When Harry woke up on his fifteenth birthday, he didn't jump up or grin or yell in joy. Truthfully, he felt quite sad. He was pleased he didn't have to spend it with the Dursley's, which he had been dreading, but for the past couple years he had been with the Weasleys, and they had always made such a fuss of him on his birthday.
Meanwhile, neither Ron or Hermione had contacted him. No letters had arrived at Hogwarts, though Harry had checked the owlery everyday in case Errol had brought him something and couldn't get to the dungeons. Hedwig liked the company, but he never gave her anything to send away. His friends didn't know he was at Hogwarts, after all.
He sat up, and stretched, and temporarily wondered if Severus even knew it was his birthday. He shook his head to clear the thought from his mind, and then got out of bed. He spelled the bed covers straight, and grinned at the work. He cherished using magic, especially during the holidays when he knew his fellow classmates couldn't.
Striding over to his wardrobe, he dressed in a red t-shirt and black jeans. He left his feet bare, but pulled a red beanie over his back of his head, making sure his hair looked good at the front. Severus had brought him a range of beanies when they had gone shopping, and they had become one of his favourite things to wear.
He hesitated when he went to open his bedroom door, already hearing Severus moving about in the living room. He turned back into his room, making sure everything was tidy and his pajamas were put away in the drawers. He busied himself reorganizing his desk, when he heard Severus calling for him.
"Yes?" Harry answered, finally opening his bedroom door with a smile, "Good morning."
Severus was already dressed in his usual teaching robes, "Good morning. Breakfast is ready. Make sure you have one of your potions." He said, nodding towards the heavily ladened plates on the table.
Harry deflated slightly at the brisk greeting, and then retreated into his room in order to fetch a potion. When he came out, staring at the vial in his hands, he ignored Severus and went to the counter-side, to pour himself some orange juice. He turned back when Severus cleared his throat. The potions master looked pointedly at the table, where there had appeared a large box wrapped in colour paper.
Harry grinned suddenly, widely, "You do know."
"Know what, child?"
"That today is my birthday."
Severus rolled his eyes, "Of course I know, foolish boy. Did you doubt it?"
"Yes." Harry said honestly, sitting at the table and watching as Severus joined him, "I wasn't sure if you knew, or if you would acknowledge it at all. You didn't have to get me a gift. I have only been living with you a week after all."
"Well, you needn't sound so happy." Severus drawled.
Harry smiled, "Thank you, for the gift."
"You haven't even opened it yet."
"It doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts."
"How terribly sentimental of you. A Gryffindor trait that I do not approve of, Mr Potter." Severus informed him, and Harry laughed, "Eat your breakfast, and then you may open the gift. It is not much, but I wished you get you something on your birthday. Don't eat so fast, child, the gift will still be there when you are done."
Harry grinned sheepishly, and ate slower, eying the present out of the corner of his eye. Severus and him had been talking quite a lot of the past few days, mostly while completing homework or over the dinner table, and he felt like the man was getting to know him, so he wondered what the present may be.
His scrambled eggs on toast, his current favourite, was peppered to perfection and tasted amazing. He wondered whether Severus had got the house elves to help make breakfast. Once he was done, he drank his potion and his juice and watched patiently for Severus to finish.
Severus smirked, knowing the boy was waiting for him. He folded his knife and fork across his plate, and looked up at the expectant young wizard. He sighed, "Go on then."
Harry quickly pushed his plate out of the way, and pulled the box towards him. It was quite large, and rectangular, and wrapped in colourful green paper with a golden ribbon. He shook it a little, which Severus scolded him for, and found it was quite heavy.
He tore across the wrapping paper, and found a ornate box inside, and when he opened it he couldn't help but gasp. Inside was a variety of art equipment; paints, brushes, easels, watercolours, mixing plates, chalk, pastels, charcoal, pencils, graphic utensils, everything he could think of. There were even books on how to mix paint colours correctly, and the popular 'how to draw…' books. It was all shrunken down, but Harry stared at it all in awe.
