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Severus Snape returned to his apartments with a sigh and a craving for some hot chocolate, it had been a long day and he wanted some peace and quiet. He had barely sat down when a clank from the bedrooms distracted him.
“Oh you’re back, I wanted to be gone before you got back,” The distraction said as he dropped the trunk to the floor that had caused the previous clank.
“You’re packing?”
“Mum sent a letter, said the divorce had gone through, thought I better get my things out.”
Severus sighed and closed his eyes, after 4 years he was divorcing his first and probably only wife. When Lily Evans had married James Potter, Severus had thought he would spend the rest of his days alone. The birth of Harry James Potter had been well celebrated by most of the wizarding world and the death of his father three years later while he was working to subdue a dangerous criminal was mourned by most of them.
He had worked hard to stay friends with Lily while he had been working on his Potion’s Mastery and when Harry had been nine years old they had married. He had thought it would last forever but it had quickly become obvious to him that dating and living with Lily Evans had been very different to being married to her.
Severus wasn’t sure if she had always been so care free and flighty but over the years he had realised that she actually cared very little for anyone except herself, especially her son. She had paid so little attention to harry that the boy had wanted to be gone before he had returned so as to ensure that he was not a burden on Severus.
“Where are you going to keep it?”
“Just in my trunks, I’ll get Roger to shrink them down for me.” Roger Davies was a capable fifth year Ravenclaw, not a friend as such to Harry but an acquaintance within his house. Severus looked at the third year, his head bowed, almost embarrassed to be there, nothing like his birth father at that age.
“You don’t have to move your stuff Harry, the Headmaster made the room for you. You can keep it as long as you want,” Severus offered. He had been surprised the first time he had met Lily’s son, the small five year old had been shy and clutched a book about unicorns to his chest like someone would steal it. The truth as he had later learned when he had watched her do it the small boy, shouting that he should more like James.
“But you aren’t married to mum any more, you shouldn’t have to put up with me in your quarters any more,” Harry offered quietly.
Severus took a deep breath and once more cursed Lily Evans in his head, because this was why he had ended up starting divorce proceedings. Because her 13 year old son was more mature than his mother, because she seemed to like the fact that her son was painfully shy, because she was a selfish bitch.
She had slowly destroyed the boy’s self esteem and, Severus hated to admit it but he had let her do it. Slowly so as not to startle the boy Severus stood and made his way across the room, maybe it was his turn to do something for the boy.
“No I don’t have to Harry but maybe I want to,” he offered as he approached.
“But you hate children,” Harry argued.
“I hate children who think they are better than others, who think that all games must be very loud, that potions is something to play with and who respect no-one or anything. Young boys who are clever with some street sense, seem to enjoy reading and rarely leave a mess on the other hand are more than welcome.”
Harry still looked at him in confusion, “But I’m James Potter’s son,” the young boy stressed although he still didn’t raise his voice.
Yes, Severus thought, he was James Potter’s son although it had been many years since Severus had called him that, for many years he had been Lily’s son but maybe it was finally time for Harry to be his son.
“I know Harry but I was your step father for 4 years, I think that means it is okay for me to make you welcome. I know I have never really welcomed you but I do care for you.”
“You were great.”
The words were so quiet that Severus wasn’t even sure he had heard them, he knelt down in front of Harry and slowly drew the small boy into a hug. He couldn’t remember the last time he had hugged anyone or when he had last seen Harry being hugged. For a few seconds Harry was stiff as a board before he almost seemed to collapse into Severus’ arms, clutching him tight.
They would be seeing Madam Pomfrey in the morning, Harry was far too small and light for a thirteen year old Severus realised as he stood up holding the boy. He had never bothered himself with Harry’s medical history but he would now, this boy needed someone, his mother was no good and while Severus was not the best example for a young child, he would do his best.
“Why was I great?” Severus asked.
“You cared,” was Harry’s muffled reply where his face was still pressed into Severus’ robes.
“How?”
“You read my reports, helped me with homework, got me Hercules.”
