It took a few moments for Harry's brain to comprehend what had just
happened. No one in the room moved or spoke for a long minute. Harry
glanced curiously from Snape to Malfoy. He was obviously here for
protection for the rest of the summer, but the others.
Feeling a need to break the silence, Harry asked them about it. "Why are you two here?"
Draco didn't meet his eyes, but glanced briefly at Professor Snape before looking away. "None of your business, Potter," he snapped irritably. "I'm going to look around upstairs." He retreated down a small hallway and a few seconds later the sound of footsteps above them could be heard.
Snape looked at him coldly for a moment, then turned without a word and walked into a room that looked like a library, slamming the door behind him.
"Or not," Harry muttered to himself, glancing around the room as if noticing his surroundings for the first time. He was standing in a kitchen, complete with a breakfast bar and stools. The cupboards were all stocked with food, and Harry had an odd feeling that they were magicked to stay full. There was a small stove as well as a microwave and refrigerator, and Harry realized that wherever they were staying, it was defiantly a muggle residence, judging by the electrical items.
The hallway Draco had taken was lined with doorways. Assuming Snape had gone into the library, he assumed the other door led to a bathroom. A quick inspection proved the assumption true. The stairway at the end of the hall brought him to a second floor. The one closed door was presumably hiding Draco, and there were two more bedrooms, as well as a bathroom, closet, and another room that held a pool table, ping-pong table, and a small Nerf basketball hoop.
Harry had briefly noticed that one of the bedrooms seemed to hold Professor Snape's belongings, so he quickly walked back downstairs to get his own things. After placing his trunk at the foot of his bed and Hedwig's empty cage on the floor next to his desk, he inspected the room. There was a desk in the corner by the window with a small lamp on top of it. A small bookshelf for his other belongings sat on the wall opposite the bed, next to an open closet. Inside was a small collection of Muggle clothes. A stereo system sat atop a chest of drawers with a book of CDs next to it.
He grabbed the book and sat down on his bed to flip through it. To his surprise, the music he recognized was highly tuned to his tastes. Some of the other groups, wizard ones, he assumed, looked pretty good, too, and he wondered if someone had done this on purpose or if it was magic.
He quickly grabbed a CD and put it in. A moment later, the sounds of Sum 41 floated through the room, and after digging through his trunk for one of his school books, Harry sat down to work on his homework.
He'd only just started an essay for Transfiguration when Draco's drawling voice came from the doorway. "What is that?"
Harry glanced up at him, then over at the stereo. "Sum 41."
The Slytherin boy raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Sum 41," he replied, gesturing to the radio system. "It's a Muggle band. That thing on top of my dresser is called a stereo. You can listen to music through it."
Draco couldn't stop the curious look from coming to his face as he crossed the room to stand in front of it. "Really? How?"
Harry got up and walked over, quickly showing him how the radio, CD, and tape deck worked. "Do you have one in your room? You might have some different CDs."
Draco nodded. "I'll grab that little book and bring it back here." A moment later he returned and handed the black case to Harry, who quickly unzipped it and began looking through them.
"You don't have any of the ones I have. They're completely different. I've got more Punk than you do, and you've got more Rock than me. Put together, it's an awesome collection."
"Rock?" Draco said, frowning. "I thought you said they were seedies."
Harry couldn't help smiling as he explained the different styles of music. Draco seemed to understand. "We've got that in wizard groups, too, but we don't call them that."
"What do you call them?"
Draco shrugged. "I can't remember. I never listened to much music growing up, and I've only heard them mentioned once or twice."
Harry nodded in understanding. "I never got to, either. My cousin's to lazy to get up and change CDs, though, so I figured out how to do it after a few tries."
Having no idea how to reply to this, Draco merely shrugged and nodded. An awkward silence fell between the two for a moment. Needing to say something, Harry asked, "So, were you and Professor Snape here long before McGonagall brought me?"
Malfoy shrugged. "Not really. We were at Hogwarts for a few days, and then Dumbledore brought us here a few hours before you showed up."
Harry was dying to ask why he'd been at Hogwarts and not at home in the first place, but he restrained himself. By some miracle of heaven the two boys were alone in a room together and weren't killing each other, and Harry wasn't about to spoil it. A sudden inspiration struck him. "Hey, do you know what movies are?"
"No," the other boy replied, glancing at him curiously.
Harry grinned. He'd spotted a TV downstairs in the room McGonagall had originally brought him to, and there looked like there was some sort of black box underneath it that could be a VCR or DVD player. "C'mon, let's go downstairs and I'll show you."
