Tanner's gaze snapped to him the moment his foot touched the grass. That initial sense of something being wrong only intensified when Tanner's expression didn't morph into a cheeky little grin like it normally did when he encroached. The nearly 8-year-old ran up to him, hands forward as if ne believed ne could stop him from progressing further by strength alone. "You can't come closer, Mr. Snape! You've gotta let Harry talk to it first!"
"Talk to what," he pressed, now very concerned about the situation.
Tanner shook nir head even as ne shot Harry a helpless look; Harry was still shoulders deep in the shrubbery and showed no signs that he knew Severus and Tanner were talking. "It's nothing."
"Tanner." The child's name came off as a threat, one that Tanner clearly understood as ne flinched.
A pleading gaze was turned on him as Tanner begged, "Please, Mr. Snape! You have to wait! It won't bite him. They never bite him when he talks to them!"
He could pick Tanner up and move the child out of his way but that frantic worry had nir hands fisted in the front of Severus's clothes, little hands so tight in the fabric that the knuckles had nearly lost all their normal color. Tanner truly believed that if he moved any closer, Harry would be put into danger the boy was currently safe from.
The breath came out as a sigh as he knelt, covering Tanner's hands with his. "I will wait, but you have to tell me what Harry is talking to and why you are not letting me help him with something that is dangerous."
Again, Tanner shook nir head. "You have to wait until he's done. He has to show you."
Show him? Severus found his gaze on Harry as the boy shifted in the brush. Show him what, exactly?
That 'what' was in Harry's hands when the boy sat back. Severus stared at the long, thin body of a very venomous snake half curled in the boy's hands, that sinewy body looped at least once around one wrist. The boy tucked his feet under himself before standing. He gained his balance before he was even properly upright and walked over. Tanner's hands left Severus's clothing as ne took a step back and to the side to give Harry room.
Severus's gaze was locked onto the snake Harry had cradled against his chest. Harry stopped just out of Severus's reach but he could clearly see the injuries on the snake's body. Several things dawned on him in quick succession:
One: Harry was a Parselmouth.
Two: the boy was trying to help a venomous snake that was being very docile in Harry's grasp.
Three: this was not the first time Harry had spoken to a snake.
Four: Tanner knew Harry could speak Parseltongue.
"Harry," he started to warn but the boy's posture only tightened; the boy's hands remained lax around the snake, ever conscious of the small life in his grasp.
"I have to go to Sr. Ribeiro's." There was a quake to the words but he wasn't sure if it was from uncertainty or concern for the creature the boy held.
"Sr. Ribeiro; you two are talking about Oscar Ribeiro, right?" Sirius asked, shoving a shoe on. Harry and Tanner nodded. Sirius returned his attention to Severus and Remus. "I worked with him on a few articles a while back. Good dude. He's an IPPA herbologist and works with reptiles on the side. We've taken a few snakes to him over the last few years."
Remus placed a comforting hand on Harry's head, running his fingers through the boy's hair. "How far away is Sr. Ribeiro?"
"Not far; he's only a few blocks over," Sirius said, standing. "Should be a quick walk."
The house was dwarfed by the two massive homes on either side that filled their plots almost completely. The small home was tucked near the back of its plot, the remainder of the plot full of well tended flora. Tanner darted up the front steps and rang the doorbell. Harry was not far behind, closely followed by the adults. A man barely older than the three adults standing with the children opened the door. "Olá Harry. Olá Tanner," the man greeted warmly.
"Olá Sr. Ribeiro," the children chorused.
Harry lifted the snake and didn't say a word. Ribeiro's gaze fell to the snake's injuries. "Ah, I see you've rescued another one. Come in, come in."
The man opened the door wide and the children were quick to dart into the warm space, aiming for somewhere specific in the home. Sirius crossed the threshold first, shaking Ribeiro's hand as he did so. "Good to see you again. How's the reptile life?"
