The Roast of Severus Snape
Author: EnimsajaSnape
Summary: A huge misunderstanding involving Harry, Severus, and a floo.
Disclaimer: To claim I own Harry Potter would be a lie.
Little Harry Potter had been living with his new guardian, Severus Snape, for all of one and a half hours. But Severus hadn't been able to explain anything to the three year old as the green-eyed boy had nodded off the moment the Potions Master sat him on the soft black sofa in his quarters as if exhausted. Probably is exhausted with all that those blasted muggles forced him to do, Severus thought angrily as he covered the too small boy with the green afghan from the back of the sofa, I swear, if I ever get my hands on those vile creatures… His thoughts were interrupted by the flaring of the floo. He turned away from his sleeping ward to see Albus Dumbledore's head in his fireplace.
"What is it, Albus?" he demanded. The Potions Master was still peeved at the old headmaster for making it necessary to rescue the tiny, abused boy-who-lived.
"Can you come through, my boy? I have something I need your help with," Dumbledore said.
"Very well," Severus sighed before the headmaster's head disappeared. Grabbing a pinch of floo powder and tossing it into the fireplace, he disappeared into the flames, never noticing the shocked emerald green eyes watching in horror.
Severus returned to his quarters about forty-five minutes later, muttering about senile old men and socks. His mutterings were immediately cut off by the sight of the Harry Potter-less sofa. Where is that boy, he thought, I wasn't even gone an hour. He took out his wand and cast a Point Me spell, which led him to the small hall closet. Why would he be in there? he thought, shaking his head. He was about to cast the spell again when the sound of soft cries reached his ears.
"What…But why…"
Opening the closet door, he immediately spotted the huddled form of one Harry Potter crying his eyes out on the floor. The little boy was so distraught, he didn't even notice the door being opened.
"Harry?" Severus questioned softly, causing the dark head to snap up, red-rimmed emerald eyes staring at him in shock. And then suddenly with a squeaked, "Sev'rus!" the little boy launched himself into his guardian's arms. Severus immediately scooped the boy up and walked back into the sitting room.
"Why were you hiding in the closet, Harry?" he asked, sitting down in his favorite arm chair and situating his ward on his lap, "Did you have a bad dream or something?" For several minutes, Harry wouldn't say anything. He just clutched at his guardian's robes and relished being held for the first time he could remember. "Harry?" the Potions Master prompted.
"You burned," the little boy finally said softly.
"I…burned?" Severus asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"You burn and go 'way," Harry said, pulling back from Severus and pointing a tiny finger at the fireplace before clutching the Potions Master's robes once again, "No burn. No die. No go 'way. Pwease." Confusion turned to understanding as Severus realized that Harry had apparently seen him go through the floo and thought he had burnt up and died. He could tell the little boy was closed to tears so he quickly explained.
"I didn't get burned, Harry. I just went through the fireplace to talk to someone. It's a method of travel. The flames did not hurt me. I promise."
"But fire burn. Fire bad."
"Not this fire. This fire is magic, so it doesn't burn people it doesn't burn you if you put in some special powder."
"Magic powder?"
"Yes, I used it so I didn't get burnt."
"No burn?"
"Do you see any burns on me?" Harry looked up at Severus to check his face. Then he pushed up the Potions Master's sleeves to check his arms.
"No burn," the little boy said, examining Severus's hands.
"That's right. I'm perfectly fine," Severus said, running one hand through Harry's unruly, raven locks. Harry smiled shyly, happy that his new guardian was okay. He had been terrified when he had seen Severus going inside the fireplace. He thought he was about to be all alone or worse sent back to the Dursleys. But his guardian was fine, so little Harry relaxed into Severus's calming touch. All of this just because Albus needed me to come and help him sort his socks, Severus thought wearily.
FIN!
AN: I didn't know if I wanted this to a funny fic or a Severus comforts little Harry fic, so it's kind of both, I guess. This just popped into my head when I was writing the next chapter of Death Eater to Spy to Potions Master to…Father? But this is not related to that at all. It's just a random little one-shot. Review if you will.
ES