Chapter Seven - Harry's First Day
"Now, I am happy to introduce our new head of Gryffindor House – Mr Harry Snape," Harry stood up and tried to ignore the hundreds of curious glances sent his way. He sat down and trying hard to keep a blush from colouring his face. He looked towards the Gryffindor table and tried to smile encouragingly and knew that it failed dismally. "Now, enough of this chatter, it is time to eat!" with that the food appeared on the table and Harry felt the attention towards him diminish, for that he was thankful.
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Later, when it was time for bed. Snape smirked at Harry.
"Slytherin will get the house cup for good this year," he said lightly buttoning up his pyjama shirt. Harry snorted.
"Not if my Gryffindor's can help it," he retorted.
"We shall see," the Professor said smoothly. "I merely hope that I do not have another Longbottom on my hands, I am quite glad to be rid of him," Harry snickered. He liked Neville, but sometimes jokes about people you like can still be funny. Harry caught his breath, for a moment he wanted to say something – say what precisely? He... he didn't know what he felt. He knew it was best to keep quiet. He didn't want to throw Snape into a rage.
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Harry approached his first day of work with a great deal of apprehension. He knew what he had to do, - deal with detentions, keep an eye on the Gryffindor's grades, liase with the Quidditch Captain and sort out petty disputes and all the sort. As well as look for any excuses to give Gryffindor's house points, at least that's what Minerva had instructed in a whisper.
"Hello," he greeted the Gryffindor Lion. It roared, making Harry wince. "You're going to have to learn not to roar," he said in a mother talking to baby voice. It roared again. Harry frowned, betting that the stupid lion had been Severus' idea. Holy shit, I just thought of him as Severus. Harry frowned, realising that maybe he was getting used to the man, even if they lived in almost monastic silence.
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His first action as Gryffindor Head of House came not long after lunch, when he found a group of first years hopelessly lost on their way to Transfiguration. Luckily, he'd thought ahead and was able to hand out some small maps of the castle. They only covered the classrooms that first years would be interested in and gave one of the Muggleborn witches her first experience of 'flashy' magic. The sort that would've thrilled him back in the day. He reminded them that if they needed anything, the map would redirect them to his office and he gave them a piece of parchment that would stop Minerva from giving them a detention.
When he made it back to his office, it was clear that the work wasn't over yet. The new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain (unfortunately Gerald McClaggen, Cormac's brother) was waiting for him so that they could schedule a try out. He also kept insinuating exactly why he was going to be a much better captain than Harry himself was. Harry had to fight to keep from hexing him and earned a bloody tongue in the process. Eventually, he shoo-ed the irritable boy away from the room promising to talk later. Much later.
Then Romilda Vane turned up, nearly turning Harry's stomach in the process. She wanted to talk about the Charms club and seemed highly disappointed when Harry directed her enquiry to Professor Flitwick. She then asked about Harry's marriage. Luckily the Lion decided to roar at that moment, scaring her from the room and saving Harry's voice.
Half way through the last class, a letter fluttered out of his fireplace from none other but Severus, informing him that a majority of the fourth year Gryffindor class had detention at 8pm and that perhaps he should help supervise. Harry replied in assent, knowing that Snape would probably want him there for a reason, as if Snape would make an excuse to spend time with him.
Then he went across the hall to Gryffindor tower to put up the poster for Quidditch try-outs and grudgingly took down some advertisements for Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes. He was sure that most students knew of the store anyway. Harry sighed looking around the common room and knowing that it was not where he belonged. He was so used to the dungeon rooms that he'd even come to like them, not that he'd admit it to Snape. He decided to go back to his rooms and keep studying the potion that he'd need, now that he had a detention to go, his spare time was starting to look precious.
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Dinner was uneventful, although Severus refused to tell him what his Gryffindor's had earned detention for, which was concerning, but Harry was just glad that it wasn't him being punished. He realised that Minerva was listening in on their conversation and was incredibly thankful that Snape hadn't chose to insult him. As a matter of fact, it was a typical conversation between two equals, perhaps not between a married couple but it was certainly progress.
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"Gryffindors," Snape said with contempt. "Why don't you tell your Head of House why I chose to give you a detention?" They looked suitably scared.
"Look," one of them began bravely. "We don't think that you two should be married, it's not right,"
"Yeah it's not right," they protested looking defiant. Harry bit on his already sore tongue.
"He's too old for you,"
"Yeah, a molester," a small boy added. Harry pushed into gear. It didn't matter if some of what they said was right, he would not have rumours going around that Severus was an abuser.
"50 points from Gryffindor," he said softly. "I will not have that talk," he paused. "I think a week's worth of detention is also in order, for all of you," he said surveying them. "You will be serving your detentions with none other than Mr Filch." He knew that Filch was mounting a cleaning assault on the fifth floor bathrooms and decided it was a worthy punishment. "And if, if I ever hear of any of this talk ever again, you will have detention with me for every Saturday until the end of the year." He glanced at Severus, damn it, he looked amused. "Now, you may leave."
They left.
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"Severus, I'm sorry," Harry began. "I never imagined that they'd think like that,"
And you would've done what?" Snape said silkily. Harry shrugged.
"I don't know, make an announcement in the Great Hall?"
"It may yet come to that," the potions professor looked old and weary as he said that.
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A/N: They're getting closer... or are they? I have written quite a lot today, and I think I've worked out where I'm going to take it. And I've got ideas for new stories...