True Heart by mandancie
Summary: Starting a new adventure, Harry learns there's more to life than what he's seen.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Godfather Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Dumbledore, McGonagall, Ron
Snape Flavour: Snape is Angry, Snape Comforts, Snape is Kind, Snape is Loving, Out of Character Snape, Snape is Stern
Genres: Angst, Family, General, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe
Takes Place: 1st Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Bullying, Out of Character, Physical Punishment Spanking
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 28 Completed: No Word count: 100574 Read: 59878 Published: 12 Jul 2020 Updated: 07 Mar 2024
Chapter 10: Change in the Tide by mandancie
Author's Notes:
Enjoy!

“Molly,” Arthur called out. “You’ll never guess who I brought home for dinner.”


Molly walked into the entry room next to the kitchen. “Who? It better not be someone from work.”


“Well, I met him at work,” Arthur said, smirking. 


“Hey, mum.”


“Bill!” Molly exclaimed as she rushed to her oldest, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Sweetie, what are you doing here? No, have you eaten?”


“I needed to ask you about Fabian and Gideon,” Bill said. 


“Not something I expected you to ask about,” Molly said.


“I know, mum.” Bill sat down at the table. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. It’s for work and I found some ancient runes that I think Uncle Fabian created.”


Molly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her brothers were powerful wizards. She saw them in her twin sons every day. But to hear that her brother created something that would stump the Goblins at Gringotts was surprising. 


“Let’s eat first,” Molly said. “I would have to look through their things. You don’t mind waiting, do you?” 


“Any excuse to stay home and have a home-cooked meal-”


“Now, son,” Arthur started, but Molly’s voice rose over his.


“How dare you? You don’t ever need a reason to come home.”


“But mum-” Bill began, shocked at how angry his mom sounded. Bill was about to open his mouth again when his mum gripped his shoulders and turned him towards the back part of the house.


“Not another word,” Molly fussed. “Go get cleaned up, so we can have dinner.”


Molly watched her oldest son head towards the bathroom and went into the kitchen and started getting the food on the plates. 


Bill walked in freshly cleaned and sat down at the table adjacent to his dad.


Molly brought over two plates, setting them down in front of her men. Before she left to get her plate she came up behind Bill and wrapped her arms around him from behind.


“I don’t ever want you to think you need a reason to come home,” Molly whispered in Bill’s ear. 


“I know, mum,” Bill replied, leaning back into his mother’s warmth. He loved being on his own, but deep down he missed being with his parents as well. 


___000___000___000

The pain was the worst he’s ever felt. When the pain started to ease, Harry was able to open his eyes and see that once again his ‘safety’ was there. And when he crawled into his arms; the pain completely vanished. 


Once again, Severus was sitting in a transfigured chair with Harry in his arms. He figured he might as well make the chair a permanent fixture in the wing for as many times he’s had to use it. And the term wasn’t even over yet. Severus shook his head at that thought. 


He indulged the child long enough. It’d been thirty minutes since Albus left. He figured it was long enough for the child to have calmed down enough so they could talk.


As if the child knew what was going to happen, Harry’s body tensed in Snape’s arms.


“Mr. Potter,” Severus said. “We must talk.”


A small whine came from the child, and Severus had to school himself from chuckling at the boy. 


“Mr. Potter, I know you are awake,” Severus said softly. “Sit back so we can talk.”


Severus felt the boy shaking his head against his shoulder.


“Now, Potter,” Severus' voice had a hint of sternness. “I will not have this conversation looking down at your back. I need some questions answered, and I would like the respect of you looking at me and not hiding.”


Severus felt a shiver rack Harry’s small frame. He couldn’t help to soothe the child. “All will be alright.”


A small almost inaudible whine came from Harry when he released the grip he had on Severus’ robes. Slowly he sat back on Severus’ lap. Part of him wished Snape wouldn't make him stand up. 


When Harry felt his Professor’s hands go under his arms, the child lurched forward colliding into Severus’ chest causing the man to grunt in pain from the force of contact.


“Mr. Potter,” Severus chided. “This is totally unnecessary.”


“Don’t want to hurt,” Harry mumbled against Severus’ robes.


“You can’t stay attached to me forever,” Severus said. When he felt a small nod against his shoulder, a small snort escaped his lips even if he didn’t want to laugh. Insolent child.


“Mr. Potter.” Severus decided to use another tactic. “If you don’t want to be scrubbing cauldrons for the foreseeable future, you will release me so that we can talk.”


Another whine came from Harry, but he did sit back and climb off Severus’ lap. 


“‘M sorry, sir,” Harry mumbled. His head lowered, staring at Professor Snape’s shoes.


“My eyes are up here,” Severus said, though not harshly.


When Harry lifted his head, Severus handed the child his glasses.


“Mr. Potter, I know that what you experienced was frightening,” Severus started out. “I’m sure you have questions as to what is happening.”


