AUTHOR'S NOTE:
OK guys- brace yourselves. I'm warning you, we're about to get a plot twist.
On the plus side, there's some fluff for all of your fluffy needs. ENJOY!
Harry waited for a good thirty minutes after he heard Barclay's door shut before he stepped out. For the last week he'd been watching and listening for his patterns. It was well after midnight, and he'd heard him do his full "nighttime routine" so he was pretty sure he wouldn't go back again until the morning.
Once he was sure Barclay was in his room for the night, Harry opened his door and took his time creeping slowly toward the parlor, holding onto the walls for support.
All of the lights were out except a small night light Snape had put in the hallway to make sure Harry could find his way to the loo. But the parlor was completely dark, and the lights in the lab were off so he'd have to be extremely careful not to run into anything.
He moved his hands from the wall to the armchair, holding onto it with one hand as he inched toward the bookcase door. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the door open and stepped through. He had never been in the lab after hours, and he had no idea if Snape or Barclay had set wards, but he said a silent prayer as he waited.
Several minutes ticked by and when no one else in the house stirred, Harry flipped a switch by the top of the stairs and the lab illuminated. He carefully closed the bookcase door so the light wouldn't seep into the parlor, leaving it open just enough that he was sure not to be locked in.
One at a time, Harry took the stairs as quietly and as carefully as he could, holding onto the banister for dear life. Whether it was his anxiety or his clumsy feet, he slipped momentarily toward the bottom of the stairs. He tried to catch himself, but his grip was weak and he landed on the stairs with a small thud.
"Dammit!" he whispered to himself. He held his breath and sat there, his heart beating loudly in his ears. When no one came, Harry slowly pulled himself up, shaking, and took the last few stairs at a sloth's pace.
When he got down into the lab, he looked around. There were several cauldrons in various states of brew, but he knew what he was looking for was already bottled. He'd seen it twice.
It took about fifteen minutes of rummaging (quietly) through the cupboards and shelves before Harry finally found it. Snape had placed it high up on a shelf in one of the cupboards above his bench. Not having the height or a wand to help him, he had to climb up on the bench to reach it. His disability had left him with the coordination of a drunk toddler, so he was glad no one could see him as he flailed and squirmed on the bench top before he was finally able to pull himself up.
When he grabbed the bottle, it lit up for a moment, shining as bright as a jar full of fireflies. "Wicked," Harry smiled to himself. He set it down as carefully as possible on top of the lab bench before he managed to slowly lower himself back down to the floor.
Now he was starting to feel nervous. He could feel his adrenaline surging as his breaths came more quickly and his hands felt jittery. A cold sweat broke out on his neck. Whatever he did, he didn't want to drop the bottle, so he wiped his hands on his pajama pants and sat on a stool to wait for the feeling to pass.
He'd been planning this for days, but now that he was finally sitting here, with the potion in front of him, he was having doubts. His stomach was in knots and his heart was racing as he debated whether this was a good idea after all.
A few more minutes passed silently as Harry sat on a stool and contemplated his options, replaying the conversation he'd overheard between Snape and Barclay. He turned the bottle around and ran his thumb softly over the label. It was definitely Snape's handwriting, artistic and controlled, rigid yet elegant. And there, in spikey black script, were his initials. "HP #1: for nerve regeneration." It was calling to him.
He knew Snape would have banished it if the potion hadn't been perfect, so it had to work, right? He heard Barclay say so. If Snape wasn't giving it to him, it was because he was being overly cautious. But Harry was tired of waiting. Maybe Snape didn't want him to be a guinea pig, but he'd rather take a risk than spend the rest of his life as a burden to others, incapable of brushing his own teeth or ever riding a broom again.
Knowing Snape, he could run ten years of clinical trials and still not think it was safe enough for his obnoxious, but lovable ward. Harry liked to think it was because Snape had grown to truly care for him, but he was also sure Snape was terrified at the backlash he would receive if he maimed The Boy Who Lived.
"Screw it," Harry said to himself as he grabbed the bottle. He pulled out the cork and swirled it, staring into the dark green liquid flecked with what looked like tiny neon stars. He had no idea what the dose was, but he figured it was probably about the same as it was for most potions, so he put it to his lips and took a generous mouthful.
The potion effervesced slightly in his mouth like tiny champagne bubbles and he immediately felt a little bit light headed. He had just recapped and set down the bottle when he felt himself falling. It was a bizarre sensation, somehow both physical and mental, like his body was being pulled into a black hole and his mind was losing touch with the present reality. He reached out to grab the bench to steady himself, but his hand grasped air, and he had almost no control over his body.
As his body collapsed to the floor, he hit an empty glass beaker with one hand before knocking over a wooden stool, which in turn fell into an empty stack of cauldrons making a loud crash. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.
Snape awoke with a start when he heard a loud crash coming from the lab downstairs. He sat up, jumped out of bed, and threw on his dressing gown and slippers before rushing out of his room.
He panicked thinking Master Barclay must have had an accident in the lab. He knew the man had been up for the past few nights running experiments and checking on potions, and he hoped it wasn't anything serious.
When he arrived in the parlor, the bookcase door was slightly ajar and a sliver of light was coming from the hidden stairwell. He threw open the bookcase, and yelled from the top of the stairs.
"Master Barclay? Are you alright?"
There was no response, and Snape felt his stomach drop.
