Harri moved all of her things to her new room and got settled in. Harri contemplated her situation. She still has not woken up after falling asleep on the Time-Turner. And she is starting to believe that she her situation is permanent and that she won't be waking up to her other reality. After all, she had fallen asleep on a broken Time-Turner and had yet to wake up. She even read a ripped-out page to see if she could read the words on the page and reread them because Harri cannot read in her dreams. But she ready them a couple times, and the words were still there in their place and the words were still legible and not jumping out of the page like they do in her dreams. Harri sighed and laid down in her bed and covered her eyes and lamented her situation but decided that being back here was better than being back in her other reality. She still had a chance to have a family in this reality and she had a chance to redo everything that she had fucked up in her reality. She could get Sirius back earlier and move in with him after her 1 year and if she played her cards right and she would never have to see her relatives ever again.
Having decided on a course of action, her hunger finally made an appearance and Harri decided to get something to eat from the fridge. Her relatives were nowhere to be seen and Harri shrugged and took out some ingredients to make herself a decent breakfast. She forgot the today was Dudley's birthday, so they were probably at the Zoo. Harri was surprised that they would leave her at the house alone, but she figured that the Dursley's were probably hoping that the house burned down with her. She let out a snort of amusement from her thoughts and went to her room to practice occlumency to get her ready for Hogwarts.
The day finally came when her Hogwarts letter would arrive and Harri was anxiously waiting for her letter on her birthday. Until with bated breath an owl swooshed down and dropped her letter off in her laps. Harri smiled her first genuine smile in a couple of weeks, and she ripped the envelope open and wrote her acceptance reply and asked for instructions on how to get there and asked for assistance in going to buy her school supplies if possible. Harri already had a plan set into motion, and she needed Hagrid to be the one to take her school shopping for her supplies. It would be easier to trick Hagrid and slip from his notice for it bit to speak with the Goblins. She send the owl on his way after feeding him a bit of bacon.
Harri only had to wait two days before a knocking came at the door. Harri ran to the door and her relatives avoided her and let her answer the door fearing that it was one of the freaks that had Harri so excited in answering the door. Harri yanked the door opened and to her surprise, the man staring at her wasn't Hagrid. It was none other than Severus Snape. She stared at him speechless. The last time she saw him, he was dying in her arms pleading to look into her eyes. She put up her barriers up immediately and if Snape noticed he didn't say anything about it. Snape stared at her with a pained expression, and she realized that he was probably comparing her to her mother. She closed the door behind her and stood in front of him pretending to study him as well. He finally snapped out of his stupor and gave her an award-winning snarl that deserved a prize in her humble opinion. Harri was still deciding if she should go the meek route with him or indifference.
"Sir" she finally decided to address him.
"It's professor to you, Potter " he spouted, saying her last name like a curse word. Harri nodded unfazed and then she repeated herself with the different phrase.
"Professor" and she held his gaze with her own. "I take it we will go shopping for my school supplies?" he nodded briefly and stared down at her with his black piercing eyes and unexpectedly commented on her clothing.
"Have you no shame in dressing up like a vagabond?" she shrugged and then she spoke honestly.
"It's the best thing I have sir. Everything else falls of my shoulders" and didn't that take his attention away from anything else that he wanted to comment about her. He checked her over for what she thought were signs of abuse. She laughed humorlessly and gave him a bitter grin. "It's a little late now, dont'cha think?"
"I would have to take my clothes off for you to see the signs, they made sure to never leave a mark where others can see when they are looking for signs" and Harri took sick pleasure in guilting him about things that were outside of her control in her first timeline.
She gave him a defiant look and dared him to say anything else. She would use her tragic pass against him and use it to her advantage if that's what it takes to get a happier ending this time around.
"We'll get you checked at Hogwarts, in the meanwhile let's get you a proper attire and then we will go shopping" Harri gave a slight nod and asked him,
"How will we be getting there, Professor?" He stared down at her with a strange look that she couldn't identify because she had never seen this look in her first timeline. She put it at the back of her head for now and waited for his response.
"We will be apparating there, it's a method of traveling for wizarding folk" Harri nodded along and then asked him.
"And how do I do that, Professor?" He raised an eyebrow at her and responded,
"You won't be apparating, I'll be apparating the both of us. You just take a hold of my arm and hold on tight. Do. Not. Let. Go " Harri nodded, getting the impression that Snape was trying to intimidate her into fearing him. She would not frighten so easily. She was technically older than Snape, and she has seen her fair share of war to easily look at him with a practice aloofness that comes so easily to purebloods. She easily took his elbow without hesitating and he apparated them to an alley in London.
He transfigured his black robes into a black muggle suit. He took her to a children clothing shop and picked out the first things he saw. A green flowing dress that matched her eyes and that coincidentally, and only coincidentally Snape thought was very similar to the dress that Lily often wore as a child when she played with him under a tree near their house. Harri noticed that the dress was similar to her mother's dress from the memories that he had given her in his last dying moments. Snape got her black uniform standard shoes, and white knee socks. He paid and got her to change in the changing room. Once Harri was done dressing, she came out of the dressing room and walked up to Snape and nodded at him. Snape nodded back at her as well, and Harri could see that it was hard for him not to flinch every time that he looked at her and saw Lily instead. They were stopped by a salesclerk right before they had a chance to leave the store.
