Chapter 4 - Etiquette
Harry stopped and stared. The small table had be set for two, that was nothing amazing, but the way it was set was very out of place for the small bare room it was in. It looked like a table right out of a very posh restaurant, with candles and flowers set on the table. There was a range of cutlery on either side of the place mats, wine glasses and a bottle of wine sitting in a bucket of ice. A basket of warm bread was set in the middle also.
'Candlelight dinner for two?' Harry inquired.
'Hardly.' Snape replied. He was standing behind one of the chairs, playing the gracious host. 'Come here.'
Harry walked towards the other available chair and went to pull it out.
'No.' Snape stilled him. Harry stared at Snape in wonder. 'You never sit down before the host has. You stand up straight behind the chair.'
Harry did so, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of it. It was easier to think of it as funny rather than anything else.
'Now, when I sit down everyone else may do so. You pull out your chair with one hand, sit down gracefully- no slouching- and then you take your napkin and put it on you lap. Understood?'
'Spifingly, old chap.' Harry said in the poshest voice he could.
'Don't play with me boy.' Snape growled.
'Sorry.' Harry looked suitably chagrined.
Now…' Snape said and he pulled out his chair and sat down, taking his napkin and placing it neatly on his lap. As soon as he had done so Harry took his cue and copied Snape's movements exactly.
'So you can follow orders.' Snape said, raising an eyebrow. It was amazing how Snape could make an insult out of every compliment. 'Now while we wait for the first course to be served we engage in conversation. The adults will most likely talk about politics at some point but the children are not to join in with this. They can talk among themselves but only really engage with adults if one of them asks them a question specifically, which they may do with you a lot at first.'
Harry made a face of distaste. 'Will I have to talk with the likes of Draco Malfoy?'
'Draco Malfoy is shamed. Most youngsters will not be permitted to talk to him by their parents, at least not until the Dark Lord decides to give him another chance.'
I didn't think Vol—he gave second chances.' Harry said.
'He doesn't- usually. But I managed to persuade him on this point. Draco may be an arrogant bastard but he also happens to be my Godson. At the moment Narcissa is keeping him at the Malfoy residence and I don't suppose he or even she will be invited to any of the parties anyway.'
'Even if You-know-who isn't there?'
'Yes. People talk, especially Death Eaters. One person's loss is another's gain and all these people want is more power that only the Dark Lord can give. No one is going to welcome his wrath by inviting a shamed Death Eater. The only way Draco would be invited to any party is if his father hosted one and seeing as he is on the run from the ministry and can't even enter his own home without getting captured I believe that is unlikely to happen.
'You will have to talk with some people like him, a lot of them you will know from school. But you will mainly be with the other children who are part of the Dark Lords bonding ritual. He will want you to talk to them because he believes they can push you along a bit. Be very wary of them though.' Snape looked at Harry sternly.
'What do they talk about?' Harry asked in wonder.
'Normal teenage things, would you believe. Quidditch, school work—'
'School work?' Harry interrupted. 'Why would we talk about that now?'
'If the school stays open, which I think it will, most of them will be going back. I'd like for you to as well, not as yourself of course, but only if I can find a way to remove whatever charm that blasted woman put on you.'
'But—'
'Don't fight it boy.' Snape said dangerously. 'Think about it. You'll either be stuck here with me the whole time or at Hogwarts with your dear friends.'
Harry thought about it, and for the first time in days his heart lifted. 'But Ron and Hermione won't want to befriend Snape's son, will they?' His joy was sinking faster than it rose.
Snape sighed. 'And I thought you weren't as thick as the last six years have shown you to be. You're not going to be my son; I am a known Death Eater, in case you've forgotten. It will be like sending Draco back. You will be someone no one has ever heard off. I'm sure that will be hard for you but you'll manage.
'Furthermore you will be able to look out for your friends but I will not allow you to befriend them again, it is too dangerous if they figure out who you are.'
Harry's joy had completely disappeared now. 'Let me get this straight, all the Death Eater children will know exactly who I am but my real friends and people on the side of the light will not know anything.'