§§§§§§
When they got downstairs they found not only a VCR and DVD player, but also a large collection of movies on VHS and DVD. Harry quickly explained what a movie was, exactly, and they spent a few minutes digging through them, trying to find something to watch. A short squabble broke out over what they were going to watch first, but they eventually decided to put in Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope. Harry remembered hearing Dudley wailing over it when he couldn't get the special edition DVD on the day it came out.
The two teens were instantly intrigued by the special effects, and as soon as the movie ended, they quickly put in The Empire Strikes Back. About halfway through the movie, Harry glanced up and was startled to notice that Snape had joined them at some point. A forgotten book was lying open across the arm of the chair he was sitting in. Harry didn't say anything, choosing to ignore his presence for the moment in favor of the fight scene before him.
§§§§§§
When Harry woke up the next morning, he cautiously went downstairs to the kitchen in search of breakfast. He had no idea what time the other two occupants of the house rose every morning, and he didn't want to risk waking them. He was surprised to find both of them downstairs already, talking over mugs of dark, steaming liquid.
Harry paused awkwardly in the doorway, not wanting to intrude. Draco glanced up and fixed him with a glare. "Well, come in already. You slept for half the morning, so good luck finding something to eat."
Snape didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Harry quickly grabbed an empty bowl, a box of cold cereal, and a jug of milk before retreating into the next room. Somehow he had a feeling he had interrupted something he shouldn't have, even if it was accidental.
Deciding to check out the room that Snape had holed himself up in the previous day, Harry was pleased to note that he'd been correct in assuming it was a library. The walls were lined with shelves of books, save for one corner that held a computer seated on a desk with matching chair. A window jutted out next to, providing a place to sit and read by the afternoon light.
Harry walked over to the bookshelves, scanning their titles. Some of them appeared to be classics, the titles familiar from years of Muggle School, but others appeared to be newer. He grabbed one at random-The Shadow Club, by Neal Shusterman-and sat down on the floor, using the window ledge as a makeshift table for his breakfast. After settling the bowl of cereal, he flipped open to the first page and began to read.
The only movements Harry made for the next two and a half hours were to put his breakfast things on the floor and settle into the window seat. Only the turning of pages broke the silence that filled the room.
That was how Severus Snape found him, curled up comfortably and completely absorbed with his book. The boy didn't even notice his teacher enter the room. After watching the boy for a moment, he stalked over to the last bookshelf, looking for a book that might hold him so enraptured. A few moments' searching later, he found one that looked promising. Normally he avoided anything with a title like Valentine like the plague, but the way it was written and what the back cover said caught his eye. Deciding to give Tom Savage a chance, he took the book down and, with one last glance to Potter, started to walk from the room.
"So why are you here?"
If the boy's voice startled him, Snape didn't let it show. "Does it matter?"
He shrugged, not taking his eyes from the paperback in his hands. "Just curious."
"Ever heard the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"
Harry nodded, finally looking up. "Yeah, but if Mrs. Norris is still alive, I thought I could risk it. She's certainly curious enough, always nosing into our business."
He has a point, an annoying little voice in the back of Snape's mind said. He ignored it and leaned back against the wall. "If you remember correctly, Dumbledore told you."
Harry frowned slightly. "No, he told me why I was here. He just said that you and Draco weren't to leave the house, but he never said why."
With a soft sigh, Snape frowned. "Well, I suppose you'll find out eventually anyway, so I might as well tell you. At the end of last school year, Dumbledore sent me off with a mission, correct?"
Harry nodded. "He asked you to resume your spying on Voldemort."
A slight expression of surprise flickered across Snape's face. He was surprised the boy had figured that out on his own. "Yes. Well, somehow I was discovered. Before I could be executed, however, young Mr. Malfoy stepped in and rescued me. His father disowned him, and Voldemort was furious."
Understanding flooded Harry's face. "So you're hiding out, just like I am."
"Correct."
There was a brief silence in which Harry stared at the ground before him, eyes unseeing, a slight frown marring his features. Finally, he looked up. "Thank you for telling me."
Snape glared at him, the usual cold man instantly returned. "Yes, well, as it's your fault we're in this situation at all, it seems you have a right to know," he snapped, sarcasm dripping from his words. Harry flinched.
"I know," he said softly. Without another word, he turned back to his book, and a moment later, the Hogwarts professor left the room.
