FIC: An Auror Christmas [Severus/Harry - NC-17]

[mini_fest_mod]

Title: An Auror Christmas
Author/Artist: lilyeyes
Pairing(s): Severus Snape / Harry Potter, mentions of Ron Weasley / Hermione Granger, canon pairings
Prompt: #68: Harry/Severus. A baby is left on the doorstep of Severus Snape's Potions shoppe on Christmas Eve, and Auror Harry Potter, who has no one to go home to, is assigned to find the parents.
Word Count: +/- 8700
Rating: NC-17
Contains (Highlight to view): *AU, EWE, first time, sex!magic, bonding, mpreg*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Betaed by the best! ♥
Summary: Harry yearns for the most normal things: love and family, but that's hard to accomplish when you are secretly in love with Severus Snape. Add an abandoned baby and a blizzard just to make things interesting.


Auror Superintendent Harry Potter stood in his office, watching the snow fall outside through his enchanted windows. It was an unusually heavy storm for London, but he was sure no one minded being sent home early on Christmas Eve. Seemed perfect for families to gather together in front of a warm fireplace, sharing food and love, or the opportunity for last minute shopping for someone special. Although at the rate the snow was coming down, all of the area, Muggle and magical, would be shut down soon, with just four rookies from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Harry to protect them all.

A memo flapped in through the open door and buzzed by Harry's ear. With a grimace, he plucked it out of the air and unfolded it. A fountain of red and green confetti hit him in the face and Harry rolled his eyes as he saw that it was the Head Auror's annual holiday well-wishes. He rolled his eyes and wondered who had written the jovial greeting for the usually dower Robards. Someone had to, as he couldn't string three nice words together, and was under pressure as all the rest of the department heads had sent out their greetings the week before.

Wadding up the memo, Harry pitched it into the rubbish bin, grinning as the bin burped. He picked up the box of fairy cakes he'd brought for the people working in support services tonight. Most of them were like him, single and childless, and didn't mind covering for their colleagues with families. Andromeda had begun taking Teddy to Malfoy Manor for Christmas while Harry was still living with them, in the years when he was the rookie assigned to work. It was their tradition to celebrate the week before Christmas, which fell, more often than not, on Yule.

These days, home was an upscale flat in a building not far from the Ministry of Magic … although to Harry, it was just a place to change his clothes and sleep. His long hours of work since he, along with Neville and Ron, was admitted to the Auror Academy at seventeen, had paid off in a completely restructured and highly effective Auror Division. With the support of the Minister of Magic, that had led to a complete revision of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement into a professional, corruption-free force. Hard work and dedication had put Harry on the fast track for promotion, but he knew there was something missing in his life. He and Ginny had drifted apart quickly after he entered the academy and Harry hadn't really dated since. At Ron and Hermione's wedding, Harry had found himself eyeing Charlie's arse more than Ginny's, and now that his best friends had decided to try for a baby, Harry felt at loose ends.

"Harry! Good to see you!" A dark-haired woman looked up from her desk as he entered the department.

"Hi, Emma," Harry said, smiling. "I brought some sweets for everyone." He looked around at the brightly lit room that fairly hummed with activity. "Anything pressing come in?"

Emma Dobbs, a Slytherin several years behind Harry at school, took the box from him and set it on her desk. "Ackerley has an intoxicated male who refuses to take a Sobering Potion and so he has to take the arrestee down to a detention cell, while Abercrombie is mediating a family dispute in Bristol. Oh, and one incident that just came in."

"And the other two, Briggs and Singh?" Harry asked, looking at a paper flashing orange on her desk.

"Taking their dinner break."

Harry restrained himself from snapping and reminding Emma that she should have already pulled one of them for that level of priority. "Why don't you give me the pending call and I'll take care of it."

Emma beamed. "Wonderful! It's the report of a child left on a doorstep, probably some type of custody dispute." Handing him the slip, Emma leaned towards him. "The call taker said the person who alerted us was in a filthy mood,” she whispered.

"Great," Harry muttered. "Just what I need."

He Apparated to the coordinates Emma had given him and found himself in the alleyway of a large building at the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. Harry frowned. The building was one he was very familiar with, the downstairs retail space holding a well-maintained potions shop and laboratory while the two upper floors had been turned into a flat. Severus Snape had purchased the business and the building after being pardoned by the Wizengamot, something Harry was proud of his part in. Through his own hard work and expertise in potions, Snape's business was thriving.

Struggling against the blowing snow, Harry moved around to the side door, which he knew Snape used as his main entrance to his home. Their interactions over the last few years had been cordial and Snape was even civil to Harry when he stopped by. Harry, on the other hand, had never lost his crush on the Half-blood Prince and still tended to be nervous in Snape's presence. He could feel the protective spells in place as he stepped onto the stoop to knock, only to have the door spring open on its own.

As he stepped inside, his wand held tightly in his hand, Harry's ears were assaulted by a noise similar to a banshee in full attack mode. The door slammed behind him, making Harry jump.

"Snape?" He called as he followed the noise down a narrow hallway until he found a stairway leading upward. "Severus!"

"Potter?" Snape's strained voice was heard over the din. "Up here!"

Harry took the stairs two at a time, his wand at ready as he found himself in a large, open room where a frantic Severus Snape was holding a squirming, screaming infant. His eyes scanned the room quickly as Harry moved forward, taking in a Moses basket and a nappy bag setting on a table in front of a large fireplace. As he approached Snape, Harry was startled as Snape thrust the baby into his hands. Harry almost dropped his wand as he tried to hold on to the wailing infant. Snape grabbed his wand out of his hand, allowing Harry to get a firm grasp on the baby.

