Chapter Thirty-three

For Harry, the months drew by into December as slowly as it possibly could. As Harry looked out his window on the very first, cold day of December, he found it was well worth the wait as fluffy white snowflakes fell from the sky and landed on the ground. If the snowing kept up, Harry knew that the school would soon be blanketed in a thick, white layer of snow.

Whatcha thinking about? Slyther asked conversationally from the windowsill. Harry didn't even notice Slyther there.

"Nothing," Harry replied, letting his chin rest in his elbow, with his elbow on the windowsill (away from Slyther, so he wouldn't be accused from the snake himself for trying to cut his tail off with his elbow or something along those lines). "Do you know that Christmas is in… twenty-four days?"

Yes, I do know that, Slyther responded. What about it?

"I dunno," Harry said, his eyes still fixed on the snowflakes. "Maybe Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall will take me to Hogsmeade to find Severus something for Christmas…"

Slyther made a coughing noise. Excuse me?

A slow smile started to form on Harry's face as he turned his eyes away from the snow to look down at Slyther. "And of course you, too, Slyther. Who could forget you?"

Thank you, Slyther said. Except don't expect anything from me. I can't possibly see how I would be able to get you something, seeing as how you're merely a human while I, on the other hand, are a respected snake. I don't have hands, you see.

"A respected snake?" Harry repeated, trying to stop the smile that threatened to appear on his face. "Oh, I can definitely believe that."

I don't know whether I should be insulted or complimented. So I'll just pretend like you never made that comment.

"All right," Harry agreed, his eyes suddenly widening in realization. "Ooh, you know what? I just remembered that today is Fred and George's detention! I wonder what Severus has planned for them."

Without picking up Slyther or giving the snake any way of getting down off the windowsill, Harry raced out of his room to find Snape.

"Severus?" Harry called, looking into the living room where he thought Snape might be. Snape was, in fact, in the armchair staring into the ablaze fire. "There you are. D'you know that today is Fred and George's detention?"

"Yes, I am quite aware of that," Snape replied, keeping his eyes glued onto the fire and not looking at Harry. "Why?"

"I was just wondering what you're going to get them to do," Harry explained, sitting down in the couch, letting his arm rest on the armrest. "For the detention, that is."

Snape looked at Harry. "Since you gave them the detention, I thought you were the one who was going to come up with the punishment—not me."

"Oh." Harry looked surprised. He wasn't expecting that at all. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I can think of something though, just give me a minute."

Harry bit his lip as he looked into the fire, which was still going strong and burning brightly. There were a lot of options for detention punishments, but Harry wanted to come up with the best one. There were, indeed, a lot of choices to choose from… but this one had to be perfect…

"What about scrubbing cauldrons," Harry suggested slowly, "with a toothbrush?"

"Scrubbing cauldrons with a toothbrush?" Snape repeated thoughtfully. "I suppose that'd be sufficient. How many of the cauldrons?"

Harry started to smile, his eyes still glued onto the fire as they were the snowflakes. "How about they have to scrub all of the cauldrons that the students used in your last class? That was a lot, but they can just scrub as much as they can get done with the time they have with us."

"Very smart thinking," Snape commented.

Suddenly, Harry looked up at Snape. "Severus, can we go outside in the snow? You said before that I could go out and play in the snow since it's Saturday in a while, and it has been a while," he pointed out. "So can I go yet?"

"I know you're excited that it's snowing out," Snape started, "but why not wait until the snowing lets up?"

Harry sighed. He couldn't possibly wait until the 'snowing let up.' It was utterly impossible for him. Harry folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into the couch with an expression of disappointment over his face.

"Do I have to?" He whined, looking at Snape with the most pleading expression he could possibly muster. "What if I don't have time to go out later on? I'd really like to go out in the snow now Severus, not after."

"I think my decision's clear enough," Snape replied, and Harry knew by the tone of Snape's voice that the discussion was over.

Harry gave another exaggerated sigh and got up from the couch, going to his room to lay down on his best and bury his head under his pillow in frustration.

Is daddy dearest not giving ickle Harry Potter his way? Of course, the almighty Harry Potter always has to have his way, Slyther greeted sarcastically as Harry fell down on the bed, and looked up at the ceiling silently.

