Previously in To Have A Home:
Severus explained what had happened to Draco, as well as how he had defended the Boy Who Lived in his absence, earning him detention. The man refrained from telling Harry about the conversation they had, in which his godson confessed his desire to befriend the Gryffindor; as well as the fact that he had been the only one to receive a letter, knowing that the teen needed more time to process his emotions.
It was in the silence that followed that a realization occurred.
Severus Snape and Harry Potter were two sides of the same coin.
The atmosphere of Hogwarts had been filled with constant confusion and tension over the past two months. Confusion, because Harry Potter was still nowhere to be found; and tension, because of the overbearing and intimidating presence of one Dolores Jane Umbridge. For one platinum haired teen, the months seemed to last an eternity.
It was the morning of October 31st, and from the moment he woke up, Severus knew that the day was not going to be a good one. It wasn't just his own emotions that he was worried about, but the emotions of the still unstable Gryffindor that he had come to care for, as well as the mental state of his godson. It took all of his will in order to drag himself out of his bed on the day that was an annual reminder of his failures.
Entering the Great Hall for breakfast, Severus immediately noticed the distance between Granger and the youngest male Weasley. It was clear that the two were in the midst of an argument based on their occasional angry glances toward each-other. Unsurprisingly, the Weasley twins had their heads down, seemingly scheming about their next prank. Though unbeknownst to Severus, the identical students were planning on visiting Harry later in the day, having tracked his location using the Marauder's Map.
Breakfast was a quiet affair. Severus kept his eye on Draco, taking notice of the fact that he also sat further away from his housemates. The overall morale within his house seemed somehow off over the course of the first two months of the school year. Severus heard the gossiping in the halls outside of his classroom, his ears picking up conversations that centered around the topic of the Boy Who Lived. It irked him to no end that the rumor mill of Hogwarts was so unforgiving.
Draco glanced down at his hand, the scars having faded ever so slightly, before shaking his head. Severus made a mental note to speak with his godson at some point in the day. Finishing his breakfast, he exited the Great Hall, stopping by the hospital wing to check on Harry. Over the last two months, Severus had been delivering school work and teaching Harry after dinner in order to keep him from falling behind. The two had developed a type of rapport after their similar upbringing came to light.
Severus sighed, knowing that today was the day that Harry would no doubt slip even deeper into his depression. He gave Madame Pomfrey explicit instructions to keep a close eye on the boy, due to the history of the day's events. Quietly he opened the door to the small room, peeking in to see his student still asleep. It was slightly concerning to Severus how often Harry would sleep, despite knowing that depression could manifest itself as physical fatigue.
Now that he knew that the boy was resting comfortably, the man prepared himself for his least favorite class. He still had no idea why Gryffindors and Slytherins were always paired up for potions. If the tension in the air within his own house was anything to go by, Severus couldn't imagine what the temperament would be like when the two houses combined. He could already feel a headache coming on.
He took a breath before making his entrance into his classroom, always wanting to intimidate his students. With a flick of his wand, directions were written on the board for the day's lesson.
"Today's potion is the Draught of Peace. It is crucial that you all follow the instructions very carefully. If brewed correctly, it is used as a relief to anxiety and agitation. Should you make a mistake in the brewing process, it can have dire consequences, such as placing the drinker into a deep and sometimes irreversible sleep." He took a moment to stare at each student, making sure that they all understood the gravity of the consequences.
Satisfied that the class was intimidated, he allowed them to begin and took his seat behind his desk. The room was quiet, save for the bubbling of cauldrons and the sounds of ingredients being chopped.
He watched his students closely, specifically Neville Longbottom, who was known to botch any potion he attempted to brew. Oddly, Longbottom looked somewhat confident while brewing this potion. Curious… Severus thought.
He basked in the ambience and soothing sounds of a peaceful potions class, something he hadn't anticipated due to the mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins. Though Severus welcomed the calmness, he was still on high alert. However, the class surprisingly had no hiccups whatsoever, which served to perplex the Professor. Even Neville had managed to brew a near perfect Draught of Peace.