Harry woke up to the sound of Snape's voice yelling from the top of the stairs. He was completely confused. He was laying on the stone floor but nothing made sense. How did he get here? Was he dreaming? Panic consumed him and he crawled to the first place he saw, a cabinet underneath one of the workbenches. He pulled himself inside and closed the door behind him, wrapping his arms tightly around his knees while he squeezed his eyes shut.
Still not entirely awake, Snape paused for a moment before he tightened the belt on his dressing gown, pulled out his wand and headed cautiously down the stairs. When he got down to the lab he could see broken glass and the stool and cauldrons toppled over on the floor, but no Master Barclay.
"Master Barclay? Are you down here?" He looked around the lab, confused, his wand at the ready.
"Severus? Are you alright?"
The voice came from above and behind him, and Snape snapped his head around to see Master Barclay, standing in his blue striped pyjamas at the top of the stairs.
Snape's face suddenly went into a deep scowl. If Master Barclay was upstairs, there was only one other person it could be. As the realization hit him, anger bubbled to the surface.
"POTTER!"
As his eyes flicked around the lab, they came to an abrupt halt when he saw the bottle sitting on the workbench. Snape rushed over to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Oh dear God, no. NO!
He was incandescent with rage, but more than that his heart was pumping with adrenaline and fear. "Harry James Potter, where are you? Show yourself this instant!"
Inside the cupboard behind Snape, Harry curled himself in a tight ball. He couldn't make sense of what was going on at all. It felt like he had just been in his cupboard at home, he wasn't sure how he'd gotten here or what had happened. He had a vague memory of taking a potion and being in this lab, but it felt like a dream, like another life. He didn't understand what was happening to him, but he was pretty sure he was safer inside the dark cupboard than out there with that angry man shouting at him.
"You have three seconds to get out here, Potter. If I have to go looking for you, I promise you, you will be in even worse trouble." If that's even possible.
"One."
Snape paused when he heard the creak of a squeaky hinge behind him. He whipped around and stared at the cabinet that was now slightly ajar.
"Get out here, Harry. Now." His voice was dangerously low, in a tone Harry had only heard a few times before, but one he knew promised impending doom.
"No. I don't wanna come out, you're going to spank me" he heard a voice say from behind the wood.
Snape glared at the cabinet door. "Oh, you can count on it. But if I have to drag you out of there, I swear to Merlin, I will put you over my knee every night for a week. Come here. NOW." He snapped his finger and pointed at the floor in front of him.
Harry pushed the cabinet door open and tumbled out, falling forward slightly as his arms and legs tangled in his oversized pajamas. He sat on the cold stone floor and looked up at the angry potions master before starting to cry. "I'm sorrrrrrrry!"
"HARRY, what in God's name have you done!" He reached down and grabbed the crying boy with both arms and gave him a small shake. "You wretched, disobedient little fool!"
Harry was now in full-on sobs, grasping at his pajama bottoms as they threatened to fall off of him. He had seen Snape angry, but he wasn't sure if he had ever seen the man THIS angry.
Barclay rushed down the stairs toward Snape. He pointed his wand at Harry and shrank his clothes to fit him before he sighed deeply, "It appears he has been de-aged. Four or five by the looks of him."
"Yes, I can see that," Snape snapped at the man. "Now what?"
Unsure if Snape could control his emotions, Barclay lifted Harry out of his arms. He set the boy on his hip and patted him gently on the back as he tutted softly. "It was very unwise to take that potion, Harry. We were still experimenting. What you took was just one component of a very complex series of potions. The dose you took was way too high, and without the other potions, it has taken your body and your mind back to being a small child."
"Oh for Merlin's sake." Snape groaned as he turned around and pointed his wand at the mess in the lab, quickly cleaning up the broken glass and setting the stool and cauldrons back to rights.
Snape grabbed Harry out of Barclay's arms and set him down on top of the now clean lab bench. Harry was still crying as Snape ran a diagnostic spell. According to the spell, he was four years and ten months old, small and underweight for his age but otherwise healthy.
Unable to contain his frustration, Snape bent down and grabbed the tiny boy by both shoulders, looking at him in the eye. "Do you have any idea what you've done? We don't even have the other components finished yet, nor do we have an antidote for this one. How could you be so damn foolish?"
He stood up and put one hand on his temple, keeping one hand firmly on Harry. "Have you learned nothing from me? You know you should NEVER take a potion that is unknown to you. Are you trying to get yourself killed? At this rate there's no reason to even worry about the Dark Lord, you're going to do the job for him!"
Harry's tiny face crumpled up as a fresh batch of sobs wracked his body. Snape rolled his eyes, reached out and grabbed him up off the counter, pulling him tightly to his chest. "Alright, that's enough."
"Perhaps you should save the lectures on personal responsibility for when he no longer has a mouth full of baby teeth," Barclay said dryly.
Snape nodded, somewhat ashamed. He supposed it was a little ridiculous to rant at a 5 year-old, but he couldn't believe what the boy had done. He rubbed Harry's back and shushed him gently. He was fuming at 12 year-old Harry, but he knew he shouldn't take it out on pre-school Harry.
"I don't want to be little," Harry whined.
"Something your 12 year-old self might have considered before rushing head first into a potions bottle," Snape responded acerbically, unable to control himself. "Consequences Harry, this is what I've been trying to get into your head."
Snape leaned back slightly to look at the boy in his arms. "Perhaps we should just keep you this way— maybe if I had the chance to raise you from this age, we would have long ago cured you of your reckless and impulsive behavior," he said as he tapped softly on the boy's thigh. "Yes, I imagine a 5 year-old Harry would be a lot easier to train than your stubborn adolescent counterpart. What do you think, hmm?"