Both men froze when Harry's wand shot up a shower of green and red sparks the moment Snape wrapped his hand around it. It was unusual to have another's wand react to unfamiliar magic. The baby stopped crying as well, momentarily diverted by the brightness. Harry took advantage of that to bring the child up and cradle it against his chest. He could feel the sogginess of the nappy as he put an arm underneath the baby and how cold its hands were.

"Bloody hell!" Harry looked at Snape, who was still staring at Harry's wand. "Where did he – or she – come from, Snape?"

"No idea," Snape snapped at him, hastily setting Harry's wand down on a side table. "I locked up the shop and walked around to the door about fifteen minutes ago, finding this in a that basket on the stoop."

Harry frowned. "Don't you usually just use the door from your lab?"

"Yes, but I was concerned about the renewing the weather charms on the side entrance, so I went that way tonight," Snape told him gravely.

Harry didn't need to be told that if Snape hadn't decided to break his routine, the baby would still have been out in the blizzard. The baby began whimpering again and Harry fell back on the familiar habits he'd established when he lived with Andromeda and Teddy.

"Any supplies in that basket?" he asked, sitting down on the settee. "I need a clean nappy."

Quickly stripping the baby of its damp clothing, Harry gave a murmured thanks when a dry nappy appeared in front of him, along with a container of Muggle baby wipes. Hermione had introduced Harry to those handy items and Harry always had them on hand as they were so useful. Unfastening the saturated nappy, Harry dropped it on the floor and could practically heard Snape's teeth grinding. He rolled his eyes as he removed two wipes and cleaned the baby girl, efficiently sliding the clean nappy into place.

"There you go, princess," Harry kept one hand on her stomach as he examined her closer. "Anything else in that stuff, some warmer clothes and such?"

He could hear Snape rummaging around as Harry turned the baby over and drew in a sharp breath as he took in the bruises that littered the small back, buttocks, and thighs. "Fucking son of a bitch!"

A hand fell heavily on his shoulder and squeezed briefly. "Language, Potter." There was a restrained anger behind the words that Harry knew wasn't directed at him.

"Some of these are older, possibly a week of more, but others are fresh," Harry said grimly, doing up the nappy as the baby began to whimper again. "And she's still freezing.”

Standing up beside the couch, Harry quickly stripped off his Auror robes, protective vest, jumper, and white button-down. As he leaned down to pick the baby up, Harry could feel the weight of Severus' eyes on him as he gathered the little girl to his chest. He gasped as he felt how chilled she actually was as their skin met, letting his body warm her up quicker than a blanket would alone. Harry's heart melted as she rubbed her face against his skin, trying to find a nipple to suckle.

Harry glanced up, catching a hungry look on Snape's face as he watched them, and found he had to clear a lump from his throat before he spoke. "Any chance there's a bottle or blanket in her things?"

It turned out both were included and Snape hurried to prepare the bottle as Harry directed after draping the small quilt over the baby. Harry sent a silent thanks to Andromeda for demanding that Harry be a hands-on godfather. There was many a night Harry had walked the floor with a colicky baby and even though Teddy was now almost eight, he and Andromeda still shared parenting duties. He didn't even know he was rocking side to side until Snape stopped him with a hand on his shoulder to present him the bottle.

"I believe I have some bruise-healing paste in the bathroom." Snape said, disappearing up a flight of stairs.

Harry shifted the baby in his arms and sighed in relief as she latched onto the bottle's nipple, suckling strongly. His skin still tingled where Snape had touched him, a sensation that made Harry even more hyperaware of his former professor. It was bad enough that Harry regularly had wet dreams about the man without mentioning that his last dates, hell, his only three dates, had been with older, taller men with dark hair. Rather like his first curse, Cho Chang, who, from a distance, looked like an adolescent Snape. If only Snape had ever shown any interest in him in that way…

Mentally shaking himself, Harry looked up as Snape came back into the room, a familiar jar in his hand. He set it on the table next to Harry's wand and turned toward where Harry knew the kitchen was. When the baby had finished half the bottle, Harry tilted it to break the suction and put her up to his shoulder to wind her. He winced when he felt as well as heard her burp.

"Perhaps placing a cloth on your shoulder in the future would catch the curdled milk, Potter." Snape was back with a tea tray and the baby's bag, which he set on the floor beside the table.

Harry gestured at him to sit down and handed him the baby, showing him the proper position to feed her. Reaching for one of the baby wipes, Harry scrubbed it over his shoulder, cleaning up the mess, before reaching for his shirt.

"She feels warmer now and I don't think she's truly hypothermic," Harry said as he pulled his jumper over his head, leaving his robes and vest for the moment.

"Auror robes, Potter?" Snape asked as Harry leaned down to look to look at the baby's possessions. "I thought you were a superintendent."

"I'm covering street patrol for tonight." Harry piled a stack of clothing on the table. "I don't see any type of note here."

Snape seemed fascinated by watching the baby nurse. "There was none that I could find."

Harry picked up his wand and cast several revealing charms on the items, reading the auras produced. He looked at each piece of clothing, the pacifier, two rattles, a soft toy, and the quilt. Putting everything to the side in neat piles, Harry gave the Moses basket and baby bag the same perusal. He pondered what he found as he poured the tea into the two mugs on the tray, added one sugar to Snape's, and set in close to him. Taking his own mug, Harry sat down on the couch next to Snape.

