Hello again! Sorry for the long wait but I had a lot of stupid things going
on...
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!
Well I do hope this chapter makes up for the long wait! :)
Chapter sixteen- Lots of things!!!!
"I never really thought that Ron could be so shallow..." Ginny said gloomily to Damien as she sat in the chair that her professor had occupied mere minutes ago. Ginny didn't really expect a response from the unconscious boy but it felt good to talk without someone answering. Plus, Madame Pomfrey had told her that Damien could wake up sooner if someone talked to him.
"He's been such a git! I mean, I knew he hated Snape but...this is just ridiculous!" she huffed. "Anyway, Hermione's furious with him as well and now Ron thinks you two have been snogging in Ancient Runes or something stupid like that.....Hermione told him you were taken....." Ginny smiled warmly at the form before her. "...she's right you know....." She reached out her hand and gently stroked Damien's cheek for a moment before drawing back.
"Well Ron is going to be pissed when he finds out exactly who you really are with...." She broke off as Madame Pomfrey came in to tell her that she needed to go back to her dorm, it was almost curfew.
Ginny watched the nurse bustle away to a sick third-year Gryffindor before turning back to Damien, "I'll come to visit tomorrow...get better soon, okay? I really miss you...." She kissed him on the cheek before heading toward the common room obediently.
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Damien woke up on Monday, when classes were still going on. Madame Pomfrey made him stay in the Hospital Wing for three more hours to make sure he didn't have any brain damage. When she finally declared him cured Damien walked in the Great Hall just in time for dinner. Only a couple people glanced up at him to greet him when he walked in, which he was rather grateful for.
Over at the Gryffindor table a silent but rather heated debate was going on between Ron and Ginny. Ginny had wanted to greet Damien but Ron had commanded her to stay at the Gryffindor table. "Stop treating me like a child, Ron!" Ginny snapped her red-hair slightly frazzled in her anger. "What is wrong with you Ginny? I thought you liked Harry! Are you really that desperate that you want to hang around with a bloody Slytherin! And Snape's son also! He's nothing but a arrogant, slimy, evil, bast-"
CRACK!
Ginny's eyes flashed furiously as she slapped her brother as hard as she could across the face. "Don't you dare call Damien evil you-you......you idiotic, shallow-minded, git!!!!" Ron's jaw dropped as he stared at his sister. Hermione, Neville, Dean, and Seamus stared at the normally innocent and soft-spoken girl in shock. "You dare to call him evil when you sit here judging him when you don't even know him!" Ginny stood up. "If anyone needs me I'll be at the Slytherin table!" She started to walk over to the serpent's table when Ron grabbed her arm, "Oh no your not! Your not going over there with the serpents! They'll kill you!" His face had a dark red spot on his cheek in a shape akin to a handprint.
Ginny snatched her arm from Ron's grip, "Oh come off it Ron! When are you ever going to grow up?!" And to their great surprise (and to the disgust of Ron) Ginny walked right up to Damien and plopped down beside him.
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Damien sat down at the Slytherin table suddenly feeling very alone. Malfoy sat down beside him. The blonde sighed, "I'm..............sorry, Damien.......I didn't mean to make a bomb out of the bloody potion, its just...Longbottom really doesn't belong in that class......they should take him out...."
Damien merely sighed and shook his head, "You really need to control yourself, Malfoy. Always acting before you think is a really bad habit to have, it could get you killed one of these days...." Malfoy's shoulders slumped slightly. "I know.....Father tells me that all the time..." He looked up hesitantly and cleared his throat slightly, obviously feeling quite embarrassed. "So...do you...er...accept my.....apology?" he asked, his eyes glued to his shoes and Damien knew the blonde wasn't used to apologizing, at least not when he meant it.
He sighed, "Fine, I accept your apology just.......learn to control yourself for once....." The boy nodded slowly before returning to his arrogant self. "Weasel visited you in the hospital wing a lot..." he smirked, "maybe you should go out with her and play around for a bit, then dump her-" "Draco......" Damien warned through clenched teeth, noting that he had called the boy by his first name for the first time. Malfoy also seemed to realize that as he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Ginny plopped herself right in between he and Damien.
"Excuse you!" Malfoy snapped coldly. "This is the Slytherin table you little Weasel! Stick with your own kind, you don't belong here!"
Ginny merely rolled her eyes and ignored him as she smiled apologetically at Damien. "Can I sit here? Ron's being a git again...." Damien shrugged, secretly elated as he smiled at the red-head. Malfoy was highly peeved. "No you can not! You're a mudblood-lover and we don't allow them around this table......" The other Slytherins who had been glaring at Ginny nodded at Malfoy's statement. Damien threw the infamous Snape-glare at the other Slytherins, "She can stay if I say so......unless any of you wish to oppose of course?" The others glanced at each other before returning to their meal.
"Well I won't allow our house to be tainted by such disgrace!" Malfoy snapped, standing up and glaring at Ginny, who looked unsurely at Damien before sighing, "Maybe I should go...." "No don't!" Damien insisted before turning to his fellow Slytherin. "Remember what I said about always thinking before you act! What the hell is wrong with Ginny?" "Well....she-" "Who CARES if she likes Muggle-borns?!" "Well there-" "I like Hermione! Am I not welcome here either?!" "No, but-" "But what?! Muggle-borns are exactly like us except they have non-magic parents! If it wasn't for them then we would have died out an eternity ago!" "But-" "Did you know that our 'Master' is a half-blood? That he had a muggle father?!" "No...." "Then what's the problem?! What does everyone have against muggles?! Doesn't anyone realizes they are EXACTLY like us except they can't do magic? That we were once exactly like them at one time?!" Nearly the whole of the Slytherin table was staring at either Damien or Malfoy, both who had stood up.
Ginny glanced uneasily at the many faces staring at them, "There's nothing to see here!" she snapped to them and they almost immediately went back to their dinner.
"What do you mean we were exactly like muggles at one time?" Malfoy asked slowly. Damien sneered, "Honestly! The way my father favors you I'd think you at least knew how we originally started out!" A faint blush appeared on Malfoy's face. "Didn't you know that there were only muggles at one time? Wizards are like the evolved form of muggles......all of us....we all have an ancestor that's a muggle! All of us!"
Malfoy paled dramatically. "B-but I've never heard that in History of Magic! I've never heard that before!" Damien sneered again, "Perhaps because they either forgot or are to ashamed to admit it!" he snapped, "not everyone knows that! It traces back from thousands of years ago.....well before Hogwart's time!" "How did you find out!" Malfoy snapped, essentially angry with Damien. "It's a little thing that I call reading! Something Hermione does more then you.....no wonder she's smarter, you may know a couple of Dark spells, Malfoy but you know absolutely nothing of our history!"
Malfoy opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to speak before turning and hurrying out of the Great Hall. Damien turned to Ginny who had watched the exchange silently. "You know, you didn't have to do that for me..." she mumbled, blushing. Damien arched an eyebrow and glanced around at the Hall to find that nearly every eye was on them. Damien cleared his throat slightly and snapped, "The shows over..." before glaring coldly at them and strolling out of the Great Hall, unaware of the three Gryffindors that soon followed after him.
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Damien walked out of the hall, intent on heading toward the Snake Pit and falling into a blissful sleep.
"Wait!" a voice called out to him and he stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before turning to see Ron walking slowly up to him, his eyes glued to the floor. Damien's old best friend absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, looking quite embarrassed.
"Erm...." Ron began and Damien waited patiently, this was the first time that Ron had actually acted the least bit civil to 'Damien Snape' and he didn't want to blow it. "Hey....um....thanks for...for....defending Ginny and Hermione like that....." Ron glanced up uneasily at Damien before glancing nervously around the deserted hall, as if afraid that they were being watched. "I....I'm sorry for....for treating you like I have been.....er...well...ya....I'm...sorry..." Ron seemed very awkward around him. Damien sighed but smiled inwardly, "I guess if I can accept Malfoy's apology for almost killing me then I can accept your apology for treating me like shit....."
Ron blushed.
"Ya...well..Hermione tells me I'm rather......shallow-minded....." Damien had to laugh at the other boy's comment. "Yes, she's right as usual..." Ron finally looked up at him and nodded "Maybe....we could...start over I guess....." He held out his hand hesitantly, "Ronald Weasley....but don't call me Ronald..."
Damien smiled outwardly this time as he accepted the hand, "Damien Snape". Ginny and Hermione hurried around the corner, interrupting the two. Ginny flung her arms around Damien and giggled, "About time you finally came to your senses Ron!" she said happily, smiling at her brother.
Ron merely shrugged.
Hermione walked over to him and murmured in his ear, "Thanks, for what you did......" Ron shrugged again, "Well he did defend you and Ginny in front of the whole school from Malfoy!" Hermione smiled warmly at her boyfriend.
"The dance is this Saturday, it was postponed!" Ginny said, smiling. "I'm going with Damien!" Ron gapped at his sister and Hermione smirked deviously, "Told you he was taken...."
"B-but.......!" "That's not a problem is it, Ronald?" Damien said smirking. Ron was silent for a couple minutes before he sighed and closed his mouth, "I guess I really can't stop you...." He murmured in defeat to Ginny, who beamed along with Hermione.
Ginny squealed with delight and flung her arms around her brother and her boyfriend. "This is going to be so much fun!!" "But I'm warning you, Snape! You hurt her in any way then you'll be sorry!" Ron growled, before smirking slightly and adding calmly, "....got it?" Damien nodded and returning the smirk.
He could tell that Ron was trying really hard to get along with him for the sake of Ginny and Hermione, but that still meant that the two of them actually had a chance to become friends again.
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"You want to WHAT?!" Severus nearly shouted to Damien, who shrugged. "Ron and I are actually being civil to each other now.....thanks to Hermione and Ginny that is...." "Still, Damien....you can't just tell him now....it would still be suspicious if you two were to suddenly start hanging out together..."
Damien huffed in annoyance at Severus. "You can be a real pain you know?" he said to his father. "Your not exactly the perfect son either you know..." his father stated quite coolly.
"Thanks, its nice to know I'm loved..." he snapped to the man. "Well, Damien you just about blew your cover with that little display in the Great Hall at dinner!" the man said harshly. "And how, might I ask did I do that?" "You're a Slytherin! You are supposed to hate muggle-borns not defend them!" "Well I was brought up by muggles remember! I'm not supposed to hate muggle-borns when I practically grew up as one!" "You cannot be hanging around them all the time! They are Harry Potter's friends! Not Damien Snape's!" "Well I'm sorry I'm not like your precious successor, Malfoy!" "You can't risk your life like this just because of your damn friends Damien! Its dangerous!" "That's why I was sorted into Gryffindor in the first place remember? I'm foolish and I do things ill rationally and fool heartedly!" "Damien....." "That's what you always used to tell me Severus! Remember, one simple discovery does not change five years of hate now does it?" "Damien! Stop acting so foolish! You are risking mine and your life by hanging around with them!" "I'm sorry for being such a burden for you Severus! If I am such a trouble then why don't you just haul me back to the Dursley's? After all, you've done that for the last five years!" "I had no idea about your real parentage, Damien you know that!" "Even if you would've known, you still would have shipped me to the Dursley's, after all I am still James Potter's adoptive son right? No need to give a damn about him..." "Silence! I will not be spoken to like that! I am your father, not one of your stupid little friends that you can just push around all the time!" "Ya, well your not doing a very good job at being a father right now...."
Severus paled slightly at Damien's words. Damien felt a twinge of guilt but angrily pushed it aside, he hated it when people tried to control his life! It had been done way to many times before and it wasn't going to happen again....not if he could help it!
"Fine!" his father growled. "Fine! Whatever! Do whatever you want! Blow your cover, get yourself killed! See if I care!"
Damien stared at his father, feeling his throat tighten slightly. Did Severus really not care if he got killed? Would the man even feel the least bit of sadness if he, Damien, dropped dead at this very moment? They had worked so hard to get past the old grudges and had tried so hard to get along and actually learn to treat one another as father and son should. All of that, all the work they had put into their working relationship seemed to crumble so easily.
