NO SLASH!
Disclaimer
Mrs. Rowling owns the world of Harry Potter. I don't.
I only borrow some of her characters to play around with them.
'Star Wars' belongs to George Lucas.
Beta read by MartianHouseCat
Unfamiliar Roads
By Clio
Chapter 4 – Rollercoaster
The next day was even more boring and uncomfortable than the drive from Little Whinging to London if that was possible. They were waiting for an owl from Dumbledore with instructions. For meals Snape had sent Harry to a bakery around the corner with some money he had found in the flat. The rest of the time Harry occupied himself with some old Muggle journals, which he had unearthed from a drawer. Unfortunately the books on the shelves had turned out to be fake displays.
Snape on the other hand spent most of the time either pacing the living room or staring out of the window smoking. He wore a very sour expression. If he was worked up about being in a flat with his most loathed student or if he his shoulder was still bothering him, Harry could not fathom. He had noticed in the morning that Snape had almost emptied the bottle of Muggle painkillers and that his arm was still bound in the sling.
Harry had always thought that as long as Snape wasn't yelling at him he could bear to be in the same room with his teacher, but the awkward silence was grating on his nerves. He couldn't really concentrate on what he was reading. Through the closed window he watched the weather change from overcast to bright sunshine over the course of the day.
The tension in the room rose considerably during the afternoon and Harry felt more and more like a caged animal by the minute. Obviously Snape was feeling the same. The intervals between his cigarettes became shorter and shorter until the pack was empty.
It must have been around 5 p.m. when he drove the fist of his good arm into the wall with frustration. Harry jumped at the surprisingly loud thud and looked at Snape in alarm, waiting for the inevitable fit of rage his teacher was infamous for. But Snape only regarded him coolly and said: "Put on your shoes, Potter. We are going out." Harry didn't move. "Have you gone deaf, boy?"
Harry shook his head. "Where are we going? Why?"
"I'm sick of waiting in this dreadful Muggle flat. I will go for a walk." Snape pointed his spidery finger at Harry. "And you are going to accompany me, so I can keep an eye on you."
"But I'd rather..."
"No."
"And if Prof. Dumbledore's owl arrives in the meantime?"
"Then it will have to wait until we return."
Ten minutes later they were out on the street, walking through Muggle London in the last sunshine of what had been a wonderful summer day. But it was an unpleasant stroll. Harry walked a few paces behind Snape, kicking at the dirt occasionally. To Harry's delight every now and then a small pebble or a screw cap of a long empty bottle would hit the back of Snape's legs, but he didn't seem to notice.
Harry didn't know how long they were walking. His watch had been ruined when Dudley had 'accidentally' thrown it into the toilet bowl on his first day back at the Dursley's. He guessed that it had been quite a while since they left the flat; the sun was already setting and his feet had started to ache. Fortunately he didn't have to wear Dudley's old shoes, which due to his heavy weight were always ruined after a few months, but his own were far from comfortable. Aunt Petunia always bought the cheapest shoes she could find in Little Whinging, not bothered if they truly fit Harry or not.
They had come into a busier district than the one the flat was in. People were sitting in front of restaurants and on park benches, enjoying the beautiful evening. Harry took everything in curiously. The Dursleys had never taken him to a restaurant.
They passed a cinema. He also had never been to the movies. Actually he had never been anywhere but to the zoo at Dudley's 11th birthday. He took some time to study the movie ads. When he looked up he saw that Snape was waiting for him at the next corner. "Don't linger, Potter," he spat, before he continued walking at a pace so fast Harry had to run to catch up with him.
They passed a bar bathed in cold blue light and a ice-cream parlor, which reminded Harry of Fortescue's in Diagon Alley where he had spent quite some time in the summer before his 3rd year. Everywhere Muggles were laughing and enjoying the beautiful evening. Harry envied them. They were blissfully unaware of how it was like to march through London with an ill-natured wizard. He sighed.
Next to the ice-cream parlor was another movie-theater. It was smaller
and shabbier than the other. Through the tarnished glass Harry could see
the ads. They were having an 80's revival week. Tonight "Star Wars: The
Empire Strikes Back" was on. Although Harry had never seen the movie he
was fairly familiar with the plot through Dudley's comments on it.
"What is it now, Potter?" came Snape's voice from behind him. "Quite fascinated with movies, are we? One should think that you would have enough time when you are with your relatives to idly spend your time and money in cinemas."
