Rating: PG-13 (for now, it may change later on depending on how the story progresses)
Pairing: HP/SS
Summary: This story continues on with the relationship of Harry and Severus, with a few new surprises in store for them both.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. I'll give them back to JK Rowling when I'm done. No money was made from this endeavor.
Feedback: Please read and review, flames are not welcome.
A/N: Continuation of A Camping We Will Go and Wanted: Single,Older Male
for a Roommate. Thanks also go to my friends at the HPRoundRobin livejournal
community for their continued support and understanding. This chapter
has not yet been beta read, so please forgive any errors you may find.
Anything italicized and not between quotes, denotes a thought.
Chapter 3 - Alicia
by goldenpaw
Previously
"Albus, who is the little girl and why is she here?"
"This, my dear Harry, is Alicia. She is here hopefully to be you and Severus' new little girl." Albus said with the twinkle in his eyes shining brightly.
****
"Albus, what?" Harry looked questioningly from his former Headmaster to the little girl named Alicia. Behind him, he heard Molly gasp.
Albus smiled benignly and once more stooped down to the little girl to talk to her. "Alicia, be a good girl and go have a seat on the couch over there." Albus pointed to a spot behind Harry. Alicia smiled and nodded once more, then took the doll Harry finally noticed she was holding and sat down quietly. Harry watched her for a few more moments and marveled at the beautiful little girl as she played with her doll.
Harry blinked and turned back to Albus. Molly had come up to stand beside him and he realized they were still standing in the open doorway. "Excuse my manners, sir. Come in."
Harry ushered the older wizard in and closed the door.
"I don't understand, Albus. Why would you feel that Severus and I are prepared to take care of a little girl? What happened to her family? I've got so many questions, I don't even know where to begin or which one I want answered more."
"I'll answer all your questions. Perhaps though, the majority of them should wait until Severus is also up to listening. How far along in the Wizarding Measles is he?"
"He came down with it just this morning, so he's still in the first stage. Albus, truly, what's going on?" Harry looked back once again at the little girl and he smiled. 'She really is quite adorable and she's so quiet.' Harry frowned at that thought and replayed the last few minutes in his mind since the two had arrived and something inside him clicked.
"She's deaf, isn't she, Albus?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Yes, Harry, she is. Perhaps we should go into the kitchen to talk. Alicia will be fine, I've spelled her so that I'll know if she needs attention."
Albus, Harry and Molly walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Dobby looked at them anxiously as they took their seats.
"Dobby, please go sit quietly with Severus. Watch him and if he wakes, let me know," Harry bid the house-elf away.
"Yes, Master Harry, right away." With a pop, the elf was gone.
"Alright, Albus. Start talking."
"Alicia Cuthbertson is a muggle, but the Ministry already knows that she will be attending Hogwarts, as it was known the moment she was born. I don't know if you are aware, but as Headmaster, I watch over all future students that will be coming to the school. Anyway, Alicia was born to two muggles who had no living relatives and her parents passed away a week ago in an auto accident. When that happened, I began working ever since to gain temporary guardianship of her, so that I could place her with a couple who could see to her needs. As far as I can tell, she has been dealing fairly well with the loss of her parents. From what I was able to learn from the neighbors and family friends, they actually saw very little of Alicia and left her with whatever current nanny they had hired. The deafness is a recent development, resulting from the accident. However, according to the physicians who cared for her right after the incident claim that the deafness is psychological and that no actual damage has been done to her inner ears. So with time, love and care, they feel and I feel as well, that the deafness will disappear." Albus stopped and looked closely at Harry, who seemed to be deep in thought.
Molly also looked from Harry to Albus a few times. "Albus, if you wanted to place her with a couple who could take care of her, Arthur and I could do it. I've got time on my hands now that my last is about to finish Hogwarts. Our family would gladly welcome her."
