Severus felt he'd been polite enough to go to the garage with Arthur, where he stayed for a decent amount of time, dully hearing about the various things the man had collected over the years. And as he was trying to work out how to politely tell Arthur he had no interest in any of the clutter inside the shed, and request to leave, Molly chose that moment to stop by with the camera.
Ginny was in the house, mixing the cake batter with a wooden spoon, and Molly thought it was an opportunist idea to take some more pictures of her new sixteen-year-old son.
'I'd like a nice shot of you two in the shed.' Molly smiled.
She directed the pair towards an area where the sunlight streamed through the window. She thought it made for a lovely photo, whereas Severus was determined to get it over with.
Severus didn't move when he was told to stand right beside Arthur, until Molly gave him a stern look. He hated it when she frowned like that because it meant he had to do as he was told if he wanted to avoid some sort of punishment.
Couldn't they see he was being punished enough just by being there after everything that had happened to him lately?
Sighing, Severus stood reluctantly beside Arthur. He withheld a flinch, as the man placed a hand on his shoulder and beamed at the camera. Severus, never one to smile much since he'd lost his friendship with Lily, managed to look at least content when he faced the camera-wielding Molly.
'Won't you smile for the camera, Severus?' She encouraged.
'No.' Severus said sourly. 'Take the picture, already.'
Molly took several photos, then returned to the house.
Severus quickly stepped away from Arthur, and made an excuse about wanting to draw a picture of the hills before it got too dark. It wasn't even mid-afternoon yet, but Severus didn't care. He had to get away. To back up his words, as a precaution, Severus searched the house high and low for a pad of parchment and some crayons.
Sitting on the hill that overlooked the burrow, Severus let the breeze blow around his hair.
He sketched for a while, until enough progress had been made for his cover story, then dropped the pad and crayons beside him. With an exhale of relief, he lay back on the grass and looked upward at the clouds slowly drifting by in the blue sky. It was a wonderful relaxation to just lie there, without much care in the world, and remember the red-haired girl who was usually lying beside him when he'd had a moment like this in the past. He had to admit, he hadn't had another moment like that once since he'd actually been sixteen.
Severus wasn't sure why he missed Lily less than he often did when he remembered her, or how his worries could be so slim when he sat on the hill. He'd found out a very alarming truth during dinner the night before. Voldemort seemed to have vanished from existence the same night Severus and Harry had been de-aged and forgotten by everyone else. He failed to remember exactly what was said, which bothered Severus as he always had an exceptional memory, but ultimately it meant the Dark Lord was no longer a major concern for him or anyone else.
Severus closed his eyes and let the calmness fill him.
He couldn't remember when he had felt so at peace and relaxed. There had always been something to trouble him. He wanted to enjoy it as much as possible - Severus was convinced this was the only time he would ever be so calm and collected again. He dreaded the following day, with the return of the Weasleys, and the day when the brat finally awoke from the recovering coma. Severus tried not to think about it.
He dozed off for a few hours, until he was woken by Molly calling him for dinner while the sun turned the sky orange as it begun to sink below the horizon of hills and landscape.
--
'We won't be too long.' Molly assured a moody sixteen-year-old Severus the following day, as she pat his cheek in farewell.
It was a few hours before lunch; Molly was preparing to head to King's Cross Station with Arthur and Ginny to pick up the remaining Weasleys, and bring them home. The Hogwarts term had ended, and Severus wished it hadn't because his reasonable peace was about to be shattered.
'Mum, don't fuss.' Severus rolled his eyes. 'I'll be fine. It's only a few hours. Do you expect me to burn the house down?'
Molly sighed and turned to leave, ushering Ginny to the door where Arthur was already waiting outside. The trio headed along the driveway to the apparation point near the boundaries of their property. Severus realised, as they vanished from sight, that he now had the entire burrow to himself.
They trusted him enough to leave him behind, on his own, for several hours.
Fighting the urge to run around, and catch a glimpse of the other rooms he had previously stayed away from out of consideration, Severus returned inside to climb the stairs to Percy's room. When he'd been a Professor, Severus had taught the two eldest Weasley boys, then all the others that followed – except Ginny. He knew a little bit about them already, and yet they had no memory of him at all.
