Author's Note: Enjoy! Feel free to tell me what you love or hate about it :)
"You three," Snape hissed in a low voice, "have a considerable amount of explaining to do."
Harry could practically feel the shift in his friend's emotions as Hermione's shoulders slumped and Ron sucked in his breath.
"It isn't past curfew," Harry quickly pointed out.
"I am quite conscious of the time," Snape replied in a formidable voice. He was silent for a moment as he fixed them each with a stern glare. "You will report to your dormitory immediately. Professor McGonagall will be made aware of your actions"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly turned, ready to follow his friends back into the castle. However, he didn't take so much as a single step before he felt Snape's hand clamp down on his shoulder.
"You will report to my study."
"But it's getting late and I…"
Harry's words trailed off as Snape fixed him with a look that was so stern it nearly made his blood run cold.
"If you would prefer to discuss things here that can certainly be arranged however, I thought you would be grateful for some privacy."
Harry quickly shook his head. He felt the tips of his ears burning. He mentally scolded himself for daring to try and argue with Snape. He was suddenly extremely thankful for the fact that it was dark out and in the moonlight his embarrassment was far less obvious.
Snape turned his attention from Harry to his friends, fixing the two of them with a strict look.
"All three of you will obey this moment...failure to do so will produce dismal results."
Harry knew the look that was on Snape's face and he was unfortunately all too familiar with the tone of his voice. As a result, Harry wasted no time moving in the direction of the castle, his friends only a step behind him. He had expected Snape to follow them but instead the man turned and walked back down towards Hagrid's Hut.
"I'm going to refrain from saying I told you so," Hermione broke the silence.
"How is that refraining?" Ron muttered in an annoyed voice.
Harry wasn't even paying attention to their bickering. Every inch of his brain was concentrating solely on the fact that he was in a world of trouble with Snape and he was sure that his bum was likely going to pay the price.
As the three of them climbed the large stone staircase to the entrance of the castle Harry racked his brain trying to come up with an excuse, a way...any way...to save himself from his undeniable fate.
"We're just going to get a detention," Ron decided as they entered the castle. "We didn't even really do anything that wrong. It's not past curfew."
Hermione gave Ron a pointed look as she elbowed him in the side and gestured towards Harry.
"Oh," Ron muttered in a soft voice.
"I'm guessing that Snape thinks a lot more of the threat of Sirius Black being out there then you two did," Hermione retorted. Her voice was dripping with assurance but quickly softened as she eyed Harry. "I'm sure if you explain it to him though. I mean we really only wanted to make sure Hagrid was okay, surely he can't fault you for being a good friend."
Harry gave her a miserable look as the three friends stopped walking. They had reached the point where Ron and Hermione had to head towards the Gryffindor tower while Harry headed down to the dungeons. Harry couldn't help but feel completely and utterly horrible for himself. A year prior he would be heading in the same direction as his friends only to receive a measly detention as punishment for his actions and now here he was heading towards Snape, ready to throw himself at the man's mercy.
"We'll wait up for you," Ron offered.
Harry gave a half shrug and a half nod to these words. He was touched that Ron offered but in all honesty he hoped that they wouldn't. He had enough experience with an angry Snape to know that seeing his friends afterwards was probably the last thing he would want.
Harry headed down the long hallway by himself mentally cursing his decision to go check on Hagrid. In retrospect he realized that no matter how much he cared about Hagrid, waiting until the morning to go and see him would have been the smarter decision.
He kicked the stone wall as he turned the corner that led to the short hallway to Snape's quarters.
Harry pushed Snape's door open and crossed the study, flopping down on the couch. The man's private quarters were silent and Harry silently thanked his lucky stars that he had beat Snape back. As he was entering the room the thought had occurred to him that perhaps Snape had somehow arrived back before him and he got the feeling that if that was the case his slow arrival would only add to the man's anger.
