SEPTEMBER 1, 1997 – Gringotts Wizarding Bank

After Severus's confession to Harry while at Bill and Fleur's wedding, they spent nearly every day together, with Harry keeping much of his belongings at Prince Hall. Harry had fallen in love with the Prince family home, and Severus indirectly informed Harry that he and Severus would be living there together one day. Harry didn't want to push, but was pleased that Gwen had continued to smooth things over with Sirius, paving the way for Harry to spend as much time over there as possible.

Harry and Ron met for tea at The Leaky Cauldron on the first of September; Ron had had an introductory meeting that the Ministry of Magic that morning, regarding the Auror Academy, and so he'd been unable to see Draco and Ginny off at Kings Cross. Harry had gone in his stead to wish them luck, and Draco had confided that he'd asked for Arthur and Molly's blessing to propose to Ginny, once they were about to leave for France, and the Weasley patriarch and matriarch had given him permission to do so. Draco had proposed at the villa, in front of Bill, Fleur, Ron, and Hermione, asking Bill and Fleur if it would be all right beforehand, and they had both said yes. Ginny, over the moon, proudly wore the silver ring, with the large emerald surrounded by diamonds, ever since them, loudly proclaiming her love for Draco and informing him that she would adore becoming his wife.

Harry knew that Ron was a bit miffed about his only sister becoming engaged at sixteen, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Hermione was on board, squealing the entire time and rushing in to be the first one to hug Ginny; Bill clapped Draco on the back and kissed Ginny's forehead, while Fleur kissed both Ginny and Draco on both cheeks. Everyone knew that Ginny would likely best Ron in a duel, and would keep him away from Draco in the meantime, and it wasn't as if Ginny's family opposed the match.

After half an hour of discussing the engagement, Hermione's tentative wedding plans and her class load, as well as Ron's meeting earlier that day, they put their allotted Galleons upon the tabletop and waved goodbye to Tom. Ron was going to Hermione's parents' house to keep her company that day, as well as to do some reading, while Harry was meeting Severus at Gringotts to go over his wizarding inheritance. He had asked Severus to come with him on one of his many days at Prince Hall, and Severus, although shocked, had consented.

Harry had grinned at the man. "I already know I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and I know about your assets. Who's to say you can't learn about mine?"

Harry climbed the stairs of Gringotts and headed inside directly, looking around the opulent lobby area and grinning as he saw Severus waiting for him. Crossing the room on the highly-polished floor, he ran the rest of the way, his heart pounding as Severus immediately wrapped his arms around him, and moved to kiss his forehead. Harry, having none of that, moved his head to kiss his lips, and Severus was shocked.

"I don't want to keep us private," Harry said softly. "If you do, then that's a different story. But I want the whole world to know you're mine and I'm yours."

Severus smiled, leaning down to kiss Harry again. "Very well, then."

Harry nuzzled closer into the man's arms. "Thank you for coming with me today."

"Well, when you presented the argument that you're aware of my financial background, as well as the Prince properties, I could hardly say no," Severus replied. "How did Sirius take it when he found out you asked me to accompany you?"

"He took it well," Harry replied. "He and Gwen are staying in Wales."

"With the Jones family?" Severus wanted to know.

Harry nodded, peeking up at the man. "Yeah. I think Gwen likes the fact that, now that she's retired from Quidditch, that her family wants them to have a baby."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "And does Sirius wish to procreate?"

Harry chuckled. "I love it when you use big words in that sexy voice of yours," he whispered to the man, whose cheeks went pink. "And I think he does, yeah. Since Remus and Dora are expecting, too, I know he'd like their children to be friends."

Severus gently rubbed his hand up and down Harry's back. "And you would like to have children one day as well," he said quietly.

Harry grinned. "With you, yes," he whispered, and Severus groaned softly, and Harry's brows furrowed at that.

"Silencing Charm," Severus told him, doing his best to get ahold of himself.

Harry turned at the quick and tiny footsteps behind him, and spotted a goblin making his way over, and felt the rippling of magic around them as Severus cancelled the Silencing Charm. It was with reluctance that Harry relegated himself to merely holding Severus's hand, and turned to face the goblin completely. "Good afternoon," he greeted.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Harry Potter," said the goblin eloquently, albeit in that growling tone of voice that all goblins seemed to possess. "I am Bogrod, and will be overseeing the meeting today, as the official goblin for the Potter vaults."

"Pleasure to meet you," Harry responded, bowing to the goblin as Hermione instructed. "This is my partner, Master Severus Snape. He will be joining the meetings." Harry was pleased to have remembered that Severus would now be addressed as 'Master' as opposed to 'Professor' in mixed company, as he was now doing potions research, and no longer employed at Hogwarts in any fashion.

