Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, they make me so happy! =)
"I joined the Death Eaters after I graduated Hogwarts." Snape began to explain before Harry's jaw could drop any further. He cast a muffliato around them. "There had only been two people in the world that I cared about and they were both lost to me forever." Thoughts of his own mother and Lily went through his mind. "I felt that I had nothing and then I was recruited by the Dark Lord. It made me feel wanted and important at the time. I wanted to belong to something and the promise of power and revenge was a strong motivation to join."
Harry averted his eyes and took a deep breath. "But you're not a Death Eater anymore right?" He asked hesitantly.
Snape tilted his head to the side. "What do you think?" He asked.
Harry met his eyes after a moment. "You're not." He said more confidently. It was somewhat unsettling to know Snape had been a follower of Voldemort's but…he trusted Snape. The Headmaster trusted Snape. Whatever he had been in the past, Snape wasn't that person now.
"Finally I had had enough. The Dark Lord had gone too far so I asked Professor Dumbledore for help. I then became a spy for the side of the light." Snape continued, trying not to remember how low and horrible he had felt on that day when he had begged Dumbledore to save Lily. The disgust which had been on Dumbledore's face had been much deserved. "The Headmaster believes the Dark Lord will return someday and before becoming your guardian, I would have become a spy once again."
Harry's mouth dropped open. Snape would have rejoined the Death Eaters to spy? "Isn't that extremely dangerous? What if you were found out?"
"I would be killed, of course." Snape took another sip of his iced tea.
Harry shook his head. "Well, now I'm even happier that you are my guardian if it keeps you from having to spy." He declared.
"Doesn't it bother you that I was a Death Eater? I did unimaginable things." Snape was surprised that Harry hadn't started ranting or running away from him. He wouldn't have blamed the child if he had.
"I'm not happy about it." Harry said honestly. "I mean, it was a pretty mental thing to do."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Eloquent as ever but yes, it was. At the time all I thought I needed was power and revenge and the Dark Lord promised that. It was a decision I came to deeply regret." He said in a low voice.
Harry bit his lip when he saw the raw pain in Snape's eyes. It was a little unnerving that his guardian had been a Death Eater yet at least Snape trusted him enough to tell him about it. "Everyone makes mistakes." Harry said finally. Snape had saved his life during his first year. He was also saving his life by not letting him return to the Dursley's. "I trust you." He said simply.
Snape raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded. He had told Harry enough for now. "Now that we have that out of the way we can continue our shopping. We will floo to the Leaky Cauldron so I can change and then we will proceed."
HPHPHPHP
After they had returned to Hogwarts Harry couldn't stop chuckling to himself. Snape in the muggle world had been hilarious. He had still worn all black, though without his robes he looked a lot less intimidating. He had been impressed with how well Snape had fit into the muggle world, although it was obvious that he had hated every moment. Wearing black slacks, a long sleeved black shirt and his hair tied back into a ponytail he had looked a lot different. He still had sneered and snarled at the store clerks which Harry was sure he had enjoyed doing. He still was Snape after all. But the best part had been when one of the employees had tried flirting with him!
"Buying new clothes? Where is your mother dear?" The store clerk lady asked after showing him where the jeans were.
"Oh. She passed away a long time ago." Harry answered quietly as he picked out a pair of ripped jeans.
"Put those back. The point of a new wardrobe is so that you do not look homeless." Snape looked at the jeans in distaste.
The store clerk gave an airy laugh. "You should listen to your father dear. He appears to have wonderful taste." She batted her eyelashes at Snape whose own eyes had narrowed as he sneered at her.
"Yes, I do, which is why I will end this conversation with you." Snape then had rolled his eyes and turned his back on her. He glared when Harry started laughing after the lady had walked away.
"She probably wanted you to ask her out." Harry smirked as he began looking through sweatshirts.
"You know, I think I have cauldrons that need scrubbing." Snape mused out loud.
"You could tell her that you are a Chemistry teacher, which is sort of like Potions." Harry continued to tease. He grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and T-shirts that he liked along with two pairs of jeans. "Take her out for a hamburger; tell her about all your dunderhead students…"
Snape led him to the shoe department and leaned against a chair while Harry tried on a pair of new sneakers. "I believe my classroom floor could use a good scrubbing as well. Using a toothbrush." He continued in dangerous voice.