Furrowing his eyebrow, Severus dismissed the class; all except Longbottom, whom he called to his desk. An expression of fear crossed the young boy's face as he crept toward the front of the classroom. After the final student exited, the man turned his attention to the Gryffindor in front of him.
"Mr. Longbottom," Severus began, his deep voice reverberating throughout the now mostly empty room.
"During class today, you seemed very confident while brewing this particular potion." He let his statement sink in for a moment.
"Um… Yes Sir," Neville stammered out, anxiety creeping into his voice. "I- I have uh… experience with this potion…" He added in barely a whisper.
Severus schooled his features, though he was a bit shocked. Over the course of the last 5 years, he had bore witness to many of Neville's botched potions, some of which landed the boy in the hospital wing. But now, this particular potion seemed to come naturally to his student. He was about to ask for elaboration when Neville continued to speak, further shocking the man.
"My um… My grandmother would often brew this for me. I have really severe anxiety." He started. "After my parents-" He cut himself off, as if he forced himself not to mention the tragedy that befell Frank and Alice Longbottom. "I had nightmares, and would panic." The boy's eyes shifted to the floor, obviously worried that he had said something wrong.
Severus stared at his student. This was the first time the boy had spoken to him, and the longest conversation they ever had.
"Yes, it showed in your work today." Severus almost smirked at the surprised look on Longbottom's face when he was praised by his most hated Professor.
"Oh… Thank you, Sir."
Nodding in response, Snape clasped his hands together on top of his desk. He had to be careful about how he continued this conversation.
"You are close friends with Potter, are you not?"
At the mention of the missing boy, Neville's head shot up.
"Yes, Sir. I have been very worried about his absence. Do you know if he is alright?"
Taking a breath, Severus placed a privacy charm on the classroom.
"He is currently not in a condition to attend classes. As you have extensive experience with anxiety, I felt it was prudent to request that you speak with him." Severus paused, not wanting to give too much away.
Neville nodded in response, concern showing in his eyes for his friend. He had felt awful as he watched the rest of Harry's friends abandon him at the conclusion of their fourth year. He had never been one to believe the rumors that floated around the school, and had become increasingly worried for the Boy-Who-Lived.
The boy was snapped out of his thoughts by Snape's low voice.
"You will report back here after dinner tonight, at which point I will bring you to Harry. Do not divulge any information from this conversation to anyone else. Are we clear?" Snape's tone turned dark, cementing the severity of the situation.
"Crystal clear. Thank you sir." With that, Neville picked up his bag and started towards the door, but he froze in his tracks at the Professor's next words.
"Mr. Longbottom, 20 points to Gryffindor… for brewing a nearly perfect Draught of Peace… and for being a supportive friend."
A few hours later…
The hospital wing was fairly quiet throughout the day, with only the occasional conversation between Madame Pomfrey and students that required medical attention. Harry felt as though he was locked up in Azkaban, having been sequestered to the small private room since he arrived. When left alone, the boy took to pacing the area, like a caged animal. His wand had been temporarily confiscated, with the exception of when he was required to use it during his lessons with Snape. However, directly following each lesson, without fail, the stern man would take his wand.
Harry had been so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the door to the room opening. He didn't look up at the new presence, assuming it was Snape coming early for his daily post-dinner lesson. But to his shock, a familiar pair of voices sounded from across the room.
"Merlin Harry-"
"It's so good to see you-"
"You had us scared to death, mate-"
"Are you alright?"
The rapid fire speech caused Harry's head to snap up. There in the doorway were the Weasley twins. His mouth moved, but no sound came out, as he was too stunned to speak. Fred carefully stepped closer, almost as if he were hesitant to approach the other teen. A split second later, George followed suit. With a flick of his wand, Fred conjured another chair and the two Weasleys sat down next to the bed.
