Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and ideas are the whole intellectual property of Ms. J.K. Rowling and are hers alone to sell. I do not receive, nor would I accept any compensation for any of the owned intellectual property of Ms. Rowling (nor that which she has licensed to WB etc.). What follows is just a wacky little ditty I wanted to get out of my brain. It only got there because I so love that which Ms. Rowling created. No copyright infringement is intended.

Bravery

Gryffindor! Severus paced back and forth in front of the front fireplace in his apartment.

He missed arguing with Harry about what time was an appropriate time for a boy his age to go to bed after the opening feast… He had missed Harry sitting beside him at the head table – guessing what house the hat would pick for each student as they approached the front (and getting a great many correct)…

He was worried that Harry wouldn't get any sleep at all in the blasted dormitories where he, Severus couldn't yell at him to put the book down and go to sleep already...

But none of that mattered right now, because in spite of what he'd said, he was – what? Angry? No… Upset? A little… Agitated… Hurt… that Harry – his Harry, had gone to Gryffindor.  But worse, so much worse was how relieved Harry had seemed when the blasted hat had put him there.

Had the boy, in spite of all appearances grown to believe the propaganda that Slytherin was the house of the evil – the vile – the low and dark segments of wizarding society?

And if he didn't want to be in Slytherin, why not Ravenclaw? He'd meant it that morning when he'd said that Harry was more than smart enough… Even Hufflepuff! What the child lacked in patience was more than made up for by his hardworking nature and strong sense of loyalty and justice… But Gryffindor! Of all the choices…

'Arrgh!!' Severus let out a frustrated growl, pouring himself a generous glass of wine.

An hour, and an entire bottle of wine later, Severus sat staring into the fire… thinking.

A nearly two-year-old child, filthy, forgotten, locked away… handed over to a tall, dark, angry man who smelled of too many potions ingredients.

'Hi.' The scrawny toddler looked up at the forbidding form of his new guardian, having just heard him lose a rather loud argument against having to take him. 'I Harry-boy,' he'd stated in a small, but clear voice.

'I'm Severus,' he'd stood, towering over the child, in all his angry, forbidding glory, certainly not giving the child any hint of welcome.

'Se-… Se-er-oosss?'

'Se-ver-us.'

'Se-er…' The child had frowned, concentrating and trying to work his mouth around the difficult name. 'Se-di-usss?'

He'd gathered him up and taken him out of the headmasters' office as quickly as he could to get away from Minerva and Dumbledore's snickers. It wasn't long though, before he was hopelessly gone over the child… and by Christmas, 'Se-di-usss' had become Daddy…

Where dwell the brave at heart…

What is bravery?

Is it accepting things you have no control over? Seeing the murders of your parents, and the death of the creature who killed them and then tried to kill you … being completely and utterly rejected by the next family you were left with… and then placed with a man who made no secret of how little he wanted you when you first met… all before you were two – yet still learning to adjust? Is that bravery? Or instinct?

Is it a five-year-old boy, facing the family who continued to reject him, straight-backed and unflinching under their glare and harsh words as they signed away their claim?

Is it a six-year-old boy, shouting angrily at seven fourteen-year-old students: 'No he's not! You take that back right now, or else!' When he'd overheard them insulting their least favourite potions master?

.

.

.

Their daring, nerve and chivalry…

Daring…

A seven-year-old boy, slumping down on the sofa in front of the fire with a pout. 'I don't know why you're yelling at me – it's not my fault that Sylvia Goyle destroyed two cauldrons in your last class today.'

Oh, yes, Severus chuckled to himself. The boy was daring – not always so wise… but certainly daring…

Nerve…

An eight-year-old boy, surrounded by reporters and gawpers when he'd dawdled on his way into Flourish and Blotts behind his father in Diagon Alley shouting: 'Alright! The next person to block me from going into that store gets a hard kick in the shins! And I'm not answering any of your silly 'which house, which father does he prefer' questions!'

Oh, yes – the child had nerve… Severus well remembered how quickly the reporters had cleared a path.

Chivalry…

Not that out-dated rot about protecting women – Harry was not foolish enough to believe that women were in any way inherently weaker than men. Growing up at Hogwarts, Harry'd learned not to judge the strength of a person based on his or her appearance or gender. Witness, Minerva McGonagall – a formidable witch, against whom Severus himself would not want to set himself… Filius Flitwick, smaller in stature than Harry since the boy had been four, but again, a wizard against whom Severus would not wish to test himself in a life-or-death situation… and Rubeus Hagrid – in appearance, a frightening and dangerous figure… in reality, an overgrown child himself…

But that quiet nobility that made strangers want to please him… that sense that made Harry willing to stand up to anyone, when he felt the need to point out an injustice – even Dumbledore – even his father…

God damn your bones James Potter!  Severus' mind screamed.  You only had him for fifteen months!! He's been mine for over nine years!!

It's not bloody fair for him to still be more you than he is me!

He was jealous. That was it. He knew it. And there was enough wine in him now, that he was willing to admit it to himself. Harry was his son now, by God! He should be a Slytherin… Face it Severus said a smarmy voice from somewhere in the back of his mind. You raised yourself a Gryffindor – you taught him to be what he is – and that's a Gryffindor. What are you going to do about it now – hate him for daring to learn what you taught him – to be himself?

Stupid conscience.  He'd always told himself, whenever Harry got into trouble that there was nothing the boy could do that would make him stop loving him – not even if he became a Gryffindor.  Stupid fate with its' stupid sick sense of humour. He'd told Harry he'd be OK with him being in Gryffindor – both of his parents had been in Gryffindor after all (though what that said about the old nature vs. nurture argument he wasn't sure…).