It made Severus nervous.
He stood alone in the bedroom, as the only person left, and hoped he would be able to cope with the other brats running amok. If they didn't like him, Severus knew he'd be very on edge every second of the day. It would almost be worse than living with the Marauders, he assumed. Surely Molly and Arthur would favour their own children over him, and they'd be around all the time.
Severus looked at his appearance in the full-length mirror. He was dressed in a pair of nicer jeans, a long-sleeved grey shirt, and a criss-cross patterned white/blue vest. He had given himself a haircut that morning, so it hang around his ears again - it had grown overnight with the re-aging process. Molly complained it was still too long, but Severus insisted he liked it the way it was and ignored anything she had to say about it afterwards.
He left the bedroom again and decided to go for a walk to pass the time. He stopped outside the room and felt a bit guilty for not realising he wasn't the only one in the whole house. Not worried about being caught, as the Weasleys were on their way to King's Cross, Severus pushed open the door to Harry's room.
Poppy had stopped by by check up on him an hour ago, to make sure things were progressing as they should. She had been satisfied with Harry's condition and believed he might wake a little sooner than she'd previously predicted.
Approaching the bed, Severus sat on the edge of it and looked down at the three-year-old. Well, almost-four-year-old, really, since it was nearly the end of June. Severus felt the brat's scar-free forehead, which was a normal warm temperature. His pulse was also steady, and his breathing calm. He guessed the healthy boy had to recover more than Severus had because of the age difference. Even if Severus had de-aged sixteen years, and Harry only eight, the boy was now a toddler. Their situations were still rather different, as Severus was re-aging by several years over the next week or so whereas Harry was already set at the age he would be naturally advancing from.
Severus spent a long time sitting there, watching the boy sleep, as he compared their situations and kept his analytical mind busy.
Checking the time, Severus left the room and closed the door behind himself. He went outside, as he had originally intended to, and skipped stones over the creek for a while. He didn't stay there for long - he felt magic in the air, and soon a gaggle of voices were heard in the distance.
Bracing himself for the worse, Severus straightened his collar and turned towards the driveway.
He saw seven red-haired heads quickly approaching along the path.
'There he is!' One of the twins called out, as though Severus wasn't standing in plain sight near the side of the house.
'He's taller than I pictured him.' Said the other twin, just as he reached Severus and looked up at him. 'Hiya, Severus. I'm George.' He flashed him a smile.
'And I'm Fred, the better-looking twin.' The other winked. 'So you're our new brother, huh?'
'Obviously.' Severus said. 'Hello.' He added. He wasn't sure what to say to them, though he wouldn't lie by telling them he was pleased to meet them.
'Hi, I'm Ron.' The youngest boy stood a little behind the twins, clearly a bit intimidated.
Severus nodded to Harry's former best friend. He then looked at the last Weasley he was yet to greet - the prefect whose room he had been occupying.
'Hello, I'm Percy.' The boy close to his height held out his hand for Severus to shake, which he did.
Severus watched the bespectacled boy for a moment. He realised that while the twins were eager and Ron was a bit unsure, Percy seemed rather cautious, if not a bit annoyed, to have Severus there. Severus' hopes of keeping the same room he'd been in for the past few days were dashed by the single pointed look Percy gave him.
'Come along, you lot!' Molly said. 'Let's all sit down for lunch.' She urged everyone inside the house. 'And behave yourselves!' She added in a sharper tone to the twins, who already wore smirks of pending mischief.
Severus backed himself towards a wall when everyone rushed about trying to pick a seat at the table. He noticed Percy heading up the stairs with his trunk, and decided to follow him since his own belongings were in the room as well.
They may be second-hand, but it was all Severus had at the moment.
'So.' Percy stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and turned to look at Severus with a firmness that vaguely reminded him of Molly. 'You've been staying in my room?'
'Yes.' Severus nodded. 'Mum said the twin's room was too messy, and Harry slept in Ron's room until she moved him to the new one beside yours.'
'I wondered about that.' Percy sighed. He looked around, inspecting for any damage or moved items. 'You call her “Mum” already?' He commented with a note of surprise.
Severus frowned and looked away, wondering when he had started using such a personal title for the woman.
