Child's Play by libertineangel
Past Featured StorySummary: When Draco accidently uses a black curse on Harry and turns him into a baby, Dumbledore appoints Snape as his carer. Follow Harry's slow, strange journey back to fifteen - accompanied by Snape ...
Categories: Parental Snape > Guardian Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Dumbledore, Hermione, Lucius, McGonagall, Arthur, Molly, Remus, Ron, Sirius, Tonks, Voldemort
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Angst, Drama, General, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Baby fic, Child fic, Deaging
Takes Place: 6th summer
Warnings: Alcohol Use
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 29 Completed: No Word count: 98036 Read: 169347 Published: 08 Aug 2006 Updated: 02 Sep 2008
Prophecies: The Morning of the Quidditch by libertineangel

The sun hadn’t even risen in the sky but Draco had been up for hours. He was sitting on the grass bank near the river outside of Hogwarts, gazing up at the silver sky without seeing it.

It was the day of his father’s visit and yet he still hadn’t sent him word that he wasn’t to play in the match. Just thinking about it his whole stomach seemed to drop to his boots. He drew a hand through his hair. He knew he looked as bad as he felt. His hair was matted with a night of tossing and turning and his robes were crumpled and torn from fighting his way through the rose garden to the waters edge. His face was paler than usual and his blue eyes were cold and dull.

Inside he marvelled at the effect that he knew his father had on him. He felt like he had been dangling over a nest of vipers ever since he had heard that Lucius was going to make an unexpected visit to Hogwarts. Everyday another thread broke on the rope that held him, bringing him closer to the hungry creatures; their erectile fangs poised to devour him.

He wasn’t sure what he was more frightened of; his father’s anger on hearing that he had been dropped from the Quidditch team, his finding out about the curse he’d used on Potter (his curse), or the real reason that his father was visiting Hogwarts, whatever that may be.

As he was thinking he had inched closer to the water’s edge. He knew that if one of the professors found him outside of the school grounds that early then he would probably be in trouble, but he didn’t care. He leant over the edge of the lake, which at this point of the bank loomed far higher above the water than it seemed. All of a sudden he had the urge to be swallowed up by clear blue, calming waters. He edged further forward.

Draco Malfoy!’

Draco almost fell in as a pink seahorse did a backflip out of the water, spraying him with ice-cold water, waking him from his thoughts. He had heard about the Oracle of the lake before – his father had spoken of him – but he had scarcely thought he would meet him.

The sea-horse sat back on his curled tail which levitated him above the water. He was dressed in a purple silk tuxedo, finished with a blue dickie-bow that would have looked odd on any seahorse but himself. Draco noticed that the suit was bone dry.

Sir Dapper rarely appeared above the surface, and knew that the un-breathing it involved would tire him for the rest of the day, but then again, he knew it was written that he would do it before he had.

The Oracle of the lake knew many things but only rarely was he called upon to act. The Weasley falling into the lake and alerting him to the fate of the boy-who-lived had embroiled him, however, in a chain of events that it was beyond him to resist. Even the schools of fish that populated the upper surface of the lake were keeping their distance from him now, as though they knew that something of significance, good or evil, was about to taint him.

‘What – er – what do you want?’ Draco stammered. Immediately he felt stupid. It was not a good idea to ask the Oracle of the lake what he wanted.

‘Listen to me, Draco Malfoy,’ Sir Dapper said. ‘Today you will live to be given a choice. That choice will be like a raindrop in the lake; the ripples will spread far and wide.’ He smiled then at the petrified-looking boy. ‘You will choose as your heart leads you, young Malfoy – we are born to fulfil a destiny and you will fulfil yours, whether the ripples swallow the minnows or whether they spread to water the lily-pads.’

With that Sir Dapper flipped back into the lake and disappeared from view.

Draco sat for a long few moments before he rose to head back to the castle. He couldn’t quite fathom what the Oracle had told him, he didn’t know whether he was supposed to. All he knew was that he felt calmer about the day before him – wherever that day would lead him.


‘No nappy!’ Harry said stubbornly.