Harry wanted to nod but was scared that his head would hurt again. “Yes, sir.” His voice was a whisper. 


“Can you tell how it started? Where were you?” Severus asked.


Harry started biting his lip while twisting his fingers in his sweater vest.


Severus let out a small sigh as he leaned forward to free the child’s fingers from the fabric, then carefully pulled his lip free from between the boy’s teeth. 


Without thinking, Severus put his hands under Harry’s arms and lifted him so Harry was sitting on his knee.


The movement shocked Harry but didn’t feel strange. Almost like it was normal. He wanted to lean against his Professor’s chest but stayed upright.


“This is a nasty habit you have, Potter,” Severus admonished lightly as he, once again, checked the child’s bitten lip. “You are going to severely damage your lip.”


“Sorry, sir,” Harry said when Snape released his lip.

 

Severus harrumphed in acknowledgment. “Now answer my question.”


“I was coming back from Hagrid’s,” Harry started, then panicked when he realized he didn’t see his photo album. “Where is it?” He started searching around the area of the cot, almost falling off Severus’ lap. 


“What on earth are you doing, Potter?” Absent-mindedly, he wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist, so the child didn’t fall. Deep down he knew he should put the boy down on the floor so he would be standing on his own two feet, but for some strange reason, he couldn’t make himself act on it.


“My album,” Harry cried. “It has my parents in it.”


“Mr. Potter, please calm yourself,” Severus said, shaking his arm to get the boy’s attention. “I have it. Hagrid gave it to me when he left the Infirmary.”


Severus pulled the photo album from inside his robes and handed it to Harry. “Now you were saying.”


With the album now clutched in his arms, Harry leaned against Severus with his head on Snape’s shoulder. “I was coming back from Hagrid’s. I played with Fang and had tea with Hagrid.”


“What else?”


Severus, once again, was about to remove the child from his lap, but Harry was calm and talking, so he decided to let it go. He didn’t want to admit that it just felt nice having the child leaning on him. He never thought it would be possible.  


“When I was coming back, I wanted to find you,” Harry said, absently picking at one of the damaged edges on the album.


“Really?” It still astounded Severus that the boy seemed to always want to seek him out. 


Harry nodded and continued. “I ran into Professor Quirrel. He said that I stole this book from the Library. But I didn’t.” Harry pushed against Severus’ chest so he could sit up and could see the man properly. “I promise. It has pictures of my parents. Hagrid did give it to me.”


Severus remembered how Harry reacted when he, himself, told him about taking books from the library. And how Harry reacted towards him then. Harry was just as adamant as he was then.


“I believe you, Potter,” Severus said, raising his hand to stop Harry’s litany of excuses. “What happened next?”


“He took my book and that’s when my head started hurting. I don’t remember anything after that. Well, not until you came.”


“Did Quirrel touch you?” Severus asked.


“No, sir,” Harry said. “He just took my book from me. When I tried to get it back, my head started hurting.”


Severus thought for a moment and then turned his attention back to the too-small child that seemed to get under his skin.


“It is past dinner, so it seems that you’ve missed two meals,” Severus admonished. This time successfully removed Harry from his lap.


“Sorry, sir,” Harry said quietly.


“I will have food brought up,” Severus said, getting up from the transfigured chair. “You will eat and then head to Gryffindor Tower. No detours.”


“I’m not hungry, sir,” Harry said, following Severus as he walked towards the fireplace to call down to the kitchens.


“You will-” Severus started, but bumped into the child. “Goodness sake, Potter, must you be underfoot? Go sit down on the cot.” Severus’ tone wasn’t harsh.


Harry looked over to where the cot was in regards to the fireplace, and he felt it was too far to be away from his safety. What if the pain came back?


“Please, Professor,” Harry begged.


Severus, not liking how Harry was sounding, knelt in front of the child.


“What’s wrong?” Severus asked. “You will be fine waiting for your food.”


“What if the pain comes back?” Harry whispered, reaching out to get a handful of Severus’ robes. “I’m safe with you. You’re my safety.”


“Mr. Potter,” Severus said. “Does your scar hurt now?”


“No, but it’s because I’m with you,” Harry declared. “I don’t want to be alone. Please, Professor.”


Severus saw tears welling up in the child’s emerald green eyes. He was at a total loss on what to do. The child needed to eat. He had several things that he needed to look into; one of them was finding out what a certain Defense teacher had to do with what happened.


Severus looked down and noticed once again even though Harry was clutching his album, his robe was being twisted in the child’s fingers.


Freeing his robe from small fingers and standing up, he turned Harry towards the row of cots and gave him a light smack on his bum. 


“Go sit down,” Severus whispered in the child’s ear. “You can still see me from the bed.”


Figuring he had no choice, Harry sighed, and with sagging shoulders, he walked over to the cot. Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t know why he was crying. The smack didn’t even hurt. His Professor’s right. He can still see him from the cot. 


A small voice in the back of his head blared, It’s not the same. That thought brought more tears. Harry clutched the album to his chest and lowered his head as he silently cried.