"Fine..." he said coldly, mask your emotions, don't let them know what your feeling. He whirled around and strode to the door, stopping to turn around and say almost breezily, "Shame I didn't die with my parents isn't it?" before walking through the door and slamming it shut.
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Damien walked up to the Snake Pit with his shoulders slumped and his head bowed slightly. He tried to digest the fact that his father, a person that he had come to actually care for in the last couple of months, didn't even care if he died.... He kept trying to tell himself that his father had just been angry by what he, Damien, had said but it didn't really work.......
"Pure-blood," he murmured quietly as the painting swung open and he stepped into the common room. Malfoy walked up to him, his eyes downcast. Damien sighed, "I'm not in the mood, Malfoy...." He mumbled tiredly. But the blonde shook his head, "I....I...erm....I looked in the library for books on our history....and....you know...." "...to see if I was lying?" Damien interrupted , annoyed. Malfoy nodded. He arched an eyebrow, "Well?" ".....you were......right...we do come from muggles..."
Malfoy was silent for a couple of moments. "I cant believe...I mean...I never knew.....muggle-borns are exactly how we were originally started...when a person was suddenly born with magic powers....." "...yes, it was Merlin," Damien stated quietly. "Are you going to actually try to get along with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny now?" Damien asked.
Malfoy shifted uneasily, ".....maybe.....maybe I'll........... .. ..try...but I'm not promising anything! Especially with your little girlfriend's brother....." Damien shrugged, "I think Ron is going to try to get along with me for Hermione and Ginny's sake.....Now if you don't mind, I'm exhausted....."
The other boy nodded, "Night then, Damien..."
"Night......Draco..."
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"Quidditch trials are this evening..." Draco told him at breakfast the next day. Damien looked up from his toast curiously, "I thought they were on Friday..." Draco shrugged, "They were but then.......I kind of got suspended......and well now they need a seeker..."
Damien blinked. "Maybe you should try out for seeker," the boy said. Damien shrugged, "Maybe....."
The whole morning hadn't been as chatty as usual (to Damien's great relief). It was almost like Malfoy knew that Damien thought of it as annoying and had kept doing it until now....
"Why are you so quiet today?" he asked. Draco shrugged, "Got nothing to talk about...." Damien had a feeling that Draco was afraid to lose his only friend. He did feel rather grateful that Malfoy wasn't talking all the time; it made it a whole lot more enjoyable to hang around with him.
"You should come over to my manor this Christmas," Draco blurted out suddenly and Damien blinked, "Well...aren't we going to be....marked near Christmas?" Draco nodded slowly, he didn't look very pleased about it. "Do you not want to be marked?" Damien asked innocently.
Draco glanced around uneasily before saying, "Come on, lets head to classes, you've got Ancient Runes and I've got Care of Magical Creatures, we're going the same way...." Damien nodded and the two headed out of the hall. Draco stopped in the middle of the main entrance and turned to look at Damien seriously. "I want you to swear on your mother's grave that you will NEVER tell my father or You-Know-Who about this...." "Okay..." Damien murmured slowly. "Say it!" "Okay, I swear on my mother's grave that I wont mention any of what you are about to tell me to Voldemort or your father...."
Draco paled and stared at him, "Y-You said his name!!" Damien shrugged, "So? Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." The blonde continued to stare at him, "The mudbloo-I mean......Granger....said something exactly like that in our second year...." Damien grinned impishly and shrugged.
Draco went on, "Okay.....I really don't want to be marked.." he muttered and Damien stared and him with wide eyes, "You don't?" The youngest Malfoy shook his head. "I don't want to serve some psycho.....I don't want to come home every night looking like my father....bleeding and convulsing just because I speak out of term or forget to say 'my lord'" Draco sneered at the last part.
"Wait, why are you telling me this? My father does work for Voldemort to you know....." Draco shrugged, "I don't know, I just feel like I can trust you for some......odd reason......you are the only friend I've had that actually responded when I talk..." Damien smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I wont tell your father or Voldemort..." The other smiled gratefully and footsteps and voices were heard to confirm that breakfast was over and the students were heading to their first class.
"Hey, I'll see you at Quidditch trials! They want me to help choose..." Draco said before opening the doors and heading toward Hagrid's cabin.
Damien smiled and hurried toward Ancient Runes to tell Hermione....
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"Your kidding! Draco Malfoy doesn't want to be a Death Eater? But that's impossible! He's the ideal Death Eater....." Hermione exclaimed quietly at the end of Ancient Runes. Damien shrugged, "Apparently he's got more sense then I give him credit for....." Hermione nodded in agreement as they passed in their translations (Draco had helped Damien catch up on work and Hermione had helped him in Ancient Runes).
The bell rang and the two friends collected their things and headed for the Great Hall. Hermione headed over to the Gryffindor table beside Ron and Ginny. The later gestured for him to sit with them enthusiastically. Damien glanced over at Draco at the Serpents' table, he was all alone. He glanced at Ginny before heading over to Draco, "You wanna sit with me at the Gryffindor table?" he asked the blonde innocently. Draco dropped his fork, "Are you nuts? They're Gryffindors!!! Our rival house!" "Don't care..." Damien murmured absently and immediately perked up, "You're welcome to come but you are going to have to deal with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny if you want to come..."
The other growled, "Okay I said I'd try but this.....this is just....to much......to soon!!" Damien shrugged innocently, "Suit yourself....." with that he turned and walked over to the Gryffindor table, ignoring all the stares and glares he was receiving.
He sat himself down between Ginny and Neville. Neville gave him a warm smile, obviously accepting him immediately for saving his life. Ginny smiled and Hermione glared at the other Gryffindors who were glowering at him. Ron looked uncomfortable before also glaring at the other Gryffindors.
Many of the Gryffindors in Damien's age group seemed more curious then hostile and nearly ever jaw in the Great Hall dropped as Draco Malfoy slowly trudged over to the Gryffindor table and plopped himself down between Damien and Neville, the later gulped audibly and scooted away slightly. Draco's eyes were glued to the floor as he reached for a knife to butter his toast and Damien had to fight back the urge to bust out laughing at the pink flush that had appeared on the normally pale and confident face.
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"I cant believe you made me do that!!!" Draco hissed to Damien as the two, along with Hermione and Ron, headed to DADA. Damien shrugged, "And you didn't drop dead now did you Draco?" "No but-" "And I'm sure no one thinks any less of you...." He chuckled slightly at Malfoy's glare. "You made me sit with the freaking Gryffindors you git!" Damien continued to chuckle in amusement as Ron stared, wide-eyed at him and Malfoy.
"Her-Hermione......Malfoy's acting......human!!!!" he looked very pale. "I- I think I should skip class..." "Oh no you don't Ronald Weasley! You are NOT getting off that easily and besides, I thought Professor Lupin's class was your favorite!" Ron frowned and mumbled in a dull voice, "It was when Harry was here.....its kinda boring without him now, you know?" Hermione nodded sadly, "I miss him too...."
Damien almost immediately stopped laughing and eyed his shoes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. He wanted so much to tell Ron and Hermione his true identity but he knew Severus would probably kill him..... The two still hadn't spoken to each other since their quarrel and Damien still felt a rather dull pain whenever he thought about Severus not caring if he died.
Well if Severus really didn't care then fine! He would tell Ron and Hermione! They were his best friends and they deserve the truth! It was his secret to tell anyway!
'Alright,' he told himself. 'I'll tell them after quidditch trials at dinner tonight......'
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Severus sat in his beloved dungeons as he finally got a moment of relaxation after teaching those ungrateful brats..... In his right hand he absentmindedly stroked the edge of his wine glass as he gazed idly into the red liquid.
The clock on his mantle gonged several times loudly, announcing that it was six. Six......what was so important about that time again? Oh yes... Try- outs for a Slytherin seeker were at six and Damien was trying out of course.
Damien.
He thought about what the boy had told him, about him not doing a very good job at being a father.... Well what did the boy expect? For him to be the perfect Dad when he hadn't opened up to anyone in about fifteen years?! Not to mention the tiny fact that Damien happened to be Harry Potter, his once most hated student.......
His ONCE most hated student....
Yes, he certainly didn't hate the boy anymore. He cared greatly for him....maybe to greatly perhaps. He couldn't do that, it was to dangerous. Yes, Severus had learned, years ago that it was dangerous to get close to someone.....
Probably because almost everyone he got close to, died.......
When he had first discovered that he was the father of the Boy-Who-Lived, he had thought nothing of it..... Thinking that he couldn't love anymore since he hadn't cared for someone in years...
But then, over the summer, he had really gotten to know the boy. He had seen the real Harry Potter, not the heroic, fearless one that everyone saw at school. No. He had seen the boy cry, laugh, talk, rant, ramble, struggle, sleep, eat, everything that a normal teenager did.
He had seen the flawed side of the boy. The side that made mistakes like everyone else, that got scared like everyone else, that lost his head at times like everyone else......he had realized that the boy WAS like everyone else....that he COULD bleed, that he COULD cry, that he COULD be scared......that he COULD make mistakes and tell lies.....
The side that the boy always had liked to keep hidden from everyone else.....from all the wizards, witches, and children that looked upon him as a hero, as a flawless person....
##########FLASHBACK############
"Don't you ever want to give up? Y'know just.....surrender and go into hiding?" Harry asked Severus as he eyed a scar on his father's shoulder that the man had gotten from Voldemort.
Severus shrugged slightly, "I really don't have a choice....even if I did, I wouldn't give up my spying duties....." "But....why? Don't you ever wonder what its like to have a normal life with a wife and kids? When the biggest thing you'd have to worry about was pleasing your children?"
Severus smiled slightly, "It would be nice....." he trailed off as he thought of having three small children, hanging all over him, asking for candy or the latest broomstick model. It was hard to imagine.....and even harder to think of Harry as one of those pleading children. He snorted at the image.
Harry arched an eyebrow, "Do I want to know what your thinking?" he asked quietly. Severus' smile faltered slightly as he shook his head and turned back to the Wolfsbane Potion they were making for Lupin's first month at Hogwarts. "It is hard, sometimes......thinking of how my life could have been....but it was my choice, no one else's. I was young and stupid and now I have to pay for the crimes I have committed....."
He turned back towards his son, "What about you? You have the whole world on your shoulders and your complaining about my spying duties!" Harry's smile faltered, like Severus' had as the boy's eyes became slightly glazed.
"I know that I am depended on by many.......that people see me as their beacon of hope....and I don't like it....I hate not being able to show terror or sadness when I want to....but....I suppose if I were to panic and get scared then everyone else would......lose hope....I just feel like their always watching me....." the boy finished, staring at the murky-brown potion, his eyes troubled.
Severus put a hand on his shoulder, "Well, they are selfish and weak if they feel the need to place the world on a fifteen year old boy's shoulders, they are to weak and scared, so they place the burden on the strong to keep their precious lives peaceful...."
Harry gave him a small smile, "Thanks.......and I'm sixteen...!" He murmured, arching an eyebrow at Severus. The man chuckled, "Don't ruin the moment....."
Harry smiled at his father, enjoying seeing the man let loose and relax for once...... "I trained myself to smile, despite my emotions, so whenever I feel sad or scared, I will always look cheerful on the outside so no one will panic...." Harry went on. "And sometimes, when the pain or fright gets to much I let go of it all by....." he trailed off, embarrassed. "What?!" Severus asked. "Its kind of....embarrassing..." the boy murmured, averting his eyes.
Severus sighed, "I wont laugh if that's what your worried about..." The boy looked slightly unsure but went on, "...uh....whenever I feel to troubled....I always....laugh...." "Laugh?! Why?" Harry shrugged. "It helps, its almost like crying, you can just let your emotions go and no one worries if I laugh...."
Severus scowled at Harry. "That's probably really not healthy you know...." The Boy-Who-Lived shrugged again. "As long as everyone doesn't know how I really feel, I don't mind..." Severus opened his mouth to object only to be interrupted by Harry saying, "Laugh with me now will you?"
"Why?"
Another shrug, "I'm kind of nervous about school and about blowing my cover....laugh with me!!!" "No...." "Come on..." "No!" "It'll make you feel better, I promise...." "Harry!" "Pllleeeeeaaasssse Severus!!" Harry whined mockingly and Severus had a déjà vu moment as he thought about a smaller Harry, pleading for a broom. He sighed, "Fine!" he snapped and bottled the potion.
