DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER
The day was Thursday and Amelia had just gotten back from work. It had been a rather frustrating day, with Crouch ranting about how Amelia should have brought the issue to him directly and how she could have been suspected to be a You-Know-Who sympathizer and to have been holding Harry hostage, and Lucius Malfoy taunting Arthur Weasley while the latter had been speaking to her.
However, Harry and Susan had had a good time with their Uncle Remus.
He had managed to set up a mini hoop and teach Harry and Susan a little more about quidditch. Harry had managed to throw a football in a couple of times. Of course, Remus had decided that they would eventually switch to using a quaffle, but a football was good for starters.
Amelia had just gotten back and Remus had just gone back to his home. She had had to work out something and after finishing it quickly, had left her ink bottle on the coffee table. It was almost empty.
Harry, who was looking for his Mummy, stepped into the living room and saw some kind of bottle on the table, which had some dark blue thing inside it.
At the Dursleys, Harry had gotten scolded badly if he had tried to touch things such as pens that belonged to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, although the same had not happened to Dudley. And of course, if he had handled glass or china or porcelain dishes and broken them, the same thing had happened. And of course, he knew that glass was not to be played with, not to mention that Aunt Petunia had forbidden him from touching glass objects minus dishes. But seeing this bottle made him curious, and his curiosity overcame him.
He moved closer and picked up the bottle with his tiny hands. Of course, with the coffee table being low enough, he had no problem with reaching it, especially since the bottle was towards the edge.
He held the bottle in his hands and turned it upside down. His eyes widened with amazement as he watched the dark blue thing flow down and collect in the cap. He then slowly held the bottle sideways, his fingers on the bottom and one of the sides.
Just then, Amelia entered the living room and saw Harry holding the ink bottle that she had left on the coffee table and it looked like Harry was going to drop it or throw it.
She said warningly, "Harry no."
Harry was startled and looked up. Unfortunately, he also threw the glass bottle away from him. It fell on the floor and broke into pieces and they got scattered across the wooden floor, most of it behind the couch opposite to the fireplace, between Harry and the front door, and between him and Amelia.
The ink got scattered across the floor, and a few drops fell on his socks.
Amelia stared in horror at the scene. Instantly, she yelled, "HARRY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Harry, frightened by the tone of his Mummy's voice, began to cry.
Amelia looked at the mess and said sternly, "Stay where you are. Don't move."
With that, she left the living room.
Harry was frightened. He had done it. He had broken something. Would his Mummy now cruelly punish him like Aunt Petunia had?
A few moments later, Amelia entered the room with a cloth and set to work, using it to collect all the glass shards and the ink. She picked up a few small pieces of glass that had fallen on his socks. After she had finished, she wrapped up the shards carefully and kept the cloth on the coffee table, making sure to adjust it in the middle.
She then pulled him to the side of the living room in front of the sofa and gave him a light smack on his cheek, raising her voice and saying, "What were you doing? Don't you know that it is dangerous to play with glass? You were holding that ink bottle so carelessly and now you have dropped it and broken it!"
Harry continued to cry.
Amelia continued, "I'm not going to hurt you like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia did, but you need to understand that you do not play with things made out of glass. And you do not touch others' things without asking. First of all, glass is not a toy. If it falls, it will break and if it breaks into pieces and you step on them, you will get hurt!"
She pulled Harry and went upstairs. Taking out one of the small stools in the playroom where Susan was coloring something, she went into her own bedroom. Placing the stool in a corner, she made Harry sit on it and sternly said, "I am going to give you a time out. You will sit on that stool facing the wall for five minutes and you will think about what you have done. Do you hear me?"
Harry nodded sadly, tears still in his eyes.
Amelia kept an eye on the clock in her bedroom and moved in and out to make sure that Harry and Susan were in her proximity.
Five minutes later, Harry was still crying in his corner.
Just then, he felt himself being lifted up and placed onto the bed by soft comforting hands, which then proceeded to wipe his tears.
Harry looked up and saw his Mummy.
Amelia, who was wiping away Harry's tears, was sitting in front of him.
After a few moments, she said, "Baby, do you remember why I gave you a time out?"
Harry cried out, sniffling through his tears, "Because I took the glass and broke it and I'm not supposed to. I'm sorry!"