He silently stared at Severus, wondering how the Professor had gotten his present so perfectly right, "You mentioned, a few days ago, how you liked art." Severus explained, fidgeting slightly, "You mentioned wanting to pursue it, but the Dursley's would never let you. I thought, well, perhaps you should have the chance to see if you enjoy it."
Harry fingered the miniature equipment, knowing that Severus had to shrink it in order to hide it from him, there was so much, "You said it was a small gift." He choked out, beginning to smile.
"Well, it's no firebolt…" Severus murmured. He knew that Harry had previously received his acclaimed quidditch broom from his godfather in third year.
"It's perfect." Harry said firmly, turning to look at his guardian.
"It is?"
"Yes, honestly." Harry grinned then, "I think it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. This is so thoughtful, Severus, thank you."
Severus grinned proudly, "Excellent, now, come with me. Bring the box." He exited into Harry's bedroom, and Harry following while carefully carrying his gift. He stared at the wall on the right of his room, near the back, which featured a door that had not been there when he left his room just half an hour before.
"That wasn't there earlier." He stated aloud.
"I am aware of that. The house-elves helped. It is part of your present." Severus told him.
"There's more?" Harry exclaimed, rushing into the room. He found, alike to when he first moved into Severus' quarters, he had run into a mostly empty room. The only items in there was a table, a chair, and a chest of drawers with a few empty pots sat on the top. He looked quizzically at Severus, who instructed him to lay the box on the floor.
Harry watched in wonder as Severus cast a spell, and the contents of the box flooded out, resuming their natural size. Two easels sat themselves in the corner of the room, each displaying blank white canvases, ready to be painted on. The desk was suddenly covered, with graphic drawing equipment and a stack of paper, as well as the few books. Paint palettes, pencil palettes, and other sets featuring pastels, chalks and charcoals stacked themselves in the drawers, which shut neatly when they were full. The pots on top of the drawers filled with painting brushes of all sizes.
Harry stood still for a moment, staring at it all, "Harry?" Severus said nervously, attempting to gauge the boy's reaction. He had been quite pleased of his idea for the boy's gift, thinking it quite original. He had spent a fair amount of money on all the equipment, but Dumbledore had told him that art was often considered an excellent therapy, and Merlin knows that was what Harry needed.
"My birthday present," Harry said slowly, "Is my own fully-equipped art studio?"
"Yes. You also mentioned that you sometimes wanted to get away from the loudness of Gryffindor Tower. I thought that somewhere for you to go and draw, or paint, might be relaxing for you." Severus explained, not liking how Harry's voice had gone uncharastically slow.
Harry turned to face Severus. The potions master startled when he realised his ward's eyes were brimming with tears, "Harry?" The Gryffindor quickly wiped his eyes, "You aren't pleased with this part of your gift?"
"Are you kidding?" Harry half-choked, half-laughed at Severus' comment, "This… This is the most amazing thing ever." He grinned, "So much better than a firebolt, so much better than anything I have ever been given." He paused, "Don't tell Sirius I said that."
"No promises." Severus told him, thrilled at besting the mutt, "Let me know if there is anything you would like to add to your art collection. Perhaps we can look at an extension come Christmas."
"I think everything you have given me will keep me busy for a long time, way past Christmas." Harry said, walking over to the chest of drawers and opening them one by one, looking at all of the different palettes, "This must have cost a fortune… You said it was a small gift…"
"Nevermind the price or size." Severus said dismissively, "The point is you like your present."
"Love it," Harry corrected him, and his eyes softened, "Severus, thank you, really. Just… thank you."
"You are welcome. There is, however, one more thing."
Harry laughed, "Is it more art?"
"No, but -"
"Then don't tell me," Harry interrupted, waving his hands, and Severus raised an eyebrow at the response, "I am so happy with this right now, I just want to focus all my attention on this… If there is anything more, can we save it until later? I may not be able to focus on it until then."
Severus went to say something, he had been going to tell Harry about the guardianship becoming official, but seeing how happy the boy was, surrounded by all of the art equipment, stopped him.
"Very well," He said instead, clearing his throat, "I have some forms to go over, actually, upcoming lesson plans for the new year and all. Shall I leave you to experiment in your new studio, until lunchtime?"
