Chapter Twenty-six

"We're going to be doing something a bit… different today," Snape said to Harry, as Harry—still half asleep—walked out of his room, yawning.

"Whaddat?" Harry muttered through a yawn as he rubbed his eyes. Snape sat in one of the kitchen chairs, while Harry trudged to Snape's usual armchair and curled up there.

Snape scowled. "We'll actually be having a guest over today," he explained. "After breakfast, to be precise," Snape added.

Harry frowned while rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What d'you mean, Severus? C—couldn't this 'guest' come when I'm awake?"

"After breakfast, Potter," Snape repeated. "Surely you'd be awake by then."

"It's Harry," Harry corrected in an annoyed tone while resting his head against the back of the black, leather armchair, which matched perfectly to the leather couch. "And you can't be certain if I'm awake or not by breakfast. So… anyway… who is this guest?"

"Well, I'm sure he'll be quite familiar to you, as it is the one you ran into yesterday. Draco Malfoy?"

Harry started to grin. "Him? Wow, I'm awake… So, when is he coming over again?" Harry questioned, pulling his legs up onto the chair in interest while he looked at Snape in the next room.

"After breakfast," Snape replied. "Do you think you'll be awake by then?"

He put in that part sarcastically, Harry noted. "Yup, definitely! Oh, I better go wake up Slyther and tell him Draco's coming over soon!"

Harry jumped up from the armchair and raced to his room, jumping on the bed to wake the snoozing snake up.

Hey! How rude… what's so important that you had to wake me up? Slyther demanded, sounding cranky. Really, you could've woke me up in a much more decent manner.

"You know the guy I ran into yesterday? Draco?" Harry started quickly, ignoring the snake. "Well Severus invited him over! Isn't that neat?" He paused, looking at Slyther strangely. "Hey… weren't you on my head when I ran into Draco?"

No, Slyther responded. I was in your pocket.

"My pocket?" Harry repeated, his brow furrowing. "I thought you were on my head."

Slyther started to crawl up Harry's arm. Just goes to show how well you pay attention.

Harry frowned, peeling Slyther off of his arm and going over to his closet to rummage through it to look for something to wear. "I do too pay attention, Slyther! You were just… unnoticeable when you crawled into my pocket."

He picked out a simple tee-shirt and jeans, hand-me-downs from Dudley about a year or so ago. Harry was actually starting to fit into them. He looked through the closet again before deciding to wear the cloak Snape had given him.

Unnoticeable, Slyther said in disbelief, right…

"You better hope Draco Malfoy can't talk to snakes, either," Harry said, slipping into the jeans. "I wouldn't want him to hear your annoying voice going on about things!"

Well, Slyther started, you really are rude! The greasy human's rubbing off a lot on you, isn't he, rude human?

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "You do get annoying sometimes, Slyther," he said in a calmer tone. "Can't you learn to just keep quiet once in a while? Not to be rude, as you would say, but—"

Oh, I understand perfectly well what you mean! Slyther exclaimed. You think you're too good for me, don't you?

"I do not," Harry contradicted with a frown, putting on his cloak. "I didn't even say that. Now… don't I look nice?" He put out his arms, letting Slyther take a good look at his cloak. "Neat isn't it?"

Oh, that's perfectly well what you meant! Slyther continued, ignoring Harry. Even though you never said it, I know you meant it.

"And how could you know that?" questioned Harry, sitting on the edge of the bed beside Slyther. "You're not psychic."

No, I'm not, Slyther agreed. But I do know what you meant. You've been really grumpy lately, haven't you?

"Sorry Slyther," Harry said, more to himself than to the snake. The dungeon door—fully opened—came to mind, and slowly… slowly… it slammed shut, and Slyther was temporarily on mute.

Slyther seemed to know what Harry did, since he whacked Harry on the leg with his tail and slithered off of the bed and onto the floor, where he slithered out of Harry's room.

"Are you coming down for breakfast or not?" Snape asked as Harry guiltily walked out of his room and into the kitchen. Snape stood up from the chair and walked over to the exit, not waiting for Harry to answer.

