Summary: Severus has never done anything for anyone, but what will he do for one small boy named Harry.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot
A/N: Of course it is AU. I also would like to thank my beta Nita
Chapter 20
Harry woke up and felt better than he had in a long time. He noticed Severus had not woken up and thought that he would be late if he didn't get up soon. Harry left his room, and walked across the hall to Severus'. He eased open the door, and peered inside. His guardian was still asleep. Harry walked into the room, hoping Severus would wake on his own. He didn't value having his head ripped off, as often his Uncle would cuff him on the head when he woke him from a nap.
Harry stood beside the bed and opened his mouth to call out to Severus, but all that came out was a whisper. Harry tried again, but all that emerged again was a whisper. He didn't want to anger the man, but it was almost nine o'clock, much later than he usually left. Taking a deep breath Harry grabbed a hold of Severus' arm and shook it.
"Severus, you are still asleep, and you will be late," Harry said, a bit louder this time.
Severus opened his eyes and grabbed Harry up at the same time.
"Not if today is Saturday, which it is," he said, watching the look of horror on Harry's face turn to one of happiness. Severus was careful not to hurt Harry's back as he tickled the boy till he begged for mercy.
"How do you feel about going to find a tree today?"
Harry's eyes lit up. "Can we really?" he asked, hoping this was true.
Severus slung his feet over the side of the bed. "If you are feeling up to it, then I say yes."
Harry jumped off the bed, and took off running into the kitchen. "Gertrude! We are going to buy a Christmas tree!"
Severus could hear Harry yelling. When he got into the kitchen, Harry was grilling Gertrude on everything she knew about Christmas trees, and what color were the lights, and how did they stay on the trees. When Harry saw Severus, he started asking Severus the questions, till the man held up his hand.
"First breakfast, and then we can talk about trees."
Harry ate two eggs and a half piece of toast before claiming he was full. Severus had hoped he would eat more, but considering Harry's level of excitement, he would overlook it.
"We must get dressed if we are to go out."
Harry hurried and threw on his pants and sweater. Lastly, he put on his trainers and cloak and was standing in the sitting room waiting for Severus.
"Are you ready?" Severus asked him, and Harry nodded. Harry walked over to the door.
"Aren't you going to make my hair grow, and change my eyes before we go?"
"Not today," Severus said, putting his own cloak on. "Today we are not going into the wizarding world. Today I thought you would enjoy going into town where you can be Harry."
Harry ran to Severus and grabbed his hand. "I am ready!"
Harry and Severus walked out the front door and Harry could feel the vibrations as they walked through the barrier protecting the house.
"Is that so people can't come and find us?"
"Yes, that is so we don't get any unexpected guests."
Severus and Harry walked down the street and crossed the road into the area full of shops. Everywhere was filled with twinkling lights, and several times Severus had to drag Harry away from a shop window as he stared at the Christmas trees.
"Is our tree going to look like that?" he asked Severus.
"A bit like it, yes, but different as well. Come quickly, the tree farm is just up this hill."
Harry followed behind Severus, and together they climbed the small hill. Harry was out of breath once they reached the top. The owner led them to a long line of trees and told them to let him know when they had chosen one. Severus peered over all the trees, but before heading down the line, he knelt down in front of Harry.
"What kind of tree did your family have before?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Uncle Vernon never let me go with them when they picked the tree out."
"What about when they got the tree home? What kind of tree did it look like then?"
Harry's shoulders sagged further. "I don't know. When I was little, they caught me touching one of the lights on the tree, and after that they said I couldn't look at it anymore."
"What do you mean? How could they keep you from looking at it?" Severus asked, his blood boiling with hatred.
"Well, they locked me in my cupboard. If I was let out, I had to go through the kitchen. I wasn't allowed in the sitting room. I did see the lights every night though. They used to make pretty patterns on the cupboard wall."
Severus gulped down the lump in his throat. "Since this is your Christmas tree, I think you should pick it out."
Harry's face beamed and he took off running down the line of trees, looking at each one before moving onto the next. Severus followed him, a smile on his face. It was hard to stay mad at anything, with the look of joy on Harry's face.
Harry stopped about three fourths of the way down the line, staring up at a Douglas Fir. It was around seven feet tall, its branches lush and full.
"Can we have this one?" he asked, once Severus had caught up.
"If this is the one you want, then this is the one you shall have."
Severus paid the man at the tree lot and started to drag the tree down the path back to town. About half way down, Severus turned to make sure no one was around and shrank the tree, placing it in his pocket, while Harry gasped in surprise. Next, Severus and Harry walked from store to store gazing at the things in the windows and Severus even went inside one store and bought a neon green pair of socks. He explained to Harry that Albus enjoyed socks for Christmas, and that he had every color Severus could think of but this one.
After they had gone into a few stores, Severus stopped by a vendor's cart and bought both of them a hot cocoa. They sat on the bench outside one of the stores and sipped it.
"Harry, you haven't told me what you really want for Christmas."
Harry stared at Severus. "I told you I would like a new book," Harry said, not understanding.
Severus tried again, hoping Harry would say what he wanted to hear.
"I mean, there has to be something you want more than anything in the world. If you could have that thing, what would it be?"
Harry grew silent, and sat his cocoa down. "I can't say."
"Why not?" Severus prodded.
"If I say it, then I get the answer, and then I have nothing left to wish for. I really would like a book. Maybe even one with those moving pictures."