"Good! There's been an uptick at how quickly they pass through my home; it's been nice seeing so many find good homes so quickly."
The door was closed behind Severus.
"That's good to hear."
Remus reached out as the conversation lulled. "Remus Lupin."
Ribeiro shook Remus's hand before turning to Severus. Severus shook the man's hand, offering, "Potions Master Severus Snape."
"Oscar Ribeiro. It's nice to finally put a name to a face. Harry talks highly of his family when he is here."
"Does he drop by often?" Remus asked.
Ribeiro shrugged, starting for the heart of the home. Sirius was nowhere to be seen but Severus could make out Sirius's voice mingling with Tanner's ahead of them. "He comes by rather regularly. He likes being around the snakes." Ribeiro's gaze was curious when it fell on him and Remus again. "He hasn't mentioned his interest in them?"
"Surprisingly, no."
The heart of the home was a room lined with tanks and a counter in the middle of the room. Harry was standing at Tanner's left as the other child passed Sirius a paper towel sheet when the man reached for another one. The snake didn't appear to have moved in Harry's hold.
Ribeiro crossed to Harry, drawing the boy's gaze. The snake lifted its head, hissing a warning that brought Harry's attention back to the snake.
Hearing the hiss filled language - a language he had intimately entangled with the Dark Lord - fall from Harry's tongue seemed to take the world out from under him. Remus's hand on his shoulder, heavy and hot through his few layers, brought his awareness to his full reaction. His body ached with a desire to fight or run but there was nothing to fight and running wasn't an option; the handle of his wand dug into his palm still tucked out of sight.
Harry hadn't noticed, too busy talking with Ribeiro who was now also speaking Parseltongue, but Sirius and Tanner had. The child was mildly confused, looking between Harry's three guardians and the duo talking with the snake. Sirius, though, was crossing to him and Remus, a wild look in his eyes that matched the fervor that had filled Severus. How the man was calmer than him was beyond Severus.
"Did you know?" Remus asked. The words were barely above a whisper, so soft that for a moment he thought Sirius didn't hear it.
Sirius shook his head, a hand latching onto Severus's arm. "I knew about Ribeiro - he didn't really hide it when I was over. He would work with the snakes while we talked, talking to them like anyone would talk to someone they're caring for, and I hadn't thought much about it. His family is from Brazil but he and the generation before him have been here for his whole life and theirs so I hadn't thought-" He shook his head again, violently this time. "I had no idea Harry was a Parselmouth."
"Do you think it's because…" Remus started but that was all the other managed to get out.
Their voices were very effective at keeping Severus present. He brought himself back under control in time to appear unaffected when Harry glanced their way as Ribeiro placed the snake into the tank. The boy's attention didn't stay on them. "It doesn't matter if it is or not," he said, gaze never leaving Harry's scar. Even from across the room he could make out the thin branches that touched Harry's lip and crossed the bridge of his nose. "Harry is a brilliant, caring child. Just because he can speak Parseltongue doesn't change that fact; he's no different from any of those we work with who are bilingual."
"Still, though," Sirius started but Severus cut him off.
"We will make sure he knows how important it is to keep this a secret from strangers," he assured them both. "It will not be hard to remind him that Hogwarts will be a very different world than what he is used to here."
The three of them watched the two children help Ribeiro apply medication to the snake's injuries. A few times when the snake reacted, Harry would sooth it with Parseltongue and a careful stroke of its small head.
Remus spoke up as Ribeiro tucked the tank into an empty spot on the wall. "We should start taking him to visit Europe so that it's not quite the culture shock when he goes to Hogwarts."
"Taking him anywhere with Sirius will put a target on him just as quickly as saying his name in public," Severus pointed out.
Sirius waved the concern away. "We've got time to plan. It's not like we're going to London tomorrow."
Sirius crossed to the two children at the kitchen sink, grinning at the both of them before adding his hands to the soapy water the children were cleaning their hands with. Laughter quickly filled the little home.