"Doesn't appear to be much to go on." Snape carefully lifted the baby to his towel covered shoulder and awkwardly patted her back.

"Well," Harry began, watching Severus over the rim of his mug. "One of the parents appears to be Muggleborn, or at least Muggle raised."

Snape sent him a scowl just as the baby burped. "That's pure speculation—"

"Actually," Harry interrupted quietly. "The baby wipes aren't a product that a pureblood would be familiar with. Add to that the quilt that she was wrapped in is hand sewn, with no magic used in the construction. The characters on it were popular on the telly when I was little, indicating that this might have belonged to one of the parent when they were growing up."

Snape craned his neck, trying see what the baby was doing, and Harry couldn't help but smile as something about the scene stirred emotions in his chest that he didn't want to examine too closely at the moment.

"She's asleep, poor little thing," Harry told him as Snape looked at him. "This basket? It has goblin wrought silver hinges as well as protective and calming charms woven into it."

Frowning, Snape met his eyes. "An heirloom item like that is something a pureblood family would pass down through the generations."

"So, in all likelihood, she is the daughter of a Muggleborn and a pureblood." Harry speculated thoughtfully.

"But why my doorstep?" Snape moving the baby back down to his lap, freezing when her hands shot out as if to stop herself from falling. "Or was it just an available place?"

"Natural reflex," Harry told him, reaching for the baby. "And I don't know. This seems to be an overnight bag, not one that a parent would prepare if they were going to Maybe we should put that cream on while she is asleep."

Snape nodded as Harry put distance between them and laid the baby on her stomach, carefully lifting the quilt to expose her back. Reaching around, Harry unfastened the nappy and eased it down. He wasn't sure which of them gasped in indignation first at the pattern of bruising they saw.

"What in Merlin's name could an infant do to warrant this type of reaction from a parent?" Snape said as he unscrewed the jar, eyes flaring with anger.

"No idea," Harry ground out, making mental notes about the injuries and gauging when they had probably been inflicted. "And no, I don't think whoever did this dropped the baby off at a random doorstep. I believe it is someone you know and know fairly well."

A scowl formed on Snape's face, but his fingers continued to gently spread the yellow paste onto the baby's skin. "Who?"

"One of your Slytherin students, if I had to make a guess, maybe around my year," Harry said, doing a quick calculation in his head. "She has blue eyes and is fair-skinned, and while she doesn't have much hair yet, I think she's going to have light brown or blonde hair." Harry held the baby steady as Snape leaned closer to treat the marks down the baby's legs. "I'd say she's around four or five months old, as she can hold her head up."

"It could be a grandparent who witnessed the abuse." Snape pointed out as he looked up. "Still, it does limit the possibilities."

"Malfoy comes to mind," Harry said in an even voice, knowing the two were still in touch.

"Draco would neither abuse nor abandon a child!" Snape snapped, meeting Harry's eyes. "His parents either, not to mention that Draco hasn't procreated, as far as I know."

Harry grinned at Snape's phrasing and saw the hardness ease in Snape's. "Good, I would've had to hurt him."

Snape shook his head at Harry, finishing with the bruise on the bottom of one foot. "Let's see the front of her, Potter."

Harry gently lifted the baby, trying not to startle her as he turned her over. The baby's hands fluttered but she stayed asleep as they examined her chest and legs. Fortunately, there were only a couple more bruises on her thighs, which Snape covered with paste. Retrieving his wand, Harry cast a minimally invasive diagnostic spell to make sure there were no internal injuries they needed to address and sighed with relief when he found none. Refastening the nappy, Harry picked a pair of rompers from the pile of clothing and quickly dressed her. "She seems otherwise healthy."

Snape watched him as Harry settled the baby into the Moses basket, "Why did you ask only about Slytherin students? There were fair-haired children in all the Houses, and my whereabouts are well-known."

"Yes, but do you really think Neville Longbottom or Luna Lovegood would leave a baby on your doorstep?" Harry asked quietly.

"Point," Snape said, his lips twitching as he Summoned a cloth to wipe his fingers on.

Retrieving his communications mirror from his pocket, Harry tapped it twice. "Emma, do you copy me?"

The mirror vibrated and Harry could see Emma for a second before the image fragmented. "Emma?"

"Sam twelve! Harry! If you can—me, stay—magical vortex in the—storm! All units accou—ay put! Copy?" Emma's voice was broken, but her meaning was clear.

"Affirm, Emma, I copied there's a magical vortex in the storm and to stay put. Was that all units accounted for?" Harry wished the image in the mirror would stop spinning.

"Affir—be care—"

"You, too, Emma," Harry answered, but the mirror had already gone dark. "Severus, I'm afraid—"

The torches flared, sputtered, and went dark. The fire flickered but stayed lit and Harry slipped the mirror back into his pocket with a sigh. Harry could feel the magic in the air and see the sparkle of it in the darkness of the flat.

"For Merlin's sake!" Snape snapped as he moved towards the fireplace.

The curse startled Harry and, from the basket, the baby let out a cry. Harry reached in and stroked her arm with the tips of his fingers. "Shh, Anne, it’s fine, just a bit of a storm."

"Anne?" Snape made a point of keeping his voice low, as he laid another log on the flames.

