Disclaimer: J K Rowling owns Harry Potter and its characters.
I'm just borrowing them to torture - ahem - to explore their
world
and characters. Yeah, that's it. .;
"Severus?"
He blinked open his eyes, stared at the cheerful smile that greeted him and promptly shut them fast again.
"Come now, Severus, you've had plenty of rest already today, I daresay."
"Rest?" he snarled, his eyes popping involuntarily open. "Today I have been forced to follow that brat across half of London, then viciously attacked when attempting to save his hide, and stupefied for my concern! Just how is that considered 'rest', Headmaster?"
"Oh, that was yesterday," Dumbledore informed him with a damnable twinkle in his eye. "Helen has assured me that you have been sleeping quite soundly since the little misunderstanding yesterday afternoon."
"'Little misunderstanding'?" The edge to Severus' voice could have cut steel.
"Indeed. Eileen was quite shocked to learn that Voldemort had been defeated a year after she took her grandchildren into hiding. Young Christopher seems to be taking things in his stride - metaphorically speaking, that is. I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey doesn't hold much hope that the damage to his spine may be healed. A shame, but he copes admirably well - "
"Headmaster," Severus interrupted, pushing himself up from the bed. "The brat - "
"I assume you mean Harry," Albus chastised him with an admonishing glance. Severus ground his teeth, trying not to feel like a First Year caught pulling faces at the portraits. "He is sitting with Christopher and Helen in the kitchen, having morning tea. Would you care to join them?"
Black eyes glared. "He hasn't tried to run off again?"
"Why should he run?" Dumbledore inquired merrily. "This has been his home for the better part of three years, according to Christopher."
"Three years, and they didn't manage to make him take regular baths?" Severus asked incredulously as he climbed out of bed, straightening his clothes. He felt his own need for a bath quite keenly. Fortunately the Headmaster handed him his wand, enabling him to mutter a mild cleansing spell. While not as satisfying as a proper bath, he wouldn't be on his way to smelling like the brat had, either.
"Well," Albus frowned slightly, "he seems to have an aversion to water that none of the Bones can explain."
"What precisely can they explain about him?"
"Why don't we go down and ask them?" the Headmaster proposed. Various methods of information-gathering promptly crossed Severus' mind. Pity most of them were illegal. Dumbledore would never approve.
The three children were having tea and biscuits at the kitchen table when Severus and Dumbledore entered the room. The girl, Helen, flinched at the sight of Severus, before nervously smiling at the Headmaster. Christopher simply nodded in greeting, and gestured to a pair of empty chairs. The brat took one look before resuming nibbling at his biscuit.
"Do they call you 'Mouse' because of the way you eat?" Severus inquired after watching the boy for several moments.
Green eyes flicked briefly between Severus and Christopher before settling back on his biscuit.
"Partly. Mostly we call him that because he's so quiet," Bones answered for him. "Not just because he rarely talks, but he's just generally quiet."
"Silence is golden, Granny says," Helen contributed timidly before lowering her gaze to her lap, where Severus could practically sense her wringing her hands.
"Indeed. He does speak, when he's so inclined, then?"
"If he has to," Christopher shrugged.
"Perhaps one day he will deem us worthy of hearing his wondrous words," Severus drawled.
The boy finished his biscuit before turning to the professor and gesturing rudely. Smirking, he helped himself to another biscuit.
"Now, Harry," the Headmaster reproved him gently. "You should be polite to your teachers. If you behave in this manner at Hogwarts, you will be punished for your lack of respect."
Potter dropped his biscuit at the word 'punished'. By the end of the sentence, he was halfway to the door. The only thing preventing him from escaping the room - and indeed the house - was Severus' tight grip on the back of his layered shirts.
"Don't even think about it," the wizard growled, yanking the boy back to the table. Young limbs folded themselves back down onto the chair, where Potter crouched like a frog about to leap to freedom. "I sincerely doubt that anything the Headmaster would deem punishment as torturous as you seem to believe."
"I apologise for frightening you," said Dumbledore, observing the boy keenly. "At Hogwarts students who misbehave may lose house points or be given detention. While detentions may be arduous at times, you need not fear them."
Severus glared darkly at the Headmaster, who had seriously reduced the value of any threat of punishment for the boy at Hogwarts. Potter's sharp eyes noticed his seething dissatisfaction, and the boy had the impertinence to smirk at him as he settled down onto the seat properly.
"When will we be going to Hogwarts, sir?" Bones inquired. "What will happen with Gran?"
"Your aunts and uncle have expressed their desire to meet with you, your sister and your grandmother. You may either see them at Hogwarts, or visit their home as you so desire. Afterwards, you will be assessed by various Hogwarts professors to determine your skill levels in their subjects, and placed in appropriate classes."
