Things Don't Always Go As Planned
Ch: 1-Escaping Hell.
An annoyed Severus Snape, clad in muggle clothing, walked down Private Drive. 'Bloody Potter' he thought. Albus Dumbledore had sent him to the Dursleys to check on Harry Potter. Molly Weasley had contacted Dumbledore telling him that Hedwig, Harry's owl, had shown up at their home. That was not unusual but the fact there was no note with her was. She told him that she was worried because Hedwig was very bothered, like she had left against her will, and often tried to go back. Dumbledore had sent Severus to check on Harry because he was 'the only person he could trust to do it properly'. Severus, of course, snorted but stayed silent. So here he was, walking down a muggle street, in muggle clothing, going to a muggle house to see the Boy-Who-Lived. He finally made it to number four Private Drive, and the sight that greeted him was something he never thought he would see. Harry Potter, in clothes way too big for him, bent over doing garden work. Harry gathered all the tools together and put them back in the tool shed in the backyard. Severus made himself known once Harry had closed the door.
"Gardening, Mr. Potter?" he asked silkily. Harry jumped and spun around to face him.
"Professor? What are you doing here?" he asked nervously. An elegant eyebrow rose.
"I am here because Albus felt it necessary for someone to check up on you. I'm surprised to find you doing chores," Severus said, "I would think that your family wouldn't want you to get your hands dirty." Harry shocked him by glaring at the ground, then looking up at him, a tired look on his face.
"Do you know any good invisibility spells, Professor?" The tired, quiet tone of Harry's voice cut back any retort he normally would have made.
"I do," Severus replied.
"Then use it please," said Harry quietly, "I want you to see what my 'perfect life' is really like." Severus couldn't help but comply. The boy sounded so tired, so sad, this was not how he was used to seeing him. Once Severus was invisible Harry made his way inside the house. As soon as Harry entered he was met by a backhand from his aunt.
"You wretched little freak!" she cried, "Your getting my nice, polished floor dirty!"
"Sorry, Aunt Petunia," said Harry quietly, taking off his shoes and walking out of the room.
"Get back here, boy!" yelled his aunt and he walked back into the kitchen.
"Your uncle will be home soon and he is in a good mood, stay out of the way so that he stays that way."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia."
"Good. Now go to your room!" Harry nodded and started up the stairs. Dudley came out of his room and spotted Harry. He grinned, walked up behind him with his Smeltings stick in his hand and hit Harry across the back with it. Harry cried out and almost tripped from the force of the blow. When he spun to face Dudley he had already retreated to the kitchen. Harry sighed and walked into his room.
"You in?" he whispered.
"Yes," replied Severus. Harry nodded and closed the door.
"Could you put a silencing spell around the room?" asked Harry moving towards his small bed. There was a slight tingling feeling then Severus appeared off to his right.
"It's up," said Severus looking down at him as he flopped onto his bed, wincing as pain flared across his back.
"That's gonna leave a mark," said Harry lightly, sighing.
"Is it always like this, Potter?" asked Severus, bracing himself for the answer.
"No." Came the quiet reply and he let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "This was one of the best days at home in my life." He gasped. Guilt. That terrible feeling flooded his body and mind, such powerful guilt.
"It'll get back to normal once my dear uncle gets home," said Harry with mock enthusiasm. "I've got to take a shower." With that he rose, walked to the bathroom and shut the door. The sound of running water could be heard not long after. Severus sat down on a chair at Harry's (AN: Dudley's!) desk. A few minutes had totally changed his perspective on the Boy-Who-Lived. He was still thinking when Harry stepped into the room, dried and changed. Harry sat down on the bed, facing Severus.
"So Professor, what do you think of the savior of the wizarding world now?" he asked sarcastically, falling onto his back again and wincing once more.
"I don't know how to answer that...the past few minutes have changed a lot." Harry nodded. Suddenly Harry sat up.
"Sir, would you mind putting that invisibility spell back on, please?" he asked staring at the door.
"What's wrong?"
"Vernon's home." Those two words didn't mean anything to Severus, but the fear in Harry's voice and eyes as he said them did. Severus nodded and stood.
"Sir, I would also ask you a favor," Severus nodded again. "Please stand in that corner and no matter what you see or hear do not interfere or take off the spell until he has left." Severus just nodded, hesitantly, and disappeared.
"Promise me sir," Harry said quietly.
"I promise," Severus said and moved to the corner of the room just as the door banged open.
