Chapter 3 – In the Limelight

Severus spent the two days in Liverpool brewing various potions. He would stock up and take some with him for Potter, knowing the brat’s penchant to get into mischief, and the rest would be taken back for the Hospital Wing. He hoped some potions might help Nana Bea somehow if he snuck them into her food.

It was mostly an excuse to stay away from Potter. Thankfully, Potter was uncharacteristically well-behaved and remained in the library/second room instead of wandering around his house unchecked.

On the second morning of the winter holidays, Potter was up reasonably early instead of lounging in bed like most teenagers seemed to. Severus glamoured the boy’s trunk to look like an ordinary suitcase and added some Muggle Repelling charms and a Featherlight charm. He would not be lugging Potter’s luggage for him. The boy still had homework to do. Severus didn’t believe the boy had even looked at his homework yet, but that wasn’t his problem. It was the boy’s own responsibility to complete any work assigned. Potter might be pretending to be his son for the holidays, but Severus wasn’t his father and didn’t feel the need to harangue the boy about doing his homework.

At least the room wasn’t in a state. Severus paused as he looked around the kitchen. There was something different about it. He scrutinised the place, eventually twigged to the fact it looked cleaner than usual, not that Severus’ home was messy. But, looking between the countertops and the tiled floor, the kitchen practically gleamed.

He didn’t know if he should be annoyed that Potter was flaunting the special dispensation to use his wand for emergencies only or surprised Potter knew cleaning spells and could perform them well enough. Deciding to leave the issue for now, though he would be addressing it with Potter, of that there was no doubt, if the boy was stupid enough to pull his wand out in front of Severus, or Heaven forbid, his muggle family.

Walking into the sitting, which he noted was similarly polished, Severus took a deep breath and let it out. Instead, he called up the stairs, “Are you planning on coming downstairs at some point today, Potter?”

“Yes...” Pause. “…Dad!”

Severus blinked. Oh right. He would need to get used to Potter calling him that for the next week or so. He swallowed his discomfort and ignored the confusion Potter’s new title for him generated.

ooOoo

Snape locked his house firmly behind them and led Harry to an alley where he reluctantly offered his hand for Side-Along Apparition. Harry tightened his hand on his glamoured trunk and gave the other hand, just as reluctantly, to Snape.

In anticipation of this, he hadn’t had breakfast this morning, hating the sensation of being squeezed through a tube. He knew this was a popular method of travel within the Wizarding community and hoped the sensation was better when performing it for himself rather than Side-Along. He wouldn’t know that until they started teaching him when he reached his sixth year.

They appeared somewhere outside Marple train station, where Snape’s cousin Alfred would come to pick them up.

“Remember, Potter, that my family know nothing of magic,” Snape warned quietly.

“Yes, sir,” Harry answered, refraining from rolling his eyes.

“Severus,” Harry heard a name called from between the crowd. 

A dark-haired man walked through the throng of people. He was as tall as Snape, though where Snape was lean, this man was broad-shouldered, with a protruding belly showing he enjoyed his food. His face was flushed, possibly from the biting wind, though his thick coat made Harry envious. His own jacket barely kept him from feeling the breeze. This actually was bought for him rather than one of Dudley’s cast-offs. Dudley’s coat always ended up in such bad condition, ripped and torn, that even Aunt Petunia couldn’t justify giving it to Harry. So they bought him the cheapest, thinnest jacket they could find. Not bothering to think about keeping him warm as they would their precious Dudders.

Snape’s trench coat must be laden with Warming Charms, as he didn’t even seem to feel the stiff breeze. Harry pulled out his beanie from his pocket and shoved that on his head, bringing it low enough to cover his reddening ears. At least it covered his scar completely. Sticking one hand into his pocket, the other still clutching his glamoured trunk, he wished he had gloves.

“Good to see you, Severus,” the man was saying, sticking his hand out for Snape to shake.

Snape looked like an automaton.

“Alfred. Good to see you, too.”

