"The cottage?" Shock and disbelief coloured Severus's voice as Harry gazed at the serene image in his hand.
"Yeah," Harry bent to gather the rest of the property file. "It's spacious for a cottage but it's still cozy and it sits on a few acres, most of which gets direct sunlight during the day. And there's plenty of fully grown trees to provide shade. It's even got a cellar we can use for potions if you'd like."
Severus looked down at the photo once more and glanced back at Harry.
"I suppose if you change your mind later, we can always relocate."
The move went smoothly. It didn't take any time at all for Harry to realize that the precious cottage was home to him now. He had taken to getting up in the morning, showering and going to spend as much time as possible with the Weasley's and Hermione as possible before he would be secluded away with Severus. It hadn't even been two full days before the questions started coming.
"Oi, when are you going to tell us why you're suddenly always around?"
"Yeah, we love having you but blimey, you'd think you're planning on not coming back for a century!"
"Alright boys, that's enough! If Harry wants to spend time here, he's more than welcome. Isn't that right, Harry dear?" Harry's throat had gone dry at being put on the spot. He had meant to talk to them about this, to come up with a plausible excuse but he couldn't remember what it was he was supposed to tell them.
"I-well..." Harry blushed and thanked Molly for the bowl of soup she had just handed him. Before Harry could say anything else, the kitchen door opened and the familiar scent of cloves and cinnamon washed over him.
"Molly, I hope you don't mind me dropping by for dinner."
"Severus! Not at all, grab yourself a seat! Supper is potato soup tonight but I know you don't particularly care for it. If you give me just a moment, I can get your favourite jam for the buns-"
"No need, Molly. While I appreciate the extra lengths you go to ensure I get enough...nutrients, it's no longer necessary." Molly's eyes lit up and Harry eyed Severus thoughtfully. The jam Molly was referring to was probably some sort of blood jam to make the man eat while she was around.
"Oh, how wonderful to hear! Anyone I know that's keeping you well fed at home?" Harry smiled as he watched Severus's cheeks tinge pink. Molly must have noticed as well. "So I do know her! Who is it?"
"He is rather important to me, so I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from the outburst I know is inevitably going to come." A shrewd look crossed over her face as she glanced between him and Harry.
"Harry dear?" Harry looked up at her, surprised that it was harder than he thought it would be. He dreaded to see disappointment. "Are you two...?" Harry nodded. "And are you happy?" He nodded once more. "Well, then I wish the two of you the best of luck and the happiest of blessings." Harry smiled, glad that she didn't seem upset.
"Mum?!" Molly turned on her children, her voice taking on a no-nonsense tone.
"Quiet you lot, I'll explain in detail later. You will heed me on this." The boys nodded, eyes wide and tucked into their dinner once more. An offhand comment about the next world cup got the room back to a normal atmosphere once more.
"Oh Harry? Let me know when you're able to write." Harry nodded, wondering just how she knew he wouldn't be able to write to them for the foreseeable future.
The two arrived back at the edge of the wards facing their cottage. Harry turned to Severus.
"How did she know?" Severus smiled.
"Molly knows me well. She guessed correctly many years ago what I am and has done everything in her power to try to get me to look twice at someone-anyone, really. I think she's just happy it happened before she got too old to see it happen." The two walked to the front door and entered, making their way to the kitchen where Harry quickly took out a serving of cherry cheesecake for himself.
"Are you not going to offer me any?" Harry licked his fork and smiled cheekily at the older man.
"I thought you didn't really care for cheesecake."
"On its own, no. However, when it is paired with a rather delicious man...that's another story entirely." Harry couldn't bring himself to care that he had moaned at Severus's words or that he really wanted the hands that made their way over his chest to move south. His head tilted automatically, his lips opening around a cherry as it was fed to him.
"My, what a lovely desert you make," Severus whispered in his ear. Just when he thought nothing else could possibly make him happier, his ear was being nipped and the space between them disappeared. Even between the several lawyers of clothes they were wearing Harry could tell that Severus's erection was hard and pulsing with need.