Harry shook his head.
"No? Well, I suppose we'll have to turn you back then. If only so I can give 12 year-old Harry the spanking of his life."
Little Harry buried his head in the man's shoulder as Snape patted his hip gently.
When Snape looked up, Barclay was already sitting at his bench going through his notes, a quill in his hand and his brow furrowed deep in concentration.
"I'm going to put Harry to bed. You might as well get some sleep tonight, Master Barclay, I think we're going to have a few very long days ahead of us."
"Yes, this certainly changes things," Barclay replied flatly without looking up. It was the most stressed Snape had seen the man in a very long time. It slightly unnerved him to see his mentor like this, but he was too tired to waste his energy worrying about it right now.
"Let's reconvene in the morning and make a plan."
Barclay kept his eyes glued to his notebook. He nodded his head and replied curtly, "Yes. Goodnight, Severus."
Snape let out a long dramatic sigh as he mounted the staircase, Harry lying quietly on his shoulder. "Just when I thought things were going to get easier. You're not planning to ever let me rest, are you Mr. Potter?"
When they got to Harry's room, he laid the boy on his bed and tucked him into the quilts. He was so tiny, his big green eyes seemed oversized on his small face. He looked almost cherubic, although Snape knew nothing could be further from the truth.
"Are you mad at me?" Little Harry's lower lip trembled as if he were about to start crying again.
Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Snape took a moment before he responded. His emotions were all over the place. He was angry, terrified, and exhausted, but he didn't want to make things worse by scaring Harry. "Well, I'm certainly not very pleased at the moment."
"I'm sorry," he cried as a fresh batch of tears started to pour down his face.
Snape ran a soothing hand across his thick black fringe. "I know. That's enough. You're tired and your mind and body are overwhelmed right now. Master Barclay and I will sort it out. The only thing you need to worry about right now is going to sleep."
"Don't leave me," Harry begged. "I'm scared."
"There's nothing to be afraid of, I'm right here. Roll onto your stomach." Snape reached for his dragon and tucked it into the boy's arms. He rubbed circles on Harry's back until he was sure the boy was asleep.
"You're going to put me into an early grave, Mr. Potter." He said as he kissed the top of the sleeping boy's head. He cast several wards on the room before he left it, silently cursing himself for removing them in the first place.
It was a sleepless night for Snape and Barclay. They both tossed and turned for several hours before finally giving up.
When Barclay came into the parlor at 6am, Snape was already sitting in his chair with a cup of coffee and copious notes scattered on the table and on his lap. He looked up as the old man walked in. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get started…What a nightmare."
Barclay nodded. "I've been thinking about how to reverse this, but now I'm thinking maybe we can use it to our advantage. We will have to rethink our strategy, and adapt our other potions accordingly, but it's not entirely a bad thing."
"How so?" Snape perked up slightly.
"Well, instead of targeting his nerve cells, we've de-aged him completely. It is certainly less elegant than our original plan, but perhaps we can just couple the healing properties with a rapid aging potion, and we can bring him back with his nerves healed."
"Less elegant is certainly an understatement. Do you have any idea what people will do to me if they find out I've turned Harry Potter back into a toddler? They'll throw me in Azkaban." Snape leaned his head back against the armchair and closed his eyes.
"We will fix it, Severus. Have some faith. But I think you're right about the bioluminescent plankton. I'm going to see if I can track some down. We're going to need to be very precise about timing the re-aging."
Snape opened his eyes and looked at Barclay. In general the man was upbeat and optimistic, but his voice was laced with concern and uncertainty. "What would you like, Master Barclay, tea or coffee?"
"I think today is rather a coffee-kind of day. Thank you."
With a nod, Snape pushed himself out of his chair, tossing the papers onto the table and making his way to the kitchen.
They spent the next several hours making a tentative plan on how to move forward. Snape would further evaluate Harry to understand just what the effects of the potion had been on his body and his mind. Barclay would spend the day tracking down ingredients and meeting with colleagues to hash out some hypotheses.
By 9am, Barclay had floo'ed back to London, leaving an exhausted Snape to deal with Harry.
He walked quietly into Harry's room and put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's time to get up, Harry."
Harry opened his eyes, and he jerked away slightly, fear flashing briefly on his face as he took in his surroundings. "What happened? Where am I?"
He was groggy and startled to be waking up in a bed instead of his cupboard. His mind was jumbled with conflicting memories. "I thought you were a dream."
Snape looked confused now. "What do you remember, Harry?"
"I don't know."
"Try. Do you remember me, do you remember being here in this house, taking the potion last night."
Harry nodded his head. "Uh-huh. I can remember it, but it doesn't feel like me. It feels like a dream. I feel like I should be in my cupboard. Yesterday I was at home with my aunt and uncle. Now I'm here."
Snape tried not to react, but this was unexpected. Harry had somehow gone back to his five year-old brain. He apparently still retained memories from when he was 12 years-old, but he was fully immersed in his thoughts and feelings as if he had gone back in time into his five year-old mind.
"I'm hungry," Harry said casually, as if he had completely moved past his impending existential crisis.
"Do you need the loo first?"
Harry nodded.
Having never spent time with humans under the age of 11, Snape had no idea what 5 year-old Harry was capable of. He was clearly too old for nappies, thank Merlin, but he had no earthly clue what he could and could not do by himself.
He hesitated a moment before he asked. "Is that something you need help with?"
Harry looked at him and scowled. "No, I'm not a baby. Dudley is the one who still has accidents. Not me."
