Kyla: All right, well, so far, the poll on Good Ron or Bad Ron stands at...
Good Ron: 14 votes
Bad Ron: 17 votes
You can still vote this chapter if you like. I do have an idea that would involve Bad Ron, but just so you Good Ron fans will know, Ron will come around. I don't think I could make him STAY bad... I just couldn't do it, lol. Anyways, also, I had a reviewer ask me about possibly keeping Severus as more of a mentor/father figure, so if any of you have opinions on that, feel free to review... It would cause a bit more drama for the story, so... I suppose I could open up a new poll and ask if you guys would prefer HPDM or HPSS? I understand that the Severus in my story does seem to be a bit of a mentor at the moment, but I did not intend for him to end up like that, but I'll let you readers have your say, lol. XD
Anyways, this is not the best chapter thus far, but I haven't had a lot of inspiration to write this past week... I'm sorry. Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as possible, but college starts Wednesday. Once I see what my schedule will be like, I'm likely to set up some sort of routine... Perhaps maybe only an update every two weeks? But again, it all depends on how much homework and things I have to do. So... other than that... enjoy the chapter! XD Sorry this little note is so long, haha.
"Hush, Potter"
Chapter Fourteen
by
Kyla
That next day, Severus kept running over his session with Harry the night before again and again, each time a frown pulling his lips downward. They had not had that great of a session that previous night if Severus was to be honest with himself. Harry had not confided much of anything to him. "It's because he doesn't trust me, eh?" the Potions Master muttered to himself after his first-year Ravenclaw and Slytherin class. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose and conceded, if only to himself, "He was right, I suppose... but do I really want to trust Potter? His father was the one that tormented me for years!"
Suddenly, Severus was reminded of why he thought Harry was a brat. He had always seen James Potter whenever he looked upon Harry Potter. A small amount of resentment worked itself up inside Severus, but the man managed to clear his head so he could think clearly. "Even if Potter is a brat," he sighed again, "he's a brat that needs help..."
With his mind running wild with thoughts, Severus prepared for his next class. Even his students could tell that something was on the Potions Master's mind because he would bark out something simple for them to do before sitting at his desk, a thoughtful look creeping onto his face again.
Severus managed to distract himself from Harry Potter by arranging for Draco to meet with him before dinner for a quick meeting. So, when Draco arrived straight after classes, the Potions Master was able to push aside his thoughts about one Harry Potter for the moment. "Yes, Draco, have a seat," the professor told the blond, gesturing to the chair in front of his office desk. "Now, I wish to discuss with you your... future plans," he stated meaningfully while he swished his wand in order for the door to close and lock itself like the night before.
Draco paled slightly but nodded. He remained silent, biting his lip anxiously while he waited on his Potions professor to speak first.
Severus studied the blond carefully for a moment. Then, he sighed and decided to break the uneasy silence. "I have spoken with the Headmaster about your situation," he stated, choosing his words wisely as he saw Draco's eyes brighten in hopes of finding a way out, "and he suggests that you continue as you are now... I'm sorry, Draco, but the Headmaster says that we cannot help you until you come of age... You must return home for the Christmas holidays as you usually do..."
Draco gaped at Severus. "No," he snarled, "I don't want to return home for the Christmas holidays! My father means for me to receive the mark that Christmas morning! That is why I told you as soon as possible!" He was furious and pushed himself out of his seat to pace the floor anxiously. "This isn't happening...! I knew this was a bad idea! Never mind, Professor," he stated bluntly and spun on his heel, heading straight for the door, only to find it locked. "Okay, sir, we are through here, now kindly unlock the door," he snapped as politely as possible.
Severus sighed. He not only had a temperamental and unstable Harry Potter to deal with anymore. Now, he also had a furious Draco Malfoy to tend to. Sometimes being a professor involved dealing with too many emotional teenagers, but Severus always seemed to manage somehow.
When Draco told Severus to unlock the door again, Severus replied swiftly, "Not until we have discussed this." That only caused Draco to get angrier and to pace the room again. "Sit down, Draco," the Potions Master beckoned the boy to calm down.