'That is correct and it is the way things must be.'
The soup appeared. Harry went to pick up his spoon but as he did so he received a large tap on the knuckles from Snape's spoon.
'You do not start until the host has.' He said harshly. 'If it will help you to stay alive then I'd advise you not to do anything until the host has. There will be no slurping, gulping or splashing. You will drink it slowly and again I'd advise you to watch how other people do it.'
Snape then dipped his spoon into the soup and sipped it. Harry did the same. It was very tasty but he wasn't sure exactly what it was, maybe some kind of creamy vegetable soup.
'I was going to look for the Horcruxes.' Harry winced at the whininess of his voice.
'And you still will, with my help. You will still have time even if you go back to school. Getting to know the other Death Eaters and the Dark Lord will help with that as well.'
'Why are there so many rules?' Harry asked.
'It's all about power and prestige with the Death Eaters.' Snape said, dabbing his mouth with his napkin. 'Being of pureblooded, upstanding families they believe that certain traditional values should be upheld. Like the fact that the master of the house is the first to be served and so forth. It also has to do with power, having everyone wait for a certain person to begin before they can gives this person the power they cherish. It's all bullshit.'
Harry Giggled into his soup.
'Pure-blooded outstanding citizens do not giggle either.' Snape said reprovingly.
'It's a good thing I am neither then, isn't it.'
'You will have to behave as such in any case.' Snape replied.
'You're not a pure-blood either.' Harry said before he could stop himself. Snape did not answer, in fact he acted as if he never even heard although Harry was sure he had.
They had the rest of their soup in silence.
When the next course arrived Harry's eyes nearly goggled out of his head. It looked and smelled like nothing Harry had ever known before. It was some kind of crispy bird covered in an orangey-red sauce with fluffy herbed rice and a side helping of peas.
The smell was so nice that Harry nearly dug in without thinking. It was only when he noticed the large assortment of cutlery that he realised he didn't know which set of cutlery to use and realised that he had to wait for Snape first.
Snape actually chuckled when he realised where Harry was looking. 'It is a lot more simple than it seems.' He said. 'You start from the outside in.' Snape then picked up his knife and fork and cut into the bird. As soon as the fork had disappeared into his mouth Harry picked up his cutlery and cut into his as slowly as he could.
'What is it?' He said with his mouth full.
'One thing you should never do is talk with your mouth full. I will not even permit it and as I'm sure you remember I think most of this crap is bullshit.'
Harry swallowed quickly. 'Sorry. What is this?'
'It is duck.' Snape said, cutting himself another piece and swirling it in the sauce.
Harry ate another mouthful of rice. 'The food we get in the Great Hall is amazing but this stuff is even better. Do the house elves make special things for the professors? Because if they do I don't think it's very fair—'
'The house elves don't cook this food.' Snape interrupted, mixing his rice with the sauce.
'Oh. Who does then?'
Snape raised an eyebrow. 'I do.'
Harry started choking on his rice.
'People do not choke at Death Eater parties either.' Snape said but Harry could hear the amusement in his voice.
'Why do you do it?' Harry couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.
'Partly because I don't trust the house-elves but mostly because I enjoy it.'
'You enjoy cooking?'
'You seem to enjoy asking questions.' Snape replied. 'Yes, I enjoy it. It is like potions making and I do that as a hobby as well as a job.'
'Not any more.' Harry said spitefully.
'If you include the work I do for the Dark Lord I do.' Harry blanched. 'Anyway your surprise is not at the fact that I do my own cooking is it? It's that I'm actually good at it.'
Harry shrugged. ' I had to do the cooking at home, I hated it. I kept on burning the bacon.'
'Yes, I've seen your memories but that is a completely different situation. You were never made to prepare the food, only look after it while it was cooking. Also you were made to do something you didn't want to from a very young age so you probably grew to hate it. Add to that the fact that you were under so much pressure to get it right and it's no wonder you're an awful potions maker.'
'Well the pressure I've been under hasn't changed either, with a certain professor breathing down my neck.'