 

Snape was trying unsuccessfully to dress Harry. It was the day of the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryfinndor and Dumbledore had suggested that it might be a good idea to take Harry to headquarters for the day since Lucius Malfoy and some of the other officials from the ministry were going to be in attendance at Hogwarts.

Harry had been doing very well with his toilet training over the last few days, he had even been dry for one or two nights, but Snape wasn’t going to risk any accidents in Grimmauld Place. In his own quarters Harry was always within reach of his little potty and was used to it, but Snape had the feeling that the excitement of a change of scenery might take his attention away. It had happened the other day when Hermione had taken Harry to the park in Hogsmeade, and even though the young girl had handled it very well, reassuring Harry that it didn’t matter, and that ‘accidents happened’, Harry he had been beside himself and it had taken Snape hours to get him settled.

‘Come on, Potter,’ Snape said, ‘it’s just for today. Be a good boy and don’t make a fuss.’ As always when he had to resort to using the childish talk Snape grimaced.

‘Big boy,’ Harry argued, ‘no nappy, big pants!’

Snape felt his patience, as it always did when Harry argued with him, wearing thin. It was at these moments that Snape remembered exactly why he didn’t get along with the teenage Potter – his stubborn defiance.

‘I’m not arguing about this, Potter,’ Snape said. He lifted the wriggling toddler and put him on his back. Harry squealed and whimpered, but Snape, now adept at handling a wriggling Potter, managed to secure the pin on the nappy with minimum fuss and securely enough so that it wouldn’t be wrenched off. He stood Harry up.

‘There you go,’ he said in a clipped tone, ‘that wasn’t so difficult was it?’

Harry stamped his foot and folded his arms. ‘Mean Nape,’ he said sulkily.

‘There’s nothing wrong with wearing a nappy occasionally, Potter,’ Snape said dismissively. Now hold up your arms.

Five minutes later and Snape had managed to dress Harry into an orange jumper with a glowing, smiling pumpkin embroidered on it, black velvet trousers and travelling robes to match, and a red bobble hat. Harry pulled at the toggles on the hat which itched under his chin, but he looked less sulky – it was his favourite jumper, as when he got cold the pumpkin lit up and warmed him up, and when he squeezed its stem it sung a little song.

The sky is blue,
The grass is green,
Have you got a penny for Halloween?
If you haven’t got a penny a halfpenny will do It you haven’t got a halfpenny then I’ll GET YOU!

‘Potter!’ Snape snapped, rolling his eyes at the jumper that Hermione had brought for Harry, and that he didn’t seem to want to take off his back, ever, ‘Halloween was four weeks ago!’

Harry simply smiled at the Professor with a toothy grin. ‘Sky is blue, grass is green,’ he chanted.

Frowning Snape took hold of Harry’s hand. ‘Come on,’ he said, ‘time to go.’

He walked Harry over to the fireplace deep inside his chambers and knelt to pick up an urn filled with green ash.

‘Mucky!’ Harry said, wrinkling up his nose as he peered into the pot. He held out his chubby fist to grab some of the dirty stuff but Snape yanked him out of reach.

‘No Potter,’ he said. ‘This is Floo powder – it’s for grown-ups not little boys.’

Harry stuck out his bottom lip. There seemed to be a lot of things in Snape’s chambers that were for ‘grown-ups and not little boys’.

‘Don’t pout,’ Snape said irritably. He decided to explain the Floo Powder to Harry, as if he didn’t he got the feeling that he would be bombarded with questions. Harry’s new favourite word seemed to be Why?

‘This is ash created from burnt cedar wood,’ Snape explained patiently as the boy watched him with curious eyes. ‘The trees grow in the forests of the elves and it’s the minerals in the water supply and the soil the elves tend that give it its magic properties. We take a handful like this,’ he went on, holding a fistful of ash over their heads, ‘and say the name of the place we want to go to in a clear voice. The explosion from the ash connects us to the Floo network.’

Snape went on to explain some of the other rules and regulations of the Floo network but Harry had lost interest. What had really captured his attention was the word explosion.

‘Boom boom!’ he said, grabbing for the magic shiny powder.