'I suppose I do. She adopted me, after all.' He shrugged defensively.
He observed Percy's searching gaze and disproving frown, feeling discouraged by the prefect's clear lack of acceptance towards having someone else occupy his bedroom.
'I only used your dresser, mirror, and bed.' Severus told the younger boy, glancing to each in turn. 'I will remove my things now, if you wish.'
'Where will you sleep?' Percy quickly looked around at him, his expression creasing with uncertainty. He had not expected to reclaim his room right away.
'The attic, I suppose.' Severus answered in a displeased tone. 'Or share with the boy.'
Percy watched Severus head to the dresser and lift out a small range of second-hand clothes from himself, Charlie, and Bill. There was nothing else the boy owned that had to be removed, Percy noticed, as he glanced at the well-made bed with a conflicted frowned. Percy had been annoyed to hear someone had been occupying his room while he was at school, and expected to find it in array. He also didn't want another brother - at least not one who was older than him.
After meeting Severus, the usually stern prefect was beginning to change his mind.
'Stay.' Percy sighed and sat on his bed. 'I'm sure Mum can put another bed in here, maybe expand the room a little. I don't mind sharing as long as you don't keep me up at night or make a mess.'
'Are you certain?' Severus paused by the doorway, his arms loaded with his clothes.
'Yeah.' Percy shrugged. 'I'm only here for the summer, anyway. Is it true you'll be aging a few more years soon?'
'Hopefully.' Severus said, wondering where to put his clothes now he had been permitted to stay.
He put them back into the dresser, silently hoping he would get his own set of furniture. The idea of sharing with Percy wasn't an ideal one, but the prefect seemed tolerable enough. It wasn't as though Severus had never shared a room with anyone before.
The two teenagers said nothing else to the other. They didn't know what to say or do, until Molly loudly requested them to come downstairs for lunch.
'I'm not hungry!' Percy called down to her.
'Me neither.' Severus muttered. He wasn't sure if Percy wanted to be left on his own, or if he could escape outside without being bombarded by the others.
'Severus isn't either!' Percy said for him.
Molly accepted their declaration, as she was busy once again scolding the twins for one thing or another.
'How are we going to do this?' Percy looked around the bedroom, trying tried to work out where they would need more space and which of his things had to be shifted.
They found a piece of parchment and stood around the desk, where they had spread it out across the wooden surface. They worked on a rough floor-plan of the bedroom with relatively accurate measurements, so they had an idea where everything was now and which items could be moved to make room for another bed and dresser.
'Mandy Haller works at the Ministry and knows Dad.' Percy told him. 'Her husband is said to be an excellent magical builder. Maybe Dad can ask him to stop by and work on expanding our room?'
Severus agreed it sounded reasonable, as his knowledge and experience in the area wasn't at its best. He couldn't even remember half of the spells, as he'd almost never used them. He also decided he could easily tolerate Percy. Severus wasn't sure what exactly he had expected the Weasley to be like. While they talked and made plans, Severus was impressed by some of the prefect's ideas.
Once they were finished, there was a banging outside the house, which irked Percy rather quickly.
Going to the window, Percy slid it open and stuck his head through it.
Severus looked over his shoulder, and saw the twins were battling with their trunks hovering mid-air. The actions were far too practised, giving the impression it was some sort of tradition to do so every time they returned home for the summer.
'Do you mind?' Percy frowned. 'Can't you do that somewhere else?'
Severus didn't hear what the fourteen-year-olds replied with, as he turned to leave the room. If the twins weren't inside, he could sneak to the hills and enjoy a bit of freedom until dinner.
He hadn't expected his plan to horribly backfire.
Severus had just reached the sloped hill when he saw two other red-haired people walking along the driveway. They were older than he was; Severus assumed they were Bill and Charlie. He did not expect nor appreciate a visit from them, not today.
'That must be him.' Bill stated 'Cool hair.' He smirked. His own was rather long as well, though so much it had been tied back, and Molly always hassled him to cut it. Knowing he likely wasn't the only one amused him greatly.
'Hey!' Charlie waved to Severus.
'Hello.' Severus answered. He wished all the Weasleys would leave him alone.
