Severus watched in amusement as Hermione bounded into Harry's room without knocking, shouting "Happy Birthday Harry!" at the top of her lungs as the boy shot up in the bed, blinking furiously.
"Seriously, Hermione?" He groaned, flopping back down.
"Come on! It's your birthday! You have presents!"
"I do?" he asked, confused.
"Of course you do! Get up, there's cake too!"
Harry looked a little more awake after that proclamation, chucking on a dressing gown and following Hermione down the stairs to where the Grangers were waiting.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" Jean exclaimed, wrapping the startled boy in a hug.
"I…thanks," he said, looking unsure of what to make of the fuss.
Taking pity on him Hermione pulled him down onto the sofa and handed him a present. "This ones from me."
He watched as Potter looked around bewildered, "Then who are the other ones from Hermione?"
"Um, Ron sent that funny shaped one, Mrs Weasley sent the one over there, that one's from my parents and that one's from Father."
Harry blinked. "Oh." he replied, looking a little lost. Severus frowned, not entirely sure what to do with these new feelings of…pity? for Harry Potter. Damn it. His daughter was going to actually make him feel sorry for the boy. That wasn't part of the plan. He had been quite happy hating the replica of the boy who helped make his teenage years hell. And now he felt sorry for him. Which meant he was going to have to actually check in with the boy occasionally and he was probably going to have to invite him back and actually accept he would come. He'd only done it before because he knew Hermione expected him to. God damn it. How had he ended up with two children when he hadn't even wanted one? Not that he regretted Hermione, far from it, but bloody hell, he didn't want to parent Harry bloody Potter too! But he recognised that look on the boy's face, the look of surprise that anyone actually gave a damn and he couldn't in good conscience ignore it on any child, even that one. Which meant he was going to have to actively do something about it beyond hosting the boy for the summer. Suddenly Hermione's insistence that they invite people today made sense. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, he knew, it wasn't as if he was unaware of how Petunia treated him, she was hardly going to suspend the animosity and celebrate the boy's birthday but knowing and seeing it right in front of him were two very different things.
He was interrupted from his internal battle by a loud, "These are awesome, Hermione!" from the boy who was unsettling him as he threw himself at his daughter in a move that was far more her style than his, the seekers gloves abandoned next to him on the sofa.
Hermione patted him on the back, murmuring something he couldn't hear. He watched as the boy released her, reaching for Weasleys present. Severus couldn't help but feel that a sneakoscope in a castle full of children was a horrendous idea, would the thing ever shut up? Perhaps they should all just be grateful it wasn't going off now.
The Grangers had gotten the boy an assortment of sweets, most of them sugar free as well as some running gear that made him grin wryly. "Thanks Mr and Mrs Granger, no getting out of it now, then?"
"Jean and Richard, dear, we told you. And Severus said you're both getting better."
Harry snorted a laugh, "Well we couldn't get worse, I was half convinced he was trying to kill us after the first run!"
"You are unnaturally calm for someone who seems to believe I am planning to murder them in a variety of ways, Mr Potter." he commented mockingly.
Harry laughed, "I have Hermione to protect me, I think I'm safe enough just now."
"Perhaps."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him, handing the boy his present next. Harry frowned at the envelope before opening it. His eyes going comically wide when he saw what was inside.
"Is that? Are you sure?"
He huffed out a laugh, "Draco and Theo are going too."
Harry pulled out the ticket, gazing at it in wonder, "I….thank you Sir. I've never been to a professional Quidditch match before."
"So I heard."
The boy turned to him, appearing to regain his equilibrium as he grinned at him impishly, "I'd hug you, Sir, but I'm scared you've got an inbuilt hex on your person. I might not survive it."
He glowered at him, "Indeed you would not!"
Both Hermione and Jean laughed. He wasn't sure why, he wasn't joking. Hugging Potter. He shuddered at the thought. The only person he hugged willingly was Hermione. And in reality, she'd not really given him much choice. He didn't like people. Why was it everyone was insisting on forgetting that recently?
He rolled his eyes at Hermione's nudge as she passed with Potters cake and realised he wasn't singing. Bloody annoying little witch. The boy looked delighted with the chocolate monstrosity Hermione had insisted he purchase, pointing out that her parents would have a conniption over the sugar content. She may have had a point though, the cake was bloody amazing. He'd always had a soft spot for sweet things, having never really had them growing up.
He cleared his throat pointedly, glancing at the clock. Hermione took the hint and nodded, "Come on Harry lets get dressed, we've plans today!"
"We do?" he asked bewildered.
