Autum 1988

Harry woke late the next morning. Sitting up, he realised two things. Firstly, he was in the same room he had been the day before and secondly, that it hadn't been a dream. His thoughts were much clearer and as he remembered the details of the day before he could barely suppress a wince. It was a wonder that Severus hadn't punished him considering how rude he had been. Looking around, he noticed a tray floating next to him with his breakfast and a small note written in Severus' elegant handwrite. It told him that after he had eaten he would need to get dressed and come down to the man's office for a talk. Not really liking the tone of the letter, Harry took his time eating and getting ready.

Once he couldn't procrastinate more, he slowly walked down the stairs and headed to Severus' office. Harry knocked softly on the robust door, half hopping the other man would not be there. To his disappointment he was granted permission to enter almost at once, giving him no choice but to enter the office where Severus was sitting in. The man was busy taking some notes from a thick, old looking book and didn't look up when the boy entered. Harry stood there undecided. He knew he was allowed to sit down unless he was in trouble. Since he wasn't sure if he was in trouble for his behaviour the day before, he settled on the lesser of two evils and remained standing.

Severus glanced up at him for a moment, but since he didn't invite him to sit, the thought that he was in trouble was reinforced, making Harry wince slightly. The older Silvanimus made him wait nearly twenty minutes before he finally closed the book and put his notes away. Once that was done, the older man's gaze finally fell on the nervous boy.

Harry returned the gaze for a brief moment before lowering it to the ground. He must be in so much trouble, yet, Severus' face didn't express anger just seriousness, which gave him a bit of hope that he would not end up with a sore behind.

The older man put him out of his musings as he finally broke the oppressive silence. “I am sure you remember what happened yesterday.” By Harry's wince, Severus knew the boy was aware to exactly which part of yesterday he was talking about. “I will let it slide this time, as, despite what you have been telling me, you were not really well. But I want you to keep in mind that that kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. I don't tell you to do things

for the sake of doing so. If I tell you to do something I expect you to do it or to ask for an explanation, but I will not tolerate you refusing to do as you're told just because you don't feel like obeying. Do you understand?”

Harry nodded slightly, gaze still firmly trained to the ground. “Yes, sir.”

Severus had told him that several times all ready but sometimes it just slipped his mind, which often landed him in trouble. It was a wonder Severus was not going to do anything about it this time.

“There's another matter I wish to discuss with you.” Harry thought maybe it was about not only disobeying but also about being rude yesterday, but Severus soon disabused him on that notion. “It was brought to my attention that you were exhausted. Your teacher told me you nearly fell asleep in class. She even went as far as to ask if you had problems here at home. I should have noticed myself as you looked like you were about to collapse, but regrettably I didn't .”

Harry frowned and finally looked back up to his guardian. “I don't have any problems, sir. I'm...” He blushed slightly and corrected what he was about to say. “I'm better now. I was just a bit tired.”

Severus sat back. “Really? I don't think it was just that” Not giving the boy a chance to reply, he continued. “Why didn't you tell me you were not able to keep up with the lessons? That they were just becoming too much?”

Knowing at once that Severus was talking about his studies, Harry's face crumbled slightly. “They are not too much, I'm sorry, sir, I'll try to do better.”

Severus sighed. “I didn't say you weren't doing well, Harry. Your grades at school are exceptional and you're progressing very well in my lessons, that is not the point. Why do you need to review once the lessons are done with?”

Harry bit his lip. His voice very small as he finally answered. “I can't remember everything you tell me if I don't review it, and you get so angry when I can't answer your questions...”

The older Silvanimus shook his head. “There shouldn't be any need for you to have to go over the material again.”

Severus watched in concern as the boy threw his arms around himself, as if hugging himself. His voice was a bit watery as he answered. “Then I'm just stupid, but I really tried to do my best. Please, I'll try to do better, but don't send me back and take the bond away.”

Severus was around the desk in a flash. He had been a bit of a bastard just now, but he had needed to know what was behind the boy's need to work himself to exhaustion. He knew that the need to please him would be part of it but not the root of the problem. That the child was still afraid he would be send back shocked him. It had been more than a year, surely the boy knew he would not send him anywhere.

Hugging the child to his chest, he sat down, drawing Harry to him till the boy was sitting rigidly in his lap.

“Hush now, child. Listen to me Harry. There is no way I will ever send you back to your relatives or anywhere else for that matter. I thought you knew that already.”

Harry had buried his head in the man's shoulder, refusing to look Severus in the eye as the older man keep talking. “You are not a stupid child, and I don't want to hear you say so again. You have the best marks in your class and you not only have to study for those but you also have to keep up with my lessons, which you have been doing so far. But Harry, it was never my intention to work you so hard. I thought you memorised everything during our lessons.”

