AN: Hi again! I managed to squeeze out another chapter for you. Don't worry some action will be coming up soon. And a reminder that Snape is not going to be all soppy and befriend Harry the next day. I want to try and keep as close to their characters as much as possible with a few tweaks here and there. Thank you so much for the reviews, I love them! xxx
I do not own Harry Potter, if I did then Malfoy would have remained as a ferret. I do however own the ''magical plants'' you will not recognise in this story :)
Snape and Harry were in the garden sorting through the plants for potions. Foxgloves, snowdrops and tulips were picked and placed in baskets that Snape bought from his trip to town the previous day. Snape attended to the magical plants like the Nipping Snapdragons and the Blue Clovers and watched as his ward carefully clipped a red tulip and then reached for a flower with a bit of yellow colouring on the edge of the petals.
"Not that one, Potter," Snape called out. "Just the red ones, they must be completely red."
"Oh, sorry," Harry replied and searched for another red plant. Snape nodded and then hissed as a nipping snapdragon latched onto his finger he stupidly left hovering near.
"Are you alright, professor?" Harry asked as he walked over with his basket of plants. Snape shook his hand out as if the sting was going to fly off.
"I shall live," he replied dryly.
"Why did you need the red tulips? Does the colour affect the potion?"
"Yes. Each colour has its own magical texture. Red is one of the thicker textures and sets potions quicker than say...white or light blue."
"So the darker the colour, the thicker the texture? Like Dark blue is thicker than light blue?"
"That is correct," Snape said with a slight nod. He was pleasantly surprised that Harry had come to the conclusion on his own.
"So the small amount of orange would have thinned the potion?"
"Correct again, even the slightest change in texture can ruin a potion. That is why I hammer it into student's brains to read the instructions carefully. It's not always the techniques the student does that is wrong, it's usually that the ingredients added that are not correct. When it says Horned slugs to be used must be dried for three days, that's exactly how long they must be dried for. Two days would make the concoction too strong and over power the other ingredients whilst four days would what?"
Harry bit his lip. If two days would be too strong then four days would be the opposite.
"Um, it would be too weak?" Harry asked. "The other ingredients would over power the slugs?"
"Finally you are learning what you should have learned in your early years. Potion brewing is all about balance."
"Like baking?" Harry suggested. "I mean when I baked cakes back at my aunt's house if you use too much powder it gets dry and powdery?"
Snape looked shocked that Harry would suggest that potions was like baking. But the boy did have a point...
"That is an interesting way of putting it, I guess," Snape agreed. "You bake, Potter?"
Harry smiled. "Oh yeah, I love to cook. As long as I can go at my own pace I don't mind it at all."
It was true, even though the Dursley's forced him to make their meals and took the credit for his creations when thay had a dinner party. He loved to be able to create things and even though his aunt was mean to him, she was pleased with the result of his cooking. Once he did an exceptional job that earned Uncle Vernon a pay rise, that she cut a slice of cake and hid it in a napkin for him without anyone watching and gave it to him as a reward as she went to bed. It was one of the very few times she had shown kindness but Harry had never forgotten that moment. Ever since then he had always tried to impress her with cooking and Aunt Petunia even let him help her when she had to make big batches of food for school feats or Uncle Vernon's work parties.
"I never knew that," Snape said surprised. "Come now, the other plants we need in the greenhouse."
Harry froze at the glass door. The attack at Hogwarts replayed in his mind and a rapid pace and he began to hyperventilate. Snape turned to look at him and saw the fear on the young wizard's face.
"Potter, Wormtail isn't here; you are perfectly safe," Snape encouraged.
Harry scanned the glass walls as if he was expecting Wormtail to burst through the glass again and trembled. Snape felt a surge of anger at Harry's disobedience but then reminded himself that the boy had received a shock that day and the memory was still fresh in his mind.
