Apprenticed to Love 25/?
Title: Apprenticed to Love 25/?
Author: Eriador117
Pairing: Snape/Harry
Rating: Adult
Warnings: not sure yet, but AU and angst for starters, hermaphroditism, mpreg, abuse.
Summary: Six months after the end of the war, Harry Potter turns up at Snape's apothecary to beg for a job. They both get more than they bargained for.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the Potterverse, I just like playing in it from time to time.
Beta'd by Rakina, thanks so much!



Earlier Parts

Part Twenty Five

If Harry had ever given a marriage proposal any thought, he never would have considered that it would take place in Bill Weasley's bedroom with both Bill and Remus there to witness it. For a start, he'd always imagined that he would be the one doing the proposing. Misty images of Ginny and Cho lingered in his mind for a moment. In the past Harry had thought of candle-lit dinners, romantic walks and even a picnic, but this scenario had never entered his head.

Harry realised all three of the other men were staring at him and waiting for an answer. "Um, could you give us some privacy?" Harry asked.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," said Remus as he and Bill vacated the room. Harry sank down onto Bill's bed, his legs suddenly very unsteady. Severus almost jumped out of his chair in his haste to make sure that Harry was all right. Severus sat down beside Harry and hugged him close, not looking at him.

"Harry? It's too soon, isn't it? I shouldn't have asked," Severus said despondently.

"No, it's not that," Harry was quick to reassure him. "My answer is yes, Severus. I want to marry you. It was just a bit of a shock. I wasn't expecting that tonight."

"I wasn't expecting to propose tonight either," Severus added. "I was going to ask you on your birthday."

"You were? So you were thinking about this already?" Harry hadn't been thinking ahead that far; he knew he wanted to be with Severus; he wanted them to become closer but marriage had seemed a long way off in the future. Oh, he had daydreamed about it occasionally, but it was never anything concrete and he certainly didn't expect either of them to propose so soon. They hadn't even been together a year yet! The funny thing was, it didn't feel too soon. It seemed natural that they should get married.

"Yes, I was. I want to spend the rest of our lives together, Harry. I take it you hadn't been considering marriage?"

"Not yet, no," Harry admitted. "This – us – it's still so new, I didn't want to do anything that might jeopardise it. I do love you, Severus and I'd love to marry you."

"Good." And Severus leaned down and kissed Harry softly on the lips.

Harry pulled away first. Marriage was all well and good, but he was a bit worried about Remus' announcement that he would feel a sexual pull towards Severus unless the bond was consummated. And what counted as consummation for Harry? Would they have to have sex every way for it to work? And what about his apprenticeship? Could he still study under Severus if he was married to him?

"I can see your brain working," Severus said with a small smile. "What's worrying you?"

"A bit of everything."

"Go on."

"Would I still be allowed to be your apprentice if we're married?"

"Of course, your exams are taken at the Ministry of Magic, I just teach you. If you become a Potions Master it will be on your own merits, not because you were married to me."

"But being married to a Potions Master would probably help." Harry grinned cheekily up at his future husband.

"Indeed. What else?"

"The sex. The consummation," Harry admitted.

"Harry, we can take it as slowly as you wish; I think Lupin has perhaps exaggerated the sexual compulsion you will feel because he was worried about you. I think as long as your body knows that you will feel like consummating the bond in the near future, you will be fine. You'll know when you are ready for more. We can get married, but the consummation doesn't have to be on the wedding night. We can take our time, Harry. We'll have a lifetime together."

"I'm still a bit embarrassed, you know? In my head, I know I shouldn't be. I still feel so different and I'm worried that you won't like that part of my body at all."

Severus stroked Harry's back and the nape of his neck, making Harry shiver. "Harry, I love you. I don't dislike any part of you, even the parts I haven't seen yet. I know it will take you awhile to get used to having someone else touching you there, but everyone is embarrassed at first when they first make love. It gets easier, I promise."

"Thanks, Severus. I'm just being silly, aren't I?"

"Nonsense, you just have fears and doubts like everyone else on the planet, but talking to me about them is a good start, isn't it?"

Harry nodded. "Have you thought about having children?"

"Not until I'd fallen in love with you, no. I don't think we should rush into that quite yet, Harry, but it's certainly something we can both think about."

"I'd love to have your baby, Severus."

"As long as he doesn't inherit the Snape nose!"

Harry laughed and felt the tension drain from his shoulders; he hadn't even been aware of it until it was gone. "I suppose we'd better get back to the others. Hermione won't be happy."

"Why not? Does she disapprove of your choice?"

