Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the magical people, places, things, animals in this story belong to J. K. Rowling. I can't even imagine owning all that.
Summary: AU. This is a Snape mentors Harry kind of story. It starts with Harry's summer vacations before his Second Year as Snape comes across something that breaks all delusions about the boy's home-life. Please don't flame. I really appreciate constructive criticism but no flames. Please!
Chapter XI
Harry could only gawk at the elderly lady in front of him. She was wearing a beautiful, long light mauve robe, her hair as black as midnight, her eyes were blue like clear sky and they were full of warmth unlike his guardian. Harry thought that if he ever had a grandmother, she would have been like this. He was aware that Snape wasn't really happy with this lady right now because of the remark earlier but Harry liked the lady on sight.
"I hardly think having guardianship is equal to kidnapping, Mother." Snape said, dryly.
Eileen Snape-Prince's eyes widened in surprise. 'Her son was a guardian to this little boy! Oh, what had he done now? Severus is very strict, demanding and he really would not let the child enjoy his childhood.' Eileen thought, uneasily.
"Severus, I think you should explain it to me properly, don't you think?" Eileen asked, looking troubled.
Harry felt a little apprehension. 'Perhaps the lady didn't like me or she recognised me and now she wants to tell Snape that I am not really worth it.' Harry thought, sadly.
"Mother, I think I should introduce you to Harry Potter. Harry, this is my mother Eileen Snape-Prince." Snape said, coolly.
Once again, Eileen's eyes widened as she took in the new information. Snape just looked bored with all the talking. He motioned for both of them to follow him to the sitting room. As they entered the sitting room, Snape felt a tug and he looked down to see, Harry with a very troubled expression.
"What is it, Harry? Is there any problem?" Snape asked without the usual any malice or anger in his voice.
"I think the lady doesn't like me, sir. Perhaps I should just go to Prince Mansion and let you have a chat with your mother." Harry said, nearly on the verge of tears.
"What is this non-sense? Of course, my mother likes you. You don't know my mother at all, Harry. She likes all children, disgustingly so." Snape said, who had a very different expression from what Harry was used to.
"But….but she was frowning when she told you to explain it to her. I think you are wrong and I am right." Harry said, insistently.
"Ah, the tea is ready. Would you like milk and cookies, Harry?" Eileen asked as she came out of her kitchen.
"Mother, Harry thinks that you don't like him and wants to know if he is right." Snape said while enjoying that the boy blushed few shades of red.
Eileen blinked and said, "Of course, I like you, Harry. How could I not? I don't think that I did anything to indicate that I didn't like you."
"See, I know my mother more than you do, Harry." Snape said, looking very smug.
Harry blushed again, he looked down. He was really stupid, very stupid. He just had to make himself look like a fool in front of Snape's mother. Snape took pity on him and said that there was a garden if he wanted to play or do whatever that little boys do. Harry nodded enthusiastically and was shown the garden with the instructions about not leaving the fence.
Inside, Eileen was grilling her son for more information. Snape knew it was going to happen, had expected it but that didn't make it less irritating. He quickly explained about the child's home-life. As he told about the Dursleys, Eileen looked ready to curse them into next century. Snape watched her reactions in amusement, no one knew his mother better than Severus. Severus, an ex-Death Eater, learned very earlier in his life that to him, there was no on who was more scary, dangerous than his mother, Eileen Snape-Prince.
"Severus, why did a man like Dumbledore place Harry with those people? I simply don't understand the reason of doing that." Eileen said, while thinking if the man had been insane at that time.
"Mother, you know at the time when James and Lily Potter died, there was no one to give him to. Potter's…One of the Sr. Potter's friends turned out to be a betrayer. Black betrayed Potter so he couldn't be trusted with a baby. Pettigrew died the next day. Lupin is a werewolf so our Ministry doesn't allow him to have custody as per the rules. There were only Dursleys who were his immediate family. I don't think that at the time, Dumbledore was wrong although I am really shocked that he left Harry on the Dursleys steps like a milk bottle." Snape said, shaking his head.
Eileen had been silent throughout the explanation, her heart was bleeding for the little boy who was never shown the love he so rightly deserved. She asked the question she had wanted ask from the starting of the meeting. "Severus, why have you taken responsibilty for Harry? I know for a fact that you don't like children in particular and I know how impatient, demanding, stern and strict you can be. Sometimes I wonder I put up with you when you were just a boy. You are always so stubborn that stubbornness had landed you in more trouble than I have ever expected." Eileen said, sighing.
Snape knew she wasn't talking about his father but about his joining the Dark Lord. It was the only thing which his mother hadn't forgiven him until one day when he had come home and broke down completely. Snape pushed aside the memory and concentrated on the present question. He said slowly, "At first, I thought that I was doing it for the child's own good but now I don't know. I have been in this confused state for over a week. I really can't find a proper, sensible reason for gaining this guardianship. I know that Albus forced me at first but I don't know now what I think about this."
Eileen was going to say something but was interrupted as Harry came panting, saying, "Sir, there are gnomes but they are very different from what I am used to. They look like potato." His face was flushed from playing with Merlin knew what.