"I see. My mistake. Up you get."
Snape was shocked again at how tiny the boy was as he helped him out of bed. The diagnostic spell said he was just barely 15kg. Snape had cauldrons that weighed more than him. Most of them, in fact.
He followed behind Harry as he went to the washroom, hovering outside of the door just in case he was needed. He heard the toilet flush and then a small voice call out. "Excuse me?"
Snape pushed the door open and looked down at the boy. "Yes?"
"I can't reach the sink."
"Right." Snape lifted him up and turned on the faucet, holding Harry over the sink as he washed his hands. After he set him down, he reached up to grab a towel. "Dry your hands."
"Aunt Petunia gave me a stool. I have to use it because I'm too small to reach the stove. Maybe you can get me a stool so I can do things by myself."
A small scowl crossed over Snape's face. "Why on earth would a 4 year-old need to reach the stove?"
Harry frowned at him as he handed back the towel. "I'm almost five. And it's so I can cook, silly. Aunt Petunia says its my chores. I do the dishes on my stool too."
Exasperated, Snape grabbed the towel and tossed it back on the bathroom counter. "I will absolutely not be giving you a stool. And if you go anywhere near the stove or the washing up, you will be in a lot of trouble."
"I promise I won't burn myself. One time I got burned and Aunt Petunia got really cross and she shouted at me and put me in my cupboard."
Snape couldn't take it. He picked Harry up and set him on the bathroom counter so he could look him in the eye. "You are not going to burn yourself because you will not be anywhere near the stove. Ever. Do you understand?"
"Uh-huh," Harry said, nodding his head. "So then I can be like Dudley?"
"I certainly hope not."
"He doesn't have to do chores. Only me, cuz Aunt Petunia says I have to earn my keep."
Snape grabbed Harry's tiny chin in between his fingers. "Listen to me very carefully, Harry. You do not need to earn your keep, and I will not have you slaving away like some kind of Victorian child laborer. Now, that's enough." He picked him up and set him down on the floor, guiding him lightly toward the kitchen with one hand on his back.
When they got to the table, Harry sat down and Snape realized the boy was too small to reach his place-setting, so he picked him up, set him on the floor and pulled out his wand. With a flick of his wrist, he raised the height of the chair before sitting the boy back on top of it.
Harry smiled "Wow! Magic!"
Snape had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Indeed." He braced himself for more "oohs" and "ahhs" as he transfigured some child-friendly cutlery. He poured milk into a sippy cup with a lid and set it in front of Harry. "Drink all of this, you're too small."
As soon as he put it down, Harry's face turned into a scowl. "This cup is for babies!" Harry shouted, turning toward Snape with a look of pure indignation. "I told you I'm not a baby!"
"Excuse me? You do NOT raise your voice at me," Snape said, ducking down to eye-level. "You will speak to me in a polite tone, or I will put you in time-out. Do you understand?"
Harry looked shocked by the rebuke, but nodded his head.
"Yes, sir is the proper response."
"Yes, sir," Harry whispered, intimidated by the man's tone.
"Now then. You may not remember clearly, but when you were 12, you were having difficulty holding a cup with your hands. I just thought this would be easier."
"I want a big kid cup."
"Fine." Snape transfigured it back into the Chudley Cannon cup with a lid and a straw. He was irritated, but he didn't have the energy to argue with a 5 year-old over a damn cup. "But next time I expect you to ask politely."
As soon as he handed him the cup, Harry smiled. He loved watching Snape do magic, and he was thrilled at the zooming figures moving around on tiny broomsticks on the outside of his cup. "Look, they're flying!"
"Perhaps a 'thank you' would be in order." Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you!" Harry beamed as he put the straw in his mouth.
Snape poured himself another cup of coffee and dished up the porridge he'd made for Harry. He sat down and put the bowl in front of him. "Eat up."
Harry crinkled his nose up and crossed his arms. "I don't like porridge, it's yucky."
Merlin, give me strength. Snape took a breath and sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. "Well, I apologize if the food isn't up to your highly evolved gastronomic standards, Mr. Potter, but seeing as this is neither a restaurant or a hotel, you will eat what has been made for you. Now stop being difficult and eat your breakfast."
The boy kicked the underside of the table in frustration. "I don't want porridge. I want pastries and pancakes! I want a chocolate muffin!
Snape narrowed his eyes and raised a brow. "Do you want a spanking? Because that's exactly what you're going to get if this tantrum continues. Now stop whining and eat your porridge or you may be excused."
There was no way he would let the boy go without breakfast, but he was not going to give in to this atrocious behavior. He had no idea why Harry was acting up, but he was not a man who would tolerate a tantrum.
"I said I don't want it!" And with one swift move, Harry pushed the bowl over the edge of the table where it shattered on impact, scattering pieces of ceramic and porridge all over the kitchen floor.
"I see." Snape stayed calm, but he'd had enough. It was clear he wasn't going to be able to reason with the boy, so he set his mug on the table and scooted his chair back. Without a word, he lifted Harry from his seat, and placed him firmly down over his lap. He landed five stinging smacks to the boy's upturned bottom before standing up and carrying the now hysterically crying boy with him into the parlor. He set him down in the far corner facing the wall.
"Stay here and don't move, there is glass everywhere. If you dare move a muscle or come out of this corner before I tell you, I will spank you again and restart your time-out. Do you understand?"
Harry had both hands on his backside, and he was crying loudly, but he nodded his head.