Amelia clasped Harry's hands and wiped his tears saying, "It's good that you're sorry about it, but you need to remember that you must not play with things made of glass. That glass bottle had ink in it, and you were holding it very carelessly. First of all, you should not touch others' things without asking them. And glass bottles can break if you drop them. There were so many glass pieces on the floor. You could have stepped on them, I could have stepped on them, or Susan could have stepped on them, and then we'd get hurt. Do you want that? No right? That's why you have to be careful when you hold glass. It is not a toy and you should always hold it very carefully, not like how you were holding that bottle."
Harry looked up at Amelia.
Amelia then lowered her voice and said, "Harry, if Aunt Petunia had scolded Dudley, would he have hit you? No. But she never scolded him when she should have."
Harry nodded sadly.
Amelia continued, "Harry, I know you feel sad that I scolded you, but I need to point it out when you make a mistake."
"I'm sorry Mummy," Harry said softly.
Amelia said, "Perhaps I should have been a little more patient this time. I'm sorry I wasn't. After all, your aunt and uncle surely would not have explained things the way they should have. But you also need to watch out and be careful about these things. You will be more careful with glass and not break it again like that, right?"
Harry nodded and said, "Yes."
Amelia extended her arms and said, "Come."
Harry moved into her arms, crying as she embraced him. She held him and rocked him side to side whispering, "You're a good boy. You're my lovely child, and I won't ever hurt you. Baby, don't cry, I've got you, Mummy's got you. Mummy loves you, Mummy loves you very much."
After a few minutes, Harry calmed down and wrapped his arms around her neck.
Amelia lovingly sniffed his cheek and kissed it before looking straight into Harry's eyes. He moved towards her and kissed her. She kissed him back.
She then carried him down to the living room and pointing her wand at the pile of glass shards, she said, "Reparo." Instantly, the pieces arranged themselves and the glass bottle stood there on the table, intact, but empty.
Amelia then proceeded to pull Harry's socks off and take a look at them. Luckily, there were only a few tiny ink spots. They could be washed off.
A few minutes later, Susan who was in the playroom saw hers and Harry's Mummy coming in with Harry in her arms. Setting him down, Amelia said, "Now, how about we all play a game of chutes and ladders? Just Mummy and her babies."
And then, she noticed Susan looking very cross, cute for her age, given her innocence as a small child.
Susan spoke, "Mummy, you mean to Harry!"
Amelia spoke, "Susan, I was not being mean to Harry. I just gave him a time out for playing with glass and breaking it which he was not supposed to do. Even you've got scolded for playing with glass and breaking it."
Susan went on, "No, you mean fox!"
Amelia suddenly stood up and gasping, she glared at Susan and said, "Susan, did you just call me a mean fox?!"
Susan nodded.
Amelia 'thundered', "Do you know what you just said, my little bunny? You and Harry are my baby little bunnies, and now do you know what you just said?"
Susan replied, "Foxes eat bunnies! That's mean!"
Amelia declared, "Yes, and that means I am going to eat you up!"
Saying so, she pointed her fingers towards Susan even as the small girl screamed and ran out of the playroom. Amelia ran after her and caught her near her bedroom. Kneeling down, she said, "Now this mean fox will eat this cute little bunny up! Mummy will eat you up!"
Saying so, she moved her face closer to Susan's tummy and pretended to eat her, causing her to squeal, squirm and laugh.
Just then, she heard a cry, "Mummy no!"
She turned around to see Harry who had cried out.
Amelia placed Susan down and stood up. She whirled her head around as she turned towards Harry, causing her hair to fly. Adjusting her hair afterwards, she glared at Harry saying, "Hmm, now I am going to eat you for dessert you little one!"
She pointed her fingers towards him and began to advance 'menacingly' towards him.
Harry screamed and began to run away from her, rushing towards the stairs.
Amelia suddenly realized that he would fall and called out, "Harry, don't run down the stairs." But it was too late.
Harry who by this time was halfway down the stairs looked back but unfortunately, he missed a step and he fell down the rest of the way, hitting the ground on his side.
Luckily, he had only fallen down a few steps, but he had also hit his head against the ground.
Harry burst into tears as he lay there in pain. Amelia came rushing down the stairs, calling out, "Oh my poor baby! I'm coming!"
Susan followed her.
As soon as Amelia reached Harry, she knelt down and slowly picked him up. She carried him into the living room and sat on the sofa opposite to the fireplace, massaging his side as she did so.
Taking off his glasses and keeping them on the coffee table, she placed him on her lap and checked to see where it was hurting. Luckily, nothing seemed to be broken, but there was a bump on Harry's head. Amelia gently massaged it and kissed it several times even as she spoke words of comfort to him.
