Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Potential Problems

“… And they all lived happily ever after!”

Severus winced at the cheesy ending, but  a real smile broke over Harry’s face and he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

Albus chose that moment to re-enter the living-room, pushing what was probably a buggy, though it was loaded down with bags. “I’ve unpacked the food, Severus. Now to the exciting part; what do you think, Harry?”

Harry gazed curiously at the big mound, but didn’t make a sound.

“What is all that stuff?” Severus asked, feeling rather nervous.

He kept a hold of Harry while Albus unpacked, showing them each individual item. More clothes, in lots of different colours and patterns. Packs of nappies. Parenting books. A cot bed, currently boxed up, but the photo on the front showed that the contents were white and gold—quite attractive, Severus had to admit. A boxed playpen. Baby monitors. Bedding stitched with furry teddy bears. A boxed high chair. A bathing set. And a range of soft toys, children’s books and a big plastic thing with lots of lights and buttons.

“I’ve got you the bare essentials,” Albus said, making Severus’ mouth fall open. This was bare essentials? “There’s a lot more you can buy, but I thought you’d like to do that yourself when you have the opportunity.”

“Thanks, Albus,” Severus said, staring in minor shock at the large pile of stuff.

“Would you like some assistance getting it all sorted?”

“Definitely.”

It took some time for Albus to figure out the instructions for the cot, playpen and highchair, and get them assembled correctly. Harry giggled when the cot collapsed just as Albus directed the last section into place with his wand.

“Really, Harry, it’s not nice to laugh at others’ misfortunes,” Albus said, though it was spoken lightly and he too was smiling.

Once they had been correctly erected and tested for safety, the cot was moved into Severus’ room, and the highchair into the kitchen. All the toys were put in the playpen, but Severus hesitated. Harry was still clinging to him; trying to put him down so early might not be a good idea.

“Albus, can you pass me one of those things?”

He received a stuffed bat in response, and rolled his eyes. Albus’ sense of humour drove him mad sometimes. Still, Harry was looking at it quite keenly, so he didn’t protest.

“Harry, would you like to play with …” Severus paused. “Mr Bat?”

Albus chuckled. “Severus, I know you’ve got more imagination than that.”

“I can think of lots of names suitable for a bat; but I’m not sure a three-year-old would appreciate any of them. Harry, would you like to give it a name?”

To his surprise, Harry nodded, and held out his arms hesitantly. Severus gave him the toy, and another smile crept across Harry’s face as he clutched it close, rubbing against its pretend fur with delight in his eyes.

A lump arose in Severus’ throat as he saw how much of an effect the simple action had had on the child. He wondered if Harry remembered ever having toys before.

“What are you going to call it?”

Harry didn’t answer, too lost in his happiness. Severus decided just to let him be.

-

Throughout being fed, watered, and undressed for bed, Harry didn’t let go of his new friend. Albus had thoroughly cleaned Harry’s blanket—both magically and in the washing-machine—and although the strong detergent had taken the blue colour out of it, he had spelled the colour back in and magically repaired the holes and thinning areas.

“You’re sure that’s clean, Albus?” Severus asked, looking doubtful.

“It’s good as new,” Albus assured him. “See? Having it back tonight might help him settle in. He’s obviously attached to it.”

“Probably because he didn’t have anything better.”

“Well, all the same …” Albus trailed off. “Ahh.”

Severus looked down. Harry had fallen asleep already, curled up in his arms.

“I had better get him to bed. He’s had one exhausting day.”

Albus watched while Severus took Harry upstairs, laid him gently in the new cot and tucked him in, with the bat and the old blanket. Harry stirred slightly, but only for a moment.

“I suppose I’ll say goodnight, then,” Albus whispered. “I should get back to the school. You’ll be all right, Severus?”

His doubt must have shown in his face, for Albus chuckled slightly.

“You’ll be fine, I promise. He trusts you: that’s the most important step. And if you need any help, don’t hesitate to call me.”

-

Severus spent the rest of his evening making sure that his house was child-proofed, whilst attached to the baby monitor. Harry wasn’t exactly wandering freely now, but no doubt he would at some point. Severus put locks on all the cupboards, checked any electrical wires were out of harm’s way, and cast unbreakable charms on everything within a toddler’s reach.

When he’d finished, he collapsed into a chair, thinking longingly of his bed. It was hardly his bedtime—but then, he was a parent now. Children were hard work. And there was a good chance Harry would wake up in the night, which meant he wasn’t going to be able to sleep right through like he used to.