Normally Snape would be inclined to have Harry clean up his own mess, but the boy was too small and he didn't want him to cut himself on the glass. With a flick of his wand, he repaired the bowl and banished all of the porridge from the floor. He reached up and rubbed his temples. He had a massive headache and it was barely 9 in the morning. Apparently parenting a 5 year-old Potter was way more exhausting than he anticipated.
He stood in the kitchen and sipped on his coffee for a minute trying to ignore the pathetic cries coming from the corner. He slugged down the rest of the coffee, set the mug on the counter and exhaled audibly before returning to the parlor.
Bending down slightly, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Alright Harry, that's enough. Your punishment is over."
Harry turned around, his breath hitching. "I'm sorry." He lifted his arms up instinctively and Snape reached down, gave him a hug, and lifted him up, carrying him over to the armchair.
He sat Harry on his lap and looked down at him. "I am very disappointed in your behavior this morning. Do you understand why I punished you?"
Harry nodded.
"Why?"
"Cuz I got mad and throwed my bowl."
"Because you were extremely rude and you threw a tantrum. And yes, you also threw your bowl off the table which is beyond unacceptable."
Harry put his head down and tears started to fall again. Snape lifted his chin up. "Look at me. If you don't like something, you can politely ask if you may have something else, but at the end of the day, I will make that decision. I happen to know you like porridge, but you didn't even taste it- you were acting like a spoiled brat and that will not get you anything with me except a well-smacked bottom."
"But that's what Dudley does and he gets what he wants. He always has pastries and muffins at breakfast." Harry's eyelashes were dark and wet from the tears.
Snape had to hide a sneer. "Yes, well let us not use Dudley as a barometer of impeccable behavior."
"Huh?"
Snape readjusted his words so Harry could understand. "Dudley is a horrid, obnoxious little boy and I do not want you to act like him. Ever."
"I'm sorry," Harry said as he leaned against Snape's shoulder.
Snape hated to admit it, but his heart melted a little bit. He patted the boy's back gently. "You are forgiven, but I don't want to ever see you behave that way again."
He pulled Harry off of his shoulder so he could look at him. "Now then, shall we go back to the table and try again? I made the porridge with banana and brown sugar just the way you like it. I think you'll enjoy it if you give it a try, but if not, you can have a bowl of cereal."
Harry nodded his head and sniffed loudly. "OK."
"Good boy." Snape lifted him off his lap and set him down on the ground, and the two of them returned to the table where Harry happily ate the porridge without complaint.
After breakfast, Snape took Harry outside for a bit to run around in the yard. He had no idea what to do with the boy, but he seemed to have endless energy, so he tossed the football outside for a bit while Harry chased it before his legs got tired and he asked to come in.
Thankfully lunch went a lot more smoothly than breakfast, and to Snape's great relief, Harry didn't put up a fight when he put him down for an afternoon nap.
Snape had every intention of working while Harry slept, but he ended up falling asleep in his armchair with his notes in his lap. He woke up with a crick in his neck and a bit of drool on his cheek, and he was glad no one was around to see it.
He got up and checked on Harry, who was curled up with his dragon, still deep in sleep. He had no idea how much sleep a five year-old needed, but he figured he'd leave him a little longer.
In the kitchen, he made a pot of tea for himself and set several biscuits on a plate. He put some milk in a cup for Harry and brought it to the parlor. He read for a few minutes and sipped his tea quietly before he decided to wake Harry. The boy was a bit groggy at first, but as soon as he mentioned biscuits, Harry perked up and hopped out of bed.
Snape grabbed the puzzle box off of his shelf and tapped it with his wand. The 1000 piece puzzle changed to a more age-appropriate 200 piece puzzle. He hoped this would keep the boy busy for a little while.
Harry sat on the couch and grabbed a Jammie Dodger off the plate. "Can we go to the park later?"
Snape looked up from his chair. "Not today, Harry."
"Pleaaase? I never get to go to the park."
"I'll think about it," Snape responded. He had no idea how that would work logistically but he knew it was probably going to be difficult to keep Harry in the house for the rest of the day with nothing to do.
Harry reached for another biscuit and Snape eyed him carefully. "That's the last one. If you're still hungry after this, I will make you a healthy snack. I don't want you filling up on sugar."
"But I like biscuits."
Snape tried not to smile. "Yes, I'm sure you do. But you've had plenty."
"Dudley has as much biscuits as he wants."
"We are not having that conversation again, Harry. Dudley is spoiled. You are not. I am not going to watch you gorge yourself on rubbish. Now drink your milk." He looked up from his papers and nodded in the direction of his cup.
Harry picked up his cup and took a sip, but he was annoyed. "I'm bored."
"Why don't you see if you can put this puzzle together." Snape got up and set the puzzle on the floor, hoping that would keep the boy entertained for a little while. He picked up his papers and started reading when he saw Harry reach over for another biscuit.
Snape cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. "I said you've had enough. If you're hungry I will cut up some fruit for you."
Harry pouted slightly before he whined. "I don't want fruit, I want another biscuit."
"It sounds like you want another smack on the bottom. If you're hungry, you can have something healthy, but the biscuits are finished for today." Snape pulled out his wand and banished the plate. "Case closed."
Harry pouted visibly but kept his mouth shut.
"Now, then, would you like me to cut up some apples?"
"I'm not that hungry."
"Very well, if you change your mind I'll be happy to get it for you."
Harry ignored him, let out a loud sigh, and started picking out puzzle pieces.
