Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter, the characters, the settings, and the details are not my own. J.K Rowling holds the rights to these wonderful things, and I am in awe of her talent. I own only my original characters, and of those there are not many.

Chapter Twelve: Private Executions

"All these years, all these memories, there was you. You pull me through time." –Tom Creo

The three of them stood silently over the pan full of blackened fish. No one had spoken since Snape entered the kitchen to see Harry and Neruda staring at each other. He had rushed past Harry to grab the pan off the stove and remove it from the heat. Harry, red-faced and slack-jawed, had apparently not noticed the smell of the fish burning behind him.

Snape sighed, "Potter, would you like to explain what happened?"

Harry's mind raced. He couldn't tell Snape what he had just heard, and his blush returned as he even considered such an act. Finally he swallowed, and in a gruff voice he responded, "I got distracted."

Snape's eyes cut to Harry, and he raised an eyebrow. "Distracted Potter? A pan full of hot grease behind you and you were distracted? By what?"

Neruda placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, and gave Snape the strangest look of reproach and amusement Harry had ever seen. "Father, people get distracted. Don't make Harry feel bad. We should all just get dressed and go out. How about Roberto's?"

With that Neruda swept out of the room without looking over her shoulder. Harry squinted after her, and in the silence she left behind he felt a strange sense of having been deftly maneuvered.

"Potter, did she say something to distract you?"

Harry nodded.

"Did she wait until you after you had put the fish in the pan?"

Harry nodded again, his sense of being manipulated now fully realized.

"Yes well," Snape cleared his throat, "these things happen."

When Harry looked at Snape he saw that the man was fighting hard to not laugh openly. His eyes were on Harry as he picked up the now cool pan. Harry watched him scrape the fish into the bin, and then with that same obvious struggle Snape said, "Potter you should wash up too. You smell like burnt fish."

Harry shook his head and went upstairs to shower and change. He had been played, and quite beautifully, by Neruda's ploy. He wanted to be upset by it, after all he shouldn't encourage her to be sneaky and sly, but he found himself absurdly pleased at the turn of events. It was the first time he had been a duped parent.

That thought stilled Harry's hand as he washed himself. A duped parent. He couldn't let himself get too attached to her in that sense. She had one father, and she didn't need Harry inserting himself as a second one. He couldn't assume that role he had to be given it, but now that he had experienced it he wanted it. Wanted it in a way that was almost painful. He went back to soaping his hair, and thought about what she'd said. It didn't necessarily promise that he and Snape were compatible, but it did suggest that they would try their little experiment a second time.

When Harry arrived downstairs in trousers and a button-up shirt Neruda was already waiting. She had on another long-sleeved dress, like the one he had first seen her in, and her long hair was pinned up artfully. She was smiling broadly, and when Harry came to her side she tried to look a little more serious at him. She failed miserably. Harry couldn't even playfully scold her. That smile was just for him, and he didn't seem capable of resenting it at all.

Harry turned at the sound of Snape's steps on the stairs, and stared at the older man openly. Snape wore a burgundy turtleneck that covered his scar, but hugged his long lean torso. His hair was pulled back in a thong, and he looked threatening and delicious all at once. Harry felt a resurgence of the desire he had been experiencing since first hearing Snape's voice without his customary derision. Snape looked Harry up and down, nodded his approval, and gestured towards the front door.

The three of them walked to the edge of the wards, and Snape gave apparating instructions to Harry, before taking Neruda's arm and disappearing with a pop. When Harry arrived on the spot in Liskeard he found Snape and Neruda waiting for him. The three of them stepped out into the Muggle traffic, and Neruda turned right so quickly she was almost pulling her father along. She turned long enough to grab Harry with her other arm. They headed down the street, past a mixture of Victorian shop fronts and modern ones till they reached a small Italian restaurant.

The Maitre d' greeted Snape and Neruda with a broad smile, as the Starks, and led them to a table in the back corner. Harry had been surprised when Snape didn't insist on glamours, but Snape's caution seemed to still be intact as he took the seat in the corner where he could watch the whole room. The waiter knew the two, and exclaimed over the addition of Harry to their usual party. Snape ordered starters, and Harry looked over the menu as Neruda chatted excitably about her favorite dishes.

For an hour they were the average family, eating together at a restaurant. Neruda and Harry tried each other's dishes, and then Harry stole a forkful of Snape's veal with a cheeky grin. After dessert and paying the check Snape led them out the door and into the street. They walked arm in arm again through the scenic village till they reached the alley, and then they headed home.

