Chapter Text
Harry was amazed how different the start of Year Feast looks from a second-year point of view. He’d come in, with his robes on, and joined his friends at the heavily decorated Gryffindor table and they sat and talked jovially before the First Years finally followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall.
Harry caught a glimpse of Ginny, her red hair flashing in the crowd of firsties and he couldn’t help but turn to Ron to whisper, “Were we ever that small?” but before Ron could reply, Fred turned to him and shot, “Yes, and you still are,” at them with a grin.
Harry and Ron scoffed and Ron just nodded to Harry. Their attention shifted to the hat singing, and then the sorting started. Harry thought it was kind of funny to try and imagine what the hat was saying to all the scaredy kids.
Then Luna walked up, looking just as calm and out-of-this world as normal and the hat sat on her head for a while, although it wasn’t twitching like when it had been on Harry’s head, no, if he wasn’t mistaken, the hat was perplexed. Harry knew it was a common feeling when meeting Luna, and he couldn’t imagine being given a peek at her brain.
“The hat doesn’t know where to place her, does it,” Ron whispered, and his tone was a bit too mocking for Harry’s taste.
He snapped back, “I’m guessing its hard to get Luna to the point. She doesn’t often see much purpose in segregating people into different groups. It’s why she doesn’t like to play Quidditch with us.”
Harry almost felt bad for snapping at Ron. He knew not many liked Luna, but he did. She reminded him of something, he didn’t know what.
Eventually, long after everyone had really lost interest in Luna’s sorting, the hat called out “Ravenclaw!”, although its voice was a lot less certain than normally.
Harry clapped loudly, which might’ve looked a bit strange since she wasn’t sorted into his house, but Luna smiled at him and waved before going down to the Ravenclaw table to sit.
Ginny was the last to be sorted and the hat stopped slightly longer than when Draco had been sorted, but it wasn’t much. She smiled the biggest smile Harry had ever seen on her and then she ran over to them, her brothers and Harry. They clapped loud and proud and all of her brothers gave her a hug and a pat on the back.
“That’s the last of us, ain’t it, proved we’re Gryffindors deep down in our blood, haven’t we?” Ron said, and even Percy seemed to think the same. Harry and Hermione shook their heads at them. They’d never quite understood how people could thought it mattered so much where you were sorted.
House pride was one thing, but after a summer spent with Severus, Harry came to realise, that the idea that houses could determine how good of a person you were, or anything like that, was a bit stupid. Severus had done so much for him, and he was a Slytherin. Didn’t that mean that Slytherin’s couldn’t be all bad? The hat had said Harry could be anywhere, really.
He was happy for his friends though. And happy that Ginny would be joining their House, she’d definitely join the Quidditch team later on, Harry had seen her fly over the summer.
The Feast didn’t disappoint, and Hermione and Ron interrogated him about living at the castle for a week. He couldn’t say much. He’d enjoyed the peace and quiet by mostly just staying at Severus’s chambers, and reading, feeling addicted to the warmth of his mother’s blanket.
He didn’t tell them that, but he did say Severus had told him even more of his mother.
“You’ve been living in the dungeons, mate? Didn’t that feel a bit cold?”
Harry just raised his eyebrows at Ron and then Hermione and Harry broke out in laughter as Ron looked horrified.
“You don’t understand, you just … you looked just like … Snape.” He said, sounding slightly disgusted.
“Yeah, he’s my family Ron, I’m told you tend to blend in with them after a while.”
Ron and Hermione looked stunned at that.
Harry tried to think of what he’d said that was so surprising, and couldn’t think of anything but the fact that he’d referred to Severus as his family.
“What, you’ve known for a month. He celebrated my birthday, he adopted me, he bought me clothes and books, what else should I call him?”
Ron just continued to stare, but Hermione rolled her eyes, seemingly having recovered. “Harry, you haven’t called him that before. It’s just a bit surprising. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that word with such happiness in your voice before.”
Now, both boys were suitably embarrassed and the three of them followed Percy up to the Gryffindor dorm. Harry saw Ginny walk up with an excited looking boy, who she seemed to only be tolerating slightly, but decided to leave her to her own year rather than try and include her.
Ron and Hermione hadn’t been as tolerant of hanging out with a younger girl this summer anyway. Harry preferred hanging out with Luna and Ginny by himself. He was still adjusting to having more than one pair of friends, but it was like staying with Severus. It might be different, but it was better.
Harry’s first classes went a whole lot better than the start of his first year.
He’d done his homework, and redone it and had Severus look it over for him, so he was not only proud to hand it in, but he was prepared for the teachers’ questions. Hermione looked at him with a screwed up face and a surprised look when he answered before her in their first class, but then she just smiled and nodded quietly. She approved.
Ron was a bit put out, but then he just took to his studies in class beside them, having no one to distract.
When they walked out of class, Ron mumbled to Harry, “I’m happy and all, for you, ‘cause I know you hated it at the Muggles’, and you clearly don’t with Snape, but if it’s going to make you study crazy like Hermione, I’m not sure how I’m going to cope.”
“I’ll let you copy more than Hermione does,” Harry said, feeling pretty safe that Ron wasn’t actually going to abandon them for cooler friends and smiled as Ron gaped at him and then held his hand out for a high five.
Hermione huffed her disapproval, but she bumped shoulders with Harry as they walked close to the next class.
Harry had enjoyed DADA last year, even though he kept having headaches and the creeps over Quirrel, but this year, he was decidedly not looking forward to the first class of it this year. He knew, from Severus, that it was Lockhart teaching it, and the overly smiling, too-brightly-clothed man had been at the long table for the meals since start of term.
