i own none of this, just playin' for funzies. i promise to return all J.K's characters unharmed .
Severus made his way back into the living room, rubbing a hand over his face. Had he really just offered to help a student with their homework?
And a Gryffindor no less! That tea was more potent than he was used to!
He shook out the blanket and draped it over the back of the sofa.
"You all right, Sev?", his mother asked, coming in.
He glanced at her, taking in her dust streaked cheeks, and his fathers beaming smile.
"Do I want to know what you two have been doing?", he asked dryly.
"We were in the loft, looking out some of the old games we had. Thought we could have a family night?", Tobias suggested.
"It would depend on how much work he gets done between now and dinner.", Severus bargained.
"Would you be able to keep an eye on him while I am in the lab?"
"No problem. What are you brewing?", his mother was curious.
"A calming draught. Harry had a mild panic attack yesterday just before we came here. I thought it an isolated incident until he had another one this afternoon.", he raked his fingers through his hair, "I would feel better if he had something on hand to calm him if it happens again." especially if it happens when no one is there to help him 'remember' how to breathe.
He wanted to groan. The list of things he had to do this 'holiday' was growing.
In the dining room, Harry kept rereading the same page, but not taking it in. He went over the event of the afternoon again. How was he supposed to prevent the Snapes finding out about the Dursleys? They couldn't 'just happen to be out' every time he called, and just how long before the Snapes decided to 'just turn up on the doorstep' after all?
Harry chewed on his fingernail pondering, could he claim they were on holiday? Na too short notice….unless Aunt Marge! They could be all visiting her! He would 'call' later and claim that they had decided ,on the spur of the moment, to go see her and wasn't it a shame that they wouldn't be able to visit after all. He grinned to himself. That was one problem (potentially) solved.
He kept thinking about the professor's suggestion that Harry talked to him about the situation they found themselves in. Frankly, the boy couldn't think of a worse person to talk to, but he did need to talk to someone.
Even if he was allowed to tell his friends, he wondered if maybe he would have decided against doing so. Hermione would be calm and logical, a sounding board. Ron….not so much. He could pretty much guarantee that his friend would flip out and the secret would last about 0.5 seconds before being yelled out as loudly as the red-head was capable of.
He sighed and tried to concentrate on his school work again. God! The History of Magic (as taught by Binns) was dull!
Snape had to admit his mother's potions lab was nice. (Not that wouldn't rather be working in his own,) Just being in the lab preparing to brew, both focused and relaxed him. He moved round familiarising himself with his mother's set up, checked that she had all the necessary ingredients and started. He adored the methodical chopping and grinding of roots, the gentle subtle changes in colour or odour potions graduated through, going from raw ingredients to a cure or aid. So many people depended on potions and he was often frustrated at how few had the patience or inclination to brew them properly. The Granger girl may have been academically top of his class, but she lacked the instinct that a Potion Master required. Most potions were useable even if the ingredients were just a little off, but some were ruined unless some minor adjustments at the base level, something very few of his students grasped! All they had to do was think instead of just mindlessly following the directions. It wasn't a cooking class after all!
Eileen came down to the converted cellar to tell her son that dinner was nearly ready.
"You get your calming draught done?", she smirked, glancing around at the various cauldrons he had simmering away.
He hadn't really realized how carried away he had gotten. He had just started on some of the brewing he would have been doing in preparation for the next term, some for the hospital wing and some antidotes he would probably need in class, especially if there was another student as incompetent as Neville Longbottom!
"I did not mean to do so many", he told Eileen, apologetically.
"No harm done, Sev", she shook her head at him. "Now put those in stasis, and get washed up for dinner. You and Harry are on the dishes tonight!", she added the last with a cheeky grin and went quickly upstairs again.