"Are you sure we can keep the public at bay when we take him there?" Remus asked in a hushed voice.
"I doubt Dumbledore has access to communication networks that works fast enough for him to appear wherever we are at any given time," he stated plainly. "And between the three of us, as long as Sirius doesn't look like himself, I doubt anyone will bat an eye at the boy. Still. A notice-me-not woven into the boy's glasses should turn any eyes away from his scar."
Remus looked at him, a curious surprise pulling at the werewolf's expression. "Didn't the optometrist say to not do more than a simple Repairo on the glasses if we could help it?"
Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "I was not planning on doing it myself, nor letting either of you try. I will speak with the optometry office about ordering Harry a new pair if they are able to do it and having his current ones done as well when those are complete if they can do it. If not, one of the teams in the Development of Technologies and Magics department would probably figure out how if we asked."
The house was much quieter when Tanner went home after dinner. There was an unnatural stillness to Harry that concerned him and as they all moved into the living room, it was clear the stillness was bothering Sirius and Remus too.
"Hey, it's ok, Harry," Sirius encouraged, squeezing the boy's shoulders with the arm draped across them. "You're not in any trouble."
Harry's emotionless mask cracked as the boy's mouth tightened and his gaze fell even farther. Sirius sent a worried look to Severus and Remus over the boy's head.
Remus stepped forward and sat down on the coffee table. "Harry, do you know what Parseltongue is?" Harry nodded. "Can you tell me what it is?"
A muscle in Harry's cheek flexed as silence settled into the room. The worry on Sirius's face increased but the man had a surprisingly large amount of patience at the moment and staved off the desire to push.
"It's the language of the snakes," Harry said, the words timid but enough for the floodgates to open. Harry's head came up and that emotionless mask was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the frantic fear that drove the boy's next words. "But Sr. Ribeiro said that it didn't make me a bad person because I could talk to snakes even though when Tanner found out, ne said that only bad people spoke it. But I'm not bad; I just want to help the snakes and help them not hurt anyone." Large tears streaked down the boy's face even as the voice barely wavered. "I'm not bad, right?" he asked meekly. "This doesn't make me bad, right? Sr. Ribeiro wouldn't lie about that, right?"
Something close to regret shot across Sirius's face as the man squeezed Harry's shoulders. Severus had moved to Remus's side so he couldn't make out the man's face but the way the other reached out and gave Harry's hands a squeeze spoke loudly of how much that had touched the werewolf as well.
Severus knelt at Harry's knee as he finished rolling his left sleeve above his elbow. "Harry." He was prepared to wait for those green eyes to find him but they were on him before the boy's name had fully left his tongue. He rested his arm on his raised knee, the faded Dark Mark on his arm bare for all to see. His other hand settled on the inside of his elbow. "Do you remember when you asked me about this?" Harry's gaze flickered to the faded mark before nodding. "Do you remember what I said it stood for?" Again, the boy nodded. "Do you think I am a bad person?" Harry vehemently shook his head, a frown pulling hard at the boy's eyebrows and mouth. "A lot of people would disagree with you, Harry - all because of a mark on my body from a single choice I made. People judge each other for what they perceive and oftentimes that does not include the whole picture. You will have people expecting wondrous, saint-like behavior from you simply because of the scar you bear and what it represents, just as you will have people who will turn on you the moment they learn that you can speak Parseltongue." He covered the majority of the Dark Mark. The movement drew Harry's gaze away from his face. "Just because people assume the greatest and the worst things about you does not mean you have to match those ideologies. Be who you want to be, Harry, just as I have, just as Remus and Sirius have. You do that and I have no doubt that you will be anything except the compassionate, brilliant person you already are."
Harry reached out and covered the back of Severus's hand over the Dark Mark. The boy's eyes remained on their hands even as he asked, "Why are people so mean?"
"Because they are afraid. Fear will drive even the kindest of people to do the most horrendous acts."