"Mouse, as well?"
"Yes, Harry will also be assessed and sorted."
There was a soft snort that Severus almost missed, and Potter frowned at his tea.
"He doesn't like that name."
"Pardon?" Dumbledore twinkled.
"Mouse. He doesn't like being called 'Harry'."
"It is the name your parents gave you," the Headmaster spoke directly to the boy in question. "Why don't you like it?"
Potter ignored him, sipping delicately at his tea.
Dumbledore looked to the Bones for an explanation, but Christopher simply shrugged, while Helen hunched lower in her seat.
"How did you meet the boy?" Severus inquired of the brother and sister, noting out of the corner of his eye the almost imperceptible frown on said boy's lips. Christopher darted quick glances around the table, but his sister had no such qualms in answering.
"Barnabas brought him home!" she declared, flashing a quick smile at them all before ducking her head again.
"Barnabas?" Dumbledore queried the unfamiliar name, his brows raised.
"The cat," Severus answered in chorus with Barnabas' own "Mreow!" from the doorway.
"Ah," said the Headmaster as the cat brushed past his legs, purring loudly. "Part kneazle, I believe?" Helen nodded as he leapt into her lap, pointing out his slightly tufted tail. She cradled him as he inspected the group at the table with bright green eyes. "A very intelligent fellow."
"He was our secret keeper," Christopher informed them. Dumbledore nodded while Severus tried to work out how on earth they managed to accomplish that. Perhaps there was method behind Granny Bones apparent madness.
"What's that murderer doing in my home?"
Turning to the hallway where McGonagall was restraining the old lady, Severus revised his opinion. The woman was several twigs short of a broom, no doubt about it.
"Eileen, please calm down! We've been through this before. Severus Snape is a trusted professor at Hogwarts. He could not possibly have been there the night you were - "
"Murderer!" Granny Bones shrieked, ignoring the Deputy Headmistress.
"Mistress Bones! I promise you that Severus was not involved in the attack on your family," Dumbledore assured her in tones that brooked no disagreement. Granny Bones subsided in confusion.
"Oh," she said. "I thought I saw..."
"It's all right, dear," McGonagall comforted her. "Now let's have that cup of tea."
Severus pointedly did not look at the unsettled woman as his colleague seated her next to her granddaughter. Helen hurriedly poured tea for the two ladies, tumbling Barnabas to the floor in her haste. The cat prowled under the table and unceremoniously climbed Severus' legs.
"Mreow," he said determinedly.
About to shove the cat aside, Severus caught sight of Potter's nonplussed expression. He made a point of petting the creature in his lap, enjoying how the brat's face darkened when it started purring contentedly. Observing his amusement, Potter directed a scowl into his teacup, folding his arms across his chest.
"Barnabas has always been a good judge of character," Christopher said quietly, watching the interaction with solemn eyes. Severus produced a scowl of his own, while Potter shuddered. Helen rushed out of the room, returning with a blanket that she wrapped around the boy's shoulders. Severus' brows rose in disbelief, even as the boy clutched it close.
"Miss Bones, it is the middle of summer, and quite warm."
"Oh," she said, her eyes wide as she backed up a pace. "It's just... Mouse gets cold easily..."
"Does he now?" the Headmaster mused thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Perhaps it would be best if we continued our discussion at Hogwarts. I will notify your relatives to meet us there."
Eyeing the brat carefully, Severus had to agree. Susceptibility to cold was only one of the symptoms indicative of overuse of magic, but it was better to be safe than sorry, especially after the effort that he'd put into finding the boy. While the boy hadn't seemed unduly chilled when he had come into contact with him previously, it would be in keeping with the boy's instinctual use of magic - as well as the overabundance of clothing he wore. The protective magical ambience of Hogwarts would alleviate any damage the boy was unknowingly inflicting upon himself, even if Madam Pomfrey was unsuccessful in treating him.
The younger Bones were more than willing to leave their prison-like home behind, with the girl running this way and that collecting items they couldn't possibly do without while Christopher calmly directed from his chair, with the judicious aid of his wand. Their grandmother took more convincing, but ultimately Dumbledore and McGonagall were victorious, and successfully collected Bones and belongings and one well-wrapped orphan boy carrying a cat in the kitchen ready for departure.
The Headmaster's portkey deposited them on the banks of the lake, where the first years would customarily take the boats across to the school.
"I thought you might like the traditional first look at Hogwarts," Dumbledore beamed at the awed faces of the younger Bones as they took in their surroundings. The view was quite lost on Potter, however, who took one look at the lake and promptly dropped Barnabas to clutch at Severus' waist.