Severus groaned. Did the golden boy even know how to wash dishes? Well, if not he would be learning tonight! True, the boy did have homework and studying to do, but he should have some household chores to do, too so he wasn't 'free-loading', and he wanted to organise some potions tuition with Harry too, give them something to bond over. He hoped the Dark Lord refrained from Summoning him for the rest of the holiday, as he really did not have the time to answer!
Over the meal, Tobias brought up the topic of games, to see if Harry had any favourites.
"Ah, we didn't really play games", he said apologetically . His cousin preferred watching the television or playing his computer and the few family nights that Aunt Petunia had organised had two key elements; Dudley must win, and No Harry!
"We play exploding snap at school, and my friend tried to teach me wizard chess, but I am not good at that" he confessed. He hoped they would still have a games night even though he would have to be taught how to play everything. Maybe they would think it was too much hassle? He chewed on his bottom lip hoping he had not put his gramps off.
"Well ,we have a few easy games you will pick up in no time", the man grinned.
Harry managed a keen but bashful smile in return, and went back to his dinner, managing to eat a fair amount.
The Dursleys had started their usual 'rationing' of food from the first day of the holidays, and while it was hard not eating his fill while there was plenty of food in front of him, he knew from bitter experience that he would be likely to just throw it back up if he did, and was gently easing his stomach back to being used to regular food. It was going faster this year, thank God.
Both Severus and his mother noted that the boy was eating a little more than he was shuffling around his plate.
When everyone was finished eating, Severus asked Harry if he would rather wash or dry the dishes.
Harry had a flicker of confusion cross his face, as he usually did both, but if he was getting the choice…. "Wash!"
As the confusion passed Harry's face, Snape was about to sharply remind him that he was not here to be pampered, when the boy chose to wash the dishes, and managed to surprise him.
Harry gathered the dishes and started running the water. Seeing his father watching him, he hesitated . "Unless you'd rather wash?" , he offered. Most people preferred washing to drying after all.
Snape shook his head, and grabbed the dish towel. Surprisingly the boy was quick and thorough, all dishes were clean before being put in the dish rack. The man had expected a sloppy effort with Harry having to re-wash most of them. Even the pots were getting well scrubbed.
"You may leave those to soak if you wish.", Snape offered.
"As well to get it all done and out the road in one go.", Harry shrugged. His aunt would not let him leave anything to soak, so he kept scrubbing at a particularly stubborn piece of burned on food.
The professor gave a lazy flick of his wand and finished the job.
Harry glared at his teacher. "I'm sorry if I wasn't going fast enough, sir", he bit out, assuming that was why the man had resorted to magic.
"I assume a 'thank you' would be too much to ask for", the man commented dryly.
" Thank you", Harry overly politely. Honestly, if he had been taking too long surely Snape could have said something rather than just whipping out his wand!
Snape was a little bit put out that the boy hadn't appreciated a little help with the last pot, especially given how much he was looking forward to spending time with his grandparents. He had felt Harry had earned that, but obviously he wanted to spend another ten minutes scrubbing. Well , next time that's exactly what he would get to do!
"All done, lad? That was quick.", Toby smiled as Harry entered the living room.
Harry ducked his head, feeling guilty. He hadn't asked Snape to help him, but what if he was going to get punished for not doing his chores properly? Of was it a test to see if he would own up?
He bit his lip.
"I had help", he admitted quietly, "my….(he could not bring himself to say father, and it was ridiculous to say professor to his parents! ) Dish dryer got impatient and used magic."
Eileen shook her head at her son, standing behind Harry, a mildly amused smirk gracing his normally dour features.
"Sev, I prefer to do most things non-magically!"
"He would have been in there all night scrubbing that pot."
"Can we still play, though?", Harry worried. He hoped they wouldn't punish him for 'cheating' by sending him straight to bed without games.
Severus rolled his eyes. That had been the point of helping after all!
"I want you in bed by half past nine tonight, Harry", his father told him, "but we can play until then"
"Half past nine? Why?", Harry exclaimed. That was only giving them a couple of hours!
