Home Is Where The Heart Is by Toria

Robin stayed and ate lunch in Harry’s room with him. Harry was worried that the normal rules of having to eat everything on your plate would apply right now, but he found it impossible to do so, and Juliana made no comment on the fact when she collected their plates. The food, and the long conversation with Robin about Quidditch, which he had enjoyed immensely, had drained him, and he was starting to feel tired again. But Professor Snape had told him that he had to stay awake for awhile, so he kept his eyes open and attempted to start another conversation with Robin. "So, do you, Jason and Simeon often play Quidditch?" he asked. He sensed that Quidditch was the safest topic of conversation. He wished he could ask Robin questions about his life, about what it was like having Snape for a Father, but he didn’t want to let slip how purely horrible Snape acted at school. He didn’t know which one was the real Snape anymore. The one he had seen in the last two days with his family, or his Potions Professor at Hogwarts. The two just seemed so different that it didn’t seem possible that they were actually the same person.

"We play quite a bit," Robin told him, "but we play more at school than we do at home, as Alex, Olllie and Hazel are really still too little to play."

The conversation didn’t go any further, as the door opened again, and Snape entered. "Run along downstairs now Robin, and help your sister look after Hazel please," Snape requested of his third born.

"Yes, Papa," Robin replied, but Harry knew that there was no way that Robin, or any of Snape’s other children for that matter, would ever disobey him. One thing that Harry could definitely say about Snape now was that his children were incredibly well behaved.

Once Robin had left, tucking Harry’s desk chair back under his desk for him as he went, Snape came and perched on the edge of Harry’s bed, lightly resting a hand on his forehead again. "How are you feeling now, Harry?" he asked gently.

Harry still wasn’t used to Snape referring to him as 'Harry'. "Better, Sir," he managed to answer, although his voice was still croaky and he knew that his throat still wasn’t quite right.

"Yes, your temperatures gone down, that’s a good thing. I’ll give you another potion to help sooth your throat, and then I want you to rest for a bit," Snape told him. Harry took the potion without any argument, and then gratefully took off his glasses and sank back into his pillow, closing his eyes. He was almost asleep before Snape left the room, but he still heard his Potions Professor say "I’ll have someone come check up on you in an hour or so, I don’t want you to sleep for too long, but just rest for now, Harry." Yep, Harry could definitely get used to having this new, nicer Snape around.

It was Jason who entered his room in an hour’s time, when Harry was only half awake. He sat up in bed and put his glasses on, but he didn’t say anything. Jason had barely spoke to him before and Harry half hoped that he wouldn’t stay for long. He’d stay awake, but he wasn’t sure he wanted Jason’s company. It was just too awkward. "I’ll make sure that someone comes and eats dinner with you," Jason told Harry as he did leave the room. Harry felt bad for feeling as relieved as he did when Jason left the room. But Jason was Snape's oldest son. And that made him someone who Harry didn't know how to act around. Jason wasn't really a child anymore, and Professor Snape and his wife treated him differently to the younger children, as they did Simeon, and to a lesser extent, Robin, but Jason was still Professor Snape's child.

It was Juliana who came and sat with him when he had his dinner, and Harry didn't know if he would actually prefer Jason's company! Juliana didn't eat anything, the family must have already ate. Harry ate as much of his stew as he could, feeling uncomfortable the entire time. He hoped it didn't show on his face. Once finished, he let Juilana brush aside his fringe and take his temprature. "How are you feeling now?" she asked gently. It was very maternal, and Harry was not used to such attention, not even from Mrs Weasley.

"Okay," Harry told her, not wanting to complain about anything. And he really didn't feel all that ill anymore, he just felt strange living with Snape's family, and knowing all these secrets about his Potions Professor. He knew things that not even Professor Dumbledore knew, and he assumed that Voldemort didn't know either.

"You sure?" she questioned with a small smile, and he nodded. "Do you want anything before I have to go back downstairs and check if Severus has managed to destroy the kitchen instead of tidying it up?"

