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Severus looked at his young lover sprawled on the couch, and reading a magazine. His musings were interrupted by a slightly whiny voice.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to go with us? There will be lots of alcohol, and Donovan even promised to bring his homemade wine!’ Severus looked his lover down, but not before said man added with petulancy of a hormonal teenager. ‘You love his wine!’
‘Nonetheless, there are fifty students that decided to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas break, and as one of the few Professors who don’t have families, I need to remain here.’ Severus said in a tone that always had his students scrambling to get away. It was the same voice he used to give detentions and take away points from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
‘That’s such a lame excuse, and you know it!’ complained the young man, and Severus walked out, ending their conversation. It was true he didn’t have the slightest inclination to accompany his lover to an insipid celebration of the New Year, but this year he had a really good excuse. Not that he could use it just yet. For the full effect, he needed to wait until just before his lover will be Flooing out. If he was particularly efficient he might even succeed in keeping his lover put for the night. Not that he needed or wanted him to, of course. Severus was quite confident that his lover could have been convinced to stay in if Severus really wanted it, even without the news Severus had in store. But he didn’t. He simply didn’t wish to partake in these asinine celebrations. In fact, he’s been planning and set everything in motion months in advance, just to be have his excuse ready for tonight. Nobody could accuse Severus Snape to be ill prepared, ever.
The next two hours passed in peace and quiet, and Severus nearly forgot that today was the New Year. The Quarterly Cauldron published another idiotic article of the benefits of using the golden milk from a Mooncow in the Rejuvenation Potion #22, and with irritation Severus started to pen out another letter to the dunderhead editor who decided to publish this waste of paper. With certain exasperation Severus noted that the golden milk from Mooncow was mentioned in at least three other articles. Not that it had no uses, but its uses were very limited and certainly not worth the bother of obtaining it. For few moments, he wondered if some enterprising wizard simply got himself a Mooncow herd and wanted to increase his profits from the sale of their milk. This was the only reason Severus could find for this idiocy.
But, whatever response Severus planned on writing, he was disturbed by his lover again. He frowned at the bright and cheerful, green eyes, and grimaced before remembering his excuse. His smile was rather unpleasant, but his lover wasn’t discouraged.
‘Severus, I’ll be leaving in 5 minutes, are you sure you don’t want to go? I could make it worth your while?’
Severus watched his lover attempting a sexy pose with slight interest. As much as he loved this stupid man, it was painfully obvious he had no idea what he was doing. And Severus shuddered at the thought, where he could have seen such a pose before trying to replicate it.
‘No, thank you. As I’ve already said many times…’ Severus wasn’t allowed to finish, although with some humor he noticed that his lover abandoned the awkward sexy pose.
‘Severus! Please, just once, I…I’d like…why won’t you go with me? Don’t you…love me?’
Severus smirked the clumsy attempt of manipulation. Even a first year Slytherin could do better. The clock confirmed to Severus that his he could use his excuse now for the maximum effect.
‘Harry…’ he started, the smile on his face now genuine.
‘No! I don’t want to hear it! I really...I can’t do it anymore, Severus!’
‘Can’t do what?’ Severus asked with uneasiness, rapidly losing his confidence. His lover looked defeated and unhappy and while Severus was prepared for some unhappiness as it was customary each year they were together; this degree was rather…unfamiliar.
‘You never want to spend any holidays with me and my friends and family. Never! I…I want to share it with someone I love, and you…you obviously don’t, and…’ stumbled over his words Harry.
‘Harry…’
‘No, let me finish. I need to finish. I…I want to start the New Year with a clean slate, and if that means…’ Severus felt his throat dry out and cleared it with some alarm at what his lover was saying ‘If that means we need to take a break then…then maybe we should’ Harry finished pathetically, his voice breaking and eyes full of tears.
‘You want to break up?’ asked Severus in apprehension. His voice to his own surprise sounded even and not at all terrified and hurt. The painful thuds of his heart had Severus squeeze his hands as tight as he could.
‘No, just…just some time to think things over…’ Severus could barely believe his lover was indeed breaking up with him. How on Earth did this happen? Why didn’t Severus notice any signs?
‘Harry…’ started once again Severus hoping to somehow get them back on track, and this time Harry didn’t interrupt him. ‘Harry, I actually had a…very happy news to share with you. I’m no longer sure if you will find it as… pleasing as I did, anymore.’ Severus scanned his lover’s face carefully looking for any signs, but couldn’t find any. With some panic that he hasn’t felt since the end of the War, he continued. ‘You see, my experiment was successful.’ He finished significantly. Harry grimaced, sending Severus’s heart to the floor.