"Come on, Potter. Just walk in slowly. I know you are still scared but we are protected here," Snape urged. He could not allow Harry to be consumed by fear. If the oven in the kitchen exploded and caused the boy fear to enter another kitchen then life was going to be very difficult for him. Harry took an uneasy step and placed one foot inside the greenhouse but then stayed rooted to the spot. Snape sighed; it was a start. He couldn't force the boy all in one day but he wouldn't have him staying outside the entire time. He needed plants that were deeper in the room but there was no way Harry would go that far in. He looked next to the door and had an idea.
"Ok, Potter, listen to me. I'm going to go further in but I do need thirteen Shadow Daisies in the box just to your right next to the door and then behind the box are Growling Dandelions. I need six of those. Can you do that for me? The dandelions will growl but they don't bite, just ignore them as you pick them. You have to do it by hand as I need the entire stem and root too."
"I...I can do that," Harry said nervously.
"Good boy," Snape said, slightly uncomfortable with the words that he reserved mainly for his snakes. "You are close to the door so if you feel overwhelmed, step out of the greenhouse and return when you calm down and continue harvesting."
Snape approached the boy and handed him a small black sack. "Put the daisies in here. No sunlight can touch them or they will be useless; hence why they are in a box. Open the box away from the window and pick them. It may be better if you put the bag in the box too to make absolute sure light does not touch the plants."
Harry took the bag and nodded. He slowly walked towards the box with shaky steps and Snape watched until he opened the wooden door. The professor then walked towards the centre of the greenhouse to gather feathered toadstools.
"I can do this, Wormtail isn't here. I can do this, Snape will protect me," Harry chanted to himself. He cursed his mind for being so weak. What Gryffindor would be terrified of entering a greenhouse? Neville would even sleep in one he was so comfortable with them. But he wasn't attacked in one. Harry was very surprised that Snape didn't tease him or pull him through the house out of spite. Actually he had been very reasonable and let Harry gather the needed plants nearest the door...that was very decent and generous of the Head of Slytherin actually. He looked around and saw Snape through the other plants and cacti and felt more at ease. He didn't waste Snape's kindness and looked at the Shadow Daisies. Their petals were midnight black and their pollened centre shone like neon lights in Las Vegas. Even the stems were shining a brilliant electric green. Harry gathered what he needed and pulled out of the box and bumped into something behind him. He jumped and spun around to face Snape.
"Easy, it's just me," Snape said. Harry wanted to burst out laughing. Just Snape? Like he was the friendliest person to hang around.
"I still need the growling things," Harry squeaked out; he was terrified Snape would explode in anger that he had took so long to pick a bunch of dasies.
"Just behind the box, I'll shut the Shadow Box door," Snape instructed and stood back to let Harry pass. Harry looked at the dandelions and they all turned and growled at him. Harry stepped back out of habit. The growling reminded him of Ripper, Aunt Marge's dog.
"Something wrong?" Snape asked with a hint of sarcasm. "They won't bite."
"Sorry, sir. It's the growling...I...I was attacked by a bulldog when I was younger," Harry confessed. Snape softened his expression ever so slightly.
"They won't hurt you, Potter. Just grab their stem just above the soil and pull."
Harry grabbed a stem and tried to pull but the plant held fast and refused to budge. The plant growled loudly at him.
"Keep pulling, Potter. They are tough to pull out."
Harry tried to yank again and the plant lifted out of the soil by a millimetre. He felt Snape stand behind him and the man wrapped his hand around Harry's on the dandelion and pulled. The flower stopped growling as soon as it was uprooted and went limp.
"I killed it!" Harry gasped in shock. "I'm so sorry, professor."
"Cease you apologies, Potter," Snape said and waved the apology away. "That is supposed to happen. They are very tough plants so don't be afraid of breaking them. I'll help you get the rest."
The wizards left the greenhouse with their required ingredients and headed back into the house.
"Sorry about my hesitation with the greenhouse, sir," Harry said quietly as Snape flicked the kettle on. Snape glanced at him briefly.
"Fear is not an easy thing to control. You had a major shock back at Hogwarts where you are supposed to be safe. We will slowly work on your fear and get you further into the greenhouse. Fear is not to be rushed...but it is unhealthy to let it consume you. You did...satisfactory work to begin with."