The boy's eyebrows furrowed. "That's stupid."
He chuckled and he wasn't the only one; Sirius snorted as Remus chuckled as well. Severus turned his hand over and gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes, it is, but being mad at it will only bring you more pain. Fear is a part of life. As long as you learn to not let it control you, you will be fine."
Harry met his gaze. "But what about everyone else?"
"Not much we can do about them, pup," Sirius said, ruffling Harry's hair. "You'll just have to drown them with that big heart of yours and let them do the rest."
"Now, about the Parseltongue," Severus said, redirecting them all back to the topic at hand as he stood. "You are welcome to speak it whenever you want but there are a few rules you have to follow for your own safety. Does that sound reasonable?" He gained a nod. "Good. First rule: while we are here, you are able to speak Parseltongue freely around the house and while in the presence of either Tanner or Sr. Ribeiro. It would be wise to err on the side of caution when speaking around others of the neighborhood. Second rule: you do not speak it in muggle populated areas that are not IPPA sanctioned. It is like your magic - we do not reveal ourselves to the muggles. Final rule: you do not speak it at Hogwarts nor anywhere inside the European countries unless you are absolutely certain no one can hear you or unless it is a life or death situation. Is that clear?" Harry nodded. "Any questions?" Harry shook his head. "Good. Now, how about we start for bed."
It took a good year before Severus stopped associating the language with the Dark Lord. Harry rarely used it around him when he was home from Hogwarts and it quickly became apparent that the boy didn't care to use it for any other reason than speaking to snakes. Despite being a child - despite being human - Harry never unintentionally slipped into Parseltongue.
It didn't take long for Sirius and Remus to implement regular trips to Europe after the Parseltongue discovery. Once every two months or so they would take Harry to Europe and by the time they approached Harry's birthday, the boy had seen a good portion of Europe. The visit for Harry's 11th birthday was for two weeks in England. The first week would include the Cooper family, Tanner's family, with the last of the whole trip landing on Harry's birthday.
Severus nearly lost the time off when the latest project in London went south in his absence. Barely a week into the summer holiday and he was already returning to London. Thankfully the team he was working with was competent and they managed to stabilize it enough for him to keep his two weeks.
He met Harry, Remus, and Sirius at IPPA's London branch, unsurprised to see Sirius in his animagus form. Severus humored Snuffles - Sirius's name as a dog, as named by a three-year-old Harry all those years so - when the dog happily pressed into his legs, tail going a mile a minute. He patted the vested ribs with a few resounding thumps to Snuffles's apparent pleasure and he huffed a laugh as he straightened. He gave Harry a tight hug as he informed Remus, "The Coopers' flight was delayed but they should be landing soon. We can get lunch once they join us."
"Oh. Good timing on our part, then," Remus spoke, letting Severus lead the way to the rental car. Snuffles settled on Remus's far side as Harry wandered a few paces ahead of them. "I was concerned we would be slowing everyone down. We had trouble with muggle and wixen folk again. Unsurprisingly, it was his size several people were using to say he wasn't a service dog."
Severus rolled his eyes. "A certification is a certification. Just because he is the size of a small horse does not make him any less a service dog."
"That's what the authorities said, thankfully an aid rather than a hindrance." There was a pause, a pull of air that was normal except for the unease that drew it in, before Remus muttered, "But aren't we in the wrong for perpetuating a lie?"
When Remus had first spoken, there had been an edge to the man's words Severus had not understood. Now, though, it was clear what that edge had been. He stopped walking, drawing Remus to a halt, and faced the other. He took the leash from Remus and offered it to the dog, softly commanding, "To Harry."
Snuffles met his gaze and it was like the wizard behind the gaze was thanking him before gingerly taking the leash from his hand and trotting off to the 10-year-old waiting patiently those few paces ahead. Harry took the leash from Snuffles and petted the dog's head.
