Woot next chapter is here :) Thanks to my once again great BAFan, who dose my edits! Also like a week ago I added a new creature to the codex. And my new story is up.

A buzzing sound woke Severus up from his sleep. He felt another body moving around and groaned as the body shifted up against him. He growled as the blanket was shifted, letting cold air underneath. The body moved away from him, and then the bed stilled. Severus was determined to go back to sleep, so he reached out for the edge of the blanket, and then pulled it against himself. Once he had created the perfect cocoon he let himself drift off once more.

"Severus?" Harry whispered lightly from beside him. Severus groaned. Nope, there was no going back to sleep, it would seem. "Breakfast will be done soon, are you going to come join us? I have to leave for my apprenticeship in an hour."

There was a sudden pop in the room, indicating that a house elf had entered. "Master Harry, Master Siles be telling Tiptop that yous be needing coffee! So Tiptop be bringing you some strong black coffee, as requested."

"Thank you, Tiptop," Harry said while accepting the coffee from the house elf. "Severus, I've got coffee for you. Or I guess it's for you, I don't like coffee."

With a sigh Severus turned toward Harry and gave him a grumpy look. Harry smiled innocently at him and held out the offered mug. Severus sat up to accept the mug and sipped at the coffee. It was indeed very strong and provided him with a little kick to face the day.

The sound of Harry giggling diverted his attention from his mug. "And what has you so amused?" he asked in a dry manner. He really was not a morning person, at least not until after his second… maybe fifth cup of coffee.

Harry was chewing on his lip to stifle his laughter. Severus set the mug down on the bedside table, then reached out and yanked Harry down next to him. He wrapped his arms around Harry and snuggled him close. "You're not a morning person, are you?" Harry asked.

"Mmm," was the only response he got to his question.

"We should go eat breakfast, I've got my apprenticeship," Harry said once more in an attempt to rouse Severus.

"Anything other than your training on the agenda for today?" Severus mumbled into Harry's shoulder.

"No, just my apprenticeship … Are you going to be here when I get home?"

Severus placed a kiss onto Harry's shoulder. "Not tonight, I've got a potion that I need to brew that will take me into the night. Lucius was kind enough to assist me in starting up my own independent Potion order business. He has been trying to talk me into it for years, however I wasn't in the position to do so. Now however, I will get to do what I enjoy most."

"Then, when will I see you next?" Harry asked.

"I would expect this weekend. Are you planning another dinner? I wouldn't mind some more cookies" Severus responded.

Harry laughed at his request. "Yeah, I was thinking another Sunday dinner, but Aeson hasn't sent me any kind of message yet. So, I don't know if he will be there."

"I am sure that he is just waiting for the opportunity and looking for the perfect courting gift."

The door opened, drawing the attention of the two in bed. Siles stood in the door way, smiling at the two. "I just hope the courting gift doesn't consist of more of that venomlaced chocolate. Come now, you two, breakfast is ready, and Harry doesn't have much time left."

Harry wiggled out Severus' arms and off the bed to follow Siles out the door, calling out that he would see Severus downstairs. Severus sat up, and quickly downed his now cooled mug of coffee. With a groan he got out of bed and dressed himself before following his pack members to breakfast.

~_~_~_Breakfast~_~_~

Harry sat down at the table and served himself breakfast. Siles sat across the table from him, leaving a seat next to Harry for Severus. Bartok was sitting at the head of the table going though mail that had arrived a few minutes prior. "It appears that you have a letter and a package, Harry," he said as he passed the items down to Harry.

Harry smiled and opened the letter first. "This letter from Gunther, he wants to know if I would join him for dinner tomorrow night." He glanced up at Siles, who was reading some mail that Bartok had passed to him. "Siles? Are you able to chaperon us?"

Siles glanced up from his letter. "What time? I do not think I will get done with tutoring until about seven thirty."

"I can take you, if you would like," David suggested.

"He's asking to meet up at six, so that would work better. Thanks, Dad! I will send him a response when I get home from my apprenticeship," Harry excitedly responded before tucking away the letter. He then turned to the package. It was a box with a bow tied around it. It was very small, about the size of a ring box. Harry undid the bow on the box, only for it to suddenly expand, growing until it was roughly the size of a shoe box. This startled Harry a little, and it was only thanks to the quick action of Severus, who had just walked in, that Harry's breakfast was saved from being shoved off the table.

"Shrinking charm on the ribbon, very nice magic, but it should have come with a warning tag," Severus said, as he set Harry's plate off to the side a little.

Harry nodded his head in agreement, before he started working on removing the brown package paper that sealed the box. Once that was removed, Harry lifted the lid of the box to find that inside the box were more boxes. In fact, were four smaller boxes inside the one. The first box Harry removed and opened the lid; inside was an array of small eight small silver hairpins, each of them sporting a different silver flower with a different colored gem in the center of them. Each pin was different: there was an orchid with a diamond, a lily with a white opal, a rose with a ruby, an iris with a sapphire, a monochromatic pansy with an onyx, a purple nightshade with an amethyst, a godetia with a pearl, and a tiger lily with a fire agate

"Those are lovely!" Issy exclaimed from next to him. "So many different flowers! Oh, look at that lily, it looks like there is an opal inside it!"

