Chapter Five; Wish Upon A Star
Wow! I can't believe this story is getting such positive feedback! Thanks again, you guys rule! Alright, here's the next chapter and this one is one of my favorites! It's just so darn adorable! By the way, I don't own anything but the plotline, all rights go to the genius JK Rowling for inventing a wonderful world for me to play in!
Lily sat her son down on top of the bench at the bus stop. "I still don't understand Mummy, why do we have to go live with Snapple?" he asked her as she smiled at him while trying to hold her laughter inside of her at the same time.
"It's Snape darling. Severus Snape. He was one of my old friends and he's going to help us out." She explained.
"Oh. Is he going to be my new daddy?" Harry questioned her.
"Uh, well, I don't know,.." she began.
"How do I know that? Why did you lie to me? Am I really a wizard?" he asked her as she gaped her mouth open at him.
"Listen sweetheart, the thing you need to realize is_" she began again.
"Just tell me the truth. When I lie to you I get a smacked bottom. Please, just tell me. That's all I want to know." He said.
"Yes darling, you are." She answered with a nod.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" he wondered.
"Because, there is a lot about the wizarding world that you're way too young to understand right now. I'm sorry Harry, I just wanted to protect you." She assured him.
"Do you understand that much at least?" she asked him in which he responded with a slight nod. That's when all of a sudden the bus pulled up to the curb. "Come on, the bus will take us to King's Cross station. Severus is going to meet us there." She explained before she lifted him off the bench and set him back down on the ground.
Harry held out his tiny little hand before she took ahold of it and walked him over to the bus while it suddenly opened its doors. "Here you are young man," the driver began as he scooped Harry up inside his arms. A huge grin stretched a crossed Harry's face as he helped him up onto the bus.
"What do you say Harry?" Lily reminded him.
"Thank you Sir." He told him.
"You're quite welcome. Now go on and find a seat while I help your mother aboard." The driver said as he offered his hand down to Lily who gratefully accepted it. "Step aboard miss." He told her as he helped her up onto the bus while Harry quickly found a seat.
…..
Severus Snape stood on top of the curb while the bus pulled out in front of it and parked. "Look Harry," Lily began softly while she pointed out the window and held her son tightly on the top of her lap. "there he is." She told him as Harry glanced over at the tall man with long dark hair and a pointed noise staring back in at them.
"He looks old and scary." He said.
"I know but he's a friend of mine, and you'll do well to remember your manners." She told him.
"Yes Mummy." Harry responded as she picked him up and carried him off the bus. Harry realized that Severus had been staring at him as if he was a monster that he wanted to destroy. Harry hid his face inside his mother's chest while she turned her attention over to that strange scary man.
"Hullo Severus, you've hardly changed a bit." Lily told him but he remained silent and continued staring at Harry. "Uh, this is my son, Harry." She added as she smiled down at him who peeked up at him before completely hiding his face again. "You'll have to excuse him, he's extremely shy." She explained.
"Curious,.." he began. "the boy has a striking resemblance to his father." He finished.
"You knew my daddy?" Harry asked him bravely as he glanced back up at him. Snape fell silent again and continued staring at him for a moment before he continued on.
"I don't recall you mentioning that in your letter." He said.
"Listen Severus, I know that you're still upset about how James treated you but that's no reason for you to take it out on Harry because he didn't do anything!" she snapped angrily.
"I beg your pardon Lily, I didn't mean to offend you." He told her.
"Yeah, well it's not me that you should be apologizing to! Can't you see the poor child is terrified of you!?" she yelled.
"I see." He began again. "Well in that case, follow me. The train is waiting for us. It will take us to Hogwarts and then I will show you your rooms." He explained.
"Thanks Severus, you don't know how much I appreciate this." She told him as she smiled warmly at him.
"My pleasure." He told her before he waved his cloak and signaled her to follow him.
Harry wasn't sure what he thought about this strange man. All he knew was that so far, Snape wasn't making a very good impression on him. He thoroughly enjoyed the train ride though, and he couldn't wait until he was old enough to go to Hogwarts himself. Later that night Lily read to him and tucked him into his new bed.
"Alright sweetheart, time to go to bed." She told him as she leaned over him and bent down to kiss his forehead.
"Why is that man so mean Mummy?" he asked her. "What did Daddy do to him that made him so mean?" he wondered.
"I'm afraid you're too young to understand, now go to sleep." She told him but Harry quickly shook his head.
"But I'm not. I want to understand now." He told her.
"Well you see darling, when your father was at school he played quite a few thoughtless pranks on him. It wasn't a very nice thing to do, but he changed a lot when he got older." She explained. "Unfortunately Snape didn't and he never forgave him." She told him.
"Maybe he just needs a friend like me then." Harry said as Lily nodded.
"Yes darling, you're probably right. Now go to sleep, I love you." She told him as she planted another kiss on his forehead before turning off the light with a flick of her wand and leaving the room quietly shutting the door behind her. Harry waited until she had left the room before he kicked his covers off of him and crawled down to the edge of the bed. He knelt down on top of his knees while folding his tiny little hands and looked out the window at a bright and shimmering star in the sky.
"Hullo God, it's me again,.. Harry. I was just wondering if it wasn't too much trouble that you could help Mr. Snape. Please help him like me. Mummy always told me that I was a rather bright child for my age, and I know what he really needs more than anything in the world right now is a friend. And also, I'd really like to have a new daddy for my birthday. Yours truly, Harry Potter. Amen." He said while continuing to gaze at the star.
"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I have tonight." He whispered before he crawled back into bed and pulling the covers back over top of him, closed his little eyes and went to sleep.