For a moment Harry toyed with the idea of going into his room and pretending to be asleep. Maybe if Snape thought he was exhausted he would just leave him be and let him sleep. He knew it wasn't very likely though. The thought occurred to him that the only way he was going to get out of trouble was if something happened and he was in some real danger.
Where the hell was a bloody dementor when he needed one?
His stomach was starting to feel as though the giant squid was swimming around in it.
Harry took a shaky breath as he glanced at the clock on Snape's mantel. He was sure he had only been waiting for less than five minutes but it felt like an eternity to him and there was no telling how long Snape would be at Hagrid's. He wished that Snape's quarters were located on the other side of the castle where he could easily look out a window and see if Snape was on his way.
For a split second, Harry entertained the idea of going to his dormitory and just blowing Snape off completely. He knew it was a stupid idea at best though. Snape would bloody murder him for sure and Harry didn't put it past him to come right into the Gryffindor common room to do so.
He glanced up at the clock once more, noting that ten minutes had now passed and the squid in his stomach had multiplied into several squid swimming around. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to have parents or rather to be in trouble with your parents. It would be a bold face lie to say that there wasn't some part of him that feared being punished by Snape but there was another feeling surfacing that was much stronger than fear. Snape had flat out told him several times to stay in the castle at night…to follow the rules…to use his brain…to obey…and he hadn't done any of that. He had ventured down to Hagrid's without a care in the world and he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his behavior; a feeling that he wasn't at all that familiar with.
He didn't have long to dwell on that feeling though because seconds after it overcame his body the door swung open revealing a livid Potions master.
Snape strode across the room and in three large steps he was towering over Harry.
Despite the bravery Harry often displayed, he couldn't find it in himself to look up at Snape and instead concentrated hard on the pattern of the sofa. He could hear Snape's heavy breathing and could practically feel the anger radiating off of the man.
In one quick motion Snape grabbed the boy by his shoulders and forced him to stand.
"What in the world where you thinking?" Snape barked, his hands still clenching onto Harry's shoulders.
Harry's mouth felt dry, his throat drier still as he searched for the correct words to answer the question.
"Look at me!" Snape ordered.
Harry's head quickly snapped up. Despite his utter fear and embarrassment there was no way he was going to make Snape tell him twice.
"I'm sorry," Harry muttered. "We just wanted to make sure Hagrid was okay."
Snape's face was a portrait of anger. His lips were pursed in a tight line, his eyes glaring madly, his muscles clenched.
"Where is your wand?"
Harry felt his stomach flop as he realized his grave mistake. It was bad enough he was out at night after he had been told not to be, but Snape had told him at least a million times in the past few weeks to keep his wand on him at all times.
Acting on its own accord Harry's head dropped, his ears burning with shame.
"I will ask you once more and Merlin help you if you are dishonest," Snape said in a no-nonsense voice. "Is your wand in your possession or not?"
Harry quietly shook his head in defeat.
Harry felt Snape's grip loosen as he sat on the couch only to grab his forearm a second later, pulling the boy towards him.
"Snape no," Harry couldn't help but whine as he instinctively tried to pull away from the man.
Harry hadn't expected his protest to make much of a difference but to his surprise Snape stopped immediately.
"Have I or have I not told you countless times that you are not to be gallivanting around the grounds of this castle after sunset?"
"Yes but-"
"Have I or have I not warned you to keep your wand on you at all times?"
"Yes but I-"
"And did I or did I not warn you in the past what would happen if you were caught eavesdropping on others private conversations?"
Harry couldn't help the dumbfounded look that overtook his face.
"I saw you at Hagrid's window with your friends and you should be thanking your lucky stars that I didn't tan your hide right then and there."
Harry was silent as he digested these words. How could he have ever been so stupid?
Snape still had a hold on his arm but Harry noticed that the man's grip had loosened ever so slightly.
