On the Doorstep
Theme: Write about love conquering hate.
Prompt: [Setting] On a doorstep
Special Rule: Season 2 Round 1: Write something you have never written before (a Severitus fic)
Word count: 1926
Additional Information: AU after the events of October 31, 1981
The doorbell rang, startling Severus from the Draught of Peace he was brewing. "Who the devil could be ringing the doorbell?" he grumbled. Besides Dumbledore, no one knew where he lived when he wasn't at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore usually used the Floo. The Muggles thought his house was abandoned. Besides, it was mere luck he was here instead of Hogwarts; if it weren't for Lily's—
He cut himself off. The mere thought of her was like pouring salt water on a festering wound; it wasn't something he did without plenty of potion to dull the pain.
The doorbell rang again. Severus sighed and set down his stirring rod. The potion would need to simmer for five minutes anyway, and that should be more than enough time for him to banish any foolish person who'd dared to come to his house.
He strode through the sitting room, not paying any mind to the clouds of dust that swirled in his wake. Unlatching the door, he barked, "What—?" He stopped short, only his well-honed instincts preventing his jaw from gaping open.
Petunia Evans was standing on his doorstep, a sleeping baby wrapped in a blue blanket in her arms. Middle age didn't suit her at all; her once youthful face was thin and caked with overly done makeup. A shiny car idled by the curb, with a fat, walrus-faced man in the driver's seat and a wailing baby in the backseat.
When Petunia caught sight of Severus, she shoved the baby at him. His arms flew up to catch the child. "What—?"
She cut him off. "There, now I've done my duty. You freaks belong with your own kind. Don't try to drop it off on my doorstep again!" She turned on her heel.
"Wait!" Severus called out. His brain whirred with confusion. Who was the baby? What was he supposed to do with him? He was a spy, for Salazar's sake, not some glorified childminder. He didn't know anything about young children!
A question burst to his lips. "Why give him to me?"
Petunia looked over her shoulder as she climbed into the car, and she rolled her eyes. "Because you're the only freak whose address I know."
The baby burbled in his sleep, but Severus ignored him, his attention focused on Petunia. Why anyone thought she would be a good guardian for a child was beyond him. "What would you have done if I hadn't answered the doorbell?"
"The same thing you freaks did to me: leave it on the doorstep with a letter." She pulled the car door shut. Before the car zoomed off, Severus could hear her over the engine cooing to the child in the backseat, "Don't worry, Dudders, the freak is gone now."
Severus stood on the doorstep, baffled. He'd done plenty of horrible things as a Death Eater, but who on earth would leave a child on a doorstep on a chilly and overcast November day?
The baby shifted in his arms, grabbing at Severus' robes. Severus looked down. Messy black hair covered his forehead, and he wore a blue onesie patterned with Snitches.
There was only one magical child that Petunia Evans could possibly have been involved with. Li—her child. His grip tightened around the baby in his arms. Potter's spawn would be about this age, wouldn't he? But why wasn't he with his new guardians, likely that flea-infested mutt, Black, and that mangy wolf, Lupin? Why was he with Petunia?
Severus shook his head. Maybe someone had left a magical child on Petunia's doorstep for some reason. But it couldn't possibly be Potter's little brat. He was zooming around on toy broomsticks and being showered with attention by his new guardians, not—
The child slowly blinked his eyes open, revealing bright green eyes. Severus' breath caught. Lily's eyes. He felt faint. He leaned against the doorframe.
It couldn't be. Potter's miniature hellion was off being pampered in some grand palace, growing up to be a carbon copy of his father—arrogant, rude, and eager to continue his father's feud with Severus when he attended Hogwarts.
But yet. It was an identical copy of her eyes on his face, and it was her sister who came to drop him off. Who else could he be?
Rage and hatred boiled in Severus' veins. He stormed back into the house just as ominous bubbling sounds began to come from the kitchen.
"Merlin be damned!" he cursed, shoving the child onto a dusty couch as he dove for his potion. Black smoke rose ominously. He gestured with his wand, vanishing the potion before it could explode. He turned to his Potions shelf, but he was out of Draught of Peace. He cursed again.
In the sitting room, he heard a sound of soft snuffling. Severus walked back to the baby. The monster blinked his green eyes at him. Severus forced himself to remember that the child wasn't Lily's reincarnation. "Why did the Fates have to curse me so?" he grumbled to himself.
He stood up again. Throwing a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace, he called out, "Albus Dumbledore's office!" and stuck his face into the flames.
"Severus?" The headmaster looked up from the paperwork on his desk. "Whatever is the matter?"
"Potter's spawn."
"Pardon?"
"What did you do with him?" Severus ground out, hoping beyond hope that Dumbledore hadn't actually sent the child to Petunia, hoping that the child in his sitting room was just some bizarre look alike. But in his heart, he knew that was not to be.
"Why, I sent young Harry to live with his mother's sister and her family. The blood magic will protect him there. And besides, family will help each other."
Severus closed his eyes with frustration. "Clearly not, as Petunia just showed up on my doorstep and shoved the monster into my arms."
