Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoy this latest chapter.
Fairly Odd Couple
Since he didn't want to talk to or be around Lily Potter Snape decided to concentrate on Hugo Weasley instead. For the first half of their breakfast the boy did nothing but eat whatever Lily put in front of him, the girl babying the boy to an extent that was mindboggling in his eyes. She even called him Baby at one point. When Lily caught him gapping over this she'd informed him that in their family Hugo was often called Baby because he was the youngest in their family excluding the children their siblings and cousins had had since. Apparently the younger man didn't think being referred to as an infant was a bad thing.
Snape would have come to the conclusion that everyone was wrong and Hugo was incredibly simple if not for the boy's reaction when, after being exposed to enough caffeine, Lily informed her cousin as to how their guest had come to be her assistant and who he really was.
Like a switch had been flipped Snape watched as the dreamy, unfocused eyes went intelligent and focused, zooming in on him with startling intensity. The boy's eyes rather reminded Snape of Dumbledore's eyes then, a comparison that immediately had the Slytherin rethinking his assessment of the other man's mental acuity. Oh but there was intelligence and brilliance there, Snape silently marveled, it was simply a matter of engaging the boy's interest.
Hugo had a great many questions about life after death and was eager to ask them, leaning forward in his seat as the boy forgot the food he'd been obsessed with consuming earlier. Of course Snape had never been a conversationalist and hoping to shut the boy up informed Hugo that he couldn't tell the boy anything about death because he'd only lived his living life and the one inside the portrait. He had no memory of the time in between.
"Oh. Fascinating." Not looking the least disappointed Hugo switched to other questions, like what it was like to live in a portrait, who did he find to be the most interesting to talk to, did it feel weird to go from portrait to portrait, and did he like living in one?
Snape tried not to answer, he really, really did. But after a few harsh, one word answers the former badass Slytherin couldn't keep it up and found himself giving in as he answered each of the boy's questions to the best of his knowledge.
And he did that because Snape discovered the secret weapon the boy possessed that had likely kept the youngest Weasley alive for the past twenty six years.
Hugo Weasley might look human, but in all actuality he was a puppy. And not just any puppy, but a cocker spaniel puppy with curly, floppy ears, and big, innocence filled eyes. And being mean or hurting the boy's feelings made a person feel like they'd just kick said puppy onto a highway during rush hour.
He just wasn't that evil.
Wisely not commenting as she watched Hugo work his magic Lily did her best not to smile as she turned her attention to her cereal. It was always amazing really, to see the way her cousin wrapped people around his little finger without even realizing it. And he didn't, this was really just how Hugo was. People fascinated her cousin and he really was one of those people who believed a stranger was just a friend he hadn't met yet. If you put her cousin on a train for an hour he would be able to tell you something unique about every person in his compartment by the time they reached their stop. Provided he was caffeinated and not sleep deprived, Lily silently corrected as she got up to top of both men's glasses for them.
She doubted Snape was used to talking so much at once and his throat would get dry, Lily thought as she allowed herself one slightly evil little smile.
"So you guys are going to find out how portraits are made today?" Hugo asked, interrupting Lily's thoughts with his eager tone of voice. "Could I come with you? I've always wanted to know how they do that, but there aren't any books on the subject. Wait…do I work today, Lily?"
Lily's lips twitched. "Given how much overtime you've been working I would imagine your department would be fine with you taking the day off."
"What exactly is it you do?" Snape asked, feeling a little dazed as he realized that he'd actually been having a conversation with a Weasley without being remotely snarky or sarcastic. He felt a little sick.
Hugo beamed at the other man, thrilled to be asked about himself. "I translate books from other countries into multiple languages so that everyone can enjoy them."
Books. He should have known. Definitely Granger's son, Snape mused as he took a sip from his coffee.
"Then it's settled, we'll all go." Lily toasted the men with her cup, pleased that her cousin would be coming with them. While she was relatively intelligent about stuff that didn't have to do with potions, Lily was pretty sure some of the information would be hard to follow. Hugo was really good at explaining things for her. "We'll go after I give you guys some haircuts. Yours needs a trim, Hugo, and you so can't pull off the shoulder length hair, Snape. It must be cut before I will be seen in public with you."
Snape gave her a dark look. "I don't do short hair."
"Don't worry, I have plans."
Shivers ran down the older man's spine at her smile.
)
After breakfast Lily made it clear that neither man was allowed out of the house until she was done with them, though Hugo assented to his haircut without complaint. It was obvious he was used to her bossing him around but didn't mind because he knew she was only doing it because she knew that he didn't function well without someone to keep him fed, clothed and physically functioning. Well that and if she didn't cut his hair his mother would, and Lily was better at it.