"All right, all right." Harry had given in. He suddenly looked curiously at Snape. "Do you already have a girlfriend?" He had never given thought to if Snape dated.
"No." Snape had said curtly. He relented when Harry still looked curious. "I was in love once. It would take a very special woman who could even come close to her." Not that that would ever happen. He couldn't imagine ever feeling for someone the way he felt about Lily. And the truth was he didn't deserve that kind of happiness, not after the terrible things he had done.
"What happened to her?" Harry had asked softly as they queued for his clothes.
"She died a long time ago." Snape had answered in a voice that indicated the conversation was over.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Harry had replied, feeling guilty for having asked.
Harry put away some of his new clothes in his new room. Snape had bought him more than he had ever had before so he decided to keep some in their quarters and some in his dorm. He was still amused over the store clerk batting her eyelashes at Snape yet he felt bad for the man. He had obviously lost someone he had loved very much. Maybe that was part of the reason he was so surly, he was still in mourning.
They had missed lunch at Hogwarts so Snape had taken him to a café for sandwiches. Harry wondered if this is how the other kids felt when they spent the day with their guardians or parents. It had been nice, getting the clothes he needed, talking and joking. It was something Harry could get used to.
Harry sighed and looked at the small pile of clothes left on his bed. Dudley's old clothes. He had already changed into his new pair of jeans and a dark blue sweatshirt. He picked up one ragged shirt and played with the large hole in side. He ended up ripping it more and paused. A slow smile spread across his face and he started ripping all of the oversized shirts and pants he had been forced to wear. When he was done he stared in satisfaction at the tatters that now covered his bed.
"What are you doing?"
Harry glanced at Snape who had an eyebrow raised. "Um, I thought you could use them as rags for when you have students clean your cauldrons and your vials and your classroom floor and-"
Snape snorted and held up his hand. "I get it. Although, I have a better idea." He took out his wand. "Incendio!" The old rags immediately burned into nothing, yet the bed was left unscathed.
"Brilliant!" Harry grinned. "Why didn't the bed burn?"
"Because I am an exceptional wizard." Snape deadpanned. He left the room with Harry following him. "Part of your education is learning control when casting spells. That is why you do not play around with casting; it is too easy to make a mistake. That is another reason dueling is forbidden among students unless properly supervised."
"Yes Professor." Harry said cheekily. He laughed when Snape scowled. "So is it okay for everyone to know about the guardianship?"
"It is. Eager to brag are we?" Snape drawled. Actually, he was pleased that Harry didn't mind everyone knowing.
Harry snickered. He could imagine the looks of horror on everyone's faces when they found out. He hoped he could make them understand Snape wasn't the mean git they all thought he was. At least, not all the time he wasn't.
"Severus?"
Snape turned. He frowned slightly when he saw the worried look on Harry's face. "Yes?"
Harry looked away. "When you joined the Death Eaters, was it because of how my Dad treated you?" His voice was low.
"My decision to join the Death Eaters was my own." Snape replied in a firm tone. "No one forced me. It was my mistake alone; I don't blame anyone else for it."
"Oh." Harry said in response. He decided to change the subject. "Thank you again for the clothes and taking me to Hogsmeade."
"You are welcome. I enjoyed the day myself." Snape admitted. Even with the difficult subject of the Death Eaters, Harry had taken it well. He had found he actually enjoyed talking with the child.
"I'm going to take the rest of my clothes to my dorm. I want to show my friends what I got at Zonko's." Harry rubbed his hands together with glee.
"Be careful who you prank." Snape warned. "Slytherins retaliate. Stealthy of course."
"Oh, I wasn't going to prank my friends. Well, maybe Draco. I was thinking of the Dungbombs in Trelawney's classroom." He smirked to himself, thinking of all the times she had predicted his death.
"Remember what I said." Snape said as Harry went to leave.
"I know, I know. Don't get caught." Harry laughed and left.
HPHPHPHP
After Harry had deposited his clothes into his dorm he went in search for his friends. To his surprise he found out from Astoria that they were in the library along with Ron and Hermione. He gave Astoria and Tabitha each a sugar quill and then went to the library.
"Harry!" Ron greeted a little too loudly.
"Shh!" Hermione and Daphne both hissed.
"Harry!" Ron repeated in an exaggerated whisper.
"Hey guys." Harry dropped into the seat between Ron and Daphne. He handed out the rest of the sugar quills.
"Thanks Harry!"
"Thanks mate!"
