AN: Mant thanks goes out to YenGirl for betaing this work. She is one in a million or even in the world.

He's First

Harry spotted Severus Snape in the back corner, hovering close enough to the shadows that he appeared to be almost an extension – as if the band of light between them was a trick of the eye. He glanced back towards the front of the room, his gaze taking in the Guest of Honours' table stretched across it and then quickly checking out the position of the different Aurors in the room, even those personally guarding the guests of honour. None of them was wearing their Auror robes, instead, those who were on general security wore black and the others wore the colours their Potion Master dictated along. Each one was different from the other so those who knew knew who the teams were.

Harry straightened the edge of his black robe as he walked around the edges of the large hotel ballroom. He stopped near Snape's table a small smile curling his lips. "Good evening, Master Snape."

Black eyes darted to him and the man quirked up one side of his mouth as he returned the greeting, "Good evening. Auror Potter. What brings you back to my corner?"

Harry shrugged as he glanced back around the room. He answered when his gaze landed back on Snape. "Same as usual. My team's handling perimeter and door duty like always."

"Not protecting one of those up there?" He tipped his head towards the front table. "You must be sad to lose such a renowned position."

Harry heard the sarcasm lacing the words even though it was mostly in the undertone. "Well, I have to let someone else enjoy it. Besides, I wasn't requested."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Requested?"

"Yeah, the guests of honour and presenters get to request the Auror team they want. This is one of the few conventions I don't have to guard someone." Harry grinned and then pulled a bottle of water from his robe. "Here, for you. I noticed you aren't eating or drinking once again. It's not good for you."

Snape didn't reach out for the bottle. "No outside food or drink is allowed in the convention."

"Unless your an Auror – they don't feed us," Harry said. "I noticed the last couple of years you abstain from the convention's offerings, so I brought you a couple of bottles of water. This is just your first one." He pushed the glass bottle closer to Snape's seat. "I'll bring the others to your room later, and dinner if you want. Just tell me what and I'll run out and get it for you."

Black eyes studied him closely, searching his face carefully, before reaching for the drink. "Fish and chips wouldn't be ignored."

Harry just smiled and continued his rounds.

§§§§§

Over the next couple of years, his team expected him to stop at Snape's table at the Portsmouth Conference. They also accepted the bottled water and the dinner and breakfast deliveries. Ron even helped to pick up the food. Dewey and Merry both were more wary of interacting with the man, but helped to bring in the water bottles. All four of them watched the crowds around the man closely, as well. Ron often mused during the convention's debriefing that they'd become the man's protection team - they even wore his colour, black.

After the first bottle of water, Harry tracked down Snape's shop. Ron helped, and both were amazed that it was so close to Harry's home. Since then, Harry stopped by periodically for potions and eventually for a quick word in the morning on his way to work, and then again for some in the evenings. By the third year, he was bringing food with him and sharing with Severus until the man told him to just bring ingredients and they made it there. Severus' cited reason was the cost. Harry used it as an excuse to partially stock the man's larder. In the morning they talked about the up and coming things in their fields and in the evening they discussed their work days. Harry hoped that Severus was as grateful for the company as he was.

His team had shaken their heads – especially Angel Dewey and Merilin Merry. Ron had rolled his eyes, and then made Harry promise to enjoy himself while visiting the git. Harry had.

§§§§§

Two years later …

Harry set a bottle of water on the table and slid it over towards Snape."Why aren't you ever up there?"

Snape opened the bottle and took a quick swallow before answering, "This is my life, Potter. I'm part of the shadows, not the spotlight." He took another sip. "Besides, you know how much the public adores me – it's safer here. Up there I'd have to watch for an attack from both the crowd and my security team."

Harry shook his head quickly. "No – you can choose who protects you. You have to be quick enough to pick them before someone else does, but you still have some say."

"I bet the competition is fierce for the protection afforded by the Saviour of the Wizarding World." Snape flashed him a small smile.

"You know it," sighed Harry, "but I'd protect you if you asked."

Black eyes blinked slowly. "If I ever end up in that position, then I'll take you up on that offer."

"So, you're asking in advance?" Harry chuckled.

"Of course."

Harry laughed louder and agreed as he continued his rounds.

