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 XII
Snape, Eileen and Harry went to the tailer to get the new clothes. Snape was sneering at the tailer who was tsking at the boy. Snape knew that Harry was much thinner than young boys were supposed to be but the tailer didn't have to rub it in Harry's face, did he? The boy looked between crying and punching the tailer. Snape hid his small smile. The boy was nothing if not an open book of his emotions. He would never make a good spy as all of the emotions played on his face.
"Umm…sir? I really don't need all these robes. I am happy with your old clothes. Can't you just ,you know, buy me some normal clothes?" Harry said while fidgeting with his new robes.
Paulo nearly shrieked when he heard Harry, "Why, I make the best clothes in France and this boy dares not to buy it. Eileen, dear, I never expected this from your clientele."
Snape frowned. 'Eileen's clientele? What the hell my mother has been doing?' Snape thought with curiosity. Snape said while frowning at the scrawny boy in front of him, "Harry, you must have some robes. I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that you are sure to be uneasy in this but if you are to live in the wizarding world then you have to have dress robes, normal robes. I am not saying that you can't have normal clothes but they are to be put on only in my house or my mother's house."
Harry wasn't happy but he nodded anyway. He didn't want Snape to be angry, the man was normally scary, he didn't want him to be any more scarier. Snape noticed the pout which seemed to forming on the boy's face but decided to ignore it. It was hightime, Harry got some decent clothes. Harry saw the calculative look in Eileen's eye and wondered about it. 'Why would she be looking at me with such a look?' Harry thought. She suddenly smiled as if something very good happened. Harry decided he didn't want to know. He just followed Snape who was walking out of the shop, if it could be called a shop.
"Harry, after we have our dinner with my mother, we will leave. It had been a very long day and you should be asleep within a hour." Snape said.
Harry bristled. 'Does he think that I am a five year old to be asleep at 8.30 PM. Humph! Figures. He is a nasty, greasy git and he is cruel, too. He made me try those robes.' Harry thought unhappily.
Eileen noticed it and said, "Severus, why don't you spend the night here? It's been months if not a year since you spent some time with me. Harry can have your nursery, wouldn't you, dear?"
Harry stumbled and at the same time Snape choked. Both of them thought the same thing, 'Nursery?' Harry sputtered, "N..Nursery, Mrs. Snape? I am not a five year old, you know. I can sleep on the sofa just fine. I don't need a….a nursery!"
Snape was smirking as he knew that his nursery contained a four poster bed, too. He had been here as teenager when his mother had ordered the bed. Unknown to him, Harry looked at him at the same time and saw the smirk. Harry took it in the wrong way. 'He is a meanie! He enjoys it when I am mortified.' Harry thought. Before he could say anything about it, he heard Snape declining the offer. Snape said, "Perhaps next time, Mother. I think it's best that Harry be in Prince Mansion."
Eileen was a bit disappointed but nodded anyways. She knew her son, if he wanted Harry in Prince Mansion then he would be in Prince Mansion, no doubt about it. She said goodbyes before they went through the fire-place. She was highly amused when she saw that as she hugged both of them, they showed different shades of red.
"Sir, I….would it be too bad if you could take me with you? I really don't think that I upto doing it by myself. Please, sir, could you?" Harry said, timidly while using his best innocent face.
Snape sighed as he looked at the boy and said, "Very well, Harry. Although I must say that there will be a time when you would have to go alone by Floo Powder, what will you do then?"
"I will do it but please for this time, sir." Harry said, although he hated that his voice was nearly whiny.
Snape nodded and went in to the fire-place, followed by a little relieved Harry. Snape kept Harry's arm in his hand as they travelled through the gates. As they came out of the fire-place in the Prince Mansion, Harry exclaimed, "I am never going to get used to it! It's as bad as that apparating thingy. Yuck! How can you keep your dinner in your tummy after all that?" He quickly realised that he just said it too loudly. He kept his mouth shut after that, afraid that Snape would snap at him or slapping him for yelling at him. He went so quiet that even Snape noticed it.
"Harry, I am not going to do anything to you. How many times do I have to tell you that? By the way, I don't like it either but I don't have options, do I?"
Harry thought for a minute and said, "Sure you have, sir. You can take the normal tube, can't you?"
Snape frowned as he heard this. "Tube? What would I do with a tube, is that a portkey?"
Harry didn't know what a portkey was but he had seen in pictures what a tube was. He started explaining and Snape heard while updating his knowledge about muggles. After Harry had ended the explaination, Snape asked, "Harry, have you ever travelled by a tube since you know so much about it?"
"No, sir. I have never travelled in it but I will, one day. I read about it in the library book in my old school. There were pictures, too. Dudley and Aunt Petunia had travelled by it and I think Uncle Vernon uses it daily since car becomes boring after a while for him. I must say that the travellers wouldn't be happy with him when he comes on the tube." Harry said, emotions playing on his face. At first it was wistfulness then it was mischief. It was changed again to wistfulness.