"So how was your outing?" Daphne asked curiously.
"It was really great!" Harry answered, taking a glance to the essay Ron was supposedly working on. He laughed when he saw it was full of doodles instead of writing. Ron caught his eye and gave a shrug in response. "Severus bought me a ton of new clothes. I've never had so much before!"
"Severus?" Draco asked incredulously.
Theo chuckled. "Better not let him hear you call him that."
Harry took a deep breath. "Actually, he told me I could except for in class. He's my new guardian."
Draco's mouth dropped open. "Professor Snape is your new guardian?"
"Hard of hearing Malfoy?" Ron asked cheerfully.
Draco cast him a withering look.
"Professor Snape offered to be my guardian and I agreed. I didn't want to say anything until the papers were officially signed which they now are." Harry told them.
"I think it is wonderful Harry." Tracey said warmly.
"So do I. You're going to have a much better life now." Theo said with a nod.
"As long as you're away from those horrible Dursley's." Ron sighed.
"You know?" Draco asked in surprise.
"We are his best friends, of course we know!" Ron replied frostily.
"We're his best friends too!" Draco shot back.
Harry's eyes widened a little but he couldn't help but smile. It was true after all. Somehow along the way, these four Slytherins had become people he trusted, could talk to, and laugh with. Who knew that his third year he would gain Snape as a guardian and so many new friends?
"Relax everyone." Hermione rolled her eyes. "We're all friends here."
"Well…" Ron muttered. "Yeah, we are." He said reluctantly after Hermione glared at him. "Unless…no one else here has a rat eating cat do they?"
"Don't start that again." Hermione warned. "Scabbers probably just got sick of you."
Ron made a face and Harry quickly changed the subject. "So what are you guys working on?"
"A case for Buckbeak." Hermione answered as she read through a rather large book.
"Blaise's Father is pushing for Buckbeak to be executed." Theo said quietly.
"He can't do that!" Harry exclaimed. He threw Madame Pince an apologetic look and lowered his voice. "It was Blaise's fault for ignoring Hagrid's instructions. Can't we do something?"
"That's why we are researching." Hermione said, tapping the large book in front of her. "I also think we should each write letters telling the ministry exactly what happened that day. Maybe we can get more students to do that as well."
"Good idea, especially as it will be students from both Gryffindor and Slytherin agreeing that Buckbeak was not to blame for the attack." Daphne agreed.
Harry leaned back into his seat and sighed. Poor Hagrid. If Buckbeak was killed he would be devastated. "Isn't there a way to make Blaise tell the truth?"
"Short of an illegal potion? Probably not." Draco said ruefully. "I doubt that even my Father could get Mr. Zabini to change his mind. They don't get along very well as each want to prove that they have more influence in the ministry." He rolled his eyes.
"Harry!"
Startled, Harry turned and found Astoria hurrying up to him with her eyes wide and upset.
"Harry, you have to come! The idiots are up to something." Astoria tugged on his arm.
"You're going to have to be more specific than that." Draco said dryly.
"Tori, what's wrong?" Daphne asked in concern.
"The idiots, I mean Crabbe and Goyle, are up to something. Tabitha and I overheard them! They said your name and were whispering a lot and then took something wrapped in a blanket up to your dorm." Astoria finally managed to pull Harry up.
Ron snickered. "Why do you call them the idiots? I know they are but…"
"That's what Draco calls them." Astoria said impatiently, trying to pull Harry away from the table. "What if they put something in your dorm to hurt you?"
Draco pushed away from the table and stood up. "You guys keep working on Buckbeak's case. Harry and I will see what the idiots are up to."
"Hurry!" Astoria grabbed Draco's hand as well and pulled both boys out of the library.
"Your sister is so cute." Hermione said with a smile as she watched the first year talking animatedly to Harry and Draco as they left.
Daphne laughed. "She's something else, that's for sure. Although maybe I should go too, to make sure she is okay." She added in a worried tone.
"Nah, Harry and Draco wouldn't let anything happen to her." Theo waved off her concerns. "Besides, if it is just Crabbe and Goyle you can be sure that it nothing big. Those goons couldn't pull off a real prank on their own if their lives depended on it."
HPHPHPHP
Harry and Draco walked into their dorm after telling Astoria to stay in the common room just in case. Crabbe and Goyle were standing on the other side of the room with smirks on their faces.
"What are you two doing?" Harry asked with his hand on his wand just in case.
