The last week of July was rather stressful for Petunia. Dudley hadn't made a single goal against Harry in their backyard football games, and his sulking turned into a mighty tantrum about it the afternoon before Harry's birthday. When Petunia sent him upstairs, he sneaked into Harry's room and scribbled all over Harry's prized red-and-yellow night stand with a black marker. Then Harry started loudly crying as soon as he discovered the vandalism, even though the marker washed off pretty easily. Then the two of them started squabbling again at tea, culminating in both of them throwing noodles and red sauce at each other. Vernon shouted at them, but while Dudley fled to Petunia's lap immediately, Harry just sat in his chair and cried. Petunia got absolutely nothing done that day that she had meant to do.
In an effort to avoid such drama on Harry's actual birthday, they kept the boys separated for much of the day. First Harry played football in the yard with Vernon, who mostly just defended his goal rather than running around, while Petunia wrapped presents and Dudley colored inside. Then Harry stayed in the kitchen with Petunia after lunch while Dudley went outside.
Petunia heard Severus knocking at the front door at precisely 4pm. Harry ran from the kitchen where he had been watching Petunia piping the last of the icing onto his small cake to answer it. "Uncle Sev!" she heard the delighted shout moments later. Severus appeared in the kitchen, his arms still full of parcels as Harry dragged him forwards by the bottom of his shirt, which was the only grabbable part of Severus he could reach. "Look a' my cake, Uncle Sev!"
Severus inspected the simple confection. It wasn't as elaborate as Petunia was capable of, but it was all she had had time for today. Severus nodded. "It's very nice, Harry. Petunia, where should I put these?"
"In the parlor with the rest."
Severus nodded and turned from the room, Harry trailing after him. "Are you having a good birthday, Harry?" he asked as they left. Petunia could not make out Harry's chattering answer, but she smiled that her nephew sounded happy enough now after all the stress of yesterday. When the two of them reappeared in the doorway, Severus was holding Harry on his hip. "I heard you're becoming a champion football player."
Harry nodded happily. "I beat Uncle Vernon!"
Severus' eyes crinkled, correctly assuming Vernon wasn't trying. "That's very impressive."
"An' we play adda park an' Duddey an' me won!"
"That's right!" Petunia said, smiling fondly at the memory. That had been a good week. "That was just after Dudley's birthday. We all went out to the park, and Harry and Dudley met some new friends around the same age. They got to play on the big kids' football field, and Harry scored the only goal of the game." Mostly, the kids had kicked around the ball in the middle of the field, making no headway towards the goals whatsoever, but when the ball happened to fly out of the group and several other boys tripped, Harry managed to pursue it all the way to the undefended goal before anyone caught him. The field still was much too large for them in truth, so they had stuck with the back yard for football since then. There were other fun things to do at the park.
Severus feigned an amazed gasp. It sounded strange, coming from him, as if he had never tried to show enthusiasm before. At the same time, it seemed Vernon sighted them through the window and came back in with Dudley. Dudley waived at Severus and then ran straight out the other end of the kitchen, hopefully to put his shoes on the rack. "Hello, Sev," Vernon rumbled. "Good of you to come."
"I wouldn't miss such an important party," Severus replied. Harry squealed and hugged his neck, almost cracking his face against Severus' large, hooked nose. Severus jerked his head back to avoid the collision.
Vernon chuckled. "Out for the summer holidays?"
"For another month," Severus confirmed. "It's just lesson planning, administrative work, and a little of my own research until school is back in session."
"You're a researcher, too?" Petunia asked, rather surprised. But then, she supposed wizarding education systems were so different from regular ones, he was probably teaching both primary school and university level classes of whatever-it-was. She had never actually asked his subject.
"In my spare time. I take... chemistry commissions as well. I can, er, synthesize certain specialized products in my laboratory that most in the community would find too challenging or too dangerous to do at home." Petunia suddenly recalled Lily's favorite subject had been potions, and that she had once mentioned Severus was quite good at them as well. That must be what he was talking about.
"You make dangerous substances inside a school?" Vernon asked incredulously.
"No, I am experienced enough to brew them correctly so they are not unduly dangerous. By the same token, I am trusted to supervise learners because I can recognize when errors are made early on in the process and either correct them or at least prevent anyone coming to serious or permanent harm."
"Ah."
Petunia finished setting the table while Vernon and Severus kept talking, with frequent tangential comments from Harry. Within minutes, everything was ready. "Tea time!" She sang. "Dudders, get in here! And here's the party hat for the birthday boy." She affixed the pointy paper hat atop Harry's flyaway hair, no easy task as he was now bouncing up and down in Severus' arms in excitement. The hat was leftover from Dudley's party the month prior, but Harry did not seem to care. As soon as Severus set him down, Harry rushed to the table and climbed into his chair, to which Petunia had attached several balloons earlier. Dudley finally ran into the room while the adults were taking their seats.