"Before you say anything, we want you to know that we think that everything that has been said about you is an absolute load of bollocks." George said, his voice serious.
"And we want you to know that we would never abandon you. You're our brother."
Tears pricked at the edges of Harry's eyes at the gingers' declaration. After being shunned by almost the entire Weasley clan, the family that took him in and treated him as one of their own, Harry felt completely alone and unwanted; more so than he ever felt at the Dursleys. Prior to meeting the large family, he had never experienced maternal love and sibling relationships, and now he mourned the loss of his short-lived happiness.
The bespectacled boy still couldn't find the words to convey his thoughts, which didn't seem like a problem to the two identical teens. They shared a glance towards each other before surrounding Harry in a near-crushing bear hug. The embrace brought more tears from his eyes and triggered a tremble throughout his body.
"No matter what, we will be here for you. Don't listen to Ron or Hermione, or anyone else that doesn't believe you. We believe you about You-Know-Who." Fred stated, looking Harry directly in the eyes.
"Yeah mate. If you want, we can put a little surprise under Ronnie's pillow tonight to teach him a lesson."
Harry pondered this offer for a moment before shaking his head in the negative. He was devastated about the loss of friendship between himself and Ron, but he just didn't have it in him to intentionally hurt his ex-best friend. His shoulders slumped and his eyes were glued to the bed sheets that covered his legs.
"H-how did you know I was here?" He asked softly, wincing at the sound of his voice, which was rusty from disuse.
"We still have the map."
"We saw your name in the corner of the Hospital Wing-"
"Along with Snape-"
"-and kind of put two and two together."
Of course, Harry thought.
A knock at the door caused the three males to startle. When the door opened, revealing Professor Snape and Neville, the young Potter's eyes widened considerably. Just like the twins had done, Neville approached the bed, understanding eyes resting on the other Gryffindor's face.
"Oh Harry, it's so good to see you. I was so worried about you."
"Misters Weasley," the Professor started, "While I do not know how you managed it, I must say that I am not surprised to see you here." He said, eyeing the two gingers who still wore slightly guilty expressions.
"We are here in support of Harry, sir-"
"Please don't make us leave-"
"We would never abandon him-"
"He's our brother'"
"Silence." Came the stern voice of the older man.
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath in order to center himself in preparation for the following conversation.
"I am not here to make you leave. In fact, quite the opposite. Both you two and Mr. Longbottom are welcome to stay here for a little while, if and only if, it is alright with Harry." He looked at said student, silently asking his opinion on the matter. Receiving a nod in response, Severus returned his gaze to the other teens. "You three will be allowed to stay for an hour, at which time you will return to your common room. Do not breathe a word about this to anyone. Am I understood?" Severus asked, a bit of a growl lacing his question.
Severus felt satisfied after seeing the determined nods from his students. Even after only a mere 5 minutes, he could already see a miniscule difference in Harry's demeanor. Just knowing that he wasn't completely abandoned by his friends was a step in the right direction.
With this, he took his leave of the small room in order to give the students their privacy. He planned on having a very difficult conversation with Harry later about the significant event that occurred fifteen years prior. While he wasn't looking forward to it, Severus knew it was important to speak about the topic, and not leave his student's feelings and emotions to fester.
Back in the room, The twins gave updates on Quidditch, school announcements, and random events that Harry had missed. The three visitors all had nothing but negative things to say about their new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor. They spent about 45 minutes complaining about Umbridge's teaching methods, her ideology about Muggleborns, and her overall personality.
"She's worse than Snape." Neville admitted.
"Agreed. She won't even let us use our wands. How are we supposed to learn Defense if we can't use our wands?" George asked incredulously.
"Anyway, how are you doing Harry?" Neville asked.
What a loaded question. Harry thought. He wasn't sure how much information he felt comfortable divulging to his friends. He didn't know if he was ready to speak out loud about the events that led him to being stuck in this room.
Almost as if he could sense the inner turmoil of his friend, Neville placed a gentle hand on the distressed boy's blanket covered leg.