"Because I want you up before lunch time tomorrow."
Oh.
"Sev.." Eileen started, but actually, her boy did have a point. In fact she would have probably given Harry an early bedtime herself.
"So, card games or board games?", Toby asked, blue eyes sparkling.
Deciding that monopoly would be too long a game (and complicated!) and discovering that cluedo had a couple of missing pieces, they went with card games.
"Well I for one am ready for a cuppa. Anyone else?", Eileen said after losing her third game in a row.
"Me", declared Toby, frowning at his Hand.
"And me", Severus said concentrating.
"Yes please" Harry said, then added ,"want a hand?"
She smiled at her grandson, "no, I've got it." It was nice that one of them remembered their manners.
Toby won the game as Eileen came back with a tray holding a large tea pot, cups, milk and sugar and a large plate of biscuits.
"Supper time", she announced.
Severus stood up stretching out his back out and checked the time.
"Bed for you after this, mind" he told Harry.
"Yes sir", he obediently replied. He was just about ready to call it a night, even without having a bed time imposed on him.
"And breakfast at half-past eight", the professor went on.
Harry blinked but "yes sir" ed none the less.
What did they want for breakfast? Should he do a full fry up? Porridge?
His aunt only took toast most mornings, would Eileen be the same? He couldn't see either Snape or his grampa eating the same amount as Dudley and uncle Vernon, but he didn't want to not make enough either.
"You all right lad? You look puzzled", Toby commented.
"I just wondered what you had for breakfast?", Harry felt was safe to ask.
"Well, we have cereal, or Sev usually has toast with marmalade, I usually have porridge ", Eileen offered. They were bound to have something the child would eat.
"Cool", Harry grinned drinking his tea, yeah he could make all that no problem.
"Can I have a shower before breakfast?" he asked. After a night normally full of bad dreams he felt sweaty and yucky, a shower helped him wake up and feel fresh, a luxury not often afforded him at the Dursleys.
"If you are up early enough, you may shower", his father allowed. "And maybe we could cut your hair? I do not know how you can see where you are going with your fringe over your eyes!"
"I can see fine sir", he answered. He was wary of letting anyone cut his hair after the way his aunt had butchered it.
For the first time the Potions Master wondered if the boy was deliberately hiding his scar. His mother would recognise it, and she would surely have mentioned to him if she had realized her grandson was famous.
But then, why would he hide it?
Unless it was inflamed! Was the brat having visions and not informing him? Surely he had learned that lesson ?!
He groaned mentally adding occlumency lessons to the ever growing list of things he was going to have to find time for.
Harry finished his tea and said goodnight, surprised (but pleased!) when Eileen pulled him into a hug. He was still getting used to physical attention, and momentarily froze before relaxing against his gran. Toby merely said goodnight back.
Severus watched as his son was hugged by his mother, and was worryingly both relieved and disappointed that the boy did not expect the same from him. Of course the thought of hugging Harry Potter was disturbing to say the least, but the thought that his son obviously did not want to hug him was......
He shook his head at himself for his foolishness.
"I will be up in ten minutes to check you are in bed", he told his son, sharply.
Harry nodded and headed up stairs, wondering what he had done to earn that tone.
Eileen and Tobias shared a look, also wondering what the boy had done.
By the time Snape came into Harry's room, the boy was in his pyjamas (long ones tonight but also green and silver. Really, the man was a little too patriotic towards his House!) and in bed nervously waiting on his parent.
Snape entered the room, and Harry immediately tensed, the way he would when his uncle had entered.
"Hold your hair back.", he ordered moving swiftly to the side of the bed.
Harry frowned, but complied, holding his fringe back off his forehead.
The man clinically examined the scar, touching it to see if that caused pain.
"Any visions?", he asked.
Harry paled a little remembering the dream from the previous night. He was reasonably sure it was just a dream, not a vision, but with hindsight he should mentioned it.
Snape's eyes narrowed.