He was starting to feel very claustrophobic with them all around. The twins were still arguing with Percy, whose head looked rather odd sticking out of the upper window, while their trunks floated above them. Ron was followed Arthur into the shed, while Ginny looked through the kitchen window to see what the twins were doing.
'You're Severus, I presume?' Bill asked. 'Our new little brother?'
'Yes, I'm Severus.' He frowned. 'I'm sixteen now, but I'll be older soon.'
'Yeah, but not by much.' Charlie reminded him, doubting Severus would catch up to them too quickly. 'We're in our twenties.'
Severus had nothing to answer with, but he wasn't too fond of Charlie Weasley at all. He was the one who worked with dragons now, and Severus lost count of the times he had assigned Charlie a detention for causing trouble at school. Bill had been head boy; Severus remembered him to be less of a nuisance than the other Weasley children, much like Percy.
Severus made it clear, by looking sour and not striking up a conversation with either of them, that he'd prefer to be left alone. Bill got the message rather quickly and promised to catch up with him later. He headed to the house with Charlie following after him. The burrow had seemed almost nice to Severus - a place he could sort of call his temporary home.
Now it was an ongoing nightmare.
--
When the sun went down, Severus knew he had no other choice than to head back inside, where he had to battle his way through the Weasleys just to get to the table. He felt crammed from where he sat between Percy and one of the twins, which was the seat directly across from Molly. There was constant, loud chatter, and everyone kept reaching across the table for food.
Severus ate quickly and, once Arthur agreed to have the magical builder stop by to fix up the room, he rose from the table and fled upstairs.
Of all the times he had locked himself in the bedroom over the past few days, Severus had not been as relieved to do so than in that moment. Percy joined him a few seconds later, sharing the same need for peace and quiet. As Percy began to unpack his school trunk, Severus sat on the mattress in the middle of the room, which had been put there for the night.
Everything seemed okay, until it was time for bed.
Severus was easily frustrated by having to wait for his turn in the shower. When he finally stepped inside, he grimaced at the water on the floor and towels badly hanging on their racks. He heard Bill and Charlie would be visiting for a few days, which Severus wasn't too pleased about. Charlie had ignored Molly's every protest, as he decided to sleep on the couch, while Bill ended up sharing with Ron.
Not much had happened that day, not really, yet Severus felt utterly drained as he lay down to sleep. Even with the twin running around in the corridors outside the room, and Ron complaining loudly to his mother about sharing with Bill, both Severus and Percy quickly fell into a well-rested slumber that lasted all through the night.
--
When the sun shone through the windows and over the hills early the next morning, things were already different.
After the stressful previous day, Severus barely reacted to anything until well into the early hours of the afternoon. He was too relieved by his new age. He'd woken to find he was seventeen. He was taller, and regained many of the distinguished features he'd had as an adult. Above all, Severus was able to freely use his magic without any age restraints.
It was a relief that changed his mood dramatically for the entire day, even sitting on a water balloon the twins had left on a random chair at the lunch table and Severus had been the unfortunate one to sit there.
Morgan Haller stopped by to help Percy and Severus fix up their room around mid-afternoon. Molly had insisted on paying him for his time by treating him to one of her finest home-made cherry and apricot pies. He gladly accepted after his task was finished. Morgan had spent an entire hour expanding the bedroom and helping them move in several new pieces of furniture, which had been brought out of storage by Arthur.
Prior to dinner, Severus stood in the renewed room and felt content with how it looked.
Percy's bed was still in the right corner, vertically against the side wall. The desk in front of the window remained, with the prefect's dresser beside it. Severus' bed was the same as Percy's, except on the opposite side wall. He had a bedside table and at the end of his bed, facing the wall the bed was against, was a new desk of his own with a wooden chair.
Standing in the doorway, he looked to the left where his dresser was, which he had already pack his few second-hand clothes into, and on the right of the door was the closet he and Percy shared. It had two doors - the one on the left was for Percy's side, and the one on the right was for Severus. The boys were both quietly happy with their room. It even had more space than before, and was easily one of the bigger rooms in the house due to them both being people who liked to keep to themselves and enjoy their own space.