"Do you think I should open the door?" Harry asked as he followed Snape down to the Great Hall, turning his head to see if Slyther was following them. He wasn't. "Slyther might be in trouble or something, and if he calls for help than I can't hear him because I blocked him out, but—"

"Leave it shut. For a while, anyway," Snape replied. "Isn't it relaxing without hearing that snakes voice in your head? But, it's not up to me, it is your annoying snake."

"That's right," Harry said with a sharp nod of his head as he and Snape entered the Great Hall. "Slyther is my annoying snake, but I dunno… I feel guilty for doing that to him…"

"Just don't think about it," Snape advised. "Think about… something else other than that. Now take your seat and wait to be served."

"All right," Harry said, leaning back in his seat to think about other things. First, he thought of the students that would be returning to Hogwarts soon, and how he'd be able to watch their Quidditch practices and games. Then, he thought of when he'd be going to Hogwarts, and then how Draco Malfoy would be coming to Hogwarts soon… just after their breakfast…

Harry noticed Slyther slithering through the Great Hall doors, which were ajar.

I can't hear you, Harry said to the snake, but you can hear me. I'm sorry I blocked you out, but you just wouldn't stop.

Harry hadn't a clue if Slyther was responding to him, or if the snake was accepting his apology, so Harry decided to open the dungeon door.

Sorry, yeah right, came Slyther's voice. Like I believe that you're 'sorry'!

Harry didn't bother to try to convince Slyther that he was truly, sincerely sorry. Instead, Harry picked up the fork and started to eat his breakfast, so Snape wouldn't get after him for not eating it.

-

"Nice to see you again, Potter," Draco Malfoy said as he entered the Great Hall and stood in front of Harry, who slipped the last bit of bacon down his throat.

"It's Harry," Harry corrected, becoming used to correcting his name. "And it's nice to see you again, too. Do you want to go take a walk around Hogwarts?" He suggested, saying the first thing that came to mind.

Draco shrugged. "All right."

"You're not to go around the Whomping Willow, Harry," Snape reminded Harry. "Understand?"

Harry nodded, pushing his chair in as he got up and walked over to Draco. "Let's go. But first I have to find Slyther."

Draco looked curious as Harry searched the Great Hall floor for Slyther. "Slyther? What is that?"

Harry crouched down, picking up the snake up underneath one of the long strips of a table. When he returned to his full height, he held the snake out for Draco to see.

"My snake," Harry replied.

A smile started to pull on Draco's lips as he stepped forward to survey the snake some more. "Wicked."

Let me down, Slyther said in an angry tone as he squirmed in Harry's hand. I don't want to go anywhere with you and that… that… blonde human!

"Shut up," Harry hissed to the snake as he and Draco went out onto the Grounds. "Just stop talking—you'll get me distracted."

Well fine then! Slyther said. I'll just 'be quiet' and 'shut up.'

I didn't mean it like that… and you know it, Harry said to the snake in his mind.

"You can talk to your snake?" Draco said, looking at Harry, then at the snake. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for Harry to answer.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, I can."

"Wow!" Draco looked impressed. "I wish I could."

"You can't?" Harry asked, and Draco shook his head.

"No. What house do you think you'll be put in when you start Hogwarts?" Draco asked, changing the subject as they continued walking. He walked up to the Quidditch stands and sat down, Harry sitting next to him.

Harry sat Slyther down on the stand seat. "I don't know… does it matter?"

Draco snorted. "Does it matter? Of course it matters. I know that I'm going to be put in Slytherin, and I'd die if that hat sorted me into Gryffindor." He shuddered.

Harry nodded. "It wouldn't matter to me what house I was sorted into. But, Gryffindor or Slytherin… it wouldn't matter to me… any house, really."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You'd really be willing to go into Gryffindor?" His lip curled in disgust at the thought of the house. "Let's just hope you'll be put in Slytherin!" He paused before continuing. "You know, I didn't know that Snape adopted you. I was a bit surprised when I found out."

Harry gave his shoulders a shrug, looking down at Slyther who was trying to slither away from the two boys as far as possible. The Quidditch pitch in front of them was bare, and Harry couldn't wait until the students returned to Hogwarts so Harry could view their games and practices.

