Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

The Luncheon
Harry was aware that Ginny was putting on a good show just for him, just as he'd tried to do at her birthday party. She wasn't really happy and that bothered him. He'd tried to talk to her about it, but she'd insisted nothing was wrong. As he found himself doing more and more often, Harry turned to his father for help, and Severus suggested that she just wasn't settled yet and wasn't familiar with the house or area. She'd spent the last sixteen years of her life at the Burrow and was now being asked to assimilate in a new place. His father's insights sent Harry deep into thought about what to do about the situation. Harry didn't know how to make Ginny feel at home. He let her redecorate his bedroom and had added new shelves for her books and emptied his clothes out of the wardrobe and back into his trunk so she could hang her things up. He had found himself feeling at home there right away when he'd first arrived at Christmas, but maybe that was just because he'd never really been at home at the Dursleys.

A few days after Ginny had arrived, Harry sat to write a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley inviting them to lunch the next day. Maybe if they came here for visits this would feel more like home to Ginny, or at least less like a foreign place. As Harry penned the letter, he tried to ignore the voice in the back of his head that told him Ginny's happiness wasn't his only motive for inviting them. Deep down Harry was still hurt that the Weasley's had rejected him, even though most of them seemed to have mellowed now. He wanted them to like him and to think highly of him. He wanted them to know he could take care of Ginny and that their house was nice and that she wasn't being mistreated here.

Before he sent the letter off he confirmed with his father that it was all right to have company.

"I will be at Hogwarts for the day working on lesson plans tomorrow. This is your home too and you are allowed to have visitors." He asked to see the letter and Harry let him read it. When he was done Severus tried not to look perturbed as he handed it back to Harry.

"You want their approval," Severus said.

"It shows that much?" Harry asked, re-reading the letter.

"No, but I know you."

Harry sighed. "It's not wrong to want them to like me," Harry said, trying to defend himself. "They're family now."

"They are family now," Severus agreed, though he didn't seem as though he liked the notion very much. He wrote something down on the parchment he'd been working on and then turned back to Harry, who was still re-reading the letter, which said little more than if they weren't busy that Harry and Ginny would like them to come have lunch the next day and that Ron could tell them how to get there and what the current password was. "You cannot hang your value on what they think of you. You have made your decisions and you must stand by them regardless."

"It doesn't hurt to have them like me though," Harry said, not looking up from the letter. "It'll make things easier if I don't have to fight them all the time."

"It will be easier," Severus agreed again, "and you should try to make things as easy as possible on yourself and on Ginny, however what I said is still true. Your value doesn't belong in what they think of you. There will always be some people you will be unable to please."

"You think it'll be like that with them?" Harry asked, unable to keep the neediness out of his voice. It was more than wanting to make things easy on himself. He needed them to want him to be part of the family again.

Severus' eyes flickered up to the bruises still visible on Harry's face and arms from where the eldest Weasley sons had beat him up the day before. "Aside from Bill and Charlie," Harry said.

"I do not know," Severus said. He pointed at Harry's chest and said, "Your value is there and in your actions and beliefs. Be careful that you don't tie your value too much in what those around you think. That is a trap not easy to pull yourself out of once you are caught in it."

Harry had a feeling this was wisdom bourne of experience, so he nodded and let his father get back to whatever it was he had been working on.

Harry didn't tell Ginny that he'd invited her parents to lunch the next day, but he did tell Draco after he'd sent the owl off.

"Wonderful," Draco said. "Guess I'll go fishing for the day tomorrow."

"You don't have to," Harry said.

Draco looked up at Harry's bruised face as well. "Uh huh," he said.

Harry made dinner for everyone in the house, and after Ginny retired to their room to do some reading for the evening, Harry went back to the kitchen to begin baking cookies and a pie.

"What's all that for?" Draco asked, coming into the kitchen and seeing the various baking supplies.

"Lunch."

"Do I get some of that?" Draco asked.

"Of course."

Satisfied with the answer, Draco moved to help make snickerdoodle cookies and an apple pie.

"What are you serving besides desert?" Draco asked.

"Cucumber sandwiches, lunch meat sandwiches, tea."

"Vegetables," Draco added, and went to the grocer's list to add carrots, mini tomatoes, and more cucumbers. Ten minutes later the items appeared in the fridge and Draco washed them with a spell so Harry could cut them up. All that was left was for Harry to make the sandwiches in the morning.