Harry whimpered slightly. “I'm sorry. I really tried.”

Severus rubbed his back reassuringly. “I know you did. And when you couldn't you found a solution, which in itself was not a bad one if it had been a one-time thing. Harry, the problem of having one to one lessons is that I'll go at your pace. If you're doing well I'll think the lessons are easy and I'll just keep going. You need to tell me when you see that you can not catch up so that I'll know to slow down. This is not a race, there is no time limit in which to learn everything I wish to teach you.”

Harry was listening intently at those words, nodding from time to time to show that he was aware of what the man was saying as he still refused to remove his face from the comfortable spot. “But you get angry when I don't know something.”

Severus shook his head. “In part it is because I have a temper, and you know that very well, you know I'm prone to shouting and that I usually don't mean it quite that way.” Severus smiled slightly as he heard the soft chuckle coming from his shoulder. “There's of course also a small part of me that is convinced that you'll prefer to do your best before angering me. But I promise I'll try to curb my temper so long as you do your best. All right?”

“Ok.”

“And no more hours long reviewing, the evenings are for you to relax.”

When no answer came to that, he forced Harry to leave his hiding place and to finally face him. The child's eyes were a bit damp, a clear sign of the tears he had just shed. Severus forced the child to look him directly. “I don't want you to overwork yourself again, I want you to tell me when you have a problem remembering things or understanding them. Understood?”

Harry gave a small sigh before nodding his head. A small part of him was grateful as he had not really liked having to study so much all the time, but another part was still afraid Severus would send him away if he didn't go well. Seeing the hesitation in the boy's eyes, the Silvanimus decided he would have to check on him more often during the evenings, to ensure that he was relaxing.

They were both shaken out of their thoughts as a letter suddenly appeared out of thin air. Putting Harry on his feet, Severus stood up and walked over to the desk, taking the letter and leaning against the sturdy wood.

Harry watched curiously as Severus quickly read the letter and gave a small satisfied smile.

“Good, very good.” Looking up he gave the boy looking up at him a small smile. “Go to your room and pack clothes for about a week, we're leaving.”

Harry blinked. “What? Where? What about school?”

Severus gently pushed him out of his office. “We're going on a small holiday, pack for warm weather. Where to, you'll have to wait and see. And as for school I have already made arrangements with your teacher. Go now, and no school books, there will be plenty of things to do there, I don't want you to think about your studies until we come back.”

With those words he closed the door behind him, leaving a bemused Harry standing in the middle of the hall.

About two hours later, both Silvanimus took a portkey Severus had got via mail. It would take them directly towards the place they would be remaining for the next ten days. Harry had tried to get their destination out of the man but his guardian had remained stubbornly quiet, refusing to say a word on the matter.

Harry opened his eyes slowly as the portkey deposited them on their destination. He blinked twice and then gasped at the beautiful picture that met his eyes. All he saw was an enormous expanse of deep blue water. The sun was just shinning on it, giving golden sparks as the waves gently lapped at the ground they were standing on. He had never seen the sea before, only pictures of it, and Harry realised that they didn't do it any justice. The sight was just breathtaking and a feeling of peacefulness started to run over him.

Severus, who had remained silent at his apprentice's side, smiled slightly at the look of wonder that had come over the boy's face. Harry had often expressed the desire to see the sea some day and the older man had kept that in his memory. He was reluctant to disturb the boy's thoughts, but there was someone waiting for them.

“I take it you like the sight?”

Harry didn't even turn to look at him. “It's wonderful, much better than I ever thought it would be.”

“Good, then you'll enjoy swimming in it even more.”

The child finally turned to stare at him. “We can really go swim?” Then he frowned. “I don't know how to swim.”

Severus rolled his eyes slightly. “Of course we'll go swimming, why else do you think we're here? And don't worry, we'll teach you. Now, we need to go up to the house as our host is waiting for us.”

For the first time Harry noticed that they were on a sandy patch that led out to a cozy house. It was not as large as Severus' home, but it somehow felt very welcome. Severus started to walk the path up to the house, leaving Harry no other choice but to follow. Once they reached the door Severus didn't even have the chance to knock before it was thrown open. Harry looked up at the tall man that smiled down at them. He was taller than even Severus and much more robust. Harry could easily see the man's muscles bulging from his t-shirt.

“Master Severus, you finally decided to pay me a visit!”

Harry blinked as the younger man enveloped the stern Silvanimus in a bear-hug. His surprise was tempered with amusement as Severus patted the man on the back once before struggling free, a scowl on his face.

“Must you always carry on so, Brian? You know I don't like being manhandled like that.”

Harry had to repress a laugh as a chastised look covered the blond man's face. It was quite ridiculous on such a large man.

“So sorry, Master, I tend to forget that.”