Over the next half-hour, Harry played quietly on the floor with his puzzle while Snape read through his notes, marking through them and scribbling in the margins. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the clock. He had some questions for Master Barclay but he had no idea what time he'd be home. He needed to see the man's lab notebook before he could go forward.
"Harry, I need to go downstairs for a few minutes to look at something in the lab. Can you stay here and play quietly with your puzzle?"
The boy looked up from his puzzle. "Uh-huh. I've almost got this part finished, see?" He pointed at a section of puzzle he'd put together.
Snape leaned over to look. "Very good. See if you can find all of the pieces that go on the top edge. They all have a flat side, like this," he pointed at one of the pieces.
"OK."
"I'll be right back." Snape set his papers down and tapped the bookcase with his wand, disappearing down the stairs.
As soon as he was sure Snape had gone down the stairs, Harry jumped up from the floor and ran to the kitchen. He picked up one of the kitchen chairs and took it over to the kitchen counter, setting it down on the right side of the stove. He knew that was where Snape kept the biscuits.
Once he climbed onto the chair, he kneeled on top of the counter and pulled himself up. He opened the cabinet, and smiled. There, within reach, was a packet of chocolate biscuits. He had just grabbed the packet and shoved one into his mouth, when he heard a voice behind him.
"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Potter?"
Harry turned around with a look of pure shock, his big green eyes wide with fear. He had chocolate on his face, half a biscuit in one hand, and the packet in the other. "I was hungry. You said I could have a snack."
If Snape wasn't so furious, he might actually find the whole scene adorable, but he forced himself to harden his features as he walked toward the boy. "I don't think so, little boy. I told you several times that there would be no more biscuits today, and you deliberately disobeyed me. If you were hungry, I told you I'd get you some fruit."
Snape walked up and lifted Harry off the counter, wrenching the half eaten biscuit out of his hand and tossing it in the bin before grabbing the packet and putting it up on a high shelf in the cupboard. Without another word, he carried Harry over to the sink where he washed his hands and wiped his face down with a wet flannel.
He sat Harry on the counter while he dried his hands and face with a clean tea towel. "That was extremely naughty, Harry. You knew quite well you weren't to have any more biscuits today. You not only disobeyed me, you snuck around behind my back and tried to steal them. Not to mention how dangerous it is to climb on furniture and stand on the counter, you could have fallen and hurt yourself.
Harry cried as Snape scolded him. "I just wanted a biscuit."
Snape was unmoved. "Well, I hope you enjoyed it then, because that's the last biscuit you'll be having for a while. You've also earned yourself a good spanking."
At these words, Harry started to cry louder. Snape lifted him off the counter and set him down before grabbing Harry's wrist with one hand, and the kitchen chair with the other. He pulled the chair away from the counter and put it down near the kitchen table before sitting down and pulling Harry in front of him.
"I don't want a spanking," Harry cried, putting one hand behind him and trying to pull his other hand free of Snape's grasp.
"Then I hope you remember that the next time you feel inclined to disobey me and act naughty. I clearly didn't make enough of an impression this morning, so let's try this again.
Despite Harry's best efforts to get away, Snape easily picked him up and put him over his lap. Snape put one hand on the boy's back, and hooked the other in his waistband, pulling down his trousers and pants in one fell swoop. This time he gave him eight stinging smacks on his bare backside, being careful to use a flick of his wrist so he didn't have to put much force behind it. He wanted to make an impression, but he didn't want to hurt him. Harry was crying loudly, but he was sure the sting would fade in a matter of minutes.
After pulling up his trousers, he picked the boy up and stood him on his feet.
"I'm sorry," Harry cried, snot and tears dripping from his face as he choked on his sobs.
Snape picked him up and strode to the sink where he took the wet flannel and gently wiped his face while the boy continued to whimper. He held him for a moment and kissed the top of his head. "It's over, Harry, I forgive you. Now take a breath. You're alright."
He held Harry on one hip, and moved the kitchen chair back under the table with his other hand before carrying the crying boy over to his armchair in the parlor. He sat down and held Harry against his chest, rubbing his back gently.
As they sat there, Harry crying softly into his shoulder, Snape couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if he really had raised Harry from the time he was little. Part of him was glad he'd missed all of the drama & exhaustion of raising a small child, but he also wondered if he would have been able to curb Harry's impulsive tendencies a lot sooner. It terrified Snape that if he didn't teach him to think before he acts, one of these days he wouldn't be able to save him.
"It was only a biscuit," he heard Harry whine softly.
Snape pulled him onto his lap so he could look him in the eye. "No, it was not. It was direct defiance, deceit, and putting yourself in a dangerous position to follow your own whims. These are exactly the habits we are trying to break and that is why I spanked you. This time it was a biscuit, but we are sitting here right now because your reckless impulses have serious consequences."
He wasn't sure if Harry could understand what he was saying, but he was going to try anyway. "You are the most important thing in the world to me, Harry, and I don't want to see you get hurt or suffer ever again. I am trying to keep you safe and protect you. Do you understand?"
Harry laid his cheek back down on Snape's shoulder. "Uh-huh."
Snape carded his hand through Harry's thick hair for several minutes. He couldn't help remembering how close he'd come to losing Harry in the caves, and then how he panicked when he'd seen that Harry had taken that blasted potion. He felt guilty for punishing the boy twice in one day, but he didn't know what else to do. He was terrified that if he didn't teach Harry to trust and obey him, he was going to lose him. And he knew he would never survive that.
They were still sitting in the chair like this when Barclay came through the floo carrying several bags.
