It's My Life
Harry visited Draco in the hospital wing, finding that Madam Pomfrey fixed him all up and that they were about to leave and return to Slytherin common room, but drop Draco off at Harry's office as it had been agreed on earlier that Harry would meet him there if Draco got out of hospital before his boyfriend came to see him. Harry sent his friends back to their common room and led Draco to his office.
The two spent some time together, cuddled up on Harry's couch in his room and talked lightly until 6:30. Draco admitted he still had some work to get finished up, so he left and told Harry he would try to come back later. Harry was now, at 6:50 pm, sitting down at his desk and grading when he sensed the door opening and looked up when a shadow appeared in his office doorway, finding his father.
"Hi, Dad. Welcome back." Harry greeted. "How'd the meeting go?"
"Same as always, wondering what the dark lord is up to. And thank you." Severus replied. "How were things here?"
"There was an incident earlier, but it's been handled." Harry told him.
"Oh, do tell? One of your lions came to you with a problem?" Severus wondered. It was then that the door opened on the next level down as Harry stood up to check over the railing to see Ron, Dean and Seamus walking in.
"You three should be heading to dinner in the hall." Severus stated.
"No, they're supposed to be here, Father. I told them to." Harry remarked. "Have a seat, you three. I'll be with you in a moment."
"That was your serious and someone is in trouble voice." Severus mentioned. "What happened?"
"You asked if one of my lions came to me with a problem? No, they did not. My lions were the problem." Harry sighed. "It was the snakes who came to me about the incident. They had tried to go to you, but I knew you were out."
"I'm glad they knew to find another teacher to help them. What was the situation? Nothing too bad, I hope." Severus asked.
"Draco got attacked by Ron Weasley outside the library earlier, and his friends brought him to me to report it because he had no intention of doing so himself." Harry informed.
"What?..." Severus stared.
"Draco did nothing wrong, Dad. Ron started with him and Draco only tried to defend himself. Finnegan and Thomas were there too and didn't stop Ron until after he used a dangerous spell on Draco. They all evacuated back to Gryffindor Tower and Draco just went on to the dungeons. His friends made him agree to report it to a teacher. You weren't there, so they came to me as both reporting it to a teacher and informing me my boyfriend was hurt." Harry explained.
"Draco told me what happened, I sent him off to the infirmary while I dealt with those three down there." He continued. "Ron tried to lie his way out and I showed him that he couldn't when I knew how to check the last spells performed by a wand…So all three of them are getting detention tonight, but Ron has two more following it. I'm only punishing Thomas and Finnegan for their decision to not find a teacher. This happened on the third floor, by the library…I was here in my office ever since the last class let out at 4 pm. This occurred around 4:30 and Draco was forced by his friends to come see me at 5:00." Harry told him. "I also took fifty points from the house. Thirty from Ron, twenty from the other two."
"Is Draco alright?" Severus asked.
"He's fine. Madam Pomfrey healed everything." Harry nodded. "Had a bloody nose, some cuts…It wasn't life threatening, but that's not important. He was attacked by a classmate and that isn't okay. So I went with a firm, but fair punishment. I hope I chose enough for the transgressions." He sighed.
"Sounds a little too light if you ask me." The potions master scoffed.
"I didn't want to overdo it and risk someone going to Minerva saying I was being too harsh with the lions over my boyfriend being hurt. I tried to go with fair as a teacher…" Harry told him.
"Well, under that reasoning…Your selection of punishment is fair for what occurred." Severus nodded. "You did good, Harry…Don't beat yourself up over having to punish friends."
"I don't feel bad about it because Ron made it quite clear to Draco that I was not their friend. Meaning me not friends with anyone in Gryffindor. I know that's not true because Neville still sees me as one, and Hermione…Well, I think she's supportive and trying, but perhaps awkward for her. Some just don't care, but others have very clearly shown their dislike of the situation where I'm a teacher and their head of house." Harry revealed.
"After giving those three their punishment, I addressed the entire common room with a statement that if they didn't want to keep our friendships, that was fine. If they wanted to annex me for my choices to succeed, that was okay. But not to forget I was their teacher and head of house, so if that is what they wanted me to be to them, I would be. I said they didn't have to like the situation, but they would respect me. There was more said, but I don't feel like repeating word for word."
