Child of Mine

Chapter 16

Dress Up

To say that Voldemort was displeased, would have lessened the emotion. Infuriated. That might begin to describe things. While Snape had confirmed to him the truth of his situation in Hogwart's... Snape had failed to give a letter of any kind to him updating him on Potter. All Voldemort knew was that his potions master better have the mother of all reasons for not reporting to him about this important change in Potter's situation. Or it would be Snape's life.

As it was, the Daily Prophet had been of little to no help. They had no pictures no true confirmations... Only rumors. Rumors that were claiming Harry Potter had been changed into a child by an accident- potions possibly, but charms and defense against the dark arts hadn't been dismissed.

It was only just now that he'd been given any significant amount of information. From Lucius Malfoy. In the form of a letter from his son.

So now Voldemort felt as if he were in some semblance of control. He hated feeling out of it.

A potions accident had debilitated the boy who lived, Snape had been left to take care of him to find a cure... And had been for months.

So why had his potions master not brought that brat to him?

Tom re-read the letter in his hand.

For Dumbledore to put that child into Snape's care... Perhaps something had been done so that it would be impossible for him... Magically induced? Charmed? Perhaps watched like a hawk... Draco didn't seem to believe that Snape was enjoying himself much if at all. Well that was reasonable. The man detested children.

Perhaps Snape could not be trusted, there were too many chances he could have had to bring that child- - though to do so would have lost him his place within the order of the phoenix. Reason and selfish rage warred within him. He couldn't jeopardize Snape's position. The information he trafficked to them was priceless. No, he would use Malfoy's child. Draco Malfoy would be the key to bringing Potter to him.

"Malfoy... Step forward." he hissed, a smile curving his serpentine lips.

oOo

A week had passed, uneventfully, if you didn't count Harry aging to the apparent age of seven or eight. (Snape was sure it was eight, Harry had always been rather runty. Sirius, just to be contrary said seven.) He no longer went whisking away to the Slytherin table unless it was to Salamanthia's group (he somehow had become wary around Draco. Perhaps it was because of Malfoy's superior holier-than-thou attitude... But Harry wasn't as naive as he often acted.)

The twins had turned in their reports to Snape and were now working on perfecting the cookies. (To which Remus Lupin had requested they find a way to make it less painful.). And Snape had progressed rather quickly into the potion... Not that he was all that much closer to fixing it...

Snape frowned at that thought. Harry would be grown again soon. He just wished that Harry's growth spurts were less erratic. He couldn't properly guess when the next growth would take.

Not that he cared when the child left.

Oh who was he kidding... That child meant more to him than anyone ever had... Not that anyone had ever mattered to him. Except perhaps for Dumbledore. Dumbledore and Harry... how they'd wormed their way into his (what he'd been sure had been) withered heart, he wasn't sure to say. But they had. And that terrified him in ways he rarely had to deal with. They were chinks in his armor.

He turned off the water to the shower and wrung out his hair. He would not stand there and mope while slowly turning into a prune. He had classes to teach, papers to grade, a potion to make and a child to care for.

Somewhere out there the Potters were either crying, furious, laughing, or all the above.

Towel securely wrapped about his waist he walked into his room and looked down to his bed to his uniform.

...Which wasn't where it had been. Well... the pants was there... His white shirt... But his black over shirt, his long robes, and his... WAND! All gone.

"Harry?" he raised his voice, straining to keep patience.

Silence.

"Harry!" he stalked to Harry's room and found it empty, the clothes he'd set out gone, shoes gone from their spot... He turned back to his common room and there was the clue he'd been looking for. The door to leave was open a crack.

"HARRY!"

oOo

"Albus is that another letter from the Prophet?" Minerva asked in disbelief. "Isn't that the- what? Thirty-seventh one?"

"Thirty-eighth." he corrected, "They are nothing, if not, persistent. I have barely kept the minister from barging through the front doors." he ran a hand over his eyes. "Severus must finish that potion soon. I have been delayed in my research for the order, amongst other things, and this has set me back considerably."

Minerva placed a hand on his consolingly when they heard a girl squeal. "Oh my lord!"

They looked up to see that the hall, as one almost, was turning to the commotion. Which, Albus was hardly surprised to note, Harry was at the center of. Running towards the teachers table.

Albus choked.

Wearing robes twelve sizes bigger than he. Those beautiful heavy robes that Snape favored so much- - were trailing four feet behind the child, dragging on the flagstone floor- - a large hat was perched on Harry's head, slipping down in front of his eyes, and a wand was clutched in his hand. A very familiar looking wand. The sleeves hid one arm entirely andwas trying to slip down the opposite shoulder where that sleeve was pushed back to keep the wand from being covered.

It was adorable. It was hilarious... But it also meant that somewhere out there was an improperly dressed potions master. It wouldn't take a genius to guess what mood he'd be in when he discovered all of what had gone missing.