Harry shrugged and leaned forward, feeling the warmth the fire was now giving off. "Better than calling her it or something."

"How about Noel?" Snape suggested as he brushed off his fingers.

"Oh, I like that," Harry grinned. "Noel, it is!"

"If this storm continues at its present ferocity, we may need to settle in for the night. With a non-magical fire, this Floo connection will be unavailable for hours and we need to make provisions as I don’t have enough wood to adequately heat this room. Without being able to use our magic, it may prove challenging."

"Well, if you had some extra blankets," Harry said quietly, surveying the area, "we can use this space in front of the fireplace as it will be the warmest. Noel will no doubt be up several times during the night, so we'll just keep the cot with us."

"There are a number of blankets and quilts upstairs," Snape started up the stairs.

"And you know the way, as it is bound to be dark up there," Harry muttered as he stood and looked around. "I'll move the furniture back."

Twenty minutes later, after a few mishaps involving knees and shins, they had a nice nest of bedding and pillows arranged in front of the hearth. The fire flickered quietly, throwing out enough heat to keep the air warm. Harry could hear the winds lashing against the building, snow building on the frosty windows, and the occasional crackle of magic in the still air of the room. Going through Noel's belongings, Harry found several bottles that still felt cold, knowing that the low level stasis charm on them should keep the fresh and usable at least until morning. Noel slept through their preparations, despite being checked by one or the other of them every few minutes.

They tended to things in a companionable silence, until the chilling room forced them both into their makeshift bed. Harry was envious of the heavy wool robes that Snape wore, having grabbed his summer robes from behind the door in his office for his shift tonight. They weren't giving him much warmth in the circumstances. Noel's basket was set across the foot of blankets, closest to the fire, and Harry huddled on his side. Much to his horror, his body was reacting to Snape's closeness, and Harry was terrified of falling asleep and doing something stupid. He curled into a ball.

"There are times when you are particularly obtuse, Harry."

Puzzled, Harry started to turn over, only to have an arm reach around his waist and draw him back against Snape's warm body. His cock, already half-erect, instantly hardened, and Harry groaned. Snape's hand splayed across his abdomen, little finger brushing against his cock, and Snape froze.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, trying to pull away.

"Why ever would you be sorry?" Snape muttered softly into his ear, pressing against his back.

"I would never chance ruining our friendship—"

"Because you fancy me? In some deluded way, find me attractive?" Snape growled.

Harry gasped as he felt a rather large erection press against his arse, swallowing hard. "Yes," he whispered, pushing back.

"Idiotic Gryffindor!" Snape growled, leaning back as he roughly turned Harry around to face him, their eyes meeting. "What happened to that recklessness that I was so relying on? The brash disregard for the consequences I know so well?"

"Maybe I grew up and learned the value of friendship." Harry's heart seemed to have relocated to his throat.

Snape moved his hand, reaching slowly for Harry's face and he tensed for a moment. "Were you not at all curious about this?"

Snape's fingertips lightly brushed along the side of Harry's jaw. A jolt of something that was strong enough to make Harry gasp as it zapped along his nerve endings and pooled in his groin. His cock throbbed with arousal as Snape continued to stroke his throat.

"Did you not feel this that night in the Shrieking Shack?" Snape asked in a soft, smoky voice.

"No!" Harry managed to force out, the sensations heating him from the inside out.

"I did." Snape watched him closely, for once his eyes unguarded and dark with an emotion Harry couldn't identify. "It's what gave me the strength to release my memories to you.”

Harry frowned, pulling forth the memory of that fateful afternoon. "I think I was too busy begging you not to die to really notice, but I do know that your memories, that you gave me the strength to walk into the forest."

Snape – Severus leaned in slowly, giving Harry every chance to object, before brushing his lips over Harry's. His breath caught in his chest as want, need, and something magically seemed to burst through him, anchored at the points where Sna…Severus was touching him. Opening his mouth, Harry moaned as he attempted to coax Severus into deepening the kiss, which he did, hands sliding around to cup Harry's face. Harry brought his hands up and wrapped them around Severus' wrists as desire seared through him. He tried to move closer, but was hampered by the bedding as it wadded up around them.

A shrill cry from the Moses basket startled Harry and tore himself away from Severus with a sharp pang of guilt. Untangling himself from the blankets, Harry crawled down and lifted Noel out, her face red and chin quivering as she screamed.

"Shhh, sweet baby, you're fine," Harry said softly, trying to get his body under control. "We'll have you changed and fed in no time."

Taking a deep breath as he made an effort to calm his pounding heart, Harry continued to murmur softly to the baby, whose cries diminished to sobbing as he quickly changed her nappy. From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Severus move to retrieve a bottle from the bag on the table they'd moved to the side. Harry wrapped a blanket around both of them and settled her into his arms, as Noel sucked on her fist. He watched her with a small smile, a warm feeling filling his chest as she trustingly snuggled into him.

"Here."

The bottle appeared before his eyes and Harry took it. "Thanks."

Severus inclined his head, looking into the darkness of the stairway. "I think the worst of the magical element has passed."

He drew his wand and cast a Cushioning Charm on the bedding. Harry immediately felt the difference and juggled the bottle to pull out his communications mirror. The mirror flickered briefly before quitting and he set it to the side with a sigh.

"Well, it's abated enough for simple spells, but nothing complex."

"That is good enough for our needs at the moment," Severus told him as he returned with a tray. "I've located some biscuits and such."