Harry smirked victoriously, "Alright then, smile...come on....." Severus rolled his eyes, "This is stupid, Harry..." "Oh come on! How would you know you haven't even given it a chance?!" Severus sighed, knowing that arguing with the brat was pointless and forced a very strained looking smile.
Harry sighed but nodded, "Now laugh!" "Just like that?" "Yep! It doesn't even have to be real....it just has to be loud...." He took a deep breath, ".....and obvious!" Harry stretched out for a moment before exploding in unmistakable laughter, "AHAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAA!!!!" Severus snorted in amusement, "You sound like a hyena...." Harry stopped to take several deep breaths, "Now you try, come on!" "I will not lower myself to such immature, stu-" "Wimp!" "Excuse me?!" "Wimp!!!" "How dare you call me a wimp you little brat!"
Harry grinned impishly, "Wimp!!" Severus growled, he hated being called a wimp.....Potter and Black had called him that many times in their school days.......
"Wimp? You call me a wimp? Well how's this for a wimp?!!" He took a deep breath, "WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" He sat there and panted for a minute before smirking at Harry, who immediately exploded with laughter.
"What is so funny?!" "Y-You sounded s-so so stupid!!!! You sounded like an....an elephant!! You need to laugh more!!" Severus sneered, "Ha ha...." He muttered sarcastically, feeling quite embarrassed by falling for the boy's trick and acting like a fool when he was supposed to be the adult......
"Oh come off it!!" Harry snapped suddenly. "Can you stop acting like a teacher for one minute and just......act like an idiot for once?! There is no one in the house besides me so you don't have to worry!" "Unlike you, I must keep up appearances..." "For who?! No one else is in the house, so why cant you take off your mask for once and just......laugh and not worry about the consequences?!"
Severus said nothing.
Harry 'humph'ed "No wonder your so grumpy, you put so much pressure on yourself to be the ideal grouch, its like you try not to have any fun just so you will turn cold!" Severus sneered, "I'd rather not act like an idiot all the time like you and your idiotic friends tend to..." he drawled in a bored voice. "Why cant you just have fun for only this time?! You don't have to do this all the time, but......if you keep all your troubles bottled up then you'll overload yourself! It'll tear you up!"
"I don't deserve fun...." Severus murmured and Harry stared, "Yes you do!! So you made a few mistakes, big deal! Everyone makes mistakes its just some are more noticeable then others! Yes, you have killed people but you realized what you did was wrong and you asked for forgiveness and that's the important thing! Besides, you have helped the Order so much, you've saved probably more lives then you've taken! Treat yourself like a human- being Severus! Don't treat yourself like shit because of something that you cant change!"
With that, Harry whirled around and stormed upstairs to his room, slamming the door shut loudly as he went.
#################END FLASHBACK################
Severus smiled slightly at the memory, it had been one of the first times he had ever acted out of character in a long time. He had to admit, it had cheered him up to laugh for once. The boy most certainly had made a dent the walls he had carefully built around his heart, even though they still were having problems with their relationship, it was no doubt that they had made a lot of progress.
He thought of what he had said to the boy suddenly, Fine! Whatever! Do whatever you want! Blow your cover, get yourself killed! See if I care! Horrible thing to say to him....damn he was acting like a child now and the boy probably thought he had been serious.....
Severus bit his lower lip and also remembered what the boy had said to him before he had left, Shame I didn't die with my parents isn't it? Why would Damien say something like that? Did he really want to die? Was he suicidal? The answer came to him almost instantly. No. He knew that Damien wouldn't do something that stupid, even if the boy really did want to die then he knew that Damien wouldn't die before killing Voldemort once and for all.
That was another thing that sent shivers down his spine, the fact that his son was the one to kill that monster. Why, the thought of the boy getting marked was horrible enough, which they still hadn't came up with a solution yet....
Nevertheless the boy was the destined one, and if there was anyone that he trusted enough with the power to defeat the Dark Lord, it would most definitely be Damien. Severus sighed, he needed to talk to the boy. December was approaching and fast, they needed to take action, make a plan......
Severus pulled out a quill, an inkbottle, and a piece of parchment before writing a note to Damien.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You'll do fine, y'know!" Draco told Damien enthusiastically as they made their way to the Quidditch Pitch. "How would you know? You've never seen me fly!" Draco shrugged, "I have a feeling and my feelings are always right...."
Damien rolled his eyes good naturedly as they arrived to the field; there were a group of what looked like fourth years crowded around the Slytherin team.
Montague, the captain, made a loud 'crack' with his wand and sent some sparks into the air, "Quiet!" he barked to them and they fell silent. Draco walked over to his side and Damien swallowed, feeling alone once again. The seventh year clamped his hands behind his back before pacing back and forth in front of the Seeker hopefuls. "I expect our new Seeker to be with us at practice each and every session! If you miss one for any reason whatsoever you will be off the team!" he stopped and turned toward them, "...and if anyone has any problems with that then leave now!"
No one moved, the fourth years looked quite terrified, Damien merely huffed and rolled his eyes. "We have a whole new strategy this year! We will practice longer and more frequently Gryffindor wont stand a chance!" the team smirked confidently at that. "I expect our Seeker to catch the snitch every time! If he or she doesn't, then they will suffer the consequences..."
There was murmuring amongst the Slytherins and Damien suddenly wished that the try-outs were over.
They took turns catching the snitch, they were timed and observed by the Slytherin team and Draco. There were eight that tried out, Damien included. Five fourth years, one second year, and a third year. There was no competition really. It was quite pitiful, only one of the fourth years were the least bit good and he caught the snitch after thirty minutes and three times of falling off the broom. The other four fourth years had apparently been the first one's friends, whom had tried out just because their friend had.
The second year had kicked off from the ground and not five minutes later, he came tumbling down, breaking his leg, he was escorted to the Hospital Wing of course.
The third year was the best next to Damien, she caught the snitch in ten minutes and flew almost perfectly but Damien caught his snitch in less then five minutes. So, after discussing it briefly, the Slytherin team declared Damien the new Seeker and the third year girl, the reserve.
Draco was seen telling Damien over and over that he knew he'd make it. Damien had to smile slightly, okay maybe he was playing for the Slytherin team but hey, at least he got to play Quidditch again....
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Where're you going Damien," Draco asked him as Damien made for the portrait. "My Dad's," the Boy-Who-Lived replied simply, careful to say 'my dad's'. "He sent me an owl telling me to meet him in his office after try- outs...." Which really sucked because Damien had been planning on telling Ron and Hermione about his real identity, but regardless of what his father had said to him, he didn't like being on bad terms with the man, it reminded him to much of his life before the discovery.
He knocked on his father's door and heard a tired, 'enter' before opening the door and stepping inside.
Severus looked tired and irritated and Damien felt himself tense slightly when the man looked up at him. The irritation seemed to fade away and Severus cleared his throat, "Good evening, Damien..." Damien nodded and looked away. Severus sighed and stood up before rounding the desk and standing in front of Damien, who lowered his gaze.
"I would like to apologize for my words yesterday....they were rude and uncalled for......I had no right to say them to you...."
Damien shifted slightly at his father's apology. "Erm....Its....okay.....I guess....I shouldn't have said what I did either....I'm sorry...." Severus nodded in acceptance to the apology.
"Now, why I asked you down here tonight is to discuss what exactly we are going to do about your marking....." "Shouldn't the headmaster be down here to?" Damien asked and Severus shook his head, "No, he has things he needs to do.....I shall be telling him our plan before the meeting in December though."
"Well....." Damien started hesitantly. "I was thinking of this one thing we could do, but I doubt you'll agree with it......"
Severus arched an eyebrow, "What?"
Damien bit his lip nervously and Severus' eyes widened as realization hit him, "No, your are NOT spying!"
"But why not? I'm going to be marked anyway..."
"No your not, you don't realize what its like to be marked, Damien...."
"Well if I'm not marked then you'll be killed!"
"I could just stop spying!"
"You and I both know that Dumbledore and the Order cant afford for you to stop spying nor will either one of them let you stop!"
"I don't care, your not being marked! Do you not realize how much you'd be risking your life by doing this!"
"Well it wont be any different from my life as Harry Potter now wont it?"
"I wont let you put your life in danger like that just to save me Damien, I'm not worth it!"
"Don't say that!!" Damien shouted. "Don't you ever say something like that! Why do you always think you life is worth nothing?! Why do you constantly treat yourself lower then dirt?!"
Severus sighed, "Because, Damien I know I am not worth it....."
"Stop saying that!"
"You have no idea of the sins I have committed Damien! I have committed way to many crimes to be forgiven in a lifetime!"
"I don't care about the sins you have committed, Severus! You're a different person now! Everything you did before was in the past! IN THE PAST!! You were different, it shouldn't effect who you are now!"
Severus opened and closed his mouth several times before realizing that Damien was right, though he hated to admit that he should forgive himself, if not for him then for Damien at least.
"Nevertheless I still do not want you to spy......there are plenty of other spies that are close to the Dark Lord, Dumbledore and the Order can afford to give up me...."
Damien blinked and for the first time was distracted, "Other spies?! Who? Who else is a spy?" Severus shrugged, "I have no idea, spies are not told whom the other spies are since they could be questioned under Veritaserum...."
Damien nodded, that did make sense...
"Legilimens!!"
Damien started when Severus suddenly shouted the spell at him. The man had been surprising him like this more often as of late. He quickly cleared his mind as the spell hit and tried to force the man out of his head......
"MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!!!!" Vernon roared at him on Dudley's eleventh birthday while Dudley and Piers laughed openly in the background......
He was in his first year, in his first potion's class as Snape glared down at him with hatred in his eyes, "Mr. Potter......our new celebrity......"
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light, a rushing sound and Cedric Diggory lay dead on the ground.....
He was at the Dursley's, after his fifth year, in his cupboard curled into a trembling ball, blood stained his clothes, as Vernon shouted at him, "FREAK!! WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!!! YOU KILL EVERYONE WHO COMES NEAR YOU!! WHO COULD EVER LOVE A USELESS FREAK LIKE YOU!!!" The man lifted the belt from his pants and whipped the buckle around Harry's face once again as a pale Aunt Petunia watched in horror.
"NOOOOO!!!"
Suddenly the memory faded away and Damien found himself on the cold, stone floor, retching violently as hot tears poured down his face. Yes, he had had memories of Vernon beating him, but none as bad as this one had been.
He tried desperately to hold back the sobs that shook his body and tried to quickly wipe away the tears, flowing from his eyes. How could he be so weak? It was just a memory nothing more! He had to control himself! He needed to control his emotions or he'd never learn Occlumency enough to defend himself from Voldemort and it could cost him another person's life! He couldn't let that happen!
But even he had his limits and Damien was soon gasping in desperation as he continued to try to hold back the incredible urge to just break down and cry. Everything just seemed to have built up inside of him and finally, it all seemed to be coming out...
He suddenly felt an arm wrap itself around him and he abruptly threw his arms around the other person, burying his face into the soft folds of robes as he found himself weeping in the arms of his father. He suddenly felt safe, protected as his father tightened his arms around him briefly. Severus was saying words to him....soft, soothing words that were supposed to comfort him but Damien barely understood any of them, he just focused on the soothing tone and the strong arms around him.
Severus felt the walls around his heart crumble instantly as he held a sobbing Damien. He felt something different, something warm replacing it instead, something that he had never felt before... Could it be love? Could he actually love this boy......his son? He knew that he cared about Damien very much but....was it possible for him, Severus Snape the heartless bastard that almost all of the students hated, to love?
Severus stared down at the dark head nestled against him and smirked slightly as the answer came to him instantly. Yes. He could love this boy and he did.....Merlin, he never would have thought it possible.
He suddenly felt a surge of fury course through him as he thought about the man responsible for Damien's distress, Vernon Dursley. Oh he would make the bastard pay for what he had done to his son! After all, there were worse things then death now weren't there?