Lyle came around the table to get a closer look. "Can I see them for a minute?" he requested. Harry handed the hairpins over, and Lyle set about examining them. "Well, this is real silver, and all of the gems inside of them are real as well. The craftsmanship is amazing," he proclaimed, before handing the pins back over to Harry.

"The only thing missing from that set of stones would be something green," Severus mentioned as he looked over the hairpins.

Harry closed the box up and set it aside to move on to the next box. This box opened to reveal a bunch of small blocks of chocolate. Harry immediately popped one in his moth with a hum.

"HARRY!" Siles cried out.

"Tiptop has already screened everything for any harmful substance, as he does with all our incoming mail," Anna said in response to Siles' outcry of panic.

"It's the unharmful things that I am concerned about. Harry, what happened the LAST time you ate a chocolate out of nowhere, hmm?" Siles probed.

Harrys face flushed red, but it was too late. He had already sucked the very small piece of chocolate into nothing, and it had been swallowed down. "Oops…" was all he managed to get out.

"Oops is right! If this is from Aeson, then you're in trouble if that was spiked," Siles said.

Severus frowned at Siles. exclamation. "Aeson said that his venom was harmless; he assured us that it was." Severus responded.

"Yes, it's harmless in that it causes no damage, but in fact it's an aphrodisiac to compatible individuals. After the festival, Harry had quite a problem," Siles explained tersely.

Harry licked his lips. "This chocolate tasted normal. When I had Aeson's spiked chocolate it was a completely different experience."

"Just, don't eat anything else until after you read the letter that's in the box. Please, Harry," Siles begged.

With a pout, Harry placed the lid on the small box of chocolates and set it aside. The next box that he pulled out was quite a bit smaller than the others, with another ribbon tied around it. Harry shifted the stuff on the table around, creating some space before he removed the ribbon. The box did not expand like Harry expected it to, but stayed the same size.

Harry lifted the lid of the box, to find two more small chunks of chocolate. They were about the same size as the chocolate that Aeson had given him at the festival. In fact, they were the same star shape as at the party. Harry covered the box up and set it aside to read the letter underneath.

Dear Harry,

I hope that you are doing well, and that my gifts have found you in good spirits. Enclosed is my first courting gift, all of which are hand-crafted, as is custom of my clan. I also have included more chocolate, as you expressed your love of it. I even provided you with some more courting chocolate, that I hope you enjoy.

The set of hairpins I forged with my own magic, each is enchanted with protection charms against harmful magics. They are one reason that it took so long for me to reach out to you. Magic-forged gems take a while to make.

Your final gift is shrunken into the box that is under this letter. Please be mindful that it is quite large, so I would place it in a spot with some space. It is a custom of my clan to start crafting something from the time we come of age to present to during courting. It is normally a gift given much later; however, I feel that it was fate that you have it. Even if our time courting proves we are not compatible.

I hope that you would be able to join me next Saturday for our first official outing. If this day is agreeable, I would like to meet up in the Main Court entrance at 2pm. Then I would like to take you for a tour of our winery and allow you a tasting of our very best Vintages. Of course, there will be more chocolate as well. Please let me know if these plans are acceptable.

Thinking of you,

Aeson Silvsipi

Harry looked up from reading the letter aloud. "Will someone be able to chaperon this date as well?" he asked.

"As well?" Severus piped up, having missed the prior conversation.

"Yes, tomorrow evening I am joining Gunther for dinner. David has agreed to chaperon me," Harry told him.

"I see. If you would like, I am free most weekends. I would love to chaperon you this time," Severus volunteered.

Harry smiled and paced a quick kiss on his cheek, before grabbing his last courting gift and moving away from the table. On the emptier side of the dining room, on the empty floor, he set down the final gift and pulled the ribbon off. He took a step back and watched as the box expanded. The sides of the box then shimmered and faded away. Harry gasped, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Before him sat a bassinet made out of jade and silk. The frame of the bassinet was carved out of green jade into intricate vines and small blossoms. The base was formed out of curved vines, that would allow it to rock, vines that looped up and around to make a nest like basket, large enough to cradle at least two babes. Then the vines looped out again to create handles that could be pushed to rock it. There was a pillowed bed in the middle of the basket that was made from some fine silk. It was a magnificent piece and everyone in the room gaped at it in stunned admiration.

"What did your new suitor say his name was?" David asked as he approached and studied the bassinet. "This was created with Magic Forge skills, a rare magic skill common to Dwarfs and Goblins. With the skill they can create all kinds of thing, they are well known for weapons and the like. There are of course other creatures with this ability, but not many."

"Silvsipi. Aeson Silvsipi, we met him at the Spider Vine Restaurant, he was one of the family waiters," Severus responded.

"Spider Vine… Silvsipi, he must be an Arachne from Selaserine. I am not so sure that an Arachne is the best courting choice for Harry," David commented.

"What? Why?" Harry asked.

"David, enough; it is not our place to decide who Harry does or does not bond with. He hasn't even had the chance to get to know this suitor yet. Nothing is set in stone," Bartok barked out, sending a stern glance David's way.

"And it's almost time for school. Harry, sit down, eat, and take your potion. No more talk this morning about courting, Harry can send his responses after school," Anna said, ending the conversation.