§§§§§

Three years later …

Severus' shop floo bonged and glowed green. He glanced towards the front room, but then continued to finish the last dregs of his tea, listening to Harry chatter about the paperwork waiting for him at the Ministry.

It sounded again.

"Go, check it," Harry said. "I'll clean the table and make sure the dishes are dealt with. It might be St Mungo's or someone equally important."

"Very well," Severus strode into the store proper, leaving the door cracked behind him. Having Harry there had stopped a number of annoying customers in the past, and he wasn't above using that to his advantage.

"Phoenix Apothecary," Severus waited for a reply, one ear towards the back room.

"Master Snape, I'm Master Allen Christopher of the Potions Guild. If I may come through, I need to speak with you."

"Of course," Severus stepped back, doing his best to keep a blank face as the elderly robed man stepped through the green flames. "Welcome."

"Thank you for having me," dark eyes darted about, taking in the shelves and the closed sign in the window. "I'll make this quick as I know you want to open the shop." He pulled a folded letter from his robes.

"Your luck has run out, Master Snape." Christopher set the letter on the counter, his fingers still resting on the envelope. Severus heard Harry move closer to the door while the man continued. "I have been following your career for a long time – ever since you achieved your Mastery. Even then I knew you would go far. Since I've paid attention, I can tell you've purposefully been keeping out of the limelight. You didn't start out that way, but ever since you started teaching at Hogwarts, you've made sure to publish your works at the beginning of the year and never past the middle of it.

"You and I both know that the ones that make the biggest splash publish at the end of the year. They're the ones who get invited to present at conventions, to talk about their findings. I truly believe that you didn't want to be noticed."

Tapping his fingers on the parchment, white brows pulled down as he frowned. "I don't know why you wanted it this way, but as you did, I didn't say anything. Not once did I put your inventions up for consideration or you as a presenter, though you often deserved it. That was why I wasn't surprised that this happened, it was inevitable."

"What, Master Christopher?" Severus bit out despite the bit of warmth he felt at the man's praise, his eyes darting to the letter. He expected Harry to step out any moment, but the young man obviously decided not to.

"You're a guest of honour and presenter at the Optumus Pocula convention. Yes, the largest, most prestigious, convention we have." The white-haired man pushed the letter across the counter. "Master Billet – you know him, right?"

Severus nodded, his fingers curling to prevent the missive from touching them. Maybe he'd be able to refuse if he didn't. "He's the darling of the Potions Community – his last three potions were high profile ones, published in all the journals and showcased at Optumus the past few years. "

"Yeah, that's him. Well, his master – Duggles – decided that it would be great to find out who the most influential potion master of the last quarter century was. The Guild called upon my committee to find out since the Accomplishment Committee has been tasked with discovering just what it's name implies. We polled Healers, Apothecaries, and other Potions Master, and then went through all the journals, checked out how the best potions were created to figure out who it was. Duggles thought it was going to be Billet. He was wrong."

Severus' hand moved further away from the missive, but his heart was racing. Surely he hadn't been that influential.

"Now, only select members of the Guild and the committee know the results of our findings – so not many will know why you're a guest until it's announced at the end of the convention. I succeeded in getting the convention to take place in London so you'd have a better chance of knowing Aurors, and I brought you your summons this early so you can pick your Auror team to protect you – I know several Masters have ones they standardly like to use and are already sending in their requests. The other Masters will receive their letters in an hour. You need to hurry." Christopher nodded once. "Now, I'll be on my way. I'll see you on the eighteenth of December at the Archaea Hotel."

With that the man flooed away, leaving Severus with the still unread summons. He couldn't refuse.

Harry finally came out of the back, parchment, quill and ink pot in hand. "I think I got most of this filled out correctly." He set the parchment on the counter. "You just need to sign here," he touched the bottom line, "and check here if you wish your meals to be provided by a private source instead of the hotel."

Severus scanned the summons before looking at Harry's parchment. "Why did you write this out? I could just floo in a request according to this." He held up the creased parchment, the Potions Guild seal prominent on the bottom right corner.

"Because Master Christopher was correct – time is of the essence. That, and I also promised you years ago that I would be the one to protect you. So, sign and check."