"Mreow!" Unconcerned, Barnabas stalked down to the shoreline to watch the boats the Headmaster had summoned swiftly make their way across the still waters of the lake.
"Scared, boy?"
Affronted green eyes met his briefly before the boy detached himself and eyed the arriving boats with trepidation.
"If you're too frightened to cross the lake in a boat, you may walk around it. We won't bother to keep lunch for you. You might make it in time for dinner, however."
The comments earned him another glare, and sent the boy marching down the slope and scrambling into the first boat to touch the shore. The Headmaster levitated Christopher into a second boat, chair and all, while McGonagall assisted Granny Bones into a third. The old woman was rambling again, this time on her memories of crossing the lake so many decades ago. Helen scooped up Barnabas to place him in Christopher's boat. All was proceeding quite well - until Potter's boat suddenly shot off towards Hogwarts.
"Oh dear," said the Headmaster, who had just been pointing the way for Christopher.
Swearing under his breath Severus claimed the last boat and set off after the runaway boat and child. He had almost caught up when the pale-faced boy's boat passed under the ivy veil and into the dark tunnel beyond. When Severus' boat entered the illuminated harbour, the boy's boat was drifting aimlessly. The boy himself was nowhere in sight. Sure that the boy was already wreaking havoc upstairs in the castle, he almost missed the glint of gold below the surface.
Thrusting one long arm into the water, he managed to grasp hold of the boy's wrist, dragging him up out of the water and into the boat. Not satisfied with merely being out of the water, the boy almost fell in again whilst climbing over Severus to reach the safety of the rocky shore. He half-crawled, half shuffled over to the wall where he remained, shivering, as Severus disembarked somewhat more gracefully.
He stood over the child, frowning for a moment before pulling out his wand and casting a drying charm on the boy's clothes, prepared for a rebound that never occurred. The boy blinked at him, still trembling, but no longer dripping. Severus added a warming charm, and was rewarded with a glimpse of colour returning to the boy's cheeks. Satisfied he had done his duty, he turned aside to dry his own clothes, and wait for the others to arrive.
"Th-th-than-k-k-y-you."
Black eyes regarded the boy solemnly, noting his flushed cheeks and almost defiant gaze.
"You're welcome," he murmured.
The boy blinked, and smiled.
Derailed
By lethe medusa
4. Speech is Silver
"Severus?"
He blinked open his eyes, stared at the cheerful smile that greeted him and promptly shut them fast again.
"Come now, Severus, you've had plenty of rest already today, I daresay."
"Rest?" he snarled, his eyes popping involuntarily open. "Today I have been forced to follow that brat across half of London, then viciously attacked when attempting to save his hide, and stupefied for my concern! Just how is that considered 'rest', Headmaster?"
"Oh, that was yesterday," Dumbledore informed him with a damnable twinkle in his eye. "Helen has assured me that you have been sleeping quite soundly since the little misunderstanding yesterday afternoon."
"'Little misunderstanding'?" The edge to Severus' voice could have cut steel.
"Indeed. Eileen was quite shocked to learn that Voldemort had been defeated a year after she took her grandchildren into hiding. Young Christopher seems to be taking things in his stride - metaphorically speaking, that is. I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey doesn't hold much hope that the damage to his spine may be healed. A shame, but he copes admirably well - "
"Headmaster," Severus interrupted, pushing himself up from the bed. "The brat - "
"I assume you mean Harry," Albus chastised him with an admonishing glance. Severus ground his teeth, trying not to feel like a First Year caught pulling faces at the portraits. "He is sitting with Christopher and Helen in the kitchen, having morning tea. Would you care to join them?"
Black eyes glared. "He hasn't tried to run off again?"
"Why should he run?" Dumbledore inquired merrily. "This has been his home for the better part of three years, according to Christopher."
"Three years, and they didn't manage to make him take regular baths?" Severus asked incredulously as he climbed out of bed, straightening his clothes. He felt his own need for a bath quite keenly. Fortunately the Headmaster handed him his wand, enabling him to mutter a mild cleansing spell. While not as satisfying as a proper bath, he wouldn't be on his way to smelling like the brat had, either.
"Well," Albus frowned slightly, "he seems to have an aversion to water that none of the Bones can explain."
"What precisely can they explain about him?"
"Why don't we go down and ask them?" the Headmaster proposed. Various methods of information-gathering promptly crossed Severus' mind. Pity most of them were illegal. Dumbledore would never approve.