Severus held the small boy tight and felt disgusted at himself, the only reason he had read Harry’s reports and helped with his homework was because he would not have his stepson failing anything. Hercules had been more accident that anything else, the small snake had snuck into some ingredients that he had been getting Harry to help unpack. The small grass snake was useless as an ingredient and it had meant he didn’t have to do anything with it.
It had been a great shock to him when he had realised that Harry was a Parselmouth and that Lily had known but made him promise never to tell anyone. Harry had been absolutely terrified, of his own mother, when he had realised that Severus knew what he could do. It had taken hours to calm the young boy and convince him that Lily would not be hearing about the incident.
“In this letter did Lily tell you what your plans were next week?” Severus asked, they had always spent Summers at Spinners’ End in his home with a week holiday to Flower Cottage, one of the few things that James had left to Lily and not Harry. The cottage was beautiful, two bedrooms right on the edge of a charmed beach, a wonderful place for a holiday.
He guessed that James had started to realise that his wife was not as nice as she had seemed. The entire Potter fortune except for some small accounts and Flower Cottage had been left in trust to Harry with Lily being unable to access it except in case of an emergency.
“Flower cottage.”
“Is she going to pick you up?”
“She’s in Australia.”
“When is she back?” Severus asked cautiously, not liking the thoughts that were coming into his mind.
“I don’t know, she met someone.”
“So why are you not going out there to meet him?”
“He doesn’t like children, so she has told me to stay at the house, she said that Nikle will look after me.”
Severus tightened his hold and bit back a growl, he knew that Harry would think he was angry at him. But leaving a thirteen year old with a house elf for who knew how long was not acceptable.
“You’ll come home with me,” Severus said simply as if it was the obvious answer.
“What?” Harry exclaimed, the most emotion he had heard from the boy.
“You’ll come home with me,” Severus repeated.
“I’d like that,” Harry said quietly.
“So would I,” Severus confirmed and realised that he meant it. “I know we have never been close and now that Lily and I are divorced we have no reason to be but if we want to be then we can. We can do it because we want to not because it is expected.”
“I’d like too.”
“So would I, so would I.”
XXX
Severus carried Harry’s bag towards the hall, the third year had managed to leave it in their quarters once again. It was annoying but at the same time Severus found that he didn’t mind, he liked that Harry spent many evenings in their quarters working on his homework, even when he din’t have to.
“Harry, where were you last night?” The quiet voice belonged to Longbottom, one of Harry’s few friends both in and out of his house. Severus knew that the pair had been friends before Hogwarts and had managed to continue being friends while in different houses. Longbottom was one of the few other students that he didn’t mind having in his quarters, for small doses anyway.
“Visiting Professor Snape.”
“Why? I mean your mum isn’t even married to the greasy git any more.” One of the rather more annoying members of the Gryffindor house, Ronald Weasley.
“Doesn’t mean I don’t care about him any more,” Harry said, it was quiet and his voice quivered a little but he was arguing his point of view with Weasley. A very big step for Harry.
“But he’s a slimy Slytherin.”
“S---s---shu -- t --t up R--r--on,” Harry said, his stutter coming back. Another thing that he had worked on with Harry, to help him get rid of his stutter and again it had been purely for selfish reasons, his stepson would not stutter. It still came back when the young boy was stressed or very angry.
Severus was ready to step in when he heard other voices, “Go away Ron.... Snape is good.... You should be happy..... For Harry to have someone.”
While he severely disliked Ronald Weasley, over the years Severus had not necessarily grown fond of Fred and George Weasley, but he did tolerate them. They were sneaky enough to be tolerable.
“Thank you,” Harry said as Severus heard the stomping feet of a third year Gryffindor strutting off in a sulk.
“You’re welcome Harry..... Is Snape treating you.... Well?”
“Yeah he is, I’m staying with him with summer.”
“Why?” Longbottom asked, “I know Ron was nasty about it but you really don’t have to spend time with him now. You know you would be welcome at mine for the summer.”
“Thanks Neville but I want to go there, we’re working on it and I l--l--lo--love him.”
“I love you to,” whispered and decided he would leave Harry’s bag at his first lesson. He had a lot of plans to make, he was going to make this Harry’s best Summer Holiday yet.