"I've tried so hard to resist you since we moved here," Severus's voice was low and made Harry's legs want to melt into the floor. "You're simply too tempting." Harry gathered all the courage he could muster to respond.
"So claim me already." The growl that left Severus's chest bordered on feral and Harry groaned in response. He didn't think it was possible to get any harder than he was in that moment.
"Are you sure? It isn't reversible, Harry. You will age at a slower rate, you'll watch your friends and family grow old and pass away while you remain younger and healthy. I don't want you to make this decision lightly."
Harry looked up at the man holding him. An odd feeling of contentment swept over him as he started to speak.
"My friends and my family mean the world to me. They've always been there, and I know they always will be. But realistically half of the Weasley's would pass away before me anyway. When I was resorted, you were the only one to stand up for me and to make me feel normal in such extraneous circumstances. You were patient with me when I had a hard time keeping myself together in a way that no one else was. You went out of your way to help me with what was best for me. No one had done that before.
"You were the first to show me what it's like to be cared for as an adult. You were the only one who encouraged me to do what I felt was best for me. When I finally went out and bought myself new clothes, you didn't question it. When you found me playing the piano after curfew you didn't take house points, you asked me if there was anything I'd like to talk about. You provided me with easy company when I needed it and you've shown me what it's like to be cared for. I'll forever be grateful to the Weasley's and my friends, but I don't need them in my life to succeed. I only need you for that." Severus's eyes conveyed the shock much better than his voice let on.
"You'd be willing to suffer...just to be with a monster?"
"What you fail to realize is that you are my monster. And that makes all the difference." Harry brushed a lock of hair from his face. "And so the lion fell in love with the snake. But what they don't tell you is the lion is the only one to truly speak the snake's language. The level of trust and understanding that comes from such a relationship is legendary."
Severus smiled and tenderly kissed him. It wasn't long before their tongues were battling for dominance and Harry pulled away to gasp for air.
"Bed. Now."
"Harry, you should think about it before-"
"Sev, I've had plenty of time to think about it. I'm sure. Right now isn't the time for thinking about it any longer when my mind was made up long ago. Now is the time for you to take me to bed and to claim me. Please," Harry dropped his voice to a breathy plea and barely refrained from giggling when Severus picked him up and transported him to the bedroom quicker than should be possible.
They lost their clothes rather quickly as their lips met in frantic attempts to taste each other. Harry was shoved onto the bed and barely had enough time to register the silk bed clothes before Severus had a slippery finger probing at his entrance. He keened, arching his back and begging for more. He wasn't disappointed as another finger joined the first while Severus nipped at his chest and neck. Pleasure shot through his system at an alarming rate and he forced himself to breathe so it wouldn't end prematurely.
Harry barely noticed the third finger entering him, but when he did he practically demanded that Severus claim him immediately. He wasn't disappointed when he felt the blunt head of Severus's cock breach him. It was all he could do to not come right then. His legs wrapped around strong hips without thought and the two moved together in a delicious dance. Harry could feel Severus's fangs scraping along his skin and he opened his mouth. Instead of gasping like he thought he would he heard himself speaking, his voice rough with passion.
"I-I call upon the elements; Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Spirit and I call upon Magic herself to-to bless us," Harry felt a surge in the air around them; the prick of Severus's fangs as well as the man's groan followed the increase of magic in the air. "I give myself over to your hands in gratitude for your blessings." He moaned as lust burned through his nerves while Severus drank from him. His voice was much breathier than he would have liked when he spoke next. "I give myself to you, Severus. In the name of the elements, I give myself and my heart to you for all eternity. Forever." A bright flare of gold shimmer swirled around them as they came with each other, a feeling of being utterly complete swept over them. Harry smiled, silently thanking the elements and telling them they could leave if they wished just before they drifted to sleep.