‘No Potter,’ Snape said wearily. ‘In the wrong hands it’s quite dangerous. He stooped to pick Harry up. ‘Now hold on tight,’ he commanded and brace yourself.

‘Grimmauld Place,’ Snape said, releasing the powder. Five seconds later, to a whirl of activity in the grate, they appeared at Grimmauld place.

Sirius and Molly were waiting for them.

‘See-rus,’ Harry shouted joyfully. Snape pulled off Harry's hat and robe that he had used to protect him from the ash and placed him on the floor and Harry ran full throttle into Sirius’s outstretched arms.

‘Hiya kid,’ Sirius said twirling Harry around so that he squealed with delight.

Sirius’s whole expression had transformed itself in a matter of seconds and Molly marvelled at it. For days she had been on the verge of flooing Lupin out of concern for Harry’s godfather. Sirius’s eyes had once again begun to take on the haunted quality that they had acquired in Azkaban; luminous, but cold and vacant, like the glass orbs of china dolls in muggle toyshops. But now they sparkled with mischief, and for the first time in days his gaunt cheeks glowed.

‘Here is Potter’s things,’ Snape said, ignoring Sirius and speaking to Molly. He handed her the baby bag and Molly looked inside.

‘Nappies?’ she said sceptically. ‘Isn’t the potty training going very well?’

‘It’s fine,’ Snape said, colouring slightly as Sirius grinned at them.

‘Well why have you put him in a nappy then?’ Molly asked.

‘It’s just for today,’ Snape said.

Molly pursed her lips but didn’t say anything. She thought it unwise to take Harry a step back if he had been doing well, but decided to give Snape a break - after all he had been doing quite well with the toddler, and she knew that he was having a hard time at the moment. Dumbledore had filled the entire order in on the situation with the Pickles, but, though they had their best people looking for them, no-one was very confident about finding them, or what they might find even if they did. She could tell just by looking at Snape that it was on his mind, and she had the feeling that it was particularly so today as he would be seeing Lucius at the Quidditch match.

She wasn’t feeling very happy about Lucius’s visit to Hogwarts herself. She had sent an owl to Fred, George, Ron and Ginny, warning them to be on their guard – it was one of the few times that she wished that her children weren’t so skilful at Quidditch.

‘Weeee,’ Harry squealed. Sirius was holding Harry’s hands and letting him walk up his legs and flip over in a somersault when he got to the top. Harry felt like it was the most fun he had ever had. ‘Again, again,’ he said happily, and, dutifully Sirius complied.

‘I’ll return for Potter in the morning,’ Snape said. ‘We are unsure how long our “visitors” will linger at Hogwarts.’

‘That’s fine,’ Molly said. Then she frowned. ‘Of course, I won’t be here all night. I have to get back to the Burrow … Maybe if I floo Arthur and ask him to get his own dinner I would be able to stay a bit …’

‘We don’t need you to baby-sit us, Molly,’ Sirius said good-naturedly as he flipped Harry over for the fifth time.

Molly looked at Sirius and Harry dubiously. Harry was giggling hard, but she also noticed that he looked slightly queasy. ‘I think he’s had enough of that game, Sirius,’ she said.

Sirius was just about to protest when he noticed that Harry was holding his stomach.

‘Sicky,’ Harry confirmed.

‘Oh,’ Sirius said sheepishly. ‘Sorry – we’ll play something else.’

Molly put her hand into the bag and pulled out Harry’s cup. Pointing her finger at it she filled it with milk and handed it to him.

‘Sit down and drink some of this quietly, Harry,’ she said.

As Harry resignedly took the cup and plonked himself down near Sirius’s feet, Sirius seemed to notice Snape for the first time. His eyes darkened as he spoke over the top of Harry’s head. ‘He doesn’t look much older, Snape,’ he said icily.

‘That’s because, Black, he isn’t,’ Snape said.

‘How long has it been now?’ Sirius said, ‘two weeks? More? Perhaps you should have given him to one of first year classes – I’m sure that even they could have had him half-way to his normal age by now.’