"Be quiet," he said, deadpanned. "Sev'rus won't let me go outside in the snow. I'm mad."

You'll get over it, Slyther said. You can't stay mad at the greasy human for as long as ten minutes.

"I can too!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up in the bed to look over at the windowsill where Slyther was at. He frowned.

Yeah, right, Slyther said. You can not stay mad at the greasy human! Well, all right, maybe you can stay mad at him for ten minutes or so but I bet that's it.

"And how would you know?" Harry questioned with a frown.

I just do. I'm smart like that, Harry. Slyther paused. How about this then: I'll bet you. If you can stay mad at the greasy human for longer than a day, I won't start up any arguments with you or whatever you don't want me to do. If you only stay mad at him for ten minutes or something like that, then you can't speak to anybody for twenty four hours, Slyther challenged.

Harry could only stare at the snake, who had almost a triumphant look to him. "What?" Harry managed to say. "I have to stay mad at Severus for longer than a day? What am I suppose to do?"

Well, not talk to him… Ignore him… That kind of thing, get it?

Harry started to nod slowly, bringing his legs up on the bed and sitting cross-legged. "All right. And if I do stay mad at Severus, then—?"

Then I'll do whatever you want me to do, Slyther replied.

"And if I don't—?"

Well, then you can't talk to anybody for twenty four hours, which is one day.

"Not anybody?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "Not even you?"

Slyther hadn't thought about that. Well… Uh, I guess so. Yeah.

Harry started to slowly nod his head, accepting the challenge that the snake offered. "All right, I'll do it! But you're gonna be sorry that you ever challenged me to do that, you know," Harry said with a smile.

Oh, am I? Slyther said. Well, we'll just see about that.

Both slid into silence, while Harry tried to remind himself to not talk to Snape for, what was it? Oh yes, longer than a day.

Harry bit his lip as he thought about it. The more that Harry started to think about the challenge, the more confident he grew that he wouldn't be able to do it. Slyther was absolutely and completely right—he wouldn't be able to not talk to Snape. And if he did lose the bet, then Harry wouldn't be able to talk to anybody for a day.

Harry's eyes widened as he heard footsteps—Snape's footsteps—come toward his room. Without thinking twice, Harry dove underneath his blankets and pulled one of his pillows down over his head.

"Harry?" Snape's voice said from the doorway quietly. Harry tried to make no sound—he didn't even want his breath to be audible. More footsteps, they were now so close to Harry's bed. "Don't be mad at me, for Merlin's sake! I told you that you could go out in the snow later on today, I didn't tell you that you couldn't, now did I?"

Harry bit his tongue to keep from saying a, 'Yeah.'

Snape continued. "Get up, now Harry. I know how much you like the snow and how much you wanted to go out in it, but did you see it out there, Harry? It's practically storming. I didn't want you to get caught in it. So I told you after the storm you could go out and do whatever you wanted to do."

Harry could practically hear Slyther reminding him of the bet, even though the snake was saying nothing at all; and now that Harry thought about it the more Harry realized that Snape was right. He could go out in the snow later on, and that it was actually storming out. Now, him being angry at Snape seemed completely foolish, but he couldn't tell Snape that.

Harry heard Snape sigh, a sign that he was giving up. "Be like that, then. When you want to talk, I'll be out in the living room."

As soon as Harry was completely positive that Snape left, he took the pillow off his head and started to climb out of the blankets.

"I don't like that bet anymore," Harry told Slyther. "Can we break it off?"

Of course! Slyther said happily. You just can't talk to anybody for a day!

Harry groaned, shooting Slyther a disapproving look. "That was a mean thing to bet, Slyther."

Well, you didn't have to agree to it, now did you?

"Well, no," Harry admitted. "But I was so… Er… Immature back then. I've grown way more mature now, honestly." Harry remembered Snape use that word one time, and it seemed to be part of his vocabulary now.

Riiiiight, Slyther agreed, sounding unconvinced.

Harry held his forehead with his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. He wondered if Snape had blocked his and Slyther's conversation out. Maybe that was why Snape didn't know of the bet Slyther had told Harry.