Harry smiled as Snape poured himself a cup of coffee then picked up his basket and walked towards the potion lab. He stopped at the door and faced the boy.
"You may help me in the lab today if you so wish," Snape offered. Harry smiled and nodded before grabbing a glass of water and followed his professor into the room.
The lab was large and a pile of cauldrons were stacked neatly in a corner. There were a few long benches with flames on and small cauldrons bubbling away on top of them. A large wooden bench was at the back of the room with the window open to let the fumes out. On the bench was a plastic chopping board embedded in the surface, a cloth, a basin and a row of knives. Snape walked up to the bench and set the basket down.
"I need the foxgloves to be de-belled and put into a large jar of water. I need you to rotate the stock so put the newer bells at the bottom and then get the other jar with a small amount of foxglove bells and put those on top so I can use those first. I want the stems diced and laid out on the side bench to dry out. Behead the snowdrops and put those in jars of water and slice their stems before jarring them too. Don't touch the daises or the toadstools, I will deal with those later. Cut the white bit at the bottom of the Growling Dandelion stems with the roots attached and put those in the sink. Slice the rest of the stems like you would spring onions and give me the heads," Snape instructed.
"And I wash them all before I cut them?" Harry asked.
"Yes, just like you explained in your assignment. Which I must say was...much better written. Do try and keep all your schoolwork like that."
Harry made his way to the bench and started on the foxgloves. Snape went to a second basin and washed the Blue Clovers before placing them on the draining board. He then patted them dry before grabbed the Nipping Snapdragons. The same plant bit his finger again and Snape dunked them in the water. The plants were gnashing their teethless mouths underwater and Snape took great delight in shaking them underwater before pulling them out. He walked to one of the cauldrons and grabbed the base of their heads and violently shredded their heads from their stems and dropped them in the potion. He stirred the potion three time anticlockwise, once clockwise and then three times anticlockwise again before letting it rest and went to add the clovers to a second potion. Harry had jarred the foxglove bells and put them in the storage room and put a new label on them.
"Where are the dandelion heads, Potter?" Snape asked as he dropped the last of the clover into a cauldron and turned down the heat.
"Oh, uh here," Harry said and scrambled towards his teacher. Snape took them and scrunched them up in his hands tightly above the cauldron. Juice seeped out between his fingers and dripped into the potion. He shook as much juice out as possible before given the scruffy heads back to the boy with the scruffy hair.
"I need those laid out in the sunlight on the folding bench which is located beneath the workbench you are chopping on," the Potions Master said simply. "Hurry up with the rest of your chopping as I do plan to eat lunch on time today."
"Yes, sir," Harry said and followed the given instructions. It was a pleasant morning in which Harry and Snape had been civil to each other. Harry was determined to keep it that way. Maybe he could exchange time helping out in the lab for social time with the trio. The thought was comforting and played on his mind as he finished chopping and labelling just as Snape called him to lunch.
"May I see my friends tomorrow, sir?" Harry asked as he washed his hands before setting the table.
"It is a school day tomorrow, Potter," Snape said. Harry looked heartbroken and Snape sighed. "Tomorrow after lunch we can go down to the park for you to get some fresh air. Take your basketball so you can practice what Derek said. I know you are an active boy with Quidditch so it would be unfair to deny you of some exercise."
"Really? You're coming to the park too, sir?" Harry asked surprised.
"I need to keep an eye on you. I will be reading so if I do not disturb you, you do not disturb me. However when I say it is time to leave, we leave. I will give you a five minute warning in which you will finish what you are doing and gather your things ready to go. Anything you leave behind will remain behind. No crying, no tantrums and none of this five more minute rubbish. Do I make myself clear?"
"Absolutely, sir," Harry said with a massive grin as Snape put a tuna salad in front of him. He was excited that he was able to get out of the house. He was worried that Snape would put a damper on things but the man said that he would read. He guessed that it would be sensible for them to be together in case they run into any trouble or were recognized. After all, they were both on the run. It would seem suspicious that an uncle would never be with his nephew so he guessed that it would solidify their story more. If he could just stay civil with Snape and find common ground, they should survive each other's company. He still wished for his friends though.