Snape chuckled at that and Harry nearly choked again at hearing that noise come from Snape.
'If you like potions so much then why were you always after the Dark Arts job?' Harry asked.
'Are you always this dense?' Snape replied in his usual insulting voice. It didn't quite have the same effect on Harry anymore. 'I didn't want the Dark Arts job, the Dark Lord wanted me to have it so that I could mould his young Slytherins into Death Eaters. So I made a show of applying every year and Albus made a show of rejecting me every year to keep up my role as spy.'
'Oh.' Was all Harry could think of to say.
They ate in silence for a while.
'Now, are you a virgin?' Snape asked suddenly
Harry almost spat out his duck in shock. 'What?' He finally managed to squeak.
'I am not in the habit of needlessly repeating myself and seeing as I know you heard me perfectly well I think of this as one of those times.'
Harry stared at Snape silently a moment, wondering just what he had to gain by asking that question, if Harry could get away with not answering it and whether it really mattered if he did. A moment after this inner turmoil Harry shakily nodded his head.
Snape inclined his head in reply but didn't say anything for the moment, just took another mouthful of rice and wiped his mouth with the napkin. 'That is fine but I should just let you know that most Death Eater children are sexually active.'
Harry stared at Snape worriedly, wondering if he was going to demand him to lose his virginity so that he will fit in.
Snape correctly interpreted the look on Harry's face and laughed. It was a very strange sound to come out of Snape's mouth and Harry could only stare open mouthed.
'Don't worry, I'm not saying you have to do anything of the sort. I'm just letting you know because they're not discreet about it and the parents usually allow it.'
'Why?' Harry asked, not sure if he believed it.
'Because when they marry it is not usually for love or even lust. It is for blood, as I'm sure you can understand. In a way it is like arranged marriages, certain pureblooded families may even promise their children to each other. So the parents let them have their fun when they are younger.'
'Oh.' Harry said stupidly. 'Um… don't the children mind?'
'They may well do.' Snape took another sip of wine and Harry did the same. 'But they would never say so. But it is why most men take lovers.'
'Did Lucius…'
'Yes.' Snape said without hesitation. 'More than one and he certainly wasn't very discreet about it. But then the men don't have to be because it is expected of them. The women however have to be extremely careful about it because if their husbands find out they have been having an affair it does not bode well for them. It is all a charade, the marriage is a fraud and everyone pretends they can't see what's right under their nose.'
'Sounds too confusing to me.'
'It's just pure-blooded stupidities. Have you finished?'
Harry had been toying with his food, squashing the rice with his fork. 'Yes.' He put the fork down.
'Don't play with you food and put you knife and fork together. You're slouching.'
The rest of the meal went that way, with Snape making comments to him about his table manners the whole time and Harry getting more food then he could possibly eat, though he found room for the after dinner mints.
'And here I was expecting Sherbet Lemons.' Harry had said and had received another slap on the knuckles with the fork.
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After lunch they sat down on the couch again for Harry's next occlumency lesson. Harry was tense expecting something very like the last one. However it was something completely different and Harry thought of it as a sneaky way to give him homework.
Snape placed a blank sheet of parchment in front of Harry with a quill and ink. Harry looked at it sceptically.
Now I want you to think hard about this. I want you to search your memories for the most important, disturbing and personal. In other words all the memories you do not want The Dark Lord to see. The first thing you need to do is protect your mind from disclosing the memories The Dark Lord wants. Well?'
Harry only then realised that Snape wanted him to actually tell Snape about them and he didn't feel very comfortable about doing so. 'Um…' He started. 'Well I suppose, the prophecy is the most important.'
That got him a painful slap across the head. He looked up at Snape in astonishment, holding his head. But Snape's expression was showing nothing. It certainly did not seem as if Snape had just hit his son across the head.
'What was that for?' Harry asked in indignation.
'For being stupid.' Snape replied. 'Yes you need to shield the prophesy from him but it certainly is not the most important thing.'