Snape shook his head as he tried to clear the rage he felt towards the Dursleys. He didn't know why but he wanted to show Harry whatever he had been refused to see. It was a strange feeling to Snape and he didn't understand it. He knew he didn't like what he didn't understand but he wanted to understand things about Harry, that in itself was a such shock to Snape that he almost wanted to run in opposite direction.
"Sir, I am feeling sleepy, may I go to my room?" Harry asked, feeling foolish when not just fifteen minutes earlier he didn't want to sleep and was angry at Snape for suggesting it.
"What? Oh, sure. Good night, Harry." Snape said, distractedly. He didn't notice the way Harry's eyes widened at the goodnight. He just shook his head and went to his room. After he had a bath, he went to his study to do something he had wanted to for a long time. He researched the potions as was his habit. He didn't know how late it was but when he became really sleepy, he decided to stop for the night. He went in his room and slept just after his head touched the pillow.
The night was silent as it should be but some things and someone wasn't as he should be. A scream pierced through the silent night. Snape was on his feet and had his wand by him before the second had passsed through. He started running through the house towards Harry's room. His mind was filled with many horrifying ideas as to what might have happened and he didn't like them one bit. He reached the door to Harry's room just as a second scream tore through the house. He opened the door with a bang to see a still sleeping Harry. Snape was astonished to say the least. Before he did anything, he saw Harry trembling and making himself as small as he could. Snape quickly walked towards the child, confused what happened to make the child behave so. He shook Harry's shoulders to wake him. Harry just tried make himself smaller.
"Harry, wake up! Harry, it's just a nightmare." Snape said quietly although with urgency. He couldn't understand what it was that scared Harry so. If it had anything to do with Dursleys then he vowed that the Dursleys would pay and pay dearly. He shook Harry's shoulders once more but with a bit more force than the previous attempt. Harry was still trembling but he slowly opened eyes. Snape was relieved that Harry was awake so he called Harry to make his presence known to the child as the child was bound to be confused.
Harry was confused to find himself in a bed, he was supposed to be in the chamber with Quirrell, wasn't he? He shook his head to try to clear his mind. He closed his eyes again but a voice was calling him, he thought he knew the voice and tried to remember as he did so, he remembered everything, he sat fast. He looked around wildly to make sure that he was in Snape's house. As he looked, he found a pair of oynx eyes searching his with an intensity that he shivered.
As Snape saw that Harry was cold, he muttered a spell to make the room warmer. He carefully looked at the child, Harry was drenched in sweat and still shivering. He looked confused and now was hopefully aware of the surroundings. Snape said, "Harry, what happened? Can you tell me?"
Harry nodded jerkily, he mumbled, "I saw Voldemort again. It was about that Philosopher's Stone when Professor Quirrell showed me Voldemort's face in the back of his head, it was yucky, scary. I don't know how I didn't scream at the time but now in my sleep, I can't stop myself. I am sorry, sir, if I woke you. I would do that again. Promise."
"Harry, you don't need to apologise. It was a nightmare and it was about two-faced man who doesn't deserve to be called a Professor. Don't ever call him that. Do you need Dreamless Sleep Potion, it helps you not to dream not even nightmare?" Snape asked quietly.
Harry thought about then shook his head and said, "I don't really want it. I'll sleep silently, you wouldn't hear a thing. I wouldn't scream, promise." Harry said, looking down at his covers.
Snape shrugged outwardly although he was a bit worried inwardly, he didn't want Harry to think that he was a burden or it was bad to show one's weakness. He didn't say anything but he decided that they needed to have this talk some day, perhaps tomorrow. He was just walking towards the door to leave the room when a small voice said, "Sir, could you stay here for a while? Please?"
Harry braced himself for the rejection that was bound to come towards him but it never came. Snape silently came towards the bed, sat on the chair near the bed. He conjured up a book and started reading. Harry was amazed that Snape didn't even ask why he needed the other man to be present. He was now slowly understanding that not all adults or people were like the Dursleys, he wanted to accept it but he was wary of believing into it then feeling and looking foolish in front of everyone when that belief was shattered in thousand pieces. He went to sleep shortly afterwards, he never knew that Snape had tucked him in and ran fingers through his hair before turning in fot the night.
Author's Note: I am so very sorry for the late update, my muse decided to take a break so I couldn't write anything. Now, it will be updated as regurarly as possible. My new story will be updated every Wednesday. I hope you would read and review it, too.
I have always wondered how Harry didn't have nightmares after the First Year, any kid at that age can be pretty shaken after the events about the Philospher's Stone. I know I would be, if I was faced with Voldemort at eleven years old. Please, review.