Bogrod nodded his head at that. "That will not be a problem," he informed them both, and nodded his head at Severus, who bowed behind Harry. "Please, follow me." Bogrod took them both down the hallway, stopping at the third door, which appeared to be a luxury-looking parlor as opposed to a sterile office. Bogrod gestured towards the red velvet settee opposite the desk, while he himself climbed into the carefully appointed chair behind the rosewood desk.

Harry and Severus settled onto the settee, and Harry was pleased to have Severus there beside him, out in the open, as his acknowledged partner. Harry took out the letter that Gringotts had sent him the month before, giving him that day as the appointment. "Your letter stipulated that I could have the meeting now because I had obtained my NEWTs?" Harry asked, obviously wanting clarification.

Bogrod shuffled some paperwork, various important-looking documents, and other things upon the surface of his desk. "That is correct. We typically meet with wixen after they have completed their education at Hogwarts, but, since you, Miss Hermione Granger, and Mr. Ronald Weasley took your NEWTs in the final term of your sixth-year, you were all able to have your inheritance appointment earlier."

Harry nodded, pleased at the explanation. "Thank you. Now, I was wondering what you meant by inheritance? I know about the gold in my vault, left to me by my mother and father, but not much else."

"That vault was for your school funds, Mr. Potter," Bogrod explained patiently. "There are two more vaults filled with a great many Galleons, and a third vault, which is filled with furniture, artifacts, costumes, jewelry, books, and other valuables."

Harry blinked, but nevertheless nodded his head. "I know about the property I had in Godric's Hollow that was destroyed, but I had asked for repairs to be made upon it, and potential curses to be eradicated from the property."

Bogrod nodded gravely, and Harry seemed pleased that the man seemed saddened about his parents' deaths, as he himself was. "Yes, that is correct. We also sent an owl to Mr. Remus Lupin and his lady wife about your desire to have them live there."

Severus's head snapped to look over at Harry. "Are you sure that is what you want, Harry? For Remus and Dora to live at your parents' old home."

"They destroyed the previous foundation, Severus," Harry assured the man. "It is an entirely new house now. And besides, many people wouldn't permit them to live just anywhere, due to Remus's monthly problem, so they are living in a crummy little flat near the Ministry of Magic, because neither of them want to take charity from Mr. and Mrs. Tonks. I, of course, will miss the property, in that it had my fondest memories of my early life, but I know that Remus and Dora deserve the house."

Severus nodded. "Yes, of course. And, with the baby on the way, they'll need space."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Harry responded, and turned back to Bogrod. "Did you receive a reply from the owl, Bogrod?"

The old goblin nodded. "They have accepted, Mr. Potter, although Mr. Lupin claims they want to pay a mortgage on the property."

Harry nodded his head. "Very well. Please have a vault set up in their child's name, when the child does arrive, and any amount can be put forward for its schooling."

Bogrod made a careful note of that. "Excellent thinking, Mr. Potter."

Harry was feeling greatly relieved that one matter had been solved. "May I ask if there are any other properties in my name?" he asked tentatively.

Bogrod gave him a small smile. "Considering that that is one of the very purposes to this meeting, Mr. Potter, I don't see why not." He pulled towards him a folder with a gnarled hand and opened it up, and proceeded to read. "In addition to the cottage in Godric's Hollow, you are also in possession of a manor house in Burgh Castle, a farm in the Lake District, an estate house in Abercorn, the chateau in Châteauroux, the villa in Sicily, a Cycladic house in Mykonos, the Kremlin in St. Petersburg, the Fachhallenhaus in Bavaria, the chalet in Mont Blanc, and the palace in Barcelona, you seem to have your pick of Europe, Mr. Potter."

Harry was clutching Severus's hand as if it was a lifeline. "Yes, I see," he whispered, although his voice trembled. "Um... Do you have an approximation of the Galleon value?" he wanted to know, and he was very nervous about the outcome.

"You still have around fifty-thousand in your school vault," Bogrod said, pulling another piece of parchment towards him, "and, as for the others, there is a combined value of a million or so Galleons."

Harry wetted his lips, still unsure about the conversion. "All right. And the value in pounds?" he asked, desperately wanting to get out of there.

"Around five million," Bogrod explained, almost as if he was quite used to informing heirs of varying wixen families they had such wealth, and Harry slumped against Severus upon the settee, prompting a worried expression from the goblin. "Would you care for a goblet of Gillywater, Mr. Potter?" he asked.

"That would be lovely, thank you, Bogrod," Severus replied, gently straightening Harry against the back of the settee.

Bogrod snapped his fingers, and a tray with two identical goblets—save for one being studded with rubies, and the second studded with emeralds—appeared upon his desktop. "Take what you need, the both of you."