"What did I get myself into?" Harry muttered to himself, now regretting ever agreeing to Slyther. Harry had a deep feeling that this was going to be a very interesting day.

-

"You can't possibly be that angry with me!" Snape finally burst out. The whole morning Harry either was in his room talking with his snake (so Snape figured. He had blocked out Harry and the snake's conversation, so he really didn't know what they were talking about) or sitting on the couch in silence, just staring into space.

Harry, who was sitting so upright and still on the couch it was as if somebody had pointed their wand at Harry and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus", just turned his head slowly to look at Snape, saying nothing.

"Well?" Snape demanded. "I am talking to you, don't you sit there and pretend that I'm not. Now I asked you a question and I would appreciate it if you answered me."

Surprisingly for Snape, Harry's sullen face turned pleadingly as he violently looked down at Slyther, who was sitting on the couch beside Harry.

"What?" Snape asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out what the boy was saying. "This isn't charades, Potter. You can use your voice."

Harry started to shake his head vigorously, using his fingers and pointing down at Slyther. When Snape still didn't get what Harry was talking about, Harry threw his head into his hands and started to groan in frustration.

"Fine," Snape agreed. "Let this be charades, so I can figure out what you're trying to say."

Harry visibly brightened. A thoughtful look crossed his face, squinting his eyes in thought for a minute and ignoring Slyther as the snake insisted, "This is wrong! You can't get Snape to guess using charades! It's against the rules!"

You never said anything about trying to get Severus to know what I'm saying by using charades a rule, Harry pointed out.

Harry wasn't the best charades player. Actually, he had never played charades at all. He had seen the Dursleys play it one night, a night that they called 'Family Night' where all they did was play games of sorts. Charades was one of them. Really, that was all Harry knew to do—he would just have to wing it for the rest.

Harry took a deep breath before pointing down to Slyther, who was on the couch on Harry's right.

"Your snake… Slyther," Snape deciphered.

Harry's eyes widened and he started to nod vigorously. He took both his hands and clasped them together, shaking them up and down like a handshake.

"You and your snake… prayed?" Snape said uncertainly, looking bewildered.

Harry's shoulders sagged, and he shook his head. This time, he got up from the couch and walked over to the Potions Professor, taking his hand and grabbing Snape's hand and shook it.

"All right, so you and Slyther shook hands?" Snape said, a bewildered look still on his face as he glanced at the snake who did not look amused. "Your snake doesn't have—"

Harry shook his head, and made an expression that told Snape that he was close. Harry stood in front of Snape, lost in thought. What next? How could Harry possibly tell Snape through charade that Slyther had bet him on something?

The only thing Harry could do was take his thumb and forefinger and pinch them together, bringing them across his lips like he was zippering them. Then, Harry pointed to himself, then at Snape.

"So you and your snake shook on… You not talking to—me? As in… A bet?" Snape deciphered, looking unsure. Harry's whole face brightened, and he nodded vigorously. "So let me get this straight," Snape said, clearing his throat. "You and your snake bet that you wouldn't talk to me for how long?"

Harry held up one finger.

"One hour?" Snape guessed.

Harry shook his head, sitting back down on the couch.

"One day?"

Harry started to smile as he nodded.

"So he bet that you wouldn't talk to me for one day? That's why you're not talking to me?"

An annoyed look crossed Harry's face as he glared down at Slyther. That was some stupid bet you pulled, Harry said to the snake. But at least Severus knows now!

Hah, you should be disqualified, Slyther said accusingly. You cheated. Using charades! How unmanly of you!

"And you actually agreed?" Snape's voice said, causing Harry to look up. Snape's expression reflected shock as he stared at Harry. "You agreed to a foolish bet made by a snake? Especially one like that? I thought you'd know better, Harry."

Harry looked down in shame. It was pretty hard to not bet with Slyther after Slyther had already bet him—and Harry knew that if he had said no in the first place that Slyther would taunt him about it until he finally caved in and would agree.

When Harry looked up, he mouth an, "I'm sorry" to Snape.

Snape gave a sigh. "It's all right, it was a mistake."

An immediate thought striking him, Harry jumped up from the couch and rushed into his room, digging through his drawers until he found some parchment. Grabbing the nearest quill and a bottle of ink, Harry rushed back to the living room where Snape was and started to hurriedly scribble something down after dipping the end of the quill in the black ink.