Snape felt his hand clench round his wand as he returned Sirius’s sarcastic sneer. ‘Well by all means, Black, if you think you could do better,’ he said evenly. ‘Oh no, that’s right, I forgot, magic isn’t really your forte is it? In fact you only passed one OWL didn’t you? Transfiguration, wasn’t it? Hardly surprising considering you turn yourself into a mongrel at the first sign of trouble.’

‘Really!’ Molly said sharply in exasperation, causing Snape and Sirius to break their glares and Harry to drop his sip-cup on the floor. ‘You two are behaving just like toddlers yourselves.’ She went to Harry and picked up his cup, wiping his chin with a tissue that she had balled up in the cuff of her sleeve. He was smiling happily, enjoying seeing the two grown men getting into trouble.

‘Nwaughty stool?’ he suggested. Molly laughed. It was obvious that Snape had been following her advice about discipline.

‘It’s a shame they don’t make them in adult sizes,’ Molly agreed. ‘Are you any further with the spell?’ she said to Snape, shooting Sirius a look that said don’t-you-dare-say-anything.

‘There are certain things that have come to my attention that I am attending to,’ Snape said. Sirius snorted and Snape glared at him. ‘Spells, such as the one directed at Potter here, take time and patience to uncover. Lucius’s and the Dark Lord’s branch of magic is not as simple as transfiguration – an animagus transformation, for example, is infinitely less complex.’

Sirius’s eyes narrowed and Molly decided to step in once again. She could tell that he was trying to come up with a retort. ‘Of course Severus,’ she said. ‘I have every confidence in you, as does Dumbledore.’ She beamed down at Harry – ‘It seems like you might be with us for a little while longer young man. It makes me broody, seeing him like this,’ she went wistfully and to no-one in particular. She knew, however, that that particular owl had flown. Arthur had, for once, put his foot down; he said that seven children was a very respectable number to finish on.

Snape cleared his throat. ‘I think I will be going,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ Sirius said, determined to get in a last insult, ‘you don’t want to keep your dear friend Lucius waiting.’

Harry had looked up when he heard the word ‘going’. He hadn’t been very interested in what the grown-ups were talking about, and had been talking to the pumpkin on his jumper who seemed to understand him much better than anyone else, but that word caught his attention.

‘Going?’ he echoed, his face starting to betray the first sign of obstinacy. He toddled over to Snape and, to Sirius’s horror, attached himself to the elder man’s legs. He had thought they were all going to have a lovely day playing together – him, See-rus, Mwolly and Nape, and wasn’t about to let his favourite one leave.

Snape was always trying this trick with him and Harry, for his part, was always trying to think of inventive ways to keep Snape from leaving – which always unsettled him. First he had tried hiding Snape’s billowy cloak – but apparently Snape had more than one so that hadn’t worked. Next he had tried the old favourite – a tantrum, but it hadn’t worked either and he had found himself put on the hated naughty stool for the second time as ‘punishment’. Now he decided that he would simply hang onto Snape’s cloak – which would mean that wherever he went, Harry would have to go too. He thought he was very clever and smiled sweetly up at Snape.

‘Me go,’ he said.

He hadn’t banked, however, on Molly’s intervention. ‘Come on Harry,’ she said, bending down to pry his fingers from Snape’s cloak, noting the disdainful expression on his and Sirius’s face, ‘Professor Snape will come back, but he’s very busy today. You can stay here and play with Sirius and myself.’

‘No!’ Harry said stubbornly, sticking out his bottom lip.

‘Potter,’ Snape said, ‘kindly detach yourself from my robes this instant.’

‘Don’t speak to him like that,’ Sirius snapped; angry that Harry would choose to stay with Snape over himself. ‘You must have been brainwashing him or something. I know for a fact that Harry, like James before him, can’t stand to be anywhere near you.’