Harry's smile at the words 'new studio' told him all he needed to know, and he left the room.
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Harry took ten minutes just to decide what he would try first. He couldn't believe the generosity Severus had showed towards him. He had seen art equipment in the shop windows before, sets that cost upwards of fifty pounds each, and Petunia had grabbed his ear and quickly dragged him away, telling him not to get any ideas. Yet here he was, surrounded by everything he had ever dreamed of.
Severus, he had noticed, was also remarkably attentive. He could scarcely remember telling the Professor about his dream of art, and yet Severus had not only remembered it, but pursued it and turned it into the greatest gift for his birthday. He had meant it when he said it beat the gift of the firebolt Sirius had given him.
He eventually settled on drawing, for his first experiment. One of Severus' gifts had been a large sketching notebook, which dominated his desk when placed on it. He retrieved the packet of assorted pencils from the chest of drawers, propped up the 'How to draw' book on a page featuring a dragon, and set to work copying it.
While he worked, he thought of his friends. He couldn't help but let his mind drift to them. He hated that they hadn't contacted him, not even today, on his birthday. He had seen Severus' mail on the side of the kitchen, and the potions professor had not mentioned there being anything for him.
He wondered how they would react to the news that he was now living with Severus, who even Hermione despised on a part-time basis. He would have to explain to them how Severus had changed, seemingly. Or perhaps he was always this way, and they just hadn't seen it before… Either which way, they probably weren't going to like it.
The time passed seamlessly while he worked on drawing the dragon, exploiting his past experience with the Hungarian Horntail, in the Triwizard Tournament, for the detail. He left it black and white, deciding he wasn't sure whether it would look good with colour, and sat back to admire it when he was finished. He felt proud of it, he thought it was good and it was only his first drawing.
There was a knock at the closed door and Harry closed the sketch pad, shouting out, "Come in!"
Severus entered, looking apprehensive but pleased when he saw Harry sitting at his art desk, "I didn't want to disturb you, but you are aware that is it just past one, yes?"
Harry gaped at him, "It's been four hours?" He had no idea he had wasted half of his birthday away already, sitting at his desk drawing and thinking of his friends.
Severus nodded, "Time flies, clearly. What have you been up to?" He noticed the closed sketch pad, and the 'How to draw' book that was propped up in front of Harry, "Have you been sketching?"
Harry nodded, fingered the edge of the sketch pad and then decided that of all people, Severus should be the one to see his work. He opened it up, and pushed the chair back a bit, an invitation for Severus to come and view what he had done. The teacher obliged, walking over with his hands folded behind his back.
Harry found it very difficult to determine what Severus thought, the man's eyes were blank of emotion as they stared at the monochrome dragon. They flittered between Harry's work and the copy in the 'How to' book, assessing the differences.
"It's good." He said finally, and Harry grinned, "Very good, actually. You drew on your past experience with the Hungarian Horntail, I see. The ridges on yours are not there to copy in the book."
"And the curled claws, see?" Harry was anxious to show off his work to someone who seemed to appreciate it, and pointed to his dragon's feet, "And the spiked tail."
"You have a natural talent, Harry." Severus murmured, nodding, "I am very pleased this is what I got for you, now. I was hoping you would enjoy it, but you seem to have a real budding talent for drawing. I would be very interested to see how your paintings and charcoals turn out."
Harry paused, frowning, "I don't have as much experience with those. I used to draw a lot on the edge of papers, but I've never had proper paints. I won't be as good."
"Practise makes perfect." Severus quoted to him. He cast a spell on the drawing, letting Harry know that it would make it resistable to smudging and ruining it. He left the sketch pad open, since he did not want to overly touch Harry's new possessions, but leave them to the boy. He spoke his practised line, then, "Professor Dumbledore has asked if we would like to take lunch in his office, for your birthday, though I don't think it was much of a request." He rolled his eyes, trying to be as convincing as possible, "Change if you wish, and meet me in the living room."
Harry groaned, he didn't particularly want to meet Dumbledore for lunch, but he didn't want to offend the headmaster. He left his art studio, closing the door behind him, and decided not to change, he was happy with his outfit. He pulled on some black socks and shoes and met Severus in the living room.