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Are you sure you want to tell them?" his father asked him quietly from his desk as Damien wiped his face off with a towel and put a freshen-up charm on himself to make him look like he hadn't been crying.
"Yes, Severus I'm sure. I know for a fact that they wont abandon me if that's what your worried about..."
"I know they wont abandon you, its just that the more people that know about your true identity, the worse!" Damien sighed, "They wont tell anyone, don't worry."
Severus sighed but nodded, "Alright, I trust that you know what your doing..." Damien smiled inwardly but immediately sobered up, "I do want to be a spy, Severus...I don't want you to die or suffer.... please Severus.... you cant die!"
Severus softened at his son's plea. "And I don't want you to die, Damien...You remember what it was like to be put under the Cruciatus Curse?" At Damien's nod he continued, "Well just imagine being put under that at least twice at every Death Eater meeting...I know you want to help but it will be painful and dangerous and I don't want you to suffer either...."
Damien stared up into his father's dark orbs, swirling with concern and apprehension. "I know it will be painful, I know what Death Eater meetings are like, remember?" he reached up to touch the series of jagged lines on his forehead briefly.
Severus sighed. "I don't like this.... not one bit...." "Please! I want to help! I need to help in some way! After all, I've almost mastered Occlumency, you said so yourself! I can almost always block you!" Severus ran a hand through his hair. "Please, I won't blow our cover and I can't just sit by while you are tortured and killed! I've watched that happen way to many times and I need to take action!"
His father regarded him through thoughtful, black eyes. "Fine...I'll speak with the headmaster about it.... but if you are seriously injured in any way or if you are told to perform something that you really don't want to do..." "Severus! I'll be a Death Eater! You can't tell me that I'm not going to be getting injured or not going to do something I don't want to, that's impossible!" Severus sighed in annoyance with the boy's common sense but nodded.
"Also there's one more thing, Severus..." 'Oh boy...' Severus thought mentally. "Well, Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater and I was thinking that he could be a spy to...."
"How do you know he's not acting upon his father's orders, Damien? You can't trust someone so quickly, nowadays its dangerous!" "I know I know everything's dangerous now! But I know I can trust him!" "How?" "I don't know I just...do! If you don't trust him then at least trust me on this Severus!" "Fine, fine! I'll talk to Albus about allowing Mr. Malfoy to become a spy to..."
"Thanks!" Damien checked his watch. "Damn! I'm late for the meeting with Ron, Hermione, and Gin! They're gonna kill me!" "Watch your language, young man!" Severus sneered playfully and Damien rolled his eyes.
"Ya, ya...." He murmured, waving off the reprimand breezily. "I'll see you later!" Severus nodded. "Good-night, Damien...and congratulations on making the Slytherin Team, we'll finally beat Gryffindor now."
Damien smiled as he made for the door, but stopped and turned back toward Severus. "I seemed to have been mistaken...your really good at being a Dad!"
Severus blinked in shock as the boy hurried out of the room before throwing over his shoulder, "Good-night.........Dad..."
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Where on Earth have you been Damien?" Ginny exclaimed to him as he walked into the Room of Requirement. He was about an hour late due to his little quandary. He shrugged, "With my Dad." He said, surprised at how easily 'my dad' had come. He couldn't believe that he had called Severus 'dad' even though Severus really was his father it had still been kind of embarrassing... "Okay, so what did you need to talk to us about, Damien" Hermione asked from her place beside Ron on one of the couches.
The room currently looked like a living room. It had two big, squashy, coffee colored couches with a couple beanbag chairs littering the room. A huge, warm fire was crackling peacefully in the fireplace. The two couches were across from each other, each side-by-side to the fireplace, with a dark-wooded coffee table in the middle of them. On it was tea and biscuits. It was perfect.
Damien plopped down beside Ginny on the other couch and glanced nervously at her. She gave him a reassuring nod and he took a deep breath before talking, "Okay, what I'm about to tell you, might freak you out a bit but I am asking you to please wait until I get finished before you jump to conclusions..."
Hermione and Ron looked at him, confused, but nodded anyway after glancing briefly at each other.
Damien took another deep breath to calm himself and Ginny held his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Alright, I am going to be blunt, first off.......my name is not really Damien Snape....it was a cover-up name for my real identity...."
Ron's eyes widened and Hermione almost immediately perked up, "Its you isn't it, Harry?! I've suspected for ages I was just to afraid to ask you!"
Damien blinked, 'well this will make it a lot easier' he thought. Ron's jaw dropped as he stared at Damien as if he'd never seen him before in his whole life, "H-Harry mate? Is that really you?!" Damien looked at his hands and murmured, "Yes, Ron its me...."
Silence reigned before a loud squeal hit his ears and Hermione flung herself practically across the table and onto Damien unceremoniously, "Oh Harry!!! I knew it was you I just knew it!!! Oh we've missed you so much!!!" She sobbed and Damien felt the urge to chuckle.
Hermione composed herself as she sat back down, still smiling. "How've you been? Where've you been over the summer? Why didn't you tell us?" But Damien wasn't looking at her he was looking at Ron.
The redhead was seating stock-still staring at Damien as if he were a ghost. "Why didn't you tell us, mate?" he asked hoarsely, repeating Hermione's last question. "I wanted to! I really did! But Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape-" "Snape?! Why in the bloody hell did you have to pose as his son?! Oh I feel sorry for you mate....."
Damien sighed he had to tell them...
"Ron I'm not posing." Ron paled and Hermione stilled. They both stared at him. "H-How is that possible?!" Hermione was the first to recover. "My mom put a charm on me to make me look like James Potter.....Severus and my mom were really good friends, but one night Malfoy put the Imperious Curse on him and made him drug mom and well they......." He trailed off and Ron blanched. "So he practically raped her?!" "NO!" Damien shouted, "He did not! He had NO control over his actions whatsoever Ron so don't even think any different!"
"Jeez...sorry mate.... I didn't mean to...it just sort of popped out.... I mean..." "What Ron's trying to say, Harry, is that its kind of a shock, you know? He didn't mean it in that way..." "I know Hermione.....I'm sorry Ron......both of you for not telling, I wanted to but they wouldn't let me..."
"Anymore surprises?" Ron looked slightly woozy.
Damien frowned, "Actually.....ya...." he sighed, "Do you remember the prophecy that Voldemort wanted last year?" the others nodded. "Well, I actually did hear it.....in Dumbledore's office, after....after Sirius....." he trailed off and Hermione nodded in understanding. "So what'd it say?" Ron asked, looking slightly excited. "Basically that I either have to kill Voldemort or be killed by him...."
Silence once again met his ears.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Damien heard a sob off to the side and glanced over to see Ginny with tears pouring down her face. He had almost forgotten that she hadn't known about the prophecy either... He put an arm around her comfortingly.
"I don't want to put you guys in danger...I hate being me sometimes...." He whispered sadly to them. "Don't say that!" Ginny said to him. "We'll stick with you till the end, that's what we're here for! We'll always be here for you no matter what! You've got to believe that, Harry!"
"I don't want you guys to be in danger....." "We're already in danger, don't you think?" Hermione asked. "And we're with you, aren't we you guys?" Ginny and Ron nodded. Ron looked very pale, he looked at Damien as if he were dead, "We're here for you mate..."
Damien felt emotion rise up in his chest as he listened to his friends' words. He loved them all....and sometimes he felt as if he didn't deserve friends like them, he almost said so out loud, but he knew he'd only be chastised if he did.
"There's one more thing, if I don't get the Dark Mark in December then my father will be tortured and killed....." Ginny and Hermione gasped and Ron looked thunder-struck. "I never liked Snape but....I never wanted him to die...your not going to actually go through with it are you?" he asked cautiously. "I have to Ron....if I don't then he'll be killed! I'm going to be a spy too."
"But that's dangerous!!" Ginny shrieked, "Y-You could die! Or be tortured or discovered!" "I have to take that chance Gin....don't worry I'll be fine, I'm really good at hiding my emotions and I'm good at Occlumency now.......and I have a high pain tolerance level.....plus I need to do something to help.."
"B-But what if you have to kill someone! What then?!" Ginny continued to look for ways to convince him other wise. "I doubt Voldemort will make me do something that extreme.....the worse I'll have to do is spy or maybe..." Damien gulped audibly as he spoke one of his worse fears, "....maybe I'll have to put the Cruciatus on someone...."
Ginny let out a dry sob and Hermione and Ron gasped. "Its going to be okay, you guys....don't worry..."
"R-Right...." Ron moaned faintly, "You find out our most hated teacher is actually your father and that he was made to drug your mom into...sleeping with her by Malfoy's father, your made to have a new identity because of that and you have to kill You-Know-Who or you'll die and your going to be a spy for Dumbledore by being marked! Ya! Its going to be just peachy keen! And here I thought we would have a normal year!"
Damien sighed at all of his friends' distress, "Look, lets not think about the future now, lets just relax, for once in our lives we need to just relax and not think about it....please...just for now...."
Ginny, Hermione, and Ron exchanged glances before they turned back to their friend, he was right, they needed to just relax for once and Harry needed it most of all......
"Okay Harry..." Ginny said, though her voice had a hint of worry in it. But they had to relax for Harry's sake....he deserved it...
So they all sat their, eating biscuits and drinking tea, sitting in the quiet, thinking about the good times, before the war or maybe discussing the upcoming Quidditch match, avoiding the subject of Voldemort, getting marked, and what lay ahead in the future......
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"What are you planning on dressing up as for the dance Damien?" his father asked him after the second potion's lesson on Friday. Damien shrugged and smirked, "It's a secret..."
Severus rolled his eyes. "The headmaster spoke to Mr. Malfoy last night..." Damien looked up from the second year papers he was helping his father grade as he arched an eyebrow, "And?" "Well....the Order has two new spies come December...." Severus said with a sigh.
Damien smiled openly. Finally, he was finally able to help out, to be treated as an adult! He knew it was going to be as painful as hell but it was going to be worth it if it meant that he would be saving his father's life and possibly, other people's lives as well.
Severus glanced at the clock, "You need to be heading to your next class..." The potion's class had gotten out early due to the fact that they couldn't make any more progress on their Veritaserum for a couple of days. Damien had stuck around to grade papers with his father instead of going with Ron and Hermione. He really wanted to spend more time with the man; he often enjoyed the time that they spent together.
Damien carefully stacked the papers back onto his father's desk as he collected his book bag and headed toward the door. "Good-bye Damien." His father called to him.
"Bye, Dad..."
() Whew!!! Oh my Lord! I thought I would never get done with that chapter! It just sort of kept on going and when I wanted to post it, ff.net was down! Then I went to Florida for three days and then I didn't have the story with me to upload it!! So I just kept on going.
Next chapter is the dance and if any of you has an idea of what Damien or Hermione or Ron or Ginny or anyone else could dress up as then please tell! Also I seriously doubt that I should but just for your opinion, do you think this story should be moved up to rated 'R' I seriously doubt it but like I said, I really don't feel like getting my story kicked off ff.net just because I cant rate good.
I know there was OOCness with some people, especially in the flashback but please, bear with me, I made then chapter extra extra long to make up for it!!
Well I hate to say that this wont be a regular occurrence, its almost like a once in a blue moon thing so....ya.....sorry... grins apologetically Here's the werewolf challenge if any of you are interested: The story must mainly be about Harry, Snape, and Lupin.
Harry is either Lupin or Snape's son and Lily is still his mother.
AFTER Harry finds out that he is Snape or Lupin's son he is bitten by Lupin (in werewolf form) and is turned into a werewolf.
One main part of the story must be about Harry's becoming of a werewolf and how he deals with it.
Ron and Hermione cannot be animagus'.
Harry's real parentage is kept a secret from the wizarding world.
Sirius does come back (you can decide how).
The main genre cannot be humor.
Must take place AFTER Harry's fifth year.
No new MAIN characters.
Okay so thats it. Dont know if its a really good challenge or not but I just want to see a good story made out of this. I know its kind of like the Severitus' challenge so I dont really want to take any credit for it (thats why its called the werewolf challenge). I don't think that this type of challenge has been made yet but if it has then i have not come across it.
Okay well please please please PLEASE review!!! Please! I made a twenty two page chapter so you'd review so please do so!!!
