A/N: I forgot last chapter to say that I uploaded Heather's quarters. It's on lot 64 (I think) with a bunch of downloaded objects and custom walls. If you're going to download it, e-mail me first so I can give you the shopping list. It's called The Perch of the Phoenix and my ID at www.thesims.com is Cassie_Jamie.
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Heather Hidden
Chapter Ten
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"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Harrison James Potter, you will eat what has been given to you. Right. Now." Heather was weak, but as everyone was learning, she just as bloody stubborn as she'd ever been.
Defiantly the boy pushed his food away, "I'm not hungry."
The group had ended up, once again, in the sitting room. Minerva had transfigured the coffee table into an actual table, positioned so the couch and various chairs were comfortably pushed to it. The twins, Hermione, Ron, and their transfigurations professor had already eaten, allowing them the time to spend on other activities, such as the summer homework from Charms. When the food had arrived, Heather ate furiously while her brother continued to sleep.
When the aforementioned fifteen-year old woke, the redhead had immediately called for her father, who helped the youth into the bathroom for a bath. Not a minute after he dressed, the new teacher appeared and dragged him to the couch, then stuck a plate of grits and sausage under his nose. Which he was opposing for some unknown reason.
"Yes, you are." She ticked off something on the papers she was reading.
"No, I'm not."
"Stop fighting with me!"
Severus stood from his place at his ornate wooden desk, and in two strides was beside the boy. The plate moved closer, the man sat, and Harry realized that the spoon was being laden with the buttery breakfast food.
"No." The black-haired boy shoved the potion's master's hand away, sending the contents of the utensil flying.
"I think it would be best if you four left." Heather lisped, "We have to be at the meeting in two hours anyway. A cat nap and a change of clothes might be in order."
Fred and George understood the hint and took their brother's hand, fully aware that Hermione was following them back to the tower.
"Harry, you have to eat. I will not have you getting sick again." The head of Slytherin skillfully maneuvered the re-filled spoon to Potter's lips, "Open your mouth."
Nothing.
"Now." His tone left no room for argument, "I'm sorry, love. I don't want to be acting like Minerva, but you really are much too thin."
Guiltily, more of the grits and sausage were shoveled into his mouth until the boy could truly eat no more, then turned to the black-clad man. The fifteen-year old curled up to his side.
"I don't think he should go to the meeting." Minerva murmured, watching him desperately search for comfort.
"I don't think so either, but if he doesn't then I'll have forty overprotective members searching the castle for him and I really don't want to have to deal with them." She sighed, "I think I'll just bring him in for a moment so they can see that he's…well, he's not harmed too badly. Then I'll let Grandpa take over."
The elder woman nodded, "Alright. Is that alright with you, Harry?"
The boy in question nodded, keeping his eyes closed and ensconcing himself into the flowing velvet blue robe. We'll only be there a few minutes, right?
"Yes. Just so I can restrain the members of the Order." She smiled, before moving to sit at his feet and rubbing his toes lovingly.
Snape watched the girl carefully, eyeing her as a warning when he felt the boy tense under her touch, "Harrison."
He pulled his les closer, as if hiding something.
"Take the charm off." The softness of the tone obscured the fact that it was an actual command.
The fifteen-year old's mind knew not to fight. Severus wasn't going to hurt him – he was trying to help, and since the previous efforts of letting the boy have some latitude weren't working, he'd moved on to more fatherly methods.
Harry removed the charm, revealing the deep purple bruise around his ankle.
"When did you fall?" The potion's master implored, "Accio Jenga." A small violet and hunter green marbled vial flew into his outstretched hand.
"I didn't."
"First of all, you had to have fallen to twist your ankle that badly. Second, it's perfectly fine that you fell. Everyone does." The vial was uncorked.
"What is…"
"This is something you are going to drink." He lifted it and pressed it into the younger's hand.