After Molly had diffused the complaints from the other children, who wanted their rooms to be remodelled and enlarged as well, everyone had gone to the living room to hear Charlie and Bill tell stories about their work before dinner. They were all fascinated by the details of recent things Bill had done at his job at Gringotts, but it was Charlie's tale of a rogue adolescent dragon that everyone wanted to hear again and again.
Severus had no interest in either.
He enjoyed the time in his new room reading a book Percy had lent him, and keeping out of the chaotic sections of the household. He didn't think they all liked him being there, anyway. Percy had accepted him well enough, and Ginny already had over the summer, but the rest mostly left him alone as if his appearance and addition to the family was losing its novelty.
--
On the second day of being seventeen, Severus was coerced by Molly into spending time with Bill and Charlie. She convinced them that because the pair were only visiting for two more days, they should get to know their new brother.
Severus, ever the cunning Slytherin, didn't really complain.
It meant he could leave the burrow for a while, when Charlie came up with the idea for them to see a Quidditch match together. The match itself wasn't too big of a deal, as it was only a local match between two lesser known team Severus himself didn't even recognise, but it turned out to be a rather enjoyable day. However, with Severus being of age again, the highlight of his day was his readiness to make use of his regained ability to apparate.
After the match, the three eldest Weasley brothers went to lunch at a small nearby restaurant. They talked about random topics - such as their Hogwarts years, various opinions on careers, and things they liked to do in their free time. They even discussed, with little awkwardness, the situation of Severus' aging.
When the small group returned to the burrow in time for dinner, the others called Bill and Charlie into the backyard to play Quidditch. Severus watched them walk away from him, and admitted to himself that he'd had a decent day. He still liked Bill more than Charlie, but felt a little left out when they instantly went to fly with the others.
'Hey, Sev!' One of the twins called, remembering they had a potential new team player nearby. 'You any good on a broom?'
'Do NOT call me that!' Severus snapped so harshly his voice silenced the group's laughter.
They all looked over to stare at him with surprise, though Bill narrowed his eyes slightly with more curiosity than alarm.
'It is a nickname reserved only for those I allow to use it.' Severus added sharply. He didn't want to be referred to by such a Lily-reminding name by someone he wasn't overly fond of.
'Touchy.' The twin rolled his eyes. 'Do you want to play, though?'
'No.' Severus answered. 'I would rather not.'
Severus turned and strode inside the house.
He passed Molly and Arthur along the way, who had gone to see what had suddenly silenced their children - quiet Weasleys were not a good sign. Severus ignored them both, and headed upstairs to his bedroom. He halted at the doorway, surprised to see Percy sitting on his own bed with his back leaned against the wall with the window.
'Did they invite you to play?' Percy asked.
He looked down at the open Charms textbook resting on his lap, though his eyes didn't move across the words. He avoided looking at Severus, but listened intently for a reply.
'Yes.' Severus frowned.
He crossed the room and slammed the window shut to drain out the sounds of the match.
'I declined. I may occasionally enjoy watching a match, but I prefer not to play.'
'Are you any good on a broom, then?' Percy wondered. It was more than he'd asked Severus at once, and the Slytherin wondered what had encouraged the conversational moment.
'I'm a decent flier.' Severus said a bit stiffly. 'Are you not interested in joining them?'
Percy snapped his book shut and turned away from him. The prefect seemed angry and embarrassed by the question, though Severus couldn't determine why.
'I never play Quidditch at home.' Percy sighed and moved across his bed to sit on its edge. He looked towards the polished wooden floor with a serious expression.
'After a while, they stopped asking me. Only Charlie knows the truth.'
'And I shall not pry.' Severus said.
He moved to his own bed to lay back on it with a sigh. He got out his wand, and wished he'd left the window open to allow flies to enter the room. Severus could have zapped them to pass the time, as he had so often done during his previous childhood.
'I think we have a lot in common.' Percy said quietly. 'We don't waste our time running around and making noise. We place value on our studies, and we know independence is important. I heard you were in Slytherin? I was almost in Slytherin myself, but I was worried what my family would think. The hat then debated on Ravenclaw, but I asked for Gryffindor.'
Severus was surprised to hear that. A Weasley who had almost ended up in Slytherin – it was something he could not have imagined to be possible.