The lights were on in the living room, and Harry watched as the smile disappeared off Snape's face and his wand came out. He pushed Neruda gently to Harry, and then gave Harry a look of warning before moving silently through the snow to the back of the house. Harry had drawn his wand at the same time as Snape, and now he stood on high alert with his arm around Neruda. She was rigid in the circle of his arm, and he wanted to comfort her but he was worried about speaking. After several tense minutes the front door opened and Snape gestured for them to come in. Harry's wand stayed out.

When Harry stepped through the front door with Neruda behind him he saw the culprits standing in the hall. His tension didn't ease. Looking as if they had made themselves at home Lucius and Draco Malfoy stared openly at Harry. Draco spoke first, "Uncle Severus what in the bloody hell is Harry Potter doing here?"

Snape frowned. "Neruda take off your jacket and head upstairs. I will be up in a few minutes to tuck you in. Lucius, Draco, please wait in the study."

The Malfoys swept forward into the study. Harry turned to look at Neruda, and saw that she was rigid with anger as placed her coat on the hook and headed past Harry and Snape without a word to go to her room. Snape watched her carefully and then turned to Harry. "You do not have to join this conversation if you wish otherwise. I am sure she would be glad for the company."

Harry appraised Snape for a moment before hanging up his coat. "No I'll come with you. She didn't look like she wanted to be followed."

The two of them went into the study, where Harry was incensed to see that Lucius had helped himself to the Snape's Christmas gift. Lucius looked over his glass with a cool smile, "I'm surprised and hurt Severus. I thought the girl had a moratorium on visitors during the holidays. Here I find you're gallivanting around with none other than Harry Potter."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You know very well that her name is Neruda."

The two stared silently at each other as Draco glared disdainfully at Harry. For Harry's part he simply stood as stiff as a pole in the middle of the room watching Lucius Malfoy enjoy the Scotch he had so carefully picked for Snape. It had only raised his opinion of Neruda that she seemed to hate these two.

Finally Lucius drawled out, "I'm sorry Severus. You know my opinion on the whole thing. Draco and I only came to wish the two of you a Happy Christmas, and to give you presents." Lucius gestured to Draco, who pulled two wrapped gifts out of his pocket and held them out to Snape.

At first Harry thought Snape would refuse them, but he crossed the room and took them carefully. "Thank you Lucius, Draco, I am sure Neruda will be grateful as well. I will visit Malfoy Manor in a few days times, as I usually do, but for now I must ask you to leave. Neruda is very specific about Christmas visitors."

Lucius and Draco both stood, and Harry could see Draco was itching to say something, but holding it back. Snape escorted them to the door and shook both their hands. As soon as they had left Snape passed Harry and went upstairs to Neruda's door. He knocked on it twice before opening it. Harry had followed him, and he watched as Snape gave Neruda the gift with a thoughtful look on his face. She stared at it silently, and then with reproach in her voice she said, "Do I have to keep it?"

Snape sighed, sat down on the bed beside her, and gently took the box from her. He unwrapped it to find a set of filigreed silver hair combs, and he showed them to her with a patient look on his face. Neruda glanced at them once, and then turned away.

"I'd rather not. They're gaudy." She pulled her blankets back, and slid underneath them without another word, closing her eyes and feigning sleep. Harry was flabbergasted. It was the youngest she had ever acted, and he couldn't quite figure out why she was behaving like this. Snape stood up and laid the combs on the night-table beside her before leaving the room. She looked at Harry with wide dark eyes from underneath her blankets as soon as Snape had left the room.

"They ruin everything Harry. From top to bottom, with no remorse or concern, they ruin everything. He always tries to control my hair."

With that statement she closed her eyes again. Harry bent down and gently kissed her forehead before heading out the door and turning off the light. When he reached Snape's bedroom he found the man sitting on his own bed and staring at the gift the Malfoys had left him. He looked up at Harry calmly, before opening the box he had already unwrapped. Harry spied the cufflinks from across the room. Snape still hadn't spoken five minutes later when Harry sat beside him on the bed.

"She overheard Lucius telling me I should not keep her. He was concerned that I was replacing my obligations as a spy to become a father, and wanted me to taste 'freedom'."

Harry stayed silent, knowing that if he spoke it would be a harsh criticism that Snape didn't need to hear. Instead he put his hand on Snape's shoulder and waited.

"He does not understand how I can enjoy raising someone else's child, and I cannot explain it to him. Lucius is my only remaining friend from childhood, but if he upsets her again in this way I will have to rid myself of him. The harm outweighs the good."

Harry continued to wait silently, and finally Snape pushed the cufflinks box and the paper off the bed onto the floor. Then he turned to Harry and stared at him intensely for what seemed an eternity. Snape's long fingers moved up Harry's face slowly, and then he threaded them through Harry's messy hair and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"I do not know what this is Harry, but I do want it. It's the second best thing in my life at the moment."