"Madam Gold would not have allowed us to use such a ruse if she thought we would abuse the system or harm it in any way. Snuffles went through the trainings; regardless of what he is, he is a certified service dog. That will never be a lie."
Snuffles happily took the pets before pressing into the boy's chest. Harry stepped back until he was up against the building and sat down on the pavement. Snuffles settled against the boy's chest and across his lap, pinning the boy in place. Even from where they stood, he could see Harry's knuckles pale with the strength of his grip on the service vest as the boy pressed his face into the dog's fur. He looked to Remus. "He does as he is trained to do when you allow him to do so, as he is now with Harry. He is not simply pretending in order to make our lives a little bit easier." The only pause he allowed himself was the amount of time it took him to take a breath to keep speaking. "Or have you forgotten that he was trained to be your service dog for a reason? Just because he took the trainings required to help Harry as well does not change that fact." Most of Remus's expression closed off at the reminder. "The suggestion for Snuffles to become a service dog had not been made lightly. Sirius threw himself into those trainings to uphold a standard Madam Gold would expect from all of us just as much as he did it to be able to support you and Harry even more."
"And you. He's helped you, too."
The instinct to hide his reaction to the soft admission was a wave of hesitation in his body and it took him a moment to answer. He nodded. "Which only proves my point. His certification is not the farce you keep thinking it is."
Remus shifted his weight forward, drawing Severus's attention back to Harry. There were a few strangers looking at Harry and Snuffles but no one had approached yet with the intent to disturb the pair. Severus wasn't sure if that was from the service dog patches or Snuffles's appearance. Remus's movement had been due to a small group that hadn't noticed Harry until they were barely two steps away. Snuffles shifted to keep an eye on the group but physically stayed relaxed against Harry. Severus couldn't blame him; annoyance at their obliviousness had filled his chest, too.
"Would you be offended if I said I don't care too much for this Slytherin way of keeping Harry safe?"
Severus glanced briefly at Remus, catching sight of a soft, fond smile on the man's lips. He took a step forward, letting his motion bring Remus along. "I would be concerned if either of you ever became comfortable with something so Slytherin in nature." He looked over his shoulder to meet the werewolf's gaze. "But as long as you both see the benefit of this one, no offense taken."
Remus nodded.
The week flew by and the last day with Tanner and nir parents was a study in chaos - although that was most likely due to the outing being at Chessington World of Adventures Resort than anything else. Severus spent most of it keeping pace with Remus. Sirius - currently not in his animagus form sporting short, golden brown hair and a thick, short beard - was off with the children and Tanner's parents enjoying the rides just as much as the kids were. The hair change was most likely excessive at the muggle amusement park but Severus would much rather be safe than sorry and both Sirius and Remus had agreed with him. Sirius had even been enthusiastic about it, commenting about wanting to try something closer to blonde this time without elaborating on when else the man had changed his hair color. Severus had certainly never seen Sirius with any other color than his natural dark.
Remus had tried a few times to usher Severus along as the day progressed but Severus simply ignored him and kept with the hurting werewolf. It wasn't like Severus was missing out doing so. The walks through the park were enjoyable enough and he had no desire to ride any of the rides. Muggle technology was impressive, there was no denying that, but Severus only trusted it to a certain extent.
"You would think with all the magic and technologies in the world disabilities wouldn't be a thing."
Noise filled in the space around the soft spoken comment, nearly swallowing it before he could understand it. He looked up from the novel he was reading to find Remus watching the dragon boats of the Sea Dragons go round and round through the breaks in the crowd. The book closed around his thumb. "They would still exist. Society is far too rigid for them not to." When Remus didn't respond immediately, he added, "We can call it a day if you need."
"No, it's fine; I'm ok." Remus caught sight of the flat look Severus was giving him and offered a soft smile. It was tight around the edges. "Just frustrated is all. I don't like having to stop so much, let alone today of all days. Feels like I'm being a burden, like I'm only bringing down everyone's day."
