I do not own anything from Harry Potter, nor am I collecting any money by posting this fanfic.
Author: Elis1412
Title: Let It Go
Words: 3074
This was inspire by the song 'Let It Go' by The Neighborhood. Personally, I suggest you watch the music video before you read this, although it wont make too much of a difference if you don't.
The immense anger Severus had felt at being forced to check up on Potter faded as he stepped onto the walkway that led up to the doorstep of #4 Privet Drive. The house was medium sized and pristine, the grass cut short and flowers blooming beautifully. The red brick shone earnestly in the street lights, leaving the house glowing. The other cookie-cutter houses paled in comparison to number four.
'How charming.' he couldn't help but think, despite his usually caustic attitude towards everything. He glanced in the direction of the soft pink hydrangeas. 'Just charming.' He pressed the brass button of the doorbell and waited a moment before the door opened.
Harry Potter stood before him with a slightly surprised expression on his rosy complexion. He looked perfectly healthy, if, a slight but tired (no doubt kept up with the images of his Dogfather's death). He stepped out pulling awkwardly at his T-shirt.
"Pr- professor Snape, what are you doing here? Am I leaving?"
Severus blinked, feeling hazy, he almost wobbled as a strange sense of vertigo washed over him, before disappearing, feeling vaguely confused.
"...No, Headmaster Dumbledore sent me to check up on you, though, unsurprisingly you're perfectly fine." THe child's jet black eyebrows raised slightly in a surprised manner, before his countenance faded into annoyance, his green eyes glaring at his surroundings.
"Right." chirped the teen snappily. "Come in, I'll go get my Aunt." He stepped down the warmly lit hallway, leading Severus to a charming living room, before disappearing out the door.
A wave of peace washed over the Potions Master, leaving him with a content feeling as he took in his surroundings. It was a well-furnished room welcoming in it's coziness, the space was tastefully colored in pink and green, white doilies accenting the furniture. 'Absolutely charming,' was all he could think.
The door opened a second time, Potter stepping swiftly through. He was followed by the most lovely figure he'd ever encountered. Her face was thin and angular, giving her an aristocratic appearance. Her silky blonde hair curled around her face, framing her neck which was long and pale like that of a model's. He held in a gasp, too awed by her beauty.
"It's you!" she exclaimed in an enchantingly musical voice. "You were that-" there was a pause in her speech as though everything had silenced before she continued. "-little boy who was always hanging around my sister!" Severus blinked, feeling hazy, he almost wobbled as a strange sense of vertigo washed over him, before disappearing, feeling vaguely confused.
"Petunia? Petunia Evans?!" he questioned, amazed at how that ghastly little girl could grow up to be such an enchanting beauty. Her pink lips curled into a sultry frown, her sparkling blue eyes narrowing in offence. He felt the sudden urge to apologize for offending this Goddess of a woman, though, no matter how beautiful, Severus was still too proud to extend an apology.
"Dursley," corrected the exquisite creature. "Petunia Dursley, I've married. Now, what are you doing here you-" there was a pause in her speech as though everything had silenced before she continued. "-man?"
The man blinked slowly, trying to gather his thoughts before replying. "I... Headmaster Dumbledore sent me to check on your nephew's state of living. It is not my intention to intrude, he said he had informed you of my visit beforehand." Her faced relaxed, slender arms uncrossing from their defensive stance.
"Yes, he did." she nodded, pink lips curling into a more sedate form. "I simply was not expecting you. I've already set a spot for you at the table. Boy," she called, frowning again as she addressed Potter, who had all but faded into the background. "Show him to the dining room while I got get Vernon and Duddey."
"Yes ma'am." replied the teen with uncharacteristic (at least by Severus' expectations) obedience, eyes lowered submissively. "This way, sir."
The dining room was even more charming -just utterly, impossiblely inconceivabley, CHARMING- than the living room. The oak table was covered with a lacy pink and white tablecloth. The room was brightly lit by an intricate glass chandelier which sparkled enchantingly from it's place on the ceiling. The gold and lime green plates would have looked tacky in any other room but, everything just went together just charmingly here. A small hand tapped lightly at his lower back and Potter led him to his seat.