Setting the ink and quill down on a solid surface, Harry handed the parchment to Snape.

"'If I don't win this bet, then I can't talk to anybody for a whole day'," Snape read out loud. He glanced up at Harry. "Really?"

Harry sadly nodded, hugging the pillow that he had put on his lap just moments ago.

"Well, then I'll try not to talk to you so much," Snape replied. "Don't want to lose that bet, do you?"

Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head.

Cheater, Slyther muttered.

-

Where are you going? Slyther demanded as Harry started to get up from the bed, where the two were sitting and talking at.

Harry turned around when he got to the doorway. "Detention," he informed the snake. "Why?"

Why? You have a detention? You don't even go to this education-place yet! How can you have a detention?

"It's not my detention," Harry replied. "It's the Weasley twins' detention."

Well, what am I going to do while you're gone?

"Oh, well you can come with Severus and I—" Harry started.

No, no, Slyther interrupted quickly. I'll find something to preoccupy myself. You go and have fun at the… detention.

Harry grinned. "Thanks. I'll be back shortly."

Just remember, the snake warned quickly.

"Ready?" Harry greeted cheerfully as Snape held the doorway open for him to exit.

"The bet off?" Snape asked as they walked to Snape's classroom.

Harry smiled as he looked up at Snape. "Nope, it's still on. But Slyther's not here with me, is he?"

Snape looked down at Harry, a smirk playing on the Professors lips. "Ah, I see. Very clever of you."

Harry smiled again, but that soon blended into a frown. "I hope Slyther doesn't know of me talking to you and breaking our bet," he fretted. "What if somehow he finds out? I mean, he could, it's possible. Then I wouldn't be able to talk to anybody for a day—Ooh, maybe I should stop talking now in case—"

"I think that'd be a good idea," Snape interrupted. "For now, at least."

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah. Good. Good idea."

Snape's classroom hadn't changed a bit: The whole surroundings were still dank and cold. The floor was still made of stone, but it looked shinier than last time. The last time that Harry was in the Potions classroom, Harry remembered that the floor fell victim to a cauldron spilling and the Potion that was inside of the cauldron splattered to the floor.

"They're late," Snape muttered to himself. "But, what would you expect from a Weasley?"

"Maybe we're just early," Harry suggested, seating himself on Snape's high chair. "It could be possible. Are the cauldrons and toothbrushes ready?"

"Very much so," Snape replied. "But if those Weasleys aren't here in ten minutes or so, then we're going to reschedule the detention along with an extra detention for being late to this one."

"All right," Harry agreed, waiting patiently for the twins to arrive.

"Sorry—" The first twin started, looking out of breath as they burst into the Potions classroom. They stood in the front of the door, bent over with their hands on their knees.

"But we forgot—" The other twin interrupted.

"About the detention." They finished, breathing heavily and looking if they ran the whole way.

"S'ok," Harry spoke up from the chair. He smiled at the twins warmly, so they would feel comfortable. "Better late than not showing up at all, right, Severus?"

Severus made no move of agreeing with Harry, but motioned to the cauldrons. "For your detention, you will be cleaning these cauldrons out—" Both twins exchanged grins. "—without using magic."

Their grins soon turned to surprise. "What? No magic?" Harry's eyebrows rose in amusement as he watched one of the twins look at the other one desperately. "What has the world come to?"

Harry had to hide a smile as he watched Snape try to conceal his anger.

"Would you perhaps like to make it scrubbing the floors with toothbrushes instead of just cleaning the cauldrons?" Snape asked in a dangerous voice.

The twins exchanged glances before looking back at Snape. "No, sir."

"That's what I thought," Snape said, handing the two toothbrushes to the twins. "Get started now."

"What? Pink?" One of the twins (Harry really couldn't distinguish them from the other) exclaimed, looking at their toothbrush in horror. He glanced at his brothers toothbrush. "You can have the pink one, George. I'll take your green one."

George frowned as he looked at Fred's toothbrush. "No, that's all right. I'll keep mine."

Both stood in front of a cauldron that was placed on one of the desks, looking at a bottle that Harry and Snape provided them to help them clean the cauldrons, and then they looked back at the toothbrush, completely clueless what to do.