Harry had to keep his expression blank. A polite Snape? He didn’t know such a being existed. Even if every word was dragged from him.

“This is my son. P-Harry.”

Harry felt Snape’s hand hover above his shoulder but not quite touch. He was impressed. He expected Snape to stumble over his name more than that.

Looking directly at Harry for the first time, Alfred seemed to assess him from head to foot, although his gaze was warmer than Snape’s ever had been. As was his smile. It was genuine and kind. A look very few adults directed at Harry.

“Hello, sir,” Harry greeted politely, offering his hand, still cold despite being shoved in his pocket.

Alfred shook himself from his thoughts and answered Harry.

“Sir? Polite lad. Technically I’m your second cousin, but you can call me Uncle Alfred if you want. Now come on, son. Your hand’s freezing, and you’re starting to shake. Let’s get you in the car where it’s warm, and we’ll be home in no time. Here, let me take your bag.”

His trunk is snatched from him before he can protest.

“Thank you,” Harry said belatedly, throwing an uncertain look towards Snape, who shook his head. Snape had put Muggle-Repelling Charms on there. Alfred shouldn’t have been able to take them.

‘Uncle Alfred’ had spoken more words to Harry in the first minute than Snape had in two days of staying with him.

They followed Alfred to the car park, leading them to a mud-spattered jeep that Harry recognised as a Suzuki.

“Go on, lad,” Alfred gestured for him to get in the car as he walked around with Harry’s trunk and stowed it away with Snape’s suitcase.

Snape moved to the front seat while Harry opened the door to the back.

“Hello,” a shy voice greeted him from the back seat as Harry climbed in.

“Hi,” Harry said back quietly.

“Hi, Uncle Severus,” another voice said timidly.

“Girls,” Snape said in the same stiff voice as before.

Harry wondered if Snape greeted them with a generic ‘girls’ because he didn’t remember their names. If Snape only saw them at Christmas, he obviously spent more time with Hogwarts students than with his own family. He had photographs of all of them, though. They weren’t displayed prominently in his Sitting room. They were in frames in the room Harry had been sleeping in, tucked discreetly between the shelves.

The driver’s side door slammed shut.

“Harry, these are two of my four daughters, Laurel and Bethany,” Alfred introduced with a smile. “Belt’s buckled?”

Harry quickly pulls his belt on.

“Yes, sir.”

Alfred shook his head, amused. “Sir,” he snorted quietly.

Without another word, they drove off. Harry felt the girls giving him curious looks, but neither said anything. Even Alfred gave him backwards glances in the rearview mirror.

“How’s the school, Severus?” Alfred asked.

“Fine.”

The car was filled with an awkward silence.

“How is Nana Bea?” Snape asked.

Even Harry could tell the answer meant a lot to Snape. There was a perceptible pause before Alfred answered.

“Oh, you know. The same,” Alfred answered casually. “Jacky and Gloria have been looking after her.”

Snape managed to give Harry a brief family history. Jacky, short for Jacqueline, was Alfred’s sister. Snape’s father, Tobias, was the youngest of three. Zachary was the oldest, and next, there was Teresa. All three of Bea’s children were dead.  Zachary had two children; Jacqueline, the eldest, and Alfred. Gloria must be Alfred’s wife. Unless she was one of Alfred’s daughters? Harry couldn’t remember.

But he did remember Jacky had three children; two boys (twins) and a girl. Alfred had four daughters. Snape pretended to have one Harry.

The drive to the farm took very little time. Maybe ten minutes in total from the train station. During Spring and summer, he had no doubt the forest areas would have been full of lush greenery. However, when all the leaves had fallen off the trees in winter, Harry saw windy roads full of frost-tipped branches, decorated with the occasional twinkling of Christmas lights. In the distance of various farmhouses, he could see all the Christmas decorations carefully placed on the front of houses.

The day was overcast, but so far, it hadn’t rained. Harry quite liked the outdoors and foliage. It had a quiet appeal, a much more inviting foresty area than the Forbidden Forest. He imagined the only dangerous creatures out here would be wild rabbits, foxes and squirrels.