"How do you know they'll show?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. He didn't know. "I guess if they don't we'll still have a lot of good food to eat for lunch. I could just tell Ginny it's for a picnic if they don't come."

Draco showed Harry a neat spell he knew to make their plates, tea kettle, tea cups and silverware look fancier and he and Harry transformed several items for lunch the next day. Then Harry put a note on the fridge and inside the fridge both that told everyone to stay out of what he'd made until he said it was ok to eat.

As Harry lay in bed with Ginny that night, Ginny snoring quietly beside him, Harry wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would come for lunch and what they would think of the house. It prompted him to rise earlier than the rest of the house and cast every cleaning spell he knew at the floors, walls, furniture, windows and fireplace. He was just finishing up when his father came out of his room with a briefcase and his traveling cloak.

"You are up early."

"I was cleaning."

He made a face that let Harry know he thought it wholly unnecessary to go this far to impress their guests. Harry wondered if his father was still mad about all the letters Mrs. Weasley had sent him when they'd found out Ginny was pregnant.

"Do you know any spells to make flowers sprout up outside?" Harry asked.

With a sigh Severus led Harry outside and showed him several spells, which Harry used to make lilies and white daisies sprout up on both sides of the walkway leading up to the front door. "Remember what we discussed," he told him. Harry nodded. "I may not be back until after nine."

Harry waited until he apparated away to grow some more flowers, and then went back inside.

"Why can't I eat what's in the fridge?" Ginny asked.

"We're having it for lunch."

"That looks like a lot for lunch," she said.

"I invited your parents."

She paused, hand halfway to the plate of cookies on the counter, and turned to him. "You did?"

"Is- is that ok?" Harry asked, still anxious and now rethinking his decision not to tell Ginny about it. She came up and hugged him for an answer.

"I love you," she said, and Harry blushed.

"You're going to have to work on that. If you blush every time I tell you I love you, people will think we don't know each other. How will that look when the baby is born?" She giggled then and Harry reached up to rub the back of his neck. She kissed him again, took a cookie from the plate despite the note not to, and went into the bedroom to change.

Draco came down the hall from his own room a moment later with a fishing pole.

"You don't have to go," Harry said again.

"I'd really rather not witness the whole awkward affair. I would like some lunch though." He held out a charmed lunch box. "You promised."

Harry pulled out two of the sandwiches, some of of the vegetables and two cookies.

"Pie?" Draco asked.

"After you get back?" He really wanted the pie to be whole for Ginny's parents.

"If you don't save me a piece," Draco said, zipping up his lunch box, "You're gonna owe me a pie."

"Deal," Harry said.

"I won't come back until four. If they're still here I'll head out to the creek."

"It's your house too," Harry reminded him.

Draco waved him off and disappeared out the kitchen door that led to the side of the house and to a path down to the lake.

Not knowing what to do with himself, Harry went into the bedroom and made the bed, straightened Ginny's clothes in the wardrobe, and then took all of his books currently stacked on the floor beside the bed, and put them into his trunk.

"I can clean my own things," Ginny said.

"I just want it to be clean for when they come," Harry told her.

"What time did you invite them?"

"Noon."

"Did they agree to come?" she asked.

"I didn't get an owl back. But- today is one of your dad's normal days off isn't it?"

"Yes. But if things keep going downhill at the Ministry, he might have a lot more days off soon."

They sat and read for a while, but as it got closer to noon, Harry grew more anxious. "Maybe I'll make another pie."

"Another? How come?"

"I'm just nervous. Having something to do is helpful."

She looked at the clock on the bedroom wall. "It's almost twelve. Just relax." Harry went back to his book, but didn't read a word. At eleven fifty seven they went to the living room and waited.

"Maybe I should have waited for an owl," Harry said, at two past twelve.

"Your clock is fast," she said, and a moment later there was a knock at the front door. Harry practically flew off the couch and to the door to open it, startling Ginny.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were on the other side of the door, dressed smartly as if they'd been invited to a nicer luncheon than Harry had planned. A wave of nervousness made him forget to say hello, especially given his best clothes weren't very nice at all, but Ginny saved him by greeting her mother and father with a big hug.

"Please come in," Harry said, trying to remember his manners. He'd never hosted guests for a meal before, and tried to think back to the various times aunt Petunia had had people over, including the man and his wife that Dobby had dropped the pudding on.

"I'll get lunch ready," Harry said. "It should only be a moment." He hurried into the kitchen, leaving the Weasleys and their daughter in the living room.

