Chapter 24 - The Photosession

They were already on their way to the greenhouse when they heard a familiar voice calling for them.

They turned around, and Severus' face lit up. "'Mione!" Severus looked up at Charlie, who still held his hand.

"Hello, Severus, how are you?" Hermione asked and knelt down in front of him. She stroked his hair gently and pulled her hand away quickly when Pookah peeked out of Severus' sweater. "Oh, who is this?"

"Pookah," Severus said proudly. "Pookah is mine. Look!" Severus pet Pookah's head and the little animal started to cacker.

"Oh, he is really cute." Hermione reached for the weasel to pet him as well, but Charlie quickly grabbed her hand.

"What are you meant to tell people about Pookah, Severus?" Charlie asked.

"Erm..." Severus tried to remember what Charlie meant, but couldn't. He sadly lowered his head. "I don't know."

"That he is a little wild and has to come to the person and decide if he wants to be touched," Charlie explained as he patted Severus' hair. "It's important that you remember it next time, okay? You don't want him to bite anyone."

"Pookah is a good boy," Severus said and looked with big eyes up to Charlie.

"I didn't say he isn't, Sev. But not everyone likes to be touched, and Pookah here wants to decide for himself who he wants to touch him," Charlie said calmly.

"Okay," Severus said and turned to Hermione. "Do you want to play with us? We go to Aunt Pommy and Ro."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I've got the day off, and I would love to play with you." She couldn't resist and scooped Severus in her arms. Carefully not to disturb the weasel, but close enough to cuddle with Severus. Pookah again curled himself around Severus neck to avoid to being crushed between the humans. When Severus cuddled Hermione, Pookah ran over onto Hermione's shoulders and rubbed his head against her chin.

"Look Arlie, Pookah likes Mione, like you," Severus said happily. He didn't notice the blush that crept over Charlie's and Hermione's faces, nor the shy smiles they were exchanging.

"And you don't like me like Pookah?" Hermione faked to be very sad about this.

"Sure," Severus said loudly and hugged Hermione tightly.

Hermione laughed, and Charlie ruffled Severus' hair. "Isn't he a little Casanova? He's melting the hearts of every female around him," Charlie said, amused.

"Only the hearts of the females? I would doubt that," Hermione objected.

Charlie only grinned at that. "Why are you here?"

"I met Poppy to talk about my apprenticeship with her during the next school year. We still had to clarify some formalities."

"Harry is also here, or I hope he still is here. We had a little problem a few minutes ago. We-"

"What happened? Is he okay? Is his leg giving him problems?" Hermione started to ask frantically.

"Calm down Hermione, he is okay. You should really stop fussing over him. He is a grown man. Give him some freedom." Charlie tried to calm her.

"I don't fuss over him. He is stubborn, Charlie. He doesn't do the exercises the Healers ordered him to do, and he doesn't eat properly. I'm an upcoming Mediwitch. How can I ignore this?" Hermione asked while placing Severus back on the ground.

"You can," Charlie said directly.

"What? Are you crazy?" Hermione became more and more agitated.

"No, I'm not. Harry is an adult, and when he decides to not do the exercises then you should accept this. As well as his eating habits, Hermione. You are his friend and not his Healer. And he needs you as a friend now and not as a Mediwitch. You and Mum are making him crazy. Leave him be or one day he will leave forever."

Hermione looked shocked at Charlie and tears were starting to fall down her face. "He is my friend. I can't..." She started to sob.

"Hermione, please, I did't want to make you cry, but Harry is really on edge." Charlie uncertainly came closer and hugged her.

"Don't cry, Mione," Severus said and hugged the legs of both adults.

Charlie let go of Hermione, and she knelt down again. "Yes, you are right, Severus. We wanted to have fun, not cry." She gently kissed him on his forehead.

"Severus, why don't you go with Hermione to Aunt Pommy, and I'll meet you there later?"

"Will you find, Harry?" Severus asked.

"I will try, Sev. And you will try to behave. You'll listen to Hermione and won't run away, okay?"

"Severus big boy," Severus said and pointed at himself.

"Yes, you are a big boy. I'm sure Charlie doesn't have to worry," Hermione said as she stood up again. She turned to Charlie and softly touched his arm. "We will wait for you at the greenhouse. Take care of Harry." She looked worriedly up at him.

Charlie cupped the back of her head and closed the distance between them. After pausing shortly, he turned his face and kissed her forehead. "Sure."

While Charlie strode away with big steps, Hermione took Severus' hand. "Come on, Severus, let's meet Professor Sprout."

"But I want to visit Aunt Pommy," Severus protested.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, but I can hardly call her Aunt Pommy, Severus, because she isn't my aunt. She was my Herbology teacher when I went to school here."

"And Arly?" Severus asked curious?

"He wasn't teaching here when I was a student. He'll start this year." Hermione thought about reminding Severus that Charlie took over his job, but decided against it. It would only confuse Severus.

"And Uncle Al? And Aunt Poppy?" Severus asked as they headed for the greenhouse.

"Madam Pomfrey, your Aunt Poppy, was already the Mediwitch of Hogwarts and your uncle Al was my DADA teacher. I just finished my last school year a year ago, Severus."

"DADA, what's that? Something funny?"

"No, it isn't funny. School subjects aren't supposed to be funny, Severus. Students should learn in them, not do silly, funny things in them," Hermione lectured.