"You don't have to tell us anything that you aren't comfortable with. We'll be here for you regardless. If you want us to sit here in silence, then we'll sit here in silence." He said, giving Harry a comforting pat.
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. It had been a long time since he felt supported by his friends, and he didn't know how to express his gratitude. He decided to take Neville up on his offer, perfectly fine with sitting quietly, surrounded by the people who believed him.
Too soon, the allotted visiting time came to an end. The three teens reluctantly bid their friend farewell before departing for the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't long before Severus re-entered the small room with a small pile of books in his hands. He set them on the bedside table and took a seat beside his student.
"We have something important to discuss, so we will be having a conversation instead of your normal lesson." He said, causing Harry to look up in confusion.
"I am sure you are aware of today's date." Severus began carefully, wanting to gauge Harry's reaction.
Unsurprisingly, said student's shoulders immediately slumped at the mention of the tragedy. Severus knew this conversation was going to be an arduous task for both of them. The two males shared the fact that October 31st was the annual reminder of their grief. For one, the loss of parents he never got the chance to know, and for the other, the loss of an unrequited love and the guilt of a fulfilled prophecy.
"Do we have to talk about this?" Harry murmured, a forlorn expression painting his features.
"Unfortunately, I believe it is in… both… of our best interests to have this long overdue discussion." Snape replied.
With a resigned sigh, Harry nodded, urging Severus to begin the conversation.
"I know you were too young to remember them. And due to your… relatives…" He cringed at the word, "You never learned about them. You probably are well aware by now that you are almost a carbon copy of your father," He paused. "But with your mother's eyes." Severus watched Harry, wishing to know what he was thinking.
"Hagrid gave me a photo album at the end of first year. It was filled with pictures of them." He said softly.
"I know. Some of the photos in that album of your mother were taken by me during our years at Hogwarts." Surprised green eyes locked on the older man at the admission.
"Obviously I was not close with your father," Severus continued, trying his best not to sneer at the mention of his childhood bully. "But as I told you a few months ago, your mother and I grew up together in Spinner's End. We spent a lot of time taking photos of each-other with a disposable camera that she had received for Christmas."
Severus reached over to the pile of books on the bedside table and handed the top book to his student. He watched silently as Harry hesitantly flipped through the worn book, the boy's eyes beginning to sparkle with unshed tears. Each page was filled with photos, both still and magically animated, of a young Lily Evans. Her vibrant red hair and green eyes stood out prominently in every photograph. One particular animated photo depicted the young girl running through a field of flowers, the wind blowing through her hair, a wide smile on her face, not a care in the world.
For a moment, Harry felt a pang of jealousy. He wished he could have felt the childhood wonder, happiness and freedom represented in the picture before him. Over the last few months since the incident, the young Gryffindor had been left to think about everything he had gone through in his short life. From the way he was mistreated by the people who took him in after becoming an orphan, to the negligence of the Headmaster who looked the other way when confronted with the results of his meddling.
Clearing his throat past the lump that had formed, Harry spoke.
"Will you tell me about her?"
With a single nod, Severus began telling stories about his childhood best friend. The teen in front of him hung on every word that left his mouth, taking in every bit of information about the woman whose loss profoundly impacted them both. He reminisced about the pranks they would pull on Petunia, the days when they would do nothing but lay in a field and point out shapes in the clouds that passed overhead, and other smaller anecdotes about childhood. By the end of his monologue, both men seemed to be emotionally drained from the conversation.
Looking at the clock, Severus sighed and stood up from his chair.
"It is getting late. I will leave these books here for you to go through. Please take good care of them. There is a journal there that belonged to your mother. She would write in it every day. It has a bit more information about your father. Do not stay awake too late. The books will still be here tomorrow."
With this, Severus walked to the door. Before he could turn the knob, a small, emotion-filled voice made him stop.
"Thank you, Professor. For everything. Good night."
He allowed a small smile to appear on his face for a moment.
"Good night, Harry."