Harry sat at the table across from his father who was placing scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon on his plate watching his son as he did so.

“Don’t pout.”

Harry glared at his father. It did not work on his father, as his father had perfected said glare himself before Harry had ever even been thought of.

“I’m not.” Harry spouted off, slumping down in his chair.

The night before they had gotten home kind of late from Hogsmeade, and Severus had sent him directly upstairs to get ready for bed.

It had been nine and Harry had felt that it was too early but he had not complained.

Harry was actually quite thankful that the day had gone so smoothly, and his Dad had not been a git all day.

When Severus had come upstairs to check on him, Harry had been in bed on top of the covers, nearly asleep.

“Get under the covers, Son.”

“We go’ta talk, tho’.” Harry had said, his eyes getting heavier and heavier.

“No worries, son, we shall talk in the morning. Bright and early.”

And, what he had said was true.

Severus had woke him up at seven thirty for breakfast, with threats after he had tried to fall back asleep.

Harry stabbed at his pile of eggs.

“Harry, you brought this upon yourself. You knew that you would have to answer for your misbehavior eventually.” Severus pointed out to him.

“It was only detention. It’s not like it’s the first time that I have gotten detention! I have had detention plenty of times this year alone! What makes these three times so special?”

" You are not helping your case. You have gotten three detentions in three weeks for outlandish behaviors, Harrison Severus Snape. Not petty things like forgetting to do your homework, which, by the way, I know has also not been up to standards. You haven’t done anything in History of Magic for several class sessions. You got detention for hexing Draco two days ago, and smarting off to Professor McGonagall. You got detention twice from Umbridge, who you have been told to stay silent in front of. Your mouth has gotten vulgar, which you know I will not accept. Have I left anything off?”

Harry shrugged. Like he was really going to point anything else out with all the trouble he was already in!

“Well, I think that you shall be grounded until Christmas Eve. Depending on how you behave between now and then will determine if you are still grounded the day after Christmas.”

“That’s not fair, Dad!” Harry nearly wailed.

“And why, pray tell, not?” Severus said leaning his arms on the table and staring at Harry.

“Because! Draco deserved to get hexed! I shouldn’t have gotten detention for that!”

“From what I understand, you didn’t get detention for that, but for telling Professor McGonagall to ‘shove it’. You are lucky that detention was all you recieved for that statement.”

With this, Harry blushed. He had told his head of house to shove it. He had gotten a tongue lashing to equal any of his father’s that night at detention.

“So, maybe I deserved that one, but Umbridge’s detentions were not fair!” Harry yelled at his father.

“Harrison, I will only tell you this once: you will watch you tone when you are speaking to me. I am not one of your friends. When you speak to me, you speak to me with respect, as you well know.”

Harry glared at his father. Yes. He knew that his father valued respect more than anything else. He had learned that lesson as a small child to be respectful towards his father or face the consequences. Harry was convinced he had stood in the corner and earned more swats in passing than any other child in the universe.

“Harry, if you want any freedom over the holiday break, you will mind your attitude.”

“I haven’t said anything!”

“Your actions speak louder than words, Son.”

“What does my grounding entail then?” Harry said, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I think it will start with you standing in that corner before you get into more trouble.” Severus said, pointing to a corner in the living room that was visible from the kitchen.

Harry looked at his father.

“I am too old for the corner!”

“I thought so, too. Until you began acting like a small child. Now, go.”

Harry looked at his father with a glare and finally stood up.

“You know what, Dad? You are like that bloody muggle Christmas character! That green one with no heart! Grinch! Yea! Mr. Grinch! You just love ruining the holidays!” Harry yelled.

The only thing that saved Harry at that moment was that he went directly to the corner Severus had directed him towards, giving Severus time to calm down.

Bloody brilliant holiday this is turning out to be, was the only thought that crossed Severus’ mind.