"I would have done the very same, son." Severus patted his shoulder. "I'll leave you to their detention, make sure you give Minerva the report and point deduction so she can mark it."
"I will, Dad." Harry nodded. "See you later. Love you."
"Love you too, Harry." Severus kissed the top of his forehead and then walked out of the office, down the stairs. Severus reached the desk Ron was sitting at and bent over slightly. "Don't sulk, Weasley…Be lucky it was Professor Potter who chose your punishment. I'd say three days and a loss of thirty points is pretty light considering the fact you attacked his boyfriend…If it had been me, you'd be getting detention for a full seven days and lost double the points you did for attacking one of my snakes, who also happens to be my godson. Touch him again, and I will personally see to a suspension or perhaps…Expulsion." Severus whispered to Ron, who tensed up, then Severus kept walking. "I'll inform Minerva that you won't be at supper, son. And these three too."
"Thanks, Dad." Harry stated as Severus left the room and Harry stood before the males. "I trust you three understand why you're serving detention and will use this time wisely to think about what you've done. I will have you be writing lines, to ensure the message sinks in about why you're being punished. After that, you may work on assignments from this class or another if you have any. If you do not, I will find something for you to do." Harry said. "Is this understood?"
"Yes, sir," The three replied.
"Wonderful. Now, pull out your quills and ink." Harry instructed as he walked up to their desks and set down two pieces of parchment each. "At the top, you will find the line I want you to copy. Your lines are completed when you reach the end of the two pieces. I expect them to be neat and legible, if you please." He added.
"Yes, Professor…" The boys replied.
"S-Sir?" Dean asked.
"Yes, Mr. Thomas?" Harry turned towards him.
"What about dinner?" Dean inquired.
"I have arranged dinner to be delivered for you, it will arrive at 7:30. And the three of you will find suitable apologies to give to Mr. Malfoy to be given tomorrow after your class with me ends." Harry mentioned.
"Yes, Professor Potter." The three males said together.
"Then you may begin." Harry told them as he turned away and took a seat at his desk in front of them and got started back on his grading of assignments.
. . .
As Harry promised at 7:30, a house elf appeared with dinner plates for all four of them in the classroom and Harry allowed them to stop their lines to eat. Harry worked through eating and when everyone was done, the elf returned to clean up the plates. The three boys got back to their lines, and Dean was done first, bringing it up to Harry, who checked both sheets were filled before nodding and allowing him to go on and get any classwork started. Seamus was next and finally, Ron, by 8:30 pm. Seamus had his work completed, so Harry gave him the task of cleaning the desks and chairs. Dean helped Seamus after he completed his work, and then both got put on just wiping things down. At 9:15 pm, Dean and Seamus had cleaned everything Harry told them to and were now wondering what else.
"You two may go back to the common room. Your detention is over." Harry said. "Don't forget, apology to Mr. Malfoy tomorrow."
"Yes, Professor. Goodnight." The two said.
"Thank you. Goodnight." Harry stated. Dean and Seamus left after collecting their things, now it was just Harry and Ron. At 9:30, though, Ron had put his things away and got up from his seat to leave the classroom. "Where do you think you're going?" Harry asked him calmly without looking up.
"Detentions are only until curfew, and it's almost 10:00." Ron replied.
"I have not dismissed you from detention, sit back down." Harry said firmly. Ron sighed and sat back down, playing with his thumbs as Harry set his quill aside and looked at his former friend. "Have you completed all your work?"
"Yes," Ron answered. "Why can't I go too? I did my work, and there's nothing left for me to do here…It's almost 10 pm, I need time to get back."
"I expect you to serve the punishment I assigned, Mr. Weasley." Harry informed. "The other two were given detention for allowing what you did to happen. Either one could have come down the hall to get me. Or anyone for that matter. And they did not. They served their time and understood what they did was wrong. You have yet to show me you feel remorse for what you did to Mr. Malfoy."
