Lucius raised an eyebrow at him. 'There's Draco, Severus, Blaise Zabini, and Theo Nott.'
Lucius hummed. 'I'm still outnumbered,' he said.
'Tonks will be home soon,' Harry shrugged one shoulder. 'She's a Hufflepuff, so she can play mediator.'
'Or help plan our demise,' Fred chimed in.
'She's sneaky, that one,' George nodded very seriously.
'We know, 'cause we're sneaky,' Fred said.
'We can always tell,' George tapped his nose.
Harry and Lucius finally walked down the remaining steps and stopped before the twins, who just smiled at them. Lucius looked them both over carefully before saying, 'You amuse me,' and dragging Harry towards the kitchen.
Fred and George blinked at the couple before looking at each other.
'Should we be insulted?' Fred asked. 'Or take that as a compliment?'
George hummed. 'Both,' he finally said, nodding. 'I'd go with both.'
Fred threw an arm around his brother's shoulder, and George copied the gesture. 'Let's go make Harry blush by pointing out how adorable his relationship is.'
'And maybe we can make him jealous,' George added.
They both laughed as they headed for the kitchen.