"What time is it?" Harry asked as he readjusted Noel against his arm.

"Almost midnight," Severus said absently as he cast a Warming Spell on the bedding before sitting down.

Harry nodded. Despite the circumstances, he would much rather be here than alone in his cold, empty flat. Noel made a noise, her tiny hand reaching up to grab his little finger. He smiled down at her, her blue eyes looking up at him intently as she worked at draining the bottle. How could anyone have beaten this precious gift? Didn't they know that it was a privilege to be given this innocent, trusting being, this blank canvas to teach and mold?

The heat of Severus' eyes penetrated his thoughts and Harry looked up to meet the intense gaze. Harry wasn't sure what he saw in their depths, but it made him feel warm at his core.

"You seem exceedingly at ease in that role," Severus told him quietly.

Harry smiled. "I loved taking care of Teddy when he was a baby. They're so easy and straightforward."

"Easy?" Severus snorted, his disbelief evident.

"Yes," Harry replied, his breath hitching as he felt Severus maneuver behind him. "They only cry when they are uncomfortable – hungry, wet, cold, in pain – things like that." His heart skipped a beat as Severus wrapped his arms around both he and the baby and eased Harry back against him. "Once you eliminate the problem, they are happy and content."

"They also drool, spit up, have dismal schedules, and that's not even mentioning the nappy issue." Severus' breath was warm on his ear.

Noel had fallen asleep and Harry leaned back into Severus before slipping the nipple out of her mouth. Severus took it from him and set it aside as Harry put Noel to the opposite shoulder and gently rubbed her back.

"I always wanted to have a couple of kids," Harry confessed softly. "Just so I could love them, help them grow up well grounded, and show them how proud I was of them."

"Why would you have to give up that dream?" Severus nuzzled the hair at Harry's temple.

"Since I figured out that girls really didn't do anything for me and you were the one I was having wet dreams about." Harry leaned his head to the side, giving Severus access to his throat.

Severus nipped his ear lobe. "Idiot! In a society where one can change one's self into an animal with only a thought and transport over large distances with a spell, how can you doubt that it is possible for two men to conceive a child?"

Noel gave a loud burp and Harry moved her down to cradle against his chest, hope blossoming inside. "I've never heard of it before."

"Strange that Miss Granger—"

"Weasley."

"—has never enlightened you about the possibility. It is fairly rare, however, as it requires a magically powerful wizard to carry the child, a bonded partner, and, if necessary, a specialized potion to assist conception. "

Harry twisted around so that he could see Severus' face. "You've thought about this already?"

Severus met his eyes without flinching, but Harry could feel his discomfort. "I've been researching for a formal courtship proposal that I was going to present to you in the New Year. I was writing into it a provision for children."

Blinking as he processed the information, Harry felt overwhelmed, as much by what wasn't said as what Severus had admitted. Somewhere in the flat, a clock chimed midnight.

"Happy Christmas, Severus," Harry whispered, leaning towards him.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Severus muttered against his lips.

The kiss was sweet, a promise of things to come, with the desire very apparent. It was a kiss that made Harry smile and go back for another, deeper one. Noel shifted in his arms, bringing Harry's focus back to her. He leaned into Severus for a moment before sitting up straight.

"I suppose we should get some sleep while Noel is down," Harry said reluctantly, not wanting to disturb the intimacy of the moment.

"We'll have plenty of time after this situation is resolved." Severus assured him, moving to help.

Together, they settled the baby between them and Harry cast monitoring charms that would alert them if the baby stirred or either of them got too close to her. Harry was up with her for a feeding three hours after they first settled in. He watched Severus' face as he tended to Noel, noting how much more relaxed he looked. For a brief moment, Harry contemplated talking Severus into keeping Noel and raising her themselves, the way a child should be, but knew that he couldn't.

It was his mirror sounding an alarm that woken Harry up the next time and he scrambled up to get to it. Severus sat up as Harry answered.

"Sam twelve, go ahead!"

"Potter! Status check!" Harry's supervisor, Madison Marley, appeared in the mirror, obviously relieved that she'd gotten through.

"I'm stable here, Commander," Harry answered automatically. "I have a battered infant that was left on the business owner's doorstep without an identifying information."

"Any problems with the proprietor?" Marley demanded.

"Not a one, couldn't have been more helpful and gave us safe haven for the night." Harry smothered a grin.

"Bloody Hufflepuff," Severus muttered as he lifted Noel to his chest.

If Marley had heard him, she chose not to acknowledge it. "Get that child in here then and we'll have the on-call rep from the WSPCC respond to collect it."

"Her," Harry corrected, his stomach sinking at the mention of Child Services.

"Don't particularly care, Potter." Marley looked down at something. "Get in here and get the paperwork started, some of us would like to celebrate the holiday."

The mirror went dark and Harry swore under his breath. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to be doing in the pre-dawn light of Christmas Day. Standing up, Harry yawned as he ran a hand through his hair. He could feel Severus' eyes on him as he bent to retrieve his wand.

"I'm not going until Noel is changed and fed," he said, crouching next to Severus. "Will you fix a bottle if I see to her nappy?"

"I don't suppose we can put this off until tomorrow?" Severus asked as he held Noel.

"I'm afraid not," Harry leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "She grows on you, doesn't she?"

"I might be able to learn to tolerate the intrusion." Severus handed Noel to him.