Snape gave Sirius a withering look. ‘I assure you, Black, that I have not given Potter the slightest encouragement to cling to my robes. However, I hardly find it surprising that he wishes to return to Hogwarts rather than remain in this place.’ Snape jerked his head pointedly towards the stairs where the portrait of Sirius’s mother could be heard screeching about blood traitors and turncoats. His eyes also lingered over the film of slimy dust that was collecting again around the surfaces in the large reception room and the empty coffee cup and plates. It was obvious that Molly had not visited for a while and that Sirius was not lifting a finger to keep the Order’s headquarters ticking over.

‘Me go,’ Harry said, pulling on Snape’s robes for attention. Snape glanced down into the sad emerald eyes. Breathing-in heavily he crouched down and took hold of the small boy’s arms, maintaining eye contact.

‘No Potter. You will stay here and behave yourself and I will return for you.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a raggy purple bird. He lowered his voice so that Sirius would have to really strain to hear, ‘Cheep-Cheep will keep you company till I return.’

Molly, who was within earshot smiled. She watched as Harry scrunched up his face, deep in thought.

‘Alright Nape,’ he said at last, taking Cheep-Cheep with an air of resignation. He could feel tears forming in his eyes but fought to swallow them down and behave like a big boy. Besides, Snape always returned when he said he would. Instinctively he hugged the stuffed bird to his chest for comfort.

‘Good, Potter,’ Snape said awkwardly. He got to his feet and smoothed down his robes.

Sirius, seeing that Harry was distracted by the scruffy looking bird lifted him up and took him wordlessly from the room – irritated by the bond that appeared to be developing between Harry and Snape.

‘You’re doing a good job with him, you know, Severus,’ Molly said, noting the way that Snape’s gaze followed Harry as he left the room. Snape didn’t reply. He reached for Sirius’s pot of Floo powder.

‘You won’t speak to Lucius about the Pickle children, will you?’ Molly blurted out before she could stop herself. ‘You know that it would be dangerous – and Harry needs you.’

Snape watched Molly carefully for a moment. Then, wordlessly, he let the ash fall over his head.

Hogwarts: Severus’s Snape’s Chambers!’

The niggling feeling of foreboding Molly had harboured since the morning reared suddenly like a wild animal in her breast.

It was several minutes before she felt composed enough to seek out Harry and Sirius.


Lucius tapered fingers precisely manipulated the polished silver buttons on his stiff green velvet cloak as he regarded himself in the large, oval looking-glass that hung on the wall of his majestic quarters. It was called the Mirror of Wisdom – renowned for the advice it offered its owners – and had been in the Malfoy family for centuries. He smiled slightly at the reflection in it, admiring the mane of flaxen hair held immaculately in place by a discreet emerald thong. He turned slightly from side to side, taking in the expensive silken shirt, upon which woven jewels twinkled like stars in an inky sky. He knew that he looked what he was on the surface – an aristocratic wizard and respected official at the ministry of magic. The mirror, of course knew different. It cackled slightly as he lifted his snake-headed cane to garner the complete effect. ‘Wonderful, wonderful,’ it said. ‘You betray nothing of the evil lurking in your breast.’

 

Lucius smiled at the compliment. ‘And what of today?’ he said. He was speaking not only of his son’s Quidditch match, but also of the further business he had to complete on his trip to Hogwarts.

‘A good day by all accounts,’ the Mirror said, thinking for only a few moments. ‘Though perhaps it will reveal itself in ways other to those you may think it.’

The Mirror fell silent then and Lucius knew he would get no more from it till the following day. He frowned slightly, marring the perfect reflection of his countenance slightly. However, he soon shrugged it off – the Mirror was a prophet, not a voice of authority and often spoke in riddles. He had every confidence that the day would come off as planned.

He turned on his heel and went to manipulate the solid golden eagle that protected the secret passage to his dungeons, at the same time speaking the words that would open the wings. He had time to check on his prisoners before he left.

To be continued...
End Notes:
How was that? Has anyone any thoughts on what Harry’s next piece of mischief will be? There’s a clue in there somewhere … 

What do you think of Draco in the story? I always think he’s a good character to work with because, like Snape he’s complex … Do you agree?

I have a feeling that the Quidditch Match Day is going to be one with repercussions...

Hope you enjoyed it anyway – please take a moment to tell me what you like or didn’t.



This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=1196