Harry blinked, clearing his mind in an effort to make himself calmer, and reached for the goblet studded with rubies, watching from the corner of his eye as Severus did the same. He watched as Severus smelled the concoction, before nodding at Harry, and Harry, trusting of his partner, sipped at the Gillywater, the familiar taste of peppermint crossing his taste buds. "Calming Draught?" he asked Severus.

Severus smirked at him. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

Harry shook his head, chuckling as he lifted the goblet back up to his lips. "Not sure that's how it works anymore, Severus."

Severus shrugged. "You may be right."

Harry finished his goblet of Gillywater and Calming Draught, before placing it back upon Bogrod's desktop, and Severus did the same. "Forgive me, that was a bit more than I anticipated, Bogrod," he said at last.

"It is quite all right, Mr. Potter," Bogrod replied good-naturedly, and pulled out another piece of parchment with tightly-written script upon it. "Here is an itemized list of what's being kept in the vault without the Galleons. Would you like to take a look at it today?"

Harry nodded. "Please," he replied, thinking it would be much better for him to look at the list, and save a trip down to the vaults for another day.

Bogrod snapped his fingers, and a duplicated copy of the itemized list appeared, which he handed over to Harry, along with a quill and a pot of ink. Next, a little table rolled over to him as the goblin explained, "Do feel free to place a mark beside any items you would like to take with you today, Mr. Potter. We will send another goblin to fetch them, and they will be brought here directly at your convenience."

Harry nodded at the goblin. "Thank you," he replied, placing the pot of ink down beside the list, and scanned the words before him, pleased that the book section was done up by subject, followed by author's name. "Are there any potions texts you'd be interested in, Severus?" Harry wanted to know, for he wanted to make it clear to the man that whatever was his also belonged to Severus as well.

Severus indicated which books and other things he would be interested in, while Harry himself selected portraits of his mother and father to begin with. He also got some reportedly ancient texts on Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Magical Law, and Defense Against the Dark arts, the former three for Hermione, and the latter for Ron. Hermione would be focusing on Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Magical Law in the Wizarding Division of the University of Edinburgh, while Ron needed all the information he could about Defense Against the Dark Arts for his training at the Auror Academy. Once he'd finished, Harry handed off the list to Bogrod, who promptly employed the use of what appeared to be some kind of dumbwaiter, which the goblin explained would navigate itself to the correct portion of the vaults, and the goblin in charge of that section today would bring everything upstairs.

Harry was beaming when everything was brought up, and promptly shrunk down so as it would be easier to transport. "I can't thank you enough," he replied.

Bogrod nodded at him. "Not at all, Mr. Potter. As for the portraits of your mother and father," he went on to explain, "you will need a spell to animate them accordingly."

Harry nodded. "Do you know the spell, Bogrod?" he asked.

"It is Animata Effigies," the goblin informed them both, his words precise, as well as reverent as he explained what to do. "Rotate your wand in a counter-clockwise spiral, and a beam of orange light comes forth from the tip of your wand."

Harry grinned at the goblin. "Thank you," he said, truly meaning it.

The goblin nodded, getting to his feet, and Harry and Severus did the same. "Anything at all, Mr. Potter, that you need, or questions you have, do not hesitate to let me know. I am at your disposal, and only one owl away."

Harry and Severus bowed to the goblin, thanking him again, before they slipped out of the bank, hand in hand, with Harry cuddling into Severus's side. "I think I'll hang them up somewhere at Grimmauld to begin with," Harry said softly, and Severus inclined his head.

"Do you think Sirius will permit you to take them, once you decide to leave?"

Harry peeked up at Severus. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

Severus smiled. "Yes, I suppose I am. Perhaps in the New Year?"

Harry beamed. "I would love that, Severus!"

"As for your mother and father," Severus continued as they walked along the alley, "what will you tell them about your romantic life?"

"Well, the truth," Harry said simply, and Severus inhaled sharply. "Unless... Well, unless you'd rather I hid it from them."

Severus shook his head. "No, of course I don't want you to hide it from your parents, Harry. I was just thinking that, perhaps, you may wish to tell them...well, not on your own."

Harry blinked. "You would be there?"

"Yes," Severus confirmed, "along with Sirius and Remus, I think, to present a united front to James and Lily, so they would know that I am not in the least corrupting you, or forcing you into anything untoward.."

Harry chuckled, pressing his lips onto Severus's cheek. "Not yet you're not," he whispered, biting down ever so slightly on Severus's earlobe, causing Severus to shiver at the touch.

"Yes, well... All in good time," Severus managed to get out, albeit in a strangled tone, as they meandered towards the Apparition Point.