Harry let his fingers linger on Severus', enjoying the tingle of magic between them where they touched. Something sparked in Severus' eyes and Harry was encouraged by the sight. Together, they straightened the room and gathered Noel's possessions. Severus fed Noel, rocking her back to sleep before tucking her back into the Moses basket. Harry shrank the rest of the baby's things and slipped them into the pocket of his robes. With a flick of Severus' wand, the fire changed back to a magical flame.

"Severus—" Harry stood in front of him.

Pulling Harry closer, Severus kissed him hard and fast. He stepped back before Harry could deepen it.

"The Floo will be open and I will be here when you get Noel properly taken care of, if you wish to return."

Harry nodded, his arm firmly around the basket as he tossed a pinch of Floo powder into the emerald flames and called out his destination. Severus' face was the last thing Harry saw before they spun away. For the first time in his career, Harry fervently wished he didn't have to go into the office, but he knew that they needed to find Noel's parents and figure out who was hurting the child.

Despite the holiday and the early hour, the Auror office was in chaos. The magical storm had created a number of problems for the department as protective fields were compromised on several Ministry buildings. Harry joined the flow in the crowded hallway and made it to his office where he knew Noel would be safe, before letting it be known he was back. After that he lost track of time as he attempted to solve the mystery around the baby as well as handle problems that had come up in his own division.

When Harry was finally able to Floo back to Severus' flat, it was gone on dinner time and he was exhausted. Stumbling as he stepped out of the fireplace, strong arms caught him before he could fall. Harry sighed as he was pulled against a hard chest and held tight.

"I'd almost given up hope that you would return today," Severus muttered into his hair. "It must have been busy."

"Utter chaos," Harry told him, leaning into the comfort. "At least you didn't send a Howler, like Mrs. Weasley."

Severus pushed him to arm's length, a fierce scowl on his face. "Bloody woman should have known—"

Harry silenced him with a kiss, giving in to the fantasy he'd had all day, and wrapped himself around Severus. The kiss was hungry and arousing and glorious. It was everything Harry could have hoped for and more. His cock hardened instantly and he was sure he whimpered as Severus' thigh slip between his. A firm hand halted his thrusting hips as Harry felt Severus gentled the kiss, until he lifted his head.

Harry sighed. "The Howler was to Robards for keeping me at work, not to me." He traced the underside of Severus chin with the tip of his tongue, feeling the beginning of stubble. "Can we just go to bed now?"

Severus snorted and leaned in for another kiss before turning Harry towards the kitchen. "I doubt you have had anything substantial to eat today and you have to tell me what transpired with Noel before we engage in anything else."

"Spoil sport," Harry said good-naturedly as he allowed Severus to lead the way.

Somehow, Severus produced a Christmas dinner of roasted goose with all the trimmings and Harry tucked into it. Over plum pudding and port, Harry told Severus about his day and the more amusing incidents from his day.

"And what of Noel?" Severus asked as he led Harry back into the sitting room.

"Tracey Kratchet née Davis was already in the office, filing a kidnapping report for her daughter Kimba. It appears that her estranged husband—"

"Robert, Slytherin, was a seventh year when you started as I recall," Severus interjected.

"Yes, Robert grabbed Kimmy from Tracey's parents while on a supervised visitation in Diagon Alley. When the elder Davis gave chase, Robert dove into the side alley, spelled the Moses basket with Notice-Me-Not and Impervious Charms, as well as a charm that would propel you to go that way, and popped back into the Alley to lead his pursuers away." Harry pushed his plate away. "While Tracey was at one end of the office, Robert was at the other trying to report that his father-in-law, an ex-Death Eater, was physically abusing his own granddaughter."

"Zender Davis wasn't one to get his hands dirty on anything," Severus sneered, Banishing the dishes to the sink. "Every bit as rich as Malfoy, he provided funding to the Dark Lord, without ever appearing at any meeting. Add to that the fact that I believe his wife was actually a Muggleborn witch, something he kept quiet."

Harry nodded. "He was questioned under Veritaserum, as were Tracey and Robert. She had left him because she thought he was hurting the baby and he thought she was protecting her father—"

"Doesn't anyone talk to each other anymore?" Severus sneered. "So who has been hurting Noel – Kimmy, then?"

"The ancient family house-elf who was the baby's nanny," Harry told him, draining his wine glass. "Thought the baby cried too much, apparently. A representative from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures took custody of the house-elf and the family left together." He smiled at Severus. "And I'm sure you will be hearing from them shortly as they were very grateful that Kimmy had been here during that storm last night."

"There was no need—"

"I told them that you were a natural with babies!" Harry kept his face straight, trying not to laugh at the expression on Severus' face.

"I'm no such thing!" Severus was on his feet, sputtering in indignation.

Harry laughed as he stood and reached for Severus' hand. "I'm having you on, Severus! Although I wouldn't mind seeing our Noel again."

Wrapping his arms around Severus' neck. "I didn't have time to get you a present, so I figured that I'd just give you me."

Severus leaned forward and kissed Harry breathless, before pulling back. "That would be in violation of the formal courtship rules."

"Then let's skip the courtship and go straight to the next phase," Harry said as he nuzzled Severus' throat.

"The next step would be a proposal and then a bonding." Severus slid his hands down to cup Harry's arse. "Strictly speaking, however, if one's partner were in agreement with the proposal and such, I'm sure a bit of social intercourse is to be expected."

Harry lifted his head and met Severus' hopeful eyes, confirming what he thought he'd just heard. "This partner says an emphatic yes, yes, and YES!"