The meal was uneventful. Petunia had made a beef stew and Yorkshire puddings and served Harry first as the birthday boy, then Severus as the guest, then Dudley, then Vernon, then herself. Severus helpfully cut up Harry's food for him as Petunia worked on Dudley's.
"Excellent cooking, dear," Vernon said when he set down his fork. Severus nodded agreement. He had eaten every crumb on his own plate but did not take any seconds, Petunia had noticed. He was still odd and perhaps always would be.
Petunia smiled and started gathering up the plates. "Harry, do you want cake now, or presents first?"
"Presents!" Harry said instantly. The adults all chuckled and pushed back their chairs. The men and boys headed for the parlor while Petunia stacked the dinner plates in the kitchen next to the sink so they would be ready for washing up later. She heard a wail of despair, set the plates down with a clatter, and rushed to the other room immediately. Harry was crying again, and it was no mystery why. Two of the gifts Severus had brought for him had already been opened, and clearly not by Harry. One was just clothes, but the other had been a box of chocolates. The floor nearby was now littered with empty candy wrappers. Everyone turned to look at Dudley, who did not yet seem to realize he might be in trouble.
Out of the corner of her eye, Petunia noticed Severus grow suddenly very still. She looked up at him and saw he was completely changed, as she had never seen him before. As she had never seen anyone before. His face was twisted in anger and looked truly menacing. His posture was tense, like a cat's waiting to pounce. His right hand twitched near his hip, where she assumed his wand was hidden, as Lily's had been. She had been about to scold Dudley herself, but instead she found herself frozen in fear. When Severus spoke, his voice was soft and level, but it was anything but friendly. If he were speaking to any but a child, she was sure he would be preparing to attack. "Dudley, what you did was very, very wrong."
Dudley looked up at him, and his happy obliviousness vanished. His fearful expression matched what Petunia was feeling exactly.
Vernon's face turned from red to purple. He took Severus' arm and dragged him from the room.
Petunia exhaled in relief. She turned to her son and sighed. "Dudley, go stand in the corner."
"Buh-"
"No buts." She knelt down and gently hugged Harry who was still weeping into his balled fists. "There, there, Harry. It will be okay. Even if that one present is no good anymore, you still have others we can open. And there's still cake... shh..." She patted Harry's back, and he gradually stopped crying. When she looked up again, Vernon was back, watching from the entrance to the room. She raised her eyebrows in question. He shook his head.
"Severus had to leave," he said. "Come on, Harry lad. Let's open your other presents."
Vernon sat down on the couch while Petunia remained on the floor with Harry, quietly opening presents. He started by looking through all the new shirts Severus had gotten him, from the box which Dudley had already opened and dumped out.
"Mummy, can I come back over?" Dudley asked after a time in a small voice.
"You can apologize to Harry first and see what he says," Petunia told him, not looking up. For the first time since he was born, she was actually ashamed of her beloved little son's actions. It felt even worse that there was a witness, even if that witness was only Severus. She still knew her Diddy to be a sweet little boy at heart, if a little too boisterous at times, but what he had done was thoughtless and mean-spirited, even for a three-year-old.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Can I see wha' you got?"
Harry stayed still for a moment, then nodded. Dudley trotted over and sat down on the other side of the pile. Petunia was relieved when he handed the next package to Harry. This one was also from Severus, a set of pants and a set of shorts to go with the shirts. Then there was a box from Petunia with new shoes, and one from Vernon with a toy car. Another from both of them with a teddy bear. The last was from Dudley, one of his own picture books he had handed Petunia to wrap up this morning when he realized what she was doing and that nothing Harry was getting was from him.
"Thank-oo." Harry said at the end, not really looking at anyone and still sounding thoroughly miserable.
"Cake time!" Petunia said emphatically. She stood and scooped Harry up so he swung forwards a little before settling back against her chest. He giggled, finally. Petunia smiled. Dudley had gotten too big for her to do that so easily.
Severus lay on his back on his bed, moodily staring at the ceiling when he got back to Spinner's End. The muggle kid was a brat, but he, Severus, had been an idiot. He replayed the scene in his mind for the sixth time: he had been so angry when he saw Dudley had already nosed through Harry's presents and eaten the whole box of Honeydukes chocolates Severus had gotten him. He glared at the offending child. He did not shout; he never shouted. He told the boy what he did was wrong... He realized now he had terrified the whole muggle family with his demeanor. Merlin, he had used the same tone with three-year-old Dudley he had used with the murderer Drussus right before their duel to the death. And then when Vernon pulled him away, he had knuckled down in his own defense.
"Don't you ever speak that way to my son!" Vernon had shouted at him.
Severus had sneered. "Your son stole from a boy who has nothing."
Rather than wilting away, Vernon had stood up to him, leaning into his face as he spat, "Harry has a roof over his head and food in his belly because of me and my wife. Not you. We are his family. Not you. This is my house, not yours."