"Grandpa!" Harry gushed out running up to the table directly in front of him. "Look, I'm a potions master like papa now!"

Minerva... Who had been gaping in frozen shock, along with all the other professors (Hagrid's fork had missed his mouth and had dropped eggs into his beard) gasped, put a hand over her mouth and coughed down a laugh. She looked torn between laughter and tears.

Albus' bushy white eyebrows leapt up into his hairline. Barely controlling his voice into a level tone he asked, "Potion's Master?" he cleared his throat. "Well you are dressed handsomely for it- - though where on earth did you procure your robes?"

Harry's face went to an expression that all but screamed his guilt. Flitwick, unable to stand it anymore, buried his head into his arms (which he'd folded onto the table) and indulged himself in a good laugh.

"Well-" Harry tried to come up with something that would cover his transgressions without outright lying to Grandpa. "That is-"

But he was interrupted by something far more terrifying that answering his 'Grandpa' and headmaster.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry's eyes went wide and he gave a squeak of frightright before diving under the table and crawling around so that he was hidden behind Dumbledore's chair. Minerva raised her eyebrows and glanced at him while Snape stormed into the great hall.

Clad in his trousers and a white button up shirt which was tucked into his pants.

Students gasped in horror, amazement, and amusement as their cool, collected, snarky potions master thundered towards their headmaster.

The Gryffindor's, who'd been in various stages of horror and amusement took in the situation clearly and realized that Harry Potter, the boy - who - lived was about to become the Boy - Who - HAD - Lived - But - Pissed - Off - His - Potions - Professor - And - Never - Survived - To - Tell - The - Tale.

The Hufflepuff's were mostly in a state of worry, the Ravenclaw's were trying to calculate what was about to happen and the Slytherins were grinning in anticipation as to how dead Potter was about to become (except for the select few first years who looked horrified on Harry's behalf, Salamanthia looked as if she wanted to cry). Draco on the other hand was gaping.

"Oh my God, Snape's going to kill Harry!" Ron gasped standing up, intent on rescuing his friend.

"No he wouldn't do that!" Hermione hissed. "I think!" she grabbed onto his arm to stay him.

"Why Professor Snape, good morning to you!" Never one to face death in the face without a cheery grin, Albus smiled up at his towering Potions Master. Who was glaring at the space in front of Dumbledore's spot at the table.

For trailing in front, under and around Albus' chair was the long robe. Covered in the dust bunnies, dirt, and cobwebs it had amassed going from dungeons to great hall.

Snape's eye twitched.

"Harry come out here and face me like- like-"

"Now Severus, no harm has been done, why don't you take a breath and gather yourself, you're undoubtedly scaring him senseless." Dumbledore soothed.

Snape sputtered. "That- - that CHILD stole my clothing!"

"Oh honestly." Minerva scoffed, she turned from him to Harry. "Harry, child, come here."

Harry still crouched behind Dumbledore's chair looked at her warily, then peeked around Albus' body to his infuriated father, and crouched back down shaking his head in terror.

"I promise I won't let him hurt you, come here," she ordered opening her arms. Harry glanced again at Snape then all but dove into her embrace, burying his head into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his slight frame and glared up at Snape. "Severus, your... ward, son, whatever it is we wish to call him, was merely dressing up. It's something children do!" she chided. "He was imitating his 'father'!" she snapped. "You!"

Snape blinked, floundering in his anger. "W-what!"

Minerva lowered her voice so that it wouldn't be broadcast to the entire school. "Severus Snape, you are his world! You have been since the moment this happened to him. All that he does he does with thoughts of you. To please you, and those he loves. Children play dress up. He was just doing the things a child does."

"Imitation after all is the sincerest form of flattery." Remus added.

Snape's homicidal rage deflated and he sighed. He didn't move to apologize to Harry. Not here, not in front of students and colleague's alike. But he didn't know how to act now that he wasn't angry. Albus sighed, he knew all of this in a heartbeat.

"Harry why don't you give your father his robes so he can be dressed for school?"

Harry, still wide around the eyes and looking near tears extracted himself from his father's robes. Dumbledore magicked the clothes clean and handed them and his other belongings to Snape who took them and walked to his place whilst donning them.

Harry sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I'm sorry." he murmured miserably. "I just- - I just was- -"

"We know Harry," Minerva soothed.

"It's just that your father doesn't." Remus explained. "He's never had someone to take care of before you. He doesn't understand why children do what they do. He didn't mean to hurt you, he's just not used to children."

"But I've been with him ever since I was little!" Harry said confused.

Remus, Minerva, and Albus looked at him in shock. Snape who was three chairs down hadn't heard.

"W-what?" Minerva breathed.