"Is he all right?" Mr. Weasley asked Ginny, watching Harry's back as he worked in the kitchen, pulling things out.

"He's a bit nervous I think. He baked pies and cookies last night and prepared a bunch of food. He was up before anyone else this morning doing things to get ready."

Mrs. Weasley gave Ginny another hug and a kiss on the forehead, and then went to the kitchen to see if she could help Harry.

"Do you need help dear?"

Harry startled and almost dropped the tray of cut vegetables he was getting ready to put on the table. He'd found a pretty tablecloth in a closet early that morning and was hoping it would make their plain wood table look more presentable.

"No thank you," Harry said. "It's all ready to go." He set the tray down and Ginny and her father came in from the living room. Ginny sat down next to her mother on one side of the table, and Harry sat down with Mr. Weasley on the other.

"It looks lovely," Mr. Weasley said. "We were very pleased to receive an invitation to lunch."

"I'm sorry the notice wasn't earlier," Harry said.

"We didn't have any other plans," Mr. Weasley told him.

After they'd all put food on their plates and Harry brought tea to the table, Mrs. Weasley spent most of their lunch talking to Ginny, asking how she'd been, asking how she'd been feeling, and about various other things. Mr. Weasley talked to her too and Harry was glad to see Ginny smiling and laughing with them.

"Do you need me to do any of your laundry dear?" Molly asked her.

"Harry did my laundry yesterday," she said.

Both of her parents looked over at Harry. "He did?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes. He did it a few days before that too. There's a Muggle machine in the closet that runs on charms."

"A washing machine?" Mr. Weasley asked, suddenly interested.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Did you charm it yourself? How does it work without the charms?"

After they'd eaten their main meal and Harry served the pie and cookies, Mrs. Weasley went with Ginny to see their room, and Harry showed Mr. Weasley the charmed washing machine and answered all sorts of questions about it. Harry was only glad the lunch had been going well so far, and that it wasn't as awkward as Draco had thought it might be. Mrs. Weasley had been very quiet and hadn't spoken that much to Harry, but Mr. Weasley had made an effort to start conversations with him.

In their bedroom, Ginny sat down on her side of the bed and watched as her mother looked around the room. It wasn't big, but it was bigger than the room Ginny had at the Burrow. After a moment Molly asked, "Harry stays here too?"

Ginny nodded.

"In this room?"

Another nod.

"But where are his things?"

Ginny pointed at the trunk at the foot of the bed. "He took all his things out of the wardrobe and off the bookshelf so I could store my things. He put up an extra shelf for my books and took all his posters down so I could hang mine."

"That's very sweet but-" she trailed off, giving another look around the pristine room.

"What?" Ginny asked, and Molly came to sit down next to her.

"You know how I feel about what has gone on and the decisions the two of you made," she said. "The two of you would have been better equipped to handle life together if you'd been older. But now that you made those decisions, you're going to have to learn how to live with each other now."

"But- we are living with each other." Ginny said, brows furrowed.

"You're staying in the same room, but that's not living together. I can see he's been taking care of you. Cooking and cleaning and doing your laundry, and he's put all of his things aside for you."

"Yes, he's been very sweet. By the time I go to do something he's already got it done."

She patted Ginny's leg. "Yes, but what concessions have you made for him?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"It looks like you live in this room alone. He doesn't even have a photo of his parents up, or of his friends. When you're in a committed relationship like this, you have to take care of each other. If it's only one person taking care of the other all the time, that person will get burnt out."

"I didn't mean for him to do all of this," Ginny said. "I'm perfectly capable on my own."

"I'm not scolding you dear-" she looked like she was going to say something, but changed her mind. When she spoke again, it was to tell a story. "The first year your father and I were together, we barely spoke."

"What? Why?"

"We were having a fight. That is to say, we were unhappy with each other over several things and misunderstandings, but didn't want to fight, so we barely spoke to each other at all."

"What were you upset about?"

"Oh, this and that," said Mrs. Weasley. "He wasn't used to living with another person and neither was I. He would leave his dirty socks and clothes all over the bedroom floor and never pick them up. I was cooking food for us to eat, but sometimes I'd make things he didn't like. He'd eat what I made and never say a word about it. There were other things too. It took us a long time to learn to live with each other, to communicate and more than that, to take care of each other. When you're in that kind of relationship, you have to know what your partner needs and take care of them, and trust that they'll take care of your needs, and you have to learn to tell each other what you need. You needed space in a new home, so Harry put all of his things away for you to make that space, whether you asked him to do it or not."

