SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Chapter Eight - Ron Weasley's Big Idea
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"Severus? Wake up, Severus..."
I groaned and rolled over. Nimble fingers traced my back before shaking my shoulder. I swatted at them, wanting for them to go away.
"Go 'way. I'm sleeping and you're insignificant."
The fingers went away for a moment. If I had possessed the energy, I'm sure I would have smiled in triumph.
"The definition of insignificant, Mr. Snape, is unimportant. To be unimportant in your eyes would require me to be inferior to you. As your former professor and deputy headmistress of this educational institution, I would expect you to realize the significance of my role."
Brilliant. I just pissed off McGonagall.
"Didn't know it was you, 'Nerva," I mumbled in apology.
"Yes, I would expect you didn't. Now get up this instant. Harry's unconscious and in the hospital wing."
I sat straight up, widening my eyes and rubbing the sleep away. How could Harry be in the hospital wing? It was seven in the bloody morning! He had been fine last night when I sent him off to bed.
"How? What? When? Why?"
"He fell off his broom, Severus," she told me as she pulled me out of bed. I threw on a set of robes over my pajamas and leapt into my shoes. "Merlin knows what he was doing out on his broom unsupervised at this time of the morning, but Weasley-"
"Weasley was with him?" I interrupted. "Weasley knew he was doing this?"
"Weasley said the two of them were merely flying around the Quidditch Pitch for early morning exercise and Harry tried a rather risky stunt-"
"A risky stunt?" I interjected.
"Stop interrupting me," she snapped, annoyed.
"Sorry. Continue."
"Yes, so Potter tried this risky stunt and fell in the process, luckily landing in the arms of Hagrid who happened to be passing by at a most fortunate moment-"
"Then why is he unconscious?" I asked.
"Patience, Severus. I was getting to that. We believe that he fainted, either on the broom or during his fall. Either way, Poppy has assured us that the boy will be fine and probably awaken soon. Albus sent me to get you. Apparently, you're the first person Mr. Potter should see when he wakes up." She raised her eyebrows at me and I looked at my shoes. "I do hope you'll reprimand him, Severus. This wreckless behavior cannot be tolerated." At my glare, she added. "Don't give me that look, Severus. You know you coddle the boy. Merlin only knows why as you used to despise him." She stopped with me outside of the hospital wing.
I was seething. My colleagues felt that I coddled Harry Potter. Harry Potter had gone flying at a ridiculously early hour without my permission. My Harry was lying unconscious in the hospital wing.
"I will take care of it," I assured her, turning to walk in.
"Happy New Years Eve, Severus," she added lightly to my retreating back.
***
"Would you care to explain why you did such a ridiculously foolish thing, Potter?" I snapped later that afternoon. Harry had awoken about half an hour earlier and after my normal display of 'coddling'; I had reverted to my alter ego of Big, Mean Potions Master. The latter did not go over so well.
"I just wanted to go out," he replied. "Is that such a crime?"
"Without informing me first? Yes, that's a crime." I replied. While I was asleep? That's a deception, I added to myself. "I want you to reminisce on the past five years." He stared at me. "Do you remember when I insulted you?" He nodded slowly. "I didn't truly mean that until now. You're foolish, irrational, and reckless, Potter. You're selfish and cocky and neither of those things will get you anywhere but an early grave. You could have died. You would have died had Hagrid not happened along. I'm incredibly disappointed in you."
A herd of emotions stampeded over his young face, but the one that set in was apathy. "Is there a point to this?" he asked.
I bit my bottom lip. He was supposed to look ashamed.
class=Section2>"I suppose not, if you can't see it for yourself," I replied coolly. "I'll be taking your broom for the next month and you're grounded to the chambers for the next week, starting tonight."
He shrugged. "Whatever."
How bloody infuriating.
***
We walked back to the chambers in silence that night. Bastard was there to greet us at the door, nipping at Harry's heels. He had already developed a brainless loyalty to his boy.
"Go to your room, Harry," I said quietly. "Take Bastard with you."
