Thanks to Fuzzy, who co-wrote this chapter- This story wouldn't get written if it weren't for her!
Harry stifled a sigh just in time. Sighing right now would most likely definitely not be a good move. But he was bored. He and Draco must have been stood in separate corners of the living room for about an hour and a half now, yet neither of them had told their Father what had happened at Tom's. They didn't want to tell him, not just because they didn't want to suffer the consequences, and they knew there would be consequences, but they also wanted to put the fight behind them and forget about it and get back to being friends, well at least Harry did.
In his corner of the room, Draco was grumbling. "How dare Father treat us like little kids, sticking us in this corner just because we won't tell him anything" he said. "I bet Potter is almost ready to crack."
"What was that Draco?" Severus asked, from where he was sat on the couch. "Did you say something?" Draco didn't answer, he knew better than to lie again and he'd bet anything that he was going to get into extra trouble for that earlier lie as well. Life just wasn't fair!
Harry was shocked. He couldn't believe that Draco was grumbling in his corner, didn't he know that they were in enough trouble already! Not that he'd heard what Draco had said, but he must have said something if their Father was asking him about it. Harry admitted to himself that he wouldn't dare grumble in this situation, he was too, well, scared. The man who had ordered him into the corner had been more like the Professor Snape he had known at the beginning of the year, not the man who had told him he was and had become his Father. Not that he was still having an easy time accepting this man as his Father. He stifled another sigh and leaned his forehead against the wall, knowing that he would be most likely rebuked for not standing up straight.
"Harry, perhaps you would like to explain exactly what happened at Tom's? I know something happened, even if he tried to cover up for you," Professor Snape said in his quietest, most dangerous voice.
Harry gulped. "N-nothing, Father," he lied, regretting it instantly.
"I believe you were present when I explained to your brother that I do not tolerate lying, Harry? More than once?" Severus said in a dangerously quiet voice, barely above a whisper. Both boys knew they were in for it now. "Tell me." Draco and Harry exchanged glances, but to do this they had to crane their heads around, they were still stood in corners of the room. Severus looked at both of them. "I'm waiting, boys," he said, in a low voice that made Draco and Harry shiver. "Tell me what happened. Now!"
"We...we had a fight at Tom's house," Draco admitted quietly. Harry threw his twin an incredulous glance. How could he tell Father?
"I appreciate your honesty, Draco," Severus said neutrally. "However, I seem to remember explaining to you both that if you did not behave yourselves, there would be serious consequences for your actions..." Harry flinched. His Uncle Vernon used the same tone, even if it was in a much louder voice, whenever Harry had done accidental magic... and the consequences had indeed been severe. He tried not to show how afraid he was, but though his expression gave no sign, his stomach clenched and he shivered again. Though he didn't know it, Draco was faring no better.
Severus looked at them both. "Harry. Draco. Come over here" he said sharply, and they obeyed, glancing at each other. When Severus was sure he had their attention, he continued. "You deliberately disobeyed me, fighting while you were at Tom's, and then lied to me about it... I have made it clear, time and again, that I do not tolerate lying." The coldness in Severus' voice frightened both boys.
"Yes Father," they both whispered together.
"Then would either one of you care to explain why you continue to do so? Repeatedly?" Severus asked in a dangerously silky tone of voice. Neither Draco nor Harry said a thing, their was no satisfactory answer to that question. Severus narrowed his eyes. "I asked you a question," he said in that same silky tone. He looked from one to the other. "Answer me." Harry and Draco shared a worried glance. Still neither said a word. Severus grabbed Draco's shoulder and pulled the boy toward him. "Draco...do you wish to tell me why you and your brother insist on disobeying me?"
Draco shook his head slightly. "We don't mean to," he barely whispered.
"Maybe you should start trying a little harder?" Severus suggested, still in the same silky tone. "Next time it might save you from the consequences."
Draco began to shake. "Father...please..." he begged. "What are you going to do to us? Don't you love us, Father?"
"Of course I do!" Severus told him, softening his voice a little. "But that doesn't mean that I'll tolerate wilful disobedience." The hard tone was back.
Draco had relaxed for a second when his Father softened his tone, but now he shook again. "Father...? What are you going to do to me?"
"Exactly the same as what I'm going to do to Harry," Severus told him, skilfully dodging the question. "But for now, why don't you tell me what this fight was about?" Draco wasn't really in a position not to answer.
"It was nothing much, honestly!" Draco panicked. "I can't remember how it started! But it did come down to Gryffindor and Slytherin," Draco admitted quietly.
Severus narrowed his eyes. "I told you not to argue over Gryffindor and Slytherin, did I not?" He glanced at Harry, who nodded. Harry sighed and put a hand on Draco's shoulder. He didn't want his brother to feel alone... At least, not as alone as he was feeling right now. He was already promising himself that he would never ever do anything like this again and he hadn't even faced the consequences yet! Harry's mind flashed back to when they first learned Professor Snape was their Father. He had gotten angry with them then, too, almost as angry as this. Almost. And since this was worse, he felt that he knew what could happen, and that it would be worse... And that it probably was one of the worst consequences they could face. Harry felt himself start to shake. This was going to be bad, he just knew it!
Draco gulped as his Father turned him round and placed six hard swats at the top of his thighs. He choked back sobs. Harry flinched. He knew to expect the same, yet he was still not quite prepared as his Father turned him around and placed the six hard swats to the top of his thighs. He couldn't quite believe how much it hurt and he was struggling to hold back his tears.
Severus looked fondly at his sons, who were trying so hard not to cry, and he wrapped an arm around each of them, holding them close. "Harry, Draco, it will be all right," he said soothingly. "Nothing you do can make me love you any less. You're my sons."
"That hurt!" Harry choked out, pointing out the obvious.
