Ch 16 Parenting

The next few weeks were an adjustment for both Severus and Harry. Severus had not expected it to be easy from the outset. In a short period of time he went from closet double agent to sudden parent to a nine-year-old boy. Harry seemed just as unsure of the process as he was. Between Severus's duties at Hogwarts and Harry going to school, the two of them spent little time together.

Severus had added a room to his quarters at Hogwarts so that Harry could spend the weekends with him there. He took Harry to spend the occasional weekday night there as well. He had even drafted a few Newt-level students to help with marking so to lighten his teaching load somewhat. Potions was a complicated course, and Severus also brewed potions for the hospital wing in addition to his Head of House duties. Lately, he took Harry into the lab with him so he could keep an eye on the boy. Harry was supposed to be doing homework or reading quietly while Severus was brewing.

"What's this?" Harry held up a jar.

"Those are pickled rat brains," Severus informed him.

Harry surveyed the ingredient carefully. He put it down and started to walk over to Severus but stopped when he reached the invisible line he had been instructed not to cross. "Can I help?

"You would like to pickle rat brains?" Severus asked.

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how. Do you teach your students to do that?"

"Actually, it was the task of two particularly troublesome students in detention tonight. Maybe you should join them since you are supposed to be doing your homework." Severus looked up, finished stirring the potion and set the spoon down to wait for it to cool.

"I'm done!" Harry informed him resentfully.

"Is that so? Bring it here then."

With a soft sigh, Harry went over to the desk Severus had set up for his use in the far corner of the classroom and returned with several pages of muggle sheet paper. Severus knew that the sigh was not from the boy lying to him, but rather from the likelihood of what he would find when he reviewed the assignments.

It was no secret that Harry had been struggling in his new school. He seemed to enjoy going and had so far not had trouble with his classmates or teachers, but his study habits were atrocious, he had terrible handwriting, and his marks were poor. Severus was patient with the boy and maintained that as long as he continued to do his best, he would improve.

Trying not to grimace, Severus looked over the composition Harry had written on the Second Muggle World War. It showed poor sentence structure, faulty logic, and little follow-through. It was also hardly three paragraphs long. The boy couldn't spell at the level Severus would expect and the paper lacked supporting research. It seemed as if Harry had written it off of the top of his head.

"Harry, what resources did you use for this essay?"

"Resources, Sir?"

"Did you use your text? Did you get a book from the library?"

The blank look the boy gave him said everything he needed to know. "When is this due?"

"Tomorrow, Sir."

In his head, Severus began to count to ten. "When did your teacher assign it?"

"Uh … I'm not sure, Sir. She reminded us today that it was due tomorrow." Harry looked at his shoes.

"Is it customary for your teacher to give you one day to research and write a composition of this nature?" Severus asked the boy, still trying to keep his temper in check.

"Huh?"

"Harry!"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Where is the assignment planner I purchased for you? You remember that you are supposed to write your homework down the day it is assigned, and it will remind you when it is due?" Severus knew as soon as he said this that it was pointless. "Go get it, please."

The boy walked back to his bookbag like he was walking to his execution. Severus had no doubt what to expect when he came back with the planner, and he was not surprised. Most of the entries for the week were blank. Severus had not been checking it as meticulously as he had in Harry's first weeks of school. This was not so much an indication of his trust in Harry's improved study skills as Severus's increasingly busy schedule.

"Why have you not been recording your assignments each day?" Severus asked. He kept his gaze on the boy despite his insistence on staring at his shoes. When he got no response to his inquiry, he prompted, as gently as his growing temper would allow, "Harry!"

"I do try, Sir," Harry responded in a quiet voice. "Sometimes I don't have time."

"You don't have time? What do you mean you don't have time?" Exasperation leaked into every word. Severus gently took hold of Harry's arm and guided him over to one of the desks, picked him up, and sat him on top. He hoped that putting the boy closer to his eye level would prevent the infernal eyes-on-the-floor routine.

"Harry, why don't you have time to write down your homework? Severus repeated.

Fortunately, Harry looked him in the eye this time. Seeing the look in those deep green eyes almost undid him, but Severus knew he had to be firm. If Harry was able to get out of trouble just by giving him puppy dog eyes, the boy would grow up as arrogant as his father.

"I dunno."

"That is not a proper answer, young man." Severus blew out a sigh of frustration. "This essay is not acceptable. I will help you make some corrections to it, but you will not get the mark you would have been able to earn if you had told me about it in time to properly work on it with you. Do you understand that?"