"We do." she confirmed, refusing to give anything away, "Come on let's go!"
Half an hour later, they were all ready.
"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Harry asked rather plaintively.
" 'll have to wait." Hermione singsonged making the boy roll his eyes, whining out "Hermione!" like an overgrown toddler.
The floo activated a moment later, Draco then Theo appearing out of it.
"Happy Birthday Potter, this is from both Theo and I," Draco thrust a present at the boy in a manner Narcissa would have berated him for.
"Um thanks, Malfoy, Nott?" Harry stammered looking utterly confused by this turn of events. He opened it to reveal a Puddlemere united top.
"We can't have you supporting the wrong team at the match." Theo supplied, seeing the look on his face.
"Bloody hell." Harry breathed, "Thank you, seriously."
They both nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable. Longbottom was next through the floo, looking slightly nervously at Severus as he handed Potter a gift.
"I don't bite Longbottom." he said, rolling his eyes. Jean smacked him on the back of the head.
"You behave Severus Snape." she said pointedly, Longbottom looked simultaneously like Christmas had come early and he was going to wet himself with fear, while Draco and Theo gaped at them, clearly wondering what he'd do about it. Bloody women. Why were none of them meek mannered and mild? Why was he cursed to have to deal with the strong willed, bossy ones?
He sighed, "In the interests of not acquiring a concussion, welcome to my home, Longbottom."
"Thanks for inviting me, Sir." he replied, still looking nervous, although less so than he had moments before as Hermione distracted him with a present having not wanted to owl the plant for his birthday the day before. Longbottom beamed up at her, his nerves momentarily forgotten as he examined the alihotsy Hermione had begged him to acquire for her.
Daphne, Seamus and Dean made up the last of the children. Harry looked absolutely stunned.
"You did this?" he asked, turning to Hermione.
She rolled her eyes, "Of course I did. You're as close to a sibling as I'll likely ever get unless Father has more surprises running around?"
All of them, including Severus, choked at that.
"That is not funny, my girl."
She smirked at him. "Oh, it would be."
All of the children gave slightly startled laughs, not entirely sure what to make of this version of their Professor who tugged at a curl on Hermione's head before saying wryly, "I think you are more than enough, my girl. I am unlikely to survive parenting you without adding more into the mix."
Hermione snorted, "Perhaps," she conceded, "However it would still be incredibly funny to see you try."
He rolled his eyes at her, "I am gratified to see that you so dearly love having me around, daughter."
She smiled impishly at him, giving him a quick hug, "You know I love you."
He looked exasperatedly down at her, noting with some amusement the stunned expressions on her friends faces. "Indeed. Then perhaps there will be no more talk of additional children?"
"Everyone else just saw that?" he heard Finigan mutter. Draco snorted in response.
"We saw it, but I wouldn't recommend you try it, Finigan. Hermione's the only one that gets away with those tactics."
Seamus choked, "I think I'll pass on declaring my love for Professor Snape, thanks."
"Right," he said briskly, before it could descend into God alone knows what,"Let us go. Head for Diagon Alley. Wait there, we shall join you."
"You're coming, Sir?" Dean asked, attempting to hide his horror.
"Mr Thomas, how safe do you think Messer's Longbottom, Malfoy and Nott are unchaperoned in the muggle world? Please believe me I do not relish my attendance any more than you clearly do."
"I…ah. Fair point, Sir."
Harry hid his smile in Hermione's hair as he muttered a quick "Thank you, this will be more entertaining than any of us ever imagined."
Stepping out of the floo Severus did a quick head count, grateful that the Grangers had agreed to come with them too. The thought of trailing after a group of teenagers on his own was not a pleasant one.
"We are heading into muggle London. For the love of Merlin be mindful of what you say and keep your wands out of sight, " he directed his gaze pointedly at the purebloods in the group. "Once you are at the Theatre, you are on your own but we will escort you there. Hermione has the address for lunch, bloody listen to her and don't get lost."
They all nodded, Theo taking Hermione's hand, whispering something he couldn't hear as they walked out the door of the Leaky Cauldron. He had to fight the urge to move between them so they'd separate.
They made it to the theatre without incident, although the wide eyed looks on the faces of the children who had never left their world amusing. He could hear them softly asking one of the others to explain things as they went. Leaving Harry in charge of organising tickets once they were all safely deposited inside the theatre, the adults wandered to a nearby cafe for a couple of hours of blissful peace before they had to supervise feeding the little darlings.
"You terrify your students." Jean remarked casually as they sat down.