*Sighs* I'd hoped it would turn out a little better. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. ideas are welcome, although, no, it won't be slash.
Feeling a need to break the silence, Harry asked them about it. "Why are you two here?"
Draco didn't meet his eyes, but glanced briefly at Professor Snape before looking away. "None of your business, Potter," he snapped irritably. "I'm going to look around upstairs." He retreated down a small hallway and a few seconds later the sound of footsteps above them could be heard.
Snape looked at him coldly for a moment, then turned without a word and walked into a room that looked like a library, slamming the door behind him.
"Or not," Harry muttered to himself, glancing around the room as if noticing his surroundings for the first time. He was standing in a kitchen, complete with a breakfast bar and stools. The cupboards were all stocked with food, and Harry had an odd feeling that they were magicked to stay full. There was a small stove as well as a microwave and refrigerator, and Harry realized that wherever they were staying, it was defiantly a muggle residence, judging by the electrical items.
The hallway Draco had taken was lined with doorways. Assuming Snape had gone into the library, he assumed the other door led to a bathroom. A quick inspection proved the assumption true. The stairway at the end of the hall brought him to a second floor. The one closed door was presumably hiding Draco, and there were two more bedrooms, as well as a bathroom, closet, and another room that held a pool table, ping-pong table, and a small Nerf basketball hoop.
Harry had briefly noticed that one of the bedrooms seemed to hold Professor Snape's belongings, so he quickly walked back downstairs to get his own things. After placing his trunk at the foot of his bed and Hedwig's empty cage on the floor next to his desk, he inspected the room. There was a desk in the corner by the window with a small lamp on top of it. A small bookshelf for his other belongings sat on the wall opposite the bed, next to an open closet. Inside was a small collection of Muggle clothes. A stereo system sat atop a chest of drawers with a book of CDs next to it.
He grabbed the book and sat down on his bed to flip through it. To his surprise, the music he recognized was highly tuned to his tastes. Some of the other groups, wizard ones, he assumed, looked pretty good, too, and he wondered if someone had done this on purpose or if it was magic.
He quickly grabbed a CD and put it in. A moment later, the sounds of Sum 41 floated through the room, and after digging through his trunk for one of his school books, Harry sat down to work on his homework.
He'd only just started an essay for Transfiguration when Draco's drawling voice came from the doorway. "What is that?"
Harry glanced up at him, then over at the stereo. "Sum 41."
The Slytherin boy raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Sum 41," he replied, gesturing to the radio system. "It's a Muggle band. That thing on top of my dresser is called a stereo. You can listen to music through it."
Draco couldn't stop the curious look from coming to his face as he crossed the room to stand in front of it. "Really? How?"
Harry got up and walked over, quickly showing him how the radio, CD, and tape deck worked. "Do you have one in your room? You might have some different CDs."
Draco nodded. "I'll grab that little book and bring it back here." A moment later he returned and handed the black case to Harry, who quickly unzipped it and began looking through them.
"You don't have any of the ones I have. They're completely different. I've got more Punk than you do, and you've got more Rock than me. Put together, it's an awesome collection."
"Rock?" Draco said, frowning. "I thought you said they were seedies."
Harry couldn't help smiling as he explained the different styles of music. Draco seemed to understand. "We've got that in wizard groups, too, but we don't call them that."
"What do you call them?"
Draco shrugged. "I can't remember. I never listened to much music growing up, and I've only heard them mentioned once or twice."
Harry nodded in understanding. "I never got to, either. My cousin's to lazy to get up and change CDs, though, so I figured out how to do it after a few tries."
Having no idea how to reply to this, Draco merely shrugged and nodded. An awkward silence fell between the two for a moment. Needing to say something, Harry asked, "So, were you and Professor Snape here long before McGonagall brought me?"
Malfoy shrugged. "Not really. We were at Hogwarts for a few days, and then Dumbledore brought us here a few hours before you showed up."
Harry was dying to ask why he'd been at Hogwarts and not at home in the first place, but he restrained himself. By some miracle of heaven the two boys were alone in a room together and weren't killing each other, and Harry wasn't about to spoil it. A sudden inspiration struck him. "Hey, do you know what movies are?"
"No," the other boy replied, glancing at him curiously.
Harry grinned. He'd spotted a TV downstairs in the room McGonagall had originally brought him to, and there looked like there was some sort of black box underneath it that could be a VCR or DVD player. "C'mon, let's go downstairs and I'll show you."