His words were belied by the glint the filled the man's clear eyes. Harry remained standing at the back, looking at the interaction between both men. He could hardly believe that this man might have been one of Severus' apprentices, but he was called Brian and Harry could feel a special something about him, just like what he felt when he was with Severus. On top of that, the large man was calling his guardian Master.

Severus shook his head. “I'm sure you do.” Then, turning slightly so he could watch Harry, he nodded towards the tall man. “Harry, I would like to introduce you to Brian, he was my apprentice about thirty years ago and as you saw he is still as unruly as he was as a boy, with the downside that I can no longer punish him accordingly.”

The larger man laughed happily at the dry statement. “Aww, come on, I was not that bad.”

“No, you were even worse.”

Brian chuckled and turned to look at the child. “Good meeting you Harry. It's always fun knowing that Master Severus has a new victim.” He blinked slightly and looked the child over. “You're quite a bit younger than I expected. You said he had been with you for a year already Master, but he does not look older than seven.”

Severus snorted. “And since when are you an expert in children, Brian? But you are right, Harry just celebrated his ninth anniversary, he went early through his first awakening.” Before the other man could comment, Severus continued. “Are you going to let us in or will we have to continue standing here?”

Brian shook his head and stepped aside. “Sorry, come in.” He led them to a spacious living room before turning to talk to them. “I hope you don't mind, Harry, but you'll have to take the couch in here, I only have one other bedroom.”

The boy quickly nodded, looking over the couch, it was a very large and soft looking couch and he was small enough so he would be able to stretch fully out on it. Brian pointed to a small, wooden trunk.

“You can leave your things in there, I emptied it so you could use it.”

Harry nodded and watched as the two men left the room to get Severus settled in his own room. He quickly put his bag away and went to one of the large windows. It gave him a perfect view of the outside.

He was still standing there when Brian returned to the living room, a small smile on his humorous face.

“So, kid, how is live with the Master?”

Harry turned slightly, a small frown on his face. “It's fine, I love living with him.” He hessitated a second before grinning slightly. “Most of the time at least.”

Brian chuckled. “Yes, I know exactly what you mean.”

Harry relaxed slightly, realising it was true. This was one man who knew exactly what living with Severus was like. “Did you live with him for very long?”

He had been curious about that for a while. He knew Severus had told him he would be able to stay with him till he reached his majority, but he didn't know exactly when that was.

Brian chuckled. “For nearly fifteen years, I was twenty-four when I finally decided I was ready to leave.”

The child blinked. “You were the one who decided to leave?”

Brian looked at him curiously. “Of course. Master Severus would have never thrown me out. Surely you know that by now.”

Snape's dry voice stepped into the conversation. “Harry has some issues about that matter, he is convinced I'll throw him out at the slightest chance.”

The boy's cheeks flushed. “I do not.”

The oldest Silvanimus' incredulous glare let him know what exactly he thought about that, but he let the matter go. Instead he nodded to the window. “We are wasting our time. I thought you would be in your swim trucks by now, you surely want to go to the beach.”

Harry's face brightened at once. “Can we go already?”

Severus shook his head. “Of course, silly boy. As soon as you've changed.”

Brian chuckled as the child disappeared from their side and rushed to get the proper garments to spend a day at the beach. Severus turned to look at him.

“I trust you'll be coming with us.”

The younger man nodded. “Sure I will, it's not like I have anything better to do right now.”

The dark haired man nodded in agreement and went to gather his own things.

The next few days passed in pure bliss. Harry spent most of his time outside at the beach. Brian was teaching him how to swim which was both tiring and fun. In the evenings he would just lie next to the spot Severus had claimed as his and nap. While the older man always went with them, he settled in a conjured armchair and spent his days reading or talking to Brian. Sometimes Harry listened to their conversations in amazement. He could barely understand what they were talking about and that somehow clashed with the image he had had about the younger man. Brian was nearly Severus' complete opposite except when it came to his knowledge. At first Harry had wondered who had been insane enough to place a man such as Brian in Severus' care, but after their talks he started to understand. Besides he could tell Brian held a great deal of affection for the older man, it was clear in many ways and Harry hopped he could have such an easy relationship with his guardian when he grew up.

The nights were spent in the living room where Brian used the time to tell him tales about his own time as Severus' apprentice. Harry always ended up having a stitch in his side from all the laughing he did, it seemed Brian had been a little terror when he was younger and had put Severus in nearly every situation one could imagine. Severus, who pretended to read, inserted his own comments from time to time making the stories even more amusing. During that time Harry learned something important. Severus would not abandon him for being naughty, mischievous or outright defiant. Oh, he would be punished for it, but never abandoned. After all, if he had dealt with Brian till he was twenty-four he sure would keep Harry around since he was not even half as much trouble as the other man had been.