Suddenly, Percy became a lot more interesting.
'I tried out for the Quidditch team in second year.' Percy revealed, his hesitation fading away.
He felt he could trust Severus with his secrets. He'd revealed a few smaller things already, and his new brother had respected his privacy. Even Severus had shared some minor details about being bullied in school, and how hard it had been to make a name for himself despite his poor background, and how he wasn't a pure-blood.
'It was Charlie's second year as Quidditch captain when I tried out for the team, as Chaser.' Percy continued. 'I made it, and everyone thought it was only because Charlie was my brother. I tried to prove myself to them, but they kept saying how I had cheated my way onto the team, and that I'd never be as good a player as Charlie.'
'What did you do?' Severus wondered.
He knew he'd have hexed the jealous sods who mocked him, had he been in Percy's place. He also didn't recall ever seeing the bespectacled Weasley on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, from his entire time as a Professor at Hogwarts. And Severus had, somewhat reluctantly, attended every game.
'I quit the team before I even got to play a match.' Percy sighed. He adjusted his glasses, which had started to slide of his nose when he'd stared at his feet for too long. 'It wasn't about giving up, I just realised that no matter how I did on the team it would always go back to Charlie. Either he'd be better than me, or I was only good because I had him as my brother.' He frowned.
'I buried myself in my studies, and didn't try out for the team again. Fred and George started at Hogwarts the year after, which was Charlie's final year. When he graduated, they tried out for the team and played as Beaters. They're really good, and everyone praised them for it.'
Percy looked towards the window, and Severus followed his gaze. Occasionally they'd see someone flying by on a broomstick, as the match in the backyard continued with laughter and friendly competition.
'I'd lost my chance.' Percy added with regret and disappointment in his voice. 'Fred and George didn't even know I was ever on the team. Charlie was very understanding about it - he never told anyone what happened. Not even Mum or Dad know I was a Chaser for a little while.'
Severus didn't know what to say, and was glad Percy didn't expect him to comment.
It became clear to him, in the short period of time, that not all the Weasleys were the same. Percy was clearly an outsider at the burrow, within his family, and even in Gryffindor at Hogwarts. Severus knew he hadn't seen Percy with any friends at school, apart from an occasional Ravenclaw student. All the other Weasleys had a flock of friends wherever they went, which usually involved some sort of mischief or rule-breaking.
Severus looked over at Percy's sullen form, and realised the prefect reminded him a bit of himself in a way. He felt compelled to say something in exchange for what the other boy had risked sharing with him.
'I was much the same.' Severus said, maintaining the quite tone of the room. 'During my time at school there were two Gryffindors I mutually despised. James Potter was the ringleader of a little gang, and he was known as a Quidditch legend. He became Quidditch Captain in fifth year and remained as such for the rest of his school duration. He was even Head Boy.'
Severus was glad that Percy, who slowly looked over at him with curiosity, showed no recognition towards the name.
'It was because of Potter that I never tried out for the Quidditch team, not because I feared playing against him, but rather he'd always compare me against his supposed talent and that of his best friend, Sirius Black.' Severus growled. 'They assumed I was an incompetent flier, which I allowed them to believe. It was easier.'
'We really do have a lot in common.' Percy whispered. 'Then I'm glad we're brothers now. It's hard, growing up here. I know my family loves me, but I do get tired of being so different and placing value in things they don't really understand. I was the youngest brother for what felt like a long time, then the twins were born. I wanted to set a good example to them, but over the years they stopped taking me seriously.'
Percy's expression creased with annoyance.
'Then they became big brothers to Ron and he looked up to them in a way they never did to me. I don't see why following certain rules is such a bad thing - they think I'm too uptight because of it.'
Severus continued to listen to Percy, though he had no idea why the other boy had started sharing so much with him to begin with.
They went downstairs for dinner, then returned to their room and talked some more. As they went to bed that night, Percy felt he'd finally found a brother he could relate to and talk with, while Severus experienced what it was like to actually have a brother. He was both pleased and surprised to realise that Percy, unlike any of the others, really felt like a brother to him now.
It made the stay at the burrow a little less horrendous.
A week passed by.