Snape solved his problem by cutting his own hair while she was trimming Hugo's, coming back downstairs with a look in his eye that told her she had about as much chance of getting him on the stool as she did convincing Hugo that the world was flat.
More amused than upset by his little rebellion, Lily took in the chin length hair with approval. It suited him.
Annoyed that she liked it Snape would have shaved it all off, but he hated the idea of not having any hair more.
While Hugo headed upstairs to dress Snape took advantage of the boy's absence to ask the question that had been buzzing around in his mind. "Has he always been like this?"
Lily didn't have to ask what he meant. "Pretty much. We don't know how he ended up being so…well…trusting and innocent…but the popular belief is that he thought too hard about something, blew his brain circuits, and when they reconnected some of those circuits weren't reattached. Like the ones that would make him realize that not everyone is as sweet and well intentioned as he is."
"But you all can't have sheltered him from the outside world completely." Snape persisted. "And both your fathers would be out of jobs if there wasn't still evil in the world."
"Oh he knows." Lily informed him. "But Hugo…he doesn't feel the same way about people that do bad things. He feels sorry for them. In his eyes the darkness inside them is destroying their lives. If he sees someone else being abused he'll intervene, but when it's himself he's usually a complete pacifist." And now Lily's eyes narrowed threateningly as she moved in to glare up at the Slytherin. "And I don't think you would, but just so we're clear, if ANYTHING happens to him while you're here and it's your fault, I will make you pay. I don't know how, since killing you is what you want, but I'd find a way to make you sorrier than you've ever been."
Snape's eyes were emotionless as they met hers. "You couldn't."
Looking into his eyes Lily believed him. "Then it's a damn good thing I don't think you'll do anything to hurt him while you're here."
"You're so sure of that?"
"There's only one Slytherin that's managed it yet." Was her amused response.
)
Once Hugo was dressed the three headed for Diagon Alley using the Floo network. It felt very strange to Snape to walk the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley once more. It felt even stranger to walk down them and not feel disapproving, hating and despising eyes on him. But of course they didn't know who he really was. And he was with a Potter and a Weasley, which probably made him a good person by association in the eyes of their watchers. Lily and Hugo obviously knew a lot of the people around them, the two waving greetings or calling them out, stopping to chat for a couple moments before explaining they were in a hurry and couldn't stay longer.
Remaining in the background during these exchanges Snape waited until they were on the move again before asking Lily a question. "How are you planning to introduce me to people? Assuming I'm going to be here for a time." He was a pessimist by nature, so he wasn't anticipating it being easy to fix his portrait problem.
"That's a good question." Hugo noted, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully. "If word gets out who he is there would be a lot of people that would want to do very un nice things to him. There are a lot of people who believe you brainwashed Uncle Harry into thinking you weren't actually as evil as you pretended to be." Hugo added, patting the older man's shoulder in sympathy.
Shoulder jerking at the unfamiliar gesture Snape schooled his features so the other two couldn't see how the simple gesture had thrown him.
"I could care less how people remember me."
Lily rolled her eyes expressively at his surely, macho guy response. It was so something Scorpius Malfoy or Andromeda Tonks would say. Must be a Slytherin thing, she decided with a smirk. "Mr. Tough Guy. And we'll just introduce him as…Severus Prince. We'll all be able to remember it and it's not a complete lie. How's that sound to you, Half Blooded Prince?"
The dark look Snape aimed in her direction indicated he'd very much like to take her words and shove them down her throat.
Sensing the negative vibes Hugo tugged on the Slytherin's sleeve until the man turned to look at him. "Can I call you Severus? Or do you prefer to go by a shorter form like Sev?"
Staring up into the boy's eager and hopeful blue eyes Snape could feel a twitch threatening to erupt under his right eye. Illegal, Snape thought as he all but choked on his words his mind refused to let him speak. It should be illegal for anyone over the age of four to have puppy dog eyes like the man in front of him was sporting. And what was worse was the fact that he was fairly certain the Weasley didn't even know he was doing it. The boy just wanted to make friends with him that badly.
"You can call me Severus." He finally ground out, immediately turning to glare at Lily. "But you can't."
"Meanie." Lily fake pouted and then grinned at him. "But since you insist, I'll call you Sev."
"You know that's not what I meant, Potter."
"Should have been more specific then, Sev."