Dumbledore's face turned grave. He rose and poked one of his many instruments with his wand. His voice was solemn as he replied, "The blood wards have indeed fallen." He murmured to himself as he poked the instrument a few more times, which whirred for a few seconds before cutting off sharply. "Well then. I think the best course of action would be for you to take young Harry in."
"What?" Severus gaped. "Have you gone insane, old man? Do you want the brat dead? What about Black and Lupin?"
Dumbledore hummed serenely, returning to his chair. "They are both…indisposed. I have full faith in your ability to care for young Harry."
"And what of my Potions classes?"
"I suspect that Horace may be willing to come back now that Voldemort is dead."
"Horace will ruin the students with his lax teaching standards," Severus growled. "But even disregarding that, have you considered that I am the least-suited person to care for Potter's progeny?"
"He's also Lily's child, you know."
"Don't say her name!" Severus clenched his fists.
"I have full confidence in you, but perhaps…I can try to arrange for someone to take custody of young Harry next week. In the meantime, he's all yours."
Severus gritted his teeth. "I suppose that's better than nothing."
"Then that's settled. See you in a week, Severus."
"I still think you are insane. Goodbye, Headmaster." Severus withdrew his head from the flames. He took a deep breath. A week. He could do this.
The brat was still on the sofa, his green eyes staring at him silently, as if piercing his soul.
"Aren't babies supposed to be louder than this?" Severus grumbled.
As though replying to him, Potter's spawn asked, "Muma?"
It felt like a stab to the heart. Lily's eyes stared at him. Pull it together, Severus.
"Your mum—your mum is gone," Severus said, unsure if the child would actually understand him.
"Muma?" the child repeated. His green eyes welled up with tears.
"Please don't cry," Severus pleaded. He didn't know how to handle a crying baby.
"Muma!" the child wailed, screwing up his eyes and throwing out his arms, as if waiting for his mum to come and pick him up.
Severus awkwardly pulled the baby onto his lap as he began to cry, waving his fists around. "There, there," he muttered as he patted the child's back. "Yes, yes, I know it's very distressing that your mum is gone, but you can't cry forever." Severus ignored the fact that he'd been stewing in misery over her death before Petunia had shown up on his doorstep.
Half an hour and an eternity later, the baby had finally cried himself to sleep, his head resting against Severus' chest.
Severus sighed. It was actually surprisingly peaceful when the child wasn't crying and howling. Perhaps this week wouldn't be terrible if the child managed to stay calm.
A week had passed. A crazy, wild week that involved Severus not getting nearly enough sleep. But at least it was over. Some strange part of his shrivelled heart might actually miss Harry when he was gone.
At some point during the week, it had stopped being cripplingly painful to think of Lily; it still hurt, of course, but Severus could at least think her name without being drugged up on the Draught of Peace. Severus had also stopped thinking of Harry as Potter's spawn or the personification of his regrets with Lily, but as just Harry. He didn't know when that happened—perhaps it was when Harry had smiled with his ten teeth after successfully stacking his blocks on top of each other, or perhaps it was when Harry had snuggled next to Severus while he was looking at old photo albums.
But none of that mattered. Dumbledore would be here at any moment now to take Harry away. All his stuff was packed and ready—Severus had gone out with Harry on the first day to buy everything—and the house felt empty without all the toys cluttering up the floor. Severus was sitting on the doorstep, watching Harry roll around and play in the grass outside.
There was a soft crack of Apparition, and Dumbledore strode gaily from around the corner. "Why hello there, young Harry! And good morning to you, Severus!"
Harry babbled back. A tiny secret part of Severus' heart melted, just as it had done multiple times a day for most of the week.
"Well?" Severus inquired. "Have you made the arrangements?"
"Oh yes." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Hagrid is more than happy to take young Harry in."
"Hagrid?" Severus exclaimed. "He's even less suited to taking care of a child than I am!"
"Oh?"
Severus was on a roll now. "I'd rather keep Harry than subject him to Hagrid's 'guardianship'."
"So we're in agreement then?"
"What are you talking about, Dumbledore?"
"Why, that you will be Harry's permanent guardian."
Severus' jaw dropped. "You tricked me, old man!"
Dumbledore smiled. "Glad that it's settled. I shall have to inform Hagrid of your decision. Do owl me if you need anything, of course, and I hope I will be able to visit you and young Harry again soon."
With a wave, Dumbledore walked back around the corner, and there was a crack of Disapparation. Severus closed his gaping mouth.
Severus stood up and brushed his robes off. "Well," he said, looking at Harry, who was sitting up and pulling clumps of grass out with his chubby hands. "I suppose we're stuck together, then." Harry babbled at him, grinning with a bit of tooth peeking out, and Severus finally let his heart melt completely. He reached down, took Harry by the hand, and led him into their home.
A/N: Severitus fics were what made me start reading Harry Potter fanfic to begin with, so it seemed only fitting for this fic to go back to my roots. Thank you to my Beauxbatons teammates for all their support, beta work, and brainstorming help, and thank you to the IWSC admin team for organizing this comp and this final goodbye event. *insert heart emoji here*