The three children were having tea and biscuits at the kitchen table when Severus and Dumbledore entered the room. The girl, Helen, flinched at the sight of Severus, before nervously smiling at the Headmaster. Christopher simply nodded in greeting, and gestured to a pair of empty chairs. The brat took one look before resuming nibbling at his biscuit.
"Do they call you 'Mouse' because of the way you eat?" Severus inquired after watching the boy for several moments.
Green eyes flicked briefly between Severus and Christopher before settling back on his biscuit.
"Partly. Mostly we call him that because he's so quiet," Bones answered for him. "Not just because he rarely talks, but he's just generally quiet."
"Silence is golden, Granny says," Helen contributed timidly before lowering her gaze to her lap, where Severus could practically sense her wringing her hands.
"Indeed. He does speak, when he's so inclined, then?"
"If he has to," Christopher shrugged.
"Perhaps one day he will deem us worthy of hearing his wondrous words," Severus drawled.
The boy finished his biscuit before turning to the professor and gesturing rudely. Smirking, he helped himself to another biscuit.
"Now, Harry," the Headmaster reproved him gently. "You should be polite to your teachers. If you behave in this manner at Hogwarts, you will be punished for your lack of respect."
Potter dropped his biscuit at the word 'punished'. By the end of the sentence, he was halfway to the door. The only thing preventing him from escaping the room - and indeed the house - was Severus' tight grip on the back of his layered shirts.
"Don't even think about it," the wizard growled, yanking the boy back to the table. Young limbs folded themselves back down onto the chair, where Potter crouched like a frog about to leap to freedom. "I sincerely doubt that anything the Headmaster would deem punishment as torturous as you seem to believe."
"I apologise for frightening you," said Dumbledore, observing the boy keenly. "At Hogwarts students who misbehave may lose house points or be given detention. While detentions may be arduous at times, you need not fear them."
Severus glared darkly at the Headmaster, who had seriously reduced the value of any threat of punishment for the boy at Hogwarts. Potter's sharp eyes noticed his seething dissatisfaction, and the boy had the impertinence to smirk at him as he settled down onto the seat properly.
"When will we be going to Hogwarts, sir?" Bones inquired. "What will happen with Gran?"
"Your aunts and uncle have expressed their desire to meet with you, your sister and your grandmother. You may either see them at Hogwarts, or visit their home as you so desire. Afterwards, you will be assessed by various Hogwarts professors to determine your skill levels in their subjects, and placed in appropriate classes."
"Mouse, as well?"
"Yes, Harry will also be assessed and sorted."
There was a soft snort that Severus almost missed, and Potter frowned at his tea.
"He doesn't like that name."
"Pardon?" Dumbledore twinkled.
"Mouse. He doesn't like being called 'Harry'."
"It is the name your parents gave you," the Headmaster spoke directly to the boy in question. "Why don't you like it?"
Potter ignored him, sipping delicately at his tea.
Dumbledore looked to the Bones for an explanation, but Christopher simply shrugged, while Helen hunched lower in her seat.
"How did you meet the boy?" Severus inquired of the brother and sister, noting out of the corner of his eye the almost imperceptible frown on said boy's lips. Christopher darted quick glances around the table, but his sister had no such qualms in answering.
"Barnabas brought him home!" she declared, flashing a quick smile at them all before ducking her head again.
"Barnabas?" Dumbledore queried the unfamiliar name, his brows raised.
"The cat," Severus answered in chorus with Barnabas' own "Mreow!" from the doorway.
"Ah," said the Headmaster as the cat brushed past his legs, purring loudly. "Part kneazle, I believe?" Helen nodded as he leapt into her lap, pointing out his slightly tufted tail. She cradled him as he inspected the group at the table with bright green eyes. "A very intelligent fellow."
"He was our secret keeper," Christopher informed them. Dumbledore nodded while Severus tried to work out how on earth they managed to accomplish that. Perhaps there was method behind Granny Bones apparent madness.
"What's that murderer doing in my home?"
Turning to the hallway where McGonagall was restraining the old lady, Severus revised his opinion. The woman was several twigs short of a broom, no doubt about it.
"Eileen, please calm down! We've been through this before. Severus Snape is a trusted professor at Hogwarts. He could not possibly have been there the night you were - "
"Murderer!" Granny Bones shrieked, ignoring the Deputy Headmistress.
"Mistress Bones! I promise you that Severus was not involved in the attack on your family," Dumbledore assured her in tones that brooked no disagreement. Granny Bones subsided in confusion.
"Oh," she said. "I thought I saw..."
"It's all right, dear," McGonagall comforted her. "Now let's have that cup of tea."
