Best of Me: Chapter 4
Hannya
Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, I own nothing. You can tell because Chamber of Secrets wasn't rated NC-17 and didn't include any naked mud wrestling during the Quidditch game. Glad to clear that up for everybody.
Warning: Harry might be OOC but I blame the fact that they are going through a real emotional upheaval so neither are terribly, um, sensible. Oh, and the slash begins! Nothing graphic really as I'm keeping it clean for the kiddies. While it lasts.
A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! Work's been absolutely insane and then I knew what I wanted to do but I was kinda stuck. Forgive me!! Oh, and thanks to, um, Tidmag for the note on Harold. Don't worry, he'll go back to Harry I'm just using the name as an excuse to start breakfast conversation. Promise!
CHAPTER FOUR
"It's Harry."
Dull black eyes blearily focused on the youth who'd spoke, third cup of Merlin's House coffee paused centimeters away the Potions Master's mouth only to be placed back on the table. "What did you say?"
It wasn't quite a question. Snape was nowhere near awake enough to form an actual inquiry but the boy seemed to understand either way. "My name. It's not 'Harold' It's *Harry*. You called me Harold yesterday."
Severus took a long sip of the neglected coffee before addressing his son once more, " And who named you 'Harry'?" Hm, language skills improving. Goooood caffeine.
The young wizard looked up from moving his eggs and sausage counter clockwise around his plate long enough to answer a bit hesitantly, " Er, my parents?"
"And who am I?"
Grass green eyes blinked blankly. "My...father?"
At the admission, the estranged parent gave a graceful (especially for that early in the morning) nod. "Very good, Harold."
The boy beamed.
"Now eat your eggs."
Ah, there's that grumbling he'd always associated with the mischievous Gryffindor. And so the meal continued, Harry's appetite and malnutrition warring with and defeating his nervousness at eating alone with the teacher who'd tormented him in his years at Hogwarts. And even there Dumbledore and two houses were usually between the two. Somehow knowing that the man was actually his father and seemingly intent on not sending him back to the muggle hell he'd grown up in did little to calm his rising anxiety. Luckily the adoring house elves chose that moment to decide their beloved master was awake enough to enjoy a nice, large, balanced breakfast. Well, *that* never happened at school.
Finally giving up his 'hide-behind-the-Daily-Prophet-until-the-obscene- amount-of-food-disappears' tactic and squared his shoulders to make a big show of eating a slice of dry toast. He cleared his throat to dislodge the crumbs and fixed his clear black gaze on his son who was finishing his own meal. Or, rather, the colorful bruise that was decorating one model high cheekbone.
Harry showed no obvious signs that he noticed the attention but his fork shook, hand shaking in the effort not to automatically cover the mark from scrutiny. He nearly jumped at the soft, "Why?" from his surviving parent.
Why hadn't he told the Headmaster? Why did he let them hurt him? What did he do to deserve it? It could have been the why of a million questions but the boy who lived decided to give his previous guardians own reasoning. "I burnt the toast."
Dark eyebrows rose higher on a high forehead. "What?! *All* the toast?" Snape nearly smacked himself. Instead of immediately reassuring the child that that was no excuse for physical violence, the first outraged question popped out like an accusation. Way to gain the trust, Sev.
Endearingly messy locks slipped down to cover the hooded forest eyes. "Just one."
The former Deatheater held back the rage that had been doing a slow burn since he'd found out that his pampered little celebrity was his own abused son. Must keep the anger for himself and those who'd dared harm *his* child. He took a deep breath and counted to ten only to give up on that in order to mentally list all the ingredients of Veritaseum in ascending alphabetical order.
There, much better.
Slowly, he opened the eyes he hadn't even realized he'd been clenching shut and said as soothingly as he knew how. "Does Dumbledore know?" Harry was familiar enough with the man not to have to address him as Headmaster at home.
A shrug. "I don't know. I never came out and told him anything specific but."
The older wizard nodded wryly, "He seems to know everything, everywhere anyways?"
"Exactly! And I don't think he believes it even if he does know. He actually expected them to explain everything about my parents and magic!"
Wait a second." What did they tell you then?"
An uncharacteristic snort, "You mean besides my parents dying in a drunk driving accident and my being a ungrateful freak? Not much. Well, not much if you don't count threat or screaming-" Then, as if realizing what he was saying, the teen slapped a hand over his mouth and stared at his almost empty plate. "I'm sorry, Sir."