§§§§§§
When they got downstairs they found not only a VCR and DVD player, but also a large collection of movies on VHS and DVD. Harry quickly explained what a movie was, exactly, and they spent a few minutes digging through them, trying to find something to watch. A short squabble broke out over what they were going to watch first, but they eventually decided to put in Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope. Harry remembered hearing Dudley wailing over it when he couldn't get the special edition DVD on the day it came out.
The two teens were instantly intrigued by the special effects, and as soon as the movie ended, they quickly put in The Empire Strikes Back. About halfway through the movie, Harry glanced up and was startled to notice that Snape had joined them at some point. A forgotten book was lying open across the arm of the chair he was sitting in. Harry didn't say anything, choosing to ignore his presence for the moment in favor of the fight scene before him.
§§§§§§
When Harry woke up the next morning, he cautiously went downstairs to the kitchen in search of breakfast. He had no idea what time the other two occupants of the house rose every morning, and he didn't want to risk waking them. He was surprised to find both of them downstairs already, talking over mugs of dark, steaming liquid.
Harry paused awkwardly in the doorway, not wanting to intrude. Draco glanced up and fixed him with a glare. "Well, come in already. You slept for half the morning, so good luck finding something to eat."
Snape didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Harry quickly grabbed an empty bowl, a box of cold cereal, and a jug of milk before retreating into the next room. Somehow he had a feeling he had interrupted something he shouldn't have, even if it was accidental.
Deciding to check out the room that Snape had holed himself up in the previous day, Harry was pleased to note that he'd been correct in assuming it was a library. The walls were lined with shelves of books, save for one corner that held a computer seated on a desk with matching chair. A window jutted out next to, providing a place to sit and read by the afternoon light.
Harry walked over to the bookshelves, scanning their titles. Some of them appeared to be classics, the titles familiar from years of Muggle School, but others appeared to be newer. He grabbed one at random-The Shadow Club, by Neal Shusterman-and sat down on the floor, using the window ledge as a makeshift table for his breakfast. After settling the bowl of cereal, he flipped open to the first page and began to read.
The only movements Harry made for the next two and a half hours were to put his breakfast things on the floor and settle into the window seat. Only the turning of pages broke the silence that filled the room.
That was how Severus Snape found him, curled up comfortably and completely absorbed with his book. The boy didn't even notice his teacher enter the room. After watching the boy for a moment, he stalked over to the last bookshelf, looking for a book that might hold him so enraptured. A few moments' searching later, he found one that looked promising. Normally he avoided anything with a title like Valentine like the plague, but the way it was written and what the back cover said caught his eye. Deciding to give Tom Savage a chance, he took the book down and, with one last glance to Potter, started to walk from the room.
"So why are you here?"
If the boy's voice startled him, Snape didn't let it show. "Does it matter?"
He shrugged, not taking his eyes from the paperback in his hands. "Just curious."
"Ever heard the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"
Harry nodded, finally looking up. "Yeah, but if Mrs. Norris is still alive, I thought I could risk it. She's certainly curious enough, always nosing into our business."
He has a point, an annoying little voice in the back of Snape's mind said. He ignored it and leaned back against the wall. "If you remember correctly, Dumbledore told you."
Harry frowned slightly. "No, he told me why I was here. He just said that you and Draco weren't to leave the house, but he never said why."
With a soft sigh, Snape frowned. "Well, I suppose you'll find out eventually anyway, so I might as well tell you. At the end of last school year, Dumbledore sent me off with a mission, correct?"
Harry nodded. "He asked you to resume your spying on Voldemort."
A slight expression of surprise flickered across Snape's face. He was surprised the boy had figured that out on his own. "Yes. Well, somehow I was discovered. Before I could be executed, however, young Mr. Malfoy stepped in and rescued me. His father disowned him, and Voldemort was furious."
Understanding flooded Harry's face. "So you're hiding out, just like I am."
"Correct."
There was a brief silence in which Harry stared at the ground before him, eyes unseeing, a slight frown marring his features. Finally, he looked up. "Thank you for telling me."
Snape glared at him, the usual cold man instantly returned. "Yes, well, as it's your fault we're in this situation at all, it seems you have a right to know," he snapped, sarcasm dripping from his words. Harry flinched.
"I know," he said softly. Without another word, he turned back to his book, and a moment later, the Hogwarts professor left the room.
*Sighs* I'd hoped it would turn out a little better. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. ideas are welcome, although, no, it won't be slash.