"I am sure that given the past and the things you have gotten away with in this castle that you think of yourself as being exempt to the rules. But that is not the case Harry. Sirius Black is a critical threat. I have given you rules because I am trying to keep you safe and if a sound spanking is what it will take to keep you alive you can mark my words that I will administer one every evening."
The moment the last word was out of his mouth his grip on Harry's arm tightened once more as he pulled the boy towards him.
"I said I'm sorry," Harry tried in what he was sure was the most pitiful voice ever.
Once again, much to his surprise his words had an effect on Snape.
Instantly the man let go of his arm altogether and quickly stood up.
"Do not move an inch," he instructed before turning and walking away.
Harry couldn't help but feel as though something had greatly shifted. He had been in trouble with Snape before and the man had barely offered any explanation as to why he was about to be punished. Tonight he had taken the time to do so. Harry only hoped that he hadn't pushed the man so far that he had gone off to find a slipper or a ruler or something of that measure.
Harry heard a kitchen cabinet open and then shut.
A wooden spoon, he thought with a feeling of dread.
He had pushed Snape way too far.
Harry sucked in his breath as his head fell, his concentration going back to his feet. He made a vow to himself that he wasn't going to cry like some baby. He would take whatever Snape was going to dish out like a man not like a sodding toddler.
He felt Snape's presence in the room once more and against his better judgment he looked up at the man.
In his hand was not a wooden spoon but rather a plate.
"You have broken several crucial rules and your excuse for doing so is simply that you are sorry," Snape said. "Is that correct?"
Harry couldn't find his voice to answer. He wasn't sure where this conversation was going or what the plate was for but he would bet all the gold in his vault at Gringotts that he was still going to be punished despite the fact that Snape was no longer trying to drag him over his knee.
"Take this," Snape instructed holding the plate out to Harry.
Harry remained silent as he took the plate from Snape's hand. He was surprised to find that his own hand wasn't shaking as he had imagined it would be.
"Throw it on the ground."
Harry looked up at Snape with a bewildered face.
"Do as I say," Snape commanded.
Harry shook his head. He could feel the lump in the back of his throat forming and he willed himself not to cry, nothing would be more embarrassing than that.
"Obey me," Snape practically hissed.
Harry could hear the anger rising in the man's voice and before he could annoy the man anymore, he dropped the plate on the ground, watching as it shattered into several pieces.
"Now tell it you are sorry and see if that will repair it," Snape directed.
Harry shook his head forcefully. The lump in his throat had grown, the tears now clinging to his eyeballs. He knew that if he blinked even once they would escape.
With a wave of his wand Snape repaired the plate and sent it flying across the room and onto the table.
"You see being sorry will not repair the china you have just broken; just as being sorry does not negate the fact that you broke several rules tonight. I am pleased that you are sorry Harry, however simply being sorry is not enough. You need to learn not to do these things in the first place thus removing any actions to be sorry for. Am I clear?"
Harry nodded miserably.
"As the person solely responsible for keeping you safe and well I have made you more than aware of what the punishment would be for deliberately disobeying the rules and I am not a man who goes back on his word."
Snape had barely finished his sentence before he had a grip on Harry's arm once more, this time succeeding in sitting on the couch and depositing the boy over his knee.
For a moment, Snape contemplated pulling down the child's trousers for an added effect but he thought better of it. Despite his anger and despite the seriousness of the rules Harry had broken he knew it would not be fair. He had given the boy no warning that he would ever increase his punishment in such a way. Besides, by the stature of the child over the past few minutes he was sure that Harry understood the gravity of the situation at hand.
Snape took all of a moment to position the child to his liking and then wasted no time before he began spanking in earnest.
Harry sucked in his breath as he took a handful of Snape's pant leg into his hand, his head finding a resting spot in the crook of his elbow. The tears were already flowing and Snape had hardly started yet; so much for taking his punishment like a man.
"It will do you well to remember this punishment and in the future to remember that if you break the rules I will find out and I will not hesitate to dole out a spanking."