The boy nodded miserably.

"Very well. The poor grade will serve as the consequence for you this time, but this cannot happen again, Harry. I will begin checking your homework log regularly. I expect to see your assignments written down. If there are no assignments given, I expect you to write "none." Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

Severus went back to the composition and spent the next hour helping Harry make corrections in the grammar and spelling. That was the best he could do in the time they had without wearing the boy out. He had meant it when he said he was going to let Harry get whatever he earned. Hogwarts did not care what about marks from a muggle school, but Severus wanted Harry to have at least some grasp of composition, maths, and basic scientific principles before coming to school. More importantly, he wanted him to learn study habits.

After they finished, Severus fed Harry some biscuits and hot chocolate and put him to bed at his bed in their Hogwarts quarters. It was smaller than his bedroom at home and did not have as many toys or books, but Harry had been excited to have "two rooms." Severus did not know why this was so exciting, but apparently it meant a lot the boy. He hadn't even had one before, so two must have seemed luxurious indeed.

The next morning, Severus was fortunate enough to have a break in his schedule. He took Harry to school and inquired at the front office about Harry's progress. He asked them to request for the teachers to give him a note with Harry's marks so far as well as any concerns they had. While he was aware that Harry had not been in the school long, as a teacher himself he knew that some problems could be identified early.

Severus returned to school and arranged for Professor Sinistra to cover his House for the weekend. She was covering every other weekend, but this one was supposed to be his. He believed Harry would benefit from being at home though, and Sinistra said she did not mind. By the time Severus arrived at Harry's school, the boy was waiting for him at a bench just inside the school gates. A teacher waved to Severus.

With a wave to her, Severus collected his ward and went into the office, where he was handed a folder by a cheerful but tired secretary. He and Harry then walked him to the park where they could apparate safely home.

"Why didn't you take the car today, Sir?" Harry asked him.

"I came directly from school, and I did not want to be any later to pick you up," Severus explained. He waved his hand at the wards on the front door and it unlocked. They both entered, Harry setting his bag on the bench next to entry and bouncing into the kitchen to greet Ariel. Severus followed him. By the time he arrived in the kitchen the boy was chatting happily with Fleance as Ariel spoiled him with milk and cookies.

"At lunch recess Kenneth chased Mikenzie all around the pitch until he fell down," Harry said, taking a bite of a pumpkin cookie.

Fleance giggled and took a bite of his own cookie. "Did you chase him?" the little elf demanded.

"No!" Harry smirked. "I can run faster than all of them though. My cousin and his gang used to try to chase me around the school. They never caught me." He paused. "Almost never."

Severus chose that moment to intervene. "Harry, please finish your snack and go change."

"Yes, Sir!" Harry chirped, cheerful again. The boy took another bite of cookie and another slurp of milk and then bounded up the stairs, closely followed by Fleance.

Shaking his head, Severus looked at Ariel as the older elf cleared the dishes from the kitchen table. "He seems to be settling in."

"Harry is a good boy," Ariel informed Severus.

"Yes, he is." Severus sighed and climbed the stairs to a comfortable armchair in the library. There, he opened the folder and began to review the contents.

It was much as he had expected. Harry was struggling with organization and did not seem to be fitting in yet. His performance on assignments and assessments had been mediocre. He often struggled with attention in class. All of this would have frustrated Severus if Harry had been a potions student. These things would have to be addressed before Harry attended Hogwarts.

None of it was surprising though. Severus knew that though Harry was coming out of his shell, he had a long way to go. His relatives had been either negligent or abusive. They had no sense of appropriate discipline and had not taught the boy manners, social skills, or study skills. He had been on his own since his parents died, with his only role in the household being slave labor or scapegoat. This was a legacy that would take time to overcome.

Setting aside the folder, Severus entered Harry's room. The boy had followed instructions and changed. His uniform was in the wardrobe, and Harry was wearing muggle jeans and a jumper over a plain shirt. The child and elf were sitting on the floor of Harry's room playing exploding snap with intense concentration. He leaned against the doorjamb and allowed himself a small smile.

Eventually, the boy noticed him. "Hello, Sir. Wanna play?"

"Oh, it looks like you have it well in hand. However, when you are done there, perhaps I will teach you wizard's chess."

"What's that?" Harry sounded intrigued.

"Come and get me in the library and you will find out," Severus smirked.