"No, but it's their engagement party and I have a feeling your proposal will make her feel like she was being upstaged. You saw how she was with Fleur."

"With good reason." Severus snorted. "That dress was not really appropriate for a family gathering."

"Severus, I didn't realise you were such a prude!" Harry giggled again.

"I am not a prude; I just think there is a time and a place for everything. There would be nothing wrong with her dress at a nightclub, for example."

"Um, Severus, you don't – you don't want me to dress up in women's clothes, do you?"

"If I did, it would only be because I could then take them off you... very slowly," Severus waggled his eyebrows, making Harry laugh even harder.

"I take it that's a 'no' then?"

"Idiot boy, where do you get these silly ideas? Unless you want to dress as a woman?"

"God, no! They do have some sexy-looking lingerie though, all satin and lace. Why don't they make that sort of stuff for men?"

"You'd like some lacy underwear?"

Harry shrugged and could feel the blush creeping into his cheeks. "Maybe. It just seems it might be nice to feel it against your skin." Then, with a worried look he added: "Do you think I'm turning into more of a girl?"

"Hardly, you just want to explore some sensual fabrics. Men and women both do that, Harry. It has got nothing to do with what parts you have."

Harry stood up and waited so they could both have a full body embrace before heading back to the party. Severus was so much taller than him that every time Severus wrapped Harry in his arms, Harry felt so safe and protected. After years of trying to fend for himself, it was wonderful to have someone to care for him and for him to care for. Severus kissed the top of his head before they both headed back downstairs.

Hermione wasn't angry at all, in fact she couldn't stop gushing over how romantic it all was – duelling for Harry's hand in the moonlight and then a proposal, all on the same night. "Oh, Harry! We'll have to go shopping for wedding robes together, Ron can't see mine of course, but we can see each other's, can't we? Where were you thinking of having the ceremony? We're getting married here. I know! We can have a double ceremony, that would be great, wouldn't it?" Hermione hardly seemed to take a breath.

Harry turned to Severus. "What do you think?"

"Miss Granger, I was under the impression that you were waiting until you'd finished your education before embarking on married life. That's three years away, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but you and Harry aren't getting married right away, are you?"

Harry nodded. "As soon as possible."

Hermione glanced down at Harry's abdomen. "Harry, you're not..."

"No! Of course not!" he hissed at her. "We need to get married soon because of the wolf-bond, not because I'm pregnant."

For the next hour or so, Harry and Severus had to put up with lots of hearty backslaps and congratulations. This was what Harry had been worried about – would Hermione think the focus was removed from her and Ron's night because of this? But Hermione was still smiling, except when she happened to catch sight of Fleur, and then her mouth would purse into a thin line as if she'd been sucking on lemons. Hagrid almost knocked Harry to the floor with the force of his hug and was soon sobbing uncontrollably into his champagne glass, which looked like a child's toy in Hagrid's large hands. "Yer parents would be so proud of yeh, Harry. So proud!"

Harry wasn't too sure about that; would they really have approved of him marrying Severus Snape? But in the end the only two people who could decide this were Severus and Harry themselves. Even if Harry's parents had still been here and disapproved, he still would have married Severus. He loved him and wanted to be with him, and there was nothing else to it.

There was a loud crash from the direction of the buffet table; all heads turned in that direction. Ginny Weasley had dropped or thrown one of the large silver platters onto the floor. Canapés of every description lay on the floor like downed soldiers after a battle. Ginny's eyes flashed angrily in Harry's direction before she threw her hair back and flounced out.

"Maybe I should go after her," Harry started moving in that direction but Severus stopped him with a firm touch to his arm. "No. You owe her no explanations, Harry. Not any more. She was the one who cheated on you with Ernie Macmillan."

Harry gaped at Severus. "How did you know that?" Harry had only found out when Ernie had confessed it himself, too guild-ridden to continue seeing Ginny if she was still with Harry.

"I caught them together one Hogsmeade weekend in the Astronomy Tower. A weekend she was supposed to have been spending with you."

Harry didn't bother asking why Severus knew so much about his movements while he'd been a student. It was pretty obvious now that part of Severus' spying duties had involved looking out for Harry. It was something the Headmaster would have wanted. Harry's throat closed over as he held back tears, the sudden upsurges of grief still taking him by surprise. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Dumbledore was really gone.

Severus seemed to sense Harry's distress at once. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "I'd just like to go home now."

"Very well. I think we've been at the party long enough."

Remembering the look on Ginny's face, Harry reckoned they had.

TBC

This story will be on a break until I've finished my snarry_games fic.