A long moment and Snape realized that the boy wasn't apologizing for the words but for the fact that he'd slipped his 'Golden Boy' persona for a second. Was it really that bad? That he couldn't even be justifiably bitter over longstanding abuse? Then again, the professor had been one of the leading tormentors over that very image so it was his fault as well. "Don't ever apologize for someone else hurting you ever again, Harry," He commanded a touch harshly, his own emotions choking him.
Shocked verdant gaze met his own black version, "What?"
Snape was as angry at himself as he was at those moronic muggles the all knowing Headmaster had burdened his son with for all these years. "We-I've committed a great wrong against you. You've born an impossible burden for anyone and instead of aiding you, we all just assumed..I'm sorry, son."
The look on Harry's face at his words broke the heart the older man didn't know he still had. Hope, yearning, and the tears that he'd obviously been holding onto for far too long all bubbling to the surface as he found not only a parent but also someone who told him it was all right to be angry. It was more than he'd ever dared expect to happen but yet.
Stiffly, still not sure how to act in such a situation, the new father moved to stand by his son's chair and set one strong hand on a too bony shoulder. And that was all it took. Desperate for just a little comfort in a life that he just barely survived, Harry leapt into Severus's sudden open arms and sobbed out his childhood's loss into the surprisingly soft robes of the older wizard. Acting on instinct and a little on the instructions from the house elves who were hidden in the shadows during the exchange, the ex-greasy git wrapped the tiny teen in a tight embrace, not even caring that his chest was becoming almost uncomfortably damp and that the house elves were all silently applauding their master's return to humanity.
He was never going to live this down. But, looking at the dark head burrowing into his chest, maybe he wouldn't want to.
Maybe.
Soon the sobs became sniffles and the sniffles dried into a red nosed Harry with watery eyes and tear streaks on his pale cheeks. They separated a touch uncomfortably, the excess of expressed emotions disquieting to such private people. "So, um, thank you."
Snape walked to retrieve his coffee, "Er, anytime. What are you going to do with your day, then?" Small talk good, small talk very good.
As he was drinking the now lukewarm life giving caffeine, he completely missed the sudden flush replacing the pale circles of his cheeks. "I was actually hoping it might be alright if my boyfriend stopped by."
Harry briefly wished for a camera to have captured the rather impressive spit take the self-possessed wizard managed if only to sell the photos to the twins back at school. Casualties including, but not limited to, the antique heirloom table cloth, a basket of innocent croissants, and two house elves who merely squeaked in alarm.
"B-b-boyfriend?!! You-he-"
"Deja-vu, " the boy who lived muttered under his breath before continuing, "Um, that is a yes, right? I know this is really really uncomfortable finding out that you have a son AND he's gay and all but, really, I know you'll like him!"
Suspicion crept in and overpowered shock at the last few words and grew into full-fledged paranoia as the fruit of his loins continued breathlessly, "And he's kind of, sorta, on his way now. I tried to stop him though! I mean, all I did was owl to let him know where I was and he made up his mind to march right over here and make sure for himself, the stubborn bas-"
"Potter!"
"Er-basilisk? And it's not Potter, remember? It's Evans."
A familiar squeaky voice broke through the migraine that might have been caused by his head hitting the breakfast table in exasperation. "Sir? Mr. Malfoy is at the door."
Great, just what he did not need right now. Lucius. A martyred sigh and Snape completely missed the sheepishly excited grin on his only child's face. "Bloody luck. All right, invite him in and escort Harry to his quarters. Death eaters are not supposed to offer sanctuary to the boy who lived."
Dopey tugged on his ear nervously, "But, Sir, Mr. Malfoy is here to see young Sir."
Blinking rapidly, Snape watched detached as Draco Malfoy brushed through a cluster of house elves, aristocratic nose turned up and trademark sneer firmly in place. Sure enough, he stopped haughtily in front of the newly discovered Snape.
"Potter, I see you escaped those useless muggle relations of yours. Life of slavery just not working out for you?" He taunted even as his rival stood to face him.
"And you must have slipped your father's leash, ferret."