Severus sighed but didn't pressure Harry any further. They started walking home when someone came by, a coffee can in their hand. "Donation for the orphanage?" they asked Severus.
In years past, Severus had looked down on these people with disgust. People were not to go about begging for money. It showed a lack of both good graces and manners. He was about to walk away again when he felt Harry tugging on his sleeve.
"We have to give the orphans something."
"Harry, our small change will not make a difference in those children's lives," Severus tried to explain.
Harry stopped tugging on his sleeve then and stood straighter. "Then give them my book. At least then they can dream of things they can't have."
Severus and the man holding the cannister both looked ashamed. Neither had really cared about the orphans; Severus, not understanding at all considering he had parents, and the man, thinking of it as just a job he had to do. Severus opened his wallet and gave the man twenty pounds.
"It is not much, but I hope it brings a nice Christmas morning for at least one child," he told the man.
Grabbing Harry's hand, Severus walked away, leaving the man standing there still gobsmacked.
When they returned home, they found a table full of food again, and Gertrude inside the chimney with a rag cleaning.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing in there?" Severus asked, putting down the parcels so he could take off his cloak.
Gertrude's head popped out of the chimney and Severus saw she was covered in soot.
"Master Harry says it needed to be clean if Santa Claus was coming down it, so Gertrude is cleaning it. Do not worry though, Master Snape, Gertrude is having your dinner on the table already."
Harry and Severus sat down at the table while Severus told Harry about his trip to Naples as a child.
"We learned all about the Italian culture, and father was taught several new spells, but what I remember most is the food. It was some of the best in the world."
Harry listened to Severus' tale while he gobbled down half his plate of food.
"Can we decorate the tree now?" he begged.
Severus could hardly resist and stood up from the table, motioning for Harry to go on ahead. First they put on the bulbs that Harry had picked out in the store, but the tree still looked bare. Harry helped Severus sprinkle tinsel along the branches, and then he stepped back to look at it again. Severus tapped him on the shoulder and handed him the star that went on top and hoisted Harry up to place it on.
"Now the tree is complete," Severus said.
"No it isn't. We didn't get any lights," Harry said, looking defeated.
"If that is the only problem, we can fix that," Severus said, taking his wand out.
Harry watched in awe as lights began to twinkle all over the tree; beautiful red and green lights, and even blue and gold ones. He stepped closer to the tree and saw the lights weren't just lights but small little stars twinkling, and changing color. There were also floating candles on the tree, with flames that would not burn you, even if you touched them.
"This is the best thing I have ever seen!" Harry exclaimed.
Severus stared at Harry and saw the wonder in the child's eyes. Something as simple as a Christmas tree had brought him so much joy. Severus and Harry had cup of tea and then Severus saw Harry nodding off.
"I think it is time for bed."
"Will you please leave the lights on till I fall asleep?" Harry pleaded. Severus agreed and went to tuck Harry in bed. He wanted to ask Harry about adopting him, but Severus couldn't make the words come out of his mouth. Leaning over, he tucked the covers around Harry and kissed him on the head. Harry was already drifting off to sleep, and as Severus reached the door he heard the words again.
"Goodnight, Daddy."
This time Severus couldn't hold back the tears and he rushed to his room, shutting the door behind him. Severus fell to his knees on the floor by the bed. Severus had no friends, so he did what he always did, and talked to himself, trying to come to some understanding.
"Can I really be a father? Or will I just mess his life up worse than the muggles did? I mean, my own childhood was nothing to go by, considering the way I turned out, but haven't I learned from that? Doesn't Harry deserve the chance that I didn't get? Does he even realize what he is saying? Could he ever think of me as a father?"
Severus knew he wouldn't find any answers to his questions, as the only true answer lay in the room across the hall.
Sighing, Severus got up to go to bed. He pulled back the covers but decided he would take a shower first to relax himself.
Harry woke up and sat up in the bed. He had a nightmare, one where Severus was at the end of a tunnel and he couldn't get to him, and it scared the small boy. Scrambling out of bed, Harry grabbed his bear and went to find Severus. When he got to Severusâ–“ door across the hall, he opened it slowly and crept in. At first, Harry panicked when he saw the empty bed, but the sound of the shower soon alerted him to where Severus was at. Harry was about to leave and go back to bed, assured that Severus was all right, when the dream surfaced in the back on his mind.
Harry climbed up on the bed and snuggled into the covers, and soon he felt content enough to fall asleep. He didn't hear the bathroom door open or Severus putting on his sleeping attire, but as Severus laid down on the bed, Harry grabbed a hold of his shirt and tucked it in under him.
"Harry?" Severus questioned, but Harry did not waken.
Severus wondered why the boy had ventured into his room, thinking the boy had a bad dream. One look at Harry told Severus whatever had brought the boy to his room, was no longer an issue as Harry was sleeping soundly. Severus himself was tired, and was looking forward to a good nights rest, so with his wand he noxed the lights on the tree.
The room was now thrown into darkness, but enough light came through the window so that Severus could see. He pulled his pillow underneath his head, and started drifting off to sleep. He was about to roll over when Harry turned over, laying his head on his chest. The child sighed and never woke up, Severus' shirt still tucked securely under him. Severus' earlier questions and anxiety melted away. Though he had not ever planned it, he was ready to be a father to this boy, even if that meant he had to stare down those Muggles to get it. The only questioned that remained was did Harry want a father...
A/N: See you next week!