Chapter 10 A Formal Affair

Snape went upstairs to grab a plate of food for Harry, so he could continue to soak his hand in the silver potion. He was just stepping out of the kitchen door when Aunt Vespa spotted him carrying the plate of food. Great, just what I need now!

"I guess I don't need to ask who that is for," she said with a sneer, "Now that boy has you running around like a house elf and doing his bidding. Tsk tsk, spare the rod, spoil the child! Really Severus don't you think he is laughing at you behind your back as you run around waiting on him hand and foot?"

Severus had just about enough of the old hag and wished her to return to her own estate but, he knew better then to say that to her. She could bring down a lot of trouble for him and Harry with all the so called "friends" she had in the ministry.

He knew all about the shady adoption of Charlet and how her parents were treated. He heard that they were so traumatized from the experience that they never came out in public anymore. Most people assumed they were horrible people who locked their daughter in a closet and gave her nothing but bread and water. Severus knew the truth. He knew that whatever Aunt Vespa wanted, Aunt Vespa got. She would stop at nothing to get her way.

That is why Severus had to make sure Harry was on his best behavior while she was around. He didn't want to give her any excuse to punish him. Severus had felt her punishments firsthand and knew that she took great joy in doling them out. He would never leave Harry in Aunt Vespa's care.

So he just said, "And a good day to you too Aunt Vespa. If you do not mind I have important matters to attend to." He walked past her with black robes billowing behind him and headed back down to the dungeon. Damn that old bat!

Vespa watched her nephew walk past her and was not surprised he was acting like a house elf. He had already embarrassed the family by becoming a school teacher. Imagine a Snape wiping snot nosed kids. She was glad her Sebastian wasn't around to witness that!

Down in the dungeon,

Harry was still lying on the sofa with his hand in the cauldron. He was looking at the potions book Severus had handed him and trying to figure out how to brew an invisibility potion so he might be able to sneak back to Privet Drive and look for Hedwig. The problem was, he was underage and it was against the rules for him to brew that potion. When he saw Severus coming he quickly turned to the next page. The last thing he needed was to get into trouble for brewing an illegal potion!

Severus placedthe food down next to Harry on a small table and encouraged him to eat. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He hadn't kept any food down for days so the pumpkin pasta was the best food he had ever eaten. Severus sat and watched the boy eat with gusto. He thought about how undernourished Harry was and how he musthave gotten that way. The Dursley's had a lot in common with his Aunt and the way they viewed raising boys.

Harry finished up and decided to see how his hand was feeling out of the potion. He lifted it out and saw the muscle through a very thin layer of skin. It began to burn intensely as soon as it was out of the potion.

"Professor? What do you think your Dad did to that wand? I mean, don't wands get passed down in a wizarding family? At least that's what Ron said."

"Well, if I am not mistaken Mr. Potter, that wand was probably meant for me. My father and I didn't see eye to eye. I think he musthave used a very ancient, very illegal spell. He wasn't a very understanding man,"thePotion Mastersaid, as he poured more silver potion in the cauldron Harry had his hand in.

"Did he know you were a erm,…Death Eater?"

"Oh yes, he was actually happy that I became one. He was the main reason I joined the Dark Lord. He had no regard for human life, unless it benefited himself."

"Did you get along after you joined Voldemort?" Harry was completely intrigued with Snape's family. What kind of father would put a curse like that on a wand meant for his own son? No wonder Snape had always been so snarky and mean.

Snape gave Harry a reprimanding look at the mention of The Dark Lord's name but answered him anyway, "Well, for a while we were on speaking terms but soon enough we had a falling out." He didn't say anything else, he looked down at the bottle of potion he was holding and shook his head.

Harry didn't know what to say. It sounded like Snape's childhood was worse than his.

Severus walked back to his cauldron and continued working on the potion he was making for Harry's hand. It would be a bandage that wrapped around the burned hand that had skin regrowth inside it. That way Harry wouldn't have to sit there all day with his hand in the cauldron, waiting for the skin to grow back.

Harry opened the book again and began reading about the invisibility potion. He would need to brew it for five hours. He knew Severus wasn't going to let him be on his own for that long without checking up on him. If Severus found out he was brewing an illegal potion he didn't want to think about how angry he would get. Maybehe could sneak out of bed and brew it tonight? That might work?

