Severus stood in front of the fireplace in the center of the rather large library; its shelves were stocked with volumes of rare potions and dark arts books along with a good many Muggle books.  The Muggle books in the library would have shocked any student at Hogwarts had they seen the collection.

Of course, the books were of no consequence to Severus at this moment.  He scowled at the bust of a dragon on one of the shelves, tapping his foot against the floor.  After a few moments of this he stalked to the door, threw it open, and yelled up the stairs.

“IF YOU TWO DO NOT GET YOUR LEGS DOWN THIS STAIRCASE IN TWO SECONDS I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE GRYFFINDOR WINS THE HOUSE CUP THIS YEAR!”

There was a moment of shocked input from upstairs then Harry came barreling down them, his hair bouncing against his neck in a ponytail.  He was wearing the same shirt from earlier, a pair of blue jeans with worn sneakers, and Hedwig around his left wrist.  Niamh leapt down the stairs a moment later, skidding to a stop beside Harry in blue jeans shorts, some sandals, and a sleeveless top.

Severus took a moment to eye the two teenagers then growled, “We’re late.”

“Harry couldn’t find his shoes,” said Niamh.

“Ah.  But now we are even later.  Move!”

“Yes, sir!” barked Harry, giving a sharp salute as he strode past his scowling father to the fireplace.  He took a pinch of Floo powder from a pot on the mantle and threw it in, calling out, “The Leaky Cauldron!”  The flames in the fireplace roared green and Harry stepped into them, followed by Niamh and Severus a few second later.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry, covered in soot and coughing, emerged from the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, nearly running headlong into a mannish looking woman carrying an alligator skin handbag.  She sneered down at him and snapped, “Watch where you’re going!”

Harry scowled in response at her and spat something rather rude in Elven.  The woman gave him a long similar to one Draco often gave Harry (the you’re-nothing-but-a-piece-of-dirt-on-my-shoe look) and turned away from him in a huff.  Harry resisted the childish urge to stick his tongue out after her and began to make and attempt to loose some of the soot from his clothes and hair.

Niamh appeared a few moments later, tumbling to the floor in a coughing fit.  She choked out, “I…hate…hack…Floo!”

Severus appeared a moment later, cleaning the soot from his clothes and there’s with a wave of his wand.  Harry noticed at his stone-like mask slid into place; the mask was his father’s response to how the wizarding world treated him.  In reality he was the man the Slytherin knew as his father, a rather gentle man well versed in hexes and curses and with a sharp-temper that rarely showed itself.

He jerked Niamh to her feet roughly and growled, “Let’s go.  Can’t believe Dumbledore would stick me with the two of you over the summer.”

Niamh looked askance at Harry, who shrugged.  He then noticed his father was glaring coldly at the woman whom he had run into coming out of the fireplace.  She was watching them in interest now.  Her eyes flicked up to Harry’s forehead and her eyes widened.  Immediately Harry began to head towards the door that would let them out into the back alley.  If there was anything he hated more than Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, or Voldemort, it was people staring at his scar.  Harry would do anything to erase his past and just become Harold Snape.  But as Time did not obey his whims, it was not to be.

Severus ushered the two of them out into the alley, glaring over his shoulder as the woman rose to follow them.  He muttered something rather unsavory that not even Harry had heard in his time on the streets and hurriedly tapped out the pattern on the brick wall for entrance into Diagon Alley.  The archway opened and the three of them stepped through, Severus leaning the two teenagers after issuing a few terse comments.

“I am going to buy some supplies, so you two are on your own.  Don’t get into any trouble and meet me back here in three hours.”

Harry and Niamh glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.  Plenty of time for Niamh to find Harry’s present and for them to sneak out into London…

“Now off with you!”

The two teenagers hurried off and Severus stood there for a moment, watching them until they vanished into the crowds.  He then turned to face their tail, smiling coldly.

“Hello, Rita.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Severus,” purred Rita Skeeter.  She looked after Niamh and Harry then back to him.

“Babysitting now, are you?”

Severus snorted and spat, “Dumbledore’s the reason for all this.”

Skeeter spat on the ground and sneered, “Children.  I despise them.  So…filthy.  I don’t see how you teach them.”

You haven’t changed a bit, Rita, thought Severus.  He shrugged slightly, growling, “You get used to them after a while.”