A few minutes later, Harry was just sniffing.
Amelia asked, "Harry is your side still hurting? Better now?"
Harry moved his hand towards the bump on his head.
"Oh my baby," Amelia spoke, "is it still paining there? Oh my darling baby, I've got you, don't cry my baby, Mummy's here."
By this time, Susan had joined them and was sitting on Amelia's left side, rubbing Harry's right side.
Amelia placed Harry on the sofa and went into the kitchen. A few moments later, she reentered the living room with a small ice pack from the refrigerator and pressed it to the bump.
A few minutes later, Harry was calm and was now hugging his Mummy. Amelia took off the ice pack and asked, "Harry is it paining?"
Harry replied, "No."
Amelia asked, "Is it paining anywhere else here?" moving her hands down Harry's sides. Harry winced slightly as she rubbed his right side, but there was no sharp cry of pain.
Because he had only fallen down a few steps, no bones were broken.
Amelia hugged Harry and said, "Baby, you should be careful while coming down the stairs. Don't run down the stairs. Always be careful, okay?"
Harry said, "Okay".
Amelia smiled and kissed Harry's bump. Susan leaned forward and kissed Harry's cheek.
Just then, Amelia heard the doorbell ring.
She went and opened the door, with Harry and Susan following her, and was not happy to see the person standing on her porch.
It was none other than the man in black who had been mean, Severus Snape.
"Snape?! What do you want?" Amelia angrily demanded.
And then, she noticed something about him.
Instead of the stern and disgusted looks that Snape had sported during his previous visit, there was sorrow and regret written all over his face.
Snape said gravely, "I understand your anger towards me. I was wrong to do what I did the last time. I had no right to do that. I want to apologize to Harry Potter for what I did. I beg you to allow me to do so."
Amelia looked at him suspiciously and asked, "How can I trust that you're not trying to lure my children into a trap?"
Snape replied, "I swear that I have not come here to harm your children. If I ever try to speak cruelly to them or some such thing, you may cast the Cruciatus curse on me."
Amelia looked at him for a few moments and said, "I will not stoop to such a level, but alright. You may come in, but I'll be watching you like a hawk. Remember what I said last time."
With that, she allowed Snape to enter.
Harry whimpered upon seeing him enter and hid behind his Mummy's legs, pulling Susan close to him.
Snape knelt down to their level and spoke, "Children, please come out. I promise I won't be mean to you like last time."
Harry remained rooted to the spot.
Amelia knelt down to his level and holding him, she said, "Harry sweetie, he won't be mean to you. Its okay, don't worry, I'm here."
Snape said, "I am very sorry for the way I acted towards you yesterday. As an adult, and as a teacher, it was unbecoming of me."
Harry stared at him, unsure of whether to move or not.
Snape looked at Harry and said, "Harry, I am very sorry for what I said to you that day. It was cruel of me, and I was no better than your aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon. They were wrong to be mean to you, and just like that, I was wrong to be mean to you. I want to make it up with you. Once again, I am very sorry for being mean to you. I am very sorry for what I said. I hope you can forgive me."
With that, he held out his hands.
Harry softly said, "I didn't make Mama die."
Snape replied, "No, I was cruel to say such a thing to you. You didn't make your Mama die. She loved you very much. Your Daddy was not a very good friend of mine, but he was a good man, and he loved you very much. But I was cruel to say what I said. I understand if you hate me."
With that, he went silent, hoping that Harry would forgive him.
And then, to his intense surprise, he felt a pair of hands on his own and the next moment, he was being hugged by the small child, none other than Lily's child.
And then, he found himself hugging Harry back.
As he did so, he couldn't help feeling his heart melt.
Harry, Lily's child, a small child, had forgiven him.
It felt as if Lily herself had forgiven him.
And soon, Snape was sitting on the sofa opposite to the fireplace, with an album containing pictures mostly of himself and Lily, with Harry and Susan sitting on either side of him comfortably, telling them stories about Harry's mother.
"And, Aunt Petunia went on yelling, and your Mama was getting very upset, and I was feeling angry." Snape explained during one such story. "And suddenly, the water in the lake rose up and Aunt Petunia got drenched. Oh no, Aunt Petunia, your clothes became all wet! Ha!"
Harry and Susan giggled at the way Snape described it.
And nearby, there stood Amelia, smiling.
NOTE: I've had to tweak a few chapters here and there. Sorry for the inconvenience. And thank you all for your reviews.