"No." Harry shook his head sadly.
"Pardon?"
"Err, I have never been to a the movies, Sir. But I think it must be wonderful." Harry blushed.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me, Potter. I'm familiar enough with the Muggle world to know that this is a common form of entertainment for Muggles your age."
"I'm not allowed to leave the house alone. And the Dursleys lock me up in the cupboard when they go out. They don't want anyone to discover that I'm, well, different." Harry watched Snape's eyebrow climb further towards the hairline. "Um, they say I would spoil all their fun."
"You don't expect me to believe your outlandish stories, do you?" Snape snarled.
"Then don't," shouted Harry, anger suddenly flashing through him. Some Muggles turned to watch. "What do you know about me or my relatives? Why do you think they will not take me to Ibiza with them so I'm stuck here with you? They hate me! They even hate to be reminded of me!"
"Quite understandable," Snape murmured, but the look he gave Harry held not the usual malice.
Harry took a deep breath. He was so angry that he was ready to duel with Snape there and then on the Muggle street. Snape's eyes bored into his. Then his teacher's gaze swept to the movie posters, to the Muggles watching them, and back to Harry. "It's true, isn't it?" He said flatly.
"What?"
"That you are confined to the Dursley's house all summer."
Harry fidgeted under Snape's calculating gaze. "Well, it's not entirely true. I have to go with Aunt Petunia to the supermarket once in a while. And five years ago they took me to the zoo." His gaze returned to the movie ads, and as an afterthought he added proudly, "But I have seen lots of movies on TV. Well, until they rearranged Dudley's room, that is."
He trailed off. Snape didn't need to know that he had watched all those movies through the keyhole shivering in the cold of the dark hallway. After Dudley had complained that he couldn't see his TV set from his bed, it had been moved to a different corner in the room. That had been the end of Harry's nightly TV sessions, no longer able to see the screen from his usual spot.
Snape continued to look at him strangely for a long time. Then he ran his hand through his greasy hair. "It's been a while since I subjected myself to that torture the Muggles call entertainment. But since we are stuck in this Muggle disguise, that," he said, gesturing at the cinema, "might be a place as good as any other be in. Come, Potter."
Snape walked towards the entrance without a second look at Harry. Had he turned around he would have been rewarded with the sight of Harry gaping at him open–mouthed like a trout.
Two hours later when they stepped into the street again, the world looked totally different to Harry Potter, the Muggle-raised wizard, who'd grown to 16 before setting foot in a cinema. His cheeks were still flushed with excitement and all worries about Voldemort and his increasing powers could not be further away.
Oftentimes, when he had been locked away in his cupboard as a small child, he had imagined fantastic worlds, where brave heroes acted out dangerous battles. It had always worked as a distraction from the poor treatment his family gave him and may have helped to keep him sane. And the world of fantasy still could distract Harry. "That was so cool!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, still wrapped up in the movie. "Did you see those space ships? And those light sabers?" Harry made swooshing sounds while brandishing an imaginary weapon.
"They were hard to miss," was Snape's only comment before he nodded towards a tube station down the street. "That way, Potter."
It didn't occur to Harry that Snape might not share his excitement. "And wow, wasn't it amazing when that Vader guy said 'Luke, I'm your father'?" Harry did his best to imitate the wheezing baritone voice while they were walking down the stairs to the platform.
Snape only cocked an eyebrow at him. "Poor plot device."
"What? Why?"
"Potter, think for once in your lifetime. How likely is it that no one had told that man about his ancestry?"
"Maybe, well, maybe they... they didn't want to burden him with that, " Harry said with a smug grin, congratulating himself for his prompt answer.
Snape snorted. "Know thy enemy!"
Shrugging Harry turned away from Snape. He didn't want to let him spoil his good mood. On a bench lay a forgotten evening newspaper. Harry rolled it up and playfully attacked the waste bin. "Ha, take that, storm trooper!"
After some more yelling and hard hits at a concrete column he paused and looked around, panting. They were still alone on the platform. Snape was standing with his back to him, intently studying the map of the underground system on the other wall. Obviously he had chosen to ignore Harry's outburst.
Later Harry could not explain what had gotten into him in the next moment, if it was an impulse build up by many frustrating potion classes, or if it was just his high spirits and playfulness. Be what it may, his wantonness got the better of him and he slapped Snape across the back with the newspaper. "Oy, Lord Vader, defend yourself!"