‘It’s always some experiments with you! Don’t I matter at all!’ shouted Harry, and Severus could feel all the blood in his face and extremities flow away. He must have gotten really paled because Harry softened his tone. ‘Severus…’
‘I am unsure what to tell you, Harry. The experiment was for your benefit. It is on your request that I even worked on this potion. It is groundbreaking and required an astonishing amount of work and knowledge on my part, simply to make you happy. To give you family. To make us a family.’ Severus stood up, unsure if his legs would actually hold him. Harry run up to him, his face completely changed.
‘Wait, you mean…you mean that experiment? You did it? It was successful? Merlin, Severus!’ Harry hugged Severus tightly, but he didn’t return it. He held himself stiff, until Harry step away with confusion on his face.
‘What’s wrong, Severus?’
‘What’s wrong? You’ve just broken up with me. Over some stupid holiday!’ Severus hissed with so much poison in his voice that it was a wonder Harry didn’t fell over, instantly dead. To his surprise, though, instead of shame or even fear, Harry looked embarrassed.
‘Err, right, that. In my defense, it was all Draco’s idea.’ Harry murmured with a deeply red blush Severus hasn’t seen since their first night together.
‘What was Draco’s idea?’ Severus asked, deceptively calm. Harry fidgeted and attempted to look away from Severus.
‘This. I mean, pretending to break up. I, he...he said it was a Slytherin thing.’ Harry looked less and less sure of himself and Severus glowered.
‘A Slytherin thing!’ Severus yelled, enraged. Truth be told, it rather was, and he was rather surprised at his lover’s ability to act it out. He really fell for it. How stupidly mad, thought to himself Severus, as if a Gryffindor like Harry would ever be able to break up with his lover of 12 years on New Year’s Eve.
‘Er, sorry.’ Managed to squeak out Harry, as Severus squeezed him hard. He was never going to let this rash, irritating brat out of his life. And the potion would of course help, Severus thought to himself with satisfaction. Harry wiggled a little before kissing Severus deeply.
‘So, you said it was successful?’ Harry asked with excitement, a blush still covering his face. Severus smirked at him.
‘Yes. Deterioutus has successfully delivered two, healthy pups. A much smaller number than traditional in rat pregnancies, and his gestation period was twice as long as in normal circumstances, but he was able to deliver his pups without any assistance from me.’ Severus smiled in triumph at his lover who was staring at him with such pride and happiness, Severus’s heart once again beat painfully. This time from joy, instead of heartbreak.
‘Did you check…? Asked Harry, his smile threatening to split his face.
‘Yes, the pups are most definitively fathered by Deterioutus and Smahalin.’ Severus nodded, hoping that Harry couldn’t tell how ridiculous his question actually was.
‘So, when can we…’ Harry didn’t manage to finish before Severus covered his mouth with is own in another passionate kiss.
‘Not for a while, yet. I will need to un several more experiments on different animals, as well as observe the pups’ development, to make sure they really are as healthy as they appear now.’ Seeing his lovers disappointed expression, Severus placed a lighter kiss on the red lips ‘But soon.’
Harry laughed happily, the joy in his eyes made Severus painfully aware, he would do anything, kill murder and steal to keep his lover this happy forever.
‘Soon.’ Agreed Harry. Severus smiled in satisfaction before petting his lover’s unmanageable hair. He needed to think of an appropriate revenge for the Malfoy brat. Perhaps some fertility potion in his wife’s tea when they’d come for a visit again? After the last spawn of Malfoy was born five years earlier, Draco could be heard by everyone as he proclaimed it was the last one. Watching him deal with his wife’s fourth pregnancy would be quite a treat, mused Severus, already putting the needed ingredients together in his mind. Ginny Weasley-Malfoy was pure terror of pregnancy hormones, and the young Malfoys were all colicky and sickly. Adding to that, Ginny was strictly against nannies, so Draco was completely screwed for the next three years. It was perfect, thought to himself Severus, smirking evilly and petting his lover.
‘Severus, now you have to come with me! We have to let everyone know!’ Harry said excitedly, pulling away from stunned Severus, and pulling him towards the Floo. Oh no, thought to himself Severus, just as he was hugged by his lover and surrounded by green flames.