Severus glanced to his right to see Potter standing next to him, even sitting down he was still taller than the brat, some might even argue that the boy was too sma-
'What a wonderful room!' sliced suddenly through his thoughts making his lips upturn the slightest bit. The door to, most likely the kitchen, snapped closed as Potter disappeared inside of it. And yet another person entered from the living room. A large man, dressed smartly in a blue button up and black slacks. The buttons strained against his- his ah... wait what was he thinking about? Oh, right yes! His buttons strained against his impressively large muscles. He was tall though not quite as tall as Severus. The Potions Master felt the slightest amount of jealousy at the graceful gleam of intelligence that glinted from the man's sea-blue eyes. Severus twitched a sudden bout of unreasonable anger sparking in the back of his mind, as though he was almost appalled with himself. Why, he did not know.
"Mr. Dursley, I presume." spoke the Professor as he watched the regal man settle into his creaking seat. The man's mustache rustled as he responded. "I am, and you are?"
Severus blinked, feeling hazy, he almost wobbled as a strange sense of vertigo washed over him, before disappearing, feeling vaguely confused. "Severus Snape." he replied once regaining some semblance of clarity. "I am a professor at your nephew's school."
A sour expression entered Dursley's handsome face, he averted his eyes looking almost disgusted. Severus had to resist the urge to apologize for the second time that night.
Dursley's expression lightened though, as a teenage boy, probably not much older (though much larger) than Potter entered. "There you are, Dudley! How was wrestling practice?"
"Good." replied the buff boy, pulling down the -charming- muscle shirt that showed off his abdominal muscles. "Who's that guy?" asked the teen as he settled into his seat.
"Some fr-" there was a pause in Dursley's speech as though everything had silenced before he continued. "Professor from the boy's-" there was a pause in her speech as though everything had silenced before she continued. "-ish school."
The teen turned his intelligent blue eyes in Severus' direction with a considering look."What do you teach?" Severus blinked, feeling hazy, he almost wobbled as a strange sense of vertigo washed over him, before disappearing, feeling vaguely confused.
In his dizziness, he did not notice Potter and Petunia sit down at the table. Everyone was staring at him expectantly and he tried to recall what the question had been. Why was he acting so strangely today? Potter instead answered as Severus floundered through his muddled thoughts. "He's a Potions Master, it's like chemistry, I suppose."
"Oh." replied the other teen, Dudley? Dudley. He reached out with a muscled fist to spoon more mashed potatoes onto his plate, it was then that Severus noticed that the food had arrived. He reach out to pile the charming fare onto his plate.
"This is delicious." he said after his first bite, addressing Petunia. "You are quite the chef."
She lifted her chin, eyebrows raising slightly and smiled smugl- (no no no no, wait no) charmingly. "Thank you," she tittered beautifully. "It was really nothing, though."
There was a quiet cough from across the table and Potter shifted in his seat. He glanced down at the brat's plate only to find it completely empty. 'Is the boy not eat-'
'What charming silverware.' The thought was slammed painfully into his head, crushing all of his other thoughts entirely and jumbling his mind.
The rest of dinner went quietly, Dudley and Vernon speaking enthusiastically to one another with Petunia joining in occasionally. Potter and Severus remained silent.
"Boy," said Petunia, lovely blue eyes following Potter's form as he cleared the table. "Show your professor around the house after you put away the dishes."
"Yes Aunt Petunia."
=Let It Go=
"And here is Dudley's second bedroom." said the green eyed teen in monotone. Four charming bedrooms to go along with the absolutely charming house. Though he did wonder where Potter stayed if Dudley's second-
"Just charming." he couldn't help but say, a smile splitting his face from ear to ear.
Something pushed against his back and he stumbled into the room, falling to the floor. The door slammed and Potter stepped forward, his small form looking surprisingly intimidating as he glared down at him. Even so, the potions Master simply could not stop grinning.
