Enjoy!
Harry glanced up at the clock above his desk. It was nearly lunch and he couldn't help but wonder whether Snape was going to allow him to eat downstairs with him or if Kermy or Minka would be delivering him a plate.
After a bit of a cuddle and much more talking, Snape had left Harry in his room for the remainder of the morning. Less than five minutes after Snape had exited, Kermy had appeared with what was left from Harry's breakfast still piping hot as though it hadn't been left sitting on the kitchen table for nearly thirty minutes.
Harry liked Kermy just fine but the fact that he was sent up instead of Minka was telling. The man knew that Minka doted on him a bit more and clearly wanted to avoid that.
Snape had said that he had forgiven him but Harry was sure that despite that, his guardian was still a bit upset with him.
It was the sole reason that Harry was now working on an essay for Snape about the importance of honesty. He would have rather done just about anything else, but if it helped Snape forgive him even a little bit more then it would be worth it.
He looked down at the last line he had written. He had basically reworded what Snape had said about trust being the basis of relationships. It was a fine way to end the essay but he couldn't help but wonder if he should write a few more lines just to make it a bit longer – a bit more impressive.
The sharp knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts. He turned around to see his guardian standing in the doorway.
"I debated inviting you to eat lunch with me," Snape confided in him. "I trust that you have had ample time to think about the choices that you would make in the future to avoid finding yourself in this same situation?"
Harry quickly nodded.
"Then I think allowing your sentence to end would be appropriate." His tone was serious but Harry could hear the underlining thoughtfulness. It reminded him that as much as he hated being in his room, Snape hated having to hand down the punishment too.
"I wrote an essay for you," Harry informed the man as he stood up.
Snape raised a curious eyebrow at the boy. "I don't recall assigning an essay."
"You didn't. I wrote one anyway though." Harry could feel his ears burning slightly as he spoke. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed about what he had done. He knew that the essay couldn't make things any worse, only better. Still he was being to feel like a dolt for having written it in the first place.
"What exactly is this essay about?" Snape couldn't help but be impressed by the child's words.
"Why it is important to be honest," Harry replied as he picked up the foot long piece of parchment and handed it to his guardian. He knew that if he didn't hand it to him and end this conversation his face was going to burn right off of his skull. "Sorry it isn't longer. I ran out of time and…."
Harry trailed off as Snape held up a hand. The man was now completely enthralled in reading the essay.
It always made Harry nervous when Snape read his work in front of him. Although his essays were usually well written, he wasn't the best at grammar and spelling. Snape also usually made sure to mention how atrocious his handwriting was. It was something Harry could always depend on. Even if his answer was perfect, Snape would still comment on some other aspect of his essays.
"I know it's sloppy," Harry said as Snape's eyes drifted from the parchment to his son. "I was kind of rushing. I mean, it's not like I was up here for that long."
"If you wish you can spend the afternoon up here as well," Snape replied.
Harry made a face at his guardian before shaking his head. "Snape," he said in a voice that carried just a hint of a whine.
"Do you truly mean the words that you wrote in this essay?" Snape couldn't help but question. Harry's actions had shocked him to the core. He had expected to find the child sulking on his bed, not working away at his desk.
Harry nodded without hesitation. He knew how important trust was. Snape was the first adult in his life that he felt he could truly trust. He was the first one to always stand by his word, even when it made Harry more miserable than pleased. He was the first one to stand by his side regardless of how badly he mucked things up. Harry knew how safe it made him feel to have an adult he could trust and in turn, he knew that Snape deserved to trust him in return.
Silence reigned for several long moments before Snape spoke once more.
"You will find your lunch on the kitchen table. I will be down in a moment."
Harry wasted no time rushing past his guardian and out of his room. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to change his mind and decide that he deserved a few more hours in solitude.
After the boy exited the room Snape looked down at the essay in his hand once more. His eyes skimmed the words looking for the sentence that had stood out to him.
"You are the first adult that I can remember ever being able to trust and you deserve to be able to trust me as well."
Snape smiled softly to himself before folding the parchment and slipping it into his pocket. Perhaps he didn't give his son enough credit at times.
"It really was a brilliant time!" Harry said in an excited voice. "After seeing the match Ginny is absolutely certain that she wants to be a professional Quidditch player when she is older."
Snape looked up from the large cauldron that was bubbling in front of him. "I certainly hope that you don't have any ideas of your own for such a career. You have far too much potential fundamentally to waste your brain playing Quidditch."
"Quidditch takes brains too," Harry pointed out. "There is a lot of strategy involved."
Snape gave his son a pointed look.
"I don't want to be a professional Quidditch player," Harry continued as he picked the petals from a daisy and dropped them into a small cauldron which was filled with a thick potion. He refused to look up despite the fact that he could feel his guardian staring at him. "I want to be an Auror."