He didn't reply, but obeyed. He didn't even slam the door, just allowed it to click softly shut as not to create a disturbance. I collapsed with a sigh on the sofa, feeling exhausted. It only took a few moments for me to drift off to sleep.
***
I awoke to the obnoxious yip of Bastard. The playful puppy had somehow managed to get onto the sofa and was nuzzling my hand with his wet nose. I opened my eyes blearily and sighed. Harry had most likely become irritated with the constant company and set him loose to excrete feces all over the rooms.
Sixteen is old enough for the responsibility of a puppy. I wasn't going to tolerate that.
"Harry?" I asked, opening his bedroom door. It was completely vacant. Not a sound. I heard Bastard whimper, so I turned back to see him scratching at the bathroom door. "In there, is he?" I knocked on the door. "Harry, are you okay?"
There wasn't a reply and as the next few moments were consumed in unpleasant silence, I felt my body fill with dread. "Alohomara."
His clothes were spread unevenly over the white bathroom tile. The sink faucet leaked lazily, drip after drip in monotone. One of the towels had slipped gracelessly off of its rack to land in an untidy pile on the floor.
And my Harry; my precious Harry; my sweet Harry had laid his head to rest on the curved edge of the porcelain tub. He smiled gently at me, his eyes holding a slight spark meant especially for me. My beautiful, wonderful Harry, one arm tossed weakly over the side of the tub, the other resting on the flat of his stomach. His sweet, shallow breathing tossed the water into small waves, tiny soothing ripple music.
He swallowed, and I followed the motion down his throat, beneath his tender, pale skin. My lush little Harry, eyes fighting sleep in his pink water. My heart-crushing, green-eyed angel waving his fingers halfheartedly at the fallen razor that stained the floor.
I didn't know I was crying, but I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.
"Why?" I croaked.
His lips turned upward in a slight smile.
"I was a bad boy, Professor," he whispered. "Bad boys are s'posed to bleed."
"No, Harry," I tried to keep the shake out of my voice. "No, you're not a bad boy. You're not supposed to bleed, Harry." I lifted his naked body out of the tub, trying so very hard not to sob. "You're not bad," I repeated. He slung his bleeding arms over my neck, kissed my chin.
"Then why are you crying?" he asked.
"Because you're brilliant," I told him, choking on a sob. "Because you're so very brilliant, Harry. You're my brilliant, sweet, good boy. My good boy. Good boys aren't supposed to bleed." His head lulled to my shoulder. His eyes closed. "Please stay awake, darling. For me."
"For you," he repeated.
For me.
***
"I think maybe we should consider St. Mungos," Albus said softly, resting a hand on my shoulder. I jerked away.
I don't know what he was thinking...thinking I would agree to letting Harry go, to subject him to the mental ward of St. Mungos. I would rather die.
"No, I can help him," I said.
"Severus, I know you're trying your best but-"
"I CAN HELP HIM, ALBUS!" I shouted, falling to my knees. "He's my Harry. I need to help him through this. I can help him out of this, Albus. I can make it better." I rambled on nonsensically, rocking back and forth, staring at the floor. "My Harry. My precious, darling Harry. You can't take away the only thing I love, Albus. Please don't."
I fell completely onto the floor of his office, curling into the fetal position. It was all my fault. I had scolded him too harshly. I had forced him out of my sight as soon as we returned to the chambers. I had given him the impression that he was a bad boy.
I sobbed so hard I thought a few vital organs would make their way out of my mouth.
"Oh, Severus, my sweet child," Albus knelt next to me, running his hands through my hair. "Such a loving father you've become and I would have never expected it."
I'm not his father, I wanted to say, but I couldn't get a word out. I was fifteen again, sobbing myself sick in the headmaster's office.
"We won't send him away, child," he told me. "Not this time."
"He's not a bad boy," I choked. "He thought he was a bad boy. He thought he was supposed to bleed. My beautiful, warmhearted Harry."
"Shhh, Severus. I know."