Harry couldn't help but to give a small laugh at that, despite how awkward he felt. He couldn't imagine his teacher ever managing to destroy anything. "I'm okay, Mrs Snape," he answered. "I may read a book for bit," he told her.

She gave him another smile, and walked across to his book shelf. "Which one would you like?" she asked him.

"Erm... Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland, please," he replied after thinking for a moment.

"Another Quidditch fan in the house I take it?" she asked him as she handed him the book.

"Yes," he responded with a small smile, whilst propping his pillow up behind him and opening his book.

"Just either give myself or Severus a call if you need anything," she told him as she left the room and Harry nodded, although he knew that he wouldn't do anything of the sort. He'd be able to survive with nothing else until morning. He might get bored of reading, but he'd survive. He's survivied summer holidays at the Dursley's house, and as much as he had never thought that it would be the case that spending the holidays with Snape was better, it certainly was.

Professor Snape himself brought his a cup of tea and another potion at about eight thirty in the evening, when Harry had got bored of his book and was staring idly out of the window. Harry gratefully sipped at his tea to get rid of the after taste of the potion as Professor Snape closed the curtains and turned on the lamp. Now he was going to have to read some more if he wanted something to do. He placed his book back onto his lap whilst still warming his hands on his teacup, and lazily turned another page. He didn't actually do anymore reading though, as Professor Snape pulled out his desk chair, and sat down on it near to the bed. "How are you Harry?" he asked, and Harry noted that he wasn't asked how he was feeling, but how he was in general. And knowing his Potions Professor, that would have been done deliberately.

"I'm fine Sir," he answered. "I feel a lot better."

"Yes, your temprature is down to normal," Professor Snape commented. "And you sound and look a lot better." Harry offered him a small smile for a second, really not knowing how to respond. This was going to be as bad, if not worse, than the talk on rules they had had in the study on his first night here. He just knew it was. "Juliana metnioned that you didn't seem entirely happy earlier," his Professor told him. "And considering that you don't seem that ill anymore, it must be something else," Snape continued. Harry tried not to gape at him, he really didn't like the sound of this. "Is there anything you wish to talk about?" his Professor finished by asking.

"No Sir," Harry told him quietly. There was lots he wanted to talk about, but he didn't want to talk to his most hated Professor about them. He wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione really, they'd understand and be able to help him. Not even Robin would be able to do that since he hadn't been at Hogwarts for the last four years. Harry expected his teacher to be annoyed or frustrated at his seeming unwillingness to talk, but he had forgot that the man sat at the side of his bed was not really the teacher he had seen for the last four years, but was instead the father of nine.

"Very well," Professor Snape acquisced, patting him on the knee. And that was one of the strangest things which had ever happened to him. "But you know where both Juliana and I are if you need us."

Harry nodded. "Yes Sir."

"I stand by what I said they other evening, you can come to Juliana or myself about anything," Professor Snape told him. "And we'll do whatever we can to help."

"Thank you," Harry managed to reply. But he couldn't see the day when he went to Snape for advice or help coming anytime soon.

Professor Snape placed Harry's chair back under his desk and made to leave. He paused in the doorway and looked back at the Gryffindor student. "Your bedtime remains the same, but I would suggest getting an early night, you're still recovering," he advised.

"Yes Sir," Harry responded obediently.

"Goodnight Harry," Professor Snape bade him.

"Goodnight Professor," Harry replied quietly. He didn't read much longer, but whether it was due to boredom or tiredness thath he decided to go to sleep he didn't know. But he was going to need his strength tomorrow to get through another day of living with Snape's family. But he didn't really mean it like that, they were all really nice, and he was looking forward to getting to know Robin better. But he was going to need his strength to get his head around the fact he was living with Snape's family. But if the situation wasn't going to hurt him, or put him in danger, he didn't see much point in worrying about it. At least not until it him him full force again that he was living with Snape and his family. But for now he was too sleepy to be bothered by the fact that Professor Snape had a family.