As he sat with his book, Severus listened to the exclamations from Harry's room as the two finished their game. He was glad that Harry had Fleance to play with since he had no wizard neighbors or siblings. Molly Weasley had insisted that he bring Harry to visit soon, and Severus had to admit that she had a point. Harry had to have exposure to wizard children.

"If you're too busy, Sir," Harry said from behind him.

Severus turned at the timid voice and put his book on the table, gesturing the boy over to him. "Of course not. I told you to come in, didn't I? Come on!"

He pulled out his chess set and showed Harry how to set up the board. After explaining the basic rules of the game, they began, and he generally played both his and Harry's sides as he coached the boy. Harry responded gleefully to the boisterous yells and movements of the chess men.

"Your chess men will get used to you the longer you play, Harry," Severus explained as they put the board away.

"Wow," Harry gently tucked his little men into the velvet lined box that Severus had given him. Some of them were still shouting advice.

"Wow, indeed."

They went down for their meal, and as they were finishing there was a knock on the back door. Harry looked at Severus pleadingly, but Severus waited for him to voice his request in words.

"May I go out and play with her, Sir?"

"Yes, you may. Take your cloak and wear your boots."

"Yes, Sir!"

Harry moved to comply. Severus wondered if he would still remember to do that if Severus didn't remind him. He followed the boy outside. Henrietta chirped a hello and the two scampered off, tossing snow at each other. Severus noticed that Mrs. Thomas was coming toward him.

"Hello, Mrs. Thomas."

"Evening Professor Snape. How are you doing?"

"Fine, Madam."

"So formal!" she chuckled. "I promised Hettie I would take her to the park tomorrow. Her brother is visiting. He is Harry's age, and I thought he might want to come too."

Severus nodded. There was a small neighborhood park with a play structure and some swings a couple of blocks from the house. He had taken Harry to play there a few times and likely would more often when the weather was better. The boy had so much childhood to make up.

"I think that would be fine," Severus told her. Inwardly he was nervous. He did not know the muggle boy well, but what he knew of him had not made a positive impression. He worried about him being a bully to Harry. Mrs. Thomas was an able parent though. She surely would not allow that.

"Excellent. Send Harry over whenever he is ready, then."

"Very well."

Mrs. Thomas returned to her own house with a few words to her daughter about not staying out once it got dark or too cold. Severus watched her go, trying to push down his misgivings about the trip to the park. He wasn't sure if Henrietta had mentioned it to Harry.

After a half an hour more, he called Harry to come inside. They watched to make sure the girl was inside her own house and then Severus helped the boy out of his wet cloak and boots, setting them in the closet by the back door.

"Did Henrietta happen to mention that her brother is visiting?"

"She has a brother?" Harry was surprised.

"Her half-brother. Her father's son by another marriage."

"Oh." Harry said.

"He is coming to visit them, for the weekend I presume. He is your age."

Harry might have been picking up on Severus's caution, because he did not seem excited about the news.

"They have invited you to accompany them to the park tomorrow. Would you like to go?"

"To the park?"

"Yes."

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir. Can I go?"

"I would not have suggested it otherwise."

The look Harry gave him was hurt, and Severus regretted his words. He did not want to be harsh with the boy.

"You will behave yourself."

"Yes, Sir."

"Which means?"

At this question, Harry looked at Severus as if he suddenly realized he had agreed to something without realizing what he had agreed to. "Sir?"

"How will you behave, Harry?"

"I will be good."

"You will listen to Mrs. Thomas. You will stay where she tells you to be. Do not leave her sight. Do not pick arguments or fights with either Henrietta or her brother."

"Oh. Yes, Sir."

"Is there a problem, Harry?"

"You don't think I can do it!"

Severus was surprised. He wasn't used to this tone from his ward. It was almost insolent. He had to remind himself that Harry was probably just surprised and confused.

"No, Harry, that is not what I mean. I am just trying to help you. You would not want to go on an outing without knowing my expectations and get in trouble, would you?" Severus asked, trying to be patient.

The boy considered this. Severus could tell he did consider it. "No, Sir. I don't wanna get in trouble."

"Good boy." Severus sighed. "Go up and take a bath and get ready for bed. I will come in and we will read a story. How about another one from The Tales of Beedle the Bard?"

"Okay. Yes, Sir!" Harry headed for the stairs.

"I think you will have a good time tomorrow, Harry," Severus called after him.