The next morning, Severus asked Harry what had prompted him to call the elements the previous night. Harry shrugged as he made them breakfast.
"It wasn't something I chose to do, it was something that just happened. By the time I knew what I was saying, the words were already out of my mouth. It felt so right, I didn't even consider thinking about what I was doing. Are you upset?"
"No, merely surprised. Most don't take to calling the elements so soon after learning about them-particularly during more passionate encounters." Harry smiled at him, his emerald eyes sparkling playfully.
"You could always give me the chance to remedy the experience..." Severus growled and stalked to Harry before trapping him against the counter.
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"It wasn't a promise. It was an offer," Severus groaned and straightened before reminding Harry not to burn the house down over breakfast. That man would be the death of him, he just knew it.
Harry spent the next several weeks wondering what in the world had Severus so perplexed. Every time the man drank from him, he commented on the way he tasted. Apparently now his blood had a slightly sweet flavour to it since Severus had claimed him. He rolled his eyes for the billionth time that morning.
"It's probably a combination of you claiming me and the elements being involved. You yourself said the two of us would go through an adjustment period and that the Elders you spoke to said the taste of your Claimed might change. You're much more protective of me than you used to be and I produce blood at twice the rate normal people do now for you. Hell, it could just be my blood going back to normal now that I don't have to take that blasted blood replenisher anymore."
"That doesn't explain why you're suddenly taken to naps almost every afternoon! It's driving me mad, whatever it is."
Harry laughed.
"Sev, once I wake up we go at it like rabbits before breakfast. Then I'm out in the garden weeding for most of the morning and we eat lunch which results in more sex. Of course I'd want a nap, especially since directly after dinner-sometimes halfway through the meal-you've somehow managed to get your dick in me again and then we do it again just before we collapse for the night. You're positively insatiable!" Harry grinned at him, practically laughing at the stunned look Severus had.
"I guess I didn't realize..." At that, Harry did laugh.
"It's alright Sev, I promise. I'm not complaining one bit."
It was the next week that Severus approached Harry.
"I've been thinking, and I believe you can write to your friends once more. I know you miss them." Harry beamed up at him.
"Brilliant! I have missed them," Harry caressed Severus's cheek. "But I'm willing to wait for them if it means I get to have you forever." They smiled at each other and Harry took the opportunity to write to Hermione that afternoon.
He wrote about how wonderful it was to be with Severus, and had even told her about how tired he was lately as well as an appropriate recounting of him calling on the elements while Severus was claiming him. She had written back the next morning.
'Harry,
'I'm so glad to have received a letter from you! I admit, I expected it to take longer. The Weasley family extends their love to you, and want you to write them all when you have a chance.
'It sounds like you've been quite busy! I took the liberty of researching for you, and I've found some interesting things that I thought I should bring up to you. Did you know you're going to live a super long life? I'm a bit jealous! My mother's family wrinkles so easily, I'm afraid I'll look twice my age once the lines start showing up!
'Honestly Harry, I couldn't find much on the side effects of being claimed. If you were simply tired, I'd just recommend more vegetables and maybe cutting your sex back from four or five times a day to three to see if that helps. But I don't really know what to tell you about the heartburn or the mood swings. It might just be from the bond between you two settling? I'm not sure, I'll have to do some more research. If you were Ginny, I'd be telling you to take a pregnancy test! That would be quite the feat, even for you Harry. Unless you've been taking a fertility potion?
'Ron's demanding I stop writing so I can enjoy the breakfast Molly's made. You know how he gets when people around him don't appreciate a home cooked meal. I can't wait to hear back from you!
'Hermione'
Harry looked up at the owl Hermione had sent her letter with and slumped from his knees to his bottom, uncaring that he'd gotten dirt on his rear. He didn't realize men could get pregnant with fertility potions. He'd have to write Hermione back today, he was simply burning with curiosity. It was amazing how much about his world he didn't know about.