The driveway to the house was longer than Harry expected, though he shouldn’t have been surprised given that it was a farm. Harry had never been on one before. Dudley had, though. During a school trip, Harry hadn’t been allowed to go on because the Dursleys didn’t want to pay for him. Harry waited until the girls alighted first before jumping out of the jeep. It was a good thing Harry’s trainers weren’t new; otherwise, they would have been ruined already from the mud. It had clearly rained in Marple recently.

When Harry went to the boot to pick up his trunk, Alfred waved him off.

“Nah, I’ve got it, Harry.”

He heaved it effortlessly from the boot, not letting it touch the ground.

“It’s not very heavy,” he commented. “Did you even pack? You know you’ll be here for almost two weeks, right? Unless you’re not staying very long?”

Alfred looked to Snape, who had come around to fetch his own luggage.

“We shall be staying until the new year,” Snape confirmed.

Alfred seemed to release whatever tension he had and nodded. He locked his car.

“Right,” he said. “Right. Come on then.”

Harry left Alfred and Snape trail ahead of him. The girls had already run off towards the house.

“Gloria’s on the night shift today, so you won’t see her until tomorrow,” Alfred told them. Then looking over his shoulder, he continued, “I don’t know if your dad told you. My wife, Gloria, works at Stepping Hill Hospital as a nurse on the Oncology unit.”

Harry nodded, then, for something to say, added, “That’s very brave of her.”

Alfred (and Snape) stopped and turned to give him a look of surprise. He flushed under their attention.

Not looking at Snape, he said, “It’s – I er – One of my neighbours had cancer. He went quickly. He needed round-the-clock care, and he was in pain all the time. I remember the nurse who looked after him. She was always really helpful and cheerful. Until I saw her cry in the garden.”

Alfred smiled at him and continued walking. Snape gave him a speculative glance, which he ignored.

“Gloria’s mum went the same way. She was still in school. She wanted to be a policewoman until that happened. Then her mum fell ill, and she worked her arse off to become a nurse instead.”

The house was decorated with a huge sleigh and reindeers and various-sized snowmen. Harry couldn’t wait to see how the lights looked in the dark.  Approaching the front door, he saw the girls had left it wide open.

“We’re home, ladies,” Alfred yelled.

Harry saw Snape take a step back and flinch at the sudden noise and looked down so that Snape didn’t see the smile on his face.

Reminded of the mud on his trainers, Harry bends down to loosen his shoelaces. Having fallen behind them, Snape bumped into Harry, not having seen him stop.

“What are you doing?” Snape hissed, annoyed.

“I was taking my shoes off. I didn’t want to get mud in the house,” Harry explained.

Snape scowled but didn’t say anything further. Alfred had already taken off his wellies and carried Harry’s trunk inside the house. Harry quickly followed, having taken his own shoes off. Snape closed the front door with a snap behind them. Feeling nervous now, Harry moved forward. Stepping into the Sitting room, he saw the whole family had gathered.

He flinched, startled when he felt Snape’s hand come down on his shoulder. Tensing, he recognised Snape’s fingers digging into his shoulder for the warning that it was. It was nothing more than nerves, he told himself. Stage fright. It happened before he walked onto the stage in the Nativity plays. It happened before he stepped onto the pitch with his broom in hand for a Quidditch match.

He would overcome it. He always had.

“Come in, come in,” Alfred beckoned with a smile.

He followed through the hallway and into the Sitting room. His trunk was off to the side, tucked just behind the sofa and out of the way.

He focused on the Christmas decorations and massive tree first, tucked into the corner, on the opposite side of the fireplace. There was a box of decorations in the box – it seemed they were waiting for Snape and Harry to come before they decorated the tree. Harry hoped he was allowed to help. For the last two years, he’d helped decorate the Gryffindor tree in the Common room and enjoyed the sense of camaraderie with his Housemates when they decorated it together.