Snape got up and tsked over his ward's appearance. He said, sniffing, "Come, Harry. You should be a little less excited about playing in the mud, don't you think?"
Harry looked down at his attire and said, "I didn't play in the mud, sir. I was just going to see a black rose when out of the blue came a gnome, I was startled and slipped. And then I fell in the mud." He was really excited about playing in this garden, both of the adults were aware of that.
"Come, Harry. I'll give you some of the old clothes of Severus. They should fit you nicely as you are skinny like Severus." Eileen said warmly. Snape's ears were red as he heard his mother say about his being skinny and Harry clearly enjoyed the show.
Harry was grinning widely as he was whisked away by Eileen. He was given white shirt, black trousers and a dark green robes. He was admiring his new clothes i.e. Snape's old clothes when a pair was socks were given to him. He looked like he was Malfoy although it didn't bother him much. He was wearing clothes that fit him, for once.
"Harry, Severus says that you don't have clothes that fit you properly. We are going to go to the tailer and get you some new proper wardrobe. I must say why Severus haven't done it before is beyond me." Eileen said, looking as if her son was the most stupid person on the face of earth.
Snape was reading a book about Herbology when they came in the sitting room. Snape had to admit that he really must have been very thin after he looked at Harry. Why, the boy must be ninety pounds soaking wet. He would have to make sure that the boy ate enough otherwise his mother and Molly would really harm his person. He was sure of that.
"Mother, if you are done fussing over Harry, let us go in the dining room for I am quite hungry." Snape said, looking at his mother with irritation written all over his face.
"Severus! It isn't even seven. We are going to the tailer so that Harry can have some new clothes. Why haven't you done it by now, Severus?" Eileen asked with a disapproving frown.
Ah, there was no answer to that. Snape hadn't simply been thinking about Pot…Harry's clothes. He had a lot other important things to worry about. Looking at his mother's still disapproving frown, Snape decided that perhaps those weren't really that important. He absolutely regused to be humiliated by his mother in front of Harry. He said levelly, "I have beem busy making the house livable for us, Mother. I didn't really have time to think about Harry's attire or his wardrobe."
For the first time, Harry talked between the adults, "Sir, I don't have money right now to buy clothes. I am sure when we go to Diagon Alley for my shopping, we'll be able to buy some new clothes. I don't need them right now. Really."
Both of the adults looked down with looks of astonishment on their faces. Then they swiftly started talking about how it was wrong to wear the clothes that didn't fit. After a few moments, Harry said loudly, "Don't you understand? I don't have money with me right now, how am I going to pay for the clothes?"
Eileen looked offended and Snape's face seemed to have been carved of stone. Harry suddenly thought that he had crossed the line. He knew he had shouted but still they weren't listening! They were talking as if he was five-year old who couldn't understand. 'Still you had no right to shout at them, had you? You didn't need to shout at them. They have been so kind to you and you pay their kindness by shouting at them.' A snide voice said with sniff. Harry was instantly ashamed of his behaviour towards them. He was just going apologise to them when Snape growled, "Mr. Harry James Potter, you are my ward so it is my responsibilty to provide you for your basic needs. I would never let you pay for them. It is not your place to do that."
Eileen was a little calm but she was still miffed about it as she said, "Harry, you don't need to pay for it. Prince family name is still counted as one of the richest families in Britain. You don't need to worry about money. We have enough money to buy Hogsmeade."
Harry realised a little late that they were hurt or something close to it as Harry was sure that Snape couldn't feel hurt. He said, "I…I am sorry I shouted but you weren't listening. I didn't know about this money thing. I thought that like with Dursleys, I will have to use my money. Guess I should have been smarter, huh?" Looking sheepish, Harry dared to look at Eileen and Snape.
Eileen's face softened as she heard it, Snape seemed to have his anger in control. He said, "Harry, what did I tell you about this guardianship?"
"Umm….you said that it wouldn't be like living with Dursleys. I guess I just blurted out what I wanted. I am really sorry if you are offended." Harry said, looking at his professor timidly.
"I am not offended but you should really think of me a little above than those people, Harry. I may be strict but I am not unreasonable." Snape said.
"Could have fooled me." Harry mumbled to himself.
"Mr. Potter, you promised me something about you being cheeky with me." Snape warned.
"Ooops!?" Harry said, looking not at all like the person few moments before.
Eileen was watching both of them very carefully. She was nothing if not shrewd. After all, she was a Ravenclaw student. She could see that her impossible son was being patient with Harry and Harry was being cheeky with Severus. 'Hmm…perhaps all is not lost yet. I am sure Harry would have Severus around his fingers in time although it would be quite a long time. I am afraid that not one of them is going to give this relationship a chance, it deserves.' Eileen thought a little sadly.
Author's Note: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you guys, the reviews are more than hundred only because of you. Alright, I know the story s going very slow but I can't help it. Well, I wanted to ask you if you wanted Snape to be just temporary guardian or do you want this guardianship to be a long-term one. Tell me in your reviews because I am somewhat confused about how to go in the story. If it is long-term then I would make some changes which I hope are good and if you want temporary thing then my plot would remain same. It's upto you, so think and tell me.
