Ch 4 A Lesson in Potions
AN: Sorry this took so long to get out but I hope you enjoy the fun loving family I've created for Harry. Ch5 is underway!
The children snuk up to Severus and Kate's room. Harry cracked the door and could see his parents sleeping forms. Julie and Harry both took off running at the bed, Harry landed on the shimmery Silver comforter beside his mum. As Julie jumped to land on Severus who caught her to soften the blow.
"The rest of you can come in." Severus said, noting the other children still standing in the doorway. Ron was the first to enter taking a seat on the cherry wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, leaving space for Ginny and Hermione on either side.
"So what do my children want to do today?" Kate had indeed adopted all the children as her own.
"We could go flying." Ron's eyes glittered with excitement.
"I was kind of hopping to use my birthday present today." Hermione was still curious why she should be taught these potions.
"That's the best idea I've heard yet." Severus smiled a rare smile at Hermione.
"Ah come on if we have to study couldn't we at least practice Animgi." Harry asked causing Severus to consider the idea..
"Ok, we can do both, but not til everyone has eaten." He said as Julie climbed down off the bed. Harry was about to move when he noticed a small silver bunny where his mum had been moments before.
"Kate, I said after breakfast love." The silver bunny only twitched it's nose, Severus decided the only way he was eating is leading the way. He picked up the silver bunny and headed for the kitchen.
In the kitchen plates of bacon, eggs, and toast waited for each of them. After seeing Kate, Hevelt snidely offered to make her a salad instead. Smirking at Hevelt's joke, Severus turned himself into a sleep, shinny, brown eyed black panther and began playfully stalking the house elf as the children ate breakfast laughing at the game. "Everyone remember this next time you make him mad." Kate, returned to her normal self and dug into her food.
"Much as I love watching dad stalk Hevelt his food is getting cold." The panther stopped and in one motion the panther leaped for a chair and a moment later Severus sat before them.
"Great show dad I can't wait to learn to change." Julie said mentally adding the game to her list of things to do as an animal.
"You still have a couple of years before you get to learn." Severus distorted causing Julie to look as though he'd struck her.
"But dad I can handle it and you've shown me advanced potions before why can't I learn early." Julie started to argue, but across the table Kate could see the tantrum coming.
."You'll learn but your body isn't ready for the transformation. That's final Julie." Breakfast finished silently, as Hevelt cleared the table, he avoided Severus as much as possible.
"Julie why don't you and I go to the pool and relax." As they got up to leave Severus grabbed Julie's arm, kissed her forehead and watched her walk off with her mum. Getting used to his dad's behavior Harry knew it was hard for Severus to not give in to his little girl.
"Well shall we start working on changing you scoundrels into animals?" Showing off Severus took a few steps and turned into a panther again. The children followed his sleek saunter to the common room.
"Alright I can't guarantee your all Amingus but to transform all you have to do is clear your mind, then this is the tricky part find your best quality. It may take time to find the right quality. Ginny try charming, Hermione try hard working or focused, Ron try loyal, Harry try brave. Now just think about your quality." To Severus' surprise they all began to show signs of changing. Hermione finished first her dark brown bushy feathers fluttered her up to Severus' shoulder.
"A Raven very nice Hermione, Ginny's almost there." A black snake coiled around his feet. Ron and Harry still stood in the middle of the room focusing on their traits.
"Boys lets try different traits Ron try pensive, Harry try strength." Almost immediately Ron transformed into a red toped flying squirrel. The squirrel ran up the side of Severus' chair and sat on the arm watching Harry as if expecting to see an animal there. After a moment they heard a hiss from the floor.
"Dad, Ginny would like to know how to turn back." Harry looked at Ginny longingly; maybe it just wasn't in him to become the animal he felt.
"Well for those who want to change back simply think of yourself, just like looking in the mirror." Hermione flew off her place on Severus' shoulder and landed in a heap on the floor.
"Guess I need to work on landing."Hermione laughed. Ron changed back still sitting on the arm of the chair. Ginny seemed to forget where she was and changed back to find herself sitting on Severus' feet. Ignoring her current position she watched Harry as if her will could change him.