"Nothing." Crabbe said with a stupid grin on his face.
"Well, nothing unusual about that." Draco drawled. He couldn't believe he used to hang out with these two imbeciles.
Harry suddenly noticed movement on his bed under a blanket. With a wry glance at Draco, he moved forward and yanked the blanket off. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"What is it?" Draco walked closer.
"A snake." Harry answered as he looked at the small green and black snake. The snake lifted its head and blearily blinked its eyes.
There was laughing from Crabbe and Goyle as they gave each other a high five. "Scared you I bet, right Potter?" Crabbe guffawed.
"Did his laughter sound like he was scared?" Draco shook his head at their stupidity.
Harry bent down to the snake. "They didn't hurt you did they?" He hissed in Parseltongue.
"The two moronsss? No." The snake replied, tilting its head to look at Harry. "You ssspeak ssnake language?" It asked in surprise.
"Yesss." Harry answered.
"You are a rare breed." The snake said knowingly.
Draco gave Crabbe and Goyle a withering look. "Did you two idiots forget that Harry can talk to snakes? Why would he be afraid of them?"
"Oh yeah." Goyle frowned, scratching his head.
Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his visitor. "Did you come from the foressst?"
"Yesss. But I like it here better. It'sss warmer." The snake stretched up and wrapped itself around Harry's arm.
Harry thought for a moment. "I can asssk if you can ssstay." Harry offered, rather liking the little snake. "What isss your name?"
The snake blinked. "I do not have one, sssnake ssspeaker."
"My name isss Harry." Harry nodded to Draco. "And thisss isss my friend Draco."
The snake gave a nod. "And the two moronsss? Are they friendsss?"
Harry laughed. "No. They thought you would ssscare me."
"How dare they use a sssnake!" The snake looked offended.
"Ooh what a pretty snake!"
"Astoria Greengrass!"
Astoria looked sheepishly at Draco who was frowning at her. "We told you to stay in the common room." He admonished her.
"It's okay Draco. There's nothing here to hurt her." Harry said, smiling at Astoria who stepped closer to the snake he was holding.
Draco sighed exasperatedly. "She didn't know that though."
"Sorry Draco." Astoria gave him a wide-eyed innocent look.
Draco frowned. "Don't do that. I can't stay mad when you do that."
Astoria gave Harry a smug look, which cause him to chuckle. "Is this your new familiar?"
"Um…" Harry shrugged. "I don't know if I can have two familiars."
"What is its name?" Astoria asked as she gently stroked the snakes head.
"Doesn't have one." Harry answered.
"It's your new familiar, it needs a name." Astoria said firmly.
"Hmm, why don't you think of one?" Harry suggested to the little girl.
"She'sss nice." The snake hissed as Astoria continued to coo over it.
"She'sss a friend too." Harry told it.
Astoria looked over to where Crabbe and Goyle were still standing in the corner of the dorm with frowns on their faces. "You two thought this would frighten Harry didn't you?"
"Well, yeah." Crabbe shrugged.
Astoria rolled her eyes and glanced at Draco. "How did they end up in Slytherin? They aren't very cunning or clever."
Draco and Harry burst into laughter causing Crabbe and Goyle to leave the room with embarrassed red faces.
"Do you mind if I sssleeep sssome more?" The snake asked as it slithered down Harry's arm and curled itself back into Harry's bed.
"No, I don't mind. Are you warm enough?" Harry asked, already feeling fond of the little snake. He wasn't sure if it was a boy or girl and didn't know how to ask that question politely.
"Yesss."
"I'm going to go ask Severus if I can keep it." Harry told Draco as he headed for the door.
Astoria's mouth dropped open at the casual use of the name of their Head of House.
"Relax Astoria; Professor Snape is now Harry's guardian." Draco informed the first year.
"Really? Why? What about your relative's?" Astoria's face was full of curiosity.
Harry hesitated and Draco cleared his throat. "My relative's had issues with being the guardians of a wizarding child." Harry said slowly. "It works out best this way for all of us."
"Wow, Professor Snape as your guardian. That's cool Harry." Astoria beamed at him with childlike innocence. "He'll let you keep Nova right?"
"Nova?" Draco repeated in confusion.
"Harry said I could name the snake." Astoria said, gently patting the head of the sleeping snake. "He's Harry's new familiar and Nova means new in Latin." She looked at Harry eagerly. "Do you like it?"