Harry took in the sea of faces in front of him. He spotted Nana Bea straight away as she was wheeled in. She looked austere, her face wrinkled and creased in ways that showed she had lived a hard life. Her eyes were lighter than Snape’s, dark brown, whereas Snape’s were black. Her hair, which might have been black in her youth, was entirely white, though thinning and lank. In her eyes was a look that Harry could never imagine in Snape’s, and that was warmth. Like no matter how much life had beaten her down, she still rose above it.

Looking around the rest of the occupants, Harry steeled himself for introductions and his performance. Snape might not have wanted Harry to be his pretend son, but here he was. Snape didn’t know and could never find out, but he saved Harry. Saved him from the Dursleys. So he would do a good job convincing them that he was a part of the family. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have some fun at the dungeon bat’s expense.

ooOoo

No one had told him Nana Bea was in a wheelchair now. Why hadn’t anyone told him? She was walking last year, albeit with a cane, but she was on her own two feet. When had the wheelchair happened? Why hadn’t Jacqueline mentioned it in her letters? Why hadn’t Alfred said something during the drive?

Jacky’s letter mentioned her being ill, but nothing about this.

Deciding not to make a fuss with everyone present, Severus made his way to Nana Bea; sitting beside her wheelchair, he beckoned for Potter to join him.

“Hello, Nana,” Severus greeted, his voice gentling as he bent to hug his grandmother. Her arms came around his shoulders, and he was relieved to feel the strength in them he always had.

“Severus,” she smiled, patting his cheek tenderly with her aged hands. “I was worried you might not make it.”

Her voice was clear and strong as ever. Another part of him relaxed.

“Look who I brought,” he said softly and stepped out of the way to reveal Potter fully.

“Oh,” she exclaimed quietly. “Your son? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Severus pushed down the guilt that twinged at those words.

“Hello,” Potter offered, and then to Severus’s surprise, knelt in front of Nana Bea, letting her pull him into an embrace.

She patted Potter’s messy mop, and it was Potter who pulled back, though she never let go of his hands.

“His name’s – Harry,” Severus forced himself to say.

“You’re a handsome devil, Harry,” Nana Bea laughed, patting Potter’s cheek the same way she had with Severus.

Severus pushed down the jealousy, irrational as he recognised it to be, at the action.

“Oh, and you have the most gorgeous eyes,” she complimented. “It won’t be long before you have girls falling all over you.”

Potter blushed.

“I get them from my mum,” he said quietly.

Severus felt a sharp pain go through his heart and had to bite down another irrational desire to push Potter physically away from his grandmother. Once more, he wished he had been able to bring anyone but Potter.

So far, the boy had been quiet. He had been polite in the car and considerate enough to take off his muddy shoes without being prompted. Perhaps they could get through this without hassle if the boy kept his trap shut and played the shy, bashful brat Severus knew he wasn’t.

“Don’t keep him all to yourself, Nana,” Jaqueline interjected.

Nana Bea let go of Potter, who slowly stood up and came to stand between her and Severus.

“I’m your Aunt Jacky,” the woman asserted, “no matter how formal your dad likes to be.”

They then went through the rigamarole of introducing Alfred and Jacqueline’s children. If Potter were his real son, they would be his second cousins. But Potter wasn’t his son, Severus told himself strictly. A fact he was grateful for. Severus counted down the days when the charade would be over, and they could return to real life.

Jacqueline, he was stunned to discover once she was close enough to embrace him, was pregnant once more. Severus wanted to ask if his cousins needed re-educating in contraception because why else would they have more children if not for accidents.

He dearly hoped Gloria wouldn’t come home with a swollen belly as well. As a nurse, she should be more educated about such matters.

“Severus, you’re in the attic as usual. Is that okay?” Alfred called out.

Severus could do no more than nod. He only usually stayed overnight for Christmas Eve, had dinner on Christmas Day and then made his way back to Hogwarts before he was missed.

He had never stayed longer than that at Alfred’s farm before. Jacqueline had her own house somewhere five minutes away. She was a housewife, primarily, but she and her family often came to Alfred’s. Her husband, Bartholomew, worked with Alfred – they were both Veterinarians, whilst Jacqueline dabbled in jam and preserve making, which she supplied to a local garden centre.