Harry started at it for a moment, filtering through his mental file of potions. Jenga…his father had called…
The vial slipped to the floor, where it shattered into several large pieces.
"Harrison!" Minerva was startled by the sound of the glass as it made contact with the smooth stone, "Harry?"
It's alright. His sister's voice drew him away and to her, Harry, Love, I told you before – it's perfectly fine to call Severus your father. No one can replace Daddy…no one.
He moved his hand back to his stomach and looked up at Severus, "Papa."
"Harry."
Gazing away, the fifteen-year old let the wheels in his mind turn, eyes closed, until he relaxed and laid back into the elder's arms.
"Not Daddy."
"No." Snape comforted.
Heather leaned over and kissed his forehead, "Now, I'm going to get cleaned up for the meeting. When I get back I want you to have taken the potion."
He nodded in response, watching her drag her feet as she left, "She's scared."
"Yes, she is." McGonagall answered. She knew all too well that the walk translated into her emotions, and the nearly-nineteen year old was terrified.
"Why?"
"She's scared for you." The raven-haired man rubbed his shoulder gently, calling another violet-green vial from his workroom.
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Heather carefully skirted around her room, picking up the strewn about clothing and thinking to herself about all things family. She sighed as her thoughts turned to Harrison.
'He's a child, Heath. He doesn't understand how to deal, not after living with the Dursleys. And he's trying so hard to cope. It's not easy for him to hear you call Severus your father when he was told that you're his sister. He's expecting you to call James Daddy.'
Sighing yet again, she slipped into her bathroom and stared into the mirror. The red hair, the green eyes…she carried Lily's features with a mix of her parents' personalities. Harry had their father's dark hair and the shape of their faces matched so well it was uncanny, but he reacted with the traits of their mother.
"Fuck that! We're not leaving you!"
"If you don't leave, I'll kill you myself!"
…
"Heather, I'm scared."
"I know, Love. I am too, but for now you must be strong. That bravery you used so well before, call on it."
"HEATHER LILY POTTER!"
The girl blinked and heaved in a large breath of cool air, then let her eyes lock onto the worried blue ones, "Hiya, Grandpa." She could feel the headache coming on, "I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Do what?" It took the white-haired Headmaster a moment, "Oh. Heather, I am sorry."
"I know." She smiled at him, while rubbing her forehead. Potter leaned forward to rummage through her medicine cabinet, coming up with a bottle containing a headache remedy, "Have you talked to Mom yet?"
"No. She and Severus are still with your brother. He is a very stubborn boy sometimes. Rather like his sister."
"And his mother." She knocked back the honey-colored mixture.
Dumbledore smirked, "What message did she have for me?"
"Harry is not up for staying the entire meeting and, frankly, I wouldn't want him to sit through one right now anyway. He does not need to hear about the missions I ask of the members or our plans against Voldemort, especially now that he is so…vulnerable." The redhead was babbling, and she knew it. However, her message still got across.
"I'll take over for you when you chose to leave. I doubt there will be much to discuss anyhow."
"You rule."
Albus eyed her, "Excuse me?"
"American saying. Along the same lines as wicked."
"Ah." Another of his seemingly endless smiles, "I received a letter today from Remus Lupin. He was contacted not long ago by a lawyer named Daus Newlon."
She looked at him with a mirror of his own knowing gaze, "Mum's friend. He was her pen-pal while she was at Hogwarts."
"Well, you were supposed to acquire the deed to a house when you turned eighteen. Unfortunately, you are dead…" She snorted, causing him to pause, "and Harry is still several years too young to be given such an item."
"What if Papa gets it placed in his name for now? If it was Mum's house than it's paid for already and there just has to be someone to hold the deed."
The elder nodded and studied her for a few seconds more, then turned on his heel and left.
Her earlier brooding thoughts were replaced with brighter ones, "Only my family."
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*v* Cassie Jamie *v*
cj.1@cassie-jamie.com