"Oh, cut the formality, Harry!" Ron snapped, standing up again.
"Watch it, Weasley…" Came Severus's voice as Harry saw his father there with Draco beside him. "You will not talk to him that-,"
"Professor Snape," Harry stopped his father. "Let me handle the discipline of my student, please."
"Of course, son. Forgive me." Severus bowed his head.
"I believe, Mr. Weasley, I was clear earlier when I said that I would not tolerate being disrespected any longer. If you're aiming to test me on how much more punishment you can receive…I don't advise you to keep pushing your luck. I promise you I can still take points and add days to the detentions you serve…" Harry reminded. "My friends can call me Harry. My boyfriend and father can call me Harry. The other teachers can call me Harry. If you're not one of those people, you don't have the right to call me by my first name. I made it known earlier that if no one in Gryffindor wants to see that I'm still a friend, then I would only be their teacher. So it's Professor Potter or sir, to you." Ron closed his mouth.
"You're doing this only because Malfoy is your boyfriend. If it were anyone else, you wouldn't care this much." Ron argued. "It's revenge and teachers aren't supposed to take personal vendetta's out on students!"
"This is your final warning to watch yourself and respect me as your teacher and head of house, Mr. Weasley…You're testing my patience and walking on thin ice." Harry said.
"I'm not afraid of you." Ron said.
"That's fine. I don't want you to fear me, I want your respect and I will have it. You respect every other teacher here, I am no different, so you will respect me or you'll face more punishments," Harry told him. "I told you and the rest of Gryffindor this behavior was over. I'm a man of my word, don't think I won't assert my authority, Mr. Weasley. One more disrespectful comment…And not only will I take more points, and assign you more detentions, but I'll issue a probationary ban from the Quidditch team…No games. No practice. No flying. I won't even let you on the pitch." He warned.
"You can't-" Ron started.
"If you push past that, I'll revoke your trips to Hogsmead too." Harry cut him off. "I'll keep punishing you until you get it through your thick head that I am done playing games with you and the rest of Gryffindor. I am done with the behavior. I am done with the disrespect. I have had it. You want to make me out to be the bad guy, then so be it. I'll be the bad guy so you can have a reason to actually hate me. Do not push me. You say I can't? I can and I will if you don't stop, so I would advise you to shut your mouth." Harry remarked.
Ron kept his anger, but did shut his mouth. "Now sit down." Ron sat back down at the desk, his eyes not meeting Harry's any longer. "Would you two please excuse us?" He asked his father and boyfriend. "You can wait up in my office." He added. Harry waited until Severus and Draco were out of the room and the door was closed to his office before he turned his narrowed eyes back on Ron.
"Why are you like this, mate…It's not like you. You say you haven't changed, but you have…" Ron sighed softly.
"I'm doing this because it's my given right to punish students who do wrong. It's my right as a teacher. You attacked a classmate for no reason at all, Ron. Draco wasn't doing anything to you. In fact, he didn't even engage you and you tripped him and proceeded to shove him into a wall, attack him while his back was turned and physically beat on him. Then there was the cutting curse. What is wrong with you?" Harry asked. "You could have seriously hurt him. And yes, he's my boyfriend and I care very much about him…But don't think for a second this punishment is because I want revenge on you for hurting him. This is because you are a student in my house and you broke the rules. No magic in the corridors. No fighting." Ron mumbled.
"I haven't changed, Ron. Not at all. Yes, I'm a teacher…But I make my classes fun. It's still me. I'm punishing you because you broke the rules and it's my job to make sure you understand it was wrong and don't ever do it again. I said it earlier…Only Gryffindor students are ones I've had a problem with and I'm tired of it. I think I'm pretty fair with my students, but you're acting out and behaving like children who don't know right from wrong. I can't have that. So if I have to get harder, firmer, and stricter…I will, but this needs to stop. I will not have you or anyone else in my house smearing our reputation just because none of you can get over the fact I'm a teacher now." Harry replied.
"It's nothing to do with you being a teacher!" Ron glared.
"You're right, it's not to do with me being a teacher. It's just everything to do with me being famous Harry Potter…" Harry remarked. "Isn't it?"