Which Severus did after he read it.

"I'm going to use your floo so I can get to the Ministry faster today. I need to get this on file."

Severus waved him towards it, their standard goodbye phrase falling from his lips. "Have a good day at work, Harry."

Harry grinned as he gave his normal rejoinder. "I'll try, you do the same, Severus."

§§§§§

Harry made it to the Head Auror's office fifteen minutes before his shift began. After a perfunctory knock, he walked in and set the parchment on the man's desk. "I've already been chosen for the Optumus Pocula."

Brathwaite looked at the parchment and then back at Harry. "What? The first of the requests are just now coming in. How can you already been chosen?"

"This one asked first," Harry refused to accept anyone else. Brathwaite's policy was for the Auror teams to choose their protection assignments and for once, he was doing so. Normally, it was first come first serve with the exception of the mid-year conference at Portsmouth which he refused all of them.

"How?" The question was snapped out and pale brown eyes demanded an answer.

Harry shrugged. "Because I happened to be near him this morning when he received his invitation."

"That doesn't count, Potter." Brathwaite picked up the three official forms on his desk. "These came in already – and two of them are very high ranking masters. They deserve to be given your consideration at least. The third is Master Sein – you've guarded her before and she specifically wanted you again."

Harry shook his head. "This one asked first and I want to guard him."

As Brathwaite continued his arguments, Harry spotted Draco walking down the hall with Ron. "Draco, Ron – come here for a moment."

Brathwaite frowned as both men stood beside Harry. Harry pulled Severus' application over. "This is the person I want our team to guard at the Optumus this year. What do you think?"

"Whoever they are, they're the fourth request for your team!" Brathwaite snapped.

Draco and Ron spotted the name and looked at each other. Then Draco skimmed the rest of the document, picked up a quill off of the Head Auror's desk and signed under Harry's name before handing it to Ron to do the same. "Go get the other two – I'll talk to Brathwaite."

Ron signed and darted out the door.

Draco nodded to the three forms in the man's hand. "Those are requests, right?" Brathwaite nodded. "Well, this is an acceptance form, so it outranks those."

"There was never a request for them," growled the man.

Ron appeared with their two other partners, both of which immediately signed the form.

Harry sighed, "As I said, the request was made earlier. I'm positive it was done before those came in."

"Potter, these were here by nine o'clock. That form touched my desk after them."

"But this form was signed before nine," Harry said.

"And as all the team has signed the acceptance form, Harry can't choose anyone else," Draco added. "You know I'm on loan from the legal department to learn the Auror side of things. This form, handwritten as it is, is still a legally binding document. Potter's team will be guarding Severus Snape."

§§§§§

The team adjourned to a small room near their desk area.

Ron pulled out a scroll and smiled at Harry. "So, you filled that out over breakfast this morning?"

Draco's eyes widened and darted to Harry. "Breakfast? You have breakfast with Snape?"

Angel and Merilin nodded, and Harry answered Ron. "Yeah. A Master Allen Christopher stopped by as we were finishing up and talked to Severus about the convention. I promised Severus years ago that's we'd be the ones to watch his back if he ever ended up at the high table, so I wrote out the acceptance form from memory and had him sign it."

Draco shook his head and stared at Harry once again. "I'm still not getting over the fact you have breakfast with him regularly enough that Ron knew that's what happened."

"It's okay, Draco," Harry said. "You'll get used to it after a bit. They did." He turned back to the others. "Now, we need to set up some simple plans and run them by him."

Ron leant forward. "He checked off that he wanted his food from a private source – do you think he would accept Mum cooking for him?"

Merilin and Angel darted a quick hopeful look at Harry while Draco frowned and said, "I can also get the elves to make him plates."

"I'll ask him when I show him our protection plan." Harry summoned the floor plan of the Archaea. "Let's get started."

§§§§§

Harry set the sliced ham and salad on the table while Severus served them both drinks.

"How did your day go?" Harry asked as he served himself.

"The usual customers came in, a few unusual ones, and then a group of healers from St Mungo's popped in to ask about a potion I made for them a couple of weeks back." Severus settled across from Harry. "How did yours? Did my request get filed and approved?"