"No," Draco retorted angrily, "I will not sit down! What is there to discuss? You cannot help me, and that old coot of a Headmaster doesn't want to help me! So, just forget I asked you for help!" He tried to unlock the door himself with his wand when Severus refused to open the door again. "Professor, unlock this door immediately!" he exclaimed.
"No," Severus said simply. "Listen to me, Draco," he demanded sternly and stood from his desk chair. When the blond continued to rant and rave and pace, the professor sighed and walked around his desk in order to grab Draco's arm and bodily pull the blond over to the desk, where he then pushed Draco into the chair that sat there. "Sit," he ordered and glared down at the scowling blond.
"Okay," Draco sighed and slumped into the chair, "I'm sitting... now what did you want to say?" He begrudgingly sat back and waited for Severus to say what he wanted to say.
"Draco, it is true that I cannot help you avoid returning home for the holidays," Severus began cautiously and ignored the grunt of resentment that he heard, "however, I can help you create a plan in case you need an escape during the holidays." At that, he had Draco's attention, and the blond perked up, the scowl melting from his face.
"... What did you have in mind?" Draco asked cautiously.
Severus rummaged around his desk, as if looking for something. "Having a backup plan is always a good idea," he spoke under his breath as he went on looking for something. "Now, if you really need help and must get away," he said to the blond, "flooing will, no doubt, be out of the question... And, as you are too young to apparate, we must plan this carefully..." He then pulled something out of one of the desk drawers.
"This," Severus said as he carefully removed a plain pendant in the shape of an S and held it out for Draco to take gently into his hands and examine it, "is an old family heirloom... It was hand made by goblins. I want you to take it," he stated bluntly, surprising Draco. When the blond started to argue that it was not right for him to have the pendant, the Potions Master spoke, "You will take this. Wear it at all times... It has ancient magic inside it... It was made long before Port Keys were modified and administered by the Ministry, and thus, does not have to follow any Ministry guidelines. All you have to do is tap it with your wand and say tempus. I want you to take this with you, and if you need to escape, use this and you will immediately be port-keyed to the Hogwarts gates." He sat back and watched Draco put the pendant around his neck before he spoke again, "And I'm afraid that is all I can do for you... Hopefully you will not need to use it, but if your father does wish for you to take the Dark Mark so soon, then it will probably come in handy."
Draco did not know what to say. "Thank you, sir," he sighed finally and squeezed the pendant tightly in his fist as he willed himself to relax. This was a back-up plan, and the feel of the silver pendant in his hands comforted him slightly, knowing he had a way out.
Severus only nodded. "If that is all," he said, his voice trailing off awkwardly, and the blond student knew that this was a dismissal. So, Draco nodded to his professor and thanked him in a quiet, thoughtful voice before he left the classroom, heading for the Great Hall.
Severus remained in his office, however, unwilling to go to the Great Hall that night. He just did not feel like being around so many students at the moment. Besides, he was uncertain and anxious as to how his session with Harry would go tonight.
"How can I trust you... when you don't trust me?"
The Potions Master heard Harry's voice in his head. The scene from the session the night before continued to replay. Those were not Harry's exact words, of course, but that was the gist of it, and it was enough to keep Severus trying to come up with some kind of answer. What Harry said was somewhat true. How could he expect the boy to open up to him if he would not extend the same courtesy? That was something that Severus had not thought about, but it made sense.
Severus sighed and massaged his forehead to try and ease the headache he felt coming on. In order to try and distract him, he decided grading some essays would help, so he set about reading the seventh-year potions essays. He managed to keep his mind off the Gryffindor boy until Harry himself knocked on the door to his office.
Time had slipped by Severus, but it seemed that Harry had finished supper and came straight to Severus's office. The Potions Master shuffled the parchments in front of him and stowed them in one of his desk drawers before calling out a soft, but stern, "Enter."
Harry took a deep breath but pushed the door open and strode inside the room, closing the door once he was in. Then, he made his way quietly to the chair that set in front of Severus's desk and took a seat, seemingly interested in watching his wringing hands. He decided to stay silent and let Severus be the first to speak, but he really wanted to ask the man why he had skipped supper. Hadn't he gotten onto Harry for doing just that? But, he would not press his luck or Severus's buttons. Instead, he merely sat there, not trusting himself to say anything.