"I don't think it was a vision, sir…" Harry apologised.
It was unnerving when the Potion Master sat on the bed.
"What wasn't?" the man was obviously not happy.
"Last night? It was more just a mix of weird images. I mean at one point I think I was the snake again but I didn't.. you know.. it was different to when I saw mr. Weasley", Harry stopped babbling when the professor tipped his chin up so they were looking at each other.
"Describe", the one worded command was snapped out.
"um it was dark, but I could tell I was close to the ground. There was movement and then.." he swallowed a little but forced himself to continue "..and there was a rabbit…" he stopped hoping the man did not want a graphic description of how it felt.
"Nothing else?", the professor asked. He couldn't help but be glad that it wasn't serious, but he also wanted all visions stopped.
"No sir. If it was anything, I dunno, real I woulda made sure to tell the
Order" he had learned that the hard way.
The black eyes ran over the boy's pale face.
"Would you like some 'Dreamless Sleep' potion to help you sleep tonight?" he offered.
"I had some last night though, your mum.." he mumbled, remembering.
"I will bring some in for you. You cannot have it every night, but when we resume occlumency lessons, you shouldn't need to rely on a potion."
"Thank you, sir."
He couldn't say he wasn't grateful, but he wasn't looking forward to the lessons.
He took the potion in one go, and thanked his father again as he gave back the empty vial.
The potions master watched as the boy quickly succumbed to sleep. He shook his head at the boy, who was still half sitting and wearing his glasses.
Severus gently removed the spectacles, idly glancing through them. Good grief, they were filthy. And scratched, he noted as he cleaned them with his shirt. He should get him new ones, scratch resistant perhaps, and definitely not so similar to James Potters either!
He sighed, and managed to arrange his child so he was actually lying down, and then found himself tucking the boy in before making his way back down stairs.
"Everything all right, Sev?", his father asked.
"Yes. He had a nightmare last night?"
"And a migraine!", Toby nodded
"He was fine after he threw up and had a couple of potions", Eileen said, downplaying how worried she had been the night before.
"Told you he'd had a rough night, and deserved a lie in today.", Toby put in quietly.
Severus declined to comment.
He went to bed shortly after his parents, on a whim he checked on his son on the way.
The boy had barely moved, and was still fast asleep.
There was an owl sitting in the window sill, looking hurt that no one had let him in.
Drawing his wand, just in case, Severus opened the window. The little owl hopped onto his arm holding out the leg with the note tied to it.
He checked for curses, then took the short note.
He wondered , if his son had been awake, would he have sent the owl back with a note of his own, despite having been told not to correspond without the letter being checked in case he gave out information the wrong hands could make use of.
He made sure the visiting owl had food and water before sending it off on its way, and checked Hedwig's supplies while he was there. He was glad to see the boy's pet was well cared for, clean cage fresh food and water by the look of it. He left the note on the bedside table, wondering if Harry would even tell him about it, and went to his own bed.
Harry woke up just after half past seven, after a blessedly nightmare-free sleep. He grabbed his glasses and headed for his shower. Today he chose a t-shirt (red) and dark blue jeans. Carefully arranging his hair again aver that damned scar and pulled on socks and trainers.
He made his way downstairs, glad that he was the first one there, and started getting the breakfasts ready. Porridge for his gran and plenty of toast, enough for everyone. He wasn't sure what his grandfather would like, so he put out a selection of cereals, and poured a jug of milk, setting it out in the middle of the table. He had both tea and coffee in pots on the table when Eileen came down.
"'Morning Harry", she greeted
"'morning" he beamed back, "Do you want tea or coffee? Or just porridge just now?"
"Porridge, but you don't have to.." she started as the boy started serving it up
"Morning" Toby greeted. "what's all this?" he asked with a grin.
"What would you like?", Harry asked, wondering what 'all this' was.
"Cereal for me, lad. I can do that." he said.
"Tea or coffee?"