Every two days, Severus had woken to be a year older.
Before Bill and Charlie left, they posed for pictures with Severus to keep up with the re-planned background. Severus, at twenty-years-old, had suddenly come down with an odd sickness. He was pale and cold, while his stomach ached seemingly without a cause. Poppy stopped by that night to check him over, and reassured him it would pass. His next bout of unnatural magical aging would be his last.
Severus woke the next morning, at the age of twenty-one. It was the age it would be remaining at, allowing his body and mind to age naturally from that moment onwards.
However, Poppy's visit had brought about some even more alarming news.
She went into Harry's room, and saw the little boy was rolled over onto his side. For the entire time the three-year-old was in the coma, he'd never moved or made a sound. The fact he had subconsciously turned onto his side meant he was no longer in a coma, and was now resting comfortably.
Child was likely to wake soon, possibly even in a few days time.
It took another day for Severus to feel completely well again. Molly had tried to fuss over him during the time he was ill, until he pretended to be asleep every time she came into the room. Percy, with a new sense of brotherly duty, warned Severus each time she approached.
When Severus woke the morning after, he felt much better.
He wasn't sure what to think about the age he'd be staying with until his next birthday. Twenty-one wasn't too bad, he supposed.
Severus got up and walked to the mirror. He observed himself for a while, and noticed he'd reached the height he'd been as an adult. He wasn't as different to who had once been - he looked considerably healthier and youthful than before, but otherwise greatly resembled his former self. It was a huge relief. It almost made him a year older than Charlie, which Severus was rather amused by, and it meant he was the second-eldest Weasley in the family. It came with responsibility, though, after he'd thought on what Percy had said about setting a good example for their younger siblings. Which also included Percy himself, who was turning sixteen in a few months.
Severus walked downstairs to help Molly with breakfast, thinking on the fact he'd been at the burrow for nearly two weeks.
To him, it felt like years.
He'd finally begun to adjust, and was ready to put a new skill to the test. The night before, Percy had told him a trick to telling which twin was which. Apparently Fred had a small scar on the top tip of his ear, which was only noticeable if one knew to look for it. Percy had only realised it to be an identifying mark over Christmas, and Severus was glad because it was annoying to constantly be pranked by one twin claiming to be the other.
He guessed Molly had given them a very stern lecture when she'd picked them up from the station, which was part of the reason he hadn't been invited along, because the twins were very careful not to prank Severus too often. If they did, it had to seem as though they weren't deliberately targeting him.
'I think it's going to rain later.' Molly commented. She parted the window curtain to look outside, seeing the darkened clouds overhead. 'Are you still planning on going to the hill today to draw?'
'Maybe.' Severus answered. He waved his wand, casting the spell to do the dishes, and once again reminded himself how wonderful it was to be of age. 'It may be the last chance I get before Harry awakens.'
He was relieved to have left his teenage years behind - some of his rational thinking and calmer composure had returned alongside his adulthood. Molly said it might be because his age was starting to settle after his body had been under a lot magical stress lately. Severus dismissed her theory, preferring to believe he was really becoming more himself again.
He refused to think otherwise.
'Are you nervous?' Molly asked, moving a large plate of bacon to the table. 'About being a father?'
'Of course.' Severus answered. 'And to Potter, of all brats.'
'Severus.' Molly disapproved. 'Regardless of your grudge against James, Harry is his own person. He's also Lily's boy. He's only three now. Poppy said he should also have most of his memories, just as you do. But you have a responsibility to the child as his new father, regardless of what you think of him.'
'I know!' He growled. 'Don't remind me.'
'Then don't forget it.' Molly scolded, before she turned to head up the stairs and wake those who were still sleeping.
With Bill and Charlie's visit, Arthur having to work long hours, then Severus being sick, Molly hadn't had time to arrange the shopping trip for Severus to buy his own belongings. Arthur was home for the weekend, so after lunch that day Molly decided it was time they went to Diagon Alley.
She also reminded Severus that Harry would need his own things as well - there was no sense in delaying the trip any further.
'We'll floo to the Leaky Cauldron and work out where to go from there.' Molly told Severus as they stood in the living room and prepared to leave. 'I assume you'll be needing all the necessities?'
