aising Snape 2
AN: Calling all good namers! I am having a lot of trouble naming the second installment of this story, and Raising Snape 2 sounds silly to me. Please comment with any suggestions you might have to see if it jogs my brain a little. J
Welcome back to the world of Raising Snape! The muse has struck and I have a plot now, so the adventure can begin! If you haven't read the first installment of Raising Snape, I would advise you to do so as otherwise this story might be confusing. The rest of my summary will also be a spoiler for anybody who hasn't read the first story, as it reveals some major plot points. You have been warned.
For those who need a recap: Professor Snape has raised Harry from the age of 9, eventually becoming a loving father to him. He survives the battle of Hogwarts, but due to his extensive trauma suffers from PTSD and devises a plan to cure himself. He stages a "potions accident" which de-ages himself to 9 years old and, with the secret help of George Weasley, becomes a ward of Harry Potter and begins the road to attaching to him and healing from his childhood trauma.
Warnings and disclaimers: I am not JK Rowling and do not own this universe. I make no money off my stories, just kind comments from the world's best readers. Thoughtful critique and comments are always welcome. There is corporal punishment in this story, as well as discussion of abuse and trauma. I have taken my troll immunity potion so if you feel angry or self-righteous about this then please be a grown up and instead of abusing authors please look to one of the other lovely stories on this site to satisfy your reading needs.
Chapter 1 Goodbye Broomie
Harry walked into his residence at Grimmauld Place with a heavy sigh. He did not want to have to have the forthcoming conversation, but saw no way to avoid it. This was the hardest part about being a father, he decided. His heart had sank at work when he had received a mid-day owl from the nanny, knowing that could only really mean one thing. And he had been right, she was quitting. He had asked Hermione to go home ahead of him, knowing she was about to take a lunch break and that he had a few things to finish and then could leave for the day.
Thinking about his beginning fatherhood, he noticed how clean and bright his house looked now that the house elf the Headmistress had insisted on sending had had a few months to work her magic on the place. Gone were the cobwebs and stained wallpaper, and long gone were the horrid dark artifacts that seemed to clutter every corner. Everywhere you looked was now clean and bright, with a homey warmth suffusing everything. And she had done it with a deft, almost unseen hand as well; not even offending Kreacher in the process. Once again, Harry had to marvel at the skills the small creatures possessed.
He made his way into the main room of the house, and he could hear Hermione's voice in her lecturing tone, probably helping the miscreant now with his homework since there was no longer any nanny doing it. They had all regained some sense of normalcy having a nanny to watch Severus during the day, but Harry had known it would only be a matter of time. While he had very much liked the warm, plump middle-aged Hufflepuff he had hired, Severus had taken an immediate dislike to her. And he had made that preference known, despite Harry's threats if he should run her off with his misbehavior.
"Is Broomie gone then?" Harry asked, walking into the dining room where they had congregated.
"Broomhilda has vacated," Hermione nodded. "She said she would wait long enough for me to get home, but then apparated out soon after. She was very offended."
"It's hard to imagine her offended," Harry smirked.
"Badgers are the Hufflepuff symbol," Hermione reminded him. "Although I would say she looked more like an irritated hedgehog."
"I suppose we'll have to resort to the list my father left us, then," Harry sighed. "I thought Broomie would be much better than what he suggested."
"For a Hufflepuff she probably would have been," Severus growled. He had had enough of people talking to him like he wasn't there.
"And I believe I made it clear the consequences if you should run her off," Harry countered, his voice firm.
Severus paused then, looking at his guardian critically. "Yes, sir," he answered quietly, unconsciously reverting to formalities. He had known that he would likely be punished for his actions, but had weighed the likely consequences and chosen to act anyway. But now that he was faced with an irritated guardian he found himself becoming wary; a part of him didn't truly believe that Harry wouldn't hurt him if given sufficient provocation.
"In all fairness to Severus he wasn't particularly bad today," Hermione offered. "I think Severus was attempting to obey you. There had just been a cumulative affect from all the preceding days."
"And that's supposed to make it better?" Harry asked, incredulous. "I mean, sure, the snake on her book and the hiding all of her quills were sheer naughtiness, but I don't think the excuse of his successful psychological war against her just came to culmination today really excuses anything."
"Nor will a spanking cure it," Hermione countered.
"It might make me feel better," Harry grumbled, but decided he was willing to listen. "And I don't think anybody could argue that it wasn't deserved. So, Severus, tell me what happened today."
"It started just like any other day," Severus told him, the air of stubborn non-disclosure about him.
Sighing, Harry asked, "So it was at breakfast then?"
"Broomhilda had long become accustomed to eating before starting work," Hermione told him. "She was brighter than that. But she thought perhaps a cup of tea might be safe while she had set Severus a writing exercise to do."
"Was it poison?" Harry asked, feeling defeated.
"Merely salt," Hermione answered. "But it just caused her to snap. She expressed herself – quite forcefully for a Hufflepuff, to be honest – that she couldn't work somewhere where even her tea could be attacked. She said something about the sanctity of a morning cuppa and wished us well in raising our devil child."