"Severus?" Harry looked up to see Albus Dumbledore standing in the doorway. "Can I see you in my office for a moment, if you can?"

Snape glanced at Harry. "Are you sure that you can handle things here while I talk to Dumbledore?"

Harry nodded, looking at Snape who stood beside him. "Yeah. 'Course, sir," he added in his most serious voice he could manage.

"I won't be long," Snape promised. "Be good."

"Of course," Harry replied, watching as Snape started to leave. As he passed the twins, Harry watched him say, "Look after Harry while I'm gone." before sweeping out of the classroom.

"It's too bad we have to stay here cleaning cauldrons with toothbrushes instead of going outside in the snow. It's let up, you know. Whole ground's covered with snow," Fred (or maybe it was George) said to George.

"Mmm," George agreed (or maybe it was Fred), "but…"

"Wait," Harry spoke up, straightening in interest. "Did you say it's not snowing anymore?"

Both twins looked in Harry's direction. "Yeah."

Harry hesitated. He really shouldn't, but—

"D'you guys wanna… go out in the snow?" Harry offered slowly. He truly hoped he was doing the right thing, and that Snape wouldn't get mad at him, though he knew that most likely Snape would be angry.

Fred and George exchanged glances. "Of course we do."

"Are you saying you'll let us go?" George (perhaps it was Fred, Harry wondered) said.

Harry started to grin. "Only if you come by Snape's quarters and wait for me to get dressed!"

-

What are you doing? Slyther demanded as Harry swept into the room and immediately started to search through his closet and drawers. Shouldn't you be at your little detention?

"Me, Fred and George are going outside to play in the snow," Harry informed the snake while putting on his snow clothes.

Does the greasy human know about this?

Harry stopped what he was doing for a fraction of a second. "Well… no. He'll understand, though, really!"

You honestly think he will? Slyther questioned.

Harry threw Slyther a look. "Of course he will." He left his room while zippering his jacket up. He looked through the quarters, in search for his snow boots. When he found them, he sat himself in a chair and hurriedly started to put them on.

"I'll talk to you after, Slyther!" Harry called as he finished putting his boots on. He got up from the chair and started out of the chambers.

"Wow, I've never been here before," Fred said in awe as Harry joined him and George. "What's it like in Snape's chambers, Harry?"

"Pretty cool," Harry replied as all three slipped by the Potions classroom. Harry was glad to see Snape hadn't returned yet. "Do you think we'll get in trouble?"

"Trouble?" Fred said, looking down at Harry.

"While you're with us? I don't think so," George said with a chuckle. "It's pretty hard to believe that Snape actually cares about you, Harry, but it's true."

Harry looked up at George in interest. "Really? You think?"

"And you don't?" Fred asked, raising his eyebrows as Harry felt the cool wind whip through his hair as the opened the doors.

"Don't you have a hat you could put on?" George asked, glancing down at Harry's bare head. "I don't think Snape would like it if you caught a cold."

Harry dug through his coat pockets before pulling out his hat, and in his other pocket some mittens. "What d'you wanna do first?" Harry asked the twins. Delicate snowflakes fell from the sky, and Harry was pleased to see that they had relented compared to how violently they had came down that morning.

"Well…" Fred stopped his walking, while George and Harry continued. He bent down and formed a ball of snow in his mitt, aiming it at Harry's back.

Harry's eyes widened as he felt something hit his back, and turned around to face Fred with a grin. "No fair! I didn't know you were going to throw that!" Harry bent down and made a snowball himself, throwing it at Fred as hard as he could. His hands flew up to his mouth as he caught Fred smack-dab in the middle of Fred's face.

George started to laugh at Fred, who started to spit snow out of his mouth. With a malevolent smile, Fred formed another snowball, this time aiming it at his brother. With a fast throw, Fred's snowball hit George in the mouth, causing George to get a mouthful of snow.

Harry started to giggle as a snowball war started out between the two brothers. Fred and George each started to build blocks of snow, and then started to pile them on top of one another, like a shield. Then, as each brother finished their shield of snow that was facing one another, they started to create balls of snow.

