Chapter Two: The Hidden, Old Parchment

Day One

It was Thursday and Harry had some time on his hands before he had to teach. As usual, he had taken to cleaning the quarters that he shared with Severus. It seemed that no matter how many times he cleaned the area, strange items kept on surfacing. With an amused expression, he flipped the infamous 'Potter Stinks' badge between his fingers. He had found that jammed in between the wall and their wardrobe. He shook his head and tossed it in the wastepaper basket. Hermione had asked him once why the house-elves would not clean up for them and he had told her that Severus had forbidden them to touch anything in the room, except for dishes and the rubbish bin. He had even insisted on doing the laundry himself, Harry's clothes included.

Harry chuckled, shaking his head at Severus' surprising domestic nature. He turned his attention to an old trunk hidden underneath Severus' working desk. He had noticed it several weeks earlier, but he did not have the time to examine the contents. He had asked Severus about it though, and his lover had replied that he had kept research manuscripts and manuals inside.

"I might have kept some important documents inside..." Severus had said thoughtfully.

"Do you mind if I take a peek?" Harry had asked.

Severus had shrugged. "If you wish." Then he had added to Harry that he might as well make a list of the contents of the trunk.

"You just know how to work me, don't you?" Harry laughed and then he blushed at his own words.

"Work you indeed," said a wicked, salacious voice in his head.

He cursed softly under his breath when he felt aroused. "Gah ... don't think about sex, idiot. I still have to teach later." Determinedly driving inappropriate thoughts from his mind, he focused on opening the charms that held the trunk close. Then he quickly protected his face at a loud popping sound. Billows of dust exploded from the trunk. He waved his hand in front of his face several times, coughing loudly. He waited for the dust to settle before peering into the trunk.

Just as Severus had said, there was a stack of manuals in it. From their condition, Harry guessed that they had been kept there for several years. As he took each of the volumes out, he found several theory and practical books. He blinked – those were the books Severus had used when he was younger! He set those aside, and then grew puzzled when he came across a file.

"And what the hell are these?" he asked himself as he leafed through the contents. "More manuals?" He read a passage briefly, and it convinced him that it was a manual. It provided some instrunctions on how to brew a truth serum.

Other than that, Harry also came across several transcripts, which were foreign to Hogwarts. He stared at the parchments, already degrading with age. They were results of some kind – Harry wondered what sort of academic examinations Severus had gone through, because these were definitely not a NEWTS certificate of examination. He placed them neatly on the ground, and took another batch of parchments from the file. As he flipped through them, he found a birth certificate. It had been folded into four, and there were holes along the edges. Harry took great care in opening it, and marveled at the old calligraphy letterings.

"Severus Snape." Harry smiled fondly, absently tracing the letters with his index finger. "Tobias Snape ... Eileen Prince..."

His fingertips tingled suddenly and he looked up from the parchment. He tilted his head to the side and listened intently. Just as his fingers tingled again, he heard knocks.

"Damn..." He hurriedly got to his feet and went to his own desk. He slid Severus' birth certificate into one of the empty wall-pockets. He glanced at the mess on the floor, and winced. The knocks echoed insistently. He went out of the quarters and entered Severus' main office.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," he muttered under his breath. He unlocked the door and raised his eyebrow upon seeing Hermione. "Hi."

His friend gave him a rather sheepish grin. "Hi. You aren't busy right now, are you?"

"What did you think I was busy with? Severus is in class." Harry leaned against the doorframe and smiled crookedly at her.

"I need your help," Hermione said. "One of the boys from Professor Flitwick's class inadvertently summoned a fairy, which, for some reason has attached itself to me." She jerked her thumb to something over her shoulder.

Harry looked behind her. At first he did not see anything. He withdrew his wand from his pocket and summoned light from it. Then he caught a glimpse of something fluttering just right above Hermione's head.

"Are you sure that is not a Snitch?"

"Definitely not a Snitch. But it is rather hyperactive for a fairy," Hermione sighed. "Can you help me do something about it? It is somewhat irritating that it is always out of my good eye." She pursed her lips, and used her left hand to make shooing motions over the left side of her head.

"Is it urgent?" Harry asked, rubbing his chin. "I'd taken some stuff out earlier – I don't want Severus to get mad seeing the mess I'd made."

"Well, just as long you'd help me before it's time for dinner. But you have a class later..."

"I won't take long. Give me about fifteen minutes and I'll meet you..."

"At the courtyard. Let's give you plenty of room. I doubt there will be any students around to get in the way."

"All right then. I'll see you in a while."

"Right. Thanks, Harry." Hermione smiled brightly at him and walked off.

Harry watched her go in silence, and he regretted that she had to lose her eye during the final confrontation with the dark forces. But Hermione was a sturdy witch, and it had not taken long for her to smile without it being overshadowed by trauma. He smiled wryly. "Even with one eye, she is still dazzling to most of the laddies in the school." His friend might not be someone who was as pretty as the Delacour sisters, but when she smiled... He shook his head. Time was passing, and he had to pack the manuals he had taken out back into Severus' trunk.

Preoccupied with plans on how to deal with the fairy, Harry had forgotten about Severus' birth certificate. If he had actually examined it in detail, he was certain to hid himself somewhere in the castle, reluctant to face his lover.

-oOooOoo-