“Eurgh.  I couldn’t do it, Severus.  I tell you, I couldn’t.”

And you’re telling me this, why?

“You know, Severus,” purred Rita, sidling close to him.  “I’ve always liked you.  Even if you were a nasty little bastard in school.”

Severus fought down the urge to back away from her in revulsion and kept a calm expression on his face.  He thought, I, a nasty little bastard?  After Lily left me, yes.  But before I believe you filled that role quite well.  Or was that a nasty little whore?  Ah, I can’t remember.  Severus smirked mentally and added, Though I believe that you are one now, if not then.  I do pity the fool that falls for your tricks.

“Perhaps we can…get together sometime?”

Over my bloody and battered body.

“I don’t think so, Rita.”

Rita’s face hardened and she took a step back, scowling.

“That Mudblood bitch changed you.”

For the better, if I don’t mistake myself.

“Yes,” said Severus.  “She did.”

“I can’t believe you chose her over me.”

You think you can compare to Lily, Rita?  Let us see you sacrifice your own life for that of your son.  The son that you knew was fathered not by your husband, but by the man you ran away from because he was a Death Eater.  Would you have the courage to do that?  I think not.  You only love yourself, Rita.  Severus smirked inwardly.  Oh, how I’d so enjoy seeing your face if you knew what I was thinking.

“Well, I did.  Though you do hold a grudge for a rather long time.  Almost fourteen years now, I believe.  Now – if you will excuse me.  I have some errands to run.”

Severus turned on his heel and walked away from Rita, who glared after him, color rising to her face.  As he walked, she yelled, “Damn you, Severus!”

He waved jovially over his shoulder, smirking as he called back, “Good day, Rita!”

As he vanished around a corner, Rita cussed venomously and stalked back off into the Leaky Cauldron.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry let out a sigh and peered through a bookshelf in Flourish & Blott’s, looking for Niamh.  He looked at his watch and growled, looking for Niamh again before he finally simply yelled at her.

“NI!  WE’VE GOT AN HOUR AND A HALF LEFT!”

The witch at the counter frowned at him and he aimed his fiercest scowl at her.  She fluttered for a moment then vanished into the doorway behind the counter, peeking around the frame at him.  Harry growled in frustration and got set to yell again when Niamh appeared.  He let out a hiss of breath through his teeth and she frowned at him, arching an eyebrow.

“Problem, mate?”

“Yeah.  You.  Come on!  You want to get out in London, right?”

Niamh nodded vigorously and Harry grabbed her arm.

“Then let’s go!!”

The two of them sprinted out of Flourish & Blott’s, rushing past the other stores and up the cobblestone road.  They dashed through the alley behind the Cauldron and then through the Cauldron itself.  The door was just looming in front of them when the mannish-looking woman Harry had plowed into coming out of the Floo Network, stepped in front of them.  Harry came to a complete stop and Niamh plowed into his back, not being as fast on her feet as he was.

“Excuse us,” said Harry politely, moving to head past the woman.  She threw out an arm and smiled down at him.

“Mr. Potter, I believe?”

Harry took a step back, pulling himself up to his full height of almost 5’9 and towering over the woman.

“Who’s asking?”

The woman held out her hand and replied, “Rita Skeeter.  Reporter for the Dail…”

“I know who you are,” growled Harry darkly.  “You write half-truth’s about people for prophet.  You twist their words to your benefit.  And you won’t have the chance to do that to me.  Now…if you will excuse us, my friend and I were about to head into London.  Good day, Ms. Skeeter.”

“But…” began Rita.

“I said, good day, Ms. Skeeter,” spat Harry in a half-growl, his words nearly flowing into Parseltongue in his anger at the woman in front of him.  Niamh prodded him in the back hard, sensing the anger in his voice and wanting to get him out of there before he did some serious damage to something.  Or someone.

“Good day, Mr. Potter,” said Rita, stepping aside.

Harry gave her no acknowledgment, only walked briskly out into the thriving streets of midday London.  Niamh paused only to glare fiercely at Rita, before following him, the door slamming shut in her wake.  Rita looked after them for a moment then pulled a sheet of paper and an acid green quill from her bag.  Smiling in a sadistic sort of way, she wandered over to an empty booth, paper and quill in hand.