"On the count of three, Harry," George said. Harry stood behind them, so he wouldn't get hit from the snowballs.

"One," Harry counted loudly, so Fred and George could both hear. "Two!" He made a dramatic pause, and both Fred and George started to get antsy with anticipation. "Three!"

As if a whistle blew, the twins started to throw snowballs at one another. Every once in a while Fred would duck behind the snow shield, and then George did the same.

Inconspicuously, Harry would creep behind George and steal a snowball from him, and then he'd go out of the twins' way and place the snowball on the thick ground of snow. Then, he'd go over to Fred and steal a snowball from him without any of the twins noticing. Once he returned to the spot where the snowball from George was, he placed Fred's snowball on top of it.

"Now to make one of my own," Harry said to himself, getting down on his knees and starting to roll a small snowball. When he was satisfied with the shape of it, he put that snowball on top of the other one.

"Now just for a carrot, a small hat, a pipe, rocks and sticks my snowman will be complete."

"Harry," George, looking wet and out of breath, came up to Harry with Fred following him. "We should get you back before Snape comes back. He'll be really mad if he finds out you're gone."

"Oh, yeah," Harry said with a frown. He forgot about Snape. Harry bit his lip, hoping that Snape hadn't returned from Dumbledore's office yet. But he had a feeling Snape did—and he knew that this wasn't good.

-

Harry shoved his mittens back in his pocket so he would be able to fiddle with his thumbs nervously.

"Don't worry," Fred said to Harry gently. "I'm sure Snape won't be too mad."

"But I might get you two in trouble," Harry pointed out as the three walked down to Snape's classroom. "He told you to look after me, and I suggested that we leave your detention to go outside and play… That was wrong, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Harry, who was keeping his head bent down, felt Fred and George stop in their tracks, and Harry stiffened when he noticed somebody in front of him.

Slowly, Harry lifted his head up to see Snape, looking very unpleasant, in front of him.

"Had a good time?" Snape drawled coldly.

Harry gulped. "Yes… Sir?"

"I told you to look after Harry, and you take him outside without my permission?" Snape said, glaring at the Weasley twins. "Especially when you have a detention!"

"We're sorry, sir, but—"

"But it's my fault," Harry interrupted bravely, lifting his chin to show Snape that he wasn't afraid or about to back down, though Harry felt like trembling under his gaze. "I wanted to go outside, and I got Fred and George to take me… Please don't be mad at them, be mad at me, it's all my fault and I shouldn't of asked them to take me but you know how I wanted to go and - and—"

"You may go," Snape said coldly to the twins. "But you stay," he said to Harry, who gulped again and nodded.

As the twins passed Harry, they gave him a pat on the back and an encouraging smile.

"Harry," Snape started as he led Harry to his classroom. "You taking the blame for them—"

Harry, who seated himself in one of the desks, looked up in surprise. "Taking the blame? I wasn't taking the blame for anything. I was being honest. I really did get them to take me outside, Severus."

"I believe you did," Snape agreed. "But it was an honest thing to be honest about it."

"What's the use of trying to sound nice about it?" Harry asked with downcast eyes. "You're still mad at me."

"Not as mad as if you were to lie about it," Snape said, bending down in front of the desk to look at Harry. "Just don't do that again, do you understand? Or you'll be the one getting a detention."

"But I don't even go here yet," Harry protested as Snape gave him a look.

"Exactly."

-

Harry didn't automatically go to Snape's quarters with him. Instead, he went to the Owlery to visit his owl, Ember. He really hadn't visited Ember that much, except for that time in November…

"Hello, Em," Harry said softly as Ember flew onto his outstretched arm. "How've you been? You're such a pretty girl."

Ember hooted, obviously accepting the compliment.

Harry's mind flew to Remus, who he hadn't been communicating with since Remus had turned in Sirius. Ah. Sirius.

So many times Harry tried to force Sirius out of his mind. Only the thought of Sirius himself, made Harry shudder and want to cry.

Not now, Harry told himself as he stroked Ember, finding the feeling of her soft feathers on his skin nice. I'll just have to deal with one problem at a time. First Quirrel… And then Sirius.

But there was nothing Harry could do about Sirius. Nothing at the moment, anyways...

-