"In order to do so you will have to work exceptionally hard to bring up your Potions marks. In order to be an Auror one must have a minimum of five N.E. , one of those being in Potions, with a mark of nothing less than Exceeds Expectations."
"You know," Harry said in a nonchalant voice, "some parents would cut their kid a break if they were their teacher." He knew that his words would mean nothing to Snape. The man was never going to give him higher marks simply because he was his guardian. In a way Harry quite liked that he wouldn't too, it made him feel as though he earned his grade.
"While that may be true, some parents would also expect much more from their own child," Snape replied calmly. "I could certainly start assigning you additional work in my class. Perhaps an extra few feet to every essay assigned? Or I could just give you nightly detentions with me where you would complete extra assignments."
Harry playfully rolled his eyes at the threats. "Forget it. Just treat me like everyone else."
"Funny when this arrangement started that is exactly what you demanded from me."
Harry shrugged softly and then instantly realizing his mistake he cleared his throat. "Well that was just because I thought you would be extra mean to me in front of my friends."
"Public humiliation often does more harm than good," Snape mused as he opened a small flask and dumped the contents into the cauldron.
"I didn't know that you thought that then," Harry informed him before picking the last of the petals from the flower. "What do I do now?"
"Stir it clockwise," Snape instructed. "Do not let it stick to the bottom."
Harry picked up the ladle and began stirring the thick potion. "Ron and Hermione are coming to stay on Saturday right?"
"Merlin help me they are," Snape replied though Harry could tell by the tone of the man's voice that he wasn't really annoyed by the idea. He knew it was a longshot but, Harry even had the slight suspicion that Snape was secretly looking forward to it.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked. "Or maybe just the three of us could go to that muggle park down the street."
"I thought perhaps the three of you could do extensive essays on fairies and their many attributes to potion making. Five feet each should be appropriate."
"Snape," Harry said the name in a whine.
"The park would be acceptable if you think that the three of you can be trusted without adult supervision."
Harry felt his ears burn involuntarily at the mention of trust. "We can," he promised without hesitation. The last thing in the world he wanted was to get into trouble while his friends were visiting. Aside from the fact that he was sure that if he did Snape would never let them visit again, there was also the horror of the idea of being punished while they were there. Although Harry was nearly certain that Snape wouldn't haul him over his knee in front of his friends or even while they were in the house he knew that if Snape sent Ron and Hermione home early they would likely be able to guess what was to come. Just thinking about it was enough to make his stomach flip. "If I didn't say it already, thank you for letting them come to visit."
"Lower the heat on that before it boils over," Snape instructed, ignoring the boy's words.
Harry quickly reached for the metal handle and turned it causing the flame under the cauldron to dim. He couldn't help but wonder if his parents had survived if he would have ever helped his dad with something like this or his mum even.
"What is it?" Snape asked in a knowing voice. He had grown to be able to read his son like a book. The despondent look that had swept over the child's face had not escaped him.
"Nothing," Harry quickly replied. He kept his head down in an attempt to hide his face from his guardian as he continued to stir the potion.
"Always with the dramatics," Snape replied in an aggravated tone. "I will never understand why you insist on going about things on the more difficult route."
"Huh?" Harry couldn't help but ask. His head snapped up, a confused look plastered on his face.
"I am certain that after a year you are aware that I will not allow you to keep important information from me and wallow in self-pity. Why on Earth you refuse to open up without extreme prompting will never cease to amaze me."
"You don't open up so easily either," Harry dared to reply.
"I am an old man," Snape replied. "My ways are much harder to change than your own."
Harry nearly rolled his eyes at the man's excuse.
"That being said I am determined to break you of the habit before you have the chance to become old and bitter."
A shocked expression took over Harry's face as he eyed the man. He had never heard Snape refer to himself in such a way.
"Do not stand there staring at me with your mouth hanging open," Snape continued after a moment. "What was or is bothering you?"
Harry thought about refusing to talk. He didn't feel much like divulging his feelings for dissection. He knew that his refusal would not do much good though. Snape would continue to badger him until he opened up. As much as he hated it he also knew that in the end he would likely feel loads better.
"I was thinking about my parents," he answered honestly as his attention went back down to the cauldron. "I guess I was wondering if I would have had moments like this and helped them with things like I help you."
"Your mother was highly skilled in Potions," Snape replied in what was now a much gentler voice. "It is not far-fetched to imagine that you likely would have found yourself helping her with them. When it comes to your father however, I think the two of you would have bonded much more over your love of Quidditch."
Harry shrugged softly. He hadn't expected such a heartfelt answer for his guardian. He was suddenly sure that if he responded verbally he would wind up bursting into tears. As far as he was concerned it was bad enough that he had already cried earlier in the day.
