Disclaimer: I don't Own Harry Potter
*HP*
Harry sighed as he placed his head in his hands as he sat at the table waiting for Ron and Hermione. Monday had come too fast in his opinion; he wasn't ready to act on the thoughts he had Friday night. Sleep had avoided him, his emotions were still running away from him, and everything he thought to say to her would only serve to make things worse. 'Maybe I'm not meant to be happy' Harry thought as he rested his head on his arms 'Maybe I'm meant to be used, abused, and unloved.'
"Harry?" Hermione's voice called out, breaking his train of thought, " Are you alright?"
"I'm fine 'Mione" Harry replied as he lifted his head from his arms to stare at the girl in front of him, "I just have a headache, that's all."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked as a worried expression fell upon his face, "You don't look too well mate."
'No I'm not sure' "Yeah Ron, it's just a little headache; it should be gone by potions." Harry smiled weakly at them to give them a bit of reassurance before he looked away.
He didn't want them to worry about him, even if they didn't spend much time thinking about him anyway. Silently Harry began to fill the empty plate in front of him and attempted to eat, even though he wasn't hungry. The anxiety of talking to Elizabeth made sure of that. But as long as it prevented Hermione from nagging and making his headache worse, he would force himself to do it.
*EB*
Elizabeth sat quietly next to Blaise as she ate her breakfast. She wasn't particularly in a social mood, so she was excused from the conversation, and she was thankful for that. Her antisocial mood that morning gave her an excuse to stare around the hall, well at one particular person: Harry, without being embarrassed by her friends pointing it out.
The Gryffindor looked particularly dreadful that morning. The normally sparkling emerald eyes were dead and tired and dark rings had accumulated under Harry's eyes, making him more gaunt than he already was. But what really upset Elizabeth was the look of pain on his face. She hated seeing him in pain; it tore at her, filling her chest with a sensation that made it hard for her to breathe. With a deep, painful breath, the young Slytherin made up her mind, she was going to do it. Today.
She had spent all weekend talking things over with her dad until they had come to an idea that both worked, and did not give them away. Quickly, Elizabeth grabbed her bag and abandoned her half finished breakfast in order to race down to the potion's classroom. She knew her father would be there, he always was, even if he didn't open the door for a whole five minutes after the bell rang.
By the time, she reached the door, her heart was pounding and she was breathing hard. But everything she felt now would be worth it in a little more than two hours. After regaining her composure, Elizabeth opened the door, and stepped inside.
"Dad?' She called, as she placed her book bag at her usual table and walked until she stood in the center of the room.
"In here, Elizabeth ." Severus's voice called from inside his office. With quick, silent determined steps, the youngest Snape made her way over to her father's desk.
"What can I do for you this early in the morning dear?" Severus' warm voice questioned as he placed his quill gently on the table as he looked up.
"Remember what we were discussing this weekend Dad?" Elizabeth asked as she looked into the onyx eyes in front of her.
"Yes. Why?" A look of that would have belayed confusion if Elizabeth didn't know him better ran across the Potions' Master's face as he tried to figure out where this was going.
"Because something needs to be done, now. I saw him this morning and he's not sleeping. He already hardly shows up for meals, and when he does he barely eats anything." Elizabeth explained "And when I was watching him, he looked, dead. There was no life in his eyes and whenever I see him he looks as if he's in pain. I can't stand to see him like that Daddy."
*SS*
Severus waited patiently for Elizabeth to stop talking. What she had to tell him was important, not only because he was a teacher and it was his duty, to know the troubles of his students, but because he was Harry's father and, after what he had seen, and what he had caused he was going to fix things. He was going to pull the Harry out of that home. He was going to be what the boy needed, whether anyone liked it or not.
"Between you and me, I can't either," Severus said lowly after Elizabeth had stopped talking. "If everything goes like we hope it will, then, after this lesson, things will change."
Elizabeth nodded at his words; it was obvious she was distressed by her brother's appearance. And by the sound of it, she should be.
"Everything's going to be alright." Severus stated as he stood and embraced his 'little' girl. "Starting today I won't let anything happen to him, not now, not ever.
As the office door shut behind Elizabeth, Severus sighed. He had never entertained the thought of sabotaging someone else's potion due to the high risk of injury. But this time it was different. The person they were intending to sabotage was already in need of help. And as long as Elizabeth was the only one to throw in an extra ingredient at the key moment, everyone would be fine. There would be no explosions, no flying metal, just a rock solid mass that could easily be removed with a flick of his wand. The end result? He would tell both of them to stay after class, and thus a much needed conversation.
*HP*
By the time the bell rang, Harry's anxiety had yet to leave him. In fact, it had only gotten worse. But there was nothing to do now except to suck it up and go to class.
By the time he reached the Potion's classroom, the doors where already open and everyone inside. The young Gryffindor stood in the doorway for several seconds, looking for an empty chair. Finally he spotted the only one left which just so happened to be right in-between Ron and Hermione. The last place he wanted to be. Looking over he sighed to see that all of the chairs around Elizabeth where filled with her Slytherin house mates, not that'd he'd honestly have gone over anyways.
Quietly, he made his way to the vacant seat and sat down. He really didn't want to do this. He wanted to run. But as Snape slammed the doors shut, that was no longer an option, he had two hours to go before he could get away.