Severus opened the book for show and dropped his gaze to the pages as he said, "What happened to Gryffindors being adamant about relying on others in times of hardship?"
"That's not for things like this."
Severus snapped the book shut as he countered, "If not this, then what? If a bad day doesn't fit whatever criteria you have for that, what does? What will it take before you accept support? Running yourself into the ground and hurting yourself more?"
"Of course not!" Remus tried, aghast.
Severus didn't give him a chance to add anything more. "Certainly appears that way with how you are behaving." The tension in his body eased as a heavy breath left him. "Remus," he said, catching the flinch at the name. "Even if you are a burden, some of us actually believe you are worth the work." Almost amber eyes flicked up to meet his gaze, the edges of Remus's expression hurt and uncertain. A pang of regret shot through his chest. He hadn't realized how close to the breaking point Remus had been. If there was any time to admire the man's control, now was certainly a good time. He quickly continued the redirection. "The only thing that Harry and Sirius care about is that you are able to enjoy yourself to the extent that you can today. If that means most of the day is spent on a bench in the shade watching the world go by, then accommodations will be happily made. You told them to go have fun and enjoy themselves and every time they come back from a ride or running ahead, they always check to make sure you are enjoying yourself just as much. Your lack of ability to join in has not been threatening their enjoyment; the lies you keep telling them have been."
Remus leaned into his knees, the palms of his hands pressing into his eyes. Severus let the man be. He wasn't Sirius and despite the years living with both men, consoling anyone who wasn't Harry was not in his repertoire. What he could do, though, was make sure his point got across.
"Even if you were as well as Sirius currently is, I would still be sitting on this bench reading. While I have quite enjoyed the walks, you will not catch me dead on any of the rides."
"Not even Sea Dragons?" Remus piped up, the words muffled and weak but amused around the edges.
A smirk pulled itself across his face. "Oh, most definitely not. My reputation as a slimy Slytherin git would be revoked the instant I stood in line."
A bark of a laugh left Remus as the man sat up. There was a familiar glint in those light brown eyes that only made Severus's smirk grow. "Ah. Too childish for a Slytherin of your stature?"
He sniffed as if offended and made a good, unintentional impression of a certain Malfoy. "Please. They could look like warships and I would still lose my reputation."
"Ah, so it's the technology," Remus mused. "Wonder if Harry would be enough to sway you."
"Never."
It was a lie and he didn't even try to hide it. The heavy mood that had settled over Remus was much lighter now and though the werewolf was most likely still in a lot of pain, Remus relaxed into the bench more completely.
When the others found them, Remus suggested riding the Sea Dragons and Harry nearly combusted from joy. Severus raised an eyebrow when he caught Remus's gaze as the man carefully stood. Remus rolled his eyes in good humor recognizing the jab for what it was. Harry had proven Severus's point that Remus had already ceded. Harry was quick to grab Severus's free hand and Severus followed the excited tugging. He passed his book off to Sirius as Sirius informed them that he and Tanner's parents would wait at the bench for them.
The children sat in the middle of the boat, each on their own bench. Harry had taken the bench across from Severus but talked up a storm with Remus who sat at the other end, describing in as much detail as the youth could provide the last ride they had been on. Tanner threw in nir own details when ne thought Harry's retelling was lacking.
When Sirius asked Remus if he had fun when they regrouped, Severus knew the affirmation that Remus gave was genuine.
Breakfast the next morning was a quiet affair. The Coopers had left in the early hours of the morning for their return trip home so Harry was rightfully subdued. Sirius and Remus spoke lightly of work as Severus flipped through the most recent potions journal.
A quick tck-tck-tck on a window brought the room's attention to the balcony door. A tawny owl was standing on the small balcony burdened with several pieces of mail. Sirius made to stand but Harry was already slipping from his chair, a soft, "I've got it, Sirius," stilling Sirius's movement. Sirius sat back down, eyes on Harry as the boy walked over to the door and pulled it open. The owl released a familiar looking envelope into Harry's hand before flying over to the table to deliver the remaining mail. Severus was not surprised to see two had been for Remus. The work Remus was doing for Madam Gold in IPPA's werewolf program never stopped.