"I know that you miss them," Snape continued. "It is only natural that you would." He paused for a moment as he eyed the child he had grown to love. Harry looked sadder than he could remember seeing him in quite some time. "You mentioned to me some time ago that your godfather expressed interest in wanting to take you to visit the cemetery. Perhaps a trip there in the near future would be helpful."
Harry nodded in agreement still not trusting himself to speak.
"You've stirred that for long enough," Snape continued changing the subject at precisely the right moment. "You may add the African sea salt now – exactly two tablespoons. Then leave it to simmer and take Bane outside for a bit."
Harry reached across the table and picked up the small bottle of salt and the measuring spoon. "I know that I don't say it enough but thanks…for being like my parent and all that." His voice cracked slightly on the final word and he silently prayed that he would be able to keep his emotions in check. He stole a glance at his guardian and saw the man nod silently.
A moment later Snape cleared his throat. "There is no need to thank me. It has truly been my pleasure."
"He is determined to destroy my relationship with Harry."
Remus raised an annoyed eyebrow in his best mate's direction but remained silent. He was sure that there was more to this story than Sirius was leading on.
"Imagine thinking that it is okay to insist that I report back to him every time he steps a toe out of line. He is nearly of age not a bloody toddler."
"He is a far cry from being of age," Remus couldn't help but point out.
"Mooney you can't honestly be taking his side. All the mischief we got into in our day?"
"Most of which was extremely dangerous," Remus replied in a serious voice. "You can't honestly tell me that you would be okay with Harry drinking firewhisky in the Room of Requirement or exploring the Forbidden Forest at all hours of the night?"
"Harry can take care of himself," Sirius replied in an insistent tone. "You know what he is capable of. My godson is an incredible wizard."
"You are absolutely right, he is an incredible young wizard. However, that does not excuse the fact that he is still learning. More than once he has survived by sheer luck. I do not feel as though holding him accountable for his mistakes is the end of the world. Mr. Potter held you accountable for your mistakes and if I remember correctly you thought the world of that man."
"He was old Mooney," Sirius replied with an awkward chuckle.
"Wake up Padfoot, so are we! Harry deserved the right to a normal childhood and the right to be protected while he still can be. You are not doing him any favors by allowing his bad behavior to slide."
Sirius chewed on his bottom lip as he mulled over these words.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way," he finally replied. "James and Lily were supposed to be here. I was supposed to be the fun loving uncle."
"You are right," Remus nodded sadly. "Things did not turn out as they should have. That does not change the fact that Harry is still here though. There is no rule that states that you cannot be the fun loving uncle as well as a responsible adult." Remus paused as he placed a gentle hand on his best mate's arm. "Harry has a best friend Sirius. He does not need another one. What he needs is a godfather that can both have fun with him and hold him accountable for his actions."
"I'm not sure that I can be that godfather," Sirius replied in a fearful tone.
"Oh I think that for Harry you can do just about anything."
"I want to discuss something quite serious with you."
Harry looked up at his guardian. It wasn't like the man to bring up serious topics during their evening tea. Somber topics were discussed during dinner. Light topics were reserved for tea time. Quidditch, Hogwarts, talks of upcoming plans, stories about his friends– not serious discussions.
"I believe when I gave in to your request for a dog one of the stipulations was keeping up with your other responsibilities."
The confusion that was plastered on Harry's face didn't diminish but deepened.
"If my memory serves me correctly, and I certain that it does, you have more than one pet," Snape replied sternly. "I am also confident in my assessment that in your excitement of receiving Bane you forgot about Hedwig which was understandable for the first few days but now has become quite disappointing."
Harry felt his face grow warm at Snape's words. His guardian was right, he had forgotten about his owl and he felt wretched for doing so. He was sure that he had never felt like more of an arse in his whole life.
"Might I suggest that you pay her a visit in the attic this evening," Snape suggested.
Harry nodded, his face still burning. He thought about pointing out that her being in the attic as opposed to her cage in his room could have had something to do with his neglecting her but he quickly thought better of it. His relatives had kept her locked in her cage for the entire summer holiday while Snape had practically turned his attic into an Owlery. Harry wasn't about to throw that back in the man's face.
"She probably hates me," Harry muttered softly.
"I would expect her to make her feelings known but I am sure that once she does so she will be pleased to see you." Snape paused as he fixed his son with a stern look. "From this moment forward you will be sure to make time for both of your pets. If you cannot give them the proper attention which they deserve I will make certain to find them a home in which they will receive just that."
"Yes Sir," Harry quickly answered. It never ceased to amaze him how quickly a stern lecture from Snape could make him wish that the floor would swallow him whole. If he didn't think that he would sound like an absolute dolt he would have promised to never go more than a day without spending adequate time with both of his pets.
"It really won't happen again," Harry continued when Snape remained silent.
"Very well," Snape nodded as his face softened. "Now perhaps we should discuss your ambition to become an Auror."
TBC...