"Let's try relaxing in the pool for a while, you all did very well but remember no practicing without me around until you pass the test. Now let's go swim." As everyone started off to change into swim wear Severus pulled Harry aside.
"Son, don't worry you'll get the hang of this. We'll just have to keep practicing but don't dwell on it maybe you just need to relax. We'll try again tonight after your potions lesson. Now let's go join the fun." Moments later everyone was in the pool horsing around but no one noticed Severus standing on the pool side. Kate looked up in time to see her husband's shinny coated panther form land beside Julie in the water.
It was amazing to see the change in him after Julie was born. Though his student's never saw changes Kate felt certain with Harry's arrival the new first years would see no hint of the git that used to teach potions. She was brought from her reverie by suddenly finding herself ridding on the back of a sleek wet black panther. Kate laid down using the panther as a sort of float whispering in his ear.
"Did the Animagi lessons go ok?" He nodded in affirmation.
"I'll bet it's nearly lunch time should we eat outside, since we're all wet and it's so nice outside?" Again the panther nodded. Moments later Hevelt appeared to inquire where the family would take lunch.
Everyone jumped out of the pool and wrapped in towels sat at the pool side table. Harry's mood lightened and he joked about all the trouble they could get into at school.
"Yeah we could get Ginny to sneak into the Slytherin common room." Ron noted stuffing pizza in his mouth.
"She'll do no such thing, while I may have become soft of most things this is not one of them no Animagi without me." Harry tossed the pizza he'd been eating at his dad, which landed chesses side on Severus' face. The food fight that followed left them all covered in cheese, salad cream, and blackcurrent. Hevelt stepped onto the back porch surveying the mess, muttering the whole time how childish this family was being.
"Ok everyone into the house and get cleaned up." The children trudged up to the manor to shower.
"What do you say we go to our privet shower and spend some time together? I know it's been hard to be together with all the children around." Kate smiled at Severus and took his arm leading him to their room.
Clean and ready for more fun the children all made their way into the common room. "What do you think school will be like this year?" Ron had been thinking about this subject since the day in Dumbledore's office when he and Harry learned who Harry's dad was.
"Well I can tell you dads become even softer since you guys got here, I think all this time he's blamed himself for you being unhappy Harry, now that he can see that being here makes you happy it makes him happy." No hint of jealousy found it's way into Julie's voice she loved having a brother. Severus and Kate stepped into the room arm in arm smiling. They sat down together in Severus' favorite black chair.
"This has been a great day. I wish my parents got summers off but then again I don't think I would love books so much if they had been." Hermione's openness made Severus think how nice it is to have a family, this family.
"Well you my lady haven't cracked a book since you've been here. However I think it's time to go learn a potion or two." Harry and Julie started off towards the lab downstairs.
"Go on and follow them I'll be down in a moment, Hermione your things are already down there." When the children were all down stairs, Kate turned around in Severus' lap and kissed him.
"Mmm as mush as I want to stay... (kiss)... but I better get down there before they blow something up." With one last kiss he reluctantly removed Kate from his lap and headed off for his lab.
Three hours later Kate strolled into the lab surveying the many items laying everywhere.
"Mercy I'd hate to be the one to clean your class room." Kate said watching Hermione adding more ingredients to the potion.
"We're nearly done I think I've got it all. Julie is an awesome potion maker." Hermione said having already fallen in love with the lab.
"Well I thought I'd tell you dinner is almost finished." Just as she spoke, a soft hissing sound came from Hermione's cauldron as she completed the potion. The shimmery blue liquid inside was indeed a correctly made pain killer potion. Impressed, Severus began bottling the potion while Hermione helped the others to finish.
"I want you to keep theses bottles in your trunks this year but remember they aren't for everyday headaches."They went up to the dining hall to eat before going back to their rooms to change for bed and their long awaited bedtime story.
"What will it be tonight?" Severus asked looking around the room at everyone but Harry who had shared his story the previous night, it was Ginny's turn tonight.
"I brought a book with me, it's a muggle children's story but if you don't want to read it we could skip it for something else." Severus smiled at Ginny and took her hardback copy of Peter Pan.. Tapping the book with his wand Severus began to read looking up occasionally at the pictures floating in air before him as they acted out the story. The children sat watching intently as Severus' voice filled their ears.