Chapter 5

“POTTER!” An angry voice shouted, startling Harry awake and causing him to bolt into sitting position.

Harry quickly pushed himself out of bed and reached for his clock, 6.30, damn! He was late! The sound of thumping feet alerted him to the fact that someone was coming up the stairs.

He jumped out of bed and began to change into the black top and jeans (left in a heap on the floor) as fast as he could but he was still trying to pull the top over his head when the door flew open.

“Potter!” Snape shouted again staring in disgust at the boy who was now hopping around the floor trying to get his top over his head, in his rush he kept getting himself stuck; especially when he tried to put his head through the sleeves.

Snape strode across the room and yanked the boys top down over his head, a red-faced Harry finally came into view.

“Surely even someone as big-headed as yourself can manage to fit into a t-shirt ?” Snape snapped.

Harry opened his mouth to retaliate but Snape didn’t give him a chance.

“Can you tell the time, Potter?”

“Of course I can!” Harry growled, still stinging from Snape’s words.

“Mind how you speak to me, Potter.” Snape warned taking a step closer to the boy.

Harry gulped but said nothing.

“What time did I say breakfast would be, Potter?” Snape started again.

Harry groaned inwardly but decided it was better to just play along. “Quarter past six.”

“Indeed, but it is now nearly half past and you are not at the table, are you?”

Harry felt like retorting with his own sarky comment but a quick glance at his Professor’s glowering face persuaded him not to. “No sir, I am not.”

“Why not?” Snape demanded.

“Because I’m not used to getting up so early,” Harry snarled.

“Watch your tone, Potter! And you had better get used to it because you will regret it if you are late to a meal again. Now downstairs quickly and have some toast, we need to get to the shops the second they open, I will not be crowded or pushed around by impatient people just because you can not get up at the right time!”

Before Harry could say anything Snape had stormed out of the door and down the stairs with his cloak billowing out behind him, it seemed it wasn’t only at Hogwarts that he did that but Harry found it was even more intimidating in the silent house as it was at the busy school. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he hurried after his guardian. No need to make Snape more bad-tempered than he already was!

Harry quickly gobbled down his breakfast, toast, and then hurried to comb his hair which Snape said was ‘abysmally messy’ before joining his guardian at the fireplace.

“Where are we going to, sir?” Harry asked, anxious not to anger his guardian like he had done last time they had used the floo.

“We are going to one of my acquaintance’s house.” Snape answered, begrudgingly.

“Why?” Harry said curiously.

“Do you really think I am going to take you to a Wizarding place? You stupid boy! People will recognise you, not to mention me! As far as everyone else is concerned you are at your Aunt and Uncle’s and that’s how things will stay! Therefore we must go to a muggle shopping centre and so we are going to floo to my acquaintance’s house and then we can just step outside his front door and we are in a muggle area. Now stop asking questions!”

Harry wondered worriedly if he was not supposed to have told Hermione and Ron that he was staying with the Potions Professor but he knew they wouldn’t tell anyone and so he quickly shoved the thought out of his head, Snape didn’t need to know.

Snape grabbed a pinch of powder and let it slip through his fingers as he scrutinised Harry.

“You had better behave,” he warned.

Harry nodded mutely.

“You go first,” Snape ordered, still looking at him warningly.

“What’s the name of your acquaintance, sir?” Harry asked, careful to be polite.

“Just say Snodgrass Manor and get on with it!” Snape snapped.

Harry shot him a glare but did as he was ordered and stepped into the fireplace, it was just as sickening and never-ending as he remembered and it was a relief when he finally felt solid ground, well his bum did.

Snape followed a few seconds later and Harry was disappointed to see the professor simply step out of the fireplace, he had been looking forward to seeing him land on his bum.

“Come along, Potter.” Snape demanded, striding forwards purposely.

Harry didn’t move, he was looking around at the beautiful pictures and statues that were dotted around the room.

“Potter!” Snape called, he had reached the front door only to find that the brat had not followed him.

Harry began to walk towards his guardian slowly, still not taking his eyes off the things around him. “Ooomph!” His breath came out in a rush as he accidentally walked into a table.

“You had better not have broken anything, Potter!” Snape snapped, coming back into the room his disobedient charge was loitering in.

“I haven’t!” Harry protested.