"Tea thanks"
As Harry turned to pour the tea, his grandparents exchanged a confused look, smiling again when he came over.
"Did I make enough toast for everyone?", Harry worried.
Last to arrive, Severus stood at the kitchen door for a moment, taking in the table, set up with butter, marmalade, jam, knives, the cereals, milk, sugar, plates. He could smell the freshly made coffee.
"Did you open a bed-and-breakfast?", he asked his parents with a smirk.
"Harry made breakfast this morning. This is all his work", Toby said, nodding at the suddenly shy teen.
"Uh Coffee, sir?", he offered. How could he still be so unnerved by the man just being in the same room?
The man nodded, adding a "thank you"
Severus took a slice of toast, thickly spreading the butter and marmalade on.
"Well, lad, sit down and have yours.", Tobias chuckled as the boy hovered.
"I don't tend to eat breakfast…", Harry shrugged
Snape frowned. That was a lie.
"You normally eat breakfast during the school year.", he commented.
"Well, at …home I don't usually eat breakfast" Harry amended.
"Just a slice of toast? You made it after all", Eileen coaxed.
Giving in, Harry sat down, and helped himself to some toast, and spread a little butter on. He hesitated. Should he try marmalade? What if he took it and didn't like it?
He cut his toast in half and put some of the orange jelly-like preserve onto one and took a bite.
It was weird, both sweet and tart. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but he didn't hate it. He glanced at the bemused looks of the adults. "I never tried it before", he explained.
After everyone had finished, Harry started to gather up the dishes to wash up, but his grampa stopped him. "It's all right, lad, I'll get those.", he told him.
"I don't mind", Harry assured the man.
"You made the meal, we'll get the dishes", Eileen told him.
"If you're sure?", Harry double checked.
"Very!" she said mock seriously, "Now scoot!"
"You working in the lab today?", Eileen asked her son.
"Perhaps later. I need to go out for some things first though.", he turned to his son, "And I would like you to join me, Harry."
"In the lab?", Harry frowned.
The man took a breath, "No. I need some ingredients, and you need decent glasses. We can get both today."
Ten minutes later father and son were again under a strong glamour charm (as poly juice potion would change Harry's eyesight) and sitting in Tobias's car.
Harry was nervous. Did the man even know how to drive?
He must or his father wouldn't have just handed over the car keys!
Unless he had been confunded ? Impurised?
Harry checked his seatbelt again.
Severus was fixing the mirror and adjusting his seat.
"You can relax, I do know how to drive", he drawled.
Snape looked just different enough that it was strange to hear his sarcastic remarks coming from him.
He had given himself blue eyes, like his fathers, and lengthened his hair. He was wearing black jeans and a long sleeved dark purple shirt.
Harry kept checking his new appearance in the mirror.
"How long will the charm last?", he asked, loving the lack of scar marring his forehead, though it was disconcerting to have blue eyes. He was fairly sure he looked closer to thirteen than nearly sixteen, but he could live with it.
"It will last until I lift it.", Snape told him, starting the car.
"But how long? I mean there must be a reason people use poly juice as a disguise instead of a glamour?" he wondered if he could keep his scar hidden under a glamour permanently.
It was a good point, and since he would rather not drive in silence.. "Poly juice potion is a complicated potion to make, and of course you need to be altering your appearance to become someone else . The good things about the potion are it makes you completely become the person you are impersonating, like our good friend Barty Crouch junior became an exact copy of Auror Moody, down to his missing eye and leg, a glamour charm could not have achieved that. The charm can alter little things, the length and colour of hair, eye colour and some extremely complex ones change gender, those do have a limit on how long they last. The simpler the better, and stronger."
"How come Barty Crouch sounded just like mad… erm Auror Moody though?", he and Ron sounded just like themselves when they were 'being' Crabbe and Goyle.
Snape smirked. "The potion makes you into an exact copy, that includes vocal chords and eyesight, which is why I went with just a glamour for you today."