Till next time...
BYE!!!!!!!J
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!
Well I do hope this chapter makes up for the long wait! :)
Chapter sixteen- Lots of things!!!!
"I never really thought that Ron could be so shallow..." Ginny said gloomily to Damien as she sat in the chair that her professor had occupied mere minutes ago. Ginny didn't really expect a response from the unconscious boy but it felt good to talk without someone answering. Plus, Madame Pomfrey had told her that Damien could wake up sooner if someone talked to him.
"He's been such a git! I mean, I knew he hated Snape but...this is just ridiculous!" she huffed. "Anyway, Hermione's furious with him as well and now Ron thinks you two have been snogging in Ancient Runes or something stupid like that.....Hermione told him you were taken....." Ginny smiled warmly at the form before her. "...she's right you know....." She reached out her hand and gently stroked Damien's cheek for a moment before drawing back.
"Well Ron is going to be pissed when he finds out exactly who you really are with...." She broke off as Madame Pomfrey came in to tell her that she needed to go back to her dorm, it was almost curfew.
Ginny watched the nurse bustle away to a sick third-year Gryffindor before turning back to Damien, "I'll come to visit tomorrow...get better soon, okay? I really miss you...." She kissed him on the cheek before heading toward the common room obediently.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Damien woke up on Monday, when classes were still going on. Madame Pomfrey made him stay in the Hospital Wing for three more hours to make sure he didn't have any brain damage. When she finally declared him cured Damien walked in the Great Hall just in time for dinner. Only a couple people glanced up at him to greet him when he walked in, which he was rather grateful for.
Over at the Gryffindor table a silent but rather heated debate was going on between Ron and Ginny. Ginny had wanted to greet Damien but Ron had commanded her to stay at the Gryffindor table. "Stop treating me like a child, Ron!" Ginny snapped her red-hair slightly frazzled in her anger. "What is wrong with you Ginny? I thought you liked Harry! Are you really that desperate that you want to hang around with a bloody Slytherin! And Snape's son also! He's nothing but a arrogant, slimy, evil, bast-"
CRACK!
Ginny's eyes flashed furiously as she slapped her brother as hard as she could across the face. "Don't you dare call Damien evil you-you......you idiotic, shallow-minded, git!!!!" Ron's jaw dropped as he stared at his sister. Hermione, Neville, Dean, and Seamus stared at the normally innocent and soft-spoken girl in shock. "You dare to call him evil when you sit here judging him when you don't even know him!" Ginny stood up. "If anyone needs me I'll be at the Slytherin table!" She started to walk over to the serpent's table when Ron grabbed her arm, "Oh no your not! Your not going over there with the serpents! They'll kill you!" His face had a dark red spot on his cheek in a shape akin to a handprint.
Ginny snatched her arm from Ron's grip, "Oh come off it Ron! When are you ever going to grow up?!" And to their great surprise (and to the disgust of Ron) Ginny walked right up to Damien and plopped down beside him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Damien sat down at the Slytherin table suddenly feeling very alone. Malfoy sat down beside him. The blonde sighed, "I'm..............sorry, Damien.......I didn't mean to make a bomb out of the bloody potion, its just...Longbottom really doesn't belong in that class......they should take him out...."
Damien merely sighed and shook his head, "You really need to control yourself, Malfoy. Always acting before you think is a really bad habit to have, it could get you killed one of these days...." Malfoy's shoulders slumped slightly. "I know.....Father tells me that all the time..." He looked up hesitantly and cleared his throat slightly, obviously feeling quite embarrassed. "So...do you...er...accept my.....apology?" he asked, his eyes glued to his shoes and Damien knew the blonde wasn't used to apologizing, at least not when he meant it.
He sighed, "Fine, I accept your apology just.......learn to control yourself for once....." The boy nodded slowly before returning to his arrogant self. "Weasel visited you in the hospital wing a lot..." he smirked, "maybe you should go out with her and play around for a bit, then dump her-" "Draco......" Damien warned through clenched teeth, noting that he had called the boy by his first name for the first time. Malfoy also seemed to realize that as he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Ginny plopped herself right in between he and Damien.
"Excuse you!" Malfoy snapped coldly. "This is the Slytherin table you little Weasel! Stick with your own kind, you don't belong here!"
Ginny merely rolled her eyes and ignored him as she smiled apologetically at Damien. "Can I sit here? Ron's being a git again...." Damien shrugged, secretly elated as he smiled at the red-head. Malfoy was highly peeved. "No you can not! You're a mudblood-lover and we don't allow them around this table......" The other Slytherins who had been glaring at Ginny nodded at Malfoy's statement. Damien threw the infamous Snape-glare at the other Slytherins, "She can stay if I say so......unless any of you wish to oppose of course?" The others glanced at each other before returning to their meal.
"Well I won't allow our house to be tainted by such disgrace!" Malfoy snapped, standing up and glaring at Ginny, who looked unsurely at Damien before sighing, "Maybe I should go...." "No don't!" Damien insisted before turning to his fellow Slytherin. "Remember what I said about always thinking before you act! What the hell is wrong with Ginny?" "Well....she-" "Who CARES if she likes Muggle-borns?!" "Well there-" "I like Hermione! Am I not welcome here either?!" "No, but-" "But what?! Muggle-borns are exactly like us except they have non-magic parents! If it wasn't for them then we would have died out an eternity ago!" "But-" "Did you know that our 'Master' is a half-blood? That he had a muggle father?!" "No...." "Then what's the problem?! What does everyone have against muggles?! Doesn't anyone realizes they are EXACTLY like us except they can't do magic? That we were once exactly like them at one time?!" Nearly the whole of the Slytherin table was staring at either Damien or Malfoy, both who had stood up.
Ginny glanced uneasily at the many faces staring at them, "There's nothing to see here!" she snapped to them and they almost immediately went back to their dinner.
"What do you mean we were exactly like muggles at one time?" Malfoy asked slowly. Damien sneered, "Honestly! The way my father favors you I'd think you at least knew how we originally started out!" A faint blush appeared on Malfoy's face. "Didn't you know that there were only muggles at one time? Wizards are like the evolved form of muggles......all of us....we all have an ancestor that's a muggle! All of us!"
Malfoy paled dramatically. "B-but I've never heard that in History of Magic! I've never heard that before!" Damien sneered again, "Perhaps because they either forgot or are to ashamed to admit it!" he snapped, "not everyone knows that! It traces back from thousands of years ago.....well before Hogwart's time!" "How did you find out!" Malfoy snapped, essentially angry with Damien. "It's a little thing that I call reading! Something Hermione does more then you.....no wonder she's smarter, you may know a couple of Dark spells, Malfoy but you know absolutely nothing of our history!"
Malfoy opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to speak before turning and hurrying out of the Great Hall. Damien turned to Ginny who had watched the exchange silently. "You know, you didn't have to do that for me..." she mumbled, blushing. Damien arched an eyebrow and glanced around at the Hall to find that nearly every eye was on them. Damien cleared his throat slightly and snapped, "The shows over..." before glaring coldly at them and strolling out of the Great Hall, unaware of the three Gryffindors that soon followed after him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Damien walked out of the hall, intent on heading toward the Snake Pit and falling into a blissful sleep.
"Wait!" a voice called out to him and he stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before turning to see Ron walking slowly up to him, his eyes glued to the floor. Damien's old best friend absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, looking quite embarrassed.
"Erm...." Ron began and Damien waited patiently, this was the first time that Ron had actually acted the least bit civil to 'Damien Snape' and he didn't want to blow it. "Hey....um....thanks for...for....defending Ginny and Hermione like that....." Ron glanced up uneasily at Damien before glancing nervously around the deserted hall, as if afraid that they were being watched. "I....I'm sorry for....for treating you like I have been.....er...well...ya....I'm...sorry..." Ron seemed very awkward around him. Damien sighed but smiled inwardly, "I guess if I can accept Malfoy's apology for almost killing me then I can accept your apology for treating me like shit....."
Ron blushed.
"Ya...well..Hermione tells me I'm rather......shallow-minded....." Damien had to laugh at the other boy's comment. "Yes, she's right as usual..." Ron finally looked up at him and nodded "Maybe....we could...start over I guess....." He held out his hand hesitantly, "Ronald Weasley....but don't call me Ronald..."
Damien smiled outwardly this time as he accepted the hand, "Damien Snape". Ginny and Hermione hurried around the corner, interrupting the two. Ginny flung her arms around Damien and giggled, "About time you finally came to your senses Ron!" she said happily, smiling at her brother.
Ron merely shrugged.
Hermione walked over to him and murmured in his ear, "Thanks, for what you did......" Ron shrugged again, "Well he did defend you and Ginny in front of the whole school from Malfoy!" Hermione smiled warmly at her boyfriend.
"The dance is this Saturday, it was postponed!" Ginny said, smiling. "I'm going with Damien!" Ron gapped at his sister and Hermione smirked deviously, "Told you he was taken...."
"B-but.......!" "That's not a problem is it, Ronald?" Damien said smirking. Ron was silent for a couple minutes before he sighed and closed his mouth, "I guess I really can't stop you...." He murmured in defeat to Ginny, who beamed along with Hermione.
Ginny squealed with delight and flung her arms around her brother and her boyfriend. "This is going to be so much fun!!" "But I'm warning you, Snape! You hurt her in any way then you'll be sorry!" Ron growled, before smirking slightly and adding calmly, "....got it?" Damien nodded and returning the smirk.
He could tell that Ron was trying really hard to get along with him for the sake of Ginny and Hermione, but that still meant that the two of them actually had a chance to become friends again.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You want to WHAT?!" Severus nearly shouted to Damien, who shrugged. "Ron and I are actually being civil to each other now.....thanks to Hermione and Ginny that is...." "Still, Damien....you can't just tell him now....it would still be suspicious if you two were to suddenly start hanging out together..."
Damien huffed in annoyance at Severus. "You can be a real pain you know?" he said to his father. "Your not exactly the perfect son either you know..." his father stated quite coolly.
"Thanks, its nice to know I'm loved..." he snapped to the man. "Well, Damien you just about blew your cover with that little display in the Great Hall at dinner!" the man said harshly. "And how, might I ask did I do that?" "You're a Slytherin! You are supposed to hate muggle-borns not defend them!" "Well I was brought up by muggles remember! I'm not supposed to hate muggle-borns when I practically grew up as one!" "You cannot be hanging around them all the time! They are Harry Potter's friends! Not Damien Snape's!" "Well I'm sorry I'm not like your precious successor, Malfoy!" "You can't risk your life like this just because of your damn friends Damien! Its dangerous!" "That's why I was sorted into Gryffindor in the first place remember? I'm foolish and I do things ill rationally and fool heartedly!" "Damien....." "That's what you always used to tell me Severus! Remember, one simple discovery does not change five years of hate now does it?" "Damien! Stop acting so foolish! You are risking mine and your life by hanging around with them!" "I'm sorry for being such a burden for you Severus! If I am such a trouble then why don't you just haul me back to the Dursley's? After all, you've done that for the last five years!" "I had no idea about your real parentage, Damien you know that!" "Even if you would've known, you still would have shipped me to the Dursley's, after all I am still James Potter's adoptive son right? No need to give a damn about him..." "Silence! I will not be spoken to like that! I am your father, not one of your stupid little friends that you can just push around all the time!" "Ya, well your not doing a very good job at being a father right now...."
Severus paled slightly at Damien's words. Damien felt a twinge of guilt but angrily pushed it aside, he hated it when people tried to control his life! It had been done way to many times before and it wasn't going to happen again....not if he could help it!
"Fine!" his father growled. "Fine! Whatever! Do whatever you want! Blow your cover, get yourself killed! See if I care!"
Damien stared at his father, feeling his throat tighten slightly. Did Severus really not care if he got killed? Would the man even feel the least bit of sadness if he, Damien, dropped dead at this very moment? They had worked so hard to get past the old grudges and had tried so hard to get along and actually learn to treat one another as father and son should. All of that, all the work they had put into their working relationship seemed to crumble so easily.