Severus answered him by leaning in and taking his lips in a searing kiss, devouring Harry's mouth in a way that brought his arousal to a fevered pitch. Harry tried to burrow in closer to Severus, his body seeking more. Easing back, Severus broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on Harry's.

"This needs to be done on the appropriate furniture," Severus told him as he stepped back and grabbed Harry's hand.

Laughing, Harry allowed himself to be dragged up the stairs and into a large bedroom. The torches flared giving Harry the impression of light walls and dark furniture before his glasses disappeared and Severus was kissing him again. Harry's fingers tugged at Severus' robes and, frustrated, snapped his fingers to Banish their clothing into a pile on a chair he'd seen.

"Always so impatient!" Severus growled as he ran his hands down Harry's back. "Up on the bed."

Harry climbed up on the bed and laid down, watching as Severus retrieved something from the bedside table. His eyes ran down the pale, lean form, smiling as he saw the small paunch Severus had that gently rounded the sharp angles of chest and ribs, before his eyes followed a trail from his navel downward. A long, thick cock jutted out from a nest of dark curls, lovely, plumb balls hanging beneath it. Severus stood beside the bed and returned the scrutiny, Harry just hoped he didn't come up lacking. He knew he was trim and fit due to his physical training, but from his limited experience, Harry knew his physique was pretty average.

Severus knelt on the bed and crawled up the length of Harry's body, leaning down to kiss him hard before trailing down his jaw and throat. Harry could only tangle his fingers into Severus' hair and groan as Severus continued to work his way down Harry's chest. Harry's whole body jerked as Severus' mouth closed over his nipple and suckled hard. A hand found its way to his hip and held them down as Severus tasted his navel.

By the time Severus was kneeling between his legs, nuzzling Harry's cock, Harry knew he was too close. "Severus! I'm going to—"

Severus responded by taking his cock to the root and humming. Harry's climax slammed into him so hard the world grayed out around him. When he became aware again, Harry could feel a slick finger circling his hole and he stiffened as it slid inside him, the tingling he'd felt before seeming to concentrate on that spot. The finger stopped and Severus leaned over him.

"Harry, have you done this before?" Severus' voice sounded incredulous.

Feeling his cheeks heat with embarrassment, Harry stared at Severus' chin. "Well, not exactly."

"Harry—"

Harry sighed, moving his hips to encourage Severus to continue. "I've messed around a bit, some blow jobs, and stuff."

Severus kissed him. "Are you a virgin?"

"Strictly speaking, yes." Harry swallowed. "I've always wanted you to be the first, I guess, and just never found anyone else."

"Harry," Severus whispered against his lips before kissing him slowly. "Giving your virginity to someone can be a powerful magical experience." He pulled back, studying Harry's face as he slowly began to move his finger. "It can even establish a bond between two wizards who are so inclined."

"Yes," Harry managed to say, his cock twitching in interest. "I want you, please!"

Severus' eyes seemed to become molten at Harry's words and he kissed Harry again, slowly and thoroughly, as his finger began moving in earnest. As a second one was added, Harry could only fist the soft bedding beneath him as he felt the fullness in his arse and tingle of magic arch between the two places where they were connected. His own magic seemed to reach for the strand and in doing so, peel back all the layers of want and need, until it got to the very core of his feeling, his love. Harry stiffened, feeling suddenly stripped bare and vulnerable. Was Severus acting on the intense attraction he felt or was there something deeper?

Severus lifted his head and stared into Harry's eyes. His were open and, for once, unshuttered, allowing Harry to see all of the emotions that he wouldn't, or couldn't, say. The realization of how deeply Severus felt about him wrapped itself around Harry's heart.

"If you are having any second thoughts, Potter," Severus told him in a clipped voice, his fingers stilling. "At least give me the courtesy of voicing it."

"I was just feeling a little exposed." Harry's voice seemed exceptionally loud to himself in the quiet room. "I just needed—"

"To know you weren't being led down a fairy path?" Severus finished for him, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "I wouldn't leave you to that fate."

Harry relaxed, just as Severus moved his fingers and pressed on something that sent a jolt of arousal along his nerve endings to pool in his groin. Gasping, Harry arched upward, moving against the fingers to encourage them to do it again. They did and Harry couldn't help his hips jerking upward, his body on fire.

"Please, Severus! I need—" Harry wasn't even sure he knew what he needed.

"It's all right," Severus said soothingly, his fingers moving faster inside Harry. "Relax and let me do the work."

Harry tried to follow Severus' instructions, but his body was soon a writhing, quivering mass. Severus grabbed a pillow and stuffed it under his hips, pushing Harry's legs to his chest. Grabbing them, Harry opened himself to Severus, trying to make encouraging comments, but it emerged more like incoherent babble.

"Press back against me, Harry, when you feel the pressure."

Harry felt the blunt end of Severus' cock press against with his slick hole and he concentrated on relaxing as Severus slowly pushed into him. It was uncomfortable at first, more burn than pain than Harry had anticipated. Moving as Severus had told him, Harry found that the burn was replaced with a feeling of over-fullness. He took a deep breath as Severus paused and Harry could feel the heat of the magic that flowed between them. Harry rocked his hips experimentally, surprised by the strangled sound that Severus made.