The older man was standing next to the fireplace, and answered Harry's quizzical look with a sign and a strained response, "I can't be bothered with all of the walking. My fireplace is connected, one-way, to Dumbledore's office. We will simply pass through, just this once."
Harry thought nothing of this, and stepped into the fireplace beside his professor. He knew Severus had been getting agitated with the copious trips to the Headmaster's office he had had to take over the past few days. Severus threw some floo powder down, and he closed his eyes as the strange feeling of being transported took over him. He had never been a fan of travelling through the floo network. He stumbled a bit as he landed in a different fireplace, and before he had the time to look up, he heard a great shout.
"SURPRISE!"
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Severus smirked at the look of astonishment on Harry's face, as they landed in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. There was a sea of red-heads, students, teachers and mutts in the vicinity, and all of them rushed towards Harry.
"Harry!" Hermione jumped on her friend, the first to reach him, hugging him tightly as he stepped out of the fireplace, "It's so good to see you!"
"Hey mate." Ron joined in, the second to greet Harry, clapping him on the back, "Happy birthday!"
"Yes, happy birthday Harry!" Hermione seconded, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She grabbed his hands and smiled widely, clearly pleased to see him, despite his abject silence. She noticed Professor Snape and nodded her head, "Hello Professor Snape."
"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley." Severus bobbed his head slightly in greeting, and the glided to the other side of the room, standing quietly next to Professor Dumbledore, who was observing the scene with a look of contentment.
"Hiya Harry!" The twins appeared out of thin air, making Harry jump even more. He then thought, of course, they could use magic freely outside of school now they had turned seventeen, "We got you a present!"
"He can open his presents later, move out of the way!" Molly Weasley bustled through the crowd, grabbing Harry and giving him a tight hug, "It's good to see you Harry! You've lost some weight! Here, lunch is all set up."
Harry was about to say something, make any kind of remark, because his mouth had not yet opened since arriving at his godfather's house, when the man himself appeared. His hair was shaggy and his battered coat was hanging off him, and he was grinning widely, almost manically, at his godson.
"Harry Potter!" Sirius' voice seemed to echo in the ancient-looking house, "Happy birthday pup."
"Sirius." Harry said, rushing into his godfather's outstretched arms. He saw Severus' unimpressed look. He knew what his godfather had been like in the past, to Severus and others during their time at Hogwarts, and he sometimes hated the way the animagus acted now, but he still loved the man as a friend and relation.
"I hope Snivellus didn't get any grease on you." Sirius chuckled into his ear, and Harry was quickly reminded of that partial dislike he had for the man. In fact, many of the people here he wasn't too pleased at. Ron and Hermione especially, considering their lack of correspondence.
He didn't have the time to retort to Sirius' comment, because Molly Weasley had bustled his godfather away. Ginny, Remus and the other Weasley's said a quick hello to him, laughing at how surprised he had been and saying 'you should have seen your face!', before Molly managed to organise everyone to start helping themselves to food.
There were a few people there he didn't know. One he recognised physically, Alastor Moody, but he knew the auror was different to the man who had taught at Hogwarts last year. Another was a tall, deep-voiced man in purple robes, named Kingsley Shacklebolt, someone who Arthur said was high up in the auror department. Apparently he had been easy to convince, regards Sirius' innocence. The last person startled Harry when her hair changed colour, and Ginny laughed at his expression and introduced him to Nymphadora Tonks.
After a while he started to smile and laugh and appreciate the effort people had gone to in order to make this possible. Apparently they had all been sent invitations by the Headmaster to be at Grimmauld Place for a surprise party. And then, Ron let the secret slip.
"I don't know why he needed he send an invitation." Ron commented, dusting his hands of crumbs, "We were all here anyway."
Harry stilled, "All of you?"
"Ronald." Hermione said sharply.
"You were all here, together?" Harry asked again, putting his empty plate down on the side of the table, which they stood next to, before focusing his attention on his two friends.