"Fine..." he said coldly, mask your emotions, don't let them know what your feeling. He whirled around and strode to the door, stopping to turn around and say almost breezily, "Shame I didn't die with my parents isn't it?" before walking through the door and slamming it shut.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Damien walked up to the Snake Pit with his shoulders slumped and his head bowed slightly. He tried to digest the fact that his father, a person that he had come to actually care for in the last couple of months, didn't even care if he died.... He kept trying to tell himself that his father had just been angry by what he, Damien, had said but it didn't really work.......
"Pure-blood," he murmured quietly as the painting swung open and he stepped into the common room. Malfoy walked up to him, his eyes downcast. Damien sighed, "I'm not in the mood, Malfoy...." He mumbled tiredly. But the blonde shook his head, "I....I...erm....I looked in the library for books on our history....and....you know...." "...to see if I was lying?" Damien interrupted , annoyed. Malfoy nodded. He arched an eyebrow, "Well?" ".....you were......right...we do come from muggles..."
Malfoy was silent for a couple of moments. "I cant believe...I mean...I never knew.....muggle-borns are exactly how we were originally started...when a person was suddenly born with magic powers....." "...yes, it was Merlin," Damien stated quietly. "Are you going to actually try to get along with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny now?" Damien asked.
Malfoy shifted uneasily, ".....maybe.....maybe I'll........... .. ..try...but I'm not promising anything! Especially with your little girlfriend's brother....." Damien shrugged, "I think Ron is going to try to get along with me for Hermione and Ginny's sake.....Now if you don't mind, I'm exhausted....."
The other boy nodded, "Night then, Damien..."
"Night......Draco..."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Quidditch trials are this evening..." Draco told him at breakfast the next day. Damien looked up from his toast curiously, "I thought they were on Friday..." Draco shrugged, "They were but then.......I kind of got suspended......and well now they need a seeker..."
Damien blinked. "Maybe you should try out for seeker," the boy said. Damien shrugged, "Maybe....."
The whole morning hadn't been as chatty as usual (to Damien's great relief). It was almost like Malfoy knew that Damien thought of it as annoying and had kept doing it until now....
"Why are you so quiet today?" he asked. Draco shrugged, "Got nothing to talk about...." Damien had a feeling that Draco was afraid to lose his only friend. He did feel rather grateful that Malfoy wasn't talking all the time; it made it a whole lot more enjoyable to hang around with him.
"You should come over to my manor this Christmas," Draco blurted out suddenly and Damien blinked, "Well...aren't we going to be....marked near Christmas?" Draco nodded slowly, he didn't look very pleased about it. "Do you not want to be marked?" Damien asked innocently.
Draco glanced around uneasily before saying, "Come on, lets head to classes, you've got Ancient Runes and I've got Care of Magical Creatures, we're going the same way...." Damien nodded and the two headed out of the hall. Draco stopped in the middle of the main entrance and turned to look at Damien seriously. "I want you to swear on your mother's grave that you will NEVER tell my father or You-Know-Who about this...." "Okay..." Damien murmured slowly. "Say it!" "Okay, I swear on my mother's grave that I wont mention any of what you are about to tell me to Voldemort or your father...."
Draco paled and stared at him, "Y-You said his name!!" Damien shrugged, "So? Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." The blonde continued to stare at him, "The mudbloo-I mean......Granger....said something exactly like that in our second year...." Damien grinned impishly and shrugged.
Draco went on, "Okay.....I really don't want to be marked.." he muttered and Damien stared and him with wide eyes, "You don't?" The youngest Malfoy shook his head. "I don't want to serve some psycho.....I don't want to come home every night looking like my father....bleeding and convulsing just because I speak out of term or forget to say 'my lord'" Draco sneered at the last part.
"Wait, why are you telling me this? My father does work for Voldemort to you know....." Draco shrugged, "I don't know, I just feel like I can trust you for some......odd reason......you are the only friend I've had that actually responded when I talk..." Damien smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I wont tell your father or Voldemort..." The other smiled gratefully and footsteps and voices were heard to confirm that breakfast was over and the students were heading to their first class.
"Hey, I'll see you at Quidditch trials! They want me to help choose..." Draco said before opening the doors and heading toward Hagrid's cabin.
Damien smiled and hurried toward Ancient Runes to tell Hermione....
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Your kidding! Draco Malfoy doesn't want to be a Death Eater? But that's impossible! He's the ideal Death Eater....." Hermione exclaimed quietly at the end of Ancient Runes. Damien shrugged, "Apparently he's got more sense then I give him credit for....." Hermione nodded in agreement as they passed in their translations (Draco had helped Damien catch up on work and Hermione had helped him in Ancient Runes).
The bell rang and the two friends collected their things and headed for the Great Hall. Hermione headed over to the Gryffindor table beside Ron and Ginny. The later gestured for him to sit with them enthusiastically. Damien glanced over at Draco at the Serpents' table, he was all alone. He glanced at Ginny before heading over to Draco, "You wanna sit with me at the Gryffindor table?" he asked the blonde innocently. Draco dropped his fork, "Are you nuts? They're Gryffindors!!! Our rival house!" "Don't care..." Damien murmured absently and immediately perked up, "You're welcome to come but you are going to have to deal with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny if you want to come..."
The other growled, "Okay I said I'd try but this.....this is just....to much......to soon!!" Damien shrugged innocently, "Suit yourself....." with that he turned and walked over to the Gryffindor table, ignoring all the stares and glares he was receiving.
He sat himself down between Ginny and Neville. Neville gave him a warm smile, obviously accepting him immediately for saving his life. Ginny smiled and Hermione glared at the other Gryffindors who were glowering at him. Ron looked uncomfortable before also glaring at the other Gryffindors.
Many of the Gryffindors in Damien's age group seemed more curious then hostile and nearly ever jaw in the Great Hall dropped as Draco Malfoy slowly trudged over to the Gryffindor table and plopped himself down between Damien and Neville, the later gulped audibly and scooted away slightly. Draco's eyes were glued to the floor as he reached for a knife to butter his toast and Damien had to fight back the urge to bust out laughing at the pink flush that had appeared on the normally pale and confident face.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"I cant believe you made me do that!!!" Draco hissed to Damien as the two, along with Hermione and Ron, headed to DADA. Damien shrugged, "And you didn't drop dead now did you Draco?" "No but-" "And I'm sure no one thinks any less of you...." He chuckled slightly at Malfoy's glare. "You made me sit with the freaking Gryffindors you git!" Damien continued to chuckle in amusement as Ron stared, wide-eyed at him and Malfoy.
"Her-Hermione......Malfoy's acting......human!!!!" he looked very pale. "I- I think I should skip class..." "Oh no you don't Ronald Weasley! You are NOT getting off that easily and besides, I thought Professor Lupin's class was your favorite!" Ron frowned and mumbled in a dull voice, "It was when Harry was here.....its kinda boring without him now, you know?" Hermione nodded sadly, "I miss him too...."
Damien almost immediately stopped laughing and eyed his shoes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. He wanted so much to tell Ron and Hermione his true identity but he knew Severus would probably kill him..... The two still hadn't spoken to each other since their quarrel and Damien still felt a rather dull pain whenever he thought about Severus not caring if he died.
Well if Severus really didn't care then fine! He would tell Ron and Hermione! They were his best friends and they deserve the truth! It was his secret to tell anyway!
'Alright,' he told himself. 'I'll tell them after quidditch trials at dinner tonight......'
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Severus sat in his beloved dungeons as he finally got a moment of relaxation after teaching those ungrateful brats..... In his right hand he absentmindedly stroked the edge of his wine glass as he gazed idly into the red liquid.
The clock on his mantle gonged several times loudly, announcing that it was six. Six......what was so important about that time again? Oh yes... Try- outs for a Slytherin seeker were at six and Damien was trying out of course.
Damien.
He thought about what the boy had told him, about him not doing a very good job at being a father.... Well what did the boy expect? For him to be the perfect Dad when he hadn't opened up to anyone in about fifteen years?! Not to mention the tiny fact that Damien happened to be Harry Potter, his once most hated student.......
His ONCE most hated student....
Yes, he certainly didn't hate the boy anymore. He cared greatly for him....maybe to greatly perhaps. He couldn't do that, it was to dangerous. Yes, Severus had learned, years ago that it was dangerous to get close to someone.....
Probably because almost everyone he got close to, died.......
When he had first discovered that he was the father of the Boy-Who-Lived, he had thought nothing of it..... Thinking that he couldn't love anymore since he hadn't cared for someone in years...
But then, over the summer, he had really gotten to know the boy. He had seen the real Harry Potter, not the heroic, fearless one that everyone saw at school. No. He had seen the boy cry, laugh, talk, rant, ramble, struggle, sleep, eat, everything that a normal teenager did.
He had seen the flawed side of the boy. The side that made mistakes like everyone else, that got scared like everyone else, that lost his head at times like everyone else......he had realized that the boy WAS like everyone else....that he COULD bleed, that he COULD cry, that he COULD be scared......that he COULD make mistakes and tell lies.....
The side that the boy always had liked to keep hidden from everyone else.....from all the wizards, witches, and children that looked upon him as a hero, as a flawless person....
##########FLASHBACK############
"Don't you ever want to give up? Y'know just.....surrender and go into hiding?" Harry asked Severus as he eyed a scar on his father's shoulder that the man had gotten from Voldemort.
Severus shrugged slightly, "I really don't have a choice....even if I did, I wouldn't give up my spying duties....." "But....why? Don't you ever wonder what its like to have a normal life with a wife and kids? When the biggest thing you'd have to worry about was pleasing your children?"
Severus smiled slightly, "It would be nice....." he trailed off as he thought of having three small children, hanging all over him, asking for candy or the latest broomstick model. It was hard to imagine.....and even harder to think of Harry as one of those pleading children. He snorted at the image.
Harry arched an eyebrow, "Do I want to know what your thinking?" he asked quietly. Severus' smile faltered slightly as he shook his head and turned back to the Wolfsbane Potion they were making for Lupin's first month at Hogwarts. "It is hard, sometimes......thinking of how my life could have been....but it was my choice, no one else's. I was young and stupid and now I have to pay for the crimes I have committed....."
He turned back towards his son, "What about you? You have the whole world on your shoulders and your complaining about my spying duties!" Harry's smile faltered, like Severus' had as the boy's eyes became slightly glazed.
"I know that I am depended on by many.......that people see me as their beacon of hope....and I don't like it....I hate not being able to show terror or sadness when I want to....but....I suppose if I were to panic and get scared then everyone else would......lose hope....I just feel like their always watching me....." the boy finished, staring at the murky-brown potion, his eyes troubled.
Severus put a hand on his shoulder, "Well, they are selfish and weak if they feel the need to place the world on a fifteen year old boy's shoulders, they are to weak and scared, so they place the burden on the strong to keep their precious lives peaceful...."
Harry gave him a small smile, "Thanks.......and I'm sixteen...!" He murmured, arching an eyebrow at Severus. The man chuckled, "Don't ruin the moment....."
Harry smiled at his father, enjoying seeing the man let loose and relax for once...... "I trained myself to smile, despite my emotions, so whenever I feel sad or scared, I will always look cheerful on the outside so no one will panic...." Harry went on. "And sometimes, when the pain or fright gets to much I let go of it all by....." he trailed off, embarrassed. "What?!" Severus asked. "Its kind of....embarrassing..." the boy murmured, averting his eyes.
Severus sighed, "I wont laugh if that's what your worried about..." The boy looked slightly unsure but went on, "...uh....whenever I feel to troubled....I always....laugh...." "Laugh?! Why?" Harry shrugged. "It helps, its almost like crying, you can just let your emotions go and no one worries if I laugh...."
Severus scowled at Harry. "That's probably really not healthy you know...." The Boy-Who-Lived shrugged again. "As long as everyone doesn't know how I really feel, I don't mind..." Severus opened his mouth to object only to be interrupted by Harry saying, "Laugh with me now will you?"
"Why?"
Another shrug, "I'm kind of nervous about school and about blowing my cover....laugh with me!!!" "No...." "Come on..." "No!" "It'll make you feel better, I promise...." "Harry!" "Pllleeeeeaaasssse Severus!!" Harry whined mockingly and Severus had a déjà vu moment as he thought about a smaller Harry, pleading for a broom. He sighed, "Fine!" he snapped and bottled the potion.