Snape whirled around. Instantly his hand flew to the wand hidden in his sleeve. Harry got only a short glimpse of Snape's angry face before the he turned a little, shielding his now drawn wand from Harry's view. After a hasty scanning of the platform for Muggles he started whispering an incantation.
He is going to hex me! Paralyzed, Harry stared at the back of Snape's head, his arm still in mid-air, ready for a second slap with the newspaper. Although Harry thought it an eternity, only a blink of an eye later Snape fully turned to him again. The wand in his hand emitted a beam of red light, an almost perfect imitation of a light saber.
Harry blinked. Following his gaze Snape looked at the light, too. "Caeruleus!" He barked and moved the hand of his injured arm awkwardly through the wand-light. At once the light's color changed from red to green. "Much more fitting for the Head of Slytherin, don't you think?" Snape bared his teeth in an humorless smile and met Harry's surprised gaze.
A spli-second later he attacked in a classical fencing riposte. With his wand he batted the rolled up newspaper out of Harry's frozen hand. Amazed Harry stared at Snape's wand. "How? How did you do that?"
The thunderous noise of a subway train quickly approaching the platform interrupted Harry. Footfalls came from the direction of the stairs. "Nox!" The light from Snape's wand died and he hastily shoved it back into his sleeve. "A variation of the Lumos spell." It was plainly obvious that Snape was struggling hard to keep his face from breaking into a satisfied grin.
Harry came out of his stupor. "Wow! Can you teach me that? What spell did you use? How did you get the color? Is it difficult?"
Snape pointed at a subway security man coming down the stairs. "Later, Potter."
"But the Lumos spell ... ." Harry trailed off at the sight of the Muggle.
With a polite nod in the direction of the security man Snape picked up the forgotten newspaper from the ground and pushed Harry to the train that had just pulled into the station. "Not here, Potter," he hissed. In the train Snape shoved Harry into an empty seat near the door while he leaned against the wall opposite of him.
"You know, Ron would say that was bloody brilliant. The light spell, I mean."
This time Snape could not quite hide his smile. "Indeed, would Mr. Weasley
say so?"
Harry nodded vehemently, but Snape's attention was already turned to
the few Muggles in the car with them.
"What does gerulus mean? It has to do with the light's color, right?"
"Caeruleus, Potter. It's Latin for green." Obviously content with his scan of the other passengers Snape opened the newspaper that had served as Harry's weapon and started reading.
Harry shifted excitedly in his seat. "And you are going to teach that to me, yes? Ron and Seamus will be so impressed."
Snape let out an exasperated sigh. "Now, would you please stop behaving like a 6-year-old and allow me to read the paper."
"But you'll teach me, won't you?"
"Potter!"
Harry impatiently looked around in the car and back at Snape who was in Harry's opinion doing a remarkable job pretending to read the old Muggle paper. Eventually a deep frown line appeared between his brows, the only part of his face that was not hidden behind the paper.
"Professor? Could the light also be black or maybe blue? That would
be cool." Snape didn't react. Since he seemed to have forgotten about his
student's presence, Harry occupied himself with watching the Muggles and
imagining Ron's and Seamus' surprised faces when he showed them the light
saber spell.
"Come on." He was pulled out of his daydreaming by Snape when they reached their station.
On the dark street Harry pleaded, "Can you show me now, please?" Snape ignored him and walked briskly in the direction of the flat. Once again Harry had almost to run to keep his pace. "You know, I wasn't aware that you could easily change a spell like that." Snape quickly glanced at Harry sidelong and walked even faster. His face was set into the usual mask he wore in the Potions classroom. "No fair!" Harry cried, "There are no Muggles here. And you said you'd tell me…"
"SHUT UP, Potter." Harry was taken aback by Snape's violent reaction.
Hadn't he been in an unusually good, even playful mood after they had been
to the movies? Could that man never behave like a decent and calculable
human being?
Once in the flat Snape pointed at a chair at the table. "Sit, Potter."
"Hey, one moment you are all nice, and now you are ordering me around like, like..."
"Just. Sit. Down. Potter." Snape's voice was dangerously low and even. Harry chose to obey and sat down. Snape walked over to the window and wordlessly lit a cigarette from a pack he had bought at the cinema. It didn't escape Harry's angry stare that it took him three matches to light it.