Harry grinned. "Yep! It's a good thing you signed it before I went in – there were three other requests on Brathwaite's desk – yours was the only acceptance application though. So, we're guarding you. Oh, and Draco Malfoy is shadowing my team for the rest of the year."

Severus' fork paused above the meat plate. "You choose me? Surely there were more important people who wanted you to watch them."

Harry raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "I honestly don't know who all wanted me, and I don't care. I promised you, and I'm keeping that promise. Ron, Angel, and Merilin all agreed even without knowing I promised you. Draco did as well – he was the one who signed the acceptance application right after me, only beating Ron because he had no qualm of taking Brathwaite's quill to do it."

"Sounds like the boy," Severus smirked as he finished serving himself and they both started in.

Harry waited until after they'd finished the clean up before bringing out the team's preliminary plans. "Before we go over this, Ron wants to know if you would mind if we asked Mum Weasley to provide your meals. Draco offered the Malfoy house elves, and I am offering to go to the local Muggle restaurants. If you have another option to offer, we'll do it."

"Why does Ron want Molly?" Severus asked as he poured them both a drink. At Harry's widening eyes, he revised his question. "Why do you and Ron want Molly?"

"Actually, the whole team but Draco," Harry said, sipping his drink. He unrolled the parchment. "It's because if you have specially provided meals your team is expected to eat them as well. There had to be a reason you didn't want the hotel provided one – everything from dietary restriction to just dislike – and the Auror Protection Division doesn't want you to have to deal with your team eating something that can harm you."

Severus laughed, something he'd been doing more and more around Harry. Green eyes brightened at the sound of it, and he found he liked those bright green eyes. "Who will ask Molly?"

"Ron and I will, and if she agrees, then I'll help cover the cost of the groceries, and Kreacher can bring it to the hotel if you trust him."

"I'll speak with her about the menu, and will also help cover the cost as it's my insistence that the hotel is not providing. Kreacher will be fine, and if he needs help I'm sure one of Malfoy's elves would help."

Harry beamed.

§§§§§

Severus sat at Molly's kitchen table, the parchment between them filled with the menu for the four-day convention. A set of plates leftover from lunch sat near them and their cups were still full as Molly made sure of it. The short meeting he had thought this was going to be had turned into a couple of hours as Molly knew the preferences of Harry's team and they took those into consideration while devising the menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, light refreshments, and sporadic drinks were all included on the parchment.

Draining his cup, Severus moved to stand, only to be arrested by the questioning, uncertain look on Molly's face. "Speak, Molly. There are no enemies in this room." And he meant that too. Neither her nor Arthur had ever treated him as such.

"I'm not sure it's my place to say, Severus," Molly spoke softly, fiddling with the edge of the parchment.

Setting his cup back on its saucer, Severus tipped his head to the side. "If it's not, then we'll figure it out together, but whatever is causing you to think that hard needs to be said."

Brown eyes glanced up and a grin so similar to the twins flashed at him. "It's about Harry. He's been seeing you for several years now." She held up a hand to stop the flow of words that trembled on the edge of his lips. "I know, you're not dating, but still, you are seeing one another. You've never been one for the dating scene, and Harry – since he learnt his preferences – hasn't either."

Severus hid his surprise. He didn't know that Harry was gay like him. "We have breakfast and dinner together, Molly. Both of us are bachelors – it's better than eating alone."

Brown eyes narrowed the knowing look in them not hiding behind her eyelids. "Severus, you've never minded eating alone."

"Just because I enjoy his company, doesn't mean I am interested in a relationship with the boy, Molly," snapped Severus.

"No," Molly agreed, "it means you already have some sort of a relationship. This can be a friendship or two men who are perfectly suited for each other ignoring that and accepting the crumbs of what could be."

Severus stared at her.

"Yes, I did say that, Severus. I've known for ages your leanings, just as I knew Harry's. I tried to discourage him from dating Ginny, but nothing would stop them." Molly patted his arm before refilling his cup. "I know you grew up with those ugly, inflexible Muggle laws, but the Wizarding World never applied them. We knew better – we knew that love can't be contained into one form, just like magic can't be."

