Chapter 2

Harry couldn’t stand to look at the screen anymore. And whenever Severus nudged him to warn him that a terrifying scene had finished playing, and even worse one came up! The raven haired boy had just resolved to keep his face in Severus’s arm until the movie was absolutely finished. The only problem was that didn’t exactly take care of all the sounds he heard.

Why had he ever insisted on seeing this movie? They could have gone and seen anything else, maybe a movie about some sparkling vampires; that would have been good for a nice laugh. But no, Harry had insisted on them seeing a movie he knew would scare the living Hell out of him. Merlin, it was moments like these that made Harry realize just how, bloody, impulsive he could really be.

“Harry,” Severus scolded lightly. “You need to watch at least ONE scene from this movie! I paid for these tickets and you told me you would not be scared.”

“I’m not scared!” Harry argued. “I just…like the way your sleeve smells.”

He heard a snort leave his father’s diaphragm and he bit his lower lip. This was something Severus would never let him live down. He was going to hear about it when he was married and had his own children. Severus Snape was not the type of man to let go of something that easily.

“You can smell my sleeve after you watch a scene from this movie, Harry James.”

Ugh, the middle name, Harry HATED when the middle name was called into play. Gentle, stern, or just plain furious, the middle name always meant that Harry had, absolutely, no choice on the matter. One way or another Severus was going to make him watch this movie, and if he didn’t do so willingly Harry would probably get in even more trouble for making Severus waste money on a movie that Harry had begged to go see.

“I have to pee,” Harry said suddenly, when Severus had moved far enough away that his arm was no longer practical. “May I go to the bathroom?”

“Harry,” Severus snarled. “I am going to be seriously livid if I find out that I have paid for this movie for nothing…now, cross your bloody legs, shut your mouth, and finish watching this movie you begged me to come and see.”

Harry frowned and turned, hesitantly, towards the screen. This movie was too scary for him, he knew that now, but Severus didn’t have to be so mean about it. He almost wished he really did have to pee, just so he could annoy his guardian about it more.

After another hour of torture, the movie finally went into the credits and Harry was able to stand up and walk out of the theater. He had never been so happy in all of his life to have the lights turned back on. He didn’t want to go home, not if that meant walking anyway. It wasn’t that Harry was scared or anything, just that he wanted to practice caution. He leaned against the wall, his fingers lightly scratching against the cold siding. Where was Severus? Why was he taking so long?

Pulling open the theater door he jumped back a foot or two and screamed loudly when his guardian had appeared in front of him.

“Merlin’s bloody balls!” he screeched. “What the Hell are you playing at?! Do you get some kind of sick kick out of sneaking around like that!?”

Severus cocked his eyebrow at his son and grabbed him roughly by the ear. Scared or not, how dare he scream such obscenities while other people were within earshot!? Squeezing on the earlobe of his son, he grinned, satisfied, as a consistent wave of “owes” reached his ears.

“Oww oww oww oww oww, Severus let go!”

“Do you want to apologize for what you just shouted in front of me, young man?” Severus hissed.

“Oww oww oww oww oww ye-ow-yes sir…I…I..oww…oww…so-oww…sorry…”

Nodding Severus released Harry’s ear and crossed his arms over his chest while the boy tried to massage the sting out. He could try, but Severus had a grip that could linger. While Harry busily tried to rid himself of the pain in his left ear, Severus decided now was the time to begin the walk home. He took Harry’s free arm in his hand and led the lad out of the theater and onto the, darkened, London street.

Harry moved farther into Severus’s side, he refused to let this man out of his sight for even a minute. He didn’t know if there was a chance that Severus could be possessed, seeing as his father had such an ironclad will against absolutely everything, but he didn’t want to take that chance.

“Severus?” he asked, after they passed a couple blocks. “Do people really get possessed like that? I mean…the Vatican doesn’t really turn people down for exorcisms do they?”

Severus sighed, how did he know this was going to happen? Religion was messy business, he really did not want to feed Harry information with his own beliefs without establishing what Harry already believed. After years of abuse under the Dursleys it was fairly difficult to get Harry to stand by, certain, personal beliefs. He wanted love and worth so much that he felt the need to change himself to be loved and adored.

“Harry, what do you believe?” he asked, carefully. “What are you religious beliefs?”

Harry shrugged as they continued to walk. He supposed he didn’t really have any, the Dursleys went to church but they never took Harry. Harry always thought that it was because wizards couldn’t really believe in God.

“I guess I’m a Christian,” he sighed. “I mean, that’s what the Dursley’s were.”

Severus shook his head.

“No Harry, that’s what they believed, I want to know what you believe.”

“Well what do you believe, Severus?”

Severus bit his lower lip and turned his head back. There really was no way of getting out of this then. He would try and keep this as cut and dry as he possibly could.

“My family is Roman Catholic, but I believe that God created wizards just as he created non-wizards. The Bible is not specific with its interpretation to me on magical beings. Harry, really, your beliefs are something personal to you…you do not have to share them with anyone.”

“I just wanted to know if the Vatican could really turn down people for exorcisms, Severus,” Harry said softly. “You asked me what I believe.”

Severus sighed, “They can Harry.”

They walked in silence briefly and Severus could see another question forming on Harry’s face. Pocketing his hands from the cool wind he tilted his head towards the blackened sky above.

“They can reject people for exorcisms because there are millions of claims for demonic possession around the world. Harry, can you imagine how difficult it would be to exercise all those people? And some of the claims are not genuine, just some moron that has no better way to justify the evil deeds and happenings in their life.”

Harry nodded silently.

“That seems a bit…harsh…” he commented. “I don’t really like that.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about it, young man.” Severus continued. “Because it will not happen to you.”