"Has P.J. potion changed in the last couple of years? Or did it always change voices?", Harry pestered. Had Hermione made it wrong? Could they all have ended up in the hospital wing in second year?
"I think you and I are long over due to have a chat about how much you know about that particular potion.", Snape told him, softly.
Harry gulped and turned his attention to looking out of the window.
"I was just making conversation.", he mumbled.
"And I look forward to continuing it, but for now, we are supposed to be muggles", the man smirked. He had a sneaking suspicion who had made that potion, and when, but he was now curious as to why. He was in no hurry. He was sure Harry would manage to get himself into trouble at some point and want to bargain his way out of it. He would find out then.
"First, I believe we shall get your eyes tested, then we can collect my supplies.", he said, briskly walking up the street.
Harry rolled his eyes, and jogged to catch up.
They were lucky, the first optician they tried had an appointment straight away.
"Okay, young man, just this way", the assistant smiled, showing Harry into the room.
Harry followed nervously.
"When was you last eye test?", she asked
"Uh I dunno. Sorry", he said.
"Oh well, I can just ask your dad, I'll be back in a sec. Take a seat.", she directed
"He won't know either", Harry blurted. At her confused look, he added, "I just moved in with him"
She nodded sympathetically, "I see. Not to worry, we will get you sorted out now."
The test took almost an hour, and then they went back into the waiting room so Harry could pick out his new frames. He was finding it hard to see through his glasses now he knew how things were meant to look.
"If you wanted to try contact lenses we could get that sorted out today too?", she told them "and your glasses should be ready in just over an hour"
"I don't think I fancy contacts, the idea of sticking something in my eye…?"Harry shook his head, smiling even as he screwed up his face at the thought.
The assistant laughed "I hear that so often, and most people do decide to
come back in for a trial. And seriously, they are really comfortable."
Snape waited patiently as the girl collected various frames for Harry to try on, to see which he felt comfortable with and which suited him.
Finally they agreed on thin silver wire frames and the man paid.
"Thank you", Harry said. He couldn't wait until the hour was up and he could wear his new glasses.
"What time do we need to be back at? I forgot to check", he asked. He didn't have a watch since he went in the lake in the tri wizard tournament. Every so often he missed it.
"We do not need to pick them up precisely on time. I hardly think they will give your new glasses away if we are late. Now, I wish to purchase some supplies at the apothecary."
"How long will that take?" he couldn't help but ask. What if the shop was closed when they came back?
"It will take as long as it takes."
Harry gave a small growl of frustration. He wanted to see now!
Seeing the glare his father directed at him, he reigned it in. he had waited this long he supposed, but it didn't make it easier.
After eating lunch, and spending a ridiculously (to Harry) long time in various apothecaries, they were laden with packages of varying shapes and weights, it was finally time to pick up the new glasses before heading back home.
Snape could not believe that anyone could be so excited over spectacles. The boy's prescription could not have changed that much. He wondered if the boy had developed a crush on the girl serving them.
"There you are, much better, right?", the assistant asked.
"Wow!" Harry managed. Much better than he had thought.
"I trust those are to you liking?", Snape asked dryly.
"Yeah! Everything's so clear!", Harry said, looking around to see everything he possibly could.
"Well the prescription was well out of date, so you may get headaches until you adjust to the new one.", she told him.
They thanked her again and left.
Harry walked slowly, turning round constantly to see as much as he possibly could, then had to catch up with Snape, just to start again.
Snape turned around to (again!) tell the boy to keep up, only to see his son being pinned to a wall by a walrus of a man.
"I would prefer you to return my son to me in one piece", he said, much more calmly than he felt.
Harry's eyes gratefully met his fathers.
The hulk of a man frowned, not letting go of the boy.
"Your son?", he repeated glaring at the boy.
Harry nodded.