Harry chuckled. "Yes, I like it." He assured her. "Nova it is."
Astoria gave a squeal of delight and bolted from the room eager to tell her friends about Nova.
"Well, in about five seconds everyone in the common room is going to know that Professor Snape is your guardian and that you have a snake named Nova." Draco chuckled.
Harry smiled and shrugged. "That's okay, I don't mind. Now I just need to ask if I can keep Nova."
"I hope you can otherwise Astoria will be devastated." Draco rolled his eyes. He gave a mean little grin. "Now I'm going to go and make sure everyone knows how weak Grabbe and Goyle were with their so called prank. Since they hang around in Zabini's group it will make all of them look lame." He rubbed his hands together gleefully and hurried out of the room.
HPHPHPHP
"So, I know that snakes aren't on the list of pets we are allowed to bring and that I already have Hedwig but I think this situation is a little different." Harry said hurriedly, thinking fast. He was standing in front of Snape's desk in his office as he tried to convince his guardian to let him keep the little snake. He had ended up bringing Nova with him so that Snape could see that the snake wasn't that big or dangerous in any way.
Professor Snape raised an eyebrow and glanced at the snake coiled around Harry's arm before lifting his dark eyes back to his ward. "How so?"
Harry took a deep breath. He couldn't be sure but he but he thought Nova had an amused look in its small eyes. He had told his new friend that he was going to try and get permission to keep it. "Um, well it gives me a chance to practice Parseltongue which is an ability I used to hate having because it made me feel like a frea-um, I mean different but having my own snake gives me an opportunity to accept the ability and –"
"Call it a gift." Snape said suddenly.
"Huh?"
Snape sighed. "Parseltongue is very rare and if it has a bad stigma to it that is because of the use the Dark Lord puts it to. It is not an evil ability to have and I'm sure many are jealous of your gift."
"Really?" Harry asked hesitantly. "Last year practically everyone acted like I was a dark wizard in training because of my being able to talk to snakes."
"It was surprising." Snape admitted, remembering how shocked he had been last year to hear Harry talk to the snake Draco had conjured. "But anyone with any intelligence would never have believed you were a dark wizard in training Harry. Now, go on and continue." There was an amused gleam in his eyes.
"Right." Harry cleared his throat. "So having Nova gives me the opportunity to accept my gift and let it grow and well, don't you think that is something to be encouraged? Plus it will show all those people with no intelligence that Parseltongue is not a dark ability and that it is in fact a gift and not something to fear." He looked hopefully at Snape.
Snape snorted. "Very good Harry, those are some very Slytherin reasons. No begging, pleading or crying. I approve."
"Approve of my reasoning or approve of me keeping Nova?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Both." Snape answered, a small smile gracing his face at the happy look on his ward's face.
"Thank you!" Harry looked at Nova. "My guardian sssaid you can ssstay with me." He hissed.
"Tell him thank you from me." Nova hissed back. "You are his sssnakeling, yesss?"
"Um, sssort of." Harry answered quietly, not sure how to explain everything to Nova. He looked at Snape who was watching curiously. "Nova says thank you as well."
"You're both welcome." Snape responded. He looked thoughtfully at Nova and took out his wand, pointing it at an empty mug on his desk. He murmured a spell and the mug transfigured into a large clear box with an opening on the top. A few more spells and it was filled with grass, dirt, and rocks. He then cast a warming charm on it. "There. Nova should be happy to sleep in there."
"Brilliant!" Harry opened the top and let Nova slither in to explore. "Do you like it?" He asked.
"I love it." Nova responded, wiggling around in the roomy tank. "It isss very warm."
"Thanks again." Harry looked gratefully at Snape. He tried to lift the tank but it was pretty heavy. He frowned.
Snape chuckled and cast a feather-light charm on it. "Take it to your dorm." He instructed. "And make sure you take care of it. Keep the tank clean and make sure Nova is properly fed."
Harry grinned and lifted the tank easily. "I will. See you at dinner Severus." He happily left Snape's office.
It was surreal to feel so pleased that Harry was happy. Was this how parents felt? Snape sat up straight, feeling startled. Parent? He wasn't Harry's parent, he was his guardian. There was a difference. But he couldn't deny that a small part of him was seeing Harry as more than simply a ward. It was astounding how fast things could change.
TBC: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It may be a couple of weeks until the next chapter is up but I will try to post sooner if I can. =)