"Why can't it be a friendship?" he asked as he automatically sipped his newly refilled tea.

"It could be," Molly gave a rueful look, "that's why I wasn't sure about saying anything. You two have to work this out on your own, but I wanted you to know that it's okay if you move beyond just friendship. You'd still be accepted here."

She shook her head at his questioning look, "You are accepted here. You've made Harry happy, and that means something."

"If this is an attempt..." He trailed off as she glared at him. There was just something about that glare that reminded him of his own mum.

"You'll be here for Christmas Dinner. You don't have to be here for presents and such, but you and Harry have been eating together long enough I want to see that you're fed that day as well. You can take home leftovers for Boxing Day."

Severus knew a losing battle when he saw one. He just nodded in agreement.

§§§§§

Ron leant against the partition that separated Harry's desk from his. "Mum's ready, Kreacher knows where and when, Malfoy has the list of acceptable spells, and Snape has approved of all the things we plan to implement. Anything we've forgotten?"

Angel poked her head over her partition, her blonde curls obscuring her vision until she swept them back, pinning then again behind her ear. "I've kept an eye on all the periodicals – they've not mentioned his attendance."

"I've kept track of the papers and an ear out for gossip. It's completely mum." Merilin added from her side. Harry caught the dark blue eyes flashing Angel's way as the brunette leant against her side of the partition.

"Good," Harry said. "Severus is ready – I've told him to keep his wand on him at all times. We need to decide who is guarding his room at night, and then it'll be all done."

Ron and the girls shared a quick look before he pointed at Harry. "You, mate. You two already share breakfast in the morning, and honestly, that means the rest of us can go home to our spouses."

Harry laughed and agreed all the while hiding just how much he wished he could do that, but with Severus. This would be the next best thing. Sleeping in the same place with him. Hogwarts didn't count – there was most of a castle between them then. This time there'd be a single door.

§§§§§

Brathwaite folded his hands and waited until the representative of Master Sein finished laying out their reasoning and points for the umpteenth time.

"And this is why we need to have Auror Potter and his team to guard Master Sein during our upcoming visit. December eighteenth is less than a week away. We need to make sure all is in readiness."

"Mr Songworth, Auror Potter's team has already been assigned another person to guard. You will have to accept another team to watch after your dignitary." Brathwaite kept every bit of his aggravation out of his tone. He knew this was going to happen the moment Potter refused to accept this particular Potions Master. Louisa Sein had been requesting Potter for the last five years and only Potter. It had been the reason he almost broke his policy of letting his teams decide.

"Then unassign him!" Songworth barked, his voice carrying into the hall just as Harry poked his head in the door, a sheath of forms in his hand. Brown eyes landed on him and widened. "Auror Potter – I know you wish to not work with the person you are assigned to for the upcoming Optumus Pocula. Master Sein has tried very hard to get you to guard her as normal – this man," here he gestured to Barthwaite, "has been blocking this from happening."

"Optumus is only three days away, Mr Songworth. Surely you've seen to a team to protect her." Harry finished entering the office as he spoke.

"We've waited on you – you know exactly how to handle everything, so it won't be a difficulty," Songworth said smoothly.

"I can't leave the Master I'm protecting, sir. We've hammered out the plan, and everything is in ready." Harry passed the forms to the Head Auror. "Besides, I want to guard him. He deserves it after all he's done for me."

Understanding finally dawned on Brathwaite. The longer he had fought this battle with Songworth the longer he had just wanted to arbitrarily reassign Potter. What kept him from doing so was that this was the first person the Auror had ever volunteered to guard. That and his entire team agreed with him. 'Must be something related to the War. I wonder just how Snape helped Potter. That's the problem with being out of the country for most of it.'

"This unknown deserves you to watch him?" Songworth's scathing tone cut through the air. "Honestly, what has he done that Master Sein hasn't?"

Potter's entire body stiffened before relaxing and a small smile curled his lips. "Drilled potions into my head for one, but more importantly, kept me among the living. I'm not changing – you have to find someone else for her."

With that, Potter walked out of the office.

Brathwaite pulled out the list of unassigned teams. "Would you like me to choose one, or would you like to?"

Growling, Songworth snatched the parchment from his hands.