"I don't mind it," he admitted. "I like living with Severus. At first he was really… I dunno, but now he's pretty nice."

"Well, I'd have to see it to believe it," Draco replied, leaning back in the seat. "He's my godfather, you know."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Draco gave a nod. "Yeah."

Why hadn't Severus told Harry that?

They sat in an uncomfortable silence before Harry spoke up. "Do you want to ask Severus if we could go to Diagon Alley for some ice cream? I'm sure he wouldn't mind to take us."

Draco nodded, getting up from the stands, followed by Harry. "Sure. What about your snake?"

Harry frowned, confused. "What about him?"

"Well, don't you want to bring him?" Draco asked impatiently, and Harry nodded in reply.

"Yeah, so? He's just down there by my feet."

Draco raised his eyebrows, glancing down at the spot where Harry was pointing. "Obviously not."

Harry looked down where Slyther was suppose to be, and groaned.

Hah, hah, hah hah, hah, Slyther said in a sing-song voice, you can't find me…

-

"Don't do that again!" Harry cried, picking Slyther up from the grass in front of the Hogwarts doors. "It took us forever to find you, Slyther."

Don't you think I know that? Slyther said.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, holding Slyther in his right hand and looking at Draco. "Do you want to ask Severus now that we found Slyther?"

Draco nodded in response. "Sure."

Their search for the potions master wasn't that long, nor hard, as Harry had a suspicion that Snape was in his office organizing the vials filled with various sorts of potions.

"Severus," Harry said as he and Draco entered Snape's office. "Can you take me and Draco to Diagon Alley for some ice cream? Please?"

Snape turned around, looking at Draco and Harry. "What?"

Harry sighed. "Diagon Alley. Ice cream. Can you take us?"

Snape looked back at the Potions, before turning to the boys. "Give me a minute, will you?"

Harry nodded slowly. "How long will you take?"

"I don't know," Snape responded. "After I organize all of the potions here."

Harry groaned inwardly, looking at the wall filled with Potions. They'd never go. "Severus… can we, uh, help organize the potions? So then we'd be able to go faster?"

"That would be appreciated."

-

Harry licked the side of the ice cream as they returned to Snape's Chambers. "Thank you, Severus."

Draco, who had already finished his ice cream, nodded. "Yes, thanks." He turned to Harry. "I better go. I'll see you again sometime?"

Harry nodded. Snape walked over to the fireplace, and Draco took a handful of Floo Powder, throwing it as he stepped into the fireplace. The green flames licked the sides of the fireplace, and in an instant Draco was gone.

"Severus, do you know where Slyther is?" Harry asked as he finished the sundae. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but Slyther wasn't there.

"Probably off somewhere trying to make you worry," Snape replied. "He has been cranky with you today, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," Harry responded. "But I thought he was with us when we went to Diagon Alley?"

"What about when we were organizing the potions?" Snape said. "You set him down."

"So he's probably somewhere in the castle," Harry said. "I just hope he isn't hurt or something."

"Stop worrying," said Snape. "You would've 'felt' if he was hurt or not."

"I don't know that for sure," Harry responded, sitting on the couch. "It's just sometimes I can feel things."

So you're concerned for me now, huh? Slyther's voice said. Lame, lame, lame!

Harry frowned, resting his chin on his fist. "What's lame? You're my friend… my snake… of course I'm concerned. Whether you talk too much or are annoying, I'd still be concerned for you."

How touching, Slyther said sarcastically. I'm touched. But you could've figured this out LONG ago! Before you told me to shut up, anyway!

"I'm sorry," Harry said to the air, knowing that Slyther could still hear him. "I didn't mean to sound harsh or anything. I just wanted you to stop talking, and I didn't want to shut your voice out or anything."

We'll see, Slyther said slowly, if I'll forgive you or not. But first, you don't need to look for me, I'm in your room.

Harry shook his head, and looked at Snape who was in the armchair. Snape had shut the book in his hands, startling Harry at the noise.

"Did you finish the book?" Harry questioned.

"Yes I did," Snape answered.

"So... you can talk with me now?"

Snape didn't answer for a moment, before picking the book back up and opening it to the very first page, staring at it as though he hadn't read it before. Harry sighed.

-

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!