"Your brat walked into me!", the man accused
"And did you give him the chance to apologise before attempting to throttle him?", Snape replied coolly.
"He needs some manners knocked into him.", the man went on, giving the boy a shake.
"His manners are not your concern. Release my son, now!"
Obviously wishing he could cuff the boy who had reminded him so much of his nephew, Vernon Dursley, wisely, did as he was told.
Harry quickly stood by his father who put his arm around his shoulders and together they made their way to the car.
"Are you all right?", Snape asked, wishing he had just hexed the stranger.
"Yeah. 'm fine.", Harry answered, quietly, looking out the window.
He couldn't believe he had walked into Vernon Bloody Dursley! Of all people to have bumped into!
The man watched his son, wondering if he was traumatised by being manhandled like that.
Who did that man think he was?
Part of him was proud that Harry hadn't taken a panic attack, but then, the boy was usually targeted by wizards trying to kill him, a muggle was probably no real threat.
Seeing his boy seized like that had momentarily terrified him though. Lily would never forgive him if anything happened to her son on his watch.
Harry leaned his head against the side window, wondering if the professor was going to tell him off for letting his guard down.
"I did say 'sorry' y' know", he mumbled.
It was important to him that Snape knew that.
"Even if you had not, you did not deserve to be abused by him", the man commented mildly.
Harry gave a bark of laughter. "Abused?" he repeated , turning to look at his father.
"That wasn't abuse!" That was remarkably restrained by Uncle Vernon's standards, especially when dealing with his nephew!
The professor raised an eyebrow. "The man was using his sheer bulk to intimidate you and, I am sure, was ready to hit you. That is abuse"
Harry frowned. "But you told me that your dad might hit me?"
The professor rolled his eyes. "There is a world of difference between a swat on your backside for disobedience and being punched in the face for accidentally walking into a stranger!" Really! Had the boy thought Tobias was a violent, abusive man?
"Has my father ever given you the impression that he was about to lay into you?", Snape asked, knowing the answer would be 'no'.
"Well, no. But.."
"But?", Snape glared.
Oh this was awkward.
"During the occlumency lessons? Your memories of your dad weren't that great.", the boy mumbled.
"Did you see my father in my memories?", the professor spoke quietly, yet with a slightly amused lilt to his voice.
"I thought I had", Harry answered. Though come to think of it, he had just assumed at the time that the people arguing were his professor's parents. Eileen and Tobias were nice and he wasn't sure that they even looked like the memory of them.
Snape smirked.
"So who was the man shouting?", Harry asked, curious.
His father scowled and Harry immediately wished he hadn't mentioned it.
"My mother's family were not happy with her for marrying a muggle and 'polluting' the pure-blood line of the Princes. We have not been in touch with that side of the family in a long time.", the man answered.
Harry felt there was more to it, but decided he didn't need to know.
What was it with wizards and their blood status anyway?
He spent the drive home gazing out the window.
"New glasses, Harry?", Eileen commented, smiling. They suited the boy better than the thick black ones.
Harry beamed at her. "Yeah! They're great!" he did a passable impression of his earlier enthusiasm, but his father could tell it was an act. He supposed being assaulted had somewhat dampened the otherwise pleasant day out.
"I wish to place a couple of charms on them", Severus told the boy, holding out his hand.
"Why?", Harry asked, handing them over.
The man muttered a couple of charms, waving his wand over the frames and gave them back before answering.
"You should find it nearly impossible to scratch or break those now"
Harry put them on hesitantly, hoping he could still see as clearly. "Nearly?", he questioned.
Snape snorted. "Anyone else, I would have just said 'impossible' , you, however, will probably manage, so yes, nearly impossible."
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so that was chapter 5
a little bit later than it was supposed to be posted, sorry about that.
(grrr broken modem and delivery people who took two weeks to deliver the new one!!!)
thank you once again to everyone who has reviewed, p.m'd and added this story to their alerts.
hope it was long enough, hugs all : )