Chapter 3
"This is it? This is where my all powerful and great father lives," Harry said sarcastically.
"Don't start." Severus snapped as he unlocked the front door to a gloomily built brick townhouse with the flick of his wand. He opened the door and ushered Harry in.
The first room Harry stepped into felt no different than Snape's school office. It was damp and felt it was at one point a dungeon cell. The walls were lined with bookshelves, filled to the brim. In the corner of the room sat an old reading chair and worn reading lamp. The room smelled burnt fires and hints of vanilla and mahogany.
Snape showed Harry to his room. It was a dark and gloomy bedroom, with dark oak furniture and the bed covers had moving snakes all over them, magical designs. "Just so you're not freaking out in the middle of the night over something so obvious, those aren't real snakes."
"Thanks. I'll sleep better at night, knowing that," he added, knowing he was already toeing the line.
Snape abruptly flew from the room, slamming the door behind. Harry had pushed his luck, and he was going to pay for that later. Perhaps in some home Occlumency lessons. Harry recalled what he had seen in Snape's pensieve the year prior. Snape did not have a happy childhood. In fact, it was quite similar to that which Harry was brought up himself. Tobias Snape did not impress Harry to be a tolerant man. He and Uncle Vernon would get on nicely, he thought. But was Snape going to subject him to the same?
He unpacked his belongings and rearranged his room to his liking. It was a pretty decent sized room and he didn't have much in it. Just a four poster bed, a night table with an oil-lamp for reading. A small bookshelf hung in the corner, gathering dust. The wardrobe was tall and made of dark oak. Harry opened it and found some rather dated clothing of various sizes, mostly tattered and torn. And all black.
About a half hour later Harry lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he could barely hear 'Potter' being called, he didn't notice until he was startled by a dark shadow standing in his doorway. "Are you deaf?" Snape said. "Dinner is ready. And we shan't keep our guest waiting"
Harry followed Snape out of his room and into the hall. "Wait, we have guests? If you had told me, I would have-"
" Dressed nicer? Please, Potter. I've seen your best, and it needs some work, even then. And yes, we have a guest. Since you're a part of the family I thought it would be at least reasonable to introduce you to one of my remaining relatives. A family friend, Melody Baudelaire. Be wary, she's a little handsy and has been waiting for this day for years."
"Wait- She knew? How could-"
"Silence. I will not have you question my motives any longer. What's done is done and now you know. Happy? If not, I suggest you get over it, and quickly. The sooner you get past it, the better things will be between us. Understand?"
Harry nodded. He knew right now wasn't the time to pick a bone. Snape turned and jetted down the stairs, and Harry followed behind.
The parlor door opened and in floated a woman slightly shorter than Snape, but taller than Harry. Melody Baudelaire was thin and beautiful. She was dressed in a shimmering black evening gown and she was as pale as a ghost. She had the same greasy black hair as her cousin.
"Sev, I've got the soup on the - oh, my this must be him! Come here, handsome man, let me get a look at you!" she squealed, grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him down the stairs and into the light. She circled Harry, pressing her finger to her lips as she carefully observed him, not saying a word until finally, "Oh, Severus. He looks just like you and Lily. I'm sorry about your loss dear, even though it's been sixteen years."
"Sixteen? But-" And before he could get another word out, Snape pulled Harry into the next room, closing the door behind them.
"Listen, your mother and I were madly in love. But it was safer for her to be with James. Publicly, at least. We did what we had to to see each other. Melody was there to help me through your mother's death. And she's more or less stayed. One of the few that has. Understand?" Snape said, looking almost panicked. He was sure the boy was having a hard time wrapping his head around the thought of him and his mother even being in-love in the first place.
"Um, okay," Harry said, startled by the fact that Snape could say the word love without bursting into flames. Harry didn't understand why Snape was explaining all of this to him. It's not like he had any real interest in Snape's love life. Except for the part that included Lily Evans Potter and conceiving him. That part he just still couldn't wrap his head around.
"I just don't want you to think I am rebounding or using Melody," Snape said, releasing Harry.
"It's been sixteen years, Snape. My mum is dead. What else can you do? You're lonely. I understand," Harry assured him.
Snape stared at Harry for a moment before joining Melody again.
He thought to himself, 'Oh if the boy only knew how complicated it was for us.'