The next thing Harry felt was his album taken from his grip and hands under his arms. Before he could even voice about his album, he was being lifted and wrapped in safety.


Severus removed Harry’s glasses and let the child lean on him. “Sweet Merlin, Potter. There is no need for all these tears.” Severus conjured a warm flannel to wipe the child’s face.


It broke his heart, more than he cared to admit, watching this child looking so despondent. 


___000___000___000

As Minerva walked through the corridors, the last thing she expected was to get a floo call from Severus that he needed to speak to her. He was very cryptic about the reasoning, but she could tell by his voice it was urgent. 


She arrived at the Infirmary within minutes from Severus’ call. To say she was shocked at what she was witnessing would be an understatement. 


Severus was sitting in an overstuffed high-back chair with Harry curled on his lap. Her first thought was to tease him about the fact that he was cuddling the child, but seeing the distressing look on the Potions Master’s face, she held the teasing back. 


“Severus,” Minerva quietly called out.


“He’s not asleep,” Severus said, then softer, “Calm down, child.”


Minerva sat on the cot next to Severus, but on the side where she could look at Harry’s face. It was blotching and tear-stained as he had just been crying.


“What happened?” Minerva asked.


“Have you talked with Albus?” Severus countered.


“No,” Minerva shook her head. “I had detention that I had to oversee. When you called, I had just arrived maybe a half-hour before. Do you want Albus to come down here?”


Harry turned his head as if he was trying to hide in Severus’ chest. 


Severus soothed the child by rubbing his hand up and down Harry’s back. 


Minerva didn’t wait for a response. She sent out her Patronus. Whatever happened, as distressed as Harry is, she didn’t want to put Harry into a repeat recount of what happened.


The fireplace came to life with green flames. Albus walked out of the hearth and headed towards his adopted son and close friend. 


The next hour was spent recapping what Severus learned from Harry. Harry didn’t make a sound. He had his head and hand against Severus’ chest. Hearing and feeling the Potions Master’s heartbeat was calming for the child. The steady, strong beats lulled the child to sleep.


“He is afraid to be away from me.” Severus sounded stressed. “I tried calling the kitchen for a small meal, and I almost tripped over him. He was underfoot.”


“Well, Severus,” Albus said calmly, “you have to see it from Harry’s viewpoint. The poor boy is afraid. And I can’t blame him. Having his scar hurting and nothing could be done to soothe it away outside of being with you. Wouldn’t you want to stay where you didn’t hurt?” Albus paused a beat and then continued. “Come to think about it, you did.”


“We are not talking about me, Albus,” Severus sneered. Though it couldn’t come off as harsh with him cradling Potter in his arms.


“But I believe we are,” Minerva piped in. “What are you really worried about?”  


Severus didn’t like where this conversation was going. He didn’t want to delve into his feelings about this child. He wasn’t supposed to have any. He was supposed to be the evil teacher that the students ran from. Blasted Potter. He should have figured this boy would be trouble. Now Severus was at war with himself. He knew the best thing to do for himself was to push the boy off of him and destroy whatever feelings he had for him. But it was like his body wouldn’t do what his brain knew what it was supposed to do.


“This cannot continue, Albus,” Severus said after a moment of silence.


“I don’t think you should stop this,” Albus forewarned. “Harry needs this.”


“I don’t.” Severus countered. Looking over at Minerva, “Take him to his dorm. He’s asleep.”


“Severus, don’t shut him out,” Minerva pleaded. “He obviously needs you.”


“I don’t,” Severus said, standing up and transferring the sleeping child into Minerva’s arms. “This is his,” placing the small album next to her. “He’s better off away from me,” Severus said before walking out of the Infirmary.


Albus and Minerva watched as the bull-headed Potions Professor stubbornly walked out the double doors.


___000___000___000

Molly searched in her closet for her twin brothers’ shrunken trunks. It had been a long time since she’d gone through them. Losing her brothers like she did hurt her more than she let everyone believe. 


She believed that Arthur had an idea, but never pushed her to talk about it. And this and other small things made her love her husband so much. 


It really wasn’t a hard or long search. They were in the same spot where she put them those years so long ago. Wanting to be strong for her son, she grabbed the two trunks and was about to take them to the living room where Arthur and Bill were waiting. She was shocked when she turned and was engulfed in strong arms. The silent tears began to flow.


Arthur knew how hard it was going to be for Molly to get her brothers’ trunks. He knew how close she was to her brothers. He also knew how she tried to hold in her grief after they died. When Molly left for their room, he didn’t wait a moment after she left to follow her. He didn’t want to disturb her, but be there when she was ready.


When she turned around and he saw the tears in her beautiful eyes, he didn’t waste any time wrapping his arms around her.


“It’s alright, sweetie,” Arthur soothed in his wife’s ear. “Let it out. You’ve been holding this in for far too long.” 


TBC


To be continued...


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