After Severus wrapped Harry's hand in the bandage, they went back upstairs to get ready for dinner. Aunt Vespa had invited some of Charlet's friends for supper. This was to be a formal affair.

Harry was nervous about doing something wrong during dinner and asked again if he really needed to go, "Vespa hates me anyway so why would she care if I were there or not?"

"I believe this supper was put together with you in mind. If I am not mistaken the guests are supposed to be impressed with the fact that Charlet knows the 'Famous Harry Potter'."

Harry paled over hearing that. So they just wanted him there to parade around and impress people? Now he really didn't want to go, "I'm not going Severus."

"You will attend this affair as my son and act in an appropriate manner at all times. Now get dressed before we are late," Snape commanded.

Harry wanted to argue about not going but Snape swept out of the room so quickly he didn't have a chance. He hated being looked at like a circus side show freak. His insides knotted up over the night he would endure.

After showering he stood before the long mirror in his bedroomand looked at the reflection before him. His dress robes were very nice, he had never owned anything that expensive before. His hair was sticking up a little in the back and he couldn't quite get it to lie flat down. He used a little morecharmed gel that he had found in the bathroomand managed to get it under control. His hand was stinging but at least it wasn't burning anymore. Why did he have to feel so nervous?

He walked down the long winding stairs and walked into the big formal living room. He stopped at the door and looked around, across the room, standing by the fireplace were three giggling girls in long fancy dresses. Severus was standing by the bar watching the scene before him, with a sneer on his face and a glass of fire whiskey in his hand. Harry headed over to him.

"Ah Harry, you look presentable." said Severus. "Let us go into the lion's den, shall we?"

They walked over to the group of young ladies. Immediately the girlsall stopped talking and looked at Harry. Harry wished he were anywhere else but here. He looked down at his shoes.

Severus introduced him, "This is my son, Harry." He stuck his arm behind Harry and pushed him towards the young ladies.

Charlet spoke up, "These are my best friends, Aleena and Alix."

"Nice to meet you," said Harry while he stuck his finger down his collar to loosen it.

Immediately the girls began to bombard him with questions. The kind of questions he hated, like about his encounters with Voldemort. Aleena actually reached out and touched his scar. Harry pulled his head away and caught sight of Severus watching himwith a smirk on his face. Harry gave him a dirty look and turned back to the girls hoping dinner would begin and the night would end.

A loud shrill voice cut in, "Your manners have not improved Mr. Potter."

Harry quickly turned around and saw Vespa sitting in the high backed chair for the first time. Severus took a step towards Harry.

Aunt Vespa was looking at Harry as if he was a blast ended skewert.

"Um, I'm not really sure wha…."stammered out Harry, before he was cut off by a very stern looking Vespa.

"When you enter a room, you should always greet the hostess first. I find your manners truly appalling, but then again I shouldn't be surprised." She wanted to put Harry in his place, the damn Mudblood. Look at him showing off in front of pureblood young ladies.

Harry had to hold back a sharp comeback that wanted to be let loose.

Severus couldn't believe thatVespa would intentionally humiliate Harry in front of guests.

"Aunt Vespa, you seem to have lost your manners as well." He turned on his heel and asked Harry to help him with drinks.

Harry heard a gasp from Vespa but didn't want to look her way. He quickly followed Severus to the bar and helped serve the drinks.

Alix and Aleena didn't know what to say. Charlet on the other hand had a very slight smile on her face. She was getting sick and tired of hearing about Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, from her best friends. This dinner was put together to make them jealous and tell everyone at school what a lucky girl she was. The girls at her school would be green with envy!

Thankfully the butler announced dinner and they all made their way into the dinning room. Harry held Aunt Vespa's chair out for her, as instructed by Severus earlier. It took everything in him not to pull it away as she sat her over stuffed bottom down. Harry sat down and looked around at the room. There were long silver candles floating around with long strings of white pearls connecting them. Sprinkled among the candles were large crystal prisms, casting tiny rainbows around the room. The table had candles along the center with tiny magical fairies flitting around them. The effect was quite mesmerizing and Harry began to relax a bit.

Then a slow burn began on his scar, steadily intensifying…

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