Harry smirked victoriously, "Alright then, smile...come on....." Severus rolled his eyes, "This is stupid, Harry..." "Oh come on! How would you know you haven't even given it a chance?!" Severus sighed, knowing that arguing with the brat was pointless and forced a very strained looking smile.
Harry sighed but nodded, "Now laugh!" "Just like that?" "Yep! It doesn't even have to be real....it just has to be loud...." He took a deep breath, ".....and obvious!" Harry stretched out for a moment before exploding in unmistakable laughter, "AHAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAA!!!!" Severus snorted in amusement, "You sound like a hyena...." Harry stopped to take several deep breaths, "Now you try, come on!" "I will not lower myself to such immature, stu-" "Wimp!" "Excuse me?!" "Wimp!!!" "How dare you call me a wimp you little brat!"
Harry grinned impishly, "Wimp!!" Severus growled, he hated being called a wimp.....Potter and Black had called him that many times in their school days.......
"Wimp? You call me a wimp? Well how's this for a wimp?!!" He took a deep breath, "WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" He sat there and panted for a minute before smirking at Harry, who immediately exploded with laughter.
"What is so funny?!" "Y-You sounded s-so so stupid!!!! You sounded like an....an elephant!! You need to laugh more!!" Severus sneered, "Ha ha...." He muttered sarcastically, feeling quite embarrassed by falling for the boy's trick and acting like a fool when he was supposed to be the adult......
"Oh come off it!!" Harry snapped suddenly. "Can you stop acting like a teacher for one minute and just......act like an idiot for once?! There is no one in the house besides me so you don't have to worry!" "Unlike you, I must keep up appearances..." "For who?! No one else is in the house, so why cant you take off your mask for once and just......laugh and not worry about the consequences?!"
Severus said nothing.
Harry 'humph'ed "No wonder your so grumpy, you put so much pressure on yourself to be the ideal grouch, its like you try not to have any fun just so you will turn cold!" Severus sneered, "I'd rather not act like an idiot all the time like you and your idiotic friends tend to..." he drawled in a bored voice. "Why cant you just have fun for only this time?! You don't have to do this all the time, but......if you keep all your troubles bottled up then you'll overload yourself! It'll tear you up!"
"I don't deserve fun...." Severus murmured and Harry stared, "Yes you do!! So you made a few mistakes, big deal! Everyone makes mistakes its just some are more noticeable then others! Yes, you have killed people but you realized what you did was wrong and you asked for forgiveness and that's the important thing! Besides, you have helped the Order so much, you've saved probably more lives then you've taken! Treat yourself like a human- being Severus! Don't treat yourself like shit because of something that you cant change!"
With that, Harry whirled around and stormed upstairs to his room, slamming the door shut loudly as he went.
#################END FLASHBACK################
Severus smiled slightly at the memory, it had been one of the first times he had ever acted out of character in a long time. He had to admit, it had cheered him up to laugh for once. The boy most certainly had made a dent the walls he had carefully built around his heart, even though they still were having problems with their relationship, it was no doubt that they had made a lot of progress.
He thought of what he had said to the boy suddenly, Fine! Whatever! Do whatever you want! Blow your cover, get yourself killed! See if I care! Horrible thing to say to him....damn he was acting like a child now and the boy probably thought he had been serious.....
Severus bit his lower lip and also remembered what the boy had said to him before he had left, Shame I didn't die with my parents isn't it? Why would Damien say something like that? Did he really want to die? Was he suicidal? The answer came to him almost instantly. No. He knew that Damien wouldn't do something that stupid, even if the boy really did want to die then he knew that Damien wouldn't die before killing Voldemort once and for all.
That was another thing that sent shivers down his spine, the fact that his son was the one to kill that monster. Why, the thought of the boy getting marked was horrible enough, which they still hadn't came up with a solution yet....
Nevertheless the boy was the destined one, and if there was anyone that he trusted enough with the power to defeat the Dark Lord, it would most definitely be Damien. Severus sighed, he needed to talk to the boy. December was approaching and fast, they needed to take action, make a plan......
Severus pulled out a quill, an inkbottle, and a piece of parchment before writing a note to Damien.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"You'll do fine, y'know!" Draco told Damien enthusiastically as they made their way to the Quidditch Pitch. "How would you know? You've never seen me fly!" Draco shrugged, "I have a feeling and my feelings are always right...."
Damien rolled his eyes good naturedly as they arrived to the field; there were a group of what looked like fourth years crowded around the Slytherin team.
Montague, the captain, made a loud 'crack' with his wand and sent some sparks into the air, "Quiet!" he barked to them and they fell silent. Draco walked over to his side and Damien swallowed, feeling alone once again. The seventh year clamped his hands behind his back before pacing back and forth in front of the Seeker hopefuls. "I expect our new Seeker to be with us at practice each and every session! If you miss one for any reason whatsoever you will be off the team!" he stopped and turned toward them, "...and if anyone has any problems with that then leave now!"
No one moved, the fourth years looked quite terrified, Damien merely huffed and rolled his eyes. "We have a whole new strategy this year! We will practice longer and more frequently Gryffindor wont stand a chance!" the team smirked confidently at that. "I expect our Seeker to catch the snitch every time! If he or she doesn't, then they will suffer the consequences..."
There was murmuring amongst the Slytherins and Damien suddenly wished that the try-outs were over.
They took turns catching the snitch, they were timed and observed by the Slytherin team and Draco. There were eight that tried out, Damien included. Five fourth years, one second year, and a third year. There was no competition really. It was quite pitiful, only one of the fourth years were the least bit good and he caught the snitch after thirty minutes and three times of falling off the broom. The other four fourth years had apparently been the first one's friends, whom had tried out just because their friend had.
The second year had kicked off from the ground and not five minutes later, he came tumbling down, breaking his leg, he was escorted to the Hospital Wing of course.
The third year was the best next to Damien, she caught the snitch in ten minutes and flew almost perfectly but Damien caught his snitch in less then five minutes. So, after discussing it briefly, the Slytherin team declared Damien the new Seeker and the third year girl, the reserve.
Draco was seen telling Damien over and over that he knew he'd make it. Damien had to smile slightly, okay maybe he was playing for the Slytherin team but hey, at least he got to play Quidditch again....
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Where're you going Damien," Draco asked him as Damien made for the portrait. "My Dad's," the Boy-Who-Lived replied simply, careful to say 'my dad's'. "He sent me an owl telling me to meet him in his office after try- outs...." Which really sucked because Damien had been planning on telling Ron and Hermione about his real identity, but regardless of what his father had said to him, he didn't like being on bad terms with the man, it reminded him to much of his life before the discovery.
He knocked on his father's door and heard a tired, 'enter' before opening the door and stepping inside.
Severus looked tired and irritated and Damien felt himself tense slightly when the man looked up at him. The irritation seemed to fade away and Severus cleared his throat, "Good evening, Damien..." Damien nodded and looked away. Severus sighed and stood up before rounding the desk and standing in front of Damien, who lowered his gaze.
"I would like to apologize for my words yesterday....they were rude and uncalled for......I had no right to say them to you...."
Damien shifted slightly at his father's apology. "Erm....Its....okay.....I guess....I shouldn't have said what I did either....I'm sorry...." Severus nodded in acceptance to the apology.
"Now, why I asked you down here tonight is to discuss what exactly we are going to do about your marking....." "Shouldn't the headmaster be down here to?" Damien asked and Severus shook his head, "No, he has things he needs to do.....I shall be telling him our plan before the meeting in December though."
"Well....." Damien started hesitantly. "I was thinking of this one thing we could do, but I doubt you'll agree with it......"
Severus arched an eyebrow, "What?"
Damien bit his lip nervously and Severus' eyes widened as realization hit him, "No, your are NOT spying!"
"But why not? I'm going to be marked anyway..."
"No your not, you don't realize what its like to be marked, Damien...."
"Well if I'm not marked then you'll be killed!"
"I could just stop spying!"
"You and I both know that Dumbledore and the Order cant afford for you to stop spying nor will either one of them let you stop!"
"I don't care, your not being marked! Do you not realize how much you'd be risking your life by doing this!"
"Well it wont be any different from my life as Harry Potter now wont it?"
"I wont let you put your life in danger like that just to save me Damien, I'm not worth it!"
"Don't say that!!" Damien shouted. "Don't you ever say something like that! Why do you always think you life is worth nothing?! Why do you constantly treat yourself lower then dirt?!"
Severus sighed, "Because, Damien I know I am not worth it....."
"Stop saying that!"
"You have no idea of the sins I have committed Damien! I have committed way to many crimes to be forgiven in a lifetime!"
"I don't care about the sins you have committed, Severus! You're a different person now! Everything you did before was in the past! IN THE PAST!! You were different, it shouldn't effect who you are now!"
Severus opened and closed his mouth several times before realizing that Damien was right, though he hated to admit that he should forgive himself, if not for him then for Damien at least.
"Nevertheless I still do not want you to spy......there are plenty of other spies that are close to the Dark Lord, Dumbledore and the Order can afford to give up me...."
Damien blinked and for the first time was distracted, "Other spies?! Who? Who else is a spy?" Severus shrugged, "I have no idea, spies are not told whom the other spies are since they could be questioned under Veritaserum...."
Damien nodded, that did make sense...
"Legilimens!!"
Damien started when Severus suddenly shouted the spell at him. The man had been surprising him like this more often as of late. He quickly cleared his mind as the spell hit and tried to force the man out of his head......
"MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!!!!" Vernon roared at him on Dudley's eleventh birthday while Dudley and Piers laughed openly in the background......
He was in his first year, in his first potion's class as Snape glared down at him with hatred in his eyes, "Mr. Potter......our new celebrity......"
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light, a rushing sound and Cedric Diggory lay dead on the ground.....
He was at the Dursley's, after his fifth year, in his cupboard curled into a trembling ball, blood stained his clothes, as Vernon shouted at him, "FREAK!! WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!!! YOU KILL EVERYONE WHO COMES NEAR YOU!! WHO COULD EVER LOVE A USELESS FREAK LIKE YOU!!!" The man lifted the belt from his pants and whipped the buckle around Harry's face once again as a pale Aunt Petunia watched in horror.
"NOOOOO!!!"
Suddenly the memory faded away and Damien found himself on the cold, stone floor, retching violently as hot tears poured down his face. Yes, he had had memories of Vernon beating him, but none as bad as this one had been.
He tried desperately to hold back the sobs that shook his body and tried to quickly wipe away the tears, flowing from his eyes. How could he be so weak? It was just a memory nothing more! He had to control himself! He needed to control his emotions or he'd never learn Occlumency enough to defend himself from Voldemort and it could cost him another person's life! He couldn't let that happen!
But even he had his limits and Damien was soon gasping in desperation as he continued to try to hold back the incredible urge to just break down and cry. Everything just seemed to have built up inside of him and finally, it all seemed to be coming out...
He suddenly felt an arm wrap itself around him and he abruptly threw his arms around the other person, burying his face into the soft folds of robes as he found himself weeping in the arms of his father. He suddenly felt safe, protected as his father tightened his arms around him briefly. Severus was saying words to him....soft, soothing words that were supposed to comfort him but Damien barely understood any of them, he just focused on the soothing tone and the strong arms around him.
Severus felt the walls around his heart crumble instantly as he held a sobbing Damien. He felt something different, something warm replacing it instead, something that he had never felt before... Could it be love? Could he actually love this boy......his son? He knew that he cared about Damien very much but....was it possible for him, Severus Snape the heartless bastard that almost all of the students hated, to love?
Severus stared down at the dark head nestled against him and smirked slightly as the answer came to him instantly. Yes. He could love this boy and he did.....Merlin, he never would have thought it possible.
He suddenly felt a surge of fury course through him as he thought about the man responsible for Damien's distress, Vernon Dursley. Oh he would make the bastard pay for what he had done to his son! After all, there were worse things then death now weren't there?
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Are you sure you want to tell them?" his father asked him quietly from his desk as Damien wiped his face off with a towel and put a freshen-up charm on himself to make him look like he hadn't been crying.