After I had collected myself, Albus dabbed at my eyes with a tissue.
"All gone, Severus," he whispered in my ear. "No more tears."
I allowed him to embrace me, tucking my head beneath his chin. Of course, this is when Granger chose to make an appearance.
"Harry's awake!" she said hurriedly, dashing off without a second thought.
I leapt to my feet and bounded after her to the hospital wing. He was sitting up, in his usual bed. He looked weary and frail, as if a simple tap would shatter him like glass. Granger and Weasley were standing over him, Granger lightly touching his black hair and Weasley shifting from foot to foot, silent and swaying.
I took my place on the other side of the bed, lightly grabbing his hand. He squeezed it reassuringly.
Nobody spoke for several minutes. I actually took it upon myself to break the silence.
"I love you, Harry."
His eyes shifted in my direction, the bright emerald orbs boring into me.
"You're not angry with me?"
I shook my head. He launched himself into my arms.
"I love you, too." I rubbed his back as he started to cry. "I'm sorry for going out without permission. I'm sorry I fell off. I'm sorry I disappointed you. I'm sorry-"
"Shhh, poppet, it's okay," I cut him off. "It doesn't matter right now." I picked him up and leaned back onto the bed to settle him on my lap.
"Harry," Granger said, looking as if she felt intrusive. "Please...promise us you'll never do that again."
I felt him tense, so I hugged him more securely. "Harry," I said gently. He nodded to show that he was listening. "At least promise that before you do something like that, talk to someone about how you're feeling."
It took a few moments, but finally he whispered, "I promise."
I kissed the top of his head. "That's my good boy." He cuddled his head into my chest and I felt my body warm.
"Ron?" he addressed his silent friend. "Speak, mate. I'll get paranoid if you don't."
Weasley squirmed, glancing at his friend and then down at the ground. "Harry, I..." he trailed off, gnawing at his bottom lip. As if regaining his composure, he leveled his look, taking in both of us. "I think Professor Snape should adopt you."
"Huh?" Harry asked, sounding appropriately confused.
I had to agree. I certainly wasn't expecting that.
"Well, let's look at the pros and cons of the situation," Weasley said seriously. "We'll start with the cons. There's You-Know-Who." He paused, thinking. "Yeah, that's it. Now the pros, mate. He may be a greasy git in class, but outside of class he's bordering ace..."
Merlin, I never thought I'd hear those words come out of Weasley.
"...he can teach you things about potions; and potions, despite our atrocious grades, are ace. They can do brilliant things like put a stopper on death...."
It's nice to know that the two of them shared a conversation about potions outside of class.
"...even if you don't do all that well with the learning of potions, he can boost up your grade because you'd be his loving adopted son, Harry..."
That might be taking it a little far.
"...he could actually give us house points as opposed to just taking them away..."
Maybe.
"...we could smile on the inside during Quidditch games because we'd know the evil, sadistic Head of Slytherin House would be secretly rooting for Gryffindor..."
Okay, yes. But mind you, not Gryffindor. I would be rooting for Harry.
"...and, Harry, we could see eachother over summer hols!"
I knew there was a catch.
Harry squeezed my hand, shifting his head on my chest. "What do you say, Professor?" he asked. "You, me, and Bastard could be a happy family." I wrapped my arms tighter around him.
"The Dark Lord, Harry..."
"Quit spying," Granger said simply.
"Your relatives-"
"Are foul, fat Muggles," Weasley interjected.
"Albus-"
"Thinks it's a brilliant idea," the headmaster finished, walking into vision.
I nodded, hugging my Harry closer. Then I made to move, but he stopped me with, "Don't move, Professor." I asked him why.
He told me he was listening to my heartbeat.
***
Hey all. I'm glad you guys liked the interlude! I was in an awful mood, so I had no trouble returning to the angst, however. Well...quite obviously. I'm not sure where to go to after this. I'm not even sure if I should just end here...but feel free to review with your opinion. If you wish for me to continue, I'll continue. I'll be able to think of something at some point.