"Good evening, Potter," Severus broke the tense silence that filled the room. He saw the boy fidgeting in his seat, and when Harry only nodded in reply, he sighed. "All right, anything in particular you would like to talk about tonight?" he asked in order to get Harry talking.
"Not really," Harry replied quietly. He did not know what to say to his Potions professor, but he decided it best to not say anything. That way he could not say the wrong thing and make Severus mad at him.
"Come now, Potter," Severus scoffed, "there must be something on your mind."
"There always is, sir," Harry grumbled more to himself, but Severus heard him anyway. He sighed when the Potions Master asked him what kinds of things were on his mind. "Different things, sir," he answered cryptically, answering the question without really answering the question.
"Explain what different things," Severus demanded softly and put his full attention on Harry, done with rustling through some random parchments on his desk.
"I would rather not," Harry mumbled awkwardly and looked at the wall behind Severus.
"Potter, you are not making this easy," Severus stated blandly and rubbed his temples, attempting to be as patient as he could. "It is not difficult. Just pick something we can discuss," he sighed gently.
"I have nothing to discuss with you," Harry snapped lightly and scowled. He did not want to be here, and he did not want to talk to Severus about the things on his mind. He and Severus had never gotten along before, and Harry felt it wouldn't be long until Severus grew tired of spending time with Harry anyway, so why not just get it all over with quickly. He liked seeing Severus's gentler side, but he was afraid it would not last.
"Potter," Severus scowled at the boy when Harry stood up, "sit back down this instant. We are not through here yet." When Harry sighed but situated himself back into the chair, the Potions Master said, "Now, surely there is something you want to talk about."
"No offense, sir," Harry retorted, "but some things on my mind are too personal to discuss with you. I don't feel comfortable sharing everything with you." He waited with baited breath, suddenly unsure as to if he had gone too far. He could tell that Severus was getting annoyed, but the man did not snap at him, surprisingly.
"I understand," Severus sighed, "but as I am here to counsel you, you have to talk to me about these things... Or would you prefer that I choose our topics for discussion? And force you to drink Veritaserum each evening?" He watched as Harry paled suddenly upon hearing that. Severus, of course, did not like having to threaten Harry to get the boy to talk to him, but if it was the only way then it was the only way.
"N-no!" Harry exclaimed. If Severus forced Veritaserum down Harry's throat, then it was likely that the man would find out that Harry had a crush on him, and that could not happen. "I-I'll talk.. just.. give me a minute..."
Severus merely nodded and waited for Harry to decide what to talk about. Start slow, the man told himself mentally, if we start on his terms, he will be more likely to trust me... With that thought in mind, he was able to wait patiently for Harry to bite his lip thoughtfully while he thought of something to talk about.
"Can we do this like... you ask me a question and I ask you a question?" Harry asked uncertainly.
Severus was caught off guard by that. "Certainly, but why?" he inquired to sate his curiosity. Why take turns asking each other questions? That was something that Severus definitely had not expected. Then again, this way Harry could ask Severus questions. It was a way of learning a little about one another, and though Harry had not asked for there to be, there was an unspoken rule not to ask anything too personal, but if something like that were asked, the other did not have to answer right then.
Harry just shrugged and remained quiet, not quite sure how to go about starting this little game. Severus took pity on the boy, deciding to break the silence by saying, "Very well, go ahead and ask your first question."
"Um," Harry hummed thoughtfully for a moment, and it was clear that he had not thought far past asking Severus if they could take turns asking questions. So, now he had no idea what to ask the man in front of him. "All right... Do you mind me asking... I mean..." He stammered, and when Severus finally snapped at him to spit it out since the man was afraid it was something that was really serious, the boy asked, "Areyouavampire?" At the incredulous look on the man's face, Harry sighed and said again, slower this time, "Are you a... vampire?"