'Yes.' Severus blushed. 'And I am perfectly capable of selecting them for myself. I do not require assistance, other than your generous payments until I can figure out how to reclaim my vault.'
Molly ushered him into the fireplace and held out the floo powder.
He spoke clearly, and vanished into the green flames. It felt strange to realise it was only the second time he had done so, since arriving at the burrow for the first time nearly two weeks ago. Severus had wanted to apparate, but Molly insisted on using the floo network.
He cast a spell to remove the soot from his appearance while he waited for her to join him inside the Leaky Cauldron, which didn't look any different than he remembered. With all the alterations he'd gone through, Severus almost expected the world itself to have changed as well.
He said nothing as she spoke to him as they wandered into the cobble-stoned alley, and hardly even listened. Severus knew his way around, and was convinced she had nothing to tell him that he didn't already know.
He silently trailed behind her, hoping to get the trip over with as soon as possible.
Severus was dismayed to realise how little impact his age had on how Molly treated him. He had been fifteen less than two weeks ago, when she had mothered him and constantly made sure he had everything he needed. Now, at twenty-one, nothing had changed. Severus realised Molly had been right when she'd told him that to a mother a child was a child no matter their age.
She commented and made suggestions throughout the entire duration of the trip, sparing him only when he had fled to purchase underwear. He couldn't even run away to shop on his own because Molly was generously paying for everything he selected.
--
After many hours, when the trip came to a conclusion, Severus wondered how she had managed to accumulate a pile of things for her other children. He never saw her pick anything out, unless it was for him to try on or something she thought would look nice on Harry.
The pair carried their shrunken purchases in their pockets on the way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Severus wanted nothing more than to go home and bury his embarrassed face into his pillow for an hour.
Upon returning to the burrow, Severus stepped out of the fireplace and was alarmed to see so many anxious faces staring at him.
'You're back.' Arthur stood from a nearby armchair. His tone was business-like, and his face was set with a serious expression.
Nearby, Fred was sitting on a sofa with Ginny, while George leaned against a nearby wall, and Percy came into the room from the kitchen.
Severus moved aside, preferring not to be knocked over by Molly's entrance, and was glad when she took grip of the tense situation.
'What's the matter?' She asked, instantly worried as she did a quick head count.
'It's Harry.' Arthur told them, but didn't have time to explain.
Severus had turned to run up the stairs without hesitation.
He hurried as fast as he could, his heart beating frantically inside his ribcage in tune with each step. He prayed nothing had happened to Lily's boy during his absence, almost feeling guilty for leaving at all, until he burst into the child's room.
Gasping for breath, Severus headed straight to the bed and looked down at Harry.
A startling expression of pain was spread across the young child's face, as the boy tossed and turned comfortably under the sheets. It was a clear indication that the three-year-old was enduring a rather unpleasant nightmare.
His forehead was a little sweaty, but otherwise Harry seemed unharmed.
'He's waking up.' Molly said from the doorway, having followed behind him. 'Do you want me to stay?'
'No.' Severus was barely able to whisper. 'I'll manage.'
'Call if you need anything.' Molly nodded and headed back downstairs, leaving the father-to-be with his child.
'Harry?' Severus officially spoke the boy's name for the very first time.
He had always called him “Potter” until now, except he wasn't Harry Potter anymore. The little boy laying in the bed near him was Harry Liam Weasley, though Severus still thought of him as the spawn of James Potter, only with Lily's eyes. The emerald essence of Lily was hidden behind the closed eyelids of the three-year-old, as Severus sat on the edge of the bed and carefully gave the child a nudge.
Slowly, the boy stopped moving and turned onto his back, before his eyes began to open. They searched the room for something familiar, something to tell him where he was and what had caused him to be there. Utter confusion filled the child's eyes, as he turned to stare at Severus.
A gasp to escaped the man's lips.
'Where am I?' Harry trembled. 'Who are you?'
Severus could not believe it.
After weeks of waiting, of adapting despite his past haunting him, and the knowledge of being older, little Harry seemed to have no memories at all. And more than that, the small child stared up his new father with innocent eyes that were not emerald at all.
They were dark brown, exactly like Severus'.