"Anything good, Harry?" Sirius asked. The man was excited, thrumming with an enthusiasm that Harry appeared to be lacking. They all knew that envelope and it was a point in Harry's life both Gryffindors had been eager for.
Harry settled back into his chair before opening the envelope. The heavy parchment barely made a sound as the boy unfolded it. "Dear Mr. Potter," he read. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall."
Sirius whooped with joy as Remus beamed briefly at the boy. The werewolf reached over and ruffled Harry's hair. "Congratulations, Harry. We'll go collect your school things on your birthday while we're in London."
Harry offered the both of them a smile before returning to his breakfast.
The day wore on. Despite the vacation, Remus stayed in the kitchen to respond to the letters and Severus stepped out for a meeting with a few colleagues not far from the hotel. His meeting wore on for longer than he had anticipated and returned to a quiet suite. A glance at the balcony confirmed Harry's location but not the others. Severus closed the door to the small balcony as he stepped back out into the muggy afternoon air. Harry glanced his way before refocusing on the street below.
"Are you looking forward to going?" Severus asked, resting his forearms on the rail as he let his gaze fall to the street below. Harry, sitting on the balcony floor, shrugged just inside his line of sight. It drew Severus's full attention but the boy's gaze stayed on the world beneath them. Severus recognized the closed off expression Harry wore. "Do you want to talk through whatever you are pretending is fine or are you choosing to keep it to yourself?"
That closed off expression tightened in a familiar fashion and Severus waited for the boy to sort through his thoughts. After a moment, Harry asked, "Do I have to go?"
"It is not mandatory for you to attend so the choice to go or not is yours to make. All you have to do is inform us of your decision so that we can plan accordingly." Harry looked up at him but said nothing. He doubted the boy would find the right words even if he gave him time so Severus elaborated. "Remus and Sirius are expecting you to want to go because of many reasons. It is likely your name was down for Hogwarts before you were born and to them, that is enough to warrant their expectation, though it is not the only thing. Your parents went to Hogwarts and they want you to share that with them. After all, their Hogwarts experience with your parents and others had a large impact on who they are today. It was the place where they found themselves and life long friends, the place where they learned about the world, but that does not mean Hogwarts is the only place for those things."
A faint frown pulled at Harry's face. "You aren't?"
Severus shrugged, looking back at the world below. "You are your own person and an education is an education. My experience at Hogwarts was far from ideal but the castle became a second home to me; my choice to return to Hogwarts and teach was my own, just as your choice to go will be yours. I think it would be good for you to go but no, I am not expecting it of you."
"So I can say no if I don't want to go?"
"I would suggest talking to Remus and Sirius about this first so that you can make a more informed decision. They may be able to help you walk through the other fears you are worrying over in a way that I cannot. Regardless, yes, you can say no if you are opposed to attending Hogwarts."
Silence settled between them briefly, filled with the sounds of the waning afternoon. Severus let the boy be, letting his own thoughts drift over old memories of his first letter all those years ago. He remembered the lack of hesitation in his choice, the excitement that had come with it, and knew that Harry's perspective was nothing like his had been; he was beyond grateful Harry's perspective was nothing like his had been.
"Tanner won't be going to Hogwarts, will ne?"
"No," he confirmed. "There is nothing Hogwarts can teach a muggle."
"Same with any other wixen school."
"Yes."
A shorter pause.
"Do you think I'll be able to make friends there? Friends like Tanner?"
"If you are friendless by the end of your first year, I will personally make sure you are back in school with Tanner, but it would have to be a deliberate choice to not make any friends for that to happen." When that didn't get him a response, he looked down at Harry again. "I take it there is more to your hesitation than just that."
"Will Tanner hate me for going?"