Snape snorted and began to bodily pull the boy towards the front door. Harry wondered idly where this ‘acquaintance’ was, surely he would have come out when he heard them come? He glanced at his guardian who didn’t look any angrier than usual and debated whether to ask him or whether Snape would consider it rude. His curiosity won out.

“Sir? Where is this acquaintance?”

“He has gone out,” Snape answered shortly, tightening his grip on the boys shoulder.

“Didn’t you tell him we were coming?” Harry asked innocently, Snape ignored him and merely cast a spell on the front door causing it to unlock and leaving Harry to wonder whether the ‘acquaintance’ even existed.

Once out of the house Harry saw they were in an ordinary muggle street, not unlike Privet Drive. Snape was now wearing a simple pair of black trousers and a shirt, Harry wondered when he had transfigured his clothes and smiled slightly as he realised even when his guardian dressed as a muggle he wouldn’t change his attire from their usual black colouring.

“In here!” Snape ordered, pushing Harry into a small clothing shop that they had almost walked past.

An assistant was upon them within seconds.

“How can I help you?” She asked sweetly. Harry stared at her in amazement, she looked as if she was going to curtsey at any second.

“I want three pairs of pyjamas, three pairs of jeans; one dark blue, one light and one in-between, one pair of plain black trousers, fifteen pairs of socks, fifteen pairs of pants, seven plain t-shirts in assorted colours, three jumpers; one black, one…red and one blue, one winter fleece, one coat, one black tie, one dinner jacket and anything else the child will need.” Snape reeled off, the young assistant was scribbling down as fast as he talked looking as if she had won the lottery, this would have the biggest commission she had ever had!

Harry too, was gob smacked. He had never had so much in his life! How would he ever pay for it all? He knew he had a lot of money in Gringrotts but that was a long way from here and Snape had said they couldn’t go to Wizarding dwellings, how was he going to get the money out?

Meanwhile the assistant was packaging things up and talking animatedly to her customer, not noticing his frown deepening and his rolling eyes.

“That will be two hundred and fifty pounds please,” The assistant said gleefully.

Harry’s jaw hit the floor, he had never had that amount spent on him before! He was even more amazed when Snape began paying the lady with a wad of muggle notes, he had expected the man to snarl that he was not worth that much and walk out but Snape was… Snape was not even hesitating!

Harry waited until they were outside the shop before protesting. “I’ll give you the money, Sir. I will… really!”

“What are you babbling on about, Potter?” Snape growled, checking there were no muggles about before shrinking the packages and slipping them into his pockets.

“The clothes, I’ll pay for them.” Harry insisted, nearly breaking into a run as he struggled to keep up with his guardian who had settled into a brisk walk.

“My money not good enough for you, Potter?” Snape asked, stopping suddenly and turning around to face his young charge who nearly ran into the back of him.

Harry blushed beet red “No, I mean yes! I mean that’s not what I meant!”

Snape smirked at the boys discomfort.

“Then do elaborate,” He challenged.

“I just meant that it was a lot of money and I’m not worth it and you really shouldn’t have to pay a-”

He was cut off as Snape grabbed hold of the front of his top and gave him a quick shake. “Don’t you dare ever make out that you are worthless again, you and I may not see eye to eye but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to make this work. I am simply buying you some simple necessities and I can assure you it has not made a dent, not even a chip, in my savings.”

Harry was about to retort that Snape had hardly tried to make it work so far, setting ridiculous meal times and waking him up in such unpleasant ways but he stayed silent, after all the man had just spent a small fortune on him. He had found himself keeping quiet more times that morning then he ever had in all his time at Hogwarts… the Dursleys were another matter but he wasn’t going to dwell on thoughts about them, they were the past, best forgotten.

“Right, I need to go in here. You will wait right here until I come out.” Snape ordered, stopping outside a shabby little shop.

“Can’t I come in with you?” Harry asked, reluctant to sit outside like some sort of a dog.

“No you can’t! You would only break something.” Snape snarled.

Snape disappeared into the shop before Harry could plead with him anymore.

He sank onto one of the shabby benches that were pushed up against the wall of the shops, dirtying the glass and cluttering the pavement. He wondered how long the Professor was going to be, not long he hoped. He peered into the shop hopefully but all he could see was boxes, stacked from the floor to the ceiling. He was just debating whether or not to risk going into the shop to find Snape when he heard the slap of feet on the pavement, the heavy, quick slap of feet which told him someone was running… running towards him…