"Yes, Severus I'm sure. I know for a fact that they wont abandon me if that's what your worried about..."
"I know they wont abandon you, its just that the more people that know about your true identity, the worse!" Damien sighed, "They wont tell anyone, don't worry."
Severus sighed but nodded, "Alright, I trust that you know what your doing..." Damien smiled inwardly but immediately sobered up, "I do want to be a spy, Severus...I don't want you to die or suffer.... please Severus.... you cant die!"
Severus softened at his son's plea. "And I don't want you to die, Damien...You remember what it was like to be put under the Cruciatus Curse?" At Damien's nod he continued, "Well just imagine being put under that at least twice at every Death Eater meeting...I know you want to help but it will be painful and dangerous and I don't want you to suffer either...."
Damien stared up into his father's dark orbs, swirling with concern and apprehension. "I know it will be painful, I know what Death Eater meetings are like, remember?" he reached up to touch the series of jagged lines on his forehead briefly.
Severus sighed. "I don't like this.... not one bit...." "Please! I want to help! I need to help in some way! After all, I've almost mastered Occlumency, you said so yourself! I can almost always block you!" Severus ran a hand through his hair. "Please, I won't blow our cover and I can't just sit by while you are tortured and killed! I've watched that happen way to many times and I need to take action!"
His father regarded him through thoughtful, black eyes. "Fine...I'll speak with the headmaster about it.... but if you are seriously injured in any way or if you are told to perform something that you really don't want to do..." "Severus! I'll be a Death Eater! You can't tell me that I'm not going to be getting injured or not going to do something I don't want to, that's impossible!" Severus sighed in annoyance with the boy's common sense but nodded.
"Also there's one more thing, Severus..." 'Oh boy...' Severus thought mentally. "Well, Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater and I was thinking that he could be a spy to...."
"How do you know he's not acting upon his father's orders, Damien? You can't trust someone so quickly, nowadays its dangerous!" "I know I know everything's dangerous now! But I know I can trust him!" "How?" "I don't know I just...do! If you don't trust him then at least trust me on this Severus!" "Fine, fine! I'll talk to Albus about allowing Mr. Malfoy to become a spy to..."
"Thanks!" Damien checked his watch. "Damn! I'm late for the meeting with Ron, Hermione, and Gin! They're gonna kill me!" "Watch your language, young man!" Severus sneered playfully and Damien rolled his eyes.
"Ya, ya...." He murmured, waving off the reprimand breezily. "I'll see you later!" Severus nodded. "Good-night, Damien...and congratulations on making the Slytherin Team, we'll finally beat Gryffindor now."
Damien smiled as he made for the door, but stopped and turned back toward Severus. "I seemed to have been mistaken...your really good at being a Dad!"
Severus blinked in shock as the boy hurried out of the room before throwing over his shoulder, "Good-night.........Dad..."
&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Where on Earth have you been Damien?" Ginny exclaimed to him as he walked into the Room of Requirement. He was about an hour late due to his little quandary. He shrugged, "With my Dad." He said, surprised at how easily 'my dad' had come. He couldn't believe that he had called Severus 'dad' even though Severus really was his father it had still been kind of embarrassing... "Okay, so what did you need to talk to us about, Damien" Hermione asked from her place beside Ron on one of the couches.
The room currently looked like a living room. It had two big, squashy, coffee colored couches with a couple beanbag chairs littering the room. A huge, warm fire was crackling peacefully in the fireplace. The two couches were across from each other, each side-by-side to the fireplace, with a dark-wooded coffee table in the middle of them. On it was tea and biscuits. It was perfect.
Damien plopped down beside Ginny on the other couch and glanced nervously at her. She gave him a reassuring nod and he took a deep breath before talking, "Okay, what I'm about to tell you, might freak you out a bit but I am asking you to please wait until I get finished before you jump to conclusions..."
Hermione and Ron looked at him, confused, but nodded anyway after glancing briefly at each other.
Damien took another deep breath to calm himself and Ginny held his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Alright, I am going to be blunt, first off.......my name is not really Damien Snape....it was a cover-up name for my real identity...."
Ron's eyes widened and Hermione almost immediately perked up, "Its you isn't it, Harry?! I've suspected for ages I was just to afraid to ask you!"
Damien blinked, 'well this will make it a lot easier' he thought. Ron's jaw dropped as he stared at Damien as if he'd never seen him before in his whole life, "H-Harry mate? Is that really you?!" Damien looked at his hands and murmured, "Yes, Ron its me...."
Silence reigned before a loud squeal hit his ears and Hermione flung herself practically across the table and onto Damien unceremoniously, "Oh Harry!!! I knew it was you I just knew it!!! Oh we've missed you so much!!!" She sobbed and Damien felt the urge to chuckle.
Hermione composed herself as she sat back down, still smiling. "How've you been? Where've you been over the summer? Why didn't you tell us?" But Damien wasn't looking at her he was looking at Ron.
The redhead was seating stock-still staring at Damien as if he were a ghost. "Why didn't you tell us, mate?" he asked hoarsely, repeating Hermione's last question. "I wanted to! I really did! But Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape-" "Snape?! Why in the bloody hell did you have to pose as his son?! Oh I feel sorry for you mate....."
Damien sighed he had to tell them...
"Ron I'm not posing." Ron paled and Hermione stilled. They both stared at him. "H-How is that possible?!" Hermione was the first to recover. "My mom put a charm on me to make me look like James Potter.....Severus and my mom were really good friends, but one night Malfoy put the Imperious Curse on him and made him drug mom and well they......." He trailed off and Ron blanched. "So he practically raped her?!" "NO!" Damien shouted, "He did not! He had NO control over his actions whatsoever Ron so don't even think any different!"
"Jeez...sorry mate.... I didn't mean to...it just sort of popped out.... I mean..." "What Ron's trying to say, Harry, is that its kind of a shock, you know? He didn't mean it in that way..." "I know Hermione.....I'm sorry Ron......both of you for not telling, I wanted to but they wouldn't let me..."
"Anymore surprises?" Ron looked slightly woozy.
Damien frowned, "Actually.....ya...." he sighed, "Do you remember the prophecy that Voldemort wanted last year?" the others nodded. "Well, I actually did hear it.....in Dumbledore's office, after....after Sirius....." he trailed off and Hermione nodded in understanding. "So what'd it say?" Ron asked, looking slightly excited. "Basically that I either have to kill Voldemort or be killed by him...."
Silence once again met his ears.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Damien heard a sob off to the side and glanced over to see Ginny with tears pouring down her face. He had almost forgotten that she hadn't known about the prophecy either... He put an arm around her comfortingly.
"I don't want to put you guys in danger...I hate being me sometimes...." He whispered sadly to them. "Don't say that!" Ginny said to him. "We'll stick with you till the end, that's what we're here for! We'll always be here for you no matter what! You've got to believe that, Harry!"
"I don't want you guys to be in danger....." "We're already in danger, don't you think?" Hermione asked. "And we're with you, aren't we you guys?" Ginny and Ron nodded. Ron looked very pale, he looked at Damien as if he were dead, "We're here for you mate..."
Damien felt emotion rise up in his chest as he listened to his friends' words. He loved them all....and sometimes he felt as if he didn't deserve friends like them, he almost said so out loud, but he knew he'd only be chastised if he did.
"There's one more thing, if I don't get the Dark Mark in December then my father will be tortured and killed....." Ginny and Hermione gasped and Ron looked thunder-struck. "I never liked Snape but....I never wanted him to die...your not going to actually go through with it are you?" he asked cautiously. "I have to Ron....if I don't then he'll be killed! I'm going to be a spy too."
"But that's dangerous!!" Ginny shrieked, "Y-You could die! Or be tortured or discovered!" "I have to take that chance Gin....don't worry I'll be fine, I'm really good at hiding my emotions and I'm good at Occlumency now.......and I have a high pain tolerance level.....plus I need to do something to help.."
"B-But what if you have to kill someone! What then?!" Ginny continued to look for ways to convince him other wise. "I doubt Voldemort will make me do something that extreme.....the worse I'll have to do is spy or maybe..." Damien gulped audibly as he spoke one of his worse fears, "....maybe I'll have to put the Cruciatus on someone...."
Ginny let out a dry sob and Hermione and Ron gasped. "Its going to be okay, you guys....don't worry..."
"R-Right...." Ron moaned faintly, "You find out our most hated teacher is actually your father and that he was made to drug your mom into...sleeping with her by Malfoy's father, your made to have a new identity because of that and you have to kill You-Know-Who or you'll die and your going to be a spy for Dumbledore by being marked! Ya! Its going to be just peachy keen! And here I thought we would have a normal year!"
Damien sighed at all of his friends' distress, "Look, lets not think about the future now, lets just relax, for once in our lives we need to just relax and not think about it....please...just for now...."
Ginny, Hermione, and Ron exchanged glances before they turned back to their friend, he was right, they needed to just relax for once and Harry needed it most of all......
"Okay Harry..." Ginny said, though her voice had a hint of worry in it. But they had to relax for Harry's sake....he deserved it...
So they all sat their, eating biscuits and drinking tea, sitting in the quiet, thinking about the good times, before the war or maybe discussing the upcoming Quidditch match, avoiding the subject of Voldemort, getting marked, and what lay ahead in the future......
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"What are you planning on dressing up as for the dance Damien?" his father asked him after the second potion's lesson on Friday. Damien shrugged and smirked, "It's a secret..."
Severus rolled his eyes. "The headmaster spoke to Mr. Malfoy last night..." Damien looked up from the second year papers he was helping his father grade as he arched an eyebrow, "And?" "Well....the Order has two new spies come December...." Severus said with a sigh.
Damien smiled openly. Finally, he was finally able to help out, to be treated as an adult! He knew it was going to be as painful as hell but it was going to be worth it if it meant that he would be saving his father's life and possibly, other people's lives as well.
Severus glanced at the clock, "You need to be heading to your next class..." The potion's class had gotten out early due to the fact that they couldn't make any more progress on their Veritaserum for a couple of days. Damien had stuck around to grade papers with his father instead of going with Ron and Hermione. He really wanted to spend more time with the man; he often enjoyed the time that they spent together.
Damien carefully stacked the papers back onto his father's desk as he collected his book bag and headed toward the door. "Good-bye Damien." His father called to him.
"Bye, Dad..."
() Whew!!! Oh my Lord! I thought I would never get done with that chapter! It just sort of kept on going and when I wanted to post it, ff.net was down! Then I went to Florida for three days and then I didn't have the story with me to upload it!! So I just kept on going.
Next chapter is the dance and if any of you has an idea of what Damien or Hermione or Ron or Ginny or anyone else could dress up as then please tell! Also I seriously doubt that I should but just for your opinion, do you think this story should be moved up to rated 'R' I seriously doubt it but like I said, I really don't feel like getting my story kicked off ff.net just because I cant rate good.
I know there was OOCness with some people, especially in the flashback but please, bear with me, I made then chapter extra extra long to make up for it!!
Well I hate to say that this wont be a regular occurrence, its almost like a once in a blue moon thing so....ya.....sorry... grins apologetically Here's the werewolf challenge if any of you are interested: The story must mainly be about Harry, Snape, and Lupin.
Harry is either Lupin or Snape's son and Lily is still his mother.
AFTER Harry finds out that he is Snape or Lupin's son he is bitten by Lupin (in werewolf form) and is turned into a werewolf.
One main part of the story must be about Harry's becoming of a werewolf and how he deals with it.
Ron and Hermione cannot be animagus'.
Harry's real parentage is kept a secret from the wizarding world.
Sirius does come back (you can decide how).
The main genre cannot be humor.
Must take place AFTER Harry's fifth year.
No new MAIN characters.
Okay so thats it. Dont know if its a really good challenge or not but I just want to see a good story made out of this. I know its kind of like the Severitus' challenge so I dont really want to take any credit for it (thats why its called the werewolf challenge). I don't think that this type of challenge has been made yet but if it has then i have not come across it.
Okay well please please please PLEASE review!!! Please! I made a twenty two page chapter so you'd review so please do so!!!
Till next time...
BYE!!!!!!!J