Slowly Snape came back to the table where Harry was seated and dropped the evening paper he was still holding onto the table. "Read."
Harry looked up. "The paper?"
"No, the tea leaves." Snape rolled his eyes and drew at his cigarette. His hand was slightly trembling. When he noticed Harry staring at him he turned and walked briskly back to the window.
Harry shrugged and started to read the headlines aloud. "'Health care workers demand higher wages', 'EU Commission decides on improved standards for workplace security', 'House of Lords postpones tax debate'"
"The local news, Potter. Page five," came Snape's voice from the window.
Harry turned to page five. "'Four dead in Little Whinging gas explosion'"
He gasped and looked up, but Snape had turned his back to him. Underneath the headline was the picture of a house in ruins. Fire engines in the street blocked the view of most of it, but Harry recognized Uncle Vernon's company car in the driveway. Without doubt the picture showed 4 Privet Drive.
He scanned the article, but his mind was suddenly too numb to concentrate
on the text. Only fractions of information reached his awareness. "'This
morning... all four occupants of the house dead immediately... neighbors
say... supposedly explosion caused by a leaking gas line... Little Whinging
police spokesman says... casualties among firefighters in second explosion...
house belonged to Vernon Dursley, a director at Grunnings, the local drill
manufacturer...'"
"Potter?" It took a moment for Harry to react. Finally he looked up and saw Snape standing next to him, moving his hand as if he was about to touch Harry's shoulder. When Harry met his eyes he pulled his hand back, the gesture unfinished.
"The Dursleys are dead." Harry heard himself say in an oddly calm voice.
Snape nodded. "So it seems."
"Do you think they were... do you think Voldemort?"
Again Snape nodded. "Possibly. We must assume that they were attacked."
"If they were killed..." Harry swallowed hard. His only remaining relatives
were dead.
Snape looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he went to the door leading into the other room. "I must contact the Headmaster tomorrow. By any means." He turned to Harry like he wanted to say some more, but then he silently left the room without offering any comfort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I wish to thank all my reviewers. You guys make
my day.
Reaper: I like Mrs. Figg, too. It's fun to explore minor
characters from canon. And Mrs. Figg has a lot of potential.
venus4280, Princess Kattera: Glad you liked the gas station
scene. I came very close to taking it out of the story twice.
Nemesis: No other stories soon, sorry. This is already taking
up way too much of my time. I have 2 more fics posted on ff.net, but they
were written when I had considerably less practice with writing in English.
kbear: If the characters are three-dimensional it is courtesy
of JKR, who after all created them and their world. The action bits will
come inevitably, and I hope you will like them, too.
ShortySC22: Meg, my beta-reader, helps my English a lot.
I guess Snape-and-Harry-stories are so much fun because they are the most
antagonistic characters in the series.
lillilly: I'd never write HP/SS slash. Not because I'm prejudiced
against homosexuality, but because I cannot see that happening - it would
be totally ooc. Btw, I could imagine Pery/Lucius.
Aznangelicgurl89: Well, Harry and Snape don't think it's
funny they are forced to share a flat. Snape is practically begging me
all the time to write a scene where he slips some lethal poison into Harry's
drink.
mimine: Thanks for your detailed review. Of course the events
of Godric's Hollow are still an unresolved issue between Snape and Harry.
Prophetess Of Hearts: Don't worry, Snape will have to revise
his image of Arrogant!QuidditchStar! Harry. They have plenty of time now,
and after all that's what this story is about.
Zardiphillian Beryllix: I didn't intend to have you wait
so long between chapter 2 and 3. Sorry.
Canary: Reading fics is fun, but writing them is even more
satisfying. : )
Japetha Razorwire: You're right, I'm an absolute stickler
to canon and obsessive nitpicker *waves to all L.O.O.N.s out there *. If
all better fanfiction authors write original fics, I don't belong into
that group. Sorry to disappoint you. (The 'live' mistake is corrected,
thanks.)
ProfSnapeFan: Apology accepted. : ) But it took me a lot
of time to convince my supposedly more mature protagonist to cease throwing
tantrums after reading your review.
Schokosahnecremetoertchen: Thanks for complimenting my writing,
aber ich muss sagen, dein Englisch ist auch nicht gerade schlecht. Nice
pen-name.
Thanks for your encouragement besnaped, Setsuri, Babypopstar,
Nicanole-15, tolkienite, TatraMegami, Deity, and abby.