"What a pretty young girl, can I offer your daughter any of our other designs?" Harri almost lost her cool and burst out laughing, but she bit the inside of her cheek and looked away from Snape but not before seeing him flush a light pick. Harri didn't need to be a Legilimence to know that Snape was probably thinking about a child of his that looked like Lily had the stars aligned perfectly for him to do that. Instead, he breathed in and coolly said
"No, thank you. We are good" Harri immediately nodded enthusiastically giving the clerk lady a large smile, enjoying Snape's discomfort much more than she should. He noticed this and sent her a withering glare that did nothing but amuse her even more. She continued smiling and she grabbed a hold of his elbow so that he could lead her to an apparition point and apparate them into Diagon Alley.
Snape apparated them into Diagon Alley and Harri didn't even have to pretend to be in awe. Everything was just as she remembered it the first time around. She smiled and let go of Snape and took a step forward marveling at every little thing. Snape interrupted her inner musing with a strict to business voice.
"We will go the bank Gringotts, and then pick up your school materials." Harri nodded obediently and made to follow him there when out of nowhere she heard a silky voice that belonged to none other than Lucius Malfoy. Lucius looked so much younger than what she remembered, the war really took a toll on him and aged him drastically by the end of it,
"Severus" She looked toward him and noticed that Narcissa and Draco where there as well. Narcissa looked as impeccable as always and Draco looked like a pureblood prince he was expected to act like. Snape nodded towards them, and Draco was ready to greet his Godfather when he noticed the young girl next to him and that enough was to remind himself of his decorum and wait for them to walk towards them instead. Draco wanted to make a good first impression on the girl that he has never seen in his circles but was curious to know about. She didn't look like a mudblood at least he thought. She had hair as dark and bold as blood, and killing curse green eyes, making her look like a siren ready to drag you to your demise. Draco didn't know what to do with this newfound information about her appearance, but he watched her carefully to get any signs of weakness, or information that he could later use for his benefit.
As they got closer, Harri eyes strayed over to Draco and nodded at him briefly before ignoring him and paying close attention to his parents. Harri put on a charming smile for the Malfoys and gave a small curtsy. After all, Harri herself was Lady Potter and the Heiress to the Potter fortune herself. But she shouldn't know about that, at least not until she goes to Gringotts and get everything settled and then she can have an excuse of why she knows so much. Narcissa analyzed the girl carefully and noticed how her son got misty eyed over a girl that they knew nothing about. Lucius will have to give him an important talk soon. Before anyone could say anything, Lucius took the lead and greeted Severus and the young Girl with the blood red hair.
"Severus, it's a pleasure to see you again. I don't think I have had the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance." Harri wanted to roll her eyes at the indirect question. She would never understand why purebloods don't get to the point and be frank about what they want to know. But she could understand wanting the other to reveal more than what was asked by asking an indirect question. Severus held back at first staring at Harri, and having no other option he answered in a bored tone,
"Dumbledore has me babysitting the new students" he finished with resentment in his voice while skillfully avoiding answering who she was. Lucius smirked at that, and then continued with their friendly banter.
"And what makes this one so important, when Minerva could have taken her to Diagon Alley herself?" Meanwhile both men went back and forth, Harri turned her attention back to Narcissa. Narcissa was still studying her for any reaction and coyly, Harri brushed her red bangs out of her forehead and Narcissa noticed the lightening shape scar on her forehead and gave an appreciating look at Harri that both men missed except for Draco. Draco hadn't noticed the scar on her forehead, but he did notice that his mother was taking an interest on the girl.
"Miss Potter" she spoke cutting both men off immediately. Severus looked alarmed but then saw that Harri's bang had shifted a bit, allowing a small view of the infamous scar. Harri smiled pleasantly and greeted her back "Madam" she wasn't supposed to know their last name as they had yet to introduce themselves to her.
"Where are my manners?" she smiled at Severus and Harri.
"My husband, Lucius Malfoy, and my son Draco Malfoy. My name is Narcissa Malfoy" Harri nodded in acknowledgement and spoke pleasantly.
"A pleasure to meet you Madam Malfoy" Narcissa nodded approvingly and spoke to her husband.
"Lucius, I'll take my leave and accompany Draco to get his wand. Perhaps miss Potter can accompany us in the near future and help her make the right acquaintances" Her husband smiled at her brilliance and gave her a fond look before removing it and answering.
"Miss Potter, if you are willing, you are invited to the Malfoy ball before the start of the new school year. Of course, Severus can escort you there, as he has already been invited." Harri nodded and smiled pleasantly. "It would be my pleasure; I look forward to seeing all of you there."
And with that the three Malfoys departed, with a confused Draco trailing after them unaware of what had just happened. And Harri was one step closer to getting the Dairy.