Pulling back, Severus made shallow thrusts, then harder, deeper ones, as the discomfort became pleasure and Harry's body tightened. Almost as arousing as the physical sensations was Severus' face as he looked down at Harry, his face open and expression one of intense concentration. As Harry reached his peak for the second time, he struggled to keep his eyes open, to see Severus' face as he arched above Harry, buried himself deep, and came. The burst of magic that flooded through Harry was incredible and he could tell by the way Severus' eyes went wide, he'd felt it as well.

Severus managed the collapse to one side and help Harry unfold his legs before he cleaned them up with a wave of his hand. Harry sighed as he laid his head on Severus' shoulder, enjoying the warmth of Severus' embrace and the new magic he felt in his chest.

"Brilliant," Harry muttered sleepily, his fingers idly stroking Severus' skin.

"Indeed," Severus answered, covering the fingers with his hand. "It does not, however, tell me when you're upset or frustrated. We will still need to have open communications in order to avoid misunderstandings."

"You mean like the one that kept us from doing this for years."

"Too true, and you know there will be additional ones in the future."

"Yes," Harry said thoughtfully, knowing they would have blazing rows and lash out at each other, something they both seemed good at when angry.

Severus' hand tightened on his. "There is another ceremony, ritual actually, which would deepen this bond to that level. It would also enhance our joint magical ability to conceive—"

Harry rolled on top of Severus and kissed him until both were breathless. "Now? Can we do it now?"

Returning Harry firmly to his prior position, Severus held him tightly. "Impulsive Impatient brat! This isn't the type of commitment you rush into! We'd need a bonder and as it is akin to a wedding ceremony, and I think you might have some friends who would take exception to being left out."

Harry took a deep breath, knowing Severus was right. "New Year's Eve?"

"Are you daft? Spring Equinox at the earliest, Potter! Think Molly Weasley and Narcissa Malfoy!"

Groaning, Harry buried his face in Severus' throat. "If we have to."

Severus pressed a kiss to his temple. "Only if you want to keep our families for the children."

A quiet joy surged through Harry and he lifted his head. "Did we just decide to get married?"

"Absolutely. Do keep up, Harry."

Harry laughed softly as he settled back on to Severus' shoulder, snow still falling outside the bedroom window. "And a very happy Christmas to us both."

"Truly it was, my Harry."

The Potter-Snape residence, five years later

"I love the way you've redone the kitchen, Harry," Hermione said enthusiastically. "I love that it opens to the dining room and sitting room."

Harry smiled, eyes darting around the light, airy space. "It's easier to keep an eye on the kids this way."

Resting one hand on her protruding belly and the other on Harry's arm, Hermione leaned in close. "The last few years have really changed both of you, Harry. Just think, with Robards finally retiring, you could've been Head Auror!"

"No, I wouldn't want the hours or headaches that come with that job," Harry told her, watching as Kreacher took the gingerbread cookies out of the oven. "Besides, if I hadn't transferred over to Children Services, we'd never have known about Abbigail and Archibald or been able to adopt them."

Harry looked over to where Severus and Narcissa were helping their four-year-old twins to hang ornaments on the Christmas tree. Teddy sat with Andromeda and Molly, helping them as they read A Christmas Carol to Victoire, Rose, Scorpius, and little Fred. Lucius, Draco, Bill, Fleur, George, Angelina, and Ron sat in the far corner of the sitting room, enjoying after dinner drinks and conversation. It was amazing how far they had all come in the past five years, the friendships they had formed and the family they'd become.

He and Severus had been become foster parents when the twins were abandoned by their Muggle birthparents shortly after their first birthday due to their accidental magic. It had taken a full year to formally adopt the children, but thanks to Draco, their solicitor, they were a family. These days they rotated who hosted Christmas and this year had been Harry and Severus' turn, much to their delight.

"Master's cookies are ready." Kreacher tugged at Harry's jumper, pointing at the large table covered in cookies, icing, and candies.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry said.

Hermione squeezed his arm. "I'll get everyone. I hope you made extras, Kreacher, because Ron will eat three on his own!"

"Kreacher always makes extras, Missy," Kreacher muttered as he positioned himself between Abbie and Archie, who he doted on.

Abbie leaned down and kissed Kreacher's head, her blue eyes sparkling as Kreacher grumbled affectionately under his breath. An arm slid around his waist and a hand curved protectively around his belly, making Harry smile as he leaned back into Severus' warmth. He covered Severus' hand with his as their child kicked to let them know he was awake.

"Archie says that Auntie Hermione is huger than you are," Severus whispered in his ear.

Harry stifled a laugh. "Don't tell her that, she'll cry again."

They both watched as Hermione helped Rose decorate her gingerbread man, while she bit the leg off another. Hermione had gained a bit more weight with this pregnancy than she had with the first and was very sensitive about it. Harry had conceived without the aid of a potion and had been very careful not to gain too much weight, male pregnancies being notoriously hard on the body. Their son was due in just two weeks and they were still debating what to name him, wanting a name that started with an A like the twins.

"Happy?" Severus asked him, a soft whisper in his ear and Harry nodded, entwining their fingers.

"Deliriously," Harry answered turning his head toward Severus.

"Papa! Daddy! No kissin'!" Archie admonished them. "Have'ta kiss me!"

Abbie giggled at her brother, but looked expectantly at them as the adults struggled not to laugh. Severus squeezed his hand briefly before guiding him towards the table. Being a parent had worse hours than being an Auror, but Harry wouldn't have it any other way.

His life was everything he had ever dreamed of: love, laughter, and family.