"All children can be a little naughty . . ." Harry began.
"She left a detailed list," Hermione answered him, handing him a scroll. "She said she had been compiling it for the last few days as an argument for increased time off. It had far more on it than I was aware of, I believe she had been trying to win Severus' trust by being tolerant and not tattling on him."
"What do you have to say for yourself, young man?" Harry asked sternly, his eyes fixed on his ward.
Severus squirmed under the gaze, but couldn't find one good answer. "I don't know, sir," he answered quietly.
"Was I unclear when I told you to behave yourself and not run off your nanny?" Harry asked.
"No, sir," Severus replied, licking his lips. Perhaps if he was compliant now Harry wouldn't be so mad.
"How bad is it?" Harry asked grimly, accepting the scroll from Hermione.
"Well, if Severus was an adult it would certainly qualify as criminal harassment," Hermione answered quietly. "Perhaps even assault for a few of them."
Harry opened the scroll, much to Severus' chagrin. Severus wished for accidental magic to catch the scroll on fire, but grimaced knowing that accidental magic was not controlled by wish. As hard as he might hope it to. He squirmed as he watched his new father read the scroll, and found himself wishing he had the ability to apparate. There was no way that Harry could stay calm and reasonable in the face of what he knew had to be on that list. Had the overly kind, nearly simple preschool teaching excuse for a nanny actually written everything? Harry shuddered to think – this was going to have to be the time that Harry broke his word and really let his ward have it.
"Severus, go to your room please," Harry said in a calm but strained voice. "I will be up to discuss this with you when I am a bit calmer."
Severus hesitated for a minute, trying to decide whether or not he would obey or fight back. His fists twitched and he could feel his anger rise, but fear of what Harry could do schooled caution into his response. Without a reply, Severus walked to his room and closed the door.
"I guess we'll have to go with the nannies Professor Snape suggested," Harry told Hermione as soon as the youngster was safely ensconced in his room.
"I've owled them already," Hermione nodded. "Of the five we interviewed only one still doesn't have a position."
"Which one?" Harry asked grimly.
"Miss Floy Matilda Stradling," Hermione answered.
"The squib from Yorkshire?" Harry asked, trying to remember.
"No, the Slytherin from Wales," Hermione answered. "The one with the dark hair."
"Yes, I remember her," Harry answered. "She was a few years ahead of us in school but I don't remember her much. She seemed nice enough in the interview."
"I think maybe Ginny didn't like her as much," Hermione remembered. "But when I asked her about it she didn't really know why."
"She's at practice now," Harry answered, looking at the clock. "But she'll be home before dinner, so I'll ask her tonight about it. But if she's alright with Miss Stradling, we can engage her soon. If she's not, well, should we try another nanny from the agency?"
"I'm not sure the agency would send another," Hermione admitted. "Broomhilda was the only non-squib even willing the first time, given that all the full-fledged witches had had Professor Snape for potions. And I think if Broomhilda says anything to the others, I'm sure the squibs will follow suit. And to be honest, a squib has no real chance against him, especially as he starts having more accidental magic as he gets bigger."
"Well, at least Miss Stradling is a Slytherin and a fully qualified witch," Harry nodded. "Maybe she can curtail his antics."
"They're not antics really," Hermione corrected. "Don't you see? This isn't fun like Fred and George did, this is something else."
"Is he a psychopath?" Harry asked, one of his worst fears just slipping out.
"No," Hermione answered gently. "He's an abused child. Sometimes they do this."
"I didn't."
"No, you didn't," Hermione nodded. "I think different kids handle it differently. We need to be patient."
"Not too patient," Harry answered, looking up the stairs and sighing. "You know the last thing I want to do is punish him, but I promised him a consequence if he continued doing exactly what he did. And some of those things on the list were pretty serious. He needs to take my rules seriously."
"You're right," Hermione nodded reluctantly. "That list was pretty serious. What would Professor Snape had done?"
"Whacked me good and proper for each thing on there," Harry grinned, feeling a bit better to think of his father. Things always felt in control with him – he always seemed to know how to fix a situation. It was almost enough to make him ask George for another dose of the If potion, even though George had heavily implied that he needed to figure out the parenting thing on his own without Professor Snape as a crutch. "I'm not my father, but I can't let it go unpunished either."
"You're right," Hermione agreed. "But it still doesn't mean I like it."
"I'm going to tell Severus to stay in his room the rest of the evening as well," Harry told her. "Perhaps you can send up some of his schoolwork after a bit?"
"I will," Hermione promised.
"Then wish me luck," Harry told her. "I'm going up against Severus Snape, probably soon to be in high dudgeon, and I have to end the encounter with a scolding and a smacking. Sometimes I wonder about his wisdom in entrusting himself to me."
"You'll be fine," Hermione told him. "The Professor knew you well, and trusted you. You'll be fine."
Harry wished he could believe her. "You can go back to work when you want," he told her. "I'm taking the rest of the day off."