'Oh.' Harry said in realisation. 'You mean the fact that you are a spy.'
Snape clapped his hands mockingly but Harry ignored him.
'And that the bond didn't work.' He carried on.
Snape stared at Harry for a moment and then said in an irritated voice. 'Well, why aren't you writing any of this down?'
Harry couldn't help it, he laughed.
What is so funny?' Snape asked, letting his anger seep through.
'Nothing.' Harry stopped laughing immediately. At Snape's glare he decided to elaborate. 'It's just that that's what you said to the class the first time we had you. Remember, when I couldn't answer any of your quest—'
'I remember.' Snape said in disdain. 'I still don't see what's so funny.'
'Nothing.' Harry said again with a shrug and at a pointed look from Snape he picked up the quill, dipped it in the ink and began to write in the neatest writing he could manage.
Snape spy
Bond didn't work
ProphesyHe looked up at Snape who just carried on looking at Harry expectantly.
'Um… the fact that I'm learning occlumency?'
'Write it down if you think it is important.'
Learning occlumency
Then he stopped and though a minute before writing two more things.
Order headquarters
The Burrow
Snape looked over his shoulder at what he had written. 'Hmph. You will not be able to disclose where the Order headquarters are, even in your mind because you are not the secret keeper. And I do not suppose the Dark Lord will be overly interested in your friend's house.
Hurry shrugged but stubbornly kept it in there. He wasn't only thinking about Ron but he wasn't about to disclose that to Snape.
What you may want to write down,' Snape continued, 'is your feelings about your friends. The Dark Lord knew your feelings for your Godfather too well and managed to exploit them. You need to shut down you feelings and hide the fact that you care about some people so much.'
Harry felt like saying something to Snape along the lines of at least I can care but then decided that Snape was actually right and that he wouldn't lead anyone else to the slaughter like he did Sirius.
Feelings for friendsHe wrote and then sat back.
'That will do for now.' Snape said I want you to think about these things every night before you go to bed and then push them to the back of your mind before you go to sleep. I'm not going to ask you to clear your mind like I did last time because I realise that was too hard for you. So all I want you to do is push the most important ones to the back of your mind and overlap them with other memories including some that you may not want The Dark Lord to see but do not matter too much in the long run. Like your life at the Dursleys for example.'
Harry paled dramatically.
'As far as the Dark Lord should know you will not be able to occlude you mind so if he can't see these type of things he will wonder why. So that is what I want you to do for now and then later on I'll get you to start trying to change these memories and feed him false ones instead. But that is for the future and is too hard right now.'
'Why? I did it before.'
'With me directing the flow of your memories and your mind. The Dark Lord will not be so kind, I can assure you. Now, stand up. I want you to try and block these memories from me.' He said, tapping the piece of parchment with his wand. 'Any way you know how. Are you ready?'
'No.' Harry said truthfully, standing awkwardly next to the couch with his wand held stiffly in front of him.
'Good. Legilimens!'
The next hour was spent with Harry trying unsuccessfully to block Snape from seeing the memories that he had to hide. He tried to cover the existence of these memories with other trivial ones, even embarrassing ones of his time at the Dursleys. It would work for no more than twenty seconds before his barriers would collapse and Harry would end up on the floor on his hands and knees.
After a while Snape called a halt to the proceedings. 'There is no point in carrying on today, you need to practice these exercises on your own at night when there is no one trying to penetrate your mind. You need to learn to block the memories at all times. Then I will try again to gain access to your mind.'
'You're being a lot more patient then you were last time.' Harry commented.
'Only because I have to be. You have got to learn and you have to do it quickly.'
Harry sat down heavily on the couch, pushing his hair out of his eyes. 'So, what now?'
'Chess.' Snape said simply.
Harry stared at him as if he had gone mad. 'You want to play games?'
'Strategy.' Snape barked, sounding very much like Moody. He went over to the cupboard. 'Something you are not very good at.'
He came back holding a very antique looking chess set and put it down between them. 'I am always black.' Snape said, turning the board around.
'What a surprise.' Harry muttered.