He glanced at Snape who was asleep in the armchair, with Harry nestled in his lap, dozing on his shoulder. Snape opened his eyes when he heard the floo roar on Barclay's arrival.
"Tough day?" Barclay asked.
"You have no idea."
"I brought home some take away. I figured we could all use a break today."
Barclay went to the kitchen and set the bag of food on the table. "I'm going to open a bottle of wine, would you care for a glass, Severus?"
"Perhaps in a bit. Please, go ahead."
Snape stood up and laid Harry down gently on the couch and the boy curled up and continued to sleep. He then followed Barclay into the kitchen where he found him pouring a glass of Cabernet.
"Were you able to get everything?"
"I'm afraid not. I asked around but it looks like I'll need to go outside of London to get the Malaysian night-blooming orchid as well as the plankton. I found some dried in an apothecary in Diagon Alley, but I don't think it will suit our purposes. I got some leads on where we can get it, but I may have to go outside of England to procure them live."
Snape pressed his lips together tightly. "I see."
"How's Harry? Anything unexpected?" Barclay took a nice long sip from his wine glass and closed his eyes for a moment as he savored it.
"On second thought, maybe I will have that glass of wine now."
Barclay chuckled as he poured Snape a glass. "Ah, five is such a good age."
Snape just glared at him. "He was an absolute terror. He managed to find himself over my knee, not once, but twice today." He took the glass of wine that Barclay offered him. "Granted, when he wasn't throwing tantrums, he was quite adorable." He lifted his glass in a toast and took a well-deserved sip.
The two Potions Masters stood in the kitchen chatting while they sipped their wine. Snape relayed what he'd observed with Harry throughout the day.
"It's bizarre. It's like he was living as a five year-old yesterday. His mind is functioning exactly as it would if we had plucked him out of 1985. And yet, he still retains his memories of everything that happened after that, he just says it feels like a dream. It's unlike any de-aging I've ever heard of."
"Very interesting. And his nerve damage?"
Snape took another long sip of wine before he continued. "To be honest, it's hard to tell. He seems to still be struggling with his hands, and his legs get tired easily, but it appears to be much less pronounced. His general strength and coordination is obviously much more consistent with a five year-old, so the deficits are less noticeable"
Harry stirred in the other room, and Barclay and Snape left the kitchen, taking their wine glasses with them into the parlor.
"Hi" Harry said shyly, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, cradling one of the throw pillows.
Barclay set his glass down and pulled a small packet out of his pocket, enlarging it in front of Harry. "I brought you some things- I thought it might be nice to have some books and toys meant for a boy your age."
Snape shot him a look and raised an eyebrow. "You're going to spoil him, Master Barclay."
A soft chuckle escaped the older man's lips. "Don't be silly, Severus, he'll be a lot less mischievous when he's got something to occupy his attention."
Harry peered at the package. "Can I open it?"
"May I open it, please," Snape corrected him. "And yes, you may."
The boy carefully tore open the package to find coloring books, and a set of fat crayons and markers that would be easier for his little hands to hold. As he pulled the packaging apart, there were also several books, a big box of Legos, some quidditch figurines, and about six different colors of Play-do.
"Is this really all for me?" Harry asked, looking up at Master Barclay. "I never get to play with things like this. Only Dudley gets to have new toys."
He reached down to open up a tub of blue Play-do, but he couldn't get it open. He handed it to Snape. "Can you open this please?"
Snape popped the plastic lid off with ease before handing it back to Harry, who touched the blue dough delicately with his finger, not wanting to mess it up.
"If any of that gets stuck in the upholstery or carpeting, I'll be tasking you to clean it out, Master Barclay," Snape said, raising his eyebrow at the older wizard in good humor.
"Ah, the perks of being a wizard," Barclay responded, smiling.
"What do you say, Harry?" Snape said, disgusted that he sounded like every other parent on earth with that line.
Harry got up and ran into Master Barclay's arms and gave him a big hug. "Thank you! These are the best gifts ever!"
"You're quite welcome, Harry."
"Can I play with this now?" Harry said, holding the box of Legos and looking up at Snape.
"Not now. Master Barclay brought food, so we'll eat dinner shortly. After dinner you'll have a bath and then I can read you some books. The rest you can play with tomorrow."
Harry was slightly disappointed, but he wasn't about to throw another fit after the day he'd had. "OK."
"Why don't you take the toys to your room? You can leave the crayons and coloring book out here. If you want to sit and color for a bit before dinner, you may, but the rest of it you can play with tomorrow.
Barclay and Snape chatted while they enjoyed a few glasses of wine, and Harry colored quietly in his coloring books. He was thrilled that the pictures moved once they were colored in.
Snape wasn't sure he'd ever seen Harry as happy as he was at dinner, chatting animatedly about everything he was going to draw and build with his Legos tomorrow in between bites of fish and chips.
After dinner, Snape bathed him and by 8:00 Harry was in bed, in his pajamas, ready for his stories.
Snape sat on his bed, as usual, but before he could open the book, Harry looked up at him.
"Are you my daddy now?" Harry looked up at him as if that was the most normal question in the world.
It was not a question Snape was prepared for. He had had another version of this conversation with 12 year-old Harry, which had been confusing and difficult enough, but he had thought they'd reached an understanding. Labels aside, Snape loved and cared for Harry as a parent.
Snape cleared his throat and stalled for a minute. "In many respects, yes, I am your parental figure." He didn't know why he struggled to say the word "father," but it was too much for him, it felt heavy with responsibility and expectation.