Severus looked at Harry for a moment, just looking at him, as if it was taking his mind that long to process what Harry had just asked. Then, to the Gryffindor's surprise, the man before him started snickering softly, unable to stop himself from laughing no matter how hard he bit his lip. He held his hand up as a sign for the by now scowling Harry to be silent until Severus was once again calm and collected. That calm and collected mask was hard to put back up into place, however, and Severus could not stop himself from laughing, which made Harry's scowl melt into a look of pure shock to see the usually sour man laughing.
Severus managed to get a few words out in between his chuckles. "You... you're not serious... are you... Potter?" the man choked out with some difficulty. Here he thought Harry had been about to ask him a serious question on a serious matter, but what does the boy ask? If Severus is a vampire... Honestly... At the odd look on Harry's face, the Potions Master was finally able to compose himself enough to speak. "Where did you get a silly idea like that?" he asked, struggling not to smile which made his lips twitch from the effort of holding back the small snickers that escaped him now and then.
Harry blushed crimson, feeling quite stupid at the moment. The way Severus had burst out laughing clearly proved what a dumb question Harry had asked, but the boy had heard many rumors about Severus Snape, so now was the perfect time for him to safely and completely dispel those rumors. He shrugged in reply to the Potions Master's question as to where he got such an idea, biting his lip out of embarrassment. "M'sorry," he apologized after a moment, his voice holding an edge of coldness and hurt to it.
Severus took a deep breath, a small grin finally winning and overtaking his lips. "It's all right. It merely surprised me. The way you were stammering, I thought it was something serious," he said and dissolved into chuckles again, which made Harry blush and scowl at the professor again. "No," the man said, once his laughter was completely under control again, though he could not seem to wipe the little grin off of his face, "to answer your question.. no, I am not a vampire... though I have heard I do slightly resemble such a creature," he added as his grin turned to a wide smirk.
Harry nodded and avoided looking at Severus, not happy with the way this little game had first started. He scowled down at his hands, remaining silent as a sign for Severus to ask his question all ready. Severus, however, merely sat there for a few moments, eying Harry closely as he tried to think of a good question to ask. "How was your summer?" he asked. Dumb question, he knew that, but the man had been unable to come up with anything else at that particular moment.
Harry shrugged. "It was all right, I suppose," he answered, "did some chores, as usual... Um, why did you skip dinner?" he asked for his turn in the game.
Severus's brow quirked up at the question. "I did not feel like joining everyone in the Great Hall, so I decided to stay here and grade essays," he answered and eyed Harry suspiciously. "Did you have supper?" he asked in return. When Harry stammered, he warned the boy that he had better not lie.
"Well... no," Harry spoke uneasily, feeling quite uncomfortable at the death glare that he felt Severus direct at him. "When I looked up to the Staff table and saw you weren't there, I figured that you were ready for the session to start, so I just came straight here..."
"Potter, you fool," Severus snapped at the boy swiftly before calling for a house elf, politely asking it to fetch some food for both student and professor. "What did I tell you?" he then turned to the dark-haired boy in the chair in front of his desk. "I think I told you," he stated when Harry tried to stammer out what he was trying to say, "that you were to never, never skip a meal."
Needless to say, Harry was feeling adequately chastised and scolded by the time the little house elf returned with a platter full of food and two goblets of pumpkin juice. "Eat," the Potions Master commanded sternly, pushing the tray as close to the boy as he could without pushing it off the desk, "all of it," he added as an afterthought when Harry made no move to eat anything else after a just a few bites. Once Harry was grudgingly eating more, Severus sighed and allowed himself to feed his hungry stomach, and together, the two ate together in an uncomfortable and tense silence.
Finally, Severus set his plate and goblet aside. "All right, Potter," he said, "I believe it was your turn to ask a question." He sat back and watched Harry sigh and put his empty plate back on the platter.
"... Okay, this is harder than I thought it would be," Harry murmured and let out an annoyed sigh. "I don't know what to ask," he admitted at the curious scowl that Severus sent him.
Severus merely shook his head. "Very well, Potter," he murmured, "I think that perhaps this concludes tonight's session... Run along," he told the boy and indicated to the door with a wave of his hand as he pulled out some essays that needed reading through. He picked up a quill, dipping it into his ink jar before beginning to correct some of the first essay he picked up.