Eyes as fierce as kryptonite hit eyes a dangerous as lead poisoning for a long second before they moved as one and Harry was planting a sloppy kiss on the immaculate boy's smiling mouth. "Missed you too, Golden Boy, "the name carried no sting with the adoring tone and the star of Slytherin turned his attention away from his boyfriend just long enough to realize that his favorite professor had disappeared.
Harry, seeing where the taller boy was looking, moved them both three steps to the left until he could see around the table edge.
Sure enough, there was Snape, looking for all the world like a twisted version of Snow White, house elves wringing their hands nervously around his unconscious body. (Maybe it was just a side effect of getting Cruciatus performed on you too much. Like a concussion.)
The blond wizard raised a single aristocratic eyebrow and addressed his snickering counterpart, "Well, I think that went well."
"Definitely."
TBC...
Review Groveling Thanks!
THANK YOU TO:
Rosie-and you added me to your favorites? Loves!, Rose-just like that Clex story I love!, Sakusha-san-Thanks!, ElvenFairie-you like my fluffyness..awesome, Myrddin Ambrosius-Here's your Harry/Draco, cleopatra2070- s'okay, my muse wants Sev with Lupin too, Saavik-It's okay, I don't actually write orgy fics. Not enough coordination :D, wormtail's worst enemy- you got it., Lei Dumbledore-I'm sorry! I know it took forever!, fireicedragon-Yup, me too. ^_^-Ain't he just?, Tidmag-like how I handled the Harry issue? *grins*, izean-Harry shall get new stuff! Now that he has a potion's masters credit card to abuse. TanisaFyre-Tanks, babe! Hope you liked this chappie since I absolutely had to bring in Draco. Witchmaster-OooOoo! Yeah, I do get to write that don't I...Setsuri- for the next fluffy installment I will personally donate lint brushes. Aeryn Alexander-*sniffs* that means a lot to me *glomps* thank you! S0ccerstar3000-no prob. Hey, can I call you ken?. Mikee-Yeah, they're actually pretty alike as far as that whole stubborn thing goes. Atheis and Aeris Gainsborough-Thanks, yeah, I need to review more too..Blood Wi'tch- love the David Eddings! And, whoa, psychic much. Animegirl-mika-Justice! Sorry, just channeling Wu-man.
Hannya
Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, I own nothing. You can tell because Chamber of Secrets wasn't rated NC-17 and didn't include any naked mud wrestling during the Quidditch game. Glad to clear that up for everybody.
Warning: Harry might be OOC but I blame the fact that they are going through a real emotional upheaval so neither are terribly, um, sensible. Oh, and the slash begins! Nothing graphic really as I'm keeping it clean for the kiddies. While it lasts.
A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! Work's been absolutely insane and then I knew what I wanted to do but I was kinda stuck. Forgive me!! Oh, and thanks to, um, Tidmag for the note on Harold. Don't worry, he'll go back to Harry I'm just using the name as an excuse to start breakfast conversation. Promise!
CHAPTER FOUR
"It's Harry."
Dull black eyes blearily focused on the youth who'd spoke, third cup of Merlin's House coffee paused centimeters away the Potions Master's mouth only to be placed back on the table. "What did you say?"
It wasn't quite a question. Snape was nowhere near awake enough to form an actual inquiry but the boy seemed to understand either way. "My name. It's not 'Harold' It's *Harry*. You called me Harold yesterday."
Severus took a long sip of the neglected coffee before addressing his son once more, " And who named you 'Harry'?" Hm, language skills improving. Goooood caffeine.
The young wizard looked up from moving his eggs and sausage counter clockwise around his plate long enough to answer a bit hesitantly, " Er, my parents?"
"And who am I?"
Grass green eyes blinked blankly. "My...father?"
At the admission, the estranged parent gave a graceful (especially for that early in the morning) nod. "Very good, Harold."
The boy beamed.
"Now eat your eggs."
Ah, there's that grumbling he'd always associated with the mischievous Gryffindor. And so the meal continued, Harry's appetite and malnutrition warring with and defeating his nervousness at eating alone with the teacher who'd tormented him in his years at Hogwarts. And even there Dumbledore and two houses were usually between the two. Somehow knowing that the man was actually his father and seemingly intent on not sending him back to the muggle hell he'd grown up in did little to calm his rising anxiety. Luckily the adoring house elves chose that moment to decide their beloved master was awake enough to enjoy a nice, large, balanced breakfast. Well, *that* never happened at school.
