Chapter 3
by Taran_Swann
The three men talked for a few minutes, then Harry returned to the kitchen. He had just finished making a sandwich when Professor Snape entered and sat quietly at a the small table.
"Are you hungry, sir?" Harry asked politely.
"No, thank you." Severus waved his hand and a bottle of firewhiskey floated down to him from a cupboard with a glass. Harry watched in amazement as Severus plucked the bottle out of the air and poured himself a stiff drink.
"How did you do that? Without your wand, I mean."
"Wouldn't you like to know," Severus said with a hint of mischief, which surprised Harry more than anything.
"Well, yes, I would," he said as he reached for Severus' bottle of whiskey.
"I don't think so!" Severus snapped as he snatched the bottle away from Harry.
"Why not?" Harry whined as he tried to grab the bottle back, but Severus tucked it snugly under his arm.
"You're under age!"
"I'm 25 now, remember?" Harry said with a snicker.
"In body only!"
"If you want to go spiritually, Trelawney says I've got a very old soul, like thousands of years old! Now, give me the bottle!" Harry was getting upset. He didn't think it fair for the potions teacher to be drinking it if he couldn't, and Harry was beginning to feel like he really needed one.
"No." Severus stood up with the bottle still tucked under his arm and headed out of the kitchen. Harry finished his sandwich quickly and followed. Severus had sat on the sofa and was staring at him as he drank straight from the bottle.
"You're so ... so... irritating!" Harry grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared back at him.
"Of course, I am. I work at it," Severus said with a strange twinkle in his eyes. Harry was baffled by his strange behaviour. He had never imagined Snape as being playful, and yet, that's what he seemed to be. Maybe that's how he was at 28 years old?
"If you want some," Severus said, capping the bottle and waving it at Harry, "you'll have to take it from me."
"You're acting very strange, Professor." Harry eyed him suspiciously.
"Strange?" Severus said with a laugh. "This isn't strange, Potter. This is me before... well, before things happened. Do you want some, or not?"
Harry approached him cautiously. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew the man wouldn't make it easy for him. He was about a foot away, when Severus pushed off from the floor and rolled over the back of the sofa and onto the floor. Harry's jaw dropped in shock. He didn't know the man could move so quickly or with so much agility.
Severus slowly raised his head over the back of the sofa, stopping when his eyes had cleared the back of it, and stared at Harry. Harry was sure he could see a smile in the black eyes. Harry shook his head to clear it, then suddenly lunged at the man.
Severus ducked back down as Harry sailed over the back of the sofa and rolled into a squatting position in front of him. Severus smiled at him before leaping back to his feet and doing a backward jump over the sofa. Harry went after him, but by the time he landed where Severus had been, the slightly older man was standing on top of the piano.
Harry stood in front of him with his arms crossed again. He began to wonder if he would start acting differently, too.
"If you play me a song, maybe I'll give you some," Severus said as he gently tapped on the top of the piano.
"You know, I'm beginning to think I'm not the one who's too young for that. You're acting very childishly," Harry said as he glared up at Severus.
Severus laughed as he walked gracefully along the piano and stepped down onto the bench, then to the floor. Harry couldn't help notice the fluidity of his movements.
"How would you know, you've never been a child!"
Harry stepped up to him, marvelling at their now nearly equal height, and kept his eyes narrowed in a glare.
"Then I guess I'm not too young for this," Harry said softly into Severus' face as he took the bottle from him.
"Help yourself. I'm going to bed." Severus turned and headed towards his bedroom, waving at Harry over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Potter," he said in a sing-song voice.
Harry just stood in the middle of the room, the firewhiskey forgotten in his grasp and shook his head. 'I'll never understand that man,' he thought.
~tbc~