"Least you admit you're basking in your fame…" Ron sneered.
"I admit that I have fame, but I'm certainly not basking in it. I will also add that it is not fame I asked for or ever acknowledged." Harry told him. "The fame was thrust upon me by everyone else because I survived against Voldemort as a baby. What so many people don't seem to remember is that I didn't do anything. I was a year and a half old. I didn't have a wand. I didn't have any extraordinary magical powers. I was just a baby, deeply loved by his parents. Loved enough that his mother put herself between Voldemort and her son. It wasn't anything I did, it was her sacrifice that made his curse rebound and destroy his body. He never died, I didn't defeat him." He explained.
"You defeated him before if not that night and you did live through him actually killing you." Ron stated.
"In case you haven't noticed, Ron, Voldemort is still very much alive. Just because I destroy his body doesn't mean he's gone." Harry told him. "And right now, Voldemort has nothing to do with what you did earlier." He added. "If you are mad that I took a chance on taking my NEWTs early and becoming your teacher…I won't apologize. And if it's jealousy, that's just pathetic." Harry informed. "I thought you got over that after the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament when you understood that I wasn't purposely seeking attention."
"And what do you call this, Harry?! You took your NEWTs at sixteen and passed. Became a teacher. Scored two mastery certificates. Have been granted of-age status as a full wizarding adult. No more trace. No more school. The papers are going mad with your achievements. That's not attention?" Ron argued.
"It's not attention I purposely sought out." Harry told him calmly. "I didn't do it for recognition of my success. I did it because I had a chance to do something I like doing. I didn't even realize how much I loved teaching until the army last year…I wanted to be an Auror before that. Then I understood chasing dark wizards the rest of my life isn't what I wanted after spending these past five years dealing with Voldemort." He continued. "I didn't go into this idea thinking I could do it. It was just an offer given to me and I took a chance. That's all. I didn't do it for attention. I didn't do it for money. I didn't do it to further my fame and I never used fame or fortune to get where I am. What I did was study my ass off for two months and worked hard to get this." Harry revealed.
"We had so much fun with the army, Ron. So much fun…It was you and Hermione who told me I should teach. I got this inspiration from you guys, my best friends in the world…Why is it now that I'm an actual teacher, you're against me and don't support it? I just want to spread the knowledge, give everyone in the school a chance to learn how the army did. Why is that so wrong?"
Ron didn't say anything. "You call me your mate, like I'm your friend…But you told Draco that I wasn't because I walked away. The truth is that I didn't abandon anyone or walk away. Yes, I'm a teacher, but I've tried to maintain friendships too. It's you all who don't see a way for it to be both. I maintained my relationship with Draco. With all my friends in Slytherin, with Luna and Neville…It can be done, there's just…Proper time and place, Ron. You did this with the tournament. You did it when I started dating Draco. You're doing it now when I've become a teacher." Harry told him.
"I'm not the one leaving your life…You're the one who walks out or pushes me away. And I don't get angry or upset…I wait idly by until you've decided you've been an idiot and you come crawling back. And I let you because you were my first friend, Ron. I don't want to lose that friendship. But you also need to understand that because I'm a teacher…I have to stand by my job and punish you when you do wrong." Harry informed.
"I haven't changed, Ron…You have. And I still love you like a brother. I care about you and I'm being hard on you because I know you're better than this. But it's your choice…You choose what you want to do. I'll always be right here if you decide to come back."
Harry sighed after a moment of silence. "I still expect you for detention tomorrow and Friday night, same time. And you will apologize to Draco tomorrow before leaving my class…" Harry stated. "You're free to go tonight…" Ron left the room quietly as Harry collected his things from the classroom desk and went up to his office where Severus and Draco were sitting in the chairs in front of his other desk.
"Harry…Are you alright?" Draco asked lightly.
"Not really." Harry admitted.
"What do you need, son?" Severus inquired.
"Some time with you guys and a stiff drink." Harry plopped down in his chair dramatically.
The other two just laughed a bit, and then Harry joined in with them. Harry just wanted the rest of his night to relax.