"I maintain order in a discipline that can kill the little sods if they don't pay attention."
She laughed at him, "Honestly Severus! Would it be so bad if your students realised you're human?"
He rolled his eyes, "I do not see that I have much choice in the matter given the way our daughter behaves. That's on you, just so you know. I do not hug."
Jean laughed, "Neither did Richard really, I wore him down."
Richard rolled his eyes, "Between you and Hermione, I just had to learn to live with it. Is there a reason a group of teenagers isn't trusted to do this on their own?"
Severus sighed, having had this conversation with Jean already. "Some of them have never been in your world, I need to be on hand in case the Ministry has to be called in. On top of that, it is believed that Black is after Mr Potter. I cannot in good conscience let the boy be murdered on his birthday. I am attempting to give them some independence but for my own peace of mind I would like to be reasonably close by."
"Ah. Why exactly is this Mr Black after Harry?"
"It is believed he betrayed the boy's parents, causing their deaths, as you know. Many believe he wishes to finish the job so to speak."
"You don't?"
"I do not know. Black was never known for his sanity, so it is possible but my gut tells me it's unlikely. I've learned to trust it over the years, however that does not mean I do know what the man wants. Perhaps he merely wanted out of Azkaban, I cannot say I'd blame him."
"Jesus," the man muttered, "Is anything in your world simple?"
Severus snorted, "When it comes to Harry Potter. No."
Severus breathed out a sigh of relief when he ushered the last child through the floo. At least he knew his wards kept everything out. He was trying very hard not to remember that it meant he had a houseful of teenagers to go back to.
The film had been a raging success, Draco was already wondering if they could make something like it. Having never seen The Mask, Severus refrained from commenting, but the thought of an object that gave you a green face and an alter ego you had no control over didn't seem hugely appealing to him.
Pizza had been even more of a success. He was always amazed how it was the simple things that the children liked best. Although the sheer volume of food they had consumed was astounding. Harry had grinned and occasionally looked around as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, Hermione remaining close for reassurance.
As much as he wasn't impressed with Theodore's insistence at remaining at her side, he had to admit that in his presence, the boy had at least kept it respectful. And Hermione was still smiling so he'd let it go for just now.
Watching the slightly painful, awkward, half flirtations between Draco and the boy who lived, on the other hand, was hilarious. Jean had informed him he was mean and it was adorable. Richard had muttered that it was best just to agree, asking very quietly if he cared to place a wager on when they'd figure it out. His bet was on Christmas with the help of Hermione and some enchanted mistletoe. Richard was of the impression it wouldn't take them that long, betting on sometime before Halloween.
Now, he was forced to head home so the boys could play quidditch, or a version of it and Hermione and Daphne could do….something. They hadn't been clear. He wondered if that should unnerve him as much as it did. He had wanted her to have more female friends after all. Taking a deep breath he walked into the flames, muttering his own address.
He missed the grim sized dog that had been watching him all day, thoroughly confused with what it was seeing.
Several hours later, all of the other children sent home after threats to never reveal his location and promises had been extracted that he'd allow them to return, Severus found himself alone in a room with Harry Potter.
"Where is Hermione?"
"Library," the boy answered with a shrug. "I wanted to talk to you anyway and it's probably better without an audience."
He steeled himself for what was coming next.
"I wanted to thank you." Harry said softly, "I've never had a birthday like this. And I know you'll say it was Hermione's doing and I imagine a lot of it was but Hermione didn't force you to buy me a present I actually liked and she didn't force you to spend the day ensuring we were safe."
Severus sighed, fuck it all he was going to have to be an actual grown up about this. He didn't want to be and he knew that was petty and absurd given that he was an actual grown up. Apparently.
"You're welcome, Mr Potter. Everyone should have someone make a fuss of them on their birthday."
Harry tilted his head and looked at him curiously, "Who makes a fuss of you on yours?"
Severus snorted, "After the lecture I got this year when Hermione realised she'd missed it, I imagine she will."
Harry smiled softly, "I imagine she will. But before?"
"No one, Mr Potter. Which is precisely why I know that you deserved today." Harry looked at him curiously but didn't voice his question. Severus huffed out a laugh. "You're subtler than Hermione, I'll give you that. She'd have asked four hundred questions by now."
"I wasn't sure you'd want to tell me Sir," the boy replied with a shrug.
"I'm not sure I do either, Mr Potter."
"You could call me Harry, you know Sir.
"And you could stop calling me Sir during the summer holidays."
Harry laughed, "Fair point….Severus." he scrunched up his nose, "So that's really odd."