Finally giving up his 'hide-behind-the-Daily-Prophet-until-the-obscene- amount-of-food-disappears' tactic and squared his shoulders to make a big show of eating a slice of dry toast. He cleared his throat to dislodge the crumbs and fixed his clear black gaze on his son who was finishing his own meal. Or, rather, the colorful bruise that was decorating one model high cheekbone.
Harry showed no obvious signs that he noticed the attention but his fork shook, hand shaking in the effort not to automatically cover the mark from scrutiny. He nearly jumped at the soft, "Why?" from his surviving parent.
Why hadn't he told the Headmaster? Why did he let them hurt him? What did he do to deserve it? It could have been the why of a million questions but the boy who lived decided to give his previous guardians own reasoning. "I burnt the toast."
Dark eyebrows rose higher on a high forehead. "What?! *All* the toast?" Snape nearly smacked himself. Instead of immediately reassuring the child that that was no excuse for physical violence, the first outraged question popped out like an accusation. Way to gain the trust, Sev.
Endearingly messy locks slipped down to cover the hooded forest eyes. "Just one."
The former Deatheater held back the rage that had been doing a slow burn since he'd found out that his pampered little celebrity was his own abused son. Must keep the anger for himself and those who'd dared harm *his* child. He took a deep breath and counted to ten only to give up on that in order to mentally list all the ingredients of Veritaseum in ascending alphabetical order.
There, much better.
Slowly, he opened the eyes he hadn't even realized he'd been clenching shut and said as soothingly as he knew how. "Does Dumbledore know?" Harry was familiar enough with the man not to have to address him as Headmaster at home.
A shrug. "I don't know. I never came out and told him anything specific but."
The older wizard nodded wryly, "He seems to know everything, everywhere anyways?"
"Exactly! And I don't think he believes it even if he does know. He actually expected them to explain everything about my parents and magic!"
Wait a second." What did they tell you then?"
An uncharacteristic snort, "You mean besides my parents dying in a drunk driving accident and my being a ungrateful freak? Not much. Well, not much if you don't count threat or screaming-" Then, as if realizing what he was saying, the teen slapped a hand over his mouth and stared at his almost empty plate. "I'm sorry, Sir."
A long moment and Snape realized that the boy wasn't apologizing for the words but for the fact that he'd slipped his 'Golden Boy' persona for a second. Was it really that bad? That he couldn't even be justifiably bitter over longstanding abuse? Then again, the professor had been one of the leading tormentors over that very image so it was his fault as well. "Don't ever apologize for someone else hurting you ever again, Harry," He commanded a touch harshly, his own emotions choking him.
Shocked verdant gaze met his own black version, "What?"
Snape was as angry at himself as he was at those moronic muggles the all knowing Headmaster had burdened his son with for all these years. "We-I've committed a great wrong against you. You've born an impossible burden for anyone and instead of aiding you, we all just assumed..I'm sorry, son."
The look on Harry's face at his words broke the heart the older man didn't know he still had. Hope, yearning, and the tears that he'd obviously been holding onto for far too long all bubbling to the surface as he found not only a parent but also someone who told him it was all right to be angry. It was more than he'd ever dared expect to happen but yet.
Stiffly, still not sure how to act in such a situation, the new father moved to stand by his son's chair and set one strong hand on a too bony shoulder. And that was all it took. Desperate for just a little comfort in a life that he just barely survived, Harry leapt into Severus's sudden open arms and sobbed out his childhood's loss into the surprisingly soft robes of the older wizard. Acting on instinct and a little on the instructions from the house elves who were hidden in the shadows during the exchange, the ex-greasy git wrapped the tiny teen in a tight embrace, not even caring that his chest was becoming almost uncomfortably damp and that the house elves were all silently applauding their master's return to humanity.
He was never going to live this down. But, looking at the dark head burrowing into his chest, maybe he wouldn't want to.
Maybe.
Soon the sobs became sniffles and the sniffles dried into a red nosed Harry with watery eyes and tear streaks on his pale cheeks. They separated a touch uncomfortably, the excess of expressed emotions disquieting to such private people. "So, um, thank you."
Snape walked to retrieve his coffee, "Er, anytime. What are you going to do with your day, then?" Small talk good, small talk very good.