"That was the general idea," Severus said gently. "Maybe next time you will both think twice before you disobey me? Hmm?" Severus asked gently. He received two nods from the heads resting on his shoulders. "Because I can assure you, if there is a next time, it will be worse," Severus pulled back a bit and looked both Harry and Draco in the eye.
Draco and Harry let their tears go as their Father held them. "We won't fight, Father," they promised. "We're sorry for disobeying." As they spoke at the same time, they exchanged glances. It was so weird to know what the other was going to say...
"This is just going to take a bit of getting used to," Harry admitted, using the back of his hand to dry his face.
"I don't expect miracles," Severus told them. "But I do expect you not to fight and to obey me."
Both of them nodded. Draco was still finding it difficult to stop crying. He rubbed his eyes and choked back another sob. Harry glanced at his twin, worried. He was used to pain because of the Dursleys, but from the way Draco had carried on, it seemed like he had never been struck by anyone. That was not exactly true, however. Draco was no stranger to pain. He was more upset because his Father, the Professor who he admired most, had been really angry with him, and he felt like he had failed him.
Severus noticed the worried glance that Harry had shot at Draco and he held both of his boys closer, gently wiping away some of the tears that Draco was still crying. Harry's eyes were completely dry now and he seemed to be the stronger twin now, a contrast to when he had first told them they were brothers, when Draco had most definitely been the leader.
"Shh...Draco, it'll be ok," Harry said comfortingly, patting his brother on the shoulder. "It's ok."
Draco shook his head. "No it's not..."
"Why isn't it?" Severus asked quietly, stroking Draco's hair. "You both accepted the consequences of your actions bravely and it's over."
"I don't know, Father," Draco said in a whisper. "My... other father... I mean, well..." Draco stumbled over the words, not sure how to refer to Lucius anymore. "He... used to hit me when he felt I wasn't behaving like a proper Malfoy. And now that I know I'm not a Malfoy, I thought I wouldn't care anymore. But... Father, you've been the first person who I actually cared about... I never thought you..."
"Draco," Severus said quietly. "There is a big difference between being hit and those swats which I just gave you. You understand that, right?" Severus asked. "You too, Harry?"
The boys exchanged glances. They shook their heads. After growing up in abusive households, it was hard to tell the difference. "No, Father," they chorused honestly, knowing better than to lie again.
Severus stifled a sigh, silently admonishing himself for not explaining this sooner. Those swats I just gave you were intended to teach you a lesson, not simply just to cause you pain because you've done something wrong. You understand me so far?"
Draco and Harry weren't sure they understood. "Not really, Father," Harry said quietly.
"Well you see, it's working already. You already know better than to lie to me now, because you know what the consequences will be. And you're not just obeying out of fear." Harry and Draco shared another look, and it was another look which was noticed by Severus.
"Harry? Draco?" he questioned gently.
Harry looked at him. "Yes, Father?" he asked, together with Draco.
"You know I would never hurt you, right?" Severus asked them both.
Draco was still sniffling a bit. "But you did, Father," he said in a whisper.
"Draco," Severus said in a firm tone. "Why did I give you those swats?"
Draco looked at him. "Because I had a fight with Harry and lied to you about it."
Harry nodded. "Yeah..."
"Exactly," Severus told him. "I did not give you those swats just to cause you pain. You need to obey me, both of you. I gave you those swats because you disobeyed me."
Draco frowned slightly. "My... other father... beat me when I disobeyed him..."
"And can you see the difference between what he done, and what I done?" Severus asked.
Draco pondered the question for a moment. "They both hurt, but I feel so much worse after this…"
Harry nodded. "The Dursleys beat me too" he said quietly. "And somehow this was worse."
"Any ideas why?" Severus asked, not wanting to push the matter, but he wanted an answer. Harry and Draco shared another long look. Neither wanted to answer, but one look at their Father's face and they knew that they were going to have to answer at some point. Both looked down, at each other, around the room, anywhere to avoid looking their at their father, which was starting to annoy Severus, he had thought that they were making progress.
Severus looked back at them. "Well" he pressed.
"Because... well, I'm not sure," Harry said. "I mean, I thought from the beginning that you hated me, Father, and now everything's so different..."
"It'll take time Harry, and I'm sorry about that. I thought I'd never be able to tell you or your brother the truth," Severus explained. "Especially when you look so different…"
Harry didn't quite manage to stifle a gasp, that had just reminded him. Severus looked at him and Harry seemed to visibly shrink. "I just remembered how the fight started off…"
"And?" Severus probed
"It started off as an argument about why you wouldn't take the Charms of us," Harry whispered. Draco gasped, he remembered now.
"Draco said that it involved Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Severus said neutrally.
Harry nodded. "Yes, Father."
"And how might I ask, do you get from appearance charms to Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Severus asked, having a feeling that he already knew the answer.
"Well, Father, we got angry with each other and I called Draco 'Malfoy'" Harry said, swallowing hard. "It's hard getting used to the fact that he's not."
"And I called Harry 'Potter'" Draco chimed in.
"And Tom kind of stopped that argument there," Harry said, swallowing hard. "But the next day it escalated into Gryffindor and Slytherin insults."
"So their was more than one argument at Tom's then?" Severus said in a quiet tone of voice which didn't reveal much of what he was thinking.
"Yes, Father," Draco admitted quietly.
"I see," Severus said neutrally. Draco felt like crying again.
"Well..." Severus said quietly. "Well..." he said again. The boys shared a look. "I think you know better than to fight again," Severus said finally. "I'll let it go this time." Harry and Draco sighed in relief. "But that does not mean I approve of or will condone such behaviour, do you understand?"
"Yes Father," Harry and Draco said and snuggled tighter into their Father's embrace.
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