"Well, yes, but -"
"You don't mean all summer?" Harry asked, turning to stare at Hermione, "You can't have been staying here over the summer… Not with Sirius and Remus. I only found out about this place a week ago, after all. Ron?" He turned to look at his other best friend, who shuffled uncomfortably.
"We started out the summer at the Burrow," Ron whined, "But then we all got moved here. Hermione arrived the day after us. Dumbledore's orders apparently -"
"Ronald!"
"Stop it, Hermione." Harry told her, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Everything ok?" Sirius came over, clapping a hand down on Harry's shoulder, which he quickly moved away from, "Harry? What's wrong?" Harry stared at his godfather, and then around the room where people were making quiet conversation, but listening in on the four of them.
He turned on his friends accusingly, finally expressing what had been on his mind so much the past month, "Why didn't either of you write to me this summer? All of July without a scrap of news. Not one letter from either of you."
Hermione and Ron had the decency to look ashamed at the point, "We wanted to write, Harry, really but -"
"But what?"
"Why don't you take this conversation upstairs, hm?" Sirius cut in, looking around the room consciously, noticing how Dumbledore had stopped eating his lemon cake, "Go on. Go up to your room, Hermione. I'll tell everyone you are just catching up on your summers. I'll be up in a minute. Go."
Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him along, up the stairs, with Ron following them. The house was dark and a swearing house-elf passed them on the stairs. Hermione pulled him into one of the many rooms, and Harry had to wonder how she knew her way around this place. He felt suddenly jealous that she knew his godfather's house, and he didn't.
"What's going on then?" He demanded, staring at his friends, "Why didn't you write to me? Why are you all staying here? Why didn't you tell me?"
Hermione sighed, sitting on the edge of one of the beds in the room. From the look of the posters, she was sharing with Ginny, "I'm sorry Harry. Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything."
Harry couldn't believe it, "Dumbledore said that?" He asked, and Hermione and Ron both nodded, "But why would he keep me in the dark? After all I'm the one who saw you-know-who return, I'm the one who fought him, I'm the one who saw Cedric Diggory get killed -"
"What is going on? Harry, please stop shouting." Sirius entered the room, and Harry rounded on him.
"And you!"
"And me what?"
"You didn't write to me either!"
"Harry, pup, I'm sorry but Dumbledore-"
"Stop blaming Dumbledore, if you cared enough you would have found a way!" Harry's voice had risen, and all his suppressed anger towards his friends over the summer came out, "My own godfather and my best friends! I was stuck at the Dursley's all summer, with Dudley making jokes about my parents being dead, and all the three of you can say is sorry!"
"Harry -"
"Excuse me," Severus entered the room, eyes narrowed and black robes swooping, "May I ask what is going on? Everyone can hear your shouting from downstairs. Molly is feeling very awkward and trying to feed everyone cake in an effort to overcome it."
"Stay out of this Snivellus." Sirius snapped, "It's none of your business."
"I disagree. Mr Potter is -"
"James is nothing to you!" Sirius yelled in anger, turning on Severus.
Severus raised a brow, Harry had told him about this a week ago in the hospital wing. He noticed Harry's crushed look and the surprised looks of his friends, "I believe you mean Harry, not James."
"Whatever his name is, he's got nothing to do with you." Sirius spat at his old rival, and Harry could hear more people coming up the stairs, "He's got me, he doesn't need grovelling twits like you." Harry heard a shout of disapproval from Molly, but Sirius ignored it.
"How touching Black, if that were true perhaps Harry would grow up to be a felon just like his godfather." Severus said sarcastically, "And once again, I have to disagree with you. I have everything to do with what goes on with Harry."
"Harry? Harry, now, is it? Come on then Snape! What's Harry's got to do with you?" Sirius taunted, and Severus was about to respond, but Harry beat him.
"I live with him."
There was a sudden, sharp silence in the room, and Sirius stilled like a statue. Slowly, he turned on his heel, and faced his godson, "Excuse me?"
Ron and Hermione were staring at him, Sirius looked horrified, and Severus looked ever so slightly smug as Harry crossed his arms and said, "I live with him. Severus is my legal guardian."