"My name or you saying it?"
"Saying it. Definitely, " The boy said with a decisive nod of his head, "I'm neither brave nor stupid enough to suggest your name itself is odd."
Severus attempted to hide his smile. "Well I'm pleased at least some sense of self preservation has taken root.I was beginning to wonder. "
Harry laughed at him. "I'm trying. Hermione is terrifying enough without facing how bad she gets when i do stupid things."
"I can imagine." Severus said drily. "She is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can admit that she has the ability to intimidate perfected./."
Harry choked on a giggle. "To be fair Sir, I've said it before, I'm pretty certain she gets it from you so you've only yourself to blame."
"Well perhaps we should all just be grateful she inherited that and not my nose. I'm not sure I'll ever forgive my Mother for it."
"Dear gods, I mean it sort of suits your face but on Hermione?" Harry gave an exaggerated shudder before he ventured hesitantly, "If you went to school, with Sirius Black and my dad, did you know my mum too?"
Severus froze for a moment,wondering how to explain this one. "Yes." he replied slowly, "Lily and I grew up near one another, we were friends for a long time."
"What happened?"
"I made some poor choices that resulted in the end of our friendship."
"Voldemort you mean?"
"Partially," he conceded, "but our friendship was over before I joined him. I…I called her a mudblood."
Harry looked momentarily horrified before he asked, "Why?"
"Does it matter why?"
"Maybe?"
Severus sighed. "Your father and Sirius had decided they wanted some entertainment after our defence exam. You must understand, our relationship was in some respects like yours was with Draco before Hermione forced you to see each other as people, albeit with more hexing in the halls. I was not innocent, I gave as good as I got, and some of my spell choices were….questionable. However, it was also four against one. They always seemed to know when I was alone and I was already an odd child. Your father and Sirius were popular, outgoing, well put together and Dumbledore's darlings. I was poor, odd, socially awkward and unkempt. It wasn't difficult for the general populace to pick their sides. That particular day they used my own spell against me, it hoists you up by the ankle and they threatened to remove my trousers while scourgifying my mouth. Your mother told them to leave me alone, as she had many times before and I reacted badly. I should never have said it and she never forgave me."
"Never?" Harry asked with a frown. "Was this OWL or NEWT year?"
"OWL"
"So you were sixteen? Did you apologise?"
"Of course I did!"
"Then it's a pretty shitty thing to do."
Severus sighed, having gone over this in his head more times than he could count. He could see now how he had clung harder to Lily as she was trying to pull away. The mudblood incident was really just the reason she needed. He didn't blame her to be fair, he was in over his head in questionable practices and friends with those who believed she should be dead.
He wondered if he'd be able to explain that to Potter. "It's not that simple." he said softly,, "That day marked the end of our friendship but it had been coming for years, since we were sorted into separate houses, if i'm honest. It wasn't really just one moment. And while yes, I do think she should have considered forgiveness, I am also aware that I should also not have made many far more serious decisions the way I did. I did not have a good childhood. My father was an abusive alcoholic, Lily was, for a very long time, the only good thing in my life and she had no idea how to cope with my intensity."
Harry looked at him briefly. "Thank you for telling me, Sir. Does Hermione know?"
"About my home life, yes. About your mother no. I must admit I have no idea how to confess to her that I once used that awful word against someone."
"The thing about Hermione Sir, is that she's so incredibly forgiving. I'm not saying she'll not be cross or disappointed but she loves you. She's not going anywhere. I know because she tells me every time shes cross and I do something stupid."
Severus smiled slightly at the boy. "I owe you an apology, Mr Potter."
"For what?" he asked, frowning.
"I was neither kind nor fair to you when you started Hogwarts, If I had been paying attention I would have seen some of the markers of my own home life on you but I am sorry to say I could not see past the fact you looked like a replica of your father."
Harry looked absolutely stunned. "I….thank you? Can we just agree that we'll try to get along? Hermiones like the sister I never had, I really don't want to lose her and she wants us to at least manage civil."
"I think we can manage that…Harry." he pulled a face, "You were right it is odd."
Harry laughed, "I'm going to force Hermione to bed now or she'll never be up for that run. Thank you again for today Sir. Do you think I could ask you about my mother another time?"
Severus sighed, "Yes, Mr Potter. I shall do my best to answer."
"Thank you, Sir." he replied softly. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Harry." Severus replied, getting up to pour himself a drink. The world had been turned on its head today and he felt….lighter for it. Perhaps he was finally ready to let go of the ghosts.