Harry wanted to respond that he was sorry, that he would never break the rules again, that he was going to glue his wand to his hand…but he found it too difficult to talk through his tears.
"Sirius Black is not a game," Snape continued to lecture. "The sooner you get that through your thick skull the sooner you will find yourself in less trouble overall."
His bum was literally on fire and Snape was showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. Harry gave up on all hope of remaining quiet as his sobs became audible, echoing off the dungeon walls.
"Your blatant lack of respect for other people's privacy and private conversations will not be tolerated, and the next time I catch you eavesdropping you will indeed be quite sorry."
Despite his brain pleading with him not to, Harry couldn't help but squirm over Snape's knee. His tears were coming so quickly now that he could not see at all. His glasses began to slide off of his face and eventually hit the floor.
Harry was seconds away from pleading with Snape, from begging the man to stop when his guardian stopped on his own accord.
Harry quickly wiped the tears off of his face with the back of his arm before Snape lifted the boy off of his lap and stood him in front of him.
Just as he had the last time, Harry instantly fell against Snape, sobbing heavily into the man's chest.
Before Snape could even think about it, his arms wrapped around the young boy; enveloping him into a hug.
"I'm sorry," Harry choked out the words.
As if moving on their own accord, Snape's hands gently began rubbing the boy's back.
"I'll never disobey you again," Harry promised in a hoarse voice.
Snape raised an eyebrow at these words, though he kept any snarky comments to himself. "I certainly hope you stand by those words," he said instead.
"I will, I swear I will," Harry promised through a tear strained voice.
Snape felt something tug at his heart at the sound of the boy's despondent weeping. Perhaps he had been too hard on him. After all he hadn't been out after curfew and he hadn't been alone. It wasn't as if he was off running around the grounds in the dead of night by himself.
Snape made an annoyed face as he pushed the thoughts from his mind. What in the world was getting into him? The boy deserved every swat he had gotten and then some. It was absolutely ridiculous to feel as though he didn't. He was Professor Snape after all…feared Potions master…not some soft pushover like Albus Dumbledore was.
"You deserved every bit of that spanking," Snape said as he tried to reassure himself that he wasn't softening in the least.
Harry nodded in agreement. "I know I did."
The two remained in a silent hug for several long moments, Snape still gently rubbing the boy's back, Harry still experiencing hitched breathing despite the fact that his tears had subsided.
"Whenever you are ready you are free to return to your dormitory."
Harry pulled away from Snape, his eyes downcast with a look of shame on his face.
"What is it?" Snape asked, all too aware that the look on Harry's face held deep meaning.
"Can I stay in my room down here tonight? With you?"
Snape nodded, although he was completely taken aback by the boy's words. He had just administered a spanking that had caused the young teenager to weep uncontrollably and yet, here he was wanting to spend the night.
"You may do so," Snape said. "However it is late and I want you in bed now."
Harry nodded in agreement as he peeled himself out of Snape's arms.
He was across the room in just a second's time but paused in the doorway looking back at his guardian.
"What is it Harry?"
"Will you come in to say goodnight?" Harry asked in a bashful voice.
Snape nodded once, that same undeniable feeling of truly caring for the boy tugging at his heart as he did so.
Harry nodded in reply before turning and disappearing down the hall to his room.
Snape looked on after the boy, a million thoughts rushing through his head, a million emotions rushing through his body.
Try as he might he couldn't stop what he was feeling. Somewhere in the last few weeks, he had come to truly care for Harry Potter.
He walked across the room and poured himself a nightcap as he tried to understand the emotions he was feeling.
The child had come into his life and turned it completely upside down. Normally Snape would resent him for these actions; but instead, somehow he was feeling as though he was growing to love him instead.
He shook his head before taking the first mouthful of his drink.
He wasn't sure what to do with his emotions or the fact that Harry was clearly feeling the same way but he was sure of one thing…James Potter was rolling in his grave.
TBC...