AN: So, the last time I posted a chapter for this was in December :| Sorry. I fully understand if nobody waited, (I probably wouldn't have waited either)
But I haven't forgotten about this at all. In fact, this fic, and part 1, have pretty much been living rent free in my head for the last 5ish months.
I kind of remodeled As Potter is to Snape.
Basically, I had a random thought about what if there was a school and Hades was a teacher and ended up somehow taking in Hercules. Which lead to this whole new thing where these characters who are very loosely based off the greek gods and goddesses, show up in this very modern, boarding school setting. Names have all been changed, and maybe it's really really dumb, but it was super fun and if you want to read it, it's on wattpad.
It's called Strength of Heart by Cee Geneau.
Anyway, onwards!
PS: I know this is super short, but I'm trying to ease myself back into it lol
Chapter 5
The early morning sun was just beginning to shine through Snape's bedroom window at the little cottage by the sea. The warmth of it gently coaxed him awake as it fell across his face.
Though Snape hadn't felt this relaxed in quite a while as he lay on his stomach, with his hands beneath the pillow, lingering between awake and asleep, something was wrong.
In an instant, Snape had his fingers wrapped around his wand and he was sitting up in bed, a spell on the tip of his tongue.
It was however, at that moment, that instead of a dark wizard or some other dangerous being, Snape was faced with the warm breath and scraggly, grey fur of a dog.
"What in Merlin's name–"
Rook took that for the only invitation he needed to pounce on the bed and smother Snape, the fearsome bat of the dungeons, with slobbery dog kisses.
"Get off you mutt!" Snape yelled as he tried in vain to push off the dog. "Get off of me! Harry James!"
Barely a moment later Snape heard Harry's bedroom door open, just before he tore down the hallway and ran into Snape's room.
"Rook!" Harry exclaimed, immediately reaching out to pull the dog off the bed. "Rook, no! You have to get down! Leave him alone!"
"Rook?!" Snape cried, finally succeeding in untangling himself from both the dog and his bedsheets, which were now covered in slobber and mud. "You know this beast?"
Harry kept a firm hold on Rook, crouching down and checking him over, as if making sure that Snape hadn't done anything to him.
"Harry," Snape said again, standing up and crossing his arms over the sleeveless t shirt he had worn to bed. "Where did this dog come from, young man?"
Harry stood up as well, though he kept his gaze down and away from Snape. "I found him at the beach yesterday," he murmured.
"And you just thought you'd bring him here?"
Finally, Harry looked up. "He doesn't have anyone else, Dad! He needs me."
At this, Rook once more began to excitedly bounce around Harry, his tail wagging happily at the attention.
Snape groaned. "You have to take him back."
"What?!" Harry reached out to take hold of Rook, as if just by holding on to him he could keep Snape from sending him away. "No. He's mine! I found him."
"Harry–"
"I'm not just going to abandon him, Dad," Harry exclaimed, storming out of the bedroom and into the living room.
Snape followed after him. "And where do you think you're going?"
Harry whirled back around to face Snape. "I'm going to go buy him some food."
"You are not going to take one step out of this house."
Harry sent a heated glare towards Snape before turning and moving again towards the door.
"Harry," Snape said, his voice rising just enough to cause Harry to pause, his hand nearly on the doorknob. "Turn back around, and sit down. We are going to both take a breath so that we can talk about this calmly and rationally, but first of all, it is far too early in the morning for you to be going anywhere, especially when you're not even dressed properly yet."
Harry glanced down at his t-shirt and pajama pants. He didn't even have shoes on yet.
The beginnings of embarrassment were settling in and he could feel his cheeks burning with shame.
After a tense few seconds, he let go of the door and turned around before stomping towards the couch with a huff.
Snape was certain that in the almost year that Harry had been with him, they had never had something escalate so quickly. Especially not to the point that Harry would intend to walk out.
He took a moment to get his own self back under control before walking to the chair and sitting down across from Harry.
"Tell me about this dog," he said calmly. "You found him on the beach?"
Harry only gave a slight nod and kept his face turned away.
Snape sighed, running a hand down his face, scratching a bit at the scruff along his jaw that he hadn't had the chance to shave yet. "Did you look for its owners?"
"I went up and down the beach but I never found anyone looking for him," Harry said, now letting his head drop back against the couch, while looking at Snape from the side. He gestured to Rook, who was contentedly sitting next to Harry's legs. "Look at him though. Does he look like a dog who has people who care about him? He's all alone."
Snape took in the dog. His fur was matted and he looked as if he hadn't had any food in weeks. He also didn't have a collar.
"Alright," he said finally, "I understand all that, I really do, but that doesn't mean you can keep him. Where would he live? Who would take care of him?"
"I would!" Harry insisted. "I promise I will. I'd feed him, and take him out, and everything."
Snape was determined to get through this conversation without causing Harry to be any more frustrated than he already was. "What about during school? Who would he stay with then? There are school rules, Harry, and students are not permitted dogs."
That didn't seem to be something that Harry had considered yet and Snape watched as his brows furrowed while he thought it over.
"Hagrid? He already has Fang."
"That's just it, though; Hagrid already has a dog, plus everything else he takes care of. He doesn't have time to look after this one, too?"
"Why can't he just stay in our quarters in the dungeons?" Harry pleaded. "I promise I'd come down every day and take him for walks and feed him."
"Because it's a school and there are rules," Snape said, getting exasperated himself. "You can have either a cat, a toad, or an owl. This dog is neither of those things."
"His name is Rook," Harry snapped. "And I know that, but couldn't you just ask? Just ask Grandma Minnie if it would be okay for you to keep him."
"Harry."
"Please, Dad. He needs me."
Snape let out a long sigh, during which he looked between the hopeless looks of both the dog and Harry. He tried to imagine how Harry must be feeling towards the animal. As if perhaps he was the one person in the world that someone else had to lean on. He imagined it must feel quite good for Harry to have someone put their trust in him like that.
Like Harry had done for Snape.
Finally, he said, "Fine, if he means that much to you, I'll see what I can do–"
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.
"But," Snape interrupted sternly, "I make no promises. If she says no, then I will not attempt to change her mind and neither will you."
Harry nodded. "Alright, but she'll say yes."
"I am not cleaning up after him, I'm not feeding him, and I am most certainly not taking him for walks. You will come down every morning before classes and take care of him, and then each night you will as well. Understood?"
Another nod. "I promise. Thank you!" Harry leapt up and quickly hugged Snape before turning back to Rook.
Snape shook his head. Then he pointed his wand at the dog and muttered a cleaning spell, which took Harry and Rook both by surprise. When it was finished, Rook's fur was tangle free and shiny.
"Wicked," Harry said with a smile.
"After breakfast, we'll go into town and get some supplies."
And after breakfast, they did just that.
Snape, who so far hadn't even talked to Minerva about the dog yet, had somehow spent a small fortune on dog food, toys, water and food dishes, a collar and leash, a dog bed, and likely a few things that were completely unnecessary but that Harry had put in the cart anyway.
And Snape found that he hadn't actually minded all that much.
Rook followed Harry around like, well, like a lost puppy, and Harry loved the attention.
When they got back to the cottage, Harry set up everything in the kitchen except for the bed, which he put in his bedroom. Then they spent the next hour after lunch playing with the new toys, before running down to the beach to spend the rest of the afternoon.
When Snape declared that Rook was absolutely not allowed on the furniture, Harry declared that he would have his tea on the floor.
And he did just that.
And when at last, the night drew to an end, and the moon was high, Snape looked down from where he sat in his armchair, to see a boy with messy black hair, and glasses askew on his face, asleep beside his dog.