“How do you know, Sev?” Harry asked, leaning his head against his arm.

“You are too strong willed, scamp,” he said warmly. “Too good, too resilient, and I won’t let it happen. What was the first thing I promised you when you came to live with me?”

“Umm…I would be scrubbing cauldrons until I was in my late thirties?”

Severus tapped Harry on the back of the head and chuckled.

“Besides that, brat.”

“Oh,” Harry teased. “Well that WAS one of the first things. I’m just kidding Sev, I know, you promised to protect me no matter what.”

“Exactly.” Severus confirmed, wrapping his arm around him. “So you have no reason to be scared anymore, right?”

“Umm…yeah…I guess…” he grumbled. “I wonder how Hermione could like something like that.”

“Miss Granger has a mind that rationalizes everything,” Severus said. “For her this was probably a great research project.”

Harry never understood how Hermione could do homework when it wasn’t even assigned. Harry could barely do homework when he was expected to do it. He didn’t mind that about Hermione though, she made a great study partner and did a lot to help him when he couldn’t figure out how to write his potions essays.

“Hermione is strange.” Harry yawned.

“Finally, we agree on something.” Severus smirked.

Their home was warm and dark when they arrived and there wasn’t a single sound past the threshold. Harry glanced inside before his feet would make it over the welcome mat. It was too dark to see anything and Harry didn’t think it would be safe for them to go inside blind.

“Harry, go.” Severus sighed.

“But…we don’t know if there’s something or someone in there.” He squeaked.

“Harry James, there are wards all over this property, there is nothing in there!”

Harry felt the corners of his eyes burn and hesitantly he walked inside, his hand clutching the sleeve of Severus’s robes. He could feel his heart against his ribcage and he was too terrified to even think. Merlin he almost felt sick with fear…he couldn’t remember the last time he had been this scared. Maybe it had been while he was in the Chamber. That had been pretty damn nerve racking.

Severus rolled his eyes in the dark and with a flick of his wand the fireplace lit up and a warm glow encased them. He was losing his patience already with his son, and he really did not want to risk hurting his feelings by snapping at him. He just found this fear of a movie to be highly illogical, really it was only a movie.

“Harry, go upstairs, shower, and get ready for bed.”

Harry’s eyes widened as they scanned the stairs. It was so dark on the second floor, and Harry didn’t want to be caught in the shower by some demonic creature. He was so scared, why couldn’t Severus just let him skip a night of showering? He hadn’t been running around so he wasn’t sweaty, and he didn’t stink either.

“Do…do I have to shower tonight?” Harry squeaked. “I mean…I don’t smell bad or anything.”

Severus turned and cocked his eyebrow at the boy in front of him. He knew this was going to happen, he had absolutely known it! Harry was going to be too scared to do anything in their home now if he wasn’t there. Well Severus wasn’t dealing with it, he refused. Harry was thirteen now and that meant he was old enough to rationalize between reality and the real world.

“Go shower, Harry James, right now.”

“But Severus-

-Now!”

Harry’s chin quivered slightly, but turning quickly on his heel he raced up the steps to the second floor. It was so dark and he could just barely see his hand when he held it right in front of his face. He had his wand in his pocket, but for some reason Harry was too scared to reach into his pocket to use it.

It felt like it took him forever to get to his room and the bathroom that was attached. Turning on his lamp he sighed with relief as the room filled with light. The eggshell white walls faced back, the posters of his Quidditch teams facing back. That was good, there were no demons in here. Now he just had to check the bathroom and he would be in the clear to shower and go to bed.

Flipping the switch he scanned the room thoroughly for any dark beings. The shower wasn’t a problem, seeing as it had a clear door that he could see through to begin with. He had never been more thankful to Severus for letting him upgrade his bathroom. Removing his shirt he tossed it into the hamper and turned on the water.

“It’s just a movie Potter,” Harry grumbled to himself. “There’s nothing to be scared of, and Sev’s downstairs…you are safe…”

That’s all Harry had to keep telling himself and he would be fine. There was nothing that could harm him while he was at Spinner’s End. Severus had wards set up and was one of the smartest wizards he knew. Besides, he was Roman Catholic, if Harry became possessed he would know exactly what to do…but…what if Severus himself got possessed? Harry didn’t know what to do for that, he was just a stupid kid!

Severus wished he would have been more firm with his son. He should not have let his son see that movie. A good father would have considered the ramifications of his actions and realized that Harry wasn’t mature enough for this movie. Sitting in his armchair he sipped from his tea and sighed. Harry was going to end up sleeping in his room tonight, and Severus would have not have the heart to send a scared Boy-Who-Lived away. Well, he might as well go and prepare for it then, it wasn’t like he would have a choice when two am came around anyway.

After extinguishing the fire downstairs he made his way upstairs to his room, but not before stopping in the doorway of Harry’s. His son was sitting in the middle of his bed, his eyes moving around, wildly, to scan each darkened corner.

“Harry,” Severus sighed, breaking through his boy’s paranoia. “Calm down, there is nothing to be scared of.”

Harry looked up at Severus and nodded.

“Now, get into bed, lad.”

“Yessir…” Harry whispered.

Severus pulled back the covers and helped Harry snuggle down into the warm covers. Tomorrow Harry would be fine; the day was always the easiest. It was when it got dark that Harry’s imagination ran wild with him.

“Do you want a night light, Harry?”

“A night light?” Harry repeated, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not four, Severus.”

“Mind your tone, Harry.” The Potions Master admonished.

“Sorry.” He grumbled. “Goodnight, I guess.”

Severus nodded and without another word, extinguished Harry’s lamp and closed the door gently behind him. He gave Harry an hour, maybe an hour and a half, before he would find a raven haired teenager trying to sneak into his bed.