Harry was still fast asleep when Severus got into bed. He took one last look at the cot, before closing his eyes and drifting off almost immediately.

When he awoke suddenly, Severus lay still in the darkness, staring at the ceiling and confused. It took a moment for the events of the previous day to come back to him.

Harry!

He sat up, and now his sharp ears could pick up on something. The slightest of whimpers. Severus climbed out of bed and approached the cot, startled by what he found.

His charge was kneeling in front of the bars, hanging onto them, silent tears running down his face. Severus recognised the beseeching expression immediately. It was the same look Harry had given him after putting him in the car seat.

“Oh, no.” Severus carefully lowered the side, making sure he didn’t trap Harry’s fingers as he did so. “I’m sorry, Harry; it’s all right.” He lifted him up, and Harry clung to him again. “Shh, shh. I’m sorry.”

This left him in a bit of a pickle. If Harry didn’t like the cot, what was Severus supposed to do? The thing could be made into a bed, Albus had said, but he wasn’t about to start trying to work it out now. “Okay, Harry, why don’t you sleep with me tonight?”

“Ye plis,” was the quiet reply.

That decided, Severus put Harry down in his own bed and got in beside him. The small warm body snuggled up close, and Severus put his arm around him, to make sure he didn’t fall out. Harry went still and quiet again, and Severus started to drift off as well.

-

Harry woke twice more in the night. Each time he woke, he made little to no noise, but Severus somehow sensed it and woke.

“Parental instincts,” Albus said, sounding rather proud when Severus related the incidents to him the next morning over a very strong coffee.

“Already?”

“Why not? I imagine your werewolf connection probably heightens that connection.”

“Hmm.” Severus had not given it much thought, but he supposed Albus had a point.

He looked down at Harry, who was still sucking his breakfast spoon with one hand, clutching the bat in the other. Harry was on Albus’ lap, since the highchair had evoked the same resistance that the cot and car seat had.

“We’re going to have to do something about that,” Albus said, as if he knew what Severus was thinking.

“Do what? He obviously can’t stand being restrained in any way. I can’t say I blame him after what they did. But he needs restraints; he’s barely more than a baby.”

“Hmm … well, you could get a child’s seat for a normal chair, and cast a cushioning charm. That way he’s not physically restrained.”

“And the other things?”

“One problem at a time.”

Albus drained his coffee, gently moved Harry to Severus’ lap, and stood up. “I should be heading back. I’ll pop in this evening if you want.”

“It’ll be much appreciated.”

“Well, buh-bye, Harry,” Albus said, giving him a little wave and turning to leave.

“Buh.”

They both stared in astonishment at Harry, who was holding up one of his hands and flexing the fingers. Albus smiled broadly—it was the first time he had heard him speak.

“Don’t fret, Severus. You’re doing a marvellous job.”

And with that, he was gone.

-

To no surprise, Harry hadn’t been over-fond of the playpen either. Instead, Severus removed the bars and let Harry just play on the mat. Harry showed no desire to stray beyond the edge.

It was too easy to watch him for hours. Harry’s play was hesitant, like he wasn’t certain he knew how to do it, but gradually he got absorbed in the assortment of toys. He lined them all up in order of size, then he piled them on top of each other like a pyramid, then he started moving them around individually, actually interacting with each other. He made barely a sound, which started to worry Severus.

“Harry,” he said gently after a while.

Harry looked up.

“You can make as much noise as you like,” Severus told him firmly. He hoped somewhere down the line he wouldn’t come to regret the ‘as much as you like’ part, but for the moment, he just needed to boy to know he wasn’t going to be punished for playing out loud.

Harry went back to his animals, and something had obviously got through, because he was mumbling things as he did so. Severus figured that would do for a first step.

“Wshhthhh.” Harry made the bat fly in the air in a circle with what was presumably meant to be a ‘whoosh’. Severus couldn’t help but smile. Harry was crawling one-handed around the mat with it, but misjudged the edge of the mat and took a tumble.

Severus was there in an instant, lifting him up and gently putting him back on the mat. Harry let out a small cry, and Severus realised with horror he had almost knelt on his favourite toy.

“I’m very sorry, Mr Bat—or whatever your name is,” Severus said quickly, rescuing it. Harry held out his arms; but instead of giving it back, Severus made it fly back into them, rewarded by a tiny squeal of delight.

To be continued...

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