Day 7- Potions

Harry was bored.

He had been cooped up in the dungeons with Severus now for days thanks to a small— minuscule really— cold that he had gotten over the Christmas holidays. He barely even had a sniffle anymore, yet Severus was being insistent that he needed to rest for at least one more day. And to make matters worse, he was hovering like an overprotective mother.

Constantly forcing him to take nasty potions, (though he did flavor them) reminding him to put on socks, (though he supposed the dungeon floors were pretty cold), and making him eat bland foods like porridge or soup. (Though the chicken soup did make his throat feel better.)

But it didn't change the fact that Harry was bored and wanted to be doing something.

So he decided to find Severus and let him know that he was perfectly fine now, thank you very much.

It turned out that Severus was in his lab, which suited Harry just fine since the lab was usually warm thanks to the combination of the fireplace and the heat from whatever potion Severus was brewing.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked when Harry took a seat on the stool across from where he was working. "Do you need anything?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, dad. I'm just bored. Couldn't I go out and—"

"And take the risk of that cold getting worse?" Severus interrupted. "You certainly may not."

"Da-ad," Harry whined as he picked up an empty vial from the table and began to spin it on its side. "There's nothing to do."

"Read a book." Severus began to stir the potion clockwise.

"I've read them all. Couldn't you play a game of chess with me?"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I can not. I've got to finish this potion for my sixth-year class tomorrow."

Harry leaned over the table on his elbows so that he could see into the cauldron. Whatever was inside was a dark bluish color and smoking slightly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Draught of Living Death," Severus answered as he dropped something small and pink inside before stirring once more.

"How do you brew it? Could I help?"

Without turning his attention away from the potion, Severus reached over and picked up a potions book before handing it to Harry. "Page one hundred and thirty-seven. And no, you can't help because it's an extremely difficult potion even for the sixth-year students and you are only in your fourth."

"So," Harry protested as he turned to the page and read over the instructions. "I could get the ingredients or something. What are you up to?"

Severus sighed. "Very well. If it will keep you quiet for a while. I'm about to add the juice of the Sopophorous bean."

Harry nodded as he read that part of the instructions, then picked up the knife that Severus had been using. "I can do that."

However, just as he was about to cut into the bean, Severus spoke up.

"Don't cut it. Crush it with the flat end of the knife."

Harry looked up. "But the book says to cut it."

"Yes, I know. But you get more juice if you crush it."

When Harry didn't immediately do as he was told, Severus nodded to the knife. "Go on then, Harry. I need it now, please."

Shrugging, Harry crushed the bean and was surprised when juice poured out of it.

"Very good. Now come around here with it and you can add it in."

Harry did as Severus asked and then watched as Snape began stirring it once more. After a few moments, the potion turned lilac and then clear.

"There we go," Severus said, taking the stirring spoon out of the cauldron and setting it on the table. "We'll just turn down off the heat now and let it cool."

"That's it?" Harry asked.

"That's it." Severus raised his hand and let it rest on Harry's forehead, checking for a fever. He smiled when he only felt coolness and then put his arm around Harry's shoulders. "How about that chess game now?"