"Molly, I have no doubt that you could, but you have raised seven children and helped care for Harry as well. I think it's time now for you to play the doting grandmother," Albus said with a kind smile and his eyes twinkling brightly, as he nodded his head towards Harry, which the younger wizard happened to miss.
Molly understood exactly what Albus was saying. In fact, he was right. Playing grandmother for the first time would be an exciting new role. She smiled, then frowned. What if Harry and Severus said no? What if they didn't take Alicia? Well if they didn't, she and Arthur would without hesitation.
Harry finally spoke up, "She is an adorable little girl and I would take her into my heart and home gladly, Albus. However, the decision is not solely mine to make. Unfortunately at this moment, Severus is not in the best of health to make a decision either way. Alicia has been exposed to the measles, therefore she must stay until she shows signs of having it herself and recovers. I'm afraid that since I've never had it, I'll likely show the symptoms in the next day or so myself," Harry stopped talking and looked at Molly.
"Don't worry, Harry dear, I'm here for as long as you need me." Molly reached out and took a hold of one of Harry's hands and patted it.
Harry turned his hand over and squeezed her hand in response before addressing them both, "Thank you, Molly. You read my mind. I was also going to say that once this is all over, I would love for you to work for me part time as my assistant, and perhaps as Albus suggested if things go the way I hope, as grandmother to Alicia."
Albus beamed a bright smile at Harry and said with a happy voice, "Excellent my dear boy. I'm sure Severus, once he's back to his usual charming self will have open arms for little Alicia. Since Alicia must stay here for the next week or so until everything is settled, I believe it is time I introduced you more properly."
Albus went into the living room and retrieved the little blonde-haired child. Upon their return, Albus told the others that the little girl had a spell placed on her so that the words spoken in her line of sight were translated into written words that she could understand in front of her eyes, "similar to what those muggles call Closed Captioning."
Albus introduced the little girl to the others and she greeted them with her whimsical, carefree smile and the others were smitten immediately.
"Albus, can she talk at all?" Harry asked when he noticed that she still had no spoken.
"Yes, she can, but I think she is just being shy. She can speak and I honestly think she can hear what she says or at least the vibrations of what she says, so don't ave to worry about that. I'm sure once she becomes more comfortable with you, she will voice her needs. She really is quite an adorable, inquisitive child. I explained to her about wizards and witches and she was very fascinated by it all."
Before they could continue the conversation, Dobby popped into the kitchen, startling them all and causing the little girl to squeal at seeing the tiny child-sized creature.
Dobby's eyes widened in surprise at seeing the little girl and immediately starting to ask questions. Harry put a halt to them and asked Dobby if Severus was doing alright?
"He's awake, Master Harry. I came down to let you know, soon as he was."
"Thank you, Dobby, go back up to Severus and let him know who is here and that we will be up to visit him shortly. Help him with whatever he requires."
Dobby bobbed his head and went to do as Harry ordered.
"Well, I think it's time we introduced our latest houseguest to grouchy, sick Severus, don't you?" Harry stood up and ushered the others upstairs.
They entered single-file into the master bedroom and they all saw a very blue looking Severus. Harry burst out laughing at this, not expecting the other wizard to look so comical. Alicia giggled, Molly and Albus also had a chuckle at the Potion's Masters expense.
Severus shot them all an evil glare, reminiscent of his time as Professor and Harry just laughed even harder. The others though quieted down a bit and moved forward slowly into the room. None of them thought it best to voluntarily tell the sick man why they were all there.
Severus sighed and waited for one of them to speak first.
~tbc~
AN: Thanks go to the following reviewers: ImmortalFlick, Ruth, hermionegreen, Phen82, Elehyn, darkanglefrmhell, alima21, Luna_Kat04, SEP, Sakura Snape, Zaira-Draco, LeeLeePotter, idiotmuse aka Sepia, HecateDeMort, Angie/Les', Anarane Anwamane, Mikee, JadedAngel8, sev9170, Garner, MOni, athenakitty, sherdlune, Corgi1, ResQGal, NymphadoraTonks1.