Severus enjoyed the blackberry preserve and always lamented when the jar emptied, and he would have to wait months before he received his next supply at Christmas. It was the only bit of cooking Jacqueline was good at. He was sorely going to miss the House-Elves cooking over Christmas break.

“Harry, I’ve made a bed for you in the den,” Alfred announced, picking up Potter’s trunk again and leading the boy off to the side.

“I’ll be right back, Nana,” Severus promised, taking her hand briefly and squeezing it, relishing the warmth of it. Picking up his own suitcase, an actual suitcase, not glamoured like Potter’s trunk, he took off upstairs onto the first-floor landing, then into a discreetly tucked staircase up to the attic. He gratefully slipped his feet into the slippers provided, taking off his socks upon reaching his room. Unlike the rest of the house, the attic was bare, though it looked like it had been recently dusted in anticipation of his arrival, most likely.

The house's foundations were quite old, though there had been modern additions over the years, which accounted for the different styles depending on which area of the house they were in. The attic was slightly newer than the other bedrooms. He wondered how Alfred could afford to pay for everything, especially with so many children.

Severus knew his cousins had grown much of what they needed because they lived on a farm. Alfred had a herb patch, a vegetable garden, and a decent-sized greenhouse, and many of their meals were home-cooked. Jacqueline didn’t live on a farm; her house was a simple two up, two down that must get overcrowded, more so with another mouth on the way. He knew she and her kids came over to Alfred’s more often than not, as she looked after Nana Bea whilst Bartholomew and Alfred worked with the animals all day, even if their practice was operating out of the stable on the same land.  

He whipped out his wand and unpacked quickly after ensuring he was utterly alone. He then went to the den where Potter would be sleeping to check in with the boy. To his surprise, Potter wasn’t there. His trunk certainly was, though. He recalled Potter’s shock when Alfred took his trunk from him. Severus had to hide his own. Even though he had placed Muggle-Repelling charms on Potter’s trunk, they were so no one in the family, particularly the nosy children, would get the urge to open it. With no one in the room, he added another spell so that no one but he or Potter could open it, and another Muggle-Repelling Charm that would ensure every time his family went to touch the trunk, for whatever reason, they would be distracted by something else, or overlook it completely.

Job done, he nodded in satisfaction and looked around the temporarily converted den. Alfred had added a camping cot for Potter, which looked brand new, as did the pillow and bedding that were neatly folded at the foot. He scowled at the sight of it. They didn’t need to fork out cash they barely afford for Potter. Potter better appreciate the effort they had gone for him. He ignored the fact they would have done the same for anyone Severus brought. Alfred had tried to make the den comfortable for Potter; there was even a small bedside cabinet next to the cot. He was pleased to see that the cabinet was at least second-hand.

He left the den, making his way to the Sitting room, expecting to see Potter with the rest of the family. He wasn’t there. Nana Bea was, though, along with Alexandra, Alfred’s youngest.

“Nana? Where’s – ” He had to stop himself from saying Potter; however, he did manage to temper his tone. Having Potter out of sight for too long was wreaking havoc on his blood pressure.

“Come here, Severus,” Nana Bea patted the seat next to her wheelchair.

Severus did as she bid and watched as she sent Alexandra to wash up.

“Jacky is in the kitchen getting lunch ready. Alfred took Harry and the others to give him a farm tour,” Nana Bea explained, taking his hand in hers.

He let her. She was the only one who would reach for him without hesitation, the only one he would allow to do so. Neither Tobias nor Eileen had been particularly affectionate. Unless fists counted as affectionate. Lily had been open with him; until one ill-spoken word widened the chasm between them, and he thought he’d lost someone caring forever.