"Perhaps I expected too much of you, professor. I know you want to believe that my home life is a desirable one, but I always imagined you to be far more willful than this." Something slight, and thin slapped across his face, his cheek burned and the man giggled at the sight of Potter's raised palm.
"You slapped me," laughed Severus. "How charming!"
The boy rolled his eyes and sneered, grabbing the front of his collar and pulled his body forwards with a surprising amount of strength.. "This has gone too far, I'm not my father. Let it go."
He felt dizzy, the room was spinning his mouth was gaping open stupidly, eyes blank. They were nose to nose, Harry staring into Severus' eyes with ferocity and the vaguest amount of hurt.
"Let. It. Go"
There was a surge, starting from where Potter's clutching fingers brushed the slightest bit against Severus' neck. The surge continued filling up every bit of the man's body before draining out, released into the air around them, perhaps. It left an almost cleansed feeling, as though something horrible that had been residing in him for a very long time had been drowned and dissolved into something purer.
His mind had suddenly settled from the whirlwind of thoughts he hadn't noticed within his subconscious. He looked up, green eyes met his own, filled with exasperation and concern.
"What have you done then, brat?" he snapped as he straightened his robes, though there was no real venom behind his voice his words. A smile curled onto the boy's hollow face.
"Glad to have to back, sir."
Severus growled, standing, for some reason he felt a bit uncomfortable at how he towered over the child who had just forced something life-changing through him. He sneered, though his lips twitched as he tried to hold the expression. "I don't believe that serves as a legitimate answer to my question, Mr. Potter." He paused, watching the child stare enthusiastically up at him. The man scoffed, "Fine, disregard it, I'd much prefer an explanation as to why you slapped me anyway."
"Just a passing fancy that I decided to act upon, sir."
Severus rolled his eye and grabbed the other by the arm, pulling him forwards to clip him across the face, it made a resounding smack, followed by a heart laugh on Potter's behalf. "I suppose I deserve that!" chuckled the teen, grinning widely. Snape wasn't entirely sure how to respond, so he simply took to inspecting the room. It was chaos, filled to the brim with destroyed toys and games, the only thing left unscathed were the books that were collecting dust on the two bookshelves in the corner.
"It looks different." he commented, feeling rather dumb for pointing it out, but desperate for an explanation. "It's more... haphazard."
Potter nodded, stepping forwards to stand next to him. "I'd be worried if it didn't." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his oversized jeans, nodding jovally.
"Was that supposed to be an explanation?" Growled the man, sending the teen a sideways glance.
Potter shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "Meh, I suppose that was vague. It was a compulsion, there's one over the entire house, I imagine Dumbledore sent you here to test if it still worked."
"I realize you certainly aren't as intelligent as you would like most to believe.
I'm an Occlumens," snapped the man, picking up a crushed Atari controller and examined the broken parts scattered across the floor and slowly begins to piece them back together, Harry watched, impressed. "my defenses would not allow something as weak and simple as a compulsion into my mind."
The laughter returned full force and the boy actually had to bend into a crouch. Severus resisted the urge to deliver a kick to the guffawing heathen. "That's why it's so funny!" bellowed the boy between giggles. He finally regained composure, though didn't stand, making him look even smaller as he opted to sit on the ground. "Compulsions generally wouldn't have worked on an Occlumens of you stature, sir. But since your mind actually welcomed the compulsion, your barriers allowed it entry. You wanted to believe it, sir, because you hate me. You didn't want to accept the idea that I lived in a less than desirable home, so you allowed yourself to be influenced."
A myriad of emotions assaulted him, first guilt, then denial, followed by acceptance, along with faint, painful amusement and self-disgust. He realized he hadn't replied with anything for a good minute, but didn't know what to say. He simply looked away, his cowardice taking hold.
Potter popped up from the floor, energetic grin on his hollow cheeks. "Welp, I s'pose I'll escort you out then."
