A/N: this has been a LOONG weekend..next chapter!
Chapter 16
The next day in Potions found the Golden Trio making a Swelling Solution.
"I still say we just-" Harry begun.
"Shh!" Hermione hissed as Severus walked right by them.
"But, 'Mione-"
"She's right, mate, shut it," Ron elbowed him.
Harry fumed for a couple of seconds, then tried again.
"It a bad ide-"
"SHH!" Ron and Hermione hissed so loudly that Severus actually gave the three of them a withering look.
"We should just-"
"Hush."
"But-"
"Hush."
"No really! Just hear me out here-"
"Hush!"
"But-"
"Harry James Potter! I know how to use a silencing spell and will not hesitate to use it on you if you don't HUSH!" Hermione growled.
"Quiet," Severus snarled, glancing their way.
"Sorry," the three replied in unision.
"Right, I give up on you lot," Harry sighed, going back to his stirring.
It was closer to the middle of class when Ron got up and passed by Malfoy's desk. Harry looked up; he had a bad feeling that he knew exactly what Ron was fixing to do. Swiftly, Ron knocked Malfoy's potion over.
And all hell broke lose.
"DETENTION, MISTER WEASLEY! Mister Malfoy stop your screeching. I have a Deflating Draft for you. As for the rest of you, SILENCE!"
During all the hulabaloo, Harry saw Hermione slink quietly towards Severus's office.
Harry tried to pretend that he had no clue Ron was going to do that.
"Bloody hell, well thanks for nothing, mate," Ron snapped.
"I told you I'm not getting involved," Harry replied, and went back to work.
HPSSHPSSHPSSHPSS
Normally, Severus wouldn't be prowling the hallways looking for Harry, but he knew the boy had known something about the incident earlier.
"Good evening, Mister Potter," he hissed quietly when he found the boy heading up to his dormitories.
Harry leaped about two feet in the air. "Oh, hi, Sev," he said.
"Tell me what you and your friends were whispering about earlier, Harry," he hissed, sounding more waspish with each syllabule.
"Nothing," Harry whispered, feeling guilty for lying to Severus.
"Oh, really?" Severus whispered.
"Allright, fine! we wanted to make a Polyjuice Potion so we could be Crabbe and Goyle and question Malfoy to see if he was the Heir of Slytherin! I wanted to tell you, but they didn't, so Hermione stole some of your ingredients and Ron created a distraction, and..and.." Harry burst into tears. Severus hated him now, he knew it.
"Harry, shh. It's allright," Severus whispered soothingly, and he wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him close.
"Y-you mean, y-you d-don't-h-h-hate m-me?" Harry sobbed.
"Harry, why would I hate you? It's Mister Weasley and Miss Granger I'm angry with," Severus explained.
"S-sorry, Sev," Harry sniffed.
"Shh, no. Don't you dare apologize. You did nothing wrong, Harry."
He held the boy in his arms for a long time, all the while thinking of terrible things to do to Granger and Weasley.