Damn. He really was OK with Harry being in Gryffindor. Proud even. Happy… Urg.

Stupid Albus – making him take the kid. He probably knew all along that this would happen and that Severus would be too far in love with the child by now to be able to have any kind of problem with it in the end. Stupid old man – the problem with him thinking he knows everything, is the fact that sometimes it seems like he does. Severus decided to open another bottle of wine…

*****************

'There's this boy in my dorm called Seamus,' Harry said very quickly, almost babbling in his excitement as he described his first day as a 'real' Hogwarts student. 'His mum's a witch, but his dad's a Muggle – he said his mum didn't tell his dad she was a witch until after they were married! Can you imagine?! How can you get married to someone without telling them something as big as that?! But I guess he got over it, because Seamus says they're still married. Then there's this boy Neville. Apparently his family thought he'd be a squib – he lives with his gran – he didn't say why, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it so I didn't ask. Anyway, he said that his family thought he was all Muggle until his uncle accidentally dropped him out a window and he bounced. And Ron! He seems really great. Don't worry though, I don't think he'll be as bad as Fred and George – but definitely, more interesting than Percy…'

Severus smiled slightly as Harry kept shifting around on the couch, gesturing wildly as he spoke in his excitement. A small part of his mind wondered if Harry was remembering to breathe in between all the rambling.

'And Percy! He was being so pompous and stuck-up! Still, you'd be proud of me dad,' Harry held up his hands when Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry's words. 'I stood still, with all of the other first years as he gassed on about all the rules and very dire consequences should any one of you break those rules and bring shame to Gryffindor house…'' Harry snorted as he affected Percy's superior tone and Severus was hard pressed to maintain a straight face – he'd done a near perfect imitation.

'Honestly, I'd bet a million Galleon's that he'll end up working at the ministry… Anyway…' Harry rolled his eyes.  'Those Patil twins – one in Gryffindor, the other in Ravenclaw! Did you see that coming? There's this Muggle-born girl too – Hermione Granger – she seems really smart, but bossy! Then there was Draco Malfoy…' Harry's face formed the first scowl he'd worn since entering his father's apartments nearly half an hour earlier. 'Would you believe he actually came right up to Ron and said – 'Shabby robes and red hair? You must be a Weasley. Really Potter I'd think you'd know better than to associate with riff-raff like him…' – such a jerk…' Harry finally broke off his excited speech, looking to the fire with a pensive look on his face.

'What is it?' Severus questioned him

'Dad?' Harry sighed after a moment, looking nervously back and forth from his father to his own hands. 'You know people always say you favour Slytherin?' He didn't wait for a response. 'And you know – and please don't be mad, but I used to peek in classes sometimes – between my own lessons, of course…' he blushed slightly. 'And… well, I mean…' He took a deep breath and spoke quickly before he lost his nerve. 'Are you really OK with me being in Gryffindor?'

Severus had known that Harry had frequently 'peeked' in classes – and not just his classes, for years, sometimes instead of going to his own lessons… He'd never done anything about it because Harry still went to more of his lesson's than he skipped… and as long as he kept up his work, and was discreet, Severus didn't see why he couldn't allow Harry this one thrill of sneakery.

And Severus knew what Harry was alluding to by mentioning having peeked at his lessons before, he knew what he would have seen in any Slytherin/Gryffindor classes. More importantly, though he didn't ask it directly, Severus knew that he was wondering if he'd be as harsh (and if Severus were being completely honest with himself he'd have to add unfair) with him in potions lessons now that he was one of his hated Grffindors.

'Harry,' he said finally. 'I did know about your sneaking around to watch classes…' he smiled slightly at Harry's wide-eyed look.  'And there are reasons why I teach the way I do.  Three quarters of this school are less fair to Slytherins than the other houses – it's less overt,' he added quickly. 'But nonetheless, it is there – they are first to be suspected, first to lose points… the best motives are never considered for their actions – only the worst… and the opposite is the case for Gryffindors – last suspected, last to lose points, and only the best motives are ever considered for their actions. I – make up for that in my classes…' He sighed, and looked at Harry very seriously. 'There is much more to it than that, but the bottom line is that I am very much 'OK' with you being in Gryffindor.'  Harry looked at him sceptically.

'Last night, I spent some time thinking about it. I was never angry, but at first I admit I was…' he thought for a moment for the best words. 'Maybe a little disappointed, maybe a little hurt… I don't know. But the more I thought about it – the things you've done in your life – the boy you are.' Severus looked Harry directly in the eyes. 'Despite my best efforts,' he grinned. 'I must admit, that you really are more a Gryffindor than a Slytherin. And I'm OK with you – so why wouldn't I be OK with this part of you too?'

'Thanks Dad.' Harry smiled happily.

'As for class,' Severus went on. 'No matter where you went, you know I wasn't going to give you any special treatment. And that is still the case. I don't plan to give you any special treatment – either way. Do your work, prepare for your tests, and get your potions correct, and I don't see us having any problems in class – do you?'

'Guess not,' Harry smiled again. 'You'll see Dad,' he said excitedly. 'This'll be perfect! A Gryffindor who understands Slytherins! We'll all end up getting along yet!'

Ha! Severus seriously doubted it, but chose not to burst his son's bubble as he quickly went on to describe his first transfiguration lesson. Soon they would have to rejoin the rest of the school in the Great Hall for tea, but for now, he decided to enjoy his son's excitement as well as his company – for as long as he could.