"I know you're not my real dad. He's dead. He died when I was a baby. Uncle Vernon said he got in a car accident but I know that's not true. But can you be my other dad? Cuz you take care of me and feed me, and give me a bath and read me stories. That's what dads do, right?"
"Yes, I suppose that's true."
"So can I call you my daddy?"
Snape felt the air knocked straight out of him. "Do you want to?"
"Yeah," Harry said nonchalantly. "Are you going to do more dad things with me?"
"Such as?"
"I don't know. Uncle Vernon sometimes takes Dudley to the park. And he takes him to swim lessons, but not me cuz they are too expensive. Sometimes he takes Dudley for daddy-son weekends and they go camping, but not me. Cuz I don't have a dad." Harry's voice dropped down and his face looked dejected.
"Well, when you were 12 we did some of those things. We went for walks, I took you to the beach, I even taught you how to ride a bike. Do you remember any of that?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Kind of. I know it was me but it doesn't feel like me."
"Well, we will do more of those things. I promise. We have plenty of time."
Snape felt his heart physically ache. Even though he'd never had any of those special father-son memories with his own dad (save for occasionally being dragged down the pub to watch a football match while his father got drunk), he could imagine how much it must have hurt for Harry to see his cousin having this and not be a part of it.
"Where were you when they did these things? Your uncle and Dudley, I mean."
"At home. Doing chores or in my cupboard. It made me sad."
"Yes, I imagine it did." Snape put an arm around Harry and pulled him closer.
"So will you? Do more fun dad things with me? If I promise I'll be really good? I know I was bad today, but I'll be really good tomorrow. I don't want you to stop being my daddy cuz I'm bad."
Snape furrowed his brow before lifting Harry onto his lap facing him. "You are not bad, Harry. Not ever. You might be a bit naughty sometimes, but even if I get angry or punish you, I will never stop being your parent. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop caring for you. Do you understand?"
"But what if I'm really REALLY extra naughty?" Harry said, looking up at Snape.
"Making big plans already, are we? You didn't get in enough trouble today, you're still thinking about being naughty? My, my, I guess I was too easy on you."
Snape started to tickle Harry as he squealed and tried to move away. "No, daddy, I'm going to be good!" He laughed as Snape continued to tickle him.
After another few seconds of giggles, Snape gathered the boy up in his arms. "You're a good boy, Harry, and I will always love you and take care of you."
"You're not going to send me back to the Dursleys?"
"Not ever. No matter how naughty you are. I am your family now. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."
"I love you, daddy," Harry said as he reached up and gave Snape a kiss on the cheek.
No one ever kissed Snape. Not even his own parents. Lily had once, just a peck on the cheek when they were 10 years old, but no one since then. It was completely overwhelming. He kissed the top of the boy's head. "I love you too, Harry. Always."
"Can you read me this book now?" And just like that, Harry had moved on. He snuggled up next to him as Snape adjusted himself on the bed and opened up "Where the Wild Things Are."
Harry loved the book so much that when he finished, he made Snape read it to him again. Snape obliged, and then tucked the boy tightly in bed. "Sleep well, Harry."
Snape and Barclay were both exhausted from the lack of sleep and the tiring day had taken its toll on both of them. They chatted briefly, but decided an early night was in order.
Snape was about to walk to his room when he heard a noise come from the direction of Harry's room.
When he arrived at the door, he listened closely and could hear Harry talking to himself and the clear sounds of plastic blocks clinking together. He slowly opened the door to see Harry on the floor, his back to him, playing with his Legos. By the sound of it, he was building a house for himself and Snape. Snape had to stifle a laugh when he heard Harry pretending to be him and promising he'd build them a playground and a pool in the backyard.
"Don't forget a fence for our dog, daddy!"
Snape stood in the doorway for several minutes watching the boy with an amused expression before he forced himself to harden his features and put on a serious face. He crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and cleared his throat loudly.
Harry spun around to look at him, knowing he was caught.
"Two spankings in one day wasn't enough? Are you going for a world record or a personal best?" Snape raised an eyebrow and stared down at him.
Harry bolted off the floor and jumped into the bed. He put on his most innocent face. "I'm sorry, daddy."
"You absolutely will be if I come in here again and you're not asleep." He walked over and tucked Harry in tightly. "I mean it, Harry. If I catch you out of your bed again tonight, you'll go back into it with a smarting backside."
"I'll go to sleep now."
"You better." Snape leaned down and kissed the boy on top of his head. "Goodnight. Stay in bed."
"Goodnight, daddy."
As he walked back to his room, Snape couldn't help smiling to himself. Despite the trying day, he felt something had changed inside of him. He felt loved and needed in a different way with 5 year-old Harry. He missed his sassy tween Harry, but for the time being he was going to enjoy having Little Harry. He might be a lot of work, but he wanted to give him all of the love and affection he never had as a kid. He was going to do everything he could to make sure he gave Harry the childhood he didn't have the first time around, for however long this whole situation lasted. If Harry wanted a dad, Snape would do his best, he was not going to let this little boy down.
AUTHOR'S END NOTE:
OK, soooo, I hope you aren't mad that I threw you a curveball. But it's adorable! I've got some fun things planned for Snape & 5 year-old Harry.
PLEASE comment- I LOVE hearing from you (and I know I owe some of you a response, I'm going to get on that! I just had this chapter I wanted to get out ASAP since I left you so long before).
To all of my guests- thank you! I know I can't respond directly, but I love getting your feedback. To my wonderful guest in Buenos Aires, THANK YOU! It is SO fun to know where some of my readers are, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!