Until he lived with Nana Bea, who never hesitated to pull him close, hold his hand, and caress his face. Shower him with warmth and caring. He’d gotten used to seeing Nana like that with everyone: his cousins and their children. Seeing her like that with Potter had irritated him, though. Potter didn’t deserve Nana Bea’s affection. The brat was only here to avoid detention next term and the Quidditch ban Dumbledore threatened him with. It incensed Severus that the boy chose to spend Christmas with strangers rather than his own family simply because he wanted to play a sport. The boy didn’t even have a broom at the moment!

“How are you, Nana? Truthfully,” Severus asked softly, pushing thoughts of the brat out of his mind.

“Oh, don’t you dare fuss, Severus,” Nana Bea waved her free hand dismissively at him.

“Nana,” Severus began strictly, “why didn’t anyone tell me … about this?”

Gesturing at the wheelchair, he waited for her answer.

“I didn’t want to worry you, lad,” she told him. “You’re always so busy at that school of yours. I told Jacky not to mention anything. I have Gloria and the older kids coming to help me if I need it. Which I don’t. I can manage just fine.”

Severus held back a sigh of frustration. Nana Bea could be so ridiculously independent. He debated whether to press harder for answers, but he decided to harangue Alfred and Jacqueline instead.

“Now, tell me more about your Harry,” she said. “Such a lovely lad.”

“Yes, Severus, tell us more about Harry,” Alfred’s voice sounded behind him.

He turned slightly to Alfred entering the Sitting room, and sat opposite Severus.

“He’s such a polite lad, so quiet, Nana,” Alfred told her. Before Severus could ask, he continued, “The girls are introducing him to the rabbits. Don’t expect them back anytime soon.”

“He’s not as polite as he makes himself to be,” Severus said dryly. He didn’t have high expectations of Potter’s ability to play-act and pretend to be anything other than what he was. Better to set the family straight on Potter’s true nature. “His mother and I despair of him sometimes. He’s been acting out quite a bit recently.”

Nana Bea and Alfred listened raptly with matching frowns.

“I’ve had complaints of other students being bullied by him at school; he barely turns his homework in, and when he does, the quality of work is deplorable. He acts out in class. Claudia,” (his fictional mother), “hoped I might be able to set him straight. Probably the only reason she allowed him to stay with me this year. She hoped to have a peaceful Christmas with her husband for once.”

“Truly?” Nana Bea gasped.

“She’s spoiled him too much, and she’s reaping the consequences for it,” Severus nodded. Turning to Alfred, he decided to enact his plan to have the boy work on the farm. “I was hoping you could help me.”

“Of course, Severus. Anything I can,” Alfred said earnestly.

“If you need an extra hand around the farm, then feel free to rope Harry in to help. I was hoping you could show him what a good work ethic looks like. I don’t want him lazing about.”

Alfred nodded thoughtfully.

“He seems like a good lad,” Alfred said bemusedly.

“He looks innocent,” Severus said darkly. “Don’t be taken in by the act.”

Warning delivered, Severus turned back to Nana Bea, listening to her talk about her various great-grandchildren. He noticed Alfred watching them closely but didn’t pay any mind. Alfred was often silent around Severus. The two cousins barely talked to each other.

ooOoo

So that’s the way Snape wanted to play it, Harry thought to himself.

He hadn’t meant to overhear but coming back in to use the loo, Harry couldn’t help himself. Nothing Snape thought about him was new. He already knew the bat thought all those things about him. Harry just didn’t expect him to repeat it to his family, though it shouldn’t have surprised him. Harry knew his reasons for spending Christmas this year with the Snapes weren’t altruistic, but Snape was just spiteful.

Harry would just have to act opposite to what Snape told his family. Snape would get on well with the Dursleys. Only seeing Harry miserable brought them any peace.

He felt it would annoy Snape if Harry got along with his family. If Snape wanted a peaceful Christmas, he should have worked with Harry. Now, Harry would win over Snape’s family, especially Nana Bea. The only person Snape’s eyes crinkled in warmth for.

He would need to act his arse off and work harder than he had for the Dursleys. Glancing speculatively towards the kitchen, he knew just where to start.

He smiled to himself as he walked off towards the loo.