"No," replied Severus, finding his voice once again. "No, you still have yet to show me your own living quarters."
"I'd rather not." The reply was immediate, hurried and evasive, eyes drawing away from him for the first time.
That horrible something in him returned and he sneered, thick eyebrows drawing together. "How dare you disobey your authority figures, just like your father no-" he felt dizzy again and stumbled almost drunkenly. A stabling hand slapped onto his shoulder, keeping him from falling to the floor.
"Now now, none of that, Professor. You don't want to be reduced to that giggling mess you were before, do you?"
He growled, batting away the hand and cleared his throat along with his hatred for James Potter from his mind. "Fine, though you're still going to show me you room."
"Fine." came a snappy reply.
He was dragged from the room and down the stairs until he found himself in the hallway that led to the front door. He nearly began to berate the child again, under the impression he was being forced from the house. But then, the father crouched to the floor in front of a small cupboard, casting a glance in the direction of the empty living room before opening it and and stepping back. He grinned up at his teacher, though his eyes reflected nervousness and embarrassment. Severus thought it was strange that he also felt a smidgen of the nervousness. He put on a front, as the man was known to do. "You don't honestly expect me to believe you sleep here, do you?"
He was met with a shrug. "I dunno, take a look for yourself."
He swept forward, robes billowing and crouched to get a better look at the tiny space. It was the perfect size for someone of Harr- ...Potter's emaciated stature. There was a small cot and a ragged blanket. Shoved into the corner was the boy's school trunk, an empty owl cage atop it. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, lighting the dusty space. On the back wall was a yellowed piece of paper, that had 'Harry's Room' written on it in child's scribble.
He stepped back and slammed the little door closed. shutting his eyes as he tried to control his anger. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" growled the man through clenched teeth.
"I did, sir. I talked to Headmaster Dumbledore about it multiple times... I- wasn't always in here." he added, as though it made the situation better somehow. "See, when I first got my Hogwarts letter, I got to stay in Dudley's second bedroom. But. then," his voice became more sedate. "in second year a houself came and dropped a pudding on one of my Uncle's client's head and then I came back from third year it was back to the cupboard."
"You said you told the Headmaster?" his voice was blank and he continued to hold his eyes closed.
"Uhh, yeah." stuttered the teen. "He said I was exaggerating and that I shouldn't complain."
Severus crossed his arms over his chest a pensive expression entering his face. "Alright, yes, I will help you."
"I wasn't asking for you help, sir."
"Shut up. I will help you, but you must cooperate." he began to pace now, stroking his chin as he thought out exactly what he was to do. "I will return to the school and report there was nothing amiss to the Headmaster. Obviously he is the one behind these... cumbersome Compulsions, he would most likely Obliviate me if I confronted him about your living conditions. I'll have to make the arrangements, speak to the Goblins, perhaps Lucius..." he knew he was mumbling to himself and that Potter had no comprehension as to what he was saying, but continued as he tried to riddle out just what to do. "Yes, yes that will work, but I need time." he looked down to address the child. "Can you wait about a month? If not, I could try to arrange something else, but this plan would have the lowest risk of the Headmaster finding out about your absence before he's meant to."
"I've lived this way for almost sixteen years, Professor. One more month will make little difference."
Severus nodded curtly and silence ensued. He contemplated simply leaving, but found this too odd a note to leave on, though for once, he had no clue what to say. Potter suddenly reached out, small cool hands clutching Severus', long potion-stained fingers. The spindly arm moved in some semblance of a shake. He thought he may have caught a glint of tears in the child's eyes.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much."
He was again flooded with guilt, how could he have been so blind?
"You've no reason to thank me, Harry."
Hey, how was it? Weird huh? I bet it got on your nerves a little bit. Well, if it did don't flame me... or do it doesn't really matter. I got the idea from the song 'Let It Go' by the Neighborhood, as in not Frozen, as in I fucking hate Frozen. Yeah... I'm just asking for flames, but whatever. I hope you guy liked it either way.
Please review!