Ch: 1-Escaping Hell.
An annoyed Severus Snape, clad in muggle clothing, walked down Private Drive. 'Bloody Potter' he thought. Albus Dumbledore had sent him to the Dursleys to check on Harry Potter. Molly Weasley had contacted Dumbledore telling him that Hedwig, Harry's owl, had shown up at their home. That was not unusual but the fact there was no note with her was. She told him that she was worried because Hedwig was very bothered, like she had left against her will, and often tried to go back. Dumbledore had sent Severus to check on Harry because he was 'the only person he could trust to do it properly'. Severus, of course, snorted but stayed silent. So here he was, walking down a muggle street, in muggle clothing, going to a muggle house to see the Boy-Who-Lived. He finally made it to number four Private Drive, and the sight that greeted him was something he never thought he would see. Harry Potter, in clothes way too big for him, bent over doing garden work. Harry gathered all the tools together and put them back in the tool shed in the backyard. Severus made himself known once Harry had closed the door.
"Gardening, Mr. Potter?" he asked silkily. Harry jumped and spun around to face him.
"Professor? What are you doing here?" he asked nervously. An elegant eyebrow rose.
"I am here because Albus felt it necessary for someone to check up on you. I'm surprised to find you doing chores," Severus said, "I would think that your family wouldn't want you to get your hands dirty." Harry shocked him by glaring at the ground, then looking up at him, a tired look on his face.
"Do you know any good invisibility spells, Professor?" The tired, quiet tone of Harry's voice cut back any retort he normally would have made.
"I do," Severus replied.
"Then use it please," said Harry quietly, "I want you to see what my 'perfect life' is really like." Severus couldn't help but comply. The boy sounded so tired, so sad, this was not how he was used to seeing him. Once Severus was invisible Harry made his way inside the house. As soon as Harry entered he was met by a backhand from his aunt.
"You wretched little freak!" she cried, "Your getting my nice, polished floor dirty!"
"Sorry, Aunt Petunia," said Harry quietly, taking off his shoes and walking out of the room.
"Get back here, boy!" yelled his aunt and he walked back into the kitchen.
"Your uncle will be home soon and he is in a good mood, stay out of the way so that he stays that way."
"Yes, Aunt Petunia."
"Good. Now go to your room!" Harry nodded and started up the stairs. Dudley came out of his room and spotted Harry. He grinned, walked up behind him with his Smeltings stick in his hand and hit Harry across the back with it. Harry cried out and almost tripped from the force of the blow. When he spun to face Dudley he had already retreated to the kitchen. Harry sighed and walked into his room.
"You in?" he whispered.
"Yes," replied Severus. Harry nodded and closed the door.
"Could you put a silencing spell around the room?" asked Harry moving towards his small bed. There was a slight tingling feeling then Severus appeared off to his right.
"It's up," said Severus looking down at him as he flopped onto his bed, wincing as pain flared across his back.
"That's gonna leave a mark," said Harry lightly, sighing.
"Is it always like this, Potter?" asked Severus, bracing himself for the answer.
"No." Came the quiet reply and he let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "This was one of the best days at home in my life." He gasped. Guilt. That terrible feeling flooded his body and mind, such powerful guilt.
"It'll get back to normal once my dear uncle gets home," said Harry with mock enthusiasm. "I've got to take a shower." With that he rose, walked to the bathroom and shut the door. The sound of running water could be heard not long after. Severus sat down on a chair at Harry's (AN: Dudley's!) desk. A few minutes had totally changed his perspective on the Boy-Who-Lived. He was still thinking when Harry stepped into the room, dried and changed. Harry sat down on the bed, facing Severus.
"So Professor, what do you think of the savior of the wizarding world now?" he asked sarcastically, falling onto his back again and wincing once more.
"I don't know how to answer that...the past few minutes have changed a lot." Harry nodded. Suddenly Harry sat up.
"Sir, would you mind putting that invisibility spell back on, please?" he asked staring at the door.
"What's wrong?"
"Vernon's home." Those two words didn't mean anything to Severus, but the fear in Harry's voice and eyes as he said them did. Severus nodded and stood.
"Sir, I would also ask you a favor," Severus nodded again. "Please stand in that corner and no matter what you see or hear do not interfere or take off the spell until he has left." Severus just nodded, hesitantly, and disappeared.
"Promise me sir," Harry said quietly.
"I promise," Severus said and moved to the corner of the room just as the door banged open.