It was a chilly evening and there was turmoil at Hogwarts. A young boy was in the headmaster's office.
"Please, sir, there has to be somewhere else I can stay." A third-year Harry Potter said to the old headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry, I am afraid the only option is your relatives' house with Sirius Black still free." Dumbledore said gravely.
"Yes, sir. I suppose I'll catch the train with everyone else?" Harry asked sadly.
"You will enjoy Christmas with them and I have arranged for you to go with a professor. There is the danger of taking the train."
"Yes, sir, I'll go pack." Harry said, looking down.
As he exited the headmaster's office he ran straight into the last person he had wanted to see that very moment, his potion's master, Severus Snape.
"Potter, look where you are going for Merlin's sake! Five points from Gryffindor now get out of my sight!" Snape snarled, making his way up to Dumbledore's office.
Harry wasted no time in running back to his common room. He thought everyone had gone to sleep, but found his best friend, Ronald Weasley, still up.
"Hey, Ron." Harry said grimly.
"Bad news?" Ron asked at the expression on Harry's face.
"I get to go back to the Dursley's for Christmas."
"You can always count on us to break you out like second year."
"I'm going to bed, night Ron."
"'Night Harry." Ron said, sliding into bed, wondering what was wrong with his best friend.
The next day Harry woke up early and started packing his stuff slowly to make time pass. He got to the point where he couldn't procrastinate anymore and finally just threw everything into his trunk and said goodbye to his friends.
Harry watched sadly as his friends boarded the Hogwarts Express and he waved goodbye to all of them. Once they were gone, Harry went back inside the castle and up to his dormitory.
"Ah, Harry, there you are. Come, come, my boy, your escort is waiting for you in your common room." Dumbledore said, guiding Harry towards the tower.
Harry was silent all the way and stiffly bid Dumbledore goodbye when he was left alone in his common room.
"Potter, get your trunk and get down here immediately!" Harry heard his least favorite teacher say.
Wanting to waste no time, Harry dashed upstairs without throwing a glance at Snape. After dragging his trunk halfway down the stairs with much difficulty, Harry gave up and used a levitation charm on it.
What waited for him, however, was not what he had expected. Snape had taken off the voluminous robes he always wore in class and was wearing muggle clothes. He was wearing a muggle t-shirt, jeans, and leather boots with a leather jacket to top it all off, everything black. His hair which normally hung lank in his face was neatly pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"Are you going to stand there gaping like a fish, Potter?" Snape asked him cruelly.
"Sorry, sir." Harry said, picking his trunk up again.
"You are a wizard, Potter, levitate your trunk to the station, it should be no trouble considering the stunts you've pulled these past years." He sneered at Harry.
Harry levitated his trunk and let it hover in front of him as he followed his least favorite teacher.
"Potter, we are going to do something called Side-Along Apparition, it is a preferred method of travel for adult wizards. Reducio." He incanted, shrinking the boy's trunk and pocketing it.
Severus held the boy's shoulder, but felt him pull away abruptly.
"Have it your way then, Potter." Severus said, only holding on to the boy's arm as he Apparated them both to muggle London.
Harry wanted to scream, to do anything, he felt as if he was being squeezed through a tube. It ended after a few seconds and Harry felt himself on the ground about to sick up.
"That, Potter, is why I pulled you against me. So that I would absorb the shock of Apparition. Take this," he said, handing Harry a potion vial, "Stomach Calming Draught, we will be Apparating again to Surrey after a quick lunch."
"Lunch?" Harry asked, confused as to why his most hated teacher was going to take him out for lunch.
"Yes, lunch, Potter! I assure you it was the headmaster's idea entirely." Severus snarled, all patience with the boy lost.
"Where are we going, sir?" Harry asked, trying to start a conversation.
"I haven't been in muggle culture for awhile, but I am sure you could stand to eat at a fast food restaurant for once like everyone else. It is supposed to be very popular for your age group." Severus said, letting his cruel mask slip for a few moments.
Harry's eyes lit up at the idea of going to eat somewhere popular. 'Maybe it'll be that place where Dudley got the toys from.' Harry thought, following Snape excitedly.
Severus noticed how the boy was acting excited, but dismissed it immediately as Potter having wanted to go since term had started.
When they got to the place, Mc Donald's, Harry was already looking up and down the Menu. Severus looked it over and sneered at most of the choices. He finally decided on getting the Southwestern style chicken sandwich with the best soda they had and no dessert.
"Potter, what are you ordering?" Severus asked, trying to be civil.
"Um…"
"For Merlin's sake boy, just get whatever, I have enough muggle money to buy the whole Menu, if you so wish!" Severus hissed at the boy, who was worrying his lip with his two front teeth.
"A Happy Meal with Cola and ice cream." Harry said, looking up at Severus.
"Go get a booth before this place ends up being even more crowded." Severus ordered the boy.
"Yes, sir." Harry said, walking over to one near a window so he could look outside while he ate.
After he paid, Severus took the tray over to Harry who was looking out the window, watching all the commotion of the city.
"Potter, eat." Severus said, taking a bite of his own food.
Harry obediently began to eat and when he was halfway finished with his burger he said,
"This is really good."
"It is…adequate. You act as if you've never been here before." He added, conversationally.
"This is my first time." Harry whispered.
"Yours and mine both, Potter." Severus said under his breath, not meaning for Harry to hear it.
'Potter hasn't been here before? The most popular place for children. I was dirt poor, but the boy is well-off middle class. It would have been heaven to be able to eat here instead of with my drunken father.' Severus thought, scowling at the memory of his father.
"If you're done, Potter, we might as well leave."
"I'm not sure if I can do that Appadition again." Harry said, clutching his stomach.
"It's Apparition, and you would have no problem with it if you simply followed my instructions."
Harry glared at Snape and followed him into a dark alley.
"Hold on this time, Potter." Severus said, putting an arm around the boy and holding him close.
Harry braced himself for the unpleasant experience again, but he merely felt half the effects of before. Snape let go of him abruptly when they were on solid ground again and he walked quickly towards Privet Drive, Harry nearly running to catch up to him.
A/N:
This will be a Snape adopts Harry story for sure. The next chapter will include Severus meeting Vernon and that will most certainly be interesting.
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