You Can Live: Chapter 9
Glad to see that you all like George and Clara :) I hope to bring them in a bit more later on. Maybe. I don't know, we'll see.
Please enjoy :)
No slash here, only guardian/ward psuedo-parent/child relationship and friendships.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, except for the plot. I would be able to afford school if that were the case.
Warnings: SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES!
The Garden Bench
Snippy eagerly popped up to help them with their bags. It wasn't much, just a few books that Snape saw Harry eyeing, a Muggle pen or two that Harry dared to ask for (he thought Mr. Weasely would get a kick out of them), and the blackberries. Snape then told Harry that he was allowed to do what he pleased until lunch, where he fully expected Harry to eat an entire sandwich and whatever else Snippy made up. Severus himself, was going to check on a few things in his potion's lab.
Once the man was gone, Harry hurried off to the kitchen. He called for Snippy, and the house elf appeared beside him the next moment.
"Yes, Master Harry? What can Snippy do for you?" Snippy again seemed ecstatic to have Harry ask something of her. It unnerved Harry a bit, but he just assumed that was how she was; she reminded him a lot of Dobby, which brought a small pang to his heart.
"Um, Snippy, I was wondering if you would let me cook something for lunch? Well, it's a dessert actually." Snippy cocked her head to the side and smiled, her ears flapping a bit when she moved.
"Master Harry is going to make himself something to eat?! Snippy can do this for Master Harry! Unless..." Here Snippy's ears drooped and her eyes grew wide and sad. "Unless Master Harry does not like what Snippy cooks." Harry panicked and tried to reassure her before she picked up the rolling pin she was eyeing. He could already see her banging herself over the head with it, which also didn't bring up any pleasant memories for himself.
"No, Snippy. It's not that. Your cooking is wonderful. I just...I was hoping I could cook something for Severus as a way to say thank you. He does like blackberries correct?" Snippy grew curious again and nodded fervently.
"Oh, yes. Master Snape likes blackberries very much. What is it Master Harry wishes to cook? Snippy must help you." Harry figured he better let her help him some or he would have to spend most of his time stopping her from hurting herself.
"I wanted to make a small blackberry cobbler for him." Snippy smiled and nodded at Harry.
"Yes, Snippy will help Master Harry make this, but we will make enough for Master Harry to eat it also. Master Harry is still too thin." Harry smiled, but rolled his eyes. He was going to have to start tallying how many times people tell him that.
They worked together very well in the kitchen. Harry had gained quite a few years of experience cooking with the Dursleys, and found that he was pretty good at it. At least, he thought he was; the Dursleys never had him not cook for them, and you'd think they would complain long and loud if their food didn't taste good. Snippy knew her way around the kitchen better than he did and was able to grab things for him in a snap, literally. Thankfully, she let him do most of the cooking for the cobbler, as she set about making the main course of lunch. The kitchen was calm and the act of cooking let him just clear his mind and work.
It wasn't long before the cobbler was in the oven, and Harry set the timer for an hour.
"Snippy, could you tell me when forty-five minutes has passed?" That was one thing he should have thought about, he could use a watch...And there he goes again, forgetting he's a wizard.
"Never mind, Snippy. I forgot I can just cast Tempus." Snippy gave him a funny look.
"Master Harry forgot he can do magic?" Harry rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "Well, usually I'm not allowed to use magic during the summer, even last year they cast wards over my aunt and uncle's place so no spells could be cast inside the house or within thirty feet of it. So, it slips my mind occasionally." Snippy still seemed a bit confused, but shrugged her little shoulders and kept cooking.
Harry decided to go out into the back yard. There was plenty of yawn in the back, the boundary marked by the large expanse of trees. In a far corner was a garden that Harry eagerly went over to examine. It was well kept, no doubt by Snippy, despite Snape not staying at the cottage very often. Harry recognized some ingredients for potions in one half of the garden. The other half consisted of vegetables and some other herbs, more for cooking than potion making. There was a bench in the corner of the garden, which Harry admired before sitting on.
It was beautifully carved stone, the designs intricate and very detailed. However, someone also thought to put cushions on the seat to make the bench comfortable. It was such a nice day, and the bench was so comfortable and things were so peaceful that Harry couldn't fight it for long. He fell asleep.
"Where are your parents, Boy?! That's right! Dead! They left us with the most worthless piece of trash on the planet, cause they went off drunk again! You ungrateful, useless, burden, curse, FREAK!" Harry curled into himself as the blows reigned down. He hadn't done anything. 'Please, Uncle! Please!' He hadn't done anything. He hadn't done anything. Right?
Harry bolted awake. His heart was pounding, and his neck was sore from the awkward position it had fallen into. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in years; no doubt his mind had been too full of visions from Voldemort to worry about something as insignificant as his horrible home life. He really shouldn't be surprised that they were starting to come back. Harry leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and rubbed his face in his hands.
He then reached back and pulled his wand out.
"Tempus." Harry froze when he saw the time. Then he promptly cursed and ran inside. All manner of thoughts ran through his head, including what Snape would do to him if he had burned the man's house down in his second day there. He mentally catalogued the bench as a good place to sleep, obviously, for when he gets thrown outside.
Reaching the kitchen, he stops when he sees the cobbler cooling on the counter, looking and smelling deliciously unburnt.
"Wha-?" He hears the soft pitter patter of feet behind him and whirls around. Snippy locks eyes with him before waving.
"Master Harry fell asleep. Snippy thinks this is a good thing, so Snippy let Master Harry sleep, and Snippy took out cobbler. Is Master Harry alright?" Her expression goes from earnest and happy to deeply concerned. Harry is thrown for a moment.
"Uh-Thank you, Snippy. But you could have come to wake me up. I was making it, so I should have been more responsible and not left something to burn in the oven." Snippy shakes her head at him, ears flapping.
"Master Harry needs sleep. Snippy knows Master Harry does not sleep as much as he should. Master Snape told Snippy so. Snippy will let Master Harry sleep, if he is able. Snippy is happy to do this." Harry stares dumbfounded for a moment, unused to someone being okay with him dozing off when he was supposed to be doing something. Even Hermione would wack him upside the head, if not just a lecture. He expected at least an unhappy house elf.
"Snippy will get Master Snape for lunch." Then she is gone, leaving Harry alone in the kitchen, nothing short of baffled.
Too tired really to think of other things to say...Bye.
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