Fred and George had no good remarks, as they had him the first day, and Harry’s already low expectations fell even further.
When they gathered into the classroom for a Wednesday morning, sun shining through the windows, and making the smiles of the self-portraits Lockhart had up flash in their eyes.
Harry hated how the man had a need for attention, that didn’t seem to ever dim. It was so far from his own needs and longing, it felt other-worldly. And not in the fun magic way.
He was stunned when the man started class with a quiz of himself. He’d skimmed the damn books, as he’d prepared for all his classes, but all he’d tried to focus on the facts of defeating the Dark Arts, as that was the point of the class. Never in a million years would he have thought he’d be quizzed on his teachers favourite … anything.
After that, it hadn’t even been that surprising when they’d had to take care of the Pixies by themselves. It was already quite clear the man was completely useless.
Harry was still seething when he grabbed his pack and rushed over to lunch, still tugging at his hair that the Pixies had pulled up.
“Bloody useless teacher, won’t learn anything, bloody Pixies, bloody hair!” he hissed to himself as he navigated the hallways without looking up.
“I don’t believe I’ve encouraged quite so appalling language, Harry.”
Harry froze at the drawl of that voice. It set him on edge for a second, as Severus had reverted back to his more acidic tone now that the students had started filling the castle, but it was still the same man. It was family.
He consciously shrugged off his tension and looked up into Severus’s eyes.
“I just … we just had Defense.” Harry said, hoping the man would understand.
“Oh, I see. I guess I have encouraged that sort of language when dealing with … him.” Severus said and Harry noticed that Hermione and Ron, still flanking him, were still tense, as if expecting a loss of House points.
Harry just laughed and wished he wouldn’t freak his friends, - and probably Severus as well - out if he would go in for a hug from the man right now. He was angry, less than after the Alley trip, but still, and all he wanted was some comfort.
“I’ve found a time for you to come down. Wednesdays at five you can come down to our chambers. You’ll be able to stay through dinner and until curfew the nights you want. We’ll keep to that, until something comes up to throw us off that schedule?”
Harry smiled and nodded. “Starting today?” he asked eagerly. It had only been two and a half days of term so far, but he missed the man, after how close they got over the summer. He guessed this was why some of the children had been homesick their first weeks in his first year. It had seemed so foreign to him then, when Hogwarts was so much better than his “home” could ever be.
Severus looked at him, frowning a bit, before smoothing out and nodding.
Harry just took the win, and when Severus dismissed them, kept rushing to lunch. Hopefully, some food would put the whole morning shenanigans behind him.
Severus was taking off his teacher robe and preparing a tea pot when he felt his wards lift for Harry. The whisper of Lily’s magic in them wrapped around him for a warm second and he couldn’t help but close his eyes and enjoy it.
He’d been surprised the boy wanted to come down to see him so soon from the start of term. He’d expected the boy to be catching up with his friends and schoolmates, without much thought of Severus.
He almost spilled the tea when suddenly his waist was circled by Harry and he was wrapped in a hug by the boy.
He was startled, but soon enough, he put down the tea and returned the hug. Maybe this was what the boy missed. He knew how precious touch and comfort were after abuse, and he felt honoured that Harry thought of him as a safe refuge for that.
After listening to Harry rant over Lockhart for a full hour, he was a little less certain he of that honour. If it meant the boy felt he could just rave about that annoying horrible man, then Severus wasn’t sure it was all good.
“Harry, as much as I vehemently agree with your opinion of that smiling fungus, could we maybe move onto a different topic? I agree he shouldn’t be teaching here, but unfortunately, many believe the rumour the post is cursed, so it’s been hard for the Headmaster to find anyone to teach it.” Severus butt in, when he couldn’t take another word on Lockhart anymore.
Harry looked at him, blushing, clearly embarrassed to be called out for his long rant. Then he tilted his head at Severus and asked, “Cursed?”
Severus thought it pointed to exactly how bored he’d been of the previous topic that he was happy to discuss this.
“Nobody has held that post for more than one school year for a few decades.” Severus revealed.
Harry smirked and replied, “I don’t think it’s a rumour when you have that much data supporting it.”
Severus nodded and refilled their tea.
“Do you want to eat here, rather than join the others’ in the Hall?” Severus asked, feeling a bit hungry now.
Harry nodded and Severus tapped the table in front of them with his wand, with the flick needed to order from the kitchens. Enough food for two, along with dishes and cutlery appeared and Severus gestured for Harry to start.
They ate while Harry filled Severus on how his other classes. “Hermione looked so shocked and offended when I answered Professor Flitwick instead of her. I mean, it was just so perfect, he asked about the shrinking charm, that we’ll be going through later in the term, and it’s counter, the engorgement charm and I’d read that section twice this summer, trying to get the finer details.”
Severus looked on, just as proud as Harry. He’d hoped that giving the boy free access and plenty of time would liven his study habits and it seemed that within Harry was plenty of interest, he just hadn’t had the opportunity before.
“That was good. I have to admit to being happy whenever anyone other than Ms. Granger answers in my classes. We all know she knows it.”
Harry smiled so widely Severus was afraid for a split second he was turning into Lockhart. Then the boy kept eating and his smile toned down to this small, proud little thing that Severus felt reminded him of Lily.
After dinner, Severus let Harry show him some of what he’d learned already, smiling as Harry moved his wand, tongue peeking out once in a while, as he focused.
When they had to say goodnight for the evening, Harry rushed in for another hug and said, “Thank you for letting me come down here. I’m finally starting to get why some of the other kids aren’t miss home when they’re here.”
Severus watched the door close behind the boy and couldn’t help but think, He misses home. Logic would figure that meant he missed Severus.
It was a terrifying, but happy thought.