A/n: Re-posted 08/22/2013

italics = Thoughts

Chapter 17 – Harry's Birthday

A week later, the third-first of July arrived. It was Harry's birthday, and Severus had a surprise for his son. A little against his better judgment, he had wrote to the Weasleys, asking about who all was going to the quidditch game and making sure there would be enough adults around to look out for Harry, especially considering that the twins were also going. In the end, he allowed Harry to go with his friends. He, obviously, vehemently refused Molly Weasley's wishes that Harry stayed with them for the rest of August.

When Harry woke up on the third-first, he was a bit disappointed that there weren't any owls waiting for him. The fact that Hedwig hadn't come back yet just made him antsier about the lack of owls on this day. It also made him sad that, apparently, his friends had forgotten his birthday this year.

He changed his clothes and went down to the kitchen, normally he would found Severus drinking coffee and reading the paper, but today that was not what he found when he entered the room. Severus was there, but instead of having his face blocked by the paper, there was a small mountain of presents on the table. Right away Harry managed to see Hermione nice handwriting and Ron's scrawl. With a huge smile on his face, Harry looked at the cake Severus had on Harry's plate, on the chocolate icing were the words 'Happy Birthday, Harry!' with fourteen lit candles around it.

"Happy Birthday, son." said Snape, a small smile coming to his face when he saw the light in his son's eyes.

"Thank you!" answered Harry as he sat down.

"Don't forget to make a wish." the man said pointing to the lit candles.

Harry thought for a moment, in that exact moment he didn't know what more he could ask for. Then... a quiet year at Hogwarts. He decided while he blows on the candles, extinguishing all the flames in one blow.

Severus took the cake from Harry's plate and in its place put a plate full of their usual breakfast food, pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast. All of Harry's favourites.

"You can open your presents after you're finished eating. You can also have a piece of cake if you want, the rest if for latter."

Harry just smiled and nodded. In that moment he felt like the most normal boy in the world, celebrating his birthday with his father. For the first time in his life. That he reminded, at least.

After Harry had eaten his piece of cake, he looked at the gifts, seeing who had send them. The first he opened was from Ron, his friend sent him a book, which surprised Harry, till he saw the title: 'Flying with the Cannons". Hermione's gift was also a book, but this time one about hippogriffs. Hagrid sent him more photos to put in his album, and Mrs. Weasley sent sweets and a card hinting that they could see him before the first of September. The twins' gift was a bag of colourful candies with a note telling him to try and give one to Snape. Not even if my life depended on it! Thought Harry coming from them, dad would strangle me for whatever it is this does.

After opening all his gifts, Harry looked at his father, it wasn't that he thought Severus HAD to give him something, but after the man had gone to all the trouble of opening a window to receive the owls (probably around midnight) and making a cake and special breakfast... Harry couldn't help the hope he felt. It was the first time he celebrated his birthday and he knew he would always remember it with that warm feeling he was feeling that very moment.

Severus saw Harry looking at him, and the smile on the boy's face as he opened his gifts made Severus feel his heart swell with something he couldn't name. His relationship with Harry wasn't one of complete trust, Severus hadn't got Harry to talk to him about his life at the Dursleys, for example, but at least now they managed to be civil.

While he thought about that, he realized that he needed to do more than just let him go to the World Cup. It was a special day for the boy, he needed to do something big for his son's first birthday with him.

"Come with me to my lab, please, Harry." said Severus.

Harry stared at Severus for a moment, since he had arrived at the house, in the end of June, Harry had never set his eyes on his father's lab. He was curious as he followed the older man. When they arrived at the lab, Severus made Harry sit in a bench while he looked inside a cupboard. Harry got more and more curious. What Dad wants to show me? And why today of all days? Harry wondered.

Severus finally found what he was looking for and came back to stand in front of Harry with a vial that had a bluish liquid with a grey spiral in the middle. Harry watched him, an eyebrow arched.

"I need you to drink this." said the potion master "it's part of your birthday gift."

Harry stared at his father's eyes, searching, trying to see a hint of what the potion would do to him. He was more than sure it was nothing bad, his father would never give him something that he didn't need, so he decided to trust the man without questions. Harry took the vial and drank the potion in one go. Considering all the potions he had to drink at Hogwarts, that was the best tasting one he had ever had to drink. That is, until he got the worst headache ever. It was so bad he had to close his eyes and lay his head down on his arms.

Thankfully it only last a minute and then it was gone, leaving Harry just a bit dizzy. But Harry still kept his eyes closed, even when he said:

"You could have told me it would hurt."

"Open your eyes, Harry." Severus said with a hint of a smile on his face.

Harry couldn't believe his ears, and that, more than the words, made Harry obey and look up at his father. Only... he couldn't see a thing, everything blurred in front of him. Thinking he had somehow smudged his glasses, Harry took them off. And everything got clearer than ever. He was able to see details he had never seen before, even with his glasses on, on his father's face.

"Wow! Is this how people normally see?"

"Am I right in thinking you can see better now than when you wore glasses?" Asked Severus, his lips twitching as he fought a smile.

"Yeah." Harry managed to say and then, he jumped his father, hugging him, not realising it was the very first time he hugged his father. "THANK YOU! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

Severus hugged his son back, cherishing the moment.

"As I said before, this is the first part of your gift." his voice was a little rough with emotion "let's go back to the living room."

They went back, and Harry looked at everything like it was the first time he had seen it all. In a way, it was. He had never seen so many details in his life. He was already smiling, but when he saw his owl, Hedwig, perched on a chair, his smile grew even more. Harry went closer, looking at her and admiring her beauty, awed by what he could see.

Severus coughed to get Harry's attention, and the boy looked back at him, the smile still on his face.

"I talked to Arthur and Molly" he started "and as I said, you are spending this holiday here, with me. But after talking to them I decided to... let you go with them to the Quidditch World Cup."

Severus didn't think it was possible for Harry's smile to get any brighter, but as soon as the words had left his mouth, it happened. Harry's smile illuminated the room, radiating happiness. And again, Harry jumped Severus, hugging him tight. A litany of 'thank you's' coming out of his mouth.

When they let go of the other, Severus looked at the owl.

"Apparently you have another birthday gift." said Severus noticing the letter tied to the owl's leg.

Harry looked at Hedwig again, he had been so happy to see her, and to see her so clearly, that he had completely forgotten she had been away for weeks now. With trembling hands, he took the letter and with a sigh opened it.

For long minutes Harry looked at the parchment, confused about what he was seeing there. Then, he looked at his father and asked:

"Er... How do I get to the backyard?"

Severus could have slapped himself in that moment. His son was in the house with him for a little more than a month now and he had stayed inside the house all that time, without complaining.

"Here." said Snape showing Harry what book he had to pull to open the right door. As Harry was doing exactly that, a thought occurred to Severus. Why would Harry ask about the backyard now, after reading that letter?

Harry was already outside when an even more panic driven thought came to the potion master the owl was out delivering a letter to Black!

He didn't lose a second, as soon as that thought came to him he was out of the still open door. What he saw as he put his feet in the yard was definitely not what he had expected to see.

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