"Today you will be working by yourselves." Snape stated in an almost bored drawl as he walked to the font of the class. "I expect all of you to know how to make a first year potion, so I doubt anyone needs assistance." For a brief second Snape's eyes fell wearily on Neville before continuing. "The instructions are on the board. You have ten minutes to prepare, and the rest of the time to brew. You may begin."
With a flick of his wand Snape's assignment appeared on the blackboard and everyone set to work. Harry ignored all attempts at conversation initiated by either Ron or Hermione, stating that he wanted to concentrate because he couldn't afford another detention. And just like always, they seemed alright with his answer and conversed amongst themselves much to his relief.
As the class wore on, Harry found himself glancing more and more towards Elizabeth's table, where his friend, sister, whatever she was at this moment, was stirring what could have only been a cure for boils potion. Several moments later, She walked by and grabbed an empty flask from the storage cupboard, and as Harry followed her with his eyes, failed to notice she had dropped something into his potion.
*SS*
Severus watched intently as his daughter walked passed Potter's caldron and threw in a handful of Shrivel figs. Elizabeth's action did not go unnoticed by those who sat with Harry, but that was the idea. She wasn't playing a Malfoy, she wasn't trying to get Harry hurt, she was trying to get caught.
"Professor?" Granger's hand flew up in the air less than a minute after Elizabeth had dumped the unwanted ingredients into the cure.
"Yes, Ms. Granger?" Severus asked as he moved from his desk towards the Gryffindor know it all.
"Elizabeth just dumped something into Harry's cauldron."
Severus merely smirked as he watched Weasley's and Longbottom's heads move in agreement like one of those cheap bobble head toys. Turning his head toward Harry's now ruined potion, it was obvious that it had worked. For what should have been a nearly transparent purple, was now a solid mass of green sludge.
"Are you sure Ms. Brooks placed something in Mr. Potter's cauldron?" Severus asked, his eyebrow shooting up to his hair line. "Or are you simply fabricating a lit based on your prejudice against her?"
Severus smirked as the entire class went silent. Everyone's eyes were now trained on Potter's table. Slowly Granger sank back into her seat and glowered at him, but he wasn't deterred in the least. After all, he had received more than his fair share of such looks when he was a child.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for unsupported accusations Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter, Ms. Brooks, I would like to see you after class to sort out this mess."
Granger looked smug, while Harry and Elizabeth appeared to be disgruntled at the fact that they were being held. Sighing in resignation Harry sat back at his desk quietly as he waited for the bell to ring while Elizabeth cleaned up her area.
Five minutes later the bell rang dismissing the class. The majority rushed out the room while Weasley, Granger, and Blaise lagged behind. As soon as the room cleared, Severus closed the door softly and locked it behind him. He wasn't going to have anyone interrupt.
*HP*
Harry was nervous as he sat there. It seemed odd that Snape would have his own daughter stay behind. But despite his confusion Harry knew better than to question an adult as it usually got him in trouble. T
he Gryffindor watched closely as this professor made his way over to his desk, seating himself in the high-backed chair that resided there. Harry moved from his place at the potion's table and slowly walked to stand in front of his professor, but he didn't get very far.
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth cried as she practically launched herself at him. He was stunned. He had certainly not expected that to happen; to get yelled at for the potion yes, to be at the receiving end of an apology, definitely not. But he wasn't complaining, he had missed her dearly, and by the grip she now had on him, the feeling had been mutual.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said again as she broke the embrace. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked slightly embarrassed for not containing herself. "I should have explained some things to you, but things got heated, and then you walked away. I never intended for you to get hurt Harry." Harry nodded as he stood there with Elizabeth's soft, warm grip on his arms.
"I had no intentions of hurting you either, Harry." A deep, steady voice stated from behind Elizabeth after several moments of silence. For a moment, Harry was confused, until he realized it was Snape who had spoken.
It was official, he was in shock, he had never expected to hear those words come out of his Potions' professor's mouth, ever.
*EB*
Releasing the grip she had on Harry's arms, she turned to face the man behind her. A small smile graced her lips as she realized the mask her father usually wore was gone. With a quick glance at Harry, it was obvious he had noticed it too, by his lack of speech.
"I should have made some subtle hint that I was at least concerned for your well being, and had I known that Elizabeth was going to talk to you about it, I would have." By now, Harry had moved several steps closer to the desk. But that did not deter what Severus had to say. "I don't want to be the person who knows they have a child, and does not become a part of their life. I want to be the parent you never had, and I want to take you away from those horrid people you live with. Harry, I want you." Elizabeth's smile broadened as those words tumbled over her father lips no louder than a whisper, but he had said them. He had actually said them, and that was all that mattered.
*HP*Harry couldn't believe it. He was wanted by someone, and that someone was his father. His.Not Ron's or anyone else's, but his own. All of the horrid things he had been feeling over the past few hours evaporated. His heart felt ready to explode, he would not have to return to his aunt and uncle's. He could go home and live with Elizabeth. He wouldn't be beaten or starved, or anything else.
Without thinking, Harry approached the Snape and threw his arms around the man. At first it seemed awkward as Severus did not return the embrace, but as Harry moved to pull away warm arms enveloped him, pulling him close.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: this is the longest chapter yet with more than 2300 words. I don't particularly like this chapter, but I thought it was time Harry finally got what he deserved. I want to give a big thanks to my wonderful friend and beta Hpgirl4ever, and to everyone who reads this