"He's had me for eight years- - I don't remember it much... and I don't ever remember a birthday or Christmas- - but he was always there. We watched quidditch didn't we?" he asked. "I was little... but that was ages ago-"

Remus looked at Albus. "Headmaster?" The word held a thousand questions.

"Sometimes-" Albus hesitated before hazarding an answer for Harry that Harry would understand. "Sometimes it takes people a very long time to learn."

"Oh..." Harry frowned then slid off of his adopted grandmothers lap. And without another word went to his father.

"What does this mean, Albus?" Minerva turned to him.

"It means many things... amongst the fact that Harry will be retaining his memories of this... unless of course it's only while the potion is in effect he'll remember. Just because he has the memories now doesn't mean he will be able to keep them- - best not to mention this to Severus. If he believes Harry will remember this, I believe it will affect how he is treating Harry, and for the worse. Severus is already experiencing difficulty. Harry is broaching the age of the younger students, and Severus is not known for his capability of interacting with the students. He's been getting a bit more short on temper." Dumbledore sighed. "For more reasons than even Severus will admit. Not even to himself." he looked at the man he was talking about, eyes filled with sorrow. "Let us hope that he will not allow his fears to forever daunt him."

Meanwhile Harry had broached his father, feeling for not the first time, a bit of fear that his father would slap him away.

"Papa?"he ventured meekly.

Snape turned to him (repressing a reflexive snarl, usually reserved for the students in his class), "Yes, Harry?" his voice was low and calm.

"Grandpa said that you were... mad because you're still learning how to take care of me." he bit his lip but continued on, like the Gryffindor he was. "I'm learning about you still, too. So if I promise to try and learn about you and behave will you try to learn about me and not get so mad? I don't like it when you're angry at me." The last sentence was said in a whisper. "I'll stay with you for as long as it takes you to know how to know how to take care of me. So you'll have lots of time." he smiled up at his father, who's face had contorted to a frown. "I'll be with you until I'm a grown up anyway."

Snape felt a sharp pain stab in his chest. Such innocently spoken innocuous words. "You have no idea what you're saying Harry." he snapped gently. "Go sit with Hermione and Ron." And with that he turned away from his son- No. Ward. His ward. He didn't have a son. He had a child to take care of. A child who would leave him soon.

As it should be.

But that thought was a bitter one and left him cold inside.

oOo

Harry felt as if his little heart could break. He turned from his father and went around the teachers tables he was walking up to the aisle towards Hermione and Ron when he heard someone call his name.

"Potter! I mean- Harry."

Harry turned and saw Malfoy slow from his brisk walk. "What?" he asked glumly.

Draco frowned but his mask went from his scowl to a cool mask, "Come on runt, you can go to class with me today, I don't have potions today, and your Gryffindor friends won't understand anything about what just happened."

Harry looked at him suspiciously and turned to his friends who were standing up, Hermione was walking over to him, quickly followed by Ron. "But their my friends," he said in a whisper.

"They don't understand anything about Snape." Draco reiterated. "You need time to think about what happened and they won't give you that, they'll just keep pestering you until you smile and bury it in your head."

Harry didn't have time to reply to that.

"Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione breathed out, her face was pinched with worry. Ron was busy glaring at Draco. Harry nodded at Hermione's question.

"I'm fine, I'm going to spend the day with Draco."

Hermione's mouth dropped, both she and Ron stood flabbergasted.

"With Malfoy!" she squeaked.

Harry nodded.

"Are you out of your-" Ron got elbowed by Hermione who's face was now even more drawn into lines of worry.

"Are- are you sure Harry?" she asked worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

Harry nodded. Draco threw them a smug smirk. To which Ron growled at.

"I'll eat lunch with you." he said in lieu of an apology.

"A-alright Harry." She squeaked, then she threw a glare at Malfoy. "If he gets hurt in any way shape or form Malfoy the world won't be big enough to hide you." she said, her voice taking on a growl that had Malfoy taking an involuntary step back.

"I had no intention of hurting him," he said regaining his haughty demeanor. "Especially with Dumbledore and Snape out to kill anyone who does. Come on Harry." He turned on his heel and strode back to his place on the bench.

"Bye." Harry said, still anything but his chipper self. He then went after Malfoy.

"The worlds gone mad." Ron muttered. "It's like Harry's not Harry anymore- - spending all his time with those Slytherin's is warping him."

Hermione looked between Malfoy and Harry to Snape. Something was going on, it was confusing, but she would figure it out. Somehow.

oOo

Author Notes: Okay, tis short, I know, but I wanted to have something posted!

Anyway things are stepping up a notch aren't they? Just to let you know this chapter has not been corrected or edited. Mistakes will probably be in there galore, but I'm sure you can survive them. I'll try correcting this later. Here's hoping I can add to my other stories...