Severus pointedly did not look at the unsettled woman as his colleague seated her next to her granddaughter. Helen hurriedly poured tea for the two ladies, tumbling Barnabas to the floor in her haste. The cat prowled under the table and unceremoniously climbed Severus' legs.
"Mreow," he said determinedly.
About to shove the cat aside, Severus caught sight of Potter's nonplussed expression. He made a point of petting the creature in his lap, enjoying how the brat's face darkened when it started purring contentedly. Observing his amusement, Potter directed a scowl into his teacup, folding his arms across his chest.
"Barnabas has always been a good judge of character," Christopher said quietly, watching the interaction with solemn eyes. Severus produced a scowl of his own, while Potter shuddered. Helen rushed out of the room, returning with a blanket that she wrapped around the boy's shoulders. Severus' brows rose in disbelief, even as the boy clutched it close.
"Miss Bones, it is the middle of summer, and quite warm."
"Oh," she said, her eyes wide as she backed up a pace. "It's just... Mouse gets cold easily..."
"Does he now?" the Headmaster mused thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Perhaps it would be best if we continued our discussion at Hogwarts. I will notify your relatives to meet us there."
Eyeing the brat carefully, Severus had to agree. Susceptibility to cold was only one of the symptoms indicative of overuse of magic, but it was better to be safe than sorry, especially after the effort that he'd put into finding the boy. While the boy hadn't seemed unduly chilled when he had come into contact with him previously, it would be in keeping with the boy's instinctual use of magic - as well as the overabundance of clothing he wore. The protective magical ambience of Hogwarts would alleviate any damage the boy was unknowingly inflicting upon himself, even if Madam Pomfrey was unsuccessful in treating him.
The younger Bones were more than willing to leave their prison-like home behind, with the girl running this way and that collecting items they couldn't possibly do without while Christopher calmly directed from his chair, with the judicious aid of his wand. Their grandmother took more convincing, but ultimately Dumbledore and McGonagall were victorious, and successfully collected Bones and belongings and one well-wrapped orphan boy carrying a cat in the kitchen ready for departure.
The Headmaster's portkey deposited them on the banks of the lake, where the first years would customarily take the boats across to the school.
"I thought you might like the traditional first look at Hogwarts," Dumbledore beamed at the awed faces of the younger Bones as they took in their surroundings. The view was quite lost on Potter, however, who took one look at the lake and promptly dropped Barnabas to clutch at Severus' waist.
"Mreow!" Unconcerned, Barnabas stalked down to the shoreline to watch the boats the Headmaster had summoned swiftly make their way across the still waters of the lake.
"Scared, boy?"
Affronted green eyes met his briefly before the boy detached himself and eyed the arriving boats with trepidation.
"If you're too frightened to cross the lake in a boat, you may walk around it. We won't bother to keep lunch for you. You might make it in time for dinner, however."
The comments earned him another glare, and sent the boy marching down the slope and scrambling into the first boat to touch the shore. The Headmaster levitated Christopher into a second boat, chair and all, while McGonagall assisted Granny Bones into a third. The old woman was rambling again, this time on her memories of crossing the lake so many decades ago. Helen scooped up Barnabas to place him in Christopher's boat. All was proceeding quite well - until Potter's boat suddenly shot off towards Hogwarts.
"Oh dear," said the Headmaster, who had just been pointing the way for Christopher.
Swearing under his breath Severus claimed the last boat and set off after the runaway boat and child. He had almost caught up when the pale-faced boy's boat passed under the ivy veil and into the dark tunnel beyond. When Severus' boat entered the illuminated harbour, the boy's boat was drifting aimlessly. The boy himself was nowhere in sight. Sure that the boy was already wreaking havoc upstairs in the castle, he almost missed the glint of gold below the surface.
Thrusting one long arm into the water, he managed to grasp hold of the boy's wrist, dragging him up out of the water and into the boat. Not satisfied with merely being out of the water, the boy almost fell in again whilst climbing over Severus to reach the safety of the rocky shore. He half-crawled, half shuffled over to the wall where he remained, shivering, as Severus disembarked somewhat more gracefully.
He stood over the child, frowning for a moment before pulling out his wand and casting a drying charm on the boy's clothes, prepared for a rebound that never occurred. The boy blinked at him, still trembling, but no longer dripping. Severus added a warming charm, and was rewarded with a glimpse of colour returning to the boy's cheeks. Satisfied he had done his duty, he turned aside to dry his own clothes, and wait for the others to arrive.
"Th-th-than-k-k-y-you."
Black eyes regarded the boy solemnly, noting his flushed cheeks and almost defiant gaze.
"You're welcome," he murmured.
The boy blinked, and smiled.
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