"Are you sure, sir?" Harry asked anxiously. This session had not really lasted that long or had been that successful. All the two had really done was sit and eat for most of the time. He bit his lip uneasily when Severus nodded and told him he could leave. "Can, I mean... Um, may I stay for a little while?" he asked the sour man behind the desk, "I need some help with..." he thought quickly and added, "Potions! Sir, could you help me some with potions?" he asked, not really wanting to leave yet. He liked Severus, so he did not like being chased from the office so quickly. He just had to come up with some way to spend more time with Severus.
The Potions Master paused and looked up from the essay he was correcting, dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why ask for help now, Potter?" he asked, knowing that Harry was up to something, "You've gone years without expressing any desire to better yourself in the art that is potion-making, so why now?"
Harry scowled. "I knew it was useless," he grumbled and stood up, grabbing his bag that sat beside the chair he sat in. "Never mind, sir, it's not important," he snapped when Severus glared at him and asked him what his problem was. He stomped over to the door and yanked it open. "Good night, sir," he said coldly in the doorway before he stepped out of the room and closed the door. Once he was a few feet down the corridor, he sighed and came to a stop, leaning against the wall while his mind raced. "Why can't I ever just keep my temper under control?" he groaned and lightly slapped his head as a way of reprimanding himself, "but how do I admit to Snape that I don't hate him? That I like being around him? He would hex me if I told him I enjoyed spending time with him!" With a moan, he sighed and leaned his head back to let it rest on the wall.
Meanwhile, Severus sat in his office, staring at the door with confusion clearly written on his face. "What is that brat's problem?" he snarled quietly to himself and raked long, nimble fingers through his dark locks of hair. "I do not understand that boy," he sighed in defeat and willed himself to forget about the Gryffindor until the next day. Instead, he tried to focus on the essays he was grading while Harry wandered around the castle.
While he was wandering, Harry wound up at the top of the Grand Staircase. He saw Ron and Hermione at the bottom of the steps, heading up tat way to return to the Common Room, and at that same time, he saw Draco reach the top of the staircase and nod to the Gryffindor Boy-Who-Lived before turning to the left to go down the corridor.. He was unsure which way to go. On the one hand, he wanted to go join Ron and Hermione, but he also would like to talk with Draco some. The blond was actually fairly nice to talk to, though Harry loathed to admit it, and he felt Draco could relate better to him with some things than Ron and Hermione could.
Harry bit his lip nervously. Ron and Hermione were halfway up the Grand Staircase and were looking at him, waving and smiling at him. He gave them a small smile and waved back, but cast a look after Draco. He could not decide who to join, but it really clinched it when Ginny called out to Ron and Hermione before running up to join them. Harry made a swift decision after that to give Ron and Hermione an apologetic look before running off after Draco. "Malfoy," he called out to the blond as he ran, completely missing the betrayed look on Ron's face or the confused expression on Hermione's.
"Potter?" Draco asked in confusion but stopped and turned around to wait on Harry. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Ron a few feet behind Harry with a glare on his face, which was red from his fury. "What are you doing?" the blond asked Harry when he caught up with him, "Shouldn't you go and hang out with Granger and the Weasel?"
Harry looked back at his friends, noting that they did not look happy, but when he saw Ginny catch up to Ron and Hermione at the top of the staircase, he winced and looked away. "I'll catch up with them later," he muttered and looked back at the blond, "if you don't mind hanging out for a while," he added uncertainly.
"As long as other people can't see us," Draco said with a nod. "If any of the Slytherins catch me hanging out with you, then we'll both be in for it..." He frowned thoughtfully and looked around, as if afraid a group of Slytherins would be eavesdropping just around the corner.
"All right, we can just talk," Harry said and nodded to an unused classroom. When Draco nodded, the two entered into said classroom and sat down to talk, not noticing the way Ron stomped furiously off towards the Gryffindor Common Room with Hermione and Ginny, all the while complaining about how Harry had betrayed them so he could hang out with the "ferret."
Kyla: All right, well, don't forget to review! You can still vote on Good Ron or Bad Ron, and you can also tell me if you think this should stay HPSS or if it should become HPDM... Anyways, thanks for reading!