"What am I supposed to do then? He's just doing these things on his own. He never asks for anything. Even at school he'd walk around hurt and sick and never go to the Hospital Wing, or ask anybody for help when he needed it."

"Then you know that's something he needs help with," Molly said. "As much as you need space to live in this room, so does he, even if he doesn't say it, or doesn't know it. You have to find a way to let him know that and share the space together. He might do your laundry because he sees it needs to be done and wants you not to have to do it, but you've got to find things to do for him as well. Has he been cooking all the meals for you?"

"Sometimes Draco or Severus cook too."

"I know you know how to cook. Maybe you should make it your mission to cook a meal or something special for Harry once in a while, or to tidy after him if he hasn't had a chance to. Has Harry made you feel loved by the things he's been doing for you?"

"Yes, although sometimes it can be a little annoying that he's done all the chores when he knows I can help too, just because of the baby."

"Then tell him that, and show your love to him through your actions. I'm surprised you haven't told him that already. You're like me, very outspoken. So are some of your brothers."

"Harry's been so nice. I didn't want to upset him."

"It will be upsetting for all three of you if things don't work out in the end," Molly said, and Ginny's mouth opened a little.

"I- I wouldn't ever think of splitting up. I know you'd all be happier if we did-"

Molly held up her hand to stall her. "I told you already, you know my feelings about what happened. But it did happen, and now what's important to you is your relationship and your son, so that's important to me and your father as well. It's also important to your brothers. We're family and we're invested in helping you and Harry, and in your relationship."

"If only someone had mentioned that to Bill and Charlie," Ginny said.

"Your father shouted at them for an hour after you left the party."

"I didn't want to make a scene. I thought we wouldn't be able to have holidays with you or anything, because of Bill and Charlie."

"They'll behave themselves," she said. "Or they won't be coming to holidays until they can."

"I feel awful about that though," Ginny said. "I don't want to rip our family apart."

"You're not, and what you need to focus on right now is keeping your new family together."

They were quiet for a few moments as Ginny leaned into her mother and let herself be hugged. "Harry was very nervous to have you over."

"We noticed."

"I don't know how to help with that. He was never nervous before."

"Unfortunately that's something your father and I will have to work on with him, especially with how things have happened between us in the past few months."

"Maybe we could come for lunch next time."

"That's a good idea."

"Are Bill and Charlie still at the house?"

"They had to go back to work a few days ago. Even if they were still there, you and Harry are welcome any time. It's still your home Ginny, no matter how old you are. Never forget that."

"Thanks mum."

* * *

Harry offered Ginny's parents more deserts, and offered to make a cake after Molly and Ginny came back out of the room, but they declined. It was just before three when Molly and Arthur thanked Harry and Ginny for inviting them, and then invited them to lunch the following week.

Ginny said they would come, and they walked them back outside.

Mr. Weasley frowned as he took his wife's arm and said to Harry, "I didn't even notice they weren't here and forgot to ask! Where are Draco and Severus?"

"Dad had to go to Hogwarts for the day to prepare for the term, and Draco went fishing."

"Please tell Draco we didn't mean to put him out for the day. He's welcome to come for lunch when you come next week."

"I'll tell him," Harry said.

They waved to Harry and Ginny and apparated away.

Harry let out a sigh of relief and then let his shoulder's sag.

"Are you ok?" Ginny asked him.

"Yeah, that was a little nerve wracking."

"I think they had a good time," Ginny said. "Dad kept saying how delicious the cookies were. Are you sure you're ok?"

Harry rocked his shoulder back and said, "I think I strained something."

She took his hand and led him back into the house and to the couch, and began to work the knot out of his shoulder. He seemed tense at first, but relaxed after a while. "Harry, we should put up a new shelf in the room."

"Did you order more books?" he asked.

"No, but yours need a home. And some of my clothes can go back in my trunk. I have to pack for school soon anyway. You need space for yours."

"I'm ok," he said. "I'm used to living out of a trunk."

Ginny stopped rubbing his shoulder and leaned in to give him a hug from behind. "We have to share the room, ok? Both of our stuff gets a home because it's home to both of us. Your posters and mine can hang side by side, and so can our clothes."

Harry snorted then, surprising her.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you sure my clothes won't get your clothes pregnant?" He laughed then. "Maybe then your brothers could beat up my clothes instead of me."

She slapped him gently on the arm in a playful way and then the two of them went to the room to rearrange it again.

To be continued...

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