"I would be surprised if ne did. The distance will certainly strain your relationship but I doubt it will suffer from it. It will give you both the opportunity to grow on your own and become your own persons, something that could only benefit the both of you."
Harry's expression tightened again. "Is Hogwarts here in London?"
"No. The castle is north in an unplottable area at the edge of the England and Scotland border. The wixen town of Hogsmead is close to the castle so the school is far from isolated."
"So even further from home."
Someone slammed a car door beneath them and the sound was quickly followed by laughter from the other end of the street. Severus sat down next to Harry with his back to the railing. It gave him a clear view of the boy's face when Harry looked at him. "The first week or so may be hard but it will be the only week that you will notice the distance so sharply. After that, you will barely have time to think about the distance between homework and friends." He turned his gaze to his faint reflection. "If you are fearing going to Hogwarts will isolate you, trust that it will do no such thing. For one, I will be there as Head of the Slytherin House and teaching Potions as I have since you were eighteen months old. For another, Sirius and Remus will only be a letter away. If by some miracle neither of them send you the entire contents of the house during your first week, I would be astounded." That managed to get a small huffed laugh out of Harry but the strain was still there. "You will not be kept from our annual visit to Godric's Hollow and with Tanner's birthday close to one of school holidays, you will still have both to look forward to."
Some of the strain left Harry's shoulders as the boy returned his chin to his knees. "Can I still think about it?"
Severus reached over and carded his hand through Harry's hair. "Of course. I strongly suggest you make your decision before we head to Diagon Alley so that Remus and Sirius are not expecting to spend the entire day shopping. Do not forget to talk to them about this as well."
Harry nodded under his hand. He stood and left the boy to his musings.
Stepping back into the suite revealed Remus and Sirius had not wandered from wherever they had been upon his arrival. With only three other spaces the pair could be in, Severus walked to the rooms and caught the edges of their soft chatter.
They looked his way when he stopped in the doorway. He frowned at the disheartened expressions on both men's faces. "Something wrong?" he asked, stepping in and closing the door.
Remus answered, "Not exactly."
"Harry didn't have much of a reaction to his letter," Sirius explained. "I - we - expected something from him but he's been rather subdued all day."
"You do realize this is a massive disruption to his status quo," Severus pointed out. "It should be no surprise that he has been subdued about this. It has the same weight for him as taking Harry in and moving to a new continent had for the both of you."
"But he hasn't talked about it, not even when Remus or I directly ask about it."
Severus wondered how long ago that had been. Harry seemed responsive enough, though he was well aware the boy didn't talk to them all equally. "Give him a few more days. Harry values your opinions greatly and is most likely just trying to figure out what he wants to talk about."
Both men nodded.
"How was your luncheon?" Remus asked, standing from the bed.
"The food was good," Severus said. It gained a snort from Sirius and a smirk curled the corner of Severus's lips. "The meeting itself was decent. Mostly catching up on the happenings of the world and work for the most part. My participation in that aspect was minimal."
"So it wasn't with current colleagues?"
He stepped aside with the door, letting Remus and Sirius out. "No, there were a few there from the current projects. The majority were folks I had not seen in a while. Nothing more to note beyond some successful networking for those present. What of the letters this morning? Anything urgent?"
Sirius plopped down on one of the couches as they settled in the living room. Severus remained standing as Remus sat as well. Remus said, "Thankfully nothing dire but certainly urgent in its own right. Nothing that a response letter couldn't suffice so I won't be pulled away just yet."
Severus nodded as the balcony door opened behind him. He shifted his position to look back and watch Harry enter the suite. The boy's gaze drifted over the three of them as he closed the door. Sirius opened his arms to Harry at the boy's approach and Harry went over without a word, settling into the tight hug against the man's chest.
"Do you want to talk yet?" Sirius asked just loud enough for Remus and Severus to hear.
Harry shook his head no.
"You let us know when you do, ok, pup? We're here for you."
Harry nodded.