)
Watching the two tease and bicker with each other all the way to the Ministry building that housed the portrait makers' studios, Hugo thought about telling them that they fought like an old married couple. His self preservation instincts said that probably wasn't a good idea, especially since he and Severus weren't friends yet. Though it was obvious the man had just been pretending to be as horrible as his parents had always described the former Potions teacher to be. The man was a little prickly, but he was just one of those people who had a hard time interacting with others.
Hugo was sure in his gut that Severus was a very nice person once you got to know him.
"I think they'll kick us out if you keep talking like that, Sev." Lily informed the older man sweetly as she moved to enter the door that Hugo was holding open for her. "So you might want to tone it down until we get some info."
"You're one to talk, You Harpy." Was Snape's dark response as he followed her into the building with a look in his eye that suggested he'd have slammed the door into her if Hugo hadn't still been holding it open for him.
Shrugging off his dark mood easily Lily turned her attention to Hugo. "I'll go to the main desk and let them know we're here. Dad said he'd send them a message explaining that we were here on official business and to cooperate. Hugo, you stay and keep Mr. Grumpy company unless I signal that I need your help."
Snape watched her go, itching to make strangling motions with his hands. But he was far too mature to stoop to her level, the Slytherin told himself sternly, following Hugo to stand off to the side so that they'd be out of the way of anyone coming into the building. To distract himself from his need to do the world one last service and ensure Lily Potter demise, Snape turned his attention to the young man at his side. "How does she think you would help?"
"The woman at the front desk is old enough to be my grandmother. Women that age love to pinch my cheeks, tousle my curls, and feed me. They find me extremely adorable for reasons I've never quite been able to decipher. All women do really. They treat me like a favorite grandson, son or little brother."
Shaking his head a little Snape didn't doubt it for a moment. "I can see how you would be useful then."
Hugo nodded. "It does make my life easier except when it comes to dating. Even the guys seem unable to think of me as more than a friend or brother."
Snape raised one, expressive eyebrow. "You're gay?"
"When you're as bad at dating as I am you don't cut your dating pool in half." Hugo answered with a rueful look. "And when you love someone you're suppose to love them for who they are on the inside, not the outside, right? I don't see why I should discount someone as a possible soul mate simply because their gender is the same or different from mine."
"I see."
Hugo shrugged in a 'what can you do' manner, his smile saying he'd accepted that his way of thinking was often considered weird by some.
Rejoining the two Lily crossed her arms in front of her, her face resigned. "I've got good news and I've got bad news. Which do you two want to hear first?"
Snape didn't have to think about it. "Bad news."
"It's usually best to get the bad out of the way so that you can appreciate the good." Hugo added, always the type to find the silver lining.
Lily's lips twitched. Hugo could be so Zen sometimes. "Well it's bad for us, not for you, Sev. Actually, you'll probably get along with the man coming to escort us upstairs. Hugo…they're sending down Dolohov. Apparently he works here."
While Hugo winced at his cousin's announcement Snape gave Lily a questioning look. "Dolohov? A descendant of Antonin Dolohov?"
"Yup. Alexei Dolohov is a direct descendant and as Slytherin as you. He's also that Slytherin I mentioned to you earlier."
"He hates me." Hugo informed Snape with a sad, kicked puppy look that made it plain that he was hurt that the man disliked him so much.
"He doesn't hate you, Baby." Reaching up Lily's stroked her cousin's curls reassuringly. "He just finds being around you very upsetting." Turning her head Lily gave Snape a rueful look. "Most of the school bullies figured out early on to just avoid Hugo and pick on the rest of us instead. But Dolohov…well he's one stubborn son of a bitch. Hugo's a Weasley and not a Slytherin, so Dolohov felt honor bound to be mean to him when we were at school together. And people who pick on Hugo always end up feeling worse than he does so…it's become a vicious little cycle. Dolohov can't help but be nasty to Hugo, even knowing that he'll feel guilty as hell about it afterwards."
"I told him I didn't mind him picking on me but that just made him madder."
So this Dolohov was eviler than he was, Snape mused. Maybe he'd get lucky and when the kid found out who he really was the other Slytherin would kill him for betraying the Death Eaters decades ago. Antonin definitely would have if given the chance. Maybe the man's great grandson would be a chip off the old block. It didn't seem like that would be too much to ask for.
Already starting to feel bad Hugo gave his cousin a hopeful look. "What's the good news?"
"He's apparently been ordered to be nice." Lily shared a look of understanding with her cousin. "Yeah, his definition of nice and ours are vastly different. But we can hope, right?"
"Couldn't hurt, I suppose."
"Optimists." Was all Snape said as he shook his head over their naiveté.