"Then I don't want to go to school," Severus stated dryly.

"Oh, but you will learn a lot of useful things, and you are allowed to do magic. If you don't go to school, you won't get a wand."

"I can take Mum's or Dad's wand or Uncle Al's," Severus said.

"If you don't learn to use it right it would be too dangerous. You have to go to school to learn how to use it."

"Learning is stupid."

"Severus," Hermione said, scolding.

"But I don't want to go to school when it is no fun," Severus said sulkily.

"My baby don't want to go to school? Then Aunt Pommy is very sad," Pomona said while stripping off the gloves she used for de-gnoming the garden.

"Aunt Pommy," Severus cried out, letting go of Hermione's hand and ran over to the Herbology teacher. Pookah jumped from his shoulders and ran after a garden gnome.

Pomona lifted Severus in her arms. "So what was that about not wanting to go to school and what is this?" She pointed at Pookah, who was trying to catch one of the gnomes.

"Pookah you are not allowed to run so much. Hagger said no." Severus scolded the animal while trying to dodge Aunt Pommy's wet kisses.

"You can't hold a weasel when it's hunting. It could have spared me the de-gnoming if I had known you would come with him. Look how they run. A very useful pet you have there." She placed another wet and loud kiss on Severus' cheek and then turned to Hermione. "Oh, Miss Granger, how nice to see you again."

"Hello, Madam Sprout, it's nice to see you as well," Hermione replied.

Severus wriggled free of his aunt's arms and ran after Pookah.

Both women stood smiling at the boy while he tried to catch his pet.

"So what was this about not wanting to go to school?" Pomona asked.

Hermione blushed. "I fear I said that school isn't fun, and now he decided not to go to school at all."

Pomona laughed. "Oh, when he realizes that all around him can use magic and he can't, he will pester Minerva and Albus to let him attend school early. Don't worry, dear."

"He was talking about meeting Ro, Madam Sprout. Who is that?" Hermione asked.

"That's Professor Hooch. If the rumours are right, you are starting to work as an apprentice for Poppy here soon. So I'm Pomona or Pommy, whatever you prefer." With that she gave Hermione her hand.

"Thanks, Pro...Pomona. But then you have to call me Hermione." She smiled at her former teacher.

"Look, Mione, I got Pookah," Severus shouted while lying on his back holding Pookah above him.

"Yes, I see, Severus."

"So why are you with little Sev here?" Pomona asked curiously.

"Charlie asked me to. He wanted to find Harry. There must have been a problem earlier."

"Oh, yes, I saw him stalking in the forest."

"In the forest?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Calm down, Hermione. He looked as if he had to cool down a bit. It's the middle of the day, and he is quite capable of taking care of himself." Pomona took Hermione's hands in hers to calm her. "Ah, and speaking of the devil there he comes."

Hermione spun around and saw Charlie and Harry coming over to them. She sighed, relieved.

"Give him some freedom, Hermione. Too much worry and nagging isn't good for him," Pomona said gently.

"You are the second to say this to me, but it doesn't make it easier."

"I know, my dear, I know," Pomona said understandingly.

"Harry," Severus ran over to the two wizards. "Look, Pookah, is a usy pet. He pushed all the gnomies out of Aunt Pommy's garden."

"He is useful? Really? That's fantastic," Harry said while lifting Severus in the air.

Severus still had Pookah in both hands while Harry let him spin through the air. He giggled happily. When Harry finally stopped the flight and placed Severus on his hip, Pookah ran over to Harry's shoulder and finally on his head. "Hey, little monster. What are you up to?"

Severus giggled like hell. When Pookah placed his tiny feet on Harry's forehead and lowered his head to gnaw on Harry's glasses, Severus laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes.

"Oh, that is cute," Pomona said and made a magical photo with the camera she always had in her pocket to capture the progress of some of her plants. She copied the photo and gave one to Harry and one to Severus.

"Thank you, Aunt Pommy," Severus said happily while looking in awe at the photo. "Can you make one with Arlie and Hermione and me?"

"Sure, just go over to them," Pomona said cheerfully.

Charlie and Hermione kneeled down so that each of them was on one side of Severus. Severus body was covering their hands that had encircled behind his back, but he could feel it and grinned at Hermione. "Arlie good boy." So the photo showed a grinning Severus and two surprised looking adults.

"And now with you, Aunt Pommy," Severus shouted while running over to her.

Charlie and Hermione hardly had time to let their hands go, and so Harry and Pomona also had a glimpse of what had happened behind Severus back. Pomona just grinned, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Will you take the photo of us, Harry?" Pomona asked him.

"Sure." Harry took the camera, and Pomona lifted Severus up in her arms.

"Okay, then say cheese," Harry ordered, but the moment he pressed the release button Pookah decided to inspect the camera and looked directly into the lens. The flash shocked the little creature, and so it jumped down and ran over to Severus. Quickly he crawled under Severus sweater again and peeked cautiously out of its neck.

After laughing about the photo of Pookah in his hand, Harry lifted the camera again. "Okay next try."

One click and the picture was taken. It showed a still cautious looking Pookah, Pomona kissing Severus on the cheek and Severus, who wrinkled his face, laughing, because of his Aunt's wet kiss.

With four photos in the back pocket of his trousers, which he was eager to show Ro, Severus ran happily in the direction of the Quidditch pitch as the three young adults followed him slowly.