As he was drinking the now lukewarm life giving caffeine, he completely missed the sudden flush replacing the pale circles of his cheeks. "I was actually hoping it might be alright if my boyfriend stopped by."
Harry briefly wished for a camera to have captured the rather impressive spit take the self-possessed wizard managed if only to sell the photos to the twins back at school. Casualties including, but not limited to, the antique heirloom table cloth, a basket of innocent croissants, and two house elves who merely squeaked in alarm.
"B-b-boyfriend?!! You-he-"
"Deja-vu, " the boy who lived muttered under his breath before continuing, "Um, that is a yes, right? I know this is really really uncomfortable finding out that you have a son AND he's gay and all but, really, I know you'll like him!"
Suspicion crept in and overpowered shock at the last few words and grew into full-fledged paranoia as the fruit of his loins continued breathlessly, "And he's kind of, sorta, on his way now. I tried to stop him though! I mean, all I did was owl to let him know where I was and he made up his mind to march right over here and make sure for himself, the stubborn bas-"
"Potter!"
"Er-basilisk? And it's not Potter, remember? It's Evans."
A familiar squeaky voice broke through the migraine that might have been caused by his head hitting the breakfast table in exasperation. "Sir? Mr. Malfoy is at the door."
Great, just what he did not need right now. Lucius. A martyred sigh and Snape completely missed the sheepishly excited grin on his only child's face. "Bloody luck. All right, invite him in and escort Harry to his quarters. Death eaters are not supposed to offer sanctuary to the boy who lived."
Dopey tugged on his ear nervously, "But, Sir, Mr. Malfoy is here to see young Sir."
Blinking rapidly, Snape watched detached as Draco Malfoy brushed through a cluster of house elves, aristocratic nose turned up and trademark sneer firmly in place. Sure enough, he stopped haughtily in front of the newly discovered Snape.
"Potter, I see you escaped those useless muggle relations of yours. Life of slavery just not working out for you?" He taunted even as his rival stood to face him.
"And you must have slipped your father's leash, ferret."
Eyes as fierce as kryptonite hit eyes a dangerous as lead poisoning for a long second before they moved as one and Harry was planting a sloppy kiss on the immaculate boy's smiling mouth. "Missed you too, Golden Boy, "the name carried no sting with the adoring tone and the star of Slytherin turned his attention away from his boyfriend just long enough to realize that his favorite professor had disappeared.
Harry, seeing where the taller boy was looking, moved them both three steps to the left until he could see around the table edge.
Sure enough, there was Snape, looking for all the world like a twisted version of Snow White, house elves wringing their hands nervously around his unconscious body. (Maybe it was just a side effect of getting Cruciatus performed on you too much. Like a concussion.)
The blond wizard raised a single aristocratic eyebrow and addressed his snickering counterpart, "Well, I think that went well."
"Definitely."
TBC...
Review Groveling Thanks!
THANK YOU TO:
Rosie-and you added me to your favorites? Loves!, Rose-just like that Clex story I love!, Sakusha-san-Thanks!, ElvenFairie-you like my fluffyness..awesome, Myrddin Ambrosius-Here's your Harry/Draco, cleopatra2070- s'okay, my muse wants Sev with Lupin too, Saavik-It's okay, I don't actually write orgy fics. Not enough coordination :D, wormtail's worst enemy- you got it., Lei Dumbledore-I'm sorry! I know it took forever!, fireicedragon-Yup, me too. ^_^-Ain't he just?, Tidmag-like how I handled the Harry issue? *grins*, izean-Harry shall get new stuff! Now that he has a potion's masters credit card to abuse. TanisaFyre-Tanks, babe! Hope you liked this chappie since I absolutely had to bring in Draco. Witchmaster-OooOoo! Yeah, I do get to write that don't I...Setsuri- for the next fluffy installment I will personally donate lint brushes. Aeryn Alexander-*sniffs* that means a lot to me *glomps* thank you! S0ccerstar3000-no prob. Hey, can I call you ken?. Mikee-Yeah, they're actually pretty alike as far as that whole stubborn thing goes. Atheis and Aeris Gainsborough-Thanks, yeah, I need to review more too..Blood Wi'tch- love the David Eddings! And, whoa, psychic much. Animegirl-mika-Justice! Sorry, just channeling Wu-man.