"And if you reinforce the kind of behavior Dudley just displayed, that boy will grow up to be just like the people who murdered Harry's parents," Severus had responded coldly. "Just like the people..." I betrayed, hunted, and killed. He didn't finish the sentence, but judging by Vernon's even more livid expression, he didn't have to. They both knew what he meant. Instead, he said, "I should know. I went to school with them."
"Get out," Vernon had said then. Royally disgusted with the lot of them, Severus had disapparated to the back garden at Spinner's End on the spot, right in front of the muggle.
He had come to regret his words as soon as he calmed down. He had probably destroyed any chance he had of being part of Harry's life, now.
The unmistakable rustle of the Protean journal rather startled him. He almost didn't look at it for fear of a well-deserved reprimand, then chided himself. He had survived the Dark Lord. He could handle the ire of Vernon Dursley, if that's what it was. As it happened, the writing was Petunia's.
Severus, I don't know what to do. Things had settled down, but Dudley wanted to watch cartoons while finishing his cake, and he dropped it all over some of the clothes you gave Harry. He didn't mean to do it, I'm sure, but Harry started screaming and crying again and he used magic! He made all the remaining cake and frosting fly into Dudley's face! Dudley's fine, and I've sent both boys to their rooms, but now Vernon's in a panic too... I just don't know what to do. We can't have him using magic against other people! -P
Severus groaned. Wasn't this a perfect end to the day? He wrote back immediately. Harry can't really control his magic right now, Petunia. Whatever happens will be a manifestation of the emotion he's feeling... but you're right, that kind of reaction needs to be curbed. I suggest you'll need to reprimand both boys, and make sure they both know about it. Dudley needs to know being inconsiderate and bullying of Harry is unacceptable, especially on what should be Harry's big day, both for Harry's sake and his own. Harry needs to know he can't lose his temper, but try not to make it about the magic. -S
How can we make it not about the bloody magic when it's about the bloody magic? -V
Severus sighed. Sorry for earlier, Vernon. I was out of line. And I don't know, really. I just know you can't punish him for using magic and risk making him afraid of himself when magic is something he literally cannot and should not try to change. -S
You're a bloody useless connection to the bloody useless wizard world! -V
Severus winced. He wasn't serving them very well at the moment, it was true. I'm sorry, I'm just not used to dealing with children quite this young-
-Bloody obvious!-
-They all have better verbal reasoning and social skills by the time they come to school. Anyway, I will try asking some of my own acquaintances whether they know of specific strategies for dealing with accidental magic at this age, without naming names of course, and get back to you. -S
You do that, and stay away from my house. -V
Vernon's gone downstairs. -P
Sorry again, Petunia. -S
It's not your fault. Well, mostly. You glaring at Dudley like he was vermin to be crushed under your heel was not appreciated. Severus winced again. Don't you ever do that again, or I will ban you from this house. Permanently. I'm not above getting in touch with Professor Dumbledore to do it magically, either. I know letters addressed to him get to him one way or another, and my Dudley means everything to me. But the problem at hand is Dudley and Harry. They've been getting harder to handle in general lately. It just came to a head for Harry today. -P
Severus frowned. How much are they fighting? -S
There's some kind of argument almost every day. It's not usually as bad as it has been yesterday and today. It's just up and down with them. One minute they're getting along and playing, and the next they're not. -P
If that's the case, I'd say improving their relationship is your number one priority when it comes to the accidental magical outbursts. Even if it's a pain, I or any other trained wizard can easily reverse anything Harry might accidentally do at this age, but the last thing we want is for a repeat of today where Dudley gets targeted even by something harmless. I can't fix emotions with magic, not even with memory charms. -S
There was a pause before Petunia wrote back. I do agree with Vernon that you need to stay away for awhile, for different reasons. Harry said this afternoon while we were waiting for you that you're his 'favorite uncle' now. He just... doesn't connect with Vernon. If accidental magic is tied to his emotions, I don't want anything around to rock the boat while we're figuring this out. You can't be a substitute for Vernon in his mind. -P
Severus sighed again. He didn't envy Petunia. Raising children quite this young seemed to be a delicate balancing act. I understand. You can and should still call on me if you need me, though. -S
I will even if Vernon won't. You can work on your temper while you wait. -P
Severus laughed softly at the rebuke. There was proving to be more of Lily in Petunia than he had ever before realized.
Author's note: Snape originally developed his powerful Evil Potions Master looks during the First Wizarding War, when they meant you are about to die... no wonder school children are terrified of him. Meanwhile, Dudley is... a three-year-old. He wasn't being deliberately malicious stealing Harry's present, just typical self-centered; he was being kind/mimicking his mother when giving Harry a second-hand picture book. Little kids are kind of sociopaths because they haven't learned enough about other people and morality and consequences and things. They can be screaming and fighting one minute and perfectly happy the next. The problem with book-Dudley of course is that his parents completely fail to train this kind of behavior out of him, so he stays an unempathetic monster way longer than he should.
Updates Fridays. Thank you for the reviews!